Saying Farewell

Many of us have been lucky enough to know one (or maybe more) of "those" people. A person who will seriously do anything for anyone. They will be there to listen, to make you laugh, in this case to fight a fire with you, to answer the phone when you call 911..... I hope that my children will come to make good friends like this.


(circa 1995)

This was my first big fire "riding the line" (in charge of the hose nozzle, actually responsible for putting the fire out). Dome is the one breaking in the door.

This week we lost a dear friend, and Montgomery County Fire Rescue lost a great man. We are all left wondering what we could have done, but all we can do now is remember. I met Dome when I was in Jr. High and he was in high school. We ran track together, and my most fond memory was him daring me to hurdle a metal gate. I tried and the gate won. The aftermath was ugly, and 20 years later he still teased me. When we met again in the fire department a few years later, he was always looking out for me. He and Tommy became fast friends, and teased each other mercilessly. In the fire department, he was known as Poon (after way too many people mispronouncing Poonjumnern). There aren't really words to explain him, but the words I keep repeating this week are kind, selfless, and totally freaking hilarious.

The scope of his friendships is evidenced by his Facebook page. He was an avid photographer and the pictures show you his view of the world. His very tragic, very unexpected death became known to many people through Facebook. Working in healthcare, I've always been aware of the sensitive nature of revealing bad news. In this age of social networking, many people found out via email, text, or Facebook. It is good in the sense that people who might not otherwise have known were aware in the initial days and could attend the funeral, but it is a crummy way to learn such news. There is some solace in reading all of the posts from his friends, knowing how much we all miss him, and reading some of the very funny stories that are actually fit to print.

The fire department gave Poon a wonderful send-off this weekend. I am thankful to have so many wonderful friends who share fond memories of him. I still struggle with getting back to normal. I can't bring myself to post a "normal" Facebook status update yet, out of respect for him, or to tweet about all the silly things my kids did this weekend. Poon touched our lives in so many ways, and his passing has left a gaping hole.

A co-worker made an amazing tribute video.

William Penn wrote this, but Dome "Poon" lived it. "I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again."

I hope we can all learn a lesson from him.

Half Full Race Report

Pre-race:
I knew Half Full was just about finishing for me (my non-triathlete husband, who knows me so well, reminded me on Saturday morning that it was just about finishing, not about time). My knee injury was still lingering (but improving), and I had pretty much been in a taper since Cedar Point three weeks prior. I figured whatever happened would happen, and I would give it a shot. I contemplated the Aqua Velo, but had signed up for the full 70 miles and wanted to give it a shot.



Races in Columbia are always like home team events. It is so nice to see so many faces at the expo and on race day (not to mention the Mid Maryland Tri Club tent). This race was made even better because Trakkers and Rev3 timing were there. I got to have a pre-race dinner with Trakkers Teammate Kati and her husband Paul (who knew PF Changs had such an awesome Gluten Free menu?). I saw Krista from Team Trakkers and lots of MMTCers at the expo and transition (thank you to Missie for coordinating the small army of volunteers).

Race Day:
It was c-c-c-cold! My feet were frozen before the swim. I got to spend a few minutes in the Rev3 trailer with Kati, Charlie, and the rest of the Rev3 timing crew. (Thank goodness for their space heater).

Swim (39:45- ouch)

Heather B. and I were hanging out before the swim start, and suddenly realized our wave was all lined up. We got in line, and got ready. It was the most calm swim start EVER. (I really like the time trial start). My swim was slow and steady, but on the last leg I found it hard to stay straight (the finish buoys were smaller than the others). I was all over the place. The swim time was my worst this season, but again it was just about finishing.


T1 (2:06)
My time wasn’t too bad. Kept on the tri suit and just went with arm warmers. Sockless without issues thanks to TriSlide. Came out of T1 with Heather B.

