NYC Triathlon 2009

I will attempt to keep this race report short...as it wasn't my finest experience!

First, I want to thank everyone who donated to Team PVA and helping us raise money for paralyzed Veterans. It is sincerely appreciated, and I am constantly reminded just how lucky I am that I can participate in races and have so far been kept safe during my military career. Thank you so much for your support!


All summer has been mild in the Mid-Atlantic region; the day before the race was mild, sunny, and perfect. Then race day came. Race morning I awoke at 3:30am to find the weather 80 degrees, humid, and raining buckets.


Having been lured into a false sense of security about the temperatures, I made a fatal strategic error; I left the thermolyte tablets in my hotel room.


It rained on and off until racetime. The one nice thing was that there were no jellyfish in the Hudson this year! My swim went off without a hitch; I was hoping for a 20min swim, thanks to the current, and came out right on track with a 20:14 swim.

I had about a 3/4 mile T:1 run to transition, noticed that there still alot of bikes racked, and then hopped on my bike.


I felt really good on the bike, believing that I had come out of the water so fast based on the number of bikes in transition...turns out it's just that the "end of the alphabet" girls are the slow swimmers....About midway through the bike, I got a pretty bad headache, but chalked it up to exertion, as I was pushing hard on the bike, and had decided that I would "leave nothing on the course" for this race, because it was the last of the season. I came in off the bike, and again noted that all the spots around me were bare, and I really thought I had a chance of making Top 10 for the race.....and I grabbed my hat and took off for the final leg, the hilly Central Park 10k run.

I felt fantastic running across 72nd Street towards Central Park. The crowds were big, and cheerful, and my legs were turning over great. There was one girl that I kept leap-frogging with on the hills....she'd pass me going downhill and I'd beat her on the way up. We did this until somewhere after the Mile 3 marker, when I slowed to get some sport drink from the drink station. As I took a sip, I fell into the volunteer standing there. Excusing myself, I started walking away from him, and fell into the next volunteer in line. Again excusing myself, I went to step left away from the volunteer and fell into the third person in line! What the heck?!

At this point I noticed that I was fairly light-headed, and that I could not walk a straight line to save my life. I was like a drunk person trying to walk the line. I decided, for the first time in my racing career, that I'd sit down and rest for a minute. No volunteers came to my aid, but 3 or 4 runners stopped to make sure I was ok; of which I said I was fine.

I got back up, tried to walk the white line, and realized I no longer had motor control over my body. I did this walk/limp/straddle thing for nearly 2 miles, then at mile 5 decided I needed to run it in so I could get to medical faster.

Right after I started running again, my friends Michael and Maria were waiting for me, cheering and so excited. It gave me an initial boost of energy, but I could barely wave my hand and shout "I'm a little dizzy, will be in medical at the finish". And then they saw me swerve, and Michael started running after me to catch me....luckily I never fell down.

I put my best gameface on for the final finish shoot, and fell into the arms of a volunteer after crossing the finish line under my own power.

I was immediately ushered to a cot, had ice poured over me, and when I didn't feel better after 20 minutes, they decided to transport me via ambulance to the hospital.


I'll spare you all those fun details, but suffice it to say, 4 hours later, I was finally administered 1 bag of saline IV and sent on my way. And I want to thank the rest of my teammates, especially Brian Goldberg, for hanging out with me at the ER and being so kind as to pack my things, and get my gear from the race. You guys rock!


So, all in all, even with the 23 minute delay from the time I sat down to rest, I ended up only 7 minutes slower than last year's race. Which means that I most definitely did not leave anything on the course and was well on my way to a course PR and quite possibly that Top 10 finish after all. Last year's time would have put me in 13th place--coincidentally the same place I finished last year!

Final stats:

Swim: 20:14
T1: 6:10
Bike: 1:21:44
T2: 1:25
Run: 58:02
Final: 2:47:25

30th out of 189 Female 35-39
180th out of 1071 Females


Of course, the best part, is always, the Underwear run in Central Park with the Naked Cowboy. The hospital visit was just the cherry on top.

The Race for the Cure

The weather finally cooperated today, and I awoke to ~60 degrees, cloudy/overcast buy most importantly....NOT rainy skies!

Met up with Jess, Peggy Sue and Lindsey and we headed down to the mall. The runners and walkers were separated; I was the only one in our foursome who was running, and my race was supposed to start at 8am. I ran ahead to get down on the Mall at the right location....little did I know.


The organizers of the Global RAce for the cure most definitely do not have any military background, because it was well past 8:30 before we finally started! The Second Lady, Dr. Jill Biden was on hand to send us off, but, suprise suprise, so was her husband the VP!

The run itself wasn't a run at all. Even with the walkers segregated away from the runners, there were a ton of walkers on our course. I finished under 25 minutes, but it was a nice little fun run!


What was truly amazing was seeing all the Breast Cancer Survivors; they tell you that it can affect anyone at any age, but until you see a 20-something woman wearing an "I'm a Survivor" shirt, it doesn't really hit home that it really really really CAN happen to you.

I saw lots of great signs and shirts, but my favorite one? "Save Second Base". Love it!

I just want to once again say THANK YOU to everyone who donated; I raised $600 for the cure, and as Pres Obama and VP Biden said today; they plan to end cancer in my lifetime......and you are all a part of that!


And finally, I'm so excited to see my inspiration, Catherine in about 2 hours! I'm off to Dulles to pick her up!

SGK Global Race for the Cure!

I wanted to thank you all again for supporting my participation in the Komen Global Race for the Cure.

I have surpassed my fundraising goal, raising $600, and I am looking forward to the race this Saturday, June 6th! My inspiration for this event, Catherine, will be arriving in DC the evening of the race, and I can't wait to share with her the experience I will have had with so many runners racing for the same cause!

It's going to be quite the sight with tens of thousands of other women and men on the National Mall, wearing Pink!

Again, thanks so much for your support!

Sincerely,
Nikki

http://www.info-komen.org/site/TR/GlobalRaceForTheCure/GlobalRace?px=3860610&pg=personal&fr_id=1140&et=iLxrJsmibHj-WimPw_3snQ..&s_tafId=19074

Ed Sanders Memorial CX

Let me just first say that on Saturday, I ran 20.8 miles in nasty, muggy, tropical weather. Well, I ran 20 and walked/limped .8. I then proceeded to lie on my couch for most of the remainder of the day second-guessing whether or not I'll actually finish this marathon. UGH. I hate running.

But I love biking! And I love Cyclo-cross! This is my second year doing CX races, and my first year that I've actually 'trained' for it, thanks to the cyclo-cross clinics put on by DCMTB and City Bikes. I was able to make 3 out of 4 clinics at Ft. Reno Park, only 1 mile from my house. The clinics were a big boost to my techincal abilities, and that definitely showed at Sunday's race.

With the exception of the mercury level, the weather was ripe for a cross race; it had rained steadily for the past 3 days, was overcast, a bit of a breeze, and the leaves were falling all around.

Fellow Bella Marisa and I headed out at a leisurely 10:30 am for Buckeystown, MD for a 1:30 race. It was so luxurious to do the afternoon race! When we arrived, the Lilyponds were alive with excitement. The men's race was in full force, the "back 9" section of the course had the beer garden atmosphere, and I saw alot of muddy bikes!

We headed out on the course for a warm-up lap, and as I thought I was riding over a big stick, I suddenly realized I'd just ran over a snake! I felt so bad when he slithered away, I really hope I didn't break his back. But then I was a bit freaked out about running into snakes on the course.....luckily that didn't happen.

I took my practice loop at an easy pace, and we came around the back side to the mud pit, two gals ahead of me slowed way down, I lost my momentum, and PLOP! I fell into the mud. It was gross, smelly, peanut-butter-consistency mud. UGH. I stopped and got the muck out of my gearing, and continued around the loop. The backside has 1 run-up and three or four great hills. There were 2 steep downhills, also covered in mud. This was going to be a scary course at full speed. I finished the loop, went and rinsed myself and my now-broken-in-Kona off, and headed to the start line.

As the 1/2/3 Women were lined up ahead of us 3/4 Women, the skies opened up and it started to pour. The juniors behind us started to cheer, but all I could think was that the course is already wet enough! It was a pretty big field, about 10 elite, and 20 of the W3/4.

I was at the back of the line-up, and had to fight past everyone to get to the front before the first turn onto grass; I was about 5 or 6 gals off the front. I raced my heart out on the first lap, and got all sorts of cheers on the back hills because I rode them every time--except one, where I got stuck behind a 12 year old junior girl and lost my momentum--which happened to be the exact place where Superstar Bella Dee-Dee Wingfield lapped me. Oh well!

