More open water swimming!

We swam 1800m yesterday at a teammates sister-in-law's house. It was such a beautiful area! We swam, ate lunch, and chatted with some teammates. It was a good (hot & tiring) Sunday! 

Some of our awesome crew! 

Miss Cassie, myself, and Jan ready to swim our booties off

Jan getting ready to jump in!

There and back was around the race swim distance

Battle Wounds

THE TALE:
Yesterday, the sister helped zip up my wetsuit and left a little lip of the velcro sticking out. 500m into yesterday's open water swim, I was feeling some irritation. I pushed through and adjusted it and kept going. By the time I got to 1000m, it started hurting a little more. Grrrr! This is the second time this has happened - the chafing. It looks like I have hickey!...or is it really? ;) haha

THE TALE:
On Saturday, I attempted to "gracefully" dismount my bike while it was still moving. The idea was to swing my left leg over and  land on the right side of my bike. I got my leg up, but I didn't commit enough and started to place too much weight on my right arm. The handle bars started to turn in and I tried to land on my feet to stop myself from completely falling over. I managed to do so, but not without having my handle bars cop a nasty feel on my upper thigh. Here is the evidence.


My wetsuit and bike may have won this battle, but they have yet to win the WAR! 2 weeks and counting!

Race Gear

Some of my gear -

Brooks Adrenaline kicks - getting mine from Top to Top (but had to be ordered because I have Hobbit feet like my sis aka wide feet! haha)

CLIFF gels for energy

Race belt - $10 at Sports Chalet

Body Glide - helps prevent chafing from wetsuit

Mind / Matter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQYpF2pCkLI

Young the Giant, "My Body"

My body tells me no
But I won't quit
Cause I want more

My friend sent this to me. She said the chorus reminds her of my tri-training experience!

Breakfast of Champions

This morning's breakfast

This morning I made myself some quinoa with almond milk, a little bit of cinnamon, and strawberries. Yumm! I recommend :D

36 hours.

Nothing is impossible if you have passion!

5 days ago, I was $900-$1,000 away from my $2,800 fundraising goal. 

I'm pretty sure some people de-friended me on Facebook due to my incessant posting and begging (lol) for money. Good riddance! 

I'm so moved and inspired by the amount of support, donations, and kind words that people offered in the span of 36 hours. In a previous post, I mentioned that I had a goal to finish the weekend at $2,000. At midnight, I was still a $100 or so to go. I was hopeful, however. Before going to bed, I messaged and emailed friends! Morning came and I was over $2,000! 

I luckily had the day to send as many emails and messaged to friends asking them to support the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. The weekend had worn me out so I thought I could use an extra day to bounce back. I had a pretty productive day! By the afternoon, however, I was beat! My shoulders and neck were tight and incredibly achy. I had spent hours messaging and emailing. I was so desperate for relief that I scheduled a massage because my arms and neck could not take it anymore (ALL IN THE NAME FOR A GREAT CAUSE!). Monday night came and Janet was done with her fundraising. I was still less than $200 away. I knew I'd get there. Despite my achy neck and somewhat discouraged attitude, I BELIEVED!

I DID IT!!

By lunch time the next day, I had finished! I had raised $800 in about 36 hours!!! What an incredible thing! I was so proud of not only myself, but of my friends, who were kind enough to, not only put up with my constant messaging, emailing, and status posting on Facebook, but to also donate! To believe in the cause, just as much as they believe in me to accomplish my goal - fundraising and  participating in this triathlon. Their supportive words, and donations inspired me! They INSPIRE ME! I know that it's a matter of pushing, and believing!!! 

Thank you -

My Mom!! and Dad

Helga
Alexandro
Simon
Ashley
Marc
Paul
Eugene
Ian
Alexandra
Job
Justin
Addie
Albert
Adrian
Josef
Robert
Mary
Crytal
Obi
Ramon
Kim
Erica
Roland
Jose
Sergio
Mark
The Torres Family
Tia Yolanda & John
Susan
Pat
Lorna
Julie & Simon
Janet
Ian
James
Tara & Paul
Josephine
Anthony
Summera
Shannon
Leslie
David
Justin
Jessica
Kurt
Gerard
Mary Ellen
Matthew
Alex
Tiffany
Warren
Kelly
Fabiola
Andrea
Susan
Sabel
Erika
Lorenzo
Alejandra
Kamunge
Bo
Nathan
Alyssa
Brenda
Brittany
Christine
Mary
Michelle
Amber
Chester
Wesley
Scott
Sujean
Nayley
Nicole
Marie
Josue
Kellie
Laurie
Thomas
Steven
janice
Jasmin
Jovo
JJ
Elizabeth
Jennifer
Anita
The Farags
Terry
Derek
Fr. Paul
Deacon Tom
Ed
Gabe
Joaquin
Countless UCC, Temecula, and Family Folk who helped with monetary donations, donations for our garage sale, donations for baked goods, and their supportive words!

