SATURDAY, 05.09.09 This is what I sought to do just 13 weeks ago. My first ever triathlon. What did I learn? NEVER forget your transition bag in the hotel!!! I awoke (or maybe I didn't) at 5 am - calm as a cat. Braided my own hair, put on my bright blue "first triathlon matching outfit", slobbed on sunblock, pumped my tires and headed for breakfast with the team. At 6 am I enjoyed some bananas, bagels with cream cheese, and a cup of coffee of course. Together we left for Spruce Run State Park. We parked and I grabbed what I thought was "my transition bag." Not until Tom pointed it out to me did I notice I left all my damn gear at the Hampton Inn 6 miles away! I immediately called the hotel and spoke to Mike who found my bag. They arranged for Chris (a random triathlete who was racing) to find me, Joy # 437 in blue. To think of it, I really should've taken his phone number. I missed the team warm up swim at 7:30 am and on my way to find the porter potty, I found Chris - my savior of the day! I gave him the only thing I had to give, which was a smile, a hug and a sincere thank you. After putting on my wetsuit and some of Carey's popular body glide, I met up with the group in the sandy beach. It was a gloomy day with expected rain, but by the time I got to the beach to warm up on my own, I noticed the sun peering through. "Why hello sun!" I remember thinking while I practiced my spin turns and backstrokes. My family and KC arrived just in time to watch and hear the exciting count downs of the different waves. When it was Coach Jenn's turn to start, our team counted to 3 and chanted to cheer her on! She was the only female racing in the elite division! She carries a lot of traits to be admired. Not only is she very focused, she knows what she loves and isn't afraid to go after it. Right before her jump into the water, she scooped up a struggling bat in the middle of the shore just so it can have a chance to survive.
There was a warm sense of togetherness being in this team - for most of us we were sharing a first time experience. Being with this team made it that much more comforting. It was our turn. I remember dancing to the music that was playing and then suddenly startled by the horn that prompted everyone to charge into the water. I took a few seconds to let the avid swimmers attack the water then I ran in and went after it myself. I needed to pace because I estimated 30 minutes to complete my half mile swim. At one point I started to doubt my estimated time because swimming with a large group of people and continous sighting was tougher than I thought. I went off track a few times because I didn't sight as often - lesson here is to consistently sight after 4 or 5 strokes! I went on my back twice for a few seconds during my swim, greeting the sun again to help calm me down. Throughout my swim, I breathed during every stroke, but as soon as the end was near, I pushed it to every 4 - 5 strokes. When I got up, a familiar face popped up right next to me! It was Marianela! There was a smile on her face. She looked happy the swim was over as did I. We laughed and clocked in at exactly the same swim time: 24:01 minutes. Nice job, 6 minutes faster than I calculated. Transition 1: Took me 4.41 minutes? That's almost 3 minutes more than I expected! What did I do wrong? I didn't run to transition, I carefully packed my wet suit away, I cleaned my feet. Don't do what I did. I rolled my bike out of transition and started my 19.5 mile bike ride. I better pay attention to the pointers and signs. I was afraid to lose focus and wander off to a different street. There were many cops and volunteers who guided the path and stopped traffic. The course was hilly (not quite what they had described). I encountered some major hills but was never once discouraged. I reminded myself many times to *grip the floor* - I must not be comfortably cruising in this race. People passed each other very politely. I averaged 14.9 mph on this ride and had a max speed of at least 35 mph going downhill feathering my brakes. I can't believe Emily sped through 45 mph! This girl is fearless! Though the ride was tougher than I had expected, finishing in an 1 hour and 18 minutes, I enjoyed it. It was challenging like it was supposed to be. I was glad I rolled safely back into transition - without a scratch. Transition 2 was much faster than Transition 1. I clocked in at 1.13 minutes though really...to change to my sneakers and grab my racebelt should really have only taken 45 seconds! Note to self - hurry the hell up next time! =) Now the run. I was surprised I didn't once mentally or physically complain like I usually do quietly during training. =) I just went for it - 3.1 miles. It was definitely my support team who came to cheer me that boosted my energy. I did not digest any GU as was suggested by Coach Laura. This certainly help me not get any stomach cramps - either that or the adrenaline rush. The water station aids really helped me hydrate since during the bike ride I hesitated to drink water. During the last mile I bumped into Lindsay, an athlete who I met that morning. She was nice enough to tell me that I ran too far passed the cone! Whew! Lost a couple of seconds there - but geez Joy! Why are you in La La Land? In the last couple of meters, I noticed a guy run passed me. With one swift breath he quickly said to me "Let's go!" So, I decided to push myself and follow his faster pace. Between trees and around the bend we went, until I saw that balloon that said "FINISH." I shook the sweat off myself and went for it. It took me 29 minutes at an average of 9.4 minute mile to finish 3.1 mles. When I crossed that finish line, I took a leap, I cried, I hugged my dad, my mom, and finally KC. I was so happy they were there to see me finish. It was an experience of a lifetime and I can officially call myself a triathlete!
I've been a chicken baby all my life and the day I signed up for Team Chapstick I had no idea what lay ahead. I started writing this daily blog, documenting the physical, the mental, and yes even the emotional experiences. This blog helped me remember and realize the person that I am. I've been a catalyst for change - inspiring others to learn to swim, to buy a bike and even to start training for a triathlon! Looking back, I have accomplished alot for myself but the journey certainly doesn't end. I have more races this year, and I'm here to only get better. After analyzing the race results, I noticed that every second of every minute counts towards that finish line. Same with life and the choices that one makes. That minute you decide to commit is the same minute your life changes. CHEERS TO THAT!
Congrats Team for your commitment and job well done!
And thank you Coaches for your sincere dedication and support!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
WEEK 13.0 - VISUALIZE
FRIDAY 05.08.09 My heart has been pounding fast and hard throughout the day. I guess now I can say I'm starting to feel nervous - where as yesterday I felt nothing. Today I will visualize my whole race. So far, I've been doing it in tid bits. Usually at the start, waiting for that horn, about to dive in for the water...Sometimes in transition, not knowing where to put my stuff and what to pick up....Other times worrying about eating the wrong thing at the wrong time and cramping up in my mid section. Where are the positive thoughts Joy? Race is tomorrow~ Get it together! Time to head to the gym for a full visualization. =)
THURSDAY 05.07.09 Carbo-load! I didn't know I was supposed to do this until Marianne gave me the idea. I watched the transition video which I found helpful. http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1488&printer=1 I have yet to start visualizing my race. Instead of running on the treadmill today, I decided to run to my favorite store in the world, Lululemon! I got an email notifying me that their new line of triathlon wear just came in. I've been waiting months for this! I HAD TO GO! I blasted my iPod and ran about 30 blocks dodging the people out for lunch in NYC. I arrived there with my face dripping wet and my white office shirt soaked. =O Oh well. There was our huge Team Lipstick banner right in front of the 66th and 3rd avenue store. I tried on their swim line and triathlon outfits and gave some feedback on their first ever triathlon peices. Mainly that the smallest size it came in(size 4) was loose fitting. I love this store - I won't be surprised if I started working there one day. I bought the hottest Caribe colored halter ever and a two peice endurance swim wear in hot Pow pink! I walked out of there with a bag and with a smile. Coach Laura and Team Lipstick have been featured in Metro Sports Magazine! This is such exciting news! Team Lipstick is New York City's largest most successful all-female triathlon team! Today's transition practice was great. After a week of gloom and rain, the skies have cleared just in time for our 7 p.m. meet at the boat house. Many wore sexy tanks and new triathlon gear - myself included! We did a double paceline full loop warm up around the park. Met up at the transverse and imitated race day transitioning. I left my stuff in KC's car, so I didn't get to participate. Regardless, we did 5 harlem hill repeats on our bikes cutting off the 102nd street transverse. I was very careful of the wet roads going downhill and on turns. Right after we transitioned to our run around the harlem hill. During our briefing, Coach Laura explained race day rules and meet up times. As she was talking, I saw a slow moving, puffy creature walk and then stop a foot away from me. I looked down as this fat, furry, THING. And once it looked up at me, I SCREAMED, causing a chain reaction of screams from 20 other girly triathletes! I was afraid the racoon was going to take a bite off my leg, so I didn't know whether to run or stay steady! I remember quickly grabbing the sides the person next to me without looking, and I swear Marianela, I'm sorry if I grabbed a bit of your...ummm...you know. =X We were all hysterically laughing as the racoon decided to run off across the street. Then I heard more loud screams, followed by more laughter. It looks like more animals came to visit! This time they were two large, friendly labradors. What cuties! As Coach Laura started to wrap up our briefing, we witness a tall man in SBR attire crash on his bike right in front us! We heard him fall pretty badly. Coach Jenn rushed towards the man, who coincidentally was her friend Bobby. After picking him up, he and his new bike seemed okay. This morning his Facebook message read: Bobby Leong is incredibly embarrassed. Took a spill on my bike in front of 20 gorgeous female triathletes. Thought I died and gone to heaven when I looked up after the fall.
WEDNESDAY 05.06.09 I digested my second banana of the day while I stared up in space. In the gym, I somehow drowned out the lively music and loud people. Zoning out doesn't seem so bad. I was going to run with my shin guards today to see how it feels before my race but I ended up just sitting there, reading my book. WOW it's been almost a year since I've sat here and read. I miss it. After reading, I decided to do some serious stretching of my mind, my heart, my body and my soul. It felt good, but even after I felt like something was missing. Like I need a punching bag. I commuted with a heavy 3 loop bike rack and my large back pack earlier today. I thought it was going to tire me out but apparently I have a strong set of shoulders. Can you imagine an Asian girl carrying an overloaded backpack and a huge black garbage bag over her shoulders in the 6 train to Grand Central?
TUESDAY 05.05.09 I really like Coach Carlie Brown. Today she coached the team by herself and was very attentive to the class. At 6:30 am she's able to emit strong energy and maintain good sense of humor. One new thing we did was use the kick boards as bouys between our legs. A great drill to feel the resistance created by your hip rotation. I also attempted to do a summersault in the middle of the pool length without touching my feet to the ground. I don't particularly like being upside down on the ground and would be even more uncomfortable with it in the water - but I tried, and it didn't work. Oh well, I'll keep trying. Today Coach Carlie pointed out to me a couple of things. (1) My chin is too tucked and therefore my head is too low into the water - creating drag and resistence. (2) My left arm is not completing the pull in the water like my right arm is doing. (3) My fingers come up perpendicular to the water after my pull which shows that I'm not pulling the water. In 12 weeks of training no one has paid as close attention to my mistakes as Coach Carlie did this morning.
THURSDAY 05.07.09 Carbo-load! I didn't know I was supposed to do this until Marianne gave me the idea. I watched the transition video which I found helpful. http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1488&printer=1 I have yet to start visualizing my race. Instead of running on the treadmill today, I decided to run to my favorite store in the world, Lululemon! I got an email notifying me that their new line of triathlon wear just came in. I've been waiting months for this! I HAD TO GO! I blasted my iPod and ran about 30 blocks dodging the people out for lunch in NYC. I arrived there with my face dripping wet and my white office shirt soaked. =O Oh well. There was our huge Team Lipstick banner right in front of the 66th and 3rd avenue store. I tried on their swim line and triathlon outfits and gave some feedback on their first ever triathlon peices. Mainly that the smallest size it came in(size 4) was loose fitting. I love this store - I won't be surprised if I started working there one day. I bought the hottest Caribe colored halter ever and a two peice endurance swim wear in hot Pow pink! I walked out of there with a bag and with a smile. Coach Laura and Team Lipstick have been featured in Metro Sports Magazine! This is such exciting news! Team Lipstick is New York City's largest most successful all-female triathlon team! Today's transition practice was great. After a week of gloom and rain, the skies have cleared just in time for our 7 p.m. meet at the boat house. Many wore sexy tanks and new triathlon gear - myself included! We did a double paceline full loop warm up around the park. Met up at the transverse and imitated race day transitioning. I left my stuff in KC's car, so I didn't get to participate. Regardless, we did 5 harlem hill repeats on our bikes cutting off the 102nd street transverse. I was very careful of the wet roads going downhill and on turns. Right after we transitioned to our run around the harlem hill. During our briefing, Coach Laura explained race day rules and meet up times. As she was talking, I saw a slow moving, puffy creature walk and then stop a foot away from me. I looked down as this fat, furry, THING. And once it looked up at me, I SCREAMED, causing a chain reaction of screams from 20 other girly triathletes! I was afraid the racoon was going to take a bite off my leg, so I didn't know whether to run or stay steady! I remember quickly grabbing the sides the person next to me without looking, and I swear Marianela, I'm sorry if I grabbed a bit of your...ummm...you know. =X We were all hysterically laughing as the racoon decided to run off across the street. Then I heard more loud screams, followed by more laughter. It looks like more animals came to visit! This time they were two large, friendly labradors. What cuties! As Coach Laura started to wrap up our briefing, we witness a tall man in SBR attire crash on his bike right in front us! We heard him fall pretty badly. Coach Jenn rushed towards the man, who coincidentally was her friend Bobby. After picking him up, he and his new bike seemed okay. This morning his Facebook message read: Bobby Leong is incredibly embarrassed. Took a spill on my bike in front of 20 gorgeous female triathletes. Thought I died and gone to heaven when I looked up after the fall.
WEDNESDAY 05.06.09 I digested my second banana of the day while I stared up in space. In the gym, I somehow drowned out the lively music and loud people. Zoning out doesn't seem so bad. I was going to run with my shin guards today to see how it feels before my race but I ended up just sitting there, reading my book. WOW it's been almost a year since I've sat here and read. I miss it. After reading, I decided to do some serious stretching of my mind, my heart, my body and my soul. It felt good, but even after I felt like something was missing. Like I need a punching bag. I commuted with a heavy 3 loop bike rack and my large back pack earlier today. I thought it was going to tire me out but apparently I have a strong set of shoulders. Can you imagine an Asian girl carrying an overloaded backpack and a huge black garbage bag over her shoulders in the 6 train to Grand Central?
TUESDAY 05.05.09 I really like Coach Carlie Brown. Today she coached the team by herself and was very attentive to the class. At 6:30 am she's able to emit strong energy and maintain good sense of humor. One new thing we did was use the kick boards as bouys between our legs. A great drill to feel the resistance created by your hip rotation. I also attempted to do a summersault in the middle of the pool length without touching my feet to the ground. I don't particularly like being upside down on the ground and would be even more uncomfortable with it in the water - but I tried, and it didn't work. Oh well, I'll keep trying. Today Coach Carlie pointed out to me a couple of things. (1) My chin is too tucked and therefore my head is too low into the water - creating drag and resistence. (2) My left arm is not completing the pull in the water like my right arm is doing. (3) My fingers come up perpendicular to the water after my pull which shows that I'm not pulling the water. In 12 weeks of training no one has paid as close attention to my mistakes as Coach Carlie did this morning.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
WEEK 12.0 - CONFIDENCE
MONDAY, 05.04.09. Today I thought it would be good to do Plyo. This plyo class usually keeps my legs wobbly for four days. And because I thought there was no bike or run this Thursday, its okay to be sore until then. So 200 + squats and a couple of extras later, I looked at the schedule and realized we have more hill repeats this Thursday. Aaahh! Hopefully foam rollers will save me. I walked back to work chewing on my apple and realized that it seems more difficult for me to chew up a large apple than to do squats! My cheek muscles were tired of chewing! Is that possible?
