Lots of love for the TRIkids!!

One of my absolute favorite parts of the week are the nights I coach the TRIkids. And, I'm not just saying that. I truly **LOVE** those kids!! And, I have to admit, I am darn proud that I have had a hand in forming the athletes they are growing up to be. Clearly, genetics plays a big part in what your athletic journey will look like but what about the kind of sportsman you are? That is all on YOU. Being an athlete comes naturally to some -- but who are you when you share the field? There are some teams that focus on being "bad ass". Push hard, go hard, no prisoners. But my favorite athletes are those who are skilled but centered. Just mad skills on top of a foundation of kindness and humility.

Now make no mistake: I push the TRIkids hard. Somedays REALLY hard. Somedays I think they may hate me. ;) But regardless of how difficult a training session or race is, they know that the ultimate goal is not just to do their best but to be the best sportsman.

And at the races this past weekend they all made me so incredibly proud! For example, one of our TRIkids fell down on the bike course. Other racers just went by but when another TRIkid came upon her, he actually got off his bike and helped her up. Now that's a true teammate, a true friend and a true sportsman. And, then at the Pink Power triathlon two of our TRIkids participated in the run as part of a relay. Now this course has a killer hill as it leads you back toward the finish line. And as our girls huffed, puffed and pushed up that dreaded hill, they still managed to eek out a quick "good job" to EVERY SINGLE athlete they passed or who passed them. And, after one of our girls finished, she ran back down the hill to wait for her teammate and run with her up that darn hill again!! It was absolutely awesome!

Oh, and I guess I should mention that some TRIkids took podium spots as well -- which is fantastic -- but the real inspiration was watching WHO they were and not just what they did.

So are my props to TRIkids. The crazy, silly, hardworking crew of awesome athletes I am blessed to coach. Go TRIkids!!!

Holy Smokes, I'm Re-Inspired!!

And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
. . .
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me

And I'm feeling good

I have an admission to make: I have a TON of 1/2 done blog posts sitting in my draft folder. The fact is, for the past year I have been "triathlon depressed". First -- even after surgery -- my hip injury apparently has no liklihood of getting better (at least according to my stupid doctor). That sucks. And, second -- an environment that used to be my peace -- my escape -- my complete joy -- turned into Total Drama Island and I experienced first-hand how the "Ironman monster" can turn some otherwise normal people into elitist braggarts. (Note I said "some" ... defintely not all. But the two or three affected ones were enough to suck the fun out of life, for sure.) In any event, this newfound knowledge made me incredibly sad -- for many reasons and on many different levels. I actually figured that perhaps the days of silly yet "serious training for not-so-serious people" was long gone.

But something happened recently that has turned it all around:

I helped coach and completed an Oly tri with some super-cool chicks. It. Was. Amazing. Not the race, per se. I mean, the race was fine -- gorgeous scenery, some good, fun hills, and perfect weather -- but the inspiration I got from the group of women I raced with was absolutely unbelieveable. These are women who are stellar athletes -- some just getting into triathlon and some who have been involved for a while -- and each one of them taught me something during our team weekend in Luray. The most important thing they taught me was that life -- like triathlon -- can be tough as hell sometimes -- but the foundation -- the real core of life -- is in laughing, sharing, supporting, encouraging, trying, failing, falling, getting up and trying again -- and, of course, doing it all with humility, perspective and grace. It was absolutely refreshing!!

So, I'm back . . . different. More learned. Perhaps a bit tainted. But excited, nevertheless, to see what adventures lie ahead.

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." Andre Gide

Bring it on. I am ready.

Pop the floaties . . .

Last night was my first swim with Coach Karen and, I have to admit, I was a little nervous. I had heard she was an "ass kicker" and that the TRIgirls were going to get a rude awakening from her vicious swim training. But, more than getting a tough workout, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the length of the whole workout since my New Year's resolution to actually get in the water went out the window about 2 months ago.

Let me tell you: I have no excuse for not swimming. I have EVERYTHING I need to make swim training easier for me: a pool at a gym less than 3 miles from my house, an awesome SwiMP3, a cool little finger gadget that counts my laps, time during the day to get it done. I'm just missing one teeny-tiny little thing: the will to actually do it. So, given my lack of swimming dedication, I had no choice but to simply hold fast to the hope that splashing around in the pool a couple times in January & early February was enough to keep me from drowning. To add to the pressure, Kelsey came with me to training to watch me -- or, I suspect, laugh at me!!

