Make It Happen!

Today is an important day in my life. On this day in 2005 my dear aunt, Lynda, passed away from pancreatic cancer.


I cannot even begin to explain the impact this had on my family. Lynda was a remarkable woman and without a doubt one of the most generous soul ever to walk among us. She was taken from us far too soon and far too quickly. Following her diagnosis in December, she lived for less than three months before succumbing to her disease. We were fortunate in that we were given the opportunity to say goodbye and to tell her how much we each loved her and how we each treasured her in our own ways.
I will never let a day go by without thinking of her and being thankful for the life lessons she shared with me.
Which brings me to the title of this email. Since losing Lynda, I have adapted the phrase "Make it Happen" as my mantra. Lynda was never one to give order or demand things. In fact, she would sooner bend over backward and suffer herself before letting someone go without. One day, after she had entered hospice care, she called my mother into her room and said "Get me an orange soda. No ice. In a clear glass. Make it happen!" It was so unlike her, that we couldn't help but laugh. Ever since, I use that phrase as often as possible When I race, I write it on my calf under my age. When I'm having a bad day, I say it to myself to remind me of her and what is truly important in life. And of course, I say it when I want to laugh and be sure not to take this too short life too seriously. While I still miss her terribly, she gave me a wonderful gift.
I could not help but think she was saying hello this morning when I saw this beautiful sunrise through my office window.

I love you, Lynda.
Making it happen,
Bree

A'hoy Land Lubbers

Now that I am back on dry land, I can finally post an update to my blog. I have been out-to-sea for the past week or so chasing herring and whales. Well, I was chasing whales and Fish and Game was chasing herring.
All told, it was kind of a lame trip. There were much fewer whales around than I had hoped and the weather was less than agreeable. Still, it's better than being stuck behind a desk.
February 17: Day 1 - Leaving Port
The weather was beautiful for our departure from Kodiak and I had high hopes for the week ahead.

The purpose of this trip was for Fish and Game to assess the herring biomass that overwinters in a couple of bays on the west side of Kodiak Island. I often tag along on these surveys so that I can document any whales that may be taking advantage of a winter food source. I collect photographs and biopsy samples from any whales I see.
Didn't get much work done on day one because by the time we reached our destination, the sun was going down and it was beginning to snow.

Feb. 18: Day 2 - Finally getting down to business
A decent day, except for the biting cold. Hey...what can you expect for Alaska in February?
We did some whaling and only came across one lone bugger.

This is a whale I have seen in this bay in the past.

The F/V Resolution...our main research platform for the week.

Mark, a biologist for F&G who also happens to be my husband (pretty handy, huh?), driving the "whale chasing" skiff.

Yeah, they're cute, but they are meaner than hell. We affectionately call them "rat fuckers."
Later that night we caught some herring in the snow and then sampled them for genetics, age, sex, and disease. I helped out, but not until I was done with my workout! Yep, that's right. The boat had a trainer on board. I would have absolutely lost my mind if not!

Totally listening to triathlon podcast, by the way


Feb. 19: Day 3 - Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Very, very boring day. The wind picked up and we couldn't do much. I didn't even take any pics this day.
I did do some strength training in the dry hold, though.

Feb. 20: Day 4 - Still windy and bloody freezin'
No whales to be seen and very few herring to catch. It was blowing like mad and the only thing we managed to catch was a crab pot.

Feb 21: Day 5 - OK....I've had enough.
Too bored and too cold, so I bailed. I got Mark and Birch to skiff me over to the nearby village of Larsen Bay so I could hop on a mail flight back to Kodiak. Beautiful flight home.

Whew...ok, that's it for now. Thanks for putting up with the departure from triathlon.
More soon!

Happy Valentine's Day Indeed

Happy Belated Valentine's Day! My valentine sure knows the way to my heart.
Check out my V-day gift.

These are Asics Gel-Arctics. Yeah, Arctics. They are water resistant and have built in ice cleats.
How sweet is that? My only complaint is that our cold weather has turned to mostly rain which means I don't really need the cleats right now. These beauties will have to sit on the shelf until the snow returns.
So what do you all get? Was St. Valentine good to you?
More soon!

You just never know...

