2019 Book List

Book List, 2019

1)      Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! Ralph Leighton, Edward Hutchings

2)      Shetland Bus: A WWII Epic of Escape, Survival and Adventure.  David Howarth

3)      The Proverbs of Middle-Earth. David Rowe  

4)      Aristotle’s Children: How Christians, Muslims and Jews Rediscovered Ancient Wisdom and Illuminated the Middle Ages.  Richard E. Rubenstein

5)      Crazy Rich Asians.  Kevin Kwan 

6)      Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo.” Zora Neale Hurston

7)      Moloka’i: A Novel.  Alan Brennert

8)      Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History.  Keith O’Brien

9)      The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II.  Denise Kiernan

10)   The Bride Price.  Mai Neng Moua

11)   The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America’s Enemies.  Jason Fagone (Interesting tidbit: The Friedmans started the framework for the NSA)

12)   The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris

13)   Dreyer’s English, Benjamin Dreyer.  Throw out your tattered Strunk &White book.

14)   Iran, a Modern History.  Abbas Amanat. I started this last year; it’s a heavy tome (over 900 packed pages) but it gives a good perspective on why the Middle East is the way it is today.

15)   The White War: Life and Death on the Italian Front 1915-1919.  Mark Thompson.  Picked this one, because my Grandfather was a soldier in this war, in the general vicinity of the Italian Alps

16)   A River Sutra.  Gita Mehta

17)   Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.  Gail Honeyman

18)   A Gentleman in Moscow.  Amor Towles

19)   The Guide for the Perplexed.  Moses Maimonides

20)   The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier’s Education.  Craig Mullaney

21)   Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory.  Deena Kastor (holds American record for the marathon, 2:19:36)

22)   Calypso.  David Sedaris

23)   Educated.  Tara Westover

24)   Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.: American: An Autobiography.  About America’s first Black General.

25)   The Wives of Los Alamos. TaraShea Nesbit

26)   The Preacher’s Wife Drinks a Little. Gina Hirt

27)   A Thousand Splendid Suns. Khaled Hosseini

28)   Five Presidents. Clint Hill

29)   Before We were Yours. Lisa Wingate

30)   Rules of Civility. Amor Towles

31)   Hillbilly Elegy.  J.D. Vance

32)   Where’d You Go, Bernadette.  Maria Semple

33)   1776. David McCullough

34)   The Weight of Ink. Rachel Kadish

35)   The Great Alone. Kristin Hannah

36)   Bear Town. Fredrik Backman

37)   Love Does. Bob Goff

38)   One Thousand White Women. Jim Fergus 

39)   The Last Mrs. Parrish. Liv Constantine

40)   Eligible. Curtis Sittenfeld

41)   Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love.  Dani Shapiro

42)   Storyworthy. Matthew Dicks

43)   Homegoing. Yaa Gyasi

44)   The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After

45)   Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World.  Clive Thompson

46)   Gingerbread.  Helen Oyeyemi

47)   The Old Drift.  Namwali Serpell

48)   Unaccustomed Earth. Jhumpa Lahiri

49)   When We Left Cuba. Chanel Cleeton 

50)   The Binding.  Bridget Collins

Kawela 70.3+ Endurance Triathlon

Kawela 70.3+  Endurance Triathlon

SWIM:

1.62 miles (approximately 1900m swim, plus 1/2 mile  beach run to starting point to do the 2nd loop)

BIKE:

57 miles on the bike (plus a little extra when I took a wrong turn)

RUN:

13.1 mile (half marathon) run

Total mileage - 71.72 miles

Total racers: 133.  Total finishers: 126.

I thought my first 70.3 (Augusta 2013) was hard.  That race started off with a fairly cool swim, which rapidly warmed up during the bike and turned into a hot and humid run.  I know now that Augusta 70.3 was a piece of cake compared to the Kawela ("heat" in Hawaiian) Endurance Triathlon.  It certainly lived up to its name - both in terms of brutal heat and endurance.  This race was all about digging deep - deeper than I ever have before.  I've done 16 triathlons in 5 years; this would be the hardest race I've ever done - and one of the hardest things I've ever done so far in my life.  

This particular 70.3 journey started after the December 2014 Honolulu Marathon, when I made a decision to pull out of Honu 70.3 and postpone my training due to a major foot issue incurred during the marathon. I signed up for Kawela, thinking since it was just a few months later, I would have time to fix my running form and work on my bike skills.  I used this opportunity to get over my ocean swim anxiety issues, once and for all.  I could train in our "backyard" as that's where the race venue was. I worked with a local coach, Amy, who helped me build up my overall triathlon fitness.  I trained at Kailua/Lanikai/Hickam beaches; biked with Camp Bennett teammates on Kalanianaole Highway from Kailua to Makapu'u, along with endless loops on Hickam AFB; and ran anywhere I could find long stretches and/or tracks.

At packet pickup/mandatory race briefing, Boca (Raul Torres) talked about his vision for this race.  He wanted a fun, but challenging endurance event; with no time limit.  The swim would be two loops of the Kailua Beach buoy line (about 1900m), with a half-mile jog back up to the starting buoy after the first loop.  The 57 mile bike ride is one mile longer than the typical 70.3 race; it made sense to put the bike transition (T2) at Camp Erdman, instead of the middle of Farrington Highway.  The half marathon would be two loops, with a small extra loop/turnaround at Ka'ena Point and the other turnaround at Mokuleia Beach.  I know that side of the island, and knew it would be hot and windy.  

Little did I know what a real challenge this race would be; a challenge on every physical and mental level.

14 AUGUST - DAY BEFORE THE RACE

The night before, I  ate our typical Doll House pre-race, pre-training meal of homemade red sauce, meatballs, garlic bread and pasta.  I did not have wine.  In fact, I didn't have any alcohol for the entire week leading up to the race.  I wanted to see if it would affect my performance in any way.  I did have race anxiety; but it was not as bad this time.  I only had one major "flare up" - typically I have several.  I had a more relaxed attitude about the race - I've always wanted to do a 1/2 Ironman in Hawaii, and I was going to enjoy it.  Before bedtime, I went through my gear one last time, after having done so multiple times over the last two days - I hoped I remembered everything I needed for my run bag, which I dropped off at packet pickup so it would be delivered at Transition 2 (T2) before the race.

