TRI University: New Schedule, New Ride, No Social Life

For our first day of practice, we had a lot of informational sessions. We rotated to different stations where they told us about the workout schedule, nutrition, equipment, core exercises and fundraising. It was a lot of information to take in at once! But, some very important and informative stuff.

Fundraising:
They shared some fundraising ideas with us. I had heard of most of these already. So, I am still very nervous about raising enough money. Any and all ideas are always welcome!
 
Core:
We have a coach who is dedicated specifically to our CORES. The core affects any sport that we make our bodies do. It can make all of the difference in a bike ride. And you can really injure yourself if you try to do something and your core cannot support it. So, we have core workouts throughout the week. We did some practice exercises: squats, superman's, planks (I HATE PLANKS!!!). 

 
Workout Schedule:
They gave us our workouts for the first couple of weeks. It seems very doable. There are some people that said they don't even know how to swim yet! So, there are workouts for beginner, intermediate and advanced with each sport. Here's a look at my first week:

So, expect some updates about the training!

Nutrition:
I was a little disappointed in this section so far. It's only the beginning though, so I hope there's more information to come during the season! They talked about hydration during training and ways to get extra help (sports drinks, electrolyte pills, etc.). This shouldn't be a problem for me. I drink a lot of water normally...this is probably not helpful with my small bladder issues!
Then, they discussed foods you can eat during workouts and the race. This is mainly gels, snack bars, nuts, etc. And after workouts you should have a recovery drink of some sort that contains proteins and carbs.
And that was all for now! When signing up, they mentioned that you would need to commit to a nutrition plan for the 4 months. I thought they were going to lecture us on healthy eating and maybe even provide guidelines for caloric intake and percentages of food groups to incorporate. But, we just went over nutrition during a workout.
So, I will have to look up some more information about protein powders and come up with a diet of my own! I know that training will be easier and I will become stronger if I am eating healthy and watching what I put into my body.

 

Gear:

Well, this rotation was a bit discouraging. There are so many things you can buy! It was hard to tell what was a necessity and what was just really cool. As I sat through this session, my mind was exploding with dollar signs and freaking out over how I was going to afford all of this stuff! I have to raise $4,000 and pay a million dollars extra for my equipment?! What have I gotten myself into?!

This picture pretty much sums up my sentiments at that point:

By the way, this stock photo is called "Financial Stress." PERFECT.

I decided to focus on the necessities at this point. What are the things that I should be training on from the beginning? And what can I purchase later on (once my wallet has recovered from the holidays)? 

So, I bought some new running shoes. I wanted a fresh pair that I could train in for the next 4 months and hopefully wear to the race. I've tried a bunch of different brands and models. I've found that these are the most comfortable for me:

Our second day of practice was a bike workshop. We showed them our bikes and we learned a lot about maintenance, setup, road safety, etc. The coaches said my bike I purchased a few months ago would be fine. Well, they basically said any bike that moves forward will work fine. I did learn about a good 15 add-on items that would be essential for my cycle training (compartments to hold tools and food, water bottle holders, pump, CO2 cartridges, extra tubes, gloves, shorts, etc.). The list was long. So, I went to Sports Basement after practice.

They said my bike would work just fine, but I would do better if I had a road bike that was designed for racing. A much lighter frame for aerodynamics and better gear shifting and brakes for the hilly course in Hawaii.

At first, we thought my dad's old racing bike would work because he has a similar inseam measurement as me. We drove home, threw his bike into my car and drove back to Sports Basement. They had me stand over the frame to check the frame height with my inseam. My leg was less than 1 inch too short! If I were to ride that bike, I could injure myself. If my leg could grow ONE inch, I would save over $1,000. If only that were possible!

So, I asked to see the cheapest women's road bike that would work for my Hawaii triathlon. Racing road bikes can be in the $10,000's. The cheapest one they had was over $1,000. With all of the input the experts had to say, I decided that I had no choice. I would have to make the investment now and figure out how to pay for it later. 

Luckily, my training schedule for the next 4 months will really put a damper on my social life. So, there's one less expense!

My beloved "old" bike. I only rode it a few times! I am trying to sell it now.

And my NEW bike! Which I cannot afford, but will have to make it work!

I've already had to invest over $1500 into this triathlon. And there are definitely more expenses to come. So, for now, I need to focus on training and fundraising!

TRI University: Why Am I Here?

TRI University began with some speakers to remind of us why we were all there. I'm really glad they did this because I had begun to forget the real reason that I signed up to do the triathlon through Team in Training. I was getting so caught up in the excitement of beginning training and making sure I had all of the equipment necessary, that it became more about the actual race, and less about the philanthropy involved throughout the training journey.

One speaker was a young, healthy looking, athletic British man. He looked like a runner. So, there was no surprise that he was doing the triathlon; he looked like he would barely need to train! I was expecting him to say that he's doing the triathlon in honor of "ENTER FAMILY MEMBER HERE."

