A Look Back at 2008...

When I was graduating from college (the first time!) my father used to joke me about being a S.A.G. (Shiftless, Aimless and Goalless...not the vehicle that picks up the stragglers in a race!) and while 2007 found me with razor sharp focus towards IMFL, 2008 found me once again a S.A.G! I guess I was tired of riding my bike for hours on end...running, running and more running and swimming so many laps I lost count (ok...it was a lot, but I'm not too good at counting!)....so I started 2008 without much focus on anything, I had a few races I wanted to do, but mostly I wanted to cheer more and race less...in the end it turned out to be a great year. I was able to enjoy racing when I wanted and cheering for my friends as the conquered their new adventures...I was able to hang out with my family and friends past 8pm...I was able to race in the pouring down rain, with water up to the middle of my shin and love every minute of it on more than one occasion...surely I had some good races and of course I had some not so good races but 2008 was without a doubt a success for me on many levels. For 2009 I have some goals...some that have to do with athletics and some that don't...so since the first thing to do is write the goals down...I hereby present 2009 in a nutshell....

Running races until the first week of April...all the while building back my base on the bike and maintaining the swimming...I hope I remember how to ride my bike...it's been a couple of months! A few triathlons...and hopefully graduate school...right now all that is standing between me and graduate school is a 500-700 word essay about my hopes, dreams and aspirations and why becoming a nurse practitioner will help me achieve those...and the GRE's (again...who knew 10+ year old scores were bunk?!)...it's funny how I can babble endlessly about silly stuff but trying to compose an essay, complete with paragraphs and punctuation is not so easy! I think it's the grammar that's holding me back!!

Anyway, with that I'll leave you a few pics from this year... Nay's first 70.3...the 118 degree in the shade weather was kinda a bummer!

Cuz and Stevie G...road trip/racing friends extraordinaire!

Giving new meaning to Turkey Trot!

Meeting Troy...my heart is still a flutter!! ;)

The fam...The two laziest dogs I know...gotta love 'em!

I hope every one's 2008 was what they wanted it to be...and cheers to 2009...may all your dreams come true!!

So What Was In The Box??!!

YES ladies and Gentlemen...that is a MONKEY on my Christmas Tree!!! And that my friends is what was in the box!! OK, so it's a seemingly random gift...a monkey puppet...but it's got a long story starting in 1984 when my parents traveled to California and brought back two things that would alter my life as I knew it...the first we didn't find out about for a couple months, but I can whole heartedly say that even though I celebrate an anniversary of the day he ruined my life with him on December 5th, he didn't really ruin my life...well maybe just a little!! JK Geeko! Anyway, they also brought back a monkey puppet for me and several years later while we were away on vacation, some bad person broke into our house and basically took many things from my room...gym clothes...babysitting money...swim bag...but most importantly the monkey. Over the years, a family wide search effort has been made to locate another monkey puppet without success until obviously this summer when my favorite sister travelled to California and ironically must have found this puppet. While he is not an exact replica...for the record the original one was a girl...I think his older, wiser, Bret Michaels rock star look if fitting for this point in my life! So there you have it...only thing left is the name him...anyone got a suggestion?!!??!!

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah etc etc...I promise to make an effort to take a picture of the flamingos during the day this weekend....once the neighbors leave their house!

Christmas a Little Bit Early!

I arrived home from work today with a box on my door step....

On the front of the box was a card that said..."OPEN CARD FIRST"...
So I opened the card....

Cute I thought....wondering if the sister was trying to send me a subliminal message....but then I read the inside...

"NO WAY" I though....and what, you are all wondering, does this message mean....Well I can tell you this, the picture I took with my camera phone does NOT do the gift justice, but my sister...the older, bossy, most favorite sister I've ever had did indeed hit a home run this Christmas season!! But of course the husband has the camera with him so we will have to wait until tomorrow to post a picture of this spectacular mystery gift....I'm pretty sure though that the parental units (even if they weren't already told of this gift which I'm sure they were) know exactly what it is!! So in the mean time I hope everyone has a MERRY CHRISTMAS!! My wishes for a safe and enjoyable day for all! :)

For Mom and Dad!

Flamingos by Christmas Tree Light...I haven't gotten the courage up to take a picture during the day yet...maybe tomorrow! In the mean time, enjoy! :)

Swim Torture Jimbo's Way!

