My Computer has a Virus and I Can't Blog

 

My computer has a virus and is at the electronics doctor to get fixed up.

I almost wrote that I can't blog while I am waiting for it to be fixed, but that would be wrong because I am blogging right now.

But it's NOT fun!!!

No pictures.

I have been holding off blogging so I could do a recap of the week with all my great pictures.

Since I can not access my pictures on my computer I am going to have to post generic pictures with this blog.

It may still be entertaining.

 

During the past week, while I have been waiting for my computer to return, I was so glad to be able to participate in a tree planting on the kindergarten playground where I was working for a teacher whose class I took over for the last several weeks of school.

 

The best part of the job was I got to work with my friend, Carolyn. She got the tree to plant!

And look what I found when I googled....

http://www.rusdlink.org/Domain/9

 

It's a video of the tree planting!!!!! Woot-Woot!!!

 

On Friday I had a great 1.5 swim followed by a 20-mile bike ride.

 

 

 

Picture lifted off of facebook of Shirley and Robert, after our swim and before our bike ride.

 

 

Saturday morning I led a 30-mile HILL bike ride.

 

Another picture lifted from facebook...(from left) - Barb, Shirley, Orietta (yeah she is smiling!), Robert.

 

Then everyone left....except my guy. He is the best training partner. He went with me on my 5.5 mile run.

Another facebook lift!

 

My daughter came to stay with us on Saturday afternoon and she broke the little toe on my right foot. It was an accident. She stepped on my toe. I can't show you a picture of my toe because I never put it on facebook.

 

I googled images of broken pink toe and the closest one to my toe is this one....

except mine is on the right foot.

 

I walked on it all day long at Sea World on Sunday for Father's Day. The DeCarlo crew took the Dad (Robert) there for Father's Day and also for a belated birthday present for our daughter.

 

This is my picture of Sea World that I posted on facebook. All the other pictures are not accessible. But we had a great time and I WALKED on my toe, I mean foot, all day.

 

Today I went on a 22-mile mountain bike ride around Diamond Valley Lake with Robert.

I managed to grab this pic off of my phone. It is small, but it shows Diamond Valley Lake. We had already rode 18 miles and only had 3 more to ride.

Riding 21plus miles with a broken toe is not fun. but doable.

 

My training plan says I am suppose to swim today, but I talked to my coach and she said it was okay if I swam in the morning and used this evening as recovery time by watering my plants and cleaning up my office and using my award from placing 2nd in my age group in the Encinitas Duathlon from 4 weeks ago that came in the mail today.

It won't be empty for long!

 

And I guess I can still blog with pictures even without my computer!

Train-n-Tri

 

 

 

 

 

 



What a Year of Training Can Do for You!!! PR!

Today I set a new PR at the LA Tri-Series Championship Event #3.

 

In my blog the other day I said I wasn't going to compare my stats from last year to this year.

 

I lied.

I also said in my blog that I wanted to complete today's tri in less than 3 hours and 52 minutes.

 

In case you missed the blog where I lied and set my time goal here it is:

 

http://train-n-tri.blogspot.com/2013/06/two-fer.html

 

Today I did complete the Olympic Distance Triathlon in less than 3 hours and 52 minutes.....

(officially it was 3:52:09 last  year)

 

My finish was recorded at 3:51:25, a decrease of less than one minute - 44 seconds to be exact.

 

But I'll take it.

 

In my blog yesterday, I said I just wanted to have a Happy swim and a Happy bike and a Happy Run (aka jog/walk) and have fun spending Happy time with my triathlete friends.

 

I am happy to report that I was happy the entire day.

 

I think it was the first open water swim I have ever had that I was NOT nervous at all. Not at the beginning. Not in the middle. Not at the end. I enjoyed my swim and never once felt as if I was pushing it or was out of breath or even racing. I just had a nice even paced swim in the lake.

 

I was even happier when I saw that I cut 2 minutes and 10 seconds off my last year's swim time. Just to point out,  I was NOT that happy last year during the swim.

(Yes, I am throwing some statistical comparisons in, but it will all make sense at the end)

 

Last year I rode Sarah, my road bike at this tri. This year I rode Hector, my tri bike. On Friday Hector got surgery and got his cassette switched from an 11/25 to an 11/28. My guy suggested I ride him around the block a couple of times last night to make sure everything was okay, but I was tired after work and had to pack and I didn't do it.