SUNDAY, 05.03.09 Today was the 5 Boro bike tour I've been wanting to do for a couple of years now. I am missing team swim and run. =( We anticipated rain all day and indeed it did. Since I awoke at 5:30 am it was already gloomy. By the time I got there it was drizzling. Good thing I changed to my sneakers from my biking shoes! I was so afraid of slipping and falling. Since I was late, my cousin Ray and I rode together. Together we practiced our bike handling skills on wet grounds, pointed our potholes and obstacles while we chatted about dangerous aspects of biking. Like that girl who was on the phone while biking - we talked about her until she suddenly dropped her phone. I swear Ray has some sort of witch power or maybe it was me (have you noticed my elongated witch chin?). We met up with a few of his friends. As we rode together, they each commented on how they wished their wife\S0 signed up for these kinds of things. I wished the same. It was starting to get cold especially when the traffic became stop and go in central park. I should've listened to my dad when he suggested for me to wear pants that morning. I sucked it up biking uptown manhattan through highways and into bronx. By the time we were about to cross over to Queens, there was a long break. I reconsidered continuing the ride as I started to hate the wait, the wet, and the cold. Besides, I have the perfect excuse. I have my first race this upcoming Saturday and how bad would it be if I were to get sick? I left the tour early and visited BJ's (the wholesalers). I got back into CTown where I went straight for the bed. My 2 hour nap felt great - I didn't \ couldn't move a muscle. As soon as I awoke, KC was starting his Ab Ripper X workout. I would be disappointed if didn't join. After ab ripper, I finally felt some heat in my body after a whole day of being wet and cold.
SATURDAY, 05.02.09. Today was a day without any planned exercises. It was my brother's big day. Though rain was expected throughout, it turned out to be just a lovely day. If there was any event to be considered exercise that day, it would be my single handedly carrying the bride in her wedding dress during picture taking that morning. Wow, I have a sister-in-law now. Anyhow, between that and dancing all night in unfamiliar high heeled shoes was my home made exercise.
FRIDAY, 05.01.09. Today is my brother's birthday. This morning I was in a defensive mood as I was reminded about a disagreement I had earlier last week. But nothing that Tri-Body and lifting weights couldn't fix! But Tri-Body was cancelled. =( They forgot to hire a sub. Boo... So instead I went to half a cycling class and a yoga class then hopped into the jacuzzi. I can't wait for abs and swim later today. I need to release some built up stress and anxitey...
THURSDAY, 04.30.09. Oops! Last night I said I would run but instead I ran home as fast as I could and got a pedicure and a manicure (in prep for my brother's wedding this weekend). Hey! It's quite the creative excuse as most people only get married once (or a single digit number) in a lifetime. Anyhow, Coach Laura is out on vacation this week with her new squeeze and Coach Jenn took on her role. She's quite hardcore and I like her. She really cares about the team and each individual that's part of it. She teaches us how to suck it up and sets a great example of it. Tonight's theme was to beat down Harlem Hill - the enemy. We did a double paceline warm up loop and on individual effort did 20 minute hill repeats on harlem hill. I thought I was going to do 3, but instead I did 4 loops alternating seated and standing climbs. Hills are truly my thing. I've noticed that throughout the weeks of training, I am able to tackle hills with an extrememly high heart rate and sustain it. I climb it smooth, I climb it hard and I climb it steadily. Right after we transitioned and attacked Harlem Hill again, but this time with our sneaks. I did 3 hill repeats and really enjoyed the uphills over the downhills. End of story.
WEDNESDAY, 04.29.09 No silly excuses like "my leg hurts" or "I rather eat." Tonight I'll be running. At Coach Laura's cycling class I tried hard to push my heart rate to 90% of max - which would probably be around 188 bpm - but I couldn't. Instead I was steady at 162-168. I've done it before without trying, why couldn't I do it today? It could've been my breathing effort. Yesterday at the lecture, we learned that by exhaling more, we can bring our heartrate down. Maybe this is what happened to me today?
TUESDAY, 04.28.09 I don't care how creative my excuses become, I'm making myself run today. I had morning swim - lap after lap of drills - and 30 consecutive push ups. Coach Carlie had to pull me out of the pool to show me my wrist and elbow rotation problem. It turns out I flare my arms too wide (like a V shape) when I pull the water underneathe me. My hand and arms need to be parallel like a ladder. Disappointing that I'm learning this now - just a week or so before my race. But better now than never. In the afternoon I lifted weights and upgraded again. 5 sets of 20 lbs military presses on each arm and 4 sets of 17.5 lbs curls. After work, I went to Reebok and contemplated on hopping in the jacuzzi - but the excuse was not creative enough. So I changed to my workout clothes and looked for the outdoor track. On my way there I stumbled across a dance class! I swear I stood there contemplating for 30 seconds if I should dance instaed of run. It was such a hard choice, but I eventually walked away. I found the outdoor track that measures 6-lap-to-the-mile. I ran 25 minutes until the pain in my abdomen flared up - and if I counted correctly, I did 15 laps. I ran slowly, so it sounds about right. The lecture that evening was on stress management. I was hooked on to the machine that basically showed me that I was very calm and stress free. Emily called me "dead." I just know how to regulate my breathing when not underwater and probably was overly exhausted after 3 workouts today. It was 11 p.m. by the time I got home. I got lost in the subways again - it seems to be a recurring incident during late nights for me. Luckily my dad met up with me and brought me food and shared stories during our train ride back. Got home, scarfed some more food down before I went to bed.
SUNDAY, 05.03.09 Today was the 5 Boro bike tour I've been wanting to do for a couple of years now. I am missing team swim and run. =( We anticipated rain all day and indeed it did. Since I awoke at 5:30 am it was already gloomy. By the time I got there it was drizzling. Good thing I changed to my sneakers from my biking shoes! I was so afraid of slipping and falling. Since I was late, my cousin Ray and I rode together. Together we practiced our bike handling skills on wet grounds, pointed our potholes and obstacles while we chatted about dangerous aspects of biking. Like that girl who was on the phone while biking - we talked about her until she suddenly dropped her phone. I swear Ray has some sort of witch power or maybe it was me (have you noticed my elongated witch chin?). We met up with a few of his friends. As we rode together, they each commented on how they wished their wife\S0 signed up for these kinds of things. I wished the same. It was starting to get cold especially when the traffic became stop and go in central park. I should've listened to my dad when he suggested for me to wear pants that morning. I sucked it up biking uptown manhattan through highways and into bronx. By the time we were about to cross over to Queens, there was a long break. I reconsidered continuing the ride as I started to hate the wait, the wet, and the cold. Besides, I have the perfect excuse. I have my first race this upcoming Saturday and how bad would it be if I were to get sick? I left the tour early and visited BJ's (the wholesalers). I got back into CTown where I went straight for the bed. My 2 hour nap felt great - I didn't \ couldn't move a muscle. As soon as I awoke, KC was starting his Ab Ripper X workout. I would be disappointed if didn't join. After ab ripper, I finally felt some heat in my body after a whole day of being wet and cold.
SATURDAY, 05.02.09. Today was a day without any planned exercises. It was my brother's big day. Though rain was expected throughout, it turned out to be just a lovely day. If there was any event to be considered exercise that day, it would be my single handedly carrying the bride in her wedding dress during picture taking that morning. Wow, I have a sister-in-law now. Anyhow, between that and dancing all night in unfamiliar high heeled shoes was my home made exercise.
FRIDAY, 05.01.09. Today is my brother's birthday. This morning I was in a defensive mood as I was reminded about a disagreement I had earlier last week. But nothing that Tri-Body and lifting weights couldn't fix! But Tri-Body was cancelled. =( They forgot to hire a sub. Boo... So instead I went to half a cycling class and a yoga class then hopped into the jacuzzi. I can't wait for abs and swim later today. I need to release some built up stress and anxitey...
THURSDAY, 04.30.09. Oops! Last night I said I would run but instead I ran home as fast as I could and got a pedicure and a manicure (in prep for my brother's wedding this weekend). Hey! It's quite the creative excuse as most people only get married once (or a single digit number) in a lifetime. Anyhow, Coach Laura is out on vacation this week with her new squeeze and Coach Jenn took on her role. She's quite hardcore and I like her. She really cares about the team and each individual that's part of it. She teaches us how to suck it up and sets a great example of it. Tonight's theme was to beat down Harlem Hill - the enemy. We did a double paceline warm up loop and on individual effort did 20 minute hill repeats on harlem hill. I thought I was going to do 3, but instead I did 4 loops alternating seated and standing climbs. Hills are truly my thing. I've noticed that throughout the weeks of training, I am able to tackle hills with an extrememly high heart rate and sustain it. I climb it smooth, I climb it hard and I climb it steadily. Right after we transitioned and attacked Harlem Hill again, but this time with our sneaks. I did 3 hill repeats and really enjoyed the uphills over the downhills. End of story.
WEDNESDAY, 04.29.09 No silly excuses like "my leg hurts" or "I rather eat." Tonight I'll be running. At Coach Laura's cycling class I tried hard to push my heart rate to 90% of max - which would probably be around 188 bpm - but I couldn't. Instead I was steady at 162-168. I've done it before without trying, why couldn't I do it today? It could've been my breathing effort. Yesterday at the lecture, we learned that by exhaling more, we can bring our heartrate down. Maybe this is what happened to me today?
TUESDAY, 04.28.09 I don't care how creative my excuses become, I'm making myself run today. I had morning swim - lap after lap of drills - and 30 consecutive push ups. Coach Carlie had to pull me out of the pool to show me my wrist and elbow rotation problem. It turns out I flare my arms too wide (like a V shape) when I pull the water underneathe me. My hand and arms need to be parallel like a ladder. Disappointing that I'm learning this now - just a week or so before my race. But better now than never. In the afternoon I lifted weights and upgraded again. 5 sets of 20 lbs military presses on each arm and 4 sets of 17.5 lbs curls. After work, I went to Reebok and contemplated on hopping in the jacuzzi - but the excuse was not creative enough. So I changed to my workout clothes and looked for the outdoor track. On my way there I stumbled across a dance class! I swear I stood there contemplating for 30 seconds if I should dance instaed of run. It was such a hard choice, but I eventually walked away. I found the outdoor track that measures 6-lap-to-the-mile. I ran 25 minutes until the pain in my abdomen flared up - and if I counted correctly, I did 15 laps. I ran slowly, so it sounds about right. The lecture that evening was on stress management. I was hooked on to the machine that basically showed me that I was very calm and stress free. Emily called me "dead." I just know how to regulate my breathing when not underwater and probably was overly exhausted after 3 workouts today. It was 11 p.m. by the time I got home. I got lost in the subways again - it seems to be a recurring incident during late nights for me. Luckily my dad met up with me and brought me food and shared stories during our train ride back. Got home, scarfed some more food down before I went to bed.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
WEEK 11.5 - MOMENTUM
MONDAY, 04.27.09 All I did was eat Filipino food and sleep.
SUNDAY, 04.26.09 I gave up Sunday morning swim and run to do the 42 mile 5 Boro Pre-Ride. It was an absolutely beautiful day and I forgot to put on sunblock. My friend Dennis and his friend, Steve made it. And the sweet lady that gave me my form to fill out happened to be our swim coach Carlie Brown! She was tall and it was very sunny, so I didn't see her face so well, but I knew that voice sounded familiar! She was the marketing the director of the company! Sweeet! =) She rode her foldable Dahon bike. We did a pace of about 15 - 17 miles per hour throughout most of the ride and it wasn't crowded at all! Almost everyone I met there have been volunteers many times in the past. Cops on motorcycles paved our way along with a cop car that led the direction. I enjoyed the sun and the different views around the city while I sharpened my skills in pointing out holes and rough roads. It was a friendly atmosphere, maybe a little too friendly. I remember going under the overpass along the FDR drive. Everyone got rowdy and made loud noises as it echoed through the channel. I howled - it was funny. I remember thinking how I wish certain people were there for the ride - as I'm sure they would have enjoyed it. We made a few pit stops and took group pictures in Queens. Underneath the BQE (along side my Brooklyn neighborhood), the coordinators in the cop car directed the bike riders to go past the car. Since I was righjt next to the car, I hurried past them along with three other male riders. We rode at a fast pace straight down the flat path. I expected many more people to follow, but no one else did! When I decided to look back, I saw a huge gap between me and the cop car and no other riders. I was afraid I wasn't supposed to have passed the cop car, but as it turns out, the other riders said it was fine. It was me and the wide dark shaded road going fast! I loved it! Right before the last stretch of the ride, we stopped. The coordinators warned a few and took a few people out of the pack because they were riding too slow. We were allocated a short amount of time to cross the bridge as they seem to be very strict about blocking it off for this event. The Verazanno Bridge was the last most difficult portion of the ride. It was sooo cool to be riding my bike across it! Though I took my time enjoying the view and the shade, I still gave it good pedaling effort. The road was super smooth. The tricky part was the connections of the bridge that they warned us about. We were required to dismount our bikes on these 2 very dangerous parts of the bridge, otherwise we and our bikes will be "eaten up.". They were right. I dismounted and thought I'd be able to roll my bike across the vertical grates and my wheels fell right in along with my shoe cleats! I shook my head as I lost balance and figured I needed to carry my bike over the grates. The next set of grates I was smarter and walked along side the paved portion. Another person suggested to walk diagonally across the grates - I guess that might've worked too. After finishing the bridge, I went through the EZ pass lane without paying! Sweeet! It was quite a lovely time as I reminisced about my ride during the ferry ride back to Battery Park. I wish I could say that's how sweetly my day ended, but I decided to run later that day. One round across the Manhattan Bridge and back should be just a bit shy of 2.5 miles. KC and I stretched and headed out together. Not too far into the bridge I already slowed down. Let me tell you, the littlest things can bother me during my runs. My SPI belt was not adjusted and was flopping up and down. UGH! I HATE THIS! Calm down, it's just a run... My legs were definitely fatigued, I felt it. After biking over 90 miles this weekend and doing an open water swim, I was exhausted. I didn't want to do this anymore I remember thinking as I saw KC many feet ahead of me. But I wasn't going to quit what I had started, so I ignored my negative thoughts. There was a slight uphill throughout the bridge going over to Brooklyn. I tried different ways of running and can still say I don't feel comfortable at this specific sport. My friend Dennis pops right behind me on his bike - how coincidental. He hates running as much as I do. He headed home as I made a 360 turn to run back across the bridge. My right side of my body was feeling warm - a lot warmer than the rest of my body, including my face. Reminded me of when I was sent to the emergency room last summer. The tingling pins and needles sensation came. I tried to breathe it off and keep most of my landing pressure on my left leg but It didn't help. I was in horrible condition and I was very upset. I was craving for that end of the bridge which by this time KC had already finished. The time I finally saw his red shirt was when I knew I was almost done. Nothing left to do but to limp across the rest of the bridge without injuring my lower right back before my first race in 1.5 weeks. When I hit the end of the line, I threw a tantrum and hated myself. I kept thinking I hate myself. I threw every effort to stretch the lower back section where I felt my pinched nerve. By this time my whole right side was numb from face to toes. Remind me again why I run?
