Deirdre's Tri Stuff and More

Northern States Super Natural 2010

2011-04-05T21:18:00.005-04:00

Open Figure and Masters Figure Champ!

Having a blast on stage

Conor was more impressed with my trophies than Liam Masters class comparison - Ann and Syndi behind me took 2nd and 3rd respectively

Wow! I went to Buffalo gunning for a win in the Master's class to earn my pro card, but coming off my worst show the week before I wasn't overly confident. I had changed it up during the week -- all around. I ended up in the gym at night instead of the mornings and I did cardio between each super set. It was a hard week and I could feel the toll from two weeks of lean out. I modified my diet too. Little tweaks here and there and I felt good and obviously less puffy than the week before.

I was happy that Bill and the boys were coming up in the evening. We planned to go to Canada on Sunday to visit friends we hadn't seen in too long. This was the first show that had Pro classes - Masters Figure and Bodybuilding. The great part was that Masters Figure was first, so I actually got to watch it. There were five competitors and they looked great. The bad part about the show was that Figure open and masters were all the way toward the end. All my other shows had figure at the beginning and the waiting was new to me. There were also a ton of crossovers into Fit Body and Bodybuilding from Figure -- even some into Bikini. This was interesting to me since each has a different body type. I hung out with Ann Fire who I met at Cardinal the week before.

We finally got ready for the Open class and I felt good when I went out for the walk. We entered from the opposite side of the stage, but I adjusted fine and felt confident as I hit my poses. There were only four in the Open but I felt like it went well. The masters class was filled with nine competitors that were ready to win. We came out for our presentation and comparisons and I knew I was toward the middle, but didn't think I was dead center. I was optimistic that the judges had seen the pros earlier and were looking for full bodies not skinny girls. Once we were done, it was a relief to head back to the hotel and wait for the boys to arrive to take me back for the evening show.

The evening went a lot like the morning/afternoon show. Another difference with this show is that the awards are all done at the end. When it was time for the open class, they announced 4th and 3rd and it was down to me and Ann. Ann's number was called for 2nd place and I simultaneously felt elated and bummed. I was thrilled to win the Open class, but knew that sometimes the awards get "spread around" especially if it is close and I thought we might swap places for the Masters class -- which meant the pro card.

They sent the top five out for the Masters class and as they worked the way to the top two, it came down to me and Ann again. I repeated my number in my head so I would be prepared when I heard it, but instead they called Ann's number! I felt a surge of excitement, disbelief, vindication, and relief all at once!! I heard the boys cheering and tried to soak it all in while smiling ear to ear.

Once we were off stage, the tough part began. I had to complete the paperwork and pee in a cup. Not so tough except I had very little in the way of fluids all day. Plus I had peed just before we went on stage and I had run out of water. We had more in the car, but I couldn't leave the building until I completed my task. I made it (finally) and we headed out to grab some dinner and drinks to celebrate.

One year and one week to earn my Master's pro card! Totally thrilled and looking forward to 2011!!

Cardinal Classic - 2010

2011-04-05T21:13:00.003-04:00

Open Figure Short line up

Masters Figure

Five weeks after vacationing in Myrtle Beach (aka a week of drinking and enjoying foods that I rarely eat),I felt good heading to Youngstown again. This time I was solo and had a room at a Marriott with a pool and hot tub for post show. I learned from Dayton. I also made sure I had all my bags and stuff so I wouldn't need another emergency rescue.

This show is great. Always tough competition, well run, and great people. This year was more of the same and I was able to meet some awesome ladies. There were only six in our short class, but the line up was tough. I felt good, but knew I was a little puffy with my period due any moment (yeah, TMI but it's a huge factor for some of us in this sport).

John Henry and one of my tri buddies made the trek down, so I was excited to know they would be out supporting me. During the open class walk and comparisons I didn't see them or hear them. Sure enough, they hadn't made it yet. They did get to see the masters class though. I joined them in the audience and watched the body building classes and made goofy comments while I ate. I knew they wouldn't be in the evening, so I wanted to spend some time before I went back to the hotel for my nap.

The evening show went like clock work and we did our stuff for the open class. With only six of us, one person would not place. As they called out 5th though 2nd, I realized that I was not going to place and sure enough was left standing backstage while the other girls were receiving their awards. It didn't feel great, but it wasn't devastating either. For the masters class, I took 3rd and was just happy the night was done. I wanted to find a Chipotle and hit the hot tub so I could sleep and focus on next week. This time I skipped the Corona and stuck to water. When I got back to the hotel, my period arrived right on cue. The night just kept getting better.

On my way home Sunday, I stopped by John Henry's gym and chatted. At some point he said something that implied that the only way to get to the next level was out of reach due to the other things going on in my life -- kids, work, soccer, etc. I realized then that I had made the right choice in working out on my own. The added stress of training with someone for several months was something I didn't need. I felt good training around my schedule and doing it my way. I had six days to Buffalo and needed to make some tweaks....

Triathlon season - 2010

2011-03-03T14:07:00.008-05:00

Fairport Tri

Greater Cleveland Tri with Teresa

Triathlon season meant just two sprints races for me. As much as I used to love the long distance, I am totally ok with the switch to short stuff. My goal is to have success in both sports and the 20+ years in triathlon have given me a great base for racing short with minimal training. Finally, age and experience count for something!

My first tri was the Fairport race that we have done for so many years. I love getting to see my tri buds and hanging at the beach afterwards. This year would be so different -- the weather was not cooperative. The storm rolling in kept pushing the start back and they announced the possibility of postponing for another week. Thankfully it didn't come to that and we got going just as the storm hit. I was having a decent swim -- not my best, but good considering I hadn't done much swim training -- but the waves were so rough they had us exit at the far end of the beach instead of swimming back close to exit at the transition. As I stood to run to the beach, I felt a sharp stone puncture the base of my big toe. I ran to transition hoping it would come out, but no such luck. I had to sit down by my bike and work the stone out -- I nearly kept it for a souvenir just for the heck of it. Instead, I tossed it and got a little fired up about the girls that exited transition while I sat and messed with this stupid stone.

I got my bike out and hit the steep hill and went about my work of playing catch up. I saw Bill on the bike and knew he was doing well. I ended up having a great bike in spite of the wet roads and set out on the new run course. I ended up making a couple passes and in the final 1/2 mile I saw a girl with "41" on her leg and mustered everything I could to pass her as we turned into the final field leading to the chute. I knew I caught her by surprise and I sprinted with all I had to make sure she didn't have a kick to catch me. The sad part was that I was done a full five minutes before I dawned on me that I'm not in her age group!! Doh! Yeah, I can't remember how old I am sometimes. Lord knows I don't act it, so it's understandable, right?

I ended up with a win in a tough age group and looked forward to Greater Cleveland two weeks later.

Greater Cleveland Tri is always my favorite race. I love the Tri Club and Mickey the race director! Bill, the boys and I always try to help with the race and this year we were able to do the bag stuffing. This year the boys had swim championships the same weekend so they missed racing. I had to redeem myself after last year's bike crash -- even though I won my age group.

This year the weather was beautiful and the swim was not canceled which made me very happy! After two years of canceled swims, I was so excited to get the swim in. While we were waiting for our start, one of the international distance racers inadvertently turned in at our swim buoy thinking it was the swim finish. As soon as we realized she thought it was the exit, I volunteered to swim out to catch her and send her back. I just couldn't wait to get in the water!

The swim went great and the bike was thankfully uneventful. As was the run. I finished and milled around for a bit before I could retrieve my stuff from transition and head out to the swim champs. I ended up 4th overall and 1st in my age group. With the race done, I was officially focused on the fall figure competitions.

Dayton Tri-State Bodybuilding Championships

2010-08-17T19:38:00.008-04:00

Open Figure Short top 5

In between third place and second place Backstage with all the stuff!

After the March Lakewood show, I wasn't sure what I would do next besides enjoy vacation in April. My spring schedule with the boys kicked into high gear with twice weekly 2 1/2 hour soccer practices in addition to Conor's other soccer practice. Liam also had spring track, so I ended up working out entirely on my own -- no more trainer or nutritionist.

Being able to train and run during soccer practice gave me a whole new excitement that I had been missing in the winter months. I decided to enter the Tri-State Bodybuilding Championships in Dayton five weeks after vacation. I'd be traveling and competing on my own -- my first solo show! My biggest challenge was learning to do my own makeup, but my friend, Jill got me the right products, showed me how, and even drew me a diagram! I did a practice run one Saturday morning -- nothing like looking like a total floozy at a U13 boys soccer game.....I was ready!

Friday morning, I went through my normal routine and packed my bags -- 3 to be exact. One for my suit, shoes, tan, new show makeup, bikini bite, glaze, and candy for Saturday. One with all my toiletries and clothes for after the show along with the rest of my makeup and a bathing suit for the hotel hot tub post-show -- probably my most important bag since scrubbing and moisturizing after the tan is HUGE! The last one had my sheets, socks and gloves so I can sleep in the bed without getting tan everywhere. So, off I went to get my last spray tan then I cruised down to Dayton. I arrived at the hotel, checked in, and promptly went to my room to check the wi-fi and request a fridge and microwave. An hour later I went down to the car to get my bags and......there were only two!! Yep, I left my bag with toiletries up in the bedroom! I stood in the parking lot and calculated driving seven hours to get it and realized that I would barely be back before midnight. So, I decided to call Bill and ask for a MAJOR favor....please drive my bag down to Dayton. Oh, then how about get up at 5:30 AM, drive to Lodi for Conor's game, follow that by driving to Brecksville for Liam's first game, then to Toledo for Liam's second game and finally home to Mentor. And you can bring swimsuits since there's a pool! My sweet, amazing husband actually agreed to this scenario. Poor Conor even had to miss the school movie night and he was planning to sit with the girl he claims will one day be his girlfriend!

So, with that disaster averted, I just had to check in and polygraph for the show. Everything went smoothly and eating, tanning, and waiting for the boys was the remainder of the evening. The boys arrived by 10:30 and hit the pool while I got to bed. Sure enough, the next day they were on the road by 5:30 for the Tour of Ohio and I was trying my hand at my stage makeup.

It was interesting going to a show and not knowing anyone. I knew a couple judges, so it was definitely nice to be able to say hello and chat a bit before final prep. Just as I was in my pump up, one of my dangly sparkles on my suit fell off. I asked around for super glue, but no luck. It looked lopsided, so I grabbed the opposite side and yanked it off -- waa laa! Ready for stage!

First up was the Masters category and there were four of us. I was first out and felt confident as I went through my poses and walk. When we came out for comparisons, I was in the middle with another lady I knew would be tough to beat. The judges kept us out for a while and I felt good when we came off.

The Open class short division had a good group of ladies too. One had been at the Lakewood show and finished second there. We went through our walk and comparisons and this time the judges had us on stage for a loooooong time! I remember looking at the judges and thinking they totally had poker faces -- not a single smile or acknowledgement. Total business and that's what you want in this sport. I moved from the end closer to the center, but I couldn't tell exactly where I was in relation to the center when we exited.

Once I was done, I headed back to the hotel. Well, more accurately I drove around awhile before I got on the right road to go back to the hotel. Honestly, it is less than 2 miles, but the roads were one way and closed which made it crazy getting to the right one. When I finally got back, I ate and rested before getting prepped for the evening show. I headed back for the show and went through the usual prep. When the masters class came up, I waited as they announced fourth, third and when they got to second I kept saying my number in my head so I would know if they said it. But they didn't!! I WON the Masters Figure -- my first figure win!! I was ecstatic and am sure I was beaming ear to ear! At this point, my only other goal was to be top 5 for the Open class. When we lined up on stage and they started to announce, my number was called for 5th and I was happy to place in this tough group. The lady who I edged out in the Masters class, got fourth in this class and I learned the importance of each round of presentation. Nonetheless, I had my first victory under my belt and once again placed in both my classes. It took me less than a year to earn my first win and I couldn't have been happier. And I had done the prep and menus on my own.

After calls and texts, the only thing left was to find Chipotle and get my burrito bowl and a Corona. Well, this time I think I ended up driving around Dayton for 40 minutes before I got to the right road. Imagine walking into University of Dayton Chipotle with stage makeup and jewelry on a Saturday night....then into a gas station for Corona -- where I got carded (which is store policy - I didn't get excited like the guy ahead of me did). I took my little post show celebration back to the hotel and ate every last bite before I hit the shower and scrubbed the mud off. I quickly threw on my bathing suit since I had lost a lot of time trying to get out of downtown and headed down to the hot tub. Ahhhh, complete heaven!

It was an awesome show experience and I met great people. Bill and the boys saved the day and I was able to be self-reliant when it came to tanning and makeup. Now I feel ready for more competitions in the fall......after triathlon season, of course!

NPC Natural - March 23, 2010

2010-05-04T19:46:00.004-04:00

Teresa and me before the evening show!! We got to stand next to each other on stage too!

Not my best back. I would like to be leaner.

OK, it has been over a month and I'm fiiiinallllly posting the results. Basically, it was a disappointment on many levels. I do not feel I had my best body, but I tried a different method and it didn't work. So that I can live with. The way the show was conducted was the biggest issue. In pre-judging they ran us through the paces pretty quickly and the judges seemed to have people all over the board during the call outs. I got drug tested for the Masters, but not the Open and I got called out really late in the open so I knew it wasn't good.

Again, all of that was ok. It was in the evening finals show that I had a major problem. We went up to pose and they told us to only walk across the stage! So Bill and the boys only got to see us walk across -- no photos, no back, basically nothing worth the $100 I spent on their VIP tickets. WTF!!! The bodybuilders all got to do their full 60 second routine and we couldn't turn 4 times and wave???

Then the judging was all over the board. My friend, Teresa, took 6th in masters and beat out some girls in her height class. Well, in the height class they beat her -- significantly. The 11th place masters placed 5th in height and Teresa was 9th in height --- really??? They looked that different 10 minutes after masters pre-judging? Oh, and the "winner" of my height and the 35 Masters class trains with the promoter.....hmmmm.

OK, so huge disappointment. The trophy doesn't even matter this time. I don't see me competing in this contest again unless they make significant changes.

Click on the title to link to the professional photos.

Dress rehearsal

2010-03-13T14:12:00.003-05:00

Can't wait to get on stage next week!!!

One week until show time and you can definitely see changes on a daily basis now! Wow!! I'm down to only one pancake every other day, but I still get a pancake :-)

This morning I painted on a tan before posing to get a better idea of how my body looks. It is amazing that I'm dropping about 1/2 lb. each day, so the changes are really noticeable now.

It's wicked week!!!

