Rachel Sears Casanta - Professional Triathlete

Get your Gear On! 3rd Annual Hypercat Racing Garage & Gear Sale

2010-05-27T18:42:00.001-07:00

Date: Sat, May 29, 2010

Time: 10am-5pm

Location:1346 Merced Street, Richmond, CA 94804

Every year we do a bit of spring cleaning at Hypercat and offer up new and used cycling, triathlon, run and other sports gear along with traditional garage sale items. For 2010 we have a local cycling distributor joining us. He will bring cycling components and other equipment at great prices.

After you get your workout in, come on out, stop by visit with us and shop!
See you then! Philip & Rachel Casanta

A sample of sales items:
• Wheels and tires
• Complete bikes (both new and used)
• Cranks and chain rings
• Handle bars, aero bars, stems
• Saddles
• Clothing and accessories
• Derailleurs, brakes, shifters and other components
• Run, Tri, and Swim gear
• Bags, indoor trainers and rollers
• Computers, watches and heart rate monitors
• Car racks
• Pyranha Speedster racing kayak
• And of course classic garage sale items.

Special deals on 2010 product, this sale weekend only:
• Profile Design – 15% off
• Hawk Racing Bottom Brackets (8 colors) – free installation
• Hawk Racing Wheels – 10% off
• ISM Saddles – 10% off
• Hudz – 10% off

*all "special deals" orders will be placed 6/1.

Other non-sport items:
various ‘cat’ things, beanie baby collectibles, books galore

Motivation - Where does yours come from?

2010-05-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

"When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need competition, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life."
- Greg Anderson

Photo taken along the shore in Santa Cruz, CA on Mother's Day.

Queen of Inspiration

2010-05-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

This morning's inspiration. Set your audio dial to "11" and CRANK IT!

Getting ready for a big race weekend. Thinking good thoughts. Heading out to spin on my old trusty Blue R6. (No TT bike for the Escape from Alcatraz course.) Just making sure the gears are shifting some as silk, the brakes are adjusted & a few practice runs getting in and out of my Northwave Tributes shoes. Easy to do when warmed up, but a bit of a challenge after swimming in 55 degree water. I'll miss the festivities at the Wildflower triathlons today, but couldn't pass up sleeping in my own bed, supporting a dozen Hypercats tackling the Escape and racking up the 10th Escape from Alcatraz of my career. I'm going to have a great time! Thank you Northwave, Jagwire, Cane Creek, Profile, Pro Gold, Powerbar, TISO, Hawk Racing and AVIA.

I Bleed Orange

2010-03-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

I'm not one for pro basketball, but boy do I love college basketball! As a high school track runner, I spent a lot of time doing lung burning intervals on the indoor track at Manley Field House on the Syracuse University campus. Coach Love had season tickets for SU men's basketball games would often treat me to a Syracuse basketball game after an evening's track workout. Back in those days it was Sherman "the General" Douglas, Dwayne "the Pearl" Washington and Rony Seikely. The sparks of a love affair with Syracuse basketball were in full flame.

A few years later I would end up enrolling at Syracuse University and matriculating as a student. Growing up in Central New York I already had an affinity for all things orange (including the mascot Otto), but my orange affliction grew with each passing academic year.
There are so many emotions linked to that glorious big bubble perched atop the Syracuse hill. I love watching basketball games contested in the Carrier Dome. The rituals, the sounds and the roar of the crowd. Aside from SU ball, I have many layers of personal history tied to the Dome. I ran the 1000 meters in the National Indoor Scholastic Track and Field Championships in the Dome. Underneath the turf is a 200m track! I was a member of the Central Square High School Marching Redmen and played my sax in the band at the NY State Field Band Championships. (yup, I tooted my horn in marching band!). I've watched (and worked) countless entertainment and sporting events in the Dome, too. As part of the work study program, I worked in catering. One year there was a stars on ice production and I had the opportunity to serve potatoes to figure skating greats like Oksana Bauil. In 1996 I earned my bachelors degree and graduated in the Dome while it snowed outside. (By the way it was mothers day - May!). The list goes on.

Like legions of Syracuse Orange fans, I am over the moon with the men's basketball team's current #1 national ranking. (and the women's team is rockin' it, too) As I get ready to travel to Syracuse this week, you better believe I will be rooting for the Orange during Saturday's game vs Louisville. Alas, it will be from a local watering hole as the Orange aren't playing at home this week. At least I will be able to see the Dome from the hotel.
Go Orange!

The Oakland Running Festival | Oakland, California 94612 | Saturday, March 27, 2010

2010-02-26T14:13:00.000-08:00

Bay area runners and endurance athletes are so lucky. We have an endless calendar of races. Yay for Oakland bringing this first time event to town.
I'm happy to support it and will give the half marathon a whirl.
The Oakland Running Festival Oakland, California 94612 Saturday, March 27, 2010

Top of the Class!

2009-12-17T09:02:00.000-08:00

My dad has always said 'do your best.' As I wrap up my 2-year journey as a graduate student in the Sport Management program at the University of San Francisco, I can say I did just that.

In the past two years I got married, coached high school track and cross country, began working for USA Triathlon, have run my company Hypercat Racing and have continued training and competing as a professional triathlete. It was not easy, but I am very proud of earning my Masters degree! I am equally humbled and grateful for being awarded the "Academic Achievement" award for earning the top GPA (3.98) for the graduating Sport Management cohort. Thank you to my talented Cohort 28 classmates for pushing me to my limits and to the USF Sport Management's Stan Fasci and Dan Rasher for the honor and recognition.

The Wise are Who They Are

2009-10-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

I wrapped up reading The Tao of Pooh in early September, but it is still sitting on my desk. I am just delighted how many 'gems' are woven into its pages. Frankly, I poo-poo'd (no pun intended) the book when my husband suggest I should read it. I'm not sure what I thought it was about, but I had the visual of Winnie the Pooh in my head and I didn't patience for what I thought was a book for juveniles. Boy, I was I mistaken!

Currently, The Tao of Pooh, shares space on my desk with my USA Triathlon Southwest projects, Hypercat Racing business, coaching files, bills, pace charts, training plans and goofy Chococat pencils and pens. I've kept it there so that I can quickly leaf through the pages to occasionally revisit a favorite passage or two.

One of the pages I have bookmarked contains the passage below...

"In the story of the Ugly Duckling, when did the Ugly Duckling stop feeling Ugly? When he realized that he was a Swan. Each of us has something Special, s Swan of some sort, hidden inside somewhere. But until we recognize that it's there, what can we do but splash around, treading water? The Wise are Who They Are. The work with what they've got and do what they can do."

To fully comprehend what the author is trying to say, it helps to read further in the chapter, but I think the last two sentences of the quoted passage are gems and worthy of pondering!

Positive Thoughts = Positive Outcome

2009-09-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

Success in life starts with belief that you can achieve it. Mental preparation for athletic performance is as important to training as your daily workout regimen. It need not be complicated, but simply the regular practice of positive mental thought and affirming that you can do it. Below are ten positive affirmations that I have found to be helpful from sport psychologist, JoAnn Dahlkeotter. Incidently, Dr. Dahlkoetter finished 2nd at Ironman Hawaii in 1982.

Positive Affirmations for Athletic Confidence

1. I strive to be positive and enthusiastic no matter what.
2. I feel a sense of power, confidence and inner strength
3. I thoroughly enjoy myself as I train and race.
4. I am a smooth efficient, swimmer, cyclist, runner..I am improving rapidly.
5. The results will take care of themselves. I simply perform.
6. My body and mind are growing stronger and healthier every day.
7. Mistakes simply represent feedback and are a necessary part of
learning anything well.
8. I focus on doing the very best I can at every moment.
9. I am willing to do whatever it takes to meet my goal.
10. I believe in myself; I radiate an inner confidence.

Source: Dr. JoAnn Dahlkoetter – Peak Running Performance - 1998 - Vol. 7 / NO. 5

Wisdom from a bear

2009-09-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

Goals and the hard work to reach those goals brings results. However, sometimes we can get in our own way and try too hard. Trying too hard and forcing the process can be just as ineffectual as not trying at all. Focusing on the process and enjoying what that journey brings is one way to redirect energy.

Whether it's a professional work pursuit, family, friendship or personal aspiration, that has you tangled up, remind yourself of this passage.

The Tao of Pooh has an simple, but eloquent way of illustrating this idea.

To know the Way,
We go the Way;
We do the Way
The way we do
The Things we do.
It's all there in front of you,
But if you try too hard to see it.
You'll only become Confused.

I am me,
And you can see;
But when you do
The things that you can do,
You will find the Way,
And the Way will follow you.

From the book The Tao of Pooh - Benjamin Hoff - 1982,

Catching Up

2009-08-14T18:16:00.001-07:00

It has always been a part of my personal fabric to take on a few too many tasks and obligations. In high school, probably like most over achieving teens, I participated in almost everything humanly and inhumanly possible. I was in clubs galore, ran XC, indoor and outdoor track, played the saxophone and was psycho about getting the best grades possible. That is just the beginning, but we will leave it at that. In college at Syracuse University little changed as I expanded my interests and found even more things to fill more than 24 hours a day. I got away with it for that time, but certainly my health and sanity was not at its prime.

Fast forwarding to the present, the first half of 2009 has been no different than any of the other over-extended periods of my life. You could say I had a bit too much going on. I was coaching Albany High school track, working hard towards my masters at the University of San Francisco, running my coaching company Hypercat Racing, nurturing my new marriage to Philip Casanta, being mommy to 6 furry creatures and oh, yeah, trying to make a sort of comeback in my professional racing career. On top of that I began working part time for USA Triathlon Southwest region as the region's administrator along with occupying myself with random short term internship projects for school.

As a coach of high schoolers and adults alike, I encourage athletes to try new things and expose themselves to learning opportunities. I do believe though that a jack of all trades, is indeed a master of none. Last month, I came to realize that it was time for me to walk that walk and reprioritize. I made the very difficult decision to forgo high school coaching this fall so that I could focus on family, finishing up my grad school education, giving my all to Hypercat Racing and doing the best I can to work with my physical limitations and maintain my professional multisport racing career. Part of this refocusing means an attention to activities related to being a professional athlete which brings me to this blog.

When I first started a website to chronicle my triathlon racing back in 1999 it was intended simply to keep my family in New York abreast of my travels. A lot has changed since '99 and now with multiple websites and blogs, the use of technology as it relates to my triathlon career and coaching has many more purposes. One of those purposes is to share what I learn competing in the professional ranks and to help promote the sport of triathlon through offering coaching and training guidance for those who take on the challenge of swim, bike, run. I have a lot of back work to do as I'd like to share stories from this season's races. You can also look forward to regular training and racing tips as I get back up to speed. You might also want to check out http://hypercatracing.wordpress.com/ the blog I maintain for Hypercat Racing. As with anything, you improve with practice. I hope you'll find my writing to be interesting and engaging, albeit ripe with some weird 'rat-isms' from time to time. ('rat-isms are what husband Phil calls things I say that make no sense at all).

Cycling Performance Humor

2009-08-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

Creativity is the spice of life. The creators of this gem are overflowing with the stuff. If you haven't seen the video yet, give a gander. If you have, I bet you'll watch it once more!

I've got a Mule her name is Sal

2009-07-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

Monday is a common rest day for triathletes and today was a rest day for me and a day to play! Traveling to races usually means flying in and out of a locale often without a lot of time to explore. Since my trip to New York was a to visit family and race, I had a bit more time to sightsee and show Phil what Central New York has to offer.

It turns out Mondays are not the best day for visiting museums though, at least not in Syracuse, NY. Phil and I planned to visit several museums featuring the history of the region, but they all seemed to be closed, except the Erie Canal Museum. I was tickled pink to visit the museum as I could still recite parts of a the Erie Canal song, a folk song still taught to students today as they learn about the canal and its legacy.

The Erie Canal played a significant role in the development and economic growth of New York, the eastern seaboard and it directly impacted the growth and settlement further west. The Erie Canal museum houses the only existing WeighLock building (pictured to the left) in America.

Although I may not have understood the economic and political impact of the Erie Canal as a grade schooler, I did enjoy and remember learning the catchy Erie Canal song. A quick search on YouTube uncovered a number of renditions of the beloved Erie Canal song included this version performed by the Boss!

After touring the museum, we shopped in the gift shop (of course). I picked up the book the "Wedding of the Waters" by Peter L. Berstein. I'm looking forward to reading it and digging in and learning more about the history of my birthplace (Syracuse, NY) and the way the canal changed life for the people it touched.

Chihuahua Sets New Alcatraz Swim Record

2009-04-01T13:46:00.000-07:00

(Reuters News-U.S)
Baja swimmer "Pepe" beats Labrador's record time swimming from Alcatraz. Today, open water swim history was made when 8 year old "Pepe" was the first Chihuahua ever to swim from Alcatraz. Here Don Jacinto, owner and swim coach talks to the press about Pepe's incredible feat.

"Pepe" crossed this morning from Alcatraz in the freezing water of the San Francisco bay in 21 minutes. His coach, Don Jacinto said that Pepe had the advantage of the strong currents under the watchful eye of Water World Swim Coach, Pedro Ordenes. Ordenes said that he could not believe the strength of little Pepe's dog paddle, especially his piston like kicking action. After being received in the Swimming Hall of Fame and Ripley's Believe it or Not, little Pepe and Coach Don Jacinto will appear together on Jay Leno to recount Pepe's Alcatraz crossing. Congratulations Pepe!!! Photo: Coach Don Jacinto and Pepe press conference after the swim.

(Thank you Pedro Ordenes / Water World Swim for this delightful April 1st story. Now Bella Mia & Zola Budd have their own role models for open water swimming.)

Thought for a Rainy Day

2009-02-15T05:59:00.000-08:00

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves" - J.M. Barrie

Never under estimate the power of a smile, paying someone a compliment, holding the door for a person or heaven forbid, letting a fellow driver merge in traffic. Pass on the positive energy and the sun will shine no matter what the weather. (and looking out the window today, northern California and much of the country could use some people generated sunshine!)

You Crave What You Eat

2009-02-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed that you want to eat the same foods over and over? This can be a positive thing if you are making nourishing and healthful food choices. However, if you find yourself grabbing empty calories or convenience foods at regular intervals, your body may quickly adjust. Before you know it, your body will be asking you for those less-than-optimal foods. You crave what you eat.

Rachel's First VBlog

2009-02-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

A quote for us all for 2009

2009-01-06T15:28:00.001-08:00

I came across the quote below when I was perusing a magazine today. If each one of us put these wise words into action in 2009, what amazing positive energy would flood our communities, our country and across the globe.

"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world."

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

2008-12-24T20:42:00.000-08:00

For some of us it can be a monumental challenge to stick to a training routine during the holiday season. Hopefully the habit of day to day workout sessions and the desire to get that total body 'ahh, that felt good' workout in will help you through the holidays. If not, here are a few quick tips to bridge the gap.

1) Be the early bird. Get up, get out and get your workout in. If you plan for training later in the day, there is a good chance and an unplanned obligation will work its way into your day.

