It Doesn't End Here

I took a week off from training after the race on June 25th, now Tim and I are back at it. The Team in Training group is so driven and encouraged to do a few more races this year. Many of them are stepping it up to do a 1/2 Iron Man. Tim and are working on our Sprint and Olympic distances. There's nothing wrong with perfection. Most groups fizzle out and don't think about doing another race until the next session. It's been a fun group, we meet two to three times a week. We've taken what Wade (our coach) has taught us and kept it going.
Go Team!

The Finish Line

On Sunday, June 25th I competed in the Pacific Crest Olympic Distance Triathlon. It didn't go as well as I had hoped but, I did finish and that's what was important.

I woke up on Sunday morning at about 2:45am with a not so pleasant stomach ache. I think it was partially nerves and partially something I ate the night before. I completed the race on an empty stomach, making it a very difficult race to swim, bike and run. I was also dealing with 98-degree temperatures and an elevation of 4200-ft.

The .9-mile swim went fairly well finishing in about 0:29:33. The 28-mile bike ride was beautiful, however it felt more like a leisure ride than a race (I just didn't have it in me to power through those hills). I finished the bike in 1:52:51. And the run, well with my quads cramping and my body lacking nourishment let's just say it was probably the second worst 6-miles I have ever run - the first being the last 6-miles of the Chicago Marathon. I must admit that with 3-miles to go I wouldn't have been able to continue if it wasn't for my wonderful husband. Tim rode a bike and walked beside me to the finish line and it was his encouragement that kept me going. I completed the run in 1:16:53. This gave me an overall time, including my transitions, of 3:46:19.

This race may be over, but I am encouraged to do many more. I think doing triathlons are my new sport of choice. I'll let you know when the next one is.

Thanks again for all of your support. The Leukemia, Lymphoma Society raised over $103,000 with our team - Thank you! I encourage all of you to support Elizabeth.

Let the Races Begin

This is it folks, the moment of truth. Think of me on Sunday morning at 9:00am (pacific daylight time), give me about 4-hours to complete the entire course, I'm shooting for 3.5-hours however finishing will be a bonus. It's a 1.5K Swim, 28mi Bike and 10K Run.

Thanks again for all of your support. Your next update will be on Tuesday.

12 Days to My Big Race

That's right people I have less than two weeks before I swim, bike and run the Olympic distance triathlon in Sunriver, OR. Am I ready, not really but I will be in 12-days...right.

Make final donations at my Team in Training page. Thank you for all of the support you have all given me. I love you and if I don't see you at the finish line, I promise you will hear from me when I get back.

Race Information

Sprint Down...Olympic To Go

Tim and I completed the Issaquah Sprint Triathlon on Saturday with our spirits high. We felt we had worked hard and done really well. It was good for me to do this race as a practice run for the big event coming up in Bend, OR. I must admit it seemed to be the perfect distance. To think I will be doing twice the amount in less than 4 weeks.

Tim was thinking about doing the Pacific Crest Tri and he had told me that he would make the decision at the end of the sprint triathlon. His first words to me as he crossed the finish line were, "honey you are on your own". He enjoys racing and competing and I believe he will do another sprint race with me at the end of the summer. It's the 6.2-mile run at the end of an olympic event that doesn't thrill him too much. He loves to swim and bike, running is just not his thing.

Laud it Cold

So I did it, on Wednesday night I went to Luther Burbank on Mercer Island and plunged into Lake Washington. It was my first open water swim wearing my wet suit. It went really well for me. The initial entry took my breath away, literally, then it got much easier. I was alot warmer than I thought I would be and I wasn't as freaked out with not seeing the bottom, as I thought I would be. Hey I'm Jamaican what do you expect.

Our sprint race is tomorrow...wish us luck.

Another Update

Tim and I will be competing in a sprint triathlon on June 3rd in Issaquah. After that race I will have 22 days until the Pacific Crest Triathlon.

How is my training? Here is the latest: On Saturday we had a multi-brick workout which included a 10-mile bike ride, 2.5-mile run, 10-mile bike ride, 2.5-mile run ending with a 8-mile bike ride, whew, it's just as hard typing it as it was doing it. It was a long training but it felt really good. Monday I had my 2-mile time trial and I was 30-secs off of my best time...YEAH! I'm feeling more and more ready for this race.

