Chloe is...

Valentines Day Gift Guide for Triathletes

2012-02-07T20:08:00.000-06:00

Valentines Day is right around the corner. Back in the day - when I lived with all of my girlfriends in Kansas City - we used to celebrate 'F*ck You' Valentines Day. This was a day where we would go out that night and get wasted. Super wasted. So wasted that we would take the following day off of work. But now? One glass of wine would knock me out thanks to IMTX training (I'm such a cheap date)

Anyway - this guide is for the men (and ladies, feel free to forward this post to your significant other) and what to get this year for your fab swimbikerun lady whom you love oh so much. And what is the best way to show her then get her something that she will LOVE (and use!) So put that cheesy stuffed devil down and check out the ideas below -

1. The Betty Design Signature Tri Top

No explanation needed. This top rocks.

2. And you can't forget about the matching Betty Designs Signature Tri Shorts

3. Tired of that wonderful chlorine aroma that seems to take over and totally turn off that romantic feeling? Well, I have the product you need to get for that special lady -

TRISWIM! SBR Sports offers some AMAZING hair and body products that will keep her smelling wonderful and looking fantastic (no green hair!) And guess what? They are running a special till the end of the month! Check out their site!

4. LULULEMON Seriously. You can't go wrong with anything on this page.

5. Food. If your lady is like me (and Heidi) and they are killing some high value of training - you can never go wrong with food. My preference for special occasions is filet and veggie goodness. And wine. Yummo.

6. A sweet REV3 swimsuit. I prefer the two piece (assists in muting the amazing tan lines we've all came to know and love) But the colors rock and it's always fun to have wording on the butt of your suit!

So there you go. A simple solution to make that wonderful triathlete love of your life a VERY happy lady on this special day! And trust me...she will appreciate it!

I also think you will enjoy the kickback from making her happy. ;)

Views From a Run

2012-02-03T05:30:00.000-06:00

Coach said to run some 'hills' in my schedule for Thursday. Then he said 'you might have to get creative'. So, after thinking and searching, this was the 'hill' I came up with in St. Augustine:

Yep - that bridge (aka - coastal Florida hills) does look long and boring. (And it is) But I also had some wonderful views along the rest of my route:

Don't forget the awesome discount code from my last post for TRISWIM posted below!

Holy crap! Happy Friday!

No more green hair!

2012-02-01T19:14:00.002-06:00

So. All through my elementary/middle/high school years I always had a light green tint to my hair and a lovely chlorine smell to - well - everything. And no, it was not some weird phase, it was all of the chlorine from the countless hours I spent in the pool. Most of the time an indoor pool - which meant mega chlorine. Well, SBR Sports has an AMAZING line of hair products/body gels/lotions that get that wonderful smell out (yeahhh!!) and keeps your hair nice and normal! Whoop whoop! I've been using their TRISWIM products for the last month and have fallen in love. And now you can too - with a sweet discount! Through the month of February (get it - for Valentines day) get 20% off with the code below!!!:

Go to their SITE and heck out their amazing products!

In training news - IMTX training is kicking my ass. Long rides in nasty, sandy, windy Florida winter weather. But I'm not going to complain to much - there is no way I could do a four hour ride on a trainer! A huge kudos to those of you up north!

Bring on the sand and nasty roads:

Bring on the harsh winds that make my face hurt and freeze snot to my face (and glasses, and fingers....):

I'm already past the early mornings when I'm happy I at least grabbed a clean kit - but matching might be another story.....

BUT at least I grab the right suit:

Have to love some Rev3 Goodness!

My nutrition has been spot on. I've been eating lots of fruits and veggies - and so far my body is loving every bite!

Happy training everyone!

2012-01-12T19:43:00.001-06:00

Personally, I like the 'snot on my glasses and shoulder' look :)

Hello IM training!

Random Motivation

2012-01-12T06:01:00.002-06:00

See that huge button on the right side of my page? Click on it - and donate any amount of money to Rev3 Run Across America! We are raising funds for the Ulman Cancer Fund -which is an amazing foundation that focuses on educating, connecting, and empowering young cancer survivors. You can also track our progress across the country! Take a moment and check it out!

I was in Telluride, CO last week for a family friend's wedding. Wow. For those of you who live in the mountains, I envy you! (except when it's really cold - then I'm happy on the beach) But the views were absolutely breath taking! And it's always great to spend quality time to my friends and family!

Now I'm back home and back to reality. I would like to throw a huge thank you to who ever decided to decorate the IMFL bike course with some spray paint motivation:

This really helped out on the last 1/2 of my hurricane force winds ride yesterday evening! (This is about the last 25 miles of the IMFL course)

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Back on the saddle

2012-01-02T19:52:00.000-06:00

I have not 'seriously' been on the princess (aka - my tri bike) since October. Sometimes you just have to take the bike and put her in her room for awhile. I do this to avoid burnout and from throwing her into the gulf (hey - sometimes I get really burned out!) On Facebook I was invited to a coffee ride - which I thought would be an excellent way to get back into a saddle. A leisurely 40ish mile ride and then coffee after? Perfect!

This morning I woke up uber excited for the ride. Sitting on the couch, drinking my coffee, I turned on the weather channel. 40 degrees - 20mph wind/gusts. Awesome. When I got to the ride, it only got better. I only knew two people. And I was the only girl. The other 20 people were hard core roadies. Just a bit out of my comfort zone.

Suck it up princess and get it done.

Check. It was fast and I was in the 'b' group - but for my first ride back in 2+ months, I was pretty excited. Thankfully my cross training with P90X and my new found love of mtn biking paid off - and I felt awesome. Oh how I've missed quality time on the princess.

But I can not forget the new purple princess:

On a random ranting note.

(man - I have not done this forever)

Special K's 'lose 6 lbs in two weeks'. Absolute crap. A bowl of cereal of breakfast and lunch? Really? How long can someone keep that up? And what is that serving? 1/2 cup? You know after the 'two weeks' those six lbs will just reappear! It's not a diet folks - its a lifestyle change - that is the key :) Eat fruits and veggies and you'll be looking good!

Not to mention - I can't keep cereal in the house because I will seriously eat a box in one day. Some people are addicted to chocolate - but my weakness is cereal. LOVE IT! So - this Special K diet will no doubt NOT work for me.

Happy Training!

So much going on!

2012-01-01T19:38:00.001-06:00

It's official. 2012 is going to be one of the best/craziest/busiest year of my life. But I am so ready for it.

First of all - I hope everyone had a great new years! We kept it classy in Panama City Beach by bring in the new year with all you can bowl/skate. I tell you what - you get a group of triathletes and surfers together - we are one competitive bunch!

So this year, not only will I be a member of the crazy/awesome bunch of people otherwise known as Team REV3, but I will continue to be an ambassador for GoTRIbal. GoTRIbal is such an awesome group of women - when you have a free moment, check out the GOTRIbal site.

REV3 is also doing some amazing things this year! Want to run across America to raise money for cancer? Sure! How about raising money for the Ulman Cancer fund for Young Adults? Sounds awesome! This epic adventure will be starting March 26th in Oceanside, CA and ending 21 days later in Washington DC. Want to see if they will be running through your neck of the woods or how you can donate to this kick ass cause? Check out this site.

Remember - this is just January. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year bring for REV3 and GoTRIbal! SO freaking excited!

While we are talking about GoTRIbal - I would like to give a huge shout out to fellow ambassador - Kellie Smirnoff. Kellie was not only the first female to finish Epicman this past weekend, but she won the whole race! Talk about chicking everyone - Kellie now owns the saying 'you've been chicked'! Not sure what Epicman is? It's a triple Ironman. Yes, you read that correct. TRIPLE IRONMAN. Kellie is nothing but a 5 foot ball of awesomeness. She is hands down the most positive, friendly, and one of the best people to have a glass of wine with I know.

Love it. It's hard to take the smile off of my face when I see such awesome people reach their goals!

Well. It's January. Let the Ironman Texas training begin! Blogging will be getting very interesting!

I have found the secret

2011-12-21T20:25:00.002-06:00

the secret to having a killer off season! Holy cow p90x is awesome to build strength. I have not swam in probably a month but have been doing p90x about 5 times a week. Yesterday, I jumped in the pool with bad ass Sarah and felt awesome! I'm not going to lie, I have been nervous about starting training for IMTX (in two weeks!) because I have not been on the princess or have ran further then seven miles in two months. But I really think these crazy ass workouts I've been doing will benefit me once I do start IM training. So if you are looking for something different - seriously check it out.

Here are some photos from tonight's plyo workout:

And it also helps to have some awesome training partners!

I know I've been talking about P90X quite a bit - but it's pretty much the only training I have been doing for the past month or so. Don't worry - I'll have fun and exciting swimbikerun goodness (and more frequent posts) here soon!

I hope everyone is having a great week!

This week

2011-12-09T19:52:00.001-06:00

I had dinner on Monday night with some amazing women. So amazing that I actually sat back (while drinking a fab glass of wine) and had to smile. Smile because I'm lucky enough to know these kick ass ladies. And that smile is still on my face. Across from me - I had Kellie. Kellie is a fellow GOTRIbal ambassador and also training for a little race called EPIC MAN in Hawaii. Don't know what Epic Man is? It's like of like an Ironman on crack. 7.2 mile swim / 336 mile bike and a 78.6 freaking mile run. Holy crap. And then next to her I had Libby. Libby not only killed Kona last year and rocked Ironman St. George while training in Florida (remember, Florida = not to many hills) but she also took a HUGE milestone leap in her job. And then next to me was Doris. Doris launched a sweet new worldwide website on Monday which she designed- and also took a position that is going to move her California. I really don't think a table could get any more awesomer.

I feel blessed to even get to enjoy a great meal with these awesome ladies.

Anyway - on with my random crazy week. I've been traveling for work (hence my killer kick ass girls Jacksonville dinner) But I took advantage of the free gym membership with my hotel. So far I'm winning the treadmill fight - but I just cannot bring myself to run over five miles in place. But I'm loving the free weights - and I can totally tell a difference in my strength and the definition of my muscles since starting P90X! But there are still random boys lifting the really really heavy weights - like three times. Still can't figure that out.

I hope everyone had a killer week! And CHEERS to the freaking weekend!

I love Saturdays

2011-12-04T10:41:00.001-06:00

I really do. Specially now since it's off season - it's nice to do 'fun runs' instead of 'planned' runs. Yesterday we decided to do the Watercolor loop which is a nice 5ish mile run that is partly on trails and partly on the road.

We ran into someones water stop - I just thought it was funny and I needed to take a photo. At least we hide our mid-run goodies in a bush!

Ron looking awesome running though the woods

Carla and Ron running in between the Seaside houses

After we completed the awesome scenic run - we decided to hit up the farmers market in Seaside - which happened to be right where we parked - conscience?

Grabbed an awesome organic black bean burrito

And enjoyed the view

Not a bad Saturday right?

So Jason and I just finished up watching Forks over Knifes. I've been wanting to see this for awhile - and I can finally view it instantly on my Netflix. Have you seen it or heard about it? If not - hop into your Netflix and check it out. It's well worth your time. There are going to be several minor adjustments to my diet after seeing this show.

Also - P90X is still kicking my ass. In a good way. I'll be traveling all next week for work - so we'll have to see how I do on my workouts in a hotel room :)

Never Never Never....

2011-11-28T07:31:00.001-06:00

...give up! I'm felling somewhat sentimental this morning - and wanted to share this photo:

Get out and do something!

Happy Monday!

Revvvvvvv 3!

2011-11-26T07:29:00.001-06:00

So some exciting news came out on Monday - but lets backtrack a few months. Jameson Bull (who just got married by the way) is always raving about this awesome team he is apart of. So when he sent me an e-mail that they are accepting applications for their age grouper team - I was all over it. And long story short - I was selected to be apart of the REV3 team! I am SO excited to be apart of this crazy, fun, and awesome group of triathletes!

When you have some spare time - check out the Rev3 SITE and choose and awesome race to do in 2012 (and for all of you Florida people - SARASOTA!) and also check out the Team Facebook page!

