Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Small But Growing
Check this out. Blogger tracks your traffic. Sure, I'm not a big site. I get a few readers each day thanks to my 5 followers! But this is cool! Here are my stats from the past 30 days. Who knew I had readers in such far away places. Hello to all! Here's to a Happy New Year - 2012! Can you believe it's only 18 days away? I can't!
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Monday, December 12, 2011
MS Society & the New York City Triathlon
It's official! I have been selected to race in the 2012 NYC Triathlon. Yay! I know some of you are thinking, who in their right mind would want to swim in the Hudson River? Well, I was thinking the same thing not too long ago when we took a visit to the Statue of Liberty. There was a lot of junk floating in the river. & not just seaweed & usual stuff. Actual large pieces of wood, logs, etc. Not to mention the pic that I took when we were fishing awhile back. But, in all honesty, this was in the NY bay, closer to Staten Island - so consider the source. If some of you are wondering, it is the bumper to a turquoise Ford Taurus.
But, in all seriousness, I am raising money for the MS Society & every penny counts. I have If you have the chance to donate, please do! Any amount is greatly appreciated. I have enclosed the link in this post. Thanks!!!!!
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Run/NYNGeneralEvents?px=9118691&pg=personal&fr_id=18329
But, in all seriousness, I am raising money for the MS Society & every penny counts. I have If you have the chance to donate, please do! Any amount is greatly appreciated. I have enclosed the link in this post. Thanks!!!!!
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Run/NYNGeneralEvents?px=9118691&pg=personal&fr_id=18329
Thursday, December 8, 2011
December 8, 2001
The following is an excerpt from a the BravestMemorial.com. It has been 10 long years & I will never forget getting the call on December 9th that they found Jerry. RIP my friend. 1810.
The remains of Lt. Dave Fontana were found last Thursday in the wreckage of the south tower of the World Trade Center, his widow, Marian Fontana, said yesterday. Lieutenant Fontana, 38, was one of 12 men from the elite Squad 1 fire and rescue company who disappeared in the cascading inferno Sept. 11. Lieutenant Fontana, whose firehouse was in Park Slope, Brooklyn, left Mrs. Fontana and a 5-year-old son, Aidan. In an emotional bit of synchronicity, the remains of Firefighter Gerard P. Dewan were also recovered from the site last week. The remains were confirmed to be his this week through DNA tests. Firefighter Dewan was a tenant and friend of Firefighter Sean Cummins, who in turn was a friend of Lieutenant Fontana's at Squad 1. A memorial was held for Lieutenant Fontana in late October. There were bagpipes and 1,000 firefighters and a coffin with no body. Marian Fontana has since become politically active, emerging as the spokeswoman for a group representing grieving family members whose relatives and spouses have not been found since Sept. 11. "I'm not sure how I feel," Mrs. Fontana said yesterday morning. "Mixed, I guess. I was happy that they found Dave, but I'm not feeling the closure I expected to get." The lieutenant's remains were found by rescue workers Thursday morning, while Mrs. Fontana and her son were visiting Hawaii. That same day, Aidan learned to surf. It was an important moment for the family, Mrs. Fontana said, since her husband was a surfer and a lifeguard on Long Island in his younger years. Mrs. Fontana is planning a small funeral service for her husband next week at the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, noted for its natural beauty and Victorian monuments. Lieutenant Fontana will be laid to rest in the shade of a beech tree, she said. A firefighter from Squad 1 who was among the workers last Thursday said they knew they had found a fireman by his jacket. "We didn't know it was Dave right away," the firefighter said, asking that his name not be published because, like many firefighters, he was working on his own time and thus unauthorized to be at ground zero. "It was dark, late at night, and you are never sure of the time. But it was like we got something and then we got something else." The firefighter paused for a moment to compose himself and continued: "In a way it makes me happy. We accomplished something for his family." Lieutenant Fontana was not just a firefighter, the people who knew him say. He was a Renaissance man: a sculptor, a Fire Department historian, a prankster. He was Mr. Mom to the mothers at the grade school because of his devotion to his son. After the body was recovered, it was draped in an American flag and driven to the Bellevue Hospital Center morgue for official identification. After the remains of Firefighter Dewan, 35, were also found last week, his and Lieutenant Fontana's names appeared side by side on the list of the confirmed deceased. Firefighter Dewan was among the first firefighters to enter the twin towers. Along with 11 others from Ladder Company 3/Battalion 6 in Lower Manhattan, he never made it out. It was his first day working at the firehouse. A small family ceremony in Boston, where he was born, is planned today. Firefighter Dewan had family ties to the Boston Fire Department, but because of a lack of job opportunities there, he began in the New York Fire Department five years ago. He is the first member of his family to die in the line of duty. He was not married, but found a family in the Cummins household in Rockaway Park, Queens, where he rented a basement apartment. "At least there is closure and he can be buried," said Maureen Cummins, Firefighter Sean Cummins wife.
The remains of Lt. Dave Fontana were found last Thursday in the wreckage of the south tower of the World Trade Center, his widow, Marian Fontana, said yesterday. Lieutenant Fontana, 38, was one of 12 men from the elite Squad 1 fire and rescue company who disappeared in the cascading inferno Sept. 11. Lieutenant Fontana, whose firehouse was in Park Slope, Brooklyn, left Mrs. Fontana and a 5-year-old son, Aidan. In an emotional bit of synchronicity, the remains of Firefighter Gerard P. Dewan were also recovered from the site last week. The remains were confirmed to be his this week through DNA tests. Firefighter Dewan was a tenant and friend of Firefighter Sean Cummins, who in turn was a friend of Lieutenant Fontana's at Squad 1. A memorial was held for Lieutenant Fontana in late October. There were bagpipes and 1,000 firefighters and a coffin with no body. Marian Fontana has since become politically active, emerging as the spokeswoman for a group representing grieving family members whose relatives and spouses have not been found since Sept. 11. "I'm not sure how I feel," Mrs. Fontana said yesterday morning. "Mixed, I guess. I was happy that they found Dave, but I'm not feeling the closure I expected to get." The lieutenant's remains were found by rescue workers Thursday morning, while Mrs. Fontana and her son were visiting Hawaii. That same day, Aidan learned to surf. It was an important moment for the family, Mrs. Fontana said, since her husband was a surfer and a lifeguard on Long Island in his younger years. Mrs. Fontana is planning a small funeral service for her husband next week at the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, noted for its natural beauty and Victorian monuments. Lieutenant Fontana will be laid to rest in the shade of a beech tree, she said. A firefighter from Squad 1 who was among the workers last Thursday said they knew they had found a fireman by his jacket. "We didn't know it was Dave right away," the firefighter said, asking that his name not be published because, like many firefighters, he was working on his own time and thus unauthorized to be at ground zero. "It was dark, late at night, and you are never sure of the time. But it was like we got something and then we got something else." The firefighter paused for a moment to compose himself and continued: "In a way it makes me happy. We accomplished something for his family." Lieutenant Fontana was not just a firefighter, the people who knew him say. He was a Renaissance man: a sculptor, a Fire Department historian, a prankster. He was Mr. Mom to the mothers at the grade school because of his devotion to his son. After the body was recovered, it was draped in an American flag and driven to the Bellevue Hospital Center morgue for official identification. After the remains of Firefighter Dewan, 35, were also found last week, his and Lieutenant Fontana's names appeared side by side on the list of the confirmed deceased. Firefighter Dewan was among the first firefighters to enter the twin towers. Along with 11 others from Ladder Company 3/Battalion 6 in Lower Manhattan, he never made it out. It was his first day working at the firehouse. A small family ceremony in Boston, where he was born, is planned today. Firefighter Dewan had family ties to the Boston Fire Department, but because of a lack of job opportunities there, he began in the New York Fire Department five years ago. He is the first member of his family to die in the line of duty. He was not married, but found a family in the Cummins household in Rockaway Park, Queens, where he rented a basement apartment. "At least there is closure and he can be buried," said Maureen Cummins, Firefighter Sean Cummins wife.
