Tile Project Complete

The basement kitchen tiling project is essentially finished... just a bit of accessory tweeking/ shopping needed... and maybe some fabric for the window by the sliding glass door.



Before/After view from partway up the stairs.

Before/After by the bar.

Before/ After view into the kitchen. I think the cholocate colored paint is much warmer than the pale sea green I had in there before.

These two paintings were made for me by my friend Kris King. He's an amazing artist, and the colors/ textures are perfect down here. The one on the left is a man playing guitar, and the one on the right is a dove with an olive branch in his beak. The table was made by my girlfriend Stephany. It's the island of Florianopolis, Brazil, where I did an Ironman last year. It's so beautiful. She even used real pieces of sea-glass in the waves of the ocean. The bike and run courses are dotted out in gemstones.

The reason there is hardly any artwork in my new house is because I want to actually know the people who've created what's on my walls. Most of the stuff from my last house is in the storage room, although there are a couple of pieces that I can't part with which were painted by strangers... so please feel free to contribute! I promise I will put whatever you make me in a great location, where it can (and will certainly) be appreciated!

Deadwood; Still winter?; long run

Deadwood, South Dakota

I am all signed up for the Deadwood Marathon, in the hills around historic Deadwood, pictured above. It's a trail run, and we run up 13.1 and back down 13.1. I hear it's really beautiful. Holly, Chae, Brooke and I are pumped up and ready. I got my plane ticket and reserved a room in the famous Bullock Hotel. It's supposedly haunted - it has even been featured on Unsolved Mysteries! I booked room 313 - one of the spooky ones. But no one will commit to staying in it with me. (Chickens!) So we also have a room in a quaint old hotel about a half block away, which is as close as my girlfriends say they'll get to the Bullock. So here's my question for the day:

Would you stay in a haunted hotel room?

Still Winter? Arghhhhhhh....

OK, so I did get to go on a couple of outdoor rides. They were a little chilly, but that's better than (yet another) indoor spin. But this weekend it was only 38 degrees and raining, and even I have standards... ;-) So Laura, Bob and I rode what was HOPEFULLY our last indoor ride on Saturday. Snow is in the forecast for tomorrow and Wednesday, but hopefully that will be the end of it. Nice helmet, Bob... tee-hee.

Long Run

Sunday it stopped raining long enough for Laura, Mike K and I to get in our long run. I logged 20 miles and felt like a million bucks throughout as well as afterward. Don't you just love when that happens?! Every one of us needs to have that long run or bike where you just feel great and strong. It really charges up your batteries and rekindles your confidence. Mike is a guy on my running club who is the same speed as I, so we have been running together for 3 or 4 years. He doesn't believe in God, (and I do) so we always have these conversations that really make the time go by fast. It was the first time Laura has met Mike... I hope we didn't drive you crazy! (did we??)

I love peer pressure!!!

Holly, one of my "lifer"s (see Momo's post) and running buddy just called to say she wants to do the Deadwood Trail Marathon on June 3rd. It's in the Black Hills of South Dakota, (!) Thirteen-point-one miles uphill and then 13.1 back down.

Resting place of Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane; real cowboys and real Indians. Close to Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse.

I looked at my newly, actually-written-down training calendar, and that weekend is scheduled as my last long training day before IM Zurich.

So I said, okay, sounds fun.

Anyone else feeling weak to peer pressure? It'll be fun! Come on - how often in your ENTIRE LIFE will you go to South Dakota on a whim?

Boston; First outdoor ride

We took the kids to Boston for Spring Break - it was great! Bobby is really into history and it was his choice that we come here for vacation. We saw lots of historic sights and did a lot of walking, Everthing in Boston is close by, but being a city-vacation we did use lots of different kinds of transportation: plane, train, taxi, trolley, ferry, and foot, as Bobby pointed out on the way home.

Below we found Paul Revere's gravesite near Boston Common... perfect place for a family portait. (?)

