Fall

When I lived in Minnesota, autumn used to mean summer was ending, leaves changing, school's starting, and the days are noticeably shorter.

Now that I've been in So Cal for 5 autumns, I've almost forgotten what the leaves of fall look like, what going back to school feels like, and what the transition to winter is all about. Days getting shorter unfortunately do not change with a nicer climate. I do miss Minnesota - but not nearly enough to want to move back...sorry mom. Life in San Diego has been great; summer has been crazy busy and blogging has been lacking. I usually post a year end, but this year has had quite a few beginnings and endings, and what's a calendar and seasons to decide starts and finishes.

Summarizing summer sounds a bit like this:

I left off with the awesome race I had at SDIT, faking my way into shape. Moment was sponsoring the Carlsbad Triathlon a month later, so I snagged a free entry the day before the race (after standing on my feet all day moving the entire store to Carlsbad and back) and put together an okay race.

elusive both feet off ground pic!

My last run was SDIT and I had zero expectations. Carlsbad is a swimmers race, with a 1000 yard swim, 18 mile bike and a lovely 5k run. Although I was almost 2 min slower than last year and my run pace was slower than SDIT (and only half the distance!) I managed to get an AG win by 6 min, although I felt it was undeserving. I suppose it's about who shows up, and that's about what I did.

July and August [and mostly only September] were filled with work in preparations for the 4th annual San Diego Triathlon Classic that happened last weekend. All I can say is boy I'm glad it's over. Another mostly successful event with another sleepless evening in preparation for our biggest event of the year. It still kills me how people have the nerve to ask if I'm racing or if I raced. Um, no. The total amount of sleep the week before is right around 20 hours...I don't think I could physically race, even if I was allowed to! I hope you had fun if you participated...because that's why we do it! It sure ain't for the money.

My mom came to visit at the end of August. Sadly, Kyle was out to sea the entire time, but we had a blast in the short amount of time she was in San Diego. A zoo visit [I've lived in SD for 5 summers, and still haven't been until now!] and some time spent on the beach were the highlights.

oh yeah, i died my hair like gold medalist megan rapinoe

Managed a cove swim on Labor Day with Kyle. Such a rarity in life and it was pretty awesome. The swell was coming in and we tried to enter the caves but quickly retreated. 

floating w/ steve & frank. kyle not so much floating.

say "sharks!"

beach day at the cove? weirdos.

And... I pulled the trigger on my 2013 triathlon plans. I decided to give Oceanside a try - I've lived in CA for 5 years watching and following this race, and I have yet to toe the line of the closest Ironman branded event to where I live. I've had a lot of friends race [and with great success]. I hear it's a cold race with a hilly bike. After the heat of Panama last Jan, bring it. I swim in the ocean all winter and I'm not scared of a little chill. In fact, I'll embrace it because that's what I do...I'm Minnesotan, right?

So a couple weeks after Oceanside opened up, and I registered, a new Ironman was announced. Lake Tahoe. A full distance Ironman, new, and back in California...hmm. I know I know, I said I'd never do another one, but that was before this race was announced!! It's another first time event which I really like doing. Some people get nervous about first time events, but as a race director and a participant of a couple of first time events, I think they are the best. The volunteers are super excited, the locals aren't totally pissed off yet because they don't quite know what's going to hit them, and there aren't any expectations for participant times or any prior results to get anxious about. So, after a week of consideration after the announcement, I set my alarm and registered right when it opened [I was actually in a bike fitting at work, and cleared it with the lady ahead of time...]. So a boat load of money to the big M Dot corporation, paid for by the check I got for those stolen wheels at ITU. The race sold out in less than 24 hours. 

So just as May 1, 2010 was stuck in my head for a year, September 22, 2013 here I come. 1 year and 10 days...

