It's like riding a bike, once you learn you never forget...

I will never forget my first time back in the saddle again! It started off as a great day, I got to Santa Monica and found my group. They gave us a piece of paper with entirely too many streets and turns on it and I immediately thought,
"Nobody told me I had to get a clip for my helmet to hang directions so I can read them hands-free?!"
"They don't expect me to let go of the handlebars, grab this out of my pocket, and read it while I'm trying to balance?!
"Wait! We are going to be riding on Sunset Blvd.?! with cars?!"

Coach Rad, who should be named Coach Awesome, gave us newbies some tips:
"Don't brake with only the front brake - you'll flip!"
"Watch out for the crap in the road from the windstorms last night, those little palm things can take you out!"
I started to feel cocky that I wouldn't make THAT mistake (as I'd already made it when I was 9 - OUCH!).
We slowly got on the road and started our first downhill of the ride.

There are some people that don't like uphill, others that don't like downhill. I'm of the first breed. I don't mind the downhill because I figure the faster I go a) the workout will end sooner b) the uphill side may be easier if I get farther up the hill before I have to pedal c) I feel like Lance Armstrong even though he's pedaling at his 90rpm while I'm sitting there with my feet out at both sides, streamers fluttering off my handlebars, and my pedals rotating faster than I could ever keep up. Not quite, but that's how it feels.

At the bottom of the hill, and after a successful unclip and reclip while crossing a street, we regrouped. "This, Team, is the first hill! You should be in the middle gear, in the front, the easiest in the back (which one is that?!)" Another mentor mentioned that we should try to avoid the "Granny Gear" because we'll regret it. Since I don't know what it is, I figure I won't be using it. The first hill was fairly gradual going up a hill until the veeeeery last turn. We had to go wide and then drastically ascend the last bit. I was ready for a break so thankfully, we regrouped at the top of the first hill. Again, I successfully unclipped and put my foot on the curb.

Guess what folks, hill #2 is a fairly steep descent and then a really sharp ascent and you want to be pedaling on the descent because if you all of a sudden start on the ascent you can either throw or break your chain! My awesome mentor Carlos gave us some amazing words of wisdom, which I totally appreciated and promptly forgot after he said them because I was back in my "Roll forward, pedal at 3pm, toes flip over the pedal, keep moving, clip in front, don't slow down, then press to click in the rest" mode.

We rode to the end of the street and I was excited to see that on Ironteam, we don't just use chalk writing on the street to mark our path, we have authentic yellow film production signs with arrows to guide us! Yah, we're the Ironteam, that's right!! Again, I rode down that hill, hoping that if I flew down the hill, that I could coast almost all the way to the top (like I did in 7th grade riding through Hillcrest in San Diego to go to Jr. High). Well, we're playing with the big boys now. That hill was so steep that all my speed was sucked into the ground by about 1/3 of the way up. I seriously didn't know how I was going to get up that hill, my speed was being taken from me with every rotation of the pedals BUT my alternative would be to stop on the hill and somehow unclip while trying not to fall, NO THANKS! I pushed with my whole body with each leg stroke and somehow got to the top of that hill. When we regrouped again, my heart was pumping big time - I'd beaten Chainbreak Hill!

This next part is part truth, part speculation because I don't remember the whole accident. We regrouped again and after yet another successful unclipping, I was resting comfortably against the curb, we were chatting about how we are going to go a little bit farther up, very gradually this time, then leave the neighborhood as we head out to Sunset where we cannot ride any more than 2 next to each other and really we should go single file. While it's downhill, we shouldn't go to fast because we'll have a turn at the bottom of the hill. When the coaches finished talking, a CA earthquake with a seismic measurement of 8.0 happened knocking me off my feet and... OK, fine, really I somehow lost my balance slightly and started falling away from the side that had a free foot to catch me so I was done in, and hit two other people on the way down, but they didn't get knocked over. The rest of the group took off, I got up and back on the bike, Coach Rad, fixed my bent brakes and I was off! I caught up to the pack as quickly as I could on the downhill.

Turns out Sunset wasn't the scariest part. After one more uphill that either they forgot to mention, or I forgot to listen, we hit San Vicente. We had to worry about a) moving cars, in or on the side of the street, b) car doors, c) those palm things, d) other bikers, e) turn lanes (where the heck to the bikers go?), and f) a bike lane about 18" wide. Still it was the home stretch, so it felt great!

