Chrissy Parks

gf cooking - finally something worth the calories!!

2012-02-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

have officially been gluten free for 4 days and am getting sick of soup and rice bread. a gf friend of mine gave me some almond flour and her cook book to try (i've tried cooking with Bob's Red Mill gf flour and it tastes like ass).
i made chocolate chip cookies and actually think they may be the best cookies i've ever had, period.
since i'm in a few days of taper (50km trail race this weekend!!), i have time to blog about important things like food. here's the recipe:

2 1/2 c of almond flour
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 c grapeseed oil (i used coconut oil and will continue to do so)
1/2 c agave nectar
1T vanilla
2/3 c of chocolate chips

mix dry, mix wet, add wet to dry, chill for 20, cook for 8 - 10 @ 350.

the. best. ever.

a warm embrace

2012-01-30T19:28:00.000-08:00

over the last few weeks (and closely related to a number of key training sessions that i thought might kill me), I have started to tune up my mental aspect of the game. even as a young athlete, i recognized the importance of a sound mental game and confidence. i attribute some of my success in previous years to honing in on this confidence and really putting an effort into executing a performance in my mind.
i have realized that without continual practice and training, the mental game can become weak and lost.
after seeing a couple motivating and inspirational movies last week (Bicycle Dreams, Chasing Legends, and Way of the Peaceful Warrior), i have recommitted myself to becoming a sound mental athlete. the one aspect i am focused on currently is the embracement of pain. through a number of discussions with fellow athletes, i've come to realize that i'm somewhat of a pain junkie. all kinds of pain.
it's not that i like the pain itself. it's more about the way my body/mind respond to pain. on an elemental level, i feel alive when i'm testing myself or being pushed to the limit and enjoy the endorphins that flow from it. during my last hard session on the bike, a long trail run and a treadmill session, i really focused on embracing the discomfort. when it got really ugly, i started to think about how this is exactly where i want to go and what i need to feel to become stronger. i wanted it hard, harder if i could. i welcomed the discomfort. we became friends. i wrapped myself up in it like it was a blanket. breathing it in like a warm apple pie. once i stopped fighting the pain and discomfort and accepted it, i was able to allow the workout to accomplish what it was meant to. the numbers on my watch, screen and console didn't mean as much as the effort, feeling and experience. if i gave the workout all that i could in that point of time, i had won and become a better athlete because of it.

pain as experienced in sport is the great equalizer. if you push your body to the limit, you'll feel pain. some end up going a little faster, further or higher in the process, but as long as your droppin' it like it's hot, you're gonna hurt. there are some people that will never experience that.
i couldn't image living any other way. so, if your comfort zone happens to revolve around discomfort, don't worry. You're not alone. I feel your pain.

giving up

2012-01-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

i'm getting older. i still feel young and the fact that i get carded going into R rated movies tells me that i look young too. however, i am noticing that i'm not recovering from the high end workouts as fast as i used to -- and i always thought i was slow to recover in the first place. so, with goals including the words; "best year yet", and "PR", i have realized that i need to fine tune my overall approach. i feel i have a decent training strategy so the next step was to look at my diet... and it wasn't pretty. coincidently around the same time, i watched the movie "Forks over Knives", thus, just before 1/1/12, i 'gave up' meat. following a string of holiday parties and get togethers, i realized i had come to enjoy an alcoholic beverage pretty much every night. it doesn't take a genius to see how that affects performance/recovery but read about it here. so i've given that up too -- for a month (baby steps). on Feb. 22nd (the beginning of lent) i will become gluten free - just to see. i've also decided to give up on cutting my hair... well sort of. i haven't had hair past my chin for over a decade so i said i would grow it until May, then reevaluate. One last thing that i haven't entirely given up but am definitely fazing out..... artificial sweeteners and 'low fat' foods. aspartame is not good for us (it turns into fermaldehyde - hello!).... and artificial anything should be avoided. i'm reading labels and staying natural and organic. for more reasons why, check out this link. Unfortunately, this means no more diet coke (my heart breaks a little every time i say this). It will be hard. Somehow, in the process of all this, i've learned how to cook some pretty yummy items. so on top of the usually swim, bike, run stuff, i'm gonna post some food tidbits too. like this....
breakfast: cored and sliced apples with pancake batter (bob's red mill high fiber with flax seed oil and coconut milk)and real maple syrup tapped from grandma's backyard.

So that's what i'm giving up. Sometimes you gotta go backwards to go forwards.
As for 2012, I have decided to try and kick some booty at a few events in the near future, including the Pemberton 50km trail race, the Old Pueblo 50 miler trail race, and Ironman St. George. Bring it.

Dia de los Muertos

2011-11-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my favorite day of the year. Not my birthday. Not Christmas. Not 4/20. It was the Mexican day of the dead, and that means the All Souls Procession. It is an absolutely magical celebration to remember those who have passed on over the previous year. It is scary, beautiful and emotional. It is a two mile walk/parade in which anyone can dress up for and march. It kicks the crap out of the Macy's Santa Clause parade.
I never remember to take enough pictures, so I've borrowed some from others.

Trail Time

2011-11-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have replaced biking, swimming and road running with time on the trails (see previous post for rationale). Yesterday, I ran 18 miles and it was pure enjoyment. I am getting lost in the beauty of Tucson and find my mind totally clear by the time I'm back to my car. Meditation while gaining incredible fitness. It really doesn't get much better.
There are so many trails that need to be explored and I am sure that I will hit many of them by the time I toe the line for my 50 miler in March. I plan on documenting the process so I'm able relive the experience and make anyone who reads this jealous.
Yesterday was the Bear Canyon/Phoneline loop in Sabino Canyon.
Here's the elevation/ascent profile:

My running partner is Krystle. She's training for her first 50km. She's modelling Zoot(product plug)from TriSports.com

Buckle List

2011-11-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

Three months ago I began mountain biking. Even though I was holding a pretty good 3:1 crash to ride ratio, I was enjoying the challenge and the closeness with nature. I entered a 104 mile mtb race four weeks after getting my bike. It was wonderful, I went kinda fast, and I got one of these for my effort:
It was big, heavy and desired by some fellow riders.
A month later, a friend of mine posted a picture on facebook.

A pretty, shiny, big, and heavy buckle. I inquired; "What do I have to do to get that?" Run 50 miles... in one day. Without really thinking it through, I signed up.
I want that buckle.
Two days ago, the lottery opened for the Leadville 100 mile mtb race. Here's what you get when you cross the finish line:

I put my name in. I want that buckle too.

fur child

2011-07-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

I will celebrate (read: one glass of top shelf tequila and bed by 9:00) my 34th birthday this week. I have no children, and still after years of saying "it's not for me", have no desire to mother a two legged being. I am surrounded by friends/bloggers/facebookers who have families and/or have recently become mothers.
I truly am happy for them and enjoy looking at the snapshots of their lives.
But, I want my moment too.
In March, I had a fur child. His name is Bean. Butter Bean.
He has four legs and is delightful. I only had to change his diapers a couple of times (okay, so it wasn't diapers, it was poop on the floor). And while I do have to come home right after work, I don't need a babysitter if I want to hit happy hour at Blanco on Friday night. He is the best running partner I've had in years and loves me even if I lock him in a den with only a squeeky duck for 10 hours.
I have looked at a million baby pictures in my life time. Never have I replied with a "check out MY baby" and pulled out my phone or facebook.
Well, here it is. A dose of fur baby photos. I've looked at yours. You can check out mine.
He is amazing, even if he does pee like a girl.

my send off to Tammy and Ross Lamb

2011-02-14T16:06:00.000-08:00

“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.”

As one can see from the frequencing of my blog posts, it takes something special to
draw me to the keyboard. This time, it's a way for me to say "good bye" to two of my dear friends.
Tomorrow, Tucson will loose two of it's truly valued members to California. Tammy and Ross Lamb are packing up their life as I type to follow their career ambitions into another state.
Tammy and Ross have made this city a better place. Most certainly for me and I can only guess how many others, but definately more than they could realize.

Tammy, I'm going to miss you a ton. You have been my Tucson rock when I've felt alone and needed a shoulder. Ross, you were always there to share a tequila, beer or glass of wine when it was most necessary. I'm so grateful and thankful for becoming close.
I have already booked my ticket to LA.
xo cp

This year.... and last

2011-02-10T07:50:00.000-08:00

No comments about slacking or the like. I haven't blogged and that's
that.
Not for lack of things to put out there, just couldn't bring myself to
the computer for a full 30 min or so. The world is just spinning
extra fast these days.

Brief synopsis. Last year was one of my worst athletically (results wise), and best personally.
Yes, they can be independant of each other (one of my 2010 life lessons).
I am proud of myself for attempting many things that scared me to death... not so proud of the effort I put into them.
I moved up to a Cat 2 bike racer, raced against the best in world, and promptly got my ass handed back to me.
I raced as a professional triathlete. Trained like a beginner, and got my ass beat by over 2 hours when I lined up beside Chrissie Wellington.
But, regardless of feeling like I would rather be anywhere else by 2000m of the IM AZ swim, I finished what I started. After my first IM dnf in Kona, I decided that as long as the medics allowed my to stay on the course, I would finish everything I started.
So, despite some of my worst results, this grasshopper learned much and grew as a person and athlete.
I am fully committed to 2011 as first, a cyclist on the best Women's 1/2 cycling team in the SW, Trisports Cycling/Eclipse Racing. Then (even though I haven't swam since IM AZ), I will rededicate the summer to tris.
Below is a photo gallery of important events/people that have happened since my last post.... no real order.

I know it's not much, but it's been 30 minutes and for now that's all I've got.

my new love

2010-06-01T20:30:00.000-07:00

I'm in deep.
Who could have known it would turn out like this?
I use to dread time spent on the saddle. Now, I'm looking forward to it like
it's my favorite of the three. How could that be? I'm a runner?
I have been bitten. Bitten by the cycling bug. And the more time I spend riding, the more I realize how much I have to improve.
This year, I became a part of a really great team. Trisports.com/Eclispe cycling.
Yes, I said 'team'. Cycling is actually a team sport. As much as I love triathlon, I have been missing the comradery of a team sport.
a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3pEuFF2VQic/TAXR2amkwLI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/JJrPcq2FLg8/s1600/teaminglobe.jpg">
Last year, I was the AZ cat 4 RR champ. This year, I was the AZ cat 3 champ. Now, I have moved up to be a Cat 2 racer. Now, I will be racing against the pros. I will get my ass kicked. At first.
The rest of this year will be dedicated to Kona. But I also have a goal to become the best cyclist I can and see what comes of it.

Game on!

2010-05-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

Triathlon training has kicked into high gear. Last week, I did 21 hours of training.
Approximately double the previous week. Kona is on the horizon. I know it's still 4 months away. But my body and mind were aching for structure and ready to go. My running and swimming have been taking a back seat to cycling. I've caught the bug.
This past week, I was back on the track and in the pool (once, which is one more time than the week before!). I have always been a runner. Running has always been the one of the three that I didn't complain about doing. Now, I feel like it's a forgotten language. Cycling is where it's at!
Since my last post, 5 million years ago, I have done 3 stage races, a state championship, a road race and a couple of TT's. I have also done one duathlon and a half ironman. All for the fun of it (I think it's always meant to be like that!).

There is too much to tell.
However, I have a few key events on the horizon to motivate me to update my blog....
1. July - Cascade cycling classic, Bend Oregon. A 6 day stage race!! Killer.
2. July - Vineman marathon, California. A week after the stage race!! Killer.
3. Couple of half IM's yet to be determined
4. Kona!!!!!

I have also been involved in the Trisports.com catalogue... keep an eye out!

Speed

2010-02-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not talking about eight balls and movies with buses in them. I'm speaking of the ''move one foot in front of another, while your heart's beating out of your chest, bleeding from the lungs, sweat and spit spilling out of your body while trying to hit a time' kinda' speed. The same kind of speed that seems to have left me in the dust. Now I'm fully aware that speed is a relative term, and that relative to some, I am fast. But, I am also all to aware that relative to some, I am sssssllllllloooooowwwwww (this is especially apparent over short distances). And to 'keep it real', I am actually only comparing myself to......
myself. If I were somehow magically able to race a 13 year old me in a 400, 800 or even 1500 m, I would get my ass kick by mini me.
This realization came about tonight during my first date with the oval for 2010.
The workout was short - too short. This meant one thing, it was to be FAST. On paper it was laughable to this IM athlete. I'm used to doing lots, and lots and lots of repeats, at a slower pace. I've been working on the deisel engine.
With a new goal on the horizon (marathon!) I need to work on getting faster in the shorter races (tee hee).
I did my warm up run to the track - 20 min..... found a bush for a last minute pee, did a couple of pick ups and was ready.... more than ready, I was excited!! I have always felt at home on the track. I was running on an oval long before I had a true appreciation for how much pain it can inflict. Nothing beats a good workout on the track.
The workout was simple: 2 x 400, 1 x 800, 1 x 1600, 1 x 800, 2 x 400.
The first 400s and 800 were to be at a decent clip, but the slowest getting quicker with each repeat. The 1600 was too be close to all out, realizing that I would have to go quicker yet for the next 800 and 400s.
No shocker, I went out too quick. I find running on a track much easier than a treadmill and since all of my speed sessions have been on a treadmill judging speed by my effort was a mistake..... 1:28. Next one went slower. The 800 was comfortable at 3:03. But the 1600 was where the money was at! I dropped it like it was hot, for the first three laps. I hit the third lap in 4:24. Not super but I was stoked. Then, a terrible pain in my chest! Was I having a heart attack? Quick assessment: no pain in my arm, not light headed... guess not. Kept running. Felt like I was running soooo fast! Just 100 left - I swear I could hear chariots of fire. Hit the line in 5:56... dang! I definately thought I would be faster than that! In grade 9 I ran the 1500 in 5:20, 800 in 2:26, the 400 in 60 seconds... today, the fastest 400 I could muster was a 1:22. Lots of work to do..... and I can't wait until next time!

123.6

2010-01-12T04:26:00.000-08:00

Week one of fatty camp has been a success! I can attribute this loss to
a couple of key factors. 1. I have stopped eating 2 chocolate chip cookies everyday at lunch 2. I have stopped eating a lot of chocolate everyday (instead, only eating a little chocolate everyday - baby steps!) 3. We don't have Tim Horton's down here (I love you Tims!) and 4. I used a different scale.
123.6 lbs is a pretty good weight for me. I could probably stand to be around 120 in the early season (I'm 5'4") and then drop a couple more during peak season so I might continue with the tough love towards chocolate. I did however make one rule (so far --- it IS my game, I can therefore make the rules as I go!). Sunday = cheat day. I can have anything I want. I elected for this tasty morsel that I had been eyeing a few days earlier.

No where even close to being as good as my sweet, sweet Timmy's

Right On!!

2010-01-07T06:46:00.000-08:00

The first time I rode to the top of Mt Lemmon I thought, "this would make a kick ass marathon". Mt. Lemmon is some where around 27 miles to the very top. A total gain of over 6000 ft.
Well, someone has done it. It is scheduled for October 17th. One week after Hawaii. I may end up only doing the Half, but I will be running up that mountain!
Anyone? Bueller..... Bueller....

