Tag Archives: sports

What Is YOUR Olympics?

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(Photo Source: the Kroger cereal aisle and me)

“I don’t rank competitions – every single one is the Olympics to me.” – Blanka Vlasic

In the fall of 2005, I sat at a table in Greenwich Village having lunch with one of the most important people in my life, my oldest and dearest friend, John. He and I met some years earlier in music school in a theory class that we both found torturous and became instantly inseparable. I’d never been to New York during that time of year and it felt and looked different from the other times I had been there, which were twice in the heat of the summer and once in the dead of winter.

On this particular day, the Village looked like a living, breathing Instagram photo, complete with the sun casting an insta-vintage, dreamy, golden and slightly out-of-focus filter over the neighborhood. (The out-of-focus feature potentially being the result of my two-martini lunch, or wine in this case.) John was there for a private audition with the Sarasota Opera’s Young Artist Program and I was his moral support. We sat at lunch talking about how it had once been our dream to live and work together in the New York musical theater world and about how strange it was that our lives had taken such divergent paths. At the time, I was in and out of Nashville writing country music and he was working on the Mid-Atlantic Coast in the classical music world, singing at Wolf Trap and the Washington National Opera, among other storied institutions. We talked about the difficulties of pursuing a career in the arts and how this opportunity was, for him, an important next step in his classical career.

During the course of the conversation he said to me, “Robin, all of this, it’s worth it. This is my Olympics.” That statement had a profound, hammer-over-the-head effect on me in that moment, and it wasn’t just the alcohol. After lunch, while we walked over to the church where the audition was being held, the one thing I thought about, besides the butterflies I felt for my friend, was what, in my life, would be the equivalent of an Olympic moment.

It wasn’t long after the trip to New York that I sold half of my belongings, packed up the good things in my life, left the rest and carted myself, for good, to Nashville to give my version of the Olympic dream a real chance.

Flash forward to 2012 and I’m still thinking about his statement, especially now that the Olympics are here again and I’ve found myself in front of the television watching my favorite event and crying every time one of our Team USA gymnasts does well and sticks a landing or breaks and has a wobble on the beam. I’ll admit to being empathic to a fault and somewhat overly emotional, but I’m a bit suspicious of people who aren’t moved by the thought of what it takes, in sacrifice and hard work, to nail a performance at the Olympics or by the unbearable heartbreak of falling short of your dream by a half of a tenth of a point.

A few weeks ago, out of curiosity, I started asking friends and family what they considered to be their “Olympics.” The answers I’ve been receiving are part “that was my moment” and part “I hope to see this moment.” I’m going to share a few of them with you.

I’ll start with Kelly, my sister and the mommy of two amazing small humans. This was her answer to my question:

My Olympic dream is to raise my kids in such a way that they will grow into who they are supposed to be without me imposing any of my own expectations or judgments; but more so, that they will be fearless in the pursuit of their passion. Growing up painfully shy, I never really left my comfort zone and therefore didn’t try many of things that I was interested in.  I hope to be successful in raising two moral and confident people who, even it they do have regrets, will know that NOT following their dreams won’t be one of them.

That moves me. A mother’s sweat and tears along with the kind of blood that comes in the form of scraped knees and the boo-boos that mamas mend, are no less deserving of a gold medal or Wheaties box cover than a perfect performance in an Olympic event. Do you hear that, Wheaties? Next time you’re looking for a hero to put on your box, look no further than your local playground.

 

(Kelly with one of her precious small humans. Photo Source: Me)

The next response I received via e-mail was from a friend I met last year during a volunteer job here in Nashville. We became pretty fast friends and she is a person who I felt immediately comfortable sharing my stories with. Her name is Leslie. She’s a social worker, a sculptor of small clay animals and she makes me laugh. I got her permission to post her e-mail response in its entirety, because I found that her story is better told in her own voice. Here are Leslie’s Olympic life moments:

So, I actually had to think about this a little bit, but after figuring it out, I’m not sure why. I have 3 Olympics, 2 past and 1 current (as of Tuesday!) One of my defining achievements was extracting myself from a terrible marriage and moving to Nashville from CA by myself. I had to limit my belongings to what would fit in my car and the 8 boxes I shipped to myself. It taught me a lot about what I really needed to live and when to let go of “stuff.” I also learned that I can start over and reinvent myself, creating a person that I’m happier with than the one who ended up in a crappy relationship.

