The Reluctant Triathlete

A Giveaway for you...the Results Show

2010-08-04T14:43:00.000-04:00

For all of your Bachelorette Fans this Giveaway is like this man making this woman the happiest person ever...minus the drama and the making out...oh, and any long-term commitment (oh, wait, I don't think they have those on that show either!).

So, I hope my announcement makes you all just as happy! NEVER in the history of blogging (at least my blog) has this EVER occurred but...I am going to give away a Bibfolio to ALL of those who entered!!

So, send me an email here to make contact and we will work out all of the details.

You are the luckiest blog readers EVER!!!!

A GIVEAWAY JUST FOR YOU!

2010-07-30T10:49:00.000-04:00

The secondary title to this post could be, "I'm losing my giveaway virginity because goodness knows you bloggers out there have too many followers for me to actually win anything."

Okay, so I am not cool enough yet (foreshadowing?) to have companies offer me free stuff to giveaway on my ever-popular blog and I am too poor to really buy anything (mostly because I just used all my extra pennies to buy a new runner for my hallway from Pottery Barn...yummy)

This is on my office floor because the UPS JUST DELIVERED IT LIKE 5 MINUTES AGO!!! It will look much awesomer in my house!!

Anyway, last week or a few days ago, I don't know, I posted a blog about my race bling (check it out if you are a newcomer or chose to ignore the amazing blog I provided for your enjoyment) and the cool bibfolio I made for myself with all of my race bibs. Then providence struck...

TMB over at Racing With Babes gave me this great idea and she didn't even know it!! I am going to giveaway a personalized bibfolio made FOR YOU by ME! So I have like 6 followers so the likelihood of winning may be high...however the point is to increase the number of followers from 6 to, umm..., like 10!

So how to enter is this...

1. Post my giveaway on your blog with a link to mine and leave a comment that you have done so for me.

2. Follow my blog, if you don't already, and leave a comment letting me know how much you LOVE ME!!

What you will have to do if you win is either mail me your bibs, or if you're local we can meet up, and I will take it from there, make an amazing bibfolio and mail or hand-deliver it back to you, my wonderful reader!

You have until Tuesday, August 3rd, at noon to enter (I have to make it a long time to give this amazing news time to penetrate the web =) and the winner will be randomly selected by my co-worker, Lisa, and announced via another awesome blog post on Wednesday, August 4th. PS. By randomly I mean that your comments will be judged on how well you suck up to me and Lisa...and boy, is she a tough character...=)

Enjoy!

Race Bling...I LOVE IT!

2010-07-27T14:47:00.002-04:00

So, I have seen on a few blogs around that there is a challenge out there to show how you display/store your race bling. Well, I am at a slight disadvantage here...My Dad made me the coolest plaque to hold all of my medals but he hasn't given it to me yet...so no display. But I did want to show you a few things I do have completed!

So, I did Augusta 70.3 half-Ironman last year and thus far it has been my biggest race. So I wanted to treat the BLING from that race just a little bit differently from the others. So I made a shadow box with my medal, race number, arm band from transition entry and an awesome piece of artwork made by a Team in Training compatriot and sold as one of her fundraiser projects. This gal is from the Augusta, GA area and is a photographer. So she went out on the bike course and took pictures of some of the memorable vistas on the course...including an old ferris wheel on a farm...SO COOL...Enjoy...

I also am a bit of a pack rat. I never plaed sports as a kid so never got the "Thanks for Participating, Everyone is a winner" trophies. I think it was a void I needed to fill with Medals, Ribbons and T-shirts. So, one of the other pieces of racing memorabilia that I have decided to keep are my race bibs. I saw this super cool webiste that will make you a bibfolio. It is a cover with binder rings that has your name printed on it and a solid background. I REALLY wanted one but they were like $40! So, I decided to make my own. Not only is it like mini-scrapbooking, which I love, but it is very personalized!

See some snaps below!

This is the cover!

I totally ~~swiped~~ borrowed pictures of each of may races. Now, I HATED them all at the time they were shot and this allowed me to realized that they weren't as bad as I thought. I also added the date, distance and race time to each bib along with a corresponding race picture. I got all of the dates and race times from athlinks.com...I'm am not that good that I remember them all! (PS. I am OCD so they are in date order and its fun to see me shrink as the races progress!)

I love that the one for the Muddy Buddy is still MUDDY!

And I especially love this Bib because I met the original Team Hoyt! I LOVE THEIR STORY!!! Click on the link and check it out if you don't know about this remarkable father and son team!

So, what do you do with your bibs?

Man, Life is Tough!!!

2010-07-08T11:43:00.000-04:00

So, I arrived home Monday from a trying and difficult trip to Hawaii. I say that just to make everyone feel better...the only thing trying about it was the time difference and the sun poisoning I got on the first day. Yes, I know...I forgot sunblock at the beach...when you're dumb you've got to be tough...and I sure am tough. Oh, and Poi...I hate Poi. (as you can see above.) Anyway, it was wonderful! We saw active lava flow, old lava (I Love Lava, btw), black sand beaches, snorkelled at night with Manta Rays, went to my old college stomping grounds, the Polynesian Cultural Center and the SWAP MEET! (Its the very best place to buy souveniers while you're in Hawaii. Anywhere else is just a rip-off!)

Anyway, just to rub it in a little more I thought I would include a few more pictures...enjoy...

Some lovely lava on Kona...road covered in May 2010

Gorgeous Black Sand Beach...another form of Lava. See why its so cool?

Its hard to see but this is the still smoking crater of Mt. Kilauea

The official start and finish line of the Kona Ironman Race...One Day...reluctantly...

My college....Go Seasiders!!!

Waikiki!! I do love Oahu...I think it is definitely the prettiest island...granted, I've only been to two of the Hawaiian Islands but Oahu is green and gorgeous...and HOME.

Welcome to my Family...or "Just the Two of Us!"

2010-06-23T13:26:00.000-04:00

So, I have a new love...his name is Neville. I almost named him Angus because if he talked it would definitely be with a Scottish brogue and if he wore clothes he would definitely sport a kilt and an eye patch...but as it is...he is Neville. He is a Sugar Glider (bear) and a marsupial. (BTW, this isn't actually him but he looks just like this only Neville has an annoyed look in his big brown eyes...wishing the giant beast would get her freaking hands out of his cage.) We are working on bonding because he is still a baby and not at all used to humans. So I have to catch him while he is asleep and place him in a pouch. Now your supposed to wear the pouch around, like around your neck or something, but he doesn't like it if his pouch moves or bounces around a lot. So basically Neville lives in my sports bra and really likes being there. (familiar, huh? Most men would...I guess someone might as well enjoy the girls...) Anyway, I love him but he isn't so sure about me...that also sounds familiar...oh no, Neville might be about to break up with me.

Ah-ha...he can't...he's in a CAGE!

That must be the trick to a lasting relationship...duly noted.

I also ran this morning for the first time in over TWO MONTHS!!! And....my hip still hurts. I'm off to the Witch Doctor this afternoon so he can fix it and help me figure out why I'm still broken! AHHHHHH!!!!

Before and After...and After That?

2010-06-02T17:06:00.000-04:00

Wow...I am proud of myself. I am not at all where I want to be but I have come a long way. I was creating an super-awesome bibfolio last week and I wanted to include some race pics...now, if you know me AT ALL you know that I have never taken a flattering race picture or one that I was remotely interested in seeing EVER again. But now that I actually look at them, and I have a buffer of time and weight loss behind me, I can feel a bit better about how they look. None of them were quite as grotesque as I originally thought they were. Although, the size of my face in the first picture is pretty grotesque...That is my super cool sister, Sarah, in that picture with me. She challenged all 3 of her sisters to complete the Ntelos 8K that year and only the chubbiest took her up on it. I am so glad she did and I am so glad I accepted. Thanks, Casper! Anyway, this is just to affirm that I can keep going! My deadline is 27 weeks away...that is less than 2 lbs a week...while steep, it is still within my grasp. My only concern is my inability to run or exercise in a way to actually burn a lot of calories and my inability to avoid McDonald's french fries. Bad Combo! But...the Witch Doctor has granted me permission to swim without the pull bouy, mind you slowly, but to phase the dratted pull bouy out. I will recap my weekend in NYC once my friends upload their pictures!