Friday, December 2, 2011
NYC Triathlon - MS Society
Woo hoo! I got the email today! I was accepted for the MS Society's team for the 2012 NYC Triathlon. It’s a charity spot & I am psyched! Originally, I had entered the lottery, but I wasn’t selected & I was ok with that. I really should have signed up for the MS team in the first place & avoided the lottery altogether. As some of you may know, one of my closest friends was diagnosed with MS this year. Since then, we have been running, biking & now swimming to help find a cure. & in February I will (hopefully) be climbing to the top of Rockefeller Center to help raise money in the fight against MS.
I know a few people with MS. My mom’s cousin, a coworker’s mom, a sorority sister’s mother & now my friend. Did you know that there are only 6 drugs that help treat MS symptoms? 6! Wouldn’t you think there would be 60? Well, I only found out this past May that 20 years ago, there were no drugs to help treat MS. Notice I say treat, not cure? Right now there is no cure for MS. There are so many things that researchers do not know about MS, like where it comes from or how you get it. Crazy, right?
Hopefully all this running & biking will help fund research & prevention of this disease. For now all we can hope for is that the drugs that are out on the market now help slow the progression of this awful disease.
I hope you stick with me while I start training for this great race. July 8, 2012. Only 217 days!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
December 1st
Hello my five followers & my newest follower from Bahrain! How cool is that? I really like that Blogger lists statistics & that I can find out where my audience lives! I looked up the weather in Bahrain today - 72 degrees. Aaahhh that's nice. It was 38 when I left for work this morning. I am sure it warmed up a bit, but today was the first day I pulled out a winter coat. Boo winter! Bring back summer.
I am anxiously waiting to hear if I got selected for the MS team for the NYC triathlon. I really hope that I do. I think that I should find out this week. Pick me! Pick me! I wonder how many people sign up for the charity slots? I think I did a pretty good job filling out the application & letting them know why I want to be picked for the team. I'm not just someone that didn't get picked for the lottery, I have a close friend with MS & I really want to raise money to find a cure. But if I don't get picked, I will find another race & still figure out a way to raise money for the MS society.
In other news, I haven't really been working out & it is beginning to show! I have to come up with a good plan & race schedule for 2012. Not that I am some huge athlete, but picking out races has become something I look forward to doing this time of year. & eating Christmas cookies, and eggnog & all the fun holiday treats!
I can't believe that it is already December 1st. 2011 has flown by. I'm excited to see what 2012 will bring! Hope you will continue to follow me!
I am anxiously waiting to hear if I got selected for the MS team for the NYC triathlon. I really hope that I do. I think that I should find out this week. Pick me! Pick me! I wonder how many people sign up for the charity slots? I think I did a pretty good job filling out the application & letting them know why I want to be picked for the team. I'm not just someone that didn't get picked for the lottery, I have a close friend with MS & I really want to raise money to find a cure. But if I don't get picked, I will find another race & still figure out a way to raise money for the MS society.
In other news, I haven't really been working out & it is beginning to show! I have to come up with a good plan & race schedule for 2012. Not that I am some huge athlete, but picking out races has become something I look forward to doing this time of year. & eating Christmas cookies, and eggnog & all the fun holiday treats!
I can't believe that it is already December 1st. 2011 has flown by. I'm excited to see what 2012 will bring! Hope you will continue to follow me!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Manasquan Turkey Trot
Yesterday was the Manasquan Turkey Trot. So much fun! I've never done this race, but have always wanted to. Again, I did it with my friends Katie & Mary Kate & it was a ton of fun. They are so silly those two, showing up on race day with a full face of bronzer & pearl earrings. Well don't let the pearl earrings fool you my friend, they are serious runners. Mary Kate finished 20 minutes before me. She is one Speedy Gonzales! & Katie finished 14 minutes before me. Maybe it was the bronzer. I'm going to have to start applying some before each & every race.
This race started with a cannon. Sheesh it scared the crap out of Katie & I. People were giggling at us. Whatever, it was noisy! Mary Kate was gone before we knew it & Katie graciously ran the first 1/2 mile with me before I told her not to wait on old me. They just finished the Savannah Rock & Roll Half Marathon last week, so I'm sure this measly 5 miles was a recovery run for them.
We had a great time & took tons of pictures. Here are a few from the event! Lets just say the fun part of this race is the after party. All of Manasquan is rocking! Next year though, we are dressing up as Pocahontases. Pocahontases with brozner.
This race started with a cannon. Sheesh it scared the crap out of Katie & I. People were giggling at us. Whatever, it was noisy! Mary Kate was gone before we knew it & Katie graciously ran the first 1/2 mile with me before I told her not to wait on old me. They just finished the Savannah Rock & Roll Half Marathon last week, so I'm sure this measly 5 miles was a recovery run for them.
We had a great time & took tons of pictures. Here are a few from the event! Lets just say the fun part of this race is the after party. All of Manasquan is rocking! Next year though, we are dressing up as Pocahontases. Pocahontases with brozner.
Post Trot - the pre Trot pic of me was horrendous
Two turkeys
Our finish line greeter! Slobbery finish kisses!
The bronzed beauties!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Zuccotti Park
As many of you know, from reading my blog over the past year or so, I rarely, if ever talk about anything political. For the most part, I've been boring you all with my lame workout schedules & 5k itineraries. That being said, I have to take a minute out of my silly workout blog to talk about something I saw last night.
I live in a pretty nice suburb of NYC. An outer suburb, but for the most part, many people I know work, eat, dine, shop or have some affiliation with the Big Apple. It's a great place, what's the saying - the town so nice, they named it twice? New York, New York for some of my oversea readers. So without being super long winded or sounding like a wing nut, I'd like to spout off on my dislike of all things #OWS (Occupy Wall Street).
We went to NYC last night to visit the World Trade Center Memorial. If you are ever in NYC, or are planning to go to NYC, please put this destination on your to do list. I'm glad that we made a night appointment. The lights & the waterfalls of the memorial are so peaceful. It was definitely a moving experience. But don't be surprised at the ongoing construction. Even at 8 pm last night the iron workers & construction guys are all hard at work rebuilding lower Manhattan. It's a 24/7 job.
