Maui to Music

A teammate of ours, Mike, created this lovely video about our experiences in Maui. Mike is a talented musician and wrote the original music you hear here, too.

Post Maui

We just got back from a great week vacation in Maui. It took a while for the tri and the week after to settle into my mind. But here are a few thoughts random about the triathlon and Hawaii.

What I love about TnT is how you are connected by an important cause and it's never far from your mind. It motivates and supports and also saddens you. One of our teammates had a particularly moving, joyful, sad race experience, remembering her brother who had passed away from complications of blood cancer earlier this season. Another one of teammates wasn't with us in Maui as her father had just passed away from cancer as well. These women are amazingly strong and are an inspiration to me. I'm glad I had the chance to get to know one of them better during our time there. Just when I think I won't be able to fundraise again, I am inspired to do more.

Before the race, we had a blessing by a Hawaiian priestess type woman. I really enjoyed the sentiment of being connected to each other and being connected to the Earth, sea, and wind. Doing a triathlon in Hawaii really gets you connected to all of the elements. The day after the tri, two of our teammates, Chris and I went diving. Diving and snorkeling, like no other activity makes me feel connected, small, and thankful to be part of this life. Look at this amazing photo of Pam and this turtle we hung out with for a while at the bottom of the sea.

I spent an inordinate amount of time in the water, in Safeways, and stripmalls. Maui is a strange place. All the center of commerce happens in structures that look like tacky California strip malls. And most of the good food is found in Safeway. I also went to KMart to buy a cooler. None of these are things I do on a daily basis at home.

A straw is critical in the success of a good mai tai. We tried recipe after recipe but none tasted quite right. Unit we realized you NEED straw to have a good mai tai. (The dark rum float on top makes the drink too strong if you drink it without it. The sweet triple sec and juice sits on the bottom. Who knew?)

This is the Infinity Pool at our hotel. Hanging out in a pool like this, with fruity drinks and friends is pretty freakin' nice. I'm not a big fan of fancy resorts, but I definitely began to appreciate the appeal. We even sneaked back into the hotel after we had moved to our condo to go for a dip in the pool.

And now of course, I am happening upon the Post-Race blues. I preemptively signed up for the Marin Metric Century in August. Hope to do a few short tris or run races this summer. But for now, I'm happy to be at home without the pressure of training every day. Ready for some summer bbqs and relaxing weekend!

Maui Details

I just realized I had a camera built into my laptop. So here are some pictures from today's (Tuesday) cocktail hour on our Lanai.

Anyhow, since this is a training blog, I suppose I should give write a bit about that.

So, the race was HARD. Really hard. So hard that I didn't even bother to look at my finish times, but my watch said something in the neighborhood of 3:45 or so.




Our teammate, Kerry, had given us a description of the race a few weeks ago. She kept saying it's easier than Wildflower. . . It's flat. . .it's easy, etc. Now I realize that Kerry is in sales. . . .

4:00 am: Rise and shine! We wake up and make some bad coffee in our hotel room. Eat some delicious papaya, yogurt, string cheese (for me), and manju (a Hawaiian pastry filled with pineapple).


6:50 am: All 300 or so participants are standing on the beach in various colored beach caps and varying states of undress (or dress). I've opted for the rashguard over my tri outfit. One woman has opted for a teeny tiny blue bikini. Everyone stares (at her, not me).


7:00: A Hawaiian Priestess, dressed in traditional attire, performs a traditional blessing. We are all holding shoulders or hands to form a human lei of sorts. She sends us good energy from the Earth, the Heavens, and the Sea. She blesses us all and thanks us for our fundraising efforts. I am enjoying the spiritual thanks to the beautiful surroundings we are in, feeling connected with the land and the other participants. Then she blesses the Outback Steakhouse, one of the race sponsors. And I start giggling. I am not sure what the rest of the blessing was about after that.

7:10 am: The first wave jumps into the water! It's island time, so that was pretty good for a 7am start.

7:22: 12 minutes later, my wave starts. I run in and start swimming. I quickly realize that the water is fairly choppy. A line of about 7 women are in front of me breast stroking. I can't get around them or between them. I get kicked in the face twice. It feels like an eternity before I reach the first buoy. I also realize I have forgotten to start my watch.


7:48: Still swimming. I manage to draft off a woman who was in the 50+ age group for about 3 minutes. At this point, when I breathe, the sun is in my eyes. I have some water inside my goggles in the right position, such that every time I breathe, I see a rainbow. It was really trippy.

7:52: I have overshot the last buoy. I backtrack.

7:57: I finally approach shore, slightly nauseous from the swim.

Transition 1: I have no idea how long this takes, but I remember sitting down, picking grass out from between my toes, spraying sunscreen on, realizing, I'm too wet. Drying off, doing it again. Spraying my face, then realizing I have my sunglasses on. Doing it again. Some curses later, I am on my bike and running towards the bike start.

8:15 : The path out from the transition area is on a golf cart path. There is a very steep short hill you have to go up. I am going slowly and on the right of the path. Some woman comes up behind me yelling "On your right. Right! Right! Right!" Now, I'm no serious biker, but I know you are supposed to pass on the left. I stay right. And she finally passes me on the left, muttering an explicative at me on the way up. Hrmph.

