Life Really Is Too Short

NEW BLOG!!

2010-03-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Hi there!
I had some technical challenges so I have created a new blog!
Stay in touch at
http://lifeisshorthavefun-etc.blogspot.com/
Thanks! Beth

Boulder Indoor Cycling is Awesome!

2010-02-15T17:13:00.001-07:00

One of the coolest gifts John gave me for Christmas (not to diminish the rollers or Wii!) was the introductory course to riding in the Velodrome at Boulder Indoor Cycling. We both signed up for a 10 week class to get certified so we can go to the track and ride whenever we want. I have to say that I FREAKIN LOVE THE TRACK! Those who know me know that this is a first for me because I have had a love/hate relationship with the running track most of my adult life but the indoor cycling track is something that I just love! We have been taking a class at the crack of dawn on Tuesday mornings. Our instructor is a former pro cyclist names Michael Robson. He is an Aussie and he rocks! Not only is he passionate about cycling he is passionate about keeping knuckle heads like me in line before I trash myself on the track.

The track itself is just cool and scary to look at:

Quick Facts:
Construction: Wood
Overall Length: 142 meters
Maximum Banking (corners): 45 degrees
Minimum Banking (straights): 16 degrees
Current Lap Record: 7.690 seconds

The track creaks and cracks as we go flying around it on our fixed gears. You need to see the track to appreciate its small size and steep turns. I have added this picture and a couple links for you to see more if you are interested. Trust me when I tell you it takes some getting used to as you learn to cruise around the track. You have to stay at 14 mph at the very slowest or you will simply slide down the track. That is enough to make it a real workout for me! I rarely dare go that slow. Since we have been riding we have had one crash in our group. Poor Tom couldn’t decelerate fast enough and he had nowhere to go but down. All I heard was the crash and slide. It freaked me out and it took me an entire class to get over the sound. I had a similar reaction when Sonja crashed in a bike race last summer; she was right in front of me and I saw her crash but the sound is what seems to stay with me. Tom was fine and back on the track in a couple laps. Last week I arrived at the track early enough to watch the hot shots before our class and two guys locked handle bars and one of them went down and broke his collar bone…just like that! So I have to say that I have a tendency to ride fast in order to keep away from people! We ride somewhere between 25 and 25 mph depending on who is pulling and what we are doing. I have learned all about madisons, exchanges and really holding my line! The rollers have really paid off!

Michael and our morning group are all there for a hard workout so we really hammer. The workouts are a gut buster for me as I chase the boys around the track! John and I got to go to two of Alan’s classes on Tuesday night and that was really fun too! It was a very different coaching style but we both had kicking workouts and the people were really nice. The challenge to track riding is being comfortable enough in your own skin to jump in with a group of people you don’t know. The better they are the better I am. It is really hard to follow people who aren’t as confident or who are squirrely. There are a bunch of vocal queues we use to let people know what we are doing at any given time and sometimes I feel like I am the only one yelling but I am cool with that if it keeps someone from crashing into me!

Thanks to Michael, Alan and Tim, who got us started at Steve’s clinics! This has been an awesome addition to my athletic abilities. It has definitely made me a better cyclist! And thanks to Johnny who makes his Pista look so good on that track!

GS Boulder Cycling Team!

2010-01-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to announce that I will be racing with the GS Boulder Cycling Team in 2010! Since my return from Worlds I have really struggled with what to do, how to do and when to do just about anything related to my training and my 2010 season. In order to make some decisions I've spent tons of time thinking about all the fun I've had in the last 15 years and I came up with 4 things: learning to mountain bike with a different group of friends, adventure racing, bike racing and learning to be faster in all that I do.

My amazing sister gave me a HOT! mountain bike for Christmas so that was clearly a sign I need to jump into Xterras! Yahoo! And I shopped around for bike teams to race with...I am not a seasoned bike racer and I don't have the skills I may need to win races so I was looking for a team that would afford me the opportunity to learn from other cyclists, develop my skills in a group and have fun with new friends. My friend Nicole H introduced me to GS Boulder and she will be racing Category 4 too so I was excited about having at least one person I know to ride with, especially when I can't make the weekend rides in Boulder.

After having met with Melissa B we agreed that I would be a good fit for their Cat 4 group. I went to the team meeting at the new TREK Bicycle Store in Boulder and it was so awesome to meet so many people, check out the 2010 kits and hear about all the great things the club is working on!

I can't wait to hit the road with GS Boulder!

Cascadia Trail Shoes from Brooks! Love em!

2010-01-14T16:09:00.001-07:00

Check out my new Cascadia Trail Shoes from Brooks! They feel great, look sweet and don't hurt my feet!

What A Crack Up! We Made the Papers in '09 for 2010 Snow Shoe Race!

2010-01-12T15:25:00.001-07:00

2009! What an amazing year with so many friends and family! Pictures in Review!

2010-01-05T10:22:00.004-07:00

Christmas in Colorado

2009-12-28T18:25:00.009-07:00

I have spent the majority of my life traveling to Homer NY for Christmas and this year, after spending all my time and money in Australia, I decided to stay in Colorado for Christmas. As soon as I made my decision John and I started to plan all the fun things we wanted to do. (OK, I started to plan and he agreed!) The pictures posted today are from all the fun things we did with friends: Zoo Lights with the Stephens and Waltons, Botanic Gardens, Dinner with friends, tree decorating at my house, deep frying a turkey on the patio and more. Thank you to everyone who made my holiday really special!

Moab Ultimate XC 2009!

2009-11-29T12:40:00.002-07:00

I can’t believe it has been a year since I started blogging. I can’t believe that “blogging” is a word. Anyway…I had the amazing good fortune of running the Ultimate XC race in Moab again last weekend. Last year it was a total fluke when I managed to out-survive the other master’s women to win 1st place. The highlights last year included the long ride with Anthony, beers with Steve and Tony in the tub and watching as my friends learned to embrace the ridiculous endurance trail running life style that they have since conquered and redefined.
This year’s race threatened to be a rare cold and wet day in Moab but the Universe was looking out for us and the sun rose warm and the sky was a crazy deep blue! It was the perfect start to amazing day for so many friends! I had friends from different worlds converge to make for quite a party! Paula, Shonna, Dottie, John, Michael, Ken, Lori, Tyler, Andrea, Jewels, Randi, Brian, Kelly, Heidi, Sarah, Drake, Paul, Katie, Adrianna, Rich, and Johnny were all at the start line ready to take on the sandy rocky canyon! I have definitely struggled with my focus and energy since returning from Worlds and this event was such a great wakeup call! Most of us ran the first few miles together. We would straggle apart and then someone would need to stop and we would all end up together again! This made for great pictures, mocking and deep appreciation for all the people in my “dessert globe”! There were moments in the first 9 miles when I was overwhelmed with how blessed I am that so many wonderful people want to play with me! Ken blew out his calf, which we were afraid might happen, in the first 2 miles. Paula continues to nurse a sore back and Lori was recuperating from 2 weeks in Italy…whatever! The coolest thing was to see everyone push through and overcome whatever their injury or challenge of choice was that day. We took so many pictures in the first 7 miles I thought we would never get to the 9 mile aid station!
At about the 7 mile mark Tyler was toying with the idea of completing the 24 mile race instead of the 12+. We mulled over a deal; I run his pace and we go ahead together. If I wanted to run the 50K then he would finish the 12 because he didn’t want to run alone. Don’t blame him. I ran alone last year and although rewarding the thought of running with one of the funniest people I know was pretty compelling. I had been nursing a calf/knee injury and it still wasn’t right and I knew Ken would kick my butt if I even considered the 50K. During the first 9 miles I could feel it twitch and pull but it never made a serious move…so for the first time in my memory I made the sensible decision to NOT abuse myself more and NOT do the 50K. Instead I would run with Tyler and John and enjoy the race from a completely different perspective and I am SO GLAD I DID! So when we cruised into the 9 mile aid station after climbing down a rocky wall into the ravine Tyler and I were ready to go ahead but there was one problem. He had his car keys and Jewels, Andrea and Randi would be stranded so we waited for the next person. In comes John, all smiles and he decides he wants to go with us. Admittedly this made me a bit nervous because he hadn’t run more than 8 miles in over a year…but what the hell! So we waited some more and before we knew it we were having a party at the aid station! More pictures, band aids and duct tape and then move on down the road! Apparently the 12+ milers had a pretty intense water crossing that lasted for 2 miles! I am happy to say that I ran a lot farther and never had more than a creek to hop over. Sorry 12+ runners!
John and Tyler were perfectly awesome to run with once I caught them. Apparently my running with them was only important when they were tired. But when I was stopped to help a friend tape up some sore feet then I am not worthy of waiting for! HA! For this they will pay some day! The next 16 miles flew by for me! The scenery was stunning. Most of the trees had their end of season bright yellow leaves, the rain had darkened up the canyon walls and everything was just stunning to me. The guys ran steady and strong the entire time and my knee behaved! Tyler and I are not quite as smart as John and we tend to cruise down hills much faster. I think it has to do with how far you have to fall. When the 3 of us peaked the top of the canyon and took some amazing pictures of the Colorado River, Tyler and I unintentionally made a gap between us and John as we cruised down into the meadow. I was a bit worried about my knee and I hate to slow down when we have so far to go. The top of the canyon is 16 miles so we still had 8 or so miles to cover and I knew some of it was a hairy climb back down to the canyon floor. That climb was really cool! I was worried that John would get lost by himself because I had a pretty good idea of where we needed to go but the markers were hard to find and somewhat unbelievable because it appeared we were going to climb straight down the canyon wall. We did. And John did.  But he recovered before he got too far off course and still finished shortly behind us in less than 6 hours. Once we hit the aid station at 17 miles it was obvious that Tyler was on his game. He had managed his water and nutrition really well so that he would finish strong. The last 4 miles of the race are a rolling downhill back down to the canyon floor and I couldn’t believe it when Tyler turned it up…I mean really turned it up. He relaxed, stayed steady and cruised the last 3+ miles at better than 8:30 pace. That may not seem fast too many however we had just run 20 miles in a rugged desert with lots of climbing and descending which takes its toll on legs after a while. The key was to keep moving and stay as straight as possible. I could feel my lateral strength was shot and there is always that thought in the back of your mind…what if I trip…will I catch myself or will I keep right on going over the cliff wall into the canyon. Admittedly a quicker route to take but really not the best choice! As we neared the finish the canyon floor was lush with green yellow leaves and great smells and it felt terrific to be cruising to the finish with Tyler knowing we had both had great days! Tyler, always the gentleman, let me pull us into the final climb as of course I am like a horse to the barn. I dropped my center of gravity and rolled us in. I must say the last hill climb is really annoying and much more fun to watch others do than do ourselves!
There was a little confusion at the line because I hadn’t run far enough and Tyler had run too far however once we explained the details to Dan and his crew they agreed to give us both unofficial finish times at the 20 mile (24 miles) distance. I know I didn’t care about a finish time. I had spent some serious time considering my very first DNF on record and was OK with it. Wow, things really are shifting! Normally I would do whatever I could to prevent a DNF and on this day it was the last thing that was important to me! Ken and Lori had actually waited for us to finish and we were so happy to see them! I think they had both frozen and thawed while waiting for us so I hope they know how grateful we were to see them! John cruised in a couple minutes after we did and he was all smiles! A couple burgers and a coke and that boy was right back on his game in a few short minutes. John and Tyler made me so happy! What a great day!
After the race, plenty of showers and a screaming good Diet Pepsi, we headed into town for dinner at Pasta Jays! As always they put out a large volume of awesome food and we had a great time. Dessert was served up at Kelly and Paul’s hotel room as they were celebrating Kelly’s birthday! She is on the young end of this particular gang and I have to say she hardly looks 30 let alone 39!  Dessert was delicious and I asked everyone to retell their favorite part of the day! That made for great laughs and good stories. I honestly think the stories are the very best part of these weekends! Lori and Jewels had a good face plant story, Ken blew out his calf, Rich had to carry his wife’s camera, Shonna was the Zen master and soaked in every step, Paula and Tyler had a knock down sprint that ended in a spanking, Andrea and Randi spent some time with the boys downtown and overall it was a great day!
Sunday Shonna led some of us through a very chillaxing yoga session. It was great to see Tyler and John do Yoga with us. Even when Tyler was fighting with his “hungry butt”. The mountain bike ride didn’t happen as it snowed. I have never seen snow in Moab and it was so beautiful on the red rocks and canyon walls. Just gorgeous! We did a little power shopping and more eating before heading home! Our drive was pretty low key and as always John was great company.
I love this event and I think it has become a staple for me. Next year back to the 50K for a race!

The Real Vacation Begins!

2009-10-29T05:54:00.022-06:00

Trying to share a 2 week cross country adventure is tough so I have decided that I will do it mostly with photos. Most of "blog followers" buy books for the pictures anyway, right? Today I will focus on 2 amazing areas we visited before leaving the Brisbane area. After the race we traveled to Mt Tambourine on our way to Lamington National Park. I will always be the kid that would prefer to meet the locals, see the mountains, birds and animals rather than tour 100 churches. So John, Nicole, Joe, Christine and Joe and I set out to explore the closest National Park we could find and it was soooo amazing! On the way we drove through a mountain town called Mt Tambourine for a late breakfast! It was beautiful and well worth the thrilling drive on the wrong side of the road on narrow mountain backroads! Obviously I wasn't driving!
Nicole came to Worlds equipped with some great noise makers that appeared to be a whistling duck...and there in Mt Tambourine didn't we find many cool shops including the Whistling Duck, a Porn Fudge Shop and the best breakkie ever!

Two MUST SEE Videos from Worlds 09!

2009-10-15T16:38:00.003-06:00

This is a cool quick video of me crossing the finish line at Worlds...check out that form!

The day after the race we were a little punchy and really tired of sitting in traffic.

