attempt #2

I will be going out to the Rose Bowl today to do another loop with Louis. Pray that I don't hit any runners or get run over by a car! I'm serious....

Chlorine, bruises, scrapes and deep breaths....

Its been 2 1/2 weeks since my last blog and my training has seen some improvements and some bumps. Let's go in order:

The Swim:
It's getting better! The second swim practice was much easier. I was able to get through all the drills and was able to do the additional drill that was added that week. I still took in some water but I have figured out how to relax. Once I did that, it was much easier. During the last swim practice(#3) we finally got into the stroke. It was pretty hard. I know how to free style on my own but this one is very tricky. I appreciate the style of training where things are taught in progression. One drill building on the other. At the end of that last training, we played a game and I cramped up during it. Maybe because I was trying to swim really fast after an hour long workout? Dunno, but that did bring up the concern of cramping during the race!

The Bike:
For sure, just like I've always said, this is the leg that I'm most worried about. Usually people are really happy about this leg but NOT me! My first "on my own" training was with Manny. He helped me ride around the parking lot showing me how to change gears and where to keep my feet while riding. At the end of the ride, a cone suddenly jumped at me and I crashed. I crashed really really hard and even my brake lever was twisted. Luckily Manny knew how to fix it for me. I had some narly bruises that scared me. The second ride was with Louis who showed me how to brake and get off of the bike calmly. I used to brake and then come to a halting stop almost losing my footing every time. So now I can sort of brake easily. My third ride was with Manny again and I told him I wanted to do a lap around the Rose Bowl. I wanted to do this before my first bike training practice with the team. So after shaking off the nerves and chatting with Audrey, who was there for her training run, we went off. I was so nervous and couldn't keep the bike straight. I was nervous every time I had to pass a person hoping and praying that I wouldn't crash into them. Manny kept telling me to relax my shoulders but I couldn't. Then as we rounded about mile 1.25 we started to go downhill. It got windy and I asked Manny, is it windy or is that us? I was afraid the wind was going to blow me over. So then we get to about mile 2 and Manny is riding in front of me, I am still wavering side to side and I see myself hitting his back tire. I scream, "GO FASTER GO FASTER" and then the next thing I know, I'm flying off my bike into the road. THANK GOD the truck that was coming up beside me wasn't driving fast and didn't run me over. The guys in the truck kindly stopped and asked if I was OK. I quickly responded yes and moved to the side.

Funny enough, this crash wasn't as bad as the first one. The first one HURT and this one scratched up my arm. Manny checked out my arm and my bike and his bike and then we got up and finished the loop. I was still nervous for the last mile and didn't even consider doing another lap. When we got back to our cars Manny lowered my handle bar(?). I quickly tried it out and I think it feels better. Hopefully that adjustment will make my ride more stable. We'll see tomorrow at my first team bike practice!

The Run:
The first run practice was tough on me. Knowing that I HATE running I knew I was going to tire out quickly and I did. Being the last one back to parking lot was a real eye opener for me. I need to work on that too but hopefully all of the other training will help with my endurance.

I'm enjoying my training and every day I ask myself, what the HECK did I sign up for? It's still a far-fetched, unfathomable goal for me but I will work diligently to eventually get there. I just wish it could be easy already....hahaha

Disaster....in the pool

All these weeks leading up to training, I've been worrying about the bike, the bike, the BIKE! Boy o boy, I should be worried about the swim. Everyone always asked me, aren't you worried about the swim? I always shrugged it off and said, I can swim, I just need to build my endurance.... Last night, I have doubts about my swimming abilities.

I started taking lessons last year to prepare for the swimming portion of training. I began to really enjoy swimming and got comfortable with it. Since the beginning of 2009, I slacked off in working out and haven't kept up with my swimming routine. It definitely hurt me during my first swim training for the season.

I get to the Glassell Park pool, in Eagle Rock. The pool facilities are nothing like the Rose Bowl Aquatics center so I'm glad I changed at work. Anyways, Coach Mike talks to us about what type of drills we're going to do. He shows examples with a mentor that's in the pool already.

Drill #1
Float on your back, arms to your side, and kick gently. "No problem, I can float"

Drill #2
Float on your back, arms to your side, and then turn your body completely to one side, come back up on your back and then turn again on the other side. All the while keeping your head looking straight up above the water. This is to simulate the motion you need to do while you are swimming. "OK, that looks kinda freaky, I think I need to start in the beginner lanes"

Drill #3
I forgot what this one was...you'll see why...

Drill #4
Being completely on your side, one arm stretched out head face the bottom of the pool, kicking. Come up for air when you need to. Repeat on other side when you return. "Seems OK, I think I can do it"

So coach separates us in Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced groups. According to the survey I filled out prior to practice, I should be in intermediate. I decide to go in the beginner group because I'm super nervous. This is probably the best thing I could've decided.

