I Am Triathlete. Hear me ROAAAAAAAR!

It's official. On Sunday, May 15, I became a triathlete and competed in my first Sprint triathlon. What an amazing experience it was!

The swim was tough as I had expected, but we survived. Before the race, Crystal and I made a pact... as the stronger swimmer, I promised to stay by her side for the swim portion of the race and as the stronger runner, she promised to stick with me for the run. Hmmm, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it's a tad bit more difficult to slow your pace in an open swim with hundreds of other swimmers than it is to slow your pace in a run! I asked for a challenge though, didn't I? :) The good news is we finished the swim leg, and we did it in 14 minutes.

NOTE: Unfortunately, my personal photog (aka - the hubby) did not make it in time to get some photos of the swim, so I don't have any funny pics of us in our wetsuits, swim caps and googles for you to laugh at.

The bike was a piece of cake. I LOVE riding my bike, so this was hands down my favorite portion of the race. It was mostly flat and fast with a few small climbs in it to make it interesting. We finished the 12 mile bike ride in 46 minutes.



2/3 of the way through the bike



Can you tell we're having fun??

2 down, 1 to go!

We both felt really good going into the run knowing that it was the last leg of the race, but I was secretly dreading it way more than Crystal. It usually takes me anywhere from 10-15 minutes to get over the brick-like feeling of my legs and really feel good with the run. So yes, the first half of the run was pretty much torture for me. But once I hit that sweet spot, there was no looking back. We picked up the pace, let the excitement and adrenaline of finishing push us up the last STEEP hill to the finish and finished the run in 36 minutes.


Off we go on my least favorite part of the race: THE FINAL RUN!

Our good friend and fellow triathlete, Greg, on the home stretch

On the home stretch!

Trying to work our way up this hill to the finish line

This pic perfectly shows the disparity between our running skills... Crystal is relaxed and all smiles while I am intently focusing on just making it up this huge hill in one piece!

TRIATHLETES!!!

Final time: 1.41

Part of me is still in disbelief. My first thoughts after crossing the finish line were, "Did I really just do that???" I was just so proud of us. WE DID IT!!! And we did it for Kallie. She really was an inspiration for me throughout the whole race, especially the run. Whenever I felt too tired or weak or sore to keep running, I'd glance down at my arm and see Kallie's name. That right there was enough to give me a boost and keep on pushing (Crystal's reassuring smiles and thumbs up helped, too!)

All in all, it was such an awesome experience. I just had an extraordinary sense of achievement knowing that I set my mind to do something... to take on a challenge like this, and I did it. I may not have won any awards or prizes or even finished with a great time, but I finished it and I felt incredible!!! 

So what's next you ask? I'm taking a vacay! I'm taking a little time off the rigorous training to rest and relax, so that I can get ready for the next phase of my journey: training for the Olympic. I know that I need to keep focusing on my swimming, but I also need to improve my running. Crystal and I are already talking about doing another Sprint in the next few months, AND we're even recruiting a few of our gal pals to join us. So stay tuned, because there's plenty more of this journey ahead...

WWKD...

Here we are... T-minus 12 hours until the big race!!!!!  Holy cow. I'm not gonna lie... I am soooooooooooooooooo nervous!!! I have been a bundle of nervous energy all day, but I'm hoping the constant rush of adrenaline throughout the day will cause me to be so pooped that I'll fall asleep at a reasonable hour tonight (especially when you consider that I have to be up by 5 am!)

It's been a pretty busy day from start to finish. Woke up early and went on an easy ride down to the local breakfast eatery for a nice, big breakfast. Then I spent the next couple of hours prepping and packing all of my gear for the big race tomorrow. Check it out...

My makeshift transition station with all the essentials :)

My ride is all pimped out with Kallie's favorite color (and mine) = HOT PINK!

My SWEET Xterra wetsuit (aka - my lifesaving flotation device)

Crystal and I bought matching "UNIs"... yeah, we're kinda nerdy like that. But hopefully you'll be able to see us coming with the bright fluorescent yellow!

For superhuman power before and during the tri



Cycling shoes, running shoes and anti-chafing body glide? Never used it before, but there's a first for everything!

So I'm all packed and ready to go. Picked up my bib and race packet... I'm #552 and Crystal is #513. Seeing our bib numbers and dropping off our bikes earlier at the transition area definitely made this whole thing finally seem REAL! But we've put in the time, and we've done the training. It's go time!!!!

Oh, but there's one more thing that we'll have with us during tomorrow's big race...


Kallie will be with us and watching over us the whole race <3

We'll be wearing pink bands with Kallie's name on it. And anytime we get tired or feel the pain or think that we can't make it, we'll just look down at our wrist and be reminded... What Would Kallie Do? Would she give up? Would she quit? Would she complain about the pain? 

Absolutely not. She'd keep pushing. She'd keep fighting. She'd keep trying. And she'd do it all with poise, dignity, grace and a smile. 