 

Our first lap at the tri today was a reintroduction.
Hello Henry.
He was a little different.

I didn't know his gears and we had to get reacquainted.

By the third lap we were becoming friends and though he doesn't like hills as much as Sarah, he LOVES downhills and flats.

 

At one downhill, no one was around me - no other cyclists or cars and the SLOW DOWN sign started to flash....

This wasn't the sign, but it is representative of the sign.

 

I figured the flashing SLOW DOWN sign was a sign from above to slow down and I did....a little.

 

Unlike other triathlons at Bonelli Park where I think how great it would be do be riding the horses instead of bike riding, I didn't think that today.

 

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=489460221981185313#editor/target=post;postID=3175665255681537897;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=119;src=postname

(blog about last year's LA Tri-Series is the link above)

 

As I rode past the golf course today THREE TIMES, I did think about how nice it would be to be riding around in a golf cart with a little ice chest full of beer.

I actually yelled at a couple of players asking if they needed a driver for their cart.

They ignored me.

F%^#*& golfers.....they need to get out on a bike and have some fun.

 

Here's the stats: I decreased my bike time by 3 minutes and 3 seconds.

 

Oh, let's not get too happy.

I smiled when I saw that I decreased my T1 time (first transition) by 11 seconds. I spent a lot of my T1 time today practically laid out flat on the asphalt with cramps in both my calves. Luckily, I had an overripe banana waiting for me and it did the trick.

 

 

 

Maybe T1 was faster this year because I wasn't peeing on a towel while I was changing into my bike shoes.

(You have to read last year's blog to hear about that because I am NOT revisiting that story now).

 

T2 this year was another story - 1:45 longer than last year.

I think it was because I went out of transition and hit the porta-potty before I went over the timing mat.

What's a race without a porta-potty?

 

 

 

 

Last stat - my run was 2 minutes 53 seconds longer than last years......

but last year I didn't stop and lean against a tree and pee..oh, yeah, I did that this year. I just could not run one more mile with a sloshing bladder.

I am sure my mother would not like to know it was just as if I was in first grade and stood at the lunch table and peed my pants...except this time I had it planned and I leaned so it wouldn't go in my shoes.

Give me a gold star.

 

Here is the biggest comparison of them all.

This year I am a year OLDER than last year.

So, if I can shave any time off my event while adding a year on to my life....I am HAPPY!!!!

 

Now just for some fun pics of the day!

 

 

The first timing chip they gave Barb. It looked as if a shark had eaten part of it off a swimming triathlete, or maybe a pit bull had eaten part of it off a running triathlete. We made her turn it in and get a new ankle bracelet.

 

 

 

Before the race - predictions?

Sorry, Jeanne and Shirley, you are in the wrong place. Barb is in the right place.

 

 

Barb finished second in her age group, even after taking a tumble on mile 5 of her run. She only wonders why there were not a lot of cute paramedics around to help her out with her contusions.

 

Jeanne, me and Barb this year....

 

 

Us, last year. Oh yeah, Barb won 2nd place last year also.

 

Okay, here's the last photos - what's changed in a year?

 

 

Last year......

 

 

This year.....

 

Comment on the blog and I'll send you some Aquaphor samples.....

 

Two-fer

Yep, I am cramming two blogs into one.

But I'll make both short.

 

 

Tri-Series Championship Triathlon

 

Tomorrow morning I am competing at the Tri-Series Championship Triathlon at Bonelli Park.

I competed at it last year. It's a nice swim. A hilly bike and a hot run.

I looked at last year's results and almost fainted.

 

 

Last year it took me 3 hours and 52 minutes to complete an Olympic Distance triathlon.

I put my stats away and told myself - it was a year ago.

 

I am NOT going to compare now to then.

I am different.

My bike is different - I will be riding a different bike.

I am different.

 

So my goals for tomorrow are:

Have a Happy Swim with relaxed breathing!

Have a Happy Bike and not burn out my legs on the hills while I am riding my tri-bike Hector!

Have a Happy Run/Walk enjoying all the scenery along the way and enjoying conversing with the people I run/walk by.

