The Mighty Willamette

By Tanya

Growing up in Portland Oregon, I have always had a fondness for our beautiful bridges that span across the Willamette River connecting the east side of town to the west. As a child I lived closest to and would often cross the Ross Island Bridge.  Named for it's proximity to Ross Island, the largest of four small islands in the Willamette River just south of downtown Portland, it holds a special place in my heart.

A view of downtown Portland and Willamette from the east side

As we drove across the bridge I would often dream about what it would be like on the island, never really giving thought about how I would get out there. When I was a child the Willamette River had a bad reputation for being polluted.  The majority of Ross Island was owned by the Ross Island Sand and Gravel Company who used it as a quarry, so people were seldom in the water nearby.

Fast forward to 2014.  I still love Portland.  I still have a fondness for the bridges around the city and for Ross Island.  However, now I get to spend my summers training for a triathlons by swimming in the Willamette River and taking my kids in our kayak out to search for magic pebbles on the beaches of Ross Island!

We Tri'd It, And We Liked It: MidSummer Olympic Triathlon Review

By Tanya and Carissa

You know those races where all the stars align and everything just falls perfectly into place? Those few and far between races where everything goes as planned and you are reminded again why you dream big, train hard, and persevere through obstacles and injury, and push your body and mind to its limits? Yeah, the MidSummer Triathlon was one of those races.

Training:

Tanya: I can't believe how blessed I have been to even get to the start of this race. I never dreamed I would be attempting a triathlon! Heck, I had never even ridden a road bike until six month ago! But it was destined to be. I fell in love with swimming because of reoccurring injuries. I fell in love with biking because I was gifted a bike. My passion for running was reignited through core strengthening and Graston Therapy (shout out to the fantastic crew at West Portland Physical Therapy). I was inspired to Tri it by my Sole Sisters and challenged by my awesome triathlon training partner, the incredible Carissa von Koch. I was offered a entry into the Mid-Summer Olympic Triathlon for volunteering through the wonderful host company AA Sports... and on to the race I went!

Carissa: I kept my training simple for this triathlon.  My goal was to be prepared to cover the distance.  Every week I aimed to be in the pool once for 1500 meters.  I spent two days a week cycling.  One of the days I took a one hour spin class the other day I cycled outside 25-28 miles, often with Tanya. Three days a week I ran, not because I needed to train that much for the triathlon but because I was considering a fall marathon.  Two of my runs were mid distance (5-8 miles).  One run was longer (10-12 miles).  I really enjoyed training like this.  The mix kept me injury free and mentally fresh.  On race day I felt competent and comfortable.

The Winds and Waves Surround Me - My Open Water Swim Across Boy Lake

by Jodi

Those of you who have read our blog for any amount of time know my battle with fear in the water.  When I was a kid, I got trapped between a rock and a fallen log in strong rapids on a raging river.  I've been terrified of drowning ever since.

I spent most of 2009 learning how to swim with my face in the water.  It took me weeks to link more than two laps together consecutively.  Putting my face in the water induced panic.  Watching the bottom of the pool drop out induced panic.  Another swimmer creating a wake or accidentally smacking me induced panic. The only thing that kept me swimming was my desire to not let fear win.  

The panic is irrational and unpredictable.  Even when I'm freaking out, the logical side of my brain speaks truth to the lies.  I've learned some tools to calm myself down and have great compassion for people who struggle with anxiety and panic on a daily basis.

trying to work up the courage to get in the water last summer

My First But Not My Last-Series 33 Olympic Triathlon Vancouver

By Carissa

Nineteen weeks of training, six months in the pool, and three months learning the art of riding on the road was all summed up this weekend with my first triathlon.  The Series 33 Vancouver Olympic Triathlon is a .92 mile swim in Klineline Pond, 24.8 mile hilly bike ride through a rural and upscale part of Vancouver, and 6.2 mile run through scenic Salmon Creek Park.

Jodi and I in the transition area before the race began.

I went into triathlon training a runner.  I wasn’t confident I could pick up new sports because running is the only sport I’ve ever excelled at.  Once I learned to swim I spent my time in the pool thanking God I could do it.  My first bike ride was intimidating but I instantly loved it.  Being on this journey of new experiences led me to approaching race day with a thankful heart.  I was genuinely excited to take these new skills and give it a go.

Body marking.  I thought this was really cool.  Why don't they do this at running events?

When it came to the swim I was definitely underprepared.  Though I’ve made a lot of improvement in the pool I only managed one twenty minute swim in open water.  My take away was I really didn’t have the whole sighting thing down.  I thought I could just Google some tips and wing it on race day.  Wing it I did and it wasn’t pretty.