Pizza & Beer!

Ms. Cassie pouring our shared pitcher

Celebrating our training so far as well as meeting our fundraising goal!

Lily, me, Cassie, Jan - post-swim!

After last night, we only have 2 team swim practices left! It's crazy how the weeks have gone by. Our practices are held at LMU so every Wednesday we brave the traffic and get our butts over there! It's been fun! They're gym is nice! I really like their pool too! Ok, focus Jessica! 

Jan and I got to the pool late (again! Darn traffic). We got our swim on! 4X100 with 15sec rest. 1X200 with 15 sec. 4X100 with 15 sec. 1X200 with 15 rest. 3X100 with 15 sec rest. We had a busy hour! It flew by so fast! 

I felt good in the pool despite having a sore arm from having a shot earlier at the doctor's. I don't know if I was pushing myself, or if it was my usual pace, but I felt bad because I was wanting to lap some of my teammates. I slightly crashed into someone. SORRY JOE! SORRY STACY! SORRY SEAN! SORRY LILY! lol Despite these mishaps, Jan and I had a pretty good workout. Coach Paul said that we did well in the pool; he said, "You and your sister swim a lot better than you think you do". That was pretty cool! :D

After every team swim practice we hit Tower Pizza. I always drink water after the workout, but I got my drink on! I was done fundraising! Good practice! Let's celebrate a little!! :)

It's Mrs. Crocker to you

After we got back from our San Diego excursion, the sister and I decided we needed to plan something quick to help us in our fundraising efforts! THINK! QUICK! ...BAKE SALE!

Janet is practically the next Betty Crocker...with a twist. She's been honing her skills and she makes pretty good pastries! Not only are they delicious, but her goodies are vegan! Sadly, our treats on Sunday weren't completely vegan (we were out of butter!). There goes our devious plan to turn our friends into veggie lovers/no meat/animal product eaters! GRRRRR. lol

Betty Crocker in her mumu 
making lemon squares!

After the 10:30am Mass, we were $110 or so closer to our fundraising goal! We had generous donations from Fr. Paul and other lovely folks. While we waited for the next Mass, Jan and I made some more goodies - sugar cookies, lemon squares, and cookie/cake pops. We improvised and it turned out pretty well! After the 7pm Mass we were in total $228 closer to our fundraising goal ($114 each!). We had, again, generous donations from Deacon Tom, Ed, Gabe, and several other friends. 

Overall, we had a productive day and it definitely helped with making our goal! By the end of Sunday night, my goal was to make it to $2,000. I was just short by the time the clock struck midnight, BUT...the most incredible thing happened during the next 36 hours or so..

Stay tuned.

Sugar cookies! 

Team Challenge takes over SD!

5am - wake up call
7:45am - train
12:30pm - start time
3pm - lunch
4pm - train

Team Challenge goes to San Diego!

6am drive to Anaheim Amtrak - SO BEAUTIFUL! :)

Getting ready to do the bike & run course

We had an early Saturday morning start to the day. Jan and I woke up at 5am (after going to sleep past 12am! gah!), got ready, got our booties into our car and made our way to Anaheim. We got there and our bikes were boarded onto a U-haul. We made our way into the train station and were greeted by our lovely teammates. We boarded, and had a nice 2 hour ride! We got to know each other some more, had good conversations, told some funny stories, by the time we knew it, we were in San Diego! We wasted no time and made our way to the Hilton hotel where we will be staying the night before race day. It was a LONG walk haha. It was HOT! Many of us were moaning and groaning. 

Once we got the Hilton, we went through some logistical stuff on how it's going to work on the night before the race, race morning, etc. We checked out where we will be swimming (Check out photo!) Next feat - 12 mile bike ride, followed by 3 mile run. 

Where we will be swimming 500m!

HOLY MOLY was it a hot day! Luckily, our race will take place at 7am so it won't be too hot. Overall, we pushed through and finished strong I think :) We got a little taste of what race day will be like.

Wooo - 3 weeks left!

Call me Mrs. Cookie Monster

Bake Sale Fundraiser - $110 at the morning Mass

Inquiring minds

Good Friday everyone! 

