Email 2: Karen Gurvis finished the Triathlon

SUCCESS!
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2004 FORD NEW YORK CITY TRIATHLON – 27 JUNE
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 34
Place Name Age City State Swim Trans Bike Trans Run Finish
83 Karen Gurvis 32 New York NY 31:32 9:12 1:45:38 3:18 73:45 3:43:23

I placed 83 out of 94 women in my age group. I placed 13 out of 14 women in the Athena 39 & Under category.
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I turned the corner at the 72nd Street Transverse in Central Park and just heard the New York City Police Band amidst the roar of cheers from the crowd I was approaching. I couldn’t see anything except my coach Scott in his bright orange shirt holding out his arms to me. I sprinted my hardest and faster ever. Scott grabbed my hand and squeezed strongly and said “good girl, you can do it, run hard” and he let go, with 100 yards to go. I couldn’t stop smiling at the same time as gritting my teeth with intensity as I made those last turns through the corrals. With my arms stretched over my head in victory, I stepped onto the timing mat just as a photographer took my photo. I was breathing hard as the emotion overwhelmed me and I was sort of crying with joy. I did it! I turned around and screamed as Shira came in only seconds later.

An early morning
The day felt like three. After five hours of sleep, I awoke at 3:30am, made myself breakie (two eggs on toast) and showered. I finished packing my bag and went over my list again. I had everything I needed, and more. My roommate, Ilona and her brother Michael and I caught a cab in the dark at 4.30am and got to the transition area – a hive of excited and nervous athletes and triathletes-to-be, just like the two of us. I unpacked my bag in a tiny space under the wheel of my bike which was hanging by the seat over a pole. The ground was covered in a black carpet but was damp from the overnight dew. The temperature was cool and pleasant. I grabbed my special plastic bag, pre-named and numbered, that I had received from orientation the day before and put in my wetsuit, lubricant, goggles, nose clip, white official race swim cap and a honey sandwich. I put on my $2 sandals from Chinatown and we trekked the mile – single file on a dirt path alongside the highway to the start of the swim.

I felt prepared. As prepared as I ever could be for my first race. There was one thing going through my mind – a comment that our coaches had reiterated over and over during our training season – “nothing new on race day”. Well, I had my new $2 sandals from Chinatown, a new computer on my bike, a new pump on my bike, and my newly decorated race singlet with my name painted on and race number pinned on. Oh dear. Why did I have to have all this new stuff! It was the $2 sandals from Chinatown that were so uncomfortable – but thankfully not such a big problem and they are now in the rubbish bin.

As the sun rose, 1600+ athletes (including actor David Duchovny from the X-Files) lined up for our scoring chip (recording our times), line up for the port-a-loos (toilets), and more than half put on wetsuits and body-lubricant. We had different colored swim caps related to our ‘age-group-wave’. We were body-marked with our race number and also our age on our calf (no hiding it!). Photos were snapped and hugs were shared as we watched the ‘waves’ before us jump in the water and start swimming. Walking over the metal bridge onto the barge felt like I was ‘walking the plank’ on a pirate ship. I moved to the far outside section of the barge where the slower swimmers were recommended to start. Climbed the ladder down the barge on to a green carpeted pontoon, from where we jumped into the water. There was no room for me to make a little jump, so I jumped far and high and re-tasted all my Gatorade as I came back up to the surface to grab the rope. My coach Scott was there on the pontoon reassuring all us newbies. I yelled out to him that I forgot how to swim! Everyone laughed! And the announcer said “GO!”

Swim
Thirty one minutes and thirty two seconds later I emerged from the water. I was a bit disappointed that I found it so hard. All through the water, I kept reminding myself to pace; that I’ve done this before; that it’s just like being in the pool. I said hello to Sully, the kayaker who I’d met two weeks prior in the Hudson River swim race I swam. As my fellow wave-mates swam on beautifully ahead of me, I took a good look around me to see where I was and who was watching. I spotted another swimmer heading to New Jersey and felt the need to point her out to a kayaker. Silly thing must have swum an extra half mile with her poor sense of direction. The water was filled with rubbish, which was also somewhat disappointing. We were only about 10 to 20 yards off from the shore and hence the garbage had collected there. I kept swimming and kept swimming and the dark blue caps came and passed me. Then the green caps passed me. Then the light blue caps, and then the yellow caps. Oh dear. I was really being passed by a lot of people. I got kicked in the head twice. The first time dislodged my goggles and nose clip, but I remained calm and was not to be stressed. Suddenly – there was the finish line and the exit ramp. But alas, there was no one there the pull me up out of the water and beach me on the deck like I had expected. I crawled out, got my land-legs and smiled as I de-robed from my wetsuit and jogged barefoot on the bitumen path the nine blocks to the transition entrance.

