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.
