My husband's looking for a new love

On Monday, Ahi and I will be celebrating one year of marriage. Already his eye is straying. I have caught him trolling for new girlfriends on Craigslist. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. He already has a couple of girlfriends. He met one when he moved down to San Diego. I call her Big Bertha. She was convenient since she was from PB, so she helped him get to know the area. They spend most of their time together at the boardwalk while I am at work. He likes her because she is easy going, she likes the same music, doesn't mind if he smokes his cigars around her, and doesn't get embarrased when he blows his airhorn at oblivious tourists on the boardwalk. But I think his interest in her is waning.

He actually has a couple of old girlfriends that he keeps hanging around. One is an older blond. I think she is the hanger on, though. He doesn't spend too much time with her. The real threat is the sexy red-blooded French-Italian Canadian. He met her when he got serious about triathlon while living up in Washington. She saw him through his Ironman races, so she will always hold a special place in his heart. I am sure that when he gets back into serious training and racing, she will play a bigger role in his life again. I know he was thinking about hooking back up with her when we signed up 2011 Ironman California 70.3.

Now he is looking for something new. From his searches, he definitely has a specific type. I think he wants something sleeker than Big Bertha and less complicated than the other two. He's looking at different cities, even international. Some are older and rougher around the edges while some seem glossy and a bit classier.

The worst is that he surreptitiously set up a meeting with one he was checking out online. We just happened to bump into her while at B&L. He left me inside the store while he found an excuse to go out to the parking lot with her. I admit I did some of my own "browsing" while I was waiting. But the ones I would chase after are much harder to get. On the ride home, I could tell he really liked her, he kept talking about her. I think he was trying to make me jealous. Knowing how competitive I can be, he was bragging that she was faster than me. But I'm not too worried, she is a one trick pony. And obviously it's not going to work out, since I saw him back on Craigslist that night.

Scroll down for photos of his girlfriends....

Big Bertha aka Phat Ass:

The Older Blond aka Giant Yellow Banana:

The Canucker aka Sexxxy Lexy:

The potential new girlfriend from L.A. that he met at B&L:

A trampy troll from Craigslist:

 The international, more culturally compatible, but harder to find girlfriend:

Summer is here and the sun is long

This last semester really sucked the life out of me. My previous two years of sporadic training was reduced to once a week if I was lucky. As a result, my fitness level has plummeted while my weight has skyrocketed. My morale has also fallen. I know that I need to forge on if I ever want to get my degree, but at what cost?

I know that many people juggle families, work, school, and training. I am in awe of them. I am one of those extreme people that is at their best when focusing on one thing. When I first got into running, I did it wholeheartedly. I ran everyday, no matter what. When I started racing, I raced at least once if not twice every month, even injured. But as often happens, once I've accomplished something, I lose passion. Maybe I just need a new pair of shoes. ;p

In the midst of my running euphoria, I thought that I would take up trail running and someday run an ultramarathon. I hear about the great trails that my Washington, Oregon, and East coast friends train on and I am envious. I loved running the trails when I was at Lake Arrowhead and even back in Newport News. It was tough, but I enjoyed the trail race in UCSD's grove. Maybe if I could find some trails nearby... But I would need new shoes. ;p

Since I did not take the path towards ultras, I diverted to the road of triathlon.

I am so glad that I joined the Triathlon Club of San Diego.  Since I am an infant to triathlon, I often feel so lost and out of place. Recently I have connected to some really great people, most of them fairly new to the sport as well, and some that are seasoned triathletes. It is so helpful to know that I will not be alone when I go to club workouts and events, that there will be familiar faces, and always great smiles.

I am still a loner when it comes to training. I still prefer to swim, ride, and run on my own. But having a group to meet up with helps provide more structure to my training. I don't necessarily feel guilty when I miss a workout, but I do feel like I've missed an opportunity.

I don't think that I would have made the leap of faith in myself to sign up for 2011 Ironman California 70.3 without the support of my husband and all of my new friends.

I did a stupid thing and lived to blog about it

On Thursday, I had a great race. I decided last minute to do the TCSD Aquathlon that evening. I was nervous all day. My first ocean race at the Air Force ROTC Aquathlon had not gone that well. I had doggy paddled the 800 meter swim and was the last one out of the water. Although I made time up on the run, I tore up my feet with sand and wet shoes. I was happy not to finish last. After that race I did two (800 meter) La Jolla Cove swims. I did not doubt that I could swim 1000 meters at the race. I just did not want to doggy paddle in front of my TCSD friends. As always, I was afraid of coming in last. Nate convinced me to do the race by telling me that he had DNFd the last aquathlon. I figured if someone as dedicated and advanced as him could do that, then I shouldn't be so prideful. Although he had a lot of circumstances stacked up and I didn't really have any that would allow me to DNF without being a complete failure. So, I laughed and said that if I did come in last, then maybe I could look forward to being the most improved next year.