We got there, regrouped again and they said "Congratulations, you're going again!" Not just once but twice! The cool thing was that despite the hills, at least we knew we could make it, what to expect, etc. In addition to our increasing confidence, I felt tough because by then, my knees looked as you saw above.

The second time around, there were a few changes a) they encouraged us to keep going after the hills, no panting on the side of the road because it's bad for our hearts to go from pumping so fast and then stop, b) I noticed that we were riding right by Shanna Moakler and Travis Barker's old house (Even Irongirls have a reality show weakness), c) I actually stood up and pedaled, despite thinking there was no way I'd be able to do that at all, but the alternative is falling over flat, d) I got up to 22 mph on the downhill (while pedaling, not just free-falling), e) I had a moment where I couldn't unclip and was slowing down to a stop, but when the bike threatened to topple, my instinct kicked in and pedaled me forward so I had more time to release my foot - YAY! VICTORY!

This time I headed back to get my jacket because I figured I was done, gotta get back to the kids and onto our afternoon obligations when "Oh crap, I do have time to go around again." I stalled a bit to wait for Meghan. I was whining to Coach Paul that "This is only the 2nd time that I've ridden the bike, sort of" and he flat out said "Well you should have been riding more!" which is exactly what I needed to hear. Irongirls aren't whiners! Meghan came around and was a great motivator, but I warned her, I could be cursing for the duration of the ride.

The third time around, we got up the first hill, got half of the way up Chainbreak Hill, and I did successfully unclip and walk it up the rest of the hill. Then we got back on the bikes and I noticed that my bike was rattling - FLAT TIRE! I immediately hopped off, pulled out my tools (which I'd thankfully walked back to my car, in my awkward bike shoes, to retrieve that morning), I successfully got the back and more complicated wheel off the chain and bike, as I pulled out my handy-dandy tire remover piece, it wasn't working. Thankfully at that moment, shining hero Mike pulled up! He had the right tools and the kindness to help me out.

We had some difficulties with the tire still, and thankfully, Ironteam has a SAG vehicle which came to rescue us as well. The tire got changed, we were on our way back to the group! All of the patient support staff were waiting for us, smiling, when we got back, they're so awesome!

After the ride, it was time for the team to go to tacos, and I rushed home to get Carson to a birthday party. Lauren and I went to get our nails done, she got black paint with glowing polka dots, me - I just wanted the foot massage.

Later this week, I set up my bike trainer so that I could ride in my apt when the kids are asleep, and it turned out to be louder than I thought. So I wrote my neighbors the option that I could ride in the late evening, crack of dawn, or for a sizeable donation - none of the above. They were very understanding, but we'll see after they hear it!

Goals and Rituals!

Happy New Year all! THIS is the year that I will beat Wildflower! Training is officially ON!

January marks the start of our more stringent 18-week training program. Up until this point we were focusing on technique, drills, and building a foundation. Our workouts are already at approximately 1/3 the distance that we'll do on race day, we just haven't done them all at one once yet. My runs are up to about 5 miles (no intervals needed yet, running about 2 minutes/mile faster than I was in August!), my highest biking day (out of 2 that I've done so far) was 18 miles, and our swims are around 2,000m.

Now we will start increasing the workouts, doing more than one workout in a day, and learning how to be triathletes!

One of the most important parts of training is to experiment with different things such as clothes, what you eat the night before or during the race, transitioning, etc. so that nothing is new on race day. From doing my running races, I've developed a few pre-race rituals. I do the carboloading, do extra hydrating the week before, get my clothes ready and get number onto my jersey the night before. I set two alarms, eat oatmeal the morning of, and get out there early to feed off of the adrenaline of the crowd.

I even have rituals for the night before Saturday practice (which is usually a larger or more challenging workout). My ritual is to make sure I haven't eaten anything too crazy the day before, and then to stay up late the night before worrying about it. This is a habit that has carried over from my previous Team In Training seasons. I've only been to two of the IronTeam Saturday practices so far, one was a run and one was my first biking workout with a tire-changing clinic. Tomorrow is my first time riding with clips as we do our first big hill challenge, plus it's my first time riding in the big pack in real traffic. While I passed my parking lot test today, doing 45 minutes of clipping in and out, I'm still here at 1:48am watching Jamie Durie create an Outdoor Room, wishing I were in Bali and trying to keep my mind off of tomorrow's ride.

