To Succeed- Do The Best You Can, Where You Are, With What You Have.

2011 and Beyond

2011-05-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

For all blog posts, please visit my Team The Bike Boutique (TeamTBB) Blog.

You can find it here. Or at http://blogs.teamtbb.com/amymarsh/ if the link does not work.

It is always a work in progress, but you can also check our Team-Marsh website.

Traveling and Mooseman 70.3

2010-06-11T09:49:00.001-07:00

Race report on Mooseman 70.3 can be found here.

We are now settled in our apartment in Switzerland. This Country is absolutely beautiful. We're still trying to figure out how to get internet at our apartment. Right now the only place we can check internet is at the pool which is a 20 minute hike from our place. We could ride our bikes to the pool but not sure if it would be any faster since it's so hilly!

Hope to post pictures soon!

Guest Reader

2010-05-26T20:15:00.001-07:00

Last week a friend of mine asked me to be a guest reader for her first grade class. Read all about it here.

Captex Triathlon is this weekend. Brandon and I are not racing as we will be heading to New Hampshire the following weekend to race Mooseman 70.3. However, we have been coaching a Captex triathlon group through Rogue for the past 8 weeks. There are about 30 in the group and they have all been working so hard. We'll be out there cheering loud and proud. We're looking forward to watching all their hard work pay off on Monday.

A Much Needed Update

2010-05-07T06:22:00.000-07:00

In the last 3 weeks I have raced 2 half ironmans, New Orleans 70.3 and Wildflower. It's hard to keep up to date with one blog let alone two. You can read more details about both races here.

I'm looking forward to getting in a few solid weeks of consistent training before my next race which is still TBD. After my result at Wildflower, I may be heading over to Swiss camp a bit earlier than planned. O.k. with me!

Happy training!

Actively Austin QA Session

2010-04-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

Shortly after we got back from Training Camp with TeamTBB, Actively Austin contacted me with a few questions about the recent trip and my recent IM China win.

Here is the link to the Actively Austin interview. This may have been Will's first interview with a triathlete, but he did a pretty good job and actually got most of the quotes correct.

But, I do not know if there is even a triathlon in Shanghai. We were going to race in Singapore. And, I will definitely try to go back to Thailand, I just do not need to go back to China anytime soon.

IM China Race Report...finally

2010-03-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to writing my IM China race report. You can find it here.

We are now in Singapore for a week before we head back to Austin. It's been a an amazing experience and we're sad to be leaving. We hope to be back some time in the near future!

Thailand Questions

2010-02-25T00:20:00.000-08:00

New blog with some short videos up on TeamTBB.

Thailand Videos

Training has been going well the last couple of weeks. Brandon and I are headed to Singapore this weekend to pick up our new bikes...P4. We'll be there for 3 days or so to build up the bikes (for Brandon to build up the bikes) and also get a Visa because our first race of the season is Ironman China in just 2.5 weeks! Never thought I would start my season off with an Ironman but am looking forward to the adventure.

Things That Take Some Getting Used To

2010-02-10T22:55:00.001-08:00

The Food- I'm not very adventurous when it comes to trying new foods, so I was a bit worried when I first got here. B and I have been buying some groceries and cooking our breakfast and dinner at the hotel. Mostly eggs, chicken, shrimp with either potatoes or rice noodles and some veggies. We've been eating our lunch's out and I have been lucky enough to find some Phad Thai which is my favorite Thai dish. Lunch usually costs us about $3 for the both of us. We may try and splurge on Valentine's Day and find some place that's about $5.

Coach's Accent and Workout Descriptions- Sometimes I feel he is talking in a different language...I think he may call it Sutto-lish(Australian, English, Swiss, and whatever else he can add in there). He talks fast and I never know if he's pointing and talking to me or someone else. One of the first workouts that he gave was hill repeats and the whole time I thought he was talking about running but he actually was talking about bike hill repeats. Good thing everyone else understood what we were doing so that I could just follow along!

Scooters- They are coming every which way. Some pass you on the right, some on the left and then some even come straight at you while riding.

Cold Showers- We don't have hot water in our hotel room. So, no hot showers. The first couple of showers I could barely rinse off it was too cold for me. Now after a long day in the heat the cold shower is all I can think about.

Swimming Australian Style- The first swim workout we did I had to circle swim the opposite direction that I'm use to with no lane lines. I was all messed up and felt dizzy. I'm sure once I get use to it, I will be on my way home to the US and then have to switch back to swimming the other direction.

First Week Of Camp In Thailand

2010-02-06T05:46:00.000-08:00

Just finished our first week at camp. Mostly been adjusting to the time change, heat, etc... this week. Monday starts 'real' training. Here's a run down of this past week...

Monday/Tuesday: In Singapore. Check out some pictures that I posted on my TeamTbb blog.

Wednesday: Arrived in Krabi, Thailand in the afternoon. Had my first encounter with Coach while putting my bike together. Of course I tried to put it together quickly so he though that I knew what I was doing! Coach chatted with us a bit about what to expect in the upcoming weeks. In the evening a few of us headed to the grocery store which was an experience. Not much English...if at all.

Thursday: Did an easy run in the morning and then the group headed to the pool so Coach could check out our swim. Coach wanted everyone to walk to the pool together so we would all know how to get there. He said it wasn't too far and that he knew a short cut. That short cut ended up being about 30 minutes or so.
Here I am at the start of our trek to the pool.

Still walking. Some 'short cut' we took!

Ahhh...finally the pool. Notice no lane lines and no pace clock. Great practice for open water. Did a short swim and then had a group meeting before we started our trek back to our hotel (note to self: bring a snack so that i don't bonk on the walk home).

Friday: Had a run critique and am more aware of why I've had so many injuries the last few years. Some reasons I already knew about but others that I'm excited to work on. Hopefully we can make some changes so that I am bomb proof and no more foot problems.

Saturday: Longest ride I've done in awhile but I had some nice company. Rode with TMac, Kate and Maki. Afternoon group meeting and were done for the day.

Sunday (Today): Did a longish run in the morning which was quite warm. Went to the beach, had a nice lunch in town and an amazing Thai massage (that will have to be another blog).

Time to rest up for a tough week ahead. I hope to have more pictures up soon.

4 Wonderful Years

2010-01-21T20:13:00.000-08:00

Today Brandon and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary. And here's the story of how it all began...

Brandon and I met in 2002 at UT Masters swim. However, we just knew of each other and didn't really talk to each other until sometime in 2003. At that time I had done a couple of triathlons and was getting hooked. I had asked Brandon if he would coach me for the 2004 Gulf Coast Half Ironman.

I ended up having a good race at Gulf Coast and called Brandon as soon as I finished. I told him that I wanted to take him out to dinner when I got back to town to 'thank him' for his coaching. Now in the back of my mind, I thought this was a date. I know guys think a bit differently and may be a bit slow on these types of situations. But... Brandon was telling all of his co-workers at the time that it wasn't a date, and that it was just going to be a business dinner since he coaches me.

Well, we ended up going to eat and 2+ hours later we were done. I came home from the 'date' telling my friends that I didn't want to see him again because I didn't think he liked me, was talking about other girls he's tried to date, blah blah blah. Brandon on the other hand, went and told all his co-workers that it was a date since we spent 2+ hours together just talking and hanging out.

A couple of days later, I got a phone call from Brandon asking if I wanted to grab some ice cream with a group of people. I was surprised that he called and debated whether or not to go. I decided to go and glad I did. When I got to the ice cream place, I was the only person that showed from the group...coincidence? or did no one else really get invited but me? We ended up talking and hanging out for another couple hours and then decided to go on a 'real' date the following week. And as they say...the rest is history!

New Blog

2010-01-15T11:10:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that I posted my first blog to the TeamTBB website. It's just a short and sweet introduction. You can check it out here. I also have my own forum on the site for any questions or discussions so feel free to post.

Stay dry this weekend.

Opportunity

2009-12-29T09:09:00.001-08:00

Well, 2010 has some exciting changes ahead...

I'm pleased to announce that Brandon and I will be racing as part of TeamTBB coached by Brett Sutton this year. I contacted Sutto last year, but realized I wasn't quite ready for such a drastic change or risk. We decided 2009 needed to be a rebuilding year after a few injuries in 07 and 08. I kept in touch with Sutto this past year every few months with some questions and he was always kind enough to respond. About a week after IMMOO, Sutto e-mailed and said that TeamTBB was possibly looking for a couple of Americans to join the team.

What an amazing opportunity to race, travel and train at various places around the world under the guidance of the best coach in triathlon (besides Brandon...of course). So, we jumped at the chance.

I'm looking forward to this challenging adventure and once in a lifetime opportunity. First stop...Thailand.

This may be one of the last posts on amymarsh.blogspot.com. I will continue to blog on our new website (coming soon) as well as on the TeamTBB site so be sure to check it out for updates. I will be sure to post clickable links to both in the near future.

Stay tuned.

Gingerbread Time

2009-12-26T19:25:00.000-08:00

The fam.

Yum.

Mackenzie and Dad (Papa)

Finished product.

Hope everyone is having a nice holiday. Happy New Year!

32 Thank You's For 2009

2009-11-23T16:46:00.000-08:00

I turned 32 this week. I actually thought I was turning 31 but then did the math and realized that it was actually 32. After a few tears and some bon bons, I'm finally o.k. with it and ready for a great year. But before the New Year, I have come up with 32 thank you's for 2009. And, without any of these people/products listed below this year would not have been possible or as successful as it was. So, in no particular order. Here goes...

1. Family and Friends: For everything.

2. HIT Center of Austin: Dec.- Mar. Brandon and I trained at the HIT Center to get buff. We did their Boot Camp and it was HARD.

3. Dr. Seller's at Performance Wellness: For keeping me in-line (no pun intended) and all the painful A.R.T. work that has kept me injury free this year.

4. BRANDON: For his support.

5. Homestays: We have been so fortunate this year to have some amazing homestays at a few of our races this year.

6. Longhorn Aquatics: For kicking my butt. Anyone who knows me knows I can't swim on my own.

7. My Co-worker JB: For listening and being so understanding of my racing.

8. BRANDON: For his patience.

9. Minnesota/Boulder 'Travel Club': You guys are the best!

10. Team Larabee: A local sponsor that was so generous to help us out for the year...just because.

11. All the other 'Pro' Women out there: For the great competition and always upping the ante.

12. BRANDON: For his coaching.

13. Dr. Elspermann at Airrosti: Keeping my feet plantar free with lots of kinesio tape.

14. John Cobb: For providing me with the most comfortable bike seat a girl could ask for. Those long rides have never felt so good!

15. My Loyal Blog Readers: (mainly my mom) but to the other two out there, thank you for all the kind comments, e-mails, and tweets throughout the year.

16. Performance Wellness Massage Therapists: WOW...you guys are good. Always keeping me loose for those big races. You all know where to find the pain!

17. BRANDON: For believing in me.

18. Austin Tri Cyclist: For all my triathlon needs. Can't thank you enough!

19. Rogue: For their shoes and triathlon/swim programs.

20. JW: For being available to sub all of my swim classes when I'm out of town racing.

21. TP Therapy: For my love/hate relationship with their products.

22. Pure Sport Recovery: For sponsoring us in the beginning of the year and also sponsoring some local events here in Austin.

23. George and Austin: For keeping my bike in good working order...and clean!

24. TYR: For providing me with the most comfortable race clothing.

25. First Endurance: For my nutrition and supplement needs. All I can say is what did I ever do without the Cappucinno Recovery drink?

26. Xterra: For hooking us up with some great wetsuits and speedsuits this year.

27. Red Licorice Events: For their fun unique events. Look for us at their Open Water swims for 2010.

28. Our Athletes: We are so happy you have chosen us to help you achieve your goals.

29. Volunteers: Without all of you none of these races/events could happen.

30. P.T. Dr. Phil at Performance Wellness: For all the rehab exercises to keep me healthy.

31. BRANDON: For putting up with me.

32. The Big Guy in the Sky: Enough said.

Well, there you have it folks. So, I know Brandon ended up on the list a few times but hey...he's my biggest supporter. I'm looking forward to continuing some of these relationships above and am in the process of finalizing some new potential sponsors/supporters for 2010. Should be an exciting year!

Since IMMOO I have been dealing with some tendonitis and partial tendon tear around my ankle. The off-season may be a bit longer than expected. Just taking it one day at a time right now. Again, the people above have been helping/supporting me to a quick recovery.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the holidays and I will be back in 2010!

Just A Few Of My Favorite Things...

2009-10-31T15:59:00.000-07:00

-The month of November. Time to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families and also Thanksforgivingamyday (aka...my birthday). Glad our families live close.

-Fall Back. Love getting an extra hour of sleep. Why can't every weekend be Fall Back.

-The cooler temperatures although not too cold! The weather is beautiful these days.

-My new mini. Yes, an early Thanksforgivingamyday present. Actually we both got one.

-Peanut butter swirl ice cream. You must try this ...so good.

-Yogurt, frozen berries and some maple syrup on top is my new snack.

-Batman and Superwoman.

-Vacations. This week we will be heading to Panama City Beach, Florida for IM FLorida. B will be competing and I will be spectating on the beach! Kind of a mini vacation. Although PCB is not an ideal vacation spot, there are beaches, sun and palm trees so what more could I ask for! It's been a long time since we've taken a vacation so I'm looking forward to getting away for a few days.

Time Off

2009-10-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

Longhorn 70.3 is this weekend. Unfortunately, I will not be toeing the line this year. I had what I thought was a little 'niggle' in my ankle a few days after IMMOO. It has progressively gotten worse over the last few weeks. So, I am playing it safe and not going to race to prevent any further damage. It's hard not to race in your own backyard, but feel that I'm getting wiser in my old age of 31 to know what my body is able to handle...and right now my body is telling me to stop. I've been enjoying some time away from triathlon the last couple of weeks to recover mentally and physically from the long season. Good luck to all those racing this weekend. We will be out cheering somewhere along the course!

Best Wedding Entrance Ever

2009-10-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

Saw this posted on a friends facebook page and loved it. Wish we would have done this at our wedding...

Kona 2010 (not...2009)

2009-10-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

I just want to thank everyone for the nice messages the last couple of weeks wishing me luck in Kona this year. I hope everyone can keep those good luck wishes coming for the next 12 months because that is when I'll be racing Kona. IMMOO is the first qualifier for Kona 2010. So, I have one year to prepare for the big show (thank goodness!). What about my Buffalo Springs win for Kona 2009? Well...unless you win 70.3 Worlds there are no 'pro' slots for Kona at other 70.3 or half ironman races.

Up next...Longhorn 70.3 and then another break.

Two Reviews

2009-10-03T20:45:00.001-07:00

Titaya's Thai Restaurant. Probably the best Chicken Pad Thai that I've had in Austin. B had some coconut curry (crap...I'm not a big fan of curry) and said it was really good too! Pretty clean place on North Lamar near 2222/Koenig. It was a small restaurant with a lot of tables and it was FULL. The service was moderate to bad, but it was crowded on a Friday evening. We'll go back.

"Little Miss Sunshine" meets "The Cleaner" and equals "Sunshine Cleaning". I think that it was the same producer LMS, it certainly had the same feel and filming. I'd give it two thumbs up. At least it didn't make me cry like "Hope Floats" did this afternoon on TV...good thing B wasn't here to see that! We should have been riding, but the couch looked more inviting than my bike seat.

2009-10-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

Past Two Weeks Highlights

Already October. Where did September go? Just thought I would post some highlights from the last two weeks. Nothing too exciting but was nice to take some much needed recovery.

