Sometimes Things Don't Always Go As Planned

This morning I had the day all set --- beach boot camp and then ocean kayaking!

Unfortunately the weather had other ideas.  As I walked out the front door it was pouring down rain.  I'm not scared of a little rain, but by the time I got to the beach it was pouring down buckets with no end in sight.  As you can imagine...they cancelled class.  Drat!

Now I wasn't sure if I should hang around for an hour and then head to kayaking in hopes that the weather would turn or just go do something else.

I headed over to Gold's for a fitness class...and of course the weather then improved, the sun was shining and the folks who decided to wait it out had a wonderful time ocean kayaking...sans me.

Now that I had the morning and afternoon to myself I read, lounged around, cleaned all the towels from the weekend festivities and walked on the beach.  Though relaxing it was a bit boring.

At 5:20 pm I woke from a sound cat-nap and realized that I had 10 minutes to get dressed and head over to the gym for spin class.  SHIT!  Classes are VERY full and I had reserved a bike for the evening class.  It would be terrible form to just bail while others could not get in the class.

With a speed I did not know I had I somehow got there just as the class was starting.  You can imagine me peeling into my parking space and literally SPRINTING through the parking lot and through the mall to get to class. 

All I can say is that I was thoroughly warmed up for another spin class with the Crazy Russian.  Yes, she was there with her thumping dance music ready to crush us all into submission.

Mission Accomplished.

Warriors!

[Everyone needs proof of their win!]

 Have you ever wanted to revisit your childhood and do Field Day all over again? Maybe even just a little?

On Saturday morning I headed over to Fenwick for the first of three Warrior Day Challenges hosted by hipAHA. I had no idea what to expect and was pleasantly surprised by how fun it was.
Imagine two teams competing against one another in a series of team-based challenges --- obstacle course, tag-team racing and a final tug-o-war in the ocean.

In a two-to-one final --- Team Hunters (the team I was on) was victorious over Team Titans!!!
After a hard fought and sweaty battle a number of us immediately headed to the ocean and dove in. A welcome relief to the morning's activities.

Looking for a little balance

[Believe me...it was choppy out there!]

This morning I hooked up with hipAHA for their stand-up paddle board bootcamp class over at Coastal Kayak in Fenwick.

I've always wanted to try this and was looking forward to the class.

Decked out in a bathing suit top and board shorts I looked through the racks of water shoes and got ready for Lori to hand me my paddle and paddle board.

No surprise that it took me a minute to get oriented and balanced on the board. Pretty quickly we were paddling with the wind down the Bay.

The good news is that I only fell off once when we were practicing how to spin the board around in a circle. Bonus that I didn't get stung by any of the baby jellyfish that were periodically floating by.

The bad news is that the wind really picked up and we ended up paddling over to a big cove to do our bootcamp exercises on the boards. Imagine doing leg and core exercises while balancing on the boards. I'm gonna feel that later.

We soon discovered that there was no way that we were going to be able to paddle against the wind and back to our starting point. Luckily the guys from Coastal Kayak drove over and rescued us!

Looking forward to next Thursday's class!

It's all about accessories

Today I decided to skip bootcamp and the 60 min morning run. I was too spent from the prior day's activities and for whatever reason my right shoulder was hurting pretty fierce.

Once I realized it was a muggy and hazy day with highs in the 90's I decided today was errand day and put off running until the sun went down. I accomplished lots of fun stuff I've been meaning to do --- washing the truck, picking up a pair of board shorts and buying some new towels. Fun stuff.

The real fun came when I headed over to Continental Cycles by Ocean Pines to have my donated aerobars put on. Unfortunately they didn't fit. Rats! I needed a larger pair to fit around my handlebars.
I ended up buying a new pair and as luck would have it the bike dude shifted my ride toward the front of the line and I was able to head out later that day with my bike. Bonus!

Bike dude was enamored with my bike and made the executive decision that I needed my bike sooner than the other folks --- and my fix was a heck of a lot faster.

When I got home I decided the Cannondale needed to freshen up and after 45-minutes he was all clean and ready for his next adventure.

Heaven Is Lined With Frozen Concoctions

At least that's what I believe, but more on that later.