128

2010-01-04T16:31:00.000-08:00

128 lbs. That's how much one of these weigh:

It's also how much this weighs:

And it's how much 10.25 of these weigh:

Now, it is officially how much CP weighs. Damnit.

I have officially reached my target weight gain for the year. Now that I have hit my goal, I can start to work at losing it again. My very own biggest loser.
I have always thought that a key component to reaching your goals was to tell everyone about them. Make yourself accountable to someone other than your training journal and your garmin.
I'm starting my 'program' today. I will weigh myself weekly (yes, I know - it's not the number that counts but it is a gauge), and I will write about it. I also know that it's not realistic to be race weight year round so all I want is to lose 5 - 8 lbs - and hopefully not muscle. Game on.

Two thousand and ten

2010-01-02T17:41:00.000-08:00

Writing from the extremely cold, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
Indicative that I may actually be learning....I have taken a whole 6 weeks of off season this year. I can honestly say that I've never done so little since starting the great sport of triathlon. I've swam TWICE since IM. Biked a handful of times (but those do include a 4:40 and 3:30 ride!) and have been running purely for the enjoyment and clear headedness it brings me. I am now able to say "bring it on!"
I am totally ready and excited for what's to come.
After some discussion with coach, it was decided that it will be necessary to break this year up into sections. Having secured a Kona spot already, I will not have to complete another IM in the same year. Which for me is very good. I have learned that it takes me quite a long time to recover from these events, mentally and physically.
The first part of the year will be dedicated mostly to cycling. I have at couple of stage races that I want to do and this year I will be racing them as a CAT 3!
In the spring the focus will switch to running. I will be targeting the San Diego R & R Marathon the first week in June! I am super pumped. I haven't run a stand alone marathon since 2004. I have some lofty goals.....I'm not gonna' say but here's a hint: it starts with the letter "2".
From then on it's all about Kona.
As part of the official 30 in 30, I did an hour speed session on the tready.
Mile Down: 1 x 1 mile, 2 x 1200m, 3 x 800m, 4 x 400m with a 200m float in between. I wasn't so concerned with my speed as I was with just turning over the legs. It felt great. My body is ready and my mind is willing!

2

2009-12-19T05:34:00.000-08:00

Second run - 72 degrees (that's somewhere over 20 celcius I think). Outside. ITB felt lovely on the dirt trails. Eureka!
36 minutes in the bank. 106 total.
Brought my phone with me and snapped a couple (yes, I stopped my watch for the pics!)

Day uno

2009-12-18T04:27:00.000-08:00

I didn't snap a pic from day one. Had I done so, it would have been the inside of LA Fitness. Even though temps reached the 70's in Tucson - I elected to do a mini hill workout on the tready. Still a little worried about the right ITB. So far so good, but want to make sure and go slow.

Last week, Tucson was a hot bed of excitement for cycling fans. Lance was here with his team putting in some base miles.

My coach, Jimmy (seen here holding his own beside Lance on Mt. Lemmon) is a long time friend of Lance's. While I didn't get to ride with the team and Lance (it IS my off season), I did get to rub elbows with them at an after dinner party (and I mean literally Lance elbowed me in the back at least six times!). I got to meet most of the Radioshack team, including Levi and Popovich and got to share a conversation and a Margarita with Lance! He's okay.

T'is the (off) season!!

2009-12-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

I "heart" the off season. I have never really had any issues with sitting around and doing 'nothing'. For the first time since June, my house is clean, all my laundry is done and I've been able to read a few books.
These are luxuries that fall by the way side when juggling training for an IM and a 40 + hour work week.
It has been close to 4 weeks since my race. I am just now getting on my bike for the first time (Lance is in town, it's enough motivation for me to head out the door and turn on my 'stalker' mode).
I have been swimming once. I have been jogging twice (if 5 and 1's really count).
I have been lifting wts and giving that eliptical hell. Maybe 4 times since IM!!
I've gone out drinking with friends for the first time since I've been in Tucson (I hope no one remembers how long it's been - yes, it's sad).
I've almost read the entire Twilight series in less than a week. Another semi embarrassing fact - but it's actually a very good read!
I'm afraid to step on the scale - in fact, I probably wont until next summer.... definately been adding to the numbers there....but I'm pretty sure that's normal around xmas.
That being said, I feel like I'm ready to get moving again with some sort of purpose.
Tomorrow, I start the 30 minute challenge. There is a group in London (Ontario) that is challenging themselves to put in 30 minutes of running, everyday - starting Jan. 1. As I feel like my ass is getting larger as I type, I will start tomorrow and hopefully continue to the last day in Jan.
To keep me honest, I will post a pic from my run daily......it won't always be glamorous but it will get done.
Who's coming with me?

Finger Eleven Anyone?

2009-11-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

There seems to be a theme developing to the questions "non-triathletes" ask me about Ironman. When I tell them about my race, I am honest and up front. This time around, I have been saying how amazing it is - I do really have fun while I'm competing. But I also say how hard it is, mentally and physically. How for the last 2hours or so, you're thinking of million and one reasons why you should quit.
The usual response is, "how do you keep going?". "Well" I say, "there's something deep that just forces you to move forward".
Yesterday, I came across a blog that had the follow snippet. It sums it up perfectly and is a great 'tool' that I will reference when I need it:

The One Thing (by Rich Strauss of Crucible Fitness)
The run is where the rubber meets the road. Let's consider the entire Ironman starting field and the likelihood of these athletes running to their full potential on race day. A percentage will be eliminated due to improper training. The classic example is training for a marathon, not a 26.2 mile run after a 112 mile bike ride. Another percentage will be eliminated by nutritional and pacing mistakes that begin to express themselves either late in the bike, or mid way through the run.
So when we reach T2, we have a small subset of the entire field who have created the opportunity for a successful run through the skillful manipulation of many variables: training, physical fitness, nutrition and pacing. Of this subset, what then determines who runs to their potential and who does not? The One Thing.
First, a successful Ironman run = slowing down as little as possible. Not slowing down is almost entirely a function of maintaining focus, not fitness. If you are not cramping up on the run, you don't need to be running very fast to have a successful marathon, by Ironman standards. Despite what you might think, the difference between a good and bad marathon time is just continuing to move forward, as best you can, for the entire 26.2 miles. Sorry, but that's about as sexy as it gets out there.
You MUST expect your body to have a conversation with your head at some point during the run:
Body to Mind: "Ok, I'm truly suffering here. I can keep going, but you need to give me a very good reason to continue suffering like this."
Mind to Body: "We suffer because of the One Thing. The pain won't last forever. Just keep doing the best you can do and we'll get there."
My One Thing
The One Thing is whatever has motivated you to do this to yourself in the first place. Before the race you need to take a long, hard look in the mirror and identify what your One Thing is. And this is no time for bullshit. Be completely honest because your body will play your bluff when the chips are down. You can't lie to yourself out there.
After four Ironman finishes, I have identified my One Thing as very concrete goals, time or place based.
Ironman Florida, '00: I came off the bike with a shot at going sub 11hrs for my first IM. I used this goal to maintain complete focus on my run and had a successful day, despite donating blood 18 days before the race and to this day not remembering miles 13 through 22. One Thing = sub 11:00, determined in T2.
Ironman California, '01: 30-34 AG qualifying time in 2000 was 10:20. I wanted to qualify but wasn't completely committed to it. At about mile 10 of the run I had seen many 30-34 calves pass me and knew I wasn't going to qualify. I began to lose my focus and ran into some nutritional issues by mile 22. Picked myself up and finished in...10:19. Just below the qualifying standard but a year too late :-) One Thing = Kona, but I wasn't completely honest with myself. After that goal become unrealistic, I should have set an alternate objective of sub 10:10, as a tool to maintain my focus.
Ironman Wisconsin, '02: Not confident in my run fitness and expecting a dogfight with Pedder. However, I came off the bike 15th overall, with a very good chance of qualifying or even standing on the AG podium. Maintained complete focus and ran 3:45 on about 3:30 marathon fitness. One Thing = Kona and AG podium, determined in T2.
Ironman Hawaii, '03: Injury and first time on the island combine to set my goal at having a successful race. One Thing = no execution errors. Without a concrete, quantifiable goal I struggled to maintain my focus and failed to do so, relative to my performances at Florida and Wisconsin. I was a machine on those days, but not in Kona. My One Thing became pain and the desire to make it stop. I had a strong last 5 miles, considering.
Your One Thing
My One Thing may or may not be yours. I know what mine is now and will plan my race goals around it to increase my potential for a successful race.
How do you determine your One Thing?
Identify why you want to do the race before signing up. Are you doing it for you or to prove something to someone else? Be completely honest with yourself. "I'm a doing this Ironman so I can earn a unique title that is mine forever." One Thing = title of Ironman.
Take that One Thing and mate it with your race goals and expectations: "The title is important to me, not the time. I want to finish with a smile on my face."
Remind yourself, daily, of your One Thing and the race goals and expectations you have built around it. Through this process your One Thing will provide clarity of purpose to your training. When the Phunometer is pegged during a 6 hour long ride, you'll know why you are still out there.
In your mental rehearsals before the race, visualize the conversation between Mind and Body when the Body begins to question the Mind's commitment to the One Thing. Prepare your rebuttal beforehand.
On race day, continually remind yourself of the One Thing. Focus completely on its accomplishment. Remember, you can never disappoint your friends or family. They will be proud of you regardless. However, you can let yourself down. In the end, the best we can do is follow our commitment to our One Thing.

IM AZ RR

2009-11-26T16:44:00.000-08:00

This triathlon season definately did not start the way I had envisioned it to.
With a strategicly placed injury I was unable to race an early season IM. Which meant, no qualification to Kona 2009. I officially started my run training somewhere in June - ground zero. 2 minutes running, 2 minutes walking - we've all been to that demoralizing place. But everything started to come together and I was able to race a couple of half IM's before the big one and felt like my running for 13.1 miles was pretty decent. Whether or not I could run a marathon was the real question.
I had been having some real issues with motivation. I have been missing my friends and family and have probably been going through a small patch of "depression". A new job had been taking up way too much time. But I felt like I needed to focus on my career for a change. I was struggling to get out the door solo and if I wasn't really into the activity (ahem...swimming) it only happened once or twice a week. I made sure to get in the quality workouts (speed, shoot out) but couldn't force the 'junk' mileage. My longest run was 2:40, with a handful of other runs of 2 hours.... not quite the mileage I was used to.
I was worried about the run but as this is my 5th IM, I new the training was in there somewhere I was just hoping it would show it's face.

I had been watching the southern AZ temps drop all week and was scared of a colder than normal temp. I had done this race in April 08 when temps reached 95 degrees and the drop out rate was the 2nd highest ever in an IM. I loved it. In my opinion, anything below 80 is cold and uncomfortable on the bike. Race day prediction was a HIGH of 75. poo. So at 4 in the am, while we were preparing to enter the 62 degree water, it was low 40's. All I wanted to do was curl up in a down comforter!
15 minutes to race start and I felt the nerves. Perfect timing. Just enough to get you pumped up, not to soon to be wasted energy.

Once we got going, the water felt okay...everywhere but my feet! They were numb.
The April 08 swim here has been my worst IM swim to date. I got crushed, pushed, pulled and was close to having a panic attack. Needless to say, I had a score to settle. I went out fast!! And promptly settled into a rhythm. I was pushing.
I have always looked at the swim of an IM as a warm up for what's to come. My coach set me straight. If he had his way, I would have blown 3 or 4 times in the swim from going so hard. Maybe I'll try that next time.
Anyway, I ended up swimming by myself which was fine with me. The energy saved from not panicing was worth the energy lost by not drafting.
I got out of the water and was shocked to see 1:08 on the clock... bummer. Then I checked my watch and realized that was the pro time.... YES! Instantly back on track!
I took a decent amount of time in the tent to put on a bike jersey, arm warmers and gloves... it was cold!
The bike is a three looper that gradually 'climbs' to a turn around on each loop.
The first and second laps were hell. There was a strong headwind while climbing out that just beat you down. I could see the other top girls around me and at the turn around. I am very proud to say that Wendy Mader, Rhae Shaw (monster on the bike!)and myself did not draft... at all!! Coming out of the water where we did put us on a pretty bare bike course. I am super happy with my time (5:20) and am hoping to do it again on the big island. I am amazed at some of the gals who came out of the water after 1:10 who biked around (or faster than) 5:10....hmmmm... just saying. My coach (head referee) and his team did their best, but there were still packs. Sucky.
I regained feeling in my feet just before reaching the transition (did I say it was cold?).

I stopped at the port a pot in transition for the now traditional, "sit down and collect yourself" pee. I may stop doing this.... I was only 1 minute shy of the AG record and here is where it was lost!! I just couldn't force myself to pee on the bike. I had visions of it freezing to me like in Dumb and Dumber.
As mentioned in previous posts, I was expecting to feel like crap for the first of three laps on the run. I was running with a Trisports.com teammate and feel that this may have caused me to go out a little faster than I should have. My fault. I should have known better. It was great company though, and made the first loop fly by. Unfortunately, I didn't start to feel better. In fact, with every step I felt worse. At half way I was convinced that I needed to stop. I needed to walk. I told myself that I would at the next aid station. The aid station would come and the angel on my shoulder would say "na, you're okay. stop at the next one". For the next mile, the devil on my other shoulder would tell me how badly I hurt and that I wasn't going to make it. He wasn't lying. I felt bad. But I new if I stopped the self loathing I would put myself through would feel worse. This back and forth went on for the next 10 miles. I was in the far bottom corner of the hurt box. The one thing I had going for my was that my stomach was settled (rah rah Infinit). So I kept going. It wasn't pretty. In fact, I've seen the pictures - it was down right fugly. How did I think it was going to feel? That's why we do it.
I kept going. Soon enough, I was at the Trisports.com aid station with just over two miles to go. Seton yelled over the loud speaker that I could make it in under 10hours. "who, me?".
I don't really remember anything until the finishing stretch, but I guess it went okay. I'm pretty sure there was some grunting and spitting but that's par for the course.

I was just happy to stop. Every last ounce of energy was left on that course.
My run time was not a PB, but it was 11 minutes faster than the last time I did this race and it is a harder course than Kona and I was almost 10 lbs heavier. And more than anything, it was a huge personal triumph to overcome that nasty little devil on my shoulder.
I will be in Kona 2010. I will be ready for the race of my life.

If you haven't heard about Rudy: you should. He's an amazing person and ambassador for our sport. He makes me feel foolish for complaining of feeling run down.

A huge thanks to my sponsors:
Splish
Trisports.com
Trakkers
First Endurance
And my coach/friend: J. Riccitello

Evolution...... 7 sleeps.

2009-11-15T12:56:00.000-08:00

Next weekend, I will start (and finish) my 5th IM.
I don't know if it's because I know what to expect (loosely) or if I don't want to get too excited too early, but it would seem that the effort I am about to put out is just not registering. I am calm. Maybe too calm.
In an effort to get myself 'pumped' I have been looking at old race photos.
Which, of course, I'm about to share.
2006: IM LP
Very naive. Put in lots of miles. Was injured early in the season and did basically no speed work. My coach (at the time) said track work wasn't necessary. I trained in flat southern Ontario and the Placid hills crushed me. I was throwing up and walking much of the last quarter of the run.....5th in AG. No go for Kona, but I was 10th OA. And I caught the IM bug.

