Married. New Job.

the title subs it up for you. i've been busy. but i'm back!

justin and i got married! 10.17.10 the best day of my life. i never really believed people when they would say that... but to say we had fun is an understatement. we had a blast. to be surrounded by your family and friends, all in one night, is such a surreal feeling. very humbling.

one of many photos...

since returning home from wedding-extravaganza i got a second job. i will continue to do personal training in the morning and evening hours but decided it was time to fill up my days with some residential real estate!

for info/details on my new job click your mouse button here. and for my newest blog to keep anyone who wants to remain updated on our local residential real estate san diego market, national/global market and pretty much anything i find blog worthy pertaining to real estate please visit You're Home.

which means... i will leave this blog dust free with only triathlon, running, weight lifting, weight loss, raw foods, vegan recipes and anything else i find blog worthy to post relating only those topics.

i will start with running. that is all i have been doing. i know in san diego we cannot complain about the weather... but it is just not motivating to get out on a bike early mornings! i nearly froze yesterday morning running in shorts at 7am! literally froze. i ran up one of my favorite canyons in del mar. chest was tight, legs were tight and when i looked down the color of my skin matched my new purple target gloves. not good. especially when i looked back up to see my running partner quarter mile ahead within the matter of minutes!

in all seriousness, despite frigid temps, i am a bit burned out on triathlon at the moment. since finishing ironman wisconsin in september, heading right into my wedding in october (no workout break here), since we've been home all i've wanted to do is run. i really think it is because i never gave myself a break post ironman. and if you've followed my blog at all you may remember i had been training since last january for the IMCDA in june... it was a really long season.

so running these past 4 weeks have been every other day for anywhere between 45 min- 2hrs. yup 2 hrs. i cannot explain it. i just enjoy it! i also signed my butt up for the half marathon in huntington beach... Feb 6th! looking for a PR of course.

glad to be back to blog world.

to your health,

C

madison wisconsin

i know- there are cob webs on this blog site! thats just how its going to roll i have a feeling through the next couple months.

i have never been to the midwest before this week. here are my top favorite things so far:

1. green. everywhere.

2. corn. everywhere.

3. escalators for your shopping cart.

4. everyone is really nice.

5. people wave a lot.

6. the lakes.

7. thought it was flat- but found hills on the bike course. a lot of them.

8. the college town feel, like Isla Vista but with an older feel

9. couches on the decks of the college houses... oh i wish i was still in college sometimes

10. the farmers market- its huge!

11. the veggie garden on the capitols front lawn. ("so thats what that basil should look like..." )

12. the matching cow print bike kits i got as a souvenir.

ironman on tap for tomorrow! more to come...

to your health,

C

miss MIA

yes. miss MIA on blog posting. let me fill you in...

1. picture above my best-ies and i in temecula. we got there via limo to taste wine all in celebration for a bach- bash for me. how fun is that?? thank you to all the girls that came and made my day so special! xoxo

2. swim- bike-run repeat. i signed up for IM wisconsin. i bit the bullet and went for it! main reasoning is that i want to finish the damn race. also- for those not familiar- it takes about 1.5 years of planning 'ahead' to sign up for ironman. you have to sign up almost a year in advance from the race date... so right now i would be looking at canada ironman august 2012.... not happening. i got in to wisconsin because i know a coach who was alloted slots and i got to pay above retail. lucky me... but in all seriousness i am really looking forward to the trip. Sept. 12. ironman round 2. because i want to!

3. operation wedding arms. yes- hitting the weight room. its hard for me to maintain a strict lifting schedule with ironman training and a full time job. where is the time?? but ive just been making it. at 2x per week now and looking to be at 4x per week by post race in Sept. triathlon training- while it is my first love- just does not provide the muscle tone one must acquire to look kick-a** in the wedding gown. so motivation- to look good! haha. very fun and a good change of focus actually from S-B-R.

