Race Report: Santa Fe Triathlon 2010!

For the pre-race repot, click here
We had to put these happy faces on our legs!

And....we were off.... Cece gave Monique the 3:30 am wake up call and it was answered by a Good Fairy- like voice saying sarcastically, "I am so glad to be awake!" Cece forgot her food and Monique forgot her swim cap and goggles but somehow it all worked out with emergency supplies that Cece and Barry both carried!

Ayoub ran like a gazelle and Cece thinks it is so beautiful to watch him run with such grace and seemingly little effort.But, she knows how hard he trains to get this result! Cece and Monique kept seeing a flash of red jersey as he weaved in and out of the course.....and we knew he would be first. And yes, he came in first to lots of cheers and disbelief at his very fast time.

Monique took the timing chip off Ayoub and put it onto Cece. She did her run in cleats and uphill with her bike and felt relaxed and confident. She was able to mount her bike and clip in without problem.

BUT.....in a matter of seconds, problems started to arise! Being the first cyclist out on the course has its advantages and disadvantages....this time it was disadvantage as the volunteers waved her the wrong direction and in a matter of moments, she was trapped behind a coned in, taped up barricade that she could not get though! She was yelling and she kept pedaling so as not to fall off her bike and was directed though a little 4 inch space that let rain through in the midst of a 6 inch high cement median. In order to get through she had to turn sharply through this narrow space at a 90 degree right angle then 90 degrees left angle and then another sharp right just to get back onto the ride course! She had the sense "I'm going down" but somehow she did not!

WHEW! Finally she was on the actual course! She had lost a lot of speed by this point though and it was not long before a racer guy with flashy specialized triathlon wheels , aero helmet and Asso skin suit passed her.... flying by her like a jet! Those wheels even sound like a jet engine passing when they whoosh by! "OH well." This is Cece's mantra that she has been practicing. She was prepared for this.

The rest of her ride was a blurr. At some point, she went into the zone and felt like a bird flying through the air with no thought at all...there was just movement and space. Soon, she was over the final hill and wondered how she got to this point already? Back into the transition zone , she saw Ayoub waving her in....he took the timing chip off her and put it on Monique.

Monique had a long run too. And she decided to do it barefoot and without her glasses. She had to run down and then back... along what Cece had to run one way...and then down a ramp and into the pool.

By the time Cece got her cleats off and got into the pool area, Monique was already on her final lap! How did she do that? She looked so graceful in the pool cutting though the water with ease...out she jumped and down she ran over the timing mat, and we were finished with our triathlon! We were all happy and pleased by our own individual legs of the race. We all met our goals for the race.

Ayoub went out for another run after he was finished... and we knew that this distance for him was just like a warm up exercise...but perhaps he got "the itch" for triathlon ...perhaps for later on in his running career.


Cece

Race Day at the Cochiti Triathlon

When Cece left Albuquerque on Sunday morning, it was pouring rain. She remembered the last triathlon she was in with a bad shoulder when there was down pouring rain...hard to control the bike, hard to get warm and hard to see through the rain drops and fog on her glasses. Wet, wet wet! She hoped things would clear up for the race today and she kept reminding herself that going north might change things weather wise. As she travelled, the sun started to rise and Cece kept pulling over to take pictures, which resulted in her being late to the triathlon! But it all worked out fine! The lake was over cast and there was a great deal of cloud cover which made the 75 degrees with a slight breeze very pleasant for all the athletes.

Cochiti Lake is VERY rocky and we had to climb over many barriers made of rocks....hard on the feet!

Here is Cece's friend Ellie and her son Jacob. She told Cece the last pic she took of her made her look like she was eating a bug! Cece told her to get rid of the bug face then!
Remember our mothers told us not to make that face because it will freeze that way! She looks fantastic and Jacob won some raffles at the tri this am!

Stephanie, Cyan and Misty pre-race....working on their game faces!

