With a little less than 2 weeks, we have been in prepare mode. I myself, have thrown my days into working out. One, it distracts me from all that is going on in my brothers life, hey he skates, I'm allowed to train for something too :D and two, it has been allowing me to spread the word around this tiny town about what is going to transpire in the next couple of weeks. I was absolutely shocked at how many people know my brother, read the articles on him in the paper, saw his segment on the Today Show or saw his cute face plastered on the local news stations. It's really been a treat.
I teach fit camp at a local gym, and I'm sure my students are tired of hearing about it, but I brag everyday about him. It's been nice because I have gotten more good lucks and congratulations that I would have ever imagined. Facebook has been the other place to get good luck postings and well wishes. But as we approach the two week mark, I am fascinated as to what my brother is going through and accomplishing. While I miss our stupid texting conversations and musings about how we have no life, I understand that this month and the years to follow are all about him and can't wait to see what is going to unfold in his life. Countdown to Vancouver!!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
3 week countdown
With the Olympics starting exactly 3 weeks from today there is so much going on in a world I have no idea about. While Jeremy prepares back in Detroit and the other men are back home training for their Olympic dreams, I can't help but wonder what is going through their minds. I have read numerous articles on these men and their training regimen and the preparation that they go through, but I seriously wonder what they are feeling?
I have watched my brother skate from the time he was 4 years old. I have seen him skate dance, a short lived pairs
I have watched my brother skate from the time he was 4 years old. I have seen him skate dance, a short lived pairs
season on through his current position as the 2 time US National Champion. I have seen first hand the training that he goes through, the preparation on and off the ice, not before a competition mind you, but all the training that goes into getting ready for those competitions.
I remember when Jeremy was first learning to skate, and he had just learned his first single jumps, and had the most perfect spins of anyone on the ice. But what I remember the most was his shoot the duck, yes you read this right, he had the best and lowest shoot the duck out of everyone. When he would hold that pose and travel across the Aspen Ice Rink, people would stop and stare and then go up and ask him to show them how to the that or how does he get back up for someone so little. He was 6. I sign of things to come?
Most of the time Jeremy was the youngest male skater in the Aspen Ice Rink. They would go to shows and this little kid would come out and skate his little heart out and be either the leader in a conga line, on the tail on a choreographed, sincro circle, or a version of crack the whip. I remember one of his first programs was to the Little Mermaids, "Under the Sea". He made the cutest Sebastian crab. My mom still has those hand made lobster claws.
Thankfully Jeremy has graduated from the Little Mermaid days and the hand-me-down costumes from boys older than him. As he has progressed of the past 20 years it's been really a sight to see. He has really come a long way from that small little boy in the Aspen Ice Rink, doing face painting and home made costumes and dancing along behind people twice his size.
I like to think he has graduated to the front of the pack. He is now the one leading the crack the whips and teaching people that the artistry of figure skating still exists. It's not just about the jumps and spins and footwork, it's an art, a true art form, one that Jeremy has mastered beautifully. Maybe all the shows, and shoot the ducks and lobster claws molded him into what he is today. Maybe it was the "gentle" teasing he had to endure from his sister and his peers. I might add that he has now silenced all of us, though I gave up teasing him a long time ago when I realized how talented he really was.
As we head into Vancouver, exactly 3 weeks from today, I still can't help but wonder what these men are going through. Are they wishing for the days of shoot the ducks and obscurity again, or are they the men they appear to be on the ice, ready to handle anything that is thrown their way? From a sisters prospective, I believe Jeremy will be cracking his own whip all the way to the top!
I remember when Jeremy was first learning to skate, and he had just learned his first single jumps, and had the most perfect spins of anyone on the ice. But what I remember the most was his shoot the duck, yes you read this right, he had the best and lowest shoot the duck out of everyone. When he would hold that pose and travel across the Aspen Ice Rink, people would stop and stare and then go up and ask him to show them how to the that or how does he get back up for someone so little. He was 6. I sign of things to come?
