Friday, April 30, 2010

Hermann Memorial Ironman 70.3

I have been working on this entry for well over two weeks now and I am not even close to getting it done. For this reason I have decided I am just going to just summarize. So for those of you who read my blog for pure entertainment, I am warning you this is going to be boring. Here we go...

I swam. I swam hard. The swim felt long but I made it out of the water with an average swim. Nothing spectacular.

I had my wet suit peeled off by some wet suit strippers. It was VERY exciting.

I ran to my bike. I got on my bike. I rode my bike out to the seawall and 28 miles down the Gulf of Mexico coast.

There was a head wind. I knew if I was going to make up time on everyone it was going to be here into the headwind.

I reached the turn around and the tailwind I was expecting was more of a cross wind. I was pissed. I rode hard the whole way back and became very tired.

I got off my bike and started running. I ran as smooth as I could and felt not bad but not good either.

I apparently ran really fast the first 6 miles and looked good according to Brianne. Then I did not think I would be able to finish.

I almost walked between miles 7 and 10 but I didn't. (Those are the hardest miles I have discovered.)

I drank Coke, poured water on myself and took a Gu.

I finished and was very tired but very happy because I just did the fastest half ironman I have ever done. Plus I didn't even think I was ready for this race.

The End

(see that was really boring)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Nationals at Lubbock

I don't know why I should even bother to write a race report for this race since it was such an embarrassment. But besides the fact that the race was one huge disaster for me it should make for an entertaining story. Please sit back and I will explain why Nationals sucked.

First of all the day before we (NMSU Race Club) left I stripped my seat pin bolt in my Cervelo so now my seat wouldn't work. I tried to find a spare seat pin at the local bike shop but to no avail. I was forced to take my Pinarello road bike. Not that there is anything wrong with my Pinarello, it just is not a time trialling bike. It's funny because before this happened I was actually toying with the idea that I could win. Just maybe. Now, onward to Lubbock! Land of the flat, home of Steer (as in cow).

Arriving in Lubbock we were greeted with a torrential downpour. No problem, it will clear up in no time... right? Well it did clear up by the next day but not after dumping 5 inches in some areas. The lake was brown from run off and easily well over flood stage. Not to mention that there was a cold constant 30 mile per hour wind howling in our faces. There was talk that the bike would be moved and that we would have to dismount in specific areas to cross the flooded roadways. Well the bike course ended up being okay but the rain, wind and cold temperatures had dropped the lake temperature to 52 degrees or so. This is the borderline temperature for any swim. Seeing and hearing all of this I felt like quitting even before the race started so I could just sit in my truck with the heater blasting. Then I learned the swim was shortened to 500 meters. I thought I might as well have a go. But my motivation at this point was no longer going fast, it was simply survival. I know how quickly I get cold in a swimming pool if the water temperature is 78 degrees so I was fully expecting to be taken out of the lake with hypothermia.

With my extremities so cold and all of my blood contained in my core to keep my vital organs warm I had a rather pathetic swim. I had no power or speed but I did manage to make it out of the lake without getting hypothermia. I jogged to my bike and started thinking about it. "Do I really want to go for a ride in this weather? If it was up to me I would never ride my bike outside if it was anything less than 60 degrees outside and sunny. Otherwise I will go sit inside on a trainer. But I must have not been thinking too clearly (okay maybe I did have some mild hypothermia) because I put on my wet sweat pants and North Face jacket over my tri-suit and mounted my bike for the 25 mile slog. I caught someone right away and felt a little better. Then I started thinking, "Ha! watch this everyone, I will have a brilliant bike split on my road bike wearing sweat pants." But then one of the girls from the wave behind me caught me and squashed me like a bug. Then another girl passed me, and another. This sucks! I quit.



I got off the bike completely numb and frozen to the core. I sat down in transiting and slowly untied my shoes, put them on, then tied them up again very slowly. Running was painful since I couldn't feel my feet and my ankles were very stiff. I started running faster and faster in an effort to warm up. Once away from the majority of the spectators I ran into the bushes to take a quick pee (because I was probably over hydrated from drinking but not sweating) and was back out on course feeling better and better the longer I kept running. I ended up having a semi-decent run but was so far back it was a wasted effort. I did accomplish my only goal however so I was pleased about that.

So it was fun right? "You will look back on this", said everyone, "and laugh remembering how awful it was." Truthfully it was not fun and I don't really feel like laughing but rather punching someone. I will look back on this race and remember how much I suffer in cold weather. I learned that if I ever have to race in those conditions again I will just not start. It is not worth it to me. Give my 90's and humidity any day.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Arizona Distance Classic Half Marathon

I decided to do this race mainly because the El Paso half marathon was such a huge disaster. I really wanted an early season half marathon to gauge my fitness but because the El Paso thing didn't pan out, I looked around for another. The next closest race was three weeks away in Tucson, Arizona. It was also the last Sunday of my spring break and since I was going to be traveling back from San Diego with Brianne, I entered.

