Monday, August 25, 2003
Weekend ride(s) report.....
Since I missed a couple of weekends of good long rides, I really needed to go long this weekend. On Saturday I drove up to Windsor High School and met my buddy Paul. We headed out on the bikes in the reverse direction of the Vineman course and at the end of Chalk Hill Road, went east towards Calistoga. I’d never ridden this way (that I remember) and it was a good ride—good road, not much shoulder, but not much traffic early, slightly uphill. We rode out almost to Calistoga, then turned around and rode hard back. We passed the carcass of a deer, picked clean, and I asked Paul if there were bears around here. “No, but there are a lot of mountain lions.” Time to put the hammer down! We rode back to the high school with 40 miles in the book and Paul had to head home. I refilled drink bottles and got more food and headed back out, this time to ride the Vineman loop in reverse and cheer on everyone racing the Full Vineman and Barb’s Race.
What a great day for a ride! It was sunny, warm but not overly hot and with everyone racing, I never got bored. The police had traffic stopped for the racers and I’m standing there waiting and a guy in a truck next to me yells out the window, “Are you Cathy Morgan?” HA! It was Ryan Rauzon, there to cheer on some friends who were racing. Great to meet you Ryan! I saw a number of friends who were racing and ran into one of my club mates who was up there supporting someone, so we rode together for a bit. I ended up riding another 60 miles solo and ended up with 100 miles, riding the last 60 faster than the first 40. I felt great, and could have easily ridden a lot more. Finished up with a short transition run.
I was staying up in Santa Rosa for the night and after some Chinese food and the movie “Shrek”, Toni, Paul and kids let me go to sleep. Up early Sunday and loaded the bike in the truck and drove over the mountain from Sonoma County to Napa County for the Tour of Napa County. The plan was to ride the 100K.
Sunday was gorgeous—blue skies and a bit of nip in the air, but that went away in the first 10 miles. In fact, it ended up being close to 100F degrees. This ride left out of Yountville and went up to the top of Napa County, mostly on country roads, along vineyards, a lake, though a canyon and some good hills, including one 3-4 mile climb of 8-10 percent, which I walked the steeper parts due to my slowly improving shoulder/neck/back problem. The first and last 10 miles (or so) were pretty flat. I felt great on the flats, but my legs could feel the previous day’s effort on the hills. So, I rode pretty steady on the flats, hammered any slight downhills and rode easy on the uphills. Probably more than the hills was the heat. Luckily, the aid stations were spaced out well, but I didn’t drink enough. About mile 57 on a gradual incline, I totally blew. I could hear Phil and Paul’s (Ligget and Sherwin) voices in my head and the image of Roberto Heras on the stage this year in the Tour where he was riding tempo and then in the next breath, was going backwards, came to mind. I mean, some casual riders on the 30 mile route on mountain bikes WITH KNOBBIES passed me. Crikey! I finally crested that incline and got a second wind and was able to ride hard (around 20 mph) on the flats back to the start/finish. I ended up with 67 miles and even with the walking, was pretty happy with my average speed. I’d definitely do this ride again.
Total mileage for the week: 187 miles. I’m super thrilled with this.
What a great day for a ride! It was sunny, warm but not overly hot and with everyone racing, I never got bored. The police had traffic stopped for the racers and I’m standing there waiting and a guy in a truck next to me yells out the window, “Are you Cathy Morgan?” HA! It was Ryan Rauzon, there to cheer on some friends who were racing. Great to meet you Ryan! I saw a number of friends who were racing and ran into one of my club mates who was up there supporting someone, so we rode together for a bit. I ended up riding another 60 miles solo and ended up with 100 miles, riding the last 60 faster than the first 40. I felt great, and could have easily ridden a lot more. Finished up with a short transition run.
I was staying up in Santa Rosa for the night and after some Chinese food and the movie “Shrek”, Toni, Paul and kids let me go to sleep. Up early Sunday and loaded the bike in the truck and drove over the mountain from Sonoma County to Napa County for the Tour of Napa County. The plan was to ride the 100K.
Sunday was gorgeous—blue skies and a bit of nip in the air, but that went away in the first 10 miles. In fact, it ended up being close to 100F degrees. This ride left out of Yountville and went up to the top of Napa County, mostly on country roads, along vineyards, a lake, though a canyon and some good hills, including one 3-4 mile climb of 8-10 percent, which I walked the steeper parts due to my slowly improving shoulder/neck/back problem. The first and last 10 miles (or so) were pretty flat. I felt great on the flats, but my legs could feel the previous day’s effort on the hills. So, I rode pretty steady on the flats, hammered any slight downhills and rode easy on the uphills. Probably more than the hills was the heat. Luckily, the aid stations were spaced out well, but I didn’t drink enough. About mile 57 on a gradual incline, I totally blew. I could hear Phil and Paul’s (Ligget and Sherwin) voices in my head and the image of Roberto Heras on the stage this year in the Tour where he was riding tempo and then in the next breath, was going backwards, came to mind. I mean, some casual riders on the 30 mile route on mountain bikes WITH KNOBBIES passed me. Crikey! I finally crested that incline and got a second wind and was able to ride hard (around 20 mph) on the flats back to the start/finish. I ended up with 67 miles and even with the walking, was pretty happy with my average speed. I’d definitely do this ride again.
Total mileage for the week: 187 miles. I’m super thrilled with this.
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Cool Sayings List
I get asked for this quite often, so here it is. It's pretty long.....
=============================================
"The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn." -David Russell
"if you feel something in your heart, and know it resonates within you as
something you should try, yet you hold back out of fear, you set yourself
up for regret. regret is an appalling waste of energy. you cannot build
on it, you cannot grow from it; all you can do is wallow in frustration."
--wayne dyer
Do not go where the path may lead,
go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail.
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important
than any other thing. ___Abraham Lincoln
The greatest pleasure in life is in doing what people say you cannot do.
___Walther Bagehot
The higher a monkey climbs, the more you can see of his behind. ___General
Joe Stillwell
If you aim towards perfection, you will reach excellence. ___Vince Lombardi
I have finally come to understand my own definition of success: Love, Work,
Knowledge. And not having to choose between them. ___Letty Cotting Pogrebin
Don't give up what you want MOST for what you want NOW.
It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.
___Theodore Roosevelt
Even failure can be the springboard to growth and discovery, so we should
never allow the fear of it to keep us from daring to risk. ___Gloria Gaither
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.___RW Emerson
The unlived life is the real threat.___ Dr. George Sheehan
...who not only marches to a different drummer but brings his whole
orchestra.
Ask yourself, "Can I give more?" The answer is usually "Yes."___Paul Tergat
If your mind believes, your body achieves.
Pain is the feeling of weakness leaving the body.___USAF Pararescue motto
Obstacles are what you see, when you take your eyes off of your goals.
Half the battle in solving problems is our attitude.___Gloria Gaither
Do not be afraid to be touched with afflictions beyond your own ability to
cope. It is from being shaken apart and not being destroyed that one
becomes strong and courageous.___Laura Lewis Lanier
Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the
black flag, and begin slitting throats.___ H. L. Mencken
A man is not old until dreams turn to regrets.___John Barrymore
Train more than you sleep.___Karate Master Masutatsu Oyama
The thing that marks the super athlete is his capacity to suffer, and
stand up to continued suffering.___Percy Cerutty
Can't is a four letter word.
He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.___Napoleon Bonaparte
Success is what happens when hard work and motivation meet ambition.
Lead with SPEED. Follow with POWER.
Champions never take the easy way out. PAY THE PRICE.
The more you sweat, the less you bleed.
To perform like a champion, you must practice like one.
Fatigue makes cowards of men.
Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is.___Oscar Wilde
If you want to fight, train. If you want to win, train harder.
Today's preparation determines tomorrow's achievement.
Victory belongs to the most persevering.___Napoleon Bonaparte
If you can accept losing, you can't win.___Vince Lombardi
He who is afraid of doing too much always does too little.
When you're good at making excuses, it's difficult to excel at anything
else.
Winners are simply willing to do what losers won't.
The difference between a dream and a goal is a time line.
If you really want to do something, you'll find a way; if you don't, you'll
find an excuse.
It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that
matters in the end.
A hard beginning maketh a good ending.
Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced.
Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as
good. Luckily, this is not difficult.
Life is in session; are you present?
I share no man's opinion; I have my own__Ivan Turgenev
We cannot run the great race and look back at the same time.
Courage is the willingness to act against fear.
To become a champion, strive not to surpass your competition, but rather
yourself.___James Loehr
Great minds have purposes, others have wishes.___Washington Irving
It's neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so.
The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand as in what
direction we are moving.___Oliver Wendell Holmes
Even if you're on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit
there.___Will Rogers
To try and fail is at least to learn. To fail to try is to suffer the
inestimable loss of what might have been.___Chester Barnard
Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.__Thomas Edison
There's never yet been a statue erected to someone who left well enough
alone.
Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps
when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on
something sitting down.___Charles F. Kettering
Regard setbacks as opportunities to grow. Learn from them; use them to
propel you forward.
There is a big difference between wanting something to happen, believing
something can happen, and actually expecting it to happen.
Mediocrity is like hitching your life to a cloud, instead of star.___Dr. H.
Paul Jacobi
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
The moment you commit and quit holding back, all sorts of unforeseen
incidents, meetings and material assistance will rise up to help you. The
pure and simple act of commitment is a powerful magnet all its own.
If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun.___Katharine Hepburn
If I'm too strong for some people, that's their problem.___Glenda Jackson
It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.___Dolores
Ibarruri, Spanish communist leader
Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn down
your house, you can never tell.___Joan Crawford
All men die, not every man lives.___Braveheart
The heart is an organ of fire.___The English Patient
The essence of life is struggle and its goal is domination.
Focus on your one purpose.___Japanese motto
See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body.
There is timing in everything.
Fast as the wind, quiet as the forest, aggressive as fire, and immovable as
a mountain.___Samurai battle banner
Few things are more persistent and intimidating than our fears and our
worries...especially when we face them in our own strength.___Charles
Swindoll
It's not so much what happens to you; it's how you handle the
happenings.___Barbara Johnson
Belief is a truth held in the mind. Faith is a fire in the heart.___Joseph
Newton
It is not your circumstances that shape you. It's how you react to your
circumstances that shapes you.___Anne Ortlund
Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time
we fall.
