My Lucky Day!

Today was one of those days, everything just came together! Even if I only slept 4 hours to be up at 4 a.m. for a trip down to Denver to race Barkin Dog. I went early to help out with registration and needed to be there by 5.30, hence the early rise. I now know that it gets light out by 5.30 already! Good to know. Today would mark Brandon's first multi-sport race as well, and since he was super excited, he could barely sleep last night. We downed a cup-o-joe each and had a lil breakie and headed out the door. Once at the race site, people were already arriving- at 5:30 a.m.- for a duathlon! Granted it was an early start with the first wave going off at 7.15, but come on! Anyways, after throwing on my ski jacket because it was rather chilly out, I helped out handing out t-shirts to participants for about an hour and then headed on a short warm-up, interrupted with about 5 potty breaks in various public spots around the start area...and oh yeah, I was awarded start number 1!

Elite men and women were to go off first, followed by men 34 and under 2 mins later. (Brandon's wave, I held him off until the bike...whew) The gun went off and people started running like they were doing a mile on the track. I started laughing inside at the insane pace that was being set, but then realized that if I didn't want to get thrown off the back, I'd better hang on for dear life. As is always the case with the pro start consisting of men and women, we all went out at the men's pace, which happened to be 4.30 pace. After about 1/2 mile things were finally stringing out and the women had formed their own pace line with a newcomer gazelle-like runner up front, Jocelyn a few seconds behind, then me another couple seconds back and then the rest of the women. I went through the first mile in 5.30, the two girls ahead of me, in who knows what. I'm not going to lie, that first run hurt like a mother, I had stars flashing in front of my eyes a few times,and my mind starting to separate from my body in order to ignore the pain. We finally reached transition, I was about 30 secs faster than last year at this point.

Heading out in third position,I was looking forward to the bike today especially because I was using race wheels for the first time ever! I definitely have changed my mind about racing technology and will never write it off again! I could tell those wheels made a difference, and I can't believe I have been racing on my heavy training wheels this WHOLE time! I ended up only a minute faster than last year on the bike leg but like to think the winds were a little tougher this time around, as I still somehow managed the fastest overall bike split. I passed the run leader just a few miles in and then worked up towards the leader and we played cat and mouse for a bit before I pulled ahead into T2 first.

I wasn't sure my legs still wanted to go, but once I put my running shoes back on, they felt completely fine and I was off for the second 5k. Fighting the ol' pain threshold one more time I crossed the line first and immediately began to dry heave, something that has not happened to me before. I was greeted at the finish by Brandon , who in his first multisport race ever, had already been waiting there for me for about 6 minutes... I am very proud of him, he had the third fastest overall bike split incl. pros, and was the fastest amateur of the day! I would say someone has a bright racing future ahead! Congrats to everyone who raced today and major props as well to Brandon's fellow Fleet Feet team members (and neighbor/blogworld buddy) KK and (lane mates) Kevin and Oier, who did amazing! Both had podium finishes and flew along the course! I went 2 mins faster than last year, and could possibly have set a course record but will need to check on that with the RD to confirm. I'm pretty sure the men's winner set one, he completed the 5k/18mi/5k in one hour and eleven minutes! At altitude! CRAZY!

After the race we stopped at Littleton Cyclery to pick up a few things for my bike, including a super-sweet new Tri saddle, some nutrition from Hammer, and a special gift- a Giro aero helmet! As if this wasn't overwhelming enough, I came home to two more packages waiting at my door from K-Swiss. Yay for presents! I felt like a kid on xmas morning! If you are ever in the area, please check out the bike shop in Littleton. They have an amazing display of products and a super nice staff! I can't wait to try out the new kicks. Hopefully I'll be racing in them next weekend at Columbia, along with the new helmet if I figure out how to put it on without cutting my ears off, haha!

Now off to rest my throbbing legs. 7 days to go until I race again!

You Know It's Almost Summer When:

you get a nice sunburn on your ride despite putting sunscreen on, the bees and bugs are out in full force, the annual long ride craving of Mtn Dew has hit, salt deposits on your skin after runs and rides, and feeling downright HOT (as in temperature) when riding and running. Yep, we hit 80+ degrees today and it prompted me to hit up the creek to soak my legs for the first time this year. And surprisingly, the water wasn't all that bad! I lasted 10 mins and could have stayed longer. After the beatings my legs have taken over the past several days, this was much more welcomed than a dip in the pool (which btw, is also becoming warmer, and that's a good thing for those night swims) And surprisingly when the weather gets nicer (as in warmer and sunny) I can somehow handle and deal with the wind that still seems to be blowing. I have made a deal with myself to not let it win the battle, and I am taking successful small steps in conquering those fears of flying into the road with an unexpected gust.

For example, yesterday B and his friend Allen (who was visiting from sea level) and I went for (my longest so far this year!) a ride up to Raymond/Ward, which is nestled up at around 9000ft. Going up the canyon in Lyons was Sufferfest 101 with headwinds blowing right at me, and me huffing and puffing uphill like I hadn't exercised in years.Making faces in the wind

After we made the turnoff to Raymond, things calmed down a bit and we took a break at a lovely (but creepy at the same time) little rest stop (where a cash register doesn't exist and you are rung up by items written on a piece of paper and added up, hey good way to keep those math skills sharp) where I indulged in one of my favorite long ride pick-me-ups- Mtn Dew. Per my own concoction, I watered it down in my bottle so it wouldn't explode and dutifully sipped as we kept climbing. Low and behold I actually started to kick ass on the second long climb over to Ward. So while soda may not be the healthiest energy replacement choice, it sure does the trick for me; I'll be sure to include a can in my next special needs bag!
Cruising Up

