A quick Catch-up

Russell - rescue dog - very much a puppy who has added to the chaos in my house.
Rescue Blue dog with his buddy Patty. He owns her.

Enjoying a moment in Charleston

Welcome to the hospital!

Apparently it has been months since I blogged which is now giving me the opportunity to figure out what exactly I have been doing during that time.

Here is how the past few months have unfolded:

September

Hospital Stay - I finished IM Louisville on a high note and felt good about my racing only to land in the hospital just 2 weeks later. I had a staph infection that was resistant to antibiotics. I was waited on hand and foot at our local hospital and enjoyed a vast array of pain killers. This was the beginning of my off-season as well. I did not plan it that way but I was informed that it would be unwise to get in the water with an open wound. A few days in the hospital must have done something to me because I actually obeyed!

October

Ache Around the Lake - Ironically the same hospital that treated me for my infection was also the same hospital that I put on my Ache Around the Lake 8K for. So I guess you could say I was more motivated than ever to make that a success. A lot of work, a lot of stress all for a good cause. The race got pulled off without any noticeable problems. We raised a lot of money for the hospital.

Ziggy - the same day as Ache Around the Lake I was back at the house unloading the U-haul truck and washing coolers when we noticed that Ziggy was not feeling well. He had been at the race with me that morning and walked the 2 mile Ouch with my friend's son. After observing him for a few minutes I realized something was very wrong. His stomach was hard and he was in enormous pain. I dropped everything and rushed him to the emergency clinic in Flat Rock. His stomach had indeed flipped over. He had what many call "bloat" or a "twisted gut" which without immediate attention means a quick death. $1200 deposit for the surgery, Surgery performed, dog saved. 2 days later he comes home only to find that we are having complications. That evening he is rushed back to the emergency vet where he stays for the rest of the week. Finally he comes home on the weekend and is now all back to normal.

November

Finally life starts to calm down just enough for me to realize all the work that has been left unattended due to all the medical emergencies. I spend a few weeks trying to catch up - still trying to catch up for that matter. I just realized I may never be caught up.

I almost forgot to mention the 2 rescue dogs that arrived for the fall fun. Blue dog and Russell - I love them both but together they make things very chaotic. I can handle 1 rescue at a time but is just too much. They are in the system now and know the routine but the 2 rescues love to play and run and romp. They are enjoying the good dog life here but often driving me insane. Then add the next paragraph and you can see why it is all just about enough to put me over the edge.

A "friend" of mine lands himself in the slammer (I am sure it was no fault of his own) and leaves me to take care of his American Staffordshire Terrior AKA Pit Bull. As if I don't have enough issues to deal with. Luke spends his day terrorizing me by barking and tearing the dog run apart and then finally by digging his way out of the dog run. Increased a normal level of stress from a 7 to a 10+ within moment of arriving at my house. To make matters worse my "friend" was only supposed to be "in" for 4 weeks - I have now had the dog for 5+ weeks. May I say NEVER AGAIN!?! I don't need "friends" like this!!!

All of a sudden it is time to start training again for the Myrtle Beach Marathon in Feb. I start back running but my body is slow and everything feels harder than it should. I am reminded of why I never should take time off...because it always hurts getting just half of your fitness back.

My parents treated me to a weekend of camping with them in Charleston at James Island County Park. On the trip down there I get a call from the pet sitter that Luke has escaped and is no where to be found. I was pretty sure at this point I was going to have to turn the RV around and go home but I got lucky and another friend agreed to try to find Luke and take care of him for the weekend. The rest of the retreat was wonderful and very relaxing, just not long enough.

So last but certainly not least - I have been named the Director of the Assaults on Mt. Mitchell. What this means is I get to organize everything that has to do with the Assaults on Marion and Mitchell bike rides - certainly challenging and plenty of work to add on to everything else. Always give a busy person something else to do!

Let the holiday season begin now that I am caught up on one thing...my blog.

Ironman Louisville

Standing around before the start. I think we were almost in Indiana! From left to right - Peter Ramirez, Me, Brad Fraedrich, Peter (from Canada) & Colette.

My rabbit for the entire run. I never could catch him, but he was running scared!

Very happy to be running down to the finish!

Ironman Louisville August 30th 2009
Race Report

I have spent years chasing a goal, always thinking that I needed to train my body more, gain confidence from big miles when in reality the difference between this race and others was completely between my ears. This was not a perfect race by any means but it was perfectly focused and that is what made the difference.

I did not plan on racing in any Ironman races this year and as many of you have seen this was my second one in just 5 weeks. No matter what I tried to convince myself, I had unfinished business with Ironman. When I started doing Ironman in 2002 my goal was to qualify for Hawaii. I did that. Then I wanted to break 11 hours which seemed very realistic because I had been so close many times. As the races went by I would often have a great ride with a not so great run or vice-versa. I started to lose the belief that I could get there and I lost sight of the goal. This summer I thought it was time to enlist the help of a coach. Basically Coach Jim saved me from myself (most of the time). His approach to training was a little different than mine but I was at a point where I needed that. His encouragement and confidence building strategy worked wonders for me. I felt like I was making progress again. Ironman Louisville was my goal for the season.

