I finally found the one....

I know you have been waiting for years to hear me declare that I've found 'the one'. Well, it has been a long time in coming, but I found what I've been looking for.

Black with a little bit of silver shining through....likes to go for long bike rides with me...not too tempermental - yet...on the right course...has been molded to be a perfect fit for me...is lots of fun to be with...makes me happy!!! I could go on, but you will have to meet 'the one' yourself! I'm sure you will have the same amount of love and appreciation as I have found!

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tada!!! My new Cervelo P2C! Ironman Coeur d'Alene, here I come!

Ironman Arizona and Thanksgiving

Ironman is finally behind me. We had a great race! I had more volunteers than I knew what to do with, which was a great problem to have! Everything was 'nearly flawless' on race day! I was very happy with the results and am glad that I only have one race to organize in 2009! (we had 2 races this year!)

Just as quickly as Ironman was over, Thanksgiving was here. I spent the day cleaning, putting my life back in order, and eating with Amy's family. It was a nice day.

On Friday, I headed to Magic Mountain in Southern California with 16 other people. (I have gone to Magic Mountain every year for the last 4 years!) Some of them I knew, some were new faces. We loaded up about 4:45AM and drove over to the park. We stayed until it closed at 8 PM! We rode almost all the roller coasters - and some multiple times. One of my favorites, Goliath, I rode 5 times! The fifth time was a stretch but I was coaxed by my fellow riders to stay on the ride. The last three times we rode, we didn't even get off because there was no one waiting in line! It was a great way to end the evening. We stayed in a hotel that night and then headed back first thing on Saturday morning to get people back that needed to be back. It was a great trip! I had a great time and I met some great people!

(I love roller coasters! This is Goliath!)

Now, it is back to life and work. I'm getting ready to put all my Christmas decorations up, too! That is always fun!

Hope you each had time to reflect on all you have to be thankful for and are looking forward to celebrating the birth of our Saviour this Christmas season!

(ps - my foot is all better!)

Yes, it is gross.....

So, this may be more than you want to know but I am currently battling with a plantar's wart issue on my foot. This is the third time I have had to go get injections to try to make the virus go dormant. I have no idea how I initally got it but each time it comes back, it gets worse. NOT my idea of fun. So, on Thursday, I went back to the podiatrist for another round of injections. They inject an acid called Bleomyecin in to the affected area. The black areas you see in the picture are just where they did the injections and now those areas are bruised. It is very sore and still swollen. I can't put any pressure on my heel. It should take about 2 weeks to heal. That is a killer for me since I am so active. It drives me crazy not being able to exercise. I'll come up with some alternatives until my foot gets better. In the meantime, I am a bit immobile and, if I am up and about, it is for short periods of time. I guess this is one way to slow me down!!!

Vancouver (BC), Seattle, Ironman AZ

Last weekend, I found myself again in Vancouver, BC to attend another stretch therapy workshop. I really love this line of work and have seen the techniques really help my clients. I am tying to gain as much knowledge in this area as possible. Vancouver is a great city! This time, I stayed with a few other ladies who were taking the workshop. It was a nice change from staying by myself like I have the previous times I have been up there. We stayed right downtown. It is a great city, bustling with life, culture, and energy! It was really nice to get out and do a few runs while I was there.

I made this trip a bit of a vacation as well, spending time with friends in the Seattle area and in Yakima. I needed something of a break from the routine here in AZ. It was nice to get away. I loved seeing all the fall colors! It is refreshing in SO many ways!

Next on the agenda is getting through Ironman Arizona, which is on November 23rd. Hopefully I will have something interesting to blog about before that! I am the volunteer coordinator for the event so I am quite busy with all the preparations. I am confident that we will have all the volunteers we need and that my captains are competent to run their areas well on race day! It is a long day, and actually more like a long week. 4 weeks to go!

Tumultuous Waters.....

i went rowing this morning on Tempe Town Ocean - I mean Lake. Because it is a man-made lake, it has some very interesting patterns of movement. Where we launch our boat, the water was like glass (the picture to the left is right by where we launch - with perfect water!)- the kind of water I always like when I am out wakeboarding! Just a few hundred meters in to the row, the water turned choppy and just proceeded to get worse as we rowed further East on the lake. (I was in a double this morning with one other lady, Helen.) We approached the mile mark, where we usually pass under the Rural Street Bridge. Well, much to my surprise, we had to stop somewhat quickly, as there was a large boat in the way. Boats with motors are not allowed on the lake, which is why I was caught off guard. Well, a passerby told us that there were divers below, looking for a murder weapon. OK - that is not a pleasant thought as I am out on the water. About the time we were discussing this weapon that they were searching for, the wind started carrying our boat quickly to the East. I wasn't paying super close attention, which resulted in an almost-dump of myself and Helen. We ran in to one of the pilings of the bridge - just with our oars, not the boat. It was a bit scary as I had to let go of one of my oars completely. Fortunately, the wind kept pulling us around the piling so we were able to maintain the right balance and I was able to get my oar back. I guess I need some more practice on choppy seas! I really like to row when the waters are calm - and don't like to row as much when the waters are choppy. Hmmm....see any parallels to life in this little scenario? We got back on track and had an ok workout. I did go for a run when I got home just so I felt that I got my heart rate up and so I could burn a few more calories!