Anyways, back to the winds. Once we hit the descent in Ward, crosswinds sent my bike into a shimmy frenzy on the steepest part right after the old convenience store. I grabbed my brakes so tight that my wrists and lower forearms are sore today, and came to a dead stop to compose myself. Then after some positive self-talk I clipped back in and held on for dear life. Luckily I made it all the way down without a scratch, but my arms got a nice workout. On Top of Peak to Peak Hwy with a mountain of snow behind us

On the racing front I have a busy 3 weeks coming up as I am warming up with the annual Barking Dog Duathlon this weekend and then try my luck at my first official pro triathlon in Columbia, MD next weekend. Check out the starting list here!
I hope to somehow be able to calm my nerves enough to do OK... Then on Memorial Day I'll run the Annual Bolder Boulder with B, who will probably kick my butt, as he has in the past 10K, but at least I get to represent with an "AG Champion" Tech Shirt! Not sure if I'll actually wear it, it would kinda be like a target on my back, no? And then June will bring about Boise 70.3, a race I cannot wait for because it will be my mom's and Mark's first triathlon, as well as B's first half.

In other news, exciting things are finally happening with a lighter than 25lb bike! I can't wait for the new arrival! Hopefully I'll learn how to ride it quickly! Some new running shoes should be on the way as well, my feet and legs are sure screaming for them! Hope spring has sprung where you are, because it's just so nice not to freeze! :-)

Gloomy, Perfect XC Running Weather

Only in Boulder can you go from summery 70s and sun to misty, grey and cold 30s, in a day. It was nice pretending it was summer for the past two days, riding in nothing but spandex and jersey and running in shorts. Well, this morning it was back to tights, jacket, hat and gloves. It feels like the clouds are resting on the grass at the foot of the mountains, it's so foggy that when you get up just a little bit, all visibility is lost. Since riding in this would truly be a test of ultimate HTFU, and I don't believe I could comfortably make it over 2 hours before becoming hypothermic (maybe I should invest in a rainproof jacket after all) I pushed my long run forward to today, since I'd much rather endure cold wetness while moving around on two legs, rather than two wheels.

As soon as I opened the front door I was greeted by a lovely light rain. My first thought was "$h!t, this will suck, I hate being wet and cold", but since I really had no other choice and would never ever, unless it was thunderstorming or blizzarding out, run on the treadmill at free will, bundled up once more for the first day of May. After about 10 mins my thighs turned cold and somewhat numb from being soaked in my tights. Soon thereafter my ears got cold (should have worn a headband instead of just a cap) and the gloves on my hands turned damp as well. Thoughts began to cross my mind how I could justify cutting my run short. I made a deal with myself to try and get to 90min and then reevaluate. The misting eventually diminished and although I was soaked through three layers, I kept my body heat up at a comfortable level and finished the run at 2 hrs.

It certainly wasn't a PR day, as the mud around the trails by the rez turns to clay on your shoes on days like this and makes for some interesting added weights. Towards the end of my run I remembered how this type of weather used to be my favorite kind of weather to run and race in. Have I become so soft that I now dread days like this? I used to run in pouring rain, ran my still standing 10k PR in drenching downpour, and ventured out in east coast snowstorms, that had me falling flat on my back a few times, gasping for air (granted, that wasn't so smart, prompting me to look into snow cleats for my shoes in slippery conditions). If I lived in Seattle, I'd have to deal with this on an almost daily basis. Plus, all this moisture we are finally getting, is turning Boulder's landscape into something resembling Ireland!

I wrote a poem for English class my senior year of high school, which was published in the school literary magazine I think. I just found a copy of it in my scrapbook. It was inspired by wet and cold fall afternoons, spent running 5k races in high school. :-) The pictures are from my collegiate running days. Running will always stay my favorite sport, no matter what!
I'm in the middle, Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, NY

Why Do I Run? (Age 16, circa 1997)

You get up early in the morning
To get on the overcrowded, with odor possessed bus,
Just to get to your place of destination,
To run.

You get there and it's cold.
It's cold and it pours and it thunders.
You would much rather stay on the bus now, where it's cuddly and warm,
But you have no choice but to get out in the rain
And run.

As you get ready,
You strip down of all your clothes, against your will,
Losing your warmth,
It's horribly cold,
Your limbs go numb, and yet there is a warm feeling of confidence inside,
To run.

You hear the pistol sound, one, two, three
You start to run in muddy grass, wet puddles,
Mud splashing everywhere,
Mud on your skin, on your clothes,
Your shoes are soaked in water and covered in dirt, yet
You run.

You try to catch up to the front,
only to splash yourself in puddles two feet deep,
and splashing everyone behind you too,
Nevertheless, you keep your form steady,
Long stride, strong arms, moving
Keeping on running.

Halfway through, you think, What for?
Why am I doing this?
This is torture, this is soaking wet shoes, wet clothes and numb skin
All covered in mud
But you can't feel sorry for yourself now,
You got to run.

When you see the finish line, you begin to reach deep within your soul,
To pull out the strength you know is there,
You hear people cheering,
Can't see their faces though, too exhausted to look,
All you have left to do, is to
Run to the end.

You cross the finish line,
In joy of completing the task,
Thinking of nothing else that happened in between,
Only the glory of winning your race,
But then again you ask yourself,
Why do I run?
:-)
Cold and wet at Lehigh (I think)
The look of agony in a XC race
The finish of an apparent painful 1500m.