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sorry… May 22, 2008

Posted by Kylie in : Life Outside of Tris, marky , add a comment

So Marky told me to zip it about the rain. But it didn’t end there. It poured and then was nice and sunny and warm at lunch and then pooooured this evening. With lightning and thunder! So I ran to the car to leave, of course during one of the strongest downpours of the day, and it wouldn’t unlock. And so I used the key. And it opened and I climbed in. Even the door unlock wouldn’t open the other locks, and I tried to turn on the car. No luck. Well shit. Looks like I left the lights on all day. I blame it on the rain. If it wasn’t raining I wouldn’t have gotten out of the car through the back seat in the morning, and the car would have beeped at me and I would have turned the lights off (I was hunting for my umbrella and crawled through to the back…).

So thanks to the guy in the common area at work who opened the door for me since my badge was in the car, and then had jumper cables and helped me in the rain. Wooo for helpful people!

And then I heard that we had a couple tornados today! Yes, in Southern CA! Craziness! So there, Marky — it was crazy here, too.

But it did mean the pool was closed, so no swim this evening. Just a crazy rainy drive home.

huh?

Posted by Kylie in : Life Outside of Tris , 1 comment so far

Rain? This late in May? Well, as long as the lightning stays away it will be good for fire conditions. It is pretty poouring right outside my window. And it wasn’t raining at home, just work. Guess those light colored pants and no jacket or umbrella wasn’t the best idea!

wedding update May 20, 2008

Posted by Kylie in : Life Outside of Tris, mike , 1 comment so far

Well time flies when you are having fun, so the wedding just keeps getting closer and closer! A date and location has been determined, and I have a dress already. The main things we need to get going with are the announcements and rings!!

And today I emailed the honeymoon race and gave them an update on what my name will be, which was fun.

At least we already have a somewhat “theme” (basically how our invites and favors and such will all tie together and to us). But yet so much more to do!

The 10th Ining April 7, 2008

Posted by Kylie in : Life Outside of Tris, pics , 8 comments

My grandpa is a wonderful man, and I will miss him. He passed away over night. It was not sudden — he battled prostate cancer and recovered, but then had cancer in his lungs, spine, and I think kidneys. Yet he was not in pain — last time I spoke with him and my grandma, he was only occasionally taking over the counter Tylenol. But fluid built up in his lungs, and the risks of draining it while he was still in no pain weren’t worth it. He soon went home, but still didn’t believe it was really about the end.

My mom told him when I got engaged, and while he was very happy for me his face dropped when he heard it was going to be a September wedding. He knew he probably wouldn’t be able to be there with me. That week, he and my grandma sent me a card and let me know they wanted to buy my wedding dress, as he wanted to be with me that day as much as he could. This weekend I got my dress, and the last news he had about me and Mike was that he had bought us a beautiful wedding dress. And the ring on my finger, symbolizing the love of my life, is one he picked out for my grandma.

As he always was, he didn’t want anyone to see his weakness, and wanted us to remember him as the strong man he always was in my life. Talking to his wife, he knew had to start accepting that it was near the end of his time, and he realized all his family already knew. The hard part for him was the waiting — he didn’t like sitting around waiting to die, and he was scared, but hew knew it was time and that was that. A former Boston Red Sox pitcher, he told my grandma he was in his tenth ining. Last night he was coughing some in his sleep, and then stopped. When Grandma woke up, he was gone.

Right now it’s tough, but I’m working to remember him as he would have hoped. He will be cremated as to his wishes, not wanting the body he was in as the end of his days to be our memory of him. He wants us to remember the powerful force he was in our life, so here it goes…

I will be adding more as I go through my memories of him.

Grandpa I love you, and I miss you.


(more grandpa stories are on my old blog but I don’t think they are viewable for the world… I will have to share some of them later).

Best Weekend EVER March 2, 2008

Posted by Kylie in : Life Outside of Tris, biking, mountain biking, mike, R3 , 6 comments

I spent Tuesday through Thursday in San Diego with Cervelo getting to test ride their bikes and see their wind tunnel testing and engineering presentations.

Then Mike and I went for an early morning mtn bike ride Saturday. We ended up ditching the bikes in a bush and hiking up to a favorite waterfall (yeah, in bike shoes). And I left wearing….

!!!!! Yup, he proposed You know you have found the right one when the proposal comes during a ride in almost-rain, early morning light, with helmet hair, and on a fun unplanned side trail

More pics

swimming breakthrough! January 12, 2008

Posted by Kylie in : swiming, Life Outside of Tris, pics , add a comment

So yeah, again it has  been a while since I wrote. Canada was awesome (pics here) — I even got to run from Canada to the US and back again while viewing the Niagara Falls!

