DATE

Activity / Journal Entry

Swim     

Bike     

Run       

9/14/02

Sat

THE BIG DAY!!!!  (see pictures)

The day started at 4:50am when my alarm went off.  I got dressed, finished packing the last few items and went to pick up breakfast in the hotel lobby before rushing off to get our bikes in the transition area by 6:30a.  We had a while to set up all of our gear in our assigned space, and then, it was just hurry up and wait.  The first wave started at 7:30a, but my wave wasn't due to begin until 9:45.  So, I was a spectator for a while, watching the men's wave get started and try to fight off the shivering from the cool, foggy breeze.  Luckily, my dad was there to loan me his jacket for a while to help me warm up.  Finally, it was time to get suited up and ready to go.  The next 3 and a half hours are now just kind of a blur.

The swim

The horn sounded and we were off...about 60 women running into the 56 degree water like splashing kids.  The infamous part about the Pacific Grove triathlon is the kelp in the water.  There are thick beds of kelp throughout the swim course.  Many have deemed the swim stroke you must use the 'kelp crawl'.  It's actually very true.  When you come up upon a thick area of kelp, you literally have to crawl up and over it while swimming.  It makes it a bit difficult to get into a groove swimming, but otherwise, is nothing more than just a nuisance.  

About 3/4 of the way through the first of 2 laps my left calf got a horrible cramp -- fairly common for strenuous activity in cold water, but it's the first time it's every happened to me.  I tried to work it out, and was able to get through the first lap.  After the first lap you have to get out of the water, run around a rock and run back into the water.  I felt like someone who had just finished a bat race and tried not to fall over due to my loss of balance.  

Back into the water I went, and at about the same spot in the loop, my right calf cramps...this time much worse than the first cramp.  I floated for a second and pulled up on my foot to stretch it out and kept going.  When I got to the shore, I leaned over to let water in my wetsuit (a cold rush, but it helps you get your wetsuit off faster), and suddenly my right calf cramped so hard I couldn't get my foot to go flat so I could walk.  Oh no!  I reached down and rubbed out my calf until I finally got my foot to straighten out and went running out of the water and up the stairs to the transition area.  I finished the swim in 39 minutes and 42 seconds (a good bit faster than I thought I would).  I glanced at my watch and felt a moment of triumph as I sprinted toward my bike.

The bike

The transition to the bike is a mess...lots of gear to remember -- the bike, gloves, sunglasses, helmet, cycling shoes, waterbottles, food.  But in a little over 5 minutes, I had run up the stairs from the swim, through the transition area to my bike, had removed the skin tight wetsuit and had all my gear and was mounting my bike.  I shot off as fast as I could on the bike.  It was a 4 loop course so I figured if I went too fast and got tired, I could slow down on future loops.  I have to say, the bike part is definitely my favorite.  I enjoy the feeling of pushing hard, and it felt good to catch up with people who had passed me on the swim.  After each loop, I passed by the crowd and it was great to hear my parents and others rooting for me.  They also announced my name each time I reached the turnaround (each competitor wears a "chip", so when you ride/run over the timing mats, they know it's you and it registers a time).

The 2nd loop I went nearly as fast as the first despite a good bit of coughing.  I felt good; I felt strong, and my calves were no longer bothering me.  On the 3rd loop I decided to try to eat.  I had never been good at this.  It's difficult enough to pull out water and gatorade and drink, much less to stuff in mouthfuls of Clif bars while speeding along at 15-25 mph.  After 2 bites I realized I was more likely to choke than actually get any sustenance and just gave up and concentrated on my riding.

I finished my bike ride in 1 hour and 28 minutes -- again, a bit faster than I had anticipated.  Woo hoo!

The run

As I clipped out of my pedals and put my feet on the ground I was in excruciating pain.  My calves felt like someone was stabbing them with a knife.  I ran my bike to the transition area, trying not to think about how I was going to run when each step caused me to wince in pain.  The transition to the run is a bit easier -- shed all bike gear crap, and put on your running shoes.  I decided to suck down a "gu" -- a gooey sugar food replacement that can be slurped down quickly with some water to provide your body with some carbs for fuel.  I quickly stretched out my calves and off I went!

The run is a 3 loop course.  The first loop was extremely difficult.  My calves were killing me and the quads were just tight and numb.  I started off doing about 12 minute miles.  After the first loop, I felt much better and started to pick up the pace (I think the caffeine and sugar from the gu was starting to kick in).  I have no idea how fast I was running but when I got to the 3rd and final loop I felt like I was dragging.  Throughout the run, I kept trying to keep my mind on things other than the fact that I was in a lot of pain, and just really really tired.  Your body is screaming at you to stop, but it's definitely a mental game.  You just keep telling yourself to keep going.  I ran the entire 6.2 miles, finishing it in 1 hour and 3 minutes (just slightly over a 10 minute mile pace -- not bad considering my first loop was so slow!).

As I was finishing my last half a lap, I cranked it into high gear.  I knew I was almost done, I knew I was going to finish in a faster time than I ever thought I could, and I knew the faster I went, the sooner I could stop.  I kept going faster and faster, watching my heartrate on my heartrate monitor rise up to 190, and crossed the finish line with a total time of 3 hours 22 minutes!  Immediately I saw my mom and dad who were waiting for me to cross.  And finally, I got to stop...then, the feeling of euphoria.  I don't think I have ever felt as strong or as ecstatic as I did after crossing that finish line!

The Statistics:

Total time:  3h 22m 18s

Place:  269 out of 466 women, 818 out of 1064 total people

Avg HR:  173 bpm (for over 3 hours!!!)

