Nothing a little pixie dust can't fix . . .

Today was the Inaugural Tinkerbell Half Marathon at Disneyland. And, of course I just had to do it. And, I HAD to dress like Tinkerbell - duh!!

Plus, this was going to be the first big thing I got to do since my 5th knee surgery!! It turned out to be a beautiful day at Disneyland.

The race started @ 5:45 a.m. and it was a bit chilly, but the day was predicted to have a high of around 82 degrees. So, we were not worried. Even though it was 48 degrees at the start, there were people who were dressed like it was 4 degrees below!! They had long pants, gloves, hats & goose down parkas. "Heat stroke" was what I was thinking.

Oh - and the WE is me and my Beckies: Becky C & Becky Lee. We were all dressed alike in our beautiful Tink outfits. As were the 1,000s of other women - and some men. As it turns out, there were about 11,000 women and approx. 900 men!!! Like the announcer said, "Smart men!"

There were men dressed as Peter Pan, men dressed as Tinkerbell, men dressed as "other types of fairy-type characters." It was not boring, to say the least.

We walked most of the race - due to the fact that I have not been running. Although we did some running & some flying - we are pixies, after all!

Anyway, the day went great!! We spread pixie dust all over everyone to bring them peace & joy & happiness. I got to the finish line & felt like I could do another 5 or so miles.

And - I had no knee pain. It was a nice to feel that way after a half marathon.

Maybe it was the pixie dust!!! Whatever it was - I will take it.

Can't wait 'til next year!

Bring on the green!

Much Peace and Love,
TracerX

Here I go again . . .

Last weekend I went to a very scary and exciting place - no, not just in my mind, but a real place. I went to Tempe, Az. Which is not only home of the ASU Sun Devils, but once a year is home to Ironman Arizona. Place where I did my very 1st (and only) Ironman.

One of "my boys" - who shall remain nameless - decided it was a good idea to go volunteer at IMAZ. Now, I had already been thinking of making the journey to Tempe in order to cheer on some of my friends from the book. And, there was going to be a book signing, too (can't pass that up!). P.S. - Order the book & read it . . . it's pretty dang good.

So, it made sense to go ahead and volunteer. I could cheer friends, hang out with my boys & get a cool free t-shirt. It's a win-win. Oh, did I mention - get to see some pros race?? That is also fun.

So, what the hell is so dang scary about going to Tempe? Well, anyone who knows how Ironman registration works knows that if you volunteer you get to have the privilege of standing in line early the day after the race in order to sign up for next year's race - the privilege to sign up & to pay $682.50, to be exact! Now, this is a great opportunity, as these races sell out fast. Those who volunteer get to sign up before it goes to the general public/online registration.

This pretty much guarantees "the volunteer" a spot for the following year.

Still not scary? What? That amount of money - hours spent standing in line - getting to do an Ironman next year???

Oh wait . . . back that thang up. Say what?? Why would a woman such as myself, who just had her 5th knee surgery, whose doctor told her running was bad for her - sign up for yet another effing Ironman?? Not a sprint-distance tri!! Not an Olympic-distance! But a full-blown, "Let's train for months & have to run & end up doing another LOOOOOOOONG-ass Ironman race!!"

Who did this to me? Whose idea was this? Vit? Pimp Daddy Jay-Z? Or was it H.R. PufnStuf and Big Dave? (my vote is those 2 SOBs)

But - cold, hard fact is that I am the culprit! I stood in that line & I paid that money - and now, I am officially signed up for IMAZ 2012.

And, I have a ton of my boys who are doing it with me. Let the party begin.

P.S.: The race sold out in less than 10 mins.

That's it for now . . .

Much Peace & Love, TracerX

The 5th time's a charm ? ? ?

Yes, a question mark. And I know it may sound bizarre, given that I've had four knee surgeries already. Three of them have been ACL reconstructions. Yet somehow I doubt that this truly is the last knee injury and/or knee surgery I am going to have.

I will say that it is getting old - the "it" being me (LOL) - that I am having this "every-other-year" knee injury that requires surgery, I think this time in particular due to the fact that I was just running on the treadmill. I was running approx. 11-min. miles when I felt a small pop and pain in my left knee.

This was not the gut-wrenching, sickening kind of "pop & pain" that I've had with the other knee blowouts, so naturally I thought not a whole hell of a lot about this incident. Three out of the four knee injuries have been traumatic in origin - the other was sheer stupidity! I mean, what 42-year-old broad races a 12-year-old track runner? Starting from a sprint position? Who does that shit? (she says, raising a hand in the air shyly, slinking back hoping not to be seen)

No trauma and no stupidity.
Now I'm just perturbed.
It's all in the genes.

The usual ensues with a doctor visit (we think it's just a meniscal tear).

I continue to train. I continue with my new addiction - Crossfit. (this is to help me gain strength for my tri's)

I have even cut back on my running and . . . gulp - I have dropped out of one of my favorite triathlons - The Santa Barbara Triathlon (long-course).

After 5 weeks of waiting it out, the pain was not going away.

Hello again . . . it is now 10/29/11 and I have since had that MRI on the left knee AND have had surgery!! A week ago. It went great!

As it turns out I tore my medial & lateral meniscus AND my ACL!! That makes #4. But I refused to go through the ACL surgery. So, just clean up the meniscus & we are done.

Another quick side note - end of Sept., I tore The ACL in my right knee. Maybe because I was favoring the left knee?? So, that made #5.

Five torn ACLs on two knees!! Three on one knee. These are great odds! I am going to strengthen my quads & try my best to take care of these wittle knees o' mine.

Enough for now . . .

Much Peace & Love, TracerX

Aloha from the Big Island . . .

So very excited to leave a damp, cold and rainy day in Los Angeles to hop on a plane for Kona. Coming to the Big Island for "vacation" - at least that's what Vit & I told our spouses - when in reality we were here for The Big Show!! In our language "the big show" is The Ironman World Championship. The mother of all triathlons . . . here on the islands. However, the original Ironman did not take place on Kona, but rather on Oahu. Okay, enough history - these posts are short and sweet, because after all, I'm on "vacation."

