Because I can't do an Ironman 70.3 triathlon without having a little bit of experience under my belt, I recently signed up to do a shorter-distance sprint triathlon.

I chose the Monster Triathlon in Keller, which has a 300-meter indoor swim, 12-mile bike and about a 3-mile run. Two days later, my body is still sore and I still have permanent marker remnants on my upper arms and legs. It's a great feeling.

But I wasn't feeling as great the morning of the race. I was probably the most nervous of all 700 participants. 

After getting up at 5 a.m. and downing a bowl of cereal and a few swigs of Gatorade, I drove down a dark, deserted Highway 114 to the Keller Natatorium.

Bundled up in sweats, I hauled my equipment (bike, helmet, bike shoes, running shoes, two changes of clothes, two water bottles, sunglasses, a towel, race number, granola bar, swim cap and goggles) to the transition area and got everything set up.

Then, before I knew it, I was stripped down to my one-piece swimsuit getting marked up with Sharpies and waiting in a long line in a cold, dark parking lot to receive an ankle brace that would track my movement.

Sounds a little like prison, doesn't it?

Well it felt a little like prison. Soon we were herded into the swim complex and asked to line up by number. The lower the number, the faster your swim time. I was No. 588.

Swimmers were let loose into the lanes every five seconds, one by one. As the line got shorter and my launch time crept closer, I got more nervous. 

With just a few people between me and the start, I looked back at the people behind me in line. I noticed their numbers: 573, 553, 560 ...  Somehow, we had gotten out of order, and the people riding my tail had faster swim times than me. I realized I was about to get run over in the water by a pack of anxious, competitive, full-grown adult swimmers. Too late to do anything about it, I gave the race coordinator my number, waited for his signal, took a deep breath and shot into the water, staying as far to the right of the lane as possible, hoping they would all pass on the left.

They did pass on the left. And the right. And everywhere in between. With each pass, I inadvertently swallowed a mouthful of water. It was a chaotic six pool lengths, and I ran out of breath and more than I thought I would. But, I made it through — just in time to run outside into the brisk 60-degree weather barefoot and dripping wet. (Why, exactly, do people do this, again?)

After the stress of the swim, the bike seemed a lot less daunting. That is, until the course took a sharp right turn, against the wind and uphill. No rest for the weary, I suppose.

Mercifully, the run course was amidst trees and remained mostly flat. Jogging through the beautiful fall foliage along pastures of longhorn cattle was when the hard work from the first part of the morning finally started to pay off. It was a great run. 

I finished the course in 1 hour and 40 minutes. To put that in perspective, my instructor, Kathleen Gallagher finished in 1 hour and 12 minutes. First place went to a participant with a time of 56 minutes. My place: 445th overall, 27th of 31 females in my age group.

If I learned one thing from this experience it's that doing these three activities back to back could probably qualify as a fourth, entirely different sport in itself. Biking after a swim is particularly challenging because your body is exhausted and wet, so it feels heavier than usual. And running after biking is a very strange feeling: After growing accustomed to going 15 miles per hour on the bike, your body tends to want to move forward faster than you can move it by foot. When I started the run, I thought for a moment I was going to fall face-forward into the ground. 

Of course, it was all worth it in the end — if anything just for the donuts at the finish and the experience on my resume. April, here I come. 

Check out the Oct. 16 edition of Irving neighborsgo for the print version of my Wish 100 review. 

Also, the city is hosting a bike safety class for cyclists looking to take on the mean streets of Irving. Check out the flyer below for details. 

If you plan to attend the class -- bring along a camera and snap some shots! I'll print them in an upcoming edition.  

 

I recently completed (without embarrassment or injury), my first bike rally.

It was cold.

It was crowded.

It was incredibly nerve-racking. 

And it was awesome.

This year was the inaugural year for the Wish 100 in Plano, benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas. It was a great cause, and, despite a few hitches, a great event. 

Cyclists in the Oct. 3 Wish 100 were given the option to choose their course. There was a 10-mile, 30-mile, 45-mile and a 100-kilometer route. 

I chose the 30-mile route, while my neighborsgo colleague Robert Tracy tackled the daunting 100K. Needless to say, I finished before he did.

Of course, my overriding concern throughout the entire event is whether I will fall face-first into the concrete. Tightly packed crowds of both advanced- and novice-level cyclists wasn't the most calming environment for someone like me who has had only to deal with the occasional jogger or squirrel on my regular bike route. 