1. Ate a whole pizza by myself. This occurred after the race. I actually didn't eat the whole pizza in one sitting though. I took home the leftovers and ate the rest of it a couple of hours later. Was quite proud of myself.

2. Visited B's parents for a weekend. Celebrated his grandmother's 87th birthday. Enjoyed a relaxing weekend away from triathlon. Played on the 4-wheeler.

3. Lunch with a good friend of mine who I haven't seen in months. We've both been busy and she has been out of town for most of the summer. It was great to finally catch up face to face.

4. No planned workouts. Just did what I wanted and when I wanted...if at all!

5. Celebration dinner with friends and 'sponsors' at Manuel's. Was surprised to see so many folks come out and join us. Fun times.

6. Sleeping in and taking a few naps here and there.

7. Weekend at SeaWorld with my family. Exhausting but so much fun.

Pictures from our SeaWorld adventure...

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Someone was excited about SeaWorld...so was Mackenzie

After lunch

Sweet Bowen

Mom not wanting to get wet!

Mackenzie and Andy

Also, wanted to share a couple of links...

First Endurance posted my race nutrition report on their website. Check it out here.

Race recap can be seen here.

Ironman Wisconsin Race Report (Warning...LONG)

2009-09-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

If you would have told me last year at this time if I would be winning an Ironman I would have thought you were crazy. You see, last year at this time I wasn't even running as I was dealing with some foot injuries. All I can say is...it's amazing what can happen in a year.

IMMOO was my 2nd Ironman. My 1st Ironman was Kona in 2005 and I swore afterwards that I probably would never do one again. Well, 4 years later I was finally recovered from Kona and ready to tackle the IM distance again. I chose Wisconsin for the challenging course, amazing crowd support, cool city (much like Austin), and wanting to try and qualify for Kona as a 'pro' and not having to do two Ironmans in one year since IMMOO is a qualifier for 2010.

The week leading up to IMMOO I was feeling quite calm which is unusual. I knew I had done the work and the race would just be all about pacing and nutrition, something that I haven't been good at, but really practiced during all my training rides/runs. Thursday night we arrived in Madison and had the pleasure of staying with a friend of mine from college who lives about 15 minutes from the race site. It was nice staying away from all the hype that occurs during race week which can be a bit stressful at times. Friday was the usual pre-race routine with workouts, pro meeting, napping and ofcouse eating. My friends from Minnesota/Boulder...aka 'Travel Club' arrived on Saturday and we were able to hang out and catch up with each other. It was so special having them there as most of them have never spectated an Ironman before (I don't think they knew what they were getting into!).

PRE-RACE: Wake up call was 4:00am. I maybe slept three hours. Kept tossing and turning all night with some crazy dreams. Morning breakfast included oatmeal with almond butter and almond milk, banana, and an EFS bar. It took me about an hour to eat everything because when I'm nervous I have trouble eating. Got to transition and took care of all my business and before I knew it, we were at the swim start.

THE SWIM: Wetsuit swim which it probably should not have been, but there were no if's, and's or but's about it. The race director told the 'pros' that there would be no discussion about wetsuits even though the water temp was ~75 degrees. I'm actually a little embarrassed to say that I swam in college because my swim time did not reflect what I am capable of. B beat me by 7 minutes in the water. 7 minutes! I was thinking he would out swim me by maybe 4 minutes but 7? Can't explain it but just a crappy swim. I thought I had a great start and was swimming in a large pack for maybe the first 500 or so. I soon realized this pack was going a bit slower then I wanted to go. So, I made my way to the front and noticed there was quite a big gap to the front pack. It was too late to try and catch them. I ended up leading a couple of guys around for the second loop.

T1: Exiting the water the crowd was going nuts. It was incredible. I looked down at my watch and it said 56 minutes. A little off of what I expected. I didn't know how many girls were ahead of me but I assumed a few since it was such a lousy swim. Transition took you up a parking ramp and it was lined with spectators cheering and yelling. I've never seen anything like it. You could not help but smile. People were shouting that I was 2nd out of the water and only 2 minutes down from the leader. After that adrenaline rush to my bike that poor swim was out of my mind. It's a long day and anything can happen.

THE BIKE: I hopped on my bike and told myself it's just another Saturday long ride. Start out easy and finish strong was the plan. The bike course is challenging but honest and I loved every minute of it. There was never a dull moment. You were either climbing, aero or turning another corner. Spectators were out all around the course so someone was always cheering for you. Everyone told me to be patient and conservative the first loop of the bike or else I would suffer on the second loop. Well, I took that advice for about the first 40 miles and then said...screw it, I felt so good that I just want to ride and ride hard. It felt effortless and I couldn't believe it. I caught the woman's leader, Hilary Biscay, on a climb at about mile 50 and earned the bike prime. A few miles later I took a look behind me and I saw no one and just kept turning the pedals. My legs were feeling light and I just kept plugging away enjoying every moment. I wish I could bottle up the feeling that I had and take it with me to every race.

My nutrition was spot on. Every 10 minutes I would eat/drink something...clif blocks, EFS sports drink, and EFS gel. At half way, I ate a clif bar just to get some solids in me. The roads were a bit rough, and at about mile 10 my sponge in my aero bottle came flying off. So... every bump I hit after that, I would get splashed in the face with water from my aero bottle. I actually think that losing my sponge was a good thing. Since I would lose so much water after every bump, I had to refill my aero bottle at every aid station which forced me to drink more water. Also, getting splashed in the face every so often helped cool me off a bit. The miles went by fast and soon enough I hit T2 with the lead.

T2: Off the bike and straight to the porta can. Just wanted to make sure I had no stomach issues and I actually had to pee which was a good sign. Being first into T2 was incredible. I couldn't stop smiling, as I was leading an Ironman race. Unbelievable. Now I was just hoping my running legs would be there.

THE RUN: Again, starting the run I just thought to myself it's just another Sunday long run. No big deal. I had no idea how much of a lead I had coming off the bike. I just wanted to settle into a comfortable pace and make everyone have to work hard to catch me. Mile 1 was 7:00 pace which was not the comfortable pace I was looking for. I knew I needed to back it off if I wanted to survive but I felt so good. Mile 2 was 7:22 and it felt slow and still knew I needed to slow down a bit. The bike escort wasn't allowed to give me splits or talk to me and I wasn't allowed to ask him any questions. Everyone on the course just kept telling me that I had a great lead. Well, what does that mean? 2 minutes...10 minutes? I tried getting splits on some of the out and back sections but there are so many turns on the course that it's hard to get an accurate time. The first 18 miles or so went by quick and I still felt great. Again, I followed my nutrition just as I did on all my training runs. I carried a fuel belt with EFS gel and would take a sip of it every two miles. At about mile 18 the wheels started to come off and my smile started to fade. I was ready to be done as the legs were tired and starting to get that wonderful cramping feeling. The last 8 miles were survival mode. I started walking the aid stations to make sure I was getting enough fluids in. The spectators and athletes out on the course were the ones that got me to the finish line. Everyone was so encouraging and I knew if I could just keep shuffling and moving forward, I would come away with the win.

THE FINISH: Words can't even describe it, so here is a picture.

Everything still seems like a blur to me. I had the biggest smile on my face, high fiving the crowds and hugged my 'travel club' friends before I hit the tape and was an Ironman Champion. B was there at the finish line with tears in his eyes and put my medal around my neck. I was an emotional wreck and am again tearing up as I write this. I still can't believe it. I am overwhelmed. It truly was an amazing, magical day that I will never forget.

THANK YOUS: A tremendous thank you to all my sponsors...Austin Tri-Cylist, Performance Wellness, First Endurance, TYR, Xterra Wetsuits, Rogue Running and Pure Sport Recovery. To my family of being so understanding of my training. 'Travel Club' for traveling from Minnesota and Boulder to watch me, Brandon and Lars race. It was so special having them there. And to my wonderful husband B for being so amazing and can't thank enough for all his support. B also had an amazing race finishing 9th 'pro' (I don't think people realize that B also works a full-time 40 hour a week job and is still able to place in the top 10 of any race he does...impressive).

BTW...I have not yet heard from FORD about replacing my Ford Craptour for something nicer.

The Award...15.5 pounds

2009-09-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

This is the award I received for winning on Sunday. It's pretty cool. However, it weighs a ton (actually 15.5 pounds to be exact) and I had to get it home. There was no box, my suitcase was stuffed which meant I had to carry it on the plane. Going through security was well...interesting:

Security: Wow, this weighs a ton.
Me: Yes, I just got it a couple of hours ago. It won't fit in my suitcase and I really want to take it home.
Security: We will let you take it this time. But, NEXT time try not to travel with it.
Me: Sir, not sure when the NEXT time will happen. But, trust me I don't want to travel with it.
Security: Ok...just don't hit anyone with it.
Me: Ok, no problem

I love the award and will try to find a shelf in our house that will hopefully be sturdy enough to hold the darn thing.

Race report to come...

Quick Update...

2009-09-14T22:48:00.000-07:00

IM Wisconsin- 1st overall. Keep pinching myself to wake up. It was an amazing trip. Will post a race report later this week...promise!

Thank you to everyone for all the e-mails, twitter, and facebook messages. It means a lot!

Out and About This Weekend

2009-09-04T07:58:00.001-07:00

Looking forward to a long but busy weekend ahead. Tonight I will be participating in the Zilker Relays. It's a 4-person relay where everyone runs 2.5 miles. I will do this run as part of my long run this evening. Long warm up, 2.5 mile strong, and then cool down. Fun way to start the long weekend and get a little speed work in.

Sunday Brandon and I are coaching the Red Licorice Events Open Water Swim starting at 11:00am at Pure Austin (Quarry). We will give some open water tips as well as stroke correction for about an hour. At noon, there will be a timed swim around the Quarry.

Also on Sunday at 2:00pm we will be at the Austin Tri Expo for the Pro panel question and answer session. Come join us and the rest of the Pros for any questions that you might have about triathlon or non-triathlon related topics.

Monday is the Austin Triathlon. This is the third year of the Austin Tri and the third year that I will not be racing. I'm so bummed. The last two years I was injured, and this year I've decided to rest a bit since I will be racing IM Wisconsin six days later. It's hard to pass up a local race but know it's the right decision. Hopefully I will be out there racing next year! B and I have a few athletes racing on Monday so we will be out there cheering somewhere. Looking forward to it.

Enjoy the long weekend. Be safe.

Weekend Adventures

2009-08-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon I had a fabulous massage with Blaze at Performance Wellness. I could still feel a bit of soreness in my quads from the race one week ago. Blaze worked out all the kinks and I felt like a new person afterwards. Dinner was at Ruby's BBQ, not to be mistaken with the famous Rudy's BBQ. We headed over to the Wheatsville Co-op for dessert. This was my first time at the newly remodeled Co-op and I have to say it looks really nice. Lots of bulk items to choose from, smoothies, and even a salad/soup bar. It's basically a a cross between Whole Foods and Sun Harvest.

Saturday we were up early for the Johnson City ride. It was a solid 90 mile ride followed by a 35 minute transition run. My legs felt surprisingly good on the run. Short nap and then off to the movies. We went to see Food Inc. which is a documentary on the food industry. Do you know what you're eating and where it's coming from? If not, go see this movie. You may have a different view on food in general.

Here is the next documentary that I would like to see...

Sunday started with a long run. This was the longest run I have done since Kona 2005. Was not a rockstar on my run but I got it done. Easy swim and bike in the afternoon. Had a chance to relax while watching the T&F World Championships. Dinner at Serrano's with some folks that we coach. Good food, good times and good way to end the weekend.

Hulaman Triathlon

2009-08-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Portland, Oregon last weekend for the Hulaman triathlon was great. This was the third year of the Hulaman Triathlon and the first year they offered a pro prize purse. I have to say that this race did not disappoint. It was low key and had a nice hometown feel to it. Just the kind of race we were looking for 4 weeks out from IM Wisconsin.

We arrived Friday evening and were greeted by...once again an amazing homestay. Giovanni and Anne were so generous and made us feel right at home. They had two HUGE dogs that were a little scary (I never grew up with pets), but we became friends once the weekend was over!

Saturday was our usual pre-race routine...short run around the neighborhood, ride part of the bike course, grocery store run, easy swim at a local city pool and then ended the evening relaxing watching t.v.

Sunday morning was CHILLY. I think the temperature at the start was about 50 degrees. The pro men and pro women started the swim together. The swim buoys were being placed in the water just as we were getting in the water (I told you it was laid back). I placed myself right behind B hoping to stay on his feet as long as possible. Unfortunately, I was squeezed out by two other guys and I didn't want to fight it, so I just trailed behind them. The main pack (B's pack) gapped me and the two other guys (the ones that squeezed me out of my spot) quite a bit so the three of us drafted off each other until the finish. I was the first woman out of the water.

The bike course was a challenging 53 miles and kept you honest. Although the bike course was short...it sure did feel long. It was a point to point bike and it started with two hilly loops around Haag Lake. Once you thought the hills were over you continued through a wine country where it was just as hilly and add to that a nice headwind. I loved it though...tough course! However, it was a lonely bike as I never saw anyone in front of me or behind me. I never knew how much of a lead I had because there were no out and backs on the course. A couple of times I forgot I was even racing because I was the only one out on the road...which was mentally tough (good IM practice though!). My legs felt pretty good throughout the ride, and I felt that I was plugging along at a decent pace. I ended up first into T2.

The run course was a straight out and back on mostly flat roads with a few rollers. I started at a pretty quick pace. Maybe too quick for me...as at about mile 5 I had some stomach issues. My pace slowed a bit and I started to feel better. At the turn-around I was about 1 minute ahead of Kelly Couch who looked to be running strong. I picked up the pace again but it wasn't enough. Kelly caught me at about mile 9. I tried to go with her but the pace was again too fast and my stomach issue came back. This time I knew I had to make a pit stop. I stopped at the next port-a-can and felt so much better. I could still see Kelly up ahead and I just tried to settle into my own pace and finish strong. I felt good again and got into a nice rhythm until about mile 12 where I had another stomach issue. I didn't stop this time since I knew I could make it at least one more mile to the finish. I have never had to make any pit-stops while racing before so not sure what happened. Could have been pacing, nutrition, or just one of those days. Ended up 2nd overall with one of my fastest run splits so I'm really pleased.

Kelly Couch put up a fantastic race out there. Don't think I would have been able to hold her off even if I didn't make a pit-stop as she ran really strong. It was fun chatting with her and others at the Luau after the race.

This past week has been a nice recovery week. More of the same this weekend with a long ride/short run on Saturday and a long run/short bike and swim on Sunday.

IM Wisconsin...3 weeks.

Weekend Weather

2009-08-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

I may actually freeze this weekend.

Portland Weather

Past Week Happenings

2009-08-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

-I've been stocking up on the Nike Lunar trainers lately as these are my new favorite training/racing shoe. Oh...so comfortable. Unfortunately, Nike is discontinuing them indefinitely and replacing the Lunars with the Lunar Glides. I've heard mixed reviews about the Glides so I'm trying to hoard a bunch of Lunars to last me until they bring them back. See my collection below...I also have two more pairs waiting for me at Rogue to be picked up!

- I had a nasty fall the other day while running. Yes, while running. My brother asked "How can you ride miles and miles and not fall, but then fall when you're running"? I have know idea what happened. I must have tripped over a crack in the sidewalk or something. However, the runners behind me didn't see anything that I could have tripped over. Embarrassing. So, it may have been my own two feet for all I know. I was stiff most of the day but no damage was done and was back on my feet the next day.

