My Friend Al

My friend, Al Vollen, died yesterday. In the year I've known Al, he has had a major impact in my life. He had a direct, sincere approach to life and enormous love for people, known & unknown.

I met Al while he was serving as an honoree (cancer patient or survivor) with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. One of my first conversations with Al was over lunch after a swim & bike workout. Al told me about the pleasure he received serving as a Grand Juror. He relished the intellectual aspects of it coupled with giving back to society. He said it was his turn, and spoke about the importance of participation in a democracy. It was a very natural, gentle conversation, not lecturing in any way.

Al was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia in January 2002. He immediately started chemotherapy and began searching for a bone marrow donor through the national registry, about five million people, without success. Once the search was expanded to international registries, a match was finally found in Israel. One out of an estimated eight million registered donors in the world. The man, Gavry (Gabriel), is a dairy farmer, who loves to swim and dance the salsa. Al's grandaughter was later named after Gavry.

Al generously gave of his time volunteering for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and encouring people of all ages training for their first triathlons through Team In Training. The following is an excerpt he wrote as an introduction to everyone on my first triathlon team:

There are so many stories to tell and miracles to relate--the one most poignant to me begins when I wrote an email to just ten friends and relatives before starting the first chemo. "OK, here is the drill. Everyday, or as appropriate, from now until I'm out of the woods, find a quiet moment by yourself or even better with your loved one(s). Hold each other in a circle; close your eyes; feel the love rise and generate. Love for me, love for who you are, and particularly love for those so close to you. Now send that energy to me. No need to effort - just let the healing flow. You may save my life."

Thanks to the Internet, that message whirled around the world; it was stuffed into the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, became part of sermons, and even reached into Tibet. I received loving and encouraging replies from people I've never met. I firmly believe that I have gotten this far and will go all the way because of the love that is out there for me and whether you know it or not, your participation in this triathlon is part of that. An act of loving and giving to individuals yet unknown - much like my dairy farmer freely and openly gave his stem cells to someone unknown.

Last May I participated in the Sprint Triathlon at Wildflower and followed that with the Olympic Triathlon at Pacific Grove. If any of you have any doubts about completing the challenge ahead of you, think about a 65-year-old guy with a history of Leukemia who managed to do it.

Last summer, Al's body began to reject his transplant, three years in. The first time I visted him in the hospital at Stanford University, it was his wedding anniversary. His wife, Carol was with him, and they were in great spirits. Al wanted to hear all about my training and how the team was doing. He ended up being able to go home and has had some tough times since then, but his death yesterday was very unexpected.

Al was a very loving husband, father, grandfather and a triathlete. He was one of the most positive people I've ever met and I miss him already.

I encourage everyone to register with the National Bone Marrow Registry. Bone Marrow transplants have come a long way. A cheek cell swab is all that's needed for registering. If a match is found, donations are often done solely by transfusion instead of an operation.

Al's friendship enriched my life. Please think of Al and his family as you go about your day.

Catch-up

Training highlights since last week:

Spinnerval last Tuesday night. Tough but fun! 2.5 hours of:
spin, run, core, spin, run, core, spin, run, core, spin, run, core and finally stretching.

We all set up our bikes & trainers on the side of the track at De Anza College in blissfully warm sunlight. It was our first evening workout with sunshine (at least for the beginning). Amazing! The run felt great too. It was encouraging after my faltering run of the previous week.

Saturday was a minor bike ride: 21 miles with one hill thrown in to make it seem like I was actually doing something. I did get up to 43.1 mph on the downhill.

Sunday was a long swim workout made up of drills, a broken mile set, sprints and 30 minutes of swimming the pool covers across the lane lines. I think the pool covers bit was one of the tougher parts! Then we ran for 2 hours 25 minutes out and back on the Almaden Creek Trail. Instead of running continously, I ran with Christy & Karen in a 7:1 cadence. Seven minutes run, 1 minute walk. Apparently, few people actually run the entire marathon portion of the Ironman. Practicing run/walks now can help get you going when you're exhausted, bloated, sunburned, dehydrated, sick, nauseous, or any of the other maladies that Iv'e been hearing about! Some of the race reports I'm hearing make me question my sanity.

Okay time for inspiration. I haven't whipped on of these out for a while so I think I'm overdue:

One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is
to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do. -- Henry Ford

Bonk, Bonking, Bonked!

