Sam I Am - From Fat to Fast

"respira.muoviti.scopri te stesso - breathe.move.discover yourself".........

2012-01-31T09:11:00.000-08:00

Life With Substance.....

2012-01-25T16:10:00.000-08:00

"Make your life mean something. Make your moments count.

Don’t merely get by, and don’t just settle for keeping up appearances. Live with substance and live with meaning.

It’s easy to get caught up in being trendy and popular, and to think that those things are all that matter. Yet you are capable of so very much more.

It’s easy to get discouraged when the little things don’t go your way. But remind yourself that the little disappointments will soon pass, and you’ll have new opportunities for real fulfillment.

What you can do with this moment is far more important than the little distractions that come your way. What you can do with your life is far more important than the pains and disappointments that occasionally trouble you.

Remember often how truly unique you are, and how precious and powerful your life is. Then, easily, naturally, and joyfully, fill each day and live each moment with meaning and purpose."

(Dedicated to Moto...my very dear & true friend. I love ya!)

A Turtle's View Of A Race...

2012-01-17T16:25:00.000-08:00

Last week Jared and I travel to the Rock -n - Rock Marathon/Half Marathon in AZ. We were going to be helping out GU Energy at the expo and then running the race courtesy of Brooks Running. Thank you to both companies for allowing us to participate!!

The expo flew by as the GU flew out of the booth and by the last day we had pretty much sold out of GU Gel, GU Roctane, GU Chomps, and GU Electrolyte Tab and Brew. It was awesome and scary at the same time. Working with some great ppl from the Runners Den we sold, educated and made people laugh. I'm always surprised that runners at expos have virtually no plan for nutrition. Now that's not to say that all runners are "plan-less" but a good majority were unfamiliar with the best way to succeed. Lucky for them and us....we were able to help, and I think build some relationships. As I have said to my friend TS a million times, "Its not just about selling a product, its about building a relationship with a customer so they trust in you and the product."

When we weren't expo'ing we were riding the light rail line different places to explore and to eat. We got to meet my friend Sally at my FAVORITE restaurant in Tempe -- Pita Jungle, in fact we ate there twice and had the same waiter we always have. Brandon. If you go there, definitely ask to sit in his section! Jared always says "Its not a vacation until you use Public Transportation". Will then I guess we had a working/running vacation. :-)

Sunday came along and we got up early and headed to the start. Surprisingly I wasn't too nervous better said as my box of crazy wasn't wide open. We got into the corral and waited for the start. Now the plan had been for Jared to run a fast race and see if he could PR, but the night before Jared asked if I wanted him to run with me. My answer....HECK YES! He is always so helpful when we run together, and he wanted to be my Sherpa. :-) We tried to find our friend Pete before race but never did. (yeah for Pete he had a good come back race from an injury also!)

The raced started for us and before I knew it we were passing mile marker 6. It was sorta amazing how fast the race flew by. Jared stayed with me the whole time and even ran ahead and took picture of me. Ssshhhesshhhh...... ;p ;p ;p I had to stop a few times and stretch, eat and re-tie my shoe but no stop was more than a minute. Next thing I knew Jared said to look over there it's mile 12..... WOAH. Where had the time gone? As we rounded the corner into ASU stadium area I was filled with an overwhelming sense of pride. After 3 yrs of NO long races and I had started and was about to finish! Jared grabbed my hand as we crossed the finish line and then we lined up to get our medals. Winner Winner Chicken Dinner. I very much enjoyed the course and would recommend the race to anyone.

As we walked thru finish area my nervy thing flared up like crazy so we got over to the VIP tent area and sat down so I could stretch. Had some food and some very delicious cookies and then walked over to the light rail line to get back to the hotel to get ready to pack and head home.
Over all a fantastic long weekend with my babylove!

My observation from the race:

-I like the up and down hills better than the flats.
-I very much enjoy the "ada-boy" attitude the slower peeps adopt.
-I don't understand how people can be running while talking on their phones or facebook'ing.
-I do not like haters of slower runners.
-VIP access is the BOMB and the DIGGITY.
-AZ has some great fans.
-Pride is not given it is earned!

Some after thoughts:

My time was not a BQ qualifier ;p, but I started, I finished and I had a smile on my face the whole time. At first I had some feelings of "I'm not very good" "I suck" but then I remember what Jared always tells me. "Don't be afraid to be proud and Never stop believing in yourself". Which of course gave way to my brief stop in "Negativeville" Sure it was slower than I would like but the fact that I can run at all makes all the difference. Plus, its also a matter of perspective. Just about everyone I know or hang with are fairly fast runners, so how exactly am I suppose to compare myself. Also, after having a bad conversation with person who shall remain nameless, I was reminded me that I don't give a darn what other people think about how slow or how fast I am. To quote my nameless person " I don't know how you could run that pace, I'd be embarrassed." If you think being fast makes you automatically a better person than me then you can pucker up and kiss my "turtle shell". I won't always be running at my current pace but you'll still be a narcissistic selfish a-hole. A 12-13min pace might be slow in a half mary but on a 24 hr race, it would be ding dang dong good.

We all need to remember perspective and we also need to lift people up who are trying and accomplishing --slow or fast!!

My very "WIDE EYED" pic in the morning before race.

Like the message.....

2012-01-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

This message is about running but I think it can be applied to anything you want to do or love to do! So have at it in the 2012 year.

BE YOUR BEST, BE YOUR WORST...FEEL, BE, EXPERIENCE and most importantly LIVE LIVE LIVE YOUR LIFE THE WAY MAKES YOU happy!

All the best from my family to yours.

~Sammy ;0)

I might be weird....

2011-12-29T18:35:00.001-08:00

Do you have weird thoughts, cravings, aches, pain, etc etc after a hard training day? Of course I'm asking for something besides the obvious of "I'm tired" or "I need to recover".

When its comes to weirdness well.....let's just say my variety of peculiar comes right in under the wire. ;p Ok, I'm not really peculiar just enjoyably different. ;)

So today after a tough swim, I drove home and decided to head out on my desert trail run. My mistake was not eating enough between the two events. You may be shaking your head in agreement and saying I should know better but I have a fussy tummy. I was planning on doing a longer and tougher run, so I didn't want to have much in my belly. :) Luckily my plan worked as far as keeping any GI distress at bay BUT as I got a little turned around and was stuck running up some rather short but steep hills over and over and over....did I mention over and over.

As I got up toward the base of the mtn and turned around I knew this was going to be tough! But I made it back home in one piece and ran the furthest distance I have to date. YIIIPPPEEE SKIPPEEEE. I'll take my wins how I can get them.

Anyhow. As I stood waist deep in the 48 degree ( yes I ck'ed ) swimming pool, I noticed that I could smell the jasmine bushes. Generally, I love jasmine bushes but standing the cold water turned the once beloved smell into a "close-call-almost" throwing up moment. After getting out it seemed like my normal nose had turned into a K-9 version. I'd swear the water even smelled while I was showering. S T RA N G E!

Along with overwhelming desire for carbonated ANYTHING and my super snooper nose, it seemed like I could hear EVERY little click, sniffle, cough, and hum of the frig. When I was at the grocery store I thought I was going mad between the perfume, bakery, other store smells as well as the noises and now sick tummy I had from some lady's perfume. YIKES. Thank goodness Fresh and Easy is a fairly quick trip, so I got in and got out as fast as possible.

I retreated into my house only to have to escape to the back porch for an hour before my tummy calmed down. Hmmmmm.....NOW I'm incredibly hungry and think I should probably go stand in the pool again. Jasmine.......hmmm.....maybe not. ;p ;p

So, anything weird like that ever happen to any of you?

***I also had the overwhelming desire to make some brownies...I'm not a huge choc fan (except for Nutella, so I am now the owner of some of the best tasting brownies ever. ) J will be happy when he gets home.....Fat Free and Low GI YUMMY!!

Things that can make you smile during your training....

2011-12-17T18:18:00.000-08:00

For each person, training presents a different set of likes , dislikes and "why the hecks". Some times we take moments to savor all the colorful and all the exclusive splendor, and then other times we run, bike, swim or hike so focused on "training" "getting faster" "being stronger" "being better" that we forget the small yet wondrous gifts we are given.

Today I was reminded once again about how lucky we are to be able to participate in outdoor activities. I woke up late..later than I have in probably 10 yrs so Jared and I got started late BUT we got started. I asked Jared if he would like to come with me on my trail run and he said yes. SPLENDOR #1.

As we crawled under the fence to get out to the dirt I smiled to myself as I thought. "I'm running......and I'm able to run with my sweetie without him getting completely bored out of his mind. SPLENDOR #2. Moving along through the dirt Jared laughed and recounted NHL hockey news as we hopscotch hopped over lava rocks. SPLENDOR #3!

Clippedity clop clippedity clop along the path we run and and as I look down I see my foot steps from a prior run. Strangely I got a warm and fuzzy feeling. SOOOOO cool. You sure never get that running on the road. SPLENDOR #4. Continuing on we reach a part of the path that has a crown in middle with sloping sides. NOW....the first few times I ran down this path I wobbled off it, into the valleys on either side but today.....I ran straight across that CROWN! Now who has my crown and scepter?? ;p SPLENDOR #5 We turned around and came back as we laughed, talked and hopped hopped hopped over rocks and discarded tires, finishing in a good time without pegging the heart rate through the roof.

I now harken back to last week and smelling like chlorine. I had done a 5000m swim, ridden my bike to the pool and back, run and taken 3 shower but I still smelled like chlorine. For some strange reason catching the whiffs of the somewhat noxious pool sanitizer made me feel strong, made me feel happy, made me feel like I had put up a good effort. SPLENDOR #6

Yet another moment that comes to mind, was clipping into my tri bike pedals last week. It has been 7 months since I took Wraith out and just clipping into the pedals brought back memories of rides from last year and inspired me to finish up my tentative race schedule and even sign up for a companies Tri Series ( and Swim Series ). SPLENDOR #7

And the LAST most recent moment/splendor was when a friend posted a picture on my FB page. It said SuperSam.....and it reminded me that I make a difference. I love the fact that I like to be happy, I love the fact that I smile almost too much and I love the fact that I have special friends that always seem to do, just the smallest things to make me feel appreciate.
SPLENDOR #8

My hope to you after reading this post is to slow doing during this often stressful time in the year and "see " your SPLENDORS and enjoy them as much as humanly possible because you are FABULOUS and deserve nothing less!!! This is the time if the year that shouldn't be about shopping malls it should be about love....all the love you have in your life!

Happiest of Holidays to all!! xoxo

The Do's and Don't of Marathoning...especially in Las Vegas.

2011-12-05T14:07:00.000-08:00

Before I'm lambasted for strange humor or disagreeing opinions, I will say EVERYONE is entitled to their opinion. This post is a bit tongue in cheek, so don't get your panties in a bunch. The day after the Las Vegas Marathon/Half Marathon I am inspired to blog about some do's and don't of marathoning. First will come the Do's, then the Don'ts.

DO's:

1. Save up your money because if its a big event like an RNR race, then its going to cost you.
2. Make sure that you actually USE the timing tag as instructed. Its not just stuck to your race number because that's a really convenient place to attach it. When you peel it off it does not go into the trash.
3. Wear appropriate clothing, so that when it either gets too hot or too cold you don't end up burnt like a piece of pork on a flat top or frozen like a Missile Pop.
4. Understand that when there is a race field of +30k, chances are things will go wrong somewhere or another.
5. ...See Rule #4 and then add exclamation points if the run is at night, and billed as LARGEST NIGHT RUN IN THE WORLD.
6. If you are a spectator....cheer, have fun and drink if necessary to be nice and user friendly. Making human pancakes of each other is never good while trying to crane your way to the rail, and if you are on the rail be prepare to linebacker your way out because goodness knows people won't move so you and your CUTE dog can make your way out. :p ( aka Sam and Finnster last night)
7. Take a Mylar blanket when you finish so you don't have to try to steal one off someones back.
8. Remember to smile...YOU PAID FOR THIS "HAPPY PLACE" TIME!
9. Wear shoes. Your name isn't Christopher McDougall and you don't live with the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyon.
10. Practice your right and left hook. You may have to use them at an aid station.

DON'TS:

1. Actually think you will PR in a race where there are 36+k people. NOT HAPPENING.
2. Ask someone for a smoke as you run by on the course. At least try to uphold the appearance of a healthy person for the time you're running.
3. Run into a casino/bar to down two shots and not expect to puke soon thereafter.
4. EXPECT ANYTHING. YES you're paying a lot of money to run race and YES the RD's should take care of the athletes BUT you're safer if you assume the worst and can enjoy it if you're wrong! (this is a good life lesson too!!!!)
5. Ask someone to use their timing tag, you probably won't get the answer you're looking for.
6. Do cartwheels in parking lot before the race unless your name is Mary Lou Retton or Paul Hamm, you will break your arm or ankle or BOTH.
7. Puke on the race photo camera men. Your race photos might get lost, wink wink nudge nudge.
8. Try to hold an entire conversation about your life from birth on.....you might forget that this is actually a race. ;p
9. Play slalom in the cones set out for course directions...you'll either get lost or trip...especially if its dark.
10. Drink the "Haterade", you'll just get an ulcer :-)

Extra Credit DON'T: Keep paying the entry fee's for races that you KNOW will not be run well or that you were previously disappointed with. If you reward poor performance then that's what you'll keep getting as a result.

I know there were quite a few things that need to be addressed with the RNR race, as with other races we all participate in. Try to enjoy as much as possible and cut your anger short. Instead, maybe help by writing out some helpful suggestions and sending them to Competitor.
Now I know I know.... ppl are angry and I know I have been annoyed/angry before but complaining doesn't do anyone any good....if you want to accomplish something REMEMBER you get MORE BEES WITH HONEY THAN VINEGAR!!

CONGRATS TO ALL RACERS!!!! You ROCK!

What if you didn't know that there were boundaries?

2011-11-27T20:02:00.000-08:00

Nowadays there are so many situation that we can coulda, woulda, shoulda, whata that you can easily start the headache NOW! But what this post is about is " What could we do as people if we never knew we would fail or better yet weren't afraid of what would happen if we failed....whether it is a little slip up or a failure so monumental that no seismic machine available with today's technology could measure the size.

I bring this thought to you as a result of my husband reading the book "Born to Run". As we relaxed in the spa, he was recounting the part of the book when the tribesmen ran the Leadville 100. They were laughing, having fun and running up hills that no one else was running up and so much as ducked under the finish line tape because they had never seen a "finishing line tape". They even had a sponsor in Rockport shoes but ended up taking them off replacing them with lace like ( think top of ballet slippers ) ribbons and a tire tread like piece for the bottom of their foot.

This got me to thinking....What if we participated in our lives with the same cavalier courage. What could we, what would we, what can we..... :-) As we begin our lives we learn by mistake and correction --this is a good thing. The difference between some people as compared to others are just a few words. Can't/Can, Don't/Do, Try/Fail....I think you get the point.

So now as we travel into our off season or our down time let's ponder the thought. What if we attack the next year in our lives with the same vigor and enthusiasm as the tribesmen? What if we stopped thinking of our limits but instead more of how our lives can be limitless? No more "you shouldn't", "you can't, "it hasn't been done before". What if there was no more shame in failure but more of an embracing of experience? Many people never reach their full potential because the fear of failure is stronger than ANY OTHER. These people will self sabotage them self faster than a flea jumps on a dog. Doesn't that sound sad?

Well I used to be one of those people. Nothing ever good enough, never smart enough, never fast enough....blah blah blah...yes the list could have gone on forever. I was never taught to look to the sky and know that those cloud were within my reach. I was taught that I was fat, useless and would never be good enough. Now before you reach for the box of tissues, relax. What I didn't learn at home I learned finally with Jared. I guess my Mom did get it right when she used to say, "I was a late bloomer". I sure was...it wasn't until I met Jared that I released how much I meant and that I could do anything in the world.

Everyday I wake up and know that the day will present itself me with great possibilities. I can help, teach , listen and learn. I think that's part of the reason I enjoy training and coaching people. I can help them realize their potential thru participating and doing endurance activities they never knew they could do! I can watch the smiles and the revelation that a person goes thru and believe me that's almost better than hugging my sweetie pie tight!

So remember....YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT!! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND NEVER CARE WHAT OTHERS THINK OF YOUR EFFORTS....ONLY CARE IN HOW THOSE EFFORTS ENLIGHTEN AND HIGHLIGHT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY'S LIVES. If you do I can promise you that you will live the life you've always dreamed of but never had the "stones" to follow through with. Its NEVER NEVER NEVER too late to start to BELIEVE. Go out and "just run...bike...swim.....live and don't ask permission and forget about those boundaries!" COLOR COLOR COLOR outside those lines people!!!!! ;p ;p

Is Finishing Really Winning?

2011-11-26T20:45:00.000-08:00

For each person "competition" means something different, and defines whatever sport they participate in its own particular way. So what way do you define "winning"? Is it the PR from your last event? Is it taking home the trophy? Is it beating everyone you wanted to beat? Is it starting and then finishing?

Well, its a tricky response that MOST people answer and then qualify or give a PC response. I say, "be honest." If winning to you means crushing the competition beyond comprehension then "giddy up", OWN IT! If winning means being able to tell people you are an Ironman, a Buckle Winner, a Channel Crosser...then AWESOME. What I ask from you is to think of why you compete and to consider that you're desires and or thoughts of competition might not be the same as others.

This post comes to me after my 2 mile race today. Now happily I can say I ran with NO PAIN....WINNER WINNER TURKEY DINNER! I can also say that I PR'd by 3 mins from my last effort and lastly I can say I received a 4th place ribbon. However, the one thing I am most proud to say is I encouraged a man and a little girl to finish. Obviously, since I'm just starting back in the running game my speed isn't lighting "just yet" but I improve with each race so I'm thrilled. As I passed a man walking and a little girl stop-starting I slowed down to encourage them on.

Why you ask?? Well because before the race started the man's wife was loudly heckling on some level that he was running "just the 2 mile" and asking, "could anyone run with him cuz he's slow?" ( I'm paraphrasing ). I stood their thinking to myself, "what a toad!" I guess I'm just lucky because I have the greatest support system in my husband. He is my biggest fan and makes me a better person by just being around him. I also have some of the greatest friends and family that love, cherish ,and lift me up when I'm down!

BUT....then I thought to myself. "Self, maybe her take on competition is different than most." Don't try to trip her at the race start. ;p Many people would say that people who don't win always say "Winning is Finishing" because they have no chance of a podium. And to those egos I say, "Perhaps you are right". But I will also say that maybe oh just maybe we should try a little harder to support others in all their efforts whether we understand them or not.

I'm running for the first time in 2+yrs, I'm swimming more than I ever have and I can tell you this - come tri season I will be racing! I have big dreams because I know that I can and will do anything I set my mind to!! I will run a 50/100 miler, I will swim the English Channel and I will succeed.....in fact I already have because I know how to dream, I know how to inspire and I love to live.

One of my favorites......

2011-10-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

“Promise Yourself...

To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you. ”

― Christian D. Larson

Do you need to count sheep?

2011-10-05T10:06:00.001-07:00

For some time now my hubby and I have had some sleeping issues. Toss, turn, toss, turn some more...then finally get up TIRED, GRUMPY ( sometimes ) and even with some back or hips issues. My solution??? Stop by a mattress store and check out beds. WOAHHH....have you ever done this?? It's the equivalent of asking a guy to tell the difference between the color Royal Blue and Persian Blue. You might be waiting awhile for the right decision. ;p ;p

Happily, I walked into a Best Mattress store with a bed in mind. I had recently seen a commercial for the Serta iComfort Sleep System, and some of the key points re: the bed seemed interesting. First being that it was a sleep SYSTEM! (insert sarcasm) I mean it has to be better because its a WHOLE system, not just a mattress. ;p Second, Cooling Action Gel - my dog and husband turn any mattress into an oven so if ANYTHING can help me stay cool at night, I'm in! Lastly, memory foam that's not a brick. Now I have slept on a Tempurpedic bed before and that was SO not enjoyable, plus those beds are silly expensive.

As athletes we all know that we put a very high premium on a good nights sleep especially when life interferes and that "said" night isn't as long as we need. ;p So what do we do...well we go looking for a good mattress. As I alluded to early picking a mattress in not an easy task if you have no plan going in. Do you like pillow top? Hard, soft, down right squishy? King, Cal King? There are warehouses dedicated to these different choice. Luckily my "plan" took me straight to the "Serta System". A very nice, and not pushy salesman named Dan stood up, walked over and proceeded to answer the barrage of questions that a threw at him without batting an eye. I tried all the different models, and finally decided I very much loved the feeling of the iComfort Revolution Sleep System. ( I laugh every time I type that). Plus they have contour pillows and puffy pillow made out of iComfort material. And YES, I have been one of those people who has always made fun of the "contour" pillows but something works.

Next step.... see if Jared likes. He hopped on each bed and ended up liking the same bed I did. ( as well as the pillows) Firm, but not too firm, cradled us without feeling mushy. Now the moment of truth. PRICE. Of course the floor model had the "motion base" which included a variety of sitting and laying positions (insert snicker) as well as a massage feature which didn't even require a quarter, so I was a little nervous to look at the tag under Jared's feet. WOOOOAHHHHH....OK, that solves that problem. Thanks for your help Dan. As we drove home we discussed things and came up with the plan of going to Sam's Club and getting a bed. The current bed we had lasted about 4 yrs and so we figured just get a cheap one and then throw it away in a few yrs.

At lunch the following day I was hanging out with Jared's Dad, so I took him over to mattress store as well. He loved the bed also, and the comfy pillows too! Man....this sucks. To make a long story a little shorter....we got the iComfort bed with the motion base. Let me just tell you....it is worth EVERY EVERY EVERY cent we paid for it. This is the most comfortable bed ever, and since we got it both Jared and I have slept soundly every night even if we shift positions. The motion base may seem to some more like a "old person's/hospital" bed but until you sleep in a zero gravity position, you can't appreciate this motion base. (the quarter free massage is just an added benefit ;p)

Moral of the story.....sleep is important! And since we spend 1/3rd of our life in bed, I'd like that 1/3rd to be GREAT!!! If you're in the market for a new bed, check it out!!

http://www.serta.com/icomfort-mattress-sleep-system-by-serta.html

If you live in Las Vegas, go see Dan at Best Mattress 6485 North Decatur Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89131 (702) 456-1717. Tell him Sam sent ya! :-)

Slammed It. :-)

2011-10-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

Slam the Dam???...did we use explosives?...did we hit it with a truck, sledgehammer or some other device? OR did we swim in Lake Mead either for a 10k, 8k, 3.6 m, 2.4 m or 1.2 m. ;-)
Well for me as well as 200+ others it was the latter. Woo Hoo!

The day started early. Strangely, I actually slept well and I never sleep well before races. I intended on getting up at 3:30 but rolled out instead at 3:50. OOPPSS! We got out to the lake and met John at 5:40 and then hustled over to the Sunset View Overlook aka start for Grand Slam (10k) and 8k start. When we arrived the normally quiet parking lot was bustling with activity. Cars, trucks, kayaks, swimmers, supporters & kayakers as well as Race personal and volunteers.

First order of business, check in/body marking. Done. Second order bathroom. Evacuation complete. ( that's an Austin Powers thing btw .) Third order go back to car an see if J and John need help. Nope they're all good, so we chill until Tony Taylor ( the greatest volunteer and person ever!!) started announcing that the race start may be delayed. NO, NO, NO, NO...I drove the 40+ miles out here I'm going in darn it. As it turns out we were allowed by park Rangers the start but were offered by the RD the option to change events to a lesser distance if we wanted to as we would be swimming against the current the distance of the 8k. Again...NO, NO, NO, NO. I paid to play, lets get this party started. As soon as the kayaks were allowed down it was GO time. We had to walk down 1/4 mile or so to race start and I decided to fall in some dried out brush. "Hey Grace, How's Charm School"? John help yank me up out of the soft dirt and I put my cap and goggles on. ( let it be known the only thing I was thinking about was..."pls don't let my nice goggles be scratched...that would drive me crazy to look thru for the next few hrs".

Sans goggle scratches and ready to go , I gave John a thank you hug and got in the water but wasn't moving. Uuuuhhhh, Mr Mud and Branches pls let go of my flip flop! I ducked under the water to pull my sandal out only to ALMOST get skewered by a fellow swimmer and his kayak team. COME ON...watch out for the BLONDE CHICK would ya. ;p ;p Up on the hill I could barely hear Tony and or Kara on the bullhorn, my ear plugs really kept me from hearing anything that didn't sound like Charlie Brown's Teacher. Thankfully Jared speaks CB Teacher and relayed needed info.

