Friday, January 1, 2010

2009: A Year to Revere


Two thousand and nine was a year to revere, chalk-full of 135 days of training, four trips to Lake Chelan, three Century ride, two pairs of running shoes, one coach who never, never, never let me quit - and a title I will relish for a lifetime: Ironman.

For those reasons alone I approached the New Year with a bit of trepidation – worrying that my best days were behind me. But ringing in 2010 with a 5K and polar plunge in Lake Washington affirmed that IMC was merely a foreshadowing of fantastic adventures adhead.

In 2010, three things remain true: You get what you give. Life is better when shared. Anything is possible.

Next up, Escape from Alcatraz: May 2, 2010 (with a few training triumphs along the way...)

P.S. “Pain in weakness leaving the body.” (U.S.M.C.)

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Can't figure out what to get the athlete on your list? Here are a few ideas from Coach Lesley!

CL’s Top 12 Holiday Gift Ideas for your Athlete

Have fun and Happy Holidays!

1. Gift Certificate for a Great Coach!
http://www.CoachLesley.com

2. Premium Eva Foam Roller
http://www.power-systems.com/p-2972-premium-eva-foam-roller.aspx
12"L x 6"Dia. - Round

3. For trail running, cross-country skiing, outdoor adventures…
Ultimate Direction Wink (lightweight women’s running backpack)
http://www.GearZone.com/Ultimate-Direction-Wink-p/210-10505-1.htm
Ultimate Direction Wasp (lightweight men’s running backpack)
http://www.GearZone.com/Ultimate-Direction-Wasp-p/210-10503-1.htm

4. A slightly bigger ticket item… but something any runner or triathlete will love… a
Garmin Forerunner 305 or 310xt.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=141&fKeys=FILTER_SERIES_FORERUNNER
This watch can tell you how far you’ve run, how long it took, your pace/mile and all sorts of other information. You can also download your workout data to your computer or upload a new course to the watch. Endless possibilities!

5. Running Vest
A great running vest is an essential piece of gear if you are in Seattle or anywhere that is cold but not freezing. Buy a cool vest from your athlete’s favorite store or favorite coach. 

6. Music
Although CL teammates know that Coach Lesley is not a big proponent of music while you run, she does think music can be a very useful tool for those long indoor trainer rides or cross training at the gym. So, an iTunes gift card, a custom-made play list (or a pre-mixed one) for your athlete can get them through the winter indoor workouts!
(Check out the Nike Sport Music page on iTunes where you can create and share your own sport mixes.)

7. Body Glide
Body Glide Skin Formula looks a lot like a stick of deodorant, but in fact is a wonderful invention that keeps your skin from chafing on those long workouts! It’s non-greasy, non-oily formula helps prevent saddles sores, blisters on feet, chafing and cracked skin. It’s natural, hypoallergenic, water/sweat resistant and safe on wetsuits. If you're shopping for stocking stuffers – this is an absolute must! Body Glide can be found at Speedy Reedy or any of your local running/triathlon shops.
www.bodyglide.com

8. Books & Movies
For the readers in the crowd…maybe a book they do not already have. Examples:
Lore of Running by Timothy Noakes, MD
I Run Because I Am Nuts by Bob Schwartz
Without Limits (DVD: the story of famous 1970s runner Steve Prefontaine)

9. Chocolate Milk (Moo)
For something simple, cute and necessary! A case of low-fat, organic chocolate milk (Horizon is a great brand, sold at PCC and most local grocery stores), is a superb post workout fuel and does not need refrigerating.

10. For the athlete who has everything (including every piece of athletic apparel on the planet):
Running Shoes
Every few months a runner needs fresh pair of running shoes. You may not want to buy your athlete the actual shoes unless you know what model and size they wear but, you still have a few options. Buy what you think they wear at a store like Super Jock N Jill that will let you’re your athlete return the shoes and find what they need or, buy a gift certificate.

11. Smart Wool Socks
I don’t run in anything else! Nothing manages moisture, regulates temperature and repels odor like wool… and Smartwool is the softest wool ever! https://www.smartwool.com/default.cfm

12. Slim Pocket Race Number Belt
For your triathlete … a fabulous race belt … once of the few belts that lets you attach your race number, hold gels AND it has a small, think pocket.
http://www.fuelbelt.com/accessories/race.html

Monday, August 31, 2009

Pain is temporary, pride is forever.

14:42:09

http://www.nasports.com/results/can2009prelim.html

Friday, August 28, 2009

16:59:03

sister madonna, my new she-ro:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_Buder

http://www.rolemodelsofhealth.com/index.php?position=sisterbuder

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUp9v8A46dk

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Sunday, August 23, 2009

I *am* ready!

My new pal and two-time Iron(wo)man Eileen, shared this with me (below); give it a read & see where it takes you.
**

To the IM-Virgins, the veterans, and everyone in-between...