My exciting news this week was a swimming breakthrough! Even when I was in the pool 3-4 times a week I was holding about 1:58-1:55/100yds on repeats. This week, in the pool I for some reason started playing with breathing. And suddenly… my sprinty (about as fast as I could go for 100s and repeat them 20sec later) 100s were in 1:47!!! And the next time I swam my 100s just strong (could keep going if I had to, and a shorter recovery) were in 1:51ish!

So what did I change? Well, I started breathing earlier in my stroke. I’m not sure how to explain it exactly, but it’s almost like as I rotate I almost let my head get a little ahead of the body roll, and I am breathing before my arm gets as far into recovery as I was.

I really have no idea what made me try that, but once I had and it was feeling good, I remembered a couple things I was once told. About two years ago I was told I was breathing too long. I tried to breath faster, and it completely didn’t work for me, and I soon decided it was fitness or something that I just didn’t have yet, and moved on to addressing other parts of my stroke. But now that I realized how much breathing earlier in the stroke helps, my guess is that I was told I was breathing too long since the person didn’t notice when I was starting, but just when I was ending.

I also got the feedback that I had a slight pause in my stroke, and that I should work on smoothing it. I could feel that, and I have worked on it, but hadn’t completely gotten rid of it. Well, with breathing earlier my whole stroke is feeling much smoother. It’s almost as if I was doing something funky in my stroke to let me get a breath in. And I no longer need to do that.

With breathing earlier I feel like my balance in the water is better throughout my stroke, and I felt so much more comfortable in the water. In addition, I’m getting a breath MUCH easier, and don’t need to breathe as often even when I’m putting out a bit higher effort.

Definitely good stuff :) And something to keep me going back to the pool since I’ve found a place where I am again making progress, which is always my goal.

What we did for Thanksgiving November 29, 2007

Posted by Kylie in : General, running, Life Outside of Tris, pics, mike , 3 comments

Ok so I haven’t been posting here a lot. Just so much of life going on — and work! So things are good, and here is a fun story of my Thanksgiving weekend with Mike. To see a pic fullsize just click on it. Enjoy!

It all started Thursday morning as we headed off to the airport to fly to the Bay Area to visit my (Kylie’s) family. We arrived with just enough time for a run down the street while Mom finished cooking (she never lets me help!).

We were done running just in time, but our family dinner was still cold. And for the best of reasons. Before sitting down my mom, her boyfriend Dennis, my sister Becky, Mike, and I took dinner to my grandparents who weren’t up for a big group meal. It was great to see them happy as it has been a tough year for them.

Back home, our dinner involved my mom, sister, and I reliving stories of childhood (of course lots of giggling resulted).

The next day Mike and I headed out on another run. Although we said we’d be back in around 2 hours, it ended up being about 4! First there was the hike up to the trails – about half a mile and 700ft of climbing.

Once up the hill we visited the old Nike site where missiles were set up during the Cold War, where there is a great view of Mount Tam.

Then it was off down the trails for a loop we found as we went.

It took us through forested areas

and right along the water

We don’t always get to run together (he’s much faster) so this was a special treat.

(Looks like the embedded youtube videos aren’t working… so go watch it there)

We saw some deer, and Mike found…

… a snake! Which he proceeded to throw down the trail at me

Mike kept stopping and posing, and like magic a girl would appear beside him!

And sometimes he’d stop for other reasons

In the end it was 12.5 miles, about 3700 ft of climbing, and a whole lot of pictures and fun. Oh, and then we also got to do that fun hike back down to the house.

Then it was off to the stores where my mom was getting us Christmas presents since we’ll be in Canada for it this year. We came away with fun holiday bike socks, and I got a pair of pants I’m proud to say are smaller than I remember wearing since I moved from the girls to the women’s department! Yay tris :)

Saturday we went for another run right along the ocean.

(Looks like the embedded youtube videos aren’t working… so go watch the second one there)

After that we were handed off to my Dad and stepmom, Wendy. And between eating and watching football we went out for a great walk on some trails around their house.

I don’t think it could have been a better weekend. Some awesome runs, great food, lots of relaxing, and getting to see all of my family.

And then we just had to catch an early flight home on Sunday, and head straight to the good ol’ hockey game. It was an exciting match, with the Ducks finally getting a lead (3-2) with not much time left, and holding off the Kings during a 6 on 3 power play for the last minute and a half of the game!