Official training starts Oct 1.
24 weeks to Oceanside, 1 week rest and then 24 weeks to Tahoe; couldn't have planned it any better.

family vacation

husband returned from deployment.
i worked. i raced.
he raced. he crashed. [someone crashed into him]

Then we flew to Ohio. Our first flight together! Hauling all our "camera equipment" for our documentary of how awesome our life is. Nice try, says the lady at the counter - that'll be $500 unless you want to say it's a bike; then it's only $150. Okay, so we lie and say it's a bike, but really it's a bike. Or rather two bikes. We stopped trying to push our luck. At least our bags flew for free - welcome home sailor!

other sister megan :)

Ohio trip was filled with a lot of food, family, and fun. And too much humidity, heat, and hell. And by hell, I mean an hour long criterium race in the heat and humidity. What [in the hell] were we thinking? [Kyle signed me up while he was on a metal ship, sailing in the hot Persian Gulf, while dreaming of riding his new bike; let's face it, he wasn't thinking and I'm a sucker for punishment.]

swinging sibblings

Before I get to the race, I'd like to thank my mothers-in-law. Yes mothers - they rock. Seriously awesome moms who know how to cook real food and make our bellies happy and our hearts full. Ann [and family in tow] brought us a cooler of food to the airport for our climbing adventures in KY before heading to Ohio. Sandwiches, veggies, breakfast, yogurt, beer, snacks...and her amazing chocolate chip [crack] cookies. Before you know it, you've eaten 5. And are still going back to the bag for more. [Sorry to my mom, they weren't in Tupperware; at least I know what to get you for Christmas]. And to Kris for the amazing breakfasts and our family dinner, where I got to meet the Smith's and experience a midwestern storm that I've actually missed. Thank you moms. I'm lucky enough to have 3. And yes, thanks to the dads; John, especially for the awesome photography of our race, and Bill for the hospitality and laughs.

grill time during the storm

family dinner at the "adults" table - not so sure that's an accurate adjective.

Alright: Hyde Park Blast Criterium. The race sucked. From the gun to the end. Pure sufferfest. The suffering was more than Panama - because in Panama, when I suffered, I got to walk. When I suffered in Ohio, I had to suck wheel even harder. Do. Not. Get. Dropped.

Interesting course in a quaint town, with a diversion that leads you up a narrow residential alley and a hill...wtf. I used my big ring for a couple laps, and after my pack got dropped from the break, I began to shift down and spin up the hill as a means of conservation. Power was non existent [thank you chocolate chip cookies + beer] and my only method of preservation was wheel sucking and spinning. Absolutely no endurance on the straights, which BTW were straight INTO THE WIND. Oh, but it wasn't a nice Pacific Ocean cool breeze...this "wind" was straight from the breath of Hades. Hotter than hell wind that is neither refreshing nor beneficial in any way. I have zero memories of this wind from my childhood in MN - probably because I always had my head underwater in the lakes.

suffering. next to a giant. 

I can't even remember how many times I was near cracking off the back of this chase pack. "Hold on. Hold on. The pace will ease up. No it won't. OMG." Somehow I managed to keep making my way up the chase pack to the front while on the hill. Spinning. That never happens in So Cal. I was working harder on the straights, when I was drafting. It was craziness how these ladies were mashing up...I would have blown up. But luckily their cadence was so low that my super easy gearing with relatively high cadence actually enabled me to move up and conserve energy...what little I had. Gatorade was a thick sugar tar and I would've paid a competitor $100 for a chunk of ice in my mouth [and down my bra] during the race.

Last lap. I found myself sitting in the back on the last corner...crap! Where did the time go! Well now I suppose it's time to stand up for this long straightaway. And "sprint" with all my heart, since my legs and lungs weren't paying attention to my crazed mind anymore.

Ended sprinting my way to 2nd in the chase group which was good enough for 10th OA and 1st in the Cat 3 women. I even beat some 1's and 2's that were in my group! What a race. $60 richer... however, like I said, I would've traded in that prize money for ice packs. Oh yeah, and we didn't get lapped...score!