Most of the time Jeremy was the youngest male skater in the Aspen Ice Rink. They would go to shows and this little kid would come out and skate his little heart out and be either the leader in a conga line, on the tail on a choreographed, sincro circle, or a version of crack the whip. I remember one of his first programs was to the Little Mermaids, "Under the Sea". He made the cutest Sebastian crab. My mom still has those hand made lobster claws.
Thankfully Jeremy has graduated from the Little Mermaid days and the hand-me-down costumes from boys older than him. As he has progressed of the past 20 years it's been really a sight to see. He has really come a long way from that small little boy in the Aspen Ice Rink, doing face painting and home made costumes and dancing along behind people twice his size.
I like to think he has graduated to the front of the pack. He is now the one leading the crack the whips and teaching people that the artistry of figure skating still exists. It's not just about the jumps and spins and footwork, it's an art, a true art form, one that Jeremy has mastered beautifully. Maybe all the shows, and shoot the ducks and lobster claws molded him into what he is today. Maybe it was the "gentle" teasing he had to endure from his sister and his peers. I might add that he has now silenced all of us, though I gave up teasing him a long time ago when I realized how talented he really was.
As we head into Vancouver, exactly 3 weeks from today, I still can't help but wonder what these men are going through. Are they wishing for the days of shoot the ducks and obscurity again, or are they the men they appear to be on the ice, ready to handle anything that is thrown their way? From a sisters prospective, I believe Jeremy will be cracking his own whip all the way to the top!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Road to Vancouver
Wow what a week. I have never in my life seen anything as amazing as what my brother accomplished this last weekend. I have run the gambit of emotions as to how I feel about what was transpired withing the Abbott family. I have cried, and still choke up when I recount the events of the last weekend. I have and still have enormous pride for my brother and the label that he now carries, "OLYMPIAN". I am jealous because he has accomplished something that I wanted my entire life to do, be an Olympian. But mostly I am so, so, so proud. There are not enough words to describe how proud I am of my brother.
I have read every newspaper article, cut out every picture of him and printed out more online spreads of him that I ever thought possible. I have shaken more hands and gotten more hugs that in recent years and accepted more congratulations on his behalf than I ever did in my entire skiing career. I was even priviledged enough to get the plaque they give the winner and take it home to hang on my wall. It now sits between a picture of my boyfriend climbing in Thailand and a picture of myself climbing in Spain. It's earned it's place.
With the Olympics a little more that 3 weeks away I am preparing myself fully. I am still running down the streets shouting, "My brother is going to the Olympics" and "I am officially the sister of an Olympian", not to mention my personal favorite, "I'm famous by association". All the fame, honor, glory and respect that my brother now garnishes it truly awesome. I wish I had more money to be able to go to these events he is now getting to experience, ie New York, Italy and various other junkets that he will get to embark on in the next year or so.
So with all that said, I am going to continually update this either daily or weekly, as events develop and write about the Road to Vancouver from a relatives perspective, an insiders view if you will. It is beyond amazing to get to have this experience in the family and quite the honor that I can now blog about it, rather than myself. Well it's still all about me, but now I get to boast about not just me :D VANCOUVER BABY 2010!!!!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Winter fun
Wow, it has come to this already. Winter, really? I'm not sure that summer really left. In the past few week we have had feet upon feet of snow, followed by blue bird skies and temperatures in the 50's. The feet that fell are gone by the next day and what remains are slush piles that melt/freeze/melt causing the roads to look like the hoover dam burst and we got the sediment and left over sludge that made it's way here.
The up side is that now being on the front range, and in the mountains, we are afforded the luxury of skiing in the early morning and rock climbing or ice climbing by noon. Take the past few days for example. We had over a foot of snow in the last three days, yet the other day it was 45 and not a cloud in the sky. While I was exhausted from working my first full day of work all summer and getting no sleep the night before, Jess went out at 1pm and ice climbed until dark. Today it was 50 and we left to go climb at 10:30am, drove in the snow, mud and slush, hiked a couple of miles through the same only to get to the rock and it be almost 60 in the sun. It was the perfect day. It's what we like to call shirts off climbing.