I'm only $410 short of my $3,000 goal. If you have not made a contribution to Team in Training do so today. If you have THANK YOU!

Training Update

Last week started out with a bang. I went for my usual Monday run at Green Lake, we were doing mainly hills. I was feeling good until my right knee buckled under me. I wasn't in any pain so I kept on running. The following morning I went for a run around my neighbourhood, feeling no pain but having an odd feeling in my knee, it was a pretty good run also. On Tuesday night after a late night meeting my knee was killing me, I was in pain. I had difficulty walking down stairs and it was slightly swollen.

On Wednesday I gave it a rest as well as Thursday. Friday I was heading out of town to Orcas Island and although my knee was feeling good, I was beginning to feel a little stick with flu like symptoms. Saturday I worked all day, walking at least 3-miles around Camp Orkila and on Sunday I had all the faith in the world that I could do a work out but my heal was now giving me trouble....oy vey.

Not a great week of training, I'm hoping this will be my only set back until the big day on June 25th.

Busy Weekend

Saturday morning I went on what was to be a 45-mile bike ride. Well, it turned out to be 52-miles, partially because there were a few turns we made that were wrong. Our ride took us from Marymoor park east on 202 to Fall City north on 203 through Carnation winding our way back to Marymoor via one bitch hill, it was the Snoqualmie Valley experience.

It was a good ride, I felt good and I worked hard to maintain my speed while keeping bikers ahead of me and behind me, mainly because I do not know that area very well. I knew getting lost was inevitable, I just didn't want to do it on my own. I will tell you that it was one of the most beautiful rides I have been on in Seattle. I rode by places I have been to before but I got to see places that I never even knew were in Seattle such as the Nestle Training Center. I wish I had my camera with me.

For the record, Tim went on a 14-mile ride from home.

Later that afternoon it began to rain, missing me on the bike - yeah. Phillip (Tim's nephew) visited us and took us to North Face to go shopping. He works for a store that owns NF and we got to get ourselves a few items at a 50% discount. We couldn't resist. Check out our new tent and backpack. Then we had dinner with our friends Kevin and Michelle.

Today, Sunday, we are taking the Moriarity kids for the day. It's thier Christmas gift. We'll let you know what we decided to do with them. The good news is the sun is shining.

Hump Day

The middle of the week. It can be the greatest feeling in the world OR it can feel as if the week is just dragging along. This Wednesday is a good one. I've just returned from a run that felt really good and I'm about to cook my husband and I some cod. Although cod is some of the cheapest fish you can buy, it is probably one of my favorites. I suspect that it is because cod or salt fish as we know it in Jamaica is a part of our national dish and I ate it a lot growing up.

Monday Tim and I went for a 2500m swim. Tuesday was an off day because we decided to go watch the Everett Silvertips play in the playoffs. Thursday will probably be a run/bike day. I'll let you know what we do on Friday. Saturday I'm going for a 45-mile bike ride. Sunday, well Sunday may just be another rest day...we'll see.

Confused

That's what I am. I kept getting my training weeks mixed up. Finally, I think I have figured it out. I am currently in my 11th week of training. My 9th and 10th weeks were consistent and this week I must say that I have stepped it up a notch. Well that's what my butt, back and legs are telling me.

Sunday I did a 1600m swim. Monday was 1-hour running hills. Tuesday I went for a 3-mile run and I played a serious game of floor hockey. Wednesday I will be swimming, Thursday I plan on doing a 17-mile bike ride. Friday I plan on doing a 4-6 mile run and Saturday we have our second multi-brick (run/bike).

Go Team!

Week 9 of 21

I'm not even half way there, I have to admit that I have a far way to go. My runs are still feeling a little sluggish, my bike rides could certainly use a little more power and my swimming, well I just need to get into the pool more than once a week. Even though I am feeling this way, I promise all of you that have made a contribution to this wonderful cause that I will be completing this triathlon.