My friend that I went to the memorial with, used to work in the North Tower of the WTC. It was her first visit back to the site in 10 years. I was glad we went together, as it was definitely something you should experience with someone else. When we got to the memorial (an hour late - thanks NYC traffic) you are scanned & asked to show your pass about 4 times. The security it tight & honestly, had it not been raining last night, I'm sure they would not have let us in. If you make an appointment, be on time. This is not a tourist attraction, it's a place of mourning & reflection & remembrance.
After entering the memorial, it's hard to picture the plaza as it once was. The 16 acre site doesn't seem so large. Not that I'm an expert on how big an acre should be, but I expected the footprints of the buildings to be much larger, perhaps because they towered so high over the NY skyline. The site was amazing. The lights & waterfalls of each tower were definitely something I will never forget. Each name is illuminated from below & is placed based on (work location, tower location, flight number, etc.). All of the first responders are listed in the South tower footprint. My friend, Gerard Dewan, is listed in the South tower, along with the rest of the members from Ladder 3. Below is his illuminated name.
After the memorial, we went out for a really nice dinner & then made the walk back to the car. This is where the night took a different turn. I'm not very familiar with all things Lower Manhattan, so I didn't realize until yesterday that Zuccotti Park, home of the Occupy Wall Street Movement was directly across from the visitor's center at the Memorial. & let me say that it's not a park in the sense that Central Park is a park, with open green areas & places to sit & reflect. It's a concrete island between two building with a few statues & maybe a tree or two. It was hard to discern given the 2,000 media vans & the large NYPD contingency.
As of yesterday, the protesters had been moved out of the park. Or I should say, their tents, bedding, camping equipment & other personal items had, many were still milling about. I guess after 2 months of occupying Zuccotti Park, everyone in NYC has had enough. I saw some people, mostly wandering around looking lost & confused. Well, it was raining & nasty out, there's really not much in this world I feel so strongly about that would make me sit on a slab of concrete for two months in all types of weather, but hey, everyone has their thing.
I shot the following video on the way back to the car. All I have to say is hats off to the NYPD because if I had to stand out in the cold rain & be subject to this nonsense all day, well lets just say my weapon would definitely be several bullets short of a full magazine. I hope you can hear the volume.
I hope everyone who has read this far actually knows that I'm not some right wing nutcase that doesn't believe in free speech & the right to go out in the world & let it all hang out. I totally am. Live & let live. But to sit in a park & disrupt people's lives for nothing more than some hairbrained idea, well, I don't think I will ever understand that. After I shot that video & the drunk "protester" aka, dirty 20 year old figured out fighting with the NYPD isn't the smartest thing to do, we started to walk back to our car. At this point we were stopped by a British reporter, asking us if we'd like to be interviewed. Honestly, the last thing I'd ever want to do is have my 2 second soundbite edited within an inch of its life, so I declined. My friend, however, did not.
After speaking with the reporter, it dawned on me that unless you go there & see what this is all about, you may never understand why people do & think some of the things they do. The reporter expressed shock that we did not agree with the OWS crowd. Really? I'm kinda shocked. I'd say about 90% of the people I know think that this movement is just a bunch of lazy kids with student loan debt that don't want to work. OK, that might be a bit narrow minded on my part, but it's how I feel.
One girl walked by & called us ignorant & screeched about how stupid we were & knew nothing about America. OK, I'm visiting the place where 3,000 Americans were killed, paying my respect with a friend that narrowly escaped the North Tower & celebrating her life with a lovely dinner afterward & you're sleeping in a park in the cold rain. OK, who's the ignorant one there? Maybe you don't agree with my politics, but that doesn't make me ignorant. I'm spurring on the economy of NYC by dining, shopping, parking & tipping local workers, you're draining it by camping out & forcing the city to pay 1,000s of hours of meaningless overtime. Yeah sister, I'm the stupid one.
Lets just say that after speaking to this reporter, whose first question to us after our interview was: Are you Jewish? I had had enough. Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, Atheist? Don't we all just want to live our lives? It's not about religion people. It's not about who has more or less than I do, it's about letting people go about their lives, to & from work, peacefully, without having an armed presence in lower Manhattan for the past two months. Peacefully assemble, don't disrupt & cost the city millions in overtime.
I for one hope that I haven't offended too many. I'm glad I saw what I did last night. I like being informed & in the know. I just wish that people had turned their cameras around from Zuccotti Park & focused on the Memorial, as that's where I believe the real suffering has occurred in NYC. So go to NYC, enjoy everything it has to offer, visit tourist attractions & the memorial site. Feel free to stand on a soap box & spout off about what you feel is important, but don't disrupt & cause mayhem. No one wants that.
Thanks for listening to my rant. Don't worry, next week I will be back to boring you with my lackluster workout schedule.
I live in a pretty nice suburb of NYC. An outer suburb, but for the most part, many people I know work, eat, dine, shop or have some affiliation with the Big Apple. It's a great place, what's the saying - the town so nice, they named it twice? New York, New York for some of my oversea readers. So without being super long winded or sounding like a wing nut, I'd like to spout off on my dislike of all things #OWS (Occupy Wall Street).
We went to NYC last night to visit the World Trade Center Memorial. If you are ever in NYC, or are planning to go to NYC, please put this destination on your to do list. I'm glad that we made a night appointment. The lights & the waterfalls of the memorial are so peaceful. It was definitely a moving experience. But don't be surprised at the ongoing construction. Even at 8 pm last night the iron workers & construction guys are all hard at work rebuilding lower Manhattan. It's a 24/7 job.
My friend that I went to the memorial with, used to work in the North Tower of the WTC. It was her first visit back to the site in 10 years. I was glad we went together, as it was definitely something you should experience with someone else. When we got to the memorial (an hour late - thanks NYC traffic) you are scanned & asked to show your pass about 4 times. The security it tight & honestly, had it not been raining last night, I'm sure they would not have let us in. If you make an appointment, be on time. This is not a tourist attraction, it's a place of mourning & reflection & remembrance.
After entering the memorial, it's hard to picture the plaza as it once was. The 16 acre site doesn't seem so large. Not that I'm an expert on how big an acre should be, but I expected the footprints of the buildings to be much larger, perhaps because they towered so high over the NY skyline. The site was amazing. The lights & waterfalls of each tower were definitely something I will never forget. Each name is illuminated from below & is placed based on (work location, tower location, flight number, etc.). All of the first responders are listed in the South tower footprint. My friend, Gerard Dewan, is listed in the South tower, along with the rest of the members from Ladder 3. Below is his illuminated name.
After the memorial, we went out for a really nice dinner & then made the walk back to the car. This is where the night took a different turn. I'm not very familiar with all things Lower Manhattan, so I didn't realize until yesterday that Zuccotti Park, home of the Occupy Wall Street Movement was directly across from the visitor's center at the Memorial. & let me say that it's not a park in the sense that Central Park is a park, with open green areas & places to sit & reflect. It's a concrete island between two building with a few statues & maybe a tree or two. It was hard to discern given the 2,000 media vans & the large NYPD contingency.