But, you know what? It wasn't bad at all. Actually, it was fine. Dare I say, fun? I forgot that I'm really bouyant. I mean, I just don't sink. I think you could tie weights to my legs and I would still float. Sure, it doesn't make me feel great about the percentage of body fat I must have to make me just sit on the water like a flippin' buoy but at least it makes it easier for me to swim! And, Kelsey even said she thought I did a good job -- even if I did look "kinda slow".

So, what did I learn from swimming last night? Well, I guess it's that the 10 pounds I picked up in the off-season really isn't so detrimental after all. So, now I'm happily off to get in another training session for the swim: which means I'm going to go eat a Nutter Butter. Got to keep that buoyancy up!

Dammit . . .

Well, the 10 mile run on Sunday felt pretty good. Monday: leg hurts. Hmmm. Maybe it's just that I ran too hard. Tuesday: my run kills the leg. Dammit. But, whatever. I'm SO done with injuries.

One of my favorite quotes has always been:

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to slide in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, screaming "HOLY CRAP what a ride!"
~unknown~

Looks like I'm living the dream, huh? :)

Also, it's 3 months, 24 days til Placid. I may want to think about getting in the pool sometime soon!! I have a feeling I'm going to get a complete and total butt whooping when I go to my first swim next week!!!! I'm totally going to bring my floatie, some flippers and a snorkel.

FINALLY an Answer . . .

I've been having this phantom leg pain for a few months now. Initially, I thought "Uh-oh. Is it even possible that the same stupid stress fracture is back?!?" So, of course, I did the smart thing: I ignored it and kept training through the discomfort. Yeah, my intelligence is a gift.

Flash forward a few weeks. Pain is now shooting down my leg. Well, that sucks. So, I go to see my super-awesome orthopaedic doctor. He thinks something is wrong in the joint but can't rule out a stress fracture so off I go to get another bone scan. Which comes back negative! Yay, me! But, dammit, doctor now says I should get an arthrogram and MRI to check the joint since he thinks there's cartilage damage in the joint -- more specifically a torn labrum -- that may need to be scoped out surgically. So, again, I do the smart thing: I ignore him and go get a gait analysis to see if maybe it's the way I'm running that's causing me pain. Seriously, I'm a friggin' genius!!

So Jim Miller spends all of his valuable time with me to tell me a couple things: 1 - my gait's not so bad -- actually, it's pretty good; and 2 - based on the pain I'm experiencing he thinks I have a torn labrum and need to go see my ortho right away. Dammit! They're in cahoots I just know it!!!

Flash forward a week and I've had the MRI and arthrogram done and I get a call from the ortho doctor. The diagnosis: damage to the cartilage and torn labrum. Crap. BUT, because my doctor is a rock star, and he knows I'm trying to get through Ironman USA he says we can try cortisone to hold back the pain until after IMUSA. Most likely, no further damage will be done between now and IMUSA so as long as the cortisone works, we should be good to go. I can get up to 3 injections before IMUSA but that's it since apparently too much of this stuff can cause more damage to the joint.

So, I still get to do IMUSA and once it's over, I'll have it scoped out, the pain will be gone and I'll be a new "me". You know I've learned something through this: I think doctors are flippin' AWESOME as long as they say what I want and I still get to do what I want. So, anyway, thank God for an answer!!! At least now I know what I'm dealing with. And, who knows? Maybe this is what's been stopping me from running like a Kenyan all this time! HA!

Of course, I'm not going to get the surgery until November so I can recover during the off season. I mean, if I can get through IM training with torn cartilage, I can surely last through the end of the season, right?

Yes, indeed, that surely seems like the smart thing to do. :)

The Chicken Dance

So, training is hard. Sometimes it's really, REALLY hard. Both mentally and physically. Yesterday I ran sprints. That was hard. Then I went to cycling and Coach M was unusually zealous about kicking our butts. My legs were burning and I had a difficult time keeping efficient pedal strokes. That was really hard. Then Coach M put on the Chicken Dance music during the longest, hardest part of the session. WTF?!? That song is not even entertaining when I'm drunk at weddings. Well, okay, maybe it's a little entertaining if I'm REALLY drunk. But, at cycling?!? Damn. Now I had to tap into my physical and mental stores! And that right there is the difference between what makes it hard and what makes it really, REALLY hard. It's the Chicken Dance.

And, you know what? The stupid song is STILL stuck in my head. Bet it's stuck in yours now too, huh? You're welcome. :)

Um, I'm Doing Ironman Lake Placid In Less Than Six Months...sh#$!!!

Really, this time, I'm going to try to get back to blogging on regular basis!!! I swear!!! I will start out slowly and, hopefully, ease my way back into saying anything even remotely interesting or entertaining.

