White Lake Sprint: Race Report - Part 2

THE DAY BEFORE
If you've never been a spectator at a half-Ironman triathlon, we highly recommend it! The day before our race, we watched our coach take on 70.3 miles with grace, style, and determination. Watching fellow athletes push themselves to new limits was incredibly inspiring.

Throughout the day, we had several opportunities to talk about our Tri to End Homelessness campaign. We wore our "Ask me about Genesis Home" buttons and spectators were eager to hear more.


THE SWIM
The water was choppy, the air was chilly, and the wetsuits were tight! For the first time, we started a race together - although super swimmer Ray moved to the front of our wave, while newbie swimmer Rob staked out her spot in the calmer back of the pack. The start horn went off and we fought the chop to the first buoy. Ray powered through the swim like a champ. However, because the water was rougher than she had promised Robyn it would be, she consciously worried about her sis. Thankfully, the worry was not needed. As Robyn slowly rounded the initial marker, she let out an audible "All right!" and had the distinct thought of "O.k. , I can actually do this." We pulled ourselves out of the water and ran through a long transition to hop on our bikes.

750 yards

Ray - 15:30
Rob - 19:38

THE BIKE
Two super flat 7 mile loops in the wind. Our plan was to push the bike and try to average as close to 20 mph as we possibly could. We stayed in our aerobars and focused throughout the ride. Robyn could see Ray up ahead and thought she just might be able to catch her on the run....and then transition happened.



The bike to run transition was Ray's biking moment of glory. She successfully took her feet out of her shoes while riding in and gracefully dismounted into a quick run. Robyn also had this plan, but grace was apparently not on her side. Instead, her bike to run transition went more like this:


Right foot out, shoo! Good...one more to go....left foot out.....why is my bike stopping??....whoa....WHOA!!!...my shoe is caught, my shoe is caught.....o.k., I'm off my bike, super....guess I'm running this sucker in....only 100 yards or so..yikes, my legs hurt...and this asphalt doesn't feel so good...smile for the camera!


14 miles
Ray - 44:27
Rob - 46:08



*Note: Somewhere on the bike, Rob was hit with a 2:00 penalty that was added to her overall race time. She was consciously riding to the left so as not to draft off of the riders she was passing, but apparently, she slipped up somewhere along the bike route. Ugh....Hard to leave 2 whole minutes in the penalty box.



THE RUN
We've both been trying to lower our 5K times and the work is paying off. Ray PRed her run at 26:08 and Rob came close at 27:32. As usual, getting to the turnaround felt like it took forever, but also as usual, the elation when crossing the finish line never gets old.

TOTAL TIMES
Ray - 1:29:17
Rob - 1:38:30

White Lake Sprint: Race Report - Part 1

"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” - Unknown

Another fun and successful race in our 2007 season is complete! It's Monday morning and we're finding it hard to believe that at this time yesterday, we were working our way through the White Lake (or as our coach said, the White Cap) Sprint!

Robyn thrived in her first choppy open water swim, pushed harder than ever on the bike, and paid for it a bit with some cramps on the run. Ray felt solid (but not exceptional) during all three elements, mastered a new bike to run transition technique, and crossed the finish line a few minutes before Rob.

We both focused on the mental training we've been doing for the last several weeks and worked to stay positive throughout the race -- even when Rob completely blew her bike dismount and had to run in the bike an extra 100 yards!

750 yards, 14 miles, 3.1 miles -- check!

Pictures and additional reflection to come.

Change Happens

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” - Maria Robinson

Check out this follow-up story about Mike Kelly, a formerly homeless man, who not too long ago lived in the woods near Robyn and Ryan's home. He made the choice to change his life and received support in living out that choice from Housing for New Hope - a housing and supportive services program, similar to Genesis Home, that primarily works with single adults.

Mr. Kelly's story reminds us that today is always the day for us to begin living our dreams - whether they are intimately personal like his, professional, or running a 24 minute 5K!

Each one, Teach one

“Be an opener of doors for such as come after thee.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thanks to the generosity of our coach, yesterday, Robyn had the opportunity to join a group of Fleet Feet team triathletes for one last open water swim before competing in this weekend's upcoming race. Unlike Robyn who has been swimming for only one year, many of the athletes in the group have long and distinguish careers in triathlon - not to mention individual glory in running, biking, and swimming events.

