Benaroya Research Institute Triathlon at SEAFAIR 2008-07-20 Seattle, Washington United States Beneroya Research Institute and SeaFair 80F / 27C Sunny

Triathlon - Sprint Total Time = 1h 33m 33s Overall Rank = 1034/1430 Age Group = Relay Mixed Age Group Rank = 10/17

Swimming
00:18:34 | 880 yards | 02m 07s / 100yards
Age Group:	470/17
Overall:	1004/1430
Performance:	Good
Average heart rate: 139
Suit:	Blue Seventy Reaction
Course:	The course was a triangle course. When I first saw it I thought "Oh there's no WAY that's only 880! Nope! They must have THOSE bouys out to tell the yachts where to stop. (A lot of yachts are parked out on Lake Washington.) Imagine my surprise when no, that was the right distance! Ha! It didn't seem as far as it looked once I got out. Due to environmental concerns the area had NOT been groomed so the water was teeming with TONS of ripped up milfoil! You couldn't see anything!
Start type:	Wade	Plus:	Waves
Water temp:	65F / 18C	Current:	Low
200M Perf.	Good	Remainder:	Good
Breathing:	Good	Drafting:	Good
Waves:	Good	Navigation:	Good
Rounding:	Good

T1
Time:	01:32
Performance:	Good
Cap removal:	Bad	Helmet on/ Suit off:	No
Wetsuit stuck?	Yes	Run with bike:	No
Jump on bike:	No
Getting up to speed:	Good

Biking
00:47:26 | 12 miles | 15.18 mile/hr
Age Group:	663/17
Overall:	1211/1430
Performance:	Good
I will let Roy fill this part out. Roy here...This was my first triathlon experience as a competitor, so it was much different than my usual cheering Tory on the sidelines and guessing when she'll come in so I can get that perfect picture or encouragement. It was interesting waiting in the relay area because it seemed that everyone was a bit nervous wondering when their team member would come out of the water. Unfortunately when people started coming in, all of the bikers crowded the exit, so it was difficult for some to actually get out of the relay area if their swimmer partners came in early. Since we had staked out a spot near the back, I had to hope that Tory would come in later otherwise I wouldn't have been able to exit the area. Once Tory spotted me, I was off and running with my bike toward the bike start area. Since the transition area for relay competitors was at the back of the bike racking area, it was a good 1/4 mile run to the beginning before I could get on my bike. You can't get on your bike until you reach the actual bike start. I was a little nervous because I had an unconventional triathlon bike and it has had a nasty habit of getting random flat tires over the past few months, but it performed well for me. I was happy that I was able to keep up (or even pass) a few people on the route as I pedaled my bike faster than I have ever pedaled a bike before in my life. Coming back in was interesting to me because I have never had to dismount my bike and run before so quickly after a ride. When I first got off my bike my legs felt like rubber. It was a very strange feeling and I thought I was going to fall for a moment, but I recovered and ran wobbly back to the transition area where I was able to tag Tory so she could go off on her run. After I racked my bike and took off my helmet, I ran off to find a spot to meet her on the route.
Wind:	Little
Course:	The course was pretty familiar to me, except that I have never biked over I-90 before. I was told that it would be windy, but it wasn't that bad at all. The course was mostly flat except for a killer hill that most people seemed to walk their bikes up (me included). It was an "out and back" and relatively not to bad to bike. My only complaint would be that I had no idea where the turn around was because it ended up being further down the road than the course map had shown. So just when I thought I was reaching the spot where I should be turning around...I noticed that it was moved back much, much farther.
Road:	Smooth Dry	Cadence:	?
Turns:	Good	Cornering:	Good
Gear changes:		Hills:	Good
Race pace:	Hard	Drinks:	Just right

T2
Time:	01:09
Overall:	Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike		Good
Racking bike		Good
Shoe and helmet removal

Running
00:25:58 | 03.0999 miles | 08m 23s  min/mile
Age Group:	181/17
Overall:	608/1430
Performance:	Good
Kicked ASS on the run! Mile 1: 8:30 Mile 2: 8:50 (BIG ass hill) Mile 3: 8:06
Course:	It was a circular route around Seward Park with one BIG hill. Because I hadn't done the bike I told myself absolutely NO walking. My legs were still a big squidgy because I'd had a HELL of a bike ride with tons of hills the day before, but nope. No walking. Passed EVERY person who was on the hill at the same time I was within my sites, which made me feel good.
Keeping cool	Below average	Drinking

Post race
Weight change:	%
Overall:	Good
Mental exertion [1-5]	5
Physical exertion [1-5]	5
Good race?	Yes

Evaluation
Course challenge	Too easy
Organized?	Yes
Events on-time?	Yes
Lots of volunteers?	Yes
Plenty of drinks?	Yes
Post race activities:	Good
Race evaluation [1-5]	5

I know that when people first start working out, they have a very hard time getting "what's so great" about it. It isn't necessarily fun. Usually it hurts, and we live in a society where we try to keep from ever feeling pain. It takes up time that could otherwise be used pursuing exciting things like reruns of The Match Game and the latest MTV reality show. (Could those shows BE any tackier? I mean REALLY!)

