Ironteam is all about going long and staying strong. No matter what we are involved in, the length of the season, the intensity of the workouts, or in this case the fundraising, we are all about doing more that what most would consider normal. My fundraising minimum was $8,000.00, nearly 3 times the amount I needed to raise on the run team. Thanks to most of you that read this blog, I made it. However, some of my teammates have not been so fortunate, and with the deadline looming, drastic measures need to be taken. Richard is one of these teammates. He needed $2,000.00 to reach his minimum and he had an idea. He put out an email telling people that if they pooled together $2,000.00, he would do this...
Just in case you had any doubt in your mind about how crazy people on the Ironteam are, there you go. Richard made his minimum that day and he lives to talk about it.
Go Team!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Nice Weekend
Edgewood & Canada Roads, Woodside
Not much new to report on this week. The weekend was the usual, spending most of it with the Ironteam proving to anyone and everyone of what a bunch of bad-asses we are. On Saturday I completed my longest swim to date, 2.4 miles in 1:29 followed by a 10 mile run. Sunday was a 75 mile bike followed by yet another 10 mile run. The folks doing Lake Placid and Vineman Full did their "triple brick" which consisted of a 2 hour ride and a 5 mile run, 3 times.
One of our teammates, Jenn Sussman completed her event in France today. Our first Ironwoman of our team! Her accomplishment reminds us all that our events are right around the corner, no longer this far away thing that we would do someday. I have 71 days before my event, not that I am counting... I truly feel that I am ready and I know they have prepared us well, but there still seems to be that anxiety that I haven't felt since the first marathon I trained for. The not knowing of what to expect motivates me to train harder. Nothing drives fear like the unknown. Once again I find fear as my biggest motivator, it simply works everytime. And if this is how I feel 71 days out, I am going to be motivated like a mo fo come raceday...
Sunday, June 15, 2008
More Milestones
I am going through Milestones like they are going out of style... Saturday was a Swim/Bike, Sunday was a run.
2.1 mile swim - 1 hour 14 minutes
98 Mile Bike with 10,000+ feet of elevation including Hwy 9, Old La Honda Road(hi Amy), and Tunitas Creek Road - 8 hours 06 minutesSunday we ran 15 miles which made for 15,000 calories burned for the weekend.
We are so bad ass, we should be wearing capes....
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Friday, June 06, 2008
Hanging up the Whistle
Next Thursday is our last Track workout on the run team, and it will be my last day as a coach on that team. I have been a part of the TnT run teams for over 5 years so to say this isn't going to be easy for me is an understatement. I really didn't think it would be tough for me. But I have to say, everytime I start thinking about next Thursday I feel a bit of sadness.
The above picture is the Coaching staff at kickoff minus Amy Chang who was probably in China at the time. Ken is on the far right, Carl the head coach is holding the flier, and in between us is Shamal who actually thought we were going to run that day. Greenhorn....
As a coach you wear many hats on the Run team. You are a healer, motivator, psychiatrist, cheerleader, teacher, and the role I ended taking on, taskmaster. I was the "core strength" coach which didn't earn me many friends early on but as the team got stronger they really impressed me. I would take the Ironteam core workouts, dial them down to about half speed, and still be told afterwards that I was too hard on them. Whatever...
At the end of the set I would give them words of running wisdom or things to think about for the upcoming run that weekend. It never ceased to amaze me what a captured audience they always were, hanging on every word. Eyes wide open and zero background chatter. Almost to the point where it was spooky. I really loved that. It really did feel like I was helping them accomplish this massive goal that I at one time thought was impossible. There really is something to helping people do what you love to do. The reward is the look on their faces when they complete their goal, you can feel the happiness beaming off of them. Knowing you had a hand in that is a powerful thing.
I'll definitely miss seeing my friends like Amy. With them I could always count on having some laughs on Thursday. I could get all mushy about all the friends I've made and the amazing experiences, incredible highs and devastating lows that I came to encounter by being a part of the TnT run teams over the years but I won't. Over and over again in my life the same occurrence of one door opening as another closes continues to pace me through my life. As much as I have to look back on, I have way more to look forward to. I refuse to sit around and mope about this, life is just way too short for all that.
Speaking of which...
So when I first bought my bike back in September of last year I took it to Mt Eden road. When I reached the top of the hill I required a 5 minute rest break to catch my breath and gather myself before it was safe for me to head back. Last Wednesday the team went to the same spot for hill repeats. We went up and down that thing 7 times, doing drills each time all the way up. I couldn't help but think of how far we have all come. 80 mile ride tomorrow and my biggest concern is making it back home in time to watch the horse race. How cool is that?
This is me after my 2nd trip up and down the hill when Coach Dan told me to go back up standing the whole way. This explains the "you have got to be shitting me" look on my face.
The above picture is the Coaching staff at kickoff minus Amy Chang who was probably in China at the time. Ken is on the far right, Carl the head coach is holding the flier, and in between us is Shamal who actually thought we were going to run that day. Greenhorn....
As a coach you wear many hats on the Run team. You are a healer, motivator, psychiatrist, cheerleader, teacher, and the role I ended taking on, taskmaster. I was the "core strength" coach which didn't earn me many friends early on but as the team got stronger they really impressed me. I would take the Ironteam core workouts, dial them down to about half speed, and still be told afterwards that I was too hard on them. Whatever...
At the end of the set I would give them words of running wisdom or things to think about for the upcoming run that weekend. It never ceased to amaze me what a captured audience they always were, hanging on every word. Eyes wide open and zero background chatter. Almost to the point where it was spooky. I really loved that. It really did feel like I was helping them accomplish this massive goal that I at one time thought was impossible. There really is something to helping people do what you love to do. The reward is the look on their faces when they complete their goal, you can feel the happiness beaming off of them. Knowing you had a hand in that is a powerful thing.
I'll definitely miss seeing my friends like Amy. With them I could always count on having some laughs on Thursday. I could get all mushy about all the friends I've made and the amazing experiences, incredible highs and devastating lows that I came to encounter by being a part of the TnT run teams over the years but I won't. Over and over again in my life the same occurrence of one door opening as another closes continues to pace me through my life. As much as I have to look back on, I have way more to look forward to. I refuse to sit around and mope about this, life is just way too short for all that.Speaking of which...
So when I first bought my bike back in September of last year I took it to Mt Eden road. When I reached the top of the hill I required a 5 minute rest break to catch my breath and gather myself before it was safe for me to head back. Last Wednesday the team went to the same spot for hill repeats. We went up and down that thing 7 times, doing drills each time all the way up. I couldn't help but think of how far we have all come. 80 mile ride tomorrow and my biggest concern is making it back home in time to watch the horse race. How cool is that?
This is me after my 2nd trip up and down the hill when Coach Dan told me to go back up standing the whole way. This explains the "you have got to be shitting me" look on my face.
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