4. are you ready??

this is the real truth to miss MIA:

table toppers, taffetta, gifts, glitter, envelopes, letter press, ink types, ink colors, cake tasting, paper types, paper weights, hair consulting, DJ consulting, calls on flowers, researching flowers, wine/beer suppliers, more calls to flowers, securing rentals as in: chairs, tables, kitchen equipment, scullery tables?, taupe gowns, taupe heels, ivory heels, antique white dress, jewelry, bags, welcome bags, ribbons, candles, hair design, makeup styles, table cloths for bbq, flowers for bbq, transportation booking, hotel booking, honey moon booking (see #5), calling on problems with hotel booking, sheila outfit- yes she will be at the wedding! dress shopping for mom, online dress shopping, online everything shopping, cabo T-12 days!

5. honeymoon booking... we are going to FRANCE!! we are taking bikes and riding 8-10 days in the south of France and then beaching it in Cannes for the rest of the trip! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. my dream trip. cannot wait! but its been a lot of work researching and figuring out where to stay, where to ride, etc!

6. and.... i am off to cabo for a bach-bash with my other besties in T-12 days!

7. today was a 14 miler trail run with a upper body boxing/weight/core workout. followed up tomorrow by a 90 miler to dudleys and back. ironman training in full effect. did i mention i was at the gym with clients also today?? loving every minute.

to your health,

C

Workout and Wine Open House

I've moved!!!

Encinitas Fitness Studio! Come check it out Thursday July 29th at our open house. Complimentary workout from 5-6pm and then wine and offers from guest vendors 6-7pm. Come for all of it or part of it!

top secret

our latest strategy when parking to go for bike rides:

we celebrated 4th of july weekend in santa barbara. a lot of wedding planning time and a lot of beach time. also a lot of riding time!

we spent the morning of the 5th riding through los olivos and solvang area. the ride started with a stop at the pea anderson soup hotel for fuel- in food terms! we got about 2 miles down the road and my rear tire went flat. since the tire was slashed open we had to james bond maneuver a 5 dollar bill to get the new tube to stay put. and it held! it held over 3,ooo ft. of climbing and some really rough roads. it even held for the 2 miles we had to ride on the 101... thank goodness!

we ended up riding 45 miles all through wine country. it was an epic day to say the least! our top secret mission for the ride was to cruise up by our wedding venue at Crossroads! minimal pictures- its top secret- but the place seems more beautiful every time i am there!

to your health,

C

a half race report...

the photos are all the prep for the big day! some serious business. and organization!

i owe a big thank you to the Openshaw family for opening up their home to my family. and a big thank you to my family: justin, megan, grant and my mom for being there to support me!

i made it through half an ironman. the swim, bike and 3 miles of the run. it wasnt the day i had replayed in my mind over and over again getting ready. but things happen and i knew stopping was the smartest decision to make.

i had an okay swim. that mass start is brutal. ive been in other mass starts but have never been so clobbered in my life! guys were literally swimming on top of me! i had a slight panic attack at the first buoy, did a little backstroke to re-group and then swam the entire course on the inside of the buoy line! not that smart because i did not draft at all... but i figured it was faster then getting swum on top of or hit from the side! i actually did not mind getting out of the water to re-entry to do the second loop! its nice that the swim is double the distance for us 'swimmers.' i came into T-1 with a few other girls from my age group. i passed them out of transition and caught a few other '26's' early on my ride.

the ride was awesome! coeur d alene is mostly flat. then we get near hayden lake where it is all rolling hills, awesome views and country roads. i was a bit hesitate on the first loop for 2 reasons:

1. my bike was making some horrible screeching noise i did not hear the two days prior. i thought the entire ride that my frame was cracking. i even stopped twice to check out my bike because i had no idea what the noise was. still do not know. 2. there were SO many guys passing me. ag-ro guys. the kind that bomb down hills and do not expect 'cautious colleen' to be around the next turn. i do not take descents fast nor do i corner fast. not a good combo for with the ag-ros...

the second loop i was really looking forward to for the opposite reasons. less ag-ro guys around me and i knew what to expect more on the descents, hills, etc. everything was good until about mile 70ish... my low back started feeling tight. painful tight. i sat up. i stood up. and sat up more. nothing helped! i rode for 2.5 hours with pain that was close to bringing me to tears at some points. i am sure the emotional stress of 'my ironman' was part of the tears but really it was so painful.... also frustrating to know i was sitting up (which is slower) where i normally would not have to...