As of yesterday, the protesters had been moved out of the park. Or I should say, their tents, bedding, camping equipment & other personal items had, many were still milling about. I guess after 2 months of occupying Zuccotti Park, everyone in NYC has had enough. I saw some people, mostly wandering around looking lost & confused. Well, it was raining & nasty out, there's really not much in this world I feel so strongly about that would make me sit on a slab of concrete for two months in all types of weather, but hey, everyone has their thing.
I shot the following video on the way back to the car. All I have to say is hats off to the NYPD because if I had to stand out in the cold rain & be subject to this nonsense all day, well lets just say my weapon would definitely be several bullets short of a full magazine. I hope you can hear the volume.
I hope everyone who has read this far actually knows that I'm not some right wing nutcase that doesn't believe in free speech & the right to go out in the world & let it all hang out. I totally am. Live & let live. But to sit in a park & disrupt people's lives for nothing more than some hairbrained idea, well, I don't think I will ever understand that. After I shot that video & the drunk "protester" aka, dirty 20 year old figured out fighting with the NYPD isn't the smartest thing to do, we started to walk back to our car. At this point we were stopped by a British reporter, asking us if we'd like to be interviewed. Honestly, the last thing I'd ever want to do is have my 2 second soundbite edited within an inch of its life, so I declined. My friend, however, did not.
After speaking with the reporter, it dawned on me that unless you go there & see what this is all about, you may never understand why people do & think some of the things they do. The reporter expressed shock that we did not agree with the OWS crowd. Really? I'm kinda shocked. I'd say about 90% of the people I know think that this movement is just a bunch of lazy kids with student loan debt that don't want to work. OK, that might be a bit narrow minded on my part, but it's how I feel.
One girl walked by & called us ignorant & screeched about how stupid we were & knew nothing about America. OK, I'm visiting the place where 3,000 Americans were killed, paying my respect with a friend that narrowly escaped the North Tower & celebrating her life with a lovely dinner afterward & you're sleeping in a park in the cold rain. OK, who's the ignorant one there? Maybe you don't agree with my politics, but that doesn't make me ignorant. I'm spurring on the economy of NYC by dining, shopping, parking & tipping local workers, you're draining it by camping out & forcing the city to pay 1,000s of hours of meaningless overtime. Yeah sister, I'm the stupid one.
Lets just say that after speaking to this reporter, whose first question to us after our interview was: Are you Jewish? I had had enough. Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, Atheist? Don't we all just want to live our lives? It's not about religion people. It's not about who has more or less than I do, it's about letting people go about their lives, to & from work, peacefully, without having an armed presence in lower Manhattan for the past two months. Peacefully assemble, don't disrupt & cost the city millions in overtime.
I for one hope that I haven't offended too many. I'm glad I saw what I did last night. I like being informed & in the know. I just wish that people had turned their cameras around from Zuccotti Park & focused on the Memorial, as that's where I believe the real suffering has occurred in NYC. So go to NYC, enjoy everything it has to offer, visit tourist attractions & the memorial site. Feel free to stand on a soap box & spout off about what you feel is important, but don't disrupt & cause mayhem. No one wants that.
Thanks for listening to my rant. Don't worry, next week I will be back to boring you with my lackluster workout schedule.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
NYC Triathlon
First let me thank the Newport Bridge Run for giving me such a nice shout out on Twitter last night! That was nice & a bit exciting to notice that tweet this morning. I am really digging Twitter lately, sorry Facebook, but I'm finding it more interesting!
I found out yesterday that I did not get selected for the 2012 NYC Triathlon. I had a feeling that would happen, especially since I had been super lucky & got into Alcatraz. I didn't think I was going to be lucky twice in one month! But there are charity spots available & one is for the MS society.
As some of you may know, a dear friend was recently diagnosed with MS & I am hoping to get one of these charity spots so that I can raise money to help find a cure for this disease. Even if I don't get selected as one of the slots, I am still devoted to raising money for MS & will find another race. There's always another race. I will be posting the link for the MS society soon, whether I get in or not. So be on the lookout for it!
Lets all keep our fingers posted that I get in!
I found out yesterday that I did not get selected for the 2012 NYC Triathlon. I had a feeling that would happen, especially since I had been super lucky & got into Alcatraz. I didn't think I was going to be lucky twice in one month! But there are charity spots available & one is for the MS society.
As some of you may know, a dear friend was recently diagnosed with MS & I am hoping to get one of these charity spots so that I can raise money to help find a cure for this disease. Even if I don't get selected as one of the slots, I am still devoted to raising money for MS & will find another race. There's always another race. I will be posting the link for the MS society soon, whether I get in or not. So be on the lookout for it!
Lets all keep our fingers posted that I get in!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
New York City
It's all or nothing for NYC! I did not pay the $400 for the Alcatraz Triathlon this year. It was a tough decision, but I think I'm really up for NYC instead. It will be a easier race location & I think it will be a lot of fun. I entered the lottery yesterday & I am keeping my fingers crossed. I will know next week if I am in or not.
If I don't make it in to the lottery, I think I can sign up for one of the charity partner slots. I see that the MS Society has a spot & I will find out if I am eligible.
Otherwise, not much new has been happening with me. Pretty boring & I like to keep it that way! Looking forward to the Manasquan Turkey Trot in the next few weeks. I've never tried that race & I hear that there's a great after race party!
If I don't make it in to the lottery, I think I can sign up for one of the charity partner slots. I see that the MS Society has a spot & I will find out if I am eligible.
Otherwise, not much new has been happening with me. Pretty boring & I like to keep it that way! Looking forward to the Manasquan Turkey Trot in the next few weeks. I've never tried that race & I hear that there's a great after race party!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Sveiki & Guten Tag!
Over the past two years that I have been blogging I have noticed that Google keeps tweaking Blogger. A few weeks ago I realized that you can now see where your follows live! How cool is that? I have followers in Latvia & Germany! Hello from the US & thanks for following me!
I am guessing many people have come across my blog through Postcrossing and/or my Ravelry site. I always wonder what people think about my blog, so if you have the chance, leave a comment or send me an email. I did receive an email the other day from a reader & that was pretty cool.
I don't have much planned today & I will not bore you with the details of my uneventful run last night. Tonight I am going to a Chan Luu jewelry trunk show at Soapmarket www.soapmarketonline.com in Red Bank & then tomorrow to Jon Bon Jovi's Soul Kitchen in Red Bank http://www.jbjsoulkitchen.org/ . If you get the chance, I suggest you check them both out! Might be a little hard for my European followers, but you can always checkout their websites!
Have a great day!
I am guessing many people have come across my blog through Postcrossing and/or my Ravelry site. I always wonder what people think about my blog, so if you have the chance, leave a comment or send me an email. I did receive an email the other day from a reader & that was pretty cool.
I don't have much planned today & I will not bore you with the details of my uneventful run last night. Tonight I am going to a Chan Luu jewelry trunk show at Soapmarket www.soapmarketonline.com in Red Bank & then tomorrow to Jon Bon Jovi's Soul Kitchen in Red Bank http://www.jbjsoulkitchen.org/ . If you get the chance, I suggest you check them both out! Might be a little hard for my European followers, but you can always checkout their websites!
