Clip, clip & we are stoping...

So Saturday was my first day with a geared bike, wearing clip pedals, and riding alongside cars. I set off on the road without thinking much of it, after only a short practice ride on a quiet neighborhood street the weekend before. Thankfully, my bravado was quickly quelled by Larry's caring voice as he poignantly asked: "Have you practiced stopping yet?" Sadly, the answer was "No".

Very gently, Larry suggested it was best for me to get this down before we went out on Grant (a rather narrow two way street with a bit of traffic on the weekends). So I jerked to an unpolished stop and managed to stay in control of the bike. A shot of fear ran through me like a lighting bolt as I understood just how naive I was being, and realized how badly I needed the practice. Larry then coached me through a few more scheduled stops until we got the first light (Grant). At that point I knew it was time to take a deep breath and conquer my biking fear once and for all.

We waited for the light to turn, flanked by cars on both sides. As the red changed I nervously pumped the clipped pedal down for two revolutions making it safely across the intersection, despite the fact that my left foot never quite clipped in. After a couple more strokes and two cars zooming by, I heard that click coming from the left and knew I'd be fine. I kept a deadly grip of my handle and looked straight ahead at the narrow bike lane littered with dead leaves, gravel and rocks.

Larry stuck with me for over an hour, gently nursing me through the intial portion of the course--we never made it past the mid-way point of the scheduled loop. He reassured me when I did things right, and helped me refine my movements as my stops and starts became more fluid. This was an amazing gift that gave me confidence and allowed me to get through the hardest part: the beginning.

Though it will take a bit for me to get comfortable with traffic, the bike, the pain in my butt, elbows and hands, and the gears, I now know that I CAN do this, and though I may fall, it’s all about giving it a serious go and taking deep breaths. Thanks Larry!

Jacquie teaches me to clip

Many of us choose the triathlon knowing that our athletic strenghts lay in one or two of the events, but rarely in all three. This is most true for me, a seasoned runner, but definitely a most novice biker, and above all swimmer. Coach Tom and Cristie have been most helpful in the pool, but I was still lacking a real lesson in how to use my *first* road bike.

So Matt hooked me up with Jackie to help me learn what this whole road-biking-cliping-into-your-pedal-switching-gear thing is all about. And boy does she ROCK! She spent over two hours with me, fitting me to the bike, patienly explaining the basics of my brand new gears, and building up my confidence to do a clipping road test on my own. If that wasn't enough, she ran alongside me up and down her street talking me through how to clip and unclip, stop and start and after a few tries I HAD it!

So far the whole coaching team has far suparsed my expectations as they are TRULY caring; something I had sadly stopped expecting of people. I thank Deborah for encouraging me to attend that first practice and convincing me to give TNT coaching a try. Thank you all so very much!

I have loved every minute of this challenge, and I am looking forward to crossing the finish line on September 11th and raise awareness and money for LLS. Jacquie thanks so much for taking the time to show me I *CAN* do this!

Firs the bruces, then the benjamins

I've just completed my personal fund raising page at www.active.com/donate/tntsvmb/tripaola ...

...now all I have to do is learn to stay on the bike once I clip myself onto it. I am actually very excited--in that 4th grade giddy kind of way--about this amazing challenge and all the things I'm learning about my body and myself: what an incredible opportunity to shed ego! So the clips didn't go so well, I have multiple scrapes, bruces and a very sore tushy as a result. I even tried it on grass, but managed to fall on the same exact spot on my leg...AGAIN...and aggravate the situation.

On the plus side, I've been milking the bruces to get some fund raising momentum going. $20 if I draw blood, $15 if there's a bruce? What do you guys think? I think this might work better than sending fundraising letters around. Well, though sore and bruced, I am still excited and looking forward to a great season of growth and challenges.

The first challenge: Pacific Grove Triathlon

First Triathlon: Pacific Grove, Monterrey, CA

Dates: 10- 11 Sept 2005

Distances Offered: ( * my event)
* Sprint: 0.25 mile swim (0.4 K) , 12.4 mile bike (20K) , 2 mile run (3.2K)
- Olympic: 1 mile swing (1.5K), 25 mile bike (40K), 6.2 Mile run (10K)

Course: Swim in Monterrey Bay, Bike loops around Peeble Beach and coastline, and running course along Lover's point, Canary Row ending at the Aquarium. See map.

My Stats as of June 2005:
Longest distance run: 1/2 marathon.
Longest distance swum: the length of a pool a couple of times.
Longest distance on a bike: Home to the coffee shop + some trails.

The Goal: Crossing the finish line in under 2 hrs.
Reach goal: 90 minutes.

Awaking the dormant triathlete in me

I guess a sign of growth and maturity is realizing that the core of who we are is established very early on, and that fighting against our very nature is as futile as attempting to solve an algebra problem by chewing gum. There are 3 truths about me that 30 years of living have not fully erased and perhaps have made clearer than ever:
1) I was once a phenomenal runner but will never be a professional track superstar.
2) The thing that I loved most about competitive sports wasn't the winning, but the challenge.
3) I will forever be an intensely competitive person who requires a physical, mental and psychological challenge in order to thrive in all aspects of her life.
Once I recognized these facts as my truth I was able to start running again not for startdom or in search of a professional break, but rather, because through it I can express my competitive, kick-ass, bring-it-on, committed and hard-working nature.

My athletic history has a distinguished beginning as a phenomenal junior track start and national title holder for 100 m dash, and was marked by an abrupt and early retirement from the sport at the age of 15 when through life circumstances I was force to choose between excelling in academics or working really hard to achieve at best a mediocre track career. I chose academics and abandoned pre-profesional track training once I enrolled in high school. It wasn't until 8 years later that I once again started running as an amateur in competitive races. Encouraged by a mentor, I started training again and realized how much I missed running. I understood then, that I didn't have to a be a track start to feed the athlete in me.


The last time I ran "competiviely" (read amateur/enthusiast runner in a competitive event) was the 2001 Charlottesville 10 miler. My best time at that event was 97 minutes, for a very decent 9 minute mile average. Unfortunately, in the winter of 2002 I had to stop training for long distance races due to complications with my liver. Then in the winter of 2003 I broke my knee in 3 places and underwent an ACL replacement. I spent the summer and fall of '03 going through physical therapy and weight training to get the knee in shape again. After a little over 10 months of personal training, I have decided to enter the "competitive" world again and participate in my first triathlon.

Since I can't run long distances anymore--as my knee really can't sustain that sort of pounding---I've decided to use this as an excuse to learn two more sports, get back into shape, and rekindle my passion for competitive sports training. To that end, I have decided to join the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Traning Program and help others through cancer research fund-raising as I help myself make my competitive triathlon debout. Most importantly, this will give me a chance to express my true nature, challenge my body, and learn to become my own brand of athlete, one that only requires the challenge, and for whom simply crossing the finish line will be the greatest reward.

In order to feed the writer in me, I have decided to chronicle my triathlon training here and share with my friends (and the rest of the world) my trials and triumphs in this new endeavour. This is just the beginning of a journey I hope will take me far beyond my first triathlon in Monterrey this summer. So stick around and see the triathlete in me bloom.