i got off the bike and knew i had had a great ride. my legs felt good and i knew my nutrition was right on. everything good- a bit tired good- but my back. i saw justin right out of T-2 and i stopped to walk and told him what was up. he said to keep going and just walk if i need to. i jogged/ran the first 3 miles until i felt like i got punched in my low back. it totally seized up on me. i tried walking another 1/2 mile hoping it was a random cramp that would pass. it hurt too much and i knew it was from the same pain i had on the bike. all i could think of that would help was laying on ice. and so thats what i did. called it a day on ironman because i did not want to risk serious injury or walk 26 miles in pain.

i am bummed. i am bummed i did not finish what i set out to do. my goal was to leave idaho an ironman. looking back i cannot help thinking 'should i have kept trying to walk?' but i knew i had already been in pain for almost 3hrs. another 4, 5 or 6 did not seem worth it. i am not sure why my back gave me such problems. because it was so early on the bike, and i have never experienced the pain in training, i do not think it was being in my aero bars. i really think my lack of long swims, in a wetsuit, may have been a source for the fatigue.

moving on... i am off to a massage to work out the kinks in my back. i am also trying to plan the remainder of my season. i am working on project 'ironman round 2' so stay tuned!

to your health,

C

pre race random-ness

feet are up. literally. this is the view from the Openshaw Family deck. it is amazing to say the least. i have tried to get my feet up as much as possible but yesterday was the busy couer d alene, check it out and check in day!

we drove to town and hopped onto our bikes. justin and i rode all of the run course and most of the bike course that goes along the lake. its just beautiful scenery the entire time! i swam while justin road more. brrrr.... but NOT too bad! i also got to meet Sue- of the famous- Sue and Cloe duo- very fun. did race check in but havent since havent really looked at any of the pre-race to-do. ive been too much on idaho time- just relaxing and enjoying vacation. then we drove most of the bike course that goes along Hayden lake. hilly, beautiful and i am looking forward to the ride!

my biggest pre-race thoughts thus far are trying to invision what the day will be like. mostly the turn arounds are sticking out in my mind. for all swim-bike-run we have 2 loops. once you get done with one loop you turn around. loop two. maybe instead of thinking 'ironman' this entire time i should have thought 'half ironman- 2x!'. that is what it will feel like to me.

besides the loops i am feeling really confident. i have done all of the work that i could have possibly done to get here. i have amazing support at home from training partners and i know thinking about my training with them will help get me through the day! and i am feeling good. rested- good! and i am just excited to do the race! could it be sunday already?

last part of the random-ness to this post is the bike course. it was taking WAY too long to post multiple pics on here but the ride looks incredible! just FUN. i need to conserve my energies for the run but its going to be tough to do on a ride through Idaho! ill do my best but ill be having the most fun on the rollers through Hayden lake!

today will not be much ironman to-do. its friday- ill probably prep my bike later after a quick spin and run. however my sister got in last night and we have a boat, jet skis and canoes at our disposal at this incredible log cabin! taper.... what?? =)

to your health,

C

the more you know...

60. when you travel out of town ironman training comes with you.

61. buying running shoes at nordstrom is easier then buying wedge heels.

62. sports bras are easier to buy at nordstrom then regular bras.

63. real life gets in the way of training.

64. you have to deal with it.

65. confidence comes with hard work.

66. finishing an ironman will become more visible as the day approaches.

67. having training partners and friends makes all the long training days worth it!

68. getting excited for the vacation part of going to a race is very fun.

69. even if garmin, ipod and lucky socks are MIA the long run will still need to get done.

70. you will call complete strangers to get a ride suggestion for when you are 'out of town.'

71. you will introduce yourself to complete strangers to find your back when you are lost 'out of town.'

72. if you are lucky those strangers will ride with you until you make it to know where you are going.

73. showing up to your destination 'out of town', on your bike, is completely appropriate. you are training for ironman.

74. commuting to work via bike is a great way to get miles in.

75. swimming with people you coach is a great way to get swim miles in.

76. 10pm is 'going to bed late'

77. waking up at 6am is 'sleeping in'

78. coffee in a water bottle on a bike- not ideal- but will sometimes be necessary

79. copy #78 insert: coffee at the edge of the pool deck

80. scheduling massage must be at the top of the to-do-list

81. referring to multiple #s on the list, ironman is expensive.