So, uneventful flight - layover in Honolulu - then on to Kona. NOTE: major weather change from L.A.!! Warm, balmy & breezy. In fact, one might say - downright tropical!


Car rental, hotel (Hilton Waikoloa Village) where I have to completely unpack and feel "moved in" and then it's down to the venue to see some of my friends. Ya know - Chrissie, Crowie, Rinnie, etc.

Of course none of them is around, but we did find out about a gathering that was being thrown by Macca a/k/a Chris McCormack. So, after getting our "sea legs" about town, we grab a bite to eat and head out to find this so-called party.

After giving up and getting ready to turn around, lo and behold - we see the Clif Bar flags on the outside of the house!! We have made it.

This is basically about 20 or 30 or so people hanging out, drinking beer & chatting with Macca.

I walk in and find him (like I do). I give him a copy of my book - well, the book of which I am one the subjects, You Are An Ironman, by New York Times writer Jacques Steinberg - and I sign it for him. Thanks to my wonderful friend Vit, we find out Macca is signing more books in town the next day and I tell him I will be by for a "book swap": one of mine for one of his. "Sure," he says.

It's on. So we hang out - like we do - and then realize that Terenzo Bozzone is also at the party. So I go up to him - like I do - and give him a hug (he just had achilles tendon surgery and can't race) and we chat for a long while & have a beer!

I have new friends!!!

My first day in Kona is grand so far. My hubby, Vit & I are rollin' with the big dogs. Let the party continue!!

Aloha for now. Got the Underpants Run to do - that shall be a blast.

Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

Two, two, two firsts in one . . .

My first flat tire during the race & my first (and hopefully last) DNF! I know you're asking yourself, "In which race did this occur?" and, "Say it isn't so?"

Well, my faithful followers (speaking of which - Pendong, where the hell are you???), it was Wildflower. I came back to redeem myself for missing last year and not doing the Long Course, and this is what I get?

Technically I should have stayed in bed - er, the sleeping bag. I was not feeling well at all. But because I am a-"SS" (studette or stupid) - I got up to do this race. Let's face facts, I had an axe to grind with this course. I needed to see what the fuss was all about. What is this thing they call "Nasty Grade" that I had to climb on the bike? Or how horrible is this run? Steep hills that are sooooo steep that one must walk? Ha! I say.

Or not . . . I started the race with an extremely stuffed-up nose & a very tight, congested chest. I hurt. But I could not back down. Of course I was PISSED! Why the heck did I have to get this now? Don't answer.

The swim was rough - a lot of wind. Of course it was windy & choppy. Why wouldn't it be? Me not feeling well = tough swim. LOL

The bike ride was good, believe it or not. I was feeling strong. My legs felt strong, but my chest wanted someone to rub Vick's Vapo-rub all over it. Oooh, and take off my aero bars to replace them with a humidifier. Can you imagine?

At any rate, the bike ride went off without - wait, with only one hitch: the flat tire. Cruising down a nice hill where I had to brake a bit, and felt the sickening feeling of the back tire swerving around. Luckily, there happened to be a support tech fixing another rider's flat tire - which makes me wonder: was the evil Dick Dastardly out there throwing nails on the course?? Hmmmm.

Yeah, I know it's a cartoon, but life can be like a cartoon (so says I). And, I was riding Penelope Pitstop - and you know how Dick feels about her.

Ya know, Nasty Grade wasn't even that bad. And I found out later that the support guy put my tire on and it was rubbing on the wheel some . . . so, technically that ride was harder for me than others! LOL, again.

It did hit me at mile 53 on the bike that I was feeling really crappy. I knew I was not going to be able to do the run. So, after a "come to Jesus" talk with myself and a few tears - I decided I was going to have to quit the race.

I flew down Lynch Hill right into T2 and saw my running shoes.

I decided I would just go ahead and put my shoes on and give that dang run a try (this is the "S" for stupid).

I got everything on and started to run out of T2 when I saw my saving grace, my athletic supporter, my editor . . . my husband! I ran and hugged him, crying and asked him to tell me it was OK to quit!!

He said it was OK. Lola said it was OK, too.

And that was that. My race was done. DNF.

Now it was time to go watch my Vit & Pimp Daddy Jay-Z finish this race.

I guess I will have to wait 'til next time. Third time's a charm, right? See ya next year?

You'll just have to wait and see . . .

Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

Donkey shins . .

Darling, donkey shins. In other words, THANK YOU! Thank you to all of my peeps. My friends & my family.

My wonderful family who had to put up with so much - all my time away, the meals that I did not cook (well, I don't really cook that often to begin with - but still)

I have two teenage girls who really enjoy having their mother around. They consider me one of their best friends - (sound of palm of hand slapping face) - wake up!! Who has teenage daughters who "enjoy" hanging out with their mom? Unless mom is taking them shopping for something, right?

In reality, my girls are amazing! They have been very supportive of my training. They have helped with cleaning & cooking and grocery shopping. They are incredible. My loves, I thank you with all of my heart! I could not have done it without you! I want you by my side always - ALWAYS!

Friends . . . a multitude of them - all of whom are phenomenal. But Lola stands out as simply "outstanding". She wasn't only there for her husband Vit, but she did double duty by being there for me, too.

There were the pick-ups from the long bike rides (like the time we got lost, rode over 10,000 ft. of climbing, 8 hrs. of riding, ran out of water) or when we really were just too exhausted. The trips she made to El Pollo Loco to get us BRC burritos & Diet Cokes. Ooooh, the baking of the delicious muffins. The warm blankets while we watched triathlons on T.V. (and, she let us WATCH the triathlons!) Coming out to the races & not just being there to watch, but run around & take pictures, ring that cowbell & scream her head off.

Even as I write this, I get all misty-eyed thinking how important it was to me for Lola to be there in Arizona. I really was on pins & needles waiting for her to get there two days before the race. I was way more at ease when she finally arrived. She didn't feel good - but she was there!! I thank you with all of my heart & yes, I could not have done it without you!

