adventurerin007

I don’t really understand the bio-mechanics of this, but after prepping for over a year with pilates and kettlebells…..holy s*@t. My body feels as strong as it has ever felt, and as light and quick as I was in college. Pilates to kettlebells to oly. lifting. It’s been a good run, and it’s getting a lot better. It has something to do with the hamstrings, hips, and glutes. It feels like they have literally, turned “ON”, as if I never had them before—-and I was a college athlete. I wish I had this back then. Damn. Good luck everybody.

This site (kiva.org) is the most inspiring and exciting site I have ever seen on the internet. From the lenders to the borrowers it is all absolutely amazing. I found out about this site today, signed up for it today, and am now helping a woman and her husband in Cambodia buy a much needed ox for their farm, today. And all I’ve done is lend a couple of dollars. Unbelievable. Thank you Kiva.org, and to that guy from Bangladesh who won the Nobel Peace Prize a couple of years ago for dreaming this process up, and for “43 things” for somehow connecting me to this. You know, I think we can actually do some things here. Good luck everybody. Happy lending. :)

The swim was kind of a ridiculous cluster but other than that it went fantastic. Here are the happy results and some after-thoughts.

Lake Sammammish Triathlon—Issaquah, WA.

400m Swim—10:46….376/434…don’t laugh! :), I couldn’t do 25m in February, and the open water swim was really bunched-up in the start throwing me off to the point that I couldn’t do my slow crawl, so I did my super slow breast-stroke, until the other swimmers weren’t so bunched up. Then it was ok to start my slow crawl stroke again. But heh, I did it!!!

Transition 1—3:13-slow, but relaxed, and I laced up my running shoes + socks.

14 mile bike-44:16-19mph avg.—101/434…did it in my old-school mountain bike (i.e. without any suspension/shocks) and road tires. Passed many more people than passed me, but also felt like I was standing still when a few top-notch bikers passed me who started in waves behind me. Interesting that I did as well as I did, because I didn’t think I was going that hard, but, of course, always a little worried about overdoing it for my run. Can’t wait to see how fast I can go on my bike now, when I don’t have to worry about my run.

T-2-....only 38 seconds-fast b/c I already had my running shoes on.

5.5k run-23:29-6:52 mile pace-61/434-I expected to only run a little under an 8 mile pace so 6:52 was a happy suprise. At the start of the run I felt good, but my legs were just so tight. I felt that I just had to run within myself, not push the envelope, or that my legs might just cramp. It was interesting, never really felt out of breath or really even close to it, just really worried that my legs might revolt. So, the good time of my run was even more unexpected.

Final time—1:22.24….117/434…from someone who really only wanted to do it so that I would finally learn to swim, I can tell you that I can now see how this sport can be addicting and really quite fun. There is just so much variety between the events that it makes all of them individually more fun and more interesting. Can’t wait to go back and see how I can speed them all up for my next one!!!

Good luck to everyone out there. I can definitely tell you, I’m in the best shape I’ve been in for 10 years and it feels fantastic, it was definitely worth it. I wish you all, all of the best. You can do it. :)