Big Sur 1/2 Marathon

November 9, 2008
Monterey, CA















I raced yesterday at the San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island and after the awards ceremony Jay and I drove home to get ready for an early morning race! I was up around 5am this morning, had my coffee and oatmeal and eventually made my warm up run down to the start of the 1/2 marathon which is about a mile away...so convienent. I was feeling pretty good considering the race yesterday and was ready to end the season with back to back races!




There were quite a few elite runners and I was fortunate enough to be able to start with then in the first corral...yes, it does sound like we're cattle! I had a time goal for myself that I thought was realistic and attainable.



The day started out a bit chilly and I decided to wear some capri tights and a sports bra. This proved to be a good idea and it did sprinkle a bit, but the pouring rain did come...after I finished! I felt good as we started the race and noticed that by the time I got to the 10k mark, I was on a faster pace than I ran the 10k in the previous day! I was able to pass two of the elite runners which bumped me into 9th place. I stayed here til the finish and was pleased that I did hit my time goal of 1 hr. 23 minutes and some change!! Pretty nice way to end the season, back to back races!






The best part about this course is that we run through the tunnel which is normally off limits to pedestrains and cyclists. As we ran through the tunnel on the way out, there was a bag piper playing which echoed through the damp tunnel. There were many other musicians along the water front of ocean view blvd, like the awesome drummers!



Ok, the season is over and I can take some time off. YEAH!!

San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island

November 8, 2008
The last triathlon of the season. We had our usual pre-race meeting the night before the race and because this was an ITU continental cup, there were a few things that would be different than normal on race day...the biggest thing was that there would be a pontoon in place in the water that we would have to dive off of! I think the last time I dove for a race was back in 2004!! I hadn't worked on dive starts in a few years and even when I was working on them, diving in a triathlon wasn't my forte! I didn't think too much of it for the rest of the evening, but the next day (race day) I saw Julie Ertel and her husband in the hotel and asked if we had a dive start. She said she thought so. Great!

I was fairly relaxed race morning. Jay and I took our time waking up as my race didn't start until noon and we didn't leave the hotel until 9am. We got our usual Peets coffee and Noah's bagels and relaxed in our room.

We arrived on Treasure Island around 10am. I was the first one in transition...eager-beaver that I am! I did a short ride warm up and then went to check my bike in; another ITU protocol...making sure that I have draft-legal aerobars. I racked my bike again and got ready for a run with Kelly Couch. We had a nice warm up run together.

It was time to line up on the pontoon and I thought I chose a good spot. I was a bit nervous to dive, but figured the pontoon wasn't that high above the water, so I could do it! The gun went off and I dove in. I swam only a few strokes but noticed that my right goggle had filled with water. I wear contacts and the last thing I needed was to loose a contact in the race. I made a quick decision to stop briefly and empty the water-loged goggle. I didn't loose too much ground (water) and then decided to change positions; I took a diagonal line that I thought would be closer to the buoy (Mark, from NTTC said he saw someone swimming eratically). I finally felt like I was in a good position and was able to draft off of the women in front of me. The swim consisted on 2 loops in what usually is cold bay water, however this year, the water temp was probably aroun 56 or 57 which is about 2 or 3 degrees warmer than usual, which made for a huge difference! I stayed with a pack of about 6 or so women and we exited the water all within a second or so of each other. My time was 21:12.
I was the 3rd women in my group to exit T1 and just a second or two ahead of me was Jillian Petersen. I knew that I needed to stay with Jullian on the bike if I wanted to have any chance of getting with the leaders. I knew it was going to be a hard couple of miles at least in the beginning.




It took probably 3 laps or so before we were able to catch Julie E. and we all worked pretty well together except for one Canadian girl who I believed pulled once in the 6 laps! Just prior to the 5th lap we caught the first women, Sarah Groff. We were now one pack with a few women who were shelled off the back or who were off the back from the swim. I wanted to be in a good position coming in to T2 so I tried to get into the front of the pack just prior to dismounting the bike. My bike split was 1:05:38.
I had a difficult time getting my run shoes on and by the time I headed out onto the run I was already in 5th place. I saw Jillian just ahead and thought that I could catch her. My legs felt very heavy and i saw that Jillian and another girl were pulling away. I wanted to make sure that I had a good lead on who ever was behind me. The only person that I was wondering about was Kelly C. because she was just ahead of me in the Tri Cal Pro Series. If I could place ahead of her in the race I'd placed 1st in the Tri-Cal Series.




