2013 Oceanside 70.3 Race Report

I am still smiling from Saturday’s race! After a 2012 season of ups and downs it was a good reminder of how much I love this sport! And it was exactly what I want in a race – good competition and the feeling like I left everything out there on the course. Oceanside 70.3 has become a favorite on the race calendar and this year was no different. When it’s raining in the Pacific Northwest through the winter and I see “race day” on my calendar as early as March, it’s been a good motivator to put in the work and show up ready to not embarrass myself against the fast California girls. It’s always hard to know what race ready fitness will show up on the first race of the year, but that’s part of what makes this event a combination of really exciting + less pressure, because the last time I put a wetsuit on or biked outside in a tank top was in September.

Sydnie and I flew down Wednesday after work and checked into our condo located right on the run course late that night. Thursday we did a little shake out jog, grocery shopped, relaxed, picked up bikes, and checked in at the expo. We were invited, a la Twitter, to attend a lunch hosted by Triathlete Magazine. Thanks to Julia at Triathlon Magazine we got to meet Lesley Patterson and Ben Hoffman and a bunch of industry people (Bonk Breakers, SRAM, Specialized, etc.). We felt a little dorky when people would ask who we were with…”um, Twitter?” but it was a pretty fun time. Kendra, who I met last year in St. George and who would go on to win the W30-34 age group, was there too, so it was also fun to catch up with her. Friday was typical pre-race stuff: easy swim/bike/run, sort race equipment, eat a lot, hang out with teammates, feet up, rest.

After getting set up in transition, it was the waiting game as my age group was off at 7:30 while the pros started at 6:40. It’s kind of frustrating to know how many age groups will be cluttering the swim, bike, and run courses, but you just have to roll with it. Sydnie and I lined up and waited until our wave was ready to swim out to the start line. Countdown to 7:30…boom! Off with the pack. I was very happy with my swim, because unlike last year I stayed right on top off the buoys and felt like I kept a good pace. It was a bit crowded coming back and I had to remind myself a couple times to pick it up rather than settling in behind some of the other waves’ caps. I checked the clock as I got out of the water and I knew it was a swim PR for me. 31:37 – just a side note: all the swim times were pretty fast that day. While I’ll take a good swim time (for me), I’m a bit suspect that it was either a bit short or there was a current in our favor. I came out of the water in 20th place, so yeah, there’s still a lot of swim work to do!

T1 was ugly and slow and after 3 minutes and 50 seconds of running from the boat ramp to the bike racks, taking off my wetsuit, and putting on my gear, I was on my bike. I’m hoping for faster transitions the rest of the year, as these are typically smooth and quick. The bike felt good, not great, I maintained pace, and passed people on the climbs. For my current state of fitness, I biked a respectable 2:44:52. It’s definitely not my fastest bike split, but in an effort to prevent burnout this season and not targeting this as an “A” race, I’ve only put in a couple rides longer than 3 hours in training in 2013. The volume and intensity will pick up over the next couple months, but for now my training was adequate to get me to the start line happy and healthy.

Laser focused and weaving
through AGs on the run

After a quick T1 I was out on the run course. My plan was to start out at a 6:45-6:50 pace, see how I felt in the first 5k and then figure out if that was something I could maintain or just how much I’d have to let up. But within the first half mile, I knew that was too fast. I just felt kind of flat coming off the bike (see above: less than a few longer rides in 2013) and my first few strides told me I’d really have to dig deep. For the first lap I focused on catching Hana from Zoot, which I did and then set our pace for a few miles. When she caught back up to me on the second lap I tried my hardest to drop her. I was weaving through the other age groupers on the Strand and tried fartleks to give myself a gap. But she held on (and later I met Hana at awards and she was really cool and nice). When she passed me on the uphill, I told myself to just worry about your own race. And honestly, that’s all I could do to not blow up. In the last 4 miles I thought about how much I’d regret it if let up or jogged it in. I knew that I wasn’t crushing it and there were still girls to catch, so I looked up the road, zoned in, and tried to pass as many people as I could. I didn’t look at my watch; I wasn’t counting mile markers or places. I don’t think I’ve ever been as focused at the end of a race, as I was on Saturday. Later my teammates made comments to me like, “whoa…you barely even looked up when I saw you out there” or “man, you looked intense.” Sorry; I really did appreciate the support! Even when I hit last 100 meters of the finish chute, I made sure to catch that guy (couldn’t even tell you what he looked like, but I caught him). My run time was 1:33:24 and moved me from 9th off the bike to 5th place in the W30-34 age group for a total finish time of 4:55:12 (originally I was told I moved from 20th to 5th, but that was 20th out of the water). And as a side note: my podium twin (5th place M30-34) was Jenson Button. My boyfriend informed me of this, because he’s a Formula 1 fan; otherwise, I had no idea.