My next Olympics was getting through graduate school without getting arrested for assault or ending up in rehab. I wanted to quit sooooo badly, but I was lucky to have a supportive husband (the amazing 2nd husband, not the terrible 1st husband) who kept telling me I’d look back and believe it was worth it. He was right. Between the move to Nashville and meeting my goal of getting out of grad school with a 4.0, I feel like there’s nothing I can’t do. Until….

This past Tuesday I started laser hair removal on my legs. I’m a hairy, hairy brunette and it has been a dream for a long time to deal with my legs. I was unable to get through Tuesday’s appointment and went back today, covered in even more numbing cream, and still couldn’t get through the appointment. I’m rescheduled for Sept. 6, when I’ll have some prescription strength numbing cream in my corner.

If I can make it through one year of laser appointments, there won’t be anything that I’ll find intimidating. A cross-country move, graduate school, and now physical pain…I’m ready to take on the world!”

Go, Leslie, go! She gets a gold medal for finding the will to leave a marriage that left her emotionally depleted and looking for any and every way to get out. I can assure you that the Leslie I know wouldn’t take any crap from anybody. She’s a small person with big-time strength (and soon-to-be permanently carefree, hair-free legs.)

 

(Leslie and me at the Frist Center where we volunteer. Photo Source: Leslie’s husband)

I’m also posting my next friend’s e-mail in its entirety, because trying to edit her, in any way, is like trying to rope a wild horse. I love her for that. Melany and I wrote a lot of songs together before she moved to New York City and I was sad to see her move away. Here are the thoughts of a singing, songwriting wonder-diva with Olympic-sized talent on what she hopes will be her Olympic moments in life:

My three main goals in life were to attain a record deal, move to New York, and lose the rest of my weight.

2 of the three goals were attained! Well, at least the New York goal. I still want to lose the rest of my weight. I have to keep reminding myself, “Melany, you used to weight 250lbs! Be GRATEFUL!” It’s so crazy that I used to be that big. I lost 75lbs. All I wanted was to be a size 10-12. Now that I’m involved in a music career, I gotta be a size 4-6. I feel like I have used my weight as an excuse for YEARS. I hid behind it thinking I wouldn’t achieve my goal.

Well, I have come to the conclusion that God made me to be curvy. I’m ok with this finally. I’ve also come to the conclusion that if I ever want to lose weight for good, I have to do it for no one but myself. My whole life I was dieting for someone else. My father, the Junior High Volley Ball Team, the high school crush, the music career… NEVER for myself.

I guess the ultimate dream (My Olympics) will be to set out and actually lose the weight for good. I want to flaunt pics of my size 6 ass all over the WWW for the world to see how much I love myself! I want the world to see that I lost the weight for ME MYSELF AND I…. Not for a music career, not for a boy, not for anyone but my damn self.

Doesn’t that make you want to get your Aretha on and sing RESPECT at the top of your lungs? Melany gets a gold, a silver and a bronze. Listen to THIS girl sing.

 

(Melany and me in the studio last fall. Photo Source: Melany’s iPhone)

After hearing and reading these declarations of dreaming big, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are as many kinds of Olympic-sized life events, gold medals and medal podiums as there are people. Some medal ceremonies take place in delivery rooms, board rooms and courtrooms. Some receive their medals on a theater stage or after crossing the finish line of a marathon, or triathlon, in my case. (Hopefully.) Some ceremonies take place inside a pair of skinny jeans or behind the desk of a social worker whose success will go largely unnoticed and to little applause. Whatever you want your Olympic moment in life to be, go for it, no matter how big or small you think it seems. I’m grateful to my friends who shared their dreams, goals and moments with me in e-mails and in conversation. I was inspired as much by their stories as I was last night, tears and all, watching Team USA’s female gymnasts live their dream.

Cheers to the Olympics! What are your “Olympic” moments?

Music City Triathlon 2012

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Where: Music City Triathlon 2012

When: July 22nd, 2012

Why: To be inspired and to cheer on triathlete #856!

Sprint # of Finishers: 543 (Source: Team Magic/Online Race Results)

Intermediate # of Finishers: 333 (Source: Team Magic/Online Race Results)

Photo Sources: Me

 

My First Road Bike: Where’s The Kickstand?