8:20: I am on the main road and enjoying the flat roads, thinking this is going to be fun. I reach down to change my bike computer over to the Distance reading. I push it down and then watch it fly off my bike. I look back, stop, and don't see it. A quick calculation tells me it's not worth stopping. I keep going. Now I have so sense of the distances, my pace or my cadence. Oh well. I have my watch, which I started too late. I feel somewhat liberated.

8:40: Kerry had told me there was one major hill, and it was nothing compared to what we had been training on. At some point, I wonder if I am on the hill. I see people walking their bikes up the hill, so assume this is the hill. OK, this bike ride will be easy!

8:50: There are more hills. I am getting annoyed. It's about 90 outside. But the views are stunning and everyone is happy and in good spirits.

9:05: I complete the first loop of the two loops. I'm feeling good. I have been hydrating well, eating well, feeling strong.

9:10 - 9:55: The second loop is much much harder., but still fun. I'm exhausted and very very hot by the time I roll into transition

Transition 2: I go through the exact same sunscreen fiasco as T1. I change my shoes, use my inhaler and head out on to the course.

At this point, I've lost all sense of time. I had stopped my watch accidentally in the transition.

The run is a two loop down towards Makena Beach. This is a stunningly beautiful stretch of Maui. Unfortunately, I was completely miserable the whole time. The run was a series of very short steep hills, up and down. Really hard to get your stride. I also stop twice to pee.

Thankfully, there are waterstops with iced sponges every mile or so. I douse myself at everyone. By the second stop, my shoes are filled with water and weigh about 2 lbs each. I start to get blisters from the wet socks.

I'm told it was 90 degrees pool side at the hotel where the race was. So on the blazing asphalt, it was probably close to 100. Several times, as I am looking at Makena Beach, I am about to rip off my shoes and dive in. Bail on the race completely. Look at the view. Wouldn't you?

But finally, finally, I complete the second loop and cross the finish line. After a few minutes of rest in the shade and an iced Gatorade, I am able to reflect on how amazing an experience it really was. It was tough, for sure, but like the Outback-Steakhouse-Blesser said, we are lucky to be alive and experience the beautiful place all for an important cause. I definitely felt at peace (or maybe that was just from the free massages they were offering after the race).

With the aloha spirit~

Never Satisfied

Excited, and terrified
Crystal blue water, and sharks.
Warm sun, and blazing hot, dehydrating heat.
Tip-top shape, and raging self-doubt
Soon it will be over, and soon it will be over.

Aloha Speedster Aloha Hips

Speedster, Old Orangey (Chris' bike) and many other bikes were loaded up in a truck at Sports Basement this past week to head to Maui. I hope they are lounging by the beach drinking Mai Tais waiting or us. I'm a tad bit nervous sending my bike off without me, but luckily all we had to do was remove the pedals. The rest of the bike stays intact for the journey. I've heard horror stories of folks who had their bikes fall apart on them during their race because it wasn't re-assembled properly.

The other development has been a slow ache in my right hip. This isn't a new injury, but re-occurring one I've had over the last 6 years. It was doing just fine while I went to see my amazing chiropractor. But when I changed jobs, and thus health insurance, I stopped going to see him. He is a healer and an amazing doc. I am regretting not dealing with the health insurance and returning to visit him. Hopefully lots of stretching and some ice will get me through next week.

We had our last weekend run this morning in the lovely San Francisco summer (read: 50, windy, foggy, and misty). Not exactly good training for the heat, but good to run with my ladies for the last time before the race and the end of the season.

Already, I'm getting the post-season blues. But I will be very very happy to get to sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays in the near future (until I sign up for my next race. . . .)

The Shark Incident

There are a handful of words you should never use in vain when hanging out with people who do triathlons in the Bay Area, such as "canceled workout" or "Sand Ladder." And one of the most dangerous word you can sling around carelessly is "shark."

This past Sunday we did another Aquatic Park swim. The water was not nearly as cold as it has been before and it was a fairly pleasant swim as these things go. About half-way through our 45 minute swim, I get a strange chill. Strange because it was not from the 50+ degree water. It was that sharky feeling you get sometimes when you're in the ocean. I dismissed it fairly quickly, knowing that the chances of a dangerous shark coming to AP were very, very slim. I keep swimming and occasionally look up to shore to see if my teammates have made their way back in.

As I'm rounding one of the bouys, I notice a lot of people waving their arms on shore. I can't hear much because I have my ear plugs in. No one seems to be swimming to shore, so I keep swimming. Next time I look up there are more folks waving their arms. I hear muffled voices, so I stop and take out an earplug. I only hear one word: Shark.

This is enough to get me to hight-tail it back to shore. As I am swimming people are waving frantically at me. I'm not sure what's going on, but I know I will be alot happier if I get out of the water. I look over my shoulder and in the distance, sure enough, I see a small dorsal fin swimming in circles near the rocks. I don't spend much time thinking about what all of this means. It seems like a good time to act first and think later.

I stumble to shore, limbs and all, and try to take in the spectacle. It turns out it's a Leopard Shark, which commonly hangs out in the Bay. They are bottom feeders and not dangerous to humans. This one is about 3 feet long. Some kid manages to pick him up by the tail so we can see it.

Half the group of swimmers is frantic. The other half calm and amused. The latter being in the know that these sharks are harmless. The former have climbed the bleachers and are swearing off open-water swimming forever.