 

Clockwise from top left: With World Champion Lesley Patterson, pre-swim with Sydnie,

Sydnie on the uphill, finish area with Jake, team awards with PauoleSport

 

This wasn’t a PR, but it was close. It was off by about a minute. But, the race was a success for so many other reasons! I finished feeling like I couldn’t give anything more on that day. I know I have potential to go faster, but I’d rather tap into that for my “A” races this year. And more than anything, I had a blast out there. I was a bit nervous going into Saturday’s race after a somewhat difficult 2012 season. And there were several times on the bike that I was smiling and just truly happy to be out there. It was a successful trip and a successful start to the 2013 season! I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings.



View from our condo

Thanks to Sydnie, Kara, Jessie, and Danny for being great housemates for the weekend! Thank you to the ladies at Oiselle who make me feel supported from every facet in life and ready to FLY on race day and to Nuun for keeping me hydrated. Also, a big thanks to coach Jake for flying down to Oceanside to cheer for our team and support PauoleSport.

Active and Catalyst - Activyst!

Do you ever meet those people and think, “Wow! Someday they are going to do something great!” Well, this wasn’t my first impression of my freshman roommate. Sorry Leigh, but it wasn’t; she could definitely say the same for me. Eighteen-year-old girls sometimes need some shell breaking! Leigh and I never had truly philosophical talks in our dorm room, unless it was comparing Philosophy 101 homework (Gonzaga required 4 years of Philosophy classes). We did our homework, played our sports, and went to class. We also went to basketball games, parties, and fun things on campus - typical college freshman stuff. Leigh and I met in August 2000, she was on the tennis team at GU and I was on the golf team. We were friends, but not best friends. We lived together again sophomore year, but after I studied abroad junior year, we drifted apart, as you kind of do in college, but were still close enough on small campus. Years later, Leigh called me up when she was visiting Seattle – married to a fellow Gonzaga Bulldog and finishing up her MBA in Ohio, they were looking for a new city to settle down. As we chatted, sipped our beers, and caught up on life over the past decade, Leigh told me about this new business plan she and her tennis teammate, Katie, were working on. I was immediately intrigued. The concept was fairly simple: sell bags using material made by women in other countries and use a portion of the profit to help girls in those countries play sports. I knew with the hard work, talent, and energy these girls had, the company would become a success. I was lucky enough to watch from its concept stage to the company launch. The information below is from their website and their Indiegogo fundraising page. Check them out!

Activyst is a combination of two words we love - active and catalyst - because when girls are active, it's a catalyst for change in their lives. Our mission is to change the world by helping girls play sports. We do this by creating bold, functional athletic bags that generate funding for girls’ sports organizations worldwide.

 

We're on a mission: to help more girls play sports by creating bold, functional athletic bags for women. Many girls in the word are suffering – teen pregnancy, abuse, chronic disease, illiteracy, depression, and the list goes on.

We’ve spent over a year designing and prototyping to create a bag that meets active women's needs. Collaborating with a former designer for Betsey Johnson and a bagmaker who spent decades at Quiksilver, we focused on functionality and simple, yet fashion-forward design.

 

Our first line is made of macen, used in Activyst’s birthplace of Nicaragua for everything from hammocks, to harvesting coffee, to transporting goods. It's the "material of the people" and we're excited to use it in a new way. Activyst bags are durable, waterproof, have awesome features, and are pretty cute to boot, so you can rock them during all adventures in your everyday active life.

Through bag sales, we fund non-profits providing sports opportunities to girls worldwide. Having worked in international development, we know that each non-profit partner will have unique needs and goals; so we structure bag sales around meeting those specific needs. Their first two projects will partner with Soccer Without Borders.

In other exciting Activyst news, they have just announced their CUSTOM BAG CONTEST. If 4 people from a community (gym/yoga studio/run club/tri team/etc) buy a bag, they will be entered into the contest. The winning team will get to help design a new bag (fabric, color, print) and the bags are named after your studio or team. Activyst will even sell a limited edition of your line on their website. You can read more about it here. I've already entered my triathlon team into the contest and am keeping my fingers crossed for a PauoleSport team bag.