Next on the list of things to do, warm up a tiny bit....stroke stroke stroke stroke stroke, and then Jared says "20 seconds till you start" What?? I'm not even to the start line. (Insert siren noise) Away we go. Now I didn't start the race with huge expectations as this was my first official USMS race and my first open water race of any distance without a wetsuit. My goal..start, finish, have fun!!! The latter being the most important. ;p

Now, due to the storm the buoys had been relocated for Kara, so it was sorta do you best to figure it out. Some people started going the wrong way between the two little land masses and some went the other way. Luckily my first mate aka my wonderful husband was dialed in with his Eagle Scout tracking abilities. NOW...key to the puzzle. Pay attention to your kayaker and don't second guess him just because other people are doing it wrong. YOU KNOW BETTER!!!

Before I knew it we were at the tip of Saddle Island...WHOOPPIE! Around we go and that's when I start feeling like I was swimming in place. Whether it was the current or my swimming, I'm not sure but that stretch felt like it took FOREVER!!! Started to feel a bit sea sick, so I didn't eat or drink as I was worried I'd get yacky sick. No thank you, the last ocean swim gave me enough of that experience.

OCD in full swing I started getting frustrated and was pulling my head up more. To add to it I kept snarffling in water on the left side (my preferred side to breath on, even though I bilaterally breath ). Jared was so awesome he kept trying to diffuse my mood and kept me on course. Toward the end it was a bit confusing exactly which buoy we were suppose to turn at as it too had been relocated due to the storm. So we picked one that Jared the Eagle Scout deemed appropriate and went for it. Turns out it was correct - thankfully, but at one point a rubber dingy boat zoomed up to tell the kayaks to go a little wide as 2.4 and 1.2 swimmers were coming around the buoy in the opposite direction. US GO WIDE????? Hey, don't the longer distance swimmers get the right of way? (joke)

Hallelujah, there the exit buoys are and all I could hear from my Eagle Scout was GO GO, GET GOING!! So I stepped on it as best I could and soon I would be standing and finishing. (and seeing Tony Taylor congrats"ing me and Jason low fiving me.) Bending over which...probably isn't my best look I attempted to calm my stomach. Standing up I see Jared, John, Jason and Kris ( Jason and Kris both had great 2.4 races-WELL DONE!). John went to car to get me carbonated sugar :-) and Jason/Jared gave me a towel and went to deal with kayak. Kris and I spoke for a second and then I excused myself for a quick moment to yack a little bit. OK, all better.

Ingested some sugar, some water and then stood in line with Kris for my finisher medal. Next time, can I have it as I get out of the water...standing around in the sun was no good. :-) I get up to the front and they can't seem to find my number or name, so the nice volunteer asked. "Are you sure you finished?" Am I sure I finished...SERIOUSLY??? Do I look that "Fresh as a Daisy"? Well as much as I would like to think that, I know that's not the truth. After a few moments of consideration she gave me my medal 4.97 miles or 5.5 according to the gps. ( yeah I did mention I wasn't sighting well :)~ ) Kris and I turned around and walked to boys at car. We talked a bit and shared some "knucks" with Kris and Jason and then extra "knucks" to Kris for beating Jason. That girl as some swim skill!!! Didn't feel like eating, so we just drove home where I took a shower and de-Vaselined and de-laked.

I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the volunteers that helped out - events like this don't work without great volunteers! Thank you to Slam the Sam/Swim LV for having the event!! Hi and Nice to meet you to all the swimmers I met. BIG HUGE EXTRA thanks to John for getting up at the crack of dawn to come and support me, and for Jason and Kris for cheering me thru the finish. Great to see Tony Taylor, this man is an absolute GEM, one of the HUGE driving forces behind the River Mountain Loop Trail and is a great athlete! BIGGEST HUGS AND A MOUNTAIN OF LOVE for my one and only, my favor person in the world and my trusty Eagle Scout Jared who helped guide me thru today's swim. Also THANKS for the texts/post race convo's from/with my fabulous friends TS, TKO,Dawn, Joyce as well as my FB friends that have been a constant source of support.

NOTES of KUDOS: to all the swimmers who started the Slam the Dam race today, no matter what distance and a super duper KUDOS to all those speedy swimmers. Man, color me impressed. Someday I'll get my speed gear back! :-)

Things I would change: Sight better, turn off my brain somewhat when I swim, stop pulling my head up, NOT practice my head butting techniques on the kayak (OUCH!) and be a little faster.

Things I wouldn't change: EVERYTHING ELSE! Race was my first of hopefully many many more. I love swimming, I just can't imagine I don't do this till I'm 105....Oh wait, I'm living forever...so can't imagine I don't do this forever. :p :p

Next swim on the Sam list: SOMA relay. Giddy up, let's find that very fast gear pls!

Just a few pics --nice hair Sam. LOLOL

The mystery of the Six Pack.....

2011-08-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

I get this question all the time...."How do I get ripped Abs aka the proverbial "Six Pack"." My answer is generally the same thing. 1. Abs and Calves are somewhat genetic 2. Through Diet and Function of use. Now while this may seem like utter poppycock, flibberty gibberty or just plain BUNK!! However, it is not.

What spring-boarded a nation into action was founded on the back of the likes of Jack LaLanne, Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons. We want to be fit. We want to look good for both ourselves and for others. Now I am of the opinion that if you are attempting to improve yourself for others, then you should be address other issues besides just "fitness". However, if you are trying to promote a good example to others ( ie. family, friends and john q public ) thru healthy living and staying fit 'till you decide to help fertilize the garden then I'm all in.

So what is the magic combo?? Crunches till you cry? Military sit-ups? Eating 800 calories a day? My response to those are NO , NO and H E ( double tooth pick ) NO!

The core is made up of 3 parts - the rectus abdominis, the abdominal wall and the lumbar erectors. Think of a corset. Your own personal corset helps protect the spine from compressive forces. PS..trunk flexion causes psoas activation which increases the shearing forces to spine. Hmmmm....that doesn't seem like a great idea. When you train the core/trunk/hip carriage properly you get a cooperative effort before any action even takes place, this in-turn helps with proper movement and proper motion through said movements. If not then....injury is bound to occur eventually.

Perfect example. Crunches strengthen the rectus abdominis but put undo shearing forces against the lumbar vertebrae. A better idea would be to train the function of the "corset" thru trunk stabilization, functional movements. :-) Now that's not to say that you can't do crunches because you can, its probably just better to incorporate them once some strength has been established to decrease you chances. OR maybe even just try a completely different approach through things like pushups, planks, squats, single ( single and double leg) or inchworms.

The diet part, well....cleaner is better. Bio-available food is best, but healthy is a good place to start. The biggest part of diet (btw I dislike that word is....fuel works better for me) is being able to stay consistent. Eat for a lifestyle and a lifetime, not ONLY for that cruise and the bikini. Once you learn and teach your body to utilize the good stuff, then maybe the bad stuff won't seem so yummy after all.

The Sunny Side Should Always Be Up

2011-08-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

Many people would say its all about attitude in life. Many people would also say easier said than done. My humble opinion is that sometimes it feels like easier said than done, but in the end a person is in control of their own thoughts and their own attitude. Letting situations, no matter how sucky or how great they are, affect you in such an intensity to make others equate your behavior to bi-polar or schizophrenic is never good. You just set yourself up for failure. :-)

With that said...everyone has bad days, tired days, stressful days, and happy days. How you react to them makes all the difference. I like to consider my attitude as extremely positive ( most of the time ;p), somewhat silly with a side of dorky for many necessary situations. All of these came in handy this weekend as we embarked on my birthday/first swim race weekend.

We left for SoCal on Friday and had a slow drive due to some crazy stoppage on I-15 a bit before Yermo. Thankfully, the traffic started moving before I had to pull a "Two Weeks Notice". (video below - scene is at minute 2:12) We arrived in Santa Monica and went straight to the REI to help at packet pick up. Packet pick up wasn't too busy, so we stuffed & numbered swim caps and chatted with Mo, Tina and Jessica from OptimisSports. Great peeps - Jessica - great event and congrats to Tina for Leadville 100 race and Mo for 4.8 mile race on Sunday!! At 8 we helped pack up packet pickup and then made our way to hotel in Culver City. (close without breaking the bank hotel to Marina Del Ray- my start for swim)

Fairly hungry J and I went looking for food and landed at a walking distance restaurant called Island. Hmmmm.....I wasn't aware that California makes restaurants include their calorie counts for each item on menu. WOAHHHHH, not a lot of choices after glancing thru things. I never want to consume over 1000 calories in one sitting, unless of course I am asking for GI upset. ;p
Home we walked, holding hands and eating our Ben & Jerry's Frozen Yogurt...YEAH!!! I so love any time with my sweetie!!!

Saturday morning..WOO HOOO I'm finally turning 9 yrs old! 4+5 = 9 right?? Oh what we're not going on maturity age? If not...well FINE! Then at least I can say I switched AG groups. ;p
We had brought our MTB bikes with us so we got up and rode down to the Dockweiler Beach for J to run "Jet to Jetty 5k". Beautiful beach morning. J had a great race and placed 2nd in his AG!!! More bike riding around to explore and then back to hotel to change to hit the beach and learn how get thru surf.

We found Driftwood lifeguard station and spoke to the lifeguard. Cool guy, very informative and very supportive. Jared came out with me a few times into the surf ( thank you sweetie ), so I wouldn't melt down completely with my fear of the ocean. I am happy to report that I did not have a full on panic attack, although I will say that when I went out by myself while Jared and the lifeguard vigilantly stood guard for me - I practiced and then got out! :-) Next stop Schultzies and cold birthday bread pudding. S'more for Me....YUMMY!!! If you're ever in Venice definitely stop by to taste to goods! http://www.schulziesbreadpudding.com/ We walked, took pictures and received lots of great birthday wishes from all my fabulous friends!!!! Love all of ya! THANKS! The evening ended with a fantastic dinner with friends Kris and Tori, lots of giggles and a train ride! What a great day!!!

Sunday arrived and we trollied over to the start. Ended up that I maybe took too much time trying to stay relaxed but got to the start in just enough time to zip my suit, put my cap , goggles, ear plugs in and give Jared a smooch. WELL....at least I didn't have time to be nervous. ;p
The air horn goes off and so do we...towards the big blue. In a nut shell I will say the race sucked but the swim was great.

The greats:

I didn't have a panic attack as it was my second time in the ocean and I have a fear of the ocean.
I got thru surf fairly easy.
I didn't freak out when I swam thru a bunch of kelp.
I didn't freak out when I swam over a LARGE group of sting rays. Yes...stingrays.
I sighted very well, until I doubted myself because I was alone and then followed others only to find out I was spot on. Other weren't sighting well. ( it was difficult to sight from entrance to exit buoy as the horizon often disappears due to the ocean undulation )
I finished 3.6 of the race.
I now appreciate freshly sliced oranges, even when they don't stay down very long.
I learned that I can vomit/retch horizontally while swimming. NOW that's bound to come in handy someday in some situation. ;p ;p ;p
I didn't give up. Jared had to stop me from going bk in the water the last 1.2 as I was walking, vomiting and had problems standing up straight. LOL
RD's and peeps were very nice and put on a good event.
A deep feeling of pride. I NEVER feel pride in my racing ( regardless of how well I do), only "coulda, shoulda, woulda's" but I am very proud of myself for overcoming some HUGE fears and not giving up. ;p ;p ;p ( I'll be back next year to race the 4.8 and hopefully will have a better relationship with salt water)

The sucks:

Throwing up 8+ times
Feeling more nauseous than I can EVER remember. Even counting college drinking. ;p
Sam + Salt water = BAD
The salt water.
The salt water.
Not being able to feel my right hand...completely numb.
Did I mention the salt water?
Coming out the first leg was very nice as I got to stand up to throw up. Happily Jared capture the event for all posterity. I'm seriously considering making that our Christmas card this year. :-)
Coming out of the second leg feeling even worse than the first time as I now have experienced throwing up horizontally and then inhaling it. YES...that's pretty ding dang dong DISGUSTING!
Having not accomplished the full distance of the race.

Having pointed all those out I will say I was thrilled (well as thrilled as I could feeling like the walking dead ). After Jared pulled me out of race and made me sit down with medical we got up to walk to car. Kris and Tori had stopped by and I felt at first ashamed but then appreciative that they were there to support me. Ashamed ( only for a fleeting moment) and appreciative because between Jared, Tori and Kris they took great care of me. They got me Tums, gave me Gatorade, help me with my shoes, got me a juice to help get some glycogen in my system, gave me praise at just the right moments and walked with me and made me laugh. Priceless moments with 2 priceless people.

We came back to the hotel, I tried to eat a Hawaiian roll and I took a shower. We packed up and headed home. Felt wonkie most of the day and even into today. Still don't feel much like eating but have had half a sandwich and a little pasta. Tomorrow is a new day and I get to swim in the pool before I take off for Penticton.

Moral of the story: Every race is a new adventure. Take the good with the sucky and learn as much as you can!!!

I know I'm new at this....

2011-08-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

.....So every experience is a learning one.

Case in point. My swim on Thursday. My kayaker and I arrived at Boulder Beach to notice a nice breeze blowing. HA.....like 12 - 15 knots per Ranger. Well, we're here right so might as well get in.

WOAH......quite possibly the wakiest, choppiest, swelliest ( yeah made those words up ;p) that I have ever seen a Lake. No rythmn was possible. Breathing,well if you back stroked that might help a bit. Undertow in a lake? - well it felt like it to me. As I crested one wave my top half wanted to go one way, the bottom half being pulled the other way. *&%$&^%@@^%@, why didn't I wear my wetsuit, maybe I could have body surfed. ;p

Going out I attempted a few different direction to help but not much worked, except I notice that if I got way up on top of the swells it was easier to get over them than if I was trying to swim thru them. When we turned around I figured I might get a break. NOOOOO....the way back was very swirly/choppy so I did the best I could to swim as straight as possible and sight as high as possible.

So now strangely I'm hoping its choppy on my 7 miles Sunday. Have I lost my mind?? Yeah...probably!

Now go watch reruns of Shark Week everyone. ;p ;p ;p

People you might not know.

2011-07-31T13:34:00.000-07:00

Coming from the tri world, just about everyone I know has heard and or can guess who is being spoken about when they hear the names "Chrissie, Craig, Rinny, Chris...etc. Now by no means am I taking anything away from those great athletes/"names" but I'm here to tell you about a few more that are pretty amazing also. Those are Jamie, Lynne, Lord Byron, Trudy, Gertrude..plus many more. (I'm still learning about new swimmers everyday) Who are these people you ask?? Well if you Google Open Water Swimming or Long Distance Swimming you will no doubt see all of these names.

They are some of the pioneers in swimming, they are some of the mavericks to a sport that is just now seeming to gain some traction in the public eye by way of the new Olympic event - 10k swim , which is considered a marathon swim. Now the above mentioned have swam much further than that and have set record after record within the marathon swimming records books, The Half Century Club, The Triple Crown of OWS and the biggy Ocean's Seven (no not the movie ).

According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Open water swimming takes place in outdoor bodies of water such as open oceans, bays, lakes, rivers, canals, and reservoirs. The beginning of the modern age of open water swimming is sometimes taken to be May 3, 1810, when Lord Byron swam several miles to cross the Hellespont(now known as the Dardanelles) from Europe to Asia. Today, open water swimming is considered the deadliest form of swimming.

Deadliest form of swimming??? As opposed to the pool or bathtub? Guess I have to keep one eye on my pull buoy and the other on my rubber ducky.

Survey says...Its LOVE!

2011-07-27T19:13:00.001-07:00

What do you do when you're frustrated with an injury? Whine? Piss and Moan to everyone? Pout? Get Sad/Depressed? Take medication? Talk to friends, family, pets? Swear your allegiance to anything or anyone under the sun if you can just get better? Just smile?

Well I would guess that most people have done one or all of them....annoying the smiling is probably was a cross between an insane street performer and Oscar the Grouch.;p Now granted I am "THE SAM" (jk ;p) but I will admit that I have done all of the afore mentioned as well as some other possible "Sam'isms". ( I'm not telling you about those.)

Thanks to the love, patience of a saint and support from my husband I have started running again...SLOWLY. I bike when the leg pain doesn't bother me. BUT amazingly enough I have found a new happy place. OWS...to those of you who don't know what OWS is it's Open Water Swimming. I can swim pain free, and prior to a month ago was hitting the pool say twice a week and then we bought a kayak. BAMMMM...out to the lake we went and since then I've been swimming between 8 - 11 miles a week at Lake Mead. I'm in love! So much so that today the 3k in the pool seemed like an almost unbearable task. Lines, cholrine, bobbers, smelly perfume ppl...BLECK! ;p ;p

Swimming in the lake is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO perfect! Choppy, glassy, wakey, a washing machine..I just don't care! Its free, its open, its peaceful, its calming....its absolutely where I love love love to be -with the exception of in the nook with Jared. ;-) Even had a chance to paddle board out at Lake Las Vegas http://www.paddletothecore.com -- AWESOME FUN! Try it sometime if you're in the Vegas area.

Like a rainbow after a thunder storm - where there was dark, there is now light. My first OW swim Challenge is in Aug and I can barely wait for the date to arrive!! My first home is with my wonderful husband, my new second home feels like the big blue. :0)

Some fun links:

http://www.swimlv.com

http://www.slamthedam.com

http://www.blueseventy.com

http://www.swimmingcalifornia.com

http://www.usms.org

http://www.tyr.com

http://www.deercreekopenwater.com

http://www.distancechallengeswim.com

http://www.lynnecox.org

Flying Balls...Oh what fun!

2011-03-05T15:19:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been channeling my inner child. Yes, yes shocking I know. I've gotten a skateboard which I almost can guarantee you , I'll break something on AND then today J and I went to the batting cages. Now before I weave my imaginary and adjective filled story of having MLB scouts line up to see my "AWESOMENESS", I'll just put it out there. I SUCK at batting , but in my defense its been a REALLY long time since I have swung a bat. Like 25-30 yrs...WOAH, I'm old. ;p J did great..typical. ;p ;p

Anyhow...We had a great time. I think I hit about 180 balls in 20 ball increments and WOOO HOOOO did I have fun. If you live in the Las Vegas area you should make a stop by The Las Vegas Sports Park on Rampart. Lots going on here. Wrestling, wt training, basketball, paintball ( that's next on our list to do ), soccer and football. In fact much to my husband's delight the Lingerie Football league was practicing. WOAHHHH..these girls are HARD CORE. At 6ft I consider myself tough enough but let's just say I wouldn't get on that field with those girls. They'd flatten me! In fact, according to J they are a professional team and they actually won the entire league. Well Done Ladies!!

It's official I am the "Mom" character....

2011-03-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

What the heck do I mean? A few friends have called me "mom" when we work at expos because I tend to pack up snacks, make sure there is water available, carry wet naps, chap stick, etc. I've even been questioned as to why I don't have kids. Hmmmmmmm...well that's a short story..technically I am still a kid. Plus, I make a great Auntie Sam and I still haven't lost the desire not to starve or be dehydrated. ;p

Today, I was reminded once again that I just might just make it a few rounds on Survivor. Why you ask? Well, while skooting home I past a young lady on a bike that was stopped on the curb fussing with something on her bike. As I past her I thought "BUMMER". ;p As fate would have it I missed the next light, so there I sat waiting.....and looking in the rear view. What seemed like forever was still going on when I noticed the young lady now up on the sidewalk walking. Green Light....time to go.

Two blocks up, I have a thought. UGGGHHHH, I remember having to walk a few miles pushing my bike after I got hit and that was the pits! What to do...what to do??? I turn right and double back to see whether the young lady needed help. Toaster (my car's name) and I are on a mission to rid the sidewalks of cyclist. Speeding along I contemplate that by stopping I may seem like a stalker, weirdo, pedophile etc so I strategize on what to say when I pull up along side the young lady. I finally land on "Hi, are you OK or did you need some help" ... short, sweet and to the point. (let's just hope I hid the dead body in the back of the car well enough ;p JK)

I round the corner and there she is...wobbling down the sidewalk in her bike shoes. LOL Come take 'em off....your socks are expendable. :-) To make a long story short. I stop, ask if she needs help to which she replies "Uhhh...sorta". I hop out and ask if anything is broken as I notice that her back tire is flat. Flat..OF COURSE its the back tire. ;p Easy fix though "So where's your extra tube" I inquire. Tube??? *inside voice* WHO THE HECK LEAVES THE HOUSE ON A ROAD RIDE WITHOUT AN EXTRA TUBE and CO2 cartridges?? *outside voice* "Do you have any tools or patch kit." Perplexing look follows which makes me believe that the very adorable and well dressed (matchy matcherton kit)rider has not felt it relevant to USE the aero tool box on her very new(it looks new)pretty Trek Speed Concept....(wait for it) 9.5 WSD." OMG......"I turn and open the top deck on my Toaster and reach inside.

Inside Toaster I find happily stuffed in a back seat pocket CO2 cartridges, a few new tubes and a tire. With the speed of a turtle thru syrup on a cold day I pop her back wheel off and change her tube out. Now normally I don't take that long but my inside voice was screaming "FOR GODS SAKES DON'T SCRATCH THE 5k + PRICED BIKE."

Crisis averted! Tube changed, wheel replaced, hugs and thanks exchanged but most importantly...NO SCRATCHES! A I fled home..just in case something else went wrong with the bike ;p, it occurred to me that Erica and Tory were right. I am MOM!, and so I will continue to be that person who could at anytime survive for a spell on survivor or even better win some big CASH on "Let's make a deal" I'm bound to have something the host asks for. :p

GU Brew Electrolyte Tabs

2011-03-02T16:28:00.001-08:00

GOODBYE to super carbonated so that your water bottle explodes if you shake it up too much....HELLO to yummy taste!
Now the tabs are still a little carbonated but nothing like other products I have used. There are 3 flavors...Lemon Lime, Orange and Peach Tea. My personal favs...Lemon Lime ( not too strong ) and Peach Tea. ( I haven't tried the Orange yet)

Some other new things are Watermelon & Peach Tea Chomps and then my absolutely FAVORITE!!!..Cherry Lime Roctane. I'm in deep like with all of the above.

THANKS GU for putting out a great product and for being a great company. We appreciate everything you do for us!!!!!

Now go get some ppl.... http://www.guenergy.com/

:-)

Katy Perry

2010-12-08T19:00:00.001-08:00

You are probably thinking.....Katy Perry?? What am I going to talk about? Well, if you've watched any type of entertainment over the past 6 months to a year you no doubt have heard, seen and or read about Katy Perry, her singing, her marriage...etc etc. What I'm specifically noting is her most recent video "Firework". Like her or not this song and video has meaning. I obviously don't know her personally but she seems like the type of positive person that I would love to be friends with.

A client of mine is in the midst of some turmoil/conflict in her life and upon watching this video while we were training stopped right in the middle of her walking lunges and started crying. When I asked her why, she responded.."Because that's what I need to do. I need to be my own fireworks." Honestly I was a little confused as I had never really listened to the lyrics, but upon returning home I pulled up YouTube to watch video.

What a great message, and great song. I love the fact that thru the song Katy reminds people to "Be their own person"......"Be strong"......"Be positive"...... "Be confident". In a world where so many times we forget to be individuals, we forget that we CAN do anything if we set our minds too, we forget that no one has the right to make us feel bad, this song sends the message of just to opposite. So many times we let others people tell us what we should do, shouldn't do or what we should excel at...INSTEAD..its nice to see someone so enthusiastically promoting individuality and showing confidence in who YOU choose to be!

As endurance athletes we sometime have a tendency to judge ourselves off of others' performances or how the "guy or girl" at the local tri club does in comparison our own performances. We measure, judge, stress and even vomit because we feel the need to prove ourselves to other people. As far as I'm concerned people are a success when they TRY to be themselves and worry less about others think, say or do. Now some would say I feel that way because I'll never be an elite, or qualify for Kona, etc etc. My only response to those people is OPINE away...I'm shopping in truth town. I will always be myself and so should you.

My hat goes off to Katy! Thank you for being another example of the "CAN" world that I SO love to live in!!!!

Want to try something different??

2010-09-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, now before you run and hide thinking I'm going to suggest something off the wall....CHILLAX! Its nothing but a little exercise in introspection.

Today while I was coming back from hiking with my sweetie and John, for unknown reason they started talking about writing one's own obituary and how that might be helpful or useful and possibly even insightful. John was talking about "Bucket Lists" and that they were important when my hubby chimed in saying it would be good for people to try to write their own obituary. (pre-needing said obituary of course.) Now at first I though..."Gee, that's a bit morbid" but then as they continued talking about it..it sorta made sense.

When you think about an obituary you generally will consider that you'd want the things being said to be good things...right? So.... will they be good things? Will they be inspirational things? If the words YOU write are inspirational, can you...will you...should you live up to those words? Did you live a big life? Can you make your Obit as big as you lived?
Questions questions questions......