That's the point at which I think you truly have to "fake it until you make it." Just say "I am going to have a good attitude about exercise, even if it kills me." Plaster a fake smile on your face. Muster up some fake enthusiasm. Hyper-self talk yourself into believing that exercise is the latest greatest thing since sliced bread and peanut butter, honey, and bananas.

When I first started working out I was having a conversation with a stellar young man who was one of my students. I had to get going to do my exercises I have prescribed myself. I said, "I've got to get going because I have to work out. UGH!"

To which he replied, "Ugh? You don't like working out?"

"No, I hate it. Talk to you tomorrow!" (We were chatting on IM about a homework assignment.)

"Really? Wow! To me a day without exercise is like a day without sunshine!" (or something like that)

"Well, J, I've always knew you were a little cracked, but I admire your attitude. I wish I had that attitude. TTYL!"

And I went and did my Pilates DVD, which I completely hated because it wasn't very active, it hurt, and it hurt. But those words kept echoing in my head, "I wish I had that attitude...I wish I had that attitude...I wish I had that attitude..."

I thought about that all the next day. After all, what is attitude? It is how we "feel" about something. But what is a feeling? Is it something that 'just happens' or is it something we can control? I had taken this marriage seminar one time called "Love is a decision" and the crux of that statement was, "We don't always love everything about the person we have married at every moment, so it is in those 'unlovely' moments that we must decide to love that person anyhow. Even if you've picked up his crusty socks off the floor for the 14th time this week. Love is a decision."

But love is a feeling. But no, love is also a decision. So if an attitude is a feeling, could not an attitude ALSO be a decision?

And right then and there I chose to adopt that attitude of J's (who has now graduated from college in an effort to make me feel really old). It started with self-talk. "I have to go work out" was immediately re-worded to "I GET to go work out." I also found an exercise I liked. NOW I like Pilates because I have better endurance, but at the time it was just not the right exercise for me. I joined Curves. I stopped "fitting in" exercise around my day and started planning it; every day after work I'd go straight to the Curves gym and work out.

So fast forward to almost six years later and I love exercise.  You know why I love it? Because exercise opens up opportunities. I have started running and through that have met some fantastic people. I started triathloning, and through that have met even MORE fantastic people. I can jump in the water and swim across the lake...twice and feel GREAT afterwards. I can bike five cities over and feel like I've accomplished something and had FUN doing it. I am strong! Yesterday I went on a kayak paddle with my husband. We were out longer than we had anticipated, so the last half hour was brutal against a slight current. He had to take breaks and I just kept on paddling. That felt awesome! Not because I was doing more work than he was (he'd kayaked with a group of us swimmers the night before and was sore), but because I held my own the entire time.

I also allows me to be active just for the sake of being active. Roy and I were talking about this yesterday. His parents needed something fixed on their computer network, so they asked him to come over. Rather than drive over, we walked over to their house and I ran six miles while he fixed it. We visited for awhile, then walked back home. On the way home we discussed how different our lifestyle is now. Before we adopted this active lifestyle we used to see a lot of things. We saw plays, movies, concerts, and watched a lot of TV. We watched other people doing things, but we didn't do a lot of things ourselves. We still see plays, movies, and concerts and watch TV, but we also DO a lot of things. We bike, we paddle, we run, we hike. We just have allowed fitness to open a whole new world to us. Summer days pre-weight loss would be waking up late, watching TV for a few hours, going to see a movie or to the mall. Now it's getting up early, going for a run, biking into Snohomish for lunch, or kayaking on the slough. We still might see a movie, but more likely we've biked or run to the movie rather than driven. It just plain rocks.

Exercise has even allowed me to have the confidence to start my own personal training business! I meet my first in-person client on Saturday and while I am, understandably, nervous, I can't WAIT to get to know her! Fat Tory would have never DREAMED of this venture. Fit Tory, on the other hand, can't WAIT to see where it takes her.

Well it is official. I am officially a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer (well, I told you that a few weeks ago). But of course that didn't mean I could go out and grab some guy or gal off the street and start barking orders to "Exhale with the effort!" Nope, had to get some ducks in a row.

So I did...


I applied for my business license. I got word on Friday that's it's cleared. Just need to get it in the mail.
I set up my fitness studio.
I set up my website at www.journeyfitnessonline.com
I acquired my Liability Insurance, in case I break a client.
I set up an online program for training people who are not local. I've done so much email support with people over the years, that I've had people ask if I was ever going to offer it as a service. Well now I do!
I even made a spreadsheet.

I still have some other things that need to be done, and an expanding to-do list, but I suppose that's typical. Now I just have to sit back and let the clients come flocking to me. Any time now, clients. Flock away!

Hmmm...maybe that's not how it happens.

Oh well, I'm extra excited about this, though. I would love to be too busy, but I don't suppose that will happen. I have had a few nibbles already, and I am going to advertise for my half marathon training program that starts in August for the Seattle Half Marathon. It'll be fun! I'll yap EVERYONE'S ears off and they'll not even realize they ran that far!