Wow and thank god that was over. Now for transition: remove wetsuit without falling over (check); remove cap, goggles and nose clip (check); dry feet; drink; put on race singlet; put a power bar in my pocket; socks; shoes; sunglasses, helmet and gloves (check, check, check etc). Do I have everything? Oops. My bike (okay check).

Bike
The bike part was great. I loved it. I was singing and talking to myself and to everyone along the way. I yelled “Go Team” to every Team in Training person I passed, or who passed me. I knew I had some catching up to do because the swim took me so long. The sun shone and the wind blew in my face and I was so happy. I had my race number pinned to my shirt, stuck onto my helmet, written on my arm and leg as well as tied to my bike (which kept hitting against the wheel and making an annoying noise which I ignored). It was hard to avoid being noticed as #608.

And then came the hills. Oh dear. I said to myself that I cannot allow my speed to drop below 5 miles/hour. But alas (again), the long, long hills were just so challenging and as many cyclists passed me, I regretted to see that I was going at the roaring speed of 4.5 miles/hour. So many experienced triathletes and cyclists called my name as they passed me with encouraging words like “good job Karen”, “keep it up, you’re doing great Karen” etc. And there were some spectators alongside the highway cheering us all on too. It all helped tremendously, but best of all was when I looked over to my left shoulder where my dad promised to be sitting and there he was, spurring me on.

Of course, with all the uphills, come the downhills. Yay! I live for the downhills. Maximum speed 34.5 miles/hour. I couldn’t even pedal fast enough because I didn’t have enough gears. I was singing ‘Greatest American Hero’, you know that song… about “flying along with a wing and a prayer” (or something like that) “who could it be…believe it or not it’s just me”. Yep it was me, flying down the Henry Hudson Highway, taking in the beautiful views of New Jersey and New York, and the not so beautiful views of construction sites and the Department of Sanitation sites. I passed many riders with dislodged chains or flat tires. I prayed that I wouldn’t have to stop. I did my Yonkers u-turn and before I knew it, I was at the West 57th Street, Manhattan u-turn and there was my coach Lauren. She had a cow bell (I think). I told her I was having so much fun and was loving it and she laughed at me. Coming back into transition was great and felt so easy. I knew I’d worked really hard and my muscles were tight. I used caution dismounting so I would be able to tackle the run. Total bike time was 1 hour 45 minutes and 38 seconds. Fantastic!

Transition again meant remembering to take off my helmet. I debated if I should use the toilet before starting the run. I’d drunk a bottle of Gatorade and half a bottle of water on the bike and I’d eaten most of my power bar. Nahh! Couldn’t be bothered undoing my one-piece tri-suit and having to zip it up again. I’d already taken advantage of the Hudson River toilet three times during the swim (I know, that sounds a lot for half an hour, but it was an unusual day).

Run
I began the ridiculous ascent up a massive hill to get out of Riverside Park and onto West 72nd Street. As I’d learnt, I was taking very small (almost tiny) steps. Like a shuffle really. My hamstrings were so tight. I was concerned about injury if I sped up too soon after biking. I was slow, but I was comfortable and breathing well. They stopped the traffic at West End Avenue and that was fun. But when they stopped Broadway for me – well – did I get excited. Can you imagine. “They stopped Broadway for Karen Gurvis.” I know it sounds silly, but all kinds of weird psychology was going on in my head. Just before crossing Broadway I saw my first set of friends and then at Amsterdam Avenue I saw our new guy from work who ran with me to the park entrance when the police stopped him. At the West 72nd Street entrance to the park there were two more groups screaming and cheering for me (one of which I didn’t see, but I believe they were there!).

I was in a zone, focused and intent. Here I was, entering the park – Central Park – in New York City – where I now live, and this is the park where I’ve spent the past five months training. This was MY park. Pretty soon I came across my lovely swim coach Earl, who ran with me for a few minutes and gave me some encouraging words that I can’t remember now. I had a hill to tackle and it came and it went and really wasn’t that bad at all. Finally at 102nd Street my hamstrings loosened and I could speed up. Then I found Ross, one of our tougher but certainly fantastic coaches, who told me my form was good and my breathing sounded normal but was getting close to being too hard. He told me to keep my head up and look towards the runners in front of me as if they are magnets. “Keep your head up Karen” was my mantra from then on. I saw a friend on her bike (or I should say, she saw me first) and she rode alongside me for a while having a chat. That was great. This was so much fun.

On the Harlem Hills I caught up with some racers walking and encouraged them to run with me for a bit. It always helps to run with someone and they needed a bit of help right then. And then I saw Shira ahead of me and thought how nice it would be to run with her because we ran together so often in our training. So I put in the extra effort and spent the next ten minutes or so chasing her and desperately trying to catch her. We ran together for the last two and something miles. We got up those hills and controlled our downhills. We were both so amazed that we felt so good. I had totally expected to be running like a dead woman (?) and feeling really crappy, but I felt fantastic. I saw two more sets of friends on the east side of the park which was terrific.