2009 World Triathlon Championships – Surfer’s Paradise, Queensland, Australia

2009-10-10T08:25:00.006-06:00

I will always LOVE seeing that title in print. On September 12th I participated in the 09 World Triathlon Championships on the Gold Coast in Australia. It was far more amazing than I could have imagined and I want to share the highlights with you. Someone recently suggested to me that I should not talk about this event anymore as it is in the past and “doesn’t matter”…that I should only look ahead to new adventures. That comment really struck me because I spent 6 years working my life around achieving this goal! I will likely NEVER forget it, no matter how many more world championships I participate in, and I have every intention of wallowing in the entire experience for months to come. Maybe because setting a goal and achieving it is so rewarding, maybe because I was surrounded by so many people I love and maybe because I love my life far too much to blow through it that quickly…Life Really is too Short! The entire Worlds Experience was incredible for me and the #1 reason is due to the people that were with me that week and on race day. We were incredibly fortunate as a team to have our own coach, Steve Pye, and 5 teammates participate in the event. Plus we all had peeps we love with us the week leading up to the race! How lucky were we all to have Michele, Michael and family, Eric and Helen, Jocelyn and Sarah with us to celebrate the week’s events! It made it more complicated and far more fun! I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the little fiasco we had getting into the country…no picture associated with this…that would have made things even worse. Let me just say that between me trying to smuggle in some United Airline sandwiches and checking someone else’s bag through to Brisbane I have become intimately familiar with Australian Customs and Qantas airlines. I actually had to sign an affidavit that says if I come back and try to smuggle anything in I will be arrested as a felon. Let’s be honest…you all know I would never eat a chicken sandwich anyway…at least I avoided the $220 fine after some serious begging and quelling of my NY attitude. For future reference…don’t call the customs agent DUDE…they really hate that. Once in the country the week leading up to the race was filled with beach time, Team USA organizing time and touring time. John and I stole one afternoon at the beach and I was too scared of the rip tides (and the sharks) to play in the water but John had a blast playing in the huge waves and getting sand in his swim suit! Gotta love these Colorado natives who never get to the ocean! John and I also toured around Surfer’s Paradise getting mediocre food and working on our tans. John and Eric, Sonja’s dad, went deep sea fishing one day while I played with the Team USA peeps. We ran down to transition and checked out the details of for race day and then ran back. There were some questions about how transition would work but all the important things were obvious…get in the water a mile up the coast, swim to the swim exit and then rock and roll! I exercised a little every day just to keep the blood pumping and try to remain calm. One day Sonja, Michelle and I went to the local pool on the beach. It was a huge complex with a couple 25 meter pools, a diving well and a 50 meter pool. The sun was warm and the water warmer while we did our little workout in the diving well. It made me realize how badly I need to get into a master’s program because my swim workouts have no pace or consistency to them. It was really fun to swim with those guys. We also did a big team bike ride to check out the bike course. It was mayhem but I am glad we did it as it helped me stay focused on race day. I wasn’t wondering where the next turn was or what the next obstacle might be. I was also fortunate enough to get an in room massage from Jocelyn! I highly recommend her hands! Things really started to wind up on Thursday with Team pictures, the Worlds Team Parade, Opening Ceremonies and Dinner. Because it was my first event I really tried to relax and soak it all in. It was an amazing feeling to be a part of something so much bigger than myself and my little tri-world. USAT took a cool team photo and then we were off to get in line for the parade. Seeing all the athletes from countries like Ukraine, Tahiti, Spain and more really slapped me in the face that there were thousands of us with the same dream coming true that evening. I did wonder if we were all IN the parade who would actually be watching the parade and I was thrilled to see that many of us dragged friends and family down under with us so there were plenty of fans cheering us on as we rolled into the transition area for the opening ceremonies. The ITU gave a warm welcome, the local Tri organizing committee did their thing but the highlight was when the Kiwi men did their dance to welcome us. It was HOT! They were all so fit, they could dance and they have sexy accents! Sweet! My family was supposed to arrive Thursday night so I hadn’t bought tickets to the opening ceremonies for me and John and since my family arrived later than I expected we went to dinner with Anthony and Michele. Apparently Australians drink “girly” beer (according to John and others) so we sought out the local Bavarian Haus for dinner and beers. It seemed weird to me but whatever! Dinner was a pretzel for me and I had a nice chat with a cockroach one table over. Ewwww! The family arrived later but we didn’t really connect until the next day. Friday we took Pop, Betsy, Jim, Margaret, Alison, and Rod down to the race site so they could get a feel for what race day would feel/look like. We managed to explain most of the steps involved and thankfully found a beer tent! Pop is still not walking very well so having frequent beer stops is good for all of us! I met Cousin Jim, from New Zealand while I was in Scotland 2 years ago. I asked him hopefully that if I were to qualify would he meet us in Oz and he did! He is a very vital almost 80 and a blast to have around. It always takes me a little bit to get used to his accent but once I get it we communicate quite well. I was so thrilled to have him with us. By Friday night we had added Christine and Joe and Alison’s daughter Rachel to the mix so when I sneaked off to my room during dinner there was quite a party going on at the Mexican restaurant! I was so overwhelmed to have so many people even remotely interested in my race that I had to keep closing my eyes and calming myself down. I have been doing this for 6+ years and no one in my family has ever seen me race so this was a big deal. Admittedly it was really just an excuse for a trip to Australia but I will take what I can get!
Race day I was all alone and that was perfect. I arrived at transition calm and focused. My bike was waiting for me expectantly so I pumped up her tires and set my shoes in place and said a little prayer as the sun came up. Rarely do my prayers get answered so quickly but within seconds the organizers announced that the race was wetsuit approved! YAHOOO! I will take all the help I can get and although I had been in the water it was not too warm so I was thrilled! And the wind was calm as I walked up toward the start of the race. I didn’t expect to see anyone from my clan at the start as it was so early and out of the way so I ran a little, did a little yoga and started to put on my wet suit as the first waves went out! Girls first, boys later. As I was walking down the sand I saw John in his Aussie hat and then I saw the gang. It made me really nervous and excited at the same time. It was so cool to get hugs, kisses and pictures before I went to warm up in the water. The swim start was a standing beach start which should have made me nervous but didn’t…I place myself behind the peeps who think they are swimmers and when the gun went off I sprinted ungracefully into the water. I should practice that more. The swim was one of the highlights of the day for me. Although my time would not won me any awards I was “in the game” the entire swim. I was swimming with the leaders instead of the dawgs which is where I am used to being. I was in a pack the entire time which should frustrate me but I knew it meant I as swimming strong and straight (Halleluiah!) and I wouldn’t be the last one out of the water! When I hit the beach I was smiling from ear to ear and then it happened…the #1 highlight of the day…I heard Walt, my father, cheer me on. I doubt he will ever have any idea how much him being there meant and I don’t get the sense he really gets my whole life style but I don’t care because for a moment in time, at a moment when I really needed him to acknowledge my life, he did! It almost made me run into the fence as I was laughing and smiling to myself! I was 33rd out of 79 out of the water! Yeeha! The ride pissed me off because it was so flat and fast it was hard to tell where I was. I knew I was making time on people but I had no clue on how many or how much time. Thank you so much to Ailsa Caldwell for saving both our butts when a car blew through an intersection and could have cleared us both off the road. She kept her cool and helped calm me down too. We both rode hard and focused the entire race. I so wish I had the funds for a TT bike as that was the day I would have seen the impact. I was riding strong and smart and the equipment does help when the conditions are right. GoGo served me well and I love my Giant and we had a great ride! (ride was a 1:06) Once I transitioned to my running shoes I felt completely jazzed…as much because it was almost over as I was to do the run. I blew through the first 2 miles and toward the 3rd when I realized I had gone out too fast and I better bring it in a notch or I would not finish strong and I really wanted to leave it all out there! I was running with women that I am usually chasing at this point in the race and I knew it and it felt great! My form felt solid and strong and I knew I could hold the pace I had settled into…although I didn’t know what that pace was. Mentally I was on my run and thinking about how it feels to cruise through the trails at home at this pace and how I always feel like I could run forever. It was so amazing to be so focused and within myself with all the craziness of Worlds around me. (hey Steve, I found it!) During the ride there was a big strong Aussie woman named Foster on the bike and we played cat and mouse a bit. Once we hit transition I didn’t see her again until the last ¼ mile of the run! What? Seriously? As she went past me I said out loud, (sorry Steve) “Oh no, I don’t think so!!” And I just ramped it up one more notch. I blew past her and tried to catch the next woman in front of me. There were 4 of us who finished within 45 seconds of each other and I wanted to be the leader in that but I lost it to a French woman in the last 500 yards. That burned my butt! The finish line was dazzling! The colors and noise and energy left me wild and wound up when I crossed the line. My legs and core were tired but my heart was jumping. One of the coolest parts of the race was hanging out in the shoot with MF, SW, and a group of gals from Team USA. I really enjoyed talking about the race and the day with them. It made the race so tangible even after it was over. The second most amazing thing that happened that day was when I left the finish line area to find my family…they were all standing right there and there was another addition! Nicole had not only made it to the race site she actually saw me finish! She and her brother Joe dragged their luggage all around the race site in order to see me finish and meet me at the finish line. I doubt I will ever be able to convey to Margaret, Nicole, Walt, Alison, Jim, and the rest of the gang how moving it was for me to share those moments in time with them. It was more than I ever expected or could have asked for. Racing at worlds is one thing but having so many people I love to share it with makes it something completely different! THANK YOU TO ALL! After the race where did we go??? You guessed it…the beer garden! We sat and watched some of the men race and ate some expensive lame sandwiches and had a blast! I was overwhelmed and on auto pilot! Cooler still, Sonja and Michelle’s clans parked next to us so we could talk more about the race and hang out. Sonja and Michelle…thank you for being such true friends and teammates. I am so proud to play, train and race with you! And your families are all extraordinary! Once the beer and sandwiches settled in we all went back to our hotels to clean up and head back for the pro race. The most unexpected part of the day came later in the afternoon while Anthony was graciously checking results for all of us…I had placed below 30th?? Below 20th??? In fact I had placed 12th in the world! How about that. Now, to those friends who still think of me as 11th I appreciate it but when the final results were tallied I came in 12th…which is equally amazing to me. My time was 2:22 and change and it was a PR for me! Booya! I knew I shouldn’t be surprised because this is what I had been working toward for so long but I seriously hope to finish in the top 50% so 12th blew me away! I was so shocked and happy and I think everyone else was too. I loved watching the Pros with the gang. They pros are so amazing and inspirational! Plus it was a chance for my friends to see how the big dawgs race! It was a great men’s race to watch! After the pros we got together with my whole clan for dinner. We walked into the tourist trap in Surfer’s Paradise and we had a wonderful meal together. We laughed a lot and had a chance to relax and get caught up. Sadly Margaret, Alison and Rod were leaving early the next morning and I really hated not getting to spend more time with them. The next day we all went to Currumbim Outdoor Experience! It was so much fun to play with the Koalas and Kangaroos and do it with Pop and Betsy! I am going to share more about this part of my trip in my next post so this doesn’t get too long! Ha! Again the closing ceremonies were too expensive, $40 person, so we went to George’s across from the park for a ½ priced yummy dinner! The ½ price made it worth it for sure! John ate Morton Bay Bugs which are these big nasty sea crustaceans and Nicole ate squid…ewww! After dinner Cousin Jim treated us to our first experience at the RSL. It is a social club for veterans in Australia and New Zealand. There are slot machines, a great menu and good cheap beer! Right up our alley! We hung out with Jim until they closed and by then we were all tired and I knew it was the end of this portion of my adventure. Worlds was everything I imagined it would be and then some. Having my sister and her friends and Pop and Betsy with me and John was awesome. Thank you to everyone for your support and for putting up with pre-race Beth and cruise director Beth. I am honored to have experienced all this with each of you! A special thanks to John for taking such good care of my family and to Margaret for being so selfless and power photographer! Love you! So how about we do this again next year in Budapest? September 11-12, 2010! Bring it! And more pictures to come!

Team USA - Worlds Triathlon Championship

2009-09-06T07:13:00.002-06:00

It has been 7 years since I started this journey. Post husband and trying to find something for me. Christine McKnight invited me to watch her race in Cancun at Nationals and I was hooked...it really is all her fault.
I am off to Australia with my teammates for Worlds 2009 in Brisbane. John and I will be traveling for 2 weeks after the trip so this is going to be a really special adventure for us! My father, sister, friends Nicole and Christine, and the Joes will also be at the race cheering me on. I can hardly wait to get on the plane!
There is a huge feeling of satisfaction that I set my mind to this challenge 7 years ago and although it took me longer than I thought it would I am so happy to be here! I am so grateful for my amazing life and the people that share my life...Outback here I come!

Birthdays, Bike Rides and Boys!

2009-08-28T10:26:00.017-06:00

July has always been a great month in our family; it is my sister’s birthday, my birthday, 3 of my friend’s from high school’s birthdays, Grandma Tennant’s birthday (we always celebrated together when I was a little girl) and on and on. Historically Margaret and I are just far enough apart in age that when we were kids we didn’t really celebrate together. Last summer I was lucky enough to be in Connecticut and celebrate Margaret’s “big” birthday with her in-person. We had a nice dinner with friends and I got to monitor the 50 Pushups goal she had set for herself. Quite an amazing accomplishment for sure!

This summer I had the great fortune of having Margaret her for my birthday. She has always been the best with sending gifts from wherever she was in the world…but I have to say that there is nothing like having her in my home and in my life on my birthday! I couldn’t have asked for a better gift!

She was here for about 10 days and I tried to make sure she got a real feel for my world; friends, work, training, cats etc. I think we were successful! Although she couldn’t meet everyone I wanted her to meet she did meet Paula, Noell, Audi, Lori, Ken and company, many of my Tri Family, Mandy the cat sitter and even my neighbor Jerry. I can’t speak for Margaret…I think we had a blast!

We had a really nice birthday party that Paula hosted ostensibly so we could sit on her deck and relax in the garden but the weather didn’t cooperate so we hung in the kitchen and passed Samuel around and ate too much! The gifts I received were so thoughtful and generous I was overwhelmed. THANK YOU ALL! The most amazing gift was the mirror that John made me. When we were in Breckenridge over the 4^th we went to the Artisan Fair and I saw this booth filled with these amazing mirrors that I just fell in love with. Only John, with his creative mind, would think to make me one of those and make it match my home perfectly. It is gorgeous.

The real highlight of Margaret’s visit was our plan to ride the Copper Triangle. This is a 78 mile bike ride that starts in Copper Mountain and covers 3 passes, has 4 major climbs and finished back in Copper. The elevation change is 6000+. This is a challenging ride for anyone who lives at altitude and trains, just ask my friends Lori, Kelly and Heidi. When Margaret’s life changed dramatically 4 weeks before the ride I thought she might decide not to come out or at the very least go on the ride. There would have been no shame in her driving along the course and supporting everyone else…NOT MY BIG SISTER! Before I tell you the outcome of the day I have to share some stats that although Margaret may not appreciate this it really makes the results outrageously amazing! Margaret turned 51 in July. You would never ever know it as she is fit, trim and has porcelain skin…but she is. She lives in Connecticut at sea level and rides her bike most weekends for 30-40 miles. And from what I can tell those rides are pretty tough on her as she is wiped out by the end of them. She rides a bike that by today’s standards is old, heavy and tough to ride. Her life took a pretty wicked turn a couple of weeks ago and today she is revisiting what it is like to be single, fit and HOT! And by the way, she has had Parkinson’s Disease for 10+ years now.

Now if that isn’t a recipe for “I want to stay home and eat ice cream and feel sorry for myself” then I don’t know what is! But not my sister. Not a chance. She may have wavered about the ride the day she arrived in Colorado but the next day Lori and Ken took her for a ride in Bear Creek Park and she just blew up the hills. No problem. She came back so pumped up and she had that very cool sparkle in her eye that I miss so much! She was ready to go! We spent the week giving her shorter rides and attending her Tae Kwon Do classes to keep up with her class back in CT.

On ride morning it was freezing cold! I knew it would be but I also knew it would warm up and I didn’t want to have to hump all our clothes for 80 miles! Thank goodness for Sara Sheridan and Katie and Drake! They met us at the top of Freemont Pass and took some of our outer layers! Phew! I promised Margaret that I would ride with her all day and John decided to do the same. Sweet guy! We started with a large group at Kelly and Paul’s RV but we quickly lost them as we settled into a strong yet smart pace. The worst thing to have happen would have been if I had let my ego and impatience dictates a single moment of that day. I must have had on my “big girl” pants all day. The Copper Triangle was all about Margaret. So we are riding along and I am waiting for the inevitable “I need to rest” or “I need to stop” or anything like that. She cruised up the first climb like she lived in Colorado. No panting, no drama and no problems. The cold was the only bother and she wouldn’t believe me when I told her we were all freezing…we are just dumb enough to be used to it. Once we made the turn outside of Leadville the sun was blazing and the air was warm and fresh. It was a gorgeous day! I think the aid station at Tennessee Pass was the toughest for both of us. My sister, like many women I believe, think if they eat less they will become or remain thin. Regardless of what your normal days look like when you are taxing your body in a manner you haven’t in many moons you need to feed the machine! EAT POPPA! I had the hardest time convincing Margaret to eat whether she was hungry or not. Rarely am I hungry during a ride but my mind is trained to listen to my body when it knows it will be screaming for calories in the very near future. John was the one who successfully convinced Margaret to power down a handful of chocolate chip cookies. Yahoo! Energy. She was clearly tired and feeling the climbs and the food flipped the switch for her. She was energized and ready to go again. The funniest part of the day was when we were climbing up Battle Mountain. Although not a long climb it is very steep and at a point in the ride when people begin to crumble. There is also a beautiful bridge over the canyon that everyone should stop and get a picture of…except Margaret. We were cruising up the start of the hill and a slight woman on a hybrid rode past us. Ah yes, Margaret is a true Tennant. She made some comment about being beat by that woman but she never let her go…as we rode past the professional photographer and smiled widely I started to tell Margaret we need to stop here and take some pictures. She told me in no uncertain terms that there would be no stopping…none…and off she went. John and I stopped to take some shots over the canyon and then had to really haul to catch Margaret. I thought for sure we would come around a corner and she would be walking her bike…nope…as I perpetually shocked throughout the day. Since I had decided to do the entire ride in my big ring I was really working to catch her before she got to the top of Battle Mountain. Not only was she cruising to the top she passed the woman on the mountain bike! Yahoo! At the last aid station before Vail Pass I encouraged a nice looking driver of the sag wagon to talk to Margaret about how she felt and what she needed. His name was Jethro..seriously. He explained to Margaret that the Vail Pass climb would be the hardest part of the ride and up to this point it had been a warm up. It was good for Margaret to hear it from someone else because I knew she wouldn’t listen to me and since she had already blown away any expectations I had for the day I didn’t think I would be able to help her make a sound decision. So she basically told Jethro (and me) to zip it and leave her alone because she was going to finish the ride no matter what…and she did. The climb out of Vail was steady and strong. Margaret never wavered. She kept her cadence high and just kept pedaling. Once we got to the reservoir at the top of the pass she started to slow down and I couldn’t have it. We had made it this far and I knew she was not nearly as tired as she thought she should be…so I pushed her just a little bit to get her to the top. It was awesome. Like all the Tennant women she took the challenge and pushed even harder, scowled at me and then cruised to the aid station. The top is The Summit Aid Station and there were a lot of bodies around and I although the sum was blazing and it was warm I didn’t want to dawdle at the top. I wanted to be sure Margaret had the confidence and energy to get down the pass to Copper Mountain. The bike path is pretty narrow with blind curves so Margaret navigated it at her own pace and we rolled into Copper Mountain in under 8 hours!