Next year is going to rock.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Dear P90X

2011-11-19T13:34:00.001-06:00

Dear P90X:

Even though our arms, abs, back, and legs are in pain - you will be the key to our off season sanity. We will embrace you and make you love us. Even though you make us cry, we will still come back for more. And even though Tony says some of the cheesiest things, we will listen to what he has to say. P90X, we will be best friends.

Love: Chloe, Geoff and Craig

Off Season

2011-11-16T19:58:00.001-06:00

Off season is always a tough time for me. For the past four winters, I've trained and ran marathons (Florida+Winter=perfect marathon weather). But I'm kind of burned out and trying something different. My weapon of choice for this mission is P90X and swimming. So far - so good. Thankfully I have some pretty hard core training partners who kill it with me every night. When I mean kill it - I mean trash talking and see who can do the most pushups. I'll be sure to take some photos over the next few days to 'document' this experiment. Has anyone tried p90x? Thoughts? Feelings?

Ironman Florida

2011-11-06T13:24:00.000-06:00

So I know I disappeared for a few weeks - but I've been SUPER busy (work, wedding planning - fun stuff like that). And right now I feel like I've been hit by a truck - not because I drank to much last night - but because I spent about 17 hours yesterday either riding on a motorcycle catching cheaters or ringing a cow bell. Do you know why? Because it was the best day of the year in Panama City Beach! Ironman Florida! What an AMAZING day. So many records were smashed, PR's made and first timers became Ironmen. I spent quality time with Heidi and Laura (as well as MomFL) and met some awesome people as well. (thanks Laura for putting together such a great meet tweeter/blogger meet up!)

Heidi and I ready to bust drafters

Kristi, Heidi, Myself and Laura

And the finish line last night was out of control - the energy was amazing and we danced our assess off cheering every single person on until midnight. (Laura and I also ended up with a microphone for a few minutes as well) Doris (best raw food chef ever!) had John Flanagan as a home stay. Don't know who he is? Google him. He smashed the IMFL swim record yesterday - anyway John joined us at the finish line as well. The day could not have gotten any better.

Until Sunday.

When I volunteered and ended up in the Kona slot tent. I've never seen people so happy, full of energy and so excited (to give me their credit cards) - and then the slot roll downs. I could not wipe the smile off of my face all morning telling everyone congrats! Wow. I can't even put it into words :)

I know this is a random post - but if I went into detail, the post would be way to long for anyone to read! If you EVER get the change to volunteer at a triathlon - DO! It's well worth every second!

Pre Race Jitters

2011-10-15T18:59:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is my last race of the season, Atlantic Coast Triathlon - and the first race for me on the east coast. I'm not going to lie, I'm not a fan of the Atlantic Ocean. The gulf is no biggie - maybe you'll see some fish, some rays and a few jelly fish, but nothing huge. But the Atlantic, you can get bumped by strange objects in the murky water. Thankfully, I'm in the 3rd wave, so hopefully I'll just get bumped by random people!

So this is another solo race for me. Big J is having a 'man camping' weekend and no one else from PCB is racing. But I do have several of my awesome east coast friends who will be here.

Remember the raw food parties that I attend when I'm traveling in Jacksonville? Well, the wonderful Chef, Doris, met up with me for check in today. This is her first race since April due to an injury - so she is fresh and ready to rock out this 70.3!

Doris prepping her bike

The princess is ready to go

The girls are ready for the bike party

So I'm lounging in this huge hotel room (thanks Hilton for the gold card upgrade!) Getting my normal pre race nerves. Did I train enough? Do I have all of my nutrition? Water bottles in the freezer? Gear bag packed? You know, the normal jitters. But to be honest - I know I've slacked in my swimming the past few months, so I'm not looking at a stellar swim (unless I get bumped by random sea life). But the bike course is fast and flat and the run course is flat and shady. Did I mention that it's not going to be hot and humid either? So hopefully I'll fair with a good time!

For those of you doing Ironman Florida - per my gulf swim yesterday - all of the jelly fish are gone. For now :) I'll try my best to keep them way for the next three weeks!!

Happy Training!!

Wetsuit Issues

2011-10-14T20:16:00.001-05:00

So, you are getting ready to have an awesome open water swim. The gulf is a bit chilly and you are ready to break out the wet suit. You pull it up and ...whoops!...too much tension in the wrong place. Next thing you know, you have nice little hole to let all of that chilly water in. So, what do you do?

This happened to me this time last year right before Ironman Florida. (And if you have done an IM, you know how stressed out RIGHT before the race) Thankfully I was able to go to a dive shop for their expert opinion on how to fix a damaged wetsuit. And what did they say? Take it to a shoe repair man! Who would have thought?

Well, lets rewind to this year. Same thing. Except it was a lager hole that appeared (whoops). But sure thing, my shoe repair guy pulled though like a knight in shining armor.

It might look like a Frankenstein suit - but hey - it works!

(And a heck of allot cheaper then purchasing a new one!)

Today I tested out - and it was as good as new!

Jason was awesome enough to paddle out with me while I did my open water swim - we where a site to see. Me rocking my cap and goggle and Jason with his surfboard....and a flat gulf.

Tourists got a kick out of us.

So I have the last race of my season this weekend! A 70.3 - and it's going to be a solo race for me. I'll know a few people there, which I'm so excited to see!! BUT it will be a long five hour drive back Sunday :)

One. More. Week.

2011-10-09T18:40:00.002-05:00

I hate to say this. But I am burned out. My body is just tired and I'm looking forward to a week from today when my season is over. But - my training the past few days helped lift my spirits. I really like the saying 'the only time you regret a run - is the run you decided not to do'. So I went into my 12 mile run yesterday morning with a positive attitude - and that smile on my face made all the difference. My running mileage has been high and fast this past week, so I was not sure if I could keep the pace coach wanted me to hit. But I did - and the last mile being the fastest keeping a great 8:40 pace which is my goal for next Sunday.

The rest of the day was spent cheering all of my kick ass friends who where rocking out Kona - Libby, Kim, and Marni, (while cleaning out closets...yeah...I know...real exciting) and then heading out to a beautiful beach wedding for one of my training partners - and drank some wine:

I woke up this morning ready meet up with good friends and have a great 50ish mile ride down to Grayton Beach. But looking at the radar - it was showing lots of rain and 25-30 mph winds at 5am. Humm. The trainer was looking pretty good. No one wanted to ride so I decided to go back to bed. Slept until 8 (which was AWESOME) and decided to suck it up and ride outside. It was a tough solo ride due to the hard core hurricane like winds - but it was worth it. I kept on thinking about my friends riding in Kona the previous day - and knew I could get through it. Done and done. I'll take a ride in the wind then on the trainer any day!

I know I've said this before - but having a positive attitude is everyone. So the next time you don't 'feel' like training - just suck it up and get it done. You won't regret it!

Holy Cow

2011-10-07T17:21:00.000-05:00

First of all - thank you SO MUCH for all of the kind words! Big J and I are so excited - and I can't stop looking at my left hand!

Anyway - I PROMISE you this will not turn into a 'wedding blog'. But I've been in several wonderful weddings:

But HOLY CRAP. I'm just 'looking' at some magazines and have been in one bridal store.....and I already have anxiety. So - any pointers/websites would be helpful!

Now - back to normal triathlon stuff. I have my last race of the season a week from today and I could not be more excited. I am just a bit burned out and looking forward to rocking out this 70.3 with a smile on my face. And then sleep in for a few days!

And how about KONA tomorrow? I am so excited to see some of my kick ass friends rock it out. (Must remember to charge the Macbook so that I can carry it around as I clean out an organize closets!)

Happy Training!

Best. Weekend. Ever.

2011-10-04T17:34:00.000-05:00

The past few days have probably been some of the best I've ever had. The weekend started out with a crazy sprint triathlon that Heidi and I decided a few months ago to meet up and race together. And I also

have a friend who has an amazing condo he let use for our epic girls weekend. AND (this totally rocks) it also ended up that Maggs was in town visiting family - and was able to meet up and booze it up with us.

So the Santa Rosa Sprint was crazy huge - like 1200 people. Heidi and I had NO idea until check in. Holy crap. But it was a fun race with a great after party.

Long story short - 600 meter swim was full of jelly fish. Awesome. The bike was and 18 mile out and back - with a pretty killer tail wind. Since we where in one of the last waves - there where quite a few 'on your left's yelled. The run was a 5K and I kept a pretty strong 7:30 pace - which was my goal. Anyway - 5th in age group which I was pretty pumped about, since I was finally warmed up once I finished. :) Sprints are fun - but I do prefer something just a bit longer!

Ok - now to the fun stuff. We did not waste any time enjoying our weekend!

Have to love acting like a tourist with some amazing friends - specially when the pool you are lounging by has pool side service and is full of 'The Real Housewives of Tennessee'. (I don't think they where a fan of triathletes - since by the end of the day they dubed us the 'triathlon bitches' - which I'll gladly take with a smile!)

We had an awesome time which included hanging out with some pretty random people, seeing a few weddings, and tipsy jumping on a water trampoline. Sunday morning was somewhat painful (not due to the race, but the crazy water sports) - but totally worth it.

Here are a few photos of the weekend:

Did I also mention that I turned 31 this week? Heidi was so sweet to surprise me with a wonderful birthday cake!

I'm not going to lie - but my blogger friends are truly the best. I feel so blessed to have them in my life! I wish we all lived closer! If you ever get the chance to meet up with any fellow bloggers - do!

Oh yeah - something else awesome happened. Big J finally popped the question - which I gladly answered with a huge YES!

Happy Training Everyone!

IMFL is over - now that do we do?

2011-10-02T10:09:00.000-05:00

So - you've raced the race of your life. The kids/support crew and yourself are ready to go an enjoy what the gulf coast has to offer. So what do you do? Well, the following are some of my most favorite places to visit when I want to feel like a tourist (and remind me of why I moved to Florida!)

South Walton

This area is about 30 minutes west of Panama City beach - but so worth the drive. Quaint beach towns full of wonderful sites, food, and small shops.

Below are some of those beautiful places:

Seaside

Ever see the Truman Show? If so, check out Seaside. And in my opinion - Bud N Allys is the best bar with the best views. Ever. :)

Grayton Beach
A great beach town with amazing views and killer live music!
If you make it to Grayton Beach - the Red Bar is a must!

Want to check out the gulf via a YOLO?

So much fun for everyone - including kids!

Well, there you go! If you have any other questions - let me know! And happy training!

Ironman Florida - tips from a local

2011-09-24T12:15:00.001-05:00

So as most of you know, I live in Panama City Beach. Literally less then a mile from Ironman Florida 'head quarters'. Anyway - I wanted to throw out a few tips for good places to eat, grocery stores, bike stores, etc.
(Note that a majority of these places are close to the IMFL start)

FOOD (So Important):

Right by the Boardwalk is Walmart. Ok - so you know the website People of Walmart? Well, I think a majority of those photos are from the Panama City Beach one. Seriously. Unless you want to go for a good giggle:

I would strongly suggest going to Publix. It's a great grocery store with fresh produce and pretty much anything you need. The closest one to IMFL is:

2419 Thomas Dr (thank goodness for Garmins)

and it's about a five minute drive. There is also a Win-Dixie right next to it - but I don't think the produce selection is as good.

Now, if you want to go out to eat - in my suggestion, these are the best places:
The Boatyard
Great food, awesome atmosphere, and amazing view!
Flamingo Joe's
Not the best view - but if you are itching for a killer burger - this is the place!
Pier Park
Chain restaurants (Olive Garden, 5 Guys Burgers, etc) along with great shopping (including a Target) along with a few other great places to eat with killer gulf views
Mellow Mushroom
(located right at the turn around for the 2nd loop of the run)
Great food (including gluten free options) and a killer patio!
Frankie D's Pizza
Best deep dish pizza on the beach
Finns
Beach version of a food truck - yummmy healthy, fresh tacos etc

Tri/Bike Stores
They do have a pretty killer expo - but if you want to check out the local shops here are a few:
Freedom Sports
Owned by a great local family (ok - good friends of mine as well) -and they also have a tent in the Spinnaker Parking Lot. Need something? They have it!
Steve's Bike Shop
Have a bike issue? They will take care of it! Need a place to ship your bike? They'll put it together for you!

