The end of the season...

Hickory Knob weekend flew by. The Malone Coaching crew had a great day. Kimberley cleaned up for the women and Lisa kept the race free of cheaters (dirty drafters!). Suzanne, Pam and I worked our way onto the all male podium for the relay teams. Chris Dillard finished his 2nd Olympic Tri feeling much better and getting some hardware too. Smutzer was back racing after a sabbatical and Mike finished his 2nd ever Sprint race and signed up for the FL Half IM within 2 days. Will smoked the swim, bike and run and finished right behind Smutzer.The moral of the story is we all finished the season strong and looking towards an even better year in 2008.

Bradley Falls - Saluda NC

Since I am still not back to normal training I figured I would still get my outdoor fix by going hiking. I had not been to Bradley Fall for years so I was pleasantly surprised to find awesome trails and beautiful views. Not to mention viewing points with drops of a few hundred feet into the river - with absolutely nothing to stop you from tumbling over! The weather is still unseasonably warm but when I would get close to the river you could feel the cool air. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Frantic' and Mini go for a ride...

Of course there is more to this story. Frantic (Fran-teek) as my cousin calls her and Mini are my cousin Maria's pets. Last week Maria had to work in Spartanburg so she came to stay with me. Of course she asked permission to bring her pets. I was very intrigued by these 2 turtles who are not afraid of people at all. Maria is well versed in turtle care so she filled me in on their care. She was kind enough to bring along their food - slaw (home-made) and worms (store bought) although I offered to go collect some for her. There had been a fishing tournament and all the type worms that the girls eat were out so they had a different variety of worm that they were not so interested in. At any rate I had a great visit with Maria and the "girls". Mini and Frantic are both still young but Maria hopes to release them to her backyard as soon as they are a little bigger.

Congratulations! Alles Gute!

Unfortunately I missed their wedding on September 7th and my post is long overdue but Alexandra (on the right) has been one of my best friends for the last 16 years so she deserves her spot on my glory blog!

Alexandra was my host sister when I was an exchange student in Germany in 1991. When I arrived I did not speak a word of German which made her role in my life VERY important. She was patient and kind. She taught me everything about her country and her language. Her English was already perfect back then and she would always indulge me in a good English conversation when she could see I needed it. She accepted me for who I was, watched as I made mistakes with my life, listened as I confided in her and always was there for me when I needed her over the years. She shared her family with me and has made me feel like I am a part of a family that I am not related to at all. She has a big heart and a wonderful way about her.

A few years ago she called me and told me that she had met the love of her life. Then she asked if I was sitting and asked me if I remembered Nicole from school. Of course I did. Then I realized that Nicole was the love of her life. I was surprised but after so many years of friendship I could only be happy for her. She was happy and she was in love. They came to visit us here and Nicole was equally great - just like Alex. So not only did Alex find her life partner, I felt like I made another friend. They compliment each other, they have fun together and now they are committed to each other.

I admire Alexandra and Nicole for following their hearts and blazing the path for others. While their way might be different than mine I will always love and respect them both. I wish them a lifetime of love and adventure together.

SC Half Weekend

Always fun to be at the races with a nice group of friends!
Despite feeling like she needed to puke up all her yummy GU Julie still managed to put on lipstick and smile for the camera. Yes, she really put on lipstick!

I honestly don't know who this person is BUTT this is a good example of what NOT to wear. I did not see him on the bike in these or running so hopefully he was just on a relay and he is wearing the Speedo to show all us tri-geeks that he is a real swimmer!

Tom and Chad attempt to scare off the competition by showing that they have spent more time in the gym than on the roads running...Chad did manage to pull off an impressive run. Now if he would only do those run workouts I give him!

Mary Hiter is all smiles before her 2nd Half IM. She set her PR here by 4 min. In another year or so you better watch out for Mary on the bike - she is a powerhouse!

Julie and I are trying to keep warm before the start. It was her first half Ironman - actually her first race longer than a sprint!

Glenn Livingston is at peace before the race start - it was a PR day for Glenn!

Pam Ogle & Suzanne Schlotterback get ready to complete their first Half IM Race.

Zen Sarcasm

"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes."