Orca Half Marathon on 9/23

It wasn’t just ANY date…it was my wedding anniversary! Here’s a sign of a good marriage? When you can spend your wedding day apart and be okay with it because you know that each of you wants to do something different and those somethings can’t be had on a different day. I love you Josh!!!

In truth, I also just wanted a bib or a shirt with my wedding anniversary date on it. 😀 And I knew that if I didn’t plan something for this day, I’d regret it later even though I didn’t think I would at the time. Oh, and that whole Ironman training thing… it worked right into that plan too so it was kind of  a no brainer!

Logistically, it would be a trickier event to attend as it’s a point to point, with all sorts of shuttle riding rules- so if you live on the Kitsap peninsula take note: unless you know someone in the city who wants to be your own personal uber, your day is going to start out at O-Dark with a 5:15 ferry ride across the pond.

We arrived in plenty of time to park 100 feet from the finish line! That meant we could schlep our way back to the care easily after earning the swagger that comes from running 13.1 miles. 😉

I was excited because even though the race had sold out by the time I’d decided to go, we got called from the waiting list AND they were still able to make the custom bibs despite the fact that the cutoff date had long since passed!

Together our bibs were like a weird phone number 😀  Or maybe some secret police APB: “Attention all officers, we’ve got a 423 over on Alki point.” “1019-over and out.”

This race isn’t just a race, it’s a race with benefits! As in, the proceeds benefit Orca whales! I was running for J-27 or Blackberry. Wendi was running for J-47 also known as Notch. Of course initially, we didn’t realize that we had sponsored actual whales and some awesome hilarity ensued when I read the back of the bib and was under the impression I was running FOR someone else. Perhaps what confused me was that first line at the very top of the bib…. 😀

I remember thinking initially, “This guy is 26 years old so can he really be considered an orphan?” And “how did he get the name Blackberry?” And “what’s his last name? Oh, it’s probably anonymous….”

Sometimes I’m not so smart. 😉

We should have read Wendi’s description first because hers was much more obviously a whale sponsorship. ;D

The main give away was that Notch’s mom, Tahlequah (J-35) was well known as she had just recently spent much time in the news as the Orca who mourned the loss of her calf for over 17 days. This public mourning ritual and how she refused to leave her lost calfs body, was unprecedented behavior and it captured the hearts in our Seattle community,  as well as those deeply in touch with the loss of a child.   

We made our way to the shuttle and took the long drive around what seemed like ALL of Alki, before we arrived at the start of the race. Our wave was at 8:15 but we still had to make our way down a long winding trail from the very top of Lincoln Park down to the sea. Once there, we walked around and headed to the bathrooms, and low and behold, found ourselves standing right in front of the Coleman Pool! I’d always wondered where it was in Seattle, but had no idea how close to the Fauntleroy Ferry it actually was. We will be coming here next year for outdoor pool training for sure!!

Before the race!

After the race!!

And here is everything in between:

I finished in 2:09 for my second fastest half marathon!

And who doesn’t want to get a selfie with The Chicken Man??! (who by the way, kicked my ass while wearing a chicken suit!)

#solemate #runlikeagirl

The course at this event has some hills and some challenging parts, but all in all it is a beautiful venue. I could have done without the last few miles of every athletes  least favorite type of course..one where you run past the finish line to your last out and back. This section takes you into some grittier parts of Alki along some highway areas. You can expect some car exhaust which, while unpleasant, isn’t unmanageable. The volunteers were all great throughout the route. My favorite part was along the Beach Drive in Alki.  As I was running, I looked down and noticed small embedded constellations in the sidewalk! We’re kind of astronomy nerds in my family so this was a fun surprise!

 

I ran over a few of them before my mind put together that what I was seeing wasn’t some random thing, but an art installation, so then I couldn’t help but search for them all. Chloe’s came up just as I got my camera out. After one picture, I realized after having a very public “America’s Funniest Home Videos” moment, that I didn’t really have the coordination to fumble with my phone while running at this pace. I decided that after Ironman, I’m gonna take a ferry over and walk the whole strip so I can see them all!

Our post race re-fueling took place a Endolyne Joes, in West Seattle, which has AMAZING food!! Pancakes and a table with drawers that held fun and juvenile goodies! Look at these hats!! They have 3 corners!! (Cue the childhood song, which I sang at the table!)

“My hat it has three corners, three corners has my hat, and had it not three corners, it would not be my hat.”

All in all it was a fun way to celebrate this important date in my life! I’m so grateful for friends who say, “sure! I’ll come run 13 miles with you!”

Just for fun.