I have been informed that this is what my life will now consist of. Snow and sun and climbing.
Now you might be thinking, "what are you going to do for skiing"? To answer that question, I am going to ski. Mostly back county however I will be volunteering for my ski pass in Breckenridge with the B.O.E.C. I will at least get my resort fix this way and still see my friends. As the winter goes on, I am hoping to have more and more to write about.
The final thing we are doing is a climbing trip to Thailand for a month. I will tons to write about on that topic. More adventures to come :D
The up side is that now being on the front range, and in the mountains, we are afforded the luxury of skiing in the early morning and rock climbing or ice climbing by noon. Take the past few days for example. We had over a foot of snow in the last three days, yet the other day it was 45 and not a cloud in the sky. While I was exhausted from working my first full day of work all summer and getting no sleep the night before, Jess went out at 1pm and ice climbed until dark. Today it was 50 and we left to go climb at 10:30am, drove in the snow, mud and slush, hiked a couple of miles through the same only to get to the rock and it be almost 60 in the sun. It was the perfect day. It's what we like to call shirts off climbing.
I have been informed that this is what my life will now consist of. Snow and sun and climbing.
Now you might be thinking, "what are you going to do for skiing"? To answer that question, I am going to ski. Mostly back county however I will be volunteering for my ski pass in Breckenridge with the B.O.E.C. I will at least get my resort fix this way and still see my friends. As the winter goes on, I am hoping to have more and more to write about.
The final thing we are doing is a climbing trip to Thailand for a month. I will tons to write about on that topic. More adventures to come :D
Friday, October 16, 2009
Ah Fall
Ah Fall, such a wonderful time of the year. The colors, the smell, the temperatures and the calmness that comes with the summer rush being over.
Having spent my summer rock climbing, hiking, biking, doing triathlons, remodeling a building, losing what little money I had in Vegas, trimming trees off roof tops and cleaning gutters, becoming a rep for a home fitness product, you'd think that I would need a break. Honestly, this was my break. I happily spent my summer unemployed, something I hadn't done since I was 15.
Having spent my summer rock climbing, hiking, biking, doing triathlons, remodeling a building, losing what little money I had in Vegas, trimming trees off roof tops and cleaning gutters, becoming a rep for a home fitness product, you'd think that I would need a break. Honestly, this was my break. I happily spent my summer unemployed, something I hadn't done since I was 15.
My life this summer was amazing. The things I got to see, hidden lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park, sitting on top of 14 thousand foot peaks, scaling rock mounds to dizzying height to look out over the world and revel in my accomplishments, learning a whole new side or rock climbing and realizing that there is so much more to an area than just the part you can see. 
People come to my home to vacation. They come in huge trucks pulling campers larger than most modest houses. They come in vans, every seat packed and stay in hotels. They come two or three cars deep and "camp" in their 8 person tents with everyone else with the same idea, yet none of these people come to really enjoy the beauty that we live in everyday.
They come to see the town, and shop in the 27 t-shirt shops or the 6 candy stores or eat at 1 of the 3 subways. They come to drive into the national park and take a day hike, maybe consisting of a couple of miles. While those few miles may be the most scenic things they have ever seen, they truly are missing what the park has to offer.
People come to my home to vacation. They come in huge trucks pulling campers larger than most modest houses. They come in vans, every seat packed and stay in hotels. They come two or three cars deep and "camp" in their 8 person tents with everyone else with the same idea, yet none of these people come to really enjoy the beauty that we live in everyday.
They come to see the town, and shop in the 27 t-shirt shops or the 6 candy stores or eat at 1 of the 3 subways. They come to drive into the national park and take a day hike, maybe consisting of a couple of miles. While those few miles may be the most scenic things they have ever seen, they truly are missing what the park has to offer.
Being unemployed this summer afforded me the luxury of really being in a place. I hiked up to a lake aptly named dream lake. Roughly 10miles round trip, I passed about 20 people on the trail, only headed to the first one or two lakes. Once I broke free of the crowd and got further and further up the trail I came across dream lake. I was the only person there. I sat there a marveled and the sheer size of the rock walls in the circ I was sitting in. I imagined all the rock climbs that were abundant around me and realized that I was here, not just sitting there alone, but I was here, in nature surrounded by beauty and stillness and the calm that all those people down below me didn't get to experience. My life this summer was amazing.
I scaled rock faces upwards of 800 feet with nothing more than some caribeaners, harness, rope and a partner. I sat on top the the world and surveyed a 360 degree view of miles and miles of wilderness. I ran from thunder storms, hid from lightning bolts, took shelter from hail, wind, sleet and snow yet through it all, I had the best summer ever. 
Now being unemployed was not without it's challenges. I have a car payment, bills steaming from my days as a young single, sometimes not single, girl in a mountain town. Car insurance, medical bills and a few other things but yet I managed to get these all paid. How you ask. I love my family! No really, my father owns a building we have been renovating for the better part of ten years. Rather than hire or contract out people to do the work for him, he took me on and taught me the ins and outs of putting up walls, wiring electrical, hanging dry wall and lastly paining a 3000 square foot building. In return he helped me pay my bills. My mother hired me to scale her roof and cut the tree branches back that have been threatening to take the roof down for the better part of 3 years. While I was up there, I weeded and cleaned out the gutters, swept mountain lion leaving off the roof and just did general cleaning to make sure the house was good for the winter.
Now being unemployed was not without it's challenges. I have a car payment, bills steaming from my days as a young single, sometimes not single, girl in a mountain town. Car insurance, medical bills and a few other things but yet I managed to get these all paid. How you ask. I love my family! No really, my father owns a building we have been renovating for the better part of ten years. Rather than hire or contract out people to do the work for him, he took me on and taught me the ins and outs of putting up walls, wiring electrical, hanging dry wall and lastly paining a 3000 square foot building. In return he helped me pay my bills. My mother hired me to scale her roof and cut the tree branches back that have been threatening to take the roof down for the better part of 3 years. While I was up there, I weeded and cleaned out the gutters, swept mountain lion leaving off the roof and just did general cleaning to make sure the house was good for the winter.
Another part of my playing for the summer was teaching boot camps in a local gym, while I had very few takers, people are scared of the term boot camp, it was fun non the less. I have access to the gym, I worked out both inside and out, ran around lake Estes, played on the school play ground, by play I mean worked out on and took friends dogs for walks. Tired yet?
Now with fall here, I am looking forward to the cooler temperatures and less crowds so I can go see some of the closer lakes, hike up to what were waterfalls and see how they have become ice curtains. Look at the snow capped peaks a think in a few weeks I will get to go ski on those. Walk around town and actually see what stores are here and what they have to offer. Most of all spend time in the park downtown and hangout with out the opmah bands or John Denver concerts, they were entertaining though.
Now with fall here, I am looking forward to the cooler temperatures and less crowds so I can go see some of the closer lakes, hike up to what were waterfalls and see how they have become ice curtains. Look at the snow capped peaks a think in a few weeks I will get to go ski on those. Walk around town and actually see what stores are here and what they have to offer. Most of all spend time in the park downtown and hangout with out the opmah bands or John Denver concerts, they were entertaining though.
The last part of my life in the unemployed realm before I actually will search for a job is a month long trip to rock climb in Thailand. We will be taking roughly four weeks, traveling to India, Vietnam, Puket, koi pi pi island, Prang-na and many other places. We will be taking cooking classes, snorkeling, deep water soloing, hiking with komodo dragons, riding elephants through the jungle and most of all climbing on the huge limestone walls that line Thailand's coast. Unemployment sound bad to you, not to me. I have made the most of this time and really taken the opportunities presented to me to learn, explore, and most of all grow as a person and learn about myself. If I could figure out how to keep doing this I would happily welcome the chance!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Event Planning-triumphs and tribulations
Love sports? Check! Love going to events? Check! Love keeping busy? Check! Funny how I love all these things and yet I am unemployed. Until recently I was wondering what I was going to do with all my pent up boredom, besides hiking, biking, triathlons, rock climbing, yoga, disc golf and teaching boot camps (no really I have been bored).