I am not exactly sure what I should have taken from this incident. Perhaps a gentle reminder that we are not alone in the Bay, or perhaps a reminder that we should learn more about the wildlife that lives in our backyards, or perhaps no one should ever, ever use the S-word to swimmers unless it's really, truly a threat. And finally, I guess I'm glad to know that all of those long swim workout with sprints in them came in handy. Thank you coaches!

Peak Week - Part 2

We are in the midst of peak training week for Maui, and it has been strangely hard. This may be in part due to the fact that my workouts until a few days ago, have consisted of my running on a treadmill for 20 minutes at a time watching Charmed in random hotels around the country. It just seems like a lot more of a work out when you're watching witches kick demon butt. (I know, I know, I shouldn't confess these things online).

But this week, I've managed to cram a bit of serious training in, doing a spin class on Tuesday, serious hill repeats on Wednesday, and long brick last night. Tonight we're off to the pool for our Friday Night Swim Date. I'm hoping to get at least two more bike rides in the next few days week because we have to pack up our bikes and send them off to Hawaii on Tuesday. I hope Speedster doesn't get sea sick like I do.

Can't believe Maui is coming up so quickly. And boy am I looking forward to the beach. . . er. . . I mean race!

Wildflower 2008

The race was exactly a week ago from today, but I am still floating a bit from the Wildflower high.

Let me start by saying that I invoked the Powers of Everyone Who Donated and Supported Me during this race man, many times. So thank you all again for your help. It made a huge difference for me!

Wildflower is set at Lake San Antonio, about 1.5 hours south of Salinas. Everyone camps out in this gigantic camp ground. It's not exactly your average car camping. People are packed in there. Tents literally 1 or 2 feet from each other. It's all pretty jovial and everyone, for the most part, is great about it. They call it the "Woodstock of Triathlons." We luckily found a fairly flat spot with some shade near our teammate Todd and his girlfriend, Nicole. Another teammate Rebecca and her husband Nate also settled in with us.

We had cozy little spot, until two ginormous RVs wiggled their way into the spot next to us. I certainly don't mind RVs, but these folks popped open their giant bucket of Budwiser and cranked up the AC/DC for us to all enjoy. It was going to be a long weekend . . .

Camping issues aside, we had an amazing weekend. Chris, Todd, and Rebecca all did the long course on Saturday. This is a half-ironman race (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run), and it ain't no joke. All three of them did amazingly well! Chris finished the race in just over 6 hours!!

I spent the day cheering on our teammates and trying to stay out of the sun.

Last year, it was in the upper 80's and the winds were strong. This year it was mid 70's and very little wind. We we very blessed on the weather front. Nonetheless, I spent a lot of time trying to stay hydrated and avoiding sunburn before my race.

After Chris finished his race, I instantly started to get nervous. All of my on-going fears started to surface. What if I oversleep? (not possible with AC/DC next door) What if I forget my goggles? (unlikely, since I already packed them in my bag) What if the new tire I just put on blows out? (improbable because Chris did most of the changing for me and we rode around to test it out the day before) etc., etc., etc. This is how I roll.

So 6:30am on race day rolls around. The RVs are up and at it bright and early. After breakfast and Rocking Like a Hurricane, I pack up my bag, load it on my back and head down towards the transition area along with 500 other TnTers. Just getting on my bike, I feel nervous and clumsy. I make it down to transition safely, get body marked and set things up. I have a long wait before my wave starts, so I hang out and watch teammates start in waves before me. It's a flurry of activity so I don't have too much time to psyche me self out. But I do tell myself that my goal is to do at least 6 minutes faster than I did last year, so I will finish in under 4 hours. I like to set the bar low. . . .

As the announcer counts down our swim wave, I finally feel a sense of calm. I can do this. I've done it before. What's the big deal? I navigate the start fairly well, mostly just hanging back to let people pass me. I feel as if most of the pink caps in my wave has passed me. I'm swimming more or less alone. Then I get the Swim Panic. I always get this and I know its ridiculous. But after about 10 minutes in open water, I start getting worried that I might drown. There's nothing to hold on to, and I can't touch the bottom. I have to keep swimming. That loony stage passes quickly and then I'm fine. My goggles were a mess and I couldn't see anything out of them. I felt like I was zig zagging everywhere. But I finish strong and run to transition, glancing down at my watch. 35 min. Shoot. That slower than last year. Oh well. .. .

I do fairly well in my transition and am off in about 5.5 minutes to the bike. The first part of the bike is a fairly steep 1 mile hill. Last year, I barely made it up the hill and went about 4.2 miles/hour. This year, I notice I am passing lots of folks and going about 5.5 miles/hr. I start to get concerned. I'm going out too strong. I need to save some for later. But then I notice this is happening on all of the hills, and I'm feeling fine! I have no problems drinking or eating while on my bike this year. I even cruise down the hills at 38 miles/hr, which is terrifyingly fast for me. When I roll back into transition, I noticed that I finished my bike 10 minute faster than last year! Woohoo. I'm in the clear for my under 4 hours, assuming the run goes well.

And it does. Last year, I walked most of it. This year, I ran most of it. I walked parts of the hills, mostly when no one I knew was looking (what can I say? external motivation is huge!). But then someone would cheer me on and I'd pick up the pace. It's only 6 miles, but it's pretty grueling. I did have to dig deep, thinking of all of the folks who supported me. I didn't want to lie down and cry like last year, but it wasn't exactly a delight. Lots of teammates cheered and ran with me along the way. Chris was waiting for me at the top of the "Pit of Despair."

