WE MADE IT!!!!

Team Yoshida has met its fundraising goal, people...YAY!

As of today we have $5000 raised and we can't thank you all enough! (Many thanks to my very cool Uncle Neal and my awesome friend Jen Stephens for putting us over the top!)

I've finally gotten my land legs back, and am back to training. We're heading out to Corona Del Mar to get in an ocean swim this afternoon, and it's regular team practice tomorrow in Laguna Hills. We have just about 10 weeks left until Maui, and we're about to peak in our training, so I know I've got a few tough weeks ahead...but then comes the fun part: tapering! Knocking down the training to half or even more than half of what it's been...thank goodness! I could barely get out of bed today. Maybe because it's Friday...or maybe because I need more sleep... my stomach has been queasy and not happy with me this whole week and I don't know if it's because of stress or just my body attempting to recover from the cruise. Last year, when I was preparing for the marathon, my stomach was just like this for the whole 2 months (!) prior to the race...and as soon as it was over, the stomach was happy again...I bet I just need to spend more time in my bed. Who doesn't?

It is gorgeous outside today, and even though I have to go out into the icy cold water, at least I get to be at the beach. (We have wetsuits. It's OK. Trust me: no one wants to swim in California water without one.)

Thanks again to all of you who have made a difference in the lives of those dealing with blood-related cancers, and for making this experience possible for me.

GO TEAM!
-Miko

AHOY MATES!

Well, we are back....from a fabulous birthday weekend aboard the Monarch of the Seas, courtesy of Royal Caribbean...yep, I spent the big 2-9 on a fabulous cruise ship, complete with a rock climbing wall, a full-fledged gym, BINGO, dueling pianos, and many, many, many drunken college students. We sailed to Ensenada for the weekend and indulged in buffets galore, including plenty of desserts (and birthday cake) and were even treated to a very impressive version of Happy Birthday from my dinner waiters. My family had the room decorated before I got there, and even gave me some spending cash on board...which I happily used to indulge in a swedish & reflexology massage.

In Ensenada, we went on an amazing mountain bike excursion and were truly blessed with mid-70s temps, and only slight winds, which made the experience that much better. The tour guide told us we had just missed a storm. Oh, the the tour ended at a winery, complete with free tasting. What a way to end the day! (Thanks to my big sis for that b-day gift). I have to confess that Landon and I spent quite a bit of time sleeping on trip...catching up on lost sleep from past weeks...but still were able to do a ton of stuff on board. If you've never been on a cruise before, this is a great one to start with. It's a weekend cruise, Friday - Monday...short enough if you're not having fun...long enough to get a true taste of what a cruise is like. They've got live shows, a casino, shopping, food, art auctions, sports activities, more food, dance lessons, internet access, oh, and did I mention food? Imagine this. Buffet meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner....or you can choose sit-down style eating for each meal...or you can even choose room service, 24 hours a day, at no extra cost! I think I may have gained 5 pounds in the last few days. I managed to squeeze in a spin class and a 7 mile run, but that was about it. Didn't have much time to do anything else active. Too busy having fun!

Anyways, I'm about ready to pass out...from fatigue. And I can't seem to walk a straight line, but it's in no way related to any sort of drinking. I actually feel like I'm still on that boat, rocking side-to-side. Hopefully I'll get my land-legs back soon. Gotta get back to real life...and real training. HA!...I left you with some photos of the weekend...I'm off to rest...

GO TEAM!

-Miko

Everyone says we Southern Californians can't take our weather for granted...and I agree, sure, but can't I just at least make one complaint? Why can't Orange County weather ever make up its mind? It's hot, it's cold, it's kind of hot, it's kind of cold...OK, it's hot, but not humid...wait, it's hot, AND humid...I was all set to go out on my brick workout today (bike, immediate run afterwards) and I wake up to a huge lovely blanket of fog! What's up with that? Luckily my cousin Ian so generously donated his bike trainer to me. So during the rainy days and days like today, I at least have another option for getting time in the saddle.

Our schedule includes one ride a week on the bike trainer, and I try to stick to that. Usually it's Tuesdays that I ride on the trainer to practice intervals, and I have to say, it's pretty challenging. If any of you have ever ridden a trainer vs riding outdoors, you know what I'm talking about. Basically there's no real "break" from riding. There are many times, no matter where you are riding, that you get a chance to just coast, or free spin, down a short hill, or along a flat...while on the bike trainer, such is not the case. You're solidly pedaling, of course, because if you stopped, there's be no workout. The wheels would just come to a halt, quickly.

So here's the setup: the back wheel is in the trainer, and the front wheel is placed into a grooved stopper of sorts, just to hold it in place, obviously, since a bike is propelled by the spinning of the back wheel, not the front. The wheel spins free slightly off the ground, and there's a resistance wheel on the back of the trainer that your bike spins against, so you can adjust to increase or decrease the work involved. I put a picture at the top so you all can see what I'm talking about. For those of you who have done spinning before, this is much different, and better for us triathletes to train on versus the spin class. Reason is, spin class works you in high heart-rate (HR) zones, more anaerobic. Basically you're aiming to get your bang for your buck in that 60 minutes. However, for triathlon, cycling is all about endurance and what you really want to build is your aerobic base, and this is done in the lower HR zones. Building your aerobic base by spending time in that saddle at those lower HR zones, is what will really help you survive the 25 miles you're riding in the race, and still have the energy to run....or if you're so inclined, the 56 miles you have to ride for the half Ironman, or if you're so crazily inclined, the 112 miles you have to ride for the Ironman...Plus, in spin class, there's weights on the front wheel that actually help it propel forward, so it's not totally you that's making the wheel spin, the bike itself is helping. Not as much work for the legs to do. You'll feel that weight if you pay close attention next time you're on a spin bike.

