Master THIS!

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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