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• My First Triathlon In My 60th Year
• Added Bling To My Tri-Suit, and Am Ready To Go!
• Getting Ready for the Triathlon
• Wedding Day! Nov. 14, 2009
• Wedding Week, November 9-15
• Reaching My Goal Weight
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At 4:45 the morning of Aug. 15, 2010, Steve and I got up, drank some coffee and left the LaQuinta hotel in SeaTac, heading into the sunrise for Genessee Park in South Seattle. We were soon joined by my two young friends, Alyssa Haddenham and Amber Arnold, in the transition area where we had racked our bikes the day before. I excitedly prepared my personal transition area, arranging my towel, running shoes, socks, sunscreen, water and snacks in a small Hawaiian print duffel bag, under where my bike hung. We were each assigned an area, designated by a letter of the alphabet, to park our bikes and gear, so we could easily find them among the thousands of other bikes and gear during our brief transitions between the swim, bike and run.

The Danskin Triathlon is the largest and longest-running women’s triathlon in the world. It consists of a 1/2-mile open-water swim, 12-mile bike ride, and 3.1-mile run, in that order. I first heard of it several years ago when my friend Linda Tremper and I were attending a week-long nursing course in Kailua, Hawaii. One of the women in the class, a nicely-dressed “older” lady (at the time, I thought 60′s was old) mentioned she had done the Danskin Triathlon when she was 60. My jaw dropped in amazement, as this woman did not appear to be your typical jock by any means, but wore lovely wide-brimmed hats and dresses, and even make-up. I thought to myself, “What a cool thing to do at age 60,” but never really thought I was capable of such an athletic feat.

The last couple of years I’ve been thinking about doing something unusual, memorable, and physically demanding for my 60th birthday, or birth year, since the actual day is 5 days before Christmas and not ideal for any outdoor activity besides skiing. A triathlon kept coming to my mind, as it sounded like something I could actually work up to doing. A few years ago, I didn’t believe I could even carry a loaded backpack 5 feet. I loved day-hiking unencumbered, except for lunch and a camera, but I had a hard time picking up a 25-lb bag of dog food, let alone a 35-lb pack full of everything I needed to live for 5 days in the wilderness. But my nurse girlfriends and I formed the Healing Hikers group, and within a year or two our day hikes had progressed to nearly week-long backpacking trips across the Olympic and Cascade mountains. Although this can be physically challenging and exhausting, I also find it to be incredibly exhilarating, exciting, and fun. I love bonding with my girlfriends, and I love being outside, exploring the trails less-traveled.

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Which brings me back to the Triathlon. Since I grew up on the shores of Lake Washington, spending my summers swimming and waterskiing, I thought I could probably handle the swimming part, even though it’s been 40 years since I actually swam in the lake. I also rode a bike as a kid, and maybe several times a year since, so I could probably ride the 12 miles required. That leaves running. Every year I jog/walk the Rhody Run, a 7.5 mile run here in Port Townsend, so I ought to be able to handle 3.1 miles. The only thing I would have to do them all the same morning, one after the other.

Alyssa and I clutched each other’s hands as we made our way, barefoot, out of the transition zone, across the road and to the boat ramp area. They had us start in color-coded “waves” of 100 at a time, 4 minutes apart. Mine was wave 4, beginning at 0657.  I put on the green cap they’d given me the day before and huddled anxiously with the rest of my green-capped group as the person with the microphone counted “10, 9, 8…” and at “go” we ran from the boat launch down into the water, heading straight east into the sun toward the first buoy.  Whoa, this was more difficult than I’d expected, with the choppy, crowded water and what appeared to be sharks at a feeding frenzy in front of me. But after rounding the first buoy, the swimmers spread out a little, and I settled into a “nice morning swim in the lake,” alternating between breaststroke and sidestroke. After 25 minutes I reached the finish and a man extended his hand down to help me climb out of the water. Then I trotted off toward the transition area, stopping along the way to briefly chat with Alyssa and Amber who were standing on the sidelines. I wanted to let them know that the first part of the swim was the hardest so they wouldn’t become discouraged.

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The first transition took me about 10 minutes, as I sat down to dry my feet and pull on the socks and shoes, then apply sunscreen, drink some water, and eat some salted nuts. My legs needed that time to transition from limp to strong again, as I lifted my bike off the rack and ran along side it down to the start of the bike course.

What a beautiful ride along the tree-lined Lake Washington Blvd, to the I-90 bridge across the lake and onto Mercer Island, my old hometown. The mountain (Rainier) was out, the sun was shining, and I was having a blast. I needn’t have worried about some overly-aggressive biker woman knocking me down, because everyone was so respectful of and encouraging to each other. There were lots of “WooHoo’s”, especially when we got to the tunnel, and then I was surrounded by a chorus of women’s voices echoing “WooHoos” and “YeeHa’s”. What a high! On the way back (12 miles total) I began to feel like an actual bike-racer, pedaling as fast as I could and thanking the volunteers as I passed them, as they shouted out their constant words of encouragement. “Go girl! Love your sequins!” It was a mutual love-fest. As I practically ran down the volunteer at the finish line, finding it difficult to suddenly come to a complete stop and leap off my bike, there was Steve, faithfully recording it all on video.