Surprised, but Ohio has a women's scene. It's fast, and the camaraderie is similar to So Cal - cold. Arguments about the results, no podium and no constructive feedback after the race. My beef was that they didn't score it separately.

Husband survived his 30 min race before mine and in typical super sherpa fashion, brought me a beer, when I just needed ice for the heat stroke I was experiencing. After my near internal meltdown, I did enjoy some libations.

Pedicures, pool time and pizza. Miguel's Pizza. Backtrack to day 1-2; we made a trek down to good 'ole Slade, Kentucky; home of the Red River Gorge and some of the nations best sport climbing [and pizza]. Motel'd it since we accidentally left our sleeping bag in the bike box that we passed along to the parents we met at the airport...doh! Climbed all day and earned our pizza. Drove to Cincinnati where we earned a shower.

Ale8 and Miguels - yummy in my tummy

Very excited I made the switch at work to enjoy the time with my husband and his family. Our time in Ohio was quick and we feel as if we didn't get enough time with either family, but are thankful for the vacation.  Once we returned to SD we got a vacation from our vacation. Fun at the fair, a housewarming party in Encinitas, the 4th of July, a ride on our new bikes, and of course, each other.

So happy my husband, my sherpa, my sailor, my best, and forever friend is back from his ocean journeys. Welcome home Kyle.

Faking fitness with my competitive nature

June 24th was the 30th Annual San Diego International Triathlon. It was my 5th year participating (year one I swam for a relay). I love this race even with all it's faults. It's in my backyard. My training grounds. I know the course and every pothole and corner and hill. This is my annual bench mark in this sometimes crazy triathlon journey. Kyle returned from deployment 2 days before, and it is also the Anniversary Sale weekend for Moment Cycle Sport, so I knew I'd be trashed going into this race.

Plan of the day: [POD in Kyle Navy terms] Race hard. Don't hold back. Kill the swim. Race the bike, and start pushing it at the first guard shack, bomb the descent. And run without holding back. Turnover.

Mostly a success.

my sherpa is back!

Swam 11:57. Finally under 12 min. I knew I was capable. This year the young ladies were put after the old ladies. Great; I felt bad swimming over old men, but now women?! Ugh... Nothing is ever intentional I swear. Started out hard. Whitney and Christine and another random girl hopped on my sides and I worked hard to get away. First 100 yards was pretty fast but I didn't feel gassed so I kept up with the pressure on my arms and kept kicking hard. Yes it's triathlon, and yes, I kick. :) Finished feeling ready to ride and hoping that I didn't swallow too much nasty bay water.

passing the walkers. silly small swim caps.

Biked 49:27. Got on Kermit and I was off. Since his wheels got stolen Jen was nice enough to let me borrow her 404/disc for the race. Cory gave the disc some much needed love (and glue) earlier in the week. Unfortunately the valve stem is too long for the hole and a regular pump adapter doesn't work. We managed to get it up to almost 100 [normal tubular psi is 120] with the air compressor the night before. Woke up and it was low. Probably rode 60psi in the race. Not ideal. Was mashing up all my power. I was riding with most of the weight on my arms to try and avoid bottoming out the disc. Carly passed me on the first loop on our way back [at about the same point as she did last year] and I knew I wouldn't be able to stay with her. She kicked my ass at Panama and has been killing it locally. I raced my race, being sure to take care of the disc and myself. Rolled into T2 and the volunteers were yelling at me to go into the guys portion of the transition area - "Um, no, lady, thanks for your help, but my rack is this way!" and I headed back where I came from.