We hear a lot about experimenting with nutrition and hydration from our coaches. I've heard nutrition and hydration mentioned as the fourth sport in triathlons too. It is crucial to find out what your body needs. Everyone has different needs and tolerates foods/drinks differently.

I tried an experiment last Saturday and it went horribly wrong. During a 60 mile ride, without any major hills, I bonked hard at mile 50. I wondered at some points if I'd make it back to the car.

What happened? I'm writing it all out to figure it out. CAUTION: obsessive technical talk ahead, skip down to "What did I learn?" if you prefer...

The original plan for Saturday was 60+ mile ride with Tom & SVTC (Silicon Valley Tri Club) on a course I've done several times which included some good hills. I had a good meal & good night's sleep. I probably should have been hydrating more through the last week. I also had real coffee Friday during the day and two and a half glasses of wine with dinner. These may have been contributing factors, especially if I was already dehydrated.

The nutrition experiment I planned was to drink Heed instead of Perpetuem & Heed and eat Cliff bars & Hammer gel instead of Powerbars & Gel. Last year I didn't eat many Powerbars and ate Gu instead of Hammer Gel. My goal is to figure out the bloating I've been having by excluding them one at a time. Neglecting to pack any Enduralytes was not part of the experiment.

Due to the rain and slick roads, the route was changed, eliminating most of the hills. I stayed with the group for the first half and it was pretty low key. The first bit was an out and back from Cupertino to Los Gatos. I had fun chatting with women in the group and kept up easily. Once back in Cupertino I felt great and continued on the second loop: Cupertino to Robert's Market and back via Foothill, Arastradero & Portola. By Foothill Expressway, Tom & I were only riding with one other rider.

At Robert's Market we stopped and I refilled one water bottle. By then, I'd finished 2/3 of my Hammer gel flask, one bottle of Heed & 1/4 of a Cliff Bar. Although I felt fine, I was probably in trouble already. At this point in previous rides I would have already consumed one bottle of Perpetuem and a whole Cliff bar or Powerbar as well as 2-4 Enduralytes, depending on the weather.

It was drizzly and rainy off and on but as we left Woodside the weather improved. Going up Sand Hill Road, Tom coached me up the hill which was terrific. I really want to improve my hill climbing and it was the first time I really understood that I need to be shifting a lot more. I made it up much faster than normal and then had a great descent down over the freeway and onto Alpine & Foothill. I did hit the bridge seam hard which knocked my cadence sensor off center. It took me a couple of miles to figure out what was making the strange ticking sound. (Actually the other SVTC rider figured it out for me!)

As we were passing the Stanford Dish trail, I was beginning to feel some cramping. By the time we were on Foothill Expressway, I was officially dropped. Going through Los Altos is one of my favorite sections. I love dropping into my aerobars and trying to beat the lights, but Sat it was torture. I had major cramps in my quads, calves & vastus medialis in both legs. A side ache came and went as I struggled along. When I'm running that's a sure sign I'm dehydrated. It's the first time it's happened on the bike. I felt like I was pedaling in slow motion.

Tom waited for me at Homestead & Foothill and I did my best to suck it up. We rode together the rest of the way and once back at the car, I thought I was out of the woods. When we got home, I realised just how "Bonked" I really was. It was not pretty: tears, uncontrollable shivering and no strength in my hands. After a hot shower, hot soup and some nice hugs, I felt a lot better. A couple hours later, I was ravenous again and Tom took me out for a great meal.

So what did I learn???

I need to take Enduralytes. I need to eat more often. Alcohol is a dangerous drug. Hydrating is important every day not just when you remember. What's the rule I've mentioned here before? Eat before you're hungry, drink before you're thirsty!

Good things that came out of this experience: I learned I can improve my hill riding. I can keep up with the middle of the pack riders at SVTC. My previous nutrition plan was pretty good. (I still need to figure out the bloating, though) and Mio Vicino is an excellent restaurant!

I also learned I have a wonderful boyfriend who took good care of me in my wretched state. Thank you, Tom! You're the best!

1/2 Way There!

It's official! I'm halfway to Ironman. Has is really been six months???? I think I feel 1/3 ready. . .