2) Keep it simple. With family, social and work obligations, our schedules quickly fill to the brim. Make time for yourself to workout, but keep the parameters simple. Choose a workout mode that is most likely to fit in your day. Running or speed walking are easy, quick options that don't depend on gym or pool hours.

3) Change it up. If you have been swimming, cycling and running all year, don't be afraid to change up what you do to train. Motivation (or lack thereof) can get in the way of working out. These is when the cookies calling can do the most damage. Instead, aim yourself with the strategy of a new, fresh athletic pursuit. Your motivation will stay high and your hunger to get back out and swim, bike and run will be recharged. Strength training or group classes at the gym are easy options. If you live in a snowy climate, work with mother nature. Gear up and snowshoe or cross country ski. Whatever you do, remember why you started to workout in the first place. Hopefully, your list of reasons included having fun!

Enjoy the holidays, be safe and remember to take care of yourself.

The Challenge

2008-12-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

After being out of triathlon competition for over a year now, I am going to get back out and race in 2009. While I have been in and out of shape a few times in my twenty years of racing, I feel like this is likely to be the hardest 'comeback' of my life.

I've barely gotten wet in the pool, but I have spied the ol' familiar black line for some laps. I'm running again, with a lot of huffing and puffing. I'm on the bike willing the cranks around and promising myself there will be less of me come race day. I love being out there and I love to train. Still, getting back to a point where the training is routine and as integral as brushing my teeth is the current struggle. I have a lot of limitations that I didn't have before. This means I have to be flexible and adjust to how my body feels on a daily basis in a hyper sensitive way. The ol' back is temperamental and a flare up could set me back for weeks, so it is a fine line to walk. Those limitations can play a little mind game with you. The ever familiar, 'am I doing enough?' or 'am I working hard enough' ?

There seem to be so many more demands on my time than ever. (isn't it that way for everyone!) I start to wonder if I can 'get back to' the way it was. Then I realize, I don't need to. It is time to forge the way it will be for me now. If you find yourself struggling at all with your daily workouts...just getting outside, to the gym or the pool, you're not alone. Even though the thought of toeing the line with my peers in a few months scares the tar out of me, my life is full with a lot of other great things that are pulling me every which way. I think that it why so many of us are drawn to triathlon in the first place, it is a means of balancing out our lives. I suspect I will find that 'balance' again, but right now I'm teetering and tottering all over the place and that is OK. There are many more dimensions to me than swim, bike, run and they are just as important.

Vote Hypercat Racing for "Best of the Bay"

2008-11-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

Election day has come and gone, but there is still some very important voting to do!

Competitor magazine has opened the polls for its upcoming “Best of the Bay” issue.

In January 2009, Competitor magazine will unveil the winners of its annual "Best of the Bay" survey. As you probably know, I am a full time coach working with runners, cyclists, duathletes and triathletes through my coaching company, Hypercat Racing. Along with my husband, "Coach Phil," I would be honored to have your support and your vote. As a boutique coaching business, we take great pride in working with you and other athletes seeking to bring out the potential that lies within.

Please cast your vote for Hypercat Racing for the category best
“Personal Trainer / Training Program.” Thank you!

Get Out and Vote!

2008-11-04T14:07:00.000-08:00

Whatever your party, your political leaning, your cause...exercise your right to vote! Our families and our forefathers and mothers fought for this precious right. Use it!

2008-10-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I was Runnang!

2008-08-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

I feel a little like Tom Hank's character in Forrest Gump.
I'm about to bust out of my leg braces and embark on a run where there is no finish line. Dr. Saal suggested that I forgo running for the past several months to allow any excess inflammation in my back some time to subside. So, after an extended period of letting my run shoes air out and gather dust, I laced up and headed out the door.

I put on my 'modified' running outfit. My bum doesn't quite fit properly in my regular running shorts so I opted for the more modest coverage of a capri tights. Black is supposed to be slimming, but I am not sure anything black is much help for my expanded Scandinavian assets. Fortuneately those extra pounds are nothing a few more miles and salads won't eradicate.

The run started with a fifteen minute walk and then I commenced something resembling a run. Yippee! My heart was pumping and my breathing accelerated. Ah, to be running again. Frankly, my back really wasn't celebrating in my joyous return-to-running party. Still, there is always at least one party pooper, right? All I have to say, in my best
Gump accent, "I was RUNNANG!"

Tour De Max

2008-08-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

The Tour de Max is a bicyle ride in memory of a lady named Max Seales Yonker. I didn't know Max, but she sounds like she was one heck of a woman. Max passed away from cancer in May of 2005. The tour and the Max Seales Yonker Foundation was established by her friends and family to keep her memory alive and to raise funds for various cancer fighting organizations. Funds raised by MSYF provide grants to organizations like the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Susan G. Komen Foundation.

The Tour de Max is an extremely challenging ride than tours the Santa Cruz Mountains. The metric century is one of the toughest organized charity rides that I have ever ridden. As I struggled over the unforgiving climbs known to locals at Page Mill Rd and Tunitas Creek among others, I seriously questioned if I had the fitness to turn the crank just one more revolution. These moments gave pause and the gratitude that I am able, no matter what speed or at what fitness, to use my body athletically.

As the ride progressed and the fatigue accumulated in my body, I thought many times about friends and family I have lost to cancer. I thought about Xterra champion, Jamie Whitmore, who is currently in her own brutal race against cancer. I know Jamie would give anything to be on her bike, willing her legs to churn the cranks and he heart to beat as fast as it can pump.

The next time you walk, ride a bike, do a cartwheel, toss a frisbee, run around the block or pick up your child or pet, be grateful for what you CAN do. Then think about getting out and supporting some charity events, like a walk, run or bike ride. It is good for you and unfortuneately, chances are, someone you know will someday need help from an organization like those supported by the Max Seales Yonkers Foundation.

Raider Nation!

2008-08-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

Friend and sponsor, Zennie Abraham (Sports Business Simulations) surprised me with an offer to go to the Coliseum for my first Oakland Raiders football game yesterday. We had some sweet club seats and got to witness the very first pre-season game, the Raiders vs the 49ers. Of course I have been known to cheer and support the 49ers (shhhh!) but since I do live in the East Bay, it was all about the silver and black, baby!

I have to admit, there is something very scary about being dressed in black and mingling with crowds of other people dressed in silver and black. I guess that's the point. Oakland is scary. The fans are scary and the team, yup, scary. I love it!

Leave it to me to notice the Raider (#32) warming up on a stationary bike. I just thought that was cool.

In between halfs, I ran into my USF Sport management cohort-mate, Adam. He is currently interning with the Raiders and I couldn't resist getting a quick photo. Go Adam!

Thank so much Zennie for sharing your passion for the NFL with me!

The Picture is Complete

2008-08-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

Today I had a follow-up visit with Dr. Jeff Saul at S.O.A.R in Redwood City. The purpose was simply to let the doc know how the last round of epidural injections worked. I also wanted to ask the doctor about returning to running.

Nothing particularly exciting happened at the appointment, but I left feeling like a weight had lifted off my shoulders. At this point we know that I have extremely degenerated disc and there is no way to 'fix it.' The doctor suggested that I avoid running for 12 weeks to enable my body to get to a point of minimal inflammation. (This break was intended to help me be able to return to a decent level of normal function as opposed to an outcome related to training or racing). I did ask the doc if I would do damage by running again. His answer was no, BUT, he said I would know very quickly if I would be able to run, train or race. It is pretty simple, the degeneration may continue to significantly limit my ability to train or perform and a high level. I have to accept what I am, what I have and move on.

Why would I feel relieved and even happy after leaving the doctor's office? (especially considering the 'non-outcome' of the appointment). Well, after five years of battling the back, I can see exactly what I am working with. My option is to try. I can try training and see what happens. I do have pain every day (regardless of training), so I'm not certain where an attempt to return to running and a full regimen of triathlon training will lead. No point in worrying or belly aching over it though. I'm going to wait another week or two and try some running.

The body is an amazing thing. I'm not counting myself out just yet. If my competition is smart, they won't either. :-)

Vineman in Pictures

2008-08-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

It was a terrific feeling to be amongst friends and athletes at last week's Vineman triathlon races. I entered the "Aquabike" which is a unique (and relatively new) multisport event that combines swimming and cycling. In addition to the Full Vineman Ironman distance event and Barb's Race (half-ironman triathlon), race organizers also put on the Full and Half Vineman Aquabike.

Having not raced in such a long time, it really was a treat to get back to the routine of prepping gear, getting up early and revving up for a day of competition. I wasn't particularly anxious for the race, but I think that has a lot to do with the fact that I know where my fitness is and isn't. I was aiming to savor the experience, support other racers and just see what would come together.

At the end of the race, I was wiped and plenty satisfied with 'just' a swim and bike. I finished 3rd woman overall (2nd 30-39) and 8th among everyone.

While I had really enjoyed racing, a lot more fun was ahead. Phil, our friend Tilden and various folks from the SF Tri Club volunteered at a run aid station for the Full Vineman triathletes. Phil and I started our volunteers duties at 2pm and stayed until the very last competitors past by us at around 11 pm. It was quite amazing to see each athlete's personal struggles along the way.

Here's Coach Phil with his 'shower' hose. Although it looks like he is watering somebody's flower garden, Coach Phil is eagerly waiting some sweaty customers.

It was mighty toasty for the athletes and Coach Phil offered the willing a nice, cool rinse and some respite from the afternoon sun. As the afternoon sun gave way to the cooler hours of the evening twilight, we heard a lot of interesting requests and comments from athletes. Among the most memorable and most frequent:

1) Will you marry me?
2) How many ounces are in this cup?
3) How many calories are in this?
4) I owe you guys dinner.
5) Where's the turnaround?

Ahhhhh!

As the day wore on, we began to recognize each of the athletes. On this three loop course, our aid station was located before a turn around which meant we would serve each and every athletes six times throughout the race. Interacting with the athletes gave me great perspective for their hard work on the race course and the work of the volunteers supporting them.

Once the sun set and the crickets finished their serenade, it became very dark and very lonely on that wine country road. Without ambiant light or street lights runners were reduced to shuffling in the dark. Although some athletes had headlamps, the only way you could 'see' folks was by the glowy necklaces worn around their necks. (provided by the race organizers for safety). It was very eery to see glowing circles, sometimes solo and sometimes in small groups, slowly advancing towards us. We did our best to make noise, provide nourishment and enthusiastic encouragement beside the ambiance of our laterns.

Congratulations to each and every Vineman athlete. Special congrats to friends Bill and Flavio of Ventura's Rincon Triathlon Club. Bill earned another Ironman finish to tatoo on his arm and Flavio placed first place in the Men 55-59 age group. Way to go guys!

New Trails, Happy Tails

2008-07-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

I really miss running. I love to run on trails. Being surrounded by nature, its smells and the precious quiet time to sort through my thoughts. Nothing can really replace running, but I've developed a fondness for walking and hiking trails. I realized this week how few trails I have actually explored. In the past I would run the same routes week after week, month after month and year after year. Heaven forbid I stop for a moment, open a gate, close it and explore.
I had no idea what I was missing.
It is amazing what you see, when you slow down and walk.

Bella waiting for me to hurry up and catch up so we can go cow hunting.
Zola has already raced up the trail leaving Bella and I lagging behind.

Aquatic Surprises

2008-07-27T20:26:00.001-07:00

One great thing about being a triathlete is that you always have three sports to train. If your body is broken in one sport, you have another option.

Usually if I am not racing triathlons, you can find me at a 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon or some trail run race. Running has always been a religion of sorts, for me. Since the age of 13, I have chosen running races as my recreation of choice. Its been hard not being able to go run or race when I want to. Although I have had set-ups over my career that have come in the form of injuries, I have always known I would be back. This time, I don't know if I will be back to competitive running but I'm not wasting anytime worrying about that though. I can swim and bike!

Saturday I did something I have never done before. I signed up two open water swim races held back to back at the Lake Del Valle Aqua Challenge in Livermore, CA. I swam the .5 mile and 1 mile swim. Going to Lake Del Valle was a real treat. Not only was it a beautiful place to swim and to hang out, but I was able to meet new people and spend time with athletes. I was especially touched when friend Tilden Moschetti made the drive from San Francisco to come out and support me and some of his other friends. Thanks, Tilden!

There were a lot of brand new triathletes training as part of a Team in Training group as well as many seasoned swimmers. I had no expectations for either swim other than swimming to finish the event. A nice surpise was placing 2nd in the wetsuit division in the .5 mile and 3rd place in the 1 mile. It's not about the awards, but it IS fun to win something to represent your efforts.
Understand I have never 'placed' in a swimming event, so this was like winning the aquatic lottery!

I was tickled to share some post race laughs and conversation with fellow pro, Eileen Swanson and her hubby, Reid. Eileen ripped it up and won the 2 mile swim and Reid won his age group in the 2 mile as well. Reid was just as surprised as I was to win a medal. Naturally we were all smiles. Aquatic surprises do that for you!

Thought for Today

2008-07-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

"Let us be of good cheer remembering that the misfortunes
hardest to bear are those which never happen."

-James Russell Lowell

Red Disc of Happiness

2008-07-12T11:16:00.001-07:00

This week I went in for epidural cortisone injections to relieve pain and inflammation in my back. Unfortuneatly this is not the first time in the past year that I have undergone the procedures, but I think I intend for it to be my last.

After meeting with my doctor, a physiatrist who specializes in conditions like mine, he suggested that I try injections one more time to get some relief. Understand that these injections don't fix anything, but serve more as a band-aid. The idea being, in my case, to gain some pain-free time so I can work on strengthening the back and core some more. Yes, I have already tried this before, but sometimes you have to retrace your steps and try again.

Rather than concern myself too much about the outcome. (ie, Will I be able to train and compete again as I once was able), I have been taking everything one step and one day at a time. Of utmost importance to me, has been a refocusing of all my energy to everything positive. I've always been an eternal optimist, but I can honestly say that pain has a way of leaching those positive vibes from deep within.

Over the past few months, as I have watched my body deteroriate and expand, I have experienced those positive energies turn to more negative energies. Clearly that is no way to pull one's self together! So...I resolved to see only the positive and be the vibrant personality that is the real me. Not the down in the dumps, busted up triathlete that I was feeling like.

So much of feeling positive and being positive is surrounding yourself with that which brings you joy. For me, being outdoors and spending time with my furry friends is among the chart toppers. Everyday this week my husband and I have been going to the local dog park with our chihuahuas, Zola and Bella. Admittedly we have to keep a close eye on the girls as other larger, canine park visitors might mistake them for a tasty (albeit bony) snack. Still, it is worth everything to watch Zola chase and retrieve her red frisbee.

It's quite a sight to see a small chihuaha race with all her might to retrieve the flying red disc. It makes me laugh and it makes her appear to be the most fulfilled dog in the world. Zola's red disc of happiness is wonderful medicine. It give me joy to see her loving life and it reminds me that were I able to train, I would miss this opportunity to share the time with her, Bella and Philip.

I was able to get in the pool for some splashing around yesterday. I won't say I did 'just X" or 'only Y' as I might have in the past. What I accomplished was a U-turn in attitude, a reversion back to the old positive me, but with a new appreciation for what a red disc of happiness can be.

Riding with History

2008-06-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

I've been enjoying my time here in Ventura. I'm taking some time to digest my back diagnosis and figure out how to cope with the reality of a body that has limitations. The doctor is not optimistic that I can return to competitive running or racing, but doctor's don't always have the final word. The great thing about triathlon is that there are three sports. I'll be grateful for what I can do and stay positive.

While my religion is now at least temporarily banned (running has always been my church), I can still ride and swim. So here I am, at the in-laws taking some time to re-group with bike, goggles and my chihuahua, Zola Budd, in tow.

I love the quiet thinking time I have while riding the roads of Ventura County. There seems to be fewer cyclists and distractions compared to the Bay Area. I don't feel the need to test or prove myself and can just focus on being grateful to ride.

One of my favorite routes starts in Ventura, heads to Santa Paula, then to Ojai on 150 and then down the Ventura River Trail bike path to the ocean. Yesterday, I came upon a family riding their cruisers and MTBs on the path. My old self would have politely but quickly passed them by to continue on with my training session. On this day, I slowed down and I'm glad I did.

I ended up having a terrific conversation with "Mike." We talked about Ventura, getting married, kids, work, the cameraderie of sport and a little about triathlon. Mike shared that he was the guy who finished between Kathleen McCartney and Julie Moss at the 1982 Hawaii Ironman. How cool is that! He was a guy who was part of triathlon in the early days and finished smack in the middle of one of the sports' most famous moments. (If you are not familiar with the story, Julie Moss crawled to the Ironman finishline. As she painfully made her way there, Kathleen McCartney ran past her for the win) Pretty neat stuff. Mike says he does triathlons now and then, but always finds it hard to get into run shape. (Don't we all!?!).

I was happy that Mike was cruising along the bike path and not running that day. He gave me something to smile about until I reached the breathtaking views at the coast. Then my smile became a wide toothy grin.

2008-06-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

I'm currently in the Ventura/Santa Barbara, Calif. area to escape for a week or two to some of my favorite training haunts. I arrived in Ventura on Friday night and not a moment too soon. It was a rough week. I went in for another MRI to get some updated pictures of my back. The pictures were telling and the story not the type you want to write for yourself.

I am moving beyond the negative and go forward, but here is the situation. The last disc in my spine, the L-5/S-1 disc, is toast. When we saw the MRI pictures in April of 2007, the disc was in bad shape so I was expecting to see more of the same in the new pictures. However, I wasn't expecting to see the level of degeneration that exists. Basically the doctor said that he has never seen an athlete with my condition return to competitive running (or triathlon for that matter).

Naturally this puts me in a very weird space. Do I read the writing on the wall and 'retire' or do I try to work around this back thing and return to racing? I wish the answer were cut and dry.

The doctor explained that currently the vertebrae are slipping on the disc casings. (There is no disc to absorb impact, so the vertebrae are literally moving around/sliding on the disc casings like riding a flat tire on the rims. This causes a lot of pain). The doc said that it is possible that when the casings 'dry out' I may have reduced pain and with that reduced pain the door might open for the possibility of running again. How fast or how competitive? There is no answer to that.

How long might it take for the disc casings to dry out? Who knows. Could be months, could be a year or two. It is entirely possible that I could return to competition at a decent level down the road, but we don't know how long that road is.

Where do I go from here? The doctor has recommended that I undergo another round of epidural and facet block cortisone shots. That will help calm the inflammation and give me some relief so I can work on more strength training. He suggests that I don't run for 12 weeks or do anything of significant impact during that time. Of course, I am also advised to do as much core strength training as possible. I can swim and bike as tolerable.

I've decided that all I can do is focus on what I can do and let the rest take care of itself. I'm spending almost two weeks in Ventura clearing my head and enjoying my time on the bike and in the water. Although it is not realistic to lay out a race schedule for triathlon or running for the remainder of '08 at this point, I am trying to put together an event schedule for swimming and cycling events. At minimum I get to be out there enjoying the cameraderie of sport and maintain a semblance of the lifestyle that I have lived for so long.

I watched the US Olympic Trials for gymnastics on tv the past two nights. It was very inspiring to hear the stories of Alicia Sacramone and Chelsea Memmel. Granted their stories are entirely different than mine, but the fact that they overcame significant adversity helps me in trying to do the same. After all 'trying' is all any of us can do.

I'll be out swimming and riding tomorrow morning and being thankful for whatever my body will allow me to do. In case you are wondering, yes, I have a lot of other interests and pursuits. However, when something is an integral part of who you are and how you live, letting it go and moving on is extremely difficult. For me, I think I can let go of the competition, but losing the fitness and the body that goes with it terrifies me.

My Back Diagnosis up until this point...

2008-06-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

I can't say that it's my favorite thing to blog about my back. There are definetley more uplifting things to relate than doctor's appointments and discussions related to the potential end point of my professional racing career.

Still, this my reality and why sugar coat it. My hope is that other athletes who might face similiar issues will find something useful in my posts. Frankly, I also hope that healthy athletes will recognize how incredibly blessed they are to be able to participate in sports - at whatever level.
My tolerance for whining and excuses is ever so thin these days.

Up until now, my diagnosis has been degenerative disc disease and facet syndrome. Here are two links that a friend sent me that do a good job of explaining what those conditions mean.
There are two short videos.

http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/iplayer/facetsyndrome

http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/iplayer/ddd

Today, I returned to S.O.A.R in Redwood City to see Dr. Jeff Saal. I was referred to Dr. Saal over a year ago by well known cycling physician, Dr. Andy Pruit. I haven't had the opportunity to be seen by Dr. Pruit, but he assured me that the folks at S.O.A.R are among the best.

Based on the information I shared with Dr. Saal, he suggested I be scheduled for yet another MRI (my 3rd) and another follow-up visit with him. My last MRI was over a year ago so the intent of this new MRI is to compare it to the previous. We will be looking for any changes and further deteroriation of my condition.

Dr. Saal wasn't all doomsday, but fairly pragmatic and realistic. Let's just say he wasn't forseeing me competing much more as a professional triathlete. He suggested it was time for me to start 're-creating' myself and thinking about becoming a 'recreational' athlete. He said I could live a 'normal life.' I will have to 'adjust' my expectations and do anything I can to not aggravate my back.

I'm not throwing in the towel yet. Naturally it is prudent to wait for next week's MRI and follow-up diagnosis. The doc wants to do another round of injections and further exploration of strength training and non-impact training. I'm game for that. After 5 years of struggles I'm not going to quit. It is no secret to anyone who has followed my career, that I have a bit of a 'lackluster' swim. That is about to change.

Pain in the Back

2008-06-05T08:15:00.001-07:00

It would be an understatement to say that I am frustrated. In 2003 I had the first hints of something not being 'right' with my back. At first it was a little twinge that showed up in my lower back. What has transpired since 2003 includes a never ending treadmill of trips to chiropractors, physical therapists and specialists. I've had three MRIs, hundreds of adjustments, traction therapy for my neck and traction therapy for my back. I've taken breaks from swimming, time off from cycling and time off from running. I've tried complete rest. (By the way, complete rest = weight gain!).

I've been to several top notch chiropractors, each who has tried to help me diagnose and treat my back. I've had the pleasure of working with some of the best physical therapists in the Bay Area. Each has been optimistic that they could help me become stronger than the definition of strong itself. I've been diagnosed with a degenerated disc at L-5 / S-1 and the idea is to shore up the core so that I don't unnecessarily move that area.

At first I avoided any meds. Then I relented because the pain was so bad and went with some ibuprofen. I've iced thousands of times. I've stretched. I've strengthened. I've tried yoga, dabbled in pilates. I've tried mental training exercises. I've read scores of books. Everything from looking at food as the root of inflammation to more general 'pain free living' books.
Now, I pop Voltaren with increasing frequency. Other than making my stomach feel like poo, I'm not sure those things help at all either.

Last year I took a big leap and opted for cortizone injections in my back. (A lot of fun, let me tell you). The cortizone was intended to reduce the inflammation and 'calm down' the area in which the pain was likely to be originating.

My first injections were in April 2007. It was very scary to go to the surgery center.
Who likes needles anyway? I certainly don't. Just getting an IV line makes my stomach twist into pretzels.

I survived the procedures without out too much trauma and within the first week improvement was significant. I felt like a brand new person. It is amazing how one's demeanor changes when pain fills your life. After those injections I was like the old, dynamic, 'real me' once again. I had some brief glimpses of the athletic prowess that lies within. I went up to Oregon and competed in the Pacific Crest Half Ironman triathlon. I posted the fastest 56 mile bike split of my career and got onto the run with a 5+ minute lead. I wasn't able to hold that lead and finished in 3rd, but that day showed me that I still had it and anything was possible.

Unfortuneately the cortizone effects were short lived. I went back in for repeat injections in September. The treatnebts had little positive effect. Just five weeks later, with the ITU duathlon world championships on the schedule, I was forced just a day before my flight to try a third emergency round of shots. Though the pain was slightly diminished my function was limited. I struggled through the world championships and finished 19th.

Since October of 2007, I have not raced. I have had a difficult time of walking, putting on my pants or training at all. Over the past few months, frustrated by a 20 pound gain in weight, I determined that 'rest' was doing nothing for my back or my former iron-body. I've gone back to strength training and cycling. Next week I will try swimming. The thing that is so frustrating is that I can function in certain situations with manageable pain, but then for no real reason, the next minute I struggle to walk.

Doctors have said I have a degenerative disc condition. I know I have issues with nerves getting pinched. (I'm guessing that's why I get periodioc blinding pain, easily fall for lack of motor control and the fact that putting on my socks might as well be an olympic gymnastic event).

I'm slowly adding more volume to my training, but I am still in pain. Sitting is horrid on my back, moving is better than not moving. Its like a horrible nightmare of closed doors. I keep trying to open doors but am hitting a brick wall.

I just called my specialist to try and get another appointment. Maybe I need to discuss surgery, something that scares the tar out of me. I won't even touch on the 'what ifs' of that one.

Ultimately, the choice is still mine. Sit inside, get fat and be in pain or go out and ride and deal with it. Perhaps when I get back from my ride the doctors will have called and another chapter will be added to this saga. Believe me, I've kept the story short. Beside pain and frustration the other theme that has stayed with me over 1800 days of struggle is optimism. I still believe I can lick this.

One of those training days

2008-06-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

Frequently people say to me, "I would love to just train for triathlons" when talking with me about my status as a professional triathlete. First of all, I don't think there are many pros who 'just' train for triathlon. Reality is, unless you are at the top of the sport and consistently earning a prize money paycheck and/or bonuses from sponsors, you aren't 'just' training.
As much as I would love to tell you that I make big bucks from triathlon, that just isn't the case. Not yet anyway!

Secondly, I would suggest that when people say they would love to be 'just training' they might reconsider if they really knew what they were asking for. Just because a weekend of swimming, cycling and running can be a tremendous amount of fun doesn't mean that training day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year is the best thing on the planet.
Like any pursuit, (I don't like to refer to triathlon as a job!), there is a day-to-day grind aspect of training for triathlons, especially when you are training solo.

Don't get me wrong. I love training, I love competition and I love the sport of triathlon. Why else would I continue to struggle and try to find a way to work with a degenerative disc condition that leaves me nearly unable to get out of bed, put on my pants and shoes or pick up my cat or dog off the floor? I love being fit, the pursuit of being the best one can be and seeing what the human body can do. What I am getting at, is that not every day is all peaches and powerbar gel.

Yesterday was 'one of those days'. If you are an endurance athlete, I don't even need to continue. You know what I mean.

I took an extraordinary amount of time to get myself dressed, fed and ready to get on the bike. The marine layer of fog was particularly thick and the winds gusty and unpredictable. When I first started my ride, I found myself thinking, "ugh, this isn't what I'd hoped for." I reminded myself the weather was part of the gig and like thousands of other workouts, you sometimes just have to get it done. So I did. Or should I say, so I tried.

I got about 20 miles into my ride and unexpectedly hit a very long stretch of road that was under construction. The road had been stripped down to the grooves leaving the shoulder unridable and downright dangerous. We are talking several inches of loose sand and gravel.
The condition of the shoulder forced me to ride a bit further into the lane that I would have liked. I am a very aware, skilled and courteous cyclist, but when conditions are dangerous you have to protect yourself and ride accordingly. I had a few folks fully lay on their horns right when they were even with me. Nice. The sound of the Escalade horn nearly caused my heart to seize. Having a heart attack on the bike, now there is a way to go.

Minutes later I felt the sinking feeling that comes with a rear flat tire. Part of the job. Part of training. I tried to get over as far as possible and went to work fixing the tire. Now, with the tell tale dirty hands, clothing and cold shill from stopping I got back on the bike and headed onward.

Just as I was starting to get back in the groove, a mere five or so minutes later, I felt that ominous sinking feeling again. Another flat tire. The road was so rough, riddled with pot holes and sharp edges, I guess my tires just weren't holding up. I stopped and sat on a man hole atop of pile of dirt and got to work.

A few spent C02 cartridges and an arm workout with the mini-pump later, I was set to go. I was riding my Blue T14 time trial bike and had two hand positions, on the aerobars or on the bull horns. Well, no sooner had I got back in the saddle did I realize that my brake lever (on the bull horn) was completely loose. The brake still worked, but every groove and bump in the tore-up road was giggling my brake lever into circles. Now, I had a potentially dangerous situation with a loose part. I was riding an a wickedly rough downhill slope that without braking could see me hit some pretty high speeds with little effort. Speed, very rough road and squirrely brake levers are not an optimal situation.

I stopped again and pulled out a wrench to see if I could tighten the pesky brake lever. No dice. I couldn't fix it. I made the best of it and carefully made my way back home albeit on a bit of a shortened ride.

My ride experience is not atypical of any other triathletes. Everyone gets flat tires and has mechanical issues. We all have 'one of those training days.' It is those days that do make training a grind on some days. Still, without those days you don't have the glorious, makes-it-all-worth-it training days either. So, with that I am off to get on my bike and start a new day.
I bet this one will be a lot better. Today I am riding my Blue R6 while my T14 sees the bike doctor.

Blue Bicycle's Ryan Barnett Hit By Truck before Roswell Criterium

2008-05-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was like Christmas in May. My Blue T16 arrived from UPS. It is sweet time trial bike that I will proudly race on later this season. Before I was about to call and thank Ryan Barnett, my awesome sponsor at Blue bicycles, I got distracted surfing SlowTwitch.com.

My attention was caught by the picture to the left and I came across an article about Ryan being hit by a truck. He was hit by a landscaping truck while warming up for a crit last Saturday night. Currently Ryan is at the Shephard Spinal Center in Atlanta.
According to his co-worker, he will undergo surgery today or tomorrow and his prognosis is mixed.
Please think of and pray for Ryan. He has a tough road ahead of him and his family. We can only hope that his athletic will and determination will serve him equally as well in recovery.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/Ryan_Barnett_seriously_injured_344.html

Ride for Jamie

2008-04-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Xterra Champion Jamie Whitmore is battling a cancerous pelvic tumor.
Friends and supporters are sponsoring a ride this weekend to raise funds to help defray medical costs. Check out the link, grab your wallet, gear up and ride for Jamie.