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“The bicycle has done more for the emancipation of women than anything else in the world.” -Susan B. Anthony 1896

Saturday marked the official switch from my Trek hybrid to a real road bike. I’ve had my Trek for 7 years and initially went with a hybrid because I was doing a combination of road and trail biking. Now that I’m training for a triathlon and more concerned with performance and speed, I don’t want the distinction of having to be in the slow-poke “fat tire” division. I’m concerned enough already about wearing spandex during the triathlon and have no desire to be in any category designated as “fat.”

I’ve always wanted a Bianchi bike and the only shop in Nashville that sells them, Gran Fondo, happens to be only a few blocks from my house. I haven’t spent a lot of time in bike shops, but after spending a few hours in there on Saturday with the staff and the official shop hound, a beagle named Scooter, I am officially a Gran Fondo groupie. Watch this video to see a bit of beautiful Tennessee biking scenery and to meet some of my new favorite people in Nashville:

Two of the co-owners, Vida and her husband Lynn, both a musician and bike guru, (that happens a lot in Nashville) helped me navigate the unfamiliar world of road bikes and didn’t judge my road bike newbie status when I stated that my only requests were that it be “that pretty Celeste green color” and “not have fat tires.” I’d been in the shop once before to get my Trek worked on, so I already knew from my first conversation with them about tri bikes vs. road bikes that I wasn’t the first person to ever walk in there with a confused look on her face. Here is a video of Lynn giving the pros and cons of tri bikes vs. road bikes:

He obviously knew right away (and so did I) that I’m not someone who should be running out to buy a tri bike. I’m excited about my first triathlon and am enjoying the challenges of the training, but I know that a tri bike is not the way forward for me at this stage of the game. So, armed with good information and a desire to be able to bike faster than my usual 10-12 mph, this is what happened on my second trip to Gran Fondo:

My first ride on Sunday was the most fun I’ve ever had on a bike and going 24 miles an hour without the aid of free-wheeling it down a steep hill is going to be addicting. Very addicting.

For the grand finale of this story and because it wouldn’t be me to make it through an entire interaction with another human being without embarrassing myself, here is a recap of Saturday’s “Things I Shouldn’t Say Out Loud” segment:

Me: ”I’m so excited! I can’t believe this is my bike!”

Me: ”Hey, where’s the kickstand?”

Clayton (amused looking GF staff guy): ”Road bikes don’t have kickstands.”

Me: ”Oh yeah, I knew that.”

Me (to myself): ”Seriously, bonehead? You’re embarrassing me.”

Happy Biking!

Hot Pink Reflective Gear: A Human Disco Ball?

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“I wanna go out every night. I wanna dance under the disco lights.” -Ultrabeat

Extreme heat has shown up in Tennessee earlier than usual this year. I found out the hard way during my second attempt at a brick workout on Saturday that running in 90 degree weather is less than great. So less than great, in fact, that I spent the second half of the brick workout wondering if the yellow spots I was seeing float in front of my face were a figment of my imagination or a real indication that I may fall out at any moment. I decided on the latter and came to the conclusion that if I want to train outside then I need to do it early in the morning or wait until the sun starts to go down. Running at dusk or after dark can be dangerous and the thought scared me a bit. Thankfully, back in February as part of the preparation for the start of my training, I went on a gear-buying bender and happened to have some hot pink reflective armbands and an LED safety strobe on hand. I’m not usually one to beeline for the overly girly pink products section of the sporting goods store, but these made me happy so I bought them.

I’m not paid to plug products, nor do I wish to be paid to plug products, but of all the gear I’ve purchased, the Nathan Performance Gear hot pink armbands and safety strobe are probably my favorite. I used them for the first time Sunday night and most likely could have signaled an airplane from the ground. I noticed that a car was slowing down to look at what I had going on and was initially a little embarrassed to be running through my neighborhood lit up like a Christmas tree. With one band on my arm, one on my ankle and the strobe light clipped to my tank top, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I looked like a human disco ball trotting down the side of the street. I quickly got over any embarrassment when I thought about the fact that they make these things for a reason and that if I’m going to be running at night, I need to be responsible to myself and the people driving by wearing the proper reflective gear; and as a bonus, watching the hot pink strobe lighting up the trees and street signs was a little like being at the Disney Electric Light Parade. Who wouldn’t like that? Safety AND a light show.

Raise a glass of Powerade to safe and responsible running!

Photo Credit: www.TriNowFitness.com 

Photo Credit: www.nathansports.com

Photos by me unless otherwise noted!