Life is achievement... Give yourself an aim, something
you want to do, then go after it, breaking through everything,
with nothing in mind but your aim, all will, all concentration,
and get it.___Ayn Rand
And I say that the quality of any man's life has got to be a full
measure of that man's personal commitment to excellence and victory,
regardless of what field he may be in.___Vince Lombardi
Success is not final, failure is not fatal;
It is the courage to continue that counts.
To conquer yourself is a greater task than conquering others.___Buddha
The pain is only temporary; the glory lasts forever.
Winners must have two things, definite goals and a burning desire to
achieve them.
Winners don't have time to place blame; they're too busy getting ready for
the next battle.
It's better to try something great and fail than to do nothing and succeed
at it.
As long as you know where you are headed, there is no need to justify it to
others.
Everything ever accomplished in history was born of human thought and
ingenuity.
Don't let who you are stunt who you want to be.
Conceive and believe to achieve.
Never cut what you can untie.
Greatness comes to those who dare to sweat, dare to strain, and dare the
pain.
The person who has a right to boast doesn't have to.
There's no such thing as losing, only research.
Plan your work; then work your plan.
Sometimes it's good to go out on a limb, because that's where the fruits
are.
Ask yourself how can I improve, instead of why can't I improve.
If you think you are too small to have an impact, try confronting a wasp.
Walk like a champion, talk like a champion, make gestures the way a
champion would.
Never fear opposition; adversity builds strength.
The ability to be totally unstoppable is always within you. All you have to
do is picture the last time you were and how you felt.
The pain you feel now is nothing compared to the pain you'll feel if
you quit.
Don't confuse having a career with having a life. They are not the
same.__Hillary Clinton
Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in the rising every time we
fall.__Confucius
No pleasure without pain.
The art of pleasing consists in being pleased.__William Hazlitt
Asthma is a disease that has practically the same symptoms as passion
except that with asthma it lasts longer.__Anonymous
You've got to shoot for the moon, and if you miss, you're one of the
stars. So you've got to try.__Bobby Julich
If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score? __Vince Lombardi
The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their
commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of
endeavor.__Vince Lombardi
If you can't win, make the fellow ahead of you break the record.__Anonymous
The only easy day was yesterday.__US Navy SEAL motto
Pleasure lies in the heart, not in the happenstance.__Luci Swindoll
It is not our experiences which in the final analysis change us, it is
always and only our responses to those experiences.__Elisabeth Elliott
There is wonderful freedom and joy in coming to recognize that the fun is
in the becoming.__Gloria Gaither
Doubt brings discouragement and fear. Expectation brings delight.__Merlin
Carothers
There are two things to aim for in life: first, to get what you want; and
after that to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the
second.__Logan Piersall Smith
Passions are vices or virtues in their highest powers.__Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe
Seize the day, put no trust in the morrow!__Horace
You can observe a lot by watching.__Yogi Berra
Love conquers all.__Virgil
How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?__Satchel Paige
It is better to wear out than to rust out.__Richard Cumberland
Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left behind by those
who hustle.__Abraham Lincoln
Anything worth doing well is worth doing slowly.__Gypsy Rose Lee
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.__Anais Nin
If you're going to do something wrong, at least enjoy it.__Leo Rosten
It is better to deserve honors and not receive them than to receive them
and not be deserving.
There comes a time when one must risk something, or sit forever with ones
dreams.___Trevor Peterson
I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the best advice, and
then going away and doing the exact opposite.___G.K. Chesterton
When making your choice in life, do not neglect to live.___Samuel Johnson
Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans.___John Lennon
It is not the same to talk of bulls as to be in the bullring.___Spanish
proverb
It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.___Vince
Lombardi
Great ideas originate in the muscles.___Thomas Edison
The unexamined life is not worth living.___Plato
What we play is life.____Louis Armstrong
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to
what lies within us.___Ralph Waldo Emerson
Words are a form of action, capable of influencing change.___Ingrid Bengis
You need to claim the events of your life to make yourself
yours.___Anne-Wilson Schaef
The most potent muse of all is our own inner child.___Stephen Nachmanovitch
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he
grows up.___Pablo Picasso
The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.___Oscar
Wilde
To live a creative life, we must lost our fear of being wrong.___Joseph
Chilton Pearce
The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical
substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.___C.G. Jung
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've
imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be
simpler.___Henry David Thoreau
Undoubtedly, we become what we envisage.___Claude M. Bristol
Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that
everything in this life has a purpose.___Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too
fast--you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.___Eddie Cantor
Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature,
music--the world is so rich, simpley throbbing with rich treasures,
beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.___Henry Miller
Success or failure, the truth of a life really has little to do with its
quality. The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for
delight. The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.___Julia
Cameron
The universe will reward you for taking risks on its behalf.___Shakti Gawain
Desire, ask, believe, receive.___Stella Terrill Mann
Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has
magic, grace and power in it.__Goethe
What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.___Albert Camus
Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one
to blame.___Erica Jong
Eliminate something superfluous from your life. Break a habit. Do something
that makes you feel insecure.___Piero Ferrucci
It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because
we do not dare that they are difficult.___Seneca
Look and you will find it--what is unsought will go undetected.___Sophocles
In order to get things you never had, you must do the things you never did.
Never start a fight, but always finish one.
Having is not as pleasurable a thing as wanting--it is illogical but it is
often true.__Spock, Star Trek
Opportunities are seldom labeled.
Whether you think you can or you can't, you are right.
A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.
It is never too late to be what we might have been.
Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It's courage that
counts.___Winston Churchill
Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. But, sooner
or later, the man who wins is the one who thinks he can.___W.D. Wintle
Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let
go.___Tom Feather
You already possess everything necessary to become great.___Crow Indian
Proverb
Determination and desire have no meaning without purpose and
direction.___John F. Kennedy
How you spend your time is the only true measurement of your priorities in
life.___Nancy Hunter Denney
The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use
them.___Meltzer
People can't make you feel inferior without your consent.___Elenor Roosevelt
The greatest love of all is inside of me. If I fail or if I succeed, at
least I live as I believe.___George Benson
Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true
failure.___George E. Woodberry
The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond
them into the impossible.___Arthur C. Clark
There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.
It is never to late to be what you might have been.___George Eliot
Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually
right.___Henry Ford
Everyone faces challenges and problems. Success lies in dealing with
them.___Anonymous
We are always getting ready to live, but never living.___Emerson
If you can't change the circumstances, change your perspective.___Anonymous
What does not destroy me, makes me strong.___Friedrich Nietzsche
I do not seek. I find.___Pablo Picasso
Don't fight forces; use them.___Buckminster Fuller
The follies which a man regrets most are those which he didn't commit when
he had the opportunity.___Helen Rowland
Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.___Marie Curie
Nothing is worth more than this day.___Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.___Joseph Addison
Anything you're good at contributes to happiness.___Bertrand Russell
The heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing of.___Blaise Pascal
There are two great disappointments in life: Not getting what you want, and
getting it.___George Bernard Shaw
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.___Theodore Roosevelt
The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves.___Sophocles
The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.___Paul Valery
There can be no real freedom without the freedom to fail.__Eric Hoffer
The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.___Carl Jung
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the
past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than
successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important
than appearances, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a
church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for the day. We cannot change our past, we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, that is our attitude.___Charles W. Swindoll, from his writing
"Strengthening Your Grip"
Don't cry because its over, smile because it happened. - Unknown
All things are difficult before they are easy. -Thomas Fuller, M.D.
As for courage and will - we cannot measure how much of each
lies within us, we can only trust there will be sufficient to carry
through trials which may lie ahead. - Andre Norton
It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is
because we do not dare that they are difficult. - Seneca
One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his
great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do.
- Henry Ford
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist
sees the opportunity in every difficulty. -Winston Churchill
Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp--or what's a
heaven for?-Robert Browning
Never give up, for that is just the place and time that
the tide will turn. - Harriet Beecher Stowe
We tend to get what we expect.___Norman Vincent Peale
What makes something great is the battle that goes on to get there. It is
getting up every morning and doing what you think is the right thing. It is
working towards your dreams and not letting other people get in your
way.___Dean Golich, coach of Mari Holden
In life, you must make your own challenges.___Rudy Giuliani
Change is inevitable; growth is optional.___Mary Foley
I realize that things end -- whether it's being mayor or your life -- it ends. And part of being able to handle life is being able to handle the changes that take place.___Rudy Giuliani
Between Stimulus and Response is our greatest Freedom: Choice.___Stephen Covey
This is the moment I knew was coming. The moment when you feel like you're puking your guts out and want to quit and you have to find the next gear or surrender.___David Bailey
You have to think that you can't quit. Your brain wants to quit, but you have to fight it. It has nothing to do with speed, and everything to do with finishing.____Abe Weintraub (+90 age group runner)
There's something to be said for wanting and genuine belief.___Dusty Baker
TO UNDERTAKE is to achieve_____Emily Dickinson
You must do the thing you think you cannot do.___Eleanor Roosevelt
Well, they don't call it the Eco-Simple, now do they?___Alex, Team GO
If you really want to do something, you'll find a way; if you don't, you'll
find an excuse.
People become what they expect themselves to become.___Mahatma Gandhi
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the
wrist, directs you where to go. So make the best of this test, and don't ask
why. It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time. It's something
unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you had the time of your
life.___Green Day
It doesn't get any easier, you just get faster.___Greg Lemond
I tried.__Jackie Joyner Kersee
Only those who dare to fail greatly, can ever achieve greatly.___Robert F. Kennedy
You can have anything you want -- if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.___Abraham Lincoln
"Tama tu, tama ora, tama noho, tama mate."
If you stand up and fight you live, if you give up and sit down you die.___Maori saying
I met a guy up on that mountain who I grew to like, and do you know who that guy was? That's right, it was me.___Tim Moore, from the book "French Revolutions....Cycling the Tour de France"
Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them. ___Ann Landers
A man is not finished when he's defeated; he's finished when he quits.___Richard Milhous Nixon
The fastest way to succeed is to look as if you're playing by somebody else's rules, while quietly playing by your own.___Michael Konda
Success demands the highest price of discipline, of hard work and of eternal persistence.
Just keep going. Everybody gets better if they keep at it.___Ted Williams
Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.___Henry Van Dyke
The worst thing to squander is time. That you can't get back.___Some climber dude on OLN
=============================================
"The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn." -David Russell
"if you feel something in your heart, and know it resonates within you as
something you should try, yet you hold back out of fear, you set yourself
up for regret. regret is an appalling waste of energy. you cannot build
on it, you cannot grow from it; all you can do is wallow in frustration."