It’s hard to get back to the daily grind after that!

the dreams have started August 10, 2007

Posted by Kylie in : Life Outside of Tris, biking, Ironman, mike , 3 comments

And I don’t mean the thoughts and plans and goals kind of dreams. I mean the kind that have me get in super workouts while I sleep, letting me wake up feeling I should be done with exercise for the day.

This time it was the same race I’ve dreamed about before. Along a canal that runs through a city, with water stops along the way, and the bike comes back into town along it. By a canal, I mean a fairly narrow, cement waterway — the kind about 10-15 feet below street level, and that you can see by looking down in certain spots. Anyways, the bike comes back into town along it, and the run stays along it.

Before I dreamed that Mike had mechanical issues. This time he was having heat issues (there’s always a reason I end up near him, and it’s not usually because I’m having a SUPER FREAKIN’ FLYIN’ FAST day ;) ). So we were finishing up on the bike, and he was carrying his. We came around a turn and felt the breeze from the waterway (HA!) and it was soo refreshing he climbed back on. I woke up as I was planning to get running.

Maybe if I find a race that looks just like that and do it I can actually wake up feeling like I’ve slept, instead of like I’ve raced ;)

Vineman 70.3 half Ironman race report — LOOONG July 23, 2007

Posted by Kylie in : nutrition, running, swiming, Life Outside of Tris, Race Tales, biking, mike , 9 comments

Wow. Where to start… This race report is going to be long. And tough. Kinda like the day. There was the good, the bad, and the ugly. Guess I’ll just keep it how the day played out, but we’ll start a bit before Sunday.

Since this was a ‘B’ race (secondary focus for the year) Mike and I basically trained through it. The week before was a bit easy training-wise just since there was so much to get done. But it was done (way too late on Friday) and Mike got off to work Friday while I worked a bit from home and got the car packed. At 1 I picked him up at work and we were on our way. I must say I was excited: I have only done one half, and it was very early in my tri career, and I had hopes for a PR. Mike was thinking there was a chance he could get a Kona spot, but wasn’t sure how likely it was. We were both excited to do a big race together. Yeah, I can even be a sappy girl about that. I was giggly and chatty on the ride, and he laughed at me. But it was an easy, uneventful drive up. We made it to my mom’s house in time for dinner and seeing a bunch of little-Kylie pics she had found while cleaning out the garage. An early night, and a relaxing morning got us on our way relaxed and ready to go.

After missing a lunch with my sis (stupid traffic on her way there and her work schedule) we made it to the expo, got registered, and got out T2 stuff dropped off. It was fun to get it all ready with him, and to play with yankz (faster shoelaces) in the parking lot. Then it was off to Guerneville where we met up with my step-grandparents, Dad, and bonus-mom Wendy. Since they live right on the river, we had another great place to stay with a swim in the river, a yummy dinner, and great company to get the bikes all set up. Then off to bed!

Up early, ate, and got to the race. Having 2 transition areas made it a bit interesting, but luckily we had figured out a plan for getting my car to the start — Wendy and my dad could each take a car, and in case they left early I had a spare key in my bike bag and they could just lock the keys in. That stress solved, I was able to really focus on the race instead of at all dealing with wondering how the day would play out.

It was my first time at a big race and in a bigger age group, so it was a bit intimidating. I did get to meet Beverly , which was great as I felt I already kinda know her. Then into the LOOOONG porta potty lines. But I made it through, and into the water on time. Gave the “I love you” sign to Mike, Wendy, and my dad, and my day started! Definitely in a washing machine — a few bumps and such, but I just remembered it’s just hard to see, and ignored it all and kept going. Only kicked a bit extra when hands stayed on my feet, instead of just bumping them. The swim started going up river, and I could feel a bit of the current. I just kept focusing on pulling, siting, and swimming steady. Got to the turn around (at last!) and had the “tailwind” of current helping me. The cruise back was much more pleasant. Oh, and I saw Mike’s wave passing under one of the bridges as I did, and thought good thoughts for his race. Got to the end of the swim, let some water into my wetsuit, and ready for a speedy transition.

Wetsuit off, bike shoes on, helmet on (after fixing it… the back had come a bit unattached), sunglasses on, stuff my wetsuit, helmet and goggles into a bag, grabbed the bike, and ran out to keep moving.

