Everybody's working for the weekend

Against family member advice and The Husband who remarked, "Are you sure? You really don't look good"), after five days at home I thought it only fitting to try and get back to work --- with the expectation that I can always leave early if it becomes too overwhelming..

Knowing that it would take a lot longer to get ready I set my alarm two hrs earlier than normal. Imagine doing the following w/ only one fully operational arm --- with some assistance::

. Showering
. Cleaning and rewrapping my leg and arm wounds
.Make-up
. Drying/styling my hair (this was quite impressive)
. Finding a work appropriate outfit and finding a way to get into it

After succeeding in these tasks I was off to work. Now mind you, I was now very tired and a little loopy. Maybe this was not such a good idea.

All in all, it was an ok day. I managed my day and only once felt a bit sick and tired. I resolved that problem by canceling my conference call, locking my door and lying down for a little while. Nice!

I also decided that walking up/down stairs was not a good idea since my equilibrium was still a bit off. I had nightmares of falling down the stairs and breaking my other arm. Now that...would really suck.

After a full day at work, I'm pretty much whipped. To fully relax this weekend and ignore that Nations is happening The Husband decided a trip to the beach house is in order. Sounds good to me.

I'll take a Dark and Stormy

Even the most positive person has a down day and I think it's only to be expected that today is the day I was wallowing and feeling sorry for myself.

Today it rained from morning until night --- dark and storm and dreary. I've basically been stuck in bed since Saturday, I haven't gotten any physically activity since then and it is clear I won't be racing at The Nations Triathlon this year.

Today was also the day I headed to my orthopedic surgeon to discuss my busted up left arm. You may recall that the folks at Beebe Medical called me yesterday to insist that I see an ortho since after the fact they saw what appeared to be a chipped bone on my film.

After another painful and restless night that required painkillers to induce sleep, I was starting to feel beat down. The news from Beebe only helped to push me further down.

With all this as a backdrop I arrived at the doctor's office. After another set of x-rays --- and let me tell you the pain of getting that updated film was kinda awful --- it was clear that I had chipped my shoulder. Who would have thought that what appears to be a minor bone chip could cause this much pain!

The doctor then did a series of strength and flexibility tests to both my arms.

The good news --- I was stronger and had more range than he would have expected.

The bad news --- during a resistance test he was concerned with my performance and level of pain as I brought my arm back down into a neutral position. This plus the location of the chip gave him concern that I may have damaged my rotator cuff --- a much more serious injury that would require surgery.

Whaaaat???? F-ing surgery?! Now the thought of that freaked me out.

I'll find out more tomorrow after my MRI and follow-up with my ortho.

Now the danger of the unknown and having more time than you'd like to think and analyze is that you can start spinning...and that's what happened tonight.

All the "what if's" and "why me...again" started racing around --- all completely unproductive time sucks I might add. Though, I do wonder what lesson all this is intended to teach me. I've had my fair share of "coming back from adversity" stories that I would hope that I've sufficiently learned those lessons.

Given how far I've come to train for Nations and my other fall events, I have to admit that I am crushed at the thought of losing my momentum and separately missing out on the opportunity to compete, but obviously there is a reason for all of this b/c I just can't accept that life is just this f-ing random.

So after tonight --- or more realistically tomorrow after I hear the prognosis --- I'm shutting down this pity-party and harnessing my energy in a more positive direction.

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Grumble Grumble

Let's start with the good news first.

1. My cuts and scrapes continue to look a lot better. I've been warned that the road rash can look worse before it gets better, but it still looks better than expected. A little ooze never killed anyone...right?

2. I woke up to find my parents at the front door with a care package full of food for the whole week and some fresh groceries. I LOVE my parents. It was so good to see them.

3. I decided to get some extra rest and stayed home today.

4. Some of my left arm's range of motion continues to improve. Yay!

Some bummer news ---

1. I've been feeling really tired and it's not a product of the pain-pills. It's really frustrating to swing from feeling pretty ok and then being so tired you can't keep your eyes open. It seems as if I can be up for 2-3 hrs before crashing for 1-2 hrs. It is a terrible cycle.

