Tis the Season

It's December 6th and John and I went on a 25 mile bike ride. This weather is crazy. We just bundled up and headed out in the sunshine for an amazing December ride. It is not often that you get to enjoy the holiday lights from the seat of a bicycle but, today, we did just that. I have to say, I loved every minute of it..well, I could have lived without the 5:00 traffic, so I loved almost every minute of it. It was so nice to be out in the fresh air. I am REALLY hoping, however, that our next outside adventure is on cross country skis trekking through the snow. At this time of year, I am excited about anything that gets me out of my office. Don't get me wrong, I am VERY grateful to be busy and that I have such great clients that are keeping me busy. That said, I do have to point out that no matter what I do to get my clients to order early so that everything isn't a rush, they don't do it. It is almost as if they are surprised that Christmas is on December 25th, AGAIN. I am pretty sure however, that if Christmas was n the 30th, they would still place their final orders on the 25th. They just can't make themselves order until it becomes a very stressful process which involves many late nights and early mornings and rush charges and overnight freight and....prayer. And afer all that, they are surprised that there is a chance their orders might not get here on time. Imagine that! Every year I have delusional thoughts that I am going to get all my clients to order early and I am going to sit back and sip hot chocolate, fill out Christmas cards, bake treats and watch the Hallmark channel... but no, instead, I am in my office typing frantically on my computer. But that's okay I tell myself.. I am lucky to be so busy! But really, is it too much to ask for people to plan ahead...maybe even one week ahead.. It would be the best Christmas present I could ask for.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

I have to say I was so excited to see the snow start falling and I was even more excited that it kept falling and falling until everything was covered in white. I couldn't wait to get out in it. John and I decided to go for a hike so we headed up Millcreek Canyon to make the trek towards Grandeur Peak.. It was so amazingly beautiful with the new snow glistening on the trees and the stream cutting its way through the snow covered rocks. It really was breathtaking. There weren't a lot of people out on the trail which should have been a clue that it wasn't going to be an easy hike. It wasn't too bad for the first half mile but as we climbed higher and higher it got deeper and deeper...and darker and darker so we decided we needed to cut our hike short and head back down the mountain before it got too dark and too cold. On our way back down the mountain, we devised a great plan to come back in a few days with head lamps and warmer clothes and climb to the top which we did.. well, we almost did. On our second trip up the canyon, we didn't quite make it all the way to the top. When we got to the saddle and started up the traill to the peak, we realized that no one else had climbed past that point...no human that is.. There was a deer that made the trek and I actually tried to follow his trail but after sinking in snow to my knees every single step, I decided I wasn't having fun anymore... I was getting pretty cold and pretty tired and it was VERY dark. So, we hiked back down to the saddle, warmed up with hot chocolate, put on warmer clothes and head lamps and headed back down the trail. I have to say, the thought did enter my mind that we were just a little crazy. What were we doing on this snowy trail in the dark?? I guess it was just our version of going outside and playing in the snow...It was our snowball fight, our snowman and our sledding adventure. It was one of our first Winter moments and as crazy as it seemed, it really was a lot of fun.. well most of it was fun. There was that moment when I tripped on something in the dark and ran into a tree stump with my knee...I do wonder how, of all the places I could have tripped on that trail and just landed in the soft snow, I tripped there, next to a gnarly tree stump. But it's all good... just one more scar to add to my collection...the collection that started when I met John and began to embark on all these adventures.

Baseball - What's not to Love?

I love baseball. It is definatley my favorite sport. I don't get to watch it much because John thinks it is the most boring thing you could ever watch on television. I have to admit it isn't one of the most fast-paced sports but there is actually a lot going on if you pay attention. There is a lot of strategy in baseball. You just have to watch closely to see the infield move out and the outfield move in and the catcher move from side to side for different pitches...there is a lot more going on than just a batter and a pitcher and the rest of the team standing around or sitting in the dugout waiting for something to happen...I do have to say however, there is a lot of spitting and scratching going on, which I don't quite understand. You never see spitting or scratching happening in football or basketball. The camera doesn't zoom in on an NFL player spitting sunflower seeds across the field or an NBA player grabbing his crotch. These are the moments of the game I could live without. The other day, I was watching the game and commented that it was somewhat disgusting that the camera was always showing someone spitting. After watching several games of the playoffs, I have decided it would be tough for the camera to zoom in on any of the players in the dug out that weren't spitting. Michael thinks they do it out of sheer boredom. Since there is nothing else to do in the dugout, they chew... and spit. And then when they finally get up to the plate for their big moment at bat, with the whole world watching, they stop spitting and instead, they grab their crotch. Oh, ya gotta love baseball.. GO TEAM!!

Hunting with the people most "Dear"

On Sunday we celebrated Denae's birthday with a yummy dinner and of course, ice cream and cake for dessert. During dinner, John started talking about this great restaurant he ate at in Chicago and then he posed the question to the group, "Have you ever had duck?" This led to a discussion about the many wild animals that I had been served for dinner over the years and the crazy hunting escapades I went on with my brothers. A quick disclaimer here.. I know I have mentioned in a previous blog that when I tell stories I am often accused of embellishing but when it comes to these stories, I couldn't make the stuff up. I look back and wonder...what was I thinking? For example, there was the time two of my brothers convinced me to go Sage Hen hunting with them. It didn't take much convincing because I just loved hanging out with my brothers so off I went to find some Sage Hens, even though I had no idea what a Sage Hen was... Oh, and just to make it clear, I wasn't ever very fond of the animals actually getting killed, but I still tagged along on many-a-hunting adventure. On this particular adventure, my brothers thought I should get a chance to learn how to shoot since I was now in college, so they set up a target for me to shoot at and proceeded to coach me...."it will be easy", they said, "this gun has no kick at all"..just hold it close to your shoulder and pull the trigger". So I did what they said and pulled the trigger and the next thing I knew I was on my butt, 3 feet back from where I had started and my shoulder had a nice big bruise for about a week. They were both laughing so hard, they couldn't speak. Needless to say, I didn't take any more shooting lessons from my brothers. Deer hunting was another great event. We would wake up at 4:00 in the morning.. eat breakfast..which is not an easy thing to do at 4:00 in the morning, and then proceed to hike up a mountain...in the dark. Once we reached our destination, we would split into groups and I was always sitting with my Dad. We would then proceed to sit motionless and silently in the freezing cold October air, waiting for a poor defenseless deer to wander out into the open so we could shoot it. What about this sceanario was enjoyable? I was not cut out for any of it. I didn't like being cold, or silent, or patient....and I really couldn't handle it when a deer actually got shot. So, as soon as it was light enough and safe enough, I would head down the mountain back to our nice warm cabin where the rest of the family was just waking up for breakfast. You are probably wondering why I kept going on these hunting trips and I have often asked myself that same question.. but in looking back at all the things we did, the answer is very simple...I kept going because I liked the company.