The last mile is a treat. It's a downhill with a great view. I let my legs roll on down the hill to the finish. I crossed the line, looked down at my watch and saw 3:38! That's nearly 30 minutes faster than last year! Woohoo!

I made my way down to the lake and found my teammates soaking their tired legs. Rounds of hugs and hi-fives, as we shared our success. Chris and I then went to have a celebratory beer and steak sandwich in the sun. A great end to an amazing weekend!

And as an added bonus, the next day, I check my official times and learned that I actually did my swim in 31 minutes, shaving 4 minutes off my previous time. The bike was 13 minutes faster, and my run was 10 minutes faster. I also got my transition time down a bit. A complete success!

Now, a week later, I have to get back in to gear as Maui is quickly approaching . . .

Tapering

I've been so consumed the last few weeks with starting my new job and dealing with all the stuff that comes with ending one chapter of your life and opening another that I haven't really given much thought to the fact that we are now officially tapering. (My new job is great so far. It's at WestEd, an educational research organization here in SF.) And now that I am more or less settling in there (read: can now find my desk without getting lost after going to the bathroom), I am starting to get itchy and nervous.

This past weekend, we went down to LA to visit some friends from Germany who were in town. I ate a lot of meat and lounged on the beach quite a bit. I did manage to get some HOT training in. We did a 45 minute run in the 95 degree heat. It was just enough to remind me how much the heat affects me, so that wasn't terribly encouraging. Yesterday I swam for only 20 minutes, per the training schedule.

I keep thinking I'm going to get out of shape, gain weight, or forget how to ride my bike. It's strange how difficult it is to NOT workout. But, I have done all the hard work already, and I can't cram for the race, like I would for an exam. So I guess all I can do is go along for the rollercoaster of a ride that my mind likes to take me on.

Success!

We had an amazing fundraising dinner on Sunday, raising $2000 for LLS. 20 of our friends joined us for a phenomenal meal.

Patrick, the executive sous chef at La Folie, along with Roman, Jason, Eric, and James helped prepare and serve an amazing meal. We started off with raw oysters and champagne and ended 6 courses later with a delightful dessert from the pastry chef at La Folie.

Kristen, our neighbor and sommelier, did an amazing job pairing a wine with each course.

And our friend Becky reminded us why we had all gathered for the evening, sharing her personal story of her battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Thanks to everyone who helped out and attended. One of the most delightful evenings I've had a in a long time!

See a few photos below.

Much love and gratitude,
Melissa

Pix from Eat, Drink, Cure Cancer

The lovely table and our guests at the San Francisco Wine Center





















Chris and James enjoying some wine and attending to our guests.
















Patrick shares with us a bit about each delicious course.

Kristen talks with us about each wine.

Proof

Faster or Poor Counter?

I am a terrible counter. It's an embarrassing problem to have for a 30-something-year-old, I admit. I must have missed a good solid 5 months from preschool when we learned to count. I can never remember what lap I am on in the pool. Don't ask me to count cups of flour or sugar when baking. And never give me a the bill at a restaurant and a stack of bills to count. I will always get it wrong. Sure, I can remember tiny details from 1986, spell really hard words, make an mean Excel spreadsheet, or bake a billion biscuits in 12 minutes flat, but counting -- it is my Achilles heel.

On Wednesday at our track workout, we did a 2-mile time trial. We did a similar trial about 14 weeks ago when we started training. Last night, we repeated it to see how much we had improved. 2 miles involves 8 laps around the track, and more importantly, counting to 8. I started off strong, counting 1, 2, 3, 4. I'm half way there. My pace seemed good and consistent for each lap, about 2:15. Then as I started to do the calculations about what my overall time would be, I started to feel unsure if I was on lap 5 or 6. This is how it always goes. I start to doubt the count. And then I forget where I started doubting, and then I'm completely at a loss as to what number I am on.

Using my brilliant coping skills developed after years of being counting-challenged, I just ran and ran and ran until most people in my group stopped. Assuming I wasn't lapped by these folks, which is actually a big assumption, I *probably* ran all 8 laps. I looked at my watch and saw 17:40. My heart sunk. I must have miscounted and only ran 7 laps. 14 weeks ago, I did the 2-miler in 19:40. No way I could have improved that much. Crap. I did get lapped.

But then I started to use my excellent multiplication skills. If I averaged about 2:15 a lap, that's 18 minutes for a 2 miler. . . . So maybe I did do all 8 laps! Wait, not only did I actually do all 8 laps, I did it in less than 18 minutes. And more significantly, I improved my time by 2:00! Woohoo!

So, I officially ran an 8:50/mile, which for me is completely unheard of. I am slow, always have been. For me, breaking the 9 min/mile barrier is the equivalent of breaking the sound barrier or the time-space continuum.

I'm still in a bit of disbelief. I kept the 17:40 on my watch to show Chris. I even took a picture of it. I'll post it later to prove it ;-)

I'm not going to win any races anytime soon, but I'll take what I can get!

Mission Moment

On Sunday right before we were about to start swimming in the Bay for our practice triathlon, one of our mentors told us that Frankie, the brother of one of our teammates, had passed away on Friday after a long battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He was only 29. I looked around me and noticed many people wiping away tears.