How can a woman who struggles with a 40 mile bike ride on a Sunday morning in Connecticut have such a great experience with an 80 mile ride at altitude? I have plenty of theories but none better than this…the only real limitations in our lives come from our fears of the unknown and/or our fears of the past. Margaret had more energy and drive and determination than I have seen in many years. I was so overwhelmed and proud of her I didn’t know what to say! Since Margaret was diagnosed with PD it has been hard for me to see the mental and emotional phases she has been through. Oddly I am not fazed by her physical limitations because I understand those come with the illness and she will conquer those as she learns more about the illness. The hard part has always been seeing my amazingly strong, independent, brilliant, vibrant sister fall into the role of a victim…for a time she became a victim of PD. This is not a criticism; simple an observation. I can understand being pissed off and asking “why me” for a period of time but I never understood why it took such a strangle hold on Margaret. I always expected her to do what she had done with everything else in her life; face it head on and whoop its ass. This was her disease and her life and I kept waiting for her to own it and then put it in its place. Not until the last few months have I seen her do this. This is not to say that she has been pitiful in anyway. She has always lived life to the fullest…I just always felt like she was letting the PD win. The day she rode her bike into Copper Mountain was so amazing to me because it was the first time I saw her really push back and say “I am NOT going to let PD stop me from living my life!” I am SOOO PROUD of her!

After the race Margaret was anxious to see if we could find Davis Phinney. The Copper triangle is a fund raiser for his foundation, website. Davis Phinney and his wife Connie Carpenter are both retired world class cyclists. Davis was diagnosed with PD the same year Margaret was and he has always been a proponent of exercise for PD patients so Margaret was hoping to meet him. I was a bit skeptical that we would even see him from a distance but we went to the Foundation tent to see if he had been around. Of course we had just missed him and I was ready to walk away when his son Taylor, an amazing young cyclist as well, popped into the tent. Margaret asked him if his father was around and Taylor called him to see. He hung up his cell phone and said his dad was over getting a bite to eat and he would walk us over to him. WOW! The music from the finish line was blaring so we all had to yell but Connie went into the restaurant to get Davis and he graciously came out to meet us. For the next 15 minutes I was in awe and agony as I watched Margaret and Davis talk about their illnesses, timing, struggles and obvious connection. Davis and Margaret are about the same age (although Davis couldn’t believe that Margaret was anywhere near his age) and have had the disease for 10 years. My favorite line that I heard Davis say to Margaret was this: “Parkinson’s patients need a lot of love!” and then he hugged Margaret so hard and so warmly it made us all cry. He was so genuine in his interest in learning more about her. He had ridden about 30 miles of the ride and his PD was clearly impacting him since he finished. His motions were slow, his speech was deliberate and his gaze intense. He was so impressed and stunned that Margaret had done the entire ride; it made her glow more than she already was.

Since I can’t speak for Margaret I can only share the impact the day made on me…unbelievable, amazing, fantastic, heartwarming and life changing. That’s how the day impacted me and the effect has yet to go away. I have more respect for my sister and her accomplishments, challenges and success today than I ever have…and that is saying something since she has been my hero most of my adult life.

As if the ride success and Davis Phinney weren’t enough, we still had a full afternoon of Go-Kart Smackdown and birthday celebrating to do! I thought for sure Margaret would excuse herself and sleep but she didn’t. I was so happy she hung out with us and really got to meet so many of the important people in my world. The Go-Kart Smackdown was a total set-up! I can’t say I won and I have to say that Ken definitely did NOT win either! It was so much fun having so many great friends around. We had pizza and beer and yummy cheesecake for our post-ride dinner! What a great way to celebrate 45!

And now the rest of the story...

2009-08-26T18:21:00.002-06:00

Nationals was a huge character builder and although I find the swim at Nationals to be perpetually “tricky” I refuse to give up or bow out. I am already looking forward to Tuscaloosa 2010!

I came across a couple more pictures from the weekend that I have to share because they make me laugh and smile. My finish picture makes me look really fit and I might be and I think I was also dehydrated. Please note the red flecks in my hair. Very cool!

It seems the “Top 10 Best Things about Nationals” is in order:
1. We got to create a new Facebook Group for “my run was faster than my swim” peeps
2. My roomies and keeping up our neighbors all night
3. Velo-Express and Luke’s patience!
4. Pouring rain bike ride with Barry and Tyler
5. Seeing my coach before I started the swim
6. My own yoga workout before entering the swim
7. Volunteering for Athletes for a Cure during the Pros race
8. Seeing Michelle, Kirk and Mike on the podium
9. Signing up for Budapest 2010
10. Breaking 7 minute pace for my 10k! YAHOOO!

2009 Nationals Triathlon Championships

2009-08-23T16:35:00.008-06:00

Tuscaloosa, Alabama, home of the Black Warrior River…and the Corp of Engineers!

Saturday August 22^nd was the 09 Nationals Tri Championships in Tuscaloosa, AL. This would be my 5^th competition at nationals (6 if we counted the “unrace” in Kansas City) and I was hoping to make it my best. I haven’t raced since June in Lake2Lake and I’ve been training hard and I was peaked and ready to go. This is the first year in my new age group and I had set an expectation for myself that, all things being equal, I had a chance at a podium spot. My running has been the fastest ever, my cycling strong and my swimming consistent and strong.

I knew the weather was going to be hot and humid. I’d been in Birmingham a couple of days prior and it rained and was muggy the entire time. The humidity is so bad that when you walk outside from a freezing cold building your exposed skin immediately shows sweat rising. It is nasty. I wasn’t really worried about it though because I find I acclimate to humidity after a couple miles and as long as I stay hydrated it seems to be OK.

I shared a ride and room with Tyler W, Michelle F and Sonja W and we had a blast. Tyler is always entertaining and we have fun abusing each other. From words to pillows there is rarely a moment when one of us isn’t dishing and the other one volleying. By the time Sonja and Michelle arrived late Thursday night we had already had our share of silliness including the most amazing bike ride I have had in a long time. Earlier in the day Barry, Tyler and I wanted to ride the bike course so we checked our bikes out of Velo Express (a big shout out to Luke for taking such good care of GoGo for me!) and hit the road just as a big thunder and lightning storm was brewing. Cory started out with us too but he is smarter than the rest of us and he turned around when it started to rain. We cruised down to the race venue and checked out the muddy river and then decided to ride part of the course even though it was raining a bit. Needless to say it started to pour buckets and we were clearly in the eye of the storm at rush hour. I didn’t mind the lightning over my head or the thunder in my ears as much as I minded the raging traffic that I knew couldn’t really see us in the down pour. We finally ditched onto a side street where Tyler promptly decided to take a swim in a mud puddle. It was raining so fast and furious that the water was over my bike shoes and when I pedaled it was like rolling through a river. It was so cool and crazy and fun! The air was warm enough too so we stayed pretty warm until the end of the ride when we were really soaked through to the bone. I didn’t think our shoes would dry before the race but they did…barely.

The playfulness of the weekend made me very happy and reminded me why I enjoy this endeavor so much; people, laughter and accomplishment.

My race was pretty weird and as I write this I can say I am about 90% over my disappointment of the outcome. The day before the race we went to the venue to check out the water, check our bikes and check out the people…lots of checking. The water was really muddy and seemed to be meandering in every direction. The guys who were clearing rocks from the ramp out of the water explained to us that the river only really flows when the Corp of Engineers in Birmingham have to release water because of too much rain water. They assured us that there would be no issue on race morning and if anything the city might release water in the afternoon but that we would have nothing to worry about. If I could find these two fine gentlemen today I would share with them my thoughts on “dingy water”, “gator snakes”, and water flow! They told us the water was not too bad, only “DINGEY” and that it wouldn’t be flowing. Oh how wrong they were. It had rained the previous 5 days and apparently the Corp of Engineers in Birmingham thought it best to release the water early Saturday morning…shortly before the first wave of triathletes hit the water. OMG!!! The first few waves were all the athletes over the age of 50. I was down on the dock near the finish watching as each man and woman was engaged in their own personal hell trying to stroke through the current that was now flowing quickly away from the ramp out of the water. As we watched from the dock we could see swimmers absolutely dead in the water…going nowhere and clearly pulling as hard as they could. The first guy out of the water usually does the 1500 in 21 minutes or so and it took him 32 minutes…holy crap. This made me equal parts ill and amused. The swim has always been the bane of my triathlete efforts at nationals and it appeared it was going to challenge me again. My wave was the last in the water so we jumped off the dock and we were immediately swept back into the dock due to the strength of the current. It wasn’t funny and I knew I was going to work my butt off to get through this. I wasn’t nervous or upset though…amusement was all I could muster. I hit the first buoy and turned and felt OK although I had to work hard not to get pushed down stream and then I turned the buoy to head back upstream and there I stayed…and stayed and stayed. If I swam that hard in a pool or steady water I would likely have had the swim of my life! J I was too far out in the current but couldn’t seem to get close enough to the bank without panicking that I was getting too far off course. So there I was…pulling my guts out. Literally using every ounce of energy I had to hold my position let alone move ahead. There was this beautiful brown home on the shore that I was able to really assess as I think I was in front of it for 15 minutes…and my swim time would tell you I am not kidding. I was swimming through terrible carnage of swimmers being pulled out and holding onto boats in order to rest and be pulled out. I met a woman in the airport this morning who took 3 HOURS to finish the swim and she finished the race! Talk about tenacity! I managed to get out of the water in just under an hour. It was demoralizing beyond anything I have felt in a race in a very long time. When I got up to my bike there were only 3 left on the rack…OMG!!! At that moment I assumed I was way out of the running and quitting ran through my head but I remembered a conversation I was having with Tyler about how the Pros quit if they can’t place and I agreed with him that I thought that was lame and they should finish the race unless they are hurt. I clearly was exhausted but not hurt so I grabbed GoGo and dragged my butt out to the bike start. As soon as I hit the course I realized I was going to be one of the last “racers” on the bike course. Not only were we the last wave but I was one of the last racers in my wave. The first loop on the bike course was a real mental struggle. I never really thought about quitting but I never felt like I was in the game so it was hard to muster any energy to race. I managed to pass 2 gals in my age group on the ride but it didn’t really pump me up. Not until I rolled into T2 did I decide that I was going to finish the race at 1000% no matter what. I had nothing to lose and I hope to find some people on the run course to draw a little energy from. As I left T2 I felt my legs twitch as if they had just been waiting for this all day. I had been visualizing the run for weeks; I close my eyes and listen to my feet strike the pavement. I have a cadence I have to keep and I can hear it and feel it. When I hit the road I relaxed my upper body (as it was so tired from the swim) and relaxed my hips and just started to sing in my head to the beat of the cadence I needed to keep. The greatest discovery of the day for me was that I can be completely exhausted in my uppers and core and if I focus I can keep my legs churning beneath me without acknowledging the pain…no limits. The 3 steep short hills on the course played to my strengths and I found a few women in my age group that I could take over and stay ahead of them. It was the first race I recall looking behind me to see if “anyone was making a move” and they weren’t; I never saw any of them again. I just kept churning past people. I knew that this run was going to be the highlight of my race and I was not going to give it up to me or anyone else. When I turned the corner and could see the finish line I had to swallow hard because I knew I was one of the last people to cross the line and that few of my friends had stayed to watch me finish! Thank goodness for Tyler, Priscilla and Barry! They were right there at the line hooting and hollering for me and I felt great. Thanks you guys!

The day turned out to be a great success for everyone; either because of effort, results or both! Michelle Ford made us all so proud by making 5^th place and the podium! Kirk, Lori and Susan also made the podium with great races! The rest of the gang, Steve, Tony, Tyler, Barry, Sonja, Mike and Cory all had awesome races in spite of the “raging river!” It looks like a group of us will be heading to Budapest September 2010! CONGRATS TO EVERYONE!

The Dreamland BBQ celebration was really fun however you would think we would have learned by now…we are always pooped after the awards ceremony and we never make it out on the town after dinner! We hardly made it back to the room before passing out!

2009 Nationals was one of the best experiences of my life…brutal swim that I finished and a run that I never thought I would see! I never thought I would see a 10K race time with a 6 as the first number in my pace! YAHOOOOO!!! There will be another chance to “run the river” again next year and I promise I will be ready!

An Adventure "Race" Extravaganza!

2009-06-30T15:08:00.008-06:00

So I finally did my first Adventure Race and it was as a member of a very unexpected team; the BV Divas! (BV stands for Buena Vista where the race was held). My friend Lori Stewart, who I know has an adventurous soul because we spent 2 weeks cruising around Italy together a few years ago, agreed to be my teammate when I had decide to do it but had no partner. We signed up for the 6 hour race which included trail running, mountain biking, kayaking on the Arkansas River and some orienteering.

I had such a blast! Lori was the greatest teammate! She was organized, excited and open to whatever challenges we might face. John, Ken, Paul and Heidi did a 4-man team so we had friends on the course with us which was really cool! Sarah, Kelly, Katie and Drake served as the best Crew we could have asked for and they made the day even more fun by allowing us to focus on getting through transitions and feeding our faces while they laid out all our gear for the next phase of the race. Every time we ran into a transition our gear was all spread out, organized and accessible. I fear I am seriously spoiled now and I doubt I will have the same luxury at my next adventure race.

The 6 hour race itself was well organized and very manageable. We started Friday night with a crash course in how to read a map with degrees. They only gave us coordinates and then we had to map where we thought the check points would be. Paul and Heidi were very helpful in making sure we were on task and weren’t going to end up in Leadville or Kansas. THANKS GUYS! Saturday morning was really relaxing and we did the traditional photo shoot, visited with other friends who were up there and generally hung out until we started the run. Of course we started running straight up hill for about 4 miles. This is of course my strength and Lori was awesome. We found a pace that was strong but manageable and we beat many teams to the 2^nd check point. This is where I had my first real “aha” moment about adventure races…follow your instincts and not other teams. The 2^nd CP was cleverly placed at a 4 way intersection so depending on how you read the coordinates there were options. I was amazed as people went all 4 directions. Fortunately Loir and I went the shortest way and did a great job of cruising down hill to the road in order to get to CP 3 and jump in the river! We did spend a little time chatting with a team of 4 young bucks who had come up with the same coordinates we did. It is never a bad thing to be lost in the woods with 4 young bucks…I’m just saying!

