Race Day: Sept 15, 2007

I haven't posted in a while. Since my last post, I finished up my residency at the hospital and became a full-time student again at Candler. This is my final year at Candler!!! As such, I've been pretty busy with homework and the like and, of course, training/preparing for this race. The other huge accomplishment I'm completed is meeting my fundraising goal. With your help, I've raised $2626.00!!!! Thank you, for making this happen!

I can't believe this race is tomorrow. I've been very excited all week. Today, though, I am also very nervous. I'm ready. I know I can do this. I'm so much stronger than I was when I started this and I think I have the endurance. The mental part of this competition is maybe the hardest. In class this morning, while my professor was detailing the stages of development for Piaget, Kohlberg, and Erikson, I could only think about whether or not I had packed everything I need. While he explained the stage of development that causes us to have nightmares that we show up to school in only our underwear, I was freaking out that perhaps I would be caught unprepared mid-race.

But I've trained for this. I'm ready. I'm packed. Tomorrow night I will have the new title "Triathlete!" I'll have photos to prove it. :D

I'm also conscious of the long race Mary Crist has been running. She completed her six rounds of chemo and her cancer has taken a beating. It is greatly reduced, but not gone. Her PET scan showed that it is still wrapped around a kidney that went defunct several years ago. She is in England this week having a good time and learning about new theories in her field and when she returns she re-starts chemotherapy. This time she will have two 21 day rounds of chemo that are much more intense than her first 6 rounds. She and her doctor hope to blast the heck out of this cancer and hang a "No Trespassing" sign in her body. My aunt, too, is now fighting cancer (breast cancer that metastasized to a lymph node) and started her first round of chemo yesterday. These wonderful and important women will be on my mind all day tomorrow. I'm writing their names on my arms and will carry them with me over the finish line.

Coming to see me at the race:
Some people mentioned wanting to come cheer me on at the race. If you live in Atlanta, it's somewhat feasible that you could come. Here's the deal, though. This race is at Lake Hartwell, on the border of Georgia and South Carolina. The race starts at 8am and my personal start won't be until closer to 8:15 (maybe even 8:30). I don't expect to cross the finish line until maybe 1pm or 2pm. If you come for the entire event, it's a lot of sitting and waiting, all day, to see me cross the finish line. You could see me in the transition area twice (between water and bike, then between bike and run), but you can't touch me or pass me anything (I'd be disqualified). If you do come, I recommend planning to be there around noon so you can find the finish line. I also recommend bringing something with you to keep yourself hydrated and entertained. If you simply congratulate me after I return from the race, awesome!

The directions to Tugaloo State Park follow, or you can find them on their website: http://gamultisports.com/tugaloo.html

Directions to Tugaloo Triathlon

From Atlanta

Take I-85 North to Exit 173, Tocca-Lavonia - GA HWY 17 - Tugaloo State Park/ Hart State Park
Turn Left on GA HWY 17

From Greenville

I-85 South to Exit 173, Tocca-Lavonia - GA HWY 17 - Tugaloo State Park/ Hart State Park
Turn Right on GA HWY 17

Once on GA HWY 17

Proceed approx. 1/4 mile
Turn Right on Smith Rd. - near Hardees.
Cross RR Tracks
Turn Right at STOP SIGN on Gerrard Rd.
Proceed approx. 1.5 miles until it dead ends.
Turn Left on HWY 328, and proceed approx. 3 miles
Turn Right on Tugaloo Park Road (BP Gas Station), pass through gate.
Bear Right at fork, proceed to Start Area.
You will directed where to park by Park Rangers.

If arriving late, be prepared to park .25 to .5 miles from start area.

Things from the Deep

I'm still struggling with my fear of open water and my imagination. This weekend I couldn't get it out of my head that there were creatures below me, so I started thinking creatively--engaging a little mental training. The biggest trouble with the fears is that they aren't motivating. Instead of speeding up to get away from them, I pull my head out of the water and look around to assure myself everything is okay and I know where I am. I needed some way to keep my head in the water and my momentum moving forward. So, I turned those creatures into the Little Mermaid! It really worked. I felt like I was playing--singing with her in my head. Hooray for cartoon heroines!

