High Cliff triathlon--6/19/10

With no authority whatsoever, I've assigned labels to my activity levels:

"Training"--I have a specific race for which I am motivated to perform well. I most likely follow a plan that dictates my workouts. My exercise regimen covers 5-6 days a week of solid, purpose-driven workouts. I see improvement in my speed and endurance.

"Working Out"--I exercise 3-4 times a week. I break a sweat from time to time. I maintain my current fitness level.

"Random Bits of Movement"--Once or twice a week I find a window of opportunity to get out and move and I take it. I am slower than before but there's not much I can do about it at this point.

Approaching this race I hadn't had a training week in over four months, and the Random Bits outnumbered the Workout weeks by far. But it was important to me not to DNS (Do Not Start) this race. Most DNS's are due to injury or illness, but a few people get the bug to do a tri and sign up for one, but race day comes and they don't feel ready or haven't trained enough and they DNS. I've had a lot of life changes these four months, but I wasn't ready to become the person who signs up for races and then doesn't at least make a fool of myself on that course by attempting it.


The swim was shallow and choppy--most of it could be waded. I hadn't donned a swimsuit since September so this leg became how most people view it--the part I just needed to "get through".


The bike begins with a steep lumber up the side of a massive hill (or "cliff", hence the name of the race). I knew it was coming from my study of the race map the night before, but that doesn't mean I was ready. Thank goodness for low standards.

T2 flying dismount--perfect! It all came back, like (no longer) riding a bicycle.

Now the run...and mymap didn't say the first mile went up the same cliff as before. Blast. I resorted to walking portions of the hill, something I'd never done in a sprint before. It was worth it. It made the rest of the very scenic trail run slightly more enjoyable and the final downhill even sweeter. I charged to the finish line, pleased to be upright. The triathlete of 2009 would have been disappointed in the final time, but in 2010 all that matters is no DNS.

Madison Half Marathon--5/30/10

It was February and I was deep in off-season base training. I had my whole race season mapped out with a half-marathon in May to kick it off, four or five triathlons (mostly sprints, one olympic), and maybe another half or full marathon in the fall. I had my standard goals to push me:

-20 MPH average in a race (on the bike, of course. Only cheetahs run that fast.)

-Nail that pesky mount (see Bigfoot for what not to do.)

-9 minute run miles

-Assess potential for Ironman Madison in 2011

Then one night my lobster and I got the phone call we'd been waiting for, and three hours later we're raising two tiny girls, 17 months old and 8 days old.

I didn't get to my 4-mile run that night.

I didn't work out for over two weeks since that night, thus beginning the life changes--a new job for my lobster, a new house, a new minivan, and a new tri bike. (I felt I deserved the bike for being an instant mom instead of the goal-seeking triathlete I was before. I then stored the (unridden) bike in our apartment shower stall for the first month after I bought it. No time to ride. See "instant mom".)

Somewhere along the way I said goodbye to my old goals. I didn't have the time or fitness to achieve them anymore. I've now put new goals in their place:

-Get out of the house and do a run, a bike or a swim once in a while so I don't get fat

-Be a person who can roll out of bed and do a triathlon without much training

-Share with the girls the exhilerating atmosphere of a race day morning

-Role model an active lifestyle in hopes of motivating the same in my young 'uns

Despite cutting my workout regimen by 90% or so, I showed up to the first race on the schedule, the Madison Half Marathon.
I told my fan club not to expect much, and Lobster just asked that I not injure myself attempting to finish this thing. It's not easy to set aside speed for a finish. I was never that fast to begin with, but as I plodded along for mile after mile, I hadn't realized how slow I'd gotten. Nevertheless, I finished. And for the time being, that will have to be good enough.

P.S. I'd be more than happy to post pictures of my cute kids instead of my rode-hard mug, but alas...foster care rules prevent it. Soon, I hope.