The awesomeness that was Cozumel

I have yet to attend any race, 10K, 5K, HIM, sprint, IM, in Mexico that did not have a PLETHORA of ice water available.  Because I never train with cold/ice water, I'm always SO Surprised, each and every time I get cold water in a race and I appreciate the Hell out of it.  Again, Cozumel did not disappoint.  Not only was there cold water for the drinking, on the last vuelta of the run, volunteers were offering to dump ice cold water (ice cubes included) on your head.  There were spectators with hoses offering to douse people.  I saw one guy monopolize a hose to the point I thought he was going to whip out shampoo and lather up.  The water was Amazing.  I remembered the run as completely overcast but looking at every picture there is sun, so I guess it was hotter than I remembered.  At any rate, the ice water was amazing.  There was also cold pepsi on the run course and I used that at many of the aid stations to keep on going.  I don't know if it was placebo or not, but I would get a surge of energy about 5 minutes after each cup of Pepsi and I really looked forward to it as long as my stomach cooperated.

My stomach kept it together until the last 5km of the run.  I was too upset for breakfast (something that may have contributed to my "off" race) but pounded down the ice cold Perpeteum (I'd frozen it the night before) and on-course gatorade as well as some gummies I brought.  I really do, however, need to pay more attention to nutrition.  I figured I would wing it like the IM, but I really need to plan better.  So lesson learned.  The weather gods smiled on us once again (just like in the IM last November) and we had a very mild day of weather.  It must have been sunny, however, (I seem to have sun amnesia) as So Many White Folk were BLISTERING RED from sunburn that there was an official on a moto traveling the run course and applying sunscreen to those who desired.

Luckily, I had planned to wear a jersey for the bike and shirt for the run, over my new trisuit, to protect me from the sun and I am So Glad I did.  The shirt on the run was a bit hot but I would douse with water and appreciate the sun protection and kept going.  The trisuit, although not at all what I ordered, worked Fabulously!  I could feel the compression in my legs on the run and that was a treat!  I had slimmed down within striking distance of race weight so I didn't have too many rolls of fat out there, but they were only visible on the swim anyway.  I was able to see the family way before they saw me on the swim and I tried waving to the 2 or 3 times before they finally saw me.  That was quite a treat to spot them and watch them as I swam.  I remember thinking over and over how glad I was to only be doing 1 vuelta of the bike IM course and it really didn't feel like half an IM due to the way they structured the extra amount of the bike.  That was nice.

We spent an extra day/night on the island as Ellen managed to find a plant to have an allergic reaction with, but since I was so wasted from the HIM I didn't really care.  As a matter of fact, I was happy to stay.  We packed up the next day and headed over to the Monkey Bar (well, that's what WE called it) and Jamie and I found a GREAT snorkel spot.  At first I was somewhat unimpressed, finding the same fish we have, but going out a bit further we found the coral was so much better recovered (on the protected from hurricane side) than our bay and some gorgeous formations and Lots and Lots of fish.  Mainly sargent majors, but still quite a nice variety.  I can't wait to take Aunty Chris and Papa and Tata there.  They also have a very pricey but good restaurant and we feasted in anticipation of my birthday on ceviche and papas and I had cawfee to warm up as it was storming out there.  Lastly, I somehow moved up in the standings and, while I'm still a little disappointed in my result, I ended up 5th in my age group.  I learned a LOT for further races AND what (not) to expect in November and I have already adjusted those expectations.  So, all in all, a very positive race and we can't wait to pop back over in November.  I had to add the Worst Run Race Photo in the World because it shows my mind set.  I was Not a Happy Camper at that race.  :)   November will only be better.

Cozumel HIM race report

So I know I'm supposed to be thankful I finished and had the opportunity to use my whole body to achieve a half ironman but  to be perfectly honest, I'm disappointed.  At my last HIM (6/2011) I had been training for only 6 months and had only been active (i.e. not a couch potato) for a couple years and I remember hurting So Much on the run I couldn't believe it.  With another year of training under my belt, a winter dedicated to the run and personal bests in the runs I've done this year, I really thought I would have a very good run at this HIM.  I have been doing 1:45-1:50 for my 100s in swim and figured at the SLOWEST I'd be at 35 minutes and maybe even faster considering that Cozumel is supposed to be a "fast" swim due to help of currents.  I haven't been swimming all that much but I figured I could, at a minimum, hold 1:50s for each 100.  I've been putting a lot of time in the saddle and average 30-32 kph and figured it wouldn't be a stretch to go under 3 hours but I wasn't sure how the winds on the island would compare to ours.  I had gone 3:01 at Veracruz, however, and figured with another year of training I should be able to best that.  Lastly, I figured with the wardrobe changes I'd done in my last HIM and the fact that I was doing no changes of clothing in this one, I'd shave a TON of time in transition alone.  So I had pretty high hopes for a 6-hour finish.

I felt like I swam pretty hard.  I was breathing every stroke from the start for quite a ways and actually found feet to follow and draft off unlike last time.  I did manage to draft for quite a long ways and kept the same ladies (yellow suit and red suit) around me.  We traded back leading and drafting and I figured we must be doing a good time.  This triathlon started in waves.  We old ladies were in the very first wave (after the pros) and then the old men, then younger men through all the age groups.  I didn't recall getting swarmed with any other caps (but did notice the yellow ones) so I figured we were doing pretty well.  Again, the swim seemed to take forever and I was *done* about half way through until I was thoroughly warmed up and then started feeling good about halfway through the back side of the loop.  I take a LONG time to warm up and since we started so early I had no chance to warm up.  I got out of the water and RAN to transition and got on my bike - just before the mount I noticed another lady in my age group and eventually she got away on the bike. 