The run was three loops on the island. It was as flat as it could get and I ran as hard as I could. Toward the end with about 400 meters to go, I was catching up to Jillian, but I ran out of real estate! I held my position and placed 5th and won the Tri-Cal Series for the 4th time!

Triathlon Clinic to be held at San Jose State University

Welcome novice, veteran and all those in between triathletes. Whetheryou are training for your first tri or your 5th Ironman, please comeand join us for a day long triathlon training session which will focusprimarily on skill development, progressions and techniques in all 4of the disciplines, swimming, biking, running and transitions.Workouts will take place at San Jose State University. We will haveaccess to the entire 60M pool and will have an underwater camera onhand to analyze your stroke mechanics with you. All training sessionswill include full workouts. The expert coach to athlete ratio will besmall providing you with personalized, directed feedback. If you haveany questions about the training day, please feel free to contact jay at jayanthonyjohnson@gmail.com

Please RSVP before November 21st to reserve your spot

The training day is Sunday November 23rd starting at 9:30 and ending at approximately 3:30pm.
The cost to SJSU triathletes is free
SJSU alumni $25
Community members $50

Alexis Smith (formerly Waddel), B.Sc., M.A. –in progress- completedher first triathlon at age 9. A pro since 2001, she races well at all distances. She placed 13th in the 2004 Olympic Trials, took 5th atthe Ironman USA National Championship in Lake Placid, NY in 2005 whereshe qualified and competed in the Ironman World Championships in Kona,Hawaii. Competing in Kona was a dream of hers since she saw herparents compete there in 1986, when she was 12 years old. In 2007,her first year with Team Sport Beans/NTTC, Alexis won the prestigious Tri-California Pro Series (she also won the series in 2004,2008). In 2008,she placed 5th at Vineman 70.3, 2nd at Pacific Grove Triathlon and 2nd at Tinley's Triathlon.In addition to competing, Alexis co-owns Monterey Bay Multisport, a coaching business. She has worked numerous camps and clinics for adults and children for over 10 years, is a guest speaker at high schools and triathlon clubs and volunteers for Sea Otter Classic Cycling Event and the Big Sur Trail Marathon. Alexis has a B.S. in Kinesiology from San Diego State University, is a USA Triathlon Level II (Expert) Coach and is currently attending San Jose State University, pursing a Master's degree in Kinesiology, Sport Psychology.
http://alexisnwaddel.blogspot.com
www.montereybaymultisport.com

Dr. Jay Johnson (B.A., B.Ed., M.Sc., PHD.) originally from Canada now an Assistant Professor in the Kinesiology Department at San Jose State University, continues to be an active participant in the triathlon and running communities and has been a member of both the Canadian national age group triathlon and duathlon teams. In addition to co-founding and coaching the University of Toronto triathlon club, and more recently the triathlon club at San Jose State University, he coached the middle distance running team at SJSU. jay has coached all level of triathletes including children, juniors and Ironman competitors. He is NCCP Level 1 certified in triathlon in addition to several other sports, a Triathlon Master Learning Facilitator for Competition Introduction for Triathlon Canada, responsible for facilitating, instructing and certifying coaches triathlon coaches in Canada. He has been the FISU (The International University Sports Federation) Team Manager and assistant manager for the games in Nanao,Japan and Erdek, Turkey, as well as the head coach for the OAT(Ontario Association of Triathletes) Kids of Steel camps in 2006, 2007 and 2008, responsible for the development, implementation and coaching of the week long camps. Jay was also an assistant coach to Mr. Craig Taylor, the Ontario Provincial Development Coach, working closely with him for two years with the provincial Junior triathletes coordinating,coaching and running training days and camps in both Canada andArizona.

Tinley's Toughest Triathlon 2008

October 4, 2008

I woke up saturday morning to a slight sprinkle of rain but it wasn't cold outside; the humidity from the rain would make the air temp a bit more bearable during the race. Of course within a few minutes, the rain started to fall harder and as we were camping, we hurried to get up a canopy so that we could stay somewhat sheltered and dry! Besides Wildflower, this is the only other race that Jay, Sprocket and I camp at. We also look forward to this race as it's a great low key environment.



Before I continue with race day information, let me back up one night; Friday. There were a few of us that had decided to race and camp (like we always do) but unfortunately, no one thought to bring firewood! Well, we can't camp without a fire in the evening, so Matt H. and I and the Brigantino boys trasped around our campsite looking for branches, wood, paper plates, anything that we could throw into the fire pit in hopes of starting a small fire to keep us warm friday evening. We were successful in our efforts and before long we got a small fire started. Quite a few of us racers/campers sat around the fire talking and relaxing before our race they next day. Soon, it was time for bed and the fire was dying out.