Make sure you check them out, especially the touching video on their Indiegogo site. I just watched it for the at least the tenth time and I still love it. I think sometimes we forget how lucky we are to grow up in an environment where it's common and encouraged to run around and play or bike or swim with friends - girlfriends. I'm surrounded by athletic women everywhere - at work, my closest friends, teammates, my family, my college roommates. And because of that, I believe, I live a more fulfilling and inspired life. Please help spread the word about this budding new company. You can visit their website here.  

 

Half the Distance - 3 Race Reviews

“Half the distance, twice the fun.” That’s often the description of a half marathon. But the cliche I need to use to describe my running-capades so far this year, is “3rd time’s a charm.”

Like many, I found triathlon through my running background. Years ago, my only training was pounding pavement and an occasional spin class. I’d sign up for every marathon within a 50 mile radius and half marathons were always social, enjoyable, tempo runs with friends. But goals have changed and I often find it difficult to toe the line “just for fun.” It’s also hard to plan quality running races around long triathlon training weekends.  So I knew that if I wanted to try and lay down a good 13.1, it had to happen pretty early in the year. The last time I ran a respectable half marathon was two years ago. It was March 2011 and in the words of Jesse Thomas, “I was on FIYAAAH!” In basically a five month span, I set personal bests in the marathon, half marathon, half Ironman, and Ironman. Needless to say, my half mary PR had become a little stale, so in a quest to dust off my 13.1 PR this year, I signed up for three races between December and March. Below, I’ve recapped all of them.

December 2012: Does a Runner sh*t on the Strip? Rock andRoll Las Vegas ½ Marathon 1:48:01 The title probably gives it away. I ran the Rock and Roll 1/2 marathon in Las Vegas and, as you can imagine, it was an afternoon of gastric distress. I’ve always prided myself on having a cast Iron gut and my ability to eat almost anything and still be able to go out for a hard workout. But it was a combination of flu-like symptoms I had that week (more like that month) and whatever they pump through the streets of Las Vegas. I ended up running a 1:48 with a new PR (PW) of 7 porta-potty stops! Luckily, I did my first half marathon in 1998, so my personal worst holds strong with a time I set when I was a teenager and ran in Umbros and a cotton t-shirt. As crappy (literally) as it was to run as far off from my potential, it was no big deal coming in a bit later than I normally do. Besides, it was a fun trip with my friends and my boyfriend ran his first full (non-Ironman) marathon, so that was exciting.

Race review: Typical RNR event – great logistics (running down the Las Vegas strip at night!), tons of people, big expo, great support, Sydnie and I even met Meb, but these events are expensive! I have a hard time stomaching (pun intended) running a half marathon that costs more than $150 – ouch! I can’t say I’d run this one again, for that reason alone. I'll pay that much for a full marathon or a triathlon, but not a half marathon.

February 2013: Go Fast and Take Chances (just like the Oiselle motto) Kaiser Permanente ½ Marathon SF 1:33:09 Gerry (the BF) and I booked our flights to SF the night we got back from Vegas. There were deals on Alaska Airlines, he was amped up on running, and I was seeking a bit of redemption at the half marathon distance. We had some friends to visit and also wanted to run the Kaiser Half the first weekend of February. As things got sorted out in the purchase of my condo, I found out moving day would be February 1 and we’d fly out at 7am on February 2…oh, man. Needless to say, the 48 hours leading up to race day included me carrying dozens of boxes, climbing several flights of stairs, about a thousand squats, one early ass flight, and a lot of added stress. If this race had been an “A” race, I would have been freaking the F out. Luckily, I was taking the approach of, “just see what kind of race you can put together and hang on as long as you can.” Gerry and our friend Tom offered to pace me to mile 8, since neither signed up on time. Through the first 8 miles, we pushed it and I was well on pace to run sub-1:30, but when the guys left my side, I couldn’t maintain the pace. I loafed in the last five miles and finished in 1:33:09. It wasn’t a total crash and burn and I’m glad I took the risk in the first half to try and really push it. The rest of the weekend was a lot of fun catching up with our friends in the Bay area and basking in some Northern Cal rays (our Seattle friends were jealous).

Race Review: If I need a trip back to SF in early February again next year, I will definitely run this race. It’s a net downhill, which can beat up your legs in the last miles, but with good fitness, it could also lead to a fast race. Very well organized start line and finish line, strong field, good price.

