Its Time To Go IRON and ROCK Wildflower!

http://www.seemonterey.com/wildflower-triathlon

This Saturday I will participating in the 2009 Avia Wildflower Half Ironman (Long Course). This is the same course that we, as a team, did for our Half Ironman Training Weekend at Lake San Antonio. As you may recall, I had "some difficulties" with the swim to say the least. 

A Half Ironman distance includes:  1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run.

All I can say is, I AM READY. I have done everything possible to prepare myself for this day. Even though the coaches and LLS were not behind me, I was still surrounded by so many that believed in me. A "Team Belinda" was formed. I had the support of friends, old and new... And even the support of others whom I've never met. My teammates continually offered inspiring words and also have taken opportunities to swim with me in open water. Sometimes the swims would take place in a warm sunny lake and at other times in the cold ocean water during a rainstorm. I am very thankful for my "swim consultant"/friend  Mike Kyle. He was the one that swam along side me at training weekend. He has believed in me from the start, never to waiver in his opinion. Im also very fortunate to have found the support of Amy Ryan, an EFT Specialist (Emotional Feeling Therapy Specialist), who I can now call a dear friend. She has been working with me closely to help me overcome my nausea issues. We've been seeing each other twice a week for the past month. 

In case "Team Belinda" wasn't aware... THANK YOU.. ALL OF YOU.... FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!  You are the definition of the word TEAM!

So as you can see I have left no stone unturned. Regardless of the outcome on Saturdays swim, I will have no regrets. I can do nothing more. Wildflower is only 3 days away. Im excited and I am ready to show everyone what means to be IRON!

A Letter From One Of Our Honorees

Hi all,

I wanted to send you a quick note to say hello and to thank you for
being part of Ironteam.  You all know what Ironteam symbolizes to the
group but I am not sure if any of the honorees have shared what
Ironteam means to them.

Ironteam is a team made up of all kinds of people, men and women of
all age groups, some fast, some not so fast.  You all have different
strengths on the swim, bike and run.  For some it may come easy, and
for some it is more of a challenge.  Then you also have to add
nutrition in some format liquid, or not.  You all also add to your hat
fundraising, and that is not any easy thing to do.  You give up most
of your personal lives so that others can live, and

The one thing you all have in common is the passion to find a cure for
cancer, and are relentless about giving up, just like cancers
survivors we are relentless about giving up.  Many regardless of how
hard they fought were not able to overcome the horrible disease.
While people are surviving cancer there are still not enough people,
everyone deserves a to survive cancer.

You all have your own reasons for being part of the cure for cancer
and I am proud of each and everyone of you.  I would have rather been
out playing with my friends, or ridining my bike than being sick in
bed from my cancer treatment.

I didn't have a choice but to fight, and you do - so when you climbing
up a hill that you just want turn turn around or wait to be picked up,
think of the children, men and women whom are not able to be outside
or enjoying time with their loved ones.

These women and men are you - the ironteam - Go Long, Go Strong, GO
Ironteam
YOU ROCK!

Honoree Kev
(Clink linkg for a photo of me from my childhood)
http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=140909062/PictureID=2599009713/a=1023984_1023984/otsc=SHR/otsi=SPIClink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

Training Pics Mo. 6

What's New?

Cutting to the chase of it:

A few email exchanges and one "almost" 3:1 meeting between myself, the head coach, the team manager and the LLS director seemed to have settled each sides grievances. A compromise had been determined. LLS/TNT expressed their concerns for my safety and capability to complete my swim. Knowing my dissatisfaction with their decision, a few alternate choices were placed on the table.

A) I could have a "pitch swimmer". I would do the bike and run part and someone else could do the swim part.. becoming the first ever "duathlete" with Ironteam.

B) Although advised against it: By May 24th I could test to swim 1.2 miles within the 1:20 window either through a sanctioned event or through an Ironteam coach. Until then I cannot do any open water swims with the team. I would have to have my own personal "swim consultant" that I must meet with routinely and then a weekly report as to my progress would need to be provided to the team coaches.

C) Should I fail to do option (B) I can then choose option (A) or go to option (D)

D) Walk away from the entire Ironman event. The money I did fundraise would then be held in limbo and rolled over into a different event of my choosing for next year.

E) Should I pass the test: I would then be allowed to rejoin Ironteam for open water swims. I would also be required to continue seeing a personal "swim consultant" and have weekly reports about my progress be provided for the remaining duration of the season.

What have I been doing?
I have been SWIMMING like a fish! I now have a personal "swim consultant"/friend who is helping me achieve that perfect swim stroke, body/balance position in the water. I have also been seeing an EFT specialist to help me overcome my nausea. And I have been swimming as often as I can in open water and in my wet suit. Pssts.. now keep this on the "down low" but I now know I CAN swim the 1.2 miles within the time allotted. :) I've already done it several times.. so stay tuned!