15 AUGUST - RACE DAY!

We were up at 0 Dark 30.  Another weekend, another race.  We packed up the car and over to Kailua Beach we went.  It was raining on our side of the island, but once we got through the tunnel over H3, it dried up.  I set up my bike and equipment at Transition 1 (T1) and chatted with fellow racers and my coach.  Soon it was time to go warm up in the water.  The swim was supposed to start at 0545; but because the clouds occluded the sunrise, Boca waited until 0600 to send us off into the water.

I've been working on getting over swim anxiety.  I signed up for a bunch of ocean swim races, which helped; I am more or less over it.  Now I want to know how to power through surf and waves and get stronger.  The frustration came out in spades as I was tossed around like a coconut, and trying to use the current to my advantage.  It took me about 20ish minutes to get through the first loop (roughly 800 meters), which is an improvement. After the first loop, we walked/jogged the half mile back up to the starting buoy.   

To keep my heart rate down, I walked fast instead of running to the starting buoy.  As I walked along, I admired the beautiful sunrise and saw a bunch of Portuguese man-o-wars on the beach.  Fortunately no one got stung from them!  I saw Mark and got a kiss before jumping back into the cool water.  I knew I was going to be the last swimmer out of the water; I saw lifeguards pulling in the race buoys as I swam past them.  Oh well!  Just keep swimming forward.   I finished the swim in 59:17, total distance 2849 yards (1.62 miles).  As I got out and ran to T1, I saw Noel, Amy and Mark - who cheered me on and told me to ride hard.  I told him that I was going to mow people down on the bike; I was so annoyed at being the last one out of the water.  My feet were a sandy, muddy mess; thankfully I had two water bottles in T1 for washing them off before putting my socks on.  The last thing I wanted was fine sand clinging to my toes, creating blisters on my feet for the run.  I threw my stuff into the swim bag, which volunteers brought to T2/finish area.

As I was the last person to leave T1, I had my own police escort for several miles.  We even had a couple of pleasant chats whenever he rode alongside me.  Soon, however, I had to focus on the road - Kaneohe Bay Drive was not pleasant, with potholes, debris, and ruts everywhere.  I thought Hickam roads were bad - they are actually a piece of cake compared to Kbay Drive and Kamehameha Highway! I was riding fast; I actually spent a fair amount of time at 20 mph or higher.  I admired the scenery whenever I looked up, and saw two rainbows on the way to Kam Highway.  I laughed at the multiple chickens and roosters, saw enough crazy Hawaiian drivers to last me a lifetime; and ignored the achiness building up in my quads and hamstrings.

Soon, I turned right onto Kam Highway and followed the shoreline north and westward.  It was a pretty ride; I got soaked in a brief but intense rain shower, but appreciated its cooling effect.  Thankfully there was a fair amount of shade on the ride; whenever the sun came out, I could feel its intense heat.    I enjoyed the massive tailwind, which we had most of the way to Camp Erdman.  I've been asked what I think about on long bike rides.  Everything, actually.  Thinking about people who support me; and those I inspire - they keep me honest and they keep me going.  I'll play music in my head (headphones not allowed).  Or I'll try to decipher weird dreams of nights past; which will turn into thinking about the stories I want to write. I thought of my cousin Jill, who recently passed away suddenly; and those who've passed on, usually too young.  Being grateful I can do this, because they can't.  How truly blessed, and grateful, I am for my life and the people in it.  Really, whatever it took to maintain positive energy.

As I went past Turtle Bay, I noticed that my front tire went flat.  I texted Mark to let him know.  Thankfully, there was a man in Team in Training (TnT) gear who came over to help me finish fixing the flat; I had the tire off the rim, and the tube out.  I have trouble, however, with getting the tire back into the rim; I have weak wrists, thanks to damage from 500 mile bike rides years ago.  Plus, I'm a wimp when it comes to anything mechanical on a bike.    TnT man put the tire back on the rim for me.  What an angel; I was so grateful that I hugged him, hard.  While technically we aren't supposed to get outside assistance, this was more of a relaxed race venue.  I texted Mark that I was rolling, and told him to keep coming my way anyway - a comfort thing for me, knowing he was close by.

It was fortuitous I did, as I flatted  - again.  Mark changed the tube for me quickly. That was spare tube #2.  I only had two spares (so I thought).  I told Mark that if I flatted again... I might as well throw in the towel and put the bike in the car.  Mark gave me a look, and said - "whatever. Just GO!"  After I started riding again, I berated my brain and told it to shut up.  A big part of long distance races is mental fortitude.  I am not a quitter, and never have been.  The reality was, If I flatted again - well, I'd wait for Mark to come back, or the race bike repair truck to come by and help me out.  I have too many people rooting for me; too many who tell me I inspire them to do things they never thought they could do.  I could not, in good conscience, let them down.  And furthermore - I could not look at myself in the mirror with any shred of integrity if I gave up. 

Mentally I had sunk to new lows, and was fighting the negative thoughts running around in my brain.  I was in a pretty dark and angry place.  I reached the depths of my soul like I never had before; not even with prior ocean swim races.  I was beyond frustrated and mad... close to despair. I had more respect and admiration for the lesson taught in Jesus' tale of spending 40 days and nights in the desert, fighting the devil.   I could actually relate to the story; now I knew what it meant to really fight temptation, and not let the mind give in.  My temptation was to give up - I came so, so very close to throwing the towel in. I didn't want to.  I knew there was no race time limit; I had all day to finish the race. I wanted to finish, no matter what... I wanted that damn medal.  You, dear reader, have no idea how close I came to giving up.  But I did not, and I finished the race I started.

Yet, 10 miles out from T2, I flatted.  AGAIN.  Mark was just ahead of me, and somehow he managed to find a third spare tube in the bike parts box.  He found the hole, caused by yet another kiawa (mesquite tree) thorn; he pulled it out and used duct tape inside the tire to protect the tube.  Just then, the race repair bike truck showed up; they offered their help and they were simply awesome.  I remarked I hoped it was OK that Mark helped me out; and expressed my deep frustration about flatting and losing time on the bike.  The woman hugged me and said not to worry - this is an adventure race, and we will take care of you.  We told them we were out of tubes - so they went into the truck and got a few spares.  The man put one in my back pocket, and gave Mark another.  I started rolling again, periodically clutching the miraculous medal around my neck (I always wear it in endurance races) and praying that I would not flat again; I also touched the Padre Pio medal I had in my bento box, telling him - just please get me to T2 without any more issues.  The roads were so rough on the tires and my leg muscles.  I actually thought I was going to lose a few teeth from the vibrations. 