I finally figured out a different outlet for all my boredom. Event planning. I have always loved making things come to life. I really enjoy the whole start to finish process, seeing all your hard work come to fruition. There is just something really gratifying about seeing all your hard work being enjoyed by many people. For these reasons I recently decided to plan a fitness fair. I want to combine my love of fitness with my love of planning things. I have started the long and in depth process of getting a venue, getting sponsors, donations, banners, flayer's, teachers, vendors and much more.
So far everything has come together like a kids jig saw puzzle. Until recently everything was running smooth. I knew there was bound to be a few wrenches thrown my direction and I am learning how to deal with them in an appropriate and rational manner. I have the tendency to be a raging bull in a fully stocked china shop.
With less than 3 weeks to go, I have managed to secure a location, donations for a charity auction benefiting a friend with cancer, banners, flyer's even cook books and calenders for sale. We have added classes and figured out class times, we know who is going to teach what and who wants to teach what. All this is being done for free. No one is getting paid for their time or services and it will benefit all involved in the long run, personally and professionally. Now I understand the opposition coming my direction, people are scared to have something with out an assurance that people are going to show up, however by choosing to do this at one of the busiest times in town, and with another event going one at the same time, on the same weekend, I truly believe that this will be far more successful than anyone knows.
There is tons of free press being circulated and not just in my town, all over Colorado. Everyone that has heard of what I am putting on thinks it's a wonderful idea and is more than willing to help publicise it. Now please, after reading this, explain why people who are involved has reservations about it.
I personally love the idea and am in full support and wouldn't be putting all my time and effort into something that I didn't believe was such a great cause and idea. We are offering free half hour classes throughout the day: Boot Camp, Personal training sessions, zumba, pilates, massage therapy, spin class, step class, ask a trainer booth, physical therapy, free food, raffle tickets for $2 with some pretty awesome prizes up for grabs, and a BBQ open to all participants. To me this sounds like way more fun than watching sheep tossing-men in kilts.
But enough of that. I just want to see all the hard work and effort pay off. I guess that's why I am a personal trainer and so dedicated to fitness. It just seems like a natural progression. As always I am open to ideas, suggestions or comments. I welcome anyone to join me and share in what I am working to hard to put together.
I finally figured out a different outlet for all my boredom. Event planning. I have always loved making things come to life. I really enjoy the whole start to finish process, seeing all your hard work come to fruition. There is just something really gratifying about seeing all your hard work being enjoyed by many people. For these reasons I recently decided to plan a fitness fair. I want to combine my love of fitness with my love of planning things. I have started the long and in depth process of getting a venue, getting sponsors, donations, banners, flayer's, teachers, vendors and much more.
So far everything has come together like a kids jig saw puzzle. Until recently everything was running smooth. I knew there was bound to be a few wrenches thrown my direction and I am learning how to deal with them in an appropriate and rational manner. I have the tendency to be a raging bull in a fully stocked china shop.
With less than 3 weeks to go, I have managed to secure a location, donations for a charity auction benefiting a friend with cancer, banners, flyer's even cook books and calenders for sale. We have added classes and figured out class times, we know who is going to teach what and who wants to teach what. All this is being done for free. No one is getting paid for their time or services and it will benefit all involved in the long run, personally and professionally. Now I understand the opposition coming my direction, people are scared to have something with out an assurance that people are going to show up, however by choosing to do this at one of the busiest times in town, and with another event going one at the same time, on the same weekend, I truly believe that this will be far more successful than anyone knows.
There is tons of free press being circulated and not just in my town, all over Colorado. Everyone that has heard of what I am putting on thinks it's a wonderful idea and is more than willing to help publicise it. Now please, after reading this, explain why people who are involved has reservations about it.