82. the tans lines you thought were just 'bad' are now permeant

83. things that have nothing to do with ironman will happen while you are training. hopefully will make ironman seem easy.

84. 'special needs' is a bag that you get on the bike and the run of ironman

85. figure out ahead of time what you will 'need' that is 'special'

86. you will stay in your bike kit- even when meeting clients- because you are getting back on your bike

87. even if you see that horrible pad on your backside

88. a new swim suit is a serious motivator

89. so are new running shorts

90. taper will never seem so wonderful

91. taper training volume is actually more 'normal' volume

92. sleep will come with taper

93. stress will dissipate with taper

94. more time in the day to take in your hard work comes with taper

95. you will now exactly where you get all of your blisters

96. you will also know exactly where you get any chafing

97. hopefully you will know how to prevent both

98. when you said you would write a list of 140.6 things to know about ironman you thought it was sort of a joke

99. when you hit reason #99 you realize the list is just as serious as finishing the race

to your health,

C

re-group. move on.

life gives us lemons. youve all heard it- make lemonade. well some times the lemons are bigger then other times. they make a bigger impact. sometimes the lemonade looks like a bit more of a complex recipe then to just add ice and water. and more often then not the stupid lemons get in the way of all of the fun. i am dealing with the current lemons thrown my way last week. i think it had to be a pretty big lemon to break the window of my car and have my beloved items of high value stolen from me. i am trying to see how to make light of the situation but the reality is i lost a lot of money, time and things that are irreplaceable. and it sucks. but the real reality is that i or anyone i love is not hurt and for that i very thankful. and in light of getting through this mess i hope it makes ironman seem simple, wonderful and a break from my current lemon.

to back up a bit- i had a fantastic 10 hour training day. it was the entire day to myself. to be selfish. to not report to anyone, anything but what i wanted to accomplish. i am so grateful for the boys, and katya, that pulled me around for 5hours on my bike. to the heat of the afternoon- made me nice and sweaty for my t-run. and for caroline coming to meet me for my second swim! i was definitely beat by the time the second swim came around. besides getting in some yards, it was unproductive in a physical sense. however- it was a huge confidence builder going into ironman knowing i have at least put together a 10 hour day in some fashion. it is possible!

i had an epic day on the bike with matt j in norcal last week. we rode miles of endless road without car traffic and big hills! it was very fun! despite the car break in, i managed to pull off being a bridesmaid and celebrating with a crew of friends and family all weekend in napa. all so over the top fun!! i must say- getting all new clothes, a bridesmaid dress over nighted and walking down the aisle, after what i went through, was exhausting. i really believe ironman will be easier then the weekend i just went through.

i, once again, feel very distracted from a race i should be a lot more focused on. time is still not on my side... but i have 3 weeks left. about 1.5 weeks of hard training and then a week+ of taper. i am really hoping i can pull it off. i know i can finish- its now just finding time!

this week i have my last long run of 3hours today! whaaawhooo! and my last big brick workout: 80mile ride with a 10mile t-run. i also need to get into the water... hoping to make some lemonade this week. empowering myself by doing what is necessary to clean up my lemon mess. re-grouping and moving on.

to your health,

C

whirlwind

i have not been blogging because i have been on an absolute whirlwind the past 2 weeks with the lcc swimmers. 2nd place finish for our girls team at CIF! 4th for boys. we won 10 out of 21 total events! the coach of the winning athlete is responsible to hand out the medals to the top 6 athletes... lets just say i was up and down all day! the kids are truly inspirational. they swim with heart and a love for racing. i feel honored to have been a part of their high school season this past year. its been truly rewarding to see their success!

all of the hardware.

please read how fast our 100 free styler is... girls!

two all star 500 freestyle boys. the one of the left got a CIF record in 4:28...

coach.

part of the crew- can you believe there are more then this?

the all star boys relay team...

we had our swim banquet on wednesday night so now swim is officially over. thankful because ive felt a bit overwhelmed the past 2 months! but it feels great to have put some closure onto a a very successful season and now change gears.... are you ready...

tomorrow's ironman training itinerary. the 10 hour day:

7:00- 8:15am am swim masters

8:30am- 1:30pm (with some change because of stops) ride with teamIMCDA crew

1:45ishpm- 3pm run off of bike

3:15pm- 3:30pm eat. and eat some more.