I ended up racing alone for laps 2-4; I was about 2 minutes off the leaders and about 3 minutes ahead of the back of the pack. I just couldn't get my legs or my lungs to go any faster.

In the end, I was passed by 3 other elite, but I did slow down to let fellow teammate Melanie Swartz pass me at the finish.

I finished 6th in my race, which I think is an all-time high, and considering I highly doubt anyone else out there had ran 20.8 miles on Saturday, I'm quite pleased with my improvements over last season!

Unfortunately, I just found out that work is going to make me go to TN for some extra duty, so I'm going to miss a few more races, and this season I'll probably only be able to do 3 or 4 CX races total. Next year, though, I'm going to really focus on CX.


Results

Velo News article

Awesome Pic

September 11, 2008

I don't yet have photos, but wanted to get this post up today.

Today, I was honored to be a guest at the Pentgon Memorial Dedication Ceremony for the 184 Americans who lost their lives 7 years ago.

I truly cannot describe in words how awesome (the orginial meaning of the word, not the California-slang) it was to be sitting in the audience today.

For those who don't know, the Pentagon's first day of construction was on September 11th, 1941. I don't know if that is ironic, appro-po, or just plain eerie.

But today, 7 years after the tragic, malicious, events of that day, I found myself at the dedication ceremony at the Pentagon.

Thousands of people were in attendence, and I was struck by the performances of the Armed Service Bands, (of course the Navy Mids were my favorite!), and the level of attendees. From the President and First Lady, the VP, the Speaker of the House (Nancy Pelosi), Condi Rice, Supreme Court Justices, to former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and current SECDEF Gates and Chairman Admiral Mullen (both of which I was sitting less than an arm's length away yesterday....today I needed a telephoto lens to see them), and most importantly, the family of the 184 people killed 7 years ago today.

I learned today alot about the 184 Americans who were killed. The youngest was just 3 years old. She died on the plane with her sister, Mother and Father. An entire family wiped out in a flash of hatred. The eldest was a retired Navy pilot, a man who had survived 5 aircraft crashes during his distingushed career. He did not survive that 6th, and final, crash landing. I learned about the 11 year old boy who so inspired his teacher, that she hand-picked him to participate in a National Geographic trip to California as reward for his curiosity and enthusiasm in science and our world. This 11 year old boy set off on the adventure of his life, which ended less than 2 miles from where it began. I can't help but feel sympathy for the teacher who must be tortured with thoughts that she hand-picked him for death.

Today I saw the President of the United States in person for the very first time. I saw my Commander In Chief. And I don't care about the politics, it is an awesome thing to be in the presence of the most powerful person on this planet. And he was humble. And as he spoke, a plane flew overhead. A plane flew overhead the Pentagon. Every 10 seconds a plane flew overhead, seemingly into, the Pentagon. And I was taken back to the hours and days after the terrorist attacks when no planes flew. When the skies were silent. And when they did fly again, the fear and panic I felt, all the way in San Diego, of whether that plane was "ours" or "theirs". And I heard the President say "when buildings fell, heroes rose." And since I've been stationed at the Pentagon, I've heard many testimonies of my friends and colleagues who did just that, rose through the smoke and flame and terror and helped saved their fellow American.

The haunting, soothing, aching tune of Amazing Grace was played by a lone bag-piper, Steve Cochran. Yesterday at rehearsal he couldn't finish the song; today he played it with passion and perfection. A Coastie, and retired firefighter; he felt the gravity of the day.

Before 9/11/01 I had every plan to leave the Navy. On September 12th, I remember calling out to Bahrain and every ship I knew asking, begging to go to sea and lend my expertise in strategic weapons to assist. My sea/shore rotation timing has always been out of synch of the events post-9/11, but I am still proud to serve, and proud to be a part of this day in history. My thoughts are with the families of the nearly 3000 victims of this day, and the over 4000 servicemembers lost in our great War on Terror. I will never forget singing "God Bless America" this morning and waving my flag with President George W. Bush, Robert Gates, Admiral Mullen, Condolezza Rice, and nearly 16,000 other Americans.

I will never forget. I just hope that We will never forget.

Take Me Home, Country Road.......

Almost Heaven, western Virginia. For whatever reason, as soon as I see a sign that says "Shenendoah River" I immediately start singing the classic John Denver tune.

It was no different on Monday, when I headed out with some friends after the Luray Triathlon to do an "84-mile ride" in the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.

After volunteering for the sprint distance race on Sunday, we were rested up and ready to do a long ride. We slept in, had a hearty breakfast and were rolling at 10:30 on a glorious Monday morning.

We started out at our cabin, the Absolute Perfect Escape #3, and headed towards the first climb of the day, Massanutten Mountain. What I didn't know until it was too late, is that Massanutten Mountain is a ski resort!

Massanutten is almost 3000ft of continuous vertical climbing. It's a beautiful climb opposite the Shenandoah River and facing Skyline Drive. The climb was reminiscent of some of my France climbs....the grade was continuous, even, and neverending! I kept hoping that each bend in the road would allow for a small respite of level grade, but no, it just kept going, and going, and going!


The descent was great too, easy switchbacks with only one or two hairpin turns. And then we leveled out onto the valley floor, and the four of us, me, Mike, Ken and Jean, headed off at a good clip towards Front Royal. Jean voiced what I had been thinking--there is not a better way to spend a Monday!


At one point, I dropped my chain and we had to stop. Good thing, as it turns out, after consulting the cue sheet, we were not on course. But, fortunately, there was a kind old man sitting out on his veranda, who pointed us back in the right direction.

As the miles and hours ticked on, Jean and I realized that the leisurely ride through the valley road was ending, and we were about to hit Skyline Drive. Now, I've ridden Skyline Drive twice before, but never after having already logged 50 miles. As Jean put it, at least we were sufficiently warmed up!

Skyline was a beautiful as I'd remembered (I had just ridden it back Memorial Day) and the hills just as long. But by the time we got 25 miles into the park, and stopped at Elk's Wallow, I was done. My body was continuously hungry, and I was starting to cramp. I didn't want to know how much further we had to go, I just knew I was about ready for it to end.

We left Elk's Wallow as a group, the boys pushing the pace a little bit, but I was so happy when we finally turned off Skyline and headed on the 9 mile descent into Luray. It was a busy road, but wide and we were able to take full advantage of the descent. It was glorious! Of course, as we descended from the top of the Blue Ridge, the temperature continued to warm, and once we landed in the backside of Luray, I saw with dismay that the Bank sign read 94 degrees! It was after 5pm, and I was beat.

The hardest part of the whole ride was the 12 miles back to the cabin. It was definitely a mental challenge for me to keep going. But I knew that the faster we rode, the sooner we'd be done.

This map shows most of our ride. We started 12 miles outside of Luray (not Front Royal) and it doesn't include the part from our cabin to the base of Massanutten and back, which made it round out to a full 100 miles, 7hours, and over 5000 calories!

Luray 08--Calamity of Errors

I had been looking forward to Luray for months....this was to be my "big vacation" this year, 4 days in the mountains of Northern Virginia. A far cry from last summer's 2 week vacation in the south of France, but I'll take what I can get in the turning economy....

So, Friday afternoon I headed out on the 2 hour drive to the tiny mountain town of Luray. Traffic, as always, was not great, but managed to get to Luray just as planned to get checked in for the race. As I was walking into the shop, I ran into Nate Spong, a fellow shipmate from my days as an Ensign on the mighty USS TARAWA! What a crazy small world it is. I hadn't seen Nate in over 8 years. Gotta say, he definitely meets "tri candy" criteria....triathlon has been good to him! We caught up quickly, and then went on our way.

At least I tried to head on my way....one thing about Virginia is that they like to name their roads random, obscure, non-linear numbers. And in fact, there can be about 5 roads known by the same route number. So, as I believed I was following the directions to head out on 340S, which I did, turns out I was on the "wrong" 340S. For one full hour, and 50 miles of going back and forth, back and forth, I was on the wrong 340S. Luckily, once entering the nearby town of Stanley, I stopped at the gas station and Gary, my new-found friend, knew exactly where I needed to be, and unlike New England, I could definitely "get there from here". And with Gary's very detailed, landmark-filled hand-drawn map, I finally arrived at the "Absolute Perfect Escape" cabin tucked into the mountainside overlooking the Shenandoah Valley.

I had elected to stay with some of my fellow roadie friends, from Squadra Coppi, (instead of the group that included my ex-boyfriend) and was looking forward to bonding with new friends. However, through some miscommunication, I thought I was having dinner with said friends, and turns out I had been left off the food count. So, after being frazzled from the long lost drive, I had to jet back into town at 8pm the night before the race and drum up something worthy to eat. Needless to say, I was no longer in a good mood, and no longer enjoying my long-awaited, eagerly anticipated weekend retreat. On the bright side, I did discover the right 340S and was now able to get around without getting lost.


