I have been Tagged...

This seemed like a fun idea so I decided to play along:

10 years ago
I had gone back to college and was running cross country on a full scholarship at USCS - now known as USC-Upstate. Not exactly what I had imagined for my college education but it was better than one might think. I looked at running cross country as my part time job. My other job included cleaning houses. I cleaned everyone on my hands and knees as if someone were going to eat off the floor. Each house was a workout because I got paid by the job and not by the hour. I would clean as fast as I could so I could get home to study, so I could get back to afternoon cross country practice where I would run the workout as fast as possible so I would have time to shower and eat before going to class with all the other "adult" students who had day jobs. It was hard, money was short, but for the most part I was happy.

5 years ago
I had just quit my day job that I had worked so hard to earn. A job that I worked so hard at and one that helped me stand on my own feet financially for the first time in my life. A job with benefits, a job where I got to travel and feel like I was somebody. Yes, I just quit because it was not what I had dreamed of. It was not where my future was. It was just a job. It was a means to an end. I had always dreamed of doing the Hawaii Ironman and in 2002 I had fallen short of qualifying by 2 min in 2 different races. I needed more sleep and more time to train. The goal was so close so the choice was easy - give up the job and go after the dream...duh!

1 year ago
I was getting ready to have the race of my life at Lake Placid Ironman. I was in great shape, I was going to qualify for Hawaii again and set a PR. I was focused, I was determined, I was enjoying racing. Coaching was my way of sharing my passion for sport and earning a living. They say that if you have a job you love you will never work a day in your life (almost true).

5 things on my to-do list today:
Write training schedules for all the athletes I coach
Swim
Schedule someone to take down trees in the doggy area
(Yeah I know that is only 3...but it is Monday and I spend all day writing schedules!)

5 snacks I enjoy:
(this list always varies)
Donuts - Krispy Kreme, Bavarian Creme. I can eat a dozen glazed and still go for a bike ride. No kidding
Blueberries, Strawberries, Blackberries (best when picked during a trail run)
Graham Crackers
Prunes
Bolthouse farms smoothie

If I were a billionaire:
I would buy love and give it to all the little kids who don't get enough and then I would pair each child up with a pound puppy so they could be forever friends. I think I would then spay an neuter irresponsible people and pets...is that allowed?

5 people I would like to have lunch with:
Kahil Gibran, Frank, Alex and her entire family, Christy, My father

5 places I have lived:
Oldwick, NJ
Bakede, Germany
Groningen, Netherlands
Pheonix, Arizona
Walnut Grove, SC

5 jobs I have had:
Waitress at Waffle House
Gold's Gym Sales
Cleaning Lady
Groom - yes, I cleaned the horses and picked up poop - glamorous!
Project Controls for Engineering company

Newfoundland 70.3 - July 27th

Registration for this race was easy. I just got on Active.com and within 2 min. I was in. Then I called Colette to tell her the good news. She was very excited since she was going to be going alone and we all know that is no fun!

Tonight I started making the plans - when to leave etc. I got online to book my ticket and I got some serious sticker shock. What happened to all these discount travel websites? Their prices have gone through the roof. I guess it is not that often that people actually go to Corner Brook, Newfoundland because getting there is not easy at all. I finally have the flights booked.

Colette informed me that I have to leave on Tuesday because Monday she has a big hike up a mountain planned for our recovery. The view is supposed to be amazing...

Bike 115.5 on Saturday & Run 21.5 on Sunday

I have been quiet for awhile on the bogging front. There has been nothing terribly interesting to report, maybe part of that is because I am training again. Yes, I am actually doing structured training to prepare for Ironman WI in the fall. The past 4 weeks have hurt. After my season ending prematurely last year I am more grateful than ever to be able to do all 3 sports. The long rides and runs hurt but in the best way possible.

Yesterday I was lucky to have a long ride on my schedule with no structure, since I am still just in the base building phase (speed comes in another few weeks). Long rides are times when I like to get out and explore. I have plenty of time to get lost and then find my way home. Yesterday I realized I might have pushed the envelope when I found myself out past Pumkintown on roads that looked familiar from a ride I did that started in Brevard...I had to stop and ask someone to look at a map. When I told them I needed to get back to Tryon (which was not even on the same page on the map I was looking at) they kindly suggested getting on Hwy 11! Normally I would not even consider this but I needed to get home. Amazingly enough there is even a bike lane for the first 15 miles (which was rideable)- which I admit was very nice to ride in...especially aero. So I got a little TT (time trial) for about 20 mile before seeing a road that I knew would take me back towards Saluda. Unfortunately that road had a killer hill right at mile 90 of my ride. Rolling into Saluda at 100 miles I had to stop for a Coke and some ice for my finger where I had been stung by something nasty that I tried to get out of my top. Coke has never tasted so good. It made the rest of the ride home much more manageable. Of interest for some of you who ride and train might be what I ate during this epic ride. Listed in no particular order:
1 big bag of Haribo Gummy Bears
1/2 bag of donuts
2 packages of Fig Newtons
1/2 Orange Smoothy Powerbar (new flavor - tastes great)
1/2 bag of Baked Lay's
1 small bag of Gold Fish
Coke
5 Bottles of Gatorade & Carbo Pro Mix (about 260 cal per bottle)
2 bottles of Water + extra water every time I stopped