PS..I do accept tips and/or suggestions
pps...I do realize how many times I used "super" and "..." in this super post...
ppps...I hope I am forgiven for using copyrighted imagery in my post...Steve in a Speedo does it so I will claim ignorance.

Du-Dum,Du-Dum, Du-Dum (menacing music)

2010-05-25T17:01:00.005-04:00

So, the happy, nice me is mostly gone. No wonder I needed two-a-day workouts...the endorphins didn't last too much past lunch...or maybe it was the most obnoxious human beings in the world coming in direct contact with my edorphin-laden self. They then proceeded to suck all of them away by being presumptuous and rude. Or maybe I'm just less patient than I think I am. I just really don't like people taking crap off my desk without asking!!!!!!

Wow, on another note...two posts in one day!?!

Objects in the Mirror are not as Hopeless as they Appear!

2010-05-25T10:35:00.000-04:00

Okay, so if you meet me today you may notice a vast improvement in my attitude today...the sun is up (not quite), the birds are tweeting (somewhere not rainy) and I went swimming this morning. Now before you get all worried that I broke the rules of the Witch Doctor let me assure you that I did not. I used a pull buoy (as seen in image above) to swim for about 45 minutes and let me tell you...those endorphins are humming again. No wonder they say exercise is addicting...hmmmm (sigh of contentment). I also used my new toy today...I had recently purchased an mp3 player for underwater uses. The headphones were little thingys that stuck in your ears...but...when your ears filled up with water as they inevitably do then the sound was blocked out. I was constantly having to stop and adjust them. So I figured it was time to unleash the big dogs. I got on ebay and found my new swimming companion...my SwiMP3 player. So it uses bone conduction to hear the music so it doesn't matter if water gets in your ears. It is WONDERFUL! And I hadn't even thought about it being Tuesday and some of the TNT folks showed up to swim as I was finishing up my workout. It was a twofer!

Anyway, I have to work today AND tonight so if you happen to see me at my place of business this evening and I am asleep on the counter...don't wake me up! I need to catch my "zzzzz's" so I can watch Glee when I get home tonight and still get up to swim again tomorrow. I am even feeling so good that I may or may not have planned a race schedule (that is dependent upon my recovery, of course) but it gives me something to look forward to!

1. July- Rockett's Landing- (this one may be pushing it...we'll see)
2. August- Pink Power Triathlon
3. September- Either Naylor's Beach or Patriots Olympic Tri
4. October- Giant Acorn Tri
5. November- Richmond Suntrust Half-Marathon (if I can't do the full at least I can aim for the half. I've never run the Richmond Half before...so something new...and a medal!)

I hope this isn't too ambitious! =)

Robin Hood...steals brain cells from the intellegent folks who paid to see this crap...

2010-05-24T11:24:00.001-04:00

SPOILER ALERT...Okay, so I know most of you could care less about the historical inaccuracies that Hollywood perpetuates BUT I DO! I cannot believe I paid good money to see a movie that was wrong on so many levels...costuming, architecture and historical happenings...I was so angry I had to catalog all of this for posterity. I mean that is why I have a blog...so I can give my opinion and no one can stop me...but I guess I could bore you to death so you don't have to read it.

1. First of all, King Richard the Lionheart did not die before he returned home from the Crusades. He returned home to England to punish his brother, Prince John, for plotting in his absence. He did not die until 5 years later at the siege of Chalus. It was correctly displayed in the movie except he didn't die on the battlefield of his wound...it was a longer, more drawn-out death of gangrene.

2. Prince John's, later King John, reputation was ruined once Disney got a hold of him and made him a snivelling, thumb-sucking lion...but this movie continued the tradition and made him a stupid, selfish brat. Did John always make the best decisions? No. Did his subjects love him like they loved Richard? No. But he was a much better king that Richard. For the record, Richard only spent a combined time of a FEW MONTHS in England in the 10 years he was King. Not to mention the taxes he raised for his wars and the ransom raised to free him when he was kidnapped. UGH!

3. The French Princess (wasn't actually a princess at all), Isabella, was indeed John's 2nd wife. They married after he put his first wife aside. However, she was 12 when they married...so a lot less romantic than they showed in the movie. Although, granted she was supposed to be a hottie, even at 12.

4. There were no chimneys at the time the movie was set, so the blazing fires in the fireplaces that you can see in the movie are a sham. They would have had a brazier in the middle of the room with a hole in the ceiling for the smoke to escape.

5. KING PHILIP OF FRANCE NEVER INVADED ENGLAND!!! The only time it could be said that he ever came close was when he supported his son, Louis, against John right before John's death. In fact, King Philip of France was said to have once had a relationship with Richard but it did not stop him from conspiring with John to keep Richard from returning to England after the Crusades. Even more interesting, Richard's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine taxed England to raise the ransom to get Richard free from his captivity...John and Philip raised money to pay his kidnapper to keep him. (that's why he is taxing and collecting money in the traditional Robin Hood stories...not because he likes to sleep with bags of money a la Disney).

6. Last but not least, John did in fact sign the magic Charter of Rights that his Baron's laid before him...it's kind of famous, you might have heard of it...it's called the MAGNA CARTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did he try to nullify it, claiming he signed under duress? Yes. Did he sign under duress? Yes. Was it in order to untie the people to keep Philip from invading England. Um....no. Its because he spent so much more time in England, being a better King than Richard, that his Barons rose against him because they weren't used to having someone keep them from raping and pillaging the countryside. It was certainly not to give common people the "Liberty" they claimed was their right...that's a little much like "Braveheart"...whose inaccuracies would comprise an entirely separate post.

I am sure no one is reading this now so I can say whatever I want...so, I will say that history is interesting enough without MAKING IT UP! And two, my friend sent me a link to the pics from the wedding I was in last weekend and I could not have looked fatter or more disgusting. Ugh! =) And finally, I think I really do know way too much about English history for my own good...and yours.

Towelheads and Zoloft

2010-05-21T11:09:00.006-04:00

What do individuals of Middle Eastern descent and one of the markets most popular anti-depressants have in common? Me.

Okay, so I am not a racist and do not really refer to any other peoples/culture in my title. I am literally referring to a person with a towel on their head. DRIVING DOWN 95N at that! And I know it was even more distracting of me to try to take a picture of it but it was just too funny to pass up. In fact, I had to try a few times to get a good shot of her and I am sure she could tell what I was doing. But if you're that late to work that you leave with a towel still on your head then you need to loosen up your schedule a bit. Try waking up, I don't know, 5 seconds earlier.

And I am not YET on Zoloft, but it might be a good idea since I have lost the tiny grip on sanity that running gave me. Seriously, who knew that I was this much of a mess underneath my endorphin-filled training schedule...I AM MISERABLE!!!!! And I am still not running...or cycling..or swimming in any manner that could be construed as actual exercise. It's so bad that I was parking in a full parking deck this week and had to go all the way to the top level. I was sooooo excited just to take the stairs...shhhh...don't tell the Witch Doctor. Speaking of the Witch Doctor, he says I am getting better and has given me corresponding homework...none of which involves breaking a sweat but here's to hoping, right?

And yet again, speaking of the Witch Doctor...I had a bit of a celebrity moment. So, I am laying on the traction contraption at Dr. G's place and I saw someone come in pushing a stroller and trailing small children...I thought she looked familiar. So, in a massive HIPPA violation (shhhh...don't tell the Witch Doctor), I checked the sign-in list and, yes, it was her! So I snuck back and introduced myself and apologized for being stalky but it was TMB!!! It is silly, I know, but it was like a celebrity sighting! I feel like I know her from reading her blog but I didn't at all until today! Woo-hoo! Sorry, TMB for that little invasion of privacy! =)

PS...to all of my 5, yes 5, thank you Jess for the clarification, readers...I would like to announce a fundraiser this evening at the Pour House in Short Pump. Its is for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Team in Training for my training buddy (when I am whole and healthy) Sarah. (Click on her link to donate if you can!) She is an awesome teammate from my Augusta 70.3 team (at this time I would normally link to a race recap like any good blogger would do...but no, I am a bad blogger and never recapped.) Its funny, and not in a good way, that when I got involved with Team in Training I had little to no experiences with Leukemia or Lymphoma in my life but just needed help training for a triathlon. Well, my sister's father-in-law has sinced passed away from Leukemia and a good friend of the family was just diagnosed with Lymphoma this week. And while I don't know yet what her outcome will be, I know that I have done a lot to help already and will continue to do more as soon as I am healthy. TNT isn't just a good way to meet like-minded friends or get prepared for an endurnace event, although it is great for both of those things, it is also making a huge differences to the individuals and families affected by cancers of the blood.