Take a Hike

Today John and I had made a plan to go to the gym after work to lift some weights and swim some laps. That sounded like an okay idea unil the sun came out and the temperature began to rise. I decided we needed to spend our evening outside, not inside a gym swimming back and forth...so instead we decided to take a hike. We started on a trail we hadn't hiked on before but eventually it merged with the Bell's Canyon Trail. I have to say the Fall colors were amazing. I really didn't think the leaves would be so beautiful this year since we hadn't had any rain and everything was so dried out but I was VERY wrong. The mountains are filled with colors. It really took my breath away... that, and the fact that we climbed 1500 feet at a pretty fast pace. Didn't I just do an Ironman? Why was I breathing so hard climbing those hills? Perhaps the fitness I gained from training for the Ironman isn't going to last forever. Dang... you mean I have to keep working hard and I can't just sit on the couch? Actually that is probably a good thing because sitting is my least favorite thing to do. So, until the weather changes I will embrace every moment to be outside enjoying the fall weather and I would recommend to everyone to take a hike!!

Quiet time...

There is one thing I am pretty sure of...I don't love being alone for long periods of time. It is okay every once in awhile but I like being around people. I like conversation and noise and all the things that come with having someone around. I don't do well with long periods of silence. When I am alone for long periods of time, I start talking out loud to my computer, to the radio, or to myself. I do this a lot so there are many times when John is actually home and I start talking and he thinks I am talking to him, which would make sense, but I am actually talking to myself. The other side of that is when I am actually talking to him, he isn't listening because he thinks I am talking to myself, or so he says.. The other day, I rode my bike to John's work to meet him so we could go ride up the canyon together. It felt so strange riding by myself...very lonely. But then, when we got together and started riding up the canyon, we really didn't talk all that much...just a few words here and there. I found it so funny that even though we didn't talk alot when we were riding together, it was so much more enjoyable for me than riding alone. I think I just like knowing I can talk to someone if I decide I have something to say. I know alone time offers opportunity for thinking and reading and getting a lot accomplished and I have done all that, but I can do all that with people around. My preference would be thinking and reading and accomplishing less and conversing with an actual live person more. I know not everyone feels this way. Many people don't really love to talk and are actually content just sitting there quietly...which is good.. These are the people that are the perfect audience for people like me.

Happily Ever After...

Last week was a little crazy but a lot wonderful. I had the pleasure of having Jen, Seth and the grandkids staying at our house. This was the perfect stopping place on their way to Arizona. Oh, how I love being a grandma. It is both exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. I had this great idea to let Jen and Seth get a break. They got to sleep in the garage aka guest room, and the kids were in the house with us. It was the best of both worlds. They got some rest and I got to make French Toast for the kids, give them baths, get them dressed and read book after book after book. I think I have mentioned before that there are some pretty lame children's books out there but I have to say, the Grimm Fairy Tales are really that, grim... For instance, I was reading a spin off on "Little Red Riding Hood" and found myself telling the kids that the Mama goat left to go to the store and told the her "kids" not to let anyone in the house while she was gone. They tried to be careful but the wolf disguised his voice so he sounded just like their mother. Thinking it was their mother, they opened the door and the wolf ate them all, that is all except one...The smallest kid hid where the wolf couldn't find him. When the mother goat came home and found all her children gone but one she was so sad (ya' think??) But it was her lucky day. She saw the wolf big and fat and asleep under the tree so she cut him open and her babies were all inside and perfectly okay. At that point, she decided to fill the wolf with rocks and sew him back together. Of course this all happened while he was still sleeping. Imagine not waking up when someone cuts you open, takes out the contents of your stomach, fills you with rocks, and sews you back together. Now that is a heavy sleeper. When the wolf woke up, he was so thirsty he wandered to the lake for a drink, where he fell in and sunk to the bottom. What about this story is made for children? I, a grown adult, was a little disturbed by the whole thing. Even though the wolf was the bad guy...I still didn't feel all that great that he sunk to his death at the bottom of the lake. That, to me, is not a "lived happily ever after" ending. I decided to read something much more pleasant so I chose Rapunzel. Now there's a happy story. Some witch kidnaps a baby from her parents, makes her live in a tower, climbs up on her hair, never lets her out of the tower and tries to kill the prince who tries to rescue her. Wow! I guess the lame children's books that don't really have a message and don't really make any sense aren't so bad after all. Maybe I should write children's books. I am good at telling stories that ramble on without a clear point but in the end, everyone is smiling. And that is what's important..a happy ending.

Now What?

It has been a little crazy since I got back from Canada sorting through hundreds of emails so I could get caught up at work. But scrolling through emails is not the hardest thing I have had to do. It is accepting the fact that I don't have a rigorous workout schedule. At first, I knew my body needed the break but after four days of that, I decided my body needed to do something so we went on a "short" bike ride and ended up at the top of Emigration Canyon before turning around to come home. My legs did feel tired going up the canyon but it just felt so good to be out in the fresh air moving my muscles. A couple of days later we went on a 27 mile ride and the day after that we attempted running. I actually made it 5 miles but they were 5 very painful miles. I should have stopped after 1/4 mile because everything hurt... my knee, my hip, my piroforms. I was a mess...but I thought running would make everything better. HA!! I was in pain for several days and even now, I am not 100%. I decided to stick with the bike and the pool for awhile until everything started feeling better. We have done some fun rides.. hard rides, but fun. We rode to the top of Millcreek, rode to the top of Draper Ridge and tomorrow we will be riding around Utah Lake for the final time of the season. We have been so lucky to feel the brisk Fall air and see all the leaves as they are changing. I love Fall. really I just love the Seasons. Just when you start getting sick of the hot weather or the cold weather or the rainy weather, the seasons change and you can move on to some new adventure. So this year, I need to figure out a winter workout plan that takes advantage of Winter weather rather than trying to run in a blizzard or riding my bike on the trainer in the garage. There is definitely a better, more enjoyable way. But of course, I will need to make an organized plan of what I am going to do, when I am going to do it and for how long. I know it is somewhat demented that what I really enjoy is following the plan, but it does bring me so much satisfaction. Now, I just need the weather to cooperate because it will be a little difficult to cross country ski three days a week if it never snows..and heaven forbid, I would have to alter my plan.