- Made some dinosaur balls for dessert this week. I found this recipe on Son of Grok website awhile back. They are delicious! Here's the recipe if you're interested in some late night tasty treats...

Heat 1/2 cup coconut milk in skillet
Stir in 1/2 - 1 Cup Almond Butter (I used 1 Cup of course)
Melt 1 big bar of Ghirardelli Chocolate (I used 60%)
1 TBSP coconut oil
2 tsp Vanilla
Remove from heat
Stir in 1 Cup walnuts
Once cooled,roll into balls and put them in the freezer.

I would share pictures but we already ate them all. Actually, with all of this IM training we've been eating everything in sight...as you can see.

-Once again B ripped my legs off on our long ride this weekend. A couple of times he started doing intervals and I had no idea. All of the sudden the pace got REALLY hard and I thought there is NO WAY I can keep up this pace. I was almost in tears. After about 20' or so, B turned around and said that he was done with his interval. I told him the next time he did an interval to TELL ME. We rode 111 miles NE of Austin. It was a really good loop with very little traffic and no stop lights. Here is the route that we did...

Clicky Here.

If you are planning on racing IM Arizona this year, I would highly recommend riding this loop. It's mostly flat with a couple of rollers and it's windy. Perfect IM Arizona conditions. However, I'm doing IM Wisconsin but it was still a solid ride.

-Training has been going well but I'm looking forward to a break and racing again. We have one more 1/2 IM that we are doing next weekend up in Portland called the Hulaman Triathlon. B found this race awhile back and it looks to be a lot of fun. When he first told me about the race I thought it was in Hawaii but no...it's in Portland, OR. Although Hawaii would have been nice, I've never been to Portland so I'm just as excited to travel somewhere new. After Hulaman, it's a couple of more solid weeks of training and then IM Wisconsin. Time is just flying by and I can't believe how close it is.

-Oh...and most importantly, be sure to get the latest Runner Triathlete News magazine as yours truly is on the cover (that would be me). Also, there is a Wish interview with me in the newest Austin Runner Magazine.

I'm Still Alive

2009-07-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

I was just informed that it has been 20 days since my last blog post (thanks Todd!). Oops. I have been keeping up with the twits though! I guess my mid-season break also led to a mid-season blog break. So, here we go...

After Lubbock I took a much needed week long break. It was NICE. We even headed to Houston that following weekend to spend time with family and just get out of town (unfortunately we didn't escape the heat). It was great to get away and take a mental/physical break from training. The tri-season is so long that it's nice to break it up into two seasons. Buffalo Springs ended our early season of racing. Next up will be one more half ironman in August and then the big show at IM Wisconsin in September. My race plans after Wisconsin are still undecided. It all depends on how I recover etc... Since it took me 4 years to recover from Kona 05' it may be awhile until my next race! Hopefully not.

Since our little mid-season break, I've been becoming a runner. Well, trying to at least. It's amazing what can happen in a year. Last year at this time I was averaging maybe 10-15 miles per week running in pain. And now...I'm almost up to 40 miles per week and pain free. I can't be happier. It's been since 06' that I've actually been consistent with running. About 3 weeks ago I joined up with Steve Sisson's Rogue marathon training group for one workout a week. That's about all I can handle because these guys/gals run a ton of miles. I really look forward to this one group workout a week as these guys/gals really push me and are so encouraging. Runners are cool, swimmers are cooler, but runners are getting up there!

This weekend is more of the same...long ride, long run, and lots of food. My aunt is in town from Tulsa so we will be having a family day on Sunday.

I will try not to let 20 more days go by without a blog. Later.

Slowtwitch Interview

2009-07-03T09:03:00.000-07:00

Read here.

Buffalo Springs Race Report

2009-06-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

1st place overall. Wow...still in shock and soaking it in. Very excited about the win and to do it in my 'adopted' home state and 20th Anniversary of the Buffalo Springs event made it even more special.

This is the third time that I have ever raced BSLT. After a disappoing race in 08' where I didn't finish due to foot issues, I was so happy to be able to come back this year and finish what I started in 08'. I would love to say that it was easy and everything felt great. But...no, it was hard and I definitely had some ups and downs during the race. I really dug deep for this win and am pleased that all the hard work is starting to pay off.

The women's pro wave started 2 minutes after the men. I had a good start and was out quick. I couldn't see crap though. It was darker than usual because of the cloud cover but for some reason I had trouble spotting the bouys. I stayed behind one girl but wasn't sure if she knew where she was going. It seemed as though she was all over the place. My swim felt good but my head just wasn't in it. As I was heading back in from the swim I just wanted to be done. Again, I didn't feel bad (I actually felt pretty good) but I think all the racing was finally catching up to me.

I hit T1 about 30 second back from the first two women out of the water. I grabbed my bike and was off. I was excited to ride as I love this bike course and with the wind and rain I knew it would be tough. Just what I like. I took the lead on the bike at about mile 5. I have never been in this position before where I was in the lead on the bike after the first few miles. I was pretty excited and wanted to see if I could hold onto that lead all the way to T2. I pushed hard on the bike but didn't feel the snap in my legs as I did in Florida and Kansas. Maybe I was pushing too hard into the wind and it was affecting me more than I thought. Who knows? On the turnarounds I noticed that I was gaining time on Jo and Kelly but it wasn't much. I just kept trying to push through to the finish and hoped my running legs would be there.

I managed to hold onto first into T2 but I had no idea how much of a lead I had. I blasted out of T2 on a mission. I tried to get into a rhythm right away and was holding 6:40's for the first 5k. I wanted to be steady on the uphills (unfortunately it was more like a shuffle) and really work the downhills and flat sections. After the turnaround I looked at my watch and saw that I was about 2:30 ahead of Kelly and about 3:00 ahead of Jo Lawn. I thought to myself that's not much time so I really need to push and focus the last 6 miles. I didn't want to be leading this race for 60 something miles and get passed in the last couple of miles.

The lead bicycle guy was riding a bit in front of me the last 4 miles. I kept asking him at every mile how far ahead I was. He didn't know and guessed that I was about 600m ahead. He was probably getting annoyed because the last 3 miles I kept asking him how much more until the finish (even though knew) but I just wanted someone to talk to and keep me going. I was hurting...I wanted to be done...and I wanted the win. The last 3 miles is around the lake and I probably had my head turned looking behind me those last 3 miles...which is a no-no but like I said, I was hurting...I wanted to be done...and I wanted the win. I couldn't see anyone but I just kept checking and even asked the bike leader again if he could see anyone. He told me he didn't see anyone either. I asked again...are you sure? I think it was at about mile 12 that I knew I had the win...still looking behind me though.

The last mile was amazing. I had so many emotions going through my head and was excited that I was about to win my first 70.3 race. The spectators were awesome and seeing Brandon at the finish line with a huge smile on his face and arms open wide got me a little teary eyed (geez...I'm even getting a little teary eyed as I write this). It was a big win for both of us. Brandon has been coaching me since 2004 and has believed in me and supported me through the ups and downs over the years. So, it was great to share the win with him. He also had a great race finishing 4th in a strong field. Also, congrats to Kelly and Pat for their top ten finishes!

So, what's next? A break. We will be taking a week or two nice and easy. We may do one more 1/2 in August but the focus will be on Ironman Wisconsin in September. Thank you to everyone for the nice e-mails/facebook/twitter messages this week. Also, thank you to all my sponsors that have been helping me out this year...ATC, Performance Wellness, TYR, Xterra and Pure Sport Recovery Drink.

Lubbock Newspaper Article

2009-06-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

Read article here.

1 Item Coupon

2009-06-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

So today I went to a store and all I will say is that it's a rather large bike shop that also has some great smoothies. The only reason I went to this shop today was because I had a coupon that I received at a race awhile back.

This coupon was for 20% off. All I wanted to buy were some energy bars for the weekend. Well, I bought 6 of the same kind of energy bar. I went up to the register to pay with my coupon and the lady looked at me kind of funny. She asked me if I was sure I wanted to use the 20% coupon. I thought to myself...well yeah...because the only other reason I come in here is to buy smoothies.

I then looked at her funny and asked if I only get 20% off of just 1 bar and not all 6 of the same bar. She said yes, the coupon is for just one item. YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. Then she asked me again if I wanted to use the 20% coupon for the bar. I told her yes because I won't be coming back. I thought one item meant for one purchase and not one single item. So, I guess I ended up getting 5 bars for $2 and one bar for $1.50 (Yeah)!

Off to beautiful Lubbock, Texas tomorrow.

Kansas 70.3 Race Report

2009-06-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

We raced the Kansas 70.3 this past weekend and I have to say it was one of the best 70.3 races out there that I have done. There were a lot of races to choose from this past weekend (Kansas 70.3, Eagleman 70.3, Boise 70.3, Alcatraz, and UK 70.3) and we decided on Kansas earlier this year for the convenience of driving to the race, although I'm thinking we fly next year, and also for the challenging course.

We started the trek to Kansas Thursday afternoon and stayed in Dallas that evening with one of Brandon's college buddies. It was a short stay as we wanted to get in a swim Friday morning and then hit the road early to finish the drive. We arrived at our homestay in Kansas at about 5pm. I must say we have really lucked out on our homestays this year. Joel and Mary made us feel right at home and their house was beautiful. We went for a little jog to shake out the legs and then headed to downtown Lawrence for some Thai food. Lawrence is a pretty cool college town. It reminded me a bit of Guadalupe Street here in Austin.

Saturday was the usual pre-race registration, warm up, and pro meeting. We biked some of the course which looked to be a challenging course, and swam at a local pool nearby. The weather was cool and I even debated trying to find a Tri shop to buy arm warmers (I didn't but definitely thought about it)! I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to cold weather.

Race morning wake up call was 3:45am...not fun and then out the door by 4:15pm. The temperature was perfect. Race started at 6:30am for the men and 6:32am for the women. It was a wetsuit swim with the water temperature at 72 degrees...um, last time I checked the cut off for wetsuits for the pros was 72 degrees (or even 68 for some races).

I started the swim right next to Nina. When the gun went off I was right on Nina's feet but found that two other girls were a bit ahead of her. I went around Nina and tried to make a surge to try and catch the other two girls. Too late. Didn't quite have the speed to catch up and I ended up swimming alone for the last 800meters or so.

T1 I found CW grabbing her bike as I just got to my bike. How did she swim so fast? Once on the bike I tried to be steady on the hills going outside of the park. CW was already nowhere in sight. Amazing. Actually there was no one in sight. I had a couple of pro guys fly by me and that was about it. I just plugged along hoping that I would eventually catch Pip who was first out of the water and quite a ways ahead. At about mile 40 or so I got word from Lars on a out and back that Pip was just ahead and Chrissie had flatted. That gave me a bit of energy and so I picked it up a bit and eventually passed Pip. Just as I was passing Pip, CW finished changing her flat. So, at this point I was in the lead...WHAT? I was excited, however that lead only lasted for about 1 mile until CW passed me. I looked back to see if Pip and Jo Lawn were going to go with her. They didn't, as they were right behind me. So, what do I do??? I took a risk. A risk trying to go with CW. I wanted to see how long I could stay with her if at all. To my surprise she wasn't gaining any time on me so I just kept going. She looked back a few times and I think she was shocked that I was still there (as so was I)! I eventually looked behind me and saw that we had dropped Pip and Jo. Nice.

I entered T2 about 20 seconds behind CW and it was probably the most exciting part of the race for me. No one knew that CW had flatted, so everyone thought that I rode with CW! Ofcourse... I went along with it and headed out for the run. I think my first mile was probably about 5:00 pace as I was running on pure adrenaline. There were so many spectators out cheering and excited to see someone so close to CW off the bike. We had about a 2-3 minute gap on 3rd and 4th place. Everyone kept yelling for me to just keep her in sight and that's what I tried to do. That only lasted until about mile 3 and then the only other time I saw CW was on the out and backs. I had some good patches and bad patched on the run. I was passed by Pip at about mile 5. I tried to go with her but the pace was too quick for me. There was one climb that we did 2x and both times I thought my legs were going to cramp up. I saw Jo running strong and I tried hard to hold her off but she eventually passed me at mile 10 or 11 on the run. Again, I tried to stay with her but I just had nothing left. So, I ended up 4th overall with a very solid effort all around.

This race was a blast. Amazing support on the course from all the volunteers and spectators. I think there were even 14 aid stations for the 13.1 mile run...now that's service. The course was challenging but honest. Post-race festivities included some Kansas style BBQ which is my favorite (besides Tex-Mex ofcourse).

Converstation I had with CW after the race...
AM: Congratulations Chrissie. Great race!
CW: Thank you. How did you end up?
AM: I was 4th as Jo ran me down the last couple of miles. It was good though.
CW: That's great. You're in the money. And...you biked with me. I kept looking back and you were still there those last 15 miles. You were legal and not up my bum, like some of the pros would be (it's better if you insert a British accent here).
AM: Um...Thanks?

That's all. Up next is some recovery this week and then Buffalo Springs.

Yellow Brick Road

2009-06-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

My new favorite award from Kansas 70.3. The yellow brick...how clever. The finish line was even yellow, which I didn't understand why until I finally made the Kansas and Wizard of Oz connection a few hours after I finished (I was a bit dilerious). This is just a quick update with a race report to follow in a day or two (or ten...ok,hopefully not ten). I was actually 4th overall and pleased with the effort. The results showed me as 3rd but they were missing two athletes. So the top 5 were as follows:

1st CW-Chrissinator
2nd Pip Taylor
3rd Jo Lawn
4th ME
5th Nina Kraft

I would highly recommend this race. Challenging bike course, great post-race festivities, drivable(barely-just made that word up)...that's enough for now. Maybe I'll add a bit more in my race report.

CATCHING UP

2009-06-07T14:48:00.001-07:00

Once again it's been awhile since I last blogged...I have been keeping up with my tweets though! I have tried to summarize what I have been up to since Florida.

-After Florida I raced the CapTex ITU race Memorial weekend. I was 6th overall. It was an o.k. race for me. I didn't quite have the swim that I wanted and ended up in the second main pack on the bike. Unfortunately our group wasn't very organized and we never bridged the gap to the front group. Translation...I pulled about 90% of the bike and no one was willing to work with me. That's how draft legal racing goes sometimes. Run was good (although a bit hot) as I felt stronger as each lap passed. Although draft legal racing isn't my focus... I thought that the CapTex crew did a great job with their first ever ITU race in Austin, and I was glad to be a part of it. It will be exciting if Austin will be host to the Olympic Triathlon Trials in 2012 which is what they are aiming for.

-Memorial weekend we celebrated my nephew's 1st birthday and also my mom's (insert age here) birthday.

-Rode the Real Ale Ride put on by Red Licorice events. 1600 people participated for the 4 or 5 different distances. B and I ended up riding 80 that day. It was a solid ride with lots of decieving climbs. Red Licorice put on a great post-ride festivities with BBQ, music, beer (not for me and B), and lots of other cool stuff from their sponsors. Check their upcoming events here.

-Got my haircut and absolutely hate it...yep, I look like a mushroom head. I went to Bird's Barbershop (which I love) but had a different stylist this time. For some reason she thought that a couple inches was a foot. She just kept cutting and cutting. So, I have been wearing a hat almost everyday since.

-Been running about 35 miles/week lately which is the most I think I have ever run. It may not be much for some but it is quite a bit for me. It's amazing how much fun running is when your feet and heels don't hurt! Coach B doesn't want me to run anymore than 35 mile/week right now so each run has to count.

-This weekend was pretty low key. Some training, dinner with friends and family and now just catching up on coaching and blogging.