Calories burned:  1800 (I can eat whatever I want!)

Money raised:  $3,848 (...and counting - the checks are still rolling in)

1500 m

9/11/02

Wed

"Tapering":

So, during our last week we're supposed to reduce the amount of working out that we're doing.  However, I've been working nearly every waking hour (we have a big deadline this Friday), so I've pretty much tapered by just turning the workout faucet completely off.  I've brought my workout clothes to work everyday this week, but haven't yet found a time to use them.  Instead, I'm working on getting rid of my cough, and getting mentally psyched up for this weekend.  I think it's good preparation...

On a somber day, it is easy to be thankful for being given the ability to pursue this feat.  I also want to thank everyone for all of your support!  The big day is only 3 days away!!!!!

9/8/02

Sun

Swim/Run:

I still have a hacking cough, but don't feel that bad.  I went for the group workout this morning which was a swim and a run.  The swim was a bit bizarre.  They wanted to simulate race day, and at Pac Grove you have to get out of the water 1/2 way through the swim and then reenter.  So, we did one swim loop at aquatic park, ran out of the water and back in, and then did another loop.  The swim was followed by a 5K run (a much shorter distance than we normally run -- but we're supposed to be tapering off now).

1200m

9/7/02

Sat

Bike:

The group ride today was the Lucas Valley / Big Rock ride -- the same one we did on 8/24.  I'm still coughing a lot, but decided I should give it a try.  The ride was great.  It was a beautiful sunny day, and I really pushed myself on the way back.  I finished the ride 10 minutes faster than I did just 2 weeks ago, and felt great afterwards -- which is good since I went straight to work for the whole day after the ride.

9/6/02

Fri

Sick day:

I decided to take the day off today.  I've now got a full blown hacking cough, and my chest is very congested.  I'm really upset that I'm getting sick...the timing is terrible - the triathlon is only a week away.  Work is also getting out of hand.  I have to work through the weekend which will likely put me at an 80-90 hour week of work when all is said and done. :(

9/5/02

Thur

Swim:

I got up early this morning and drove down to the Cupertino YMCA before work to swim.  I decided to push myself on speed and endurance and see how fast I could do the race distance (1.5 km).  I was amazed at how much faster my swimming is now.  I finished the 1500m with no breaks in 33 minutes, and didn't really feel all that tired afterwards.  I'm sure the open water will make this a bit more challenging, but I think I should be able to finish the swim in less than 45 minutes.

1550 m

9/4/02

Wed

Bike/Run/Bike/Run:

Tonight's group workout was a transitions practice.  We rode a 2 mile bike loop, came back, transitioned to run gear, ran for 2 miles, transitioned back to bike gear, repeated the 2 mile bike loop, transitioned back to run gear, and ran another 2 miles.  It was an interesting workout, and definitely helped you get used to transitioning from one sport to another.  The running was a little tough for me.  I've come down with a cough, and felt pretty congested making it difficult to breathe.  Please don't let me get sick!

9/3/02

Tue

Grandpa's birthday:

I didn't get in my workout today because I was stuck working until after 10pm.  But this also meant I didn't get to call my grandfather on his 85th birthday.  Hopefully, he'll see this and know I was thinking of him...  happy birthday! 

9/2/02

Mon

Swim (open water):

Today was time to pack up from Tahoe and head back to the city, but we decided to stop by the beach at Meek's Bay so I could get in a good swim before heading back.  The water was chilly (65 degrees?), but much warmer than the bay, and with a wetsuit it was fine.  The biggest difference from the bay is how CLEAR the water was.  The visibility was fantastic.  It was a little difficult to get used to all of the boat traffic in Meek's Bay, though.  I had forgotten from my scuba diving how you can hear a boat engine that's all the way across the bay like it's right there next to you.  It was a bit distracting at first (afterall, I didn't want to get run over by a boat after almost getting hit by a car in the same weekend), but I finally settled into a groove and had a great swim. 

2200 m

9/1/02

Sun

Bike / Hike:

I went out early this morning before my friends got up to go for a bike ride along the lake.  I started on the bike path, but after a couple miles ended up out on the road since the bike path ended.  I was cruising along at about 20-25 mph going down a small hill, when a car coming from the opposite direction turned left right in front of me.  I grabbed my brakes as hard as I could and swerved right, my feet came off the pedals as I prepared for the collision and I miraculously missed getting hit by less than a foot.  I was amazed I didn't fall anyway as I careened towards the edge of the road before coming to a stop.  The man in the car was so apologetic and stayed there for about a minute while I caught my breath to make sure I was okay.  After this experience and having flashbacks of Meg Ryan's death in City of Angels (which by the way took place in Lake Tahoe!!), I decided bike riding in Tahoe wasn't for me.  I turned around and went straight back to our house and laced up my hiking shoes!

The hike was fantastic.  We did an 11 mile hike along the coast from Rubicon Point to Emerald Bay and back (see pictures).  Emerald Bay is probably one of the most picturesque areas of Lake Tahoe, and the only disappointment was the crowd of boats and people that flock there with the same high regard for the bay.  The 11 mile hike, which took us about 4 hours, was plenty of exercise for the day, and I didn't feel too guilty (but definitely much safer) for having skipped out on the bike ride.

8/31/02

Sat

Hike / Run:

I decided to spend the long weekend up in Lake Tahoe with friends and wanted to find a way to do my workouts, but still enjoy the outdoors.  We went for a great hike near Alpine Meadows ski resort, up to the top to a really secluded lake -- it was a nice climb (about 1000 ft of elevation change).  Afterwards, I had my friends drop me off on the bike path, and I ran the rest of the way home.