This is a photo I took in Salem - the architecture is so quaint. We didn't actually meet any witches but the kids thought they saw a ghost at the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Did you know that he changed the spelling of his name? He added the "w" because he was so ashamed of his grandfather (spelled Hathorne) who was one of the judges presiding over the trials that accused (and ultimately put to death) 19 innocent people during the Salem witch trials.

Of course the hotel pool was a hit every night. Here Ally is being a swimming fashionista.

I took this picture below because if I just told you all there was such a place as "Bunghole Liquors" none of you would have believed me:

Below is Bobby by a cannon on the USS Constitution. Amazing that ship is 209 years old and still seaworthy. They still take her out at least once and up to several times a year. Those cannons pull back 4 to 6 feet when they are fired... those sailors really needed to have their sea legs! We saw a few sailors before we boarded for the tour, and we thanked them for serving and the kids wanted to get their picture taken with them. While we were on board, we noticed they too had boarded and were engaged in a ceremony to re-enlist. I am just so grateful for the brave souls who look out for the rest of us. I love America, and being an American, and feel so blessed that only by the grace of God was I simply born here and that was all it took to be entitled to enjoy the freedom we have here, which was and has been ensured by the sacrifice and commitment and conviction of these folks and all who went bravely before them. Made me a little weepy watching them voluntarily re-enlist.

Here is Ally at Paul Revere's house, reading about his historic ride telling of the charge of the British soldiers.

Here we are having dinner in an old Boston restaurant just across the street from Faneuil Hall.

It was a busy and interesting week of history, science, architecture and most importantly: family time.

I did try to train while we were gone, but it just didn't pan out. It only took 3 strokes of the pool before it was time to flip turn, so I lasted all of 5 minutes and gave up. Then I ran on the dreadmill for 3 miles one day. That was it. But I enjoyed the rest time and my life doesn't need to revolve around triathlon. I figured I'd jump back in upon returning. So on Saturday I squeezed in 3 workouts to try and catch up. Today is Sunday, I'm pooped, and I have been drinking water, eating well, and playing with the kids. I am commited to a real, actually planned-and-written down schedule starting tomorrow.

We rode outside on Saturday... finally!! It was about 60 degrees or maybe even warmer. There are eight Zurich IM triathletes in this picture. Taconite Boy is third from the right; Marz_Racer is on the far right; Steve is fourth from right; Cliff is front and center in white jersey; Eric is 5th from left; Terri is 4th from left; I am 3rd from left; Tim is second from left.

Below is an interesting Before-and-After picture: This is why I felt so weak on the 52 mile ride yesterday, well, besides actually BEING weak from not riding as much as I should have been... On the top is my derailleur and chain. It's a little dirty, no? When I pulled that black thing out today it looked like a worm - only it was made of bike grease, salt, and sand -- all held together with hair. Gross!!!!! As we rode along yesterday, I imagine it kept picking up more snow-plow salt and sand from the freshly thawed roads. I kept getting more and more tired and started asking people if I had a flat tire. So it was only HALF my fault that I was slow and getting dropped. Oh, and maybe that I ran 17.1 before the ride. But I toughed it out and was so excited that I didn't quit and go home that I ran another 2 1/2 miles after the ride with Tim and Jesse!

Before; After

Spring Break!; Tile Project; Family Drama

The kids are on a two-week break from school. We leave for Boston on Monday, which should be a lot of fun. Bobby asked to go to Boston because he loves history and wants to see the Freedom Trail, especially Paul Revere's house. He was enthralled by the American Revolution in school this fall and has talked of going out east for months, so I hope it's all he has cracked it up to be in his mind. He does actually have a couple ancestors who were Minutemen. My dad's family (the Morgans) came here in 1710 and several played some pretty interesting roles in Colonial history (founders of Morgantown, WV, and Wilmington, DE as well as the first Episcopal Church here). They also were the very first white settlers west of the Blue Ridge Mountains; Civil War historical figures, the Westward Movement, etc... If I weren't so lazy, Ally and I would be card-carrying members of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). Maybe going there next week will inspire me to get our paperwork filled out for it. Anyway, this week has been a flurry of shopping for clothes (they keep growing!), planning the trip, tying up loose ends around the house... can't wait to be on that plane.