Hills of Hades

Stone Mountain Park is a well established icon of Atlanta recreation. Its main attraction is the giant mound of granite rising from the earth like a prehistoric artifact. It is surrounded by a lake, walking and biking paths, camping sites and a newly established amusement park. In the evenings, they project a laser show on the side of the mountain where the portraits of Confederate Heros are carved. If you ever visit Atlanta, you must experience it.

Stone Mountain is also a favorite location of exercise enthusiasts who like a challenge. You can hike up the granite mound and back down again, or you can walk or cycle around the base of the mountain on rather rigorous and hilly paths. On Saturday, Rachel and I joined our team for a 20 mile bike ride around the base of the mountain. Then, we walked 3 miles. It was intense. When I say intense, I mean, I think I visited Hades. At least, a few words that belong in Hades may have escaped my lips. It was well over 100 degrees outside and hilly and... intense.

On Sunday, we met our team at Mary Alice Park on Lake Lanier for more open water swimming and a chance to try a full transition (swim to bike to run). The first thing we discovered that morning was that our tires were low. We rode the entire 20 miles at hilly Stone Mountain on half the air we needed!!! We'll just call this drag training. So we added air to our tires and the ride was much better. We swam 1 mile in wake filled water (the boats were out and about, making our swim rough), biked 10, and walked 2.

We're learning some great tricks for transitioning, like have an extra bottle of water handy to rinse off your feet after the swim so sand doesn't tear them up the rest of the day. Isn't that smart? Or, lay your towel out with all of your gear lined up in order so you can stand on the towel and change without having to think too hard. Or, check your bike to make sure it's in good shape before you start the race. :P

I wish I had a picture of Monday night's swim practice, but I don't. Monday night we met the team at the pool, where the coaches had removed the lane lines. They set up three buoys so we had a practice course to swim around in the pool and asked us to practice the race by swimming around them at race pace for 20 minutes. It was so crowded and there were so many bodies touching, at first I was confused about what was going on, but really, it was sabotage! The coaches had recruited former Team In Training triathletes to attack us. They swam right in my way. They grabbed my toes. They grabbed my legs and tried to pull me down, but I kicked the heck out of them! This was to simulate what it may feel like at the beginning of the race. We should expect it to be crowded and for people to be very pushy, trying to get their advantage, so they were trying to prepare us for the mental competition on top of the physical. I feel sorry for whoever those people were that grabbed me, because I really kicked them. That's what you gotta do! After that, we had a relay race around the buoys. It was so fun!

Tuesday was Rachel's birthday, so to celebrate we went on an 18 mile bike ride with our friends Karen and Bones. (Yes, we are gluttons for punishment.) We rode on the PATH that leads to Stone Mountain Park from Decatur. We didn't have time to do the whole route because we waited for evening, when the temperatures were soooo much cooler!!! While on the ride, I rubbed the sweat out of my eye with my bike glove. Wednesday morning, I woke up with pink eye. I don't know if it came from the glove, the pool, or the lake, but that blessed pink eye gave me two days off from work!!! Because it's highly contagious, I was not permitted on the hospital premises for a full 24 hours after my first dose of eye drops. :D I'm much better now. And well rested.

Fear of Open Water

To creep you out, or not? When I swim in the pool, I'm mostly okay. When I swim in open water, it's a different story. I've made peace with some open water. Dale Hallow Lake is so clean that you can see your toe nails when you're treading water. As long as I'm swimming close to a boat and can get out of the water when I want, I'm fine there. In the ocean, as long as I can see some of the shells on the bottom (and see that there's nothing creepy by my toes), I'm okay.

It's a different story in lake water that is murky. My imagination takes me to places I fear would be unfair to share. The things that lurk below that water are reminiscent of creatures from Jacko's Thriller video, or the "Passage of the Marshes" from the Two Towers (the book actually calls it the Dead Marshes). I think this is enough info. I have included links to photos of these images, so if you click on the lime green, you'll see an example of what I imagine. If you'd rather not see, don't click the lime green.