IRONMAN Canada - We Did It!!

 

 

It is difficult to express the many emotions I have felt this past week.  When we left Salt Lake on Tuesday, I was feeling so discouraged because my right leg was hurting so badly I wasn't even sure how I was going to run a step much less a marathon. I had done all i could to get it better from a massage to therapy to Addvil so I just had to hope for the best.... and sit on ice on and off for 940 miles.  It ended up being a blessing that we spent so much time packing and driving so we couldn't run or bike or swim for four days because every day my leg felt just a little better.  We did ride the marathon course on our bikes on Thursday and I felt pretty good, other than realizing how many hard hills there were on the marathon course, and then we swam in the lake on Friday and I felt even better and then Saturday we did nothing... well let me re-phrase that, we didn't run or bike or swim, but we spent the day organizing our gear for drop-off which is a pretty daunting task.  You have to make sure you have EVERYTHING you could possibly need in the appropriate bags because if it isn't in the bag when you drop it off, you will have to do without it on race day.

 

 I am practicing changing a flat tire...just in case...I don't have
a picture of me praying that I don't get a flat tire

 

 So Many Bags So Little Time

 

 

 

We are at the back to avoid the crowds

As you can see avoiding the crowds is not an option



 

 

I have to say I had such mixed emotions when I realized that the event we had been training for over the last nine months had finally arrived. I was excited, nervous and a little sad that it was all going to be over in a day.  It had been such a fun journey getting here, from 20 laps in the pool,  4 mile runs,  and 15 mile bikerides to 2 laps around the lake, 16 mile runs and 100 mile bikerides.  That is the great thing about the training...little by little you get stronger and stronger until you are ready to swim, bike and run 140.6 miles.  The day of the race, we woke up at 4 AM, forced down some breakfast and headed to the race.  After having our race numbers written all over our body with marker, we squeezed into our wet suits and headed for the beach.  I have to say, when I stood on that beach and looked out across the lake at how far I really had to swim, I thought, "I am insane.  That is really far!!"  When the gun finally went off, and I put my face in the water and started to swim, I was surprised how calm I felt.  I reminded myself that I was just going to relax and enjoy every moment of this day because this was what I had worked so hard for.  I know "relax" may not be the best choice of words for a day when I was putting my body through ALOT, but I really was able to enjoy so many moments of the day.  Yes, there were times that weren't so enjoyable... like the moment I discovered that I had mis-counted how many bouys there were across the lake and there were four more than I had anticipated, or the time I realized I had overestimated my bladder's capabilities and there were no porta-potties for over 10 miles, or the last 15 miles of sitting on that bike seat.. or the first 2 miles of the run when I had to have a very convincing conversation with myself that I could run 26.2 miles if I ran them one mile at a time.  These were all moments when I had to dig deep but I can honestly say, other than that, I really did enjoy the day.. In fact, I must have had a big smile on my face because all the spectators commented that it was great to see my smile.  And really, I should have been smiling because I had set a goal and every step brought me closer to acheiving that goal.  When I finally crossed that finish line, it felt amazing.  I had done it.  I was an Ironman.. But at that moment I realized it wasn't the finish line or the medal or all the excitement that meant the most to me, it was the fans, not the fans on the side of the road, even though they were wonderful, but the fans that believed in me and encouraged me throughout this journey and followed our progress and congratulated our accomplishments...the fans that make my life worth living... my friends and most of all, my family.  That is truly the real prize. 

 

My biggest fan... John



 

We are here!!

We left Salt Lake for Canada on Tuesday and after two days of driving many, many miles, we arrived in Penticton Canada. It is such a beautiful place. There are lakes everywhere...and the lake we are swimming in is just around the corner. I have to say looking at that lake and how far we have to swim is a little overwhelming. It just keeps going, and going, and going... and then there is the bike ride. We drove 75 mile of the bike ride just to get a good look at it and I had a few moments of thinking, "Wait, I thought they said there were only two really big hills". I guess "really big" is relative or perhaps "hill" is relative. Fortunately, we did much of our training climbing some "really big hills" so I am hoping that will be very helpful on race day. And then there is the run. We rode our bikes over the run course today and it is definately not a nice flat marathon course. A few times we were going really fast on our bikes which means we will be going really slow on our feet. There are some pretty steep hills on that course.. just what we need to keep us humble after a 112 mile bike ride and a 2.4 mile swim. I will say this.. the running course is beautiful until mile 21...not good planning. I think we needed beautiful until mile 26.2. I have had so many emotions these last few days, from fear to excitement to anticipation. I am sure I will have many emotions to add to that list when I cross that finish line on Sunday.

Happy Birthday to Me

Tomorrow is my 52nd birthday. That is the strangest thought... I will be 52 years old. I have never been one of those people that got really depressed when I hit those milestone birthdays...first 30, then 40,then 50. For me, getting older doesn't encite so much a feeling of sadness as it does a feeling of surprise. I am just surprised to think that I am really 52. I think the word for this is "denial" but it really is the emotion I feel. I know every birthday I get a year older so the number shouldn't come as such a surprise but inside this body that gets older every year lives the same person that was there in my twenties... hopefully a wiser, better version of that twenty-year old, but nonetheless, I have the same love for life and adventure and people. I have the same competitive, passionate spirit (even though some of my passions have changed) and I have many of the same quirky personality traits that I keep thinking I can change. It is a strange realization that I am in my fifties and there is no going back to those earlier years but I choose to embrace where I am at...I can still do a lot in my fifties...I can still run really far and bike really far and swim farther than I ever imagined. But I do have to admit, unlike in my twenties, everything hurts much worse the next day. So, happy birthday to me! And to all of you that worry about how old you are getting, just remember, you truly are only as old as you feel.

I Know You Aren't Really Interested But....