This afternoon there was an interval bike workout on the flats of Coastal Hwy. The plan was to warm up for 30 minutes and then do eight sets of four minute power sets at 90% with a two minute recovery in between.

Let's remember that I commuted just shy of 10 miles by bike to the meet-up spot in Fenwick --- this becomes important later.

As we rolled out our warm-up found the winds to our backs and we were easily spinning at 20 mph...and then the intervals started.

They really weren't that bad --- except for the ones that we did riding INTO the wind. Curses! When I tell you I was struggling to hold on to 13.5 mph at times and my bike was being knocked about I would not be exaggerating.

By the time we finished the intervals and headed home --- again into the wind --- I was cooked and we still had quite a few miles to cover before we made it to our starting point. The wind was pushing me around and my energy levels were crashing throughout the return. I wish I hadn't forgotten my Glu on the kitchen counter and I wish I had eaten a proper lunch.  Nearly three hours on the bike was starting to sink in.

By the time we made it to Fenwick I was never so glad to get off my bike and curl up on the ground...but remember...I still had to bike almost another 10 miles into the wind to get home. Ugh!

After stretching and downing a cold bottled water I mounted the Cannondale and started the journey home. The wind was so bad and I was so weak that I was only going 11-12 mph. Pathetic. I was wishing someone would pick me up and deliver me to my front door, but alas, no such luck.

But I now know what folks trekking through the desert feel like when their minds race and they come up with a brilliant plan of survival....I saw a TCBY store in the distance. It took me about 10 seconds to decide I had to stop for a cone and to rest.

Within seconds I was in line and ordering a half chocolate and half pistachio soft serve. I upgraded to the waffle cone for the extra carbs. :)

It was sheer heaven to sit on a bench eating this frozen concoction while half of it melted down my hands.

Bloody brilliant I say...bloody brilliant.

Assateague Assaults...Me

The first triathlon of the season is in the books -- the Assateague Assault Sprint Triathlon! It was not pretty, but it was definitely a good fitness test in advance of my fall races.

I haven't swam much in the last two months and my running continues to be a work in serious progress.  The good news is that I have been biking a bunch.  Always have to look for the silver lining.

On Father's Day I head over to Assateague Island for their third annual sprint triathlon.  The race was a very manageable 500-650 person race...and I am convinced that there were more dudes there vs. chicks.

I racked my bike in the first row next to the swim out and bike out chutes...which was nice.  Bonus that Mr. Friendly from Philly was racked next to me and entertained me for a good part of the morning.

After I had everything set up I walked over the dune to check out the surf and to check the water temp.  It looked manageable, though with the prior storms you always wonder what to expect when you hit the surf.

I was glad to find some of the HipAHA chicks before the swim.

[Rubbersuits and swim caps are so very sexy]

THE SWIM (.5 mile)

[I love this moment when you are attacking the surf]

I had a really shitty swim leg.  I could really feel the effect of not spending time at the pool.  My arms felt heavy and my stroke felt lazy.  It didn't help that the buoys were drifting and I felt that I was zig-zagging to keep the buoys in line.  This also resulted in getting in the way of a few sets of rogue waves that seemed to beat me down as I swam up and over them as they assaulted me on my journey.  That really sucked.  I was able to catch a good number of guys from the wave in front of me, but there were a couple turbo guys from the wave behind me who passed me too.

As I turned toward shore I could not catch a wave into shore.  Talk about nothing going my way.  The Husband told me I was getting beat around pretty bad coming in...and he was right.  When I finally made it to shore the last thing I wanted to do was run up and over the dune.  Legs...felt...like...lead.  My T1 time must have been atrocious b/c it seemed to take forever to get my wetsuit off and my biking shoes on.

THE BIKE (13.1 miles)

[I'm guessing this was mile 10...there was a pack of dudes in the distance trying to run me down...Come and get me boys]

 YAY...the BIKE.  I had hoped to have a very fast bike split.  It took me a few miles to get my blood pumping to my legs and get into a groove.  I think there also was a bit of a headwind going out.  Early on I passed a handful of folks.  As we neared the turnaround I was really pumping and I felt that my return split was much stronger.  Looking at The Husband's pictures from the race I could see that there was a group of guys behind me trying to race me down.