So, we've done our open water training in Lake Lanier, which I consider to be very murky. I hate it. I love swimming! I hate Lake Lanier. While I'm swimming in this lake, I sometimes have to sprint to run away from my imagination. Sometimes, I come up for air, shriek a bit, shake my hands like I'm shaking something awful off of them, then force my head back into the water and keep going. It's kinda funny, really. I'm sure the people in the kayaks laugh at me!

I've been able to distract myself twice. Once by turning my brain onto the topic of organizing the thank you notes I'm writing, and once by thinking about my grandma's spaghetti. I haven't had her spaghetti for a long time, but when I was a kid I loved it! I'll need some topics to capture my imagination race day, so if you have any ideas, please share!

For good laughs, call...

As an act of charity, in case you have not yet had a good dose of laughter today, I present you with my pool portrait. Don't I look like someone's escaped yard gnome? Yeah--it's a good look.

Gnome, or not, I swam 1925 meters last night. (That's more than a mile.) WooHoo! (Oh, and, I aced another class!!!!)

Serenity

This painting is titled "Serenity," by Bill Davidson. It is a painting of the lake at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA.
I haven't posted in a while because I'm in another intensive summer class and I am exhausted. Just two more days, two papers and a project left (oh, and a major paper for CPE...). But, today, though exhausted, I am also renewed. Today I went with my class to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA. We met at 5:30am and rode together to the morning prayers. The majority of the morning was in silence--unless we were praying. We prayed the liturgy with the monks and received blessings during Mass, then ate breakfast of cereal and fruit in silence together. It was wonderful.

Another wonderful discovery today was the results of Mary Crist's CAT scan. Her tumor is 1/5th its original size! Yesterday, she had the stint to her pancreas removed and today she received her 5th round of chemo. She has one more round after this, but her prognosis is looking good! I am tired, but I feel serene.

The Tortoise and the Hair

A few days ago, it was raining pretty heavily, and a little turtle showed up on the sidewalk outside my window. I don't know where he came from, maybe he was temporarily flooded out of his home, but it was nice to see him for a little while.

I thought about him last night as we swam. One of the drills they had us do was a continuous 10 minute swim, with the entire group starting in the same lane. This was to simulate the start of a Triathlon, so we would feel all the bodies on top of each other and learn to navigate our way through it. Once we reached the end of the lane, we were to swim under the lane line and swim back the other direction in the next lane. We were to do this continuously for 10 minutes, and if we reached the end of the last lane, we were to get out and walk back to the first lane and start again. I completed the entire pool and half of the first lane again before they blew the 10 minute whistle.

Now, each lane is 50 meters long. There are 8 lanes in the pool. If we do the math, that means I swam a little more than 400 meters in 10 minutes. The swimming portion of the race is almost a mile. A mile equals 1600 meters, so I swam a quarter mile in 10 minutes! My pace wasn't piddly, but it wasn't fast, either. It was a good, steady pace.
Slow and steady wins the race! (Or, completes it, and that's my aim.)

At the end of my team swim work out, I was supposed to swim a 100 cool down. I realized, though, that if I swam a 200, I'd have swum a mile. So, I did. :D And I felt great afterwards!

The hair part of this, is that I'm starting to warm up to this new style. I can style it in about 5 minutes and it looks much more styled than my long hair ever did. I don't know if I will keep it, but I no longer hate it. :D

Sharing the Love

We've been going to the gym at 5am to do our training before work for the past two weeks. It's been very energizing. Today, though, I really wanted sleep. We were supposed to swim. Rachel swam and swam and swam in her own lane. I swam some. Then I floated on my back and dozed a little. :D

I deserved some sleep though, because yesterday was traumatic. I've been growing my hair out for Locks of Love. When you donate 10" of hair, or more, this organization makes wigs for children who have lost theirs to chemo or other illness/treatment. It's a fantastic organization. Amy is growing hers for Locks of Love, too.