Bike (3:52:48)

Heather and I leapfrogged the first 6 miles or so, and I felt pretty decent. Shortly after mile 6 (when Bob Reid passed), my left knee started to hurt. Not just nag, but hurt. I had to let Heather go (not that I “let” her go, but I couldn’t keep up). I found myself maintaining rather than attacking, trying to save something for the run. On flats after downhills, where I would normally pedal, I coasted to rest my knee. I didn’t chase down people in front of me like I normally would, just tried to keep going. On the second loop, I stopped to use the porta john. I would never have stopped if I felt ok, but I had to go and knew I couldn’t go on the bike. At least three times during the run, I talked myself into a DNF (and cursed myself for not switching to the Aquavelo). Looking at the results now, I would've been third among the aquavelo females. Go figure! I told myself I could pack it in at Transition, but would finish the bike before I gave up.

T2 (2:25)
Couldn’t run up to the transition area. I told myself I would rack my bike, change my shoes, and be done. I racked the bike, changed the shoes, put on my big knee brace, grabbed my stuff, and headed to the “Run Out”. For feeling like I had nothing left, my T time wasn’t too bad.

The Run (aka the walk) (2:59:10)
I started with a run-walk plan. Made it about three miles that way before the walk became longer than the run. I was passed by lots of people and tried to cheer everyone on as they passed. I got lots of encouraging comments, too. The volunteers were AWESOME. Having your name on your bib is nice, and to a person they pronounced my name correctly (that never happens, and I don’t really care, but I noticed and appreciated it). I got hungry on the “run”. This never happens to me during a race, but when you are mostly walking and it has been 9 or 10 hours since you ate, I guess it does. (You don’t have the elevated heart rate and shunting of blood from your stomach). I was starving, and there was no food aside from Gu Chomps on the run. The support was great…I just could’ve gone for pretzels or a cookie. I continued to try and run. I kept telling myself “You don’t get to DNF against cancer and you can’t DNF this race”. When I got tired, I just kept saying “I am NOT A QUITTER”. I didn’t want my family and friends tracking me to see me DNF, I didn’t want to face my fellow MMTCers and Trakkers teammates with a DNF. I figured a DNF is reserved for serious injury or getting pulled off the course.

So I walked. It was lonely. There was a woman I could’ve walked with, but she struck me as very negative and crass, and I didn’t want to spend that much time with her. I actually mustered up a jog to get away from her a bit. I saw MMTC friends on the course, and Chip who encouraged me (unfortunately my knee had nothing left). I walked/ran until mile 8, and then it was pretty much walking. I knew I could make the cutoff, but would have a time of about 7:30. Exiting Centennial Park, I was passed by Dave from the Challenged Athletes Foundation. He was pushing a challenged athlete in a jogging stroller (he had pulled him in a raft and cycled with a special bike). He asked if I was hurting, and I said yes, but that I would finish. I told him that I thought he was amazing, and he said “I am just blessed”. If that wasn’t motivation, I don’t know what is. So I kept walking. The volunteers all cheered for me (along with the other racers), though I didn’t feel like I deserved it since I wasn’t running. I got to mile 12, the rain held off, and I knew I would finish.

We turned back into Centennial park, and you could hear the finish line. I saw some of Team Fight, and they told me I had to run when I rounded the bend. I had nursed my knee just enough that I thought I could run the finish. My RoadID reads “Finish Strong”, and I didn’t want to do anything but. So I jogged around the corner, and then sprinted the finish chute. Susie was there to catch me. She put my medal on, gave me a huge hug and said “I waited for you”. Then she got water for me. Missie gave me my finisher’s shirt, and Kati was there (just like at Cedar Point) to congratulate me (since she works with Timing, she knew I was walking the run). This was by far the hardest race I have ever done mentally (and a pretty challenging course). I always say I need to work on my mental game, but I think I won the mental game on this one. I couldn’t give up. This wasn’t the fight against cancer, just a race, but a race embodying optimism. Two days later, my knees ache, but I’m so thankful for all the support out there.