This Ironman was going to be different than others for a few reasons. I had a group of friends/athletes who would be competing with me in this race. For some it was their first and for others they were going for a PR (Personal Record). The swim start was going to be a Time Trial, so this meant that we would all start 2 by 2 in the river. I also knew that Coach Jim would be out on the course, but I did not know where so I was going to have to work hard all the time because I certainly did not want him to catch me slacking!

Race morning started at 4 AM. I was up and eating (banana, bagel with peanut butter, yogurt). By 5 I was on my way to the transition area to drop off my bottles and nutrition for the bike ride (the bike and gear all had to be delivered there the day before). Then by 6 I was standing in line for the swim start. The line alone must have been about a mile long. I could not believe it! I thought that I was doing good getting there early. Once the line got moving it went very fast, about 200m before the swim start everyone started jogging, then we jogged down a maze of ramps to the river, crossed a timing mat, and jumped in.

The swim was in the Ohio River. It was so murky you could not see your hands in front of you, or other swimmers. The Time Trial start meant that there were a lot of slower swimmers out in front of me which made it interesting. I had to sight a lot more than normal. I also had to really keep myself calm because I hate murky water. The only thing I dislike more is shallow, murky water which is exactly what I passed through. I admit I got some water in my mouth at one point and started thinking about all the pollution and then I started gagging. I calmed myself down and thought about my old dog Yoda. He used to get in any body of water, he did not care, he just loved to swim. So thinking about him helped me calm down and focus. I swam wide around the island hoping to catch some current but all I got was wind and wake working against me. I could see the finish of the swim but it took an eternity to get there. When I exited the water I looked at my watch and saw 1:12 which is one of my worst swim times ever. As soon as I thought that I replaced that with the thought that when I used to swim slower, I would bike really fast to catch everyone. I let the swim time slip away and focused on the next task.

I ran into transition, picked up my bags and went into the changing tent. There Jan helped me get my shoes, helmet and sunglasses ready to go. Jan volunteered ALL day. Maybe she wasn’t racing but she made me proud! I thanked her and ran out of the tent, got my bike off the rack and took off.

The bike course started out on a very flat but bumpy road. I was cruising along at 20mph and it felt easy. I figured we must have a tail wind so I thought I would just enjoy it while I could. I was passing people like crazy which has not happened to me in years. Again Yoda came back to mind. That dog was fearless. I too, needed to be fearless today. What have I been afraid of? It was now or never. I was having fun and enjoying the little rolling hills. They seemed so easy compared to what I have at home. I had to change direction for a part of the course and I still felt my tail wind, my speed was still 20 mph at 20 miles into the race. Ironically I had given all my athletes a card before the race that said “May the wind always be at your back”. It is part of an Irish blessing. No matter what the wind did I told myself it was at my back pushing me ahead. It worked. At 50 miles into the race I was at 2:30 and feeling fine. I was having fun and I was riding reasonably but going fast. Coach Jim was standing in the middle of a few hills catching me doing something right! Soon I passed the 100 mile mark at 5:03. I worked all the way in to the finish line and ended up having a bike time of 5:39 for 112 miles. That is by far the fastest I have ever biked in an Ironman. I was so excited.

Coming into transition again my legs felt a little more used up than I would have liked, but it did not matter because I told myself “today is the day”. Jan was there to greet me again in transition and send me on my way. After a mile or so my running legs were back and I just focused on passing people. I started thinking about how good it was going to feel to finally break 11 hours. I started thinking about old Yoda and how many 20 mile runs that dog did with me, how he would have run himself into the ground to stay by my side. I was running way too fast for the first 3 miles and still all the way until 8 miles and then I had to slow down and start getting fuel in at the aid stations. I talked with a few girls as we ran together and cheered for friends while I could but then after mile 20 I just stared at the ground embraced the pain and willed myself through. I crossed the finish line in 10:51.

This was my 17th Ironman and I finally got it right. Perseverance pays off!

Interesting Statistics:
18th Amateur Woman Overall
8th Place in the 35-39 Age Group – only the top 3 get to go to Kona
30th – Overall Woman – this includes the pro women
241 out of about 2400 people to finish the race.

Ironman Lake Placid 2009

Ironman Lake Placid July 26th 2009
Race Report

It has been a long time since I have written anything resembling a race report but I figured that this race would be a good one to share with everyone because a lot went right, a lot went wrong and there was just as much that was out of my control. The Ironman motto is “anything is possible” and while I love the way it sounds I also know that “anything can happen”.
Race morning was uneventful. Things went smoothly and I enjoyed the energy that accompanies such a large race. The music was blaring, athletes were looking serious, spectators were in awe and the lines the porto-potty were 100’s deep. It was time to race! It started raining shortly before the start but that really did not matter because whatever the weather does I am still racing.

