4 More Days!

Day 4 was all about the bike! I did a slow bike ride around White Rock Lake to respect the memory of bike riders killed by motor vehicles. Riding the bike in a large group was definitely challenging, but the worst part was I had to ride in silence. Absolutely no talking for 11 miles. This was difficult for me. This last month of training has been so crazy with the ramped up training schedule. There are so many things I wanted to blog about -especially when it comes to the biking leg of this race, but there hasn't been enough time in the day to compose my thoughts. A big thing that happened in May was the training wheels came off my bike. Now I have those bike pedals that bike shoes can clip into. Since I'm all about brands and nothing but the best, these pedals are called Candy pedals designed by crankbrothers. I let the guy at the bike store assure me this is what I needed. I have no idea if he is right or not, but I'm guessing he saw a sucker and sold me an expensive pedal. This pedal claims to be the world's first 2-sided pedal with 4-sided entry. The design allows me to clip my foot in a variety of ways not possible with other pedals and they have 6 degrees of rotational float so my foot is not held in one solid position allowing less strain on my knees. My opinion on this -"Whatever!" I still have a hard time clipping into them and I've fallen off the bike enough times trying to unclip from the *&#@ pedals to have bruises all over my body. I know I would have this many coordination issues no matter what brand of pedals I have.

At least I got to buy new shoes. I've gone from Gucci to Sidi. Things these shoes have in common: their designer names rhyme, they both come with a brochure telling you what an amazing pair of shoes they are in two languages; they are both made in Italy of the finest Italian leather; they are both really expensive and they can only be worn to compliment specific outfits. Speaking of outfits - the bicycle shirts are mind blowing. It's like a watching a psychedelic t-shirt collection in motion. I've seen some super cool shirts. Some of my favorites depict images & logos of: Martha's Vineyard Black Dog Wharf; Sutter Home, Lone Star and Shiner Bock (I'm sensing a theme here.) I still hate working out, so I will do anything to distract me from the pain. I've been training in different bike rides with large groups of people. I have to try really hard to focus on my extreme lack of bicycle handling techniques because all the vivid colors, designs & styles of these shirts and in some cases the matching bike shorts are very distracting. One thing that I quickly came familiar with are brand names of triathlon gear that encompasses the swim, the run, and the bike. It goes way beyond the familiar ones everyone knows like Nike, Addidas and Speedo. Unlike my familiar circle of gal pals, you can't walk up to these athletes and casually ask, "Who are you wearing?" So I've educated myself on the best places to shop (it's not Neiman's) and I'm now familiar with designers like Tyr, Bell, Shimano, LGI (Louis Garneau), Pearl Izumi, Specialized, Moving Comfort, DeSoto, Zoot and Brooks. Most importantly, I now own something from all of these designers. So, don't hesitate to ask me, "Who Are You Wearing?" I'll gladly answer and in return would like the Paris Hilton approval of "That's Hot!"

5 More Days!

My last run before race day. I needed to run 6 miles one more time prior to the race, so I took on "The Bridge" one last time. For those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about, see the March 31st post entitled "Milestones & Measurements." This running thing has been an incredible progress monitor. In January, I could barely run a mile. At the beginning of Feburary, I made it a mile and half. February 14th was my first training day for the triathlon and by the end of the month, I was running between 2 to 2-1/2 miles. March rolled around and I turned a year older -35. I could run 3 miles at the beginning but it hurt terribly. I even cried during a training one Saturday when we were focusing combining running and sprinting. That was one of the days I would have quit had I not already received so many generous donations encouraging me and supporting Community Partners of Dallas from many friends & family members. At the end of March I ran 4 miles and thought I was going to die when I finished. I was breathing so hard and almost puked right at the end of the bridge. Last month, I was accomplishing four to five miles and doing alot of hill training. Up the hill and back down the hill. Up the hill again and back down. It was awful. On top of this, April was also the month these fun things called "double bricks" were incorporated into our training schedule, which is where you get the fun task of a two hour workout that combines swimming and running or bike riding and running. This last month, I've consistently run between five and half miles to finally the big 6-1/2! I actually don't feel terrible when I'm finished - (other than all the blisters on my feet.) I really have this great sense of accomplishment. I'm still amazed that I've gone from couch potato to triathlete. This just goes to show you, if I made the decision to this with these results in a little over 3 months, there are alot of you that could take this on an accomplish it too. Many of you have consistently told me what an inspiration I have been. If this is true, I hope I've inspired you to do something that makes you a better person inside(physical fitness & mental wellnes) and outside(taking the time to help the less fortunate, and neglected.) What's the worst that could happen by taking on a personal challenge? If you don't succeed the first few times out, try try again!