Thankfully once I turned towards Dillingham, the roads became a wee bit smoother.  A couple of race direction signs were missing, and I took one small wrong turn.  I knew the general direction of Dillingham/Camp Erdman, so I used Google Maps to get me there.  The folks in the race bike truck would go ahead a few miles, and wait for me to pass them.  Thankfully the tire held, and I made it to T2.  I did 57 miles in 4:02; I estimate all those flats cost me at least 45 minutes.  When I was riding - I was riding hard and fast.  It was not an easy ride for me; I should've ridden more on the course, and Kam Highway, instead of the flat Hickam roads.

I was the second-to-last cyclist to arrive in T2; the area was very quiet.  A volunteer brought me my run bag; she helped me rack the bike, with my run gear and sprayed sunscreen everywhere I needed it.  I was so grateful for her help, that I hugged her.  I kissed Mark on the way out to the run; and told him I'll walk the whole rest of the way if I had to.  He said "you've got all day, do whatever you have to do to finish it."  There was no question I'd finish.  I filled up my water bottle and made sure I had my PowerBar gels and BASE salt.  I started out by walking towards the Ka'ena Point turnaround at a fast clip; I jogged a little bit.  It was HOT.  At least there was a good breeze.  I passed the turnaround and jogged a bit more; my left calf had been cramping a bit since getting out of the swim, and it was getting worse.   As I wanted to finish the run at a decent time - without losing my form, which would ruin my feet and legs - I opted to speed walk the entire run course.  Most of the time I was walking around a 14:30 min/mile pace.  I made sure to drink 10 ounces of water per 1/2 hour, take a PowerBar gel every 40 minutes, and a tap of BASE salt every 20-30 minutes, as needed (it'd zap my cramps).  I was really hungry by this time; I apparently didn't eat enough before the race (banana, slice of bread with Chocodream).  I was praying I had enough PowerBar gels to keep me going.

By the time I was on the run course, most of the triathletes were running their 2nd (and last) loop.  I greeted them as I turned from Ka'ena Point to Mokuleia Beach; most, if not all of them, were walking by this time.  Some of them very slowly. As I said - it was hot.  Brutally hot.  It was over 90 degrees, with insane humidity - the "real feel" was somewhere around 100-110 degrees.  I tried to maintain my pace as best as I could.  I grabbed ice at every aid station, putting some down the back of my shirt, and in the front - anything to keep my core temperature down.  The wind helped with cooling, but it was dehydrating at the same time.  I grabbed a few bananas; they, more than the BASE salt, zapped the calf cramps.   I admit to feeling deflated (yes, I deliberately used that pun) and simply did not feel enough energy to run.  But - I focused on what I could do, and that was to walk fast and hold my head up high.  I greeted fellow racers with smiles, positive greetings and encouragement - and got all that back in spades.  At this point, every single one of us was fighting a huge battle to just get the race done. 

By the time I started the second loop between Ka'ena Point and Mokuleia Beach, the volunteers were more or less done working the aid stations.  But they left plenty of ice, water and even bananas on tables for the remaining racers.  Fellow Camp Bennett teammate Tina and her partner Lisa cheered me on, and gave me fresh strawberries and Honeystinger gels.  I used every mental trick in my race playbook.  Counting out miles in terms of half-miles, or quarter-miles.  Putting a name/face to each mile and thinking about them.  Counting how much longer before I could see Mark again.  Visualizing getting that medal around my neck.

Soon, I turned around Ka'ena Point for the last time and fast-walked to the finish.  I finished the half marathon in 3:19:21.  Not too shabby, for having walked most of it.  I've never been so happy to see a finish line in my life.  I was the second-to-last finisher; who cares.  I finished. I knew the race announcer - Kaile - from meeting her at the Kona Marathon last year; she's a friend of my sister's.  She recognized me and gave me a extra huge hug; I told her, failure was NOT an option, and I finished.  She beamed and told me I certainly did.  I was given my medal by a cute little girl; I hugged her, she was so sweet.  I found Mark and hugged him.  I told him - this was the hardest thing I've ever done.  But I did it.  Let's go home.

POST-RACE THOUGHTS:

I'm over ocean swim anxiety, more or less.  It's time to get stronger and learn how to power through waves, surf and current.   As for the bike, I needed to ride the race course more; or at least, K highway between Kailua Beach and Makapu'u/Hawaii Kai/and beyond.  The endless loops I rode on the flat roads of Hickam helped with mental endurance, but I needed more "real race conditions" with minor hills and icky roads.  And for the love of God, I need to get mechanical with my bike; and learn how to do everything for it.  On the run - longer transition runs after the long bike rides would've helped.  Yes, I was working on fixing my running form, getting over a foot injury, and building strength on the bike; but longer transition runs would've helped.  My longest transition run was 20 minutes after a 50-60 mile ride. 

I would not have been able to do this without Mark's help.  He has pushed, supported, and prodded me into the triathlete I am today.  All because he believes in me - even during times when I doubted myself.  We truly are a team.  Yes, I could've/would've finished under my own power - by waiting around for the race bike truck, and waddling to the finish line... But I was very, very lucky he was close by on the race course.  Not just to help me swap tubes, but to tell me to keep going.  Keep rolling.  Keep walking.  Do whatever I had to do to finish.  Because he knew I would not quit.

I am now a proud owner of a Kawela Endurance Triathlon medal - I earned every.single.ounce.of.it.

Total time: 8:30:12

Augusta 70.3 Race Report

29 September 2013

Friday 27 September

We left shortly after 0900 for the long drive to Augusta.  This year we'd be meeting my parents and sister/brother-in-law (Carol&John) at the Marriott, the designated Race hotel.  I had jumped on the reservations as soon as I could, shortly after I received verification of race registration (which was within minutes of registration opening up!).  It was so nice to be able to stay in such a race-central location!  As usual, I had to work through race anxiety ... but this year, there were no major freak-outs.  As Mark put it, over the last week I wasn't "incorrigible... but close."  I'm glad I did 4 triathlons this season before the big A race - 3 sprints and one Olympic - as they were all confidence builders, especially with the swim leg.  I trust my training.  Doing a 75 mile bike ride on the Whites Ferry route shortly before the race helped; so did the weekly rides at Andrews AFB, where I would constantly battle head/crosswinds.  I'd still go off in my own little world, visualizing the race and dealing with "what ifs."  Let's just say, I need to learn how to be my own bike mechanic.  I'm better at changing tires, but need to learn how to fix all the other issues that can crop up.  By the way, I loved all the messages of support and cheer.  It really helps so much to know there are so many people behind you all the way. 

