West Orange Trail

We finally got around to biking the West Orange Trail at the weekend as a family:). After several failed attempts and some help from google we managed to figure out how to get all three bikes on the back of the car safely...

It was a lot of hassle the first time but once we got out there it was so beautiful and totally worth it :)

And most importantly we got the bikes back on the rack afterwards. Nice work Mike!

Swim, Bike and Run like a Mother...

Today was Mother's Day in the states and Lu and I did the Women's Danskin Super Sprint Triathlon!

The only triathlon I've ever done had a pool swim so my goal was to do one in open water. For this event they had a Sprint (0.5m swim, 12m bike and 3m run) and a Super Sprint (0.25m swim, 8m bike and 2m run) so we opted for the shorter distance since the swim seemed a bit more achievable for our first time in the dreaded open water. To train for the event, we have been working out about 4 times a week and each Sunday we've managed to get out of bed at the break of dawn to do a swim, bike and run at the pool in Celebration to practice all three together. We've worked really hard but were still really nervous.

We got up at 5am to get over to Clermont in time to do all of the transistion set-up. We loved the body mark-up and in particular the sign calling us 'athletes':)

Don't let the smiles fool you - once we were ready to go - we wanted to cry...

Look at beautiful Lake Minneola - I didn't expect it to be just like the beach!

We were the second wave with a 7:19 start time...

Here goes...

The Swim...I am amazed to say that my swim was so much better than I expected! I started at the back and stayed wide of the turn points and didn't get kicked or pushed at all. I felt strong and was able to beat a couple of swimmers in the first wave too! The Bike...it was so beautiful biking all the way around the lake although it was hilly in places. I was really pleased with how it went and it was so much more comfortable now that I've been biking regularly (and have a gel seat :)). It was also really nice to get so much support from the other ladies on the course. Everyone was cheering everyone else the whole time:). The Run...I was dreading the run the whole time I was on the bike. I had worked really hard and my Negative Nelly brain started to make me question if my legs would be able to run at all when I got done. When I got started out with the run I saw so many people were walking and was really tempted but pushed through and just ran as best as I could!

The ending was phenomenal. The spectators were just the best and we got a flower, a goodie bag, a great tech shirt and a gorgeous medal too!

Mike bought me a 'bad ass' biking shirt for Mother's Day - I love it!!

Maddy came to support me for Mother's Day too which made the whole thing extra special :)

I came in 10th out of 27 in my age category which was awesome! Lu came second in hers and won a free entry for next year! Go Lu!!!!! My results looked like this:

Yeah!!! But regardless of the times, I felt strong and healthy and happy. And ready to take on the full Sprint distance and an open water swim next time :)

I'm all broken in now...

You know when you start biking a bit more seriously it's just a matter of time as to when you'll come off it. I've actually managed to fall three times now but this last one was a bit nasty and hurt more than you would think from the picture. I had been riding Mike's bike for a while and this happened when I got back on my road bike. I realize now that it's too small for me and the gears are in the wrong place. Think I'm going to stick with Mike's for a while and since it's a mountain bike I'll be able to compete in the 'fat tire' class at the next tri which will really help my placings anyhow. And I'm going to need to toughen up...

Bike PR for me!!!!!

I've been working really hard with my biking lately so I was thrilled to hit my goal tonight of 15 miles within an hour! I did it on Mike's mountain bike and actually beat the goal by nearly 4 minutes although I was a major sweat monster when I got back home :)

I also managed to run a full 2 miles without any major knee problems this week too (which was a major relief) so I'm going to try adding distance now so that I can get back to running more regularly again. For now though I have to say the bike is challenging for me and more importantly fun!

How to be a nosy neighbor...

The whole biking thing is really coming around now which is a good job since I have a mystery knee injury:(. It happened on a Sunday morning long run about three weeks ago and has been very painful after a mile or so ever since and feels just like it's 'giving out' whenever I run. I've tried the usual stuff (rest, icing, elevation etc.) and a couple of bandage-type contraptions, but it's not getting any better so I think it's time to see the doctor. I'm trying to find a sports doc so that I won't get the predictable 'stop running' advice:). Anyway, I'm also trying really hard to stay positive. I've been able to run over 200 miles this year including completing a triathlon and a 15K. And it's Summer so I have plenty of time until the season kicks back in. It's going to be fine :).

