I Tri!

I’m a triathlete. Yup…that’s right…I did it! I’m sure some of you remember my Vineman post about my friend, JP, who inspired me to sign up for my first triathlon. He also was my coach and a damn good coach at that. He spent alot of time correcting my swim technique and trying to get me over my fear of swimming in the ocean. I’m terrified of sharks and the fact that I was going to look exactly like a seal in the ocean, well yeah, that didn’t help calm my nerves. I’d just like to share my experience and hope that I can inspire just one person to maybe give it a try.

The day started at 4:30 a.m. Up to get dressed, eat and get over to transition to get everything set up. It was cold and rainy. I get into transition and got an excellent spot to rack my bike and set up. Little did I know that when I’d return from my swim, some lady would have decided she liked my spot too and made it hers…literally. She moved all my stuff, including my bike over so she could have my spot. Pretty shitty in the world of triathlons. I did have the urge to move her bike to a completely different area just to mess with her, but didn’t. Here’s a shot of transition.

After leaving transition, Heather and I slipped into our wetsuits. Okay…slipped may be an exaggeration. It really should be illegal for me to attempt to get into a wetsuit in public. I’m dead serious when I say JP had to, literally, put my butt into the wetsuit. And people were watching. A bit humiliating. Once we are all wetsuited up we went over to the water and got in for a minute. Here we are coming out of the water.

Now it’s time to get with our wave group. I was doing fine until this point. They started playing the Star Spangled Banner and I got all emotional. It hit me that I could get injured doing this. Things could go wrong. I started to feel a little anxious about the water. And then I’m standing with a bunch of people I don’t know and Heather finds me again…instantly comforted. I almost started crying with relief. I felt a little alone for a moment and just seeing her, Annette and Liz made me feel so much better. And then it was time for high-fives and good-byes. It was RACE TIME! Here I am (far right, still standing) getting in the water. Orange is definitely my color. No?

The first four minutes of my swim I panicked like kid who just saw Jaws for the first time and was thrown in the ocean. It was the only time during the whole race that I actually considered quitting. I was that scared. It started okay and then I saw the kelp on the ocean floor. Not cool. It was dark, rainy, dreary and I’m in the ocean with kelp where bad things MUST live. I alternated between swimming and flipping over on my back to collect myself and calm down. Finally I gave myself a little pep talk. I said, “Damnit Janice…you didn’t train this hard to wimp out in the water…flip over and just count.” And so I did. I rocked the rest of that 1/2 mile swim and was so happy to get out of the water!

Transition 1 went smoothly and I was out on the bike. I was on a hybrid bike which is essentially a different version of a mountain bike. It was heavy. I was working my butt off and getting passed by all these people. I got frustrated because I knew how hard I was working and I just felt like the tortoise. Super slow and heavy. We did two loops around Fiesta Island. I was so done at about mile 10 where I gave myself another pep talk out loud. I even cursed at myself. I’m crazy good at kicking myself into shape. And then I hear “On your left” and I’m thinking, “That’s awesome. They just heard me go nuts on myself.”

I jumped off the bike, racked it and headed out for my run. Ahhhh running…my favorite part!!!! Until I get the dreaded side stitch which about killed me during Surf Cities Half Marathon. Of course…not even a mile in I get it. Not much to do but keep running. Which I did. I kept reminding myself, it’s only 3 miles…you can run 3 miles. This is a short run. Coming around the last turn I find some extra energy and pick up the pace for that last 1/2 mile or so.

Crossing that finish line felt super sweet. It was a really great experience being out there with so many women…some of them cancer patients and cancer survivors. I really loved the competitiveness of the women out there and the encouragement along the way. Another really awesome thing was Mike and JP were at every part along the way. When I got out of the water, when I got on the bike, off the bike starting the run, finishing the run…it’s amazing how hearing your name and knowing people are watching will give you that extra boost of energy. And I just want to say if you are ever a spectator of any race, we racers love hearing the cheers…whether they are for us or not. It’s nice to hear people cheering. It changes the vibe and energy of the race.  