I think its an interesting concept and started penciling one down a few ideas. Plus... You never know with my poor MTB'ing skills, I might need to use it sooner than later. :-)

Sam's Obit -- (I guess I have to start being nice now... ;p)

Sam was an enthusiastic person, who loved life and loved her friends and family. Few things in life made her happier than hearing her Dad's voice, spending time with her family and friends, making someone smile, hugging her husband, playing with Finn, helping others and being close to the ocean. She spent a good portion of her life working as a coach/trainer guiding athlete's and non-athlete's towards realizing their goals both physically and mentally. She was by many, described as having an infectious personality that made people excited to live, and excited to achieve. She wished for everyone she touched in life to be fulfilled and at peace with themselves no matter their station or situation in life.
To her... family and friends were golden and extremely important. She would have done anything...given up just about anything to make them happy and even though to many this seemed shortsighted, silly and frivolous, it was why she was who she was. She was that unconditional friend .... that unconditional human that gave more than she got, loved more than she was loved and lived more than anyone could ever imagine.

On the road in Colorado...great times, great people!

2010-08-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

Oh my oh my how pretty it is up in the high desert better know as Colorado. In this case specifically Boulder, Lyons area.

Last week I went up to work with Newton @ the Boulder 70.3 expo and Newton Retail Summit, and I just have to say....WWWAAAHHHHHHHH! I surely didn't want to leave the beautiful area, the great weather and the fabulous people!

As always the expos are usually a bit of a blur but also so cool! This expo we got to unveil the new Trail Shoe that everyone has been anxious to see. What a home run....people absolutely loved the colors as well as the shoe. (see pic below)

Personally I like both the colors, although I will admit I switched the laces to red ones, just so in case I took mine off in the sea of other trail shoes....chances of me finding mine quickly were higher. :-)

In addition to the expo, I got to hang with Newton peeps, help Tory celebrate her birthday and meet 150 + retailers for the Newton shoes. What a bunch of cool people....fun as heck and all there to learn about natural running. They had a panel discussion re: Natural Running and Minimalist type shoes with the likes of Ian Adamson, Zola Budd, Danny Abshire and Danny Dryer and then they offered a form clinic to help people who were wanting to practice and learn more about running form from the likes if Ian, Danny and Danny. Double cool! I don't know many companies that take the time to make sure their retailers really "get" what their product is all about....which of course only translates to better customer service. ;-) Well Done Gang...but then that's one of the many reasons I'm thrilled to work with Newton. Because they are just that different......

Some highlight of the trip were of course seeing everyone at Newton (miss you guys), staying up in Lyons where I got hangout with the T's, Marco, Lorena, Nadia, Alexa, Apryl, Candace, Chris, Sarah and Jamo! (below are the T's test driving either Nadia's or Alexa's bike....hmmmm...maybe a good bike choice for IM Canada?? ;p)

What a bunch of great people. (thanks CL for cookin up that yummy couscous and T for the Tburgers) The last morning of the expo I even was able to see Winter, Lucy, Jamo, Nadia and Alexa race in the IronKids What a bunch of tough girlies, they are the next generation of triathletes...it was AWESOME! (pictured below...Nadia & Alexa Garsed, Lucy Alexander and Jamo Legh)

In addition some great fellow vendors I got to meet were Joni with Argon 18, Nate and Winston with CTS , Matt and Dustin with Shimano and Orbea.... PLUS I got to hop in and test drive a swim in an endless pool which was just fantastic, now if I could just find where I planted that money tree. So thanks, Peter, Adam and Peter's Dad...enjoyed meeting you all as well.

Tuesday afternoon sadly arrived and I had to leave, but hopefully I will be back soon!! Looking forward to seeing the Newton gang up in Penticton for IM Canada, when I'll get to see some fellow Newton peeps race the IM and race for Athletes For a Cure- Prostate Cancer Foundation.

This picture is a wonderfully nice couple Gordon and Jacqueline from Cambridge, UK. They were the very first people to purchase the Terra-Momentus and I suspect they will be the first couple in the UK wearing the trail shoes. Congrats to both of them for their racing efforts also. Can't wait to say hi when I'm over in your neck of the woods! :-) ( I missed taking their pic at booth, but somehow ended up running into them in the line for security...go figure)

Some site you might want to visit::

http://www.newtonrunning.com/

http://www.trainright.com/
http://www.endlesspools.com/

http://www.orbea.com/

http://www.shimano.com/

http://www.ironkids.com/

http://cl.ceronex.com/index.html

http://www.craigalexander.net/

http://www.teamwinter.org/

http://www.pcf.org/

A little something to do for your someone special...

2010-04-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

Its always cool to do something fun for your hubby/wife, fiance, boyfriend/girlfriend....well if you are lost for things to do, I have an easy one.

Now if you're a girlie, you'll most likely WOW your man. If you're a guy, you'll definitely get a AWESOME from your lady. (of course if you're single always great to do for your own bathroom or kitchen) So what is it you say???? It's a small "home project" that you can do in a kitchen or bathroom. OR BOTH!

You can install a tilt out tray for your sponges in the kitchen and your tooth brush and tooth paste in the bathroom.

It's cool
It's easy
It uses tools....including a rubber mallet.
It's a fun project
It's something "different"

Here's a picture of the tray in one of the vanities in our bathroom. Sure makes grabbing the pearly white brush EASIER!! :-)
See...looks completely normal when the tray is closed!

http://www.cabinetmakerssupply.com/rev_a_shelf_sink_front_tip_out_tray_cabinet_tip_out_trays_3580_prd1.htm

Toys....Toys....Toys!

2010-04-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

Most of us have found that some toys can be good, and then some toys can be GREAT!!!!

As triathletes , if we haven't discovered already......participating in the sport is not the cheapest BUT that doesn't stop us from spending our dough ray me. :-) I would be telling fairy tales if I didn't admit to having some good toys - Power Tap, Garmin, Zipp race wheels,etc etc and with these acquisitions I have learned how to track them down as cheap as possible. Newest addition to the "Sam's Toy Box"...........Finis 1G waterproof mp3 player.

Now before you start rolling your eyes. Hear me out. In the past I had seen them but thought they really wouldn't be worth the money. Especially, if it meant dealing with ear buds...I mean REALLY.. I have enough issues putting my ear plugs in. ;p

Since swimming is the main activity I can participate in right now, I have been swimming A LOT. I'm talking FISH LIKE a lot....which is great by me, but I have found that the purdy black line is a bit BORING after awhile. So upon a more serious look at the waterproof music option I investigated both the ear bud type and the bone conductivity type. Overwhelming opinions seemed to be that the Finis ( bone conductivity) was the best. Next step, I started to troll around craig's list and ebay to see if anyone was selling their mp3. I figured that way I would test it out and then in the future if I liked I would purchase a new one.

Well I found one "like new", and purchased it - 50 bucks.

Finally received it, and uploaded a few music selections. The whole product is great. Easy to use, easy to load music, and light. Test drove it in the water and I will just tell you right now that it was like a crystal clear concert going on in my head. You can still hear the music when your head is out of water but its so much better under the water. Before I knew it the 2100 m were over and I was hoping out of the pool.

Geeezz....don't think I ever wanna get out of the water.

SO....moral to the story. If you have ever thought of getting a waterproof mp3 player, I HIGHLY recommend the Finis model! EXCELLENT EXCELLENT EXCELLENT! Great TOY!

http://www.finisinc.com/Company/Tech_Sheets/Swimp3/swimp3_technology.aspx

A smile when you least expect it.....

2010-04-07T23:49:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of those days that really doesn't give you much reason to smile BUT from deep in the shadows somehow, somewhere out pops a reason to smile. It might not mean much normally but for that very moment in time it means EVERYTHING!

After dealing again with stupid Dr's, multiple hiccups with clients and a late late client that derailed my bike polo plans :-( I decided to go to the gym again and take a dip in the pool. I just have to say I SO LOVE SWIMMING!! Especially now that I can swim 24hrs a day, 7 days a week in a nice heated OUTDOOR POOL! Yippee Skipppeee. I was able to get in an additional 2k bringing my daily total to almost 5k which I thought would play havoc with my shoulder/back but ALAS...nothing. All was good. In fact, finished out the set with 8 x 25 on :25 - 1-:18, 2-:19, 3-:19, 4-:18, 5-:20, 6-:19 ,7-:21, 8-:19....WOO HOOO, not too bad. Hopping out of the pool and drying off I deciding to punish my core for a little while.

After my refreshing swim I was feeling inspired to outlast my new musical selections on my IPOD shuffle, so by the time I finally finished my core/trunk muscles were screaming UNCLE UNCLE. :0) Either that or they were saying TAKE A SHOWER YOU SMELL LIKE CHLORINE!!! LOLOL Anyhow...Textd my hubby to let him know I was on my way home and then packed up and got on my bike.

What a lovely quiet night. Well as quiet as it can get on a city street, but I think you know what I mean. As I got closer to my house I rode down this quiet/deserted street so I sat up and pedaled reaching my arms out to the side as I closed my eyes. (imagine what Meg Ryan did in City of Angels minus the running into the logging truck thankfully )
Awwwww......complete bliss........insert gigantic smile on Sam's face!! ;-))) Could my life be any better? Well maybe, but not at that very moment!!

I hope you all find your smiles and if "it" or "they" are lost.....don't dismay....just keep looking around that next corner, you'll find it.

** that's the pool at my new gym. I love going to a gym that I don't work at or have clients that work out at. Very liberating! *

Finding something new...

2010-04-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

Like most anyone else, I love to stumble on new things. One of my favorites is new music. I have such varied tastes that it seems like I'm always finding something different to listen to. My hubby says that finding new music to enjoy means I'm still mentally growing and expanding *wink*...personally I just think I'm too ADD to listen to the same stuff all the time.

My latest addition to my ever expanding I TUNES collection are songs from E.S. Posthumus. I'm sure you'll recognize some of these from movie scores etc....great music to put on and do stuff around the house or read, study, relax...whatever. I'm going to load them on my new Finis Swimming MP3 player and swim swim swim my way to music. Should be good for training, if I'm going to attempt that long swim come Oct. That black line gets boring after awhile. ;)
Enjoy! These are three of my favs.

What makes a day all worth while?

2010-04-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

I suspect that the list will vary immensely from person to person and maybe from day to day but for me its not a tough list to come up with today..... (hence the second blog post today)

After dealing with silly Dr's in the morning my day was made better by...

Watching my puppy jump into a fountain to try and catch a bird.
Got to swim in the outdoor pool while it was raining.
Had a client drop 45 lbs and 7 inches total.
Found a cool OW swim race to do in Oct.
Got a bubbly email from a friend. (Thnx DL)
Was able to drink a DELISH fresh mango protein smoothie.
Was able to laugh at the guy CAMPING on the leg press machine.
AND LAST but surely not least....Came home to find my hubby had written I LOVE YOU on the mirror in dry erase marker.

Nothing like rounding out a day with a message like that! Now off for a walk in the typhoon winds. Lets hope Finn can weigh down both J and I!

OptimisSport - Distance Swim Challenge.

2010-04-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

This looks like fun to me. :))

http://www.distanceswimchallenge.com/

New Goodies....

2010-03-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

You know when you just have one of "those" days.....well today looked up when I got these beauties in the mail. Of course I had to take them out for a test drive. ;-)
http://www.newtonrunning.com/newton-products/the-shoes

Women's Neutral Trainer

And have you seen the Men's version?

Maybe the new trail shoes coming out this summer?

I just love my Newton's!

*waving to my Newton family* Miss you guys!!!

What are you fussy about??

2010-03-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

I understand that for many people their list might be longer than they would like, but HEY...everyone has a right to be fussy....sorta. :-)

I started thinking about this the other night as my hubby and I were shopping for food and I picked up some bananas. When I got home I was trying to arrange them in the frig so that they wouldn't touch each other...let's just say "Thank goodness" for an extra frig in the garage. '-)

When I came back in my hubby ask what I had been doing and I responded "laying the bananas out". He just looked at me, gave me "that" look and went back to watching the Invicta collection on TV, but it got me thinking. Am I the only one that 1. Likes cold bananas 2. Lays their bananas out flat on a towel so they don't get bruised 3. Like green banana? (dislike ripe bananas unless I'm making bread.)

As I giggled about my "bananas" with J, I contemplated my banana-psychosis....hmmm...what else am I fussy about?
Well only a "few" things... (yes yes yes, I know shocking eh?)

I like to grab boxes of product from the back of shelves.

On race mornings I always have to eat the same thing. Toasted Egg Bagel with Peanut Butter on one half and Nutella on the other half along with a GREEN banana and then I need to sip my GU Brew Blueberry/Pom electrolyte drink. 15 mins before race start must have either Blueberry/Pom Chomps or Pineapple Roctane.

For some reason I always put my socks on before my pants. - Not sure why or that I would say I'm fussy about it but its an "always do" thing. ;-)

Texture in food. Especially items that have texture like oatmeal. I love it, but eat it weird according to my hubby. He says I look like a chipmunk stuffing my cheeks full. ???

Eating cooked eggs. For some reason I don't care for cooked eggs unless they are scrambled egg whites and someone else has cooked them. When I make them at home *shaking my head*, I just don't know....can't eat them BUT I can drink them. So I usually throw pasteurized egg whites in some juice instead of cooking.

It's glass, plastic, glass, plastic on the top shelf of the dishwasher. I know where this came from....this is all from my Dad. The idea being that you put the plastic item/cup/glass between the glass so that the glass doesn't touch with the possibility of breaking. ;-P

Sharing toothbrushes. Let's just say even for my hubby it will be a cold day in h*** before I share. Why? No idea!

I'm sure I have a some more, but that's all that "springs" to mind. ;-) So what are you fussy about? Or should that be..what are you OCD about? LOLOL

Hope everyone is having a fantastic week!

See I wasn't kidding about the bananas.....yum yum good!

A Month Long Challenge.....Are you in? (Amended at the bottom)

2010-03-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

Now that the weather is getting warmer, I decided to start riding my single speed bike daily! In fact my plan was to start riding my bike pretty much everywhere that I could. Of course there is usually one day that I have to drive if I have a lot of appointments in a tight time frame. So.....

My challenge to everyone is......for a one month period ride your bike instead of driving. Obviously there will be challenges, but if you do some pre-planning and good backpack stuffing ;p..you can work them out. And it doesn't matter what kind of bike....commuter, tri bike, MTB, beach cruiser, whatever. Now if you do this for one month, driving with no more than 200 miles total, I will bake you a wonderful and healthy loaf of my fabulous bread. You can ask a few of my friends who have eaten my bread and they will all tell you that its AWESOME!!!

Basically you'd have to send me a picture of your odometer with a time date stamp on your picture, then a month later send another picture of odometer with no more than an additional 200 miles clicked off. :) So whatcha think??? Any takers?

I will tell you that since I have started riding everywhere I feel so much better! WHY? I would say its a combo of all the fresh air and endorphins (which are natural pain relievers). So why not take advantage of something that's fun, its good for the environment and its good for you.

And P.S. .....even if the parameters of this little challenge don't work for you....hang on. I'm working on making it a real challenge with prizes and everything. But in the mean time..if you can't do the challenge, at least try riding your bike when you can. Like to the gym, to lunch, to the store ( for small trips).
:))

After having a lot of input from people and questions sent to me I decided to amend the whole challenge idea. I'll still do it for anyone who wants, but instead I've started a Facebook group that hopefully will grow larger enough for me to start a website and then from there....skies the limit.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106911105999022#!/group.php?gid=106911105999022&ref=mf

Adventures in "Samland": Attack of the Killer Tumbleweed

2010-03-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

Today the day moved along nicely and once again I tootled around on Knight! I swear I'm really enjoying riding my bike around as opposed to driving. Don't know exactly what it is, but I sure feel happier and so do a few of my clients that have decided to follow suit by ditching their cars and hoping on their bikes. WOOO HOOO!

So anyhow, the day was winding down and my hubby was coming home....so I devised a plan. Meet my brother John at In -n - Out. However if we were going to be eating a burger we definitely needed to be doing some work before and after. :0) Hubby got home and we got his MTB ready. Now if anyone knows my hubby, they know that he doesn't do bikes. He equates bike riding with being injured..as he has seen too many "before" and "after" stories at the beginning of IM Kona. Just as we get ready to take off the entire sky went dark and the wind kicked up. In fact I would say it was a typhoon, if I didn't know better.

Away we pedaled and before you know it we're fighting to stay upright on bike, let alone stay on the road. OOPPSSS, maybe riding wasn't the best idea after all!! Turning west up Azure and we were head straight into a monster headwind..HOLY GUACAMOLE, I could sure use more gears. :p Yikes what the heck is that??????.......Is that a tumbleweed??? CRAP, insert quick dodge. *thinking* OH NO, where my sweetie?? As it turns out I avoided the Killer Weed but J did not. It attacked with full force and without hesitation....geezzz louise that was the size of a car.

At the next light I turned and looked bk at hubby to see him covered in "pricker" from the Killer Weed. Awwwwwwwwwww, sorry sweetie.....I pulled a lot of them off and then brushed the rest off quickly, continuing on we finally got to In - n - Out, had a quick bite and then high tailed it home. ( I might add that John thought we were INSANE!!!)

On the way home it was a bit calmer so we played a little slalom in a few parking lots and maybe just maybe and I MIGHT have been singing "Puff the Magic Dragon" at the top of my lungs as we pedaled down the road ( in between laughing with J of course)...BUT isn't that what time with one's sweetie is suppose to be-Fun, silly, goofy and good for you. :))) If so then we hit all the mark with this trip...well except if you count the In - n - Out burger. :p So minus the prickers J gave our adventure a thumbs up, not sure he'll go out in a typhoon again but now he can say he has! ;p And don't feel too back for J he will recover from both the "pricker" and my singing faster than two shakes of a lambs tail. ;p

YAY HUBBY!!!

I lost an hour!!!

2010-03-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

WWAHHHHH, there are barely enough hrs in the day for me sometimes....WTH, I can't afford to loose one! SO why exactly do we "spring" forward every year???

We can thank 'ol Ben Franklin for first proposing the idea which was finally enacted March 19, 1918...during the last year of WWI. If you search the web there have been thrown out quite a few different reasons why we do "spring" forward but it would seem the common theme/idea was to save $ thru a decrease in power usage. Not sure whether that has really worked and as it stands there are many states/countries that don't acknowledge DST, Daylight Saving Time aka Summer Time, BUT ok.....I'll adjust all my clocks. ( or show up late everywhere. tee hee ) :)

So even though I lost an hour today, the day turned out to be pretty darn good! I found a new gym to train at....and this gym has an outdoor pool that's heated and open 24/7! YES!!! They also have some pretty cool new equipment like these elliptical/treadmill/stair machines --Pretty much you can run on them without all the impact and without having to change your stride. As it turns out I know the fitness director and so I think I'm going to talk to her re: getting a tri class started as well as a TRX training program started. I think people would really like it, I know I enjoy the variety.

AND THEN....as if the day couldn't get any better.....my hubby spilled the news that we're going to take a trip in June. ( I think he's trying to make me feel better about IMSG) Where might we be going??? Well, I'll give you a hint: Its tropical, its beautiful ( so I have heard ), it starts with an "H" and they have a triathlon every November. :) WOOO HOOOO!! Hawaii, Hawaii, Hawaii, Hawaii. YYYYAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

What the heck are you eating??

2010-03-13T18:01:00.001-08:00

.....this is a question I seem to get a lot!! Why is that??? Well because apparently a lot of what I eat looks like a combo of baby food, dog food as opposed to the a more memorable "McDonald's or Burger King lunch choice. (bleck......) My question to ppl who tease me about my food is usually..."Do you really spend that much time "looking " at your food???" Because I sure don't. IMO, ( which is worth about .02 ) food isn't that interesting.....its fuel and that's pretty much it! :)

Note of exclusion:: Nutella is the only truly wonderful food in the whole WIDE world. :p :p :p :p :p

Being on the go at times does not allow a full 6 course dinning experience..in fact a 6 min eating experience would be a pleasure some days. :) Every morning I pack my hubby's lunch with 2 snacks and a healthy yummy lunch, but much like mine his food sometimes resembles something our puppy would eat. Now before you get completely disgusted , let me assure you that everything tastes yummy it just doesn't showcase so well in Tupperware.

Typical lunch can range anywhere from chicken, fish or bison. Here are the easy steps I take to put everything in one bowl for quick ingestion.

Put all these ingredients together..

1. Whatever form of protein I'm using.
2. Spinach or Spring Mix.
3. Fat Free Feta , Goat Cheese or Avocado.
4. Few pine nuts, sunflower seeds or Chia seeds.
5. Some Soba noodles, Udon noodles or basmati/mahogany rice
6. Maybe some apple or dried fruit.
7. Balsamic , Red Wine or Apple Cider Vinegar ( in separate container )

After everything is in, chop chop chop chop chop until its small enough to eat with a spoon. Between you and me this is the best way to eat a salad...no messing with big leafs flopping around. Believe me NOTHING is worse that trying to drive, eat and fight with a big piece of Spinach. :p

Besides the salad concoction listed above.... at work or even at home its easier just to throw everything in one bowl and chow down. So throw some bison, soba noodles, spinach and some homemade garlic paste together and you have a scrumptious bowl of goodness.

Now maybe some would claim that I have a "plate - a - phobia" but when in reality plates just aren't as "user friendly" or should that be "Samland - friendly".
Hyper girl + working + multi tasking + food = MESSY. See what happens when I try to use a plate.......I even had to put my hair in a high ponytail to get thru the meal. SHESHHHHH!!!!

So I guess the moral of the story is that YES, maybe my food doesn't look that "delish" BUT I can guarantee you that it tastes YUMMMMMY and is very healthy.

If I'm a good girl maybe J will get me a new bowl....

Don't Quit .....

2010-03-12T21:34:00.001-08:00

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

Sam's Knight for a Day

2010-03-11T19:47:00.000-08:00

Generally I don't get too excited to break out my camera while I'm riding my bike around but I thought the clouds looked pretty cool, so taking a page from Bree's book....I clicked away.

Now to my Tour De Vegas. I haven't been on my tri bike at all since I canned IMSG, but I have been out on my new Langster that I bought a few weeks ago. I've been riding it to clients/work, appts, the pool etc but yesterday brought a new perspective. Hey this is sorta fun! The miles I clicked away on Sam's Knight (the bike) yesterday was a TOUGH 60+ miles in the monster wind and Knight and I garnered a few "are you crazy" looks from people as we climbed HR. (yeah a single speed is def. different than having gears) In fact I would go so far as to say that riding around in town was tougher than the 100+ miler I did on my tri bike, but I think I had more fun tootling around on Knight. (sorry Birdie ;p)

I had no big plans, just appts to get to. No rush rush, just my own pace. No impact on the environment , just some crazy wind interaction. And at the end of the day when I got home......I was tired, hungry and smiling more than I had in a long time. Funny how the little things in life can really set your mind in the right place. :) Finn and J were very glad to see me and my smile tootling up the drive way. YIPPPEE!!

Two notes to self: Self #1 - When you are riding around all day after your swim, dry off completely especially when it cold because if you don't your EARS will freeze. ;p Self #2 - Don't wear sweats for tootling around, because by the end of the day they're all stretched out and climbing up your bum. *never a comfy feel* ;p ;p

Even got Knight a nice new tattoo....SWEEEETTT!!! Thanks RP!

Mission Impossible? Finding the perfect bike seat.

2010-03-10T20:52:00.000-08:00

Realizing of course that after 100+ miles on a bike is it possible for any seat to be "perfect"? Hmm, probably not but I suspect that there are ways to soften the "effects" if ya get my drift. SOOOOO.....for a time now I have been looking for "just the right feeling" bike seat for Birdie. (my tri bike)and prior to putting myself on the IR list I had been test driving a few seats by COBB cycling.

I met John Cobb @ The Tri Expo in San Diego. What a nice guy, and comfy seats!! I have tested one of the three seats they offer. The V-Flow plus.....Felt very good, didn't get any chaffing or skin pinches on any of my rides -- short or long. (short being 30 miles, long being 80+) Now its time to switch seats and test the V-Flow Max. Since I have been off my bike for a few weeks I have fallen behind in my experiment but hopefully this week I will get outside on Birdie. :)

At the Tri Expo, I preferred the feeling of the V-Flow Max immediately to the V-Flow Plus, so it will be interesting to see. I previously had a Terry Ti Butterfly which was good, but not as comfy as I would like. For those of you on the hunt for a seat, give COBB Cycling a try. Good people, Good Company and from what I can see so far....GREAT SEATS. Will report back my final findings are a few rides on the Max.

Check them out...... http://www.cobbcycling.com/index.cfm

V-Flow Plus is in first pic. V-Flow Max in second.

Can you see the forest for the trees?

2010-03-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

I'm sure just about everyone has heard that saying one way or another. So I guess my question to throw out there is.....CAN YOU?