So in honor of Kallie, my personal hero, here goes nothing!

ps - for anyone brave enough to get up at the crack of dawn, we'd love to have your moral support! The race starts at 6:30 am. For detailed course maps, visit the Tempe International Triathlon website. Thanks ya'll!

Saying Goodbye

It's been a week now since we said goodbye to Kallie. Last Friday started with a Kallie Celebration at Alex's school. The entire 4th grade class released pink balloons in her honor. Her celebration of life ceremony was held later in the afternoon - it was the saddest and yet most beautiful service I've ever attended. Standing room only! It was just incredible to see how one little 10-yr old girl could have such an impact on so many other lives.

Alex and I finally had the great privilege of meeting Kallie's mom in person. Alex gave her a big hug and handed her an envelope with all the money we raised to date. She was so touched and expressed how grateful she was for our support. So THANK YOU to everyone who helped chip in towards this cause. It really did make a difference. <3

A very sad day

It is with a very heavy heart that I share the sad news of Kallie's passing. After an incredible struggle against brain cancer, Kallista 'Kallie" Rebholz passed away Saturday evening. 

I am stunned. Numb. Saddened beyond words... I can't even begin to imagine what her family must be feeling right now. It absolutely breaks my heart. 

While I know that Kallie is in a far better place now, she will be dearly missed by all who were touched and inspired by her sweet, endearing personality and her incredible will to live. She has affected me and will live on in my heart forever.

Please keep Kallie's family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. I will continue my efforts to raise money for Kallie as I know it will take some time for her family to recover from not only this loss, but also the incredible financial burden of Kallie’s medical bills.  Please consider making a donation in honor of Kallie to help her family in their hour of need.

Rest in peace, Kallie. 

A KALLIE UPDATE!!!!

I just learned that they ran a news story on Kallie last night! You can view the clip and see how Kallie is progressing  by visiting this link: Phoenix brain tumor patient's miracle

Please take a look at the short video clip of Kallie and you will see firsthand how special this little girl is!!!

ps - if you look real closely, you'll also be able to see Alex in the right, front row of Kallie's class pic. :)

T-minus 3 weeks until the SPRINT TRI!!!

So, we have a cause (raise money for 9-yr old Kallie who is fighting cancer) and we have a challenge (complete an Olympic triathlon). The question then becomes how do we get from point A to point B? The answer, my friends, is the right gear, a TON of training, and a fun friend to join you for the ride (no pun intended).

GEAR
There are a few essentials that you need to prepare for your tri training and race:
1. A pool or some body of water - Luckily I have a membership to a gym with a 25m heated pool.

2. A bike & helmet - While I could have easily used my dainty little commuter bike to train and race, I felt that it was necessary to invest in a lighter, faster road bike to do the job. So after weeks of scouring Craigslist for a good cheap bike, I found this little dandy... 

It's old school, but she's fast AND pretty, too (except of course, when she has a flat front tire)

3. Running shoes - I think this one is self explanatory.

Now this is just the bare minimum. However, I have had to invest in quite a few other "incidentals" along the way including but not limited to a tire pump, tubes, numerous CO2 cartridges, water bottles, padded seat (this one is almost an essential for this flat-butted Asian), fluorescent yellow bike jersey, biking shorts, clip less pedals, cycling shoes & cleats, tire levers, flat repair kit (very important), cycling gloves, swim goggles, a bright fluorescent swim cap so that I can easily be spotted in the event of drowning in an open body of water, swimming suits (plural, because the chlorine wrecks them pretty quickly), and tri racing shorts.

There is one other item that I invested in recently that could very well be my best friend on the tri course: THE WETSUIT. At first I wanted nothing to do with it. I have a hard enough time swimming without being stuffed like a sausage into a tight-fitting, constrictive hunk of rubber. But the more I read and researched, I learned that the "wettie" can actually be your ally in the water. Not only does the smooth surface make you more streamlined in the water (streamlined = faster) and protect you from the colder water temps, but it also makes you more buoyant (buoyancy = floating = not drowning). WINNER!!!  I'm all about not drowning, so I took the plunge and invested in a sweet Xterra wetsuit.


TRAINING
Got the gear, so the next thing that I needed was a plan of attack (aka - a training plan). Since I knew that  swimming was going to be my biggest challenge, I focused my search on swim-intensive training plans. After some tweaking here and there, this is a peek at the training plan that I finally decided on:

The little snippet above shows the final month of my training for the Sprint which is where I am at today.

NOTE: A word about the pink shaded sections of the training table above. These shaded blocks are called bricks and are generally introduced in the last weeks of training leading up to the race. A brick is simply a combo workout - one activity right after the other. Most often a brick is a bike-run workout that simulates the bike-to-run transition of the race... when your legs feel like bricks for the first part of your run!!! Oh joy, can't wait for my weekly brick workouts. :)

PARTNER IN CRIME
Last but certainly not least, let me introduce you to the crazy little chica that has agreed to join me for this great challenge: CRYSTAL! When I look back at the past few months of training, she is one of the main reasons that I've stayed on track with the training. It really does help to have a training partner who motivates you, keeps you honest and accountable, and just makes the whole journey a little bit more enjoyable. Crystal, I am so thankful that you agreed to take on this challenge with me... we are gonna ROCK!!!  Now if only you'll consider doing the full with me in the fall... pretty please?!?!?!!!!!!!