Then there is my editor, who happens to be my husband. Again, without him I could not have done any of this. I can basically apply everything I said about Lola & apply it to my hubby - minus the muffins & BRC burritos. But, he did have the binoculars & walkie-talkies so he and Lola did not miss a thing.

He got all the perfect photos, the "woo-hoo's" & high fives as I went running or riding by.

He was also instrumental with the foot massage, neck massage and my oh-so-important popcorn & Fudgsicles!! Don't ask . . . lol.

And, of course, there is Vit. What can I say about Vit? He is to me what Samwise Gamgee is to Frodo. He is THAT important. I could not have grabbed that golden ring without him supporting and pushing me the entire way. The only difference is . . . I kept my golden ring - I did not throw it into the fires of hell! Ya get what I'm sayin'?

Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

I am an Ironman . . .

It is official. I did that 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride & 26.2 mile run in Tempe, Arizona!! This indeed makes me an Ironman. Well, that and the fact that I did it in under 17 hours - 15:07:38 to be exact.

At this point I am sort of dreading writing a race report. Mostly because I'm afraid that I will get off track with all my details. Oh, what the hell . . . here goes everything.




I had slept fairly well, which surprised me. I thought I would be a bit more nervous and not get much sleep. Set my alarm for & woke up @ 4 a.m. Vit & I had decided to get down to to the transition area a bit after 5 a.m. Even though it opened at 5 & we are totally neurotic & usually get there right when it opens . . . we decided to "loosen" up a bit. After all, our bike & run gear was already down there. I got myself dressed. Made my peanut butter & pumpkin butter sandwich. I had been concerned with having to eat - with other big races I have a tendency to be anxious, so choking down a sandwich was going to take a bit of time. As it turns out, I was very hungry & managed to chow that sucker down!! G-Money sent a text saying he was going to Starbucks & did I want anything? Want anything? From Starbucks? This is an Ironman!! Not a leisurely Saturday morning meeting with friends. Good God, man.

Actually, I was concerned with just how calm I was feeling. With a few more things to gather, I was ready to get down to transition.

Down at transition I had a few thing to put in my bike & run bags that I had forgotten. Went to the Porta-Potty for the 1st time. Put air in the bike tires. Found G-Money, who had managed to lose his timing chip - already?

Then it was time to get in line - again - for the Porta-Potty.

I am sure I've mentioned in past blogs the importance of #2 prior to a race? Well, let me say it again . . . way important!! One of the last things I want is to be in the water with my wetsuit on and have to take a . . . well, you know. It brings a whole new meaning to "dropping the kids off at the pool."

Thank goodness I was able to drop the children off at the pool several times!! I felt so much better.

Then it was time to get slathered up with the Body Glide & get the wetsuits on. I gave my kisses to my family & friends & headed for the starting line.






















The jump in the lake was a really moving experience for me. It literally was "jumping in with both feet" - this was the culmination of all my hard work, anguish, time away from my family, healing of my injuries & my victories. I gave Vit a hug and wished him luck. I welled up & let the tears flow for a few seconds. I did not want to stand around too long thinking about how cold the water was or that it was 3 feet or so til I hit the water. And people seemed to be procrastinating. So off I went. Done. In I was. I started swimming toward the start line. I knew where I wanted to position myself. I also knew that I wanted to take in every moment. The way I was feeling & the way the clouds looked. It was kinda dark & overcast. People were everywhere - in the water, out of the water. I looked up at the bridge and out of the kajillions of people, I saw my daughters!!!! I was so filled up with joy - I spent the next 15 minutes blowing kisses, waving & saying "I love you" in sign language - that I forgot to be nervous. Basically, the cannon fired & I just swam.

The swim was uneventful, other than I swam a little to the right, then a little to the left, then back to the right again & so forth. Just trying to get away from some of the masses. Kinda worked. At any rate, when I got out of the water, I had a hard time running into transition because my feet were like blocks of ice. My T1 time was a bit long, but I was not concerned.




Onto the bike, feeling good. Saw the family & friends. I would like to say that the bike was as uneventful as the swim, but no such luck!! Major wind. Rain. And even some hail thrown in for good measure. But the WIND!!! WOW. It was strong.

Out on the Beeline Hwy., it was like being on another planet. Riding uphill at 18-20 MPH, turning around expecting to fly down fast & being hit hard with wind and rain and 10-13 MPH. Suffice it to say, it was windy. Really windy. Did I tell you how windy it was?

Sidebar: Friday the 19th, 2 days prior to Ironman, they held a Q & A with some of the pro triathletes who were participating at IMAZ, one of them being my role model, Chrissie Wellington. I was determined to get a picture with her. So, I made sure to ask a question . . . get noticed, ya know?

As the session came to an end, I positioned myself to get behind where the pros were sitting. I told Vit to have that camera ready! The time came, I was ready & sure enough I got to talk to Chrissie & I got my picture with her!! It was so amazing to talk to her. She put a fire in my belly & calmed me all at the same time. She is super cool.

And, because of my conversation with Chrissie, I was able to put the "wind" in perspective. It was windy & rainy & hailing on all of us. So I just had to keep reminding myself to enjoy everything about the day.

But still, it was windy.

After my 7 hours & 2 mins . . . I was off that bike. And, rather than racking my bike myself - some amazing volunteer just took it! Honestly, I just let that bike of mine go. Ran over, called out my race # to another amazing volunteer and ran into the changing tent.

There were so many people just changing outside the tent. The place was packed. I needed to get inside that tent.

Thanks to yet another amazing volunteer, I had a spot inside the tent. (She had asked me if I wanted to change outside, which I had to decline, as I needed to get naked from the waist down. Nudity is grounds for being DQ'ed in Ironman.)



I left T2 feeling pretty good. After all, I only had one more leg of my Ironman to complete - just a little 26.2-mile run.

The minute I came out of the transition, I was hit with a wave of good wishes. Everyone telling me, "Yeah, Tracy!" (my name was on my bib) and "Good job, Tracy!"

It felt so great. I was a rock star! Look at me - I am gonna run a marathon now! After the paparazzi left me alone and the autographs were signed - I was off. That probably set me back several precious minutes. But I knew I could make that up with my lightning fast run time . . . oh my god, I am getting tired of my own bullshit.