I've never met Frankie, and I don't think any of those other folks had met him either. But losing him was like losing one of us. It's strange. I haven't quite sorted out all of nuances of the emotions I had in that moment. I felt hopeless, helpless, guilty, honored, angry, and sad. I felt terrible that I was enjoying the beautiful 80 degree day and that his sister wasn't here with us but preparing for a funeral. I felt determined to train more for him.

I remember the practice Tri we did last season. It was cold, windy, and pouring rain. I was miserable and frozen even before jumping into the bay. And as we waited to swim, some yelled out "Be thankful to be here." Now more than ever, I am thankful to be here, will take inspiration from Frankie's struggles, and am glad that I am able to do something, even if it's very small, to battle blood cancers for people who cannot.

Definitions of Fun

Yesterday we did our coached run workout in the Presidio. As one of our coaches mentioned, this is the time in the season when you start to get burnt out physically and emotionally. We have 2 weeks to peak training for Wildflower and 6 weeks for Maui. There's still a lot of work to be done.

So in order to keep us motivated, the coaches invented what they call a "fun game." Basically it involved splitting us into 5 teams and assigning us a color. Then we had to run a fairly steep but short hill circuit, followed by 20 sit-ups or 10 push-ups. As a "reward" we were given a peanut M&M in our assigned color, which we couldn't even eat. We had to carry it (and btw, it does melt in your hands when you're sweaty and running) while we did another hill loop. Then we dropped it in our team cup, proceeded to do another 20 sit-ups or 10 push-ups, and run another loop. Over and over and over and over. The team with the most M&M's "won."

So this ridiculous "game" got me to thinking about definitions of fun. I'd have to say the above game qualifies as NOT Fun. But over the last two years I do have to say my definitions of fun have shifted pretty radically.

OK, somethings will always be fun:

• napping
• eating cheese
• traveling in Italy
  

And something will never be fun:

• the dentist
• taxes
• jellyfish stings
• clowns (really and truly, what is so fun about them?!)

But here are some things that have sort of nudged their way into sort-of-kinda-fun-if-done-with-the right-attitude-and-some-friends-along-the-way:

• Swimming in Aquatic Park
• Riding my bike down a hill (going up doesn't yet qualify)
• Spending 4 months working out on Saturday and Sunday mornings
• Running 6 miles
• Wearing spandex
• Jello wrestling
  

Who knows what the rest of this Year of the Rat will hold in terms of fun!

Magpie Entertainment

During training weekend, one of my teammates, who is British, tells me about an English superstition about the Magpie bird. If you see one Magpie, it's considered back luck. If you see two, you'll have lots of joy. And then there's a clever rhyme about how you get exponential luck with each additional Mapgie you see. But it's the solo Magpie you have to watch out for. So to combat the impending doom, you have to say this:

"Good morning, Mr. Magpie. How is Mrs. Magpie this morning?"

We all find this lovely, charming, clever, and British, as we are sitting around the campfire. A Magpie lands near by, and Emma starts to say it, but then another Magpie comes along and blesses all with good luck. We all laugh at how silly she is to believe in the superstition.

That was all well and good around the campfire. But the next day, while I'm struggling on the bike ride, envisioning crashes, failing breaks and what not, I see a Magpie fly by. I quickly mutter the phrase. What's the harm?

But then, I see another one by itself about 5 minutes later. I say the phrase. And what do you think I see every freakin' 10 minutes thereafter?! That's right - a Magpie. Seriously, there are Magpies up and down the roads in these part of California. Probably the densest population of these birds in the U.S., maybe even anywhere. And these particular birds actually like to be loners. Or, they saw me coming and would fly out one by one to torture me. Not a pair in site. So for the next two hours I am basically chanting:

"Good morning, Mr. Magpie. How is Mrs. Magpie this morning?"

Of course, towards the end it turns in to:

"Hey Mr. Freakin' Magie. How's the stupid wife? And why don't you get a friend, you loser?"

Eat, Drink, Cure Cancer

Please join us for a tantalizing, exciting, intriguing, delightful, sustainable, and other persuasive adjective-filled evening. We’ve recruited a line-up of local super star chefs and sommeliers to create a not-to-be-missed dining experience just for you!

WHAT:

• A private, five-course dinner, highlighting seasonal and sustainable foods. Your meal will be lovingly prepared by Patrick Kelly, the executive sous chef at La Folie, and his talented super team of chefs who have cooked at Boulevard and other outstanding local restaurants. (We’ve been lucky to try Patrick’s food, and it’s amazing!)
• Wine pairings with each course by Kristen Capella, a professional sommelier and our terrific upstairs neighbor. She’s a former assistant sommelier at La Folie, and currently works for Indie Wine, Inc. (http://www.indiewine.com/) Kristen will provide notes about the pairings to guest before hand.
• A champagne and cheese reception before dinner.
• Service by professional servers and yours truly. (Here’s your chance to have Chris be at your beck and call! Dropped ANOTHER fork?)

