I have a what??

2010 was supposed to be the year of big time athletic events for me. A full Ironman trialthon, a 1/2 Ironman tri, the Triple Bypass and the list goes on. My head wanted to prove that turning 40 isn't a barrier to what our bodies are capable of, but rather a gateway to the incredible feats we can train it to do. My body had different ideas.

It's always easy to point fingers when there is a setback in life. This one is my fault, although I am convinced it started in Vancouver during the Olympics (which was the last time I blogged - yikes).

Those 25 amazing days were also 25 exhausting days. I didn't realize it at the time because we were so driven by the Olympic buzz, but my body was breaking down little by little every day. I would wake up early to get in a workout, then proceed to work 16-18 hours. No rest and no days off makes for a very unhappy inside!

When I came home, I didn't take time off to rest then either - I just kept training. Swim, bike, run, swim, bike, run. Some aches and pains began to develop. It started with my lower back, then went to my left hip and eventually to the right hip. The pain was "do-able" though and with massages and a few trips to the chiropractor, I thought I was OK. I wasn't.

In mid April I went for a 6 mile training run. I had it perfectly timed before I had to pick up the kids from school. I knew something was wrong from the start: my gait was completely off but like an idiot, I kept going. My right hip really hurt, but the pain subsided about mile 2 so I figured I was fine. Wrong.

About mile 4, the pain was back and excruciating. By mile 5 I really needed to walk but coudln't because if I did I would be late to get the kids. Lesson learned to give more time for those "just in case moments!"

Long story short, that night I could barely walk, climb stairs or pull my pants on standing up. I walked with a cane for a couple days. Over the next couple weeks it got a little better but my limp was very noticable. Finally I made an appointment with a hip specilist.

The initial diagnosis with Dr. Xenos at Steadman Hawkins (who is awesome) was simple enough - likely a torn labum muscle in my hip. But after the MRI, the story was different: the initial stages of a stress fracture AND fraying of the labrum muscle. A stress fracture and muscle tear? Wow.

For two weeks I was on crutches to eliminate any weight bearing activities which helped so much. Thankfully both problems were caught early and once they heal I shoudln't have any lingering issues. My limp is almost gone now and I've been cleared from the crutches unless I have a "bad day".

Unfortunately most of my kick butt events are out the window. No Triple, No 70.3 Boulder, No Ironman in November. I'll be lucky to be ready for one triathlon this summer and I usually hit 3-4!  Thankfully I have been able to bike during this time will be able to ride in my 14th Courage Classic at the end of July, which is very important to me.

I have taken my workouts down a notch which is not easy for me.   I usually climb hills on my bike with great ease but have had to slow down and spin my pedals like crazy so I'm not pushing too hard. It's tough to pass guys that way but my ego is coping :)

I have decided my new motto is something Dr. X told me last week: "Let pain be your guide." No more working through pain on any kind of workout. If it hurts, stop and rest. For most people this makes naturally sense, but for us "Type A" folks, it's very tough to stop and rest.

Truth be told, this injury couldn't have come at a better time:  I still turned 40 this month and have two amazing vacations planned with my family. I'm ready for the R&R.

Now, where's the pool boy?

The Pink Inukshuk Hat

Forget the sold out red mittens, that's not what Denver wants from the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Everyone wants the pink hat and it's nowhere to be found!

I bought the pink and white striped hat last week at the little gift shop inside the International Broadcast Center. I like pink, I had a 9News jacket that matched it and was having a bad hair day (lots of rain and humidity mixed with curls is never a good thing). I thought it was perfect. I had no idea it would spark a storm of e-mails and Tweets.

It started with an email from Michelle in Greenwood Village: "Susie - I was watching the 4:00pm news cast and was watching you from the Olympics. I am very interested in where you got the pink beanie. I love it. Any help on where I can get that would be great."

Then came an email to our Web Team from Laura: "Can you tell me where Susie got her pink and white Olympic hat?"

Soon another email from Nick: "Hi Susie, My wife loves your pink hat! I assume you got it at the Olympics? I am scouring websites trying to find it and I'm not having any luck. Would you mind giving me some details about it so that I might be able to find one for her?"