Tonight at swim torture I learned the real meaning of the "+" sign...or at least what Jimbo means when he writes it into the workout....now mind you it took me two explanations and the first 700 of the set, but I totally understand now....so in case anyone out there attends torture in the near future....when the set reads...
3x700 RI 2:00
Break 300+500
middle 200 hard, remember time
300-:10-200-:10-200
...the "+" means "&"!!
But before I figured this out I tried to figure out how 300+500=700 and how funny it was going to be to nail Jimbo in one of my blog entries for his mathematical skilz...I forgot my 200 time and then while he was yelling and meanly scowling at me he explained (a little exasperated I might add) that the breaks in the 700's were at the 300 and 500....then my light bulb went on, my cap turned back to a lovely shade of orange and I completed the next two 700's without incident AND I remembered my 200 time despite a clock malfunction!! Gotta love the torture...I'll do better next week Jimbo I promise...I'll be in a little better swim shape...and hopefully that will translate into more oxygen to the brain therefore better mental acuity while swimming!

December Running Randomness...

It's coooooold here!! Actually it's not too bad, but I'm a total cold wimp....I probably should have been an animal that hibernates all winter...or maybe I was one in a previous life...so after donning enough layers to give the stay puff marshmallow man a run for his money I went for a quick loop around the neighborhood prior to swim torture. On my run I came to a couple conclusions...first, my house is in the 10% of the neighborhood that is not decorated (yet!)...however, while devoid of decorations, we are not in the 20% of the neighborhood that has enough decorations to share with the neighbors on all sides...we also don't belong to the 5% that keep their decorations up year round...and lastly we are not in the 2% of the 5% that not only keep those decorations up year round, but they light them up!! By far my favorite house in the entire 'hood is the Flamingo House...originally the hubby and I wanted to put Santa in a sleigh being driven by pink flamingos...the only catch...we have a neighbor that LOVES flamingos...he has probably 2 dozen (ok, 23 at my last count) in his front yard...all shades of pink...and they move around the yard every few weeks...you fade to an undesirable pink, you're outta there, replaced by a shiny new flamingo...they are big, small and every size in between. Today as I ran by I had to smile...they are now all surrounding a lighted tree with one on the top...next time I run, I'll bring my camera...it's awesome! Maybe I'll buy a Green light bulb for the front porch light so I'm not the last to decorate! :)

Ikea Commercials...

So it's almost been a week without a post which means that nothing exciting or otherwise blogworthy has happened or occurred to me! The past couple of days I've been searching the internet in vain trying to find the newest Ikea commercial...you know the one with the lady in bed, the alarm rings and there's an older woman sitting on the other side of the bed that says something to the effect of "I know you are really into this exercising thing, but this mattress is perfect for you as a side sleeper, so go ahead, cover yourself back up and hit that snooze alarm, there will be another day..." Awesome and funny...it's exactly how I feel right now!! So, if anyone out there is way more savvy than me...which I know is asking a lot of the 4 people that actually read this blog....can you find me that commercial?!?! :)

Turkey Trot 2008

One of the best things about Thanksgiving around here is the local Turkey Trot, an awesome event (one of many) put on by the local running club to raise funds for their scholarship fund. Last year I missed this event, IMFL had sapped me of my immunity from the roving cold so I was sick sick sick...the year before, it rained for this event...cold, pouring down rain...fun to run in, but once you stopped...brrrr! But today it was beautiful outside, crisp, clear blue skies and lots of sunshine!! And still being in recovery mode allowed me to run a relaxed race with no time goal what-so-ever...talk about heaven...I love runs like today!! So, a few pics and a wish that everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving and was able to enjoy good food and good company!

Today's fabulous venue!

A Tribute to Stevie G!!