Have a great day!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Citizens Bridge Run - Newport, RI
A new run! I think I am digging these shorter runs, they don't take that much out of me.
In two weeks I'm going to Rhode Island for the Citizen's Bridge Inaugural Run. How fun does that sound? OK, maybe the visiting Newport, RI part, not the running part. Rhode Island is so nice & I can't wait to go back. I haven't been there in years! Not sure where we will be staying yet, but I have gotten a ton of great suggestions from everyone. Who knew all my friends have a favorite Newport spot? I sure didn't until yesterday!
There are so many things I have to cram into this weekend. Not sure I will get it all done, but one thing is for sure, I will be making the run across this bridge. Looks kinda high, doesn't it?
I promise my blogs will be more entertaining as we move closer to Christmas. I know I haven't been blogging as much as I used to & I hope to remedy that! If anyone is actually out there reading this! :)
In two weeks I'm going to Rhode Island for the Citizen's Bridge Inaugural Run. How fun does that sound? OK, maybe the visiting Newport, RI part, not the running part. Rhode Island is so nice & I can't wait to go back. I haven't been there in years! Not sure where we will be staying yet, but I have gotten a ton of great suggestions from everyone. Who knew all my friends have a favorite Newport spot? I sure didn't until yesterday!
There are so many things I have to cram into this weekend. Not sure I will get it all done, but one thing is for sure, I will be making the run across this bridge. Looks kinda high, doesn't it?
I promise my blogs will be more entertaining as we move closer to Christmas. I know I haven't been blogging as much as I used to & I hope to remedy that! If anyone is actually out there reading this! :)
Friday, October 14, 2011
NYC v. SF
What to do? New York or San Francisco?
I'm taking a gamble here. The New York City triathlon lottery does not open until November 1st. I have to register for Alcatraz by October 28th. There is no guarantee that I will get in to the NYC race, but I already hold a spot in the lottery for Alcatraz.
I'm taking a gamble here. The New York City triathlon lottery does not open until November 1st. I have to register for Alcatraz by October 28th. There is no guarantee that I will get in to the NYC race, but I already hold a spot in the lottery for Alcatraz.
Should I do the "hometown" city race? Or go back to Cali? So many decisions. Have any comments, let me know! Stay tuned!
Hudson River?
San Francisco Bay?
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Escape - Round Two
As an early birthday present I opened my email yesterday & found the "Congratulations" email from the race director for the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon. What to do? What to do? I was shocked last year that I got in. This year, I'm not sure what to do.
Last year it was totally overwhelming to me to think that I would fly out to California to swim with the sharks in the San Francisco Bay. Now I'm wondering, should I do it again?
I am 75/25. That's a weird percentage, right? Most people are usually 50/50 about doing things. My only apprehension is the cost. $400 for the race & about $2,000 for the week trip to California. & to be honest, the weather in San Francisco is awful! Nothing like getting on the plane in Newark where the weather is 97 with 90% humidity to 60 degrees & well, clammy! How do people do it? It's a great place to visit, if you don't mind being damp all the time.
The main reason I want to go back is to beat my lame ass time from last year. No mishaps, no lost sneakers & no broken bike chain. That should take at least 45 minutes off my 2011 time.
If you have any thoughts or comments on whether or not I should go back to SF, please share them! I need help making up my mind this year!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
New Look!
OK, every few months I play around with the layout of my blog. I don't know why, but I think it's important to change up the look now and again. I hope you like this look, courtesy of blogger. I picked the first option they had, so much for originality! If you click on the title, I believe that this post will expand to a new window - try it!)
Lately I've been trying to run outdoors as much as possible. I've even abandoned the iPod. Shocking, I know. I was getting so tired of the ill fitting earbuds falling out all of the time. Either I have the smallest ears known to man, or by God those things are made for robots. They do not fit! & many times, like at the gym, if I move my arm in the wrong direction I yank them out. Ouch! A few weeks ago I decided to go without them & viola! a new running experience ensued!
Granted, I have nothing to keep me occupied now, except my thoughts, but for now.......it's ok! I seem to be getting by just fine without them. & honestly, my selection of music is so bad....it's hard to even listen to it any longer!
Last night I decided I could get in a run before it started to rain. Not sure if it even did rain, but it was misty the entire time. I prefer to run in weather like that - not too hot, not too cold & the mist keeps you cool, maybe even hydrated! (doubtful). It was funny though, as I was walking I saw a friend that asked if I was running. Guess he was trying to tell me something! I ran into Little Silver & realized that my old hometown is severely lacking in street lights! Woah I forgot how dark, quiet & sleepy Little Silver was at night! By them time I got to my mom's I decided that the 3 mile run back to my house (mostly without sidewalks) would not be happening. My poor mom, I'm sure she wasn't expecting a knock on her door asking for a ride home! But who knew it would get dark so quickly? Or maybe I am just slow. Or maybe....summer is finally over. Boo!
Hope you enjoy this new layout!
Lately I've been trying to run outdoors as much as possible. I've even abandoned the iPod. Shocking, I know. I was getting so tired of the ill fitting earbuds falling out all of the time. Either I have the smallest ears known to man, or by God those things are made for robots. They do not fit! & many times, like at the gym, if I move my arm in the wrong direction I yank them out. Ouch! A few weeks ago I decided to go without them & viola! a new running experience ensued!
Granted, I have nothing to keep me occupied now, except my thoughts, but for now.......it's ok! I seem to be getting by just fine without them. & honestly, my selection of music is so bad....it's hard to even listen to it any longer!
Last night I decided I could get in a run before it started to rain. Not sure if it even did rain, but it was misty the entire time. I prefer to run in weather like that - not too hot, not too cold & the mist keeps you cool, maybe even hydrated! (doubtful). It was funny though, as I was walking I saw a friend that asked if I was running. Guess he was trying to tell me something! I ran into Little Silver & realized that my old hometown is severely lacking in street lights! Woah I forgot how dark, quiet & sleepy Little Silver was at night! By them time I got to my mom's I decided that the 3 mile run back to my house (mostly without sidewalks) would not be happening. My poor mom, I'm sure she wasn't expecting a knock on her door asking for a ride home! But who knew it would get dark so quickly? Or maybe I am just slow. Or maybe....summer is finally over. Boo!
Hope you enjoy this new layout!
Friday, September 23, 2011
2011 Tunnel to Towers Run
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the WTC attacks & the Stephen Siller Run. This is the third year I will be running this 5k & it is for a great cause. They have raised millions of dollars, if you can donate, any amount will be appreciated.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
September 1st
Ah the end of summer. How awful! As much as I look forward to fun fall activities, I am always a bit sad when summer comes to an end. & this summer certainly is going out with a bang! An East Coast earthquake & a hurricane.
Now we get large storms here in NJ every year, some worse than others, but we don't usually get a direct hit from a hurricane. I do feel for the people in Vermont, as it seems they were completely blindsided, but overall we here in my section of New Jersey came out of it ok. A few family members were without power & were evacuated, but honestly could have made it through the storm without leaving home, but we are all ok & that's what matters.