I then proceeded to the medically tent for a few hours of therapy. But I was happy. I just became an Ironman!
It was round two in 2007 with IM Wisconsin!! Another hilly slaughter of the legs!
This time, it was my achillies that was the culprit and I was only able to start riding and running with 9 weeks left until race day.
This IM was seen in my eyes as a nutritional experiement. I had no idea how many calories I needed or what kind. I new what I had done in training had been good but my stomach seemed to get pissed off when I exerted myself for longer than 9 hours. I would not recommend the following strategies: chugging a red bull at bike special needs, chugging a red bull at run special needs, carrying a bag of gummy bears and eating the whole thing in the second half of the marathon.
The verdict - too many calories, again ending in the med tent with juice spilling out of both ends, yummy.

Not a bad finish considering, but still no Kona.
Next up, a move to Tucson and an IM to celebrate it! I moved to Tucson and got in a full months outdoor training to prepare. The weather was scorching! 94 degrees. I switched my nutrition to full liquids and used Infinit. I used enough salt pills to give a horse a heart attack and I think it worked. I only had to stop one time for a port a potty and it was 6 miles from the finish. A quick stop and I instantly felt better.

It was my best finish and finally, that Kona spot!!
Kona lived up to it's expectations big time! The wind howled and it was hot! After being mauled by the wind I had visions of not being able to finish the run.... but I held on and reeled some gals in!

All very educational and exciting experiences but the most valuable insights seem to be that: 1) I need to utilize liquid nutrition, and stay away from gels. 2) I should always race in a bathing suit 3) I do well in the heat (the high is only set to be 77 on Sunday).
7 sleeps

sssssoma!

2009-10-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've had a week to let the race sink in. I am sitting in front of the computer, procrastinating the start of my second last long run. No better time to blog!!
I can tell I'm getting close to IM - it is a struggle to get out the door for even the shortest workouts. I am definately ready to race, and ready for the offseason that follows it!
I was very excited to race Soma. I had lots of friends heading up there to race or watch and really wanted to test my body.
This year has been so different for me in terms of training. I have been working a lot more (almost always overtime) and have lacked a lot of motivation. I haven't put in as many miles as I'm used to but have been making the workouts I can fit in, count. Despite the lack of quantity, I have still been feeling strong.
Soma was the perfect test for IM AZ, as it's basically the same swim and run course (just half as far!).
The swim start was waved but I have never swam in a rougher environment! Those chicks were brutal! I was literally grabbed (like fingers wrapped around leg, grabbed!). I made the mistake of wearing clear goggles since I thought we were starting before the sun came up. Nope! We swam straight into the bright Arizona sun. Blinding. I couldn't see anything in front, and the water was soooo dirty, I couldn't see the feet in front. I came to a dead stop 4 times to see where I was. Not a great start. Once we hit the buoys and I could see where I was going, I turned on the afterburners! Not a great swim time for me, but lesson learned. IM AZ I will bring the tinted goggles!

The Soma bike course was not what I expected (should learn to look at the maps before the race!). There were lots of turns making it very technical. It was very flat with only a few sections were you could stand and stretch. But the turns made it very difficult to find a rhythym. The first lap was very congested and there was a lot of drafting going on. The second and third laps thinned out and were legit - and windy. I didn't race with a computer so I only had my watch to monitor my pace. I was consistent and did all three laps in 50 minutes... exactly the way I want to race IM AZ - only add an hour to each lap!

The run started the same way all my runs are starting in races lately, I felt like ass. But this time, I was expecting it. After Muskoka, my coach stated the obvious, "You just did a 90 km TT, how are your legs supposed to feel?". I now give myself 4 - 5 miles to shake the crap feeling before I get tough with myself. There was a chick that was 30 seconds or so behind me on the bike. She passed me just after the first mile. I ran it in 7 minutes. I let her go, calling her bluff. I had confidence that I would start to feel better in a mile or two and I would bring her back. She only ever got 20 meters ahead. At mile 4, I brought her back, fast. I finished 6 minutes ahead of her.... tough lesson, but we've all been there! The run is pretty flat with minor, welcome undulations to change the muscle usage. Almost exactly the same as IM AZ.
By the end of the race the sun was out in full splendor - 89 degrees... hope for the same at IM!

"and now a word about my sponsor"
Having a kick ass sponsor that you really believe in is kinda' a catch 22. If the product works and you can't live without it, you should tell everyone how great it is..... however, you also don't want to give away all your "secrets", especially to those who may be challenging you for that podium spot. But the time has come.
I was fortunate enough this year (and next) to be sponsored by 1st Endurance nutrition. I have come to depend on two of their products for race day performance.
1. Optygen HP
2. Prerace
These products have changed the way I race, no bull.

My Mommy

2009-10-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

Today, October 19th is my Mommy's birthday. I haven't sent her a card. I have many excuses but the bottom line is that I live 3000 kms away, in a different country and it takes a great deal of organization to get it there on time. Yes, I am somewhat of a deliquent. I didn't get it in the mail on time.
This inability to plan accordingly is in no way representative of how much she means to me and how much I love her. So, I'm writing about her in my blog.

I can honestly say that I feel I was born to the two most amazing parents in the world - totally lucked out. My mom is an incredible woman and if I turn out to be half as wonderful as she is I'll be pretty darn happy with myself.

She is intelligent and wise (yes, they are different). I swear her true calling in life was to be a psychologist. As it stands, I get her words of wisdom whenever I need them and free of charge. And yes, it's true, Mothers do know best.

She has stuck by my side even when I felt I deserved to be alone. She is always available for a 'pick me up' chat and has even been known to jump on a plane last minute to be by my side when I really needed her.

She often puts the needs of everyone else before her own and is truly the backbone for her family. We depend on her more than she knows.
She is constantly working to better herself and to improve the lives of those she cares for.
She loves to shop and she hates swear words, especially the 'F' bomb.

I love you mom... I miss you more and more everyday I'm away :(
We have grown very close over the last few years and I am thankful that I can now consider you a friend as well as a Mom.
Happy Birthday - I wish I could be there.

The Mt. Graham Experience

2009-09-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

Officially, I am still a triathlete. But, every once and a while, I expand my horizons to include running races and cycling races.
The Mt. Graham Hill Climb - AZ State championship climbing race fell 8 weeks out from my goal race, IM AZ. I figured, "I love climbing, I love racing, I need a good workout that day... fits perfectly!" So on the schedule it went.
While this mountain in only 2 hours away, I had not had the chance to check it out.
I knew it was tougher than Mt. Lemmon, and gorgeous.
My coach told me it would hurt, a lot. I believed him as he isn't one to lie about pain. I was expecting it to do a little more than tickle.... close to 6000ft of climbing between 7 - 9% grade and ending at 9000ft. yep, painful. game on!

The first kilometer looked like this:

Now, I wasnt wearing a HR monitor, or a PM, but I knew I was in over my head within the first mile. So I pulled back --- way back. I didnt get in a super long warm up and was planning on taking the first 5 miles ez.... wanted to do the race in 2 hours and figured the first 30 minutes should be conservative. I knew even though I was being passed, I was still pushing way over 200 watts (you just know after using it over and over again on a mountain). I got to mile 5 in just over 25 minutes and suprise suprise, my legs were toast. I'd never done a 2 hour TT before and I was now understanding why.... I slowed down more, took 2 gels and by the time I hit the 7 mile mark I was picking it up and picking off girls.

I was having a hard time sitting and needed to stand most of the race (seriously, like half of it). Coach said my sit muscles were sore from the speed work a few days earlier. What ever it was from caused me to get the worst adductor charlie horse at mile 16. Crippling. I was afraid to get off my bike (wouldnt have started again) so I just did this weird stretching while pedaling move that must have looked incredibly rediculous, but it did the job.
I ended up finishing the race strong, totally exhausted, in total muscle failure, in 1:58 and 4th female overall.
The ride back down was a lot less fun than Mt. Lemmon, as you had to negotiate the same switchbacks that took you so long to ascend.
view from the top:

Tucson girls that like to kick ass:

switchback ouch

switchback o rama

The Muskoka 73.0 report

2009-09-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

This race was hard. This race was amazing. This race was a PW.
Despite this race being my worst result in terms of time and placing, I am walking away from this race feeling as though it was a hugely positive experience.
While 'winning' is always nice, success doesn't always mean coming in first.
I can honestly say that I will be taking more away from this race than any other half
IM that I've done and that, in my opinion is a success.
It started with the morning prep. I just wasn't feeling the desire to go and rip it up. I was there and was happy to see my friends, but I just wasn't feeling the hype that I normally feel going into a 5 hour race. I also had this weird feeling that something was going to happen. I have been racing tris since 2005 and have been lucky enough that I have not had any kind of mechanical issue on the bike. I knew my time was coming... it was just a matter of when. For some reason, I felt like it was going to happen in Muskoka. Maybe I set myself up. Maybe I'm psychic. Who knows (yes, I will tell you your future - for a nominal fee).
The swim was awsome. I found some fast (male) feet. This was new for me. I was working but it was very controlled.
My time was not fast, but I was within 3 minutes of Mirinda C. and that`s the closest I`ve come to her so I`m okay with it.
The run to transition was a long steep one. A foreshadow of what was to come.
I moved quickly through transition and was out on the bike. BRRRRR. Maybe racing in a swimsuit was not such a good idea - definately not in AZ anymore.
The bike was tough. Like 7000ft of climbing, 94km tough. But I felt good. I was moving pretty comfortably through the miles but still didn`t feel like I was in `the zone`.
It was probably around 30 km that I felt like my front tire was going flat. I kept riding until I knew it was going flat and when it was close to rim on road, I conceeded to having to stop and change it.
I thought it might have been a slow leak and maybe I could refill it and keep going. I used one CO2 cannister and instantly found out that was not the case.
I changed it pretty quickly and pulled out another CO2 to fill it. The tire filled but the valve was `f`ed, and the air came back out. I took my last CO2 out and tried again - same result. By now, I was cold and starting to think I would be better off being a spectator instead.
I stood there, in my bathing suit and watched a million people go by. I decided that I would catch a ride in the sag wagon and call it a day.
Instead of a van, I was greeted by a man in a motorcycle. I asked him where we were going to put my bike.
He said giving me a lift wasn't an option but he had a couple of CO2`s.
This time, the air stayed in. Lucky me.
I have no idea how long I stood at the side of the road. I didnt have a computer, but it was long enough for me to want to sit (lay) down on the side of the road. It was long enough for my body temp to drop to `uncomfortable`.
I got back on my bike and TT`d for the next 60 km. I think I pushed too hard.

I started the run and immediately went to the `bad place`. Both of my calves were cramping and I was moving ssssslllllllooooooowwwwww. I wanted to walk. I wanted to stop. I wanted to swear and cry like a baby. But I kept going.
This awful, black vail stayed with me until around the 5 km mark. Then, I passed a girl who said she saw me on the side of the road. She told me to `never give up`.
I decided right there to put on my big girl pants and worked my way out of the rut.
I put myself in the hurt box and did my last 10 miles in 1:11 and negative split the run.

I took away many valuable lessons. 1 - being 8 pounds heavier than race weight hinders performance - especially on the run(30 seconds, per pound, per mile can really make a difference) and I now have the motivation to cut back on this:

(only available in Canada, and I got my fill while I was home).
Two: I got to practice changing a Zipp flat in a high stess situation. 3. I can pull myself out of a very dark place. Four: exertion cramps can go away, even if the exertion doesn`t. 5. this is not the best activity to revisit the day before a race:

Six: My Mommy, Daddy and sis are the best spectators ever.
7. Never give up.

Next stop, Soma.

Oh the places we'll go!

2009-09-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

About 3 weeks ago (hey, I'm busy), we headed to Utah for a quicky (vacay that is).
We were looking for a race to do before Muskoka 70.3 to shake out the cobb webs - Ryan's first tri since smashing his hip and my first race since 8 weeks off due to sloppy footing.
The Utah half was it! The website said flat and fast. Perfect for problematic body parts and egos. I flew into Salt Lake City and Ryan drove from Tucson so we'd have a car.
We camped in a tent, something I'd always thought of doing before a race and wanted to try but will never do again! Slept terribly and found it very hard to organize in the dark!
We awoke to high winds, cool temps and the threat of thunderstorms. Yippee!!
The race directors tossed around the idea of cancelling the swim, but after waiting an extra half hour to start, decided to shorten it to around 1200 m. It ended up being, without a doubt the roughest (kinda scary) swim I've ever done.

The bike ended up being nothing short of Hawaii revisted. Definately equalling the "scared for my life" type of wind felt in the lava fields. My goal became to stay in the aerobars as much as possible. I came out of them 3 or 4 times to prevent my face from kissing the asphalt.

It was also my third ride on my new ride, SCHAWING!
Love it.
The ended favorably for me. Ryan had tire issues but all things considered still rocked the race, less than a year after a broken hip!

After the race, we headed to Zion NP where we hiked a trail that should questionnably be closed to the general public, Angels Landing. It was hard and at times induced vertigo and a slight panic at the thought of how far up you really were. The trail was 2.5 miles one way and took almost 3 hours, but this was one instance where I wasn't racing.

Yes, we climbed up there!
The day after a Half IM, we hiked 12 miles (11 hours). I have never felt so used and abused as I did at the end of the day. To practice my mental pain tolerance, I completed 6 hours of hiking with a blister on my right heel. By the time we were finished and I could replace my bloodied hiking shoes with the trusted Birks, I had a stage III pressure sore on my foot. it was worth it. Zion is amazing.

Next up: The great Canadian wilderness (read: Tim Hortons, mosquitos, Shoppers Drug Mart and a little swim, bike and run in Muskoka)!

science lesson

2009-07-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

last night, at 5:30 pm mountain time i headed out for my 'long run'. because my goal race is not for another few months and i'm just coming back from a layoff, my long run is only 1:45. it is done on Sunday, after a swim and bike. this also means that it is done in during the hottest, and right now, most humid time of day. it was over 100 degrees when i began my run and it had barely cooled by the time i was home chugging chocolate milk.
no matter how i pushed, i just couldn't pick up the pace. i felt like i was breathing through a straw.
turns out, i was (figuratively of course).
today, at work, an old army pilot brought me an interesting chart. it's called a "Density Altitude Chart". basically, it states that as the air temp goes up, the oxygen concentration in the air goes down - in essence, your subjective 'altitude' - even if you're at sea level.
Here's a link to the chart:
http://www.igot.net/fly/cfi/files/crosscountry/densaltchrt.pdf
quite interesting.
i live (and usually run) at 3000 ft. last night, i was actually running at 6000. when we bike up the mountain on an equally hot day, we are spending a good 2 hours at over 8000ft.
from now on i'm gonna' try and soak up the sun and reap the benefits of a little altitude training!!

In case there's anyone still checking in on my blog..

2009-06-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, there is one person left out there that cares to read this.... I know, I've been a very, very bad blogger.....spank me.

