Positive Attitude…Activate!

1. A dear friend is going through a health scare and I am scared to death of the results. To make matters worse, she’s not here so I feel helpless. I know she is where she needs to be to get the best medical care/attention, but I’d give anything to go to these appointments with her. And in typical “Es Fashion”, I tend to make jokes when talking to her but my heart breaks when I think about what she’s going through and the fact that her support system is hundreds of miles away.

2. The same weekend I found out about her, I found out another friend was in the hospital because his pancreas was essentially giving up. He was in a coma for three weeks and thankfully he’s rallied and is back home now. He has to make a major life change (no alcohol) but I hope he realizes there is more to life than his dear Miller Lite. Right now he swears he will never drink again. I only hope this fear of death sticks with him for the long haul.

3. All this worry and fear about my friends has made me realize that Life is Good! So, if you recall, I want this year to be more c’est la vie, less Type A so here goes! POSITIVE ATTITUDE…ACTIVATE!

4. After a three week hiatus I am back to exercising!!!!! My calf is 90% healed so I am run/walking. I took Penny for a ride on Tuesday, muy happy! And I’m back in the pool (and was told twice in one practice that I have a beautiful stroke).

5. So here’s a picture of our house from March:



And from this past weekend:



Wait, that’s the same picture. But if you were to go there today it would look EXACTLY the same. Word is they will start late April. Right now they have a promotion going on that says houses will be done in six months. Since we signed a contract two months before this promotion I HOPE our house will be done within six months as well!!!! That would give us an end of October move in which means Recovery/Taper period. That would work!!!

6. On Sunday, Dude, J, and I hiked the property. We spent about an hour along the lake shore and didn’t come near the end where it opens up into the “big lake”. It is beautiful, peaceful, and right in my backyard!!! Sooooo excited about moving!

7. As for my townhouse, the kitchen has a new look - I got new countertops, sink, faucet, and drawer/cabinet pulls installed. Final cleaning and de-personalizing is in the works and it will be back on the rental market soon!

8. This week, Dude and I were supposed to start our “diet” – more protein & veggies and fewer (but better) carbs. Unfortunately I’ve been busy. Next week I’ll be out of town thru Wed, then have Face of America ride Fri – Sun. I guess diet starts 18 April. Still trying to drop 10 pounds before IMAZ!

9. Face of America in next weekend. We had a fabulous Happy Hour at Glory Days last Friday – raised $1,100! And if you eat at ANY Glory Days in the month of April, give me the food receipt (not the credit card receipt) and Glory Days will donate 10% of food purchases to Team Steel Wheels! Or you can DONATE HERE!

10. This getting up at 4 AM to make swim practice is tough. I always feel incredible until about noon then nose dive into exhaustion. Any ideas on how to extend the post exercise energy? Since I’m thinking about starting to run 4-days a week, maybe a lunch time run might do the trick.

11. Dude and I are heading to Colorado this weekend. We will be spending the weekend with my BFF and her family. I’m planning a meal for Friday, we are hiking Saturday then joining her family for dinner, and then Sunday Dude and I are on our own. We may go to Boulder to see another friend or may just goof around in Denver.

12. Hmm, if the government shutdown happens I’ll be in Colorado. Can you say darn-it!


13. Don’t forget to check out my cooking blog - Tri To Cook! Oh, and just so you know, I’m a little behind on blogging on that one as well.

2010 - Year in Review

Or Better Late Then Never...

2010 will not go down in any record books for me. Truth be told, I'm just glad that it's over. This is also delayed because the year ended with me sick...sick almost consistently from 7 December until YESTERDAY (I did have a 5-day break in there, but still) a MONTH of sinus infections, ear infections, walking pneumonia, and bronchitis. Apparently my immune system went on holiday.

Rather then go month by month, here's a summary:

- I did my first Polar Plunge, and will be repeating it in 2011.
- I ran my first half-marathon, guess you could call that a PR!
- I participated in one Relay (should have been two but more on that in a bit) and did one Oly - did NOT PR in either.
- I did two 70.3's. One in Hell (Florida) and one at a fantastic venue (Musselman - Lake Seneca, New York) that I'll be returning to in 2011. Did NOT PR in either.
- I got robbed in the MicroMussell and will redeem myself in 2011.
- I did not do Marine Corp Marathon (but if you look at my results you'll see that "I" finished in 4:08 - that was actually my ROCKSTAR cousin who came down here with 3 days notice and still finished in 4:08. BTW, she's also skinnier and prettier then me...BIATCH).
- I ran the Marine Corp 10K against Doctor's orders. Did NOT PR.
- I travelled to North Carolina to do an Ironman Relay and ended up attempting the whole dang thing. I got to the halfway point in the marathon and called it a day (and I am STILL kicking myself for not finishing)!!!!