When I got on the bike, within a few miles I could tell it was going to be a good day. As I thought to myself at one point, I felt “smooth as buttah!” The first steep climb just helped me up, and the risers just weren’t as draining as I thought they could be. At 30 minutes my Garmin beeped at me and I took a swig of the super-concentrated carbo-pro mix. It went down pretty easy, and I just kept movin’. To my surprise, I was already at about 9 miles! WTF??? Um, that’s 18mph… I was hoping to be over 17! “Guess I’ll take it, I feel good.” And I just kept going. About mile 23 I heard “There’s mine!” in my favorite voice. I grinned, and saw Mike FLY past me (later learned it was at about 26 mph to my 19ish). As he screamed by, he called “Mine’s SPEEDY!…. AND I’M WINNING!!!” and at the end of that I could hear definite little boy excitement in his voice. “I KNOW! I’ve been looking for your age!” (we had our ages on our calves, so I could see when people in his wave, 32 minutes after mine, passed me.

I just kept it up. Drinking on the 30 minute beeps, pushing it so that I felt it might be just barely harder than I really should. Mike said to go there, and he thought I’d be able to pull off a good run still. So I trusted, and felt a bit of pain, but had fun and felt, well, smooth as buttah ;) Up the biggest hill, with a “woohoo! YES!” at the top. I was ready for the cruise to T2. I ate a gel, felt great, and made the last few turns.

Think of the last thing you want to see in a race. I used to think the worst thing I personally could experience in a race is crashing or failing myself. But I was wrong. I come around a turn, and I see an ambulance. A firetruck. Police cars. AN AIRLIFT AMBULENCE. “Oh crap… that is horrible. I hope the racers are all ok. Is this going to be one of those things you read about on the forums and such, the story of a crash about 2 miles from the end of the bike loop?” I keep moving, knowing the best thing I can do is just get by and stay out of the way since the vehicles were on the far side of the road. I glance as I pass, and I see it is a racer in the telltale spandex. But wait. That spandex has orange sides on the shorts, LIKE MINE. That jersey is an orange tank, LIKE MINE. HOLY SHIT THAT HAIR IS LIKE MIKE’S HELMET HAIR. OMG. I think I screamed. I slammed on the brakes (forgetting they were new and strong ones and locked a wheel). Somehow remembered to look over my shoulder and see the path was clear before turning back, pedaling harder than I think I had during the race so far. Skidded to a stop in front of 3 paramedics walking away, calling “Is that Mike Donia????”

“Yeah… are you the girlfriend? He’s ok.” The airbulance people were calm, and let me know that he was ok. That he was going in the ambulance, and not in the helicopter. That he was scrapped up and bruised, but ok. Again, ok. And that I should keep going, and that he had asked for my dad. I said I could find my dad faster, and they said good, and I took off again. I just went. Didn’t think, but there were definitely tears sliding out under the sunglasses. I still can’t get the image out of my face of him on the stretcher as I passed, just laying there. How his jersey was folded, the arm over his eyes as he faced the other way. I think keeping going and not going to him was one of the hardest things I’ve done. But I knew it is what he would have wanted. He was in good hands, he knew who to ask for. I could make sure my dad got to him, and that was about it. So I pedaled. A race official came up next to me, asked if it was me. Said he was ok, maybe a broken collar bone. Some road rash. And that I should keep going, he wanted me to, and that they’d make sure he knew I’d go to him if he wanted.

I saw my mom point at me as I got to the school, and could tell she didn’t know it was me. I figured it was because they were still waiting for Mike. I was right, and later found out she was using me as the example of what he’d look like. “Hi Mom…” In the narrow bike path, I just went to the transition, grabbed my shoes, and was back on the course so that I could talk to them without being in the way. As I jogged, I saw my Dad. “Dad… Mike crashed. He’s being taken to a hospital. Will you go with him?” I have no idea what he answered, but it was something of concern. “Please just go with him!” and he said he would. I told my mom and Wendy as I passed them, and told them to talk to Dad.

And I ran. A few panic attacks. But I kept moving. Up hills, down hills, around people. Up the biggest hill, I tell a girl why I’m stressed, seeing my boyfriend ready for an ambulance ride, and where. And she asks “the one hit by a car?” UM WHAT?? She felt horrible, as I struggled to breathe and sty stay with my mantra: just keep moving. I was only getting closer to being back to him, and he’d be proud I finished. I vaguely knew I was close to breaking the time he told me I could beat, that I wasn’t sure I believed. Saw faces I knew, hear cheers. It just didn’t feel real. Just didn’t really care. People in my age group passed me, and I passed them. I just wanted to be done. I wasn’t there mentally. I now know that focus can be broken, what it feels like to be running a race that you are no longer mentally in. I just kept moving. I knew that they’d know more once I was back, and that by just moving I’d be back the fastest. I remember it being hot. I remember taking a pic with an I love you sign because all I could think of was that Mike wasn’t running with me, and that I wouldn’t see him at some point on the out and back. But I kept going, and I got it done. And then I finished. I sprinted the end, I knew I’d get info and be done and it couldn’t hurt that much because it would be over, and I wouldn’t even think of it.