I lined up in the water and got kicked plenty before the race ever started. I was about 5 rows back which was too far back for me. Instead of being swum over, I was the one swimming on top of people, oh what fun. Hand to hand combat in the Ironman. It was crowded but I fought my way over to the buoy line and swam just inside the buoys on the first lap. I was putting in a good effort but really not overdoing it. After the first lap I came out of the water at 30:40 something which I was really pleased with. The next lap I swam outside the buoys and did not get as good a draft but it was still good enough to get me out of the water in about 1:03. I was really happy about that. I enjoyed my run down to transition and felt like a rock star as everyone was lining the streets and cheering.

I was in and out of transition pretty quickly and out onto the bike course. My legs felt great but I really tried to keep the effort on the easy side because there is nothing worse than going too fast on the first lap and paying for it on the second lap. I just wanted to survive this bike course without any random accidents. At mile 10 a nice guy passing me informs me that my rear tire is going flat. Unfortunately I already suspected this because I could feel it pumping along. I had to get off and check it out. It wasn’t totally flat so I just put some CO2 in it and took off again. No big deal. Then at mile 15 I started to hear a really strange noise. It wasn’t my wheel or my tire, but it was definitely me. At that point I touched my hand to my helmet and the plastic top was coming off my aero helmet. As soon as I touched it the entire top piece of my helmet came off on my hand! At this point I am laughing because this has to be some sort of bad joke. I know I am just being tested. I just hold onto the piece of my helmet on my aero bars and try to figure out what on earth I am going to do with it. Lucky for me Tiffany & Dave (great support crew) were waiting about another 5 miles up the road so I gave it to them. I know, I know, technically that is against the rules but I figured it was my best option. Back out on the road I try to get focused again. I am getting passed like crazy. I check my speed and cadence constantly. I am doing 20 mph and getting passed like I am back pedaling. I remind myself at least 1000 times during the bike ride to just ride my race and not worry about getting passed. At mile 40 I find myself on the side of the road yet again putting some more CO2 in my tire. I guess my valve stem is leaking. Of course it did not leak at all in the days before the race! I have no one to blame since I put it on myself with loving care. Finally I complete 1 lap - 56 miles in 3:08 which is fine with me. I set off on lap number 2 just as the wicked wind kicks up and starts howling. It is a variable head wind; meaning it seems like I have a head wind no matter which direction we are riding in. I watch lots of big guys pass me and wish I had the guts to draft, I just don’t because I never have and I am not going to start now. A guy who is 6’10” passes me. I asked him how tall he was because I have never seen a bike that big! I start heading back to town and the headwind is worse than ever. Thank goodness my speedometer stopped working because I think if I could have seen how slow I was going I might have been sad. I just wanted to get past mile 107 since it is around there that I got hit from behind by another cyclist a few years ago – which ended my race that year. As I get close to that mile marker I am very thankful to be out on the course and happy to be able to do something like Ironman. I remind myself of this and suddenly it gets easier. My legs are feeling good, probably because I did not ride hard enough. My stomach is revolting. I can’t keep anything down and I know that I am going to have to survive off Coke and pretzels on the run.
I finally get back to the transition area and run into the tent on my rubber legs.

I actually sit down and take a break. I feel kind of tired and hungry. I just want to sit in the transition tent, but I don’t. I take off running and to my surprise the legs still feel fine. Thank goodness something is going my way today! I hit the first few aid-stations and drink a sip of Coke with pretzels and then alternate water, chicken broth or maybe both. All of a sudden I am so thirsty I just want to guzzle everything. This is not really good but at this point I just have to do what I have to do to get through it. Despite my poor nutrition on the bike I am able to pass a lot of the people back who flew by me on the bike. My first lap was under 2 hours which I was thrilled with. It gave me hope that I was going to have a good run. Then all of a sudden all of the Coke, water and bland chicken soup start to come back up. The remainder of the marathon is spent heaving, running, drinking – repeat at least 6x until I realize at mile 25 if I really bust my rump I can still be under 12 hours. So I sprint (well, it felt like a sprint to me) and then have to really work my butt off coming around the oval to the finish to get in under 12 hours. Some people commented that I was really smiling when I crossed the finish line. Of course I was, I just finished an Ironman and that always makes me happy!

So, this event was my 16th Ironman and with that I proved to myself that no matter how many times you do it and no matter how well you train there are always lessons to be learned. I think that I enjoyed this race more than some of the others. Sure I wanted to be faster but as soon as I finished it did not matter anymore. At the end of the day Ironman is about being tough and crossing the finish line. It is about doing all the training just to get to the race; about the people you meet along the way, the people you train with, the people who support you and the fact that physically you have the ability to complete such a demanding event.