My girlfriend (who created the mosaic for my basement kitchen floor) finished last week, and we installed it for three solid days: laying the underlayment, re-mortering a second layer to house the glass tiles, then grouting. It looks amazing. I have a carpet guy coming out on the 26th to re-align the carpet to the new edge and then it will be officially finished. I'll post a final picture when that is done. I am so proud of us for taking on and actually completing this huge project. Neither of us had ever laid tiles before and I admit there was quite a learning curve, but the gratification of knowing we had the gumption to attempt this is very satisfying!

Way back when we first had to pull up the carpet and lay these sand-colored tiles.

Here is Stephany laying the final tiles along the edge by the door. There are literally thousands of 3/4 inch glass tiles on the floor. About half of them are hand-made art glass that people use in stained glass windows.

Here we are grouting - last step!

The wave pattern goes from the sliding glass doors around the kitchen counter and ends before you start to go down the hall. About 45 linear feet total.

Many of you know I gave up alcohol for Lent. I'm not sure if my uber-soberness has made me more sensitive to (and irritated by) drunkenness, but after last weekend, I could see giving up alcohol for life. We were wakened in the wee hours Monday morning by my husband's ex-wife (the mom of my step-kids) telling us to go retrieve my 33-year-old stepdaughter from jail. She was arrested for beating up her husband, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. It's all so unattractive and unladylike it's just hard to understand. And rather than being embarrassed and ashamed by it, Marnie's just blaming her husband, blaming the alcohol (like it just pours itself down her throat?), blaming the stress of law-school, blaming the stress of working at the Capitol, etc. How about a little personal responsibility? All I can say is "ick". Actually, as the step-mother, I can't even say that.

In the mean time, I am excited to take my family to Boston; I have my plane ticket for Wildflower; I love my Bible-study "small group" that I meet with once a week.... the stuff I am actually sort of in control of is running smoothly.

My step-kids are coming over for dinner on Sunday. As usual I will just bite my tongue, smile politely, BE polite, and know they will go home after a few hours.

Today our friend Momo is at her cousin's funeral. That whole situation has me a little sad, too, so those of you who pray, please pray for Momo to find comfort and understanding on this difficult day.

OK Go - Here It Goes Again

Best Dreadmill Workout

One week later

OK. We've had a chance to forget a little. Now we're mad. That Only-Half-of-the-Birkie we did last weekend bleepin' conquered us. That can't ahppen!!!

So we are going back for next year to do the whole thing. Dang-it-all.

After that, we're going to try this:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=toughguy2007

Whatever happened to...

Has anybody heard from Ridinfences lately? I had her blog on my sidebar as she was doing Wildflower, but it seems her blog has been deactivated... I miss her!

Stuck on an escalator

This is just so funny... on so many levels...

American Birkebeiner Race Report

What a trip. Everything about it was extreme. I have a deep, deep respect for Birkie skiers. Just let me put that out there first.

Laura's post is here... but she's going to be adding to it.

First, the entire race was almost canceled due to lack of snow. We woke up race day anticipating 14-18 inches of Last-Minute-Blizzard and saw 1/8" dusting. So there was really no snow as far we could tell. For a ski race... but we head off to the start anyway.

This was the walk down to the start. Note the conditions.



The start line. Truckloads full of snow had been brought in from Whoknowswhere. We guessed from other businesses' parking lots because it was all sandy and full of gravel. Imagine putting 6 foot long skis on your feet and hiking around the beach. The first 1 or 2 miles were this way.