I did not remember anyone in my age group passing me on either the bike or run but I couldn't see every calf as many people had compression socks on, obscuring their numbers and AG on their legs.  The bike felt good, I definitely worked it and my goal was to keep the average above 30 kph as that would give me a 3-hour bike and I knew that was definitely do-able from my last HIM in Veracruz.  I felt like I worked hard but didn't exhaust myself.  Likewise, the first loop of the run I felt pretty good, ran the whole way and felt pretty much in control.  I was not having fun though and this was the first race I've done that I wasn't enjoying myself the whole time.  I was dying of thirst.  I had gone through my first two bottles of Perpeteum under 60km and even ate a bag of gummies.  I wasn't hungry but I was going through liquids quickly for, what seemed to me, to be an overcast and not as hot as it could have been day.  Again, I refused to throw my bottles away and instead filled my jersey pockets with empties.  I finally saw the family at the very end of the bike and got rid of those empties just before hitting transition.  They had a hard time getting from the swim start back to town.

I started feeling incredibly tired and hurting feet the 2nd run loop.  It felt like it was taking forever and I finally got to the point where I couldn't even resist walking between aid stations.  I tried negotiating with myself but even on the very last half of the last loop (only some 5km) I couldn't stop myself from walking.  I knew I wasn't going to make a 6-hour time by 15km but thought I could still come in under 6:10.  I had no idea what my transition times were but I figured they HAD to be faster than Vercruz, where I changed clothing.  Unfortunately, transitions were pretty much exactly the same.  In Veracruz, transition was very small and at Cozumel T1 was quite spread out so I guess that made a huge difference.  Afterwards I was more spent and sore than I was after the full IM last November.  I think that was the most disheartening thing.  I expected to have been faster and I was shocked at how wasted I was on the 2nd loop of the run and how totally wasted and hurting I was after the event.  Even my shoulders and arms hurt. 

So now I need to figure out why my expectations and reality were so far apart.  Nutrition was pretty good but I was about ready to hurl during the last 5km so maybe not so much.  Dunno.  Also no breakfast but I just didn't feel like it.  Just really disappointed and wondering what to change now or maybe this was just a Very Bad Race.  Hard to say...

more new things than I know what to do with

So good to see the family last night until the cockroaches starting crawling out of the baggage.  Our car is simply INFESTED with them so when Jamie and family packed up the cockroaches must have seen all the lovely luggage as perfect new homes.  I am NOT a cockroach hunter but I'm excellent at alerting to the presence of cockroaches (some might call its screaming).  I "alerted" Jesse to 3 of them crawling out of the coffee fixings he'd just brought in and he took ForFreakingEver to begin to attempt to kill them and actually gave up the hunt for the last one.  I found the last one, had him kill it and now call him COCKROACH as punishment for not acting faster (and giving up the hunt).

So for some strange reason I woke at 3 am and I was actually hoping it was close to 5 so I could get up and not worry about trying to get back to sleep.  One thing about getting old is that it is almost impossible to get back to sleep once you've awakened.  While trying to get to sleep, I started hearing the noise of a car horn outside.  I figured, even at 3 am, someone was trying to get someone's attention and tried to get back to sleep.  Unfortunately, the horn kept going off at odd intervals and for varying amounts of time. It was starting to get annoying.

Pike was awake, trying to sleep in the front room, and we both headed out into the rain to try and figure out the care it was coming from.  I was pretty sure it was the taxi across the street, though without my "eyes" in, I couldn't see and Pike was pretty sure that the taxi was empty.  Still, I figured it was the taxi and Pike suspected our car.  I couldn't imagine how it could be our van and kept looking up and down to street for the offending vehicle.

After the 100th occurrence, both Pike and I headed out into the street to definitively find the vehicle.  Not one other person was out and I figured our neighbors were likely used to this as a normal occurrence.  Heading back to the house I heard a chirp of the horn again and it sounded like it was coming from our van!  Only too soon we were quite Certain ours was the offending vehicle as the horn started and Would Not Stop.  In a panic, I jumped in the car and drove around the block, hoping to make it stop (with magic car movement?) and only succeeded in waking up everyone on 2 blocks instead of just ours.

Luckily, by this time Jamie had gotten up and it only took us about 25 hours with the horn blaring constantly, louder than I ever imagined possible, to disconnect one of the batteries (our van has 2) and shut off the damn noise.  Not one person came out of the homes lining the street to complain.  Without a car, I couldn't make the swim practice but I'm pretty sure I know the water here and I mostly wanted to do the swim just because.

So now I have LOTS of distractions to avoid thinking about what happens tomorrow.

Looking for free time

I honestly don't know what I've been thinking, expecting I can take 30 min off last year's HIM when I have no plans on how to actually ACHIEVE that.  Like maybe time will fall from the sky?  Like maybe I'll grow wings and fly on the bike and run?  Like maybe my pool is actually longer than I think and I'm strangely Very Much Faster than I think?  Yeah, those would all be lovely ways to gain time.

I decided to take the passenger ferry over to Cozumel this morning instead of waiting to go with the family on the car ferry (at 6pm) so I could get my wristband and do tomorrow's swim and boy, that passenger ferry Moves With The Waves.  I had planned to work  (cell internet) but found I had to close my eyes to stop the nausea and not vomit.  Luckily, however, I think I've managed to escape the belly virus that felled Sissy, Jamie and Ellen because it would really suck to do the triathlon puking my guts out.  So yay!  No belly sickness.  I am loving the little house we rented but we really got spoiled with our usual houses with beds for all.  The boys will have to sleep on couches here but we'll be much closer to the event action.

Thanks to my angel, Adam,  number 913, I got my trisuit and he additionally muled down 2 cans of Cytomax for Jamie.  Such a very sweet guy, I can't tell you.  We met up at paquete pickup and since he knew more or less what I look like (from the blog) he was able to pick me out of the crowd.  I don't know if I approached the area of paquete pickup wrong or what, but it was The Most Difficult place to find.  I thought I had found it twice only to find they were stores selling Iwanman crap.  Once again I totally did not fit in wiht the Iwanmen, riding up in my borrowed beach cruiser and wearing not a stitch of Iwanman-branded crap.

