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Eileen Swanson's Tales
>>July 30th, 2008
Rach, me, Reid and Belle. Rach placed in the 1/2 mile and 1 mile swim, I got a glass plaque for winning and Reid was 1st in his AG
I forgot to post about my super fun swim on Saturday! Reid, Belle and I headed out to Lake Del Valle for a 2 mile swim race. We all love to swim, well Belle and I especially, so I knew this would be a fun morning! 
We got there just in time for me to sign us up and Reid to play fetch with Belle in the lake. Talk about a SERIOUS water dog!! Wow, Belle goes nuts for the water and can outswim just about any dog or person trying to get her toy in the water 
Amazing wonder water dog!
Amazing wonder water dog!
I was lucky to find a really, really sweet lady who was willing to watch a 58 pound, yellow lab! HA! Yes, it was either find someone who loves dogs to watch Belle or leave her in the car while we swim 2 miles. I scoped out a dog lover and Erin was so gracious to watch Belle. She even wanted to play fetch with her while we swam. PERFECT! THANK YOU ERIN!!
The swim was so fun. I led from start to finish and felt great the whole time. I did what Coach P said and lengthened out my stroke, worked on being smooth, and relaxed. It felt so nice to swim easy for a change. Oh wait, I was in a race. Oops. Yea, I caught myself daydreaming a couple of times and then remembered to focus. It was so different leading a swim and not having anyone around me. I had to sight a lot too. But I was happy that I had a good swim and finished the 2 mile swim in just under 48 minutes. Then my walk up to the finish line on the sand took another couple of seconds It was a great morning!
It was a great morning!
Oh and the cutest part of the whole day was when Reid was swimming in and Belle and I saw him and she swam out to him and brought him in………SO COOL!
Have a great day everyone…..
E
>>July 28th, 2008
Here is the view from our ride today I love CA!!
Here is the HUGE news!! It is now official, I quit my job at Oracle. I have 9 more days left and I will be a real “pro triathlete.” I am SUPER EXCITED! I have always wanted to give triathlon a real chance and since starting tri’s almost 9 years ago, I have always held a corporate job of some sort and always worked at least 50 hours a week. So, I will now be coaching and training full time. I will finally give myself a chance at training and recovering like my competitors. SO EXCITING!!
I am SUPER EXCITED! I have always wanted to give triathlon a real chance and since starting tri’s almost 9 years ago, I have always held a corporate job of some sort and always worked at least 50 hours a week. So, I will now be coaching and training full time. I will finally give myself a chance at training and recovering like my competitors. SO EXCITING!!
I will continue to coach several triathletes and marathon runners and hope to grow my coaching business. I absolutely love coaching!! It is so fun and rewarding to see your athletes grow and improve. It’s such an amazing feeling.
Thanks so much to my awesome husband who is always so supportive of whatever I choose to do. He is the most amazing person!! Thanks to Coach P for believing in me and thanks to all of my awesome teammates for encouraging me to move in the right direction!
No matter what happens, I will always know that at least I tried and I will have no regrets when I am older!!
Have an awesome day!
E
>>July 25th, 2008
I have to be the HAPPIEST girl on this planet right now! I am so EXCITED to race an IM. I know this may sound crazy and I may not have the best day out there, but I am going to DO MY BEST to have the BEST ATTITUDE out there. Coach just gave me the go ahead to race IM Louisville. So, yes I will get “lucky in Kentucky.” That’s for Bree
I get to meet some of my blogging buddies and I get to meet one of my newest sponsors too! This will be an amazing time!! I am like a little kid all excited for X-mas! HA! I know an IM will be tough, but I am so willing and so ready to take on this challenge! I will face this race with an awesome attitude, hopefully I will be smiling and waving out there like Wee
HUGE thanks to Reid once again for supporting me in this amazing journey. He really is the greatest hubbie I can ever dream of. It’s so real, just ask some of my teammates
Have an awesome day!
E
>>July 21st, 2008
Teddy, our homestay’s dog, he was awesome, we miss him so much!! We bought him that indestructible frisbee
Coah Bruce Regensburg (Paul’s dad), Sammy and I at our Team Dinner
Subaru was AWESOME to us!!
