The Family Table

It had been a long day.  The kids were crazy.  The excitement of the holidays is was getting to be too much.  My husband was trying to help me in the kitchen and it wasn't working.  I might have even snapped at him a little!  Sorry honey!  We sat down to a simple meal of "scramblewitches" with sauteed bell peppers, tomatoes, avocado and sweet potato fries.  It wasn't anything special, but as we sat down, I realized how special it all was.  All of the stresses of the day seemed to melt away.  The girls entertained us with their mealtime antics and a wave of peace came over me.  I became grateful to have this table and most importantly, the special people I share it with.  Even when ten minutes in, like clockwork, Marley announced her need to visit the bathroom.  

My mom and stepdad blessed us with this table when we got married.  It has already been through a lot.  The chairs are slightly crusted from the kids food.  There are scratch marks and burn marks.  Sometimes I feel bad we haven't taken care of it, but I know my Mom and John are happy we use it the way we do.

When I studied nutrition in college, the numbers and percentages didn't sick with me (that can be looked up in a book).  What stuck with me were the emotional aspects of food, one of those being how important it is to share a meal with people you love.  We embrace this in many ways in our lives.  I personally have many memories of great food celebrations with friends, family and co-workers.

I appreciate my husband shares the value of a family meal with me.  I look forward to many more meals with my wonderful little family!

Grateful

A year ago, I wasn't dreaming of becoming a USA Triathlon coach.  A year ago, I was knocking on doors, waiting to find which would open to a new career path.  Oh, how grateful I am this door opened. (Since it's Thanksgiving I'm probably going to use the word grateful a lot!)  

Today, I am filled with joy because not only has the door opened to a new career, it has also opened my life to spend more time with my children.  I can't describe what a huge gift this is.  I could ask for no more.  I am extremely grateful to my husband, Eric who has pushed me to make this decision.  Eric not only works more now to give us financial stability, he has worked to create a gym in our home.  This gym will allow me to work from home and spend more time with our girls.  I would understand if he thought this was just too much to do, but he has done the opposite.  The garage was his final "man space" in our home.  He has given this to me and is in the process of completely remodeling it.  It even includes an orange wall!!!

I think when you make a life change, this is where you find out who your true friends are.  I am so lucky to have many.  My friends have supported and encouraged me.  They have helped me through the days when I start hearing negative messages saying, "no I can't".  When I thought for a moment I wasn't doing the 70.3 last year, I was quickly reminded of what I was doing this for.  This wasn't for me,  it was for the kids I'm hoping to coach one day.  They would be watching!

What would I do without my family?  I'm sure there is some universal rule saying you shouldn't coach our parents.  I'm breaking this twice.  I coach both my Mom and Dad.  They are amazing and they work SO hard!  Mom has endured some "almost puke" workouts lately and she keeps coming back for more.  Coaching Mom through her first triathlon made me realize I could be a coach.  Dad is working on his golf game and overall health.  After a year of prostate cancer treatment, I feel so fortunate to meet with him a couple times a month.  He works out and most importantly, we spend time together.

Finally, my girls.  Every day I look at them and still can't believe I am a mom.  I never dreamed my life would be what it is today.  I am so grateful for their health and amazing little personalities.  They make me grow and learn every day.  They seem to know when I'm having a rough day and say, "I love you Mommy".  I love that their lives are now immersed in fitness.  Not a fitness forced upon them but a fitness they see in their role models.  I love to see them play in my gym, trying to lift weights and play, "triathlon".  I don't expect them to be triathletes, but I want to give them the tools to have long and healthy lives.