2. Trying to get comfortable --- esp at night when it's time for bed --- is pretty awful. I feel like The Princess and the Pea.

3. I keep getting email updates from The Nations Tri since the race is days away. :(

4. The biggest bummer is that at 5:30 this evening I got a call from Beebe Hospital notifying me that a specialist reviewed my ER file and believes I have some fractured/chipped bones near my shoulder. As a result, I need to see an ortho ASAP. This totally makes sense since my shoulder almost seems worse.

Again, I could be dealing with so much worse but it was a bummer to get that call.

To end this post more positively I'll note that folks have been wonderful and very supportive. It really helps to have folks check in, the offers to help and making me laugh. If I think too hard about all of this then I'll just get bummed out.

I should own stock in Neosporin

It's day three and I continue to see improvement. My road rash is drying out, which means it's itchy and a bit oozey. Lovely.

My deeper cuts are healing nicely as a result of bathing them regularly in Neosporin and keeping them covered. Check out the front of my left leg and the back of my left arm....looking so much better!


[Front of left leg]



[Left forearm]

I'm pleased to report that though my left arm muscles still hurt like crazy my range of motion is improving. I may grit my teeth, whimper at times, throw out a few curse words and move as slow as molasses, but I definitely notice improvement. I'm still not able to extend my arm fully to the side or lift it above my waist --- but that's a heck of a lot better than 48 hrs ago!

My goal is to not only rest it, but also keep getting blood in there by carefully but regularly moving it. Move it or lose it I say. I've noticed that the result of trying to be "active" is that I get really tired, really quickly. Note to self...don't over due it.

As time goes by I continue to notice little things that remind me how bad this crash and the related slide was and how freaking lucky I am. A few new observations:

. While taking a shower I noticed that the bottom of my platinum wedding band and engagement ring have noticeable scratches and dings from sliding on the asphalt

.  More bruises have appeared on the right side of my body --- legs and arms --- where I must have slammed on top of the bike.

. The tape on the left side of my handlebars is torn/sliced away from the sliding

. The front of my aerobars are deeply scratched from slamming into the road

. The side of my left tri shoe is scratched up from the sliding

. Looks like my bike's back rim is twisted from the wreck too

All minor things, but in totality a little freaky.

I know that the goal will be to get back out there as soon as I am physically able. I am not going to let this incident hold me back and will continue to ride hard, but this experience will ensure I continue to ride smart.

The Day After

A day after the accident and I'm definitely feeling sore and tired.

My wounds look better due to regular and intense cleaning. Here's a pix of my left hand. It looks way better, though you can't see all the scrapped pink road rashed skin. It may be painful...but at least it's healing. Let's just say that I have my own mini-pharmacy set up in my room with drugs, creams, tape, bandages and gauze.

I've also noticed some soreness on some of my fingers. Must be where my fingers got jammed during the fall. I'm also starting to see more bruising on my legs and arms where I'm guessing I slammed against the bike during my fall.

In all seriousness, I'm most concerned about my left arm's range of motion. I am confident that it will be better soon...but it sure is frustrating right now. It really hurts like crazy.

I'm learning to do a lot of things one-handed, though I doubt I'll be blow-drying my hair or getting fully dressed on my own for a little while. Oh well...better just build time into my schedule in the morning.

I slept a lot today. I did force myself to get up, take a shower (I've mastered the one-handed shower) and get out b/c I couldn't stay in the house any more, but that resulted in getting tuckered out pretty quickly.

I keep rethinking the accident and wondering what I could have differently. Obviously I could have been further away from the cyclist in front of me; I could have not looked back that second time to check on the advancing cyclists; I wonder if I really did have enough room to somehow safety shift slightly to the left and around Diana before the other cyclists were in range...at the end of the day...it doesn't really matter --- but this is the shit you think about when you're sitting around wishing you were playing outside.