I did have fun. The run was not so bad for the 1st 10-11 miles, at which point my body just decided it was done running. So, we walked. And my body & I decided to keep at least a 4 MPH pace. I did what I could do. I counted my steps. I pumped my arms really hard. Talked to anyone who would listen to me. And, wondered how I was going to manage to run down the finishers' chute.




Somewhere around mile 25 - I figured it out - I was almost done. I could start running. And so I did. I managed to run the rest of the way . . . got near the finishers chute, made that left then another left & there I was - tears streaming down my face, the biggest smile, my arms thrown up in the air . . . I was high-fiving everyone.

I wanted to soak up every minute of this moment. The noise, the lights, Mike Riley announcing my name . . . I was an Ironman! I crossed the finish line & had someone reach out & pull me over to them. They said, "You did it! I knew you could do it!"

And, I got a big hug & kiss from this person. It was the cherry on my sundae - Sunday!!

That person was Chrissie Wellington. She had returned at the 14th hour to greet the folks who took twice as long as she did.

She remembered me . . . me - TracerX!! I was over the moon.

The following hugs & gallons of tears that were shed by myself, friends & family afterwards were the best ever.

For those of you who have done an Ironman, you know this feeling. Overwhelming emotions. It all culminates here - at the finish line. Months of training, knee surgery agony, time away from my family - it is so worth it, right NOW!!

So, after all that is said & done . . . there is no way I am doing another Ironman.

Until, Ironman Cananda in 2014.

I guess that will be a whole other blog!!

I'm also trying to concoct a way to get really fast so I can qualify for Kona.
Any ideas???

So, that is it for now?? See ya soon.


Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

My insurance policy . . .

This is what is has been all about. This day. November 21st. Well, it is actually Nov. 20th, but tomorrow is what it is all about. I have done all the training, eaten all the right foods & not gone to the after-work happy hours.

So, time to put a smile on my face & put my head down and get this race done. Become the Ironman that I have been training so long to become!!!!

Well, I've got my jammies on, my bike is in transition, run & bike gear bags are where they belong. Now all I have to do is sleep - ha ha ha.











This photo is "my insurance policy" - my training calendar for the past year. It is what I have to keep in my mind tomorrow. I've got this. I can do it. (That's what Chrissie told me!!!)

Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

Dear Lord, is it over yet ? ? ?

I must admit, I am tired of training!!! There, I said it. And I am not taking it back.

Of course having said that, I am sure when we hit taper in a week, I am going to hate it. I will be antsy & feel a need to get out there a do something. I also know that when IMAZ is over and my body decides to it can move again . . . I am going to want to get back out there & train. For what? I don't know.

There are a few half marathons in 2011 & some tri's to do, but no IRONMAN! I guess that is a good thing? Or not? It could be something akin to postpartum depression. Just a complete let down. All the training & hard work - the day comes & goes - and then what?

No more fanfare. No more, "When is your Ironman?" No more, "Wow, you look amazing!" - well, ok the last one will still stay around!!

All I know is that I will have to keep myself busy. That means that Vit will have to suffer as well. Sorry, Vit. But you know we stick together like glue! I should also apologize to Lola. Ooooooh, maybe I will bug her to train with me??? (she is cursing me at this point)

Back to me being "over" this training . . . I think I am ready to do IMAZ. Like, let's go. Get 'er done.

This past week, training was rough. Vit & I did a century last Sat (10/23), the Santa Barbara Century. It was 9,600 feet of climbing with steep grades. VERY STEEP. It was the toughest ride I've ever done.

The following day was the Los Angeles Rock N' Roll 1/2 Marathon. I was pretty sure I was going to just have to walk this sucker due to my back & my rubber legs from the bike ride.

As it turns out . . . I PR'd. Who'da thunk it? Not me!! My Garmin was 2:18 and change.

Officially I was 2:21:35. That accounts for my trip to the Porta-Potty @ mile 8.5 to take a major #2. Yes, it took me 3 minutes. Do you know how hard it is to get sweaty compression shorts back on? It's probably like trying to hold onto a greased-up pig. (I have no idea, I just imagine that would be hard.)

Anyhoo, I basically kicked ass! I surprised my own self. I was pretty dang thrilled, too.

Needless to say, it took a few days to get back to walking like I didn't just get off a horse. And, my workouts were a bit "short" - "non existent" - "recovery-like" -
which is okay. Right?

Yes, it is.

From here on out - I am going to get my training done & then taper & then get my ass to Arizona to knock this bitch out.

That's right, I said BITCH! - love/hate relationship that we have.

Well, that is it for now . . . looking forward to the part of IMAZ that includes Chrissie Wellington, Chris Lieto, Andy Potts & Matty Reed. Big names!! I can't wait for them to pass me on the bike & run. It may give me the kick in the bike shorts that I need.

For now . . .
Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

T-minus 1 month . . .

I can't believe that there is only one month to go!!?? I have not posted the "T-minus" every month because it was kinda just "not really real".

Somehow, today - one month out - it seems very real. I was looking at my training plan & I am down to 4 weeks of training left. WOW. And, some of those days near the end are taper days.

I won't know what to do with myself on a taper day?

Anyway, on our "T-minus" days . . . Vit always sends out an email letting us all know that it is the 21st of the month. And, we all go back & forth with emails about whatever is going on, etc.

Today was no different. "No, no, no, wait, stop. Can we delay it a little?" "Maybe the four of us can ask them to push the date back." "It's like childbirth, boys. There is no going back. This thing is coming whether we like it or not!"

This goes on & we all laugh.

After work today, I came home & did my back exercises . . . got on the couch with my blankies & proceeded to fall asleep. I asked my daughter to wake me up so I would be ready when Vit came to pick me up for our swim.

She woke me up . . . I told her to call Vit & tell him I was calling in sick - cuz I was way comfy. Obviously, I had to get up & get ready. And, yes I did kinda complain a bit & rumble about how comfy I was & that I would be very satisfied to stay on the couch.

WELL - Vit just started to laugh. Of all the days - T-minus 1 month - I want to just take a "pass" on my workout. Really?