I personally love the idea and am in full support and wouldn't be putting all my time and effort into something that I didn't believe was such a great cause and idea. We are offering free half hour classes throughout the day: Boot Camp, Personal training sessions, zumba, pilates, massage therapy, spin class, step class, ask a trainer booth, physical therapy, free food, raffle tickets for $2 with some pretty awesome prizes up for grabs, and a BBQ open to all participants. To me this sounds like way more fun than watching sheep tossing-men in kilts.
But enough of that. I just want to see all the hard work and effort pay off. I guess that's why I am a personal trainer and so dedicated to fitness. It just seems like a natural progression. As always I am open to ideas, suggestions or comments. I welcome anyone to join me and share in what I am working to hard to put together.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Tri'd hard
Wow, so I remember my first triathlon and remember how incredibly nervous I was and how much I was dreading getting in that water and being surrounded by all these people who looked like they knew what they were doing. Most of these people had wet suits or shorty suits or triathlon outfits, I showed up in a swim suit and a full suspension mountain bike. I soon and very quickly learned that a mountain bike for a road race is NOT the way to go.
As my friend and I were standing on beach getting ready to head into the goose poo filled lake, the announcer had some words of encouragement. "If this is your first triathlon, congratulations. This will be the only first one you do and you will always remember it. There will be more first in terms of different races and courses but this, right now is going to stick with you for the rest of your life. Once you cross that finish line, the empowering feeling you will have knowing you have accomplished this feat will stick with you for the rest of your life." She didn't know how true that was. I have since participated in 4 triathlons, all varying in length and course styles, but the announcer was right, that first one was the one that set the path for me wanting to push the limits of my athleticism.
Now most people hear triathlon and think, "wow I could never do one of those," but you know I thought I was one of those people too. Growing up in Colorado I didn't swim much, besides recreationally as a kid and jumping off a cliff and swimming back to the shore, I mean in the mountains there really isn't much swimming that doesn't require a really, really thick wet suit. The concept of swimming is and still remains a foreign sport to me. For this reason alone I didn't think I could to a triathlon, let alone the fact that I had never run more than maybe a couple of miles at a time in my life, most of these races are at least 3.2 miles long if not more.
When I moved to California and didn't have any mountains to play on I took up running, I say took up but it was more like how far can I really run. I think I made it up to 4 miles in one run. I was impressed with myself. So after all this running I called a friend who also moved to Cali from Colorado and asked if she wanted to do the triathlons with me. Her response was, "I haven't done one since high school and I haven't trained, but sure why not." My response was, "I've never done of and haven't trained either so what the hell, what do we have to lose?"
So off we went to the first triathlon, untrained but not completely out of shape. Now her and I have always been friendly competitors, never one to try and out do the other, but you know, a little friendly competition to push you harder never hurts your time. We both showed up with mountain bikes and the bare essentials, helmet, swim suit, goggles, swim cap, running shoes and water. Looking around we realized that we definitely should have maybe brought a little more. A road bike for one, a wet suit maybe, the water wasn't that cold, maybe a padded pair of bike shorts or anything that would have made us look a little more like we knew what we were doing.
I'm going to skip the whole race part mostly because after getting in kicked, pulled, hit, run into and swallowing more lake water than I care to elaborate on, the race itself was WAY easier than I though it was going to be. Again a road bike would have been much, much,much better but we both finished and in respectable times seeing as we did this straight off the couch.
After congratulating ourselves and getting our share of free swag and free massages we immediately signed up for one two weeks later. We were hooked.
I left California and moved back to Colorado where I was uncertain if I would continue my triathlon pursuits but sure enough I found that this state is a Mecca of triathlons. I only managed to get in one the first year I moved back but I did also pick one of the hardest ones in the state to do, sprint wise. I choose the Leadville Tri it High which was a sprint triathlon, meaning short distances, but Leadville is at 10,000ft above sea level. A sever lack of oxygen is what makes this race so hard. This was the first one I had done by myself, I knew no one and was really worried that I would drown in the pool or do something stupid because I had no friend to support me. I did choose the WAY wrong time category to place myself in for the swim. I should have know that I couldn't swim 500 meters in under 10 minutes at 10,000ft, who I was I kidding, it took me like 12 or more, I was the last one out of my lane and delayed the race by at least a couple of minutes, my bad.