Southern Fried Fitness: The Music City Bikeway

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 “The Music City Bikeway is one more step toward reaching my goal to transform Nashville into one of the most bikeable cities in the country. A bike-friendly community promotes healthy living, reduces traffic congestion and is good for the environment. I expect both recreational riders and commuters will find the Music City Bikeway a practical and scenic way to get from place to place.” -Mayor Dean

Part of what I’ve loved about training for a triathlon has been the opportunity to get out and discover things about the city of Nashville that I hadn’t thought much about before. We all know that you can’t turn left or right without stumbling upon an amazing unknown songwriter or singer patiently waiting on both their big break and your table. Need a pair of great boots? We got plenty of those. Food trucks? There is a new one cruising the streets every day. What I didn’t know is just how many opportunities there are to live an active lifestyle here in Nashville. I had a conversation with a friend recently about the lack of excuses in this city for not getting fit.

Yes, it’s easy to eat your way through Nashville and all its hot chicken and sausage gravy glory, because this is, after all, a southern city that lives up to the southern tradition of offering up all things buttered, battered and fried. Feel guilty about eating a hubcap-sized plate of country ham and biscuits at Loveless Café? Well, don’t worry because you can walk right next door to Trace Bikes and get yourself fitted for a nice new road bike. That’s one of the many things I love about Nashville. It has found a way to retain its southern charm while being a forward thinking, health-conscious town. One of my favorite things about Nashville is its dedication to providing us with opportunities to get outside and take advantage of the city from a healthier perspective. One of those is the newly completed Music City Bikeway, a 26 mile addition to the current 100 miles of bikeways that connect several of the greenways and happens to run right through my neighborhood.

Who’d a thunk it? Southern fried fitness, folks, right here in Tennessee. And right in my backyard to boot! A five-minute ride from my house and I’m right there on the bikeway. What I’ve noticed while out riding is that there are always bikers out there taking advantage of the paths and seeing them keeps me inspired and pedaling. My second observation is that I need to seriously update my biking wardrobe if I’m gonna fit in. Most everyone I see looks and is biking like a pro, which, in other words, means I’m eating their dust as they blow past me in their fancy cycling jerseys. Another 4 minutes of riding past where I jump on the bikeway is Gran Fondo, a bike shop that recently brought my bike back to life and where, if I choose to, can buy my very own fancy cycling jersey. No excuses.

On the days when I’m not on the bike and because I really do not love being in the gym, I have found plenty of ways to get out of the gym and take the workouts outside. I recently discovered that the Richland Creek entrance to Nashville’s network of Greenways is less than two miles from my house. Unfortunately I made this discovery while out getting ice cream and just happened to notice the sign, but the fact that I can have a lapse in dietary judgement and immediately make up for it with a nice jog through the Greenway is another example of having no excuse to be unfit.

Thank you, Nashville!

Oh. My. Hill.

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“Some people create with words, or with music, or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, “I’ve never seen anyone run like that before.” It’s more than just a race, it’s a style. It’s doing something better than anyone else. It’s being creative.” -Steve Prefontaine

I recently ran into my coach at church and he asked how I was doing with the running and how long I was running for when I trained. I said 35-40 minutes, which is the prescribed length of time according to my training plan. I run in different heart rate zones during that time, but in general, that is how long my runs are; with the exception of two recent runs, in which I got lost in my new neighborhood and ended up out on the roads for about an hour. His response was positive in regards to my running for that amount of time. My next statement was “Well, I do stop here and there during my runs.” I can’t help myself. I’m still learning to run and sometimes struggle with pushing myself through the mental distractions. I get distracted by my need to stop and smell the honeysuckle, which is everywhere right now. I get distracted my nice neighbors and their adorable puggle, Lucy. I get VERY distracted by my once a week run-in with the mean yellow dog down the street that is allowed to roam off-leash. I’m always afraid that if I don’t stop running, the dog is going to see that as a signal to chase me home. Maybe I should let it chase me next time and see if that improves my time. What I’m trying to say is that on occasion, my training runs are more akin to fun family 5k’s, minus the balloons and the face painting.

My coach had a solution for this problem and gave me a new once-a-week training exercise that he thinks will help with my inability to get through a 35 minute run without stopping. I’m two weeks into it and I think he’s on to something because it is helping. It may be nausea and profanity inducing, but I am finding that it is working. He told me to find a steep hill in my neighborhood, which wasn’t hard, and do the following:

1.Warm up for ten minutes, which as it turns out, is exactly how long it takes me to run to the hill I happened to choose.