Anyway, I have to say, I've become a huge fan of the bike trainer. Nalu is fascinated by it and even though he's sniffed it a ton of times, and has seen me ride it in the living room, still stares at it and tries to lick every part of it. He'll even try to lick my legs when I'm riding it. I guess he likes the salty sweat. YUCK! To be honest, though, I'm not a huge fan just because of the great workout I get on it. It's more about all the movies I've been able to watch in the living room while I'm riding the trainer. We signed up for the Blockbuster program so we get new movies by mail all the time. I've made it through the Indiana Jones series, the 2 Pirates movies, and may even revisit some earlier seasons of 24. At this rate, I might actually finish the long list of movies I've wanted to see. Those who know Landon and I well know that we hardly go to the movies. We're homebodies, and would rather stay home and watch the movie in the comforts of our own living room...so this is a great thing for me. Unfortunately our DVD player isn't always reliable, though, and I can't skip any scenes or go back because Nalu ate the remote...maybe Landon will let me get a new DVD player...maybe.

Before I go, just wanted to let you all know that my fundraising is almost at $4000!!! What an amazing response I've gotten...you all are so awesome! Keep those donations coming!!!

www.active.com/donate/tntors/miko2maui

GO TEAM

-miko

www.active.com/donate/tntors/miko2maui

Ahh....I survived the canyon! Managed to escape without crashing, but couldn't escape the sun. The nice burn on my back is evidence that I clearly underestimated the amount of sunscreen I would need that early in the morning. We rode 20 miles in the canyon, then ran about 3 miles into Peters Canyon Trail, which is close to Orange/Anaheim Hills. I was curious to see how far back the trail went, so once practice was over my coach and I ran another 4-5 miles further in. It's a great hiking trail. Saw tons of people with dogs and even a couple of people on horseback. If there's one thing I love about Orange County, it's our amazing outdoors here. We have some of the most incredibly challenging, yet scenic routes to traverse, whether by bike, by foot, or horseback...and many are within very reasonable distances from where Landon and I live.

Thought you might want to see what TNT practice is like, so I put up a few photos. We change sites every week, to experience all Orange County has to offer triathletes. We always start off practice with a welcome, news, and updates to the Team fundraising. After our workout we stretch together, and sometimes just hang out for a while after we're done. I've met some wonderful people through TNT and each season I'm blessed to meet many more.

It was 90 degrees today, and it will be the same tomorrow! In March!

Adios,

Miko

Ahh...Friday again, and this time, a better one. Thank goodness.

Work has been somewhat stressful lately, and when you add that to the tough training we're going through, recovering from the crash...oh, and the bike tire I managed to puncture and subsequently needed to pay $60 to replace....well, I guess you can say I'm pretty wiped out today. Nursing can be very emotionally draining. No matter what type of nursing you do, or where you practice, it's easy to take all the highs/lows/joys/frustrations home with you...I guess you could tell from the look on my face today how this week has been, because I got a nice big hug today from the pediatrician I work with. He must have known it was one of those weeks.

I wanted to mention to you all, on a sad note, that I found out today a very good friend was diagnosed with cancer. A YOUNG friend. A HEALTHY friend. So he thought. Treasure those moments with those you love. Seriously. You never know. It can happen to any of us. At any given time. Certainly anything I’ve had to endure this week pales in comparison to what he and his family are experiencing.

On a more positive note, I’m almost at $3000 for my fundraising and the Team overall, this season, is up to $50,000!!! What a difference we are making already!!! Keep those donations coming folks, I know I’m just one of the thousands who appreciate your contributions.

If you have an honored hero in your life who has dealt with cancer, and you’d like their name on my jersey, PLEASE email it to me at miko@cox.net. I’d love to be able to honor him or her on race day.

We’re headed out to Santiago Canyon this weekend and I hear it will be in the 90s. Can you believe that? 90s in March!

Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead 1 hour this weekend!!!

GO TEAM!
-Miko

So today has not been the greatest day in the life of this triathlete...had a bad crash this morning on the bike and am still a bit shocked/stunned from it. Needless to say: triathlon has its inherent perils, just like any other endurance sport...this morning I was almost was hit by a car, lost the chain on my bike, got a nasty road rash, and trashed my favorite cycling clothes in the process...but praise God I am alive and that I lived to tell about it! I'm not feeling it now, but I know tomorrow I will be feeling it...and I'm bummed because we have Team practice tomorrow morning. I'll need to take it easy tomorrow...It was quite a sight to see me try to take a shower and wash my hair with palms and fingers torn up by road rash...I had to spend oh, maybe 15 minutes or so digging all the dirt and rocks out of my lacerations....not fun. But, it pales in comparison to what people with blood cancers have to endure...indeed.

On a brighter note, the fundraising response has been awesome! You guys ROCK! I am already up to $2000, which means, folks, we need $3000 more to pour in before June or yours truly will not be heading to Maui....so if you haven't donated yet, consider supporting this amazing cause, and if you can, spread the word to as many people as you can, to help me meet this fundraising goal and make a difference in the lives of blood cancer patients....

GO TEAM!

Miko