A swim in the ocean!

Well, last weekend was eventful as far as training is concerned.

On Friday, Oslo the dog and I went on a 4 mile brisk walk on the beach. My purpose was to time the walk which worked out to one hour 11 minutes. Not bad for a walk. You see, in August I have committed to participating in a sprint triathlon and the last portion includes a 4 mile run. Since it is the last activity of the sprint, I don't anticipate a run, rather a stroll! So knowing I can at least walk it in about an hour is encouraging.  After our walk, Oslo and I just rested.

On Saturday we, the dog and I, were joined by my husband. So that meant exercise a lot. The day started with a 14 mile bike ride followed by my first foray into the ocean using a swim wetsuit.  Oh, my, goodness!  What an experience. First, I don't mind swimming but the ocean is a bit cold. So the wetsuit was a good idea...but... I could have used a bigger one. It fit and was snug and I was a little worried that I couldn't move in the water but my husband ever the optimist said don't worry it will stretch some in the water.  Ha ha.....

Made it to the beach, got my cap and goggles on and went out into the Pacific. So far so good. After getting acclimated I tried to swim. Bad idea. I couldn't move my arms to swim. It felt like my arms were tethered to my torso and every time I lifted my arm to swim it pulled back just as hard. Needless to say I was getting nowhere fast and getting winded and very tired. I must say I panicked a little. So, there I was in the water, no walls or bottom to touch, can't move my arms and listening to my dear husband say, keep going, don't give up, you're awesome! How cute.   All that was going through my head was swim to shore, give up now while you have a chance and yes I am awesome.  But, I kept going. Slow and on my back most of the time since I couldn't crawl very well. I don't know how far we swam  or how long it took but I was spent afterward.
Not ignoring the dog we took him for about a mile walk after a nice warm shower and change of clothes.


It was exciting at the beach though. After we got out of the water there must have been a huge influx of fish. There were thousands of birds just feeding close to the shore. Looked like a scene from the movie The Birds!  Very neat to watch. Even the sea lions were out snacking away.

The day was a good one. (Yes, I do complain but it helps me get through it).



Thousands of birds feeding right off shore!



Sunday on the other hand was not too bad. The four of us who will be participating in the Fitness Faceoff went for our respective rides in the morning. Don and his riding buddy left for the 55 mile route and I and my buddy went on our 21-23 mile ride.  We did pretty well, about 1 hour and 50 minutes counting stop signs, stop lights and traffic. So I think we are ready for the ride this coming Sunday. I actually can't wait. I will get my first race bib!!! I think I'll frame it. Don did the long route in about four hours! Can you believe it, I am so proud of him.

Well, less than a week to the Faceoff and Team Twinkle Toes are ready. Didn't make my fundraising goal, but we did have some very special people contribute generously. Thank you everyone!!!!!

My next adventure is white water rafting the Middle Fork of the American River in California. Plan on doing that in a few weeks. I am SO excited. And, after that the triathlon in August. That is scaring me a bit.  

Until next week, stay healthy and exercise often!!! (Oh, I did send the wetsuit back for a bigger one!!)

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads out there.  My husband and I enjoyed the day with a nice bike ride.
We rode 27 miles today, taking 2 hours and 25 minutes with a climb of 1750 feet.

Our ride took us from the beach, inland and back again. On our journey we stopped by Flora Vista Inn, a quaint, historic home on San Andreas Road in La Selva Beach.  A short detour but it let us visit with our friends who own this beautiful B&B.  Their home sits on a slight bluff above rows and rows of flower and strawberry fields. Truly beautiful and restful.

If you ever find time to stay at a B&B, check this one out.

From Flora Vista Inn we traveled south down San Andreas Road to make our way to Watsonville.
We rode past strawberry fields and orchards, mile after mile. It was a bit gusty with the wind blowing from the ocean and as it blew over the strawberry fields the air was filled with the aroma of strawberries.  It was as if someone was spraying strawberry perfume! Made the ride very enjoyable.

Riding through Watsonville you pass familiar names such as Dole, Martinelli and Giant. Each of these big companies provide fruit to California and points beyond. Along with the large companies you have smaller growers providing crops for these larger companies. The next time you bite into a sweet strawberry, check the origin. All of the good ones are grown in Watsonville! Same with sparkling cider. The valley is loaded with apple trees and not only are they used for baking and snacking but for that delicious cider too.