Sorry to end on a down note but that could be the need for Zoloft taking over again! =)

Okay, I know I'm the Worst Blogger Ever...

2010-05-10T12:23:00.004-04:00

Okay, so it has been waaaaay too long for me to be absent from the blogging world and my 3, or is it 4, readers have been missing me and my quippy posts...I will try a recap to catch you up on my last month.

1. So, I have lost enough weight to fit inside of my bridesmaid dress, but would love to lose a smidge more so it would be more comfortable...but since the wedding is Saturday it doesn't look as though that will be happening.

2. I had my first, and possibly only/last race of the year (see later bullet points for explanation although this may be a bit of a dramatic exaggeration). Brooke (of Dr. OZ and amazing weight loss fame) and I (of whining bloggy fame with 3, or maybe 4, readers) did the Muddy Buddy and made team Running our Masses off proud! It was hot, muddy and a lot of fun! Next year we will be super svelte and super fast! Watch out Dirty Birds, Team Hoo-Yah and Mother Daughter Slaughter! We're coming for you!!

3. I am BENCHED! The Witch Doctor said I had to stop running, oh and everything else...FOREVER. No he didn't really say exactly that but that is what I heard! =( I have gone through periods of time in my life without running (ie: all winter and the first 26 years of my life, to name a few) but this last weekend has made me INSANE because I can't. I mean I could if I wanted to ignore sensible doctor recommendations...I could run and it would hurt but I would finish because that's what I do...but I can't! I am trying to be a sensible, sane adult who listens to what educated, medical personnel suggest. So, besides the fact that I just seriously scolded one of my co-workers for daring to open his mouth in my presence, I'm doing okay. (and this is the very nice co-worker who brings me his People magazines after he and his wife finish reading them and had just dropped one on my desk just minutes before I yelled at him! I am a terrible person!!)

I need some Prozac or something....

Having a shower with 30 Women in a very small space...

2010-04-12T16:04:00.002-04:00

Doesn't that title seem promising...but instead of titillating details and salacious gossip, you will get photos of my baked goods! =) I threw a Bridal Shower for my good friend Lacy on Saturday. As the maid of honor it is my job to make sure Lacy has the utmost opportunity to receive awesome gifts and I think it was a job well done. After killing my lawn mower because my grass was waaay too tall, I spent all night Friday night baking for said shower, not even tasting the goods, mind you! Saturday morning I tried to resurrect my lawn mower to no avail and borrowed a neighbors...which then proceeded to quit working...I am down to 1/6th of a lawn left to cut and 2 mowers down for the count...I tried mine again and finally was able to finish. I showered, changed, and finished a little more cleaning and baking to have everything ready as guests started to arrive. Now my house is a fair sized home for one person...it is NOT meant for 30! But we squeezed in, ate and celebrated, watched Lacy open gifts and I got a lovely one in return! I will have to take a picture of it with my new camera (ohhh-ahhhhh) but Lacy gave me the gorgeous necklace I had been oggling at the bridal shop to go with my bridemaid's dress...which I STILL DON'T THINK WILL FIT. I am down 7 lbs from where I was...Yeah...but still have a little ways to go to avoid the back cleavage travesty...and NO! I won't take a picture of that!

2010-04-05T15:06:00.002-04:00

This weekend was WONDERFUL!! I was an active, productive individual...much different from the last 6 months or so! After a hilly but wonderful run, I tried to strip my front porch (not strip ON my front porch but to remove the paint FROM my front porch)...but the stripper did not work (they rarely do unless you pay them well!)...so on to another project! I painted the wardrobe where I keep my TV. It was unpainted wood and I have had the blasted thing since high school and have been meaning to paint it for years...I have included a picture above of the finished project although it has slightly less of an impact since I forgot a "before" shot...

I have also included some pictures of my little spring decor in the house and some mother nature has provided outside. My forsythia were GORGEOUS this year!!! Maybe because this year they were actually mine. I think they didn't want to bloom for a vacant house last year and are just so tickled to be loved and appreciated that they bloomed their little hearts out this year! Ahhhh....did I mention I love spring?

I also dusted off old Petunia (my bike) for our first ride since like November. I don't mean our first ride outdoors, I mean our first ride altogether. I even purchased a bike trainer this year and it sat inside its little box in my office/guest/exercise room for the last 3 months...oops. But it was a beautiful day to ride. The dogwoods and cherry trees were all showing their colors! Warm weather, sun out...SpeeDee and G were great company! You can more of our exploits and gushing compliments of me at their blogs!

As an aside, I had received the gift of a bike fitting for Christmas because Santa knows what Mama needs! They told me that my seat had been like six inches too short and they also extended the space between my handlebars and my seat. I was freaking out a little when I got on but the back didn't hurt and the knees didn't hurt...WONDERFUL! But I'm still afraid to stop and unclip, or unclip and stop, without falling.

Oh Dear!

2010-03-19T10:11:00.002-04:00

I will not regail you all with the stories of my recent woes as many of you have heard them time and time again...sorry! But suffice to say I was in Vegas (with my lovely shoes which served me well as long as I stayed inside because it was too cold for sandals...boo) and then trapped in an airport for two days because an unnamed AMERICAN airline decided to OVERBOOK EVERYFLIGHT KNOWN TO MAN by WAAAAY TO MANY PEOPLE! Anyway, with my rant completed...those morons sent me a survey for my flight experience...I think they must have not meant to send it to me, they couldn't possibly have realized that I would rather die than fly on their airplanes again...well, not actually because that would be silly and over-dramatic and I would fly on their airplanes the minute I was given FREE VOUCHERS!

This week has been a melange of exhaustion, emotional distress and all kinds of craziness and I am just VERY excited to sleep this weekend and start over again next week. Sorry for so short and whiny a post.

Blisters, Bad Decisions and Las Vegas

2010-03-04T08:56:00.005-05:00

The title might fool you into thinking that something happened in Vegas that should stay in Vegas and may have caused blisters...maybe I should just leave it there and let you think the worst for a little while...

No, actually the title is composed of 3 different subject matters that I have combined into one post...and I might throw a few more in for fun but didn't want the title to be too wordy.

BLISTERS: So, I didn't mention it because I haven't blogged lately, but I bought new running shoes earlier this week after mine were TOAST on Monday night. I also invested in a pair of Nike capri's that were on sale at the running store. Of course, they seem to ALWAYS be out of my size and I have to wait for new ones to come in but this time I CAN'T because I am going to Las Vegas- more on this later. So I asked what would be similar...so of course they bring out a shoe that is "basically the same" as my other shoe, only more expensive. This is the Nimbus (which makes me feel like I'm flying...on a BROOM) versus the Cumulus (which is like floating on a cloud, I guess, but I just wish the cloud would move faster so I wouldn't have to work so hard!). Anyway, took the Nimbus' out for a spin this morning on my Seal Team PT run option bright and early this AM. I was feeling good, legs a little tired from the week's exertions so far, but feeling good. By the end of the run I am sporting blisters all over my feet. Now for those of you who run with me you may remember a number of years ago I was plagued by blisters until through no change or effort of my own just stopped appearing. I hope this is not a reappearance of the plague. Most of you would not be shocked to hear that a new shoe would cause a blister but to me it is a mystery that I need to solve. First of all, the brand is the same and its just a more expensive version of the shoe I have ALWAYS worn. My socks are about 50 years old and I have run in them hundreds of times, so it is not that. My feet are the same old feet, may gait is the same old hip-shaking gait...and to top it all off...I was wearing my own orthodic inserts in my shoe so its not the insole. Someone please explain. I wonder if Harry's Nimbus 2000 gave him blisters???

BAD DECISIONS: I received my shoes that I blogged about in a previous post and I wish I had ordered some in different colors. Don't you hate that? So not only can I not wear them until I decide, but then it will take forever to return them and get the new ones in...blah!