3:30-4:30pm lift weights upperbody/core

4:45ish- 5:45pm swim again, easy.

the purpose of the 10-hour day is to mentally and physically prepare myself for being active that long of a time. it would be too much to simulate an actual ironman for recovery purposes. it seems a little crazy but i am looking forward to it. mostly because i have never done this much in a day before (come close to it) but also because i get the whole day to do what i love!

to your health,

C

the list continued

32. you will hit your highest training volume

33. its okay to celebrate your 'longest ride/run/swim' every time you do it

34. upload new songs to your ipod because workouts are too long to put shorter playlists on repeat

35. mail in your heartrate watch to get a new battery before your training starts.

36. your bed may never be made again until after you race

37. wearing the same pair of socks in a row for two workouts is okay. just dont tell anyone. (ref.#2)

38. have plentiful types of sunscreen everywhere. car, bags, house.

39. your significant other at some point will say ' you sure have worn that helmet on a lot lately'

40. other people will say 'you did what?'

41. be grateful for any types of motivation. especially ones that come as small gifts.

42. fitting everything is a challenge.

43. you will think your legs have a mind of their own.

44. new running shoes will need to be purchased at some point in your training.

45. budget for new running shoes.

46.set small goals for your training.

47. the impossible will seem possible once you get out the door.

48. thank your friends for joining you for training.

49. thank your friends for holding you accountable to your training.

50. you cannot skip out on workouts. its an ironman.

51. nail polish color is now important for important workouts, not just race day.

52. its okay to live in compression wear.

52.5 you will bring fashion a whole new meaning

53. coke and snickers will always make you feel better on a long ride

54. a 3 hour ride will now seem short

55. a 6 hour ride will seem a lot more doable once you have done one or two

56. you may wake up and not know what day it is

57. tired has an entirely different meaning.

58. a sense of humor will take you a long way

59. you may develop an obsession with mapmyride.com

to your health,

C

moms day!

i spent moms day with my awesome queen bee gals! we did a loop up through carlsbad and we all had a great time all expect for maybe my legs!

my ride saturday was another for the books! 106 miles in 6 hours with over 4000+ feet of climbing! and i got to explore an entire new route. i went with teamIMCDA- that is the following group of guys: coach lewy (kevin), eric, kevin, riann and julian. ALL of them are doing IMCDA! this group really does exist- i swear! there was no way to get pictures on saturday. i was either climbing the side of a mountain or drilling my legs to stay up with the crew on the flats. then of course i gave them a hard time about how they all would slow down once they hit a hill... big mistake... then we were 'attacking' hills the entire way home. thank goodness i kept my mouth shut until after the majority of big climbs were over.

my state of delirium continued strait from 105 miles on a bike into my party dress, heels and blown out hair to celebrate it up with justins brother and family in la jolla. let's just say once i sat down at the party i had no desire to get up and move!

in the midst of my overly-busy-too-much-to-do schedule i feel distracted from actually taking in all of the ironman training. im getting in all of my workouts but feel like i just have to get them done. today i took some time and added up the past week: 202 miles on the bike- that is 12.25 hours of riding. 27 miles of running- which is 4 hours of running, 1 hour of swimming, 1 hour of upperbody/core workouts. so just about 18.5 hours of exercise. that is a lot on top of 45+hours of work this past week!! almost 20 hours of training is the most i have ever done and i am happy about it! even though i am distracted because of my real job and my swim job training is going well!

the light at the end of the tunnel is that swim season for high school is over in 2 weeks. i am hoping i will get some more sleep, some more swim time and some more social time. i miss my friends!

this picture is of me and my mom. probably what we were doing at some point on mothers day 26 years ago.

to your health,

C

tomorrows ride

out all morning with team IMCDA- will take some pics! 105 miles! whooaahhoooo!!

to your health,

C

#31.

#31. its okay to take a day off. or two.

my weekend was a whole lot of this:

although i had a blast this weekend celebrating with kristin and friends i am excited to re-focus my energy back to more training. i was reminded this morning at masters swim that i need to get ready for 'that ironman race' that is coming up!

back to the bike with team IMCDA this weekend (a.k.a. all of the guys that convinced me to sign up in the first place).

more to come!

to your health,

C

140.6

i am starting a list. 140.6 things to know about training for your first ironman. i should have asked for this list from someone BEFORE signing up for ironman... but live and learn! it is not complete today but i still have 67 more days to figure it out.