Have a Happy time enjoying that I can swim/bike/run with lots of awesome friends who also swim/bike/run!!!

 

And finish in less than 3 hours 52 minutes!!!

 

-----------------------------------------

PERMIT TO SWIM?

 

 

I read on a friend's facebook page that some beaches are going to start requiring a permit for group swims.

??????

 

         http://zev.lacounty.gov/communities/westside/group-swim-meetup-better-get-an-okay

 

So, if a big group of surfers are out in the water are the lifeguards going to require that they have a permit?

If a big group of mothers bring their kids to the beach are the lifeguards going to require that they have a permit?

I realize they are going after the "social meetups" but I think this is going too far.

I think we should boycott their required permits and stage "swim-ins" up and down the coast!    

 

   

Swim on!!!

 

Told you - short!

Tomorrow is a new day to Train-n-Tri!

 



Hills Don't Scare Me!

Hills Don't Scare Me!

Anymore!!

 

I may be slow riding up them, but I CAN ride up them!!!

 

Since riding hills I have become a better cyclist.

I don't avoid hills any longer.

 

This weekend my guy and I rode the San Diego Metric Century...68 miles of up and down and up and up and some down, with some up and up and down.

 

There were a few flats thrown in there, but not many.

I LOVED the ride.

 

I think this was about mile 48....20 more to go and Tom, Jeanne, Robert and I are still smiling.

 I took this picture while I was riding...ON FLAT. I can't take pictures on up hills or down hills...too slow or too fast.

 

Robert's and my bike parked at a SAG.

 

Love bike riding with Robert.

 

Palm trees on one side of the road and corn fields on the other.

Making our way to the finish line.

 

If you want to see info about my ride you can go to this link

http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/292451369

 

It gives lots of statistical information.

The most important piece of information is not listed....and that is I will definitely do this ride again.

The route was great. The bike lanes were great. The SAG support was great. The friends and ride were great!

 

 



 



 

 





What a Shame Riverside/San Bernardino/Ontario

It seems I am taking a chance riding my bike on the roads in Riverside.

 

 

According to a report released by Transportation for America, the Riverside/San Bernardino/Ontario area is ranked 5th in the top 10 most dangerous areas in the US to ride a bike, or walk.

That doesn't make me feel too good.

I am hoping things change in my city.

I would love to be able to ride my bike all over the place in Riverside.

But, I've known for a while that it's not safe.

I don't ride my bike down Central Avenue toward the Riverside Plaza area unless it is before 7 a.m. on a Saturday or Sunday. Any other time it would be just an invitation to get creamed by a car.

I asked our past mayor about getting bike lanes put in on Central and he told me to ride my bike on the sidewalk. Not that I am EVER going to do that, but even if I did, the sidewalk is only on one side of the street and people walk on it.

 

Our NEW Mayor touts himself as being bicycle friendly.

I haven't seen any changes, except he gets out once every couple of months and rides his mountain bike 10 miles on the Santa Ana River Trail with a bunch of people.

You don't have to deal with cars on the SART.

 

So I am not impressed Mayor Bailey.

 

What will impress me is when they clean the glass out of the bike lane at the intersection of Central and Victoria avenues.

It's been there 3 weeks. I have called 3 times and it has not been cleaned up. During my past weekend "alone" ride, I stopped and took a picture of the debris in the bike lane. I sent an email and attached the picture of all the debris in the bike lane. I thought for sure that crap would be cleared up by our ride on Tuesday.

Nope.

Still nothing.

I know it's hard to see, but there is lots of glass still in the bike lane...even after 3 weeks of cars driving over it.

My fingers are crossed that the glass is ALL gone for tomorrow night's ride.

 

Tomorrow's ride is along Victoria Avenue in Riverside.

 

Victoria Avenue is listed on the Register of National Historic Places.

 

Oh yes, it looks pretty and it is pretty.

EXCEPT for the bike lane.

Most times we don't even ride in the bike lane. I am sure passing vehicles don't understand why we are riding out in the road and not in the bike lane.

 

WHY?

We don't ride in the bike lane on Victoria Avenue for the most part because it is rutty, full of tree branches - on the ground and hanging down to smack us in the face, and full of debris. It is safer for us to ride in the road and take our chances with cars.