And then there were the Tweets: @susiewargin Where did you get the pink striped Vancouver hat you wore last night (with your pink jacket)? I LOVE IT! Now I'm on a mission!

And there are more. I've tried finding it on the web; the tag says www.vancouver2010.com but it's nowhere to be found in the official store. So, I'm offering to buy them for viewers and bring them back. Last time I checked, the gift shop still had quite a few, but by the time the Games are over, I might have their entire stock!

Just goes to show: you never know what can come from $25 and a bad hair day!

Matt Renoux and I enjoying Opening Ceremonie in the NBC compound

We have arrived!

It's Sunday morning in overcast Richmond BC... time to catch everyone up on our Olympic journey so far.

Saturday was a long day of travel. I was up early at 4am (not nearly as early as I usually wake up though, so almost sleeping in) for an 8:30 flight from DIA to Seattle. After being dropped off at the airport by my husband, Matt Renoux and I checked a bunch of bulky bags and equipment in at the United counter. They all asked if we were going to Miami for the Super Bowl. Nope, 25 days in Canada.

We flew to Seattle and met up with our "warden" Tim Dietz who is in charge of all the Gannett folks here (he's the nut in the Canada hat). We also met up with a few co-workers we will be working closely with from our Gannett stations in Phoenix and Minneapolis. After a rental car pick up, we were off to cross the border.

Matt and I made a few stops along the way. Lunch was way overdue and we also shot some water scenes for a story he is working on. I took pictures of the two "tokens" my kids gave me and will continue to do so throughout the trip. The pink frog is my daughter Sam's and the Lego Skeleton man is Justin's. Pretty funny huh?

Eventually we did make it into Canada and to our hotel in Richmond. I have a suite, Matt does not. I found this out when I made the mistake of saying how nice our rooms are with the couch and living area. He said "what living area?" Whoops... he has a big room with two beds. I felt bad.

After "settling" into our rooms for all of a 1/2 hour, we boarded the train to take us to Vancouver. It was packed at 7pm at night and the games haven't even started. Matt & I were both hauling big backpacks with our laptops and cameras so we take up a little extra room. About 25 minutes later we were in Vancouver.

We made our way to the IBC (International Broadcast Center) which is where we will spend all our time when we aren't shooting stories and running down athletes. We got our credentials checked and laminated, except for Matt. There was a discrepancy on his birthday from his passport so he wasn't allowed in the IBC. Like the suite, Matt got the short end of the stick. Poor guy.

We spent some time in the IBC getting to know our workspace, checking out where Bob Costas will do his show and most importantly, where they are feeding us. We will be well taken care of if/when we find time to eat!

When we left, we found a somewhat sulking Matt Renoux blogging in a food court by the train station. We boarded back to Richmond for the hotel and I unpacked. My home away from home already looks like home: piles have formed, electronic devices are all plugged in and my snacks have taken over the ice bucket.

This morning I ran 12 miles on a gorgeous flat, dirt trail that is a block from the hotel. Water lines one side of the path and gorgeous houses line the other. It was amazing. I ran past the Olympic Oval where Speedskating will start on Saturday. What an incredible venue this is just from the outside (notice the security fences - two layers between that path and the venue). I can't wait to watch an event in there and since it's only a mile south of the hotel hopefully that will happen!

Today's plan includes a story on the IBC so we can show you what it's like behind the scenes. When you watch us live on TV or see Brian Williams on Nightly News, you only get the one view. Our "IBC Cribs" story will show you everything (except the set where Costas sits - that's off limits - but I will show you the hallway he will walk in!).

So far, I'm very impressed and can't wait to dig my heels even deeper into these games, cities and venues!

Stuff, stuff and more stuff

Stuff, stuff and more stuff

 

Perhaps you've seen the promo on 9News by now:  Matt Renoux and myself surrounded by cases and cases of STUFF.  Those aren't props people!  Those cases have already been shipped to Vancouver for our coverage of the Olympics.  Scary part: that's not the last of it.