Sioux Girl bike. Moment Kit. = mismatch racing

Run 47:33 Out onto the run course I saw Kyle on his bike and he tossed me a sip of water. He asked if I was leading and I said no, Carly was in front of me, and he was like are you sure? Anyway, 3 min later about a mile into the course, she passes me. WTF? What happened to you? Apparently she actually listened to the same lady  and had to go this crazy way looping around transition and so I got out before she even racked her bike. Bummer for her.

trying to stay with her

So run run run. Keep running. Ouch. Lungs are dead, legs are heavy. Trying to keep the turnover high. Cory with Ethan in tow, and Judd joined Kyle on the bike cheering squad train, and I felt like I was winning the Ironman WC. Super thanks to those guys for the cheers. Got through the nasty car rental area and onto the board walk where the eventual 2nd place chic passed me with a vengeance. Literally I couldn't even keep up with her for 1 step. So for the rest of the race it was a gut wrenching dig to the finish, hoping that all those footsteps behind me were that of males.

too tired to enjoy the prettyness

Finish. Wow that hurt. In a much needed push myself to threshold way. 5 min PR and 3rd place AG again. But a much different race for me.

Overall 1:51. In the last 4 years of doing this race I've dropped 12 minutes. In the last 3 years I've gotten 3rd place in my age group every year. Run was a surprising 7:39 average! Maybe that month of running in April actually helped? Maybe those 2 days of hill repeats with Noko and 3 days in the gym worked? Or maybe, I really know how to push my body beyond it's fitness when I toe the line. Can my competitive nature give me fake fitness?

"podium"

Off to work after the race, and Kyle was off to Ontario for his first race of the season [on land anyway].  Carlsbad and the latest challenge reports are next up in the blogging backlog.

Cookie Monster returns

And the saga continues. I've been on vacation so I haven't had a chance to get this crazy story in writing. Here it is:

Saturday during our anniversary sale at work we got a random phone call from a person asking the value of a Parlee frame and SRAM rival crank. Um what?! Apparently this person was in a Salvation Army looking at the frame and was wondering if $599 was a good deal. So we ask for the color and serial number...what do you know...it's mine. Cory told the "customer" that it was stolen property and gave the phone to the manager. They kept the frame in the office till I could get the chance to go pick it up. Why did the customer happen to call my bike shop? Well the frame had our shop sticker on it with our phone number [and old address]. So listen up people; shop stickers save [bike] lives.

Monday Kyle and I headed out to the good ole Salvation Army to retrieve my cookie monster. We had to call the cops so they could verify that I did in fact file a police report and I was who I said I was and showed them my receipt. We parked ourselves on a salvaged couch and waited 2 hours occupying ourselves with the iPhones [what would we do without technology?! Actually have a conversation?] waiting for the cops.

They came. Verified. And I walked out Scott free with my bike. Or rather part of my bike.

Who donates a $3400 frame to the salvation army? Someone who knows serial numbers are tracked. They even stole the fork, which was an Enve unpainted worth a chunk of $$ too.

Assuming they stole the bike and parted it out. Dumped the frame into a donation bin and it just so happened to land in my lap.

For now, Cookie Monster will be a [very nice] piece of wall art until I figure out what to do with a frame [no fork] and crank [and yes Dave, the bottom bracket too]. Anyone want to buy a really nice Parlee frame? I'll actually throw in a new Enve fork.

Alright. So who knew I'd actually get to see him again. I'm beyond excited.

I'll give a full report on Super Grover...but Cookie Monster has a very special place in the fleet, always.

SDIT update and Ohio vacation updates to come. Need to get better at posting sooner. :)

Super Grover

I'd like to welcome to our family, the addition of yet another bike. Super Grover comes to us all the way from Beverly, Massachusetts by way of Asia. Insurance lingo labels Super Grover as a replacement, but we all know Cookie Monster can never truly be replaced.