Today was run day. After getting home yesterday I took two Benadryl tablets to alleviate some of the pain of the sting in my finger. I got stung on the end of my finger and by the evening it had swelled so much that I could not even bend it. 2 Benadryl after 115 mile ride had me knocked out within moments. I was comatose until 6:10 this morning. I woke up and I felt fine! So that meant that the game was on. I had to go get this 20 mile run done before it got late and I got lazy. I was out by 7 and on the trails. My legs felt ok, but not a lot of spunk. I decided to just get busy thinking about how beautiful it was, how nice all the little birds sounded and kept my eyes peeled for other wildlife. I saw lots of deer, some of which I got very close to. I saw a turkey with all her little babies - whatever you call them. Of course a few people out on horses but that was about it today. After letting my mind wander I started feeling pretty good, after a sip of Coke and some ibuprofen at mile 12 I felt great...bring it on! The last 2 miles I actually ran hard, oh yes, all this training is starting to pay off.

You know what I did then? I came home and thought, I need to push a little more...how about I surprise my best buddy Colette and sign up for the race she is doing at the end of the month. I dropped the cash and have the registration in my hand. See the trouble you can get into after a good week of training!

Willow was once a pound puppy

This is a picture of my precious Willow. A friend of mine at the local humane society called me as soon as she came in and told me that there was a Weimaraner puppy there. I honestly did not believe her (I was just starting to rescue at this point). I went to see her and could not believe my eyes - a beautiful young Weim female. She was 9 months old. I took her home and told myself I would find her a home. Indeed I did...my home! She was a crazy puppy with no manners. She ate my husband's dinner off his plate the first night and a month later ATE the dining room wall. She had some issues to work through but now years later she is a wonderful, well mannered dog. She runs with me and swims like a champ. We are also kindred spirits since we are the only 2 females in the house.

My Festival of Flowers

As many of you have now noted I did not finish the Festival of Flowers triathlon. The reason I did not finish was not because of the heat but because I trained way too much the week before and I arrived exhausted. I thought maybe after a day of relaxing (camping) I would feel better but the truth is I only felt worse! So many years previously I have done a ridiculous amount of training the week before a race and been able to bounce back but that was not the case this year. Maybe I am just getting older? At any rate after suffering through the bike ride I made the decision to stop. I could have finished but it would have taken me much longer to recover and I did not see anything to be gained - training wise. So I stopped and then I went and cheered and watched the race unfold. I watched many who I coach have awesome races despite the heat and that brought much more joy to me than crossing the finish line ever has.

Congrats to all of you for racing your hearts out in that blasted heat!

This Sport We Love...

I admit that I am behind - hopelessly behind on blogging. Actually I have been behind on everything for the past few weeks but I think that as of today I am more or less caught up. Sure I need to put race results for the entire season out on my website for all of my athletes but in thinking about it...will that make me a better coach? Probably not, so I am not going to sweat it. I will get the results out there one of these days. There have been some great results and great disappointments so far this year. Where shall I start? Audrey (pictured above) has now done 2 triathlons, she is a bona-fide triathlete. She works her butt off and does not give up- she even walked away with some swag from the Middle Tyger YMCA Triathlon. Jim on the other hand walked back with his bike that got 2 flat tires, although he did bring an impressive positive attitude with him. The next weekend he went on to finish his first Olympic Distance race at Festival of Flowers. Back at the MTY Tri Kimberley won in fine fashion only to learn a few days later that she has a stress fracture in her tibia. Suzanne smoked the course at Festival of Flowers posting a PR for an Olympic Distance race by something like 16 min AND placing 3rd in her age group. She showed fine form on the run and left with the confidence that she was going to Ironman Coeur d'Alene to cross that finish line and still be able to go out for dinner afterwards. Then a cruel turn of fate this week sent her sailing over the handle bars and into the emergency room. There will be no race for her in Coeur d'Alene. She has spent the last year preparing for this and now must come up with another plan of action.

You probably wonder where I am going with all of this. I guess if there is one thing I have learned through doing and watching is that you have to be flexible. "The winds change, so adjust your sail" Injuries or mishaps force us into changing plans mid flight and not try to control the uncontrollable. I am convinced that when something is not meant to be you have to just go with the flow. Some days you have the gift some days you just don't.