The race was shortened from 31.7 miles to 15.6 miles. It was supposed to be only 23k, but I am here to tell you we skiied past the 23k marker, then the 24k, before finally we saw signs for 1000 meters, then 500 meters left... Omigosh. It was the longest 5k at the end. Spectators kept saying, "one more k! you can do it!" for the last 5k. If you can imagine being told this after 15.6 miles of constant elevation change. I was ready to start crying. Laura and I hardly spoke the whole race. Periodically we would glance at each other and try to force a smile and word or two of encouragment, but that was all we could. Many of you out in blogland actually know both of us and this is a pretty revealing detail in itself...

So the start is like skiing in sand. We were thinking, "what were we thinking?" until we got into the woods, where the conditions were mostly good. Except for the sheets of ice which was the story for most of the downhills (the thousands of skiers ahead of us had "snowplowed" because it was icy for them, too, as it had rained and frozen a couple days earlier). One man was at the bottom of a hill with the emergency team, shaking and freezing under blankets - rumored to have broken a hip, so we were actually REQUIRED to walk down this one. We prayed for him and for ourselves. It was unsettling.

So the condions overall may have been dangerous, but lets talk about this "constant elevation change". In all fairness, we were told in advance it was hilly. And yes, we were maybe a little cocky when we signed up and kept saying, "oh, come ON - we're Ironmen! How hard can it be?!" But my Garmin recorded it all. And now I want to apologize to all the skiers whom I probably deeply insulted with my "oh come on... comments". I'm sorry! I get it now! It's really, REALLY hard! ;-)

I don't know how to directly load the elevation page from my Garmin, but here are a few of the details.

Total distance: 15.6 miles
Total "climbs": 55
% Grade of easiest climb: 4%
% Grade of steepest climb: 35% (not a typo)
number of climbs above 10% grade: 26
number of climbs above 15% grade:18
number of climbs above 20% grade: 11
number of climbs above 30% grade: 5

yes, there were 34 climbs steeper than a 15% grade. With skis on your feet.

% grade of easiest downhill: -4%
% grade of steepest downhill: -37% (not a typo)
Number of descents we took off our skis and just walked down: 3

One of the few times we did exchange words was to say that we almost never had the chance to "skate" ski, like we had learned. It was: bomb-and-try-to-stay-alive for the down hill, then march-the-herringbone uphill, then bomb downhill... In all honesty, I can't say for certain if I would have been able to finish a full-length Birkie.

This is our finish photo. It took us 2:38:51. Then we got in the car and drove 4 hours home in a blizzard that actually took the lives of seven in Wisconsin. I'm glad to be home, glad to have done (even the shortened version of) the Birkie, and glad to have ski season OVER!!! ;-)

Six words

Hardest. Thing. I. Have. Ever. Done.

But I'm alive to tell about it! ... tomorrow... ;-)

I'm going to bed...

Birkie Update 1:40 pm Friday

OK - we are heading up to Wisconsin tonight whether the race is on or not. The forecast calls for snow now, so we are going. If it's canceled, IronLaura, Jeff, Greg and I are going to ski anyway. Watch for pictures!

Birkie Update 2:14 p.m. Thursday

Jeff is at the Expo right now, getting his race packet and there is a poster that says that due to lack of snow the race will be canceled UNLESS they get sufficient snow tomorrow. The forecast calls for 40% chance of flurries. I don't think that will be enough. If it IS enough though, the start will still be pushed back to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, and the course will be shortened to 23K.

We can't move to the frozen lake like we did for the Mora Vasaloppet because it's been melting for two days and it's just a sheet of ice and puddles.

Guess this is a lesson in "be careful what you wish for"... I didn't REALLY want it canceled...

On a brighter note, we started our swim workout this morning with a timed 100 yard sprint. I did 1:09 with a wall-pushoff! Then at the end of the workout (55 minutes, 2500 yards) we timed another one and I did a 1:10.

Guess triathlon season can kick in if skiing really is over...

Earning money for being a "team" player

Bobby earned 4 dollars at his basketball game Monday night. Bob started paying him for interceptions, rebounds and steals (but not baskets).