LAS VEGAS: Woo-hoo! So, I am not the hugest proponent of Las Vegas. I went once before and enjoyed myself, mostly because of my friends vs. the fact that we were in Vegas. I thought it was a bit dirty and waaaaaay to sleezy. I mean, come on, we're walking down the street and a porn bus stops to pick up passengers. Really? So now you can commute to work and "take care of business" at the same time (which is definitely a euphemism) saving time as well as going green. NICE. Anyway, my conference for work was moved from Boca Raton to Vegas to save money. I was not that excited until I saw the pictures of my hotel! I am going to be in heaven. (see above picture for a view of the lobby) There is a flat screen TV in the bathroom over the soaking tub! Ugh! Wonderful! And I get to see Cirque de Soleil's LOVE show...I LOVE the Beatles! And finally, so awesome friends from Hawaii and some good ole ONO grindz (Ono means "good" in Hawaii and grindz means "food") from L&L's! I am one happy cookie despite Blisters and Bad Decisions!!

Don't You Need New Shoes to Spring Forward? I DO!!

2010-02-22T16:34:00.006-05:00

As for adding "spring to my step," I KNOW the Nike Air insoles help...=)

Hello, followers of five...I need your help...spring has come again and I am without shoes for the season. I have selected a few but I need to wheedle it down to a maximum of 4...so I need your opinions...I love the bags but I just don't think I can afford one right now.

So take a look at the pictures at the top, follow along from left to right then top to bottom...choice number one is:

ELLY: This is a great shoe for everything. Sort of a dressed up flip flop, with shorts and skirts, casual but comfortable. This woodbury color is FANTASTIC!

JOCELYN SANDAL: THIS IS HOT!!!! I freaking love these shoes. They are good for work and casual. This color is great on this shoe!

JOCELYN WEDGE: This is a cute shoe, dressy or casual, and comfy too!

GWALTNEY: This shoe will come out in a Gunmetal Silver, and that is the color I want. It is different from ANYTHING that I have ever owned and would be a leap out of the box. Silver is the new neutral but am I that brave? will it be as versatile as some of the others?

HALSLEY: I would want this one in black. Last spring/summer I had a black flat sandal and a bronze flat sandal that I wore TO DEATH with EVERYTHING. This would be this year's black sandal since the one from last year ended up in pieces...actually, I wore the for two years...so maybe not that bad...

PHOEBE: This would be the new bronze sandal from description above. I really love the way this shoe looks, great neutral but the gold adds pizazz...

and last but not least...

VERONA: This shoe is reminiscent of a shoe I bought YEARS ago at nordstrom's for $30 on their sale rack. It went with EVERYTHING and was the perfect work shoe...

I need your help! I know, choosing which awesome shoes to buy isn't the same as saving starving children or victims of a natural disaster...in fact, this is a great problem to have...but it is still a problem...keep in mind, these shoes do not cost a lot and they are all within $5-7 of eachother so don't let that sway your opinion.

Is it Overkill?

2010-02-18T14:19:00.004-05:00

Sorry to blog sooooo much about sharks but my friend, you know who you are, Dahling, sent me the funniest thing today and I thought I would share it with my loving audience! Enjoy it is FREAKING HILARIOUS! And for those of you who might accompany me to the beach....watch out...I am armed and a fast swimmer!

How to Survive a Shark Attack

1. Don't Swim in the Sea:

Over 99% of shark attacks occur in large water masses, also known as oceans. The way to establish if you are in an ocean is to taste the water, it will taste salty.

2. Swim with Fat People:

Always make sure that there are fat people already in the water before you enter. Chances are you will be able to swim faster than them and save yourself.

3. Don't go into the Water Without a Knife:

That's to stab the nearest swimmer when you see a shark. As soon as he/she bleeds profusely swim as fast as you can to shore and claim you tried your best to save him/her. You might end up getting an award for bravery.

4. Listen Intently:

All sharks have a "theme song"- If you hear the following swim for your life: Da-dum, Da-dum, Da-dum, then swim for your life. If it sounds like this: dadum, dadum, dadum, you're already gone.

5. Don't Panic:

Stay calm when a shark bites you, it's over. You're gone and it doesn't help you to try and survive. The people on the shore will appreciate it. They don't want to hear your mad yelling and screaming, it's not nice. Please think of the children.

Graduation Day for ME!

2010-02-09T10:54:00.000-05:00

Okay, 2 things...

1. I have doubled the number of followers from 2 to 4! Woo-hoo! If my avid readers would spread the word and progress my plan for World Domination I will consider a giveaway!! =)

2. I have graduated. Now I know this is not a big deal in the scheme of the world but boy did it make me happy! =) I was merrily swimming along (and by merrily I mean swimming as hard as I could to leave the other guys in my bubbles) in the slowest lane of the Masters Swim Class at the "Y" (Now for the record, the class is full of triathletes (and I mean realer triathletes than me) and really fast swimmers so I had safely placed myself and my ego in the slowest lane) when the coach stopped me mid-exercise. She said, "Next week I think you should swim over here in the next lane." I said, but they are faster than me! She said, "You're in between though and you've lapped this guy twice already." I felt great and a little scared! Those people are faster than me and I don't like being lapped so this will make me push harder and faster. While that will inevitably make me a better swimmer it will also make me hurt a bit more and that scares me...what if I fail out of the 2nd slowest lane and they send me back to slowest lane-dom?

And also...I feel like the slowest lane guys will think I am putting on airs or think I'm too good for the slowest lane. Any suggestions on master's swim class lane graduation etiquette??

Wetsuit + Ocean = SHARKBAIT!

2010-02-04T15:50:00.000-05:00

So, I really do have to apologize for posting twice in one day but my avid followers will want to know the breaking news...a kind and gentle kitesurfer was SURROUNDED by a group of sharks and fatally attacked. The Sharks in question are NOT of the Puerto Rican variety often found in the 60's on the streets of New York singing and dancing...no...these are the great white, cold-blooded variety that desire man-flesh above all else.

Now, I know what some of you will say...he was alone, it is a rare occurance, blah blah blah blah!! All it take is one (or a whole pack of) sharks to decide that you might be the next best thing since beef jerky! So what would make a group of sharks swarm and molest this young man with their razor-sharp teeth? The article suggests that perhaps they are juvenile sharks and didn't know that the lycra-clad man was not an appetizer...is that supposed to make me feel better???? New sharks are born every single year which means there is always a fresh crop of juvenile sharks...and this, my friends, is why I do not participate in triathlons with ocean swims...or any ocean swimming as a matter of principle. (This freaks me out WAAAAAY more than the possiblity of alligators in Augusta!)

A GIVEAWAY!

2010-02-04T10:29:00.000-05:00

I have become OCD with Giveaway's lately because I have been religiously following my Google reader account. So...I really want to win SOMETHING! And I think I would really enjoy this particular prize. So go and check out the giveaway at Racing with Babes, or not because then I have more chances to win...=) Doesn't that sound just like me?

My Life According to UrbanDictionary.com

2010-02-03T14:16:00.000-05:00

So the newest silly thing to do on Facebook is to look up the definition of your name on UrbanDictionary.com (go ahead, try it!) and post a sample definition for yourself. Good gracious...some people seem to know some very nice, and apparently super hot, Emily's out there! Here are a few examples:

1. slang term for a highly attractive and sexually intriguing individual.
ie: she drives me crazy, she's such an Emily.
2. The cutest girl you can ever meet. Most emily's have the most beautiful eyes which if stared in to long you may lose track of time. They also have the nicest body and the cutest smile. Emily's are the cutest most beautiful girls you may ever get to know. If you know an emily then you are considered lucky they will never leave you and is always there for you and you can trust them no matter what. If you date an emily never let them go, they will be your best friend for life no matter what through thick or thin.
Guy1: is that a super model
Guy2: no thats just emily
3. ...the thing is there's just really no way to define Emily. When you know her you understand how amazing she is and you will never want to be without her.
Emily. 'Nuff said.

So basically I find I am so awesome that I am undefinable...Wow, they have a lot of nice things to say about us. So then I decided to look up Emily Richardson to see what they say about me as a whole...and while there was no definition OF me there was a definition posted BY me (well, some Emily Richardson in the world which is weird and freaks me out that there are more...but there are!) and it is this:

LOCE:
Meaning you love someone but you love them more than the word love. You say this to people who are always there for you and always make your happy
I Loce blake more than anyone ever could. (hmmm...I wonder who Blake is...obviously SO important to me I couldn't capitalized his name properly.)

