Angel Island 12K Preliminary Results

Preliminary results from the Angel Island 12K run on 8/23/03. I came 100 out of 234 people overall, and 25 out of 56 in my age category (F30-39). My time was 1:14:05. This is my first race where I am finally better than average!

Cardio Kickboxing and Swimming

I taught the 9:30AM kickboxing class at the Presidio YMCA this morning. I estimate that there were at least 25 people there but I can't claim credit since I was only subbing. I'm so used to teaching my regulars at the Sequoia YMCA that I instinctively pitched up the music. I probably shouldn't have done that since these folks aren't used to highly choreographed KB routines (Turbo Kick). Almost everybody followed very well, although two people who walked out. Oops.

I went home and took a long snooze.

In the afternoon, I went to the Embarcadero YMCA for a swim. I cycled there on Laura's mtb. I practiced zipper switches again and tried swimming some laps. My buoyancy has improved significantly, especially when I'm on my side, but I'm having trouble incorporating breathing: it disrupts my stroking rhythm and I sink. Perhaps it will help if I work on switch drills and rolling all the way to sweet spot.

I Joined Bay Area Velo Girls!

I was going to wait to see how the Sunday ride went before joining, but I was so excited just by reading the posts on the VeloGirls forum at Yahoo!Groups that I gladly forked over $25 (reduced price for members who join after July 1) to become a Velo Girl immediately!

After I sent in my application form, I received a lovely email from the founder, Lorri Lee Lown. She's a USACycling Expert Coach, ACE-Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and Johnny G.-Certified Spinning Instructor. Here's an excerpt:

Repeat after me....."I don't suck at cycling, I don't suck at cycling, I don't suck at cycling!" I read your blog, Lauren, and I completely understand what it's like to be a beginning rider. I teach beginners all the time and I was one myself (we all start out as beginners at some point, right?).

Anyways, welcome to Velo Girls. I'm going to be on Sunday's ride, so make sure to introduce yourself and ride with me, okay?

That single email made my day.

I re-visited the post Lorri read on my blog where I said I suck at cycling, and I realize that I failed to make something obvious there: I never actually rode WITH Fiona and Scott. They were miles ahead of me for 99% of the ride. I only saw them at points where they stopped to wait for me so that I didn't get completely lost. Yeah, I was THAT slow!

My First Triathlon

I did it! I completed my first triathlon - Tri for Fun #3 on August 16, 2003 in Pleasanton, CA. It consisted of a 400 yd swim, 11 mile bike ride and 3 mile run. It is a miracle I finished given that I had no idea what I was doing and made every triathlon mistake possible.

Last Minute Switcheroo!

I had originally planned on using my Giant for the race. I wasn't sure that I would be able to actually ride it on the course, so I was mentally prepared to run alongside it and push it for 11 miles if I had to. Fortunately, my guardian angel, also known as Laura Brisbee, came to my rescue.

I met Laura at my YMCA Group Exercise Instructor Certification. She is an athletic woman who has completed a marathon, triathlon and regularly participates in century rides: on a MOUNTAIN BIKE. Not surprisingly, she is an aspiring indoor group cycling instructor.

Two days before the race, I emailed Laura for some last minute advice to see if she had any ideas on overcoming my bike phobia. Not only did she give me helpful suggestions, but she even offered to loan me her 13.5" Trek mountain bike (MTB). Since the Trek is small, low, has wide handle bars and is easy to steer, she thought riding it may help me increase my confidence on bikes in general. She warmed me, however, that mtbs are heavy, so I wouldn't be able to go fast. I told her that no matter how slowly I was going on that bike, it would still beat running. I just wanted to complete the biking portion of the race without hurting myself.

I picked up the bike that evening on Thursday, August 14th (yes, two days before the race). Laura & I are about the same size so I didn't even have to change the seat height or anything. I tried riding it for a total of 40 yds to make sure I knew how the gears worked but that was all the practice I got. It was going to be my racing bike on Saturday. [Hint: Do NOT use untested gear for the day of your triathlon!]

Pre-Race

I woke up at 4:30AM, ate a LUNA bar, grabbed two frozen bottles of diluted Gatorade from the freezer, and headed out the door at 5:10AM. I arrived at 6:00AM, and followed the long trail of cars, SUVs and trucks (all loaded with bicycles) into Shadow Cliff Park. By the time I parked my car, signed the waiver, obtained my number and had myself marked, it was already 6:15AM and all the bike racks were full! I ended up leaning my bike against the end of one of the racks and laid out my towel to the side to set up my gear.

Nobody wore a wetsuit. I dipped my fingers in the water to find that the lake was warm. Rather than putz around with body glide and spend 20 minutes getting my wetsuit on, I decided to forgo it. Instead, I just swam with a Champion sports bra top and Zoox triathlon shorts that I had bought at Sports Basement the day before. [Hint: again, you are NOT supposed to wear something on race day that you've never tried training in!]

There was a helpful pre-race talk for first-timers by one of the organizers. There was a show of hands for first time triathletes; I was in good company, there were dozens and dozens of us. The organizer talked about the Spectrum of Will which is the thought process most first-timers go through when they consider doing a tri:

I won't --> I can't --> I'd like to --> I'll try --> I can --> I will --> I did

She congratulated us for having the courage to get to "I will", and made us feel proud for coming out to race. She also gave us some tips for swimming and running.

• Swim: most people are most worried about the swim. 400 yds isn't far, but I wish I had tried an open water swim beforehand. We were encouraged to lift our heads and "sight" about every 10 strokes to avoid straying off course. There were lifeguards floating around on boards everywhere to assist those in need. If somebody came to "rescue" you at any point, your swim was over for the day. But you were welcome to participate in the remaining two events.
• Bike: the course starts with an uphill section, so we were advised to put our bikes in the appropriate gear before the start of the race. I put mine in "granny gear".
• Run: focus on putting one foot in front of the other. That sounded like strange advice until I actually got to that section of the race.