Today we had three 1-mile repeats, tomorrow I will run about 3 miles, Wednesday I will be doing an hour of boot camp and then swimming for an hour. Thursday I plan on doing a 17-mile bike ride, Friday I will do a 4-6 mile run, Saturday we are doing a 1-hour trail run and Sunday I plan on resting. I will let you know what really happens and how it really turns out.

Thanks for all of your support.

Go, Go, Go

Saturday morning I had my usual Team in Training workout. This week it was an out and back 35 mile bike ride from Marymoor to Matthews Beach. It felt great! I think I'm finally feeling good on the bike. I'm getting use to using my gears the correct way, I'm feeling much more efficient on the bike.

At the end of practice I rushed home, took a shower and at 1:00pm I kissed Tim goodbye (He worked deligently in the garden all day Saturday). I had to make the 1:30pm ferry to Kingston. I was heading over to Fort Worden which is in Port Townsend. I was meeting up with our Adventure Guides group (work stuff). The best part is that I made it back to Seattle by about 6:30pm, that's right it was a quick trip.

On Sunday morning I felt that my house needed a little attention so I cleaned it. I love a clean house! My reward was brunch at one of our favorite spots- Wild Mountain. We hadn't been there in a while so we spent most of the time catching up with friends, we know the owner and the ladies that work there.

It's Been A Long Week

Monday was a beautiful day in Seattle. It was the first day of spring. I went to Green Lake and did my timed 2 mile run, this is my second time doing it. The good news is that after two weeks of vacation my time was 2 seconds faster. I would've liked to have been at least 30 seconds faster but at least I am consistent.

The rest of my week included a swim and a soar knee taking my running out of the training plan for this week. Haven't had much else going on. Just hanging with the hubby and reading alot. I tell ya, it's been a long week.

My Weekend Workouts

Saturday, March 18th 2006:
I woke up at about 5:30 this morning, I have practice at 9am and I would love to get just a little more sleep. It's not happening, so I jump on my computer and take care of some reunion business.

My Team in Training practice this morning is at Seward Park. I will be doing my first multi-brick training. When I get to Seward it is cold, very cold but I know that my bike/run will soon warm my body. We bike a 5 mile loop, then run what I believe was 1 mile. Everyone was to complete 4 transitions, I only completed two and a half. I was close to stopping at two but, with the help of my coach I did the bike one more time and it felt good to do that. After two weeks of vacation and my lack of training, I was hitting a wall very early on.

Sunday, March 19th 2006:
It's a gorgeous day in Seattle. If you had a chance to be outside, I hope you were. I went to church in the morning then Tim and I decided that we needed to be outside so we went for a bike ride. We headed from home down the Burke Gilman Trail to the UW, about 12 miles round trip. I don't get enough time on my bike and although my legs were certainly feeling it, it was nice to be out there - so this was a nice bonus.

Soon Come

Tim and I are going to be in Jamaica for 2 wonderful weeks. I arrive on Thursday (March 2nd)and spend a few days in Kingston with my family. Tim arrives on Sunday, after a business meeting in Miami. We head to Negril (Catcha Falling Star) on Monday morning for 4 nights and then we will spend one night in St. Elizabeth at Jakes. Our final weekend in town we plan on seeing family and friends. During the entire visit, I plan on eating as much good Jamaican food as I can.

As for my training, the good news is that my sister, Lisa, is also training for a triathlon so I plan on tagging along with her. When I'm off in the country I will play tennis and run.

I'm not sure how much blogging I plan on doing, you might get an update on the trip and then again I am in Jamaica so you might not.

Layta

The Training Continues...

I am 5 weeks into my training and as the workouts get more and more intense I am reminded at our Saturday practices why I signed up to do this.

Alex McKinley is an energetic, brave 11 year old boy in 5th grade. He was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia on January 20th, 2005. He is now in the maintenance phase of his cancer and he seems to ge getting better, but it has been a long road for Alex and for his mother Kaori and his 8 year old brother Chirs.

When I think of the total number of miles that I will be doing in the Olympic Triathlon and I think about how far Alex has to go, my distance seems so short. Good Luck Alex!

I Need A Nap

At 8:30 this morning I rolled into the Redhook Brewery parking lot ready for my 25 mile bike ride on the Burke Gilman Trail. It was a cold morning and from the moment I jumped onto my bike I wondered if my Jamaican blood was really cut out for this.