March 2013: Don’t Give Up and Don’t Let Up Lake Sammamish ½Marathon 1:26:05. 5th OA Woman The motto that got me through Ironman CdA in 2011 kept me focused through this race. Before Saturday, I went into this race just hoping to run under 90 minutes and put together a solid half marathon that would boost my confidence before Oceanside 70.3. But really, I wanted a shiny new PR. I know most people don’t care or don’t (or at least shouldn’t) judge my merit by my running times. But it’s nice to etch my own little piece of running history.

I felt surprisingly good the whole run and as the miles ticked by I knew I’d have a shot at setting a new PR. I was pleased to see several Oiselle singlets out on the course, as well as the friendliest volunteers from my triathlon team at the first water stop. My first mile was around 6:20 (too fast), then I held steady around 6:25-6:35 for the next 8, miles 10-12 I let up a little (6:42), and then finished with a 6:35 mile. Coach K texted me before the race and reminded me to work hard from start to finish. With that in mind, I knew I had to stay strong and no letting up until the end. The last 1.5 miles were pretty annoying, as they wound around the parking lot of Sammamish State Park (check out my friend Meghan's RR here to see the design of the last mile) and you couldn’t see the finish chute until the last 50 meters, but overall I really liked the course. I met up with Gerry and some other friends at the finish; he had to jog it in with an injury, despite being pretty fit right now. As we walked toward the parking lot, I started lamenting about having no top end in the last couple miles, but quickly shut myself up realizing I’m training for an Ironman, I haven't been running all that much, and I should really just enjoy the moment.

Race Review: A great local race. Small field (capped at 2000, because it’s on a trail), yet still pretty good competition. There weren’t a lot of turns on the course until the last mile and even though it was mostly on trails it didn’t get boring. The start line was a little disorganized, but all other logistics ran smoothly. Good price and nice finish area.

I am pretty happy with this new record for me to chase and bar that I’ve set for myself. Seeing the clock at the finish line gave me a giant smile. It was difficult last year feeling like I had perhaps reached my running potential, but now I’m excited to again try and push these limits and find out what the rest of the year will bring.

Also as a side note, in 2009 and 2010 I dated 2 different guys and both years I ran half mary PRs I got dumped a couple days later! I thought two times in a row was a trend and even called it the "curse of the half marathon." But I don't think I have anything to worry about with Gerry. Everything seems fine and in the past 24 hours we've both made obscure references to the movie "Caddyshack" and I'm reminded how weirdly compatible we are. I think I've broken my curse.

March Madness and the Love of Sport

About a year ago, I posted why I get so sentimental this time of year. I work for the University of Washington and run into college kids daily, but it’s the month of March that I get so nostalgic for my years at Gonzaga and the running partners I met over a decade ago. It’s the month of March that college basketball is highlighted across the country and I truly miss shuffling into an arena, screaming for 40 minutes, going out to parties, drinking from kegs of Kokanee (Spokane is close to Canada), wearing the same Kennel Club shirt as everyone else at school twice a week, and being obsessed with Gonzaga basketball.

It was a big week in college hoops. Gonzaga reached the #1ranking in the AP poll and ESPN poll for the first time in the school’shistory. And while the polls don’t matter enough to actually win games, it’s a significant moment not only for the basketball program, current students, but also the alumni. There was an excellent article written here about the consistency and toughness Gonzaga has endured for over a decade. In 1999 they gained the national spotlight, but they didn’t stop there. They’ve won conference titles and made NCAA tournament appearances year after year. When I was a freshman at GU, the basketball arena had bleachers and it was just a little bigger than my high school gym. The basketball team’s weight room was not only the same weight room as the women’s golf team (on which I played…yes, that’s correct), but the same weight room as every student on campus.

I’m not going to go into some philosophical rant about how Gonzaga made me a better athlete, though the Jesuits sure did like to make sure we had our share of Philosophy classes. But following this team for over a decade makes me appreciate a Cinderella story. I like the fact that their best player chose to redshirt a year to work on his strength and skills and that another one of their starters joined the team as a walk-on. Following Gonzaga basketball makes me respect the work ethic instilled in athletes that don’t have the fanciest gear or the biggest named coaches, but can still rise to the top if they put in the time and are supported by the community that surrounds them.

Best of luck to the Gonzaga basketball team and fans this tournament season! Thank you for the distraction from the sports and training that consume my life the other months of the year. And thank you to all college athletes for providing new excitement and enthusiasm for a sport you love! Go Zags!