Afterwards, there was a general pre-race talk for all participants where another organizer gave us an introduction to the race and a preview of the course. Our race was part of the 16th Annual Tri for Fun Series, and the last Tri for Fun event for 2003. The maximum capacity is 1,000 participants and this one was sold out. That's right, more than 1,000 people wanted to participate in this tri and some were turned away. Another fun fact: at the first Tri for Fun 16 years ago, only 10% of the participants were women. In the past few years, this percentage has increased and stabilized at 55%-60%! The Triathlon Sisterhood is alive and well.

The Swim

We self-seeded into six waves, each one separated by a five-minute gap:

• Wave 1: Competitive group: "This wave is for varsity water polo players or for those who have already done 100-200 triathlons," warned the organizer. "If you didn't get the joke I just made, DO NOT START IN WAVE 1!!"
• Wave 2: "Children, aka men 30 and under!" - his words, not mine
• Wave 3: Men over 30
• Wave 4: Women 30 and under
• Wave 5: Women over 30
• Wave 6: Everybody else, including those who have absolutely no intention whatsoever of being competitive

I wanted to start in wave 5, but it was maxed out so I started with wave 6. Slower swimmers were asked to move further back, and those who were struggling swimmers were told to count to 10 after the start, and then WALK (not run) to the water. In waves 1-5, everybody wanted to be at the front of the group, so it was funny to see that in wave 6, everybody hung back. I played it safe and planted myself in the middle of the pack.

After the countdown, I waded in the water and started swimming. The water was muddy and dark and smelled swampy. I could not see a blinking thing. I was somewhat prepared for this because I had read a bunch of triathlon books, articles and websites, and they all comment about the lack of visibility during the swim. It was still a shock nonetheless. [Hint: train in open water before the race!]

I started off with a lazy and leisurely stroke. Everything went well until I was hit by flailing arms and legs as people swam into me. I can't blame them - they couldn't see anything either. I tried to focus on my stroke and form, but in a moment of panic, everything I learned from Terry Laughlin's Total Immersion book went out the window. All my bad habits came flooding back as my legs sank [Hint: a wetsuit would have helped with buoyancy].

The one piece of equipment I used that was extremely helpful was a Seal Mask. They have incredible suction so they stick to your face and do not let a single drop of water in. They provide great visibility in clear water as well. Of course, I have small head so I kept on having to press my mask to my face to make sure water did get in. I think I need to switch to a child's mask instead.

Halfway through the course (200 yd), I switched to breastroke for the rest of the way. It made sighting a lot easier (you're looking forward) but it's a slow stroke, and requires too much leg movement.

T1

I had logically laid out all my gear so the transition was smooth: slow, but smooth. I dunked my feet in a little pail of water I had placed in my area to rinse off any sand/crud, and then toweled them off before putting on my socks. Before the race, I had prerolled my socks inside out so I could slide them on like a condom. Putting on my shoes were also easy because I had put some lace locks on them the day before. [Hint: did I mention that you're not supposed to try out new gear on race day??] I put on a shirt which had my number pre-pinned on it (I was at least smart enough not to pin the front of the short to the back), put on my biking gloves and helmet (it actually perched on top of my head because I had not yet figured on how to put it on correctly) and then pushed my bike onto the starting area.

I can't be sure, but I think some people were finishing their bike ride as I was just starting mine. I know I started 25 minutes later than wave 1, but still... gee whiz - that's quick!

The Bike Ride

I somehow managed to get on the bike, and started pedaling. And pedaling. My bike was steady and I was balanced thanks to the mtb's lower center of gravity and upright handle bars. Wow! What a great feeling! I switched to a suitable gear and got my legs moving at a great clip, probably even in the suggested 80-100 rpm range.

I thought I was doing well until a couple of cyclists passed me. Then a couple more. "This sucks," I thought, "Why am I so slow?" Then it dawned on me - it's what Laura warned me about. Heavy mountain bikes were not meant for road racing because they're slow. She said her Trek weighs 37 lb. In fact:

• It weighs more than a third of my body mass
• It weighs more than D's bike, but he weighs almost twice as much as I do

No wonder I wasn't going anywhere! Meanwhile, my Giant weights only 17.5 lbs - less than Lance Armstrong's racing bike in his autobiography It's Not About the Bike. How ironic. Regardless, I was ecstatic to be riding at all, even though I was going really slowly.

Part of my confidence stemmed from the fact that a wide, dedicated lane was created on the road for us to use. For the most part, we were separated from mainstream traffic by a row of orange cones. Maybe because it was a Sunday morning, but there weren't that many cars in the area, so I felt even safer.

There were points in the course where he had to make 90 degree turns. It was the first time I had made such sharp turns and I discovered, real-time, that they're really hard to do! I made these ridiculously wide turns, and had to brake to a very slow pace in the process as well. [Hint: learn how to make right angle turns before the race!] The sharpest turn, however, came at the turnaround point for the ride - a u-turn. Of course, I completely missed the turn and rode right by it, as did the guy I was following. But I heard all these people behind me yell, "HEY!!! You turn HERE!!!" Good thing too, because I was about to head straight onto a busy highway. After failing to make a u-turn, I stoped, got off my bike, duck walked while straddling and turning my bike simultaneously, and then started biking again.

As an aside, whenever I stop my bike, my instinct is to lower my leg and try to touch the ground. The stupid thing is, I know that I'm too high up to be sitting on my saddle and have my foot touch the ground at the same time. So I end up tilting to one side while landing pretty hard on my foot. Good thing I have strong hamstrings and quads from kickboxing - otherwise my knees would be mangled by now.

I forgot to drink anything during T1, but I did put a water bottle in my bike cage. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to reach it while cycling. So I didn't drink anything during my 11 mile ride and had a completely parched throat. I think I may need to invest in a little camel back hydration unit so I don't die of thirst during bike rides. Dehydration aside, it was fantastic ride (for me) and I was really proud of myself for cycling for the duration of the course. I only coasted at one point, and that was for the downhill portion back to the transition area. I usually coast a lot on my road bike because I feel like I'm going too fast (not really, it just seems that way coz I'm chicken).