We arrived around 1730-ish; checked in, and figured we had just enough time to quickly check out the expo, pick up the packet and for Mark to get a new pair of Newtons (his old ones were so worn out that I could see through them) before meeting my family for dinner.  The swag was nothing special - nice bag, and a white race finisher shirt (again, white? Better not wear a black or red or blue ...you get the picture... bra with it.  Again.)  The highlight of packet pickup, however, was meeting Ann Parks.  She's on the Ironman staff, and helps with solutions for any and all issues any racer may have.  She answered our hearing aid handoff question by putting a yellow wristband on Mark's arm, so he could stand by the swim exit OR by my bike in transition - his choice - to hand me my hearing aids after the swim.  She was simply awesome. 

Dinner was at the Bonefish Grill; it was a good meal, albeit a bit noisy.  We had a nice dinner, and my family got to see how real my race anxiety gets.  John would make me laugh, Mark would get me back into the conversation, Mom would tell me to smile.    And despite all my talk of anxiety, I do feel lucky to be able to race triathlons.  Doctor H (an ART/Chiropractic practitioner, frequented by many of our  teammates) put an interesting twist on race anxiety when I visited him for one last pre-race tune-up, looking over all the weird twinges and aches that mysteriously popped up during the taper tantrum.  He (along with Shelly and many others) knows I absolutely despise taking tests.  I always have; there's just something about that word.  Doctor H said, "you've done all your testing already.  You've been tested throughout all of your months of training.  Think of this race as a celebration of all the hard work you've done."  Bingo.  After dinner, Mark and I went to bed EARLY - tonight is when I need a good, long, restful sleep.

Saturday 29 September

We slept until 0700.  I wanted to get up and move around, spread out my stuff and make sure I didn't forget anything before going back to the Expo to finish our shopping.  I especially wanted to make sure my nutrition and hydration needs were in order, with plenty of spares (which came in handy on race day).  I was getting so hungry, that I ordered a huge stack of buttermilk pancakes for breakfast. SO good.  I dearly wanted bacon, sausage, hash browns - but I know better, and they can wait until post-race.  Carol, Dad, Mark and I went to the Expo to poke around.  I must mention, us + race expo = credit card meltdown.  I finally drank the Newton Kool-Aid and bought myself a pair.  I had been holding off on buying them until I lost enough weight; I've lost 67 pounds and decided it was about time!  I can't wait to try them at a track workout. 

Mark went off to "buy me something", so I poked around, getting a couple pieces of Augusta 70.3 gear (to be worn after the race - I am NOT going to mess with my race mojo by wearing any of it before!)    We went to the race briefing, just in case there were any changes we needed to know about.  I wore my Gator Bait shirt - the one that says "It's Gator Time" on the front, and Gator Bait 1.2,  Gator Spinning 56, Gator Chasing 13.1 and Gator Slayer 70.3 on the back.  Many people from the Augusta training group (a great group of triathletes on Facebook, providing training/racing tips and heaping servings of encouragement and support) wore the same shirt, leading to many smiles, chats and new friendships.

My family wanted to go explore Augusta, but I needed to rest and keep my feet up for the remainder of the day.  They had a great time taking boat tours on the river.  Carol came around 1300 to go through the race checklist one last time.  I packed everything up into my tri bag and took a nap.  Around 1600, Mark and I walked my bike over to transition.  It was a 3 mile walk; leisurely, but still - time on my feet.  I racked the bike, and looked around to make sure I had the "lay of the land" as far as the bike start/finish and run start locations.   I put my hands in the water to judge the temperature for myself (I'll be buying my own water thermometer for next season). After walking back, I reviewed the race plan and put my race day schedule on a small piece of paper to stuff in my bag on the bike.  We had dinner with my family, Coach Shelly, teammates Dan, Kevin (both racing), Kevin's mom and Laura (cheerleader).  We tried to squeeze in a few more people, but the restaurant management just could not fit us all in.  As soon as we were settled, the waitress handed me a plate with something folded inside a napkin.  It was a small alligator puppet!  Carol and John snuck it in somehow.  Had my typical pre-race spaghetti and marinara sauce, lots of bread and a single glass of wine to take the race anxiety edge off.   Went off to bed early.   

Race Day, Sunday 29 September

We got up at 0430.  I had been rolling around since 3ish anyway.  Got up, and ate all of my breakfast by 0515.  My swim wave started at 0820, so I needed to have my "big calories" in by 3 hours before my race start.  I had greek yogurt with peach; a packet of oatmeal; 1/2 slice of bread with Chocodream; and then a banana on the way out of the room.  And, never underestimate the power of a good bathroom trip before the race.  Sorry to put it out there folks, but it's a cold, hard fact in endurance sports.  It can absolutely make or break your race.  :-)