If you remember my Motivation Plan, I was to "give myself" $5 for every workout I did. Well, I "made" $605 - that is sadly 2.32 workouts a week which is almost exactly what IM AZ costs. Convenient!

In total...
I swam 52,365 meters, or 12.4 Iron-Distance swims,
I biked 1,217 miles, or 10.85 Iron-Distance bike rides, and
I ran 445 miles, or 16.97 marathons.

Compared to 2009 (which I quit tracking in Sep 2009):
I swam 100,312 meters, or 23.75 Iron-Distance swims,
I biked 1,518 miles, or 13.53 Iron-Distance bike rides, and
I ran 512 miles, or 19.52 marathons.

Aside from racing/training, I had a blast in Vegas with some great friends, I got promoted at work (which includes my very own parking spot), I got a bad-ass tattoo, I went on a non-race related vacation in Grand Cayman and I'm still head over heels, madly in love with Dude.

All in all, LIFE IS GOOD!

BRING IT 2011 - it's time to KICK AZ!!!!

2011 Race Schedule and goals coming soon!

The Damage

Mine needs new bumper, exhaust, bottom of the trunk, heat shield, sway bars, etc., etc., etc.:






Dude's - we haven't gotten the estimate back for what he needs, but if I were a betting person, I'd say a new front end and engine!



There are so many ways this could have been worse so I am thankful the only thing damaged were the cars.

I am still sore but I tried to run last night (GENIUS!) so I feel worse today then I did over the weekend. And as you may have guessed, I did not run over the weekend, did not do Warrior Dash, and did not bike my 90 or whatever miles. FAIL, FAIL, FAIL! I'm going to rest for the rest of the week and try to get close to 100 miles in on Sat and 20 in on Sunday.

Wish me luck!

Thirteen Things to Build Up to a Bad Ending!

I was having a normal day...

1. I hit snooze for almost an hour. It is so hard to get out of bed on these crisp fall mornings.

2. Free cup of coffee from 7-11 (bought a refillable cup, first 2 refills were free)

3. Work was fine, couple hiccups, but nothing earth-shattering.

4. My company sold a Business Unit out of my sector. Remember the woman that said she'd NEVER work for me from this post? Well, she was part of the divestiture and she has NO IDEA what she's in for with the company that bought them. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

5. After work, Dude met me and some IRONMEN for dinner at Mad Fox in Falls Church. Their Fig and Balsamic Bleu Pizza is TO DIE FOR!!!!

6. I got to hear Jason and Mark's IM-MOO stories. They both had good races - Jason (my IM-Swiss partner) PR'd by almost an hour and Mark did quite well in his first IM, especially considering he just learned how to swim this year!

7. A good time was had by all and we all get in our own cars and head for home.

8. And this is where the night turned to SH!T!!

9. Light turned yellow so I was coming to a stop and BLAM!! I get hit from behind.

10. I start calling the person who hit me every name under the sun, all too filthy to put in print, then I got out of the car, shaken up, but not injured...

11. You may have guessed it...yep, I know the person that hit me...and that person was Dude...FML!

12. End story, we are both fine. Both cars were towed/need repairs. The front of his car is toast - bashed in about 1/4 of the engine compartment. My car's hitch system pushed my exhaust to about the middle of the car. Again, FML!

13. And just so you know, it really sucks filing an insurance claim against someone you love!

Friday Edition of a Much Delayed Thursday Thirteen

1. Despite the lack of blogging – LIFE IS GRAND. And I really do have a lot on my mind, and talk myself through a blog post quite often. I just never have the chance to sit and type anymore.

2. I’m still “running” MCM…running, that’s funny! I’ve done two 16 mile runs so far. My next couple of weekend’s run mileage will be 18, 20, 16, 14, Race.

3. Two weeks after MCM is the B2B Bike Relay (Full Iron-distance). I’ve been loosely training for this. My next couple of weekend’s bike mileage will be 90, 100, 112, 60, 40 (MCM), 60, Race.

4. Somewhere in there I have a silly little Warrior Dash to do. Run through a pit of fire AND give me a furry warrior helmet. HELLS YEAH!

5. I suppose I should mention I rarely exercise during the week. Work, family, work, laziness, work, prior commitments, etc.

6. Even with the lack of exercise I’ve “maintained” my post Ironman weight. I gained about ten pounds in the depressing months following the race. I managed to lose five by Spring and have stayed there since. I’d still love to drop another 5-10 (marathon weight) but that would require eating less and exercising more.

7. A couple weeks ago a bunch of friends competed in Ironman Wisconsin. I couldn’t make the trip to cheer so I sat behind the computer and cyber-stalked them. WOW! It was fun to watch, text, message, etc. with people there and on-line. And it got me excited thinking about next year’s journey to Ironman Arizona!!!