2. Run hard up the hill for 90 seconds without stopping then walk down and without lingering at the bottom of the hill.

3. Repeat 3 more times and increase by one run each week. Ex. Week 2, run the hill 5 times instead of 4.

Here is a photo I took of the hill that I’m using for this exercise. I almost hesitate to post the picture because it looks relatively harmless, but it is much steeper in person as it winds upwards and around, I PROMISE you that!

Tomorrow will be Week 3 of this exercise with 6 runs up this hill. I’ve noticed that even though I’m worn out after the hills, running back home is easier. It’s working! I found an article written by Lee Gardner on this very sort of training on the USA Triathlon website and I liked what he had to say. He likened runners to ballet dancers and because I work in a creative industry, it struck a chord.

“If you’ve ever been to the ballet, you’ve seen some incredibly gifted athletes (dancers) executing quite amazing movement: Leaping and bounding with precision and speed over distance, arguably not unlike great runners. Developing the ability of fast, powerful movement is something that we, as triathletes, are always striving for in our training, especially in running. One of the most proven ways to increase power, speed, and agility is to add specific exercises on hills to your running program.” -Lee Gardner

For the full article including a how-to description of the drills, click here: Hill Drills For Triathletes 

For Lee’s triathlon website click here: www.trismarter.com

Happy hill running!

Nutritional House Cleaning

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If you’ve read any of my past posts, you know that I struggle daily with maintaining a clean diet. It’s not unusual to read about me getting in a great ride on the bike or a having a great run then coming home only to fall face first into a pile of chocolate. After being down on the Gulf Coast last month and demonstrating zero diet accountability, I decided to hit up a nutrition and lifestyle counselor who I met at a brunch here in Nashville. One enormous  ham and cheese omelette and four coffees with cream into that brunch, I decided that maybe I should take advantage of the chance encounter and get her contact information.

I met with Shauna Bryan two weeks ago and let loose all the gory details of my struggle with maintaining a diet appropriate for my goal of finishing a triathlon. For example,  I’ve been out-swum by 80 year olds in the YMCA pool because of wicked food hangovers. Another example: I recently had a going away party for a friend of mine who is moving to NYC and I found myself unable to leave the side of the butter cream cake. The inscription on the cake read, “Good luck, Melany. Don’t fall on your face!” It should have read, “I’m just a cake, Robin. P.S. You have icing on your face.” One of the guests at the party is a vocal coach here in Nashville as well as an accomplished mixed martial artist. I’ve known him for quite some time and wasn’t aware that he and I both share the same sugar struggles. Hovering over a cake like it’s the last one you’ll ever have the pleasure of eating is a little less tragic when you have company.

I was very honest with Shauna about all of this and we talked at length about changes that I could make to tidy up my diet. If you live in or near Nashville, I would suggest booking a session with her. In addition to being a great counselor, she’s an interesting, accomplished and motivating woman.

 

I was inspired after our meeting to make the necessary changes even though I had enough self-awareness to know that it probably wouldn’t be an easy task. She suggested a 7-day detox diet that I jumped into with the best of intentions. Armed with my food list, I spent an afternoon in Whole Foods and left an hour later with two bags of very expensive organic vegetables. I started the diet then promptly fell off the wagon, so-to-speak, after 3 days, but in the process concocted some clean recipes using the vegetables that I purchased. Even three days of clean eating made a tremendous difference in the way I felt in general and during my workouts.  I have made some good changes in the last two weeks and will give the old 7-day diet another whirl here soon. In the meantime, I’ve been trying to replace a lot of what I was eating with foods from the food list.  Here are some clean recipes I threw together using the vegetables and fruit on Shauna’s food list (Use all organic if you can):

Detox Soup

-Vegetable Broth

-Zucchini

-Sliced Carrots

-Cabbage Cut Into Strips

-Canned No-Salt Added Diced Tomatoes

-Sea Salt, Herbs de Provence and Pepper

This is about as easy as you can get. I’m putting no specific amounts by the ingredients b/c I literally just threw a bunch of stuff in a pot and let it cook. Add whatever vegetables you have in your fridge.

Zucchini and Tomatoes

-Zucchini

-Onions

-Garlic

-Tomatoes (Fresh or Canned, No Salt-Added)

-Tomato Sauce

-Vegetable Broth

Sautee the zucchini and onion in the vegetable broth, add the rest and simmer. Use a little salt and pepper if you like.