WHEN:

• Sunday, April 20, 2008
• Champagne and cheese reception (Time TBD, around 6:30pm)
• Dinner (Time TBD, around 7:30pm)

WHERE:

• Elegant, private dining room that accommodates 20 guests at the San Francisco Wine Center
• 757 Bryant Street, San Francisco (between 5^th and 6^th St .)
• http://www.sanfranciscowinecenter.com/home.html

COST and PAYMENT:

• $125 donation per seat; 20 seats available
• All proceeds go directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
• To reserve a seat, please email Melissa (mcheung72@yahoo.com) to confirm seats are still available. We’ll take reservations on a first-come first serve basis.
• Once seats are confirmed, go to our online fundraising pages to make a tax-deductible $100/seat and send $25/seat (to cover food costs) in cash or a check made out to Melissa Cheung . We’ll send out more details upon confirmation.
• NOTE: Apologies for the somewhat complicated payment process. We’re trying to get as much as possible of the food donated, so hopefully we won’t need to spend the $25 on food costs. Any unspent cash will be evenly divided up and donated to LLS in your name so you will receive a tax receipt. The wines are generously donated via Kristen and Indie Wines. We’ll do our best on the food – and if you know of any butchers, grocers, or cheese mongers willing to donate, please let us know.

All of the proceeds of this event will go towards research to cure blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and Hodgkin’s disease, and to improve the lives of patients and their families. We both, unfortunately, know many, many people who have been affected by these diseases. So we’re glad we have the opportunity to raise money to support this terrific organization, make a difference in patients’ lives, and eat some great food and drink delicious wine in the process.

With much love and gratitude,

Melissa and Chris

Training Weekend Goings On

This weekend, we went down to Lake San Antonio where the Wildflower race happens. As part of Team in Training, we get the opportunity to swim, bike, and run on the actual course. This make a huge difference in my training -- not so much physically, though it was a great workout, but to remind myself psychologically that I CAN do this race.

Even before our practice swim, I started to get butterflies in my stomach, which I didn't expect. And I had to talk myself down off of my usual bike ledge before we started off on the bike ride. My friend, Heidi, and I started off the ride together. She had to give me lecture or two about "mental toughness" as she calls it -- a trait which I apparently lack significantly.

BUT, it all went really well. The swim was great fun (the water was a balmy 62 degrees compared to 49.1 at aquatic park). The bike was gorgeous. I forgot how beautiful it is out there -- or perhaps I never really paid attention because I was so freaked out last year. And the run was actually great. I found my group of ladies to run with and we had a great time.

I also really had a great time getting to know folks on the team, especially in Chris' mentor group. They are a delightful and really interesting group of people. Something about sitting around the campfire and making s'mores that brings out the best in people.

I also learned that my friend and Todd, who is one of our honorees, is officially in remission! Amazing news to end a great weekend.

I Am NOT a Rock Star; I Am a Dork.

I recently sent out another update email to everyone. I forgot to include the URL for my fundraising page and general details about how to donate. Hopefully, folks will venture to this page and find what they need, so I don't need to annoy people with more emails.

All donations are tax-deductible:

• You can donate quickly and securely online here:
  http://www.active.com/donate/tntgsf/MelissaCheung2008
  
  
• You can send me a check made out to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Send it to: 269 26th Avenue; San Francisco, CA 94121
  
  
• You can give me cash, in person, preferably.
  
  
• You can also give me something to sell on ebay or Craigslist. An old bike, an old pair of skis. I'll do all the legwork if you donate the proceeds to LLS.

Also, don't forget about Corporate Matching at your Company. I can help with the paperwork. Just let me know!

Thanks again!
Melissa

I am a Rock Star

I love the feeling of being a rock star. In my line of work and with my personality, I mostly don't qualify as rock star material. But when I come out of the 49.1 degree water in the San Francisco Bay from our first open water swim, I feel like a rock star (in my own little world)! It's such an amazing feeling!

When I first entered, I had a short-lived panic attack as the cold water weighed heavily upon my chest. People were kicking me and splashing Bay water in my mouth. The water was murky - I couldn't see my hands while I was swimming. My face was stinging painfully, and then it went numb. The cold water slowly snaked its way through my wetsuit sending shocks from different parts of my body to my core.

But then I find a groove. I'm concentrating on my breathing. Long exhales, stroke, stroke, stroke, breathe. I am all alone, listening to my breathing and my heart beating. I have earplugs in, so all of the yelling and kicking going on around me fades into the muted background. I look up occasionally to sight my direction and I see Chris sitting on a surfboard just over my shoulder, which is comforting. I put my face back in darkness. It is just me, the water, and 2 feet of visibility, and I am strangely happy.

After half an hour or so, someone get my attention and tells me it's time to go in. I swim to shore and am exhilarated. It was cold, miserable and awful, but I feel amazing for having done the swim.

Each workout, we have a dedication to a survivor or victim of cancer. Today, my thought were with Frankie, 29, a brother of one of our teammates. He's struggling from pneumonia and lymphoma. The prognosis is not good for him. I think of him and wish he could be outside in the glorious, sunny day with us, feeling as great as a I do. I am thankful to be doing what I am doing, and hoping that our small fundraising efforts make a difference.

A Few Pix

Setting off for a 35 mile ride through Nicasio.













The view from the top of off one of the hills. This ride always reminds me how blessed I am to live where I do.


















Post-ride snacks!

Breakthroughs

While I'm training, I've got plenty of time to think. Miles of riding and running, which leads to quality mind-wandering time. (Swimming, on the other hand, tends to go something like this: 1 lap, 2 laps, 3 laps . . . oh I'm hungry . . . 2 laps, 3 laps, 4 laps. . . how long is this workout. . . 3 laps. . . oh wait. . . 4 laps? 2 laps. Crap.)