So now I have a dilemma.  The trisuit I ordered was not the one that arrived and I never would have purchased the one that arrived.  The fit is okay (super tight, but 2 kg away from race weight and honestly, 6-7 kg from a reasonable weight, that's what I'm going to get) but the colors are NOTHING like what I ordered.  I'm pretty sure I can't return it (assuming I can find someone to mule it back before December) if I wear it, so I'm kind of stuck.  Wear it or find something else to work.  If nothing else, this is a great distraction from the race as I've been scared to death, knowing the pain I'm going to need to through to get the time I want.  Also, the tightness of the the suit makes me flatter than a young boy and no need for a bra.  Just might be worth looking like a whale for that kind of compression.  Photo taken in the rental house in front of the Wall of Crosses.

here comes peter cottontail

Had a great ride with Jamie today.  I'm LOVING that 100km out and back to the Tulum beach.  Since the grito was yesterday (Mexican independence from Spain) I had to wear the colors.  One of the best things about the Tulum ride is the plethora of topes perfect for bunny-hopping.  AAMOF on the road back from the beach there are 5 in a row just begging to be hopped.  One of the reasons I'd never go to a tribike.  HAVE to be able to bunny hop.  The first bunny hop is at a reten by the Tulum policia.  I think they recognize me now and wait for the bunny hop and always exclaim afterwards.  The reten is set up such that everyone funnels to one lane and I have to hold back from the cars stopped before the tope before I can gather speed for the hop.  The next is at the Pemex station we get provisions at after coming back from the beach.  I always catch up to any cars that had passed me earlier and pass them as I bunny hop the tope. 

Now that I've dragged him out to the beach he's thinking about Punta Allen but that road is barely passable in a car let alone skinny tires.  We did have fun racing the marineros and the one guy riding in the back loved us chasing their truck.  Also the Adamo (saddle) is doing really well.  Although the worst of the allergic reaction has been tamed by the roids, I still have some sores that on a normal saddle would have made the ride today uncomfortable at the least.  I was very surprised to find that while I do have sit bone soreness, I was able to stay in aero until the very last kilometer today and pretty much pain free.  I'm pretty sold on this saddle and can't thank my angel enough.

I didn't have time for coffee before ride today so I added brewed coffee to my Perpeteum water bottle and Boy oh Boy did I enjoy that.  I am pretty sure I'm going to do that all the time on my longer rides.  Cuts the very little sweetness to perfection.  I really do not like sweet drinks and get the Perpeteum coffee flavored stuff but adding real coffee instead of water really makes this.

I'm a bit freaqued out about the trisuit I moved heaven and Earth to get muled down here as it will give me nowhere to hide fat rolls without wearing a shirt or jersey.  I might just throw a jersey on before the bike and another shirt before the run as I can't imagine having all this flap hanging in the wind.  I'm still 2 kg above IM weight and honestly, probably have 7 kg to lose.  Course, at my age ain't nothing tightening up so any weight I lose will just leave flapping skin and I'm not sure that would be worth it.

We have a long weekend this weekend but the kids are so unmotivated to do anything and the dog is only 3 weeks into broken hip recovery that we couldn't stay overnight anywhere that I'm announcing a dictatorship and making them all go to Bacalar tomorrow.  We'll eat at the restaurant, swim in the cenote and the laguna and then head home.  I'm going to taper this week, mainly rest the legs but swim daily and see what this old body has to offer next Sunday.  Would really like to get under 6 hours but I'm not sure where I'll get the time.  My last HIM was June 2011 in Veracruz and I think it was just under 6:30 so I have a lot of time to cut off there to make my goal and no real plans for where. 

race ready

Broken toe?  Check.  Brand new saddle?  Check.  Horrific allergic reaction all over the crotch (I don't even want to speculate how that happened, but I'm guessing goat cheese since I have hives in underarms also)?  Check.  Guess I'm ready to race.  Well, except I have Nothing To WEAR!  Right now I'm waiting on the locusts.  :)  Luckily prednisone is OTC and I'm on 25 mg today and will taper and hopefully be allergic-reaction free by next Sunday.  Gotta remember I'm allergic to goat cheese.  :)  For some reason I thought it was only cow dairy and since we only buy goat cheese when it is on super remate, it is rare to get it.  Only some 8 hours into the roids, however, and the reaction is much improved.  So I'm hopefully for tomorrow's 100 km ride.  This time Jamie's coming along.

I am STOKED to finally have found (fingers crossed) someone to bring me tri shorts.  I had purchased some lovely De Soto Forza shorts (on sale here at Swimoutlet) and had them at Merkalink on 8/20 to get imported.  I finally got the shipment a couple days ago and found the shorts had been left at the Merkalink offices as they were deemed "used" clothing and not possible to import.  ACK!  Also the girls got only tops of one swim suit and bottoms of another as the matching parts were deemed to be used.  So off I headed to the local and triathlon (and eventually even scuba) forums to find a mule.  Dayum, but mules are HARD to find in Septihambre.  FINALLY an angel offered last night, IF I could get the stuff there by Thursday.  Next week.  Yikes!  I TOTALLY spaced on the fact that the HIM is an a week.  For some reason I thought I had another one.

The way Merkalink works, I have to give them the address, they figure postage (plus an $18.00 fee for holding the merchandise they won't import), give me a number, I go to the bank, deposit the amount in their account and then they release the hounds merchandise.  Between answering emails and going to the bank and them mailing, I knew this would be at LEAST a week's worth of procedure and no hope of getting the shorts to Florida, to my helpful mule.  So I found a trisuit (only the 2nd one I've bought this year.  Maybe I'll actually get this one!) at swimoutlet.com for $90.  Pretty steep but I hope to get a lot of use out of it next year.  Today, on Saturday, I was able to confirm with them that they'll have the suit to my mule by the 19th, with only a $5.99 expedited fee.   The previous trisuit I bought (off Ebay, such a deal at $30.00) has been a no-show with MexPost along with my $35.00 Shimano bike shoes.  Maybe they'll show next year.  Who knows with MexPost.