If you ask me, I would say when it comes to other people or my clients/athletes I have 20/20 vision on the forest. HOWEVER, when it comes to myself....Hmmm.......well its safe to say I might need glasses....REAL THICK ONES TOO! ;p ;p

Ever since canceling my IM race, I have to say that I think I have stepped into the big hole right before I even get near the forest. ;p Being injured or having health issues takes a toll on one's psyche. Especially when you've been training like crazy and so very excited about participating in the event you are forced to cancel. So what do you do? Well, let's see there are a few options....have a pity party coupled with pouting, crying, getting pissed off and then finally figuring out your options and moving along. Have I done all of those? YES SIR RE BOB! And I would even throw in a few moments of wanting to slap a Dr for just opening his or her mouth. (oopsss ;p)

OK yes maybe I'm a little bitter bitter buffalo when it comes to the medical professionals I deal with as I'm convinced none of them REALLY know what they're doing....they're just hoping that they know more than I do. HA! Not likely......between my family and I, I believe we have done more research combined than all of my numerous doctors.

What to do, what to do?? Well if I listen to them...I should stop participating in endurance sports. Uhhhhhhhh yeah right, that's not going to happen. Again I ask...what to do? How do I get to be able to see the trees, let alone the forest. After many hours of talking to my myself (no comments from the peanut gallery ;p) and very best friend and fantastic husband....I think I've finally come to terms with, "I'll do what I can do". First step get healthy, second step do what doesn't cause pain aka find the things that I CAN do and then become a monster at those. :)

So with no races on the calendar...I press on....but watch out world because I might not be racing now but I can guarantee when I do put a race on my calendar I pity the people in my way. ;p tee hee

Whats that saying again.....GO BIG or GO HOME? Well...........here I come and I'm not going to be anywhere near my front porch!!! *giggle* ;p ;p ;p

A special thanks to my hubby becuz I know he reads my blog...."Sweetie, I don't know what I would do without you!!! You are the very best thing in my life!!" xoxoxoxo

New Orleans - Some sightseeing, an expo and some running. :)

2010-03-08T17:57:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been to New Orleans? Well if you haven't you should. It's a pretty fun town. We didn't get to spend as much time sight seeings as I would have liked BUT there is always next year. :)
We got into NO later on Weds. afternoon, and grabbed our bags and headed for the taxi area. Upon hailing a cab we had our first "experience" with our cab driver. He didn't speak.....he drove around the world to the right........no the left.......no the right again (read: leaving blinker on constantly) and then he decided to be the spokesperson for STP brake pads and how well they work (read: nearly killed us all by rear-ending the car in front of him..TWICE). Thankful 33 dollars later we reached the Warehouse District and our hotel. We dumped our bags and went out of a stroll.

The part of town we walked through was old, messed up, worn out and cool as hell! I loved the different architecture and the way the streets were like little mazes instead of the four lanes on each side freeways aka local streets I'm used to. Some of the streets were even cobblestone. One thing that was definitely different was that this was definitely a city. It smelled like it, it sounded like it and it moved like it. I can't say that I would love to live in a city 24/7 but then I've only visited cities, so I don't know for sure. New Orleans was fast paced around the French Quarter/Bourbon Street, but seemed somewhat calm elsewhere.

We walked around the French Quarter for a while until we found a local place to grab a bite to eat and then headed out again into the night version of the French Quarter. This is def. a place for tourists with all the bars, booze, restaurants and local flair. (read: either voodoo shop or sex shop/strip club) As we were walking we had our fortunes read for us by a local street prophet (that's what he called himself). Luckily he saw only good things for us.....well....he saw good things for us as long as we "tipped" him. ;p Awww, why not. Apparently, I'm super special, smart, pretty and very athletic.....(I think I'm liking this guy)...and that Jared is fast, and a real man. Hmmm, as opposed to the chocolate Easter bunny I got last year?? Hee hee As much as I would love to think that our local prophet had the real gift, I'll go ahead and guess that the fact that we both had on jackets from prior marathons or triathlons and that I had my Newton Issacs on and Jared his Brooks that it was a pretty good guess on the athletic and the fast pts. *wink* After picking up a few things for friends back home when headed back to grab a package for the expo the next day and then to hit the hay.

Thursday rolled around and we got up and worked out, grabbed some grub and hit the expo set up. I think we were the first people of the vendors so we grabbed our badges and walked over to the booth spot. As I was looking around considering exactly how to set up the booth, I started to turn and asked Jared who he thought we should ask to get our stuff to the booth. ( they were still setting expo basics up ) When much to my surprise her comes Mr. Forklift with one, two....and finally three pallets for Newton Running. YEAH!!! We quickly unwrapped the pallets and went to work. Before we knew it, the booth was set up and the rest of the Newton Gang had arrived in NO. WOO HOO! At the same time Tyler with GU had arrived and was setting up so Jared wandered over to help him out while I finished the last few things at Booth Newton. Ran into Jayme with 2XU and shared hi and hello and then discussed things to do. :) Luckily there wasn't much else to do by the time Yo, Donna, Tory, Wendy, Stephen and James finished up with a late lunch so everyone got some good sleep and prepped for the next day.

Friday and Saturday were a complete blur. Friday not quite as much but WOW, it was crazy. Jared was over working with GU and I helped out for a few hrs on Saturday AM, the rest of the time was at Newton. I am always amazed how much attention our booth gets, and love the fact I get to tell people about our shoes. Between the whole crew - Donna, Wendy, Yo, Stephen, James, Tory and myself we were hopping! Sizing people, talking to people, educating people and then most of the time selling to people. Let me just say I love it when people put our shoes on and get this huge grin/smile or that "WOW, these are comfortable" look on their faces. It reminds me how I felt when I first put on my first pair of Newtons on over 2 yrs ago.....WOOO HOOO!!!!

Friday night after the expo, we trudged thru the rain looking for a place to eat with Jayme from 2XU. Finally landing at La Bayou. Yummy, I had Chicken with red beans and rice. Saturday night wasn't quite as good as I was feeling sick and J was tired and wanted to get to sleep before his race the next morning. BUT we did get to go down to the French Quarter again and I dropped off Yo's jacket that he let me borrow. (Thanks Yo, I appreciated it.)

Sunday morning arrived and Jared was up and at 'em and we were off to the race. He took off and a PR and 1:42 mins later he finished. YAY SWEETIE!!!! He showered up and then we took off for food. Next stop the WWII museum. Now I honestly can say that if it wasn't for my sweetie I probably wouldn't have gone in there but I'm glad I did. Very interesting, and very cool. Not only did it recap and show tons of memorabilia but it also had real pics from the morning of D-Day. I mean on the beach in the water pics, men laying dead on boats-sand-etc, it showed the affect back home in full black and white and lets just say....It sure made me appreciate everything I have in life! :)

Later that day we made our way back to the airport, and then onto our flight back home. I would have loved to have taken a cemetery or plantation tour, so I suppose I will just have to go back sometime soon and do that. Besides, I have to go back and have another burger at Krystal's on Bourbon street! Ok, before you think that I went all the way to New Orleans for a fancy burger on Bourbon Street. . . Krystal's is anything but fancy but it is GOOD, especially the strawberry shakes!!! Yum Yum.

I just want to say to everyone with Newton - Yo, Tory, Donna, Wendy, Stephen and James and Tyler, Clyde with GU and then Jayme with 2XU. IT WAS GREAT TO SEE YA, and work with ya for a few days....I hope I see you all soon!!!

and PS....Las Vegas is tame compared to NO, which was a big shock to me ;0)

and PSS....Hi to Amy, I think that's what your name was. You were purchasing some shoes as I walked another customer up and then I started talking to your family. You asked if I was Sam and said you read my blog. WOW, that was a shocker but how cool is that! Thanks for coming by the booth, saying Hi and Congrats on your new shoes. Hope your race was great!! ( if I'm wrong about your name, I do apologize..met a lot of people that day...hopefully you'll come by another expo and say hi!)

Something To Giggle About!!

2010-01-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

These are silly but they sure hit the mark for me! Hard not to laugh whenever I see one! Ok, so maybe I might snortle too but...we're not talking about that. :p

A few more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAvTEVScwjo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pQXEVQGRZE

Fitness...are you hitting the target?

2010-01-22T08:15:00.000-08:00

There are 4 basic fitness components but if you get a little bit more specific you actually see NINE different components to fitness. My question to you is are you taking care of all those components? The components are as follows...

Strength - the extent to which muscles can exert force by contracting against resistance (e.g. holding or restraining an object or person.
Power- the ability to exert maximum muscular contraction instantly in an explosive burst of movements. The two components of power are strength and speed. (e.g. jumping or a sprint start)
Agility - the ability to perform a series of explosive power movements in rapid succession in opposing directions (e.g. ZigZag running or cutting movements)
Balance - the ability to control the body's position, either stationary (e.g. a handstand) or while moving (e.g. a gymnastics stunt)
Flexibility - the ability to achieve an extended range of motion without being impeded by excess tissue, i.e. fat or muscle (e.g. executing a leg split)
Local Muscle Endurance - a single muscle's ability to perform sustained work (e.g. rowing or cycling)
Cardiovascular Endurance - the heart's ability to deliver blood to working muscles and their ability to use it (e.g. running long distances)
Strength Endurance - a muscle's ability to perform a maximum contraction time after time (e.g. continuous explosive rebounding through an entire basketball game)
Co-ordination - the ability to integrate the above listed components so that effective movements are achieved.

As I prepare for my Ironman I have realized that when May 1st rolls around I want to be as balanced, as strong, as conditioned, as "all together" fitness wise as I can be. The day will be a tough challenge but I know I'll be showing up with my game face as well as my game fitness on.
Will you??

As triathletes we tend to get focused on swimming, biking and running and forget about the smaller but no less important items like strength training, flexibility, balance, core/trunk! AND as many of us have found...this forgetting can cause MAJOR issues. Some issues can be structural imbalances, lack of flexibility, muscular imbalance all of which are responsible for injuries whether they be acute or chronic.

Now if any of you are like me the word "injury" is a 6 letter word (;p), but unfortunately we can't always avoid this nasty little word. Perfect example.....ME! I am strong, and I do core/trunk as well as strength training BUT because of my training I have over time developed stronger anterior lower body muscles than my posterior muscles. Now the difference between them isn't even that huge but its just enough that when I run for example....my anterior muscles take over and cause internal rotation of my left leg. Not good not good! What has that caused?....THE MOST PAINFUL LOWER LEG PAIN known to man. (and believe me I have a high pain tolerance)

So what did I do? Well about 4 months ago I started doing a "Myrtl Routine" that my coach sent to me thru Runners Space. There are also a few other routines that I have implemented into my daily plan. I usually do the Myrtl routine twice a day and then switch out the other routines from day to day. Happily these exercises as well as my normal training has worked wonders. Now nothing is perfect, and I still get sore like everyone else BUT I know come IMSG I will step in that water as fit as I can be!!

Moral of this story......STOP BEING LAZY!! Take the time to do the little things....they will help the big things more than you know and they will help you hit your fitness bulls-eye.

Here are some of the workouts that you can look at on RunnerSpace. Enjoy and Happy Training!

http://www.runnerspace.com/gprofile.php?do=title&title_id=93&mgroup_id=122

A New Perspective

2010-01-18T14:13:00.000-08:00

How many race expos have you been to in your lifetime? 5, 10, 20..maybe 50? When I think bk I can't honestly come up with a number except to say I've been to A LOT of race expos. ( yes I know "A LOT" is not a number.)

What made the most recent race expo different? Well it was different because I was on the other side of the expo...the vendor side. :-)

This weekend I was working with Newton Running @ the Rock and Roll Arizona Marathon! For those of you who know me, know I've been a Newton runner for about 2 yrs now. Better than that though is I have had the privilege of being one of their ambassadors for the past year or so. Happily I get to educate people about the shoes and then show them first hand how they can make a difference in their running. ;-) So anyhow....this weekend I made the trip with some Newton peeps out to AZ to introduce, re-acquaint and or educate the people visiting the expo. Yiiipppeeeeee....you know me, I could babble on for hrs about the shoes!

Thursday arrived and I met Erica, Yo (aka Sir Crutch a lot) and Hawk at the airport. Later on Nick, Erin and Robert would show up. We headed to the expo location and started setting things up. After arranging everything and making the space as user friendly as possible we left and soon the weekend was under way.

Friday and Saturday were somewhat of a blur ( Saturday more than Friday) but in an absolutely great way. I can't tell you how much fun I have telling people all about Newtons, how they are different from other shoes, how they can make a difference in their running, and then all the little things about the company. One of the best parts of both days were when a customer would put the shoes on and their faces would literally light up into smiles...next step...take them out for a short test drive and those smiles blossom into "bounce" literally. :-) You see, I know what its like to not be able to run because of injury and or incorrect shoes or whatever....and to know that I along with the other 6 Newton peeps were about to give ppl another option. An option that just might make ALL the difference in the world. I met couples, parents and kids, sisters and cousins that all had one thing in common.....they were about to purchase their first pair of Newtons just like I did over 2 yrs ago.

Now some of you might be saying...Yeah Yeah Yeah.....Blah, Blah,Blah..."Whatever you're a dork" BUT what I have to say to that is... "yes, I'm a dork so what's your point?"
Maybe you're that runner that has never had issues with your running, maybe you're the runner that runs the fastest out of all your friends or maybe you're the runner that does that same things that you've always done when it concerns your running. (like running in the same shirt, shorts and shoes for the past 20 yrs)......ALL I KNOW is that Newton Running Shoes have affected my running and my ability to participate in triathlons with 100% positivity! So I was and am thrilled when I can be a part of a group/company that IMO is different than most. Instead of a big "let me put you on hold please" type of company, what you get with Newton is a family :0). A family that makes a difference in my world and a lot of other ppls world.

Moral of the story........Nothing super specific except, I'm looking forward to working more expos with Newton and helping runners and triathletes from all over the world come over to the "bright side" aka the Newton side. ;)))))

Another grt part of the weekend was I got to meet Jayme and Jason with 2XU....what cool peeps! I think the theme of our meals can be summed up with the comments... "Fresh Balls" what?? Perhaps....."I'm sorry...did you just tell us you got 1600 on your SAT's?" One that I'm sure of is.....QT, their shakes will change your life." *wink* LMAO. Good times!!!!

Big hugs to Jayme, Jason, Erica, Erin, Yo, Hawk, Nick and Robert. Look forward for seeing you all soon.

http://www.newtonrunning.com

http://www.2xu.com/

The Happiest of New Years to Everyone!!

2009-12-26T21:39:00.000-08:00

May 2010 bring you joy beyond joy,
more smiles than wrinkles can accommodate,
more self assurance and inner strength,
more love than you have ever known,
more realized goals than ever before,
and more personal growth and new experiences.

Through all this, and with happiness, care, love, enthusiasm, compassion, insight and acceptance ..... may all of you experience a new level of contentedness and peace throughout the new year.

This is my wish to everyone and to all my friends.
All my very best to you and your families.
Go forward and make it your very best year yet!!!

~Sammy :0)

What's in your Frig?

2009-12-14T09:05:00.000-08:00

We've all heard the commercial "What's in your wallet". But what I wanna know is...."What's in your Frig?" This subject came to mind after my hubby and I returned from Fresh and Easy and I found myself stuffed half way into my frig last night wiping it out. (Oopps, a spontaneous OCD I need to clean something moment)

After my tidy frig was wiped out and the shelves rearranged I readied it for the "new arrivals". As I was placing the chicken and tilapia on the middle shelf and then pondering where to put the bread I wondered how many other people spend time "arranging" their frig shelves or whether most people just threw their groceries in as they purchased.

Now granted "arranging the frig" may seem a bit silly but then you haven't met my husband. When it comes to food and eating "said" food. If my hubby doesn't see the food, its as if it doesn't exist. :p SO, when I arrange my frig I try to put the stuff I know he likes up front and center......all the other stuff can be out of line of sight. (tee hee) Generally he doesn't have to worry about it as I pack up his yummy "good for you" lunch/snacks everyday ( yes I know how June Clever of me) , but on the weekends he might sneak in there without me knowing it. LOLOLOL

So bk to point....what's in your frig. Hmmm...lets see. Some homemade hummus, chicken, ground turkey, baked tilapia, fresh bread, Greek yogurt, yogurt, Gu Electroyte drink in a Nuun's bottle (D'oh), whole wheat pasta and rice, fresh fruits and veggies, milk, juice, choc milk. My frig is pretty much "grab your food and go" ready :)) Now I just gotta learn to eat more.....

Snow flurries and Sun

2009-12-12T19:59:00.000-08:00

Only in Vegas could you find these two items together. ;p Unfortunately for me they both occurred when I was out on my ride today. Should I have stayed inside on the trainer? Yeah probably, and had it not been "sunny" or rather had the sun not "been out" I would have BUT I figured I'd take advantage of the rays.

Being that I live in the desert I usually get to take advantage of the "no snow factor" training outside year round.....WHICH generally tends to be a little more user friendly BUT I'm thinking its time to slap on the training tire and spend some time getting reacquainted with Cycle and Ops ( ;p) and maybe even the Computrainer. Colder weather I can handle. Colder weather, wind and snow flurries............Hmmmm, NO THANKS!

One thing that is good about trainer riding.....its more difficult! Holding high watts on a trainer.......MUCH more difficult which will serve me well come May 1st :p

Be careful out there in the winter weather, and don't forget to bundle up if ya head outside :)

I "GU", do you?

2009-12-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

........ I know its the holiday times and most ppl are taking some time to relax and re-coop from their training schedules BUT then there are some of us that are smack in the middle of our IM training.

So my curiously strong question (hee hee I like Altoids) is...."Do you GU?" and what I mean by that is.....what's your "Fuel Du Jour"? Do you switch it up according to training period, weather or most recent full page ad marketing campaign in Triathlete Mag?

After my HIM race in June....I had decided that due to my FAILED attempt to properly take in nutrition while racing (300 calories for a HIM...yeah that worked well) I was going to dedicate myself to finding that just right fuel and then after that was ironed out...... I would then work on the FUBAR plans in alphabetical order, hopefully never getting past say FUBAR plan B. :))

Over the past few months due in part to my efforts and a special thanks to REI "Gel of the Month" I came back to an old favorite of mine.... GU! We've all seen it, tasted it and received it as a freebie in our race packets but like MANY old tried and true methods we are whisked away by the flash and glam of new products and forget about the simple.....WHAT WORKS FOR US! Now even though I strayed a little bit from GU gel, I was still in the GU family...eating their yummy yummy perfectly sized Chomps. However....note to self...don't dump all the open packages into your Bento box before race for even though they will stay soft, they have a tendency to get mushy and melt together when they get rained on for 10+ mins. (Oooppps....yeah that sucked!!) Also for me...that "have to keep track of how many I had taken...and how many more.....WELLLLLLLL, lets just say I'm VERY BLONDE when I race. In fact I suspect paint by numbers might be a stretch for me at times. (jk)

SOOOO...anyhow, due to the fact that REI had them on sale for .79 cents I was compelled to again give my trusty old silver shinny package gel a try. Vanilla and Orange Burst.... both absolutely delicious plus I'm sure REI thanks me for pretty much buying out their entire stock Something like 40+ boxes! Now, now before you say OMG Sam you're ridiculous buying that many boxes.........gimme a break!!! I'll probably blow thru all those before I even hit my IM race May 1st. You figure on a 100 mile ride I'll take in between 200-300 calories, so depending on terrain and weather....I could potential eat 12-15 GU packages......6 to a box, 40 boxes....you see what I mean, this stuff goes fast. :))

I will note that I like all the GU gel flavors including the new Roctane GU Gels....NEVER forgetting those delicious Chomps that I still throw in for good measure. MAN.........this stuff is good!! My hubby loves the holiday flavor Choc. Mint (taste like a peppermint patty) and I still need to try the Vanilla Gingerbread holiday flavor. :)) But regardless.....its all good!

You're probably saying to yourself....NOT AGAIN!! Here she goes babbling on about something she likes BUT......I only go on and on about these products is because I have tried EVERYTHING else on the market and GU products seem to work the best for me!! ( and I have a somewhat fussy tummy) Additionally I was recently intro'd to GuBrew (their electrolyte replacement drink)Blueberry Pomegranate flavor with 2x sodium. OMG OMG OMG. Not too sweet, not too tart! Just right.
Add to that.....the company has some great peeps working there! Brooke, Tyler and the rest of the gang..........THANKS for a great company with great products!!

Readily armed with my GU supply..I continue my trek towards IMSG. I can't wait to count those GU packets in my tri top at the end....in fact, maybe I'll even frame them. (tee hee)
So maybe...just maybe....since I GU, you could GU too! I can almost guarantee you will not be disappointed. (the almost thrown in just for qualifying sake.....I know you'll all love their products!) And PS....if you don't trust my opinion...........Crowie is a GU athlete, now who wouldn't wanna listen to what that talented man has to say. :P

http://www.guenergy.com/

A cool way to carry your GU's.....up to 8 at a time NO MORE electrical tape all over your bike. :))

http://www.lyramid.com/index.html

Ironman Arizona

2009-11-24T14:41:00.000-08:00

As much as I would love to be making a race report, this is not one. However, it is a report of sorts.

I arrived later in the day on Thursday with my friend Randy(thanks for driving over with me in our convoy..sure made the drive better), we checked out a local bike store http://www.tribemultisport.com/ , then we met up with some of Randy's and my friends ( Luis and Gwen..was volunteering with Gwen in T1 tent) for dinner at a local favorite place. http://www.pitajungle.com/index.cfm/menu/menuType/1 , got settled in to snooze.

Friday morning arrived. I got up early to meet Randy and Luis to ride 4-5 hrs. Ride was great, weather was perfect, got to ride on the IM course and then Randy and I met up with Sally for a quick bite for lunch. Afterward finally got to shower off and then I hopped on my MTB and headed to the expo. Hung out at Newton booth for a short time to say hi to the FANTABULOUS Newton and then headed home, with a short detour thru some industrial park area where I played on my MTB, jumping the curbs and riding up the berms. WOOO HOOOO!! Even stopped by and got a frozen yogurt on the way home...yummy yummy in my tummy. Had dinner with Newton crew and Jo's family and then beddy by time.

Saturday rolled around and it was time to hop back on the MTB and pedal the 7 miles to the expo/IM area. It was open water swim practice also so I put on my swimsuit and pack up my wetsuit so I could put in 30-40 mins in Tempe Town Lake. Got to the lake a little early and suited up. Air was a bit chilly but the sun was out, so no biggie. In the lake I went.....water temp perfect. At some pt before getting in lake someone I had been around mentioned the fact that they knew someone that had gotten Giardia from swimming in the lake. EEEWWWWW! This didn't deter me however I just made sure not to open my mouth swimming. (not sure I was completely successful) I swam out as far as they were letting people and then turned around and came back. I loved it, in fact the more I swim in OW..the more I enjoy it.

Out of the water , wetsuit off and then off to the volunteer meeting. Got my instructions on where, and when and some "how's"...then back over to Newton booth at expo. Ended up working/playing ( I say "playing" because I love enlightening/teaching people about the benefits of Newtons) the rest of the day with the gang....Tory, Tim, Diesel, Jo (pronounced Yo), Denise and Robert. WOOO HOOO!! Just love those guys!! After expo ended we broke down set-up and packed stuff up. My coach stopped by too, so I got to spend a little time chatting.

IM Sunday. Up bright and early and hustling on my bike in to get ready to watch swim start and take my place as a volunteer in the women's changing tent. 7 am gun goes off, and the day is underway.
About 50 some mins later the first female came thru. I had walked out a ways away from T1 door to direct, this was a 2 fold reason. 1. It was very easy for the females to not tell which way to go for their tent and 2. I wanted to be the person that helped my friend Sally that was racing.
Few more mins go by and here comes Sally....YYEAHHH!!!....I ran towards her a bit and grabbed her wetsuit and T1 bag. Few words were exchanged, except for me telling her great job ( or something like that ) and her telling me she was freezing..."I'll take care of you, we'll get ya out on the bike". ( paraphrasing) Tried to help as much as possible..and before you knew it she was gone. I also was lucky enough to help my other friend Nicole.

Now I know this is going to sound incredibly silly but as Sally and Nicole took off I was instantly filled with an incredible amount of pride as both a friend and as a fellow athlete. I remember this feeling from when I was out watching Casey @ IM Wisconsin.....YIKES I am that motherly person. EECCKKK! ;p Anyhow, the next hour or so was a blur as ladies streamed into tent. Lots of people, lots of wetsuits, lots of stripping, and a lot of shivering.

I will say again.....If you have never helped out at an HIM or IM race you should. The reason I say specifically HIM or IM race is because they are a different bird all together. Athlete needs are different, athletes stress level are different and the intensity is different. I would go so far as to say that the intensity of the day was almost palpable in the air. Two words to describe....SIMPLY AWESOME!

Unfortunately,I didn't get to see Sally come into T2, I had gone bk to hotel to take a shower since I was covered in "racers/athletes and grass". On the way bk I stopped by the race out on the Beeline and saw yet another friend Mike as he came down the hill. After a bit I made my way on my MTB bk to T2 area. I parked it right behind the tent @ the timing chip area. Here I stood cheering people on and waiting to see my friends on the run. I was lucky enough to see Sally twice, Mike twice, and Nicole once. WELL DONE all of you!!! After Sally past me the last time I met up with Susan and we hung out at the finish line to see Sally finish.