B and I will be racing Kansas 70.3 next weekend. We have never done this race before so I'm looking forward to it and getting the opportunity to race the Chrissinator...Chrissie Wellington who is the current 2x Ironman World Champion.

2009-05-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

FLORIDA 70.3 RACE REPORT

4th place overall. Very happy with performance yesterday. Although today I feel like I got hit by a truck. A big Semi truck to be exact. Note to self...I will never race the weekend of May 16-17 ever again. To my loyal blog readers if you remember last year, I was suppose to race Memphis in May but ended up not racing because of a sinus infection and bronchitis. Well, this past Friday I came down with some sinus congestion and sore throat. Not good. Saturday morning I woke up and thought my head was going to explode. I did an easy ride, went to the Pro meeting and then slept the rest of the day. I kept telling myself I would be fine to race and that I've even had some of my best performances when I wasn't feeling 100%. I woke up Sunday morning feeling much better and was ready to give it a shot. Here's how it all went down...

Swim- Horrendous. Everything that could have possibly gone wrong on the swim did and I will leave it at that. My head was not in the race and I was just going through the motions. I felt weak, slow, and was all alone on the swim and I just wanted to be done. My swims have been going well in the pool, but I've been a bit inconsistent with my swims the last couple of races. I was about 2 minutes down out of the water and that is unacceptable. I think I was about 5th or so out onto the bike.

Bike- I was so glad to be on the bike and forget about my swim. And that I did...I knew there was a lot of racing still ahead and I couldn't let the sub-par swim effect the rest of my race. Jo Lawn passed me quickly on the bike and I was determined not to let her get out out of my sight. My biking has been going well and I knew I was capable of biking with the big girls. Well, I eventually passed her back and was on a roll. My legs felt light and even though snot was flying everywhere my head was back in the race. Magali caught me and passed me and Jo Lawn was right behind her. We rode together for most of the ride and even had the pleasure of a motorcycle escort to make sure we were 'legal'. At the turnarounds I noticed that we were catching Brooke (2nd) and Nina(3rd). At about mile 35 or so I took the lead of our group and caught up and passed 2nd and 3rd place. I was excited as I was in 2nd place and all I thought about was that my name was probably on Ironmanlive.com! Even though Leanda was way ahead I was still pretty excited. Jo Lawn and Magali passed me again right as we got about a mile or so from transition. I was 4th off the bike and 3rd out onto the run.

Run- 80% on grass! I couldn't believe it. Cross Country running is not my specialty. Anyways, I was third out onto the run and just tried to get into a rhythm. I was quickly passed my Jo Lawn again after the first mile. I tried to stay with her for as long as I could but it didn't last long. At the first turnaround I saw Nina Kraft running fast. Within the next mile Nina passed me. I just kept plugging along, picking up my feet, and trying to get as much water, ice, sponges at every aid station that I could. I was even stuffing ice down my suit to keep cool. At about mile 8 I could see that I was getting closer to Nina. This got me excited and I thought that I could probably catch her with 5 miles to go. Mile 9 I passed Nina as she was bent over about to vomit or something. I quickly passed her, in case she did vomit because I didn't want to see it, hear it, or smell it. Not sure what happened to her, but she kept on racing and I saw her at the next turnaround and was about a minute or so behind me. I couldn't believe it. I thought I had dropped her but she bounced right back and was now running fast again. I really wanted to keep my forth place position as 2nd and 3rd were quite a ways ahead of me. The last couple of miles I just kept repeating in my head "please don't catch me, please don't catch me, please don't catch me" and it worked! I ended up holding onto 4th place and was very excited...and exhausted. I was really pleased with my run as I have come along way the last 6 months or so. I am finally able to run consistently without any pain and it is slowly but surely paying off.

So, today was an off day to recover from the race and the congestion. I will take this week easier to make sure I recover and then the plan is to race CapTex ITU on Monday.

I want to thank Juli Fiocca for being an amazing cheerleader out on the run course at Florida 70.3. She was so positive out there and it was nice seeing a familiar face in the crowd.

2009-05-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

3 WEEKENDS 3 RACES

Last weekend was the start of my next 3 weekends of racing...The Pure Sport Rookie Triathlon, Florida 70.3 and CapTex ITU race. I've never raced 3 weekends in a row but I'm looking forward to it.

The Rookie Tri was a fun event...as always. Not much to report other than it is as hard as you can go from start to finish for ~45+ minutes. I had a little bike mishap in that my powermeter mount fell off and was dangling by the cord. I quickly grabbed it (so it wouldn't get caught in my wheel), ripped it off and stuffed it down my swim suit so that I wouldn't lose it! Other than that, I was pleased with my effort and it was a great sprint workout to get ready for Florida 70.3 this weekend.

Florida 70.3 takes place at Disney. We have never done this race before so we're excited to race some place new. There are only 12 women on the start list but it is a solid field with some 70.3 and Ironman Champions. I'm looking forward to redeeming myself after my flat tire in N.O. in April. You can follow the race on Sunday here.

If recovery goes well after Florida, I am planning on racing CapTex ITU on Memorial Day.

That's about it. Will hopefully have a race report up on Monday or Tuesday next week. Have a great weekend!

2009-05-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

STORY OF THE WEEK

Last night at practice, I had a visit from an athlete that is in my Triathlon Swim class. I thought he was there for practice, but he was dressed in his work clothes. I asked him if he was swimming and he said "no, I'm just here to say Thank You". He pulled out his medal from the Wildflower Triathon this past weekend (he did the Olympic distance) and told me that he would have never finished if it wasn't for me. Here is someone who could barely swim one length of the pool about 3-4 months ago. He took my Swim 101 class and then my Triathlon Swim class, and is now a Wildflower finisher! I was so proud of him and I couldn't believe he drove all the way to practice just to show me his medal and thank me. The funny thing is...he said he now has to take a month off so that he can recover because he was so sore after the race!!!

2009-05-02T13:02:00.000-07:00

X-TRI

Found this article on X-Tri.com.

Click here

2009-04-30T16:18:00.001-07:00

BIRDS

No, not bird flu or swine flu for that matter. I'm talking about Bird's Barbershop.

There's a nice article in today's paper about Bird's...which is where I go to get my haircut. Check it out here. I usually get the Lady Bird special! I met Jason (co-owner) about a year ago as he took one of my swim classes with Rogue. Very cool guy and ever since we've met I've been going to Bird's to get my haircut...even though I only get my haircut maybe 3x a year! Anyways, the place is really cool and reasonably priced. Very relaxed atmosphere and if you're a beer drinker (which I'm not), they serve you beer while you wait!

So if you're looking for a new place to get your haircut check out Bird's at one of their 5 locations!

I'll try and post later this weekend...I said I'll TRY.

2009-04-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

CHAMPIONS TRI

Swim-Run-Bike-Run (do you see something wrong in the order?)

Swim- Felt LONG. I took the swim out hard as I am a sprinter at heart! I was really hoping to hang on to Hailey Piersol's feet but that only lasted about 100m or so. Yes, that is Aaron Piersol's (Olympian) younger sister so there are some good genes there. Swam on my own for a bit until Kelly caught me, passed me and then I just stayed on her feet the rest of the swim. It was choppy out there and I felt a little flat. Was 3rd out of the water.

T1- Which was really another run! I had some trouble getting out of my speed suit because it got caught a bit on my chip. I slipped some shoes on for the 400m run but they never really ended up ALL the way on my feet, as my heels were sticking out. So it was more of a shuffle than a run. Probably would have been faster to go without shoes (but there were some random rocks) or actually put my shoes all the way on my feet.

Bike- WINDY...but I liked the course. Wore my LG space helmet which I liked a lot better than the Giro. I seem to do better on hilly courses (not sure why I signed up to race Florida 70.3) The legs were in pain the first loop. Second loop the legs were starting to warm up and by the third loop, I finally felt pretty good and tried to push it to the finish. The wind was tough out there today and I had to sit up quite a few times so that I wouldn't blow over. I even noticed a couple of other people out there riding with one arm on the aerobar and one arm on the bullhorn.

T2- Cotter's bike fell over into my bike slot so I didn't have anywhere to put my bike. I ended up just laying it down next to his. Don't worry...I forgave him.

Run- I didn't know how much of a lead I had starting the run so I wanted to start out quick...which I did. However, it definitely caught up to me at about mile 3 or so. I saw Brandon on the out and back and I just wanted to turn around and run back with him. It was a real struggle the last couple of miles and the finish line couldn't come soon enough. The results showed that I averaged 6:30 pace which is surprising because of the way I felt.

Swim-3rd
Bike-1st
Run-2nd
Overall-1st

I guess my swim isn't my strongest leg anymore.

Olympic distance races are HARD. I actually thought how much I would have rather been doing an Ironman today than going HARD. Maybe I need to do more races like this to make me faster!

I came away with the win, Kelly was second and Hailey third. Thanks to Red Licorice Events for putting on a great event, at a great venue, and giving pros the opportunity to race for a prize purse right here in Austin.

Ofcourse we had to get some Tex-Mex on the way home so we stopped at Iguana Grill with some friends. Good times.

Up next will be the World Championship Rookie Triathlon and then Florida 70.3

2009-04-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

LAST WEEK'S BLOG

I'd say I forgot. But, I just don't like blogging. Especially since I'm twittering. It's so much easier.

I am racing Sunday. I WILL post a race report though.

2009-04-12T17:15:00.001-07:00

HAPPY EASTER

I finally am sitting down in front of the computer catching up on e-mails, coaching etc... after a busy week and weekend. Last M-Th was a blur because I was so tired and busy I can't even remember what I did.

Friday we packed the car up once again and headed to Kerrville for the annual Easter Hill Country Bike Tour. This was our second year to attend this event and we hope to make it a yearly trip as it is a lot of fun. We arrived in Kerrville Friday morning and headed out on the 64 mile route. This biking out in Kerrville is awesome and is worth the 2 hour drive. No traffic, supported aid stations every 15 or so miles, great climbing, and tons of cyclists. After the ride we hit up the only Mexican restaurant in Kerrville so that we could get our chips and salsa fix for the week. There is nothing better than chips and salsa after a ride! Did a short 30 minute run on the trails in the afternoon. Lots of different directions on the trail so I opted for an easy 15 min. out and 15 min. back so that I didn't get lost!

We stayed in a cabin with 8 other friends, some from Houston and Austin. Made dinner that evening, then it was off to bed early so we could get up early for the century ride on Saturday. This was my first century ride of the year, and it definitely felt like it! The last 10 miles took forever and I just wanted off my bike. It didn't help that B kept telling me that we were getting close and only had about 2 miles to go...which was really about 8 or so miles! Not cool.

Finally finished the ride and had some time to relax before dinner with the crew. We headed back to Austin Saturday evening, as the weather looked a little sketchy for Sunday. Of course we had to make a stop at Whole Foods on the way home so that we each could get a pint of ice cream...which we deserved after all the riding that we did.

Today was a long run with some friends in the rain. Headed up to my bro's house afterwards for a nice family brunch and finished the day off with an easy swim.

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

P.S. Still working on posting the N.O. pictures.

2009-04-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

THE 'BIG EASY' WAS NOT SO EASY

Brandon and I had a great time in New Orleans this past weekend. N.O. seems like a cool city but unfortunately we didn't have much time to do any sightseeing. Maybe next time!

The swim was point to point in Lake Poopootrain as it is known because of its fecal count. It actually wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be. I liked the point to point swim. No buoys to deal with, just swim straight until the finish. However, it felt very long and at the start you couldn't even see the half way mark! Stayed on Dr. JZ's feet during the whole swim which I was very pleased with. I never left her out of my sight. Felt nice and relaxed the whole swim and for once... I loved my wetsuit so, thank you Xterra! There were about 4 of us that came out of the water together and we had about a 3 minute lead on the second pack.

I've been biking well for the last couple of months and was excited to see what I could do. Hopped on my bike and took off. I felt a little wobbly at first but just pushed on the pedals and kept going. At mile 1...yes, mile 1 my front tire was completely flat. Had some not so nice words with myself and pulled over to the side of the road for what I thought would be a quick change. I guess they don't call clincher tires for no reason! I had the hardest time getting the tire off since they were new tires. I thought it would take maybe 10' max to change the tire. Well...10' went by, 20' went by and then finally around 28' or so later I was back on my bike. Bike support never came, as I'm assuming they were out on the course already and not at mile 1. I thought about going back to transition to see if there was bike support there, but figured it would take just as long to get there then try to get the tire off myself. A couple of spectators offered to help, but I didn't think we were allowed to have any outside assistance so I told them that I had to do it myself. Once I finally got the tire off I was quite impressed how fast I got the new tube in and aired up.

It was frustrating watching all the 'pro' women ride by. But, I understand that flat tires (mechanicals) are a part of racing and you have to be prepared for anything to happen on race day. I was prepared and had everything I needed to change the tire, but unfortunately it was a real struggle for me to get the tire off. Next time, (which I hope never happens again) the tire should be a little looser and a bit easier to get off. I'm not quite sure what happened with the front tire. It could have been a small leak or something I ran over within the first mile. I will never know and it's over and done with and time to move on.

I knew I wanted to finish the race even though I was so far behind the other 'pro' women. I have sat out a lot of races the last two years because of foot issues and I wasn't going to sit out another race just because of a flat tire. We drove all the way to N.O. to race and that's what I wanted to do. There was no question that I wasn't going to finish. Once back on the bike, I just stayed to the left and tried to pass anyone and everyone that I could. Ended up having a solid ride even though I was still pretty far back from all the other women.

On to the run...My foot has been feeling good lately and this was going to be my longest run to test it out. The first 7 miles seemed to take forever and I just had no snap in my legs. It was hot, humid, windy and water stops were few and far between. I even walked through a couple of aid stations so that I could get enough fluids in. Around mile 8 I started feeling better and actually picked up the pace a bit. The run was mentally tough as I never saw any other women out there to push the pace until...mile 9. I finally saw a girl up ahead and I was determined not to get last! I passed her and was feeling good and then eventually passed another girl the last 1/2 mile. The finishing stretch was amazing with tons of people lined up on the side of the road. I actually had tears in my eyes running down the final stretch because I was so happy that I was finally running/racing again without any pain, and that I finished the race.

The season is still early and there is still a lot of room for improvement. After a couple of days easy, I'm looking forward to getting back to training and see what I can do in my upcoming races.

I hope to have some pictures posted of our trip so stay tuned!

Thanks to all of my sponsors for your support...ATC, Xterra, TYR, Pure Sport, TP Therapy, Performance Wellness. Also, thanks to Ryan Tomeny for hooking us up with a wonderful homestay, Sean Mauberret (aka Jack Black...that's who he reminded us of).

2009-03-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

THE NIGHTMARES HAVE BEGUN

Usually a week or so out from a race I start having crazy dreams (sometimes nightmares) about racing. This is nothing new. I use to have these weird dreams before swim meets as well when I was younger. Thought they would go away as I got older but no such luck. So, last night was the first nightmare with many to come in the upcoming week I'm sure. Here's what I can remember from last night...

"I was racing Buffalo Springs...not sure why because the race is in New Orleans next week and NOT Buffalo Springs. Anywho, I was last out of the water, and I was MAD. Hopped on my bike and just grinded away to catch anyone in front of me that I could. Halfway through the bike I got off...I guess I was just tired of biking. Left my bike in the middle of the road and just started the run (in my bike shoes) even though everyone else was still biking. So, I ended up running the rest of the bike course and part of the run course before I realized how ridiculous this was and woke up!"