The water was by far the most challenging and fun portion of the race for me! My friend Sonja, an experienced backwoods trekker, advised us that we should have Lori in the front of the kayak and me in the back as I am presumably stronger. Hmmm. We need to revisit this theory of beer. Lori is a solid 6 feet tall, lean and strong. I am a solid 5’3” and equally strong but neither one of us has any kayaking experience. Once we got all dressed and Kelly and Sarah coached us into the water, strapped on our packs and pushed us out I immediately knew we had made a mistake. Imagine if you will a boat weighted in the front with plenty of rapids and very little control in the back…yes, we spun around, around and around. We worked really hard to stay straight but for all our efforts I got some really good pictures of Lori going backwards! I nearly wet my pants from laughter as we spun! I almost fell out once but got my foot stuck in Lori’s pack. My head was hanging out, my paddle banging along in the water. It was so funny and exhausting. We worked really hard and tried to coordinate our strokes and avoid any rocks but I was supposedly steering around rocks I couldn’t see so Lori was yelling out times but I couldn’t figure out which way the clock went! Needless to say we got through the miles and then had to drag our boat up the river bank (by far the most strenuous part of the event!). The mountain bike started out on a long ride on a dirt road which was a good way to shake off the water and get ready for some good mountain trail climbs. I apologize now if my “cycling shorts” offend anyone. I find that this particular model of shorts really helps me focus and other people really enjoy the view as well. Like I have said before, it is all about having fun! I learned something really cool about Buena Vista, Colorado…a large percentage of it is based in sand. OMG! Once we left the highway on our mountain bikes we started to climb up jeep roads that were primarily sand. This makes for hard climbing and maneuvering. Lori was a freakin rock star on this portion of the race! She climbed so strong and we both got off our bikes when a “technical” section made us nervous. Admittedly the “technical” sections I am referring to would not even be noticed by experienced mountain bikers but we were all about not getting hurt and finishing the race. I saw no need for “practicing” my lame mountain bike skills. In fact, I had the lamest crash going too slow down a hill. Once I let other folks pass us by Lori came down to me and I was baffled because it appeared that my front cables had completely stretch over the front of my handle bars. I swear it took 5 minutes of staring at it until Lori suggested that I simply turn my handle bars all the way around…who knew you could do that with a mountain bike! Brilliant! I thought I had totally messed up Paula’s mountain bike! Phew!

The last part of the mountain bike ride was down a jeep road at a good clip and then down a single track that required a couple of jumps off the bike. It was so beautiful and just about the perfect day! As we came down to the bridge that crossed the river to the finish we could see Sarah and Kelly on the other side of the river cheering us on! What a blast! We road across the bridge together and finished so strong! We finished the 6 hour race in 5+ hours! Rock on!

I do have to share a story about meeting up with our other team during the mountain bike portion of the race. J During an adventure race racers are required to use an orienteering punch at each check point. That is how the race organizers know you completed the entire course. When we got out of the water we had to map our last 2 coordinates. Paul was nice enough to check me as they left our little transition area so I felt confident we were on course the whole time! Well thank goodness Lori didn’t like to bomb down sandy hills! As Lori was navigating her way down a particularly sandy portion of the course I was stretching at the bottom and thinking we should be seeing CP #5 very soon. In fact we had stopped to read our map ½ mile earlier to make sure we were still where we thought we needed to be. While I was stretching I happened to see CP#5 tucked up inside this old gnarly tree on the other side of the dried up creek. I went over, punched our book and off we went. A short time later we ran into John riding the opposite way; apparently they had missed CP#5. In fact plenty of people had missed it as I suspect they blew down that hill and up the other side in order to have some momentum to climb. Well, if you blew up it there is no way you would have seen the flag. We yelled to John as we went past him that it was back a mile+. Then we saw Ken who was waiting for John to go find the CP. Then we ran into Paul who was farther up the trail and also waiting. It of course made us giggle as “the boys” were the great map readers. Plus Heidi, who actually had the map, was nowhere to be found. Then the challenge to find the last CP began. There were a bunch of us riding around trying to find it and we had all marked it on our maps differently. Again, thanks to Paul, Lori and I decided to go with what we had mapped out and turned around and headed down a different trail. How we managed to be the first ones to find CP#6 and the last ones out of there baffles me but Lori and I are still pretty cocky about how amazing our map reading skills served us!

If you are interested in trying an adventure race I would highly recommend this event. It was challenging yet doable. The weather was stunning, the landscape beautiful and the event was a blast! The best part was really afterwards when the beer started to flow and the stories were told! We all have our own version of that day but since this is my blog you are getting my version! J Lori and I finished as the first 2-woman team! Very impressive for our first attempt! (Need I mention that there were only 2 teams? NAH!)

Once again I experience an event that I love and could easily become addicted to…good thing I don’t have time in my schedule this year!

Kansas 70.3 – a great entrée to the long course triathlon!

2009-06-19T21:26:00.001-06:00

I followed the “yellow brick road” last Sunday for about 5 hours and 13 minutes. I raced the Kansas 70.3 in Lawrence, Kansas. In the week leading up to the race I started regretting signing up for the race at all; work has been really challenging and I have no love for the weather and hills of Kansas. The last time I raced in Kansas, like many of us, it was the year after they canceled nationals and I never got settled into the event the 2nd year. All I remember from the national’s course was rolling hills I could never get comfortable on and a run that wore me out before I started. Thankfully it is 3 years later and I am a much stronger, smarter and happier triathlete…but I was still dreading the 70.3.
I am always happy when we have a large group from our team and this race was no exception. We had at least 10 athletes compete and plenty of great fans from neighboring states. The logistics started out complicated but we all knew what we needed and everything went smoothly. Many thanks to Tony and Michele for letting us turn their FJ into a mobile locker room!
Race day started out cool, cloudy and misty. I had a headache, felt nauseous and was a general mess prior to the start. The race is cool because it has 2 transition areas so you have to be very organized and focused before the race so that you have all the right equipment at the right transition. I handled that no problem…the only hiccup in my prerace was the smashed Accel Gel and crushed sunglasses in my tribag. The Accel Gel exploded all over my wetsuit and left it sticky inside and out so I was hoping it would make me slicker through the water…didn’t help. I finally settled into my “race head” when MnM and I went for a run to shake out our legs. I started to settle down and chill out. After the race was over I realized just how stressed I was before the race. I haven’t been that worked up about a race in quite a while. I’m not sure if it was because of the distance, the competition or the unspoken pressure I put on myself to have a good result or if it was just all the other stress in my life. Regardless, I don’t need to do that again!
Now that I am in the “elite” age group (by that I mean 45+) I get to start early. I was in the first age group wave with all the men 50+. Let me tell you, I do not enjoy going into the water with all those guys. They are big, strong, directionally challenged and mean! I had the same guy punch me in the face twice and then swear at me! Geesh! After the first 700 meters of combative swimming I moved out to my right just so I could actually swim. This made the swim longer and my time longer but at least I could move through the water. I spent the first 15 minutes trying not to drown!
With the longer course and the looming clouds I took my time in T1 and put on socks before sprinting up the hill. The coaching session I had with Steve about a month ago was the best I have had in a long time as he taught me how to move around on my seat depending on the climb and he taught me when and why to stand. What a huge difference that made in my ride! I felt the rhythm the entire ride. Even when we were faced with a long steep hill I was able to roll up it and cruise to the next one. My only concern was how hard should I work so that I had something left for the run. I was dreading the run (more mental destruction) as I got closer to T2.
I managed to convince myself that the run was going to hurt too much. What a dope. My original goal was to run faster than I did at SuperFrog (1:51) because the run at SuperFrog was harder but the ride was much easier so I thought I could run a little faster. As I cruised into T2 I was having a really stupid conversation with myself about “how slow could I start out and still cover the distance?” I should know myself better than that by now…I always cover the distance! The key was not to start out too fast so that I would have something for the 2nd loop. The first loop was a struggle but that was because the sun came out and was burning through my uncapped head and my head would not let up! I even considered what it would be like to trip myself and call it a day! Unbelievable! The 2nd loop started out OK, then I felt a huge lull between miles 8 and 10…I was day dreaming, thinking about the pain and wondering how I could get this over with faster. Then, like my body seems to enjoy, at mile 10 I found a new energy and strength. It’s as if my body realizes it is in for the long haul and realigns itself…the pain disappears, I feel lighter in my steps and I am able to cruise. It is very strange and I am convinced that I would have completely escaped the lull had I not been doing mental acrobatics.
As I ran toward the finish line I came up on my old friend Ted, from Premier Multisport, and we ran down the yellow brick road together. I felt really good when I was done! I was glad it was over and I knew I had more left physically but that I was done mentally. This is definitely a great distance for me. If I continue to train at this level I think I will really be able to make serious strides and have success. It was so much fun to see teammates Sonja, Michelle, Steve and Tony qualify for Worlds. For a brief moment in time I thought I might qualify but my age group only took 1 slot and since I finished 4th in my age group (out of 40+) I did not get a slot. Honestly I was relieved as I am not having great success in sales right now and the thought of spending more money was daunting but if I had been offered the slot I would have taken it…maybe another year. I have plenty of time to get stronger at this distance.
The 8+ hour ride home with Barry and Michele was the toughest part of the trip. Not because of the company but because we struggled with cramped muscles and tremendous hunger! Fortunately the ride was uneventful and the perfect end to a perfect weekend. I will take 4th place in my age group in my first 70.3 and learn from it and see how I do at the next one!

Bike Racing 101 – BAR…who knew!

2009-06-04T16:15:00.002-06:00

The last Saturday in May I spent at my first official bike road race in Hugo, Colorado. Hugo is southeast of Denver in the plains. It is a tiny welcoming town that has a store that touted it had been serving cold beer to Hugo for 32 years! Booya! About 5 years ago I entered into a 4-day bike race and got spanked at all 4 events. And what a blast it was! 4 years later I am being coached by a former pro-cyclist who has seen it all and has decided that a bike road race would be a “good experience” for Michelle, Sonja and me. Of course we were all ready to try something new so we signed up as Category 4 racers. There are 5 categories in bike racing and “Cat 4” is the highest level a person can register for without having acquired points to get there. So Cat 4 racers are seemingly a wide range of cyclist; strong cyclist with no race experience, strong racers with limited strength and lots of attitude, strategic racers and everything in between.

Steve spent some time with Michelle and me the day before the race so he could share his experience and try to set some expectations for us. Speaking for myself..I was clueless. In a former life I had a husband who race Cat 3 & 4 but I only watched and had no idea what it would really be like to ride in a tight group. I also don’t think that all my years of watching the Tour De France really qualifies me as a solid bike racer so I was really excited to hear what Steve had to say. I was actually a little disappointed at first because as Steve spoke I felt as though I was being discounted from the event. You know, I am the old lady who travels and doesn’t have what it takes to hold on…of course this is what I was HEARING NOT what was bring said. Steve was very fairly trying to set our expectations on NOT getting dropped and remaining strong through the race. Needless to say I started the race the next day with a bit more determination than I might have had because I realized had discounted myself and I needed to prove to myself that all my hard work and training is paying off.

Michelle and I also had a chance to practice some bike skills in the grass with Steve. This was really fun as we learned to hold our line, push someone off and hold our bikes if we were hit from behind. We both had a wicked aversion to running into each other’s back wheels. I suppose this is good however it made me laugh because I was busting on MF for not hitting me and then when it was my turn I had an equally hard time. It was really fun!

Race day came and we were blessed with a coach, crew and bike maintenance team; Steve, Troy and Annabelle. Plus Sarah Mussard rode up with us and Nicole Horst was there racing with the Damas. Hugo is way out on the rolling plains of Colorado and the only real shade comes from 18 wheelers as they blow by you on the highway. It is hot, dusty, windy and rolling…just the way we like it! Steve and Troy helped us put on numbers, assembled our bikes and generally treated us like princesses as we were getting ready. It was an experience I haven’t had in a while and Steve better not let me get used to it. I realized after Steve asked me a couple times if I was nervous that he was nervous enough for all of us. We had kidded the night before about not embarrassing him or Practical Coaching and although it was all in good fun there was something to be said for making a good showing. We all wore our new PC kits and we looked pretty sharp and not like triathletes. Apparently there is some disdain for triathletes among “real” bike racers and I only have one thing to say to that…wanna go for a run after the race? J

While we were edging our way up to the start line for the race we were surrounded by women who clearly had all the gear and attitude necessary to race Cat 4. A woman came up next to my bike and asked me if I had raced yet this season. I told her “No, this is my first race…ever”. Wow, what a reaction that caused. After the look up and down she explained to me that she was “2^nd in BAR and her friend was “1^st in BAR”. My race rules had not yet begun so I took the bait…what is BAR? Well, it is the Best All Round Results this season. Then she explained that she was #1 in the state for Time Trialing so I had to ask…why are you Cat 4? Oops, apparently that offended her. She explained to me as she pushed up in front of me that you don’t get points for time trialing. Who knew! I can assure you that both Sonja and I were incredibly impressed with our introduction to BAR.

The race itself was a fantastic experience. I was amazed at all the banter, yakking and politking of the women in the race. Steve told us it was all about posturing and attitude and wow was he right! The race was 78 miles that covered a huge rectangle. The head wind was consistent to the point that I got used to riding with it. When Steve asked me if I was nervous before the race I found there was only one thing that made me anxious…if I actually managed to stay with the group I was concerned that the “feed zone” could be very hazardous since I had never ridden in s tight group before. As it turned out it was crazier than any of us expected because the Pro Men that started behind us caught us just as we all entered the feed zone. Sheer chaos ensued and all I could see was Steve yelling “go with the boys go with the boys!” So I started pedaling like crazy. As I was hammering I only saw a couple women ahead of me including Michelle…she heard the same instructions I had. Then we both got reprimanded for “making a move” in the feed zone. We thought we had done something wrong when in fact we had broken an unstated expectation but no rule. There is nothing saying we couldn’t have kept right on going but we didn’t know so we both settled in and soon enough the group was back with us. I kept thinking we would shake the back of the pack but the front group was so interesting and many of the women in the middle were so squirrely! Many of the women were solid riders and I learned to stay close to them…many were freakin squirrely and I tried to stay away from them as I never felt comfortable riding behind them and I know it made it hard to ride behind me. All the jawing quieted down for about 20 miles but after the 2^nd feed zone some gals really started jabbering again. Yelling at each other about not pulling, not pulling off, slowing down the group. Women in the middle of the pack were yelling at the women in front to speed up. I thought that was classic…if you want them to speed up then go up there and pull! Geesh!

I only had 2 assignments from Steve…don’t get dropped and keep my mouth shut. He knows me well enough to know that this is a setting where I could really join in the jawing going on. But I didn’t. Outside from an unsightly belch, a quick conversation with both Michelle and Sonja and a chat with one of the Cat 2’s that was riding with us, I never reacted or responded to anything that was thrown at me or near me. Those of you who know me can appreciate how challenging this was at times but I channeled all that BS into my legs and just kept pedaling. After the 2^nd feed zone Steve and Troy drove past us again and yelled to me that the 3 of us should start to alternate up front. Very cool. We all tried different tactics to pull, pull away and jump but none were successful. For my part I was never sure how hard to go out because I felt really strong and felt like I could pull away but I didn’t know what I really had left and I didn’t want to get shelled by the group. Sonja and I made a couple string efforts and MF nearly had the lead for good but our efforts to slow the lead pack failed and we caught her with about 5k to go. The last 5K was a freakin game and sprint and I loved it! My legs just came alive and I hammered to the finish. I was shocked how much I had left in my legs! The three of us finished in the top group in 3:35. 78 miles in 3:35. That is HOT!

The highlights were being with my friends and watching all of us thrive on the energy we generate as a team. We worked like a well oiled machine before, during and after the race. Steve guided us and we took the reins and rode like the wind! I loved being in the pack and seeing Sonja make a move or Michelle jump and then it was my turn to roll to the front and pull. I learned how important recovery in the middle of the pack is. I knew this was an option but only in Hugo did I learn what it means to recover and still keep moving. I learned that I am stronger than I thought and that I LOVE BIKE RACING!

Rage in the Sage 2009

2009-04-30T19:54:00.004-06:00

It may be hard to guess what the name of this race indicates until you actually arrive at Lake Mead in Boulder City, Nevada. There is NOTHING out there but hot, dry desert, rocks, sand, hills and wind…plenty of wind! Oh and of course…sage. Sadly at this time of year the sage is neither pretty nor inviting…it is seemingly dead and dry like everything else around it. Having said all that, this part of the country really does have its own beauty if you have an open mind. The rock formations, amazing colors and brilliant blue sky definitely help make it more appealing to the occasional tourist.

Last Saturday there were 13 (plus families and friends!) of us from our group in Colorado who ventured down to Las Vegas for this crazy race. There was a caravan of people who drove, trailered our bikes and their kids the 12+ hours in order to get to the race. Then there were a few of us who had to fly because we had to get home before Sunday night. Tyler tried to convince me that the real fun would be had on the drive home but I had gotten off a plane on Thursday and left again on Friday and had to get back on a plane to New Jersey on Monday…no driving for me thank you very much.

The day before the race was pretty standard for me with one exception…relaxing by the pool at the Tropicana on the strip in Las Vegas! Yeah baby! Now that is the way to put your feet up the day before a race. Admittedly, the fruity drink with the umbrella was missing but not for long! John, Nicole and I had decided to stay on the strip to enjoy the people watching, pool lounging and easy access to the airport. We had to leave pretty early for the race on Saturday morning but honestly we are always awake early before a race anyway so it worked out really well.