Ride for Jamie

Motivation by the Pound

2008-03-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

In the past if I missed a day or two of training I would go into a complete melt-down. "Oh, the loss of fitness," or "yikes I might gain weight." Since the engagement last September, let's just say I have had a bit of a transition in my life.

I've been trying to overcome the disc issues with my back with lots of physical therapy, while also starting the pursuit of my masters degree, expanding my coaching business and planning a destination wedding. Add to that, the purchase of a new car and the sale of my beloved convertible, as well as the usual veterinarian appointments, business meetings and school functions. Let's just say I didn't really 'miss' the triathlon training. I didn't have time to miss it.

Now we are two weeks away from the wedding. I am starting to see the light and the pounds. Yup, I gained a little cushion. Good for the boobs looking great in the wedding dress. Bad for fitting into lycra. Boo-hoo.

Let's just say I am now literally chomping at the bit to start training in earnest once again.
I really don't know what I will be able to do. I don't know if I can run, especially since the pain frequently prevents me standing up or walking properly. I have come to terms with the fact that my body has some serious limitations. I'm teaching myself to move differently and to avoid stressing my back in unnecessary ways. Life is about compromise.

As soon as the wedding is over I will be getting back in the pool, on the bike and lacing up the run shoes. Just doing the three sports in some fashion will be a major accomplishment. You won't ever hear me say "I only" or "I just" did x, y or z. I won't take any training session or race for granted regardless of the outcome.

Next month I will be at Sea Otter as well as Wildflower, but I won't be racing. I'll be volunteering, coaching other athletes and drawing inspiration to motivate me through the rough patches. I'm aiming to try and put my body together for some late summer and late season racing. I'll have a new name and a new beginning. Let's see if I can build a new body to match.

A quote for thought...

2008-03-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

"Life's blows cannot break a person whose spirit
is warmed at the fire of enthusiasm."
-Norman Vincent Peale

Remembering Matt

2008-03-10T08:33:00.001-07:00

Victim 'always trying to do the hardest thing'

I don't like the headline. I doubt Matt would either. Though he was accidently hit by a police car yesterday, he was hardly a victim, he was a driven and dynamic who set and achieved his goals. I prefer to remember Matt as the champion that he aimed to be, never a victim.

Rest in Peace.

2008-03-09T22:28:00.000-07:00

Sheriff's Vehicle Strikes, Kills Two Cyclists

I've gotten used to reading stories about people you don't know who get hit while riding their bike. This evening I saw the news. I know the two cyclists who lost their lives doing what they love. My heart goes out to Kristy's family, to her friend Clas Bjorling and to Matt Peterson's family.

What Happens When You Walk

2008-03-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

I woke up on January 19, 2008 and I couldn't get out of bed. I couldn't sit up. Standing couldn't happen and walking was not an option. Talk about loss of control.

I was in so much pain, I can't even describe what it felt like.

It took me twenty minutes to crawl to the bathroom and another 15 minutes to climb into the tub. I wasn't comfortable in any position for hours. Since then it has been a return to physical therapy and a break from the 'normal' swim, bike, run regimen.

You don't have to be an athlete to comprehend what it might be like to lose control of your own body. I can't say I ever imagined what that means, but now I know. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Since then I have cleared my race schedule. I'm back in physical therapy at Active Care.
I'm doing a lot of strength work and I'm walking. Yup. Walking.

In the context of running and triathlon, folks seem to place some huge negative on walking during a race. To them I would say, be grateful you can walk and don't take that gift for granted. Running? Even a more beautiful and special gift! If you run, race, do triathlons etc, I would encourage you to censor your whining. As I tell myself, 'get over yourself.'

Try not to diminish any accomplishments you achieve. Celebrate your wins. (I'm talking about the small successes in everyday life. Not just the personal bests, race wins, finishes, promotions etc.)

Be happy you can ambulate. If you choose to do so, be happy you can train. Be grateful you can race. Don't minimize, compare or diminish your athletic pursuits because you think you can do better. If that is the case, do better. Don't talk about it what you should do, could do or would do. Just do and do it quietly. Be sensitive to those around you who might not be able to do what you do.

Why I am on this soapbox?

Being 'broken' I've had a rough go with this back issue...now five years old. I've gained tremendouse perspective and I truly recognize what I have been able to do in the past is an enormous blessing. Still, I do find myself thinking how much this back thing (to put it bluntly) sucks.

I went out for a walk with Zola a couple days ago. I ran into a neighbor who was sitting in the passenger seat of a parked car. I hadn't talked to "Ricky" for a good year. It turns out Ricky has undergone spine surgery. He has limited sensitivity in his legs, hasn't walked into his own backyard or driven his shiny, new truck in over a year. While I talked with Ricky, he spent a good part of 15 minutes trying to move and get out of the truck he was sitting in.

Here I am thinking I am just in the worst shape ever. I am fat, in pain constantly, can't move well and so on. Ricky on the other hand, can't feel that his shoe has fallen off, is hanging on the side of the open truck door and is waiting for a walker and crutches to make it the 20 feet to his front door.

Ricky said to me, "Yo Rachel. I see you cruising by and I think to myself, I want to be out there with her someday."

And to think I was complaining that 'all I can do' is walk.

Ricky gave me a lot to ponder as Zola and I walked along the bay trail. Walking is beautiful. You see the world a lot more clearly than the beautiful blur that happens at speed while running, cycling or cruising through life. I miss that blur, but I am savoring the clarity.

Jenny's Light - Post Partum Illnesses

2008-02-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

Fellow pro triathlete, Becky Lavelle tragically lost her twin sister, Jennifer and nephew, Graham in December 2007.

To help increase awareness about
postpartum disorders, the family has founded, "Jenny's Light".

Please take a moment and visit the website and pass the link onto your friends.

http://www.jennyslight.org/

Jennifer's Obituary

Wooden on Leadership

2008-01-27T19:13:00.000-08:00

One of the wonderful by-products of persuing my masters at the University of San Francisco is the exposure to books and literature that I might not have uncovered otherwise. Currently as part of a Leadership and Criticism course, I am reading "Wooden on Leadership" written by highly respected UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden. I strongly recommend it for athletes, business leaders and anyone interested in how Coach Wooden wove together a strategy for teaching and coaching his teams infusing values, morals and his knowledge of basketball.

If you are an athlete and specifically a triathlete, you are likely focused working on the fundamentals of your sport at this early time in 2008. Whether that be honing your spin and pedaling technique on the bike, your run form/cadence or developing/refining your swim stroke, I thought you might appreciate the excerpt from Wooden's book. Gail Goodrich (UCLA Varsity 1963-1965, 2 National Championships) writes about Coach Wooden and his approach...

"He believed that winning is a result of the process, and he was a master of the process, of getting us to focus on what we were doing rather than the final score. One drill he has was to run a play over and over at full speed, but he wouldn't let us shoot the ball. He made us concentrate on what happened before the shot was taken, what happened to make it possible. He made us focus on execution."

Hypercat Racing athletes are familiar with the mantra of focus on the process (or process goals) and not the results (those come if you focused on the process). In running, cycling and multisport, it is easy to focus on place, time, qualifiying for X etc. However, it is the process involved in getting to those ends that require your focus. The rest takes care of itself.

So...when you are doing isolated leg drills on the bike, swim drills in the pool or high knees, butt kicks, skips etc for the run, think of Gail's comments about what made him and the UCLA team successful under Coach Wooden. Trust in the process.

Back to working on class work,
Rachel

Not What Mom Had in Mind

2008-01-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

My brother sent me this picture this morning.
It was taken at my parents home in snowy, Central New York.

Christopher wrote, "I don't think this is what Mom had in mind when she wished for a bird feeder for Christmas."

Yes, those are turkeys! Thanks, Chris!

2007-12-31T21:31:00.000-08:00

2008 is going to be great.
Set the bar high.
Dream big.
S-t-r-e-t-c-h yourself.
Take some risks. See what you can do.
Make it your best year ever.
:) Rachel

2007-12-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

Have a wonderful holiday!
Soak up the time with your loved ones and savor the moments.
Best wishes to you and yours.
:) Rachel

Story of Stuff

2007-12-16T15:17:00.000-08:00

Check out this video...it gives us something very relevant to think about this holiday season.

When the Hypercats are left alone...

2007-11-27T20:45:00.000-08:00

Toonsis has been known to grab the keys and go out for a drive
now and again. Spokes, however, has taken his excursions to new heights!

In memory of McLovin, our friend Jason's kitten who died a few days ago.
Jason is an Apache helicopter pilot in the army. I couldn't find a helicopter, but Spokes thought you would smile at this anyway.

Oil Everywhere in San Francisco Bay

2007-11-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday morning I commented how incredibly foggy it was outside. I live about three-quarters of a mile away from the bay and a foggy shroud had crawled all the way to the house.

That morning is the very same that a large container ship smacked into the base of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay bridge.

Now, three days later, Bay Area residents and the rest of the world are beginning to see the stick aftermath. 58,000 of 'bunkering' oil has spread across the bay fouling miles of shoreline.

This is heartbreaking.

Bird and sea life is severely impacted. Our beaches are coated with oil.
The bay significantly contaminated.

This morning during a press conference about the spill, officials announced that 16+ beaches are now closed. These beaches span all reaches of the bay.
In addition, KRON4 specifically showed footage from Pt. Isabel, which is a large park with expansive coastline not far from where I live. It is the same park that houses the country's most beautiful dog park and is one of my favorite short run routes.

The media reports are grim. Statistics for recovered sea birds show that even those who are helped don't tend to live very long after release. Clearly, is is impossible to recover all of the escaped oil. Much of it will literally leaves its mark on the beautiful shoreline, that we all love so much, for a long time to come.

It seems inevitable that we won't be able to enjoy surfing or swimming in the bay for quite some time...but sea lions, sea birds, aquatic and plant life can't simply move themselves to a swimming pool or live in a park inland.

This whole mess is so sad.
It is not Exxon Valdez, but it might as well be.

Master THIS!

2007-10-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

It has been a goal on paper; to earn my masters degree. Soon, however, earning that degree will become a regular part of my weekly schedule. I received the call from the University of San Francisco yesterday. I have been accepted into the Masters in Sports Management program. Enormous gratitude goes to Professor Jerry Evensky (Syracuse University) and Jeff Gardiner for their reccommendations.

Classes start January 2008. I can not wait to begin training my brain with new information and to meet my new classmates. I graduated from Syracuse University with a BA in International Relations and TV/Radio/Film Production in 1996...it is about time I head to grad school. With evening classes, I will continue to coach, train and operate Hypercat Racing.

Doping...Marion Jones

2007-10-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

In between training the past few days I have caught clips of the Marion Jones press conference on the news and internet.
Gosh, what can I say. Anytime an athlete has cheated - and especially on the world scene - so many people suffer. I feel sad for Marion, for USA Track & Field, for the youngsters and athletes who have looked up to her and especially for the athletes who raced Marion and had the limelight stolen from themselves by a cheater.

As a professional athlete, it breaks my heart everytime someone is accused of doing performance enhancing drugs and doubly so, when it proves to be true. However, when you look at the culture of sports in the United States, I don't think anyone should be surprised. Winning is everything and everyone else (at least in the media) is a loser. It seems few remember the athlete in second place, or third or tenth or the team that lost despite amazing athletic efforts. I hope that individuals, athletes, like you and me, coaches, teachers, parents and the sports media can help stem the tide of the 'winning is everything' mentality. Idealistic? Perhaps. With big, big bucks behind lurking behind so many of the sports there is much more riding on competition than meets the eye. Or is there?

Of course winning first place, the game, the match, the duel, the meet is one end goal, but there is so much more to sport. Spread the message that effort, hard work, consistency, goal setting, sportsmanship and doing the best YOU can with what you were born with is the true and honorable. That I believe, is the goal and true spirit of sport.

Where do I start?

2007-09-21T21:11:00.001-07:00

Trying to fill in all the gaps since May would leave even the most dedicated blog-readers bleary eyed and yawning. So, I will avoid that course and take the Cliff Note route!
Though I can't promise no yawning on your part.
My memory is failing so you'll definetely get the shorty version.

June 2007
-Went to Portland, OR and did some swim and bike training with tri pal and coach Mark Kendall of Speedshot Racing.

-Raced the Pacific Crest Half Ironman. Set a career best bike split and finished 3rd.

-Got cheers and support from friends, Scott & Julie Gix of Oomph! (that was such a treat)

-Bella has overcome her car sickness. She joins Zola as a well-traveled chihuahua.

July 2007
-Raced the RoadRunner Sports Firecracker 5k at midnight in Seattle with Phil.
Won my age group and finished 9th female, getting spanked by the youngsters.

-Later that morning, we drove to Elma, WA and I won the sprint triathlon there. Had a blast hanging with the local folks. It was the smallest tri I have ever had a pleasure to be in. Loved every second of it. The kids race was one of the biggest I have seen...our future looks bright (and really cute)

-Raced the Lake Stevens 70.3 - Frankly, it was the first race I ever remember where I woke up and decided I didn't want to race. I went back to sleep. Phil didn't take too kindly to that. He loaded the bike and came back to the hotel room. He reminded me that we had spent the week in Everett...enough said, I got myself together and on to the transition area. There aren't a lot of great things to say about my performance that day. However, we all have to overcome our demons. I did just that. Ironically, my original goal for Lake Stevens was to secure a slot for the Ironman 70.3 world championships. It wasn't pretty, but yes, I did earn my slot! Phil will be joining me in Clearwater in November.

-We ate some great food at several Seattle restaurants including a local joint, FivePoints Cafe and the Steelhead Diner. The food was so good I can't remember what I ate. I eat too fast anyway.

August 2007
-Spent the month training in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Ojai. I joined members of the Rincon Triathlon Clubs for a few swims, a run and a ride to Malibu. I saw coyotes on several rides while in Ojai...I just get downright giddy when I see wildlife!

-Accompanied Shirleymom to a meeting of the Ventura County Professional Womens Business Association.
Shirley (Phil's mom) is an amazing woman and a terrific role model. I met so many interesting, intelligent and successful women that night. I am looking forward to attending similar types of functions in the Bay Area.

-Spoke at Flavio's office (Flavio's Tax Service, Camarillo, CA) to members of his staff and of the Rincon Triathlon Club. Flavio is a new sponsor and a wonderful man. He finished 4th in his age group at the Full Vineman and 4th at the Clearlake 101. His wife, Cindy is training for her first ever marathon. Go Cindy! I feel so fortuneate to have met such an upbeat, positive couple.

-Raced one of my favorite triathlons, the Santa Barbara Long Course. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting up with old friends, racing some old nemesis and meeting new folks, as always. Appreciated some nice comments by race announcer, Sean English (thanks, Sean!) I finished 6th with a PR swim and a solid race, especially given my heavier training load leading into race day. Lara Brown had a stellar race to win - way to go Lara.