So - if you have any questions - let me know!!

Next post - other things to do / places to see post race or pre-race relaxation!

This is for your SARAH!

2011-09-17T19:37:00.001-05:00

Sarah - this post is for you. Since you shamed me thing morning when we saw you half way through our run. :)

Mid run conversation:

Me: Sarah! It's so good to see you!

(sweaty mid run hugs exchanged)

Sarah: Why have you not updated your blog in like two weeks!?!?

Me: Because sometimes I just want to through my computer out the window.

We really need to get together for wine asap!

In NEW BABY NEWS I would like to throw a huge congrats to Jennifer and Jake for bringing another precious baby boy into the world on Friday morning -

I tell you what. Seeing Jennifer go though labor 'pre-meds' scared the shit out of me. For all of you mom's out there - holy crap. That was about a years worth of birth control for me! But he is so sweet - and looks just like his big brother.

Also - in other non-triathlon news, Jason 'poked' dinner for us tonight. Yeah Flounder!

Scuba Steve!

While Jason was working for our dinner - I was lounging on the boat. Reading magazines, playing angry birds, and working on my tan lines.

The gulf has been crazy full of marine life lately. Lots of jelly fish (boo) sharks (boo) and crazy dolphins! Exactly a mile from my house is a beach access - so we check out the gulf at the end of every run. Today after Carla and I killed an 8 mile run, we scoped out the beach chairs we want to steal (folks - don't leave your nice beach chairs on the beach!) - just kidding, we don't steal them. But we want to. Anyway - we saw over 20 dolphins just flipping around enjoying their day! Crazy - I have not seen something like that since pre-oil spill!

Training right now is going stellar! Two more races left - a sprint and a 70.3 - for this season! The humidity has backed off a bit and so has the temp. Ahhhh...fall, I welcome you with open arms!

I am still working on the Ironman Florida - info from a local - post. I'm trying to get photos of everything I'm going to talk about, but it's taking a bit longer then I thought. But I will get all of that info posted soon!

Happy Training!!!

Ironman Florida 2011 -

2011-09-01T16:25:00.003-05:00

I would like to throw out a huge thank you to Chrissy Wellington and the awesome ladies from GOTribal for sending me this killer surprise:

I've had a pretty tough week - and this right here just made my...umm...year?

If you are a kick ass lady who is an ironman or thinking about doing your first 5K - check out the GOTribal site and join! Such a great way to meet some amazing women!

Anyway - Ironman Florida is right around the corner. And as most of you know, the race site is literally my backyard. So close that a majority of our rides are done on parts of the bike course and almost all of our runs are on the run course.

So - give me your questions. Where to stay? Where to eat? Where to purchase bananas? How is the course? When is the best time to check in? Etc etc. Throw them at me - I'm ready. I'll put all of your questions together in a post next week. Just shoot me an e-mail at:

kathrynchloe909 (at) yahoo.com

Happy Thursday!!

Dear Blogger:

2011-08-28T11:28:00.000-05:00

Did you really have to kick me off the site for a week? Really? Ugh.

Anyway - things here on the beach are totally kicking ass. Training is rocking and today - the humidity was super low, so I didn't feel like I was riding into a blow dryer. And I really think the speed work is finally paying off - even though I could run over yesterdays two mile repeats with my car and not thing twice about it. But it will pay off at the end.....

I really hope all of you east-coasters are fairing well with good old Irene screwing up your weekend. Hurricanes are REALLY scary, especially when you are not used to dealing with it (umm..NYC?) In Florida we are all about the hurricane parties - but when a storm that large is heading our way, I'm cruising up to Atlanta!

Oh yeah - I found out last weekend that I can't act like I'm 21 again. Drinking until 2am is never a good idea :) But we did bust out some killer dance moves (at least we thought so) and mixing sweet tea vodka with water and fresh lemon is delish. But don't drink more then 200 of them ;)

I hope everyone is having a killer weekend AND good luck to everyone who is racing IMKY and IMCA this weekend!!

And the winner is....

2011-08-10T18:20:00.000-05:00

First of all I would like to thank EVERYONE who entered! Reflect Sports offers amazing products for women - and I'm so happy to share the Hoo Ha love! Even if you didn't win - you can still order all of their amazing products on their website!

Well, it's backwards. But the winner is

SHANNON from TRI TO COOK!

Congrats Shannon! You are now the proud owner of some kick ASS compression socks!

Hope everyone is having an awesome week!!

Make your own 'power balls'!

2011-08-08T18:12:00.000-05:00

As we all know - you have to eat on the run (literally) in triathlons. And sometimes we have to eat allot. I am not a huge fan of any type of gel (it's bad - sometimes I gag...gross) I like to keep it simple and keep my tummy happy. What could be simpler (and cheaper) then making your own? You know exactly what you are eating - and it's easier on your pocketbook. Well a few years ago I ran across this recipe from Frayed Laces Blog. If you have not checked out her blog, please do! Laura is awesome and I can't wait to see her again at IMFL this year! Anyway - she posted this simple recipe. And these little bites of peanut butter goodness are AMAZING. You can add or remove whatever tickles your fancy. Here are some photos of my most recent batch:

I like to add in raisins and a little carob powder for some chocolate punch!

Melting the honey and natural peanut butter

The 'dry goods' prior to adding the peanut butter and honey

Yummm...the final product.

I am going to warn you though. These bad boys are addictive. Seriously. I usually stick them in the freezer to keep me from snacking on them all day. But they work perfectly on on the bike and taste like heaven! Something just a little different from the usual gel or chews....and a hell of allot cheaper!

bon appetit!

Don't forget my sweet give-a-way!

Too Damn Hot

2011-08-07T11:19:00.001-05:00

This week was a tough week training wise. Mileage, intensity, and the heat where all up. But sometimes you just have to put your head down and get it done. It felt great putting a huge 'X' over those workouts every day. Specially after Saturdays and today's workout.

I've decided from now until IMTX I really want to focus on my running speed. And remember Carla, my training partner from IMFL? She wants to qualify for Boston this winter. And how do you get faster? Speed workouts. We've been meeting with coach on Saturday mornings (ahhmmm...5:30am) to crank it out. This weekend was mile repeats, which Carla and I both smashed. Since we both have the same great attitudes and really want to get faster - we work through the pain. Positive attitude is everything bitches!

And since we are meeting on Saturday - I also have to squeeze in a long ride. So after giving 110% on the trail, I hopped on my bike and cranked out 3 hours. Needless to day - I was pretty pooped by 10am.

But thankfully I had on my awesome new Betty Design shorts to get me stylishly through my hot ass ride:

As I was pulling up to our house - Big J calls and says "get on your suit - we're heading to the island" An afternoon on the ac on the couch or lounging in the bay on a funnoodle. Hmmm....

Tough Choice:

Don't forget about my sweet hoo ha compression socks giveaway!

I have mine on right now!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Awesome Hoo Ha Compression Socks Give A Way!

2011-08-03T17:03:00.000-05:00

Yes! Yes! Yes! Did you know that best female anti chafing cream - Ho Ha Ride Glide - also offers other killer products? Such as COMPRESSION SOCKS! Yes! You heard it right! You can also show off your Ho Ha pride with these bad boys:

I have a pair myself and love them. If you come by my house after a long ass workout - no doubt will you see me lounging around with these on.

The lovely ladies at Reflect Sports where nice enough to offer me a pair to give a way! So, you are probably thinking - how can I win a pair of these? Simple!

1. Follow my blog

2. Follow me on twitter

3. 'Like' Reflect Sport on Facebook

4. Follow Reflect Sports on Twitter (lots of awesome 'tweets'!)

5. If you have tried any of their products, leave a review on their Facebook page

6. Mention this sweet give a way on your blog

7. Mention this sweet give a way on your twitter

SEVEN simple ways to enter this amazing give a way.

Just leave me a separate comment on my blog for what you did!

I will randomly draw a winner a week from today! Wednesday, August 10th!

In training news - this week is killer. KILLER. And with the heat index over 100 all week - it's even better. I think I can! I think I can!

How to wilt kale

2011-07-30T12:36:00.000-05:00

I love kale. I eat it at least twice a day - in salads or smoothies. BUT I have to wilt it in order to eat it in a salad. Something about it's natural texture kind of creeps me out. So how to you wilt it? Simple!

1. Start with kale in a bowl along with sea salt and olive oil. I put mine in a 'misto' so it just sprays out.

2. Spray just a bit of olive oil (any kind) onto the kale and sprinkle some sea salt. Then you just massage it in. The kale will then naturally start to wilt. It only take about a minute.

And then just add the rest of your ingredients for your super salad! Since I just got back from the farmers market, my lunch today was full of fresh goodness:

Kale

Cut up Baby Spinach

Fresh Cucumber

Raw Sunflower seeds

Dried Cranberries

1/2 of a fresh peach

Live sprouts

and an egg.

YUM.

Just what I needed after my killer workout this morning.

Two hour ride followed by speed work with Carla, Ron, and Coach. The ride was solo and in the dark for some of the way. Creepy. The speed work was a bitch - but in a good way. I really have not done any speed work for the past few months - but we are going to start focusing on it. My run goal for IMTX will be for under 5 hours. Better start now! Anyway - it was flipping hot and I puked at the end of #6 out of eight 1/2 mile repeats. Awesome, but it felt great.

Can't wait to do it again next Saturday.

Random:

Don't let me catch you parking like crap.

Yep, I have a whole book of these bad boys, and I'm not afraid to use them!

2011-07-28T19:04:00.000-05:00

What. A. Week. I've been traveling from work since Sunday - so my week has been full of:

This- yummy hotel dinners

This - crappy gyms that have mirrors in front of the dreadmills (that is exactly what I want to look at while I'm running - my legs - ugh)

And this - lots of good soy latte goodness

Needless to say - it's been a long ass week and I'm ready to get home. But on the plus side - I'm racking up the Hilton Honors Points! whoop whoop!

But let me go back to the gym. Typically when i stay at hotels - they have a gym there, but those treadmills tend to hurt my feet. So they usually offer a free pass to a quality gym. Well, not this week. The gym was one of those muscle man gyms that was full of smelly guys, crap music, and when I asked the front desk if they had towels - he looked at me like I was crazy. He also had on shorts shorter then mine and seemed to live in a tanning bed. Needless to day - my dreadmill workouts where lightening fast!

So, random subject. But does anyone watch Teen Mom? I really can't stand Amber. She needs to lay off the tanning and the makeup. Kind of creeps me out. And stop fighting with her baby's daddy. Total anxiety.

YES....bridezilla! I don't have this channel at home. Total trash tv goodness.

Hopefully I'll have a pretty sweet give-a-way to announce soon!

Some mid-week humor

2011-07-13T18:11:00.000-05:00

Got to google directions

Starting destination: China

Ending destination: Taiwan

Check out #48

Sounds like fun to me ;)

Hope everyone is having a good week!

The princess had a face lift and new nutrition!

2011-07-10T16:31:00.000-05:00

While training for my last 70.3 - I had some left hip issues. Every time my cat eye hit 2:30 - BAM - my left hip started to scream at me. So super awesome Coach Scott suggest that I go and get the princess re-fit. Judah, the best bike mechanic ever, met me over at Big Daddy's Bike Shop super early one day last week and went to work. A drop in my seat and an extension in my aero position - I was set.

Saturday morning we had a small group meet for a hilly 50ish mile ride. It was hotter then hell, but I was ready with my newly adjusted bike and my NEW NUTRITION! I've been trying to use more 'real food' and avoiding gels and chews - and so far I've been pretty successful. Lindsay Cotter, who has an awesome nutrition/triathlon blog, also has a great product called Healthy Bites. They are wonderful little bites of gluten free protein packed goodness. I ordered a few dozen from her and could not wait to try them out! And let me tell you, they are AWESOME. Easy to eat, wonderful taste, and my tummy was so happy. So, if you are looking for something new to try - check out Healthy Bites! YUMMM!