Kristin and I at the 137 meter pool
Vancouver, BC
Bree, me, Coach P, and Katya at the VIP reception in Vancouver
Janet, Bree, Sammy and I post Vancouver 1/2 IM
Teddy, our homestay’s dog, he was awesome, we miss him so much!! We bought him that indestructible frisbee
Coah Bruce Regensburg (Paul’s dad), Sammy and I at our Team Dinner
Teddy jumped into our rental car and didn’t want us to leave ;-(
Subaru was AWESOME to us!!
Kristin and I at the 137 meter pool
Vancouver, BC
Bree, me, Coach P, and Katya at the VIP reception in Vancouver What a beautiful country Canada is! I loved Vancouver and Victoria, BC. We had an amazing time filled with lots of new learning experiences, all that will not only help us now, but in the future as well. We hung with AMAZING, talented, sweet, fun friends and teammates. We learned so much from all of them………
- Caroline Smith taught me to “be smart” with my training, “to forget the negatives quickly,” and how to not let anything “eat me up.” She is such a tough, but fun person. I loved getting to know her and I LOVE her accent
- Katya Meyers taught me to “relax” and not get worked up about things.
- Jenny Fletcher, we just met, but we bonded pretty quick and we both taught each other that it is normal to feel down and confused but just for a few seconds, then we must realize how great our lives are. Miss ya Jenny.
- Sammy Mazer taught me that no matter how hard things get I can still smile and have fun. She has a very bright future ahead of her. Sammy is awesome!!
- Janet Nielsen, ahhhh, where do I begin? Janet is such an amazing person. Everytime we are around each other, we are laughing and getting in trouble with Coach P. We are such a funny pair together, especially in the pool Janet showed me how to be a super confident swimmer and know that I can swim with anyone. Thanks Janet!
Janet showed me how to be a super confident swimmer and know that I can swim with anyone. Thanks Janet!
- Lisa Mensink, the Olympian! She inspires, motivates, and always helps me out when I am confused or frustrated. I love how she always has a clear head and can turn anything into a positive. I will take her advice on my next step which you will all hear about very soon Best wishes for an awesome Olympics Lis!!
Best wishes for an awesome Olympics Lis!!
- Bree Wee, one of my closest friends and teammates. She knows so much about me that no one else knows. She is my confidante, partner in crime, and my favorite swim buddy. I can’t list everything that she has taught me as I could go on forever. But a few highlights from this trip that will be so important for me to remember are to “know that I only have one short life to live, so GO FOR IT,” “BELIEVE that I have got what it takes,” and always “keep my head in the game.”
- Coach Dan taught me to not get worked up about things and realize that even though I may feel like I am far back on a climb, I am NOT! He helped me so much with my confidence! What a cool coach!
- Coach Paul, I love the PROCESS, I BELIEVE, and I KNOW I will get there with your help!! Thank you!
Have a great day!
E
>>July 18th, 2008
Janet, me and Sam last night. Can you tell how sick I look ;(
Well, it had to happen while I was here in Victoria. BUMMER! I got sick. Not just a cold but a full blown, bacterial infection – fever, chills, sweats, sore throat, migraine, and bronchial cough! I started feeling weak and fatigued on Tuesday night, but I thought it was no big deal, just tired from the race and training camp. I had great swims, rides, and runs and just kept on plugging away.
Wednesday morning at our first swim workout, I started feeling really achy, weak and filled with phlegm. I still pushed through a really tough workout of 2x (12×100s). I still managed to do 1.19s-1.20s, but I was not feeling good at all. I faked it til I made it! As Bree would say! Then onto our super tough 3 hour HILLY bike ride. I rode with the FAST girls and guys, Katya, Caroline, Lisa (Beijing Bound), Reid and Coach Dan. I was hurting so bad on some of the steep climbs. I had a couple meltdowns and knew something was wrong with me. I just felt awful. I still pushed through this SUPER TOUGH workout and managed to have a good 2nd half of the ride. Coach Dan and Reid were so awesome and encouraging. They would double back for me on the climbs and fill my head with so much positiveness. It was AMAZING! They are super SWEET! By the end of the ride, I had a deep chest cough and felt slighly feverish. I kept trying to stay positive and convince myself that I was just tired.