But, luck was on my side. While I did come close to biting the dust a handful of times, I managed to keep myself in balance the whole time. Some people aim to win bike races. I aim to complete them in an upright position.

The only pitfall of the event was that many of the cyclists, including me, found themselves directing, battling and maneuvering around heavy auto traffic. Not to say I didn't appreciate the help from the Plano and Allen police officers. It just seems they could have used a little more backup. 

Overall, however, the weather was great, the people were friendly, the parking was easy and the registration was relatively hassle-free. The Make-A-Wish people did a great job.

I just wish I could get rid of the ominous feeling in the pit of my stomach: The Wish 100 30-mile route took every ounce of effort I could muster up. The bike route in the Ironman 70.3 triathlon I plan to do in April 2010 is 56 miles. I definitely have my work cut out for me. 

Upcoming Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas Events:

* Wish Upon A Par Golf Tournament Nov. 6, Stonebriar Country Club, 5050 Country Club Drive in Frisco, 10 am. registration, 11:30 a.m. shotgun start

* Race for Wishes, Nov. 21, Scharbauer Sports Complex in Midland, 1-mile fun run and 5K.

For more info on events, visit northtexaswish.org

 

 

(more)

My training is starting to pick up, so it's time to get serious about updating my running shoes.

I've been running with the ASICS GEL-Landreth for nearly five years -- they're the perfect combination of support and light weight, plus they have a neutral platform so my orthotics can work properly (I'm painfully flat-footed). But this weekend I replaced the GEL-Landreth with the GEL-Nimbus 11. The only difference is that it uses a lighter foam and better gel support, while still being as light as the Landreth. I was sold. I would highly recommend this shoe. 

 

I went for my first real road ride recently, and I have to apologize: I didn't take any pictures. I didn't take any pictures because I was entirely too busy NOT getting hit by cars. 

I'm not going to lie -- I got pretty nervous at traffic lights. Crossing a big intersection on a bike is like entering a war zone with a squirt gun.

Anyway, now that I can finally say I've biked somewhere other than a paved trail, it got me thinking about bike safety on the road...

So, because this ain’t Fort Collins, Colorado.... here's some bike safety tips!

[ Irving’s Bike Lane Task Force (more info about them here) has been working to make the city safer for cyclists. They recently got “sharrows” added to Sixth Street between MacArthur Boulevard and Delaware Street (story here. They’re looking for feedback on them, so if you have an opinion, tell them at bikeirving@gmail.com.)  ]

Here’s a word about road bike safety from co-chair of the task force, Francesca Funk:

Bike safety applies to both bicyclists and motorists. The road belongs to us all, even the two-wheelers. It may be useful to mention that by Texas law, a cyclist has the same right to an entire lane, just like a car or motorcycle. So "Share the Road" is more than a good idea--it's the law. When passing a cyclist, a motorist should use their blinker and move completely into the lane on the left, just like they would when passing a vehicle. Motorists should follow the Golden Rule -- do as you would be done by.

 

Cyclists also need to remember that when cycling on the road, 1) wear a helmet and 2) ride on the right-hand side. (It seems that 40 years ago, some Texans were taught to ride against the traffic. On the right is right.)

 

Cycling is a great way to exercise while getting to where you need to go. It's cheaper than the gym and better for our planet!

 

Pick up the Irving neighborsgo Aug. 14 edition tomorrow to see Kathleen's swimming equipment tips in print!

I’ve never liked gyms.

In high school, the only thing the gym did for me was prove that my arms were much weaker than my peers’ — both female and male. It was clear that bench-pressing was not my calling in life.

In college, the gym was more of a social scene, which made the experience even more intimidating. Girls showed up to exercise with cute ponytails and flattering outfits, sometimes even wearing full makeup. I already felt inadequate enough not being able to bench more than the bar, so turning the experience into a beauty pageant didn’t help.

When I moved to Irving, I tried out a gym membership for a few months — free of the high school peer pressure and free of the college pageantry. Still, I didn’t like it.

Sure, the people there were nice, the equipment was excellent and there was even a smoothie bar. But there’s something that just doesn’t sit right with me about spending endless hours of my life under the glow of fluorescent lights in a box-shaped building running in place alongside strangers who are equally as bored as I.

We live on an awe-inspiring, incredibly scenic planet filled with plants and wildlife and some decent manmade trails. We already spend most of our day working at a desk inside a building. Why, then, would we spend hours of our precious free time inside yet another building?

