Showing posts with label race recap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label race recap. Show all posts

Friday, April 2, 2010

Running: Rock the Parkway 10k


Sooo, I've been running more lately. And, ya know what? It's great! I ran/walked (ran for the first time in weeks) in a 10k last weekend. It was freaking freezing and raining and totally unpleasant. I kept thinking "This is fun, right?" But it really wasn't. Good thing misery loves company. My friend Jean kept me going, although she was just as cold and wet and miserable. This was a trashbag race, much like the Lincoln 007 half (read about that peach of a race Here and Here). What a great day to be undertrained, pregnant, and running a 10k. As you can see, I was quite excited. ---->

I did have a kind of funny shirt that said something to the effect of "baby's first 10k" and "Yes, it's safe to run" but really I don't think it was that funny or that clever, but it's what I had to work with.
Bottom line, I "ran" a 10k 6 months pregnant.
Twice this week, however, husband and I ventured out to get in a few miles. Once with the dogs thru the new subdivision for a whopping 2.18 miles. Then last night, at one of my particular favorites, the Jacomo trails. He took the mountain bike and I hoofed it. No bike for me. L--aaa--mm-e. Anyway, I got in over 3 and was happy with that. It seems strange and trivial to run for 3 miles. Like, why's it worth the effort? But, then I tell myself I'm not training for an Ironman, or even a half mary, but just for my general health and labor, and for the health of little Eli (yes, the parasite in my body has a name now).
We had a good workout each, and came home to grill out some delicious chicken and potatoes. Awesome.

Not exactly the stress free week I was hoping for, but it's Friday and it is what it is. At least I have two consecutive days off starting tomorrow.
I'm not sure why, but everytime I think to myself about it being Friday, I always think of the movie Friday, and this line:
"I know you don't smoke weed, I know this; but I'm gonna get you high today, 'cause it's Friday; you ain't got no job... and you ain't got shit to do."


PS
Holy Crap. My boobs are out of control huge.
















Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Waddell & Reed Kansas City Marathon 2009


October 17, 2009

Poor poor Husband. He really thought I was kidding when I said we had to leave the house at 5:15am. Poor poor dog. He didn't know he wasn't going to dog park.

About 6:00am the Husband, Zeus dog, and I rolled into the parking lot on the south end of Crown Center. Here we were. Marathon day. In the rain. And cold. BUT! The temperatures were over 40, and I couldn't have been happier.



Before I found my pace group, I hung out with Merple and the blue beast for a bit. I wanted to stay in warm dry clothes as long as possible.



Zeus, however, was getting hugged loved and snuggle by triplet three year olds and their two older brothers. Nothing like seeing a hulking 110 + lbs cane corso getting mauled by a handful of toddlers.




Before taking off, Husband snapped a couple pictures of me, and gave me my throw-away DFT jacket. Throw-away jackets are the world's best invention. Seriously. They're like trash bags, shaped like coats, with a zipper. Genius.



I started the race with the 5:20 pace group. The pace band Julie gave me was for 5:25. I felt really confident in this time (oops! Except I only ran three times in as many weeks leading up to the race!).


I talked with a lady there quite a bit, and we ran together for a long time. Here's the course map to follow along the recap!



The course started at Crown Center, went north a long Power & light and Sprint Center, cut west where Andrea came up behind me (she was running the 5k), and then went back south. When we went under bartle hall, i lost signal on my Garmin. I looked down and saw the time stopped, then forgot to start it back up again. Duh. The rest of the race I had to add 6 minutes and .5 miles to the calculations. Stupid bridges.




As we were passing mile three (I think) the lady next to me told me to "Check out that dog!" It was my dog!!! He was sitting so pretty next to Eric. Zeus' head was going back and forth, like he was watching a tennis match. Good puppy! That's when Merple took this picture->


This is when I should mention I ran in a running skirt. I've only worn it twice to run, but I pulled it on over a pair of tri shorts. I figured my ass could use the extra layer.




The course went south up this long hill by the Liberty Memorial. Loooong steeep hill. I started feeling like my bladder was full, and needed to pee- already! So, I kicked ahead of the pace group to potty at like mile 4, which was right out of the Liberty Memorial out-and-back. The line was ssoooo long. I decided I'd keep going. I spotted an Wendy's about a mile later.


I went in and line was about four women deep. I considered using the men's, until the grossest, biggest, greasiest man waddled out. He must have dropped a deuce the size of Raytown, because I, with my gag reflexes of steel, started feeling nauseated.


**Speaking of deuces: Friday morning I had a luncheon at one of my favorite restaurants. I had some salmon and cheesy rice. I'm not sure if the rice had something in it with gluten, or if my stomach was just not tolerating sustenance, but I had awful diarrhea. It lasted all afternoon, and until about 2am. I couldn't poop in the morning before the race, so I started with poo in bowels and completely dehydrated.**


I waited at the Wendy's for seven minutes. After I pee'd my bladder felt so deflated. I could drink and take in fluid again! Yay! But now, I was way behind my pace group. For whatever reason, I let me legs get WAY out from under me. I was hauling ass to catch up, for no real reason! I still had about 20 miles to go! Yet, I got back seven minutes in about 2.5 miles. Which meant I was basically running at 5k pace. I'm an idiot.


I felt really great and was still with the pace group at mile 10, where I saw Julie being a very up beat spectator. She had planned on running KC. But she raced Chicago the weekend before. I still think she should have done both. ha!


Mile 11 marks the start of the big climb- Sunset Dr. If you're familiar with Kansas City, and the ritz-tastic plaza, then you know the fancy-schmancy Sunset Dr. area. If not, check this out. This place has been for sale for a couple months, and I want it. You should buy it for me. Yes, that is a 25 yard infinity edge lap pool in the back. The homes on this street are freaking ridiculous. They are some of the best in KC. Even Ward Parkway, which we also visited, can't touch the Sunset Dr. homes.


Just after the peak of Sunset, is Loose Park. It's a staple for the Urbanites and Yoga-in-the-park people. Right at the top of Loose Park was my favorite band on the route (yes, there were bands along the route!). A Rastafarian reggae band! They were so good! Anyone know who those guys were? I want to see them play.


I started to loose footing on my pace group going up Sunset, and I could just see them in the distance at this point. However, I was now following a 5:20 pace band from the pace leader, and I was only 40 seconds off the cumulative time.


Now, I'm pretty sure I saw Julie on 75th street, by the brewery, but I don't remember. Somewhere around here she said she would see me at the 20 mile mark, but I couldn't tell you where.


In the Wornall-Brookside Blvd area I saw a handful of spectators I know. Thanks everyone!


I finally made it back to mile 20. We passed this on the way out. It was mile 8.5 for me, and the lead men were going past 20. Pff. If I were Kenyan I'd be fast too.


Here's where I was starting to hurt. I needed to poop, bad, and my knees were toast. My left foot started to throb along with my ankle at about mile 15, but it was tolerable. I had two emergency Tylenol that I took at the mile marker 20 aide station. I saw Julie and told her my stomach was acting up. I went in to poop, and of course, the seat was a mess, and there was no toilet paper. My gloves would have to do. The worst part was squatting. I thought my knees would explode and that I wouldn't be able to stand.


I felt much better, and Julie said she had talked to Husband. Apparently, he took the dog home, got a shower, had some lunch, and was driving back. Gawd, I'm so slow.


Somewhere about the infamous mile 18 I started to fall apart. I was taking longer walking breaks thru the aid stations, and was falling farther and farther off pace. I gave myself a pep talk here at 20, and was convinced it was now just a 10k. How many 10k's have I ran? Probably a hundred!


That didn't last too long, and I started doing run five minutes, walk two, plus the aid stations. There's several decent ascents in Hyde Park and the Paseo, which I struggled with.


I cop holding traffic asked me how I was feeling just before turning onto 18th St. "Like I'm at mile 24 of a marathon."


My foot really really hurt, and I was sluggish, but there was GREAT jazz coming off 18th and Vine and I was headed down the home stretch. The last two miles are flat to down hill, and I was trucking along (aka, moving at 13:55 min/miles).


I was so happy to turn down 18th cruising past the coffee houses and bicycle shop. So close! There's a gradual uphill to the finish. I could see Husband and Julie, but I wasn't very chipper.


I finished the race in 5:51.42. It was about 25 min off my goal time, but you can't be mad when you finish a marathon. It was also 13 min faster than my IMFL marathon split, which to date, is my only other marathon.


Next up, Gasprilla Distance Classic in Tampa Bay, FL. I'm not sold on the marathon yet. That's what I'm thinking, but I'm not positive. Mom's says she's going to do the half. I sent her a training schedule and she didn't respond. Hope I didn't scare the poop outta her!

We'll see if I'm okay to start training in a couple weeks. I sorta kinda stress fractured my foot Saturday (that explains that ouch during the race), so I have boot on. We'll see how long that lasts. I want to be healed to train, but I hobble and look stupid.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Ironman Kansas 70.3







Ironman Kansas 70.3
June 14, 2009

Goals: Finish. Have Fun. Touch Chrissie Wellington.

Saturday morning I worked. Same as everyday. Bike check in was also Saturday, which put a bit of time crunch on everything.

However, I made it out to Lawrence- Clinton Lake, in time to ride about 45min of the course (and go past Chrissie Wellington- totally almost crashed), and check my bike in. I met up with Shannan Garcia, another aquatics director, and we rode together. Then, we stood in the lllooong registration line. But, it wasn’t awful. Why? There was a live band playing. Just like Wildflower! I loved it.

After registration Shannan and I walked our bikes down to bike check in. This race was set up a lot differently than last year- two transition areas about a mile apart. The swim to bike TA was right next to the lake (duh). Before we could drop off our bikes, we had to get body marked. I despise night-before body marking, but whatever, I’m not the race director. The TA was tightly packed with about five rows set up in long columns to house the 2200 entries. Goldmember was snuggled up against several hot looking Cervelos, and I kissed him goodnight.

After bike check in, we trudged back up the hill to check out the bike to run TA. This one was much more spacious. We talked about driving the course, but it was already almost 6pm, and Shannan had to drive back to Olathe. I was lucky enough to be staying at my friend Jill’s house, and Julie was meeting me there to Sherpa me. Yay for Half Iron Sherpas.

Jules and I met up at Jill’s and decided to head out to dinner. Dinner is always an experience. Particularly since I am now eating Gluten free. I had shrimp and veggies, which were delish. I watched Julie take a couple bites out of the bread. She swears it wasn’t that good. I don’t believe her.
There were a few others in the restaurant that were racing on Sunday, but none of them were sporting the fancy schmancy compression socks I was. They. Are. Sexy.