So I didn't really want a new bike. I was loving Cookie Monster and all his glory. But such is life and I'm not complaining. The process has left me with the resources to build mine and my husband's dream bikes. After designing and receiving the bike, I knew the name had to come. Mr. Monster took a while, but it really stuck. Kermit also came along after later in his life. I was trying out some names that weren't from a children's show, but none were really clicking with me. Missy suggested Tyrone. [close second]. I finally decided on Super Grover after a bit of research:

• Early in the series, Grover would often greet Kermit the Frog by running up to him and yelling, "Hey, froggy babeee!" and then giving him a hard slap on the back, which knocked him over. [this pretty much happened the second I brought Grover into the garage. Kermit knew he'd be taking a back seat for a while; eventually they'll become close friends.]
• A "valiant, caring blue monster". Sesame Street Unpaved describes Grover as "the Muppet we'd all like to be -- self-confident, furry, cute, capable, and intelligent. Well, self-confident, furry, and cute, at least".
• Opening credits to the Adventures of Super Grover, "Presenting the further adventures of everybody's favorite hero. A man who is faster than lightning, stronger than steel, smarter than a speeding bullet. It's... SUPERGROVER!"  [um hell yeah! the new bike will proudly represent these adjectives - speed, strength and of course smart racing tactics.]

So without further adieu, Super Grover. My new racing machine.

Parlee Z5 SL frame

New Sram Red components

Zipp 404 Firecrest tubular wheelset

Zipp SL carbon handlebar (Featherlight, tough as nails)

Zipp Service Course SL stem/seatpost

the box arrives! it's christmas in june!

the new sram red. lucky girl.

excitement, much? unpacking frame.

the build process begins in EJ's yard

Gluing the rims

zipp/sram

the guys were super busy at the shop,
so my friend EJ offered to get it done!

we be rollin'

training on a whim

I've been trying a bunch of new stuff, seeing what sticks and what doesn't with this whole life, sport, training thing. Running 30 days - um not for me. Lifting weights - jury's still out. Doing what I want, when I want? - I can dig this.

Noko is always a constant in this whole triathlon madness. She has a coach and follows a plan [and yeah, she kicks ass and takes names]. I tag along when I feel like it, and convince her to ride probably harder than she should, and run slower than she should. It's all good as we balance each other out.

I went home for a wedding and came back with a renewed look on training. A new bike will tend to do that. But I felt myself slipping and I want to be ready for SDIT - and every year it creeps up on me, and I find myself under prepared. I'm not looking for a training plan, but just a little consistency leading up to the race. Okay? So.

Last week I had two days of triathlon. Tuesday I rode with Moment, for my last ride on Kermit for a while I'm sure. Then I went to the cove with Noko, Julie and Allison for a glorious swim. [I think it's almost time to shed the wetsuit!!] And then Noko convinced me to run some crazy hill repeats with her on my street. Yikes! I thought I was having a heart attack and somehow I managed to crank out the 4 miles with her. OMG.

Thursday was Super Grover's real debut. I'm in love all over again. I rode my favorite route with some great people. I cannot believe how well he climbs, descends and hammers. I cannot believe how fast my bike is. Lance, I know this is overused, but it is about the bike. And yeah, I work at a bike shop, and it is in my personal and professional interests to say this, but that bike is worth every [MSRP] penny.

So after thoroughly trashing my legs on the Great Western, I thought it would be a grand 'ole idea to help my friend with final cleaning and moving on his vacation rental and then head to the TCSD Aquathlon. So much fun. So much pain. I swear, no matter how much faster I get at running, the pain is still the same. It wasn't like this with swimming. Someone please explain.

Aquathlon was a blast as usual. Such good people and such a fun event. Swim was rough as usual. Kicked in the face but overall it was one of those "blah" swims where I got out feeling fine. Running was okay. I didn't have a Garmin and I had no idea where I was pace-wise but as soon as I got to the pier and turned back...damn wind! Holy 30min/mile slowdown at least. Ended up getting passed by a couple of girls on the 2nd lap out and in the very last 1/2 mile. Yummy food. Great weather. Fun evening.

the sun came out to play.

Saturday evening after work I went to Fiesta Island with Noko for some one-legged drills. Sunday we ran for an hour after work and Erin joined us. I think I ended at 8.5 hours last week. That's consistent, right?

blue skies. blue helmet.

This morning I swam at the cove with the MVY masters peeps [so I swam alone]. Work was freaking awesome as Christopher brought his grill and yummy food, and Sara made some delicious salads, and we had a little memorial day lunch break fiesta. And this evening Chris and I are building Kyle's bike!

low tide. holiday craziness.