T2

I racked up my bike, dumped my helmet and biking gloves, and strapped on a Nathan G-TREK II belt which was pre-loaded with my second water bottle before taking off.

The Run

I left the transition area, grabbed a cup of water from a volunteer ... and didn't know where to go next! There were people milling around in all directions because they had already finished the race. I went back to the water stand and asked, "Where do I go for the run?" Somebody made a wide sweep of their hand and said, "Over there!" Where? "Follow the arrows!" What arrows? I didn't see any arrows! I saw a couple of people look like they were starting their run too so I scurried after them. That's when I saw the arrows. They were wobbly lines on the ground drawn in chalk. [Hint: before the race, find out where you'll be entering/exiting the transition area, note the path to your belongings, and figure out where the heck you're supposed to go afterwards!]

I commanded my legs to run, but they weren't cooperating. It seemed that my synapses weren't firing properly because the motor neurons in my legs and feet weren't responding! I was disappointed because out of the three events, running was my strongest leg (pardon the pun) of the race. That's when I remembered what the race coordinator said, "Just focus on putting one foot in front of the other." So that's what I did. I half jogged, half trotted along the course.

I had finished my cup of water and wanted to drink more liquids since I didn't have anything the bike ride. So I took my bottle of diluted Gatorade, squeezed it, and ... nothing. My Gatorade was still frozen!! [Note: the Gatorade solution in my bike had melted because I was cycling in the sun, but my running belt was in the shade.] I ended up carrying unnecessary extra weight with me in the form of a block of ice.

Aside from the part through the parking lot, the run consisted mostly of trails. There were hills with mild gradients, what D calls "dipsy doos" or rolling hills. The path we followed was like the clover leaf roundabouts on a highway. You were pretty much always running in the opposite direction to somebody else on the other side of the same road. I initially thought it was stupid, but then I realized it was ingenious: not only were they able to create a much longer course over a smaller surface area, but since they put a water station in the middle of the clover, volunteers were able to serve runners 3-4 times from that single point at regular intervals throughout the run.

I eventually recovered some feeling in my legs but still couldn't run very fast. I promised myself that I would run the entire distance, no matter how slowly I was going. I refused to stop and walk. This was my best event (everything is relative) so dammit, I was going to do it properly! Even though I was going pretty slowly, I passed a lot of people who were even slower than I was (I guess everything really is relative). Most of the people I passed were walking, but I also passed people who were running. Like me, they looked like they had jelly legs. I think I passed a total of 10-15 people, making up some lost time on the bike.

The last section of the run was back through the parking lot, with a brief stretch of pavement to the finish line. As soon as I left the trail and saw this last section, I ran. I really ran. In fact I sprinted the rest of the way. Some lady I passed shouted, "Go for it!" as I went by. I glanced at the clock above me as I crossed the finish and saw that the time was 1:57:14. I started 25 minutes after gun time, which meant I completed the event in 1:32:14.

Post Race Thoughts

In the grand scheme of things, 1-1/2 hours is pretty slow for the distance I covered, but the important thing is that I I finished a triathlon. Me, the one who thought that runners were idiots - I guess I'm an idiot now! Me, the woman who would laugh out loud every time she saw a poster recruiting triathletes, and snicker, "Yeah, right!" Trust me, if I can do it, so can you. YES, YOU CAN.

Now that I've done a triathlon, I'm absolutely hooked. I don't intend to place or attempt anything heroic, but I'd like to incorporate training and competing as an integral part of my life. I do this for fun and for personal accomplishment. One more thing that D & I can do together for years to come.

Fistgloves

Rather than arriving late to track (I spent 1.5 hours discussing a 13.5MB Excel model with a coworker and couldn't leave work early enough to beat traffic), I went swimming tonight and used my fistgloves from Total Immersion. I've had them for a while, but this was my first time using them. Although "fistgloves" sound like something you'd buy at a porn shop, they are actually rubber (similar to what swimming caps are made out of) mits that have a big pocket to wrap around your fist and a smaller enclosure for your thumb. The forces you to swim with closed hands.

For the first half hour, I struggled to complete any of the "zipper" drills I had set up to accomplish. I couldn't complete a full lap of any of them. The only thing I could do was "skate"; even "under skate" was a challenge. I also tried front crawl with even more disastrous results, but I should have known since there was no way I could swim if I couldn't even drill properly. My legs kept on sinking and I felt like I was swimming uphill - the opposite of what I was trying to achieve.

After half an hour, I took off my gloves and swam a couple of laps with minor improvements. Then I put my gloves back on and something clicked. I was buoyant and could balance comfortably in water. I was quite excited and started swimming some relaxing laps.

I wanted to swim longer but it was getting late and the pool was getting crowded. I'm going to swim on Friday to try the "zipper" exercises again. Hubby will be en route to his bachelor party in Yosemite, so I can dedicate this weekend to training and wedding website development (finally)!

I Suck at Cycling... A Setback

On Sunday, I took the bold move to participate in an intermediate ride. I emailed Leilani in advance to ask whether it was appropriate for me to participate since I was a beginner. She said that the ride was open to all and the course was flat and fast.

We met at the McLaren Lodge in Golden Gate Park, a popular meeting spot for runners and cyclists. Fiona led the ride that day, along with Scott, Leilani's fiance. Leilani was not able to join us.

As soon as I saw Fiona on her bike, I knew I was completely out of my league. She had a beautiful Bianchi complete with aerobars and a speedometer. Both she and Scott will participate in Big Kahuna Half Ironman in two weeks.

For the first part of the ride, we went through Golden Gate Park, half of which was closed to traffic (no cars - woo hoo!). We took John F. Kennedy Drive and veered right to end up at the Great Highway. The Great Highway is a popular route for cyclists because there are not that many cars and it has a separate biking lane. Even so, one of the tri club members fell on the highway the week before and injured her knee. Nobody knows what happened exactly: the two most popular theories are that she may have slipped in a patch of sand and/or got her tire stuck in a narrow crack on the road. Whatever the reason, my heart rate went up about 5-10 beats per minute upon hearing about it.