After dinner we went back to Jill’s and I packed and repacked my now two transition bags. I was kind of frustrated. I have never felt so unprepared for a race. It was all mental. I’ve been working so much the race was really far off in my mind. When I packed items up for the weekend, I just walked around my house grabbing things and putting them in my bag. I’m glad I got the right stuff!

Jules and I snuggled up in bed- facing each other. Yes, like we are lovers. We totally are. I almost immediately fell asleep. Next thing I realized, the alarms were going off and it was go time!

This was my first race eating gluten free, so instead of a bagel, I ate an apple with natural peanut butter and a banana. Yum.

Sunday morning we arrived in the parking lot the same time as everyone else. So much for being early. It was very nice not having to walk my bike in from the parking lot, and the walk helped to um, loosen some stuff up, if you will.

When we made it to the main festival area, everything looked great. I got my run shoes and visor set up, then we proceeded down to the swim to bike TA. There was definitely a buzz in the air. A guy a few spots down kept asking everyone questions. I don’t know if this was his first race, or if he just had a lot of things to learn. I think it’s great to ask questions about the sport, but the morning of the race is not that time. I am antisocial in the TA. It’s part of my getting my game face on. At 6:20 a volunteer started walking thru the TA letting everyone know it was closing. Ahh! Time to scramble! I grabbed my wetsuit my father in law got me for Christmas (I love it!! It’s the Blue Seventy reaction sleeveless), some Chamois butter, swim cap and goggles. I made my way down to the swim start- very Wildflower-esq as well. The start is between some docks, and Mike Reilly was standing on one side getting everyone reved up. My waved started at 6:40, and had about 90 women in it. I like big swim waves. More feet to float off of!
Swim 1.2 Miles 33:36
I started at the front and inside- my favorite starting position. The sky was very overcast, and I was praying it wouldn’t start storming (IMKS 70.3 in 2008 a stormed brewed right at the finish- I was pulled off the run course with just a few more to go!). I felt really good thru the whole swim. I wasn’t real springy, but I felt good sighting. My one complaint with the swim was that I would like to see more big buoys. But, you get what you get and everyone is one the same course, right? Right. The water was dingy, big surprise for Kansas, huh? It got a little choppy on the way back, but the swim was over quick. Not my fastest time, but I was pleased.

T1 3:27
I completely took my time. It was starting to sprinkle and I knew it was gonna get nasty fast. I was slow and made sure I had everything I needed before hitting the course.

Bike 56 Miles 3:19.27
Right away there’s the gradual climb up to the festival area. Then a flat section, a couple ups and downs, the dam and smaller rollers with some fast sections. I felt like this year’s revised course was much easier than last years. However, after talking to several people, I figured out I’m just in better shape! It took me nearly 3:45 last year! Huge improvement. Saw my dad out on the course too, which was awesome. So glad he got to drive to Lawrence to see me zoom by for 20 seconds. I really was glad he made it out though! Dad was parked right by the last big hill headed back to the lake. I’m not sure what he said, but I think it was something along the lines of “It’s not a hill, it’s a hump.” Which made me laugh. I was bummed by having to stop to pee at mile 30, but it was better to stop for two minutes than waste 10 trying to pee on the bike. For the first three hours, we had cloudy skies, and sprinkles. Then, on the way back, I saw some blue sky start to perk up.

T2 1:58
Again, I wasn’t rushing, but I had a decent TA. I ran passed my slot because I was listening to how Chrissie Wellington went 4:14. Holy shiit that’s fast. Then I back tracked to my spot. Someone else had racked in it, so I had to return to favor to some poor person behind me. Sorry!

Run 13.1 Miles 2:47.33
Well, when I left the TA it was SUNNY. And hot. And humid. I like it. I felt pretty springy so I decided to just sit back and roll with my legs. The course is basically a two out and back with a loop in between that you repeat twice. Sounds confusing, I know, but it was AWESOME. It was a really good chance to be surrounded by spectators. I got to see Julie and her hubs Dan several times. Along with so many friends. Also, it was great to see the other people racing so much. Very very good course! Around mile 6 I was starting to fade a little bit, so with a little self pep talk on how I would only need to suffer another hour, I tried to pick up the pace. At about mile 9 I knew I had to pee and couldn’t hold it any more, so I “stretched” in a squat behind an aid station. OMFG. I had some bad monkey butt and didn’t realize until I pee’d. Yeeooouuuch!

Right after that Julie jogged up next to me, beer in hand, and encouraged me. So jealous. No more beer for me :sigh:

Soon, I was curving home onto the coolest finish chute. The chute had sunflowers down it, and a bright yellow carpet- just follow the yellow brick road! I finished and was stoked. Then a lady said, make sure you get your finisher’s medal from this lady- CHRISSIE WELLINGTON! Chrissie Freaking Wellington put my finisher’s medal on me, and HUGGED ME for a photo. Thus, fully accomplishing ALL of the day’s goals. I almost started crying!

And, after walking around a bit with Julie, we found Chrissie signing autographs and taking pictures. Of course, we stepped up. She signed my finisher’s medal. YAY!

All in all, I had an awesome race, only 6 min off of my PR from 2007. I’m very happy. I got to meet lots of Texas Gorillas (they’re awesome!) Also, the course and race directors were amazing. Great job to those guys.



-



Oh, I still haven't done a recap from the KC Triathlon. I will soon, promise.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Holiday Hammer Triathlon

So, I left everyone hanging on the details of my triathlon! :)
Well, it was a 500 lcm swim, 10 mile spin bike, and 5k treadmill run. Here are the results:
Courtney Staton 1st 20-29, 2nd Over All (Ha, I know, right!?)
Swim: 7:06.70 <--- Where I pulled this out from, I have no idea. It was a "go hard, then die" swim.
T1: 0:42.5
Bike: 18:47.40
T2: 0:22.02
Run: 31:50.93

Swim start Lane 3 First to the bikes! Me on the far end! :)
I thought I won the OA, but then a girl a heat behind me went 55:41. She's the spin instructor though, so she should have out biked me anyway, right?? :)



Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The Martini Mile "Recap"


So the Martini Mile it was, yesterday. Well, the Martini .67 Mile. Close enough.

Alyson and I ran somewhere near the 5:34 mark. Obviously this was not a full mile.

However, it works out to about an 8:18 pace, which would be pretty darn fast for me.

Afterwards, we enjoyed burrito bowls from Chipotle and a Pacifico. Yum.

Monday, September 15, 2008

OMC Triathlon Turned Splash and Dash

Not much to report here. Triathlon was modified into a swim/run because of standing water on the bike course. Dang. (Can't you tell I'm heartbroken?)

I forgot to mark "opening heat" on my swim time, so I had to start in my age group, and nearly 30 min after the first wave- now in a full on down pour of rain. That was fine though, there wasn't too terribly much traffic left in the water. The swim is a big triangle with bouys every 10 meters. The best part? They were roped together so it was like having a lane line on my left side. Perfect. I felt really good, considering I've swam 3 times since the KC Women's Tri.

Pro legend Karen Smyers swam a 7:13. I went 8:40 and there was a handful of girls between us. Yes, I just sort of compared myself to Karen Smyers. Don't worry, it won't happen again.

My TA was fast, 39 seconds. I think that was like the 3rd fastest.

As soon as I hit the run course I was thankful for my super light Zoot Ultra race flats. They absorbed nearly no water. That's good when running close to 3 miles in ankle deep water. Seriously. There were portions of the course where the water was up To. My. Ankles. The course was a little hillier than I had expected...

But it was FUN!!! Also, I saw Glenn dressed as a cheerleader, and Tim as Super girl. Ah, gotta love those all women's races. I told them both that I should probably train more. Tim said "No Training, just race." HA.

Meanwhile, three girls that I know I can out bike consistently passed me running. Oh well, it was still a blast.

My finish time was 37:34, good enough for 6th place in my largest AG group of the year. 20-24, for the first time I've seen, was actually one of the biggest AG's. How great!

Now, photos for your enjoyment.










PS


Tim, PLEASE tell me that outfit is really your sister's. I gotta say, I think Trish would look a tad bit better in it.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

July '08

July 08


Full Brick Jacket & When it Rains, it Pours
So there’s a reason I haven’t blogged much about my workouts since Buffalo Springs Half.
There have been none. Ok, that’s a lie, you’re right. I did do a 12 mile bike ride about three weeks ago.
Well, have no fear. I have a race in like, a week and a half, so I’m in full on cram-as-much-training-as-you-can-even-though-you-reap-nearly-no-bennefits training mode. And what better way to kick that off than with a full swim-bike-run brick at Shawnee Mission Park.

Julie, Alyson, Jmoore and myself met up at the beach for a little swimmy swim. This was Jmoore’s and AP’s first open water outing. And, I’m pretty sure that Julie hadn’t swam or rode her bike since the Heritage Park tri in May (Ok, so she and I may have some residual Ironman burnout going on). I was most surprised with Alyson’s swimming. She’s been hitting the gym pretty regularly and making some laps in the pool, and it’s paying off. Jmoore’s learning curve is a little more steep, but she hasn’t be training all summer. A few pool sessions and maybe another SMP workout is in order for her. She keeps moving though which is the most important task, well, besides not drowning.

The SMP swim course is shorter than last year. I couldn’t tell by how much but I timed a couple laps. They were 3:08 and 3:12, respectively. I felt like I was swimming somewhere near a pace of 1:25. I guessed the triangular course to be around 225 yards. So, that should be about right.

Then we went to the bikes. After a “quick” transition (read: I was moving at turtle speed) the four of us took to the road. Alyson borrowed a friend’s (Hi Corey!) super sweet Specialized Tarmac Elite, and passed on the road-slicked mountain bike to Jmoore. Right away I could tell the Alyson was ON IT. Julie stayed back with Jennifer for a while- this was the first time she’d been on the road, and on that bike- and Alyson and I motored on ahead. I was trying to do teaching of road rider etiquette. There were a lot of presumably “newbie” gals out training for the KC Women’s race. However, they were bunched up a head of us riding four or five abreast. For those familiar with SMP it was at the top of the long Damn Dam Hill where you make the sharp left descent. There were cars back, and I repeated yelled it. “Car Back.” Nothing. “Girls, there’s a car back.” It went whirring by passing in the oncoming lane. Then again another came up, faster this time, “CAR BACK!” Someone yelled “What?” and I lost it. They were all within ear shot, but I was tired of yelling and I’d rather be a bitch then see someone die. “Move THE PHUCK OVER!” Finally, they did, just before the car up and the car back met. Jebus! I know, not my proudest moment, but come on now (Flashback May 2006: Dawn keeping me from getting hit by car)! A club mate of mine was coming from the opposite direction and started laughing in agreement.

