Taming the urban jungle (in my backyard)

Today I kicked my backyard's ass. With a little help from my dad, my (admittedly tiny) yard was transformed from a Jumanji-like mess, to a fairly under-control, BBQ-friendly place.

Before:

Unruly mess.

After:

One pick-axe and some hedge-clippers later... Muy Sexy!

Training weekend - big success!

Warning: this post contains more updates on triathlon training, so just skip it if you're not interested in all the details of my preparation for a half-ironman. 

This weekend I traveled to Lake San Antonio with my TNT training team to do a practice run of the Wildflower Triathlon course. It's still pretty early in the season (meaning that we've only been training for about 6 weeks, and before that we were all sitting on our asses indoors because it was rainy and cold during our 2 months of California winter), so we spread the events out over two days instead of doing them all on one day. 

Saturday we swam in the lake (1.2 miles) and then biked the 56 mile course. Let me remind you that the lake is pretty freaking cold and although I consider myself a decent swimmer, this type of swimming seems to be getting the better of me. I struggled through this part. My heart just starts beating so fast when I jump in the cold water that I can barely swim because my heart is racing and I am gasping for air. Also, my hands and feet go numb and never seem to warm up during the course of the swim. I am hoping that all of these issues are just due to a too-small wetsuit, and might be fixable problems, but it's possible that the swim part of the race will just always be really difficult for me. 

After the swim, you peel off your wetsuit and jump on your bike, wearing your wet swim shorts and top, so the first part of the bike ride was really cold. Overall, the bike course is not that hard, but there are two big hills that are unfortunately placed. The first is at mile 2, where you are still freezing from the swim and haven't really hit your stride on the bike yet. The second hill is even bigger and comes at mile 42, where you are already kinda tired. This hill is nicknamed "nasty grade" because is is fairly steep, 2 miles long, and has a fake top. So just when you think you made it to the top - surprise! - you actually have to turn right and go up another hill. But it feels pretty awesome when you get to the top. I might have shouted something non-family-safe when I finally made it up there. Just sayin'. It was that good. 

What hill? 

Sunday we did the run. Normally this is a 13 mile course on trails, but it had rained all night and the trails were super muddy and slick, so we did a 12 mile road course instead. I only did 10 because I am still building up my mileage, since I only had the brilliant idea to do the longer course a few weeks ago. Anyway, 10 miles was totally enough because the course basically consisted of three big hills on a 6 mile loop, which we ran twice. At first I wasn't sure if I was gonna make it, but once I warmed up, I did alright. This was the first time I have ever run 10 miles, so I was pretty pleased with myself. Also, my knees got a bit sore and I had to ice them twice when I got home, so I felt extra legit.  

Chillaxing by the fire after the swim/bike day. 

Anyway, all of these fascinating (or mundane, depending on your perspective) details bring me to my point: I totally did it! 

I was nervous going into the weekend because I didn't quite know what to expect, but I was able to finish all the parts feeling pretty good. Crazy, right? I am NOT an athletic person, and I never thought I'd be able to run more than a few miles. So it felt pretty good to tackle the course. Don't get me wrong, I am definitely not fast or graceful, but I can actually finish these distances. Take that, stupid genes! 

Oh, and while I am definitely getting a kick out of the training and enjoying all the exercise, I am also doing this to raise money to fight cancer, so feel free to donate here, if you are so inclined. 

Your donation makes me happy! 

Boldly defying my genetic makeup

So what have I been doing with all my free time, you ask? Well, you didn't really ask but I have a lot of free time, so I'll tell you. I've been training for a triathlon that is too hard for me and I shouldn't be doing but I'm doing anyway. 

You see, I thought it would be a good time to do a triathlon, since I know how to swim, bike and run (although it's more like a slow shuffle when I do it), and because of the aforementioned free time. So I signed up for a triathlon. The Wildflower triathlon in Monterey County, because I heard it's a really fun one. Everyone camps there the whole weekend and there is lots of bonding and general merriment. And I was happy because my training schedule got me exercising regularly and trying new things like intervals which are painful but strangely satisfying. 

And so it came to be that in a post-run moment of endorphin-high and oxygen-deprived-brain that I had the BRILLIANT IDEA to "upgrade" to the half-ironman course.  Because I am a genius, and that's what geniuses do. Just for laughs, I will tell you what the half-ironman course entails:

1.25 mile swim

56 mile bike 

13 mile run 

...all in one morning. Oh, and it's apparently terribly hilly. 

If you know me, then you may be laughing hysterically at this point (or possibly worrying for my safety) because you know that I come from a long line of let's just call it "not athletically endowed" people. Sadly, genetics is not on my side here. So, in order to have a chance at finishing, I am forced to rely on good old fashioned work. Meaning that I am training 6 days a week and my legs are pretty much perma-sore. And I am hungry ALL THE TIME. Like, even more than usual. 

On the bright side, I am doing things that I never thought I could do. I have already survived a 30-minute swim in the bay (fighting off sharks the whole time, I assure you), and recently ran 8 miles (a lot, considering a "run" used to mean 3 miles around my neighborhood in the past). 

The event is May 2nd, so I have another 5 weeks to train. I will need every precious moment, since I still have to work my way up to the biking and running distances. Cross your fingers for me - I would love to cross that finish line! 

And now for some proof to substantiate my training claims:

Feeling good after my first 5 mile run. This is when the cursed BRILLIANT IDEA occurred. 

Let me tell you something - the bay is cold. I was happy to get out.  

Yeah! Check me out in my fancy running tights! I am legit. 

So there you have it. Now excuse me because I have to go and swim 2 miles. 

Oh, and if you want to donate so that I can actually participate in this race, go here.

I am raising $3000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which funds cancer research and treatment. It's a good cause, and they train people for endurance events in exchange for fundraising. 

Sunburned in SoCal - in February

Ok, so technically it was March 1st when I actually got sunburned, but it was 85 degrees the previous day (Feb 28th), and it's only because February has less days that it was already March on the day that I got sunburned. Point being that it was really friggin' hot in LA this weekend, and I wasn't prepared because it has been raining nonstop in San Francisco, so I brought 2 rain jackets but no shorts or sunblock or other silly things that you're not supposed to need in February. Which resulted in me having to buy non-winter clothes and then getting sunburned due to the resulting exposed skin. Oh the irony!

But actually it was worth it.

Because who wouldn't want to leave the non-stop raininess of SF for a few days and bask in the glorious sun? Even if you have to pay for summer clothes and then get a sunburn and then have to come back to SF where it is still raining non-stop.

Sunshine in Santa Barbara? Check.

Really freakin' hot in the Hollywood Hills? Check.

Um, isn't it supposed to be raining? It's February.

Oh, and by the way, we ate some good food too. Courtesy of Craft restaurant. 

You will be mine, little s'mores...

These mushrooms changed me from a hater to a lover. Of mushrooms. 

What can I say? Eating makes us happy.