THE RUN (3.3 miles)

It's funny that this was a run because as I predicted I was prancing around just trying to keep moving.  I made a deal with myself that it didn't matter what my time was --- the goal was to just keep running and finish.  Mission accomplished.

No surprise that I felt sluggish and I gingerly slugged along.  Though my left calf continues to be tight and bothersome on the run I wonder if my challenge has more to do with a healthy fear of re-injuring myself vs. anything else.

The good news is that there was a lot of crowd support since the run was along the National Seashore Park and through the campground.  As runners navigated the course, campers were waking up, making coffee, breakfast and cheering on their temporary visitors.  Bonus that the wild horses were also grazing along the road so we had quite a few spectators.

Salute to the Sun

[Pix of Coach Lori from the HipAHA website]

"A photographer gets people to pose for her. A yoga instructor gets people to pose for themselves."

I came across this quote and thought that it fit perfectly after this morning's morning yoga session on the beach.  I have to say...I LOVED it!  I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed the experience --- not just the calming and quiet time, but also how much muscular strength and flexibility it took to keep up.

I'll admit that last night I went back and forth when I was setting my alarm trying to determine if I wanted to check out this 7:30 am beach yoga class vs. a 9:00 am weights class at Gold's.  I am SO happy that I went to yoga.

Last night I was feeling pretty banged up --- sore and tired.  After flipping and flopping most of the night I may have only gotten a couple hours of sleep.  As you can imagine when I woke up at 7:00 am I really just wanted to turn over and wait for the 9:00 am class...but life is all about trying new things and putting yourself in sometimes uncomfortable or unfamiliar surroundings.  How else do you learn new things or meet new people if you play if safe and just stick to your normal routine?

After downing a diet coke I dragged myself and my mat to class.

The class was challenging and I was pleasantly surprised that I was not a complete disaster.  Bonus that I felt like a million bucks after that hour of stretching, balancing, strengthening and calming.

From Russia With Love

It's Monday morning and I completely flaked out and forgot to get up for bootcamp and open swim practice. Granted I was super tired from yesterday's sprint tri...and I'm totally out of shape. This body needed rest I guess.

Once I finally got my act together I knew that I had to make up the time with something...but it was raining and I had no desire to run in the rain.

In the alternate I found my ways to Gold's for a 5k on the treadmill and a spin class.

Little did I know that the evening instructor was a high energy (and a bit nutty) Russian who had a love of sprints and hills. Did I say hills...many hills.

Her favorite phrase was, "Are you short of breathe and is your heart pounding really hard? Good...don't stop...that means that you're doing it right." After an hour I was drenched in sweat and happy to have hung in with the Russian.

After class we asked the Russian how she can basically keep up a conversation while pushing us so hard. She said that she teaches 15-20 classes a week. Enough said.

Freaking Like A Slacker

It's Saturday morning and for the last 48 hours I have not done a damn thing related to training...and that's ok. My body feels pretty tough (at least tougher than it has been) and stronger.

My first real fitness test is Sunday morning when my wave hits the water at 7:18 am for the Assateague Attack Sprint Tri in Ocean City, MD (see http://octrirunning.com/events/assateague-assault-triathlon/).

This is my first "official" short distance triathlon I've ever done --- which is probably good right now. The distances are:

• half mile ocean swim
• 13 mile bike
• 5k run

These are MORE than attainable distances and I am hopeful that the race will provide a nice boost for the rest of my training this summer.

Though I have not swam much in the last two months I'm not too worried. I've biked a TON over the last few months and my main goal (after finishing the race) is to really crush the bike split.

My run...now that's another story. I have struggled with my running and the 5k distance is one of my least favorite. It's fast and by the time I usually get comfortable (1.5/2 mile mark) the damn thing is already over. Did I also mention that I'm not a fast runner? I hope to deal with that this summer as I continue pushing the miles and adding more speed work.

Here's to the first official triathlon of the season. Assateague Island...here I come!

"Paint The Fence, Danielson"

For the last few months me and The Husband have been painting and cleaning up our new beach condo.