SUNDAY, 04.26.09 I gave up Sunday morning swim and run to do the 42 mile 5 Boro Pre-Ride. It was an absolutely beautiful day and I forgot to put on sunblock. My friend Dennis and his friend, Steve made it. And the sweet lady that gave me my form to fill out happened to be our swim coach Carlie Brown! She was tall and it was very sunny, so I didn't see her face so well, but I knew that voice sounded familiar! She was the marketing the director of the company! Sweeet! =) She rode her foldable Dahon bike. We did a pace of about 15 - 17 miles per hour throughout most of the ride and it wasn't crowded at all! Almost everyone I met there have been volunteers many times in the past. Cops on motorcycles paved our way along with a cop car that led the direction. I enjoyed the sun and the different views around the city while I sharpened my skills in pointing out holes and rough roads. It was a friendly atmosphere, maybe a little too friendly. I remember going under the overpass along the FDR drive. Everyone got rowdy and made loud noises as it echoed through the channel. I howled - it was funny. I remember thinking how I wish certain people were there for the ride - as I'm sure they would have enjoyed it. We made a few pit stops and took group pictures in Queens. Underneath the BQE (along side my Brooklyn neighborhood), the coordinators in the cop car directed the bike riders to go past the car. Since I was righjt next to the car, I hurried past them along with three other male riders. We rode at a fast pace straight down the flat path. I expected many more people to follow, but no one else did! When I decided to look back, I saw a huge gap between me and the cop car and no other riders. I was afraid I wasn't supposed to have passed the cop car, but as it turns out, the other riders said it was fine. It was me and the wide dark shaded road going fast! I loved it! Right before the last stretch of the ride, we stopped. The coordinators warned a few and took a few people out of the pack because they were riding too slow. We were allocated a short amount of time to cross the bridge as they seem to be very strict about blocking it off for this event. The Verazanno Bridge was the last most difficult portion of the ride. It was sooo cool to be riding my bike across it! Though I took my time enjoying the view and the shade, I still gave it good pedaling effort. The road was super smooth. The tricky part was the connections of the bridge that they warned us about. We were required to dismount our bikes on these 2 very dangerous parts of the bridge, otherwise we and our bikes will be "eaten up.". They were right. I dismounted and thought I'd be able to roll my bike across the vertical grates and my wheels fell right in along with my shoe cleats! I shook my head as I lost balance and figured I needed to carry my bike over the grates. The next set of grates I was smarter and walked along side the paved portion. Another person suggested to walk diagonally across the grates - I guess that might've worked too. After finishing the bridge, I went through the EZ pass lane without paying! Sweeet! It was quite a lovely time as I reminisced about my ride during the ferry ride back to Battery Park. I wish I could say that's how sweetly my day ended, but I decided to run later that day. One round across the Manhattan Bridge and back should be just a bit shy of 2.5 miles. KC and I stretched and headed out together. Not too far into the bridge I already slowed down. Let me tell you, the littlest things can bother me during my runs. My SPI belt was not adjusted and was flopping up and down. UGH! I HATE THIS! Calm down, it's just a run... My legs were definitely fatigued, I felt it. After biking over 90 miles this weekend and doing an open water swim, I was exhausted. I didn't want to do this anymore I remember thinking as I saw KC many feet ahead of me. But I wasn't going to quit what I had started, so I ignored my negative thoughts. There was a slight uphill throughout the bridge going over to Brooklyn. I tried different ways of running and can still say I don't feel comfortable at this specific sport. My friend Dennis pops right behind me on his bike - how coincidental. He hates running as much as I do. He headed home as I made a 360 turn to run back across the bridge. My right side of my body was feeling warm - a lot warmer than the rest of my body, including my face. Reminded me of when I was sent to the emergency room last summer. The tingling pins and needles sensation came. I tried to breathe it off and keep most of my landing pressure on my left leg but It didn't help. I was in horrible condition and I was very upset. I was craving for that end of the bridge which by this time KC had already finished. The time I finally saw his red shirt was when I knew I was almost done. Nothing left to do but to limp across the rest of the bridge without injuring my lower right back before my first race in 1.5 weeks. When I hit the end of the line, I threw a tantrum and hated myself. I kept thinking I hate myself. I threw every effort to stretch the lower back section where I felt my pinched nerve. By this time my whole right side was numb from face to toes. Remind me again why I run?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
WEEK 11.0 - RUN
SATURDAY, 04.25.09. I got up bright and early and met the team at the Boat House at 8 am. Finally, the weather was on our side to ride over the GWB! We were all very excited - and glad to see Coach Jenn. We double pacelined through the park until we got to the roads over to Mroningside Drive where we kept our single paceline. I was warned by KC about the incoming traffic through swerving sharp narrow turns at GWB. He was not exxagerrating. When I saw the enven pavement just before the 5 feet width entrance of the bridge, I hesitated. They should really fix that! I unclipped right away and saw the bikers coming towards me - humph! Gotta make it through though. I clipped myself back on and pushed hard on the pedals up the steep ramp. On the 180 U turn, every one got off their bikes - there was too much traffic. I did the same. The following turns on the bridge wasn't bad at all as it was much more spacious. The view was spectacular! A clear warm day. I took my time absorbing the moment. It was my first and I waited 3 weeks to do this! I took deep breaths of the fresh air and at times closed my eyes just to feel the breeze on my face and the flow of my hair. Such is an example of the simple pleasures in my life. After the bridge we gathered as Coach Laura explained the directions and the ride for the day. Make a left at the dead end and the next right. We rode route 9W. I saw a lot of experienced group riders in mathcing uniforms. It was cool to see - different from what I'm used to seeing at Central Park every week. I struggled against the wind - riding up and down the hills on my own until I caught up to Katie who with her new sexy black Guru tri- bike and helmet looked like a pro. At times we drafted each other but for a lot of the time we rode side by side sharing our thoughts and experiences on relationships. She said to me: You don't come off as this, which is a great thing, but I'm always thinking the grass is greener on the other side. And sooner than I can remember we caught up with the rest of the group who was stationed on the top of 9W having snacks. That was a tough ride, riding alone, against the wind - but having that conversation with Katie made it enjoyable. On our way back four of us pacelined - Laura, Carey, Katie and myself. The ride was a piece of cake - rotating every minute or so. We ended up at the bike shop playing loud music outdoors where I bought a cup of coffee and some Nuun electrolites ($7 is expensive!). After another ride through the beautiful views of the GWB, I took the train back with Marianne who was stressing about her packing and moving to her new apt. I've never lived alone, and certainly don't know the stress that comes along with moving. What I know about Marrianne is that she comes from Cali, loves scuba diving and gets very excited talking about turtles! As soon as I got to my train stop, I bumped into a two of my friends who I haven't seen since those partying nights last year. We were all in different places now, with different people and all I can think of is WOW what a change a half a year can make! When I got home, my family decided they would come watch me swim in the open water with my team in Coney Island beach. So I ate some lunch and headed out together in our new 4 Runner truck. When I arrived, I thought I was late so I ran from one gazebo to the other looking for my teammates - no signs - but then Lorraine and her husband waved out to m
e. She said that Coach Laura is still on their way. Soon after I caught a glimpse of 30ish tight black rubber (super hero-like) bodies standing on the sand. That's them! I excitingly pointed out. So I started running over. I changed into my wet suit - just as the guy at Cadence taught me - I knew the deal after putting on 4 wetsuits by now - no struggle. =) I told Coach Laura that my family will be around because we have errands to run right after. My family arrived as Coach Laura was reviewing our open water swim. Some girls probably thought they were tourists, so I decided to introduce them. The girls were welcoming as some of them have already met my family. We were anxious. Luckily Marianela and I had our booties and warming swim caps! =) Those really helped me out! Coach Laura swam out and stood as our human bouy as we all jumped ran and dived in together in the cold ocean water. This was definitely memorable as we all laughed and shivered. I saw seaweed and crabs and I did my back stroke cart wheel turn around Coach Laura. We did this twice: once going counter clockwise and the second time clockwise. I drank some salty water and more - I think twice I actually *gulped* the water - gross but true. When doing the back stroke cartwheel turn, the arm closest to the bouy extends out in front as you turn - this is just for me to remember in the future in case I forget. After that, we partnered up and swam together while sighting the buildings. I think it was a great exercise to familiarize ourselves with the open water. Too bad I didn't have the time to swim the whole mile - but I was happy I did this! Afterwards, I rushed away to my brother's wedding rehearsal and then dinner, and then my good friend's engagement party. Can things be any more busy?
FRIDAY, 04.24.09 Today I took it light. Yoga, abs and swim...and GYRO! TGIF!
THURSDAY, 04.23.09 I can't remember if I worked out at all this afternoon - but who cares. I put out good effort at tonights brick. I even studied the Central Park map for 2 minutes. HA! It was nice to see Coach Jenn after a few weeks of bad weather and cancelled rides, it seems like we haven't seen her in forever! Tonight we rode one full loop as warm up - this time with a double pace line! That was much more fun than a single paceline. For 15 minutes each, a pair of girls and sometimes with Jean Luc and Steve would lead the group. There was about 20 of us that night and we were accompanied by good weather. It certainly feels better not to have sore legs from plyo while doing this brick training! After 1 full loop we progressed through our individual efforts around the inner loop twice - cutting off the 102 st and again on 72nd st transverse. I say it like I know what I'm talking about. In reality, I just follow where I see orange colors riding! I definitley need to rely on myself with directions at this point. Anywho, after our 80-85% effort on both loops, we transitioned into 5 minutes of climbing up and down the stairs by the Bethseda Fountain Stairs. The legs were wobbly but seemed very light. Immediately right after, we ran the lower loop. I tried a different way of running and noticed a huge difference in running efficiency. When I landed right on the ball of my foot - barely landing on my heels, I felt very light and my legs picked up quickly. The way the ball of the foot landed the ground did not bother my shin muscles! Is this the way running is supposed to feel? No pain?
WEDNESDAY, 04.22.09 After calling myself some undesirable names, I was surprised when I changed to running clothes and actually walked out my door. Didn't think I would do it, but the name calling and good weather certainly helped. It also helped that I didn't see people in the house and didn't smell the aroma of a home cooked meal. Otherwise I would've relaxed on my warm fluffy couch. It was breezy outside. I ran up and down my block (which is a length of an avenue). Did 1.5 round warm up and 5 rounds of joy running. I define Joy running as the pace in which is most comfortable for me - not too fast and not too slow. Geez I'm still not over the fact that I run so uncomfortably. My nerve on my lower right back seems pinched. And I reposition myself very often landing the ground differently everytime. I wonder if others can notice how silly I look. I sweat like a pig and tonight was no different. I like it though because I know I am detoxifying everyday resulting in baby smooth skin. Anyhow, here's the start to my new focus, which is running improvement. It was suggested by my dear KC to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night starting last night. I listened (as usual, haha) and went to bed a little after 10. This morning I woke up and felt no real difference. But as soon as I hit the endless pool, I noticed the energy. Either it was the 8 hrs of sleep or all the carbs I ate last night - maybe the combination of both. Anyhow, I thank my baby for the suggestion. I should really listen to him more often. In the pool, I struggled swimming against the current generated by the machine. But after about 15 minutes, I had the groove. I swam the next 15 minutes non stop and after, I felt like I can swim against the current for at least another 15 min. I didn't stop because I quit, I stopped because endless pool hour was over. Ha! This is a good sign though. Next time I will have to swim it for 30 minutes straight to prove myself - that and I may also have to bring my wetsuit along. In the afternoon, instead of taking spin class, what did I do? I ran! Yes, yes...that is my new goal afterall. Took a step onto the unfamiliar treadmill - which should not be the case at this point of my training. I started off with 6.0 mph which is equivalent to 9+ min mile and ended with 7.0 mph which is 8+ min mile. I did this for 2.3 miles and averaged a heart rate of 169 beats per minute. Shows how much I didnt really push myself. =T. After my sweaty run, I made my way to Stacy who graciously gave me a deep tissue shoulder massage / knead. I weighed 111 this afternoon - no significance for me really. I went o SBR after work and got myself a skull cap and wetsuit booties to wear for my races and the open water swim at Coney Island beach as part of this weekend's team training. They also gave me a triathlon transition bag for free! Woot! Woot! OK, Joy Sy prepare for tomorrow's brick class by eating more carbs tonight and sleeping 8 hrs.
TUESDAY, 04.21.09 The goal was to hold my breath for the length of the pool. I had to take 2. Booo. The goal was to stay together swimming in a pack. I fell behind. I did kicking drills with a board and barely moved. What da?!?! What's wrong Joy Sy? I went to lift weights. Not impressive. MUST RUN. At least it can't get any worse. Or can it??? F!!!
e. She said that Coach Laura is still on their way. Soon after I caught a glimpse of 30ish tight black rubber (super hero-like) bodies standing on the sand. That's them! I excitingly pointed out. So I started running over. I changed into my wet suit - just as the guy at Cadence taught me - I knew the deal after putting on 4 wetsuits by now - no struggle. =) I told Coach Laura that my family will be around because we have errands to run right after. My family arrived as Coach Laura was reviewing our open water swim. Some girls probably thought they were tourists, so I decided to introduce them. The girls were welcoming as some of them have already met my family. We were anxious. Luckily Marianela and I had our booties and warming swim caps! =) Those really helped me out! Coach Laura swam out and stood as our human bouy as we all jumped ran and dived in together in the cold ocean water. This was definitely memorable as we all laughed and shivered. I saw seaweed and crabs and I did my back stroke cart wheel turn around Coach Laura. We did this twice: once going counter clockwise and the second time clockwise. I drank some salty water and more - I think twice I actually *gulped* the water - gross but true. When doing the back stroke cartwheel turn, the arm closest to the bouy extends out in front as you turn - this is just for me to remember in the future in case I forget. After that, we partnered up and swam together while sighting the buildings. I think it was a great exercise to familiarize ourselves with the open water. Too bad I didn't have the time to swim the whole mile - but I was happy I did this! Afterwards, I rushed away to my brother's wedding rehearsal and then dinner, and then my good friend's engagement party. Can things be any more busy?FRIDAY, 04.24.09 Today I took it light. Yoga, abs and swim...and GYRO! TGIF!
THURSDAY, 04.23.09 I can't remember if I worked out at all this afternoon - but who cares. I put out good effort at tonights brick. I even studied the Central Park map for 2 minutes. HA! It was nice to see Coach Jenn after a few weeks of bad weather and cancelled rides, it seems like we haven't seen her in forever! Tonight we rode one full loop as warm up - this time with a double pace line! That was much more fun than a single paceline. For 15 minutes each, a pair of girls and sometimes with Jean Luc and Steve would lead the group. There was about 20 of us that night and we were accompanied by good weather. It certainly feels better not to have sore legs from plyo while doing this brick training! After 1 full loop we progressed through our individual efforts around the inner loop twice - cutting off the 102 st and again on 72nd st transverse. I say it like I know what I'm talking about. In reality, I just follow where I see orange colors riding! I definitley need to rely on myself with directions at this point. Anywho, after our 80-85% effort on both loops, we transitioned into 5 minutes of climbing up and down the stairs by the Bethseda Fountain Stairs. The legs were wobbly but seemed very light. Immediately right after, we ran the lower loop. I tried a different way of running and noticed a huge difference in running efficiency. When I landed right on the ball of my foot - barely landing on my heels, I felt very light and my legs picked up quickly. The way the ball of the foot landed the ground did not bother my shin muscles! Is this the way running is supposed to feel? No pain?
WEDNESDAY, 04.22.09 After calling myself some undesirable names, I was surprised when I changed to running clothes and actually walked out my door. Didn't think I would do it, but the name calling and good weather certainly helped. It also helped that I didn't see people in the house and didn't smell the aroma of a home cooked meal. Otherwise I would've relaxed on my warm fluffy couch. It was breezy outside. I ran up and down my block (which is a length of an avenue). Did 1.5 round warm up and 5 rounds of joy running. I define Joy running as the pace in which is most comfortable for me - not too fast and not too slow. Geez I'm still not over the fact that I run so uncomfortably. My nerve on my lower right back seems pinched. And I reposition myself very often landing the ground differently everytime. I wonder if others can notice how silly I look. I sweat like a pig and tonight was no different. I like it though because I know I am detoxifying everyday resulting in baby smooth skin. Anyhow, here's the start to my new focus, which is running improvement. It was suggested by my dear KC to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night starting last night. I listened (as usual, haha) and went to bed a little after 10. This morning I woke up and felt no real difference. But as soon as I hit the endless pool, I noticed the energy. Either it was the 8 hrs of sleep or all the carbs I ate last night - maybe the combination of both. Anyhow, I thank my baby for the suggestion. I should really listen to him more often. In the pool, I struggled swimming against the current generated by the machine. But after about 15 minutes, I had the groove. I swam the next 15 minutes non stop and after, I felt like I can swim against the current for at least another 15 min. I didn't stop because I quit, I stopped because endless pool hour was over. Ha! This is a good sign though. Next time I will have to swim it for 30 minutes straight to prove myself - that and I may also have to bring my wetsuit along. In the afternoon, instead of taking spin class, what did I do? I ran! Yes, yes...that is my new goal afterall. Took a step onto the unfamiliar treadmill - which should not be the case at this point of my training. I started off with 6.0 mph which is equivalent to 9+ min mile and ended with 7.0 mph which is 8+ min mile. I did this for 2.3 miles and averaged a heart rate of 169 beats per minute. Shows how much I didnt really push myself. =T. After my sweaty run, I made my way to Stacy who graciously gave me a deep tissue shoulder massage / knead. I weighed 111 this afternoon - no significance for me really. I went o SBR after work and got myself a skull cap and wetsuit booties to wear for my races and the open water swim at Coney Island beach as part of this weekend's team training. They also gave me a triathlon transition bag for free! Woot! Woot! OK, Joy Sy prepare for tomorrow's brick class by eating more carbs tonight and sleeping 8 hrs.