I think the Finishers shirt sums it up:
“Half Full is having hope and optimism in the face of adversity. Whether it is a triathlon or the fight against cancer, HALF FULL is having the determination and positive attitude to get to your finish line. One mile at a time, we will finish this race, but more importantly – WIN this Cancer Battle. “

Rev3 Cedar Point: The Actual Race Report

The Swim: (48:59)
The conditions were 100% better than the day prior. It was a beach start, with really shallow water for the first 100 meters or so. I had to pee before the start! No porta jons around. After my Iron Girl experience (abnormal heart rhythm when I tried to pee in the water), I decided to take care of it before I got in the water. TMI for those non-triathletes, but I was warm for the swim! Some people were dolphin-diving at the start. I’m just not that coordinated. The swim was an upside down U. It took until the first turn for me to be really comfortable. The good news was minimal contact with other swimmers. The leg parallel to the shore was perfect…the current went with us, minimal waves. I knew most of my wave had pulled away, but I was swimming 1.2 miles and I knew I would make the swim cutoff so I didn’t care! That was my goal and I was meeting it. The last leg into shore was rough! Breathing in either direction = water in my mouth. The Rev 3 buoys in the water are great- large and bright. The inflatable on the beach at the swim finish is sponsored by Muscle Milk and is brown and white. It has a tendency to blend into the sand….really hard to sight on (my only constructive feedback for the race was that they should add some bright streamers to the inflatable). I swam as far as I could in the shallow water, and started peeling off my wetsuit as I waded/ran the last little bit. I had told my family not to worry about being there for T1, but as I came out of the water I saw them there. I got to High-Five my kids and my sister (who proceeded to tell me “Run Faster! Pick it up!!!”).


T1: (2:12)
A little run up the beach, across a mat on the parking lot, and into transition. I was near the end of a rack (Rev3 has the best transition racks that hold your bike tire), and got to my stuff quickly. I was wiped from the swim, seeing Jenn (a Rev3 staffer) in transition was a big help. She gave me some encouragement and I set out to catch up with the girls who kicked my butt on the swim. No socks for this one, which worked out fine (I sprayed TriSlide on my feet, and in both pairs of shoes before the race). I am happy with the time, as I was definitely feeling a bit sluggish.

The Bike: (3:08:59, 17.78 mph)
I liked this course (think Eagleman with more scenery and some “usable” rollers). There were enough hills to keep it honest, but nothing that would make anyone who rides in Columbia bat an eye. I seriously think I was the only one out there without aerobars (I pointed this out to my Mom the day before, as she was marveling at all the “odd” bikes she was seeing). That much more motivation to catch those fast swimmers. I kept passing women, but none in my age group. Uuuugh! I got one or two, but it took to the second half of the bike to really make progress. I ended up passing 9 of the 35 in my age group on the bike. That felt good. My nutrition went well. I had three large bottles and one smaller one. The three were filled with First Endurance Grape EFS, and the other with water. (No aerobars = no aerobottle). I felt good for the first half (averaging 18.7 mph). Then the wind hit. The second half was more spread out- a bit lonelier. I kept thinking of the awesome rides I’ve had this season (thank you Emily and my other MMTC riding buddies). I was also thinking about how much I had to pee (yes, there is a theme here), but I couldn’t do it on the bike. The last 10 miles was brutal with the wind…really had to work hard! Kept thinking about the run and hoping I had enough in the tank. I started taking Hammer Gel, and my left knee started talking to me. Nothing unbearable, but it was there.

T2: (01:19)
Really happy with this time! Again, I could have moved faster. Team Trakkers “Mom” Sharpie was working in transition, and cheered for me as I transitioned. She told me to dump water on my head because the sun was coming out after a dreary morning. (I would later regret my lack of sunscreen application).


What the kids did while I raced!!!!