Cabbage Stir-Fry

-Broccoli

-Green and Red Peppers

-Cabbage Cut Into Strips

-Chicken (opitonal)

-Whatever Additional Vegetables That Float Your Boat

-Vegetable Broth

-Low Sodium Soy Sauce

Cook chicken in vegetable broth. Set aside. Saute vegetables in the same pan using vegetable broth and low-sodium soy sauce. Add chicken back to the pan. The cabbage will be the last thing to put into the mix.

Baked Pears and Dates

-Chopped Pears

-Chopped Dates

-Organic Pineapple Juice (No Sugar Added)

Put pears and dates in a baking dish. I sprayed the dish with cooking spray before putting the fruit in. Pour a bit of the pineapple over the fruit and bake at 350 degrees until the pears are soft.

Please share your own clean recipes. I would love to have them!

Next: The bike doctor, a new running drill and my first brick workout.

*Photos by Me.

South Bound Part 2: An Epic Flail

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“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” -Winston Churchill

     Definition of FLAIL Courtesy of http://www.Merriam-Webster.com

     1 a: to strike with or as if with a flail <arms flailing the water>

     b: to move, swing, or beat as if wielding a flail <flailing a club  to drive away the insects>

     2: to thresh (grain) with a flail

     3: to move, swing, or beat like a flail

My first open-water swim was, let’s just say, a little less successful than I had imagined, even after being so inspired to get in the water after spending the morning at a triathlon. The rain was beating hard enough on the water that visibility was probably less than 3 feet. I texted my coach and asked him if it was safe to swim in the rain and part of me really wanted him to say, “Stay away from the water! It’s dangerous!” Instead he said that as long as it wasn’t lightning and I could sight ok it would be fine.  I waited it out until the rain slowed down enough for it to not be a hazard and walked down to the end of the dock and got myself ready. I stared the water down like it was a creepy stranger offering me candy in a dark alley, but I decided that the best thing to do was just get over it and get in. The water was COLD and it took a few minutes to adjust. I started out trying to maintain my composure and the technique that I’ve been working on for three months in the pool. For this beginner, it wasn’t the easiest task I’ve ever undertaken.

I could not make myself put my head and face in the water. The clouds and rain gave the water an odd greenish, murky look that made me so uncomfortable I “swam” with my head above water and proceeded to break the world speed record for the 600-meter doggie paddle. I noticed a man and woman sitting under the cover of their boathouse watching me and I’m still surprised that they didn’t call the Coast Guard in for a rescue. (Isn’t it amazing that even through my panic, I was able to see them and wonder if they thought I looked like an idiot? Insecurity can blast through any brick wall.) It did start to thunder while I was out there, but at that point a water spout could have blown up and I wouldn’t have been any more FREAKED out than I was.

I made it back to the dock before the rain picked back up again and headed back inside. I was overwhelmingly disappointed in myself, but my brother-in-law pointed out to me that just getting out there was a solid first step in the process and that with time and practice it would get easier. Instead of focusing on what I thought was a failure, or flailure as I decided to call my first attempt, I decided that it wasn’t at all a big flop, but a first step in the process of learning how to do this thing called the triathlon. Everyone starts somewhere. I wouldn’t buy ingredients for a cake and then expect it to magically appear having not completed any of the steps in the recipe.

Learning to see the positive in the negative things that happen in life takes a lot of practice, but I know that I can restart my day and change my attitude at any given moment as many times as I need to during the course of a 24-hour period. With that in mind I made the decision to stop moping and feeling so damn sorry for myself and be excited that I actually got out there in the rain, jumped in the water, did the best I could and had no run-ins with any sharp-toothed sea life. I have to remember that although I am a strong swimmer, it will be a challenge to transfer the confidence I have in the pool out there to the open water. For any beginners who may find themselves reading this, if I can get out there with all of my irrational fears and hang-ups, so can you. My biggest fear about open water swimming didn’t happen and I’m still alive, didn’t lose any fingers or toes and am motivated to do better next time.

I would love to hear (and learn from) other stories about first-time open water swims if anyone wants to leave a reply. Happy swimming!

Unhappily waiting out the rain.

South Bound Part 1: Swim. Bike. Mullet.