--wayne dyer
Do not go where the path may lead,
go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail.
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important
than any other thing. ___Abraham Lincoln
The greatest pleasure in life is in doing what people say you cannot do.
___Walther Bagehot
The higher a monkey climbs, the more you can see of his behind. ___General
Joe Stillwell
If you aim towards perfection, you will reach excellence. ___Vince Lombardi
I have finally come to understand my own definition of success: Love, Work,
Knowledge. And not having to choose between them. ___Letty Cotting Pogrebin
Don't give up what you want MOST for what you want NOW.
It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.
___Theodore Roosevelt
Even failure can be the springboard to growth and discovery, so we should
never allow the fear of it to keep us from daring to risk. ___Gloria Gaither
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.___RW Emerson
The unlived life is the real threat.___ Dr. George Sheehan
...who not only marches to a different drummer but brings his whole
orchestra.
Ask yourself, "Can I give more?" The answer is usually "Yes."___Paul Tergat
If your mind believes, your body achieves.
Pain is the feeling of weakness leaving the body.___USAF Pararescue motto
Obstacles are what you see, when you take your eyes off of your goals.
Half the battle in solving problems is our attitude.___Gloria Gaither
Do not be afraid to be touched with afflictions beyond your own ability to
cope. It is from being shaken apart and not being destroyed that one
becomes strong and courageous.___Laura Lewis Lanier
Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the
black flag, and begin slitting throats.___ H. L. Mencken
A man is not old until dreams turn to regrets.___John Barrymore
Train more than you sleep.___Karate Master Masutatsu Oyama
The thing that marks the super athlete is his capacity to suffer, and
stand up to continued suffering.___Percy Cerutty
Can't is a four letter word.
He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.___Napoleon Bonaparte
Success is what happens when hard work and motivation meet ambition.
Lead with SPEED. Follow with POWER.
Champions never take the easy way out. PAY THE PRICE.
The more you sweat, the less you bleed.
To perform like a champion, you must practice like one.
Fatigue makes cowards of men.
Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is.___Oscar Wilde
If you want to fight, train. If you want to win, train harder.
Today's preparation determines tomorrow's achievement.
Victory belongs to the most persevering.___Napoleon Bonaparte
If you can accept losing, you can't win.___Vince Lombardi
He who is afraid of doing too much always does too little.
When you're good at making excuses, it's difficult to excel at anything
else.
Winners are simply willing to do what losers won't.
The difference between a dream and a goal is a time line.
If you really want to do something, you'll find a way; if you don't, you'll
find an excuse.
It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that
matters in the end.
A hard beginning maketh a good ending.
Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced.
Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as
good. Luckily, this is not difficult.
Life is in session; are you present?
I share no man's opinion; I have my own__Ivan Turgenev
We cannot run the great race and look back at the same time.
Courage is the willingness to act against fear.
To become a champion, strive not to surpass your competition, but rather
yourself.___James Loehr
Great minds have purposes, others have wishes.___Washington Irving
It's neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so.
The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand as in what
direction we are moving.___Oliver Wendell Holmes
Even if you're on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit
there.___Will Rogers
To try and fail is at least to learn. To fail to try is to suffer the
inestimable loss of what might have been.___Chester Barnard
Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.__Thomas Edison
There's never yet been a statue erected to someone who left well enough
alone.
Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps
when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on
something sitting down.___Charles F. Kettering
Regard setbacks as opportunities to grow. Learn from them; use them to
propel you forward.
There is a big difference between wanting something to happen, believing
something can happen, and actually expecting it to happen.
Mediocrity is like hitching your life to a cloud, instead of star.___Dr. H.
Paul Jacobi
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
The moment you commit and quit holding back, all sorts of unforeseen
incidents, meetings and material assistance will rise up to help you. The
pure and simple act of commitment is a powerful magnet all its own.
If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun.___Katharine Hepburn
If I'm too strong for some people, that's their problem.___Glenda Jackson
It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.___Dolores
Ibarruri, Spanish communist leader
Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn down
your house, you can never tell.___Joan Crawford
All men die, not every man lives.___Braveheart
The heart is an organ of fire.___The English Patient
The essence of life is struggle and its goal is domination.
Focus on your one purpose.___Japanese motto
See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body.
There is timing in everything.
Fast as the wind, quiet as the forest, aggressive as fire, and immovable as
a mountain.___Samurai battle banner
Few things are more persistent and intimidating than our fears and our
worries...especially when we face them in our own strength.___Charles
Swindoll
It's not so much what happens to you; it's how you handle the
happenings.___Barbara Johnson
Belief is a truth held in the mind. Faith is a fire in the heart.___Joseph
Newton
It is not your circumstances that shape you. It's how you react to your
circumstances that shapes you.___Anne Ortlund
Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time
we fall.
Life is achievement... Give yourself an aim, something
you want to do, then go after it, breaking through everything,
with nothing in mind but your aim, all will, all concentration,
and get it.___Ayn Rand
And I say that the quality of any man's life has got to be a full
measure of that man's personal commitment to excellence and victory,
regardless of what field he may be in.___Vince Lombardi
Success is not final, failure is not fatal;
It is the courage to continue that counts.
To conquer yourself is a greater task than conquering others.___Buddha
The pain is only temporary; the glory lasts forever.
Winners must have two things, definite goals and a burning desire to
achieve them.
Winners don't have time to place blame; they're too busy getting ready for
the next battle.
It's better to try something great and fail than to do nothing and succeed
at it.
As long as you know where you are headed, there is no need to justify it to
others.
Everything ever accomplished in history was born of human thought and
ingenuity.
Don't let who you are stunt who you want to be.
Conceive and believe to achieve.
Never cut what you can untie.
Greatness comes to those who dare to sweat, dare to strain, and dare the
pain.
The person who has a right to boast doesn't have to.
There's no such thing as losing, only research.
Plan your work; then work your plan.
Sometimes it's good to go out on a limb, because that's where the fruits
are.
Ask yourself how can I improve, instead of why can't I improve.
If you think you are too small to have an impact, try confronting a wasp.
Walk like a champion, talk like a champion, make gestures the way a
champion would.
Never fear opposition; adversity builds strength.
The ability to be totally unstoppable is always within you. All you have to
do is picture the last time you were and how you felt.
The pain you feel now is nothing compared to the pain you'll feel if
you quit.
Don't confuse having a career with having a life. They are not the
same.__Hillary Clinton
Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in the rising every time we
fall.__Confucius
No pleasure without pain.
The art of pleasing consists in being pleased.__William Hazlitt
Asthma is a disease that has practically the same symptoms as passion
except that with asthma it lasts longer.__Anonymous
You've got to shoot for the moon, and if you miss, you're one of the
stars. So you've got to try.__Bobby Julich
If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score? __Vince Lombardi
The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their
commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of
endeavor.__Vince Lombardi
If you can't win, make the fellow ahead of you break the record.__Anonymous
The only easy day was yesterday.__US Navy SEAL motto
Pleasure lies in the heart, not in the happenstance.__Luci Swindoll
It is not our experiences which in the final analysis change us, it is
always and only our responses to those experiences.__Elisabeth Elliott
There is wonderful freedom and joy in coming to recognize that the fun is
in the becoming.__Gloria Gaither
Doubt brings discouragement and fear. Expectation brings delight.__Merlin
Carothers
There are two things to aim for in life: first, to get what you want; and
after that to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the
second.__Logan Piersall Smith
Passions are vices or virtues in their highest powers.__Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe
Seize the day, put no trust in the morrow!__Horace
You can observe a lot by watching.__Yogi Berra
Love conquers all.__Virgil
How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?__Satchel Paige
It is better to wear out than to rust out.__Richard Cumberland
Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left behind by those
who hustle.__Abraham Lincoln
Anything worth doing well is worth doing slowly.__Gypsy Rose Lee
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.__Anais Nin
If you're going to do something wrong, at least enjoy it.__Leo Rosten
It is better to deserve honors and not receive them than to receive them
and not be deserving.
There comes a time when one must risk something, or sit forever with ones
dreams.___Trevor Peterson
I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the best advice, and
then going away and doing the exact opposite.___G.K. Chesterton
When making your choice in life, do not neglect to live.___Samuel Johnson
Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans.___John Lennon
It is not the same to talk of bulls as to be in the bullring.___Spanish
proverb
It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.___Vince
Lombardi
Great ideas originate in the muscles.___Thomas Edison
The unexamined life is not worth living.___Plato
What we play is life.____Louis Armstrong
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to
what lies within us.___Ralph Waldo Emerson
Words are a form of action, capable of influencing change.___Ingrid Bengis
You need to claim the events of your life to make yourself
yours.___Anne-Wilson Schaef
The most potent muse of all is our own inner child.___Stephen Nachmanovitch
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he
grows up.___Pablo Picasso
The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.___Oscar
Wilde
To live a creative life, we must lost our fear of being wrong.___Joseph
Chilton Pearce
The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical
substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.___C.G. Jung
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've
imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be
simpler.___Henry David Thoreau
Undoubtedly, we become what we envisage.___Claude M. Bristol
Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that
everything in this life has a purpose.___Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too
fast--you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.___Eddie Cantor
Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature,
music--the world is so rich, simpley throbbing with rich treasures,
beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.___Henry Miller
Success or failure, the truth of a life really has little to do with its
quality. The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for
delight. The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.___Julia
Cameron
The universe will reward you for taking risks on its behalf.___Shakti Gawain
Desire, ask, believe, receive.___Stella Terrill Mann
Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has
magic, grace and power in it.__Goethe
What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.___Albert Camus
Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one
to blame.___Erica Jong
Eliminate something superfluous from your life. Break a habit. Do something
that makes you feel insecure.___Piero Ferrucci
It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because
we do not dare that they are difficult.___Seneca
Look and you will find it--what is unsought will go undetected.___Sophocles
In order to get things you never had, you must do the things you never did.
Never start a fight, but always finish one.
Having is not as pleasurable a thing as wanting--it is illogical but it is
often true.__Spock, Star Trek
Opportunities are seldom labeled.
Whether you think you can or you can't, you are right.
A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.
It is never too late to be what we might have been.
Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It's courage that
counts.___Winston Churchill
Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. But, sooner
or later, the man who wins is the one who thinks he can.___W.D. Wintle
Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let
go.___Tom Feather
You already possess everything necessary to become great.___Crow Indian
Proverb
Determination and desire have no meaning without purpose and
direction.___John F. Kennedy
How you spend your time is the only true measurement of your priorities in
life.___Nancy Hunter Denney
The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use
them.___Meltzer
People can't make you feel inferior without your consent.___Elenor Roosevelt
The greatest love of all is inside of me. If I fail or if I succeed, at
least I live as I believe.___George Benson
Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true
failure.___George E. Woodberry
The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond
them into the impossible.___Arthur C. Clark
There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.
It is never to late to be what you might have been.___George Eliot
Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually
right.___Henry Ford
Everyone faces challenges and problems. Success lies in dealing with
them.___Anonymous
We are always getting ready to live, but never living.___Emerson
If you can't change the circumstances, change your perspective.___Anonymous
What does not destroy me, makes me strong.___Friedrich Nietzsche
I do not seek. I find.___Pablo Picasso
Don't fight forces; use them.___Buckminster Fuller
The follies which a man regrets most are those which he didn't commit when
he had the opportunity.___Helen Rowland
Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.___Marie Curie
Nothing is worth more than this day.___Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.___Joseph Addison
Anything you're good at contributes to happiness.___Bertrand Russell
The heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing of.___Blaise Pascal
There are two great disappointments in life: Not getting what you want, and
getting it.___George Bernard Shaw
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.___Theodore Roosevelt
The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves.___Sophocles
The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.___Paul Valery
There can be no real freedom without the freedom to fail.__Eric Hoffer
The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.___Carl Jung
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the
past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than
successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important
than appearances, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a
church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for the day. We cannot change our past, we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, that is our attitude.___Charles W. Swindoll, from his writing
"Strengthening Your Grip"
Don't cry because its over, smile because it happened. - Unknown
All things are difficult before they are easy. -Thomas Fuller, M.D.
As for courage and will - we cannot measure how much of each
lies within us, we can only trust there will be sufficient to carry
through trials which may lie ahead. - Andre Norton
It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is
because we do not dare that they are difficult. - Seneca
One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his
great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do.
- Henry Ford
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist
sees the opportunity in every difficulty. -Winston Churchill
Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp--or what's a
heaven for?-Robert Browning
Never give up, for that is just the place and time that
the tide will turn. - Harriet Beecher Stowe
We tend to get what we expect.___Norman Vincent Peale
What makes something great is the battle that goes on to get there. It is
getting up every morning and doing what you think is the right thing. It is
working towards your dreams and not letting other people get in your
way.___Dean Golich, coach of Mari Holden
In life, you must make your own challenges.___Rudy Giuliani
Change is inevitable; growth is optional.___Mary Foley
I realize that things end -- whether it's being mayor or your life -- it ends. And part of being able to handle life is being able to handle the changes that take place.___Rudy Giuliani
Between Stimulus and Response is our greatest Freedom: Choice.___Stephen Covey
This is the moment I knew was coming. The moment when you feel like you're puking your guts out and want to quit and you have to find the next gear or surrender.___David Bailey
You have to think that you can't quit. Your brain wants to quit, but you have to fight it. It has nothing to do with speed, and everything to do with finishing.____Abe Weintraub (+90 age group runner)
There's something to be said for wanting and genuine belief.___Dusty Baker
TO UNDERTAKE is to achieve_____Emily Dickinson
You must do the thing you think you cannot do.___Eleanor Roosevelt
Well, they don't call it the Eco-Simple, now do they?___Alex, Team GO
If you really want to do something, you'll find a way; if you don't, you'll
find an excuse.
People become what they expect themselves to become.___Mahatma Gandhi
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the
wrist, directs you where to go. So make the best of this test, and don't ask
why. It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time. It's something
unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you had the time of your
life.___Green Day
It doesn't get any easier, you just get faster.___Greg Lemond
I tried.__Jackie Joyner Kersee
Only those who dare to fail greatly, can ever achieve greatly.___Robert F. Kennedy
You can have anything you want -- if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.___Abraham Lincoln
"Tama tu, tama ora, tama noho, tama mate."
If you stand up and fight you live, if you give up and sit down you die.___Maori saying
I met a guy up on that mountain who I grew to like, and do you know who that guy was? That's right, it was me.___Tim Moore, from the book "French Revolutions....Cycling the Tour de France"
Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them. ___Ann Landers
A man is not finished when he's defeated; he's finished when he quits.___Richard Milhous Nixon
The fastest way to succeed is to look as if you're playing by somebody else's rules, while quietly playing by your own.___Michael Konda
Success demands the highest price of discipline, of hard work and of eternal persistence.
Just keep going. Everybody gets better if they keep at it.___Ted Williams
Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.___Henry Van Dyke
The worst thing to squander is time. That you can't get back.___Some climber dude on OLN
Sunday, August 17, 2003
Retiring From Racing and Unretiring
Yesterday I had signed up to do a 100 mile (or 100K) ride up in western Marin County. Lots of hills (like the course is 99% hills). I did it last year and did 100K. Hadn't done much all week due to my neck/back/shoulder, but I was cleared to ride, so I headed up to Tomales, checked in, and headed out. Immediately I could tell it was not going to be a good day. Every single thing was irritating me, from the bike to the weather, the crappy roads, the hills, the other people on the ride, my neck/shoulder were hurting. You get the picture. The love was NOT there. So, I made a couple of turns and ended the ride at 27 miles and 2 hours 20 minutes. Put the bike in the truck and drove home and emailed my friend Pieter saying, "I am retiring from racing."
Some food, a shower and I laid on the couch and watched the replay of IMH 2002, the year I wasn't there to volunteer, the comeback of Peter Reid, Marc Herremans courageous start, Karen Smyers and Normann Stadler not giving up when their races went south. I felt a little better. Thanks to NBC for picking yesterday to replay the show. Went to see Bruce Springsteen last night and after 3 solid hours of THE BOSS, I was feeling even better. (As an aside: Great concert, but I'd put it at #2 on my all-time list. Didn't top U2 and The Joshua Tree tour. Very interesting crowd. Every demographic was there.)
Slept in this morning, got up and ate breakfast, then around 10:30, headed out on the bike. THE LOVE WAS BACK from the first moment on the bike. Rode across the Bridge and around Marin, 44 miles and 3:40. Rode by myself, except when a guy rode up next to me and says, "Want to hop on my wheel?" (Winds were gusting to 30 mph all day and yes, headwinds.) Stuck to him for a couple of miles, then thanked him for the pull and let him go up a hill. Got home and felt great, so I have officially unretired. Hey, if Peter Reid can do it, so can I. Thanks to Pieter for not saying out loud that I'm a psycho pain-in-the-butt. ;-)
Some food, a shower and I laid on the couch and watched the replay of IMH 2002, the year I wasn't there to volunteer, the comeback of Peter Reid, Marc Herremans courageous start, Karen Smyers and Normann Stadler not giving up when their races went south. I felt a little better. Thanks to NBC for picking yesterday to replay the show. Went to see Bruce Springsteen last night and after 3 solid hours of THE BOSS, I was feeling even better. (As an aside: Great concert, but I'd put it at #2 on my all-time list. Didn't top U2 and The Joshua Tree tour. Very interesting crowd. Every demographic was there.)
Slept in this morning, got up and ate breakfast, then around 10:30, headed out on the bike. THE LOVE WAS BACK from the first moment on the bike. Rode across the Bridge and around Marin, 44 miles and 3:40. Rode by myself, except when a guy rode up next to me and says, "Want to hop on my wheel?" (Winds were gusting to 30 mph all day and yes, headwinds.) Stuck to him for a couple of miles, then thanked him for the pull and let him go up a hill. Got home and felt great, so I have officially unretired. Hey, if Peter Reid can do it, so can I. Thanks to Pieter for not saying out loud that I'm a psycho pain-in-the-butt. ;-)
Monday, August 11, 2003
Folsom International Tri
DNS (Did Not Start; Did Nothing Stupid)
Didn't race. Volunteered instead. Woke up Friday morning with a stiff neck. Thought it would go away and on Saturday, it was a little better. Went to the pool to see if I could swim and swam 1,000 yds and didn't feel too bad. Went up to the race site and registered and then rode the bike for 25 minutes. Shoulder/arm hurt a little on the bike, but not too bad. To dinner, to the hotel and my neck and upper back start hurting more. Went to sleep and race morning, woke up with an even more sore neck/trap/lats. Went to the race site, got body marked, put my wetsuit on, got in and tried to swim, sharp pain shoots down my back on each stroke. Got out, gave back my chip. Got a hug from the race director of TBF Racing and told him I'd help them out in the transition area, so that's what I did.
I did have a fun time going up and hanging out the entire time with one of our tri club's fast guys. We talked Tour de France, bike racing, tris and lots of other stuff the entire way up and back, at dinner and at the hotel. And, I got to preview the CaliforniaMan race site, so it wasn't a total washed out weekend.
Today? Off to see Dr. Hal.
Didn't race. Volunteered instead. Woke up Friday morning with a stiff neck. Thought it would go away and on Saturday, it was a little better. Went to the pool to see if I could swim and swam 1,000 yds and didn't feel too bad. Went up to the race site and registered and then rode the bike for 25 minutes. Shoulder/arm hurt a little on the bike, but not too bad. To dinner, to the hotel and my neck and upper back start hurting more. Went to sleep and race morning, woke up with an even more sore neck/trap/lats. Went to the race site, got body marked, put my wetsuit on, got in and tried to swim, sharp pain shoots down my back on each stroke. Got out, gave back my chip. Got a hug from the race director of TBF Racing and told him I'd help them out in the transition area, so that's what I did.
I did have a fun time going up and hanging out the entire time with one of our tri club's fast guys. We talked Tour de France, bike racing, tris and lots of other stuff the entire way up and back, at dinner and at the hotel. And, I got to preview the CaliforniaMan race site, so it wasn't a total washed out weekend.
Today? Off to see Dr. Hal.
Sunday, August 10, 2003
Ironman New Zealand Info.....
Like my friend Roger said, "If I'm not in New Zealand the first Saturday of March, I'm dead." What a wonderful place and race! I've been to New Zealand four times in the past three years and am planning another trip in 2004. I get a lot of questions, so I'll be adding information as I have time, or if you have specific questions, let me know. First things first...