What's not so new? A bum knee that's really starting to annoy me...
I have been in athletics long enough to know that injuries happen to everyone eventually. You can try your best to prevent them: stretch, eat, rest, pray. But I don't care who you are, if you push your body - you will get injured. This time around, it wasn't overtraining, it wasn't going too hard on a track workout or adding too much mileage. It was from not lifting my feet high enough on a trail run.Arizona trails are not for the faint of heart. We've got mountain lions, rattle snakes, cliffs, rocks and prickly things everywhere. Fortunately for me, the only element I encountered was the rock. And we clashed hard. Turns out, rock is harder than bone, tendon, most definately skin and ipods. I messed myself (figuratively and literally) up. But believe it or not, considering the other options, I got off lucky.
I digress to the old cliche, "Everything happens for a reason". In an effort not to sound too much like my mother - I have always believed that within adversity lies an opportunity to improve upon yourself..... however, 8 weeks away from running can really start to get to a gal (me). I tried real hard to work my (biggest) weakness.
Thankfully, I have a coach that really knows his shize when it comes to getting stronger on the bicycle. I spent a whole lot of time doing this:

And I entered the Arizona State RR Champs and won this:

So, my cycling is coming along nicely. My quads look like watermelons.... really. I have also been doing squats. Between the swimming and cycling (and lack of running) I kinda look like a wrestler -- definately not what I want.
My knee has recently started to feel good enough to run for 20 minutes staight (baby steps) and I can't wait to get back at it.... hopefully, better off because of it.
Unfortunately, no Kona this year. Maybe a blessing in disguise. New job + pay cut = 0 vacation time and 0 extra cash. But with any luck (and of course, blood, sweat and tears), I will be there in 2010 stronger than ever.
As for this year, it is looking like Muskoka 70.3 may be my first half of the year. Maybe Clearwater and hopefully IM AZ in November.... but anything can happen.
We are also hoping to do the inaugural IM St. George - very exciting.
Another goal for this year is for me to get back to regular blogging. I've been so busy that something had to give. But the reality is, I should be able to update my family and friends on my where abouts at least once a month. I will try every couple of weeks to post something of interest!
Now to watch LA kick some ass in France.

oh where oh where have I been...

2009-03-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

it's been a really busy month (or two). priorities I guess. work. training. family. and then way down the list is BLOG....( i did not put family behind training on purpose!)
i have done some races and travelling. and have modified my training/racing schedule for sickness. or allergies - whatever it is that is making yellow/red gunk come from my nose and causing me to hack up part of my respiratory track.
Fortunately, I have had a great feb/march in that I got to spend time with friends from Canada and my parents.
Early March, we headed to Vegas for a few days of training and a (tough) half marathon at the end to top it off.
Londoners (canada) kicked 'a' in vegas and brought home some sweet hardware:

there are many more pictures of the Vegas week... but as they say, "what happens in Vegas... gets posted on Facebook" - much easier to put pics on there.
one of the campers said it best, "I'm not sure if we became better triathletes or drinkers!"
This past weekend was the local triathlon. I know you must be thinking "Tucson? Triathlon? Where's the water?" well, the water is the U of A pool. This was a first for me. It caused a logistical problem in terms of wardrobe. no wetsuits - water was too warm. a swimsuit was the best bet but my thighs are not ready for that kind of exposure, so I opted for the Blueseventy Swim Skin!
Not gonna' lie, it was tough. Orders were to go hard in the swim, harder on the bike and hold on for the run.
My legs had a different idea.... excuse inventory: I'm sick, I climbed Lemmon the day before.
I gave it all I could... and I think I've hurt less in IM!!
In the end, Teri A. smoked me. But she rocks so that's okay. Another super fast chick rounded out the podium so I left feelin' alright about the outcome.

Totally looking forward to getting started on some IM training this month!
Will be heading to St. Croix in May, Florida two weeks later, then Coeur d'Alene!

From the mouths of babes....

2009-02-08T23:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was doing my tricep extensions at the gym when a little girl not any older than four walked straight up to me, looked me in the eye and matter of factly stated, "that's not that hard".
I repressed the instinct to reply with a "oh yeah, you try it!" and instead faked a smile - cute kid.
I then thought about her attitude. Maybe she was onto something. Maybe, I need to reconnect with that immature yet possibly genius idea that I can do anything. That maybe nothing is as hard as we build it up to be.
I'm going to try it. I'm going to hit my workouts with the thought that 'it's not that hard'.. little train that could, mentality.
Kids don't get limits. When exactly do some of us develop that notion?

This comment got me thinking about how we can learn from kids and reminded me of an email I received a while back that is definately worth revisting. I've posted the guts of it below.... take a second to read it. It chokes me up everytime.

the meaning of love from children's mouth
Slow down for three minutes to read this. It is so worth it.
Touching words from the mouths of babies.
What does 'Love' mean?
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, 'What does 'love' mean?'
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.'
Rebecca- age 8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'
Billy - age 4
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.'
Karl - age 5
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.'
Chrissie - age 6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'
Terri - age 4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Love is when my mummy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'
Danny - age 7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mummy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss'
Emily - age 8
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.'
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,'

Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.'
Noelle - age 7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.'
Tommy - age 6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.

He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.'
Cindy - age 8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'My mummy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.'
Clare - age 6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Love is when Mummy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'
Elaine-age 5
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Love is when Mummy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer tha n David Beckham .'
Chris - age 7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day'
Mary Ann - age 4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'
Lauren - age 4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image)
Karen - age 7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Love is when Mummy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.'
Mark - age 6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.'
Jessica - age 8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbour, the little boy said,
'Nothing, I just helped him cry'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When there is nothing left, that is when you find out that love is all you need.

What A Game!!

2009-02-02T01:01:00.000-08:00

Not that I'm a fan of the Cardinals, Steelers or even football. But since I was at work and all my patients were watching the football game I had no choice but to participate in the Superbowl festivities. Being the competitive type, I got into it because it was a really tight game.
As an added 'bonus', Tucson viewers that utilize Comcast as their provider (my hospital being one of those) got a 20 second clip of some very hardcore porn.....
As hilarious as this was, it made me slighty uncomfortable when I had to explain to an elderly women what exactly was happening on her TV set.
Here's a news clip:

Porn interrupts Super Bowl broadcast in Tucson
By Alex Dalenberg
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 02.02.2009

Tucsonans watching the Super Bowl got more action than they bargained for when a short clip from an adult movie channel interrupted Comcast's feed with full male nudity during the final moments of the game.
Officials at Comcast said about 30 seconds from Club Jenna, an adult cable television channel, were shown on the local Super Bowl telecast. The company was still working Sunday night to figure out how it happened.
Comcast had "no idea" at the time it happened how the porn may have gotten into its feed, said Kelle Maslyn, a company spokeswoman.
The Star newsroom was flooded with calls from irate viewers who said that the porn cut into the game with less than three minutes left to play, just after Arizona Cardinals player Larry Fitzgerald scored on a touchdown pass from Kurt Warner to put the team in the lead.
Callers said that the clip showed a woman unzipping a man's pants, followed by a graphic act between the two.
"I just figured it was another commercial until I looked up," said Cora King of Marana. "Then he did his little dance with everything hanging out."
Jeanene Piek said she was outraged that her granddaughter had seen the clip.
"I was in a state of shock. I am totally disgusted," she said.
The Super Bowl was being shown locally on KVOA. The station sends its signal to Comcast through a fiber line, said KVOA News Director Kathleen Choal.
KVOA's signal didn't have porn on it when the station sent it over to Comcast, station president Gary Nielsen said.
The company will continue to investigate what happened to its signal, Nielsen said.
Engineers at Comcast will be working throughout the night to determine what happened, Maslyn said.
The porn broke into the standard-definition feed reaching analog TV sets. It appears the porn only reached homes in the Tucson area, but Comcast did not know exactly how many homes were affected, Maslyn said.
Comcast's high-definition feed was not affected. Maslyn did not know how many homes were affected.
Comcast is the second-largest cable-television provider in Southern Arizona and serves more than 80,000 customers in unincorporated Pima County, Marana and Oro Valley.
Comcast has set up an e-mail account to take feedback from concerned customers. The address is comcasttucsonfeedback@gmail.com.

Also, a young man managed to video tape the event:
www.comcastsuperbowlporn.com

Back to work......

Oh Canada!!

2009-01-26T16:56:00.002-08:00

Since I was unable to make the trek home over the Christmas holidays, I booked some time off in early January to visit the `fam`. I knew from conversing with my Mommy that it was going to be cold. When I finally walked off the last plane, at the last airport in Toronto the air took my breath away. I instantly remembered that I left my winter coat in Tucson, by the door. I put it there so I wouldn`t forget it!
I froze during the 10 minute wait for our cab ride. The air burned my throat. How did I ever manage 20 + mile runs in this awfulness! It was official, I had become a cold weather wuss. I have been spoiled!
On our drive home, we passed a few `Timmy`s` and I began to realized how much I missed that little donut shop. While there maybe one of these gems on every corner, it remains unsurpassed as the most refined, delicious of donut shops - somewhat classy and clean, and it seems that I took it for granted while I lived in Canada. Tim Hortons is a Canadian staple, especially in the winter months. Almost everyday I would enjoy a half hot chocolate, half coffee with a few chocolate and honey dip`timbits`. No wonder it was so hard to lose those last 5lbs!
Let me just let everyone in Canada know how good they have it!! NOTHING even comes close to Timmy`s in the states (unless you`re in Michigan and are going to Tim Hortons). It was never something I thought I would long for, but even sitting here typing would be so much more enjoyable with a Timmy`s close by.
Exhibit A:

In the 12 months (can't believe it's been that long!) I've been living in the US, I've also come to realize how much I miss a good bulk food store. Of course I enjoy Sunflower Market and Whole Foods, but their bulk section leaves much to be desired.
Exhibit B:

Canada has the best bulk stores in the world (I'm pretty sure). Complete with hemp seeds, chia seeds and coconut flour (all organic).
Of course, going home also reminded me how much I miss my family. Since I missed Christmas, my mom left the Christmas tree up well into January for me.

While I was upset to leave my family I was happy to be leaving the snow and cold behind... It seemed as though I just got out in time as a big storm and cold front came in the day I left. This is what the airport looked like in Toronto:

A couple of weeks ago, I participated in my first race of the season, the Phoenix Half Marathon. I went into this race not really knowing how it would turn out seeing as i haden't done a 13 mile run since Clearwater. My coached had faith. He told me to run 6:30's and that's what I did (more or less).

Chrissy Parks #21936
Tucson, AZ
Age: 31 Gender: F

Distance HALF MAR
Clock Time 1:25:19
Chip Time 1:25:15
Gender Place 6 / 14094
Age Grade 77.3%
Placeoall 115
Placediv 2
Pace 6:31
Ttldiv 2357
Ttlsex 14094
5 Km 20:18
10 Km 39:59
10 Mile 1:04:49

Not only was my half time a PB, I also got a PB for 10km (it's been a while since I've raced one), and the 10 mile. Yippee!! Great start to 2009!

An Arizona Christmas

2008-12-28T06:23:00.000-08:00

This year, I had to work Christmas eve. That meant, I couldn't go home (Southwestern Ontario). For the first time ever, I was away from my family for Christmas. Thankfully, Ryan had to work too so we could at least be together.
There has been a cold spell go through Tucson and it's been colder than normal (it's actually colder here now than in southern Ontaio!!) Even though it was cold and rainy, we headed out for a 3 hour ride.

After that, we came home and started to cook our feast. It was a relaxing day filled with reading and 'where's waldo':

It was also my first experience with making lemon meringe pie.... the meringe turned out to be tougher than I originally planned, and it ended up being a soupy mess.

While I had fears of our turkey exploding like in the movie, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacay" (neither of us had cooked one before), it actually turned out to be delicious. Between the two of us, we almost ate the full 12lbs of it.... what? we're training again.

My favorite present was triathlon related (duh) and will help me put in the long miles in sunny AZ:

New Years is usually followed by 100 x 100 in the pool. However, this year we're planning a 17 mile trail run in Sabino Canyon.... feel the burn.

Belated Gratituesday

2008-12-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

I've seen Gratituesday posts pop up on a couple of different blogs and I thought it
was a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, whenever I remember it's a different day of the week. Well, I remembered this morning and decided that Wednesday was close enough. So here it goes. Five things I am thankful for (and I will try to make this a week dose, using a different 5 each week).

1. My health
2. The best family and friends one could possible have
3. My friends and family have their health
4. The warm (er) climate that I live in
5. The monster feast I'm partaking in tomorrow

This was super easy. I have so much to be thankful for, it could have been 100 long.
What are you thankful for?

round two....

2008-12-20T16:48:00.001-08:00

New Ride!/Phoneline

2008-12-19T05:01:00.000-08:00

The long delay between my posts is a direct result of my laptop having to be sent to the 'doctor's'. I was without my own machine for over a week.... I realized how much I actually used this little guy - mostly for time wasting, but to also keep up to date on how/what everyone's doing.
As for me, I promised pic's of my new ride who has graciously taken me up Lemmon in a TT faster than I've gone before!!

I am lovin' my Kuota and am also excited for January when I will be sporting the Kueen K for my tris!! PT is 'the man' if you're looking for a new time machine. Thank you and happy birthday!!

I have recently started to work with Jimmy R. for my training for next year, and I already know it's a good decision!! He's got me doing some tough stuff on the bike-- building the quadzilla!! He's also shown me this great trail just a mile and a half from my door!! In his words, it's an 'easy, hard trail', but absolutely gorgeous..

lovin' this song

2008-12-11T17:24:00.000-08:00

i know it's a cop-out post, but this song (and video) has me groovin'!

pics of my new ride to follow!!

Thanksgiver

2008-11-27T19:32:00.001-08:00

For the first time since I've moved to Tucson, it has rained for almost 2 days straight. Fitting for this morning, as I was registerd to run the Thanksgiving cross country race. As far as x - country goes I've always thought, 'the muddier the better', and I was not dissappointed. The course had us doing a few river crossings (in Tucson that means 1 foot deep and 5 feet accross), hay jumps and muddy hill climbs.

I have to put a 5 km into my schedule every so often just to remind myself what it feels like to bleed from the eyes. Lungs on fire, legs aching within the first 100 m. Good times!! Of course, it's almost over before it's even begun so it's manageable. For the first time ever, I was hoping for a second place AG finish over 1st for the sake of taking home a pumpkin pie. I ended up winning, and taking home Turkey dish cloths instead. Probably better for my ever growing muffin top. The rest of the day has been spent moving my belongings into a new apartment!! Our new place kicks ass and has a wonderful view... pics to come.
One more thing: Remember the guy with the broken hip? sorry it's sideways (turn your computer).

He's been out for a 3 hour ride and looks strong.

El Tour!