Pictures from @GonzagaU Twitter account from top clockwise: #1 outlined at Desmet Hall,
2012-13 Men's team, Kennel Club, outside the student center enjoying #1 cake

Fueling for Health

Disclaimer: this is a very personal post with a lot of detailed ramblings. If you don’t like that kind of thing, you might not like this post.

Pretty much ever since I’ve cared about reading women’s “health” or fashion magazines, I’ve been pumped full of articles about how to make something “healthier” by cutting out calories or carbs. If you’re this tall (5’3”), you should weigh x, and to weigh x, you need to eat y number of calories; y being something low (low enough to be burned in one long bike ride). I only drink regular Coke after a hard training day or on an Ironman course, I’ve opted for naked burritos over flour tortillas (most of the time), and in a way, I’ve subconsciously been brainwashed by every product of false health promises, mostly made up of chemicals and garbage. I’ve never proclaimed being on a “diet,” yet somehow I’ve twisted a lot of material out there into the notion that if you eat “healthier” meaning fewer calories, as long as you don’t starve yourself, you will be faster. A lighter body is a better body for running fast and climbing hills on a bike. But there is a science-y part that we often cannot see or neglect to admit we feel. Or sometimes, we’re just too damn busy or tired or uninterested in making a huge meal for one person to replenish the needs of an endurance athlete. “I could try and eat 900 calories after a full work day and a 15 mile run or I could make a fruit smoothie or some peanut butter toast and go to bed…”

Let me first give a brief history: I struggled with an eating disorder in college and while it never landed me in the hospital or got that extreme, it sucked. I was gaunt, brittle, and probably should have found better help 12 years ago because there is a residual effect, physically and emotionally that is difficult to overcome. It was harder right after college. But now, over a decade later, including many seasons of what I’ve perceived as healthy training and eating, I’d consider myself a pretty average-sized athlete and a long way off from the female athlete triad. I’m petite, but not skinny. I have meat on my bones, but not enough compete as a Clydesdale (if I was a dude). And up until last week, I thought I was a pretty good eater. A basic training weekday with a morning and evening workout might include: 2 breakfasts, lunch, dinner, and snacks throughout the day, probably close to 2600-2800 calories and I’d guess 350-400g of carbohydrates (made up mostly of whole grains, fruits/veggies, dairy, poultry/fish, nuts, and occasional donut/cookie/candy, beer/wine/cocktail). And when people tweet or blog about losing pounds or getting to "race weight," I'm usually kind of annoyed, except my friend Rebecca Kelley, her post was hilarious. Basically, I just don't like the mixed messages out there about how much or little to eat or how much or little to weigh, because it is so different for everybody. But bear with me; I'm hoping to highlight my nutrition mistakes and hopefully encourage you to improve yours or at least consider assessment of your current state.

Over the past couple years I have been under the close watch of Dr. Emily Cooper from Seattle Performance Medicine. I met Dr. Cooper through my coach and I’m fortunate in the fact that she has sponsored me as an athlete since 2011. She has performed multiple VO2 Max tests and ordered blood tests to look at things like insulin, glucose, estrogen, testosterone, leptin, and other hormones that could affect performance, energy, and long-term fertility, should that be an issue down the road. I first met Dr. Cooper in 2008 for a VO2 Max test. My 2008 test indicated good power and speed, great VO2 Max, but low HR, even when maxing out. Years later when she decided to sponsor me, the results were similar, but lower HR. I won’t go into all the science in this post, but based on my low leptin and low HR, my body and brain was still seeing me as somewhat malnourished, like I was when I was that skinny little college girl. And my motivation for improvement was, "if I could get my HR to go up, could my speed and power go up...?"

So in an effort to get my body and brain back on track, Dr. Cooper had me meet with a dietician, Judy Simon MS, RD. I did it somewhat begrudgingly, because at 30 years old and someone who considered themselves pretty healthy, I wasn’t excited about being told what to eat. Up until last week, I basically ate what I thought was healthy and when I was hungry and it seemed to work okay. When I met with Judy, I had completed a normal meal plan using a weekday training day where I had burned approximately 2,000 calories through one 4k swim and one longer bike workout. I had also eaten pretty well that day – close to 2700 kcals via four meals and one large snack. But based on my resting metabolic rate (RMR) of ~2,100 kcal, I should be eating that plus whatever I am burning to maintain proper energy and carbohydrate stores. So, on a day that I have a morning swim and a 2 hour bike, I should eat close to 4,100 calories. I needed about 1,400 more calories, mostly in the form of carbohydrates, and that was on top of a day that I already ate a lot.