After all the emails today back and forth & I want a pass! HA HA HA. It is one month to IMAZ. It was very funny. Really.

Got the swim done. Felt great.

Now time to get back to my blankies & couch . . .

Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

Step on a crack . . .

- and they broke their mama's back! That's how it feels anyway. It is not really broken - at least I don't think it is?

So for the past few weeks, Vit & I have been training like mad men(women).
We've been finding new and exciting things to keep us occupied for the 6-plus-hour bike rides - like riding to Santa Barbara & stopping for a little lunch & then taking the train home. That was a nice departure from the mundane & boring. And, this past weekend we had a 7-hour ride that turned into 8:05. We made a wrong turn on our route & ended up (and I do mean UP) going 15 or so miles the wrong way, only to hit a road closure & have to go all the way back!!!

We ran out of water. (Thanks to the Asplundh guys for helping us out & filling up our H2O bottles). We tried to get arrested so we could get a ride back in the CHP car ("Too much paper work," said the officer) - but to no avail. So, turn around & head back out . . . make the correct turn, finally get cell service & get our asses picked up!! After 8-plus hours & 10,756 feet of elevation gained - we were cooked! Note here: THANKS, LOLA, FOR THE PICK UP!!! You rock!

Back to my back: A small tweak to my right sciatic during a bike ride & 2 injuries at work - #1 injury: doing the splits on a wet floor - unintentional, of course. #2 injury: having to catch a patient who fainted & lift him into a reclining chair. There were 3 of us girls in a small area when he went down & we had to catch, lift & pivot! That would be the straw that broke my back.

It is not really "broken" - I am in really bad agony. I am trying physical therapy, Bikram yoga (until the doctor told me not to do any stretching or twisting) & ice. Oh - not to mention pain pills on my bike rides!! Don't worry, not heavy duty narcotics, just the mild stuff that keeps me from getting off my bike, crying & wanting to toss my sweet Penelope over a cliff.

I finally went to see one of our doctors at work. He took X-rays & ordered some Prednisone (that makes me CRAZIER than normal) and says I need to schedule an MRI.

Now we know from a previous post that I have back pain . . . but this has been the worst I've had. So much so, that I took H.R.'s advice & have decided to take 4 days off training! GULP. Well, some swimming. But let's face facts - I am in a lot of pain, I am feeling "blue" due to this & I have to halt my training 6 weeks out of Ironman.

This makes me one ornery gal.

But, after a nice discussion with H.R. Pufnstuf, I was reminded how important it is to get to the starting line of Ironman in one piece & healthy. No matter how hard it is to miss sooooooo many workouts, the fact remains that I have a lot of training under my belt.

The other fact remains: that if I have to WALK my 26.2 miles, then so be it. I am going to complete the son of a bitch!!!

Because I have worked hard & know that I can do it. And because I have the support of my family & friends.

I have to know that even though this sucks shit right now, I will get through it. Even though I have some days where I just question whether I really want to or not? Is it worth it? Have I done all of this to get to the starting line in horrible misery with my back?

I sure as shit hope not.
Really, that's all I can say.
Thanks for listening & reading.

Oh, and one more note . . . I do not believe that this was caused by my children stepping on a crack!


Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

132.3 . . .

No that is not my current weight, thank you very much. I am, due to my intense training schedule, under that number at this time.

Rather, that is the number of miles that Vit & I rode on 9/11!

We had a 5-1/2 hour training ride on our schedule, but since we were going to La Jolla to do the La Jolla Rough Water Swim on Sunday, we thought "Hey, let's just ride the bikes there on Sat., swim on Sunday & call it a weekend?" We also had a 3-hr. ride on Sunday, but we just rolled that into the long ride! It turns out that La Jolla is kinda far away . . .

I am not going to give a rundown of the entire ride . . . just would like to say that it was a very nice day. We got to ride through Palos Verdes, which is some beautiful coastline!! I felt like I was in Northern California. Gorgeous.

We also got to ride through Wilmington, not so gorgeous. But, still full of its very own sights & sounds!!

We eventually made it to Oceanside - 8-1/2 hours of saddle time - total of 132.3 miles!!

My longest ride ever!! Vit's, too. We thought it was a really good training ride in preparation for IMAZ.

Oh, and the swim on Sunday was good, too. My hubby kicked butt. So did Vit . . . I did pretty good, even though I did cheat & wear a wetsuit. I guess technically it was not cheating, but I do not officially get a "time" for the swim. I really didn't care, because this was a training swim for me. And I plan on wearing a wetsuit for my Ironman. I felt no need to swim in butt-ass cold water just because everyone else did!

It was me & one other woman who wore a wetsuit - okay, she only had one leg.
Alright, so the physically challenged woman & I wore a wetsuit. I still don't feel bad!

Overall the weekend was a fun one. A really great training weekend.

We decided that this is the type of training weekend that we like - a lot. It takes us away from what can sometimes be "mundane" training. It adds some spice - some variety.

That's it for now.

Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

What comes around, goes around . . .

Remember how I was so excited about running "all 10 of my miles"? Well, not so much anymore.

My knees, mostly my right, have taken a very strong stance on this whole thing. They have decided that running those miles was not so fun for them & they are pissed!! In fact, walking is an issue for me. It is more like "gimping" - an audible thump, thump, thump with my right foot. When I stand up, I have to take a second to get my knee to cooperate with me. It is quite painful.

My workout today was supposed to be an hour and 20 minute run. There was no way!! So, I decided to go to the gym & do the Precor elliptical - that lasted half an hour. OK, next. Treadmill with incline - no running. That also lasted half an hour. Very painful. It will have to be aqua-jogging for the remainder of the workout.

"Frustrating" is the word that comes to mind.

"Scared" is the other word that comes to mind.

"Worried" is yet another word that comes to mind.

If this is what happens with 10 miles, what will happen for 26.2? I may not be able to run all of those miles . . . let alone walk.

There is also the little matter of all the training that I still have to keep on doing.

What am I doing to my knees? Nevermind - I know that answer. Screwing them up - A LOT!!! Like, knee replacement time.

Just let's wait til after Ironman. Please.

