The Do-Rag, Marmaduke and Cujo

Clear Lake, Memorial Day weekend 2006

What a week!! On Thursday afternoon I got "THE CALL" from my sister...she was having the baby! At 6:05pm my sister gave birth to the beautiful Brady Michael! He's an angel and little Blain is the cutest big brother! Naturally, when I got the call we dashed home, packed up the car for the weekend and headed to Clear Lake via Folsom! We made it to the hospital just 5 minutes before visiting hours were over, but the wonderful nursing staff let us hang around a bit longer. He is sooo tiny and has a head full of brown hair. Friday afternoon, after a nice visit at the hospital and lunch with my family Mike and I set out for the trip to Clear Lake. We rolled into the compound around 6pm where they were just getting everything set up...and what a set-up! By 8ish everyone had arrived for the night and we were eating our first of many MONSTER meals! In bed by 10:30 to get ready for the dreaded triple brick on Saturday. Luckily Mike and I brought our little black and tan alarm clock, so we were up at the crack of dawn! We agreed the night before that we would start by 8am. Everyone was up and getting ready for the various workout options a total of 6 us had agreed to do the triple brick and others were doing portions of it.

Round one...the do-rag! Oh, yes, the do-rag was out in all its glory, bright and early on Saturday morning. Danny started the workout with a sexy photo shoot and gave us all some great laughs!

Round two...Marmaduke!!! About half way through our bike loop a GIANT dog was running along side us on the hill. I think we were all relieved at the thought that there was a fence between the beast and us. WHAT THE HECK!!! Suddenly, the giant dog jets out from the side of the hill and is playfully chasing us down the road...we were easily doing 17mph and he was keeping up. RIDE FASTER!!! After about half a mile, Marmaduke tired and dropped back. My heart rate was at least at 180! That was the biggest/fastest dog I’ve ever seen! Thank goodness Dan, Dr. McKenna and Glenn were there to keep me safe! wink, wink...

Round three...and then there was Cujo! We were almost done and so ready for our turkey and pepper jack sandwiches! Just one more run loop and we're done! Just the 3 amigos were left, so Dan, Dr. McKenna and I headed out from the compound. This was it...we were going to be done with the triple brick by 5pm! WooHoo! The three of us only had a few more minutes of running before it was time to turn around to head back when from out of no where runs Cujo! AAHHH!!! He makes a quick pass at Steve, but quickly turns his attention to the smallest prey...Cujo jumped up and bit me just below the knee! Profanities quickly fly out of my mouth and blood began to flow from my leg! OUCH!! With the swift aid of Danny and Dr. McKenna my 'wound' was being washed out and the soothing sting of hydrogen peroxide was calming my nerves.

We finished the triple brick on both legs and to the warm welcome of our alumni teammates. Had another amazing meal followed by good wine and good laughs! Sunday would bring The Shaw Invitational Olympic Distance Triathlon...and a Feista to follow!

No rest for the weary

Sunday called for a Sprint Tri at UVAS reservoir and generally speaking, I’d welcome the opportunity for a 2 hr workout, however on this Sunday morning…not so much!

Just the day before, we CDA’ers finished a lovely 100+ mile ride in the rolling hills of the Sonoma County. It was a perfect day for a long ride, but the day began with a 4:30am wake-up. Wow, that’s early! We finally rolled back into the driveway at home at 6:30pm. Wow, that’s a long day!! The ride went really well, and we got in our longest ride of the season to date! As soon as we got home, Mike and I unloaded the car, the water bottles, and finally ate some dinner. After dinner we caught up on our Tivo by watching The Soprano’s and I filled my water bottles and checked my tri bag for the race the next day. UGH…another early wake-up.