4.2 mi run

8/29/02

Thurs

Swim (attempt):

I crawled out of bed before 6am this morning to get down to the Presidio Y for a swim before work.  I had dinner plans with friends for my birthday, so I knew this was my only chance to get in a workout today.  I got all geared up and got over to the Y only to find out it's closed for 2 weeks for roof repairs!  Arrgghhh!  (...to think I could have slept in another hour...)

0 m

8/28/02

Wed

Run:

I had to miss my group workout tonight -- I was stuck at the client site waiting to get some feedback on a presentation we had been working on.  So, while we were waiting, I decided to slide on my running shoes and go run around the work campus.  I made it through a boring 5 miles in circles, before I had to get back to go back to work.  The run felt good -- in fact it's a little weird now to think of a 5 mile run as a short run.

8/27/02

Tues

Swim (open water):

I rushed from work today to make it to the city in time to get in some bay swimming before the sun went down.  I got to aquatic park about 7pm and got into the water with enough time to get in 2 laps while watching the sunset.  It was one of those picture perfect days, and the sunset was amazing.  I would have like to have gotten in another lap, but the water is creepy enough in the daytime...

1200 m

8/25/02

Sun

Swim/Run:

Today was pretty tough.  We did a swim in a 50m pool at a college in Marin.  The water was ok, but it was freezing outside (the glory of summer weather in the bay area).  The clouds cleared by the time we finished just in time for the 6 mile run in the heat!  I didn't have a very good run;  it seemed slow, but very grueling.  Tami and I ran together, and both of us were so tired we couldn't catch enough breath to tell the other we wanted to slow down, so we pushed ourselves harder than we would have otherwise.  We both thought the other one wanted to leave us in the dust.  It's good to have a running partner to motivate you!

1800 m

8/24/02

Sat

Bike:

I wasn't able to work out on Thursday or Friday -- I had kind of a marathon schedule at work and couldn't even find time for sleep, much less a workout.  But I wasn't going to miss today's bike ride.  We went on a ride along Lucas Valley Rd up to the top of "Big Rock", over the top of the hill and about 8 miles beyond to the reservoir and back.  We did this same hill during our ride on 7/14 but turned around once we got to the top.  That was a little over a month ago, but that hill was burned into my memory.  I remember thinking I would never make it, so I was prepared for a struggle!  But today, it was much easier (note:  it was not easy by any means, just easier)!  I finished the ride (it took a little less than 2 hours), and still felt great.  A bunch of us went out for brunch afterwards (see pictures).

8/21/02

Wed

Bike/Run:

I got to the group workout tonight really late so I missed most of the biking.  We did the same workout as last week (bike hill repeats followed by run hill repeats in the Presidio).  I only had time to do one bike loop and 3 run loops.  It was still a great workout, but I would like to have gotten to finish the whole workout.  It's bad that it's getting dark so much earlier!

8/20/02

Tue

Swim (open water):

Today I went swimming in the bay after work.  I only did 2 laps at aquatic park.  It was  a beautiful sunny day, but pretty windy, which created a current you had to fight and waves.  I got hit in the face a couple of times by waves and choked down a good bit of sea water which just sort of threw me off.  I thought I'd do a full mile (a little less than 3 laps), but just couldn't do it.  I was starting to get a little disappointed, but then shrugged it off.  I may not have swum very far, but good grief, I swam in the bay!!  That's accomplishment enough!

1200 m

8/19/02

Mon

Run:

Today I went for a long run after work.  I really tried to push myself on this run to see what kind of pace I could keep up, and I finished the 8.2 miles in 74 minutes (right at a 9 minute mile pace -- which is an amazing pace for me).  My heart rate was really high (my heart rate monitor was showing 180+ for a good portion of the run), but I felt great.  To put it in perspective, I did this same run 2 months ago and it took me 95 minutes.

8/17/02

Sat

Swim/Bike/Run:

Today was our practice triathlon.  Team in Training set up a "sprint" distance triathlon course in Tiburon.  The course was almost half our race distance and gave us a good feel for what the transitions would feel like.  The thing I noticed that it took me about 10 minutes to warm up in each sport, so nearly a third of the race I felt a little off.  But after about 10 minutes you get in a groove.  But on a sprint distance course 10 minutes on each sports adds up to 1/3rd of the race!  All in all, though, it was a great experience.  I felt great after the practice tri and was really pumped up.  I've even decided to register for another triathlon in November!

950m

8/14/02

Wed

Swim/Bike/Run:

Today was a bit ridiculous.  I decided to go swimming this morning since I felt a little guilty missing my swim last night and did nearly an hour at the Presidio YMCA. Then, after work I went down to the Marina for our normal Wednesday night group Brick ("bike, run, ick") workout.  Only, it wasn't our typical Brick workout.  I did the Elite workout with was 5 loop hill-repeats on the bike in the Presidio plus 3 figure eight run loops (2 hills per loop).  So, basically, it was an intense hour and a half of doing constant hill repeats.  What a workout!  It's very much a mental game though.  You can't let your mind win when it's telling you that you need to stop.  You just have to stay focused and keep going.

2200m

8/13/02

Tue

Run:

I decided to go for a short run in the morning and do a swim in the evening and I only accomplished the first one.  I ended up not getting home from work until nearly 11pm.  The run was good, though.

