Ready or Not, Here I Come!!

So, Iron Sue and I are headed out bright and early tomorrow morning to wild, wonderful White Lake, North Carolina to participate in the White Lake Half. Seems we also drew the short straw (me) and the extremely short straw (Iron Sue) for wave starting position. Iron Sue will be wearing the neon green cap in the 9th (last) wave...and I'll be sporting Navy in the 7th wave...a full 40 and 30 minutes respectively after the first wave...woo hoo! Other than my Bento Box I have miraculously found all of my race gear...given it's been about 10 months since the last time I tackled a triathlon and the fact that I just started gathering stuff tonight, I think that's pretty good...however, of everything I would really like to have, a place to put my electrolyte tabs would be really nice...oh well, maybe I'll find it in time for Eagleman in June!! :) The camera battery is charged and ready to capture the weekend...wish me luck!!

Did We Skip Spring??!!

I think we just may have!! It's funny how just last week my furnace was on and there was frost on my car...yesterday, after watching the husband sweat profusely and listening to him complain about how hot he was, I ended up turning on the AC!! It hit 90 something here...WOW!! I love the warm weather and since the weekend's workouts were short and sweet I've gotten a lot of the other projects I've been meaning to do done...yippeee for the taper!!
Yesterday was spent mostly getting yard stuff done...mowing while the hubby weed wacked (I've been banned from wacking now for several years, however, after the 4 inch stick flew and hit me in the face (thank goodness I had eye protection on), I'm thinking my license to wack might have to be restored!!)...fertilizing and laying down some more grass seed (read that fertilizing and providing the neighborhood birds with a feast!) and finally getting my raised garden bed filled with soil and plants. I figured by raising the bed I would avoid the dogs tromping through and killing the plants...well, let me tell you just how wrong I was about that!! Given his recent displays of contempt for the "no dogs on the new couch" rule.......I shouldn't have been surprised by the muddy paws and flattened pepper plants in the garden! Not to mention the enormous paw prints and half smushed basil plant. So after today's run I headed to the Home Depot to once again test my theory that the best way to get service is to go in your workout clothes...I think I'm a sadly disappointing female customer though...you see, despite the fact that I HATE to shop, I do love projects and I know my local HD's like the back of my hand...so for the 6 men that asked me if I needed help while I walked from the garden department to the fencing department...thanks, but I had it covered! And now, my garden bed has a fence....

...now all I have to do is pray that the pepper plants can be revived!! Oh, and I have a little bit more room so here's what I've got so far...cucumbers on the left end, basil and pepper (one red, one green )plants in the front, and pole beans and tomato plants on the back...I'd like to put a couple more herb plants in between the veggies so I'm open to suggestions. The plan is if I'm successful this year, next year I'll build another bed for squash (yellow), zucchini and eggplant since they need lots-o-space...this year I'm just going to count on my friends for those items!!

Lastly, a shout out to my younger cousin who overcame a tonsillectomy a few weeks back to run a great race at the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville yesterday!! Although I'm the old-ball cousin without a Facebook page (oh the horror, I know!!), my bloggy shout out is still heart felt, just not instantly gratifying...Woo Hoo, way to go Jess!!

Hope everyone has an great Sunday!! :)

MIA

Yep, I've been MIA...between workouts and home improvement mayhem at the homestead, I haven't had much time...nor any random, funny thoughts! Even worse than your mom worrying that you were dead because your blog hasn't been updated in (gasp) a full week, is your sister trying to get her Easter card up!! Mooch...there are rules to this blog...first is you can't be greedy...just because some of your other cards have made it up here, doesn't mean the Easter card does...even if it it has marshmallow peeps on it!! We've gotta keep you busy...trying to find that elusive card that will some day make it's way back up here!!

The last few weeks I've spent wrapping up the big training miles for Whitelake (70.3) the first weekend of May. While this is a race to gauge where I'm at and where I need to go before Eagleman, I'm still a bit nervous...the weather here hasn't been as conducive as it usually is to getting out on the bike. Most of my long rides have been spent in hellacious headwinds, which is good practice but very demoralizing at the same time!! But we've been blessed with some good weather (and some more wind dammit!) so I've been out and about a few times and feeling a bit more confident. However, it's also the start of tourist season here which inherently means a good game of Frogger when around the oceanfront...what happened to looking both ways before crossing streets??!! I digress!

