OK people so here’s how it all went down….

I was psyched up to race the Boulder Peak, I mean I’m usually excited but this was like a huge present waiting to be unwrapped.  I felt rested, confident and peaceful going into the day.  With BJ at my side and at my beckon call who wouldn’t be ready?   He’s such a great supporter…now if I could only get him to do yard work…

Back to the race, transition was filled with familiar faces lots of greetings and well wishes.  I believe there were upwards of 15 people from HEP racing that day.  Kristina and I joked (hoped) our times would even out and we’d be able to run together but with so many factors weighing in I thought that may not be possible.  Ahhh, it’s possible, we ended up with the exact same time at the end of the day.

The swim was fabulous, my time was not great for me but the experience - incredible.  Transitioned well and on the bike heading to Old Stage…the bike went by so fast, the entire race went by so fast…does that mean I’m more ready than I thought to tackle a Half Ironman next month? It’s been two years since I’ve raced that distance, I think I’ll be just fine.  Overall my bike time was faster than previous years averaging 17.8 MPH (still on the slow side but getting faster for sure).  Then onto the run, my legs felt great my heart rate was in the 180s for the entire 10K so that hurt.  Met up with Kristina on the bike, came into transition right next to each other and were able to run together which was fabulous.  Not as fast as I had hoped but still a 3 minute PR on the run.

Crossed the finish line at 3:00:59 - just shy of making my goal and breaking 3 hrs.  I tried believe me but with a long swim (5 minutes longer than my last BP) it was hard to make up that time and still PR and make my goal.  I think I did a damn good job and I’m very pleased with my effort.  If there is one thing I have learned and seen it’s that you have to be realistic about your fitness and your abilities.  Even though my time would be a nightmare day for many, it was a great day for me.  One of the best.

Next stop - 5430 Long Course!

Let’s just go with ‘Culture Shock’ to describe my experience on Wednesday night at the Cougar Den (i.e. Elway’s in Cherry Creek).  So anyone who knows me and my scene (which is basically drinking organic vino in a cute Skirt outfit and hanging with my hubbers at home) will say, ‘what the hell are you doing on the patio of Elway’s on a Wednesday night?’.

It was my sisters birthday, I love her so much but she is my opposite and Elways was her choice celebration location.  She looked adorable, never would know that she just turned ## - many people assume I am the older sister, not true, younger by 6 years but yes she looks very young, fit and fun.  It was an interesting experience - not sure how many times I said ‘oh boy’ but it was a lot.  Some people made me feel sad, some I just wondered who their friends were and why they let them go out in that outfit and some people just made me feel ill in the tummy as they flaunted their $$ and big bellies.   Thank you Tiara Ditcher for accompanying me to the den, I’m not sure what I would have done without you.  Long story short, moving from the Den to Thursday night’s Stroke n’ Stride was like moving through sliding doors of a bizarro pseudo life existence.

In retaliation, I signed my sister and I up for SnS, I was the stroke, she was the stride.  With Boulder Peak around the corner I really just wanted to have a more peaceful swim then last week and improve my time (no can do apparently, I’m definitely swimming slower then ever).  My ballsy husband was diving in head first with his broken yet healing phalange.  We decided to take it on the inside and stay safe - no pawing or battling for the beej.  The need to continue healing and moving forward is a tricky balance.  Even though my time wasn’t stellar it was so awesome to swim with BJ.  I could see him with every breath and I thought ‘what is better than this?’  I get to do one of my favorite sports with my bestest buddy in the world.  There was no trouble this week, just a calm smooth swim.  Great experience moving into the peak this weekend.

Thanks to my Twisted Sista teammate for rocking out the 5K for me….and meeting the super hot guy to boot.  I would expect nothing less from her with those sweet abs rocking out the vintage Skirt marathon girl.

Woo Hoo - yeah we’ll just start this post right out with a big Woo Hoo!  Why?  It’s Peak Week…the hardest and most competitive of all olympic triathlons besides I guess, the Olympics.  It’s a ridiculous cast of characters so little ole’ just having fun triathlete me  simply hopes for a spot in the top 50%.  My personal goal to break 3hrs.