I was so relieved that I was dreaming. Got up to go to the bathroom and then pleasently fell back to sleep... this time dreaming of Matthew McConaughey watching a movie with Brandon and I in our living room. Ofcourse, it was one of McConaughey's movies "Fool's Gold" which was pretty dumb.

Any dream interpreters out there know what this all means?

Update later this weekend.

WE'RE IN FORBES MAGAZINE!

2009-03-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

Check it out HERE.

O.k...so just are names are mentioned but it's still pretty cool.

SWIM VIDEO...testing...testing...testing

2009-03-15T09:15:00.001-07:00

Brandon and I bought a new camera/camcorder about a month or so ago. This camera/camcorder is also waterproof so we tested it out last week to see how it worked...Check out our cool video below.

Notice how B was checking out my chest while filming...geez! You will also notice that I have no idea how to use this stupid camera but... I'm learning. Also, I couldn't see anything because of sun and it was hard to stay under water to film. I was getting so frustrated that I ended up just holding the camera underwater (while my head was above water) hoping that I was recording Brandon as he swam by. Here's another 'test' of the camera, which isn't much better.

So now, I might be able to film the private lessons that I do as sort of a 'bonus.'

2009-03-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

RACE REPORT AND AN EASY WEEK

This past weekend we raced the Blue Norther Duathlon in Sequin, Tx. It was quite an early morning as the race started promptly at 8:00am. However, with the time change and all it was really 7:00am. Plus, you add the 1 hour drive...we were up at 5:00am which again was really 4:00am. Whew!

I was excited to race again since it's been so long. Although it wasn't a big race, I was still nervous enough to have that puke feeling at the start which I usually get.

First 5k- My goal on the first 5k was to stay conservative. I have a tendency to run way too fast the first mile and then blow up. So this time I just wanted to start out a little easier and try to finish strong. No such luck...I think my first mile was 5:55 or so and then it just got slower after that. I tried though and the effort actually felt as if I was getting stronger towards the end. That's all that matters right?

Bike- The bike was 14.5 miles this year. About 1/2 mile longer than last year because of some construction. With such a short bike, I wanted to ride hard (and catch Stroob!). My lungs felt great but my legs just didn't have any snap. Had trouble finding the right gear to push the pace. Ended up being about a minute slower than last year even with the extra 1/2 mile. So...not bad.

Second 5k- The plan on the second 5k was to see how close I could be to my first 5k time. To my surprise my legs came around and I felt good on the second run. My turnover felt fast and I even started passing a couple of guys in front of me. And... one of those guys was Stroob! Yes, I finally passed him at about 1 mile into the run. My second 5k time ended up being 15 seconds per mile slower than my first 5k so I was really pleased with my effort.

Finished with the overall win and was only about 2 minutes off my time from last year. Fun race, well organized and a great post race that included food...baked potatoes which were delicious, homemade cookies and live music!

The foot is good. I was a little nervous to see how my foot would feel after some hard efforts on the run. Plantar was a little tender on Monday morning but loosened up throughout the day. Tuesday I was able to run 8 miles with no pain. Just need to get in a couple of more long runs but things are looking good!

So, after about 5 weeks of some solid training and ending with a race last Sunday, I am in need of an easy week. Less volume and intensity this week before our last phase to New Orleans on April 6th.

2009-03-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

YOU KNOW IT'S BEEN ALONG TIME SINCE YOU RACED WHEN...

-Athletes taking your swim classes ask you if you are still competing/racing.

-You go out to the shed to find your race wheels covered in cobwebs. And...one of the wheels (disc) is brand new and still has no tire on it.

-Your race shoes are still in the shoe box that you bought them in.

-You don't have a race suit to race in.

-You're actually looking forward to waking up at 4:00am to race.

So, it has almost been exactly 7 months since I last raced. That is a long time for someone who loves to race. I'm planning on racing this weekend at the Blue Norther Duathlon in Sequin, Tx. I've done this race the past couple of years as it's a nice early season opener to brush off all the cobwebs and see where my fitness is at. We shall see how it goes!

2009-02-24T12:29:00.000-08:00

SOME RANDOM NEWS...

-Our friend Rip Esselstyn was on the Today Show yesterday morning to promote his new book, The Engine 2 Diet. Check it outHERE if you missed it. Brandon and I were part of Rip's pilot study for the Engine 2 Diet about two years ago now.

-My friends husband's son (got that?) won an Oscar Sunday in the Visual Effects category for the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. This was his first nomination and first Oscar. Impressive.

-New ride for 09' and beyond...Cervelo P3. All I can say...is there a better bike? I've had this bike for a couple of weeks now and I can't believe how amazing it feels. Stomp on the pedals and it just GOES! Special thanks to E.S. and the ATC crew for their support.

-We will also be sporting Xterra wetsuits/speedsuits and possibly TYR for triathlon apparel, swim suits and accessories. Very excited. As a long time swimmer, I have seen TYR improve throughout the years and I would be excited to wear their new triathlon racing gear for 09'. I'm already a fan of their tracer goggles and catalyst paddles.

I think that is all the news I have for today. Happy Mardi Gras!

2009-02-22T19:03:00.000-08:00

COMPRESSION SOCKS

Yes, it's been awhile once again but hey...I guess no news is good news right?

Right...and I am happy to report that my running is starting to come around again. I ran 12 miles this past week with no pain. It felt like the longest 12 miles of my life, but it was still 12 miles and I can't complain.

I have to give some credit to my new favorite apparel...compression socks. Yes, compression socks...the knee high socks that your grandparents probably wear. I have been wearing compression socks after all my runs, during the day/night, and while coaching for a couple of months now. And... as someone with tight calves and foot issues...I am now a firm believer in these funny looking socks. Since wearing these compression socks ALL THE TIME, I have noticed that my calves are not as tight or achy. And...when my calves aren't tight, my Plantar doesn't flare up...which makes me very happy.

Everyone has their own opinion but I think compression socks are a real benefit for recovery whether it's from traveling, standing on your feet all day or just your day-to-day training. So, give them a try and see what you think.

However, I'm still a little embarrassed to be wearing these socks in public when running but I may just have to suck it up and try it. I hear they are just as good to wear for training as they are for recovery. However, I don't know what I'm going to do in the summer time when I'll be walking around in shorts everyday!

2009-02-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

MEDALS 4 METTLE

Not sure what to do with your old (or new) swimming, triathlon or running medals? Brandon and I have been donating some of our hardware to the Medals4Mettles non-profit organization here in Austin. Check out the article in the Statesman here for more information.

These kids are battling their own race so if you have any medals or other hardware just laying around, donate it and show these kids that they are working just as hard as you are.

Happy Monday!

2009-02-03T12:13:00.000-08:00

THAWED OUT

Brandon and I had a wonderful trip to Minnesota this past weekend. I think we brought some warm Texas weather with us because is was actually 50 degrees one day while we were there! The other days...not so warm but I survived. It was great seeing everyone again and hearing what everyone has been up to these days.

I did manage to swim once and run 30 minutes (27:40 to be exact) while in Minnesota but that was it. The rest of the weekend was spent catching up with friends, bowling, eating great food, and ofcourse games! As usual when we all get together, we stayed up WAY to late every night. I think it will take about a week or so to get back on my normal sleep schedule.

I posted some pictures below...enjoy!

The famous Mall of America. I lived in Minneapolis for 5 years and I don't think I have ever been around the whole mall. It's quite large.

Another view of all the rides at the MOA.

Lego Land at MOA. We were actually at the mall for awhile because we were waiting for the Finanger's flight to land. However, we weren't there long enough to see the whole mall. Maybe one of these days!

Terri's wonderful parallel parking job on our way to get some hot chocolate.

Emily, me and Brandon watching the swim meet that was going on.

The 1999 Big Ten Championship Team being introduced.

Baby Clare and the old crew...Jenny, Me, Terri and Emily. Only wish Beth could have been there but is living in France for the next 6 months.

2009 Race Results

2009-01-31T20:01:00.000-08:00

3/8 Blue Norther Du - 1st

4/5 New Orleans 70.3 - 23rd

4/26 Champions Triathlon - 1st

5/10 Rookie - 1st

5/17 Florida 70.3 - 4th

5/25 Captex ITU - 6th

6/14 Kansas 70.3 - 4th

6/28 Buffalo Springs 70.3 - 1st

8/16 Hulaman Triathlon - 2nd

9/13 Ironman Wisconsin - 1st

2009-01-29T07:39:00.000-08:00

MINNESOTA BOUND

Yes, that is me all bundled up ready to tackle the cold. Brandon and I are headed to Minneapolis tomorrow morning for the weekend. WHY? Well, 10 years ago (I can't believe it has been that long)The University of Minnesota women's swim team won the Big Ten Championships for the first time ever (my junior year...we also won my senior year). This was a big deal because the University of Michigan had dominated for years and we finally broke their streak in 1999. So, there is a 10 year reunion for the 1999 women's swim team to celebrate our victory.

Now...I'm not sure whose idea it was to have a reunion in Minnesota in January but clearly they were not thinking straight. I haven't been back up to Minnesota in about 5 years now, so I'm really looking forward to seeing all my swim buddies, their families, coaches, and everyone from back in the day.

Ya betcha I will have pictures when I return...that is if I don't freeze to death. Have a great weekend!

2009-01-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

A COUPLE OF THINGS...

- Check out this inspirational video. A coach/friend e-mailed this to me and I thought it was pretty cool.

- I am now hooked on granola. B and I have been making granola lately and can't stop eating it. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack...you name it. Try this recipe for something yummy...
5 Cups oats
1 Cup nuts (I've been using walnuts)
1/3 Cup maple syrup
1/3 Cup coconut oil
1t vanilla
1/2t salt
2t cinnamon
1/2 Cup fruit (I've been using raisins)
Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Be sure to stir every 15 minutes.

- I am a huge wimp when it comes to cold weather. I don't ever know how I grew up in New York and then went to school in Minnesota. Yesterday it was 80 degrees here in Austin, today it is 50 and I am frozen. I ended up riding on the trainer and then running on the treadmill today because it was just too darn cold out.

- Update on foot...the doctors appt. went well last week. They took more x-rays and everything seems to be o.k. The MRI (5 weeks ago) showed a stress reaction in my heel and 5th metatarsal but I don't have much pain anymore. So, I finally have doctors permission to start increasing my mileage. I actually already have been increasing my mileage slowly over the past couple of weeks and am going to go for a 10 mile run tomorrow! No speed work for a few more weeks though.

So, I guess that was more than a couple of things. Time for some granola.

2009-01-12T12:29:00.000-08:00

BACK TO BLOGGING

The Ford Craptour is starting to crap out on us lately. It's not too bad and probably still has a lot of life left, but today I pulled down the drivers side visor and it came flying off. I just tossed it in the back seat and proceeded to drive with my hand in front of my face to block the sun. The other issue about the Craptour lately is that the only time you can get any heat or air conditioning is when you are stopped. As soon as you start driving again, the air/heat comes out from the defrost vents and you can't feel anything. Well, it still gets me to where I need to be and that's all that matters for now.

I finally called about my MRI last week as it was getting a little ridiculous that I didn't hear anything. They told me that the doctor has been out of town for 3 weeks and wouldn't be back until today. Well...I'm just glad that there wasn't anything seriously wrong with me that I needed to have my results quickly. Geez. So, the doctor finally called today and told me the results. Basically she told me that I have some fluid in my ankle joint, signs of possible bruise or stress fracture in my 5th metatarsal and my heel. Again, this MRI was almost 4 weeks ago now. Within those 4 weeks I have been running and have even had a couple of 8 mile runs with no pain! I'm thinking that everything is pretty much healed since I don't have much pain anymore, but I'm seeing a foot specialist (ortho, not a podiatrist) on Wednesday just to make sure (once again). I'll be so happy when I don't have to see anymore foot doctors!

One of the boys in my kids tri-training class at the Hills won his 4th consecutive Geography Bee. I thought that was pretty impressive so I wanted to share it with everyone. I also thought it was funny that when I asked the boy where the Geography Bee was held...he had no idea. Priceless.

2009-01-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

2009

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful New Years. B and I stayed in last night. We're not big New Year's people. We made a delicious curry beef, vegetable, and lentils dish, and watched a movie (big surprise). We did stay up until midnight though to bring in the New Year...it's been awhile since I've been up that late!

I woke up early this morning to go for a run on town lake. Today was 8 miles! It was 8:30am or so and the trail was empty which made for a nice quiet run. I wanted to be done with my run early so that I could make the 10:00am UT swim practice. I knew Coach would have a solid New Year's day practice in store for us...and she didn't disappoint. 6000 was the total yardage in 1 hour 30 minute practice. Nice.

I'll bike long tomorrow morning and then off for a weekend getaway. I can't say where I'm going though as it is a surprise!

Don't forget to eat you black eyed peas for dinner this evening for good luck in 2009.

I've posted some Christmas pics below...I know the pictures are small but it's the best I could do.

Brandon's new bike...The Flying Turtle

Mackenzie...up and coming triathlete

The whole fam damily!

2008-12-27T20:04:00.000-08:00

HOLIDAY UPDATE

Here's a summary of what I've been up to so far this holiday week...

Christmas Eve - Nice 2 hour ride with some boys followed by an easy 3k swim at the Hills. Lunch was at Tino's, which is one of our favorite Greek restaurants. B and I went to see 'Slumdog Millionaire' in the evening...great flick!

Christmas Day - Another 2 hour ride with B this time followed it up with a nice 20 minute run. Legs felt like crap on the run but hey...I got it done. We then headed to good ol' Sun City (in Georgetown) where my parents live. We had a nice Christmas meal and then ate cookies, chips, more nutrient void food and watched movies until bed time.

Day after Christmas - We stayed the night at my parents house and then woke up and went for a run. I ran 7 miles! We celebrated Christmas the day after as my brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew all came up to Sun City. Again, we ate A LOT, played games and watched a couple more movies. I think we watched about 5 movies in 2 days...lazy but nice and relaxing!

Two days after Christmas which leaves me to today - LONG RIDE...B, P.D., and P.H. all rode to Marble Falls. This was the longest ride I have done since Kona in 2005. I have to say this was probably one of the windiest rides I have also ever done. We had a headwind pretty much all the way to Marble Falls and every curse word came to mind as I was riding into the wind. As I was riding sideways, I was also thinking of everyone that I could call once I reached MF to come and pick me up. Didn't drink many calories because I didn't want to let go of the handle bars. I was miserable. And then...I saw the cafe where we were going to stop and eat and I instantly felt so much better. We stopped for about an hour or so to eat, chat, refuel and then headed back to Austin...with a nice tailwind!!! Finished the evening off with some good company at Polvo's (another favorite).

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and is looking forward to the New Year. More later in 09'... unless I feel the urge to blog before then.

2008-12-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS...

Is an MRI. And...that's what I got yesterday afternoon. I have been dealing with Plantar Fasciitis since June, had stress fracture in September, and then back to Plantar Fasciitis again (all this in my right foot). I have been making progress with my foot and have been optimistic these last few months that it's been getting better everyday. However, it's still not 100%. I've been running anywhere from 15-40 minutes a few days a week. I wanted the MRI to ease my mind that there is nothing else wrong with my foot, and so hopefully I can start increasing the volume on my runs again. There may not even be anything else wrong with my foot (besides Plantar), OR there could be something that the x-ray never picked up on back when I had my stress fracture. In any case, it will make me feel better just knowing something... whether it's good or bad.

2008-12-15T05:54:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS TIME...

