The Fall

On Saturday, our team had a captain's ride led by captain Tony. It was scheduled as a 35 mile ride starting at Hap McGee Ranch Park in Alamo and then winding our way throughout the communities of Diablo, Blackhawk and Danville. This was also my first "real" ride on my bike---up until this point, I have only been riding on the trainer, in the confines of my neighborhood and practicing turns in a high school parking lot. Now is my "big girl" moment on the streets. Yes, I was very nervous and apprehensive, but also very eager to take on the challenge.

Despite this being a holiday weekend, there was a good turnout for the ride. Once the superfast cyclists (i.e. Chris & Phil) took off---I rode with my posse--Cori, Tiffany and Helen. Helen is our team's webcaptain and has completed several Tri and Iron events. She brought up the rear and provided excellent guidance on gear shifting, road etiquette and safety tips on going downhill.

However, despite the beautiful, cool sunny morning, it was also extremely windy. I later learned that gusts were clocked around 40-50 mph. At times during the ride, I had the "death grip" on my handle bars and really had a difficult time controlling the bike as to not being blown off the road. There were stretches of road adjacent to meadows and pastures (with cows) where the winds were extremely fierce. I just kept pedaling and hoped for the best. Breathe in---breathe out---mind over matter....trying not to freak out. There were moments when I could have run faster and it was tempting to simply get off the bike and walk. Flashes of the movie "Twister" came to mind---whirling debris, tumbleweeds and sh_t just flying all over the place. Several realtor signs were blown over and a few speed limit signs were dangling loosely from their posts.

Captain Tony provide roving SAG support and turned us around at Highland. I breathed an inner sigh of relief, because Highland is all open road with no buildings to block the wind. The ride ended up being approximately 26 miles instead of 35, but since it was my first road experience I had absolutely no complaints about cutting it short. Even with the wind conditions, the ride was exhilerating! During the 2.5 hours or so, I had overcome many of my inner fears about riding. And yes, I had my first fall. It was rather anti-climatic---no, I was not blown off the road and into a field of wild animals...are there wild animals in Danville??? I digress....

What simply happened was that the gals and I were stopped at a red light. I had already unclipped one foot from my bike, but for some reason, I leaned to the other side and yes, gravity took over and down I went. I remember thinking "I'm totally screwed" moments before hitting the ground. Nothing broken, only one scrapped elbow and a couple of bruises. I was startled more than anything else. Helen, Cori & Tiffany were quite supportive and congratulated me on my first fall---now I'm initiated!

Renactment of "The Fall"

Redemption Running

Thanksgiving morning offered perfect conditions for a run. Quite honestly, the words "Thanksgiving" and "running" have never been used in the same sentence in years past. I ran my first "Turkey Trot" yesterday and it was such a refreshing way to kick-off the holiday season, plus it was the perfect taper run before the Santa Barbara marathon on December 6, 2009.

What? Marathon? Yes, its true.....seconds after crossing the finish line of my first marathon in October 2005, I uttered the words "never again"! Well, I will have to eat my words, because I have been training with the fall team to run another full marathon. I have confidence that my second marathon experience will be much more satisfying. You see, last December, I embarked on my own version of "The Biggest Loser" and have lost 35 pounds thus far. Aside from the benefits of healthy eating, I have actually gotten speedier. So 2009 was my year of "redemption running"....for example, my time from the 2008 San Jose Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon was 3:50:00 versus my 2009 SJ RNR time of 2:52:13. I think my best run this year was the Nike Women's Half Marathon. Nike has always kicked my butt and this year, I was actually able to run the hills without too much pain and whining. Plus I shaved off 50 minutes from my 2007 time.

I have actually reached a point where I enjoy running---shocker! My motto for the past 4 years has been "I hate to run, but I love Team in Training". I may have to change my motto--I welcome any suggestions.....

Better Late Than Never-Join Me on a 9 Month Journey!

The IronTeam kickoff was November 7, 2009 and several of my teammates started their blogs almost immediately. However, I vacillated for nearly two weeks before I decided to blog again after a hiatus of a few years. So this being said, welcome to "Kick Butt Wu"---my journey to overcome daunting challenges! I cannot take credit for my blog's moniker---thank you, Belinda for the apt name.


As you can see, I am joined by several generous, hardworking and athletic individuals to kick cancer's butt by raising money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! All of us will be training for the next nine months to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. I am currently signed up for AquaBike, which means that when my compadres are running their last 26.2 miles, I will be cheering them on with a cowbell in one hand and a refreshing margarita in the other.


I have been involved with Team in Training since 2005, and after completing 1 marathon, 8 half marathons, a Grand Canyon hike and a Cross Country 25k ski event, I've decided to take the plunge and train for two sports that are totally unfamiliar to me. However, whatever difficulties I may face during the next nine months, they are miniscule in comparison to the challenges cancer patients and their families face on a daily basis.


So welcome to my world for the next nine months!