So riding along - I kept on glancing down at my clock. Nervous to see if my hip would let me know it was there and not happy. But sure enough, the new position worked! My hip felt awesome and my new areo position really stretched me out. Judah is a life saver! So if you are having some pain on the bike and have not been re-fit for awhile, maybe it needs to be revisited. Call up your mechanic and see what kind of magic they can do!

And the best part of the ride? Ending it with a nice jump in the cold spring!

I hope everyone had a great weekend - and congrats to everyone who raced!

I know I know.

2011-07-08T18:50:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile. But I have a good excuse! Really! I do! Last week I was in St. Louis spending time with my family. All of my dad's brothers and sisters (aka - my aunts and uncles) where in town as well as all but three of my cousins. Love it. I enjoy spending quality time hanging out with the family. Drinking wine. And eating excellent food.

Pretending like we are on a roller coaster....

Cocktails at Taste. The best drinks ever.

My sister, brother and me.

Tom and I - a reunion 10 years in the making. We went to school in Europe together and he now lives in St. Louis and owns one of the best restaurants in town - Franco. If you are ever in the area - this is a must.

So my Grandmother is 84 years old and is awesome. She's been having calf/feet issues lately and a light went off in my head. She needs compression socks! So we headed over the to local running store and totally hooked her up. And since then, she has been feeling awesome. I think that I just opened up a whole new market!

Rock those calf sleeves grandmother!

I did get in several awesome runs with my parents and enjoyed every single moment!

I hope everyone had a great 4th!

And the winner is....

2011-06-26T18:03:00.000-05:00

Sarah from Sarah Tries Triathlon! Sarah is new to triathlons - so check out her blog and give her some love!

Sarah - shoot me an e-mail with your address!

I want to send out a huge THANK YOU to everyone that entered! I really do love this product - and personally - I think this is the best 'feel awesome on the bike' product for women out there. We all know, that if certain 'girly areas' are not happy - the whole ride is like marching through hell. UGH. Not good. I hope that everyone goes to REFLECT SPORTS and orders a tube or two!

Now. IMCDA. What an awesome race. Watching the start this morning, and the end this afternoon, I am now SO PUMPED for IMTX!

Living in Florida

2011-06-23T18:35:00.001-05:00

When I first moved to Florida everyone was like 'you are going to be on the beach everyday - life is going to be like a vacation'. Um. Not so much. My weekends are spent swim/bike/running with laundry, cleaning - and other fun domestic stuff. Going to the beach is the last thing on my list of 'to-dos' But last Sunday - I took full advantage of the beach. I packed my chair, beach bag and headed out to Deer Lake Beach Access for a morning of R&R. Solo. I was the only person on the beach for miles. This beach access is a state park and it's a pretty long hike through the dunes to get to the actual beach - but it's well worth it. SO worth it.

Don't forget about my killer Hoo Ha Give-A-Way!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Dad rocking the Lululemon

2011-06-20T20:42:00.001-05:00

Man. My dad is pretty awesome, to say the least. I am very fortunate to have such an awesome family - and not doubt it my dad is the glue that holds my crazy family together. And did I also mention that he is a bad ass runner? I remember back in the day when we lived in the mid-west, I always knew when school was canceled due to snow/ice because I could hear my dad RUNNING around the house. Yes. You read that correctly. RUNNING. I thought I was OCD - but big pappa has me beat. But my dad is a bad ass runner and ever since I can remember my dad (and my mom) will run together everyday. So those days I don't feel like getting out of bed - I just think of my dad. And now he'll be rocking a new pair of LULULEMON running shorts. Way to be styling out on the roads of St. Louis Dad! (PS - mom got Lululemon running gear for mothers day!)

Thanks for being awesome dad:

Yep - he even ran to the start of IMFL ;) See. I told you. BAD ASS RUNNER!

Don't forget about the HOO HA Give-A-Way!!

Hoo Ha Give-A-Way!

2011-06-18T17:37:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone is having a killer weekend. I don't know about you - but in Florida it's like an oven outside. No joke. This morning we ran at 5:30am - and it was 88 already. Ugh. Welcome summer.

Anyway - I'll get to the point on this post - THE HOO HA RIDE GLIDE give-a-way! Who likes saddle sores? Chafing? Gross-a-roo. Not this girl. That is why I LOVE LOVE LOVE this product. Judy from Miles of Madness got me hooked on the Hoo Ha last year - and I just have to share the love. It is all natural and smells great. Hoo Ha gets me through my long training rides with a smile on my face - not to mention all of my IMFL training. Want more info? Check out their Reflect Sports site and read more - and also check out the other 'ladies only' products. But seriously - this stuff is the sh*t and I could not image hopping on the princess with out it.

Now - how can you win this goodness in a bottle? Simple!

1. Follow my blog

2. Post this give-a-way on your blog

3. Follow me on twitter

4. Post the give-a-way on your twitter

5. Like Reflect Sports on Facebook

6. AND if you have tired Hoo Ha - write a review! (on their facebook page)

7. Follow the Hoo Ha on twitter @hooharideglide

Be sure to let me know what you've done be leaving a comment :)

Lot's of ways to enter!

I just can't express how excited I am about this give-a-way! This product is awesome and every lady who is out tearing up the roads, either by foot or bike, should use this product!

I will draw the winner a week from today! (6/25!)

Race Report

2011-06-15T20:31:00.000-05:00

This was the toughest race ever. First of all - the week leading up to this race was awesome - but not really 'taper friendly'. I had a major work function Weds-Saturday that was located in a beautiful resort in Orlando. Now I don't know about you - but in my line of work, conventions = heels and booze. I was good, but my feet STILL hurt. At least I looked good!

This was my first solo race. Not the best decision saying that:

#1 It is a 70.3

#2 Six hour drive home

#3 It was hotter then HELL. Seriously. My mojo melted.

I got to the race site on Sunday morning and set everything up. Met a few other awesome local racers and chatted it up. A few of the ladies are getting ready for IMKY - so they wanted to heat training.

Swim:

The swim was in a lake that was around 84 degrees. This was a small race, so all of the ladies took off at once. I just stroked along - and for the most part I was all alone. Which was kind of weird.

Total Time: 37:47 (1st in AG)

Bike:

I knew this bike would be challenging, but I was ready for it. This is a new course for me and I was looking forward to the climbs. We rode through several orange groves, tree farms, and some more wonderful scenery. About 15 miles into the ride, Heather Golnick flew past me, which was pretty awesome. But the hills where challenging and I really enjoyed it. The odd thing was - that I was alone almost the whole ride. Seriously. I would get passed by a guy every now and then, but that was it. There where a few times were I actually thought I was off the course. Awesome. Solo race - I could have ridden to Miami and no one would have known.

But remember that HUGE hill? Sugar Loaf Mtn? On the course I saw several local roadies and they would cheer me on. And after rocking up one major hill - a guy yelled 'congrats for climbing the mtn!'. HOLY SHIT! I did not even realize that was the dreaded hill. So I guess riding with my guys really paid off.

Total Time: 3:17 (17mph) 1st in AG

Run:

This is where reality set it. It was about 96ish degrees out - there was little to no shade and crap aide stations (sorry -but they should have ice and stuff ready for you) It was a two loop course. And I knew that if I was going to make the six hour drive home alive, I needed to make a decision. So at mile seven - I dropped out. Ugh.

BUT I did have the best cheering crowd at the end:

Words of wisdom. Don't to solo races that are far away from your house unless you plan on staying an extra night!

Congrats to everyone else who raced this weekend!

Big give-a-way soon!! Stay tuned!

Monday Motivation

2011-06-13T18:25:00.000-05:00

Something to keep in mind:

Borrowed from One Twenty Five

Race report soon!

Very Random Post

2011-06-07T20:04:00.000-05:00

Note - this is a very random post. Just to warn you. :)

I found a few triathlon friends who where all about a raw dinner party. So this is my first go at Raw Pesto. It was simple and pretty darn good. Check out the recipe here...Basic Raw Vegan Basil Pesto

Sideways - I know. Can't get it to change :)

Ok - back to exciting times. My mom and dad came down to spend some time at the beach with me. I'm super close to my family and it was awesome seeing them. We at tons of amazing food...and had a few buckets of wine....yum.

Mom and Dad

I really have the best tan lines ever...ugh. They will never go away!

On with this week. So I'm heading to Orlando for a conference until Saturday morning - and then a 70.3 on Sunday. My packing OCD is kicking in hard core. I'm packing my triathlon stuff in one room, work stuff in another room, and FOOD in the kitchen (just to keep everything separated). Hopefully I have everything needed for the next five days. Hopefully.

The race I have on Sunday is called the 'Intimidator' and it is going to be hotter then hell. The race is in the middle of Florida - and the heat index the past few days have be 95+. So I'm giong to switch up my nutrition a bit (any feedback is welcome). With the heat - it's hard for me to eat.

Bike:

I'm going to focus on taking my Hammer Endurolytes every 30-45 minutes, going through my two bottles of cytomax with carbo-pro mixed in (extra calories), water from my aero bottle (refill on the course) and at least two rice krispie treates (my new addiction). I've been training with them - and so far so good.

Run:

Hammer Endurolytes, water from the course, and then yummy strawberry shot blocks.

Thoughts? Feelings? I'm actually pretty excited about this race - I have not done it before. And I will be there SOLO. All I can say - it's going to be a long drive home!

ANOTHER GIVE-A-WAY soon! I am super stoked about this product and sharing the LOVE I have for it! Ladies who rock out the bike need to..wait...have to check out this product. More details soon!

(But I will share the link: Reflect Sports)

PS - the a/c is out in my house. I want to die. I guess it's good 'training' for my race this weekend!

Raw Foods

2011-05-28T17:22:00.000-05:00

Ok. Before I start talking about my raw food experience last week, I would like to share a picture of the cutest future triathlete ever - Carissa:

So if you are having a baby, you know what you are going to get in the mail from me :) Check out the TRIX website when you have the chance! Love it!

So I was traveling for the week in Jacksonville Beach for work. Usually when I get home from these trips I feel like crap. Too much eating out and wine. But not this trip. I was lucky enough to be invited over to my triathlete friend Doris's house for a raw dinner party. What the heck to you bring to a raw dinner party? I decided I would be safe with flowers and wine. Who would refuse flowers and wine? Anyway the food was AMAZING as well as the company:

Looks like pasta - right? Nope! It's all raw!

Raw keylime pie!

Needless to say, I was totally thrown back by how wonderful this raw food was. So I decided to keep up the 'raw' diet the best I could for the rest of the week. Found a few good raw places to eat and pigged out on veggies and fruit as much as I could. My runs felt awesome and my energy level was out the roof.

I talked to Big J and he was all about slowly incorporating a raw meal every week into our diet and then going from there. It would take a ton of time (which either of us really have right now) to be fully 'Raw' - but a meal every now and then is a good start! Also, I'm not going to lie. But I do like a steak and pizza every now and then :)

Anyone else interested in being a little raw? Anyone have any good sites or links?

Vita-Mix Receipe: Peanut butter

2011-05-24T15:55:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about this today. I love peanut butter and that would be killer if I could make my own at home in my Vita-Mix. Peanut butter, almond butter, mixed nut butter, the choices are endless! So, I goolged this question and came up with this:

Super pumped I stared to play the clip...and it's all in Korean? I'm not sure. Anyway - all I pulled out of the video was that yes, I can make peanut butter in my vita-mix. Sweet.

Has anyone else tried this? Thoughts? Feelings?

I've got the feeling....

2011-05-23T19:38:00.000-05:00

to sign up for another Ironman! What's that you say? There is an awesome one a few states away? It's so awesome that superstar Heidi Austin is going to be racing it as well? Count. Me. In. Sitting here alone in my hotel room, I just took a deep breath and hit the 'accept' button for Active.com to take even more money from me so that I can race:

Pretty. Freaking. Excited.

Mom has her bottle of wine and cow bells ready to be super cheerleader again!

In training news - I'm racing the 'Intimidator' which is a 70.3 in a few weeks in Clermont, Fl. I'm not heading into this race looking for a PR because of this:

Yep - this is not a joke. This is Sugar Loaf Mountain. This is a hilly ass bike course. Needless to say, I've had to throw a ton of hills in my training. So this weekend I was able to be the estrogen in this tesosterone group of killer riders:

We slayed 53ish miles under 3 hours including lots and lots and lots of hills. But it was a great ride and felt awesome. Can't wait to do it again next weekend :)

Ron and I

So..anyone else want to race IMTX???