The excitement of the new place and getting ready for the summer season meant that we were energized to get cracking...and then it was June and the last thing I wanted to do was any real physical labor.

With that in mind I've had on my list to paint the two upstairs bathrooms since they both need some freshening up.

With a zeal I didn't realize I had in me I became obsessed with knocking out the master bedroom this week. The truth was that (1) I was sick of looking at the unfinished room and (2) I had already gotten too much sun and exercise this week and needed another activity.

Within a short period of time I had all my materials dragged down from the attic (boy was it HOT up there!) and was attacking the room.

In no time flat I was done! Since it was still early I headed back to the paint store to pick up a quart of paint for the second upstairs bathroom.

By the end of the night I was sore, covered in paint smears and flecks and my nails were destroyed.

On the bright side, my two upstairs bathrooms look cheerier and though my painting skills will not pay the rent they may allow me hold my own at a future karate tournament.
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HipAHA Chicks

What a gorgeous day to hit the beach for a morning workout!!!!

I met some of the HipAHA ladies for a 30 minute run along the beach at 6:30 this morning. The wind was light, the sun was shining and the sound of the waves was nearly mesmerizing.

Again, I am trying hard to love running and the only way to do that is to just keep doing it. I'll find my groove again...soon hopefully.

After the run it was time for beach bootcamp with the HipAHA chicks. The good news for me is that today was all about sprints. Yay...more running.

It was a great workout. After our warm-up we did (12) 45-minute sprints with a recovery in between each set. Next it was time for a circuit of leg and core workouts.

What I learned after this morning's workouts is that my virgin feet are not as tough as I thought. All this running on the sand has left me with the beginnings of blisters on both of my big toes. Yikes! This is not good for my sprint tri this weekend. Blisters and running are not a good combo.

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ISO Love of Running

[Stretching Bay-side post run]

Sounds very dramatic, but I've fallen slightly outta love...with Running.

I'm not sure exactly what happened or when, but the days when I'd bounce out of bed looking forward to putting on my running shoes seems to have slipped away and I am desperately trying to find that feeling again.

It likely all started with injuries and the time I had to take to recover. In my case, time away from running caused me to become smitten with something else --- biking. Oh how I love the black & white Cannondale.

As a result, I have to beg and bribe myself to set aside the Cannondale and instead grab the running shoes.

Yesterday afternoon I went for a run from Fenwick toward Bethany. It was sunny and warm and an all-around fine day for a summer run. The resulting 4.6 miles was ok. Not GREAT or FANTASTIC, but fine and acceptable. These days I'll take FINE and ACCEPTABLE.

Here's to HAPPY running in the future.

Two steps forward...one step back

After a quick shower to get the saltwater off from my morning surf lesson and a nice healthy breakfast (with some extra caffeine) I was due for a VO2 max bike ride with the girls from Fenwick.

Unfortunately I f-ed up the time and headed out later than I anticipated to make the 5 mile ride to the hook-up spot. Bonus that the winds out of the north were pretty brutal. I was not going to make it in time. Hence...two steps forward...one step back.

I hauled ass to try and catch the girls, but they were nearly 15 minutes ahead of me and with the winds I was barely able to sustain 15/16 miles per hour during the northbound ride. My bike at times was being pushed off the road. This is not what I needed today...resistance training. My core and arms were already feeling sore from the morning on the board. I didn't need more pressure on these muscles to keep me on the bike too!

By the time I got to the Indian River Inlet I decided to pull over and watch the surfers for a few minutes. More important than taking a break from the wind was that I walked my bike over the terrifying part of the northbound bridge vs. riding. In those conditions I was a bit nervous about being clipped by a passing car.

After enjoying my own Endless Summer loop I headed out toward Dewey. After a few miles I decided to give up fighting the wind and turn home.

Luckily the wind was not as brutal going home, but surprisingly it also wasn't a friendly strong at my back pushing me home. I still had to work for the miles, but at least I was able to sustain a more consistent 19-21 mph pace.

She's Up and Then She's Down --- Repeat

[Obviously this is my fantasy surfing double courtesy of the Oahu Surf School webpage]

The morning was cloudy with a slight breeze and as I got in my car to head down to Malibu's Surf Shop on 8th & the Boards (see http://www.malibus.com/). I was a combination of excited and nervous for my first private lesson.