Is a busy time with parties, pageants, shopping (not a fan), visiting family and more. I unfortunately had to miss my niece's x-mas show because of coaching last week. So...my brother ended up videotaping the show and I thought I would share it with everyone to get in the holiday spirit!

Pretty good for some three year olds! I don't even know if I can remember the words to that song! I love that my niece towers over the other girls in her class. The fam is a little worried that she is going to be a giant, since her dad is 6'2" and two of her uncle's are almost 7' tall (obviously Brandon is not one of those uncle's!!).

Once again our family draws names for x-mas. And...once again B and I picked my dad and sister-in-law. It's interesting how this has now happened 3 years in a row. It's got to be rigged somehow. Last year when we drew names, my brother thought it would be funny to put his name on all the drawings. We eventually all found out because my mom would ask me what she should get my bro for x-mas and I would be asking her what I should get him...sneaky but funny.

More updates later this week.

2008-12-09T18:07:00.000-08:00

WEATHER

What is up with this weather lately? Today I was wearing t-shirt and shorts and tomorrow I will be wearing my snowsuit. I love Texas and the weather here, but this inconsistency lately is driving me nuts. I wish it would either stay warm (which I prefer) or stay cold for at least a week at a time instead of this day to day changes.

Today's swim was a good one. Hard but good. Total was 5k. It went as:
10 x 50's @45 Drill (warm-up)
10 x 100's @ 1:10 Swim
10 x 50's
odds @ 30 (yes...30 seconds)
evens @ 40 with only 5 breaths (I wanted to die here)
10 x 100's w/ fins @ 1:05
10 x 50's @ 55
odds: kick
evens: IM
10 x 100's @ 1:10 Pull
10 x 50's @ 1:00
odds: FAST
evens: EZ

Total: 5000

I guess the only real hard part was the 10 x 50's with the 5 breaths and on the 30 seconds. I think only one person in our lane made all 10 x 50's correctly (Todd B.). I made a couple of the 50's on the 30 seconds but then had to breathe every single stroke on the other 50's. Tough.

I went to boot camp today since I couldn't make it yesterday. I'm trying to go 2x a week so that I get buff. Last week was mostly legs and I could barely walk. Today was mostly arms so I don't think I'll be swimming much or using my arms the rest of the week (glad I got that swim in today)!

Coached at the Hills this afternoon/evening and then finished with a long run of 35 minutes on the tready since the cold front was coming.

2008-12-05T06:14:00.000-08:00

DEHYDRATED WATER

Have you ever heard of dehydrated water?...just add water. Ok... so that was a joke, but there is such a thing as dehydrated peanut butter and it is really freakin' good.

My co-worker/boss bought this PB2 for me for my birthday because he knows that I just love PB. This stuff rocks. You can add to anything to get more of a PB taste without the mess, such as...smoothies, oatmeal, ice cream, stir fry, just to name a few. The only downside is that you have to order it online. However, I did just notice on the website that PB2 has dehydrated chocolate peanut butter. Now that is just dangerous!!!

Check PB2 out here

P.S. If anyone is wondering...I am still sore.

2008-12-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

VERY, VERY SORE AND THANKSGIVING DAY PICS

I did a boot camp on Monday at the new High Intensity Training Center (HIT) and now I can barely move. I've never done a boot camp before and I wanted to give it a try. I figured since I'm still not running much right now, that I would incorporate some strength training to mix things up a bit. Muscles in my body that I never even knew existed are sore. It is laughable to watch me move around right now. But... it was fun and so different than just your regular weight lifting routine, that I will be back at HIT tomorrow to do it all over again!

Check HIT out. They are working on their Austin website.

Here are a couple of pictures from Thanksgiving at our house...

Brandon and Bowen

Me and Bowen

Me, Bro, Bowen and Mackenzie

And... the aftermath of it all. I must say that our Thanksgiving Day feast was a success but it wiped us out the rest of the day.

I'm now about to try and get my sore body up out of the chair to go eat dinner...painful.

2008-11-27T07:06:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

"Today is the only day where big thighs look good"

Time to enjoy family, friends, good food, movies and football. I have the fat pants on and I'm ready to go. B and I are hosting Thanksgiving at our house today. We will have 10 (1/2) people to feed and I'm looking forward to it. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I will post more later this weekend and will hopefully have some pics as well (don't hold your breath). But for now...I need to get cookin'.

2008-11-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

ARIZONA

Tomorrow morning B and I head out to Arizona. B is racing the Ironman on Sunday. Did he actually have to pick an Ironman that is on my b-day? It will be an extra special day though if he does really well!!! Anyways, I will be out there cheering loud and proud. It will be fun to catch up with a good friend of mine who's husband is also racing. Check out ironmanlive.com for live updates on Sunday.

More when I return.

2008-11-17T06:41:00.000-08:00

WHY

Why do people take their dogs to Lowe's? I can understand taking dogs to Petco and other pet stores, but Lowe's? I was in Lowe's yesterday and saw 3 dogs...yes 3. I felt like I was the one in the wrong store.

Why do they have to put stickers on apples? I don't know how many times I have eaten a sticker because I forget to take the darn thing off. Plus, even when I do take the sticker off, I don't have anywhere to put it unless there is a garbage can right next to me. So...I end up sticking the stickers in just random places. B is always surprised when he finds an apple sticker on his dinner plate or smoothie cup!

And finally...why do people have to fudge their swim times? I've clearly beaten people in practice. Then they tell the coach that they went the same time or faster than me. Um...hello? What's the point?

Just some randoms on a Monday morning.

2008-11-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

TOUR DAS HUGEL

Today was the annual Tour Das Hugel ride in Austin. It is 105 miles and covers 14,600 feet of climbing on some of the most nasty hills in Austin. Check it out here

So... this is the second year I have done this ride. I have to be honest though, I have never done the full 105 miles. Last year I only rode one loop which took me about 2 hours and 15 minutes. Today I decided that I was going to ride part of the second loop and try to go farther than I did last year. Goal accommplished! I ended up riding about 3 hours and 30 minutes today. I'm kind of mad at myself for not finishing though, because the group I was riding with was doing the whole 105 miles...so I was the wimp of the group today. I mean it's not like I'm training for a long race or anything (hmmm...). Next year I plan on riding the full 105 miles and making it a yearly tradition to finish the whole ride!

This ride is HARD but I love it! There were about a 100 or so people that started today and I'm not sure how many will finish. There are definitely a couple of hills out there that I thought I was going to have to walk my bike up, or that I thought my lungs were going to pop out of my chest(but didn't!).

So, see ya'll next year for the full 105 miles!!!

2008-11-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

MY NEW FAVORITE PLACE TO RUN...

The intramural fields off 51st Street. Yes, I have lived here 7 years and I have never been over to the intramural fields...until this past week. I would recommend running there to anyone who is returning from any kind of foot injury. It's as if you are running on pillows. Awesome.

Update on foot and running:

Well...I've been running a couple of times this week for 15 minutes straight. My calves were so sore that I couldn't walk for a couple of days. Everything feels great when I'm running. I feel no pain where my stress fracture was which is good. However, when I finish running everything else around my stress fracture hurts (calves, heel, ankle). This is obviously to be expected since I was in a boot for 8 weeks and it's hard not to freak out about everything hurting. I know it will take some time to build back my calf and ankle strength so I just have to be patient and positive. It just feels really good to be able to run again right now. I did go to the doctor this past week to get my foot checked out again. The doc said that I have a little bit of Plantar and also some tendinitis in the inside of my ankle. I've been doing some rehab exercises to hopefully cure everything that is going on. For now, I will keep running a couple of times a week for 15 minutes until I feel that I can do more without any pain. I have another doctor's appt. in a week or so for another check up.

B and I are still slowly working on some house renovations. We're hoping to get everything done by Thanksgiving. WHY? Well, we will be hosting our families this year for the big feast. My parents, his parents, my bro , sis-in-law, niece and nephew. We're still trying to figure out how everyone is going to fit in our house!

2008-11-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

UPDATES FROM THIS PAST WEEK

-Ran (wogged) 3x for a total of 15 min. each time. So far everything seems to be going well. Was suppose to have my doctors appt. last Monday. However, I went and they told me that my appt. was this coming Monday (tomorrow 11/3). I hate when that happens.

-Got my hair cut. This time I actually got it cut short and not just a trim. I figured it's only hair and it grows back. Plus, I can still pull it back in a little ponytail (yeah).

-Enjoyed an evening at Mother's Restaurant on Halloween. I did hand out candy which was fun. I think the highlight of the night was when a ~3 year old boy took candy out from his bowl and put it in my bowl. I tried putting it back in his bowl but then he kept giving it back to me. This happened about 3x!

-Started more of a structured training schedule yesterday (Nov. 1st). I figured after 2 months of no structure that it was time to get back in the swing of things.

-Celebrated my Aunts b-day this evening at my parents house. My aunt and cousin are visiting from Pittsburgh, PA for a week.

-Although our website still needs a lot of work, you can check out a sneak peak here. Notice the old school picture of B!

Tune in later this week.

2008-10-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

WALKING + JOGGING = WOGGING

Yes! I did it...I wogged for 15 minutes today on the treadmill. I did 1 minute walk and then 2 minutes jog 5x. It felt GREAT to run again. It was SLOW but whocares?... I was running. I wanted to run fast but I'm going to be patient with this. I will probably wog every other day for awhile and see how that goes.

More Later.

2008-10-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

PAINTING

So we're painting our computer/bike room. O.k. so WE'RE not painting it but we hired some guy to come and paint it. I could do it myself but... since I haven't 'touched up' the hallway ceiling in 3 years, B thought it would be best to hire someone to paint. I'm not complaining. I am painting a book shelf though. Well, if you call spray painting...painting. We bought one can of spray paint thinking it would cover the book shelf. We were WAY off. The one can of spray paint only covered 2 1/2 shelves! I don't know what we were thinking because it is a rather large book shelf. So, I went back to the store to buy 4 more cans. Hopefully that will be enough. We shall see.

Last night I went to a swim clinic that featured Ian Crocker. The clinic was for the tri- kids that I coach and a couple of other local swim teams in the area. Ian talked about where he grew up, how he got involved in swimming, and his three Olympic experiences. Yes, not one but THREE Olympics...amazing. He then gave a stroke clinic on butterfly. However, he didn't get in the water. Instead, he had a friend of his(CK)do all the demonstrating. Why? Well...Ian said that he hasn't been in the water since Beijing and doesn't plan on getting in the water anytime soon! I guess that's what 18 years of competition does to you.

2008-10-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

MY KEYS...

Have been found!!! I got a call today from a lady in Round Rock saying she found my keys. I had my handy USAT card on my key chain with my name on it. She just looked up my name in the phone book and found me. It's great news...although now I have two sets of keys.

It's funny that after you make new copies of your keys that the old ones come back a week or so later. Plus, our Mazda truck key cost $120 bucks. Not cool.

In foot news...I'm feeling really good. I've been able to walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night with NO PAIN. I think it has been almost two years since I've had no pain in either foot (plantar fascitis, stress fracture). I have one more week of recovery and then will SLOWLY start running again.

Things are looking up!

2008-10-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

6 WEEKS GONE BY

Out with the boot

In with the shoe

Well...it has finally been six weeks since I was diagnosed with a stress fracture in my foot. It feels like it has been longer. I actually didn't go insane without running which I thought I would. In the end, I think the recovery has mentally and physically been really good for me. I followed the doctors orders and wore the boot for six weeks. I am now going to wear the shoe for two weeks to make it a full eight weeks of recovery. The foot is feeling pretty good, and I probably don't need two more weeks in the shoe. However, there is no rush for me to jump back into training since the season is over. So... I want to be smart and take a full eight weeks off so that this never EVER happens again.

I've also posted some pictures of the renovations we've been working on.

New Blinds on all the windows. Brandon installed them himself...I supervised. They look good but everything is a little too white. So, next I need to paint the walls (not sure when that will be though).

New stained glass window in my bathroom. Yes, we did it ourselves! Actually it's just a film that you put over the window but we thought it looked pretty good.

2008-10-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

I RODE WITH LANCE ARMSTRONG TODAY...

Yep, that's right. I rode with Lance and the boys for about 10 minutes today. Did Lance even know I was there? NOPE but it was fun! This was only my second ride outside in 6 weeks (I have been doing some Computrainer rides a couple of days a week as well) but it will be memorable one. I have lived in Austin six years and have never had a Lance sighting until today.

Anywho, I was riding home from Barton Springs this morning and stopped at the light at Bee Caves and Mopac. Suddenly a group of about 8 guys rolled up behind me. As I was looking around at everyone, I noticed that most of guys had on Mellow Johnny jerseys and then there was one guy with a Livestrong Jersey, Livestrong socks, Livestrong helmet, Livestrong bike shorts, and a trek bike. Hmmm...

So, when the light turned green I stayed with the group (just like one of those annoying riders who just tags along without asking). I talked to one of the guys in the group and asked (to make sure) if that was Lance riding in front of us. He told me...YES. My jaw just dropped and I wanted to scream (but I kept my cool)! I then asked how long they were riding. He told me a few hours. Since I haven't been riding over an hour the last six week, there was no way that I was going to jump up to a 3 hour ride today. Plus, they probably didn't want anyone tagging along for the ride (especially a girl). So, I just kept riding with them for about 10 minutes until I had to turn to go home. I really wanted to pass Lance going up one of the hills but thought that would be a little much. Maybe next time!

That's my exciting news for today. Off to coach and then to Glenrose, Tx later this afternoon for a nice relaxing weekend.

P.S. Still no keys.

2008-10-07T18:36:00.000-07:00

Lost Keys

There is nothing more stressful than losing your keys. Lost my keys some time Saturday afternoon. I went to a carnival with my parents and 3 year old niece. When it was time to go home my keys were no where in sight. I have know idea where they are. Looked everywhere and even backtracked my steps. Left my name and a description of my keys with the Lost and Found at the carnival. I've been waiting patiently by the phone hoping someone has found them. So far...no luck.

Other than my lost keys the weekend was a good one. Friday night went out to Austin Java with some friends who were also hosting some 'Pro' triathletes for Longhorn 70.3. Good meal and good times.

Saturday well...as explained above was a little stressful. Longhorn 70.3 was on Sunday and although I would much rather be racing, I did enjoy cheering for everyone out there. Congrats to everyone who finished the race on such a tough course.

Have also been working on some home renovations lately...new blinds for the whole house, fixing up the 1970's bathroom, and possibly painting the computer/bike room. I still have paint on the ceiling from when I painted the hallway (never did get around to touching it up and it's been almost 3 years). So...we'll see if I end up painting again.

That's all for now.
-acm

2008-10-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

MID-WEEK UPDATE

I can't believe it is already October. Time seems to just fly by. Just finished a nice morning swim at UT. Am now at the Hills writing swim workouts and getting ready to do some rehab exercises for my foot.

The swim this morning had a little bit of everything: swim, kick, pull, stroke, etc... Our main set was some 150's with some fast efforts in there. I did fly and backstroke on the fast efforts just to mix it up a bit. After the main set we did 20 x 50s pull where it was 4 @ 35 sec. and 1 ez @ 50 sec. repeat. To my surprise I held 30 sec. on all 50's. Not bad.

Longhorn 70.3 is this weekend. No... I'm not racing (wish I was), but Brandon is so I will be out there cheering. We are hosting Pro triathlete Ben Hoffman from Durango, Colorado this weekend. We met Ben last year at ITU World Championships in France and have kept in touch. Great athlete and super nice guy. Should be a good time.