TUESDAY, 04.21.09 The goal was to hold my breath for the length of the pool. I had to take 2. Booo. The goal was to stay together swimming in a pack. I fell behind. I did kicking drills with a board and barely moved. What da?!?! What's wrong Joy Sy? I went to lift weights. Not impressive. MUST RUN. At least it can't get any worse. Or can it??? F!!!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
WEEK 10.0 - BELIEVE
MONDAY, 04.20.09 Believe it or not, our first tri is in 3 weeks. It's been quite a crazy week for me and Th Super Power Sy has officially broke down. But it's okay now. I've swallowed it all down - digested. This morning I cleared it all with an hour of deep cleansing yoga. During class I let all that was bothering me drain my brain, to my mat, and into the ground - someplace bigger that can handle it better. Our lecture on Race Day Rules was cancelled. I guess I'll have to read up on 20 pages worth of rules and remember them.
SUNDAY, 04.19.09. I woke up feeling down. I didn't want to leave my bed. I wanted to stay and hug except after only a few minutes of cuddling, I was forced to get up and change. We have a swim and run session with Cliff which I had paid extra for. I ate a small breakfast - a measly banana. It was unlike me, but I was not in the best of mood. I hugged KC from the passengers seat during the whole ride to Riverbank. When I got out of the car, I dragged myself and my big-assed bag across the mini-bridge and almost got run over by a bus because I was walking on the wrong side of a bending road. Gosh - I am a mess. I was mentally clouded, physically tired, and emotionally blank. They opened the pool to 50 meter lanes. How cool. It was definitely a different feel swimming across a double length pool than what I was used to. We did a lot of drills without equipment. We swam with our fists, imagined kicking within a 6 by 6 inch box, and push offs against the wall. We probably swam at least 1200 meters. Right after, we dried up and headed for our run. I tried really hard to concentrate. But I was off. Even the warming sun and energetic people couldn't help pop me a smile - not even a grin. I am upset at myself for being this way. Two laps consituted .25 miles. We warmed up for 2 laps and did 5 different drills (2 laps each) that I remembered. First was to land more on the ball of the foot rather than the heel. Second was to keep the 90 step pace per min. Next was to lean the head forward. Fourth was to pivot our arms from the shoulder. And last was to run with a steady, horizontal moving core. After training I had lunch and followed Marianela to Finesse Day Spa where I got a deep tissue massage from Ludy. She kneaded and stretched the tight muscles on my back the caused the rest of my legs to be tight as well. It was the much needed picker upper.
SATURDAY, 04.18.09 We have a weekend special training session with Cliff. Our bike training consisted of a mini-lecture and 5 hill repeats starting with a warm up loop. Our first 2 hill repeats were seated and the next 3 were standing. When climbing hills, I have to remember to keep my body tight and centered. No wobbly legs nor arms. This makes for efficient use of energy. On downhills, my body naturally leans forward, however I have to remember to keep it back. It will provide for a more controlled bike. I also learned that during an inevitable fall, it would be best to tuck and brace - covering the exposed area such as your ribs.
FRIDAY 04.17.09. I had a day off today and spent most of it with my Dad! The weather couldn't have been more perfect. Dad accompanied me to my eye surgeon for my check-up first thing in the morning. Dr. Pamel knows about my triathlon training and thank goodness we decided to speed this process up. The contact lens implants were really a huge burden off my shoulders throughout all these activities I have pursued. I started Team Chapstick only a week after my eye surgery! I remember being very concered about the water and goggle pressure on my eyes and also the possiblility of getting an infection from the open wound. So far, my eyes have been safe and have recovered. After Dr. Pamel trimmed some stitches off of my right eye, my dad and I headed to yoga. Its been a while since I last practiced, but I was really there to be with my Dad. I cannot explain to you how much I enjoy our love and life discussions. Sometimes I cry on the train as we chat, other times I also see my dad get emotional. It really is a touching and humbling feeling when we talk and many of times we notice each others watery eyes. My dad has always played a huge role in guiding me through the steps of life. I feel like a baby sometimes, with still so much to learn. My dad sees my new passion in this sport. He sees that I've grown to enjoy it. To my surprise, he decided to purchase a new car! He said to me: I know you need to be able to get around with your gear and your bike, so we need to get you a truck large enough to fit your stuff. It was very sweet to hear. That night we ended up with a new 2009 silver 4 Runner! I went to swim clinic right after where I met KC in the pool for our first swim class together.
THURSDAY 04.16.09 We had brick training tonight and it was more difficult than I expected. Transition repeat was the goal - training our muscles to switch from biking to running to biking and again. We did one full loop around the park as warm up and for the third time, the wind was against us. Luckily this time, it was blowing directly in front of ur face. Though it was more difficult to pedal through and go fast, at least I wasn't going to be blown over to the ground. Riding against the wind was tiring and after the first loop requiring hard effort, I didn't feel like running. But of course, I suck it up, that's what we've been trained to do. Transition was easier after the first time, especially being that I've gone through it during the Brooklyn Biathlon - I know its supposed to feel weird. At transition station, Coach Laura secretly reminded us that we needed to remove our helmets before our run. Geez I did almost forget! I ran up the hill around Cleopatra's needle and back down. The other girls on their way down the hill were extremely supportive - as everytime someone saw me, they greeted, complimented, encouraged, and cheered. I couldn't wait to hop on my bike. It got dark fast and good thing I had blinking lights. I'm always so confused with directions. It really is an annoying part of me. It is my flaw. Usually I'm riding alone and would have to either catch up or slow down to find others that do know where we are supposed to be headed. Don't ever follow me anywhere, because I guarantee you, we will be lost. I need to study that map, keep reminding myself that! Transitioning from run to bike is a piece of cake - UNLESS you've accidentally left your bike on the hardest gear! Which I didn't do, but Katie made that point during one of our lectures. Hopped on my bike and made sure my helmet was clipped becuase apparently that's a DQ (disqualifier) during a race! Because of the stupid wind, the ride felt like forever! After I approached my last run, I realized I never really turn it up a notch during any of my runs. I just take it as it goes - slow down if I have to, but never have I given it the extra effort. I only run faster when I'm a few feet from the finish line. What's wrong with me? Overall it was great training - harder than I expected.
WEDNESDAY, 04.15.09 I lifted weights and upgraded to 17.5 lbs shoulder presses.
TUESDAY, 04.14.09. Believe it or not, it's been 9 full weeks of training. And only four weeks from today, I'll be facing my very first triathlon. Anyway, I had 3 chicken drumsticks fresh off the oven for breakfast this morning and made it to the pool 10 min late. I jumped into a one arm stroking drill with the other arm in front. This was kind of fun - different - similar to side swimming. Then we tried another one arm stroke drill but this time with the other arm glued to my side. This drill was much tougher. We also swam in a pack of 7. We learned backstroke flips - this was fun! And took turns acting as a human buoy in the pool. We used our backstroke flips to efficiently swim across the bouy. After swim, I had a hot cup of banana cream coffee... Yummm. I made Yoga for soul this afternoon and found that its pretty much the only succesful thing that has allowed me to slowwww myslef dowwwn. Life has passed me by so quickly these past few weeks; I barely have enough time to spend with those I care about. BREATHE, Joy. Yoga instructor, Jennifer Stetzler rubbed some warm then cooling ointment on my shoulders and neck as soon as I did my first downward dog on my mat. I inhaled the calming scent of mint that emitted and instantly the shuffles of my day cleared up. It was a challenging L2/3 yoga class and I was imbalanced with some of the postures. My yoga practice can be a true reflection of what's going on in my life. When there's calmness and focus in my practice, it is likely that these exists in my life as well. This morning I watched a video that put me into tears. It touched me and opened my heart to realization - realization of what life commitments are all about. I think everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the joys as well as the sorrows that accompany lifetime commitments - whether it be to love and care for your parents, your spouse, your children, or your best friend. Nothing in life is more rewarding than the sentiments that one experiences through selfless promises to yourself and to another - and this you can clearly see through the tears and smiles of Team Hoyt. Believe me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flRvsO8m_KI
SUNDAY, 04.19.09. I woke up feeling down. I didn't want to leave my bed. I wanted to stay and hug except after only a few minutes of cuddling, I was forced to get up and change. We have a swim and run session with Cliff which I had paid extra for. I ate a small breakfast - a measly banana. It was unlike me, but I was not in the best of mood. I hugged KC from the passengers seat during the whole ride to Riverbank. When I got out of the car, I dragged myself and my big-assed bag across the mini-bridge and almost got run over by a bus because I was walking on the wrong side of a bending road. Gosh - I am a mess. I was mentally clouded, physically tired, and emotionally blank. They opened the pool to 50 meter lanes. How cool. It was definitely a different feel swimming across a double length pool than what I was used to. We did a lot of drills without equipment. We swam with our fists, imagined kicking within a 6 by 6 inch box, and push offs against the wall. We probably swam at least 1200 meters. Right after, we dried up and headed for our run. I tried really hard to concentrate. But I was off. Even the warming sun and energetic people couldn't help pop me a smile - not even a grin. I am upset at myself for being this way. Two laps consituted .25 miles. We warmed up for 2 laps and did 5 different drills (2 laps each) that I remembered. First was to land more on the ball of the foot rather than the heel. Second was to keep the 90 step pace per min. Next was to lean the head forward. Fourth was to pivot our arms from the shoulder. And last was to run with a steady, horizontal moving core. After training I had lunch and followed Marianela to Finesse Day Spa where I got a deep tissue massage from Ludy. She kneaded and stretched the tight muscles on my back the caused the rest of my legs to be tight as well. It was the much needed picker upper.
SATURDAY, 04.18.09 We have a weekend special training session with Cliff. Our bike training consisted of a mini-lecture and 5 hill repeats starting with a warm up loop. Our first 2 hill repeats were seated and the next 3 were standing. When climbing hills, I have to remember to keep my body tight and centered. No wobbly legs nor arms. This makes for efficient use of energy. On downhills, my body naturally leans forward, however I have to remember to keep it back. It will provide for a more controlled bike. I also learned that during an inevitable fall, it would be best to tuck and brace - covering the exposed area such as your ribs.
FRIDAY 04.17.09. I had a day off today and spent most of it with my Dad! The weather couldn't have been more perfect. Dad accompanied me to my eye surgeon for my check-up first thing in the morning. Dr. Pamel knows about my triathlon training and thank goodness we decided to speed this process up. The contact lens implants were really a huge burden off my shoulders throughout all these activities I have pursued. I started Team Chapstick only a week after my eye surgery! I remember being very concered about the water and goggle pressure on my eyes and also the possiblility of getting an infection from the open wound. So far, my eyes have been safe and have recovered. After Dr. Pamel trimmed some stitches off of my right eye, my dad and I headed to yoga. Its been a while since I last practiced, but I was really there to be with my Dad. I cannot explain to you how much I enjoy our love and life discussions. Sometimes I cry on the train as we chat, other times I also see my dad get emotional. It really is a touching and humbling feeling when we talk and many of times we notice each others watery eyes. My dad has always played a huge role in guiding me through the steps of life. I feel like a baby sometimes, with still so much to learn. My dad sees my new passion in this sport. He sees that I've grown to enjoy it. To my surprise, he decided to purchase a new car! He said to me: I know you need to be able to get around with your gear and your bike, so we need to get you a truck large enough to fit your stuff. It was very sweet to hear. That night we ended up with a new 2009 silver 4 Runner! I went to swim clinic right after where I met KC in the pool for our first swim class together.
THURSDAY 04.16.09 We had brick training tonight and it was more difficult than I expected. Transition repeat was the goal - training our muscles to switch from biking to running to biking and again. We did one full loop around the park as warm up and for the third time, the wind was against us. Luckily this time, it was blowing directly in front of ur face. Though it was more difficult to pedal through and go fast, at least I wasn't going to be blown over to the ground. Riding against the wind was tiring and after the first loop requiring hard effort, I didn't feel like running. But of course, I suck it up, that's what we've been trained to do. Transition was easier after the first time, especially being that I've gone through it during the Brooklyn Biathlon - I know its supposed to feel weird. At transition station, Coach Laura secretly reminded us that we needed to remove our helmets before our run. Geez I did almost forget! I ran up the hill around Cleopatra's needle and back down. The other girls on their way down the hill were extremely supportive - as everytime someone saw me, they greeted, complimented, encouraged, and cheered. I couldn't wait to hop on my bike. It got dark fast and good thing I had blinking lights. I'm always so confused with directions. It really is an annoying part of me. It is my flaw. Usually I'm riding alone and would have to either catch up or slow down to find others that do know where we are supposed to be headed. Don't ever follow me anywhere, because I guarantee you, we will be lost. I need to study that map, keep reminding myself that! Transitioning from run to bike is a piece of cake - UNLESS you've accidentally left your bike on the hardest gear! Which I didn't do, but Katie made that point during one of our lectures. Hopped on my bike and made sure my helmet was clipped becuase apparently that's a DQ (disqualifier) during a race! Because of the stupid wind, the ride felt like forever! After I approached my last run, I realized I never really turn it up a notch during any of my runs. I just take it as it goes - slow down if I have to, but never have I given it the extra effort. I only run faster when I'm a few feet from the finish line. What's wrong with me? Overall it was great training - harder than I expected.
WEDNESDAY, 04.15.09 I lifted weights and upgraded to 17.5 lbs shoulder presses.