Ironman New Zealand
Saturday, March 6, 2004
http://www.ironman.co.nz/
Travel arrangements:
You can do the web search and do your own airline reservations, but I've found better prices and it's a lot easier using Deepak and Premium Plus for airfare. He can also do an entire package for you. (Tell him you know me.) I have my own B&B that I always stay at, plus, I like to be mobile, so I rent a car in Auckland and drive to Taupo.
Deepak Patel
President
Premium Plus Sports -- The Athlete Travel Company
800-282-3636 USA & Canada
312-738-2543
312-738-2546 Fax
www.PremiumPlus-Sports
If you want to do your own accomodations, I'd suggest the Taupo Visitor Center. There is a link at http://www.ironman.co.nz/travel.html or details are below. If you are in the center of town, you generally don't need a car, but as I said, I like to be mobile and there are some good sightseeing opportunities in the general area.
Gail Henderson
Taupo Visitor Centre,
30 Tongariro Street,
Taupo, New Zealand
Tel: 0064 7 376 0027
Fax: 0064 7 378 9003
Email: taupovc@laketauponz.com.
Or.....
http://www.beds-n-leisure.com/
Or....
Destination Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo Convention Bureau
66 Paora Hapi Street, Private Bag 2005
Taupo, New Zealand
Telephone: +64-7-376-0400
Facsimile: +64-7-376-0410
E-Mail: info@laketauponz.com
Internet: www.laketauponz.com
New Zealand news:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/ (Taupo is in the BAY OF PLENTY region)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Are you subscribed to the IM NZ list?
mailto:imnz-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
Some answers to questions I've been asked a bunch of times:
* No, you can't do both NZ and Australia in three weeks. You'd be hard pressed to see the all of NZ in three weeks. It's a small country, but it's two islands and the pace of life is way kicked back (they have no freeways). It's so beautiful there and the North and South Island are like two different worlds. If you can, get to both of them. [SEE TOWARDS END OF MESSAGE FOR MY LAST FOUR TRIPS.]
* The people are the best and the course is great. The swim is in a pristine lake, so clean you can see the bottom the entire way (and drink from). The bike is flat to rolling, with one short, steep hill that you do twice. There is a big out and back (probably 40 miles RT), that is on a closed road. There is about a 5K of gradual uphill on this section coming back. You don't notice it the first go-round, but it's where I slowed down the second round. The last few miles of the bike are downhill (long, gradual) and then into town where the streets are lined with people. I rode way too hard through town at the end of the first lap. The run has a number of hills, some short and steep and one longer grade. It's a two-loop run. But, the best thing is the NZ people. They are so fabulous! Your race number has your name on it in large, bumper sticker type letters, so people are shouting your name the entire race. If I had had a dollar for every time I heard "Good on ya", I could have paid for this year and next year's trip. My report from 2001 is at http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/beginner/unlikely.html.
* The food is quite good. Lots of beef and lamb and fish. The beer is AWESOME! Tui is my favorite, but Specht's is good too, as is Steinlager.
* Yes, they drive on the "wrong" side of the road and the car. It's not too hard to get used to generally. Actually, I have an easier time driving there. Maybe I'm driver dyslexic. And yes, you will race on the bike on the LEFT, staying LEFT. Learn to take a water bottle with your left hand.
* The best bike shop is Cycle World on Spa Road. James and Marie are the best! FAST.BISCUIT@xtra.co.nz Tell them you know me. ;-)
* Jet lag: From the U.S. west coast, the time difference is only 3 hours (plus a day), so it's like going from NY to here or here to HI. No jet lag at all. You generally arrive early in the morning and it's a 4 hour drive to Taupo. Get a good night sleep the first night in NZ and you'll never know you are traveling. Coming home...different story.
Race days tips:
* T1: Definitely stick a small towel in your bag. You will be running/changing on grass and it was freshly clipped, so there was a lot of grass pieces all over and it was nice to have the towel to wipe your feet on.
* Bike: Definitely take arm warmers and pack them in the T1 bag. I wore mind for the first lap in 2001 and 2002, then shed them. A light rain jacket is also a great idea if you are cold blooded, as it rained all night before the race and from about 5-6:30AM on race morning in 2001. I'd also suggest covering your bike saddle and computer the night before.
* Course food/drink: Take more than you think you will need. The PB stuff they've served in the past is NASTY (though they may be changing that this year). Also, if you think you will have ANY urge for anything not-sweet---put it in your special needs bag. Nothing but sweet stuff the entire day. At one run aid station a nice lady gave me her own small bag of potato chips. No chicken soup at this IM (or at least the last couple of years).
Travel tips:
* Definitely bring some snacks and a big bottle of water for the plane. If you are on Air NZ, then most of the flight will be IM people, at least going over and it's fun to meet everyone. Coming home, it was the senior citizen brigade. They show you about 3 movies and feed you every few hours. Going wasn't so bad; coming home was a bear (but I was sick and the plane was packed).
* Money: What I usually do is to take $50 US and change that at the Auckland airport just to have some handy cash. Then, when I get to Taupo, I'll use my ATM card to get cash from the machines. Or, but as much as you can on plastic for better exchange rates.
Race week:
* May I suggest for those who are in Taupo on the Tuesday to do the swim that evening. It's your only chance to swim most of the course and there are lots of folks there. It's a great way to gauge the water and get rid of some jet lag. They have a 1,000 and 3,000 M (or so) "race" and they give out spot prizes. Minimal entry fee (like $2NZ) and lots of fun.
* Lastly, if you are in the market for a new wetsuit--buy one early in the week. The exchange rate is great and a couple of places had IM wetsuits on sale last year.
My prior trips:
You know what, first of all, unless you are staying for a month or two, there is no way you can see both islands. Things are just too spread out to do in a short period of time. Second, there are NO freeways, so if you are driving, you don't get anywhere very fast, especially on the South Island. Third, it doesn't matter where you go, it's all terrific. (Though I agree, pass through Hamilton on the drive down and instead stop in Cambridge--a great little town.) Which is why I'll be coming back for the fourth time in three years.
First trip: 10 days, including race. Post race, we stayed in Taupo, using it as a base for day trips. I got sick right after the race, so the parental units saw more than I did.
Second trip: 3 weeks, including race. We drove down to Wellington after the race, took the ferry across to the So. Island, drove down the east coast to Christchurch, spending a couple of days there. Then, drove across to the west coast and down to the glaciers (excellent!), then back up the west coast to Greymouth (I'd go back and spend more time there), then back to the ferry and back up through the No. Island. Way too much driving.
Third trip: Hung in Auckland for a few days and did some sightseeing with the locals. Went to Taupo and hung out there, riding my bike and hiking around and doing a little race. I highly recommend the Leppin Half Ironman in December.
Fourth trip: About 9 days total. Went to the race, didn't race. Watched everyone else race. Drove back to Auckland and spent a couple of nights there with friends before flying home.
Where I haven't been, but want to: The coast up by Ohope, the northern islands, Fiordland--I'd like to do the Milford Trek, Mt. Cook (we saw it, but from Fox Glacier side). I'd spend more time in ChristChurch. I liked it a lot better than Auckland. I'd go back to Wellington and spend more time there. Auckland is a lot like San Francisco, so I'll go there just to see friends. And I do love Taupo. Someday I'll buy a house there, after I buy my house in France.
--------------------------------------------
Why is this such a fabulous place and race???
I got this email from one of the volunteers (who lurks on the IM NZ email list) after I'd posted how great a time we'd had:
Hi
Cathy it is poeple like you that get people like me on the job
at no cost to any one just because we can say that's another ironman
Here's a message I sent out to the IM NZ folks I went with last year.....
I was looking for a phone number in an old email and came across some IM NZ race reports from the last couple of years. Here are some bits of various people's reports. For those of you who are first timers in Taupo, just a glimpse of what you are in for. Extra points if you recognize yourself, or a friend.
clm, waiting for a job offer from the NZ Tourism Board ;-)
* This is an incredible race, and the best part of it
is the people of Taupo. They are so welcoming and supportive. I
have never seen better support in any race I've done anywhere in the
world, and I've been doing tris for 20 years.
* In hundreds of small, thoughtful ways, Taupo's volunteers eased the journey for us.
* The finish was magic. The course had us do one last loop around the back
of the park, running in near total darkness until we abruptly turned a
corner and ran into the blazing lights of a 100 meter finishing chute
lined with cheering spectators and finishers. Despite the pain and
fatigue, it's a moment you wish would last forever.
* There's simply no better place to do an Ironman than New Zealand, and no better venue than Taupo.
* To all the people who listened to me complain about training this winter and who heard me say time and time again "I will never, ever, ever train through the winter again", thank you for tolerating me. I hope you can stand it again this winter because I have to go back to Ironman New Zealand next year. The thought of not going back is more painful than any cold weather ride or any long run in freezing drizzle.
* They took me into medical for the mandatory weighing, then made me lay down for about 15 minutes and took my vitals. They finally let me go, and as we
were walking to the car, a guy came up and said he had been cheering out on
the course and wanted to come down and see me finish and shake my hand.
That's the kind of people there are in New Zealand and is a huge part of
what makes this race so fantastic.
Ironman New Zealand
Saturday, March 6, 2004
http://www.ironman.co.nz/
Travel arrangements:
You can do the web search and do your own airline reservations, but I've found better prices and it's a lot easier using Deepak and Premium Plus for airfare. He can also do an entire package for you. (Tell him you know me.) I have my own B&B that I always stay at, plus, I like to be mobile, so I rent a car in Auckland and drive to Taupo.
Deepak Patel
President
Premium Plus Sports -- The Athlete Travel Company
800-282-3636 USA & Canada
312-738-2543
312-738-2546 Fax
www.PremiumPlus-Sports
If you want to do your own accomodations, I'd suggest the Taupo Visitor Center. There is a link at http://www.ironman.co.nz/travel.html or details are below. If you are in the center of town, you generally don't need a car, but as I said, I like to be mobile and there are some good sightseeing opportunities in the general area.
Gail Henderson
Taupo Visitor Centre,
30 Tongariro Street,
Taupo, New Zealand
Tel: 0064 7 376 0027
Fax: 0064 7 378 9003
Email: taupovc@laketauponz.com.
Or.....
http://www.beds-n-leisure.com/
Or....