But, again, once I crossed that finish line I felt so proud of myself. Turns out that I placed 3rd in my age group, not bad for, again, doing it off the couch. Since then I have been hooked. This winter I injured my knee and was unable to ski or do much of anything for the better part of 5 months, so I was very unsure if I was going to be able to do anything this summer. Having gone through some physical therapy and "taking it easy" my knee felt 100% again. I soon got back into my normal routine, but this year it has included mostly rock climbing and teaching boot camp classes at the gym. After going back and forth and back and forth about if I wanted to do any races this summer, I finally settled on one in Avon; a fund raiser for a friend of some friends killed in a car wreck two years ago. "Perfect, I'm in."
The day before the race I kept going back and forth in my mind, "do I do this or not, yes-no-yes-no???" Finally I thought, "you know what do you have to lose, you didn't train, you bought a bike soley do race on and you'll get to see your friends, just do it it's not like I'm going to win." So I packed the mini van and headed out to race. I think the only thing, again, that made me hesitate is swimming. I hate swimming. I rented a wet suit for this one, I've never been in wet suit nor put one on. I now know what a sausage feels like. As I made my way up to the lake and got it I realized that I was going to be very happy that I had one on. As I dove in and began my swim I started to feel really trapped, like I have this giant rubber suit on that feels like it's tightening around my neck, I'm getting hit and pulled and pushed and oh my god I can't do this (I'd been in the water for 30 seconds). I immediately flipped on my back and decided I was going to do the whole race using the back stroke. I could at least see and breath rather than swallow water and not see where I was going.
Again, I am going to skip the race details, but finishing this one actually made me feel really really good. I had pushed myself to my athletic limits, conquered the water (now I need to conquer the wet suit) and finished in a respectable time and place. Being 30 really puts me in a much harder age bracket. I think that when women turn 32 something either clicks in their head and they become some kind of super human triathlon being or they really really really have nothing better to do than train for these because every woman that wins is in their mid to late 30's or even 40's and this race was no exception. The winning woman was 42, 42!!!
So with this race behind me, I am now looking for the next one to conquer. I suppose I could train for them but you know I thinks it's way more fun to do it off the couch, it shows me that all the playing I do really does keep me in shape and allow me to push myself harder and harder when I really want to.
As my friend and I were standing on beach getting ready to head into the goose poo filled lake, the announcer had some words of encouragement. "If this is your first triathlon, congratulations. This will be the only first one you do and you will always remember it. There will be more first in terms of different races and courses but this, right now is going to stick with you for the rest of your life. Once you cross that finish line, the empowering feeling you will have knowing you have accomplished this feat will stick with you for the rest of your life." She didn't know how true that was. I have since participated in 4 triathlons, all varying in length and course styles, but the announcer was right, that first one was the one that set the path for me wanting to push the limits of my athleticism.
Now most people hear triathlon and think, "wow I could never do one of those," but you know I thought I was one of those people too. Growing up in Colorado I didn't swim much, besides recreationally as a kid and jumping off a cliff and swimming back to the shore, I mean in the mountains there really isn't much swimming that doesn't require a really, really thick wet suit. The concept of swimming is and still remains a foreign sport to me. For this reason alone I didn't think I could to a triathlon, let alone the fact that I had never run more than maybe a couple of miles at a time in my life, most of these races are at least 3.2 miles long if not more.
When I moved to California and didn't have any mountains to play on I took up running, I say took up but it was more like how far can I really run. I think I made it up to 4 miles in one run. I was impressed with myself. So after all this running I called a friend who also moved to Cali from Colorado and asked if she wanted to do the triathlons with me. Her response was, "I haven't done one since high school and I haven't trained, but sure why not." My response was, "I've never done of and haven't trained either so what the hell, what do we have to lose?"