Actually, how about we wait for another 30 or so years!!

Maybe it will be time to stick to smaller distances and/or aquabikes!

For now, I will have to take my Ibuprofen, ice & rest when I can.

Aquajog & walk. Maybe try some trail running. Or break my runs up into smaller runs.

Oh, and I am going to see the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow for an exam & some x-rays.
Update to follow. All I know is this sucker hurts!!! Grrrrrr . . .


Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

Cocktails & Cupcakes . . .

That is what I am renaming the Santa Barbara Triathlon. I know it doesn't convey the sense of a triathlon with the name "Cocktails & Cupcakes"(C&C), but it might attract more people???

Well, in my head (scary place to be), that is what I call it!

Yesterday was the C&C Triathlon, which I did for the first time in 2008.

Back then it was called the S.B. Triathlon. Well I am happy to announce that this year I managed to shave approximately 10-11 minutes off my time from 2 yrs. ago!!! It would have been more, if not for the yucky swim conditions & the resulting ultra-long T1 time.

It was a foggy morning, air temp in the upper 50s. There were three of us there to race: me, Vit. & H.R. Pufnstuf. And, we had the wonderful spousal support of my hubby & Lola . . . and a new "jock strap", The Queen! She was über-excited to be there to see the throngs of people who thought it was fun to get up at the crack o'stupid, swim in cold water for a mile, ride hills for 34 miles & then run 10 miles!

I think she was excited to NOT be doing it. Please note that The Queen has done a few sprint tri's & is still a newbie. We are working on her . . . Mwahahahahaha!

Vit started his wave at 7:15. Between that time & my wave - 7:45 - the wind picked up & it was nasty cold. When it was my turn in the water, I was really more concerned with being so cold out of the swim that I would not be able to function. I should have been more concerned with the choppy, nasty, ucky waves that were slapping me in the face for the entire swim!! O.K., I am slightly dramatic . . . it was really only 2/3 to 3/4 of the swim! Seriously, it was a difficult swim & definitely was more demanding of my energy. I was 6 mins. slower on the swim. And it wasn't just me: everyone of my peeps - Vit, H.R. and me - was slower!

When I got out of the water, I felt beat up . . . not really tired, but like, "Who the hell pissed off the ocean god" - Oceanus is his name . . . I think - "& made that swim a churning stew of hell?"

I got over that & made it to T1 . . . where I was FREEZING my ass off. I had a lovely time wrestling with my arm warmers and socks to get them on my body. My hands were little icicles. I actually had a really fun time with Lola & The Queen looking on & taking a ton of pictures of every facial expression imaginable. I kept thinking that my time in transition must be bordering on "way too friggin' long." As it turns out, it was!! Like 5 mins. or so. Hilarious! I love that.

The bike was as wonderful a roller coaster of ups & downs as I remember from last time. I did take extra care on the downhills & rode strong in the saddle on the ups. I managed to shave off 2 mins. from before. Not as much as I'd hoped for, but I felt strong. And, that is really all I can ask for. Well, I would like some diamond solitaire earrings!!

Off the bike onto my favorite part - the run. My T2 time was about the same, no biggie.

The special thing on the run for me . . . a first of firsts . . . I ran - RAN - all my miles!

I have never, ever, ever done that. Never ran 10 miles. Never ran 6 miles. Never really ran consecutive miles without walking some of them. Never. Ever.

And, I felt mostly pretty good.

I was quite thrilled to see Vit early on in the run, which meant he was hauling ass. He was having a great day & I was happy to see that he was almost done!

Son of a bitch!


I mean - I love that guy!!!!!!

H.R. was a bit further back, but he looked happy & strong.

All in all, I took 15 mins. off my running time from 2008. w00t w000t!

Now if we can get back the extra-long time from the swim & T1 . . .

My final time has not been posted, but I know I was somewhere around 4:43-and-change-ish.

Happy to be done with all this mishigas - it was time for . . . say it with me . . .

COCKTAILS & CUPCAKES!!!





That's right. On to lunch with everyone & then dessert, baby.

For now, I am resting after a 500-yd. swim this morning & a rest day tomorrow - then back to the Ironman training. I believe we have 12 weeks to go!! I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

So for now, keep on keeping on . . . wear your helmets when you ride & remember to always laugh at your friends in front of their face! Not in a mean way, but in a "life is too short, let's have some G-D fun!!" way.

Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

Vineman Aquabike 7/24 . . .

Yeah I get it, it's been about a month since I did this race, but I must tell you how I did. And, how much fun I had. I think I had fun because I knew I did not have to run 26.2 miles after the 2.4 mile swim & 112 mile bike ride!!! Not that it wasn't nerve-wracking for me! And not to say that it wasn't difficult - only it was kinda nice to know that when I got off that bike - I was DONE, baby!

So, here is a little race report:

Got up nice & early, had a bit of coffee & a peanut butter sandwich with agave sweetener. Made sure I had all my gear ready & we headed down to the Russian River.

It was a kinda cold, muggy & misty morning. I get into transition and set up - the usual - except for the running gear!! Then it was time for the Porta-Potty line . . . more than once. I hate that freaking line. I would love my own private bathroom with aromatherapy candles & running water with nice-smelling soap! Right? I know, I would never come out - the race would start & I would be on the pot, sitting there reading Triathlete magazine!!

Anywho, the water temp was supposedly around 68 degrees & I had decided on a sleeveless wetsuit. My wave went at 6:55 a.m., and let me tell you . . . my wave went @ 6:55 a.m. The race organizers really were on the mark with their start times. We got in the water & off we went!! Everyone was hootin' & hollerin' about, "Yeah, let's go!" and, "Go get 'em!" and then the gun goes off & we start swimming. As you know, this involves hitting, kicking & gnashing of teeth. You are gonna get hit in the face!! Deal with it!!! Apparently, no one told the guy in front of me . . . baby! And, I did apologize.

The swim went well. I felt strong, I found a nice line & just swam. There were parts of the river that were shallow & people were walking. I stood up once to pee. I just can't pee & swim at the same time. I did start noticing my arms getting cold on the 2nd loop of the swim. But other than that I was good.