September 2007
-I celebrated my 33rd birthday on 9/1. Phil surprised me with a fun indulgence...a Gameboy DS Lite and the Brain Game versions 1 & 2. Fun puzzles to 'train your brain'.

- To celebrate my birthday morning, I ran the Malibu Oceanside Open XC race at Pepperdine University...what a treat! I met some awesome folks and placed 2nd to the tune of Happy Birthday.

-Finally had a meal at Neptune's Nest in Malibu - saw lots of sweet motorcycles parked in front that morning. Started thinking about learning how to ride.

-I went to Disneyland the next day 0n 9/2.

-Before the fireworks, I got diamonds! Phil proposed and we are now engaged.

-On Sat 9/9, I ran the Golden Gate Open XC race in Golden Gate Park.

-Had my bank card stolen and someone used it! Luckily I figured it out quick and minimal damage was done. Whew...just a minor inconveinence.

-Raced the next day in Ukiah and won the Ukiah Triathlon. It finished with an awesome 3 mile run on the Mendicino College XC course....so two XC races in 2 days.

-Went to S.O.A.R in Redwood City and had a 2nd treatment of epidural cortizone shots.
I won't bore you with that 'stuff', but its been 5 years of pain. I love triathlon and am lucky that I can do it at any level.

-I watched both the mens and women's World Cup triathlons in Beijing - so cool that we can watch races anywhere in the world in real time. My heart was racing just listening to the audio....the video was awesome.
Congratulations to Laura Bennett and Jarrod Shoemaker on earning the first slots on the US Team for 2008 Olympics...absolutely incredible!

-Sad news...Duathlon great, Benny Van Steelant passed away as a result of complications of injuries suffered in a bike crash. Only 30, Benny, a super star from Belgium has dominated the sport of duathlon for much of the past decade. I was thrilled to meet him back in 2001 and always in awe of his talent. He will be greatly missed.

-Took Zola Budd to the neurologist for an opinion on her doggie back problems.

-9/19 - My former Boston roommate, Kirsten Beal, welcomed her daughter, Lilliana Elouise Beal into the world. She weighed in a 6 lbs, 12 oz and 18 inches. I just got back from picking out adorable baby clothes to send...pink, pink, pink!

Basically since the engagement I have been feverishly working on research for wedding ceremony and reception locations. I tried on some dresses already and have been thinking over all of those types of details. I have to call Alexis (waddel) and ask how her plans are going for her wedding next month.

Good Luck to everyone racing at the Sentinel Triathlon in Santa Cruz this weekend.
I'm headed to Las Vegas for Interbike in a few days, then a brief stop in Ventura and Santa Barbara to scout some wedding locations. In between I will be trying to get in some workouts...since Phil has just disassembled my T14 to rebuild it (all new SRAM groupo and some S-w-e-e-t carbon cranks)soooo I'll be working on my run legs until the T14 is reborn.

I'll be back on it with regular updates and photos...savor life!
:) Rachel

Back in Action - 25th Anniversary Wildflower Triathlons

2007-05-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

Wildflower is where it all started for me.
In 1999 I participated in my first triathlon, the Wildflower Olympic distance event. Like so many newbies I was wide-eyed and in awe of the hard bodies, fancy gear and the athletic prowess of so many athletes. Also, like many new triathletes, I crossed the finish line saying,
"I know I can go faster, I know I can improve."

8 years later, that sentiment has not changed.

This year, a week out from the race, I had a medical procedure for my back performed.
The mission was to go out, do the race and see how the back would hold up. Oddly, on Friday, the day before the race my neck locked up. I was out doing a spin with Phil and at some point, my whole neck stiffened up painfully. I could not turn my head right, left, forward or backwards without severe limitation and pain. Needless to say, this was a bit disconcerting! As soon as we returned to the cabin, I changed clothes and motored down to the expo where the massage tent was located. Enrico of Therapeutic Reposturing worked on my upper body and helped to reduce the stiffness and regain some movement. Unfortuneatly, that alone would not be enough.

Later in the evening, I connected with pro pal Alexis (Waddel) and she reccommended seeing her dad for an adjustment. (Les, a long time triathlete, is a Chiropractor in Monterey). Late Friday night, after a long drive to Lake San Antonio, Les came over to the cabin and set me straight, so to speak. My neck adjusted so loudly I think you could hear it in San Francisco. What a relief.
Thanks, Les!

That night, not unlike other major races, I slept rather poorly. Most of the time my brain was spinning with thoughts of not being able to race due to the neck. Really, it seemed silly to be worried about a neck issue, with so many CAF athletes competing this weekend. They are so amazing. I didn't want to fret about a stiff neck, but easily more said than done. Race morning, I figured I would know in the first 100 yards whether I could turn my head to breathe or not. On the way to the start, I ran into Les, his wife Noelle and Alexis's sister Erin. Very quickly Les adjusted my neck again as I sat on the ground near the ramp to the start. Again, whew, what a relief.

I felt a lot more confident that I would be able to do the swim, albeit perhaps slower than usual.
When the start horn went off, the white water started and I quickly got into a groove. Though the neck was sore and stiff I had enough mobility to turn to the left and breathe - enough to get the job done. I was so thankful to be out there and being part of the event. I exited the water a bit dizzy, something that hasn't happened in a long while. Once I got my feet under me, it was on my way to transition.

In transition, I caught a glimpse of my watch and it was clear the swim was slower than expected. That can be very discouraging, but I am used to being a bit 'positionally challenged' after the swim. No matter, on to the bike! I quickly ran to the bike exit and was off on the newly dubbed "Time Bandit," my Blue T14.

Phil and I talked about a strategy for going after the fastest bike split. Kuota had upped the prime for the fastest bike split to $418.23 to celebrate Norman Stadler's Kona bike split in'06.
I knew that if I put it all together I could pull off the bike split...but it would mean completely wasting myself to do so. With athletes like Becky Lavelle (eventual winner), Kate Major and so many other strong cyclists in the field, it would mean a monumental effort and I mean monumental! Basically I figured I would need to ride a 2:35 and figured out what time splits I would have to hit where. Of course, having recently had the cortisone injections, there was a huge unknown with how I would feel. Ulitimately Phil and I decided that if I wasn't feeling completely on in the first 15 miles, then it wasn't going to happen and to ride within myself.
Well, easy to say, it wasn't going to happen - not that day. (Congrats to Becky, who not only scored the outright win, but rode a 2:37 to score the bike prime).

Very early it was clear that wind was going to be a constant companion for everyone on the bike course. I was really glad to have so much wind experience this season, but feared for the safety of everyone tackling the course that day. It is scary enough to have wind howling in your ears head-on, but hitting the bike descents and switchback after Nasty Grade and feeling the wind grab hold of the carbon wheels can be unnerving. I was lucky, there wasn't a lot of bike traffic around me. The later age group waves would have both the wind AND lots of other athletes to contend with, a recipe for scary situations, to be sure.

I finished the bike with a slightly faster split than '06, but not strong enough to bring me within striking distance of the top 10 (at least not without a great run!). I was very happy that my back did not flare up horribly- the first time in 4 years! This meant I could actually get off my bike and run. Thank God.

I suspect my experience was really similar to most folks. The first 5-6 miles were pretty rough. 3 or 4 girls went by me pretty quickly as I chugged up the hills. Eventually I got into a groove and felt like I was running steady. I passed by Malaika Homo (you go girl!) around mile 6 and then started picking up the pace through the final 7 miles.

On the dog leg between miles 9-12, I spied Andy Baldwin (ABC's Bachelor) running in the opposite direction. I've had a crush on Andy since he lived in the Bay Area years ago while at USF med school. I secretly hoped he might catch up so I could talk with him! Then I realized, I better get back to racing.

I ultimately crossed the line in 5:13 and change, in 18th place. This race was about so much more than place and time, it represents to me the beginning of what I hope and pray will be a new phase in my career. It was the first race since '03 that I didn't feel like my back held me from my potential. (Hopefully, now it will be about training!)
Today I went to my first physical therapy session at Active Care in San Francisco. I can't not begin to tell you how excited I am. I worked with Coleman and his team of therapists well over 2 hours. I am weak, weak, weak in a number of areas. The cool thing is that I learned so much more about what I need to do to protect my back, to strengthen my body and to achieve a form that has eluded me with the disc degeneration issues. I will be returning again this week for what is the beginning of a series of sessions. We are pulling me out of some races, in favor of getting this body strong, lean and mean for my big races of 2007. Stay tuned!

Thanks to Blue Competition Cycles, Oomph!, Jung & Jung Chiropractic, Pro Gold, Optic Nerve, Blue Seventy, Powerbar, Profile Design and all of my sponsors and supporters - I could not do it without you! Congratulations to Chris Legh, Kate Major & Alexis Wadell (you go girl!) on your finishes. Big congrats to Erin Wadell on your Olympic race! You guys rock!

Next - announcements of new sponsor partnerships in the works!
:-) Rachel

Powerman Alabama

2007-05-08T17:54:00.000-07:00

The last time I made it to Alabama for Powerman Alabama was 2001. Though I have entered a few times since then, one thing or another seemed to keep me away from good ol' Irondale and one of the older duathlons in the USA. That's why I was so happy to finally make it back to race.

Unlike my last Alabama trip, when Phil accompanied me, I was solo for this go 'round. It is easy to forget how much having a man servant makes a difference when schlepping gear and navigating everywhere!

The morning of my plane flight, I had a moment of fright when I thought it might not be possible to load my gear into my aging and load-capacity-challenged Mercury Capri. The 'rat car' is not really intended to haul bikes, luggage and the like. Of course being that I have had the car since '97, I have learned t0 make it work. Let's just say I was very lucky to have packed the Blue T14 in a softcase AND that it was a top down day. Otherwise, I might not have made it to Alabama again. Anyhoo...with the car loaded and my trusty Mapquest maps, I made it to the Park SFO offsite long term parking, parked the car and hauled my gear down 5 levels, caught the shuttle to the airport terminal and did the shuffle dragging gear to the counter. Without much ado I soon was on the plane and en route to Birmingham.

Frankly, I did give much thought to the flight pattern or any stop overs I would have on this trip. That's why I feel a little sheepish upon arriving in Memphis, TN. There was a bit of a delay due to Mother Nature's electric fury. As I sat in the gate lounge I realized I never even thought of the possibility of a weather delay. No problem though, I had plenty of time and really, what can you do anyway! I met some nice folks, people watched, picked up some food and waited.

Eventually, I landed in Birmingham and was onto the next task; picking up the Thrifty rental car. Again, smooth sailing to the counter, picked up the keys (stall 5 - a PT Cruiser) and gather up my luggage and bike. I was so psyched to be able to open the rear hatch, put down the rear seats and voila - slide the bag and bike in - no problem. What a difference. It sure beat trying to squish everything into the Rat Car.

Directionally challenged, I did end up making it to the hotel, albeit after a few U-turns here and there. Whew, this means I would actually make it to race the 2007 Powerman Alabama!

Race morning. You know, I think it is always cold at 5am when its time to set up for a race, especially in March. However, this was ccccold and wet. I was one of the first elites in transition. The rest were smart enough to stay warm for a bit longer. Once the bike was set up the question was of what to wear. Normally cooler temperatures have little effect on what I wear when running. I think its my Central New York upbringing, snow and the beloved wind chill effect. Basically it takes a lot to get me into more than a light layer for running. Adding a bike in between, some high winds, sleet and rain and then it becomes a big question mark. Ultimately I decided on knee warmers, arm warmers and even a lightweight vest for the bike. I'll tell you, I'm glad I had that gear on.

As for the race, this is the short version. I came off the first 8k run in 11th or so, finished the 53k bike in 2nd and crossed the line after another 8k run in 3rd place. I had the fastest bike split and two runs that were good enough to accomplish my goal - earn my slot to the ITU Long Course Duathlon World Championships. (oh yeah, and a check to help cover Toonsis unexpected vet bill when I returned!). I was very pleased with my race. Boy did it hurt. I was reminded why I like duathlons so much - I really feel like I am racing, because I am in the hunt from the start. With a TON of work, in the future I will exit the swims in triathlon in a position to race more like I did at Powerman.

I really enjoyed reconnecting with old duathlon friends, Deanna & Don Frank (thanks Don for the cheering!), Marjan Huizing, Bianca Simpson and many more. I met a whole bunch of new friends, too. That is what this lifestyle is all about. Health, friends and good times!
Congratulations to Alisha Lion who won the race - her second du win in '07. You go girl!
Thanks to Blue Competition Cycles, Jagwire, Pro Gold, Powerbar and Dr. Jung at Jung & Jung Chiropractic to name just a few of the folks who help me make it happen.

Next stop...Wildflower...right after some medical treatment for my back.
-Rach

A lesson from Toonsis & Spokes

2007-04-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

Saturday I woke up ready for my training mission for the day; a patented duathlon prep workout that would have me running & cycling up a storm. (or make that in a storm!).

Aside from a flat tire during one of my strongest parts of the ride, the day's sessions went well. I tested some new fancy run shoes and was happy to still be far on the healing side of the plantar fasciitis that I have had since Jan '06. Yippeee, with the healing nearly complete, I am feeling more excited than ever to get back to 'real' training!

At any rate, with the days work behind me I showered, changed and ate a snack. Normally it would be time for a nap, but today I decided to be productive with some errands. I had it all planned out - drop off mail at the post office, pick up pictures at Long's, drop a deposit in the bank, pick up some shoes on order at Transports and perhaps grab a bite to eat along the way.
Simple tasks, so it seemed.

First I revved up the ratmobile and headed the whopping one mile to the post office. The lobby was open but the counters were closed. Hmm, it was 1:30 pm. I'm not sure if the post office isn't normally open or if it was closed in observance of the Easter holiday weekend. No worries, I thought, I just try another post office. I have found each neighborhood office can have different hours. I jumped back in the ratcar and cruised to Fairmount street in El Cerrito. En route, I determined that everything felt a little 'off'. Cars seemed to be zooming chaotically out of driveways and merging into the traffic at a rhythm that screamed accident-waiting-to happen.
I shrugged it off and with car parked, headed up the block to the post office for try number two.

I didn't even make it into the lobby - doors closed, post office closed. Smack down on the mailing of my package. Clearly, this was not going to happen today. No biggie. I'll just drive over to the bank and drop in a lone check for deposit.

I pulled into the parking lot and the random, scattered feeling of cars darting everywhere continued. I was happy to pull into a parking spot, clear of the traffic maelstrom and walked across a few lots to the Wells Fargo bank. I walked in and promptly positioned myself in line for the next teller. Funny thing, there was no line and a teller was waving at me to no avail to come to his window. For some reason, I didn't register his gestures and stood there, staring blankly like Patrick the star fish does so well on Spongebob Squarepants. Finally I came to and quickly scampered to the teller's window. At that point I futzed with the two pieces of paper and nearly dropped them on the floor. What a spaz! The teller, finally getting a hold of my deposit slip and check, took a look and virutally shouted "These are for Bank of America!" Doh, oops...silly me. Hee hee. In my spaced-out state I was on auto pilot and went to WF which was my bank for years (until of course I changed to Bank of America!).