 

And this is the bike lane that the city officials tout as being an asset.

 

I want to take Mayor Rusty Bailey on a bike ride around town. Maybe if he had to ride in my pedals for a day he would get to work on making our city a better place to ride and we wouldn't be number 5 on the DANGER list.

 

I'd love for Mayor Bailey to join us on one of Triathlon Connection Riverside's Tuesday or Thursday night rides.

And any other city official who keeps saying they want the city to be bike friendly.

 

We have bikes and we want to show you and tell you how to make our city bike SAFE!!!!

 

Come out and ride with us!

 

 

 

Ride Alone HILLS Yes!

Sometimes it is good to ride alone.

 

There was no one to talk to, except myself.

No one to get my mind off my legs, except myself.

No one to push me, except myself.

No one who would know if I didn't go all the way to the top of the hill, except myself.

 

I rode with myself today.

I rode 30 miles with myself.

I rode 1,700 feet up in those miles.

All by myself.

All alone.

I didn't have music, though I did have the lyrics from the play my kindergarteners just did running through my brain.

"I'm a chef, chef, chef....oolalala"..repeat that a lot of times and it gets your mind off your legs.

 

I counted the number of times I had to pedal between light posts on one climb.

 

I tried to keep it in my big ring for the entire ride, but I had to go to the lower ring when I hit Hillsmont and it was 14 percent.

But you'll just have to take my word for that because I was all by myself.

Since it was just me, I only stopped when I wanted to. I didn't have to wait for anyone and no one had to wait for me.

For the first 45 minutes I made my ride a game - ride in the biggest gear I could without pushing my heart rate over 140. I didn't care about speed.

I stopped at this intersection because I wanted to take a picture of the sign.. wish it turned out better.

WILDFLOWER.

Also because it was at the top of a 14 percent grade and I just wanted to stop and have a drink and take a bite of my nutrition bar.

My second stop was at the Citrus Heritage Park because I had to go to the bathroom. I was the only one there. It was so peaceful and quiet. I parked myself on a bench for a few minutes and ate some of my bar and placed a few games of "Words with Friends."

Last stop was near the top of Overlook after a climb. I took a picture and had some of my bar. When I took off my chain fell off. It wasn't an easy fix. Somehow it fell off the front rings and the back cassette. I had to find some shade, turn my bike upside down and work on it for a several minutes to get it back on.

Riding alone I didn't have anyone else to depend on but myself.

I like depending on myself.

I liked my alone ride...today.

Tomorrow I am going to like my ride with FRIENDS.

Train-n-Tri

 

 



I Am a Duathlete!

For the past few years I have been calling myself a Triathlete!

 

I even become a USA Triathlon Coach!
 This weekend I changed my game.

 

I became a Duathlete.

 

I signed Robert and I up for the Encinitas Triathlon because it was a fabulous deal. When I signed us up it was a two-fer. So for both of us it was $75.

I looked it up and later it was $120 a person.

Anyway, we were in Carlsbad in April for the Carlsbad 5000 and I knew we had the Encinitas Sprint Triathlon coming up and we loved the funky Surf Motel we were staying out, so we booked the Ocean View Suite for the weekend.

This time we brought my son, Darin, and his friend, Dylan.

While Robert and I expo'd, ran and biked, they surfed and swam and ate.

We met up for the eatings.

Man, those boys can eat a lot...

We checked in late Friday and I could hear the surf, but I couldn't see it. But the breeze was nice and I had a great night's sleep.

I woke up early on Saturday and everyone was sleeping so I walked by myself to the coffee shop/hamburger joint/sandwich shop/bakery down the street and got myself a BIG coffee and a bowl of fruit with a pastry.

Okay, so it was a pastry with fruit on it. Yummy!!!

 

After my people got up, Darin and Dylan took their surfboards to the beach and Robert and I took off in the car for the expo.

At first I was thinking we should just ride our bikes, but then I thought it might be hard to ride back with all the schwag they were going to give us.

As it was, the streets were shut down for the 5k run and we had to park FAR FAR FAR away from the expo.

They didn't give us too many goodies, but I did come away lucky. One booth was having a $25 shoe sale and I felt like Cinderella because the sizes fit me. The salesperson was happy, too. She kept saying how she had been waiting for someone with my size foot to come along and buy the shoes.