Out of the water, I ran into transition & I was absolutely freezing! Shaking, teeth chattering, frozen-to-the-bone COLD. I managed to get my wetsuit down to my ankles, but I had to get my arm warmers on 1st! Then off came the rest of my wetsuit. I was able to put all my gear into a bag & pass it off to my hubby, so I did that. On the bike, we were able to mount at the bottom of the hill. No way that was gonna happen for me without falling over. I was way too cold. So, I walked up the hill, got on & off I rode.

Not much to say about the bike. Nice scenery. Rolling hills. Roads that were not that great. A couple of hills - Chalk Hill - two times. And some rolling hills just for fun. It did start to warm up, but never got really hot. I did, at times, feel like getting off the bike & asking someone to give me a neck massage. That's normal, right?

I also felt like getting off my bike & putting on ten layers of chamois. My girlie bits just needed a break. But, I pressed on & finished strong. In fact, coming down the finish "chute" I was up out of my saddle because I was excited to be done & I wanted out of my saddle. There was a woman in front of me on her bike & my husband thought I was trying to beat her to the finish line. I did not even see her!!

The only issue I had with this Aquabike was we had to dismount 20 feet before the finish line and run across with the bike. After all, there was a full Ironman going on & others had to do the run! So it felt a bit "uneventful" crossing the finish line. On the other hand . . . I was done.

And that felt good. As a matter of fact, I felt good. Not too beat up. I even tried to do a bit of running back to the car . . . eh, not so much.

Overall, the race went well. The support along the course was fantastic & luckily the day was not terribly hot.

Overall, very happy to have this under my belt. Very happy to have my hubby there along the way to support me - and, of course, the support from friends & family back at home.

OH, let's not forget the best part of the day . . . the 32-oz. beer at the end!

CHEERS.

Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

Let me take you down . . .

because I went to Strawberry Fields! Well, it was actually a sprint triathlon, but it was Strawberry Fields all the same. A bunch of us had decided it would be fun to all get together & do a triathlon. Most of my peeps signed up for the Olympic distance, but seeing as this was my first tri of the year AND I am just starting my official IMAZ training program, I signed up for the sprint. This was gonna be fun!! Vit, G-Money, H.R., Wriggle Worm & Help Me were all gonna be there.

I was my usual excited & nervous all at the same time. I am not a huge fan or even a small fan of ocean swimming. So, that was not thrilling me. The swim was only 400 meters. In reality, it was only approx. 300, at best. But, the water was cold & I ended up swimming the whole time with my head out of the water. The entire swim took me 5-plus mins. with the run up the beach into transition taking 4-plus minutes all by itself. So, it appears as though my swim time is over 9 minutes!! Oh, well. I felt like I was finally getting used to the cold water - it was time to get out.

Got my bike, out onto the course & felt pretty good. It was just barely over 11 miles. That took me 38 mins. I was happy with my ride because I felt nice & strong. Hell, it's 11 miles . . . even I can push it a little bit!!

Back into T2, got my running gear on & off I went . . . again, I was feeling pretty good. When I exited the transition area I saw Wriggle Worm (who had on his "game face") and Vit as they were coming into T1 for the Olympic event. I was so excited. I tried to give a little high five to Vit. I missed. When I turned to continue my run, I caught an edge on the concrete aggregate on which I was running & I hit the ground - HARD! My visor fell off, I scraped my hand, my right knee, my right hip, right side - basically. Spectators around me gasped & asked if I was okay. I jumped up & said, "Oh, I do this all the time!"




In actuality, I felt kinda disoriented. I thought I ripped my tri shorts & was mostly concerned about that. When I looked at my right hand it was just a big ball of dripping blood. I did not know if I should cry, stop or what???

I saw my hubby & Lola, showed them what happened . . . and decided to just do the 5K run. I had enough adrenaline on board that my hand did not hurt until after the race.





So, I rolled my hand into a fist & was happy with my 12 min/miles. For me, this is good.

My overall time was slower than I would have liked, but given that I did feel good & did have a potty break - I am gonna take it & shut up. Good job, me!!!!


Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

Set up like a bowling pin, knocked down gets to wearing thin . . .

Dude, every time I get one step closer, I get knocked back down. I hate to sound like a whiny-ass titty baby (WATB - for future reference) BUT, it just pisses me off.

I had this great training schedule planned for the 4th of July weekend. I was going to start out with a nice long bike ride on Saturday, then have a big, long swim on Sunday, followed by the usual 4th hoopla & then another ride on Monday. This would set me up for the four weeks out from my Aquabike. I had this all planned out and I was feeling good . . . until 2 a.m. on Saturday morning!!

That's when I was struck with a nasty stomach bug. I thought I was dreaming that I had a horrible stomach ache & had to puke - when in actuality, I DID have a horrible stomach ache & I DID puke!!

Oh my goodness, was I in pain. Then a few hours later . . . came the other end. You know what I'm talking about. And NO, I am not sorry about the visual!!!

Needless to say, all my training plans flew out the window (with the exception of an hour-and-a-half on the bike trainer with Vit that we did Monday).

I was sad that I had to miss a 75-mile ride with G-Money & Wriggle Worm on Sat morning. :-(

Whatever this viral bug was/is . . . it really kicked my ass - hahahaha - seriously.

Ya know, I know that some people have a lot of other crap (hahahaha again) that they go thru in their training & I wonder if they feel the same way? I don't feel sorry for myself, but it does get me down a bit. Because the progress is there, then I feel like a roll backward.

Just frustrating. But, gotta keep pushing forward & keep looking at my goal - yeah, I say it A LOT . . . and I will keep saying it. For myself, mostly.

Thanks for listening & reading. Time for me to trot along now (that's for you, Vit).

Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

I am such a mental case . . .

When I first decided to do a triathlon I just thought there would be a swim, a bike & a run. No big deal, right? Well, I've since found there is a 4th aspect to triathlon, which is nutrition. The longer distance you do, the more attention you need to pay to what you put into your body relative to your output; you will burn more than you should put back in to your body.