I have spent much of my past year in prayer, asking God to give me new direction.  Apparently, I'm not so good at receiving his messages because he has made this career change one of the loudest messages in my life.  I have tried so hard to see how being a triathlon coach could be a profession God would want me to do.  I always understood the meaning in police work.  Then I realized, exercise gives confidence and health.  Triathlon helps people realize "I CAN".  And so I remember this for myself to repeat on the days I am struggling, "I can do all things through him who gives me strength" Philippians 4:13

NYC Marathon

They New York City Marathon starts in just a few minutes.  I have amazing memories of the race I ran in New York six years ago.  Where do I begin?  First of all, it was wonderful to have friends and family there to support me.  My Dad and Deborah flew out with me and one of my best girls, Tara came from Boston.  We had fun touring the city, visiting the Twin Towers memorial, NYPD museum and touring in the double-decker red bus.  I think my favorite and of course the most emotional was the Twin Towers.  They still had a small area commemorating the fallen Police Officers and Firefighters.  I don't show my badge often but this was worth it.  The security guard let us in to get a closer look.  I hope we don't ever forget these amazing people who risked their lives to save others.

After some delicious pasta meals, it was time to race.  I will tell you now this race wasn't about the time.  I actually had an awful race.  This race was about the people.  Somehow, I met up with a Firefighter from Colorado and a Prosecutor from, I don't remember where.  We chatted a few times along the way.  About half-way through, we lost the Prosecutor and started running the race together.  I don't remember what we talked about, I don't remember the boroughs we visited.  I do remember keeping each other going.  As we got to the upper teens, we both began struggling and talking ceased.  There were miles he pulled me along and miles I pulled him.  When we got the the 20s it became a, "put one food in front of the other" kind of race.  I kept thinking, just stay with this guy.  Finally, we saw Central Park and I think I saw Tara getting yelled at somewhere along the way!  The finish line was right there.  We crossed it and gave each other a huge hug, agreeing we couldn't have made it without the other person.

I have no idea what the name of the runner was.  It doesn't really matter.  What mattered was on this day we found one of the great things about racing.  Sometimes you have a bad race, but you have traveled all the way to New York.  You are going to finish!  You meet a great person along the way and become best running buddies, even if only for a few hours!

Good luck to everyone running in New York today!

Pumpkins in the rain

The Transition Area

Ahh...the transition area. That wonderful space during a triathlon where you quickly as possible switch from one sport to the next. Prior to starting the race, you have painstakingly laid out all of your clothes, food, water, number, etc. in order to make it a seamless portion of your race. In actuality, it's the place where you are completely jolting your body from one event to the next. Swim to bike or bike to run. Some of us are fast in transition and others will never live down their first transitions!! (sorry mom, I couldn't resist) Bottom line, we try to blast through faster than an Indy car in the pit stop of the 500. Truly we should treat transition as important as any other part of the race.

That all being said sounds nice until I find myself in the middle of a transition of sorts in life. It's a good transition.. no.. a great transition to be going through. I have been waiting for this time for the past year and a half. Dreaming of the day when certain stress and anxiety would leave my life. But I didn't really lay out my transition area ahead of time. I just kind of showed up and found myself here, in the transition area.

May 2008, I was on vacation with my husband and good friends, the Witherows. Eric and I were so excited to be in Mexico for a week of sunshine and sleep. While there, I started to realize, I needed to do something else for work. I wasn't happy as a police officer. But I had no idea what I was going to do. Being the not-so-patient person I am, I of course wanted to figure it out right then and there. But life doesn't work that way and I was going to have to wait. That summer, I started in a Masters program for counseling. The first class in, I knew this was the wrong direction. So, I quit. No shame there. I went through some major emotional moments the following fall working cases that were painfully sad for me. I was again reminded, I needed to find a new direction. I couldn't image spending 18 more years wondering when I was going to that profoundly saddened again. Eric suggested I look back into becoming a teacher. He knew how much I loved teaching DARE at the elementary schools. I thought about it once before. This time, it just seemed to fit for me. It took some research and decision making to determine where and when I wanted to go. It seemed it would be FOREVER before I actually was going to start.

I began to sleep on a regular basis again when I told my chief I was quitting. The 50lb weights I was carrying on my shoulders rolled right off. I'm entering the transition area, looking for my space on the bike rack.

