Trip-Tips
I am receiving so many great questions! Thank you. I have recently improved my site so that I can more quickly post answers here so please keep sending them via email.
The Austin Triathlon
[update: September 10, 2009]
On Monday, Labor Day I participated in the Austin Triathlon. This would be the first race since my mother’s passing, five weeks ago now. It was put on the greatest bike shop on the planet…Jack and Adam’s bike shop in conjunction with High Five Events, led by race director and good friend Dan Carrol. On Sunday I participated on a pro Q and A panel with about 6 or 7 other local Austin pros. It was very cool to see everyone lined up there together, the talent at the table was strong enough to move it from the floor! As I was sitting there though I was not feeling so good. I began to feel like I wanted to be somewhere else, I wanted to get up and run away. Everyone seemed to be laughing and smiling and I just felt sad and gloomy. I was trying to buck and up and cheer up but my insides were hurting. The past few months have been very difficult and it felt strange to be back at “work” again. I felt like I was in the twighlight zone.
I went home and I started doubting whether racing was a good idea. I did not think my head was in the right place and was worried I would get out there and start sobbing like a bafoon on the bike. However after much thought, I decided to just keep moving forward. I checked my bike in and got my things ready at home for the next morning. I was thinking about what Ma would say (WWMD?) and I knew she would have encouraged me to get out there and just enjoy myself. So that is what I decided to do…
We started off in Town Lake with a deep water start and looking around as I was bobbing in the water I could tell we were in for a rough start. There were a lot of people in the wave and the first few minutes were much rougher than usual. I finally settled into a pack after what seemed like the entire wave went by, and happened to be upon the roughest feet I have ever felt. I touched them several times and could only imagine a catcher’s mit! I was also imagining what the owner of this set of catcher’s mits might look like. I was convinced he was an elderly, impressive ex UT swimmer (I’m thinking 80’s here people). We made our way through the swim and it turns out those mits belonged to my friend, my age Lon! We had a discussion about the condition of his feet after the race…he did not seem to be aware of their condition in the least. Ignorance is bliss:)
Onto my speedy and pretty Specialized Transition I ventured onto the exciting bike course circulating through downtown Austin. I was in fact, enjoying myself. I was in third and had better biking legs than I expected to have. I was thinking about Ma and how hard she fought in her last few months. I thought of how painful emotionally the last few months have been. With these thoughts I was able to push harder and harder until the end of the bike I arrived into transition on the heels of first place woman and my good friend, Kelly Handel. Kelly had about a ten second lead coming out of T2. They had us run directly onto a tough trail section and I was having trouble balancing myself through those rocks. I gradually moved up until finally I was on Kelly’s heels by mile 1 or so. I was breathing like a horse and it was embarrassing! The sun was full on now and the temperature seemed to be rising each mile. My mile 2 Kelly and I were running side by side and it felt strange. She is my good friend and here we were duking it out! The announcer, Logan was booming about saying what a hot race was on etc etc…I felt a sudden burst of energy about half way through and decided to surge a bit. Kelly stayed on my heels pretty much the entire second half and forced me to run hard. I was glad to see the finish line. As soon as I crossed the line I thought about Ma and hoped she was watching, she would have been proud I went out there and got the job done.
Thanks to Jack and Adams and High Five Events for putting on such an outstanding race. You guys pulled it off seamlessly and any race with post race ice cream cones at the end is a do-over for sure!
Thank you also to my sponsors TYR, Asics, Specialized, Oakley, Jack and Adams, SRAM, Zipp, MyAthlete and Blueseventy who continue to stand by me throughout such a turbulent year. I am sad to be missing Kona but am planning to save up all my energy for that race next year! Next up…Augusta 70.3 and that should be a ton of fun.
She's Baaa-aack
[update: June 13, 2009]
I was hoping to make you think of Chucky there for a second. I know you are all thinking that I have dropped off the face of the earth. I would just like to say I am back! Hello! For a while I was relying on Facebook to keep my friends updated on my wheres and whats, that got a little too time consuming and hectic. There was also too much of a cross between people who I wanted to see my most personal details and those that I did not. So! I have decided to start updating my website again and twittering…I like twitter as it is much more simple than Facebook and I have more control over what is posted there.
Things over the past few months have been a roller coaster of ups and downs. After a strong early winter and spring of training the last few months have been ridden with injury and stomach illness. Before the New Orleans 70.3 I was feeling confident and strong, thinking I could at least have a decent race. In the days before the race however I was too careless with my diet and must have had something that my stomach translated as evil. I woke up race morning with a (to spare the details) “bad” stomach and started the race on a half empty tank. No good, no fun and not productive. Coming back home after one of these episodes is never fun as the “symptoms” can last for several days and leave me weak and depleted. I literally was having trouble finishing a four mile run. Taking a nap always seemed like a much better idea. I have often the thought if I could just change one thing physically about myself it would be my celiac disease or gluten intolerance and overly sensitive stomach. It has caused me much strife.
I then began experiencing a nerve injury that was displaying as a sharp heel pain for most of April and May. It was the strangest pain as it would get better for a few days, I would manage to get some running in, and then it would return immediately. Frustrating! I realized it was my biking that was in fact aggravating the nerve so I decided to take a week off of that too. I accompanied my mom on a road trip down south to visit our relatives. During that time…poof! the pain vanished. I also had a great bike fit on my new Specialized Transition from Dave Wenger at Source Endurance. These new changes along with the time off have allowed me to train pain free for three weeks now YES! I was sorry to miss out on St Croix and the Rev 3 tri….sometimes things do not go according to plan.
I am happy to say that tomorrow I will be racing Eagleman 70.3. I have been home this past week to see my mom (who is still fighting off her cancer with prize fighters strength). Eagleman was my first ever half ironman way back in 1999 when I was a young tike of 22 years old. I have raced it 5 more times since then, making this year my 7th time there. I love this race as it is flat fast, hot and takes me back to my roots. Vigoman the RD and his staff always puts on a first class race.
Thank you to my sponsors Specialized for my beautiful new Transition (see pic) and Ruby, Asics for my awesome Hyperspeed race flats and all other accoutrements, SRAM for sending what I need asap and that super smooth Red component groupo, TYR for my super comfy race duds, swimmie trunks and goggle, Blueseventy for my Point Zero and Heliz fasties suits, MyAthlete for allowing my friends and family to see my whereabouts on the course, Oakley for my beutious sunnies and to Jack and Adams for being not only the best bike shop on the planet but great friends too.
After this race I will posting much more regularly… Promise.
Cheers and thank you for your support, Desiree
Jenny's Light
[update: February 01, 2008]
I just got home from a TYR photo shoot in Huntington Beach, CA. Becky Lavelle was also there for the shoot and we talked about the foundation she is starting to raise awareness for postpartum depression. It will be called “Jenny’s Light” in honor of her twin sister and nephew she recently and tragically lost. The foundation has been formed to raise awareness of this disorder and to help women who are experiencing this cope with their suffering.
Please visit Becky’s website www.beckylavelle.com to make a donation and keep Becky and her family in your prayers. She is such a sweet, kindhearted person and my heart goes out to her for all that she is going through right now.