8. My deal with Dude is I promised I wouldn’t be as obsessed about it as I was for Switzerland. I think I can make good on that…I know I can do the distance, I know my nutrition needs, I know what the training will be like…so I should be able to maintain some semblance of sanity

9. I got back from a week in Grand Cayman last Saturday all refreshed, relaxed, and happy. That lasted until around 10 am on Monday. Stupid job! Stupid career! Stupid need to stay clothed and fed!

10. While on vacation I realized I need to find something I’m passionate about (besides Dude, I can’t retire and do Dude…well I could but…). Once I identify that “thing” I need to try to make that a priority in my life.

11. The top things that come to mind are cooking (eating) and writing (reading). I suppose triathlon/exercise ranks up there, but that’s already relatively steady in my life.

12. So now what?! How can I turn these hobbies into something?! Anyone…Anyone…Bueller…

13. Holy crap – where has this year gone?? I just looked at my calendar and realized (1)it’s is October, (2) I’ve been incredibly busy since July and have done a ton of things, and (3) I haven’t been blogging about any of it!

BTW, did I mention I have a tattoo?

You Know What Thursday Means...

1. It's the start of my second 4-day weekend in a row! Boo-ya!

2. I'm now registered to relay the Beach 2 Battleship Iron-Distance race in November. I'm biking, a new Team Z'er is running, and Charlotte is running.

3. It's two weeks after Marine Corp Marathon...hope my legs will be ready for it!

4. Here's a surprise, I actually had fun "camping" last weekend. It helps that there was a cabin. And that everyone knew how I felt about camping so we got the room with the bed. So slept in a bed + incredible bug spray = fun camping.

5. Dude heard that I liked it so he's booked two more trips. Hope there's cabins wherever he's booked!

6. This weekend is Musselman!!!! Finally, a 70.3 that I'm somewhat, a little bit, trained for.

7. So, it's "OFFICIAL", I'm racing IRONMAN Arizona next year. Official is in quotes because I can't register until November.

8. I'm doing a Girl's Week in Grand Cayman for a week in September. There's extra room in the condo, anyone interested???

9. Someone is coming to look at my townhouse tonight. GULP, what if she wants to rent it?! Guess Dude and I are REALLY going to live together!

10. Lots of work to do on the house before someone moves in...plumbing, electric, yard work, wood floors, maybe ceramic in bathrooms.... All tax write-offs and increase value when it's time to sell.

11. Work is crazy busy but it's all good. Still looking for a replacement for myself!

12. Dude and I are going to Colorado next month. Woohoo - time with friends, time in the mountains. Oh, and we will be in a hotel!!