Fun times ahead. Had my last Skype date with my husband while he was in Hong Kong. So excited for real dates in a few short weeks!

grill master Hanley. awesome day at work

30 Days [or less]

...give or take.

I wanted to try the 30 day run challenge for a couple of reasons:

1) I didn't think I could do it
2) I hate running [okay so that's not a good reason; onto #3]
3) I heard it takes 28 days to break a habit. So I figured if I run 30 days in a row, I may break the habit of hating running.
4) build a base back for SDIT
5) I decided to do this the day before my bike was stolen. However it was convenient that I was getting into running and had 1 less distraction to pull me away. [sorry Cookie monster, wherever you are]

So the rules were easy. At least 2 miles a day. Slow, or go with a little speed if I felt up to it. But mainly slow miles. Short mileage. But I just had to change into running clothes and shoes and go.

morning boardwalk run in mission beach

So I tweeted my experience: [follow me! @rachelawills]
Day 1: I love an angry ocean. Breathing in the misty air calms my bleeding lungs during this mornings run.
Day 2: angry running experiment. Having my bike stolen gave a new spring to my step. Pounding pavement = #therapy.
Day 3: OB pier to see the backside of the surf and then up the hill. Guess which half was a wicked reminder of #IMSG?
Ohh I almost forgot to tweet day 4! 10 min left. Lunch time run is fun. Bonking is not. Must eat more during the day!
Day 5: lunch break run + gu = no bonk. Much better.
Day 6: running with friends is always better. Especially along sunset cliffs.
Oops! Day 7: running to catch the sunset. Barely got in the two miles. Good energy. http://t.co/fQfMniTp
And just now Day 8: another friend another mile. Fitting 3 into a lunch break is difficult.
[skipped april 10]
Day 9: makeup day run with Noko. 5 miles; to cabrillo and back. Lovely gossip run made the miles tick by.
Day 10: beach/bay run made even better with a friend and post run pizza. Yum
Day 11: forgoing my am run for something much more torturous. http://t.co/1DQ8S4Ge
Day 12: the ocean breeze never gets old. Especially when there is sun to back it up. Running past your wedding "venue" often doesn't suck
Day 13: another beach, another view, another great morning run. http://t.co/OoQtl8si
Day 13.5: freakshow. Ran tonight as a bonus run. Superman'ed over curb I didn't see. #notpretty. Still matched am average.
Day 14: not as stiff as imagined. Also sunset run on sunset cliffs isn't getting old, it's getting easy!
Day 15: back to the boardwalk for am run. Managed without incident. am vs pm run is still debatable.
Day 16: running with friends = superman or more mileage. Today was the latter. 4 mile am OB sesh with Noko.
Day 17: today is #420. My runner's high along sunset cliffs may have been enhanced a bit. #OBhippies
Day 18: Went for a run to clear my head. Sadly it's more full then when I started.
Day 19: hardest day yet to motivate. But post run party at my house with #PizzaPort surprise when I got back?! #Sogood http://t.co/0Shk36es
Day 20: 3 miles on the cliffs followed by #PizzaPort yummyness. Can't get enough #beerbuddies. http://t.co/KddLIHaO
Oh! Day 21: lunch time run goes faster when u know Santa, aka UPS man, is on the way with bike parts. Also friend runs are nice too.
Day 22: massage #3 this month. Will I make it before my hips fall off? Lunch run solely motivated by the presence of another.
Day 23: ocean swim without @JakeAMcLaughlin, pannikin, packing, 5 mile retarded fast run with Noko. Ouch. Good morning.
Day 24: wow. Awesome run on the boardwalk at Venice Beach in LA.
Day 25: barely made it last night. Fun 2 on the boardwalk. No curbs = no crashing.
Skipped today. Went climbing. Legs are now more sore than after any day of running. Must get in climbing shape before husband gets back!

evening boardwalk run in mission beach

Then it was over. I ran 26 of 30 days. I couldn't make it. Work and life and my body got in the way. Day 27 was the Spring Sprint race; followed by ITU preparations. Since then I've ran twice. [crazy] Hill repeats with Noko and the aquathlon.

just like 4 years ago!

my friend and newbie triathlete, ryan

Podium, or lack there of. 

