Author Archives: Crystal Clarke

A single step

  By Crystal Clarke | July 7, 2015 - 6:50 am | , , , ,
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A Single Step

A mere 4 weeks after I broke my foot I hobbled around the block. I am still wearing my boot cast, but I only used one crutch kind of like a cane as I made my way around the block. I’m not a big fan of cliches and whatnot, but I couldn’t help but think that this was one of those “single steps.” It’s the most I’ve “walked” in a month. It was exhausting. None of this sounds good for the race I’m signed up for in 6 weeks. However, I found a runner to finish up the race with me! This … Keep reading →

Welcome back… kind of

  By Crystal Clarke | June 13, 2015 - 3:45 pm | , , ,
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2015 - foot injury

One week ago my foot broke. Sometimes small mistakes have big consequences. In two seconds half my summer will be in a cast using crutches to get around. In my true fashion, I am trying to see the bright side: my one leg will be stellar strong, my arms will be buff, and in a couple of weeks I should be able to start biking again and maybe swim. If I can get on my bike soon then I won’t go completely insane AND it won’t destroy my race in August. Another silver lining is that this has me itching to train. … Keep reading →

Getting it back!

  By Crystal Clarke | December 8, 2014 - 4:08 pm | , ,
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Swim workout in a not-just-for-sandwiches baggie. The workout is from the book Be Iron Fit by Don Fink.

Last week I was accidentally consistent! The past few weeks I’ve been trying to get on the treadmill a couple of times a week and I put my bike on the trainer and started riding it a bit. My big incentive came from a very unlikely interaction with my training buddy. He was telling me how he does his long indoor bike rides when his wife isn’t home. They are both retired so I wasn’t quite sure the reason for his needing to wait for a time when they weren’t going to be together. He told me it was because … Keep reading →

Procrastination Challenge

  By Crystal Clarke | November 10, 2014 - 9:43 am | , , , , , ,
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pro in procrastinate

My November Time Management Challenge started out really well last week. It went out the window on Thursday. Yes, it lasted 3 days. I’m not discouraged, though. I know that this will be a constant work in progress. Procrastination is my biggest hurdle. When I feel tired or drained or sore, which was the case last week after my friend tortured me at a circuit training we did on Tuesday (actually, Thank You Julie!), I have a difficult time getting off of my chair. So my bike is still sitting in pieces in my workout room. I moved it out of … Keep reading →

My November Challenge

  By Crystal Clarke | November 5, 2014 - 7:00 am | , , , , , , , , ,
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Time for change

Every month I set up a money budget. I don’t follow it to the penny, but it gives me a sense of control and understanding of my spending habits. It helps me to plan ahead. I’ve been following my budget for over a year and it has reduced my life stress by a lot. Last week I was thinking about my training schedule and it occurred to me to make a time budget. For a few years now I have felt like I don’t use my time wisely and my theory is that it’s because I don’t allot enough of it … Keep reading →

Race Report – Silverman Ironman 70.3 October 5, 2014

  By Crystal Clarke | November 3, 2014 - 8:38 am | , , , ,
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Being a goof ball. The heat must have been getting to me!

I finally finished my race report! I wrote it slowly so that I could make sure that I really thought about the race thoroughly. Pre-Race: Our hotel was in Las Vegas so we all got up early and were out the door around 5:00 to make it to Lake Mead around 5:45. Scott was amazed that we were there so early, but he quickly learned that with big races like this everything takes longer. I was the hero with the bike pump in the bike transition area and was lending it out to anyone who asked for it. I will say … Keep reading →

Race Day is Tomorrow!

  By Crystal Clarke | October 4, 2014 - 9:57 am | , , , ,
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The end of Criss Angel's show Believe. It was amazing!

      On Thursday I previewed part of the Silverman course. Scott and I made our way out to Lake Mead so I could do a 30 minute swim and a 1-hour bike ride. We heard that the lake was very low and it looked like the beach had receded about 100 feet. The “beach” is the weirdest beach I’ve ever seen. Because it’s desert all around, people were just parked not far from the water, leaving a bit of “beach.” I met a woman down there, who lives here. We swam together and chatted about the race, as triathletes … Keep reading →

This is me not freaking out – 1 week away

  By Crystal Clarke | September 28, 2014 - 12:12 pm | , , , , ,
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Ironman 70.3 SIlverman

This has been my mantra for the past week: I can do this. I am not freaking out. So this is me, not freaking out by cramming in some last-minute hot-weather training. Actually, over the last few days I’ve been feeling better and better. I’ve figured out a strategy for the swim so that I don’t get swum over; I’m going to swim on the outside and try to sight accordingly. I’ve also been studying the bike and run profiles and have made strategies for that. All I need to do now is figure out my nutrition and pack my … Keep reading →

Second Summer

  By Crystal Clarke | September 25, 2014 - 8:23 pm | , , , , , ,
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Ironman 70.3 SIlverman

This past week a very amazing thing happened… we got a second summer! Considering it’s 35C in Las Vegas right now, and will likely be in the 30s on race-day, I have been very thankful for some hot weather training. I feel like I’m cramming for a test. In reality, it’s more to just put my mind at ease so that I know that I can do this. Truth time: I’ve been doubting myself. The good news is that I’m pretty much injury-free, my cardio is good, and I’m in the best shape I’ve been in in over three years. … Keep reading →

It starts at the Beginning

  By Crystal Clarke | September 22, 2014 - 8:04 am | , , , , ,
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IM Silverman swim wave start

Since my last major triathlon event (Ironman Canada, 2011) there has been a change in how the swim starts. Instead of a mass start, we now have the joy of the wave start. When I heard about this change I had hoped that it was like the indoor triathlons I did where we self-declared our time and were put in that group. That’s the way marathons are too, where you seed yourself in the group. A few months ago I learned that this is not how the swim wave start is. A swim wave start happens according to age groups. … Keep reading →