So, back to saturday morning and setting up transition in slighty soggy conditions and then trying to get into your wetsuit when you are already wet made for some laughs! I had some time to do a short warm up swim and then pulled myself up onto the dock to wait until our wave started. I felt a sharp pain in my heel as I was walking along the start ramp, so sat down to see if I could find the source. Nothing. Our wave was starting in only a few minutes, so I hoped that I wouldn't feel the sharp pain in my heel during the race (I thought I might have gotten a spinter from walking on the dock). The gun went off and we started our swim. At this race the female and male pros begin together. I took it relatively easy (or so I thought) and was able to find a clear space to swim. A large group of us rounded the first buoy and I was surprised at how at ease I was. I had no idea where I was in the scheme of things so I kept it steady. I could see a pack just ahead of me by the time we got to the 2nd bouy and although I tried to catch them, the few seconds that there were ahead were just enough for me not to. Upon the finish of the first loop, athletes must run around one leg of the omni structure and then return for the second and final loop. The boat ramp is usually slimy and slippery and this year was no exception; I took it pretty easy as not to slip and as I ran around the omni, I could hear the announcer saying that I was in the lead of the women's race! I have led a few swims (albeit in sprint distances) but this was the first for an olympic distance race! Jillian P. was just behind me and I figured as long as I could stay in front I'd be okay. When we got to the second buoy, there were so many athletes that I thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to try an lose Jillian. I took the outside turn while Jillian managed to take the inside turn and just like that, I found myself behind her and trying to catch her feet. My plan didn't work as I thought it would have and now I had to work harder to try and catch her. Within a few seconds I was on her feet and let her pull the rest of the way. I knew that to get prem points I'd have to cross the timing mat first. Eventhough Jillian stood up and took the first step out of the water, I ran my hardest up the boat ramp and crossed the mat first! This is the first time that I've received prem points for a swim!

I was out of T1 just behind Jillian as I had some issues trying to get my wetsuit off. I felt good heading out onto the bike and had my sights on Jillian. She had slowed to put her feet into her shoes and I rode past her. But before we got to the dam bridge she flew by me like I was standing still! I kept her in my sights for as long as I could; until the roads started to twist and turn. It wasn't until the turn around that I was able to see how far back I was (about a minute and forty) from Jillian and how far ahead I was from Kelly C. I rode strong through the up and down hills of these country roads in San Luis Obispo until I came into T2. I started the run on a mission to catch Jillian and to keep away from Kelly! I was able to make about 10 seconds on Jillian and held the same distance from Kelly after the first loop. The run is quite hilly and eventhough I had worked on hills in my training, I didn't quite have it today. I placed 2nd, but was happy with my performance.




My next race will be the San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island on November 8th.

Poker Ride Recap

Poker Ride Recap

The 2nd Annual Poker Ride was held this morning at Chamisal. The riders left the semi-foggy staging area (aka the upper parking lot) at around 8:30am and rode an extremely hilly course of either 25 or 50 miles. Word was that it was sunny and a bit windy out there. Participants picked up a playing card at each aid station and who ever had the best poker hand at the end won $100. Our lucky winner was Vera N. who so graciously declined to take her winnings and instead donated it to the junior team! Thank you so much Vera. Our grand prize raffle winner of a two night stay at a family cabin in Squaw Valley goes to Russell Newton. Congratulations, we will be calling you with all the details!

We hope that all of our riders had a fun morning. On behalf of the junior team and MBM thank you very much for supporting the kids. Pictures from the day are now up in the Albums section at www.montereybaymultisport.com.

Volunteers Needed for Big Sur Trail Run

My father is the volunteer coordinator for the Big Sur Trail Marathon and 1/2 Marathon and is in need of some volunteers. Please see below for more information and ways to get a hold of him.

Thanks,

Oct 5th - 8am to 2pm - Andrew Molera to Bixby Bridge on Old Coast Hwy.I need volunteers. Everyone interested get in touch with me. It's aBEAUTIFUL volunteer position!
Les

Maximum Health Chiropractic
and DOC WADDEL Surfboards
Dr. Les Waddel
425 Orange Ave.
Sand City, Ca 93955
1-800-871-7970
www.docwaddel. com

Pinky Went Orange at Pacific Grove Triathlon

September 13, 2008
Pacific Grove, CA

It's hard to believe that this was my 12th year racing the Pacific Grove Triathlon! There were only 2 years that I hadn't competed, the first in 1995 as I was more into running on the cross country team for San Diego State University and the the second in 1999 when I was on the U.S. National team (as an amatuer) competing in the Triathlon World Championships in Montreal, Canada.