2010-03-12T05:35:00.003-05:00

OK, it's Wicked Week as John Henry calls it!!! Last week of big workouts. We worked out Monday, Wednesday and again last night. One more workout on Saturday after posing. Next week I'll workout M-W nights with him, then tan Thursday and Friday. I get my mani/pedi on Monday too, so it will start to be pampering time (well, I did get a jump start with a hydrafacial last night). Yes, I know, I'm such a princess!

New menu has --- wait for it ---- whole wheat pancakes and maple syrup on it! Mmmm! Also, I get peanut butter and rice cakes again :-) I have to enjoy it now since I get a new menu today. In the meantime, these are from Wednesday night. I've dropped another pound since Wed, so the changes are coming daily.

Less than 3 weeks!

2010-03-01T21:24:00.002-05:00

Can you tell I don't like posing at the gym?
Need to move that left shoulder back...

Also, need final tuning on my legs....March 20th, ready or not!

Body comp update

2010-02-21T18:20:00.001-05:00

Friday I had my body composition done and just as Ralph predicted, I didn't lose any weight, but I have tightened up!! I got my new menu and started that this weekend, so I expect to see the tuning up in the next two weeks!! Four weeks to go.....

Arms - 10.5
Chest - 35.5
Waist - 28
Hips - 36 (that's more like it!!!)
Thighs - 20
Calves - 13

Body fat - 15.43%

BTW, I'm eating my first "salad" in ages. Red leaf lettuce, tuna, egg whites, and balsamic vinaigrette (oops, it's supposed to be just vinegar).

5 weeks and ready to lean out....

2010-02-14T20:00:00.002-05:00

One more week of the current menu before I begin my lean out.

Holy Lat Girl!!!

Oh, yeah, Happy Valentine's Day!

7 weeks out - photos

2010-02-01T21:15:00.003-05:00

Coming along just fine according the John Henry and Ralph. I'm not losing any weight on this new menu, but Ralph doesn't expect me to. That means I'll lean out the last 4 weeks. I should be "tightening up" now. I've got a lot of confidence in what he's doing so I'm sticking the course.

Body composition

2010-01-27T19:56:00.003-05:00

I'll cut to the chase -- I can in at just under 17% body fat (16.9 - close enough). Last May, I was 14.9 before I started working out with John Henry, so the goal of putting some fat on so I don't lean out too fast apparently has worked. Of course, I could tell you that I added fat without any fancy measurements.....

Now the really big news - my arms are 1.2 inches bigger circumference!!! Wow! I know I will lose some over the course of the next 7 weeks, but on game day, I should be bigger on my upper body -- again, the big picture goal. The last bit of good news is that both sides measured symmetrical.

I am a little bloated starting this new menu and I went up a couple lbs. of water weight with the black bean spicy burgers I ate last night....

Arms - 10.5
Chest - 35
Waist - 29
Hips - 33* wrong, wrong, wrong - when she measured me above my booty, I said I think we have to hit the widest part but she said no. Well, sure enough, last fall days before the show I was 33.5. I am definitely NOT smaller in the hips now!
Thighs - 21
Calf - 14

16.9% body fat

9/30/09 (competition on 10/3/09)
Arms - 9.3
Chest - 33.1
Waist - 26.75
Hips - 33.5
Thighs - 20
Calf - 13.5

12.32% body fat

Less than two months!

2010-01-26T19:33:00.002-05:00

Wow! It is amazing how fast time goes and also how fast the body changes. I went from my "fat diet" in November/December to a more reasonable diet in December/January. The goal during those months was to get me "big" and build muscle so when I lean out I don't lose muscle. I definitely felt bigger and wasn't all that comfortable with the weight at time. Keeping my eye on the bigger goal helped make it tolerable. Of course, I ate and drank my way through the holidays, so some of it was my own doing.

I started my new meal plan yesterday and all I can say is AWESOME!!! I have more fruit than I ever had along with veggie burgers and black bean burgers. I've got bread and mayo every day along with the standards like oatmeal, brown rice, yams and egg whites. Plenty of chicken, turkey too. Overall, pretty damn good!!

OK, tomorrow I get body composition taken and I'll have new pictures this weekend. Hopefully I'll have a noticeable improvement from the mid-January pictures.

It ain't pretty.....

2010-01-16T14:53:00.003-05:00

Nine weeks out until the next big competition and I have a lot of work to do! Last time I was lean from the get-go, but now I've put on the weight with my fat-diet in November and have only come down 2 lbs. this past month.

I trust my team will get me there though!! Posing started today and wow, what a reminder of the pain of wearing those 5" heels for an hour!!

5th places at NPC in Lakewood!!

2009-10-08T21:11:00.004-04:00

Opening curtain

Big back! ....or as Conor says, "round buns"!

We were shooting for the top 5 and well, I placed 5th in both height class B and Masters 40-49!! The show was awesome and I felt great on stage! I had great support from so many friends -- huge thanks to all who came out. I can honestly say I've never been so happy to be selected for a drug test ;-) Not once, but twice!

Now I'm enjoying a week off and eating so many (too many??) things I haven't had in a few months. Then back to training next week.

3rd at Cardinal Classic!!

2009-09-29T06:17:00.007-04:00

Post show with Heidi and Eve

Third in the Open short division and second in the Masters!! It was a great experience and I learned a lot. I had the go first for all the figure girls, so I've gotten that out of the way.

Overall, I couldn't ask for anything more here. John Henry came out and Heidi was there, so I had great support. Now on to Lakewood!

Here are some in between shots for my nutritionist . . .

Three weeks out and tanning "practice"

2009-09-07T20:37:00.003-04:00

Three weeks out for the Cardinal Classic and I'm feeling great! I'm still eating 3200 calories daily so that is awesome. I get new photos taken this week and a new menu on the weekend. I got to "practice" my Friday/Saturday meals this weekend. I had a burger with mushrooms and some mocha trail mix on Friday. Too much espresso beans -- too much tossing and turning and smearing my "tan". Next weekend I'm going for the pizza and giant gingerbread man cookie . . . . Saturday was steak and sweet potato fries in the morning and no water until noon. Oh, and the best peppermint patties in the world around 10:30 . . . . mmmm!

My spray tan was not good. Too wet and smeary come Saturday morning. I ended up showering and painting it on myself. The base was great, but I had so many streaks and hand prints there was no way I could go anywhere like that. The painting on was easy and dried quickly, so I'm going to try again this weekend and see if I can nail it down.

On another great note - a lady I'm posing with won another pro card this weekend in Pittsburgh!! Yea, Claudia!! Congrats! She will be at Cardinal with me and I expect more great results there.

Conor is everywhere! My best fan!!

Big back!!

Progress pics - 6 weeks until Cardinal!

2009-08-15T19:37:00.004-04:00

Wow! It's been a long time since I've had pics taken and I haven't seen my back until today . . . . whoa, very pleased with the progress! Six weeks out until Cardinal Classic in Youngstown!!

I will likely start my "lean out" menu next weekend. So far, so good with the first two meal plans. . . I'm sure the going will be tougher, but now it doesn't seem so far off! Yea!!!

Post race

2009-08-15T19:15:00.003-04:00

The day after the race, I got to enjoy my burger and beer at Lake Placid Pub and Brewery. MMMM! I had the 6 - 4oz sampler which was damn good!! We enjoyed Monday and Tuesday at the beach before heading downtown to shop on Tuesday night.

Bill and Conor

Shopping - the boys hated it and I only enjoyed it for the bargains!

Looking out at Mirror Lake from the playground

The Dillinger gang -- Conor bought a rubber band gun with the money he earned washing Debbie's car!

Overlooking the golf course (aka a great cross country route) just before our trip home

Bill's Ironman

2009-08-15T17:06:00.007-04:00

A fabulous race in 12:39:02!! Congratulations Bill!! You are an IRONMAN!

Swim to bike transition
End of lap one of the bike

Beginning of lap two on the run

Talking to his agent, Mickey immediately following his finish!!

The motley crew from Cleveland - George, Tim and Bill! Congrats all!!

Vacation

2009-07-25T18:33:00.002-04:00

Love being on vacation - hate knowing I have to cut out all the food "cheats" when I get back home . . . . I still haven't seen my new meal plan, but JH has it so I'll get it when I get home.

Working out has been good -I've gotten to ride an hour, swim the 1.2 mile loop twice, and run a little over 2 miles. Plus, I did a yoga/stretch band workout and we all went to the gym yesterday. Conor is now obsessed with getting a six pack . . . honestly, I haven't been that focused on it, but maybe he's been peeking at my Abs magazine.

We got to go to the beach yesterday and today. I gotta admit, it's fun when I really don't have to worry about a little overhang here or there . . . . now if those aforementioned "cheats" don't undo all of my good work . . .

Speaking of cheats, I do get my pre-negotiated "burger and beer" on Monday to celebrate. Sad but true, I stopped at the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery on our walk home and snagged the menu and questioned the waitress about hamburger buns (why doesn't every restaurant offer whole wheat or whole grain??). I told JH he said I could have a beer, but he didn't say what size . . . I'm just gonna drink out of the pitcher ;-)

Ok, here's where my hard work has me thus far . . . .

Callahan reunion

2009-07-14T21:07:00.004-04:00

Aunt Margaret's 90th birthday celebration!! I hope to be half as sharp as her at 90!!
The boys on the trampoline in the lake -- reminded me of reunions when I was little

The three wise men

Conor and Liam with Grandpa

Three generations of Callahans -- truly the luck of the Irish

Coach!! It wouldn't be a reunion without Coach there

Birthday treats

2009-07-11T15:21:00.003-04:00

This week has been great for workouts, but bad for cheating. . . . the progress I've made is evident and now I'm taking little cheat snacks -- just about daily. Yikes - no need to undo all this work!!

Thursday I negotiated with John Henry about whether I could have a glass of wine for my birthday (belatedly) and a burger and beer in Lake Placid. The answer: pick ONE! OK, so no vino, but I'll enjoy that burger and beer in a couple weeks. That will also be the end of my little snacking crap too.

On the plus side, he had me leg press 315 lbs. -- um, I thought the 225 I did previously was badass!

I go again tomorrow after another posing session with Heidi. Michelle and co. are planning to be there too, so it should be interesting.

Progress photos

2009-07-05T14:18:00.003-04:00

Here are my updated photos after 4 weeks of my nutrition plan and 1 session of posing . . .

I'm happy with my progress, but still have so far to go. I now think I'll compete one week before the October 3rd show in a smaller show in Youngstown. Heidi is awesome and gives me hope that I will be able to make it seem natural . . . . someday!

Love the legs!!! Thank you triathlon :-)

Posing and new photos

2009-07-01T18:08:00.002-04:00

I have my posing coach, Heidi, and we start this Sunday morning bright and early!! Who am I kidding, I'm always up early . . . . anyway, I will have 4 weeks of my nutrition under my (shrinking!) belt and plan to do some photos to see where I'm at 3 months out --- yes, THREE months out!! I haven't lost that much and I'm hoping I'm gaining muscle still.

I worked out with Mike last week and I go again tomorrow. I definitely lifted heavier than ever before. I leg pressed more than Bill's weight of 218. My legs were sore until Sunday! One and a half hour of weights will do that, I guess. I'm heading up to hit the treadmill tonight, in spite of my headache.

On the tri front, I need to get some running (instead of walking) in if I want to do a respectable tri this season. My hip is hopefully, staying in place, but we'll see. Bill starts tapering for Lake Placid IM this weekend --- finally!

OK, check back for new photos this weekend . . . . :-)

CHEAT!!

2009-06-23T21:06:00.002-04:00

Yes, I succumbed to temptation on Sunday and picked through leftover party items that definitely aren't on my menu. Oh, things like Hot Pepper Trio kettle cooked chips, chocolate cake, fruit salsa and cinnamon chips. . . . this weekend's party, I buy the food. None of this stuff where people show up with things I can't have and leave them here post-party!

I ended up 1 1/2 lbs. up on Monday -- hopefully mostly water weight. We'll see how I am by Friday. I need to check and see if I will have any days to "cheat" and have some summer fruit, a glass of wine or beer, anything that I know I can't have until OCTOBER!!

My lifting is going ok, but I am drained of energy.

On a funny note, I watched for first disk of the posing DVD and it is awful!! The cheesy guy is so unbelievably 70s porn style, I keep expecting him to peel off his shirt and start funky music in the background. And he always repeats himself!! Michelle and I decided after the competition, we're going to watch it together and do a shot or a drink every time he says one of his stupid phrases (I've mentally blocked it from my mind and have to watch disk two to get the damn phrase again)!!

A weekend away from microwaves . . .

2009-06-19T21:35:00.003-04:00

OK, this weekend will be the first weekend without access to a microwave for my meals. Sigh, I nuked things tonight and put them back in the fridge to chill. Hopefully, this all works out ok . . . .

Nutrition Update

2009-06-15T20:19:00.002-04:00

I got my nutrition plan last Sunday and have followed it diligently for 8 days now. There are 3 days of 5 meals and I rotate through the days. I'm eating every 3 hours (or so) and am full, but I miss being able to just pop something in my mouth when I want it.

I also miss my daily coffee!!! But I negotiated green tea every morning since I was only supposed to have black coffee up to 3 days a week. Saturday and Sunday I had my coffee (without sweet-n-low which I love like a lab rat!) and it was AWESOME!!!

Today was the "fun" day with bananas, rice cakes and peanut butter as part of the menu. Tomorrow I get strawberries, 1/2 orange and some granola (which has whole almonds -- mmmm!) so it is a pretty fun day. Wednesday will be back to the "serious" day.

Of course, there are tons of chicken, turkey, salmon, eggs, tuna (starting to hate it!), and beef. Lots of asparagus, spinach, broccoli, and grilled peppers. I miss the dairy dearly, but I can see results already, so it is working!

I've been in my shoes for an hour (not standing the whole time) and am ready to return to earth! Today was a rest day, so I'm looking forward to hitting the weights tomorrow. My weekly workouts with John Henry have been awesome!

Shoes!!

2009-06-06T22:35:00.003-04:00

THE shoes are in and I can walk (for a short period of time anyway). Here we are -- another Saturday night at the Callahan/McIntosh residence -- ha ha! No really, the boys are getting scared every time they see me in a bathing suit. Oh, it could be worse, I'm sure.

WOW!!!

This week wasn't the best for training. Four nights of soccer tryouts and Friday morning Junior Achievement class. Two parties the last two days to boot. I have my Sunday workout, so hopefully that will get me back on track this week!! Less than four months to competition.

Shoes, nutrition and personal training

2009-05-24T23:28:00.002-04:00

This week I finally ordered my shoes - 5" acrylic heels with a clear little strap that I suppose will hold me up should I slip (ha ha) . . . can't wait to get them on and see how comfortable (oxymoron?) I can get in them.

Probably my biggest decision was selecting my nutrition coach - John Henry Creel from Mind & Body Fitness. We meet next Sunday to start this process. John Henry has a focus on nutrition and has worked with figure competitors, as well as, Miss Ohio, and the Cavalier dance girls.

Today was my 2nd personal training session with Lloyd and both sessions have kicked my butt. My hip is giving me problems and slipped out of place, which warranted another trip to the Physical Therapist. He now wants me in the infamous "butt band" for the next 30 days. So I'm walking around with an odd shaped butt and avoiding certain lifts to see if I can keep this damn thing in place (at least until I try the aforementioned heels . . . ).

Hopefully a productive week ahead!

Pre-training pics

2009-05-16T23:06:00.014-04:00

OK, I had to try on the competition suit one more time before I start working with my trainer, Lloyd, tomorrow morning! And this time I didn't jam my shoulder blades together resulting in a look more akin to a chicken than a nice "V". . . .

I found my shoes and plan to order them next week -- and I really do need practice walking in them before October. I tried Michelle's shoes on at work and she had to tell me to bend my knees -- doh!

Finally, I am very close on the nutrition plan. I contacted three people last week and have heard from all of them. I'm leaning toward a guy who really seems to know what he's doing. More money than I planned, but I think it will be well worth it.

Let the games begin!

OK, preview time . . .

2009-05-12T21:11:00.002-04:00

Here's a peek at the competition suit!!

I did get my body fat done with caliper testing yesterday and I registered a 14.92%, so I'm definitely at a great starting point. I contacted three different nutritionists today and am waiting to hear from them to see who I will work with. Next up, personal trainer and SHOES!! I think I may be behind the learning curve for 5" heels, man!

Something new!

2009-05-09T18:38:00.002-04:00

Oh it has been a long time since I posted! I'm off on a new adventure, so it is time to document this journey . . .

I'm planning to compete in a figure competition in October. Definitely something I never expected to do, so here we go!

My friend, Michelle, is actually the instigator here. She did her first last April and then again this April. We worked together during her first competition, so i got to see her transformation almost every day. She is also the reason I've been lifting more diligently than ever before -- and heavier weights!! So now, I'm going to give it a try and hope to not wind up on YouTube.

My first news is that I got my competition suit today!! It is awesome and everything I expected. I'm working on shoes next -- assuming I can actually walk in 5 inch heels . . . perhaps my biggest challenge!

So much to learn . . . . but I'm looking forward to every step along the way.

OK, my first fun fact -- I put the suit on to see how it fit and Conor's comment after watching me practice quarter turns, was "round buns" . . . I'm gonna take that as a compliment!

Madison Tournament

2008-11-15T12:45:00.002-05:00

Conor in goal

Liam

Vipers - U12 Champions!

Conor

Mentor Shockers - U8 Champions!

The boys played in the Madison Tournament last weekend and they both did awesome! Liam's team won their first 3 games to go to the finals. They were up 1-0 in the final against Strongsville, when Strongsville scored with 3 minutes left. Overtime was a golden goal -- first goal wins. Liam made a save and then the Vipers took the ball down field and scored in the second minute!

Conor's team, the Shockers, won 3 and tied 1 game to take the U8 title.

Obama in Cleveland!!!

2008-11-02T20:42:00.007-05:00

OK, forgot that the photos load in reverse order. . . . here's the rally in Cleveland today!!

Barack in the upper right, behind the lamp
Sharpshooters on the buildings

Huge crowd!!

Barack cruising to the rally while we wait in line

Springsteen - Thunder Road:

Barack:

Race Day!

2008-07-20T10:28:00.002-04:00

Race morning started beautifully, but 45 minutes in the rain started and it hasn't stopped yet!

All the Cleveland folks are out of the swim and on the bike. Safe rides to all.

Also, a shout out to The Clot Buster who is racing in Columbus today on his home course. A nice little tune up for Greater Cleveland Tri, I'm sure.

42.3 seconds . . .

2008-07-19T16:04:00.008-04:00

Before the run . . .

We still haven't seen a bobsled whip past . . . . ummm, the 16 numbered curves refer to the bobsled track . . . . .

The boys (eagerly???) awaiting our turn

. . . of terror! Yep, we did the Bobsled 1/2 mile run at the Olympic Sports Complex! Yesterday when I was volunteering, Judy from NA Sports offered me four Olympic Passports to allow us to visit sites free. Then she gave me tickets to the Bobsled run --- um, $240 worth for the four of us!! We went as soon as Bill got done checking in bikes and it was incredible. First off, the fact that we all fit into one bobsled with the driver and the brakeman was amazing. Then that I didn't mess up the driver -- I had to hold on to him instead of the handles (was it the cleavage revealing top?). . . . and finally, that I didn't freak out when I heard them ask if everyone was ok just before we started and I heard Conor all the way in the back say a feeble, "No". . . . that made it the longest 42 seconds of my life. I totally forgot the brakeman was behind Conor and for the ride, I had the irrational fear creep into me about what would happen if Conor fell out. . . .

When we finished, Conor's knee was banged, but nothing worse than a fall in soccer. We got our picture, t-shirts, pins, and other goodies too. Pretty sweet treat for a few hours of my time!

I didn't see local folks this morning at the Gatorade swim although I met Tom Ziebart, another of Mickey's buddies.

The other good news is that we have a place to sleep on Sunday night. Two doors up from our condo is available, so we will check out of here and into that for one night. Plus, I've got the real estate broker's name and number . . . . come next week I have a feeling I'll be checking to see if he has anything for next year . . .

Lake Placid - Friday

2008-07-18T21:40:00.004-04:00

Today the weather turned and storms came in, but the day was still great. First, I ran some of the course. . . . we are on the corner of 73 and 86 Main Street and I ran down past the Olympic ski jumps and onto Riverside Drive before I turned around and came back. It is amazing what I noticed today vs. the race. The Olympic center seems to beckon on the hill as you run back . . . the ski jumps guide you to the turn. . . . more rolling hills than I remember. It was really great to be on the course again. . . .

Then the fun. I went to work the VIP tent and immediately ran into Ellie from the CEO Challenge . . . and Heather Fuhr. Heather put me to work and Judy from NA Sports and I handled the tent for a couple hours until Heather came back followed by my all time favorite Paula Newby-Fraser. I tried not to be too much of a stalker when I told her I met her in Hawaii. I left out the part about having her picture in my workout room . . . . I met Mike Reilly (Mickey's brother's brother-in-law . . . ?) and Greg Welch passed through as well. Paula said Greg is leading off the pros for the swim and someone commented on what happens if he has a heart attack and her response was, "well, everyone knows which way to go . . . ". Gotta love her!

OK, best sign in Lake Placid so far: Norm's Barbershop -- "Closed. Reopen at 1:00 . . . If I can . . . Norm"

Ran into Sam and Joe on their way to registration and they look so ready!! I can't wait to see how they shake it out on Sunday. May be warm day, but I'm sure the everyone is prepared.

Best story so far: next door condo -- Connie Carpenter -- I can't wait to watch her finish this year. Last year was her first attempt at Ironman and on the second lap of the bike, she crashed into 2 guys ahead of her who were fighting for position and wrecked. She came around the corner and crashed into their mess. They finished (one with a gash in his skull). She spent 8 days in the hospital with a punctured lung, broken scapula and other broken bones. She only remembers knowing she was going to crash and being in the ambulance. I asked if they comped her this race -- no deal.

I did get some Olympic passports from the VIP gig today. Included are tickets to the 1/2 mile bobsled ride. . . . oh boy, we'll see if we survive that tomorrow!!

Lake Placid heats up!

2008-07-18T14:54:00.001-04:00

Wednesday and Thursday was as expected. . . . more athletes and families heading in. The big buoys were up on Wednesday and the Gatorade swim was set for Thursday morning. Bill and I did the swim Thursday and it turned beautiful so I stayed by the beach until after noon! Liam and Conor fished for hours and caught several fish the swam (well flapped their gills anyway) in buckets until we left.

We walked downtown last night and it was too crowded at Ben and Jerry's to wait for ice cream. . . . oh well, to be expected I guess.

Bill ran the course on Thursday so he has a clear idea what he is up against for next year. I rode a little bit back on the bike course, but the semis started coming, so I turned around. I got a decent ride in then did one loop of the swim. I expect to run tomorrow. . . .

Lake Placid - Tuesday

2008-07-16T09:08:00.003-04:00

Tuesday was gorgeous -- sunshine and warm temperatures made it perfect! Bill and I both swam a lap of the swim course -- heck, Liam even got a bit in before the open water creeped him out. The boys and I stayed at the beach and enjoyed the sand and sun while Bill rode a lap of the bike course. He came back with a whole new appreciation for the toughness of the course.

Athletes are trickling in and hitting the beach and swim. Today should see many more around town. We stayed out of downtown yesterday, so I'm sure the transformation today will be great.

We are heading to the soccer fields on our bikes to get a little shooting and skills in before we return to the beach. Tomorrow I'll take my bike out -- but no plans to ride the course!

Lake Placid - Monday

2008-07-15T09:35:00.006-04:00

Speed skating oval (aka the final steps for Ironman USA)

The boys just can resist the snow

Mirror Lake is clear and calm -- simply beautiful!

Liam and Conor are enjoying the loft -- they created parachutes out of everything

The view from our condo

OK, before I talk about Lake Placid, did you ever think something to yourself like, "hmmm, I've never seen this weed before and I hope it isn't poison ivy" and pull it anyway, forget about it, then adjust your bikini? Well, I did. . . . . needless to say I have little spots of poison ivy popping up in, ahhh interesting places. . . . ok, not really that bad, but around my bikini lines. Fun, huh?

Lake Placid is beautiful. We rode bikes around yesterday trying to find some off the way routes. We stumbled upon a stunning soccer field and plan to head back there today (even though I left my boots at home). In the afternoon we walked from the condo all the way through downtown and back along the beach. I'm notoriously NOT a shopper, but there were huge sales and we got t-shirts and shorts for under $12 all around. OK, the only splurge was the Life is Good triathlon t-shirt that is exclusive for Lake Placid . . . . set me back $25. Oh well, all the other bargains made up for it.

The Ironman signs are starting to go up in the shops and the tents were being erected in the oval when we were out yesterday. We also stumbled upon a Monday night triathlon at Mirror Lake on our way back to the condo. Too bad we didn't know, I would have jumped in!

Today looks beautiful. We're planning to head to the beach and relax. I've got my trashy mag and book to read. . .

Boilermaker Pictures. . . .

2008-07-14T10:15:00.008-04:00

Conor and Liam waiting for the runners.

Notice my grey bib amongst the seeded runners . . . .

I spot the guys along the route!

Post race party!!

Boilermaker 15K

2008-07-14T07:48:00.002-04:00

Well, I did my third Boilermaker Sunday and once again would recommend every runner do this race at least once. It is simply awesome to run with 11,000 plus runners in such a well organized race, beautiful course, and the best damn post-race party (heck, it ends at Matt FX brewery -- how can you screw up a party like that??).

The hardest part of the race was getting in -- I waited until a week after Morgantown and ran my favorite 7.3 mile loop -- successfully, so I figured I'd go ahead and sign up for Boilermaker. Except when I logged in on July 7th, I discovered entries closed out on June 30th. Not to be deterred, I emailed the race director and he called me right back and said to fax an application by 3:00 PM and he'd get me in. Done!!

We stayed in our usual hotel in Syracuse the night before which meant I had to still pick up my packet and chip on race morning. Let me tell you it is not easy to get to the race start, pick your way through the start to get to the packet pickup and back to the car before heading back for the race start. . . . I made it but as Conor said, he didn't listen to some of the words that came out of my mouth . . . .stress released, apologies to the guys, and I'm off to the start.

Finally, the race starts and we stand there for a minute and a half. I crossed the start at 2:40 into the race and started to pick through the crowd. The weather was the best it has been in ages. The rain brought it down into the 70s (the other times I ran it was in the 80s by 8:00 AM) but the humidity was 70%. My foot was a little sore at the start, but I hoped to work through it and sure enough it was fine after a couple miles. Again, I had to remind myself this was a training run and not a race (I actually said it out loud three times in the car on the way. . . .) as I hit the first mile in 8:51. Miles 2 and 3 were 8:56 pace. Mile 4 up the hill to the golf course slowed to 9:08, but I was happy with the race so far. Coming down the hill in mile five I ripped off my 8:07 and thought coming in under 9:00 pace was looking likely. Mile 6 was a surprising 8:43, but 7 was my slowest at 9:10 -- not sure if I dozed or took it easy so I would finish. Mile 8 turned out to be 8:40 and mile 9 was 8:32! With a final finish of 1:21:48. Over three minutes off my previous races, but not too bad without the training. The chip timing was off, so they only had gun times which put me at 1:24:30 vs my 1:21:48, but I finished 91st out of 539 women in my AG and 3285 overall.

Now the fun stuff. . . . where else can you see bag pipers and belly dancers -- and that was the first 2 miles! I did get to see a llama again this year, but it was a baby one being held by a girl. Three years ago a full grown llama was at the bottom of the hill -- definitely made me do a double take! The bands along the course were good, but a little less than in the past -- maybe the weather forecast did it. Coming in the last half mile, I did spot Bill and the boys and waved. My left calf was either strained or about to cramp, so I was worried I was going to be in trouble at the end. I finished and got my pin then wound my way around to the party for food, my goodie bag, and BEER! I met up with the boys and we did some grocery shopping throughout the party before heading to the car for a quick change before heading on to Lake Placid! Whew -- what a day!

Morgantown lite

2008-07-02T17:56:00.004-04:00

June 29th was our return to Morgantown, WV for another shot at the Mountaineer (alright, Spirit of Morgantown) races. This year I got the short course with the Olympic race while Bill moved up to the Half Iron to prepare for Ironman next summer. While I was a bit concerned about not having run a 10K since last August, I wasn't too worried about my biking in spite of only having three 20+ mile rides (and two of those were 20 - 20.5 . . . ). I felt strong from all the weight training (aka "booty work") and wasn't concerned about the hills on the course. The swim, well, I could motor through that even with minimal training.

Saturday we arrived in WV and did all the prerequisite stuff of checking in, racking the bikes, running into half of the Cleveland crowd before dinner. The big bummer was that my friend, Karen, broke her collarbone a month ago and couldn't race, but was there to cheer on Eddie. Both are preparing for IMKY and I have no doubt they'll have great races there.

Dinner was with about 20 assorted CTC members. It was great to see the Reddy swim group folks that I missed after being kicked out. . . I mean, dropping out of the group this winter! We had a great dinner then had to run back to the hotel in the pouring rain. Since we didn't bring long sleeves, Bill made a dash to WalMart to pick up sweatshirts for all of us.