13. Marathon training is going well so far. Had a fantabulous run on Friday. Since then I've gotten some rides in but it's too flipping hot to run!

~~~~That's all, Folks!~~~

Back in the Saddle (and other stuff)

Literally!

Not horse saddle but bike saddle! As in I did a 50 mile hilly ride last weekend, the Tuesday night Conte's hill ride, AND 70 miles yesterday!! Can I get a WOOT WOOT?! OK, it wasn't quite 70 it was 67.5 but close enough! And for the record...I feel great while riding!!! I'm still slow as mollasses getting up the hills, but I am TRI-ing to get faster...TRI-ing to pull up versus pushing down...TRI-ing to figure out the shifting!

Speaking of shifting, my derailler is jacked up. The ride ended yesterday stuck in the granny gears so Penny goes back to the shop tomorrow.

Other then that, my running is lagging. After Musselman I will be going to the Dr about my foot/ankle issue. Or maybe after Marine Corp Marathon since that training starts the weekend of the 19th.

Other Stuff:
Today was the Cancer 2 5K race. I've been volunteering with them for 12 weeks and it's hard to explain the joy I felt watching "my runner" cross the finish line. She pulled her calf earlier this week so the coach told her she had to walk. Well, she wanted none of that so she did intervals and would stop when it really hurt, but kept moving and crossed the finish line running and smiling. I'm so proud of her and ALL of the C25K Runners today!

After the race I went to an Bethesda's awesome Farmer's Market so tonight's dinner is New York Strip with Arugula Pesto (homemade), Arugula/Asparagus/Ricotta Ravioli's with warmed garlic olive oil, and grilled tomatoes with some incredible cheese I bought at the market. BTW - all organic - all clean eating! Can't wait!

Speaking of which - it's time to head to Dude's to start cooking. (Oh, and after much delay, the house will be on the rental market next week)

Oh, and as an aside, I guess I should let you all know...

IRONMAN


ARIZONA


2011!!!


STRONG, STRONG, STRONG POSSIBILITY.


As in, if the Team picks it, I will be toeing the line once again!

Travel Thirteen

Everyone should be required to shower or at a minimum wear deodorant before boarding a plane.


Tip the curbside check-in folks well - and have the money showing as they are doing your ticket - sometimes they will move you to better seats.

Claim the armrest as soon as possible. Once you lose control it’s gone forever.

Think about what you are wearing before heading out the door. And men, a button down sleeveless shirt is NEVER an option.

Don’t judge me by the trashy magazines I’m reading. I swear, I only read them when flying (or waiting for my nails to dry).

Just check your bags. Nowadays there is never enough room for everyone’s rollers and now you’re just holding us all up.

Even if you don’t feel like you need to, go to the restroom before getting on the plane.

I still don’t understand the boarding number thing. Shouldn’t it be window seats first, then middle, then aisle. And if that’s the concept, why are people sitting everywhere?!

Book early and try to get the Economy Plus. The extra leg room is SOOOOO worth it!

I never turn off my phone or iPod when they tell me to.

Automatic soap dispensers rarely work. And I'm not a fan of the automatic flushing toilet.

Never, never, never book an early morning flight out of Vegas! You WILL oversleep!

Sometimes, $6 for horrible wine on the plane is worth EVERY penny!


Some final "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" ramblings to make you wonder:
Some things are a "Party in Your Mouth", "Tearing it Up" hurts once you're past a certain age, Pole Dancing is hazardous, and shots are always a bad idea!

Swim, Dude, Work - Thursday 13

1. I made swim practice this morning

2. Only because I had to drop off an armoire to Tom and I’m not going to make the Team run this weekend

3. Practice was great – tiring at first but fine by the end – even with all those Zone-4 sets and the one Zone-5 set!

4. I think I could build back to my speed again if I was disciplined enough to go twice a week

5. I did enjoy my 7-11 coffee this morning. You’d think that would be enough incentive to go twice a week!

6. I feel sorry for the swim coaches. They must get tired of telling me that I cross my arms too far across my head on the catch (especially when I’m tired).

7. Dude took the day off and took me to lunch today.

8. To Bertucci’s! Mmm, thin crust pizza!

9. Even with a lunch break I will have 12 hours in today. That brings me up to 46 and I have another 11 – 12 hours day tomorrow.

10. Did I mention my promotion is almost in the bag?!

11. And one of the women that would eventually fall in my organization told me straight up that she “will NOT work for me”. She said that…to my face.

12. I thought “don’t let the door hit you in the A$$ on your way out”!

13. I wish I had the COJONES to say it! To HER face!

Realization

Dude has a 10-year old son and just this week I came to the realization that I have a 10-year old child as well. (I’m a little slow, give me a break)

Obviously I didn’t give birth to him and he’s not legally my step-child, but I essentially have a 10-year old.

You see, I’ve always considered him Dude’s son - someone I saw once a week and every other weekend. Don’t get me wrong – I am involved in his life. I’m on homework duty when we have him (go ahead, ask my about Martin Luther King Jr and long division). I cook for him, shop for him, clean up after him. I (try to) make him abide by my rules. You know, all the basic parental responsibilities. But it’s going to the next step now – I find myself worrying about him - his happiness, his future, his health, everything.

This realization that I’m now a part of a family in which I have responsibilities to a child came about when I was debating joining them on a Boy Scout Family weekend trip.