It seems that I may have forgotten to explain the whole blog thingie to Stevie G...you see, just the other day he logged on...and the first thing he sees is STEVE IN A SPEEDO! GROSS's link (one of the funniest blogs I've read) and he asks himself, "is this a bad joke--it was only once--hanging up in my room--and I didn't even know you then?!" You see, this is the man that has heard my entire position paper on Men In Speedos at least 300 times while running, biking and even swimming...he's listened intently (or at least pretended to listen intently) as I've explained why one guy or another really doesn't meet my mantastic speedo wearing qualifications...and they are quite stringent...he's got the speedo (or shall we say lack thereof) thing down pat! We even have an unspoken agreement that if either one of us has a suit or tri-shorts that are not quite doing their job covering things up, we are to tell the other so as to save the potential horrible embarrassment and awkward social moment. And for the record I have never seen him in a speedo...not even pictures...even though I'm sure somewhere in his safe Cuz has got some!! (muah hahahahaha!)
But back on task...Stevie G, I know you've got it figured out by now that I wasn't joking you...and while I blame my late summer training slump and lack of motivation completely on you and your broken ankle...I just want you to know you are one of my favorite people to run, drink and shoot the S%$# with...if I was stranded for a non-mechanical reason somewhere on a long bike ride without nourishment, I would choose to be stranded with you because I know you'll have an extra powerbar to share (...although if I had a flat tire I'd have to reconsider!! Hee Hee!!) ...And I can think of no one better to kick my butt in the open water than you...so check back often, because if I'm going to make fun of you, you know I'll be making more fun of myself first!! (and of course I'd ask if I could make fun of you publicly first!) :)

Two other very important things I've discovered during this marathon recovery thing...
1. I like regular oreos better than double stuffed
2. Marshmallow fluff is equivalent to crack cocaine...I'm addicted!

1st Run Post-Marathon...

Me: I think I'll go for a little 40 minute run
Body: WHAT??!! I've been enjoying lounging on the couch taking naps
Me: Well I'll just keep my heartrate in the low 150's
Body: 150's??!! I can keep it in the 80's if you'd just lay down on the couch
Me: I'm going...
Body: How about the 60's??
Me: I'm going...
Body: I'll teach you a lesson...
Me: Ugh, I guess running a marathon does make you tired...
Body: Zing, right IT band take that!
Me: ouch...my legs feel like lead...
Body: HA! Told ya you should've just taken that nap...

...nothing like a little run to remind you that you aren't invincible!!

A Request...

Please keep my friend and former co-worker in your thoughts and prayers...thanks!

Dog Days of Winter....

I want to be my dogs when I grow up....

The Expanded Top Ten List!

As promised, more pictures PLUS highlights from The Jefferson and The Capital Ale House!! But First...the coolest medal of the group.......YES that does say MacDonalds...and so does the race shirt!! We still haven't figured out the MacDonald's Expo booth which had vegetables laying all over and not a Big Mac or fries in site, and for the record there was absolutely NO cauliflower on the menu when we stopped there on the way home...purely for research purposes of course!! ;)


So the expanded top ten list...first the Jefferson...with it's gilded bathrooms and amenities just like Busch Gardens (ladies, if you have ever frequented the bathrooms at Busch Gardens ya know what I'm talking about...maybe you guys do too...but I haven't been in those facilities to confirm!)...we got to cap off our night by hanging out in our compression stockings with good friends, take sexy, sunken cheek pictures and drink rum and cokes...who could ask for anything more!!??!!

Deep Voice's Wife, Deep Voice and Podcast...Guys, I know you didn't know you even had code names, but since I didn't ask you before I plastered your faces all over my blog, I tried to protect the innocent...if you'd like your code names changed, just shoot me an email!!

This is the rest of the gang...picture is from the CAH though, we forgot to commemorate at the Jefferson, must have been the rum and cokes!! From L to R-Bill aka Jim, Sue, Stevie G., Cuz, NayNay, Beth!!

...I'm still waiting on more pictures, so hopefully we'll get some of those sexy, sunken cheek pics!

We started off the night at the Capital Ale House with a round of beers while we waited for our table. Blake, the bartender gave me a couple of samplers since I couldn't make up my mind...imagine that...but in my defense the menu is about 10 pages long and roughly 1/3 of it looked tasty! Once we finally arrived at our table, we were waited on by the BESTEST server ever...her name is Mary and if you are ever in Richmond and find yourself at the CAH please ask for her, because she was nothing less than awesome! She even took a picture with us...

Mary, Stevie G. and Me...thanks Mary, you really were great!