And the winners are...

2011-05-23T10:56:00.000-05:00

I just want to through out a huge thank you for everyone who entered this contest! GOTRIbal is such an awesome community of women and all I want to do is share the love!

And the winners are!

Train -n-Tri (white shirt!)

and

JenniferLeah from Miles, Muscles & Mommyhood! (pink shirt!)

E-mail me your mailind address ladies!!

Congrats!

Hope everyone had a killer weekend!

Pukie Award

2011-05-19T19:23:00.002-05:00

I would like to give a big thank you to Big Daddy Diesel for the pukie award. I was thinking of you while I was hurling in the aero position.

Remember how I talked about Carla's family and the awesome motivation posters they had all through Gulf Coast 70.3? Well, I would like to share a few of them.

Please note that Carla's sister looks exactly like her - because they are identical twins. Seriously. I used to talk to Julie and think it was Carla. Odd...I know. :)

So if you need ideas for signs - please, let me know!

So, today was a huge break through in my running - coach had 10 miles at an 8:15 pace on tap today. He said 'just make it a very good run'. Finished up with - BAM - an 8:12 avg. Take that 10 miles! I made you my bitch this morning! Whoop whoop! (sorry - kind of excited) Everyone else I came into contact with today thought I was nuts just to run for 10 miles. If they only knew.....

Anyway - TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY FOR THE FIT GIRLS T-SHIRT GIVE-A-WAY! Check it out!

Gulf Coast Triathlon Race Report

2011-05-17T21:32:00.001-05:00

Ohh good old Gulf Coast 70.3. Have to love a race that is in your back yard. The course that you swim/bike/run on all of the time. And a race where it is always 100000 degrees out. (please read into my sarcasm) But the support is awesome - and knowing about 20% of the people who are racing can not be beat - have to love Gulf Coast Triathlon. That is why I keep on coming back every year!

Friday Carla (remember Carla? 1/3 of the amazing crew I trained with for Ironman) went to check in our bikes. What? Only numbers on the racks and no specific markers for each bike? Sweet. We'll take the end!

(yep. I'm rocking compression socks with a skirt...by the way- did you see page 122 of this months Triathlete?? See a comment about compression socks form someone that you know??)

Good thing we got there early!

Saturday morning - up and at it early. Since the sun comes up at 6am here - the first wave starts at 6:15. So it's a super early race. Pre race - same breakfast as always. Oatmeal with blackberries and some carbopro. Yum.

Headed down to transition (about a mile from my house) and got everything set up.

Carla and I right before the Swim

Cari, Myself, and Carla - don't mess with these ladies!

6:30 our wave goes off. Thankfully we are one of the first waves AND the gulf was somewhat calm. The past three years they have put up the red flags after the last swimmer was out (that means the gulf was SUPER ROUGH) So I was stoked for hopefully a PR in the swim. Even after yet another super awesome make out session with a jellyfish I came out of the water with a:

34:38 (last year 36:42)

Always smile for the camera - even though my face hurt like hell. I ran into transition kind of confused - not quite feeling like myself. I was lucky to find my bike and had issues pulling off my wetsuit and putting on my bike shoes. Kind of odd. But bolted out of transition at:

3:30 (last year 3:24)

The bike was hot and windy. I was feeling ok and just got my legs pumping on the roads that I ride everyday. Around mile 20 I tried to eat part of a Lura Bar. And flet that funny feeling. You know that feeling. Like you need to let go and not hold back. And I didn't. Just let it all out in aero position. Thankfully no one was behind me to get the backlash of my puke.

Odd I thought to myself - that has NEVER happened before. So silly me, I tried to eat again. Same thing. Oh no. I have never had a major nutrition issue like that during a race. So I just kept on drinking water and cytomax and doing what I could for calories - and not looking forward to the run.

Bike time:

2:58:01-18.9mph(last year 2:51:25 - 19.6mph)

But the highlight of the ride no doubt was seeing Carla's family on the course with AWESOME signs. So awesome that they deserve their own post.

T2:

1:30 - both years. No time lost there!

Oh the run. Man it was hot. Flat. And no shade. Oh yeah - the only calories I could hold down was flat coke and oranges. Awesome. But other then that it was a pretty uneventful run. I just put my head down and put one foot in front of another. It was though and I knew I was not going to hit the numbers that I wanted - but I finished. :)

Run time:

2:15:40 (ouch!) (last year 2:09)

Total time: 5:53:22

Last year: 5:42:19

Kelsi and I rocking out the Trinity Tops and GOTRIbal Love! Oh yeah - and Big J in the background!

Not my best race but not my worst race either. But all in all it was a learning experience. What did I learn?

#1: jellyfish might make me puke

#2: I can do a 70.3 on very few calories

#3: I can puke in the aero position (skill my friends)

#4. ALWAYS do local races. It's so awesome to see everyone, cheering or racing, out there!

REMINDER ON MY SWEET GIVE-A-WAY!

SEE BELOW!!! :)

Fit Girls Give-a-way!

2011-05-13T14:56:00.000-05:00

Last week was a tornado of work, work, traveling and feeling like I was hit by a bus after Gulf Coast 70.3. So now that I'm finally back home and can sit down for a few minutes - I'm SO excited to announce this sweet give-a-way:

Fit Girls Shirts!

These ladies where at the Gulf Coast 70.3 expo and I could not help but share the love. I have two sweet Fit Girls Tech Shirts - Small White and Medium Pink!

So, do you want one of these awesome shirts? Well, here is how you can throw your name in the hat - show some GOTRIbal love!

Do one of these = one entry:

#1. Go to GOTRIbal an sign up! (it's free!)

#2. Join a tribe in your area - or a training plan (meet awesome women!)

#3. Like GOTRIbal on facebook (Lots of good pointers and info!)

#4. Say you like GOTRIbal on Facebook because you read my blog!

#4. Follow me on TWITTER - @ChloeElfrink

Leave me a comment and let me know what you have done! I'll draw the winners a week from today! (June 20th)

Ok - Gulf Coast race report to come later on this evening :) Need to sit down and think about this one for awhile!

Hope everyone had a great week!

A Love Letter

2011-05-05T19:24:00.001-05:00

Dear Vita Mix:

At first I avoided you. I thought you where too good for me. I even had my eye on others. But I always knew you where the best. After so many frustrating relationships - I would always see you in the background. You where always there for me and let me know I could trust you. Trust you in making wonderful smoothies filled with fresh, healthy goodness that would make my body feel awesome and full of energy. The energy you feel when you know you are with the right blender. You do not burn up when I decide to throw beets or other random 'unblendable' veggies into the mix. And you do not leave random chucks. I trust you with all of my heart and soul and looking forward to a long, wonderful, and exciting relationship.

Love:

Chloe

Strawberries, Spinach, Chia Seeds, Protein Powder, Oats, Honey, Banana, Orange, Blackberries, Beets!

Breakfast and mid morning snack! Yummm!

In other news - it's race weekend in Panama City Beach! Gulf Coast 70.3 is on Saturday! I am so excited - the weater is suppose to be perfect and hopfully the gulf is flat. More on that tomorrow :) But I did check in today and run into New Tri Addict! Small World :)

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Cari = Super Woman

2011-04-30T19:25:00.001-05:00

Today we had another killer brick. 50sih miles followed by an 8ish mile run. It was hot and challenging, but felt great. Cari was awesome enough to join us fro the ride - and she mentioned that 'I need to stop slacking on my blog posts'. So, Cari, this post is dedicated to you! Cari is an amazing athlete - rocked out IM China last year to qualify for Kona in the 18-24 age group. She did awesome in Kona and then a few weeks later KILLED IMFL placing 3rd in her age group. Cari is one of the nicest people I know and has a great attitude! - but she does have a very funny dry sense of humor. I must admit - we are lucky when she decides to join us for a ride or a run!

Back to the work out today. Here are the post pictures of the heat:

thank goodness I had my GOTRIbal hat on to get my through the run!

Ahhh..home

Ugh! Sun burn!

Hope everyone is having a killer weekend!

Babies...

2011-04-25T20:52:00.000-05:00

...not for me. Right now. But I have so much fun. Drinking wine. And hanging out with my friends babies. Specially ones that are starting to fall in love with cycling at the tender age of 2 years :)

Happy Monday!

My first 'Du'.

2011-04-23T06:27:00.001-05:00

I know I have not done a blog post in a week or so. But hey, a girl has to work! I was lucky enough to be in Jax beach and enjoy one of the most perfect sun rises that I have ever seen. Ahh..the east coast is lucky to enjoy these every day!

I have no clue who this guys is, but he was posing for me :)

Now, a sunrise like that gets my ass out of bed.

I also had my first DU ever last week. The gulf was way to rough to swim in. So our 800 meter swim turned into a 1.5 mile run. I can tell you one thing - I am NOT a du girl. My body had no idea what was going on. But all in all it was a fun even and everyone had a great time.

Fantasy golf anyone?

Someone I ended up with 1st in the 30-34 age group. Hopefully I can keep this roll going!

Pretty sweet kit I'm rocking - right? Check out Trinity's web site and all of the sweet training gear they have. They also just made a donation to Childfund International to support a project called Empower Young Women in Sierra. How awesome is that? Remember - every time you place an order with Trinity, a % of their profit goes to wonderful organizations!!

Red Hills 2011 Race Report

2011-04-12T07:53:00.001-05:00

On Saturday I had my first tri of the season - Red Hills Sprint in Tallahassee, Fl. Now, I don't know who out there has actually been to Tallahassee, but I can tell you two things about this town:

1. Florida State is there. College town = fast runners. That is just how it is.

2. LOTS of hills. Remember - the only 'hill' that I have to train on is a freaking bridge

But I love this race. They have killer goodie bags and great awards. So it's a yearly event for this girl.

I actually worked in tally on Friday - so I was up and at it bright and early.

I met up with Helen (Libby) Phipps and we headed over to packet pickup. Check out Helen's blog when you get the chance. Not only is she an awesome person, an amazing triathlete, and in this months triathlete magazine - BUT she also works full time AND working on her PHD! Now, if she is not a super woman, I don't know who is.

We headed out to the race site for a quick open water swim and a run and then went to the best place ever for dinner:

One Fresh Stir Fry

Never been there? Check it out!

The next morning - we where up and at it early. Headed over to the state park to set up transition. Need some tips on setting up your transition? Check out my post below!

There where four waves of men and then it was the 39 and under ladies turn to take off. I told Helen that I wanted to stay on her feet for the whole swim. It's kind of hard to do that when everyone looks the same in a lake, swimming in wet suits. But somehow I did. It was a nice, flat, uneventful swim once we got out of the 'pack' and settled into a good pace.

Swim time: 9:04

(Last year was 10:37)

Ran up to transition, threw on my helmet and shoes and took off. Helen was off on the bike - so I didn't see her until the end.

T1: 1:18

(Last year 1:40)

As I mentioned above - the bike was SUPER hilly. But that is ok - what goes up must come down. So I just put my head down, got my ass out of the saddle, and pumped up those bad boys and flew down . There where men that I passed, but I only saw two ladies on the ride that flew by me around mile 13. After checking out their legs - they where some bad ass 48 year olds. I hope I'm that fast when I'm that age!

Bike Time: 49:58

(Last year 50:57)

T2 - no time wasted there!

T1: 0:59

(Last year 1:15)

The run was pretty hilly as well. But the fun thing about this race - is that you actually get into the woods and run about half of the 5k on trails. It's shaded by huge oak trees and is on a nice packed down trail. My legs felt great (Yeah triple bricks do pay off!) Once again - I saw a bunch of men. I was blown by by two 24 year old ladies that where killing it and caught up with one of the ladies I saw on the bike. But the run was pretty uneventful, which is a good thing!

Run Time: 25:37

(Last Year): 24:12

I was kind of bummed by my run time - and hind sight I know I could have pushed myself a bit harder. But I guess I say that about every race!