With our Ironman race only two weeks away, I find myself talking about it alot..with everyone. I am pretty sure some of the people I talk to about it aren't really interested in all I have to say but I tell them about it anyway. I realize this is my way of working through my anxiety. If I can just talk about my goals and my plan and what I am doing to accomplish my desired results, then it is all going to work out, right? I know it sounds crazy but for some reason talking about the race makes it seem more real, more concrete, and not just some future goal that I hope to accomplish someday. It is hard to explain, but after training for so long it almost doesn't seem real that we really are going to "DO" the race. Training has just become such a part of our life... eat, drink, sleep, train...that I have to remind myself that it will all come to an end in a couple of weeks. I know I will keep doing many of the things that I am doing now but not to the same degree or with the same committment and intensity. I actually told John last week that it made me feel a little depressed to think that we were almost done with our training. I have loved the training. I love how "fit" I feel. I love that I can now do things that seemed untouchable when we started this journey. I love the sense of accomplishment I felt when I got out of the lake on Monday after swimming 2.4 miles. I love that even after one of the most difficult bikerides I have had this season, with stomach issues and cramping and an overall bad attitude, I still finished it and I finished it with a good time. I love that I am feeling better and better on every run..even when it is 98 degrees.. and I love that feeling of exhaustion I feel knowing I have worked hard and given my workouts 100 percent. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I don't love it in the moment, but when all is said and done, I feel really great about it. There have been many conversations in my head during a long swim that were less than positive, like "Why exactly am I swimming across this lake for no apparent reason?" or "Seriously? I swear that buoy looked much closer the last time I looked." You have so much time to think during a triathlon because you are not allowed to use ipods during any part of the race so you have to swim, bike, and run to the beat of your own drum which in my case is not really a drum but multiple conversations with myself. I told John one of the hardest things for me during these long races is that I can't talk to anyone for a VERY long time. That is not something I am used to.. I like to talk to people, but since I am pretty much out there on my own with no music and no one to talk to, I talk to myself...not out loud.. at least, I try not to talk out loud..but silently, to myself. This can be a good thing and a bad thing depending on the conversation. The main goal is to talk to myself about something other than the heat, the fatigue or any pain I am experiencing. I try not to allow myself to swear at John for talking me into this and I try not to think about how many miles we have gone and how many miles we STILL have to go. I am really working on what conversations I need to have in my repertoire so during those moments when I might be struggling, I can pull the perfect thought off the shelf and focus on that for several miles. This is what I will be working on these last two weeks. This will be as important to my training as everything else I have done. That said, if I corner you and tell you all about something you really don't want to know so much about, remember this, what you say back to me could be the thought that gets me across that finish line.

Our Ironman is fast approaching...only 16 more days and we will be in Canada at the starting line in our wetsuits. It seems a little surreal that is so close. We have been training for over 8 months. I definitely prefer the training over the actual "doing". I like the challenge of the workouts, the lessons learned from the days of training that don't go so well, and the joy that comes from the days when everything just seems to click. It has been an amazing journey and Now i just have to hope we are ready to finish what we started. The thing about this race is that you never really know how it is all going to come together. We have ridden many miles on our bike, we have run several miles on the roads and we have swam hundreds of laps, but the trick is taking all those pieces of the puzzle and putting them together in one day! Honestly, as I am writing this I am getting butterflies. Am I really ready for this? I have to believe I am.I have followed the plan, I have done the work. Now it all comes down to having confidence in my abilities, and I can do that. I am strong, I am persistent and I am very determined. And I just have to finish one thing at a time...first the swim, and then the bike ride and finally the run. I can do that. I have done it before... just not all in one day. So, as we wind down our training I am going to really try to enjoy every swim stroke, every stride, and every rotation of my pedals so that when I begin the actual race I can remind myself how much I love what I am doing. But just in case I forget, It will help to know you are all cheering for me...even though I know you think what I am doing is a little crazy.

Time Flies!

I am feeling a bit reflective today so I hope you will bear with me. I know it is so cliche to say "time flies" but it really is so true. Days go by so fast they are almost a blur and no matter how hard I try to slow down and embrace every moment of every day, I still feel that I miss out on so many moments that I wasn't able to capture. I really want to do better at this. I want to be able to be more spontaneous and do things that might not have been part of my plan. For example, I want to be able to leave my house in the morning without making the bed. I am pretty sure it wouldn't be the end of the world, but no matter what time I leave our house in the morning whether it be 4:30 AM or 8:00 AM, the bed will be made. I know other people have the ability to leave their houses with unmade beds so I am not sure why it is such a problem for me. I want to be like those people!! I want to walk out the door without everything perfect and feel good about it. I want to know I didn't waste four and one half minutes of every one of my days making my bed. When I was younger and shared a bed with my sister, I still got up and made the bed...that is my side of the bed, because she was still in her side...sleeping. I am sure it is hard for you to believe that she HATED sharing a room with me. My husband is very lucky because he leaves for work very early so he is gone when I begin making the bed. (Now that I think of it, that might be why he leaves for work so early.) The point I am trying to make is that I really want to be better at not worrying about the things in life that are so unimportant and I really want to focus on the things that matter. The other day when I was running I heard the song on the radio, "The Cats and the Cradle" and it really made me think; so much so that I called my son and asked him if he ever thought of me when he heard that song. He laughed and assured me that he didn't but I have really thought alot about it. I know I have made the mistake of putting off what really matters because of something "so important" I had to do but I hope all the people in my life know that what matters most to me is them...They are what makes my life complete. They are what brings me so much happiness...and, if I can squeeze in having all the beds in the house made then that is just the frosting on the cake.

The Best Laid Plans!

This week didn't end up going exactly as planned which is always a problem for me...I like to follow the plan. I am scheduled to a fault... but Saturday's make shift half- iron in the wind left me with an injury. Of course, I just thought I was tired and sore and that I would feel much better after an easy 5 mile run on Monday...yeah, right. I don't know why I am so terrible at listening to my body especially when it is SCREAMING at me! After mile one on Monday I hurt a little but not too bad so I kept going...at mile 2.5 I was in trouble which of course meant I had 2.5 miles to suffer through just to get back home and suffer I did. Everything hurt by the time I got home. I stretched a little and grabbed the ice. The only problem is I couldn't figure out which body part to ice first. I really just wished I could have climbed in the freezer. My next step was to call the Doctor and attempt to describe where I was hurting. Diagnosis...no running for a week, minimal biking until Saturday, but
I could swim as much as I would like...just an aside...I am not sure I ever really "like" to swim but since I couldn't do anything else swimming became much more desirable. I have to say, I am feeling better. I am no longer limping and I have two great swims at the lake under my belt so all is well. Saturday we have a 111 mile ride scheduled so I am hoping the week long rest was all I needed. Even though it was very difficult to scrap this week's workout plan, I have decided to focus on my bigger plan which is to cross that finish line and hear the announcer say, "Becky Suchy" you are an Ironman. And then, only then, I can start laying out my plans for some other crazy, ridiculous goal.