8/10/02

Sat

Run/Bike:

I was out of town again for the weekend -- this time at a wedding in NJ and was determined not to blow the whole weekend.  So, during a break in the afternoon I hit the hotel gym and spent some time on the treadmill and bike.  I have to say I really HATE running on a treadmill -- it's boring and I feel like a gerbil.  But, I felt good that I stuck with it (for 6 miles!) and then hopped on the bike as well.  It still wasn't quite the workout as what I would have had with the group back in San Francisco, but it was better than blowing the weekend off entirely.

8/8/02

Thurs

Swim:

Another early morning (I've now had to resort to setting the alarm on my cell phone in order to get out of bed), and a 5:30am drive down to the Cupertino YMCA to go swimming.  All I can say is at least I'm avoiding traffic!  I had a great swim, but I just can't seem to find the time to fit in the whole workout.  We're supposed to be swimming about 2500m, but I can only fit in about 2000m in the 50 minutes I'm willing to give up in the morning.  Tack on another 30 minutes and I would have to get out of bed before 5am (I refuse!)  But I have to say, the 2000m felt pretty good.  I took a brief rest (45 secs) after every 500 - 600m (every 20-24 lengths), but otherwise kept up a pretty consistent pace the whole time.

2000m

8/7/02

Wed

Run:

I got up early this morning and went for a long run circling around Ft. Mason and running out to the Golden Gate Bridge and back.  The run actually felt pretty good and went by pretty quickly...and it was such a beautiful day -- sunny and not windy at all.

8/6/02

Tue

Swim (open water):

I had a much better swim in the bay today than the one I had Sunday!  I went after work down to aquatic park and met some of my teammates there.  It was a nice sunny evening, but the water was still very cold.  I decided to really concentrate on keeping calm and keeping my breathing in control.  The main thing was to make sure I was exhaling all the way.  Your first reaction to the cold water is to take quick short breaths (which you obviously can't do while swimming).  I only took 2 very brief breaks changing to breaststroke/ backstroke for 8-10 strokes.  Other than that I just kept a constant pace.  I finished 3 full laps (a little over a mile) in about 50 minutes -- which is actually faster than I finished the same amount of distance in the warm pool last week.  Not bad!

2000 m

8/4/02

Sun

Swim (open water) / Run:

I have to say it is very difficult to get out of bed early on a cloudy cool day, knowing you have to go jump in the bay and go swimming.  It doesn't make it any easier to know that swim will be followed by a long run, but I was able to motivate and get down to Aquatic Park and get prepared (see picture).  The swim was actually not very good.  I had a much harder time getting into a groove than I did on my last open water swim.  I was having a really hard time keeping my breathing under control, and just constantly felt like I was struggling for breath...it's difficult to override your body's panic attack as it tries to avoid hypothermia.  The wet suit keeps your core warm, but your body still registers the cold water on your face, feet and hands and reacts to it.  It was funny because today was the first time I've worn my heart rate monitor into the bay.  My heart rate went from 95 bpm to 140 bpm by just starting to walk into the water.  Right after the cold water got shin level, my heart rate went sky high.  It took me a little over 30 minutes to do 2 laps meaning I was going at a slower pace than my last open water swim and I went less distance.  I really just need to start swimming in the bay more often and get used to it!!   It's all mental... (mentally retarded that is...)

As for the run, it was ok.  At first your legs are very cold, so they are a little stiff, but I warmed up pretty quickly.  However, I was still struggling a little with my breathing.  I have a bit of a cough right now (hopefully, I'm not getting sick), and my chest just felt tight.  But the 5 miles went by pretty quickly.

1200 m

8/3/02

Sat

Bike:

I really needed an extra hour of sleep today so I decided to do a bike ride from the city, instead of driving out to Novato to do the group Captain's ride.  I talked my friend, Evelyn, into saddling up her mountain bike and riding out to Tiburon with me.  We went a rather round about way of getting out there, and decided 20 miles back was just too much, so we had my roommate Kelley come meet us at Sam's for a bloody mary out on the waterfront in Tiburon (and bring us a car with a bike rack to get us home).  It wasn't as long of a ride as I should have done, but I definitely had a good time -- despite having my 2nd fall on my bike due to my clipless pedals.  So here's the story... I was pedaling up a particularly steep hill, and decided to gear down when I was already halfway up.  When I tried to change gears, my chain fell off -- pedals were moving, but the bike wasn't.  I quickly came to a halt on the hill, and couldn't clip out of my pedals before I started to fall over.  I braced myself and came out with just a sore shoulder, a skinned knee and a nice bruise on my rear from the fall...oh yeah, and a hurt ego (but it's not too bad, since once again, no body saw me fall).

20 mi

8/2/02

Fri

Swim:

I was feeling really tired today, but I set 3 alarms to get myself up early this morning (5:15am!!) to get down to the Cupertino YMCA to go swimming.  The pool was VERY crowded.  There were 5 or 6 people in my lane which is just unmanageable and I got behind the same little asian man that won't let you pass him.  It got rather frustrating so I moved over to the "Fast" lane.  I had normally avoided this lane, but I'd rather get consistently passed with only 3 of us in the lane than to be crammed into a  lane with just too many people.  I finally got into a groove and pace that I could maintain after about 1000 m.  So, the 2nd half of the workout was great.  My body is very tired, though, after 4 pretty rigorous days in a row, and the tough weekend still ahead...