 

I don't know what was in those cases and quite frankly I'm afraid to ask for fear I'll be taught how to use whatever is inside... old dog, new tricks, not on this trip please.  I've already learned how to shoot and edit and that's scary enough.  Oh and all that STUFF (camera, laptop, tripod, battery charger, etc) wasn't even with the STUFF that was already shipped.  No, I'm responsible for hauling it to DIA and making sure it arrives safe in another country... they trust me too much.

 

Actually I lied about not know what was in ALL the cases.  Renoux (we are already on a last name basis) and I split a case.  So our Sorrels, heavy jackets, and sweaters are all touching each other.  Good thing we aren't afraid of cooties. 

 

I'm really glad we sent all our sub-zero wear too: it's been too warm for snow to stay on Cypress Mountain where the snowboarding and freestyle events take place.  Its just 20 minutes outside of Vancouver.  Probably should have sent up my spring wardrobe (I don't have one, it just sounds fancy).

 

But back to the STUFF.  So we've already shipped a you-know-what-load of it to Vancouver and there's more equipment to take.  Then there's the issue of packing personal belongings for a 25 day stint away from home.  I've tried to block this thought from my mind because it's a little overwhelming and here's why:

 

On top of working 16-18 hour days, I'm going to attempt to fit in training for my full Ironman which is right around the corner on May 1st.  So I need work clothes and workOUT clothes. 

 

Herein lies my problem:  I think I own, in general, more workout related clothing than nice clothes for work.  I love them.  I have more layers than an onion and those layers can take up a lot of room in a suitcase.  I'm afraid by the time I pack my workout clothes (which will be packed first), there won't be any room for nice STUFF. 

 

It wouldn't be the first time this has been an issue.  This idiosyncrasy of mine drives my husband mad... which is why he has his own bag for packing - there is no sharing (unless he has room for some of my STUFF).

 

Time will tell how the personal packing goes.  Matt and I take off on February 6th and start going live in the evening newscasts sometime the following week before the games begin.

 

And if you see me in workout STUFF, you'll know why.

 

Vancouver here I come!

One of the questions in our yearly personal reviews at 9News is: "What would you like your next assignment to be?" For the last 5 years, I've answered that with one response: "Covering the next Olympics." When I was filling out my 2009 review a few weeks ago, I had to find a different answer.

It has been my dream to be assigned to the Olympics since I started at 9News and it has finally come to fruition! I’m thrilled beyond belief, but not for reasons you may think.

When I tell people I’m going to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics, they think it’s a cushy, glamorous job where I get to hang out with Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White for a couple weeks. It’s not really like that. In fact, we are gone for 25 days (without our families), we don’t have time to attend many events and we’ll be lucky to sleep more than 3-4 hours a night. Sounds fun huh? Oh it will be!

In my profession, these are the events we live for: the action is everywhere and everybody wants to know more about it. We have countless Colorado athletes involved, most of whom we’ve already interviewed and I can’t wait to report on not only their success, but also the success of Team USA as a whole.

The Olympics are unlike any other sporting event. The games bring together the worlds’ most talented athletes on a stage that can cause us to toss aside political and religious views. Instead, our hearts feel the sweat and tears every athlete puts forth as each one represent his or her country and shows unparalleled pride in the process.

Pride in country.

Those words have been the underlying theme every time I’ve asked one of our Colorado athletes what it means to be an Olympian. As proud as they are to represent our great country, I will be just as proud to report on their accomplishments.

My dream assignment does come with one negative: leaving my family. I will miss my husband and two kids like crazy. My son turns 10 on February 13th and the guilt of not being home for that milestone bums me out more than him. I have never missed a school party; my kids and their classmates have come to expect my chocolate chip cookies, but those will be absent on Valentine’s Day. My 7 year old daughter likes the fact she will be the “Mom” while I’m gone, but other times I find her in tears because she doesn’t want to be the only girl at home.

Thankfully my mother-in-law is coming in from Florida for two weeks to help my husband and my family will be helping out as well. My guess is that my son will have a bigger and better birthday with me gone!

So, while there is guilt, I feel good about leaving my comfort zone and crossing north of the border for the first time on February 6th. I will keep you up to date from now until my return on March 2nd as to what we are working on, who we’ve talked to and any other fun stories we come across while we are there.