For marathon, this plan was alright because rolling out of bed, showing up to practice and not really waking up until 1/3 of the way into the run was fine, but I only had to put one foot in front of the other. For Tri, especially at this stage, nothing is simple, nor is it second nature - it's all new and requires a lot of thought! I know it's not the smartest thing to stay up late then get up and try to have my best wits about me for the challenge ahead of me, but at this point, my rational mind isn't in charge. The silly thing is, I know that in the past, at the end of every workout I was worrying about, I'd say "I can't believe how great this felt, I can't believe I was stressed about it!"

My first goal for this season is to overcome that ritual. Instead of being stressed or worried about the process, I'm going to hit it head on, and be prepared to do so with a great night's sleep and a positive attitude.

My second goal for this season is to improve my running time for my upcoming marathon in the fall, and as you can tell, I'm well on my way with that! I'm super excited at the progress so far and can't wait to see how much of an improvement occurs by the end of the season. Part of that is due to the cross-training, which in turn has strengthened my core. I'd heard all along that if you really want to get in shape to try a Tri, and they aren't kidding! It's only been about 8 weeks and I feel and see drastic differences in my body.

My third goal for the season is to form a more routine schedule. Doing this training while working and being a single mom requires a lot of tightly fit scheduling to ensure that nobody suffers and nothing slips through the cracks. It's something that I crave and hate all at the same time. Part of me is really resisting being that scheduled down to the minute, but the other part of me knows that I will be able to relax and be more in the moment if I know it's all got its time and space.

My last, but not least, goal is to accomplish something large while raising a large amount of money to find a cure for blood cancers! For me, the ritual of giving is very important. No matter what this economy is doing, people are getting diagnosed every day with blood cancers. These are indiscriminate, aggressive, brutal diseases that people must endure harsh treatments for in order to save their lives. Especially in this time of a tough economy, when budgets and public assistance is being reduced, we need to help fund a cure, and fund the efforts to improve the quality of life for current patients and their families. When I did my first Team In Training event, I had no personal tie to blood cancers. By the time I was training for my 3rd event, a family member had been diagnosed with blood cancer. Since then, I've gone to work for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and have met and lost so many honored teammates along the way, how can I not continue to do events with TNT?

Yes, I skated around the obvious goal of finishing the race in one piece and within the time limits (if they exist, not sure yet). However, as some people say, the journey is more important than the destination, and I'm embracing the journey!

The magical rule of 3s

A friend of mine recently reintroduced me to the Rule of 3 in her Fabulous Flirty Newsletter and I've been pondering the idea ever since. There are many theories and studies as to why we respond so favorably to number threes but, as my friend pointed out, even from a simple perspective, threes are used so widely throughout some of the most memorable works from our childhood that it’s likely that we are preconditioned to respond favorably to elements grouped in threes.

For my training, I've decided to draw inspiration from a few well-known quotes (notice the 3's): I will pour my “Blood, sweat and tears” into training and strengthening my "Mind, body and spirit" improving myself by always having "Faith, Hope and Charity" present in my life so that come May 1st, I can stand proudly and say "I came, I saw, I conquered."

Well today, I officially became a triathlete in training taking on my third, and most feared sport - cycling. I've told many of you that I haven't really ridden a bicycle since 1983 when I used to ride my bike 3 miles to school and then home again. I have been having a little difficulty with wrapping my head around the idea of training to ride 56 miles now 27 years later!

Back then I had a 10-speed bike and only used the most difficult gear all the time. Now I have 20+ gears and need to use them all! The shifting gears aren't even in the same place that I'm used to! Back then I rode with tennis shoes or barefoot, now I am expected to lock my feet to the pedals?! Back then I had tires that are 2x the size of what I'm riding on now, and if I get a flat I have to change it myself? I can't just call Triple A?

I realize that this is me and my well-defined comfort zone taking a stand! While my heart loves the idea of trying something new and fantastic, my practical head is still working to catch up, get on the same page, go along for the ride. I'm looking forward to exercising my heart and my head and hopefully getting them on a similar pace so that in the future, when my heart says "Let's go off in this fantastic new direction!" my head will agree with a hearty "Why not?!"

It took me a while to find a bicycle, partially because I was intimidated by making the right choice after our day trip to the bike shop. The other reason was I'm sure I was trying to postpone the inevitable just a bit. As our training progressed, and people were moving on ahead in that area, I realized that I had to bite the bullet, take the plunge and get back into the saddle - in other words, get a bicycle!

Last week was supposed to be my first ride, I did the ritualistic stay up late the night before and worry about it. Then when it poured all over Saturday, the ride was cancelled.