Our ride was fun today. We were going to swim after our ride but warm shower and dinner won over the swimming.
The Sharks Fitness Faceoff is in 2 short weeks. I am pretty confident that I can ride the 23 miles without much difficulty. Since it is not a real race, times won't be tracked. But, I hope to ride a decent pace and finish without getting too tired.
Until next week... have fun exercising!

Getting better at the Bicycle!

Not much to reveal about last weeks training. I did manage to keep up with daily activities and on Thursday got my Yoga workout followed by a nice swim. I swam 500 yards. Wasn't as difficult as the week prior but still finding it hard to breathe. I actually felt like Zoolander at times.... seems that I can't breathe left.  I was told that swimming in the ocean it is a good idea to swim taking breaths on both the right and left side to avoid swallowing a wave. So, I tried practicing in the pool and choked! Followed by panic. So I just resigned myself to the fact that I am a one way breather.

I shared this with my daughter who teaches swim and I found out that I may be swimming incorrectly. Seems that I have been turning my head when in fact I should be turning my body. So, next swim I have to try a different approach. Wish me luck.

Saturday was another nice ride. We rode the 23 mile Fitness Faceoff route and cut off 3 minutes from our time. Plus, I wasn't as tired which must mean something good. My husband rode the 55 mile route on Sunday. Was about a 4000ft climb!! Took him just over 4 hours which I believe is phenomenal. I can't really see me doing that distance if it includes climbs.

Waiting for my swim wet suit for the ocean training. My goal for this summer is to complete the Sandman Sprint Triathlon in Aptos in August.

Until next week, eat well and have fun exercising.

Training Continues

Last weekend, Memorial Day weekend, found us in Texas. We had a great time visiting family. Also had an opportunity to experience the President George W. Bush Library in Dallas. If you find yourself in Dallas please take time to stop by. It is really very interesting. Interactive displays, beams from the twin towers on 9-11 and even a replica of the oval office. I found the exhibits to be honest and candid.

Even though it was a nice break we found time to keep up with our training. We stayed at a very nice Hilton Hotel in Southlake Texas. It had a 25 yard outdoor pool which I used to see if I could swim! If I haven't mentioned it I will be participating in my first Triathlon in August and watching people swim the 3/4 mile ocean swim is quite different than doing it myself.  I did pretty well, but have to learn how to breathe efficiently. The hotel also had a pretty nice gym so it was used 2 of the 3 days we stayed there. Actually I ate so much food that I normally don't eat, the gym was necessary.

I was able to stick with my training during the week and even swam 500 yards on Thursday night after my yoga class. Took me a while but I did it. My goal is to swim 1000 non stop by the end of July.

This past weekend included a nice bike ride. We thought we would try the race route for the Sharks Fitness Faceoff Event.  Starting off at my office on Saint John and 11th we traveled the route through San Jose, Los Gatos, Campbel and back again to San Jose. Went 23 miles and it took one hour and 45 minutes. Not too bad for a first try. I hope to ride the route again this coming weekend to decrease my time. I have to say that riding with traffic is a little scary. The race will be very early in the morning which will help a lot.

My husband will be riding the 55 mile route and wanted a little more of a work out so after we rode the shorter one he and his friend rode through San Jose down Monterey Highway to Blossom Hill up and over Silver Creek and the large hill at the Ranch. I don't know how he has such endurance. I plan to stick with my shorter route.

Sunday was a rest day, much deserved. Even watched a little hockey! I am torn between the Hawks and Kings. Not liking the Kings too much for eliminating us but it would be nice to see the Hawks fall to last years champs.

This week should be uneventful, continuing the training and such. Only one month before the race!!!

MEGA BIKING WEEKEND!!!!

This Saturday and Sunday were bike days.

Saturday morning consisted of a jog along the beach with my husband and Oslo our dog. We jogged 4 miles which is quite an accomplishment since anything other than a brisk walk is tough for me. After a quick change we started on a bike ride from Seacliff beach navigating some hills in Aptos, through Seascape, Rio Del Mar and back to Seacliff. Route totaled 13.8 miles and took one hour and seventeen minutes- about 15 minutes faster than the last time we did that route!  The climb was 1264. That was a consolation for me since we did it after a jog and I was a bit tired. The weather was great, sunshine and blue skies.

 

Afterward we were so lucky to be able to watch the Sharks beat LA in the Shark Tank! What a great game. I lost my voice during that one. I must say that LA plays hard and dirty. At one point it looked like a wrestling match with the refs wearing blinders. I am so happy that Logan got the game winning goal. Penner is a whiner, boo hoo you lost. Can't wait for the Sharks to whip LA on Tuesday!