Practice Makes Perfect

Our Ironman Triathlon is only four weeks from today. I can't believe how close it is. This is our last really hard week of training which will include a 100 mile bike ride, a 17 mile run and a two mile swim...and then we start to slowly taper so we can be relaxed and ready for the race...I am not so sure how relaxed I will be but I do know I have done everything possible to be ready. Last week we decided since we weren't able to compete in an actual half-ironman triathlon during our training, we would put together our own and do it the best we could. So Saturday morning we headed up to Rockport Reservoir for the swim. My brother had reserved a camping spot for us so we could park our car, swim 1.2 miles and then grab our bikes and head out on a 56 mile ride. We had it all planned out, a gas station on the bike course where we could fill our water bottles and a place to stash a water bottle for our run. So, with Tom as our support team, we started out on our swim. Tom paddled alongside us in his kayak so we were safe from motorboats and he had our sandals ready for us on the beach. I struggled a bit on the swim...my goggles kept filling with water so I couldn't see where I was going which made me panic a bit. Note to self, don't put sunscreen lotion on your face before swimming. It will make your goggles slide right off your face...not a good thing. After the swim we headed out for our ride with Tom shaking his head and repeating over and over, "you guys are nuts". I knew we had a lot of hills ahead of us and I knew it would be very hot but I didn't anticipate the wind..and I am talking about killer head winds...in our face while we were pedaling uphill...oh well, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, or so they say. It was a tough ride with over 3500 feet of elevation gain but we made it back, changed into our running shoes and headed out...into the same dang wind we had just ridden out of. Just an FYI, it is no more fun to run in the wind than to bike in it..and it was soooo hot! We got to the 5 mile mark and I was pretty sure I saw water coolers from an earlier bike race sitting on the side of the road but to be honest, as hot and thirsty as I was, I thought it was probably a mirage. Thank heavens it was real. I hurriedly filled my water bottle and started to dump it on my head when I realized, it wasn't water but lemon Gatorade...so now, I was hot, I was thirsty and I was VERY sticky..you gotta love it. There were a couple of jugs filled with water so I rinsed off, drank some water and headed back down the road thankful for the angels that left that water there for us. I seriously thought we would see them floating back up to heaven. The final few miles were tough, hilly and hot but we made it and I can't say that my first thought was, wow, that was fun! Let's do it again one more time. Bring it on." The fact is, It is much better if I dont post what my first thought was...but here is the short edited version. @#*€#%?

Training For an Ironman is Nothing....

This past week, my daughter, son-in-law and my four darling grandchildren are visiting and all of them are staying in our little tiny basement. I have loved having them here. We have had alot of fun from a trip to the cabin, a tram ride at Snowbird and a hike to Donut Falls, we have been very busy. Honestly, just handling the basics without all the extra activities can be very tiring: breakfast, dishes, baths, more dishes, getting dressed, laundry, lunch, more dishes, laundry, dinner, more dishes.... you get the point.  In the midst of all this, I am still running, biking and swimming... and working.  For example, Monday, we got up really early and ran 16 hard miles. Tuesday we rode our bikes from our cabin to Park City, Wednesday we swam a mile and a half and Thursday I ran 6.5 miles.  And it was while I was running that 6.5 miles I started thinking... all my running, biking and swimming didn't seem quite so difficult this week.  Was it because the training was finally kicking in and everything was getting easier?  Was it because I was getting stronger every day?  Was it because the stars had aligned this week and everything clicked?  Unfortunately, none of these were the answer. It is because training for an Ironman Triathlon is nothing compared to taking care of four children under the age of seven.  I don't know how my daughter does it.   It is exhausting!  Riding up a really difficult hill on my bike seems easy compared to her schedule.  In fact, we were planning to go on a 100 mile bikeride today and we decided to postpone it until tomorrow because we were really tired, but while I was cleaning up the dishes from breakfast and putting in a load of laundry and folding clothes and making the beds I thought... riding my bike for 100 miles would be relaxing... all you have to do is sit there and pedal.  How hard is that?  So, many thanks to my darling family for reminding me how easy training for an Ironman Triathlon really is.

What goes up can be really hard...

Tuesday John had the day off so we decided to get an early start, beat the heat and ride to Henefer. We needed to get a long training ride in so this was the perfect plan. Part of the plan was to get to bed early on Monday but that didn't happen. We didn't even finish swimming our 72 laps until 10:30 PM Monday night...so much for getting to bed early but it didn't really matter, there was no way to beat the heat. It was already over 70 degrees at 6:30 AM. By 7:30 AM we were on our way....to Henefer. I had no idea where Henefer was but I knew we had to go over several hills to get there...First we had to go up the Old Mill hill which at this point is just a good warm up to get my heart pumping. Next, we headed up to Emigration Canyon, then UP Emigration Canyon, then UP Big Mountain, then a little break DOWN to East Canyon...But we weren't finished yet..we headed UP to Henefer..but the nice thing was that I knew what goes up must come down, right? But what came down must go back up...And we started our long ascent up The backside of Big Mountain at noon! Nothing like 100 degree temperatures to make us work a little. Honestly though, I felt pretty strong. We had one last hill back UP to the top of Emigration Canyon and then it was smooth sailing all the way home. It was a really hard ride...6700 feet of elevation gain in 100 degree temperatures but I felt good which was great for my confidence. I even had enough energy to push it at the end of the ride....but to be really honest, I pushed it for one very important reason; I didn't want to wait another second for my nice cold Diet Coke.

What to eat?