The triathlon had a separate feature this year! In addition to the tri they held an adventure race. Here are the adventure racers taking off. They rode and then had to use GPS signals to find clues which led them to kayaks and they had to paddle 8 miles....then use the GPS continually to find their other destinations which involved swimming, rock climbing and much more. This was an 8 hour race! WHEW!

Cece had a bird's eye view of the transition area for the triathlon. She was at the Leukemia Society booth which she set up so that she could observe the transition technique! Cece will be doing this next Saturday! Running in cleats and then hopping on the bike and clipping in is not a graceful maneuver! She saw falls and near crashes, a person who lost their shoe, and many had to stop and fiddle around with adjustments just to get going. Many had their bikes in the wrong gear and were pushing too large gears and could not get their bikes to move once they hopped on! Then from that cold start, they had to climb the boat launch wall that was a 12 percent grade and then climb the dam wall. URGH! Lots of climbing with cold legs.

Misty did a fantastic job swimming in open water with a personal record that she set for herself today. Then Stephanie took off from the transitional area...with one of the more graceful exits Cece saw all day. Cece is looking forward to her own...graceful exit next Saturday!

This is Cyan getting her mojo on before she takes over the run from Stephanie on the bike. Focus. Cyan. Focus! She told Cece she has never run a 10K before...but Cece knows she is a capable runner and this should be no problem for her at all! But it was getting real hot by the time she started running.....

But still, she had no problems at all!

Besides a few open water rescues, it was a great day and fun was had by all. After the race, they had a big BBQ and handed out prizes and it was fun to hear all the stories of the day as people lay down and got massages to unwind their tired bodies!

Bernalillo Here We Come!

It was a beautiful day this morning! Perfect cycling weather for our 30 mile trip to Bernalillo and back ...by way of Corrales. Coach Clyde gave the ride directions. Today we brought family and friends on the ride and we totalled about 30 cyclists. Cece rode with Amanda today. Amanda arrived all smiles and ready to ride despite having two very bad falls last week. She was still all bruised up, but she laughed and joked and smiled all through the ride. She is a lot of fun to ride with! We worked on clipping in and clipping out and putting your foot down when you stop. ...anticipating problems, watching for road hazards. Amanda is very strong and did a fantastic job today with no falls! HURRAY!

Does Strawberry Shortcake Soothe the Soul?

Cece hosted the after ride party on the 3rd to celebrate Yun's birthday. We put some time between ride and party so that people could go home and change. But when Yun arrived at Cece's they settled in to talk and lost track of time. So, finally Cece said, "Yun ! You are in charge! Hold the fort while I hop in the shower!"A few minutes later, when Cece emerged, there was a house full of guests and most of them were in her kitchen cooking up a storm. She was sure she had the United Nations in her kitchen cooking up various specialty foods! What fun! Happy Chaos! Many had arrived already.

Cece got a phone call from Amanda needing directions. When she arrived, she was badly bruised with swelling and abrasions all over her body....but she had on a huge smile. This woman was happy! How did she get those bruises? She recounted how she took 2 bad falls during the ride. Cece made her a strawberry shortcake first, to soothe her soul....and then started to nurse her wounds with her special ice pack made out of rubbing alcohol and water....slush that is very cold and will bend around the body parts. She nursed her hip and elbow , back and other body parts and sat and talked and continued her happy project for several contented hours. She took the ice pack home to continue the project. Stephanie was able to join us in between patients and she looked radiant in her bright orange top ! Everyone was happy. cooking and eating and planning the next party!

Cece and Christine spent the morning riding together. Christine was worried about her knee as she has an injury that is painful. They have been friends for about 2 1/2 years now and have ridden literally hundreds of miles together. Cece knows what it is to ride with an injury that you are nervous about. It was a pleaseure to ride together again this day. Christine left the after ride to nurse a friend who had hip surgery. Cece asked her "Are you going to ice your knee ?" Christine replied, First I am going to ice Jan's hip and then I will ice my knee. " The wounded healers!