TUESDAY, 04.14.09. Believe it or not, it's been 9 full weeks of training. And only four weeks from today, I'll be facing my very first triathlon. Anyway, I had 3 chicken drumsticks fresh off the oven for breakfast this morning and made it to the pool 10 min late. I jumped into a one arm stroking drill with the other arm in front. This was kind of fun - different - similar to side swimming. Then we tried another one arm stroke drill but this time with the other arm glued to my side. This drill was much tougher. We also swam in a pack of 7. We learned backstroke flips - this was fun! And took turns acting as a human buoy in the pool. We used our backstroke flips to efficiently swim across the bouy. After swim, I had a hot cup of banana cream coffee... Yummm. I made Yoga for soul this afternoon and found that its pretty much the only succesful thing that has allowed me to slowwww myslef dowwwn. Life has passed me by so quickly these past few weeks; I barely have enough time to spend with those I care about. BREATHE, Joy. Yoga instructor, Jennifer Stetzler rubbed some warm then cooling ointment on my shoulders and neck as soon as I did my first downward dog on my mat. I inhaled the calming scent of mint that emitted and instantly the shuffles of my day cleared up. It was a challenging L2/3 yoga class and I was imbalanced with some of the postures. My yoga practice can be a true reflection of what's going on in my life. When there's calmness and focus in my practice, it is likely that these exists in my life as well. This morning I watched a video that put me into tears. It touched me and opened my heart to realization - realization of what life commitments are all about. I think everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the joys as well as the sorrows that accompany lifetime commitments - whether it be to love and care for your parents, your spouse, your children, or your best friend. Nothing in life is more rewarding than the sentiments that one experiences through selfless promises to yourself and to another - and this you can clearly see through the tears and smiles of Team Hoyt. Believe me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flRvsO8m_KI
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
WEEK 09.0 - FOCUS
MONDAY, 04.13.09. I felt claustrophobic at Practice / Plyo class today. There were many people. I haven't been in class for a while and noticed a more female dominant class this time. Because they were out of 3 and 7 lbs medicine balls, I opted for a 10 lbs. barbell. We did repetitious lifts, squats, extensions, etc. I had cramps and was feeling out of it. Without a reflection in the mirror, I tend to give out on my form. I kept thinking how I wanted to jump out of the class early and wuss it out. But after thinking it a few times, I heard Eric Von Frolich say its time for squats. "You know the drill. Six 20 second intervals with 10 seconds rest. " Though I was out of it, I knew this was my favorite part of the class. I can keep up and I do them well. 17, 19, 17, 18, 17, 19. BOOM! I amazed myself. At mid-point, my lips turned blue and I tried breathing in more oxygen. I didn't expect to exceed my previous reps, but I did. So later in the day, I had some Pringles. Today was my first time at a hostel. Never been in my life. Though there were a lot of visitors and some noise, it felt hollow walking in there. I was there for the Bike New York orientation that's to be held on Sunday, May 3rd. Oh, and I ate more chips. =X
SUNDAY, 04.12.09. I was excited to see the sun in the morning. I ate breakfast. It's a beautiful riding day I thought, but as soon as I stepped out of the house, I felt chills. KC drove me to the park and set up my bike. It was cold out. It was windy. 50 F but felt more like 24F. Going over the GWB was going to be fun, but not if I fell over with a 13 lbs back pack. I had an 8 lbs. Kryptonite chain a 1 lb. lock, my sneakers, some food in my blue Mac Pac. As we arrived by Central Park, I got out of the car and felt my body tense and shiver. If it wasn't for the wind, I would not have had second thoughts. I looked over at KC who had just assembled my bike. He was also shivering. At that moment I decided to back out. I didn't suck it up. Later I found out only Marianne and Steve made it to the ride. I heard a strong gust of wind blew Marianne to the side of a car! I wasn't going to risk an injury. Instead of biking, KC and I went to the Flushing pool where we did laps. Neither of us counted, but we swam about 16. I thought it was a great workout alternative and as a treat we had brunch at a French Bistro. We considered it our "date" as we hadn't had one in a while. We had almond croissants, cafe au lait, salmon omellete, home fries and eggs benedict royal. It was nice to take it slow this Sunday. I really really needed it.
SATURDAY 04.11.09 It rained this morning and our ride to GWB was postponed to Sunday. We've attempted this ride as a group for 2 weeks now. Last time the wind held us back. This week it was Easter weekend and many couldn't make it. I ended up in Cadence at 174 Hudson St. at 9 am to try on wetsuits for the first time. I've heard horror stories about the experience and wanted to feel it out for myself. Alex, at Cadence was knowlegable as he r
aces triathlons and volunteered to help others put on wet suits at events. The wetsuit should be folded over where the begenning of the leg entrance is exposed. After 3 minutes of carefully squeezing my foot, ankles, calves, knees and thighs into this super tight squeeky rubbery ungiving material, he taught me how to efficiently fix the 2 inch gap I created between my legs, right under what my mom calls my flower. He told me to bend at my waist to 90 degrees and grip the flabby part of the suit where my belly button was. Being careful not to dig my nails into the suit I pulled and rolled until I got to my chest area and WALA! The 2 inch gap now became just a 1 inch gap! I wasn't impressed, but hey! I enjoyed all the things I was learning. When I was all done, I ended up with about 3 inches of skin showing from wrist and ankles and no wrinkles on the suit. Though I didn't end up looking like a superhero in the wetsuit, I didn't look like a sausage either! I thought I looked more like a shapely rubber tire. And if I did a yoga posture in it, I wouldve looked exactlyt like a tire - which I may have to try that one day. We made our way downstairs to the endless pool where Alex showed me how to allow water to enter the wetsuit through the neck opening and sqeeze the water throughout the tight space between my skin and the suit. The purpose was to adjust the suit to better fit the body and to acclamate the body to the water temperature. ihe turned on the current and I swam in place. There was a mirror angled in front of me and another one right at the bottom of the pool. I never got to watch myself swim before, and this was fun for the 2 minutes that it lasted. I tried on the Blue Seventy 5mm thickness and the Orca Apex 2. The Orca defnitely felt less rubbery and I was more mobile in that suit but I need to postpone this large purchase as long as I could. Its going to dent my savings a bit. Although I didn't have a scheduled work out done today, I defientely had some resistance training with the wetsuits!
THURSDAY, 04.09.09 This morning I felt flat on my face, scraped both my knees, and spilled coffee as I hurried into KC's car. Turns out, I overlooked the deep pothole in front of our house which I even pointed out earlier that week. Though I fell, I somehow managed to save the cup of coffee I was holding. When I got into the office, one of the building security gave me a hard time letting me upstairs with my bike. 2 of the security guards were about to let me in but the man was stern and told me to ask Juan. When Juan got in, he told me to go past him and that the building management was different on both sides of the building. He asked me to make a decision right away, so I rushed my bike into the elevators. I stored my bike neatly in the closet and stuck a note there. Half an hour later Mike, our company management personnel came up and spoke to the partner asking about a bike. He's looked all over the 10th floor but did not see it. I overheard him, so when he came out of the partner's office I revealed myself. He seemed shocked and upset. He told me I created so much commotion downstairs with building management and someone was fired because of me. =( On top of that, KC got a ticket for going through a block that had an obscure "do not enter 9-5" sign as he came around to pick my bike up. I am so disheveled today - I hate this and I don't even think this is the last of what's going to happen to me today. =( Cafe Au Lait, please save my day!
WEDNESDAY, 04.07.09 I missed a group ride this morning with the team because I had a podiatrist appointment. Looks like they timed themselves and had a good time! I have to agree that the girls riding in the park in bright orange is by far the hottest I've seen! And I'm glad to be a part of it! Instead of riding, I decided to run to my doctor's appointment! Double benefit: I get my workout in PLUS I save two bucks on transportation! BUT BUT BUT! I didn't only run regularly, I ran with a backpack that weighed 8 lbs! People are always curious to know why my backpack is so large and heavy. Well let's see...I have a set of gym clothing, breakfast consisting of 2 fruit, lunch which includes a large ziplock full of steamed vegetables and chicken breasts, dinner which includes egg whites and another fruit, my filled to the top purple watterbottle, my cycling shoes, lock, and much more...! Yes, with all the things I have in my bag, I can survive a week under the subway station if I were ever to get trapped. So - the stupidest thing I did today was leave my work clothes folded on my bed. Meaning I forgot to bring it with me to my doctor's appointment. Therefore, I'll be walking into the office with sweaty gym attire and I will have no bra AGAIN! Ugh! Luckily a while ago, a wise friend of mine suggested that I keep extra work clothing in my drawer (just in case). And today I will be using that *just in case* set of clothes! It's retarded looking, but I don't care. My doctor sliced and released the tendons on three of my left toes this morning. He said it wouldn't interfere with my activities - it better not. Afterwards, I treated myself to a coffee and a jumongous blueberry corn muffin from my favortie muffin place in Brooklyn, Steve's Bagels. I didn't get to lift weights yesterday, but I'm okay with that. I visited my mom at her first swim class last night and was so happy to see a big smile on her face as she really enjoyed the lesson. She's the cutest little mom on earth! I'm glad she will be able to overcome her fear in the water as I did just a few months ago. At Coach Laura's cycling class we rode 2 minute climbs with 2 minute flat recurrances. The last effort was a 4 minute climb and a 4 minute all out pace. I sat next tio Jill from Team Lipstick. She has a kid and family and manages to keep up with training. Very impressive. During class, Coach Laura came by a few times to check out my heart rate. At first, she looked at my number and said good. But during the last hard effort, she looked at my number, looked at my face and looked at my number again. Then she said: "You're working hard, but you don't look like it!" I smiled. My heart rate was at 182 beats per minute. With a slightly confused look she said "Maybe it's because you're always smiling." She chuckled. My analysis is either my heart rate monitor (HRM) is plain out wrong. That it's telling me my heart is beating faster than it really is. OR I can make a really hard effort look so easy with a smile. I have to tell you though its one of the things that yoga emphasizes. Eventhough the pose is difficult and causes your heart rate to rise you keep a relaxed face. No sour or angry faces in yoga that's for sure. My maximum heart rate is supposed to be 193 bpm, and at 182 bpm, I should be panting like a dog. Instead I held it in and smiled.
TUESDAY, 04.07.09 In the beginning, I thought that after half of the training program has passed (6 weeks) I would start writing only once a week. Afterall, my exercises would become more routine and I wouldn't have that much to write about. I was wrong! After 8 full weeks of training, I feel that I still have so much more to write and experience. There are so many unexpected events and happenings. Today was a disappointing swim. Can being absent in the pool for only 2 weeks really put me that much behind? Wasn't it just two weeks ago I swam 30 laps without feeling a thing? Today felt like I started from square one...and a half. When I junped into that pool (10 minutes late) I thought I'd be able to pick up and swim right away. lnstead I struggled. Breathing was forced. Kicking was not controlled. Strokes were weak. I didn't feel the flow. It didn't feel natural. =( In short, I was disappointed. Regardless, I will not let this mornings swim damper my mental goals. I know everyday is different and I can jump right back into it. KC and I signed up for swim clinic lessons that is scheduled for Friday's beginning this week. I am quite excited to be able to spend some leisurely time with him in the pool. We both find enjoyment in swimming. With KC's help, I was finally able to set up my Yankz! - speed laces last night. They work well! I will need to get a few more pairs. They allow a secure fit throughout my whole foot! Very comfortable. With regular laces, I feel restricted sections on my feet where the laces are tighter. This could be the reason for my numbing feet. We'll see. Hopefully work won't be overly demanding today and I'd be able to some weight lifting this afternoon. My body mass is melting fast and I need to do less repetitions and lift heavier weights. Oh and also, judging from my performance at the race on Sunday, I need to do some extensive running. FOCUS JOY!
SUNDAY, 04.12.09. I was excited to see the sun in the morning. I ate breakfast. It's a beautiful riding day I thought, but as soon as I stepped out of the house, I felt chills. KC drove me to the park and set up my bike. It was cold out. It was windy. 50 F but felt more like 24F. Going over the GWB was going to be fun, but not if I fell over with a 13 lbs back pack. I had an 8 lbs. Kryptonite chain a 1 lb. lock, my sneakers, some food in my blue Mac Pac. As we arrived by Central Park, I got out of the car and felt my body tense and shiver. If it wasn't for the wind, I would not have had second thoughts. I looked over at KC who had just assembled my bike. He was also shivering. At that moment I decided to back out. I didn't suck it up. Later I found out only Marianne and Steve made it to the ride. I heard a strong gust of wind blew Marianne to the side of a car! I wasn't going to risk an injury. Instead of biking, KC and I went to the Flushing pool where we did laps. Neither of us counted, but we swam about 16. I thought it was a great workout alternative and as a treat we had brunch at a French Bistro. We considered it our "date" as we hadn't had one in a while. We had almond croissants, cafe au lait, salmon omellete, home fries and eggs benedict royal. It was nice to take it slow this Sunday. I really really needed it.
SATURDAY 04.11.09 It rained this morning and our ride to GWB was postponed to Sunday. We've attempted this ride as a group for 2 weeks now. Last time the wind held us back. This week it was Easter weekend and many couldn't make it. I ended up in Cadence at 174 Hudson St. at 9 am to try on wetsuits for the first time. I've heard horror stories about the experience and wanted to feel it out for myself. Alex, at Cadence was knowlegable as he r
aces triathlons and volunteered to help others put on wet suits at events. The wetsuit should be folded over where the begenning of the leg entrance is exposed. After 3 minutes of carefully squeezing my foot, ankles, calves, knees and thighs into this super tight squeeky rubbery ungiving material, he taught me how to efficiently fix the 2 inch gap I created between my legs, right under what my mom calls my flower. He told me to bend at my waist to 90 degrees and grip the flabby part of the suit where my belly button was. Being careful not to dig my nails into the suit I pulled and rolled until I got to my chest area and WALA! The 2 inch gap now became just a 1 inch gap! I wasn't impressed, but hey! I enjoyed all the things I was learning. When I was all done, I ended up with about 3 inches of skin showing from wrist and ankles and no wrinkles on the suit. Though I didn't end up looking like a superhero in the wetsuit, I didn't look like a sausage either! I thought I looked more like a shapely rubber tire. And if I did a yoga posture in it, I wouldve looked exactlyt like a tire - which I may have to try that one day. We made our way downstairs to the endless pool where Alex showed me how to allow water to enter the wetsuit through the neck opening and sqeeze the water throughout the tight space between my skin and the suit. The purpose was to adjust the suit to better fit the body and to acclamate the body to the water temperature. ihe turned on the current and I swam in place. There was a mirror angled in front of me and another one right at the bottom of the pool. I never got to watch myself swim before, and this was fun for the 2 minutes that it lasted. I tried on the Blue Seventy 5mm thickness and the Orca Apex 2. The Orca defnitely felt less rubbery and I was more mobile in that suit but I need to postpone this large purchase as long as I could. Its going to dent my savings a bit. Although I didn't have a scheduled work out done today, I defientely had some resistance training with the wetsuits!THURSDAY, 04.09.09 This morning I felt flat on my face, scraped both my knees, and spilled coffee as I hurried into KC's car. Turns out, I overlooked the deep pothole in front of our house which I even pointed out earlier that week. Though I fell, I somehow managed to save the cup of coffee I was holding. When I got into the office, one of the building security gave me a hard time letting me upstairs with my bike. 2 of the security guards were about to let me in but the man was stern and told me to ask Juan. When Juan got in, he told me to go past him and that the building management was different on both sides of the building. He asked me to make a decision right away, so I rushed my bike into the elevators. I stored my bike neatly in the closet and stuck a note there. Half an hour later Mike, our company management personnel came up and spoke to the partner asking about a bike. He's looked all over the 10th floor but did not see it. I overheard him, so when he came out of the partner's office I revealed myself. He seemed shocked and upset. He told me I created so much commotion downstairs with building management and someone was fired because of me. =( On top of that, KC got a ticket for going through a block that had an obscure "do not enter 9-5" sign as he came around to pick my bike up. I am so disheveled today - I hate this and I don't even think this is the last of what's going to happen to me today. =( Cafe Au Lait, please save my day!