So the past couple weeks I’ve been experimenting with trying to eat more. A lot more! The goal is 3200-3500 kcals and 540-590 grams of carbohydrates. It actually probably needs to be more, but this is already a big change. It seems funny, but it’s actually really, really hard. I'm not just going to go out and eat a Cinnabon every morning; I like more wholesome food. I’ve been going through the bananas, bagels, and rice like crazy. And something that I’ve been bad at my entire athletic career, I’m now adding calories to even the short workouts. While I can easily get through an hour run without a gel, I’ve been taking one thirty minutes in or immediately when I get home. Typically the gels, blocks, and drinks have been reserved for long runs or rides, but having them during the short stuff tops off my glycogen levels and helps me sneak in calories (something I never thought I’d try to do.) I’m trying to teach my body to burn carbohydrates and rarely rely on protein stores. I’m also trying to change mentally and think of food as “fuel” and carbohydrates as something that will give me quicker and better energy to complete my workouts and recover.

During the first week, I tried to change things dramatically and it was a bit overwhelming. When I realized I started neglecting some of my favorite fruits and veggies, I had to reassess and adjust. This week I’ve gone back to my old habits, but found ways to add things like an extra slices of wheat bread with lunch and dinner, beans and quinoa to salads, a bagel and strawberry jam as part of my second breakfast, and some fruit juice or an extra PowerBar throughout the day. I gained a couple pounds in the first week, but I was assured it was the result of water retention from extra glycogen stores. Week 2 feels a lot more comfortable. All my workouts have felt pretty strong (I’m not sure if that’s a result of better eating or just training coming around) and I never have that “I’m starving” feeling that I would sometimes get working out all the time.

I’m still a bit reluctant, but I’m giving it a good faith effort for at least a few weeks. And then I realize this will take months to really get this dialed in. I may gain some pounds  initially, but if it means more energy, stronger workouts, and overall better health, it’s worth it. If I could delete the years of reading stupid articles from women’s fashion magazines, I'd replace them with articles from The New England Journal of Medicine or even LAVA or Triathlete. Better yet, I wish I could delete years of improper fueling in my early 20s. Because, if I paid attention to the numbers (and I LOVE math!) I’d realize that like most endurance athletes, I’ve been under-consuming relative the demands of Ironman training.

I’d recommend checking if your insurance coverage includes meeting with a registered dietician or even just paying for it out-of-pocket. Getting nutrition squared away could potentially make a bigger impact than any new training gear or workout kit. It was eye opening for me to have a professional point out something that I probably should have realized all along. Nutrition, like rest and recovery, is just as important as some of your key workouts when it comes to triathlon performance.

Back of a Starbucks Wrapper

Beautiful view of Lake CdA - I would
love this room Ironman weekend

Years ago, my friend Jenn and I had a tradition where we’d drive from Seattle to Coeur d’Alene to run Bloomsday and also have a little weekend getaway. At the time, we both worked in public accounting, so a long weekend in early May, was a much needed respite. Her dad is a manager at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, so he’d get us a fancy room with a view, we’d each have our own comfy bed and pretty much just vegged out, ran, hiked by Lake CdA, sipped wine, visited Gonzaga’s campus, and raced the famous 12k Bloomsday route.

On our drive home in 2005, we decided to list out some “bucket list goals.” And since it was a road trip, the only thing we had to document our list was a greasy Starbucks wrapper. Some were funny, some were serious, some were within reach, while others might take a lifetime to attain. The following years, we’d bring that list along with us and cross off the goals that were reached or add some new ones. As I got more into triathlon, I’d bring my bike on the trip and ride the Ironman course and eventually cross off the goal, “complete an Ironman.” The years wore on, schedules changed, and we’ve stopped making this trip. But we still get together about once a year to update our wrapper. It’s a great touch point for our friendship and fun to see each other reach new heights and make new goals in life.

Here’s a picture of our Starbucks wrapper:

We need to update the list!
Looks like it's been since fall 2010

I made my own list of goals for 2013 and wrote them out on a clean Starbucks pastry wrapper:

Have you written down your goals for the year?
Have you shared them with anyone?