Having supporters out there meant so much to me. I especially want to thank those friends of mine who made the effort to come out early on a Sunday morning to cheer me on. I know many more of you wished you could be there and I promise you that I felt your spirit. And all those strangers who yelled out my name and cheered for me; thank you. And to the announcer who called my name over the loud speaker as I crossed the finish line – thank you too! And thanks also to those of you who found me at the finish and hugged me and congratulated me.

But the race wasn’t over till the last Team-in-Training teammate crossed that line and an hour later we still had two buddies out there. So some of us went back to the 72nd Street turn on the east side and waited for them. Twice, as a group, we ran with both of them to the finish line. It was amazing.

It is hard to explain in words the feeling of elation. Like a drug, the adrenaline and endorphins were so powerful. Yesterday, I completed an Olympic distance Triathlon. I did it with a fantastic team. I did it for two really important causes – (1) cancer research; and (2) me. And at the end of it all, I was still standing and standing strong.

On the final straight, Shira told me to make sure I remember crossing the line. I’ll never ever forget crossing that finish line.

Email 1: The Ford NYC Triathlon - Sunday 27 June 2004

Dear All,

It’s here…I have two and half sleeps before the biggest physical challenge of my life, to date, the 2004 Ford New York City Triathlon. You can check it out at http://www.nyc.gov/html/sports/html/triathlon.html or go to: http://www.nyctri.com if you are interested.

The Training…Five months of hard work training in the snow, the cold, the rain, the humidity, the heat and a few lovely spring days. I’ve learned to drink Gatorade straight, to eat a variety of energy bars, suck on gels and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! I had a sore knee, a bit of a sore foot. I swallowed much chlorinated pool water and salty river/ocean water. I got up before 7:00am almost ever Saturday. I jumped off a pier into the Hudson River. I changed my shopping habits and now ogle over Spandex and CoolMax. I own a wetsuit! …am I ready?

The Day…Yes. I am ready. I am scared out of my brain, but I know I can do it. I reiterate that my goal is to cross that finish line with dignity. The forecast weather for Sunday 27 June 2004 is
· Partly cloudy; 79 degrees F (26 degrees C); a westerly wind at 6 mph; maximum humidity at 61%; a UV index of 9 (high)

I will be arriving at the race area at 4:30am (oiy!). Anyone volunteer a wake up call for me?

My race number is 608 and I am registered, shamelessly, in the Athena category (for triathletes over 150 lbs). I am expecting to start the race officially at 6:20am from West 100th Street where I will jump into the Hudson River, hang onto a rope attached to a barge and swim 0.9 miles (1.5 km) south to West 81st Street. There I will exit the river via partly submerged ramp with some assistance (apparently there are two people standing there who grab you under the arms and hurl you up the ramp like a beached whale – fun!). From there I will remove my nose clip, goggles and swim cap simultaneously trying to get my land legs and remove my wetsuit, all while running/walking down to the Transition Area at 72nd Street.

In transition I expect to dry off a bit, have a drink and a snack (what can I say – I’m Jewish – I have to eat!); put on my runners, sunnies, some more sunscreen, my helmet and gloves and walk my bike out of the Transition Area to the mounting area. From here I will begin my ride with an incredibly steep hill out of Riverside Park and onto the Henry Hudson Parkway. Last week my friends and I took a drive along the route we will be riding. The northbound side of the highway will be closed off to traffic and the next 26 miles (40 km) will be undulating with a few very challenging hills included. We turn around at West Gun Hill Road (just in Yonkers) and head back to West 57th Street, Manhattan, where we do a another U-turn and ride back to the Transition Area at West 72nd Street.

Time for another transition – remove gloves and helmet (hopefully I’ll remember to do this before heading out on the run – oh how embarrassing that could be!) and begin the 6.2 mile (10 km) run. Again up that steep hill out of Riverside Park and along 72nd Street (also closed to traffic) to Central Park. There I will complete a loop up the west side, then along 110th Street and through the Harlem Hills, then down the east side, passing all those famous New York landmarks. At 72nd Street on the east side, I turn right and head for the home straight – THE FINISH LINE at the Band Shell (just off 72nd Street) near Cherry Hill on Dead Road (aptly named).

I am hoping to finish the entire Olympic distance Triathlon in less than 4 hours and 30 minutes.

Cheer me on….
As I don’t have any family in the region cheering me on…I would be most appreciative of anyone who wishes to come out and support me on the day. At the bottom of this message is the TNT recommended cheering sites. Drop me an email or a phone call (cell 646-236-1427) before the day to let me know to look out for you. Hopefully I’ll be zooming past you so fast that you can hardly see me…, but somehow I doubt that!

Thanks #1
A huge thank you to everyone who has shown such tremendous support and interest in this challenge of mine. I have received a lot of encouraging words from many of you and amazement from others. I’ve also been given great advice from some of you, knowledgeable in one or more of the three disciplines, as well as tips for racing in general. Now that I think I have told everyone I know in the world that I am doing this race… I hope you will all be inspired to take on some big or small challenge in your own lives.