I cannot express my gratitude to JP for the hours he spent whipping me into shape physically and mentally. He was there every step of the way and he believed in me. He believed that I wouldn’t wimp out in the water and I didn’t. And to Heather who inspired me a few years back to run that Skirt Chaser 5k and then a 10k and then a half marathon and then a triathlon. What will she encourage me to do next? And my wonderful, super awesome husband who has been there every step of the way. The man who cooked dinner so I could train longer. The man woke up at 4 in the morning to drive 2 hours to see me race. The man who didn’t bitch about my alarm going off on a Saturday morning to go biking. He’s been nothing but supportive and encouraging.

I have to say, I was overwhelmed with all the support that was shown to me throughout my training and up to race day…from my parents watching Ava to all of the wonderful Facebook posts, messages and comments. Seriously…I feel humbled and extremely blessed. I’m reminded again how lucky I am to have the people I have in my life.

DISTANCES: 1/2 Mile Swim, 20k Bike, 5k Run
OFFICIAL TIME: 1 hour, 42 minutes, 24 seconds

My Best Friend is a Triathlete and Also a Breast Cancer Survivor

In honor of breast cancer awareness month, I’d like to share my best friend’s story because:

A) She’s amazing
B) She kicked cancer’s ass
C) She was only 31 when she discovered the lump and
D) She started a super awesome company for all cancer survivors

Ladies, I can’t say it enough…check yourself before you wreck yourself. And now…it’s time for you to meet Heather, founder of Also A Survivor.

Heather’s Story

I never thought of myself as an athlete, but I was always active.  I was never into any sports.  I was in dance from age 2 until age 16, but that was it. I worked in gyms in college. I was in to any kind of aerobic class I could get in to, sometimes 2 to 3 a day.  At age 31, I had a great life. Happily married, good job, just bought my first house; I was enjoying life in everyway.  Like many women, I found my lump in the shower.  It was on the upper inside of my chest so I wasn’t concerned, although it was quite large and seemed to appear overnight.  A week later I had my annual well women’s exam. I had no risk factors but my doctor still ordered a mammogram and ultrasound; both were inconclusive.  Still wanting a diagnosis, it was decided that I should have either a needle biopsy or a lumpectomy.  Given its size, I choose the lumpectomy.  I remember sitting in his office the day the lab results came back.  The doctor came in and said with the most amazingly straight face, “it is cancer.”  He quickly moved from chemotherapy, to radiation, to a mastectomy.   I was numb.  The doctor paused for a second and the tears started, and the conversation was over.  I was not prepared for this discussion let alone the decisions I was being asked to consider.  As one wades through all of the information on-line, learning about the disease the possible courses of action are more than overwhelming.   When I was ready to move forward, I found a wonderful oncology group: great surgeons, specialists, and support; truly a great place. I felt they were honestly concerned with my life.  I had a second lumpectomy to clear the tumor margins.  I also had a sentinel node dissection to determine if the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes (which it had not), and to have a port inserted in my chest for chemotherapy.  I had great results from these procedures.

I would not say that I am “girly,” but like most women, I have always been concerned with how I look, and I now had one breast that was smaller than the other and was about to start chemo treatments that were guaranteed to make all of my hair fall out; I was dreading this.  My husband is very athletic, and he thought that I should do some “pre-game” before chemo.  He thought that I should beat it to the punch and shave my head.  Although I did not buy in to this idea at first, it became my first opportunity to show this disease that I was in charge and I was not going down without a fight.  It was a great evening, our friends came over, my husband got out his clippers (he shaves his head), and did the honors.  I remember feeling empowered and ready to take on Cancer.  All of my girlfriends were crying and I was smiling.