There were a lot of shenanigans going on throughout the evening between the beers, pretzel platter and the concert going on next door with Amy from the Indigo Girls...but probably the funniest was the plastic roach incident...you see NayNay has this plastic roach who has traveled the world in an effort to end up in her friend's food or in the case of Saturday night...BEER...

Who knew it would float??!!

...the disappointing thing was that EVERYONE WAS SO DARN CALM about the plastic roach...picking it out of Cuz's beer with a knife and placing it on a plate...secretly they were pissed, but still too calm...so calm that my inner middle child was forced to pick the roach up off the plate and put it in my mouth....

Yes mom and dad, you should be proud!!

...I just can't understand why that cute couple trying to have a romantic dinner kept giving us those angry glances all night! Most importantly, a team motto was decided upon and we will ALL be sporting it in some way shape or form at Eagleman in June...until then, it's top secret! :)

Marathon Race Report...and Weekend Recap!

Put your flannel PJ's and slippers on, grab a cup of hot chocolate...this might take a while!!

Yes Folks, those are finishers medals!!! The funny thing is all week I'd been dreading the weather-it kept looking worse and worse, with rain and wind and then I turn on the weather channel race day morning and staring at me is the current temperature...

70 degrees!!!

You have got to be kidding me I thought to myself...OK, well I probably proclaimed it out loud as I also looked at the projected winds...20-30mph-UGH! So immediately I adjusted my race strategy, recalculated my pace, finish time, added some more electrolyte powder to my gatorade, etc etc...and things were going along just fine until I got to mile 14...cue the foreboding music...when I started to cramp like I have NEVER in all my life cramped. Needless to say I spent much of the rest of the race trying to find a "pace" that didn't lead me into a fully body spasm and as disappointed as I was in the moment, I was in no way the only one feeling that way...all around me people were shuffling and moaning...laying on the side of the road...we are talking carnage...lots and lots of carnage!

Several years back Runner's World nominated the Richmond Marathon "America's Friendliest Marathon"...and if you've run this race, you know that it's true. 4 years ago when I did this marathon (my first ever!), I was amazed at how many people were out along the course cheering, playing music etc etc...and this time around, there were at least three times as many people out there...they truly were amazing yesterday! So, despite the fact that my finish time was no where near where I wanted or trained for it to be, I still loved the race...the course is beautiful and challenging and the volunteers, spectators and police officers patrolling all the intersections are fabulous. Here's some more pics...as my friends send me theirs I'll continue to post more...but these are some taken by the hubby

NayNay and I in the porta potty line!!

At the start...no, I didn't have a bad 80's side ponytail, that belongs to the girl behind me!!

Me with the 3 best spectators on the course (in my humble, totally unbiased opinion!) Hubby, Mom and Dad

So, because our races didn't quite go as planned, NayNay and I spent the drive home making a top 10 list for the whole weekend....so here they are in no particular order...

1. The Omni...let me just tell you the last time NayNay and I went to an event we stayed at the Bate's motel...seriously, I can't remember what the name was but I can tell you the fumes from fresh paint were so overwhelming...and we couldn't figure out if they had just painted to cover up the blood from the murder that had just occurred in the room or if they were using the paint as a way to hold up the plaster on the wall...either one was a possibility...not to mention that we didn't dare walk around in bare feet or even put our luggage on the floor it was so nasty...so the Omni was an awesome change...friendly staff, floors that were safe for bare feet and cushy robes for lounging...

2. The peanuts in the race goody bag...by the time we drove to Richmond, checked into the hotel, missed the first shuttle to the expo because it was full, waited for the second shuttle, picked our gear up from the expo and hopped on the shuttle bus back to the hotel...we were HUNGRY!! Those peanuts were a spot on snack!

3. Doubled Stuffed Oreos and pretzels...a perfect snack for the successful athlete...

4. Race Sherpas aka Hubby, Mom and Dad...not only did they all get up early and drive over 1.5 hours to the race site...they were out there all day long cheering and offering support...it's so nice when you aren't having a great race but you can look forward to the places you know you can find your race sherpas...and in my case, you can stop, chat for a while and watch your quads cramp right before your very eyes!! I know we thank our sherpas, but spectating can be way more exercise than the race itself...circum-navigating the race course...trying to find snazzy things to say to the athletes...cowbell ringing....clappy hand clapping...I have seriously gotten worse blisters from cowbell ringing than the ones I ended up with yesterday! So thanks guys, you really were the best three out there!! :)

5. Joe and Corey...the two greatest shuttle van drivers...it was such a good thing you had the step stool last night guys!