Fundraising
I am very proud to announce that through your support I raised more than $3,250 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through Team in Training. I thank you all for your generosity and guarantee that every penny goes to pursuing advances in treatment and cures for blood cancers. This also benefits almost all other cancer research.

There are few of you out there who expressed an interest in still sponsoring me. I am taking donations up until July 5th, 2004. Please contact me for a donation form. BUT… I am also contemplating / mulling over / tossing around the idea of … (yes,) signing up for another TNT event. Perhaps another triathlon, perhaps a century bike ride? Who knows? That will be next week’s thought of the week! Should this be the case, I will need to raise funds again, so please keep that in mind if you haven’t had a chance to sponsor me this time (or wanted to wait and see if I really could do it!).

Thanks #2
I would like to take this opportunity to thank certain individuals:
· Shira Shimoni: my friend and personal mentor, who introduced me to Team in Training and with peer-group-pressure, got me to sign up. An inspiring woman to me, who can overcome her own challenges and is a successful triathlete, Shira runs in memory of her mother, a victim of cancer. Thank you Shira
· Ilona Gale: my roommate and friend, who I cajoled into doing this with me; who put up with me yelling at her to hurry up all the time; whose positive energy balanced me out. We’ve helped each other through the rough times over the past five months and more. Thank you Lone.
· Christine Nguyen: my colleague and friend, who sits near me at work and has listened to my daily trials and tribulations and encouraged me with her experience as a triathlon spectator. Thanks Christine.
· Debra Lilienthal: my roommate and friend, who has never once complained about all the wet gear drying in the living room, the noisy early Saturday mornings when Ilona and I were trying to get out of the apartment with our bikes. And also for showing lots of interest in my training and progress. Thank you Debra.
· Sean Kavanagh and Peter Henrici: my bosses, who have checked up on my progress regularly and provided me with plenty of advice and tips from their own training and experience on the road and in the water; and who have not complained with my reduced amount of overtime! Thanks Sean and Peter.
· Rachel Alexander, my TNT mentor, who has watched out for me during the season; checking up on my fundraising progress, and desperately trying to get more socially involved. Thanks Rachel.
· Fellow teammates: Ken and Barb, who have raised almost $15,000 and have a teenage daughter in remission; Adrienne who successfully completed a triathlon in Memphis in May and is also in remission; Mitch who is addicted to this sport and maintains a great spirit; Jordana and Marjorie, always there with support and kindness, and so many others. These people have added to the great reasons for doing this with a team: meeting great people with like interests.
· And greatest of all… my TNT coaches: the lovely Earl – swim coach and mentor; Scott and Ross – crazy double-ironmen with a commitment beyond repose; Lauren – an inspiring woman with a figure to admire, nutritional advice worth listening to and the one who reminds me to smile while I’m running. These coaches have shown an incredible dedication to ensure I and all my teammates have built a core of strength and technique in all three disciplines that will ensure we all complete a successful and most likely injury-free triathlon this Sunday. Thanks guys!

I also want to thank my parents – Stan and Ida Gurvis - all the way across the oceans in Melbourne, Australia. They helped me start “training to train” in February while I was visiting during their summer and have been really supportive all along the way. My dad will be like a little imaginary birdy on my shoulder pushing me along during the race. Thanks mum and dad. I love you.

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FORD NEW YORK CITY TRIATHLON 2004
Team In Training Cheering Sites

Following are the general TNT cheering sites for the Ford New York City Triathlon on Sunday, June 27th. Please note that these locations are subject to change, based on athlete visibility.
Please feel free to bring cheering paraphernalia and/or wear TNT apparel to help support the team!
Please look for TNT staff and volunteers around these locations.
THANK YOU!

CHEERING SITE 1
CAPTAIN: Sarah Globenfelt (917.450.0872)
LOCATION: Transition area @ 79th Street & Riverside Drive (meet on the south side of the transition area)
TIME: 6:15am-8am – Watch swimmers enter transition area to change into their cycling gear
8am (or whenever the last swimmer has passed) – Move to transition exit to cheer on athletes as they begin their 6.2 mile run
9:30am (approximate time) – Walk along 72nd Street to finish line in Central Park (20 min walk)
The finish line is at the Central Park Band Shell, which is located along the 72nd Street transverse, across from Bethesda Terrace.

CHEERING SITE 2
CAPTAIN: Stacy Mitz (917.523.4391)
LOCATION: 72nd Street & Park Drive West in Central Park
Meet approximately 100 yards inside the park where 72nd Street merges with the Park Drive.
TIME: 7:45am – Watch runners pass by as they enter Central Park at Mile 1
After the last runner passes, proceed to 72nd Street & Park Drive East to cheer on runners during the last ¼ mile of their run.
The finish line is at the Central Park Band Shell, which is located along the 72nd Street transverse, across from Bethesda Terrace.