I went through 8 rounds of chemotherapy and 8 weeks of radiation.  I was lucky with chemo.  I had some nausea two to three days after treatment and then I was just tired.  As the rounds went on, things got worse, but never terrible.  Through all of the treatment, I tried to keep my life as normal as possible; aerobics classes and working with a personal trainer.  I missed a few days, but made it to more than I missed.  I spent the first two years after treatment getting my strength and stamina back. This is also the time when “survivorship” begins.  During this time, I considered what my role in the “fight” against cancer was. I began to think about not just showing the world that I was beating this disease, but seeing what I was actually physically capable of.  A year and a half after my first surgery and treatments, I put on my best pink gear and with the support of two of my dearest friends, walked a half marathon. This was an amazing experience: the achievement, the camaraderie, and the joy.  Later that year, I found a new lump.  It turned out to be a fibroid cyst, but the scare was more than I could take.  I spent a lot of time thinking about “what if?” So, I decided to have some genetic testing done to try and ease my mind; fat chance.  I tested positive for the BRACA 1 gene.  This basically meant that I had a 60% chance that either the breast cancer would return and I could eventually get ovarian cancer.  Again, I had choices. Do I wait to see what fate would bring, or do I take an aggressive approach to beating this disease. Do I want to have children? This was that moment.  My husband and I had discussed children before, and prior to my initial diagnosis we were actually considering the possibility. After much discussion in a very short period of time we choose for me to have a double mastectomy with TRAM Flap reconstruction for the breast cancer, a complete hysterectomy and oopherectomy for the ovarian cancer.  It was a 13-hour procedure and 6 week recovery period just to be able to walk around pain free.  It was nearly two years before I was back to my “new” self, and I wasted no time.  I walked two half marathons that year. I also decided to start competing in triathlons. My husband, although skeptical at first, was very supportive of me and helped me through the simple stuff; you know how to ride a bike, run efficiently, stuff like that. I completed my first triathlon that same year. The following year I ran the entire 13.1 miles of a half marathon and have since competed in 9 triathlons.  I am also happy to say that after helping me through my first triathlon experiences, my husband has also taken up the sport.  He competed in his first Ironman distance race in July 2010; I could not be prouder.

With this new level of fitness and good nutrition, I feel better than I ever have.  The commitment that it takes to train and participate in these events has definitely had a positive affect on my life.  I cannot say that I have become competitive; I still do not try and “beat” anyone, but I do strive to improve upon what I have already achieved.  Get a little faster from race to race and encourage even more women to achieve all that they can.  In October of 2009, I had one of my knees scoped so that I can continue to be out there racing.  I have 4 tri’s and 2 half marathons scheduled for 2010.  With the support of all of my friends and family – I can never say it enough – I could not have done or continue to do any of this without all of you, I look forward to seeing you all out there.

Also A Survivor,                                          

Heather Pawinski

I’ve Lost It…Officially

I think I’ve officially lost my mind. Do you want to know what happens when I spend eight hours driving to Sonoma, four hours drinking wine, wake up the next morning at 4:30 am and watch a friend cross the Vineman finish line? I sign up for a half-marathon and a triathlon a week apart. For real.

I think I was feeling a bit inspired when I hit the “Sign up here” button. Because the problem is that it’s August 17th and I was supposed to start training two weeks ago but I decided to buy a house too. So yeah…there’s that whole moving thing getting in the way of my plan to conquer, well, everything. And then there’s that 9 mile run in there the morning after my friend Katy’s wedding. Yeah…that’s gonna happen for sure. As a matter of fact, if you’re in Michigan on September 11th and see me running just slap me because nobody should run 9 miles after attending a friend’s wedding. Running that day would mean I failed as a wedding guest.

I Know a Vineman. Do you?

This weekend Mike and I took a drive up to Sonoma, CA to support our close friend JP in the Vineman Race. What’s that, right? Well, it’s the same thing as an Ironman race, just a different name. What does that mean?

It means:

2.4 Mile Swim

116 Mile Bike

26.2 Mile Run

IN. ONE. DAY. WITHOUT STOPPING!!!!

I am really going to try to find the right words to accurately explain the magnitude of this event, what it meant to me to be part of it, but I’ve found it’s kind of like trying to explain what childbirth is like…it’s not easy to put that much emotion into words.