And I was done, and somehow got sponges on my head and shoulders and water in my hand and my mom there, telling me where Mike was, and that he was in xray. Mom and I kept busy waiting for more info, checking at medical. Finding Mike’s bike at info. Yes, getting my results so I could tell Mike when I saw him that I did it. The medical tent was great (actually the same guy who helped me at full Vineman last year), and another guy who called my mom with each update he got. My dad let us know that Mike was out of xray, and someone told me he had no broken bones. I got cleaned up a bit, and by the time the car was repacked with all the bikes and gear Mike was being discharged and my mom could lead me to where Dad and Wendy had him, getting fed. We made it, and I got the hug I’d needed for over 13 miles. To see with my own eyes that he is ok.

We said goodbyes to my family, and started the long drive home. Mike wrapped in gauze and bruised and sore, but in good spirits and knowing he’d be more sore in the morning. He talked with me all the way home, and promised that he’ll never let me pass him like that again. And that he’d never do it again. And that he is proud of me.

Of course we weren’t done for the day. Leaving the restaurant my check engine light comes on, and the car decides if we are in slow traffic it will stall. After it did so the third time right by my mom’s, we stop. Of course pulling off the highway to make the turn to where Mom’s car boyfriend was so he could see what was going on, the light went off and everything felt normal again. So he checked it, gave the car a clean bill of health, and we were back on our way home.

On that long drive I got to hear Mike’s story, the parts that were missing in my mind. Yes, it was a car. He was biking along, still right in the thick of things for his age group (just behind the 2 leading bikers who had passed him, but who he thought he’d be able to outrun. He made the same left where I saw him, and was moving along the straight away. A car was in the lane next to the bike lane, over to the left, having also just gone through that controlled (by the race and police) intersection. There was a bit of a gap between Mike and the next bike, and the car puts on its right blinker as if it is going to turn into the condos he was passing. It moves into the bike lane, so he moves left to go by as he was moving about 26mph and faster than the car. All of a sudden, the car pulled back left to make a uturn, and Mike thought “You’ve got to be kidding” as he had no time to do anything but fly over the car, getting thrown to the other lane of traffic, and skid to a stop. As he lay in the road, he could hear the driver getting yelled at by all the spectators, and an MD (who was racing) stopped and helped him until the rest of the help arrived. Oh, and the bike is done, as is his aero helmet, and the zipp disc and 808. But the driver should be covering that expensive part of his mistake. Looking at the bike it seems ok, but on closer inspection you can see flakes of carbon that you can lift on the top tube, and a hole through the disc. And we looked at results later, and the guy with him on the bike won the age group — and yes, Mike and I think he could have gone faster on the run. Guess we’ll still have to look to Kona at IM KY.

Tonight he is sitting next to me. Road rashed, bruised, and sore. But he is here with me, and ok other than that. And he loves me, and is proud of me.

Oh, and I did great — I PR’ed by about 1 hr 24 minutes. Granted, my last half IM was early in my tri-life, but I’ll take it:
swim: 39:30ish (mixed with T1 in official results)
T1: 2:53
bike: 3:05:57
T2: 2:38
run: 2:03:14
Total: 5:54:14

Previous PR was in 2004 at Caliman: swim 42:50, T1 8:48, bike 3:56:17, T2 6:52, run 2:26:28, for a total 7:18:40. My open half marathon PR had been 2:01:33 from a week after the Caliman half IM. So yeah, I’m pleased with how I did. Choosing to listen and keep racing was hard. Very hard. I’ve never had 13 miles be so long, or unimportant in the moment. And now… I have a boy to comfort and hug.

too much free time? July 17, 2007

Posted by Kylie in : Life Outside of Tris , 4 comments

Well I finished my application for the University of Redlands Masters in GIS program. Which I thought was needed by July 31st. Turns out it was by sometime last week (due to the work fellowship program I’m also applying for). Well after that stress of yesterday, and due to some awesome work by my editor Holly and my favorite prof from college Geoff, I got everything in this morning. And got my unofficial acceptance letter this afternoon!

Guess all those free hours from not training for an IM might already be claimed…

Oh and yes, tris were a big part of the personal statement as my GIS interest was greatly increased by using a GPS in training ;)