Broken toe seems to be healing but I'm backing down the running this week and the allergic reaction is already on the wane and next week I plan an intensive swimming week and am looking forward to tomorrow's ride.  Oh, and I got even MORE new stuff with the girls swimsuits!  Another angel from a triathlon forum sent me an Adamo saddle and it was muled down by our friend George along with a new pair of running shoes.  I had PF starting to rear its ugly head in my left heel and the shoes seemed to have arrived just in time as after a 90 min run today my heel is good to go.   Jamie put the saddle on in time for Thursday's ride but I unfortunately didn't realize the reaction I had going on for today's ride and while it was uncomfortable, I didn't have the specific pain I've had before.  I'm very hopeful that tomorrow's ride, under the influence of steroids, I'll be much more comfortable.  It's like Christmas around here with all the new gear!

So I guess I should revise that list above.  New shoes?  Check.  New bras?  Check.  I am LOVING bras that aren't like jails.  I got these just for cycling as I figured I really need something SUBSTANTIAL for running, but LOVING these (or is it just the fact that I'm buying new stuff?) for running also!  New swim shirt (better than sunscreen)?  Check.  New (to me) saddle?  Check.  New shorts?  Check (and loving them.  The tempos might be on the way out).  Yup!  Definitely Christmas time.

new long ride

 I headed out for my long ride today and decided to head out to the coast at my normal turnaround instead of buying some water and/or Powerade and going back home.  I had a nice tailwind on the way out.  I knew it would come back to bite me going home though so I just enjoyed it while I could.

 I had such fun making stops and taking pictures and going out to see the water that I've decided I'm going to change my 90km ride to this 100km ride.  It can be slow going through the hotel areas but it is really worth it.  See the long braid below?

It was HOT out there today and I totally forgot to bring any Endurolytes or coco water with me.  Actually, my little coco hunter is currently off the job (so I might need to pay the big bucks to her brother to get me the coco water) and had to make due with Electrolit when I got home.  The headwind coming home KILLED me but I figured all wind is only good training.  Stomach was just not with it coming home but maybe it was just the heat.

I actually have my legs propped up on our dining room table here and the ice in my Electrolit was like heaven on earth.  I think I'm going to wait til it cools off a bit more for my run.  This was so much fun - with only 1 road to choose from the rides get boring so I need to do something to spice them up and shake them up a bit.  I think I found it!  I also took pictures off all the ruins I pass on this route, and I never get jaded no matter how many times I pass them on my bike.  Centuries later and they're still here.

I actually passed Tulum ruins also but they're so built up and touristized I'd have no chance of getting a picture. 

going with the flow

There is a reason I don't plan much.  For one thing I'm super lazy, live to procrastinate and forgetful.  So I plan in my head and figure things out but then really don't actually DO anything because, well, there really IS always mañana.  We lost out on the houses we normally stay at in Cozumel for the IM because, apparently, they now need a Real Reservation and since we didn't put money down (who does that?  not us apparently...) they didn't keep the reservation.  Ok, we rolled with that because really, what with our family, my sister's family, my folks and Nate the Great and the Amazing Kristin signing up for another year of No Respect, we needed more space.  So I found El Castillo and we're set for it.  But I really do need to get another small house for some more beds, hopefully close to El Castillo.  Yeah, I REALLY need to get on the ball for that.  I'm thinking maybe here.  Don't need anything other than just beds as we'll have the giant El Castillo for everything else.  So, IM in November, pretty much taken care of.  Maybe.  I really need to contact that hotel and get rooms reserved. 

Then I got to thinking that I probably should contact Ariel about a place to stay for the HIM in a couple weeks only to find out that he is totally booked.  ACK!  I scrambled and panicked (but didn't forget my towel) and finally found something in our price range with enough beds.  The kids will NOT share a bed (even the girls; I can understand the boys) and while it is easy to find lots of houses with 3 bedrooms, they are usually 1 full bed in each.  So I was happy to find Casa Oro and Villa Caracol, both with more than enough beds, even enough for guests but I'm not thrilled.  Casa Oro is WAAAAAY out by the airport.  We're really used to being in town, walking to the panadaria and super and loncherias but we have never stayed near the north end.  Villa Caracol charges extra for electricity.  Now, I know the corriente here is super expensive but I'm just not sure about this.  The rate structure is wacky here and we could end up paying a shit load for a small amount of corriente.  LOVE the place but I'm just not sure about the whole electricity issue.  But I really do need to decide and reserve something SOON.

I never should have made any peep about running in the last post.  After taking 2 lousy days off (sick) I have had what can only be plantar fasciitis strong pains in the left heel.  Since I don't want to frack things up for the IM I've taken the week off running and now we'll see what happens.  I've been googling and have finally decided to get back on the roads and try and do the exercises and after run care I've come up with.  It is also looking like it will only have taken a month for the Merkalink package to get here as it is now in SLP!  Wheee!  I love tracking stuff since it is so rare we get any mail of any kind.

Independence day is coming up and I need to decide whether it will be a 10K in Tulum or a vuelta in Merida (but the grito there is VERY crowded and I'm not sure we'd go to it) or I know Valladolid always has a run on the night of the Grito and their festivities are much smaller than Merida's but I'm not sure we'd find a hotel dog friendly and with his broken hip, we can't leave the dog at home.  And then I remembered that I've been wanting to run Tres Culturas forever, so maybe we'll stick close to home for Independencia and head to Acanceh for Tres Culturas.  Course this is all very dependent on the PF.