Here's to hoping that every day continues to bring noticeable improvement!
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Guardian Angel

As I was laying face down partially in the northbound lane of Coastal Highway this morning there was a split moment that I thought, "this could really be bad." Thankfully I had a guardian angel looking out for me.

This morning during a group ride I had a freak accident with another cyclist that resulted in a lovely trip to the ER. The good news is that I've continued my streak of never breaking a bone and other than some painful bruising, some gnarly looking cuts and road rash I'm really no worse for wear. As the doctor said in the ER --- it is incredible that I literally walked away from the accident.

The story goes that I hung back and decided to help out a fellow rider, Diana, who was new to cycling. I guess I can't help myself. I remember the frustration of being new, trying to understand all the bells & whistles and feeling frustrated. I've also greatly benefited from the kindness of others and I truly believe in the adage that you should pay things forward.

As we tackled the Indian River Inlet bridge (which is terrifying at times) we celebrated our success by rolling along toward Dewey Beach to meet up with the rest of our crew.

Diana was a bike length or two ahead of me so I could watch her and give her some pointers. As I turned to check out who was coming up behind us I noticed that two rockstar triathletes were gaining on us fast. I yelled out to shift to the right to let these folks pass. As I looked back again to check their position I didn't realize that Diana had correctly shifted right, but had also slowed. As I turned my attention forward I now was in the dangerous position of being too close and my front wheel was now dangerously too close and parallel to her rear wheel and pedal.

I made a split second decision that meant that I would take my chances trying to recover myself vs. probably saving myself from serious injury but likely taking Diana out and causing her harm.

I was able to slow, but given our speed and proximity I ended up going over the handlebars. Though some of this is still a blur I've pieced together that:

• As I tried to slow and maneuver to safety my wheel got a bit too sideways. and I went over the handlebars

• I wasn't able to safely unclip in time

• My forearm and then shoulder slammed into the pavement as me and my bike fell back to Earth

• I then started sliding across the pavement still tangled up in my bike

•. My helmet and sunglasses saved me from a serious head injury and facial lacerations (looking at the scratches on my helmet and across my left lens I am immediately aware how bad I was sliding)

• I stopped sliding partially in the northbound traffic lane of Coastal Hwy

I remember hearing someone scream, "Roll out of the road! Get her out of the road!". I soon realized that the two rockstars who were behind us quickly were on the scene and took charge.

I yelled out that I couldn't roll or even move myself to safety. I now know that it was the shock, I was a bit out of it and the pain was incredible. I (and others) initially thought I broke my collarbone or shoulder.

One of the cyclists carefully rolled/pulled me out of the road, while the other grabbed my bike. The woman gave me a quick medical assessment and we were glad to discover it wasn't my collarbone, but getting a set of x-rays would be imperative.

I'm not gonna lie --- I was bleeding, I was scared, a bit in shock and I was in pain. The left side of my body took the brunt of the crash and it just hurt. My hand, forearm and leg were bleeding and felt raw. I could feel the blood dripping.

Someone had the sense to grab water bottles and start cleaning all my wounds. Folks took off their bike socks and used them to stop the bleeding. A guy stopped and gave me three Advil. The most creative thing was when Diana tore her own pants and made a sling for my arm.

As we waited for a ride to the ER I was again impressed and grateful for all the people who stopped to offer assistance. I was also grateful for Diana --- she kept me laughing and stayed with me the entire time. I was even more touched when Diana placed her hands on my good arm and said a beautiful prayer asking that God watch over me and ensure that I was kept safe.

Luckily, soon enough we were headed to the ER where I learned that I had again escaped serious injury --- no broken bones, no stitches. Not to minimize the situation, but I literally limped away just with some soft tissue bruising/damage between my left shoulder and elbow and lacerations on my hand, forearm and leg.

