Well Hello Stranger

I have gotten out of the habit of blogging.  I could say I had some great excuses. Listed below: 

Finishing 4 graduate school courses. 

Completing Wildflower Olympic Distance Triathlon for the third time. Man was it a tough course! 

Bringing in new year! Here's to 2014. 

Spent more time with my family and friends. 

Visited Disney California Adventure park.

In general I would say I am striving to appreciate what I have and think about where else I would like to go. Depending on time I might try to fill in some of the great adventures I have had along the way.

Life is a fantastic ride.

Happy New Year!

I cannot believe another year has come and gone. 

This year I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot at work. I learned how to travel. I pushed my body. I also learned how important it is to take care of myself; mentally, emotionally, and physically.

As for New Year's resolutions, last year I wanted to sleep more. I cannot say I completely failed or suceeded at that goal. It did help to have it on my mind. 

I look to 2012 for opportunity to work hard both personally and professionally. 

I had a crazy idea that I would try to run 365 miles, bike 365, and swim 365 miles. If I am able to complete this goal and show my progress to others. I was hoping that they would in turn make a donation to me or to a charity of their choosing in a quantity relating to 365.

I have realized work is not everything and I still want the challenge but I also want to make an impact. Hopefully, if someone reads this they might be interested in my proposition. I think I would like to check in monthly with my progress. 

This will also motivate me to train for triathlons. I plan to count my race miles as part of this exercise.

One other note I would like to try to mediate daily. I think having that quiet time can be beneficial for everyone.

Here is to hoping 2012 is a great year for everyone!

Run Run as fast as I can

Finally I'm seeing some results.. running results or maybe I'm not as bad as I thought I was a running.

First I placed third in a work 5K. Third in my age group- really? I definitely did not think I would place.

Second, I found running trails I like. I love running on the road. Having suffered from shin splints the road seems to be the softest surface to run on. And running along the PCH is priceless. I have turned off the i-gadget and just listen to the waves hit the shore. Or running while on travel. I had a great run in San Diego.

Another hint I picked up from the 'pros' after a triathlon or hard run get into cold water. It is so uncomfortable but the result is my legs feel ten times better the next day. 

I just ran a 10K on July 4th. I finished 2nd in my age group! I ran it in 50:42. That's an 8:11 minute mile pace. I had to stop for a fire truck and I slowed down at the water stops. I might have done better had I not been so hot.  Compared to where I was over a year ago, 10K at Wildflower was 9:03 minute mile that's some progress. I am definitely still learning about running, my feet went numb, too. Anyone know the cause of that?

Especially considering how much I despise running I am getting there. Who knows maybe I will do a marathon in the future.

Olympic Triathlon #3

Something braggy

After countless hours of training my goal was to get under 3 hours on my Olympic distance triathlon. Lucky me I had home turf advantage because the swim was in Ventura harbor, the bike was on my way to work and so was the run. Granted I never actually road the bike or ran the run course. It was a pretty sweet course though because there is no way I would have been able to run the run course with out getting in the way of traffic. It was really an beautiful course. AND I got under 3 hours! By quite a bit.. now I have expectations to live up to. I got a snazzy beer glass for placing 3rd in my age group! :)

Clock Time	2:43:41
Gender Place	38 / 121
Division Place	3 / 6
All Place	191
Swim Lap 1	9:36
Swim Lap 2	9:51
T1	3:21
Bike	1:24:44
T2	2:41
Run	53:31

Swim verses Run training

Well after the last triathlon, I found out my swimming training paid off. My lack of running training showed. Due to encouragement from another tri-engineer, I decided to sign up for another triathlon. The only question is which one? I thought about one in Morro Bay (spend more time in SLO).. Redondo Beach (see where I used to live), or Ventura Breath of Life(no driving).

So with once again less than a month to train I signed up for another Olympic Distance triathlon! The other cool news is when I finish USATri will rank me across the nation. I also use some of the $40 membership I paid for 2011.