Run: (Run/Walk) (2:28:15)
The first 3 miles felt good (I was averaging 9:30, heart rate was good, and feeling a little tired but good). The course was totally flat save one hill on an overpass. It wound through a lakeside park, and downtown historic Sandusky (very cool buildings). A portion was out and back. At mile 3, I saw two of my Trakkers teammates (mile 10 for them) on their way back. I cheered them on, got a high five, and tried not to dwell on the fact that we all started the swim together. By this point I really had to pee. I could tell that I had a chance of making it in under 6 hours, so I really didn’t want to stop. Walked a little after the rest stop, poured some water on myself, and the rest is history. Fast forward to mile 6. My left knee started to hurt. I walked a little stretch and ran again to the mile 7 marker. I just couldn’t run anymore. It HURT! The longer I ran, the worse it got. So I walked, and cried hysterically for about 30 seconds. A woman passed and said something encouraging. I started saying to myself “There is no crying in triathlon”. Over and over.
It was apparent I wouldn’t meet the 6 hour goal, but I was only at 5 hours. I had 3 hours to make the time cutoff. I would walk/crawl 6 miles to make it! I had set out to do 70.3, and I was determined to do it. I felt well-hydrated, nothing but the knee holding me back. Up ahead, I saw a guy limping along. We ended up side by side and started chatting. He was Joe from Pittsburgh, and on a good day would’ve smoked me on the run. He had a broken toe, and was struggling with a similar issue. We started talking and walking together. We decided to walk run- we pick the starting point and run until one of us couldn’t anymore. I thank the Tri Gods for Joe- I don’t think I would’ve run at all without him! People were so encouraging. I saw a lot of my teammates who were doing the full distance and got to cheer them on (including Kathleen, our pro).
Coming over the overpass and seeing the coasters at Cedar Point was amazing. I knew I could do it- I could finish 70.3 miles. It wasn’t fast and wasn’t what I had hoped for, but I could finish. I saved what I had so that I could run the last stretch. You go through the parking lot (past several of my Trakkers teammates, cheering like mad), into a back park entrance, to a long finish chute. There was my Mom at the start of the chute, and she sent my daughter out to run with me. This is what I had envisioned……. Sharing this accomplishment with my family. The knee hurt, but we ran to the finish and I smiled and smiled. It was amazing!!!!!
Check out he amazing photos here.



Post-Race:
This was the first race all season that hasn’t resulted in a migraine post-race. Thanks Coach Mike for the nutrition plan! I realized that all I consumed for the first hour post was water, and ate some pasta salad, had a coke and a Muscle Milk. I got to see the pro winners finish the full, and enjoy the day. Several of my Trakkers teammates made the podium for the half and the full (one took second overall amateur female for the full…crazy fast). When I got to my car, there were several encouraging text messages, including some wonderful ones from my husband in Maryland. He made me feel so good, regardless of my time. It was a great race, great people, and an amazing venue.

Rev3 Cedar Point Part 2: "Glitter in the Air"

"Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Close your eyes and trust it, just trust it
Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face
And said I just don't care?

It's only half past the point of no return
The tip of the iceberg, the sun before the burn
The thunder before lightning, the breath before the phrase
Have you ever felt this way?
.................
It's only half past the point of oblivion
The hourglass on the table, the walk before the run
The breath before the kiss and the fear before the flames
Have you ever felt this way?"

This is one of my favorite songs these days. I've always loved Pink, but as I listened to my Ipod on race morning, I realized the song describes the sensation on race morning. You start the day in the dark...my Cedar Point race day started when I woke up and saw the generator lights down on the beach, illuminating the swim start. The Half Rev didn't start until 8:30, so there was time. There is something so exciting about race morning, before the sun rises. There is such promise in the breaking dawn. The day is unwritten....the results of my race unknown. Going through the pre-race ritual provides focus.

The Rev3 transition area is awesome. The bikes are racked by their tires, rather than their seats. It provides you a defined amount of space (which is always nice). At one point, I was setting up my transition area and looked up to see the American flag over the Cedar Point entrance. It was still at half staff in remembrance for 9/11. That was definitely one of those moments that makes you pause and reflect. When I looked back up a few minutes later, they had raised the flag because it was 9/12.



The great thing about Cedar Point was that we got to watch the pro 140.6 swim finish before our waves started. I got to hang out with Shane, husband of teammate Kathleen Calkins, and Emily and Ryan (a great couple!). The pre-race nerves were at a minimum.

We lined up for the start after seeing the pros finish. Anticipation building.....glitter in the air...time to go.