Anyway, I’m super impressed with Alyson’s bike skills. She’s also a daredevil like me. Aero, and pedaling. Eff you curves on the downhills. After we finished our loop she and I head back to pick up JMoore, and Julie cruised on home. Surprisingly, Jennifer wasn’t very far behind us at all. I was pretty impressed.

Then after our singular loop, Alygator wanted to run. I put up a hissy fit, but she won. I agreed to a whole 10 minutes. At the five min turnaround I found something that I had always wanted to try at SMP. The single track trails.

Single. Track. Trails. Oh, how I adore you. I feel like I’m going to fast. I’m not listening to my feet. I’m paying attention to the ground. I have to jump. Sometimes stumble. You’re muddy and you’re rocky and you’re twisty and uneven. Will you marry me?

So, we ventured on for close to a mile. Uphill. Alyson and I played Marco Polo with a very bad Polo not too far back. We stopped and waited at the sign then turned around, all three stooges intact. We laughed and giggled and traded “watch out” and “rock” calls back down. I never wanted out. Had I water and a flashlight, I’d have stayed all night, even in the pouring rain. I cannot wait to go back!

We completed our workout with a little chat on bike etiquette, passing, and such. They’re gonna do great.




Speaking of pouring rain…

My roof has a bit of a, um, leak. It turned my kitchen into a kiddie pool. Damn you roof, damn you ceiling. Eric had an early flight out so I am left to fend for myself. Eric was actually taking a better disposition on it than I thought he would. He even used words “out of my control” and “will have to be fixed” and “it happens” (I swear! Smashley was with him to verify!) even after he was the person to find the pool. So I called my daddy and told him of the cluster. He was superhero of the day. Well, he checked it out and said that we could do a temporary fix, then when Merp gets home the two of them will have a little demolition and reconstruction project to handle. Yikes!
posted @ 7/30/2008 11:56:07 AM (0) Comments
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
It's a Freaking Video Game, People!
Feminists cry foul over Fat Princess
Does Sony's cartoony castle game cross the line?
By Ben Silverman

She's plump, powerful and ready to cause more controversy than "SuperSize Me."
She's Fat Princess, the star of Sony's upcoming video game of the same name. Debuting at last week's E3 expo, the colorful Fat Princess is a capture-the-flag game with a twist: you can thwart capture attempts by locking the once-thin princess in a dungeon and stuffing her full of cake, thereby increasing her girth and making her harder for your enemies to haul back to home base.
According to popular gaming blog Joystiq, two feminist gaming sites have already voiced their displeasure with the weighty issue.

VIEW SCREENS

Feminist Gamer's "Mighty Ponygirl" rings in diplomatically, suggesting a new way to play the game altogether.
"Instead of running out into the forest to find cake to fatten up the princess with, why not go out and find gold (which is a lot heavier than cake) to stuff into a treasure chest. The more gold in the chest, the heavier it would be, and the harder it would be to carry," she said, before adding, "Oh, but that's not as "cute" as cake and fat chicks. Right."
Over at Shakesville, however, writer Melissa McEwan cuts to the chase, telling Sony she's "positively thrilled to see such unyielding dedication to creating a new generation of fat-hating, heteronormative ---holes."
Sony has yet to issue an official response, although Joystiq did receive a particularly informative update from James Green, Fat Princess' lead art director, who clued gamers in on the origins of the game:
"Does it make it better or worse that the concept artist (who designed the look, characters, everything) is a girl?"
Hmmm...hope the game's detractors don't mind eating a bit of crow.

http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/feminists-cry-foul-over-fat-princess/1232315
posted @ 7/29/2008 7:33:51 AM (0) Comments
Friday, July 25, 2008
US Olympic Swimmer Tests Positive
Crap! I hope this is an error. Also, I hope that the error doesn't affect Jessica Hardy's attempt at a medal. How heart breaking for her. I hope for her sake, she's clean, and this is appealed and resolved quickly.
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/swimming/news?slug=ap-swm-hardy-doping&prov=ap&type=lgns
LOS ANGELES (AP)—Jessica Hardy’s first trip to the Olympics could be over before it began. The swimmer tested positive for a banned substance, leaving her just two weeks to pursue any appeals before the Beijing Games.
Hardy’s “A” sample from the recent U.S. Olympic trials tested positive, a person familiar with the test results told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. The person, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said the banned substance was a stimulant but did not provide any other details.
In Beijing, Hardy was expected to be a medal threat in the 100-meter breaststroke, and to play an important part on the U.S. 400-meter free relay team, and possibly the 400 medley relay.
USA Swimming spokeswoman Jamie Olson declined to comment from the team’s training camp at Palo Alto, Calif., where Hardy left to return to her family’s home in Southern California, the swimmer’s agent said.
posted @ 7/25/2008 6:06:25 AM (0) Comments
Thursday, July 24, 2008
I'm Still Alive!!! Honest! No, Really!
Wait? I have a blog? Oh crap, I better say something then.

No, I have not dropped off the planet, but it sure seems like it. Things have gotten pretty hectic with my work, Eric’s businesses, his travel, my travel, joint travel, family outings, some attempts at training, this wedding planning crap, sick dogs… ok, ok, I’m done.

I have made the executive decision however, that I’m going to switch to the Half Marathon at KC instead of the full. I really, really wanted to do the full. However, it’s two weeks from our wedding date. As is, I’m having a hard time getting in full workouts, if I get to them at all. On the schedule for next week is nearly 35 miles of logged running. Of course it just goes up from there. So, I’m going to reduce my risk of injury, oh, and keep my sanity, and cut back to the half. This way, I can continue to be active, do some training, focus on some speed work, and really enjoy. Come hell or high water, I can do 13.1 if I had to log roll it. So, that’s the plan, Stan.

This week I’m doing some home repairs. Repairs for what? Well, for shit I broke. Like, our kitchen’s ceiling fan. Don’t. Even. Ask. Also, I’m doing some mowing, hopefully stripping the deck (again- Eric had a friend come over and stain it. The deck wasn’t fully stripped, and the stain.. well, it’s barn yard red, not exactly the “red wood” color we were hoping for. So, it’s half way done, which means 2.5 times the amount of work for me.), deep cleaning the guest bath, and maybe even finishing addressing wedding invites.

Last night I went to Home Depot to get the fan blade arms I needed. Of course, they come in a pack of 5 when I need 2. And they come in brushed, not plated. And they’re the wrong size. None of this did I note until it came time for me to stand on the tippy top of the ladder with a four inch Phillips screwdriver, the 5 said fan blades, and 10 tiny screws.

I apologize if any of you heard my expletives echo off the mountain tops.

Today I make trip number two to HD. Also, HD is like the Bermuda triangle. I can never go in and come out with the ONE thing I have on my list. I avoid WalMart, Target, and Best Buy for these reasons, as well, but Home Depot makes the biggest dent in my wallet.

Speaking of wallet- who wants to give me money? You? Great, because, well, I went $500 over our budget for our honeymoon. But but but… we only get to go once, right? I mean, I got the room Merple wanted, and the number of nights Merple wanted, and he told me to do what I wanted… (I’m trying to push this on him, can you tell?)

Along the lines of wedding chit, I have officially started to have some loose screws. I started to get teary eyed at Hobby Lobby when they didn’t have the correct pattern of tulle in the right color. I may or may not have taken my aggression out on a defenseless watermelon- and subsequently thru a cutting board and some of my counter top in one fell swoop. And then there’s the trashcan and fan incident.

I wrote my mom an email the other day. I was suggesting that she and I do the blocking of rooms this week. Instead, this is how it turned out:

Hey Momma-

We need to do the hotel blocking/ reserving thing. Actually, forgot the we. Can YOU please do it? I don’t want to think about it. You pick it out and tell me about it when it's done. Yes, I've reached that point already. :)

Thank you.

love, sis


Seriously, ask her.

I have also decided that Merple’s BlackBerry must die. I know, I really appreciate all of the business and clients, but if that phone rings one more time when I’m in that mood (Meaning the pyschobridezilla mood- it is not the same as the mood and it counts during that, too.) his little two-way is gonna meet the bottom of the tires of our brand spanking new pickup and the fresh asphalt in front of our house.

Oh yeah, “we” got a new truck last week. It went something like this:

Merp: Hey honey my truck’s acting funny.
Me: That sucks what are we gonna do about it.
Merp: I dunno I don’t want to pay to fix it.
Me: Ok, we’ll talk about it at home tonight.

- a few hours go by -

Merp: Hey baby, I got us a new truck.
Me: ::sigh::


Next up, the KC Women’s Tri. My best friend is doing this as her first triathlon. I’ll be “participating” versus doing much racing (see my training mentioned, or lack there of).

posted @ 7/24/2008 8:49:31 AM (0) Comments
Friday, July 18, 2008
Yay!
First off, Congrats DAN & JULIE to selling your home in 3 days! It looks great, and I'm glad it sold at a reasonable price, and I'm glad the buyer I was rooting for got it!

As far as weekend plans go...
Tonight I go home, tan, clean house and change, then go to P&L for Bowling. One of FI's friends is a freestyle motocross guy and he's in town staying with us. Well, he's doing a demo tomorrow out at the wakeboard cable park.Yesterday he was on the radio- there were people calling in to win tickets to "go bowling with cowboy kenny" so, tonight we're going bowling. tomorrow morning i'm hoping to sleep in a bit, run (um, I'm supposed to go 14-16, but I dont see it happening), maybe get a pedi done. Go to cable park, consider wakeboarding, or just hang out, then go get my spur of the moment b-pics done (thanks shonna), THEN, it's on to the Monster truck rally (lol, I know) and motocross race in good old Grain Valley, Mizuruh. I'm pretty sure saturday night will end with a trip to WT or Dallas. Cowboy boots, be ready. Anyone that wants to join in at all is welcome to do so.
posted @ 7/18/2008 11:01:57 AM (0) Comments
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Shameless Self Promotion: Courtney and New York Times

So last week I eluded that I had a secret about something interesting, but couldn’t share. Well, now I can.

I was recently contacted by Christie Aschwanden, a writer for the New York Times, about doing a brief interview on Ironman and Ironman Tattoos. I was super excited and agreed, duh! Well, we played phone tag for a while, but today we got the job done!

It sounds like she’s taked to a few people and is doing a pretty cool write up. I got to talk about Ironman, signing up, getting tattoo’ed, and having Julie do it all with me. She even asked if we had pictures of our tattoo’s together (of course). They may or may not send someone out for pictures, or request some, but she said that was totally up to the art department.