1. training for ironman creates a lot of laundry. mostly lycra/spandex.

2. there will be no more time to do laundry. or any regular chores for that matter.

3.training for ironman requires multiple granny naps throughout the week.

4. granny naps require time. you should factor that into your schedule.

5. you will be hungry. all of the time.

6. being hungry means you need to buy more food for the week.

7. long bike rides will take half or all of your day on the weekend.

8. waking up at 5am will be required 7x per week if you work a full time job.

9. tan lines will mostly result in a 'farmers tan' or 'raccoon eyes'

10. speed becomes irrelevant when you think about how long you have been running.

11. going into stores in your bike kit no longer phases you.

12. all of your 'free time' will be spent either swimming, biking or running

12.5 or sleeping and eating

13. be prepared to explain and re-explain to people what ironman means

14. be prepared to explain why you would choose to sign up for such a thing

15. enjoy the feeling of accomplishment when you finish a long workout

16. load the ipod shuffle ahead of time before your workout.

17. make sure the garmin is charged before your workout.

18. allow time in your schedule to remember to do little tasks of charging and organizing watches, phones, ipods, etc.

19. finding clean socks may be a challenge.

20. don't blame the dog when she has the socks- you've been gone all morning on your bike

21. even though you are tired you still need to be nice

22. do not hesitate to have a cup of coffee mid-day

23. enjoy the company when you have it but realize ironman must be done on your own

24. enjoy the solitude of a solo workout

25. be grateful that you are capable of doing such an event.

26. be aware that your facebook status may result in all 'training/workout' posts

27. you will most likely blog about your experience so others can read it with or without actually having to do it

28. the guys at the bike shop are your new best friends

29. attitude determines how successful you will be at completing an ironman

30. hard work is the only way to prepare for race day

to be continued...

to your health,

C

when you least expect it...

the past 3 weeks i have done 3 incredible bike rides. all 3 of them being my long rides.

the first being a ride from solana beach with a goal of making it to temecula in 4 hours. i made it to fallbrook- the hilly route i chose slowed down the expected pace. the second ride was in santa barbara last weekend. we did over 3,000 feet of climbing in a mere 4.5 hours although i do not think the hills really started until 2 hours into the ride! and yesterday was my longest ride ever done in the books of 6 hours 18 min and 104 miles! i did make it to temecula finally and back home!

all said and done there are a lot of things i expect when i head out for a long ride. i expect it to be foggy and cold at first. i expect the hills to make my quads burn. i expect to feel truly grateful that i am capable of even saying i am about to go out for a 4+ hour ride. i expect to hopefully meet up with friends or enjoy the solitude of riding alone. all of things are what i am ready for as i leave the front door.

what i am starting to learn are that the things least expected are what truly make my ride worth every minute.

on my solo 4 hour adventure to temecula i did not expect to enjoy the challenge of a new route. i did not expect to do one of the hardest descents i have ever done. i did not expect the view of climbing into lake wolford at 7:30am to see the steam from the warm lake water to being rising up with the sun. i did not expect to be so relieved to see justin when i was only in fallbrook because the thought of any more climbing seemed unbearable.

in santa barbara i did not expect to ride along a ridge line of a mountain. i did not expect to be able to see all of ventura, santa barbara and goleta at the same time. i did not expect my legs to handle the amount of climbing that we did. i did not expect that i'd make a new riding friend so now i have someone else to call when i visit.

yesterday was the least expected thing i have ever experienced. i went out riding with a few friends and i did not expect to leave them to continue on with the other half of the group to temecula. i did not expect to drop part of the group up the climbs. i did not expect to ride with a complete stranger for 3 plus hours. its crazy to think that i came home and felt like i had the best time riding with someone i had just met on the ride. i did not expect a rider of that caliber and talent to make sure i pedaled all the way home. i did not expect to laugh so much yesterday at all of the jokes. most of all i did not expect to feel that humbled by the company i was riding with- all very cool and very fun!