2000 m

8/1/02

Thurs

Bike/Run:

I decided to do a "brick" workout on my own tonight.  I decided to do a shorter bike than last night, and spend the extra time on the run.  I still feel like my running is my slowest leg (ironic since it's the thing I've been doing the longest).  I had a nice 8 mile bike ride with a few hills (but nothing like last night), and then a 5 mile run.  I felt really tired on the run, but realized when I finished that I was actually running a pretty fast pace (9 minute miles -- which is fast for me).  It's funny, I was just typing in more of my past journal down below, and saw where I thought a flat 14 mile bike ride was a pretty full workout.  It would never have occurred to me at that point to go for a run as well!

8 mi

7/31/02

Wed

Bike/Run:

My 2 goals for today were to be on time for our 6pm workout (which means leaving work pretty early to make the drive from Cupertino to the city), and to finish the group workout before everyone finished the stretching afterwards -- being late normally leads to the latter problem.  And, I'm proud to say I achieved both goals.  The workout was fairly intense.  I did the Elite workout which included 4 hill repeats up in the Presidio on a bike followed by the 2 mile run loop at Crissy field and then maybe a 1/2 mi hill to finish the run.  It's hard to get into the running after doing hills on the bike.  Your legs are just really stiff and, well, your just plain tired!  But it was a great workout!

14 mi

7/30/02

Tue

Run:

So, now that I'm back from my long weekend in Atlanta (and the heat that came along with it), I had no excuse not to get out and get moving.  After work, I went out for a run and did a 10K (6.2 miles) at a 9.5 minute mile pace...pretty good for me!

7/27/02

Sat

Run:

I was on vacation visiting home in Atlanta for a long weekend and really struggled to get in my workouts.  Friday and Monday were travel days, so I had no daylight hours in either city.  But Saturday I did attempt to go on a long run, but didn't get out until about 11am.  By 11am in the summer in "Hotlanta" it is already around 90 degrees with about 80% humidity, and I realized my body is not used to training in these conditions.  I circled around the park near my parents house, eyeing the water fountain in the center, teasing myself that on my 3rd lap I'd stop for a sip of water.  The 3rd lap finally came around and...the water fountain didn't work!  I became desperate and left after 4 miles in search of some gatorade and some air-conditioning feeling somewhat dejected by my inability to withstand the extreme conditions.  Lucky for me, I don't think it ever gets HOT in Monterey, so I shouldn't have this problem on race day. (see picture)

7/25/02

Thurs

Swim:

Today I got up early to go swimming at the Cupertino YMCA before work.  I have to admit I'm really struggling to get out of bed in the morning these days, so I only had about 30 minutes at the pool.  It's amazing though to now be able to do a bit shy of the triathlon swim distance (1500 m) in such a short amount of time.  In order to get in a full workout, though, I've got to find a new way to get out of bed at 5am on minimal sleep!!  

1300 m

7/24/02

Wed

Bike/Run:

Today was our team workout at Crissy Field and as usual I was running late.  We're supposed to meet at 6pm and it is impossible for me to leave work in time to make the hour commute up to the city and get to our meeting place in time.  I got there about 6:45p, but all I had missed was a clinic on making the transition from the bike to the run, and a clinic on how to climb hills on a bike.  I got there just in time to actually partake in climbing hills.  We did 4 loops on the presidio hill (the one that I used to considering doing ONCE was an accomplishment), then coasted down to Crissy Field to run one 2 mile loop before doing crunches and push-ups.

15 mi

7/23/02

Tue

Swim (open water):

The TNT coaches got and informal group together to do a swim at Aquatic Park in the San Francisco Bay, so I decided to give the 54 degree waters another try.  I was pleasantly surprised but how great it was.  It was a warm sunny CALM day, so the water looked more like a lake than the ocean.  Check out the pictures. I got there a little later than others so I was late getting in the water (it takes 20 minutes just to get on the wetsuit!!)  But, I got into a groove pretty quickly and just kept swimming.  I did 3 laps in the park which is supposedly a little more than a mile!  That's even more than I'll have to do for the actual event.  It was still much different from being in the pool and I had to do breaststroke every now and then to rest a bit, but I was still amazed at how much better it was than last time.  Now, I just need to cross my fingers that it's not windy on race day!  The waves are just too much!  

1800 m

7/21/02

Sun

Bike:

Today we met out in Healdsburg in Napa Valley to go for a long bike ride.  I have to admit that after accomplishing a 7 hour, 6 bar pub crawl the day before with friends, I wasn't sure I was in the right state to take on a long ride, but what the heck.  So, we set out on the ride that lasted exactly 2 hours, and in that entire 2 hours, I think I only put my foot down 2 or 3 times (at stop signs) the either time.  For the entire 2 hours, with no break we cycled at an average speed of about 16 mph.  The ride was nice -- mostly rolling hills with just one long but steady climb, and the weather was overcast which kept the heat down.  The only downside for me was lack of food.  I've gotten used to drinking while cycling, but haven't quite mastered opening up a clif bar and gobbling down food while still in motion.  So, by the time the 2 hours were up, I was completely running on empty (5-6 crackers was all I was able to keep down for breakfast so I was working off a half-empty tank as it was!)  After doing crunches and pushups as a group afterwards (are these guys crazy?), I finally got to go eat a juicy burger which seemed to satisfy both my hunger and my partial hangover.  A 2 hour nap, and I almost felt human again! 