Anyway, I had grown my hair intentionally for Locks of Love and was waiting until it was long enough that I would have at least chin length hair when I cut it. Yesterday was the day! In the series of pictures below, it is interesting to see how excited and happy I am at first. Notice, that first smile is a real smile. I asked the hairdresser to add a little texture to my hair. She kept adding and adding more "texture" (or rather, cutting and cutting more hair). You can see my face looking more and more worried and, in the last picture, you can see my totally fake smile--the one that says "Get me out of here!" Today, it looks much better. I styled it myself and flipped up the back, straightened the bangs, used a headband and earrings. The last photo is the one Va' Nechia took of me at work this morning.

A long time and a lot of new things!

It's been almost two weeks since I last posted and a lot has happened (which is why I haven't found the time to post).

1. Rachel and I won hats for having raised $1000 each by June 29th! So many people have been so generous! Thank you all, so much! I've received a few more checks in the mail that have not been posted on my account yet, but I'm now a little past $2000 of the $2600 I promised to raise. I only have $600 left to go! I've been very touched by the gifts, notes, and encouragement you have all sent me. This endeavor means a lot to me. It is providing an outlet for my fear and anger about Mary Crist's cancer. It is helping me get healthy--my clothes are fitting so much better, my knees no longer hurt, my energy is higher, and I can climb the stairs at work and home with ease. Plus, it has helped me get back in touch with many, many people.

2. For my birthday, my dad paid for my bike to get a tune-up and new tires. It's a mountain bike, but it's no problem to change the tires to slicks for the race. Instead of traditional slicks, which pop easily, requiring tube replacements in the middle of riding, I went with the police bike tires. They're just as fast (for my purposes--I'm sure Lance Armstrong wouldn't get them) an they are much more durable. Plus, they are the same price. Thanks, Dad!

This photo is of Chris a Atlanta Pro Bikes--he got my bike done in 1 day!
All the other shops said they could have it done in several weeks.

3. I bought a new car! This process was very time consuming and irritating--most of the car dealers I met really were slimy. But, I finally found a great car. It's an Eucalyptus Green '97 Accord Station Wagon. Hooray! I learned a lot about used car buying through experience and consumer reports. I'll post a top ten lessons I learned in another post once I take a picture of my new car. And, Allstate had the best service and the best rates for a good full coverage policy. Hooray!

Identical Shoes and Personal Missteps

Doesn't this look like a good shoe? I thought so, too. Apparently, Rachel thought so. And, so did Amy!

We ran 2 miles on Sunday morning at LA Fitness. Monday we were supposed to swim, but I wanted to visit with my mom and sister. Tuesday we ran 3 miles. Last night we rode 15 miles! My muscles are rock hard right now.
It's amazing how heavy your legs feel when you get off the bike. They feel like you are wearing cement shoes and every step requires major effort. I feel like this when I get off of the elliptical machine, also. Maybe my concentration on my heavy feet was what took up my entire attention, so that I didn't notice the sign on the locker room when I walked in. It took me a moment to realize--those people in towels, and nothing else--those are men. Whoops!

A Very Happy Birthday, to me, to me!

Bones, Karen, me, Rachel, Austin, Amy, Gretchen & Michelle

My 30th Birthday was very, very fun! My friends took me to the Shakespeare Tavern, which is a dinner theater here in Atlanta. The cast performed Cabaret and they were AMAZING! The actors were great actors, singers, dancers, and orchestra members! They did it all!

After the play, I opened presents and had a wonderful sugar-free chocolate raspberry cake that Rachel made. So much fun!

Haaaapppppy Birthday!

This has been a very, very busy month. It's been interesting fitting my workouts into the week. I'm working out 6 days a week now! But, this weekend, I will play and visit with friends. I turn 30 on Sunday and it feels very significant that I am training for something so important during this significant birthday.

On Wednesday, I sat with Mary Crist for a few minutes while she received chemo. The Atlanta Cancer Center where she receives chemo is very nice. It doesn't feel clinical. It has faux hardwood floors and comfy recliners sat in circular groups. It feels more like a living room than a medical center--wonderful! Mary Crist is good about explaining her treatments and letting us know what's going on with her, but I have trouble hearing it. Her cancer scares me, a lot, so I appreciated the comforting design of the chemo room.