She finished strong, as did Mike and Nicole. WELL DONE WELL DONE WELL DONE!! SO impressed with the mental stamina, inner strength and physical prowess of these 3 Ironman athletes!

Finally the last day in Tempe. (Monday) I got up ran a little bit in the AM, and then had found a big park to go play at on MTB. Fun Fun Fun. A late check out allowed me to come home take a shower, pick up my new ZIPP RACE WHEELS (woooo hoooooo) and then off to volunteer dinner.
In hindsight I should have not bothered with dinner but it was nice to see Luis again and I got to listen to Mike Lovato MC the event. (he's quite amusing) Started driving home but had to stop as I was way too sleepy. Touch down LV this AM. So glad to be home to see my family and my puppy!!

What I learn:
1. If ambient air is cold, leave wetsuit on until I get into HOT T1 tent. Might be a bit harder to run in but I might stay a little warmer. :))
2. If I have clothing to put on make them zipper up tops. Trying to put long sleeve shirts on with wet arms is difficult. ( and I was helping )
3. Make sure to put two towels in bag. One to stand on, one to dry with.
4. Breathe :))
5. Persevere even when I have NOTHING left. You can do ANYTHING if you want it badly enough.
6. Remember to have fun.
7. Lock up a SOLID race plan A thru Z, plus maybe a FUBAR plan. Hopefully I'll only get to plan D race day. ;p
8. Smile when you cross the finish line and if you have to hold bk a tiny bit to not cross line same time as someone else. ( I want Mike to say my name without having to throw in John Doe from Kansas right behind mine )
9. Have family and friends packed up with proper clothing so I don't freeze to death in the evening or sweat too much in the heat.
10. Don't eat pizza after an IM race. ( I saw 7 different athletes throwing pizza up...YUCK)
FINAL ITEM --- RESPECT THE DISTANCE!!! I have no doubt that if you made me do an IM race today I could...it wouldn't be pretty but I would finish. With that said....I was reminded to respect the distance as I watched athletes that looked in 10 x's better shape than myself walking/trudging thru their marathon. So note to self...prepare and be on your game. I'm sure the fresh memories will help me push the Nutella away and grab a carrot. (tee hee)

Non IM related thing I learned:
1. Always bring MTB with you so you can ride back and forth to race venue and explore new areas. ( unless I'm racing )
2. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT swim in Tempe Town Lake and then stay in your bathing suit all day working. Not only is that just yucky, but it also will provide you with a nice bit of chaffing. OUCH!
3. Find different gems in local eateries and enjoy. YUM ( addicted to Pita Jungle)
4. Don't try to drive home late, no way you don't end up in a ditch before the evening is over!
5. Never underestimate ppls ability to run you over for a free t-shirt or fruit chew package. ;p

On a side note: I did not sign up for IMAZ 2010 , I think I'll see how I feel after IMSG and then sign up for Silverman. :) I'll be back to volunteer next yr and probably sign up 2011. ;))

Giving Back

2009-11-18T17:15:00.000-08:00

There are many opportunities to give back to the world, ya just gotta find something you like to do or have a passion to do.

For my hubby and I we have a few avenues we give back to the world in general as well as the endurance sport field. The ones I'm going to talk about are just 2 that I've done and will be doing with in the next few days.

#1....While riding on Sunday, I was semi annoyed at all the crap in the bike lane so I thought I'd bring my broom back out and do some cleaning up. Picked 5 areas and got rid of the glass, excess rocks and pieces big and small of retread off of big rig tires. I brought Finnster with me and he sat in the back of Elmo (my Element) and chilled/watched mommy sweep. All was good, no issues but I did have one Nevada Trooper stop and ask what I was doing. I explained and his response was......"Are you kidding?" Couple more words exchanged and then he said "Well, thank you and please be careful...and Oh yeah, you can't park too long on the side of the rode or you'll get a ticket." NNNIIICCCCEEEEE, yeah that's right give me a ticket when I'm trying to do something helpful. ( and yes I was pulled all the way off the road, in fact WAY WAY off the road )

#2....Volunteering at a race. I always help out the local ones for my friend but I have never helped out at an IM race. My friend Randy and I are driving out to AZ in a car convoy and then we're going to try and get some training in. Best Part is I get to see some people I haven't seen in awhile and then volunteer/watch IMAZ. WOOO HOOOOO
If you've never volunteered, I highly recommend it. Watching others go thru what you usually do helps create a healthy appreciation of effort levels, etc. PLUS, I get to get all jazzed up for my race in 5 months.

So do something good for your Karma and GO SALLY GO!!

Are you Mad?? Do you Gab???

2009-11-17T17:18:00.001-08:00

I was standing at work earlier today and I saw a commercial that was advertising a new game called...."Mad Gab". Teams have 2 mins to sound out Mondegreens. Mondegreens are puzzles containing small words, that when put together, make a word or phrase. The levels vary from easy to difficult. Could be fun at a casual holiday party.

Have some fun with a few of these:

Aisle Hand Sin Dust Ream

Eye Mull Of Mush Sheen

Eight Hey Blanch Hair

Zola Reek Lips

Yell Hope Hey Jess

Tubby Horn Hot Tubby

Mill Can Goo Keys

Here's your cheat sheet if ya need it. http://www.playmadgabonline.com/

There are no words.............

2009-11-16T22:54:00.000-08:00

only chortles and snorts of laughter. Most popular dance in America? HUH?? Gosh I hope not. :-) Clearly these people have no shame, which IMO is simply AWESOME! (and quit laughing, we all know you've done this silly dance at least ONCE in your life)

Long Rides

2009-11-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

For me....I like getting out there are putting in the miles, challenging myself and working on the details like race nutrition, pedal stroke, how to handle different environments and then finally thinking about every random thing imaginable.

Nutrition: Recently I have been really trying to dial in my nutrition which went shockingly bad at Boise. Now I knew and still know what to do BUT learned in Boise that race day can throw a wrench the size of King Kong in any good plan. So what to do.....practice practice practice and make sure that your Plan A is solid along with having a Plan B, C, D, plus Plan FUBAR....just in case. :) So anyhow....I pretty much think I've got Plan A down and solid. :)) On to Plan B.

Pedal Stroke: Because of the 30+ mph winds today I had an opportunity or rather was forced to lower my cadence. With this slow down I was able to notice something fairly huge in my pedaling. What is that??? I pedal much harder with my left leg than my right. It had felt like my cleats were in different positions but in fact I was placing pressure differently so the foot position felt different. When I adjusted to an even pressure, my pedaling was more consistent and smooth. NOTE TO SELF: Evaluate whether in fact one leg is stronger or whether I'm just being lazy.

Environment: Honestly, when I looked outside and saw the palm frawns waving around like a circus clown on crack I thought......UUUGGHHHH, "Maybe the trainer?". This question was immediately replaced with "Are you kidding.... 4+ hrs on a trainer, I would rather drive needles into my eyes." So I bundled up like a cross between Frost the Snowman & The Michelin tire guy and headed out. As I turned out onto the frontage road I was blasted with wind.....OMG OMG OMG, hmmm maybe the trainer isn't so bad after all. A few miles more...turn bk, stay out, turn bk, stay out. Ahhh the heck with it, I'd rather deal with this wind than be indoors. Well lets just say...SO glad I stayed outside. I kicked some arse with the wind, got more comfortable with cross wind gusts and reminded myself that trying to spit with typhoon winds will most likely place said "spit " somewhere on your own person. OOPPSS.

Random Thoughts: Who came up with the saying You can't have your cake and eat it too? Why is the Twilight "thing" such a big deal....is it the fangs?? What would be a good way to keep gels from thickening up in the cold, without sticking them down my shirt or shorts? ;p Will my new DO be able to figure out my leg issues? Meatloaf....why the heck did he(the singer) choose that as a stage name? Why does my cutie dog smell like taco chips after he's been wrapped up sleeping under the blanket? Why o' why did I not get a Tri bike sooner.....I LOVE BIRDIE, so comfy! OOooooo goodie goodie, I got a new bike light set for 7 dollars @ the REI"Garage Sale". Fresh and Easy.........GREAT STORE! Why are Nuuns so "carbonated"? Why is there so much crap on/in this bike lane--well whatever the reason, I'm coming out tomorrow on my SRD and sweeping some of it away. :-))))

I could go on and on HOWEVER.....I will spare you any more randomness for fear of giving you nightmares. :-P

So what do you do on your long rides???

2010 Schedules

2009-11-12T08:17:00.000-08:00

Tri season is pretty much over now and I like many people have been looking at next year's race schedule options. Step One..figured out my "A" race and then work backwards. Ok got that, working backwards....yikes almost 5 small months away. Tri season over???Uhhh.....maybe I should have said Tri Race season, cuz I'm full speed ahead towards May 1st. :))

Here goes my 2010 schedule: ( subject to lots of change of course )

March - Training Camp with Newton Peeps in So.Cal and or local 70.3 race.
April - Maybe RAGE triathlon - Sprint
May - "A" race ----FIRST IM @ IMSG -- WOO HOOO!!!
June - Maybe Door County 70.3 distance with Casey
July - Nada
August - Nada
Sept - Local Sprint? Branson 70.3? 8 or 24 Hr of Newton? Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim?
Oct - Probably PumpkinMan - Sprint or Olympic
Nov - Silverman - some form or fashion. Mostly likely relay again but doing swim and bike leg this time.

As you can tell I don't have a lot of definite plans except for IMSG. Assuming I survive that...I'll work on the rest. :P

For now, I'm just hoping my leg feels better quickly, I really wanna run the R & R LV marathon next month. :))

Here's what I get to look at next May for all 140.6 miles -- well I 2.4 of it will be a little blurry cuz the water but....:p:p

Friends & Frienemies

2009-11-11T08:27:00.000-08:00

Over the past few days I have received a lot of support and positive comments from my friends via real life, Facebook and Runners World - Tri Forum and I want to say.
I appreciate all the positive energy, it sure did make the whole experience even better. I know my hubby appreciates it also!!

With that said I also had a few people that showed me that in fact they do know me but perhaps instead of calling them Friends, I should call them Frienemies. What makes me say that...well responses to my swim time like. "Oh that's a good swim, but the conditions weren't difficult." or perhaps my favorite (insert the following conversation between friend and myself) "How did it go?"...."Awesome I was very happy with my result."...... "What was your time?"......."It ended up being 1:10:25."........"My first Ironman Swim was 1:xx:xx but it was very bad water, then my goggles filled up and got kicked in the face"......blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

As I listened to the rest of the story and a few stories after that I was actually laughing inside. Now I don't mean laughing necessarily @ this person but just laughing. I found it amusing that it was more important to verbally prove themselves to me than anything else. I mean heck, geezz.....I'm your friend no matter how fast or how slow you swim, bike or run.

If you know me in person you know I'm not a judger. People are different for a reason, and I accept people for who they are even if I don't agree with all your choices or actions. If you have a good heart and are truly a good person inside then that's all I really care about. Obviously the people that I tend to be closer with are peeps similar to myself but I have quite a few endurance athlete friends that always feel like they have to be on their game. Why?? Not sure and I'm not getting paid 300 dollars and hr to figure it out. Tee hee :pp So go ahead...I'm all ears eager to listen about how you single-handedly conquered the universe, cured cancer and ended world hunger all in the same day. Shall I hand you your cape? ;p ;p ;p (I said I didn't judge, never said I wouldn't be a smart ass)

The only reason I actually thought about the whole topic was because I recounted the story to my hubby to which he responded...." Does that really surprise you, (name withheld to protect the innocent ;p) has always been that way" ????..really? I never really noticed. *shrug* Oh well. Friend or Frienemy you're still welcome in my world.....I just know where your priorities lie.

I think I'm going to call today "Hug a Frienemy Day"...............so now find your frienemies and give them a hug BUT don't blame me if ya get stuck in an hour long conversation about "them" LOLOLOL. *wink* Have a great day!!!

I am......a Silverman, well a third of a Silverman.

2009-11-10T13:05:00.000-08:00

You may have heard of this late season triathlon, but in case you haven't.....IT'S A TOUGH ONE. In fact, some say its one of the toughest full iron distance races around but since I haven't done any iron distance races all I can add is....."I ride/run the course as training and there is only one word to properly explain it....RELENTLESS!" :p

But let's back up for a brief second.................*stomping on the brakes*

Maybe 6 months ago I started throwing around the idea of doing Silverman, but was in a bit of a pickle because I had already signed up for SOMA HIM distance race which was 2 weeks prior.....SOOOOO doing two HIM races that close together might be cool for some people however, I'm not that skilled yet. :p Solution????........The relay. WOOO HOOOO! Now it was just a matter of finding some victims, oops I mean other people to play along. After asking around I got to talking with my hubby about maybe doing a co-ed relay just for fun. He was in....ok now we just need a rider. Hmmm....do I want to do it??? Nahhhh.....I'll just swim for now. :) Finally my hubby asked Mikey (he knows him from work) if he wanted to ride and he said yes. So there we have it......Sam, Mikey and Jared ='s TEAM FMM. ( which stands for Female, Male, Male.....YEAH YEAH I know not very clever but my clever was on strike the day we signed up so I threw a hail mary and just made something up)

Out of the three I was the only triathlete, so it was sorta cool to bring the other 2 other to the "Tri-side". Jared is an runner, and Mikey a cyclist. Don't think they are taking the plunge to come over to the multi-sport world but I do know that Mikey was enjoying the scenery. Tee Hee (and yes Jared was enjoying the scenery also, but he gets to see that scenery all the time @ home....;p)

Race morning finally arrived and I was up early. I wasn't feeling that good and had been sick the night before @ dinner, so lets just say I was excited but still a little worried about my swim.
Why worried? Well because I always want to perform well when I race and because this would be the first time I would be swimming 2.4 in OW. I had swam that distance before but only in the pool, but last time I checked Lake Mead didn't have lane ropes and black lines on the bottom. PLUS, Lake Mead is notorious for being its own little Eco-sphere so the water can be a washing machine at the drop of a hat.

Got to the Lake around 5:30, Full Distance/Relay started @ 7 am. I had come alone because I wanted Jared to sleep since I knew he had to run later in the day so, I picked up Mikey from the District and we drove down to Hemingway Harbor.

I hopped out of Elmo ( my Honda Element ) and walked down to the waters edge. OOOOOoooooo goodie, it looks calm. The day was looking up but still I had butterflies and a sick feeling in my tummy. I found the body markers and then saw my ex-BIL John who had just arrived. He and Mikey hung out in the car chatting and I wandered around. (I try to sit still before a race but it never works) Ran into a lot of people I knew so that helped take away some of the nerves....next thing you know its time to put my wetsuit on and get down to the water. Suit on......check, take Gu.......check, hugs to John and Mikey.....check!

Wading around in the water I started planning my swim, looking at the buoy lay-out one more time and trying to decide where to put myself for the start. I like to start in the front but knew there would be people faster than me and didn't know whether that would be poor form to make them climb over me, so I settled on an inside line towards the front but not directly in the front row. Dolphin'd into the water and swam around a few mins just getting wet and making sure suit was pulled up enough in the legs and arms. All was good. Got bk to the starting area and waited for the start.

Standing there my pulse was racing and the butterflies were out and active in FULL FORCE. I mentally swatted them away and just kept repeating to myself....."Catered training day....this is for IMSG experience....just relax!" I tried to talk to a few people but as I found guys aren't very chatty at a swim start. *shrug* Oh well. ;p *insert air horn* Away we go.

I took a few steps and then drove in and hit the gas. Felt good, felt strong and luckily didn't get too caught in too much traffic. As the group arched around the jetty towards the first buoy I thought to myself...."Sam, you might wanna dial this back...I don't know whether this pace will be good for the full distance." So I back off a tiny bit and decided to go to "2.4 swim school". What I mean by that is....learn something in the next 4200 meters, but what can I learn?

Well I can learn that if you're relaxed..... the swim seems a lot easier, your neck doesn't get sore from being picked up every 2 seconds cuz your trying to sight and breath. I learned that I need to get with the fast people FAST, so I can draft instead of being drafted the entire race and I learned that not getting upset or mad at the person drafting off you the ENTIRE swim is good and helps you not waste a lot of energy being fussy. Now maybe part of my relaxed nature was because I tried not to put too many expectation on myself (the reason I was doing this swim was so I would already know what swimming 2.4 felt like when I attempt my first IM next May) or MAYBE its just that I love swimming and I feel confident when I'm in the water. Whatever the reason, it was nice. I sighted better than I ever had, I was able to move up/faster when I wanted to and I got to practice drafting. With each buoy I felt even better and the few times I felt like my stroke was getting choppy I smoothed it out taking long/stretching strong pulls.

Towards the last part of the swim seeing the buoys were a little difficult because of the sun but I still managed to not get off course. As I turned at the last buoy I sighted and thought I saw swimmers off to my left. A wave of disappointment came over me because those swimmers would have meant that the half swimmers had gone off. Why this would would cause disappointment?....well because their start was at 8:30 so that meant I was past 1:30 in the water. For what I'm sure was a millisecond I had a pity party in my head....thinking "s*** I'm slow", "geezz I should have been faster..I shouldn't have taken it easy", "are my arms are getting tired?" BUT almost as fast as those thoughts came into my head they left. Next sensation...that nagging "someone" touching my feet YET AGAIN so I chuckled to myself underwater and said to myself ...."Alright drafter person you're going to have to work for a little bit"...... I started kicking and dug into a nice fast sprint pace. Before you knew it I was finished.

As I stood up and then crossed the timing mat I turned around and what did I find.....a guy reaching to hug me/pat my shoulder saying. 'Thank you, thank you, I know I was on your feet the whole time...sorry about that" I laughed and said "Well I started to get pissed but I think I made contact with either your head or face a few times so I'd call it even BUT next time.....DOOOODDDD, don't draft off a chick the whole time. ;p

My watch said 1:11 and I nearly fell over as I ran up to the relay transition pt. WTH??? 1:11, that can't be right. Had I not been looking for my rider I probably would have turned to look at water but I was too busy trying to figure out where Mikey was. LOLOL As it turns out he wasn't down at transition yet because I had said I though I'd probably be out in about 90 mins but instead was out in 70 mins. OOPPSS. Oh well, no biggy. he finally showed up and took off and I got to relax. WELLLLL, not relax.....what I should have said was "I was SO HAPPY I GOT TO JUMP UP AND DOWN". 1:11.....1:11....?????.....1:11, no way. How did I do that?

Anyhow, to say the least I was thrilled beyond belief and to make it even better I know I could have been faster. At no point did I ever feel fussed or winded or tired....it was a successful training day!! ( and please I don't say that like.....la la la it was such an easy swim and I still swam a 1:11....I just mean it as I'm happy because of my result) Official swim time was 1:10:25...IMSG here I come!

In this corner we have......

2009-11-05T21:28:00.001-08:00

vs.
Which one is really better? Or should I ask "Which one is more effective?" Hmmm...tricky tricky! As of recently I have begun to think the Dr's have nothing on the good 'ol Magic 8 ball. I mean really who got me thru college...the silly Dr's who have a bad habit of talking over me/ignoring me OR the wonderfully insightful Magic 8 Ball that never interrupts and only dispenses tried and true suggestions. :p

Perhaps in some cosmic universe my 'ol friend Magic 8 Ball would truly have medical knowledge along with his normal "Outlook Good" or "Concentrate and ask again" response BUT sadly this is not so. *insert big pouty face* HOWEVER....Magic's answers are about as vague as the Dr's "I'm not sure, we can try again" or my personal favorite of "No that's definitely not it BUT let's test for it anyway." WWAHHHHHH HHHAAAAA!!! Hey Doc are ya sure you went to med school or was that a reverse psychology degree you got?

Ok, seriously though.....lately it seems like I'm that "old car" everyone has had at some p in their life. You know the one that works perfectly until the day the warranty expires and then all hell breaks loose. Brakes go, door sticks and then radiator over heats etc etc.....only difference between me and your old car is my radiator didn't over heat....my heart just decided to test its max limits of 260 and then my lower leg decided to start to hurt.....the kind of hurt that makes you want to severe you limb off to make the pain go away. :p (and I have an extremely high tolerance for pain to start--fyi)

So what does a endurance/triathlon junkie like myself do when this happens?? Heck, rub some dirt on it and move along and if that doesn't work grab the Magic 8 Ball. JOKE. Ok, so what I did is, I went searching for a Heart Dr as well as a competent Sports Med Dr. Hmmm....seems like a fairly easy task right? Uuuhhhh, let's just say me being elected President I believe would be an easier effort than finding a Dr.

Heart Dr...did his little tests and then came to the conclusion that my heart was fine, maybe a bit larger than most but ok. Fine ok Dr..I would normally take that answer EXCEPT MY HEART RATE HIT almost 260 and stayed there for over 20 mins. Now call me crazy and its been a few yrs since my AP class but (insert sarcastic tone)....that's maybe not what a heart is suppose to do?? But.... you're the professional, you tell me. :p Maybe a TIA due to atrial fibrillation......????? Why did I not pay more attention in med school....OH WAIT I didn't go to med school but Dr feel free to waste my appt time by telling me all about the Nike + and your new shoe pod and Ipod....I think that will help my heart, somehow...*grabbing the Magic 8 Ball*

Sports Med Dr...tests?? What tests? I barely want to stand in the room long enough to listen to you, so I'll let you self diagnosis and then say...."No that's not it but lets get an bone scan to see if its Shin Splints". WTH....why are Shin Splints the "go to" injury for any lower leg pain. What about chronic compartment syndrome or maybe Peroneal nerve impingement or maybe SOMETHING ELSE....anything else.

So as you read thru you might think...Geez Sam, bitter much and in fact I'm not bitter as much as I'm frustrated. I have my first IM race in 6 months and I need to be healthy and training harder than I ever have before and right now I can't. Even more frustrating I've done and am doing everything proactive that I can....with both issues but still no results and worse NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE! Except perhaps me and my hubby. So herein lies my issue...as a Dr isn't it your responsibility to do the work for your patients??

I know you all can relate on some level because I'm sure at one pt or another you've had to go to a Dr and they just don't have that proactive attitude that is SO important for athletes. Reactionary does not work.....at least not for athletes. OOoooo maybe that's the secret...ONLY go to Dr's that are themselves athletes. Hmm, I'm liking this idea better and better the more I type. :))

**On a side note** Did have an appt with a very proactive Dr today that knows I'm in DO or DIE mode and is thinking WAY OUTSIDE the box to help me get back to training @ 100%. Because come Hell or High Water I will cross that finish line next May, only way I don't is if I'm on a stretcher or I'm DEAD and THAT'S NOT HAPPENING!!

Keep your fingers crossed. :p

Whats that funny tape all about?

2009-10-29T07:31:00.001-07:00

If any of you watch the last summer Olympics you probably notice some of this brightly colored and not so brightly colored tape on shoulders, forearms and a few knees and feet. Probably the most recognized was the women's volleyball player....go figure. Hard body, bad arse chicks being athletic with barely any clothing on...WHO would possibly notice?? LMAO

Now I'm not speaking for the Kinesio tape companies but I'm quite sure they were more than happy with the exposure. Soon after you started to see it on the weekends and even at races.

I had seen the Olympics and noticed the tape, but didn't really think about it much further until recently when my Chiropractor used it on my knee. So what is it?? This magical mystical colorful tape? The short answer is Kinesio Taping gives support and stability to your joints and muscles without affecting circulation and range of motion. It is also used for Preventive Maintenance, Edema, and Pain Management. Feel free to google the many many long versions and then I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

My thoughts are....interesting product. I was an ATC and have had to tape up many many athletes as well as myself and remember not so fondly the constraints of the normal "white" tape. Too bad this wasn't around a few yrs ago...ok..so maybe like 10-15 yrs ago. :p Anyhow I have since used it on my knee as well as my shoulder and I like it. It survived the swimming pool 3 days in a row, as well as riding and running and it seems to do what it claims. Granted it would be nice if it made me a sub 3 hour marathoner but that might be expecting a little much from a product. LOLOLOL Anyhow, like the product enough that I'm going to try to become certified to use it. I mean I know how to from the instructions & video and my knowledge from being an ATC but would to be a practitioner of it. Since I have started training more triathletes, I figure it would be nice to have this little nugget of skill in my toolbox. :)PLUS, you gotta love HOT PINK tape. :p :p
Hopefully they will let a certified and licensed yet non - MD or DC professional get certified....keep your fingers crossed.