I want to give a huge SHOUT OUT of THANKS to Tyler Walton for not only transporting GoGo (my Giant bike) but for providing the care and attention she is accustomed to from me when we travel. He covered her with a blanket, kept her safe and secure and packed her back up after the race because I managed to miss him at the trailer. The convenience and ease that afforded me was priceless and I am very grateful for his “Tylerish” class and humor. I owe you one!
So the race…that was interesting. My coach had indicated in my plan that my intention for the race was to stay focused, let the race come to me and ease into it. Hmmm. I would say that I did not have perfect execution but I can identify where I failed and I can fix it so that is the best outcome for the day! The bad part about the race was the swim. 12 months ago this wouldn’t have surprised me or anyone who knows me but even I was surprised at how hard the swim was…1500 meters felt like 150000 meters. Yes it was windy and yes I am swimming fast enough to actually be around other people that make it harder but the real problem was my siting! Half way through the race I was struck by a huge epiphany. Now this is not the best time for an epiphany but I guess I can’t complain because I think with a little work with my coach I can fix it. A little history; 2 years ago at nationals I was swimming in a crystal clear lake, the only waves being created by other swimmers and I managed to swim myself way off course. I actually had to stop, turn around and go back to a buoy. This was devastating to my race and my spirit that day and it showed in my results. Since then I have had shoulder surgery, been working on my swim and really focusing on my stroke. I have NOT been focusing on my open water swim and boy did I feel that on Saturday. You know how a dog that is not a “water dog” swims around with his head forced up out of the water and splashes around like a spaz? Yep, that was me. I swam the first 700 meters or more with my head up and out of the water in order to be sure I didn’t “get lost” and miss a buoy! OMG! This killed my time and more importantly it zaps my energy much faster. It takes a huge amount of effort to swim that inefficiently! UGH!!!! OK, lesson learned. Keep my head down and trust that the buoy is out there and getting closer! Geesh!

The ride is an out and back course of rolling, hot hills. The kind of hills that are just long enough that it is hard to find a rhythm. I was surprised at how sore my hips were as I cruised along in my aerobars. I am still not sure why they were sore and it worried me for the run but I spun along as strong as I could trying to stay relaxed and upbeat. I came off the bike feeling pretty good although it was starting to get hot and I hoped I had sucked down enough water on the ride.

The run is 75% on sandy rocky jeep trail and it is basically up for 3 miles and then down for 3 miles. It is a hard run course but one that suits my strengths. My coach tells me I am a bulldog and others have said I am a billy goat because I am a strong runner and like to run up hills. It’s a good thing! The run was by far the best I felt all day. Now that is a great feeling for sure! I was tired but dug in and kept a steady pace. I wasn’t trying to run fast but steady and strong and I was pleased that I felt so good with 2 miles left to go. With less than a mile to go I saw a woman ahead of me who I had been chasing since I stumbled out of the water. I didn’t know who she was or what her age but I decided it would be good for me to see if I could keep or even push my pace to catch her. As we came down the last hill I wasn’t feeling that confident and the “old Beth” started to try to talk me out of the looming (and very short-lived you big baby!) pain of the chase. A few short years ago I would have talked myself right out of chasing her down…not anymore! As we made the last turn we were together and we both picked it up and started to lay it down and I was thinking “holy crap I can’t hold this to the finish” but I dropped my body down a bit and dug in and then she dropped off and I kept going…what a very cool outcome. It felt good to me to stay focused enough and finish the race to the end.

Everyone on the team had an awesome day! We had 6 teammates complete the ½ ironman! Sonja won 1st for the overall women! Yahoo! Tony, Steve, Doreen and Keith all placed in their age groups and Tyler and Sandy had great 1st ½ experiences! The Olympic was conquered by Andrea, Michele, Michelle, and me while Anne Walton jockeyed 3 kids and managed to kick butt in the Sprint distance! Our group amazes me at how hard we work, how hard we play and the terrific outcomes we all achieve! Once again I was proud to be a Practical Coaching athlete. Congrats to all and many thanks for your cheers on the course and at the finish line.

When all was said and done, I was thrilled John decided to fly down to cheer us on, thrilled to be staying at the Tropicana where the fruity drink did appear after the race and pleased that my efforts race morning afforded me a 2nd place AG finish. Placing is nice but running a sub-8 run in April in the hot sun and figuring out one of my swim demons are equally as important to me.
When you hear from me next I might be reporting on an adventure race or I might be reporting on 2 months without a race and just some kick butt workouts! Time to train!!!

2009-04-05T20:57:00.009-06:00

The Super Frog ½ Ironman Triathlon is an especially challenging race because it is an ocean swim and a sand run all on the beautiful shores of Coronado Island in San Diego California. Although I have done my share of “endurance” events I had not yet done a ½ Ironman distance triathlon; not for the lack of wanting but more due to time and timing. I haven’t made the time to train and I have been focused on accomplishing my original goal of qualifying for Team USA at the Olympic distance. This winter afforded me a healthy body and a ticket to Australia for Team USA in September 09 so my path is now clear…let’s take a shot at the longer distance tris and see how I do. SuperFrog was the first step on this path.
I have to admit that this is one of the few times I went into a race with the mindset that it really was a “training day!” There was no doubt in my mind that the ocean swim and the deep sand coupled with my innate fear of sharks and my moody calf that this would be a relaxing “training day”.
Before I disclose “my” race let me share the race details. You can’t beat San Diego for any race. Regardless of the event, Coronado Island in San Diego is the perfect setting. It is sunny, warm, breezy and relaxing; perfect race weather. Packet pickup was in a local hotel out on the island; it was well organized, the people were very friendly and there was no mystery to the process. The expo itself was pretty small with just a couple vendors but that comes from someone who loves the Boston Marathon Expo experience so I shouldn’t really be the judge. The weird thing about packet pick up was the huge number of men compared to women. No, I am not complaining, but I did start to worry as the ratio of men to women was really skewed. I wondered what all the local tri club women knew that I didn’t know. Seriously, there were very few women and the ones that I did see were clearly bad asses. Gulp…this is just a training day, this is just a training day…
Race morning transition was well marked, well lit and full of energy. There were dozens of volunteers all over the course, the water and gel volunteers all said Yes mame and Yes Sir and they had plenty of everthing on the course. After the race they ran out of veggie chili before I got there but there was plenty of post race food. The finish was well organized and there was tons of water everywhere. I was really impressed with the entire event.
John and I had the luxury of staying with his sister Margy and her family in Santee Ca. We were about 30 minutes from the race start. Plus Andrea Watkins was at the race and stayed with us. Andrea is always so calm, helpful and easy to get along with so it was awesome to have a friend around who knows “the pre-race ropes”! We enjoyed staying with Margy as she opened her home and heart to us…I am still overwhelmed by her generosity. Plus Margy’s husband, Steve and daughter Sarah gave up their beds and weekend to help us out.
Pre-race dinner was really “Beth Style”. We had monster tuna sandwiches with pretzels and water. Not very exciting but very filing the night before a race and the perfect combo of carbs and protein.
Race morning came early and cloudy. Initially I was really disappointed that the sun was fogged in and the wind was cool. I actually slept the best I think I have ever slept the night before a race. I think I had really adapted to the “training day” idea. It felt great to wake up well rested and ready to go. My tummy was a bit moody but cleared itself shortly after Andrea’s awesome scrambled eggs! We headed down to the race site at 4:45 Am in order to get good transition positions. Yes, even though it is a training day I am physically and emotionally incapable of relinquishing a potentially perfect transition position. We got there well before most people and even though it was pitch dark you could hear the ocean slamming into the beach. My anxiety began to rise. I relaxed a bit when John and I went for a warm up run and met Jason Finch. He was at the race to do the run leg of a fast relay. It is always fun to run into friends at races!
The swim was a 2 loop rectangle out in the ocean. Two buoys about 200 yards apart so we had to get past the breakers, get around the 2 buoys, body surf in and then do it again. Oh my. All the women were in the 2nd wave behind the elites and then the rest of the crowd was behind us. It was really hard for me to get into and out of the water. I think I only swam about 600 yards! The rest of the time I was getting kicked around by the waves. The hardest part was coming in. I got rolled around like I was in a washing machine. Not fun but pretty funny! I came out of the water rattled but ready to ride! Since they put all the women out together I honestly thought GoGo, my Giant bike, would be all alone just waiting for me. I was shocked to see other bikes on the rack. Apparently I wasn’t the last woman out of the water! Yahoo! I approached the ride with the idea that I would be steady and strong but no red-lining. I achieved my goal.
The ride was 4 loops (56 miles) on the island and there was a head wind from every direction. Good thing we train for that in Colorado! I stayed steady and focused on the ride and felt very relaxed when I hit the run. There was a bit of a smack down with another woman who believed that I was drafting. She got so frustrated that I was just steady behind her that she hammered away from me at about mile 10. Big mistake. Coming into the last 5 miles there she was and she was dragging. I let her roll into transition ahead of me because my feet were numb and I was worried that I was going to be a bumbling idiot when I got off my bike. I was cold the entire ride but I was grateful that the sun stayed behind the clouds because it would have been a much tougher race had it gotten hot. As we started out on the sand for the run Andrea was there and she yelled “that girl is in your age group…go get her.” OK, I know it was a training day but I need to train my head too. I need to train my head to compete and not to back down…so I decided I would see if I could catch her and then keep up with her. I caught up slowly and by mile 2 she was 50 yards in front of me. At that point I knew I could not only stay with her but I could take her. The only question was would she chase me and would I then have to “race” the next 10 miles. Ugh! All this was going through my head as I eased past her. Never looked up, never slowed down and never saw her again. It was a very cool and rare experience for me.
The run was just silly. 13.1 miles with 7 on sandy beach, 1 on sandy single track and then some trail and old asphalt. It made me laugh because it would be a hard ½ marathon without the swim and the bike! I stayed relaxed, focused on my form and enjoyed the sound of the waves as they crashed onto the beach. The run was 2 loops and I was concerned that I would be really tired by the 2nd loop. My feet were really sore and the camber of the beach was starting to wear on my knee…but I have this weird knack for digging deeper the longer the race. When I turned the cone for the 2nd loop I knew I had more to give. I knew I could keep up my pace and finish strong. There were no negative thoughts or worries…just concentration and desire to be done! And my nutrition was sound. Mainly gels and special drinks but I never felt depleted or tired. Very cool!
Steve wanted me to stay focused during the whole race and I can say for the first time I did. OK, I did try to encourage a couple of the young Navy Seals as I ran past them close to the end. I felt badly because they were being lapped by a girl 20 years older…Booya!
It was fun to be on the same course and see John on his new TT bike! It looks hot and he rode great! Margy and Steve stayed at the race the entire time and John and I were both so grateful to have fans at the finish! Andrea was working with the NormaTec crew so John and I both jumped into “legs” to let the healing begin! My feet were killing me.
The surprising outcome of this training day is that I won my age group and more importantly I was the 4th woman overall. For my first ½ ironman I was able to finish in 5:16 and have a really strong race. My swim time was much faster (not fast) than I imagined 35 minutes; my bike was exactly what I wanted 2:56 and I was shocked at my run, 1:51, but I felt great and just kept picking up my feet. I was really pleased with my splits and the fact that I was able to hold my paces. What an awesome feeling. This bodes well for my efforts to move into longer distances, right coach?
I loved this race because it was small and relaxed and very challenging. I think it would be great for a group in 2010. Everything is a loop so we would see all our friends throughout the race and plus it is in southern California in March! That has to be good!

2+ Years!

2009-03-27T07:48:00.005-06:00

Since John hasn't been able to share the last couple of adventures with me I decided sharing my most amazing adventure is important; John and I have been together for more than 2 years! Yes, I realize this is a miracle for me...not married and not divorced yet! Quite an accomplishment. We have been through quite a lot together in 2 short years; my shoulder surgery, a multitude of races around the country, the passing of John's dad, my father's knee surgery, John's type B "get there when I want to" approach to life versus my type A "I have to be there early and give everyone else a ride" approach, John's late night projects and my early morning start to the day, his dog and my cats, my wine and he's beer, meeting my family in Homer, spending time with his family on Sunday's, he can fix anything and I can only work the internet, taking care of his mom, finding time to visit my family and on and on...
There were days when I thought we would never survive primarily because I can't slow down and he can't speed up...but fortunately I am learning to chillax and he has learned to step it up when necessary. It certainly isn't always easy but he has brought so much balance to my life. He asks me hard questions and always tries to help me solve my challenges. He is able to smile at me and laugh at me and after my initial "are you laughing at me" defense mechanism shuts down I am able to laugh at myself too. John is the most honest, genuinely kind and thoughtful man I have ever met. He has no ego and no agenda except to enjoy life and take care of the important people in his life. He is patient; funny and potentially the best hugger around...ask any of the women!
I am very grateful he has the patience to put up with my annoying type A, can't slow down, and can’t focus on one thing at a time life style. I am grateful he is still by my side and we are looking ahead at all the great adventures we have coming...Australia 2009, cutting trees in Winter Park, adventure races and most importantly relaxing, playing guitar and enjoying good food and wine!
I don't tell him enough how important he is to me so if he ever reads this blog he will know what you now know. He means the world to me!

Canyonlands 1/2 Marathon 09

2009-03-23T18:24:00.005-06:00

March 21st was the Canyonlands 1/2 Marathon. It is one of the most beautiful races in the country because the course winds down through the Colorado River canyon into Moab, Utah. I have been going to this race for the last 4 years and every year it is different and more fun! This year I was really disappointed that Paula couldn't run the 1/2 with me and that Noell couldn't go at all but Paula is still nursing a sore back and Noell started a new job so I had to be happy that they both made good decisions! But I do wish they were with us! We also started this year thinking it would be a "girl's weekend" but Priscilla and Barry are staples for this race and the rest of the boys that showed up for the party certainly added great color to the evening! I did miss John and we all missed Scott and Samuel too! But we still managed to have a great time! :)

My race was intended to be a training day with a decent amount of mileage. I think Andrea said it best "a 1/2 marathon with a 1/2 marathon warm up"...almost. I ran up the river canyon to the start of the race. Keith N caught up with me and we ran the last 5 miles together and we really struggled to slow down enough so that we wouldn't end up standing around too much...we still had to wait almost 20 minutes for the start of the race. But the early morning run was peaceful and it was fun getting to know Keith better. He is a bad ass runner and he proved it at the end of the 1/2. I on the other hand had a harder time "laying it down" when it came time to turn up the speed. I ran into Dottie at about mile 3 or 4 and I thought it would be good for me to run easy with her for a while but then at mile 8 when I realized I needed to turn it up I didn't have much left. I honestly felt like running too slow had hurt my legs more than moving at a faster pace. This is not to say that Dottie was running slow, just slower than I am accustomed to running. So when I tried to turn the pace up to a sub-8 I had nothing. Nothing. I was so mad. My legs were sore and tired and wouldn't move. I had the lungs and energy for it but nothing happened when I hit the gas. I can only guess that the training I did the week prior wore my legs out just enough so that when I mile 19 my legs were pooped. The good news is that I know I had the lungs and heart rate for it had I been able to move. It was a great day and although my overall time was disappointing I am really pleased that I ran 24 miles 2 days ago and I feel tired but really strong. I am pretty sure this endurance thing will really suit me once I start to fill in the days with more long work.

The rest of the gang had great races too! Priscilla and Paula both had strong 5 miles and Barry and Keith kicked it on the 1/2.

I can't decide if the best part of the weekend was the retail therapy, the party we had or running 24 miles relatively pain free...once I show you my new shoes you tell me! Paula...what do you think?

2009-03-23T17:39:00.006-06:00

I am so fortunate to have amazing friends all over the country! In the last month I have laughed, danced and hiked with my friend Christine in Colorado and Utah! She came out a couple of weeks ago to visit friends in Boulder, talk business with former colleagues and play with me! Friday night we went to this cool coffee shop in Boulder called the rock and Soul Cafe. Her friend Barry was playing with his new band called the Fazz Band...a mix of Folk and Jazz. It was great fun to hang out, people watch and listen to good music. (I don't recommend the quiche!) The weekend also included a hike to the Stone House on Mt Falcon, a visit to Celestial Seasonings in Boulder with Noell and plenty of good healthy food.