2008-11-22T17:54:00.000-08:00

Today, Tucson was host to a top notch, world famous bike race. Close to 9,000 people took part in one of four events that took riders around the hilly outskirts of Tucson.
It was my first cycling race and it was awsome!!
Of course, I opted for the 109 mile (longest) event... even though I haven't ridden over 3 hours since Kona, I thought it was the logical choice for a slowtwitch, iron gal.
I was also lucky enough to be part of a team put together by XOOD sports nutrition, which made the day even more exciting.
I was given a 'Platnum' card which allowed me to line up towards the front. But just knowing there were close to 4000 people lined up with me made me a little nervous.
The first 7 miles were fast... very fast. I don't know the exact numbers as I opted to go sans odometer or powermeter, but we were moving. I was scared. I definately couldn't hold that pace for very long. Lucky enough, we came to a dirt wash crossing and it turned cyclocross for 100m. I managed to stay on my bike and once we hit the road again the pace settled into something a little more realistic.
Another longer wash crossing - one where we had to carry our bikes over 200m, at 60 miles broke the pack up further and I ended up having to work pretty hard to close gaps and take my turn at pulling.

All and all a marvelous experience. One I can't wait to repeat.
It was also nice to know I didn't have to run a marathon when I was finished.
Don't know how many of the 4000 were female, but I was 15th in 4:55, 335th Overall.

I have started my 2009 bike training. skaduche.

Clearwater RR

2008-11-09T14:37:00.000-08:00

Up until a day before the race I was feeling pretty tired and definately questioning whether or not I was recovered from Kona. But at athlete check in and race morning I began to feel ready to rock. I love to race and was soaking in the atmosphere.
I toed the start line wanting to give it my best and have fun! I thought I was prepared for the pain that would come with the 4:30 performance it would take to secure a podium spot.
Short little warm up and into the corral.
The water was pretty calm and had cleared up a little from the day before. It even seemed to be a little warmer!
The cannon went off and I ran right to the front on the buoy line. A couple of dolphin dives later I was off! One girl got in front of me and I quickly lost her draft. I stayed in second for the rest of the swim, but could feel the hands of another on my feet, the whole way round. I felt like I gave a steady effort for the duration of the swim and came out in 28:20. Over a minute faster than the swim I did here in 2006. Good start!

I had a super fast transition and was out on the bike in no time.
Right away I had an issue. My aero bottle lost a velcro strap in transition and the bottle came loose. Actually, it came right out and was bouncing around. I tried to drink the bottle quickly (I liked what was in it!) and decided to ditch it at the first water stop. Nothing serious.
I was averaging just over 36km/hr for the first 10 km stretch and was pretty comfortable. Shortly after 10 km, my odometer stopped working. Great. Racing by feel was my backup plan.
Next problem: I went over railway tracks and my aerobars bent right down.... "Oh well, I can fix it by gently pulling them back up everytime they fall". Sure enough, I pulled them up. High enough to take on the 'praying Landis' position.
Hey, it happens. I went on my merry way and after passing the first place gal, I was passed by two legally riding, very fast gals in my AG. I knew I couldn't go that fast just yet. Needed to warm up a little more before I picked it up.
My legs actually felt pretty good for the first half. I knew I was working, but hey, that's how a half IM goes.
At about 45 km the packs started to go by. I was really excited and impressed that they were able to keep the first half so spread out. But unfortunately, the second half was pretty rough.
A small pack caught up to me which contained 5 girls in my AG. One of them was riding very hard and legally, while the others sat on her tail.
At this point, a draft marshal pulled along side the group, causing it to break up a bit. One of the blatant cheaters actually said to me, "that draft marshal just ruined all my fun!". My jaw dropped.
I finished the ride thinking I was in the top ten, but not really sure. My legs were pretty tired, but I was excited to run (I heart running). Took it out at a decent pace, but felt that maintaining the pace needed for a 1:30 half was a little too ambitious. As the miles clicked away, it got hotter and I found myself in a world of pain...... definately not recovered. I held on as best I could and wouldn't allow myself to walk, even though all I wanted to do was curl up in the fetal position.

Total time: 4:34:54. 5 minutes better than 2006.
Can't complain about my time or the effort. I just didn't have the extra gear I had in Kona. I know I pushed hard, as I don't remember the last time I was this sore after a half IM..... I actually embrace this soreness as it really makes me feel alive.

After the race we ventured to Shephard's for the post race party. I don't get out very often, but I have to say that when I do go out I giver pretty hard. Last night was no exception and we all had a blast.

Here are some pics approved for this website:

Mirinda was ALMOST the best dancer there ;)

Good friends, old and new.

some last minute thoughts.

2008-11-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

Went for a swim this morning in the Gulf and couldn't help but wish I was back at dig me beach instead.... the water was COLD, it was dirty and there definately weren't dolphins swimming beside me.
The general feel here is different than the vibe at Kona. Two years ago, I had nothing to compare it to so I thought it was the shizzle. Now that I've been to Kona, it will be hard for any other event to top it.
While I'm glad I choose to come here and will race as hard as I can, I'm worried that my body is not ready. I know it's supposed to hurt, I just hope I am able to perform to my ability.
Hopefully, this race will feel short in comparison to four weeks ago.
Regardless, I'm going to do what I can to get my ass on that podium. I know it's in me, just gotta coax it out.

Round Deux.

2008-11-04T14:37:00.001-08:00

I would love to say that I'm pumped about racing another world championship this weekend... but, I can't.
I've been super busy with work and life that even if my body was recovered, I was still only able to do small amounts of activity.
I've gained five pounds but it feels like 20.
I just can't seem to gather the same excitement I had for Kona. How does Hiliary B. do it?
All the same, I'm gonna' go down there and giver. I placed 5th in 2006 and I'll be honest, I want better. Only time will tell if I've struck the balance between recovery and maintainance.
Either way, I get some sun time, in a splish, next to the ocean!!

Racer # 630.

kona update 2

2008-10-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

It's a week post race and the week has been full of a whole lot of lounging, sight seeing and eating. Three days left in paradise before I head back home (slightly different paradise).
Today, Ryan and I made a new friend. We were enjoying a tasty mango, raspberry and spirullina smoothie when we were joined by a curious passer - by:

He was especially interested in the spirullina and decided to take a taste;

His appetite was unsatiable and he couldn't resist the temptation for more;

While I am in love with this Island (we went all the way round yesterday) and will really, really miss the ocean (after all, I am a 'cancer') I am looking forward to returning to my home to hit the training again for a few weeks.

Ryan is doing very well and has already begun his rehab (in the pool and on the stationary bike), I am very proud of him. He will be back in no time.

the kona report.

2008-10-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

Two days post race. I have taken some time to reflect and enjoy. The only thing left is the race report:
The swim:
This swim is known for how brutal it can be so I decided to opt for a longer swim, slightly off course in lou of being right in the mix. I think this was a great decision. I started waaaaayyy to the left and barely touched another soul until the turn around. Even though I may have taken a longer line, I believe I saved time and energy by not having to fight with hundreds of others trying to do the same.
The turn around was rough, no way to avoid it. Took in enough salt to replace what I may have sweat out and choked a couple of times, nothing new. The way back seemed to move along quicker until my googles started to leak and the water was burning my eyes, causing them to tear up and fill the googles. Total swim time: 1:01:37. Slowest IM swim time by over a minute, but comparatively probably my best IM swim (no wetsuit).

Nothing too eventful on the bike until the Queen K, when the legendary cross winds started to pick up. Pretty intense on the way out but manageable. Dropped my chain once, having to pull over to correct the situation... Got to the half way point as planned in 2:39, with wattage averaging 155 - not taxed at all. Since I was hoping for a ride in the 5:20 area, this was a good sign.
I was somewhat dissappointed to be passed by the eventual second place woman sitting tightly in the middle of a pack of men, but I guess you will always have to deal with that in this sport.
The turn up to Hawi slowed things down. Head and cross winds to the turn around.
The way back to Kona was exhausting, physically and mentally. The cross winds were so strong I was actually frightened for my safety. A few times, I was blown clear across the road and almost into the ditch. I was gripping my handle bars so hard my arms were cramping. The return trip on Queen K was all head wind. Very slow and I watched my goal time move out the window while trying to keep my watts manageable.
I was able to pick it up for the last 30 km, trying to walk the line between giving up too much energy and not pushing hard enough.

Total bike time: 5:39
My second transition was not good. I got in there and sat down, needing to collect myself and pull myself together. I'm not gonna' lie, I did not want to run a marathon. I had done the training and had been looking forward to this run, but the bike had broken me. My mind was having a weak moment and the only thing I could think to do was sit on the potty. The wind was so brutal on the bike that I was unable to pee while riding. As a result, this pee was easily over a minute long. But during that time, I pulled myself together enough to head out to Alii drive.
The first couple of miles were painful and full of self doubt. I had visions of walking the marathon. The temps were close to 100 and the humidity was high.
The internal mental battle was familiar, and I made the choice to enjoy the day, do my best and deal with whatever that ended up being.
I took the first few miles slower than I normally do and gave up the idea of holding 7:38's as planned.
I turned my energy outward and began to cheer on others and have fun with the spectators. Something clicked and I began to feel better and better with each mile and then each step. By half way, I was picking up the pace and picking off people. At one point, a spectator told me I was 8th amateur female, fueling the fire. I had no idea where I was in my AG, but I knew Rachel was in front and looking good in her Splish. Once I hit the turn in the energy lab I knew there was just over 10 km left and that was manageable.
I think I negative split the marathon, running my way into 5th for my AG, 6th Amateur female and 30th Overall.

Run time: 3:24:54
I crossed the line feeling great (maybe a little too good) and even though my time was slower than 'planned', I was glad it came together the way it did.

Time for some R & R, then Clearwater in 4 weeks! (yikes)

Thank you to the best sponsors in the world: Splish, Zym, Jaggad, Saltstick, Blackwell. I could not have done it without you!

** An update on Ryan: He was in a bike crash on the Queen K and ended up with a broken hip. He has had surgery and is already ahead on his recovery (of course!!). He is strong and will be back next year!

go time!!

2008-10-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, is the Hawaii Ironman.
I have headed out on workouts for the last two years, with ambitions of competing in this race. In just over 12 hours, I will be living that dream, and I have never been more ready.

Long rides, runs, bricks, swims in 95 degree + heat... dozens of rides, hard and easy up mountains all over tucson... long runs completed on the track in the form of 800's.... PB's in running races and triathlons.... age group and overall victories.... average wattage increase over a 20 km TT by over 20.... races in rain, wind, altitude and heat....pushed until I thought I was broken, then woke up to do it again the next day.....tapered for three weeks (that's a first!)... gave up caffiene until race morning (tough one)......
madame pele, bring it on!! this girly has packed her "A" game!!!

This island is everything I thought it would be. Truly, Triathlon Island. Fit people, beautiful oceanic scenery. I even got to swim with the dolphins!!
So far, it has been perfect weather. Overcast (actually, it's called 'VOG'), and definately not hot or even super humid..... hope it heats up a little, seems I do better if it's scortching!

1600

2008-09-25T03:57:00.001-07:00

is a great number....

IM Simulation Day, OOOHHH YAAAHHH!!

2008-09-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

What can I say? I made the IM simulation day workout, my bitch.

About two and a half weeks ago, my coach told me that if I could make it through the last two weeks, Kona would seem easy. I think he was trying to break me. It was touch and go. I was exhausted. I didn't think I could make it. I saw the IM simulation day and thought, how am I supposed to do that after two weeks of "let's see if we can break chris?" Luckily, the IM simulation day is pretty important, so I was allowed a day completely off (no work, swimming, wts -- nothing) before, just so I could feel 'fresh'.
For the last few months, Ryan and I have had opposite schedules so we end up doing our workouts solo. IM sim. day was no different. Me and my ipod. Except last night, at 8:00, mine died.
It's always a risk when you barrow someone else's mp3, but I couldn't fathom the idea of a 7+ hour workout without one. Thankfully, Ryan let me take his.
I tend to think using someone else's ipod gives you a little glimpse into their soul.
Using Ry's ipod has only caused me to love him more. All the greats were there. Even some Nelly to get me moving.

The day started with a 3000 yrd, pool swim at 7:00. Nothing too exciting. Didn't push the pace, just smooth. Did it in 44:00. 2 km in about 29:00. With the bike waiting for me in the car, it was a quick transition and off for a 4 hour, moderately hilly, ride.

transition:

First 30 minutes were more or less warm up and I hovered around 30 kph. Then the legs started to warm up and it was on!!
The last 90 k were done in less than 2:45, lights, traffic included...
Next up, short drive (transition) to the run location.
Mostly flat, very hot (94 degrees) non shaded, run. The legs felt good. My coach told me not to be afraid of speed. So today, I let go. The garmin told me I was running sub 7 miles. I was supposed to be holding IM marathon pace. But that's my story, always starting out too fast. But, I wasn't afraid. I tried to slow down, but 'The Who', 'Rage Against the Machine' and the fact that the ipod had to be returned before 2:30, made me do it. Sorry coach.
Within my two hour transition run today, I ran a 1:32 half marathon (didn't slow down after that either!).
It's not that I think the time is that great, after all, I had a day taper. It's more how my body felt, or how my mind tricked my body into feeling. I didn't bonk, I didn't even hurt. I could have gone faster.
Today, the competition between mind and body was won handily by the grey matter - just like it will be in Kona.

The IM sim. was the work out I needed, mind and body. I am ready.

j'aime des montagnes

2008-09-12T18:40:00.000-07:00

For the non bilingual Canadians, that means "I love mountains". It's true, and um I'm going to yell it from...... the mountain top of course!
For today's ride, I decided to take to the road and head south west of Tucson to yet another mountain range. This one, Kitt Peak has an observatory at the top. Cool stuff.
I started the ride about an hour away to get the full, scheduled time in. This is it from my starting point:

12 mile climb at 8% grade, up to 7000ft. Love it. It's amazing how the environment can change your outlook. Mountain climbs like these were never in my program before I moved here. My first climb up Lemmon (25 miles at an average of 6%), wrote me off for days. Now, I hit mountain climbs 2 or 3 times a week. I use them for TT's, long rides and even recovery rides. In my opinion, they are perfect for any day on a bike. You can have a consistent, no slacking effort for almost as long as you can handle. No street lights and very little traffic = awesome workout. And then of course, you get to go down!! YEEHAW!!

Destination:

The top:

The white thing in the background is one of five observatorys at the top.

Tomorrow, it's back to Lemmon - it's been a few days since I've been to the top, something might have changed.

What the H*ll is that!!??

2008-09-10T21:12:00.001-07:00

No, it's not a lobster in my doorway. It's a scorpion.
Apparently, Arizona has them. This little guy is called a bark scorpion and he's poisonous. I tried to be nice and scoop him up in the dust pan to put him outside, but he attacked me.
He moves a lot faster than he looks capable of and in a rash, scared for my life, moment I grabbed the closest shoe and swung.... hard.
They're not like cockroaches.... he was easily smushed.

I hung him outside the front door as a warning to all others who may be tempted to follow in his foot steps.

Death Run 2008

2008-09-03T22:59:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, my training schedule informed me that I had one very long run, and then another short run. Unfortunately, as is the case for most age groupers, work interfered and I had to alter my plans. My first of three night shifts was Saturday night and the first night always knocks me on my ass. Decided I would take the day off (scheduled for Monday) and move my run to Monday -- mistake #1. Woke up on Monday after 5 hours of restless sleep and headed out the door.... Not able to do the full workout due to time constraints (13 hour shifts do that to your day) I had settled on a two hour run. It was 3:00 in the afternoon, sunny 96 degrees, 60% humidity - it was one of those days that had 'Tready' written all over it, mistake # 2. I thought it would make me tough.
From the very first step I knew it would be a fight against my body/mother nature the whole way.
By 20 minutes, I had almost finished my two fuel belt bottles - it holds four and I decided I didn't need them, mistake # 3. Yet, I kept running...