I've already received questions from readers and I'm prepared to answer them. Get ready!

Questions from our reader
1) any hot guys on your team?
2) can you  get wedgies from a wetsuit?
3) where's the hot eye candy at?
4) do you know how to put a swim cap on yourself now?
5) show us the pics of the cuties with the booties on your team
6) hook it up for a roommate
Answers
1) They're triathletes! Of course they're HOT! ;)
2) YES!
2) continued...haha so because you have clothes underneath, that's what can cause a wedgie.
3) RIGHT HERE! duh!
4) Putting on a swim cap can be tricky, especially with long hair. Luckily, I've mastered the art!
5) Future post!
6) His name is Fabio, his email address is sexyathleticitalianman@HOTmail.com. He's expecting your email!!! 

The questions were brought to you by the silly one known as Ms. Ashley

A mentor's (& mother's) story

We asked our mentor, Stacy, to feature her story on our Facebook Fundraising Page. Here is her story!

Yay, Janet and Jessica! They asked me to share information about my son Lowell, who is 12 years old and has Crohn's Disease so you all can see why this is so important! 

Lowell has been living with this chronic illness since he was 2 years old. He has faced many challenges over the years including medical procedures, different medications, injections, blood tests, stomach pain and fatigue but he has always been determined to do all the things he loves, despite the fact that he might not always be feeling his best. He has a love of piano and a passion for all sports. This past year, Lowell was hospitalized 3 times due to pain and dehydration. He currently is doing well on a new medication but also has nightly tube feedings to balance his nutrition and get enough calories so he can grow. He is a real trooper, and inserts the feeding tube every night that gets hooked up to a pump that gives him the nutrition he needs. CCFA has helped fund research toward understanding this disease better, and helped to provide new medications and treatments. I am training for my 6th Team Challenge Even, having run 4 half marathons and the triathlon last year. Team Challenge provides support, builds lasting friendships, and shows how strong we really are. It has been an inspiration to meet so many amazing teammates and to know that one day soon my son and all the others living with these diseases will not have to suffer. Thank you for your support!

 Please help us help find a cure for Lowell and others like him.

http://www.active.com/donate/trirock12gla/beboldjess

My sister is also doing the triathlon - http://www.active.com/donate/trirock12gla/dontstopjan

Stacy, our mentor, and her other son, Jonah.
They both are part of Team Challenge this year!

Back in the saddle again

7AM wake up call for 10 mile bike ride yesterday morning! 

Have you ever heard the expression, "...it's like riding a bicycle"? 
Typically, I believe this expression is used to convey the naturalness of doing something, it's so easy or natural, it's like riding a bicycle, you pick it back up like that *fingers snap*. Well, for me, not so easy! 

The first time I rode my bike out and about, I had the hardest time getting on it (it's a bit tall and it takes a little technique getting on it). I had such a hard time that I basically bumped into an older man and made myself look like a drunk person! haha Maybe a bit exaggerated, but it was pretty embarrassing haha. A similar thing happened two weeks ago when I attempted to ride my bike to gym. It took me two attempts to get on and ride. 

CONFESSION: I pretended that something was wrong with the wheel so I didn't look as silly failing to get on it! :P 

I have this worry that I'll fall off my bike when we ride, BUT I feel it's something understandable if you consider the following: 

1). LA drivers are unpredictable. You never know when you have to stop suddenly or swerve to get out of the way.
 2). My bike is a bit tall for me, it's the right size however. Mounting and dismounting for me takes a bit of skill/technique. It's not so easy! 

Anyway, despite these worries, I still stick it out. Yesterday morning, Jan and I got up to do a 10mile bike ride. It was a nice ride, some easy parts, the return was a toughie, but our quads felt awesome afterwards! :) 

1st swimmer on the wall, set, go!

Wednesday's practice -

600m!

My coach wanted me to move up into a faster lane this week. I was excited, but nervous. Luckily, more people showed up to practice and I was moved back down. Good thing actually! I realize that the trick to swimming long distances IS TO REALLY get into a rhythm, to not shoot out right away because you won't last. My comfortable (but still challenging) pace and rhythm is a bit slower for the fast lanes. But it's all good! We didn't do any group swims (where we all bunch up at one of the pool and try to get through the lanes trying not to get kicked and slapped lol). 