The alarm must have gone off early…there is NO WAY it is time to get up already. I checked the clock, yup it was 5am. In a haze that can only follow a century ride the previous day, I rolled out of bed. I walked to the bathroom with my eyes half closed, splashed some water on my face and brushed my teeth. I slowly slipped into my tri-clothes and headed down stairs to pack up the car. Mike wasn’t racing because he had to work, but being the sweetie he is, he got up with me to load up the bike and pump my tires. With a quick kiss and a “Go ‘till you blow” wish, I closed the garage door and headed out to pick up Danny. Got to 85 and El Camino and realized I left my wetsuit in the garage…quick U-turn…and I was back home. Maybe I should just go back to bed….No, stop thinking like that. Okay, grabbed the wet-suit and I was back on the road. Quick pit stop at Danny’s, who had a nice hot latte waiting for me, and we were headed toward the reservoir. Man, we were both plum-tuckers. Along McKean road, it started to pour…I think if Dan wasn’t in the car with me I would have started to cry. He helped to keep my mind off the yucky conditions. We parked about a mile away and had to walk into the race start…well, I guess I should say that is where I hopped on my bike to ride in and I left Dan there to walk in on his own. We were a bit late and I knew I would need just about every minute to get ready. As soon as I entered transition, I saw Wass…this was great because he had an empty transition stall right next to him. We set-up our transition areas and anxiously awaited the arrival of our race packets. I ran off to get in the port-a-potty line (that latte really paid off!) and when I returned my packet was waiting at my bike. GREAT, now I really have to race! I told myself…just get through the swim and if you feel like it, keep going. I went off to get my body marking done and when I got back, they were kicking us out of transition. Okay, here we go…on with the wet-suit and off to the water. I walked down to the water with my buddy Ellen, who mentioned that they moved the wave start times up…oh geez, I have no idea what time my wave goes off. Well, I’m sure I have at least 15 minutes. GUESS AGAIN! Before I knew it, I heard the Women’s Wave 34-Under wave is starting in 3 minutes. HELP!! I’m not even in the water! I run to the water’s edge and actually slip and fall on the way in…I guess that’s one way to warm up! Okay, I swim to the start line and off we go! The swim went pretty well, I only zig-zagged a little on the last stretch into the boat ramp. YAY! Okay, the swim in done! Back into transition, I get ready for the bike…oh, the thought of getting back on my bike after yesterday’s ride does not sound like fun. Somewhere between mile 1 and mile 2 on the bike, I told myself, I am not going to run…my legs are absolutely shot! The smallest hill felt like Tunidas Creek! I was exhausted. Okay, just finish the bike and you’re done I told myself. On my way back into transition, I then started thinking…but I’ve never DNF’d…I have to finish. It’s really only a 5 mile run. It’s just like going to the hairpin and back at Rancho. I can do that. Okay, back into transition I see Danny…he’s smiling and cheering…okay, I have to finish. Once off my bike I tell the girl standing next to me…I hate races. She laughs and I throw in my shoes and hat and I’m out. Just a five mile run…just a five mile run…just a five mile run. I feel like I’m running in sand…every step is a challenge, but it’s only a 5 mile run. I see the lead men and women coming in…they look amazing! I make it to the turn around and I start to see a lot of my buddies! Seeing them is a great pick me up! Near the last 1 mile or so, I see Ann…she gives me a loud “Woo-Hoo!” I just look at her and shake my head…she can see, I’m DONE! Okay, one mile left…you can do it. I pick up a guy running at about my pace and we run together…I tell him not to leave me because he’s helping me pace. Back at the entry to the finish chute, I see my teammates…Go DANA!! I’m going to finish…here we go…down the chute and I’m done! That quite possibly was the hardest race I’ve ever done. I had to dig really deep to keep moving forward. The one thought that kept going through my head was, this is what IronMan training is all about…moving forward, even when you don’t want to. This was probably the best mental toughness day I’ve had in a while. In the end, I am happy to have had it.

The only thing that was missing at the race… was the smiling, cheering face of my Schmoop. He had to work on Sunday morning, so no hugs from him! SO SAD! But I had my team there for support, encouragement, and great laughs! The single best finish of the day was Ann & Bev…you have to ask them about it…it cracked me up for hours!

After a great feast, Dan and I headed home. As always, I have to say that thanks to the support of the team, everyone finished with smiles on their faces!

(S)He who laughs loudest, keeps the rest of the camp ground up!

Oh the dreaded race report…do you report too little, report too much!?! I’m shooting for somewhere in between. We’ll see…I guess, it’s up to you to decide. I won’t bore you or me, with details of the drive down, the pre-race meal (which was yummy, btw!), or the camp set-up. We’ll get right to the morning of the race….