Here are 2 sites that you can get some info:

http://www.kinesiotaping.com/
http://www.ktapeonline.com/

Ludwig van Beethoven

2009-10-28T12:48:00.001-07:00

Alas, this probably seems like a strange topic to be discussing, considering the normal stuff but I felt compelled nonetheless. Beethoven is widely known for his music but did you ever know about his writing or should I say his letters. They were said to be found upon his death in 1827 in his desk. Many people have speculated over whom the recipient of the might have been..which was difficult to know considering there where no years or locations given on the letters. In the end a person who studied close with Beethoven concluded it must have been Antoine Brentano that was the intended recipient but no positive proof as ever been found.

So why the sappy topic you probably ask?? Well because every once in a while its good to take a look at one's life and realize all that you have. So many times nowadays we get busy, or stress , or fall prey to many many outside influences as well as falling prey to the biggest influence....OUR OWN MIND. We so get busy working, playing, training and being the people that we think we are suppose to be that we can so many times forget where we are truly happy..what makes us truly happy...who makes us truly happy.

I like so many people have fallen victim to that cycle! I got so caught up in work, triathlon training, friends...that I forgot the most important thing in my life...HAPPINESS! Now you say..that's all...HAPPINESS..gee that's nothing ( insert sarcasm ). BUT REALLY its not! When I first started this blog I wrote about how I had, had an epiphany that nothing else in the world matter except that I was happy. Good good good..solid idea. Then to make it even better I knew that the things that really made me happy were me feeling good about myself, my absolutely wonderful husband, my puppy and my true good friends. Ok...again....good good good solid ideas ....SO WHAT HAPPENED?

Well nothing happened really except life. I got busy, I got stressed, I got tired, I worried, I got too concerned with other people....all the things that I know lead me down a bad path. See I'm a fairly easy going person and it doesn't take a lot to make me content but between clients -taking on too many, stress - trying to be too perfect....too perfect for parents and family..too perfect for friends....JUST TOO DAMM PERFECT! (which by the way NEVER works!), becoming too tired - not taking care of my health first... not eating enough...not resting enough...training too much and then finally losing myself in some of my friends and fellow triathletes.
Don't get me wrong there is nothing bad about having friends and ppl you share a passion for something with but when you spend more time on them than you do yourself and your family...that's when imbalance sets in. Especially when through time and events you realize that some of those friends aren't really friends at all...that's really when the suck factor sinks in and causes a person to get a little bitter bitter buffalo and who needs that silliness!! What we all should do is move past it, learn something from it and then put it behind us. :))))

*insert moment of reflection* :) I have taken yet another long look and have reminded myself that -- I don't need to be making 6 figures to be happy ( my parent might think its important but I don't), to don't need to compare myself as a athlete to other athletes just because they do it, I don't ever have to give every ounce of myself to other ppl, I don't have to worry about the future because what happens will happen..I have no control over that......and MOST OF ALL.....I don't have to be anything but me. The happy person, loving person I am and always have been but one that has a bad habit of letting things and other people get in the way. :) Yes yes, perhaps this seems a bit much to be blogging about but its not as much for me as it is for my family and my friends. I am so very lucky to have a husband that would stop the world for me if he thought it would make me smile! I am so very lucky to have the absolutely cutest dog on the planet that does nothing but sit on the front entry carpet and wait for me to get home!! I am so very lucky to have a group of true, honest friends/family (including my tri family peeps) that I know will always be there for me and me for them!

Today as I was chatting with a client whose marriage is spiraling the drain.. I thought about writing this topic and to tell the people I treasure...one more time..how much they mean to me and how glad I am that they are part of my life. We all only get one chance to live this thing we call "our life", so I figure I better keep doing what I'm doing and appreciating all the wonderful things that I have been blessed with!! SO THANK YOU.
In college I read these letter in an English class and for some reason today I was reminded of them and Beethoven's last lines in the 3rd letters.
So I say to my hubby....EVER THINE, EVER MINE, EVER OURS!

The First Letter

July 6, in the morning
My angel, my all, my very self - Only a few words today and at that with pencil (with yours) - Not till tomorrow will my lodgings be definitely determined upon - what a useless waste of time - Why this deep sorrow when necessity speaks - can our love endure except through sacrifices, through not demanding everything from one another; can you change the fact that you are not wholly mine, I not wholly thine - Oh God, look out into the beauties of nature and comfort your heart with that which must be - Love demands everything and that very justly - thus it is to me with you, and to your with me. But you forget so easily that I must live for me and for you; if we were wholly united you would feel the pain of it as little as I - My journey was a fearful one; I did not reach here until 4 o'clock yesterday morning. Lacking horses the post-coach chose another route, but what an awful one; at the stage before the last I was warned not to travel at night; I was made fearful of a forest, but that only made me the more eager - and I was wrong. The coach must needs break down on the wretched road, a bottomless mud road. Without such postilions as I had with me I should have remained stuck in the road. Esterhazy, traveling the usual road here, had the same fate with eight horses that I had with four - Yet I got some pleasure out of it, as I always do when I successfully overcome difficulties - Now a quick change to things internal from things external. We shall surely see each other soon; moreover, today I cannot share with you the thoughts I have had during these last few days touching my own life - If our hearts were always close together, I would have none of these. My heart is full of so many things to say to you - ah - there are moments when I feel that speech amounts to nothing at all - Cheer up - remain my true, my only treasure, my all as I am yours. The gods must send us the rest, what for us must and shall be -
Your faithful LUDWIG.

The Second Letter

Evening, Monday, July 6
You are suffering, my dearest creature - only now have I learned that letters must be posted very early in the morning on Mondays to Thursdays - the only days on which the mail-coach goes from here to K. - You are suffering - Ah, wherever I am, there you are also - I will arrange it with you and me that I can live with you. What a life!!! thus!!! without you - pursued by the goodness of mankind hither and thither - which I as little want to deserve as I deserve it - Humility of man towards man - it pains me - and when I consider myself in relation to the universe, what am I and what is He - whom we call the greatest - and yet - herein lies the divine in man - I weep when I reflect that you will probably not receive the first report from me until Saturday - Much as you love me - I love you more - But do not ever conceal yourself from me - good night - As I am taking the baths I must go to bed - Oh God - so near! so far! Is not our love truly a heavenly structure, and also as firm as the vault of heaven?

The Third Letter

Good morning, on July 7
Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, now and then joyfully, then sadly, waiting to learn whether or not fate will hear us - I can live only wholly with you or not at all - Yes, I am resolved to wander so long away from you until I can fly to your arms and say that I am really at home with you, and can send my soul enwrapped in you into the land of spirits - Yes, unhappily it must be so - You will be the more contained since you know my fidelity to you. No one else can ever possess my heart - never - never - Oh God, why must one be parted from one whom one so loves. And yet my life in V is now a wretched life - Your love makes me at once the happiest and the unhappiest of men - At my age I need a steady, quiet life - can that be so in our connection? My angel, I have just been told that the mailcoach goes every day - therefore I must close at once so that you may receive the letter at once - Be calm, only by a calm consideration of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together - Be calm - love me - today - yesterday - what tearful longings for you - you - you - my life - my all - farewell. Oh continue to love me - never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.
ever thine
ever mine
ever ours

Freerunning. Ever heard of this?

2009-10-25T20:04:00.001-07:00

So I'm relaxin', writing out my weekly training plans/athlete's schedules and hubby and I decide to turn on the TV. Its Sunday...not a ton on so between the Giants game and G4 (use to be ZDTV) channel with the World Freerun Championship we settle on flipping back and forth.

OMG....I have never watched Freerunning but color me impressed. These guys are like skateboarders without the skateboards--- sorta like gumby, a stunt man, and a gymnist all stuffed together in one body. The stuff the do is both scary and impressive...not so sure I want to launch myself off a 25 ft tower and then hurl myself at a wall so I can run up the wall. YIKEYS!! My only question is....where are the females??? (P.S. the guy in the bright yellowish green shirt was the winner!!)

Barclaycard World Freerunning Championship 2009 Exclusive Highlights

Another LOL moment. :)

2009-10-20T07:23:00.001-07:00

In case you needed further proof that the human race is doomed to stupidity, here are some actual label instructions on consumer goods:

On a Sears hairdryer -- Do not use while sleeping.
(Shoot, and that's the only time I have to work on my hair.)

On a bag of Fritos -- You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside.
(the shoplifter special??)

On a bar of Dial soap -- "Directions: Use like regular soap,"
(and that would be how???....)

On some Swanson frozen dinners -- "Serving suggestion: Defrost."
(but, it's "just" a suggestion).

On Tesco's Tiramisu dessert (printed on bottom) -- "Do not turn upside down."
(well...duh, a bit late, huh)!

On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding -- "Product will be hot after heating."
(...and you thought????...)

On packaging for a Rowena iron -- "Do not iron clothes on body."
(but wouldn't this save me more time!)

On Boot's Children Cough Medicine -- "Do not drive a car or operate machinery after taking this medication."
(We could do a lot to reduce the rate of construction accidents if we could just get those 5-year-olds with head-colds off those forklifts.)

On Nytol Sleep Aid -- "Warning: May cause drowsiness."
(and...I'm taking this because???....)

On most brands of Christmas lights -- "For indoor or outdoor use only."
(as opposed to...what???)

On a Japanese food processor -- "Not to be used for the other use."
(now, somebody out there, help me on this. I'm a bit curious)

On Sainsbury's peanuts -- "Warning: contains nuts."
(talk about a news flash)

On an American Airlines packet of nuts -- "Instructions: Open packet, eat nuts."
(Step 3: maybe, ooh...fly Delta?)

On a child's Superman costume -- "Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly."
(I don't blame the company. I blame the parents for this one.)

On a Swedish chainsaw -- "Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands or genitals."
(Oh my ..was there a lot of this happening somewhere?)

Annoying Things To Do On An Elevator

2009-10-19T12:35:00.001-07:00

Now I'm not suggesting I would ever do any of these BUT.......you never know. :)

1) CRACK open your briefcase or handbag, peer Inside and ask "Got enough air in there?"

2) STAND silent and motionless in the corner facing the wall without getting off.

3) WHEN arriving at your floor, grunt and strain to yank the doors open, then act as if you're embarrassed when they open themselves.

4) GREET everyone with a warm handshake and ask him or her to call you Admiral.

5) MEOW occasionally.

6) STARE At another passenger for a while. Then announce in horror: "You're one of THEM" - and back away slowly.

7) SAY -DING at each floor.

8) SAY "I wonder what all these do?" And push all the red buttons.

9) MAKE explosion noises when anyone presses a button.

10) STARE, grinning at another passenger for a while, then announce: "I have new socks on."

11) WHEN the elevator is silent, look around and ask: "Is that your beeper?"

12) TRY to make personal calls on the emergency phone.

13) DRAW a little square on the floor with chalk and announce to the other passengers: "This is my personal space."

14) WHEN there's only one other person in the elevator, tap them on the shoulder, then pretend it wasn't you.

15) PUSH the buttons and pretend they give you a shock. Smile, and go back for more.

16) ASK if you can push the button for other people but push the wrong ones.

17) HOLD the doors open and say you're waiting for your friend. After a while, let the doors close and say "Hi Greg, How's your day been?"

18) DROP a pen and wail until someone reaches to help pick it up, then scream: "That's mine!"

19) BRING a camera and take pictures of everyone in the lift.

20) PRETEND you're a flight attendant and review emergency procedures and exits with the Passengers.

21) SWAT at flies that don't exist.

22) CALL out "Group hug" then enforce it.

Monty Python + Sam = Hrs of amusement!

2009-10-13T19:53:00.001-07:00

While I was out on my windy/blustery ride & run today, MP sketches were flying thru my head...even LOL'd a few times. Not sure why they've been on my mind except to say that a friend that works at local hospital that is huge fan and she amuses me with MP stories all the time.

Now,I'm sure most people have at one point or another in their life heard of Monty Python, but have you ever listened to or watched one of their DVD's? ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.....CLEVER.... QUICK WITTED..... VERY EDUCATED......SHARP OF TONGUE! ! You get the idea, I think.

They started out back in 1969 with Flying Circus on BBC television(BBC is probably one of my fav TV channels)with 40+ sketches/skits for and sky-rocketed into many many TV series, stage plays, albums and books.
Probably the most well know of the group was John Clesse but the other guys were just as marvelous..the original group included Joh Clesse, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin(no relation :p)!

If you have never seen any..here are 2 of my favorite to get you started!

Myrtl Routine....Try it....you just might like it!

2009-10-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!

I do this routine after every run or ride! :))

Also, I do these before each run along with some sets of running drills!

Its official...I'm a child!

2009-10-07T22:54:00.001-07:00

*tapping my foot and giving you all the evil eye* Ok, ok.....you can all stop laughing at me since I'm pointing out the OBVIOUS. ;p ;p BUT...seriously....I have definitive proof I am a child..BESIDES which the fact I can buy clothing in the kids department, especially the bra's! ....stop laughing again....never said the "girls" were large did I??

Now...back to my original point.......Geeeezzzz its like ADD meet 2 yr old sometimes with you people...I mean ME. :p What....who....where.... OH LOOK a Squirrel! tee hee

Ok, so today as I leaving the pool I was walking behind a Mom and her 2 little boys, who might I add were very cute and the very reason I had my "WHYpiphany". :-)) As they were exiting the Y the Mom had asked one of the little ones to hop down from the planter box he was walking on and his response was "Why?". Mom's retort..."You're going to fall", Little boy..."No I won't"...Mom..."Get Down"..Little Boy..Why? Mom...."We have to hurry to the car"...Little Boy...."Why?"......Mom..."Get Down, becuz Mommy told you to"...Little Boy..."Why?"
At this pt I do believe MOM was getting a little bit ticked off at her little "parrot"...... but I couldn't do anything but bite my lip and giggle to myself.

So tell me MOM.....Why, does he need to get down? The planter box was all of 5 inches taller than the ground surface....Hurry to car?....you're already walking fast enough to qualify for Boston.....Becuz I said so?....WWAHHHHH HHHHHAAAAA DOES THAT EVER WORK???....I'm not a Mom so I can't wrap my head around the whole thing but I know telling me to do something "Because someone said so" would send me so quickly in the opposite direction that heads would spin. (unless of course you're a police officer or some sort of Federal Agent with handcuffs :p) In fact I'm quite sure I made my parents insane on many occasions for incidents like the above mentioned.

So really....WHY???? I like the little boy want to know why? Why, can't I walk on the planter box...its more fun! ( ps I walk on the planter boxes all the time when my hubby and I walk the dog) Why, are ppl grumpy malcontents when they have everything going for them? Why, does it have to be so windy every day? Why, do the "bobbers" at the pool have to cause the water to wake over the lane lines and kick backward into my lane? Why, does my skin itch like crazy? Why, did someone create traffic lights as opposed to just making everything like a yield/merging on to freeway set up. Why, is gas so expensive? Why, does everyone who lives somewhere else assume ppl who live in Las Vegas are either strippers, porn stars or deviants of some sort? Why, does my dog like to sleep on my pillow? Why, am I such a crappy runner? ;p Why, is the sky blue and water wet? Why, do golfers wear plaid? Why, was gold lame ever created? Why, do birds suddenly appear every time you are near? (hee hee...sorry got carried away there) So..... WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY?

I must think WHY a zillion times a day because I see things or hear things that make no sense to me and I need a explanation DARN IT! *jumping up and down* NOW NOW NOW

So yeah thanks to the little boy this morning I now know......I'm a child, I like the word "why" and I'm clearly any parents worst nightmare. :p :p

ask why?

Living in "Samland"

2009-10-06T20:01:00.001-07:00

I was recently told by a friend that my life was different than theirs be'cuz I lived in "Samland". Now, at first I didn't know whether to be offended or take it as a complement. To this day still not sure exactly what they meant but I'm going with complement. *wink*
(De-Nile...its not just a river in Egypt oh wait is that suppose to be "denial".. oops my bad)

SOOOOOO.....do you ever feel like you move thru life differently than other people? *laughing* Well if you do come over to "Samland"....or rather the "Darkside"....WE HAVE COOKIES and homemade bread! :) No but seriously....I am fairly aware that I march to the beat of a different drum than most people and I wouldn't change it for the world but why is it that some people feel they need to judge or hate if a person doesn't fit in with the "norm"? Do we as peeps dislike ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that is different or is it just whats different to us personally?

For many yrs I've had ppl under estimating me because I can act a little "blonde" sometimes, I have had ppl crack jokes at my expense in front and probably behind my back, I have had people doubt some choices I have made because they might seem flighty or on a whim BUT those jokes or comments have all been done by ppl who don't REALLY know me. They don't know that behind all my silliness is actually a very dedicated, smart, driven person....THIS dedicated, smart, driven person just happens to like her life with a side of goofy! Do I care about the other ppl who don't know me.....NAH, not usually... unless they feel the need to encroach "Samland" with their "Negative Nelly" attitude. Now then...that's when the gloves might have to come off!

Really.....Life is TOOOOO darn serious as it is....why not try to enjoy absolutely every part of it ALL THE TIME. Does that make me a complete idiot? Some might say so BUT COME ON.....Why ya gotta be like that?? *giggle* SERIOUSLY....SERIOUSLY.....You only go around on this ride once, so why not stock up on your "fun ride" tokens while you can? I love the fact that I have an infectious personality, and I think that more people should practice the "Snoopy Happy Dance" on a daily basis!!

What got me thinking about this?? Well I wore my NEW purdy pink and blk tights today.
(its Halloween time ppl RELAX, I don't wear stuff like this daily!!)

Anyhow I got some interesting looks and a few mean spirited comments but you know what I got more of ???? I got comments like "Nice legs" *blush*, "Cool tights...those make me smile", "Sam..I love the fact that you remind me its OK to act like a kid when you're an adult", You look like a Dr. Seuss character with those on.....I loved Dr. Seuss as a kid...etc etc. SO YOU SEE THAT.....just wearing my silly tights I helped someone smile, made someone remember an author they enjoyed as a kid and helped remind someone to "breathe" and not take life so seriously!

What I say to that is......WOOO HOOOO, BOOO YAHHHHH, YIPPPEEE SKIPPPPYYYY, WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER, JACKPOT.....and finally YAHTZEE!!!! MY DEAR FRIENDS... nothing makes life more enjoyable or more rewarding than making ppl happy and making ppl smile. I might not ever become a millionaire but I know when I leave this place I will have made a lasting difference even if it is only in the fact that I know that my friends and good people around me have been "Samitized"....and hopefully have at one time or another time in life moved into their own version on 'Samland"!!

Address as follows --

No. 1 Happy Street
City of Samtown
On the Island of Samville
Located in Samland

Find it on your local map....you just might have to use sextant and a telescope. :p tthhhrrrpptt

Sam and the Art of Bicycle Maintenance

2009-09-26T20:05:00.001-07:00

...Hmmmmmmmmm....that title sounds like a book I may have seen at the bike store or bookstore. tee hee ;P

Since I got my new Tri bike I have become compelled to do the work myself......I'm a little picky who touches my "Birdy".
(oopss, that might sound weird)

This is Birdy...

So anyhow....amazing what a few Youtube videos and the right tools will do towards boosting one's confidence.*wiping bike grease off face*

Adjusting brakes and changing brake pads..check! Switching pedals....check! Adjusting derailleur....check! And finally switching out cassette....check check! Now all that is left is to switch out my rear Power Tap hub on to my new rear wheel (the one that came with bike). New wheel is 24 spoke pattern and old wheel is is 32, so I'm switching out old power tap for new one that fits. Oh yeah and I need to learn how to glue tire on my new race wheels eventually. Yeah racey wheels :p :p *purr purr purr*....pretty 404's with a Power Tap. Birdy will be a real HAWTIE!!

So do you do your own work or do you take it to the shop?

Feeling Behind The Curve

2009-09-19T19:11:00.001-07:00

So do you ever get that way when it comes to a race? I suspect we all have at one point or another, but its been awhile since the "feeling" was so encompassing for me...and I have to say I DO NOT LIKE IT! Why do I feel like way?? Not sure!! I could just chalk it up to me being a BIG baby or that I'm spending too much time looking ahead and comparing myself to ppl I know are racing but then that would just be silly now wouldn't it. :P ( Never said I wasn't completely kookoo in the nugget now did I?)

I know its just another race, and more like a catered training day in preparation for IMSG next May BUT still!!!

Actually my master plan is to see whether I can find my friend Sally who is racing this race and who I might add is SMOKIN fast ( think she did this race sub 5 - her first HIM race - last year)....so right back to topic....see if I can find Sally and somehow have her pull me along! Tee hee. She'd never notice right......Oh wait, she reads my blog....WHOOPS..there goes that plan. ;P

About 5 weeks away....and its flat and fast. Will be nice to take "Birdy" out for her first race. (she's a Kestrel so I called her Birdy)....and I think I even might get to use the race wheels I'm getting. A pretty set of 404's with a power tap :)))

So anyhow.... Blah blah blah. Guess I need to stop being a head case and get out from behind that curve.

(Yeah that might be good since I have a IM Relay - Swim leg, 10k Swim and marathon soon after SOMA. eecckkk.)

Inspirational Reminders @ IMWI

2009-09-17T13:46:00.001-07:00

We all have them...whether its a person, place, event or belief.....etc etc. These inspirational tidbits are nice because if the inspiration happens comes from more than just one place..you can literally be reminded of the subject almost daily.
I have tendency to get inspiration from LIFE itself, which luckily encompasses many thing! This past weekend I will say that I was inspired once again by my friend Casey who participate in IMWI.

*insert drum roll* This was to be Case's first IM race and I know she was both looking forward to it as well as being a little bit nervous. To make things a little more interesting Case went and got sick a few weeks out from her race. OOPPSS, talk about your bad timing....BUT she stayed positive, took the set back in stride and readied herself for the big day. I got there Thursday early evening and when we finally got to her place...she looked great! Happy, positive attitude and that signature great smile.

Over the next few days it was a whirlwind of expo, errands and getting to sleep early -(Well, at least those who were racing.) The day before we got a little swim in at the race venue including ewwww..yuckie alge and dead bodies ....and Case got her last little 10 min ride and run in.
Weather was good this afternoon, and looked to stay that way thru the race. YYAHHOOOOO!!!

So raceday started and before we knew it she was out of the water, and moving to the bike. Looking good! When we got out on the course we were able to catch her a few times along the bike course to shout and ring our cowbells, and all the way she was smiling and pressing on like it was no big deal. ( even though I know WI is one of the more challenging IM bike course. She hit the run, and although she might have been tired never showed it. In fact, I would say she was about the only person I saw that didn't have the "death march" look going on. I WAS MORE THAN IMPRESSED, and fastforwarded to my race next May ---- thinking I will probably be one of those "death march" ppl. :p BUT you know what???...after running with her and seeing her strength ..... I knew...I know that hopefully I will be a strong racer/athlete just like Case was. BOO YAHHH!

So what is the point to all this?? The point is I feel lucky, that I was able to watch Case and all the other athletes make their way towards their goals. It was so fabulous and uplifting to standing on the sideline cheering for ppl, high fiving runners and running along side with Case. It reminded me how much power the human mind has, and what the power of positive thinking can do.

My hat goes off to all competitiors.....whether you finished the race or not...YOU ARE ORSUM (aka awesome )
On a personal note I wanna send out HUGE KUDDOS to Case....I can't tell you how proud I am of you, and can't wait to reverse the rolls next May. (Although I might not look so relaxed crossing the finish line) :))

Talk the Talk or Walk the Walk....Maybe both??

2009-08-16T21:41:00.001-07:00

I recently had a conversation with a friend regarding one's ability to be a coach. I have a few athletes that I work with, and she was considering doing the same but felt she couldn't possibly be successful at it. When I inquired why she replied " How am I suppose to train/coach someone for an Ironman if I have never done an Ironman.....to which I responded "Are you joking?" The answer to that ? was....NO!

So is she right? If you've never done an IM race can you train someone to compete in an IM race. IMO, HECK YES! You don't have to be the fastest, bestest, most experienced in an actual race to be a good coach. As a trainer and a coach I have found that being successful is completely dependent on:
1. Your ability to inspire.
2. Your knowledge of training principles - regardless whether you've done the event.
3. Your ability to give tough love.
4. Your ability to teach.
5. Your ability be compassionate.
6. Your ability to be honest.
7. Your ability to see the trees thru the forrest.
8. Your ability to teach patience.
9. Your ability to not put your desires on your athlete.
10.Your ability to learn.

Now having said that...OF COURSE doing a specific event will help a person be even better but its not the only thing that should determine who can coach/train and who can't.

I'm a perfect example: I'm a baby in the sport of Triathlons. I've only done one HIM distance, and have an IM on my calendar, but does that mean I don't have the ability to be a good tri coach..NOPE! Just because I struggle with running ( recently due to heart problem )..... it doesn't mean I can't teach someone to run or help set them up on a marathon training program.
I have plenty of credientals but of all those credentials I personally think the most important "need" for a coach is to be an inspiration. The mental game is where I think most people have the biggest issues. While working with an athletes physical training you need to be able to instill unwavering faith. Now does this mean you in your "athlete mode" that you follows all the rules? Hell no.....perfect example...my Boise race.