Seven and a half years later, I’m excited to be crossing off another goal this month: buy a condo. I move in tonight! I realize it’s something a lot of my friends have done already. Some of my friends have also bought houses and become doctors or had kids. But it took me time to feel like it was financially the right decision to buy a place on my own and also know that I was comfortable enough in my life to want the constant (golden handcuffs?) of a mortgage. So long dreams of becoming a ski bum or joining the Peace Corp. Oh well, they weren’t on the Starbucks wrapper anyway.

It’s not a big house with a picket fence, backyard, personal maid, and lots of rooms for future rug rats (good grief). But it’s plenty of space for me and my bikes and other sports gear. And maybe someday a +1 and his bikes. It’s smart, clean, simple, has a lovely patio with a view of the Olympic Mountains, and is a short jaunt to Greenlake (perfect for Seattle runners). And it's all mine (with help from the bank.) I’m happy to be crossing this goal of the Starbucks wrapper. I feel more stable, established, and grown-up. It also allows me to start focusing on the 2013 wrapper.

Goals from the bucket list: clockwise from top left - One of the many
sports bra marathons that summer, winning a race and qualifying for
Kona, a peak of the new place, and my first sub-3:15 marathon

Fast Ass 25k "Race" Report

Saturday morning I was smart…dumb…lucky…able (we’ll go with able) enough to run the Tiger Mountain Fat Ass 25k trail run. There was an option to run two loops to make it a 50k, but unless someone paid me a large sum of money that wasn’t in the cards. I ran this “race” a few years ago and liked it so much I wanted to do it again. I love the no frills set up: no pre-registration, no awards, no ugly shirts, no FEE(!!), and somebody brought donuts to the finish. It’s basically show up, write your name down in the notebook, keep track of your own time and then record it at the end. And it’s on the beautiful trails of the Cascade Mountains in the Pacific Northwest. Boom! Check out the map, elevation profile, and course description here.

One of the main reasons I like this event is that the course is mapped out in Christmas tree ornaments and there are enough runners in front or behind you, so you don’t feel lost. I really like trail running, but part of the reason I don’t do it all that much is because: a) I haven’t figured out how to fit it in to a busy IM training schedule, and 2) I don’t like getting lost in the woods. When I run, I often prefer to know where I am and how much longer I have to go.  I know that really isn’t the “Zen runner” mentality, but my neurosis sometimes trumps the free feeling of getting lost. I think I feel “free” enough when I’m pounding the pavement on a route I know and love. Anyway, I digress.

There we were. I convinced a few friends to join me and we all met at the start. Gerry (the BF) and I drove out together and I paired up with my best friend Sydnie to run with me. I figured it was good girl talk time with Syd, since we weren’t planning on running hard and based on the terrain, there’d be a fair amount of hiking. And if Gerry broke up with me because I convinced him to do this stupid ass run, I had a ride home. We had a great start - lots of chatting, nothing too fast, no sprained ankles or wet shoes. About 90 minutes in, we saw some snowy patches. And about 20 minutes later we were on a trail that was covered in at least a foot of old, icy, slippery snow. As inexperienced trail runners we left our Yaktrax at REI (meaning I’ve never considered buying them). That left us walking and sliding for about 45 minutes. Seriously, I wanted a sled or lunch tray or garbage can lid or something. This is where the delirious conversations started (you know, when you’re deep into a long workout), the guy behind us started ranking Sydnie’s falls (there were a lot), and we determined that I would need someone to pay me at least $500 to run a second loop or buy me a new computer + iPad.

After the snowy part, we had about 3.5 miles downhill to the finish. There were some slick parts, but it was mostly fun to be flying downhill and smiling the whole way. We also determined that trail running is made up of mostly “nice old guys” and had a lot of fun chatting it up with them on the downhill. I’m pretty sure Sydnie and I were the 2nd and 3rd women to finish (we finished together), but it’s hard to say with no “official” results. Plus there weren’t many women there, nor did we really care. Gerry was waiting for me at the finish for my finish line hug.

 

We all had a great time and took a pretty good beating to the legs. Check out my favorite post-race video to see examples of how I look gimping around today. Sydnie and I determined that we are, admittedly “Boston Marathon” sore. I did a 45 minute shake out run this morning and pretty much cursed every handicap curb on the sidewalk. No joke. But I’m happy I ran this “race.” It was a good way to dust off some of the off-season, remind myself that I have leg muscles, and just get out for a long, fun workout to jump start the training.