I'm on IR for at least a week and racing at Nations is likely not in the cards this year. Though I am disappointed I know that I've worked hard this summer toward my fitness goals and I don't need an official time to confirm that I am a winner and would have crushed my PR.

Most importantly, I am so very grateful for the guardian angel who was watching over me today and for having the chance to take a potentially horrible situation and making a very good new friend.

Of course...least I forget...how's my bike?! I haven't done a full assessment yet, but I think considering the day she's had...she looks pretty good. It's likely I have a bent back tire or something like that b/c the rotation feels off.

All in all I am one lucky chick.
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Living in the dark

Sometimes sticking your head in the sand and being ignorant is perfectly fine.

This afternoon I realized a very critical fact and am floored by this news. For the last two months I've been training with a crew of triathletes who are training for an upcoming half Ironman. While that is incredibly impressive and I have been thrilled to be able to hang with these folks ---- I found out today that they are also training for a fall Ironman!!!

What's the distinction? The distinction is that instead of thinking that I've spent the last two months at a half Ironman pace, I have instead been hanging in a program that is geared for folks who will complete a full Ironman in the fall!!!!! Dare I say OMG?!

I guess I never really asked and no one told me all the details about all this extra credit training I've been doing in conjunction with the daily bootcamp classes.

The good news is that I am incredibly impressed with myself. I bad news is that it is going to be a real challenge to keep up with these multiple workout a days once I get back t work. The initial game plan is to make sure I do one workout a day and Lori plans to send me her training block for the next month so that I can aim to virtually train with the group once I move home.

It's a significant goal, but I'm going to try and go for it. Here's to hoping!

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!

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 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!

Amp it up

Who would have thought that nearly a year ago I bought my Cannondale and in that time I've come a long way. I actually look forward to grabbing my gear and heading out for a ride.

On Sunday I headed out for the 17-mile Ag Farm loop that I used to frequent last summer. I was pleasantly surprised that I was more comfortable on the bike, navigating around, shifting, stopping and overall my fitness was much better. Who would have thunk it!

After the 17 mile loop we rolled home and unexpectedly opted to do a few hill repeats up a neighboring hill. Let me say that it was quite a hill. Though my legs and lungs were burning after the fourth ascent, it felt good to add some stress so that there was no mistake about it --- it's time to take this a little more seriously and amp it up.

Colorful Accessories

I think we've all experienced doubt and fear when deciding to do something new or hard. For me, the half Ironman triathlon distance and separately a marathon are those for me. Just crazy almost ridiculous things to even contemplate, but yet here I am contemplating them. But more on that later.

This week I'm heading west and to entertain myself on my flight to San Francisco I decided to catch up on one of my favorite things --- movies.

First up was The September Issue which documents the months leading up to the launch of Vogue's largest September issue --- the one with Sienna Miller on the cover and the fabulous spread in Rome.

One would be surprised to learn that I was seriously obsessed with fashion and accessories when I was younger. Each month I would eagerly pour over Seventeen magazine and American Vogue to mimic the styles elegantly strewn across the glossy pages --- from preppy to punk to all-American to European.

I remember planning my outfits with as much determination as I would spend studying for a test and kept track of each creation so that I would limit repeating myself. When I couldn't find exactly what I wanted --- either because it was just too expensive or the stores didn't have what I envisioned--- my mom would many times make it for me. Let's be for real. The only reason I worked at the mall was for the store discount and to make a few bucks to blow on concert tickets.

When my creativity was to be dashed once I entered private school and forced to wear a uniform I ended up focused more on accessories --- shoes, jewelry, hats and hair. Boy, did I enjoy changing my hair. Short, long and somewhere in the middle. And the colors --- highlights, low lights, brown, black and even a purple-ish tone. My stylist loved seeing me walk in the door.

Anyway, as I watched the movie I realized something more about Anna Wintour --- more than the person characterized to our delight in The Devil Wears Prada. Yes she's driven and a perfectionist and icy and most likely a genius. I would agree with all of that.