So, last month -- or perhaps the month before that -- we began our journey into Lake Placid training. So far, everything is relatively painless and oddly provides a sense of familiarity that I find comforting. Clearly that is a sign that I'm a lunatic.

Tonight is the first night that I've really thought about Placid and the fact that I will be there in less than 6 months participating in an Ironman that I once thought was WAAAAAAY out of my league (and, truth be told, I still have doubts about my ability there). I had a momentary panic attack and the butterflies took flight in my stomach but then I calmed. Life has been too busy for me to worry about it. I'm just moving along like an unthinking lemming, following the schedule in front of me with no thought to the ultimate consequence: wake up, eat, work, eat, take care of kids, eat, train, eat, sleep, eat, repeat. Did you notice all the "eating" in there? Yeah, that explains the ten extra pounds on my ass. I blame it on post-holiday binging. It will come off once the training picks up. Right? No? Okay, whatever. It'll help me gain speed on the downhills at Placid then.

So, the journey begins yet again. I'm still nervous. Madly excited. Totally overwhelmed. And, a teeny bit proud of taking this plunge. I guess, I'm ready for the challenge. Bring it on, IMUSA!!! Okay, just kidding ... I'm not really stupid enough to taunt the Ironman Gods. Let's not "bring it on" so to speak. How about Placid remains it's calm, rain-free, beautiful self and I just wander on up north with some awesome friends in a few months and we take a little swim in a gorgeous lake, toodle around the mountains on our bikes and take in 26.2 miles of scenery on a wee little walk-about? Deal? Excellent!

Who says kids don't like to go to Ironman Florida on Halloween??

October 31st is a tricky time for us IMFL lovers. We, of course, want to be at IMFL and either race or cheer on our teammates but, unfortunately, for the past two years, IMFL has seriously disrupted Halloween and trick-or-treating for our little kiddos. So this year, I developed a plan. I talked my Booger into the BEST Halloween costume EVER: an M-Dot. I told her that she'd get tons of attention and people would love it. She was totally into it so Derek and I made her a costume fit for a an Ironman Princess.

Little did I know exactly how much attention she would get!! I'm talking cars honking, people leaning out of their car windows to take a picture, at least 30 people stopping and asking to get their picture taken with her and even more asking simply to take her picture!!!! It was absolutely hilarious!! She was in heaven and kept saying she was a "pop star". At the end of the night she said this was her best Halloween ever. So, what's the lesson here? I suppose it's that Ironman and kiddies DO mix -- given some creativity and an easy-going kid!



So, as far as the race so far? I got in late this afternoon and only managed to touch base with the crew of T-girl sherpas and volunteers. Derek and I are reporting tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. to work as bike handlers and I'm hoping to get lots and lots of pictures!!! I'll try to give some updates and post some pics of our gals (and guys) kicking the crap out of the IMFL course!

Best of luck to Shawn, Kate G, Kate O., Sharon, Patty, Charlotte, Fred and, of course, the super-awesome Som!! More to report tomorrow . . .

So much to look forward to . . .

First of all, thanks so much for all of your well-wishes for Kelsey! She did an awesome job and I know it meant so much to her that you all were sending her some good mojo! :)

These next few weeks are going to be filled with so much excitement!! Honestly, I can hardly wait!

Okay, so, next weekend I get to go on my triathlon coaching certification weekend and when I return all that will be left is the exam. Gulp! Coach G and Coach B keep telling me that it will be no problem -- but, you know, when multi-Ironman athletes/ultra-marathoners tell you something will be "no problem" you tend to believe that maybe their idea of "no problem" may be a little different than your own! Either way, the butterflies and anxiety remind me of pre-race jitters which I miss so much this year!!!

Then what's next? A little thing called IRONMAN FLORIDA, baby!! I. CAN. NOT. WAIT. to get down to Panama City to be there with all the TRIgirls and cheer them on as they go after that Ironman prize . . . Sharon, Shawn, Kate O, Kate G, Patty, Charlotte . . . They have been training so hard and are going to kick some major IM-ass down there! I'll be working as a bike handler -- which I'm sure will be A LOT more fun than Lake Placid (aka Hurricane Ironman). And, after the Ironman, I cannot even imagine the party after the crew of teammates and others sign up for IMFL '09 (including this one handsome, tall guy named Derek something or other - go Big D!!)

With all the IM mojo going around right now, I pulled up some of my previous posts so I could re-read how I felt at this time last year. For those who are toeing that line in Florida, I'm passing this quote along. It meant so much to me as the time was ticking down and I hope it brings some peace to you, too:

"It is a comforting moment when we suddenly realize that our commitment to race, to participate in something so important to us - our dream - will be actualized. We have made it to the starting line. In this moment, the probability that we will do the event reaches 100 percent. The hundreds of things that can go wrong leading up to an Ironman have been cleverly averted, and the thousands of things required to get to the start are all now officially history."