Because of the accident, we did not ride on the road, and instead rode on a parallel path next to the highway. It was filled with walkers, runners, rollerbladers, and also other cyclists. We countered only one or two traffic lights along the way, and of course I fell trying to get onto my bike after the light changed for one of them. Somehow, I was able to leap to the side and land on my feet.

We took a left at Sloat and then a right past the parking lot to Lake Merced. There's a nice loop (no cars again!) around the lake that we biked around once before heading back towards the Great Highway.

On our way back, we had to go up a little hill. I walked my bike across the road and then toppled over while trying to start cycling. I landed on my side, but since I took the hit on my butt, I suffered minimal injuries. It's one of the few times I'm thankful for having a naturally well-padded rear. The truly embarrassing thing is that I knocked Scott's bike over and may even have taken Scott out in the process. Scott wasn't actually on his bike at the time (thank goodness). He was standing on the side watching me trying to get on the bike.

Fiona asked me how I was getting on my bike because I seemed to fall a lot in the process. I told her that I first backpedal with my right foot so it's in 2 o'clock position. Then I push down with my right foot (it's not clipped in) and then simultaneously move backwards to sit in the saddle. She said that by doing so, I'm putting my body in an inherently unstable position, causing me to fall.

The correct way, of course, is the methodology D taught me: you clip in with one foot (say the right foot), backpedal to 2 o'clock, push down with the clipped foot, start cycling, and then sit down only when you're balanced. I hate it when he's right! Of course I can't do any of this because my balance is atrocious and the idea of clipping in from the get go is extremely frightening. To make things worse, I'm also making life more difficult for myself by (1) wearing a massive backpack and (2) starting to cycle in a "hunched" position. Most people start off in an upright position with their hands on top of the handlebars - one of the things I've been meaning to practice.

I eventually made it back to McLaren Lodge in one piece. I was grateful and appreciative that both Fiona and Scott were so patient with me, but I was beyond embarrassed for making them suffer through such a terrible ride. I won't try tackling that again any time soon! I have to first spend some time in an empty parking lot with the ol' Rollerblade pads to practice how to mount and dismount my bike. Back to basics. Real basics.

After this distressing turn of events, I became even more depressed when I saw this web page on choosing a bike for triathlons. Right at the bottom, the author writes, "It looks foolish to show up on an expensive, top-of-the-line bike if the engine (you) is not powerful enough to make it go fast." *sigh* They might as well have put my photo next to that sentence.

Since then, I have been desperately searching for beginner cyclist support groups and have finally found a promising one called Bay Area Velo Girls. As the name suggests, the rides are for women only, which is easier to foster a more relaxed, encouraging atmosphere for female riders. Not that men aren't supportive, but the dynamics are just different when they're around.

There seem to be cyclists of all levels in this club. They range from complete beginners (like me... I hope?) to racing speed daemons who burn serious rubber. I'm going to try their 30-mile "no-drop" Sunday ride this weekend. They stop & regroup every 15-20 miles, which allows the slower riders to rejoin the faster riders, and a designated sweeper that rides at the back of the group to make sure nobody gets left behind. It's only Monday and I'm already very excited and looking forward to the Sunday ride. I think cycling with a bunch of other ladies will be fun, safe, and provide an opportunity for me to pick up some cycling tips.

Angel Island 12K Trail Run Review

I participated in Envirosports Angel Island 12K race today. There was an option of doing 25K instead which was the same course as the 12K, but done twice. I don't usually practice hill runs, so I thought a 12K (7 mile) trail run would be plenty. It was.

I arrived in Tiburon at 8:10AM which was plenty of time to make the 8:30AM ferry to Angel Island. Just so you know, there's a $10 parking lot across the street from the ferry terminal, a $5 lot up the street and also a $2 lot even further away. If you choose the $5 lot (as I did), make sure that you either have a $5 bill or five $1 bills because the parking ticket machine does not provide any change.

As usual, there was a long line of people waiting to use the bathrooms so I waited until I got to the island. Most other people had the same idea and made a mad dash for the toilets as soon as the ship docked at the pier. Instead of waiting in that line, I sprinted to the restrooms up the hill next to the visitor center. When I arrived, the door was closed! Fortunately, it was held shut by bungee cord, and not locked. I quickly detached out the hooks before dashing inside.

The start and finish of the race was next to the shady picnic area at Ayala Cove. I put down my knapsack on one of the picnic tables, and did a few warm up laps before stretching. As usual, the competitors in the longer race started first because the trails are too narrow to accommodate all the runners simultaneously. Remaining runners started 10 minutes later.

The 12K was awesome. We began with a lap on the paved road around the picnic area before heading towards the trail that consisted of switchbacks winding up the mountain. When we reached the point just below the summit of Mount Livermore, we had spectacular views of Marin and Golden Gate Bridge. Dave Horning (executive director for Envirosports) told participants to feel free to stop, admire the views and take photos. He would deduct "sightseeing time" from your recorded race time, although you couldn't win the race that way! It was pretty funny because I actually saw a few people take him up on the offer -- they really did stop to take photos.

After the initial ascent, the next portion of the race circumnavigated the island so we had unobstructed panoramic of other parts of the Bay Area, including San Francisco, Alcatraz Island and the East Bay. Not that I've done that many races, but this was by far the most beautiful one I have participated in so far.

The weather was cooperative today, so we had gorgeous weather. The sun had burned up the fog (hence we were able to see the amazing views), but even at 10AM, the sun beat mercilessly down on us. It was dry but hot, and I was glad that I had brought my Nathan Sports G-Trek II Trail Running Pack. Some runners don't like that design because they find that it chafes and causes them to sweat more but it works well for me.