I've also had a couple really fun rides with Nicole in the last month. We ride hard, laugh loud at ourselves and generally have great workouts. Tyler and John and a few other boys have been along for rides too and it is so much fun to press to the top and fly to the bottom!
2 weeks ago I had a trip to the northeast on business and in 24 hours I got to visit with Alice & Cary, college roomie and her husband, Nicole, her mom and some other friends for a birthday celebration and Murph and his adorable little boy Declan.

And out of the blue my friend Jan emailed and asked if we could have tea. Jan is the "city mouse" and I am the "mountain mouse" for sure. She wears her leather jacket indoors because it is always a part of her ensemble...I wear jackets because I am cold.

Each of these moments with friends made me realize how much my friends mean to me and how important it is to nurture all my relationships, regardless if whether that friend is a triathlete, runner or biker...I am so much more than just a triathlete. I knew this but sometimes it is nice to get a gentle reminder that the universe is always sending me messages and I just need to pay attention once in a while!

Spreading the peanut butter all winter long

2009-02-16T17:02:00.010-07:00

I've been in Colorado for more than 10 years now so I definitely take the beautiful weather for granted too often. For example, Sunday, February 15th, was a gorgeous sunny day here so a few of us decided to do a little training run...17+ miles, 3000 feet of elevation gain and 3+ hours. It was an awesome day! I still seem to start out these long runs with a little trepidation and I always seem to finish stronger than I ever thought possible. The real question is “when will I learn?”

The longer I go the stronger I get; both mentally and physically. Admittedly I was a bit anxious about this run because it is the middle of winter and I haven’t been doing any real tempo work…just LSD baby! With my first real ½ Ironman 6 weeks away I better snap out of this lazy LSD thing and get focused on some real work! Yesterday was a great way to start!

I ran the whole distance with Michelle Ford. She is rock solid strong and steady and we spent the entire run trying to slow each other down so that we didn’t blow up at the end. My coach Steve talks about “spreading the peanut butter” and I mock him for it but I will confess here (since I know he doesn’t read my blog) that it is a great analogy for me. Not only do I love peanut butter but the idea of spreading my energy equally throughout any effort makes the workout so much more rewarding. Have you ever run a race and in the last few miles there are bodies everywhere? People who started way too fast, didn’t even bring their peanut butter to the race, and then die 2 short miles before the finish. Steve has taught me how to be patient, be steady and wait for it…this is by far the most valuable thing I have learned in the last few years. If I spread my peanut butter evenly then I will have plenty at the end. Maybe even enough energy to push really hard up the last few yards of the climbs like I did yesterday; it was awesome.

A few other wacky friends had great runs too! John was out there lighting it up for his ½ Ironman and Nicole, Tyler and Sarah each had kickin days! I can’t begin to tell you about the other group…it would be best for you to refer to the 17 Hour Training Day blog if you want to know about the group that ran 23 miles all up hill at a blazing pace.

Thanks to Michelle for keeping me honest and feeding me a peanut butter & honey snack (how fitting!), to Steve for appreciating how hard we worked yesterday and to Troy and Annie without whom I would still be walking home from City View! Keep spreading the peanut butter!

More winter fun!

2009-02-13T11:36:00.003-07:00

John is probably the only person that can get me back on skis...and he did. We had our first ski date at Winter Park a couple weeks ago and it was a blast. I haven't really been on skis since my crash in Vail oh so many years ago and between the traffic, cost, cold and training I haven't really been compelled until now. John grew up skiing in Winter Park and loves it so we went up and tested my NY ski style. Of course my form is as bad as ever; weight back on the skis, poles akimbo and hips all over the place! Classic! I had so much fun even though I was terrible. The best part was watching John swoosh down the slopes. He is a beautiful skier. I should have known he would be! I didn't even get too cold until later in the day. That is HUGE for me! I have 3 more days left on my pass so we better get up there again soon!

Last weekend was my 2nd snow shoe race of the season. I have to admit it would be a lot easier if I could snow shoe out my back door once a week rather than just show up and snow shoe at elevation once a month but the weather in Denver has been beautiful. I have no snow outside my door. Anyway, Noell and James, although not racing, were sweet enough to drive to the race with me and hang out during the race. Noell is sporting an injury and wisely decided not to race and James was most interested in quality time with his wife. Sweet guy!

The race nearly killed me. I actually bonked before the first mile marker. Seriously, BONKED! Holy crap! I ate yummy oatmeal sometime between 7 and 7:30 and the race started at 11 and somehow I managed to get really hungry and thirsty about race time. Needless to say, my stellar finish (17 out of 32 women) was due mainly in part to the fact that the course was really difficult to navigate and I am not smart enough to stop when it really hurts. The snow was hard and rutted and really hard on my lower legs and knees. Honestly, I was a mess during the last 6 miles of a 6.2 mile race. I think it is good for me to have days like that once in a great while but I sure do hate them when I am in the midst of them. At one point my friend Sandy went by and asked if my leg was hurting again and I thought I would tell her yes as a likely excuse but instead I blurted out that between the travel, hunger, thirst and being so overheated I was just being lame! It was really funny. I have never overheated in a mountain race like that before. The weather was gorgeous but I didn't dress for it.

So, all in all, it was great to be in the mountains with Noell and her family. I love them and their mountain home and sleeping with Noell! :) I missed John and I hate that James kicked my butt in Scrabble 4 times! Ugh! I really did have lousy letters...ask Taylor! It was a great weekend and many opportunities for learning. Thank goodness I am not too old to keep learning!

The next snow shoe race I plan to light up! Yahoo!

Snow Shoe Season Begins

2009-01-20T20:42:00.004-07:00

The 2009 Snow Shoe season started in Beaver Creek 10 days ago and it was a great way to soak in the mountains! I returned from Birmingham late Saturday night and I was pretty cranky (poor John!) so getting up early and driving to the mountains held no appeal. The key was riding with Priscilla, Barry and Noell. 90 minutes of hot tea, great laughs and free therapy! By the time we started the race I was relaxed and ready to go. I ‘d never “run” this course before so I was a little surprised when we ran uphill for 2 straight miles! Then we wandered along some single track and cat walks until it was time to turn around and scream downhill for 2 ½ miles!
Just before the race started I did a little warm up with Anne Walton as she had never been in running snow shoes before. Tyler wrapped her up with duct tape when we were done warming up as she had on running shoes and regular running socks. I was afraid her lil feet would freeze off!
I raced really well both physically and mentally. It was hard but I stayed in the race and I actually raced to beat a couple other women and that felt great!
As usual the highlight of the day was goofing off with the gang before and after and sitting in ridiculous traffic! The traffic was so bad that Noell actually had the time and guts to pee on I-70! Now there is a proud moment! I wish I had a picture of it!
Enjoy the pictures of the day!

My career as a serious salesperson...

2009-01-17T18:28:00.005-07:00

Last October was the turn of my second year with DAXKO. Many of you know that it has been a very challenging change for me to move from fund raising to sales; building and nurturing relationships is critical to both but after that it gets very different. Plus I have not had the best experience in the "corporate" world. Whether it is because I worked in non-profits for so long or if my expectations of people are too high or if I am just missing something about how companies treat people; I continue to struggle with the model. Working remotely has its pros and cons and I feel good about it most days. Working with my sales teammates is weird because I am not on site but I think we are getting better at working as a team too...2009 will tell. Last week I was in Birmingham at the corporate office for our annual kick off event and I had the pleasure of "playing" with many of my colleagues and this helped assure me that I work with great people...that is really important to me. 2009 will be the test to see if I can be successful at meeting my quota while getting what I need as a professional...time will tell. The Kickoff event includes some really fun events and I thought I would share some pix of some of my colleagues so you can get a feel for how crazy DAXKO can be...

2008 went by so fast

2009-01-15T06:47:00.002-07:00

I kicked off the new year with a party at my home to wrap up 2008. Many of the Practical Coaching team came with great company, food and stories. I figured if I put out the food and provided the space others could bring the food and you guys did not disappoint! We had tons of yummy and sort of healthy food, plenty to drink and some really interesting outfits. I decided to make it interesting by suggesting a 70 & 80's workout gear theme. Most of us who were actually born and remember what it was like to dress ourselves got dressed up. Of course there are always a few who prefer to be dull and mock those of us who have nothing better to do...

It was great fun and having everyone over reminded me of how incredibly amazing my life really is and how grateful I am for so many genuinely good friends I have made over the years. I put together this lil slide show but it is too big to post on my blog or even to the internet so if you would like to see it let me know and I will get a copy to you.

Thanks to everyone for such a fun-filled 2008! 2009 has already started out as wild and warm!

I look forward to the coming year! And don't forget...it is the year of the tongue!

Holiday in Homer!

2008-12-28T10:36:00.008-07:00

I started to write an entry for my blog while I was in JFK trying to get to Homer for Christmas but after I was delayed for 2 more hours and the battery died on my computer I decided it was a better idea to simply people watch and update my blog later. Today is Boxing Day. No one in our family really knows what it is except that it is celebrated in England today…so Happy Boxing Day!

My Christmas in Homer has been awesome! Once again I am amazed at how fortunate I am that I have such a fun, generous and loving family. It is a bit of a disappointment that I have been able to spend much time with cousins and my brother’s family but it makes me realize I need to get to Chicago to visit them during the year.

Margaret and I spent a day shopping in Syracuse for Jerry’s new bike. We got him a Giant Delay; a great starter bike and one that he will be able to ride for a long time. I tried to talk her out of the triple but she really thought Jerry would need it. L It was fun to shop as we also went to the mall 2 days before Christmas. It was a freaking zoo and so much fun to see all the crazy people. We hung out at Borders and got some books as gifts for each other and my father. The new Don Rickles book looked like something Walt would appreciate!

We also went to dinner with my father’s new lady-friend, Betsy. She is very pleasant, vital and clearly keeps my father in hand. It is a bit weird for me since we know so many of the same people in town but in a way it is comforting because everyone that knows her agrees she is a great lady. We had Mexican and Margaret drank a huge margarita! I have never seen her drink that much before! It was great!

I’ve been able to either swim or run every day. The Cortland YMCA is a very old Y but it has a clean pool and free weights that even I can lift! (I am such a wimp right now!) Running is always interesting with all the snow and ice on the ground but I ran all around Homer on Christmas morning checking out all my friend’s homes, the house where I grew up and climbed the only real hill back to my father’s house. Running through town reminded me of how very fortunate I am that I have the means to come home to see my family and that we have the means to live in a nice home and exchange fun gifts that none of us really needs. Homer has many families that live in rough houses on tough streets and the holiday always looks so dismal in those areas. I am so grateful for my life and the love of my family!

We spend Christmas afternoon at my Aunt Diane’s home with all the cousins who are in driving distance. This year there were only about 24 of us and that included a slew of little kids. Hillary has 3 boys, Amy has 2 little girls and Kristen has one of each. Anne currently holds the “youngest in the family” position which never seems to last very long. Family came in from Buffalo, Rochester, Philly, New Jersey, Connecticut, Chicago and Colorado. Quite a good group! For many years I have felt like the black sheep of the family as I don’t have kids or a husband and this year was about the same. I love all the kids but I realized something funny happens over time; people think because you never had children that you must not like them or you never wanted them so they say silly things like “leave cousin Beth alone” or “stay away from crazy aunt Beth” or “you don’t want to hold her do you?”. This always makes me laugh because I love kids and babies…I just never managed to have my own. I love babies especially my cousin’s kids! They are so cute and fun!

We had our family Christmas at the end of the day this year. We went back to my father’s house and opened gifts and hung out! It is always funs to be with the kids and get caught up with Scot and Angela! I really do miss them and need to see them more often in 2009! My sister was way too generous and now I understand why she got overwhelmed with buying, organizing and wrapping gifts for the family. We talked about picking names for next year but I don’t think we ever had the conversation! We should because everyone might get the gifts I bought them as birthday presents in 09 anyway! J

The last night I was in town I had the pleasure of spending time with Pop and his lady friend. Her kids showed up at Ho Beaus too so we had a drink and got caught up. She clearly makes my Pop very happy and she enjoys life and her kids and grand kids too. I also spent some time with Mimi and Rick and friends so that was a bonus too.

The trip home was another story….

Tripping with Nicole in Utah...celebrating 11 years of fun!

2008-12-07T13:36:00.010-07:00

11 years ago my friend Nicole and I were celebrating Thanksgiving with my cousin Amy and her parents Grace and Rog in Denver Colorado. Nicole and I spent the week touring Colorado, meeting Amy’s friends and thoroughly enjoying our vacation. I don’t think either one of us expected that I would be moving back out to Colorado in less than 6 months…needless to say I managed to work another “presto change” on my life; I left my friends and family in New York and started a new life in Colorado. Since that time Nicole, who still lives in Albany, NY L and I try to vacation once a year. We meet somewhere warm and fun for a few days of relaxation and fun. Admittedly, I messed that schedule up a couple times the last few years so this year I knew it had to be a great vacation. Nicole, how’d we do?

Thanksgiving 08 was spent touring around the beautiful state of Utah. We started our adventure in Glenwood Springs with John; we stayed at the very old and elegant Hotel Colorado, hung out at the hot springs and hiked the ever gorgeous Hanging Lake. I was so glad John got to spend some time with Nicole. It has been a big year for John as he’s met my family, college roommates and now Nicole. I’m thrilled that everyone is in agreement that we are a good fit! J

The hot springs were so relaxing and the setting was so beautiful it occurred to me we might not continue west but apparently Nicole doesn’t like “prune” fingers so we had to drag ourselves out of the pools and hit the road. The hike to Hanging Lake was more gorgeous than I remember and I could have sat under that waterfall for hours. I love the sound and smell of the fresh mountain water. I decided if I were a fish I would want to live in Hanging Lake. Living in Albany Nicole’s lifestyle isn’t quite as adventurous as mine and I have to say that she rose to ever challenge this week! There is a bit of a hairy climb up some rock steps with a steep drop off and Nicole zipped right up them. The anticipation of going down may have worked her a little bit but once we were down I think she realized she is a rock star and has nothing to worry about.

The next couple days were focused on Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. I had never been that far southwest in Utah and I was completely blown away by the majestic canyons, the mesmerizing hoodoos and the colors that make up every cliff and rock formation. The other thing that made the area especially pretty was the fact that fall comes late to the canyons and there were still many trees and bushes brilliant with their fall colors.

Bryce Canyon is full of hoodoos, red, white and brown rock canyons and miles and miles of trails to soak it all in! The first day we ventured into Bryce we took a lil trail run. As our friend Christine says, “Nicole should know better” but she was up for it so we took off into Fairyland for a run. It was one of the most stunning views I have ever seen. We ran straight down for about 1 ½ miles and we both knew it would only mean 1 thing…1 ½ back up at the end. J The sun was blazing and we stripped down to running tops and soaked in the rays! Taking photos was the only thing that saved me from getting my ass kicked by Nicole…every time it got too steep it was time for a picture! She did great and I was really proud of her. After lunch we headed back out to the park and did the “must do” Victoria Garden hike. It was another stunning hike that wound through the canyon floor, hoodoos and other formations. It was the perfect hike after a tough run. After the hike we drove out through the park and checked out the canyon from other views, checked out the grottos, killer crows and the sweet mule deer as the sun started to set. We stayed at Ruby’s Inn just outside the entrance of Bryce and I highly recommend it. Especially if you are there during “the season”. There are all kinds of things for kids and families to do. Nicole and I managed to goof off a bit and check out the “town” but it was pretty much shut down for the season.

