Tuesday, April 04, 2006
TAPS FROM TEMPE
Well, Day 2 is coming to an end. I'm here in Tempe, where it was 83 at 5 pm. My rental car is one of those PT Cruisers. I feel like a huge car- rentin' dork in that thing.
I spent my evening setting up a wireless internet connection on my laptop (see? i can fix computers!) and eating take out pasta. not much different from my normal tuesday evening, after a workout, of course.
I had a big attack of scaredy-cat nervousness in the Denver airport today. My mind was calm but my body was freakin' out - rapid pulse, shallow breathing, shaking hands. I guess my body was figuring out what my mind is setting it up for. Legs say, "omigod, wait a second ... you were serious about that 7 hr bike thing, AND that 6 hr run thing..." Butt says, "awww MAN! that bike seat for 7 hrs AND a 6 hr run!" Arms say, "dude - y'all are spoiled. we're gonna be working all day."
When I got on my plane I calmed down. Point of no return and all that. Got a really good book I've been wanting to read. So, I was steady freddy by the time we landed. However, when I drove by the corner of Mill Ave and Rio Salado I saw the giant inflatable archway constructed to lead into the Athlete Village, which will be ground zero for the weekend. I instinctively looked away quickly. It's spiritual glow was too bright - my mortal eyes couldn't comprehend it.
So, it's taps from Tempe. Check y'all ta-marrah!
I LOVE MY DAD
My dad is a terrific guy. He won't ever believe I actually typed that so let me do it again. My dad is a terrific guy. He's a very talented athlete who will always be faster and stronger than me. That's OK. I can fix computers. HA!
Anyway, my dad called me today to "check where (my) head is." That's something only a real athlete would know to do. We discussed the difference between hurting and being hurt in a race. (See FAQ for more detail.) It was a very cool chat to have. I promised my dad that I won't get hurt and try to soldier on during the race. It's interesting to make that commitment to myself and to others while I'm also steeling myself to push through the extreme discomfort and moments of unhappiness that 140.6 is sure to bring.
So, from one (very good) athlete to another (plod along) athlete, we have this thing sorted out.
My dad is a terrific guy. He won't ever believe I actually typed that so let me do it again. My dad is a terrific guy. He's a very talented athlete who will always be faster and stronger than me. That's OK. I can fix computers. HA!
Anyway, my dad called me today to "check where (my) head is." That's something only a real athlete would know to do. We discussed the difference between hurting and being hurt in a race. (See FAQ for more detail.) It was a very cool chat to have. I promised my dad that I won't get hurt and try to soldier on during the race. It's interesting to make that commitment to myself and to others while I'm also steeling myself to push through the extreme discomfort and moments of unhappiness that 140.6 is sure to bring.
So, from one (very good) athlete to another (plod along) athlete, we have this thing sorted out.
MY FRIEND BILL
I can't let another moment pass without introducing you all to My Friend Bill. Bill and I met almost exactly 3 years ago. We found each other in the crowd at the (one and only) Loveland Splash & Dash series. He - 6 ft 7 surrounded by 5 ft 10 men. Me - One-fitty-plus-plus-plus surrounded by 130# women. We bonded as Clydesdale and Athena in a tiny athlete's world. We sealed our friendship that day when we ended up swimming next to each other and kicking, punching and slamming into each other for the first 500 meters. We've been pals ever since.
My Friend Bill is also doing this race. He has trained like a champion because he is a champion. He has a huge desire to kick ass at this event and he will. He's kept me honest in my own training by checking in with me every single day to tell me about his workouts and to ask about mine. His dedication knows no limits. Tanning sessions, tinted contact lenses, feng shui for his training gear... ok, i made up that last one.
Anyone who sends me good luck wishes should also send them to Bill. Shoot him a note right here - Bill's e-mail.
My Friend Bill is a fantastic human. He deserves to have a knockout race this Sunday. GO BILL!
Top 10 Things I Can Worry About For the Next Six Days
1. Water temp in the lake
2. Bike cutoff times
3. My weight
4. Snakes out on the road
5. Forgetting to pack the gear I'll need
6. Not eating enough on the bike
7. Bike cutoff times
8. Boredom
9. Having all the good merch sold out by the time i get to the expo
10. Bike cutoff time
FAQ About the Race
I just realized that not all of you know exactly what's going on with this Ironman thing. So, here's a quick FAQ.
What's the name of this race?
Ironman Arizona - www.ironmanarizona.com
Where is it?
Tempe, AZ
How far is it?
140.6 total miles. 2.4 mi swim, 112 mi bike, 26.2 run
How many days do you have to do it in?
Not days, hours. 17 hours.
How many people are doing this?
About 1500, I think.
Why are you doing this?
Because it's there.