You are ready, ladies. Now, let the fun begin!!

PS - to Frances: yes I'm a SQ mom! Our group is the BEST and I would love to talk to you about tri training anytime! I couldn't get your contact info from the comment you made on my blog so just track me down through SQ or leave me your contact info.

What a FANTASTIC weekend!!!

Okay, so the nitty-gritty of this fantastic weekend? Let's skip ahead to everything except the training details shall we? Unless you are all dying to find out how I reorganized my linen closet. So, on Saturday, I didn't wake up until 8 am (woohoo!) and finally made my way out to run at about 10am. It was absolutely beautiful!!! While Derek (who was joining me after already running a 6 miler earlier that morning)and I ran, we chatted and laughed and just enjoyed our nice lazy 5 mile run together. When we got home, I spent about 30 minutes stretching and doing my PT exercises. This was the longest pavement run I've done since the femoral stress fx and, thankfully, everything felt GREAT!

On Sunday, Derek and I joined the RABA group for a 54 mile route that started about 5minutes from my house. Even better than that? It started at 9am!! Two days of sleeping in!! Hallelujah for that!!! You know, I was really nervous going on my first ride with this cycling group! Isn't that funny? I felt like I was starting my first day of school and had to try to make new friends or something! "Does my outfit look okay?" "Will they like me?" "Hope they don't think I suck!" Silly isn't it? I really believe branching out to different groups helps you be a more well-rounded person. And by stepping out of my comfort zone and introducing myself to different situations and groups of people, I always remember that "new girl" feeling. And, that helps makes sure I'm never one of those awful, intimidating clique-ey people! You know the ones? Where you approach a group and they all look at you but no one says hello. Yeah, they suck. Anyway, my aversion to "cliquiness" is a whole blog in itself so back to the ride . . . As it turns out, everyone was really welcoming and friendly and the ride was absolutely gorgeous!! I had no idea I had such a great ride route so close to my house! In the next few weeks, my plan is to make french toast, fresh fruit and mimosas and try to lure the TRIgirls out here for a nice ride followed by brunch at my place!!!

So my plan for this week? Continue plugging away at my run while helping to calm Kelsey's nerves about her first "real" swim meet this weekend. She's swam in casual summer league meets but she's now part of a year-round swim team and she is swimming some crazy stuff. Here's her event list for this weekend:

200 Freestyle
50 Backstroke
100 Breaststroke
50 Butterfly
100 IM (25 each of Fly, Back, Breast, Free)
100 Freestyle
50 Breaststroke
100 Butterfly
50 Freestyle
100 Backstroke

I would die!! Seriously. 100 of Buttefly?!? Good God. Shoot me now. She's very, very nervous so send her some of that great TRIgirl mojo!!

Officially back . . .

Okay, this is my official re-entry into the world of blogging. So much has happened over the last few months -- both mentally and physically, that I felt I just couldn't keep up with life and blogging at the same time. But, now I feel a bit more settled and hope to check in a bit more often!

With my hiatus from racing this year, I have to admit, I have felt separated from my teammates. They are all gearing up for their respective races and I feel I'm just piddling around with no direction. I'll admit it. I'm jealous. Insanely jealous, actually. And, honestly, I'm sad. I miss them. I miss being part of "the team". I mean, I know I am still (and will always be) a TRIgirl but I miss the day-to-day fun that comes along with training with your teammates. I suppose I just feel a bit disconnected -- I can't wait for IMUSA . . .

Have I told anyone that I'm getting my USAT Coaching Certification in October? No?? That's probably because I wasn't sure I wanted to let people know. The plan is that I'll start "officially" coaching for TRIgirl next year (YAY!) but, you know, that little negative voice I thought I had squashed when I did IMFL?? Well, it's back. I haven't really told anyone because I imagine people thinking "Her? A coach? HA! What does she know??" Despite the really fantastic enouragement and confidence I have been getting from my own coaches, I still have that whole self-confidence issue eating away at me.

I am finally up to running 5 miles now (I know, big whoop!) But, it has been a long, slow road and I think (*hope*!) that I am doing everything right so that I'll be fit and ready to go when IMUSA training begins. Until then, I'm just going to keep plugging along like a turtle.

Okay, well. Hmmmm. Wow, I'm going to have to get used to this blogging thing again. I forgot how difficult it is to write down random thoughts!! I have a ride planned this weekend with the Richmond Area Bike Association so I guess I'll have more stuff to say after that (let's hope!!)