I get in and they do a warm up which is 2 laps of free style. Jumping in the pool late, I rush to the one end and am completely tired. Then back, EXHAUSTED! I wait there to catch my breath and then the Assist. Coach looks at me and asks, "did you do 2 laps?" I said "no". Then she motions for me to go again. Exhausted and not ready, I go anyways. Big mistake. Now I feel how I did when I first started to learn. I don't know what the heck I'm doing. So I come back already feeling defeated. So we begin the first drill. The "easy one". Just lie on your back and kick, easy enough, I've done it many times. WRONG. For some reason I couldn't keep my head afloat. My head kept sinking, I was struggling to breath, swallowed lots of water both up my nose and through my mouth. I some how made it across the pool, last of course. Do it again back the other way, same thing, same struggles. Again go back one more time, THIS time, I somehow didn't go in a straight line went completely horizontal, that was embarrassing to find myself on the opposite side of the pool. At that point, I knew I needed to relax and just work on this before I could move on. Everyone else continued with the other drills and I still stayed working on the first one. One of the Captains was staying with me helping me try to figure out how to do the float. Finally I got it. So then I tried to do Drill #2. I kinda was getting it but every now and then my head was falling underwater. After one only lap of that, it was time for us to get out of the pool. We aren't allowed to stay longer because the pool stays open for us and we have to get out at 8pm.

So I don't remember what Drill #3 is because I never got to do it. At the end, I saw that there was another guy who was having problems with the floating part too. I will be practicing the drills because I have no idea why I couldn't do them. Maybe I was over thinking, or was I nervous, or I was over confident with the swim. I don't know. All I do know, is that I need a lot of work.

Saturday is our first run practice. That's a joke too since I hate running. Maybe I can have a disaster title for each leg......hahahaha

I'm not beat up over this, I knew going into this training that I would need help from the get go, so I'm taking it all in and am determined to be a rockstar come September =)

Eastside Tri

My New Team...

Justine update

I hung out with Justine for a couple of hours last night. She looks great! She's not on any inter venous meds or anything at the moment. They are hoping she'll be able to go home for a few days soon. They did another bone marrow biopsy on Friday and there were ZERO leukemia cells in her bone marrow....YEAH! The doctors say she's a great patient because all of the treatment seems to be working well. Thankfully they caught it early on so that's the reason for the successful treatments.

Once she gets to go home, she wants to have a sleep over with her friends. She really misses them. We sat a talked about cute boys and she told me her #2 wish on her list for the Make a Wish Foundation is to have dinner with Hugh Jackman at Ruth Chris'. I tried to convince her that she should take me with her but she said I would have to settle spying on her from across the room.... hahaha

I really hope she does get to go home today. Before I left I told her that if she's still in the hospital on Tuesday, that I will be back to see her. But she should hope she doesn't get to see me because that would have meant she went home.....

All geared up......sorta

Well I did it! I bought the bike! THE bike. Thursday after work, Manny Lou, Alice and Louis all met me at Pasadena Cyclery to check out the used bike I've been eyeing for a week. The same bike that I test road and freaked out on. I actually went there thinking I was going to get the new version of the bike just because it was prettier and "new". But once Manny looked at the used bike, he thought the used one was a good buy. It looked brand new and he said it was worth the savings since they were essentially the the same bike with a $250 difference. So I bought it. It was totally cool having my support group there with me because I had no clue what i was doing and what I needed to get. I felt like a kid that all the adults were so proud of getting her new bike..... hahaha

Now the actual work begins, I have to learn how to ride it. I'm going to make my way to target today to get some cheap elbow pads because I know there are accidents just waiting to happen!

On a great note, my sister, Jackie and her husband, Mike, are joining the SGV Marathon Team. They will be training for their first Half Marathon and I will be helping them fundraise. So keep your calendars open for July 25th! It will be in the evening probably around 9pm.

DISASTER!

Please excuse my OVER exaggeration in what I'm about to talk about but I know this is how I truly felt.

Yesterday, Saturday, I can honestly say I haven't felt that nervous, scared and slightly embarrassed in years! It was day one of my bike shopping and I confirmed that I really can't ride a bike. Either that or getting on a road bike first in 25 years was a big mistake. Uncontrollable sweating, laughter and blabbering about my nerves were my reactions.

Raul and Audrey Chen were kind enough to join me on my first bike window shopping expedition. As Raul and I were on our way to pick up Audrey, I was telling Raul, "I don't know if I REALLY know how to ride a bike, but how hard can it be?" I would realize how wrong I was later in the day.