A few people passed me during the run, but I ended up overtaking way more. I tried to keep a steady, consistent pace throughout the race, but my main goal was to just keep running, even on the uphill portions where a lot of people stop to walk. I am proud to report that I succeeded in doing this, even though there were points where I was taking only baby 6" steps. The inclines came at the worst times too. For instance, just when I thought I was done with all the climbing, there would be another steep slope up ahead. I played mental tricks to keep me going, for instance, telling myself that I would only run as far as the next corner, and reevaluate/take it from there. If it was flat/downhill after that, great! If not, I would convince myself to keep on going just a little more to the next corner, etc.

I don't have a heart monitor, so I relied on how I felt to determine how hard to push myself. It was tempting to pull back into a slower pace to catch my breath, especially after a climb, but I made sure that I was going at 75%-85% intensity all the way through. I was breathing heavily throughout (but not hyperventilating) and was uncomfortable during the majority of the race, so I think I achieved my goal. It was a "tempo run".

At one point, I saw this middle-aged, overly tanned shirtless guy wearing shorts and Tivas. I think they were "trail Tivas", but the fact that he wasn't wearing socks or running shoes was surprising to me. I'll call this guy Walk'n'Sprint because that's what he did. I saw him in the distance and eventually caught up to him when he was walking. Just as I reached him, however, he would sprint ahead, and then stop to walk again. This happened several times and was really annoying because it was hard to overtake him! I thought he would be better off just running slower but without stopping since he was completely messing up his cadence.

I eventually passed him during a longer uphill section. Actually, that's when I passed quite a few people who had resorted to walking. Very soon, however, I heard somebody breathing down my back. A lady had just passed me and I turned at that point to see whether the heavy breather wanted to move on ahead as well. "No," came the reply, "I like your pace." I was pacing Walk'n'Sprint! Grr...

The final part of the race was the same as the beginning but in reverse. At one point, I took a wrong turn and nearly headed up the mountain again, but Walk'n'Sprint called out to put me on the right path again. To his credit, he didn't take the opportunity to pass me, but then and again, he didn't have any incentive to do until much closer to the end because he was essentially drafting off me.

Immediately after I started the descent, I got my second wind and "runner's high" for the first time! I have been waiting for this moment for a while now. Every time I've run before, especially during races, I'd think to myself, "Any moment now... it'd be great if this runner's high thing would kick in!" but with no luck. D said that I would know when it happened and he's right. All of a sudden, I felt like I could go much faster and without effort. Maybe it was because I was going downhill, but I started SPRINTING down the mountain. It was amazing. I overtook lots of people and some of them even cheered me on. One lady shouted, "Burn up the trail, sister!" I also saw some 25K runners heading in the opposite direction and enthusiastically high-fived them.

I finished the race in 1:14 hours, squeaking ahead of Walk'n'Sprint. He probably could have blown by me during the last segment, but had the curtesty of not doing so. He even thanked me at the end of the race for pacing him.

I liked this race much better than the Point Reyes 10K. According to the Pacific Coast Trail Runs website, the Angel Island 12K has 630 ft of elevation, which is just 70 ft less than Point Reyes, but it's spread over a much larger distance. I've been trying to find other trail runs to do, especially those that are 10 miles, but they all have 1,800+ ft of elevation which seems daunting... for now at least.

Finding Second Gear - and Other Major Cycling Breakthroughs!

I learn something new about cycling each time I ride.

At 8:30AM, I started putting on my gear to cycle to the warming hut in the Presidio. D looked at my helmet and asked whether it was too tight since it looked like it was balancing on top of my head as opposed to encasing it. It was because I had not loosened the clasps at the back of my helmet before putting it on and had tried to jam it on anyway. Duh.

I was meeting Stephanie at the Presidio for a beginner ride, and decided to cycle there from Pacbell Park. The friendly folks at Freewheel had adjusted my bike the day before, and as I suspected would happen, Carlos noticed that my saddle was too low and raised it. I was going to lower it again but decided to keep it at that height to see how it felt. It was FABULOUS. Since I was getting much better leg extension, my legs didn't tire out as easily, especially my quadriceps. The tradeoff was that it was my toes just barely touched the ground when I rode, so it was a little scarier, but I decided I just had to overcome my fear.

I started off cycling on the road, but started to freak out when cars started zooming by, so I switched to the sidewalk. I got all the way to the aquatic park to pause momentarily at the bottom of The Hill. It's not a long path up the hill (my guess is 50 yards), but it's steep. So steep in fact, that most people push their bikes up. I usually do that too, but I I thought I'd try biking it instead. It helped that I had clipless pedals, but I was worried because one of my my friends had injured himself going up a hill with clipless pedals -- he didn't have enough momentum to go uphill and toppled over. That was a concern, but I wanted to try anyway. Guess what? I made it all the way to the top unscathed! Fear kept me moving my legs faster than a hamster on a hamster wheel, so I huffed and puffed throughout, but the important thing is that I reached the top!

It was a slow coast down the other side of the hill where I encountered a professional looking team of three other cyclists. They were very polite, even though I was in their way, and one of them said to me, "Nice bike! It looks new." I beamed with pride and replied, "Thanks! It is." That's one of the benefits of owning an a** kicking bike, I make an extra special effort to ride it.

I looked at my watch and saw that it was 9:15AM. I was supposed to meet Stephanie at 9:30AM so I had to pick up the pace to avoid being late. How could I go faster? That's when I remembered D saying something about front gears. He had completed an adventure race in Sacramento that week and complained that he had to do the entire biking portion of the race in first gear (small ring in the front) because his rings were warped and there was a high probability of his chain popping out if he tried to shift. I had asked him what the drawback of staying in first gear was, and he said that it was difficult to accelerate because you can't generate enough power & to go fast even if you crank your legs.

I shifted to the big ring in the front to see what would happen. Holy cow! I was flying like the wind! OK, maybe it was more like a gentle breeze, but everything is relative. I was definitely going much faster than I could ever imagine without churning my legs at an impossibly high cadence. It's weird. I was traveling faster than I had ever done before on a bike, but I felt safer because my legs were moving slower.