Doesn't it hurt doing all this stuff?
Well, "hurt" can mean different things. If you mean searing, sharp pain that makes you catch your breath and go "ow ow ow....", that's not supposed to happen. If you mean an extreme discomfort that makes you whine and even cry a little bit, and say things like "i hate this!", then yes. There's a good bit of the latter.
How do you get food while you're doing this?
You pack up what you want to have with you and you carry it in baggies stuffed into your clothing and all over your bike. You shovel it in and chew while you're cycling or running. It's incredibly important that you keep eating, too. you burn around 800 calories per hour on the bike, and about 500 per hour on the run. 800 x 7 = 4800, 500 x 7 = 3500, plus the swim and the amount of energy it takes to keep you alive for a day. you come up with well over 12,000 calories burned in one day. it ain't the day to try a new weight loss plan.
Everyone has their own things they like to eat and that they can chew and swallow while moving. I don't chew well at all when i'm on the bike, so i'll be sticking to things like fig newtons (the food of choice for triathletes, why i'm not sure...), bananas, Gu.
Where do you go to the bathroom?
On yourself or in a port-a-pottie at the aid stations. Your actual situation will dictate the location.
DAY 2
Weather in Tempe - Cloudy, 72, east winds at 7 mph
Today is the day I go down to Tempe. My bags are packed and my bike's on its way south, so I'm doing this blog. It's part procrastination and part time-filler. I could come up with a lot of ways to kill time this morning, but they'd all seem to come down to worrying about the race, so I'm not doing them.
Speaking of worrying... Most of you have had my monologue on the bike cutoff times. After my experience being chased for 17 miles by a sweep bus in the Twin Cities Marathon I'm very worried about cutoff times. This is actually the only thing I'm fretting over right now. Colleen mentioned something about the good kind of vomiting on the course and the bad kind. That's been sticking in my mind, too.
The issue here is that you have to maintain a certain speed/pace over the distance of 112 miles in order to finish the bike leg by 5.30 pm. when you add in time you'd stop to stretch, use a porta-potty, fix a flat if you have one, etc your riding pace can be dragged down too low. therefore, the anxiety for someone like me who's new to this whole thing.
Weather in Tempe - Cloudy, 72, east winds at 7 mph
Today is the day I go down to Tempe. My bags are packed and my bike's on its way south, so I'm doing this blog. It's part procrastination and part time-filler. I could come up with a lot of ways to kill time this morning, but they'd all seem to come down to worrying about the race, so I'm not doing them.
Speaking of worrying... Most of you have had my monologue on the bike cutoff times. After my experience being chased for 17 miles by a sweep bus in the Twin Cities Marathon I'm very worried about cutoff times. This is actually the only thing I'm fretting over right now. Colleen mentioned something about the good kind of vomiting on the course and the bad kind. That's been sticking in my mind, too.
The issue here is that you have to maintain a certain speed/pace over the distance of 112 miles in order to finish the bike leg by 5.30 pm. when you add in time you'd stop to stretch, use a porta-potty, fix a flat if you have one, etc your riding pace can be dragged down too low. therefore, the anxiety for someone like me who's new to this whole thing.
DAY 1
Monday, Apr 3
Weather in Tempe - Highs in low 80's, slightly breezy. Bill sent me some info saying that the water temp in Tempe Town Lake is right at 70. Perfecto.
So far, so good. Today was busy getting ready to leave town tomorrow. Biggest job was getting my bike and a bag full of gear for shipment down to AZ. I'm using this luxurious service called TriBike Transport . They pick up your bike, put it in a truck, and drive it straight to the race site. Any of my tri pals who've gone through the anxiety of packing and shipping a bike to a race will recognize how sweet a service this is.
Anyway, I had to drive the bike down to Boulder to be picked up at a shop called Pro Peleton. Boulder's a nice place, but I always hyperventilate when I drive down there. Ft C has nice, fat wide streets and the drivers are ever so polite. ("Would you like to merge in? Why, here you go, pull in front of me!") Boulder's not like that. So, in addition to following bad, bad directions I'm dodging in and out of bumper-car traffic. By the time I got parked in front of the shop I was muttering out loud, "i don't need this right now... this is not good for my nerves ... why do I come down here..."
To add more humor and anxiety, I parked right in front of a day care and it was outdoor play time. As I'm trying to decompress and get my bike and gear collected the constant high pitched dog whistle scream of 4 year old girls filled the air. Y'all know how I feel about that.
Later on, my dear sweet pal Jenny came by to wish me luck. My dear sweet husband cooked a really good baked ziti, and I packed every single piece of workout clothing I own into my suitcase. It was a good day.
Monday, Apr 3
Weather in Tempe - Highs in low 80's, slightly breezy. Bill sent me some info saying that the water temp in Tempe Town Lake is right at 70. Perfecto.