Sunday, when the sun revived the weekend, I took the kids for a ride on the bicycle. We have a few blocks between our house and the bike path so we walked to the path and took off riding! About a block from our destination, Lauren's training wheel fell off and that was potentially going to be the end of it all, or the beginning of a really long walk home. Fortunately we stopped at a friend's house, they tightened up a few things and we were on our way. For my second time out, I decided to leave the kids at home, and successfully rode about 3 miles on my own (on really flat tires as it turns out) but I was building my confidence and hoping that the third time would be a charm at the Rose Bowl (where 1 lap equals approximately 3 miles).

So then, as I'm leaving work Friday, I ask my fantastic campaign manager just how far we were going and she said, "Oh, only like 6 laps!" I immediately calculated in my head 3+3+3+3+3+3 = 18 miles for my first ride?! Sore padded butt, says what?! I immediately made a stop at the bike shop just 3 minutes before it closed and grabbed the first pair of padded shorts I could find. Then I was heading to a holiday party where I was considering drinking enough to take my mind off of it and to get me to actually sleep the night before my first ride! I stopped after 3... just kidding, 1 drink and called it an early night.

I got to practice early and was met by a helpful mentor who already tried to get my tools ready for learning how to change tires, my coach checked out the fit and felt that the bike was a good size for me and shortly my friends started arriving. Jen S. showed me her impressive bruise from a mid-week ride, which gave me a whole new set of goosebumps, but I was able to let that go because I knew I wasn't clipping in this week. I decided to make it my goal to get around the Rose Bowl 1 time and then anything after that would be gravy!

We went out for our first time around and I was still playing with the gears trying to learn which way they all work, trying to avoid oncoming foot traffic and trying to not hit sand. The route we ride around the Rose Bowl is slow steady ascent on the start then coming around to the back side where it's all downhill and fun from there! After successfully completing my first lap, we regrouped to practice changing tires. I felt like we were on the Amazing Race because we were told if we didn't do it ourselves at least once, we would not be allowed to continue our practice. I was so excited to change the front tire successfully and get back out there on the bike! If my energy could hold up, this would be great!

As I headed back out for my 2nd lap, we were doing pedaling drills alternating between legs, and then riding hard. Then we were supposed to do 2 laps hard (which means maximum exertion). I automatically felt myself protesting "How many times do I need to tell people that I only have 2 speeds, stop and go?" Then I realized as I was out on the course, that I have 3 speeds! Stop, Go, and Variable (anything that falls between Stop and Go). I've noticed it in running, I don't do as many walk intervals, I just slow down, I've noticed it in swimming, and today I found it in cycling.

After the drill lap and 2 hard laps, we took another break to try to change the rear tires (the one attached to the 8-gear wheel). By now, my legs had black marks on them, my hands looked like I was tuning engines, not changing tires, but I love getting dirty (stay tuned for a mud run post in June) and was ready for my last 2 laps!

The first one back out (fifth actual lap) I definitely started feeling it, and noticed that on the slight hills, I'd go from really fast to almost stopping because my legs didn't have the muscle in each rotation like they did the first 4 laps. When what to my wandering eyes should appear but CJ the singing elf (from work) and in his hand, a cold beer (no kidding, parts of that were a wishful hallucination). When I heard his "Hey-ya!" I got an extra boost of energy and continued that by sharing "Go Team!" with other TNTers along the course!

About 1/2 way around my last lap as I turned the corner into the downhill I got really pumped that I was actually going to complete the 18 miles! That is not only the longest I've ever ridden, it's almost 1/3 of the distance I'll have to ride on event day, and yay! I didn't fall!

Needless to say, I'm loving 3's today! I'm a big believer in the 3rd time being a charm, the magic of 3's, and am even willing to celebrate by not just giving second chances, but third chances now for my kids! I can't wait now to do three sports! So bring it on, double dog dare me (or should it be triple dog dare me?) and hit me with your best shot!

Boo boo documentation

I'm doing this part because I think my kids will get a kick out of it. Or maybe to have something to share every time they come to me with a little boo boo that they could swear will be the end of them.

Let me point out that I'm writing this not with the challenge of "Bring it on! I love battle scars", and believe me, I have more scars than most people I know. I'm doing this for the documentation of the process of training for a half-ironman. If this is the only posting about boo boos for training, I'll be very happy! If you're reading this, please knock on wood on my behalf!

So far, I got what I thought was a mysterious rash on the side of my neck, turns out it's my jacket (see the weather wimp posting) rubbing my neck. My friend and Kona triathlete told me that I'm going to learn to love Astroglide or whatever that stuff is called. Triathletes slather themselves in it. We're so slick we slide when we walk! (OK, bonus points if you can name the movie that inspired that quote!)

