Maui: Day Two, Race Day and (sadness) Last Day

I started to post this yesterday but it became so boring and pedestrian that it induced sleep...trying again! Thank you all for waiting.

What happened on day two?

They say, and studies have actually been done, that your race day is not affected by how much or how little you sleep the night before, but rather, the night before the night before. So, Friday night I was in bed by 10pm and up by 6am. June, who was staying at a hotel down the street with her husband, came to meet me at 7:45am and we spent $22.95 on a buffet breakfast that was just ok. Plus tax and coffee that was $56!?!?! For eggs and pineapple. Silly.

At 9am we had to go register for the race, get our number, swim cap and our swag. My number was 158 and my color coded by age swim cap was lime green. (June's too, thank god. I had gotten an email last week that said my age wave, 35-39, was leaving after June's, 30-34. Turns out that wasn't the case.) After checking in we all met at 10am for a quick 15 minute swim, bike and run. Hi. Hard. We swam about a half mile out and back to a bouy and back and I thought was gonna die. NOT a good sign the day before you have to swim .9 of a mile. The water was clear-ish and I could see straight to the bottom. Funny thing tho, when there actually was something to see besides sand I totally freaked out. Even if it was just some coral or rock formation I was like AHHHHHHH don't look! Don't look! I think mostly because I didn't want to see anything that I didn't want to see. Even the tiny little yellow and black fish waaaay down at the bottom by the coral got me all uptight.

After we got out of the water we rinsed off and then headed out for a 15 minute run down part of the course. Hi. Hard. It's amazing how much the heat really affects you when you aren't used to it. After the run we ran up to our rooms and grabbed our bikes and headed out for, you guessed it, a 15 minute or so bike ride. Yay for rolling hills! These were real rolling hills and not those "rolling hills" up at stupid Point Reyes. It was just awesome.

After our work out, I totally felt like eating a giant bowl of something and taking a nap. So Chris picked up June and I and we went to a nice little place for lunch and I had some fish, rice and bok choy. Then we made a pit stop at a store so I could load up on water and Gatorade. I surmised that I wasn't drinking enough water as we only got one 16oz free bottle a day with our room and I usually drink at least 96oz just at work. Plus, the sport drink of choice or this race was Heed and that shit is just nasty. So my plan was to fill my Camelback with Gatorade and just grab water from the aid stations. After shopping at the ABC convenient store (and htat includes some yummy macadamia nut, chocolate chip cookies) June and Chris dropped me at my hotel and she went off to pack her stuff up to stay the night in my room and also to get ready to leave since she was taking off right after the race.

When I got back to the hotel I had a message from my mom and dad and called them both. It was so nice to know that they were thinking about me and were so excited for me. Then I went out for a walk around the hotel since I hadn't really checked it out yet. I walked around the grounds a little bit and then down to the beach. Naturally I was acosted by some rednecks who were lounging ina cabana thingy (...oh cabana boy!) As I was walking by one of then yelled, "Damn girl! Get over here. Let me see those tattoos!" Sigh. Having tattoos gives strangers, mostly men, the permission to harrass you and, in some cases, touch you. I can't tell you how many times strange men touched my arms this weekend. Why would you touch a stranger? Anyways, I talked to the SIX of them and I think that one of them was secretly taking photos of me too. Mahalo. Ugh. I finally broke away and kept on walking and waded into the water a bit. Then I hung with the Koi who live in a lagoon in the hotel courtyard and watching them swim around, oddly, put me at ease. (Video coming shortly)

At 4pm we had a mandatory meeting regarding the race. Several other Team in Training teams were there. Florida, Texas, LA and Silicon Valley in addition to Redwood/Wine Country, East Bay and our own SF/Marin team. Basically the "race organizers" (and I use that term loosely) went over the rules and the route. It was comical to say the least. These are not professional race organizers but rather some guys who one day said: "hey! let's have a triathlon!" The maximum capacity is about 500 racers and TnT makes up more than half of those entrants.

That night we had a pasta party on one of the lawns at the hotel. I went up to change my clothes and then promptly lost my room key...in my room. What the hell? I met up with June and Chris and we went to dinner. On the path on the way in to the dinning area, all of of our TnT mentors, coaches, managers etc (who came to Hawaii) were there to cheer us in to dinner complete with noisemakers and cowbells. For some reason this really embarrassed me and made me shy. I got all goof and giggly and did that thing where I cover my mouth and laugh and look everywhere but at the people. We sat with these two awesome women Elizabeth and Jo, some East Bay people and then Spencer rolled in and took the last seat next to me. We had some speeches from TnT people and an awesome honoree, Matt. It was such an amazing setting sitting in the warm air and the sunset behind us and being there all together to make a difference. Dinner broke early and June and I were in bed by 8:30 since we had to be up at 4am. I tried to do some blogging but the wifi was wonky. So I took a Tylenol PM and was out by 9pm. Suddenly I woke up and was wide awake and ready to go and was thinking that it was time to get up until I looked at my watch and it was only 11:30pm! Woo! Four and a half hours to sleep! Back to sleep again and up one more time at 2:30am. In between I had really weird dreams about guns and dead birds.