Wildflower Weekend

Over the weekend of April 7-9, both the North & South Bay Ironteams drove down for our 1/2 Way to Iron race on the fabled Wildflower Triathlon Long Course. (The official race is May 5) It was three days of fun-- camping at Lake San Antonio in rural Monterey County. I've already written a little bit about Wildflower, but I don't know if I can convey the magnitude of the race course! Fabled, it truly is. Individually, each leg has fairly difficult aspects but nothing too arduous alone. However, several factors combine to make it one of the most difficult triathlons in the US.* (See below for the details)

I drove down with teammates Ann & Brenna and with my car stuffed to the gills with gear. (Have I mentioned this sport requires a ton of stuff??) I should have taken a photo of my car with three bikes & three wheels stored on the roof rack. We looked hard-core! Halfway there a storm blew in with high winds and cold rain. That concerned all of us! We had a wonderful potluck dinner, despite the rain, followed by the pre-race meeting. The coaches gave us a lot of information & tactics about the weather, the road & trail conditions and logistics, but there was absolutely NO talk of canceling! It was a slightly somber meeting for what is usually a boisterous crowd. We all packed our transition bags and went to bed early in preparation for the 7:00 start!

And we're off!- The Race Report

After a stormy night, we awoke at 5:00 am to thick fog but thankfully no rain. Due to the heavy fog & tough visibility, we had an abbreviated swim which was fine with me! As we started the bike, I wished I had my light on the back of my bike. It was scary on the road. But as soon as we got out of the park, the fog burned off and it was gorgeous! Spring hasn't arrived in Monterey County yet, either, but the countryside was beautifully green. The vistas along the roads were incredible!

I did fairly well on the bike course. My final riding time was 4 hrs 12 min which I think is good for my first time on the route. I have a new personnel top speed too: 44.1 miles per hour. Yay! The time I was actually on the course, not riding, was another story. I had a flat at mile 23 which set me back about 15 minutes which was followed by 5 more tire related incidents & hand numbness with the two teammates I rode with. I felt really bad for my teammates, they were both having a tough time. I had to make several potty stops which didn't help my time either. I finally made it back to the transition area with three hours to finish the run.

I started the run off okay but was quickly joined by my old friends nausea & stomach bloating but was still able to run about 85-90% of the time. I was joined by Coach Dan at the entrance to the park and he ran with me the rest of the way. It was great to have his company & his wonderfully irreverent jokes. Okay, some were downright dirty! I cut two miles off the course in order to finish before the cut-off time. I hated coming in last. My plan was to run the 13.1 miles in 2:45. I think I ran 11.1 in about 3 hours.

Not a stellar performance. The good news is that I didn't puke, I didn't cramp and my knees weren't sore. Those are all very positive signs. I know the next time will be easier. I'm still trying to figure out the bloating/nausea thing. I stopped at just about every Port-A-Potty on the run course. I may need to switch back to Cliff bars instead of Powerbars on the bike. I'm taking about 2-4 Enduralytes an hour, so I can experiment with taking less in cooler weather too.

Wabo-Flower

That night the North Bay Ironteam threw a huge party. It was a blast! I think I'll do a call back to the first week of this journal and say "What happens at Wabo-Flower, stays at Wabo-Flower!" But I will give these tidbits: adult beverages were consumed (along with plenty of water!), I did hear some choice chants including: "Shot! Shot! Shot!..." followed by the ever popular "Body Shot!", much dancing (what the kids these days call "freaking") was demonstrated. And we all had a wonderful time. I have even more love for all of my teammates! They are the best!

Water Stop of No Return!

The next morning, after a fabulous breakfast cooked up by our mentors & captains, the combined Ironteams sponsored a water stop for the SF tri team's long course run. It was really more of an obstacle than a water stop. I think if I'd been running I might have run a mile around it! We did an incredible amount of cheering and even saw some people we knew. I've included a very flattering photo of myself at the water stop below. (Not!)

Then we packed up the stuff again and headed home! Ann & I celebrated with a tasty lunch at In'n Out Burger in Salinas. Another time-honored tradition!
















Little Bo Peep? Hardly!



*What Makes the Wildflower Long Course one of the toughest triathlons in the US?

First, the weather: high temperatures dominate the race day records. Many years it's been over 100F.

Second, hills: after several rolling hills, the steepest bike climbs are after mile 43. The run course has long climbs with a tough one at mile 9.