One of the challenges I have run into during my triathlon training has been what to eat and drink while I am on the bike so I have enough strength to get through my runs.  It has been quite an ordeal figuring out what will work for me. The normal "foods" athletes use during endurance events don't sit that well in my stomach so I don't want to eat them which leaves me without fuel.  Let me tell you a little bit about these so called foods.  Take GU for example.  It is named that for a reason.  It is a flavored gooey substance that goes down quickly and easily to provide quick energy.  Think of a really thick, sticky, sweet, baby food and you are there.  The problem I have with GU is the sweet part of it... oh, and I am not fond of the sticky part of it either. Last time I tried it, I ripped off the top, and before I got it into my mouth, it leaked all over my hands.  I had to run the rest of  mile run with icky, sticky hands. I can handle sweaty, salty hands on a run but for some reason I was having a really hard time with sticky.  There was one nice thing about it, it took my mind off the pain of running.  All I could think about was where there was a water source along my way that I could use to wash my hands.  But, even without the sticky mess, GU was not my answer for "what to eat" so I had to keep looking for other alternatives.  I did try the new GU which was GU in solid form - GU Chomps...not good... worse than GU.  They actually made me gag which is not a good thing. It is really tough to bike and run when you are gagging on your "food".  You may ask the question, "how big of a deal can this really be?"  You have no idea. Nutrition can make or break you in an Ironman.  When you get off that bike after 112 miles, you better have something in your tank because you have to run a marathon...26.2 miles.  You now may ask the question, "why are you doing this?  Are you insane?" But since I will not be answering THAT question I do want to tell you the about one of the best things that happened this past week. John and I were planning on riding our bikes around Utah Lake on the 4th of July. It is 90 mile plus ride and we love it.  For 70 miles you have very little traffic. It is quiet, serene, and an overall enjoyable ride.  I had mentioned to someone that the biggest problem I was having with my training was figuring out what to eat and that I just wish I could take real food like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She told me about the best invention ever... Smucker's frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They are small, individually wrapped, and 200 yummy calories a piece and  I LOVE them!!  I cannot tell you the joy it brought me eating that sandwich as I pedaled through the orchards surrounding Utah Lake. It was like being on a mobile picnic.  I did have to wait until the end of the ride for my glass of milk, but hey...what to eat on the bike??? Problem solved.  Now for the run.. Any ideas?

Telling Stories

One of the things I like about writing is that no one is there to correct me when I am
telling stories.. For some reason, when I start telling about something that happened, John will correct me if I am not getting all the facts right. I keep telling him if I include ALL the facts, it won't be as interesting and no one will want to listen. He is a scientist and so facts are very important to him but let's be honest, scientists aren't the best storytellers. I don't want you to think that what I write in my blog isn't factual. I have just omitted the uninteresting details and made the interesting details more fun to read about. So that is my disclaimer.

This past week was so crazy. We had our Interform Golf tournament on Wednesday and Thursday and I was with the vendor giving out a new iPad notebook. It was a great gift and everyone was very excited about it but after hearing the same presentation over and over I lost much of my enthusiasm for the gift. The worst thing of all was that the rep had decided it was best to show the notebook with her iPad in it so people could really appreciate all it's benefits. That led to over 36 groups of golfers all saying, "Wow,you are giving us an iPad?" And the amazing thing is every group thought they were the first one to come up with that hilarious comment. I was able to pretend to laugh almost until the end of the tournament but I guess the heat or my hunger pangs got the best of me and when those last few golfers said, "so do I get the one with the iPad?" I looked at them and said, "wow, It is amazing you were the first person who thought of that!"

I know...I need to be a more patient person, but seriously, couldn't someone have come up with something original like, "what's an iPad? Or "I would really like the one that doesn't have an iPad..or "I don't have an iPad so keep your stupid gift". Now that would have been funny!!!
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Fun in the Sun

This year we have had to do our triathlon training in some very hot temperatures. Don't get me wrong, I love the sunshine. But all that sunshine has left me with the most ridiculous tan lines which I affectionately call "my biker chick" lines and no amount of sunscreen has seemed
to help. I really do look silly when I go to the pool to swim and I have these really tan legs right up to 6 inches above the knee leaving many inches that are an interesting shade of white. John said I should be happy about it because it is my badge of honor...it shows that I have spent many hours riding many miles on my bike and Exactly ZERO hours lying in the sun by the pool...in fact the only pool I have been around is indoors and when I am there I am definitely not lounging around it. I do find it a mystery that I am the only person at the pool with biker chick lines...apparently everyone else has figured out how to avoid those crazy lines except me...or perhaps no one spends so many hours riding their bikes in the sunshine..or maybe, some people actually do lounge in the sun by the pool. What a concept...Relaxing...Hmmm, why would anyone want to do that?

He's Back!!

Last weekend was very eventful.  We drove to Spokane to attend Michael's thesis reading and graduation.  The trip was a whirlwind.  We arrived on Thursday in time to meet Michael for dinner and then we checked into our hotel in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho.  We decided this was the perfect opportunity to ride the Ironman bike course of the Coeur D'Alene bike course.  We had the perfect schedule planned. We would get up really early, ride 60 miles of the course, grab lunch, pick up the U-Haul and start moving stuff out of Michael's apartment. This would leave us plenty of time to check into our hotel in Spokane, relax, shower and meet up with everyone for dinner before Michael's thesis reading.  Doesn't this all sound perfect....I thought it did in my very organized little mind. Unfortunately, everything didn't go according to my perfect little plan.  We woke up early to get ready for our ride and it was only 45 degrees outside.  First problem. We didn't come prepared for that temperature so we had to wait... and wait... and wait until it was warm enough to ride. No worries, we could still pull it off and do everything else on the list, except perhaps...relax.  The ride was beautiful and fun and challenging and we packed the bikes back up and headed for the next thing on the list... grab  lunch.  We decided to grab some "fast food" but soon found out that in Coeur D'Alene, Carl's Junior is not a "fast food" restaurant.  As we waited and waited and waited for our food, I began to realize my perfect schedule was no longer perfect but it could still all work out right??  We ate our food on the way to U-Haul and everything went smoothly but I had no idea how long it takes to hook up the trailer, check the lights, sign the papers... blah, blah, blah.  At this point, the plan was shot.  We pulled to the curb of Michael's apartment with enough time to tell them we would move everything on Saturday, we rushed to the hotel, took drive-by showers, threw on our clothes and met up for dinner.  I will admit the rest on the night was great. Dinner was fun. Michael did a great job on his thesis reading and looking at all the Creative Writing and Poetry Graduates was priceless.  What an interesting group of people.  They are creative in more than just their writing and they are all very happy with their "uniqueness".  I loved it!!
I know I am Michael's mother so I would not be considered objective when it comes to his abilities, but he really is so talented. Not only is he a fabulous writer, but he is very good in front of a crowd.  Not that this is a big surprise to anyone who knows him.  He has been entertaining us all since he was three and he knows how to capture a crowd.  I will say, having sat through a couple of hours of readings, that is not the case with all Creative Writing students.  Perhaps, they didn't have the opportunity to practice in front of all their uncles and aunts complete with Top Hat and cane doing magic shows and telling jokes. And, might I add, not only did he graduate with his Master's Degree in Creative Writing, it is looking very promising that he will be getting a job in his field.  The entire Creative Writing Department at Eastern Washington University is pulling for him because for the last two years they have been telling the students, "this is a great degree but don't plan on getting a job".  Congratulations Michael!! I knew you could prove them wrong. 