Race Day
We got up at 4am. The wake up call scared the shit out of me. I hate waking up with a super duper fast pounding heart. The transition area was opening at 5am and we were advised to get there early to stake out our area and get our stuff set up. June and I ran around trying to get ready and eat something...anything. We headed out and down to transition. The first thing we did was set up our space. I put down a towel and laid out my bike shoes, socks, gloves, helmet, sunglasses, an extra bottle of water, electrolyte tabs, run shoes, hat and snacks...oh and my bike. Then we went off to get body marked with our race number. I was kinda curious about this body marking thing since they put your number on your upper arm. And you know, I have all those giant tattoos so I was wondering where they were going to put it. I get up there and the girl is like, ok...oh...oh! And then after a quick consultation with the volunteer who body marked the only other upper armed tattoo sleeve guy, she wrote my number on my forearms and on my left calf. Then we headed over to get our timing chip which velcros around your left ankle. Then we got to stand around and pee excessively from hydrating and, um, nerves.

Finally at 6:50 we headed down to the beach to start the race. We all gathered on the beach and were asked to place our right hand on the left shoulder of someone near you. A Hawaiian prayer was said/sang and then we sang the National Anthem. It was really powerful. I got kinda teary eyed.

Then I looked at the swim course and really started crying. Just kidding. It was shaped like a hanger (high-tech illustrations coming through!). We swim straight out to a bouy, then to the right and out, we round the bouy and took a left and then straight to the next bouy then a let turn and back into shore. The men's waves went in every three minutes. I was getting more and more nervous. June and I moved up to the shore line and suddenly we were in the front row of our wave holding hands. I looked at her and was like, um...I don't want to be in the front! But then the conch shell went off and we were running into the ocean and then diving in and then I was drowning. Hahaha, not really.

It just took me a long time to get my rhythm and because we all had on green caps I couldn't really find June and at that moment that was what I needed. I was having a hard time breathing and I started to get panicky when I put my face in the water. I got to the first bouy and before I knew it my breath evened out and as I headed towards the second I was doing fine. Then I got to the second bouy and saw where the third one was and was like, ohhhh shit. It was SO FAR OUT! I saw a sea turtle though. He was just hanging out at the bottom and looking up at us. It was kinda creepy. He looked all prehistoric and shit. Swim, swim, swim. On the way in to the shore we were heading right into the sun rising over the mountains and it was illuminating the water and lighting up the ocean floor. That was cool. Soon I could touch the sand with my hands and I stood up and ran out of the water. Coach Rand and Lydia were there cheering me in and urging me to get moving since the transition time started once I stepped on the timing mat coming out of the water. I swiped my arm at Rand as if to say, I'm getting to it! And he yelled: Don't brush me off! Get moving!!! I ran across the beach (after swimming almost a mile) and up some stairs and then I rinsed off the salt water in some jerry rigged pvc pipe
showers right outside the transition area.

When I got to my space I decided to just take my time, had some water, popped some gum in my mouth to get the salt water taste out and got my bike gear on. I had a hard time getting my pony tail through my helmet and I think I heard a specator yell: get that hair in there! Then I was heading out on the bike course and couldn't wait to just settle in to it. On the bike I can relax, eat, drink, and go fast! During the prep meeting they warned of us Diamond Hill, or sometimes called Heartbreak Hill, which is about a half mile long. I was a little worried about this. Not because I couldn't get up it but because hills suck. And at the meeting the bike guy was like, if you have to walk up it not worries. Just do it. As we headed into a turn and into an incline I passed a guy and was like, is this Diamond Hill? He said yes and I was all SWEET! Because the incline was less than 6%. That's practically flat. Then I passed him. The bike ride was nice. A little irritating since it was a 6 mile-something out and back and out and back again. It was HOT in places but so beautiful. June was a mere six minutes behind me so I got to see her lots of times on the turn arounds (we had three). Diamond Hill was a little harder the second time as I could tell my energy was kinda low. I pounded some Shot Blocks and pretzels. I finally got in and headed into transition to get ready for my run.