Destination Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo Convention Bureau
66 Paora Hapi Street, Private Bag 2005
Taupo, New Zealand
Telephone: +64-7-376-0400
Facsimile: +64-7-376-0410
E-Mail: info@laketauponz.com
Internet: www.laketauponz.com
New Zealand news:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/ (Taupo is in the BAY OF PLENTY region)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Are you subscribed to the IM NZ list?
mailto:imnz-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
Some answers to questions I've been asked a bunch of times:
* No, you can't do both NZ and Australia in three weeks. You'd be hard pressed to see the all of NZ in three weeks. It's a small country, but it's two islands and the pace of life is way kicked back (they have no freeways). It's so beautiful there and the North and South Island are like two different worlds. If you can, get to both of them. [SEE TOWARDS END OF MESSAGE FOR MY LAST FOUR TRIPS.]
* The people are the best and the course is great. The swim is in a pristine lake, so clean you can see the bottom the entire way (and drink from). The bike is flat to rolling, with one short, steep hill that you do twice. There is a big out and back (probably 40 miles RT), that is on a closed road. There is about a 5K of gradual uphill on this section coming back. You don't notice it the first go-round, but it's where I slowed down the second round. The last few miles of the bike are downhill (long, gradual) and then into town where the streets are lined with people. I rode way too hard through town at the end of the first lap. The run has a number of hills, some short and steep and one longer grade. It's a two-loop run. But, the best thing is the NZ people. They are so fabulous! Your race number has your name on it in large, bumper sticker type letters, so people are shouting your name the entire race. If I had had a dollar for every time I heard "Good on ya", I could have paid for this year and next year's trip. My report from 2001 is at http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/beginner/unlikely.html.
* The food is quite good. Lots of beef and lamb and fish. The beer is AWESOME! Tui is my favorite, but Specht's is good too, as is Steinlager.
* Yes, they drive on the "wrong" side of the road and the car. It's not too hard to get used to generally. Actually, I have an easier time driving there. Maybe I'm driver dyslexic. And yes, you will race on the bike on the LEFT, staying LEFT. Learn to take a water bottle with your left hand.
* The best bike shop is Cycle World on Spa Road. James and Marie are the best! FAST.BISCUIT@xtra.co.nz Tell them you know me. ;-)
* Jet lag: From the U.S. west coast, the time difference is only 3 hours (plus a day), so it's like going from NY to here or here to HI. No jet lag at all. You generally arrive early in the morning and it's a 4 hour drive to Taupo. Get a good night sleep the first night in NZ and you'll never know you are traveling. Coming home...different story.
Race days tips:
* T1: Definitely stick a small towel in your bag. You will be running/changing on grass and it was freshly clipped, so there was a lot of grass pieces all over and it was nice to have the towel to wipe your feet on.
* Bike: Definitely take arm warmers and pack them in the T1 bag. I wore mind for the first lap in 2001 and 2002, then shed them. A light rain jacket is also a great idea if you are cold blooded, as it rained all night before the race and from about 5-6:30AM on race morning in 2001. I'd also suggest covering your bike saddle and computer the night before.
* Course food/drink: Take more than you think you will need. The PB stuff they've served in the past is NASTY (though they may be changing that this year). Also, if you think you will have ANY urge for anything not-sweet---put it in your special needs bag. Nothing but sweet stuff the entire day. At one run aid station a nice lady gave me her own small bag of potato chips. No chicken soup at this IM (or at least the last couple of years).
Travel tips:
* Definitely bring some snacks and a big bottle of water for the plane. If you are on Air NZ, then most of the flight will be IM people, at least going over and it's fun to meet everyone. Coming home, it was the senior citizen brigade. They show you about 3 movies and feed you every few hours. Going wasn't so bad; coming home was a bear (but I was sick and the plane was packed).
* Money: What I usually do is to take $50 US and change that at the Auckland airport just to have some handy cash. Then, when I get to Taupo, I'll use my ATM card to get cash from the machines. Or, but as much as you can on plastic for better exchange rates.
Race week:
* May I suggest for those who are in Taupo on the Tuesday to do the swim that evening. It's your only chance to swim most of the course and there are lots of folks there. It's a great way to gauge the water and get rid of some jet lag. They have a 1,000 and 3,000 M (or so) "race" and they give out spot prizes. Minimal entry fee (like $2NZ) and lots of fun.
* Lastly, if you are in the market for a new wetsuit--buy one early in the week. The exchange rate is great and a couple of places had IM wetsuits on sale last year.
My prior trips:
You know what, first of all, unless you are staying for a month or two, there is no way you can see both islands. Things are just too spread out to do in a short period of time. Second, there are NO freeways, so if you are driving, you don't get anywhere very fast, especially on the South Island. Third, it doesn't matter where you go, it's all terrific. (Though I agree, pass through Hamilton on the drive down and instead stop in Cambridge--a great little town.) Which is why I'll be coming back for the fourth time in three years.
First trip: 10 days, including race. Post race, we stayed in Taupo, using it as a base for day trips. I got sick right after the race, so the parental units saw more than I did.
Second trip: 3 weeks, including race. We drove down to Wellington after the race, took the ferry across to the So. Island, drove down the east coast to Christchurch, spending a couple of days there. Then, drove across to the west coast and down to the glaciers (excellent!), then back up the west coast to Greymouth (I'd go back and spend more time there), then back to the ferry and back up through the No. Island. Way too much driving.
Third trip: Hung in Auckland for a few days and did some sightseeing with the locals. Went to Taupo and hung out there, riding my bike and hiking around and doing a little race. I highly recommend the Leppin Half Ironman in December.
Fourth trip: About 9 days total. Went to the race, didn't race. Watched everyone else race. Drove back to Auckland and spent a couple of nights there with friends before flying home.
Where I haven't been, but want to: The coast up by Ohope, the northern islands, Fiordland--I'd like to do the Milford Trek, Mt. Cook (we saw it, but from Fox Glacier side). I'd spend more time in ChristChurch. I liked it a lot better than Auckland. I'd go back to Wellington and spend more time there. Auckland is a lot like San Francisco, so I'll go there just to see friends. And I do love Taupo. Someday I'll buy a house there, after I buy my house in France.
--------------------------------------------
Why is this such a fabulous place and race???
I got this email from one of the volunteers (who lurks on the IM NZ email list) after I'd posted how great a time we'd had:
Hi
Cathy it is poeple like you that get people like me on the job
at no cost to any one just because we can say that's another ironman
Here's a message I sent out to the IM NZ folks I went with last year.....
I was looking for a phone number in an old email and came across some IM NZ race reports from the last couple of years. Here are some bits of various people's reports. For those of you who are first timers in Taupo, just a glimpse of what you are in for. Extra points if you recognize yourself, or a friend.
clm, waiting for a job offer from the NZ Tourism Board ;-)
* This is an incredible race, and the best part of it
is the people of Taupo. They are so welcoming and supportive. I
have never seen better support in any race I've done anywhere in the
world, and I've been doing tris for 20 years.
* In hundreds of small, thoughtful ways, Taupo's volunteers eased the journey for us.
* The finish was magic. The course had us do one last loop around the back
of the park, running in near total darkness until we abruptly turned a
corner and ran into the blazing lights of a 100 meter finishing chute
lined with cheering spectators and finishers. Despite the pain and
fatigue, it's a moment you wish would last forever.
* There's simply no better place to do an Ironman than New Zealand, and no better venue than Taupo.
* To all the people who listened to me complain about training this winter and who heard me say time and time again "I will never, ever, ever train through the winter again", thank you for tolerating me. I hope you can stand it again this winter because I have to go back to Ironman New Zealand next year. The thought of not going back is more painful than any cold weather ride or any long run in freezing drizzle.
* They took me into medical for the mandatory weighing, then made me lay down for about 15 minutes and took my vitals. They finally let me go, and as we
were walking to the car, a guy came up and said he had been cheering out on
the course and wanted to come down and see me finish and shake my hand.
That's the kind of people there are in New Zealand and is a huge part of
what makes this race so fantastic.
Tuesday, August 05, 2003
Half Vineman Race Report
First of all....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! And to my friends and birthday twins Boop, Bee, MikeyBoy and Pieter. What a great day 5 August is.
OK, Half Vineman...my first ever half ironman and my favorite race. I've been riding that course for about 13 years, so I know it like the back of my hand. And, it's always a good race to see lots and lots of people you know. Unfortunately, many of them are already finished, showered and gone home by the time those of us in the back of the pack finish racing since it's a wave start race and the waves are spread out over 3.5 hours. Totally sucks to be in one of the last couple of waves (which I have been 4 out of 5 years.)
Drove up to Santa Rosa with my friend Yuko. It was her first Half VM and her second half IM race. Got to the registration/expo and immediately started seeing people we knew. Finally got registered, walked through the expo, went to the course meeting and headed out to T2 (note--T1 and T2 are 15 miles apart; this is not a race for unorganized people.) Dropped off our run stuff and had a chat with Steve and Carrie Larsen, then went for a 20 minute bike ride to show Yuko the run course. Someone had told her it was flat. HA HA HA. No it's not. After that, dinner, to the house, got an early birthday present from my littlest fans, then to bed.
The swim: Race morning I got to T1, got body marked, chatted some more, then finally it was time to get in the pen for the next to last wave (women 40-44). I've been working with a swim instructor revamping my stroke, so I was curious to see how my stroke had improved. 48:44 later, the new form obviously hasn't translated from pool to open water. That put me in a pissy mood onto the bike. This was the slowest swim of the 5 Half VM races I've done.
The bike: I love to ride the bike and usually go out way too hard so I consciously decided to try to hold back a little in the first 10 miles or so. I must have been thinking way too much about that because I totally missed the right hand turn under River Road. The guy was standing there with his big purple finger kinda pointing up in the air and I was thinking I need to be geared down because you have to pop up a short, but steep hill, and just spaced it out. The second I went by him straight instead of right, I KNEW what I'd done. CRAP! Unfortunately, another woman followed me. Oops, sorry. Quick turn around and then up the hill and flew down the backside and hit the rollers. I learned how to ride the rollers in France, so I felt pretty good. A few gals passed me on some of the uphills, but I passed them back on the downhills and flats. Somewhere in here my back started to hurt, my crotch wasn't liking the day and it became not fun to be riding my bike. That is a bad day in my book, cause I LOVE to ride my bike.