WEDNESDAY, 04.07.09 I missed a group ride this morning with the team because I had a podiatrist appointment. Looks like they timed themselves and had a good time! I have to agree that the girls riding in the park in bright orange is by far the hottest I've seen! And I'm glad to be a part of it! Instead of riding, I decided to run to my doctor's appointment! Double benefit: I get my workout in PLUS I save two bucks on transportation! BUT BUT BUT! I didn't only run regularly, I ran with a backpack that weighed 8 lbs! People are always curious to know why my backpack is so large and heavy. Well let's see...I have a set of gym clothing, breakfast consisting of 2 fruit, lunch which includes a large ziplock full of steamed vegetables and chicken breasts, dinner which includes egg whites and another fruit, my filled to the top purple watterbottle, my cycling shoes, lock, and much more...! Yes, with all the things I have in my bag, I can survive a week under the subway station if I were ever to get trapped. So - the stupidest thing I did today was leave my work clothes folded on my bed. Meaning I forgot to bring it with me to my doctor's appointment. Therefore, I'll be walking into the office with sweaty gym attire and I will have no bra AGAIN! Ugh! Luckily a while ago, a wise friend of mine suggested that I keep extra work clothing in my drawer (just in case). And today I will be using that *just in case* set of clothes! It's retarded looking, but I don't care. My doctor sliced and released the tendons on three of my left toes this morning. He said it wouldn't interfere with my activities - it better not. Afterwards, I treated myself to a coffee and a jumongous blueberry corn muffin from my favortie muffin place in Brooklyn, Steve's Bagels. I didn't get to lift weights yesterday, but I'm okay with that. I visited my mom at her first swim class last night and was so happy to see a big smile on her face as she really enjoyed the lesson. She's the cutest little mom on earth! I'm glad she will be able to overcome her fear in the water as I did just a few months ago. At Coach Laura's cycling class we rode 2 minute climbs with 2 minute flat recurrances. The last effort was a 4 minute climb and a 4 minute all out pace. I sat next tio Jill from Team Lipstick. She has a kid and family and manages to keep up with training. Very impressive. During class, Coach Laura came by a few times to check out my heart rate. At first, she looked at my number and said good. But during the last hard effort, she looked at my number, looked at my face and looked at my number again. Then she said: "You're working hard, but you don't look like it!" I smiled. My heart rate was at 182 beats per minute. With a slightly confused look she said "Maybe it's because you're always smiling." She chuckled. My analysis is either my heart rate monitor (HRM) is plain out wrong. That it's telling me my heart is beating faster than it really is. OR I can make a really hard effort look so easy with a smile. I have to tell you though its one of the things that yoga emphasizes. Eventhough the pose is difficult and causes your heart rate to rise you keep a relaxed face. No sour or angry faces in yoga that's for sure. My maximum heart rate is supposed to be 193 bpm, and at 182 bpm, I should be panting like a dog. Instead I held it in and smiled.
TUESDAY, 04.07.09 In the beginning, I thought that after half of the training program has passed (6 weeks) I would start writing only once a week. Afterall, my exercises would become more routine and I wouldn't have that much to write about. I was wrong! After 8 full weeks of training, I feel that I still have so much more to write and experience. There are so many unexpected events and happenings. Today was a disappointing swim. Can being absent in the pool for only 2 weeks really put me that much behind? Wasn't it just two weeks ago I swam 30 laps without feeling a thing? Today felt like I started from square one...and a half. When I junped into that pool (10 minutes late) I thought I'd be able to pick up and swim right away. lnstead I struggled. Breathing was forced. Kicking was not controlled. Strokes were weak. I didn't feel the flow. It didn't feel natural. =( In short, I was disappointed. Regardless, I will not let this mornings swim damper my mental goals. I know everyday is different and I can jump right back into it. KC and I signed up for swim clinic lessons that is scheduled for Friday's beginning this week. I am quite excited to be able to spend some leisurely time with him in the pool. We both find enjoyment in swimming. With KC's help, I was finally able to set up my Yankz! - speed laces last night. They work well! I will need to get a few more pairs. They allow a secure fit throughout my whole foot! Very comfortable. With regular laces, I feel restricted sections on my feet where the laces are tighter. This could be the reason for my numbing feet. We'll see. Hopefully work won't be overly demanding today and I'd be able to some weight lifting this afternoon. My body mass is melting fast and I need to do less repetitions and lift heavier weights. Oh and also, judging from my performance at the race on Sunday, I need to do some extensive running. FOCUS JOY!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
WEEK 08.0 - EXPERIENCE
TUESDAY, 03.31.09 - Experiencing pain and injuries suck. After 7 weeks of training I'm starting to notice wear on different parts of my body. Shoulder kinks, nerve pinches on my lower spine, and shin splints particularly. Joy!!! and Pain... =( Sunshine!!!! =) and rain.... =( You know.... like the song! I walked into a male dominant room this morning. Sweaty corporate men populated the Marriot gym. I ran on the treadmill - but only a mile. My shin started to emit sparks of pain and I didn't want to irritate it more before my race this Sunday. I layed off it and was disappointed. So I lifted more weigths to work out my shoulders, tricepts, bicepts, and lats. More reps until I started to feel the pinch on my lower spine. =T GGRRRrrr....
WEDNESDAY, 04.01.09 - This whole work and travel is really throwing me off my diet and my sleep / exercise schedule. Though I'm enjoying it in a different way, my body feels icky. I force myself to drink my V8 veggie juice everyday while on this business trip. I eat like 4 lbs worth of food here - gross! Had a late night last night but still made it to the gym! Did some ab work and lots of stretching. More weights since I wasn't that sore. I felt great afterwards. Now some dancing for the evening at Mid-Night Rodeo. Do some two steps and sweat! =)
THURSDAY, 04.02.09 I experienced it Texas style ya'll! Ate Mexican food, Jason Deli and Chick A Filet! After delays in the airport, I finally arrived NYC and because of traffic, I missed my brick training. I was supposed to ride outdoors with my team. Boo... Which reminds me I need some clear glasses for riding in the dark next Thursday.
FRIDAY, 04.03.09 On Friday I decided to take a core class with Kellie Roman. Boy is she RIPPED! It was nice to her to give me some pointers when doing my ab work. She noticed that I extend my chin unnecessarily when I do my crunches. Funny I should've known that. My mom always said I have a slightly elongated / extended chin from her eating so many chilly peppers while she was having me. Anyway, Kellie actually complimented me on my planks with the ball, one handed planks,etc. I guess I've still got it~! Then I lifted some more weights. I think I'm starting to look like a guy. Seriously... =P Tomorrow is a day that's jam packed full of activities. I don't know how I'm gonna pull it off but I will! Peace out bean sprout! =)
SATURDAY. Its 10:30 pm and the girls are in bed. Wow can I tell you a
ll about what I did today? After all said and done I feel like I've been through a weeks worth of activities and it's only been a Saturday. This morning KC and I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and was observing the weather outside. Its a ritual that we do every Saturday morning as we joke around practicing our Indian accent together. Its really hilarious but I'm still half asleep and he's always wide awake. It was gloomy; the sky was purple, orange, gray in color and he was hoping his bike ride would be cancelled so his foot can have more time to heal. We both won't hear from our coach and team leader until about 7am so we both got ready anyway. We ate mom's breakfast: salmon, zuccinni with rice. I learned that my ride was ON but KC's was postponed. As I arrived at the Boat House parking lot I saw a metal barracade fall over. It was windy!!! There was a bike race going on so there were lots of riders in the park. We followed each other and maneuvered through traffic headed for the GWB. It was scary!!! At one point, we turned into a three lane road. As soon as I made the turn, I had trouble maneuvering my bike! I ended up two lanes across and was so scared that a car was going hit me! It was dangerous, to say the least. The wind gusts were so strong that it knocked 3 girls over their bikes! Maggie and her bike was slammed against the side
of someone's car! Cissie's bike was literally flying as she tried to carry it! We hid in between cars for a bit until there was a break from the wind. Then we decided to take cover inside a parking lot. After a few minutes of shock, we rode back to the park where we debreifed and Coach Laura called it a day. Some of us decided to ride a bit more since the park was not as windy. Though the bikes were still shaky from the wind, I did another lap until KC came to pick me up. Luckily I had plans to go to Spa Castle - where the deep tissue massage helped calm my nerves. At 5 p.m. we left for Park Slope, Brooklyn to pick up race packets and numbers for tomorrow. Little sis May drove to Jack Rabbit where we picked up Maggie, Katie and Emily. Katie was excited to have bought her new sexy black Guru that day. Maggie was nervous for our race tomorrow. And poor Emily had a bad day. We each bought a race belt and I bought some speed laces. Soon after, we had Italian dinner at Circles Grill and during the ride back home the girls in the car learned about **turtlenecks** from Katie. Not the ones we wear, but the ones that disappear and reappear. Well according to Katie they do. I've never seen =P Exhausted, we went to bed at 10. What a day...
SUNDAY, 04.05.09 RACE DAY!!! I woke up at 5 and the rest of the girls woke up at 6. We were all quite excited as we pumped up the music in my room! We went downstairs for some home made breakfast prepared specially by my mom. Maggie goes nowhere without her peanut butter. We had warm scrambled eggs for protien , toasted mini bagels for carbs, banana for anti-cramp and hot coffee for energy! We are so ready for this race! Ran back upstairs to change and go through our check list (eye glasses, ticket number, helmet, gloves, GU, water)...CHECK! We were out the door as the sun made its way to greet us. A bit windy...but it was still perfect. KC arrived and we set our bikes to the rack. Then Marianela and Tom arrived to do the same. We were the FIVE GIRLS IN HOT ORANGE!!! WOOT WOOT! Prospect park here we come! We checked in and got our chips which we velcroed around our ankles. Set up our transition area - remembering what I learned from the Wassners. Face the bikes and shoes the direction you are heading! That helped! =). We took a few pictures to remember and stretched a lot. We were anxious at the start line. There was a group of army folks who were pumped up in the very front. 3...2...1! HONkKKK! I started running...Marianela and I were side by side. I remember not enjoying the run from the very beginning. But I kept distracting myself by thinking *Look Joy!!! The the sun is so beautiful, grass is so green, air so fresh, sky so blue, people so happy...* Basically anything that would keep me from thinking *I don't like running* Though luckily my shins were not in pain that day! That morning I tied up my calves with athletic tape as my manager at work suggested. I ran about a mile BURP until my shoe laces untied. UGH! This sucks!!! So I told Marianela to go on ahead as tied my laces and regretted not setting up my speed laces earlier like Katie did the night before. After 2.1 miles BURP I reached transition area. I remember being excited to jump on my bike! My legs were a bit tired but I thought nothing of it. I saw a guy who looked even more tired than I was dragging himself to get his bike - so naturally my mood turned the same. I was slouched and walking slowly towards my bike unitl I heard a distinctive scream "JOY!!! Hurry up! This is a RACE goddamit!!!" Hearing that cracked me up! It had to be Judy Chu! If it wasn't for her I would have taken 2 minutes in transition - which would have been OH sooo bad! So I got my butt out of there as fast as I could after her reminder that this was in fact, a race... suddenly the tool bag on my bike fell to the ground! I KNEW this would happen as the night before I realized it was lose. I tried so hard to calm my nerves and tried to tie it back onto my seat, but it didn't work. The man on the side told me to give it to him and retrieve it later, but I wasn't going to risk that chance of a flat tire in the middle of my ride. So I refused his offer and threw my tool pouch in one of my jacket pockets. SUCK IT UP I told myself as I hopped on my bike and hurried through. Not a even a minute after I decided to take a sip of water from my team lipstick bottle. I got hold of it and the water was refreshing, but when I tried to put it back on the holder, it fumbled right off and rolled down the side of the road. =( You should've seen the face that I had. =O That was the only water I had for the race because stupid me decided earlier that I didn't need two water bottles for a 2 hour race! Lesson learned. The first loop took longer than I expected BURP - but the hill was nothing like the Harlem Hill in Central Park. After my first loop, I heard my family and friends cheer so loudly I had to slow down just to make sure I caught a glimpse of all of them. Definitly put a huge smile on my face. It was memorable I decided to tell them that my water bottle was down and pointed forward - hoping they'd be able to find it for me. They looked confused at first but Billy's face showed he understood exactly what I had said. They started running the direction I pointed. So FUNNY! I rode my 2nd loop and boy was it windy!!! I was quite nervous to fall but thank goodness the wind that I experienced on Saturday prepared me for today! Today's wind was not nearly as bad as Saturdays. I held on tightly to my handle bars as I ducked down to be more aero dynamic. Down the hill I rolled at 23 mph! I was not going to use my break this time - if there was ever a point in this race that I needed to gain time, it would be o
n this bike, going downhill as fast as I could. =) I found myself day dreaming at least 3-4 times during my ride. But it was okay because it felt good just staring at the sun. BURP. Yes, I have a burping problem usually when I run and swim. So if you see me pound the middle of my chest real hard, you know why. I'm trying to make myself burp. I'm still trying to figure it out and it could be the way I'm breathing. If you know a solution to this, please please please TELL ME! I pulled into transition and put my bike away. Had to go back and get my GU for energy. Then I saw my dad with an open poland spring bottle. WATER!!! He handed it to me quickly. I really needed that! The chocolate cream GU was too thick to swallow without water. I started to run. Had to make sure I was going the right way because the signs for "runners" were small. I remember thinking nothing during my second run. I tried to run "faster" but I couldn't really. I wanted to take my time. My legs were wobbly. I remember seeing a young healthy looking Spanish guy who was running and stopping and running and stopping, right next to me. He looked done - but he obviously didn't want a girl like me to keep a consistent pace and beat him to the finish line. Everytime I passed him, he would start running faster and then slow down right away. Anyway, about 100 yards from the finish line, I saw girls in bright orange. That was my motivation to run strong - as Maggie, Katie and Emily ran towards me. They were cheering me on while running. It was really cute to see and the sight of them prompted me to start dancing towards the finish line. And of course I did! I skipped and hopped and clocked in at 01:23:13.1
My result:
Run 1 - 18:44.1 (08.55.3 min/mi)
Trans 1 - 01:14.4
Bike - 40:34.8 (14.8 mph)
Trans 2 - 01:35:1
Run 2 - 21.04.7 (10:02.2 min/mi)
WEDNESDAY, 04.01.09 - This whole work and travel is really throwing me off my diet and my sleep / exercise schedule. Though I'm enjoying it in a different way, my body feels icky. I force myself to drink my V8 veggie juice everyday while on this business trip. I eat like 4 lbs worth of food here - gross! Had a late night last night but still made it to the gym! Did some ab work and lots of stretching. More weights since I wasn't that sore. I felt great afterwards. Now some dancing for the evening at Mid-Night Rodeo. Do some two steps and sweat! =)
THURSDAY, 04.02.09 I experienced it Texas style ya'll! Ate Mexican food, Jason Deli and Chick A Filet! After delays in the airport, I finally arrived NYC and because of traffic, I missed my brick training. I was supposed to ride outdoors with my team. Boo... Which reminds me I need some clear glasses for riding in the dark next Thursday.