My Irish

Many years ago I worked for an engineering company - no, I was not an engineer. I was lucky enough to travel to all sorts of interesting destinations and work on fast track projects. I really enjoyed it and I loved getting to meet all sorts of people from all over the world. My favorite project was based in England right outside of London. This was a joint project with Intel Ireland. Intel USA and Intel U.K. Being on a construction site can be somewhat intimidating for a woman - even me. Lucky for me I had a good Irish name and made lots of friends with the Irish lads. One of my favorites was Ben. He had such a thick Irish brogue that I only understood half of what he was saying. I do remember a few things he liked to say that I could understand - his favorite word was certainly the "f" word. The other thing he taught me to say was 33 and 1/3 - when you say it in proper Irish it comes out like "Turdy tree and a turd" or at least that is how I remember it. Anyway - those were good times over in England with all my Irish friends.

Rumor has it that Ben actually gave up smoking and is planning on getting fit! Times have changed!

Festival of Flowers

This was a spontaneous group shot of everyone who happened to be standing close together. I think the reason why I like this shot is because we had all just raced hard and we were happy and we were having fun. We have a great group of people here in SC that we are able to race with. While we might all go head to head at the start line at the end of the day it is more about all the friendships we have made. I would never have met most of these people if it were not for triathlon.

Another Weim Saved!

This is the poor little guy I picked up at the Greenville Shelter on Thursday. They told me he was 2 - after contacting the vet via his rabies tag it turns out he is 13! The people who owned him were going to put him to sleep in January (he weighed 65 lbs then) but a "friend" said they would take him. Today he weighs in at about 35 lbs. How could someone do this to a dog? They should be put in jail with no food! Despite having a bad last 6 months of his life he is more than willing to trust me and is so sweet. It makes my heart ache for him. Lucky for Leonardo (also found out is name from his old vet) there is a gentleman in Greenwood who is retired who is willing to share his home with him so that the last little bit of his life be lived in peace. Tomorrow on the way to my race he will be safely delivered to his new forever home. May he have all the love and all the food he can eat for the rest of his life.

A new ride for the dogs!

The old car just wasn't working out well with the dogs. Squishing 5 excited dogs into a little car to drive them back and forth to the lake to their swim time was crazy with the old car. I figure since everything seems to be dedicated to them that my car should be too. Now they have the car they always deserved! Ok - it does not hurt that the new car also has enough room for my bike to ride inside.

Open Water Swim

The gang getting in some good open water time at Lake Lanier on a Sunday afternoon. There were enough boats on the lake to make it feel more like an ocean swim!

From left to right standing - Eric & Jackie LaFontaine, Pam Ogle, Chad Crocker, Chris Smutzer, Brad Fraedrich, Kimberley Westbury. Front Row - Jeff, Wanda Ocasio, me, Jan Garrett and Chris Giordanelli (AKA G-Man)

Ironman Florida 70.3 (Half Ironman)

Here is our group after the race this picture was much more complimentary than the group shot Kimberley took of us at 4:00 in the morning. We now have a new team rule that no one can take photos before 8AM! The race was much less eventful than the actual trip to Florida. I would post the pictures but they are too graphic. I will say sadly, my bike did not survive. My old race wheels did - I am sad about that too because really I would love a new pair! Chad too suffered a loss and will even be getting a new rear race wheel. Once we all finally left Greenville a few hours later than planned we left any stress back at home and headed down for some fun & suffering in the stifling Florida heat. There is something about this race that gets me every year and for the most part that is my body not yet being acclimated to the heat. We all got through it, Kimberley and I 20 seconds apart. You would have thought we were holding hands or something when in reality we started about 30 min apart. Peter completed his first ever Half. Chad out swam about 2000 competitors (must have been the good coaching). Brad rode his bike like he stole it - maybe the coaching? Maybe the disk wheel? Tiffany and Chad took a nice little walk/run after their bike ride and made some new friends and Amy powered away on the bike for a strong finish.

Regardless of the race we had a fun weekend of good food and friends. At the end of the day isn't that what it is about anyway?

New Uniforms for Malone Coaching

Here is part of the crew racing in our new Uniforms at Langley Pond. The guys got lucky and Hincapie apparel actually gave them long tops - I guess they think it is sexy for us women to have our midriff exposed - I swear the sample that I tried was not like that. Oh well - at least they look good and stand out. We are now technically the Carolina Triathlon Malone Coaching team.

In this photo from left to right Eric LaFontaine, Jim Ballinger, Lisa Anderson, Jackie LaFontaine, Brad Fraedrich and me.