There's one ball-hog kid on his team that never passes, just dribbles and shoots, whether or not he has a decent shot, or if there is another teammate wide open. He's a one-man show and it drives Bobby nuts. So to make sure Bobby never becomes "that kid", Bob started paying him for "team" play. So now Bobby's not so frustrated, because he's making money out there, even if he almost never gets to make a basket. I thought that was pretty clever - now the game's fun again.

Tuesday's kitchen spin. Much as I love these spin sessions and the parties that follow, I am so ready to be outside. It was more than 45 degrees out today. I may have to bundle up and ride.

Friday we (Laura, Greg, Jeff and I) leave for the Birkie. I've been hoping it gets canceled for lack of snow, but I heard today that they are trucking snow in. (Of all the snow they got in Colorado and New England; Wisconsin and Minnesota really got skipped over. So the race is still on... Laura and I will be wearing matching outfits, so even though we suck we will look hot. ;-)

First X/C Ski race complete!

I'm learning that all the x/c ski races have legends behind them. Below is an abbreviated explanation [OK, I took huge and probably illegal liberties cutting out parts to make it shorter for you] that I copied from the internet, about the origin of the Mora Vasaloppet. I found it interesting!

The tradition
Every year some 40 000 cross country skiers in Sweden, USA and Japan commemorate the marathon of one Swedish king-to-be. The majority take part in Sweden's Vasaloppet, which is the world's best-known ski race.

The trail is studded with blueberry soup [which was actually quite good - warm and very invigorating] and drink stands and all participants are invited to a hearty dinner after they have reached the goal line and collected their coveted Vasaloppet pins.

The historic background
The very first "Vasalopp" that took place in January 1521. At this time Sweden was occupied by the Danes and the young nobleman Gustav Eriksson Vasa had spoken at the Mora church in an attempt to rally his compatriots to take up arms against Kristian "the Tyrant". He was however not successful and decided to flee on skis to, Norway. The Dalecarlians subsequently had a change of heart and sent two of their fastest skiers, Lars and Engelbrekt, after him.

Eventually Gustav Vasa was able to liberate the country from the Danes with the help of a Dala peasant army and the "nation builder" went on to become King of Sweden 1523-1560. Historians are still unsure whether Gustav Vasa actually fled from Mora to Sälen, because the only source of information, is a propaganda chronicle that glorifies the great liberator's life.

In 1521 it took Lars and Engelbrekt one and a half day to catch up with Gustav Vasa in Sälen close to the Norwegian border.


The Minnesota Vasalopp
"There is a fine small city in Sweden," ventured Israel Israelson from Dalecarlia when a new Minnesota settlement needed a name. The suggestion was taken up and Mora, Sweden got a sister city and namesake in the USA. When the Minnesota residents wanted to strengthen the ties between the two cities, they decided to adopt the Swedish cross country ski race. Just like at the Swedish counterpart, the trails are studded with blueberry soup and drink stands. The home-stretch and finish line are set right in the centre of the city, just as in Sweden. No fewer than 2 000 skiers take part in what has become Minnesota's largest ski race.

Vasaloppet USA offers a 58k, a 35k and a 13k race. The 35k and 58k races split shortly after a mass start [just like the Ironman swim start, only people don't swim over you, there are skis and poles with razor sharp carbon tips flailing about. I'm exaggerating... a little...] north of the little town of Mora. The 58k race gives you the opportunity to ski one of the longest one-day marathon races in the USA. The first North American male and female finishers in the 58k race receive a free trip to Sweden to compete in the following year's Swedish Vasaloppet. [I did not win this trip, just in case you were wondering...]

This is a community event staged by over 700 volunteers, many of them Swedish descendants. It is a free-style race. This means that various skiing techniques including the "skating" style are allowed. [that's what kind of skis we used].