I have A LOT of work that I should do. I have a run that I should get in. It’s supposed to be nice this weekend so there was even the potential to get a bike ride in. Oh, and I haven’t had a pedicure in months! MONTHS! So I was being my normal *selfish* me and thinking, "cool this is going to be “my” weekend while they’re gone".

*I mean this in a relatively positive way – It’s easy to be selfish when there is just you and a “loved” one (quotes refer to the ex) to take into consideration. *

But the more I thought about bailing out on the weekend, the more I realized that Dude is my family. And since he’s my family, that means HIS family is MY family and I have to be an active part of it. No more sitting on the sidelines and joining in when it fits my schedule.

Once the light bulb switched on I realized that this IS what I want.

This is my life now.

It certainly was never in my plans but it is just where I want to be.

Weekend Wrap Up

Friday night Dude & I went to see Strongman & Heidi's 14-year old play at Ned Devine's - KISS cover band. But first I had a couple people over for munchies and drinks. Overall Good Time! We did learn that we are NOT bar-hoppers. Between my house, the concert, then we dropped by another place we were POOPED. I suppose I should mention that it was all of 1030. We Are LAME!

Saturday was a sad day. We went to Dude's Dad's house to check on him/make sure he's taking care of himself/visit/help him with the house. I won't get into details, but I will say I called my mom the next day and asked for a POA. The deal I told her was once she's past a "certain age" if the four of us kids unanimously agree something is in her best interest, we can make decisions for her. Not necessarily to put her in a home, but little things like house/car maintenance decisions.

Sunday I went for a run. First I want to say that I found the joy of running again - there's just something about running in near perfect weather after a long hiatus. To prove to myself that I could run the 1/2 marathon in 3 weeks, I decided to run 14 miles. Take that 1/2 marathon! I ran almost SPOT ON 11 minute miles (HR at ~160 - FYI my Zone 2 is high 140's). I am paying for ignoring Zone 2. Screaming Quads. Aching IT Bands. And sore, sore, sore hip flexors. But I did it - I know I'll be fine at Shamrock!

So, last Thursday I said, "This weekend’s goals are install a garage door opener (Fail - but purchased), chop down a tree (Success), fix a light fixture (Half-fail - bought/installed what we thought was needed but apparently we have to get a whole new fixture), stage my house (Fail), run 10-12 miles (Success +2 miles), and work on my new blog (Fail)." C'est la vie - tomorrow is another day!

That's all folks - work is going to be Insane this week so I'm not sure if I'll be checking in again.

Thursday Thirteen Random Thoughts

1. So far I’m doing so-so on my Non-Catholic Lent. No brussel sprouts, shoveling snow, watching professional sports, or time on the trainer. Still have to commute everyday though.

2. I’ve also only had one Barq’s Root Beer and not a single Disaronno’s! See, so I have sacrificed something I like!

3 weeks to Shamrock ½ Marathon

4. I have stayed true to my New Year’s promise to myself. I made myself the deal that I could only get my 7-11 coffee on mornings I go to swim practice and Friday’s. So far, I haven’t made swim practice and I’ve only stopped on Friday mornings.

5. I have to change lanes so it makes it difficult to get to the 7-11 to resist the temptation. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

6 weeks to VEGAS BABY! Girl’s Weekend in Vegas – we’re going to go to the spa, see Le Reve and take a Stripper 101 class (hey – I hear it’s a great workout and who couldn’t gain from learning how to shake that boot-ay!)

7 weeks to first Tri (RumpASS in the BumpASS Oly and Sprint Relay)

8. This weekend’s goals are install a garage door opener, chop down a tree, fix a light fixture, stage my house, run 10-12 miles, and work on my new blog.

9. Yep, I’m going to abandon this blog and move to another. More details to follow – but it will be about training, racing, life, and cooking – just more Type-A organized then this one.

10. My house goes on the market next week. For Sell? For Rent? For Sell? For Rent? For Sell? For Rent? For Sell? For Rent? For Sell? For Rent? For Sell? For Rent? For Sell? For Rent? For Sell? For Rent?

11 weeks to first 70.3 of the year (Ironman Florida 70.3)!

12. There are big changes coming at work and I’m one of the few that knows about them. I don’t like being “in the know”!

13. I registered for the WARRIOR DASH for 9 October. It’s a 3.1 mile run, but there’s obstacles, like mud pits, a wall, and rappelling. Oh, did I mention you get to run through fire. "Fire, Fire, He He"! {Beavis & Butthead reference} They also give away warrior hats – furry warrior hats with horns. How could I NOT sign up!

Ash Wednesday

I'm not Catholic so I don't actually give anything up, but I've been thinking about what I would be WILLING to give up.

And in between thoughts the following things were ELIMINATED from that list:

Dude
Oatmeal
Coffee
Fat Free French Vanilla Creamer
Tea
Honey
Coke Zero
Water
Chocolate
Pizza
Barq's Root Beer
Wine
Vodka
DeSarrono (however it's spelled/pronounce)
Alcohol
Exercise (only because I have a race sometime during Lent)
Greek Yogurt
Blogging
Facebook
My BlackBerry
Chicken (well, meat in general)
Brown Rice
Hot Showers

So far, here's the list of what I am willing to give up for Lent:
Commuting
Shoveling Snow
Watching Professional sports on TV
Brussel Sprouts
Training on my trainer (Penny has been set up on it since December and I've been on it less then 2 hours - not in a row)

So there you have it folks - apparently I'm giving up brussel sprouts for however long Lent lasts.

I Need A Vacation...