Copper Head, Rabid Raccoon & a Garden Monster

This is the 3rd time Willow has been bitten in the face by a Copper Head. You would think she would learn! Ziggy was bitten on the leg but it must not have gotten him as good, although he was shaking like crazy after it happened. You can see the 2 puncture wounds in Willow's face/ Thanks to my friend, Laura, I gave them both some Benedryl and the swelling went down much faster than usual. I ended up taking Willow and Ziggy to the race since I was worried about them both - but the excitement of the race quickly made them forget their pain.

This is my garden project. Of course it would have been less expensive to just buy veggies at a stand on the side of the road - but noooo - I wanted to do it myself. I had to have the fence to keep the dogs out of the garden. They sit outside the fence and watch me work. I planted lots of mint for them to eat that way they will have fresh doggie breath!

Here is what I refer to as the garden monster. I needed to rototill the garden so my father of course had an old one that he said I could have. Well - this thing has a mind of its own and it took me for a ride. Oh and once it turns on, I could not get it to turn off. Dad told me to just hold onto a screw driver (make sure it has a plastic handle) and stick it in the motor. He forgot to tell me I had to touch the motor AND the spark plug at the same time. What a learning experience. So now I have my very own rototiller and a garden. What fun!

Yesterday all the dogs were in the yard playing and I was in the house working when I heard them barking/crying. It was not the kind of bark they do when someone comes in the driveway, it was the kind they do when something is very wrong. I ran out in the yard to find a raccoon hanging from Pepe's nose with all of its feet off the ground. It was latched on to him. My first thought was to grab it but seeing that it was out during the day I was guessing it was pretty sick. So I got a stick and beat it off him. That little devil was MAD! It started to come after me and then Yoda tried to grab it but the old man dog fell down and I was after it again with the stick. Finally it ran off back into the woods and I was able to round up the dogs and get them back into the house. Pepe is all cut up again on his nose! He has the worst luck. Ziggy got scratched across the face but overall I guess we are very lucky that is all the damage that was done. All the dogs are up to date on their shots so nothing to worry about there.

Ground Hog fight

On Monday night during a wet and rainy run Pepe', Willow and Ziggy got a ground hog. It may be more appropriate to say that the Ground Hog got Pepe' because it was latched onto his nose and Ziggy was pulling on the tail and Willow had a leg. They had the thing stretched out like a bear carpet. No, they did not kill it. Thanks to my friend Laura I did not even have to make a trip to the vet this time. She got me some antibiotics for Pepe' and I cleaned out all his wounds and he is as good as new. I do think I should rename him Scar but he does not respond to that. This picture is of Willow and Pepe' snoozing after the big attack and bath to rid them both of all the blood. Poor Pepe' had quite the bloody nose after their encounter. Never a dull moment with the dogs.

Very COLD Open Water Swim

Everyone keeps asking me "When can I do an open water swim?" and I keep telling them "It is too cold" well after my little splash in the lake on Sunday afternoon I am sticking to my guns and telling people to enjoy the pool a little longer. I think I swam about 800m in 18 min and for the most part the entire time I felt like I could not swim. I was so cold and taking such short quick breaths that I just did not feel comfortable. My legs were tired from a big weekend of training and the cold water just made every muscle in my body want to seize. I kept my wits about me and stayed relaxed so that I would not drown but I have no doubt that someone not as comfortable in the water would not have had a pleasant experience. The most fun part of this swim was watching the guys get in the water and scream out like little girls. I thought they were just doing it for my benefit but it turns out the water really was cold enough to make a big man sound like a child. I know - you are wondering what the temp was. I did measure it...I think the thermometer was not working well - but it said something like 53...VERY COLD!

Downtown Columbia Sprint Tri

Here is a shot of the few we could round up - lots of award winners! Colette, Brad, Me, Jan & Peter - What can I say about the race...we all lived through a crazy bike course filled with pedestrians and lots of cars. That alone makes it a good day. Oh - and I finally managed to place again in a race - 3rd - but I will take it!

Colette and I before leaving the house very early in the morning and in the freezing cold on the last day of our epic bike week. Also the day after a tri (but it was just a sprint!)

100K and a Hill a Day Week

One of my favorite sights - I love Donkeys!

A very cool covered bridge on the way to Lake Lure and Chimney Rock.

Kimberley and Pam joined in on the Wednesday ride which included climbing the Saluda Grade and Caesar's Head.

How about those switchbacks on Green River Cove Rd. Day 1 climb for me and Colette

Colette overlooking the Green River. Colette comes to visit every year and we ride at least 100K and one epic climb each day. She does not ride all winter long in Canada and then comes down here and gets on a bike and ride like a champ. I don't know anyone as tough as Colette. Did I mention she NEVER complains! No kidding - maybe that is why I love to ride with her. We always have fun.

Transitions

I LOVE this action shot of some of my most dedicated athletes practicing their transitions. We staged a few little transition races in the parking lot of the Y. I think Audrey might have won every round - but then again she should since she did this last year too. Transitions are really the 4th sport in triathlon!