There were many Team in Training members out on the trail as we rode into (not literally) the marathon team. Plus, there was another large group of about 100 people that were going to be riding over 50 miles and then of course you have the people that just love to run on the trail or live in the area, so needless to say for a cold morning the Burke Gilman was very busy.

As we headed on down the trail, towards Seattle, my fingers became more and more numb. I couldn't feel anything, surprisingly my ears were doing okay and so were my feet it was just my fingers I was having a lot of trouble with. I was feeling pretty strong 3 miles into the ride and very encouraged that my body, and those pesky fingers, were going to start warming up.

For the majority of the first half of my ride I was pretty much on my own and very focused. It was at mile 11 that I had a couple pass me and decide that it was time to chat, take over the entire trail and slow down to the point where I was coasting most of the time. It was just before the turn around point that I had the opportunity to pass them, I kept it that way.

The second half of my ride didn't go as well as the first. The first problem was there was a very cold head wind that was kicking me in the butt. Then, although the trail is somewhat flat, heading back there was a slight incline and this time instead of my fingers going numb, my toes were now feeling very uncomfortable. To make matters worse, I didn't eat anything before the ride therefore my legs were beginning to run out of gas. I made it back to our meeting place but I was needing some serious nourishment and a warm fire at that point.

For my first official ride with the team and for the season, I was pleased with how things went. I am looking forward to more long rides and improving my performance.

Week 4 of 21

This weekend took so much out of me that I missed my swim/run on Monday night. The rest of the weeks training will include a 45min spin class, a 1200-1500yrd swim, 6-8 miles of running and a 25 mile bike ride. At the end of the bike ride there will be a Nutrition Clinic at Redhook Brewery, of all places. I have yet to bike outside this year and although I know how to ride a bike I'm a little nervous about riding in such a large group (there are 80 of us).

As I had said a few blogs ago, it's time to step up my training. Next week I will be out of the country and away from my scheduled practices so, it will be up to me to stay focused and continue building on the program and working just a little harder.

I am having a lot of fun with this program. It has certainly gotten me back into the workout grove and if my fundraising goes well I think I may have to do another one and another one and another one. Anyone interested in joining me? Oh, and I promise I will make time for a family.

It's My 2006 Goal

Every year I set a goal for myself and this year was no different. My goal for this year was to lose weight and get in shape. The only way I felt I could accomplish that was by participating in an endurance event, like a marathon or a triathlon.

When I walked into the Team in Training meeting on January 10th, my plan was to sign up for a race, and walk away with a structured training program and an experienced coach. I walked away with a lot more. This year my goal is not only to complete the Pacific Crest Olympic Triathlon on June 25th, but also to help raise awareness and money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This organization is dedicated to funding blood cancer research, providing education, and patient services. Thousands of people battle different kinds of blood cancer on a daily basis, and this is our opportunity to help.

I will be swimming .9 miles, biking 25 miles and running 6 miles in honor of Susan Dalton. I have known Susan and her family for over 3 years. Susan was diagnosed with leukemia 6 years ago at the age of 39, and was in remission for 2 years. She is currently hospitalized, battling her second case of Leukemia. She has had one eye removed and she has also gone blind in the other. Research dollars have increased the survival rate from 15% in 1965, to 46% today. With our help, hopefully these research dollars will help them find a cure in Susan’s lifetime.

By now, I hope you agree with me regarding the importance of this cause. Please help support me by giving generously. Seventy-five percent of all funds will go directly to research, and your contribution is tax deductible. Contributing money is a powerful way to get involved, when you can’t give your time. Many companies match charitable contributions, so please check with your company, and include matching forms with your donation. To make a contribution, please complete the enclosed donation form and return it to me by May 28th, or go to my website at www.active.com/donate/tntwaak/tntwaakPDugaw. If you would like, your donation can be made in honor of somebody special, just let me know their name, and I will race for them as well.

If you would like to support me through motivation, please check back here again and again and again. It will have updated information on my training. It is also a great place for you to write words of encouragement, like reminding me that leaving a warm bed at 5:30 am for cold Lake Washington is a good thing.