I train on this course at least a few times per week not because I'm thinking about getting ready for this race, but because it's where group rides go, runs with my dog Sprocket head this way and of course our Friday Night Open Water swims at Lover's Point are.

A few days leading up to the race I started to get nervous...those little butterflies had awoke and were starting to wreck havoc. Why was I so nervous? I've raced and trained here for so long? I think that it was because it's been a while since I've raced an olympic distance.

My new sponsor Avia set up a great promotion...Pinky Goes Orange! I dyed my hair in honor of the Avia color orange and in return Avia handed out orange wigs at their booth as well as in the transition area; for any athlete that wore an orange wig across the finish line, a prize was given. Prizes ranged from transition bags, to shoes to Avia kits! It was so great to see so many people running with the orange wigs on! What a great way to not only race hard, but have a good time doing it! Thank you Avia, it's great to be on board!!

My race didn't start until 12:10pm, so I had plenty of time to cheer on friends and family (my younger sister Erin raced) before I started. Our horn went off to signify our start and the 6 women professionals (yep, there were only 6 of us!) ran into the chilly water of Lover's Point. I felt good and pushed hard so that I was leading the race for a brief moment. We entered the kelp quickly as we swam toward the first turn buoy. As we rounded the buoy I dropped back a few places and decided to draft. I didn't feel as relaxed as I thought I would and as much as I thought I could have lead the entire swim, I found myself in 4th position, drafting off of the girl in front of me. After swimming one loop we must get out of the water, run around a large rock embedded in the sand and make our way back into the water for the final loop. I felt heavy running around the rock, but managed to get into 3rd position for a while, before again dropping back to 4th place. It's hard to tell where the other 2 women behind us where, but it seemed as though we had a bit of a gap on them. I exited the water in 4th position; the 3 girls ahead of me were only seconds ahead and we did enter T1 at about the same time.

On the bike, the 4 of us quickly got organized and the 4 loops that made up the 24.8 miles began. The wind had blown some of the clouds away, which gave way to the sun as well as the wind that we encountered on the way out, towards Asilomar. The 4 of us worked extremely well together as we each took our turn at the front, pulling for as long as we could and giving the rest of the girls a turn out of the wind. I knew that Jillian and Annie could run but wasn't sure about Becky W-H, but I tried attacking on several occasions to see if I could get away, but every time I attacked, the girls where able to get back on. At least I could try to wear down their legs for the run!!

I really was impressed at how well the 4 of us worked together as each of us took our turn and no one slacked or made complaints that they couldn't work. It truely was one of the best rides (in a draft legal race) that I have ever done and I thanked each of the girls afterwards. Working together like we did rarely happens, but when it does we all benefit from working together and giving it our best...so Jillian, Annie and Becky, if you read this, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR MAKING THE BIKE PORTION EXCITING, DIFFICULT AND REWARDING!!

I tried one last break just prior to heading into T2. I thought Jillian, Becky and I had made a slight break from Annie, but once in transition, I saw Annie head out onto the run first, with Becky second and me in 3rd. Within a few seconds or so I was able to pass Becky and had my sights set on Annie. Of course it wasn't long before Jillian passed me and then proceeded to pass Annie, putting herself in 1st place as we headed out on our first loop. I kept pressing and was finally able to catch Annie after the first turn-around as the road started a to slightly increase in elevation...a false flat up hill (which hurt just as much as a true up hill). I now found myself in 2nd place and I could see Jillian up ahead. I had my sights set on her and was doing everything I could to catch her. I had a slight side ache and could feel the liquid that I drank during the ride sloshing inside my stomach. I'm sure all of us felt some sort of ache and tried to push through it...no excuses, that's what racing is all about. Finishing loop 1 I was gaining on Jillian and tried to push even harder on the second loop. I kept thinking positive thoughts and pushing forward, hoping that Jillian wouldn't be able to hold the pace she was running. Coming to the close of loop 2 i was within reach of getting her and she knew it! She immediately picked up the pace when she saw me and was able to gain more distance on me. She eventually held me off and won the race in 2:06:25 and I was second in 2:07:04; a difference of only :39!!!

I gave it all I had and was very pleased with my race. As far as I know this was even a PR for me on this course, so that was just as sweet.

It was great to have so many people cheering me on, thank you very much as it really does help. And to those of you who wore the orange wigs...YOU ARE AWESOME! I hope everyone who raced and volunteered and spectated had a great time this weekend! I'll see you all there next year!