Sleeping Arrangements

There is a problem here. This chair belongs to Ziggy. The chair is his bed and his favorite spot. Every time Ziggy gets up Willow will get in. To this Ziggy will respond with a "woof" at approximately 10 second intervals until I get myself out of bed and remove Willow from his bed. At first I thought this was a cute behavior but now after a few weeks I don't find it so funny. The other night I had just finished rearranging Ziggy and Willow when I turned around to find her in the chair ON TOP of poor Ziggy (see picture). Ziggy was really trying to ignore her but she was trying to push him out. Now, I know what you are thinking. Get another chair! I already have but that one belong to Pepe' who occasionally shares with Harry and I just don't have room for any more. My conclusion - Willow is just a problem dog. I love her anyway!

Ache Around the Lake meets Reedy River

Scarlette and I went to the Reedy River race together. We even helped to stuff packets because they let us put "save the date" reminders in for Ache Around the Lake 8K - to be held Oct 10th. Reedy River 10K turned out to have absolutely perfect spring weather - finally! Unfortunately I was not feeling up to par (something about 2 marathons in 2 weeks) but I still enjoyed the run through the park and seeing friends before and after. I will call it a nice social run!

Pepe' lost

In the picture his poor nose does not look nearly as bad as it did immediately after Yoda got a hold of it. Poor Pepe' was just trying to clean up a morsel of food that Yoda had dropped near his dish when Yoda sunk his teeth into Pepe' and would not let go. I had to hit Yoda over the head with the food dish to get him to let go. Unfortunately the damage was already done. I had to rush Pepe' to the new emergency vet clinic up in Flat Rock (near Hendersonville). They were amazing there. They took him back and sewed him up and had him ready to go home all within 45 min. It was by far the best emergency vet clinic care I have ever experienced. He got nice purple stitches and lots of good drugs. The stitches are out now and all that is left is a big scar. Yoda is now eating alone outside the fenced in area!

Oh Willow!

Willow is the one in the middle, poor Ziggy is standing behind her looking ashamed. Willow is a great dog but she has the need to show her dominance over the other dogs as demonstrated here in this picture. She is a bad dog - but she really makes me laugh!

Black Mountain Marathon

I know that a lot of you are wondering how the Black Mountain marathon went so I will give a brief update. Friday, the day before the race was basically a lesson in what not to do before a race. I was unorganized, behind schedule getting work done, still needed to get the RV - and oh wait, de-winterize the thing, cook food to take with, pack, take care of the dogs, write instructions for the pet sitter. The race meeting was at 8 that night. Brad was going to go with me to watch Willow and Pepe' while I raced. We arrived at the race site at 8:20 - we missed the meeting. Oh well, I mean it is just a mountain marathon on some wicked terrain. I guess I just needed to follow everyone. There was nothing I could do about it at that point so I just got my number, my cool hat and socks and off we went to walk the dogs. But wait, the one guy asked us why Brad wasn't running. The only reason he wasn't running is because the race was full and he could not get in. BUT now the weather was taking a turn for the worse and a lot of people were not there so it was decided that Brad could run. Great! So we go and walk the dogs who go crazy walking around the lake and then will not calm down in the RV. There was no way we could possibly leave them in the RV for 5 hours alone on Saturday. So at 9:30 we turned the RV around and drove back down the mountain to my house. I had a small meltdown around 11PM and then was able to go to bed. Back up at 3:30 to leave the house at 4:15.

Race Day

We get there in plenty of time to get a prime parking spot about 40 feet from the finish line. The rain is already coming down and no amount of water proof anything is going to keep us dry today. Storm socks, Gore-Tex shoes - you name it we had it. Extra gloves, hats and hand warmers, food, water - since we were told we would need to carry everything we would need. At the race start everyone is mulling around. I am a little worried since it is the first race I have ever been to without port-a-lets at the start. Of course these are all hard core people! The race starts and my Garmin tells me it has no battery. Brads doesn't work either. Not surprising considering the way the last day has gone but it really doesn't matter now because I am running this darn race either way. My old Polar at least keeps the time for me.