In case you have been living in a cave, the Northern VA area has been hit with snow. And by hit, I mean CLOSED FIST PUNCH TO THE SIDE OF THE HEAD.

2 Ft+ over the weekend and expect another 2 Ft tonight.

Are You Fricking Kidding Me?!?!

On a pretty note, here are two of my favorite pictures that Dude has taken this weekend:




Rewind to Thursday I started to feel sick (Dude was sick Mon/Tue). Worked 1/2 day Thurs then from home on Friday. Ventured out for groceries on Friday - who knew milk and frozen pizza are survival items for snow weekends?!

Friday evening did the pre shovel - about 6 inches at 9pm.

Got up Saturday and went to shoveling. About four shovels in my back was aching (remember it was hurt a couple weeks ago). Fifth shovel I heard two loud pops (not to be confused with the typical cracking of my old ass bones) and both legs went numb. If I wasn't holding the shovel I would have went down. I spent the rest of Saturday and Sunday in bed in a whole lot of pain. Luckily, my back was hurting a couple weeks ago so I had some leftover drugs to self-medicate (and I may not be a doctor but I watch them on TV and low and behold come Monday I was feeling a lot better). Not 100% by any means, but hey, I'm out of bed and able to move.

Monday I worked from home...again. Oh, and I made some INCREDIBLE crab-filled homemade raviolis. Love my pasta machine!

Tuesday - worked from home again. I can get out and I could go to work but Dude can't work from home. See, he drives an Austin Mini (no, he's not gay) and the people parked next to him decided to dump their snow against and in front of his car. So, he gets my SUV until...Spring.

You have noticed no mention of workouts. Well, I've been watching the Team email and all those NOT living in the sticks have been sharing their apartment/condo gyms, getting to pools, using their trainers, etc. And what have I been doing?

Sitting on my ass doing a lot of nothing.

And I almost feel guilty about it!

Come on Mother Nature - Is This All You Got?!

Year in Review (Thursday 13)

January – Ran my first 20 mile. Also had a wonderful trip to Colorado with Dude (pic) to do some skiing and snowshoeing.




February – First marathon and Jason and I ran every step (pic). We did miss the 5-hour goal by 3 minutes but c'est la vie. Most important though, there was a new addition to my family. Penny arrived on 7 Feb at just over 18 pounds (pic).

March – Big training month and finally back to riding outdoors (pic). Unfortunately the weather never agreed so the riding was miserable (you can't tell in the pic but it was cold). I also started getting a sport massages every other week and bought a bunch of gear during March!

April – Race season has begun - Cherry Blossom 10 miler (pic) and Rumpass in the Bumpass (still the best named triathlon) – had a blast on the Olympic relay, serious fail with the sprint. This was not the best training month in terms of performance but I got it done.

May – First 70.3…and I got injured (pic). YIKES! Took some down time, then eased back into training. In other news – I planned and arranged our post Ironman vacation to Lake Como, Italy.

June – Second 70.3 and it was Awesome! (Sang in a high pitched voice) (pic). Then came the final long days of training and the expected angst leading up to race day. That angst turned into an odd calm as THE day got closer.


July – I AM AN IRONMAN!
Oh, and I had a fabulous vacation to Lake Como (pic).




August - Basked in the glow of being an IRONMAN. Also did some local exploring and found some incredible places. Due to those finds, I cooked a lot this month (pic). Dude and I also went to Pennsylvania for a Metric Century and I even managed to get some marathon training in.

September – Two firsts this month – my first Olympic distance tri (other two I participated in either cut the swim or turned into Duo) and my first 10K run. Decided not to do Marine Corp marathon. Highlight of the month was going home and hangin' with my highschool friends (pic).



October – PID set in…BAD! Barely trained, hell, I barely exercised. I also cut out a lot of socializing. I injured my jaw and I think I spent most of the month in pain and depressed.

November – PID still there - Depression sucks!! Managing to do some exercising on my own and a little bit of socializing. On the positive side, Dude and I have decided to buy a house together – but it will be awhile until we are living in sin - must sell two places before buying one.


December – Typical in that there were a lot of parties (pic), socializing, eating and not a lot of exercising. Developed my New Plan. Had a massive snowstorm on my birthday weekend. Celebrated Christmas with Dude and his family. And am planning a quiet evening to bring in the New Year.



Plans for 2010 are in the works. Continuing with “The Plan”, increase training with Team Z, a couple races, selling/buying a house, try to squeeze a vacation in, work on 101 in 1001, and enjoying the happiness I’ve found with Dude.

I wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year!

Bring it 2010!

13

1. Middle of the week holidays RULE! Happy Veteran's Day yesterday to all those who are serving/have served.

2. Work is busy so exercising, sleeping, and quality time has gone to the wayside.

3. But because I had to be at work by 0730 I decided to go to swim practice this morning. Yep, you heard me right, swim practice...at 0530. And today is the day the coach decided to video tape me and critique my stroke. Um, hello, this was my first day back after a four month break. I'm more concerned with survival then stroke technique. (But I did notice the increased speed once I corrected to what use to be natural)

4. I forgot the side effects of morning swim - goggle wrinkles for half the day, starving ALL DAY LONG, and the joy of a neon red left eye. Oh, and I am exhausted!