Sunday started overcast, but the rain held off. At the start of the race, I did notice that the dam wasn't off and it looked like an Endless Pool as the swimmers had to take the long backstretch into the dam (damn??) current. The short section back to the finish had a draft, but couldn't that have been reversed? As usual, after the turns at the buoys, everyone moved off to the right and I just kept hauling straight along the buoy line. I don't usually draft since I don't trust anyone to swim straight (well, as staight as me), but when one of the 50+ guys tapped my calf, then my thigh, I figured, what the heck, here's one to follow and I held on as long as I could to have a little breakaway. When we got to the dam end, you could really feel the choppiness of the water, but the push back to the dock was nice at the end. I pulled myself out at 30:25 and went to my spare shoes to make sure I wouldn't hurt myself on the long transition run.

The bike started out with the usual choppiness through "Shanty town". I saw all the yellow nets from water bottles along with an assortment of other equipment that lept to freedom along the streets. No sooner did I hit mile one and my newest Polar bottle takes a flip out of my bottom bracket and lands off to the side of hte road. . . .^&)#%! Oh well, I only packed that one bottle, but had my aero mounted one, so I figured I'd just fill that and be fine for the 24 miles. Hmmm, two more miles I felt something hit my forearm and looked for my yellow net, but it was still there so I figured no problem . . . until I went to take a drink and my straw was GONE! The only thing left was a little stub where it used to be. I tried to bend all the way over to drink from it, but it was too far. so I figured I'd wait until the water stop. . . . if only I could remember when it was.

The hills weren't an issue and I found myself riding most of them seated and in the aero position. I traded back and forth with a guy that was probably getting sick of me passing him, but tough! I saw Bill looking good on the bike and finally put my head all the way over to get a drink from my mini straw before I got to the water stop, where I finally grabbed a couple bottles.

Coming in to town, the rain started . . . .and cars came out, so it made it tougher than I'd hoped to get back in. In spite of the challenges on the course, I was thrilled to come in with a 19.3 mph average pace. So, now it was off to the run -- my longest in 10 months AND up Devil's hill . . .

I took off out of transition and took some fluid at the first water stop where they guys said, "here you go, ma'am". . . . I damn near stopped dead in my tracks and shouted back, "Ma'am??? Come on! How about miss, babe, anything but ma'am" and they got a good laugh. So I headed down the path and saw my first girl to pass. My pace was a little faster than I wanted since I didn't want to die at the end, so I tried to balance racing and pulling back at the same time. I counted my self in the top 10 women and wanted to finish both top 10 and place in my age group. I rarely seem to pass women on the run anymore, so I was thrilled to pass a couple, but I knew a lady behind me looked strong. When I came back through the first water stop, I grabbed a cup and said something about ma'am and this time he yelled back, "Great job, hot stuff!" Much better!

We headed up out of the park and onto Devil's hill and I could sense the lady behind me. Sure enough just as we started up the hill she went (easily I may add) by me, dropped her inhaler, turned to pick it up, smiled at me, and sprinted (OK, maybe not really a sprint, but it was waaaaaayy faster than what I was going) past me again and was gone! Oh yeah, she was my age group. . . . I made it up the hill and through the campus for the last mile and back into the park -- no injuries this year -- and the boys were there working the finish and cheering. It was beautiful and sunny when I finished, but the rain, clouds, and sun kept taking turns to keep the day interesting.

I got cleaned up and went back to cheer Bill in. I could tell he was hurting, but he finished strong in spite of his cramping issues. I checked the results and a lot of CTCers did great. I ended up 2nd AG and 8th overall, so I was happy with my race.

Final times: 30:25 swim, T1 - 3:49, 1:17:01 bike, T2 - 1:08, 59:02 run (6.55 miles) 2:51:26 for 67th overall

Bill finished in 5:43:20! Now on to Lake Placid to get entered for 2009 . . . . :-)

Who knew?

2008-05-04T07:09:00.006-04:00

"They knew better, still you said forever . . . . and ever. . . . who knew?" P!nk

Finally a race!! My first race since last August was yesterday and I had low expectations. This was my fourth year doing the Captains 5K in Eastlake and I really didn't expect to go much under 29 minutes. I haven't been doing much running as I try to squeeze in my morning workouts of weights, elliptical, and swimming. I started running outside a couple weeks ago and my "long" run is still under 6 miles and my "fastest" mile split is just under 9 minutes. So, I figured 30 minutes was a good possibility for my finish time even though my other times have been between 24:05 and 25:00 (last year was 24:31). My friend, Naira, told me a couple weeks ago that she thought I'd be much faster, but I dismissed it as being a good friend and trying to pump me up.

Well, she definitely knew better. I could feel my legs starting the slow burn before the first mile mark and I had Linda, an age group competitor pull past me and I thought, "oh no. . . this could be a long day". I stayed with her and we hit the mile in a surprising 7:43. So now I thought I'd be dying on the second or third mile and wasn't sure how long I could hold on, but I made a little surge and got in front and kept pushing. I knew she was right with me, but I tried not to think about letting up. I just wanted to stay as strong as possible and tried to maintain my pace. I think mile two has always been slower for me, but when I saw E-Speed calling splits, I hit my watch and saw 7:40! Woo hoo! Who knew I could still hit that kind of split! Now to just hold on for one more mile. . . .

About that time, the P!nk song popped in my head and kept running on a continuous loop. I wasn't sure how close Linda was, but I knew I didn't want to let up a bit since I felt pretty damn sure she was really near. Sure enough with about 3/4 of a mile left, her mother-in-law was there yelling, "Linda you look great!". Crap!! OK, no time to relax or think about my legs now. . . .

I passed the green shirt guy and hoped that would put the "nail in the coffin" so to speak. We turned into the parking lot and ran around the stadium to the outfield entrance and along the red clay surrounding the ball field. Then I heard footsteps coming on their final kick . . . . "dear God not Linda, dear God not Linda . . . ." Green shirt guy flies by me, OK. . . . more foot steps, damn! Some other guy (I think I passed him at the beginning of mile 2) sprints by. The best part was where he crosses over and up onto the plastic covering the bullpen mound and WIPES OUT totally!! I mean he belly flopped down the other side, arms outstretched! I couldn't help myself from saying, "Safe!", but I'm not sure he saw the humor in it. For the record, he did bounce back up and out sprint me to the finish.

Now I could see the clock as I came down the first base line -- 23 something. Whoa! Can I make under 24??? I pushed as hard as I could (still running scared that Linda is going to use an amazing kick to sprint by me before the line) and hit the finish in 23:55! My best time at this race! Linda was only seconds behind me and we finished 1-2 in our age group! I definitely owe her because I know I wouldn't have pushed myself that hard without having her working me. I'm happy to see the competitive spirit lives on and the body still has some surprises for me. I'm attributing my unexpected speed to all my booty work in the gym. :-)

This is our family affair race and the boys did the 1 mile Skipper Trot. Liam and his buddy, Alex took the top 2 spots with Alex in at 7:30 and Liam at 7:50. Conor came sprinting in at 11:47 with Bill not far behind. What a fun day! Then, what else, off to soccer!

Vermont Photo Journal

2008-03-27T08:30:00.004-04:00

Easter dinner

Crossing the reservoir on snowshoes, I couldn't resist this beautiful picture

Liam and Conor at the Fun Zone -- I've managed to avoid this all week!

Conor and Liam ready for another day on the slopes

Mmmmm, Mommy's Time Out -- what a perfect name for a wine!

Conor at the splash pool

Liam in the pool

The hot tub is ideal after a glass of Mommy's Time Out!

We have had many intense Uno competitions . . . . I learned that Conor will cheat and lie without the slightest hesitation . . . .

My MOOSE sighting . . . . ok, it is made of wood, but I love this guy!

During my snowshoe, I went across the reservoir and up the hill straight ahead

Liam showboarding!

2008-03-25T17:29:00.002-04:00

Liam and Conor all set to head down the mountain

Conor doing jumps. . . . the next photo was on his bum!

Liam looking good!

The boys are doing great skiing. They hit all three mountains yesterday. I got out to XC ski for the first time all year and it went ok. I didn't want to push it, so 45 mins. was enough for me. I've been busy swimming, lifting, doing elliptical and yoga -- whew! I've needed a nap every day at 3:00 . . .

I've also been busy cooking, doing laundry, and reading too. Much needed R&R along with my workouts . . . .

Shampoo, Swimming, and Skin Cancer -- OH MY!

2008-03-23T12:20:00.005-04:00

Coloring eggs Saturday night

Happy Easter from Vermont!!

We arrived yesterday and settled in to a different condo. We all like our regular condo better, but we needed the switch to make it out over spring break. And yes, the Easter bunny found us this morning and the boys really cleaned up with the sweets and treats!

So, what's the "S" theme all about?

SHAMPOO - remember that old school kid trick of making someone repeat after you, "Ohwah tagu, siam" faster and faster? Well, that is what I felt like yesterday morning when I awoke in a hotel room just past Rochester, jumped in the shower and went to shampoo my hair. Friday when I packed, I filled my gym bag shampoo bottle with conditioner and my conditioner bottle with shampoo -- both were half full when I refilled them. A combination of shampoo/conditioner doesn't seem to work very well for either purpose. Today I dumped out half of each and I hope i can stretch them out through the trip. . . .

SWIMMING - yes!! After 3+ weeks out of the pool, I swam 20 mins. OK, the water was 88 degrees hot, but I swam. It felt great and my stroke seems fine. I just felt a little tightness across my pecs, but I'm sure it is from 3 weeks of not moving in that manner. I'm so psyched to be back in the pool, I won't let the HOT temps bother me. Plus, I'm taking it easy this week getting back, so the heat won't kill me like it would for a tough workout. OK, it was weird to have the teenage lifeguard boys watch me . . . good thing none of the kids swimming needed help!

SKIN CANCER - I have a pre-cancerous spot on my right cheek that we are treating with a cream that will basically make it raw for several weeks while it destroys the cells. I can't put anything on it except the cream (I got approval for some sunscreen), so I'm a little nervous when ever I'm outside. The sun is shining and the sky is blue and I'm freaked out whenever I step outside. Thankfully the pool is a short walk from our condo, but I'm nervous each minute I'm out. I have the nickle sized scar on my leg from the basal cell cancer in '97 as a constant reminder of what I don't want to have happen to my face.

Yes, I will put my post-op pics out soon! Patience grasshopper! These things take time to settle into their final place. My left side is there and I expect the right side to be "done" by the end of this week. Heck, I'm still bruised slightly. Dr. G. was really pleased with my progress on Thursday and I have the go ahead to start back to running. A special shout-out to Naira and Chuck for the HOOTERS t-shirt that arrived this week!! Excellent, my friends!

The boys are heading back out to ski now and I'm doing my yoga. Later I will make my Honey-Baked Ham recipe and King Crab Legs for Easter dinner. Yes, vacation for me is working out, cooking and laundry in another place . . . . not complaining though, enjoying the time with my boys.

More soon . . . .

Yeah, they're fake!

2008-03-15T06:20:00.007-04:00

Training has been going great and the weight training has really put me in my best body shape in years. . . . . with one exception. My boobs (ok, not that there was much, but at least I had a little) -- totally gone. I caught my reflection in the window after a swim and saw that my heart rate monitor protruded farther than anything else (see photo -- that bump is the HRM), and well, damn that just stinks! I also noticed that some of the fit, healthy women in Oxygen and the fitness center have had breast augmentation and I thought "why not me?" I spent 1 1/2 years pregnant, 5 1/2 years breastfeeding, and I have 13-15% body fat. I think I've earned a little boost. Bill was supportive (no pun intended) and the boys were cool with it. So, long story short, I got my "twins" on the 29th (does that mean they only age every four years???)!

I am amazed at how I walked into the surgery center at 10:30 and walked back out at 2:30 (albeit with an extra pound and a half on my chest!) and was out watching (what else) soccer and basketball the next day. OK, I was on pain meds and Bill was shuttling me around, but nonetheless, it was almost too easy. My recovery is going great, but I still have some bruising and they need to settle down into place. I was able to lift and ride a week after surgery and now I'm back to everything except running and swimming (no, they won't make me more buoyant!).

The other benefit from this (ok, I'm sure there are a number of benefits :-)) is that we discovered I have a umbilical hernia that needs repaired. I just chalked it up to the second pregnancy, but now I'm looking at a hernia repair later this year. At least I am totally comfortable with my surgeon (Dr. Steven Goldman at Beachwood Plastic Surgery -- love the whole staff!) and have no qualms about going under again.

DeSoto Sport was wonderful, as always, too! I bought a couple bathing suits last year before my Snickers discount was gone. Well, I started with a small top which was more suited for a 9 year old girl. So they let me switch it for a medium top which has been hanging in the bag -- tags and all -- behind my bedroom door since December -- patiently awaiting the warm days ahead. Well, ummm, I now need a large (their sizes really do run small -- I didn't go crazy with the size -- really!!). I emailed them and explained my "predicament" and they told me to send them back and we could exchange with no problem!! I love DeSoto! The 2008 DeSoto catalog does include my cocktail fueled love note about the T1 wetsuit . . . . which I'm not sure will fit any longer . . . . oh heck, I may be ordering more. . . .

Oh, a special thanks to Kathleen and Alyson for the personalized card with my blog photos photoshopped onto the likes of Pam Anderson and Anna Nicole Smith! Nice!

I guess it isn't ALL about the booty!

This and that

2008-02-16T06:39:00.002-05:00

First of all GOOD LUCK to Naira and Chuck who are running the Myrtle Beach Marathon this morning!! Luckily on Wednesday Naira realized it was on Saturday, NOT Sunday, so they were scrambling to get ready to hit the race start at 6:30 this morning. Wouldn't that suck to show up a day late for a race . . . .

As for me, I'm doing well with training. Definitely in a good routine now and shaking it up as much as I can. I've become an Oxygen girl (as in Oxygen Fitness magazine). I can't wait for the Glutes special edition available in April!! Of course, I think Bill likes looking through the mag as much as I do . . . . maybe for a different reason though ;-)

The last month has been a whirl of soccer and basketball. The boys are doing well and having fun. I am either: a) a good mom or b) insane since I bought Liam a pair of Thierry Henry soccer shoes for outdoor season. Henry is a striker for Barcelona and one of my fav players. Anyway, his new shoes are red with white accents -- and our team colors are red and white. So, it was practically a done deal - except they cost $130 (ok, $108 with my goal club membership). Well, I did it and they arrived yesterday. Worth it? Absolutely! Liam (my undemonstrative guy) gave me not one, but two kisses, a hug, AND an "I love you Mom". . . .