So, it came as a complete shock when he said he himself has a form of blood disease. He said he woke up one morning with some sort of rash on his arm. He went to the dermatologist and they said not to worry about it; it would probably clear up in a bit. Then, he went to another doctor a few months later and mentioned the rash on his arm that had not gone away. This second doctor took the rash more seriously and had some tests done. It was in fact a tumor, and not the only one. He saw a series of different doctors and hospitals, that recommended different "solutions." However, he was eventually told that his disease does not have a cure, so there is no real solution. They will only be able to treat his symptoms, which are upwards of 20 tumors in the upper arm and 15 tumors in the lower arm, all at the same time, one week before a race! The treatments vary; removal and radiation for the most part. An experimental drug trial once. There have been threats of amputation of his arm.

He told us this crazy story of his journey. And throughout all of it, during remission and in-between treatments, he has completed numerous athletic events through Team in Training. He is raising awareness and money towards an end of blood cancer. In addition to his awareness campaign and fundraising efforts, his work is developing treatments for blood cancer. He is a scientist who just received a research grant from LLS to develop a new drug for children with blood cancer. The drug will create a less invasive treatment, so children can still be children. They can still go to school, play with friends, keep their hair!

Other people in the room had honorees that have taken some of the drugs he helped develop. Amazing treatments that have prolonged the lives of many.

This man is a real-life superhero. I cannot believe all of the amazing things he has been able to accomplish in his life. It's a great example of one person's contribution and the amazingly large effect it can have on a greater audience. I am profoundly humbled by his endeavors and positive spirit.

If he can train and compete during radiation treatment, while also developing new treatments for blood cancer, then I can easily complete this one triathlon.

He will be a constant reminder of why I am here, of why I am doing this.

He will be a constant reminder that I need to be grateful for what I have and help others that have less.

Before every practice, they will send us a reminder of why we are doing this. It will be the story of a person we are directly benefiting by being here.

I realized that doing the triathlon partly is for myself- because I wanted to challenge myself and do something athletic like I'd never done before. But MORE importantly, it's for others- the ones who are affected by blood cancers.
For the loved ones who have forms of blood cancer and their bodies are not strong enough to get out there and do a triathlon. I will push my healthy body to do the things that they cannot because of this disease.

For the family members of these people, who will get to spend more time with their loved ones because of treatments that the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society are funding with my donations.
I will remember that I am doing this for all of the people out there who are affected by this disease. I will do it because I am able to and they are not.

I will train to TRI so they can SURVIVE! 

I am so grateful for all of the donations I have received so far! I have a long way to go with my fundraising goal. I want to share with you all an idea of where your money is going:

$5  Is the cost of sending a newly diagnosed patient information about their disease and how to get support.

$25  Provides lunch for one at Emerging Therapies, a regional blood cancer conference for patients and families.

$40  Is the cost of sending a comprehensive packet of information for children with cancer.

$50  Will send patients and survivors to Sacramento to lobby for relevant blood cancer legislation.

$100  Provides the Staying Connected Program to one classroom to help pediatric patients transition back to school after treatment.

$150  Allows five patients to make a First Connection with a trained peer volunteer.

$200  Funds one Family Support Group meeting of 5-25 participants.

$500  Provides 10 patients nationwide the ability to log on to a webcast and hear the latest information in treatment for their disease from a renowned oncologist or hematologist. 

$1,000 Supports the Information Resource Center to give patients information about blood cancers, treatment options and available clinical trials.

$2,500  Supports research to develop new targeted therapies to improve outcomes for patients with less harmful side effects than current treatments.

Every penny counts! Even $5 can make a difference. If you would like to make a donation, please follow my link below:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/gba/lavatri15/hayleysueoka

 

TRI University: Getting there

Team training has officially begun! I have a lot to share from this weekend, so I'm going to break it into a few posts.

On Saturday morning, we had our first meeting in Mill Valley. I made sure to get a good night’s sleep the night before and woke up with plenty of time to have some coffee and breakfast before the 45 minute drive to Tamalpais High School. 

For those of you who know me, you know that I have an extremely small bladder. I mean, sometimes it’s excruciatingly small and inconvenient. You’ve probably watched TV with me before, where I have to pee every single commercial break. If we’ve had a sleepover, you know that I must be on the outside closest to the restroom because I wake up a couple of times every night to go. Or, you’ve been on a car ride with me, where we have to stop at multiple gas stations. I know my family will vouch for this; they’ve all spent many-a-family road trips searching for restrooms…it’s usually safe to add on a good half hour to travel time for short car trips! 

Well, my teeny tiny bladder was in full form on Saturday. I went to the bathroom a good 4 times before leaving my apartment (that’s being awake for only one hour). I got into my car and pulled out of my apartment’s garage. As I was about to turn onto the main road…you guessed it! I had to go to the bathroom again. So, I re-parked and ran back into my apartment to go. RIDICULOUS!

I did not make it the entire 45 minute drive. I had to pull off and find a Starbucks to go to the bathroom. I barely made it in time! After anxiously waiting in the parking lot for the rush of late morning coffee customers in the strip mall, I finally got a spot and ran into the store. I was not going to be that girl that shows up on day 1 and has pee’d her pants! Luckily I made it and avoided that embarrassment. After this detour, I was back on my way to TRI training. I arrived 10 minutes later…and headed straight to the restroom to go again. 

This was an exceptionally ridiculous morning for my bladder. I think it was probably due to nerves about my first meeting and all of the new people. Here's a map of my route and bathroom stops!