I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
Henry David Thoreau

to your health,

C

bumpin raw 'beets'

most greens in my vegetable garden start, like the swiss chard below, out green and pretty! then they get combined with Vega protein powder (hemp, pea protein), blueberries and almond milk. they turn into this:

yes- that is a glass from a triathlon finish. clearly wedding registry will do me and my dishes some good!

this was the ONE and ONLY beet from my 'winter' garden:

i am very proud of this beet. it survived not-so-nutrient- rich soil without any regular watering.... i do need to work on my gardening skills. although i found i am most successful with things that need little time. go figure. see swiss chard below that looks fabulous!

hopefully some where between work, ironman training, wedding planning and swim team i can go pick up some tomato plants, more chard and zucchini... all to be posted green and glorious!

to your health,

C

what a day

first off- THANK YOU to all of my local peeps, friends and teammates for being out on the race course either volunteering and/or cheering everyone on! the best part of my day was knowing i was not alone on that course! from the start of the swim having people yell 'go colleen' to seeing friends as i was leaving TI- and of course- all along the run course- thank you thank you! it is WAY more motivating to try your best and do your best when you have your friends out supporting. i cannot be more appreciative.

my favorite part of the race saturday was the start of the run. i was next to a tall guy and we were running together for at least 2 miles. i had people saying 'go colleen' every few steps- at least it seemed- and tall guy noticed. he says to me 'you've got a lot of fans out here colleen' and i just smiled and told him to stay with me because i knew we'd see them all again and more! so much fun- and totally made my day!

i think i had been looking for this race ALL of last season. to finally put swim-bike-run together in one piece is a satisfying feeling. the race saturday was unique. i was not rested- not totally wreaked either- so i had a more casual feeling about the entire thing. i told myself just do what my body can do and do not expect anything else. and i kept thinking if i feel good- ill just go for it- and thats what i did!

the water was not half as bad as years prior- in fact- it was fine. wasn't cold except that split second of entering the water. the swim is always funny to me. the best-and worst- part is when i round the turn buoys- i think people just use those buoys as an excuse to stop or something. i always approach the buoys full speed and never fail to see at least 5 swimmers with their bodies bobbing like they are buoys! its hilarious... i had to dodge so many people but that was expected. my swim time was still competitive but it was not as fast as i would have liked... however- as in my last post- i really wasnt expecting a stellar performance given my lack of workouts.

2nd out of the water and on to the bike. i caught the first girl on the first hill entering the base. that got me going. then i passed a handful of gals in the 40 AG and was thinking i was on a roll since that wave was two waves ahead of me. once off base i told myself to just settle in- there was a lot of work to be done because all of the real hills were yet to come! i did the entire ride with only seeing 1 or 2 other women. one gal in my AG caught up to me but then i never saw her after about the 2nd climb. i felt good the entire time. i felt like i was in control and i was aggressive with my pace. it paid off because my time was a PR for the course and competitive within the women's splits. there were some crazy winds out east but i just sucked it up and held on.

getting off of the bike i could not believe how good i really did feel. my legs did not have the heavy feeling at all! i just felt ready to go my 'long run' off of the bike. again- i wanted to be aggressive but not stupid. so i just stayed where i felt in control. that happened to be at 7:20 pace. okay!! ill take it. i listened to my body and i knew i did not have to push any harder because that was fast enough for me. all of the little hills i thought of my runs in the ranch and the short hills that mimic the same feeling- its hard but only for 30seconds. the run course is the most fun because you can see all of your competitors. i could see beth, brandy, kristin all just 1 mile back from me most of the time.

i was in first the entire race until the 2nd loop on the run. this girl passed me like i was standing still! my 7:30 pace then seemed like slow motion!! she had to have been running 6:30s... so i ran my own race to the finish. i am so happy i did what i could do- and i am so happy it felt good, aggressive and controlled all at the same time. i finished second. turns out the girl who passed me ran a 1:21 split!! hi pro runner. anyway- came close to that kona spot- but just wasn't my day to get it.

for first race of the season i could not have asked, hoped, wished for a better start to the season. i feel so much more motivated because i know my hard work from last season and the past 2 months of training is paying off. now i have to figure out to do double the distance...

ironman- here we go!

to your health,

C