Christie said she would give me a heads up on when it will run, but it will be in a Fitness Feature article, and will likely run sometime around August 7th, or the first week in August.

I’ll keep you all posted!!!
posted @ 7/15/2008 2:32:01 PM (0) Comments
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Me, Crazy?
I was just called a "Pyscho Health Freak" by a woman in my office. She asked me what I was making while standing in front of the fridge. I told her I had a smart ones frozen lunch thing (eh, it works), and some edemame. She actually said "Eddie whatie?" I was like, "Edemame, ya know, soy beans in a pod. Boiled in salt water... " and she goes, "I can't imgagine ever being a pyscho health freak like you." and drizzled mayo and ketchup into cups to go with her carry out winsteads. I was actually offended. I wanted to say, "I can't imagine not giving a damn about my body and not wanting to take care of it." but, alas, I did not. UGH! People can be really rude!
posted @ 7/15/2008 2:24:49 PM (0) Comments
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Better Recognize!
So, I just got an email from from Kurt, the director of marketing from one of my FABULOUS sponsors, Fluid. I made their blog. Saaa-wweet!
Check it out here: http://www.livefluid.blogspot.com/
Thanks for your support, FLUID!
posted @ 7/10/2008 8:01:35 AM (0) Comments
Thursday, July 10, 2008
OOPS! I deleted it!
I accidentally deleted yesterday's post, so here it is. Again.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Well, I'll Be!...

So, I was just told congrats on being the featured Loop'd Athlete. I had no idea!
YAY! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone reading this blog! It's nice to know I'm not just tipper-tap-tapping along to myself. On that same note, I have 33,940 views as of my last refresh. On Jan 2 of 2008 I broke 10,000 views, if I remember correctly.
Because of you, I have had nearly 14,000 views in a little over 6 months. WOW! Its an honor that many people find me interesting (or there could just be a couple regular viewers, DAD, that refresh my page every 10 seconds.. ugh Laawwrd. I hope not)!
Also, I recieved a very very very intersting email today, but I'm not sure yet how or if it's gonna happen. A girl's gotta hold on to some secrets!
On another note- myself and few of my bridesmaids, along with help from my mom, have nearly finished the addressing, cutting, packaging, stamping, and organizing of wedding invites. Ok, so nearly actually means, that I have done about one third of it, but I'm getting there.
In more wedding news, I FINALLY scheduled a time to meet with a travel agent. Eric's still stuck on a cruise, but by the time everything is priced out, I think that the all inclusive resorts are the way to go. Either way, if he didn't get his passport stuff sent today we won't be going anywhere. .. Wait, scratch that, HE won't be going anywhere. A passport holding gal pal and I will be sitting pretty getting served Red Stripe while being fed sliced pineapple and fanned by two very tan young men named Escoban and Fernando... ok, maybe it's best if Eric doesn't go. Kidding. Mostly. I think.
posted @ 7/10/2008 7:51:15 AM (0) Comments
Thursday, July 10, 2008
MX: Maintaining Fitness (& Sanity) at Amatuer Nationals
I post everyweek or so on a motocross chat board. Usually it's in regards to training and nutrition tips to help out racers and their families. There's a huge cross-training bennefit that motocross racers can get from other sports, one of which I consider myself to be quite knowledgable in. I thought I'd share this week's tips here.


A lot of us have “Been There, Raced That,” or “Are Going There, Racing That,” and even more “Can’t Get Away From It.” What is IT? We’re talking Amateur Nationals here, folks. It’s where the best from the country, and a few from around the globe come to spend two (or more if you’re early parking!) very precious weeks with their families and the amateur racing community. These riders are the best. The crème de la crème, paramount, preeminent, unsurpassed… okay okay, you get it. These kids, and in many cases, big kids, have (hopefully) trained and raced their hearts out to make it to that 40 rider start gate. They’ve out rode countless others paid their, and their parents have paid, dues. So, all these months of riding and training now come to fruition. How do you hold onto that fitness? What do you do to stay calm? How do you get the most out of your time at track?Here’s how. 1. Don’t start training when you arrive at the entry gate. You cannot get any fitness gains in a 10 day window prior to an event (excluding heat/ humidity acclimatization). How many times have you seen Johnny Gofast and Kelly Quadruple out running the morning of their motos? Guess what. If you don’t have fitness now, you’re not going to get it the hour, day, or even WEEK before your race. Hopefully, these racers are doing an easy jog on an off day, or, are warming up prior to their moto (within an hr of their race).2. Warm up, even in the heat. Factory semis have stationary bikes under them. Riders are on them before EVERY moto elevating their heart rates. Why do this? You body needs to adjust, and be ready. Think of it at going for a 3 mile run. When from a dead start, the first few minutes always feel the most difficult, until you’ve adjusted to your heart rate and the intensity. This is the same thing a racer feels. How often do you feel you’re riding your fastest during the first lap? Give your body a chance to “get the blood flowing” and be at your maximum potential when the card turns sideways. In the 30 minute moto, you will lose precious seconds (and positions) if you’re taking 10 minutes to get warmed up and up to race speed. 3. STRETCH. Do this only after a proper warm up. It helps prohibit injury. Do this on off days as well. See number 4. 4. Don’t sit around eating cheetos and waiting mom’s steak and potato dinner (Yes, I believe at LL’s a couple years ago my mom cooked steak a couple nights in a row. Ahh, those were the days…). Active recovery is the best recovery. This doesn’t mean riding ‘fiddies thru WalMart, ::cough not like I did that:: terrorizing the servers at Golden Corral, or running around like an Acapulco Cliff Diver from cliff to tree. Yes, you are to conserve your energy. However, to avoid any tightness and stiffness, do a little something. Preferably, something you have done in training. Example, an easy bike ride or jog. No more than 20 minutes. This will help your body stay accustomed to the heat, and loosen up the muscles. Then stretch (number 3) and find a shady tree to sit under (see number 5). Have mom or that trophy girlfriend rub your ARMS and quadriceps and other muscles that experience fatigue. 5. REST. Yes, I said above to actively recovery and warm up. However, that’s IT. If you want to watch some motos, great. Take a lawn chair. There’s a great stretch of trees right along mechanic’s row at LL’s to sit under. Drink water. Or, at Ponca, grab an umbrella, a chair, an iPod and some Gatorade from the concession stand. Do nothing. 6. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Alternate your preferred sports drink and water. Your pee should be close to clear, and shouldn’t smell. I know you’re not eating asparagus, so you haven’t an excuse. 7. Don’t sit in an air conditioned RV all day. Yes, relax, nap if you can, but remember, heat acclimatization disappears very quickly. Spend a little time in the heat, but don’t do anything. 8. Visualize. Rehearse your motos in your head. Think about each moto, the bike you ride, your lines, how you go around other racers. Don’t have the perfect race in your head. What if you fall in a corner? Visualize yourself calmly picking your bike up, starting it, and getting back on the gas. Keep your goal in mind. What if the moto isn’t perfect? Remember to still complete your goal. It should sound something like this: “My bike is tuned perfect thanks to dad. This concrete start is nothing. I’ve practiced it. Hey check it out, I got a wholeshot. I’m going so fast thru this sweeper, uh-oh, Jimmy Alberston just passed me. .. I’m going to get him back. I can ride this lap behind him. WoW! These tunnels are fun. Do you hear that? Yeah, that’s my bike. It’s sweet. Okay, thru this rut I go, that was a great line… here I come, I’m passing Jimmy, Oh!! I just stole his line. Perfect clean pass! YES! I can feel my body position and I’m comfortable and relaxed. Look at that! I just won my first moto (or got 5th or mad my lap time goals or whatever your goal is).” Walk the track. Rehearse the moto in your head while sitting on your bike if possible. Do this at least TWICE a day! Parents, talk your kid thru his or her race. Have them close their eyes. Mental imagery is half the race. 9. Don’t try anything new. It’s not the time to check out sushi, or see if you can swim 40 laps in the pool. Stick to a rehearsed and well arranged game plan. Bed time, wake up, dinner, all of these things should be on a constant schedule. 10. Enjoy being there. Soak it up while sitting in the shade. If you’re relaxed you’ll ride relaxed. Adversely, parents, if you’re high strung and freaking it will reflect on your rider. Best of luck to everyone. I’m looking forward to excellent results!
posted @ 7/10/2008 7:48:53 AM (0) Comments
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
The Rest of the Story: BSLT 70.3 Cont'd
The Rest of the Story: BSLT 70.3 Cont'd

The Day Before

My dad is the only person I know that gets up before I do. And he does it Every. Single. Day. Somehow, we both slept until about 7 am. We grabbed some continental breakfast (bagel, PB, banana), and set out on a shopping excursion, aka Wal-Mart. After a few more errands we went to the race venue.
Wow! So pretty yet so.. um.. Whiskey Tango
Texas Style. We drove around the lake/ race venue. It’s in the bottom of this cool canyon. Right next to it is RansomCanyon (Wow. These houses are awesome.. they’re super expensive and even super crazy- one made of cobble stone and there’s even one made out of steel!!!!).

Dad found a shady place to park, and I got out Goldmember to check out the first couple climbs on the bike. Wow. They’re doozies, but nothing like Wildflower. However, I didn’t realize until the first big descent that I forgot to close my front quick release. AHH NO BRAKE! Scary.

After I rode for a bit I went down to the lake and swam around. I was trying hard to decide if the lake would be warm enough to swim in without a wetsuit. I’m trying to not do much harm on my shoulders, and a wetsuit (full sleeved) is tough, coupled with over heating at KS 70.3 I didn’t want to risk it. The water was for sure a little chilly in spots- it’s a spring fed lake- but I actually was guessing the temp to about around 78 or 80. It would be a close call on wetsuits for everyone. The air temp was hovering in the low to mid 90’s.

We drove a good portion of the bike, and was marveled at the canyons, and the climbs, subsequent descent, and squids. Dad named the road hazard paint markings squids because, well, they looked like orange spray paint squids!

We went back to the hotel were I met another triathlete that needed a ride to the expo. She said her husband was off visiting “old people” so I said we would give her a lift there (she isn’t American born, so she had some odd way of wording things). Dad and I ate, then I napped and met up with the lady we were driving to the expo (crap, I can’t remember her name!). Dad dropped us off and we sat thru the usual boring “Do this, don’t do that” speech. There were Native American dancers there, but I was sitting at the back and couldn’t see them. :( When it was over the gal’s husband had showed up, so dad picked me up and we went for dinner- the traditional pre half ironman dinner that is- breakfast! Nothing like IHOP!