In the meantime, still lots of work to do before we go so I’d best get back to it ‘eh?

Rockin and Rollin My First Marathon

When I saw the full page ad in a running magazine, I knew it would be a piece of cake to get my husband there as a spectator. The question was: would it work with my crazy schedule of working home Broncos game and the Steve Fairchild show on Sundays?


Turns out it was perfect. December 5th in Las Vegas was the weekend after CSU's season finale and the Broncos were out of town. My Hold 'Em playing husband was all in: My first 26.2 would be the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon.


Somewhere along the way, my husband decided he'd like to run the 1/2 Marathon. This coming from a man who never liked to run and sometimes mocks my rationale for loving the sport. I signed him up anyway, and told him he owed me the entry fee back if he bailed.


This was the Rock 'n' Roll folks first year taking over the Vegas Marathon. In 2008 the race had 11,000 entrants. This year there were 27,100!


Some interesting tidbits before I get into the race:
35% were running the full or 1/2 for the first time (including us)
59% registered were women (sweet!)
85% traveled from outside of Clark County where Vegas is located
175 Musicians made up 35 bands and used 325 guitar picks as course entertainment
250 High School Cheerleaders and 500 Pom Poms stayed upbeat from start to finish along the routes
The medical tents went through 75 one-pound jars of Vaseline (can you say friction?)

We flew in on Friday (the race was Sunday) and were invited to a VIP/Media party Friday night which was a lot of fun. I met Frank Shorter for the first time and a lot of the elite runners were there as well. I noticed they weren't eating and drinking like we were - very interesting.

Saturday was just a fun day in Vegas. Mike played poker and I went shopping with my brother and his wife at the Outlets. We went to bed at a good time and tried not to be nervous for Sunday morning.


The cold snap that hit Colorado this week went through Nevada first and while the temperatures weren't in the single digits, it was in the low 30's race morning with a little breeze. I brought full length tights but opted to wear my capri tights thinking I would get too warm. I was wrong.


The start was really cool. A Cher impostor sang the Star Bangled Banner and a fireworks display lasting about 15 minutes filled the sky. The first wave of 1,000 runners were off at 6:15am.


Each corral of 1,000 went about every minute. I expected mass chaos, but it was very organized and there wasn't any congestion after crossing under the start banner. We headed south down Las Vegas Blvd for less than a mile, then turned around and went north down the strip.


Both sides of the strip were closed (for the first time ever) and it was surreal to see all the runners in front, in back and eventually on both sides of the road. A local TV station was carrying the race and all the hotels had the broadcast going on their big screens which was really cool.


About 3 miles in, I noticed coverage was focused on the elite runners and I wondered where they were. Not a minute later I saw them running the other way down the strip. Now I knew why they weren't drinking wine and scarfing cream cheese and salmon crackers on Friday!


I stayed comfortable when running on the strip except for my fingers (thankfully I brought gloves). All the bodies and buildings helped create warmth. The problem came when the marathoners peeled away from the strip.


They sent us out west for a few miles and with nothing to block the elements, it got chillier and chillier. My left knee started to give me a hard time (I had tweaked something a few weeks before in a training run and it never healed) and the cold didn't help. People were starting to walk for extended periods of time including me.


I had been walking through aid stations from the get go, subscribing to the Jeff Galloway theory that I would be stronger in the final miles. But at Mile 19, I thought I was done running when a sharp pain jolted through my leg. I almost called my brother and told him to forget about waiting at the finish because I was going to be a while.


But, I was able to keep up a fast walk for probably a 1/2 mile and decided I'd try to run again. My knee/leg buckled in pain. OK, I'll just walk fast and try again in a few minutes. The next time I tried, it didn't hurt so I figured, keep this pace and just go. I somehow had won a mental and physical game with myself and got through the next couple miles with mostly running and a little walking.


At Mile 22, I had a wave of energy and euphoria sweep over me for some reason. I found a pace where nothing hurt and stuck with it. I never stopped the last 4.2 miles and was even able to kick it up a notch in Mile 26 when most people were walking.


I was smiling and singing when passing a DJ or band. I ran by a speaker blaring "Baby Got Back" and sang along. Then in the final 1/2 mile, a band was there singing Billy Idol's White Wedding and I crossed in front of them right at the end of the song when the lyrics go "More, more, more, more, more!!" I pumped my fist and screamed the words with them. I felt awesome.


The finish line was emotional. I was running hard because I wanted to get under 4 hours and knew I'd be really close. I stepped across the line, welled up with tears, grabbed my finisher medal and saw my time: 4:00:07. Seven seconds over 4 hours. I thought back to the times I walked, stopped to stretch or fiddled with the toiler paper on my one bathroom break.


But I couldn't be that disappointed. I finished, and at a couple points along the race, I didn't think I would. Mike wailed through his race in 2 hours and 32 minutes, about 20 minutes faster than he thought he would. The first-timers were a success in Sin City while my sister-in-law finished her 9th half-marathon in 1:53!


Now it's time to look for the next one. Perhaps Rock 'n' Roll Denver in October 2010... but only if I can talk CSU into a bye that weekend and get the Broncos on the road :)

Ode to my Bro

There's a day to celebrate just about everything: Birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Black Friday, Take Your Kids to Work Day and the list goes on.

But what about Sibling's Day? (Actually there is one in the works for April 10th but that kind of detracts from my blog entry here).

Besides, a Sibling's Day shouldn't be designated to just one day. When is the last time you did something nice, unexpected, or just dropped a quick note to a sibling? Trust me, it can feel very rewarding to do something for your brother or sister... and it feels even better when they do something in return.

As I look back on 2009 and ahead to 2010, I am reminded how special my only sibling is to me. My brother Ted and I have always been close, but this year was different.

I'm not sure if we are making up for lost time when I was in college and he was in the Air Force, or if we are just at a point in our lives where we realize how cool it is to hear someone say "Wow, you did that for me?"

A few of my favorite memories include:

* Two trips up Lookout Mountain as we trained for Ride the Rockies. I beat him up the first time. He kicked my butt on the second trip a few weeks later. I smiled the whole way up because I knew he worked his rear off between the two rides.
* In June we spent 7 days together riding 380 miles for Ride the Rockies. No families, just him and me, plus 2,000 friends we made on the tour. We soaked in everything, from the small towns to the big mountain passes. I remember "knocking" on his tent door one frigid morning in Leadville with a hot latte for him. He looked like a 5 year old at Christmas.
* In September I competed in the Harvest Moon Triathlon at the Aurora Reservoir (1/2 Ironman distance). It was a hilly course on both the bike and run. At about mile 12 1/2 I was running up yet another hill, cursing under my breath and wondering if I had enough juice to run the final 1/2 mile. I looked up at the top of the hill and saw a guy wearing a Copper Triangle jacket and thought "Hey, I have a jacket like that." Turns out so does Ted. It was him with his wife and two girls ringing cowbells and cheering me on. Total surprise. Suddenly I had wings as he ran with me a bit and I finished on a high.

Still to come:

* Las Vegas Marathon in December. I am running the full marathon while my husband and Ted's wife are running the half. Ted is our support staff. He has it all mapped out and is set up to receive text messages from all our timing chips so he can keep track of where we are. Most importantly, I'll have peace of mind because I know he'll be checking on my hubby (who had brain surgery in January). It's a little ironic because Ted "babysat" Mike the day after he came home from the hospital so I could take our son to his basketball game. Now he'll watch over Mike running 13.1 miles less than 11 months later!
* Ironman St. George 2010. Next May I am competing in my first full Ironman distance triathlon. Because of some previous commitments, my husband can't go, so I asked Ted if he would be up for a road trip to Utah. He didn't even hesitate saying yes.

I hope I've reached out to him as much as he has for me, but as I look at this list, I think I have some work to do.

If you have a sibling (or two or three), take a couple minutes and think about what might bring a smile to him or her. It doesn't have to cost you a penny, only your time.

Wouldn't it be nice to hear "Wow, you did that for me?"