Or, you know, for Ironman training. 😀

Thanks Wendi! ❤

#winwenannigans

Best in the West 70.3

What’s that? A half Ironman for a training day? Yes please! 🙂 Wait.. did I just agree to that? I am still surprised periodically, that this athlete life is my life. That I PAY people to set up race courses for me so that I can swim, bike and run as hard as possible for as long as possible. For fun.

FOR FUN!!

Sometimes I stare into my closet and scan the garments. 70 percent of my clothing is for training. Now sure, that comes with 8 years of triathlon, but I can tell you, I’m often hard pressed for something to wear that isn’t stretchy, compression-y or Ironman-y.

And I try not to go out to dinner in High Vis clothing, but sometimes it can’t be helped. Ha-ha. My husband is a patient man. 😉

So this Half Iron distance took the place of our Pre-IMAZ 70.3 called Black Diamond. That race timing is perfect in the training block for the full we are doing. It was cancelled this year, so this Best in the West would have to be good for us! And you know what? It turned out to be THE BEST in the West!!

Held in Sweet Home Oregon, Josh found us an adorable little rental, in the adjacent town, Brownsville, Oregon.

 

This little bungalow had all the things you’d need in a rental. Except a plunger. And if your rental has one bathroom, you should have a plunger. So we hit the Dollar General and got her one. 😉 (And we may or may not have purchased the level of junk-food only seen in a college dorm room at the same time. Because we are adults and nobody tells us what we can eat. Ha-ha! Um.. maybe somebody should! 😉  )

I suppose since I seem to notice odd things, I was first taken by the unique bathroom decor, and this drawer in particular which led to many a thought…

Initially, all I saw were the words MeetMeat, which could have meant several things.. It could be an informal introduction of a vegetarian to an animal protein, or perhaps it’s the sound made by The Roadrunner as he dashes out from underneath a falling anvil, as Wile E Coyote stands by, crestfallen because his plans have been foiled again.

My brain quickly made it right in my mind, so it didn’t take long for me to use this clever drawer to send messages of hope!!

Some other interesting finds around the house…. (goodness my hands are dry!)  I think hops are so pretty…they’re kind of like tiny green artichokes and on the vine, they hang their heads low as if in prayer.

…and of course, a face!

With this group the laughter can only continue…

What can I say? It was just an adorable home with so many sweet  and personal touches.. like it was made just for us! Thank you Hannah!! Your kitchen invites much fellowship and joy!

Our trip into town to check out all it had to offer, found us standing in front of the Blue Star Diner used in the movie Stand By Me. I’ll try to track down the picture, but here’s the face in the foyer that I spotted from across the street. (I see faces.. it can not be helped.)

And this iconic bridge!

The day before the race after all of our exploring around this adorable little town, we headed to Sweet Home #notAlabama for check in and packet pick up. We arrived a bit early and used our time to drive the course. I always think I want to see what I’ve gotten myself  into before the big day arrives, but then somehow in doing so find my stomach sinking. My car heckles me while it travels easily up, over and down hills, tears around corners and reveals what work actually awaits me. This would be my 6th half Ironman and Wendi’s 2nd. We have done our training.. and subjected ourselves to countless hill climbing bike rides, purposefully planned to prepare us for this day. And this is what we have to tell ourselves as we chat nervously while driving back to the park for check in.

Sometimes in racing, you have to wear a fake face, lest your actual face give away the terror in your belly.

Foster Lake, a man made body of water, was created by Foster Dam on the South Fork of the Santiam River and it is absolutely beautiful! Crystal clear and a pleasant temperature! Now, I love a rainbow just as much as the next guy but I’d prefer not to see any of the 40,000 trout it’s stocked with annually. 😉

We woke up early on race morning, scarfed down some cold oats and headed out the door. The drive to the venue took about 20 minutes and racking the bikes on the car
took some creative positioning and padding. We even used some old socks and got creative with craft ribbon! 🙂 #craftathlon

Josh was doing the Half Iron Duathlon which is an awesome option if you feel that #swimmingisdumb and Wendi and I were doing the Half Iron Triathlon. Doug was sherpa AND photographer extraordinaire! That’s no easy job lugging around all his magic making photography gear! And we are lucky because our man behind the camera is #gifted.

We arrived at the venue with plenty of time to get situated and with stomachs somewhat void of breakfast but over flowing with butterflies! We headed to our racks after getting body marked and picking up our timing chips. It was a little chaotic at this part of the check in process with the timing chips but after that little hiccup, all went smoothly!

I love how here, Wendi has the expression of how we are both actually feeling. I’m just really good at #fakeface because it’s how I summon #gameface but it takes a lot of practice.