My next race is in 3 weeks down at Lake Lopez, in San Luis Obispo; Tinley's Toughest.

2nd Annual Poker Ride September 28, 2008

Please join us for the 2nd Annual Poker Ride on September 28, 2008 at 8am. The start and finish will be at Chamisal Tennis & Fitness Club, off Laurelos Grade in Salinas, CA. You can print and mail in an entry form, located at www.montereybaymultisport.com or you can register online at www.active.com.

Gather playing cards at each aid station along the 50 mile Poker Ride Route. The person with the best poker hand at the finish wins $100!! There is also a 25 mile Fun Ride. Both rides include a BBQ. In addition, we will be holding a raffle for some great prizes with the grand prize being a 2 night stay at a family cabin in Squaw Valley!!

This is a fundraiser for the Monterey Bay Multisport youth & junior triathlon teams. Proceeds go towards purchasing uniforms for the athletes.

We reached our maximum capacity of 50 participants very early last year, so we have decided to increase it to 75 participants for this year. Be sure to register early to get your spot.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Sharon Osgood bucked off horse

On Tuesday August 12, Sharon was horseback riding with her 3 kids in Colorado when she was bucked off the horse. Her eldest daughter Kelly stayed with her while the twins, Aaron and Alli rode back to the stables and called 911. Sharon was airlifted to Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs where she underwent back surgery as she sustained a smash-fracture of T6. In addition she suffered 6 broken ribs and her breathing is currently only 58%. She is wearing a chest and back brace but is able to walk a little with a walker. She is still in a lot of pain and tires easily. Please send your positive thoughts and get well wishes to her. She will be staying in Colorado for at least a week until hopefully coming home.

Catching UP

Well, it's been quite a while since I've updated my blog, so I thought I'd write a quick write up of what's been going on. I've raced a few races since the last race post; races include the Danskin Triathlon at Disneyland, Alcatraz and Vineman 70.3. I had a great time at all of them!

The Danskin race was a super sprint that started the swim in the murky and VERY warm lagoon at Disneyland California Adventure Park. I led the swim, which I think is a first! Eventhough I had a kayak leading the way and a few buoys, it was still hard to see where I was going and I hoped that I didn't miss a buoy or cut the course. We weren't allowed to look at the course prior to swimming, so it was a surprise! What was quite interesting about this race is that the spectators had an over the top view...what I mean, is that they were watching the swim from above! Jay was there with me and he said that it really was a different perspective.

From the swim, it was a short run to T1 where I got my bike and proceeding to ride along the outskirts of the park (on the city streets) for 2 loops which totaled 10 miles of mostly flat with two small inclines. I held about 23 mph which was pretty good for me. Needless to say (I say this with no ego attached...it was a sprint race mostly with first timers and no pros), there was no one near me, but I still wanted to see how fast I could go. I had a quick T2 and was out on the flat and fast run course that went through the park. My race started at 6am, so the only people that were allowed in the park where the employees which all were very nice and cheered happily for me and the other competitors!! The only place where spectators were allowed was where they watched the swim. The run was advertised as 2.5 miles, but by the look of my time I think it was maybe just over 2 miles. I was finished in 48:04!!

If you are looking for something different and short, this would be a great race!

Next race was Alcatraz in San Francisco, CA. This has to be one of my favorite races because there is really no other race like it. This was my 8th year competing here and it's always a bit nerve wracking when you're hanging over the side of a ferry, hanging on to chains while your trying to keep your footing on the one foot ledge waiting nervously for the horn to blow!! I got in with a group of people and drafted the entire way. It was choppy only briefly and the water was never really cold. I ran the 1/2 mile or so to T1, grabbed my bike and was out. I wasn't too sure how many women were ahead of me, but I was on my way to catch as many as I could. I was able to catch a few and hold them off. The 18 mile hilly and technical bike course is one that I love. I entered T2 and right behind me was Sam Mcglone. She passed me in transition, but I was able to pass her back within a mile or so. The techinical and hilly run covers pavement as well as trails and sand and the infamous sand ladder. I was in 5th place on the top of the sand ladder and thought I could hold off Sam. She passed me with about a mile to go and I couldn't respond; I placed 6th and was only 30 seconds behind 5th place! It was definitely a strong field and for the training that I've been putting in (or lack there of) I'm doing pretty well.

