tri report

The triathlon is done! It was easier and harder than expected (easier in the swim, harder in the bike and run), I was faster than I thought (in the run), and I actually felt better physically after the tri than I did after either of my two (last years) running races.

Also, I came out close to the top quarter of all racers, combining all times and my transition times. I mean, I'll take that! This wasn't near as bad as I thought I would be.

Of course my slowest time was in the swim event. Nonetheless, the wetsuit helped enormously. I didn't get super tired, although I did find myself swimming the long way round, because I kept forgetting to sight. It was darkish and foggy too. I was looking at minnows and fronds for a while, then i realized that all the flailing human bodies were headed a different way. Ah me. At any rate, it was over soon enough and I rose out of the water like the swamp thang, peeled off my neoprene carapace and donned biker chic.

At first I was elated to get out of the water and onto my bike, where I really do feel most at home. I started to fly...WHEEEEEE!!! I started to feel like I was just going to kick ASS. WHEEEEEE! ...
and then WHEEEEE gradually turned to "f**k. F**K. HOLY F**KING SH*T!" There were hills. LOTS of hills. Hills throughout the WHOLE course. And these were steepish hills. LONG hills. Short stocky fat hills that came one after another in an annoying steplike fashion. Hills with smaller hills on their peaks like massive pimples on a nose. I could not believe it. Later, I looked at the website, which actually described the course as "challenging". Why, thank you. I was not expecting challenging for this baby tri. Nonetheless. I persevered. However, I forgot that I was to hold back some mojo for the run. Also, my race number flew off my bike at one point, and I, like a stupid dummy, went back to get it. As I picked it up, someone whipped past me saying "oh you don't need that..." haha. But I am so damned anal that i held onto it for the rest of the ride. My pace was average of 16mph overall. This is no tour de france-type pace, but, hey, for me, on hills, it was ok.

Then, I had a surprisingly good pace on the running portion (8:18 min mile, which is also no elite pace, but is a good pace for me). This was amazing, because i was trying to run slow, just so that i wouldn't have to give up and walk, because, as already stated, I had sorta blown my wad on the bicycle portion. Running after biking did not feel good, despite the fact that in the gym, it often does. But then, in the gym, my bike training is usually pretty half assed, and the treadmill soft and forgiving... Here, my legs felt like they were slamming the pavement hard with every step. I tried to consciously make my footfall softer, but it wasn't easy... Additionally, at the beginning, someone handed me a packet of sports beans which i clutched the entire time, wanting to eat them, but not really knowing how to do it in a non-spastic manner. Thus, i did both the bike and run holding on to unnecessary objects. I suppose that is good training for wartime or something. I dunno.

I did my transitions in a leisurely and calm fashion. Since I used to perform in some rather prop-heavy shows, I am good at setting up my props and keeping that part of things together. I did not feel like rushing, especially since I was more interested in my separate times for each event than my overall time. Nonetheless, in looking at my stats, it would behoove me to shave a bit off those times...I mean, I could have had a light luncheon in the time it took to get from swimming to biking...

I've decided i am a fan of the triathlon. It has something for everyone. Enough physical punishment for the masochist, enough gear for the gear head, enough planning and lists and setting up for the obsessive compulsive, enough exercise for the fitness minded, enough of a "pack" for the social, and enough autonomy for us loners (after they call your swim wave, you are really on your own for the rest of the race, you basically make up your own schedule...)

I spose I'll have to get that swim time up, tho. If my swim percentile had matched my bike and run percentiles, I'd have done a lot better stat wise. Ah well. Maybe I'll just buy a better wetsuit...

Honey in da house

Well, the hon-ster had her surgery, and has recovered nicely. We had some awful bout with pain meds, which resulted in probably way more stress for yours truly, the inept yet glumly determined caretaker, than for the resilient 4 pound entity known (reluctantly) as Honey. But now, things are happier, and this morning 12 pound Pink was appropriately chased up and down the hall, after attempting to steal food from the feisty surgery patient.

Her prognosis still isn't great, but we're exploring some homeopathic remedies, cause we're not sure chemo is the best option for her at this point. We'll see.

For now, she's having a good time. Which is, of course, as it should be.

eats, poos and stays

I may be overdoing it a bit. In my continuing quest to convince myself of my health and invincibility, I am working full time, training for a triathlon (and actually training as though I were a healthy person), and , in a move worthy of florence catingale, have taken over the care and feeding of yet another cat, but this one has....good god dare I say it...breast cancer.

Yep. a rescuer that i work with found poor little Honey (i didn't name her, guys, lay off), in really bad shape in a courtyard. Although she is an adult cat, she weighed about 4 lbs, had thyroid counts off the charts, and a large, ulcerated mass on her chest. That was 3 weeks ago. Now, she lives in my former home office room, where she occupies a now soft t-shirt covered desk newly devoid of computers, eats like a princess, takes thyroid meds, and runs around chasing my other cats who treat her like an interesting yet frustrating oddity (does she like us or doesn't she? will she play or won't she? is she serious when she hisses or isn't she?)

And, tomorrow she goes for her mastectomy. Yes, cats get them too.

The rescuer and I are told we are crazy for doing this, b/c her prognosis is not great no matter what we do. But, my god. the little cat is so full of life. Even at her lowest point she'd get up on you and demand petting. She apparently was catching mice even as her counts were skyrocketing, and her tumor was growing. So, she wants a chance. And, she'll get it.

Well, I have to confess, the only reason I went to law school was to be a good provider for cats. So, she gets her chance.

Like I have mine.