Total Time: 1:26:54

(Last Year: 1:30:39)

So I beat my time last year and rocked out 1st in the 30-34 age group

Have to love an award you can use!

Helen and I after the race. Don't let her fool you - she is 6 foot + and I have no clue what happened to my camera phone.

Post race is always fun and filled with good food and great conversation. We met some pretty awesome women who are just getting into this crazy sport and also saw a few friends from back home. Love it!

So. Not a bad way to start off the season!

I would like to throw out a special shout out to Josh for this sweet hat. Man. I love KSwiss.

So - anyone else have a race this weekend?

K.I.S.S.

2011-04-10T12:53:00.000-05:00

Keep. It. Simple. Stupid. :) That is the way I approach setting up my transition. With the season just starting (well, at least in Florida) I wanted to touch base on this. For those of you who have not done a triathlon (yet) or new to this sport - this is very important. Your transition times can make or possibly break your race. Simplicity is the key. Your main goal is to get in and out as fast as possible.

Below you will find my transition for the sprint triathlon I did yesterday:

Helmet on bike with sunglasses in the helmet. I put my glasses in my helmet so:

1. I don't forget to put them on

2. I don't step on them

3. I put them on before I throw on the helmet

Also - I set my helmet on my aero bars so that I put it on before I take it off of my rack

(you can not leave transition with out your helmet!)

Bike shoes in front (since I put them on 1st)

Garmin turned on so that I don't have to mess with it

hat and bib ready to go

Also, if this was a longer race - I would keep nutrition on my bike and also stick some gu's in my running shoes so I have no choice but to grab it :)

Another important thing to remember is to put on what you have to while you are stationary (shoes) and everything else while you are running out of T2. I throw on my shoes, and then grab everything else and I'm outta of there! There are some pretty random photos out there of me throwing on my hat, watch, and race belt while I'm running!

Now, your transition my change depending on your race. The longer the race is, the more water bottles, nutrition, arm warmers, etc you may have. Just make sure it's as simple as possible and works for you!

I can't lie - I look as some peoples transition and it totally stresses me out. And I just hope that all of their 'stuff' does not take over my little area!

Just remember - the more stuff you have, the more crap you have to deal with! KISS! Keep It Simple!

Killer race yesterday! Race report to come soon!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

You never know who you will meet -

2011-04-06T07:09:00.000-05:00

Just recently I was introduced to a great women's program - GOTRIbal. It is an organization created to empower and connect women through the journey of endurance sport. I was approached to be an ambassador for them (yeah!) to help 'pay it forward'. But check out their site - sign up - and see who you can find in your area! I was lucky enough to connect with another ambassador, Kellie Smirnoff, in Jacksonville Beach last night and enjoy an amazing yoga class. Kellie is an amazing athlete (hello ULTRAMAN and Tarawera 100K!) who is full of positive energy and was just awesome to talk to. I feel so blessed to be connected to the amazing women who do this crazy ass sport. Check out her blog when you get the chance! And also check out GOTRIbal site and see who you can meet and train with!

Kellie and I last night!

In training news, I have been traveling all week for work. And luckily coach scheduled us a recovery week. So I've been enjoying the time off. But the next two weeks are going to be KILLER. I when I mean killer - I mean I will be puking on the side of the road kind of workouts. Can't wait.

I also have my first race of the season on Saturday! I will be bunking up with awesome Pro Triathlete (and soon to be PHD) Helen Libby-Phipps. (She just started a blog - check it out and follow her!) More on the race later!

Hope every ones week is going well!

The beast has returned

2011-04-01T19:41:00.000-05:00

So this morning I had to wake up at 4:15am (boo) to meet up with my training partners (yeah!) and run 11 miles (boo). But today was the BEST. RUN. EVER. Well, in a pretty damn long time. Last year I really focused on my cycling and my running took a back seat for the season. Then after my so/so marathon in February, I was pretty down on my running. But today felt amazing. My running legs have returned. Could it be the Chia seeds I've starting using every day? Or possibly the beets I've been mixing into my daily smoothie? Whatever I've been doing I need to stick with it. It's a good feeling and I really don't want it to go away!

You know it's a killer run win my training partner, Ron, looks at me and says "This run felt like the old Chloe is back". Awesome.

And just a FYI - every Friday around 5:30ish, everyone is welcome to my happy hour. It's byob (bring your own wine) but sunset and porch are on the house!

Good luck to everyone who is racing CA70.3 tomorrow! Maybe one of these days I'll be able to travel out of the 'redneck reviera' to race!

PS - I love Fridays because it's nothing but House Hunters International is on HGTV!!!

Happy Friday Everyone!

How to do a long brick and Splish Special!

2011-03-28T07:40:00.000-05:00

I love bricks. Specially double or even triple bricks. I feel as though they are very very important to triathlon training. Why? Because it gets you past the 'oh my god, now I have to run?' feeling when you hop off the bike. Now, when I get off of the bike - I actually run better then just a normal running race. Also - what sounds better? 45 mile run followed by a six mile run? Or 15 mile ride followed by a 2 mile run X3? Yeah, I thought so.

Anyway, here are a few important pointers for a successful brick:
* Find a good central place for your'transition' area. We always meet at a local park. Lots of bathrooms and places to run.
* The central place should be low in traffic
* Bring plenty of fluid (coolers in your care are helpful)
* Have a plan and stick with it. 10 miles followed by a 2 mile run X3? Rock it out!
* Don't 'rest' between the cycling and run. Pretend it's like a race and you are in transition.
* But what do you do with your bike? Lock it to your car!

Go ahead and try it out! They will hurt at first, but I promise it will be worth it!

We had a great brick this weekend. Except for the 20+mph head winds coming in. And the humidity. And the heat. Welcome to Florida weather!

We where also joined by Frank and his huge tattoo. Thanks for sticking it out with the girls Frank!

(in the photo above you can tell he was the odd man out...with the non QR bike)

Follow a long, hot brick with the foam roller:

And a Skinny Girl Margarita:

YUMMM.

Splish Suits!

You all know my love for splish suits - they are so fun and colorful. Please see examples below:

How do you like that $20 grab bag suit? LOVE IT! $20 grab bag special! Check it out at

SPLISH.COM

And the winner is ....

2011-03-25T17:33:00.002-05:00

First I want to talk about beets. (I know, not very exciting) But Tawnee (TRi*Tawn) had an excellent post on the health benefits for endurance athletes that come from raw beets. I just have to share!
So why not throw it in my daily smoothie? Today I headed over to Publix to pick up a three pack (so in Florida they come in 3's) and try it out. And all I can say yumm..it was an excellent addition to my daily smoothie goodness. I'm still waiting for my pee to be dis-colored, but it has not happened yet. Bummer.

I don't have a vitamix - so I cleaned the beet and then chopped it up. My blender had no problem blending it together.

I just have to thow in how wonderful the color is.

Now too the Bad-Ass-Giveaway:

I just want to thank everyone who entered this give-a-way. I just love Betty Designs and want to spread the love! Check out her site when you get the chance!

And the winners are (thanks to random.org):

JV from New Tri Addict

Miss Fancy Pants Tris

Kim from Fuel your Passion

Christi from Pedestrian Runner

Congrats! Please e-mail me your address when you have the chance!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I would also like to throw out a huge Happy Birthday to my 'little' brother!

Eating and how it effects how you feel

2011-03-23T17:53:00.000-05:00

So ever since my back issue - I have not eaten any fast food. At all. Except for subway - but that does not count in my mind. Anyway - whenever I eat out of whack, my body gets very mad at me. For example, yesterday I had a migraine and threw up, yep, puked. Multible times. And I really believe it's due to my diet. I was not able to eat every two hours our eat my usual amount of fruits and veggies the day before. I know it was bad planning on my part, but sometimes you can't control your environment. And I guess my body is very sensitive - or possibly getting more sensitive - to what I fuel it with. Does anyone else fell that way - or am I crazy?

I just like my body to feel good and be happy - and I hate not feeling 100000%!

Work

2011-03-23T15:49:00.000-05:00

I am not one of the lucky ones who can swimbikerun all day. I do have a day job. But I am one of the very lucky ones who love their job. This week my boss and another upper management team member came up to the panhandle from home office to travel with me. We flew over some areas we wanted to check out -

But now I feel like I need to detox after eating wonderful food and drinking way to much fab wine for the past three days!!

Tweet Me

2011-03-19T17:11:00.001-05:00

So I finally did it. I took the step into the confusing world of twitter. You see that new link on to the right? Please click on it and 'follow' me. And if you have any helpful suggestions - please pass them along. But for now, I'll just be doing random tweets. Wait - isn't that what tweeting is? :)

Remember! Friday is the final day for the bad ass give-a-way. 

Bad Ass Give-A-Way

2011-03-16T21:07:00.001-05:00

Yep - it's that time again! Time for a sweet giveaway! Today I received a box in the mail from Kristen at Betty Designs. And what was in that box?

Ahh! Bad Ass Water bottles!

So what can you do for these lovleys?

1. Follow my blog

2. Leave a comment on this post

3. Mention my give-a-way on your blog

4. 'like' Betty Designs on facebook

(please leave a seperate comment for each thing you do!)

Leave a post and let me know what you have done - and I'll throw you in the hat. The more things you do, the more your name gets thrown in :) I will choose FOUR winners a week from Friday (March 25th) I am so excited to share the Betty love!

In training news - we had a great 'welcome back to training' double brick on Sunday. I might be a rare one out there to say this, but I love bricks. I run so much better off of the bike then I do just 'running'. Maybe it's because I'm warmed up? I who knows. But we had a 15 mile ride with a 2 mile run X2. We work the 'transistion' like we are racing - so no haning around inbetween the run bike and the run. The ride adveraged around 21 mph and the runs 8:25. Love it.

Spring Break Random Comments:

A kid asked me out on a date while I was picking up beer cans from my beach access. You could totally tell he had been up all night (it was around 6am).

Kid: Can I take you out to club lavela for a date today?

Me: Sorry, I have to work

Kid: Oh, you are not on spring break

Me: I'm 30.

Kid: Oh.

Probably the most random converstaion I've had in a very long time.

Must have....

2011-03-11T20:41:00.001-06:00

these:

Talk about a bad ass water bottle

And the shorts to match the bad ass jersey (as I talked about in 'Tis the Season Round 2)Big J ...sorry...Santa put under the tree for me this year for Christmas:

Check out the Betty Designs site when you get the chance.

Ok. Time to stop shopping while drinking wine Chloe. Happy Friday everyone!

You know it's spring break in Panama City Beach when -

2011-03-11T06:55:00.000-06:00

1. There is live music at the beach Wal-Mart

2. Port-A-Potties randomly placed in parking lots (good for long runs)

3. People asking me if I'm a streaker when I go to the gas station to get coffee while wearing my swim parka at 5am.

4. You feel like an MTV extra while going to Target

And it's only week one. No worries - I'm sure I'll have some awesome photos soon.

In training news, we had a killer time trial last weekend. 5 miles. Out and back. It was hot and humid. I was feeling ok until the turn around. Then I lost it. My breakfast that is, all over the sidewalk. Bananas and peanut butter. And I still felt like crap. Ugh. This is getting so frustrating. But I'm sure my run will come back. Hopefully sooner then later.

This past week I was in Orlando for work - and I was able to spend some quality time with Bryce. Future triathlete in training:

Swim - Bike - Run - Drool

And if one more friend tells me they are expecting, I'm going to drink nothing but the bottled water. Obviously there is something in the tap water these days!

All of my thought and prayers to everyone in Japan, Hawaii, and anyone else who is effected by this scary earthquake and tsunami. Scary stuff.

So I'm going to say it

2011-03-01T20:01:00.000-06:00

...I need to say it. On this blog. So I will do it. Plan for March? Lose these pesky 5lbs before races start in April.

Ok. I said it. And now I have to really watch what I eat. Any pointers?

Lets Talk about Food

2011-02-27T20:21:00.000-06:00

I am very lucky to have a wonderful boyfriend who is a fabulous cook. And we also take advantage of having the gulf right next to us. So what was on the menu for this wonderful Sunday evening? Fresh calamari caught and cooked by Big J himself:

And fresh gulf lobster caught by Ron (my awesome training partner) with veggies and wine.