We left the room at 0530 and got on the transition area bus.  Got my number written on my arm, and calf marked with my age.  I asked the volunteer to put a smiley face on my right calf - she laughed and did so.  It's become a race day tradition for me.  Mark went in with me to make sure my tires were at the right pressure, then left.  I spread out my stuff and noticed there was no bike racked next to mine - hooray, I love having just a little extra room!  I laid out my wetsuit, cycling stuff (including pre-stuffing the jersey with nutrition) and run gear.  It was 53 degrees and clear. The water temperature was 69.  To me that's a little chilly; but I had raced in other tris at 68ish degrees and was fine.  So I opted for the short-sleeve wetsuit.  Now I'm all set.... time to race.  One last trip to the portapotties and I went out.  I met Mark by the bus; he stayed behind to wait for me at the swim exit.  I handed him my hearing aids and off I went.  Dropped my morning bag off at the baggage area and put on my wetsuit; it was a little chilly so it helped me stay warm.  I noticed more people were wearing long-sleeve rather than short-sleeve wetsuits.  I had brought both, but decided to stick with the short-sleeve. I ate my last big chunk of food, a honey stinger waffle, at 0700.  Exchanged bear hugs with Dan, a high-five with Shelly, and hung out with Elena until my wave was called forward.  The Golden Knights parachute team put a show on for us, with the last skydiver unfurling a huge American flag.  It was really cool.   Sucked down a powerbar gel at 0750 and drank a bunch of water.  I'm ready to swim now.    I couldn't hear anything, but boy I could feel the energy and music!  I noticed that no one was getting in and treading water; instead they were sitting /standing on the dock and jumping in.  I figured the current was stronger - and it was; 5560 cfs, compared to 4020 cfs last year.  I don't like jumping in - I need a little time to get used to the cooler water and put my face in so I'm not shocked by the cool water.  So I walked to the far end of the dock, slid in and hung on to the dock post, as I saw a few others do, and let water in my wetsuit.  I dipped my face a few times, careful to do it away from the other racers (you know what they're doing in their wetsuits!!)  There were some complainers, kvetching about the cold water, but I just smiled and said have a great race.

It's 0820 and time to swim!  The race anxiety shawl lifted and floated away.  The water was a bit chilly, but with the sun beating down on us, it actually felt pretty nice.  I still use the "relax, strong" mantra Shelly told me about last year; it was like being in a floating mosh pit, so I tried to find my own space out there.  I swam right down between the buoys and the shore where the current was the strongest.  I got knocked on the head and almost lost my goggles; I reached out and grabbed the guy's leg and yanked it hard to let him know what I thought about that. My dad asked me if he said anything or called me any names, and I said I had no idea - and I don't care, because I couldn't hear him anyway!   I actually passed a few swimmers and drafted off a couple of others.  The sun was shining right into my eyes, so I paid attention to the numbered/colored buoys (9 yellow, 9 orange) and didn't miss the last red buoy that guided everyone to the swim exit.  There was no way I was going to miss it and have to turn around and swim against the current. I love having the buoys on my left, as I breathe to the left.  That meant I could take 10-12 strokes before sighting, whereas normally I need to sight every 3-4 strokes.  I came out feeling like I had a great swim; looking at my Garmin confirmed it.  I was really happy with taking 2-3 minutes off last years' time.  I saw my family and gave my mom a high-five.  Mark handed me back my hearing aids, and off I went to the wetsuit strippers.  That transition is a long one - it's about a 1/4 mile long. I had trouble getting all the water out of my ears.  I jammed my hearing aids in anyway, knowing I was going to pay for it later (and I did, with a slight swimmer's ear infection in the right ear).  Tip for next time - cotton balls soaked in alcohol, which will suck the water right out.  35:05.

I dumped my swim stuff in transition and yanked my jersey on.  It was a challenge because I'm wet and it clung weirdly to all the wrong places. I'm glad I left it partially zipped; the last time I put it on, I struggled with the zipper, wasting precious transition minutes.  I stopped tugging it around and figured I'd yank it back into the right places when it had a chance to dry out. I went with the jersey instead of a tri top, because the jersey would cover the areas under my arms where I knew I'd chafe badly.  Then I noticed there was all kinds of grass and twig bits stuck to my feet.  At the Reston Olympic three weeks ago, there was some thorn grass stuck to my toes that I didn't know about until the run.  My toes started to burn up and hurt and I had no clue why - I actually thought it might've been a stress fracture in the making! It wasn't until afterwards that I found those suckers embedded under my toes!  As a precaution, I washed my feet off, dried them and yanked my socks and cycling gear on.  9:09.

I saw my family and they cheered me on as I exited transition.  The bike ride was really nice.  I was supposed to maintain about 80% FTP, but ended up lower than that, even though I put some work in on the hills.  I am doing way better at cycling, especially powering downhills to make the uphill sections easier. The course seemed so much easier this year; I've been working really hard on the bike, including doing a 75 mile ride with Elena and Cindy two weeks ago, and it just felt wonderful.  It was a bumpy ride, especially around miles 20ish-30ish.  I was concerned that my tires were going flat, but it was the road.  It was VERY crowded on the bike course.  I am getting pretty good at hill climbing; that would be where I passed a lot of people.  It got a little hairy with trying to pass while others are trying to pass you.  I hit 40.5 mph - my fastest bike speed ever on the tri bike - down the last hill.  I was riding with a bunch of people and we were laughing our heads off, zooming down the hill; and before I knew it, I was already more than two-thirds up the next hill!  I nailed every one of the bike exchanges; I would dump the remaining water into my aero bottle (pre-filled with EFS), throw the bottle at the target, and grab a new one from a volunteer.  The bike course was heavily supported by the Georgia Army Guardsmen.  As a Guard wife (ANG), I loved it.  I told a bunch of them I was a Guard wife, and got thumbs up and cheers in return.  I made sure to thank all of the volunteers - they are the reason these races are even able to take place.  It would not happen without them.   And as Coach Shelly said - if you start to grouch at them, that means YOUR nutrition is off - so eat up and be nice to them.  They get up even earlier than you and stay out there almost the entire day - because they're inspired by the racers and/or want to give something back.

I was pretty much right on with nutrition, with 1/2 honey stinger waffle, 2 salt sticks, 4 Gu chomps, one powerbar gel, 20 oz water and 1/2 of the EFS each hour. I drank so much water, that I peed about 4 or 5 times on the bike - I succeeded, despite not ever being able to on training rides! Yay me. I realized I messed up by not bringing another Gu chomp bag with me (I needed 4 more).  No problem, I happened to have an extra honeystinger waffle stashed in the bento box, and broke that into 3 pieces as a substitute. As we were playing cat and mouse, a triathlete said she loved the smiley face on my leg and that it made her cheer up.  My first emotional moment came when I was cycling back over the bridge, less than 2 miles from transition.  I knew I was going to stomp my bike time from last year - by more than 10 minutes, and it didn't even feel that hard!  (Note from coach - because I coasted too much.) :-)  3:20:16.