Another quick update: This past weekend I signed up and completed back to back Century rides. This was a great accomplishment for me personally. In training I have never ridden further than 65 miles. In just one weekend alone, I rode just slightly over 200 miles. I rode in a climate of 90+ degree weather and climbed anywhere from 5,500-6,000 feet of elevation daily. My nutrition was good and I was well hydrated. I battled any demons laying before me. I must say the 2nd Century Ride was more challenging. My body was already taxed from the previous days Century. The route was less shaded and more available to the suns rays. I also rode alone without any of my core Ironmates surrounding me. The weekends events was an ultimate test of my endurance, my determination and my training and it paid off!

**My song to get me through the grueling moments: Build Me Up Butter Cup

(im going to have to print out the song lyrics before my next event)

Relentless

I swim because I can. I swim because you say I can't.

"Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds." - Orison Swett Marden

"Belinda You Can't Swim"

I would of wrote this blog last night but I was still trying to process the news given to me yesterday. After our 2 hour swim work out and 9 mile trail run.. I was pulled aside by the head coach for a "talk". He wanted to address my "swim issue". Apparently a "decision" was made among the coaches and higher level TNT "big wigs". The coach informed me that legally they could not allow me to do the swim in my Ironman event. I was told a liability issue was of the greatest concern. During the Half Ironman Distance Training weekend I had "gutted" out the entire 1.2 mile swim but as a trade off.. I swam for 1 hr and 43 min and vomited twice in the water. The vomiting could of been attributed to the amount of time I spent in the water and or the fact that I was swimming in circles and back and forth across the lake while doing the backstroke. As you may remember I was assessed by 2 paramedics.. my sugar was checked, heart rate and temperature taken... all vitals were normal. Of course since I was in the water for so long and I vomited twice.. possible dehydration was what was determined. I was also shaking from being cold... Since I am so thin hypothermia was also something they were looking for (FYI-I shake when I get out of the shower too). Mentally I was aware and answering all questions and admittedly somewhat tired from the swim.
Looking back, my choice in doing the backstroke was a poor one. As I understood it, the goal of the swim was to finish it in its entirety. No "plan B's" were offered. No advice was given prior to the swim. Not everyone finished the entire swim.. they did the best they could do for them. I wonder if any of this would be an issue now if I had chosen to have quit and not do the entire swim of 1.2 miles. I also wonder why I wasn't offered a "plan B". The coaches knew of my struggles with swimming. Although I am now comfortable swimming in a pool.. swimming in open water is a totally different ball game. It was clearly known prior to Half Iron Training weekend of my anxieties with open water swims. Why was I not asked to swim 30 min out and back? Why was I not asked to just break it down and just focus on my freestyle stroke? Why was it not explained to me that it was in my best interest to just try to become more comfortable in the wet suit? That these were all options? That the goal of the day for me was not to swim the entire course (at least not that day) but to instead not worry and focus on "plan B". If I had thought of any of these things as options.. I certainly would of chosen differently.
As a compromise, the coach offered that I could be the "first Iron(WO)man to do a duathlon" instead.. someone else would swim in my place. I was also told that I was still part of the team and could do the swim work outs in the pool but was not allowed to do any more open water swims. These "compromises".. just added more sting to this nasty scenario!! I bursted into angry tears to the coach. I informed him that I have done nothing but bust my ass since the start of training in November of 08. I went into this program barely able to swim 25 yards without having to stop on the pool wall to catch my breathe. I now can swim 2800 yards in the pool along with everyone else. Im still one of the slower swimmers but the point is im swimming and im making the efforts needed towards improvement. I told him that I thought that it was wrong of them to take away my right to try.. I realize that I may not make the swim cut off during my race and im okay with that. My goal is just to try.. to try the best I can... For me, for all the people/family and friends that have supported me and for all the honorees.
After the conversation with the coach... I was left feeling that they had given up on me.. that I was not good enough.. that I was not worth it. TNT always ask us as participants to make a commitment.. to sign on the dotted line. But where is their commitment to me? There are people lying in hospital beds.. fighting for their lives. The prospects may be dismal but yet they fight. They do not give up. And for them and everyone else I will not give up! I will write my letters to the "big wigs" of TNT and go through all the chains of commands. And even if they still refuse me the right to try... I WILL STILL BE AT THAT WATERS EDGE ON RACE DAY! Even if I have to do it without the support of TNT.
All my teammates have been very supportive and want to help in any way they can. Today I swam in Sonoma in open water. Three of my teammates.. Les, Meg and Wendi took the time to swim with me. I swam in my wet suit.. I swam further than I have ever in open water (@ 1/2 mile) using a freestyle stroke. I did not get nauseated.. I did not vomit and yes I shivered a little when I got out of the water. My teammates pointed out different ways I could improve my swim to make it more efficient. It felt good to finally be told that I could do this. That all my efforts werent for not. Its amazing what a little positive reenforcement can do.
I have plans to do many more open water swims between now and May 1. I am officially signed up to do the Half Ironman (not through TNT) at Wildflower. This will be the same exact course that I did for Half Iron Distance Training weekend. I will complete the swim and I will finish the bike and the run. GO LONG, GO STRONG and JUST GO!!!!