FRIDAY, 04.03.09 On Friday I decided to take a core class with Kellie Roman. Boy is she RIPPED! It was nice to her to give me some pointers when doing my ab work. She noticed that I extend my chin unnecessarily when I do my crunches. Funny I should've known that. My mom always said I have a slightly elongated / extended chin from her eating so many chilly peppers while she was having me. Anyway, Kellie actually complimented me on my planks with the ball, one handed planks,etc. I guess I've still got it~! Then I lifted some more weights. I think I'm starting to look like a guy. Seriously... =P Tomorrow is a day that's jam packed full of activities. I don't know how I'm gonna pull it off but I will! Peace out bean sprout! =)
SATURDAY. Its 10:30 pm and the girls are in bed. Wow can I tell you a
ll about what I did today? After all said and done I feel like I've been through a weeks worth of activities and it's only been a Saturday. This morning KC and I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and was observing the weather outside. Its a ritual that we do every Saturday morning as we joke around practicing our Indian accent together. Its really hilarious but I'm still half asleep and he's always wide awake. It was gloomy; the sky was purple, orange, gray in color and he was hoping his bike ride would be cancelled so his foot can have more time to heal. We both won't hear from our coach and team leader until about 7am so we both got ready anyway. We ate mom's breakfast: salmon, zuccinni with rice. I learned that my ride was ON but KC's was postponed. As I arrived at the Boat House parking lot I saw a metal barracade fall over. It was windy!!! There was a bike race going on so there were lots of riders in the park. We followed each other and maneuvered through traffic headed for the GWB. It was scary!!! At one point, we turned into a three lane road. As soon as I made the turn, I had trouble maneuvering my bike! I ended up two lanes across and was so scared that a car was going hit me! It was dangerous, to say the least. The wind gusts were so strong that it knocked 3 girls over their bikes! Maggie and her bike was slammed against the side
of someone's car! Cissie's bike was literally flying as she tried to carry it! We hid in between cars for a bit until there was a break from the wind. Then we decided to take cover inside a parking lot. After a few minutes of shock, we rode back to the park where we debreifed and Coach Laura called it a day. Some of us decided to ride a bit more since the park was not as windy. Though the bikes were still shaky from the wind, I did another lap until KC came to pick me up. Luckily I had plans to go to Spa Castle - where the deep tissue massage helped calm my nerves. At 5 p.m. we left for Park Slope, Brooklyn to pick up race packets and numbers for tomorrow. Little sis May drove to Jack Rabbit where we picked up Maggie, Katie and Emily. Katie was excited to have bought her new sexy black Guru that day. Maggie was nervous for our race tomorrow. And poor Emily had a bad day. We each bought a race belt and I bought some speed laces. Soon after, we had Italian dinner at Circles Grill and during the ride back home the girls in the car learned about **turtlenecks** from Katie. Not the ones we wear, but the ones that disappear and reappear. Well according to Katie they do. I've never seen =P Exhausted, we went to bed at 10. What a day...SUNDAY, 04.05.09 RACE DAY!!! I woke up at 5 and the rest of the girls woke up at 6. We were all quite excited as we pumped up the music in my room! We went downstairs for some home made breakfast prepared specially by my mom. Maggie goes nowhere without her peanut butter. We had warm scrambled eggs for protien , toasted mini bagels for carbs, banana for anti-cramp and hot coffee for energy! We are so ready for this race! Ran back upstairs to change and go through our check list (eye glasses, ticket number, helmet, gloves, GU, water)...CHECK! We were out the door as the sun made its way to greet us. A bit windy...but it was still perfect. KC arrived and we set our bikes to the rack. Then Marianela and Tom arrived to do the same. We were the FIVE GIRLS IN HOT ORANGE!!! WOOT WOOT! Prospect park here we come! We checked in and got our chips which we velcroed around our ankles. Set up our transition area - remembering what I learned from the Wassners. Face the bikes and shoes the direction you are heading! That helped! =). We took a few pictures to remember and stretched a lot. We were anxious at the start line. There was a group of army folks who were pumped up in the very front. 3...2...1! HONkKKK! I started running...Marianela and I were side by side. I remember not enjoying the run from the very beginning. But I kept distracting myself by thinking *Look Joy!!! The the sun is so beautiful, grass is so green, air so fresh, sky so blue, people so happy...* Basically anything that would keep me from thinking *I don't like running* Though luckily my shins were not in pain that day! That morning I tied up my calves with athletic tape as my manager at work suggested. I ran about a mile BURP until my shoe laces untied. UGH! This sucks!!! So I told Marianela to go on ahead as tied my laces and regretted not setting up my speed laces earlier like Katie did the night before. After 2.1 miles BURP I reached transition area. I remember being excited to jump on my bike! My legs were a bit tired but I thought nothing of it. I saw a guy who looked even more tired than I was dragging himself to get his bike - so naturally my mood turned the same. I was slouched and walking slowly towards my bike unitl I heard a distinctive scream "JOY!!! Hurry up! This is a RACE goddamit!!!" Hearing that cracked me up! It had to be Judy Chu! If it wasn't for her I would have taken 2 minutes in transition - which would have been OH sooo bad! So I got my butt out of there as fast as I could after her reminder that this was in fact, a race... suddenly the tool bag on my bike fell to the ground! I KNEW this would happen as the night before I realized it was lose. I tried so hard to calm my nerves and tried to tie it back onto my seat, but it didn't work. The man on the side told me to give it to him and retrieve it later, but I wasn't going to risk that chance of a flat tire in the middle of my ride. So I refused his offer and threw my tool pouch in one of my jacket pockets. SUCK IT UP I told myself as I hopped on my bike and hurried through. Not a even a minute after I decided to take a sip of water from my team lipstick bottle. I got hold of it and the water was refreshing, but when I tried to put it back on the holder, it fumbled right off and rolled down the side of the road. =( You should've seen the face that I had. =O That was the only water I had for the race because stupid me decided earlier that I didn't need two water bottles for a 2 hour race! Lesson learned. The first loop took longer than I expected BURP - but the hill was nothing like the Harlem Hill in Central Park. After my first loop, I heard my family and friends cheer so loudly I had to slow down just to make sure I caught a glimpse of all of them. Definitly put a huge smile on my face. It was memorable I decided to tell them that my water bottle was down and pointed forward - hoping they'd be able to find it for me. They looked confused at first but Billy's face showed he understood exactly what I had said. They started running the direction I pointed. So FUNNY! I rode my 2nd loop and boy was it windy!!! I was quite nervous to fall but thank goodness the wind that I experienced on Saturday prepared me for today! Today's wind was not nearly as bad as Saturdays. I held on tightly to my handle bars as I ducked down to be more aero dynamic. Down the hill I rolled at 23 mph! I was not going to use my break this time - if there was ever a point in this race that I needed to gain time, it would be o
n this bike, going downhill as fast as I could. =) I found myself day dreaming at least 3-4 times during my ride. But it was okay because it felt good just staring at the sun. BURP. Yes, I have a burping problem usually when I run and swim. So if you see me pound the middle of my chest real hard, you know why. I'm trying to make myself burp. I'm still trying to figure it out and it could be the way I'm breathing. If you know a solution to this, please please please TELL ME! I pulled into transition and put my bike away. Had to go back and get my GU for energy. Then I saw my dad with an open poland spring bottle. WATER!!! He handed it to me quickly. I really needed that! The chocolate cream GU was too thick to swallow without water. I started to run. Had to make sure I was going the right way because the signs for "runners" were small. I remember thinking nothing during my second run. I tried to run "faster" but I couldn't really. I wanted to take my time. My legs were wobbly. I remember seeing a young healthy looking Spanish guy who was running and stopping and running and stopping, right next to me. He looked done - but he obviously didn't want a girl like me to keep a consistent pace and beat him to the finish line. Everytime I passed him, he would start running faster and then slow down right away. Anyway, about 100 yards from the finish line, I saw girls in bright orange. That was my motivation to run strong - as Maggie, Katie and Emily ran towards me. They were cheering me on while running. It was really cute to see and the sight of them prompted me to start dancing towards the finish line. And of course I did! I skipped and hopped and clocked in at 01:23:13.1My result:
Run 1 - 18:44.1 (08.55.3 min/mi)
Trans 1 - 01:14.4
Bike - 40:34.8 (14.8 mph)
Trans 2 - 01:35:1
Run 2 - 21.04.7 (10:02.2 min/mi)
WEEK 07.0 - PUSH IT
TUESDAY, 03.24.09 We had 5 teammates at swim training this morning. This allowed Coach Andres to demonstrate techniques and watch us swim more closely. I was actually very comfortable having my legs and feet tied together in the pool. This exercise helps us engage our core and forces our upper body to rotate and drill horizontally in the water. I liked it but I need to remember never to cross my hands during strokes. Crossing your arms on your strokes causes left/right movements you don't want. The most efficient way to swim is straight like an arrow and streamlined (including your arms). I also enjoy swimming on my side with one shoulder above water. Not often can I be on my side and not feel my arms go numb. In the afternoon I ran to Equinox and bumped into Becky (my teammate) who was increasing her personal training session to twice a week. She looking great! I can't afford a personal trainer. Today I upgraded myself to shoulder pressing 15lbs per arm (is that called Military press?). I did at least 5 sets of 10 reps. I am so awesome! I have to keep building on my shoulders. I'm working very hard to get rid of that thick layer of fat that's been hanging there for years. =X. I upgraded and “swam” in the air with 5 lbs weights on each arm through a song that lasted 3 minutes. I used to do 2lbs weights. Its very challenging but I know it builds endurance. I did massive single arm pull downs (like 10 sets of 12 reps) with 10 lbs weights to work my back (the muscles right under my arm pits, think they're my lats) - just as Coach Jenn suggested. I also upgraded to 15lbs bicept curls per arm (4 sets of 10 reps). Woo hoo! I can feel the soreness that's going to hit me tomorrow already. I did tricept pull downs with my palms facing up. I learned that last week. It works the muscle much more efficiently than doing the tricpt pull downs with your palms facing down. Try it! The trainers with the blue shirts on the floor can help people with advice and stretches - so I asked Danny (the boxer) for one! Oh man...I really needed that neck and shoulder stretch. He did a swell job. He told me the best way to train for a triathlon is to train in your element. I thought he meant to keep training on the leg that you excel at (which for me would probably be biking). But he really meant to train in the closest environment as the actual race - or make your training even more difficult than the actual race. For example, train in open water - not just a pool because there aren't any currents in the pool. Also train in higher resistance on a bike, on a higher incline on a treadmill - so that when it comes race day, it's easier because you're body has been through worse. I understand - so the goal this week is to push it! Heavier on the weights, longer on the swim, higher on the treadmill, faster on the bike...
WEDNESDAY, 03.25.09 I melted 5 lbs in 6 weeks. According to KC I should expect to drop even more in the next couple of weeks. Is this even possible? My butt shrank significantly. I feel like a stick - but a strong stick. I can fit into my little sisters clothes! She's actually starting to lend them to me now after seeing how much mass I've shed. I'm in for cycling class this afternoon - so I'm gonna turn up the resistance. And I'll be swimming in flushing tonight and the goal is to swim continously non-stop and see how far I can go!
THURSDAY, 03.26.09. WOOT WOOT! Our team had a private event at Lululemon! We practiced yoga together at the E66th Street shop. Kay Kay Clivio led us through our series that evening and she was very much enthused to be there. We were offered 15% off our purchase and of course I didn't hesitate to treat myself for all my hard work! Since the first week of training, I've been running around like a mad woman trying to catch 2-3 work outs a day. Since then, my bf and I have hardly spent time together. So today, I took the day off from work. I surprised him at West End Toga Bike Shop where he had an appointment to get fitted on his new bike. Coach Will warned me when he was about to walk in the shop, so I quickly ran to a triathlon bike I liked and acted like a normal customer. I heard him open and walk through the door. Not even a minute passed I already saw a body walk towards my direction! "Oh hey! What are you doing here?" I asked with my eyebrows raised and all my teeth showing. =D I won't forget the smile he had and the dimples that dented his cheeks as he bent down and took a steady second glance at my face. I quickly jumped towards him and gave him a squeeeeeze and a half. I was so happy to see him! Coach Will taught us many things on the bike as he made measurements and adjustments to KC's Specialized Allez. We're both so grateful to have Coach Will be our mentor through our baby steps to become a biker. To recap last night...I signed up to be a member of the NYC Recreational Center the other week and went to check out the flushing pool for the first time yesterday. It was a 25 meter length pool that was at least 7 feet deep throughout. I had no expectations that night besides mentally wanting to push myself as far as I can. Afterall that was my intention for this week. When I started swimming I told myself I would be happy if I swam 10 straight laps non-stop. 8 laps went by and I didn't feel a thing so I reset my goals to 15 laps. After 16 laps, I felt confident and knew I could do more - I kept going. I didn't know the time but really wanted to make 20 laps. So I did, but still I felt no sign of exhaustion. My breath was still in sync. I think the trick was to breathe after every stroke. I wanted to switch breathing after every 3 strokes or maybe 5, but I thought to myself...why change up something that works? I continued swimming and caught a cramp on my foot at lap 24 but I remained calm because I anticipated this cramp. As a result I swam with a flexed right foot for 1.5 laps until the cramp went away. I continued non-stop and didn't understand how I was able to feel like I can do this forever. What did I eat? Was it all mental? Could it be the pool? How did I get all this energy and composure? Was it from the ginseng capsules - which promoted stamina for athletes? I lifted heavy weights just the day before and was supposed to be exhausted and sore. I'm still quite baffled. All said and done, I ended up swimming 30 laps non-stop (back and forth representing one lap). I'm truly amazed at the realization that only two weeks ago I struggled to finish 6 laps and now I'm able to do 30. I have to give myslef credit. At the end of the day, I talked the talk. I walked the walk. I executed as planned. Though I still have a ton to improve on, I have to take a second to say "Good job, Joy Sy!!! Keep up the good work!"
FRIDAY, 03.27.09 More shopping!!! Okay - let's not go over board. There's still such thing as a budget. Tonight I'll be going to SBR Shop (Swim Bike Run) and meeting up with my cousin Ray and Marianela. Too bad they didn't have much selection for us to try on. It's supposed to be at least an hour and a half ordeal to try on these wet suits. They make you sign a waver saying if you rip it, you pay it - and it's several hundred dollars. No more coffee for Joy Sy at 3 p.m. I'm still wired! I shouldn't waste this build up of energy. I should really go do 40 laps or something. For the weaksauces out there in apartment 1908...stop watching Top Chef and get on your bikes!!! =P JK.
SATURDAY, 03.28.09 Shame on me. I pushed it...over the limit. Spending has become my outlet when I am upset. I'm upset that I have to travel to Texas on a last minute call. I frustrated myself finding my flight arrangements, rescheduling my doctor appointments and figuring out my workouts. As such, I've convinced myself I deserve $800 worth of jackets and fancy clothing I don't need. At Lululemon, I spent a few hundred dollars on hoodies and at SBR I bought a neon orange Campagnolo jacket (at retail) and a red Assos with leather trimming jacket (need I say more?). Whew! They're both so hot! The neon orange jacket was going to be our matching outfits for this Sunday's race. This mornings outdoor ride was cancelled due to wet weather. I was still going to central park becuase I had plans to meet up with my old manager who used to race seriously. I hadn't seen Brice in at least 3 years. He looked just as I remembered - calves just as huge (though not as lean as they used to be). He pushed me from behind while riding and I flew for a couple of feet and slowed down. We rode with our handlebars bumping. We chatted about my coaches who he seemed to have known. The triathlon world is small and everyone seems to know everyone. Maggie and Emily were also there. It was nice to see some girls in bright oranges rolling around. Maggie and Emily both spotted me from afar and thought my new jacket looked *bad ass*. I ended up doing 5 loops around the park that morning before I took the train downtown to Cadence. Don't ever take the B/D train there - took forever and I was late. I am annoyed at the computrainers there - but before I say that I should really understand the reason that's causing the computer to go crazy. The resistence on my wheels keep changing and I remember last time the numbers on the screen became whacked! Lawrence said it could be the pressure that's lacking on my wheels. Generally when it's humid and wet outside, the tires tend to deflate - which consequently allows for less chance for damaging / puncturing your tire. However lacking air pressure is not good for computrainers. Anyway, I was annoyed the majority of the time and only rode 10 miles indoors. I probably rode about 40 miles total that morning. Had myself some dim sum with Marianela afterwards. Chicken feet anyone? =P
SUNDAY, 03.29.09 I didn't do jack. I had to pack for Texas. I had a bridal shower. I had a flight to book, reschedule, rearrange, track and catch. C'mon!!! Gimme a break!!!
MONDAY, 03.30.09 At San Antonio, Texas. After flight cancellations and a several hours of delay, my flight finally arrived at 5 a.m. I had the urge to swim. Luckily I didn't and had my 2 hours nap instead. I'm surprised I functioned well all day. I lifted some weights and did upper body workout. I had a pinched nerve on my lower right back. =( The gym in the hotel was nice but after the last person left, the room dimmed, and my iPod died, the place felt creepy all of a sudden. I couldn't stay there myself and had to leave. So I jumped into the jaccuzzi and pushed my diet off the table. =( Throughout the day, I had ice cream, chocolate syrup, chocolate mousse, chocolate covered strawberries, and coffee chocolate cake. It's a tease to be an elite member of the Marriot because they offer you all this free food I cannot seem to turn down. I'm disappointed at my lack of self control. Boo hoo...