Woke up promptly at 5:30am…yeah, it’s as early as it sounds. Mike, Lo-Lo, and I woke in our little family tent, saying that we all slept pretty well (for camping that is). I grabbed my toiletry bag and headed for the bathrooms. WooHoo!! First trip to the restroom was successful, if you know what I mean! Came back to camp to my Sweets heating the water for our oatmeal and morning cup o’ joe! Shoved down the oatmeal and a cup of coffee and I was off to the restroom again! RIGHT ON!!! This is going to be a great day, two successful trips to the restroom! Slipped into my favorite tri gear, Lori and I double checked the tri bag with a quick checklist and everything was there. We pumped the tires (Lori was ready on time!!!) and headed to the port-o-potties one more time before we headed down. OMG – 3 in a row!!! We’re good to go!

Our little group rode down to the transition area and quickly dispersed to set-up our own transition areas. It was fun watching everyone get ready for the race…fun little rituals that we all partake in. I set-up my little area, and headed to line up for body marking. I was marked and ready to go. Lori and I walked the transition area to get acquainted with the In’s and Out’s. Then headed to the swim start to watch the male pro’s come in from their swim (DUDE, those guys are fast!!!), then we watched Mike’s wave head out. So, glad I could blow him a kiss before the start! He was front and center…that nut! He killed the swim! Lori and I headed back for one more quick trip to the port-o-potties and to wet-suit up. Here we go…down to line up with our wave in the boat dock. I’m so glad Lori was there with me…we’ve done quite a few races together and she always knows how to keep me focused. We ran into Karen and Ann…they look as nervous as we do, phew, we’re not the only ones! The wave before us goes off…holy cow…it’s GO-TIME! Our wave jets into the water for a little pre-race warm up…then it’s back to the docks. Lori and I hug one last time and line up. 3-2-1…we’re off! The swim start went well, not too much knocking, kicking, pulling. My heart-rate was high, but I told myself to just pace myself and get into a grove. Wow, we’re already at the first buoy and are making the first turn. I’m in with a pack of girls so I’m staying on track with very little effort. As we near the end of the out, I veer off course, spotting the wrong buoy doesn’t help…a dude on a surf board catches me and tells me to swim to the left…OOPS! Thanks buddy! Okay, back on course, but I lost my pack…uh oh…Note to self…work on spotting drills! The swim back is bit zig-zagged. But I make it in…not a bad swim at all!