I ditched the bike in transition and took a little time to put on some extra sunscreen and to empty out the rest of my bladder (trust me, if you see people squatting in transition - guess what.  Yep.)  It was getting hot; I was just thankful it wasn't humid!  I pulled on my visor and grabbed my water carrier, with the nutrition/salt sticks stuffed into the side pocket.  I ran out the run start...and started feeling a touch queasy.  I'm still not sure what that was about.  It could be the taste of sunscreen combined with warm water; or just that it was getting warm.  Or maybe I ate too much on the bike.  Whatever, just keep moving.  The plan was to run the entire 1/2 marathon and I was determined to stick with it.   And, I felt tired - not physically tired, but SLEEPY tired - as in "I hope there's a big fat overstuffed chair on the run course so I can take a nap!" Strange.    5:14

I kept moving my feet forward and was keeping up a pretty good pace for the first 10 miles.  I was getting hot.  I took powerbar gels every 30 minutes; and one salt stick per hour.   Looking back, I needed more salt throughout the race. I stuck to the race plan by walking through every aid station and drink a cup of water. Who cares if I had to pee on the run; what do you think is in the river water anyway?! Right? Those wet, cold sponges were.simply.awesome.  One time I thought I was squeezing a sponge over my shoulder, and it was an open powerbar gel - and got the gooey stuff all over my shirt!   I used one of sponges to scrub the salt off from my face - a pretty good sign I wasn't taking enough salt.   I had some extra saltsticks, and took one or two extra after the first hour; however it's too late by then - the body can't catch up that quickly. I had a brief panic when I thought was running out of powerbar gels - I'm pretty sure I packed 7 of them in the water carrier, but went through 5 and the pocket was empty! I'm not sure if they fell out or I just didn't double-check the number.  Fortunately, I had fortuitously left the extra powerbar gels from the bike in my jersey pockets and had enough to last the rest of the run.  I saw my family a couple of times on the course; a tremendous help, as I really needed any extra energy I could get.  I had to focus on one mile to the next; the first part to get over the nausea, and the second part to just.get.through.the.run.  I love running (it's my favorite of the three sports), but this was a challenge.  I'm glad there were many days where I didn't do my run until later in the day - it totally helped as far as preparing for this run, during the hotter part of the day.  I would think alternately of "mile 0 to mile 1... mile 1 to mile 2..." and "8 more miles before you're a 1/2 Ironman!... 7 more miles!..."  Mark said he could tell I was getting tired during the last third of the run,  as my feet were hitting the pavement more heavily.    Around mile 11, I was surprised by some pretty hard cramping in both of my calves and feet.  My feet were literally curling up like dead snakes and I couldn't stop them from twitching and cramping!  I'd walk for 20-30 seconds to shake them out and then keep on running.  I figured out if I lightened up the pace by 40-50 seconds per mile, I could maintain that pace without having to do the shake-leg-walk.     I walked with a woman for a little bit, who had two deaf sons and one was considering a CI.  I chatted with her, then told her I needed to keep running or my coach would kick my butt. :-) I was getting hot.  Really hot.  There were clouds everywhere except right over the sun!  Many folks were walking at this point; especially guys that had hammered past me on the bike.  I passed many, many people, especially on the second loop.  I hoped the smiley face on my leg cheered them up - a little bit, maybe.  I also had a guy say "who are you FeXY guys - you're all over the course, and man, you're fast!!" 

I was so happy to finally reach mile 12, and started counting off each 10th of a mile.  I saw Shelly as Laura was cheering me on; Shelly told me she was going to cry - "you got this, keep running!" I said not to cry, I'm not at the finish line just yet!!  I made the final turn down the street to the finishing chute.  I started to cry a little, and more and more as I got closer to the finish line. I realized I was going to beat my goal time of 7 hours by at least 15 minutes. I simply couldn't believe I really had done it; someone who wasn't athletic growing up, and didn't know how to swim until a few years ago.  I built up my triathlon capabilities one race at time, losing over 67 pounds along the way.  I'm definitely proof that with a good dose of perseverance and persistence, one can - really - accomplish anything.   2:34:41 (actually a few seconds faster than the Navy Half I did two weeks ago!)

Overall time 6:44:25

I've done it - I've made Shelly, a tough Naval Academy chick and three-time Ironman, cry!  She was crying and laughing.  Mark was emotional, and there were plenty of joyous tears from Carol, Mom&Dad and John (who greeted me with the alligator finger puppet).  I really wanted my family there at the finish line for my first 70.3 - it was that important to me, and I'm very appreciative they were all there.  Carol put on the 70.3 necklace around my neck, and Mark gave me the mysterious "something" - which turned out to be my much-coveted 70.3 sticker and a 70.3 beer glass; along with two rolls of sweet tarts, a long-standing joke between us.  I saw Lena at the finish - we exchanged tight hugs and congratulations.  I felt a little unsteady on my feet; my legs were threatening to cramp all over and give out, so we started walking back to the hotel.  I just could not wait to get into the shower, to wash off EFS, gooey powerbar, salt, sweat, dried stinky river water all over me.  I was totally wincing and cringing as I got into the shower, because that's when I find out where I missed with the bodyglide and was prepared to yelp.  Happily, only two small spots! Yay!  Small victories.  We had dinner with my family, plus Lena and her friend Mark H (who also raced with us).  It sure was funny to see Lena walking in the same way I was - like we were walking on stilts.  I chowed down that dinner like nobody's business.  And chowed down the next day's breakfast - in fact, I was eating like a garbage disposal for 24-48 hours post-race.  Chick-Fil-A? Oh, yes please.  Chinese food? Don't mind if I do.    It's taken about 3 days for most of the stiffness and calf/quad aches to go away - pretty much right on schedule.  And of course I've signed up for another 70.3 - In Raleigh, NC.  I have room  to improve, but looking over the results, I'm pretty happy with my time; and the fact I finished in about the middle of the women racers, and about the middle of my age group.

I believe in seeking out challenges to push yourself, push your limits and do the things you thought you never could do, big OR small. Even though every one of us has one or more challenge - mine just happens to be a hearing loss - we're all capable of taking our potential as far as we can go, and it can go very far!  I will keep on doing triathlons, as doing them push me hard both in terms of physical and mental capabilities.  I am a better person, wife, friend - everything - for it. Looking forward to the 2014 season!