By the time I decided to turn/cut my run short, I was needing to partake in a little ritual called "ten & ones" and 'squeezing my cheeks' to keep everything in.
I had no choice but to stop early and walk the last km in.... I was dizzy, goose bumpy and had the worst headache ever. Once I was home, I took off my soaked clothes and laid naked on the floor in front of the open fridge for 15 minutes. Not one of my better moments. I had one hour to take in as much fluid as possible (ended up being close to 3 litres) before I had to head off to my last night shift -- perfect recipe for recovery.....

An old coach of mine used to say that it was a good sign to have a horrible long run close to goal race time.... mission accomplished.

My name is Christine, I am an addict...

2008-08-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

It's true, I'm a full blown addict. Can't get enough of them. Look at them on the internet, admire them from a far and spend $$ on them almost unwillingly.
That's right, I'm addicted to swim suits.
Not just any suit, splish suits.
The best sponsor a gal could have. Just when I'm in need of an intervention to get my arse swimming more, Dawn sends me an email.... two suits to save the day.

Have some spare time at the office??? Design one of your own (www.splish.com), but be warned, it's addictive.

Finally,

2008-08-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

getting around to updating the bloggy blog. Back from Canada and back to hard core training for this little race I have coming up in October.
Had a wonderful week visiting family and friends. Filled with lots of romps up these:
Smelling lots of these:
and this:

-- don't come across much of that in the desert... don't miss it.
Got to play with these:

And did a little, old school olympic race. We swam here: (what I miss the most...water)

And I picked up a Garmin Nuvi for my effort (sweet).
The other hours were filled with olympics and training.
While I totally enjoyed visiting my family and friends - I really missed it here.
This has become our home and I couldn`t imagine not looking out at the mountains everyday.... even though the only water I see comes from a tap.

ps. I promise to not be such a delinquent (spelling.... Bueller) with my blogging.

MIA

2008-08-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

I have been in Canada visiting the fam and friends... haven't had much time to blog.. will update on Monday, once I'm back in Tucson.
In the meantime:

guess who was hit by a car, again?!

2008-08-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

Yep, me - yesterday.

I had been cycling in London, Ontario prior to my move to Tucson for 2 - 3 years quite regularly. A town of 400, 000, many, many roads and to my knowlegde only one recently installed 500m stretch of bike lane. Never was I hit, nor even grazed by a car. The receiving end of many flipped birds, but never even touched by a moving vehicle.
Fast forward to Tucson. Every single road has a bike lane, cyclists are all over the place -- in fact, there are more bike lanes than sidewalks. I have been hit twice in just a few months.
Not because I was doing anything wrong --- Tucson drivers are f-ing morons.
This time I was not so fortunate in terms of injuries. Nothing too serious, could have been way worse (again). 5 areas of road rash scattered nicely over my body. One very messed up hip and one pulled SCM muscle (aka whiplash). Took a snapshot of my elbow, pretty eh?

My bike, I am extactic to report, has been checked out and is still as amazing as ever. Orbea, you rock.

Got back on the horse this morning and rocked the 2:30 climb up Lemmon.

Somewhat appropriate:

today/11 weeks out...

2008-07-28T01:12:00.000-07:00

Today, I headed up my beloved mt. lemmon for a run. At altitude (7500 ft.), uphill for the first half and even more painfully, downhill for the second half. Bring it on Palani!! What made it even more enjoyable was the dark cloud that opened up on me just before half way. It poured and soaked the ground causing the most amazing smells to lift up out of the pines that cover the tops of the Catalina mountains. Even better was that I could look out onto a Tucson that remained hot, sunny and dry. My own personal oasis..

this weekend (well actually, saturday) officially begins the 11 week countdown to Kona.... yikes. I read on RR's blog, the 12 things she needed to do in the 12 weeks before Hawaii... I've missed a week, but here are my 11:

1. Find a new speedsuit -- the Zoot full length looks splendid!!
2. Book a flight.
3. Design a Splish suit (and matching bag -- new feature!) must be something
with maple leaves.
4. Go home for a visit/training fest.
5. Work 29 more night shifts.
6. Lose 5 lbs.
7. Start riding longer than 4 hours at a time.
8. Start running longer than 1.5 hours at a time.
9. Swim more than 3x/week.
10. Develop an itinerary for my two weeks in Kona -- anyone want to be a tour guide?
11. Lose 5 more lbs.

ps.. the article in "Triathlete" show casing the Show Low results said "Tucson Native".... no way, this gal's Canadian all the way.

long overdue update..

2008-07-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

whoa. where does time go??
last weekend, ryan and I headed up to Flagstaff for the Mountain Man Half IM.
He did great. I turned it into an aquabike. No biggy, just had a big week and wasn't feeling the love. I'm over it and onto bigger things. Like Kona in 11 weeks!!

After the race, Ryan and I headed up the Grand Canyon for a wee hike. The hike more than made up for my poo poo race. Over 6 miles down into the giant gorge -- almost to the river bed (we would have got there but we were concerned about the amount of water we had left). We could see the Colorodo river and the Phantom Ranch. From there, it was a more painful 6+ miles back to the rim (7000 ft. elevation). The next day, my butt knew it had had a workout.

From there, we headed to Sedona.... beautiful. I just can't get over this state I now call home. From desert to mountain to ponderosa pine to canyon, it's breath taking.
We took sooo many pics.. I'll post a few for your viewing pleasure.

flagstaff, etc.

2008-07-19T04:23:00.000-07:00

this weekend, Ryan and myself head up to Flagstaff for yet another half IM at altitude. this will be the last half I do before Kona (12 weeks away), so naturally I'd like to have a stellar showing.
after the race, we plan on visiting Sedona and the Grand Canyon (hiking counts as training, right?). I'll definately post pics...

no excuses..

2008-07-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

BSLT RR

2008-07-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

I already left a quick update, so it's no surprise how the race finished but here's a RR to tell how it went down...
We left for Lubbock thinking that we would be greated by heat and humidity. On our 10 hour drive there, we encountered sand storms, lightening rain and wind.
The day before the race saw much of the same thing, with the forecast for race morning being nasty. We were actually worried that they may cancel the swim (for lightening), which would have made me more than a little upset.
Race morning came, and the radar showed storms all around Lubbock, but for the time being we were okay. Bike check in and transition set up went on as usual and before we knew it, we were being called to the start line.
Wave starts - pros first then many waves of men and older females. All females under 40 were together, which helps you to keep track of your overall position.

We were called to the line and about 50 girls ran right to the far right, front were I would have liked to have been but was not willing to push my way there. I couldn't help but think, "uh-oh. Are all these girls really planning on backing these actions up for the rest of the race? Or are they just being a little overzealous?" So, I started behind about 20 ladies, hoping to manoveur my way around them when the gun went off.
The plan was to attack the swim, go a little easier on the hilly bike course and first half of the run and then hammer home.
Well, I definately attacked the swim. Time: 26:39:70. PB by 3 minutes.
BUT, it was a beach start. Times are always faster when you get to run some of the swim (running is faster, duh). AND, a good 1000 m of the swim was with the very strong wind... which helps (however, a good 600 m was into the wind and chop).
I was trying a new 'thing' in the water, and I guess it helped. I new I had pushed hard when I got into transition and felt like I was going to puke all over. It took me a few seconds to get a grip and get moving -- again, a slower transition than I wanted, really need to work on this!
The bike course begins with a 7% hill right off the bat (20m from transition). Then another one right after that. Ouch.
It always takes me a good 15 miles to feel warmed up, but for some reason I was just not feeling the love. My watts were okay, but I just wasn't feeling the desire. The wind was howling, 15 - 20 mph, with gusts over 40, and the rain had begun. I keep referring back to our plan to take it a little 'easier'. The hills were very steep and long and made for tretcherous descents that had to be taken slowly in the rain. I new my bike time was going to be dissappointing but I felt that there was little I could do at the time. In the first half of the ride, I think I was passed by 5 girls, yikes.
The second half of the bike is when I started to feel better. I felt like I was just spinning the wheels but I was moving very fast and pushing bigger watts!! I passed 3 of the girls back, and was smiling and giggling like a little girl playing in the rain. Unfortunately, I lost too much time the the one girl that I was keeping my eye on... Molly (beat her in Show Low). Time: 2:50 (not happy with this, but I still averaged 8 watts higher than Show Low 4 weeks ago).
T2 was slower than I wanted, but my shoes and socks were soaked (rookie mistake). I had to take the extra time to make sure they were on correctly, to limit the inevitable blistering of my feet.
I can't say that I felt good heading out on the run, but I was under strict orders to hold a good pace the first half and hammer the second. For the first few miles I was wondering if I'd finish (isn't that always the case?). There were a couple of gals infront of me that I was trying to keep from getting too far away. Once I hit half way I decided to give it a shot. In my head, I had a goal of 1:34. At this point, I was unsure if I could hit it.... I would have to run around 7 min. miles to do it, and negative split a very hilly run course. My legs didn't feel bad and my lungs were game so off I went. I passed the gals in front of me but ran out of real estate before I saw Molly not 25 m in front of me at the finish. Dang. Run Time: 1:34:37 PB by 5 minutes.
Total time: 4:55:31, 1st AG, 5th Amateur.
Declined the Kona spot (it went to a very excited Amanda Durner), took the Clearwater. Yep, I'm nuts.

Ryan also had a great race despite a possible torn hammie. 5th in AG and an amazing run PB!
See, go a little slower on the bike and look what you get?!

Thanks to Splish for another amazing suit, and to ZYM for giving me the boost I needed in the second half of the bike, and running legs to help me to a run PB!
Results here:http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3/buffalosprings70.3/?show=raceresults&year=2008&format=htm

*** and no, I wasn't in the medical tent for treatment -- just to visit Teri and to get warm!

UPDATE

2008-06-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update:
I did do the race -- they had me registered for the sprint!!!!
Everything seems to be sorted out, however my times are still not on the website.

I won my AG and was 4th amateur, not quite sure about overall.
Awards are tonight and hopefully my times, etc. will be on the website shortly.
Think I will take the Clearwater spot, but I get to turn down the Kona spot! (too bad I couldn't save it for next year!!).

It was a tough day.... wind, rain and hills, hills, hills!
More to come later....

The Monsoons Are Here!!

2008-06-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

For the third time since I've been in Az - it rained. It was beautiful!!! The way the clouds hang around the mountains and the smell of the wet desert is unbelievable.

Unfortunately, it was short lived. Maybe an hour at most and it's done. Apparently, this happens almost everyday until into August.

It's amazing how rejuvinated you feel after a good rain and thunderstorm!

Also, I'm super pumped about BSLT 70.3 this weekend!

I have been easing off quite a bit this week in order to do a mini taper for this race. I did a couple of big weeks and would like to go into this race with more than a two day taper to see what I can do.

It's supposed to be hot (yes!) and a tough course (double yes!) and I'm pretty sure the competition will be prime (kona spot on the line).

Also just looking forward to getting away with Ryan (not so excited about the 10 hour drive!).

help Michael Lovato

2008-06-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

www.michaellovato.blogspot.com

love it.... and the suits (splishy) aren't bad either!

weekend sufferfest

2008-06-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday was day 2 of the weekend sufferfest, part of which included a 20 km TT.
One of the local cycling groups had organized the TT outside of town (actually, it was half way to Phoenix, as I would find out!), and of course I jumped at the chance for some pain.
There were 20 and 40km options, but I figured since the furthest organized TT I've done was 15 k, I should start with the 20.
When I arrived at the race site I was completely overwhelmed! There was easily over 100 people there, all warming up on their wind trainers - very intense. Luckily, since there were so many people to go infront of me (left every 30 sec.) I had time to do the prescribed, long warm up.
The Setting:
11 km out, 9 km back. Fairly flat with a highway overpass.
The Wind: into 15 mph winds for the 11 km (boo).
Heat: 100 degrees by 0800.
Results:
http://saguarovelo.org/results/08picacho120k.htm
I was 5th female (the cat. 1/2 girls beat me), in 32:24, with no girls going under 30 (that would have made me feel bad).

Lots of room for improvement, but that's what's great about first trys!

Also, big congrats to my friend Teri Albertazzi for her 4th place showing at Kansas 70.3!!
and to my friends in Ontartio that did Muskoka -- super jealous!

playing with fire

2008-06-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

Today, was attempt # 3 at the weekly edition of Tucson's Shootout.
I almost made it.
The goal is to keep with the pack until it crosses over a moderate climb (really only a slight bump in the road, but it feels like a mountain!). After the 'climb', the pace chills out and the actual race is over. You're sittin' pretty if you can make it to the top of the hill.
I got spit off at the bottom, but that's the farthest I've made it so far....
On the way home, I was speaking with one of the roadies about how I feel I need to learn some restraint and general tactic. I know that if I sit in the back longer - I make it further (duh), but I just can't stop myself from surging and filling in breaks.
He responded with the cyclist's theory of "matches", and now it makes sense.

He went on to tell me that every hard effort (threshold) is considered to be the equivalent of "burning a match". You know what it feels like once you've done it, and it's generally not good.
You start the ride with a full book of matches. Each rider having a different size book, but nobody has an unlimited number.
My problem (he so graciously informed me), was that I needed to learn appropriate times to burn my matches and when I should be sitting back (being new to the roady scene this is apparently more often than not!).

This obviously transfers into triathlon. As I mentioned in a previous post, hilly/windy courses are extra tough because you're at risk of burning too many matches early in the day. Pacing and perceived effort are super critical.

As for me, I'm going to work on getting a bigger match book, more matches (maybe even the water proof kind!), and I'm gonna' learn when to light 'em up!
Next week, I will make it over the 'mountain'.

post 104 degree workout.

2008-06-10T19:29:00.001-07:00

well, it's done and it was hot.
it wasn't fast but I got er done. I am seriously dehydrated and have a wicked headache.
I'm headed straight to the pool - not for a workout, but to cool down and just 'play'.
then, I'm planning on coming home and having my dinner with a glass of wine.
I think that's called 'balance'.

I came across a quote today on someone else's blog, I love it and it fits:
"I do what you won't do today, so I can do what you can't tomorrow."

nice.

my new reality.

2008-06-10T16:23:00.001-07:00

is a hot one.
104 degrees, and it's only the beginning of summer.
I have been sitting inside my airconditioned apartment for the last 2 hours waiting for my weather channel updater thing to tell me it's getting cooler outside. I still have to do a 12 km track workout before I can call it a day - and I'm pretty sure the black asphalt will make it feel a little warmer than 104.... so I wait.
The problem is, I can't wait until the sun goes down 'cause the mountain lions might catch me suffering and think "dinner".
I have been looking for a track that is lit at night.... no dice.

It's been so warm the last couple of days that the water in the outdoor pools is warm like pee.
Not to complain... I will have to get used to it, and I guess you could call it good training..