Run up the boat ramp and into T1. I see Meggen running up and down our isle…I laughed when I saw her down by my bike…I told her to go back down the isle and look for “MEG” written in blue chalk. OH!, okay…she says! I got to my spot, finished pulling off my wetsuit, threw on the bike shoes and helmet and was headed out. Another funny note, as I was moving out of T1, the guy in front of me was getting yelled at…hey, your helmet is on backward…I thought to myself…how does that happen? He heard the yells and stopped to fix it. I was on my bike and out the shoot. Along the yucky road that winds along lake I come upon Lo-Lo! Lori, I said, you had a great swim! She says yeah, but I forgot to chammie. I tell her she has an iron-crotch, so she should be fine! (Sorry, for sharing that part of the story Lo-Lo!). We ride up Beach Hill together, see some friends shouting at us about ¾ of the way up…that was a great boost! Out along the road heading out the park I honestly had the following thought…I hope I get a flat tire, I don’t really feel like doing this race today…quickly, I put that thought out and tell myself I just need to warm up. Finally made it out on Interlake Road! I’m getting into my groove and feeling better, I see Kenny! He gives me a friendly hello and we pass…then I’m plugging away and feeling great. OOPS! Mile 14ish, I look down to check the mileage and my MPH. What the HECK!?!?!? It stopped working…all I have is my elapsed time and cadence. Oh well, 2 out of 4 isn’t bad. I tell myself, don’t worry, just keep an eye on your cadence and you’ll be fine. I was spinning nicely, starting to really enjoy the race. I made it out to Jolon Road, more of the same, eat, drink, watch cadence. Just was we’re making that right hand turn on Nacimento Lake Rd. I see a familiar IronTeam jersey…hey, I know that pedal stroke…that’s DANNY RUSSELL! YAY, my buddy is just up ahead! Danny and I exchange our ‘usual’ hello on the race course, but this time he hears what I have to say to him! (Danny, you know what I mean!) As we exchange some quick pleasantries, we have a good laugh and on we go! I cross the steel bridge and know that Nasty Grade isn’t too far away. I’m continuing to eat, drink and watch my cadence. Okay, quick left turn and I say to the guy next to me…Are you ready for this!? Yup, he replies and we start the climb. Spinning pretty good up the hill, at the water stop about ½ way up, I see another buddy…Jeremiah! I say to him…Hey, J, come and get it! He laughs and up the hill we continue. Me and the guy riding next to me see the bunnies and get a great laugh out of them! It’s the little things at this point that keep you going! At the hard right (aka, the false summit) I see two more IronTeam jerseys…it’s Wass and Chienyo! Hey guys! Wass shouts out an, “I told you!” A little inside joke we shared earlier, I tell him I don’t really like this hill. A quick smile and we’re off! Two more climbs and I’ve made it to the top of Nasty! HORAY! I tuck in for a fun, fast ride down. HOLY COW…I’M GOING TO DIE!!!! My wheel starts shaking, and I feel completely out of control of my bike…my heart races, and I pray that this won’t be the end of me. I regain control and take the rest of the hill nice and easy. DUDE, that was the closest I’ve come to terror in a LONG time! My buddy who’ve I’ve been leap-frogging with for the last 10 miles or so rides up along side me and tells me he thought I was going to die! I agreed, we both breathed a sigh of relief. The rest of the ride in was mentally preparing for the run and doing some light stretching. ZOOM, I’m back into transition!
T2, all goes smoothly…including my signature ‘spot’ in front of my transition area! Change of shoes and on with the run hat …I’m out! Hey, there’s Mike P and Dougie…both smiling, so I know their relay is going great! They give me a quick shout-out and I’m on the run course! Lots of ‘Go IRONTEAMs’ on the way out of the transition area. That was a great pick me up! It was pretty quite on the road along the lake, I kept telling myself my run and breathing would settle in around mile 2-3. Sure enough it did…then a hard left and we’re out along the lake. Lot’s and lots of people were walking, but I told myself to try to run to the hills, then walk when I need to. All went as planned. Those back hills killed me…lots of walking with a purpose! Made it to the naked water stop…gave me a good laugh…and burned an ugly image in my head…there is a difference between ‘good naked’ and ‘bad naked’! Finally out to the meadow, I was able to get into my run groove…aahhh, now that feels right! Hey, there’s Ann, coming in on the bike! GARVIN!!!, I yell! Took two tries, but she figured out it was me. Then Bev spots me, she’s looking great on the bike…just down Lynch and she’s on to the run! I’m soo proud of our girls! Okay, out the campground…I love, love, love my IronTeam jersey! So many hoots n’ hollars through the TNT camp! WOW, I needed that! Finally the PIT! Down the pit, I see more teammates, Matthew, Dan C, Holger, Dr. McKenna, Mark and a few others! Great support to see a few more friends at the bottom and an awesome Coach giving lots of encouraging words to just about everyone. Wass, knew him and introduced me to him the next day, I told him he HELPED me a ton. It’s people like that who keep me going! THANKS!!! Back out of the pit…only a little over 2 miles to go and the last mile is down hill!! Lynch hurts the IT bands on the way down, but I was almost done!

I made it back to the chute! Lot’s of cheering fans, and I see my sweet husband waiting and yelling his little lungs out as I come down the chute! That’s always my favorite part of the race…knowing he’s there waiting to give me the biggest HUG of the day! I crossed the finish line feeling great! WOW, what a great race!

We all hung around to watch all of the South Bay team come in…I love this team, the support is incredible! I’m soooo proud of everyone and their personal accomplishment! We had a great night back at camp, laughing, eating, drinking, eating, laughing and more laughing! Thanks to everyone for making the WildFlower weekend such a blast!

GO TEAM AND GO LONG!!!