So far, so good. Today was busy getting ready to leave town tomorrow. Biggest job was getting my bike and a bag full of gear for shipment down to AZ. I'm using this luxurious service called TriBike Transport . They pick up your bike, put it in a truck, and drive it straight to the race site. Any of my tri pals who've gone through the anxiety of packing and shipping a bike to a race will recognize how sweet a service this is.
Anyway, I had to drive the bike down to Boulder to be picked up at a shop called Pro Peleton. Boulder's a nice place, but I always hyperventilate when I drive down there. Ft C has nice, fat wide streets and the drivers are ever so polite. ("Would you like to merge in? Why, here you go, pull in front of me!") Boulder's not like that. So, in addition to following bad, bad directions I'm dodging in and out of bumper-car traffic. By the time I got parked in front of the shop I was muttering out loud, "i don't need this right now... this is not good for my nerves ... why do I come down here..."
To add more humor and anxiety, I parked right in front of a day care and it was outdoor play time. As I'm trying to decompress and get my bike and gear collected the constant high pitched dog whistle scream of 4 year old girls filled the air. Y'all know how I feel about that.
Later on, my dear sweet pal Jenny came by to wish me luck. My dear sweet husband cooked a really good baked ziti, and I packed every single piece of workout clothing I own into my suitcase. It was a good day.
THE THANK YOU PAGE
Ok, before I start in with the travelogue/journal I must get the thank yous out of the way. The following folks will be mentioned frequently, so I'll give them their due right now. You must imagine me reciting these as if I'd just become Miss America - wearing a long silk dress, holding a dozen roses, a fake tiara sliding off the side of my head; fake tears flowing, mascara smearing, lipstick smudging .... Ok, enough.
Coach Colleen - Coach Colleen has been a part of my world for the past 4 years. "A part of my world" doesn't really explain it. She's part of my brain. She's part of the family. I don't take two steps out the door for a workout unless Coach Colleen says it's OK. If she were a Scientologist I'd be a lost cause. Whatever the outcome of this weekend's event, Coach Colleen receives untold gratitude for telling me that I can do this then showing me how.
Wendy Mader - The Chicken. World Champion. Hero to all. Wendy has been my swim coach and spiritual guide for the past year. Over that time I've come to understand exactly what it means when her esoteric solution to a technique problem is "Just stop doing that." Wendy's encouragement and advice have meant a great deal to me. When this race is over I'll have to pretend I'm immediately doing it again so that I can stay in touch with her.
My Husband Skip - The short story here is that he's a terrific husband and my best friend. The details are that without his support during my training I would've never had a meal on a weekend, we'd never have groceries, the laundry would never have been done, the bills never paid, etc.
OK, on with the show!
Ok, before I start in with the travelogue/journal I must get the thank yous out of the way. The following folks will be mentioned frequently, so I'll give them their due right now. You must imagine me reciting these as if I'd just become Miss America - wearing a long silk dress, holding a dozen roses, a fake tiara sliding off the side of my head; fake tears flowing, mascara smearing, lipstick smudging .... Ok, enough.
Coach Colleen - Coach Colleen has been a part of my world for the past 4 years. "A part of my world" doesn't really explain it. She's part of my brain. She's part of the family. I don't take two steps out the door for a workout unless Coach Colleen says it's OK. If she were a Scientologist I'd be a lost cause. Whatever the outcome of this weekend's event, Coach Colleen receives untold gratitude for telling me that I can do this then showing me how.
Wendy Mader - The Chicken. World Champion. Hero to all. Wendy has been my swim coach and spiritual guide for the past year. Over that time I've come to understand exactly what it means when her esoteric solution to a technique problem is "Just stop doing that." Wendy's encouragement and advice have meant a great deal to me. When this race is over I'll have to pretend I'm immediately doing it again so that I can stay in touch with her.
My Husband Skip - The short story here is that he's a terrific husband and my best friend. The details are that without his support during my training I would've never had a meal on a weekend, we'd never have groceries, the laundry would never have been done, the bills never paid, etc.
OK, on with the show!
Hi everyone! It's now officially race week for my first attempt at an Ironman. I will be updating this blog over the next few days so I can share the experience with everyone near and dear. I'll be taking pictures of all the pre-race activity and we may even get some shots of the finish.
Everyone I've invited to come read my ramblings has been supportive of my decision to do this race and I can't thank you enough!
So, I've spent the past 9 months training for this event, and the past 5 years training, racing, and learning about triathlon. I'm now 6 days away from the culmination of all of it. Thanks to my wonderful, talented, supportive, funny and very wise coach Colleen I'm now ready to go the 140.6 and I didn't give up my life to do it. Perfect!
Ok, let's go do this!