5 km - revisited

2008-06-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

yesterday was my second attempt at the 5km distance this season.

two weeks ago, i completed a 5km and was not entirely happy with my execution. post race, my coach mentioned that next time, "we'll try a different strategy -- we'll make your legs even more tired before the race" and hopefully, i'd be able to run the same time, if not faster. sounds like fun.

well, the plan for saturday was to do a 3500 scy swim including a 1500 TT, a moderate ride with a 30 min TT (up mt. lemmon) and then the race (it started at 630 pm). basically, a broken sprint tri.

normally, i'd be super pumped about this agenda however, i have been sick for the past 5 days....

pooped, coughing up green stuff and generally congested. the first two 'events' went pretty well. still breathing like i was at altitude, but managable. i actually even improved my TT watt average by a whole 2 points (whoopy). i was a sceptic when it came to the run.

i decided to give it a go. the point was to get in a good workout and regardless of my performance, that would happen. it was 100 degrees and dry, dry, dry. there were points in my warmup that my throat was so dry, i couldn't swallow. yikes. the race ended up with over 1000 registrants, which is much more than the course should have on it. the start was super congested and i felt a little claustrophobic.

the course was definately harder than the one two weeks ago. very twisty, turny and hilly. fun but tough. i raced much better than two weeks ago. went out a little easier, was able to pick it up at the and passed some peeps in the final mile.

1945 - not a PB, but good enough for 3rd OA. and the olympic trials girl that beat me by 1:30, 2 weeks ago, only beat me by 50 seconds this time.....

also..... big congrats the Kerri for rockin' her age group at Eagleman 70.3!!!

weekend in show low!!

2008-06-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend we packed up our bikes and headed to Show Low for the Deuces Wild Half IM.
What a blast!!

The road to Show Low is Highway 77. On a map, this looks like any highway - a line on paper. But wow!! The scenery was absolutely stunning!!

We crossed a gorge known as Salt River Canyon. We could have just as well been in the Grand Canyon it was so huge and overwhelmingly beautiful (I posted pics, but they don't do it justice).

The last 45 min. of the drive is basically a climb into the mountain plain in which Show Low was located. This area had the vegetation of the Muskoka's and the high end housing/cottages to match. The lake we were to swim in could have easily been any lake in central Ontario -- and it was nice to feel at home.

The race venue was gorgeous, but the water was freezing!! Race day water temp. 61 degrees. ouch.

Race morning, we woke up at 430 to cold air temps. high 50's., and winds of 16 mph. I made a decision to race in a one piece tri suit instead of my splish bathing suit (was a bad choice!).

It was a 3 mile ride to the transition from the parking lot, and we froze our assess off. I was scared.

The men's race was to start at 630, and once the sun was completely overhead, the air temp started to climb. Too late to change, lesson 1.

The women's race started 4 minutes after the men and I was thankful for the extra room it gave us. I got in the water just before we were to leave and it was soooo cold it literally took my breath away! All the pee in the world couldn't have kept this girl warm!!

The gun went off, and I thought that if I went hard, I would stay warmer. Kinda' forgot we were at 7000 ft. and it might be a little hard to get the oxygen I needed to hold that blistering pace, and instantly went into o2 dept. Coupled with the slight hypothermia I was facing, I began to have a small panic attack. I definately didn't enjoy swimming in cold water, but I needed to get a grip. By half way, I had regained mental control, found some woman's feet and pushed. We started to catch the men, which just adds fuel to my fire.

I got out of the water beside this gal for 1st and 2nd, in 29:55. Under 30. yes!! Goal one accomplished. Maybe could have gone faster if I was more comfortably, but who knows.

Onto the bike. Thanks to my new Blackwell Rearch carbon aerobars (thanks David!), I was feeling light and fast!! The course was hilly right off the top. The first half reminded me of Wisconsin IM, or the Peterborough half IM. Lots of rollers and some speedy downhills. At points, I was all alone (couldn't see anyone in front!) and was kinda' lonely. Some gents caught me and I decided that I needed to push a little harder to hit goal 2, so I tried to stick to them the rest of the way.

About 20 km from home, we turned into the wind and started to climb. Not having driven the course for a preview, I was unaware that this climb would continue for somewhere around 10 - 15 km. Tough, yes. But that's what I wanted/expected. Very Lake Placid.

The time was ticking by, and I was becoming more and more disheartened.

As it turns out, the bike was 4 km too long (they changed the course this year because of local construction).

Total bike time: 2:47 -- Considering the course and added kms, I'm actually okay with this time and most importantly, the effort.

I headed onto the run course at about the same time as some elite cyclist that caught me on the last climb. I passed her within the first 500 meters and had the goal of running an even pace -- hopefully one that I could hold for the full 26.2 in kona.

I felt the altitude a few times on the run. There were quite a few hills that would quickly put you into O2 debt. and I'd catch myself breathing pretty hard. The majority of the run was on paved trails, but there were large sections on gravel roads or dirt trail along the lake, and for most of the way, I couldn't see anyone (including volunteers) and was just hoping I was heading the right way.

I finished the run comfortably and actually had a half IM running PB too!! (10 sec., but that doesnt' matter!) -- 1:39:39.

Total time: 5:00:16, 1st Female, 11th Overall.

Ryan (BF extraordinarie) finished 3rd OA and had a great race -- he's my inspiration!!

This race was amazing -- recommend it to all. Great course, great raffle (I however, didn't win anything) and great plaques/finishers medals, shirts - you name it!! Certainly out did the 70.3 races I've done.

Today, Ryan and I woke up early to help volunteer for the xterra race. This looks like sooo much fun! Think I might have to invest in a mountain bike and learn how to play dirty!

off to the races!!

2008-05-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

tomorrow, ryan and i head 4 hours northeast to a little mountain town named, 'Show Low'. we will both be competing in the half IM race on saturday.

i'm totally pumped for this race!! the area is supposed to be absolutely beautiful!

the race will hold it's challenges (like there are halfs that don't?!). it is held at 7000 ft. elevation. not exactly sure what it feels like to race at elevation.... but i'm betting on the fact that my lungs are gonna' burn!!

one other concern is that last week, this little town got snow! i'm thinking that the lake might be a little chilly - i was even considering wearing those little blue seventy booties.

regardless, it will be good times and a heck of a work out.

the plan: swim hard, bike hard, run harder and have fun!.

you are limited only by what you can imagine yourself accomplishing. know no limits, dream big and train like you mean it!

Need Sunscreen??

2008-05-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Next time you need sunscreen, do a gal a favor and order KINeSYS (http://www.kinesys.com/). Use the code: fe chrissy, and you'll help support me in my quest to rock the Big Island!!

Todd from KINeSYS is going to give me a small (very small) percentage of sales completed under my code. Every little bit helps. The fewer night shifts I have to do, the more time I can put into training!!!

impromtu 5k!

2008-05-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

the last couple of days, i've been livin' like a rockstar. i booked almost a week off of work in thoughts of doing the florida 70.3 race, but decided it wasn't such a good idea to race a half, five weeks after a full. so i've put in a solid block of training instead!!
about four days ago, i found out about a 5km race that was happening today. i asked my coach if i could add it to my program, and predictably he said, "of course! it will be a great opportunity for a speed workout and it will give us a good idea of where you're at."
so i woke up this morning, legs exhausted from the blow ups yesterday, and was excited to be racing!! i do love a good road race!
it was 80 degrees by the time the race started at 7. the original plan was to take the first mile out a little easier and run a 615. from there, i wanted to run the next at 610 and the last one 605 or better. well, true to cp form the first mile was a little faster then i wanted.... 550! needless to say, i was a little scared when i saw that time. i knew that my tired legs would not hold that pace so i decided to just make the best of it and call it a learning experience - again. slowing down was inevitable.
however, i'm optimistic that on fresh legs i could have held that pace, but running tired is my new game.
finish time: 1938. still a pb by 10 sec. i'll take it! it's a bummer to think that if i stuck with my original plan, i would have been sub 19 and in the top 3. on the up side, i get to retest the theory on june 7th -- another 5 km!!

anatomy of the 'shootout'

2008-05-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

if you like to ride hard, there is only one place to be Saturday @ 0600 in Tucson. that's the U of A for the start of the 'shootout'. riders show up with their team kits, carbon wheels and competitive side for a 60 mile grinder.
the ride starts off nice and comfortable, lots of small talk and some anxious energy related to what everyone knows is inevitable. the first 10 km are considered a warm up (very short for us long distance types). after we reach drexel (i think that's what it's called) the pace starts to lift.... riders jockey for best drafting position and soon enough we're hitting speeds of 45 km/hr. this is tough for me even when i'm drafting!!

for the next 25 - 30 miles, it's all out for as long as you can hold on. i ended up with a smaller group today, and that meant not much rest b/w pulls.
i definately need to work on my pacing. i would end up gapping the bridge if someone was falling off and i really should have just taken the extra break.....needless to say, i blew up. but everyone does. infact, that's the point.
have you had the opportunity to 'blow up' in training or (hopefully not) racing?? it has to be one of the most painful experiences in terms of workouts that i've been through. very humbling too.
once you 'blow up' you have no choice but to slow to a crawl to allow your body to get out of the lactic acid build up and o2 dept. it was all i could do to hold 90 watts.
but all is not lost. you recover. just in time for another group to pick you up so you can go through it all again.

can't wait for next week!!

Exciting Partnership!!

2008-05-13T09:32:00.001-07:00

I had the opportunity to taste and purchase this new electrolyte replacement at Trifest this year.

I incorporated it into my IM AZ race plan and was more than happy with the results.

The individually packaged tablets were easily stored in my mini bento and could be placed in my aero bottle without a thought.

These little jems come in two varieties. The one I used in the IM was Catapult Berry, caffeinated to keep me hummin'. The other flavor is Endurance Lemon/Lime -- sans caffeine.

Both flavors are packed with electrolytes, including calcium to sooth irritable tummies, and B & C vitamins.

I've tried other portable tablet drinks (you know who they are), and they bloated my stomach up like a balloon, and tasted like ass.

This stuff rocks!!

Don't take my word for it, check em' out at www.gozym.com -- prices are very reasonable too.

Also, see them in the swimsuit issue of Triathlete. They're included in the 'reviews' section.

I'll also be carrying some with me wherever I go.

this is your brain on.... track

2008-05-07T17:11:00.001-07:00

had my first track workout of the new plan today.

i have to work tonight and with school still being in session, the only option was right at 330, also known as 'peak sun'.

it was only 85 today but boy did it feel smokin' on the asphalt.

there were points when i felt dizzy, moments of goose bumps, and two new blisters, but hey what doesn't kill me........

prepares me for the big show.

satis est satis

2008-04-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

i have taken 2+ weeks to relax, workout only when i want to, and gain back the weight i left in tempe. as the title states, "satis est satis". i am ready to rock.

i find myself in a totally different place when i compare my state to how i've felt weeks after my prior IMs. i felt burnt out, tired and overall lazy. this time round, i have been counting the days until i get my new program. i am pumped!!

i haven't done any running since the race (under strict orders from coach), but i've been on the bike, in the water and back in the weight room (after a three month hiatus). i've also been water running just for fun!

i'm super excited to get the season going as i have some interesting races planned for this summer.

my mom filmed ryan and i (and some stranger we met on the the way) climbing mt. lemmon. you may actually be able to smell my quads burning. this is around mile 21 -- almost there. i love this ride.

2008-04-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

my family escaped the southern ontario weather and came up for a visit this past week. it was great to see them and we had a fantastic time doing some sight seeing and touristy stuff -- i haven't really done that much since i'd been here, so it was nice.

they left this morning and i will definately miss them!

another slowtwitcher photo

2008-04-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

the 'bling' suit seemed to get some attention.

IM AZ in numbers...

2008-04-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

4 -- months of training.
15 -- outdoor rides.
3 -- rides over 5 hours.
1 -- pre race swim in the wetsuit (and it was in a pool!).
2 -- rides up mt. lemmon.
95 -- degrees farenheit.
25 -- mph winds.
18 -- percent DNF (including Frank).
1200 -- calories of Infinit on the bike.
8 -- bottles of water.
1/2 -- cliff bar (gingerbread...yummi).
1 -- pee while riding.
4 -- minutes in the sin bin.
10 -- Saltstick capsules on the bike.
300 -- calories of Infinit on the run.
6 -- Saltstick capsules on the run.
20 -- cups of coke (didn't all go in my mouth).
4 -- sticks of gum.
40 -- sponges (2 at each water stop).
1,000,000 -- cups of ice.
6 -- moments of shade.
0 -- gels.
1 -- potty stop (for a #2).
1 -- untied shoe (first time not using Yanks).
15 -- visits to the potty post race (questionably # 2's).
1 -- blister.
2 -- square centimeters of missing skin "down there".
140.6 -- miles travelled.
2 -- nd amateur female.
1 -- long awaited kona spot.

IM AZ swim start

2008-04-16T09:00:00.001-07:00

yikes!! brutal.

there really was no room.

also, notice the colour of the water! love the colour of the caps though!