Lately, I've found myself beating myself up during this time, thinking I am lame for being so tired and not wanting to go to the track, or a pathetic loser for being the last one again in my bike group, doing sprints at Level 5 (i.e. run as fast as you can) and being lapped by people left and right. And having a fantastic athlete of a boyfriend only gives me more guests to invite to my own personal pity party. And the kicker of all kickers, I beat myself up for beating myself up. This, of course, is not unusual behavior for me.

But this week I had a couple of breakthroughs thanks to longer and longer training runs and rides.

1) It's okay to have a pity party. And I always do when something is really challenging for me -- training, work, backpacking, whatever it is. I always get really down and want to give up and usually cry. What I realized on my run today is that I always find my way out with clarity in hand. And I am pretty sure that I am not able to get there with feeling awful about myself for a short while. So, it's okay that I'm trudging through some tough training weeks right now, mentally (and physically). I'd love to say I'll come of of this with the answers to life. But more than likely I'll just come out of it one day and not even realize it. So that's that.

2) Use your glutes. Not quite as deep a breakthrough as the self-conscious blah blah blah. But seriously, engaging my glutes while biking has made all the difference in the world. That's not to say I can break 5mph climbing hills, but at least I can get up the hills feeling stronger!

3) Find balance. After 5 weeks of Physical Therapy, I learned that my body is out of whack. Years of spraining my left ankle and never fully rehabing it back to full strength has caused my right side to over compensate. My right leg muscles are significantly stronger and overworked. There's a metaphor for life in here, I'm sure. But in the mean time, I am spending a lot of time icing my right butt cheek.

Superheros

I've been feeling very sluggish these past few weeks, waking up tired and never fully hitting my stride during the day. I do remember that last year, about this time, I felt the same way. Wondering if I was in over my head, wondering if I could back out.

But then, I have a great few days like this week and feel like I can take on the world. Today, we did a great 6 mile trail run in Marin. There were some tough hills, but the sun was shining and the sky was gorgeous!

Afterwards, we had an Honoree Picnic, where cancer survivors talked about their experiences. I love this part of the season because I am always reminded of why we do Team in Training. In fact, while we were waiting in line for the bathroom, a woman comes up to us and says, "I appreciate all of your fundraising. I wouldn't be here today with out it. Thank you." I was stunned at first. I'm not sure why. Perhaps because she was a total stranger. Perhaps because it took a minute to fully appreciate what she was saying. I smiled and said, "Of course. I'm glad to do it!" Truly, I could train with any group to do a triathlon. But when I meet people like her, or hear about people who suffered through 9 months of chemo, were in induced comas for weeks, or lost loved ones, I know that I am in the right place. The folks who battle cancers are superheros and they inspire me every day.

And speaking of superheros, I have also gotten another boost from my quest to Jello Wrestle for a Cure! I am hopeful that I can raise the money by the end of March. And in anticipation, I have spent many a conversation discussing costume options. Superheros are a popular theme. Wonder Woman, Cat Girl, and a newly created Cheese Girl seems to keep coming up. The Japanese school girl killer from Kill Bill vol. 2 also has a few (male) votes. Joanne votes for Bill Cosby. (I think I will have a hard time pulling that off.)

What do you think?!

How Much Would You Pay to See Me Jello Wrestle?

So, the thing I love about triathlons is that it pushes me to stretch myself. In the end, I find that I have accomplished significantly more than I ever thought I could.

So in the name of doing things I never thought I would do, I am considering Jello Wrestling for a Cure!

I must admit that there is something strangely enticing about doing this. I mean, really, how often do you get the opportunity to Jello wrestle? And how proud are my parents going to be of me? (Hi Mom and Dad!) But, to actually do it, I need your help. . .

Here’s how it works:

• My friend Pam is holding this event to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It’s a ladies wrestling event only.
• Help me reach $5000 by the end of March, I’ll throw my name into the ring and wrestle for a cure! (I'm about $700 shy as of today. See fundraising page below for latest stats)
  
• Help me raise $5500 by the end of March, you all get to choose which outfit I will wear for said wrestling content.

The sooner the money comes in, the sooner we will get to discuss outfits!

http://www.active.com/donate/tntgsf/MelissaCheung2008

The event is in San Francisco on April 5th. The location and time will be disclosed upon my entering the content.

Sincerely,

Melissa, who may live to regret posting this.

Endless Pool

I was talking with one of our teammates who works at Google. He told me that they have one of those Endless Pools in their gym. For those who don't know, this is one of those inventions you may have seen in your late-night-don't-admit-to-anyone-that-you-watch-infomercials-with-glee. It's a small pool, about 15 feet long, just long enough for you to do a few swim strokes. The water has some sort of strong jet that create a current, which you swim against. In essence, you are going absolutely no where, like a salmon swimming up stream. Only, you don't actually make it upstream, and hopefully you don't die at the end of your swim.

Anyhow, this got me to thinking about how we do the same thing over and over and over again. For example, this weekend I took about:

6000 steps (2 mile run)
2000 strokes (2500 meter swim)
7200 revolutions (18 miles bike ride)

It's pretty mind-boggling when you think about how far you can get by doing the same thing over and over and over again. And all of this repetition adds up to a whole lot.