Conor is coming along with both basketball and soccer. It's time to sign him up for baseball (cringe!) . . . not my favorite sport (ok, next to golf my least favorite sport). Oh well, gotta let him play!

I swear I'm going to make it to the next Tri Swimming class. I've been blowing them off to get things done at home. It was a good idea when I was part time at work and had time to get things done, but losing 4-5 hours on a Sunday morning is hard to face now. Bill is doing great with it though. That was the main goal. I know he thinks he will be able to kick my ass in the swim, but seriously!!

OK, time to get my workouts going. Another busy day of sports -- Conor has basketball and soccer games, Liam has a soccer game and we're going to watch the Mentor Boys basketball game tonight -- they are exciting to watch!! Can't wait!

Booty update #1

2008-01-20T06:16:00.000-05:00

Eight weeks into my booty training and the progress is . . . . noticeable! My personal trainer friend, Michelle (who is motivating me big time), asked if I had padding in my pants this week. (Side note, years ago I would have been mortified, but working from a flat, athlete butt toward a toned, bubble butt definitely changes that!). Nope, just some perked up glutes! The bonus is that overall, my body is more toned than it has been in years. The crazy part of all of this is that I am lighter than my Ironman racing weight! Who would have thought that 3 hours of cardio a week (and a lot more lifting) would put me at a lower weight than 16 hours a week of IM training??

So the training continues with a little running added back in, but I'm not really pushing to add mileage. I have accepted that with my full-time work schedule and reduced training schedule, I will not be doing any half Ironman distances. I'm not the fast, short course specialist, but what the heck . . . . at least I'll have the nice butt!

I have also purchased my second pair of MBT shoes! I got the high model that looks more like athletic shoes than the really (really!) ugly pair I started with. MBT -- Major Booty Toning -- I'm telling you, these things are amazing. I wear them most of the time at work and on weekends and they are literally kicking my butt. And yes, Leon and Jim are now laughing to my face. . . .

OK, enough butt talk, the other fun stuff is that Michelle and I went for a makeover on Friday which was awesome!! Kimberly, our makeup goddess, was fantastic!! She totally got us -- I won't spend a lot of time and want to look natural and Michelle is the glam queen. Afterward Michelle picked out an outfit for me. It felt like Extreme Makeover! Now I just have to replicate the look . . . .

The boys are doing great. Liam's soccer team won the championship for the first session. He played goalkeeper in the last half when they were up 2-1 and I had to leave to take Conor home . . . . it was more nerve racking waiting to find out if they won. Conor had his first basketball game yesterday -- he's a natural. He's a ball hog, but a natural on the court. So now I just have to keep up with four soccer teams and two basketball teams for the next few months . . . . and continue my booty training!

Hope your training is going well too!

It's all about the booty, baby . . .

2007-12-16T18:46:00.000-05:00

OK, I am finally posting after an extended absence thanks to Leon, Jim and Kevin's prodding . . . .

I had to return to full-time status at work last month and it is really busy (understatement!). I am getting up around 4:30 AM to get to my much shortened workout and off to work at 7:30. The desire to return to long course racing next year may be kaput. Thus. . . . .it is all about the booty!

A few weeks ago my friend Michelle completed her personal training certification and I came across one of her training magazines -- Glutes (yes, entirely about the booty and booty development). "Love your butt", "Three weeks to bubble butt", "Shape your money maker" -- Money Maker???? Alright, I'm intrigued. I've never done any glute specific training, just minimal all around weights. Soooo, anyway I took this as a challenge to try something different. Plus, having a 40+ year old ass, if not now, when? That coupled with my reduced training time and I'm in booty camp, baby!! Three weeks in and I don't know if I've achieved "bubble butt" status, but I do see and feel a difference . . .

I couldn't finish this post with mentioning my "dork shoes". The MBT -- Masai Barefoot Technology -- shoes are "booty shoes", ok, mine look goofy as hell, but they do work my butt and thighs. Michelle hates that I wear them to work (and I think Leon and Jim secretly laugh behind my back) but when has other's opinions stopped me . . . ?

The bonus from all this booty training -- I'm hoping for NO MORE BUTT BAND!! Yes, you heard correctly. I have neglected my glute training for oh, 20 years or so. Hmmmm, I've had a lot of hip problems in recent years. . . . do the math. I'm up to a whopping 1.25 miles in running, but I'm not using the butt band. (Sorry, Mickey!)

So we'll see if this all pays off. I've ordered next year's swimsuits from my favorite tri clothing manufacturer - DeSoto Sport, so I better be in bootylicious shape by then . . .

Happy Holidays and safe training!!

Halloween 2007 -- guess who???

2007-11-03T19:45:00.000-04:00

" We're off to the Cole's annual Halloween party . . . . now where is my other baby, y'all????"

" Damn paparazzi follow me everywhere. . . . maybe they know where I left my other baby. My baby daddy sure doesn't seem to have him!"

"Oops! I did it again - I forgot my panties. . . "

Soccer!!

2007-10-07T20:02:00.000-04:00

When triathlon season ends, I'm full force into SOCCER with the boys!! Liam won the Knights of Columbus soccer challenge 10 year old boys division. He'll move on to districts soon. Check out his form . . . .
Conor is out of instructional league this year and playing games. He is all intensity . . . .Liam's travel team, the Mentor Vipers, is currently undefeated. Here's Liam at a tournament this fall. Our new favorite station . . . GOLTV!!

On the health front, my foot and leg are continuing to improve. I am faithfully doing yoga twice a week and swimming frequently. I have new orthotics on order and expect to be walking in them in a couple weeks. 2008 -- here I come . . . .

Happy post season (check out the archives to 2006 Hawaii Ironman pics!)

Last race of the Season

2007-09-13T08:47:00.000-04:00

Who knew this was going to be the way my season ended?? Carnation Tri in Alliance was cold and rainy but I kept my streak for age group wins alive. My left calf has been swelling ever since and I'm off running until it settles down. Hopefully soon . . . . inactivity does NOT suit me one bit!

Season Over!

2007-09-05T20:20:00.000-04:00

That isn't a happy exclamation point on the title, just for emphasis . . . .

My leg is not any better and I need to get healthy before I race again. Heck, make that before I run again. I did have a leg scan done and do not have a clot -- the veins are healthy. Now to eliminate the swelling . . .

All is not lost, I can swim and bike . . . and I'm already planning for next season. Plus, we're into SOCCER SEASON, so I'm a bit swamped right now any way.

I'll finish writing up the racing season soon (yeah, yeah, I've heard that before . . . )

What a whirlwind!!

2007-08-27T08:19:00.000-04:00

I know, I know . . . I've been off the blog the last couple weeks. I've had two good races (especially in light of my injuries) and haven't written a word about them. My latest is the unexplained swelling in my left calf and foot -- nice looking cankle, huh?

Well, soccer is back -- what can I say. I send the boys back to school tomorrow and hope to catch up then. I have some great pictures from Greater Cleveland Tri and a soggy Carnation Tri.

Labor day in one week -- WOW!

Stay tuned . . .

Pre race jitters

2007-08-15T20:16:00.000-04:00

I haven't had time to post after a WONDERFUL weekend at Greater Cleveland Tri, so here's a quick preview -- Conor's first time "racing" at GCT -- he skipped the bike, but did a great job in the swim and run.

More soon!

Greater Cleveland Tri - race weekend

2007-08-10T07:30:00.000-04:00

It is almost here -- my favorite race of the season and I'm still trying to recuperate enough to race decent on Sunday. Regardless of what happens with my race, I'm jazzed about the whole weekend of festivities. Roland - the Clot Buster -- and his lovely wife, Liz arrive tonight. Tomorrow the kid's race is in the morning and we are manning the NATT booth at the expo the rest of the day. Saturday ends with dinner at home with our racing friends that we haven't seen in too long.

Sunday should be a beautiful day weather-wise. Hopefully,everyone will have a beautiful race too!

Breaking News!!

2007-08-05T16:29:00.000-04:00

In an overwhelming upset, the Head has triumphed over the Heart in Deirdre's upcoming race schedule. Originally slated to compete in the Half Iron distance race on August 12th, the latest information coming across our news desk is that Deirdre has switched to the International distance race. We tracked down the Head for comment on the stunning development.

"Well, we were riding on Saturday -- the first time since last Sunday's race -- and I pulled out the big punches. I kept going over the amount of training time Deirdre's put in recently against the amount of time she's spent in the sports doctor's office -- the answer was clear. Hell, I almost thought I could get the sprint race in there, but I knew that would be a huge risk.", the Head stated.

We discovered that in spite of existing hip pain, Deirdre recently tried to switch to the new Newton running shoe. Given the strain they place on the hip flexors and calves, it was the last thing she should have tried mid-season -- let alone while already nursing a couple injuries.

The Heart responded to our request for comment with this written statement:
"Greater Cleveland Tri is clearly one of my favorite races; it is literally in my back yard. Two years ago, I got my Ironman slot when I completed the Half Iron race here. It will always be special to me. The Head made an argument I couldn't compete with this time. I believe I will be fine in the International race and I am looking forward to cheering the other racers on. While I'm especially saddened that I won't be able to do the same race as Bill, I'm thrilled that I will be at the finish when he comes across. I plan to focus on getting healthy and mapping out next year's races -- which will definitely include GCT - Half Iron distance. Thanks to Mickey (the race director) for allowing me to make this adjustment for race day."

Profile picture

2007-07-25T19:17:00.000-04:00

Here's my updated profile picture -- Snickers Girl and my usual smile! I ran the Johnnycake Jog on Sunday and snuck in just under eight minute mile pace with my 39:56. We ran home after, so I got a 10 miler in for the day. . . . I have, however, spent two days at my D.O. and chiropractor . . . oh well! On to Fairport Tri this weekend!

Ironman Lake Placid morning

2007-07-22T06:21:00.000-04:00

Today is the Ironman in Lake Placid. Last year I was up and trying to drink my shake while getting ready for the start. I just logged into the website to get the race updates (yes, I know it hasn't started yet!), and the song, Bittersweet Symphony by The Verb came on -- that is the song that played as I crossed the finish line!! Every time I hear it, it brings automatic memories of the race finish and the race -- awesome!

So I had to post this blog while listening to my Lake Placid song. Good luck to all the competitors today -- I hope you get a great song too!

Who is this????

2007-07-20T19:19:00.000-04:00

Oh my goodness! Here is my caricature from out group outing on Monday!! I asked for some cleavage, but she said there were limits to what she could realistically draw . . . . hmmmm. . .

Ironman Lake Placid is on Sunday and I'm a bit nostalgic. I read through my scrapbook and race report last night. I am wishing all the Cleveland Tri Club members great success on whatever their individual goals are this weekend. Godspeed!

Welcome to the Mountains!

2007-07-14T16:49:00.000-04:00

Yes, the Tour moves into the mountains today!! In honor of the riders hitting the Alps, I rode a hilly course today with a lot of wind. OK, I needed a hilly ride, but since it coordinated with the Tour, I figured I'd tie them together. I just forgot my polka dot jersey for the ride. . . .

I did climb 10 hills and got around 49 miles in before I called it a day. I also hit my record high 44 mph on the long Mitchell's Mill downhill :-) -- sweet!

On my health side, my foot is doing rather well -- probably because my hip pain has officially surpassed my foot pain. I went back to my PT this week and my hip was "out" again . . . . it has be "out" more than it has been "in" this summer. I wore the darn "butt band" all day the last few days and am doing my exercises. On a positive note, I got my new Newton running shoes and LOVE them. They are so light it is insane! After running in my orthopedic "special" shoes, these are amazing. My hip is calming down today, so I hope to run long with Tina tomorrow . . . . we'll see.

After a four month break, I am back on my "vitamin Advil", which is helping my hip. I had to forgo the ibuprofen following my shockwave treatment. I enjoyed the break, but gosh am I sore! Here's hoping I don't have to take it that much . . . .

Birthday fun, friends, and futbol

2007-07-08T21:02:00.000-04:00

This weekend was our trip to Columbus for the Columbus Crew soccer game. I got an early ride in Saturday morning on the Greater Cleveland Tri course. Three loops of the hill did the trick! I followed that with a short run, then the road trip began. Thirteen of us made the trek and we checked in to the hotel and hit the pool before the game. We decided to get an extra room for the kids -- they loved it!

We got to the parking lot and did our best to find shade to start our tailgate. I'm glad the semi trailers next to us weren't loaded with flammables!

My clot buster friend, Roland, and his wife, Liz, joined us for the picnic and the game. He's racing in Muncie this coming weekend, so here's to a great race and much luck raising funds for NATT!

Here are five of our Mentor Viper Soccer team members -- Liam and his buddies!

Great game! The Crew scored two in the final 15 minutes for a 2-0 final score. Freddie Adu from Real Salt Lake wasn't there, but we enjoyed the game in an awesome stadium.

We got back to the hotel and swam and partied much later than I figured we would. It was a blast, but Tina and I planned an early long run for Sunday. We did make the run down to Olentangy River trail and looped around a lake. Nine miles to kick off my 43rd birthday - sweet!

Here are two of my three biggest fans! These are the best birthday gift I could ever have.

What an awesome weekend and a fantastic way to bring in my birthday with my family, great friends, and a whole lot of fun!!

Vive le Tour

2007-07-08T20:53:00.000-04:00

Oops - meant to post this yesterday for the prologue of the Tour. Yes, our yellow flag is out for the next three weeks. Yes, our neighbors think we're nuts.

Mountaineer Half Iron Race Report

2007-07-03T06:17:00.000-04:00

Well, it had to happen eventually. I finally had a disappointing race. Oh, I’m sure I’ve had them in the past, but I just can’t recall them now. And I really am not that upset with the outcome, in fact, I had a blast and am looking forward to next year. I even tried to nail down next year’s race date Monday morning with Scott from HFP as we left Morgantown.

It began on Saturday when we arrived and just had time to check in, rack the bikes and meet Mark and Anne Durno for dinner at Oliverio’s – a great Italian place right by the river and transition. Anne graciously agreed to watch the boys while both Bill and I raced. Bill was doing his first International distance race and I was returning for the Half Iron distance. Mark was also doing the International race as his “A” race. We had a nice dinner, stopped to say hello to the other CTC members and walked over to the swim start/finish. Last year’s swim exit was right at the transition area, but this year it was 250-300 yards farther away – on pavement! I knew immediately that I couldn’t go that far barefoot with my heel spur either running or walking. After a short discussion I decided to put my running shoes along the rocks and have them ready to run to transition. I kicked myself for not bringing my other pair of shoes – those were at home along with my Met-RX shake I always have on race mornings. I bought some kind of protein shake in a can at the expo to use for breakfast (note: don’t do this --- this is a classic rookie mistake, but I continually try to do some goofy stuff). My last check of the race day weather forecast was cool in the morning and clear, sunny skies the rest of the day and a high of 75. After last year’s rain, I was excited to have a nice, clear day ahead.