Taken shortly after a grueling 4-mile climb up Usery Pass in Mesa

Baby steps, NOT drowning, HNPs and (almost) over the hill...

I may be a little bit crazy for attempting to take on this physical challenge, however, I'm certainly not delusion in thinking that I'm going to tackle a full tri right off the bat. So my first goal is to complete a half triathlon (aka - a Sprint tri) before attempting the big guy.

I have my sights set on racing in the upcoming Tempe International Triathlon scheduled for Sunday, May 15  - JUST OVER 5 WEEKS AWAY!!!! {insert small panic attack} The Sprint consists of a 400 meter swim, 12.4 mile ride, and a 3.1 mile run. Sounds do-able, right?!? Continue reading below to see what I'm up against...

As for the full "Oly" tri, I am still trying to decide between one of these three:

1. Nathan Tempe Tri on 9/25. While I like the idea of it being another local tri where my family and friends can come out to support me and cheer me on (hint, hint to family and friends), I am not too jazzed about swimming in the Tempe Town Lake for a second time.
2. Bartlett Lake on 10/2. Not too far outside of Phoenix, and the lake is probably a lot cleaner than Tempe's. However, I have heard that the course is a toughie with lots of hills/climbs. Not sure if I should tackle this one as my first full tri.
3. Powell3 Tri on 10/22. Held up in Page, this tri is supposed to be gorgeous with Lake Powell as the backdrop. It has a decent climb, but doesn't sound as intimidating as the Bartlett Lake Tri. Biggest con is that it's quite a ways away. Another con is that it's a very small tri of only 300 registrants which means that I could very well cross the finish line in dead last. Lol.

Decisions, decisions. Any ideas??? I will continue my research and will hopefully come to a final decision sooner than later so that I have a definitive goal to work towards. Regardless of which tri I choose, I have a number of hurdles to overcome...

Challenge #1 - Learn how to swim

It's not that I can't swim at all... sure, I can wade in the deep end of the pool for a short period of time. I can even manage the breaststroke and the front crawl FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME AND/OR SHORT DISTANCES (ie - a few yards). But honestly, the longest distance I've ever had to swim was back in elementary school when you had to swim 2 laps in front of the lifeguard at the Scott County Park pool in order to swim in the deep end and go off the diving boards... and even back then, that was a stretch! Therefore, my tri training has been and will continue to be swim intensive.

This piglet probably has more skills in the pool than I do

Challenge #2 - HNPs

HN-what??? HNP is a medical acronym for Herniated Nucleus Pulposus. We all have these little gel-filled, shock-absorbing discs between our vertebrae. An HNP occurs when a disc ruptures and the gel innards (nucleus) are squeezed out, kind of like squeezing the filling out of a jelly donut. Looks like this on film:

I have 3 of these little dandies in my lumbar spine (as well as 3 bulging discs in my neck) and have struggled with chronic neck and back pain for years. I'm 37 years old and have the spine of an 80-yr old! I've had countless X-Rays, MRIs, EMGs, ESIs, PTs, and RXs... pretty much everything shy of surgery, which I simply refuse to do.

The good news is I have BIKRAM yoga and Dr. D to fix me when I am broken. :) Bikram yoga has been my source of physical therapy for almost 10 years now. I love it, swear by it and highly recommend it to anyone suffering from neck/back/joint pain.

Half moon pose in front of the Louvre

Standing tree pose in front of the Eiffel Tower

Dr. D (aka - Dr. Derakhshani of The Healing Joint) is my savior. He's a real healer, that one! When my shoulder is tweaked from too much volleyball, he fixes me. When my knee is all jacked up from some stupid guy tackling me during a flag football game, he fixes me. When I torque my back after unsuccessfully attempting a jump like Shaun White on my snowboard, he fixes me. Needless to say, I will likely be visiting Dr. D on a regular basis as my TRI training gets more intense.

Challenge #3 - Old age

Let's face it... I'm no spring chicken. While my head and heart tell me I'm not getting old, my body begs to differ. I'm not too old to take on a physical challenge like this, am I?? (this is where you enthusiastically nod your head 'no' and tell me it's going to be a piece of cake) I guess I've just noticed that I've suffered more injuries over the past year alone than I have my entire adult life!

But I'm NOT going to give in to these challenges. No sirree! It's all about mind over matter. I know that there are peeps older than me or peeps facing greater challenges than me out there successfully competing in these TRIs, and if they can do it, so can I. Plus, I've got that extra little motivation knowing that I'm doing this for a sweet, little girl in need... someone who's bravely facing much bigger problems than old age or a bad back. Kallie, you're a true inspiration and you remind me to count my blessings every single day. :)

Next up: Gear, training and my partner in crime