5. I seem to have hurt my right knee by sitting on my ass for 8-hours. A couple weeks ago when we went to Williamsburg I spent Sunday working on my laptop in front of the TV. Something about the way I had my leg, I pulled the tendons behind my knee. But, after months of PT for IMS I apparently learned something. I am doing the same exercises, taking the same OTC pills, and doing the same icing of the leg and it seems to be healing.

6. Oh, I forgot to mention my temporary wading pool. I got a call from my neighbor at around 0700 on Monday morning saying there was water leaking from my garage door. Hmmmmmmmm..... My water heater faucet completely broke off and by the time I got home my single car garage had about four inches of water built up. So, 8 hours and $900 later I am the proud owner of a new water heater (thanks Lowe's) and a clean/organized garage (thanks Dude).

7. Lesson learned from #6 - Give your neighbors your contact information! If I hadn't done that (just this summer) I wouldn't have known about the leak for a good 12 hours. Imagine the damage (and the water bill)!!!

8. Looks like everyone from Team Z had a great race in FL (and Holly is now an Ironman after her Beach 2 Battleship (B2B) race). It was fun tracking them on-line and there were some fast times - I still think if I do another Ironman sanctioned Full Ironman it will be FL (or Arizona).

9. Thanksgiving menu is ALMOST finalized. So far we are having 7 people over, possibly 9.

10. Men Who Stare at Goats = GOOD (and not just because they show George Clooney's naked arse). Where the Wild Things Are = BAD (and not because it's a kids movie - it was just depressing and seemed to reinforce bad behavior)

11. I made an incredible Rachel Ray recipe of Pasta with Pumpkin & Sausage (Cook 101 #23) on Friday night. By incredible I mean 4/4 FRC's. The only changes I made from the link are used spicy Italian turkey sausage instead of sweet Italian, used light cream instead of heavy cream. I served this on its own and it was quite filling. And did I mention incredible?


12. I met with a realtor about my townhouse. It seems I was overestimating the market. It looks like I can break even once all the fees are paid. I'm now seriously considering is renting it out. I can definitely cover my mortgage and I know having a rental is a great tax benefit.

13. I can't believe 2009 is almost over. Where'd it go?

Thirteen

1. My jaw is getting better. Headache has essentially subsided - it only hurts after chewing but I got quickly got tired of the soft diet.

2. Weekly Fall is the Best Season Remark: Sandals are put away for the next 6-months. No more obsessing over cracked heels (I do still get my pedi’s, I just don’t worry about what my “ugly runner’s feet” look like)

3. I’ve worked out TWICE this week (after nothing last week, or the week before, or…). Granted it is still transition time so those workouts were 40 minute spin, 45 minute run. And tonight will be another 40 minute spin. This weekend will be an hour run and a two hour bike ride (weather permitting).

4. I’m 37 years old and I still feel like a little girl playing dress up when I have to wear a business suit to work.




5. While I was laid up with the Worst Headache Known To Man I managed to finish two of the books I was reading and have started another. I also watched 4 movies, way too much Food Network, and almost caught up on my DVR shows.

6. I did not win the chili contest. I was robbed! The guy that did win said he actually voted for mine, as did another person that entered a chili. Oh well – I tasted all of the entries and there were some good ones but I think mine was the best.

7. Here are pictures from my cubicle contest (also did not win) of my Team Z paraphernalia. I did get asked a couple times “what’s Team 2”?



8. The guy in the cubicle next to me has his (annoying) cell phone ringer on AND an alert that goes off every 5 minutes when he has a voice mail. And he’s never at his desk…BEEP!

9. I wore my contacts for the first time in a LONG time yesterday and I loved them until about 4:30. Dry, itchy eyes - drops would be a good idea.

10. I re-read my Ironman Race Report last night…and got teary eyed remembering that AWESOME day! This is still my favorite picture...look how happy I am coming to the finish line!

11. BEEP!

12. I haven’t mentioned it lately, but Dude is the greatest! *SIGH*

13. I just realized I have my (annoying) cell phone ringer ON and I’m rarely at my desk. At least it doesn’t beep when I have VM! (And people rarely call me)

Thursday Thirteen - Summary by Number

***DISCLAIMER - this was finished yesterday I just never got on a computer last night***


1. It's the best time of the year - fall - I want to build a bonfire, drink apple cider, make recipes with pumpkin in it, and wear orange. Not necessarily at the same time.

2. But I'm going to miss wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts.

3. A co-worker who does Iron-Distance races just came by for the first time since July and I got to re-live the day I became an IRONMAN!

4. I have been planning on doing something huge in a couple months. By huge I mean GI-NORMOUS. I was so EXCITED about being a part of it but as I look at my finances I don't think I can swing it right now. I'm very disappointed and am cursing this F-ing economy. Seriously, I'm down about a 1/3 of what I had when I got divorced and it's not like I've stopped investing. F-ing Economy!

5. My first race in 2010 will be the Shamrock Half Marathon. I debated between the half and the full but awhile back I said only one marathon next year. I'd like to try to get into the one in Bordeaux. If not, there's always Marine Corp.