I am hopeful I will have the 'home turf' advantage. I could train the course. I have ran and swam some of the course before so we shall see. 

Only challenge in all this is balance. I am also going to run more.

Olypmic Triathlon # 2

Perhaps I am a bit crazy but I signed up for the same triathlon I did last year again. This year, race day's weather was awesome. Compared to the sprint triathlon I did two weeks ago, the lake water was warm. My swim felt awesome. 

I ended up with a best time but I know my weakness is the run. I wonder how long it will take me as a non-runner to feel confident about the run. 

I have to say it is always great to go back close to San Luis Obispo. I miss it and it is probably one of my favorite places. The volunteers make this triathlon possible and a lot of them are Cal Poly students. Thanks again Cal Poly! I highly recommend this triathlon to any newbies to triathlons. It was my first triathlon and I'm hooked.

 I hope this summer I will find the time to do another Olympic distance triathlon. 

I find it is much easier to keep training than to stop and start all over.. Keep the progress going!

Progress

Today I ran six and a half miles up and down the PHC. It is in preparation for a triathlon next weekend so it didn't just spontaneously decide to run that far. Talk about wow. Sometimes, I need to step back and take a look at how amazing my life is. I was running right by the ocean. I have dreamed about doing that since I was 19! 

I also recall back at Thanksgiving. I had not worked out in a while. I had gone up to the same location in hopes of surfing after running. I think I ran about one mile before I had to stop and take a breather. Having been a competitive athlete most of my life, I was pretty frustrated I had gotten to that point. 

Now a not even six months later, I got 6.5 miles in and I felt like I could have ran more. Minus the fact that my feet were feeling tingly. I'm going to have to do some research on it. Since I am not nor never see myself being a natural born runner.  

One final note, since I was near the surf, I looked at I wished I could have gone out but I knew I wouldn't catch anything. I can now recognize the tides and what is "rideable." Perhaps this is more reflection but it feels good to know I have achieved something.

Published ?!?!

I wrote an article for someone else's blog discussing triathlon training. He decided to publish it. I should also mention if you are interested in surfing reviews check out his blog. (I like it, but I might be bias)  I hope you enjoy reading.

To the article (Triathlon 101)

I copy and pasted it below..

Triathlon 101 – Guest Post

July 28, 2010 by The Surfboard Man · Comments Off
Filed under: General 

What is a triathlon?
It is a distance event which consists of three legs- swim, bike, run.  The distances of each leg vary.  Typically, a sprint triathlon is 400 yd, (1/4 of a mile), 12 mile bike, and 5k (3.2 mile) run.
An Olympic distance triathlon is .93 mile swim, 24.5 mile bike and 10k (6.4 mile) run.
First you have to think about how far you think you can go then pick an event. For sprint be sure you can swim 1600, bike 24 miles, and run a 5k. For Olympic be sure you can swim close to two miles, bike 40 miles, and run at least 8 miles.
What are your goals?-
To finish, to have a personal best time on the swim, bike, or run? Personally, I have always been a swimmer. I always try to start the swim out on a great note. My secondary goal is to improve my run time. Running is my weakest leg.
To train for a triathlon I would suggest swimming three times a week, and the three other days running and biking.  One day a week after working out hard always give your body a rest. It is common mistake to over train but you will be able to train harder with the break.
The distance and time spent training should exceed the time you predict it will take you to race. I compare it to surfing. You do not expect become Laird Hamilton at Teahupoo, if you don’t know how to ride 4ft waves.

Essential Equipment:
All of these pieces should go to the transition area.  The transition area is where you as an athlete store your triathlon equipment. Only athletes are allowed in the area but make sure you keep track of your valuables. You will come back to this location to grab your bike and other equipment.
Photo ID
Race registration confirmation
USTA $10 one-day pass or your membership card
Know the triathlon’s rules
A tri-suit
Googles
Spare swim cap
Bike
Bike helmet with approved safety rating
Spare bike tube
Tube repair kit
Small bike pump that will fit on your bike frame
Broken-in pair of running shoes
Sunglasses- for the bike and run
Sunscreen
Food
Water
Recovery drink
Clean set of clothes
First-aid kit
Big towel
A hand towel
If the water is cold
A wet suit
Body-glide or Vaseline
NEVER use brand new equipment at a race – stick to what has worked for you during training. I have seen some pretty nasty blisters from new running shoes during a triathlon just as one example.