It was windy and trying to decide if it was cold enough to snow or simply rain. Not terribly uncommon for Kodiak in February. I was going completely wimp out and hit the treadmill when my husband surprised me by saying he would like to run with me. It would have to be a freakin' hurricane for me to pass on that opportunity. We took it easy and had a nice chat. We ran a loop that allowed him to head home while I could still go for another 2 miles or so. Brilliant. It was a great run for so many reasons. Running and chatting with my husband, braving the elements when I wanted to hide on the electric belt, hearing my feet crunch on the gravel. I was rewarded on this day. Rewarded for not hiding from the wind and rain. Does it get any better?
I'm so glad I got those miles in on the road. It's all too often that I am forced inside, which brings me to my next topic: A very brief tour of my indoor training options.
The dreadmill....although never preferred, not a bad way to run when I am forced inside.


My Cervelo on his trainer. He prefers the open road, but doesn't complain when I keep him corralled.



A few nights ago we had a beautiful moon rise. This is the view from my deck. If it was light, you would see that we have a view of the water, but if it was light you wouldn't see the moon rise, would you?

The Week In Review

I ran. I swam. I biked. I was hungry. It rained. Some things never change.

My totals for the week starting Feb 5 2007: 8:42
Swim: 3300 yards
Bike: 32 mi
Run: 10.28 mi
Yoga: 1.5 hours
Strength: 1.5 hours
I am in week one of base for my 1/2 IM training plan.

Encouragement

Wow. You are all amazing. I was just whining during my last post, kind of feeling sorry for myself. Blowing off steam, you know? Anyway, I cannot believe the words of encouragement I received from all of you....people who don't even know me. Thank you.

The tips about working out on the boat are great. I already have some resistance tubing, so I will be sure to take those along. During one of my trips last year, I was able to convince the skipper to take me to shore for a couple of runs. It was amazing to run along a beach knowing that thing that ran there before me could have been a fox, deer, or even a bear.

My husband is in Anchorage for a week long series of meetings. Like all (or at least most) triathletes, I am Type A and like my organization. So, when the hubby leaves me to my devices, I usually launch into some massive redecorated or reorganizing project. This week is no exception. Does drilling holes count as cross-training?

I've been noticing a lot of chat lately about the benefits of training at low heart rates. Of course, I've heard it all before. Repeatedly, actually. Since beginning my half IM training, I've really been trying to take these lessons to heart. In order to protect my precious ego, though, I may have to have a t-shirt made up that reads "I'm not usually this slow. I'm improving my lactate threshold." Trouble is, I'm a slow runner to begin with and since I've starting running slower to keep my heart rate down people have actually stopped and asked me if I am hurt. OK, that's not true, but that is how it feels. I would love to be able to afford some real fitness testing, but it's bloody expensive.

Bike tomorrow. I think the roads have cleared enough for me to let the rubber meet the road. Right on!

Where is this going?

Do you ever feel like you are spinning your wheels or that you are taking one step forward and two steps back? That has been my week. No matter how much effort I put out, I don't seem to be making any forward progress. I sit at my desk and two hours later I have nothing to show for it. How do you break out of a rut like this? It's terribly frustrating. I can often find relief from these annoyance by pounding the pavement or spinning the wheels of my beloved bike. Which reminds me, I should post a picture of him. I call him Paulo. He is a beautiful Cervelo Dual. I love him and he loves me. Anyway, I digress....

In about 10 days, I am suppose to leave for a two week research cruise where I will hope to come across a few whales that have "forgotten" to migrate to their breeding grounds while the rest of the crew pokes around looking for fish. Fun, right? Well it is, except for the fact that I am on a boat. For two weeks. Is this striking anyone as problematic for the ol' training schedule? Well, it should. So, who knows how to help me? What can I do on a boat to keep things on track? There is also the minor problem of the availability of healthy food choices, or should I say the lack of healthy food choices. Do you think I would be considered a snob if I bring my own groceries?

Planning a marathon...and I don't mean running one

I'm still learning the finer points of blogging and posting. If anyone has any suggestions or tips and tricks, I would be most appreciative. Specifically, how do I go about adding a table of my race schedule? How do I reply to users who have left comments? How in the hell do I get people to read my blog?

I was recently asked to join a committee to plan and put on a 5K/Half-Marathon/Marathon race as a fundraiser for the local public radio station, KMXT. I am already feeling overwhelmed by the cause and wonder if this is a bigger undertaking than people are giving it credit for. I welcome the opportunity for another race on Kodiak, though. There is one marathon here, but it is in May which means training through the dead of winter: sub-zero temps, howling winds, and18 hours of darkness. I'd much prefer to train through the summer and this race, which is going to take place in September, would allow for that.

Oh, training so far this week. Yesterday I ran and did a strength workout. So far today I swam for 45 minutes this morning and will go to Yoga after work. My coach only has me logging about 8 hours of training this week. I never thought I would get to a stage in my athletic life when I would say something like "only 8 hours of training." It's bloody brilliant!