My most recent race was the 70.3 Vineman in Santa Rosa on July 20th. My mom and younger sister, Erin were competing as well. This was my sister's first 1/2 IM and she was excited and nervous. My mom has been racing since the mid 1980's but this was her first time at Vineman. The day before the race we went into the river to do a pre race swim. When my mom proceeded to take off her wetsuit, the zipper broke! There was nothing we could do, so she decided to get back in the river and see what it would be like to swim sans wetsuit. She was chilly at first but figured she could do it! My sister had her surf wetsuit that she was planning on swimming in. She was in the process of getting a new suit and it hadn't arrived yet. The surf wetsuit was too big and bulky, so she too decided that it would be best to swim without it! So hard core, the both of them!! Me on the other hand wanted my wetsuit!

The next day, my race started well. It took a while for me to get into the groove of the swim, but I eventually found it and was able to get in with a group for the later half of the swim. I later found out that it was a group of men that I was drafting off of and I was the second women to exit the water behind Joanna Zeiger! I must say, my swimming has improved...finally!!! I got onto the bike and it felt great. I felt strong and was able to keep a steady pace while I hydrated and made sure to eat enough. I think it was around mile 25 or 30 that Sam McGlone passed me, but I decided not to let her out of my sights. I stayed back quite a ways, but I could always see her. Shortly after that Tyler Stewart flew by me like I was standing still. What a phenomenal cyclist she is and very friendly too!! I continued to push as hard as I could until I got to T2. I headed out on the run in hopes of catching a girl or two (I still didn't know where I was, placement wise). I felt pretty good and kept a good pace (it would've been nice to run faster, but if you don't put in the training, it wont magically appear on race day, as much as we'd all like it to, right?). At mile 5 Kate Major comes running by me. I decided to keep her in sight as best as possible and maybe, just maybe I could get her towards the end!! When I got closer to the trailed figure 8 loop I was able to count the girls, Joanna was first, then Tyler, Sam, Kate and me! I was in 5th and I wanted to at least keep it that way! Money only went to 5th and rent was due right around the corner!! As I was leaving the dirt section, I noticed a woman who just got onto the dirt. I had no idea how many minutes she was back, but there was no way I was going to let another person pass me! I picked it up for the final half of the run which allowed me to gain some time on Kate. With 2 miles or so to go, my mind wanted to run faster, but my body wasn't having any of it. It was all I could do to keep going and finish in 5th place, only 19 seconds behind Kate and 5 or 6 minutes ahead of 6th place, whewww!!

As I was running down the finish chute I noticed my mom cheering me on! I gave her a look of "what the ?#%^& are you doing there?" She told me that after having a good swim and heading out onto the bike that she got not one but 2 flats at mile 9 of the bike!! What a bummer; she hitched a ride back to the finish and was waiting for quite some time. I hope that next year she'll come back and be able to finish the race.

We were able to see Erin coming in to T2. She had the biggest smile on her face! She looked good! We waited for a few minutes and was able to see her start the run. She still had a big smile and said she was feeling great! She finished in 6 hrs. 31 minutes for her first half!!

My hubby, Jay, deserves a big hug and kiss for he was our sherpa the entire weekend! He packed up our gear after the start of the race and drove to the finish all the while keeping tract of Sprocket (our dog) and Tex (my parents new puppy!) who was 11 weeks old! So needless to say he had his hands full for a few hours! Thanks sweetie for taking care of us chickens!!!

So, what else is new, you ask??? I've been working for my aunt and uncle who own and irrigation store in sand city. The needed some extra help while my uncle and cousin went to visit relatives in Spain. It's been fun and different which is exactly what I need.

My second year of grad school starts at the end of August. It's been nice to not have to travel up to San Jose, so I'm not looking forward to that. I am however looking forward to my two classes, the psychology of women and advanced sport psychology! It most likely will be a busy semester though so I'm enjoying my summer break!

My next race will be the Pacific Grove Triathlon on the second saturday in September.

PG 1 Day Clinic Online Registration

Registration for Monterey Bay Multisport's 1 Day Pacific Grove Triathlon Clinic is now open online. Go to http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1605129 to register. MBM looks forward to seeing you in Pacific Grove on July 27th!

Pacific Grove Triathlon 1 Day Clinic

Pacific Grove Triathlon Clinic
Presented by Monterey Bay Multisport

Whether this is your first triathlon or you’re a seasoned triathlete, join Monterey Bay Multisport and 2 time (2004 & 2006) Tri-California Pro Series Winner, 2004 Overall Winner & Sport Bean/NTTC professional triathlete Alexis Waddel-Smith for a fun, informative and active clinic that will teach you about the race course, training preparations with 7 weeks to go before race day, transition work and mental strategies for success.