Before her treatment, she received high levels of benadryl to help prevent possible allergic reactions to the chemo. She said it made her sleepy for a little while, but then it made her legs twitch. She also received rotuxin, which targets her B cells (fast growing cells). This helps the rest of the chemotherapy target only B cells which reduces her physical reaction to the chemo and helps the chemo target her tumors. Her hair is getting much thinner, but she still has it. Despite the thinning hair, Mary Crist is looking more and more like herself again. The swelling that she had from the cancer--both from retained fluid and from the tumor--has gone. It's nice to see this change.

St. Matthews in the HOUSE!!

Since I mailed out letters to folks at home, I have received overwhelming support! With your help, I've raised $1,149.00 so far. I have to give a shout out to the folks at St. Matthews UMC in Louisville, KY. Every day this week I have had a stuffed mailbox with notes of support and donation checks to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Thank you to all of you and Woohoo! to St. Matthews!

Yummy

I was feeling pretty good last night and, listening to my body, I went ahead with the scheduled training: riding 10-15 miles. I rode 10.5 miles on the LA Fitness bike!!! I think I understand now why they call a double training (when you cycle, then run immediately after) a "BRICK." My legs felt like cement when I got off that bike, but I was also buzzing with energy!!! When we got back to my apartment from the gym, we made Rachel Ray's Chicken Satay recipe: MMmmmmmmm, Yummy! (It could easily be made vegetarian.)

Listen

Dr. Sherwood took some x-rays and worked on my back/neck last night. I already feel much better. She said it's fine to keep training as long as I'm very careful and listen to my body. So, last night I went to the team swim practice where we continued to work on kicking drills. My kick is getting much more powerful! My shoulders are still tight today, but there is a definite difference from Dr. Sherwood's attention.

A Small Setback

I'm going to the chiropractor this afternoon to get x-rays of my neck. Friday afternoon, in the rain, I was involved in a 4 car pile-up. This is nothing extraordinary for Atlanta drivers, but it bites, really badly. My car had to be towed due to legal restrictions on driving a car without proper brake and turning lights. My neck is achy, but hopefully the doctor will say exercise is good!

She's a Brick... Knee! (and Old School Ankle)

This is an ACL repair image similar to the x-ray of my knee. I have two screws in my knee, just like that!

I've been to two different doctors this week to check on my health and make sure that I'm okay to continue training for this triathlon. Each said it's fine. The first took a bunch of blood and urine (hope you're not eating right now). The second took x-rays of my knees and ankle. According to my Orthopedist, I've got "a good result on that knee, there! It's tight and secure." Hooray!!!

When he looked at my ankle, he said "Oooo, that's old school, there!" Apparently, the surgery I had in 1993 to stabilize my ankle is no longer done (and really wasn't done frequently in '93, anymore), but, it gave good results. He drilled a hole in the right side of my ankle, wove one of my tendons through it, wrapped it around the front of my ankle, and stapled it onto the inside of my ankle. My new doctor said, "That sucker's stable, too. It's not going anywhere!"

Red in the Face

Rachel and me after 3 miles with our Team in Training mentor, Cheryl. It's our mentor's job to keep up with us and to encourage us in the physical training and in the fundraising. She's great!

Last Saturday, we joined a group run and completed 3 miles. Due to my need for new shoes and trying to be gentle to my knee, we walked the three miles. We joined a group of ladies who have *walked* several marathons and mini-marathons! At first, I thought, "These ladies are awfully slow. They're going to drive me nuts!" But I ate my mental words soon enough. At mile 1 I was barely keeping up with them and by mile 2 they were out of my line of vision!

This week, we've swum 1000 meters, walked 3 miles, and biked 6 miles. We have 3 miles to run tonight, and a BRICK training on Saturday! A BRICK is two events back to back. This Saturday it will be a 10 mile ride followed by a 2 mile run. I wonder if my face will be red then, or if it will be entering shades of purple?

Screen on the Green

We mingled and ate and caught up with friends.

It was very fun! I'd never seen Casablanca before, but knew enough about it to know it was not very action packed and that it was full of classic lines. Every time we got to a classic line, the crowd cheered! We were cheered by our friends' support.