Here is the birthday girl on the right with our friend Gwen. Below is Emmy posing after a long night nursing her research in.....cement adhesiveness......does this girl know about cement...or is it concrete?

Warren made some delicious Moroccan chicken salad (this is what Cece calls it)
and she wondered how a 24 year old man learned to cook like this? Diane, Ron and Catherine livened up the party! And then there was Tom who informed us all that his birthday is on July 31st. Think he wants a party?

And finally, Eleanor the Shark. Guess what she asked Cece as she was leaving the party? She asked, "Cece when you plan our hill climbing route for Tuesday...do you plan on killing me?" Cece threw her heard back laughing!

Recovering the Body, Mind and Spirit

When you are recovering the body mind and spirit from a devastating car accident, you need to take your rehab slow and steady. Take the baby steps. Do the leg work. Work through the pain. Continue to work through the pain. You remember how you used to feel and used to look and you remember your former strength and confidence...but you also know that you have to work to get back to that place.

So, Cece continues to do all the above. And, she also knows that she has been amping things up a bit more lately. She feels great in every way! She has been pushing herself moderately ...and now it is time to amp up again just a little bit. Below is Cece's new friend Eleanor. They are on the cycle team together. She looks innocent enough right? Doesn't she look like Mary Poppins? So sweet. She really is sweet!

Eleanor agreed to plan our hill climbing on Tuesday and sent Cece the route and cue sheet. Luckily, Cece went to drive the route since it had many twists and turns and she was not familiar with the area. When Cece drove the route, she was sure Eleanor was trying to kill her! Did she think Cece was training for The Tour de France? She is sure she saw climbs like this in that race! Or maybe it was in the Sound of Music when the Von Trapp family was climbing over the Alps? Who knew that Albuquerque has it own Alps?

Cece ranted all the way home and emailed Eleanor telling her that she could not do those climbs. There were 19 miles of climbs between 7 and 10 percent grade....steep and long. The funny thing is, that these climbs made the climb Cece had put off seem like a piece of cake.

Cece directly asked Eleanor if she was trying to kill her and guess what she replied? She said she thought she would wait a while and get to know her better before she killed her. HUGH! Why does Cece end up with all these ruthless people in her life? They just come to her!

Anyway Eleanor confessed ( at the top of Elena Gallegos) that she is able to climb heartbreak hill...which not many can do... and Cece and Eleanor wrestled and sparred a bit on this topic because Eleanor is complaining that she is just learning to shift. It is very clear to Cece that Eleanor is underestimating her cycling skills and now her slip is showing. This is not Mary Poppins! This is Lance's sister!

So, Cece and Eleanor negotiated an alternative route. Cece determined that she would do something she considered hard and almost impossible since Eleanor wanted to do the impossible. Remember, Cece is just amping up a bit! Raising her sights. Not shooting for the stars quite yet....just climbing for the past 3 weeks or so.....

So, the agreement was made that Tuesday they will climb Tram and Eleana Gallegos...one is 4.3 miles at 5-6% grade and the other is 1.3 miles with up to 8% grade. It will still be very difficult for Cece but it will be something she can manage. She has not ridden this ride in 2 years. They will still ride about the same distance, but she will get to work that day without having CPR administered...and it will not be 12 noon when the ride is finished!

As they began. the sun was just rising. It was beautifully cool and Eleanor and Cece were met by a few of Eleanor's friends Trish and Chris who were triathletes. Off we went ...north on Tram and then up Eleana Gallegos. What a climb that is. It is interesting to watch the mind when you are suffering on the bike. It will either make or break you. It made Cece this time. She is corralling her breathing and relaxing through it and this helps her stay relaxed and focused as she suffers up. She is now comparing everything to the yoga foot in her stomach and nothing is that bad...so up she goes....breathing through the pain.

We miss so much when we are sleeping! We flew to the bottoms of each climb and
at one point Cece had to check her speed because she saw a sign for 30 mph. She was going 28...the others were going much faster!