Right now you've all entered the taper. Perhaps you've been at this a few months, perhaps you've been at this a few years. For some of you this is your first IM, for others, a long-overdue welcome back to a race that few can match.

You've been following your schedule to the letter. You've been piling on the mileage, piling up the laundry, and getting a set of tan lines that will take until Nove mber to erase. Long rides were followed by long runs, which both were preceded by long swims, all of which were followed by recovery naps that were longer than you slept for any given night during college.

You ran in the snow.
You rode in the rain.
You ran in the heat.
You ran in the cold.

You went out when others stayed home.
You rode the trainer when others pulled the covers over their heads.

You have survived the Darwinian progression that is an Ironman summer, and now the hardest days are behind you. Like a climber in the Tour de France coming over the summit of the penultimate climb on an alpine stage, you've already covered so much ground...there's just one more climb to go. You shift up, you take a drink, you zip up the jersey; the descent lays before you...and it will be a fast one.

Time that used to be filled with never-ending work will now be filling with silent muscles, taking their final, we ll-earned rest. While this taper is something your body desperately needs, Your mind, cast off to the background for so very long, will start to speak to you.

It won't be pretty.

It will bring up thoughts of doubt, pain, hunger, thirst, failure, and loss. It will give you reasons why you aren't ready. It will try and make one last stand to stop you, because your brain doesn't know what the body already does. Your body knows the truth:

You are ready.

Your brain won't believe it. It will use the taper to convince you that this is foolish - that there is too much that can go wrong.

You are ready.

Finishing an Ironman is never an accident. It's the result of dedication, focus, hard work, and belief that all the long runs in January, long rides in April, and long swims every damn weekend will be worth it. It comes from getting on the bike, day in, day out. It comes from long, solo runs. From that first long run where you wondered, "How will I ever be ready?" to the last long run=2 0where you smiled to yourself with one mile to go...knowing that you'd found the answer.

It is worth it. Now that you're at the taper, you know it will be worth it. The workload becomes less. The body winds up and prepares, and you just need to quiet your worried mind. Not easy, but you can do it.

You are ready.

You will walk into the lagoon on August 30th with 2000 other wide-open sets of eyes. You will look upon the sea of humanity, and know that you belong. You'll feel the chill of the water crawl into your wetsuit, and shiver like everyone else, but smile because the day you have waited for so VERY long is finally here.

The bagpipers will walk across the beach. Steve King will ask you to sing along. You will.

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

You will tear up in your goggles. Everyone does.

The helicopters will roar overhead.
Maranatha will roar. The splashing will surround you.

You'll stop thinking about Ironman, because you're now racing one.

The swim will be long - it's long for everyone, but you'll make it. You'll watch as the Penticton Lakeside Hotel grows and grows, and soon you'll hear the end. You'll come up the beach and head for the wetsuit strippers. Three people will get that sucker off before you know what's happening, then you'll head for the bike.
=2 0
In the shadows on Main Street you'll spin out of town - the voices, the cowbells, and the curb-to-curb chalk giving you a hero's sendoff. You won't wipe the smile off your face for miles as you whisk along the lakeside, past fully stocked, silent aid stations for the run to come.


You'll spin up McLean Creak Road. You'll roll down towards Osoyoos, past the vineyards glowing in the morning sun. You'll settle down to your race. The crowds will spread out on the road. You'll soon be on your bike, eating your food on your schedule, controlling your Ironman.

Richter Pass will come. Everyone talks about it, but it's really nothing. You'll know this halfway up, as you're breathing easy and climbing smoothly. Look to your right. Look how high you're climbing. Look at all the bikes below, still making their way there. You're ahead of them. All of them.

You'll climb over Richter, and descend to the valley below. You'll ride the rollers, one at a time. You'll start to feel that morning sun turn to afternoon sun. It's warmer now. Maybe it's hot. Maybe you're not feeling so good now. You'll keep riding. You'll keep drinking. You'll keep moving. After all, this i s just a long training day with valet parking and catering, right?

You'll put the rollers behind you. You'll head into the Cawston out and back. You'll put on your game face, fighting the urge to feel down as you ride the wrong way for what seems like hours. 10 miles in, you reach special needs, fuel up, and head out.

By now it'll be hot. You'll be tired. Doubts will fight for your focus. Everyone struggles here. You've been on that bike for a few hours, and stopping would be nice, but you won't - not here. Not today. You'll ride on leaving Cawston behind you and head for the final showdown at Yellow Lake.

You'll grind the false flats to the climb. You'll know you're almost there. You'll fight for every inch of road. You'll make the turn towards the summit as the valley walls close in for the kill, and put your head down. The crowd will come back to you here - the cars are always waiting to cross the summit, and you'll soon be surrounded in the glorious noise that is the final climb of Ironman Canada. Let their energy push you. Let them see your eyes. Smile when they cheer for you - your body will get just that little bit lighter.

Grind.
Fight.
Suffer.
Persevere.
Summit.

