Feel the Force

The trip is starting off on the right foot. I hope it's a sign.

I love celebrity spotting. Love it. I was excited to learn this week that the Beckham family is in St. Tropez. Who knows, maybe I will see them.

I wasn't expecting to see anyone before I left, but low and behold, I just spotted greatness - George Lucas - a few feet away. George and his daughter are on their way to London.

I refrained from telling George I am a huge fan, but I thought it very loudly.

Now She's Off

17 days.

I have not seen Chris for 17 days.

Needless to say, I am looking forward to arriving in Nice.

I also don't think the flight should be too bad, as I get to chill in "the pod," as I was able to use airline miles for a nice cushy little seat.

2 Days and Counting

I have officially started packing... finally.

I was so excited thinking about the trip today I was literally bouncing in my chair at work.

Got PIS?

As those close to me know, I haven't exactly been "training" this year, but I do indeed have a coach. He would probably say he didn't have the opportunity to be my coach, as I only went to maybe 5 group workouts, but that is neither here nor there.

My coach sent out the following email today and it made me burst out laughing:

PIS is an acronym for Pre Ironman Syndrome and can be more severe than its cousins, PRS or PTS (Pre-Race or Pre-Triathlon Syndrome). Symptoms include becoming overly obsessed with small details, anxiety and irritability. This is what happens when we have too much time on our hands that is normally allocated for training. It's a perfectly normal phenomenon given all the time and money spent and other sacrifices you've made in pursuit of this goal.

Ironman like any other huge endeavor is a big deal. And it's not easy otherwise everyone would do it. So take comfort that you are not alone. Be mindful that your stress and anxiety is high now and will continue to build until the cannon blasts to start the race. A small sneeze doesn't mean you have pneumonia or Swine Flu. That faint click in your bike isn't a sign that your frame is cracked. Stay positive and remember that you are part of special group of athletes who are physically, mentally and emotionally strong enough to be at the starting line. You've earned this right.

In this final week, make time for yourself. Stretch, meditate, do yoga, listen to music, visualize your race or whatever else helps you relax. Allow a few extra minutes to complete tasks and run errands. Remember that those who are close to you have supported you during your journey. Stay positive and make sure they know how much you appreciate their sacrifices. If a small confrontation starts, stop and take the responsibility for defusing it immediately. It's a better policy to be kind than to be right.

Finally never underestimate the power of having a positive attitude.

This email left me with visions of triathletes picking fights on streets...

Escape from Alcatraz

My mother does not like it when I sign up for Escape from Alcatraz, as she worries about me swimming in the Bay. Today I joined her, as some 10 foot monstrosity swam about 15 feet underneath me while I battled my way in from The Rock. (I didn't spend enough time looking at it to identify it, but it was certainly fish shaped and I looked away before I could determine it was a shark so I didn't totally freak out.)

This year's event was a challenging day. It didn't help that I rode from my house to Pt. Reyes and back yesterday, so my legs were a bit shot.

The day started off well enough... My dear friend Ashli and I met in transition and then headed to the bus to take us out to the San Francisco Belle, the boat which delivered us to Alcatraz. Both Ashli and I were much calmer than when we made that same journey two years ago, heading out to our first Escape from Alcatraz.

Getting off the boat is an adventure -- I equate it to jumping out of a plane. As we were lining up to jump, Ashli and I started "eww"-ing at the same time. Clearly many waiting to exit the boat decided to forego waiting until they were in the water to "warm up their wetsuits" and had chosen to do so while still on the boat. It was disgusting. I was mortified that people would do that - and clearly many had.

I had a good jump from the boat (meaning no one landed on top of me) and sighted on Sutro Tower, as we had been directed, and started my 1.5 mile swim into shore. We had been told during the athlete meeting that the currents were slower this year than in previous years, so I was expecting a longer swim, but I was not expecting to blow by the beach, as two years ago I had followed the suggested sighting plan and had a perfect landing. Not this year. I totally overshot the beach and spent 20+ minutes swimming against the current trying to make it back. Frustrating, but I made it in, trying to put a positive spin on the fact that now I had an even better training swim.

The bike was uneventful, with the exception of a man with an accent posted at the Legion of Honor in a tuxedo. He was quite the cheerleader and a joy to many. I felt the prior day in my legs, but still enjoyed the challenging ride.

The run started out slow, but after seeing Ryan, Dian and Jake I "got my legs" and actually had a relatively good, strong run during the second half of the 8 mile course. Which I needed, as I spent the first half stressing about how poorly my swim had gone.

The finish line was a welcomed sight, as I was ready to be done for the day. While the event itself wasn't my best, I still enjoyed the journey. What makes the Escape from Alcatraz so fun is that it's a local race and many friends were out on the course. Hearing friends shouting your name and waving is so wonderful and so motivating. Thank you so much to everyone out the course. You know who you are and you made my day.

The Lecture

I took both my bikes in for a tune up this week - as until today I wasn't exactly sure which bike was going to travel to Europe with me.

I read over the receipt and burst out laughing... was I being lectured by my bike mechanic? Indeed I was! This was the comment written on the receipt:

"Bike runs great, but could use a bath a little more often. A clean bike is a FAST bike."

What's with the Bear?

Last year, while in Coeur D'Alene for our first Ironman, my very thoughtful and kind friend Ashli sent Chris and I a huge bouquet of balloons to wish us good luck.

It was after we returned, when Ashli saw photos from the race, that she burst out laughing. "What's with the "Hope" Bear?" They were supposed to be good luck balloons!"

I imagine Coeur D'Alene was low on "good luck" items at that point, as our bouquet had congratulations, best wishes and other lovely sentiments mixed in among the good luck wishes.

The bear currently resides in my office. It struck me today that the bear is the perfect sentiment for this year's Ironman event... I am hopeful it's a good event.

Dave Scott

I first heard of the infamous "Dave Scott Workout" last year a few weeks before IM Coeur D'Alene. While my coach had other plans, athletes that were training with another local coach were given the workout. Rumor had it that it was quite tough.

My friends Dana and Samantha invited me to join them in their Dave Scott workout before Oceanside 70.3 earlier this year, however I was sadly out of town.

Dana and I randomly decided to do the workout on our own earlier this week (Dana, sweetheart that she is, agreed to do it just for fun!), yet the very next day after making our plans to do so, it was announced that it is Dave Scott Weekend! Now I will suffer among many.

Who is Dave Scott? Dave is a six-time Ironman World Champion. Clearly he is an expert.

What is the Dave Scott workout? The workout consists of a 20 mile bike ride, followed by a five mile run, followed by another 20 mile ride, followed by a 4 mile run, followed by another 20 mile ride, followed by a three mile run.

In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't sound that hard. I ride distances greater than 60 miles all the time, and I run 12 miles often as well. However, brick workouts are hard, and I know this one is going to be BRUTAL. Fun times await.

And He's Off...

Chris departed this morning to start his European adventure.

I am green with envy, but excited for his summer travels.

In 18 long days, I will join him and our friend Phil in St. Tropez...

I cannot WAIT.