The moon was full and bright, and I finally went to bed around 10pm, but didn't fall asleep until well after 11, with the frustration of the evening heavy on my chest, and the excitement of Michael Phelps' winning his 8th gold medal on the TV downstairs.

Race morning arrived around 5:15, and it was a wonderfully chilly 57 degrees. Absolutely unbelievable for August in Virginia. The air was thick with fog, and it was an eerie drive to Lake Arrowhead. In the car, Mike, Lindsey and I were discussing songs that got stuck in our heads, and Lindsey got us all on the Bonanza theme......

I got body-marked, picked up my chip, and headed in to set up transition. The park was beautiful, the fog was lifting and I was getting nervous and excited to race! The swim was a two-loop course, and I was in the second wave! The water was a balmy 74 degrees, but with the air so chilly, I decided to wear my wetsuit, and headed down to the shore for a warmup.

And here's where my race fell apart.

SWIM: 28:11 (9th)
Okay, I admit, at first glance 28 minutes is a pretty good swim for me. Unfortunately, when I got out of the water, my watch said 47 minutes. Yes, Forty-Seven minutes. WTF?! I knew I had been making some changes to my stroke, but geez, what was I doing in the water for 47 minutes!?!?!? Note my "happy face" after having seen my watch...I just wanted to quit at that point. There was no way I was going to make up 20 minutes on the bike and run.

T1: 2:03 (3rd)
It was a very long, uphill, up-a-flight-of-stairs run into transition. I got to my bike, was hoping to see a flat so I could just end my misery, but alas, the bike with the flashy 404 race wheels (from Conte's) was ready and waiting for me, the 47-minute 1500k swimmer.

BIKE: 1:20:26 (2nd)
I got on the bike, had a problem adjusting my sunglasses for a few minutes, and was off. I had no idea how I was going to make up all that time. I was riding the course blind, no idea what the hills looked like, and had failed to put my magnet on the wheels, so I couldn't even check my speed/pace as I was riding. Just when I thought I'd had enough, I was climbing a hill and passing 2 guys off to my right, when the middle guy failed to hold his line on the steep incline and bumped into me. OK, no biggie, I know how to race a crit. I held him up for a few seconds, hoping he'd get his balance back, but he kept losing momentum, and slid back behind me and finally crashed to the ground. I called back to see if he was OK, he said he was, and I kept going. Somewhere out on the first loop it dawns on me that maybe, just maybe, my watch had started early and I didn't actually have a 47 minute swim. So, I flipped the watch to the time of day, and realized that indeed, it was only 9:15 and if I had swam a 47 minute swim, the time would be well after 9:30. Crap! I actually had a good swim, and I needed to get moving on the bike!

T2: 1:02 (3rd)
I raced into T2, knowing that I'd spent too much time on the bike, and that I needed to fly on the run. All my recent training for the Marine Corps Marathon had taught me that I could run through the pain, and that 6.2 miles really isn't that far (especially when I've got 16 miles queued up this weekend, ugh!). However, I'd ridden the second half of the bike so fast, I didn't take any time to get fluids in. So, I decided that I'd take a few big swigs of gatorade before heading out. I never do that. What's my mantra? Oh yeah, nothing new on race day. So, in the midst of removing helmet/donning running shoe, I downed some gatorade. I grabbed my race belt and visor and I was off! Somewhere around the bend, just as I was reaching the asphalt road I thought to myself "Self...it feels like you still have a bike shoe on." Hmmm, I looked down, and sure enough, one running shoe, one bike shoe. I again thought to myself "Self....can you run a 10K with one bike shoe? No, self, you cannot." So, I turned around, ran back to my transition area, ducking under the fence, grabbed the other shoe, and headed back out on the run, for the second time.


RUN: 50:49 (9th)
The run was a simple two-loop out-and-back run on rolling hills in partial shade down a country road. Once I was properly shod, I zoomed out on the run. I felt great! This marathon training is really helping my run! I felt like I flew to the turn-around, and then made my way back towards the second turn-around. That's when I discovered that the whole way back was one long uphill....no wonder I felt so good coming out! But I just plugged away, and as each uphill approached, I belted out (in my head) the Bonanza theme.....that really helps getting up a hill! I saw Nate Spong on the run (he was really flying!), as well as Jean, Michelle, Stephanie and Stone. Sometimes two-loop courses are nice. OK, they're nice when you're ahead. Not so nice when you're last (remember Philly....).

FINISH: 2:42:29 (5/26 F 35-39)
(22/143 F overall)

I finished the race strong, and felt really great, despite the clamity of errors that had gotten me there. Sadly, it wasn't enough to podium, and I guess this year I'm just not going to get down to the sub-2:30 mark (one chance left), but I really really enjoyed the Luray course! I will definitely do this race again.

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Columbia Triathlon 2008

How it went from January to May so quickly, I have no idea!

I swore last year that I'd be ready for the hills of Columbia, but wow, I just really underestimated how much time I lost over the winter being distracted by non-triathlon things!

The biggest issue of this race was that I had to race it in my glasses! I was still waiting to get my eye surgery, so I raced in prescription goggles, and then prescription sunglasses for the bike and run. It didn't seem to be a factor.

So, here it is, the first race of the season reality check:

SWIM: 29:39
--thought it was a good swim and that I didn't wander too much off course, but the clock never lies. Last year was a PR in swimming, this year, not so much!

T1: 2:27
--plenty happy with that

BIKE: 1:24:58
--not sure why, but I was sucking from the beginning, that first tiny hill had my legs screaming. It was not my best bike effort, and in fact was much slower than last year.
T2: 1:36

RUN: 54:02
--The run wasn't as bad as I'd remembered from last year. It still hurt, but I felt much stronger on the run than I did on the bike, not sure why.

TOTAL: 2:52:40


Finished:
755/1730 overall
149/610 female
17/106 35-39F
still no military female results posted

My Place in History

March 1st I took a new job, working for U.S. Central Command's Legislative Affairs Office. My job entails providing Congress with the information they need to make informed decisions about the budget and policies relating to the US and coalition forces efforts over in the Middle East.

The first day on the job I was escorting Admiral William "Fox" Fallon, the Commander of Central Command to hearings on the Hill. He is a 4 star Admiral. I've only ever met two other 4 stars in my career--Admiral Vern Clark and Admiral Mike Mullen, both Chief's of Naval Operations at the time. However, with ADM Clark and ADM Mullen, it was more just a photo-op and handshake, one in the Persian Gulf, one at the Pentagon, and no actual conversation.

But with ADM Fallon, he actually had conversations with me, was genuinely interested in me and my life, and it was a very surreal experience for me! I thoroughly enjoyed the week I spent escorting him to the hearings, and at the end of the week, when the Admiral climbed back out of his vehicle to specifically thank me for my work and to tell me he was happy I'd joined the team, I could not believe my fortune! I then left for 2 weeks of vacation.

A sidebar to the week's hearings was the rumbling of an article that was to be published in Esquire magazine that didn't put the Admiral in a very good light with the President's Administration. I said my farewell to the Admiral on Thursday, and the following Tuesday, everything changed.

While on my two weeks leave, I received a phone call from a friend on the Hill telling me to turn the TV on. Having turned it off because I was tired of listening to the stories of the NY Governor who'd been exposed for his dealings with a prostitute, I turned it back on, not exactly knowing what to expect. Admiral Fallon had resigned!! I thought it was sad, really sad, that the media has this kind of power over our Nation. It wasn't 5 minutes later that I started receiving numerous emails and txt messages about the announcement. I was saddened, after all it's always great to have a boss who likes you! Now I had no idea what was going to happen, did I even have a job?

Turns out yes, I still have a job, and on Monday the 24th of March, I was able to take ADM Fallon to the Hill one last time. I then flew down to Tampa, Fl for all my in-processing for my new job.

Admiral Fallon is a runner, and of course was impressed by my triathlons. He actually led a command-wide formation run down at CENTCOM, and on Tuesday I was fortunate enought to get to run with him. It was a very short, slow 2 mile run, but pretty amazing when there are hundreds of folks running in formation shouting jodies, with the flags out in front waving as we jog around the base. At the end of the run he had a Commander's Call to explain to everyone why he was leaving. It was in that moment that I realized that this Nation is losing a great leader, and a selfless officer.



On Friday, I attended his Relinquishment of Command ceremony, attended by the Secretary of Defense, Dr. Robert Gates, and the Commander of Joint Chiefs of Staff, ADM Mike Mullen. It was a simple ceremony, lacking all the pomp and circumstance of normal retirements and changes of command, but it was amazing nonetheless.