I also googled my name, which is always weird to see your name in print for things you don't know anything about and apparently I am a dead lesbian from somewhere out west and I died in a car accident with my girlfriend, Emily. (Wow, two Emily's are even better than one!) So while there is nothing wrong with being a lesbian, if thats what one decides, there is something distinctly wrong with being dead. So I want to state for the record that I LOCE being alive! I LOCE it even more than I LOCE Blake!! Enjoy!

C-A-T-A-S-T-R-O-P-H-E

2010-01-29T10:32:00.000-05:00

(The title is from Cold Mountain, imagine it being spelled out in a very bad mountain accent by Renee Zellweger.)

So, Richmond is in an UPROAR! With 12-15 inches of snow predicted we have all gone INSANE! I beg pardon for posting an article instead of the witty, original material you have come to expect from your author (haha), however this article REALLY describes Richmonders. Besides, I don't have time to write something original...I have to go to the grocery store AGAIN!

Enjoy!

http://www2.richmond.com/content/2010/jan/27/snow-coming/
Snow is Coming!
Karri Peifer

Published: January 27, 2010
According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch and every meteorologist in town, Richmond is going to get a nice snowfall this weekend … up to a foot, some people say. The snow is supposed to start as early as Friday afternoon and continue into Saturday.
In case you're new to Richmond, let me tell you how we do it here.
Someone somewhere says snow is coming to Central Virginia.
We Richmonders start paying attention.
Someone says it's coming to Richmond.
We Richmonders really start paying attention.
Someone brandishes the word "accumulation."
Done. Finished. Over. We who call Richmond home all-out lose our minds. In the case of this snow, it happens like this:
Tuesday morning: The word "accumulation" is used.
Tuesday afternoon: Accumulation confirmed. All weekend plans put on stand-by or out-right canceled.
Tuesday evening: First trip to supermarket for bread, milk, wine, beer and cookie dough.
Wednesday morning / afternoon: Calls around town for sleds begin (for the record, Richmond.com is one step ahead. No one has them; Pleasant's is expecting a shipment on Friday).
Wednesday evening: Local news does a story about the run on supermarkets for bread and milk. Second trip to supermarket for extra bread and milk, plus frozen pizzas and non-perishables, because you never know.
Thursday morning / afternoon: Spend workday obsessively checking the forecast. More calls for sleds. Search online for sleds, but decide against them because you can't believe how much sleds actually cost.
Thursday evening: Meet friends out for drinks or dinner because you never know when you'll get out again. Realize you forgot to buy bagels. How could you forget bagels? Third trip to supermarket.
Friday morning: Alternate staring out window for snow and consulting forecast for exact snow start time. Cancel the rest of weekend plans.
Friday afternoon: Weather.com reports that it is snowing in your area. Run to window. Spend at least one hour yelling at weather.com because it is clearly not snowing. Ask boss about company inclement weather policy. Complain about said policy. Wait an hour; ask boss if company is closing early.
Friday evening: Fourth trip to supermarket on the way home for last-minute necessities, like chocolate and fancy hot cocoa. Alternate staring out window and watching local news for exact snow start time. Watch the Closings scroll to see if your work is closed on Monday, because you never know.
Friday night: Snow finally begins. Call/text all of your friends and family to see if it's snowing in their area and to make sure they're OK in the storm. Update Facebook status to reflect snowfall in case you missed anyone. Order pizza so you don't have to break into rations too soon.
Saturday morning: Marvel at snowfall. Fling pets / children into the snow so they can marvel and so you have pictures for your Facebook page.
Saturday afternoon: Drive or trudge to nearest hill and attempt to sled on a cookie sheet/shower curtain/trashcan lid/pool float.
Saturday evening: Meet friends for out for drinks or dinner to celebrate snow.
Sunday: Eat leftover pizza and stare out window, watching snow melt. Obsessively watch Closings list. Feel happy when the county you once lived in announces closing and then sad because you never became a teacher and now you have to go out, clean off the car and then go to work tomorrow. Plus you've got all that bread and milk to eat.

Rain, Rain...Go AWAY! No wait!

2010-01-25T09:34:00.000-05:00

So it is a dreary, rainy day. And while that usually gets me down...I have to appreciate the fact that it is WARM! I put my coat on this morning to leave the house and took it off right away! Its late January and feels like April. So, I know I shouldn't get my hopes up. Virginia is full of all types of false seasons ie: years of winter with no snow, Indian Summers that skip Fall entirely and move on to Winter and worst of all...the False Spring. I am one of those people that prefer to hibernate in Winter wishing and hoping for better weather so when we get these little spells I always hope that daggone groundhog will not come out looking for his shadow but will come out of his den carrying a beach chair and sunscreen and then we will all frolick in the sun...please let this be it. Groundhog Day is next week...someone send that rodent some Banana Boat! Pretty Please!?!

2009 and early 2010 in Recap

2010-01-19T15:17:00.000-05:00

Wow, so it has been FOR-EV-ER since I blogged last and that is absolutely ridiculous. The last you heard from me I was pre-Half-Ironman and for all of my followers out there (haha) I could have perished via gator attack in the Savannah River for all you know! I did actually survive the race and finished tenth in my division...of eighteen (but who is counting?). And that is where I have taken one very long pause...not just in blogging but in everything really. I have been working and getting by and that sounds pathetic...so I have decided to say that I have been hibernating for the winter. (Which would also explain the layer of warmth-inducing chub around my behind) But there have been a few menion-worthy happenings in my life and I thought I would catch you up.

Well, actually nothing very interesting did happen. I have acquired a few addictions though...

I turned 29 (GASP!) and am now resolutely facing 30 with a goal of 48lbs to lose by December 1st (it was 52 so I have moved a smidge). Ideally, I could lose it like the Biggest Loser, a current obsession) in 7 weeks and be done with it. But I do not have Bob and Gillian and I cannot work out 7 hours a day. One must do what one must do. So it is on to skinnier pastures!

I got a part-time, holiday job at Cole Haan and have developed an adoring love for fine leather goods of all shapes and sizes. As if I needed to buy anything more, and it took me 3 paychecks to catch up to what I had already spent on clothes to work there and shoes to wear...but this will be the Spring of the Handbag...I am allowing myself one...or two...but have to be very, very careful in my selections...there may be a voting blog on this to come where you will be allowed to weigh in on my purse purchase.

I love my DVR...need I say more? With good friends waiting on me, like Biggest Loser, American Idol, Project Runway, INTERVENTION and even re-runs of Glee and NO TIME TO WATCH I am getting in a desperate way! =)

So now I am working on refinding my healthy obsessions (like exercise...) and meshing them in a healthy way with my less-healthy obsessions (fresh television options in the privacy of my own home and at my own convenience) and become a BALANCED person.

PS...so to tie this into triathlons somehow I will note that I had a bike fitting on Saturday with Pedal Power in Mechanicsville (great!) and am getting aerobars installed TODAY! Woo-hoo!

Summer is wrapping up

2009-09-04T12:06:00.000-04:00

Wow, I cannot believe how long it has been since I wrote anything...I have been enjoying my new house and only wish I could have TV to watch and that I could spend more time there. I have gotten pretty high in my cycling mileage and my running mileage as the race is in a little more than 3 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am prettysure I'll die. I have a shorter race before Augusta. I am doing the Patriot's Olympic Distance in Williamsburg, which will be the longest triathlon I have ever done (but only for 2 weeks).

I sprained my ankle last month and was unable to start my pole dancing class, so it should be coming up the week before my big race and I am EXCITED!

What else is new...um...I have been housesitting a lot lately and have a few more planned this month! "For what?" you may ask...well, I am going to NYC at the end of October. I went in October of last year...is this becoming a tradition? I will be going with 2 people who have never been before, which is REALLY exciting. Its such an amazing city and my reaction to it is always physical. It will be cool to see them both take it all in. AND we are going to see Phantom of the Opera. I saw it the 1st time I went but they have never seen it onstage! Exciting!

What else...hmmmmm...I am really tired.

MY NEW HOUSE!!!

2009-06-10T17:05:00.000-04:00

I have done it! I have moved in to my new house! I spent my third night there last night and I haven't been scared yet. It does not really seem like my house yet, well, not home at least. Its been a bit crazy! PS. I went to Braod Appetite on Sunday. It was the second time we have had the festival in Richmond and it was FANTASTIC! What a great thing for Richmond! And what yummy food! I will have to say Mosaic's Shrimp and Grits was delish as well as the 2 dishes I had from the Cous Cous booth...MMMM MMMM Good!

