Mid-July, I am planning to do a 1/2 Ironman triathlon. This means a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, followed by a 13.1-mile run, all in one day, all right after each other! I admit, I get tired thinking about it & realize I still have a lot of training I need to do! I have 3 months, but I know it will go quickly!
I have been using every opportunity and every willing friend to get outside and schedule training rides, swims, and runs! I have actually been enjoying my training. When the rain is pelting me and the wind is blowing me sideways, I try not to curse. When it takes me an entire day to get my nerve up to swim in the Bay, I remind myself, "I get to.." ride, run, and swim!
I have learned, through numerous races and training sessions the humbling effects of training. The body is incredibly efficient and able to be pushed beyond limits. There are days when you toe the line your body will perform wonderfully, and there are other days, where the results are less than ideal. I have been at enough races and training sessions and had my share of ailments, stomach discomforts, regurgitation, loss of toe nails. I've seen body parts (those that should remain "unseen" by people who don't even know your middle name) and bodily fluids that I have become incredibly respectful and humbled by the body and not be surprised by anything I see, feel, hear. Either I can directly relate or I feel a pang of sympathy in my stomach for a person who is struggling.
Still, I do find myself surprised from time to time. In the past few months, I have seen a few things that raised my eyebrow. Though, I do know how incredibly difficult it is to fit training in to life, I think some people just learn how to be creative!
1. While biking, a man (whom I have seen several times), tucks his flip-cell phone into his turbine so that he can bike and chat, all the while keeping both hands free for steering. (He does break one of my bike rules of not wearing a helmet. No, the turbine does not count!) He can exercise and check in on his mom all at the same time.
2. Another biker, I saw, wore a shower cap over his helmet. It was raining that day. Whatever works, man!
3. I saw the "Easter Bunny" on a bike in the park. Hey, some days you have to work & you still need to get your training ride in!
4. The same morning as I saw the Easter Bunny, I also saw a man holding a huge boa constrictor, like the kind you see at the zoo...huge. I guess even boa constrictors like exercise!
5. And maybe the award for multi-tasking goes to the typical San Francisco woman, in the park, pushing her kid in a stroller, one hand holds her cell phone and the dog leash and the other hand pushes the stroller and holds a latte!
Still, I have learned not to judge. I guess, I could be any of the 5 above, with the exception of a being man wearing turbine and the fact that I think I would get a dog before a snake. I am sure I have looked ridiculous doing or wearing something(hmmm...my 25 pound backpack!) while training that have raised a few eyebrows.
So, here's to pushing your body to new limits and fitting training sessions into a crazy life--doing it with style and grace, and when you can't, just doing it anyway!
This morning, after our coffee, my parents, brother & I took a ride to our cabin. The road is not plowed all of the way, so we parked and walked the rest. Snow was probably at least 2' deep. The trees were frosty & beautiful and it was so serene; it was much so fun to be outside!
My brother came to SF the beginning of November. He hadn't been since August 2009, so I had a lot to show him. We rented him a bike from Sports Basement and we explored the city. We met my friends for happy hour at a fun German restaurant/bar, Suppenkuche, and the next morning for a spin around Paradise Loop. Last time Greg came, I think we ate every meal at a taquaria in the Mission; this time, we expanded our horizons and neighborhoods. I ran a 1/2 marathon on Sunday morning in the rain, which, of course, meant Greg had to watch it in the rain. He was a good sport, though. 
Last weekend, it was my turn to plan the birthday ride. Lucky for me, Mags shares the same birthday month, so we had double the fun! I thought it'd be funny for us to wear fake mustaches, which lasted for all of about 20 minutes due to sweat and hydration needs. We tried to act "normal" when we saw other bikers, but the reactions we got were hilarious. There is nothing "normal" about 6 women wearing mustaches. My brother was out for the weekend, and being a good sport, participated in the fun. His mustache was white, so it contrasted nicely with his reddish beard.
As you may have noticed by now, I love to bike. I try to get out a few times each week--by myself or with friends. It's great exercise, a stress reliever (usually--see Tourist post!), it's a quick way to get out of the city, and I get to hang out with friends--and meet new. It's a party in 4 hours--only I feel good afterward! I have met some of my closest friends in the city through bike rides and/or other cyclists. I have gotten pretty good at navigating through the North Bay, right across the Golden Gate Bridge. Though, I still could get us lost! The sights are amazing--homes on cliff-sides, views up the coastline, wild turkeys & deer, prairie, redwoods, beach! We join a few thousand other cyclists out on any given day.
When the window boxes didn't work out as I had hoped, I got myself on every list for a garden plot I could find and hoped for the best. Plots are hard to come by, and I had heard I might have to wait up to 5 years (for the popular gardens)! In my new plot, I planted tomatoes, peppers, arugula, lettuce, rosemary, and basil.
A few days later, I decided to finish my run at the garden, so I could water. I fell on my way. Tripped on what? I don't know. Just totally wiped out, right in front of a cafe too, of course. So, I hope all of the "incidents" are out of the way with my garden! Now, I just need nice warm weather for my little plants!
Earlier this month, I headed to Colorado for friends' wedding. My first stop was in Denver, well because I landed there, but also to hang out with my aunt and cousin and her husband. My first day, we shopped along Pearl Street and ate yummy Indian food. My cousin and her husband recently bought a new house, which they have likened to the house in the movie Money Pit. The day I was there, we hung around the house waiting for the refrigerator-repair man, who never showed up or called!
My friends' wedding was in Estes Park, CO. One of the pair had grown up in CO and had a family cabin in Estes, which sat up on a mountain and had an incredible view of the town and Rocky Mountain National Park. The rehearsal dinner was at the cabin and brought together friends and family. The wedding, at a beautiful resort in town, drew on the couple's backgrounds--and included Jewish prayers during the ceremony and dancing at the reception. Friends of the pair formed a quartet and played during the ceremony and before dinner. The couple's first dance was the tango. It was a fun, festive wedding.
Yesterday morning, I ran the Double Dipsea, a crazy trail run that begins in Marin at Stinson Beach, goes to Mill Valley and back! It is 13.6 miles & 1400' elevation change of stairs, trail, roots, forest, prairie, & crazy hills. I absolutely loved every moment of it! Well, the last 2 miles were a little rough, but I think that was mostly because my legs had taken enough pounding and were close to exhaustion. I felt like I was "playing" the entire time, just running through the woods.
It is a handicap race, so depending upon age and gender, everyone started in a wave, based on a specified "handicap." I am still trying to figure out exactly what this means, but basically, while the waves help to spread the runners out, they also create gaps between the very old and very young runners and the speedy middle-agers. The winner of the race is the first person across the finish line. The clock begins when the last wave leaves the starting line, so essentially, the women's group that went out an hour prior had no "time" until that last group left Stinson Beach. Everyone tries to catch the runners from the waves in front, and if someone is really quick, he/she can try to catch the first wave, to win the race.