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After hastily racking my bike again, guzzling from my water bottle and pinning my number on my suit, I trotted into the running area and headed south on Lake Washington Blvd toward Seward Park.

Once again, the wonderful volunteers were stationed all along the route, calling out their encouragements. “Love the sparkles!” “You can do it, just another mile!” They were fantastic, keeping that energy up for hours. I alternated between jogging and fast walking, and felt great until the very last bit, when I began to feel a little pukey, but with the crowd’s encouragement we all kept going, and soon I was crossing the finish line! I sat down while the young woman removed my timing chip/ankle bracelet and then flopped down on my back. She said, “Are you ok?” and I said, “I just feel a little pukey,” and she said, “Oh I always feel like that when I run.” That made me feel better and that yukky feeling was quickly replaced by this wonderful endorphin high that has stayed with me for days afterward. Steve was right there to greet me and we walked through the park toward the bikes, then sat down under a tree to rest for a few minutes. It was 9:30 a.m. and I’d already completed a Triathlon and could even be back in Port Townsend by lunchtime!

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As I sat there, I called my daughter, Jessica. “I’m a Triathlete!” I couldn’t stop saying or thinking it. One of the sayings I taped to my bike was, “The true you can do anything.” Another was “You will amaze yourself.” My friend, Chris Shields, told me I have “stamina,” so I stuck that on there, too. These words, as I was able to read them and think about them that morning, really did help keep me motivated, and I believe they’re true. I don’t think most of us realize the power we have or the things we can do if we didn’t put limits on ourselves. Not that everyone should do a triathlon. We all have different things we love to do or feel called to do. I just love to be outside doing something active, so this was fun for me.

Whatever sounds fun or interesting to you, I encourage you to “just do it”, as a gift to yourself. This was my 60th birthday gift to myself. It’s a good year.

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Has it really been almost 9 months since I’ve posted anything?  It’s not that nothing’s been happening, because so much has. I guess I have an extreme case of writer’s block, to add to my many other faults, which is even more pronounced since I’m not even a writer.

The Danskin Triathlon is one week from today. My “training” has consisted of a few sporadic workouts: a few days of biking here and there, maybe 3 or 4 swims, and a lot of walking and hiking. Too bad hiking isn’t one of the Tri events, since I’m probably ready for that one. But thanks to Dahti Blanchard and her seasoned, experienced triathlete friends, I feel more prepared than I did before yesterday.

Dahti was been kind enough to invite me, and any friends I knew of who were also entered in the Danskin, to get together for a practice triathlon with her and her friends, Katie Franco and Debbie Greenspane. Alyssa Haddenham was my only “committed to the Tri” friend who could make it yesterday. Amber Powers Arnold would have been there, but she had to work.

Alyssa and I met Dahti, Katie and Debbie at the Cape George pool at 0730 yesterday morning, where we swam for 30 minutes ( did 22 laps which is about 1/2 mile) before jumping on the bikes for a 12 mile ride. But first, back to the pool. Dahti and her friends hit the water and swam like the athletes they are, swiftly moving through their laps with long, sure strokes. Alyssa and I bobbed along in the rear, hoping to survive without drowning in their wakes. I mostly alternate between the breast and side strokes, with a few exhausting crawls in between. For some reason, that stroke wears me out. As I told the others, I grew up swimming in Lake Washington, where the Triathlon will be, all my life into my 20′s, and feel very comfortable in the water. But I was never a serious or competitive swimmer. I know I can do this without drowning, but I’ll be slow.

After our swim, we briefly dried off and squeezed into our biking/running clothes, Alyssa and I dragging along behind the  other three, our limp legs wishing they were resting on a warm beach instead of pedaling up and down hills for 12 miles.

Kate and Debbie were soon out of sight, down Cape George road and onto the beautiful Larry Scott trail, while Dahti stayed back with Alyssa and me, guiding us along as reassuringly as a mother hen with her brood of chicks. All along the way, I peppered her with questions such as, “Do we take food to the Triathlon?” (No), “Where do we park?” (Qwest or Safeco Field and take a shuttle to the event), “Do you have to have a bike repair kit and extra chain, like the books say? (No) and “How do you blow your nose when riding?”

Dahti, who does this extreme workout EVERY DAY, patiently answered all my questions and slowed to wait for Alyssa and me, as we dismounted to walk our bikes up the steeper portions of the trail.

We met back at Kate’s house a few blocks from the pool and began our “run” portion of the day. For Alyssa and me, it was mostly a “walk”, punctuated by a few jogs when we weren’t going uphill.

Finally, we were allowed to stop for lunch. We sat around Kate’s dining room table and enjoyed our potluck lunch as we discussed the Triathlon, and Dahti, Kate, and Debbie kindly provided more reassurance and encouragement, as well as answered even more questions.

I drove home feeling much better about next Sunday’s big event, knowing that although it will be difficult, I can do it if I just persevere, and I’ll be able to say to myself that I completed a Triathlon in my 60th year.