I just know that this moment was a critical moment in the history of the war on terror, and while I wish I were still working for ADM Fallon, I'm glad that I was able to serve under him for even 4 weeks, and I wish him the best.

Fair Winds and Following Seas, Admiral!

Easter with Erik and Erin

Easter came so early this year! It awlays amazes me how we cannot have Santa and Christmas trees in school, and yet both Christmas and Easter are tied to the two pagen rituals of the Winter and Spring solstice! But I digress. It turns out that Easter is determined by the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring solstice....and this year is the absolute earliest Easter can ever be! And it won't be this early again for 200 years. Good thing, don't want to be caught off guard again, ha ha!


So, on Friday I hopped (get it, hopped?) into the car and started the never-gets-shorter-no-matter-how-much-you-drive-it 6 hour drive down to Jacksonville, NC. It was a beautifully sunny, albiet chilly day, so no top down. It got to C2E2 around 3pm and we had a great afternoon of fun in the backyard. Erin of course wanted a picnic, so we had carrots, grapes and hummus in the backyard while playing "Funny Bunny". Erin's actually pretty good, and can count very well! Time got away with us (as usual) and so we didn't get to have pizza and movie night, we just got to have pizza night, and then bathtime and storytime and then we went outside to check out the full moon. It was beautiful.

Saturday morning arrived early, and with the "coc-a-doodle-doo" of E2 waking Nene up at 8am. Guess vacation is over! We had a very full day planned, complete with yummy crepes made by Christopher, and then Erik wanted to ride his bike, but Nene didn't bring hers, so I ran with Erin in the stroller while Erik rode his bike. We did this for 30 minutes, or until Nene's arms were about to fall off. But it was fun. Then we "practiced" hiding and finding easter eggs for the better part of the afternoon. Finally we realized we had tons of things to do and were running out of time!

First, Grandma sent the kids an Easter gingerbread house, so we had fun decorating that, despite Mommy's efforts at breaking all the little furniture I'd made for the gingerbread backyard....



And no Easter is ever complete without the Easter Bunny cake! This is a great idea my sister found years ago, and we've been making it ever since. This year Erik and Erin got to do some of the creative design, and it turned out very well.



Then it was easter egg dying time. Holy Cow! We boiled 7 dozen eggs and Erik and Erin had half of them dyed in about 2 minutes flat!!! So much for thinking this would take a long time......but then they decided that they needed to redye the eggs, and by the end we had a few that were a bit too brown, but overall, the eggs were very pretty and I'm sure the Easter Bunny (or Beagle) was very pleased with what we had to offer.

The kids had just seen Swiss Family Robinson for the first time a few weeks ago, and absolutely had to share that movie with Nene--it's the best movie ever! With Tigers, and snakes, and pirates, ARRRRRR!!!!!

We still had cookies to decorate, and cornish game hens to grill. Oh, where was the time going!?!

Finally got the kids to bed, and then we really had to get down to work. The Easter Bunny had over 84 hard-boiled eggs and 100 plastic eggs to stuff and hide. Not to mention Easter baskets! It was another late night for all.



Easter morning arrived again with the rooster at 8am and then a frenzy of "I see one" or "there's an egg", "oooo jelly beans!!!". Baskets were found quickly, and were quickly overflowing with eggs.

The suprise of the morning came when Erin found a very pretty egg down by Noah's Ark and went to pick it up, but her grip was a bit tight and she cracked the egg. That's when we discovered that in fact we had not hard-boiled 84 eggs. There were apparently a few that we only soft-boiled, or barely boiled at all.......

Let's just say we pretty much lost our appetites after a few egg fights at the breakfast table and the eggs looked more like the Cadberry's than something on a Cobb salad.

We spent the rest of the morning hiding and rehiding and rehiding easter eggs until it was time for Nene to go.


As always, the visits are too few and too short, but it was so great to spend Easter with everyone!

Spring Break in San Diego

I try to get back to San Diego at least once a quarter, just so I remember that DC really isn't where I want to end up. So, while "in between" jobs, I decided to leave the cold weather and head to San Diego to get in some tri training and hang with all my friends who are out west.

I flew out Thursday-Tuesday of St. Patty's Day weekend, and wouldn't you know that it had been 80 degrees all week, but when I arrived the highs were only in the low 60's. Oh well, one look at the sun and sand and sea, and I was home again.











Friday I took in a swim at the outdoor pool, and then went for a short bike ride up on Cabrillo. It was grey and overcast, but still, I was looking at palm trees! Then, as I headed up to La Jolla to meet up with Jess and the Tri Club for the first Friday night cove swim of the season, the marine layer disappated and the sun came out. It was amazing! The swim was great, the seas were a bit rough, but it was just awesome to be in the open water. We all then headed to Jose's afterwards for a great mexican dinner and cervesa!! I love San Diego.

Saturday morning Jess, her boyfriend Pat and I all went to the Del Mar ride. Usually this ride goes up and down the coast on PCH, but today we decided to go inland. OMG, I forgot how hilly San Diego can be! We did a great 48 mile ride though places I've never seen before, and it was really awesome, so great to have so many riders out there! We were pretty beat afterwards, I fell asleep at the pool, and poor Jess had to do her homework.


Saturday night all the Bellas in San Diego to together and we went to my favorite restaurant, the Wine Vault and Bistro, for a 5 course pairing dinner. It was fantastic! I wish we had something like that out here in DC. The owners are the nicest folks ever, and took care of us.


Sunday we were supposed to do the club tri, but after all that wine Saturday night, and a freak rain/thunder/lightning storm in the middle of the night (it never thunders in San Diego), Jess and I decided that we needed to sleep in rather than get up at 5:30 on a Sunday.....so we skipped the race (which turned into a du due to the rain) and instead headed back out to Del Mar for a nice 8 mile run along the coast. It was beautiful, and wonderful to see the runners, bikers, and surfers out!!

Finally it was warm enough for me to actually get some sunning in, so I was out at the pool for a few hours on Sunday, but we just had a lazy quiet evening at home that night.


Monday was St. Patrick's Day, and San Diego always rolls out the green carpet for the celebration. Bryant and I got tickets for the Shamrock Fest downtown, but he had to work during the day.

So, I went shopping, went for another outdoor pool swim and stopped by my old beach house in Ocean Beach. I miss that town!!



Then Bryant and I met at South Beach for a few drinks and their world-famous fish tacos (yummy lobster and shrimp!) then made our way downtown.











It was fun, great live bands, and lots of beer, but it wasn't quite the "Vail" experience without all my girlfriends with me. But we had a great time people watching and listening to the bands. We finally called it a night around midnight, and sadly I was on a plane early Tuesday morning back to DC.

VAIL: or "Hot, Tall Men who buy us drinks"

Being from Steamboat Springs, the idea of taking a vacation to Vail, the Disneyland of ski resorts, didn't appeal to me. I tried everything I could to convince my girlfriends that we needed to go to Steamboat or Winter Park, but they were having none of it. Vail had "hot, tall men who buy us drinks" and that's where we absolutely had to go.

Having just ended yet another relationship, I was all for the hot tall men, and decided that I'd get in my real skiing in Winter Park and Steamboat on either side of the Vail portion.

So, I headed out to Colorado for an unprecedented 10 days of vacation! I stopped and visited my grandparents for a day, catching up and looking through photo albums of the past. It was a great visit, and I even discovered that my Great(x5) Grandfather laid the cornerstone in the US Capitol! How's that for cool.








I then met up with my Uncle Bob and we headed up to Winter Park for an unbelievable day of skiing. Turns out one of my best Navy buddies, Bryant, was in town, back from a year in Tansania Africa and he and his father also met us at WP for a picture-perfect day, not to mention the best snow conditions I've skied in years.

Finally, on Valentine's Day, all the girls, Liz, Michelle and Amy, arrived and we made the trek up to Vail. Bryant decided to come with us gals, and discovered many many things "behind the cutain" as he hung with us. We stayed at a cute little condo at Eagle's Nest. We dropped off our things and headed into our Mecca, otherwise known as the Red Lion Inn.

Unbelievably, Michelle walked in first, I was behind her, and as I was putting my ID away I looked up and Michelle is turning around handing me two beers and introducing me to Charlie and Gogi. What? Do you know these guys? No, she had waled in ahead of me and they saw here, and immediatly ordered beers for her and her girlfriends. I was beginning to see what the magic of Vail was all about......