6. Randomly running into friends just when you are closing out your tab...Bill AKA Jim, Sue and Beth...glad we got to stay for a few more rounds...probably not nearly as thrilled as the cute couple trying to have a romantic dinner in the booth across from us...but they'll get over it!

7. The Richbrau Brewery...perfect for your post race recovery meal...burgers, homemade root beer and the sherpas...awesome!

The next two have sub-lists to them and also require some pictures...so I'll dedicate a post and pics to them later, for now we will just list them...

8. The Jefferson Hotel

9. The Capital Ale House

10. Completing the death march despite the heat, humidity, wind and cramps!!

Hope everyone was able to share their weekends with family and great friends! Oh, and just for the record...it was sunny low 40's, projected 52 degrees for the high, and zero wind in Richmond today when we left...perfect running weather...what a difference a day can make! :)

It's Raining...

...It's pouring, the old man is snoring...he bumped his head, and he went to bed and couldn't get up in the morning...
After much thought, I've determined that this nursery rhyme will be my theme for Saturday's race! I've retrospectively analyzed the weather conditions for all of my races this year (OK so there were only about 10 running or triathlon related races for the whole year, but it was a recovery and rejuvenation year!) and determined that about half had something in common...RAIN. It all started with a cross country series back in January...sprinkled for the first race, POURED (think a good foot of standing water and mud that would suck even the tightest tied running shoe off your foot thanks to the two loop course) for the third race...then there was the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, more rain...thank goodness that mom and dad athletic supporters (AKA the jock straps!) live a quick car ride away because it was wet...then that 1/2IM in NJ, OK so it poured the night before and sprinkled a little in the morning but did become a bright sunshiny day, so maybe that only half counts...a sprint triathlon in September put the bible to shame...pouring rain, swarming mosquitoes, thunder, lightening, the whole 9 yards...and finally the wettest Race for the Cure since the one in Washington in 2004 where my girlfriends and I lost our moms (only temporarily...they will never be in charge of the cell phones again though...I'm glad my mom has learned her lesson...they only work when you answer them!!). Saturday's weather forecast, SURPRISE calling for 40% chance of rain!! But it's fine by me...I've had some of my strongest races in the rain this year and trained in torrential downpours...so Mother Nature...go ahead...rain on me...I guarantee it won't ruin my day!

All Good Things Eventually Come to an End

It is with great sadness that I announce Open Water Swimming 2008 has officially come to an end. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, most of you have probably not had open water swimming on your radar since September maybe even October, but for me, I finally caved in and decided that it was time to hang up my old rubber dingy suit and commit myself to the pool 3 days a week. Truth be told, I hate the rubber dingy suit, I only wear it when absolutely necessary because putting it on means that I jump into the water and become super buoyant, getting tossed and turned with even the slightest wave...which is not at all good because as we learned from Gilligan's Island a three hour tour can easily lead to being stranded with the professor and Maryann indefinitely or at least until you get rescued or your series ends, whichever comes first....So much like it started back at the beginning of April, it ended with Cuz and I taking the plunge...suffering from full facial ice cream brain freeze, swimming and exiting to a standing ovation. Ok, so we only got the standing ovation yesterday...the people on the shore actually stood in amazement that we were in the water and watched the entire 30 odd minute swim spectacle and clapped, hooted and hollered at the half way point and kindly took our pictures at the end! So for your enjoyment...or at least so my parents can shake their heads and say, "Yes she is our favorite middle child"...the before and after photos! The Before....see how pretty it is...

and the after....

...and it only took my feet a really hot shower and about an hour to defrost!! Bring on the pool!

Richmond...

To distract me from watching the weather channel like it's a movie just to catch the 10 day forecast for Saturday's projected weather (like it's gonna change every 8 minutes!) I decided to put the gang up on the blog so that when I write about who did what on Saturday people will have faces and names...although, their names may have been changed to protect the innocent!

First the Boys...Stevie G. and Cuz...