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Oh, wow! Oh, wow! Oh, wow! Before Saturday I had never witnessed a triathlon in person, but I had a firm vision of what one would be like. Guts, sweat and glory would be played out by a cast of Daniel Craig and Jennifer Garner look-a-likes, in slow motion and soft-focus effect over a sweeping John Williams score. It turns out that It wasn’t quite that dramatic, BUT at the Flora Bama Mullet Man Triathlon this past Saturday there was plenty of gut (mostly figuratively, but a few quite literally); there was a lot of glory (a 16 year-old won second place overall); and there was plenty of sweat (both from the athletes and from me, once I fully sank into the sandy realization that it will be me out there soon. ) I don’t think I realized that being a spectator at a triathlon would be such a big part of my mental preparation. But after witnessing one in person, the triathlon is no longer a mythical entity conjured up in full cinematic effect by my overdeveloped imagination. It’s real. And I’m gonna do it.

The triathletes, although plenty of them did look like action stars, were a mixture of ages, fitness levels and  experience. Cheering on both total strangers and friends as they crossed the finish line was the pinnacle moment of inspiration I’ve had since I started my training. Watching the winner of the Mullet Man come in at 1:17:26 and the first place woman come in at 1:28:35 gave me a dose of both inspiration and reality. Those two people finished the triathlon in the time it takes me to finish the bike ride. I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me, but an equal measure of motivation to make it happen.  (Note: My amazing brother-in-law rallied after a rough swim to win 2nd place in his division. So proud of him!)

There were other less emotionally oriented things that I was able to observe and learn from on Saturday; things that I hadn’t thought of up until now. The first was the swim to bike transition. My only thought until now about this transition is how uncomfortable it was going to be to bike with sand in my shoes. Making my way from the beach to the transition area, I observed that many of the triathletes had some sort of bucket to rinse their feet off in before putting on their shoes. Mental note: must get myself a bucket.

Another observation I made  involved the lack of any iPods or mp3 players on the arms of the triathletes.  I asked my sister, “Why isn’t anyone using an iPod? Oh, my God! Are they illegal? I won’t be able to use one in Santa Rosa?” As someone who has competed in that particular triathlon, she was able to confirm that I would in fact be disqualified if I slapped on a techo-filled iPod and went fist-pumping down the race course. Which, if you know anything about me, is in the realm of possibility. That, my friends, is a big fat bummer.  However, in a moment of God doing for me what I could not do for myself, I lost my iShuffle during the trip and had to muddle through my workouts sans J.Lo introducing me to her all her party people. To my surprise, I had two of my better bike rides since the start of my training. It was a good lesson in focus, which is unfortunately not the particular F-word I’m usually throwing around.

Spectatin’!

And now for one of the most compelling lessons I took away from this weekend: I am now completely certain that I will not be clipping my shoes onto the pedals of my bike. I don’t even think that’s an option on my current bike, but even if it were, I’ll take a pass for now. How did I come to this conclusion? While watching the first wave of bikers come in, I noticed that one of them was barefoot and his shoe was dangling from his pedal. Here is the breakdown of the conversation that followed:

Me: “Look, look, look! That poor guy lost his shoe!”

Me: “Oh, my God! Those two guys lost theirs, too!”

Me: “Y’all, WHAT is happening??!?!?!!?”

The Nice Spectator Next To Me: “Honey, they meant to do that. They’re getting ready for the transition.”

Me: “Oh… Good job guys!”

My Sister:  “Did you really just say that out loud?”

Me: “Have you not known me all your life?”

I know for a fact that I would cause serious injury to myself and those around me if I tried to unclip from my bike while it was still moving. Or while trying to clip myself in while not moving. In any given pedal-clipping scenario, there is a high statistical probability that points to me being on the ground and bleeding, so for my first triathlon, I will be staying firmly unclipped.

To Be Continued……

Next: South Bound Part 2: An Epic Flail

Wouldn’t be the Mullet Man Triathlon without a man. Or his mullet.

Great job, brother

My Song. On Tv. Tomorrow Night.

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I wanted to fill all of my fellow bloggers, followers and friends about something cool happening tomorrow night! In addition to being a wannabe triathlete, I’m a songwriter and one of my songs “Southern Gentlemen” will be on Jennifer Love Hewitt’s new show The Client List tomorrow night! You may have to listen carefully because it may be buried in the background somewhere. Happy Weekend to everyone!

PS. The song is performed by Georgia Thomas, one of my most amazing friends and co-writers! Itunes link below:

“Southern Gentlemen” on iTunes!