Did I really just commit to that?

Well, the time has come. After 5 years of volunteering, and now getting paid to work for Ironman, I have decided that I am going to race one myself!

On June 21, 2009, I will embark on racing at Ironman Coeur d'Alene in Idaho! I am in denial that I have committed to this! A 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run! Am I crazy? Don't answer that just yet - I already know what you are thinking! I just got my confirmation that I am registered. Wow!

I decided that I have the time in my life now to train for one so I might as well do it. I won't start my official training until December and maybe not even until January. It will be a solid 6 months of training, but I think I can do it! Good times await!

Grasshoppers and 500k

This morning I was out on a run - shorter than it should have been - but as I was running, there were a lot of grasshoppers. They were quick to jump out from under the potentially deadly wrath of my foot. What I was reminded of as I watched them jump is that FALL is almost here! The mornings have been really nice here in AZ - only to get better! This is why I live here! :) Well, at least a small part!

I run with a nike+ system. This system is one in which I have a transmitter attached to my ipod and a receiver in the bottom of my shoe. With this system, I know how far I've run, what my pace was, and how long it took me to complete the run. It is pretty nifty! Another part of this gadget is that it talks to me! This morning, Paula Radcliff's voice came through my earphones to congratulate me on completing 500 Kilometers! That is just over 310 miles. That has been done over a total of 51 workouts and 46 hours of running! That is a lot of short runs and quite a few longer runs (10 miles or longer when I was training for the 1/2 Ironman back in the beginning of the year!). And to think that is only running - I would be curious to know what those totals would be if I added my cycling and rowing in to the mix!

The Next Adventure...

While there is nothing immediate in the forecast for adventures, I am already swamped with prepartations for the Ironman race which will be held here in Arizona in November. I am the volunteer coordinator for about 3000 volunteers and the 70 captains that manage those volunteers. It is a big project!!! I start meeting with my captains next week and will continue full-speed until after the race! I'm going to need a serious vaction after this one. Any ideas of where to go? :)

Rollin, rollin, rollin...keep those pedals rollin...

I survived LOTOJA 2008! This was my third year doing this race. 206 miles, 3 states, 1000 cyclists, one day. The first year I did all 206 miles myself. The subsequent two years, I did it as a relay - a MUCH better option! So, this year I rode 94 miles of the race and my relay partner, Andy, rode 112 miles. It was a long day with a lot of headwind, but we found the finish line in a little over 11 hours.
This is Andy and I at the start line. We are still smiling! :)

The brief recap of the day is this: we got up at 4:45AM so we could leave by 5:30 to get to the start line. Andy rode the first 80 miles, from Logan, UT to Montpelier, ID. I drove the car to Montpelier, where we exchanged the timing chip. Andy is so fast that he was the third person overall to come in to Montpelier. I was 7 miles in to my ride before the first group came flying past me. I had a 9 mile hill to climb, followed by an 11 mile trek up to the highetst point on the ride - at just over 7400 feet - Salt River Pass. I ended my 47 mile leg in Afton, WY. Andy arrived a little after I was done riding. We exchanged the chip again and off he went, again flying past people. We met up again in Alpine, WY, where I rode the last 47 miles. With about 30 miles to go the wind really picked up. There weren't any groups that were riding at my pace, so I battled the winds on my own. It was all worth it as this was our view of the Tetons as I rode into Jackson - - -

My sister, Jane, as well as a friend, came to see me at the finish line. Jane's husband, Brian, was also able to stop by and see me (after he flew in from a work project). It is always nice to see family and to have support on such adventures!

I had a few other friends that did the ride and we were able to spend a few extra days in Jackson, just enjoying the area. I am attaching a few pictures. We saw one giant moose - 8 points on each side! We hiked around Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park. It is so beautiful up there!

The moose.
Andy ponders at Inspiration Point above Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park.

At the time of departure from Jackson back to Salt Lake, I was transporting 6 bikes and three additional people - for a total of 4 adults. It took the boys over 90 minutes to configure all the bikes so that there was no movement and no scraping of bikes agains other bikes. That is what happens when engineers are in charge of the bikes!!! :) This was a sight to behold! The jetta pulls through once again!

4 bikes on top, two bikes on the back, two wheels on the back bike rack, one wheel on the back window - outside the car, and one wheel in the back window - inside the car.

I was able to stay the night on Monday night with my brother and sister-in-law (Josh and Allison) in Lehi, before driving back to AZ on Tuesday. I always enjoy staying with them!

It was a quick weekend, and yet so long! I'm glad the race is behind me. My 'old' bike held up but the new bike is even closer to being purchased now! I'm pretty sure I will be doing this race again next year!