We arrived at the bottom of Tramway all in one piece and began stripping off our clothing....into sleeveless..we all knew that the climb back up was long and hard and relentless. Again the mind is the worst enemy. But today the mind was relaxed and optimistic. Cece focused on moderating her breathing and was able to keep her heart rate much lower than it had been 2 years ago. All of us had a good day and good climbs and Trish was thrilled that she climbed so well and strong!

BDOB and Learning Valuable Lessons

BDOB means Bad Day on The Bike! Well I look happy don't I? It was not a fully bad day on the bike, it was really just a bad moment...and I did learn some valuable lessons about bike mechanicals and bike checks pre-ride.

This is my friend Christine. She and I were both happy at this moment.

I was riding along just fine until about 3/4 through the ride when my back wheel started to fish tail and rub my back brakes. I was unable to turn the pedals over. My bike was shifting itself without any help from me and we were in huge traffic and having to cross about 4 lanes of traffic. Once stopped at the traffic light, I tried to ride though the intersection when the light turned green, but I could not turn the pedals over and I could not get any momentum. I did not know what was wrong and thought it was just operator error. As we left the meet up spot, and started to climb back up, it became more and more obvious that I had a serious problem and the whole team left me in the dust and I could not get my bike to pedal and it was shifting itself like crazy.

Luckily Coach Ed was behind me and was telling me how I should proceed. He was watching what was going on with my bike. We pulled over and he made one fix. We started off again and the same problem...dovetailing, wobbling and shifting itself. We pulled over again and I got off the bike and he took an even closer look. Well glory be! My rear wheel was not tightened down by the quick release. The wheel was flipping and flopping in the hub and it had caused my brakes to engage! It was an easy fix and then we smoothly sailed up hill the rest of the way back to the finish!

The moral of the story? Give your bike a serious check up before you ride it each time. Check all the parts that could potentially cause you trouble! I take the front wheel off and never take the rear off...so I always check the front quick release and never the rear. Big mistake!

Another life lesson learned!

I am off to have my car serviced now!
Cece

The New Yorker and the Black Leopard Cubs

When a NYer goes to Santa Fe, it is like going to Big Game Country. So when Cece was cycling and doing her triathlon practice on Sunday morning, it did not surprise her to see big game! She saw 4 black leopard cubs! She was cycling along and she sucked in air...."OMG black leopard cubs!" Even though she was racing for time, she slowed down considerably and was a bit scared that the black leopards had come down to where she was cycling. She approached slowly as she watched them cantor across the road and into the bush. She was nervous that they would jump out at her....and maybe their mom would have her for lunch...where was the mom? But as she slowed and approached, she realized that they were 4 pure black kittens about 4 months old! Big game! For sure! She stopped and greeted them and then continued on her way laughing at herself. Black leopards...right!

She was doing the tri route in reverse saving the long climb back up for the end. She parked at the Indian Arts School

and saw this beautiful mural. She realized a lot about her fitness now compared to what it was this time last year. Then, she was riding with a shoulder that would eventually need surgery and that took its toll. Today the ride was so manageable and fun. She was relaxed and optimistic.

Once back at the Community Center, she worked on her running and counted exactly 200 steps she would have to run in cleats with her bike, before she could mount her bike. She practiced this. Not too bad.

Driving back into the city , she was taken a back by the beauty of the earth once again. It never ceases to surprise her and she remembered her first ride to SF when she visited over 17 years ago and fell in love with the land and sky! At that time, she knew she would move here.

She got off the highway in Bernalillo and came in from the north . It was a perfect day for a nice ride and a wonderful drive.<>

She was surprised that Bernalillo is undergoing a face lift. This time she came in from the north. Usually the opposite, so she only sees the older part of town...now there is new growth and development. She remembers when practically the only place to eat was the pizza place....now they have everything!

Cece thinks that for the next few weeks that she will make the trek to SF to practice. When you have asthma, even a few thousand feet elevation change is noticeable...so practice will be beneficial to help with the breathing!