Cycle to the Sun 2017

Three weeks ago we flew to Hawaii.  Instead of our usual Hawaiian Airlines flight #1 to Honolulu, we flew to Maui.  It's been a while since we went to one of the other islands and had some down time.  Of course for us it's never just Rest and Relaxation, there's always some Recreation involved, too.  While I did a little bit of running, the biggie this time was for Les - Cycle to the Sun:

The legendary Cycle to the Sun is one of the most difficult bike climbs in the world.

The ride climbs 10,000 feet over 36 miles and reaches gradients up to 18%. As a comparison, the famed Mont Ventou in the Tour de France is only a 5,336 foot climb over 13.6 miles. It starts in Pa’ia at sea level and finishes up on top of the Haleakala Volcano at just above 10,000 feet (3,048 meters).

If you've ever been to Maui, you've seen ads for riding down Haleakala.  Les has ridden up Haleakala three other times but never raced it. We arrived on Wednesday and took Thursday and Friday as full on R & R.  Les got his bike ready and went for a short ride and I went for a short run, but there was a lot of relaxing involved, too.

Lanai island

We had an early start on Saturday morning to get to the race on time.  We both knew quite a few of the riders (the race is capped at 200.)

After an Hawaiian blessing, they were off!

I knew I would have plenty of time to wait, so I headed to the nearest coffee shop.  I ended up spending two hours with a lady whose husband was also in the race.  We shared stories about family and adventures.  My plan was to drive to the summit and hopefully see Les a few times along the way.

I stopped at the Visitor Center and watched Les go through.  Then I drove a few more miles to see him again.  I cheered for every rider who came by.  I was disappointed in most of the other friends and family members who were at the lookout.  They just stood there and only cheered when their rider came through.  I had fun with it, even asked "are you questioning your sanity right now?"  One rider said, "No, that was 10 miles ago!"  It's a grueling race and I know even a few words of encouragement can mean a lot. 

Riding strong enough to flash the "I love you" sign!

I was at the summit when Les came across the finish line.  The friends and family there were a lot more active - cheering for each rider.

He had been sick for about 3 weeks leading up to the race.  This is no easy ride at 100%, so I was happy to see him finish with a smile!  This was Les' fourth attempt and fourth successful finish on this ride.  His fueling was right on and Dramamine on Friday night/Saturday morning kept altitude sickness at bay.

It was a very clear day at the top.  In the distance are Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii...

Since the race I have heard Les say about a dozen times, "I want to ride Haleakala again!"

Have you ever been to Maui and tried the downhill? 
We rode it on our first visit to Maui in 1996.  I hadn't been on a bike since about 6th grade so it was pretty scary to me.  I'd love to do it again but don't plan on riding up!

1,000 Miles

I hit the 1,000 mile mark for the year this morning!  It's always exciting to see that number.  The breakdown by month:

January: 189.44
February: 156.30
March: 118.12
April: 162.06
May: 165.54
June: 170.64
Partial July: 44.36

Total: 1,006.46

Breakdown by activity:

Running:  405.27
Walking:  101.04
Cycling:  500.15

Almost identical numbers on my feet vs. on my bike!

I had an amazing run this morning.  We are still on Oahu so I headed up Tantalus.  I ended up running my third fastest on the entire 10 mile loop and my second fastest on the second half which is all downhill.  Strava also gave me my third best 5k!  It's funny - I'm not training for anything but I'm running strong these days.  Pressure free running = getting the joy back.

We're just past halfway, how is 2017 treating you?


Quick edit:  If you are a Strava user, check out Relive.  The site has been providing 3D videos of rides for quite some time but now they're also doing runs.  Here is my run from this morning: https://www.relive.cc/view/1075721591

Challenging Stereotypes, One Teenager at a Time

We've been back in Hawaii for a couple weeks and attended a 4th of July picnic yesterday.  I had a really funny exchange with a group of young people.  The mom (J) of 2 of the girls (A and K) is a friend of mine.  While I was sitting in my lawn chair, J came by and said, "Come with me."  We headed over to the group that included her daughters, another young woman and a young man.  I didn't catch his name, but for the sake of this post I'll call him KIAT (know it all teen.)

J said, "He doesn't think middle aged women are active.  Tell him how many marathons you've run."  I held up the number four and that's when things got fun...