Just like that, you'll be descending. 12 miles to go, and no climbing left. You'll plunge down the road, swooping from corner to corner, chaining together the turns, tucking on the straights, letting your legs recover for the run to come - soon! You'll roll back into town - you'll see people running out. You'll think to yourself, "Wasn't I just here?" The noise will grow. The chalk dust will hang in the air - you're back in Penticton, with only 26.2 miles to go. You'll relax a little bit, knowing that even if you get a flat tire or something breaks here, you can run the damn bike into T2.

You'll roll into transition. 100 volunteers will fight for your bike. You'll give it up and not look back. You'll have your bag handed to you, and into the tent you'll go. You'll change. You'll load up your pockets, and open the door to the last long run of your Ironman summer - the one that counts.

You'll take that first step of a t housand...and you'll smile. You'll know that the bike won't let you down now - the race is down to your own two feet. The same crowd that cheered for you in the shadows of the morning will cheer for you in the brilliant sunshine of a Penticton summer Sunday. High-five people on the way out. Smile. Enjoy it. This is what you've worked for all year long.

That first mile will feel great. So will the second.
By mile 3, you probably won't feel so good.

That's okay. You knew it couldn't all be that easy. You'll settle down just like you did on the bike, and get down to your pace. You'll see the leaders coming back the other way. Some will look great - some won't. You might feel great, you might not. No matter how you feel, don't panic - this is the part of the day where whatever you're feeling, you can be sure it won't last.

You'll keep moving. You'll keep drinking. You'll keep eating. Maybe you'll be right on plan - maybe you won't. If you're ahead of schedule, don't worry - believe. If you're behind, don't panic - roll with it. Everyone comes up with a brilliant race plan for Ironman, and then everyone has to deal with the reality that planning for something like Ironman is like trying to land a man on the moon. By remote control. Blindfolded.

How you react to the changes in your plan will dictate your day. Don't waste energy worrying about things - just do what you have to when you have to, and keep moving. Keep eating. Keep drinking. Just don't sit down - don't EVER sit down.

You'll make it to halfway at OK Falls. You'll load up on special needs. Some of what you packed will look good, some won't. Eat what looks good, toss the rest. Keep moving. Start looking for people you know. Cheer for people you don't. You're headed in - they're not. They want to be where you are, just like you wanted to be when you saw all those fast people headed into town. Share some energy - you'll get it right back.

Run if you can.
Walk if you have to.
Just keep moving.

The miles will drag on. The brilliant Penticton sunshine will yawn, and head for the mountains behind the bike course...behind that last downhill you flew down all those hours ago. You 'll be coming up to those aid stations you passed when you started the bike...fully alive with people, music, and chicken soup. TAKE THE SOUP. Keep moving.

You'll soon only have a few miles to go. You'll start to believe that you're going to make it. You'll start to imagine how good it's going to feel when you get there. Let those feelings drive you on. When your legs just don't want to move anymore, think about what it's going to be like when someone catches you...puts a medal over your head...

...all you have to do is get there.

You'll start to hear town. People you can't see in the twilight will cheer for you. They'll call out your name. Smile and thank them. They were there when you left on the bike, and when you came back, when you left on the run, and now when you've come back.

You'll enter town. You'll start to realize that the day is almost over. You'll be exhausted, wiped out, barely able to run a 10-minute mile (if you're lucky), but you'll ask yourself, "Where did the whole day go?" You'll be standing on the edge of two feelings - the desire to finally stop, and the desire to take these last moments and make the m last as long as possible.

You'll hit mile 25. You'll turn onto Lakeside Drive. Your Ironman Canada will have 1.2 miles - just 2KM left in it.

You'll run. You'll find your legs. You'll fly. You won't know how, but you will run. You'll make the turn in front of the Sicamous in the dark, and head for home. The lights will grow brighter, brighter, and brighter. Soon you'll be able to hear the music again. This time, it'll be for keeps.

You'll listen for Steve King, or Mike Reilly, or Whit Raymond. Soon they'll see you. Soon, everyone will see you. You'll run towards the lights, between the fences, and into the nightsun made just for you.

They'll say your name.
You'll keep running.
Nothing will hurt.

The moment will be yours - for one moment, the entire world will be looking at you and only you.

You'll break the tape. The flash will go off.

You'll stop. You'll finally stop. Your legs will wobble their last, and suddenly...be capable of nothing more.

Someone will catch you.
You'll lean into them.

It will suddenly hit you.
You will be an Ironman.

You are ready.

* I am ready. *

Monday, August 17, 2009

Anything is possible

The Distance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw6LR__wr4Y&NR=1

What it takes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8RrtppCAeM&feature=related

The life of a triathlete 24/7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8RrtppCAeM&feature=related

Battle without honor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0iblRHmRZ8&NR=1

Don't say you can't
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLdi0hMkinM&NR=1

Anything is possible
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh1yMnrby3w&NR=1