Sunday July 27, 2008
Lover’s Point
Pacific Grove, CA 8am-4pm
$150 * includes lunch

For more information contact Alexis Smith at alexis@montereybaymultisport.com or (831) 372.1894 or Sharon Osgood at sharon@montereybaymultisport.com or (831) 659.5639 **Please send email confirmation of participation and mail check to Monterey Bay Multisport 866 Lomita St. Monterey, CA 93940.



www.montereybaymultisport.com
** Please see our website for a list of items to bring to the 1 day clinic**

To Craig

Thanks Craig,
I hope Sea Otter was a good time for you. What will be next for you?

Alexis

Monterey Bay Multisport to Host Practice Triathlon

Monterey Bay Multisport is inviting you to a practice Triathlon on Monday May 26 at 9AM. The event is going to be a low key practice triathlon of 400meters- 12 mile bike- 2 mile run. It will be an open water swim in the bay and the bike and run will take place on the bike paths. There will be no awards, but we will have your time. You can use a mtn or road bike. The workout is open to team members and non team members. If you are not a member of MBM Racing, the fee is $10 to help support our junior team. Feel free to pass on the information.Please RSVP to me asap if you plan to attend. It is a fun low key event and a great way to start the summer season!!!

WE need some volunteers to help with the course also.

Please contact sharon@montereybaymultisport.com or alexis@montereybaymultisport.com for more information

Preservestock

May 11, 2008

Santa Lucia Preserve

Everyone who knows me knows that I like my road wheels planted firmly on the pavement and only when I have to, I'll ride a mountain bike. So, for some of you, this will come as a shock...hold on to your saddles...I competed in a very small (approximately 20 participants) mountain bike

Sharon & Mike getting my loaner bike ready

sprint triathon on saturday in the ultra-plush, ultra-private Santa Lucia Preserve in Carmel Valley, CA.

Danielle Pre-Race

This is the 3rd year that this race, music festival and lunch has been going on and we are lucky to be invited each year. The distances are ~400m swim, 10 mi bike & 3 mi run. We had a few of our team members from Monterey Bay Multisport and athletes from Sharon's triathlon class at MPC compete including Sharon (co-owner), Mike D., Ana E., Sam & Danielle. We all finished and I think only one person went down, but was still able to finish; with only a few scrapes.

We swam without wetsuits in the 67 degree water; I rode Sharon's daughter's mountain mike and shoes that were a size too big; and I ran in my own gear!! Go figure. I can see why people enjoy mt. bike riding...the adrenaline and rush and technique that one must have and that I clearly lacked! I don't know if I'll do another mt. bike race again, expect maybe this one next year.

The music & lunch spread was awesome! It was nice to relax with friends in warm sunshine, eat & listen to music.

Fred & Sharon getting ready

Mike & I freakin' out before the Race...seriously...we were

Wildflower Triathlon Festival

May 2-4, 2008

Lake San Antonio, CA

I had thought that I was prepared and ready to have a great race this year, but eventhough I had put in the distance I was still not putting in the required amount of speed work that was necessary to have a "great" race. No matter how long I've been training and competing in this sport, there in always something to learn.

My swim felt comfortable and good and I think that I'm getting the swimming down...finally! I exited the water in 25:56 with a pack of 4 or 5 other women and just a little over 3 minutes down from Linda G. My transition went smooth and I was out on the bike course in no time. However, I did notice a "noise" on my bike and for the first half of the race I was trying to figure out what it was. I eventually decided to give up listening and just ride. So, needless to say, the second half of the ride felt so much better than the first! My time was WAY off from what I had expected to do, but hoped that my run would fare better. Unfortunately, my run hurt more than the ride! Every time I came to an up hill (which are many) I felt like I was going backwards! I tried to run as hard as I could and it was all I could do. I have never felt so happy to get to the finish line. My total time of 4:51:26 is about 10 minutes slower than last year...yikes. I guess you can't "win" 'em all the time; as much as I know we'd all like to!!

There is always next year and/or the next race.

In other WF news...my husband Jay did an outstanding job, especially with limited training! Although he had a long day out there, he had a fun time!

Overall, we had a great time over the entire weekend.

California 70.3

March 29, 2008
Oceanside, CA

The first race of the season is always an eye opener. I try not to have high expectations for this first race, but that seems almost impossible. I had put in some great training (or so I thought) during the past few months and thought that I would at least have a faster overall time this year compared to last year. Alas, it was not meant to be! My overall time was about 3 minutes slower than last year. The field this year grew from last year and although it's nice to see so many professional women racing, it is a bit intimidating and scary!