After dinner Dad watched the nervousness that is the Transistion Bag. I unpacked, packed, unpacked, and repacked. I believe he mentioned I was something along the lines of neurotic and anal. He also said that he watched two women time each other on how long it took to take their wetsuits off. Oh for Jebus’ Sake! THAT’s neurotic.

I climbed in bed around 8:30pm and turned the lights off about 9:00pm (after watching a split decision UFC fight- wow!).



Race Day!

4:00am came bright and early, but we were out of the hotel and headed to the race at 4:30am. The weather was the exact opposite of the previous days- cloudy, windy, and in the low 60’s! I cam to BSLT expecting heat, winds, and glaring sun.

Dad and I walked down the big hill to the TA and I got my stuff set up. I talked a bit to the girl next to me, and then found Dad to hang out before the race start. It was so chilly and windy, we huddled under an umbrella to block the breeze! I began to question my decision to race sans wetsuit, but Dad told me to stick to my game plan. That was a good call, because when I entered the water, I realized that the 77 degrees they claimed the lake was, actually felt like low 80’s when compared to the air. I warmed up and felt good. I knew I could have a good swim.

Swim 31:40 (2nd best swim time- and the 1st was probably a short course)

The pros scouted that you can actually run along the shore for about 200 yards before you actually have to start swimming. This seemed to work well for most of my wave. But, since it was comprised of all Clydes and Athenas, I wasn’t willing to get kicked in the head by one of the big boys to save 15 seconds of swimming. So, I ran a short distance then dove in. My wave was the last of all the waves, which meant I started passing folks early on. This is by far one of the coolest swim courses ever. It’s pretty much just a good portion of shoreline, and then you cross the lake twice. The water is murky, but that’s like the Midwest so I felt right at home. The neat thing is the TA is set up on a peninsula. The swim start is on the left of it, and the swim is counter clockwise around to the other side! Very cool.

T1 2:23

I think everyone knows by now I don’t rush at the TA in half distance races. I want to make sure I have everything- especially my race belt- it must be worn on the bike here! I was 30 sec slower than Kansas, though.

Bike 3:52.31

Ya, I know, almost 4 hrs, WTF. Well, I’m going to get to that.

Right out of the TA there’s a step, but fairly short climb. But it’s NOTHING like Lynch at Wildflower, and I knew if I could do that totally out of shape, I could handle this one fine. It wasn’t a breeze, but I was able to spin up it and not die. Then there’s a flat over a bridge after the decent, then you climb again- up, up, outta the canyon.

You roll along inside the park/ canyon area until you hit 50th St., I believe. That’s when you get blasted by the “hairdryer.” But, it wasn’t hot, so it was just WINDY. I kept looking in the direction of the canyons we needed to ride thru, and you could see the rain sheets coming down. Gulp. First it started as a sprinkle, then a pretty good shower. Luckily for the faster folks in the early heats, they didn’t have to deal with it too much.

If you can see the diagram, then you can tell, this bike course is no joke. But, the spiral staircase climbs on the canyon roads weren’t as bad as I was expecting. I was able to spin up them and never felt like I was going to die. I don’t know what my HR was, since it did die before the start of the race. In comparison, here is the Kansas elevation. I rode that in 3:44, and had only some wind.












People biffed it all over the place- and it seems that there was never a single downed rider, but always at least a trio. Even in a few flats. How’s that possible? Wet roads, pack riding and drafting= crashing. I would like to commend the USAT officials though- there were so many and it really looked like they were paying attention to the draft packs. Yay!

For a while on the bike I had to pee, and kept trying to relax myself. I eventually gave up and stopped at the nearest port-a-potty, which, had a sign that read “Check for rattle snakes!!” posted on it. Oh, yay!

The end of the bike was pretty pleasant, except for seeing so many people out on the run already. Ugh! I hate being slow and starting the in the last wave! And, the worst climb, an 8.9% grade is saved for the very end. Ah, sweet irony.

T2 2:41

This is slower than it should have been- the TA was a bit of a cluster, and I saw Joanna Zieger bawling in the TA after just finishing second. Strange. Ouch! The rocks hurt my bare feet.
Run 2:56.55

Alas, I don’t have a KS run to compare this to. According to my 6.5 mile split, however, I was on pace to a 3:06. So, I guess this is slightly better, considering the MUCH more difficult course.

I am very happy to report that I had no stomach issues whatsoever like KS. I felt really pretty good, no complaints. It’s a tough run with some BIG hills. I walked the aide stations, and the monster hills, and ran everything else. Aside from walking the big hills I really felt like I was cruising right along, and kept counting my cadence. I felt the strongest in the “Energy Lab II”- an out and back to the turn around on false flats that goes right by a power plant, super similar to Kona. You could see the turn around and it was So. Far. Away. But the time passed quickly with the help of great volunteers at ALL of the aid stations. While the time is pretty slow, it’s all relative to the course. Also, I really haven’t ran much over 9 miles this season, so it was good to know that my legs still felt pretty snappy. I did have some tightness in my back, similar to at Wildflower. I talked to Nancy about it, and I’m pretty sure it’s from holding on for dear life in the wind, and the big climbs.

Overall: 7:26.14 This is my 2nd fastest HIM time and almost an hr off my best. However, like I said, it’s all relative, and if I had been allowed to finish at KS I think I would have been somewhere in the 7:20 range there too, and that was a less challenging course.

I’m really super happy with my results, and had one of the best race trips EVER with my dad!

PS- I WON the Athena division. Even though I didn’t have a super fast day, the other girls didn’t either. So, I got a groovy Buffalo Trophy. His name is Beefy.






Thanks:

Dad, TriSports.com, Fluid, Tropical Xtreme Tanz, H2O Audio, Motortabs, and Freeride Bike & Skate!!

posted @ 7/2/2008 2:06:05 PM (0) Comments
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Getting There
Buffalo SpringsLake Triathlon 70.3 Race Recap
June 29, 2008


Forgive me if I type this scatterbrained. I am currently “working” and watch the Swimming Olympic trials—ah, how I wish I could still be swimming, and swimming like these kids! Wow!

Ok, on to the race!


Getting There

I met my dad at my parent’s house about 6:30 Friday morning. We gathered up my gear, stored it in the mini van, later appropriately named, The Space Shuttle. We then began our journey. Dad drove for the first 30 minutes, then I took over for the next 4 hours or so. When we stopped for Subway (“behind the Braum’s on the same road as McDonald’s,” according to the locals, which proved to be located near neither) south of Perry, OK, Dad took back over for good. Meanwhile, the temperature was climbing from the 72 of Kansas City, to well over 100 just south of Oklahoma City. The thermometer eventually topped out somewhere around 104 degrees around Dickens, Tx.
Around 7:00 PM we pulled into Lubbock to find our hotel. We had planned to stay at the Lubbock Regency. Regency, sounds nice, right? Well, when we pull in it appeared that we were staying in little Mexico. It was “remodeled” and was cheesy as can be. Ok, fine, whatever, it’s a bed. We get to our room. Dad plops down on his bed and I start pulling the covers off of mine. He asked what I was doing, and I told him I was checking for critters. Low and behold, there’s some kind of weird flea bug thing! We promptly requested a refund and found our way to the expo center.

I got checked in for the race and wandered the expo. Then, we went in search of a hotel. Four later we finally found a place, that was, altogether, pretty darn decent. Except, for the spider I found on my bed. Whatever, I can handle spiders.

We had some delish dinner at the Outback (Pasta and Shrimp, my favorite!), then went back to the hotel for some much needed sleepy time.
Continuing later... (ugh, work, getting in the way!)
posted @ 7/1/2008 12:27:35 PM (0) Comments

June 2008

June '08


Thursday, June 26, 2008
Load 'em up- move 'em out! Buffalo Springs 70.3-- Lubbock, TX
Heading to Lubbock in the morning. First father/daughter trip. super pumped for trip and to see how I can fair just 2 weeks from my last half!
http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3/buffalosprings70.3/?show=resultsTo follow me along during the race (to see how i'm doing and my time splits) click on the link above, then athlete tracker for 2008 (should be up saturday evening). Type in my name or number. If you don't know my name, dig around. Or look to the left. Wish me luck!!
About the RaceBuffalo Springs 70.3Open water lake swim. Wave starts (approximately 200 per wave), rectangular course counter clockwise, entry at beach area and exit on cement boat dock area, within 20 yards of the transition area.Bike course is a modified out and back, out of town farm to market roads, limited traffic, flat with 8 challenging hills, ranging from 2.9% - 8.9% grade and a quarter of a mile to 1.2 miles in length.Run is on asphalt, flat with 3 challenging hills, ranging from 10-14% (not the same hills as found on the bike course) grade. The hills are approximately 300 yards to 880 yards in length. Partially shaded, tough, scenic course.

posted @ 6/26/2008 1:55:58 PM (1) Comments
Monday, June 23, 2008
70.3 KS in a few more details.
Ironman KS 70.3 Recap June 15, 2008


Swim- 41:20
Long counter clockwise rectangle-ish. Start was really really good. Myself and Robyn were at the very front until the first buoy.

Then, I forgot my ability to swim in a straight line. Along with swimming in a zig-zag pattern, this was the roughest swim I can remember! Super choppy, big rollers. I don’t mid that so much, because I feel like I can deal better than others. But, I had to stop and “choke it out” at least twice. One of my favorite swim coaches used to say “do not breathe the clear blue liquid.” This time it was more like “Definitely do not breathe the milky brown, pudding looking substance.”

My watch said 39 something, and the clock says 41. So, two things: I know I wasn’t going blazing fast, but I was swimming more like a 33, not 39. The course was long (look at pro men’s results). Then, there was a 350 yard “run” to the transition area. Yikes!! That’s still about 12 minutes slower than my last half ironman in September 2007!! WOW!

T1- 1:50
I calmly gathered my things here. No huge rush when you’re going 70.3. This was pretty quick considering the size of the TA.

Bike- 3:44.12
Slow, steady. This course is really difficult. Very hilly, very windy. I thought I would average closer to a 16, but with the wind, I’m pretty pleased with the 15mph average. Slow, but, I felt pretty good.

This course has the “IronCross” which is a collection of 4 right hand turns in the same place. On the first section, at about mile 14 I saw a guy on a stretcher, and a guy that looked really hurt and dazed. Hearsay is that the two collided on the downhill (very very fast downhill section) and slammed into the Gatorade aid station and the bridge railing. I later learned they were life-flighted out.

I kept seeing Dawn yelling at the top of her lungs, and Alyson with the doggies all over the bike course. It was super motivational to see them!