Soooooo tired . . .

Is the non stop action of the Olympics making anyone else completely and utterly exhausted? I stay up all night and am wiped out all day. In fact, during my MRI today, I fell asleep in the tube! And for those of you who have had an MRI, you know how darn loud those things are!

Please, Olypmics, I love you but I beg you to cut me loose. You must end soon. I clearly can't handle the temptation of watching you anymore.

On another note, GOOD LUCK Timberman crew!! I can't wait to see how well you guys do! I'm wishing you a slippery swim, wicked fast bike and smoking dope run! xo

The crazy train has left the station . . .

WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!

IMBrazil

Today many of my teammates did IM Brazil. I am so honored to know these amazing people and to be their friend. To do an Ironman is one thing -- to do 2 back to back Ironman's is, well, honestly, it's a wee bit crazy! But it is also unbelievably awesome!

You would think they would have been nervous -- or burned out -- or just crazed prior to the race. And, maybe in private they were. But, I have to say, I had dinner/drinks with most of them at various times within the two weeks leading up to Brazil and they were all so CALM. They seemed confident, ready and prepared. And, today, all of that hard-work, preparation and confidence paid off. What a tremendous group of athletes!!

To my awesome IMBrazil friends: you inspire me each and every time I have the opportunity to spend time with you. Much, much love and congratulations to all of you!!

xoxoxox

C

Thank you . . .

Today I was depressed because I found out that I needed to stop running again (yeah, long story - I can go back to 1/2 mile distances next week). Anyway, I was so upset about the fact that I was taking steps backwards; that Timberman may be out; that my "season" may pretty much not be a "season" after all. I was pretty bummed and feeling oh-so-very sorry for myself. Talking about how broken my heart was. Darn, what if I can't do Muddy Buddy? Poor me, what if I can't do the Charlottesville Oly? Wah-wah, what if I can't run the Richmond Marathon?

Then I remembered what else happened today . . .

somewhere out there, a single parent lost their job;
there was someone who sat alone and scared after finding out they were terminally ill;
out there someone was waiting for help after getting into a terrible car accident;
somewhere there is someone who is hiding in genuine fear for their life;
there is someone who went to bed hungry;
someone held the hands of a loved one as they passed away;
there is a child somewhere who lost a parent and,
somewhere out there, a parent is grieving the unbearable loss of their child.

These truly heart wrenching things happen every, single day.

Me? Well, in actuality, today, I saw my daughter ride a two wheeler without training wheels for the first time. Today, I got a hug from each one of my children and my husband. Tonight, I will go to bed knowing I am loved, protected and cared for by my family, my friends and my faith.

My glass is more than half full -- it is overflowing with joy and happiness.
Running? Honestly. How ridiculous is that compared to those who are going through real turmoil in their lives. I mean, what the hell? I will come back and run again -- and until then I will work hard to remember that the sun still shines so brightly on my life and for that I am forever thankful.

"The unthankful heart . . . discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!" Henry Ward Beecher

Wow.

Who is Iron Man? “Expert Michael Sangiacomo introduces us to the bad boy of the Superhero world, a man who gave up his evil ways, but not his love for drink and women in his pursuit of helping the greater good.” UM. I don't think so. The only thing Ironman has in common with this “Iron-man” cartoon guy is the “love for drink” part.

I wanted to share the dumbest post-Ironman comment ever said to me:

I am sitting having lunch at the Capital to Capital century ride. I am donning my super-cool Florida Ironman bike jersey. I worked my ass off for it and I wear it with ridiculous pride. A fellow cyclist says to me, “Oh, wow. Nice shirt. Did you see the movie?”

Um. Excuse me???

To be clear: THERE. IS. ONLY. ONE. IRONMAN.

In case anyone is wondering what the runner-up is for stupid post-Ironman comment:

Someone who knows that I did the Ironman asked me if my M-Dot tattoo was real. My response: “Um, yeah, most people don’t go ‘wild & crazy’ and just get a temporary tattoo after doing the Ironman.” And, to double the stupidity, he asked me this MONTHS after the Ironman. Like I’d keep reapplying a temporary tattoo!!

I AM A BIG BABY . . .