Next week's American Birkebeiner attracts some 8 000 skiers and some 35 000 spectators. The thirteenth century legend behind this race is the story of an invading force threatening to kidnap Norway's infant prince. Two Viking warriors (called Birkebeiner for their birch bark leggings) skied the baby, who was later to become King Haakon Haakonson, to safety. It is this fifty-five kilometer trail that forms the race.



The mass start line.



Jeff, Laura and me at the finish line. Our time was 2:06 and we did the 30K (it was shortened due to lack of snow). The winner was back in 1:15. Wasn't sure I was actually gonna mention that, but... ;-)


After we ate at the all-skiers "feed", we stopped by a store called The Crazy Ladies House... where insanity meets dignity. There were life-size stuffed ladies all over the place.


Jeff ponders what this lady is doing to this tree.


These poor ladies were hanging in this tree...


And this lady was riding her bike in the snow, so Laura and I joined her but we never found out where she was going.

Jeff ---- don't do it. The sign says, " Lucky winners will get their name in the newspaper for all their friends and family to see. Won't Mama be so proud?"

So my race recap is just that we had a great time, and we didn't even fall down once. It was a completely flat course, so we averaged 7:30's per mile. Faster than we ever run, so that's good to know.

Next weekend is the American Birkebeiner - the grandaddy of x/c ski races. It's really, really hilly and is 31.7 miles, so it's almost twice as long as the Mora. I feel like I'm ready. I wasn't sore even a little after the Mora, so I've got the mental confidence to get myself to the start line.

If I get some better pictures, I'll post them. Otherwise, as Boomer says, "stay tuned"....

SuperBowl at the Gunther's

Before the game the Gunther's hosted a spin session on the veranda. It was about 10 below zero, but Coach Troy had the Gear West Tri Club "Sweatin' to Spinervals". That's IronLaura, Dia, Marz Racer, and Steve below.


Lake Minnewashta is in the background, where a few minutes later two wild coyotes ran across. (Durn varmints!) Here are IronLaura and Helen toasting their martinis-in-styrofoam.


Eric, TaconiteBoy, and Greg watching the game:


After the game (so who won, anyway?) We ran out back, swam in the snow a bit, then hustled over to the hot tub. Seems everything gets turned into a triathlon... Below are Jeff, me and IronLaura. It seriously was 10 below and that is steam coming off our bodies.


Below is our Cheerleader Tryouts picture: Helen, me, IronLaura, Steve, Jeff and Greg.


Below Steve is verifying the temperature. That's our own Koach Kris' picture on the wall. He couldn't be here with us, so in true Minne-sow-tah fashion, we put him on a stick... He was at a coaching clinic in Green Bay.


Many of you know TriJack is coming to Zurich with us.... Buddy, did you know what you were getting into? Will you last a week with these people????

Couple of pillows...

This one's Ally's for her room...

Below is Brian's pillow for himself and his girlfriend.

And Lisa's requested one with the t-shirt from her first-ever triathlon.

You already saw Momo's pink one:

Triboomer got this one:

IronNick got this one:

There will be more completed tomorrow - thanks so much to all of you for supporting this cause...

Pillow-sewing for LLS

Thank you everybody for your great response to the pillows. I have made several and have orders for about 10 more. At this point I have to draw the line and cannot add anymore. I have used up the material I bought, and will go get more so that I can finish the remainder. I'll get cracking at them since many of you want to give them as Valentine's Day gifts.
Again, thank you so much for your generosity! I'll post pictures of them as I make them...

Jenny

Ironman Pillows

Here is Momo's pillow - I love this one! It's white corrugated chenile, dark pink calico cotton, and light pink fake fur. The back is the dark pink. I can't see too many of the guys wanting the little balls around the edges, but heck - as Momo says... "Pink is an Attitude". Momo - send me your address and I'll mail it to you tomorrow. And again - thank you so much for your donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. mmmwwaaaaahh!!!