There isn't enough time!

This past week went by so fast I have no idea where it went.  However, as I am sitting here writing this ( on an ice pack), my body is reminding me how some of the hours were spent.. Let's see, 2 1/2 hours of swimming, 6 1/2 hours of cycling and 5 hours of running...  no wonder I am feeling a little tired and sore. I do have to admit,  I enjoy the hours of training.  I love seeing the scenery from a bike that you never notice when you are driving. I love the feeling of accomplishment and exhilaration that you get from running.  And I love that almost nothing hurts when I am swimming. Most of all, I love that John and I are doing this together. John is my biggest fan. As hard as I can be on myself, John is just the opposite.  I can always count on him to tell me what an amazing job I did when I get to the top of some cliff he just talked me into riding up, and when we finished our 13.5 mile run on Saturday, he was there with a high five and a "good job babe!" He never admits how many times he actually laps me in the pool even though I am fully aware of exactly how many and he is always telling people how great I did instead of how great he did. He really is the best training partner I could ask for.  More than that, he is the best husband I could ask for.  I told someone the other day that after John and I spent five hours running, biking and swimming on a Saturday, I thought to myself, we are being such irresponsible adults. We should be home doing yard work, and cleaning the house and doing all those things responsible adults do on a Saturday, but you know what, the house is VERY clean, the yard looks pretty amazing and I spent five hours with my husband on Saturday, just the two of us, working really hard towards a goal... together.  I think that is pretty responsible. 

So we are three months out from the Ironman...85 days to be exact. Looking at our upcoming training schedule, we are going to be working hard. We started out our Saturday on a beautiful 40 mile bike ride out to the Draper Temple and back home where we quickly changed our shoes from biking to running and headed out for a run.. I realized some things very quickly when I started running: Number one, it was noon on the hottest day of the year..record breaking hot...93 degrees hot. Number two, I didn't drink even close to enough on my ride. It was a hard bike ride, lots of hills and lots of heat and I drank one bottle of Gatorade. It was immediately evident I blew it when I started running. I was so thirsty and my mouth was so dry. We had some water with us but it was too little too late. My muscles started cramping only a few miles into the run. I was able to finish but I learned a lot. Honestly, that is the beauty of training. You make mistakes in training so you don't make them on race day. As far as I am concerned the day was a success...oh and we did have alot of fun doing it. Did I mention we had the pleasure of swimming 60 laps just to complete our day of training? We got to finish out our day celebrating Mom's birthday with her by taking she and Dad out to dinner and having ice cream and cake afterwards. I can honestly say, I am pretty sure i worked hard enough to earn that ice cream and cake so I enjoyed every minute of it!

Happy Birthday Ellie

I can't believe my little Ellie will be one year old tomorrow. It has been a year of changes..something I am not very good at.   Just a year ago this little special girl came into our lives.  What a bundle of joy she is!  It has been so hard for me having her grow up so far away. Every time I get a chance to see her, I feel like she isn't quite sure who I am but I do my best to spoil her from the minute I arrive until the minute I leave.  I love to hold her and give her baths (which she detests) and just make her giggle. She is such a happy little girl.   Oh how I miss them all.  As much as I hate change and would love to keep things just as they are, it has made me realize how blessed I have been to have all of my family so close for so long. It has made me appreciate every little moment I get to share with them, every conversation, every card in the mail, every picture on faceboo... so I guess change can be good.  And in just a few weeks, there will be more changes in my life...wonderful changes.  Michael and Sarah will be graduating with their Master's Degrees and will be moving back to Salt Lake City.  Oh how excited I am to have them back.  I hope I always remember to embrace every moment I get to spend with the people I love because the joy those moments bring will never change. 

First Tri

John and I decided to do the St. George Olympic distance triathlon last weekend. We thought it would be great practice for our Ironman which it was. It was very informative as to what I need to work on so I am better prepared for the big race. I felt great when I finished and really enjoyed the race. I tried not to think about the fact that for the Ironman I will have to swim twice as far, bike 5 times as far and then run 4 times as far....no problem right? I did place 3rd in my age group which was very exciting. I had the fastest bike time in my age group and I wasn't the slowest swimmer so hey, things are looking promising...and my hamstring injury is getting better everyday. Hopefully by August it won't hurt at all. I am so glad we did the race. Practice makes perfect right? I hope so, oh how I hope so!

The Perfect Mother's Day

Since Easter was much too quiet at our house, John decided I needed to go see the kids for Mother's Day so he booked me a ticket and I was off to Portland for the weekend. Portland was unbelievably beautiful...so green and so sunny. What a change from my last few visits when all I saw was ALOT of rain. We had a wonderful weekend. From lunch at Burgerville to picnicking in the park, I enjoyed every moment. The first morning I was there, the kids were up at 5:30 AM asking me to fix them breakfast...and Brynn was calling from the kitchen, "Grandma, I have something for you! When I got downstairs half asleep, she handed me a diet coke. ..pretty sure not even I can drink a diet coke at six in the morning..I honestly had no idea what time it was because I was still on Salt Lake time. Jen nixed the breakfast at six AM so we all went up to my bed and read Books, books and more books. I do need to say that there are some really ridiculous children's books out there. How do these books get published? That is the question of the day. I did get the opportunity to fix breakfast and the requested menu was French toast for three days in a row but on Monday they wanted something different so we made pancakes...big change. On Mother's Day, Stephen skyped from England and he got to talk to everyone. It was so great to see him and we had such a fun time talking to him. I do have to say that sitting there talking to Stephen on Skype surrounded by Jen, Seth, Michael, Sarah and the grandkids was a very happy moment for me; the perfect Mother's Day gift. All of my children and grandchildren talking and laughing together made the day perfect. The best gift I have ever gotten is the gift of being a mother...and I get to be the mother of three amazing kids. I love you Jen, Michael and Stephen. Thank you for a perfect day!