I did mention that it was V-day, and that I had just ended a relationship, so still feeling a bit bitter, I decided to wear a T-shirt I'd found that simply stated "Boys Stink." You can imagine that's quite the conversation starter in a place where the men outnumber the women about 7 to 1. Turns out Charlie liked my shirt so much we decided to do a shirt swap right there on the dance floor! Don't worry Mom, I didn't actually get half-naked. It's a skill one learns in California to be able to change clothes without ever showing any vitals. But it was quite entertaining seeing a man wearing a women's size small pink shirt dancing around announcing that "Boys Stink". Sadly, the Red Lion closes at midnight so we headed back to the bus stop, where Drunk Liz eyed a hot tall man and ordered him over to chat with us. Turns out he's a Doctor! And about 6'5". Liz is 5'2". But it was Vail, and so they didn't care.


The next day we all headed to the slopes, and I have to say that Vail has changed alot since I was last there--the mountain is HUGE, and there is so much varied terrain and it was not crowded at all! Bryant and I tore it up, and had a really great day skiing. It was unbelievable.

Apre ski again found us at the Red Lion Inn. Tonight we met another group of guys, this one having the hottie from Phoenix whom I just could not get enough of. Those dimples and that smile were amazing therapy for my "boys stink" attitude....Stone who? We all shared drinks for the night, and really had a great time. Yes, a great time ;-)


Sadly, Sunday came way too soon, and that day we awoke to cold, cloudy and snowy conditions. We tried to ski, this time over at Beaver Creek, but it was so cold and windy and visibility was poor, so Bryant and I decided that our fun meter was pegged, and we headed down to the base to get some coffee. By the way, I prefer Vail to Beaver Creek any day!


As we were trying to figure out how to get everyone back to the airport or bonus brother's houses, it turns out that the best option was for Amy to ride with Bryant. So, we said our goodbyes, and the 3 gals took off in the rental car (but not before Bryant had to give us a jump because dumb blonde Nikki left the lights on all day and killed the battery! DUH!!!). And we all wondered what the heck was going on with Amy and Bryant...

Turns out that of all the Vail hook-ups, the Amy and Bryant one seems to be going well! Amy just took a trip to San Diego to visit him, and next month they're going sailing in the Caribbean!

I finished out my vacation just hanging at my Mom's house, as I was too exhausted and sore from all that skiing to consider skiing Steamboat for a day. Maybe next year I'll know how to pace myself better....ha ha!

But alas, I am now a little wiser, a little more open-minded, and next year I will take the pilgrimage back to Vail: Hot, Tall Men and free drinks without question!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! WELCOME 2008

The end of 2007. Wow, seems like it was only yesterday that is was 1999 and we were wondering if the world would end with "Y2K". Fortunately, it didn't, and life has been going well!


I never would have imagined being in Washington DC in 2007, and certainly never would have imagined that I'd be loving every minute of it! But it's hard not to be happy when you've got a fantastic network of new friends, a blossoming romance, and a satisfying job!


So, we all decided to celebrate at a "private party for 300 of our closest friends" at The Front Page in Arlington, VA. The party was nothing spectacular, but we did all have fun, great food, and of course, alot of libations!


Having not completely recovered from my trip to Mississippi, I was ready to call it an early night, and was more than ready to go home when we finally left the bar at 2:30 am, but Michelle and the gang stayed up partying at her house until about 5 in the morning! You go you!


We slept in until noon, watched football all day, and finally dragged ourselves out of Michelle's house around 6pm to head over to my cycling friends Jean and Ken's for a New Year's Day hangover house-warming.

I'm very excited for 2008 and can't wait to see how it unfolds.

CHRISTMAS LIGHT RUN

A wonderful tradition in DC, is the annual Christmas Light Run. This year I got to enjoy it with alot of my running friends, as well as many of the DC Tri Club members. We began at Union Station, which overlooks the US Capitol, then headed down to the National Mall across to the Washington Monument, and then over to the White House eliptical where we stopped and sang carols at the National Christmas Tree.

From there we ran up and down the streets of downtown DC, where all the people we encountered stopped and cheered, phoned their friends, and took pictures of nearly 400 jingle-bell wearing, santa-hat clad runners. The highlight of the run was our stop at the "Blue Christmas Tree" outside the Federal Police Station. The Blue Christmas Tree symbolizies all the men and women of our police force who have given the ultimate sacrifice in their duty to protect and serve.

We changed the words to the traditional "Oh Christmas Tree" song and sang this version at the Blue Christmas Tree:

Blue Christmas Tree, Blue Christmas tree,
We love our Christmas Light Run!!

We like to sing, we like to run
To do them both, is so much fun
Blue Christmas Tree, Blue Christmas Tree
We love our Christmas Lights Run!!

We are all filled with Christmas Cheer
That's why we do this every year
Blue Christmas Tree, Blue Christmas tree
We love our Christmas Lights Run!!

We gather 'round to sing to you
beneath your twinkling lights of blue
Blue Christmas Tree, Blue Christmas Tree
We love our Christmas Lights Run!!

It's cold and dark but we've no fear
Instead we're filled with Yultide Cheer
Blue Christmas Tree, Blue Christmas Tree
We love our Christmas Lights Run!!

'A Caroling with joy we come
A merry group to sing and run
Blue Christmas Tree, Blue Christmas Tree
WE love our Christmas Lights Run!!

You stand alone with grace and pride
Your spirit keeps us warm inside
Blue Christmas Tree, Blue Christmas Tree
We love our Christmas Lights Run!!


We finished back at Union Station, completing about 5 miles and many, many Christmas carols, and headed off to the Union Pub for some fine post-run refreshments!

For all the pictures from this year's run, and if you're interested in doing the Christmas Lights Run next year, please check out their website: www.christmaslightrun.com

IF HILLARY CAN DO IT, SO CAN I!

What the hell does that mean? Well, today I turned 35. The absolute LAST milestone birthday until I'm eligible for AARP. Yup, my driving insurance is now at the lowest it will ever be, and I can offically put my name in the hat for President of the United States.

Which seems somewhat fitting now that I'm living in Washington, DC. However, oddly enough, today I want nothing to do with DC or anything Presidential.

What was supposed to be a great celebration with my girlfriends at a great restaurant for dinner and then a co-ed party afterward with that All-American classic game of bowling, turned into an utter disaster.

First, the bowling alley wouldn't let me make a reservation until 24 hrs before, and then had the gall to laugh at me and actually comment "Don't you know it's the holiday season? We've been booked for months." For those who know me really well, you can imagine how the remainder of that conversation went.

To top it off, traffic was bad, and not all my 'party' made it on time to our dinner reservation, so we lost out on our table (another rude comment by the hostess with the mostest regarding the busy holiday season....) and so we had to dine in the bar.


But, to put it all in perspective, at the end of the night, I got to spend the evening with some really great friends who have come to mean alot to me since moving to DC. That's what matters most, being with those who make me happy!

Thank God I don't have to have another party until I turn 55, or is it 60?

ARLINGTON WREATH LAYING CEREMONY

Every year at precisely noon, at every National Cemetery across the country, thousands of wreaths are laid at the base of the headstones of the brave men and women who gave their lives to this country and our pursit of liberty and freedom for all.

It was a great treat, although it was freezing, to get to see the wreath-laying ceremony and all those wreaths that adorn the markers at Arlington National Cemetery.


Additionally, I got to witness, for the first time, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and all the ceremony that surrounds that most precious asset that we have.







We also walked over to the eternal flame, the final resting place of JFK and Jackie O. That was also very sobering to see. I have to say, the view from his grave is unbelievable, even on this frigid, grey, overcast winter day.



If you've never been, I highly encourage EVERYONE to get to Arlington at some point.

CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON

Live, from the White House! Today we got to take the hottest tour in town, a White House Christmas Tour! It was beautiful. This is the only time of year that us "commonfolk" are allowed to actually take photos inside the White House, so I hope you enjoy the pictures!

I was fortunate enough to have a friend who works in the White House, across the hall from the First Lady's Office, and she was able to get me and Chris on the exclusive "invite" list to get a tour. I had to lure Chris in with little white lies of schmoozing and boozing with the President, but even though that didn't happen, I think he kinda enjoyed the tour. Certainly not as much as I did, but oh well!


We started off in the East Wing, where we walked through the wide hallway connecting us to the main house. From here there's a clear view of the Washington Monument, and this time of year, the National Christmas Tree.

As we moved through the house, there were live carolers, barbershop quartets, and even a high school choir all the way from Georgia!


The fireplace mantels and the many Christmas Trees were stunning. And did I mention the gingerbread house? Every little piece of it is completely edible! I saw a special on the Food Channel about the chef who makes them every year, it's quite the "cake decorating" project!

It was a great tour, and I was very happy that I got to share it with someone!

Merry Christmas from Washington!