The trip to Zion the next morning was much nicer than our late night drive into Bryce. We could see all the mountains and canyons and we found a little local store that had a great price on Smartfood Popcorn, Swedish Fish and Gummy Bears! Great road trip food! The drive into Zion was completely different than Bryce; the rock formations and ground cover were equally majestic and colorful but different. Once you enter the gate into the National Park you drive through the longest, darkest tunnel I have ever experienced. It was kind of creepy and I was ready to see the light at the end of the tunnel! When we popped out of the tunnel we were at the edge of this cliff that looked out over the most beautiful valley I have ever seen. The colors were bursting and the air was crisp and clean. The switchbacks down to the canyon floor were hairy and fun. We even saw a guy riding his road bike up the steep road and of course Nicole thought he was crazy and all I could think was “I wonder when I can come back with my bike?” we went for a mid-day run along the river on the flats in Zion. It was a good way to shake our legs out before we headed up the cliff face for a hike. The park ranger told us the “must do” hike was called Angels Landing. He mentioned some steep drop offs, cliffs and chains but we didn’t really appreciate his description until we climbed 2 miles to the top where the climbing got really interesting. There was another 500 feet of climbing that was up along the red cliffs. There was no discernible trail except for the heavy metal chains drilled into the rock face that hikers use to stabilize themselves while climbing. Quite a few people were coming down as we were climbing up and it looked like a doable hike at first glance. Once we got up a few feet it was clear that the hike down would be much harder than the hike up and we weren’t really interested in an air lift our of the canyon so we opted to try the West Rim Trail instead. Great decision! We did see a really amazing Mormon woman coming down off of Angels Landing with no assistance from the chains and no visible concern at all. It was as if she was just floating down the cliff side. Nicole and I were both in awe of her.

Dinner in Zion was at the Pioneer Inn (we stayed at the Pioneer Hotel which was very clean, quaint and had awesome beds!) Who knew that grilled cheese could taste so good! We shopped a little but again the town was pretty much shut down for the season. The next morning we awoke for a hike up to the Emerald Pools before heading to Salt Lake and Park City. Emerald Pools was gorgeous and quiet as no other late season tourists were around yet. We checked out the pools, took tons of pictures and I taught Nicole how to build her own cairn. She will never get lost in the desert now! We could smell the rain in the cool air and we luckily timed it perfectly. As we were loading our car to head north the rain started to come down. Nicole may like good food but I am a real pain in the butt if I don’t get my tea in the morning so we checked out a funky local coffee shop and hit the road to Salt Lake.

As we were driving to Salt Lake City to see my friend’s Christine and Joe we both created the illusion that we are very important people; getting caught up on email and phone messages. Plus we wanted those we love to know we had survived the mountains and canyons in Utah! The visit with Christine and Joe was so much more than I would have expected. Of course I knew Christine would be a great hostess but I had no idea she lived in a palatial home in a swanky neighborhood that normally people would call the police if I were walking around in. Christine came home from work early and we headed to Park city for a quick tour and dinner. Although we didn’t see much other town what I did see I loved and I can’t wait to go back for winter fun! As is the rule when traveling with us, Christine learned quickly to pose for silly photos and behave like a goober in public.

Thanksgiving started cold and rainy but the 3 of us were still thrilled to head out to the local Human Race 5K run. It was to benefit the Utah Food Bank so we kept telling ourselves that it was a good cause and we needed to go. It turned out to be the perfect day for a race. It stopped raining when we started and started to rain after we finished. A quick trip to Buck Bucks for my mandatory hot tea and then it was home to cook and prepare for the feast. As a side note I must tell you that Nicole and Christine both ran terrific races! Christine’s goal was to walk but of course she got caught up in all the excitement and ran the first mile with us. Then Nicole and I ran the rest at a very strong pace. I am sure I will regret telling Nicole to “dig deep” in the last ½ mile as it is already coming back to haunt me but she really did dig and she did awesome! I always get great joy from watching people do more than they thought they could. I think we all have so much more in us if we want to use it. Nicole, when are we running that marathon?

Our early afternoon hike above Draper was really fun. We took Sydney, Christine’s dog, and checked out the burn area above the city. It still smelled a bit but we could see all the amazing new growth coming in all ready. Dinner with Joe and Christine and their friend Nicole was hysterical. Honestly, we prepared enough food for a small village and by the time we sat down to eat we were all stuffed in minutes. Of course I managed to try everything that hadn’t taken a breath and the pies were awesome! They mocked my wheat/grain/veggie turkey but I know they would all admit secretly that it tasted yummy! In fact I ate it for the next few days! We made the pies the night before and they tasted soooo good! Everything tastes better the ready whip! After eating too much we watched Run Fat Boy Run! I knew I liked Joe but I knew we would be permanently connected as we laughed at the same things during the movie. It is a hysterical movie if you have any interest in running!

The last leg of the trip included a tour of northeast Utah and much of Wyoming. It was flat, clear and easy traveling. We spiced the trip up with a visit to the Sierra Trading Post outlet store in Cheyenne. I was worried it was going to be crazy with people on Black Friday but it wasn’t too bad and I managed to get some Christmas shopping done!

Part of the highlight of the vacation was the fact that Nicole got to meet many of my friends on a run Saturday morning. We met them on the Highline trail. Even though we didn’t run with them for long it meant a lot to me for her to meet so many warm and welcoming people. My intention is to encourage Nicole to move to Colorado to try something new in her life. I don’t know if she ever will but I can say that I have shown here many aspects of what like could be like and as long as I don’t drag her on any 30 or 40 mile runs I think she might consider it!

Nicole and Christine have now bonded and will be an integral part of planning our trip to Queensland next September! Yahooo!

Ultimate XC 50K in Moab!

2008-11-24T20:23:00.002-07:00

On November 15th I found myself reeling in memories and excitement as I prepared for the Ultimate XC 50K trail run in Moab, Utah. A group of us traveled to Moab in order to participate in either the 20 mile or the 50K trail run. We stayed at a great condo in town and relaxed Friday night with good food and silly preparation. You would be amazed at how much time it can take to prepare a running belt, water bottles and a race number. We each have our own food supplies, clothing needs and pre-race routine and it was great how it all worked out so smoothly.

The race started up Kane Road outside of Moab. It was a gorgeous sunny morning and the weather was cool and crisp. I intended to wear a hat, legs and long sleeves but the sun came up over the canyon wall and 10 minutes before we started I was already warming. I opted for layers and a cycling jersey with pockets as a base layer. I was very fortunate that the sun stayed warm and clear all day!

Did I mention that I left my fuel belt in the front seat of my car and since I rode with Tony in his FJ I arrived in Moab with no water belt. After touring all 6 gear/cycling shops in Moab I ended up with what turned out to be an awesome North Face fuel belt. It holds 2 large water bottles plus some food and my camera! It was very comfortable on the small of my back and didn’t shirt of job at all. Thanks to Tony for letting me drag him from store to store in search of.

I am not going to summarize the entire 34 mile course here in my blog. If you really want to know the course check out the race website at http://www.ultimatexc.com/MOAB.html . I will tell you that it was the most beautiful and challenging trail race I have run in many years. The high desert trails, cactus, sheer cliff faces, perpetual sand box, rope climbs and elevation gain made it easy to stay focused and want to keep moving. The first 20 miles were fun and there were plenty of people on the course to keep things interesting. I found myself moving back and forth with a group of people who were seasoned trail runners. I also thought that they were all running too fast if in fact they wanted to finish strong. For some reason I got out on the trail and I could feel my strength and experience rise to the top. As I approached the 20 mile tent I knew I not only would finish, I would finish strong and happy. The real race started at 22 miles. We hit some wall climbs, sandy trails and then down to the road to run up to the trail head from HELL! The next 1200 feet was straight up a cliff face and it just got steeper and steeper! There was no relief at the top…we ran the sandy hot loop and then had to head back down the brutal cliff face. The best part was that I felt GREAT the entire time! I think the red potatoes and salt are the key! At every aid station I would take up a couple potatoes and roll them in salt and carry them with me while I ran. I also really liked the Heed drink. It was light and left no after taste. The two made my run smooth and strong.

When I came up out of Pritchett Canyon Andrea was sitting there waiting for me with her camera! I was so thrilled that she was there. I knew running the entire race alone was really good for me but I wasn’t thrilled about being at the finish line alone. I figured everyone else had already finished and would head back for showers. How freakin happy was I that the entire crew was at the finish waiting! What a great feeling!

I had the good fortune of finishing 1st in the Women’s Masters category. It was very unexpected and fun but not anywhere near as important to me as the way I felt as I raced and when I finished. I can’t believe how great I felt the entire day! Each moment I thought I might want to slow down or rethink what the heck I was doing out there I dug deep and found more energy, more strength and more laughs. I laughed at myself a lot and sang out loud too. All the tools I used to use came right back to me in order to keep me flying high! I felt great!

Our post race activities were awesome too! Steve won 3rd in Masters, and Sandy won the 20 miler Masters! Sonja, Tony, Andrea and Doreen all had great races too! Sonja kicked butt in her first long trail race! It was amazing to see the intensity she was able to maintain! I was really proud of her. It worried me to see Tony hurting because he is invincible in my mind. I was so happy he finished strong. After the awards ceremony we sat down for big bowls of homemade lasagna thanks to Steve and Sonja! Tony’s beer hit the spot and Sandy’s salad rounded out the perfect meal! I was so satiated and relaxed!

Sunday morning after the race Tony and I met Sonja, Troy and Anabelle for breakfast. I say Dan, the race director and we had a good laugh about the fact that his 50K race was actually 34+ miles and that I have no interest in running in sand again for many years. He is a very interesting guy and welcomes our input and ideas about the race for next year.

All and all, a true highlight to the end of a terrific race season.

Now I am done for a while. Time to recover, do some other things, reconnect with non-tri friends and sleep in on the weekends! Yahoo!

Back to the trails

2008-11-19T17:26:00.001-07:00

It all started back on November 1st when a large group of us decided to run a portion of the Colorado Trail. The goal was to give everyone a flavor for trail running, being self supported and soaking in the beauty of the trials in our own backyard. It was so awesome to be back on the trails at this time of year! The crunch of the dry leaves, the smell of the sage and pine and the peaceful tranquility of cruising through the mountains. It was a perfect day! The other amazing thing about the day for me was that I got to run with John, Steve, Sonja and Anthony to the 28 mile mark. It has been a long time since I had any interest in running that long and it was a great day to take on the challenge. I wavered a bit when I started to worry that I was going to hold up my friends but it all worked out in the end. Steve, Sonja and Tony continued on to the end of the 3rd segment and covered an amazing 41 miles for the day. I was so thrilled to see so many people complete the 16 miler as it isn’t easy! We were all so grateful to have Parri, Troy and Priscilla serve as our Super Support Crew! Thanks again you guys!

The other intention of this event was to prepare some of us for the next challenge we were facing…The Ultimate XC 50K trail run in Moab, Utah….more on that in my next posting…

Life Long Friends

2008-11-07T15:36:00.002-07:00

About 2 weeks ago I had the luxury of seeing both of my college roommates in my own hometown! I hate to date myself however it is important to note that I have known these friends for more than 25 years. Holy &@^^#%*@^$*%@!!! Alice, Mary and I met freshman year at SUNY Fredonia way back in the fall of 1982. Recognizing that many of my friends weren’t even born then makes me feel old but in the words of my friend Noell…It is what it is! As much as we are very different in our own ways we are also very similar. We all came from simple homes with parents that worked hard, siblings that we love to hate and a unique energy for living that was impossible to harness. We are the same in that we work hard, love life and always try to be good. I tell people that Alice is the east coast version, Mary is the cosmo west coast version and I am the mountain version. In 25 years it would have been easy to lose touch, float apart (lord knows I tried!) or judge one another and drop the friendship. But we never did that. 5 husbands, 3 amazing kids, illnesses and death of siblings and parents, bad choices in men, bad choices in booze and still we are connected. They know me better than anyone on the planet. They knew me when I fell in love the first time and the last time. They were by my side when my marriages crashed and when Elvira left me. Every fall I get melancholy and a bit sad and it took many years for me to realize it was because I missed those days of sitting on the wall drinking beer and party’s at our house but more than anything that connection. The kind of connection that means you never really have to explain how you feel or why you feel it…they just know. When friends can be honest enough to say “you really don’t look good in that dress” or “your hair has looked the same since 6th grade!” you know you will never be alone! I am so grateful for their love and friendship!

Top 10 Reasons I Love the "Off-Season"

2008-10-12T12:55:00.007-06:00

It is my favorite time of year again...crisp days, cooler nights and beautiful trails. I decided to share my top 10 favorite things about being "off-season" from triathlons!

Sleeping in until 6 or 7 AM on weekends!
Spending time with my "non-tri" friends!
LSDs baby! Both workouts and breakfast!
Over training on long trail runs!
Back to drills in the pool to finally find the perfect stroke!
Winter adventures on snow shoes and skis!
The smell of chlorine in every pore replacing the scent of the pond!
Getting caught up on my magazine and book reading!
Staying up past 10 PM relaxing by the fireplace with red wine and movies
Planning for all the fun we are going to have in 2009!

This past week was something really special for me; my friend Noell received great news, my father's health and happiness seem to be improving, Steve and Andrea received a well-deserved recognition, I officially qualified for Team USA 09, John and I continue to grow closer and I closed another big deal at work. It seems that many of the areas in my life that I have been trying to be better at have begun to show that my efforts are worthwhile. Patience is far from a virtue I possess so it feels good when things start to show results...no matter how long it takes!

I am excited to share our winter adventures with my friends and family. My goal is to have too much fun, see more of this beautiful country, see my friends and family and not get hurt! Oh...and swim faster!

I can't wait to get started...off to my bike rollers!

Team USA- CONGRATULATIONS!!

2008-10-07T15:07:00.005-06:00

is so much cooler!

Dear Athlete, Congratulations! You are being contacted because you have earned a spot on Team USA for the 2009 Short Course (Olympic) Triathlon World Championships because of your outstanding performance at the 2008 USAT Age Group National Championship.
I can't tell you how many miles I have ridden, run and paddled in order to hear those very words...Back in 2002 as my marriage was falling apart I decided to go to Cancun to see my best Tri friend Christine McKnight race for the Team USA at worlds. I was mesmerized by the entire event. Not only was Chris's race awesome, I got to meet dozens of other people that proudly called themselves triathletes. I watched in awe as super fit chicks came running out of the ocean and jumped on bikes to chase the next super fit chick! At one point while I was there I went for a run and ran into a couple women from Italy who barely spoke English and they were so excited to be there and to participate in something so "big" and international!
I knew before the end of the day that I had to "tri" this sport out as my ultrarunning legs were tired and I needed to do something just for me. Honestly it is all Chris' fault that I even considered trying to qualify for Worlds. I don't even know how I got to nationals in Shreveport the first time. It all went by so fast. Thanks to Matt and Chris I learned a lot those first couple of years and I am so grateful that I did!
5 years later, a new coach, new team, new bike, new job, new man and new attitude...I finally got the email I have been waiting for and I am already making plans for the Gold Coast of Australia!

It looks like it is going to be a family affair so I want to be sure to invite anyone who has never seen me race to travel 25 hours on a plane to come watch. Of course you could come to Colorado to see me race but Australia
As we begin to plan for the trip next September never forget,

FOSTERS......Australian for BEER!

Practical Caoching Fans Eric & Helen Willis, Priscilla and Michele are the best EVER!

2008-09-26T16:00:00.004-06:00

I was thinking about nationals some more today (oh what a shock!) and I realized that one of the reasons this year was so special is because we had the luxury have having the very best cheering squad that Tri Nationals has ever seen! Priscilla Cross and Michele Beeson were at the race site bright and early to help get all of us organized outside of transition! I suspect they also help a great deal in keeping "their men" organized but seriously...who's it all about? By the time I found MP (Modern Priscilla) and Michele at 6:00 AM they had already set up camp under the big tent so that we would all have a spot to leave our post race crap, rest our bones or congregate for noshing! They were always ready with water, hugs and smiles now matter how confused, focused or delirious we were feeling.

There is nothing more exciting and rewarding than hearing your name called at a national event! every time I went up and down those silly hills I heard MP and MB screaming my name...and yes I wanted to smile and wave to them and thank them but I have finally learned to be appreciative and focused at the same time! So ladies please know that inside I was reeling with gratitude for your energy and cheers!

I also had the envious position of being stalked for a large part of the race! What woman doesn't enjoy the fact that a man she doesn't know (no matter how creepy!) is taking her picture at random! Yeah...well...time to check that ego...it turns out that the other two huge fans of PC were Sonja's parents who flew up from Southern CA to support their amazing daughter and all her crazy friends!

Early in the morning long before my race started I was wandering across the empty field and this man took my picture. Cool but creepy...of course I smiled...you never know! Later in the race I saw the same guy with a huge lens taking pictures of me...cool again but still creepy...not until after the race did I realize that my own personal stalker was Sonja's dad Eric, who was simply taking pictures of every PC uniform he saw! What an idiot I felt like! Fortunately for me Eric and Helen are two of the most gracious and welcoming people I have ever met. They dragged bags and coolers of food to the race site for us so that we wouldn't starve between the race and awards! Plus they brought good veggie food for which I am eternally grateful because a girl can only eat so much Kettle Korn without vomiting!