So off we went to the first triathlon, untrained but not completely out of shape. Now her and I have always been friendly competitors, never one to try and out do the other, but you know, a little friendly competition to push you harder never hurts your time. We both showed up with mountain bikes and the bare essentials, helmet, swim suit, goggles, swim cap, running shoes and water. Looking around we realized that we definitely should have maybe brought a little more. A road bike for one, a wet suit maybe, the water wasn't that cold, maybe a padded pair of bike shorts or anything that would have made us look a little more like we knew what we were doing.
I'm going to skip the whole race part mostly because after getting in kicked, pulled, hit, run into and swallowing more lake water than I care to elaborate on, the race itself was WAY easier than I though it was going to be. Again a road bike would have been much, much,much better but we both finished and in respectable times seeing as we did this straight off the couch.
After congratulating ourselves and getting our share of free swag and free massages we immediately signed up for one two weeks later. We were hooked.
I left California and moved back to Colorado where I was uncertain if I would continue my triathlon pursuits but sure enough I found that this state is a Mecca of triathlons. I only managed to get in one the first year I moved back but I did also pick one of the hardest ones in the state to do, sprint wise. I choose the Leadville Tri it High which was a sprint triathlon, meaning short distances, but Leadville is at 10,000ft above sea level. A sever lack of oxygen is what makes this race so hard. This was the first one I had done by myself, I knew no one and was really worried that I would drown in the pool or do something stupid because I had no friend to support me. I did choose the WAY wrong time category to place myself in for the swim. I should have know that I couldn't swim 500 meters in under 10 minutes at 10,000ft, who I was I kidding, it took me like 12 or more, I was the last one out of my lane and delayed the race by at least a couple of minutes, my bad.
But, again, once I crossed that finish line I felt so proud of myself. Turns out that I placed 3rd in my age group, not bad for, again, doing it off the couch. Since then I have been hooked. This winter I injured my knee and was unable to ski or do much of anything for the better part of 5 months, so I was very unsure if I was going to be able to do anything this summer. Having gone through some physical therapy and "taking it easy" my knee felt 100% again. I soon got back into my normal routine, but this year it has included mostly rock climbing and teaching boot camp classes at the gym. After going back and forth and back and forth about if I wanted to do any races this summer, I finally settled on one in Avon; a fund raiser for a friend of some friends killed in a car wreck two years ago. "Perfect, I'm in."
The day before the race I kept going back and forth in my mind, "do I do this or not, yes-no-yes-no???" Finally I thought, "you know what do you have to lose, you didn't train, you bought a bike soley do race on and you'll get to see your friends, just do it it's not like I'm going to win." So I packed the mini van and headed out to race. I think the only thing, again, that made me hesitate is swimming. I hate swimming. I rented a wet suit for this one, I've never been in wet suit nor put one on. I now know what a sausage feels like. As I made my way up to the lake and got it I realized that I was going to be very happy that I had one on. As I dove in and began my swim I started to feel really trapped, like I have this giant rubber suit on that feels like it's tightening around my neck, I'm getting hit and pulled and pushed and oh my god I can't do this (I'd been in the water for 30 seconds). I immediately flipped on my back and decided I was going to do the whole race using the back stroke. I could at least see and breath rather than swallow water and not see where I was going.
Again, I am going to skip the race details, but finishing this one actually made me feel really really good. I had pushed myself to my athletic limits, conquered the water (now I need to conquer the wet suit) and finished in a respectable time and place. Being 30 really puts me in a much harder age bracket. I think that when women turn 32 something either clicks in their head and they become some kind of super human triathlon being or they really really really have nothing better to do than train for these because every woman that wins is in their mid to late 30's or even 40's and this race was no exception. The winning woman was 42, 42!!!
So with this race behind me, I am now looking for the next one to conquer. I suppose I could train for them but you know I thinks it's way more fun to do it off the couch, it shows me that all the playing I do really does keep me in shape and allow me to push myself harder and harder when I really want to.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