Ok, so now...I have managed to not successfully drop off the mail OR deposit my check.
I figure I will try to pick up my film that was developed. That should be easy - the film pick-up was at Long's just across the street. Yeah, right!

After nearly getting run down by various land yachts I made it inside of Long's and bounced off about three customers as I walked towards the photo counter. It took the attendant about 10 minutes to find my photos and then she remarked, "I hope these are good pictures." "Yeah, me too," I thought. Well, once I saw the price tag I understood her comment. $24.95 per package. What? Hmm. I felt some more weirdness on the horizon. I reluctantly paid for the pictures and went to the security of the car to see what I had just paid for.

I found three little plastic cartridges in my drawer before I left for Ventura at the beginning of March. Since I have had a digital camera for sometime I had no idea what these plastic thingys were. I figured perhaps they were long lost photos and I was excited to see what they were.

I quickly figured out why the photos cost so much. I had inadvertently ordered reproductions of photos from negatives. Argh! The interesting detail? The photos were from Italy/Holland in 2001 from the ITU Duathlon short and long course world championships. Not only did Saturday mark one week from my return to duathlon (since those races in '01), but the photos included many of the girls that I will race next weekend in Alabama. Bizarre!

Anyhoo....well, at least I managed to pick up the photos. So I was onto my next task....exiting the parking lot. I have no idea how I managed to do this, but I kept getting into the wrong turn lanes and was driving in circles all over this shopping complex. When I finally got to the proper lane to head out to my next errand, there was some road construction and my exit was blocked!

Quick change of plans...I decided to try and go to the proper bank - a Bank of America.
Happy to say, I succesfully found my way to the neighborhood BofA. Of course I managed to enter the parking lot going the wrong way (ah, who says you have to follow the arrows!) and tweaked a few patrons en route (oops, sorry!). I sheepishly parking the car and headed inside.
Wow - no challenges. I actually got the depost in. Imagine that!I figured my luck, vibrations or something must be changing back for the better...just as I was leaving, the bank manager was fixing to lock the doors. It was 2 0'clock - closing time on Saturday. Whew, I made it!
Deep breath...next stop Transports in Rockridge.

I noticed that the freeways looked jammed up so I decided to take surface streets to get to the running store. I wasn't in a hurry and a good thing, because I think it took nearly an hour. (mileage...hmmm maybe 8 miles). In all fairness, I made a few detours. Somehow I wandered onto the Berkeley campus. Doo, doot, da doot do...driving along with no freakin' clue.

Hmm...I can't tell you how I did it, but I somehow got off the Berkeley campus and just pointed my car in the general direction of Rockridge. Eventually I did find the store and I did pick up my training shoes, along with some new, snazzy TYR swim suits and an orange (Syracuse colors, you know) silicon swim cap. After talking with Richie, the store owner, about some possible shoes to try on, I decided maybe I should come back another day. I desparately needed some food and a nap. I gathered up my goods and headed back to the car.

Don't tell Phil, but I parked right near Zachary's pizza....yummy! I couldn't resist. I stopped in and grabbed two cheese slices to go. I fired up the capri and jumped on the 24, 580 and then despite narrowly missing the exit to home, I peeled off onto the Carlson exit and made it to Hypercat headquarters.

When I walked in, Toonsis and Spokes, were just were I had left them two hours earlier - napping on the bed. The boys taught me a great lesson, yet again...sometimes a cat nap is the better way to go.

:) Rachel

2007-04-02T23:00:00.000-07:00

California 70.3 Race Report

I was feeling confident heading into this year’s Ford California 70.3 triathlon. I put in a nice month of training in Ventura and I was ready to see what I could do, albeit on a non-rested body. I put in my biggest week of training pre-half ironman due to the early time of the year. It would be interesting to see how the body would respond.

Friday, Jim (Phil's mom's husband) drove Shirleymom and I from Ventura to San Clemente where Phil booked our hotel. In turns out that the location was prime. I loved San Clemente and it was much removed from the normal pre-race circus of Oceanside. Phil and his mom shared a room with the chihuahuas so that I could focus on race preparations in a separate room. Pro pal, Alexis Waddel shared the hotel room with me, which made for some extra pre-race fun.

Race morning went smooth, although Alexis and I enjoyed some extra excitement on pre-race morning. While Alexis quickly navigated our super van from San Clemente down the highway (with zero navigational help from me), we hit a bump in Oceanside. After making the exit towards Oceanside harbor, we were directed the wrong way and instead of headed towards parking; we were waved directly down the racecourse towards transition; along with hundreds of athletes who were riding their bikes into transition. It was both comical, embarrassing and nerve wracking at all once. We couldn’t back up; we couldn’t turn and were in constant danger of running over all of the athletes riding in the pitch-black darkness of 5am. Ultimately we arrived at a T-junction where some Camp Pendleton Marines were directing traffic…straight was into the ocean, right was into transition and left allowed us to drive back out of the harbor area. Whew, with only a stern look and some shouting we were back rolling towards a proper parking area.

With the van parked and our gear unloaded Alexis and I made the teeth chattering spin in the blackness to the transition area. It felt like a weird dream, riding a bike with hundreds of apparitions towards the blinding lights of the transition area. Due to our later-than-planned arrival to transition, there was no time to waste!Bike racked, gear laid out, transition flow reviewed, potty line time and put on the wetsuit. Before I knew it, it was time to head to the start.

The pro women’s wave started at 6:43 am. I was pleasantly surprised to find the 60-degree water felt reasonably brisk, but not distracting. The gun went off and so were we.I quickly got into a groove, albeit solo and off any draft packs. In hindsight, I remembered seeing a small group of 3-4 athletes swimming a short distance ahead of me before the turnaround at the far end of the swim course. This is where I should have put in a surge to make that pack. Instead I saw them gradually put more and more time on me between the half waypoint and the swim exit. Lesson learned, get on some feet, don’t go it alone. I exited the swim in one of my personal best swim times for 1.2 miles. A small consolation with the leaders out of the water 9 minutes earlier.

I flew through transition and hopped onto my Blue T14. Now, the early morning temperatures made themselves felt. BRRRR…being wet and riding a bike, soaking wet is one way to wake up!

The bike went extremely well. Within minutes of starting the bike I began passing girls.Naturally this was great for my confidence and kept me on task. Throughout the entire bike I was making continual and constant progress through the field. With every pass, I gained more confidence in my training and myself. Though I did start to feel some significant pain in my back on some low grade hills, I tried to pay attention to what my back can handle...yet ultimately I pushed it a bit too far.

I got off the bike in 15th place, just off of a pack of the top athletes. (I rode from close to 40th place up to 15th).When the run started I could feel my back getting ever more stiff. Still, I put a smile on my face and ran steady. I definitely kept an even, steady pace from mile 1 to mile 13. Unfortunately steady wasn’t fast enough. I dropped back to 22nd by race end. Place aside I was satisifed with my race, I couldn't have done much more. My nutrition was on, my swim reflected my pool training times, I smoked the bike and ran as best I could given the situation.

I crossed the line in 4:57:14. Overall, it was a solid early season effort. Mentally I kept it together and felt strong on the swim, bike and run. I have a good idea of where I am at fitness wise and look forward to more training and preparations for upcoming races.
Next event: Powerman Alabama on 4/15 in Irondale, Alabama.

Congratulations to Andy Potts (rockin' sub 4 hrs!) on his win, to Kate Major for showing us how its done, to Alexis on her 9th place finish and all the Hypercats, SF Tri folks and everyone on course for giving it a go!

Many thanks to Blue Competition Cycles, Optic Nerve Eyewear, Pro Gold Lubricants, Powerbar and Oomph! for your continued support!
-Rachel

Side note:After the California 70.3 I had an appointment with a specialist for my back. Dr. Andy Pruitt of the Boulder Sports Medicine Institute reffered me to Dr. Jeffrey Saal at S.O.A.R in Redwood City. Dr. Saal and his staff is considered among the nations best experts for back issues like those I have been suffering. Dr. Saal reviewed past x-rays and MRIs and promptly recommended another MRI for Monday, April 9th. Based on what the doctor said so far, I won’t have to stop training or competing, which is great news. We are simply looking to get a reality check on what I can expect with the disc degeneration that I have.

Valentines' Day and Wild Beasts

2007-02-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

I rode the American River Bike Path yesterday. Phil had some business to do in Sacramento so he suggested I head to the state capitol with him and ride while we were there. It was his way of celebrating Valentines Day with me - a nice ride and then some yummy food!

I had never ridden this route before, but I was not disappointed.
Only minutes into the ride I spotted this coyote running along the American River. It is rare that I stop (and Phil was griping!), let alone have a camera in my pocket, so I was really excited to snap this picture. I've always felt that seeing wildlife while training is my reward. And today was no different. I saw a myriad of little creatures scurrying around, some magnificent birds and of course this coyote, strutting his stuff. Ever since I was a junior high school runner, I have taken inventory on training runs (and later, rides) of what animals I see. I am frequently amazed at the diversity of animals and the proximity of those creatures to the major metropolitan areas. Just last week, I saw a huge group of turkeys right along side the road in El Sobrante. On another ride I was decending down a local climb in Berkeley and got a great look at a fox as he scampered across my path. Foxes are not animals I see much, so I was on cloud nine, despite how I felt at that point in the ride!

Tomorrow I am off to Napa for a nice long Friday ride. Who knows what I will see. Unfortuneately the most exciting and beautiful animal I have seen in wine country was a wildcat - perhaps a bobcat - but he was already in cat heaven, struck by a passing winery visitor.

A quick note of thanks to Stonehouse Olive Oil and Wheel Girl for the great jerseys.
Check out Stonehouse from some of the yummiest olive oil on the planet and check out Wheel Girl, too!

Muchas gracias to Schwalbe, too - with all the miles on the bike, my tires are a critical component of training. :)

Make it a great day!
:) Rachel

Gone to the Dogs

2007-01-31T18:56:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the first day of February and I can hardly believe January is already at an end.
It has been a terrific month. I have been mighty busy, wrangling of my furry beasts and having a blast doing so. "Bella Mia," is now nearing 7 months old and is one fiesty little chihuahua. We have two more basic obedience classes prior to her graduation from this level of training. It takes a lot of patience (something I can always use more of) working with dogs, but Bella certainly makes it fun. She is so eager to please and a happy little girl. So far we are doing very well with sits, down, stay (short periods of time), 'leave it' and we are working on heeling as well. She knows how to shake and position her little legs so she can receive belly rubs. I think she will be a great trick dog and maybe I will even take her to learn agility. Not that we need anymore competitive events in our lives! Zola is doing well, and learning some new things as well. At 2.5 years of age, she is accomplished in a lot of basic obedience and a fair amount of tricks, but isn't too food motivated. I guess that is one big difference between her and I!
In between working with the dogs, feeding the cats and multitudes of fish I've been getting into the training groove.

We definetely had a bit of a deep freeze, by California standards, this past month. Frankly, I couldn't have been happier. Dry roads and really no excuse to not ride. Cold is cold, but that is what good gear is for! I'll admit though, it was so cold on several occassions that I dug out some stuff that I had when I was a runner back in Boston and upstate New York. Save the lack of snow, it really felt like an average central NY winter on a number of mornings. Who knows what February will bring, but I am ready for it. I've gotten the best January of training in ever. I've got a long way to go, but I'm on a roll!

Taking the Plunge into 2007

2007-01-02T19:54:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
I just had to do it. I have raced run races and cycling races to celebrate New Year's Day past, but for '07 I decided to take the plunge. Not a race, nothing fancy, just a frigid dip into the San Francisco Bay. Somehow I had in my head that if I didn't get into the Bay NOW, it might not be until March. So, I packed up my Blue Seventy wetsuit and goggles and headed across to Bay Bridge to San Francisco. New Year's Day brings the annual South-End Rowing Club New Year's Day swim. However, I would not be taking part in the club swim today as I wasn't in town for the qualifier. So when I got to the club it was a buzz with tons of swimmers, rowers and folks enjoying a brew and some food. It felt a little weird to be getting in the water solo with so many folks at the club. Of course in the locker room I heard war stories of the morning swim...
-too foggy for a full Alcatraz
-water temps rumored to be 49 or 50
-a rower 'got lost' in the fog

Given the water temp, I decided to wear a one piece Oomph! tri suit under my wetsuit figuring anything to add some warmth would be helpful. I waddled outside and feeling a bit like one of the penguins I saw on the Animal Planet I hesitated at the shore and then plopped in.

?&^%#%#%#!

Definetely some profanity running through my head. Those first few minutes are nothing short of, shall we say, rough. Still, like most winter swims, pain turns to a blissful numbness.
I enjoyed a nice short swim, pausing a few times when sea birds crash landed in front of me.
As I made my way back to the club I was reminded how quickly truly cold water can affect the body...I rapidly developed 'the claw' in both hands and decided it would be smart to head to the shower and sauna.

Now that I took the plunge, it will be easier to get in the bay again...small steps.

Earthquake...shakin' some sense into me!

2006-12-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

Have you seen those VW commericials where two friends are driving in a VW, carrying on rather everyday conversations and then unexpectedly they get wacked by another car from the side? Well, we kinda feel a bit like that tonight. (Nope, not a car accident...thank goodness...)

Phil and I were talking and playing with the dogs when the house shook quite violently in two brief shakes and shudders. They were quick, but long enough for me to jump up like a Jack-in-the-Box and do a jig in the middle of the floor. I couldn't quite figure where to go. Phil smiled at me and said with a wry grin, 'Yep, we're havin' an earthquake.' Then as quickly as it started, it was over.

It is strange, for those brief moments you realize how incredibly powerful mother nature is and how powerless we are. You don't know how long the shaking will continue or how violent it may get. And then of course, you wonder, is another temblor far behind?
Fortuneately for us, tonight it was a small temblor...a 3.7 according to the USGS website.
The interesting fact for us is that we were sitting practically on top of the epicenter.
Below is the data just posted from the USGS website.

Version #1:
This report supersedes any earlier reports of this event.
This is a computer-generated message.
This event has not yet been reviewed by a seismologist.
A minor earthquake occurred at 7:12:28 PM (PST) on Wednesday, December 20, 2006.
The magnitude 3.6 event occurred 4 km (2 miles) ESE of Berkeley, CA.
The hypocentral depth is 9 km ( 6 miles).
Magnitude
3.6 - duration magnitude (Md)
Time
Wednesday, December 20, 2006 at 7:12:28 PM (PST)Thursday, December 21, 2006 at 3:12:28 (UTC)
Distance from
Berkeley, CA - 4 km (2 miles) ESE (112 degrees)Piedmont, CA - 4 km (3 miles) N (354 degrees)Emeryville, CA - 5 km (3 miles) ENE (59 degrees)Albany, CA - 6 km (4 miles) SE (124 degrees)San Francisco City Hall, CA - 19 km (12 miles) ENE (59 degrees)
Coordinates
37 deg. 51.6 min. N (37.860N), 122 deg. 14.2 min. W (122.237W)
Depth
9 km (5.6 miles)
Location Quality
Excellent

Ironically I was in a store the other day, looking at American Red Cross emergency kits and backpacks. I was thinking it is high time that we purchase some emergency kits for the house and the vehicles. Things like first aid supplies, food, water, flashlight, radio etc. I think it is suggested that we have a 3-7 day supply of water - 1 gallon of water per day, per person for emergencies. I certainly don't want to be melodramatic about our little shaker tonight, but it was enough to remind me that we do have to plan for bigger rock n roll events that might lie ahead in the future.