04/09/2012 03:22 PM	LAREDO TEXAS Llegada a centro de distribución
06/09/2012 09:10 AM	LAREDO TEXAS En ruta foránea hacia PCQ-Playa del Carmen
06/09/2012 11:50 AM	Nuevo Laredo En ruta foránea hacia PCQ-Playa del Carmen
07/09/2012 01:21 AM	Centro de Int. SLP En ruta foránea hacia PCQ-Playa del Carmen

Retail therapy

I got some shorts at a great price recently.  The Brooks Infinity were $9.95 at swimoutlet and I picked up those, a bra for myself and one for Sissy (her first sports bra) along with a North Face top.  I always get used sports bras off Ebay and for the same price for new I thought I'd try.  All in all, for 2 shorts, 2 bras and 1 top I spent under $50.00.  After they sat in SD for a while and I was unsuccessful finding a mule AND our last package sent down has gone missing, I decided to have Merkalink import the stuff.  I've been running in the shorts and these are my first new shorts and I don't know if it is the fact that they are new or simply the shorts themselves (having only ever purchased used off Ebay) but the liners on these shorts are AMAZING.  Nice and tight and very wicking.  I'm super impressed with the liner but compared to my Tempos, these are Short shorts.   Before today's run I took a picture of the new Infinity shorts and an old pair of Tempos.  I should have kept my shirt out for both pictures, but I still think it is obvious as to the length of the short.  So it has taken a little getting used to the shortness but boy I LOVE the liner.

I haven't yet found a short that can deal with the heat and humidity here and these shorts end up just as soaked as the Tempos even though they are made of different material.  It doesn't really bother me though as I don't expect anything can keep up with tropical conditions here.  After a medium (1 hour) run, I know my shorts and top will look like I just came out of a torrential downpour and I will soak my shoes completely through to the point that they always sit in the sun to dry out.  Speaking of shoes, I've been wearing the same pair (Brooks men Ghost and Brooks Women Glycerine) for a year now and they feel about ready to be replaced.  I'm not certain how much distance they have on them, but I've been running 15-20 hours a month since December and the Ghost is definitely feeling broken down.  I finally got a good deal on Ebay for either a new or almost new pair of Glycerine (wide men's) and have a mule bringing them down in a few days.  I actually shipped them to his mailing address and he will bring them to Mexico and Estafeta them to me.  I'm hoping to have them by the triathlon this month.  I also finally decided to bite the bullet and bring in stuff that has been waiting in SD, among them Sissy's birthday present and my triathlon shorts I hope to be using this month for the HIM.  Can't wait to try those out.  Now I just need to figure out a top and I'll be ready. 

I've been sick the last 2 days and missed my long ride this weekend and TOTALLY freaked out that I'm going to be way undertrained for the HIM this month which then leads me to believe I'm totally screwed for the IM in November.  But I have 13 weeks to the IM so I've decided to cut my losses and treat the HIM as a training day (I had hopes to beat last year's time) and ramp up my IM training instead of pissing around doing the usual lack of swim, 40-60 km rides and 5-hour runs/week.  Well, at least I've got the run on track.  And I'm going to figure out a way to race in those Infinity shorts.  I love that liner! 

Starting to come together

After taking almost all of July off attempting to get my new saddle to work, I finally gave up on the aerobars and got the bike adjusted for road riding.  Then I moved the saddle just a bit further forward, enough that I would be comfortable in road and could do aero without too much shoulder strain and have been just getting time in the saddle (so to speak).  I went back to teh Bontrager, turned the seat post around (actually Jamie did all this and I just gave instructions :)) and very, very slowly experimented with aero.  It turns out that once you get rid of horrific welts and allergic reaction hives from your crotchtal area, it is a more comfortable ride.  Who knew?  Little by little I've been adding more time in the aero bars to the point that this past weekend I did one 2-hour ride followed the next day by a 3-hour ride, both aero almost the whole time.  I'm still thrilled every time I pee after a ride and it doesn't hurt - kind of like the thrill we get when we go to the US to find warm water coming out of faucets.  Such a cheap thrill but strangely exciting just the same.

So bike seems to be on track.  Unfortunately I'm going into another triathlon (the HIM end Sept) under trained.  I'm just beginning to get my swim mojo back, now that the kids are back in school and families have gone home, I can use the pool when the seas are too rough.  Today was a weird day.  The seas looked calm but then every once in a while a set of waves would come in and you could see the large swells and big waves crashing on the reef and low spots.  The current was all over the place and the water was murky as hell and after 1350m I jumped into the pool where I could see.  I really HATE swimming in water that isn't crystal clear.  I'm so used to our super clear water that anything less and I'm not comfortable.

Run is just fine.  I'm at 5 hours a week now and it has been a slow and steady increase and consistent running base.  I have high hopes for my run at the HIM and hopes for the IM.  One of my hammies has occasional twinges but I need to roll it out and keep stretching and I'm sure it will be good.  I recently realized that the HIM is in 3 weeks so I guess I really need to find us a place to stay.  I also have decided to import the shorts I'm hoping to use in teh HIM as mail is still not working.  I had hopes of using a trisuit I bought on Ebay but the package has still not shown up.  We recently finally received some books I'd ordered for the kids and that package only took a little over a year to show up so I have little hope my trisuit will show up before the triathlon.  So I guess I'll need to pay the big bucks to import shorts I got off Ebay.  Still no clue what to wear on top. 

New PR

I am absolutely SHOCKED with my time today.  The last 10K I did I took the first 5K out pretty slow (well, compared to most everyone all my times are quite slow) and then worked the last 5K pretty hard, negative splitting each km (every km was marked) and broke an hour by 30 seconds.  I started out DFL and ended up 2nd or 3rd to last.  Down here unless you're under an hour, you're pretty much last.  My previous 10K had been 1:05 so I was super happy with that time as I really never imagined I'd ever break an hour.  I'm old and slow and I just figured I'd stay around an hour forever.  That race was a nice reminder that we old folks can get faster as we age.  After getting chen-chen covering my ass and my ride Saturday showing me my legs were quite dead IF I managed to get up at 5am and get to Cancun, I knew I was looking at being DFL again and being over an hour.  I don't know why I decided to do the run anyway; we had planned on riding out on Ruta de los Cenotes afterwards and I told Jamie I just didn't think I could sit on a bike seat so that was out, but I was curious about the shirt and I guess that was enough to get me out of bed at 5 this morning.