CHEERING SITE 3
CAPTAIN: Desiree Young (214.244.3733)
LOCATION: 90th Street & Park Drive East (inside Central Park, just off of Fifth Avenue)
TIME: 8am-10:30am -- Watch runners pass by at mile 5
10:30am – Follow run course to the finish line (1 mile walk), cheering along the way
The finish line is at the Central Park Band Shell, which is located along the 72nd Street transverse, across from Bethesda Terrace.

Madonna - live at Madison Square Garden

Went to see Madonna last night at Madison Square Garden. She was great. I got tickets for Ilona and Shira for their birthdays. Madonna is an amazing performer. I loved her concert. Here is an extract from a spoiler/review of her concert, published on her website:


BY JAY LUSTIG
Star-Ledger Staff
NEW YORK -- Bagpipers and skateboarders. Yoga poses and a T-shirt reading "Kabbalists do it better." Rap and country music. Angry political statements and giddy party anthems.

Madonna's Wednesday night show at Madison Square Garden had all of the above, and more. A Madonna tour is, by definition, a spectacle. But she has never presented anything quite as dizzying and dazzling as her current "re-Invention Tour," which has four more dates at the Garden, as well as two at the Continental Airlines Arena.

Dancers turned into acrobats, spinning on swings high above the stage. They also breakdanced and tap-danced as images of Tarot cards flashed behind them. At two points in the show, a V-shaped ramp descended from the rafters and Madonna and the dancers ran out to the middle of the arena floor.

Without an album of new material to draw from, Madonna added new twists to some of her old songs. "Material Girl" and "Burning Up" took on a new-wave rock feel, and "Deeper and Deeper" became a jazzy ballad. Bagpipes and a filmed Missy Elliott rap were added to "Into the Groove," while "Don't Tell Me" had a strange country-techno interlude.

Madonna sang "Lament," from the rock opera "Evita," from an electric chair and added video footage of a gospel choir to "Like a Prayer." Artful film of entwined, slow-moving, near-naked bodies enhanced the yearning sentiment of the ballad "Frozen."

In general, though, sexual content was kept to a minimum. Madonna seems more interested these days in spirituality and the state of the world.

One of the show's low points came during "Express Yourself." Dancers dressed in military uniforms marched and twirled rifles with projections of tanks and planes behind them. Madonna herself held a rifle above her head as she sang the line, "What you need is a big strong hand to lift you to your higher ground."

One imagines she was making an anti-war statement, but the theatrics didn't make much sense accompanying a song about personal empowerment.

Better to be inscrutable, though, than heavy-handed.

"American Life" was accompanied by a video that showed, among other things, footage of a President Bush lookalike kissing a Saddam Hussein lookalike, and lovingly laying his head on the dictator's shoulder.

Shots of children suffering from malnutrition or violence were projected behind Madonna during her earnest cover of John Lennon's "Imagine." Toward the end of the song, though, happy children were shown, and a Jewish boy and an Arab boy walked off together, arm in arm.

Later, she offered a more conventional thank-you, dedicating "Crazy for You" to the fans who have stuck by her through her entire career. She then sang a warm, relaxed version of the song. This was the concert's calmest moment, by far.

Then it was back to business as usual, with a manic "Music," featuring hip-hop record scratching, dancers gliding around the stage on conveyor belts, and the word F-R-E-E-D-O-M spelled out on the dancers' butts. The show ended with "Holiday," a celebratory dance-pop tune with prancing on the V-ramp, a blast of confetti, and a final video message: "Reinvent Yourself."

Source: Star-Ledger

One week to go! And another new experience for me!

Another mammoth training day. Saturday morning started at 7:15am in Central Park. We were late and missed the group and had to cab it to catch them. Yes it's embarrassing, but this really is the first time we've ever done it! We did run part of the way over to the where our race will start next week. We were taken through the transition area and looked at the water we'll be swimming in. We saw the hills we'll have to climb to get out of Riverside Park and took note of where the toilets are.

There is tremedous nervous energy and excitement amongst the group. For me included. We then ran back to Central Park and did a short 3 mile run in the park before heading off to the subway to Coney Island. This was great. We swam as a group in the ocean between two rock jetties. Felt good. Still nervous though. Then we spent the afternoon on the beach just relaxing and I got a hand print sunburt onto my back. Great.

An unusual New York activity

This past weekend, I jumped off a pier into the Hudson River...

...and yes, I was sober!

It all started on Monday night when I tried to complete a swimming time trial: 1 mile (1.61km) in less than 50 minutes. Well, I thought I did a really good swim, but unfortunately I couldnt seem to keep count of my laps (15 laps or 30 lengths of a 50 meter pool). I guess my concentration levels were at a low (see previous post). At the end of the night we were supposed to sign off that we completed the mile swim in whatever time we made and this would act as a qualification to enter the New York Swim Club's inaugural Flag Day Intrepid Swim Race.