So now starts September & a new season, Fall! I slacked off A LOT since I came home from San Francisco & my so-so finish at Alcatraz. Today is the first day of the lottery for next year & although I have no idea if I may be selected again next year, I filled out the form & hit send this morning when the lottery opened. We shall see what happens.
I started running again this week & actually have a plan in place for the next few weeks. Although my bike is still in pieces in the box! I should really get that put back together again. I really don't know why I am waiting to do that. The sad part of all of this is that even though I sat down & thought out a running plan, my favorite place to run, the Spring Lake Boardwalk, was almost entirely destroyed by Hurricane Irene.
Now we get large storms here in NJ every year, some worse than others, but we don't usually get a direct hit from a hurricane. I do feel for the people in Vermont, as it seems they were completely blindsided, but overall we here in my section of New Jersey came out of it ok. A few family members were without power & were evacuated, but honestly could have made it through the storm without leaving home, but we are all ok & that's what matters.
So now starts September & a new season, Fall! I slacked off A LOT since I came home from San Francisco & my so-so finish at Alcatraz. Today is the first day of the lottery for next year & although I have no idea if I may be selected again next year, I filled out the form & hit send this morning when the lottery opened. We shall see what happens.
I started running again this week & actually have a plan in place for the next few weeks. Although my bike is still in pieces in the box! I should really get that put back together again. I really don't know why I am waiting to do that. The sad part of all of this is that even though I sat down & thought out a running plan, my favorite place to run, the Spring Lake Boardwalk, was almost entirely destroyed by Hurricane Irene.
It's going to be a bit hard to run on this mess. Lets home FEMA comes through for Monmouth County & we have a new boardwalk in place soon! Fingers crossed! Here's to a great Fall.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Fishing
What do you do on a beautiful summer day in July? Go fishing (after the gym of course)! We went out fishing in Atlantic Highlands today in the Sandy Hook & Lower NY Bay. What a great day for fishing. Check out what we caught!
This was just 1" short of being a keeper! Damn! I caught 5 fish & a sea robin. I don't care about keepers though, as I don't like to eat fish. All fish tastes like fish sticks to me anyway. I just like to feel the nibble on my hook. My fish sandwich bait always works too. But wait, what's this?
Oh just the bumper to a turquoise Ford Taurus. Hey, we were fishing in NJ, & dangerously close to Staten Island. But, here's some hope for the environment.......lots of cranes, hanging out on this channel marker.
Pretty cool to see that we have wildlife in New Jersey! & wait, look over towards NYC!
A fun cruise ship!
Oh & here's my other big catch, a mussel.
And speaking of mussels (muscles), it's time to get back to the grind. Everyone on the boat saw my jelly belly today & although I didn't look like a huge whale, it's time to get crackin! Tomorrow I'm back to try for my 5-6 mile run in Spring Lake. Hope you loved my fishing trip picks. Only in NJ can you see the sights we saw today!
THE END.
Friday, June 24, 2011
NYC Swim
Check this out. http://www.nycswim.org/ Swimming around the Statue of Liberty? Swim around Manhattan. OK, so I'm not Kramer, but I think this is a pretty cool group & they have some awesome races. I volunteered last night helping out for the Liberty Island Swim today. I hope they got the swim in, we had some bad thunderstorms tonight.
I'm hoping to register for the Governor's Island Swim. I think it's about 2 miles & then the Liberty Island Swim next year. Gonna have to put a lot of time in in the pool. Enjoy!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Taking a Break
Home from San Francisco for two weeks now & I have been taking a bit of a break. I did want to start swimming more this week, especially since the outdoor pool at the gym is open now.
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Monday night I was psyched to hear that the pool was open later in the evenings, so I headed over there for a swim. Bad move. I left my stupid earplug at home & now, 3 days later & a trip to the ENT, I have a terrible clogged ear. So annoying!
I've decided to take the rest the month off (just one measly week) & rest a bit & start training for the Jersey Shore Half Marathon at Sandy Hook this October. Wait, that's a pretty lousy birthday gift to myself, training for a Half Marathon! Duh!
Here's the link to the run course http://jerseyshorehalfmarathon.com/images/JSHM%20Course.pdf
I've got my running plan all ready to go & I think three months will be (hopefully) enough training time for me. We shall see. After my super shitty run at the George Sheehan 5 Miler this weekend (still under an hour, but dammit I want to break 50 minutes!) I hope that I will make it.
In other news I don't have too many races planned this summer. A few of my friends did sign up for the Belmar 5 in three weeks. Please don't let it be as hot as it was in Red Bank last weekend. Sheesh, cut a girl a break already!
Tonight I am off to volunteer for the Liberty Island Swim Race. A race that I am totally signing up for next year. You get to swim around the Statue of Liberty, yeah I know insert your own "Kramer swimming in the East River joke" here. But come on? How many people can say they've swum around Lady Liberty? Not too many! http://www.nycswim.org/Event/Event.aspx?Event_ID=2104#
Monday night I was psyched to hear that the pool was open later in the evenings, so I headed over there for a swim. Bad move. I left my stupid earplug at home & now, 3 days later & a trip to the ENT, I have a terrible clogged ear. So annoying!
I've decided to take the rest the month off (just one measly week) & rest a bit & start training for the Jersey Shore Half Marathon at Sandy Hook this October. Wait, that's a pretty lousy birthday gift to myself, training for a Half Marathon! Duh!
Here's the link to the run course http://jerseyshorehalfmarathon.com/images/JSHM%20Course.pdf
I've got my running plan all ready to go & I think three months will be (hopefully) enough training time for me. We shall see. After my super shitty run at the George Sheehan 5 Miler this weekend (still under an hour, but dammit I want to break 50 minutes!) I hope that I will make it.
In other news I don't have too many races planned this summer. A few of my friends did sign up for the Belmar 5 in three weeks. Please don't let it be as hot as it was in Red Bank last weekend. Sheesh, cut a girl a break already!
Tonight I am off to volunteer for the Liberty Island Swim Race. A race that I am totally signing up for next year. You get to swim around the Statue of Liberty, yeah I know insert your own "Kramer swimming in the East River joke" here. But come on? How many people can say they've swum around Lady Liberty? Not too many! http://www.nycswim.org/Event/Event.aspx?Event_ID=2104#
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
The Run
Let me start by saying that the "run" was really an 8 mile obstacle course disguised as a run. To be fair, the first two & last two miles were flat & on gravel/pavement. The 4 miles in between were anything but.
I ran through what seemed to be an old Army or Navy fort/barracks, through a small tunnel up some stairs, up a hill & then along a dirt path along the cliffside road. The cliff was probably about 100-200 feet to the bottom with some great views of the Pacific Ocean.
I guess I didn't realize that part of the run would be along the beach. Beach running is not my favorite & honestly, I suck at it. & that is unfortunate because I am lucky enough to live close enough to the beach to practice running along the beach. Oh well, live & learn. After my mile run on the beach....this is what I had to look forward to....the sand ladder.
I ran through what seemed to be an old Army or Navy fort/barracks, through a small tunnel up some stairs, up a hill & then along a dirt path along the cliffside road. The cliff was probably about 100-200 feet to the bottom with some great views of the Pacific Ocean.