Third, camping. I love to camp no matter the weather, but if it's hot or stormy, a good night's sleep is tough.

But there are many aspects that make it a remarkable experience too! Lots of spectators. Many top professionals race and you see them up close & personal since most people are camping. It's a festival atmosphere, which makes it a lot of fun. There are many honored traditions that have stayed on through the years. Although, I've heard the naked water stop on the long course was phased out last year. Bummer! That's just what I want to see as I'm expiring from heat exhaustion on the run!

So I'm looking forward to the real race weekend, but I'm a little nervous too.

New Theme for the Season?

Training while exhausted may be my new theme. I ended up working really late Saturday night. This meant that with the advent of Daylight Savings Time, I ended up just shy of 5 hours sleep before Sunday's swim/run brick. Three nights in a row without enough sleep took it's toll Sunday morning. It was a real effort to get to practice.

Despite my low energy in the pool, I did successfully make two fairly big changes to my stroke with Coach Dan's help. The first was rotating my hips more to generate more power. The second involves how I pull my hands back under the water. In the last year, I've really been concentrating on eliminating the "S" pull I learned back in the dark ages. I pretty much don't do it anymore, although sometimes it sneeks back in. Now that it's gone, I've been working on improving my pulling technique. I think I finally got it Sunday! I must have made a significant change because I'm sore in my arms & shoulders today. I think these two improvements could increase my speed, finally! We finished off with a four person relay race that sucked any remaining energy I had right out!

Our scheduled run was 2 hr 10 minutes, not to exceed 13 miles. Uh yah, not really a problem for me! I started off feeling okay but after the first mile I had to do a little run/walking, just no energy. Then Coach Mike walked with me for about a 1/2 mile and we started running again. By the time we turned around at 1:05, I felt much better! I ended up with a much better pace on the way back. Thank you, Coach!

Note to the squeemish: this paragraph is graphic. While running with Coach Mike, I learned how to do a successful "snot rocket" using the proper finger, nose and head/shoulder swivel techniques. Etiquette for the appropriate time to do one was also covered. Now, if I could only master spitting...

So instead of the "Training While Exhausted" theme, I'm going to call it the "You're Going to Feel Better, Trust Me!" theme instead!

My goal for this week is good sleep, healthy food and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate-- for this Saturday is our 1/2 way to Iron Race. Yes, good guess, this means we're doing a 1/2 Ironman distance triathlon: 1.5 mile swim, 56 mile bike & 13.1 mile run. The best part is, it's the storied Wildflower Long Course route, yay! I really am glad we're doing it on the actual Wildflower course. Even though Wildflower won't be my "A" race of the year, I want to do well.

Am I even going to mention the rain. I heard a rumor that it rained 25 out of March's 31 days.

Biking Through Exhaustion

Tough weekend! Hard workouts are great, I enjoy them. Hard workouts, coupled with long work hours and sleep deprivation are not enjoyable.

Okay, enough belly-aching!

I love trying out new bike routes and Saturday was a newish ride for me. We rode 56 miles from Milpitas City Hall up through Fremont to Niles Canyon, then up Palomares Rd over the ridge through rural Pleasanton & Sunol and then went over the eastern foothills back to Milpitas via Calaveras Road.

It was A LOT of climbing!!! I've never been up Palomares Rd before. It's beautiful as well as steep. The climb follows a rushing stream that was very loud. Lots of wildflowers are starting and everything is green. I don't know if I'm just getting used to the wet & damp or not, but I wasn't nearly as cold Saturday.

When we came down through Pleasanton, I knew where I was. I rode part way up Calaveras Road last summer from Sunol. What a difference nine months makes! The climb was much easier this time, even after how far we'd ridden already. I think I'm a much stronger rider now, plus it wasn't over 90F on Saturday!

Calaveras Rd was beautiful too. The gloom had burned off by the time we started climbing and there were lovely clouds, sunshine and gorgeous vistas. It was exciting to see the pro cyclists names still on the road from the Tour de California passing through. It's a little bit of a buzz to know we're out riding the same routes as the pros. Just a bit slower!

So I learned to push through my exhaustion and keep riding. I ended up feeling much better by the end of the ride than when I started.

Stats for the day:

56 miles
39.1 top speed of the day
14.5 average mph(pretty good for hills, I don't know our total elevation gain)