The race directors at this event really pull out all the stops. Our bike racks were marked not just with our numbers, but with our actual names! What a nice personal touch!

Josh was a rack and row over and Wendi was too.

We took a few pictures and then it was time to head down to the swim.

Josh couldn’t join us as his race would begin about the same time as ours only in different places. Since he was doing the duathlon, he got to skip the swim! Lucky fella!
I was nervous about the swim start and hoped my mystery panic wouldn’t make a grand appearance. A picture is worth a million deep thoughts…

Best in the West Triathlon Festival

Best in the West Triathlon Festival

After a quick practice swim and and introduction to the water, it was time to head down to the swim start.

As we entered the water and swam out for the floating start, I tried to line myself up with the buoy line. Before we knew it, the gun! (Literally, which was really so cool!) (this is the shot from the first wave but they did it for EVERY wave! 🙂

I started slowly and swam until I got a rhythm. I didn’t want to go out too fast lest I become breathless, inhale water and start a panic. I decided that this day was a training day and so it was a great day to practice this technique! I focused on my goals of swimming the buoy line and breathing defensively, allowing myself time to warm up. Still I was concerned that I wouldn’t have the mind over matter ability to keep the stress at bay and it would cost me some time if I wasn’t able to be in control. Early on, I decided to force my eyes open. At first it was startling, but since the water was so clear, it was smart to keep an eye on the feet and bodies around me. #defensiveswimming

Thousands of tiny fragments of pollen and particles in the water are floating past swiftly making it appear as though we were swimming through hyperspace. That makes you feel REALLY fast! 😀  I was particularly taken by the large prehistoric plants coming from the bottom and as I pondered them, suddenly to my right when I turned to breath was a huge tree! Just there in the middle of the water, leaning out towards us as if waiting to hear a secret! In that split second, with my face now back in the water, below me in succession, were a row of enormous tree trunks, sans tree! They looked mysterious and beautiful. I settled into a good rhythm, seldom touched another swimmer and found a steady pocket of my own in which to operate.

Just after the turn around, a bright red maple leaf floated passed me on the left. While it was out of its element it had an ethereal ghost like appearance and if I’d not been swimming I might have been tempted to follow it just to see where it was going.

As I neared the last turn buoy, I found my eyes drawn to a bright yellow plant growing wildly from the lake floor. It was like a masterpiece there, swaying back and forth, waving a jovial “Hello” as the swimmers passed by furiously.  I swam until my fingers touched the ground, dropped down the landing gear, and out to the exit, into my flips, a quick hello to Doug and into T1 I pranced lightly, trying to avoid the sticker plants that riddled the dry grass below.

Wendi was only seconds behind me before we were both heading out toward the bike mount line. This next leg would be challenging as we knew the hills that lie in wait for us.

The weather is beautiful today, no clouds in the sky and the scenery on the course is breathtaking with it’s open valleys and rolling pastures! Initially heading out, there is a descent and a female cyclist comes up behind me yelling, “NO DRAFTING! NO DRAFTING!” As she says it I realize I am pretty close to the cyclist in front of me but we are descending on a corner so I’m not about to pass him. Besides, if this lady knew me she’d know I’m the last person brave enough draft. I avoid other bikes like the plague. Still, it bothered me that she was so accusatory. She was an Ironman but I’m an Ironman too and I don’t cheat. I didn’t appreciate her implication so I spent the remainder of the ride planning on how I would overtake her. Legally. We leap frogged a dozen or so times; I was always courteous, passing pinkly, “on your left, good job!” But when she would pass me, nothing but bitchy silence. Get a grip lady, we’re out here for fun, FFS. /:)

There are a lot of turns on the route but again, the race directors outdid themselves! All of the turns were clearly marked and there were volunteers at every corner giving clear direction. I see Josh coming back from the turnaround looking fast and smiling. We haven’t raced much together in our time in this sport.. I love seeing his face! ❤

I head toward the little old covered bridge for my turn to cross it because I know when I get there, this bit will be half way over!

On my way back, I see Wendi making her awesome way to the turnaround!

Some of these hills feel like a killer today with steep grades and long grinds. Working to stay consistent, I see ahead of me, the lady from this morning who screamed at me. We’re about 6 miles from the finish and an opportunity presents itself to me. I take my chance and passed her with enough “nobody calls me a cheater” speed, that I lost her completely. I don’t consider myself fiercely competitive except against myself, but she pissed me off. I’m a nice, rule following athlete. Period.

Making our way back there’s a white knuckled screamer of a hill before a slow 3 mile ascent back to the park. We all come barreling down it one at a time, knowing the end is near!

Back into T2, bike on the rack, I grabbed my belt and off I went.