I've gained a lot of weight. So when I got home, I coudn't fit into any of my tri kits without the fat being squeezed out into funky contortions. I ended up getting out of the apartment later than I planned. Then I got stuck in traffic and when I got there I couldn't find parking. After struggling with my chip to find the number for registration, I hit the sand about 5 minutes before the race start. I put my stuff down by the beginner's group. Erika was nice enough to offer to help me. I was so rushed, I couldn't think. I was glad that she was there to help zip me up. I ran to the start and found Nate and Tracy as I put in my ear plugs and swim cap. I hadn't had time to use Foggle and spit normally doesn't work for me, but I didn't have any other choice. Tracy offered to swim with me. I warned her that I was really slow and that if she didn't care about her time, she could swim with me. I told her she could go on ahead if she needed. We were talking when the race started. I struggled getting my goggles on while we ran into the surf.

I normally swim a little before a race to get over the shock of the temperature. I was glad that the water was extremely warm. I had none of the breathing issues I experience in the cold. There was no real surf to speak up, so it was super easy getting past the break. Tracy stayed right next to me. I couldn't hear most of what she was saying, but she encouraged me the whole way. She noticed that I unilaterally breathe on my right, so she swam on that side. The water was so flat that I could actually see the buoys and I wasn't so far behind the group that I was alone. But since Tracy was side and breast stroking, I didn't need to worry about sighting. I was able to swim the whole way without stopping.

Along the way I saw some schools of small silver fish. I usually get distracted by fish or other things in the water, but this time it only caused a slight pause. I hadn't heard the course talk. Nate had told me to go out to the first buoy, turn right and then go out and once I hit the second buoy turn right into shore. I was confused and thought there were only two buoys. So when I go to what I considered the second buoy, I was pretty excited. Then Tracy told me we were halfway there. Although, I wasn't tired or ready to quit, my sense of elation was just deflated. I surged on.

We swam into shore with only one small wave to duck under. Tracy told me when to stand up and when to start kicking up. Then she ran off to finish her race while I searched for my things in transition. Of course it took me a while to find my spot. This time I took the time to rinse off my feet, dry them and put socks on. I didn't want to tear up my feet again.

When I got out to the run course, people were already starting their second lap. Although I hadn't tired during the swim, I felt drained once I got on my feet. I just tried to run steady and wasn't pushing it. When I got to the pier, I ran around the second pillar while everyone ran around the first one. My habit of not cutting corners might not serve me well during a race. Another racer teased me about going the extra mile. :)

When I got to the turn around to start the second lap, I had a couple of women in my sights. I picked up the pace to pass them and maintain my distance. But it was still a slow 5K. On the way back to the finish, I saw a pink jellyfish on the sand. It was a pretty translucent globe with dark striations. Little did I know at the time that I would come into much closer contact with another jellyfish the next day.

I ran into the finish where Tracy was waiting to cheer me in. I don't recall the time, but I know it started with a 5 instead of a 1, so I knew I was under an hour. I had beat my last aquathlon time. I think the clock was closer to 50 than 59. Even though the run was .9 miles less and the swim was .12 more, I know it didn't take me 10 minutes to go the extra mile at the last race. Plus, I had taken considerably more time during transition this race. I can't wait to see my splits. I know for a fact that my swim was awesomely better than last time thanks to Tracy's help.

I was not hungry after the race and only ate a small cinnamon bite that Nate gave me, a few bites of lettuce, and the pineapple off of  a pizza since there was no vegetarian left. (I am not a vegetarian but I am not a big pork eater.) Tracy offered some of her salad, but I didn't want to take her food. I was happy to get a chance to chat with Jaclyn, Rebecca, Susanna, and Linda. After the announcements that we couldn't hear and the raffle that I didn't win, I looked for trash to pick up, but most of it was taken care of. I stopped to chat with Marison, Cathie, Cathy, and Debbie. We were lucky enough to see two dolphins in the surf. I think Vanessa went in to swim with them.