I met up with Stephanie at the Warming Hut and we started hitting the Presidio hills. Oh my. The course we took consisted of hills all the way. There were no extended flat sections. If we weren't hauling our butts uphill, we were sailing downhill. Well, Stephanie sailed downhill anyway. I was braking all the way down to maintain control. We weren't going too fast (thank goodness) but it was a a perfect course for a beginner like me and provided great interval training. At one point, I had managed to get myself more upright on the bike, but then had trouble operating the brakes on the downhill portion because my fingers weren't quite long enough to reach them comfortably. It was a little frightening and I resumed riding in the lower streamlined position afterwards. I woke up with sore wrists and forearms the next day from gripping the bars too tightly.

I did two laps lof the course in total. Stephanie patiently waited for me at the bottom of the hills for the first one, and I told her to move on ahead without me for the second. I loved it and rewarded myself by buying not one, but TWO caramel apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory at Fisherman's Wharf, along with a bunch of dark chocolate clusters with nuts. I came home squealing with excitement about the progress I made on my bike and excitedly reported all my new discoveries to my husband. I'm clearly still a beginner, and need to learn some basic skills such as cycling with one hand (so I can grab a drink with the other!), but I feel a lot more confident on my bike and will use my road bike for my next triathlon.

Kezar Track Session #3

Once again, we started off with a 1 mile (4-lap) warm up. I ran with Jen, who I haven't seen for ages because she's been out of town traveling to exotic places such as Panama, Mexico, and Cuba as part of her Berkeley MBA program. As an aside, Jen is training for the New York marathon, and has been tackling hills, most notably Billy Goat Hill, Twin Peaks, and Mount Sutro... all in one shot! She's planning on adding in Mount Davidson and Bernal Heights.

After the warm up, we did some familiar drills. The one I haven't written about is where you stretch out your arms to the side, and then run sideways while twisting your hips so your feet are alternating between facing the direction you're moving, and going backwards. We then did some abdominal exercises including "prancing" where you start off lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. We alternated lifting our feet about 4" off the ground while concentrating on pressing our lower backs into the ground to eliminate any space between our backs and the ground. We did this to isolate the lower abs. We did the same thing with feet flexed (heels touching the ground) and then both feet together.

I was hoping we would do 800's again but we ended up doing 1-mile tempo (85% maximum intensity) runs. We did this three times with some rest in between, but without additional exercises. We were supposed to maintain the same pace/time for each mile run. I averaged about 8:45/m. I probably would have run slower had I not tried to keep up with Jessica, who is wonderfully consistent with pacing. Like last time, we ended up with a 2 lap run barefoot on the grass in a clockwise direction.

I'm getting a lot out of track, and I'm starting to look forward to our weekly sessions. I push myself during our one hour practices, and I think I'm gradually becoming faster. Part of the reason is because I'm trying to keep up with some of the faster ladies who run so elegantly and effortlessly. There's something to be said about training in a group.

I Ran 8 Miles!

For my running workouts, I usually run 6 miles from Pacbell Park to the aquarium (at Fisherman's Wharf) and back. Since I've signed up for a 7 mile trail run this Saturday, I thought I'd step it up and try running 8 miles as practice. I've aspired to do that for a while now, but have not been motivated enough to do so... until tonight!

I started off at a relaxing pace and stayed at that intensity all the way to Pier 39. I was feeling exceptionally energetic so I continued all the way to the end of the aquatic park pier. On my way back, I saw another petite Asian woman running beside me and then ahead of me. I tried to keep up with her and did so for most of the way back. Part of the reason was because she was going faster than me and I wanted to do a negative split. The other reason is because it was pretty dark and I thought it would be safer to look as though I was running with somebody. There's nothing like good ol' fear to push yourself to operate at a higher level.

Kezar Track Session #2

After missing three weeks of track (subbing step classes for a friend followed by out of town business travel), I finally made it to another Wednesday session. Hubby had his weekly TNT adventure race practice at Golden Gate Park this evening as well, so I parked my car near the the Polo Fields (where he was training) and then rode my bike to Kezar.

I thought biking in Golden Gate would be safe, but it was a harrowing experience since there is no separate bike lane. A felt a shiver down my spine each time a car whizzed by. It didn't helped that cars were also parked along the side of the road so I had to keep an eye out for swinging doors, as well as cars that were parking or pulling out. I don't think I'll do that again any time soon unless it's on a day where the road is closed to car traffic.

Track was amazing. We started up with a four lap warmup. I ran with Ariel, a tres cool lady who completed a Half Ironman at Wildflower this summer, will be doing another Half Ironman (Big Kahuna) this September and has just signed up for Ironman New Zealand in March 2004! As impressive as this is, it gets better: this is only Ariel's third season with the Embarcadero Y Women's Tri Club, and she began from a standing start. When she first joined, she didn't know how to swim, couldn't run for more than 3 consecutive minutes, and had purchased her first bicycle for the occasion. "You are my personal hero!", I exclaimed. Talk about instant inspiration.

In total, there was an impressive turnout of 10-15 ladies. It was a diverse group with people of varying fitness levels and running experience. That's one of the great things about track - you can work at your own pace. We started off the session with similar drills as my last practice:

• Walking on toes
• walking on toes (pigeon-toed)
• Walking on heels
• Walking on heels (duck feet)
• Quick knees, Lord of the Dance, "picking up garbage", etc.

Since there were first timers, we did 800's (twice around the track) and not "1200's". Newbies were supposed to run once around the track at tempo (75-80% maximum exertion), and then a second time at 85-90% exertion. Experienced folks were supposed to run 1/2 lap around the track at tempo and then the remaining 1-1/2 at the higher intensity level.

Shannon called out the times each time we passed her. That was helpful because I didn't have a watch with split times (gotta get myself an Ironman Timex one of these days). By definition, our second lap was supposed to be faster ("negative split"). On average, it took me about 2 minutes to run the first lap, and then 1:50 the second - that's a measly 10 second improvement! I spoke to hubby about it, and he says not to be discouraged because that's a big difference.