The day started at 4:30 am. We get up, get ready and drop JP at Johnson’s Beach for the swim. The energy at the beach is amazing. Most races start in waves, meaning people enter the water based on age group and sex. So here it is, now 6:30 am, it’s cold and dreary and you get these waves of people in the water and slowly one of them will start cheering to get amped up. Before you know it, the whole group is cheering and screaming. It’s a sight…it’s one of those moments that just makes you smile. The camaraderie is awesome.

We see JP get out of the water and into transition where he changes into his bike gear and heads up. This portion is 116 miles divided into two 56 mile loops. Basically this means we won’t see him for three hours. He’s riding on streets, through wine country, that are still open to the public…meaning cars can drive on them which scares the shit out of me…they are windy roads and the speed limit is 45 mph. I was nervous. Based on his calculation we wouldn’t see him for 3 hours as he ended his first loop and began the second. So we waited. The whole time, I was a ball of nerves…I can’t imagine what Heather felt like. You just want to know he’s okay. That his race is going okay.

We finally see him coming down the street…what a relief. After that we went and grabbed lunch and then went to go volunteer on the run part of the course. The run course was set up in 3 loops approximately 8 miles each. We were at about mile 2, which on the 2nd loop would be mile 10 and third loop mile 18…I’m just approximating here. I have to tell you guys…this really helped me feel like I was *part* of this event. I became so emotionally involved at this point. At first I was there for JP and now, even though he was still most important to me, I was there for every person on that course.

So here we are, handing out water, gatorade and fuel to these people who are so freaking exhausted that it’s beyond comprehension. You seem them coming around on their second loop run and they are just trucking along, refusing to give up. And the most amazing part is almost every single runner thanked us for being out there volunteering. That is cool. When you have someone who is working their butt off and they take the time to say thanks…it’s so humbling. If you ever need an idea of how hard one of these races are, I had a guy come around his second loop. He hits the aid station…I see his steps start faltering and I’m like “Oh shit…he’s gonna go down.” I ask him if he’s okay. He leans forward and says, “No.” I sit him down, get him some water and he’s so disoriented. He keeps telling me he doesn’t understand…he’s been staying hydrated…he’s done this before. He sits for a bit and gets up and KEEPS GOING!

Now we’re here…and JP has run by us twice, which means he will pass us again towards the end of his second loop. Only we’ve been calculating his time, anticipating his arrival and he’s not here yet. Heather starts getting worried. I’m worried. Mike’s worried. And then we see him. He’s walking and Heather joins him. Mike and I hang back and continue volunteering. JP and Heather have about a 3 mile walk before they will begin the third (final) loop and get back to us. On the way back Heather calls and says, “Hey…you wanna walk with us for a bit?” Mike and I enthusiastically respond, “HELL YES!”

When we finally see them coming we join them and start walking at a pretty good clip. At a certain point, we decide if he wants us to be at the finish, we need to turn back. Mike was carrying a backpack and he stops, takes the backpack off his back, hands it to me and says, “I’m going to keep going with JP.” This was the first time I cried at the race. I wanted to marry him all over again. Heather and I turn around and head back to the finish line. Being at that finish line, it will make grown men cry like babies. The emotion that overcomes some racers as they finish, it is contagious and all-consuming.

This one woman came across the finish line smiling and she just stopped, buried her face in her hands and just started bawling. That one made me lose it. To watch someone finish something that they have physically worked so hard for…it’s childbirth…I can’t explain it. Finally we get a call from Mike, “HERE HE COMES!” I yell to Heather and we are so amped up that I’m surprised we didn’t explode. We can’t see him coming down the chute…I’m looking but can’t see him and then I spot him. I started crying right then. I know how hard he’s worked. I know how much this means. I am prouder than I’ve been of almost anyone. He crosses the finish line.

If you ever have the opportunity to volunteer at an event of this magnitude, I highly recommend it. It’s humbling. It’s inspiring. It will make you want to be a better person. I’m incredibly proud of him…I believe there were 700 entrants in the full Vineman event. He finished in just over 13 hours. So the next time you’re complaining about your 30 minute workout, just think of him. Think of an athlete who worked his ass off for 13 hours straight to achieve he a dream he had.

I’ve since signed up for my first triathalon.