It's like crack

I only go to Wal-Mart for one thing and one thing only (unless it's spring break the it's the best people watching ever) but I came across these:

Best no bake cookies ever.  So if you see them in the store, tempting you - just walk away.  Just walk away.

Seven days from this moment - I will be running the last leg if IMFL.  Hopefully the last 1/2 if the run.  Getting super excited.  Tomorrow I will be making my special home made powerbars for race day - photos and recipe to follow :) 

Mother nature finally listened - the gulf has calmed, the jellys are thinning out, the humidity has gone down and the temp is feeling good.  Thank you little baby Jesus. 



Ohhh...come on mother nature...

Wait.  Is it July or almost November?  I get confused sometimes.    It's been soooo hot and humid here - that if feels like freaking summer time.  Literally.  4am - per the weather robot channel the past thee days - 78 with 98% humidity.  Awesome.  Hopefully it will cool down the next 9 days!  I broke a sweat in the pool this morning! 

Every Thursday night Freedom Sports (our local tri store) puts on a bridge run where we literally run over a bridge and back and then hang out in the parking lot and chat.  It's a great way to meet new people...and drink beer.  Tonight everyone dressed up to celebrate Halloween.  It was awesome:

So the taper is in full force now.  And we're all getting bitchy and sluggish.  But that is what a taper is for right? 

But I'm starting to get super excited about the race...since the athletes are starting to take over our town.  Well, at least the beach.  :)



The good, the bad, and the ugly

I really love my job.  Specially when there are conferences where the view from my room is this:

But with work conferences - I also have to wear my big girls shoes much longer and walk much further then I usually have to. Which leads to a few days of pain.

So I give you:

The good -

The Bad-

And the ugly -

Yesterday was out last long ride/run brick!  Two weeks to go.  TWO FREAKING WEEKS!  So from now on, this blog will be nothing but my nervous ironman rambling.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Chloe...when can we be normal again?

18 days Jason...18 days.  Yep - 18 days until I can rejoin society and be normal again.  At least for awhile. 

Saturday we had a great 90 mile ride followed by a two mile swim.  We kept a great pace and the weather was perfect.  But Carla and I where in a mood.  A bad mood.  The taper bad mood.  Ugh.  I love pulling up to an empty parking lot at 5am - meeting up with Carla and we just bitch:

"How the hell are we suppose to eat so many freaking calories - my tummy can only handle so much"

or

"Why won't this stupid flat fix bag fit on my bike"

or

"What is going on with this wind?  I just needs to freaking stop - and these stupid birds!  Really?  Can they just shut up??"

or the best one

"When Ron gets here - we are going to put our foot down and tell him that we are swimming in the pool after this.  I just don't feel like f*cking with my wet suit and dealing with all of the freaking jelly fish today"

And then Ron pulls up.  Bless Ron and his household that consists of a wife and two daughters.  He knows how to handle ladies when they are on a rampage.  He just smiles and says - lets get this sh*t done. 

Once I got home - I was so beat that I didn't even take a shower.  I just threw on the parka from heaven and laid on the couch.  I figured the parka was a good barrier between the filth and the couch.  Took a killer nap and tried to wake up.  Tried is the key word.  I felt like I was getting sick.  Well, better now then two weeks from now.  Finally took a shower.  Drank a glass of wine.  And slept for 12 hours.  Thankfully I feel much better.  :)

And thank you Starbucks for making my single pump skim pumpkin latte even tastier:

I'd like to through out a huge thank you to everyone who shared a story for my last post.  Specially Big Daddy Diesel and his comment on the blind racers with their guides.  Now that is amazing.  We saw quite a few blind racers in Augusta and they are a huge inspiration - not only the racers themselves, but their guides!  What a fulfilling experience!  And also a huge congrats to Big Daddy for his awesome win in the 2010Wheelie Triathlon Series!! 

What is one of your most memorable moments...

...during a race?  I'm in a crap mood right now and I need something to turn this frown upside down.  I am pretty sure this crap mood is due to the start of the taper.  Ugh.  I hate the taper.  Anyway - here are some of my moments (in no specific order):

1.  Augusta - swim under 30 min and finish time of 5:17

2.  My mom coming to New Orleans with me for my first 70.3

(mom and I)

3.  Soon to be...my whole family coming to PCB for IMFL! 

Just a few I can think of right now.  :) 

Random comment - I'm finally watching Biggest Loser from this week.  And the girls are so winy that I can't stand it.  Just shut up and run on the damn treadmill! 

Hope everyone had a great week! 

This is better then Christmas!

Friday morning run done.  Guess what is on the schedule for this weekend?  NOTHING!  This is the first full weekend I've had off from training for I don't know how long.  What do normal people do on the weekends??  I seemed to have forgotten! 

I guess I could go out for a few drinks and stay up past my 9pm bedtime:

Or maybe go fishing:

Or sleep in and cook a wonderful breakfast!

Ahh - it's like freaking Christmas!! 

We'll probably end up going bowling and enjoying a few cocktails - which sounds like a perfect night to me!  But I know I'll be watching the live stream and tracking my friends in Kona!!

Hope everyone had a great week!

Please - read this.

Tragic accident this morning on one of the roads we ride all of the time.  I have tears in my eyes just seeing what this guy was doing for the people of the gulf coast who are effected by the oil spill.  I did not know Roger personally, but he's still a local.  Please keep his family in your prayers:

Roger's Cross Country Ride

Want free IMFL stuff???

This is you...

"I want to sign up for IMFL 2011, but I don't want to do body marking or work at an aide station.  I guess I should just watch."

Me:

"No!  You can have to coolest job, get the best freebies (seriously), be out on the bike course catching cheaters, and still watch everyone finish!"

Interested in being a draft marshal for IMFL?  Just let me know.  There are a few requirements that I will pass long if you shoot me an 'I'm interested' e-mail.  But really - it's such a great time.  You get to cheer everyone on and be involved with the longest section of the race.  It's so awesome finding your friends and cheer them on as well as everyone else while they are riding boring the back country roads of northern Florida. 
*one major requirment is that you don't give me a card this year :) *

If you are inetersted - just shoot me an e-mail pretty quickly and I'll let you to the right contact person.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far! 

So today...

...I turned 30.  Thanks Mom and Dad - I can't wait to see you in a month!

It's pretty creep how back in 1978 my mom and dad looked just like my brother and I.

Anyway - in training news.  We had a ROCKING 113ish mile ride today.  Since the group I was riding with decided to have drinks/lunch after the ride - we decided to leave from Spinnaker (right next to LaVela..fist pump) and rode the 'new' IMFL bike course.  (If you want more info - shoot me an e-mail)   But the weather was awesome and we kept a great 19ish MPH pace.  Coach even met us for the last 30 miles.  Now I feel like I've been hit by a bus and enjoying an excellent glass of wine. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!