We did four sets of these 800's, with different strength exercises in between. One new exercise we did was oblique pushups (I made that name up, I can't remember what they're called) where you do a pushup and then bring one knee out to the side at chest level (like an oblique crunch).

The final drill we did was run twice around the grassy field perimeter. We ran in the opposite direction as the 800's and did it barefoot. It was quite soothing although the grass was colder and damper than I would have liked. At least it encouraged me to run faster.

At the end of the session, we were rewarded with Sharkies, curtesy of Jenny Oh, who is a part-time sales rep for Sharkies, Inc. They provide the same energy & benefits as gu, but have the taste and consistency of gummy bears. That's perfect for me, because I can't stand gu. Other features of Sharkies:

• Certified Organic
• Real Fruit for Energy & Endurance
• A Natural Source of Electrolytes
• Gelatin Free, Wheat Free, Fat Free, and No Gluten
• One package = 170 calories; 41 grams of carbs

Part 2 of 2: Trying to Ride My New Shiny Bicycle

The next time you spot a coordination-challenged petite Asian woman wobbling precariously on a beautiful bike, give her a friendly wave and shout words of encouragement. Because that woman is probably me.

It never occurred to me that I would have trouble cycling now because I was a decent cyclist in my teens. Unfortunately, I had a terrible biking accident on my BMX fifteen years ago and lost all the skin on one side of my right arm. I have not cycled since, but I had convinced myself that I hadn't ridden in the past decade and a half only because I didn't own a bike, not because I had developed an irrational fear of falling/crashing. Besides, I just became a certified indoor cycling instructor. If I can spin, I can ride, right?

My bike sat in my apartment for three weeks before I had the guts to take it out. Finally, last Saturday, I took a deep breath, donned my Rollerblade pads (I wanted to wear wrist guards as well, but I couldn't operate the brakes properly with them on so I ditched them) and walked my bike over to the parking lot.

Against the bike shop's recommendation, I had asked D to lower the bike seat so that I could touch the ground with my toes. I realize that riding like that would compromise my form and cause all sorts of biomechanical stresses on my joints, but that wasn't my biggest problem at that point. Over time, as I grow more confident in my abilities, I'll gradually raise the seat to an appropriate height.

I had no idea what to do. D was at his weekly Saturday Team in Training practice, so I was alone in the parking lot, trying to come up with a plan. Not only did I have a phobia of riding in general, but I had to contend with clipless pedals. This increased the level of difficulty by an order of magnitude. If you're interested in getting a set yourself, here's a more extensive FAQ on the topic. I use SPDs (Shimano Pedalling Dynamics).

D had previously explained to me how experienced bikers use clipless pedals. When they're stopped at intersections, they leave one foot clipped in while the other foot rests on the ground. To get moving, they backpedal to lift the clipped foot to 2 o'clock position, push down, get some momentum going, and then clip the other foot in.

That was as good idea as any, so that's what I did. I clipped in one foot, lifted it, pushed, lost my balance, and screamed "AAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHHHH!" as I toppled over. It was the worst feeling because I knew I was going to fall. I knew I was clipped in. And I knew I couldn't do anything to either stop myself from falling or unclip myself in time. It was all in slow motion. I was like a felled tree. All that was missing was a lumberjack yelling, "TIMMMMBBEEERRRRRRRRR!"

I instinctively stuck my hand out to brace myself and jammed my wrist. Yeah, wrist guards would have been handy at that point. I was slightly shaken but otherwise okay. The only thing that was really hurt was my ego. That and my shattered confidence. At least nobody was around to witness my spectacular wipeout. I sat on my bike for a full two minutes questioning my decision to do a triathlon. I was tempted to quit but I refused to give up. I just had to grit my teeth and try again using another tactic.

Being clipped in from the get-go was clearly a bad idea. Suddenly, a brain wave: why not cycle WITHOUT clipping in? I pushed down on my right foot and started moving. I put my left foot on the other pedal and started cycling. I was really cycling! Woo hoo! The saying is true, you never do forget how to ride a bicycle. After tooling around for a bit, I clipped in both feet and continued to cycle.

I'm not used to cycling on a road bike where the handlebars curve downwards because I have to lean forward and down. D says it's supposed to be easier because my center of gravity is lower, but I would prefer wide handlebars like on a mountain bike. Right now, I can't balance well enough to sit upright or maneuver into any other position because I maintain an unhealthy death grip on the bars. I can't even remove one hand grab my water bottle. I have my work cut out for me.

My next challenge was to unclip and stop. Unclipping was a lot tougher. It took me several tries and after each unsuccessful attempt, I just kept on cycling to regain momentum to make sure I didn't abruptly stop and fall over. After lots of twisting and wrenching, I finally maneuvered myself out of both pedals.

Finally, I had to stop and dismount. Carlos (from Freewheel Bike Shop) had demonstrated how to do this at the store. You're supposed to stand up on the pedal while leaning forward, and step off with the other foot. Here's a better description of how you're supposed to do it. I ended up stumbling off the bike but stayed on my feet.

I've ridden three more times since then, once to Fort Point (the beginning of Golden Gate Bridge), once to the Presidio YMCA, and once on Canada Road which is closed to cars on Sundays from 9AM-3PM. D was with me on the ride on Canada, and he was shocked at how nervous I was. He said my front tire was shaking, which usually only happens to people who are brand new to cycling. I think that was the first time he really appreciated how deeply rooted my phobia is, and that I wasn't just exaggerating. There's only one way around it - practice.

The other piece of cycling news of note is that D & I went to Palo Alto Bicycles on University Ave. to look at some egg beater clipless pedals. Egg beater pedals are better than SPDs for mountain biking because they shed mud easily, and provide a platform wide enough for riding unclipped or with shoes without a cleat. All the people who worked at the store were extremely familiar with the different models, and suggested that D get the Candy SL.