6. Follow up to the YOU did an Ironman story. I was at that same store over the weekend putting groceries in the back of my SUV. Guy walking by says "Did your husband do an Ironman"? After he recovered from me knocking his ass out (not really) I said NO-I DID. At least he was smart enough to respond with a "wow, that's really cool".

7. Speaking of husbands - lately I've been bombarded with the "when are you and Dude going to get married" from family, friends, co-workers, ex-coworkers and even the lady that waxes my brows. BELIEVE ME when I say I am PERFECTLY HAPPY with the way things are!!! No need for the sympathetic look!!! Seriously, why can't people accept that marriage is not a requirement in every relationship?! I'm living proof that the paperwork doesn't guarantee diddly!

8. Every time I think about #4 I get depressed (and pissed)! F-ing Economy!

9. Dilemma, dilemma. I really want to do an IRONMAN sanctioned 70.3 event next year so I was planning on the Orlando race (opportunity to see Mom and Friends) which is in mid-May. But now Mooseman (I love this venue) is a MDOT event and it's the 1st weekend in June so it's one or the other.

10. If I was still training for Marine Corp this weekend would be my 20 mile weekend. Instead I might run for an hour or so on Saturday then Dude and I are going hiking on Sunday. I love the off-season!

11. I had a dream last night that Dude was a jerk in. I woke up mad (really, really mad) at him and gave him the cold shoulder in the morning (I don't think he noticed in his sleepy haze). It has me thinking - does anyone else do this? Take their dreams out on the person (people) in the dream?

12. I mentioned I'm not talking to one of my sisters right now but she's the one I use to talk to when I was stuck in traffic so I'm kind of punishing myself. She called me last night and I ignored her call...

and now I feel guilty.

13. I can't believe that with this post I have over 100 posts. Can't believe I've stuck with and and can't believe others actually read it!

Still Alive, Just Blah

Well, I'll be brief since there's not much to report.

Last time I checked in it was all about the 10K. And that ends the exercise report.

My groove has been missing since I deferred the marathon. I am still finalizing my 2010 schedule. Currently I'm looking at The Shamrock Marathon or 1/2 Marathon in March, something in April, Florida HALF-Ironman in May, at least one race in the summer, and the Marathon Du Medoc in Bordeaux, France in Sep (there's wine at the rest stops - almost a guaranteed Personal Worst but also guaranteed to be a blast). If I can't get into the French race, I'll do another Half in Sep and Marine Corp in October.

Other catching up - while home I got to visit with my high school buds. I had a blast and it gave me opportunity to once again be thankful for all the good in my life. I have friends taking care of their elderly parents, going through divorce/separations/break-ups, lingering illness, surgeries, job loss, deployments to Iraq, etc. The silver lining is they are all taking it in stride. Seems the common theme is "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then add vodka."

On the family front, there's some old drama that I have just become privy to and it's really pissed me off. I'm very angry with my sister but she doesn't know it (because I'm passive-aggressive). We'll see how long until she notices that I haven't called.

Other then that, still uber-happy with Dude. Still looking for motivation to exercise. Still trying to lose weight (haven't exercised since the 10K and dropped 1 pound but I'm still above Ironman weight). Still working my way through 101 in 1001.

All in all, life is good, just uneventful.

If only I won Fool's giveaway!

Friday Fourteen (Thursday Thirteen with a penalty)

1. Today is the anniversary of 9/11 and there is still a raw sadness. There is also an intense anger at those responsible. In addition to remembering the tragedy today I also find myself ever so thankful for all of the joy in my life.

2. I feel anything I write after that will seem trivial but the list must go on.

3. I DO have a lot to be thankful for. I have a great job, my health, my family, Dude (*sigh), and some really great friends.

4. I deferred my Marine Corp Marathon entry until next year. My tendon needs a break.

5. That said, I will probably do the Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach in March and Marine Corp in October of 2010.

6. I’m doing Nation’s Tri on Sunday and have not trained one iota for it. It’s “just an Oly” but shall we revisit my RumpASS Sprint experience. This could be UGLY!

7. Nation’s is a PAIN IN THE ASS! You must attend a race briefing the day before. You have to rack your bike the day before. There’s no parking. They let 6,000, yes that’s 6,000!, people in the race. I have an hour wait before my swim wave start. NEVER AGAIN!

8. Another reason to love fall – BOOTS! I see a visit to DSW in my near future!

9. I’m still trying to figure out the hub-bub about Obama’s Back to School speech. The only thing I can come up with is it’s “those” parents that take offense to someone (anyone) saying a child is responsible for their own success.
***Enter sarcasm*** What a horrible concept! I mean, that’s putting way too much pressure on the children - robbing them of their childhood even. ***Exit sarcasm***

10. I bought a Sonicare toothbrush about a month ago and I LOVE IT!!! It has the 2-minute timer that beeps every 30 seconds so you spend the same amount of time on each tooth section. Get one!

11. I really hate the food in our cafeteria but I’m too lazy to pack my lunch and if I do bring my lunch I’m too lazy to heat it up.

12. Still struggling with the weight thing - combination of number 4 and 10 on this list. I need motivation people!!!!

13. It was great to go ride with Team Z last weekend - I’ve missed them. Maybe that should be my motivation!

14. My job has been crazy busy for going on 3 weeks now (don’t tell anyone, I kind of like it)!