IM AZ run - slowtwitcher photo

2008-04-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

IM AZ Race Report

2008-04-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

shortly after i finished the race, i received an email from my coach telling me to take a few days to recover and reflect before analyzing my race. well, it's been a day and with nothing on the plate as far as training, and legs that hurt sooooo bad i figured i could utilize this time to write a report and give my initial thoughts about race day.

the days leading up to the race were pretty uneventful in tempe. athlete dinner, bike and transition bag check in, and then a full day to sit and wait to race. normally, in the day before an IM, i've been somewhat nervous and tend to eat continuously. well, on this saturday all ryan and i did was sit around, watch tv and eat. the nervousness however, was not there as it had been in the past. not because i wasn't worried about what the day would bring but i think i was
'at peace' with what ever could be thrown at me and the possible result. i was confident that i would give it my best however it mannifested itself on that particular day.

we went to bed around 11 and i slept wonderfully.

alarm went off at 4, we had breakfast and were out the door by 445. transition opened at 5 and i like having lots of time, in case something goes wrong.

after stocking my bike and pumping the tires i got to go chill at the edge of trasition for a bit to try and relax... this is when i start to get nervous. we are really doing this! by the end of the day, we'll be ironman! crazy.
i plop myself down next to none other than: Michellie Jones! i was hoping some of her speed would diffuse into my body..... funny, she looked pretty nervous too. guess she is human after all!

the swim was in tempe town lake. rumor has it that phoenix's sewage runs into this river.... by the smell and the colour, i can believe it. probably the equivalent to London's Thames -- and i wouldn't swim in there is my life depended on it. none the less, off we all go. in order to get to the start, you had to jump off a pier and swim about 100 m and man the water was cold!!

we picked our spots and treaded water, waiting for the gun (deep water start). this freaks me out a little bit..... sooo many people in such a small area and everyone slowly creeps forward, giving you less and less room the longer you wait. this part is definately the most stressful.

the gun goes off and i start fast to try and stay ahead of the men behind me who wouldn't give a second thought about running me over. i end up right on the buoy line -- not good. there's people everywhere. i'm getting pushed, pulled, grabbed and my goggles get knocked half off.
at this point, i was in a panic. i put my head up and looked for open water - i needed to get out of here. no open spaces, and all around me were blue caps (men). at this point, i felt like i was playing defense instead of swimming.
what made it worse was the fact that the water was so dirty, you couldn't see the feet infront of you, so you just swam right into them or over them!!

i have never been in such a rough swim.

this went on until just before the turn around, when i went far enough to the outside to have some open water.
the way back was much better. i felt like i was actually able to swim and find a rhythm.
i get to the stairs and see my time -- over an hour. poop. not happy, but alive. i will later find out that the swim was "slow this year", and that makes me feel a little better.

i get through transition and onto my bike. first thing i notice is the wind... feels a lot stronger than the forecasted 8 mile/hr. what can you do.
i look down to check my speed and realize that somewhere in trasition, my odometer fell off, nice. for a split second i get bummed out. what a start. but i quickly turn it around. no point throwing a pitty party. i've always wanted to try and race by feel -- here it goes.
after feeling quite heavy in the legs for the first 8 km, i decide that i should really just spin my way to the turn around and not burn too much energy heading into the wind (they were actually 17 mph winds with 23 + gusts). the first lap felt pretty conservative and i was hoping to just consistently hit the same lap time (i think it was somewhere aroun 1:47 for 60km).

the wind picked up slightly for the next lap, and the sun was definately heating things up.

i'm not sure about my second lap time, but i don't think it was too far off the mark. i was starting to feel warmed up and like i was settling in a groove.
by the 3rd lap the course was getting pretty congested. i ended up getting caught behind a group of slower rider starting their 2nd lap and got a drafting call. i actually thought they were calling the slower riders for blocking, so i just keep riding. he was giving them a drafting call too, but i also got one for being in the mix... first time for me and i was bummed!! i thought, "oh well, i could use the chance to pee - and not in my pants, as well as stretch and get in some fluids, etc." Actually, i knew the ref in the tent so the four minutes went by pretty fast and ended up not affecting my placing so no biggy. i finished the bike just over 5:40 with my legs feeling fresh. i'll take it.

while i wouldn't say this was a flat course, it was definately much flatter than the two other IMs i've done. the biggest difference in my opinion was that i never hit LT..... i never felt the lactic acid build up you get from steep hills or hammering real hard. you can only go into that kind of oxygen dept so many times before you don't recover and i didn't hit it once on this ride....

On to the run. it's now over 90 degrees and the run course has very few shaded areas (you run under a couple of bridges -- that's it). i was more than a little worried about how my body would respond. i was reminded of my first (and only) experience at the Boston Mary. 2004, high 80's and i crashed and burned, finish time 3:46. i wanted to do better than that today. could get interesting but i knew i was ready.

i wanted to take it out easy, so i really held back the first mile... or so i thought. time check 7:07. WHAT???? why do i always do that? second mile: 7:20..... okay, so from there, i slowed down to what i felt was a shuffle, but the feed back i was getting from the spectators told me i was holding a reasonable pace. for the next 19 miles i pretty much hovered between 7:45's and 8:20's, depending on elevation changes. around 20 miles i got some pretty intense cramping and decided it was imperative to stop at the next potty. i didn't think the suit would look too hot with brown stains on the rear. i felt much better after the stop and was ready to finish it off. through the next couple of water stops, i took a couple of walking steps to get fluids down (by this time i was chugging coke - probably not the best plan), drinking water, filling my hat and bathing suit with ice and holding as many sponges as i can to wipe down my body. i had no idea where i was in my AG, except that i knew Rachel must have been infront. i was pretty confident that i was in the top 3, so i just made sure i maintained my pace to the finish, nothing fancy.

for once, i crossed the line feeling pretty good. marathon time of 3:41 something. i ended up with 10:28:48, 15th female, 2nd in AG and 2nd amateur female (behind the world champ. Rachel Ross). of course, i took the kona spot and am looking forward to the rematch!!!

putting goals to paper

2008-04-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

i'm laying in bed, watching some pointless tv (which i actually miss), and thought it was time to put my goals for this IM on 'paper'.

1. have fun - not to hard at an event like this.

2. make it to the finish line - as quickly as possible.

3. leave it all on the field - race without regret.

4. put together a solid race in all disciplines, hopefully nailing the nutrition (and potty) aspect.

5. not get too burnt (right mom?!).

6. have fun.

time for bed. big day tomorrow.

tempe

2008-04-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

tempe is a beautiful, clean city... the flora is much like tucson, but everything is groomed and looks professionally maintained. i could definately live here!!

we headed out to the course yesterday, basically 3 loops, out goes up the hill - back comes down. somewhat scenic, but takes us past a dump.

the run is a figure 8, another 3 loops around the transition area. good for spectators.

temp. will be a concern for all. 94 degrees (33 in canadian) but no humidy. which means it cools down in the shade. no shade on the course. could be interesting.

either way - i can't wait!

in the immortal words of ryan huggett, "lets rock!"

2008-04-12T08:55:00.000-07:00

the athlete dinner was last night. nothing new there. food was okay, setting was decent (they had the dinner outside under the sun). frank farrar is here.... this is a 79 year young man who seems to do most of the NA IMs every year. in each one, he is minutes away from the cut off. he said, 'for this race, his goal was to do it in a day'. he is truly inspirational.

darn good quote

2008-04-07T17:52:00.001-07:00

i'm reading a great book right now, and this quote really hit home.....

a young high school high jumper is at the local championships and he looks to his coach, questioning his abilities. the coach responds with, "if you throw your heart over the bar, your body is sure to follow."

the seven day count down.

2008-04-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

one week until my first tri of the season, and it's a biggin!! can't believe it's here... time has just flown by (except when i'm putting in a 12 hour night shift at the hospital). and i'm ready to give it my best!
i've got two more shifts at the hospital (mon & tues. night) then i'm off to phoenix for thursday to register and swim. then i come back to tucson for friday morning to take an EKG class, then we head back to tempe for the dinner. we will be staying at a hotel friday, saturday and sunday nights. i will definately take some vids of the race site and such.... that is my favorite part! it just gets me so pumped to be surrounded by athletes and people who 'get it'.

so far the forecast is not showing any surprises - hot and windy.

FYI: our bib #s are 1991 (me - pretty cool number eh?), and ryan 612.

splish is the best!!

2008-04-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

just a quick note to remind everyone to get their custom swim suit from splish...
they have been so amazing to me!! dawn (owner) just sent me my new and improved custom silver suit (sorry,no sneak peeks - race day surprise!) and it rocks!!
nothing beats their customer service -- of course, it doesn't hurt that they have the best swim suits out there... how can it get any better than to design one yourself??
check em out... www.splish.com

ryan's new steed

2008-04-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

this is ryan....he's specialized. oh, and yes that is the wind in the background.

preliminary test of the video feature.... more to come in the future.

ryan has arrived!!!

2008-04-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

ryan made it (finally!). have missed him a ton.

after some biking, swimming and running, (and in my case, working) we took his dad and headed up mt. lemmon -- in a car this time! these were taken at mile 14 (windy point). you can see the road way below in the right picture...

this is a climb in a different mountain range... gates pass. steeper than lemmon, but shorter.
so many great rides, can't wait to get back to the big mileage!!

hubba hubba

2008-03-31T12:47:00.001-07:00

finally i get to say "but it's a dry heat".

2008-03-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

today i headed out for my last longish run before the big show. the temp. was 84 (that's 29 in Canadian) and there were no clouds in the sky (there never is unless it's raining, which has happened once since i've been here).
i'm always a little nervous about running in the heat/sun - but that's exactly what's going to happen on all race days from here on out so best to HTFU and get used to it.
now, anyone who's ever run within 4 feet of me knows that i sweat, a lot. any time of the year, even winter, my hair is usually soaked within the first half of a long run for sure..... in the summer, my shorts, shirt and socks are usually drenched by the time i'm done (sexy no?). but today, when i finished my run i was shocked! ponytail was a little damp, shirt had some sweat marks, but nothing on my shorts (finally i can wear light coloured shorts without looking like i peed my pants!). instead, i was coated in a white layer of salt.....probably more than mcdonalds uses to coat a batch of their fries.
using it as an excuse to put (more) salt on everything.

a little motivation please....

2008-03-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh1yMnrby3w watch?v=Bh1yMnrby3w

TT with a twist!

2008-03-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

today was to be a four hour ride with 3 of it at race pace... but last night, i got a call from teri and she asked me to join her and a couple of roadies for the workout on her schedule. her's was a TT part way up mt. lemmon.
since i'm absolutely fascinated and in love with this mountain, i can't turn down any ride that goes on it or near it...... and since it sounded like something that may be incredibly painful i responded instantly with a 'yeah, i'm down'.
i felt that the warm up was obviously similar to my ride, and then during the 14 miles up hill and back to my place that would make up the rest of my ride, i would keep the effort close to what i should push during the race...... yeah right.
on our way to the base (about an hour), teri informed me that her plan had changed. she was to go all out until the 5 mile point, then moderate to 14. i told her to 'have fun', and that i would be trying to ride even, yet hard until 14 -- we would probably meet somewhere around the 7 mile point.
well, she was off like a rocket. couldn't even hold her wheel for a mile -- she's the best female hill climber i know (or have seen!). she smoked me. it was hard, but of course i loved every minute of it...
the second half is when i start to get warmed up.... i wouldn't say i smoked her, but i definately made her work.
she informed me of a TT in the summer that goes up to 11m. where do i sign up??

ammendment

2008-03-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

i would also like to add to my list of taper goals:
no more spending $$$.
i am out of control. idle hands they say.
this sport is a money trap. it's never ending. there's always something you could upgrade or add to your sporting wardrobe.
this time around...... new crankset for my also new, Ergomo. yikes, set me back a bit but hopefully worth it. got a really good deal from a distributer in Boulder. will hopefully have it in a couple of weeks. not planning on racing with it in AZ... but we'll see.
also got a new aero helmet. my last one hurt my head, left indents and bruises and made me look like a freak, so i feel pretty justified in that purchase.

anatomy of a taper - post #1

2008-03-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

well, i made it. the taper has officially begun. just over two weeks until IM AZ and with only a couple of key workouts left, i am in taper mode!!
i can't believe it's here already. i feel like i could go hard and build a little more before i actually need to taper.... i feel like i've only been training for a month -- in reality, i've been training for months, only one of them including outdoor riding however.
it's such a fine line between over training and doing enough. this session has definately been a lot different than what i've done for my first few years of triathlon training, but it has been the first time i have made it to the taper without being off for injury....
for one, my volume has been lower. i kept waiting for it to increase (i've heard crazy stories about the volume done by Team tbb athletes), but that never really happened.
and second, i've been back on the track for some insane workouts that i never thought i would be capable of -- loving every second i might add!

but now those months of prep are in the bank and on april 13th my fitness and mental strength will be put to the test! what a great way to kick start the 2008 racing year -- an IM!!
i just can't wait to be surrounded by others with the same goal and lifestyle. there really is nothing like the environment of an ironman to get you pumped!!

goals for my taper:
1. spend time with ryan (six more sleeps!)
2. try not to over eat.
3. read (5 months with no cable and i'm not givin in now!)
4. rest/recover
5. work on my mental game
6. get rid of the awful cyclist tan lines so i don't look like a weiner in my race suit.

where there's pumba, there's timone!!

2008-03-23T20:40:00.000-07:00

these little guys are everywhere!! they must be the equivalent to our squirrels.... i love them! they are the cutest little things -- but they have no fear. they dart out infront of you at the last minute. i might try and catch one.

"tucsonan" chrissy parks....article in the tucson citizen this week

2008-03-23T19:01:00.001-07:00

Tucsonan Teri Albertazzi broke a top-five Canadian hold Sunday in the annual Tucson Triathlon.
Albertazzi, a three-time champion and four-time runner-up in the Tucson Triathlon Series, placed fifth in the women's division in one hour, 2 minutes, 59 seconds.
Canadian pros training in Tucson took the other top five places in the men's and women's divisions of the open event. It consists of an 825-yard pool swim, 12-mile bike ride and 3-mile run at the University of Arizona.
The men's winner was Quebec's Andrew Russell in 54:12. Kathy Tremblay of British Columbia won the women's race in 58:30 and was 13th overall.
Parks 'Gold' winner
Tucsonan Chrissy Parks claimed the women's title Sunday in the annual Arizona Distance Classic Valley of Golf Half-Marathon in Oro Valley.
Parks ran the 13.2 miles in 1:27:44 to edge runner-up Jeanine Cordova of Mesa. Alexander Battaglino of Las Cruces, N.M., won the men's and overall title in 1:08:25 over former University of Arizona athlete Kyle Goklish of Whiteriver (1:09:23).

***** teri's the girl i've been training with here and there. kinda' neat we're both in the same article for two different races!!

AZ distance classic half mary

2008-03-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

this morning, i woke up at 0400 (mountain time!) all set to compete in the first stand alone, half marathon I've done in over 2 years.
i was scared. my legs were toast after beating myself up with some round and round on thursday and a 6 hour solo spanker of a ride yesterday, but coach said that was the point. i was to go into this race with tired legs -- i guess to mimic the feeling you get in the last leg of the IM. well, mission accomplished. my half hour warmup was painful enough. i had no idea how i was going to survive 21 km!
but this race was to be just as much a mental workout for me as it was physical so i put away all negative thoughts and decided to go with it and have fun.... no one was forcing me to be there.

the plan was (like always) take the first couple ssssllllloooowwww, which i didn't think would be too hard as they were up hill.
first mile = 6:34, darn it.
second mile = 7:22, better, but didn't feel easier because of the hill/wind. positive thought "what goes up must come down".
there were three of us at the turn around (about 44:30). once i knew we were heading back i had a burst of energy (or was that the gel???). time to see what i've got.
i picked up the pace sufficiently to drop the other girls and held on to finish ahead of them by two minutes in a time of 1:27:44 -- PB by 14 sec...
i was happy. and tired.
i was initially a little bummed, as i had wanted to see a time in the 1:26 range. but given the week i've had and the point i'm at in my training, i'll take it!

a little quote that put it into perspective -- while i'm definately not what i would call an elite, i'm trying to think and train like one so maybe someday.......

Amateur: Focuses on the time and how they wish they would have broken the time goal.
Elite: Knows they could have hit their goal if they were focusing on this as an important race and is very satisfied with no further thought of what the actual time was.

results: www.arizonadistanceclassic.com pics to come soon....

pumba!!!

2008-03-15T17:25:00.001-07:00

i headed out the door this morning and what did i see at the bottom of my lane way??!!
technically, they're called javelina (have-a-lean-a)... and he was big! i have been warned about these guys. apparrently they're angry little critters and can attack if they're provoked. they have razor sharp teeth (think javelin) aren't afraid to use them. this one wasn't afraid of me at all! i gave him lots of room and didn't make eye contact!
i'm totally enjoying the ecology here. i guess to the locals it would be pretty boring, but i find all of the different types of cactii interesting and gorgeous. i am also finding great emusement in jack rabbits and road runners. haven't come across any snakes yet (only dead ones that have been run over by cars!!) and thankfully, no mountain lions, scorpions or spiders... definately letcha' know when i do.