32 mi

7/20/02

Sat

Run / Swim:

Today we switched it up a little and did the captain's run before swim class since our swim coach was competing in a triathlon in the morning.  The run was along a fire road on Mt. Tam, but luckily was really flat.  It was a beautiful run, but a long one.  They said it was 5.8 miles out and back, but I think it may have been a little longer based on the pace we did it (my avg HR was about 175! -- a little too high!) and how long it took us (about an hour).  Then, we went back down to the college for our swim class, which was doing a 12 minute endurance swim test to check our progress.  We did one on 6/15/02 and I was able to do 16 lengths (~400 m) in 12 minutes.  But on that day, I hadn't just finished a 6 mile run!!!  But alas, it was time to take the challenge, and I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to do 21 lengths (~525 m) in 12 minutes -- a pretty good improvement.  April, our swim coach, volunteered to stay after to give personal tips to those that wanted the one-on-one feedback.  It was our last class and she wanted to help us out as much as she could.  So, a lot of us stayed in the water.  I swam a length while she watched and after I finished, she told me to get out, that I didn't need help. :) 

800 m

5.8 mi

7/19/02

Fri

Bike:

Today I went for a bike ride after work.  It was pretty tough to get motivated on a Friday evening after a long week, but I'm glad I did.  The ride was really good.  I was pressed for time because I had dinner plans, but it actually worked out well.  I had a distance goal of 20 miles, and the time constraint made me push myself harder to keep my pace up so I could finish the distance in time.  I did a loop up and around the Presidio (read: HILL) which is about 7 miles, and then did the rest of my ride along Crissy Field and up to the Golden Gate bridge.

20.1 mi

7/18/02

Thurs

Swim:

I went to the Cupertino YMCA before work today, but only had about 35 minutes to swim.  The swim went pretty well, but I was definitely tired.  I got into a pretty good groove on the swim, but unfortunately ran out of time and wasn't able to complete the whole workout that they had set up for us.

1300 m

7/17/02

Wed

Swim (open water):

Let the craziness begin...Today I jumped into the 54 degree water at Aquatic Park in San Francisco.  The wetsuit kept my body fairly warm, but there is no hope for the face, feet and hands.  This was our first open water swim, and I hesitate to call it a swim.  It was more like swim, flail, backstroke, desperate doggy paddle, swim, flail....you get the point.  But the fact is, I did more than half the distance of the swim in the triathlon my first time out (in whatever manner I was able to manage).  The biggest challenges:  hoping you don't go for a breath just as you knocked in the face with a wave, trying to slow your breathing down when your body is just screaming that you should not be calm in this cold water, trying not to freak out that there is absolutely no visibility in the water.  But I survived, and I did get a picture to commemorate the event.  The gross part?...well, after getting done with the swim, I wiped my face off on my white towel and when I looked down, I saw it was brown.  Let's just say the San Francisco bay isn't known for its cleanliness.

800 m

7/16/02

Tue

Run:

I couldn't find time to workout until 8pm and at that point, the only thing possible was a quick run before the sun set.  So, I went out and did my typical run along the Marina Green to Crissy Field and back.  I tried to keep my heartrate down, but was surprised at the pace I was able to keep up even with a fairly low heartrate (~163).  I broke the 10 min/mi pace again.  Maybe now that's my typical pace.  Now I have to strive to break the 9 min/mi!  Some comparison points:

Date                  7/16      6/27      6/21      4/17    

Distance (mi)      4.7       4.7        4.7        4.7      

time (min)           46        51         53         56    

pace (min / mi)    9.8     10.8      11.2      11.7  

heartrate (bpm)   163     158       163       169

4.7 mi

7/15/02

Mon

07/14/02

Sun.

Swim / Bike:

Wow!  Today's workout was a killer.  I was still pretty tired from yesterday's run, but the intensity of today caught me off guard.  We started with a swim workout where each lane was coached by a volunteer masters swimmer to give us some tips.  It was really good to get some one on one feedback.  We had a quick transition onto the bike (which forced me to eat while washing off the chlorine in the shower and while getting dressed -- i think eating in the shower is a personal low point for me).  I found the Elite cyclers just before they were ready to leave.  We had a great ride from the College of Marin campus in Novato out towards land that George Lucas owns.  It was gorgeous, but I knew I was in trouble when the coach for our group said "go to the top of big rock and turn around" -- several words hit my radar and screamed at me UP HILL!  And what a hill it was!  But what kept me going was the fact we were on a very curvy road and you could only see what lie one curve ahead and it wasn't too hard to convince yourself that the "top of big rock" had to be just around the next curve.  But it wasn't...  When big rock finally came into view, though, those of us that made it up had the great fortune of the breezy ride down!

1400 m

22 mi

07/13/02

Sat.

Swim / Run:

Today I had my swim class at the College of Marin followed by the TNT Captain's Run.  The swim class went well -- we worked on some drills that should help me with my roll.  The run was pretty tough.  I decided to step it up with my friend Tami and take on the "Elite" run today which entailed running up from the College of Marin to Phoenix Lake.  The heat, the incline and the faster pace was tough, but it felt great to finish a tough run.  I think we broke a 10 min/mi pace again too!

~800 m

~5.5 mi

07/12/02

Fri.

Run:

Today I tried to see how fast I could do my typical run along the Marina.  I had my first run where my pace was in the single digits!  Woohoo! (~9.4 min/mi)  It was great to look back through my running journal that I've been keeping the last year and find a few good comparison points for how I've improved both in pace and my heartrate:

Date                  7/12      5/23      4/23      4/02      2/27

Distance (mi)      4.5        4.5        4.5        4.2        4.2

time (min)           42         46         49         51         57

pace (min / mi)   9.4       10.2      10.8      12.1       13.6

heartrate (bpm)  170       178       171       171        168

Like I've been saying, it's all a competition with yourself!

4.5 mi

07/11/02

Thurs.