It's pissing rain here today. Glad I'm inside and not on the boat.

The Sun Returns

The sun as decided to bless us with its presence. A breathtaking winter day in Kodiak.
I enjoyed a run outside for the first time in a couple of weeks. The run itself was pretty lousy, but I enjoyed the sound of my shoes on the pavement and the fresh air in my lungs.

I just received my next cycle of training from my coach. I have been in prep phase up to this point, but this week marks the start of my base training for my first half iron distance race in July. I just hired a coach at the start of the year. I am hoping she will help me find my place, meaning how fast and how far I should be going in order to perform to the absolute best of my ability. The only drawback is she is not based in Kodiak. What? You're surprised that there aren't triathlete coaches on every corner? I know; it's shocking. Try to believe me.

Today I am going to hit the trainer for a bit before throwing my usual diet practices to the wind at a Super Bowl party this afternoon. Go Bears? Go Colts? Oh, who cares...I really only watch for the commercials and for the excuse to eat crap food.

Swimming Through Mud

That's what I felt like in the pool today. Of course it's all relative because I'm a slow swimmer as it is. Still, I don't understand how you can feel like you are absolutely gliding on one day and feel like a tug on the next. Is it fatigue? Bad form? I think I will blame it on water density today. That's as good of an excuse as any, right? The best thing about my swim this morning was that I had the pool all to myself, which happens quite a lot. Score one for living remote.

The good news is it has stopped raining for the first time in over a week. I will run in a lot of conditions. I can generally tolerate rain, snow, ice, or extreme cold. What I hate is wind. Unfortunately, we have more than our fair share here on The Rock. That's why, as much as I hate it, I find myself on the dreadmill quite a bit in the winter. The silver lining is I just got a sweet new set-up that makes me feel like I am running on a Cadillac.

Member of the Alliance

I got an email last night from IronKauna. I am now officially a member of the Tri-Blogger Alliance. Sweet!
I also got two comments on my first posting. Man, this is great!
Longer post later...

I have no bloody idea what I am doing

OK, I'm doing it. I've lurked long enough and have decided to jump on the blogging band wagon. The unfortunate part, mostly for all of you, is that I haven't a clue where to begin or how to continue.
I guess I will just start with the basics. I am 28 years old and live on the remote island of Kodiak, Alaska. And when I say remote, I mean remote. The nearest big city is Anchorage, which is 250 miles by air. You can't drive there. You have to fly or take the ferry (which can take betwen 13 and 20 hours).
The city of Kodiak hovers around 8,000 people. It rains here a lot. And then there is the fog. Check out today's view: Kodiak Weather Cam

But I'm not complaining. I love it here. It's an amazing place to call home. When the weather breaks and the sun is shining it will take your breath away.

I live here with my husband and my dog.The dog's name is Jitney.She makes a great running partner, except that stops to pee far more frequently than I do. She's an amazing dog, as if anyone with a dog would ever say anything but that. My husband is similarly amazing. He is a salmon and herring research biologist for the state, but his true passion lies in his artwork. Check it out at MetallicMarineArt.

But let's not forget about his third job. He manufactures a smoked salmon jerky stick called Kodiak Solstix.
As for me, well I have to admit that the idea of a blog is both appealing and a bit unsettling. You are essentially exposing yourself, constantly talking about your life and what you find important. What if people don't like what you have to say? Well, I'm here, so I guess I am willing to take that risk.
I am many things. Aside from being a wife, daughter, and sister, I most identify myself as a biologist and a triathlete. As a biologist, I study marine mammals. Yep, it's as cool as it sounds. As a triathlete, I am your typical middle of the packer. I have no delusions of ever reaching the podium, but as long as I can swim, bike, and run I will remain content. Which is what has lead me here. Like many other triathletes before me, SimplyStu ("The PodFather) introduced me to the world of podcasts and I have been an avid listener to Stu, GYGO, and Zen ever since. Also like many before me, these programs serve as a constant source of information and inspiration.
As I'm sure you can imagine, living in Kodiak makes me feel very removed from the triathlon community. I'm tired of feeling that way. If nothing else, these podcasts have taught me that you don't have to live in Boulder or San Diego or Wisconsin to experience that sense of community. So, here I am. I'm throwing my hat into the ring. I want to be part of the Tri-Blogger Alliance. I want the camaraderie. I want to be able to talk to people who know what LT, brick, and plantar fasciitis all mean.
I hope you will welcome me. I have a feeling you will.