I'm also staying focused on what I can do for now. I found this really cool article on coolrunning.com (here) which recommends: antigravity running, steep uphill walking, pool running, elliptical training and cycling. Since I don't have access to an antigravity machine (Cool Running writing team - you may have wanted to just leave that part in for the version of the article that went to NASA - just saying) that gives me 4 great options! I have found a great swim coach and partner (thank you Kathleen!) and I'm getting out on the bike on a more regular basis now.

It has made all the difference in the world to play my ipod while I ride (in just one ear - I know I need to be able to hear traffic mum) and I'm gradually getting faster. I have a favorite 12 mile route that's really pretty and I always seem to see something interesting while I'm out. Just today I saw my favorite sandhill cranes hanging out...

And you can be a really nosy neighbor too - look what happened to their car - blimey!

Running is so goal-oriented and I'm always thinking about how far and how fast. I'm going to set a biking goal to keep it interesting for me. My first goal is to complete 15 miles in under an hour. I know that's still very slow but it will be a big accomplishment for me. Wish me luck!

Biking update

I haven't blogged about the bike at all lately so here's the latest and greatest on how it's going :). Overall, I am doing so much better since my difficult triathlon experience in January and have learned some key lessons that make the world of difference. First of all, a Gel Seat Cover is one of the finest inventions known to man (or woman). I got mine on ebay for $15 (with tags of course - I'm not about to sit on anything that's been that intimate with a complete stranger's crotch area)...

Unfortunately not everyone follows the same 'non-crotch-sharing' rule apparently and someone actually stole my wonder seat from my bike while I was having a swim in the gym last week :(. Now I'll have to order a new one...

I have also made some major progress with these sticks on the front of the bike which I am reliably told are the gears....

At the triathlon I was terrified of taking my hands off the handlebars to mess with them so I did the whole thing in the same gear:). I'm not quite sure about the one on the left yet but playing with the one on the right makes a massive difference to my riding experience. Baby steps...

Anyway, I'm managing to bike about twice a week at the moment anywhere from 8 to 12 miles and my times are improving steadily (OMG I love Mike's Garmin!). Here I am this morning first thing getting ready to go out for a spin and looking like a rockstar again :)

My first (and Mike's second) triathlon - I can't believe I did it!!!!

I was poking around on active.com on Thursday and found a local-ish Sprint Triathlon designed for first-timers and with a pool swim too! I have only technically completed a few weeks of my 13-week triathlon training program but I just have been feeling so strong lately so I decided to take the plunge and sign up for my first one this weekend! Mike volunteered to do it with me so we both got up at 5:15 a.m on Superbowl Sunday and headed for Sarasota for the Superbowl Sprint Y Tri...!!

They don't give you a whole lot of information in advance (or I probably wouldn't have signed up :)) but once you arrive there are Sarasota 'Storm Team' Triathletes everywhere to help you. First you have to register and get your body marked up. I didn't realize that the number on your leg is your age at the end of the calendar year - like I needed a reminder...

Then we set up in the Transition area with all of the paraphernalia that you need for each event. The Transition was definitely the part that I was feeling most confident about since I'm very proud of my organizational abilities :)

At the kick off meeting they explained the rules and how the whole thing works and told some really inspirational stories. As if that weren't moving enough, they traditionally start the event each year with one of the club members taking three disabled althetes each through a phase of the course. Totally amazing and inspirational...

The Swim...

The swim was really well organized and we were seeded in order of our predicted finish time and separated by 10 seconds to avoid too much overtaking in the water. There was also plenty of room in the lanes and I actually managed to jump ahead of a couple of people and even some guys! I was really surprised at how tiring 8 laps (400 mtrs) really was though and together with the nerves and excitement I was quite out of breath when I finished the first event.

The Bike...
I have never actually biked for 12 miles before so I was most nervous about this part. And rightfully so. If I never go another day without hearing "passing on the left!" I'm OK with it. I'm just not fully comfortable with biking yet at all so I really struggled to get in a riding position that didn't hurt. I also can't pace myself yet either so I had no idea how far I'd gone at any point throughout the event. So when I first thought 'I've been biking forever - this must be nearly over' I asked one of the race officials how much longer there was to go. She said 'I think you're about half-way' and I think I felt my heart break physically in two. Anyway, I got myself together and after what seemed like about 2 miles later I looked down and realized that the bike lane was actually marked along the way. Some of it looked like it was written in some kind of secret code but there was no disguising the one that said "Half Way To Go..." I nearly cried. Anyway, I felt a bit better when a girl in front of me fell off her bike (at least I was still on mine) and sucked it up and pedaled away. I was so miserable and just couldn't wait to hit the pavement for the run. I kept thinking - I know how to run! And it's only 2.2 miles! Then I'm done! Finally the bike was over and I was astonished to discover that I wasn't dead last at all!! And there's Mike in the Transition area! Did I catch him up on my bike?! Really? No...he must have waited for me so that we can run together...that's so sweet :). What's that Mike? You've done the run already...OMG - shoot me now...