 

Team Polarflydolls conquers Augusta 70.3, 30 Sep 2012

Augusta 70.3 Race Report

30 September 2012

Team Polarflydolls (Leslie Swim/Bike, Mark Run)

Friday 28 September

We left home shortly after 11am on Friday.  I had noticed the race anxiety levels rising over the last few days, so while Mark was driving, I read through the race course maps, my race plan that I worked on with Coach Shelly, positive messages of support on Facebook, and took a few naps.  We had hoped to stay at the race hotel/site (the Marriott), but when we booked MONTHS ago, it was already full.  So off to the Quality Inn we went, which was about a mile away.  It was okay - as long as we have a clean bed and shower, we're good.  When we arrived, we finally figured out why everyone was looking at us funny on the highway.  Apparently after the oil change last week, the fairing wasn't screwed on all the way and was dragging down the highway all the way to Augusta.  By the time Mark fixed everything up, it was getting late.  We had pizza and went to bed around 9.  I've always found the 2nd night's sleep before a race is the best for me.  Seeing a kid riding a bike with the exact same neon pink huffy-sized tires I saw in my crazy pre-race dream freaked me out a little... then I laughed.  It wasn't my bike - all is good!

Saturday 29 September

We slept until 7:30 and I felt great.  Had some breakfast and then went to the expo and packet pickup.  This is a very well-organized event.  And of course, we love poking around at race expos and seeing the latest gear out there. I had asked Swim Bike Mom if she wanted to meet sometime during race weekend, so we made tentative plans to meet in transition later in the afternoon.  For those of you who don't know her,  she writes a great blog about being a mom, wife, lawyer AND a triathlete that can be found on Facebook and at www.swimbikemom.com.   She is quite hilarious and very down to earth! And inspiring to boot.

After picking up all of our race stuff, we went to the race briefing.  I didn't realize until then that the WTC rules are slightly different from USAT rules, most notably about drafting.  4 bike lengths/20 seconds versus 3 bike lengths/15 seconds.  Every time I do a triathlon I've not done before, I make a point to go to the race talk.  One gets the scoop on the course, what to watch out for, review of the rules, etc.  We found the main WTC official and talked to him about the hearing aid handoff.  Since Mark was going to be in the relay pen, we all decided he could just hand them to me after I was done with the swim.  One less thing to worry about on race day!

We drove the bike course; pretty, but lots of rolling hills, including some fairly long big ones.  After I couldn't find a street on the course maps, the climbing levels of race anxiety got to the point where I flipped my lid.  I'm still not 100% sure why this happens - I have done triathlons before, but get really anxious, especially if there is a detail or two that is not ironed out before race day.  This is a project for the off-season!  While it's good to release negative energy, it really is a waste of time - as Emilia (my mom) told me.  I am really glad we drove the bike course - it was good to get a preview of it, so I could plan out my race strategy for the hills (which totally paid off).  What was nice about the course is, for most of the ride, one can see the road a long ways ahead.  That helps with planning how to get speed down the hills and use it to power up the hills. 

We parked near transition and as I was walking my bike in with Mark, I found Swim Bike Mom walking close by.  We greeted each other with hugs and some small talk; then off to rack the bike and go to dinner.  We had dinner at the hotel with Christina Tragle and her friends, all of whom were racing.  Christina's friends were awesome and we had a great time, with lots of laughter.  I consider myself to be a pretty strong person, but sometimes it really helps to have another (super!)positive person to give you a positive reality check, good pep talk and good race strategery.  I am quite grateful for Christina's company and support this weekend.  I stuck with my usual pre-race pasta and bread, and had a glass of wine to chill out.   Back in the room, Mark and I double-checked our gear; I put my swim cap on so Mark could write "DEAF" on it.  The swim is the one time that it's pretty important for others to know I can't hear them - at all.  On the road and the run, I can hear people.  But the kayakers and safety staff need to know I can't hear - helpful in an emergency.  I exchanged a few texts with Coach Shelly, who gave me a really good swim mantra: Relax. Strong. We went to bed at 8:30.

Race Day, Sunday 30 September

We got up at 4:30.  I had been rolling around since 3ish anyway, with race anxiety creeping into my brain.  I know better; I have done almost a dozen triathlons.  So I used the power of positive thinking to crush one worry after another.  What if I have trouble breathing during the swim?  No worries, pick up my head and get my bearings.  Relax, Strong.  What if that slows my swim down?  I'm in the last wave for cryin' out loud.  No worries.  The current will carry me.  After all, Millie told me a bag of Dorito chips would make the swim in 30 minutes.  What about icky plant life?  So what.  I've swum through hydrilla - a pain but no biggie. What if something wrong goes on the bike?  I'll have to wait for support - oh well!  And learn how to do bike maintenance in the off-season. I had my usual pre-workout bread and Chocodream (a trans-fat free version of Nutella) and a little coffee.  In retrospect, I should've eaten more. 

We left the room at 5, parked the car and went up to the buses to transition.  Mark and I had our race numbers and age marked on our bodies - but no R for relay.  As we walked into transition, it hit me what a big-deal race this is.  And for the first time ever, I really felt totally excited about doing this race.  Power of positive thinking!  I'm always talking about being positive, but sometimes the advice you share with others is the one you need most for yourself.  I'm glad Christina reminded me of it.  It was pretty dark and a bit misty/drizzly.  Perfect! We organized our stuff in the tiny meager space we had - our bikes were racked very close together, while the bikes out in the main area were more spread out.  I ate a honey stinger waffle as there were still 2 more hours to go before the swim.    

We had to be out of transition by 7:15, so I handed my hearing aids to Mark and got on the bus to the swim start.  I should've taken a water bottle with me, because they didn't have any as I showed up. I lucked out and found an abandoned, brand-new water bottle.  There was water later on and I took advantage of it. I had almost 2 hours before I was supposed to start, so I got in line to use the bathrooms - a 40 minute wait.  One guy tried to cut in, but we were all in the same boat, so he got the exact same death glare from every one of us. He got the hint.  Afterwards, I wandered up and down the swim area and watched the other waves go off.  I saw Christina - lots of hugs, last minute encouragement, and she gave me a hug and big kiss on the (face) cheek (Zoya, love you girl, but I prefer this over the (bum) cheek slaps! Ha!)