My legs felt good coming off the bike, but only for a short time before my shin and hamstring made their grand debut. With Ironman coming this was not the day to be stubborn and push my limits. I’d all but made peace with walking, had a brief pity party where I was the only attendee and opted to continue to retry running whenever I could. It took about 3 miles for me to find any sort of legs on which to run and by that point it was painfully obvious it would be a sufferfest of a half marathon. I suppose in hindsight I’m not very good at looking at each part of the day as an individual section. For instance, this route is much less consistent than I typically run or train on. There was little predictability because it was foreign to me. And it was quite warm, in direct sun for 90% of it. All of these factors should be considered by the athlete. But I never seem to be able to do that on the actual day and find myself frustrated instantly when I can’t perform the way I’d planned. This is something I’m really kind of always working on. My Emotional Racing Resiliency. ERR nawwwt. 😉

Really it’s days like these where tapping into your grATTITUDE is a huge benefit. Be thankful for any days you can run! And remember… THERE’S NO FIRING SQUAD AT THE FINISH LINE. And the most important of all: Gods eyes are the only ones that matter. ❤

The sun was beating down on all of us out here on the run, the heat rising from the black top road like steam from a pot of pasta water. At this event it is important to utilize the aid stations every time you pass them. I’m wearing my DeSoto shrug and wet my sleeves down at every station and take ice for my hat. It’s amazing how much more “comfortable” this makes things!  And speaking of aid stations! Talk about enthusiasm!! We were cheered through every single one of them not once but twice!! The encouragement never wavered! I played runners leap frog with most of the same athletes throughout the entire 13.1 miles. I saw Wendi a few times who was looking tapped but strong in her run stride. Good and consistent.

I saw Josh a short time later who was having some issues of his own with his leg.
Darn legs.. why are they so important for running?! This course is no joke with the profile. Mostly because you’re either going up or down almost every part of it so there’s really no “settling in” to be had. I followed my coaches rule: if you must walk, you get 30 seconds.

A certain older gentlemen and I played leap frog the most, with me catching up to his red running shirt and then he catching to me when I slowed or had a 30 second walk interval. In the process, we broke into fragmented small talk and I learned he’d decided to do this event for his 60 something-th birthday. I told him what an awesome gift that was to himself, the training and the day itself would be an unforgettable gift.

No returns, no exchanges!

He was a positive man who, despite his own struggle on the run, encouraged me to keep on keepin’ on. I was inspired by his goal and it helped keep me moving!

Josh came into the finish!

As I crested the last hill and made my right back towards the park, I knew the end was in sight. I picked up my cadence as best as I could and rounded the corner, over the little bridge and straight to the finishers chute.

6:41:49

Again the race directors had me a happy camper as they handed me a medal but the real smile maker was a hot pink bandanna, to keep up with the western theme, which had been soaking in ice cold water! They tied it around my neck and it was heaven!! Then, two steps later another happy volunteer handed me a finisher mug filled with delicious ice cold water! Josh and Doug were there and I knew Wendi wasn’t far behind. Only mere moments later, she came over the line with a crazy Half Iron PR! Ah!!

She worked so hard for this 6:54:30 today, such a well deserved finish time!!

And then a few minutes after that… my Birthday Friend Mike. What an honor to share the day with someone who sets out to do hard things in order to embrace life!!

Me and Birthday Mike 🙂

It was a class A venue with no complaints from any of us!

Ironman is just around the corner… I can’t WAIT to get a repeat of this shot on THAT day!

Your Finishers today: Windy, Wendi and Josh! 😀

After a great post race BBQ provided as part of the race registration, the awards ceremony was held where Josh took 1st in his AG for the Half Iron Duathlon! So awesome!

As the post race dust settled over the park, we gathered up our gear began the trek back to our little bungalow. Along the way, we raved about the organization, the communication, the location and the volunteers. All the little personal touches were so impressive and the day ran so smoothly! What a great venue!

After an easy nights sleep, we packed up and headed home early the next morning, stopping for breakfast at Kit Carson in Chehalis. (Funny thing-Josh and I had our wedding reception at Kit Carson Park. In California. That Kit Carson, he gets around. Ha-ha.)  We happened upon this #littlecinnamonroll on the “Lighter Side” menu and felt our accomplishment from the previous day warranted its consumption. One would think that an item under the very boldly and italicized section of the menu would be a smallish sugar bomb. That little creamer is there just for size comparison. You’ll note there’re two rolls. Yea…one would have fed all four of us. But Wendi and I were feeling brave enough to tackle them alone.

We started up front, and finished strong. 😀

Because we did our training and came prepared. ❤