This weekend was awesome - and I am very lucky to have such amazing friends (who are also wonderful training partners) - But that will be another post. I'm going into a food coma.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

I'm going to bed :)

It's that time of year...

2011-02-24T18:49:00.000-06:00

...when the weather is perfect and all you want to do is be outside. Saturday was probably the most 'perfect' day of the year...so far. So we started out the day with a nice 'easy' 25ish mile ride. Our turn around point was Alys Beach - and we totally acted like tourists:

Carla: What is the gate code to get on the beach?

Chloe: Try 1234

How do the bikes look on the rack?

Damn you gate codes - keeping us out!

What else happens on nice Saturdays?

Bridal Showers!

Yep - we can clean up :)

So I've been in Jacksonville Beach all week for work. I've done a few runs (including the Lululemon Run!) and I even set my bike up on the trainer in the hotel room (talk about dedication). But tonight something very creepy happened. I was running along the road that is right next to Jax beach this evening. It was not dark and there where several people out and about. I was totally in the zone rocking out to my G Love and Special Sauce Pandora Radio Station knocking out the miles. Then out of no where some guy ran up to me and said "your ass has been keeping me going for the last mile". What the fuck. "Um, thanks I guess" was my response. He kept on trying to talk to me - and I just sped up. So my 10 mile run was cut to 8. Normally I'm all about chatting with other runners - but this guy totally freaked me out. So thank you creepy running guy for screwing up my run today. I hope you eat some bad fish and and throw up for the next few days.

In better news I found the most wonderful store in the world - YOBE If you have never heard of this wonderful place - you BUILD YOUR OWN YOGURT. Heaven. Can't wait to go back tomorrow.

Been there - done that

2011-02-19T17:18:00.000-06:00

Except I would probably go just a bit further off of trail....

Bendoeslife brought these old Adidas beauties back to life today. Check out a few more of these honest adds here ..the first one is pretty good ;)

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Almost back to normal

2011-02-16T19:45:00.002-06:00

So, I'm almost back to normal. I can now bend over, get up, and get in and out of a car with out having tears in my eyes! Yeah! Thank you everyone for the well wishes - and remember to take time off!!!

So it's now time to get my ass back on the saddle. I am so excited. I've missed the princess and I think she's ready to hit the road again -

Babs and the Princess having one last night out before they start training again.

Not to forget about my new obsession - Crossfit! I'm looking forward to dragging around a medicine ball again!

Even better - I can't WAIT to rock out my new Trinity gear! Check out what they are going to have available at the end of March -

Hello CAMO! I love it. Northern Florida Girls can't have enough camo gear. Maybe I can con Big J into getting into triathlons with this....maybe...well, I can at least try. ;)

So - does anyone have their races picked out for the season? So far I'm good until May. After that, who knows. But I do want to get in at least 2 more 70.3's. Man I love that distance. Since I'll be traveling for work over in the Jacksonville area more often maybe I'll be able to pick a few over on the east coast.

It's funny because races in Florida seem to be every weekend until the end of May. June - August, nothing. It's just to darn hot here!

I'M SO EXCITED FOR THIS SEASON!

What did you do this weekend?

2011-02-13T16:25:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you - but I had an exciting one:

1. Left the house to congratulate a girlfriend who just got engaged

2. Bought some plant city strawberries

3. Laid on the couch

What did I learn this weekend? Take some time off after an Ironman. Seriously. This back issue really stinks. It has been torture when it has been beautiful outside - and I can't go anywhere. Specially when I live on a beach mentioned here.

Thankfully I'm feeling better then I was - and hopefully with in the next few days I will be normal again!

So, I finally went to the doctor

2011-02-11T16:56:00.000-06:00

I just can not take the pain anymore. The past few days have been very difficult - since I have never had back issues before. And today, when my back hurt just sitting in the car, I knew I could not wait any longer.

So, here is the discussion I had with my body as I was heading back into town today:

Me: So, body, what have we done different in the past few days to injure my back?

Body: Well, we did just do a marathon

Me: Did you forget that we trained properly for it?

Body: Good point. Lets look at your diet.

Me: Well, I did treat myself to a fast food burger on TUESDAY.

Body: And on WEDNESDAY your back started to bother you!

Me: SO THE FAST FOOD CAUSED THE PAIN.

Problem solved. No more fast food for me.

I know that sounds crazy - but that worked for me when I had strep throat years ago. And I didn't eat fast food for over two years. :)

I told this to the doctor and he thought I was weird. But he just thinks I somehow strained my back and gave me some meds. Hopefully I'll be back to normal with in a week!

60 Tips

2011-02-11T07:45:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday everyone! I would like for everyone to start this weekend off by reading THIS. It's a great post that I borrowed from Laura at Absolut(ly) Fit. Which one is your fav? Today, I'm a fan of #28.

So, I'm now on day three of 'my back hurts like hell and I can't bend over'. I am feeling better - but I'm on the fence about going to the doctor. But this sucks. I hate not being able to do whatever I want, whenever I want. Crossfit this weekend? I don't think so. Quick dip in the pool? Nope. Ugh. I will no doubt cherish my flexibility once this pain goes away!

Tallahassee Marathon and babies

2011-02-09T17:47:00.003-06:00

Ok. No babies for me - by just would like to throw out a huge congrats to my best and oldest friend Gina and her hubbs Chris for welcoming a perfect baby girl into this world yesterday! Yeah babies!

One of their amazing wedding photos.

Anyway - quick race report. The weather was perfect, the course was flat with a few rollers, and the support was amazing. But I just don't think marathons and Chloe go together. The first half I felt amazing - 1:57 split. And then the 2nd half....ugh. My goal was to get under four - and the way training was going I would be able to hit it. But instead I rocked out a 4:15 (whoops - I had 5:14 earlier...typo...)...which was a pr by 2 minutes ;) so I can't bitch to much. But I did run into some pretty awesome people along the way - including some marathon maniacs....who liked to talk. Allot.

So I felt the normal pains after - but for some reason today, my back started to scream at me. I know I am not the most flexible person - but come on!

That is pretty darn sad that I can't reach down any further then that. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

And yes, that is a lululemon bag behing me full of water bottles.

And now...it's time to start tri training! Yeahhhhh!!!!!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Hmm...what to wear!

2011-02-05T09:16:00.001-06:00

So before I decided to post this - I thought about Rachel in It's All About the Outfits You Race In - just the name of her blog brings a smile to my face! And got me thinking....

It has been a long time since I've done a 'running' race. Just running. Nothing else. So I have no flipping idea what to race in tomorrow. So please, help me out so I don't look like that 'weird triathlete' that everyone wants to smoke because of what she has on. But - I do have to have pockets for nutrition. Pockets are a must. Also, I've a huge fan of compressions. So compression is a must as well.

So, here are my selections -

Option one - my sweet Trinity Multi-Sports race kit. I love my virtuoso tri top and tri shorts

Option Two - My Hammer Nutrition Tri Top and Tri Shorts

Option three -Hammer Tri Top and Lululemon Shorts. Not sure about the shorts because I want to compression.

And last - my Maplewood tri top and tri shorts

I will also be rocking compression socks, arm warmers and a hat (hey - it will be chilly for Florida tomorrow!) I'm kind of leaning towards option two. I LOVE my trinity kit - but I will be racing all Tri season in that. Anyway - give me some feedback!

Also, packing for a running race is SO MUCH SIMPLER then a tri. What? All I need are my shoes, hat, watch, and nutrition? My OCD will not be kicking in for this gal.

It will be exactly three months since Ironman Florida Tomorrow. So it's been exactly three months since I've raced last. Man, I'm looking forward for some down time!

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Random question - how do you e-mail people back from their posts? Ugh. I can't figure it out!

2011-02-03T17:52:00.000-06:00

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday! Marathon on Sunday!

CROSSFIT

2011-01-29T15:54:00.000-06:00

I've been very busy and traveling for work this past week - and my workouts kind of took a back seat. I am also looking at this past week as 'tapering' for my marathon on Feb 6 :) Ha...whatever. I was just to tired and busy to get my runs in. Anyway - my friend Carol asked me to come to crossfit with her this morning. I was all about it.

So I pick her up this morning - and she's telling me where to go. And we literally turn into a storage unit area. No joke. This Crossfit location as literally in a storage unit. Right off hand - I was very nervous and I knew I was going to be puking. Specially with my workout hiatus last week. Anyway - we meet the trainers and start the warm up along with a handful of other people. It was very basic....3 sets of ten push ups/assisted pull ups/sit ups/squats and then 500 meters on the rowing machine. Then came the main set- 15 of some things I don't remember what they are called..burkeys maybe? Where you jump up, throw your legs back, go all the way into a push up, legs back up and you clap. And then 15 squats...and then you grab a 14lb medicine ball and run 400 meters! And you see how many times you can do this in 15 min. Ok. I'm not going to lie. My shoulders can already feel it. But it was awesome. Quick and powerful. Lots of arms and core work.

I'm thinking this will be added to my weekly routine. Has anyone else used crossfit? Thoughts? Feelings? Was it held in a crazy place? I know they talked about it in last months Triathlete - and it sounded pretty promising to helping out with my upcoming season.

...oh yeah. I also didn't puke. I was kind of hoping I would so that I could in the running for the pukie award.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

So yesterday...

2011-01-23T21:26:00.000-06:00

yes, I was pretty awesome. The princess and I went out for a very chilly ride with a few friends. I know it's not as cold here as it is north of us, but Florida does get pretty darn chilly. Specially in the panhandle. We're still trying to figure out the sign for 'ice' - the the best thing we could come up was yelling "time to turn around for coffee". Sounds like a perfect plan to me.

As we where enjoying our coffee - a few puppies came our way. I don't know what it is about puppies - but they just make everyone smile:

So yes, yesterday I was awesome. Had a great ride with great friends - and puppies always turn my mood around. I hope everyone was awesome this weekend as well!

2011-01-22T08:12:00.002-06:00

I am going to be awesome today.

Traveling for work

2011-01-19T19:04:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I have to travel for work. Some weeks it's for a night - and others it's for the whole week. I ALWAYS pack my running shoes. Weather they are used to knock out a death march on the dreadmill or a quick run down Jacksonville beach - I'm always on the hunt to find a group of people to train with. So when Lululemon Jacksonville had a Tuesday night run, I am in. All I can say is thank you for the wonderful ladies and gentlemen who welcomed me into a killer 7ish mile run last night. I love meeting new people - specially new people to run with in a town where I am riding solo. Point to this story?

#1. Don't be afraid to train with strangers (good running strangers, not the kind that offer you candy)

#2. Hop online to see if you can find a running group either in your area or an area if you are visiting. You won't regrete it!

'Strangers are just friends you have yet to talk to'

So on my way back to the hotel last night I saw this:

Chipotle and all of it's glory. I love Chipolte. A chicken burrito bowl with black beans, corn salsa, hot salsa and lettuce? Yes please.

We do not have this wonderful establishment in Panama City Beach. So, Mr. Chipotle, if you are reading this, please open one in PCB. I will be there at least once a week.

Happy Wednesday!

So today...

2011-01-18T16:27:00.000-06:00

I signed up for my first tri of the season. The Redhills Triathlon in Tallahassee - which probably has the best swag bag for a sprint race (hello pint glass, water bottle and tech long sleeve shirts).... I know I'm a sucker for a bag full of goodies. I am so excited for this race - and to hopefully not get a DRAFTING PENALTY this year.

Anyway - this will also be my first race being a sponsored athlete for Trinity Multi-Sport! I can't wait to rock out their gear all season. Be sure to check out their site and see their awesome tri gear in wonderful colors. They are also not all about the racing - Trinity Multi-Sport also gives back. They give back to those in need by donating a % of their profits to charitable organizations. SO - not only do you look good while racing in their great gear - but you will also be helping out those in need. Check out their vision statement here

I can think of an awesome QR (aka the princess)these will look great with -

Also, check out KC's blog 140 Point 6 Miles...of Awesome (and is also racing for them this season as well!)- she has a pretty sweet Trinity give-a-way going on!