I guess I didn't realize that part of the run would be along the beach. Beach running is not my favorite & honestly, I suck at it. & that is unfortunate because I am lucky enough to live close enough to the beach to practice running along the beach. Oh well, live & learn. After my mile run on the beach....this is what I had to look forward to....the sand ladder.
Not the easiest thing I have ever done, but I made it. I think it's 453 steps from the beach back up to the dirt path along the roadway. This was right after the turn around spot at mile 4. After this, I knew that I would make it. It wasn't my best day, but I knew I could finish it. & here's the proof!
Course map. A little blurry, but you get the idea.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The Bike
Ah the bike. Where to start? Perhaps I will start with the fact that I didn't have sneakers to run to the bike transition area after I finished the swim. This was annoying & made me lose so much time. It was my own fault, I was given some bad info & I should have paid better attention, but I didn't. Learning curve.
By the time I had gotten out of the water & on to the bike probably a few hundred people had passed me. I couldn't run, my feet would have been torn to shreds from the pavement & gravel, so I just sucked it up & walked. As I was heading out for the bike portion I see Andy Potts, probably one of the best, if not the best triathlete in the world heading back in to go out for his run. Can you say humbling? I mean this guy just finished an 18 mile bike ride in the time it took me to change out of my wetsuit & get to the bike transition area. Not really a big deal though.
As I headed out wondering what the hills of San Francisco would be like, I felt ok. I was wet & slimy, but feeling good. That didn't last too long. I have to say, I probably could have used some more bike training, but Good Lord there are some humongous hills in California. It was a tough ride & I was doing ok, it made me feel a bit better to see others struggling along with me, but not so good to see another biker crash on part of the windier part of the course. Parts of the bike & an ambulance were right in the middle of the street. Gulp. Please please please let me stay on the bike. I have a fear of broken collar bones & missing teeth. As I made my way out to the Great Highway along the Pacific Ocean I came down this ridiculously huge hill. I was grabbing the brakes as hard as I could. It was scary & then I had another awful thought, I am going to have to come back up this hill. GREAT.
I was doing ok at this point, keeping up with a few people & getting to the turn around point. Then, as I was headed up a decent sized hill, & trying to change gears, my bike chain falls off. I was about ready to call it quits at this point. I have no idea why either because it had just fallen off, it hadn't broken. Now I'm off the bike, staring intently at my chain. I am reluctant to touch it, why you ask? Well, it's dirty & I don't like being dirty. But then I had to laugh because here I am, almost 2 hours into the race, sweaty, wet & covered in algae from the bay & I am afraid to touch a greasy bike chain. Duh. After 5 minutes & trying to find something besides my clothing to wipe my hands on, I opt for my hair & I was back in action. What? A little bike chain grease is good for the hair, right? Better than my new running pants.
At this point, I am starting to think about the run, wondering what it will be like, how long 8 miles will take me, when I reach the dreaded hill. About 10 people were also on this hill at this point & not a single one was on the bike. When in Rome.....& I am sad to say I walked my bike up that hill. It was impossible to stay on the bike for me, so I made the best of it. After this hill, I knew I only had about 5 miles left to go, I was starting to see people on the running course & I knew I was almost back to the transition area.
There weren't many major mishaps after this as far as the bike was concerned, but I was a bit disappointed in myself at this point because I definitely had not trained for such huge hills. As I pulled back in & racked up my bike, I grabbed a quick drink & was off & running! Kinda. :)
By the time I had gotten out of the water & on to the bike probably a few hundred people had passed me. I couldn't run, my feet would have been torn to shreds from the pavement & gravel, so I just sucked it up & walked. As I was heading out for the bike portion I see Andy Potts, probably one of the best, if not the best triathlete in the world heading back in to go out for his run. Can you say humbling? I mean this guy just finished an 18 mile bike ride in the time it took me to change out of my wetsuit & get to the bike transition area. Not really a big deal though.
As I headed out wondering what the hills of San Francisco would be like, I felt ok. I was wet & slimy, but feeling good. That didn't last too long. I have to say, I probably could have used some more bike training, but Good Lord there are some humongous hills in California. It was a tough ride & I was doing ok, it made me feel a bit better to see others struggling along with me, but not so good to see another biker crash on part of the windier part of the course. Parts of the bike & an ambulance were right in the middle of the street. Gulp. Please please please let me stay on the bike. I have a fear of broken collar bones & missing teeth. As I made my way out to the Great Highway along the Pacific Ocean I came down this ridiculously huge hill. I was grabbing the brakes as hard as I could. It was scary & then I had another awful thought, I am going to have to come back up this hill. GREAT.
I was doing ok at this point, keeping up with a few people & getting to the turn around point. Then, as I was headed up a decent sized hill, & trying to change gears, my bike chain falls off. I was about ready to call it quits at this point. I have no idea why either because it had just fallen off, it hadn't broken. Now I'm off the bike, staring intently at my chain. I am reluctant to touch it, why you ask? Well, it's dirty & I don't like being dirty. But then I had to laugh because here I am, almost 2 hours into the race, sweaty, wet & covered in algae from the bay & I am afraid to touch a greasy bike chain. Duh. After 5 minutes & trying to find something besides my clothing to wipe my hands on, I opt for my hair & I was back in action. What? A little bike chain grease is good for the hair, right? Better than my new running pants.
At this point, I am starting to think about the run, wondering what it will be like, how long 8 miles will take me, when I reach the dreaded hill. About 10 people were also on this hill at this point & not a single one was on the bike. When in Rome.....& I am sad to say I walked my bike up that hill. It was impossible to stay on the bike for me, so I made the best of it. After this hill, I knew I only had about 5 miles left to go, I was starting to see people on the running course & I knew I was almost back to the transition area.
There weren't many major mishaps after this as far as the bike was concerned, but I was a bit disappointed in myself at this point because I definitely had not trained for such huge hills. As I pulled back in & racked up my bike, I grabbed a quick drink & was off & running! Kinda. :)
Friday, June 10, 2011
The Alcatraz Swim
Whoosh! I was in the bay. Holy shit I thought, I'm underwater. Normally when you start a swim, you do a few dolphin dives & you're off, but when you drop 10 feet into the bay from a moving boat, gravity tends to pull you down. Who knew? Duh.
One of the things I did notice, was the armada of kayaks & wait, what's that, a Coast Guard Cutter? Uh oh, why would we need that?
So now I'm underwater & praying that someone doesn't jump in on top of me. As soon as I hit the water, the cold hit me, but it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. I thought it would be like ice cubes, like when you stick your toe in the ocean on the first 90 degree day in June when the water is still 50 degrees. The wetsuit definitely helped, but I wear a sleeveless wetsuit, so my arms were more exposed than others. I was ok though, the main thing now was to swim!
One of the things I did notice, was the armada of kayaks & wait, what's that, a Coast Guard Cutter? Uh oh, why would we need that?
Coast Guard
View of the swim finish & Golden Gate Bridge
The bay, which looks clean from far away, is a strange phosphorescent green color. Earlier in the week, someone told me to make sure to wipe my face when I exited the water otherwise I'd have bay beard. Bay beard? What the hell is that? Ick. As I started across the bay, I remembered the one piece of advice that I heard from others on the boat - aim for the radio tower.