On the last portion of the bike leg, headed back to the TA I saw my fiancé’s truck. I didn’t think he was going to make it out. Then, I saw two guys jumping up and down in thongs. Oh. My. God. That was my fiancé and brother. The funniest thing I have ever seen. My friend Alyson was there too, with her doggies. It was hilarious.

T2- 1:34
Again, I wasn’t blazing fast thru here, but I should have gone a little faster.

Run- ?
Bad stomach cramps forced me to walk the majority of the first couple miles until I found a bathroom. I was still run/ walking for a bit after that, but then was feeling better, so much better, that the last mile split I caught, was a 10:05!! The first two were over 15 min/mile.

Then, somewhere after mile 6, everyone was being shoo’ed into the corral- there was an impending storm (never happened) and they had called the race. I just pulled my hat down and started crying because I was feeling better and really trying to salvage what I could of my race.
As I crossed the “finish” line and was handed my “finisher’s medal” I looked up and saw Robyn. I could see she was bumming, but I was in no mood to commiserate. I found the closest tree, and went behind it. I dropped down on my knees with my head in my hands. I was sobbing. I just bent down there and let it out. I have never not finished a race. I know a few people have said that those that were forced off while still on the way to completion, should be considered finishers. I just can’t find it inside of me to agree. I heard someone come over to me, ask if I was ok, or if I needed medical help. I saw his shoes and bike tires, but I never looked up. I just kept saying, “I’m ok, I’m ok.”
Who ever that nice man was patted my back and said “I’m really sorry,” finally realizing why I was so upset. I still don’t know who he was.

I have no idea what my time was, how far I really ran, or where I placed.

I was telling my dad about it, and he offered to take me to another.

This morning after the race, I looked a up other 70.3 series races, found a few, called coach lady and asked for her suggestion. Then called Dad and he said he was down, so, here I am, booked for another half in 2 weeks.

Buffalo Springs 70.3 in Lubbock, TX on June 29th. Hopefully I can redeem myself there. Also, I’m super excited that I get to go with my dad. He’s really pretty much taking care of everything, and we’ve not done a tri trip before (usually motocross) so this is going to be really really cool!!!

Plus, I’ve never been to Texas for a tri, and this is going to be super hot, and super hard. Just the way I like ‘em!!!

Thank you::

Trisports.com, Fluid Recovery, Tropical Xtreme Tanz


posted @ 6/23/2008 7:41:20 AM (0) Comments
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Weight Watchers
Well, I jumped on board with Meggie Mac and GeekGrl to joing the Weight Watchers bandwagon.
There's a lot to explore on the site, and I'm just getting started. Alas, my biggest races for the year are either behind me, or withing days, so it won't have much affect on my racing- maybe for the sprints- but it will have impact on the marathon if I can successfully get the weight off, as I did for ironman (but it popped back on just weeks after the race. figures.)
Also, I seem to keep forgetting that I have a wedding in the upcoming months. My first alteration is in late August, so hopefully the gown will need a few nip/tucks. It fits pretty well now, but a little big (well, last I checked in mid April, so who knows now).
posted @ 6/17/2008 8:07:08 AM (0) Comments
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Finishing Place?
Well, the so called 'Results' are posted on www.IronmanKansas.com, however, I'm pretty sure that not only are they significantly inconclusive, they're totally wrong.
But, for the time being, I'm posted as finishing 4th. However, there's a girl listed below me, that I know beat me. So did I beat people in front of me? Did others behind me actually finish, or "finish" before I did?
Well, for now, we'll say I got 4th in my division, but it's subject to change.
posted @ 6/17/2008 6:23:31 AM (0) Comments
Monday, June 16, 2008
Teexxxxxaaaasss!
YEEEEHAAW!

So I'm pretty pumped about racing in Texas. I've swam there, but this will be my first tri there. Super Super exticited!!!

So, in honor of the Buffalo Springs 70.3 I have changed my background (again).
posted @ 6/16/2008 11:46:55 AM (0) Comments
Monday, June 16, 2008
Teexxxxxaaaasss!
YEEEEHAAW!

So I'm pretty pumped about racing in Texas. I've swam there, and gone to motocross races, but this will be my first tri there. Super Super exticited!!!

So, in honor of the Buffalo Springs 70.3 I have changed my background (again).
posted @ 6/16/2008 11:46:38 AM (0) Comments
Monday, June 16, 2008
IM Kansas 70.3, and a new race to the schedule!!!!

Ironman KS 70.3 Recap

Race only and in condensed version — will add more later.



Swim-
Long counter clockwise rectangle-ish. Start was really really good. Myself and Robyn were at the very front until the first buoy. Then, I forgot my ability to swim in a straight line, however, my watch said 39 something, and the clock says 41. So, two things: I know I wasn’t going blazing fast, but I was swimming more like a 33, not 39. The course was long (look at pro men’s results). Then, there was a 350 yard “run” to the transition area. Yikes!!

T1- 1:50
I calmly gathered my things here. No huge rush when you’re going 70.3. This was pretty quick considering the size of the TA.

Bike- 3:44.12
Slow, steady. This course is really difficult. Very hilly, very windy. I thought I would average closer to a 16, but with the wind, I’m pretty pleased with the 15mph average. Slow, but, I felt pretty good.

This course has the “IronCross” which is a collection of 4 right hand turns in the same place. On the first section, at about mile 14 I saw a guy on a stretcher, and a guy that looked really hurt and dazed. Hearsay is that the two collided on the downhill (very very fast downhill section) and slammed into the Gatorade aid station and the bridge railing. I later learned they were life flighted out.

On the last portion of the bike leg, headed back to the TA I saw my fiancé’s truck. I didn’t think he was going to make it out. Then, I saw two guys jumping up and down in thongs. Oh. My. God. That was my fiancé and brother. The funniest thing I have ever seen. My friend Alyson was there too, with her doggies. It was hilarious.

T2- 1:34
Again, I wasn’t blazing fast thru here, but I should have gone a little faster.

Run- ?
Bad stomach cramps forced me to walk the majority of the first couple miles until I found a bathroom. I was still run/ walking for a bit after that, but then was feeling better, so much better, that the last mile split I caught, was a 10:05!! The first two were over 15 min/mile.

Then, somewhere after mile 6, everyone was being shoo’ed into the corral- there was an impending storm (never happened) and they had called the race. I just pulled my hat down and started crying because I was feeling better and really trying to salvage what I could of my race.

I have no idea what my time was, how far I really ran, or where I placed.

I was telling my dad about it, and he offered to take me to another.


This morning I looked some up, found a few, called coach lady and asked for her suggestion. Then called Dad and he said he was down, so, here I am, booked for another half in 2 weeks.

Buffalo Springs 70.3 in Lubbock, TX on June 29th. Hopefully I can redeem myself there. Also, I’m super excited that I get to go with my dad. He’s really pretty much taking care of everything, and we’ve not done a tri trip before (usually motocross) so this is going to be really really cool!!!

Plus, I’ve never been to Texas for a tri, and this is going to be super hot, and super hard. Just the way I like ‘em!!!
posted @ 6/16/2008 11:32:49 AM (1) Comments
Friday, June 13, 2008
How Do You Measure Up?