I have started Seal Team back up again and my Team in Training training will have to start working its way back into my schedule...GULP! It is a little intimidating what I have gotten myself into. I started Sportsbackers Marathon Training Team as well (GO PINK NATION!!) and I think I have lost my mind. I have also decided that low carb diets DO NOT work when you are trying to run. I was working really hard on Sunday to beat this girl I was running with. She caught up to me at like mile 1.5 of a 4 mile run. My goal was to kick her butt...It was only 4 miles and I thought I would DIE! (Not the first time I thought a diet would kill me) But anyway, I only barely beat her and thats b/c I had to sprint the last few meters just to win. WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO? And Coach Blair says we should not race each run, we should go out for easy runs...does he know me? Hee hee?

I am off this evening for an exciting night of grocery shopping, running shoe shopping and and hour or so of POLE DANCING CLASS! Wish me luck! Woo-hoo! PS....I love how in the little clipart pic I found there is even a silouette of her nipples. I won't be dancing topless though! =)

Check out my inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBWNaJdzovI

Homeowners woes...=)

2009-05-04T15:41:00.000-04:00

So, you think its a bit early in the homeowning process for me to have a title like that, huh? Haha...if I had a dollar for everytime someone (namely my father) said, thats what owning a home is about...I would have enough to pay to refinish the hardwood floors! =)

Knowing that I am anticipating a small windfall from Uncle Sam (thanks, Obama, for the 1st time homebuyer tax credit!), I applied for a credit card at Home Depot to get the supplies I need for home repairs. With no payments or interest for 6 months it gives me plenty of time to file my taxes and get my money, right? So crazy Home Depot gave me an insane credit limit...do these people even look at your salary these days?...and I have spent a quarter of it. I have lived relatively cheaply my whole life...my largest purchases consisting of my house and my car...and no huge shopping sprees. I thought I would pass out at the register when it came time to pay out the nose for my purchases...and my father said, "That's what owning a home is all about!"

An it turns out he is right...my floors need refinishing...my walls are coated in layer upon layer of wall paper and my time is not my own. My training and meager social life has fallen by the wayside...I am hoping at least I get to move in before I have to make my first housepayment...=)

TRI Season Strikes Again!!!

2009-04-14T11:19:00.000-04:00

Its that time...time to get the wetsuit out, dust off the bike from its winter perch in the garage (real triathletes have been riding all winter...not me!), dig through the drawer for the googles and the swim cap...pay an arm and a leg for all of your upcoming race entries...and TRI season begins.

This year is particularly crucial for little, ole me. Last year my mantra came from the book, "The Short, Fat Triathlete," a sort of "Just finish it!" plan...this year...I want to go big! I (and a bunch of awesome folks) have signed up for the Augusta Half-Ironman! 70.3 miles of river current, scenic countryside and city pavement in the Georgia heat in September. My goodness! I am scared out of my wits...I am excited however that I am going to get a really big medal when I finish and its the inaugural race...so thats cool too! If I survive I will make it an annual thing, maybe...maybe not....maybe I will just get through it "short, fat triathlete" style.

But...I also am fundraising...(shameless plug) so please follow my training on my team in training website...=) http://pages.teamintraining.org/va/Augusta08/ladyem.

And I am buying a house...next week I hope!!! I am supposed to close on Tuesday at which point I am cut-off from signing up for races as I will be poor!

Oh Dear...SECRETS...

2008-11-24T15:38:00.000-05:00

So my new favorite website is called postsecrets.com. It is a blog kept by this guy where people decorate postcards and write their secrets on them and send them in anonymously. He publishes them on his blog and in his books. People even make "secret postcards" and take them to the bookstore and hide them in his books. I have to say the thought of it is pretty cathartic. But I am not that artistic...so, on his blog on myspace people post their phone numbers to receive texts...and I just texted a secret to someone random. It was cathartic. I have inserted an interesting one from the website here. They have lots, some are naughty, some are confessions to crimes and some are just silly...I will post one here...my friends and I do exercise videos at work and booby trap the room so no one can get in and catch us belly dancing or hula-ing =) Or I could say that I took a pole dancing/exotic dance class and may take some more...but I have already told everyone both of these secrets. I just think I am not a very secretive person. I can keep yours, but somehow I don't keep my own. Whenever someone compliments me on my new Dolce & Gabbana purse, I should just smile and accept the compliment...no, I say, "Thanks, I bought it for $25 bucks in NYC. IT'S A FAKE!! =) Oh well...

The last CRAZY, Nutty straw!!!

2008-10-29T10:34:00.000-04:00

It is definite...I have lost my mind and I may never get it back...GULP...I officially signed up yesterday for the the Augusta 2009 Half-Ironman event. It is an innaugural event and has a really cute logo which may or may not end up tattooed somewhere on my body because this is the closest I will probably ever come to an Ironman. I have decided I will tell people that i have signed up for an Ironman series race...then I just sound like a BAD A...

(A bit of self-relection) I think I am just in a place with my life that I am, well, scared to freaking death about some of the BIG decisions I am making and aiming toward and this is a HUGE one! So, I just have to strap on my Devil may Care attitude and get on with it!! This is the equivalent of skydiving for me or a 42 year old man buying a Ferrari...***CRISIS TIME***

Anyway, in the future...just a warning...I will be soliciting funds from all of my friends and family and all of the wonderful followers of my blog because the training program is through Team in Training (TNT) with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society to raise money for education and research to cure cancer...so you have no excuses...you have all been warned...start saving now too...I have to raise $3000.00. I have started sweating already...

The TNT coach sent this video out, which to any normal person would have served as a warning to stay far away from triathlons as physically possible...but for us that are already infected it really kind of just makes you feel a little inspired and a little tempted to join in the fun...I mean crawl...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRB1p89k7_I

****I also would like to add...If I am dragged into this by one Holly McFeely, et al then I would like to repay the kindness!! I dragged Ms. Dee Shackford into it with me! Sucker! She signed up last night after I wined and dined her over a candlelight dinner...well, maybe she wined and dined me and it was only in candlelight b/c the power was out...well, anyway...we are gonna have a great little training team!! Woo-HOO!!

Small Town Gal in the BIG CITY!!

2008-10-23T15:14:00.000-04:00

HAHA! One thing I know for sure about myself is that deep, deep down...Yankees are just plain mean =)...now don't get me wrong, some of y'all are wonderful, caring people...but sometimes y'all approach innocent people on the subway and harass them about their dissatisfaction with your nose...which to be honest that said innocent southerner had not even noticed in the first place! Also, just b/c I am carrying a pen and a piece of paper does not mean I am an employee of the establishment in which I am located...generally speaking I am just a person carrying a pen and a piece of paper...but DON'T make fun of my accent when despite your assumption, I try to help you...ungrateful wretches...on a happier note...

I REALLY ENJOYED NEW YORK CITY!! I love musicals...enjoyed GYPSY starring Patty Lupone very much (if you don't know who she is she was Corky's mom in Life Goes On) and I also saw Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame exiting from a theater in which he performs...and umm...he is very, very short. Also...one of the coolest places in Christendom (although it is arguable whether or not NYC is included in Christendom...) but its called Ellen's Stardust Diner in the Theater District. The waitstaff consists of aspiring Broadway stars and they perform while serving your milkshakes and french fries! I AM SUCH A BROADWAY NERD AND I DON'T CARE!

I will not go into the plentiful and stressful pitfalls surrounding the place we were intending to stay, needless to say it did not work out and we ended up staying at the Hilton...Hello, Paris! As if I want to add to her income at all...(I have also determined the real source of their fortune...the kit-kat bar I so desperately needed after a stressful day was $5.00 in the mini bar...utter insanity) But the hotel was beautiful...and it was only one of the fantastic experiences I had in New York. We dined at the Bull and Bear Club at the Waldorf Astoria and the Tavern on the Green in Central Park. We had the hugest sandwiches ever at the Carnegie Deli with Dan G (who is the coolest New Yorker because he didn't make fun of me and my statue of liberty picture) and took a Carriage Ride in Central Park in the evening. Colin and I did the Brooklyn Bridge Boot Camp, which was pretty daggone tough...and Brooklyn is really far away from Uptown...especially at 5:30 am...Kelly needed to catch up on her beauty sleep...we also ran a few miles in Central Park despite the fact that it was 12 degrees outside and I even found some grits for breakfast...see, there is true culture north of the Mason Dixon Line...very small pockets of culture...