2008-09-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

LATE NIGHTS

Well...I guess you can just put my name up there with Samantha McGlone and Michellie Jones as my season is over as well due to injury. Still not quite sure the why the big magazines haven't covered me yet (insert sarcasm here). Maybe it's because I don't do Ironmans. Hmmm???

I aqua jogged Friday evening with some friends. It was the first time that I have aqua jogged in about a year, and now I remember why it has been a year since the last time...it's BORING. At least I had company though or else I would have gone insane. Ended the evening with a nice home cooked meal with some friends.

Anyways, B and I have been staying up pretty late the last couple of days. Thursday evening I didn't get home until 9:00pm from coaching. We ended up taping Grey's Anatomy (yes, we watch that show) since it was the two hour season premiere. Started watching Grey's around 9:30pm and finished about 11:30pm or so. Again, Friday evening we were up late with some friends eating and chatting. Good times. Then...Saturday evening B and I rented a movie and stayed up late once again. That leaves me to today where I am exhausted. Slept in, ate some pancakes and am taking the day off!

These past two weeks my workouts were done when I wanted to, how I wanted to do them (mostly swimming), and for as long as I wanted to do them. Nothing structured. Starting tomorrow, I plan on working out 5x a week (either swimming, biking, or both) and taking 2 days completely off per week. I should finally be able to ease into running after these next 4 weeks. If I could run with the boot on I would as I feel no pain with it on. But...I'm being smart with my recovery since I don't want this injury to ever happen again.

That's about it right now. Boring I know... but it's better than nothing.

2008-09-23T10:10:00.000-07:00

WEIRD

I always wear my watch and wedding ring to bed. ALWAYS. It's a habit. This morning when I woke up, my watch and ring were missing from my wrist and finger. My first reaction was...someone broke into our house and stole my watch and ring right off of me while I was sleeping. I was then in panic mode as I had know idea where my watch and ring were. I looked all over the bed, floor, and bathroom and didn't find anything. I then went back and looked over the bed again...and when I lifted up my pillow, there was my ring and watch. Isn't that just weird? It was if I was waiting for the tooth fairy or something!

2008-09-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

HALF WAY

It has now been 3 weeks since I strapped on the boot. 3 more weeks to go (not as if I'm counting down or anything). Although I will probably graduate to a smaller boot 2 weeks after the full 6 weeks making it 8 weeks total of no running...got that? Just want to be on the safe side. Will probably also get another x-ray before I start any running.

The foot is actually feeling pretty good. I feel no pain when I'm walking in the boot...probably because it is HUGE and has a lot of padding.

I swam 5x last week. All swims were anywhere from 2k-3k. It felt good to be in the water again. The foot doesn't hurt when I swim or kick which is great. I have to be careful pushing of the wall though. I've been pushing off with my left foot only which works pretty good. Unfotunately, it leaves my left hip incredibly sore!

I will start doing some rehab this week for my foot and ankles. I'm looking forward to strengthening my feet so that I can hopefully prevent any further injuries. I have very weak ankles and a hard time trying to dorsi flex my feet for running. My feet are so used to being pointed when kicking in the water, that it's just natural for me to land on my toes when I run.

We spent the weekend at B's parents house. I basically just relaxed the whole time I was there. NICE. I ate, read some, watched movies, ate some more, did crosswards and just hung out with the fam.

More of the same this week...swimming. I'll maybe try to add in a couple of rides depending on how the foot feels.

Have a great week!

2008-09-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

SWIMMING AGAIN

Yesterday I swam 2k on y own. Today I decided to go to UT and swim. Did about 3k today. To my surprise...I actually felt pretty good in the water. Not sure why but I thought of some possible reasons...

- I'm rested, I mean REALLY rested
- Maybe I'm just excited to be back in the water working out
- Been feeling like a big fat cow the last two weeks so I could be a bit more buoyant now
- I moved down a lane so the intervals weren't too hard so I got more rest

May try biking this week. But, if it hurts...I will stop. Don't worry I don't want to be in the boot any longer than I have to be.

That's all for now.

2008-09-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

AUSTIN...THE CITY OF NO RAIN

Once again the weatherman said we were going to get hit hard this weekend with some rain...because of Hurricane Ike. We didn't get a drop of rain! Ofcourse, I don't want to see any damage done but I like a good thunderstorm every now and then. I do hope everyone in Houston and Galveston are o.k.

Crutches are in the garbage. Not really... but I gave them my two weeks and now I'm done. I am now walking in the boot for the next 4 weeks. I bought a pair of Dansko clogs yesterday. I hear they are the magical shoe. Not really sure why but everyone told me that I should get a pair if I have problems with my feet. So...I bought a pair, mainly because I wanted a shoe that is the same height as my boot so that I'm not limping around.

Well...I did it! No workouts for two weeks. I bet a lot of you thought I couldn't do it (actually, I didn't think I could either). It actually wasn't too bad. My mind feels refresh though and I'm looking forward to swimming easy this week. For the next couple of weeks I'm planning on working out when I feel like it, what I feel like doing (basically I'm limited on this one) and how long I feel like doing it. Again...nothing structured for awhile.

2008-09-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

SHORT POST

I've been meaning to post about one of my athletes (K.B.) last week but obviously some issues got in the way. So...I wanted to congratulate K.B. on a solid performance at the Austin Sprint Tri. K.B. won her age group and was the 5th women overall in the sprint race. The kicker...she's only 14! Yes, that's right 14. Watch out for K.B in the years to come as she has a lot of potential in this crazy sport of triathlon.

I've also started my second 6-week Pre-Masters class this week. I have 15 people in the class which is great. Everyone is so eager to learn! We did a 20 minute swim yesterday so that I can figure out swim paces for the remainder of the classes. Then... finished the practice working on flipturns. I have to say... everyone finally got the flipturn down before class ended. Awesome.

Watch out for hurricane Ike this weekend. Be safe.
-acm

2008-09-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

ONE WEEK DOWN...

about 5-7 to go! I did absolutely NO training this week. None. Nada. Zero. Zip. How do I feel? Lazy and like a big fat pile of poo but it's all good. It's also interesting that I seem to eat more and be more tired when I DON'T work out.

I supposedly have only one more week on the stupid crutches. Here are some things that I noticed this past week being on crutches:

- Going to the bathroom in the middle of the night is difficult. I tried using the crutches one night but stumbled because I was half asleep. So now... I keep the desk chair (that's on wheels) next to the bed and roll over the bathroom. So much easier. Although B is not too happy with my great idea because it is quite loud and wakes him up.

- It's hard to push a grocery cart with crutches. I went to Costco and realized that I would have a tough time pushing the cart. So...I hopped on one of the sit-down carts and did my shopping that way. Again, much easier. The only embarrassing part of the sit-down cart was that it beeps when you go backwards. It's not a quiet beep either. I think all of Costco knew I was backing up.

- I'm sure there is more but that was all that happened this week that I can remember.

I actually don't think I really need the crutches but I'm trying to follow the doctors orders. I have no pain unless I stand on my foot barefoot (when I shower). Other than that I don't feel much pain.

More later.

2008-09-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

SORE ARMS

Crap...my arms are extremely sore from the crutches. I can barely lift them over my head. I think in a couple of weeks my arms will be bigger than my legs. I keep wanting to test out my foot to see if it's really broken (but I don't...I've been good staying on my stupid crutches). It's kind of like when you have a sore throat and you keep swallowing to see if it's still there. I want the Doctor's to be wrong with their diagnosis.

I have decided to take 2 full weeks off of training. That means no swimming, no biking, and no running (obviously). I'm finally going to take the time off mentally, physically, and structurally. Some of you are probably thinking that I will go insane. Yes...maybe I will, but I think this is best for me at this time. I may try and do some Yoga. But again...I can't put any pressure on my foot so I'm limited to what I can do. Plus, I'm not really a fan of Yoga.

2008-09-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

X-RAYS

Well...it's official. I have not ONE but TWO fractures on my 4th metatarsal in my right foot. So, I will be taking the next 6-8 weeks off to recover. I am on crutches right now but hopefully will be off of them soon (within 2 weeks). This is the first time that I have ever broken a bone or have been on crutches. After day two of crutches, I already have some chaffing on my sides. I guess it's time to get out the body glide. At home, instead of using the crutches I've been wheeling around in our desk chair. It's so much easier to get around that way!

We bought our tickets and everything for Cancun last Friday as we were planning on doing Cancun 70.3. I can't believe we booked everything on Friday and then I fractured my foot on Saturday. Just bad luck. B will probably still race but I will most likely stay home so that I can coach. That way I don't have to find any subs to take over my classes while I'm gone. I will still go to Clearwater 70.3 Worlds in November to watch and support...AGAIN.

Watched two movies this past weekend while B's parents were in town. One was CLEANER with Samual L. Jackson. His job is to clean up crime scenes, but ends up getting 'set-up' after cleaning up a gruesome murder scene. The other movie was THE SHOOTER starring Mark Walberg (aka...Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch). It's about a long distance sniper who is framed for a presidential assassination. Both good flicks.

I started reading the 'Last Lecture' by Randy Pausch. After I read the first paragraph, I put the book down and took the time to realize how good my life really is. I'm not sure if I will finish the book as it looks to be a tear jerker. Plus, I have a history of starting books and then half way through I find something else to read. Here's the first paragraph: "I have an engineering problem. While for the most part I am in terrific physical shape, I have ten tumors in my liver and I have only a few months left to live. I am a father of three young children and married to the woman of my dreams. While I could easily feel sorry for myself, that wouldn't do them or me any good."

I have some projects that I want to work on over the next six weeks since I won't be training much. One of those projects is to get the Team-Marsh website up and running. I'm actually meeting with Joey tomorrow morning to go over some ideas for the site. So...hopefully in six weeks www.team-marsh will be finished since it has just been sitting there for over a year! Be patient though because it will be a work in progress.

More later.

2008-09-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

AUSTIN TRIATHLON RACE REPORT

WEll, there isn't one. Here is the story...

After River Cities Tri (Aug 3) I put in about 4 or so weeks of solid training. My swim was feeling great, was killing it on the bike and my run was starting to come around. I was fit. Excited to race. Until...

Saturday morning. B and I went for a nice easy 30 minute jog just to warm up our legs. About half way through the run my foot was killing me. No...not my heel (although it was the same foot) but more underneath my foot. I had to hobble/walk the rest of the way home. After the run we headed down to Source Endurance for a nice easy Austin Tri pre-course ride. And EASY it was. I think we rode 8 miles in about 1.5 hours or so... which also included a lot of stops. I was having fun talking to everyone and telling them how excited I was to race the Austin Tri, and that my PF was getting better. I was finally going to be able to finish out the season this year.

My foot hurt a little during the ride but just thought nothing of it. Got home and iced my foot right away hoping the pain would go away. It almost felt as if I had a really bad foot cramp or my foot needed to be cracked. Anyways, as the day went on my foot hurt even more.

Saturday evening I was a little concerned and didn't know what to do. I didn't want to go to the emergency room, as it didn't hurt that bad but I knew something was up. Luckily, I have a friend who happens to be an ER doctor. I called her up and gave her my symptoms. She immediately thought it was probably a stress fracture, but would need to see me to be sure. So...I headed over to her house around 8:00pm Saturday night so that she could look at my foot. Her diagnosis...probably an acute stress fracture to the 4th metatarsal. WHAT??? How could this happen? I only went for a 30 minute EASY run. My heel was feeling good. My training has been going well. Why is this happening two days before a race? I couldn't believe it. I told Patti (ER Doc) and B that there was no way I wasn't racing, especially after I have been telling everyone how excited I was to race and to finish out the season. They both looked at me as if I was crazy to try and race since I could barely walk.

As soon as I got in the car, B said it was ok to cry (again not much of a crier). But...I cried all the way home. I e-mailed Dr. Seller's when I got home so that I could get his opinion as well. Sunday rolled around and I intended to get an x-ray in the morning, but none of the radiology places were open. To my surprise, Dr. Seller's called me and told me to meet him at his office to do some tests. What Doctor calls and meets you at the office on a Sunday??? Awesome. Dr. Seller's did some tests and he also agreed with Patti in that it is possibly a stress fracture. I will be getting an x-ray tomorrow to know for sure if it is a stress fracture.

Un-freaking-believable. So...no Austin Tri for me. I'm more frustrated than anything. This is the second year in a row that I have had to end my season early. I know that it's not the end of the world and things could definitely be a lot worse. I guess this is just a sign telling me to stop and get healthy. Well...I'm going to listen and take a full 6-8 weeks off of running and a couple of weeks off of biking as well. I know this is all happening for a reason and I think the time off will be good for me (but hard). I hope to come back fitter, stronger and healthier next year.

There is some good news... my heel pain is gone (at least I don't feel it)! And I hope it NEVER returns. Both doctors told me that I've probably had the stress fracture for awhile but didn't notice it because of my heel pain. Interesting...but makes sense.

Thank you's: Patti- FOR EVERYTHING, I don't know what I would have done without all your help, Dr. Seller's- for shortening your golf game so that you could see me on a Sunday afternoon, you're the best, and I owe you big, B- for putting up with me, B's parents- for cooking, cleaning, and helping us out this weekend, M&D- for keeping me company.

Time to REST up.

P.S. If anyone is looking for a relay partner for a triathlon, I will be happy to do the swim portion!

2008-08-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

ANOTHER SWIMMER IN THE FAMILY

Last Saturday I headed to my brother's house to spend time with the fam. I took my 3 year old niece swimming...and I was amazed. No floaties, no noodles, no nothing. She was swimming all by herself. She even wanted to race me... and of course she won...I don't want to be a mean Aunt even though I hate to lose! I'm thinking 2020 Olympics?

After swimming it was dinner time. Mackenzie (my niece) said prayer and it went something like this..."Thank God for my mommy, Thank God for my Daddy, Thank God for our dirty floor." I take it she must have been looking down at the floor just thinking of anything to say. Hilarious. Anywho, it was a nice relaxing weekend.

On tap this weekend...
-spend time with B's parents as they are coming in to town Saturday afternoon
-swim, bike, run, eat and sleep
-Austin Triathlon on Monday

Training has been going well. I did the Run-Far TT on Tuesday evening and ended up going 1 whole second faster than last time which was back in June. I used the same set up...race wheels but no aero helmet. I'm blaming it on the conditions because it definitely felt faster this time around.

Running is coming along. I'm still running every other day but have been adding in one speed workout a week which kills me. I know it will get easier and will be back to my full speed again soon. Patience.

Another post on Monday after the race. I promise it will be on Monday after the race since I know that my readers sit on the edge of their seats waiting for a new post.

2008-08-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

A MUCH NEEDED UPDATE

Well...it's been way too long since I last blogged. Check out the article on PureSport here. This sports drink is making headlines all over the world. If you haven't tried it yet...DO. The taste is amazing and you never know...you could someday win 8 gold medals.

Anywho, I raced the Austin Triathletes open water swim last weekend. Fun event. It was nice waking up and heading out the door with just a swimsuit, cap and goggles...no bike or anything to worry about. I opted for the 2.4 distance. Why? I don't know. Well...B actually told me that I should race the 2.4 because it would be good for me. Plus, he thought I would look like a wimp if I picked one of the shorter distances. So...this 2.4 swim was my second ever 2.4 open water swim (Hawaii Ironman 2005). I have to say it actually wasn't that bad. I swam on my own because two guys took off in front of me never to be seen again. I just plugged along at a decent pace and worked on my sighting. I did end up first female (third overall). Afterwards, it was nice knowing that I didn't have to bike 112 miles and then run 26.2 miles. I don't know how I ever did that!

