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Swim - 0.5 hours - 10/25/2011 October 25, 2011

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The loss of a running buddy September 29, 2011

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Years and years ago, 15, 16, or so..  my youngest daughter was crazy about Dalmatians.  It didn’t help that Disney had released on VHS the classic, 101 Dalmatians, and she desperately wanted one.  I did not want a Dalmatian.  After all, they are inbred, stupid and hyper.  Who wants that?  But my darling hubby, battling a long illness with a poor prognosis, brought one home for her in a moment of indulgence.  My children were ecstatic. I was furious.  I was also wrong.  We named her Jewel and she certainly turned out to be one.  Calm, smart, affectionate, she quickly turned into a valued member of the family.  She happily trotted miles and miles in he early years when I had horses and rode several times a week.  My daughter, Ashtyn, showed her in 4-H obedience classes.  Later, when I started running, she happily trotted along, at heel, off leash, never leaving my side.  On camping trips, she made it her self appointed chore to keep camp rid of pesky vermin such as chipmonks and squirrels.  She mothered and protected new members of our pack until she was the matriarch of 4.  Last year, at 13, she started showing her age.  No longer able to keep up, she became occasionally incontinent and was horrified and visibly ashamed when she couldn’t, or we couldn’t, get to the door on time.  This last spring, I retired her from running, much to her vocal protesting!  Over summer, she started showing some cognitive deficits, obsessively pacing, her vision and hearing were poor and we worried for her safety.  Just recently, she would fall and not be able to get up.  It was time to make a decision.  Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is the right thing to do.  As she never left our side, neither did we abandon her at the end. I held her, reasurred her that she was the best dog ever and told her how much we loved her as she trustingly laid her head in my lap and passed on toward heaven.  Our hearts are broken and we miss her terribly.  There is some comfort in knowing that she suffers no more and that she is healthy, pain free and happily ridding heaven of all squirrels and chipmunks.  This is for you, Jewel. The last 14+ years have been wonderful with you. Find all the best running paths and keep running happily.  Rest easy and know that we loved you.  There will never be another like you, darling girl.

Cycle - 4.8 hours - 09/10/2011 September 10, 2011

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Cycle - 2.7 hours - 09/09/2011 September 9, 2011

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Cycle - 1.7 hours - 08/31/2011 August 31, 2011

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Race report August 14, 2011

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Sunday, August 14, 2011 - Danskin Seattle.  This is my one and only triathlon for this year for reasons and difficulties which will be discussed in a separate post.  The day dawned cool and overcast with 30% chance of rain.  The water in Lake Washington was calm, just small ripples.  I had no delusions going into this race, not having been able to train well this summer due to recovering from illness.  I had decided to relax and enjoy the experience.  My wave time, 07:15, wave #9.  As wave 6 started off, I got in the water and acclimated.  Then it was time for my wave.  Special word for my wave, “gorgeous”.  3,2,1 swim!  I started off fine until mid-way to the first buoy, then, for some oddball reason, it occurs to me that the water is dark and deep. I nearly panicked!  This is an odd reaction since I am always comfortable in the water.  “Put your head down, relax and swim-you got this” my mantra as I continued on.  Around the first buoy and I settled down to swim.  Relaxed, TI swim and left the lake slightly breathless but jogging well to T-1.  Swim time 23:11.  Goggles and cap off, bike shoes, sunglasses, gloves, helmut and race belt on and off on the bike. T-1 time 3:15. A pedestrian crossed my path to the bike mount area.  I scolded him to watch out and I was off.  Biked off pedaling quickly to get some blood in the legs.  GU for energy and made the climb up on the freeway, pedaling well - “relax and stay calm” hit the turn around thinking “I feel pretty good”, better than I had anticipated.  Access to and from the freeway is a short, steep, serpentined hill.  Many women walk up it and it is difficult to pedal, not to mention, narrow.  No problem other than effort getting up but coming down, as I was coming through the blind corner, a wall of bikes in front, nearly stopped.  I brake hard, realizing I am clipped in and about to “bite the big one”, I dodged and unclipped just in time to see someone walking thier bike down.   Walking your bike down?? Really?  WTHeck??  That’s not hard.  This poor gal wasn’t even trying to stay off to the side!  Oh well, get over it and move on. Biked harder, trying to make up a little time.  Geared down to pedal faster to warm up the legs and then into T-2.  Bike time 50:48.  T-2 helmut, gloves and bike shoes off, cap on, GU and struggled to get my running shoes on because my feet were still wet. Then off for the run. T-2 time 3:55.  I have made no secret that I am not a runner.  I wish I was and I have tried to be but the minute I start to run, I begin looking for a reason to quit.  Huffing and puffing, “calm down and breathe, you aren’t as tired as you think you are, just listen and relax”  The run is amazingly flat with the exception of one short, fairly steep hill.  Mile one, keep going, mile 2 keep going. Hill, stagger up walking, run again, “find your mouse”, keep going, downhill, kick it up a little, “you aren’t as tired as you think you are”.  As I hit the gates to the finish, I checked my watch, 2 hrs flat, my PR time. Rats! this wont be the year to beat it.  Finally, the finish! timing chip off, medal on, water in hand.  Run time 40:52 (This is actually a pretty good run for me AND, with the exception of the hill, the second time I have accomplished the full run without a walking break)  Total time 2:02.03.  Five minutes faster than last year, but a full 2 minutes off my PR.  Not too bad for a difficult year.  Again with my motto:  Not fast - but not last.  Overall, I finished ahead of 740 finishers and out-raced 53 women in my age group.  But here is the best part for me— my daughter, Krystal, who does not like to swim but is a runner and who I drug into this sport, had a race time of 1:30.00 and finished 154 out of 2036 overall!!!  I am one proud mama!!!   Can’t wait for next year!!

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Run - 0.5 hours - 08/11/2011 August 11, 2011

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Swim - 0.5 hours - 08/09/2011 August 9, 2011

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Cycle - 0.8 hours - 08/09/2011 August 9, 2011

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Run - 0.7 hours - 08/09/2011 August 9, 2011

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