When I decided to start training for a triathlon (run, bike, swim), I knew I would have a tough road of outdoor exercise ahead of me, but so far nothing has been as difficult as trying to muster up enough motivation to hit the gym at 5:30 p.m. after a draining day at work. That, folks, is difficult. 

OK, I know what you’re thinking: “But Cassie, this is Texas and the heat in the summer is unbearable.”

True. When the temperature hits 104 degrees, going for a 3-mile jog outside at 5:30 p.m. is a bad idea. But that same 3-mile jog would be a lot safer (and a lot less painful) at 7 a.m. instead, when the temperature is almost 20 degrees cooler. Plus, you’ll probably be in a better mood than if you had spent an hour pounding the treadmill indoors.

If you’re not a morning person, wait until the heat wave passes, then find some shaded sidewalks and trails.

After more than a month of triathlon training under my belt, I’ve found biking and swimming to be heat-friendly forms of outdoor exercise. When you’re biking, your helmet and sunglasses reflect the sun, and the breeze created by gliding down a trail makes it not only a tolerable experience, but an enjoyable one.(To see a list of trails in the Dallas and Irving area, go to tinyurl.com/trailsirving.)

And as long as you’re entirely covered in waterproof sun block, swimming is the ultimate hot-weather outdoor exercise. North Lake College Aquatic Center in Irving has a great retractable roof that let’s in the sun’s heat during the summer. The pool water, however, stays cool.

Perhaps some day I’ll come to enjoy the gym experience, but until then, I’m going to get as much fresh air as I possibly can — even if that air happens to be a little hot.

I’m interested in hearing about your fitness goals and ways you train. Do you love hitting the gym or do you prefer the outdoors? E-mail me at cclark@neighborsgo.com, or share your thoughts on neighborsgo.com.

 

Well, two of them, at least. I was in Austin earlier this month and made sure to check out some  bike shops: Lance Armstrong's Mellow Johnny's and Ozone.

Ozone was very cool. It's in the Hyde Park area, where there seem to be more bikers on the street than cars. The bikes there have a very distinct "hippie" feel to them, with earthtone colors, somewhat retro body designs and funny names like "handsome" and "honky tonk."

Mellow Johnny's was in downtown Austin (an area that keeps getting more awesome every time I visit). In the front of the store there's a giant screen showing live coverage of the Tour de France, which was pretty cool. There's also a coffee shop, Juan Pelota (Google that name for it's amusing meaning), right in the store, along with a book section that has nothing but books about or by Lance Armstrong.

I couldn't afford the $110 cycling jerseys with the Mellow Johnny's logo, so I settled for the $2 refrigerator magnet instead. Success!

(more)

I recently talked with Adam Long at Richardson Bike Mart about what basic things you should keep in mind when buying your first road bike. It's no cheap sport, but if you do it right the first time, the bike and equipment will last you nearly a lifetime. Check it out!

Catherine shares her thoughts on the first swim... 

 

Cassie and I recently had our first official swim lesson, compliments of Kathleen.  I would say that I felt like “a fish out of water,” but that doesn’t accurately express the experience (please note the extreme irony though).  Perhaps a more accurate way to describe our first two swim lessons would be “like a runner in the pool.”  Or maybe a Shihtzu.  Or a cheeseburger.  You get the point—something that doesn’t belong in the water.  I think I can speak for Cassie when I say we were certainly out of our element.

 

Kathleen has given us two lessons so far, and without her we’d be lost. Or more likely, we’d be somewhere at the bottom of the North Lake pool.   She guided us from the very beginning—and I do mean the VERY beginning, when she insisted that we wear swim caps and squeezed them onto our heads.  As someone who considers herself to be in pretty good shape, it’s hard to admit that I struggle to make my way to the end of the pool, then gasp for breath on the side for a few minutes before getting back to it.  More than being out of shape, this is due to the fact that it’s difficult to get a deep breath while swimming (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).  Beyond the breathing issue, the worst part of this whole endeavor has been accepting how utterly ridiculous I look in a swim cap and goggles. 

 

Although we’ve only had two lessons so far, I’m already encouraged by the modest progress I’ve made.  Plus, swimming is a fantastic workout for those hotter-than-Hades Texas summer afternoons.  I have a feeling I’m going to really enjoy swimming as soon as I get comfortable in the water.   I’m not so sure about biking, because there’s an infinitely higher risk of dismemberment.  That will be my next physical/psychological challenge...