Race morning was as beautiful as promised as we walked down to the transition area in the parking garage. On the way in, Heather Gollnick walked out and I automatically called her name. We met her in Hawaii the morning after the Ironman and I got to talk to her and her husband about 10 minutes. She was absolutely sweet then and either remembered me or was absolutely sweet about a stranger calling her out on race morning. I quickly wished her well and got my pre-race stuff done. She won the pro race, so at least I didn’t mess her up! I got my transition stuff all set, gabbed to the ladies around me, and grabbed my wetsuit to head to the start with Bill. After I got into my wetsuit, I decided on one more pit stop and ducked into Subway. When I came out, Bill was there and I adjusted my wetsuit bib and felt a hole in the back “Y”. There was no time to fret since I had less than 10 minutes until the start of my wave. Fortunately, the vest top covered it, so it wasn’t an issue.

I got down to the start and jumped in the water and made my way up front. I was thrilled with my 34 minute swim at Eagleman, so I would be content with a 35 minute swim here. Especially after last year’s 38 minute swim. I felt great in the water and saw a ton of girls flying ahead. After the turn to the backstretch, I stuck close to the buoys and had clear water. When I’d breathe to the right, I realized it was because everyone was swimming wide to the right. I kept cruising along and made my turns without running into any trouble. As I headed to the finish, I felt great but didn’t have any idea of my pace. At the dock, just as they grabbed my hand to lift me out, I saw my watch said 32 and change! I was stunned, but happy . . . even as I heard and felt my wetsuit rip the rest of the way across. I made it to my shoes and slipped my feet in and hauled up the ramp. The shoes made a world of difference. Even with the stop to put them on, I was under 4 minutes on transition.

I grabbed my bike and headed out for the road. The bike started the same as last year – choppy roads and a lot of twists and turns. Just before the “Y” where the half and international routes split, the roads smoothed out and I could get into a nice rhythm. I rode with Paul and Chris from CTC for a bit. Actually, Chris was near me for the entire bike, and then blew by me on the run. The climbs were nice and the turnarounds were much better than last year. I actually overshot the second turnaround and took about four guys with me, but we just turned behind the cones. I did spot Bill on his loop and it looked like he was having a great day. The water handoffs were good, except I couldn’t get the damn bottles open. I tried tearing them with my teeth (and thinking about all the money I spent on orthodontia) and had a heck of a time. Coming in from the first loop, I hit the choppy, Xterra portion of the course and held on for dear life. I was actually looking forward to the next loop.

Starting the second loop, I was thinking about the railroad tracks – I don’t know why, but the instructions I gave at the clinic the week before, “if a train is coming – STOP”, popped into my mind. As I turned to the RR crossing, the lights were flashing! I wasn’t sure if it was a live track and there only lights, no barricades, soooo I looked both ways and zoomed across! There were workers on the track, so I figured they were triggering the lights. The next thing I noticed was the smells. It was like I was in labor again and could smell everything! The river smelled like fish, someone was cooking bacon, . . . . it was crazy. It also went along with the urge I had to throw up. I never really felt nauseous, my stomach just felt full – not sloshing, just a few minutes of thinking about how I could throw up without stopping. Thankfully the feeling passed and I pressed on. Perhaps the funniest moment of the ride was when a cat wandered into the road oblivious to the riders in both directions. Just as I was summoning up my bark (my standard response when I’m riding and need to scare small animals in my path), the cat’s tail went up, its back arched, and it turned around and ran just as Jack Carney, heading in the other direction, nearly nailed it! We just looked at each other with goofy grins and went back to riding. I know that last year I began the run around four hours and I started to calculate that I would be about 20 minutes ahead of that this year. I pulled in with a 3:05:48 for 18.1 mph average. I slipped on my shoes and they were soaking wet! I figured a good three hour ride would dry them out, but no luck. Another quick transition – 1:26 – and I was out on the run.

I hadn’t run in a week since my hips were out of whack when I finally went to my PT, “Dr.” Tom, on Monday and again on Thursday. I dutifully wore my “butt band” around all week and hoped the running break would keep everything in place. I started out running the first three miles around 9:23 pace, before I hit a 9:03 on mile four. I felt good and just hoped to clip along and see how the hills felt. Rob Reddy flew by on his second loop and he looked awesome! There were so many CTC members out racing; it felt like a hometown Cleveland race. I hit the uphill section and gave the devil a high five. After the turn onto Grant St., some WVU guys had toilet paper strung across the road as a mock finish line, so I ran through the “tape”. The downhill section hurt the most, but I turned back into the park to start loop two. I felt ok but could tell my foot and hips were getting sorer as I went. Before the turnaround, I saw a lady from PA who was right behind me in Lake Placid and in my age group. I had made up a lot of time on her and I decided when I passed, I’d make sure my name on the bib was in front of me so she wouldn’t realize it someone in her age group – my numbers had long worn off my calf. I made the pass and realized just how much I hurt. If she had any challenge, I wasn’t going to be able to answer, so I was relieved that she didn’t. At mile 10 everything hurt and I was approaching the hill. The devil was having a lunch break, so he was on the sidelines. I was moving so slowly, I decided to walk, which was a bad move. As soon as I turned and started to run, my left knee started to “stick” or hurt in an IT band kind of way. I tried walking a bit then running, but every time I started to run, it hurt within a step or two. I stopped to stretch and watched some women pass and knew I was out of contention for a top five place at this point. I kept the walking and running starts and stops going for the entire two miles. I’m not exactly sure what I bargained to be able to run across the finish line, but my usual grin was replaced with a much different look.

I saw Liam and Conor in the finish area with Mountaineer shirts on and they handed me water, my medal, and Liam took my timing chip off. I thought of my friends, Naira and Chuck, and their half goal of going under six hours as I finished in 5:59:28. I finished with a 2:15:38 run – it was only 2 ½ minutes slower than last year, but it pushed me from a 4th place age group finish to 7th. As I talked to folks after the race, my disappointment in my race was replaced by pride as I heard several comments about how Liam and Conor had cheered people in and took care of them at the finish. Then I found out Bill placed 6th in his age group on his first International distance race!

Mark and Anne after his 1st place finish

The women pros are just to the left of Conor

So, while the finish was a little disappointing, I had so many positive things on race day that I’m definitely looking forward to returning next year. Once I looked at my times from this year to last year, I totally forgot any disappointment in the day. I had a great day racing with my family and my CTC family – it doesn’t get much better than that.

This year to last year splits --

Total time:

2007 - 5:59:28 7th place 40-44

2006 - 6:14:44 2nd place 40-44
Swim:

2007 - 32:38

2006 - 38:48
T1:

2007 - 3:59

2006 - 2:41
Bike:

2007 - 3:05:48 18.1 mph

2006 - 3:18:41 16.9 mph
T2:

2007- 1:26

2006 - 1:31
Run:

2007 - 2:15:38 10:21/mi.

2006 - 2:13:01 10:09/mi

Morgantown Half Iron - here we go!

2007-07-01T05:25:00.000-04:00

I just checked the weather for today's race and it could not be better! In the mid-50s at the start and gradual climb into the 70s around 11:00 AM, with a mid-70s high at 2:00 PM --- when I will hopefully be done.

We got in late yesterday, got our bikes checked in and met Mark and Anne for dinner at Oliverio's. It was wonderful and there were another dozen or so Cleveland Tri Club members there for dinner too.

My biggest concern today is the transition from the swim to the bike. The swim start/finish moved to the boat house and the run -- on pavement -- is 250+ yards! I haven't been barefoot that far and on pavement, nonetheless, in ages. My only hope is to take my running shoes and put them by the finish. Baring that, I will be walking/hobbling my way to a very long transition time!

OK, time to get moving along here! I'm excited more for Bill at this point --- his first international distance race -- hopefully he has fun!!

Swim Workouts . . . sort of

2007-06-27T18:00:00.000-04:00

Finally I am getting swim workouts in this week! Liam is at a basketball camp that lets out at 3:15 each day, so I am going to work early and leaving early to get him. The routine is to head to the pool where Conor is at camp and swim for 45 minutes to an hour. This means I am swimming with a few hundred of my friends -- who are mainly interested in jumping in from the side and throwing balls at each other. It is actually kind of fun to swim through and around groups of kids playing, teenagers groping each other, and adults bobbing around the water. Good training for navigating the race swims! At 4:00 the kids have to get out and I get 15 glorious minutes to swim in the 50 meter outdoor lanes -- going from yards to meters is brutal, but I'm getting used to it.

I went to my PT on Monday and my hip was really messed up. I'm wearing my trusty "butt band" around most of the day and will stop in to see him tomorrow and hope I'm still in place. I race in Morgantown on Sunday, so I'm hoping I can keep my hips in check for a whole week!!

Bill will be racing his first International Distance race there too! I can't wait for him to jump up from sprint to a longer race.

. . . and fast guys!

2007-06-25T21:46:00.000-04:00

OK, the pic of the week is Liam's relay team for the Junior Olympics. Coach Dave sure looks proud of the guys. Liam is second from the right. The team got passed at the end to finish second by a split second. Mav and Jacob are moving on to this week's competition in individual events!! Good luck guys!

As Bill likes to call me -- "Mother Hen" clucking about her soccer guys.

Tough chicks!

2007-06-15T13:27:00.000-04:00

Natascha on her way to a WORLD RECORD!!!

Me on my way to a -- uh, no world record, just another Snickers Girl finish!

Eagleman Half Ironman June 10, 2007

2007-06-15T13:23:00.000-04:00

Background

As we traveled to Eagleman, my first tri of 2007, I thought about the last 16 years of racing and how thoroughly unprepared I have been at times (ignorance truly is bliss). This time I understood that my low training volume and totally unstructured (OK, absent) training plan put me in a tough position for the race. I planned to treat the day as a “training day”, but I also know that I lack the ability to turn off my competitiveness once the air horn starts the race.

The lack of training was due to a couple factors – primary was my heel spur that developed last year. The heel that got whacked with an errant baseball bat in April ’06 has never been quite right. During my last race in September it really started to hurt and I followed that with a marathon at the end of that month. Finally, walking around in Kona with really bad sandals sealed the deal in October. After spending the winter starting and stopping repeatedly with my running (and massive amounts of Vitamin Advil), I took my podiatrist up on trying an Extracorporeal Shockwave Treatment in mid-March. The only hook was no anti-inflammatories and no running for four full weeks. The treatment was amazing and I couldn’t believe how much better it felt the next day. I began running in mid-April with a 20 minute run and steadily built up. Unfortunately, four weeks ago my long run was only 5 miles. Over the next few weeks I essentially crammed for Eagleman by bumping my distance to 8, 10, and 12 miles each weekend.

Unfortunately my running wasn’t the only discipline taking a hit this year. I’ve been managing Liam’s soccer team since last summer. Between practices, organizing events, communications, reporting scores, photos and articles, I’ve been busy. Conor is also in soccer and baseball, so my time to train has pretty much evaporated. So I decided to shake the dust off my 18 year old Trek 1400 road bike – which I rode for my first 13 years of racing – and begin to ride to work 1-2 days each week. Once gas eeked up over $3.00 a gallon, it didn’t take much convincing to give it a go. My first ride in back in March scared the heck out of me. Mind you I’m carrying about 15 lbs. on my back with all my work clothes, purse, makeup, etc. Climbing the hills shot my heart rate to 198, but I made it! Viola! Bike training! These trips to work have been the only cycling I’ve done outside of my weekend ride. But even the weekend long rides have been sparse with traveling and soccer engagements. Bill and I rode 36 miles a couple weeks ago and I put in a solo 54 mile one week before Eagleman. That served as my confidence booster for the race. Not ideal, but I knew I should finish.

Surely swimming wouldn’t be affected? Ahhh, yes, my swimming has been relegated to a mere one swim a week. With trying to bike two days, run 1-2 days and taking one day off (I just can’t seem to get up on Monday mornings after Desperate Housewives!), I only have one morning to head to the spa to swim. I managed to swim twice the week before the race, so again, that was my confidence builder. Now, all I had to do was put it together and hope for decent conditions.

Race weekend

So, the Eagleman race -- a flat, fast course with potentially tough conditions. Hmmm, I haven’t raced a flat half Ironman course since Muncie in 1996. We arrived late Friday night and unloaded everything at the Hyatt and crashed. Saturday we popped up and headed out around 10:30 for check-in and a swim. I hit registration just right and sailed through the line, getting a free Spinervals DVD in the process. I got my bike checked and the headset tightened (so that was the squeaking noise!) then hopped into the Endless Pool for a free video of my stroke. I swam for a while and had fun, then when I went to get out, they realized they didn’t put a tape in! Do over! So I swam again and got my tape. We took off for the race site so I could get a swim (yes, my first swim) in with my new long sleeve wetsuit top. When we arrived at the swim, I met Missy Kuck from Columbus. I recognized the name and quickly discovered that she has placed in the top 10 age group at Kona the last two years! When I looked it up, I found she swam a 58 minute swim in Kona ’06 – WOW! Makes me laugh that I tried to keep up with her when we swam on Saturday!! She is really sweet and we tried to entice her to Greater Cleveland Tri in August. Anyway, I got my swim in and the wetsuit worked great. Plus, there were no jellyfish in the river. I rode and got back just in time to rack my bike and take off for lunch. The boys played in the pool while I had a couple beers and took an Epsom salt bath. Dehydrating, sure, but I really wanted both. I took a nice nap while the boys played, then we got ready for dinner. We couldn’t find an Italian place online, so we just drove. We finally stopped at Denny’s so the kids could eat free (always looking for a bargain!). They didn’t really have a great carbo type dinner so I had a grilled chicken salad. It hit the spot and we tooled back to the hotel and I set all my stuff up for the morning. Around 10:00 PM, I hit the bed and was out until the alarm went off at 4:15 AM.