After I got home, I had a hot cup of tea on this chilly, August day, and fell asleep, exhausted, on the couch.

We awoke to the sun blasting through the windows.  It was a glorious day for a wedding!   Meg and Jeni were busy making scones for breakfast, along with a lot of other delicious goodies, and I started in on my cake assembly and decorating.

Meg and Michael had brought some beautiful, ivory roses when they came up Friday, and the girls went out after breakfast to gather fresh lavender and greens for the bouquets and boutineers.

Alan’s Aunt Beverly created a beautiful veil the morning of the ceremony, out of tulle Jessica and I decided at the last minute to bring, as well as a flower hairpiece I’d bought in Hawaii a couple of years ago.  Jessica already had a short “cage veil” she’d bought off Etsy, but decided to wear that one after the ceremony, because both looked so nice.   Bev also put the bouquet and boutineers together, and just about everything else that needed an artistic touch.   Jeni was a busy whirlwind too, helping me with the finishing touches on the cake toppers, getting her girls ready, and also doing Jessica’s hair and makeup.

Cole, the photographer, arrived around 1230, and we decided we should hurry and get dressed.  There was a flurry of activity and suddenly, Jessica had transformed into a beautiful bride!

I could never have finished assembling and decorating the cakes without Steve’s help, and they ended up looking pretty good and tasting a lot better.   The leaves on the table were brought from our Zen Garden to add a touch of home from Port Townsend.

The tiered cake was carrot with cream cheese frosting and the other was Alan’s request: chocolate with raspberry filling, to which I added layers of buttercream and ganache.   It was pretty decadent.

Out into the sunshine we went for photographs.  I’ll show some here, but the good ones are Cole’s so check out his link.

 

 

We came back in for the ceremony around 3 pm.   The men had moved the living room furniture out to the deck and set up chairs so we’d have room for the wedding in front of the fireplace.   Michael Rickard took his place at the piano, began to play Pachelbel’s Canon, and the processional began.

Michael K and Joe stood up with Alan, and Jeni, Meg, Kayla and Cami stood up with Jessica, and Jillian expertly handled Caleb, the canine ring-bearer.

It was a sweet, intimate, beautiful wedding ceremony.  Our longtime friend, Superior Court Judge Mike Sullivan officiated, and Steve, Michael K and Joe presented selected readings. I was especially touched by Jessica and Alan’s words to each other, including Alan telling Jessica that she was “his favorite person in the world.”

After the ceremony, Alan and Jessica went off with Cole to have more photos taken, while the rest of us snacked on beautiful plates of fruit and snacks prepared by Earl and Jeni.

Here are some photos by Cole Joseph:

After we had dinner and cake, we danced.   Jessica and Alan danced to The Magic Numbers’ I See You You See Me.  Steve and Jessica danced to Stevie Wonder’s Isn’t She Lovely, and Lynn and Nancy chose a Michael Jackson song for Alan and me to dance to, which really got everyone into the act.

Later on, we all went outside on this perfectly clear night to stargaze.   We saw so many constellations, shooting stars, and even the moons of Jupiter.

After a perfect wedding day and evening, we eventually all drifted off to our bedrooms to sleep. Alan and Jessica had their own private cottage on the lodge property.

 

 

What a wonderful week it was! Monday, No. 9, Mom, Lynn, Mitch and I flew to San Diego, rented a 9 passenger mini van, and checked onto our hotel across from the historic El Cortez, just around the corner from Jessica and Alan’s condo. We had a delicious dinner at one of the Mexican restaurants in Old Town, where we sat outside on this warm evening, enjoying freshly made tortillas and beer, (with food too, of course).

We were joined by Nancy, Doug, Fern, Kayla and Cami on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, Steve and Joe arrived. I spent the afternoon baking and freezing wedding cakes, using the new Kitchenaid mixer I had sent to Jessica, while the rest went to the zoo and Balboa Park. That evening we all had pizza and salad in the spacious courtyard at Jessica and Alan’s, followed by wii ski.

Thursday, our car caravan headed for our rented lodge on Palomar Mountain, first stopping for lunch at Stone Brewery, an amazing restaurant/brewery built almost solely of solid granite.   A beautiful pathway winds through boulders and plants, thorough the gift shop and restaurant to an outside courtyard with granite slab tables where we had our lunch.  Jeni, Michael, Meg and Jillian met us there.  The beer and the food were great, as was the ambiance.

After we filled up on food and beer, everyone headed on to Upper Meadow Lodge while Jeni and I stopped to buy groceries at Cosco on the way.  Our first dinner at the lodge, Thursday evening:  Taco Bar – Yum!

Jeni and Earl did most of the cooking, and the food was amazing!   Friday morning we had Earls’ blintzes and that evening we had Thanksgiving.  Jeni and Earl prepared and cooked the turkey, with Earl taking about 30 seconds to reduce it to a platterful of symmetrical slices, and Jeni doing the cranberry sauce and vegetables, and Michael made delicious mashed potatoes.  It was wonderful to have both families together, just like Jessica wanted, with a cozy, homemade dinner and Fern’s apple pie for dessert.

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