Girls On The Run Reindeer Romp!

Back in September I decided to volunteer as a coach for a program called Girls On The Run! Myself along with two other gals, Mandie and Anna, coached seventeen 3rd and 4th grade girls in an afterschool "life-changing, non-competitive, non-profit prevention program to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living."

Wow, what an experience! First off, do you have any idea how much ENERGY 3rd and 4th grade girls have?! And, while they thought it was cool that I was in the Navy and "killed people" (their words, definitely not mine!) they had absolute total disregard for my positional authority! It took a whole different set of leadership tools to get through to those girls!

But it was all worth it when Saturday, 12 of the 17 showed up on a cold, drizzly, December morning with their jingle-bell bracelets, running gear, and smiling faces and we took off to run the 5K race.





In the spirit of the "non-competitiveness" I ran a Personal Record slowest time ever of 41:46, as I kept pace with two of the girls, Anna and Kelly. They were both great, and I knew that I had at least succeeded in introducing them to the lifestyle I love so much when Anna said at Mile 1 "Wow, I'm actually having fun running!"

I don't know if my new job will allow me to coach again, but it was definitely a good experience, and I'm very glad I did it!

Race Results
Race Pictures

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

The first snow of the season has arrived! It snowed all day Wednesday, and into the night, but I couldn't get out for a run.


So today at lunch I headed out into the very chilly 30 degree air and had an UNBELIEVABLE run in the snow today! The sun was shining gloriously upon the pure white snow, the Monuments looked so serene and beautiful against the blue background of the sky and the shimmering snow below....I was supposed to run for 3 miles, ended up running 5 (oops--now icing my bad foot under the desk).

Strangely enough, the "storm" caught everyone off guard, so there was none of the usual craziness that usually arrives with the snow. They didn't freak out and have a run on bread, milk, and water at the store, and we didn't even get sent home early Wednesday or have a weather delay this morning!

It definitely feels like December now! Can't wait for Christmas, hopefully it will be a white one!


I've posted more photos of my run through the Mall online.

Bella In The News

DISCLAIMER: I have never been ashore in Iraq. I was last stationed off the Northern Arabian Gulf in 2004, but have never been stationed ashore, and am not currently there. That is a very sensitive distinction, as I'm sure all can appreciate. There are thousands of Navy personnel currently serving ashore in Iraq and Afganistan, in very dangerous, important positions helping out the other services, but I have always served aboard a ship when deployed, and am currently serving in Washington, DC.

Also, I was actually training for a half-ironman, not a full ironman distance race.

Cyclingnews.com wanted to showcase the Velo Bella-Kona cyclists who were also serving in the military. While there are 5 of us, they chose to write mostly about me! Check out the full article below.

Velo Bella-When Duty Calls

Race Pace CX

Today was my second cyclo-cross race. Had to leave DC at 7am to head up to Sykesville, MD for my 9am race.

Marisa was the only other Bella there, but Jean and Lindsey from Coppi were also racing, and a few other gals I know from the road scene were there too. It was actually a pretty good-sized field--16 starters, 13 finishers. The course was VERY hilly, and had alot of off-camber turns, and some serious technical turns. One girl even did a double front flip off her bike into a chain link fence! So, I pre-rode the course twice, everything was good, there was one hill I was going to run up, and one tree barrier that I would have to dismount to hop over, but otherwise it was all rideable. So I thought....

Half way around the first lap, I got to the really technical double 180 degree turns, managed to maneuver the first one well, but did a very slow, uphill fall on the second turn. I got all muddy, which only exicted me, because now I was finally doing cross! I dismounted going over the tree, but all the other girls were bunny-hopping over it. So, I made some changes for the rest of the laps (how many I did in all I don't remember). When I got to the double technical turn, I rode the first, dismounted and ran the second--that was much faster, and I ended up passing a few girls at that point. Then, when I got to the tree, I saw a photographer there, so I made the bold decision to try to bunny-hop. It worked! And I want that picture!! I really gained alot of confidence on this course, dismounts were flashy and fast, and really got aggressive on the downhills and turns. Only bad thing was that I had absolutely no front brakes! Not entirely sure how, but my headset came loose, and I discovered during the first lap that every time I used the front brakes the front wheel chattered and wobbled and felt like it was going to fall off! So, I had to use the back brakes only, but that just forced me to be more aggressive, and it was an awesome feeling!

Ended up finishing 8th, happy with that--moving up two spots from DCCX. I've got 3, maybe 4 more races this year. I LOVE CROSS!!!! MORE COWBELL!

Detailed results can be found: Race Pace Cyclocross

DC Cyclocross--More Cowbell!

Today I attempted my very first cyclocross race! What is Cyclocross you ask? Courtesy of Wikipedia:

Cyclo-cross (Cyclocross, CX, cyclo-X or 'cross) is a form of bicycle racing. Races take place in the autumn and winter, and consists of many laps of a short (1.5–2 mile) course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount, carry the bike whilst navigating the obstruction and remount in one graceful motion. Races are generally between 40 minutes to an hour long, with the distance varying depending on the ground conditions. The sport is strongest in the traditional road cycling countries such as Belgium (and Flanders in particular), The Netherlands and the Czech Republic .

Cyclo-cross bicycles are similar to racing bicycles: lightweight, with narrow tires and drop handlebars. However, they also share characteristics with mountain bicycles in that they utilize knobby tread tires for traction, and cantilever style brakes for clearance needed due to muddy conditions. They have to be lightweight because competitors need to carry their bicycle to overcome barriers or slopes too steep to climb in the saddle. The sight of competitors struggling up a muddy slope with bicycles on their shoulders is the classic image of the sport, although unridable sections are generally a very small fraction of the race distance.

Compared with other forms of cycle racing, tactics are fairly straightforward, and the emphasis is on the rider's aerobic endurance and bike-handling skills.

A cyclo-cross rider is allowed to change bicycles and receive mechanical assistance during a race. While the rider is on the course gumming up one bicycle with mud, his or her pit crew can work quickly to clean, repair and oil the spares. Having a mechanic in the "pits" is more common for professional cyclo-cross racers. The average cyclo-cross racer might have a family member or friend holding their spare bike.

One final cross-unique aspect is cowbells. Cowbells are used to cheer on the racers as they race up the hills, over barriers, and around the turns. So, if you've ever seen the SNL skit with Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken, you understand the sentiment for "More Cowbell!"

Okay, now onto my race report. It was awesome to sleep in until 8am and simply get on my bike to ride to a race! What a different concept! It was about 3 miles across town to get to the Armed Forces Retirement Center in NE DC, where the first ever cross race in the District took place. It was hosted by the DC City Bikes Mountain Bike team, and a review of the course is on their DCMTB blog.


I arrived really early, met up with Marisa Peacock and Kimberlee Wendell, fellow Bellas, and we headed off to pre-ride the course. Oh, perhaps I get ahead of myself. First let me tell you that prior to riding the bike around the 2-mile loop, I'd been on the bike for a total of 40 minutes since picking it up at Conte's after they built it. Yup, have never raced this bike, have never even taken it for a group ride! It has completely different tires, pedal clips, shoes, shifters, brakes than any of my other bikes! So much for "nothing new on race day!"

But, I seemed to be doing okay on the 3 practice loops, except getting clipped back into the pedals was slowing me down a bit. Anyway, the three Bella's started the race together, all middle of the pack, dueling it out as to who was leading, but after two laps it became pretty clear that Kimberlee was going to be strongest, followed by me, with Marisa shortly behind. It was a great cris-crossy course, so we could pass and encourage each other often. I had a total blast! I was dying, my average heartrate was at 176, and I felt like puking at the end of the race, but you could not get the grin off my face! What fun!

So, Kimberlee finished in 9th, me 10th, and Marisa 11th place. Here are the rest of the race results. It was great to have so many Bellas together racing!



Anyway, after the race, I decided to take my new bike for a proper ride, and went downtown to the finish of the Marine Corps Marathon, but unfortunately just missed my boss (the Admiral) finish his first marathon in about 5:20! Way to go!

Time to go start practicing.....

My Shiny New Bike!

The frame has been sitting around my house for almost a year, but this week I finally got all the various parts and pieces together, thanks to sponsors Kona, Easton, Giro, Crank Brothers, Bikeman, and my favorite bike shop, Conte's , who built up my bike.



She's soooo pretty! I'm thinking that I need a pink saddle too. Maybe Santa's watching!


I'll be doing my very first Cyclocross race on the bike tomorrow, DCCX, the first and only cross race inside the District! I rode the bike today for about an hour since the rain has finally stopped. I'm not very good at clipping into the "eggbeater" pedals, so tomorrow shall be entertaining.