Onto the final swim workout of the day at Durrance Lake at 4PM, and I knew I was getting sick. But again I was in denial. I swam a great pace with Lisa, Bree, and Janet. We had a great time and stayed with each other on the 300 intervals. Every one of these girls is so strong and so much fun to be around. At the end of the swim, we took our wetsuits off and I felt the chill of that water run down my spine and I got the chills. Again, I thought maybe some rest and I would be all better on Thursday morning.
Wednesday night I was up all night with a fever, chills, and the sweats. I was hurting so bad and feeling so bummed. Reid helped me out so much by being so comforting and sweet! I missed the morning swim workout but Coach said to try to make it to the run in the afternoon. I did just that and Coach gave me a nice easy base run of 60 minutes. I did this run with Reid and at first I felt ok, but about 20 mins into the run I was feeling pretty lethargic and achey.
Dinner at Paul’s parents house Thursday night and I was faking it so bad. I was trying to act like I was better even though I was aching all over and feeling pretty sickly! I wanted so bad to be healthy and good to go…. As soon as we got home, I lay in fetal position in bed and started having the chills again. The chills turned into a fever, really bad sweating (where I had to change my sleep outfit 3xs). I was again up all night. This morning Reid took me to a walk in clinic to get checked on by a DR. I was just diagnosed with a sinus infection and possible strep throat. I have antibiotics and a nasal spray now and I am trying to recover as quick as I can. Too bad we leave tomorrow AM. It’s ok that I am missing these workouts as I know my health comes first and I need to get well!! There is always another day….. And as Caroline said “you will not even care that you missed a workout or 2 in 5 days, 5 months or 5 years.” SO off to bed I go…..
E
>>July 15th, 2008
I wasn’t in the cool top 5 pic, but I was top 9
This is the COOLEST pool ever – 137 meters long…..R, E, and KH
Kristin and me posing the day before the race – such dorks
Janet, me, Wee, and Caroline
The Subaru
I wasn’t in the cool top 5 pic, but I was top 9 This is the COOLEST pool ever – 137 meters long…..R, E, and KH Kristin and me posing the day before the race – such dorks Janet, me, Wee, and Caroline
The Subaru
We’re here in Victoria now after racing the Vancouver 1/2 on Sunday! Vancouver was beautiful and we were taken care of so well. Subaru was AMAZING and gave some of the pro women cars to drive around in all weekend. They even put our names on the cars HA! It was so much fun! The race itself was yet another learning experience for me on this journey to becoming the best I can be. I again learned so much and will run with it and grow.
HA! It was so much fun! The race itself was yet another learning experience for me on this journey to becoming the best I can be. I again learned so much and will run with it and grow. I had the best swim of my life, swimming with the leaders and feeling strong. I even overcame a slight mental lapse when I was dunked by a pro guy and held under, only popping up to see that I was under the first buoy. I could have easily freaked out and wasted energy and let the group go, but I “let it go” got my head back in the game and swam away from that pro guy. I felt great and exited the water with a new PR of 26 minutes in 2nd place. I was pleased with this time and know that I still have room for improvement.
Onto T1 and the camera men were filming me. I had such a circus in there, HA! Embarrasing. I had trouble getting my left leg out of my suit. It was stuck on my timing chip. Ooops, I finally got out of it and onto my bike. I felt just ok at first, then flat later on. But I wanted so bad to hold my spot in 2nd place. I was passed early on by Caroline and then later into the ride by Rachel K. I held onto my new spot for almost 3 laps. Then I let the negative thoughts get the best of me and instead of focusing on the positives, I started to think about how much pain I was in. Ok, I know I keep going through this, but eventually I will get it right and then I will be where I should be and hold my place in the race. Until, then I have so much to learn, but I also have alot to be happy about
I started the run feeling defeated, since I went from 2nd to 7th all on the bike (plus a 4 minute pnealty). Again, another HUGE obstacle that I have to overcome is that defeated feeling. On the run course I just ran and tried to push it a bit, but I was not feeling it. I think a huge issue was my mindset. I did get my head together by the 2nd lap of the run and negative splitted by 5 minutes. Ok, so this goes to show that I could have gone this pace for the first half too. I WILL get there one of these days, I know I will. And now being here in Victoria, I am already learning so much from all of the girls, coaches, and a famous sports psychologist. It’s all good and a HUGE BONUS – having Reid here!!