Got over to the Alexander Valley and Hwy. 128 and the love came back. Motored along on the flats, into a headwind and started making a game of picking people off. I'd make bets with myself on when I'd catch and pass someone. Got onto Chalk Hill Road and hammered. I love this part of the course because you can get some good speed up. Hit "faux Chalk Hill" and then down the backside and rode easy on the lead up to real Chalk Hill. I got passed by a couple of folks (including one guy....he must have had a horrible swim or major bike problems), but I crested the top of Chalk Hill and could smell fresh meat in front of me. The last 10 miles of the bike are fast as heck (except for the crappy roads) and I flew, passing everyone who had passed me up the hill and a few more. Got back to T2 with a bike time of 3:34. Not a bike PR, but one of the fastest times I've ridden that course.
The run: OK, I'll get it over with. I need to shut up and JFR as Gordo would say or JUST DO IT, as Nike would say. I hate to run, I ran less than 10 miles in the month of July. Should I be surprised that I felt like crap? NO. And, it's my fault. I actually felt not bad for about 6 miles, then due to the lack of training, the heat and maybe a little dehydrated, the wheels fell off. Walk/jog, walk/jog, that was the rest of the run. I got passed by most of the people who I'd passed on the bike, including one woman who asked me how fast I was going on the hill when I'd passed her (only 40 mph). Got a big lift seeing my teammates at the Golden Gate Tri Club aid station. Got to the last quarter mile and there was my friend Steph waiting for me. Got to the last 100 yards and there was Yuko and Scott and I don't remember who else. Crossed the finish line with a 3:27 run (second worst run only to the asthma attack debacle of last year). Total time 8:01, third fastest of my 5 Half VM finishes.
Goals for the race were to (1) finish; (2) concentrate on what I've learned in my swim sessions; (3) hold back the first part of the bike; (4) don't lose focus in the third quarter of the bike; (5) run more than walk; (6) not have any asthma or nutritional issues and (7) have fun. Accomplished 1, 2 (but couldn't execute), 3, 4, 6 and 7 (at least for part of the time). I know what I need to work on. Now to do it.
Up next: Folsom Internation Tri this coming weekend. Eat some French food and drink some French wine tonight. And run. Consistently.
OK, Half Vineman...my first ever half ironman and my favorite race. I've been riding that course for about 13 years, so I know it like the back of my hand. And, it's always a good race to see lots and lots of people you know. Unfortunately, many of them are already finished, showered and gone home by the time those of us in the back of the pack finish racing since it's a wave start race and the waves are spread out over 3.5 hours. Totally sucks to be in one of the last couple of waves (which I have been 4 out of 5 years.)
Drove up to Santa Rosa with my friend Yuko. It was her first Half VM and her second half IM race. Got to the registration/expo and immediately started seeing people we knew. Finally got registered, walked through the expo, went to the course meeting and headed out to T2 (note--T1 and T2 are 15 miles apart; this is not a race for unorganized people.) Dropped off our run stuff and had a chat with Steve and Carrie Larsen, then went for a 20 minute bike ride to show Yuko the run course. Someone had told her it was flat. HA HA HA. No it's not. After that, dinner, to the house, got an early birthday present from my littlest fans, then to bed.
The swim: Race morning I got to T1, got body marked, chatted some more, then finally it was time to get in the pen for the next to last wave (women 40-44). I've been working with a swim instructor revamping my stroke, so I was curious to see how my stroke had improved. 48:44 later, the new form obviously hasn't translated from pool to open water. That put me in a pissy mood onto the bike. This was the slowest swim of the 5 Half VM races I've done.
The bike: I love to ride the bike and usually go out way too hard so I consciously decided to try to hold back a little in the first 10 miles or so. I must have been thinking way too much about that because I totally missed the right hand turn under River Road. The guy was standing there with his big purple finger kinda pointing up in the air and I was thinking I need to be geared down because you have to pop up a short, but steep hill, and just spaced it out. The second I went by him straight instead of right, I KNEW what I'd done. CRAP! Unfortunately, another woman followed me. Oops, sorry. Quick turn around and then up the hill and flew down the backside and hit the rollers. I learned how to ride the rollers in France, so I felt pretty good. A few gals passed me on some of the uphills, but I passed them back on the downhills and flats. Somewhere in here my back started to hurt, my crotch wasn't liking the day and it became not fun to be riding my bike. That is a bad day in my book, cause I LOVE to ride my bike.
Got over to the Alexander Valley and Hwy. 128 and the love came back. Motored along on the flats, into a headwind and started making a game of picking people off. I'd make bets with myself on when I'd catch and pass someone. Got onto Chalk Hill Road and hammered. I love this part of the course because you can get some good speed up. Hit "faux Chalk Hill" and then down the backside and rode easy on the lead up to real Chalk Hill. I got passed by a couple of folks (including one guy....he must have had a horrible swim or major bike problems), but I crested the top of Chalk Hill and could smell fresh meat in front of me. The last 10 miles of the bike are fast as heck (except for the crappy roads) and I flew, passing everyone who had passed me up the hill and a few more. Got back to T2 with a bike time of 3:34. Not a bike PR, but one of the fastest times I've ridden that course.
The run: OK, I'll get it over with. I need to shut up and JFR as Gordo would say or JUST DO IT, as Nike would say. I hate to run, I ran less than 10 miles in the month of July. Should I be surprised that I felt like crap? NO. And, it's my fault. I actually felt not bad for about 6 miles, then due to the lack of training, the heat and maybe a little dehydrated, the wheels fell off. Walk/jog, walk/jog, that was the rest of the run. I got passed by most of the people who I'd passed on the bike, including one woman who asked me how fast I was going on the hill when I'd passed her (only 40 mph). Got a big lift seeing my teammates at the Golden Gate Tri Club aid station. Got to the last quarter mile and there was my friend Steph waiting for me. Got to the last 100 yards and there was Yuko and Scott and I don't remember who else. Crossed the finish line with a 3:27 run (second worst run only to the asthma attack debacle of last year). Total time 8:01, third fastest of my 5 Half VM finishes.
Goals for the race were to (1) finish; (2) concentrate on what I've learned in my swim sessions; (3) hold back the first part of the bike; (4) don't lose focus in the third quarter of the bike; (5) run more than walk; (6) not have any asthma or nutritional issues and (7) have fun. Accomplished 1, 2 (but couldn't execute), 3, 4, 6 and 7 (at least for part of the time). I know what I need to work on. Now to do it.
Up next: Folsom Internation Tri this coming weekend. Eat some French food and drink some French wine tonight. And run. Consistently.
Monday, August 04, 2003
Tour de France
My Tour de France reports on slowtwitch.com
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/features/letour.html
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/features/letour.html
South Bay/UVAS Race Report
=============================
South Bay Triathlon
May 18, 2003
“I tried.”___Jackie Joyner Kersee, after her very first track meet and her final Olympic games.
Most of you know how trying the first quarter of 2003 has been....medical issues, surgery, auto accident. Training was pretty limited or non-existent until recently. I did two running races in January, but then missed three races I’d signed up for....Ironman New Zealand, Ralph’s Half Ironman and Wildflower Long Course. I could have done WF Oly, but just didn’t feel ready. So, I set my sights on UVAS/South Bay Tri.
I did my first ever triathlon as the swimmer on a relay team in 1987. Didn’t do any tris from about 1991 to 1998, when I got the bug again. My first race back in May 1998 was the South Bay Triathlon, so it seemed apropos that South Bay was my first race back this year. (It's a 0.75 mile swim/16 mile bike/5 mile run)
I headed down to San Jose the day before the race and checked in. Saw Joe V. from the Tri-DRS list and chatted with him a bit. Got registered and went to drive the bike course. It’s been four years since I’ve done UVAS, so I wanted a look at “the hill”. After driving the course, I headed to Morgan Hill and the hotel. Chatted with club mate Katie a couple of times, had dinner, watched “Law & Order”, read a bit, then lights out.
Woke up before the alarm and made coffee and ate. I happened to flip the TV on and on ESPN Classic, there was a biography of Jackie Joyner Kersee. Two things she said really resonated with me. The above quote and the following.
“I am never again going to let me defeat myself.”___Jackie Joyner Kersee.
Wow, it was almost like she was speaking to me. I was a little nervous about this race as it was the first race back. Was I prepared? How slow would I be? Would I be last? But, I decided that the day would be a success if I could say, “I tried.”
There has been a lot of discussion about “racing” versus “participating”. Some people seem to equate racing with only the fastest people. I say, “NOT TRUE!” I think racing is in the intent. Even those of us at the back of the pack “race”. And, others throw out the “A”, “B” or “C” race theory...if it’s a “C” race, how can I race? In my definition, racing doesn’t mean going 100% every time. You may race for time goals, or race to work on something quite specific. It’s for each person to determine for him/herself. My goals for this race: (1) finish; (2) put in a good, hard effort in all three legs to get a benchmark of where my training is; (3) not be last (I have issues here; yes, I’m working on it); (4) HAVE FUN! I did have some time targets to shoot for, but they weren’t the most important part of the day.
Great thing about staying close to the race site....it took me 12 minutes to get there. Parked and headed to the transition area. The first person I ran into was Lori from Transition Sports. We got to the TA and saw a bunch of my GGTC club mates who had saved me a spot on the bike rack. Saw Joe V. again, Amy White, Dave Fish, Dave K from Transition Sports and a number of other folks I knew. Non-triathletes ask why I race....THE PEOPLE! I just love going to a race and seeing friends from all over.
Amy and I headed down to the lake to warm up, as we were in the last wave. I told Amy that one of my favorite parts of any race day is the few minutes when you are in the water, waiting to start, and looking back at the crowds on shore. The rest of the day just lying ahead, waiting to play out.
The gun went off, and our last wave, Clydesdales, Athenas, all women over age 35 and relays, were off. The swim was a down and around, going around a peninsula and ending at the boat ramp. The first few hundred yards were fine, but when we made the turn to come back on the other (unprotected) side of the peninsula, it got quite choppy. I had to dump my goggles about 4 times and I finally finished in 35:52. Yuck, that was WAY off my time target of 30:00. Oh well, shake it off and to the bike.