Life...After Tri

With Ironman Kona World Championships being held Saturday, triathlon season is officially over. And while I've been on a workout hiatus (mostly to let my plantar fasciitis heal in my feet), I've been enjoying the other things life has to offer!

So, on Saturday, I went to "Renn Fest" overwise known as the Maryland Rennaisance Festival. It's been a very long time since I've been to one, but it seems they haven't changed at all. I had a blast eating every kind of meat on a stick you can think of: steak on a stake, pork on a stick, chicken kabobs, turkey legs...you name it!


We also had grilled corn on the cob that had been "stripped and dipped" in sinful amounts of butter, apple dumplings, soup in bread bowls, and fried macaroni and cheese on a stick!!!! Okay, I confess, I couldn't eat the mac n' cheese or the deep fried twinkie on a stick. No wonder the people in the Tudor period were so fat!










The boys tried to drench a wench, we all tried our hands at shooting arrows (some were much worse than others...) and we took a turn at throwing the Battle Axes. I was the only person, male or female, who was able to get my axe to stick in the tree


We ate and drank all day, and I nearly had to be rolled out to the parking lot by the end of the day. Next time, I'm dressing up like all the other folks though....



On Sunday, Michelle, Liz and I decided we needed to walk off all that meat on a stick, and we drove out to the Shenandoah Valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains to climb Old Rag Mountain. We couldn't have asked for a better day; crystal clear blue skies, and temps expected to top at 70.

We stopped in Sperryvillefor some deli sandwiches, and then headed up the mountain.

The first mile was fireroad, then a good mile or so uphill trail hike traversing the mountain, and then you finally come out of the forest and can see the bald, boulder summit. There's a pretty good, just-technical-enough-to-be-fun, 1 mile boulder scramble to the top of Old Rag. The total vertical is 2500ft climb, and the elevation of the summit is 3,291 feet.

We stopped at the top for lunch, and enjoyed the view. Unfortunately, due to the severe drought in Virginia, there was no fall foliage or "leaf peeping" to be had--most of the trees are still green, and those that are turning are simply going brown and dying.




But that definitely didn't take away from the beautiful views at the top.

I'm very glad I did the hike, although by the time we finished the 7.2 mile loop, I was done with the hiking boots! Definitely need new ones....

RennFest/Old Rag photos

Seagull Century Ride

On a whim, I decided to do the Seagull Century charity ride (100 miles) with my friend Jean. Now, I hadn't done a single workout since finishing Nation's Tri a week ago. Even more, I've not ridden more than 60 miles at a stretch this entire season. And moreover, I've never ridden 100 miles before in my life! But, what the heck, the weather was predicted to be nice, and I had nothing better to do....

So, Jean and I did a "slumber party" Friday night, with another girlfriend Lisa. We made homemade pesto, drank wine, and just caught up on each other's lives (Lisa is a crazy Doctor doing her resident training, and Jean also works on the Hill).

We woke up at 4 am!! Got picked up at 4:45, hit 7-11 for coffee and headed out to Salisbury, MD. Got there around 7:15, got all checked in and we're rolling at 8am sharp.
The two guys we rode with (fellow Coppi teammates of Jean's) took off right at the start because we ended up riding with the DC Velo club--and the boys got all testosteroni. So, after about 5 miles Jean and I fell off and did our own thing.




We then met up with a group of riders from Annapolis, and ended up riding with them the rest of the day. The sun finally came out once we were at Assateague, but I would have preferred it stay foggy all day!



We finished the ride in just under 5 hours, averaging right around 20mph, and the last 18 miles we really hammered, Jean and I left our Annapolis buddies and just teared it up, passing folks left and right like it was a race, it was fun!





Some interesting facts from the ride:

--5300 riders

--70% of the riders were male

--30% of the riders were female

--The youngest rider was 8 years old and the oldest was 80

--Temperature ranged from 63 (and humid and foggy) to 83 (and humid and sunny!)

--$6,300 was donated to Habitat for Humanity

--$1,200 was donated to League of American Bicyclists

--$2,200 was donated to SGC Scholarship at Salisbury University

The Nation's Triathlon--Finishing Strong!

What a difference a week makes! I went into this race with zero expectations, I even went out the night before. It was kind of cool, did a dinner cruise with the Secretary of the Navy, and nearly every Navy Admiral in DC. So, I was "on the Potomac" Friday night, and "in the Potomac" Saturday morning! This was the first time since 1971 anyone's been legally allowed to swim in the Potomac!

And what a fantastically fabulous fall day it was. Not a cloud in the sky; cool, clear, crisp air and a definite electric charge all around! I rode my bike from the house down to the transition area in Georgetown--even met a fellow DC-Tri gal named Carmen who lives near me, so we rode together.

I arrived in transition pretty late, around 7:30 (my swim wave wasn't until 8:44), got all set up, and helped a number of newbies as well. Met the girl right next to me, Jennifer, who just got back from Iraq and is now out of the Army. After helping her set up, we both headed down to the swim start.

There were tons of DC-Tri folks all around, either racing or volunteering. The volunteer support was fantastic! The Georgetown waterfront was beautiful, clear blue skies--a perfect "San Diego morning".

THE SWIM (29:53)
Age group 10/31
The Potomac isn't the nastiest water I've ever been in. It was actually quite nice. Didn't smell bad, didn't taste bad, and it was actually better visibility UNDER-water than above. We jumped off the floating dock into the water, swam down to the Key Bridge, and then turned around for the down-stream, slightly longer leg back. Problem was that the sun was right in our face. It was a total white-out. The entire river seemed on fire with light. I couldn't see anything. I had to stop 3 or 4 times to try to hear others around me, and look backwards at the bouys to know where to swim forwards. Needless to say, it was a brutal swim!

T1 (3:12)
Age group 4/31
It was a fairly long run from the swim to the transition area--about the same as last week at General Smallwood.

THE BIKE (1:07:58)
Age group 3/31
I took off flying past the Kennedy Center, checked my computer and it said 24mph! WOW, I thought, this is going to be a good race! I was flying all the way until the tip of Hain's Point, and as I rode around "The Awakening" statue, I "awokened" to the fact that my 24mph was a result of a heady tailwind, which was now a full-on brutal headwind. It was all I could do to keep it in the 15-18mph range. Two loops, where 3/4 of each loop had the headwind or a nasty cross-wind. I was passing folks left and right, and really enjoyed the ride through all the Monuments. What a gorgeous course!

T2 (:56)
Age group 1/31 (Yeah!)
No cramping, no need for water, in and out, lickety-split!

THE RUN (46:42)
Age group 3/31
I had no idea where I was time-wise, but after last week's fiasco and my 5-second loss for 3rd place, I knew I needed to just run. Run, Forest, Run! The course took us up Whitehurst Fwy, then over a makeshift staircase to the other side of Whitehurst and back down again. The motorcycle camera caught up to me and I had a brief conversation with them, but then I was off! It was great seeing so many DC-Tri folks running, and we were all giving each other the "thumbs-up" as we passed; volunteers were shouting and encouraging, and the energy was unbelievable! Next thing I knew I was at mile 3. Completely afraid to look at my watch, I just kept on plowing, telling myself that I didn't have to do another run this year, so you better run your heart out and leave nothing in the bank! And then I saw the "Mile 5" marker. And I felt great! I picked up the speed again. Then some guy behind me actually asked me where the Smithsonian was; having told him there were numerous ones, but the Natural History Museum was right in front of us; he then asked which one was best!? Really. We had a total conversation while I was running a sub-8 minute pace.

THE FINISH (2:28:40)*Personal Best*
Age group 3/31
Overall 29/230 women (845 total participants)

As I turned onto 12th street from Constitution, I noticed that there were runners running in both directions. How long was Mile 5 anyway?!? Then I turned right onto Pennsylvania Avenue, running straight at the United States Capitol. WOW, what a sight! And then, at the foot of the Capitol, we did a U-turn around a red-hot new Porche, and it was a 4 block straight-shot to victory! I picked up the pace, saw a few folks ahead of me and kicked it in. There wasn't a chance that I was going to give up this week. This week I was going to FINISH STRONG!

It wasn't until I saw the finisher's clock (which was ~45 minutes ahead of my time) when I realized I might actually have run a sub 2:30 race. And then I looked down at my watch. I couldn't believe it! My watch said 2:29:17, and I started my watch about :40 seconds early before the swim (so I'm always a bit suprised by my "official" time). Not only did I finish strong, but I had CRUSHED my all-time-best, and finally made the "sub-2:30 club". I also managed to requalify for USAT Age Group Nationals again next year!

For all the nay-sayers, and folks who never thought it'd happen, the Nation's Tri is one of the all-time best triathlon experiences I've ever had! I can't wait till next year!