June 13, 2008

Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions
By NORIMITSU ONISHI
AMAGASAKI, Japan — Japan, a country not known for its overweight people, has undertaken one of the most ambitious campaigns ever by a nation to slim down its citizenry.
Summoned by the city of Amagasaki one recent morning, Minoru Nogiri, 45, a flower shop owner, found himself lining up to have his waistline measured. With no visible paunch, he seemed to run little risk of being classified as overweight, or metabo, the preferred word in Japan these days.
But because the new state-prescribed limit for male waistlines is a strict 33.5 inches, he had anxiously measured himself at home a couple of days earlier. “I’m on the border,” he said.
Under a national law that came into effect two months ago, companies and local governments must now measure the waistlines of Japanese people between the ages of 40 and 74 as part of their annual checkups. That represents more than 56 million waistlines, or about 44 percent of the entire population.
Those exceeding government limits — 33.5 inches for men and 35.4 inches for women, which are identical to thresholds established in 2005 for Japan by the International Diabetes Federation as an easy guideline for identifying health risks — and having a weight-related ailment will be given dieting guidance if after three months they do not lose weight. If necessary, those people will be steered toward further re-education after six more months.
To reach its goals of shrinking the overweight population by 10 percent over the next four years and 25 percent over the next seven years, the government will impose financial penalties on companies and local governments that fail to meet specific targets. The country’s Ministry of Health argues that the campaign will keep the spread of diseases like diabetes and strokes in check.
The ministry also says that curbing widening waistlines will rein in a rapidly aging society’s ballooning health care costs, one of the most serious and politically delicate problems facing Japan today. Most Japanese are covered under public health care or through their work. Anger over a plan that would make those 75 and older pay more for health care brought a parliamentary censure motion Wednesday against Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, the first against a prime minister in the country’s postwar history.
But critics say that the government guidelines — especially the one about male waistlines — are simply too strict and that more than half of all men will be considered overweight. The effect, they say, will be to encourage overmedication and ultimately raise health care costs.
Yoichi Ogushi, a professor at Tokai University’s School of Medicine near Tokyo and an expert on public health, said that there was “no need at all” for the Japanese to lose weight.
“I don’t think the campaign will have any positive effect. Now if you did this in the United States, there would be benefits, since there are many Americans who weigh more than 100 kilograms,” or about 220 pounds, Mr. Ogushi said. “But the Japanese are so slender that they can’t afford to lose weight.”
Mr. Ogushi was actually a little harder on Americans than they deserved. A survey by the National Center for Health Statistics found that the average waist size for Caucasian American men was 39 inches, a full inch lower than the 40-inch threshold established by the International Diabetes Federation. American women did not fare as well, with an average waist size of 36.5 inches, about two inches above their threshold of 34.6 inches. The differences in thresholds reflected variations in height and body type from Japanese men and women.
Comparable figures for the Japanese are sketchy since waistlines have not been measured officially in the past. But private research on thousands of Japanese indicates that the average male waistline falls just below the new government limit.
That fact, widely reported in the media, has heightened the anxiety in the nation’s health clinics.
In Amagasaki, a city in western Japan, officials have moved aggressively to measure waistlines in what the government calls special checkups. The city had to measure at least 65 percent of the 40- to 74-year-olds covered by public health insurance, an “extremely difficult” goal, acknowledged Midori Noguchi, a city official.
When his turn came, Mr. Nogiri, the flower shop owner, entered a booth where he bared his midriff, exposing a flat stomach with barely discernible love handles. A nurse wrapped a tape measure around his waist across his belly button: 33.6 inches, or 0.1 inch over the limit.
“Strikeout,” he said, defeat spreading across his face.
The campaign started a couple of years ago when the Health Ministry began beating the drums for a medical condition that few Japanese had ever heard of — metabolic syndrome — a collection of factors that heighten the risk of developing vascular disease and diabetes. Those include abdominal obesity, high blood pressure and high levels of blood glucose and cholesterol. In no time, the scary-sounding condition was popularly shortened to the funny-sounding metabo, and it has become the nation’s shorthand for overweight.
The mayor of one town in Mie, a prefecture near here, became so wrapped up in the anti-metabo campaign that he and six other town officials formed a weight-loss group called “The Seven Metabo Samurai.” That campaign ended abruptly after a 47-year-old member with a 39-inch waistline died of a heart attack while jogging.
Still, at a city gym in Amagasaki recently, dozens of residents — few of whom appeared overweight — danced to the city’s anti-metabo song, which warned against trouser buttons popping and flying away, “pyun-pyun-pyun!”
“Goodbye, metabolic. Let’s get our checkups together. Go! Go! Go!
Goodbye, metabolic. Don’t wait till you get sick. No! No! No!”
The word metabo has made it easier for health care providers to urge their patients to lose weight, said Dr. Yoshikuni Sakamoto, a physician in the employee health insurance union at Matsushita, which makes Panasonic products.
“Before we had to broach the issue with the word obesity, which definitely has a negative image,” Dr. Sakamoto said. “But metabo sounds much more inclusive.”
Even before Tokyo’s directives, Matsushita had focused on its employees’ weight during annual checkups. Last summer, Akio Inoue, 30, an engineer carrying 238 pounds on a 5-foot-7 frame, was told by a company doctor to lose weight or take medication for his high blood pressure. After dieting, he was down to 182 pounds, but his waistline was still more than one inch over the state-approved limit.
With the new law, Matsushita has to measure the waistlines of not only its employees but also of their families and retirees. As part of its intensifying efforts, the company has started giving its employees “metabo check” towels that double as tape measures.
“Nobody will want to be singled out as metabo,” Kimiko Shigeno, a company nurse, said of the campaign. “It’ll have the same effect as non-smoking campaigns where smokers are now looked at disapprovingly.”
Companies like Matsushita must measure the waistlines of at least 80 percent of their employees. Furthermore, they must get 10 percent of those deemed metabolic to lose weight by 2012, and 25 percent of them to lose weight by 2015.
NEC, Japan’s largest maker of personal computers, said that if it failed to meet its targets, it could incur as much as $19 million in penalties. The company has decided to nip metabo in the bud by starting to measure the waistlines of all its employees over 30 years old and by sponsoring metabo education days for the employees’ families.
Some experts say the government’s guidelines on everything from waistlines to blood pressure are so strict that meeting, or exceeding, those targets will be impossible. They say that the government’s real goal is to shift health care costs onto the private sector.
Dr. Minoru Yamakado, an official at the Japan Society of Ningen Dock, an association of doctors who administer physical exams, said he endorsed the government’s campaign and its focus on preventive medicine.
But he said that the government’s real priority should be to reduce smoking rates, which remain among the highest among advanced nations, in large part because of Japan’s powerful tobacco lobby.
“Smoking is even one of the causes of metabolic syndrome,” he said. “So if you’re worried about metabo, stopping people from smoking should be your top priority.”
Despite misgivings, though, Japan is pushing ahead.
Kizashi Ohama, an official in Matsuyama, a city that has also acted aggressively against metabo, said he would leave the debate over the campaign’s merits to experts and health officials in Tokyo.
At Matsuyama’s public health clinic, Kinichiro Ichikawa, 62, said the government-approved 33.5-inch male waistline was “severe.” He is 5-foot-4, weighs only 134 pounds and knows no one who is overweight.
“Japan shouldn’t be making such a fuss about this,” he said before going off to have his waistline measured.
But on a shopping strip here, Kenzo Nagata, 73, a toy store owner, said he had ignored a letter summoning him to a so-called special checkup. His waistline was no one’s business but his own, he said, though he volunteered that, at 32.7 inches, it fell safely below the limit. He planned to disregard the second notice that the city was scheduled to mail to the recalcitrant.
“I’m not going,” he said. “I don’t think that concerns me.”
Copyright 2008The New York Times Company



posted @ 6/13/2008 10:50:43 AM (0) Comments
Friday, June 13, 2008
Good Race, Not Good Luck
My friend Andrea just sent me this email. I thought I'd share because I agree with her!

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I want to wish you all a "Good Race" on Sunday.

I don't want to say "Good Luck" because luck has nothing to do with it. We've put in the hours, weeks and months of training - luck is not going to get you through this - your training will.

That and your spirit...your inspiration...your motivation.

We all have our reasons for doing this race, or triathlon for that matter. For some of us, the purpose is self-discovery. Some of us want to see what we're made of. Some of us want to be one of the "cool kids". And some of us just want to have FUN!

What ever your reason, what ever drives you to do this "crazy" thing, go forward knowing that you control you - this is YOUR race - and ONLY you are responsible for the results.

GOOD RACE peeps! I hope I see you this weekend!

Andrea V
posted @ 6/13/2008 6:49:30 AM (0) Comments
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Miss Popularity
WOWZA!
I have had 972 hits since 10am yesterday. That's an awful lot.
Okay, who's the stalker? Is it you? Or you? Or...
Thanks for the visits! Keep coming back to see me!



posted @ 6/12/2008 7:57:08 AM (0) Comments
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tag! A Running Q&A.. sort of.
I was tagged by GeekGrl, inadvertently. 1. How would you describe your running 10 years ago?Well. I set the middle school girl’s mile record. I think that was the first and last time I ran one mile straight, until freshman year of college. If I remember right, it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 7:42ish. That’s what happens when you’re 5’7 and 120lbs and, oh, about 12 years old. 2. What is your best and worst run/race experience?My best: Definitely the whole IRONWEEK from last year in Florida. The race was perfect, and I got engaged just days before while on the beach. It was amazing. My worst: HalfMax 2006. My first half ironman. Not only was I significantly undertrained, but I had no base whatsoever. I winged it, and just happened to finish. 3. Why do you run?Because some idiot decided that a triathlon would be swim-bike-run, versus my suggestion, of swim-bike-under water basket weaving while juggling on a unicycle. No seriously, if it weren’t for the running in triathlon, I never would have bought a pair of real running shoes.
I have realized, however, that when doing long distance running (i.e.: the later half of marathon training) my excess weight melts away. That’s nice since my next marathon (and first open marathon) is just two weeks prior to my wedding. 4. What is the best or worst piece of advice you've been given about running?“Pick up your feet.” It sounds so simple, but when you’re a heavy heavy heel striking shuffler, having your former track star boyfriend yell at you about your form is both simultaneously good and bad. Good, because, well, he was right. It’s like running with your brakes on. But, he was running next to me, up hill, BACKWARDS, at the same pace as I was going. 5. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.I have circus toes. Ya know, in the movie Shallow Hal, and Hal’s friend dumps the super hot girl because the toe next to her big toe is actually longer than the big toe… well, I have that circus toe thing going on. It’s just not that much longer. 6. Tag Somebody.Robo, Rik Kirchner, Julie- this means you actually have to blog, Bree Five-0, Ron Hudnet , Dawn. You’re up. (PS Bree is racing IM Japan and Dawn is racing IM CDA in a few days- good luck!)

posted @ 6/11/2008 8:16:45 AM (0) Comments
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
In honor of the weekend
Please note the Jayhawk background in honor of this weekend's events in Larryville.

http://ironmankansas.com/
Swim Course - 1.2 Miles - 1 Loop
The swim is a semi-triangular course. Athletes will enter the the water on the southern tip of the beach, swim in a counterclockwise direction and exit on the northern end. They will then enter the northern end of transition and bike exit on the southern end of transition.
First wave starts at 6:40 AM - Limit of 150 per wave - 13 -14 waves at 5 min. intervals - last wave will start at 7:45 or 7:50 AM
SWIM MAP >>
Bike Course - 56 Miles - 1 Loop
Start: Bloomington Park Beach (south large parking lot)
Leave the parking lot of Bloomington Beach and travel west on 1190 Rd.
Turn Left (South) on E 550 Rd.
Veer Right (Southwest) on N851 Rd. Diagonal Rd.
Turn Right (West) 458 Rd. Take 458 (it veers North) to the town of Stull. Turn-around at Stull and return on 458 Rd.
Turn Right (South) on 1023 Rd. (N 851 Diagonal Rd.) through the town of Twin Mound veering left on E 100 Rd.
Turn Right (West) on 460 Rd. Turn around at the Douglas County Line. Return on the same course back to the intersection of 458 & 1023 Rd.
Turn Right (Southeast) on 458 Rd. Take 458 to 1029 Rd. Turn Right (South) on 1029. Take 1029 Rd. across Highway 56 turn around at the Douglas County line. Return the same way back to the intersection of 1029 & 458 Rd.
Return to the transition area via N851 Diagonal Rd. the same way exited.
Finish: Bloomington Park Beach
BIKE MAP AND PROFILE >>
Run Course - 13.1 Miles - 3 Loops
Athletes will exit Transition from the North end of transition and follow the marked path North towards the lower dock parking lot.
Runners will turn Left at the lower dock parking lot and follow the lower dock road clockwise until reaching 1190 N. Road.
Turn Right at 1190 N. Road. Follow 1190 N. Road westbound.
Turn Right at 700 Road. Follow 700 Road to the second entrance into Cedar Campground.
Turn Left into Cedar Campground. Follow outer road of Cedar Campground clockwise. Runners will make a complete loop of the outer road of the Campground before exiting the same location they entered.
Turn Right back onto 700 Road. Follow 700 Road back to 1190 N. Road.
Turn Left at 1190 N. Road. Follow 1190 N. Road eastbound.
Turn Left into the Sailing Club's entrance. (first entrance to the lower dock)
Follow the Sailing Club entrance road through the lower dock parking lot.
Follow marked run path across green space past Transition. Southbound.
Follow marked run path across Beach Parking Lot to bike path.
Follow bike path into Hickory Campground.
Turn left upon entering Hickory. Follow outer road of Hickory clockwise until completing the perimeter road.
Runners will exit Hickory at the same location they entered.
Follow bike path back to parking lot and return to Transition. This will complete one loop of the course.
3 loop course.
RUN MAP AND PROFILE >>