Sunday was a bit different. Weather was the same, warm and sunny with lots of people in the Santa Cruz area. My husband and I were joined by two friends who will be participating in the Fitness FaceOff with us on a ride.

We left Seacliff and traveled up Soquel through Santa Cruz up Highway one to just past Wilder Ranch. On the way we stopped and got some great cherries! That's the beauty of riding a bike; you can stop anywhere. A short ride through Wilder Ranch and then back to Santa Cruz first riding past Natural Bridges and down West Cliff drive watching the surfers and sail boats in the bay. We stopped at a dinner for lunch and then headed past the Boardwalk to make our way down East Cliff Drive, Pleasure Point and Opal Cliffs, Capitola and then Seacliff. It was a whopping 28.08 miles and took 2 hours 53 minutes and included 1430 feet of climbing. What a ride! Actually I'm not that tired and it was fun.

It was reassuring to know I could ride more than 23 miles without getting tired. The Fitness FaceOff Fundraiser is 23 miles and I don't believe that route has any real hills. Look out I may just might finish in a decent time.

I am looking forward to the race on June 30. It will be a challenge and such fun. I think we should design a racing jersey for our team.

Fun Weekend!!!

Well, this past weekend was Mother's Day and a chance for me to spend time with my daughter.
We did have time to exercise a bit; shopping, shopping and more shopping. It was fun!

But, seriously, I did have time to start my swimming; off Miami Beach.  What a nice way to start training in the ocean with water temperatures about 20 degrees warmer than here in California. My daughter, who is an excellent swimmer, gave me pointers and complimented me on my stroke. Now all I have to do is work on endurance. (Not to mention a wet suit).

Exercise was not my priority though, and I did have time to soak up the Miami culture. The second Saturday of the month hosts an artist walk called Wynwood. Artist studios are open for the public and there is a large congregation of food trucks for the evening as well. Eclectic would be a way to describe the evening. Various art forms to take in along with a dining experience that is unique at best. I have never eaten so much in one sitting! Another find was a restaurant called Serendipity 3. We each had a frozen hot chocolate which turned out to be quite good.



My daughter enjoying her chocolate



Looking a little guilty here.

 My visit was truly delightful and ended with a Mother's Day dinner at a restaurant called Versaille. It is a Cuban restaurant and I must say the best Cuban food I have ever had and reasonably priced as well.

Now, back to reality and prepping for my bike race in June. Not too much time to practice before the 25 mile Shark's Fitness Faceoff.

I must say that I am having a great time and can't wait to see how I do in a race situation. Should be interesting!?

Until next week, stay healthy.

Another Great Day at the Beach!

This Saturday we chose to exercise our upper bodies with a nice Kayak trip.

Davenport Landing is a short distance north of Santa Cruz off Highway 1.  A nice sandy shore surrounded by rocky cliffs. Since this area is not in the bay, the open water is a little rougher in my opinion. The weather was cool with a light breeze and pretty foggy. We had hoped for the fog to burn off but it just did not happen. There were plenty of surfers enjoying the waves and a few happy dogs running on the shore and into the water as well. 

My husband and I use ocean kayaks, the sit on top type, and haven't gotten wet suits yet.

Since we had to push off from the shore I fully anticipated getting a little wet, but in actuality I got drenched.

I waited for a relatively calm spot to try and launch and with a push from my husband made it into the water staring directly into a large breaking wave. Whoosh! Wet!, followed by yet another one. Oh, well. It's only water. Much to my surprise my windbreaker kept the water from soaking my skin.

The effort was worth it though as I paddled out to see whales! Yes, whales. They were beautiful, just skimming the water shooting water and air from their blow holes and twisting and turning. They were so very close and exciting to watch.  There were at least 3 of them by my count and we watched them for at least 20 minutes or more before they continued on north. There was a kayak group out there as well and we heard their guide say that the whales like to rest in that area, rub on the sand and play a little before continuing their journey north.

That was our only sighting on Saturday. We paddled for a while and headed back to shore. I think my husband was worried that I would tip if I got caught in a wave and he volunteered to go first to help me if I needed it. But, I felt brave and went first. It was a blast! I caught a wave and was literally lifted to shored. What fun. We had surf kayaked before and this was the closest I came to that since that adventure.

Safe to shore we carried our kayaks back to the truck and headed home. It was such a great Saturday with lots of surprises.

I hope to get back on my bike soon and take a long ride. But for the remainder of this week it will be my usual routine of walk/run and my fantastic yoga class on Thursday.  Hope to write again next week.