Race day

I got up and did my usual pre-race stuff – shower, coffee, sunscreen, protein shake and pack up. We checked out and took off following a parade of cars to the race site. We tried to follow Chuck and Naira’s advice for parking and pulled into a side street before the parking lot. It worked great as the next road was blocked from parking. We grabbed my stuff and headed to transition for body marking. Probably the most unusual event of the day occurred while the guy in front of me got marked. The lady behind me looks at him and says, “you’re marking him as 1630 and I’m also 1630 . . . .”. This guy was actually 1360! What are the odds of that happening? So I get marked, but I know it will rub off by the time I hit the water (this is important later on). I get all set up in transition and my friend, Kathy Curtis, finds me and says hello. She was my massotherapist for 10 years before moving to Naples, FL. She was in the senior wave just after the pros – nice! Anyway, I do the usual stuff then get my wetsuit on and watch some of the pros heading out of the swim. The water is nice and calmer than what I’ve heard about in previous years. The winds have definitely died down from Saturday. My wave starts almost an hour after the pros, so it seems like forever before I actually get into the water. I can’t help starting by the front even though I know a lot of the girls are here for a Kona or Clearwater slot. My age group (40-44) was the largest female age group this year. I knew it was going to be a tough start. Once we took off, I fell quickly into a rhythm and tried to avoid getting squeezed by other swimmers. I didn’t have too much trouble getting out to the first turn. I caught a couple of guys from the earlier waves before we made the turn. I hadn’t previewed the course, so I didn’t realize that we didn’t have three equal lengths to swim. Once we made the last turn, it was just a short jaunt to the boat ramp and out of the water. I got out and realized that I hadn’t thought about my wetsuit once (love the deSoto!) and that I had just swam under 35 minutes!! Not that it is a blistering pace, but it was definitely better than I expected given my minimal training. The boys were there so I gave them quick high fives as I hobbled to transition. I haven’t been shoeless for more than a couple steps since my shockwave treatment, so this was one of the hardest parts of the race!

I started the bike and tried settling into a nice pace for the 56 miles. The wind was not a problem on the way out and I started to notice my bike computer was showing my speed below average when I was at 19.5 mph. I was excited and concerned at the same time – what if I paid the price late in the bike or worse, on the run? I really didn’t have my usual knowledge of my body to know how much to push or back off – and I didn’t like it too much. I dueled with a lady back and forth for the first 20 miles then I passed her and never saw her again. I did see what looked like puffs of smoke above the fields and discovered they were swarms of gnats or something similar. The course was so amazingly flat and smooth, it was wonderful. People were great on the ride and would let you know they were passing (always a jolt to have someone just whiz by!) I made the fluid handoffs without issue and stuck to my fluid and gels. I decided pre-race that I would skip the solids entirely. I have issues with the thought of eating and finally decided to skip the dread and the solids.

There were only a couple of noteworthy spots – one was a small section of choppy road literally littered with water bottles, gel containers, and bottle netting that popped out everywhere. The other was the two dead snakes I saw along the course. I had seen not one but two snakes on my ride the week before (ok, only one of them was dead) and was starting take this as a sign. Mind you, I’m irrationally afraid of snakes (even the dead ones) and wasn’t thrilled with these little reminders of my slithery friends. The winds started to pick up and the sun came out to make the ride back in tougher than the way out. By the time I made it back to transition, the clouds were back, my legs and hip were sore and I asked the volunteer if he was sure I hadn’t signed up for the Aquacycle division (swimming and biking, but NO running!).

I pride myself on usually fast transition times, but once I got into transition and racked my bike, I finally made a pit stop (better to have that time on my transition than my bike or run times). Both transitions were awful -- the swim to bike was a 3:58 split, then my bike to run left me with a 4:19. I headed out onto the run with sore foot, hip and knees. I had a feeling this was going to be a long, long run.

The run was basically flat too. I was surprised with a mile one split around ten and a half minutes. I really felt like I was going to be shuffling painfully the entire run. The boys had again chalked up the road with messages for me and Conor was clanging his cow bell. Mile two had a bit of a downhill (well, as downhill as it gets on a “flat” course) and I split a nine and a half pace. Hmmm, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. So I kept clipping along looking for Kathy, Missy and others I’d met this weekend. I wasn’t sure if the nutrition thing would catch up with me and if I’d bonk as a result, so I just tried to keep pushing a little bit each mile. I really started to feel better (numb to the pain?) after the first few miles and once I hit the turnaround, I really wanted to get back. Knowing we were headed to Myrtle Beach immediately after the race was another incentive. I talked to some more nice folks on the way in and caught up to Winston Allen – 77 years young. I met him at the Sylvania Tri in the early 90’s. He’s my role model. In the last mile and a half, I came upon David Rozelle, the amputee who returned to Iraq and completed Kona last year. I yelled to him and he gave me a high five as I passed. He had a tough day as he had forgotten his cycling shoe and had to borrow one.

I rounded the corner and saw the boys. Conor ran out to give me a kiss and that gave me just what I needed to finish with a 9:16 mile. I hit the finish mat for a final 5:41:20 – my second fastest Half Ironman time! My fastest was in 1996 BK (before kids), and only by 20 minutes. So, let’s see, I barely train, I eat and prep horribly pre-race, I’m wearing a brand new race outfit and wetsuit, . . . and, I pull off one of my better times?? I may never train again! OK, just kidding!

Before my adventure could be over, I had to pack up and get out of transition. Well, long story short here, it was like Hotel California – you can check in, but you can never leave. All my race numbers had rubbed off and even though I had my race belt and number, the “guard” wouldn’t let me out. My bike number, which had rolled up and was shoved into my bento box by mile six, wasn’t attached to my bike. I ended up having to walk to the far end of the transition, losing Bill and the boys in the process. I was not happy at this point.

Once we got to the car, we decided to skip the AAA route and take another route suggested by some of the guys I ran in with. I had intended to pass out in the seat faster than Lindsey Lohan after a night of “clubbing” once we hit the road. But with this last minute change, I stayed awake nearly the entire ride. We didn’t arrive at our resort until after midnight and I was definitely out of it by the time I hit the sack around 1:30 AM. On Monday morning, I felt surprising good. Whew, only three more weeks until the Morgantown HIM . . . . and I’m not planning on a training day there!

I ended up 35th in my age group and 176th woman and 920th overall (there were almost 2200 in the race). Natascha Badmann set the world record – which had been held by Karen Smyers, set in Muncie ’96 -- hmmmm, seems like when I turn up, they set another record!

SWIM: 34:42
SWIM TO BIKE TRANSITION: 3:58
BIKE: 2:50:48
BIKE TO RUN TRANSITION: 4:19
RUN: 2:07:36
FINISH 5:41:21

Eagleman -- Saturday pre-race

2007-06-12T20:48:00.000-04:00

This is the only way I can swim near Missy Kuck -- she finished 5th!

Trying the Endless Pools at the pre-race expo -- this is NICE!

Eagleman results . . . the real story to follow . . .

2007-06-11T21:14:00.000-04:00

Here are your official times:
SWIM: 34:42
SWIM TO BIKE TRANSITION: 3:58
BIKE: 2:50:48
BIKE TO RUN TRANSITION: 4:19
RUN: 2:07:36
FINISH 5:41:21

You can view the complete and expanded race results for all finishers here - Eagleman Results.

35th in my age group (which was the largest women's age group). This was less than 20 minutes off my PR --- set in 1996.

Training Day, my arse!

Coffee and travel trials and tribulations

2007-06-09T08:35:00.000-04:00

What??! Do I have to take a page from Lance and bring my entire coffee machine when I travel??

OK, we got to the resort last night and hit the room just before midnight. Once we're in, I discover this queer little coffee contraption that only makes one cup at a time --- with their supplied "packet" of coffee. I've got my own little "coffee bag" all prepped with a fresh full bag of my favorite Starbucks Italian Roast -- BOLD, baby! So, I make a cup with the supplied coffee this morning -- uh, definitely not up to my preferred kick. So I get fancy and cut up a filter to fit this thing and scoop in my 'bucks and return to find . . . . . grinds and coffee oozing all over the counter top!

I hope this isn't indicative of my weekend . . . .

The drive was interesting. We didn't leave until 3:00 PM, which was two hours later than I planned. It took all of ten minutes for me to take my little "happy pill" to survive riding with Bill. Now I know that sounds rash, but trust me, I brought it up with my doc after April's Myrtle trip and she suggested this option. It must have worked because I didn't have a coronary when he drove straight into a fluorescent freakin' orange barrel in the middle of the service area parking lot!! I yelled stop, but alas, too late! If it had been a prison escapee in that orange jumpsuit -- that would have been the end of them.

The electrical storms we drove through were awesome -- the boys ooohhhed and ahhhhhed throughout. An accident backed up the highway for 3+ miles in Maryland, so we found a little detour and didn't lose much time there. Unfortunately, my "happy pill" ran out right around the DC beltway -- not ideal. Bill moves into the left lane two miles before our exit -- wonderful . . . . maybe I need the extended dose of this sucker . . .

We're here, we're safe -- off to check in and back to relax :-)

Eagleman . . . . or bust!

2007-06-08T11:55:00.000-04:00

OK, soccer is over (for now) and hopefully I can train more diligently. Not that I haven't done a decent job of squeezing workouts in between soccer games and Junior Achievement classes, but a half Ironman race with minimal (and I mean minimal) training under my belt, is NOT my idea of a great game plan.

I really wish I were just doing the pre-race "I'm so sick, under-trained, sore, . . . . fill in the blank" excuse, but truly, my only biking has been to and from work on my road bike and a longer ride on the weekend. Most -- ok, all but one bike was under 40 miles. Last Saturday, I did do 54 to boost my confidence. I've jacked up my long runs the last 4 weeks from 5 to 12 (thanks, Tina!) miles. And swimming (my personal favorite) has suffered to the tune of only 1 workout each week -- 1800 to 2200 yards. YIKES, when I look at it like that, I'm a little nervous, but Sunday is a training day (someone remind me of that at the start . . . .).

Anyhoo - I haven't been online to see who will be there from the Cleveland Tri Club, but I hope to spot someone out there. My friend, Kathy, called and is headed there from Florida. Two years ago she got here Kona slot here, so we'll see what happens this year. My guess is she's angling for Clearwater.

Enough for now -- I must finish packing before Bill pulls in. We shove off soon. I hope to have time to post from Maryland or Myrtle Beach (our final destination this week!).

Stay tuned . . . .

Soccer Mom . . . . Triathlete

2007-05-28T12:29:00.000-04:00

Race Face . . . .

This weekend I truly merged my roles as "soccer mom" and triathlete. Liam's team played in a nearby tournament on Saturday and Sunday. I needed to do some workouts . . . .

Saturday we started with an 8:00 AM game. Unfortunately it was a loss AND it rained (insult to injury?). Once the game was done, I went on a 10 mile run with another mom, Tina. It drizzled off and on and felt good. My foot was sore, but otherwise held up fine. We played again at 2:00, so we arrived back in time to get cleaned up and fire up the grill for lunch. The boys won the game and put us in a spot to make the top two teams for the playoffs on Sunday.

Our Sunday game was another early one -- 9:00 AM. Upon arriving, I calculated that we could nab second place with a win by four or more goals. The second game on Saturday included a goal for the other team that didn't actually cross into the goal -- I didn't want that to be what kept us out of the playoffs. Our guys played great and we were right where we needed to be and then the other team scored! We needed one more to put us back into second and one of our guys made it in the final minute!! Talk about nail biter! The only factor left was the last game between the two undefeated teams -- as long as they didn't tie, we'd be in the playoffs. At halftime, they were locked in 0-0 tie, which continued until the last few minutes when the WV team finally scored. I was at home riding the Eagleman course on CompuTrainer and awaiting a call from the coach to let me know whether the team was in the playoff. I was never so happy to cut a workout short -- although I did get 27 miles in before we had to head back for the game.

Our team did a good job, but just couldn't make a goal, so West Virginia won 4-0. We were happy to have done so well and as I know so well, runner up isn't too bad either. Best of all, we all had fun!

Updates

2007-05-20T12:04:00.000-04:00

Today I ran 8 miles. I'm thrilled that my foot is doing so well -- not pain-free, but no where near the pain I experienced prior to the shockwave treatment. I don't think it hurts while I run, but afterward I feel a little pain. Three weeks until Eagleman -- which means my 13.1 mile run there will most likely be the first time this year I run that far . . . . I need to keep in mind it is a training day . . . I can race in July and August . . .

This week I had my metabolic testing done at work. I discovered that I didn't lose my base even with my reduced training. More good news :-) Finding time to train is still my biggest issue this year. My swimming is greatly reduced and most of my biking is when I ride to and from work. I'm hoping to keep riding 1-2 days each week. Heading up those hills on my 18 year old bike with an extra 15 lbs. from my backpack certainly makes the weekend rides on my tri bike fly!

Speaking of which, yesterday I got to ride with Bill for the first time in ages! Ahhh, time to reorient to the little things like when he rides ahead to the intersection and tells me to go though -- he forgot that he's supposed to say "clear" and "stop" instead of "go" and "no" -- which sound identical as I approach. He did wave me through one stop sign until the last second when he yelled "STOP". Oh, this will be a fun training season . . .

The boys are doing well. I'm finally catching up after their birthdays a few weeks ago. Conor is done with soccer on Saturday mornings, but we had his opening day for baseball yesterday. Liam has soccer today . . . it is one event after another, but I enjoy it. So, off to do errands until soccer . . .

I'm Back . . .

2007-05-13T08:34:00.000-04:00

The good news is that my foot is doing extremely well! The shockwave treatment has been a godsend. I started back running just after Easter and have about 40 miles on the books in the past month.

I ran the Captains 5k race yesterday and finished in 24:31, which was only 27 seconds off last year's race! I finished a surprising 3rd for my age group and was thrilled with how my foot felt.

I stopped posting in Myrtle Beach when I couldn't upload any pictures and I didn't want to spoil the birthday surprise for my friend Roland. Now that I'm back in action, I promise to keep up-to-date.

The Eagleman half-iron race is on June 10th, so I have a lot of training to do, but my goal is to go and have a nice training race to get ready for later in the season.

A day at the beach

2007-04-10T19:30:00.000-04:00

Sunny, sunny, sunny! We got to the pool and beach today and enjoyed the sunshine. Bill and Liam built a huge sand castle and Conor played on the beach and pool today. I made good progress on my book and overall it was relaxing. Right now the boys are flying kites on the beach while I'm making dinner. Liam has a purple cow kite higher than the 18 story tower across from us -- WOW!

Rain predicted tomorrow, so we'll play that by ear. I'm sure we'll find something to do.

Monday happenings . . .

2007-04-09T16:27:00.000-04:00

Today was a visit to Ripley's Aquarium and boy did we time it right!! We got through the Pirates exhibit and on to the sharks and rays in time for feeding time. One of the rays was really hamming it up for us at a window. When we went to leave, the line was wrapped all the way around to the door. Phew!

When we got back to the condo, we went for a bike ride on the beach. The boys were nuts and rode back and forth through the inlets. Goof balls!!

Last night we went to the obligatory seafood buffet for dinner --- Giant Crab! Conor swears he was here before with Grandma. Anyway, it was good although, with an allergy to shrimp now, it isn't the best idea for me. Bill did teach me how to crack crab legs, so it was worth it.