After practice we always go to Tower Pizza. It's a lot of fun and it's been a chance to get to know each other outside of practice because now in practice it's less talk and more rock (<-stole that from coach Paul lol). I found out some pretty cool things from coach Sarah. One really cool thing! She and Paul OWN Squareone. What is Squareone? All I know is that many people on our team, folks who are doing Team Challenge for a 2nd year, they all have Squareone jerseys and clothing. I always thought to myself, "huh! cool! they train together". That's essentially what they are - a training community! It's awesome! I realize how much I'd like to surround myself by people who want to live an active and fun lifestyle! I can definitely see the community aspect of Squareone (yay COMMUNITIES! The UCC has definitely given me an appreciation for that that's for sure!) They really encourage you to push yourself, to grow as an athlete, to appreciate where you've come from, and really communicate that showing up is an accomplishment in itself!

If you've ever thought of doing a marathon, triathlon, or even a 5K, I HIGHLY encourage it. It will change your life! :) hehe. AND, if you want pointers, I'm not an expert, but I love talking it over with fresh and eager faces who are wanting to TRAIN :) 

Living with Crohn's

TriRock San Diego's official charity is the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). As part of Team Challenge, we commit to not only a rigorous training program, but also to raise funds and awareness for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

More than 80 cents of every dollar raised by Team Challenge goes directly toward research, education, and support services. Their mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases.
Would you consider donating today? 

http://www.active.com/donate/trirock12gla/beboldjess

Nearly 1.4 million Americans suffer from Crohn's & ulcerative colitis. These incurable illnesses attack the digestive system and have painful  and embarrassing symptoms like abdominal pain, vomiting, and unpredictable bowels movements. I am fortunate enough to say that I, nor anyone in my family, struggles with Crohn's or colitis, but so many friends & family of friends do. 

I didn't quite understand what Crohn's was until I heard the stories of fellow teammates who suffer from Crohn's disease. Our honored teammate, Sean, is only 16 years old and he was diagnosed with Crohn's just recently. Most people develop these diesaese between the ages of 15 and 35. It's crazy how debiltating it can really be.

Here is an article that so affirms the reason behind my wanting to participate in this year's TriRock triathlon. Feel free to pass it along to others! It's so powerful and really portrays how debilitating Crohn's can be - Living with Crohn's 

Me? Triathlete?!

I'm starting a little late on this, but bear with me. I wanted to create something that would document the next four weeks of my triathlon training. 

For many of you who are just joining in on story time, here is a low down of where my life has gone these past few months -

At the beginning of 2012 I was very committed to applying and joining a volunteer program. I spent a lot of time  completing the applications, and the whole process was...a process. I found myself struggling with discernment, whether I truly wanted to volunteer or stay in California. I was placed in a remote town in Montana, which I was scared, but excited for! A change! I would be presented with such a unique challenge of living on my own, far from family, and friends, and working in a new environment. It was a dream because it was something that I passionately felt for. However, further discernment and changes in personal circumstances, I never made it to Montana. It was quite tough because I'm the type of person who 1). dislikes disappointing others 2). lacks confidence in my decision making. Despite these feelings, I felt at peace with the decision because I truly felt I had done the work, I had discerned, I had prayed, and felt God truly led me there on my own (with His help), for myself. Trying to distract myself from possibly doubting my decision, I threw myself into other activities!  Come TriRock San Diego!

A triathlon? Who does that to distract themselves? Well, if you haven't heard, I'm part crazy! 

I have four weeks until race day and I'm excited for it to come! I've been pushing through a pretty tough training schedule, but I've had awesome coaches, teammates, and friends who have helped along the way. 

When I first started, I had ran the LA Marathon, so running was pretty good (except for my darn knees !), cycling was ehhhh (still is ehhhh. I get scurred that I'm going to fall off for some reason haha), swmming, I know how to NOT drown, that's about it! I didn't know how to swim properly. I HATED getting water in my ear, which prevented me from breathing properly thus properly swimming. My coaches (Paul & Sarah) and with the help of a friend who's an awesome swimmer (Ms. Irene Wong), I can't enough of the water now! I used to freak out and get slightly claustrophobic and I'd feel like I'd want to panic once I started swimming. However, coach Paul said the trick was getting into a rhythm. "That's easy for you to say, you're a triathlete! What does that even mean for the regular swimmer?!", I thought; however, it worked! It's a mental thing! It really is! You really have to concentrate on what you're doing, believing in yourself, counting, and breathting...whatever works for you.

 We had our first open water practice on Sunday - here's a photo of me in my new Xterra wetsuit (which we got hella discounted! Thank goodness for tri team discounts!)

So, t-minus < 4 weeks! 

8 am open water swim practice in Long Beach