When I finally went to collect my things, I found that someone had taken my Surf City bag. My little lululemon bag had been knocked over and my cell phone was in the sand. Thankfully my wallet and keys were still inside. Earlier I thought I had seen another Surf City bag, so I was hoping that someone had just mistaken mine for theirs. Jaclyn suggested I post something on the group. I walked around to see if they had left theirs. I saw a man carrying a Surf City bag and I was looking at it hard. He asked me if it was mine. I said I think so. He told me that it was just sitting there all by itself and he thought it was a nice bag. He pulled all of his stuff out. I said, I was glad to find it so I didn't have to buy new goggles. He replied, "Oh were those your things too?" I looked at him and his wife incredulously. I noticed he had kids, so I just let it go. But WTF?! My bag was not all by itself, since a handful of the beginner's were still there. My bag had been right next to my towels, small rubbermaid, water bottle, and my little bag. Plus, we do have a lost and found at the races. Who just takes someone else's bag? It only had my goggles and swim cap in it and it looks just like one of those Trader Joe's recyclable bags, but still! Before, I had been happy that my little bag with my valuables had not been taken, but after finding that the guy had tried to jack my bag, I was peeved. Once out in the parking lot, I chatted w/ Joe and Cathy before finally heading home.

I don't know if I hit my foot on one of the rocks in the sand, but the bottom of my left heel is slightly swollen and it hurts when I put pressure on it. I guess it is good that I am focusing more on riding this weekend.

On Friday, I was still high on the great swim I had in Thursday's race. Nate had mentioned that it was half of the swim distance of a 70.3 course. I started looking at the Cove swim distances. It looked like the Cove to the Marine Room was a little more than the 70.3 swim. Then I found out that the new tri kits were finally in and I could pick up my order at the Cove Swim. So I was super STOKED!

I headed out early so I could find parking. I didn't take my wetsuit and I left my wallet and phone in the trunk of my car this time. When I got there I didn't see anyone I knew, I went to pick up my tri kit order, but they only had Todd's. Thomas was awesome enough to go find my size for me. Tim came up to me and we chatted a bit. I asked Brian if there was a sign in sheet. He said he was heading the beginner's swim and I could stay with his group. I told them that I was really slow and that I was heading to the Marine Room. Tim said I would probably find other people around doing the same swim. But there was no sign in sheet.

I headed out to the water. There were a couple of people already heading out. The water was really cold, but I just jumped in. I headed toward the Shores. I'm not very good at heading out in a straight line, so I followed along the cliffs. It was a longer route, but easier to follow since I breathe on my right. I worked on bilateral breathing and trying not to stop and sight all the time. I normally freak out because it feels like I'm not getting anywhere. But I just kept telling myself to concentrate on swimming and not worry about getting there. I kept hearing other swimmers far to my left. I could see the kayakers up ahead and then to my right as they explored the caves. Midway, a man swam right into me. I was startled to say the least. I was just glad that it was a man and not a shark.

I don't know how close I was to the Shores, but I swam through a bunch of seaweed, some of it looked white and then this spiny looking cone hit the inside of my right bicep. I thought it was just a big wad of seaweed. My arm started to sting right after impact. At first I thought maybe it just scratched me. But as the stinging intensified I realized it had been a jellyfish. I started to worry a bit, but there was nothing I could do but keep swimming. I saw a group of kayakers coming up behind me to my left. For some reason I got competitive and tried to swim to keep up with them. Of course I couldn't.

I finally saw a stand up paddler and felt relieved that I was closer to shore. Then there was this awful smell in the water. It still took a while, but I got in. As I was swimming into shore, I saw what I thought was a swimmer keeping up with me on my left. As I stood up, I looked over to see if it was someone I knew. It wasn't, it was a seal. Once on shore, I found Tim with a group. I mentioned to him that I thought I had been stung by a jellyfish and he suggested I go to the Lifeguard to see if they could put something on it.

I ran to the Lifeguard station. The lifeguard took a while to answer the buzzer. I showed him my arm. It had three long welts on it. He told me that they don't really do anything for jellyfish stings. He told me to just let the salt water dry on my arm. I told him I had to swim back to the cove. He said that as long as I wasn't having a hard time breathing, that going back in the water would be good for it.

It took a while getting past the waves. It was definitely harder swimming against the swells on the way back. I think I was able to take a straighter course as I tried to focus on the hotel instead of the cliffs. I practiced bilateral breathing every third stroke. I was stopping to sight a lot more, though. The water got colder the later it got. I was getting that anxious feeling that I wasn't making any progress. I kept telling myself, it just takes time, you'll get there. And then I would freak out whenever I came across seaweed. At one point, I think I saw a stingray underneath me and then I started thinking about sharks. I just wanted to get back to the cove. I could see the buoy up ahead to the right of me, but I didn't feel like I was getting any closer. I finally got to the point where I could see the ocean floor and people on the shore. The awful smell returned. The current seemed to be moving out, so even though I was so close, it took a some time to struggle against the current.