I was so not looking forward to the run. But I put on my hat, glasses and shoes and grabbed a bottle of water and dropped an electrolyte tab in and put a handful in my back pocket. Out I went and I forgot my race number. Luckily a volunteer caught me before I crossed the timing mat and I ran back to get my race belt. Back out again and ugh. So hot. Within minutes I could tell I was going to have blister issues on my little toes and my left instep. I was wondering when June might catch up since she is a faster runner than me. At about mile 1 she caught up with me and then was off. I could see her, tho. She was about 30 seconds ahead of me the whole time. At the rest stops we got handed sponges that were soaking in giant buckets of ice and water. We could grab as many as we wanted and I had one in my tank top strap taht I could just press on and water would go down my shirt eeeee!, in the back of my shirt and one in my hand to wipe my face to make it cool. At the second aid station I took my sunglasses off and put them on top of my hat but then grabbed some ice and put it under my hat and went off running again. About two seconds later I was all, where are my glasses...ugh. Lost 'em. But I figured I could ask around on the way back.

At mile 4 I hit the lava field. I had no idea what to expect and just assumed I was in it since giant black rocks were on either side of the road. And man was it hot. It had been mostly overcast on the run so far, but of course, once we hit wide open lava-ness the sun was blazing. I hit the turn around and started back and could see that I was getting closer and closer to June. When I got to the aid station I restocked my sponges, water, electrolytes in bottle and had them dump water all over me. (obviously forgetting that those electrolyte tabs are like alkaseltzer and they were explodingall over my back pocket...heh). When I got to the kid who was working the bucket where I lost my glasses, I asked: have you seen any blue frame glasses? He says no. I pick up more sponges, go to head out and just on a whim ask a guy at the end of the table and he is all, Julio! (or whatever) Get the glasses. And of course it's the kid who said no who hands me my glasses that were right next to him on the table. Little shit. I catch up with June and we make a pact to run the flats and walk the hills. Pretty soon man we're approaching the golf cart path which will lead us back to the hotel and finish line. Then we can see it! I say: come on June! Let's pick it up! We start to sprint to the finish. I get handed water and then gag. Hahaha. Spencer was there to welcome me in and was all, are you ok!?!? I was convinced my photo finish was of me gagging on the sidelines. Nice.

June and I quickly headed to the pool and ripped off our singlets and shoes and jumped in and just floated. It felt so nice. Then we hit the jacuzzi for a second. Then up to the hotel room so she could grab her stuff to head out. She had to catch a fligth to Cleveland in 4 hours for a conference. I took a shower and headed back down to eat. Outback Steakhouse had food for us and I had a yummy plate of cesar salad and steak and sat in the shade and watched the remaining runners come in. Man I needed to lay down tho! I headed to my room and tried to sleep but had the worst headache known to man. At 3pm I needed to be in the ballroom to disassemble my bike for shipping so I headed down there. Packed that bitch up. Then headed to the pool where I floated around some more. Then got a massage! Best thing ever.

I showed up late to our victory dinner and managed to cram some veggies, rice and fish in my face before downing two glasses of wine and whooping it up on the dance floor with Jo and Elizabeth. I came dangerously close to reenacting the Beyonce/Jay-Z grad party debacle but luckily, for me and everyone else involved, it was a remix and wasn't the same beats. Then I think it was me who had the grand idea to go skinny dipping in the ocean. Off we went with towels in hand and swam and got tossed around by the surf for an hour. We wrapped ourselves up and walked through the party to get to the hot tub where we lounged naked and wished we had some champagne. Some of the team ended up in the pool and were making a ruckus and got kicked out. The pool guys seemed to stay away from us. We think it was the nakedness because they would walk right by us and not even look in our direction. Heh. We took the hint and hopped out and walked through the hotel in our fancy shoes and towels. A lucky gentleman got in the elevator with us but spent most of the time looking at the ceiling. Bed.

Last Day
I got up at an obscene 5am. I had to pack up my crap though. Did that, took a shower, ran down to get coffee and came back to my room to enjoy my coffee on the balcony. I picked up my cup and it promptly spilled all over my last clean shirt. Asshole. Hahaha. This is why I wear black. Except I had on GREEN. Rinsed my shirt on the sink and blew it dry with the hairdryer. Threw out coffee. Met team downstairs for bus arrival at 7:30am. Drove to airport.

I like to sit in the front seat of the bus and because of that I got to hear Brian, from the East Bay team, chat up the driver. I learned some stuff about Maui and how the bus driver, orginally from Oahu, spent his life working in Silicon Valley and then was like, what the hell? He moved back with his wife, had a family and now drives a bus for a tour comany. He said: I love my reality.

Then I really had to think. Hmm. Do I love my reality? Could I say that and actually believe it?

Maui to Honolulu, Honolulu to SFO. Watched the most horrible movie ever made in the history of the world: Failure to Launch. Got home about 9:30pm where the kitties were waiting patiently at the door.

Unexciting pictures here.

Times
Swim 36:37
Bike 1:50:32
Run 1:21:26