The group met after work, wetsuited-up, and jumped right into a 30 minute swim at Jordan Lake. This being Robyn's second time ever in open water, the nervous swimming gremlins reared their ugly heads for a brief moment when she first took off. The water was dark, the temperature kept changing, this unknown group was pulling ahead....BUT, then she remembered breath and form, breath and form, breath and form and soon she was swimming up to meet the group at the turnaround buoy. A stranger reached out to say "Way to go, Robyn" -and she knew everything would be o.k.

We'll be looking for the Fleet Feet team to skillfully compete this weekend -- and the Tri to End Homelessness gals will be cheering them on!

Biking Adventures with Ray & Rob

"Life is either a great adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller

Indeed, Helen, our weekend long bike workouts always prove to be be adventurous - and this weekend was no different.

Ray had to work on Saturday at 10 a.m., so in order to get in our hour and a half brick (bike / run), we planned to meet at her apartment at 7:00 on Saturday morning. Robyn had gotten out of bed late and phoned Ray on the drive over to say that coffee and food were desperately needed before we could hit the road. Time was tight and Ray came through like a champ with fuel waiting at the door when Robyn arrived. After gulping down caffeine, chomping through a frozen waffle slathered in peanut butter, finding our bike and running shoes (and our helmets, sunscreen, snacks, water, Gatorade, bike pump, phone, credit card, etc.), transferring gear from Robyn's car to Rachel's, printing off a copy of our new route map (and leaving a copy behind for our hubbies - just in case we needed a rescue) and remembering to lock the door behind us, we were off! It was 7:25 a.m.

We drove to a church in rural Orange County to begin a new 17 mile loop that would be followed by a 20 minute run. We planned to build to race pace during the ride, quickly transition for an easy 5 min run, followed-by 15 min of running building to race pace. We'd planned plenty of time for a nice cool down and stretch. Our coach would be so proud.

Oh, the best laid plans.

On the way into the church, we passed a newly dead doe lying in the middle of the road. Perhaps it was an omen?

The first half of our ride was perfect. Late spring in North Carolina is heaven and this one was one those extra-special mornings. Cool, clear, and crisp blue sky. Ray was navigating and we were chatting away. Then we passed more roadkill. In total, over the course of this weekend's workouts, we encountered the afore mentioned doe, numerous possums and squirrels, two completely squished small turtles, and a giant black snake.

In the midst of our chatter about our week, life, our upcoming race and the incredible roadkill spectrum lying before us, we began to realize that the miles were piling up and we had not yet made the final turn of our loop. Hmmm......

Ray pulled out the route cue sheet and noted that our turn was about 5 or 6 miles back. No problem, we thought. We could use this stretch as a race pace interval and still make it back to the car with time to transition to our run before Ray needed to be at work. Her shower might be cut short, but she could make it. She had been balancing work, school, training, buying a new house, interviewing for doctoral programs, and her marriage for the last two years -and by golly, this workout was going to get done. Not to worry she told Robyn.

We turn our bikes around and book it. We're in our aerobars, flying through farm land with the wind at our back. We hit over 30 mph and feel like pros.

Then Ray's nose starts to bleed profusely. Because of her work schedule, we don't have time to stop -- and we don't have anything to wipe her nose if we did....so we just keep going. She smears blood all over the sleeve of her jersey and starts to resemble all of the roadkill we've passed.

We near the church with one final hill to climb....and then, Ray drops her chain. She yells to Robyn to keep going in order for one of us to get our run in, but you never leave your wing (wo)man, so Robyn pulled over while Ray put her ingenue bike mechanic skills to the test.

A few minutes later we clip back in and head to the church, where we quickly transition into our running shoes for a 6 minute jog.

Bloody and battered Ray was only 8 minutes late to work -- and Robyn promised to navigate our next ride.

Ah, the adventurous lives we lead.

It All Makes A Difference

"Collaboration creates prosperity....There are no haves and have-nots. We are all haves and our assets are diverse. In the alchemy of collaboration, we become equal partners; we create wholeness and sufficiency for everyone." - Lynne Twist

Just as our daily workouts are slowly building the foundation that helps us reach our racing goals, the small donations we've been receiving in support of Genesis Home really add up. Our entire Tri to End Homelessness experience thus far has really taught us about the big power that exists in small action.