The USS Intrepid is an aircraft carrier - a National Historic Landmark - that participated in many famous war battles since before World War II. Commissioned in 1943, she officially retired in 1974 and was opened as a museum in 1982.

So, I was terribly unhappy with my Monday night swim and refused to guess at my time/lap count. On Wednesday morning I tried again. Ilona came with me and before I work I used my new training watch to clock each lap. I managed to swim one mile continuously in 44 minutes and 45 seconds. I was somewhat pleased with that. Note: I found it hard.

So Saturday came around and it was a gorgeous day, sunny and warm. I biked to the park and around and around until I'd done about 16 miles (plus two miles getting to and from the park that day). I worked really really hard to keep up with my friends and pushed myself to my limit. You see I have a steel frame bike, which is terrific quality, but partiularly heavy. Also, not being a tiny, slight woman, I am carrying a fair load of myself on those two thin wheels. After about 1 hour and 10 minutes, I immediately jumped off my bike, threw down my helmet and took off for a 5 mile run which coincided with a women's 10km race taking place in the park that day. Running along at a nice steady slow pace, we watched the Gazelle, oops, I mean first woman, glide past us almost silently. We yelled out to all the women who passed us (well, at least the first 20, we started getting horse when the other 1500 women ran past us). The run was great. We ran the course we will be running on race day for the first time. I had a bit of a lactic acid burn in my right foot so I decided to prevent an injury and walked for 7 minutes. My friend Ken came along and I picked up his pace and we ran the rest of the way chatting and heavy breathing together.

Three hours of rest at home and I gathered up my wetsuit, lube, goggles and nose clip and off I went to the new location for our first ever Hudson River swim. The day before, the organizers, the New York Swim Club was told by the Coast Guard, that we couldnt swim around the Intrepid because of security reasons. So at the 11th hour, they decided we would jump off the pier at Christopher Street, (further downtown) and swim to Chelsea Piers (at 23rd Street). So there I was, so nervous... I took one look at the water and almost started hyperventilating. It had white globs of bubbles that looked alive. I breathed deeply and walked the pier to the end. We ended up blistering in the sun while waiting for the current to change before jumping about 6 feet into the water. There were 157 of us. Most of the competitors happened to be Team-in-Training New York Triathlon group using it as a trial run of Hudson River swimming.

My Ratings:
Temperature: with a wetsuit on, the water was quite pleasant, considering it was really hot that afternoon.
Taste: suprisingly good. not too salty and not too brackish. still dont want to measure how much I actually drank, coz I know it was a lot.
Current: ridiculous. against me, across me, against me, across me. Oiy!
Speed: negative 0.75 miles an hour. Swim ten strokes forward to find yourself in the same spot, or further towards New Jersey.
Direction: there was a strong attempt at swiming in a straight line, but with the current, no visibility and nerves (see next line), I scalloped my way across the course, probably adding distance (see futher)
Nervousness: 10 out of 10. very hard to control my breathing, little oxgyen getting to my muscles, heart wanted to jump out of my body and would have if it wasnt for the tightness of my wetsuit.
Distance: the original swim around The Intrepid was supposed to be 1 mile, this swim was probably a bit longer (according to my lovely swim coach Earl), add to this the scalloping affect - that is like driving along a winding road... Oiy - again.

Retrospectively:
I didnt swim that much. I spent some time doggie paddling, some time on my back floating, some time just immobile and keeping my head above water. I talked to my kayakers - yes, they became "my kayakers" because they basically followed me most of the way. There was Tanya, who I had to share with my one teammate behind me, and Sully - who seemed cute from my angle - and who tried to convince me that we were doing something really hard, and that I was doing fine and that I WOULD be able to do the Triathlon in two weeks time. He told me I had to finish so the Coast Guard guys could meet me afterwards!!???! You know, that's a lot of pressure, come to think of it. I had quite a few people watching me panic in the water!! Hmmm. But I was determined to finish and I was determined not to be pulled out of the water by the Coast Guard boats. So I finished second last after both calves cramping up and then getting a charlie-horse in my left one. I hung onto the nose of Sully's kayak for quite a way and finally swam the last quarter mile in to the finish.

My time: official: 1 hour and 50.1 seconds. According to my watch it was 1 hour and 4 minutes. Oh well!

PMDD and the Chinese Doctor

Some of you may know (and now all of you) that I suffer from a condition called PMDD.

Here is a somewhat clinical explanation I found on http://www.drdonnica.com website:

PMDD stands for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. It is the acronym for the more severe form of PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome). Like PMS, PMDD occurs the week before the onset of menstruation and disappears a few days after. PMDD is characterized by severe monthly mood swings and physical symptoms that interfere with everyday life, especially a woman’s relationships with her family and friends. PMDD symptoms go far beyond what are considered manageable or normal premenstrual symptoms.