Rev 3 Cedar Point Part 1: Pre Race

This was to be my first half iron distance race (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run). I was so excited to see my Trakkers teammates and the Rev3 staff, and spend time with my family. The venue was super family friendly, so we made it a family road trip. (Thanks to my dad for letting me use his car!) My Sister, Mom, and I headed out with the kids (ages 7 ¾ and 4) early Friday. After my daughter’s bout of car sickness, we had an uneventful trip.




The Hotel: Hotel Breakers…a great room with a view of the beach and the swim start.We had a suite, with a pull-out for the kids, and a mini kitchen (so my sister could have her oatmeal in the morning). Walking distance to the park, the finish line, and several places to eat. I was so happy I had picked the water view room. It really was great!


The Expo: No lines on Friday. It was great time for packet pickup, shopping, and a talk with Robert Kunz from First Endurance all about nutrition (I got to try one of the Triple Berry Liquid Shot samples...yeah!). (Good race gear: a Headsweats visor, Tyr slingbag, and Rev3 shirt, plus some samples). I got free ART and lots of other goodies.



The best part of the expo? Connecting with my Trakkers teammates. It is amazing how we have formed such a cohesive unit, even though some of us have never met. Thanks to Mama Bear Sharpie (and Facebook, Twitter, and blogging), we have gotten to know each other from all over the country. It is like coming home...seeing these people who have supported me and who I have cheered on throughout the season. Hard to explain but it made the weekend that much more special. Every time I saw green on the course, it was like seeing a sibling out there. Not to mention the Rev3 staff (Jenn sent the post-its I have at the beginning of this post. They hang on my fridge and provide more motivation than she could ever know).

Rev3 Night at Cedar Point: Cedar Point has never seen so much compression wear! They had select rides (all of the big coasters) open. Team Trakkers met up, and we were like little kids…racing from ride to ride ("Hey Coach. I did 5 x 100 meter runs between each coaster!"). I also got to spend time with my kids on the little rides. My Mom and sister were awesome support and kid wranglers the whole weekend. (My son loves to have meltdowns for me, and they know just how to get him distracted).

Swim Preview Saturday: My Trakkers teammates and I handed out TriSwim/TriSlide samples, meanwhile procrastinating our own swims. The air temps were chilly, and the water was ROUGH. You couldn’t see beyond the swells when you were swimming (I was more nauseated swimming than I had been on the coasters). I did my short scheduled swim, and hoped conditions would improve. Once again, it was great to have my teammates there. Ryan and his wife Emily are awesome swimmers, and they definitely made it less stressful. Of course Sharpie was out there...swimming with her broken arm. That is one hard core chick!

After the swim, it was mini golf with the munchkins. We had a blast. (I'm sure this was what my coach meant by "rest").

I convinced the kids to get in bed early (after a pre-race dinner at Famous Dave’s- not my ideal pre-race dinner but not a ton of choices when it poured down rain and everyone flooded the restaurants). I had everything packed and was ready for the morning.

Milestones

I can't REALLY be old enough to be the Mom of a THIRD GRADER, can I? (Don't answer that). Holy cow, my baby started preschool this week, too. he looks like a little man in his uniform. When did all this happen? I used to be young and cool....ok, maybe young....never too cool. Now my babies are turning into little people. Several of my friends took their children off to their freshman year of college this year. They keep telling my time will fly by, and it certainly has. In honor of retaining some of my not-so-cool youth, tonight I'm watching Pretty In Pink (while I occasionally yell upstairs to remind my kids the meaning of "bedtime").


To top it off, I'm 4 days away from my first half iron distance race...70.3 miles. Thankfully the back-to-school craziness has been a good distraction. Now the pre-race nerves/anticipation have set in. I can't wait for the road trip to Cedar Point, and the sense of accomplishment I know I will feel when I cross the finish line.Having some of my family there will be awesome. I can't wait!

One Week Until 70.3

One week from now, I will hopefully have completed my first 70.3 at Rev3 Cedar Point. I am so pumped for the road trip with my family and the Rev3 experience. Where else can you get such a family friendly race? Our hotel overlooks the swim start, and is just steps from transition.

I am so excited to see my Trakkers teammates and have Tommy "Trak" me online from home. Can't wait!