Swim:

I went to the Cupertino YMCA this morning before work for a swim.  While it was early in the morning (6:30am!), it was great to get the workout out of the way early in the day.  It was a great swim!!  Just 2 days ago I was having to do a length using a stroke other than freestyle about every 4th or 5th length just to be able to keep going and not rest (I usually used breaststroke or backstroke  for a slowdown length).  But today, at one point I went 600m with no break and used only freestyle (24 straight lengths!)!  It's funny because it's the first time my swim workout felt like it does when I run.  My mind started wandering instead of concentrating so hard on breathing, my stroke, etc.  I was completely relaxed.

1800m 

(>1 mi)

07/10/02

Wed.

Bike / Run:

Today was our first "Brick" workout (a bike followed by a run).  I've heard various reasons for this name -- none of them good.  (1) Bike + Run = ick (the way you feel doing it), (2) Brick = the way your legs feel for the first 1/2 mile after getting off the bike.  But, forget the bad name, it was still something we had to do.  It turned out not to be so bad!  The bike ride was great.  We rode along Crissy Field right on the water, and for once, it wasn't very windy!  Then, I went on the run with Tami, a friend I've made through TNT.  We run at about the same pace so I've finally found someone to train with!  When we first started running it felt really weird and my legs felt really sluggish, but by the end of the first 1/2 mile, it got a lot better.  We survived!

14 mi

3 mi

07/09/02

Tues.

Swim:

Today I got up early and went to the Cupertino YMCA before work for a swim.  It was actually a really good swim.  I was able to do a lot more lengths before needing to use a stroke other than freestyle (normally after 4-5 lengths) and I was only having to rest about every 300m -- a huge improvement!

1700m

07/07/02

Sun.

Swim:

I decided to go to the YMCA in Boston and do a quick swim before heading back to San Francisco.  I only had 35 minutes, but the 1000m swim felt like a good workout and made me feel good about not blowing my workout schedule over the holiday weekend.

1000m

07/06/02

Sat.

Run:

Today I decided to take advantage of the beautiful surroundings in Cape Cod and go for a run.  I didn't intend to run so far, but the day was beautiful and the neighborhood and paths I was running on were perfect for a long run.  So, I just kept running.  I was out about 1hr and 20 minutes, which means I was keeping a 10.8 min/mi pace for the full run -- not bad for me for the long distance.

7.6 mi

07/04/02

Thurs.

Run:

Today I got up pretty early to try to get in a run before the heat really set in.  I was out running along the Charles River in Boston by 7:30a.  However, the heat had still beat me to it.  It was probably in the mid-80s already.  I normally love the heat (reminds me of home), but I have to say I'm not used to exercising in it.  I had a hard time keeping my heartrate down (I averaged about 169), and was soaking wet with sweat by the time I finished.  But it was nice being back in Boston.  I forgot how much I used to love running along the Charles.

~6 mi

07/03/02

Wed.

Swim:

Today I flew into Boston for the July 4th holiday.  After I got in I went to the YMCA to do some swimming.  I had a pretty good workout but was pretty tired by the end.  A long swim finally gets me to a point that I can hardly even kick off the wall since my legs are so tired.  But it does make me feel good to know I can swim the full distance of the triathlon (+ a few hundred extra meters!).

1850m

07/02/02

Tues.

Bike:

Today I went down to Crissy Field and rode my bike.  It was my first time riding my bike after getting my clipless pedals (these are pedals what have special shoes that literally latch onto the pedal -- making them a little tricky to click out of once you're in them).  I've heard that you will definitely fall at least once, and now I can put a check in the box and say I'm done with my fall.  It was really quite funny.  I stopped in a parking lot while I was doing my loops and tried to step down on my foot that wasn't clipped out yet.  I fell right over on my right side.  I stood up, looked around to make sure no one saw me, and then just laughed out loud at myself.

17.5 mi

6/30/02

Sun.

Swim / Bike:

Today I had my swim class at 8:30a out at the College of Marin - Kentfield and then went on the coaches bike ride with the Elite group.  The swim class was good as usual -- it has helped me so much!  The bike was great as well.  We went on the Paradise Dr. loop on Tiburon -- very beautiful coastline ride.  We had some problems because we had such a large group and there were a lot of traffic lights on the way to Paradise Dr.  At one point, I was with a group that got caught for 5 minutes at a light while the rest of the group went on, but I fought to catch back up at about the mid-way point.  It's great to have these planned rides to get us out riding in places we otherwise wouldn't know about.

900 m

16 mi

6/29/02

Sat.

Run / Swim:

Today we had a group workout at the College of Marin in Kentfield.  It was quite a workout and was nonstop.  We immediately started on a 2 mile warm up run, which is a little bizarre to me.  I don't know about you, but it doesn't take me TWO MILES to warm up. ;-)  After the warm-up we went to the track and were given instructions about the speed circuit training we were going to do.  Run 1 lap at a fast speed, then do 10 2-legged squats, 20 1-leg squats, 10 dips, 10 pushups and 20 crunches, then immediately hop back up and run another lap and start all over again.  I did 3 circuits and was on my 4th lap when it was time to run back to the pool for our swim training.  The swim workout was good.  I could definitely feel an improvement over the last group swim.  Then, I headed home and crashed for a nap!

1100 m

3.5 mi

6/28/02

Fri.

Bike:

Today I went for a bike ride after work up in the Presidio (from my apartment up the hill and around the golf course) and back down to Crissy Field where I did a few loops there.  I was pretty tired.  My heartrate seemed pretty low (avg = 150), but my muscles seemed to tire and ache really quickly.  It's been a long week and I think I need some sleep.

