video of 2010 Gulf Coast SUP Championships

Check out my SLOW start!

2010 Gulf Coast SUP Championships from kathy frailing on Vimeo.

Firsts

Total Newbie...again!

Beauties as fan club! Thanks, gals!

Trying to come in with respect, holding off 6th!

Post race, talking story...spent!

First off, I want to send big thanks to my nephew, Marcus, USMC serving a tour in Afghanistan for serving our great country because, if not for warriors like him, we could not be having these fun events.

There are not many times in life at this age where I'm going to have a first time experience, athletically speaking. Ask anyone who really knows me, I'm a bit set in my ways. Stop laughing now. When I first found out about this SUP race, Gulf Coast SUP Championships, I wanted to sign up. I haven't been able to race any tri's for a full year now so, being as competitive as I am, I wanted to do something.....anything! Even if it wasn't a competitive thing that I might excel at, I don't care! I have grown to love SUP'ing and the lifestyle that comes with it..... think, beach bum! I wish I was a beach bum but, unfortunately, I have a stressful day job. Makes this event just more fun! How better to end a stressful week than this! We show up to the beach and I felt like I walked on to one of the many beaches we've been to in Hawaii....really! They had a live band playing really good Island music which was awesome. Anyway, race time came around and I was more nervous than I have been for a really long time, even more than either of the Kona IM races! Crazy and I don't know why I was nervous, this is our teritary, fun sport, after all. Well, it's 3.5 miles of paddling and luckily, we had absolutely perfect conditions! The horn goes off and I go straight to the back - I don't want to ram into anyone with my board and piss anyone off! Having never done this before, I'm not sure of the etiquette involved so I get in the back an mind my manners til the first bouy. The course is a huge triange, basically. The far bouy is way off shore! I got off ok, well in the back and stayed up the whole way, which was one of my goals. Had a pod of dolphins guiding us out the to off shore turn bouy and that calmed me a bit. The sea breeze began to kick in just a touch prior to the off shore turn bouy and the water chopped up a bit there but when we turned that buoy it was hot, hot, hot!! Paddling downwind is a different being altogether! Get around the scary off shore buoy and now we are looking at land, thank God! Balance is tested a bit here but rhythm comes pretty easily. Got word from a boat following the gal in front of me that she was in 5th.....REALLY??? I had no competitive thoughts about this event, I just wanted to do it and finish in one piece. Now, I find out I'm sitting 6th, well, you can just imagine what happens in my head. No more shaking knees, no more worrying about falling off and making an ass of myself, I'm now focusing on top 5! Crazy how that happens. The last mile or so got really hard. I was shocked how tired my legs were! I was even with the gal in 4th for the longest time but she had a better line on the last turn buoy and I couldn't catch her. The finish worked like this - you leave your board on the beach front and run up about 50 meters of soft sand to the finish. Well, being the jogger that I've had to be here lately, I have no sprint at all so but I forgot about being injured and ran up the beach with my trusty paddle in hand for my fifth place female finish - way more than anything I expected or trained for!! I had some great friends there to watch and I appreciate you guys! Thanks so much, it really meant a lot to me to spend this time with ya'll! I'll just let the photos and videos say the rest cuz I'm tired! The Dane has Mad Beach Tri tomorrow so he was my super photog/vidoeg for today. Enjoy!
Cheers

The birthday blog

Great glasses and cards! Thanks to all!!

Gift from birthday bar, IRB House of Ale, check it out!

Ready and waiting for action!

Trying to surf one in! eeeekkkk.

Boy, I never realized how many friends (and fam) I had until the days of Facebook! I am totally overwhelmed with the b-day wishes and truly appreciate them all! Thanks to everyone who took the effort to put fingers to keyboards! Very cool.
So, my fab hubby got me a much needed waterproof camera for my special day and I managed to put it to work this weekend! We were, once again, blessed with beautiful Florida weather and I got to paddle my little heart out! I am planning to participate (read, not compete) in my first ever SUP race next Saturday, weather permitting. I hope to be able to do this event and report great stories!
Birthday weekend, as I've called it as I took Friday off from work, was great! The great thing is that we live in vacation/tourist area (not always good), so a mere day off or weekend turns into a vacation! Beaut! We did a couple tri workouts Friday morning then headed to the beach for some SUP training. Met some friends later on Fri afternoon for a 3-mile paddle which was really fun and meant some cold beers were just around the corner! Met more friends for the beers and a party ensued which was unexpected and really fun! Thanks guys!
Not to bore anyone further, I will just enclose pics of my great weekend which are not very flattering but, hey, I'm 43 years old and have not been training for 9 months now, go easy on me!
On an heavier note, I did sign up for IM Augusta 70.3 which is the end of September. Hopefully, I'll be back in action but if not, I sure know how to walk and am not afraid to do so! The Dane is in great shape to qualify for IM 70.3 World Championships here in Clearwater so I am supporting with no such personal goals. I just want to have a goal and get back into shape which is a along way off! Just wanting to get back in the game and doing everything I can to get back in '11. Fingers crossed!
Cheers!

The come back...part deux

I have avoided blogging about my hammy because I feel the fear of the jinx. When I was back "running" in January, it wasn't meant to be, hard to explain. I was not tuned into "awareness" vs "pain". Problem with me is I can tolerate a lot of pain...like any Ironman top age grouper, I suspect. I had a bunch of awareness but thought I was safe because it wasn't pain. It ended up being bad and I needed another 6-7-8 weeks off running. I quit keeping track, frankly. I am now about 9 months out from tearing my hammy and I think I have finally gotten better. I am progressing slowly with the running, as I should. I am up to 30 minutes of jogging which is pain-free and a dream! Now I want to train for something. Maybe a 70.3 at the late summer or something else. We'll see. The Dane really wants to qualify for IM 70.3 World Championships (and is in top shape to do so) here in Clearwater so that's what we'll do.....well, him not me! 2010 is an off year to get well and possible stronger than pre-injury. We'll see but I'm less depressed anyway and that is good for everyone around me! So......onward!
On a lighter note, we did get to SUP this weekend on some rough water! The water and the weather is finally warm so more fun to get out for sure. I plan to do an SUP race in a couple weeks so I'm sure I'll make a total ass of myself but it won't be the first time!
Cheers

Feels like summer now

Whew, finally feeling like summer in FL! Loving it to the max. We got to SUP on Friday evening with friends and the wind made it super challenging but fun just the same. Great workout for sure! Saturday was my unofficial first triathlon, though order of events was a bit off. Did cruisey ride with The Dane and Mary "Drag-ass" (her term), then open water swim with Val, Ann Marie and her Dane Dad (and my Dane, of course), then barefoot jog on the beach. I always remember why love running so much when I can run on the beach! Feeling blessed for sure. The hammy is coming along really well this time. I'm being extremely mindful and going along very slowly this time. I am completely out of shape because I had to let go totally (of bike fitness) to heal but I'll be back (in my Arnold accent)! Super motivated as usual but on a leash. Letting 2010 season go but don't write me off for the fall - if all goes well, I may surface in a real race, fingers crossed. It is great to watch my friends and compadres compete in the early season races and I feel truly blessed to be associated with this great sport! The other "sport" I am becoming more and more passionate about is, of course, standup paddling. I am planning to enter a race later in May but not the long 9 miler because I don't have the time to get in what I feel would be adequate, real training for this. I respect the sport and conditions too much to just "show up". So, as the depression fades from "no running", I am feeling the angst to get back at it. Hard ride today with the boys in the wind really was a good way to start! Thanks boys! Never quit.....
Cheers