The weekend works out were great. My friend Diana came out to ride with us, so we had a nice chat on our bike ride. Diana and I first met on a bike ride through Tiburon last season. It was my first bike with my clipless pedals. She was probably trying to chat with me then, but I only remember two things about that day, really. 1) Our coach riding behind both us and saying, "Melissa, keep your heels down." and "Diana, relax your shoulders." and 2) The blinding and catastrophic fear I had of having to actually unclip and come to a complete stop.

So on this past Sunday, Diana and I were once again riding together. This time, I do remember having a lovely conversation with her. My fear of stopping has diminished to more of a quiet zing in my stomach that flares up only when I approach cars or a crowd of people.

The same coach rides up behind us and says, "Ladies, Have I taught you nothing? Melissa, keep your heels down. Diana, relax your shoulders." Ah! We are caught in the Endless Pool of training and bad form. Hopefully, we will be able to break out one of these days!

Mondays

Each Monday morning last tri season, Chris and I would have this exchange:

Chris: It's time to get up.
Me: (unintelligible groaning from under the comforter)
Chris: It's almost 7am
Me: (groaning and rolling over and ignoring him)

10 minutes later . . .

Me: (finally semi alert) Ugh. Guess what?
Chris: hmm?
Me: I don't want to get up. And I'm sore ALL OVER.

Sunshine, Hunger, and Generosity

I've been incredibly focused on all of the training details lately-- with the bike fittings, my injury, the getting up extraordinarily early on weekend, and general adjustment to being super active again. I must admit that has taken quite a bit of emotional energy. There were moments when I wondered, yet again, why I signed up for this. It's not like I didn't remember how hard this was last season.

But this past weekend, I got three gentle reminders:

1. It was a stunningly beautiful weekend in San Francisco. Mid-60's, sunny. These are they days when I am so very thankful to no longer live in Boston or NYC. I mean, it is February, for god's sake. We ran along Ocean Beach (more on this fiasco later) watching the waves crash on the shore. We hung out with terrifically nice people at a post-workout brunch, staring at lemon and orange trees in her back yard. The swim was invigorating and the bike was rolling and sweet. It was definitely good to be back!
   
   
2. This week, the hunger returned. No, not some spooky horror film (though I often look like one after biking). My appetite has returned and I find myself hungry all the time. This is like saying to a young child, "You can eat all of the candy you want, any time, and I won't make you stop." Hooray!!
   
   
3. On Sunday, I logged on to my computer to check how my fundraising is going. My jaw dropped to find that I have already raised over $3,100 in two weeks time. Again, I am floored by people's generosity. Truly amazing! Thanks to all of you who have donated! Even though I've come this far, there's so much more work to be done to cure these cancers. So I hope that I can EXCEED my fundraising goal. Wouldn't that be amazing?!

Tri-ku - do you?

I recently attended a digital storytelling workshop at KQED. As part of the 2.5 day workshop, we created a personal multimedia story. (Thank you, Leslie!) We were to write a short script about something from our own lives.

As per my usual school days, I left the assignment to the very end. The night before, I found myself furiously scribbling on the back of an envelope in my car while waiting for Chris to finish his run with the team. With the vastly entertaining history I call my life, the topics for the script were infinite. After completely covering my envelope in scratches, I knew I had to impose some structure on this assignment before it quickly spiraled out of control.

Then it came to me. Less is more. Fewer words. In fact, 17 syllables. The beautiful, concise, sensual, and sometimes obtuse Haiku. Or rather, the Tri-Ku.

I'm sure there are some ancient Japanese poets turning over in their grave right now, perhaps even saying:

Procrastinator
Mutilates our ancient art.
Curses to your bike.

Anyhoo, Tri-ku to the rescue, I produced the following account of my last season with TnT. Without even thinking about it, I created myself a lovely little fundraising PR piece. So please enjoy (and DONATE!!)

http://www.active.com/donate/tntgsf/MelissaCheung2008

Drowning

We're two weeks into this. Thus far, I've:

• Bought a new pair of running shoes
• Had my bike adjusted
• Run: 0 miles
• Bike: 3 miles
  
• Swim: 10,000 meters

Not exactly preparing me much for triathloning, you say? More of a mono-athlon.

I have injured my left foot and have been hobbling around San Francisco and complaining the whole way. Under the advice of my doctor, I've spent a lot of time forgetting which lap I was on, wishing that sitting in the hot tub counted as swimming, and washing my hair alot to get the chlorine smell out.

Today, however, I got the green light to start running and biking again this weekend. Hooray! So now I just have to muster up the energy to not be freaked out again about using my clipless pedals.

Onward!!

Back for More Love

It's official. I've signed up for another triathlon season with Team in Training! Get ready for more laughs as I take off for another roller coaster of training.

I believe I will be training for the Wildflower AND the King's Trail Maui Triathlon this June. That's right -- HAWAII. So even if don't finish the races, I can console myself with a large and delicious pina colada while lying on the beach and listening to the waves. mmmmm.

Back to the point here. I say "I believe" because the fundraising minimum is very high -- nearly $5000. I'm not sure I can do it. Chris is also training this season, so we're a two fundraiser family this season again. But nonetheless, I will be doing some sort of triathlon come this spring, and we will raise money for a cure to blood cancers in the process.

You can help me get started!!

www.active.com/donate/tntgsf/MelissaCheung2008

More to come soon!