The first few miles were on the road. I really tried to resist my temptation to push to the front during the first few miles. There were not any mile markers the entire course which was great at first but drove me nuts the last 3-4 miles. After a steep incline we hit trail and I was in heaven. I LOVE trail running. I took off like a fool running a 5K but was quickly reminded that it was a long trail run as I hit the next incline - actually it was all a slight incline. The terrain was good for the first 5 miles or so and then all of a sudden we hit some fire roads which seemed to be a good thing until they became absolutely covered with big jagged rocks. Oh and water was flooding down the fire road like a stream bed. A lot of people tell me the views are great up there but honestly all I could do was watch where I was putting my feet. Later in the race I purposely ran through puddles to cool off my burning blisters - which felt good until I got sand in them too. oops. Going up the mountain was interesting. We passed some redneck shacks where people actually live, we passed a bear hunting club as well as some crazy looking mountain men who I actually talked with. They were having a good laugh at all of us and could not wait to come "rescue" us on their 4-wheelers should the need arise. Call it crazy meets crazy. Sorry to digress from the story. Going up the mountain I was alone a lot which was ok. I needed to focus on not breaking my neck :o) When we started to get close to the Blue Ridge Parkway it started getting really cold and the wind started howling. I was really glad that I was not going all the way to the very top (The Challenge they call it). I made a quick stop at the top for some chips and Coke and then started back down the trail. I saw Brad making his way to the turn around so I stopped to see how he was doing - basically he was freezing but otherwise ok. I love running down hill but somehow the combination of wet rocks and cold did not work well for me. I kept twisting my knee so I had to slow down and walk the tricky parts for fear of really getting hurt. I talked with some people on the way down and shared my ibuprofen with many. The last 3 or so miles were on the road which was great because all of a sudden I felt like I could run again. I was really glad to be done...4 hours and 44 min. I have never ever run that long in my life. The funny part was when I looked at the results today I found that I was the 5th woman and the 33rd person to finish the marathon - so really I did well is what I am trying to say. Brad was right behind me in 4:56 (4oth) and smiling all the way to the finish. It was a great adventure. We met lots of new people and made new friends with Elana & Mo from Canada (pictures above). We got really nice North Face fleece jackets when we finished and the awards dinner was amazing. The entire organization of this race was 1st class. I highly recommend doing this to anyone who loves a challenge.

Myrtle Beach Marathon

Here is one of the only pictures I have of the weekend. Mainly because I never carry my camera during a race so I only end up with pictures of the gang when we are looking like non-athletes again. This is only a few of the people from the upstate who ran the marathon or the half-marathon. (the guy in the back with a mouth full of food was NOT with us). Anyway - we have here Brad, me, Chad, Ashley & Tom. Not pictured are Laura, Jim, Audrey (whom I never even saw) Julie and I am sure a bunch of others! Just too many from the upstate to even keep track of.

Soooo- you want to know about the marathon? I was pretty relaxed about the day. The original intention was to run a 3:15 pace steady from the get go. That worked out well for a bit, although I must have been told to slow down at least every 1/2 mile. I am NOT good at starting slow. Finally we settled into a nice pace and good conversation which Laura and I kept going until mile 14 when a potty stop separated us. After that I just ran as I felt with no pressure to pace anyone. My right quad was pretty tight so I just focused on other things. My mantra became "light as a feather, free as a bird" and every time I said that to myself I could run faster. Sounds crazy but it worked. I slowed the pace a little the last 4.5 miles but overall was very steady which is what I am happiest about. I have never run a marathon as steady as I did this weekend so maybe after 20 years of running I will learn how to start a little slower and finish a little stronger. I finished in 3:21 and was the 15th female and 156 finisher out of something like 1900 runners.

Laura was close behind me with a 3:26 and 2nd place in her age group. Brad was 3:38 and Jim...running his very first marathon was right at 3:59! He ran an amazing race and negative split the second half which is virtually unheard of. I think out of everyone I had to be most proud of him. He worked so hard and always had the goal of breaking 4 hours so to be able to see him actually do it was wonderful.

Another fun weekend of racing!

Winter Challenge Triathlon

Race season is nearing so I thought that this race would be a fun way to get an early race in and to have some fun. A week before the race I was out on Lake Lanier in the kayak playing around and I dumped myself IN the lake. I think that counts as my first open water swim of the year? In case you are wondering the water was really cold so I don't recommend open water swimming in January. On the day of the race which consists of a 7 mile run, 6 mile kayak, 10 mile mountain bike ride I did manage to stay in the kayak. I did not exactly have a great day because it seems I had that little stomach bug that so many have had. All I can say is thank goodness this race was off road. I needed all the big trees I could find. I guess it made the race a little bit more of a challenge for me than intended. My favorite part of the race was the paddling. I have paddled in an adventure race before but never alone. I LOVED it. I was flying along even in my sit-on-top ocean kayak. What fun! I enjoyed the mountain bike course too mostly because it was on sandy roads and the single track was pretty easy. The best part was seeing my friend and training partner, Kim Morrow almost win the entire event. I mean if I can't win I always want one of my friends up there. Unfortunately she got passed right at the end of the race...but she will be back next year!

Thanks to my parents for loading up the kayaks and lending me the truck to haul all this gear to the race!