Vegemite, Wallabys, Worlds and Ironman, Oh My!

2006-12-17T20:29:00.000-08:00

What is Vegemite anyway? That was just one of many questions that I had floating in my head as I headed to the land down under. My trip to Australia was my very first, and most certainly not my last to this beautiful country. For those that know me well, it is no secret that I have a deep passion and love for animals and creatures of all kinds. So, my mission, in addition to learning and experiencing Australia via my training, racing and travel, was to see wildlife at every opportunity. I definitely did just that.

The day before the World Championships in Canberra, I took my Blue T14 out for a spin along Lake Burley Griffen (the site of the swim course) to run through the gears. Of course I am always grateful for the protection a helmet provides, but on this day I was extra grateful to have my brain bucket securely fastened. Within minutes of leaving the hotel I was under attack by a flock of noisy birds. They dive bombed me and pecked at my helmet. I pedaled faster and faster being sure to stay on the left side of the path. Those birds were very persistent. I was amazed at how far that chased me. It was both hysterically funny and a bit unnerving at the same time. Later I learned I made the acquaintance of several Mag Pies, black and white birds that look a lot like our common crow or raven.

Until I traveled to western Australia, the remainder of my wildlife encounters were in much more controlled conditions, in that of a zoo or aquarium. I visited the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra as well as the Sydney Aquarium and the Tauranga Zoo. I was thrilled to see dingos, wombats, echidnas, kangaroos, Tasmanian devils and so many fascinating creatures. The Sydney Aquarium was truly world class and a must see if you ever find your way there. To get to the Tauranga Zoo, I took a ferry that offered views of the Opera House, Harbor Bridge, Manley Beach and a number of other landmarks. I met a number of people on board who were all very amused by the “78” that was burned into my arms and legs. It was hard to hide the fact that I was a triathlete, and folks were eager to ask me about my sport.

I spent the better part of two weeks in Busselton, the site of the Ironman. With the sun shining so early, I found myself awake daily at 4:30. I was out on my bike at 5:15 on three different days I saw several mobs of kangaroos. The groups ranged in size from ten to over thirty! I was giddy with excitement to see the awesome hopping power of these marsupials. I have pictures which I hope to post to my website soon. In addition to the ‘roos, I enjoyed the gorgeous landscape and yes, beautiful sights in the water, too.

The week before the Ironman I swam at 6am with the local Busso group. Several athletes planned to ‘swim the jetty’ which is essentially the course for the Ironman. The jetty is the longest wooden pile jetty in the Western Hemisphere and runs 2 kilometers straight into the ocean. I couldn't resist and agreed to go around the jetty, too. The swim that morning was heavenly. The water was so clear I could see to the bottom; and all of the creatures swimming with me. I saw sting rays and giant schools of fish. Amazing! Of course a few times I spooked myself when I started thinking about sharks and other large predators. I was glad to have navigated the swim course, it served me very well on race day. A week later I matched my best Ironman swim to date.

During Ironman, I was focused on racing, so I didn’t notice much wildlife be it aquatic or on land. However, the inspiration that wildlife gives me did spur me on. Of course any and every Ironman is a difficult day at work, but overall I had a really solid day. I rode my best Ironman bike split to date (5:15) and learned a great deal more about what works best in long course racing, be it equipment or nutrition. I finished 13th professional and within 5 seconds of my career best in 10 hrs 43 minutes. That time is an hour faster than both my Ironman Hawaii and Ironman Canada times from 2005.

The day after the race the awards banquet was held. The highlight for me (besides hearing the words of champion Jason Shortis) was getting to hold several rescued wild creatures in the care of FAWNA (a wildlife rescue organization). There was a brief auction at the beginning of the ceremonies of some gear to help raise money for FAWNA. Several caretakers brought animals along to show including several baby kangaroos, a wallaby, an Echidna, a possum and several birds. I had the thrill of holding the echidna (most commonly compared to a porcupine), the possum and petting the joeys.I was just in awe of being able to sit and enjoy the magnificent representatives of Australian wildlife. After visiting so many zoos, it was very special to meet these animals up close and personal.

I could continue indefinitely about my animal encounters, but I’ll save more of those for another day. Still, I’m left with the question of vegemite. I did eat a little bit on a piece of toast with butter. First, I have to say that I am not a picky eater and there is little that I do not like. Second, I really wanted to like Vegemite! Nevertheless, I found it to be one of the more vile things I have tasted. It is dark brown, thick spread that tasted like coagulated bouillon. Ack. I almost got reacquainted with my previous meal. I was extra glad that I did not taste ‘vegemite on a stick’ as it was offered on the Ironman course aid stations!

I'm still sorting through pictures and thinking about my experiences in Australia. I can not wait to return and it will be sooner than later, that is for sure!

Back Home from Australia

2006-12-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

Things are getting back to 'normal.' I was out this morning at 3am in the lovely, brisk rain attempting to shield Bella as she searched for the perfect place to do her early morning 'potty time'. The rain was coming down so heavily that I wondered if she might need to doggie paddle across the puddles in the yard. After a failed attempt to go back to sleep, I settled in and worked on reading one of my raising puppy books. It's been several days since I returned from Australia and I haven't quite re-acclimmated time wise. Fortuneately things are mellow and I am allowing myself a brief respite from training. Not unlike a pre-Ironman taper, I seem to be feeling every ache and pain. It was so bad this morning that I was very, very tempted to head out for a long run. Those temptations were short lived as Zola and Bella began to frantically vie for my atttention. Today we worked on sitting inside a circle (in the center of a hula hoop), shake, sit and wait, up on hind legs and other general commands. Lots of treats and praise were given!

In between the dog training, taking care of the cats and watching our every expanding population of fish (at least two groups of 10 or so guppy babies and 10-15 platys!), I've started to think a bit about 2007, my goals and racing with great anticipation. Closing out 2006 with two unplanned major races was a double edged sword. I had a rough go of the first race, the ITU Long Course World Championships. The race was on 11/19 in Canberra. Canberra is on the east coast of Australia and south of Sydney. My week leading up to race day was a bit on the rough side. I really don't know why, but small irrirations and bumps in the road rattled me quite a bit. My body was rebelling and mentally the stars were not aligning. I had some terrific help from Katie and John from USA Triathlon as well as from Jack of the famed Jack and Adam's Bicycles of Austin, TX. (Thanks Jack!)
Still when race day arrived the demons were flying and that made for a long day. The biggest accomplishment for me was staying with the race to the very end. I finished 19th after struggling with back and knee pain through 100% of the swim and bike. I was unable to turn the cranks the pain was so bad and was relegated to spinning when I should have been flying up, over and down the awesome hilly and technical 130km bike course.
Experience is experience and proves invaluable. And certainly once again, a less than perfect race is no indicator of the outcome of the next race.

Unlike the lead in to Canberra, my two weeks prior to Ironman Western Australia were fun, positive and I felt quite settled. I was welcomed into the home of fellow athlete, Louisa Stefanou and by the local Bussellton community. Thanks Lou!
When race day came, I felt at peace with my body and what I had to work with. I swam 7 minutes faster over the slightly shorter 3.8km course (vs worlds 4km) and rode a 5:15 bike. I was pretty pleased with the bike considering that including a completely unplanned stop at special needs to retrieve my bottles when a volunteer began removing them from my bag.
5:15 is a PR and I am confident a sub 5hr bike is well within my reach. I finished in 13th place in 10:43 which matched my '03 IM debut time and was an hour better than my performance at both Ironman Hawaii '05 and Ironman Canada '05.

Now I a enjoying a brief respite from training while I prepare to work with my coaching clients in 2007. Of course I'll be spending a lot of time having fun training Bella and Zola - they will be two well behaved chihuahuas! In another post I will share my non-race highlights of my trip to Australia.

In the meantime, enjoy the early December days and the anticipation of the holidays.
As always, many thanks to my team of sponsors and supporters: Dr Jung, Van Pounds at Pro Gold, Blue Competition Cycles, Jason and the gang at Jagwire, Julie, Scott and Chris at oomph!, Powerbar, Craig and the crew at Cane Creek, Coach Phil and so many more folks who make it happen for me.
:) Rachel

Off to the Land Down Under

2006-11-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

A lot has happened in the past few months. We have added another furry animal to the zoo - "Bella Mia"...a little silvery white/cream chihuahua. Toss in a few fish tanks and a myriad of aquatic creatures and you have a full fledge zoo. Zola is taking well to her knew chihuahua buddy and the cats are as accepting as can be expected. Today I caught Toonsis snoozing inside Bella's crate in her cozy dog bed with toys, blankets and all. Everyone seems quite comfortable though the competition for attention is at an all time high! It will be tough to say good bye for 3 weeks, as I head to Australia. I'll miss the doggie training, the potty time breaks and the general chaos that comes with cat and chihuahua wrangling. That said I have two races left - the ITU Long Course Triathlon World Championships on 11/19 and Ironman Western Australia on 12/3.
Training is done for the moment. The bags are packed. Phil is putting the final touches on the bike box and making sure everything is set. All we need now is a let up in the rain for a smooth trip to the airport! As things go, we are in the middle of a fall rainstorm which mucks up the traffic pretty well in the Bay Area. No matter, my flight is a later one, around 10:20 pm, so I have plenty of time to sit and wait once I get checked in.

I'll be sure to update things as I have internet access. This will be my first trip to Australia so I am mighty excited. Stay tuned for the upcoming "OZ Blog!"

Many thanks to Dr. Jung (Jung & Jung Chiropractic), Andrew Ezer (last minute deep tissue), Van Pounds at Pro Gold Lubricants, Ryan, Chris and Mike at Blue Competition Cycles (the T14 rules), Scott and Julie Gix at Oomph! (sweet gear), Jason at Jagwire, my peeps at Optic Nerve, Powerbar and all of the folks that ultimately help me do what I do.
Biggest thanks of all to Phil XOXOXOXO Rachel

Santa Barbara Triathlon

2006-09-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

Nothing can beat the smell of ocean surf, palm trees, sun and fit, half-naked bodies. Especially when we are talking about the Santa Barbara triathlon.
This past weekend (8/26) was the 25th running of the event and my third go at it. I'll share some highlights later this holiday weekend.

Dinosaurs, Bermuda Triangle and Wetsuits

2006-08-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

I was over at the South End Rowing Club last week getting ready to jump in the bay for a quick swim. It was a glorious day with nice, warm temperatures and bright sunshine. Although I brought my Blue Seventy wetsuit I was contemplating swimming sans suit because the weather was so nice and frankly, because I don't like to draw the sarcastic and sometimes playful digs tossed at wetsuit wearing triathletes.

I walked out to the beach, wetsuit and goggles in hand. I took a deep breath, drawing in a lung full of salty air and stood there sizing up the conditions. A brisk breeze blew across the water and the goosebumps started to appear in rapid fashion. Sun or no sun, mean comments, malicious or not, no matter. I'm definetely donning the Blue Seventy.

I got into the suit and then realized of course, I can not zip up the back by myself. The reverse zipper is awesome for a fast strip coming out of swim on race day. However, it creates a bit of dependence on others when putting it on.

Naturally this put me in an akward position. It was the middle of the day and only a cadre of handball players were visible in the kitchen of the club, along with two old dudes lounging in the back in lawn chairs.
They were kicking back enjoying a brew. Fortuneatly for me they seemed happy to help me in my predicament. With a little effort we managed to get me zipped up and on my way.
Though they did ask for payment in Powerbars (commenting they noticed my t-shirt when I arrived), my mature wetsuit zipper-uppers saved me jabs regarding the neoprene.

I had a great swim, battling the flood tide as I headed toward the far end of Aquatic Park. The water smacked me in the head as if to remind me that I should swim more. Then with an icy hand pushed my bum on a zoom of a ride heading back towards the club. After a few rounds of here and there, I got out of the water and proceeded to rinse off and remove my wetsuit at the outdoor shower.

On the other side of the fence where the shower was located, there were three little boys in a heated exchange of sorts.
When I turned on the shower, apparently the water splashed over the fence and quickly cooled their fast talking. One feisty little guy, stood up as tall as he could, peered over the fence and boldly instructed me to turn off the shower. Apparently I was splashing them. That was the beginning of a delightful conversation.

The boys were ages 5, 6 and 7 and were engrossed in a discussion about dinosaurs and if the Bermuda Triangle got 'them'. This intriguing exchange worked its way into a heated debate about dragons, pirannas and wizards. Intermittedly we talked about why the boys weren't swimming today. The eldest boy, sounding very adult for his 7 years, confidently remarked, "I just didn't feel much like swimming today. I think I shall swim another day."

As I was about to ask why this young man wasn't up for swimming today, his brother grabbed a hold of my wetsuit and said very sternly with a growl, "Gimme that wetsuit. I'm gonna throw it into the bay....where it belongs!"

He obviously spends a lot of time at the club. He also added, "You are a member of the South End, we at the Dolphin Club HATE the South End."

There is a long standing rivalry between the clubs. (The Dolphin Club and the South End Rowing Club are located next to each other on the shores of Aquatic Park.)
I always wondered how the wetsuit discrimination and the club rivalries are perpetuated.
Now I know. They start them young!

By the way, according to my 5 year old tormentor, dragons are not real, wizards created the dinosaurs and there are pirannas in the bay. If you get eaten by them, the Toom Raider will come and take your bones to the Bermuda triangle where the dinosaurs will devour them and live forever.

It's amazing the things you can learn from a trio of little boys. I think I'll go back for another lesson this week.

Drive by Shootings

2006-08-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

I'm on a brand new email list...an 'etree' for my neighborhood located in Richmond, CA.
Sounds exciting, huh. Well, it is because of some excitement that it has been performed. A type of excitement I would much rather avoid.

Earlier this year I think I heard a statistic that rated Richmond #1 in the state of California for crime, murders or something horrible like that. Frankly, my little neighborhood, located in the "Richmond Annex" seemed quite removed from any riff raff. Other than some random car break-ins, our 'hood' has been rather quiet and calm in the 4+ years I have lived here. Then why the need for the neighborhood 'etree'? It seems in recent months, the relative serenity of our safety bubble has all been but burst. Last week on Thursday night, around 7:30, we heard a "pap, pap, pap" in rapid succession. Hmm. I remarked to Phil that it was odd to have fireworks going off in August. Then we both realized that this was no delayed Independence Day celebration. What we heard was gunfire. Yikes.