By 8:00am I was in my wetsuit and was headed down to the beach with my instructor JT. Here's a picture of JT in action from the Malibu's surf shop. He's been surfing locally for years and provides lessons nearly every morning.

JT spent the first couple minutes talking about the objective, proper positioning and how to maneuver the board from the safety of the sand. Within 5 minutes we were in the water and getting on the board. Talk about jumping right into it! Love it!!!

The water was a bit warmer than I anticipated and I was appreciative of my half wetsuit at that moment since I am a total cold water baby. I'm guessing the water was in the low 60's. I was fine until the last 15 minutes when my teeth literally started to chatter.

Once I got in the water JT lined me up for my first wave and so began multiple rounds of JT pushing me into a wave, yelling out when I should pop up and I would work hard to meet the basic goals --- pop up onto my feet as fast as possible and ride the wave into shore.

In short order I had mastered the art of getting to my knees and riding the wave into shore. Now...I just needed get out of the safe zone, pop up and get on my feet. It is much harder than you can appreciate. After numerous successful times getting to my knees I was able to get myself onto my feet once or twice, but then would immediately crash land off the board. DAMN! As JT said, "it's mental and all about balance." I just need to do vs. think. Easier said than done!

JT would surf a couple waves in so I could see his technique and when I was making my way back into the surf-line JT would body-surf a couple waves in. I don't blame him. It was COLD out there and you needed to keep moving any way that you could.

30 minutes into the 1 hour lesson JT shifted into making me do it all pretty much all by myself. He would still help me line-up and would tell me which waves to catch since I was still learning about the wave breaks, BUT I was paddling into the wave by myself, feeling the surge of the wave and a couple times actually got up on my feet...YAY...but then would crash land! At least I was consistent. I always crashed off the left side of the board.

I know that the things I need to work on are: popping up faster, using my arms to then balance myself on the board and making sure that my front foot is more perpendicular to the board so that I have more overall stability.

For my first time it was freaking awesome. I know why folks end up loving surfing now. I told JT that I would be back for more very soon.

Free Day

Usually I'm a morning person, but today when my alarm went off at 7:00 am I was feeling really rough...and by rough I mean like a tractor trailer ran over me in my sleep.

After a week of 1, 2 and some times 3-a-days, this old body was begging for a recovery day.

I was slated to get in my MCM long run, but there seriously was no way I was going to be able to get the miles in today.

After sleeping in and later stretching I spent the day lounging around and watching the air show from our boat.

My one task was to set up a crab pot on our pier. As you can see --- Mission Accomplished. Now...come on little crabbies...aren't you hungry???

Bike Warriors

My alarm went off at 5:00 am and I immediately wondered what the heck was going on. I was feeling rough and whipped. After a week of getting back into a program I realized that I was over-doing it again. Can't help it I guess. There is so much fun stuff to do!

This morning I met up with some of the HipAHA girls for a group ride along Coastal Hwy. Their goal was to ride to the Ferry and back. I planned to cut it short and only ride to the Indian River inlet.

As we got rolling we were confronted with some mist, limited visibility and humidity. Gross. As we headed through Bethany we decided not to navigate the Indian River Bridge given the weather since the bridge is under construction and is a bit of a death trap in good conditions. No need to take any chances. I was already wishing I had brought one of the blinky lights for my helmet.

We decided to loop back and then head inland a bit. I rode along with the group for a little while as they went inland, but then cut back so that I didn't crush the mileage today. I still have to work in a long run today/tomorrow so that I stay on track for MCM.

Sand is evil

Most people think of lounge chairs, beach umbrellas, and drinks with umbrellas when they think about beach sand.

On Friday morning I learned that it can be evil quicksand and no friend.

On Friday morning I hooked up with the HipAHA Bootcamp in Fenwick for some cardio-blasting in the sand. See http://www.hipaha.com/.

After a warm up run/walk down the beach we integrated resistance station work with cardio.

One word people --- suicides. Remember those? Now try doing them in deep, shifting sand. Enough said.