Hi everybody - OK, I made two pillows so far. They are 20" x 20" and 95% feather/ 5% down. The top one has white corduroy on the front, and muted plaid flannel on the back. The lower one has the same grey flannel on the front, and is all white corduroy on the back. The trim is black cotton "roping".

I decided not to charge a fee for them, but rather just ask that you make a donation to my girlfriend Micki's Team-in-Training site:

http://www.active.com/donate/tntgsf/tntgsfMShelp

Every now and then I blog about my ski coach who is battling follicular lymphoma, a form of non-Hodgkins. John is Micki's husband. Please take a look at her site even if you don't want a pillow. The money goes to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which funnels money into research for a cure as well as patient aid.

But if you DO want a pillow, just let me know after you donated and I will send one out to you. Please specify foam or feathers. If you have any particular colors, details you'd like me to customize yours with, let me know! I have access to zillions of fabrics at the outlet here in town... or if you want to send me your own fabric, I can do that, too. The postage and materials (pillow, trim, fabric, thread & needles - I don't know why but they break a lot) are somewhere around $25, so if you can donate at least that much, it'd be great.

;-)

Tagged with a "New" Tag ---

TJ and Momo both tagged me - so here are my responses.

1. Describe a memory from your first triathlon ever.

It was the Manitou Sprint Tri in 2003. I did it on a city-bike with big knobby moutain-bike tires. I remember counting how many people flew by me on the bike and thinking, "good thing I can swim"....

2. Describe a memory from your most recent triathlon.

It was Ironman Florida, just a couple months ago. At body marking I asked the volunteer to write "for Coach John" on my leg. (John is my friend and ski coach - he was diagnosed with stage 3.5 [out of 4] non-Hodgkins lymphoma in May.) I just started bawling as the guy was writing John's name on my leg. TriBoomer, whom I had just met the day before, was there and I told him about my friend and why I wanted to honor him with this race, and so he wrote John's name on a piece of paper and carried it all 140.6 miles. TriBoomer is top drawer. John had told me before I left that if I didn't take a bunch of pictures on the bike and run courses that I could break 12 hours. So I left my camera in my gear bag, prayed for John and hung out with God pretty much all day, and finished in 11:48, which is now my PR.

3. What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a tri?

In my second tri (Lifetime Fitness Olympic Tri, 2003) , I wasn't familiar with the bike rules and was riding "with" some guy almost the whole course. Kind of leap-frogging. As the bike leg was ending, I called out, "thanks! it was fun riding with you"... and he yelled back that I was an idiot and he was turning in my number for a variety of violations (which I now realize I did commit). I ended up being assessed a 2 minute penalty and took 4th place in my age group (would have been 2nd). Now I am a true stickler for the bike rules!

4. What's the most thrilling thing that's happened to you in a tri?

Winning the Athena division at IM Florida in November. Totally unexpected. I had forgotten I even registered Athena. But at 5'9" and 155 I must have figured I may as well since I do qualify by at least 5 pounds... I got a plaque and a nice bag of schwag, and got to get up on stage and hold my plaque over my head with all the other division winners while we got our pictures taken.

5. What is something you discovered about yourself by doing triathlons?

That everybody is here for their own reasons. All the reasons are good ones. And even if nobody understands mine, that's OK.

6. What is The Big Goal that you're working towards?

Living in a way that I think will let God know that I am grateful for all of this.


Check out the latest post from Julia in Italy - and read the article she wrote... awesome! and what an adventure in Italy.
http://fiveinfive.blogspot.com/

Winter Carnival Half marathon and More pillows

Tomorrow morning is the St. Paul Winter Carnival Half Marathon. I will be there with my running buddies. I will toss a snowball or two in honor of all of my TriBlogger friends, and I will (of course) take lots of pictures on the course... ;-)

Today I intended to paint the media room in the basement, but instead I made three more pillows for auction at our school's Spring Gala (annual fundraiser)... they are themed after the school sports teams .... check them out! Only about 10 more to go...