I had decided,before the chen-chen infestation and the dead legs on yesterdays's bike ride, that I wanted to take this run out harder from the start than usual.  Normally I just run at comfort and don't really push until the end.  This time I wanted to push from the beginning.  Unfortunately the course was marked only at 1 and 3 km and the rest was guesswork.  I noticed a very fit young lady from the start and it seemed I could match her pace well enough so I just went with her for the first 4km but felt strong enough after that to pass her and apparently I left her behind then as Jamie did not see her at all at the finish but Definitely Noticed her after I talked to her, if you know what I mean...He even memorized her number. 

At about what I figure might have been km 5 I was in dire straits looking for a spot to jump into the bushes and relieve myself.  We got to the start way too late (40 seconds to start of the 10k) to be able to avail myself of the "services" which resulted in a HUGE need to poop and I was getting worried I was going to become the poop girl of Cancun.  At this point I was SURE that I was running 6 min kms and was going to finish around an hour IF I managed to make it to the finish without shitting all over myself.  Add in the ass on fire from the run in with chen-chen and I was a mess.  I just wanted to get to the finish and go STRAIGHT to the portaloo.  Apparently that was what I needed to PR as I finished in 55 minutes, for me, a PR of 5 minutes.  I was so happy with that, especially with the dead legs from yesterday and ass on fire. Unfortunately, I must have had too much papaya at the finish buffet (check out the awesome fruit offered at the finish line) and I've been shitting my head off since.  Seems fitting to add non-stop diarrhea to an ass already on fire from chen-chen.  Still not sure if I'll be able to get on a bike seat today or not.  UGH!

looking at my results today, it looks like my first 5K was just under 30 min, so 6-min kms and that means the last 5K was negative split, for 5-min kms.  I am SUPER happy with that news.

the crotch must be cursed

I'm starting to wonder if I've offended some pagan god or have been cursed in the crotch as I'm just not able to catch a break down there.  I spent all of July with a rash I thought was saddle related only to find it was cream related and finally cured that with roids.  I had a good week and was starting to flirt with aero positioning but mainly just trying to get more time in the saddle as I'm playing catchup with a HIM looming over my shoulder end September and very little bike time so far.  I managed only 5.5 hours last week and capped that week with a run where I had the unusual (for me) need to crap during the run and must have run into some chen-chen (think poison oak like symptoms) as my asshole and perineum are now covered with festering painful outbreak along with the inside of my knees and one ankle.  W.T.everlasting.F? So I'm now back to horrific rash in the crotch but this time I'm not sure roids will make any difference to them.  I'm trying diaper rash cream to keep it from spreading along with Domeboro.  Once it clears, (it HAS to clear, Right?) I'm going to encase myself in armor from the waist down in the hopes of preventing another "episode".  Or maybe I'm just cursed now.  Perhaps a sacrifice might be in order.

Hurricane Ernesto and the tourists filling the pool at all hours of the day (except the night before Ernesto hit) kept swimming to only 2 sessions last week but considering my training in water this year, I'll take it.  I'm hoping to maybe get some time in this weekend to make up.  Running is going great.  I'm very comfortable at 4.5 hours a week and next week I'm going to increase to 5 hours.  I have a 10K on Sunday and I had hoped for a PR but today's ride showed me that my legs were DEAD and the 10Ks I do normally during the week are hovering at around 1:07 so I'm guessing I have no hope to get under an hour (my last PR was around 59:30 a few months ago) and with my ass in the amount of pain it is in, I'm thinking I might just skip it.  I expect to be way over an hour and I don't really need to get up at 5am to find that out.  BUT a friend did me a big favor of arranging to do paquete pickup tomorrow (instead of going all the way up there today just for pickup) and I would feel bad if I didn't at least show up to get the paquete.

I had hopes of training over in Cozumel next week but with 3/4 kids sick, I'm thinking we'll have to skip that.  I love the water over there and the loop around the island on bike is SO much less traffic and more beautiful than our only choice over here, the carretera, that I was really looking forward to it.  Maybe if everyone gets better later on in the week we'll go for a few days instead of a whole week.  Would be a nice change of scenery.  I was also hoping to get in a session with their swim coach to see what he thought about my stroke since the closest thing to that we have here would be in Cancun.  Still undecided about running tomorrow but another reason to go is to hit Costco and get a giant vat of diaper rash cream since it seems I'll be needing it for a good while to come.

coming off a good week and roids

I got this top quite a while ago but never found a reason to wear it, but since I can't seem to swim outside non super bright sunny hours, I'm using it as a sun protector.  I'm starting to get over the barracuda in the water and last time although I saw him on my last lap his mouth wasn't hanging open and he wasn't following me and that made it much easier to go out and back one last time.  I've also started a new loop in the bay - instead of multiple vueltas to the reef and back (300m) I'm doing an arc that is 750m in one vuelta.  Pretty sweet!  I still have trouble finding my way back without going all over the place looking for the spot where I normally would turn around but I'm getting there, picking up landmarks little by little.  Per Google maps the loops could be anywhere from 370m to 375m each way IF I kept to a straight course. HA!  That's a pretty good one.  I think outbound is pretty straight but I'm likely zigzagging all over the bay coming back.  Today Pike came out with me and I got a better idea of how to get to the reef on the return. 

