We will see if I am claustrophobic!

One month later..

It's been about a month since IM CdA and I've done a total of 2 workouts. Wait.. let me think. Yes, that is correct.. two! A friend of mine is moving to Switzerland next month so I went on a send off ride with him..not long about 45 miles that day but after hour 2.. I felt the same sharp pain digging on the tendons behind my knee that I felt at CdA. At CdA, it appeared at about 2 hours into the bike and it was the same on the send off ride.

Was the pain a factor to me stopping my race at CdA? Yes and no. No, because had I been in the right mindset, I would have pushed through the pain because it' supposed to be hard and painful. Yes, because I wasn't in the right mindset to push through that day.. like my coach and I discussed.. I was just burnt out on mental toughness that day...needed more coins in that meter.

Anyway, fast forward to yesterday, went to see my sports chiropractor.. the aide named Jez worked the heck out of my left tendon. Holy moly! I was dancing all over that treatment table while pounding my right leg to distract the pain. Usually, when I am experiencing a whole lot of pain during treatment, I break out in laughter and there was a whole lot f laughter in room 5 yesterday! TDR came in... concerned that the pain has not subsided ..that something isn't healing .. I've been sent to an appointment with the MRI tunnel.

More to come on Monday...

2011- IM Coeur d'Alene

San Francisco gave it a go in this charmed life...

I knew this year was an off year in terms of IM focus but I had to give it go to see what happens. Now I know.. you can force a half ironman but you can't force an ironman. Duh! My day did not really go but the day did not go without entertaining moments...

Swim-- Oh the swim... coach's plan for me here was just to get through it as it appears that we've both given up on my swim. And no I do not stop for a snack on my swims, friends! My best swim was at Canada last year with a 1:30. I swum a 1:48 this year at CdA. 2,430 people started and it was pretty aggressive from beginning to end as the crowds never led up.

WTC- stop over selling your events!! There were many boats out as I took in a whole lot of fumes during the second lap. Finally out.. frozen clawed fingers and all including a twitching pinky for the first time.. what the heck was going on?

A little over eight minutes later.. out of T1 on my bike.

Bike-- Coach's plan was to bike like I didn't have to think about my run..keep my heart rate between 155-165. I executed his plan pretty well during the first half of the bike and was set to PR my IM bike split but mentally, I didn't want to be there racing. I was going to stop at the halfway mark and ride back to the house but instead I kept going hoping it'll get better. Between miles 60-80, I had internal conversations with myself.. asking and answering my own questions.. fun times! I was riding towards mile 81 when I said to myself.. "i am miserable.. what would make me happy?" Then the flashing light came.. in the form of a race support vehicle coming towards me from the opposite direction .. passing by on their way to pick someone up so I waved it down and in goes me too. Riding another 30 miles AND then to have to run a marathon was the absolute last thing I wanted to do so I did what was best for me and I am happy with my decision. I've suffered through 4 IMs consecutively in the last 3 years.. suffering through another one was not in the cards today.

My bike ride did not end without a highlight of a comedic moment though. Bib #2135 and I played cat and mouse for the first part of my bike then the second part, he continuously kept passing me and I would always wonder how he got behind me. By the 5th or 6th time of him passing me... he finally asked, "Hey San Francisco, I have to ask, did you have to use the restroom today?" I looked at him and said, "Yea... on the bike!" Clearly, he has not embraced the peeing on the bike method and probably should with the amount of times he had to stop!

Came back to the house.. coach asked what happened.. I told him I was just miserable and had no desire to be out there racing anymore although I did execute his plan for the first half of bike! Little did he know, I took the "didn't have to think about the run" race plan to a whole new level! He understood as I've had my mental burn out conversation with him before therefore, sympathy hug! He then said, "I noticed you brought your bike home." I said, "The race support people dropped me off here at the house." He nearly choked on his beer in disbelief. I do live a charmed life at times :-) Even when things don't work out.. they don't work out in the most beneficial of ways.

So what is next? I am retiring from IM's indefinitely.

Congrats to my friends who rocked CdA this year!

2011- Wildflower Long Course Race Report

Wildflower Long Course... nothing aerobic about it!

I was convinced that I was not going to race Wildflower this year...I had a spot... I paid for it but I've been a bit down after injuring myself at Oceanside a few weeks back. I've not been able to run much since Oceanside.. I was limited to two 30 min runs and one 45 minute run a week.. I didn't think I could possibly feel good or ready about the WF Long Course.

Tuesday rolls around and I'm thinking.. hm.. maybe? Wednesday rolls around and I'm still thinking about it.. Thursday comes and done.. I'm going!

Race plan given to me by coach was .. swim hard.. ride hard.. and do as much of the run as I can.. he mentioned something about taking as long as 3 hours to run/walk the run if I wanted to.. just make it an aerobic workout. I am thinking,"aerobic workout? Wildflower? what?"

So Saturday arrives.. and here we go...