Okay, I know I'm being a baby about this but the relay splits were just posted and, well, I'm a little pissed. I felt really strong on the bike. And, my bike computer registered a time of 2:49.46 from the time my bike first moved in transition to the time it was racked after the bike. So, given that I was at the back of the transition area, I estimated my "official" bike time to be about 2:48ish. Derek timed me at 2:47 and change. I have time stamped pictures on my camera of me leaving transition after the swim and coming back after the bike and it is an elapsed time of 2:47-2:48. My official bike time according to Set Up? 2:51.00 What the F????? I know. It's only a few minutes but dammmmnnn it!!!! I'm just totally disappointed with this. It was SOOOOO hard knowing I was going into this race as a relay and it was so painful and anti-climatic to "finish" after the bike. And my swim time was 42:22 which is the slowest I've ever swam this distance. All I had to make me proud of myself was that I had a great bike. And, now, I don't know. It feels tarnished. :(

But, the official time is all that counts so I can stomp my feet and beat my head against the wall for as long as I want but the fact is, my official time is 2:51.00 ARGH!! Okay, I know I'm being such a baby -- I mean, at least I raced right? It was a beautiful day and I was totally inspired by SOOO many TRIgirls and I'm sitting here bitching about 3-4 minutes difference? But I don't care. I'm going to be a baby and go have a glass of wine!!!!

Little-Big Adventure Race Report . . .

Last Saturday, Kelsey and her Daddy (racing as Team "TRIgirl and TRIgirl Daddy") competed in the Little-Big Adventure Race. The race is made up of teams of one parent & one child and the course consists of a 1/2 mile canoe, 3.5 mile mountain bike ride and 1.5 mile run. This was Kelsey's first "real" triathlon and she was NERVOUS!! She's done a little kids one before without a real transition, timing, etc. but this one had chip timing, a finisher's chute, transition area, packet pick-up . . . the whole deal! This was everything she has seen me and all the other pink chicks she looks up to do time and time again and she definitely had a case of pre-race nerves. Mommy, in her infinite wisdom, gave her a shot of her trusty Green Apple caffeinated gel right before the start of the race (she almost puked, by the way) and then she was ready!

The morning was beautiful and started out perfectly. We chilled out with Coach E and his son Henry (who were Team "Jumbo Shrimp") and I got a fly-by kiss and hello from the lovely and wonderful TRIgirl Twila who was out training for the Run Like a Girl race next weekend!!




When Kelsey and Derek started off in the canoe they looked great! Kelsey was serious and totally had her game face on!

Then, disaster struck! Despite Team TRIgirl's great start, when they were about 100 feet from the end of the canoe leg, they TIPPED their boat!!!! And, of course, being the ultra-stupid Mommy that I am, I had told Kelsey earlier that morning how lucky she was that she was canoeing instead of swimming because I always see snakes in that lake! I really wasn't trying to freak her out -- I totally assumed that since Derek used to be a whitewater rafting guide, that they would actually remain IN the canoe during the race!

Anyway, by the time they swam their boat to shore, dragged it out of the water, emptied and started on their way, Kelsey was crying and they were a few teams up from last place. Again, my "Super Mommy" skills kicked into high gear and while the other spectators were clapping and yelling sympathetic and encouraging words like "It's okay!" and "You're doing great!", I shouted out "Kelsey! You've got to suck it up!!! If you want this, then get it together and go get them on the bike! Now stop crying and PUSH THAT CANOE!!" Yeah, I can't wait for my "Mother of the Year" trophy!

Kelsey looked shaken going into the bike leg and I was worried about how she was going to holdl up mentally for the rest of the race. I found the perfect photo op spot, and I planned to get some great pics of team Jumbo Shrimp (who were a good 10 minutes ahead at the end of the canoe portion) before having to grab my signs for TRIgirl & her Daddy. Suddenly rounding the corner came Team Jumbo Shrimp looking strong and ready to tackle the run. Then imagine how impressed I was when right on their tail was Team TRIgirl & her Daddy!!!! She totally channeled the TRIgirl mojo and had passed almost everyone in her wave on the bike leg! GO itty-bitty TRIgirl!!!!

So all was left was the run. I knew that Kelsey had a chance of placing at her first race if she could keep it up for the run. But I also knew that she was so very tired and had already done such an amazing job on the bike. I was so amazingly proud of her that I was crying before she even took 10 feet in the run!!! I camped out at the finish line and just waited to see her smiling face round the corner. Before I EVER expected her, suddenly, there she was!!! As soon as she saw that finisher's chute, she picked up her pace and her face lit up. When she crossed that line, she came through strong and with an enormous smile on her face!! And, I was so amazingly proud!!