As embarrassingly bad as I am at cycling, one of the reasons I'm writing it is to give others encouragement. If I can cycle (albeit poorly), then so can you! Here are some tips I have for other cycling/clipped pedal newbies:

• Always wear a biking helmet
• Learn how to bike WELL with regular pedals first. Biking well includes knowing when and how to shift your gears properly and ride with confidence
• Use biking gloves. If you fall, at least you won't lose the skin on your hands
• Wear inline skating elbow and knee pads at first. Wrist guards are probably more helpful but may interfere with your ability to shift gears and operate the brakes
• Check the tension in your pedals and make them loose so it's easier to get in and out of them. You can tighten them up later once you get the hang of how to use them
• Have the bike shop that installed the pedals to spray some lubricant on them to make it easier for you to unclip
• Practice in an open area without traffic, e.g., an empty parking lot, before attempting to ride on the road. If possible, practice on a bicycle trainer which is the most controlled environment for figuring out how to clip/unclip
• Start pedaling WITHOUT clipping in and then clip in once you get momentum. Over time, you can start with one foot already clipped in
• Unclip BOTH feet before stopping. When you get comfortable doing that, you can stop by only unclipping one foot
• If you intend to ride on the road, read this detailed bicycle safety guide first

Part 1 of 2: My New Shiny Bicycle

The Freewheel Bike Shop is the official sponsor for the Embarcadero Y Women's Tri Club, so that's where I went to buy my road bike. I was caught offguard, because it looked like a bike mechanic store, with tools and bike racks in the front where people could fix their own bicycles. I spoke to a guy at the counter (Travis) about what I was looking for, and he said he had a $700 Marin (the same brand of bike that D has) that may fit me. The only catch was, it wasn't built yet.

Now if there's one thing Shannon (triathlon coordinator) told me to avoid buying, it's a ~$700 road bike. She said you get what you pay for, and everybody who gets a cheapie entry-level bike ends up upgrading in a year's time (assuming that they continue to race). She recommended one in the $1000-$2000 range.

I repeated the same thing to Travis, and he agreed. He said they didn't carry many bikes at their workshop location. Instead, he suggested we visit the OTHER Freewheel store on Valencia, which has a large show room with a wide selection of road bikes, including one from Giant that weighs about 2.5 lbs. The catch, of course, is that it was outside my price range. He says it's so light that people make an impulse decision to buy it after they lift it.

We thanked Travis and went to Valencia. There, I spoke with Carlos, whom I think is the owner. Carlos led us to the display room where there were as many bikes as Big Swinging Cycles (where D bought his mountain bike). I told Carlos what I was looking for and also enquired about the one Travis mentioned. Carlos tried to fit me with a Marin but it was too big. Too bad. But guess what did? Yeah - the GIANT TCR-1 Composite! Travis was right. It was the one I wanted to get. Even at a $2,500 retail price. Gulp.

I made the purchase during what Eric Harr calls a "Buchanan Moment". Eric Harr is a professional triathlete and author of the excellent book Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week (it's awesome - I highly recommend it). In his book, Mr. Harr writes, "You may have experienced a 'Buchanan Moment' at some point in your life-that is, a moment when you say, 'Forget about price, I must have this!' The experience is named for the moment in F. Scott Fitzerald's class novel The Great Gatsby, in which heroine Daisy Buchanan is overcome with desire when shown an assortment of finely made shirts."

I admit it, the bike is definitely overkill for my abilities, especially when it's outside the price range of what Shannon recommended and what Mr. Harr advises (maximum $2,000) for people even at Fitness Level IV. Just for yucks, here's the description for "Fitnesss Level IV: Single-Sporter on a Mission" -->

You are a serious fitness enthusiast or experienced single-sporter. You're already aerobically fit and want to take your performance to the next level by competing in a triathlon-whether it's your first or your fifteenth...

That describes me pretty well except for the "experienced single-sporter" part. I'm terrible at all three legs of a triathlon.

At this point, I would like to acknowledge the love and support of my husband, D, who went with me to the bike store (Freewheel on Valencia). He did not roll his eyes even once when I said I wanted to buy the Giant. Afterall, it's worth shelling out some extra clams to acquire something I'll be riding for the next 15 years or more, versus, let's say, a wedding dress that I'll wear for only one day in my life. Speaking of which, I'm in the market for a second hand wedding gown for US$200 or less (preferably less). Email me if you know of any deals.

We were at the bike store for 1-2 hours while Carlos helped me get fitted with the bike and other cycling gear including clipless pedals (dumb, dumb, dumb - just wait until you read about my first riding experience), bike shoes and a helmet. He put the bicycle on a stand and watched me ride for a bit and told me all the modifications he was going to make: (1) swap out the existing bike seat for a smaller and lighter one so I can adjust the seat low enough for my height (2) narrower handlebars to accommodate my shoulders (3) more gears to make it easier for me to get up some of the steeper hills in San Francisco.

The modifications took a few days because not all the parts were currently stocked. I was very nervous and had to practice riding on it while it was mounted on a rack.

In case you don't know what they are, clipless pedals are designed to be used with special bike shoes so your foot locks into the pedals. They are helpful because not only do you power the bicycle when you push DOWN on the pedals, but also when you lift your foot UP and simultaneously pull the pedals. The only drawback is that your foot is connected to the bike so you have to unhook yourself before stopping otherwise you'll topple over. I'm told that everybody falls at least once... and I'm afraid of falling.

When I initially tried to unclip my right shoe from the bike, I couldn't get it out. D watched me struggle for a while and then asked, "Can't you just twist your foot?" What he really meant was, "Just twist your foot you moron!" He denies this, but I recognized that look in his eye!

I was feeling very dejected and depressed about the clipless pedal situation when one of the bike guys came in to check on how I was doing. I told him I was having trouble with the clips. He took a look and confirmed that they were too tight so he loosened them. Ha! I KNEW there was a problem in addition to the fact that I was cycling challenged to begin with.

My bike is awesome and I can't wait to take it out for a spin. I'm going to try riding it in a big parking lot armed with my Rollerblading knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards. I'll look like an idiot, but I'll be an adequately protected idiot who will be free from injury!

[Note: I made the bike purchase the week of July 4, 2003]