The past weekend was spent installing recessed lighting in the front living room...what is it with old houses that don't have any overhead lighting??...and putting together and securing to the wall two beautiful glassed door bookcases...the room almost looks like an adult lives here...if it weren't for the futon!! In my defense, I couldn't give the futon up...the dogs love it because they can sit and watch the world go by out the window and I feel it provides me an added layer of security...seriously, wouldn't you think twice about robbing a house with this...

....and this....

....standing up in the window like Sasquatch, using their big dog bark?!?!! Vicious I tell ya, absolutely vicious! Plus, in a pinch the futon gives me an additional space to sleep guests...if anyone ever came to visit me!! JK parentals...I know you were just here!! So I'll leave ya with a photo of the newly improved room...forgive the computer table...it's a mess...but...WE'VE GOT LIGHT!!! :)

Cherry Blossoms...

...Ok, so it's a little late, but I have a good excuse...I'm not going to bore you with a race report, other than to say that this year's Cherry Blossom 10 miler in DC was absolutely gorgeous...definitely makes up for last years rainy and cold weather. I will have to say though, that packet pick-up sucked...with such nice weather, the metro was packed (think 2 pounds of crap in a 1 pound bucket!) due to the great weather, festivities and blossoms in full bloom--logistically it took nearly 1.5 hours to retrieve my race number and shirt once I arrived at the Building Museum...that's without any dilly dallying at the expo...and not including the metro ride to and from. Maybe next year it'll be better! I wish I could have fished my camera out of my purse to take a picture of the train, but I was being held in one place by about 40 of my close personal friends (read total strangers that thankfully had all taken a shower) and was exceeding my capacity to be patient with the encroachment on my personal bubble! My wave start...I'm at the way back...

Why are race photos so ugly?! I'm really not in pain in this picture!
Aren't the Sherpas in Training cute?!?!

I then arrived home to find Cuz in the hospital after suffering a stroke mid-ride...I'm pretty sure between him and Stevie G they like to remind me that I should never race without them...it leads to strokes and broken ankles! Cuz is recovering well, however, his stroke is a reminder that it's always best to ride with someone or at the very least someone should know your plan...if you aren't feeling right, you turn around NOT finish a 50 mile ride (Ahem...not mentioning any names...)...wear an ID...and most importantly, HYDRATE! OK, off of my soapbox! A big WOO HOO to my Iron-Friend SDR for snagging herself a lottery slot to KONA...I jumped off the couch when I read the TV today!! :) Hope everyone has a great week!

:)

Thank You Fuel Belt!!

I always feel compelled to let people know when I've been the recipient of great customer service, so I had to share this with everyone....the weekend before last I went out for my usual long run with my Fuel Belt Sprint Palm Holder and sadly, even though it was only a few months old (but well loved), it broke mid run.......so I contacted the folks at Fuel Belt via email before I went to bed one night last week and by the time I checked my email the next morning, Michelle at Fuel Belt had left me a follow-up email and had already sent me out a replacement....

...which arrived today...less than a week later! Way to go...thank you so much Michelle and Fuel Belt!!!

I've got lots of fun pics from this weekend's Cherry Blossom 10 miler...I'll get them posted in the next few days! Happy Monday!

The Big Sissy's Pictures!!

So I've picked out my top three favorite pictures from the sister's first triathlon of the season...sorry Mooch, but you didn't send me your favs so here we go...

Picture Number 1: This is my absolute favorite because you can clearly see my sister running...right in back of the lady meandering in the blue raincoat...ok, so you can barely see her shoulder...dad, what is up with this picture?!?! Way to capture the moment!! :)

Picture Number 2: Now we can see her running...10 years ago...ok, maybe just 3 years ago...this is a sight I never in a million years thought I'd see...my sister running and not even because she is being chased by a rabid, furry woodland creature...you are a ROCKSTAR!! Totally color coordinated to boot...shirt matches her shoes...a nice touch I must say...and wearing that race belt I gave her for her birthday/first triathlon ever present in 2006!

Picture Number 3: Also on my short list because not only do we have the sister, but we have the mom starring in this photo...again the color coordination is astounding...however, Cuz and I need to get you into a nice set of pink speedplays and some matching bike shoes some time soon...and maybe even (GASP!) remove those reflectors!!

So there you have it, my top three...hopefully I'll have some fun pictures to post after I get back from running the Cherry Blossom 10 miler up in Washington, D.C. this weekend...I may even carry my camera as the blossoms are supposed to be blooming...but I don't know if I'm coordinated enough to pull off running, taking a gel and pictures all in the same race, we'll see...in the mean time hope everyone has a nice weekend! :)