My 2007 time was 3:04:13.  I need to get the time on the run so if I can do a 55 minute run then I will make my goal.  We’ll see, we will see.

In the meantime, I’m readying myself….eating lots of salt, drinking lots of electrolytes and tending to what I have self-diagnosed as a low grade tendonitis just below my left knee at my pes anserinus.

The Pes Anserine is the insertion point for three major leg muscles in this order: Sartorius, Gracilis and Semitendonosis.  I started feeling pain on the medial part of my knee distal to the joint about 10 days ago.  Started paying attention to it about 7 days ago.  This week I’m hammering the healing with daily vascular flushes (probably my favorite hydrotherapy out there) - it’s a 1-2-1 ratio of ice and heat.  So I go 10 minutes ice, 20 minutes heat and 10 minutes ice.  It allows for a full flushing of the area, driving out old blood and stagnation, the bringing in new blood and increased circulation.  It’s been extrememly helpful.  I’ve been able to train through this and am feeling better everyday.  To me, it’s nothing of a concern.  I know it will be taxed on Sunday but nothing TLC won’t cure in the weeks following.

Busy day ahead, one that will end with my first Cougar Den experience….thank you Tiara Ditcher for holding my hand tonight.  Don’t forget your wedding rings!

I love how an easy day consists of a two hour swim and another couple hours of yard work.  But hell, I’m happy to be in that club.  As I continue to listen on in Born to Run I find myself at the ‘why is america so out of shape’ part.  Truly, it’s saddening.  All the prescription drugs, all the new mental and physical dysfunctions we rely on as crutches and the full-on disgusting  American diet which seriously lacks fruits/veggies and wholeness.  I mean I could never live without my brussel sprouts or my fruit smoothies.

If there is one thing that I could yell to the world it would be ‘Get Moving!’.

Although I do not know of many sedentary households in my world I know they exist in plenty.  We were born to move, rest was meant to be a reward and source of recovery for our bodies not a way of life.  We have created a world that enables us to be lazy and we have created a diet that beats down our insides.

I believe that we were put on this earth for a purpose and it is our life mission to find out what that purpose it and pursue it with everything that we are.  I believe that we have a responsibility to care for ourselves and keep our machine well oiled.  And I do believe that rest is meant as a reward for hard work and needed recovery of the body.  So if you know people who are not moving…get up real close to their face and yell as loud as you can ‘Get Moving’….it will save their life.

Thursday night was my first stroke and stride of the season - in all the is Stroke and Stride fashion it was a rush job.  No matter what time I get there I always find myself pulling on my wetsuit in somewhat of a frenzy, downing my rescue remedy, running to the water opening my lungs and not being able to catch my breath before they say 3…2….1….GO!

I started the swim strong and I’m thinking now maybe a little too fast.  About 100 yards in, I decided that I couldn’t breath anymore.  It felt like someone had a straps around my chest and they were pulling them tighter and tighter and tighter.  Crap, I fell into the mental hole of swimming salliness - my brain failed me and I had to stop to catch my breath.

Always so interesting how your goals can change in an instant.  I had decided just one loop at that point then I turned around and saw Kristina.  She yelled up to me ‘the second loop will be so much better’….ah yes, the second loop.  Of course I had to swim the second loop, I wasn’t going to give up, I’m an endurance girl….I was born for the second loop.  I don’t think she realized that in an instant she changed my goals again.  Thanks SBF!

My swim time overall was nothing less than crapola for me but I decided I was going to have a great run.  My friend and fellow therapist Jessica tortured me on Tuesday, releasing my psoas; adductors; gluts; IT bands and hamstrings.  My legs were ready to run despite a surprising psoas spasm at the beginning to the second swim loop.

As I suspected, the run was awesome for me - finished with 8:16 min miles.  I was pleased and ready to go back for another round next week.  My sister is going to run for me as it’s pretty close to the Peak and I’ll need all the gusto I have for that race.

We’ll see Stroke and Stride #2, we shall see…..

P.S. I love my new cycling dress….2009 the year of the dress!