PMDD is a combination of symptoms that may include irritability, depressed mood, anxiety, sleep disturbance, difficulty concentrating, angry outbursts, breast tenderness and bloating.

The Difference Between PMS and PMDD?
The physical symptom list is identical for PMS and PMDD; while the emotional symptoms are similar, they are significantly more serious with PMDD. In PMDD, the criteria focus on the mood rather than the physical symptoms. With PMS, sadness or mild depression is not uncommon. With PMDD, however, significant depression and hopelessness may occur.

In simplest terms, the difference between PMS and PMDD can be likened to the difference between a mild headache and a migraine.

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Anyway, this past week has been a really tough one for me. The triathlon training has been even more challenging, but also physically relieving. My senses have been heightened and sounds and smells are much more acute. My teariness sensitivity was way up and my patience was way down.

Thank goodness it is over now. I am about to embark on my first visit to a Chinese doctor, specializing in accupuncture. I'm not sure I want to eliminate my faith completely in Western doctors yet (for this condition), but I sure am close. I dont want to go down the path of anti-depressants. I've been there before and I do believe they work in assisting with the illness of depression (be it temporary or chronic), but they also level out your emotions to a very staid level with very little (normal) fluctuations that make life interesting.

I'll keep you informed.

Wetsuit Weekend Horror - Part 2

Saturday evening was spent attempting to dilute the poison injested from our daytime activities. Three bottles of wine later, I slept really really well.

There was little relief on Sunday. It started with Challah French Toast again, followed by a heavy duty hour bike ride along the shore. Weather was dreary but the wind was with us one way. Yes, only one way and we had to turn around and come back with the wind in our eyes, sand biting at our skin and quads squeezing hard against the pedals.

It was discovered that one of the new housemates in this year's shorehouse share has just completed his 'personal training' certification. Huh-hah! I was gonna take advantage of this. So we had an abs session. Keep in mind, this quiet, gentle, gentleman is a drummer in a rock band (The Benjamins); has tarot symbols tattooed on his arms and has a washboard stomach. I overdid it as usual by doing too many crunches, but I was trying hard...! Next was time for an hour run. Ilona decided to take a well deserved rest and napped while I went running along the beachfront with Jeremy; and Simon on his rollerblades and Steve on Ilona's bike and we all headed out into the greyness. It was a good 3.75 miles. Along the way I was able to pick Jeremy's brain about nutrition, stretching, sports psychology, etc. I learned about "no-carb" and "low-carb" diets being bad, and I learned his philosophy of the 1-2-3 diet: one part fats, 1 parts proteins, and three parts carbohydrates. Not so easy to follow when you like lots of cheese on your pasta!

Ilona and I were chatting as we were getting ready to leave the shorehouse and I was applying some makeup. I told her that she should always look good when she goes out even if it's just a train ride, coz you never know who you might meet. (Do you think this old fashioned advice??). On our train ride home, we met David, a young Jewish guy who lives on the Upper West Side. We got chatting about bicycles and we spent the trip interviewing him as a potential, compatible match for one of our friends (name withheld until they go out on a date!). He was such a nice guy, he even carried Ilona's bike up all the subway stairs for her.

An exhausting, but great weekend.

Wetsuit weekend horror Part 1

Friday night Ilona and I left the apartment with my extra big backpack (my "let's travel around Europe for 3 months" backpack) and two small bags, two bicycles, two challah breads and some frozen kosher chicken. It was 6:45pm on the corner of 93rd and Broadway and we were aiming for a 7:08pm train out of NJ Transit Penn Station. The race began.

After navigating the turnstiles, the subway, Ilona's injured knee (which refused to bend), rush hour pedestrian traffic underground New York and a broken escalator to the train platform, we actually made it in time. As per the rules of bike travel on trains, we had planned to miss the peak hours of 4 - 7 pm, and still make it to Bradley Beach before dark. Alas, our plans were waylaid. The conductor decided to use his discretion and NOT let us on the train. His somewhat illogical excuse was that this express train will get crowded in two stops time (he apparently had a crystal ball). It was a miserable weekend and not that many people were leaving the city to go to their beach houses. But, we were rejected and had to wait for a local train that got us to our destination 2 hours later than planned.

Luckily Simon came and met us at the train station and collected our bags so we could ride our lightless bikes to his beach house. He followed behind slowly, acting as our headlights. A BBQ dinner was on the table waiting for us when we arrived (except for the kosher chicken which was quickly cooked up on the still hot bbq.)