Things I learned:
1) I still hate running.
2) I need to stretch more.
3) Trigger Point products are essential - I should commit to 30 days of rolling, with running sprinkled in.
4) My massage lady rocks. Let me know if you need a referral.
5) I'm a lucky girl. [more on this later]

Happy 4 Years

I moved to San Diego a little over 4 years ago. I signed up for my first triathlon and started this blog to "remember my journey" and hopefully learn a bit along the way. In some respects, the time has gone by so fast, it seems like just yesterday I was lying in my studio in OB getting the nervous butterflies trying to fall asleep the night before my first triathlon [with my timing chip already on my left leg.] In another sense, so much has happened since then, it feels like a lifetime ago. So we'll just agree, it feels like 4 years ago.

I got an entry from TCSD to the Spring Sprint on Wednesday before the race. Volunteering for the JCC swim program for the last 4 years has it's perks. :) And yeah, I like racing on a whim. No planning or nerves. Just straight racing. The Sprint Sprint (super sprint) was my first triathlon, on May 4, 2008. Two years later, I finished St. George on May 1, 2010. And now, 2 years post IM, I'm back at the spot where it all started.

Local races; no fluff, but being within biking distance of my house is awesome. "Late" wake up for triathlon standards at 5:45am and Kermit and I were off in the streets of OB with the still drunk or homeless [or both] with the aero helmet and transition bag. I'm pretty sure I was the "what doesn't belong with the others" in this picture.

I'm famous; okay not really, but working at a bike shop and being the face of the racing scene for the last 3 years = I know a lot of triathletes. Or, a lot of triathletes know me. I've been bike fitting for over two years and have met a lot of people through the JCC swim program I volunteer for. Anyway, this equates to a lot of chit-chatting and not a lot of setup or warmup. Oh well, it's just a local race and it's a time when I get to catch up with people I haven't seen in a while [probably since the last race.]

Swim; uneventful. Not many events can happen in a 400yd swim. Goal was to hit the edge of the water before the next wave of boys started after me. Success.

Bike; uneventful. What can happen in 9 miles? Apparently I didn't ride hard enough. By the time I felt good I was already heading off Fiesta Island back to transition.

Run; held on just long enough to not have my hip and quad totally screaming at me. Uneventful, but painful. Finished and I felt like I didn't push enough.

Sprints; are tough! It's a constant struggle to stay at threshold. Going over and you'll blow up. Going under and you'll feel like you could have went harder. Managing that line is difficult as I have an attention and focus issue no matter how much self talk I do. "oh look, a dolphin. Oh look, an idiot racer riding on the left. Hmm, what am I going to eat at brunch today?" and so on...

I won my AG by 6 min and was 2nd overall. My good friend Erin "man'd up" and raced elite and beat me by 40 seconds. My friend Ryan beat me in the swim, bike and run, but I beat him by 4 seconds in the race. Gotta love transitions...they are a part of the race!

I remember my only goal in my first triathlon was to run the entire 1.5 miles. At Ironman I wanted to finish with a smile on my face, and run the entire 26.2 miles. This race was much of the same. I was at the end of my running for a month goal and my legs were dead. Making it through the run was a serious goal.

So May has been a crazy month. I took some time off for Annie's bachelorette party and wedding. [which was gorgeous btw] And we were the age group race directors for the big ITU race that was in town. [two weeks of hell, and a 71 hour work week right before my vacation to MN.] Trying to get the final touches on the new road bike and San Diego International is in a month. Eeek! I thought I was going to train for this race for once.

Happy four years, San Diego! I'm enjoying the journey and I love where I live.