Now I am very aware of the nutritional needs and what needs to be done to be successful but did that happen for me on race day? NOPE, it was my first HIM race, weather was crappy and well....I just forgot....OOPSSS. Yeah getting off bike 800 + calories down, does not a PR half marathon make. :)) What I may have lost in "ability" due to the weather or lack of nutrition..I gained in lessons learned. LOL, my Dad has always told me "I learn the hard way..so I guess he was right. :P

I will never win an Ironman or maybe even place...( you never know at 80 I might just place :p) but I know like nobody's buisness that I can take an athlete all the way to the finish line.
The same goes with training. I have been accused of having an infectous personality and you know what....I'm so happy about that. If I can help ppl come to a better place, feel better, live healthier and enjoy their accomplishments..then I have succeeded. And that's the only thing that matters.

So yeah...I can talk the talk, and I can walk the walk......my "walk" just might be a little slower than Samantha McGlone. :PP

Simply exhausted.....

2009-08-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have spent more time researching bikes over the past week or so....HOLY GUACAMOLE..I even got a headache in my eye. (WEIRD!!!) But alas.....the end result I believe will be a fabulous new ride for Sam I Am. :)) So an eye headache is ok.

Its narrowed down between 2 choices: A 2007 Specialized Transition Pro with DA and Zipp 404's and a 2009 Specialized Transition Pro with SRAM Red and Mavic Cosmic Carbon SL's. The 2009 fits.....I still need to physically get on 2007 bike. Its in another state but the seller is willing to ship for me to try out. :) I tell ya I'm leaning towards the 2007 bike becuz the price is so good...less than 2k. Which we all know is practically the cost of the wheels.

Keep your fingers crossed.

On a side note: First week back at the full time training and all is pretty good. Feel like a rock in the pool after 2 weeks off. Hope that goes away. :p

Starting Back...

2009-07-30T19:58:00.001-07:00

Next week is what I guess I will call my official starting back up with structured tri training. Its been fun taking a little break the past month from the normal and trying new stuff like functional/bodyweight training, boxing, rock climbing, hiking, vacation to Canada (will blog on that next), MTB'ing and lots of walking. :)

I'm looking forward to getting back at it and its only a mere 9 months from IM St. George. WOO HOOO and *gulp* YIKES! Tomorrow I'm going to go test drive some TT bikes and who knows maybe my bike training will start up with a Tri Bike. :) *cross your fingers*

Looking forward schedule is full but not too full. Plenty of time to work on my running, and then dive deeper into tri specifics.

Schedule looks like this:

Sept : Mt. Man Oly Tri
Oct : Pumpkinman Sprint & SOMA HIM distance race
Nov: Swim leg of Silverman Iron Distance race - relay. ( I got off easy )
Dec: R & R LV Marathon
March: Local Tri..possibly
April: Rage in the Sage Oly Tri
May1st -- IM SG :))))))

A few bikes I might be trying out. :)

What to blog....what to blog.

2009-07-19T14:05:00.001-07:00

I tend to have quite a few different ideas floating around in my head....but which one to pick... that #1. Won't scare the public at large and #2. Which topics would actually be interesting to others who don't share a brain with a 12 yr old. :PP hhhhhmmmmm....tricky tricky.

So I guess I'm going to go with a relatively short one today.

"Relieving ones self while racing"

Now obviously I'm not going to get too grody groderton for everyone BUT what do ya do? I understand that at a lot of the big marathons there are port-o-potties practically every other mile. But for example....out on a IM or HIM bike/run course, there aren't a lot of bathrooms available. (more on the run than the bike)

I started thinking about this the other day while watching the TDF and they were discussing how the riders just stopped and relieved themselves on the side of the road. HHMMMM...not sure I wanna see that AND at my HIM race in Boise they specifically said that if you were caught pee'ing or "other" just on the side of the road that you would be DQ or at very least assessed a time penalty. So I got to thinking and talking about it with my hubby and some friends....comparing notes etc. Consensus was....

You just pee...."other" well you hold out for proper port-o-potty hopefully. A couple of my clients were horrified to find that someone would actuallly pee on themselves (thinking.....uhhhh....horrified seems a bit dramatic) but my athlete friends/clients pretty much all said the same thing - pee. So now....if you do "just pee".....have you had issues with hygiene-like rash or something? How many times can you "just pee" before it gets "just gross/stinky" and then finally does than mean you have to wash your shoes and clothing all the time? I don't think bike shoes nor running shoes were made to be washed alot.

Perhaps....Do you carry an extra water bottle for "washing down purposes?" I'm just ask'in.........

For MOI since I missing that "EWWWW, THAT'S GROSS gene" (doood I love autopsies..peeing on myself is nothing).....I "just pee".
Hey, why slow down or stop if ya don't have to. Is that a bit TMI........MAYBE....if it is go watch a Disney movie you'll feel better afterward. :)
NOW....you can also take solace in the fact that I always try to carry an extra water bottle or at least will use extra water to help "wash off" my "just pee" moments. In fact had this discussion last Thursday as I rode with my friend Andi. ( she was wondering why I was squeezing water down my shorts ) D'OH!

Unfortunately, I believe there can be casualties of my "just pee" attitude. My bike shoes...."just need to be replaced" :( Now before you throw up or make that yuck face....YES OF COURSE I CLEAN THEM AFTER EVERY RIDE..but apparently there might be a "usage limit" from when the go from being Bike shoes to Pee Shoes. ROTFLMAO!! Oh the joys of being a triathlete....if nothing else its amusing!! RIGHT??? RIGHT???

Ok, you can go hide in your closet or give yourself a Silkwood shower becuz you feel dirty. LOL Sam I Am = dirty dirty girl.
Shall I go outside and roll around in some mud too??

:p :p :p

Hydration while running

2009-07-05T19:37:00.001-07:00

With the recent temperatures rising as well as the level of humidity many of us are finding it an ABSOLUTE to take some sort of hydration with us on just about every run...no matter the distance.

Between the online stores and local retail there are TONS of options...handhelds, waist belts with small bottles, waist belts with single bottles - double bottles, backpacks -- Ex: Camelback or Northface.

Personally, I dislike handheld and so to date have used mostly waist belts of all types BUT there are still issues with them ---- like the fact that you have to crank them down to keep them from bouncing around which undoubtedly cause GI distress. Not a great thing especially when I already get GI distress from running occassionally.

So whats a gal to do?? My coach suggested I try a hydration pack. Hmmm, that doesn't sound like a great option but then I haven't given it a try....SO I guess I will. Now granted I wouldn't race with the pack but training......we'll see.

Off I travel to my home away from home AKA REI and find myself a nice small Northface Hydration pack. Its 70 oz and it has minimal bells and whistles. One small pocket and a bungey like cord across back for a jacket I suspect. Best part is the nossel has a magnet that keep it positioned just right to grab easily and doesn't let it flop around.

I guess we'll see what happens.....keep your fingers crossed.

What do you use?
Do you race with something different than what you train with or do you rely on the aid stations?

Endurance Athletes: Are we mentally ill? :P

2009-06-27T20:42:00.001-07:00

I would have to say that normally that questions is a slam dunk, no problemo question for me to answer but after being out at the "Running with The Devil" race today.......I sorta wanna scratch my head and say HUH??? Remind me again!!!??

I have been and assume I will continue to be accused of being insane, out of my mind, batty, daft and mental for participating in endurance sports -Specifically for me - triathlons. Now as we all know....doing tri's is just one of many endurance sports. The discipline that I got to watch today up close and in living color was Ultra Running. Now this isn't my first time at the rodeo...I ATTEMPTED ultra running once upon a time. Notice I used the word ATTEMPTED....because 1. I SUCKED AT IT. 2. I really didn't enjoy it as much as I think I should have. So because of my failed attempts and the fact that I know quite a few ultra runners, I have had the opportunity to watch some great athletes run...run.....run.......AND RUN some more and seriously I just have to say.............NOPE not for me. I like a little more variety than that!

To this day I will happily blame my friend Dean Karnazes ( with a big smile ) for inspiring me to get up and get out....and for trying to make a change. Who knew that change would be losing the equivalent of half my body and then finally becoming a triathlete. Even a triathlete on her way to her first official 140.6 mile race. When I started reading Dean's first book 'UltraMarathonMan: Confessions of an All Night Runner" I had no idea what an ultra runner was or even what the endurance athlete mind set was about....but I sure learned quickly.
I have observed that being an ultra runner and really any successful endurance athlete ( I'm not necessarily classifing success by time either) you need to have a few things under your belt. (I learned and am still learning this BTW by attempting/trying, failing, watching and learning)

1. Patience 2. Knowledge 3. Humility - Lack of Fear of Failing 4. Perseverance
5. Common Sense 6. Sense of Humor 7. Ability to see the BIGGER picture 8. Curiosity
9. Boldness 10. Have an addiction to challenges.

Some magazine articles have even said that ultra runners and endurance athletes are Type T personalities. T of course standing for thrill seeking. BUT....are we all thrill seeking? Or do we just like the adventure? Maybe we just like the training? Maybe we're all just a bunch of OCD/ADDHD types trying to get along in the world without getting arrested. :P OR MAYBE.....just maybe we love doing something that gives us an opportunity to grow and improve....meet new people.....be outdoors, and pretty much just feel better about ourselves. (and not look to bad in a bikini or tri shorts) Personally, I'll go with the "Hi, my name is Samantha and I'm a triathlete.....I've been addicted for 3 yrs now....and hope to be addicted till I'm 6 feet under" or "Uuuhhhhhh I'm NUTS yeah whats your point" :)) HOWEVER.....

With that said.....I will add that I have no desire to ever ever ever ever RUN 50 miles in 110 degree weather with goodness only know what in radiating heat off the pavement. ( my guess would be minimum 150 degrees as I have seen ppl fry eggs on the sidewalk and also get 3rd degree burns from falling on the ground in Las Vegas in the summer ) So what is it that draws different people to the different disciplines. Specifically...why do you ON PURPOSE sign up and run in the worst possible weather possible. (Geezzzz Boise seems like a cake walk after today) EMT rides, Medi Air Lift Helicopters, Ice, and Electrolyte depletion were just a few of the affects/results of today race out at Lake Mead. WHY??? WHY ??? WHY??? I listened to quite a few of the people out running today, and not just the 50 milers but also the 5 and 10 k peeps. And you know what I heard most often?? ( and now I'm paraphrasing, but..) "OMG, OMG, OMG that is the worst thing/hardest thing I have ever done." You know what I also heard....."I can't believe I just did that, that sucked but that was awesome, etc etc" Gee that sounds vaguely familiar..thinking back to Boise when I couldn't feel my legs they were so cold.

So I do get it.....I GET IT I GET IT I GET IT. Is there a club badge I get to carry now, maybe a cool decoder ring that I get to wear or is it the inner feeling of pride that I get to have FOREVER! Hopefully its all three but I'll be happy with just the latter. :) I also love turning people to the "dark side" of being an endurance athlete. Between my hubby and I would guesstimate that we are responsible for at least 10 - 15 ppl becoming either cyclists, triathletes or runners......HELLO HELLO....weekly meeting start immediately I will be your sponsor. hee hee
Yeah!! I figure the more people out moving is less people that are sitting on their arses listening to their arteries clog.......WTG!!!

Not everyone will become a superstar, elite but I do believe that everyone will find SOMETHING....something that gives them what NO ONE else can give them, what NO MONEY can buy them, and what generally some people have NO INTEREST in understanding but HEY that's OK! Its a big world...I might not agree or like everyone else's choices but I sure the hell should at least respect that they are trying to think or do on their own . All the other stuff we can deal with afterward....

So my ? to you is.....WHY? Why do you do your particular endurance event. AND no you can't all copy me and say "Because I'm Insane"....think out of the box ppl or at the very least break out the Roget's! :PP

Do you wear a watch?

2009-06-19T22:07:00.001-07:00

..when you run, ride or swim? Is it your Garmin, your Polar or maybe your Suunto? Do you wear any of any of them for everyday? Nowadays there are SO many different options for HR monitors, GPS monitors, Watches with Lap counters..etc etc etc. So which if any do you have?

Moi....well I have my Garmin Forerunner 305 that I use for run training and sometimes racing. I have a few different Timex Ironman watches that I wear everyday and finally I have a Polar that I never really use...unless one or all of the previous stop working at the same time. LOL

I have noticed that Garmin has come out with a new version of the 305, which is the 310. Is it any better?? Well I haven't really investigate the product very much but I do know it comes in a nice bright shade of orange. Now normally I wouldn't be a huge fan of orange BUT I like bright colors....probably because I'm so BRIGHT AND CHEERY. :P Like my Newton running shoes..... I just love the older and now new colors!!! YIPPEEE. Brighter the better in my book.

Ok, back to the topic at hand....................................................................

So I have my Garmin and then the Timex watches that I use daily. I have one in my swim bag, one in my work/gym bag, one that is blk and pink that I wear off and on, a steel Timex Ironman that I can wear for more "formal" events ( ha ha..me formal events.....WWWAAAHHHHH) and which I also wear daily I wear daily and then finally the newest addition to my collect is the Timex OVA Ironman watch. I had seen this watch particular watch at one point and then noticed 2 of my friends wearing them which reminded me.....I like the idea of that watch!! I recently also saw these at the Boise 70.3 expo.........but they were about 80 dollars. 80 bucks for a Timex.....UUUHHHHHH...NOPE! I get mine cheap, so if I loose them I don't have a complete meltdown. :) hee hee

So my new Timex is great. The post race Santa Claus (aka my great hubby) brought it to me last night....THANKS SANTA!!! I christened it on my long ride today and its awesome. I had noticed in the race at Boise that I was turning my arm to look at the watch which can and did easily cause a little swervie swerverton action. OOPPPSS! Bottom line....the OVA (optimal viewing angle) idea works...and makes access to your watch much easier. The idea being that the viewing screen sits on the edge of your arm so when you run or ride all you have to do is look down. (see pic above)

Anywhooooo.....just love my new watch and thought I'd share. ( PS..if you look in the right places you can find it for less that 25 bucks. :) Santa gave me that tip.

A Different Perspective

2009-06-17T22:51:00.001-07:00

Just finishing my first HIM race this past weekend has me taking stock of my training as well as planning out the most effective path towards my next HIM race and then finally my IM next May.

Along with this reflection/planning I have had a lot of feedback from fellow triathletes and friends.....TO YOU ALL, I SAY THANK YOU!!! One of my friends is an elite marathon runner...we're talking FAST! As we were talking about the race in Boise he congratulated me, and said he was in awe of me. When I finally stopped laughing, thinking how could someone like he be in awe of me(I'm a turtle in comparison).....He just got this look on his face and said...."I'm in awe because I can't imagine racing at intensity for 6-7hours. I just couldn't keep that up for that period of time." Confusion washed over me but then it occurred to me that his comment made sense - - SORTA. :p

Yes he is super fast, and yes he is an elite athlete but he's right.....I don't think he could or would even want to train or race at intensity for as many hours as I do. Pretty funny when you think about it and its sorta cool. We talked about other things as well but in the end he said a lot of his friends feel the same way....they get out there and they run fast. DONE! Past that....LONG ENDURANCE....is not something they are even remotely interested in. As far as me getting ready to train for my first IM race.......to quote him " INSANITY!" Personally, I think being able to run a 2: 15 is insanity but I guess its all in ones perspective.

Boise 70.3

2009-06-16T09:58:00.001-07:00

I will make this short!

The Good Stuff:

-Had hubby and BIL John with me. We had a blast and they were troopers standing out in the rain all day just to be there for me.

-Boise is an awesome city. People are nice, very active. Area is beautiful and very green. The downtown area where I stayed and race ended was awesome. Lots of little places to go hang out at and just sit and people watch.

-Got to see and have dinner with Tory, Tim and Robert from Newton , Michael Simpson and Craig Alexander. All such fabulous people.

-Got to meet/hang a bit with Sam K and her hubby.

-Learned some good/valuable lessons that you only get from going thru an experience.

-Finished and have now completed a HIM race.

The Not so Good Stuff:

-Weather was ARSE! Washing machine water, Rain, windy, hail. :)

-Sam did not follow her nutritional plan. By the time I got off the bike I was probably down 600-700 calories. NO FUEL = 's body not working well.

-Cold and wet the entire race. Problems is I don't have the best knees in the world but they generally only bother me if they get cold. Well they were, and at one point it felt like someone had ripped my legs off from the knees down.

-Falling significantly short of what I know I can achieve and what I trained for. BUT oh well **** happens.

Boise was a great race and I would HIGHLY recommend it to ANYONE. Who knows maybe I'll go back some time in the future!!

Yeah that's rain in the picture. :)

The Sam's at the finish. :)

More pics.....check 'em out! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2018999&id=1063663567&l=4158faa8c3

Zippity Do Dah, Zippity Ay...

2009-06-11T20:30:00.001-07:00

.....My Oh My What A Wonderful Day! Plenty of Sunshine Comin' My Way, Zippity Doo Dah, Zippity Ay!

Yahoo, what a great day. I didnt get a lot of sleep BUT woke up fairly early. As it turns out expo was later in day, so after grabbing a nice oatmeal/fruit/peanut butter toast breakfast...we took off to check out the Capital Building. BUT.....WHOOPS, its closed for renovations. :( Walked around a tiny bit....stopped and had some fun with the local statues ( see FB pics) then came back to room. Hubby decided to go run the run course to see what it was like so I decided to go to the market to get a few things. Long story short got lost, finally found it then I almost couldn't exit the rental car. Why you ask?? Well because I couldn't get the key out of the ignition. Ahhh..grab the owners manual and was starting to get annoyed, yet amused when I realized the issue. Can ya guess what it was?? Hmmm....well putting the car in park usually works well! D'OH......hey its a rental what can I say. :)

By the time I got back to room hubby was back from his and getting ready to take off to the Lucky Peak Resevoir to do a little swimming. Got a little lost, so was a tiny bit late meeting Sam K ( sorry Sam and John ) but we finally got there. You aren't being allowed to swim on course but can go up reservoir and get in the water there. Long and Short..WATER WAS PERFECT. Now if I would have just gotta my wet suit up high enough up on my arms and legs. Ok, check...fixed that in water. Swam back a forth along the buoy line a few times 5 or 6....floated on my bk, and just got use to the new swimming environment. Luckily NO SHARK (tthhhrrrrpppttt Brad ). :) Practiced sighting a bit and then tested what different speeds felt like. All was good then got out and walked up to car. Strangely enough as I was leaving three guys were getting in and one of them had Newtons on so of course I had to say "Don't you just love your Newtons"! Of course he replied yes...and then one of the guy in the waters said Newtons were great to which I replied " That's why I love being able to be an ambassador for them....Love their shoes and company is one you can get behind"....to which the guy replied. "Are you Sam?" DOOOODDD ....WTH? How does this guy know my name.....either I know him some how or well.....I don't know what. LOL As it turns out he's on Runners World and it would seem I must TALK ALOT ABOUT Newtons ( never said I didn't talk a lot or didn't have a big mouth - D'OH )..so HI KENT!! Good Luck on Saturday!!

Came back from swim, quickly showered and went to expo. Of course went over to Newton booth and said hi to the peeps..everyone was good AND it looks like Robert, Tim and Tory might race. *thinking* Ok which one do I get to pull me along? Hee hee Went to check in, found my number #106 ( which is a lucky number.....1+6=7="s Lucky 7, got all my other race essentials, activated my timing chip and then it was down to the "Come Buy Me, I'm A Cool...Shirt, and Jacket and Visor.......etc etc etc. :P Walked around talking to a few people, even had someone congratulate me on my race at Hawaii. HUH?? Who do you think I am?? (See Tory.....it has to be the glasses :p) Stopped and chatted with Craig Alexander for a bit ( he's a Newton athlete). What a great guy, so nice and friendly. OK, stomach is growling........time to grub. (Was going to go to Athlete Briefing but chose food instead.) Thanks to Tim we wandered over to The Bistro for some gnosh. hee hee EXCELLENT Turkey Sandwich, great patio and excellent customer service. Grabbed a seat on the patio and relaxed.

Next up..a wander back to hotel. (like 2 blocks) Grabbed some tea/hot choc and a little cookie. Now its a little blog time and some compression socks and SLEEP!!!! Tommorrow is looking like another STELLAR DAY. Going to do a little run, a little swim and then check bike and bags in then OFF MY FEET.

YIPPEE!!!

I D A H O...??? :) HA HA HA

2009-06-10T23:33:00.001-07:00

So after a quick and fairly uneventful flight we touched down in Boise. YAHHOOO!!!

Collected bags and bike box.....all there. Got rental car...and away we went. Hotel is in downtown Boise and might I just say COOL downtown area!! Got to room unloaded Tessie, put her together and then rode her over to LBS ( World Cyclery on 8th) to have her looked at quickly. All was good and so came back to room to change and get out for a short little ride. The LBS was only a few blocks from hotel and the guys there were very helpful! As we wandered to LBS I quickly noticed how it the area was very bike/pedestrian friendly and as fate would have it there was some sort of band night/outside drink thing LOTS of ppl and lots of bikes. Such a cool vibe.

Took off for my ride and almost immediately got lost. ( Go figure ) Assumed it was relatively flat BUT nope.....I think I stumbled on all the hills. hee hee. Oh well...was having fun checking out the local digs and then the sky opened up.....RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN. Thunder and Lightening showed up for S & G's ---Was going to turn around but figured it would stop soon. Well it did, but then started again....OOOPPSSSSSS and BBRRRRR!! Wind + Rain BBBRRRR!!! Got in about an hour before I found my way bk to hotel. YEAH! Met hubby back at room and then got ready for dinner.

Ended up meeting Sam K & John at a little local place. Awesome peeps (and terrific athletes), and fun to hang around. Ended up yaking until almost 11 pm and then took off to grab some sleep.

Tomorrow its Expo, Race Venue for Swimming and a bike course ck out. :p Having a great time so far.

Girls and Tools!

2009-06-08T20:45:00.001-07:00

Tim the Tool Man has nothing on me!! Sam + wrench + bike + Thule bike box = SUCCESS!!! I was going to run this by a bike store and have them box it up for me but then as I looked at my bike I thought to myself....."Self, how hard can this be..you're a smart girl!"

Got a proper wrench from the garage and went to work. Now granted I did have an "overseer" just in case the project all went wonkie. ( AKA my hubby ) HOWEVER.....all was good. It was actually easier than it looked and between Jared and I we got Tessie all boxed up and ready to fly. ( either that or she's trying to impersonate Han Solo when he was frozen in Carbonite. *insert giggles*
I think I'm even more excited to get to Boise now!

THANKS AGAIN to my great great brother in law John for the great bike box! What a great Christmas present! ( yeah I'm excited I just repeated the word great 5 times ..wwwaaahhhh :P)

In the words of one of my dear friends....BOW CHICKA BOW BOW!!! :)

T-Minus 3 days!!

2009-06-07T21:22:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited to get to Boise!!! BOOOO YAY!!!! That's what I'm talking about.

5 days till the race.....hoping the weather guesser is wrong. Sammy no wanty Thunder Storms on Saturday.....well actually I don't really care, cuz I'm IN rain or shine!! :)))

What a week!!!

2009-06-05T22:50:00.001-07:00

Have you ever have one of those weeks where you look back and think......WOW, what a FANTABULOUS week (yeah made that word up just now). Its one of those weeks where apparently the tides were just high enough, the moon was in the seventh house, Jupiter was aligned with Mars (*insert 5th dimension music* This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius, The Age of Aquaruis.....Aquarius! Aquarius! ) Oops I got side tracked.....WAIT...... A SQUIRREL! :p
Ok, where was I? Fantabulous week right right.....so it was just one of those great great week where the 5th dimension song could very well illustrate your exsistence AND to make it even better your household supply of Nutella and Crumpets (my new addiction, thanks Calfie) was never lacking. Well if you haven't had one of those week I surely hope you have one in the VERY near future!!

For MOI....this week has been just that type of week. The week that could do no wrong --no flat tires, faulty CO2 cartrigates, mean ppl, Powertap software issues, Crackberry buttons not working, 30 mph head winds....NOTHING was going to derail my happy happy joy joy mood. Now I'll be the first to admit that I tend to be maybe a LITTLE hyper, so perhaps the happy happy joy joy doesn't seem that out of place for me but this week was a few steps ABOVE the normal happy happy joy joy. It was like Sam on MEGA HAPPY PILLS! and as frightening as that might seem......IT WAS AWESOME!