Receiving an envelope filled with love...

I was having a particularly stressful day the other day when John brought in the mail. "This will cheer you up," he said as he dropped an envelope on my desk.  It was addressed to Grandma Becky from Chloe so I couldn't help but smile. I didn't tear into the envelope right away.  I finished up a few emails that I had to get off  so I could open the envelope without any distractions.  I wanted to be able to completely enjoy the moment. As I tore through the envelope, I expected a fun, colorful picture from one of the grandkids or a handwritten note that I had to decipher, but instead the envelope contained four dead dandelions.  It couldn't have made me happier if it was a dozen roses.  I called to thank Chloe but she was taking a nap so I told Jen to make sure Chloe knew I got the "flowers" she sent me and that I really loved them.  The next day I got a call from Chloe and the conversation was priceless. She told me that when she sent the flowers she was sending me all her love.  Then she asked in the sweetest voice if it the flowers she sent me had made me love her more .  I thought to myself, "how could I love Chloe any more?"  I love all my grandkids so much!  And I miss them terribly.  I miss picking Morgan up from school and seeing the excitement on his face because his Grandma is picking him up today. I miss going for bagels after school or meeting for lunch or having Jen and the girls drop by to say hello while they are out running errands.  I miss Sunday dinners and movies in the basement...and I miss sending them home each week with a little bag of treats.  It is hard having them so far away but since I can't change it, I am trying to look at the good things....so here goes...It is nice that when I get to go and visit, I get to be with them in the morning and have them snuggle in bed with me. I get to fix them breakfast and walk them to school. I get to tuck them into bed at night and read them stories and I get to be the guest reader at preschool.  I drink much less Diet Coke because the kids are always sneaking sips and I get to sit and talk to my daughter without a headset or a cell phone or skype.  So until I get them back here, I will have to hold onto the good things and try not to miss them so much and envelopes filled with love will always make me smile.

Taking a Break

John and I decided to take a break from the same ol' routine so we headed to St. George for a 3 day weekend. Of course, our vacations are similar to Boot Camp...but that is our idea of fun! What better way to enjoy the scenery and the sunshine than a 57 mile bike ride with 3500 feet of climbing...in the wind!! Honestly, it was a tough ride but the scenery was amazing. After our ride we decided to go for a swim in the reservoir but by the time we got our wetsuits on, there were white caps rolling across the lake. We still thought we could attempt a swim but it was somewhat hysterical..it was more like body surfing than swimming. To many people, this probably doesn't sound like fun but we were laughing at our feeble attempt at swimming in A lake that made the ocean look calm..

By the way, For anyone who has Had the pleasure of putting on a wetsuit, you will agree that it is not an easy feat...trying to squeeze my body into all that neoprene is exhausting. After that, who has the energy to swim?

One Day at a TIme

Since my last post, I have seen a Sports Medicine Doctor, a couple of physical therapists and have visited Google search on numerous occasions to find out how to get better. I did discover from my visit to the doctor that the sharp pain I was feeling in my leg was a torn hamstring. So, with that diagnosis,  I took a month off from running outside and spent many very LONG moments running in the pool.  Running in the pool is not a very exciting activity.  It makes running on the treadmill seem like a party!!  I did have the opportunity to bond with all the older people that exercise in the pool.  And all the younger people at the pool just kept looking at me like "too bad she doesn't know how to swim.  I am now back running outside and when I am out of breath and my legs are tired, I remind myself how much better it is than running in place in five feet of water.  Oh, and a bit of advice...when you go to a specialist for an injury, it is best not to tell them that you are pretty sure what your problem is because you searched it on Google.  Doctors LOVE patients that diagnose themselves on Google...

I Can't Start Falling Apart....

So after making the committment to Ironman Canada my body deciced to rebel. This past month I started having aches and pains in places I have never had aches and pains before,,,but last week everything got worse. I rode on my bike trainer for an hour and a half and my knees were aching for the rest of the day.... My knees never bother me unless I need new running shoes so this was not a new phenomenom. Two days later, I went out for a run and really felt awesome until mile two when my left hip really started bothering me. It felt like a charlie horse so I was sure I could just "run it out" so off I went down the road until mile 3 when I realized, "this is definately NOT a charlie horse. This is trouble." So here I am, 3 miles from home wondering how I am going to survive the 3 miles back. It was freezing of course, so walking wasn't an option and it hurt just as much to walk so I ran home all the while thinking, "seriously, what now??" In evaluating all of this, I realized that I did take a pretty good fall a while back and I didn't do anything about it. I am sure that is when all the trouble began. Everything was out of whack and I just kept running, biking and swimming without taking care of it. NOTE TO SELF: it is better to address one little pain right when it happens than wait and have to address several big pains. So, I am now in the hunt for the perfect Sports Medicine Doctor that can help get me back on track....and I am swimming way more than I want to be swimming.......

A New Year Begins

2011 was a year of many changes. I went from having the wonderful noise of all the kids and grandkids filling our house every Sunday to a very, very quiet house. My daughter's husband graduated and found a great job in Portland so she and her husband and all my grandkids moved to Portland. My oldest son is up in Spokane getting his MA and my youngest son is in England serving a mission for our church. I have to say I miss all the noise, the fingerprints, the sweet little voices, the hugs, and handing out treat bags to the grandkids as they leave the house. I miss breakfasts with my sons, and lunch with my daughter, and Einsteins with the family. I miss picking up my grandson from school and seeing how excited he was that "Grandma was picking him up"! Even though my work keeps me very busy and to fill the void I could just work all the time, I decided instead that this was the perfect year for me to do a full Ironman triathlon. I am not sure it was a concious decision but when my husband decided he was going to do it, I didn't want him to spend all that time training without me...and what better way to fill all those lonely moments than swimming laps, running miles and riding my bike up the canyons. And so it is official..IRONMAN CANADA 2012 here I come....but I am pretty sure in the midst of my training I will have to make some trips to Portland for the hugs and the noise and the precious moments with my kids that make everything else I do just that much better.