When I got up to the grass, everyone was gone. I started to shake and clench. I wrapped my towel around me and put my jacket on. I couldn't stop shaking. I was glad that the drive home is low speed as I felt that my reflexes were highly reduced. My right hand felt numb. I felt like my whole body was cramping. When I got home I was shaking hard. Even though I knew I wasn't supposed to rinse the sting with fresh water, I had to take a shower to warm up. When I looked at my arm, the welts were gone and there was just a tiny trail of red dots. My right arm felt heavy, I was exhausted and nauseous, I didn't feel like eating, so I took a nap.

I learned from the race that it is okay to ask for help. Then I quickly forgot that lesson as I headed out into the deep blue sea alone. I am thankful that I hit the jellyfish instead of it hitting me. It could have been much worse. Regardless of my stupidity, I am proud that I swam 2 miles, even though I had a long break in between at the Lifeguard station. :D

San Diego Tri Expo

Ahi and I drove to meet Tri Buddha at the Inagural San Diego Tri Expo. We got there over two hours before the tents were slated to open.  Both Tri Buddha and myself took the day off from work.  Why, you may ask did we go to all this trouble?  The promise of free stuff, of course!  There was purportedly $100 worth of schwag in a bag for the first 100 in line.  There were probably about 30 people in front of us.  When we got there, we happened to get right behind two of our fellow Tri Club members. One of them, who will remain nameless, made the mistake, I mean, was kind enough, to let another nameless Tri Club member cut in line behind us and then the number kept increasing, until we had an angry mob behind us.  Below is a video of an interview with the additions to our "little" tribe in line.  You will notice that I conspicuously chose to keep my back to the camera.  I didn't want any documented association...I'm sure that many of the angry mob saw this video and I'm sure that we will meet them again at a local triathlon...It got progressively uglier when a couple of other women came up to greet the group behind me. It escalated further when some unknown women cut behind me because they felt indignant at our cutting friends.  After all of this hostility...the schwag was not even worth it!!  We got a free drawstring sack that had tons of sponsor logos on it, a tech shirt with Kaiser Permanente (ick) across the front and back, socks (didn't fit me), a Mission Products spray sunscreen or anti-friction lotion, an Inside Triathlon Calendar (put a hole in my sack & I already have one), and an old Triathlete Magazine (I have a subscription). 

The expo was medium sized compared to the race expos I've been to.  Larger than the La Jolla Half Marathon expo, but smaller than the Long Beach Marathon expo, etc. It was really dark in the tent, which didn't help when vendors had small canopies over their merchandise. Many of the vendors did have free samples. Right away, Ahi got a really nice hat for free and it wasn't even a promo item!  He can charm the...well you know.  Other free items we got were: Inside Triathlon magazines, TriSwim samples, Foggle samples (love these!), HooHa Ride Glide samples, tons of brand decals, water bottle, full size sunscreen, lip balm, FRS chews & drinks, and assorted energy bars.  I bought CEP Compression Socks for Ahi, pink ones for myself.  I also bought a green plaid Running Skirts athletic skirt for Shamrock Marathon. I don't know which twin it was, but she was super nice. (I bought a pink plaid skirt the next weekend at the Surf City Marathon Expo from the other twin.) They had a great sale on TYR gear, but I didn't see a dressing tent and a good deal doesn't matter if it doesn't fit.

I think that the three of us were disappointed with the expo.  We thought that it would be bigger. The deals did not make "wants" affordable enough to justify them as "needs."  I wish that the professional athletes would have had their seminars in an open area at the end of the product tent, much like a "course talk" or a marathon expo, somewhere more visible than in a conference room away from the main tent.

I still had a fun day despite an inhospitable start. You know I love free stuff and there was enough to keep me busy filling my bag within a bag (inside joke).  I really appreciate Competitor hosting this event (and all they do for San Diego and triathlon in general), all the professional athletes that offered their time for clinics, and all the exhibitors that contributed free stuff. :D

Gray Days

The weather has turned and so has my mind.

...

Even though I have a migraine, I think that I need to write something. I've been so bad about blogging!!! And race recaps have been limited to the Info space on my Facebook Photo Albums.