WEDNESDAY, 03.25.09 I melted 5 lbs in 6 weeks. According to KC I should expect to drop even more in the next couple of weeks. Is this even possible? My butt shrank significantly. I feel like a stick - but a strong stick. I can fit into my little sisters clothes! She's actually starting to lend them to me now after seeing how much mass I've shed. I'm in for cycling class this afternoon - so I'm gonna turn up the resistance. And I'll be swimming in flushing tonight and the goal is to swim continously non-stop and see how far I can go!
THURSDAY, 03.26.09. WOOT WOOT! Our team had a private event at Lululemon! We practiced yoga together at the E66th Street shop. Kay Kay Clivio led us through our series that evening and she was very much enthused to be there. We were offered 15% off our purchase and of course I didn't hesitate to treat myself for all my hard work! Since the first week of training, I've been running around like a mad woman trying to catch 2-3 work outs a day. Since then, my bf and I have hardly spent time together. So today, I took the day off from work. I surprised him at West End Toga Bike Shop where he had an appointment to get fitted on his new bike. Coach Will warned me when he was about to walk in the shop, so I quickly ran to a triathlon bike I liked and acted like a normal customer. I heard him open and walk through the door. Not even a minute passed I already saw a body walk towards my direction! "Oh hey! What are you doing here?" I asked with my eyebrows raised and all my teeth showing. =D I won't forget the smile he had and the dimples that dented his cheeks as he bent down and took a steady second glance at my face. I quickly jumped towards him and gave him a squeeeeeze and a half. I was so happy to see him! Coach Will taught us many things on the bike as he made measurements and adjustments to KC's Specialized Allez. We're both so grateful to have Coach Will be our mentor through our baby steps to become a biker. To recap last night...I signed up to be a member of the NYC Recreational Center the other week and went to check out the flushing pool for the first time yesterday. It was a 25 meter length pool that was at least 7 feet deep throughout. I had no expectations that night besides mentally wanting to push myself as far as I can. Afterall that was my intention for this week. When I started swimming I told myself I would be happy if I swam 10 straight laps non-stop. 8 laps went by and I didn't feel a thing so I reset my goals to 15 laps. After 16 laps, I felt confident and knew I could do more - I kept going. I didn't know the time but really wanted to make 20 laps. So I did, but still I felt no sign of exhaustion. My breath was still in sync. I think the trick was to breathe after every stroke. I wanted to switch breathing after every 3 strokes or maybe 5, but I thought to myself...why change up something that works? I continued swimming and caught a cramp on my foot at lap 24 but I remained calm because I anticipated this cramp. As a result I swam with a flexed right foot for 1.5 laps until the cramp went away. I continued non-stop and didn't understand how I was able to feel like I can do this forever. What did I eat? Was it all mental? Could it be the pool? How did I get all this energy and composure? Was it from the ginseng capsules - which promoted stamina for athletes? I lifted heavy weights just the day before and was supposed to be exhausted and sore. I'm still quite baffled. All said and done, I ended up swimming 30 laps non-stop (back and forth representing one lap). I'm truly amazed at the realization that only two weeks ago I struggled to finish 6 laps and now I'm able to do 30. I have to give myslef credit. At the end of the day, I talked the talk. I walked the walk. I executed as planned. Though I still have a ton to improve on, I have to take a second to say "Good job, Joy Sy!!! Keep up the good work!"
FRIDAY, 03.27.09 More shopping!!! Okay - let's not go over board. There's still such thing as a budget. Tonight I'll be going to SBR Shop (Swim Bike Run) and meeting up with my cousin Ray and Marianela. Too bad they didn't have much selection for us to try on. It's supposed to be at least an hour and a half ordeal to try on these wet suits. They make you sign a waver saying if you rip it, you pay it - and it's several hundred dollars. No more coffee for Joy Sy at 3 p.m. I'm still wired! I shouldn't waste this build up of energy. I should really go do 40 laps or something. For the weaksauces out there in apartment 1908...stop watching Top Chef and get on your bikes!!! =P JK.
SATURDAY, 03.28.09 Shame on me. I pushed it...over the limit. Spending has become my outlet when I am upset. I'm upset that I have to travel to Texas on a last minute call. I frustrated myself finding my flight arrangements, rescheduling my doctor appointments and figuring out my workouts. As such, I've convinced myself I deserve $800 worth of jackets and fancy clothing I don't need. At Lululemon, I spent a few hundred dollars on hoodies and at SBR I bought a neon orange Campagnolo jacket (at retail) and a red Assos with leather trimming jacket (need I say more?). Whew! They're both so hot! The neon orange jacket was going to be our matching outfits for this Sunday's race. This mornings outdoor ride was cancelled due to wet weather. I was still going to central park becuase I had plans to meet up with my old manager who used to race seriously. I hadn't seen Brice in at least 3 years. He looked just as I remembered - calves just as huge (though not as lean as they used to be). He pushed me from behind while riding and I flew for a couple of feet and slowed down. We rode with our handlebars bumping. We chatted about my coaches who he seemed to have known. The triathlon world is small and everyone seems to know everyone. Maggie and Emily were also there. It was nice to see some girls in bright oranges rolling around. Maggie and Emily both spotted me from afar and thought my new jacket looked *bad ass*. I ended up doing 5 loops around the park that morning before I took the train downtown to Cadence. Don't ever take the B/D train there - took forever and I was late. I am annoyed at the computrainers there - but before I say that I should really understand the reason that's causing the computer to go crazy. The resistence on my wheels keep changing and I remember last time the numbers on the screen became whacked! Lawrence said it could be the pressure that's lacking on my wheels. Generally when it's humid and wet outside, the tires tend to deflate - which consequently allows for less chance for damaging / puncturing your tire. However lacking air pressure is not good for computrainers. Anyway, I was annoyed the majority of the time and only rode 10 miles indoors. I probably rode about 40 miles total that morning. Had myself some dim sum with Marianela afterwards. Chicken feet anyone? =P
SUNDAY, 03.29.09 I didn't do jack. I had to pack for Texas. I had a bridal shower. I had a flight to book, reschedule, rearrange, track and catch. C'mon!!! Gimme a break!!!
MONDAY, 03.30.09 At San Antonio, Texas. After flight cancellations and a several hours of delay, my flight finally arrived at 5 a.m. I had the urge to swim. Luckily I didn't and had my 2 hours nap instead. I'm surprised I functioned well all day. I lifted some weights and did upper body workout. I had a pinched nerve on my lower right back. =( The gym in the hotel was nice but after the last person left, the room dimmed, and my iPod died, the place felt creepy all of a sudden. I couldn't stay there myself and had to leave. So I jumped into the jaccuzzi and pushed my diet off the table. =( Throughout the day, I had ice cream, chocolate syrup, chocolate mousse, chocolate covered strawberries, and coffee chocolate cake. It's a tease to be an elite member of the Marriot because they offer you all this free food I cannot seem to turn down. I'm disappointed at my lack of self control. Boo hoo...
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
WEEK 06.5 - NEW PALTZ TRAINING PICTURES
From left to right...
Pic 1 - Arrival to New Paltz! Emily did a hellofa job roping our bikes together.
Pic 2 - That's Coach Jenn - she bakes the best chocolate chip cookies!
Pic 3 - Late for morning briefing. Coach Will took a picture to remind me never to be late. =X
Pic 4 - Riding with Coach Will!
Pic 5 - Marianela and I sharing our lunch snacks (I had just finished my curry puffs)
Pic 6 - The backyard of the Wassner's mansion - digesting our snacks
Pic 7 - Hiking / Running up the trails after our snacks
Pic 8 - My scrumptious braised short ribs with hoisin sauce and mashed potatoes
Pic 9 - After dinner and soooo ready for bed...
Pic 10 - Trying goo for the first time. Loving the bright orange team uniform!
Pic 11 - Me Laurel Wassner's by the pool!
Pic 12 - Katie, Emily and Maggie - sporting the Chapstick! Go Team!
WEEK 06.5 - NEW PALTZ TRAINING DAY 2
SUNDAY, 03.22.09 We had breakfast at the hotel and was on time for our briefing. Whew! Coach Laura explained that there were two options for the day's ride. A straight 20 minute steep uphill climb or a flat strong effort with Tiffany and Will. We rode to the place where we had the "test hill" which was a 2 minute sample climb. I climbed that hill and made it to the top. It was challenging, but I certainly wasn't going to attempt something I couldn't finish. Being that I am directionally challenged, I was afraid to stop in the middle of a climb and not be able to find my way back to the rest of the group on my own - even with a cue sheet. Though Coach Will says he's found my niche - he concluded that I'm a climber, I opted for the flat effort. =X Next time, when I'm more confident, I'll attack that hill. In the mean time I followed Coach Will and Tiff through a paceline which kept at a speed of 17-18 MPH. For forty minutes we practiced 10 second rotating paceline - where the leader takes lead for only 10 seconds and drops back. It was super funnnn! After that day, I was much more comfortable riding behind a wheel 5-6 inches apart. =) For snack I had goo (or is it GU) for the first time! I don't even know if that's how you spell it, but Marianella gave me two flavors to try. Strawberry cream was tasty - kinda like yogurt. When we reached the hotel, Coach Will complimented my dismounts - he even called me a rockstar! When I entered our room, everyone complained that they were stiff and beat but since I gained some extra energy after all the compliments, I offered my roomies a massage. Before our swim we stopped by a local bakery to pick up some coffee and sandwiches. My Irish Cream gave me some exta boost. We rolled into SUNY New Paltz parking lot where we watched the Wassner twins show us some tricks for transition. You can tape up your goos (power gels) onto the stem of your bike so you can just rip them off and swallow them as you are riding. You're supposed to put your sunglasses inside your helmet in such a way where you just pick it up and everything just slips right on. You dismount your bike from the seat when you finish your swim and go for your ride. They showed us how to use rubber bands to hook the tri-shoes in place. Emily demonstrated the run and hop onto the bike while manuvering the bike by its seat. That was funny! She was flying and she bounced right onto her seat - it looked like the bounce hurt her bums - but actually it was no big deal - she's got extra cushion for the pushin' (Emily taught me that). Then we watched one of the twins pedal with her feet on top of the shoes and then slip her foot (one at a time) into the shoe, close the velcro, all while conitnuously pedaling. That was smooth. I don't think I'm at that level. Then after your ride, you mount your bike back in transition area by it's handle bars - remembering not to unbuckle your helment until your bike is mounted (otherwise you receive a penalty). At your second transition area, you should face your sneakers to the direction in which you are supposed to run. They suggested buying the adjustable speed laces so you don't have to tie your sneakers. Oh and don't forget to snap on your running number (or you will be disqualified from the race). Visor and sunglasses were also recommended for the run. That's a lot to remember - and that's only for transition! At the parking lot today I also learned how to box the bikes in (with the cars / bike racks) so it makes it much more difficult for people to steal your bikes. For our swim training we did a few new drills. We swam a few laps crowded together to try to simulate what it would be like on race day. We also learned "sighting." This is where you look up and focus on a steady point while swimming. Because the open water swim will be in dark waters and without lanes, it becomes more challenging to swim straight. Sighting will help one focus on the direction to swim. Coach Rebecca decided to time 5 of our 50 meter laps. I clocked in at: 55, 51, 48, 47, 48 seconds a good consistent pace (not all out). I sucked at treading and diving. After everyone got out of the pool Marianela and I decided to take in some diving tips from Rebecca. Though I started out with my fingertips closest to the water, somehow my knees were the first to hit it. =X The ride back was fast. I got back to the city and ate a warm meal with KC (the bf) - Spicy Malaysian Curry roadside noodle with tofu and stuffed veggies. That meal and a full body massage was my reward from KC for the tough weekend. =) What'd you get? =P
MONDAY, 03.23.09 I didn't do jack. Work was my silly excuse.
MONDAY, 03.23.09 I didn't do jack. Work was my silly excuse.
Monday, March 23, 2009
WEEK 06.5 - NEW PALTZ TRAINING DAY 1
SATURDAY, 03.21.09 Here we go! I woke up at 5 am to pack for a two day boot camp training at New Paltz (upstate). Arrived at Emily's apartment a little early as my text message awoke her. =X. I felt bad so I decided to wash her dishes. Haha joking. I did it because I wanted to be productive. My mom taught me to do that. We picked up Katie who wore the hot pink Nike's she designed and then Maggie who wore her sunglasses and hoddie which made her look like a superstar in disguise. Emily is the craziest driver ever! "Move the f~#k outta the way jerk off!" "I never give way to pedestrians!". Haha. She scares/worries me sometimes (her legs are strong and rock solid). We played Sandstorm during our ride, bounced around in the car, and arrived to Motel 87 late. Marianela, Maggie, Emily and I got room 15 right next to Coach Laura, Coach Jenn and sweet petite Tiffany. When we arrived, Coach Jenn lent me her favorite drawstring Accenture bag. It was useful as it held my sneakers and snacks for the day. I need to get one of those! By the time we arrived Coach Laura already sold the last team jacket. Rats! It took us a while to get settled. Emily and I were late to our breifing so as punishment we were supposed to do the "chicken dance." I didn't even know the electric slide - forget the chicken dance. In the Philippines the chicken dance consists of flapping your elbows while running and making "bawking" noises. I didn't think that's what she wanted to see. Was it? Hopped on our bikes and we were on the road! Beautiful were the views of New Paltz especially with 23 ladies (and 2 men) most in bright orange uniforms cycling in a very long pace line. We rode along the slim and curvy, steep and hilly routes next to vinyards, horse farms and along busy thruways. Ugh! I still can picture the sight. My Rudy Project Syluros brightened up the colors of the green grass and trees surrounding me. I saw large friendly dogs and playful horses. Not even half way through our ride, Tiffany, Marianne and I got lost at a dead end. Where'd everyone go?!? Luckily I had our printed cue sheet. Oh geez! And to think that I was going to leave my phone in the motel that morning like everyone else did. Whew! With the cue sheet we were able to turn around and find the rest of the group waiting for others at a stop sign. We totaled about 35 miles at the end of our ride. We pulled all our bikes up to the Wassner mansion. Laurel and her twin sister Rebecca Wassner are professional triathletes who were our special coaches for the weekend. They were tiny in size but should not be underestimated. The house was elegant and had breathtaking views and sounds of waterfalls from their living and dining rooms! I reassured myself...One day, Joy Sy, you'll have a mansion of your own. We had our snack. Everyone whipped out their powerbars and gels I had chicken curry puffs and a pear. =) We were each supposed to carry food with 1,000kcals, but I had no idea how to measure that with curry puffs. I enjoyed my snack until we started heading up for the hills. I cramped. Apparently these are not the types of food I should be eating before a long endurance work out. =T. But I wasn't the only one that cramped, poor Tiffany had an aweful one on her leg and she couldn't even stand. =( I opted for the flat run which reminded me of how much I disliked running. But as I shuffled the brown leaves against my sneaks and listened to them ruffle, it made the run fun-er. Not fun, just fun-ER. After our run, everyone complained how the hill was hell. I needed to save some energy and muscle for tomorrow so I was glad I didn't make it to hell. As soon as we arrived back to Motel 87, Jenn brought out a surprise! She brought some of her home baked crunchy chocolate chip cookies and they were perfect! I had one and delighted in another - without guilt. We had 2 hours before dinner so we took turns showering and then landed our legs high up against the wall to rest them. I massaged my legs as hard as I can to release some lactic acid build up. It was painful but beneficial. We headed to dinner at the Guilded Otter where I had a delicious salad with walnut cranberry vinegrette and a large portion of braised short ribs and mashed potatoes. I drank it down with two cups of hot water. Emily decided to do her chicken dance after dinner - she waited until the waiters and the bus boys walked by - then she started to give them butt humps while they weren't looking. haha! I didn't do my chicken dance - so Coach Laura said she was going to make me do something worse. I don't think she'll remember though because she does so many things in a day! During our ride back to the hotel, some crazy woman decided to cut Emily off on the road! Turns out it was Coach Laura! Oh...we're still planning to get her back!
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