I think I totally freaked a family out when I headed to my stretching spot after my midday run as they asked for permission to hand their hammock.  I told them I was just there to stretch and no-one owns the beach and to hang the hammock where they desired.  After Kilo and I finished up our stretch, I headed home for a little work and then back out to the water for a swim, hoping to get some swim time in before the waves picked up.  The poor family was still there are RIGHT at the end of the south end of my swim.  They must have thought I was nutz.  My 2nd loop I noticed a ray partially buried by sand and warned them about it, though I admitted I wasn't sure if it was manta or sting. 

Ever since I've changed my route from out and back reef to the bay loop I've only been bothered by the barracuda once and that, if nothing else, has me convinced to keep to the loop.  It was a blast having Pike out there today in the kayak.  Thanks to the Sugdens for allowing us to borrow it.

I think I figured out why I'm wiped on Mondays and it isn't just the 2 hour bike rides I've brought back into the schedule, it is the 1.5 hour run that goes along with it.  Should be easy enough later in the season, but right now that 2-hour ride plus 1.5-hour run is kicking my ass.  My legs were DEAD on today's run and I only did 2 loops of the bay instead of 3.  So far I'm abandoning my attempts to ride aero and just concentrating on getting more time in the saddle.  I've got an Adamo waiting in South Dakota, anyone want to mule it down?  I finally nailed down my crotch itch issue - I have been having an allergic reaction to a cream I've been using to avoid saddle issues.  Ironic much?  I got over 6000 m in swim, an extra hour on the bike (up to 5 or more hours) and holding steady with around 4.5 hours run.  Pretty happy wiht that but the HIM is coming up QUICKLY and I'm getting worried.

diary of a long run

I normally try to do my long run (75-90 min) on Friday or Saturday but I've never really been happy with it.  I do medium (hourish) runs on Monday and Wednesday and it always felt like a long week by the time that Friday came along so I've been toying with the idea of moving the long run around.  Sunday doesn't really work as Monday is a medium run.  I think it is more of a mental thing as my legs feel pretty much the same all the time, but I still wanted to try moving things around.  Saturday morning I'm trying to catch up on leftover Friday night work and long runs in the hot tropical sun just don't go over as well as they used to.  I can do a short run midday but prefer to shift the longer ones to early evening when the heat is not bad (or take advantage of a rainstorm and go then).

After yesterday's aborted bike ride, I figured I'd try this morning, do a short run Monday and move the medium runs to Wed and Fri and see how that went.  After this morning I'm LOVING the idea of a Sunday long run.  Who knew it was so much cooler in the early morning?  Ellen opened and obtained 7 pesos worth of coco water for me yesterday (I pay her to provide me with coco water) and it really is the best hydration I've found.  I had a bottle of Gatorade mixed from yesterday's ride (which got shortened due to too many issues) that I didn't use/need so I got that out for the 2nd loop for today's run.  Everyone was sleeping when I left, the sun had about an hour in the sky (mas o menos) and I had no vertigo.  Yet.  The first lap was lovely and incredibly cool.  It looks like one nest has either hatched or animals got into it as a flock of birds was fighting over leftovers and there were shells all over the beach.  I seem to remember it as being one of the first turtle nests on that beach so I'm hoping it was a hatching.  I was shocked to see all the "foresty" areas of jungle where the bush grows over the path were in total shade!  What a concept! 

The second loop was a bit warmer but I was really doing quite well until about 65 minutes in, which tells me that I need more long runs under my belt.  I can handle anything up to a hour with ease and feel good the entire time but after about 65 minutes it gets harder so before I bump up the runs to 5 hours per week I'm going to hang at 4.5 hours for the next week or 2 and see if that makes a difference.  By the time I hit my stretching spot the tourists were starting to trickle in and the day was heating up.  I was really glad I'd gotten my run in.  After last night's ride I have decided that I'm going to abandon the aero attempt as I really just need to get more hours in the saddle.  I'm going back to the Bontrager and if/when an Adamo shows up at our doorstep I'll think about going aero but for now I'm missing out on too much training trying to find a comfortable position in aero.  Last picture is from my stretching spot and I'm actually stretching in the picture - my favorite for ass muscles.  Love that stretching spot. 

swim motivation

After perusing Rob's most excellent blog, I was inspired to get my ass in the water.  He has a real eye for photography and I'm also now hoping this little camera hastens it's eminent demise so I can get a waterproof one, but for now I'm just going to use baggies.  So, with budding excitement of swimming a new area, I convinced Pike to accompany me to Jantan as Google maps showed I could get an easy 1300m just width-wise of the bay.  What I didn't figure into the equation was the need for depth.  It never occurred to me that the majority of what I could see of the south of the bay was pure reef and very, very, very shallow.  After about 300m with no hope for an end in sight I abandoned as I could not even make a stroke without scraping my fingers over coral and I didn't want to wait to see if sea urchins would be added to the mix.  I also had a little boy over (sibling of Ellen's friend) on the beach and getting quite bored.  So I'm now thinking I'll do some widths of our bay instead of out and back to the reef, but even if that doesn't work I'm more appreciable of our deeper waters.  I'm also thinking I need to get more to the middle of Jantan as I know it is deep enough at the middle.   Course there again I'm left with an out-and-back to the far reef swim.  Life is tough. 

The first picture is where I THOUGHT I could start from, what we call "Kilo beach" but that was way too shallow.  The 2nd picture is our 2nd attempt, which I think was also too shallow.  The far green is where I eventually went in, but it ended up still being Way Too Shallow to actually swim.
 