Swim- 57:30 - sighting was poor... choppy waters with waves constantly over my head which made for taking in more water than i am used to/want to. oh well can't dwell on that now.. have a ride to do!

T1- 3:22- look at that..that might be a PR T1 for me at WF?!

BIke- 3:56:52- oh that bike felt hard.. i felt like i was getting hit with wind most of the day.. head wind.. crosswinds were tough.. no tailwind to be felt. high heart rate through bike ride.. but since coach told me to just ride hard.. i didn't pay attention to heart rate. the crosswinds were a bit scary as i thought the wind would take my wheels out at any given time esp descending. my bike computer wasn't working so i had no idea how fast or slow i was going. scary moment on the bike aside from crosswinds while descending were the big trucks carrying tanks driving into our shoulder lanes.. what the heck tri cal? can't you afford to close the roads for a few hours for the safety of a few thousand people?! Just a thought...!

Moment of the bike.. up nasty grade was where I passed a bunch if folks even prompting a comment from one of the racers I passed, "smooth pedal stroke." Giggle :-)

Bike nutrition- water at water stops otherwise 265 cal bottle infinit per hour.

T2- 3:48

Run- 2:47:05- took it a mile at a time.. wanted to and was expecting to stop after the meadow leading to the top of lynch but nothing was hurting so kept going... i felt a bit lethargic at the beginning of run though.. for the first 1.5 hours i would say. chiro therapy... pre-race massage... took multiple ice baths.. and compression socks on the nights prior to race = calve pain gone! The pit was a lot longer and farther down than I had remembered...

Run nutrition- water/gatorade switched with water/gel but took in more gel than normal because i felt like i needed more.

Overall--7:48:37... 40+ minutes slower than my last Wildflower two years ago but also tougher conditions this year. Here's to the aerobic workout my coach wanted me to get in this weekend... except there was nothing aerobic about Wildflower but I continue to learn through these events! Overall, a fun weekend in the woods, on the race course and catching up with friends old and new.

Next year is the 30th Anniversary of the event... yours truly is happy to say.. I will not be participating!

2011- IM Oceanside 70.3 Race Report

Oceanside 70.3... my favorite 70.3!

Swim- 58:25.. Ugh. That is indeed my longest. swim. ever! And rightly so as I went off course a little bit heading out and with this race, I am always nervous and anticipating the men that starts after me as they’re an aggressive bunch!

T1- 6:07 .. long run along the ramp to my bike..

Bike- 3:39:07- I thought the bike was windy during the entire course today? I kept my ride comfortable just as coach instructed..heart rate stayed in Z3 and was able to keep pace during the entirety of the course especially towards the last stretch. One thing that did surprise me this year was the amount of people walking their bikes up the hill. They’re steep but they’re not THAT steep! One funny moment though… sometime during the first ten miles of the bike, I was braking and at the same time, this bird with a squeaky chirp was chirping by me. Needless to say.. I quickly looked all around my bike thinking, “OMG OMG OMG what’s going on?” And then I realized.. stupid bird!

Bike Nutrition- 2 bottles of 265 cal infinit. Usually I take in 3 but I didn't need it today and I didn't feel like taking it in.. also took water at each water stop.

T2- 2:36 – OMG so happy to be off my bike! I enjoy riding and some days I love it and I used to really love it but there’s something about being at the race where I really just want to get the bike over with!! As I rack my bike, I hear voices cheering for me… I look up and there was coach, B.August and Leisha. Sorta out of it, I asked Coach, “Are you done?” Duh! Clearly! Ha ha. He then said, “Ok.. ready to run hard?” I said,”yes.. wait what does that mean?” I don’t know why I asked that.. I knew what he meant! Ha ha..my entire day’s goal was to PR my run! So off to the run I went.. and by the way.. I believe this is a PR for a T2 time.. might have something to do with the coach looking over your shoulder..

Run- 2:22:09- PR'd by 1:14 from 2009. I found my legs heading out and coming back I put in more effort BUT then I rolled an ankle after the downhill making a right on that flat section by the beach which would be around mile 4.5? My entire day’s goal was to PR the run and I roll an ankle.. ugh! I stepped into one of the cracks and kinda went flying forward ..major bummer. I took a min to get up... took another few to walk it off before continuing the run. I would have liked to PR some more obviously as I felt like I could though numb left ankle and throbbing/swollen/bleeding right knee might have hindered some efforts..

Run nutrition- coke/water - tummy cramp.

Overall- 7:08:24.. I really tried to enjoy as much of the race as I can as I won’t be doing it next year. I enjoyed my time in Oceanside though I felt something was missing from the weekend..motivation maybe? My thoughts on how I feel post race… I feel like I just did a full IM...Ouch! Also.. worth noting... guess how much money I spent at the expo?! That would be $0!! That's right zero! I am sticking to my New Year's Resolution... no more spending money on gear unless I absolutely need it!

Done and done!