I joined the Relay group at 9 am and we went down to the dock.  I couldn't hear anything, but I could absolutely feel the energy and the music.  The staff was absolutely great in getting everyone fired up.  I was nervous, but focused on how much this was like the Philly Tri - I like the swim at that race.  Same setup - dock, tread water before starting, and go with the current.  And it will be fun.  I will have a good swim.  Relax. Strong.  I thought of our family friend and dentist, Dr. Michael Nanne, who died of brain tumors last week, leaving behind a loving wife and children. Mike loved life.  He can't do this - he's gone.  But I can.  And that was just the thought I needed to pull myself together for the swim, once and for all.  God bless you, Mike.  The American flag hanging on the bridge reminded me of how lucky I am to live in this country and how I have the freedom to live my life as I choose.

There were about 100 relay swimmers.  Many people dived into the water, but I prefer to sit on the dock, get my feet wet and then get in.  The race announcer said the water temperature was about 76 degrees, but it felt colder to me.  I wore my sleeveless wetsuit, which was fine - my legs were warm from having it on for 2 hours.  I put my face in the water and it was a bit chilly, to the point where it took my breath away.  I kept opening up my wetsuit to let more water in for buoyancy, and kept dipping my face until I got used to the water.  I adjusted my goggles, looked at the clock, and at 9:08 am, our (very last) wave went off. 

I had positioned myself in the back and off to the right.  We spread out quite a bit, which was really nice.  I bumped legs and arms with a few people, but nothing too bad.  I absolutely loved having the buoys on my left as I breathe to the left. I'm getting much better at swimming straight, but I still veer to the left a little bit.  I drafted off another swimmer - a first - until he slowed down and I was almost climbing over him.  I moved ahead, started crossing my left arm to get over to the right.  I worked with my wetsuit instead of fighting it, chanted relax, strong, relax, strong and sighted every 5-10 strokes.  My left goggle was leaking, so I kept that eye closed for most of the swim. There was a fair amount of aquatic plants; several times throughout the swim, I had so many vines and plants draped over me that I looked like a swamp monster.  It did not faze me, and neither did the little minnow (catfish??) that wouldn't leave my right heel alone.  Because we were in the last wave, the kayakers were gathered up behind us. Christina had told me to start moving over to the right when I could see the swim exit.  Excellent advice, because if I was too far to the left, I would have to turn around and fight the current. The way up to transition was long but carpeted, which was awesome. The wetsuit strippers got my suit off quickly - that was great! I did my swim in 37 minutes and I am very, very, VERY happy with that.  And, as a bonus - no hacking/coughing as I've experienced in every race this season. This swim totally redeemed all those crappy swims!

I saw Mark back at the relay pen and told him I had an AWESOME swim.  He told me I did a great job.  I threw on my nutrition-preloaded Antarctic cycling team jersey with the polar bears/penguins all over it (we ARE Team Polarflydolls, after all!) and ran off to bike mount line. The long walk, wetsuit strip and putting my gear on took about 6 minutes for T1 - not great, but not horrible either.  Since the remaining cyclists were primarily relays, we were pretty spread out on the road. It is a beautiful ride.  It was drizzling lightly, which is just perfect and I prayed that it stayed that way.  I thought about how happy I was with the swim, and for all the people and things I am grateful for.  Mark, family, friends, health, and the life I'm able to lead. 

Christina, Elena, Shelly and others keep telling me I am a strong cyclist, much more than I give myself credit for.  And they are right.  It was not an easy ride, but I never had to walk any of the hills. There was about 1300 ft gain. My rides at Andrews AFB are about 150 ft gain, so I need to work in more training rides at Poolesville and other places.  I worked hard to get as much speed as I could going downhill to make the uphill easier. I only had one unpleasant incident with another cyclist, when she started pedaling harder as I was trying to pass her on the hill.  She was weaving a lot and almost pushed me over the yellow line.  I told her to drop back or we'll both get penalized.  She pulled back to the right and I went pedaling on.

Since I am finally comfortable using the big ring, it was really good. There were three major hills in the second half. I went screaming up the last big one; the people at that water station were laughing and cheering me on.  I raced my plan, more or less; power at about 135 watts for the first 40 miles, but I didn't race the plan for the last 16 miles - my legs were tired out from the hills.  But I did maintain 18 mph for the last 30 minutes, going up to 20 mph avg for the last 15-20 minutes.  I even pulled off BOTH bottle swaps, even though I had never done it before.  The second bottle swap was a bit hairy because I was pedaling uphill while the guy was running alongside me, but I managed to grab the bottle from him.

When I came back to transition, I racked my bike while Mark grabbed the timing chip from my leg.  Another relay cyclist - an incredibly fit cyclist - told me that I was a pedaling machine.  Since I couldn't read his face well with sunglasses and helmet on, and since I cannot hear people's voice tones(this gets me in trouble from time to time, sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes hilarious), I presumed he was just being nice.  But Mark - who heard him as well - gave me a big grin and I knew the cyclist meant it.  That made me feel really good because I was... indeed a pedaling machine!  Mark gave me a quick kiss and off he went on the run.    Some of the adrenaline wore off and I noticed how my hamstrings got pretty tight on the ride (which leads to numb feet).  My right calf was totally threatening to cramp, hard.  Not enough salt?  I didn't notice how salty my face was until I was back in transition.   My watch says 3:31, my official time was 3:32.

I grabbed all my stuff and walked my bike over to the finish line.  I managed to find Christina coming down the finishing chute and a few inspiring folks, including Scott, the first Ironman double amputee.  I was shaky and starving, and have never gobbled up a honey stinger waffle so fast before - I think it was less than 5 seconds.  Perhaps not enough breakfast and/or nutrition on the bike?  Something to think about for next season.  Mark finished in about 1:43 - a new PR for him.  He finished just in time, before the heavens opened up.   We got our relay medals and had our picture taken.  I have to say, it's the best race picture of us so far.  It was fun racing this with Mark; but he said, and I agree, let's do a full half - together.  Someday!  This was an awesome course, and very, very well supported.  Being a Guard wife, I of course loved seeing the hundreds of Guardsmen out on the course!

I believe in seeking out challenges to push yourself, push your limits and do the things you thought you never could do, big OR small. Even though every one of us has one or more challenge - mine just happens to be a hearing loss - we're all capable of taking our potential as far as we can go, and it can go very far!  So yes, I will keep on doing triathlons, as doing them push me hard both in terms of physical and mental capabilities.  I am a better person, wife, friend - everything - for it. Looking forward to the 2013 season!