I cannot even describe the very beautiful, and very FAKE, Dolce and Gabbana bag I bought...LOVE IT!! And the many harrowing cab rides and subway experiences..."Hey guys, are we going the right way?" But the whole weekend was summed up by the luxurious LIMO ride to the airport...even though we didn't touch anything cuz we didn't know if the sodas were included and we didn't want to pay extra...=)

And Finally...I would just like to share with everyone the realization I had when passing by the Dakota Building on a double decker bus (the apartment building on Central Park in front of which John Lennon was assassinated on December 8th, 1980 by David Mark Chapman) that John and I were alive on the Earth together for 8 days...I do not think it is a coincidence that the Beatles had a fantastic song "Eight Days a Week" I now understand that in a premonitory vision John and Paul wrote it about the special connection I have with John Lennon.

Oh, one last thing...I have also decided how unfair it is that life cannot be a musical. Why does society have to judge people who break into song and dance when the moment simply calls for it...and by "the moment" I, of course, mean "any and EVERY moment!" Eight days a week, I looooooove you, eight days a week, is not enough to show I care!...(insert frantic jazz hands here!!)

Time to be an Adult

2008-09-30T12:06:00.001-04:00

Ewwwww...it sounds so creepy! But I think it is time for me to officially be a grown-up. I don't want to (I whine) but I have really come to the decision that no one is going to swoop down and give me millions of dollars to live the carefree life I have chosen for myself...so...

Now, this is not an invitation for "my readers" (all two of you) to correct me when you see me being irresponsible...

I am a Swingset Wooser!!

2008-09-18T15:19:00.000-04:00

Okay, the title has a story behind it but it should suffice to say its a family joke. It basically is just saying I'm a Loser w/out saying it so openly that Dee will berate me for self-destructive talk. =) But this is a good type of being loosery, I hope. I have signed up for a super cool website called www.CalorieKing.com. It's brilliant! I have never been a calorie counter before and actually generally abhor the practice (that is until I get sucked in my this spectacular website)! You use it to track all calories going in (eating) minus all calories going out (exercising) and hope that the outcome of which is your daily target +/- 100 Calories. It's tough!! But encouraging.

I actually used this website to encourage me to get out of the bed this morning to go to Seal Team. Picture this: The alarm goes off at 4:30am, I get up to relieve myself, decide I am cold and tired and climb back into the bed after disabling my second alarm. I laid there trying to go back to sleep and all the while all I can think of is the fact that I am supposed to get delicious Thai food this evening with my good friend, Vanessa...and that extra 780 calories (earned by running for an hour) would sure make that experience soooo much more enjoyable. So...I got out of bed and ran! It was tough but this is the first time at a Seal Team Run Option that I almost got to 6 miles in 55 min. All I needed was 0.3 miles faster! Next time!!!

I also have discovered that no matter what I do, I will never burn in Hell b/c it actually has frozen over! I know, Crazy! Someone tell the Pope! How do I come to have this insider information? Well, I came home Tuesday evening, from a long, hard day at work. I was minding my own business when I was asked by my father to assist him in a grand endeavor. He wanted me to proof read a couple of things he said. He was building HIS OWN WEBSITE!!! This is the man who doesn't know how to check his e-mail or that he even has e-mail! I was so proud of him!

Well, That's all I have for today folks...

10 Year Reunion!!

2008-09-15T12:20:00.000-04:00

This is the year for 10 year reunions, is't it? I am supposed to have my High School reunion for good old Atlee High School class of 1998, but we haven't heard anything about it except maybe meeting at a bar downtown. How lame is that? What do you think we elected our class president for except this? This is the culmination of 11 years of supporting our class presidency and THIS is ALL we get? Blah!! Lame-O!!!

Second reunion- 10 years of Seal Team PT...well, its only my 2 year reunion, but they have been around for 10. We had a super fun, 2 hour workout at Belle Isle Saturday...I thought I would die after the first hour but was able to maintain...it was great!!! Then we had a super fun bash at the posh Westwood Club in Richmond, Va...we are moving up in the world...=)

Okay, so I put a contract on a house last week. I really liked it, but the counter-offered and I freaked out and walked away. I think being grown up and making a bad decision and having to live with it scares me. Luckily, my slaes manager gave me some great advice about this house in particular and the deal we offered that made me question my decision. I am still looking but my commitment issues might actually cripple me in this circumstance. I also need to make more money...any suggestions?

Upcoming Challenges...Utter Insanity

2008-08-27T14:58:00.000-04:00

So, despite the melange of injuries plaguing my poor self, I have a Half Marathon to run this weekend in Virginia Beach. It's Rock'N'Roll time again and I am just so glad that they changed the course to make it a little more reasonable. Last year the last 3 miles were on the blazing hot boardwalk with no shade and with the finish line visible but you would never, ever get to it...It was a mirage! So, this year, they changed it around a little bit so it is only about a mile on the actual boardwalk...Yeah! Thank goodness for small miracles.

Now the big trouble is finding a restaurant to hold the 17+ group that needs to Carbo Load the night before! Pasta!! YUMMY!!!

I survived my first jumping lesson in like 14 years!! I didn't fall off and I didn't totally suck either...I also got a little lovin' from Cruise, the horse that Colin rode. I am riding Smartie, Ellen Miles' Horse. And I am super grateful for her impromptu lesson! See pictures above!

I also would like to put in writing the fact that I have made a commitment to my friend Lacy (sorry Dee, I totally am failing our Oct 14th deadline) but I need to be a minimum of 1 dress size lower by Christmas party dress time this year...I am hoping for 2...but we'll see!! I am still 50 lbs off from my dream, perfect, wonderful goal weight...so...I will have to take it a week at a time. I am weighing in at Weight Watchers on Fridays at noon. I am requiring myself to Log-in here and blog the results. Maybe if the whole world can see when I can't put the fork down then I will learn some self control. I have actually done really well this week! I am very proud of me!

Dating Websites and other nonsense

2008-08-19T11:42:00.000-04:00

So, referring back to the last post where I was dumped, haha...I thought I would use a riding reference here and say that I am determined to get back on the horse...figuratively speaking, of course, b/c I guess I never was really on it in the first place. Anyway, I have found the torture that is worse than an ice bath, which is signing up for dating websites. Oh gracious, why do we do this to ourselves? I am quite certain, somehow, that I will notmeet Mr. Right online. That is not to say it is not possible, I know some very happy couples who have met and married from online introductory sites, but for some reason I just don't think it will be that way for me. So, because I feel as though I have nothing to lose I have decided to try and get some practice...I will keep you filled in on how this whole online dating catastrophe progresses...=)

For the record, Miss Dee...pom poms is appropriate when referring to the cheerleading props...see website for details...http://getpoms.com/

Icebaths and Insanity!!

2008-08-14T17:04:00.000-04:00

This week has been quite the interesting one for me...

Last Friday I was dumped...for the first time ever...I know, I know...I am a grown up, how is that possible? Well, I will just say that it is.

Last Saturday I won my age group at the race I was in, The Hometown Waterboy! I took almost 9 minutes off of last year's time, which for such a small race, is great!! I owe it all to SpeeDee and her pink pompoms!! (and most certainly not to my poor pre-race preparations, ie: sleepless night thinking about Friday's fun!)

Then to add insult to injury then to victory then another insult...my phone crapped out while I was deleting some texts...ummm, see above description of Friday night...and I lost all of my data...phone numbers, pictures and even the video of my co-worker sleeping at his desk, SNORING! There are some things in this world that can't be replaced.

I also officially started horseback riding AGAIN (for the first time in about 10 years!) and I thought I was in shape. There are clearly muscles that do not get used in at least 3 of the sports I do because I have recently found them. And I found them because they were in pain. A lot of pain. Last weeks horse assignment, Gabe, dragged me around the ring and I could hardly stop him. This week's assignment was Sadie, and I could hardly make her move! I have a GIANT bruise on my calf and took my very first icebath as a result...which leads me to the next subject...icebaths...