Look for more open water swim opportunities coming next spring all over Texas. Thanks to Joey at Austin Triathletes, there are going to be some fun events planned in Corpus, Houston and of course Austin. Should be fun.

Although I look forward to the Olympics every 4 years, I'm actually looking forward to them being over because I'm exhausted. I've had an Olympic hangover for the past week and a half and it's killing me. I must say it has been quite exciting to watch though. Right when I'm about to turn off the t.v. to finally go to bed, that Bob Costas guy always has some story to keep me interested.

Oh...and is anyone else sick off that commercial with the old lady hitting the guy with her big bag after he hits her car. I think it's a commercial for Nationwide Insurance or something but...enough already.

2008-08-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

PERFORMANCE WELLNESS AND WEEKEND UPDATE

I would like to give a shout out to Performance Wellness and crew for supporting me since 2005 and especially these last couple of months (and last year) as I've been dealing with Plantar. Dr. Chris Sellers (ART), Phil Davis (PT) and all the massage therapists (Gina, Katie, Blaze, Michael, and Lisa) are amazing. They have all been so accommodating, supportive and patient every time I walk through their office door(which is 2-3x a week). I have seen all the massage therapists at Performance Wellness and they all have their own unique techniques. Lately I've been seeing Michael mainly because he fits my schedule. I must say...he has a magic touch. He mostly massages my foot and calves using his trigger point techniques. On Saturday, after a nice solid 3 hour ride, I had a massage with Michael. I got the special treatment when he surprised me with a hot stone massage. It felt wonderful!!! That was my first hot stone massage and now I want one everyday (don't think that will happen though). If you have never had a hot stone massage...get one. It will make you melt. Thank you Performance Wellness!

Now for a weekend update...

Friday evening B and I procrastinated until about 7:00pm to do an easy easy run. I ran 35 minutes and added in 3x 100m strides (woo hoo). At least it's some kind of speed work! After the run, we hit up one of our favorite Mexican restaurants...Changos(Yum).

Saturday morning was a good 3 hour ride with some intervals in there. Afternoon/evening was spent relaxing watching some Olympics and massage.

Ran ~55 minutes on Sunday! That is my longest run in over two months. There were spurts where I had pain and some spurts where there was no pain. Progress, progress progress. Actually the most painful part of my long run was my head. Yes...my head. I ran into a low tree branch that I didn't see. The branch took me by surprise and even knocked my visor off. I stopped for about 30 seconds to see if anyone saw this embarrassing moment. Then...finished the rest of the run with a headache.

Sunday afternoon was spent at Casa De Luz (another favorite restaurant), watching more Olympics, and church.

Oh...Jason Lezak is my new hero. Unbelievable anchor leg on the 4 x 100meter free relay last night. I was screaming my head off at the t.v. cheering for him. WOW!
-acm

2008-08-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

RIVER CITIES TRI ( Triple Win and A Must Do Race)

I now know why the River Cities Sprint Tri is sold out every year. Great venue, great music, great schwag (backpack, towel, sunglasses, 2 shirts, hat, and socks-WOW), great volunteers, and a fast course. If you haven't raced River Cities... DO IT! The drive to Shreveport is easy and goes by fast. It would be a fun road trip with some friends if you get the chance. But...sign up early because it sells out quick!

The water temp was a nice 94 degrees. Got in the water to warm up, but realized I was melting so I got out and found some shade. Since there was no 'open' wave for this race, I started in wave #8 out of 11 (30 minutes after B). Started way left of everyone so that I could go around people instead of through them. It may have been a bit longer but it was definitely less congested. My stroke felt good and my arms actually never got tired. Usually toward the end of the swim my arms are ready to fall off. Was finally glad to be out of the hot tub and on the bike.

The bike course is awesome. Fast, smooth, and rolling...just what I like. I knew Caroline Smith, fellow Zoot teammate, was right behind me so I just put my head down and pushed the pace. I stayed to the left the whole ride and tried to pass as many people as I could.

Was first off the bike (woman) but didn't know how much of a lead I had. My legs felt good starting the run and to my surprise even my heel felt ok. It wasn't fast but I was running with little pain so I'll take it. At the turn around, I noticed that I had a decent lead and I just tried to hold it for the rest of the run. I thought it was funny when I passed a guy towards the end of the run and he yelled out "Guys, here she comes...don't get chicked". So...of course this motivated me to try and run down everyone that was in front of me!

Ended up with the overall win, B also ended up with the overall win, and the triple win of the weekend was that I won $70 at the casino (yeah me)! I was actually up $100 at one point but man... gambling is addicting. I finally had to put a curfew on myself so that I would leave the casino.

I'm back to the daily grind of training and coaching this week. It was nice to get away for the weekend even if it was only to Shreveport!

P.S. Not sure where my last post went. I don't think I deleted it.
-acm

2008-07-23T18:46:00.001-07:00

PICS

Me and the AFLAC Duck

I'm RUNNING! (B informed me that my shorts have a hole in them)

2008-07-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

IRONGIRL

First I wanted to share a funny picture of my nephew Bowen (or BoBo if you like). The funny thing about this picture is that he looks exactly like my dad...I'm talking twins. Scary.

Anywho, this past weekend B and I headed up to Dallas to visit his parents. I also raced the Irongirl Triathlon on Sunday. This was a low pressure, all women's sprint race and it was a lot of fun. It was great seeing all different ages of women, and abilities out there competing. Every one of the ladies had a smile on their face, cheered everyone on that passed by and were just enjoying the day...now that's what triathlon is about!

The last week and a half I have been running every other day from anywhere to about 25-45 minutes. I thought that this sprint race would be a good test for my foot. Although my foot still hurt during the run, it at least felt better than the three miles I ran at Buffalo Springs. I would say that is progress!

I took today and will be taking tomorrow completely off. After that I will try and get in a good solid 5 week training block. I'm hoping to increase my run mileage and also get some speed work in over the next 5 weeks. We'll see how the foot holds up.

Oh...I ended up winning Irongirl.

2008-07-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

ROAD RAGE

So...yesterday as I was on my way to the Hills to swim, workout, coach, etc... I was driving up the ramp to 183 and I noticed some guy right on my tail. Seriously... almost touching my bumper. I wasn't driving slow or anything but my Ford Craptour's (I mean Contour) 4 little gerbils can only get up to the speed limit so fast. I had the pedal to the floor and was trying to get onto 183 as fast as I could so this jerk would get off of my bumper. As he passed me, he flicked me off and waved his arms around screaming and yelling at me. Um...what did I do wrong besides having a crappy car that doesn't accelerate very fast??? I don't know... but I did give him a little love honk and a wave then carried on my way. The rest of the drive to the Hills was not that exciting. Maybe someone at Roger Beasley Mazda will read this and sponsor us with a new car...Larry W. Do you read this?

Did some core work, swam about 1000m and that was it. I was going to swim a bit more but I felt like a big fat whale and called it a day. I've been taking it easy ever since Buffalo Springs which has been nice. I'm still working out quite a bit but the intensity is quite low.

Gotta go to bed. More later.

2008-07-07T07:10:00.000-07:00

LONG WEEKEND

Well...the long 4th of July weekend has come to an end. It all started Friday morning with a 3k swim at the lake with some friends. That is the longest open water I have done in a while. It was a good swim and with great company. Did some walking backwards on the treadmill and then finished the day with an easy hour on the bike. No fireworks this year as we didn't want to deal with all the traffic and crowds. Plus... Olympic Swimming Trials were on t.v. and since we're swim dorks (probably me more than B) we wanted to watch them. It's amazing that some of the swimmers that I swam with back in the day are still competing at Trials. Should be an exciting Olympics.

Saturday I rode the Dam Loop with B and P.E. I haven't done the Dam Loop in about a year or so. Not really a fan of riding on 620 because of all the lights and traffic for that matter. It was a good solid 3 hour ride though. The rest of the afternoon was spent up in Georgetown at my parents house. We had a nice dinner together and then watched more of the Olympic Swimming Trials (again swim dorks).

I attempted to run on Sunday for 25 minutes. It was better than Buffalo Springs but definitely still not 100%. I'm doing everything that I can for rehab and there are good days and bad. Walking backwards on the treadmill seems to stretch out the plantar a bit which is good. Just taking it one day at a time. Went to church in the evening and then watched more Olympic Swimming Trials on t.v. (and once again...swim dorks).

This week I start my Pre-Masters Swim classes which I'm looking forward to. After teaching the Swim 101 classes (which I'm still teaching) I've realized that there needs to be a transition class from Swim 101 to Masters swimming. Most beginner swimmers are intimidated by Masters Swimming so I thought Pre-Masters would be a good transition. The Pre-Masters class focuses on stroke technique, interval work (using the clock), flipturns, other 3 strokes (fly, back and breast) and everything you need to know before starting a Masters Swim Team. Right now I'm coaching Pre-Masters and Swim 101 through Rogue Running. So if you know of anyone timid about starting a Masters program...this would be a great option for them!

Next race? Well...I wanted to race Couples this weekend but that doesn't look like it's going to happen. I had some work done on my foot today and the Doc said that I probably shouldn't race if there is still pain. Plus, B didn't want to race anyways (I guess he's already raced about 30 times this year and needs a break). Me on the other hand, would race every weekend if I could. So...I'm hoping to do the Irongirl sprint race in Dallas July 20th. We shall see.

Hope everyone had a great 4th!

2008-07-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

WALKING BACKWARDS

At the race on Sunday, I was talking to another pro who has also had Plantar (actually who hasn't had Plantar?). She said that for 3 weeks she walked backwards on the treadmill 3x a week for 15 minutes and poof her Plantar was gone. At this point, I will try anything. So...after we returned from Lubbock yesterday afternoon, I headed over to Performance Wellness and hopped on their treadmill for 15 minutes. We'll see if it works.

Yesterday was a day off (well except for walking backwards for 15 minutes) as I was extremely tired. Today I rode an easy 75 minutes and that was it. I was going to swim an easy 2k as well, but I figured it would just be garbage yardage so I went home instead. I'm still pretty tired today and I didn't even finish the race on Sunday. I guess the waking up early (3:30am), staying out late (Sunday evening), and all the travel yesterday has caught up to me. Tomorrow will be another easy day and then I'll try to get back at it on Thursday.

2008-06-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

BUFFALO SPRINGS 70.3

1.2 mile swim-56 mile bike-3 mile run

Swim: Absolutely ridiculous. There was no count down to the start of the race so all the pros were caught off guard when the horn went off. I went straight into the water and started swimming. As I was breathing to my right, I saw everyone else RUNNING along the shore. I couldn't believe it. I knew the pros did this last year but I didn't know they were going to run 400 meters or so. I tried to swim over to the shore as fast as I could so that I could also run. It was a little too late though because once I got over there everyone finally started swimming and were quite a ways ahead of me. At this point there was nothing I could do but to try and pass as many people as I could. I'm usually out FAST on the swim and then die towards the end. But since I was in a different position this time (almost last), I had to really push to try and pass people or at least find someone to draft off of. I ended up passing two packs of swimmers and then was in no mans land swimming all alone. The next pack was a ways in front of me and I just couldn't catch them. I actually felt stronger towards the end of the swim which usually never happens. Was the 4th women out of the water, which to me was shocking since I started so far back.

Bike: Conditions were a little tough with the wind and rain this year. My goal time on the bike was 2:35. I raced Buffalo Springs 3 years ago and biked 2:40 so I knew I could be faster than that. I ended up biking 2:32. The ride seemed to go by fast. I did have a J&A (J. Mc.) shadow on me the whole ride. He did pass me on the down hills because I was a scaredy (sp) cat. The roads were really slick and I probably could have walked my bike down the hills faster than I was riding them! I ended up passing J. Mc. on the uphills (I love hills). The main goal on the bike was to nail my nutrition since I've had some issues in the past. I'm pleased to say that I ate/drank everything that I had planned and felt really strong the last 20 miles or so of the bike. Even noticed that I was gaining time on the 3 women that were ahead of me. Found out later that 2 of those women got penalties. Usually at the end of the ride I'm ready to get off the bike but this time I could have kept going all day long. I was off the bike in 4th place.

Run: Hopped off the bike and started the run. To my surprise my legs felt really good. The foot was definitely hurting and I knew I probably wouldn't finish the 13.1 miles. When I got to 3 miles, MG was there to see how I was feeling. I stopped...walked around a bit...debated whether or not I should keep going...stood around some more...sat down...debated again whether or not I should continue... then after about 10 minutes I finally made the smart decision to stop. It was so hard since I was in 4th place but knew if I kept going I wouldn't be doing my foot any favors. Ended up cheering a couple of people on and then got a ride back to transition. Again, the big picture is Clearwater in November and I just have to keep reminding myself of that.

Congrats to Source Endurance athletes (Brandon, Kelly and Pat) for their top 10 finishes. Also congrats to all the Austinites out there racing. It was fun seeing familiar faces out on the course. Now it's time to get healthy.

Next race: TBD

2008-06-25T06:10:00.000-07:00

RUN-FAR TT AND MORE...

Last night was the Run-Far Time Trial. I wanted to test my new Zipp 808 race wheels out and I must say...they are sweet! I think the last time I did this TT was over a year ago. I'm usually not able to race on Tuesday evenings because I coach. However, my next session of Swim 101 doesn't start until July. So...I was able to go out last night and put in my last hard effort on the bike before Buffalo Springs this weekend. And a hard effort it was. Had a tailwind on the way out and the Scott Plasma felt fast and smooth. Probably took it out a little too hard because I thought I was going to vomit on the way back. Definitely need to do hard efforts like that more often. I was able to break the course record with a time of 18:39 (old time was 18:52).

Speaking of Buffalo Springs...I will be starting the race but most likely not be finishing. I will be swimming, biking and then running 1 mile, 5k or if my foot miraculously heals 13.1 miles. If anyone sees me on the course and I'm limping please tell me to stop. That's my only worry is that once I start the run, I won't want to quit. However, I know that it is the right decision if I want to be able to finish out the season. I have to remember that the big picture is Clearwater in November and that to me is more important than running on Sunday. I think it takes a smarter athlete to know when to stop than to keep on pushing through the pain. Why am I racing then? Well...I'm registered, Brandon is racing, I'm fit, I love to compete, it's good practice, and it's fun. Will I just hammer the swim and the bike since I know I won't be able to finish the run? NO... because what is the point of that? I want to race how I would normally race if I were to finish so that the next HIM I race I will be even more prepared.

It seems as though my plantar fascitis has returned but in my OTHER foot. This came pretty abrupt about 3 weeks ago. Last year when I got plantar it was more gradual so I'm thinking that this time it was a new pair of shoes that I was training in for a couple of weeks. I've been doing all the rehab that I did last year and everything else I can possibly do (ART, massage, new orthotics, ice, rest, night splint, TP massage, new shoes)to help with a speedy recovery. I've recovered from this before and I know I can recover from it again but I have to be patient. I'm hoping that once I get over this nasty pain in this foot that I am done. I mean...I don't have anymore feet that I can get plantar in so this has to be the end of it right?

2008-06-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

TIGER WOODS...

is the man! Seriously...he is unreal. Saturday B and I spent the afternoon with my fam for Father's Day. We hung out and watched a lot of the U.S. Open. I was never a huge golf fan until I went to the 2000 U.S. Open in Pebble Beach with my brother. And yes...Tiger won in 2000 as well. Anyways, ever since I saw Tiger and all the other 'pros' at Pebble Beach, I have learned to appreciate the game more and am amazed at how good those guys are.

(not sure why the picture is so small)