Triathlon Dress Rehearsal: Two Training Approaches. Two Outcomes. One Big Adventure

By Jodi

Swim.  Bike. Run.  This weekend Carissa and I exercised our way through a dress rehearsal of the Olympic distance triathlon we plan to race in two weeks.  Above all else it was eye-opening for me.  There was a clear distinction between Carissa's well prepared, thoughtful training program vs. my winging it, it's-summer-so-I-don't-want-to-train-for-anything "schedule."  Carissa was much faster than I was on all three disciplines.  But I expected her to be.

This was our finished picture.  Notice how refreshed Carissa looks?  And how exhausted I look?

Carissa toyed around with the idea of a triathlon last fall, took her first swim lesson in December, and  got serious about triathlon training after she finished the Boston marathon.  She has trained with the determined consistency that defines who she is, following a rigorous schedule and mastering two skills that were foreign to her a matter of months ago.  Carissa has worked hard and her training has clearly paid off.  She was fast, strong, and capable on all three events today.  On race day she will reap the reward of her hours of effort.

I, on the other hand, didn't decide to do this triathlon until the middle of July.  While I learned to swim and cycle three years ago these are not sports I have not done with any consistency.  Saying yes to triathlon training was like starting over from scratch, especially with swimming.

Do Not Be Afraid or Discouraged...

my son Grant practicing his butterfly in Timothy Lake

by Jodi

I am abnormally afraid of snakes and drowning.  Both have consumed many a nightmare over the years.  It's no secret that nothing about swimming comes naturally to me.  There is not a swim workout where I don't try to talk myself out of going.  I'm nervous the entire drive to the pool.  The pool deck and lap lanes intimidate me.  Before I even get into the pool I'm already anticipating the joy of getting out.  Like Adam Sandler in the movie Happy Gilmore I feel like I need to tell the lifeguard, "I'm a runner but I'm swimming today."  ...as if it's not painfully obvious.

When I'm swimming I panic over the dumbest things.  Water in my nose, water in my mouth, shortness of breath, an inability to swim the distance I sent out to conquer, tired muscles, or watching the depth of the pool drop off below me all have potential to induce wave after wave of panic.

Fear lies.  It whispers to me, "You will not be okay.  When you swim in that triathlon you will not make it out of the lake alive."   If I give in to the mental turmoil that fear creates when I swim, it tortures me up and down the lane.  Sometimes it's intense enough that it chases me straight out of the pool.

Trying a Tri

By Carissa

When it comes to athletic pursuits, I like to push my limits.  For a while that has been in the form of distance and pace.  This summer I’m dipping my toes into the unknown world of the triathlon.  I’ve been asked in the past if I would train for a triathlon.  My typical response was that I can’t bike and I can’t swim so no, triathlons weren’t a logical sport for me. 

Then last summer I bought I road bike.  Did I start riding it?  No.  To my husband’s chagrin it sat in the garage with promises from me that once I wan’t busy training for foot races I would indeed get on it.  Next, I had the opportunity to work with a trainer at my gym on lap swimming.  It isn’t pretty, but I now know how to lap swim.  Prior to diving into training for the Boston Marathon I took spin class and managed to get into the pool a little.  Once the running picked up I dropped everything else and focused exclusively on getting in my miles for the week.

Side note: Check out Jodi's blog for her experience learning to swim.  She promises humor.

The one time I actually rode my bike on the road and look, no clips...

After Boston I knew I wanted to get back to spin class, I wanted to get back in the pool and I wanted a goal race that would give my workouts focus and purpose.  A triathlon seemed to fit the bill.  There was only a few rather small hiccups in my ambitions.  I had yet to ride my bike on the open road.  The thought of getting used to my clips was anxiety producing.  I wasn’t sure how I was going to build up the necessary endurance to swim the race distance and I had zero experience in open water.  Have I built a good case for thinking I push my limits?

Not as Easy as it Looks: Learning to Swim

By Carissa

The sign at the gym said, “ask about a free session with a trainer” and an idea was sparked.  I wondered if I could get a training session in the pool.  I’d been wanting to learn how to lap swim but before this year hadn’t had access to a pool or the willingness to pay a trainer to learn.  Not to mention, I’m usually busy running six days a week!  With an injury that put running on hold for a few weeks I’d been soaking up all the fun cross training activities that normally get pushed aside and forgotten.  Why not check out swimming?

When I inquired at the front desk my hopes were confirmed.  I could schedule an appointment with a trainer specifically for the pool.  I pushed full steam ahead and set up a session for a few days later.  The thought of the appointment itself terrified me but I refused to let that stop me from giving it a try.

The day of the session arrived and my stomach was in knots.  Doubts raced through my head like,  "I’m going to look like a fool.  I’m going to be bad at this. It’ll be embarrassing."  Do you know what compelled me forward?  Running has taught me that being good at something takes work.  I want to be good at proficient at lap swimming.  Surely if I persevere through what is hard, ugly, and scary there will be gains, rewards and successes.