The radio tower, high on the hill in San Francisco, was probably the easiest thing to site from the water, which is very helpful as my land sighting skills, well, they suck. I knew where the swim finish was located, I could see certain large buildings & landmarks, but the big challenge was to keep swimming straight when you really think you want to swim to the right. The good thing is that as long as you keep swimming, the current keeps you moving.
One of the main things I remember reading in the Escape newsletters was to watch for the kayaks. If you could see them to your left, you were too far left, see them to your right, too far right. I did prefer to be to the left, but seemed to find myself in the middle the entire time. Being to the left meant I wouldn't be dangerously close to the bridge. Middle, however = good. Middle = not being swept under the Golden Gate.
Usually, in a triathlon, there are so many swimmers in the water, you're usually getting kicked & slapped while swimming. In the bay though, there seemed to be plenty of room. I didn't think about the sharks, or the sea lions, but I did get some seaweed in the face, bleck! & it was easy to stop & float & site certain landmarks & check my watch. At one point I had followed behind a guy for a few minutes, then he seemed to veer off a bit to the front of me. This is when I saw my blogger friend Perry floating around with his video camera (in all honesty, it wasn't until after I saw the video that I knew it was him) I originally thought - who is this nut just floating around out here? Watch the video from my earlier post, it's an amazing view!
A few strokes later & I feel someone on my feet. I stop & look over my shoulder, hoping to give way to a fellow swimmer, when I realize that I am alone & no one is behind me. No one is on either side of me either. EEEEEEKKK! What the hell was that I think to myself?!?! I don't even want to know - I put my head down & swim as fast as I can towards the swimmer in front of me. There's safety in numbers & clearly something had brushed over my feet.
The last 1/2 mile of the swim was tough. I could see the yellow buoys ahead of me, but no matter how hard I swam, they weren't getting closer. Shit, this is the finish, I thought, I just want to get this over. I look up & notice, wow, the Golden Gate is a lot closer than I thought & that is when I see the beach, to the right of the swim exit & about 100 swimmers opting for this exit. That's my plan! As I swam over to the beach I kept trying to stand up, nope too deep, still too deep, then finally - I could stand - swim over!!!! I've never been so relieved. As I got out & ran along the beach, I found the exit ramp & made my way up the stairs. Here's a pic of me at the finish - gross huh? Luckily the camera didn't get the pic of me with my Bay Beard, as I was covered in a nice brown algae from head to toe. Gross!!!!
Little did I know that this part of the race would be the easiest of them all. Stay tuned for the crazy bike portion!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon or BUST!: My Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon Swim Video
My blogger friend Perry videotaped the swim. He's hysterical! If you watch, you can see me at 2:15 holding on to the window. I'm in the green bathing cap wearing the sleeveless wetsuit.
I Escaped!
It's over & I can finally say I escaped from the rock! Wow, what a journey it has been & I can tell you it was the hardest race I have ever done. I don't know where to begin & I hope I don't bore everyone with too many details, so lets start off with some pictures. Here's the view of Alcatraz from Fisherman's Warf.
The first full day we were in San Francisco, I got up at 5:00 (8:00 NY time) & went out for a run. It was a good 4.5 mile run & I was really glad that I did it because during my run I discovered the transition area for the race. It wasn't very far from our hotel & it made me a bit more at ease to actually see the San Francisco Bay & realize that I knew I could swim across it without any problems. I went down to the water & stuck my hand in & thought, it's not that cold! Swimming in the Navesink must have paid off because I was no longer afraid of being swept out to sea.
The morning of the race I gathered up most of my stuff & made the ride over to the start. It was a bit confusing, as I had missed the pre-race meeting the day before due to the terrible downpours. I was just going to have to make the best of it. Apparently, this was a mistake.
My goal was to finish the race, but in the back of my head I really wanted to finish in less than 4 hours. I think I should have stuck with my one & only goal of finishing, but we'll get to that later. As I get ready to get on the boat, Mike snapped a quick picture of me in the transition area.
Here's a picture of me the day before the race. We decided to take the tour & get a bird's eye view of the swim course from the ferry.
Guess this is what you would see every day if you were incarcerated. But if I had to look at this every day, I would have definitely made a break for it! It wasn't that far!
Another view. Come on, you could definitely swim across!
But wait, this does seem to be a major shipping channel & that is a pretty big freighter.
But I knew that even though there were sea lions, sharks & jellyfish in the water, people have been swimming this race for 31 years. That's a long time. & last week I read about a 10 year old boy that made the swim. 10! I'm wasn't going to be outdone by a 10 year old.
The first full day we were in San Francisco, I got up at 5:00 (8:00 NY time) & went out for a run. It was a good 4.5 mile run & I was really glad that I did it because during my run I discovered the transition area for the race. It wasn't very far from our hotel & it made me a bit more at ease to actually see the San Francisco Bay & realize that I knew I could swim across it without any problems. I went down to the water & stuck my hand in & thought, it's not that cold! Swimming in the Navesink must have paid off because I was no longer afraid of being swept out to sea.
The morning of the race I gathered up most of my stuff & made the ride over to the start. It was a bit confusing, as I had missed the pre-race meeting the day before due to the terrible downpours. I was just going to have to make the best of it. Apparently, this was a mistake.
My goal was to finish the race, but in the back of my head I really wanted to finish in less than 4 hours. I think I should have stuck with my one & only goal of finishing, but we'll get to that later. As I get ready to get on the boat, Mike snapped a quick picture of me in the transition area.
For some reason I brought 2 pairs of sneakers with me. Normally I don't do this, but it was the best thing I have ever done. If I hadn't, I would have never finished the race. As I got ready to get on the bus to get to the boat, I was standing with my wetsuit, goggles & my race cap in one hand. In the other, was my transition bag, that was supposed to be ready for me at the end of the swim. Due to bad info from someone collecting bags, I was told it would be ok to take it with me on the bus. This was a huge mistake, which I wouldn't figure out until I got out of the water.
Boarding the bus, I started to really get nervous. It was about a 10 minute ride to the pier & then 2,200 people were loaded on to the boat. Everything after that seemed like a big blur. I was sent downstairs (in the under 40 group) to start the race. People wearing wetsuits & funny colored bathing caps were everywhere, all getting ready to start. As we approached Alcatraz, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Not only did I look miserable, I looked really scared. & no matter how much I tried to smile, I just couldn't. But then I met a girl from Iowa that told me it would be a snap & something inside just clicked. Suddenly there was an announcement, 1 minute to the start. Uh oh. Here we go.
My big fear is that I wouldn't be able to jump off the boat. It wasn't a little jump either. Most of the pros dove in, show offs, but as the rest of the swimmers went in, they just basically jumped in. As I got closer to the door, I knew it was time to get in the water. Believe it or not.....jumping in was so easy. It's just like what my mother always used to say - if all your friends jumped off a bridge would you? Yes, absolutely mom! & that was it, I had plunged into the San Francisco bay along with over 2,000 escapees.
Read all about the swim, with more pics tomorrow!!!!!
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