Instead I was taken by her singular focus to do exactly what she knows to be right and having the strength, confidence, determination or whatever one would call it to just execute. It is truly stunning.

You can learn a lot from that kind of strength and confidence --- no matter what you set your mind to.

So the next time someone else's doubts --- even if that person is me --- seeps around the edges, I'm going to remember Miss Wintour and her steely confidence shielded behind those extra large sunglasses and remember that I can do whatever I set my mind to --- as long as it includes a colorful accessory.

Checking Out The Stats

This is freaking cool. I finally got around to looking at the Year In Review stats that dailymile.com sent me in January. I guess logging in your effort does make a difference.

When I think back to what I set my mind to do and ultimately accomplished in 2010...it does blow my mind. Not sure what it was that made me think I could do this stuff, but it was a pretty cool year. Bonus that I met some really interesting people along the way. Isn't that how life is supposed to be...just jumping off a cliff and seeing what happens? The beauty really is in the mistakes, speed bumps and side roads of life.

My goal for 2011...is to be better about logging in my workouts, keeping track of how I'm doing and remaining just on the edge of being a little bit scared about what's next.

Feeling a little twitchy

It's only been a week since the Marine Corp 10k and 7 days without a plan. No surprise...I'm in need of a new fitness focus. Something to block out on the calendar. Something to focus on. Something to get jazzed up about again. Just a little something to scare me to get out there and challenge myself.

Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me?!

I'm researching half-Ironman distance race now. Now that gets me a bit terrified and excited at the same time. Surprisingly there are a number of 70.3 races out there, but it seems I'm looking for the unicorn of all races. Here's the criteria:

•interesting destination local
•not an ocean swim
•not too many repetitive loops on the bike or run segments
•not too many ridiculous hills to deal with on the bike

See what I mean. I'm looking for a unicorn. I'll let you know if I find one. Until then, I'll get by with the random swim, a run, some time on a spin bike and listening to other people make plans and prepare for their races.

Rinse & Repeat

Last night I hooked up with the Snapple kids for their DC-based information session about their new Snapple Triathlon Club. After spending a couple months training with these folks and meeting some fantastic local athletes and other nutty trainees, it was fantastic to hear that the Snapple folks decided to continue the momentum and start a triathlon club and again offer training programs.

I am super psyched!

After the Snapple training ended in June I was so proud of what I had accomplished, but again sad that it was over. A handful of us continued to still meet up, email around and encourage one another to keep pushing forward toward other goals --- like Nations. Note to self, it's usually not a good idea to look at future races RIGHT AFTER you completed a race. I did that after the DC Tri and within 48 hours I grabbed my credit card and bought my way into Nations. I blame the endorphins.

Post Snapple I tried hanging with the DC tri Club. Though they offer good clinics and they are a well established group they felt BIG and impersonal. I missed Snapple! Luckily Team Snapple decided to give us more by starting a Tri Club and offering training programs again. YAY! See http://snappletriteam.com/?p=1764.

Anyway, it was great to see a handful of new potential Snapple-ites last night and I'm looking forward to more fun with the Snapple kids. Go Snapple Go!

The Stats

I just got the Dewey Beach Triathlon stats and am pretty pleased with the results. See http://www.setupevents.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=event_results&id=2086

My all female relay team placed 7th! Pretty cool.

THE SWIM
My swim and T1 split put me in 4th place with a time of 15:33 minutes. That's crazy! I really thought my pathetic attempt to conquer the sand dune and get ready for the bike would have taken a lot longer.

THE BIKE
My bike and T2 split kept me in 4th place. My time was 24:01 minutes. I really tried to not slack off here and stay mentally strong. Glad I didn't image that I didn't let anyone relay girls pass me. Super happy with the results.

THE RUN
We lost a little ground here, but kept up the pace. My teammate finished in 34:04 minutes and her run split put us in 15th place. The run is always tough since the majority of folks seem to be strong runners.

Overall, a totally fun event. Couldn't be happier.