Saturday morning sleep-in. First time in more than three months. Hooray! French toast breakfast was followed by the hysterical event of Ilona and Karen putting on our brand new wetsuits for the first time. Simon and Steve read the instructions and watched and laughed with us. A couple of broken nails, flattened chests and blue extremeties later, we managed to walk down to the beach, which was deserted. I saw the lifeguard in a car driving on the beach, so I hailed him over and asked if it was safe for us to go in the rough, choppy water. He asked us if we were strong swimmers! Well, we have been training for three months! He said he'd send a lifeguard down to watch us. We assigned signals between us and Steve and Simon and hopped our way into the water. We planned to make our way past the breakers, the white tops, the smashing waves - whatever you want to call them, and then try to swim with the current between two rock piers (jetty). Well, the water was so rough. The waves kept dumping us and I freaked out somewhat and was feeling very panicked. Even with Ilona holding my hand, my instinct told me it was not a good idea to keep walking out to sea, wetsuit and all, in such a wild environment. So we turned back. As the two of us, looking like cone-heads with bright fluorescent swim caps (I have now bought a trendy black lycra one), got back to shore, we noticed 5, yes five, lifeguards standing on the beach watching us. Oh how humiliating! The boss had gotten them out of bed in order to come and watch us foolishly NOT do our first open water swim.

They suggested we try the bay beach, the inlet not far away. We walked back to the beach house and got in Simon's lovely BMW with our wet wetsuits and ended up at Shark Fin River (aptly named for my fear level at this stage!). We prepared ourselves and started to walk into the water only to have our feet sink into knee-deep sludge, slime and oil slick. Yick! Echhh! Oiy! It was horrible. So I just jumped as far as I could and started swimming. My hand hit the bottom and my fingernails filled with black yuckky stuff. I was not a happy chappy.

We swam as far as my ick-tolerance would allow (half way) and then we turned back. Steve and Simon were suprised we gave up, and genuinely encouraged us to go back in and try again. So for the second time, I repeated that horrible entry into the water and we swam three quarters of the way to our intended buoy destination. Seagulls squwaked over my head and I had a sudden panic that one was going to swoop down and pick me up out of the water, thinking I was fish food. It was a combination between The Birds and Finding Nemo. My panic level didnt really allow me to do much other than doggie paddle, and I'd swallowed so much water that I was mostly floating anyway, so we turned back for the second and final time. We got out and I wanted to vomit, but continuous spitting seemed sufficient. Note: there was even a dead fish skeleton on the banks of the water (shiver and shudder as I think about it). Stripped out of the wetsuits and wiped off blobs of oil sludge before getting back in the car and home for a shower and a bath.

In the afternoon, Ilona and I got on our bikes and went for a bike ride in the grey, drizzly weather. Simon and Steve gave us directions to head North, which meant some riding on the Main Road in order to get on to the beach road north. Well, it was a little too busy for us. Too much traffic, so we took the side streets and ended up where we were intending to avoid - Asbury Park. This town is famous for its Rock and Roll history, most notably Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi and the club called The Stone Pony (where I actually went last year in the Summer and saw Billy Idol perform live on stage - it was great!). While we were riding through this area that seemed dodgy, we saw the half demolished Palace building.

(picture to be uploaded here)

It just looked like a half demolished building with no specific significance, until I did some research and discovered that this place was quite a momument in the heady days of the 60's, 70's and 80's music scene of North Eastern USA.

"Back in the 80s, there was a Rock and Roll Museum housed in the Palace Amusements building in Asbury Park. The museum contained lots of great music-related stuff from artists like Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, Bon Jovi, Billy Chinnock and many more. During the period of time when it was open thousands of people from all across the world stopped by to learn about the local music history. Unfortunately the museum was forced to close when the Palace stopped operately and Asbury Park has been without a museum geared towards its music history ever since."

Wanna see more? Check out this site to explore more of the Asbury Park music scene and general history. Very interesting. http://www.asburymusic.com/virtualtour.html

(insert another picture here too) So I've include a picture of the boardwalk which we rode along illegally for some way. The sky was even grayer and it was drizzling.

The weekend again - Hooray

Well, the date went kinda well, but I decided that I wasnt really into him. We're just not compatable in so many ways. When I called him two nights later to tell him, he wasnt impressed. He told me he didnt believe me and thought I was frustrated. Oh well!! Just so you know, I am not frustrated. Then he told me he was insulted. Onwards to better things and better people.

This weekend is exciting, going to the Jersey shore to Simon's beach house. Will try out my wetsuit for the first time, and in open water. Then we ( Ilona is coming with me too) will go biking and then running.

This week was a great training week with cycling on Sun and Mon and running (in the rain) on Tues and swimming on Weds and cycling again on Thurs. Today is rest day and then tomorrow is a big session.

I love Friday's. In a great mood for the weekend. YaY!

Which Seasame Street Muppet's Dark Secret Am I?

Grover on Ecstasy



You're funny, you're loveable, you're entertaining,
you like to call yourself "Super
Grover!"--You're obviously on ecstasy.
But that's why we love you. Be careful, ok?


Which Sesame Street Muppet's Dark Secret Are You?
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