You cannot imagine how special and how valuable it is to me that my children are being raised in an environment that exposes them to such strong, brave, amazing women. The pride they feel when they wear a TRIgirl shirt or hat is absolutely unbelievable. A few weeks ago, Kelsey came in 5th out of 5 in a 5k race. She, understandably, started to cry. I pulled her aside and I told her, "Kelsey don't forget that you are wearing a TRIgirl jersey. Do you know what that means? It means we don't measure ourselves by the numbers. We don't define ourselves by times or place in a race. We believe that ALL women -- and ALL girls -- deserve to be valued just for being on the playing field. Do you know how many people are sleeping right now? How many people were too scared to get out here today and try? How many people simply said "I can't." So, I don't want you to look at that number. I want you to think about just how special YOU are for getting out there today. How hard YOU tried. How YOU felt during that race. What YOU learned. And then, if you have other goals of getting stronger or faster, that's fine. But don't ever let someone else steal your joy or the value of your accomplishments." And, she wiped her eyes and wore that jersey for the rest of the day with all the pride of a genuine, grown-up TRIgirl.

So, can I tell you how proud I am? I cannot. I simply cannot express how proud I am. I don't know if I could have done what she did. I don't know if I could have channeled that drive and pushed myself that hard -- I KNOW I would not have at ten years old!

So, how'd she do? Well let me tell you . . . Team TRIgirl & TRIgirl Daddy took FIRST PLACE in their age group!!! I don't think I've ever seen a happier little girl!! Good job, baby!!! I hope when I grow up, I will be just like you!!

Trust . . .

This post is specifically for anyone who is getting ready for their first 1/2 Ironman -- most specifically, my awesome TRIgirl teammates who are in the final prep stages for White Lake's 1/2 IM!!
Trust: assured reliance on the ability, strength, or truth of someone or something

Future 1/2 IM'ers: you are now seated, buckled and taking the express track on the crazy train. Yes, I realize that you 'thought' your ride on the crazy train began months ago and consisted of miles upon miles on trainers, endless circles running along the WC hamster trail and permanent goggle eyes from all those hours in the pool -- well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you have really been on the 'metro-link' or 'monorail'. It's like the train but it has more flexibility. More stops. Maybe even the ability to get off and get back on after a day or two. But, now you are three weeks out from your first 1/2 IM. Let me put it this way: you have now boarded the official CRAZY Train and it has left the station. There are no more exits. No more stops. Your bags are in the cargo hold. And you must sit. Buckled. Waiting. You can almost see your destination. Maybe if you press your face to the glass and try to look really far ahead -- it's almost within view if you could just streeeetch a bit more to see in front of the train. But, no, that is not possible. Reaching your destination without losing your mind will be entirely dependent on one thing: TRUST

While on the train, you will see many other passengers. Some will spend hours running up and down the aisles. Some will be practicing dry land swimming drills or holding their breath to increase their oxygen capacity. Perhaps one or two will even be sticking their head out the window with their pointy-little aero helmets on. You will wonder: Am I ready? Shouldn't I be sticking my head out the window? Maybe I should have a pointy little helmet. Perhaps, this is the wrong train. Maybe I should have gotten on the short bus instead.

Let me share a secret with you: the HARDEST part of training is TRUSTING IN YOUR TRAINING! You are ready and you need to LET GO. I read this on another site:

"'Learn to let go. That is the key to happiness.'
The Buddha

Think about how badly you want to make the starting line. Use your goals to motivate you to train and then, when it counts the most and the heat of competition is turned up high, LET THEM GO. Success in athletics and life is a paradox. When it counts the most, you must LET GO of outcome and trust yourself. You must trust your training, trust your hard work, trust your muscle memory and relax, letting the race come to you. This is the only way that you can be successful and this is the only way that you’ll ultimately be happy. Holding on to the importance of this performance and dwelling on all that’s at stake will only kill your joy, rob you of your courage and steal your heart in the process. When you LET GO of winning, it will come and find you."

Now how true is that?

Let me guess how you're feeling: "I am not prepared." "I don't know everything." "Other people seem to know so much more than I do." "I'm not ready." "I need to do more." "Was my training program enough?"

Let me assure you of something: If Coach G says you're ready -- YOU ARE READY. Period. You WILL complete your goal. And, learning to trust in this is all part of your training. Training to trust takes just as much concentration, effort and determination as it takes to begin running, swimming or biking. Think about it. At one time in your life, you probably never thought you could run/bike/swim the individual distances of a 1/2 Ironman. But, now here you are and you have done all of those distances individually. Training to trust is the same. It will be hard. It will put you outside of your comfort zone. But it is just as necessary as training for any other discipline.

I used to work part time at a high ropes challenge course. We had this one initiative where participants would climb a 50 ft. narrow telephone pole. Once on top, they would precariously balance on top of the shaking pole while trying to turn around. Once facing the right direction, they would jump to try to catch a trapeze. Now, if the trapeze was on the ground, anyone and everyone could easily jump from one spot and catch it. But, when you are out of your comfort zone, sometimes perfectly reachable goals seem much further out of reach.