Detailed descriptions of equipment:
Tri-Suit – they are basically bike shorts, and a spandex top. If you want to you can wear a swim suit and put on bike shorts for the bike and a t-shirt for the run. If you buy a tri-sui TRY it on before you buy. You will be in this the entire race if it’s not comfortable it will make the race no fun.
Swim cap – In your race packet you should have the swim cap you are supposed to wear.
Bike helmet – It has to be CPCS approved. Replace a bike helmet at least every three years. If you don’t take good care of your helmet you will have to replace it more often.

During the race you HAVE to have your helmet buckled in the transition area, if not you will receive a time penalty.

A small bike tire air pump which fits on your bike frame. Unfortunately sometimes no matter what you do you will end up with a flat tire. Come prepared and know how to change your bike tire and regular bike maintenance.
Food-
I always tape some power gels to my bike handle bars because I never know when I’ll need it. Although solid food might sound like a good idea on race day with extra nerves eating gels or drinking liquids is a lot easier on your body.  Avoid white starchy food. Know what fuel works for your body; I compare it to putting the wrong kind of fuel in your car.
Water – figure out how much you need. Everyone tends to sweat a different amount.
Recovery drink – After about an hour of the race you need to start thinking about replenishing your fuel source. I have two bottles on my bike. One with water and one with recovery drink.
Clean set of clothes – Lots of people will just chill out in their spandex but I think it’s a lot more comfortable to change into lose fitting clothing.
Body-glide – looks like deodorant but it’s so that your wetsuit doesn’t leave your skin rubbed raw.  Apply it liberally to your neck, lower legs, lower arms, and your lats. From personal experience I received a very nasty looking wetsuit hicky on my neck because I didn’t apply enough Vaseline.  It can also help you get your wetsuit off.  You do not want to have to wear it the whole race.
Wish list items:
You do not have to have these but they are very nice to have.
A bib band clip – you will be given a number which you have to wear on the bike and run portions of the triathlon.  This bib band makes it easy to put on your number so you don’t run the risk of stabbing yourself with safety pins after finishing the swim.
A road bike with clip in shoes – they will help to increase your efficiency but they definitely are more challenging than a regular bike
A water proof watch – it is nice to know how long it has been during the bike and run. If you are aiming for a particular time then at least you will have a rough idea.
Now good luck training, and go out there and TRI!

About the Author:

h2o_gage was a competitive swimmer growing up with over 10 years of competitive swimming experience she decided to try out triathlons. She is currently training for her second Olympic distance triathlon. When she’s not training for a triathlon, she can usually be found near the ocean, hiking or spending time with her family & friends. By day she is a mechanical engineer.

Follow H20_Gage on Twitter

Triathlon #2

I finished my second triathlon.

 This one seems like less of an accomplishment than the last one. It was sprint distance -- 1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike and 10K run. Swim and bike went well but my run and transitions were slow. It looks like I need to go train on the track more, even though I don't like it.

Before the swim

I saw dolphins before the swim which always makes me happy.

  On the bike

The results- 1:13:12 (hr:min:sec)

 I finished 3th in my age group!

I hope I get to do this triathlon, again. It is exciting that I got to do another triathlon close to where I live.  The best part was my parents came to watch. Now I have plenty of sudo embarrassing pictures of me racing.

Bottom line triathlons are addicting and it's great to hear your parents cheer you on.

Where have I been?

Well I was training for Wildflower among other things. It was my first triathlon and with only a month of training I think I did fairly well. I'll be back to normal posts soon. I feel like I have so much to catch up on!