Meatballs and Movies

This is me cooking the meatballs for the Moroccan stew. Mmmm, so yummy... You know you want some!

We're going to Screen on the Green in Piedmont Park tonight to watch Casablanca! We're also bringing a Moroccan stew with us and we'll feed you and the rest of our friends for a donation. It's so delicious!
Come join us! We'll be in the park, with a Team in Training banner, around 7pm. The movie starts at sundown.

(If you've seen the movie "The Wedding Planner," Screen on the Green is just like that free movies in park scene with Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. How romantic!)

Mary Crist's progress

I saw Mary Crist today! She's doing well and it looks like the chemo is working. She had great energy and seemed more like herself. It was so good to see her. She'll come back to work starting Monday, but only on a part-time basis.
On Memorial Day, she sent out an email about her progress. As you'll see, she has a great sense of humor!

Hello Friends,

I'm sitting in my study enjoying this beautiful morning. I wanted to share with you all some of my celebrations. I have been free of pain killers for 3 days--yeah!!!! My body appears to be my body--down to 150lbs from 195 (all water weight that I shed). My feet are normal and I can wear shoes again. The chemo is working. My distended stomach is not distended. My right lung that kept filling up with fluid is slowly draining on it's own and is only about one fourth full if that much. I have purchased a flute and am learning to play again. I played in elementary through college and afterwards until I lost my flute in a house fire in Feb. 1990. I was a good solid orchestra player and played in a number of Agnes Scott's Theater departments musicals.I used to pick it up when I needed solace. So, after 17 years I went a purchased a nice used flute. I'm having to regain my mouth muscles and work my lungs. For the last week I have been getting out everyday for at least four hours. I did lay low on Saturday. I woke up with a low grade fever from sinus problems. Fortunately a hardy yawn yesterday burst through my clogged up right ear and I am right again. Thank you body and whatever else for helping me with that irritation. I went to my SCT group on Monday and had a great time. I am remembering to take pleasure in something each day. There is so much to enjoy.

Today is Memorial Day and I do honor the fallen soldiers of our many wars. I would just as soon we not go to war. We do, though. I am having my own Memorial Day that I want to share with you all. I have been and will continue as long as possible to enjoy my red hair. My hair is falling out. Mary margaret asked me two days ago if my hair was falling out. I said a little. I then took my fingers and pulled on my hair expecting to get nothing. Well, I got a thumb and finger full of hair with little pull. I laughed as I held my hair and looked at it. So, much for me thinking my hair wasn't falling out a lot yet. I am glad I buzzed it short. I find that although I am feeling sad at losing my hair that I don't feel traumatized. So, today I honor my falling hairs in their sacrifice in my war against the lymphoma cells inside of me. My hair falling out is another sign that the chemo is at work. I, Mary Crist, will prevail and continue to live and enjoy my life, flute, and friends. I hope you all have a great day. Take time to enjoy the beauty of the day and the beauty of each of your lives.

Peace,

Mary Crist

Heavy Lifting

Sorry I've been so silent lately. I am finishing up a two week intensive class at Candler. It's.... intense! I've been reading these marvelously interesting books (don't they look like delightful reads?) and writing papers.
On a training note, I learned how to use EFX machine properly! Apparently, if you keep your shoulders from bouncing up and down, you can also start a fire in your thighs. ;)

Getting Wet (5/21/07)

Tonight we had our first swim practice with the team. We swam about 550 meters and did about 20 minutes of kicking drills treading water. I feel like a SUPER STAR! It must be those stunning swim caps that double as dog tags. ;)
So far, this training stuff is way fun!

The First Run (5/19/07)

We ran/walked about a half mile Saturday night. We're taking it slow to start: we ran 30 seconds and walked 60 seconds, etc, the whole way. That I can do, and I felt awesome when it was done!

Signing Up

Last night we attended the TNT Kick-Off and officially signed our lives away. They gave us a huge pack of information with tips, advice, and our schedules. We have to train 5 nights a week! Ack! I shouldn't complain... in June it'll be 6 nights a week.