Time now for the hot tub and indoor pool. We should warm up tomorrow :-)

I'll try to upload photos later -- I had problems yesterday and could only get the one of the Easter Bunny and Liam up.

Who knew the Easter Bunny was in Myrtle Beach?

2007-04-08T17:48:00.000-04:00

Liam grabs a treat poolside -- literally, sweet!

Happy Easter!!

2007-04-08T17:06:00.000-04:00

I will not complain about the cool temps and wind here since Cleveland is under 2 feet of snow today. I will not complain about my pasty white skin since I'm avoiding self tanners that caused me a rash. I will not complain about the plastic egg that took a leap off our 16th floor balcony overnight. I will not complain about our view -- sure it is of the ocean, when I sit on the couch or the balcony, but NOT when I'm anywhere else in the condo -- then it is a trailer park and tower I see.

No, I'm going to sip my wine and enjoy the holiday today. I'm not cooking dinner, I've read a gossip mag, and I'm only ONE WEEK away from running again!! I'm very optimistic that I will be running pain free (in my foot anyway) in a few months.

Have a wonderful Easter and enjoy your blessings.

Sunny skies!

2007-04-07T11:38:00.000-04:00

We are under sunny skies but cool temps here in Myrtle Beach -- sure beats Lake Effect SNOW!!

We arrived at our resort around 2:00 AM and the van died in the parking lot! I swear that every trip we take, the van wants to visit the local Ford dealership. In 2001, the air conditioner died in Tennessee in July, Myrtle Beach 2003 the check engine light came on for the first time, Lake Placid last year, the brakes went hokey. There have been other little excursions . . . oh well, we'll see how she goes today and tomorrow and visit the local dealer if needed on Monday.

Time to get some groceries and eggs to color . . . . more posts and photos to come!

Happy Day!!

2007-03-27T18:08:00.000-04:00

Today I rode my bike to work just like I used to do BK (before kids)!! I used to ride in and home a couple times a week, but once Liam was born, I had to pick him up just down the road from work. Ten years of picking the boys up after work, and now they are both at the school near home -- yea!! Oh right, before I get too excited, soccer and baseball practices are just about ready to start again . . .

Bill got my road bike -- '89 Trek 1400 - my first bike as an adult -- ready last night and I packed up my backpack and headed out this morning. I used Conor's flashing red reflector on my backpack and he was really upset that a car may hit me AND HIS FLASHER WOULD BE BROKEN! Ahem, I guess I understand where I rank.

Anyway, it was awesome to get a couple workouts in and save gas $$. And the hill climbing was something else. My heart rate was astronomical -- 170 bpm average on the ride out with a max of 198. When I got home, I jumped in the car to pick up the boys at school.

Then I had lunch with Naira since she is in town this week. I always have a blast with her. She has the Boston Marathon just around the corner and a sore hamstring now, so I hope she heals fast. We talked about the Hawaii IM lottery that we entered into. . . not really sure if being selected would be a good thing or not. Just a couple weeks to find out.

Ahh, now I have that sweet tiredness from kicking my butt not once, but twice today . . . .

First ride outside

2007-03-24T12:10:00.000-04:00

I just had my first outdoor ride of the season and it was wonderful!! Sure, the drivers have to remember not to run me over and I have to relearn which dogs are "contained" and won't chase me into traffic, but, heck, it is March and I am outside for a couple hours!!

I did the hill on the new Greater Cleveland Tri course twice -- much easier than the Sperry hill. I looped around through Geauga Co. before I made my way back to Penitentiary Glen for a pit stop. I'm shocked my bronze plaque isn't on the women's restroom wall -- I mean, come on, I must have stopped in there a thousand times last year training for Ironman! It is a perfect point to run to for my long runs and a good stopping and refilling point for biking.

Anyhoo, my foot is feeling awesome! Last Saturday, the procedure went extremely well. The worst part was getting shot up with the anesthesia (Bill had to leave during that part). My ankle looked like it had a teething ring embedded under the skin. I didn't even feel my foot until Sunday morning, but when I did, I was stunned. I have been compensating even standing and sitting. It is supposed to begin hurting in another week while the healing takes place, but that is a small price to pay. I am only running in the pool for a month, then I'll head outside and see how it goes. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well. . . .

Oh yes, the rash on my legs is gone . . . . hallelujah!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2007-03-17T07:33:00.000-04:00

I've been absent from posting for almost a month, so I'll keep it short and sweet . . . .

The Good - First off, I am officially on the Snickers Marathon Team for 2007!! Secondly, I ran five miles outside last Saturday on a country club golf course path. It was gorgeous!! However, that leads me to . . .

The Bad -- my heel spur hurts (almost) all the time! Since I haven't been able to string together consistent running (and my yearly total is still less than 100 miles), I canceled out of my half marathon next month. And totally unrelated is . . .

The Ugly -- I have a delightful rash on my calves. It doesn't make sense, but it occurred when I used a "glow" lotion to get ready for a trip to Castaway Bay last weekend. I used the darn stuff everywhere, but I got a rash just on my calves. Of course, I blamed the water there too, but anyway it is slowly clearing up -- yuck!

OK, hopefully the bad and the ugly are ready to go far, far away. Today I am having the Extracorporeal Shockwave Treatment done. I'm planning on the luck of the Irish to work for me!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

I'm IT!!!

2007-02-19T20:29:00.000-05:00

OK, I've been tagged, so here goes . . . .

1. Describe a memory of your first triathlon.
I went out to Oak Harbor, OH with some friends for my first race. I wore a regular swim suit (this is important later). I thought I was such a good swimmer -- ha! I was almost last out of the water! Then the bike was depressing in that I only passed a couple women. Finally, I hit the run and passed more, however . . . I discovered the bike seat had worn away most of the bottom of my swimsuit -- duh!!! Anyway, it didn't deter me from future racing (although I did get a new suit before the next race) -- it just made me more determined.

2. Describe a memory from your most recent triathlon.
The initial exhilaration then eventual fear when leading the swim. I was so excited to make the first turn before anyone else (plus it was a beach start which is my favorite -- don't know why, I just like running in). But after several strokes of not seeing anyone on either side, I was worried that they called our wave back somehow. I made it out of the water as the third female -- probably my personal best swim exit.

3. What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a tri?
Oh, where to start, where to start . . . let's see -- I already mentioned wearing the bottom out of my suit, so how about the face plant coming out of the water at Guelph in Ontario. I don't know exactly what happened other than it went from sand to grass and I just wiped out. Anyhoo, I got up laughing (trust me, I could have had a totally different reaction) and kept on moving.

(Side note: thank goodness Bill didn't have his mega speed camera then!)

4. What's the most thrilling thing that's happened to you in a tri?
I don't know if this is "thrilling", but my highlight is crossing the Ironman finish with Liam and Conor last year in Lake Placid.

5. What is something you discovered about yourself by doing triathlons?
That I can, nah, I guess I've always been determined -- I knew I would do it before I ever toed the line. Perhaps the biggest discovery (which is ongoing) is that I can be ok with the fact that I'm losing my ability to be competitive with the young bucks. Yes, I hate my lack of speed, but am grateful that I can do something many people can't.

6. What is THE BIG GOAL that you're working towards?
My modest goal is to have 100 kids at the Greater Cleveland Tri youth race this year. I would also like to see Bill cross the finish of his first half IM.

OK, if you get my tag, answer these questions and tag three more bloggers!! Cheers!

p.s. I see the podiatrist tomorrow . . . the heel hurts like usual . . .

Brrrrrr - part 2

2007-02-15T20:20:00.000-05:00

Since we're buried in snow in Cleveland, it is time for a flashback . . . . . to Hawaii (hee, hee!) Here's where we stayed for Ironman! This is the view from the main house area. Bill and I had a bedroom on the right and Naira and Chuck were on the left. Unbelievable!!

Brrrrrrr!

2007-02-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the absence -- I've been scrapbooking, playing soccer mom, working from home on SNOW DAYS (yet again, today), and training -- slowly, but surely --- ok, mostly slowly.

My foot was doing so much better and I was up to 14 miles of total running a couple weeks ago, then BAM! Last Thursday while running (on the indoor track) I could feel constant pain in the heel. When I stopped, it was as bad as I can remember it being. I haven't run since then and it is doing better today. I was hoping I tore the fascia so it would be done and over with, but I don't think I've done the job yet.

The alternative treatment is a session with something used to bust up gall stones -- basically, they give you a local, pound it like hell for 7 minutes, then send you home with no anti-inflammatories, only pain meds. The heel pain should be gone in 3-6 months -- 90% success rate, but not covered by most insurance. I'm not at this point yet, but it is good to know there is a non-surgical option.

The top of my foot (cuboid bone) doesn't stick up -- only hurts when I do certain yoga poses or my podiatrist jabs it really hard. It is probably out of whack from walking funny to compensate for my heel spur. So if I fix the heel spur pain, then perhaps I can get the cuboid back where it belongs and -- Viola! No more foot pain . . . . . I will get there . . . eventually, eventually . . . .

More foot stuff . . .

2007-01-16T20:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm losing track of the number of cortisone injections in my left heel and now the top of my foot (that's really fun!). I think today was 4 & 5. There is a bone on the top of my foot that is out and we can't pop it back in -- from all of my overcompensation. Oh this is fun!

I've been down and out -- of training the last couple weeks. I got on the bike last night and my heart rate shot waaaay up.

Someday I'll feel like an athlete again . . .

My second favorite photo from 2006 . . .

2007-01-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

You may remember the old Wes Hobson commercial that shows him explaining how he prepares for the swim in a triathlon . . . he heads to the water and his buddies start beating the heck out of him with kayak paddles . . . well, here's my training secret! Conor delivers a nice elbow during the Kids Race in Lake Placid!

My favorite moment of 2006 . . .

2006-12-31T14:02:00.000-05:00

This was definitely my athletic highlight of the year, heck, of my lifetime perhaps! Crossing the finish line on the Olympic oval in Lake Placid with Liam and Conor at my side and my wonderful husband beaming at us --- truly priceless!!

Have a wonderful and safe New Year!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

2006-12-24T23:43:00.000-05:00

Santa was here!! I can't wait to see the boys' faces when they come down this morning! Merry Christmas and have a wonderful time with those you love ~ Deirdre

Christmas Eve

2006-12-24T23:29:00.000-05:00

Our usual luminare -- minus the snow

"Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house . . . "

Family fun - Breakfast on Saturday

2006-12-24T23:10:00.000-05:00

Here's the whole gang!

Conor reacts to Aunt Denise and Aunt Dianne's jokes!

Breakdowns and repairs

2006-12-21T07:24:00.000-05:00

"Gunk, gunk, gunk, gunk, gunk . . . . "

That's the sound my refrigerator began making on Monday.

It is already running on a controller motor that Bill put in back in August when it made some dying, gasping sounds just before the Greater Cleveland Triathlon. The night before the race, my arm brushed the center strip and it was HOT! The damn fan gave out, so Bill patched this "temporary" option together. Great, he's out of town and I'm distracted by "gunk, gunk, gunk, gunk, gunk . . ".

Thankfully, he got home Tuesday and last night he replaced it with a different motor. So now, periodically it sounds like we are preparing for takeoff when this new one kicks on. He's ordering a new refrigerator fan today, I think.

The good times continue . . . . my wedding band is one with the channel setting holding 8 diamonds. I've never had an issue with my engagement ring or wedding band in the 11 years we've been married. But Tuesday, I was gesturing wildly in my usual communication mode and I noticed the band had a mark down the center. So upon closer inspection, it is CRACKED IN HALF!! I have no idea how this happened. In fact, Mr. Jeweler said it is pretty rare. Of course, I'm already on the hook for the re-pronging of my Mother's Day ring. Who knew that you had to re-tip, re-prong, re-whatever the settings periodically?? Had I known, I'm sure I wouldn't have gone with a setting with 20 small diamonds and about 40,000 prongs. The cost is per prong -- of course.

My heel pain has been getting worse instead of better. I'm trying to stay on pace with my 800 mg. ibuprofen and have amped up the stretching. Tuesday night, I really felt a bad stretch, followed by pain when I was standing on the boys' beds and putting glow-in-the-dark stars all over their ceiling. I secretly hoped I had performed my own little fasciotomy, but I'm sure it would have been a lot worse. Tomorrow I'm planning to run for the first time in weeks and we'll see how it goes.

Well, the good news is that the fireplace mantle is almost ready. It is at least ready for stockings, which has been my requirement all along. The fireplace fiasco goes back to July 4th when I returned from our ride after losing Bill and our friend, Rich. As I was drinking coffee and enjoying the fruits of my workout (ok, bagel, but "bagel of my workout" just sounds weird), everything crashed down from the wall above the fireplace. Long story short, water had been seeping between the chimney for years, carpenter ants had found a comfy home there, and we needed the chimney repaired. After getting ripped off by some fly-by-night masonry guy, we decided to put in a gas fireplace with surrounding faux stone. Thankfully, Bill has done nearly all the work including running the gas line from the basement to the fireplace. The major issue is that I wanted a stone mantle instead of wood. Well, they make the stone mantles in 5' sections. The space between our two built-in bookcases is (you can guess pretty well right now . . . .) 5'3". So we devised a plan to use the hearth stones cut in half to "make" a stone mantle. Now Bill is carrying out my little plan. He is so amazing at the things he is able to do. I am so thankful -- truly!!

Please though, no more breakdowns . . . this is pushing my limit of funds and patience . . .

More Christmas fun!!

2006-12-15T07:12:00.000-05:00

Yes, it was a busy weekend -- decorating the tree, visiting Santa (I gave him the real scoop after the boys did their spin!), and checking out the new animals at Farmpark on Sunday morning. A calf was born Saturday night -- it was very cool that we had seen the mom on Friday evening during Country Lights and the calf was there on Sunday. They hope to name him Rudolph!

Oh yeah, did I mention shopping and baking in the fray??? I am hoping to wrap things up (literally too!) this weekend with the boys gone to ski until Tuesday. Of course there are parties to attend to so we'll see just how much I get done . . .

Busy, busy, busy . . .

2006-12-15T06:59:00.000-05:00

It has been a whirlwind this month -- San Diego, soccer, school meetings, Christmas shows, work and umm, well, very little working out. Consider this my break since becoming a Gobblerman!!

We went to Farmpark last Friday night for Country Lights and it was wonderful. There was snow on the ground, the boys made their toys (the elves even danced and sang while we were in working!), Conor milked a cow -- it was just a wonderful night.

Kona 1-2 . . . 1 minute apart

2006-12-09T21:20:00.000-05:00

When I checked the time on these photos, it was only 1 minute apart. It was such an incredible race for both of them. . . can't wait until next year!