6 More Days!

Today I'm celebrating no more drinking chlorine during cocktail hours. I'm going to avoid the pool from the hours of 4:00pm til nighty-night time for as long as possible. Cheers!

7 Days till the Big Race!

THE COUNTDOWN TO THE RACE BEGINS!

Next Monday, I will be in Austin participating in my first every Olympic length triathlon. So, what does one do the week before the race? I'm gonna tell ya. One day at a time. Day 1: You go practice a one mile open water swim wearing a really tight, but really cool wetsuit. It's not fun. The waves hit you in the face and your chest hurts from drinking all that lovely lake water.

I Completed My Sprint Distance Training Triathlon!!!

Well, it was an early morning filled with anxiety. I really didn't know what to expect at a real race with lots of people I didn't know, but I saw many things that encouraged me. I learned a lot. I didn't drink any chlorine or get kicked in the face during the swim. I didn't fall off my bike by running over one of the huge potholes or get blown over by the strongest winds ever. I made it through the run without my shoes coming untied. I didn't throw up. But, most importantly, there was no one else there with the same outfit as me. As you can see, I modeled it by posing in the handicap zone to emphasize how crazy this whole endeavor is. I did however see my second choice outfit on several woman. I'm so glad I didn't make that purchase. One less wardrobe faux pas (albeit a minor one) to worry about. There were a few issues. I forgot some wardrobe change accessories & had to just deal. I thought I broke my race belt (this holds my race number on & is a required wardrobe accessory.) I haven't yet graduated to the clip in bike pedals and I had a really hard time getting my left foot into the "rat trap" attached on the top of my pedal, so the bike take off was very rocky - like "I almost fell over before entering the bike route" rocky. My mom bought me these socks to race in that are specific for the left & right foot. I brought 2 left foot socks with me. I'm sure this somehow negatively affected my run, but I haven't quite put my finger on how yet. All in all, I looked the part, finished the race and did not come in anywhere close to last place. Brad was there cheering me & thank goodness for that. I had no idea how comforting & encouraging it is to have someone you know on the sidelines. It was even great to have random people yelling, "Keep it up 266!" It's now officially 1 month to the big race in Austin. (Can You Believe It's This Close!) I'm definitely succeeding, but I'm going to keep tri training again!

Five Sweet Little Words: "Honey, Take My Credit Card!"

Ahhh…. Retail Therapy…..New clothes & especially new shoes without fail revives me, rejuvenates me and restores my mental well-being (until I get the bill & even worse when my husband gets the bill.) These days my shopping has taken me through unfamiliar territory leading to a lot of stores with the word “sports” somewhere in the name. Most of the stuff at these places is pretty mundane. Sometimes there is a silver lining like the new shoes with sparkles and the hot pink & black number I purchased for my race tomorrow (oh, just you wait & see this fabulous outfit.) There is just something about that feeling of wearing something new for the very first time. It’s exciting and gives you an occasion to look forward to whether it’s the next day at the office or a party. Looking good equals feeling good. This is the reason why when children removed from an unhealthy situation are brought to Child Protective Services they go through The Rainbow Room. The children are given a clean pair of clothes, socks and a plush toy. It has to be incredibly scary to be removed from a bad situation and introduced into a new one without having any idea what is in store. Community Partners of Dallas has made it its mission to ensure the neglected & abused children in Dallas County safety & restore their hope & dignity. It’s amazing to think how huge a role something as simple as a new pair of socks plays in this healing process. Approximately 47% of the children served by The Rainbow Room are ages 0, helpless little babies, to 3 years old. 32% are ages 4 to 9 years old. It’s staggering to think about how many children on a daily basis are being abused and neglected before they’ve even made it through 5th grade. It’s even more shocking to realize how many of these children are not old enough to make decisions about their personal welfare. Count your blessings – not your money. Honey, take out your credit card and make donation to Community Partners of Dallas right now! I guarantee you will feel rejuvenated knowing you’ve just made a positive difference in restoring a child’s hope for the future. **Words to live by – If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.

It Was Only A Matter of Time

Well, the inevitable happened. She died. I saw her when she left this morning, but after enduring a swim, a bike ride and run spanning hours she is simply not moving. (For those of you wondering if you should bring food to comfort to me & get me over this road bump, you should. Even in her more alive days, Kate never did contribute to the Hungry Husbands Fund & I'm starving. There is nothing in this house but rice cakes, protein bars, canned salmon, iceberg lettuce and protein powder. That's probably what killed her.) What ever will I do to get her motivated to move?

Oh, I know what will do the trick...... (Stay tuned to see if it works.)

---- Brad, the husband, chief cook & dishwasher.