Then I got this fantastic bruise on my wrist that looks like someone grabbed me with strong intent ("What the hell are you thinking signing up for a half-ironman for your first Tri?!") but really I realized I'm swimming by braille running along the lane lines. With all the things going through my head when I'm swimming now: Keep your chin at your chest, let the water roll over you easier; you still have 50m left to swim - keep going; roll to the side, you want to slice through the water; now straighten out, float like a barge; kick less; don't let your stroke cross over center; wait, we're supposed to swim 500m?; breathe out under water; breathe in by your armpit - apparently I cannot steer myself too.

I got into running for the mental break. The peace and quiet of pushing everything else out of my head, or just one thing at a time. The mental challenges of triathlon so far have been a great exercise both mentally and physically, and I have the marks to prove it.

I'm a weather wimp

Recap from last week:
Last Friday - FREEZING COLD I ran on the strand after the soccer game
Last Sunday - FREEZING COLD I ran in my neighborhood with frozen legs
I actually cursed myself out loud for choosing a sport which would be training during the winter. Still, I applauded myself for getting out there 2x in the freezing cold!
Monday - Rest day
Tuesday - FREEZING COLD I swam in the unheated pool
Wednesday - JUST COLD I ran on the strand before going to sushi with my mom, sis and bro-in-law
Thursday - EARLY and just chilly I swam in a more agreeably heated pool but that night, out of nowhere - RAIN! Dun dun DUNNNNNN!
Friday - EARLY and damp but chilly I ran in the neighborhood
TODAY - SATURDAY - I had the babysitter all lined up, I was rarin' to go, but I woke up at 5:46am and heard torrential downpours outside. I checked the doppler 7000 online and it looked like it was going to keep coming. I canceled on my poor, very patient babysitter and went back to bed. It's true, I could have gone to run, but having run 4x in the last week, I was kinda over that so if we weren't going to push me over my personal comfort level and onto a bike, I decided to sleep in this morning.

I got a heck of a lot done today working on my fundraisers - addressing the personalized letters that Santa wrote and sent to me to mail. But part of me was really disappointed that I didn't get that 5th day in a row of working out. Also, to not do anything after 4 days of doing something, and to be cooped up indoors all day was driving me bonkers!

Tomorrow I will see if it's dry enough to at least get on the bike. If not, I'll put the kids on their bikes and run behind them. No, I'm not sacrificing my kids for the sake of the sport, they have wider tires and training wheels in Lauren's case. They're more used to riding too whereas I have about 27 years since the last time I was on a bike.

I give big kudos to my fellow iron teammates who did go out and run this morning! You all are rock stars!! I've tried to adopt the new mantra "WWIGD?" (What would Iron Girl Do?) to help me get over my weather wimpiness. I'll get there come hell or high water!

It's a Fight: Iron Team vs. Marathon Team

It's only the end of the first month and I'm already noticing some differences between Marathon and Triathlon - besides the obvious two extra sports. At work we were prepping for the new summer season and discussing the differences between the sports and it came up that Marathons are the beginning point for new endurance athletes (yah, I chuckled inside too at the thought that a Marathon is what a beginner chooses to tackle - until I remembered that I'd done just that just a few years ago).

The Marathon team is a very social and supportive environment - you break into pace groups and at the big day you will probably run with your pace group. You get to know them over the course of the season and may even continue running with them after your event.

Triathlons, on the other hand, are more of an independent sport. The team practices together, and sure, we are getting to know each other as we keep passing each other in the pool or on the route - and a whole handful of us already knew each other coming in - but come race day, there is a good chance we'll all spread out and never see a teammate except at transition or at the end cheering each other in.

At first, I did a mini mental melt-down thinking, how am I going to get through this without my girls (and a few boys)?! Then I realized that being on the Iron Team means, I can't be a whiny wimp! Irongirls won't sit and whine that they can't do this without their friends - they'll find a way!

Then I remembered the strength that having a marathon under my belt carried. I felt like a superhero brandishing my bib if the occasion needed it. "You can't talk to me that way - I ran a marathon!" "I can't stop running after a mile, suck it up - I just did 26.2!" "I endured hours for the marathon, I can tolerate a 1-hour client meeting."