KIAT:  Well running's not really hard...
Me (laughing, and not really insulted):  Really?  Lace 'em up then, let's go!
KIAT:  Um....
Me:  How old do you think I am?
KIAT:  44  (okay he's my new BFF!)
Me:  You missed it by about a decade...
Me:  I've also hiked the Grand Canyon, kayaked the Napali Coast, and mountain biked on Mt. Etna on Sicily.  Should I go on?
All:  Yes!
Me:  My husband and I hiked Yosemite, that's where he proposed.  And I ran Tantalus on Sunday.
A to KIAT:  Do you know where Tantalus is?
KIAT: No...
A:  I've walked it, wow!
Me:  My husband rode 42 miles on his bike this morning.
KIAT:  Okay, I'm impressed with you guys
Me:  He also raced Haleakala a couple weeks ago (post about that coming soon!)
KIAT:  Okay, okay, I was wrong!

I walked away laughing.

This whole conversation made my day!  I laughed the whole time because I love it when people underestimate me and dozens of women just like me.  I also realize that he could have been talking about dozens of women I know, my age and younger, who do fit the stereotype.  My own Mom was like that.  She spent all her time taking care of her family and putting herself last.  I wonder if she'd still be alive today if she had spent even 30 minutes a day focusing on her health.

It's a balance that each of us has to find.  We can't neglect our families, but we can't neglect ourselves either.  I will always believe we're better wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters when we're taking care of ourselves. 

Do people ever underestimate you?  Do you struggle with balancing family life and taking care of yourself?

Testing My Endurance

I've been without any goals lately.  Doing lots of running and riding but without a lot of purpose.  I have been working on riding with a higher cadence and I'm definitely seeing improvement in my riding, but that's about it.  I went for a ride Sunday morning and while I was out I wondered if I could hit 100 miles in a week.  Since my longest ride ever is about 40 miles this meant getting up and doing something every morning...

Sunday - rode 11.34 miles
Sunday morning is my favorite time to ride.  So few cars are out.  I had planned to ride at least 20 miles.  I got a flat tire instead!  I was really close to home so I decided to just walk the bike home.
Walked .66 miles
Week to date: 12.00

Monday - ran 6.44 miles
WTD: 18.44

Tuesday - rode 12.61 miles
I had trail run planned for Wednesday, so I went for an easy spin.  I surprised myself with a couple of really nice PRs, even took a 5th overall on the final segment leading to our house!
WTD: 31.05

Wednesday - Ran 9.77
This was the toughest trail run I have ever done.  I typically go 7 miles on the trail, occasionally I've gone as far as 8 miles, but that's it.  The extra miles gave me 600' of climbing in about 1.5 miles, which also meant 600' of descending.  It was steep - over 15% in some places.  I had to walk quite a bit because I really didn't want to lose my footing and go down.   Les was on his mountain bike and turned around before he caught me - he didn't think I would go as high up as I did.  Things are really drying out and turning brown around here - all the pictures in this post are from the trail.
WTD:  40.82

Thursday - Rode 12.29
My legs were SO sore!  Les rode with me and we took it really easy.
WTD:  52.11

Friday - Walked 5.55
I had planned a 7ish mile run but my knees had other ideas.  They were still really achy from Wednesday's trail adventure.
WTD:  58.66

I went to bed Friday night knowing I had a big ride ahead of me to hit my 100 mile goal...

Saturday - Rode 22.41 miles
My legs were worn out.  I knew 100 miles was out of reach, but I wanted to get in a good ride. I think if I had done an easy 10 miler on Wednesday instead of the trail run the rest of the week would have gone better and I might have hit 100 miles, but it was still a great week!
WTD:  81.07

Total miles
2 walks - 6.21
2 runs - 16.21
4 rides - 58.65
Total - 81.07

You Vs. the Year 2017

My data is uploaded in a lot of places.  SportTracks is my primary tracker, I've been using it since 2010 and have over 14,000 miles recorded there.  My data is also uploaded to Suunto Movescount, Strava, TrainingPeaks, and MapMyRun.  And Les takes my data into Golden Cheetah for further analysis!  Each of these serve a purpose - Movescount is my Suunto Ambit2 collector and I also use it to set up my watch.  Strava is my social media spot, the place where I connect with other runners and cyclists (besides the blog world.)  I use TrainingPeaks when I'm following my marathon training plan.  And then there's MapMyRun...

I originally used MapMyRun to create routes.  This is especially helpful when planning long runs.  I can make sure I'm running near parks for water and potty breaks.  This also helps when I don't want to get home with two miles left on the plan.  I prefer to get as far from home as possible before making my way back.

