Hawaiian Days

We have arrived, our third year at Hawaii 70.3.

Been looking forward to this start line for two years now, being this was the last “real” race I was able to do. As with most case scenarios, things have not gone down without a hitch since returning to full-time training. It has been a slow process and been bogged down with the flu was not what I had in mind.  However, by mid-week last week I was coming around. And I can never pass up the opportunity to do what I love.  So as Hawaii 70.3 approaches I am anxious and nervous at the same time to be at the start line once again.

The big talk of the town (besides Lance) is the wind, the heat, the wind and the heat. The uncontrollable. So each day we embrace what the Hawaiian gods grant us and “go with it”.

Day 1: A ride out to Hawi. Felt great, heart rate was 10 beats higher but this is normal upon arriving in hotter climates. Wind? No wind…..until I flipped around to head back to Mauna Lani.  The person singing out loud and screaming mantras at herself while walking her bike three times may or may not have been me.  Yikes!

Day 2: Perfect riding weather!!!! Until milepost 16.  Then it was side rain with low visibility. But it made for the most gorgeous rainbow.

Day 3: Somehow convinced my supportive mother to ride alongside me (just to feel like lance) while I ran. This kept the motivation factor up, as the run out was a little disturbing with the ferocious headwind.  But running 3’ per mile faster on the way home made up for it!

Day 4: Ride out was windy, but nothing like day 1.  Although my first interval came to a halt mid-way due to the dreaded flat tire.  Carry on, carry on!

Although sometimes frightened by the conditions here, arriving to the race early to train and get used to the weather tends to help me each year.  Also finding the moments that make me smile the most ease some of the anxiousness of race.  Swimming everyday (and with fab swim buddies!) creates calmness to my never-stop-thinking-mind. And finding heaven under the ocean has already made this trip a gazillion times over worthwhile.

Snow!

This is no April Fools joke, as much as I wish it were.

It was coming DOWN today.

My most favorite part of belonging to a team and training with friends is creating memories, doing things you may avoid at times (my bed was pretty toasty this morning), and experiencing new places.

Cougar Mountain is not "new" to me, but we definitely don't get out there as often as we would like. We had a big group of us run together today and we were laughing about as much as we were running. The snow, the slush, the dirt....but it was all in the beautiful trails of Washington.

Cheers to creating memories that we will laugh about forever on the last day of March in 2012!

January Catch-Up.

Two posts in January. Progress?!  Maybe?!

I hate to use the excuse "busy"....ever. Because in reality we are all busy.  Sometimes busy even means sitting your bum on the couch and doing nothing.  It is something that has to be done and must be fit into "life".

In reality, bum-on-the-couch has not been in the cards. 

*93-year-old Grandma passed earlier this month. If you know the Webb family you can't help but notice the closeness they all share.  A huge part of this loving family was because of Grandma.  She was a caring, loving, gentle soul.  She embraced her family unlike anything I have ever seen.  Tomorrow we say our good-bys, although the traditions she instilled amongst her family will live on forever. She left footprints on every heart she touched.

(Kitty footprints in the snow)

*Did you hear it snowed in Seattle?!  Immediately followed up by a rain storm? Then a wind storm? It was fun and crazy all at the same time. We gym hopped to find one that was open, only to find an 86 degree pool. After a 1:30 tempo run on a treadmill a sweaty hot pool is less than desirable.  We busted it out. Once we had enough cabin fever we ran outside.  In puddles and brown-dirty-slushy snow. But with the right friends we can't complain.

(Run buddy Elizabeth)



*The weather left us bundled inside. I cleaned out my closet that looked like it could have been border-line hoarding. It is officially a walk-in closet again. And I feel lost without all my shoes. But thanks to Zoot, it will be Christmas in January soon!

*It has been 6, yep, SIX entire months of no hospital visits and in turn 6 months of solid training.  6 months ago I held an FTP of  150'ish. This number (although tough to swallow) kept me going, knowing how much further I could push.  Seeing gains made me excited to ride, excited to train, and anxious to get stronger. Not one week has surpassed 15 hours, my body has limits.  BUT I am excited to enter a race in 8 weeks with the most fitness I have had since August of 2010. 

*Speaking of race.  We are headed to Costa Rica.  I don't own a passport.  We are working on that.  My picture got denied.  No headbands. I don't live a day without a headband. New photo submitted. Convinced I will go un-recognized.

*Humira can cause arthritis. Humira is used to treat arthritis. Makes sense right?! I now have arthritis in my foot.  It hurts. But not enough to stop me from sport. So my right foot will be swimming, biking, running OR sitting in an ice bucket. This was determined after multiple (ie:8) doctor visits.  No wonder there is no time to blog. Stress fracture, gout, cyst were all ruled out. Actually a huge cyst was found, but it doesn't hurt, so "it" needs to be named because" it" will be with me forever.

*Some non-racing goals were set for the new year. One has been a huge success: Spend more time with girlfriends. Dinners, coffees, mani/pedis, have been super enjoyable catching up with new and old friends. Epic fail on the other: No shopping for three months.  The new Coach bag was reaching for me, I budged, but half of it was accounted for through gift cards, so maybe I only failed half way. I will make up for it by spending more time with friends. :)

*Up and Coming events: One hour postal swim on Sunday and Colorado next week!

Live it up!