Bonus that after class folks gathered at the local coffee shop for a caffeine infusion and a shot of the fresh juice of the day. Friday's juice was carrot/celery/golden beets. It was incredibly good and refreshing!

Needless to say...I'll be back for more.

Feeling Southern California

It would be sacrilegious to have a birth certificate that says you are from Southern Cal and not know how to surf. Body-surfing and boarding are things I've done, but it's just not the same.

With that in mind I did a bit of research about the local surf scene (aka, The Husband asked a local friend).

I got a great tip about Malibu's Surf Shop which is located at 8th and the Boards (see http://www.malibus.com/). Our friend knows Lee (the owner), as well as some of the guys in the shop.

I checked out the store and talked to Lee the other day. Got very good vibes about the joint. The result is that my first surf lesson is scheduled for next Monday at 8:00 am. Me, my board and my private instructor will hit the beach and then the waves.

Either I am going to freaking love this and will soon have a new surf board to add the collection of toys...or I'll be a bloody mess when I fall off the board and go in for a crash landing.

Here's to hoping for good weather, good sets and no injuries.

Follow the yellow brick road...or at least the Gold one

Who knew that the best thing I could have done was join the local Gold's Gym. Within two visits I have already established some serious local connections.

First, during spin class I introduced myself to a dude wearing an Ironman finishers t-shirt. He trains year-round for races across the US and is coached by someone locally. He told me about local hook-ups and a bit about the local tri scene.

Second, Mr. Ironman also gave me contact information for his wife's bootcamp and yoga classes over on Fenwick Isalnd. Score! (see http://www.hipaha.com/). Ms. Bootcamp is also a triathelete who in her spare time runs this bootcamp/yoga thing.

I emailed Ms. Bootcamp and as a result have connections for:

• daily bootcamp and yoga classes that are held on the beach


• weekly Stand Up Paddle board classes --- Ms. Bootcamp is a paddler and teaches classes in conjunction with the local kayak, sunfish, paddle board rental place. Small world b/c I was just chatting up the folks at this shop about the different things they offer throughout the summer.
  


• informal triathlon hook-ups that include runs, bikes, bricks and ocean swim workouts.

Third, while at the gym the manager told me about a group of local runners who hold informal runs twice a week. I emailed the coaches and they are already looking forward to my arrival. Bonus that they seem to have formal workouts and routes.

And finally, one of the older Gold's Gym rats gave me the low-down about all the classes and instructors.

Information is definitely power and sweet lord I have hit the mother-load!

What to do when you don't have anything you have to do...

My first 48 hours of not working was spent in a combination of: sunbathing, reading, running, biking, shopping, getting the lay of the land and visiting with friends.

The weather has been absolutely fantastic – highs in the mid to low 80’s.

Monday was really all about being social and getting some sun. Tuesday was all about being a bit more focused about getting back into training (visiting Gold’s Gym, working on my summer calendar and getting my run/bike miles in). I also did a little shopping for essentials --- like cute beach cover-ups. The surf shops have the cutest stuff! Priorities people.

It’s a tough life.

The hilarious thing so far is that the June Bugs are here (aka Senior Week). I am thoroughly enjoying all the 17/18-year olds taking over the city. Nothing like watching a dude throw up in a bush at 4:30 in the afternoon after clearly a having rough morning.

What I did on my summer vacation

(courtesy of the OC hotel rental website)

I have a distant recollection of being asked to recite my adventures each September as some sort of easy writing project.

This year there is no writing assignment, but there clearly will be a tale to tell since after 11 years of loyal service I have the privilege of being able to take advantage of my company’s sabbatical program --- aka 2 months of paid time-off bliss!

I started this glorious break on Monday, June 6th and will return to the world of work on Monday, August 9th. I am hopeful that I will be able to enjoy this time and am able to keep my work-world at bay.

So my grand plan is to move to the beach and become a beach-bum --- and focus on getting back into a regular/hardcore training program. After slacking off for 2-months and giving my screwed up hip time to heal I am ready to get back into the program. Also, I gotta start getting ready for MCM this Fall. That is NOT a race you just show up for after half-assing the training.

Anywho --- I’m officially a beach resident for the next two months and so far am loving in!