Definitely not like an episode of Baywatch

This morning, we headed over to Tower One in Dewey for the Dewey Beach Sprint Triathlon. I was doing the swim and bike leg, while my neighbor Jenna was doing the run.

We piled into the car at 6am and as promised by the race director --- my rack was there! Bonus that it was right by the swim and bike out and I got an end spot on the rail.

After finding the neighborhood competitors, I headed down to the beach to check out the conditions. I was a bit anxious because the local surf report said that the chance of rip currents would be high in the morning and that waves would be in the 4-6 foot range.

The water did look rougher today vs yesterday, but the good news was that it was a beautiful day and the water was actually warm!

THE SWIM [Still waiting for the official times, but when I looked at my watch it was around 14 minutes]

An hour before the race the director confirmed that we would swim south down the beach to take advantage of the current and sent the beefy lifeguards out to set up the THREE buoys that would mark the entire course.

All the competitors walked a half mile down the beach to the starting line and congregated by swim cap color. At that moment the waves started really pounding onto the beach. Yikes!

The course included: a beach start, 200 meter swim out to the first buoy, a swim parallel to the beach, a 200 meter swim into shore and then a run up the beach and over the dunes.

Within minutes the first group of dudes were lining up on the beach and jumping in! There was an incredible energy as the first group ran into the surf and dove through the waves.

It was a great advantage to see how folks attacked the course. You start in the sand, run into the surf, get out hip deep, dive under the waves and start cutting through the surf

I saw a number of people struggle to get out past the surf --- getting pounded by waves or trying to go over vs under the waves. A few folks were pulled out by the lifeguards who were positioned in the surf and on surf skis just past the surf line. I just have to thank my dad for all those years teaching us to swim, body-surf and be comfortable in big surf.

Before I had time to think too hard about all the waves and currents, my group of dudes and chicks was up and waiting for our start. Now, remember the tall dude to my right. Him and I have an interesting encounter later in this story. Separately, Mark confirmed that Mr. Royal Blue Speedo biked and ran in that outfit. That's hot.

I took the advice Mark heard from a co-worker who also was racing and lined up close to the buoy with the plan of pushing myself into the mix and cutting the turn as close as possible. I noticed that most people were starting out wide with the plan to have the current push them toward the buoy.

Within three minutes, I was running and diving through the surf. Kowabunga! The bad news is that a tall super-fit guy in front of me (remember the tall guy I pointed out in the pix above???) kicked me hard in the lip within the first 200 meters. The good news is that I beat that bastard out of the water and into transition. It also was quite a rush to roll over the waves and swim with all the unseen ocean critters!
Overall, I had a great swim. I cut the first buoy tight and swam pretty straight parallel to the shore. I will say that you really had to keep focused on your direction because the course only had three buoys to use for sighting.

During the swim I came across a 50+ year old silver wave swimmer who was bobbing around the 400 meter mark. I stopped to ask if he was ok because he seemed to be in trouble. Luckily after he shooed me away a lifeguard picked him up. I was worried about him making it into shore.

Before I knew it I was passing the mid-course buoy and soon enough heading into shore. It was super exciting to see people lining the beach to welcome me in.

I took Max's advice and kicked hard as I felt waves approaching behind me and was able to body-surf a wave part way into shore. I stood up quickly, ran out and was out of the top half of my wetsuit pretty quickly. Seriously...the toughest part was running up and over the dune. Tiring!

T1
I planned for the sand and dumped a bottled water over my face and feet. I decided not to wear socks and instead jammed my feet into my cycling shoes. I was a bit slower than I had hoped because one of my shoes took a bit longer to get on, but I felt faster than those around me. Soon enough I was off and biking.

THE BIKE

The course was an out-and-back on Coastal Hwy from Tower One to the Indian River Inlet Bridge and back.

The way out the wind was slightly to your back and side. I felt good though honestly my legs were a little tired from running over the dune.