Oh Romeo

It is a really hard job to pet sit. You have to keep up with, care for, clean up after and love a pet that is not yours and from this picture you can see that is a tall order for Romeo. He is an English Bull dog and he gets his name from the affection that he can show your leg. You might think it is funny until your leg is violated. After a few days he calmed down and has been a very good dog who mostly enjoys snoozing in the kitchen with his nose as close as he can get it to the big Weims. He is really a very cute dog and has now taken to running like a fool though the woods which is hilarious to watch. It is a tough job but someone has to do it!

Giving a Puppy a ride...

This is a picture of Amos a little black lab/pit mix that we dropped off with his foster mother in Columbia on the way to the Myrtle Beach marathon. I figured we were going right through there anyway and the little guy needed a ride. He was a real cute puppy with very sharp little teeth. He was a love and just so cute to watch play. If anyone wants a dog who will surely be a good running partner let me know and I can put you in touch with his foster mother.

Traveler's Rest Half Marathon 1-3-09

I am way behind in Blog Land so I am going to get all caught up right now. Here are 3 midget women who won awards at the Half Marathon. The Jolly Giant also got an award. Ok - from left to right we have Kimberley - who kicked my butt and finished about 40 seconds in front of me and there was nothing I could do about it! Then me, then Laura and then Brad. It was a fun race, with a new flat course and hot showers afterwards - what more could one want?

Duke Update

I recently got an inquiry about Duke. Duke has been living with his new family for about 4 months now and loving life. Duke runs, walks and hikes with Kyle and keeps all the kitties company during the day while Kyle is at work and occasionally even takes care of the kitchen garbage (oops - bad dog). Kyle was kind enough to send me a picture of the mess. Duke even went trick or treating dressed as a little Devil which really made me laugh. He finally has the one on one attention that I always knew would allow him to thrive and I honestly can't thank Kyle enough. Duke was my biggest rescue project ever and I put my heart into caring for and training him so to see him doing well allows me to see that all of it was worth it.

Hairy Harry has a new friend!

Here is Marlie (3) enjoying some time with Harry. She loved his long hair and after she started brushing him she had a new friend for life. Marlie is the first child Harry has ever met. He was very calm and sweet with her. I think they are in love!

Pepe' finally gets a Squirrel!

My gift today was a squirrel - complements of Pepe'. I looked out the kitchen window just as he was prancing through the yard with the carnage. At the same time Willow spotted him and wanted in on the action and proceeded to try to rip the thing in half. I had to go out there and take the prize away from them. I put it in a trash bag and threw it away - for lack of any other way to dispose of it. I just hope the garbage man does not notice that I have been throwing away animal parts!

Willow strikes again!

I went for a run the other night without the dogs. It was dark and raining, just not the night to take the dogs out. So I left them behind, but I forgot to LOCK the gate that Willow knows how to open. I left warm banana bread cooling on the stove top. I did have a slice before going on my run. So glad I did because this is what I found when I got home...at least I did not have to scrub the pan! The rest of the dogs were in my bed and never even barked at me when I came home. Great watch dogs!

Winter Running

My best night time "nerd" running attire...

I know I have not talked much about training on my blog in a long time. I guess that is because most of my training has been going on in the freezing cold and dark. Some nights it is fun but others it is just cold and miserable. Last night was cold but there was not a lot of wind and the sky was clear. It was a peaceful run. I went down to meet the "Tryon Running Club" only to find out that I was the club for the night. In all fairness there was another gentleman there but he was just getting back into running and wanted to stay on the track so that he could walk/jog.

I am getting ready for the Myrtle Beach Marathon on Feb 14th and then I will do the Black Mountain Marathon on Feb 28th. It will be the first time I have done 2 marathons that close together. I have done 2 Ironman races in one month so I guess that would count as well?

Happy Ending for another rescued Weim!

Here is another picture of Cosmo (renamed Amos) after putting on some weight and receiving lots of love and affection. Here is the note I received about his adoption:

Amos found a fab home today with a family on a farm near St. Stephens, SC. He left in the back seat of a big 4 door truck with 2 little boys, their mom and grandmom in the front seat. They had lost their old Weim recently and were delighted with him. He will have a rescue Greyhound as his friend as well. When I let him out to meet them, he ran directly to them and acted as if he were saying "this is my family!!!" Everyone who met him loved him immediately and he loved everyone he met. He will be a great ambassador for our breed. Thanks so much for helping this really, sweet boy!

Bad Butter Eating Weimaraner!

Those are teeth marks in the stick of butter. The crazy looking dog is Willow trying to beg for butter! For the past 2 months she has had a fetish for the stuff. Never a dull moment.

General Consensus - It is a Fox Tail

This is what Harry gave me the other morning...it appears to be a tail. A tail from what I do not know? Althought at this point I have heard from many that it is a sliver fox tail - so I will go with that. If you have any other interesting ideas please let me know. Harry was very proud of himself. I have imagined some poor animal running around without a tail or maybe it was already dead. I just hope Harry does not bring me the rest of the body. Life is never boring with 5 dogs.