Now, since I joined Iron Team, there is a certain level I personally am trying to live up to (or certain boundaries I'm trying to push) to prove that underneath my exterior is an irongirl waiting to get out - that I'm not an accidental endurance athlete. So far, the results are positive. This week I actually missed working out - I got irritable and grouchy from not working out - ask my kids! When I got out for a run, I started out planning to do 3-4 miles, and 10:1 intervals (10 min running, 1 minute walk). I kept telling myself at every landmark: "Do I want to turn back, or keep going? An Irongirl will not stop here, she'll keep going!" I'm liking the fighting spirit that is emerging here! I also ran faster, with longer intervals - I only walked 4 minutes in a 80 minute run. OK, I can't take all the credit for that - I had to get back to my car before I got a ticket.

Then, because my mind won't just stop there, I remembered a saying that I read during my last Team In Training event: Not all heroes wear capes! Only 1% of the world's population will ever complete an endurance event. Only a fraction of those people will do it while raising money to fight blood cancers for Team In Training. To be surrounded by these heroes on the team is inspiring and humbling! Finding a cure is a really good reason to Fight On (Go Trojans!) and keep on swimming, biking, and running - One mile at a time!

That's not to say that I don't still fight with myself for the first 30 minutes of every run - although tonight, the battle didn't last as long. That's not to say I don't still fight with myself about whether or not to even go for a run when it's f-f-f-freezing windy cold outside (for us weather-wimp Californians). But it's a battle that I'm winning more often and easily.

It doesn't matter how we get there or what sport we choose. We're making the lives of others better, we're making our lives better through the physical and mental growth, and the people around us. I look forward to the path and the exercise! We're all on the same team! Go Team!

P.S. In an even bigger battle this past week: Our Iron team has a large number of Bruins and Trojans on the team! Now that the game is over, I can finally talk to my Bruin mentor - even though he may not want to talk to me due to the final score!

Time - Is it on my side?

So how is this work, life, workout balance going to mesh? This week is brutal and it's not over yet.
Monday - Soccer practice
Tuesday - Scout pack meeting
Wednesday - Scout den meeting
Thursday - Soccer practice
Friday - Soccer game - hopefully we'll win and go to playoffs (no pressure!)
Saturday - Hike, then Queen Mary for 9 year old's birthday
Sunday - Craft Fair
That's just the evenings! Not to mention that I had a sick child, the roll-over to a new season at work which requires a load of time-sensitive stuff. I'm not fitting in the workout yet this week. After staying up til 2am, I'm going to wake up at 6:30am to get in a run so I can say I did SOMETHING this week. I'll get a swim in there between now and Sunday but I will likely wind up avoiding my nemesis the bike til next week because it's just not fitting in.

Timing is one of the reasons for doing this race now, on both conscious and subconscious levels. I can't help but be reminded by the ringing of the bell today - I'm halfway around the year to my big round birthday. While I didn't come in saying that my birthday was a reason I'm doing the event now, I know it was one of the grains of rice (I'm asian) that tipped the scales. When I did my first marathon, I chose that one because it was on my birthday, the 10th year of the run, and in my home town, so I know I put significance on dates, round numbers, and proximity (although this race isn't really that close to home). On the conscious level, I know that I wanted to do a Tri event in the spring because I plan to do the Nike Women's Marathon again with my girlfriends as a celebration of that same round birthday and I didn't want to be training for a tri when I should be training for the marathon. Lastly, as some people know, I work for LLS and we are not allowed to train and fundraise for an event until we've been there for a year - which is a smart decision as the jobs can be complicated and take a while to learn well. So the timing of hitting my year mark helped push me forward to this event.

I'm not doing the event to try to meet any minimum time, purely to finish and have a great time doing it. I recently learned that once people put in 10,000 hours with something that they are an "expert" so I'm hoping after spending that many hours over a few years of doing events, that even if I'm not an "expert", I'll at least enjoy doing the activities just to do them and not have to sign up for events to push my butt out the door for a run.

I try to save time whenever I can too and multi-task when possible. I think my best example of that was a night when I was in Round Table Pizza and was there to buy pizza to take to my son's den meeting. We raised money for my son's school, fed the scouts at the same time, plus while I was there I asked if I could post Team In Training flyers, so I was canvassing at the same time. I'm still trying to figure out how to multi-task my training, but perhaps I'll just be satisfied when we start doing Bricks (I'm told they're called this because our legs will feel like bricks - swell!) and get to do 2 sports for the cost of one babysitter!

For now, after this week, time is on my side. I have from now until May 1st to prepare and we are taking little baby steps. The season is rolling now, though, and starting to pick up speed and I need to make sure to stay current and present so my teammates know who I am, and are beating my time on my bike!