At the turn around I immediately felt the difference --- strong headwinds pushing me and my bike backwards. I could hear everyone around me shifting gears to compensate and struggling to get into a groove.

I ended up passing a lot of people on the course. In contrast, I seemed to get passed mostly by big dudes with fancy bikes. That's ok, because I don't think any chicks passed me on the way back.

Soon enough I was heading back into transition and handing over my timing chip to Jenna for the run. TAKE AWAYS

* Ocean swims require a completely different approach, but are super fun. More of a challenge navigating up, over and through the waves, but definitely something I'd like to check out again.

* Dumping water over your face after the swim helps to get the salt out of your eyes; dumping water over your feet helps to get the sand off too before hitting the bike.

* Getting out of the saddle a couple times on the bike helped to wake my legs up.

* The Dewey Tri is very laid back and a good race for first-timers or folks looking for a smaller crowd.

* After a dude kicks you in the mouth and bloodies your lip during the swim...don't worry about attracting marine predators, decide to be the predator and eat that guy up. :)

Wipe Out?

Just woke up to read the weather and surf report.

They are reporting moderate to high rip current for today ---- with high risks THIS MORNING.

Waves in the suf will be 4-6 feet.

Man...I just can't seem to catch a break with all this race-day weather. Yesterday the waves looked pretty calm, but you could see ripples.

Yesterday they said that the race coordinator would decide this morning what the plan would be.

Here's to hoping I'll just motor through and not have to swim further than I anticipated.

Preparing to Do the Dew(ey)

I arrived on the Shore this afternoon and immediately cleaned and prepped my bike for tomorrow's Dewey Beach Sprint Relay. I'm filling in the swim and bike legs, while a neighbor is covering the run.

The good news is that my bike is fabulously clean and my chain looks like a million bucks.

Mark helped me practice taking my back tire off a handful of times, which was scary and frustrating. Thankfully, I was finally able to get it right, but it is quite a production --- tight quarters and a lot going on back there by the cassette. I pray it will not be an issue tomorrow --- especially since someone is relying on me to complete their leg.

After trolling around town, I headed over to the pre-race clinic. I'm glad I did b/c it was good to walk the course. Here are my thoughts:

THE SWIM
Swimming in the ocean is gonna be weird --- not really the swimming, but running into the surf, diving under the waves, swimming into the course, body-surfing back into shore and then running through thick sand over the dune. Check out this pix of the swim out chute over the dune. Below where these folks are standing there is a drop down into mushy dry sand.

THE BIKE
The bad news is that no one could tell me where I'm supposed to rack up tomorrow. The good news is that the organizers said "ah, don't worry about it. Your rack will be there tomorrow."

The bike course is a flat out and back on the main Coastal Hwy. Bonus that I've rode this before so I know that it's horribly flat so there's nowhere to cheat and the head winds can be a serious bitch.

I'll be dreaming of bone crushing success. No Social Tri tomorrow. There will be more growling than talking.

It's a very small world

During my track workout tonight I ended up running with a girl who I had never met and discovered that she also just competed in the Nations Triathlon.

While wrapping up our warm-up, we discovered that we sorta knew each other --- at least knew each other by bike and tri suits.

Apparently, her and I battled back and forth on the bike course passing each other nearly the entire course.

The reason we figured this out was because she said this brown-haired chick in Snapple gear kept passing her and it pissed her off so she would catch up to pass.

I on the other hand remember a girl in a blue tank and matching Trek who kept passing me and I would get pissed off and catch up to pass her.

Ha ha ha!!!

She definitely remembers seeing a number of other girls in Snapple gear. Bonus that as she rolled into the bike transition Beckie and I both passed her. She said it was like she was being swarmed by Snapple!

Needless to say, she's coming to the Club Snapple info session and is super jazzed about it.

She's a biker/runner and her swim time for the Oly was 33 minutes. Of course she told me she swam right next to the buoys and it was basically clear the entire course since everyone else was swimming more to the right. Curses!!!!