I really only did sprint triathlons until I jumped up to the Santa Barbara Long Course - I completely skipped an Olympic-distance event altogether (by the way, I am way off course of my thought process here, but bear with me . . . ) so my nutrition did have to change somewhat. It mostly had to change because I was essentially training for an Ironman, but I wasn't "training for an Ironman"! I was just hanging out with some of my favorite people on the planet, who happened to be actually training for an Ironman. So, if I wanted to hang with them . . . then this was what I had to do!

Thus I learned that nutrition was a major part of my triathlon life & I had to pay very close attention to it.

What I did not really have to pay close attention to was the mental aspect of all of it.

For instance, let's say Vit & G-Money had a 6 a.m. training swim of 4,500 yds. Well, I would much rather sleep in or maybe just swim 3,400 yds instead . . . after all, I was not training for anything in particular.

Don't get me wrong; I did 6-7 hour bike rides, swam & even did long runs. But there were definitely days I would take a "pass."

Well, now there are no "passes" to be had. There are no sleep-ins & no short swims. There is only hardcore, nitty gritty, teeth-gnashing pain & suffering!!!!

O.K. . . . maybe not so much all pain & suffering, but let's face facts: some days are just downright tough. Some days require all of my concentration to remind me of what my "big picture" is: What is this all for? I signed up for this & I need to be enjoying every minute of it. The good - the bad - the ugly.

Recently I read in one of my triathlete magazines that we should work on "quieting our mind" - this way our muscles can focus on working. I have been able to do this. It works pretty well. Except for the one tiny problem that I have . . . I can't seem to shut my mind up for very long!! I pretty much talk constantly to myself - both out loud & in my head. I will sing songs to myself. I will tell my legs to keep on moving to get up the hill. You name it & I tell it to myself.

When I get really ticked off, go ahead and try honking at me . . . I dare ya!

Seriously, the 5th aspect of triathlon is fo sho the mental training it takes to get to race day - let alone what it takes on race day. I have never done a full Ironman but I have done a 70.3. And there were parts of the race where I felt like I was going a little cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.

Today I trained indoors on my bike with Coach Troy. We rode in Louisville, Ky. It was a lovely day. We rode 3 hours, 26 minutes for a total of 75 miles. (Sure wish I could do that on the street!) My BFFTPFL Vit was out of town so I was on my own, which is good training since he will not be by my side during my Ironman. It started out a bit shaky, eased up, then I had to pee, got OK again, I tried to quiet my mind, that lasted a few minutes, tried different hand positions, peed again, drank, took nutrition, etc. In other words: I really had to mentally push myself to get through this one. I did it & felt really good in the end. (Well, not "the end" - if ya know what I mean . . . )

I know there are going to be a lot more days like this - especially as the training really starts to increase. I am still unable to run due to that dang ankle injury, but I am doing physical therapy & started aquajogging. Keep your fingers crossed.

I am going to be paying close attention to keeping my mind quiet & working on my mental training. I can see that it is ULTRA important, so it will be worth the investment of time - and in my case, energy - to work at SHUTTING UP!!!! and just training.

Let's get to it . . .

Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

Haiku - actually a LAIKU ("like" a haiku) - to you. . .

Let's do the Mud Run
I made it just half a mile
Then I rolled my ankle.

I missed the dirt hole
only to roll into another dirt hole
where I rolled my ankle

It all happened so fast
I could not believe what just occurred
Landed hard on my knee

Got up took two steps
Realized quick it was not gonna happen
Said just go without me

Turned quick on my heels
Had to go against the other runners
To make it outta there

The tears started to roll
Been two straight years in a row
This run has injured me

I have taken an oath
To never return to this race again
Except as an enthusiastic spectator

There are things to do
Much bigger fish that I must fry
To get to Ironman Arizona!


Much Peace & Love,
TracerX

OMG, Where has the time gone? . . .

I don't think I can even re-cap what has happened since my last post, which was Sunday 4/25. On Monday 4/26, I woke up to get ready for work. Did the usual - ate breakfast, got my lunch ready, took a shower. After my shower I had a bit of time, so I sat down on the couch to use the computer for a few minutes, when all of a sudden I had a feeling of being "really, really" tired . . . and that is all I remember!

I had a period of 30 minutes of no memory. Next thing I recall, I was in the E.R. @ Holy Cross Hospital & a nurse was sticking a needle in my arm to draw blood. I do kinda recall being in the waiting room & seeing a television & asking, "Why are there two guys and two telephones on the TV?"

So, I guess what happened is I just passed out . . . ??? My hubby found me with my head back, mouth open & just out like a freaking light. He got me up, into the bedroom, got me dressed & into the car . . . to the E.R.

He did not call 911 because apparently I was responsive, even though my speech was slurred, I was seeing double & could not walk.

I don't even want to get into the whole entire thing - suffice it to say that after 2 1/2 days in the hospital, tons of expensive tests & consultations with different doctors, all they found was an "cortical irritation in the left frontal lobe." That is what the EEG showed. So, not really quite a seizure, but not quite sure what the hell it is?? They decided to put me on a medication that helps with migraine headaches - which I do get - and also is for seizures.

The good news: the treadmill stress test I did was so normal that the doctor was just bored waiting for my heart to do something exciting. Way too normal!!

So there was no stroke, no other cardiovascular disease & no electrolyte imbalance.

I personally believe that it was stress. I suppose you know that stress does kill. Or maybe, like Vit says, I just needed a 3-day nap. In the hospital.

After all, when we got back from Italy, I had horrible jet lag for over a week. Then we had some family "issues" & finally there was the loss of a really great person in my life.

What do you mean, stress? I did not feel stressed. I felt fine, in fact. Or maybe I needed a 3-day nap - in the hospital.

GO BIG OR GO HOME!

Since then I have felt fine. No other episodes. I have been trying to listen to my body. When it is tired after work - I will take a little nap & rest before my workout. (By the way, I did take the week off of workouts per doctor's orders . . . )

I am trying to train smarter, take my vitamins and eat really healthy - even if that means drinking that green powder crap that gives me gas!

There is so much more to talk about, but for now . . .

Much Peace & Love,
TracerX