In the past couple of years I have also joined lots of MapMyRun challenges.  My data syncs automatically, so there's nothing for me to do but go out and run, walk, or ride.  Unlike most Strava challenges, MapMyRun challenges have real prizes.  I haven't won anything big, but I have received several Under Armour gift cards and coupons.

Most of the challenges last about a month, but there is one called "You VS the Year 2017."  The goal is to run 1017km in 2017.  After my run this morning, I received an email letting me know I had crossed the 500km mark.  With 238 days remaining this year, I am feeling really good about accomplishing this goal.  For many runners this isn't much, but I have almost the same number of cycling miles as well.

Steady.  That's the word for me for 2017.  I'm setting some PRs here and there, but being consistent is really satisfying right now.

How do you track your miles?  Do you join challenges?

Summer Time Eats

When we were in Hawaii last month we had Acai Bowls for lunch several times.  The difference between an acai bowl and a smoothie is the thickness.  You can drink a smoothie, while you need a spoon to eat an acai bowl.  Acai bowls usually have some kind of a topping as well.  Packed with power foods these are very filling for a meal.  I have experimented quite a bit and the third time was a charm.

Acai Bowl (2 servings)
Ingredients:
1 cup Ocean Spray Lite Cran-Grape Juice (5 calories per cup)
1 medium banana
1 scoop protein powder
2- 4 oz packets frozen Acai Berry puree (these are from Target)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries

Toppings:
1 medium banana, sliced
2 Tbsp. granola
2 Tbsp. Coconut flakes
1 Tbsp. honey

1.  Add ingredients to blender in order listed.  Blend, using "crush ice" first, then move on to mix and puree until all ingredients are blended.
2.  Pour into 2 bowls.  Place in freezer for 45-60 minutes until firm.
3.  Top with toppings and enjoy!

The acai bowl is only about 200 calories with the toppings adding about 100-150 calories.  Not bad for a meal.  We've had them for lunch quite a bit. I'm usually too hungry post-run to wait for them to firm up and have them for breakfast.   I'm sure you could use other ingredients to switch up the taste, but this one is perfect in our book.

Ever had an acai bowl?  Have you made them yourself?

Our Crazy Life

Four years ago in January Les took a job working for a company based in Hawaii.  We spent most of 2013 in a rented Waikiki condo.  2014 and 2015 were filled with back and forth travel.  2016 we spent nine months renting part of a house in Hawaii Kai.  We've already made two trips to Oahu this year.  On top of the Hawaii trips, Les visits clients here on the mainland and attends industry conventions.  I'm fortunate enough that I don't have to work a paying job and can tag along often.

Plans for a busy June are starting to firm up.  Les will be in four states/three time zones in the first week and a half of June.  We are also planning to go back to Hawaii some time in June.  Oh, and I have a marathon scheduled on June 10th. As our plans have firmed up, my "racecation" was looking more and more like a solo endeavor or a flyby. I have never been to Utah and really wanted a few days to see at least part of the state.

I checked the race website and saw a "defer" option.  I can defer to 2018 or 2019.  Les will be flying home from a convention that takes place in Orlando.  This particular event takes place each June and moves around the country each year.  In 2018 it will be in Nashville.  Les grew up there so we have tons of friends and family in the area so I definitely want to go on that trip.  In 2019 the convention will be in Phoenix, considerably closer to Utah.  The more I thought about it, the more sense it made to defer to the 2019 race.  There was a $15 change fee, but with so many "nonrefundable, nontransferable" races out there, this seemed like the right decision.  I wasn't going to let my free entry fee go to waste!

In case you're wondering, Les never even suggested that I not race.  He would have flown from Orlando to Salt Lake City (about 50 miles from Provo) just to be there.  This would have meant him being home about 48 hours the entire month of June.  Some things just don't make sense no matter how much you want them to.

I've been a runner for over 20 years.  In that time I've run a total of nine races.  That probably seems strange to some people, but I'm okay with it.  I ran 2600 miles one year and didn't run a single race!   I don't regret the training I've done.  It's gone well, not great, but good enough that I know I could have finished the marathon.  But the expenses to just go there, race, and come back home were adding up to more than I wanted to commit to.  So... Utah Valley Marathon 2019 here I come!

Right now I don't know if I'll try to run a marathon this year.  We tentatively have something really big on the calendar for this Fall so I'll just wait and see.  If we're on Oahu when they are having any of marathon readiness races I might do one of those because they are usually 12-15 miles and the registration fee is pretty small for last minute decisions.

Do you or any of your family members do a lot of business travel?
Ever deferred a race?