The last picture is where I finally got out and you can see the point in all the pictures - that was my end goal.   I think I need to borrow a kayak (or maybe even spring for one) to be able to investigate before I commit body to water OR grow the balls needed to get further out along the far reef where it has to be deeper (as evidenced by blue water) but I think that might go against the agreement I have with the sharks - they stay on their side of the reef and I stay on mine.  I need to ramp up the swimming this week so I'll probably stick to our bay.  I'm pretty pleased I managed to get 3 swims (albeit 1 aborted) this last week after suffering such apathy previously.  Course now that it is down to less than 2 months from the HIM I have that motivation to get back on track also.  The tourists continue to fill the pool at all hours of the day and night so the sea is really the only place I have to train.  Cudda or not, I need to get out there or I'm going to be suffering in September.  Thanks to Robs blog I am also considering a jaunt to Bacalar next weekend to swim Cenote Azul again and dip my toes into the laguna itself.  That would be spectacular, but again, need a kayak to accompany me.  Hope our neighbor likes to share. 

progress

I'm "dialing" in my bike fit, as they say.  Still soreness and pain in the crotch but no more open sores.  I much prefer the aero position so I just need my crotch to put up with it.  So bike is back on the schedule.  AND, yesterday I finally got back in the water

now I need to keep that up today and Friday and the week after and the week after that until I get trend going.  It was so much easier when the tourists weren't commandeering the pool but it is good for me to get out in the sea (even though I still REALLY HATE that barracuda).

nos to the left of me, nos to the right...

here I am, stuck in the middle...

Swim was a bust.  It figures that in a colonia with signs in English and Spanish (and after having been in almost all the states of Mexico and better traveled than most Mexicans in this country, I have NEVER seen that anywhere else) that they'd have RULES.  So no swimming in the canales while the kids sail.  The water is more clear over here anyway, but I know Puerto has triathletes so I might just search some out for swims but I have a feeling they do things On Time and On Schedule and dayum, but that is Not me.  Pretty much all training has gone to hell except running.  I'm gearing up to 5 hours a week next week and will hold there until the HIM in September.  So ONE thing is going well.  Bless me father, for I have sinned, it has been a week since my last swim.  WTH is my problem that I can't get in the water?  (well other than baracuddas and rough water and a pool that is now filling with tourists earlier and earlier and only 12 m (maybe?) long)  I am going to make a POINTED effort today.  I get compliant because I did 1:14 for last year's HIM on 6 weeks of training but a friend did 1:00 at a recent IM and dayum, but I'd like to swim that fast again.

I'm absolutely DISGUSTED with my weight gain.  I haven't been riding to normal amounts due to issues with saddle sores and my fing saddle in aero.  I had completely given up and decided not to chase the aerobars and just sit up but Jamie talked me into trying again and I'm back to being unable to sit on the damn thing again.  I got so discouraged last night (ride) that I tried very hard to turn around but he rallied, swapped saddles with me, I changed my lower back position and I got a glimmer of hope.  Then I swapped my saddle back (his seat tube) and spent the rest of the ride riding out of my saddle as I couldn't even sit on the damn thing.  but there is that glimmer now...  Picture is from the kids' sailing lessons, coming back from a dip in the open sea (a bit further away from the cove) and headed back to the dock.

swim motivation

I think I figured out motivation for swim.  I put the kids in sailing class and the beach/cove/area they work in is adjacent to what looks like a sweet swim area.  Course I have to trespass to get there, but anything worth doing has some risk involved.  I'm actually jonsing to swim there and I am usually trying to figure out how to avoid the swim.  Course, there could be nasty baracuddas there too but I am hoping the ship traffic (marina so lots of boats) would keep them away.  Well, I can hope.  Hope to get back to a normal training week this week after a week and a half of very abbreviated effort.  And hey, Desitin is now my friend.

I think I made a stupid mistake in trusting MexPost.  I got some nice cycling shoes (for a steal) off Ebay along with a trisuit and had our mail service ship it all down.  That was a month ago.  People have been reporting success with MexPost so I thought I'd chance it.  I guess that was stupid and I should have known better.  So now I need a mule and to figure out WTH the IRS had sent me (as all mail is now missing also).  I was really looking forward to using shoes that aren't too narrow and a trisuit and am kicking myself for trusting the mail.  I really should have known better.

La Bia

I had seen this watch somehow but figured they never got the backing and it didn't make it.  But apparently they have another week.  I have to say I'm not into technology to run and still don't have a GPS.  But I do kinda like this watch and love the "I've fallen and I can't get up" clapper aspect of the watch.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/956860865/bia-the-first-gps-sports-watch-for-womenby-women
They only need some $250K (dollars, not pesos, OUCH) to go, but it sure would be nice to see this come to market...

belly or crotch. it's a tossup.

So a month or so (or even more) ago, Jamie put my aerobars on my bike and while initially I never imagined I'd be coordinated enough to use them, I actually raced in them and had begun to try to access waterbottles while in aero and steer around obstacles and was really very much pretty comfortable after 2 hours in aero.  So then he decided my seat needed to be replaced as it had one broken rail and the cover torn in multiple places.  And that was then beginning of the end.  I had ridden about a week with the aerobars and the old saddle and was comfortable enough but the new saddle brought on issues I'm still dealing with even after going back to the old saddle.  Yeast (maybe?), open sores, friction rubs, pressure sores; I really have no idea what all I'm dealing with but it is beginning to feel overwhelming.  We tried making changes to saddle height, fore/aft, tilt and I found the Most Uncomfortable Position but never really dialed in anything "comfortable."

I've also been battling both a stomach thing and my yearly vertigo nonsense, though by today, it seems to have waned once again.  I have not been able to figure out WTH causes it, but it comes yearly and stays for weeks to months.   I got off easily this year.  So I'm going into a 2nd week of hardly any training.  Driving me insane and that is reflected in a 3kg weight gain which makes me just a little bit MORE insane.  Also when I've been sick for a while I start to doubt my illness (especially when it is vague) and wonder if I'm just being lazy or burned out or have lost all motivation.  It is a seriously sucking drain of positive thought.

But I've been trying to run and got up to 3 hours last week and have hopes that this week I'll get back into the swing of things.  But after such a long time of little to nothing, the motivation is sorely lacking.  And we still haven't fixed the bike/seat issues.  But at least I'm running.  And I need to get back into the water again too.  Hmmm...  11:00 a.m.  Good a time as any to do something.