First of all I feel great - Rib is all healed! My training this week was SPOT ON! (Today even knocked out some of my fastest 100's in the pool AFTER already swimming 2600m's.) I got my custom insoles that seem to be working out wonderfully. I received my new Road ID bands in a rainbow of colors - pink, purple, yellow and blk. (thanks sweetie) Finally I think I have smiled more and laughed more this week than I have in a long time. AND NO I WAS NOT STANDING IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR. :P TTHHHRRRPPPPTTTTT. Everything just seemed to entertain/amuse me this week - particularly when I hit the turn around on my long ride and spent the better part of 90 mins battling a 25-30 mph headwind/crosswind and then again today watching my dog run after me walking back from mailbox. OMG..he is so cute and those front feet....like little catchers mits. :) It was just ONE of those weeks when everything was perfect......*insert content sigh*

Honestly, I thought I'd be freaking out about Boise about now, but for some reason I have strange calm about it and would even go so far as to say I'm EXCITED about it. Now, once I actually get to Boise...all bets are off and I claim no responsibility for my behavior BUT, I think I'll be ok. After my last tri - the Olympic distance I realized I very much prefer the longer distance. I know an Oly Tri is not a long distance race but its longer than a Sprint and to me seemed much more relaxed. Having said that I know I have never done a HIM distance race all at the same time but I have done more than those distances in a day so you know what......I'll start, I'll finish and I'll have some fun along the way. I'm confident on the swim, very confident on the bike and I got my 11/23 cassette put on so I stop gearing out on the flats and downhills.....and then there is the run! I feel much better about it than I have in the past.....my shoes and custom insoles are working great, so I'll give it my very very best and see where that lands me. YYIIPPPEEEE!!!! HECK, and even if all the "wheels come off the cart"..I know I'll finish before the cutoff. *insert another good deep sigh*

So there you have it........content , happy, cheery, glad, elated.....PICK whichever synonym that works best.....that was my week. Let's call it the SAMSUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS,TICKLEDPINKISH,
SNUFFLEBUNNIESH,EPICOUS,MINDBOGGLING,KILLERSUPREMISH,
PUREPHENOM,PHLACHARKICKIOUS,WONDEROUSLY,TREMENDOUS week.

*insert cricket noises*(Are we there yet....Are we there yet?)Look a SQUIRREL......Ha Ha....come on now, if anything you all know I'm a little strange but just go with it...you've read this far already. :P

SOOO...for those of you who have never had a week such a previously describe..GO GET ONE! I know your SAMSUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS,TICKLEDPINKISH,
SNUFFLEBUNNIESH, EPICOUS,MINDBOGGLING,KILLERSUPREMISH,
PUREPHENOM,PHLACHARKICKIOUS,
WONDEROUSLY,TREMENDOUS week is just waiting for you.

On a personal note: I would like to thank my friends (RWTF, FB and real time), family and coach who constantly encourage me and support me, my undeniably pulchritudinous husband who gets to deal with my incredibly HUGE box of crazy and still loves me anyway, Newton Running for making the shoes they make and being the people they are and my puppy for all the hrs he patiently waits for me to get home just so he can jump up and lay next to me.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU --- I appreciate all of you more than words can say!! :PP

Feet :)

2009-06-01T14:55:00.001-07:00

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited! I just received my new custom insoles from Newton Running / Active Imprints. Its a schedules rest day but I'm going to have to take these out for a tiny little spin.

If you ever have the opportunity to stop by Newton Running/ Newton Running Lab. Say hi to all the great people that work at Newton and also have Danny Abshire take a look at your feet.( especially if you are having issues ) Absolute GENIUS. He took one look at my feet/my feet standing and told me what the problem was that I was having! BINGO he was spot on!! I have had my feet , my gait and just about everything else analyzed and not one person pointed out the things he did. Better than that though...he spoke to me in "english" as opposed to the technical jargon a lot of ppl start to spew, which made understanding the "how's and why's" a little easier. (honestly though I do have a background in Exercise Physiology so I would have understood the technical spewing )

Here's the bio's on the Head Cheese's ....not only are they WONDERFUL PEOPLE, but so are all the people at Newton! All cut from the same cloth, with the good peeps thread. ;)))

http://www.newtonrunning.com/community/newton-team

And if you don't live near Boulder.....no worries. I'm quite sure Danny and the team can still help you. Just give them a buzz!! (p.s. my insurance is paying for mine! - just need to submit info. No worries)

Watch these too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogZr8MjX4Mc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fBh2qH4QbM

Did you bring your "fun"?

2009-05-31T18:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhHVL993FWk

Now you might not have seen the Dave and Buster's commercial but it made me start to think. Yes yes, I know that's a tricky proposition....me working without tools. BAAAHH HHHAAA!

Regardless though......do you bring your "fun" with you? Have you even seen your "fun" recently? Is your "fun" just a little shy or dusty? WELL BREAK OUT YOUR "FUN" DARN IT! What could be the worse thing that happens?? You have some *insert gasp*......FUN? That would be a traveshamockery now wouldn't it. tee hee

HOWEVER, if you're anything like me your "fun" is on board 24/7/3651/4! Does that make me a child? Mayyyyyybbbbeeeee? Does that make me seem silly or doppy? Possssiibblly. You know what.....ME NO CARE'O! My "fun" is part of me.....and I love all the silly, doppy, funny, unusual situation that my "fun" gets my into.

Like.....

*Having to buy 10 lbs of oranges because I was having to much fun playing baseball with them. OK so maybe we didn't damage them but the manager got a little upset with me especially when I rode the "scan belt" ( where u put your groceries ) to the checker to be "scanned" (keep in mind I did this particular act in college so its been a few yrs)

*Having a pretzel stick eating contest only to get your jaw stuck open because no one should put that many pretzels in their mouth at one time. I won btw....with 50...and then proceeded to spit them all out after I unlocked my jaw.

*Having an impromptu jam session/karaoke while driving. :)) Nothing like playing the drums on the dashboard to make the the passing cars take a second look or maybe get stopped by the cops.

*Having tug of war with your dog "eye to eye"...preferably with a brand new toy. ( not good if you have bad teeth)

*Having a spontaneous tree climbing or boulder experience.

*Having a rip roaring round of put put golf - castles and gnomes included.

*Having a 12 year old cashier inform you that you "CAN'T WALK THRU THE DRIVE-THRU".......Ok, fine can I drive backward?

*Having a starring contest with a human statue.

Moral of the story........... Life is already filled with so much stress. Try to remember your "fun" now and again and I bet your cholestrol and you BP will drop a few pts.

WHAT'S IN YOUR "BOX OF CRAZY"??

2009-05-23T11:14:00.001-07:00

Now you might be thinking to yourself..."Box of Crazy"?? WTH is she talking about..BUT COME ON..you know what I mean. We all have one, and sometimes some boxes are fuller than others? What is a Box of Crazy? B of C is basically your set of oddities/idiosyncrasies that make you......WELL YOU. It can be sports related, strange walking habits, eating habits WHATEVER...

For example: My Box contains ( you may want to step back from your computer screen :P ha jjjkkk)

1. Must eat Nutella on the morning of a race. NO EXCEPTIONS
2. Have to do glass - plastic - glass - plastic in the dishwasher rack.(Dad's fault)
3. Feel compelled to pick up fruit and or loaves of bread to play football in grocery store. (generally more difficult to find someone to play with....geezzz the nerve of strangers)
4. Have to sleep on stomach like a chalk outline to get proper amount of sleep.
5. Have to smell my dog at least once a day after he's laid in the sun for awhile......smells like Tortilla Chips.
6. Can only use applesauce instead of syrup on pancakes or waffles.
7. Has an unusal like of the color pink...but not light baby pink.
8. I am constantly watching people. I find people fascinating and captivating.
9. I have strange compulsion to collects socks....technical socks that is.
10. When I race MUST wear some article of clothing or hat that's from Newton. Its all that good Boulder, CO ju-ju apparently and of course I only run in their shoes. ;P
11. MUST shave legs morning of race. (dont know what thats about)
12. I have ability to smell red ants.
13. I am a Human Tuning Fork ( meaning I know what a person is all about almost immediately when I meet you....good , bad, nice, mean etc etc -- and I have never been wrong.
14. Can carry on MANY conversation topics at once, but not just one conversation once. Well I can but I'm generally thinking of something else - ask my DH its drives him CRAZY.
15. Have to hum while I swim - I think it makes me NOT hold my breath.
16. I'm completely addicted to training, and get rather cranky when I can't train. Talk about taper maddness...try taper COMPLETE insanity! (and yeah.....maybe I'm a bit hyper...whats your point?)
17. I like having a longer second toe......it means I'm smarter, and more athletic.....RIGHT?? RIGHT??
18. Slightly addicted to REI.
19. Always put my left shoe on first.
20. Always has the need to stop lists with even numbers...... LOL

So there ya go....scared, annoyed, confused yet?....Ahhhh no worries I'm harmless, calorie free, and will barely leave a mark. D'OH If you're annoyed.....GET OVER IT....the world is revolving around me for the duration of this particular blog post!
Now to the legal matters...I'm letting you know that I am NOT responsible for the lasting effect from knowing me or reading this blog. If you start smelling red ants, liking the color pink or eating Nutella almost everyday you are not allowed to blame me or sue me. If you would like to file a complaint..please file it in the circular drawer under your desk.

Hey what can I say.....I'm a DORKY DORKERTON!! :P

HOLY Half Iron

2009-05-21T16:00:00.001-07:00

22 days........THAT'S ALL I'M SAY'IN.....*looking for the Valuim* JK! :P
Actually I say...BRING IT ON!!!
I'll start , I'll finish and best of ALL I'll have some fun!!

You should play this game.....

2009-05-06T21:16:00.001-07:00

The game is...do something once a day that's silly and goofy and makes you or someone you care about smile. Try it with a friend or loved one for 30 days and you'll be surprised how many smiles you share and how many memories you'll make that will last a lifetime.
(of course your friend or loved one needs to play the game too! - usually helpful ;p)

Some suggestions:

1. Do some cartwheels outside on the grass.

2. Slide down a banister.

3. Tell a Knock-Knock Joke.

4. Find a staircase and watch a Slinky go ALL THE WAY DOWN!

5. Make up a song about your friend or love one and then karaoke it to them.

6. Go to someplace and fly a kite.

7. Climb a tree.

8. Play a harmonica or kazoo.

9. Leave a message for friend or loved one with a song that best describes your relationship.

10. Wear two different color socks and see how many people notice. Compare with your friend or loved one.

11. Make handmade snow cones or cotton candy and share with your friend or loved one.

12. Lay on the ground and stare at the sky....count the clouds or stars or whatever.

13. Swing in a hammock.

14. Jump around on a pogo stick.

15. Catch a fish.

16. Go to a petting zoo.

17. Ride on the silly kid rides outside the grocery store.

18. Dress up with your little ones ( if you have them ) and have a Tea party or help them decorate their room like their own little wonderland. ( like a Princess castle, or a Secret Pirate Cave...etc etc Let them keep it up for a month.)

19. Write with only crayons for an entire day. ( obviously not important work stuff ) Pick your favorite color.... have your friend or loved one do the same.

20. If you live in an area with tolls.....drive thru and pay for the person behind you. ( hopefully it only a very small amount)

21. Go to a drive - in movie.

22. Text or call your friends or loved ones just to remind them how important they are to you.

23. Learn how to yodel.

24. Do a cannonball into a swimming pool.

25. Only eat things that are red for an entire day.

26. Go to a local baseball/soccer..whatever game and watch even if you don't know anyone playing.

27. Draw a message and leave it on a mirror for your friend or loved one. If you're not close to friend/loved one.....take a picture and send it to them.

28. Hang with your friend and have a few sets of "car karaoke" to a song you both like. That song will mean even more afterward.

29. Exchange a favorite shirt or favorite piece of clothing with friend/loved one and then when you wear each others piece of clothing you will think of them.

30. Give your friend or loved one a WET WILLY!!

So there you have 30 examples.....I'm sure you'll think of more but try it.....I PROMISE YOU, you'll be a happier person for at least a minute or two a day for 30 days.

ON A SIDE NOTE: HOLY CRAPOLA...38 DAYS UNTIL BOISE. EEECCKKKKKKKK!!!!!

Are u competitive?

2009-04-22T18:36:00.001-07:00

I was posed with this question yesterday on my easy ride. Generally I would consider myself "moderately" competitive, however I have noticed that as my skill level increases with training my competitive streak seems to be increasing.

Yesterday training dictated it was to be an EASY ride....basically my coach threatened that he better not see ANY 200+ watt efforts on my Power Tap file. Which translated means.....DAMM IT SAM DO IT FOR ONCE! So away I went on my "easy" excursion. Talk about having to shift a lot...YIKES. Getting out of my immediate area takes a little bit and you have to climb a few hills on the way so my legs were spinning like crazy to the point of having to WORK at not bouncing BUT my watts were lower than 200, so that was good. (I swear i was really trying)

As I meandered up this one street I hear some ppl yelling and soon come to realize its my name they're yelling. Oh great....fans. (JOKING) It was actually just some friends out riding whom caught up with me faster than I would have liked. One of the guys Abie(pronounced Abby..short 4 Abner & yes his parents hated him OBVIOUSLY hee hee )was along with the group & since I had spoken to him earlier he knew I was pretty much spinning BUT it didn't deter him from heckling me. Sorta like a lion hunting down weaker prey. (I'm faster than him on just about any day generally) "Whats up Sammy..are you having a bad day?" "Feeling slow?" "Those cracked ribs really are affecting your speed!" "Guess you'll have to swim even faster now!" To which I replied.....Shut up Abigail. Shut up Abigail??? Is that the best I had? Well I guess it was the only thing I could come up with while I was grinding my teeth together as they rode past me.

To make matters worse one of the riders was this "I'm so cool, I have a cool bike, I'm the best rider in the whole wide world", "worship me" types. Whenever we end up riding even remotely close to each each other, it turns into a pissing match because I CAN'T STAND the self important, snobby prick! ( oops, was that my outside voice?) Don't get me wrong he's a good cyclist but he is also the first to jump on the "triathletes can't cycle, they don't know what they're doing and they aren't as good as the rest of us" bandwagon. WHICH I HATE! Can't we all just get along and learn/improve from each others experineces/skills. NOPE apparently not because since I'm a triathlete I am also covered in scales and barely walk upright. LOLOL hey wait...scales....that means maybe a fish. SCOOORRRREEEEEE!!!!!!

As the group passes...hi's , hello's etc are exchanged after Abigails remarks...and then I get a nice huge sneer from "elite boy". AARRRGGGGGHHHH.....they slowly pull away.... my brain fires into the "Hell no they're not going to drop me" and I start to shift gears to dig in a GO. Reaching to shift I hear the words"NO 200+ efforts echo thru my head! DAMMMMMM!!!!!! $*^&*@^^$&@#^....next come a few evil thoughts of my coach skip across my brain pan but then I immediately realize I have to learn to CONTROL myself. Can't chase every rabbit right? After grinding down my teeth for a few mins I regained mental control and continued on. ( I suspect the fact that I the group turned off elsewhere helped also..out of sight out of mind. :P)

What I took from ride...Well one that I can have impulse control when racing and then I realized is that I am indeed getting even more competitive!

Showdown @ Sundown Triathlon

2009-03-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

Got to Lake Las Vegas around 1:15 pm found a good parking spot, and then wandered over towards transition which opened at 1:30. Start time for the race wasn't for 2 hrs. Found a happy home for my bike and other race necessities, picked up timing chip, got body marked then ran into some friends and chatted over the possibility of not wearing a wetsuit. End decision....WEAR WETSUIT. (thanks Leslie) 59-60 degrees just seemed a little cold.

Wandered a bit still mulling over the fact that I was probably an idiot for racing but you know us competitive types.....my thought process..I paid to play, so lets do this thing! Talked to a very good friend of mine and he reminded me, to just relax and not race it if my knee hurt. (to which of course we both acknowledge that....YEAH RT, that's going to happen) Hubby, Bro in Law,and Puppy went and grabbed some grub at the Irish Pub in the Lake Las Vegas Village and I went up to get my wetsuit on.

Transition was on the Ritz Carlton bridge which is sorta like one of the entrance into the Village area and its covered which seemed like a cool idea until you realize you're walking over stamped concrete. Ooopps! If anyone has ever tried to move quickly across this type of surface when it wet you now exactly what I mean....SLIPPERY!!!!! You need to baby step just to make sure you don't eat s**t. So anyhow....trislide trislide trislide.....Greased up like a stuck pig (oink oink) and on the suit went. Then I found the boys and we walked down to the waters end. Also ran into my buddy Andrea which was great..we to chat a little bit before race.

Said my "see ya in few's" and made my way to the dock. Decided to test the water temp so I got in....OMG..hands and feet were burning until they either got use to the temp of froze. ( still not sure which )I hopped back out and walked over to wave to family and friends. Then sat on the dock for a few mins next to a lady doing back bends etc...not sure what that was all about. Then started giving some of the guys standing next to me heck because they were wearing the pink caps. PINK IS MY COLOR....not yellow. Why the heck would they give the males the pink. *shrug* (one of many "whys" I have for the RD) Over the loud speaker I hear 5 mins till Women's Sprint start so I jump back in water. I swam around and then made my way to the front on the pack of ladies in water.

Horn goes off..and away we go....three words can sum up the swim...FELT LIKE ARSE! I got kicked by some crazy chick freaking out in the next to me, started way to fast so at the first buoy my arms felt like about 500 lbs and then as I'm getting out at the dock (you had to haul your body about 6 ft up out of water - with a ladder) I grab ladder, my body except for feet is just about out of water so I look up....there is a guy with his hand out....I figure...gee thanks...take my hand off ladder as I stand on the next rung and extend it towards him....he grabs my arm and then PROMPTLY DROPS ME.....WTF! Ok ouch that hurt, slamming into the side of the dock and slipping down the ladder. yanking my hand down and yelling at him to let me go, I proceeded to climb out. He apologizes and I try not to be too b****y but think as I'm running away....DOOODDD next time, don't extend your hand unless your ready to hold me. I mean I get it...probably felt heavy..at that angle 138 lbs probably feels like a ton but you can hurt someone that way. Ok enough of my rant.....I know he was just trying to help and I appreciate ALL THE VOLUNTEERS at the race! (regardless if they were trying to kill me ) I hoofed it up dock, past the fam & friends gang and then hit the wet grass.Ok, rant bk on....Why in the name of all things sensible would you have athletes running up a steep hill with wet grass? Gezzzz..I'm glad I have monkey toes cuz they were gripping into the grass like crazy. Into T1 I go, off with wet suit...on with bike stuff and I'm gone.

Bike felt good..started passing people right away because you start to climb almost immediately and well that's good becuz like to climb. Its up, around and screaming back down and then up a baby hill. Had to watch for traffic and some of the slower Olympic riders but all was pretty good...turned left out toward Lake Mead, then into the National Park...down hill , down hill, down hill......so you know what that means for the way back...heee hee That's right sports fans..UP HILL UP HILL UP HILL. (it actually wasn't too bad) As I was climbing back out I was please because I had not been passed by any females only guys, but I also glanced down at my powertap and thought..."It sure feels like this is longer that 11 miles". As it turns out it was, almost 15 miles. Heck 11...15, they're close RIGHT? They measure these course right?? D'OH!!!!!

Back to transition and time to hit the run. Now mind you on the bike I contemplated the merits of stopping at T2 becuz my knee was killing me, but by the time I reached T2 there was no way I was gong to quit. It was only a 5k..hell...I can suck it up for a 3.1 miles. As I entered athletes were slipping and sliding all over coming in to T2 and a guy three bikes down completely slid (imagine a home-plate slide) into our rack, luckily I hadn't dropped my bike into the box yet, so I quickly picked it up as the whole box set up slid about a foot to the right. Got my bike settled in...sat down and put my shoes on...figured it was safer than trying to stand on the wet concrete , plus I had to tie my shoes becuz I broke my yankz earlier. (oops) Up I popped grabbed race belt and visor and away I went. Run went by fast, felt pretty good considering I wanted to amputate my left leg from the thigh down.. heee heee. Turned around and came home.

When I found family all I could mutter was UUUGGHHH, that sucked, I felt so slow and how long was I out there on my bike?? My dh and bro in law agreed said they had both though OMG she's been out there awhile but then actually noticed I was the 2nd female in from my wave. *shrug* Go figure.

We hung out, I got my medal, drank a bunch of water and chatted with fellow racers that I knew. As time progress we wander up towards where they were handing out awards and found a table. I ran off to transition and picked up all my stuff with my friend Andrea and then we wandered back. Were sitting there for a bit , ate some yummy raw food my very fast friend Leslie( overall OLY female winner) had brought and then my dh saunter up to me. Grinning he said "Well??" I answered "Well, what?" "How do you think you did?" he replied....."Like arse" I said. To which he got an ever bigger grin.... WHAT WHAT WHAT I laughingly yelled at him.....UHHHHHH 2nd in your AG he answered. HUH??

Well slap me silly and call me Susie. Hardware , Hardware, Hardware.....YIPPEEEEEEE. What knee problem? ha ha Oh don't worry knee was still hurting like hell and I'm convinced I either bruised something or pulled a chest muscle when I slammed into the dock BECAUSE sneezing or a deep breath really hurts but I'm sure it will be fine in a few days. I'm still not completely sure what my time was as the results aren't up yet but my dh said it was 1:30 something.

Here's some pics: ( last two are my friend and excellent triathlete Randy Paar ( Leslie's hubby and yeah they are both AWESOME athletes) and then my friend Andrea who will be doing her first tri in May and her hubby Adam)

IM St. George :P

2009-03-18T17:27:00.001-07:00

Holy Crapola....I just signed up for IMSG! WHAT THE HECK DID I JUST DO??????? I'm so excited, and yet I'm quite sure the terror will set in soon. Looking forward to Boise even more now!!!!

The best part about it is I will be able to train ALOT on the actual course, so I suspect when race day comes around I will be A LITTLE...notice I say A LITTLE less psychotic. Ok, who am I kidding? I'm a bundle of crazy on race day.

Now I'm just looking forward to seeing the course profiles.

Things That The "Normals" (non-athlete ppl) Just Don't Get...

2009-03-16T19:11:00.001-07:00

I have come to realize that there are some things that the "normals" will just never appreciate and or understand. They are the things that endurance athletes in particular just treat as everyday topics, occurrences and or things. What are they? Well lets see:

How about any occurrence involving bodily fluids - Spit, Snot, Urine, Poop, Sweat, etc are ALL things that people in general deal with but as endurance athletes we deal with them on a daily basis. Whether we're spitting on our friend that ride up next to us when we thought they were on the other side, possibly witnessing a runner at mile 40 oakie blow because they don't have a Kleenex or even in the worst situation have to figure out how to use a lone t-shirt shirt laying out on the road for TP. Do all these things phase us? Nope....just part of the life. If you told any of the non-endurance athlete ppl in your life, their response would be a varietal of EEWWWW's and YUCK's whereas if you bring it up around a fellow endurance athlete most likely you will either get a "Hey no problem" ( to the being spit on ) or a "Yeah, well you know last year when I was training........" story that tops whatever you were just going to talk about.

What about body aliments? - blk toe nails, heat rash, chaffing, GI distress, blisters, saddle sores/pinches. These are all like a "no fly zone" to the public in general. Whether you're married or single consider yourself lucky if your spouse/bf/gf is an endurance athlete or even better .. they aren't an athlete but still love you when you turn your body into a petri dish of cultures to be cured by some combination of NSAIDS/baby powder/ice/Vaseline/Bodyglide/scissors/zinc oxide/spit/urine and towel. Generally, if you're married your SO will tolerate most self imposed body aliments(but after while will begin to care less when you return home missing a toe :p) and if you're single you hope to god your BF/GF doesn't mind that fact that after a run in 120 degree weather you have blisters the size of a .50 cent pieces on the bottom of your feet, that they wont care that after forgetting your body glide you realize on mile 50 of your 100 mile run that the inside of your thighs now look like tomorrow butchers special or that after running a PR at your latest half marathon you feel like your intestines are being pulled out of your abdomen by some unseen forces apparently only the Aliens and Mr. Wizard can see.

The silly things! - Like......getting excited that you get to eat your body weight in food after your long brick workout, that you scour the internet for the cheapest place to purchase technical clothing, triathlon stuff or swimsuits! Like...the fact that you are still amused every time you say "fartlek run" , that you do laundry enough to provide water for a small country, that you have shoes for every phase of training but can barely find time to put your dress shoes on or that you now consider chlorine to be a cologne fragrance :)

All of the above listed things are commonplace in your typical endurance athletes world and yet are usually stumbling block when brought into conversations with people OTHER than fellow endurance athlete. The general and overwhelming response from the "normals"..."Why the heck would you do that to yourself ?" Or "Wow....*insert cricket noises*..that sounds like fun"..... and my personal favorite......."Have you done Kona?" :P

Awww...yes all the things that seperate us from the rest of the "normals" but you know what......I WOULDN'T TRADE ANY OF IT FOR A MILLON DOLLARS. I love being an endurance athlete and I will handle my saddle pinches after a 100 mile ride like a big girl. *thinking* Now if I could just find those Big Girl panties I have. :PP hee hee

And on a side note: HOLY CRAPOLA...less than 90 days till Boise!!! :)