Inevitably, participants would climb the pole, balance on top, turn and then pause. Waiting. After all that hard work to get there, they would see their goal right in front of them but not trust in themselves -- or in me as their safety line. I would talk to them and try to coach them through the experience. I would remind them to trust me and my ability in my role. Then I would remind them to trust their equipment. Trust in the strength of their legs. Trust in their ability. Then let go and take that last leap of faith to try to reach their goal. At that point, each person had a choice to make -- listen to some of the people down below who may be whispering about how they did it differently when they climbed the pole or how how they questioned whether the goal was attainable at all. Or they could listen to the voice inside them that believed they could do it and, maybe, listen a little to me -- someone who had led dozens of people up that pole and had seen what it took to reach that goal. Happily, many times participants would choose to block out the whispers and trustingly leap through the air with arms outstretched toward the trapeze. They would come down happy and fulfilled for giving themselves fully to the experience. For those who didn't trust, there was always regret and a wish to do it again. But that wasn't the deal. There was only one chance. No do-overs. No second chances. Their opportunity had passed them. So, do not let doubt creep into your mind after all your hard work. Trust in your ability. Trust in your training. Trust in your coaches - Grandison, Mark, Ed, Som -- they have all seen what it takes to get you to this point. Trust the plan. And then go for your goal with your arms outstretched in front of you!

Now, with all that being said, maybe what you're really worried about is not whether you will finish but whether you will do as well as you'd like to. Maybe you need to reassess what your 'true' goals are. Do you have other 'sub-goals' like making certain times? Well, if that's the case, then that is dependent on YOU. From another site:

"TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR TRAINING

Want to maximize your chances of reaching your athletic dreams? Then start to practice the 10 most powerful words in the English language: "IF IT IS TO BE IT IS UP TO ME." This means that to be successful you must understand that ultimately, everything rests on your shoulders. In short, it is up to YOU to determine how far you go in your sport. You have to take responsibility for your training. Blaming coaches, teammates, or lack of training opportunities is NOT practicing these 10 words. Don't look for excuses. Don't shoulder others with blame. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions. Understand that you alone have ultimate control over what you get out of practice and how far you go in your sport. Remember, if it is to be, it's up to YOU!"

So, for what it's worth, those are my few words of wisdom about these final tapering weeks. And, remember, to cherish every, single, tiny moment of this journey. This time will go by so fast and will seem like a distant memory at this time next year. Write down your thoughts, share them with your family or keep them for yourself, but find a way to remember everything you are feeling right now. This is an amazing time and an absolutely, awesome experience!!

"It is a great leap of faith you're taking, and the kind that flies in the face of all that logic and common sense we often use to strangle dreams before they get a chance to even see a hint of daylight. It is why you race, it is why we race...and you're going to make it. Enjoy this trip...the highs, the lows, the dark and the lighter moments. You'll have a hell of a time, and any attempt you make to do this will feel far better than the nagging regrets you'd have no answer for in your future if you were to walk away right now. Courage...this is your time to do it." Bob Mina

Rock on TRIgirls!


Disclaimer: Make no mistake -- after only two 1/2 IM's and 1 full Ironman, this post doesn't mean that I think of myself as an 'expert' by any means!! But, I know how a lot of you are feeling right now -- and I hope that sharing some of this helps. Much love!

SOOOOOOO proud. . .

Just need to take a moment to be the proud mama here. All three of my girls raced yesterday: Kyle and Kelsey in the 10k and Rylee in the kids' mile. Times are:



Kyle, age 15: 1 hour 14 minutes




Kelsey, age 10: 1 hour 15 minutes








Rylee, age 6: 12 minutes and 31 seconds







I'm sooooo proud of them! They looked fantastic and, more than that, the affect TRIgirls has had on them is nothing less than AMAZING!! Derek ran with Kelsey and said that no fewer than 50 people said "Way to go TRIgirl!" and "Looking strong TRIgirl!" along the course. This was Kelsey's first race and she felt so supported and encouraged!! She even woke up this morning and asked if we could sign her up for the 5k next weekend!! I cannot express how happy and grateful I am that my children have been surrounded and influenced by such powerful and strong women! Because of this, they have learned ways to boost their confidence and I am sure they will grow into women who know they are strong and capable. And, I know they will know how to to help their sisters, daughters, grandmothers, friends and all other women to love themselves for their own "inner athlete" -- regardless of age or ability! Thank you to all the TRIgirls who have helped to shape my wonderful, special, amazing little girls!!

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." Anais Nin