I will keep it short because there really isn't much to say. I had the same conservative strategy I always have in these longer races and decided to cruise it as I would on one of my longer runs (that I hadn't done). Well that is about it. I cruised the race but picked it up a little towards the end and got a base time I can use for the remainder of the season to track my improvement. It was an out and back course with a few small rolling hills scattered around. That's all I can really say about the course. It was well organized however, and received a decent amount of runners.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Spring Break in San Diego

After the Lake Havasu Triathlon in Arizona, Brianne and I decided to explore the deserts of the surrounding area before eventually ending up in San Diego, California. I would just like to say that there is no way I can describe all that we saw. Spending a week driving around the deserts and San Diego I logged over 2,000 miles in my Toyota truck when all was said and done. We saw some amazing scenes and met some interesting people (like Little). It was perhaps one of the greatest vacations of my life.

Our first major destination was Joshua Tree National Park. Like Brianne has said all along, since these deserts are so desolate and devoid of most people, it is pointless to pay $15.00 to sleep on the ground in a noisy campground when you can easily drive off of one of the many side roads and camp on your own just as easily. For most of the trip this is how we spent our nights. Joshua Tree National Park was stunning. I had it in my mind that the only reason a national Park existed there was to protect the Joshua Trees (the largest species of yucca I might add). However Joshua Tree NP. was incredibly rich with plant and animal species I have never seen before. I found several strange cacti species and even caught two lizards including the Horny Toad lizard.

Stopping on a lonely stretch of road on the way to Joshua Tree National Park.


A Horny Toad Lizard. I think this one is a baby.


Palm Springs Oasis in Joshua Tree National Park. This oasis contains the largest natural population of California Fan Palms in the entire state.

After Joshua Tree National Park we meandered our way to Carlsbad, California. I knew it was going to be a shock from the desert but I was mentally preparing myself for all the people and the hustle and bustle of the California way of life. The fast paced lifestyle was not too bad for me at first but eventually it started to wear on me because of one simple mistake I made. I did not have a plan. If you don't have a plan in a crazy city you are always lost and getting frustrated. We eventually found a cheap hotel somewhere in the area of Oceanside just to take a break from all the noise and craziness. The next day I had a plan.

Later we ended up in a coastal town 40 miles north of San Diego. We found a sleazy motel only a a couple of blocks from the ocean in one of the nicest neighborhoods imaginable. There were surf shops, little cafes, gardens, and people riding there bikes everywhere. The California Oceanside 70.3 triathlon was the following weekend so there were triathletes everywhere riding there bikes and running. (I tried to register for this race but it sells out so fast it is ridiculous.) What a great place to live and train for those fortunate. For a while anyway. Brianne and I bought some boogie boards (body boards) and did a little boogie boarding and ocean swimming in the breaking surf. I was having a blast but every time I checked for Brianne, she was getting pummeled in the breaking surf. I tried to explain that you need to be out of the surf zone to catch a decent ride. She didn't seem to mind, I figured, because every time she got smashed she came up laughing. As long as you are having a good time is all that matters I guess.

The next day we checked out the San Diego Botanical Gardens. There was way too much stuff there to describe but if you like plants the San Diego area is the place for you. We also drove down south of San Diego to the border beach. This was a strange and eerie place. We were only a few miles south of a very large city and just north of the Mexican border. The whole time we were there we saw no one. We weren't even sure we were supposed to be there because large military helicopters kept buzzing around no doubt looking for suspicious activity. I was hoping my truck would still be in the parking lot when we got back.


A blooming "small" Agave in the San Diego Botanical Gardens.


Giant bamboo in the San Diego Botanical Garden.


The border beach between San Diego and Mexico.

After San Diego we made our way back into the desert. The desert due east of San Diego is called the Anza-Borrego Desert and has some wild and beautiful species of plants (they all do... I don't know why I keep repeating myself). I took well over 100 pictures here just as we were passing through and wish I could post all of them but that would overload the system unfortunately. The agave here were vivid electric-blue and the many shrubs and wild flowers were just beginning to bloom. I even found a scorpion under an old backpack. I wish I could travel around for the rest of my life exploring our planet Earth. Sigh...


A beaver tail cactus in the Anza-Borrego Desert.


The Anza-Borrego Desert. Note the electric-blue agave. They really were that blue.


A California Barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus) in the Anza-Borrego Desert.

The conclusion of our spring break lead us to Saguaro National Park outside Tucson, Arizona. Even though I have been to this park three times now I still find it fascinating. If out planet had aliens from another planet the saguaro has to be it. What is the evolutionary advantage of being 1000 times larger than your closest relative? What is the advantage of being 1000 times larger than any other plant in the Sonora Desert? They are aliens I am telling you. Well that about concludes my 2010 spring break. I hope you found it as enjoyable as I did. Okay my fingers hurt now. I guess I will call that one done.