 

 

 

I bought 3 pairs...good thing I got them on Saturday and carried them all the way back to the car because she didn't have her booth on Sunday. I looked. I had my credit card in hand to buy more shoes. Guess I saved some money.

 

The expo was good. The weather was fabulous and the beach scenery was the best.

The waves looked big, but Robert and I talked about it. He is a great ocean swimmer and I am a newbie ocean swimmer. He assured me that once we got past the breakwater, it would be easy swimming to the buoy and back. Really, the waves were no bigger than ones I had boogied boarded in.

 

My mistake was to stop in the chiropractor adjustment tent. The doc there was an 5-time Ironman and he told me the next day's waves were going to be BIG with rip currents. He gave me 15 minutes worth of swim advice and then said he felt a lot of tension in my neck and shoulder area.

After talking to him about race day's surf ANYONE would have tension in their neck and shoulders.

 

 

After the expo we stopped in the local bike store.

Lesley Patterson use to work here.

They were really nice and helpful.

They had GREAT customer service. Too bad they are so far away because I would switch bike shops if they were closer.

 

Later that afternoon Robert and I went on a stress-reducing bike ride.

Of course, we rode on Pacific Coast Highway and all I could look at was the waves and how they appeared to be getting bigger and bigger and BIGGER.

 

We turned around and headed back when everyone started leaving the beach and the traffic was getting a bit crazy. Some people didn't want to share the road, even when the road was a "sharrows".

 

Back at our hotel, I relaxed on our patio and tried to visualize myself diving under gigantic waves and coming out the other side right by the last buoy.

 

I had a nice dinner with my guys and went to bed early.

 

The alarm went off and out the door we went. I couldn't see the surf because it was still dark. We had to park FAR FAR FAR away again, but this time we could ride our bikes to the event. But it's hard riding with a HUGE transition bag on your back when I haven't had a cup of coffee.

 

Robert and I had signed up as VIPs and were suppose to have assigned spots in transition. I did. He didn't.

They moved us to a special spot.

 

 Hector loved his spot.

 

 

 

Robert and I quickly set up our transition area and grabbed our wetsuits and made our way out of transition. They were closing down transition at 6:30 a.m. even though our wave wasn't until 7:48 a.m. They let me move my 7:40 a.m. wave back to his 7:48 a.m. wave so we could swim together.

 

We were in our wetsuits and down by the water when the first wave went off. It was the elites and they easily made it through the pounding surf.

 

Then the normal people waves started going and it was a different story.

Lots of people never made it.

Several were brought back in by lifeguards.

Every few minutes the announcer would tell where the rip current was....He said stuff like - swim to the right so you get pulled to the left so you can swim to the right.

I watched about 8 waves go off and I knew it wasn't going to happen for me.

Lifeguards riding on seadoos brought a lot of people back to shore.

 

 

The breakwater went all the way to the last buoy. It was just pounding wave after pounding wave.

I told Robert I just was not properly trained for these surf conditions. When I had signed up the triathlon was suppose to be at a different place, you know like at a kiddie beach, but they had to move it because of construction on the parking lot.

Even when the tri moved to this surfer beach, I thought I would still give it a try.

But my inner instincts were yelling, "SAVE YOURSELF."

 

They announced that anyone not making it through the swim, or those who just wanted to, could change to the duathlon.

I was at the timing desk so fast to get my name changed to the duathlon list that you would have thought I was racing.

One girl at the timing desk was crying.

She had been pummeled in the surf.

She was switching to the duathlon.

As we watched the line of soaked triathletes lining up to become duathletes grew.

Lifeguards later said they helped 70 people out of the water.

Glad I wasn't one of them.

 

 

 

I am a duathlete....run/bike/run!!!

 

My wetsuit is packed away dry!

 

The first run was on the beach in the sand.

The bike was pretty flat with a small hill in the middle.

The second run was up a dirt hill, then on the road.

I was just so grateful that I was racing without having to battle the surf. The race was over before I knew it.

 

ti

We waited a little while for results, then gave up.

Final results are still not posted.

I'll let you know how I did when I find out.

 

Today I am just going to put on my bike shoes and ride some hills because I love to Train-n-Tri!