Gatorade Endurance Formula will be on-course at the 2008 Ironman 70.3 Kansas Triathlon!
Course Hydration
Each bike station will serve water and Gatorade Endurance Formula (orange flavor). This Gatorade Endurance will be served cold and given to athlete in the “Edge” bottle that is made for bike cages. Based on years of extensive research with elite and endurance athletes, Gatorade Endurance Formula contains a unique five-electrolyte blend including nearly twice the sodium (200mg) and three times the potassium (90mg) of Gatorade Thirst Quencher as well as calcium, magnesium, and chloride to help you better replace what you lose in sweat during longer and more intense active occasions. For more information about the Gatorade Endurance Formula, go to www.gatorade.com/endurance.
There will be 12 aid stations on the run course – approximately every mile. Each station will serve Gatorade Endurance Formula (lemon-lime flavor) and water. This Gatorade Endurance will be served cold and given to athletes in cups.
posted @ 6/10/2008 6:58:40 AM (0) Comments
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
87 at 72% Humdity for Race Day. :) oh joy.
Daily Details forLawrence, KS
Day
Night
Mostly Sunny
High87°FPrecip10%
Wind:
SSW 8 mph
Max. Humidity:
62%
UV Index:
10 Very High

Sunrise:
5:55 AM CT
Avg. High:
85°F
Record High:
101°F (1946)
Showers
Overnight Low66°FPrecip40%
Wind:
SE 3 mph
Max. Humidity:
72%



Sunset:
8:48 PM CT
Avg. Low:
65°F
Record Low:
50°F (1969)
Last Updated Tuesday, Jun 10, 8:12 AM Central Daylight Time
posted @ 6/10/2008 6:35:23 AM (0) Comments
Monday, June 09, 2008
Athlinks Link
Hey folks!

If you're a triathlete, runner, swimmer, etc., you NEED to have an athlinks account. It's like crackspace, but for endurance athletes!

Here's the link to my page--
http://www.athlinks.com/racer.aspx?rid=23719373

Now lets be friends!
posted @ 6/9/2008 8:06:27 AM (0) Comments
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
We're Friends, That's What We Do. -Child saves another from drowning!
6-Year-Old Saves 5-Year-Old Friend From Drowning

POSTED: 3:56 pm EDT June 3, 2008
UPDATED: 1:41 pm EDT June 4, 2008


FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. -- Adults didn't see a drowning 5-year-old, but his 6-year-old friend did.
Haden Stusak, 6, of Fayetteville is being called a hero after he dived into a pool to investigate a shadow on the bottom that turned out to be his friend.
Josiah Buddah, 5, and Haden are buddies. Haden is a good swimmer, but Josiah can't swim without his water wings.
On Sunday, Josiah took off his water wings and sank to the bottom of the deep end.
"I was scared, I was scared," said Josiah.
An adult spotted a shadow in the pool, but couldn't get to it. No one knew the shadow was Josiah. But Haden got curious and dove down to investigate. He had been practicing diving to the bottom. When he discovered Josiah, he grabbed him and pulled him to the surface.
VIDEO: 6-Year-Old Saves 5-Year-Old Friend From Drowning
"Well, I grabbed him like that; he was like unconscious. I grabbed him and I was swimming like this," said Haden.
"He jumped inside the water; he helped me get back up," said Josiah.
Two nurses and doctor started CPR.
"They took me to the hospital," said Josiah. "I was dead and couldn't breathe."
It all happened in seconds.
"I could have been burying my baby this week, so just to know that he's here, No. 1, is amazing, because to see your child lifeless for a few minutes, you think it's over," said Josiah's mother, Judith Buddha.
"So I called 'Help, help, he drowned,'" said Haden.
Haden's parents told Channel 2 they ask him not to talk so loudly and to keep his voice down. This is one time they're glad they heard his screams.
Josiah is doing well and is now swimming with a float suit. He will start lessons in a couple of weeks.
And in true hero fashion, Haden says what he did was no big deal.
"We're friends. That's what friends do," said Haden.

Courtesy Action News 2 wsb-tv Atlanta http://www.wsbtv.com/news/16479379/detail.html
posted @ 6/4/2008 11:22:24 AM (0) Comments
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Holy Smokes!
Fuel tank blaze erupts as storms sweep area
A lightning strike apparently ignited a petroleum tank in Kansas City, Kan., this evening, sparking flames and billowing smoke that could be seen for miles.
The fire started about 7:30 p.m., when lighting hit the Magellan pipeline terminal at 410 E. Donovan Road, Kansas City, Kan., fire Capt. Stanley Castaneda said.
Magellan’s Kansas City, Kan., terminal handles commercial jet fuel, ethanol, diesel and various other types of fuel oil, according to the Magellan Midstream Partners LP Web site.
The burning tank contained unleaded gasoline, according to a Magellan spokesman.
Assistant Fire Chief Craig Duke said firefighters were pouring water on surrounding tanks to reduce the chance of the fire spreading.
“Our first concern was to keep the products cool,” Duke said of nearby tanks.
About 10 p.m., Duke said there were no issues with other storage tanks.
“At this point the fire is under control,” Duke said. He said firefighters would remain at the scene until the fire subsides.
Jon Jacobs, an area supervisor for Magellan, said the fire may have been caused by a lightning strike. He said two employees were working at the facility when the blaze erupted.
He said once the fire burns itself out, company officials will evaluate the tank and production for the facility.
The facility is one of about 50 Magellan terminals that connect petroleum products pipelines throughout the Midwest, according to the company’s Web site.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/v-print/story/648313.html



posted @ 6/4/2008 6:08:59 AM (0) Comments
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Crazy Triathlete Brides
I don't *think* this was directed at me, but funny, none-the-less.
http://elizabethfedofsky.blogspot.com/2008/06/little-things.html

posted @ 6/3/2008 2:27:36 PM (0) Comments
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Making the Rounds-- The Ironman Shadow
I'm not sure exactly who the original poster is (Dawn, and subsequently Julie, have both represented with this on their blogs), but this is so true.
My M-Dot tattoo, or hat, or bag, or my array of other gear have stopped people. They ask "Did you DO THAT!? ...ALL of it?" and "Which one did you do?" And then there's those that know the feeling. A nod, a hand gesture, and you see they've been there. Some are going there for the first time, others are veterans.
Without further a do...
"The Ironman Shadow"

Ironman It follows you everywhere. Like an ever-present shadow or an alter ego, and at times it can follow you like an annoying guilt-inducing time management stalker. But most often it follows you around as a confidence-inspiring best friend. Ironman is always with you.You realize in this crazy and dynamic sport that Ironman is not just a logo on the products that appear everywhere around us---on supermarket shelves, in clothing stores and bike stores. Ironman is not just a race or a goal. Ironman is a life-changing experience that irrevocably gifts you with intense lessons about yourself and a fitness level that is often unsurpassed.Whether you are training to race in your first Ironman, or you’ve finished nine World Championship Ironman races in Hawaii, this experience stays with you. When you mention the words of Ironman triathlon to other people, it changes things. It changes things in you, and it changes things in them. Telling someone you’re an Ironman or that you are going to do one commits you in a binding way. It has been said that when you fully commit to something or someone, you find it easier to tell other people. It’s also been said that once you are fully committed to something or someone, you are bound by your word and your internal commitment to yourself.Wearing an Ironman T-shirt opens the door for people to talk to you in airports, on the street, or in restaurants. And like a club with a secret handshake, when you see other people who have finished an Ironman, there is a silent understanding. Most relationships are forged with a common experience, and the bond of experiencing an Ironman is one that breaks conventional relationship boundaries. Just go to Kona---or Lake Placid or France---to witness people from all over the world with ultra-diverse backgrounds becoming part of a very special and supportive family.With the commitment to train and race in an Ironman, you’ve started along the yellow brick road that will present you with far more than the lions and tigers and bears of your own self-doubt and fear. Training gives you a strong heart, physiologically and emotionally. Racing will grant you courage. Finishing will give you dauntless confidence. This yellow brick road to Kona, Hawaii---or to any Ironman race worldwide---will be jammed with lessons. You’ll rapidly learn that biking shoes are like ice skates on the slippery floors of grocery stores and that a bike can seem just a few pounds lighter than your running shoes. You will also learn very difficult lessons that will shake and sort your priorities in life like a powerful earthquake, revealing the basic truths that support who is really important to you.If you’re not myopically focused on the size of your chain ring, or your finishing time, then Ironman just may teach you what you honestly value in your life. You will learn the basic lessons of what to eat, how to train, and how to run a marathon after being glued to your bike seat for more than 112 miles. You will learn that the wind, the rain, the heat and the struggle are often overshadowed, even forgotten, when you reach the last few miles of an Ironman and find the courage to break through your own boundaries. It is inevitable that when you watch an Ironman, or when you do an Ironman, the words never or never again will pass through your mind as you click your running shoes together at mile 15 of the run and say, “I wish I was home, I wish I was home.” But then you’ll realize that it’s within the Ironman experience that you just may find yourself more at home than laying in your bed on a rainy Sunday afternoon.Ironman may follow you like a shadow, but like all kids, you’re destined to find out that your shadow is a mere representative image cast by an object blocking illuminating rays. And that object is you, rebuilt with the adventurous fortitude of the Ironman experience. Let your running shoes click together in your next stride and glance down at your shadow. You’re home.

posted @ 6/3/2008 1:58:26 PM (0) Comments
Monday, June 02, 2008
Let's Say it Was a Learning Experience

So I learned quite a bit about myself, things, life, the country, etc. this weekend. Here's a bit of what I found out::

- I REALLY like going for bike rides by myself. I get to explore.
- On said bike rides I found that there is a buffalo and elk reserve less than 8 miles from my house. It houses hundreds of elk and buffalo. I had no idea it exsisted.
-It is smart to wear sunscreen and I shall continue to do so.
-Sometimes people can by civil for the sake of others.
-Wedding flowers are Ex-pen-sive.
-Buzz Lightyear is FINALLY going into space. This bit of knowledge is courtesy of my Dad.
-Potatoes take a very very long time to grill.
-Sunday's are best for sleeping in.
-It is possible for me to hold a baby for up to ten minutes with out it screaming, pooping, or dropping it.
-I will not be having children any time soon, thankfully.
-I want to live in Jenean's basement.
-Blue Springs is supposedly getting a Target and PetCo (yay!)
-Eric has very very vivid sleepwalking/ talking experiences.
-My hair is pretty much blonde again.
-There's some weird tradition in Detriot concerning throwing an octopus onto the ice during a play off game. It's kind of really gross.
-Alternating bricks suck.
posted @ 6/2/2008 5:37:58 AM (0) Comments