So the point of this particular rant is to say THANK YOU MP, MB and Eric and Helen for the support, hugs, food, pictures and of course the COW BELL!

There isn't another team in the country that has what you have given us! Please check out the pix as Eric used that big lens and made us all look hot!

Tri Nationals 08 - Wow That Went By Fast!

2008-09-24T21:02:00.002-06:00

Here we are again, flying back to Denver from Portland Oregon. Nationals in our rearview mirror already…

What a fantastic weekend for friends, family, racing, site seeing and adventure. Admittedly I went to Portland with one goal in mind; to have the very best race of my life. To “knock it out of the park” as they say. I can honestly say I did just that. At 44 years old and 5 years into triathlons I put all the moving pieces and parts together to have a stellar day. Not only was it the best race I have ever had I finished knowing that I can still go faster in all 3 events. That is the truly the most amazing part of the outcome for me. I couldn’t have gone any faster on Saturday however with the right training, a little more time in the water with a healthy shoulder and my perpetual kick butt, bull-dog attitude and I know I can go faster.

It is a weird race season when I can say that I had PRs in every major race; 5430 Sprint and Boulder Peak, Lake to Lake and Nationals and yet my placements were more varied. It is a testament to the caliber of women entering the sport as well as to my ability to get faster and older at the same time. At one point this summer I really felt like maybe I was “starting to feel my age” with a sore shoulder, sore hip whine whine whine…and then a couple friends reminded me that many if not all of those issues can be overcome by consistent medical treatment and a focus on how really incredible my body feels and performs every day. Every day for the last 5 months I have demanded more and more and every day I rise to the occasion. How cool is that!

Saturday September 20th was the culmination of a very long 10 months and I couldn’t be prouder of how I accomplished all my goals and I am still smiling! The truth is that I wouldn’t have made it this far without John, Paula, Noell, Margaret, Scot, Steve, Christine, my dad, Barry, and the Practical Coaching crew to name a few. My gratitude for their commitment to my efforts whether at work, home or with triathlons is over flowing.

Back to Nationals weekend; it was so AWESOME! OMG!!! I tried really hard to remain quiet and calm the days and hours before the race. Staying with John and not with the crew, although hard for the playful side of me, was better for my race head. I had plenty of play time and enjoyed every moment with my Tri Family. I think my side hurt more from laughing than my legs did from racing.

The race course was as I remembered; challenging and made for me. I have always loved to climb up hills; either on my bike or my feet. It always seems so much more rewarding to reach a “peak” and then fly down the other side. This course did not disappointment. In fact I think the swim was up hill too. I really did swim my heart out and yet I could see too many green caps pull away. I knew the swim would challenge me so I just put my head down and pulled. 27 minutes later I was blowing through transition and hopping on GOGO. I felt smooth and strong on the hills. It was a bit cool at first but I stayed low in my aeros and managed to stay close to Steve for a while. It was awesome to have someone to chase as it forced me to stay engaged and focused. The 2nd loop on the bike was equally strong and I felt great rolling into T2. I was freaked out when a video camera man followed me into T2 and taped me trying to slam my numb feet into my racing shoes. I am pretty sure no one will ever see that coverage based on my truck driver language but I was so frustrated that I couldn’t feel my feet! The run just came to me. The day before the race I heard Steve telling another teammate to “let the race come to him” and I don’t think I knew what that meant until I hit the hill out of T2 and there it was…pain, but not too bad, and knowing it was only going to get worse I relaxed and let it come to me and then pass right through me. With each hill climb I dug deeper and felt stronger. I only remember that same feeling when I ran the Colorado Trail and I had little choice but to keep digging and I always found more. The down hills were by far my greatest small success as I really leaned into them and let my body go and recover at the same time. I could still learn to run down hill faster but this was a huge success for me!

The only teeth grinding, fist clenching part of the day for me was when I began to recognize the women in my age group headed back to the finish line in front of me. I knew the first few by looks and then I realized that there were more than there should be and that the swim really took its toll on my placement in the group. When I crossed the finish line I knew that I had nothing left to give and that it may not have been good enough to make the Worlds team. There were just too many gals in front of me who had solid swims and I just never caught up.

Before I finish this tale let me assure you that my swim, although pokey, is exponentially stronger than it has been in years and if I hadn’t had shoulder surgery I would be a duathlete at this point in my athletic career. The surgery was necessary and perfectly timed…now I just need a full winter to find a stroke that is consistent, strong and makes me cruise through the water like my most recent idol, Michelle Ford.

I was bursting with excitement as we watched the pro women and men race on a really tough course. Matt Reed’s wife could definitely raise an issue with our stalker mentality but honestly it is out of admiration as much as lust! He is simply amazing. I was in awe of all the pros; especially those that finished in the middle of the pack at sub 2:15! Unbelievable!

Noell’s birthday party/team party at the hotel hot tub was a blast! It was so much fun to see everyone busting with pride about their race! Across the board we all gave it 200%! Anthony, Michelle and Sonja all qualified for the Worlds Team with great races! Now they just have to decide how badly they want to visit the Gold Coast of Australia! I couldn’t have been more excited for Noell as she raced her guts out and had great results. And best of all I think she’s realized what a terrific athlete she really is! Back to the hot tub…after too much sugar and hot water I decided to leave the boys to their own devices in the tub…it sounds like they continued to have a great time! John and Tyler were able to have a nice run the next morning so I guess it couldn’t have been too wild!

Sunday we went to the coast with Barry, Priscilla, Anthony and Michele. We had lunch at Mo’s right on Cannon Beach and then we cruised up to Astoria where we met Steve, Andrea and Sonja at Gunderson’s Café for an awesome dinner. I loved walking on the beach and checking out the cool things that get washed up. We saw a lot of jellyfish; Anthony said they were whale snots but I think they were jelly fish! We saw some big crabs, birds and ships but no whales. It was the perfect day after a big race. Relaxing and fun.

Now it is time to rest for a minute or two and then start to think about the next 12 months…

This is the best and the hardest time before a race...

2008-09-19T19:40:00.004-06:00

John and I are sitting on our Alaska Air flight to Portland right now. I spent the first hour trying to relax, breathe and read my Yoga Journal. Sadly, Yoga Journal makes me want to get up and stretch and move and I just get twitchier. Plus my mind is just racing between work and race weekend. The work part is good because I actually hit a great benchmark this week; I made up for the salary cut in commissions. This is amazing as there are 3 months left in the year and I actually will make up for the loss. And I am over the fact that I would be sitting really pretty had they not cut me at all. Ah, it is so cool that I continue to learn about business and how my brain and experiences work in a business setting.

Anyway, we are on the same flight as Jewels, Steve and Andrea and Steph Poplar. Steph is such a pleasant gal and she is also the #1 woman in my age group. It is very cool to have such regard for someone who is such an amazing athlete. She is very down to earth and warm. I only wish I had her running ability! J Saturday I will spend the race happily knowing that we will both be in Australia next year and we will be in different age groups! Yahoo!

The best news about my mind racing is that all my thoughts are positive. I am trying to visualize different parts of the race and the day and these are the moments I always come back to:
1. Running out of transition feeling fast, relaxed and focused
2. Climbing the hill up from the ranger station strong and easy
3. Feeling my shoulders relaxed as I pull with each stroke
4. Sitting in a quiet spot before we start to conserve and chill
5. Signing my name on the dotted line for the YES, I want to participate on the Worlds Team…Finally!

As I said in my last posting, the key for me is to remain quiet, calm and conservative so that when I let it go during the race it is just a blast of energy…which of course will be spread like the very best peanut butter ever! Spreading the PB will be critical. First half of the ride and run need to be paced so that I can come back faster and stronger than the rest! YAHOOOOOOO!

Ok, I better stop before my computer runs out of juice on the plane. See ya’ll Saturday afternoon!

I just need to take a deep breath

2008-09-17T21:22:00.003-06:00

It is Wednesday evening and I am finally packed and ready to head to Portland. It has been a very long 10 months since last November when I had shoulder surgery. And I am so thrilled to have made it to September healthy, happy and rockin to race! The last couple of days I have really struggled with focus, energy and the fake drama of pain in every joint and muscle. I swear that I have more aches, pulls and pains in the last week...the great part is that I know none of them are real and if I could only stop the wheels from turning I would be able to chill. Yesterday I learned the best way to chill is to babysit for my friend Paula's new little boy Samuel. He is 1 month old tomorrow and he is the sweetest thing I have ever seen. Paula came over to go for a run around the lake so I held Samuel while I made calls and sent emails. It was the calmest I have been in days. His little quick breaths, his little squeaky noises and his sweet baby smell all helped me get a grip on reality. Thanks Samuel.
John and I leave for Portland tomorrow morning and then we will spend the next 1 1/2 days getting organized for the race and trying to stay grounded and relaxed. I need to conserve energy and stay inside myself more than I usually do. Last year when we were in Portland I spent the first hour of the race cheering people on as they came out of the water and went out on their bikes....just blowing my energy all over the place. This year I am going to save all that energy for my race.
I was thinking about last year in Portland so I decided to check out our pictures and share a few to make me laugh between now and 8:40 AM on September 20th. Soon I will be posting a whole new set of pix for your viewing pleasure!
By the way, I highly recommend that you check out this link so we can start to plan for fun and food for Australia! http://www.gold-coast.net/restaurants/index.html
So now I just need to take a deep breath and have a great weekend of fun, friends and LAYING IT DOWN!

Steamboat Springs Adventure!

2008-09-08T20:58:00.001-06:00

It seems my summer is never complete without an adventure with my friends from Active Care. The last weekend in August Ken, Sarah, and Katie Sheridan, Lori Stewart, the Troyer clan and John and I headed to Steamboat Springs for the last 5430 Tri of the season. It is a beautiful town and we are very fortunate that Ken has a friend that lets us rent their gorgeous condo with plenty of room for adults, kids, dogs and bikes! As usual race morning was cool...and this year very windy. In fact, around 5:30 AM I walked into the kitchen to get breakfast and Ken and Lori were deciding where to have breakfast instead of doing the race because it was cold, wet and windy. Fortunately for all of us the weather cleared as the sun came up and we had a beautiful race day. The race is an odd distance; 1200M swim, 20 mile bike and 4 mile run. I think the distances are weird because the simply ran out of room on the ride and the swim so they turn us around. The swim is the biggest challenge by far unless you are a big fan of sinking into the bottom of the lake up to your calves and then pulling up seaweed with each pull. Being the power swimmer that I am I always have to focus really hard when I swim in the muck. The seaweed just creeps into your hands, streams over your face and gets caught in your toes. And when you get out of the water the green sludge just runs off your body! Gross!
My race was interesting because Lori and I were in the last wave. I came out of the water with no clue where I was so I just hammered on the bike. I passed plenty of people on the bike but I had no idea where I was in relation to my age group. Once on the run I just tried to focus on my form, relax my breathing and stay positive. The best part of the race was that I stayed in race mode the whole time. I never had any negative talk or lack of focus. This is HUGE for me! It was a great last race before nationals.
After the race John, Ken and I went tubing down the Yampa! Then we had dinner at the Mahogany Grill. It was soooo good and relaxing.
What a great way to say goodbye to the summer!

2008-08-28T22:29:00.000-06:00

I apologize for the length of my inital posting...I felt like I needed to lay the foundation for this journal.

I’ve toyed with the idea of creating my own blog for a few months now and every time I seriously consider it I’ve stop because I know it will require me to spend more time in front of my computer and I wonder who wants to read anything I have to write about anyway. Then I consider my family and friends around the country who don’t really know what my life looks like since I’m not married, I don’t have kids and I prefer to spend most of my spare time in water, on trail or spinning on a bike.

So today I am sitting on a plane between Bob and Edith Johnson. I am headed to Cleveland and they are headed home to Jamestown NY. They don’t like to sit together because he prefers the aisle and she the window…so I am plopped right down between them. Bob and Edith live not 20 miles from my cousins in Clymer NY. They know more of my family than I do and we had a grand ole time chatting about horses, dairy farms and their kids. They are happy and gracious people who enjoy every aspect of their lives and it hasn't all be easy. When I started my day I wouldn’t have said today is the day I start my blog however Bob and Edith reminded what a small world we live in and how short life really is.

Since turning 44 last month I'd begun to reflect on what I want the next 44+ years to look like. Since I don’t buy Powerball tickets I think we can be sure that I will continue to work hard for quite a few more years, travel the world for races and adventure, and try to be a better daughter, sibling, friend and aunt and kick butt on the triathlon circuit until there is no one left in my age group!

This October will be 3 years since my mother passed away. I still miss her very much although I know she is with me every day. I will always regret that I didn’t have more time to learn from her; she was the smartest people person I've ever known.

The rest of the Tennant clan is cruising along. My brother Scot and family have become a “professional soccer” family. They are traveling all over the mid-west so the kids can play soccer. Benjamin is 13 and growing fast. Madeline and Sarah are 16 and busy as ever. Soccer, school work and maintaining their social circle seems to consume them 24/7. I think Angela is the most amazing person because somehow she manages to coordinate it all and still keep everyone fed, clothed and work full-time. I don’t know how mom’s do it!

Margaret and Jerry continue to circle the globe. This year they are 3 weeks in Alaska, a couple weeks in Hawaii and plenty of time in Myrtle Beach building their new home. Margaret is still my amazing big sister and she makes 50 look HOT. On her 50th birthday this summer she actually knocked out 50 pushups and a workout at the Y in New Canaan. Her photography and jewelry keep her busy when she isn’t at the nursing home spreading joy with her cats or at the local high school teaching Chinese.

Walter is more my hero than ever. Since March 08 my father has had 3 major surgeries only 1 of which was planned. His knee replacement surgery went well and he is walking better and stronger every day. I have to say that there were a few very stressful months in there for all of us. I think Margaret, Scot, Angela and I all did the best we could with lots of help from Diane and Phil, Mimi and Paul and many other friends in upstate New York. I will forever be grateful that Pop lives in the same community he was born in and that he has always surrounded himself with such wonderful people. It makes the guilt and anxiety of being so far away much easier to live with.

I still work for DAXKO selling software products to YMCA’s. The company is based in Birmingham, AL and continues to grow through new products and new markets. I am learning a great deal about selling, working remotely and how to manage my own needs for people and input. It has been hard for me to be alone so much and not have people to share ideas with. You know how it is when you have a situation and you just need to bounce it off someone??? I can honestly say that my cats Chaos and River have become very tolerant; they sit patiently while I dial the phone, wait for a call or rant on about something or someone. It would be nice to have people for this however it has taught me to be more selective in what I really need to share and what I can resolve on my own. I am constantly building character.

I guess now is as good a time as any to share what I am most passionate about…an adventurous, healthy life style that allows me to do triathlons, trail runs, long bike rides, short swims in swamps and play with some of the most amazing people I have ever met. This summer is my 5th full-triathlon season and it seems to also be my best so far. Even with a small set-back last fall with shoulder surgery I seem to be rising to the challenges presented me each day. Admittedly I don’t always rise as far as I should but rather than beat myself up about that I simply try to learn from the experience and make up for it next time.

I have raced in Moab, Austin, Boulder, Denver and Steamboat this year. My race times are better than ever and each race I finish I can feel I had more to give. I love to hate that feeling. I need to learn to leave it ALL out there.

My teammates and the fun we have create the best training environment I have ever experienced and my pit crew keeps me healthy and focused. Steve Pye is an intuitive and experienced coach who knows when to throw the bullshit flag on me and when to cheer me on. Ken Sheridan and Lori Stewart from Active Care have been treating me for more than 7 years now and no matter what stupid injury I come up with they are always there to get me back on my feet and moving ahead. Andrea and Lindsay are the 2 best massage therapists I know and trust me when I tell you I have seen my share!

John and I have been together for almost two years now and he has brought more balance to my life than I ever really thought I needed or could stand. His relaxed demeanor and ability to enjoy each moment is so good for me…hard but good for me. We have so much fun playing, riding, running and racing together. I never really believed I would meet a man that enjoyed the things I do or who could appreciate my commitment to whatever it is I do. John is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time and I am forever grateful that he has stayed around long enough to see that I am not completely nuts….only a little.