Could there be another form of torture so complete as the icebath? It is so wrong in so many ways...and we do it to ourselves!! Yuck! There is actually a procedure to this madness. Here are the necessary steps to doing it right.
1. Get a 10 lb bag of ice and disrobe (already things are all wrong)
2. Start running a bath, cold water now...
3. Get in and let it fill up to your waist or until desired body part is covered.
4. Turn off water.
5. Open 10 lb bag of ice.
6. Look at it with dread.
7. Yes, you will need to dump it eventually.
8. Look at it again.
9. Close your eyes and dump.
10. Stick your fairly warm dry hands into ice cold water and swish ice all around.
11. Set clock for 10 minutes.
12. umm...relax?
13. Look at clock...2 minutes down...
14. You get the drift.
15. 10 Minutes passes...biggest rule...MOVE SLOWLY...not that you have any choice, your limbs and appendages are frozen. Literally.
16. Drift off into a peaceful dream...you are warm, you are cozy, no wait, you have fallen alseep in the ice cold bath and are dying of hypothermia.
17. Rinse and repeat...kidding.

Training is fun, training is fun, training is fun, training is fun...

2008-08-06T16:45:00.000-04:00

I just have to keep telling myself that...
Maybe it will be true! Ouch! This week has kicked my Behind!! Saturday brought a trip to Busch Gardens (my first time ever!) where water was like $3.00 a bottle so I was slightly dehydrated, not to mention nauseous from the heat and the roller coasters...did I mention I am afraid of heights? Sunday brought a 10 miler, 10.2 to be exact, in the heat w/little water (b/c I don't yet own a fuel belt...that will soon be remedied). Monday brought a new training session with Endorphin Fitness...supposed to be a bike and a brick run...but idiot here forgot her running shoes...THEN got even more wiped out by the heat! I looked at houses in the ghetto on Tuesday, I am casually shopping...and Seal Team today and I am starting riding lessons...YEAH, I WIN!!! I am so very excited. Dan happens to think that the reputation of the horse is one of the biggest publicity campaigns for which humans fall. They are portrayed as majestic and elegant, when he says they really are just stinky, sweaty beasts...he is right, but boy, is it fun to ride. It will NOT be fun to be using muscles I haven't used in years though and race on Saturday...
Which brings us to...THE HOMETOWN WATERBOY!!! This might actually be the only race on the face of the Earth that I may actually place in my division...b/c there are like 12 competitors in the whole thing, but thats alright with me. i will take what I can get...and I want to win...we will see if that is all bluster on Saturday! That's also if I can manage to drink enough so I do not DIE!!

Racing and other Goals...

2008-07-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I am sure you have all had the race where nothing clicked right, where you felt it all falling apart...that's how I felt at I love the Tavern...and thats what happened at the Shady Grove YMCA Sprint. I got to the YMCA Tri (7/20/08) and registered THE DAY OF the race...will never do again!!! I got thrown in on the end of the race numbers, which in a group start wouldn't be a big deal at all. But, NO, this was a pool swim so we had to start one at a time...ONE AT A TIME!!!...and I am number 496!! I sat for 2 hours after the race actually began and waited for my turn as the day got hotter and hotter. I was literally the second to last person in the water! But...it really all ended well b/c I came in 5th in my division. First would have een better, but we take what we can get, right!

My next race is the Hometown Waterboy. I did it last year and was 3rd in my age group...out of three...this year, things will be a little different. I am going to come in first in my age group, I have to because this will actually be the only race ever, due to small participation, that I will EVER be able to come in first in my age group! So...it's on! Last year I finished in under 52 minutes...I think I have a goal of 45 min this year...we'll see!

Oh, and I have set another goal as well...Having recently been (and may still be) the Short, Fat Triathlete...I want to look like the attached picture...mind you, minus the topless cavorting on an Italian beach with a married man...but, I give you all permission to remind me whenever I need reminding that people who do run around topless on an Italian Beach with a married man do not eat whatever it is I am about to eat...=)

PS...Another goal I had set is down!!! John McGuire, of SealTeamPT fame (http://www.sealteampt.com/) has spoken my name twice. It only took 22 months...but he knows my name!

Wow, I need to be much more clever with my titles

2008-07-10T15:52:00.000-04:00

I thought I would actually write something not just about training, although that will fo sho come into it. I am going to the RIVAH tomorrow, you did not misunderstand...here in the BIG VA the "Rivah" is a summer staple, not to be confused with the River...The funny thing is the actual body of water is not a river at all, but the Chesapeake Bay...the Rivah is a state of mind and I am supah dupah excited!! Wow, a real vacation, even if it is only for the weekend. So, how big a loser am I that I have every intention of getting a pedicure and a fake tan after work tonight so I will be extra hot (ummm...yeah, right) for the beach. What that really means is that I am going to try to tone down the whiteness of my thighs so someone doesn't think Moby Dick has been beached...the White Whale!
Also, I am going to bring my new bike (the ever fabulous "Petunia" a purple and white Fuji Finets 2.0 w/flowers!!) and my running shoes and get some fun in while I am down there. I have mapped out a bike course for Dan and I while we're down there, then everyone will hit the beach (Colin, Kelly, Vanessa, Dan and me!) and we will make some dinner and play some board games...sounds so thrilling, right? But to me it actually does...yeah! Then everyone is going home and I get some rest and relaxation for myself on Sunday while all those crazy kids are doing their marathon training! SUCKERS! (Unfortunately, I will be doing some running, I am not sure I will get in the whole 10 miles by myself, though...WILLPOWER!)
I would just like to say, life is pretty daggone good right now. The rest of my summer is going to be fun-filled and very busy but I get 4 more races, 3 more trips, a fancy day at the races w/a gorgeous hat for the birthday of a very cute boy...=) oh yeah, and lots and lots of training...=(

I Love the Tavern, I have never been there, but I love it!

2008-06-30T09:29:00.001-04:00

So, yesterday I completed the second ever "I Love the Tavern Tri." It was at Robious Landing Park and consisted of a 750m swim in the tepid James River, an 18.8 mile bike with a killer hill at the turnaround and a 5k trail run all in 95 degree heat. Boy, was it fun...well, maybe not, but I lived to tell the tale. I finished 236th overall...out of how many? Not sure, but I was definitely not in the top 50th percentile. I haven't seen age group results yet...but I have decided that full triathlon body markers are cool as souveniers for the next day but not so handy during the race. It was agony each time someone in my agegroup scampered past me on the forest trail that was the run portion of the race to finish before me. I had been ahead the entire time and just when I am wearing out they fleetly pass me, and to add insult to injury, the flaunt the fact that they have just taken out one of their competition. Maybe they don't flaunt it, but I know they are thinking it b/c I would be. Jerks! Anyway, it was a good time to be had by all...even though I was not ready to enjoy BBQ at 9 am after completing a triathlon...blah!
I also saw a strange movie last night..."In Bruges" with Colin Farrell, Voldemort and Mad Eye Moody. The box cover said that it was uproariously funny...it had its moment, fo sho, but it also had A LOT of not so funny moments and a lot of moments with gratuitous violence and gore...ie: didn't need to see Mad Eye plummet off of a medieval bell tower to hit the concrete below and literally SPLAT at the bottom in true "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor" Fashion...yummy!

Wohoo! Now I am surely someone important!

2008-06-24T13:01:00.000-04:00

I officially am the coolest person ever...I have my own blog. I wonder what took so long. My sister has one and even my really awesome running group has one...www.4girlsrunning.com...we are so freaking awesome.
Anyway, I entitled my blog page the reluctant triathlete b/c that is what I am. I completed my first triathlon on June 1st, 2008 and I am hooked but very, very frightened. And I feel very strange claiming the title "Triathlete" like all of those crazies out there with there Ironman Tattoos will hunt me down for deigning to refer to myself as a triathlete with a mere sprint race under my belt...but so be it. I dare you...do your worst!!
I trained for the Breezy Point Tri at Norfolk Naval Base with Team in Training...Saving Lives by collecting donations for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Now I am mentoring for the fall tri season and will be competing in my first Olympic Distance Tri in the fall...scary!
For now I will continue all of my crazy training (Seal Team PT, 4girslrunning.com coaching for half-marathon...b/c I have someone...I mean a goal to beat, and TNT tri training w/my awesome group!)
Hoo-freakin'-Yah!!!