So after picking up Audrey, our first stop was Pasadena Cycle. A small shop and not too intimidating. We check out the bikes and decide I need a female road bike. Audrey begins to explain to me the differences and the main thing we need to find is a bike short enough for me. Being 4'10", the height of 14 year old, its quite difficult to find an adult bike that fits me. We find ONE on the floor and its on sale. It's a used bike but looks pretty good. We pull it out of the rack and I straddle it. It BARELY fits. Audrey said there should be about an inch or two between you and the bar and the bar was "right there" no space in between! I was able to have both feet flat on the ground but had I been barefoot I probably would've needed to tip toe a little. We flag down a sales man and we ask him if there's a bike shorter than that one on the floor. He said that that is as short as they come, a 42, and that anything else would have to be custom made. DAMN! So he offers for me to try it out to see if fits right because that's mainly important. I explain to him that I haven't been on a bike since I was 7 and that I don't know if I can really ride it. The salesman is calm and very helpful while we walk out and is not bothered at all by my lack of confidence.

All four of us walk outside to the parking lot and I'm already laughing and expressing how nervous I am. Luckily Raul and Audrey aren't easily annoyed, at least not showing it, because I couldn't stop blabbering. The Salesman picks up on my nervous and baby's me through the process and says we should go on the sidewalk. WHAT! The sidewalk is NARROW! Sweat drops in the helmet....

The salesman holds the bike and says, okay, get on. Palms sweating, uncontrollable laughter, legs shaking and I put my foot on the pedal. Push OFF. I immediately lose my footing and don't move an inch. More uncontrollable laughter and sweating. Now the salesman gets an idea of how I really don't know how to ride a bike. He himself puts the pedals in the correct starting position for me and kindly says "you already have the marks of a true rider". They were grease marks on my calves from the chains. So with the pedals in the correct position for me to really push off, attempt #2. I push off, sit down, balance is WAY OFF. Swaying side to side I jump off and the bike veers to the grass and I try so hard to not fall. It's not my bike and I really really don't want to break it or crash it! All three of them, all being very patient and very encouraging with me were great but I felt utterly embarrassed. How can I be 32 years old and not know how to ride a bike! The salesman, now acting as a dad to me, said, "okay, jump on and I'll help you get started". So just as any KID would learn, the parent holds on a few steps as I ride down the sidewalk. He helps me get my balance and says I'm letting go now, and of course I see a white picket fence coming up soon. I say okay and determined to get this on my own, he lets go and I am pedaling, focusing, over thinking. I pedal a few feet trying to maintain my balance and come up against the fence and freak out. I'm afraid I'll bump into the fence and scratch the bike, or crash and cut myself on this unnecessary enclosure of a yard in Pasadena. I squeezed the brakes and catch myself before I could go any further. I believe had I gone past the fence, I might have been okay. I began to lose confidence and decided to stop. More uncontrollable laughter. I tell them that that's enough. I am far too embarrassed to go any further. This is the exact reason I rather walk alone during my marathons. No one is watching me, no one is paying attention to me, I can do my own thing, no embarrassment. I'm obviously not a competitive person.

The salesman, acting dad, offered to put together a mountain bike for me to practice on. He said, I can take it around the neighborhood to get my balance back and comfortable on a bike again. What a nice guy. I made sure that there was no obligation for me to purchase anything and agreed to it. I figure I can go on my lunch breaks and ride for 20 minutes a day and hopefully find my groove.

We hit 3 other stores, mostly intimidating for an amateur and nothing close to a 42. Our last stop was performance cycle. We go in and are approached by a salesman. He's very friendly and suggests that I look into kids road bikes. Being surprised that they actually have road bikes for children, we find out the functionality of the bikes are the same. The kids bikes are slightly more sturdy, the wheels are a little thicker and just a tad heavier by a couple of lbs. They do have the gear shifters in a different position as well as the breaks but as if I knew were they were supposed to be in the first place. He brings over the catalog and shows me the bike. I would have to order the bike before they can get it in. He said that if I didn't like the bike I could return it but I wished I didn't have to buy it first. The major push was that the kids bike is significantly cheaper. The bike he showed me was under $400. Most bikes we saw were at least $800 with the exception of the used one at Pasadena Cycle being $500. We called it quits for the day so I can go home and collect my thoughts.

After a yummy lunch at Whole Foods, Raul and I went to the TNT encouraged store in Burbank, Bicycle Johns. Its a small store, intimidating like the others. As we were about to leave a salesman approaches us. I explain to him that I'm joining the next tri season and tell him my problems earlier in not finding a bike short enough for me. His suggestion was to put smaller wheels on. 650s? Something like that. I don't have all the correct cycle lingo down yet. He shows me a Cannondale catalog and which one I could get. Again, it would have to be ordered and the thing I didn't like was there's really no returning it. I don't think an all or nothing option is ideal for a first time rider let alone asking me to shell out $800 for it. I take the catalog home, with the used bike and kids bike as my primary options at this point.

I know I need to go to more stores. I still have to check out Helen's and REI. I think as soon as I can get those practices on the road bike in, I can hopefully go and try to ride some road bikes. It was a highly stressful afternoon but I as much as I was embarrassed I was very thankful I didn't have to do it alone. Thanks Raul and Audrey!

to be continued.... hopefully it won't be titled DISASTER again *wink*