Saguaro National Park.


When I'm riding my bike in my dreams, this is the road I imagine I am riding. Saguaro National Park.


Saguaro National Park.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Let's See Where I Stand: Lake Havasu Triathlon

The very first Saturday of spring break was the Lake Havasu Triathlon on the border between Arizona and California. Brianne Loya and I drove the nine and a half hours from Friday afternoon into the evening because I had class and just could not miss it. As it turns out the class I did not miss gave me a "homework immunity" in case I wanted free credit for a homework assignment I missed. I knew it would be worth it to stay until Friday afternoon. Once Brianne and I got to the NMSU camp site at Lake Havasu it was late. However, my truck made three automobiles and our camp had only registered two. Since it was getting even later and I was tired of dealing with this impossible problem Brianne and I opted to drive a little ways down the road and then turn off into the bushes (or very small miserable little Creosote Bush sticks), pitch the tent in the back of my truck and sleep there for the night. It worked flawlessly and we arose the next morning to the sound of my beeping watch in the pitch black of morning.

When I went to pick up my packet at the race start there was a big-ass problem. I was not registered for the race! I am not sure how that happened because Brianne remembers me registering but I for whatever reason could not recall. The race director, fortunately, had a solution. I would use one of the race chips that were not claimed by another one of the athletes. I would be known in the race as Cheryl Miller. Thanks Cheryl!

The swim started with a few bumps and thumps. I started directly behind Xavier Nolen and right off the bat he kicked me so hard in my right goggle that I saw stars for about 15 seconds. I let up and a few swimmers passed me. Then later in the swim my conservative strategy started to deteriorate when I found myself near the lead about 500 meters or so into the swim. I thought "Great! I can just draft behind one of these guys and be out of the water not far behind the leaders." Near the turn around point at the back of the channel we swum down someone zoomed by me like a motor boat. I thought it was just one of these yahoos putting in a suicidal surge. I tried to draft off of Mr. Motorboat but he never slowed down and soon I felt like spitting up a lung. I fell off the pace the last little bit but had a fairly decent swim considering my awesome training schedule the last 6 months [sarcastic eye roll here]. Later I discovered Mr. Motorboat was one of the few swimmers that swam around the wrong buoy, so he must have been one of those few amazing swimmers found in every triathlon.


The bike was really quite uneventful. I petaled conservatively in the beginning but as I started catching people I got excited and pushed harder and harder. I caught a half dozen bikers or so in the first half and felt great, except that my feet were still numb from the swim. I passed Neil Seigel from the UA and we chatted for a little bit. I even let him have some of my water since he dropped his at the very beginning. Soon I was off in hot pursuit of more cyclists. Then Neil came back and passed me. I realized I was starting to get fatigued. Another few guys passed me back and I let them go. I was determined to have a good run and see just how many of them I could bring back so the remainder of the bike I just cruised in a semi-fatigued-cramping-conservative manner. I got off the bike leaving my shoes in the pedals successfully (for the first time ever I must say!) and jogged to my transition area. When I went to slide my shoes on I remembered I forgot to tie them. DOH!


I started the run conservatively (I am starting to see a pattern here) to... well... I don't know why I always start conservatively, I just seem have better performances this way. Right away I caught someone but was passed by another. I was still on Par but I wanted some birdies (as in passing more people than people passing me). I set my eyes on some of the guys up ahead and slowly started working up to them. At the turn around I still hadn't caught anyone and I could feel a big fat bonk knocking at my door. I tried running as smoothly and fluidly as possible in order to prolong the inevitable but Big Bonkaroo was here and my run was over. I passed all my NMSU teammates on the other side of the course and mumbled some encouraging words. Andrew high-fived me and almost knocked me over I was so tired. Finally as I was running down the finish chute the announcer was announcing the names of all those who were finishing. As I crossed the line he said into the microphone, "From NMSU in Las Cruces is Cher... (Pause followed by total confusion). Cheryl Miller?" Remember? My name is Cheryl Miller in this race. But don't worry they corrected the results and I did eventually get registered as myself.

So where do I stand? I stand about where I expected to be as far as where I am with my training. I am perhaps a little surprised at how well my swim and bike unfolded but perhaps a bit disappointed about my run. But I need to remember this race was a dress rehearsal for the real triathlon season. I still need to be patient and just work on building endurance and strength at this point so that later in the longer races I will be able to hold form the whole way through. So now that the race is over let Spring Break officially begin!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Time oh Time, Where Have You Gone?

So there are many many things I would like to talk about but with school, triathlons, my chile pepper project, my lab teaching assistant position, and my photography I have barely had enough time to even eat! I Have had two races since the El Paso Half Marathon and some amazing adventures! Hopefully I will find some time this week and get my adventures posted. Well off to Statistics to see how badly I failed this most recent exam. Ugg...