13.5 mi

6/27/02

Thurs.

Swim / Run:

TWO workouts in one day!  Today I did a swim in the morning before work and a run in the evening after work.  I was trying to make up for having missed the group workout Wednesday night due to work.

Today, I decided to go with a new tactic on my swimming.  I was tired of having to rest every 50-75 m (2-3 pool lengths), so I decided to start mixing in a length of a drill or of breaststroke whenever I got tired, so at least I could keep going.  It helped me have a more consistent workout.  I also tried to work on slowing down and breathing every 2 strokes when I needed to instead of making myself wait for every 3rd.  It really helped me swim without as much rest.

I had a great run in the evening (kind of surprising since I had already pushed myself on the swimming in the morning).  I felt a huge improvement in how much easier it was to keep my heartrate down.  In fact, after the first mile and a half I thought there was something wrong with my HR monitor because it was still showing my heartrate at just 145.  I looked back through my journal and found a few good comparison points:

Date                  6/27      6/21      4/17    

Distance (mi)      4.7        4.7        4.7      

time (min)           51         53         56    

pace (min / mi)   10.8      11.2      11.7  

heartrate (bpm)  158       163       169  

It's always nice to see progress!

1700 m

4.7 mi

6/26/02

Wed.

Sadly, I missed my group workout tonight.  I got to work at 7am and didn't get home until 11pm.

6/25/02

Tues.

Swim:

I went to the Cupertino YMCA this morning really early before work.  I'm still struggling to do more than 50 m without some rest (and the "Age Groupers" are supposed to be doing sets of 200-300 m without rest by now!)  It's very frustrating.

1450 m

6/23/02

Sun

Swim / Run:

Today I had swim class and then went for a run with the Age Groupers.  The swim lesson was really good again.  We worked on some of the same drills as last week but added working on arm/elbow/hand position.  I'm still struggling with swimming continuously but it's getting better.  For the run, we went on just a 3 mile run from the College of Marin.

900 m

3.0 mi

6/22/02

Sat

Bike:

Today was a group ride in Marin at China Camp (a state park along the bay north of Sausalito).  I decided to ride with the Elites this time since the Age Group ride last week was a little easy.  It was a pretty ride, and it was nice having a series of rolling hills.  However, I felt like I pushed myself a bit too hard.  It was good practice for me in getting really used to my gears with all of the rolling hills.  I know, it seems like gears should be simple, but when you have 27 gears, it can get a little hairy!  All in all, a very cool ride, though...

15 mi

6/21/02

Fri

Run:

Today was the official first day of summer and it definitely made me remember what summer brings in San Francisco -- chilly, foggy, misty, windy, gray weather.  I had a good run despite the downturn in weather, though.  I've been working on training more in the "aerobic" zone, and thus, slowing my pace down.  I had some problems with my heartrate monitor today though (it would show 0 like I was dead, and then show 250 which is impossible), but after the first mile it was ok.

4.7 mi

6/20/02

Thurs

Swim:

I got up early this morning and was int he Presidio pool by 6am...painfully early!  There were only 2 open lanes because there was a masters swim team using the other 4 lanes.  I really struggled with my swim.  My stroke has gotten much better, but I'm still very tired at the end of each length of the pool.  The Age Group workout has 3 separate sets of 200 yds each where you are only supposed to rest at the end of the 200 yds.  But I can't even do 50 yds without resting!  Oh well, it's still an improvement.

1100 m

6/19/02

Wed

Run:

We had a group run tonight down at Crissy Field.  We started with a 2 mile warmup (don't you love that?  who needs 2 miles to warmup??)  Then, we moved straight into a 12 minute endurance run where you run as fast as you reasonably can keep up for 12 minutes.  I was able to do about 1.2 miles (so, about 10 minute miles).  It will be interesting to see how I progress over the course of the training.  Supposedly, we'll do this again towards the end of our training.  After the endurance run, we ran back to where we started and did crunches and pushups.

4.0 mi

6/18/02

Tue

Swim:

I went swimming today and had a really good workout.  It's amazing what a difference the lessons made, though I still have to rest a decent amount to get my breathing under control.

1100 m

6/17/02

Mon

Run:

I had an amazing sunset run today.  I tried really hard to keep my pace down so I could keep my heartrate down in the "aerobic zone" and I felt like I could run forever (ok, I admit my legs felt pretty heavy at the end of the run).  My pace was fairly slow (~11 minutes / mile), but not bad considering I ran for 8.2 miles!

8.2 mi

6/16/02

Sun

Swim / Bike:

Today I had swim class and then went on a group ride.  The swim class was really good!  It definitely made me feel much more confident in the water.  The bike was good but a little short and we had a difficult time keeping the group together so we'd often have to stop and wait for others.  I think I will bike with the Elite group next time.  I think I could probably keep up.

600 m

6/15/02

Sat

Swim / Run:

Today we had a running clinic, a bike tire changing clinic and a swim class.  The running clinic taught us how to incorporate Tai Chi into our running...very interesting and actually really useful.  I don't think anyone has every taught me anything about running (your breathing, posture, balance, etc.)  In the swim class, we did a 12 minute endurance swim test.  I was able to do 16 lengths in the time allotted, but used freestyle for probably less than half of the distance.

900 m

2.0 mi

6/13/02

Thurs

Run:

I didn't have much time this morning (and the schedule said to do just a 30 minute run), so I went for a short run down to the Marina Green.  I tried to run at a slower pace to keep my heart rate in a good zone.  It felt kind of slow, but also felt great.  I felt like I could run forever.

~3 mi?