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike....

I have just to weeks to go until I ride in the LOTOJA Bike Race. This ride starts in Logan, Utah and finishes in Jackson Hole, WY - actually in Teton Village outside of Jackson. This will be my third year doing the ride. I have opted for the relay again this year. So, I have one relay partner, Andy, to help split up the 206 mile ride with. I don't really think I ever want to ride the whole thing again like I did the first year! I will ride 92 miles this year, and Andy will ride 114 miles. I get a good chunk of hill climbing this time around, as well as the last leg of the race. We switch off at different feed zones, and will take two turns each out on the course.

For training, I went out yesterday and rode 75 miles. Here is a brief recap.....up at 4:50 AM...on my bike at 5:25 AM...jackrabbits....altercation with a police officer (our entire group was stopped for riding more than two abreast)...over a gallon of fluids consumed...peanut butter and jelly...over 3500 calories burned...In-N-Out Burger consumed for lunch after the ride! I'm one step closer to purchasing a new bike. I don't think I will get it before the race, but it is coming! Here is what it looks like though. It will make riding a whole new experience!!! I just haven't stomached the money leaving my bank account yet!

Do you wish you were there?

SO many people have asked if I wish I was in Beijing right now for the Olympics. (Because for those of you who don't know, I was at the Olympics in SLC and Athens to do massage!) My response...it would have been a great opportunity to go, but I'm OK that I didn't go. My summer has been so busy that adding a trip to China would have really been tricky. However, I HAVE been watching at least part of the Olympic coverage every night. It is just amazing how talented these athletes are! They work SO hard and are so committed to their goals.

Do we have the same commitment to succeed in our endeavors? I attended a fireside last night and one small piece of it was about the fact that Believing is a choice we make. What do we believe in? What choices are we making to support our beliefs? The last question posed at the end of the fireside was, 'Do we believe we can succeed'? Think about it. There are so many facets to life. Do we believe that we can succeed? I do!!!

There's no place like home!

So, I have been gone for the better part of 2 weeks, visiting Utah, Idaho, (a brief jaunt to Wyoming), and then to Colorado. I was in UT/ID to join my youngest sister, Kelli, as she went through the temple for the first time. It was great to be there with her, as well as with a lot of other family members.

This last weekend, we had a family reunion in Granby, Colorado, which is where my parents are living right now. We had a great time in Rocky Mountain National Park, which is where the firt two pictures are from. I was the lucky duck who got to put on the fur coat and sweet hat! We also went to a beautiful area called Monarch Lake. It was great! The family outing was a nice hike around a portion of the lake. It was really beautiful! Everyone had a great time! We are only hoping that the three youngest siblings who weren't there this weekend, can join us next year for our family reunion! I love being in the mountains! It is always so refreshing and therapeutic!

The other thing I love is being an Aunt! I had a great time with the nieces and nephews this weekend! They are so much fun! (third picture!)

Now, I am home for about 3.5 weeks before heading out to Utah again for my bike race! I love to travel but it is nice to be home and sleeping in my own bed again! :) Here are a few more pics from the weekend!

My dad and brothers ran around part of Monarch Lake while the others hiked! It was so beautiful!!!

More of my fun nieces and nephews - at the continental divide in RMNP!

Recap the last adventure...

So, I've been back in AZ for about 7 days and I am packed and ready to leave again tomorrow. However, I didn't want to get any further behind so here are some photos from my last trip - which was to Lake Placid, NY. I have fully dried out in the HOT AZ sun after all tha rain in NY!




14 year old girl prepares for her jump! She went the furthest of the three jumpers we watched. They land on an astro-turf like surface in the summer months when there is no snow. This jump was from the 90-meter tower! Better her than me!










and....the jump. We were told that these jumpers are never more than 15ft off the ground at any time!















A picture of the Adirondack Mountains. Despite all the rain, it really is a beautiful area!

Rainy Days and Mondays...

Well, race day has come and gone. It rained ALL day. It started to rain about 7am, which is when the race started. It continued to rain, with mostly terrential downpours, until 8:30 PM. It was not the most fun day I've ever had. I've never seen so many people using garbage bags for rain gear before! Fortunate for me, I had packed a travel umbrella with me as well as a rain jacket. Those came in handy!

Now, it is Monday and I really never made it to bed last night. I napped for about 2.5 hours before my phone rang saying that the master DVD was ready to burn. So, I have been up all night monitoring the DVD burners and stuffing the finished ones in to DVD cases. I can barely keep my eyes open as I type this. I do have relief coming in just over an hour to take over for a bit. Then, I can go back to my condo and sleep! Yeah!

Looks like the sun is out for at least this morning....and that is a great way to start Monday!

Until next time....

a new chapter of communication...

I am starting this thing called blogging! I'll add more soon - I promise! I am in Lake Placid, NY right now for the Ironman race. I have some great pictures to post when I get home!

It is here that I will do my best to keep everyone up to speed as to where in the world I am an what I am doing!

:)