Santa Cruz Mermaid Triathlon

Well, first I have to publicly thank Maeve for supporting me on Sunday before, during and after my race. She was a perfect assistant!! I really couldn't have done it without her. Secondly, I would like to thank all of you who worked out with me over the last few months... I may not have even made it to the race had it not been for the group workouts. Thank you!!

It was perfect weather for a triathlon: foggy and a bit chilly. There was no chance of overheating. Maeve and I got up by 5am and left the hotel by just before 6am. We arrived at the Seacliff State Beach just after 6am and started setting up my transition area. It was a little difficult to do in the dark! Note to self: bring a headlamp next time. Once my transition area was set, we had some time to walk the transition areas and check out all of the places where I would be coming in and out of transitions. Then of course I had to make the ritual trip to the outhouse. Success! This is extremely important and can really make a big difference in a race. Next it was time to wriggle, pull, grunt, and squeeze my way into my wetsuit. After much lingering and trying to shake off the pre-race anxiety, it was time to descend to the beach (down the 180 steps that I would later be climbing after my swim). I took a pre-race plunge for a quick warm up. While I was acclimating, 4 seals swam by to say hello. I felt that it was the perfect, fortuitous sign of a great race to come.
The swim is a 1/4 mile counterclockwise tour around a pier that has a sinking ship parked at the end of it. The water was fairly calm with no real waves. I felt pretty strong and came out of the water 16:28 minutes later, 12 seconds slower than in 2006. The run along the beach was a bit longer because we did the swim clockwise which put the finish farther away from the stairs. It took me 3:47 to get up the stairs and on my bike, this is about half the time it took me in 2006; a significant improvement.

The bike ride is an 11 mile loop through the town Aptos, CA. There are two major hills, one on the way out and one on the way back. I made it up both of them! I felt that I could have pushed harder during some parts of the ride, but at the time I did what I did coming in at 54:35, about 10 minutes slower than before.

And finally, the run... the part I was most looking forward to strangely enough... it having been the hardest part of all my previous triathlons. I ran almost every step of the 2.5 miles. I walked a minute after the first water stop, didn't stop for the second one and walked a little bit of the hill up to the finish line. I completed the 2.5 mile run in 28:39... a whopping 7 minutes faster than two years ago! That is an 11.27 minute mile as opposed to 14:04!

So, indeed, I placed 2nd in my division. I was completely shocked. Ironically, my race time was actually 2 minutes slower than it was 2 years ago when I competed. So, I figure if I gave more attention to the biking and swimming next year I could really shave off some time. That will be a goal in the coming year.

For now, I will be focusing on the running and increasing the mileage significantly over the next few weeks. I have very little time left, but I think I can work in at least a couple of good long runs.

I would love to see all or any of you out on the Nike Marathon run course. I will add a link so you can check out the map of the course and figure out a good place to cheer me on. Of course I would also love for you to see me crossing the finish line!

Congrats!!!

I just wanted to congratulate Elisabeth for completing yet another triathlon on Sunday in Santa Cruz! Not only did she complete it, but she came in 2nd in her division! She totally dominated the race! I was lucky enough to get to be there to support her, and I was truly inspired watching her cross that finish line.

I can't wait to watch you cross the finish line in your 1/2 marathon next month, and I'm almost sorta looking forward to running my first race in a couple of months!

Getting Out There - Share

Hey there my friends!
It was a rough week but I am almost through it. Jeeze. My cycle was extra harsh this month. That makes everything suck the energy out of me. So tired all the time. Funny how exercise REALLY helps turn that all around for me. If I am feeling really crappy, a bit of exertion really gets my mind off whatever is bugging, hurting, etc. It works every time. On the other hand, the hunger I feel during this time of the month is extreme. It seems there is nothing I can do to fill myself up and feel satisfied. This is a struggle, especially when I am trying really hard to lose some weight again.
Also, I have been so incredibly tired. It is hard to even lift my head from the pillow to hit the snooze button. And as I am writing this I am falling asleep....

Training Schedule Updates!!

Hey ladies!
Please make note, I have changed a few of the training - times and places.
Tomorrow we will be going to Sibley. It is just off Skyline on the north side where Tunnel Road and Skyline come together. We'll be meeting up there at 6:30pm. There are some nice trails up there, with some rolling hills.
See you soon!
Happy training!
e

One ton shoes

Why does it seem like my running shoes weigh a ton? Although my body feels better, my mind clearer, and my outlook brighter when I am jogging on a regular basis, why is it that when I go to put on my sports bra, it is stuck to my drawer, unable to be lifted out? When I go to get my shoes out from under my bed, they are too heavy to lift? It doesn't make sense. But it does, in a sense. It has become so much more difficult for me to initiate self-care since becoming a mother. Part of the incentive to get in shape is compromised by the fact that I am no longer in the dating pool, thus do not actually have to look hot in order to attract the male species. Part of my incentive is also compromised by a lack of time: by the time I get home from work, I do not want to leave my one year old again to go for a jog. I ordered a jogging stroller, and noticed to my dismay after putting it together, that it was broken in one area. Now I have to send it back and wait another couple of weeks for the replacement to arrive. Ugh!

But all of these explanations do not offer me solace or lighten my spirits when I go to put on a pair of underware and the elastic cuts into my hips, or I try to put on an old bra, and my surplus boob fat swims over the sides of the material. Let me take this moment to remind myself that in addition to being a mother, I am also a woman. That although I am no longer in the market, I still want to look hot for me (not to mention my husband). And that although every moment away from my little one is a moment missed, I have an opportunity, but more importantly, an obligation, to set an example for her about basic self-care and self-love. Someday she'll be a woman, and I hope by then, her running shoes will be a little lighter than my own.

See you next time you are in Danville!

Train With A Focus

Hi Everyone,

Thanks to Elisabeth for inviting me to post. I'll not usurp the blog - just try to add some seasoning to the process.

Let's look at form...

One's form is obviously critical to the 'ease' of one's running. Keeping track of the form elements while fatigued however, is challenging. 

One tip that I'd like to recommend you experiment with is to have one key focus (or foci is it?) per training run.

On your next run for example, try placing your attention primarily on your 'kick'. That flick with the hamstrings that propels you~~~of course your attention will wander to your speed, an ache or the scenery - but bring it back to your kick.

I do not mean to exaggerate your kick (as if you were sprinting), just to bring your attention to that critical motion and see how it goes. 

Leave comments if you like.

The video below is an exercise called 'butt kickers'. It's a good warm up/excitation of the hamstrings and is good in general but works especially well when you're focusing on the work of the hamstrings.

Good Training.

Cody Fielding