As it turns out, there was a drive by shooting a mere two to three blocks from our house. No one was hurt. No one was caught or arrested. In fact, although the Police were called, the episode kind of fell through the cracks. That was until now anyhow.

Our neighborhood group has very quickly gained momentum over the past few days. Now we are regularly exchanging emails, have the names of three local beat police responsible for our area and we know to dial 911 at the sound of gunshots. No doubt we will be all watching, listening and reporting anything out of the ordinary. The sad thing is I can't believe it has come to this. I hope I never hear gunfire at night again, but somehow I don't think that is likely.

It makes me wonder how safe I am when I leave my house to run or ride my bike.
At the very least, I will certainly have a bit more urgency in my stride and spin...for all the wrong reasons.

Doing the Best with what you Have

2006-08-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

Throughout my life so far I have always been very proud of making the most of my resources and opportunities. Living in the country, we had plenty of space, so running became a great way to explore sport and fitness. In high school, getting good grades and excelling at academics proved a means to getting scholarship money to attend Syracuse University. Along the way I studied German and earned a scholarship to study abroad for a year as a 16 year old. Like most folks with the ‘drive’ chip in their brain, I have always looked for ways to make the best and the most of what opportunities present themselves and what opportunities I can make for myself.

Over the past few triathlon seasons, I’ve had my fair share of obstacles. Frankly maybe it was too easy those first three years of training and racing…maybe I was due some potholes. Who knows? The point is, on a daily basis I do everything I can to mitigate any ‘issues’ that present in my body. Reality is, all pro athletes have tweaks, aches, pains and chronic injuries of some sort, at some time. Some of us may just have more. Be it genetics or a whole host of other potential causes. Currently as I type I continue to cope with a back issue that stems from the L5/S1 area… as simply put as possible, this is what happens. The facets of the vertebrae jam and rub together with certain types of motion (ie swimming hip rotation) due to a degenerated disc and a sharp angle between the spine and the sacrum. The jamming of the facets irritates the tissues in the vicinity resulting in muscle spasms (the body’s way of protecting itself, causing less mobility). The muscle spasms render certain stabilizer muscles useless, which cause the use of other muscles to kick in, in an attempt to make up for the inadequacy. Ultimately this causes more irritation, swelling and the reduction in the space of a nerve canal. This results in the pinching of a nerve. Big time ouch. The training impact is directly felt in the water. Often the pain is so bad I cannot pull myself out of the pool onto the deck…no matter how hard I try. Our strategy has been to keep me out of the water, so that I can at least train the bike and run. But there is more.

I have spent the past three years trying to get to the bottom of all of this back mess. In the middle of that I rolled a tubular tire while racing in the Escape from Alcatraz, was hit by a car and ultimately taken out with a serious knee injury courtesy of a wayward pitbull in July 2004. It took 18 months to recover from that stuff and I rarely notice issues with the knee. So, with those problems behind me it was a return to focusing on the back. If it could only be that easy.

In January I started to notice some pain in my right heel. By February the diagnosis was plantar fasciitis. Here we are, in August, six months later and I still have a lot of pain in my foot. I stretch, strengthen, ice, tape, wear an arch brace and wear a night splint. Add reduced run training, to my reduced swim training and I’m starting to feel more like a caged animal with every passing day.

So, here we are post Vineman and I get to the actual race report: “Doing the Best with what you Have.” I have spent a lot of time beating myself up over the past three seasons. After all I have been posting times that are in some cases measurably slower than my amateur years, in spit of being much stronger and experienced. I have finished races in times/places that many pros have chosen to abandone. While dropping out is a personal decision that can’t be second guessed by anyone besides the athlete themselves, I can tell you that it is very rough to continue to the finish line when the upside seems very minimal. This experience continues to help me grow as a person and an athlete, it is about letting go of the ego and not being defined by your performance.

Over the weekend, coming into Vineman, I was not feeling very well. This was particularly distressing since, like most athletes there, I had been preparing for Vineman as a focus event. Nevertheless on Sunday morning, after driving to Windsor from the Bay Area at 3am (somehow the hotel reservation was lost so we stayed home and drove in) I made my way to transition and to the start. My mantra for the entire race was “race your own race.” My goal was to see how my June/July training block on the bike would transfer into a race situation. I had not been able to swim or run much, so I was to go out there and do the best I could with what I had that day.

The pro men and women swim start was at 6:25 am in the Russian River. It really was cool to see the likes of Dave Scott, Lori Bowden, Heather Fuhr and Wendy Ingraham floating around. Of course there were a boatload of current stars and up and comers in the line up as well. It was a virtual whose who of triathlon. I felt very fortunate to be sharing the water with this group. The horn sounded and we were off.

The typical whitewash churn began. I quickly found myself in a trio of swimmers. Cool! I frequently make the mistake of swimming in clean water, solo off of a pack to stay away from the fray. Problem is there is no draft. This race I decided that I would make it a mission to get on some toes and see how that worked. The three of us traded off a bit in the first half of the swim, but I soon realized that the pace was really pedestrian. At the turnaround, I decided I better try to pick it up and salvage the swim as best as I could. I really couldn’t see anyone within striking distance, so I did my best to surge along with a few of the fast swimmers of the wave that started 5 minutes behind. Exiting the swim, I felt a bit worked. I really missed not being able to wear my Blue Seventy wetsuit.

I trotted up to the rack and donned my race number belt, my Optic Nerve Rodangos, helmet and this time, I put on my shoes. Normally I leave the shoes in the pedals, but due to the long run out and slight incline at the mount line, I decided to would be prudent to run in my cycling shoes. I grabbed my Blue RC4 and was off. Running through the transition to the start line I appreciated the cheering of the athletes still waiting for their wave start. Off into the fog I went.

It is eerie, but not atypical to get on the bike and look up the road and see no one.In these situations racing is truly a time trial. There is no measure of speed as you pass athletes, no slingshot draft as you move up and pass other riders. It is purely you, your will and how fast you can push. Patience is key. So, I recited my mantra ‘ race your own race’ which for me means power to the pedal times ten! I continued to do just that for mile after mile. Within minutes of the bike start I caught a few athletes and then every once in awhile another single rider would appear in the distance. Though I did not count during the race I passed half of the female pro field on the bike. However, passing 10-12 riders over 57.5 miles can make for a lonely ride.

I entered transition in 10th place and saw that I was right behind Ironman World Champion Lori Bowden. It was cool to see Lori back racing, since she had been away for the past year and a half with her first baby. Well, I only saw her for a few seconds and that was it, she was off running her trademark speedy run. I got out of transition relatively quickly and set out to run the 13.1 miles ahead of me. I could see a few of the other gals I passed late in the bike coming into transition while I was in the first mile of the run. I wondered how long I could hold them off.

I struggled a bit during those first few miles. I had to use the bathroom and no porta pottys were in sight. Doh! There were hills I didn’t remember and save the pro men who were already running back towards the finish; I couldn’t see much of anyone up the road. Again, like the bike, a solo time trial of sorts.

By mile 4 or 5, I was passed by Katya Meyer and later around mile 7, another pro gal. After a pitstop near the turnaround I started to feel better and pick up a little steam. I made it all the way to the final mile when I started to tie up a bit and Kathryne Cronje and went by. Then in the last half mile, it was Robin. We all finished with in half a minute and apparently that was the closest bunch of pro women of the race, since everyone else was very stretched out. So in that sense it was nice to have company over those last painful steps!When I crossed the line I was grateful to be there as always. Definitely a bit bummed with my 5:06 time, but ultimately my mission was accomplished. I proved that I am back to being a considerable force on the bike. My split was 4th fastest of the pro field. I finished in 14th place. Though my swim and run were wanting, there were no surprises to Coach Phil or me. I made the best of what my body has currently and that is all any of us can do.

I have a little bit of time to rest and recover this week, and then we are going to make some decisions about the remainder of ’06.

Huge congratulations to Becky Lavelle for a flawless race, to Kate, Desiree and Kelly Couch for climbing atop the podium. A special thanks to Nuun for saving me at the expo with a bottle of Nuun and to my awesome supports, Scott and Julie Gix for setting me up with another pair of Vigor shorts…they were awesome on the race course. Thank you!

In my next report, I will share photos of my soon-to-be built spanking, brand new Blue R6 road bike. I love my RC4, but man this new Blue Rig is S-W-E-E-T!

There is no Escaping the draw of Alcatraz!

2006-06-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and now 2006. Each and every June of the past 8 years I have competed in the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon. There is a reason why I keep coming back year after year. It is truly an adventure! Without a doubt the unpredictable nature of the Alcatraz swim puts the greatest degree of uncertainty on the race results. That alone makes the race an enormous challenge. Toss in a short, but highly technical bike course that takes athletes over hill and dale and a run that offers up something for every taste, Alcatraz truly delivers. The crowds on Marina blvd are deep and the tenacity of every competitor is palpable. Add in the unbelievable backdrop of beauty offered up by the San Francisco venue and the first rate, world class race production by IMG and TriCalifornia and Alcatraz is hard to beat.

This, as in every year, I was looking forward to Alcatraz as a fun event. My key events are still a ways off into the season, but that doesn't mean I don't want to have a great performance! A lot of things were stacked against me, but most of those issues I have been dealing with for a period of time now. Unfortunately those physical issues manifested as has been typical and I was relegated to a nice, strong effort, but not one that I am capable of.

On Monday I was fortunate enough to finally get an MRI scan of my back. For the past few years I have been going through various treatments, procedures, strengthening, witchcraft and pretty much anything I could do to somehow beat the pain. I didn't have health insurance so getting an MRI was financially not a possibility. I now have health insurance and after covering the remainder of my good ol' deductible, I was able to get than darn scan.

The results came back yesterday and I am now waiting to hear from the medical experts on my performance team. I'm certainly not qualified to interpret the findings, so I’ll have to take the films around and show my docs and see what they say.

Coach Phil and I have decided that I need to get away and train in a new setting. So, in a week or so I will be headed south to train in Santa Barbara, Ojai, Ventura and vicinity. It will be hard to leave all the cats and little Zola my chihuahua behind, but having the opportunity to focus solely on training is a luxury that I can not pass up.

Thanks for the kind emails and support. A big thanks to my long time sponsors. A special shout out to Jagwire and Optic Nerve, as well as Powerbar, Pro Tech and Cane Creek. When I break through at a big race, don't be surprised, I have had it all along...its just not possible to access that fitness and potential at the moment. However, I know it will be again, and soon I hope.

:) Rachel

Silver in the City of Gold

2006-05-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

City of Gold Triathlon Race Report
2006 marks the fourth year of the City of Gold Triathlon, a sprint distance event held at Lake Oroville in Oroville, CA. I have competed each year the race has been held and have watched it grow both in competitive spirit and quality. The race still retains its low key, beginner friendly atmosphere that makes it so special. I have returned year after year to support race directors Nikki Hertl and Julie Healy offering services and products from Hypercat Racing for the race award ceremony raffle. It is because of people like Nikki and Julie that people get into the triathlon lifestyle.

This year, as in others, I race the City of Gold tri as a training workout to gauge fitness and simply for the fun of it. Being a three time overall female champion garnered one single perk, that of having a target the size of the lake on my back. A terrific thing, since competition brings out the best in us!

The day before the race, I made an appearance at “Swim, Bike, Run and Then Some” a multisport specialty store located in downtown Oroville. Along with Coach Phil Casanta, I answered questions and talked shop about triathlon with athletes as they picked up their race packets. One of the highlights of the race weekend was meeting, Jayne Williams. Jayne is a triathlete living in Silicon Valley who describes herself as a “Slow Fat Triathlete.” Jayne just authored an inspiring book of that same title. (I bought her book well over a year ago! Pick up a copy.) Jayne is the type of person you want to hang out with and you can bet I will in the future! I had a lot of fun talking with Jayne and talking about a possible partnership on various projects in the future. With the store appearance concluded and my packet and registration materials picked up it was time to get everything ready for race day.

For this event and other sprint races like it, I keep things very simple. However, I still go through the same routine and entrust the same equipment, clothing and nutrition that I do for the more significant events. For race day I planned to ride my Blue RC4 equipped with Profile aerobars, Jagwire cables & housing and Cane Creek Aros wheels.I also had my trusty and lucky Oomph! power tri top and shorts ready for racing.Race morning I put on my race clothes and carefully applied my temporary tattoos. Today, Jagwire would once again adorn my ankles, Pro Tech skin care on my shoulders and Powerbar would be prominently displayed on my gear. As I set up my transition, I felt pretty good, loose and relaxed. In checking out the swim venue, it seemed that the course was a bit longer than a half mile, but I figured I’d get my money’s worth!

There were two separate waves for the women, with my wave being the first of the two. Along with other women under 35, we started 5 minutes after the previous wave of men. The gun went off and I quickly found myself in the churning waters of Lake Oroville.I’m still working on turning up the intensity while racing in the water and I felt like I was working hard and getting in decent position. This was my second race in the new Blue Seventy Helix wetsuit. Man, is that suit sweet! I felt good, strong and like I was slipping through the water. While drafting is illegal on the bike, it is fair game in the swim. I tried to get on some fast feet, but the group just in front of me wasn’t swimming a very good line, so I opted to swim solo and stick closer to the course line. I exited the water in 6th place according to yells from my coach.

The bike course, 12 miles in length, is incredibly short compared to what I am used to. A fairly demand route, the bike starts with a series of rollers and a climb up from the reservoir. I caught 4 girls in the first mile of the ride, thanks to the uphill route. From there I road as hard as I could muster. After some time I thought I must be in the lead as I was catching men from the previous two waves. I was wrong! There is a turnaround point and before I reached it, I spied a blond ponytail in the wind flying past me in the opposite direction. Yikes. I knew I was riding a course PR, so I knew that the leader must be an ace swimmer. I rode as hard as my legs would pump and little by little I closed down the 3:28 gap that the leader had on me out of the swim. Be the time we hit transition, I could see the leader…a top ranked triathlete and former UC Berkeley stand out swimmer. Awesome!

I started the run a little hesitant and even a little scared wondering if I could chase this gal down. The entire run was on winding trails in the woods. I used the men on course as ‘marks’ and reeled each one in one by one. At one point, I passed a guy who said between breaths, “man, there is a really tanned, hard body chic just up ahead, go get her.”I tried. As we approach the final leg of the run, the trail breaks out onto a ridge and I could see that I was closing the gap bit by bit. In the end I ran out of real estate. I crossed the finish line :17 back from the winner and placed 2nd.

Naturally I was going for a 4th win at this fun race, but I had a terrific effort and learned some good lessons during the race. As it turns out, I had the fastest bike split for the woman and outsplit the winner on the run, too. Her swim spanked mine and thus she earned her win, leading from start to finish.
So, it was a 2nd place finish at City of Gold and my best time in the past few years.Now its on to the next race, the Uvas South Bay Triathlon, another training event before we hit the Escape from Alcatraz and Caliman Half Ironman. Race Day is Sunday, May 21, 2006. A race report will follow!
Check the photo gallery for the latest photo additions.

Thanks for the support!
-Rachel