I must say though, that i felt really good in the swim and had not only a good time but pretty well placement as well (for me that is). The swim is in the harbor, but goes out just a bit towards the open ocean, so we did feel some larger swells and waves not to mention swallowing the lovely sea water; which for some strange reason always seems to startle me....salt water that is. I guess I forget that I'm swimming in the ocean!

I had been putting in some long rides that I thought would help me and I'm not sure that I could feel the effects of those long rides kicking in yesterday. I would have to say that I need to ride my TT bike more often than just the week before the race. Yep, rookie mistake! I plan to ride it more often leading up to Wildflower, which is the next race for me. I felt good on the bike starting out and although it was windy I thought I could manage at least 21 mph! Boy was I wrong! My legs didn't feel as fresh as I would have like them too and mentally I was struggling towards the end. Note to self, just because I can ride long doesn't mean I can ride long and fast!! Yep, need to work on more speedwork too. If I want to be among the top competitors, I will need to hone my cycling skills. I must say though that I was glad to be done with the wind and rolling hills of the course.

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel on the run, but there were a few people ahead of me that I wanted to catch, so I put that in my mind and set to get the job done! I was able to move ahead a few spots and felt pretty good on the run. I will need to work a bit more on the hills though and maybe start some longer track workouts and tempo type workouts as well.

What can I say, it was the first race of the season for me and I now have a baseline from which to improve. If you'd like to check out the results, go to http://www.ironmanlive.com/events/ironman70.3/california70.3?show=raceresults&year=2008&format=htm

Unfortunately, I don't think Jay snapped any photos, so we'll have to wait and see what the race photography folks got. Stay tuned.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

It has been such a long time since I've written and there has been so many new things that have happened! The best way I guess would be to summarize what has been going on, chronologically since Vineman. So, as far as the racing goes, I competed at Pacific Grove Triathlon in September and placed 2nd, which I was pleased about! Next was Tinleys at the end of September where I can't seem to find my results! Oops. I think it was 4th.

To go back in time a month, I started graduate school at San Jose State University. I knew I would go back to school to get my master's, but it was just a matter of timing as well as figuring out what I wanted to study. I was accepted into the Kinesiology program and am studying Sport Psychology. It was definitely a shock going back to school after a 9 year gap from undergrad studies. It took about a month or so to get into the swing of things again as well as commutting the hour and 15 minute drive one way! So, now I'm training, racing, going to school (learning how to study and write papers and do homework again!) and planning my wedding! Wheww, I don't know how I did it all.

Jay and I got married friday October 26, with a full moon at an outdoor ceremony at Rancho Canada. It went by so fast, but we both had a great time and plenty of awesome memories, photos and video! We eventually went on our honeymoon to Whistler, BC, Canada during Christmas for some skiing and snowboarding! It's so beautiful up there.

Two weeks after we were married I had my final race of the season, The Treasure Island Triathlon in San Francisco, CA. Because of a huge oil spill in the bay, the olympic distance triathlon was turned into a duathlon with an unusual first run distance, which I thought would have helped me, but I believe I was tired and really ready for the off season to be here. I did however manage to place 6th and was happy to have won the Tri-Cal Pro Series for the second time in my career!

School finished up in the middle of December and I had some lofty goals as far as grades were concerned. I wanted to get straight A's as that is something that I never accomplished in high school or in undergrad studies. Matter of fact, I was surprised at how low my GPA was when I finished my undergrad work at SDSU...a 2.97! Yikes. Horrible. So, I worked my tooshie off and I got A's in 3 of my classes and was bummed to find out that in my fourth class I had received a B+! I know I did A work on the final, but this was a subjective class, so the professor could give me any grade. I ended up with a 3.85 GPA which is the highest I've gotten, but was still dissappointed in that B+. Oh well, what can you do???

After school, triathlon season and our honeymoon, it was nice to be at home and I began training again in January. It felt good to have a break from school and planning and just train, it was like being a professional triathlete again, eating, sleeping, training! Unfortunately, school started at the end of January. I've just finished the 4th week of school and the semester ends in May, so I have papers to write, exams to ace and more reading than I've done in a long time.

I have legally changed my name also. I decided to take Jay's name, so I've dropped Waddel (sigh) and am now Mrs. Smith!!

My first triathlon this season will be the 70.3 in Oceanside in five weeks, but I'll be bike racing in April at the Sea Otter Classic. I am again on the Sport Beans/NTTC team for the second year and we look forward to having a great season.