The Run...
The run wasn't pavement at all but a trail run. And now I realize for the first time that not only do my legs no longer work properly after all the swim/biking but also running on a trail is harder than the kind of running I usually do. This will likely be the longest 2.2 miles of my running career. But only a crazy person stops at this point. So...I did the two loops and Mike did the second one with me :). And the great news was that several people (in fact about half) have actually started walking now so I can do some "passing on the left" of my own!

Here's Mike during his run sometime earlier...:)

The Big Finish...
I lost my ever-loving mind when I finally crossed the finish line - I can honestly say I've never felt anything quite like it!

Post-race pics...

I feel incredibly proud of myself and so very lucky that my 40-year-old body is capable of so much more than I ever imagined. Now I can't help but wonder what else I can do...:)

Like riding a bike? I think not...

It's been a really wierd week. At some point at the end of last week (ironically after a really good monster run), I just lost interest in the whole triathlon thing and my confidence seemed to disappear too. I don't really know what happened to be honest. On Sunday, I just sat around in my running shorts all day and when I finally forced myself to get out there I simply couldn't be bothered and gave up halfway and walked home. I just wasn't having fun. To try and get re-energized we got on Craig's list in the evening and found a perfect road bike for me! I was so excited - we rushed out right away, and brought home a shiny, barely-used Schwinn on Sunday night!

Now...the dictionary says:

like riding a bike
(simile) Said of skill that, once learned, is never forgotten.
 
It doesn't mention anything about road bikes vs. mountain bikes..or fat vs. thin tires...or curly bars. No, the inference of this expression is that biking (in general) is easy, so long as you've done it at some point before. So easy, in fact, that the expression is actually named after it. Anyway, it's a stupid expression. After about a half an hour of wobbling around, nearly falling off and hurting everywhere to get into that uncomfortable, low, crazy-looking position I was so fed up I gave up. I didn't even do 4 miles - it was pathetic. And the pain, oh my God the pain, my hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders - everything just hurt so badly. And the realization after about 5 minutes that I am so far from "tri-ready" just added insult to injury.
 
Here I was, less than two weeks ago, with my mountain bike and hopes and dreams intact...

 
And here is the pesky, bastard bike that is currently my arch enemy...
 

So what now? Well - I'm going to have to learn how to ride it. Apart from the fact that I'm cheap - I'm not ready to abandon the goal just yet. And as my work colleague rightly pointed out I also really hated running when I started this quest to get more active. In fact if I recall I actually hated it more! The triathlon training program (that I have just wasted 7 weeks of my life on) states that it is designed for people who can run 20 minutes, swim 30 mins and bike 30 mins. If that's true - I should be able to start the program again when I can ride my new bike for a half an hour straight without wanting to kill myself. Since I'm on vacation next week anyway (out west so I'll be hiking every day at least), this will be a great opportunity for a nice break from the gym and to refocus on my new objective to conquer the pesky bastard bike when I get back.

Did I really say at the end of my last post "One thing's for sure - if I finish the swim on the day, I'm not going to let a silly bike or run stand between me and the finish line ;)"? How could I have gotten it so wrong? Oh well, I guess life's a journey and all that - I just wish the mode of transportation didn't hurt your crotch quite so much :)

Should I try a tri?

The running has been progressing fairly slowly and steadily lately but I have have found myself thinking about setting a new goal...maybe a mini "sprint-triathlon"? I'm not sure if it's the heat or what since I swim like a stone and fell into a bush the last time I rode a bicycle. Anyway, it's an interesting idea. Not sure if there's a "standard" sprint-tri but the one that I saw in Fort-de-Soto in August is 0.25 mile swim, 15 mile bike ride and a 5K to finish. Of course I won't be ready by then ("not with that attitude Clare") but I think I'll start out by attempting a bike ride to see how I like it. Now I think I have a bike gathering dust in the garage but I think I'll look more like this...

...than this...

OK - that's Pamela Anderson but you get the point. I'm not even sure if riding a bike requires a helmet by law or not in Florida? So I've found a bike shop nearby and my first objective is to stop in before the end of the week to do some research. Then I'll dig out my bike from behind the Christmas decs and have Mike show me the ropes. Wish me luck!!