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Showing posts from January, 2012

Pre-Race Fun in St. George

Almost to Page...   Remember last year's  miserable experience ? I was determined not to have a repeat! Everything I thought might have been a factor in getting terribly sick last year, I changed this year. That said, the most significant difference was not feeling under the weather before I even left Flagstaff. I got lucky. With one kid in kindergarten and one in preschool there are always more than enough germs being spread around but somehow I was able to get away unscathed this time.  I left Flagstaff at 9:30 on Friday morning after dropping off the kids and loading up the car. I was so excited !!! Sometimes I feel (a teeny tiny bit) bad about getting so excited to leave home and family for a weekend. However, overall I think it is a valuable experience for all of us. I get a well-deserved break, the boys get a lot of quality time with Papa, and KJ learns to handle the kids and household by himself. Ok. I know. Truth is: I don't deserve as many breaks a...

Who cares?

All I could think of last night during my first (indoor) track session of the year and then swim #2 of the day was: You can do this . Just hang in there and get'er done. All that's on the plan for tomorrow is a recovery spin and a swim in the evening. You can do it! And I did. I was able to maneuver my way around all the college kids flirting in surf trunks and bikinis. Not sure why they would choose a freezing pool for their social hot-spot on a Tuesday night but I was thankful for just about anybody that would keep me honest during my mid-night (9 p.m.) swim! Upon getting home to sleeping kids and a husband flinging sweat from the trainer, I was simultaneously stuffing my face with food and reporting to Coach M on TrainingPeaks. Wanting to double-check on the length for my recovery spin , I clicked on Wednesday and - Surprise!  The recovery ride had vanished and in its place I fou nd a 9 mile tempo run !  Gulp! The end. Not really. But I starte...

Party in the Skydome

Assistant Coach  Shayla Houlihan Team Run Flagstaff  is back!  After a little winter break  we now get to run in NAU's fantastic  Skydome . I am so excited! What could be better than cruising around a 300m indoor track with more than a hundred of your closest friends?  Although I can't think of anything,  I had to sit on the sidelines and watch .  Coach M did not think it would be very smart  to hop back on the track for speedy intervals  a few days before my first race of the season.  I wonder why...  Picture from Flagstaff Footnotes Don't worry:  I still had plenty of  fun   socializing people-watching cuddling with Max stalking Olympic Trials Marathoners KJ was back i n his element  after being injured the last few weeks.  Noah was ha ving a blast playing with friends.  Tuesday nights at the track are a family affair i...

New 2012 Sponsor

I am proud and very happy to announce that  I will be racing for  this coming season!  I still can't really believe that I made it onto their Team !  It's going to be so much fun.  I am stoked to be representing such a great store.  I have only frequented them online but I can't wait to go down to Tucson and see the actual store.  From what I've heard and seen so far it is going to be fantastic ! One of the things I can't wait for is the  TriFest ! TriSports.com is inviting all of their athletes  down to Tucson for a training weekend in March.  You know that there is nothing I love more than hanging out with a bunch of fun athletes while smashing myself.  (If Coach M lets me. TriFest is the weekend before Oceanside.) I am excited to race a little more in Arizona   and get to know as many of its amazing athletes as possible.  I am certainly a very small fish in a very...

I Want You to Love the Run Today!

(You probably don't care too much but I have to say it anyway. I wrote a post very similar to this one last night already and then, when it was all ready to be published, I lost it. It was gone. Just like that. I was extremely pissed. To say the least. I went to bed even earlier than usual and, before my head hit the pillow, I declared out loud: I am not going to let this defeat me!!! So here I am again:)    I love it when Coach M tells me how I am supposed to feel during a certain workout. It is usually the run since running is mentally the toughest for me. Her orders for Saturday's brick run were as follows: Focus on feeling strong.  I want you to love the run today! You are strong and you can run.  Hit the pace!  Ok. Will do. No problem. I am going to hit the pace or at least die trying. But wait!?!  What if I don't feel strong? What if I feel weak? How can I force myself to feel a certain way? What if I happen to dislike the...

Why Didn't We Think of This?

I found this picture here and I love it. Balance bike with aero bars - how cool is that? Of course, this picture was taken in Europe. But I am excited that balance bikes are getting more popular in the States as well. They are the best. Noah actually 'raced' his first triathlon at age 3 on a pedal bike. I love to go back and read his 'race report' and look at the pictures. He is a stud! Go here if you want to see how much fun he had! Max really wants to do a triathlon as well this year but, as evidenced by Karl again today, has no interest in switching from his balance bike to a regular bike. Maybe his little Swiss friend will let him borrow his awesome ride! As for me, I am getting back into the swing of things here at home. It's good to be back to 'the grind '. Except that I don't think of my daily routine as 'the grind'. I love everyday life ! And if I did not, then I would need to change something because holidays make u...

New Year's Eve Ride to Zion

At the Temple of Sinawava St. George is everything I had hoped for:  sun blue skies amazing scenery fun HT Training teammates Craig and Colleen non-stop triathlon talk warm(er) temperatures awesome group of riders a goofball for a Coach The drive down with HT was great.  Nothing like picking his brain and getting the scoop  on Utah triathlon gossip .  The drive seemed to fly by  which probably had something to do with Heath  driving about 90 mph most of the time.  We even got in a nice little ride, run, and swim (clinic) before heading over to Colleen 's house for dinner and more tri talk.  We had a great turnout on Saturday morning for the Zion Ride . Probably about 30 people. Let's just say that it was not as organized as the PnT rides that I am used to and I am blaming it on the triathletes . It was super fun (nonetheless). And a little bit tiring. I had not ridden 80 miles ...