In non-triathlon news, Big J and I went fishing. And caught nothing. But the water was so blue, it was worth the boat ride :)

Lifting and Triathlons

2011-01-09T17:43:00.000-06:00

So to kick off the new year, big J and I have gym memberships. I see this as an adventure to meet new people at 5am and to also really work on my core and upper body. With any luck I'll have some rocking abs with in the next few months - you know, to get ready for spring break in Panama City Beach. Take that spring breakers :) (hope you read into my sarcasm) Anyway - it's been years since I've ventured into this type of establishment, so thankfully Tawnee was nice enough to answer some of my strength training questions. Check out her blog when you get the chance.

I am really excited to throw this into my training!

I'm slowly getting my racing schedule together for 2011. I have a few races down for sure, but a few more which will be awesome. More to come on that later. ;)

In marathon training news:

We had a great 20 mile run on Saturday morning. We kept a 9:06 avg which I am very excited about for a training run. And our longest run since Ironman. I'm feeling good about hitting my goal for the Tallahassee Marathon in a month!

In laundry news:

Really? How the hell does something like this happen?

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Rest Day = Root Canal Day

2011-01-03T19:16:00.000-06:00

On the schedule today coach put swim or rest day. Since it was 31 when I woke up this morning and the pool is outside - I opted for the rest day. Not to mention we had a 50ish mile week last week. So this girl did not shed any tears - except for my three hour dentist appt. I am blessed with soft teeth (yep, thanks dad). I don't have your normal dentist appts where they clean your teeth, give you a sicker, a toothbrush and say 'see you in 6 months!'. Not me. It's more like 'see you in a few days and thank goodness you have dental insurance'.

So after two root canals today - leaving the office I kind of felt like this:

(not that bad - but you get the gist)

So right now I'm on the couch looking like I had been punched in the face. This isn't my first dance - but all I can say is thank goodness for pain killers.

Happy Monday!

Only in Panama City Beach

2011-01-02T15:05:00.000-06:00

I'm driving this morning to meet Carla and Ron for our run and I saw this:

I literally had to stop and turn my car around to get a photo of this beauty. And what is on the back of the bumper? A large set of 'holiday balls'. Once again - only in Panama City Beach could you this is piece of work. In front of a Waffle House.

Happy Sunday!

whoops...

2011-01-01T17:37:00.000-06:00

Some how I deleted all of the comments from my last six posts....really? How the heck did I do that? Good old blogger - showing me who is boss.

Tumblr - has anyone used it? Thoughts? Feelings?

There are some pretty awesome blogs on Tumbler which I enjoy such as:

Ben Does Life

and

One Twenty Five

Anyway - two posts in about 2 hours. Wow. I need to get off of the computer :)

2010 - it's been fun.

2011-01-01T16:23:00.000-06:00

But I am so ready for 2011. No huge resolutions here - just to sit back and enjoy the ride. Possibly another IM? Maybe some more traveling? Who knows. But I would like to take more time to enjoy the wonderful friends and family that I have in my life. Oh yeah - and work on my diet (more on that to come)

But 2010 was a pretty sweet year. Tri wise - I had two major goals:

* Get under 6 hour on my 70.3 (triple check on that one - I blew that out of the water in Augusta with a 5:17)

* Rock out IMFL under 13 hours (super check on that one as well with a 12:58)

I also made some pretty amazing friends to accomplish these goals with. Somethings you just can't do alone!

Carla, Ron, Myself, and Coach Scott

So to bring in 2011 we had a pretty low key evening - some friends and their sweet 13 month old came over for dinner and wine. Nothing says 'welcome to your 30's' like spending new years with a baby:

Jacob loved the cork

And the main reason for the low key evening? Coach put an 18ish mile run on the schedule for today. After eight miles under our belts - we checked the radar and saw this:

18 miler on the schedule for tomorrow and the rest of the morning was spent chowing down on some wonderful food from Hibiscus. Yummm..

Beans and veggies with soy burger, fruit, and toast - delish

Waffle wonderful - waffles with peanut butter, honey, and fruit.

Now - it's time to hang on the couch and enjoy the crappy weather!

Hope everyone had a great new year!

Inspiration....

2010-12-29T19:21:00.001-06:00

....I think it ran off with my heart rate monitor. If you find either one of them, tell them to get their asses home.

Maybe I drank it away last weekend in St. Louis ;)

White Christmas...

2010-12-24T16:13:00.000-06:00

Well, it's that time of year again. The time of year when I head to one of the best cities in the mid west (St. Louis) and hang out with the coolest family I know (my own!). My whole family is from STL and know all of the ins and outs of what bar has the best music and when. So last night we ended up at Joe's Cafe. It's an artists 'studio' and every Thursday night they have wonderful live music...and it's BYOB (just in case you don't know what that is - bring your own beer...or wine). But it was blast....

my 'little' brother and I

After a fun night of wine and amazing blues music - my mom, dad and I woke up this morning to run the Forest Park Loop. It's an amazing six-ish mile loop that goes around the zoo, skating rink, and so many other amazing areas. I love it. And today was even more amazing - because it SNOWED! And after the run, we headed over to Kaldis Coffee for coffee and a cinnamon roll.

If you are in St. Louis - check out one of Kaldis many coffee houses. They have WONDERFUL coffee and awesome food. And a great family runs all of them as well ;)

Thankfully this Florida girl does not have to drive in this mess!! Hope everyone had a great holiday!!

2010-12-15T06:43:00.000-06:00

I stole this off of One Twenty Five (which is a pretty cool blog, check it out) and I just had to share. Take a moment and read it through. Pretty inspiring. Have a great Wednesday!

Tis the Season - Round 3

2010-12-14T20:11:00.001-06:00

Christmas is just around the corner! So here is one more list of 'hints' for those of you who want to get something special for friend/girlfriend/wife who is addicted to swim/bike/run. They will thank you for it...

For those of you who have stinky, seventh circle of hell, smelling cycling or running shoes - a BOOT WARMER Big J has one and I laughed when he told me to stick the toes of Satan on them so I wouldn't stink up the house. He was right. They'll make those Stinky shoes smell like heaven.

They will make your household so much happier!

An awesome shirt from Peacewithin. Rebbecca is so sweet - and has some wonderful designs. A dear friend of mine, Sue, hooked me up with one awhile ago (see below!). And from then on, most of my friends have received a shirt from this site for their birthday.

Oh yeah, it's nice to add in a bottle of wine as well. :)

Anyone have babies? Well, this is the COOLEST gift for someone with a child or a child on the way! Check out the Trix website. Once again - several of my friends received this box of goodness on their doorstep. Really? How could you go wrong with this? They also have a great selection of tri-related shirts for grown-ups as well.

'Swim - Bike- Run- Drool'

Random Thoughts:

HELLO COLD FRONT! I dont' remember when it was this freaking cold in Florida. I woke up this morning to meet Carla for a 5:30am run and saw this:

Yep, I'm one of those people who check their Iphone as soon as the alarm goes off. Anyway, I run so much better in the cold. But that cold? At 5:30? Layer it up!

Biggest Loser season finale is on. After finally seeing last weeks episode, I just have to say way to go Ada! KILLING that marathon! Even with a 6 minute bathroom break.....when you need to go, you need to go!

Christmas Party - Round one.

2010-12-12T19:03:00.000-06:00

Let the fun begin. Let me begin by saying that this week was complete crap training wise. I was traveling all week (Sunday - Sunday) for work. I got in two pretty killer runs - but cut out the 9 miler and 11 miler that was on schedule. Whoops. There is only so far I can run on a dreadmill - or run in an area that I have no clue where I am. Anyway - this week will be another story.

Office Christmas party was last night. And let me just say that the drive home from Orlando was the LONGEST DRIVE EVER. Lot's of wine consumed + a few random drinks = a good time. Until the next morning. But big J and I are troopers and after several random 'quick naps' at rest stops we where good to go -

The lovely marketing ladies attacking Lance from IT :)

Detox begins tomorrow.

Random Photos:

I really didn't know they still made this stuff!

Really Ikea? But I did try to use it, with no luck.

Away from home

2010-12-10T06:41:00.000-06:00

So I'm traveling for work all week - and man it's hard to get those long runs in! BUT there is a whole paycheck (aka wholefoods) not far from where I am now. I know where I'm going for dinner!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

A run will never....

2010-12-05T09:18:00.000-06:00

So, I stole this off of Ben Does Life. Check out his blog - it's pretty awesome. Anyway - let the marathon training begin!

A run will never cheat on you.
A run will never borrow your car and return it with no gas.
A run will never get drunk and throw up on you.
A run will never text in your face while you tell it a story.
A run will never make you work overtime.
A run will never say it’ll be there and then not show up.
A run will never give you an “our servers are over capacity” error message.
A run will never set a drink on your coffee table without a coaster.
A run will never update its Facebook status telling you how wonderful its spouse is.
A run will never leave the toilet seat up.
A run will never get into the express lane with 25 items.
A run will never read over your shoulder on the subway.
A run will never pronounce it “supposebly.”
A run will never use caps lock.
A run will never deal you a 7 when you have 15.
A run will never leave its Christmas lights up until February.
A run will never put an orange and an apple in your stocking to take up space. (I love you mom.)
A run will never charge you a service fee for paying with credit card.
A run will just be there for you and kick your ass when you need it. And when it does, you will thank it.

Tis The Season...Round 2

2010-11-30T18:35:00.001-06:00

Yep, it's that time again guys. Another round of sweet stuff to get your girlfriend/friend/wife who is addicted to swim/bike/run. Really...they want stuff like this they can use. Trust me.

Betty Designs. Kristen is a graphic designer and does mostly custom kits for triathlons and cycling. But she does have some pretty kick ass items up for purchase on her site. Check it out - I'm crossing my fingers for a few items with skulls and butterflies to be under my tree!!

Signature Adamo Racing Saddle - pretty bad ass

Please Santa! PLEASE! I've been very good this year :)

And for your awesome lady who has completed and Ironman:

140.6 of Awesome. Yep, I have this pull over and love it. It's a perfect thickness for this crazy Florida winter weather we've been having. They also have the t-shirt option as well.

(photo of the back)

And for when you want to say 'I love you' to your Ironlady -

Big Island Jewelers have some amazing pendents and they are very very pretty. In my mind, diamonds totally trumped ink (and there was no way mom was going to get me a tattoo for my 30th birthday!)

Bridal-Plastie. I'm pretty sure this is my new reality show to finally replace Rock of Love. Total train wreck and I love it.

2011 - What to race?

2010-11-27T08:28:00.000-06:00

I'm not a 'holiday hopper' - so right when Thanksgiving is over, I'm able to get into the Christmas mood! (as you can tell by my last post). Anyway - I was finally able to put up or Christmas decorations:

I know - it's not a ton, but it works for us!

I'm working on my race schedule for 2011. Wanting to race some new races as well as staying with a few old ones to see if I can PR. But the one thing that stinks about living in Florida (besides snowbirds and hurricanes) are that all the races are grouped together. There are hardly any races between June and August because it's about 1000000 outside. So here is what I have so far:

Tallahassee Marathon - 2/6/2011 (already signed up for)

Red Hills (Sprint) Tallahassee - 4/9/2011

St. Anthony's (Oly) St. Pete- 5/1/2011

Gulf Coast (70.3) Panama City Beach - 5/7/2011

Augusta (70.3) Augusta - 9/25/2011

Rev 3 (70.3) South Carolina - 10/8/2011

(see what I mean by grouped together)

Not so sure about the Rev 3 - has anyone ever done one of those? I would love to try something new. Plus, Ironman took all of my money at IMFL, I would like to support another 'brand'. :)

Also, I'm sure I'll throw in more local Olys.

Random thoughts:

Yesterday we had a high of 76 with 100% humidity - and today? Well, our house is 55 inside because it's 34 outside right now! Really? REALLY??? Oh yeah, and we left all of the windows and doors open last night. The tile floor was pretty chilly this morning - hence my sweet socks:

I am going to be working on my not so mad cooking skills with all of this extra time I have. So I'm venturing into 'athlete friendly/simple cooking' blogs and web sites. So if you have a fav PLEASE share!

Good luck to everyone who is racing in Cozumel on Sunday!!!!