Stevie G. (short for Stevie Gonzales, because I'm certain he is a direct ancestor of Speedy Gonzales) AKA ARMS (ladies if you have ever body marked him you know what I'm talking about!!) will be walking the 8K...you see, he was supposed to be running the marathon with me, but an unfortunate mis-step in the middle of the night over his dog back in July left him in a nice, big, blue cast for about 6 weeks. Saturday will be exactly 4 months since the break and we are all psyched that he's back walking fairly normally...but SG, just because you dodged the bullet this time, don't get too confident, because there will be another marathon for you...count on it!! :)

I'm sure you all recognize Cuz because he is everywhere!! No matter where you are he knows someone...I've recommended many times that he run for mayor but he decided his political aspirations had to wait until he runs the half marathon Saturday. Now, he'll tell you this is his first half marathon, but don't be fooled...it is his first STAND ALONE half, but the man has done a couple of half Ironmen so I'm confident he'll have no issues with this distance...especially since he even took a gel during his last 10 mile training run!!

The Girls...Nay Nay and myself...

...Yeah, I know I'm in an inflatable flamingo outfit, but this is what you get when you send harassing emails to your friends trying to get them to run a marathon for weeks and weeks until they cave in and sign up!! This will be Nay Nay's first marathon and I predict it'll be a Boston qualifier for her...she's super FAST even when she's not wearing that Wonder Woman outfit!!

...and me...I'm hoping for a BIG PR!! Wish us luck!!

Quick shout outs to Cuz on his super fast 50 and awesome 1500 at yesterdays VAMST swim meet...your flips turns were good AND you went off the blocks...and to Jimbo on his awe inspiring 50 Fly and 100 IM...way to not get chicked boys, we're all proud of you!! Billy Bob, we missed ya, but riding a camel is way more fun!! Now, back to the weather channel!!

It's Official...

I saw my first Christmas commercial today...It's only November 6th...isn't there a law out there which states you can't start advertising for Christmas until after thanksgiving? If not, I'd like to propose we skip the Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Valentine's day crap and get out the Shamrocks already! Bring on the GREEN beer! :)

I VOTED...

...and I've got a sticker to prove it!! I have to say that one of the big advantages of having to be at work by 6:30am is that you don't get stuck in the voting line, in cold, pouring down rain for over an hour!! Yep, waltzed right in, got my ID checked (I didn't even have to leave my left kidney on deposit either!), cast my ballot and I was out of there in less than 10 minutes...yippee!!

The Joy of Tapering...

The best part about training for a marathon or any other race for that matter, is the taper. I love workouts that contain the words six miles, easy and get in a few hills while you are at it!! And fall is the perfect time to go out and enjoy those easier runs...no more humidity...warm enough to still wear shorts...ahhhh...love it! The only drawback about tapering is that you have ample time to think about the things you've seen (or continue to see in my case) while out there sweating since you aren't contemplating your mile splits or trying to keep your heart from exploding in your chest! So let me touch on two curious people I pass a bit more regularly than I want to admit...First is Mr. My (insert shirt, sweatshirt or other type of top) Is Too Short for My Beer Belly Guy....I see this guy almost every single time I run...I think his job is to walk back and forth on the trail in his short shirts just to make me wonder why on earth he can't find a shirt that covers his whole belly. But he always has a smile on his face and really we should be on a first name basis we see each other so frequently and the best thing about him, is at least it's only his belly...which brings me to Man #2. I'll try to keep this PC as I think the only person that reads this blog right now is my dad...but...suffice to say I have been trying to figure out how to nicely tell Man #2 that his man parts are hanging out of his shorts! The problem as I see it is one of two things, either he's not married (clearly no wife would let him out of the house that way) or he hasn't replaced those lucky running shorts in about 20 years and the liner disintegrated 18 years ago. The very first time I passed Man #2 I figured it was a fluke...I mean really, can it be fun to run like that?! I dunno...but what I do know is it is no fluke...in the past two weeks I've seen him twice, in all his glory and his lucky shorts! I asked the hubby what was the proper way to let him know that maybe he needed shorts that were a bit longer and of course he says, "just don't look"...uh huh...but it's like driving past an accident, you can't help yourself! YIKES!! :)

A Blog for me!!

After many months of shame being on my buddy Greg's blog as someone without one, I decided to grab the bull by the horns and make my own!! So bear with me while Life According to Coleybear is under construction...