I have to add in that I had a great swim with Heather Wurtele yesterday. She is awesome, both as a person and athlete. I hope to learn alot from her……..
Have a great day!
E
>>July 9th, 2008
Bree, me, and Janet in Oz…..
It’s time to take a trip up North. On Friday, I will be heading up to Vancouver to meet up with my Coach and teammates (Bree, Katya, Janet, and Lisa). We will be racing in the Vancouver Half IM on Sunday. I hear this is a super fun race and an absolutely beautiful course. I am really excited to see my friends and of course Coach too.
After the race, we will all travel to Victoria via ferry. Coach has a week long training camp planned for us. I am so excited as a guest will be with us, guess who? My best friend and hubbie, Reid will be joining us this time around. It was so much fun in Oz but tough to be away from family. So this time Reid is coming with me….YAY!! I am so HAPPY! Of coure Belle will be in good hands at home with my parents They LOVE her!!
They LOVE her!!
I will fill everyone in on our exciting times in Vancouver and Victoria. I am sure I will have lots of fun stories, pictures, and more to share…..
Have a great rest of the week…..
E
>>July 6th, 2008
My good friend Clancy!
The Cutest Yellow Lab ever, Belle
My best friend forever
The Swanson’s and Castillo’s
My friends and I, we all placed in our divisions *Karin, far left is an amazing swimmer and 1984 Olympian, super cool and amazing*
Looking way too Happy, waving at the camera man This is right before I pick up the pace!
My good friend Clancy!
The Cutest Yellow Lab ever, Belle
My best friend forever
The Swanson’s and Castillo’s
My friends and I, we all placed in our divisions *Karin, far left is an amazing swimmer and 1984 Olympian, super cool and amazing*
Hope you all had a great fun-filled 4th of July!! Every year my family and Reid and I run in our Independence Day hometown 5K race. This year Coach asked me to do the 10K. I was worried since my last couple of 5Ks in a row a couple of weeks ago left me sore for almost a week. Yikes! But Coach gave me process goals to focus on throughout the race, so this made me a bit more confident. Still I have to admit, I was worried!
I had a rough day on July 3rd with stomach issues, I guess from eating something bad so I was skeptical of starting the race the next morning (no Bree it wasn’t my cooking ). But with Reid as an awesome motivator, we were up and ready to go by 6AM race morning. The race is only several miles away from our house, so it made for a quick ride over there. It was so cool to see my family, including niece and nephew, getting ready to race!
). But with Reid as an awesome motivator, we were up and ready to go by 6AM race morning. The race is only several miles away from our house, so it made for a quick ride over there. It was so cool to see my family, including niece and nephew, getting ready to race!
I was told to go out controlled and steady and to keep my HR in check. I was so ready to follow this plan, since I REALLY wanted to feel good by the end of the race and not blow up at mile 1, like I have done in the past. I started next to a couple of friends and Reid and we all decided to start out easy and build. We did just that. I was feeling so good and so strong and in control. I was talking and waving at the cameras. Ok, a bit too much in control! HA! But by mile 2.5, I decided to pick up the pace a bit and see how I felt. I felt awesome!
At the half way point I continued to build and stay in control. I gradually got my HR up to closer to where Coach said it should be. I still felt good and I was told to let go and give it my all with 3K to go. I did and I got down to 5.40 pace and then before I knew it, the race was over. OMG – I could have gone that pace for longer BUT I was so HAPPY that I followed the plan and focused on the process that entire 10K. This is a HUGE improvement for me. I was stoked, I negative splitted by 2mins 30 secs on the 2nd half of the race. The race ended up being 6.31 miles and I ended up 3rd overall for the women.
I emailed Coach and he was super happy that I followed my process goals the entire race, but he did say that “next time go out a little more aggressive and even split and you will have an awesome time.” I was super conservative this time but I learned how to race a 10K way better than I have before Cool times on the 4th!!
Cool times on the 4th!!
Cheers,
E
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