NBC News Coverage
Race Results

General Smallwood--Attitude Adjustment!

The morning arrived hot, humid, and horrible! How it could be 40 degrees last weekend and 80 degrees at 5 am this race morning are beyond me! I didn't get much sleep or tapering rest before this race, as I'd landed at DCA around 8:30 Friday night, had to stop at Conte's to get my bike, and didn't make it to bed until after 11pm.

I agreed to take a fellow DC Tri'er down to the race with me, a newbie named Jason who decided on a whim that he'd like his first triathlon experience to be an Olympic distance! Crazy boy!

Jason and I drove through the misty rain in the darkness down to General Smallwood park, all the while wondering what the weather was going to bring once the sun rose. It just got hotter and muggier as the morning went on!

My friend Jean and her boyfriend Ken (both Coppi riders) came to volunteer, and it was great to actually have people who knew me cheering me on at a race for once! Ken was on the bullhorn for the swim start....

THE SWIM (29:30)
Age Group 9/23
Overall 29/77 women


This course, same as last year, was very grassy--tons of hydrilla in the water made for a swampy swim. It's two loops out and back, easy enough. It was really hot in the wetsuit, but I had a pretty straight swim, only veered off course once!

T1 (3:46)
Age Group 5/23
Overall 18/77
Again, same as last year, a long, over .25mile run up to the transition. I stashed my flip-flops and they helped with the concrete/gravel to transition.


THE BIKE (1:15:40)
Age Group 2/23
Overall 7/77
I used rented race wheels from Conte's, and they were great! I had a great time on the course. It seemed flatter than I remembered it--guess that's what happens when you ride the Pyrenees a few weeks earlier! I had a smoking bike, and even got kudos on the course from a number of the women I passed.

T2 (:56)
Age Group 2/23
Overall 5/77

THE RUN (52:58)
Age Group 3/23
Overall 17/77


I thought I was mentally prepared for the out-and-back hilly run from last year. But, the race director, David Glover, had a trick up his sleeve! The final mile of the race was a trail/cross country route instead of back down the road through the park entrance.

THE FINISH (2:42:48)
Age Group 4th place
Overall 16th place

At about 400m to the finish line, a lady caught up to me, shouted "We're almost there, come on" and took off ahead of me. Well, she looked to be in an older age group (no number on her calf) and the course wound down a narrow path where it then went uphill over a wooden bridge. At this point, I was just not mentally tough enough, and I let the lady pass me. Turns out she was in my age group, and beat me by 5 seconds and ended up taking 3rd.

I learned a hard lesson today; never, EVER give up a strong finish. I don't care if it's a 90 year old man next time, I'm racing strong to the end.

Race Results

The Inagural Annapolis Triathlon

I drove to Annapolis Saturday afternoon with the top down, checked into the race, had pasta dinner with friends, watched some 80's "The Cory's" movies with friends, and was in bed at 10:30pm.

Race morning was very early, left Jenna and Sam's house at 4:45am to go deal with the two transition setups. And then I had to wait until 7:30 to start my race! Oh the agony!

THE SWIM (29:33)
Age Group: 16/53
Overall: 43/377

I felt like crap entering the water, didn't even get to check to see if I had a good seal on my goggles--which were scratched to high heaven! The water was really warm, and very murky brown. Was very very slow at the beginning, but stayed on track until the turnaround, and on the return I went astray, and by the time I got back on track the first dark blue cap got me!

T1 (2:09)
I felt fine running out of the water, but when I got to my bike, I panicked as almost all the bikes were gone!!--or so it seemed, since I was 16 out of 53 out of the water, it wasn't quite that bad, guess all the fast swimmers were racked by me! Then my suit got stuck on my left ankle, so I flexed my toe to remove it and my calf seized up with a Charlie Horse. Nearly took me to the ground in excruciating pain! Had to stop and massage the calf for a good minute because I figured better once in T1 than have it cramp again on the bike.

THE BIKE (1:08:07)
Age Group: 10/53
Overall: 26/377

The course was very crowded, single-file many portions and hard to pass, and had to use brakes to keep from drafting where there was no room to pass. Way too crowded! My calf was still very tight, but never seized on my. Had a good chase with the USNA and USMA girls--between me and the Middy we pushed really hard and in the end we pulled the USMA girl out of her comfort zone and she bonked on the run. Go Navy! Beat Army! The last few kilometers, a guy in a Mid-Maryland kit commented on my pink, and we battled each other all the way to the transition, it was fun, but if you're reading, you still got beat by the older chick in Pink! While this was my fastest split ever, since the course was 2K short, no idea if this would have been a PR for me or not.

T2 (1:40)
It was a 2 transition area race, so T2 was over at the Stadium parking lot. It was an uphill dismount and people were stopped all over the place way before the dismount and I nearly crashed. Once I got off the bike and tried to run with the bike my calf seized again, so I limped my way all the way to the back of T2 to my rack and had to re-massage my calf. Took 4 more thermalites and 2 excedrine and limped out of T2.

THE RUN (53:39)
Age Group: 13/53
Overall: 98/377

I started out very slow, small steps, and rolling my full foot to stretch my calf muscle as I ran. Mid-Maryland guy was right behind me, and I kept expecting him to pass me but he never did--took till mile 2 before my calf finally loosened up and I didn't feel it at all. By mile 3 I glanced down at my watch and saw that I was at 2:09 overall. Quick calculation said that I could probably get under 2:39 so I picked up the pace. Finally passed my friend Michelle as we headed towards the bridge, and saw a few other DC tri folks too. At the top of the bridge my hip flexors were hurting, but I knew I had more in me so I took big strides coming down the bridge and picked up the pace.

THE FINISH (2:35:05--a Personal Best!)

At 400m to go I smiled to myself and thought of the last 400m on the Port de Bales climb and knew this was gonna be a piece of cake; then a chick with a "36" on her calf ran passed me, I kept pace, she picked it up, and at 200m we were in a full sprint, everyone cheering us both on, and as I saw the opening to the Stadium I bounded ahead, leaving her in the dust!

Overall, I was really frustrated that it wasn't a standard 1.5k/40k/10k race as originally advertised, but the finish line was pretty cool!

And I got to see fellow Navy teammate Tommy Brown (what a cutie!) take the overall Professional Win too!


Complete Results
Overall Rank = 50/377
Age Group Rank = 8/53

Velo Bella's Together At Last!

The Velo Bella's managed to get together for the last road race of the season, the Carlisle PA championship!

The sun was still sleeping as we headed out of town, but by 7am, it was dawning to be a fantastic, and uncharacteristically chilly August day! Zina and I drove up into the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside, and were the first Bellas to arrive.

When the Styer's gang arrived, Hillary and I decided to pre-ride the course; which would have been great had we actually pre-ridden the course! But, I took a wrong turn and we ended up riding in the wrong direction! Oh well....

There were 14 Cat 4 racers, 2 of us Bellas. Now, I hadn't even been on my bike since the Armed Forces Triathlon, so it was going to be a suffer-fest for me, but I thought it'd be fun to get out and just ride with the Bellas, and as long as I wasn't last, all would be well!

It was a short neutral roll to the start and then we were off. The course was 5 times around a 5.4 mile loop in the Pennsylvania farmland. There were a few very gentle undulating hills, with 3 or 4 very technical 90 degree turns, and one very steep 300m hill on the back side.

The first loop was definitely a warm-up, we were going very very slow. I felt relaxed but a bit edgy wondering when the break away would come. As we started lap 2 we kept the same casual pace, and I wondered briefly if this whas how the whole race was going to go!? But no, half way into lap 2 the local PA team made an attack for the hill. I and 3 other gals sped off to catch her. I made it about 250m up the hill and then fell off. Crap. That always happens! So, there were 3 girls off the front, and a middle pack of about 8, and 3 or 4 girls who had fallen off the back end. Around lap 3 I got dropped again, and fell inline with one of the last 4 girls. We managed 2 laps together, but as we started lap 5 the other girl lost steam. I found Katie, an unattached rider at the back side of lap 4 and we climbed the monster hill together and worked together to try to make up ground again. But my lack of saddle time in the last month finally won out, and as we headed into the climb for the final time, Katie dropped me and I never saw her again.

As I rounded the final corner heading into the long steady uphill to the finish, I got passed by two girls who I'd outridden all morning, and they beat me by about 10 seconds. How frustrating! I've got to work on my stamina!

In the end, it was a great race, and I had a great time! Hillary finally did her first race, I'm very proud of her, and Melanie worked hard to get Barb a second place finish for the 1/2/3 race! GO BELLAS!

Race Results

Photos