“Passion...Patience...Persistence”___Victor Plata
I have the first and third of Vic’s 3 P’s dialed in. I’m working on the middle one, I swear. I love to ride the bike and I only know two ways to ride...not and full out hammering. I tried to dial it back a bit and not ride at max and I think I did OK. The course is flat to rolling, except for one short (0.4 mile), but very steep hill about mile 12. In the first 5-7 miles I passed a lot of people and was easily holding 20-22 mph on the flats. I slowed down on the rollers, but just need more miles in my legs. I got to the steep hill and for the first time ever, was able to ride the entire way up it. That had me really psyched and carried me the last few miles. Bike 63:00 (14.9 mph avg.), which is the fastest I’ve ever ridden this course. Goal was 1:15.
Ask yourself, "Can I give more?" The answer is usually 'Yes'."___Paul Tergat
I’ve never done track workouts until this year. In fact, when I signed up for them, Dave, our treasurer, emailed me to make sure someone wasn’t impersonating me and then at one of the workouts, someone else asked, “YOU are doing track?” Yes, it’s a new me. I headed out on the run and immediately both of my lower legs began to cramp. Run slow, walk to shake them out, run, walk through the aid station and down Gatorade, stop to stretch once. All those people I passed on the bike? They were now passing me back on the run. The run is an out and back, so it was nice seeing lots of people I knew as they were coming back. I got to the turn-around and miraculously, the cramps went away (change in road camber?) I was able to pick up my pace and run the rest of the way, only walking to drink at the aid station. I got to the last half mile or so and Katie was there, then got to the turn to the finish and Yuko, Karen and Andy were there to cheer me in. Crossed the finish line feeling good about the run and the entire day. Run time 1:10; goal 1:15.
Total time: 2:56; goal had been to break 3:00. I’m back!
South Bay Triathlon
May 18, 2003
“I tried.”___Jackie Joyner Kersee, after her very first track meet and her final Olympic games.
Most of you know how trying the first quarter of 2003 has been....medical issues, surgery, auto accident. Training was pretty limited or non-existent until recently. I did two running races in January, but then missed three races I’d signed up for....Ironman New Zealand, Ralph’s Half Ironman and Wildflower Long Course. I could have done WF Oly, but just didn’t feel ready. So, I set my sights on UVAS/South Bay Tri.
I did my first ever triathlon as the swimmer on a relay team in 1987. Didn’t do any tris from about 1991 to 1998, when I got the bug again. My first race back in May 1998 was the South Bay Triathlon, so it seemed apropos that South Bay was my first race back this year. (It's a 0.75 mile swim/16 mile bike/5 mile run)
I headed down to San Jose the day before the race and checked in. Saw Joe V. from the Tri-DRS list and chatted with him a bit. Got registered and went to drive the bike course. It’s been four years since I’ve done UVAS, so I wanted a look at “the hill”. After driving the course, I headed to Morgan Hill and the hotel. Chatted with club mate Katie a couple of times, had dinner, watched “Law & Order”, read a bit, then lights out.
Woke up before the alarm and made coffee and ate. I happened to flip the TV on and on ESPN Classic, there was a biography of Jackie Joyner Kersee. Two things she said really resonated with me. The above quote and the following.
“I am never again going to let me defeat myself.”___Jackie Joyner Kersee.
Wow, it was almost like she was speaking to me. I was a little nervous about this race as it was the first race back. Was I prepared? How slow would I be? Would I be last? But, I decided that the day would be a success if I could say, “I tried.”
There has been a lot of discussion about “racing” versus “participating”. Some people seem to equate racing with only the fastest people. I say, “NOT TRUE!” I think racing is in the intent. Even those of us at the back of the pack “race”. And, others throw out the “A”, “B” or “C” race theory...if it’s a “C” race, how can I race? In my definition, racing doesn’t mean going 100% every time. You may race for time goals, or race to work on something quite specific. It’s for each person to determine for him/herself. My goals for this race: (1) finish; (2) put in a good, hard effort in all three legs to get a benchmark of where my training is; (3) not be last (I have issues here; yes, I’m working on it); (4) HAVE FUN! I did have some time targets to shoot for, but they weren’t the most important part of the day.
Great thing about staying close to the race site....it took me 12 minutes to get there. Parked and headed to the transition area. The first person I ran into was Lori from Transition Sports. We got to the TA and saw a bunch of my GGTC club mates who had saved me a spot on the bike rack. Saw Joe V. again, Amy White, Dave Fish, Dave K from Transition Sports and a number of other folks I knew. Non-triathletes ask why I race....THE PEOPLE! I just love going to a race and seeing friends from all over.
Amy and I headed down to the lake to warm up, as we were in the last wave. I told Amy that one of my favorite parts of any race day is the few minutes when you are in the water, waiting to start, and looking back at the crowds on shore. The rest of the day just lying ahead, waiting to play out.
The gun went off, and our last wave, Clydesdales, Athenas, all women over age 35 and relays, were off. The swim was a down and around, going around a peninsula and ending at the boat ramp. The first few hundred yards were fine, but when we made the turn to come back on the other (unprotected) side of the peninsula, it got quite choppy. I had to dump my goggles about 4 times and I finally finished in 35:52. Yuck, that was WAY off my time target of 30:00. Oh well, shake it off and to the bike.
“Passion...Patience...Persistence”___Victor Plata
I have the first and third of Vic’s 3 P’s dialed in. I’m working on the middle one, I swear. I love to ride the bike and I only know two ways to ride...not and full out hammering. I tried to dial it back a bit and not ride at max and I think I did OK. The course is flat to rolling, except for one short (0.4 mile), but very steep hill about mile 12. In the first 5-7 miles I passed a lot of people and was easily holding 20-22 mph on the flats. I slowed down on the rollers, but just need more miles in my legs. I got to the steep hill and for the first time ever, was able to ride the entire way up it. That had me really psyched and carried me the last few miles. Bike 63:00 (14.9 mph avg.), which is the fastest I’ve ever ridden this course. Goal was 1:15.
Ask yourself, "Can I give more?" The answer is usually 'Yes'."___Paul Tergat
I’ve never done track workouts until this year. In fact, when I signed up for them, Dave, our treasurer, emailed me to make sure someone wasn’t impersonating me and then at one of the workouts, someone else asked, “YOU are doing track?” Yes, it’s a new me. I headed out on the run and immediately both of my lower legs began to cramp. Run slow, walk to shake them out, run, walk through the aid station and down Gatorade, stop to stretch once. All those people I passed on the bike? They were now passing me back on the run. The run is an out and back, so it was nice seeing lots of people I knew as they were coming back. I got to the turn-around and miraculously, the cramps went away (change in road camber?) I was able to pick up my pace and run the rest of the way, only walking to drink at the aid station. I got to the last half mile or so and Katie was there, then got to the turn to the finish and Yuko, Karen and Andy were there to cheer me in. Crossed the finish line feeling good about the run and the entire day. Run time 1:10; goal 1:15.
Total time: 2:56; goal had been to break 3:00. I’m back!
SJIT Race Report
===============================================
San Jose International Tri--Oly distance.
June 22, 2003
Headed down to SJ on Saturday to pick up race packet, checked into
the Motel 6 and then went to meet some clubmates for dinner. We had
a very good time--lots of laughs and way too much pasta was served.
Back to the room, get the gear ready and to bed.
San Jose is a very flat course, both bike and run. There is one
little bump early in the bike, and then the hill on Bailey road, but
it's only 0.8 mile and not so bad. The worst thing this year was the
wind. Lots of headwind on the first half of the bike.
This year the bike was harder due said headwind. I thought I had a
better swim, but I guess not, but I did work on staying long and not
diving my arm down (two swim lessons so far--totally revamping my
stroke). I felt ~much~ better on the run this year and my time
includes a porta-stop (and, negative split the run). Pace on the run
was about 13:22/mile--I still have some work to do, but my race paces
are slowing coming down. I'm still having lower leg cramps in the
first couple of miles on the run for some reason (note--I REALLY held
back on the first part of the bike this year). I just need to get in
the pool and work on the run (we know I'll be riding the bike always).
Looking at the numbers from the race and comparing them to last year,
I'm actually pretty happy, considering I had virtually no training
from January to late March this year and last year I had Ironman
training for the same period of time. (I really have only 7 weeks of
decent training in this year.)
SJIT 2003:
32:24-3:03-1:30-2:49-1:23=3:32 (s-t1-b-t2-r) 8th out of 11
I was 8th on the swim; 6th on the bike; 11th on the run.
SJIT 2002:
31:16-4:58-1:29-2:27-1:23=3:30 (3rd out of 4)
Totals year to date (s/b/r):
2003:
14,090 yds/496 miles/151 miles
2002:
43,339 yds/844 miles/211 miles
Next up: The TOUR DE FRANCE! Then, Half Vineman on August 3rd.
San Jose International Tri--Oly distance.
June 22, 2003
Headed down to SJ on Saturday to pick up race packet, checked into
the Motel 6 and then went to meet some clubmates for dinner. We had
a very good time--lots of laughs and way too much pasta was served.
Back to the room, get the gear ready and to bed.
San Jose is a very flat course, both bike and run. There is one
little bump early in the bike, and then the hill on Bailey road, but
it's only 0.8 mile and not so bad. The worst thing this year was the
wind. Lots of headwind on the first half of the bike.
This year the bike was harder due said headwind. I thought I had a
better swim, but I guess not, but I did work on staying long and not
diving my arm down (two swim lessons so far--totally revamping my
stroke). I felt ~much~ better on the run this year and my time
includes a porta-stop (and, negative split the run). Pace on the run
was about 13:22/mile--I still have some work to do, but my race paces
are slowing coming down. I'm still having lower leg cramps in the
first couple of miles on the run for some reason (note--I REALLY held
back on the first part of the bike this year). I just need to get in
the pool and work on the run (we know I'll be riding the bike always).
Looking at the numbers from the race and comparing them to last year,
I'm actually pretty happy, considering I had virtually no training
from January to late March this year and last year I had Ironman
training for the same period of time. (I really have only 7 weeks of
decent training in this year.)
SJIT 2003:
32:24-3:03-1:30-2:49-1:23=3:32 (s-t1-b-t2-r) 8th out of 11
I was 8th on the swim; 6th on the bike; 11th on the run.
SJIT 2002:
31:16-4:58-1:29-2:27-1:23=3:30 (3rd out of 4)
Totals year to date (s/b/r):
2003:
14,090 yds/496 miles/151 miles
2002:
43,339 yds/844 miles/211 miles
Next up: The TOUR DE FRANCE! Then, Half Vineman on August 3rd.