We're also learning that we all have something to give and we all can benefit from the gifts of others. A few recent examples we find inspiring:

• Our coach donated her talents to our efforts to improve our own lives and those homeless families who are living our community. Now, her mother-in- law is doing her part by passing on her yoga teaching gifts to those that could use them.
• This morning we read a great story about a man who makes gifts of $20 to $200 change people's lives around the world. Like the many donors to Tri to End Homelessness, he's leveraging the power of relatively small dollar amounts to make huge change.
• Organizing this campaign has added new meaning and purpose to our triathlon season. Now, many of our friends and co-workers have recently told us that our campaign is inspiring them to donate to causes they believe it and reinvigorate their exercise routines. Hooray!

Pass it on. Pay it forward. Give back. Accept generosity when it comes to you. Prayers, presence, gifts, service: It all makes a difference.

Focus

“Ninety percent of my game is mental. It's my concentration that has gotten me this far.” -Chris Evert

During a recent trainer workout , our coach Sage asked to us notice our thoughts and compare those to our thinking during the first race of the season. During the bike workout and to some extent during the race, we both noticed our minds wandering. As our concentration easily drifted away from the moment, our power lessened and our speed slowed.

One of the reasons we love endurance sports is that they generally help us stay in the present. It's tough to think about all of the other things on life's list when we're concentrating on just getting through a long workout. When we're constantly repeating "Just keep going!", the only thing that goes through our minds in putting one foot in front of the other.

But this year, we're not just trying to get through it - we're working, we're racing, and we're trying to get faster. And that takes A LOT more focus. At this point, we know we have the physical strength to get through the distances we're taking on -it's the mental toughness we're finding most challenging: the ability to dig deeper and find another gear when what we really want to do is cruise; the willingness to push and not quit during a speed work interval; and the control to acknowledge the intensity we're feeling in our muscles, but not let that acknowledgement distract us from our purpose.

To help train our minds, we've added visualization and meditation practice to our weekly schedules. Because we're new to this (and a little antsy!), we've started with only 2 minutes of concentrated meditation -- adding 30 seconds each time. The hot, flat sections of our next race will put this part of our training to the test.

In general life, it's all too easy to just cruise through. This year, however, we're not looking for easy - we're looking for intentional. As golfer Arnold Palmer says, with that intention, comes increased happiness: “Concentration, Confidence, Competitive urge, Capacity for enjoyment.”

Fear

"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment." - Marcus Arelius

Deep into a peak block of training (simulating racing conditions), Robyn faced a big fear this weekend: OPEN WATER. As a tri newbie, she's only raced in pools up until now. However, since the next race of the season will put her in a lake for the first time, Coach Sage astutely suggested that we give the big, dark, choppy water a try before the start gun goes off in two weeks. And, surprise, surprise, it was not nearly the terrifying adventure Robyn has been anticipating. Those yards in the pool focusing on breath and form really do pay off - especially when the environment is constantly changing.

Facing fears in a changing environment is something we know the families living at Genesis Home also learn to manage. Whether it's going back to school when one's previous school experiences have not been successful or choosing to remain sober or going on a job interview, taking that first step - that first plunge - is often the scariest part. It all seems simple - and maybe even fun - from there.

New Race!

We're excited to announce that we've added a new race to our 2007 season!

On July 28, we'll be competing in the Buckner Mission Man Sprint Triathlon in Burlington, NC:

750m swim (open water)
15 mi bike
5k run

Like this past weekend's race, Mission Man is part of the Endurance Series - open to all athletes, but beginner-friendly! So, come join us!

Mantras

The week after our first race of the season has been hectic one. Robyn's very busy at work. Ray is working hard to finish up her master's degree (only a few more weeks left!). Our houses are a mess. Our refrigerators are empty. Clothes are dirty. Mysterious bills keep showing up. And gas is three dollars a gallon. Wouldn't you know that Life just keeps creeping up!

During this week's "life moments" we've found ourselves using several of the motivational mantras that we also relied on during last weekend's race:

Take it as it comes. -- One step at a time, whether it's racing, working to meet a deadline, or dealing with a car break-in (as Ray and Dave faced yesterday).

Breath and form. Breath and form. -- Focusing our breath and form during a race helps us maintain power even when we're tired. Similarly, returning to our breath helps calm the nervous chatter when the days events are replaying in our heads as we try to fall asleep. Remembering our 'office form' also helps keep us alert when we're faced with too many hours in front of the computer.

It's there if you want it -- Robyn has been using this one to help her focus on speed during her runs. She's also been pulling it out this week, as a reminder that is her one and only life -- it's hers to create.

The life season never ends, so share your mantras with us!