Paralleling my decision to go back to school was my dream of starting a youth girls triathlon team. USAT coaching clinics fill up in a matter of minutes. I had searched for a clinic in Santa Monica and one day learned they opened an additional class on the dates I was hoping to attend. I signed up and somehow(God) was able to get into the class. Just prior to my last weeks of full-time work at the police department, I attended the USAT level 1 coaching clinic. Wow!!! I was completely blown away by the instructors. I have always loved the Olympics and secretly wished my parents had started me in gymnastics when I was two years old. Our instructors were the coaches of Olympic and world class elite triathletes. I was overcome by the amount of information and tried to absorb every last drop. I have found my space in the transition area!

This past week, I came to the space in transition where you take just a moment to regroup. I didn't chooses this space. The H1N1 strain of the flu did that for me. My whole family has been blown over by this flu, requiring me to be pretty much at home for two weeks. The sliver lining is, I have been given more than just a moment to take a breath and relish in the moment of the race I am now in. I have had time to complete my USAT test and just mailed if off today. I have spent some great days with my girls. Days where we just sat and read and spent time. This is the point in transition where I fuel up. Yes, I have eaten my fair share this past week, I have also fueled up on good family time.

And now, I'm getting my running gear on. I've started school, which I love. I completely feel I am in the right place. I'm ready to train and coach and can't wait to help people become their best. Most importantly I feel I am running a race that is now the best for my family. No more will I have to run out on our plans or tell the girls I will be gone all night.

It's good to slow down sometimes, in transition. Even for just a moment. Whether in life or in a race. Relish the moment and how hard you have worked and fuel up for race ahead!

Lake Stevens 70.3

I know my sister-in-law, Karie has been expecting I write this much sooner.  Sorry, it's taken a week to process the Lake Stevens 70.3 Ironman!

Years ago, I told myself I was going to do an Ironman before I turned 40.  It happened to be and still is, the craziest endurance event I can find.  So, of course I want to finish one.  I have learned to be VERY careful about what I dream of doing.  Usually it happens. 

When I woke up on August 16th, I thought of a great video a friend sent to me at work on a particularly difficult day.  A day I didn't think I could handle.  It helped me remember who helps me through all of my days, especially the tough ones.  I had a good cry and remembered the message.  I prayed, God would help me through this day too, and he did....

Last Sunday morning at about 5:00, Eric drove me to the start of my first half-ironman.  As my body shook from sheer nervous energy, I told him I could still recall the moment I decided to do this.  At that point I was wondering what I had been thinking.  To help me, Eric drove part of the run course, which I hadn't really bothered to check out.  Finally, I had to stop procrastinating and get to the transition area.  I got my body marking taken care of and entered transition, which I would do a few more times that day.  I arranged my stuff about six times before I could assure myself it was right.  As I always do, I met the first of the great people I was to meet that day.  We had a nice little chat about how worried our moms were about this event.  My next step was to pick up my timing chip and make the first of many trip to the porta-poti.  I returned to my bike and checked my stuff just one more time.  That was it, I couldn't change anything...I was as ready as I could possibly be!

Now, time to find the family.  I met up with Eric, the girls, Mom and John.  Now it was time for Mom to make the first of her many trips to the porta-potti.  Like I said, she was nervous!  We started to walk toward the starting area of the park.  It was now time.  My friend, Pam sang the National Anthem and she was amazing.  I decided I should find my wave and went off to find the other ladies wearing yellow caps.  We began to saunter towards the dock as waves began taking off.  As I walked onto the dock, I saw Kyle and Heather, two friends from church.  What a blessing!  To get a big huge hug right before you get in the water.  I made it to the final dock and the announcer started telling us to get in the water, we were going in seconds.  Another blessing...I only had time to jump in the water before the start.  The water was surprisingly warm as I began my swim.  I was thrilled to find I wasn't sucking air or panicking.  I found the "white cable" some of the ladies told me about before the race and just kept repeating, steady relaxed strokes.  Before I knew it, I was to the first buoy.  1/4 mile down and again before I knew it 1/2 mile down.  I actually began to really relax and was able to focus on my stroke.  I rounded the end and finished the last 1/2 mile.  I was elated at this point.  My day could have ended there and I would have been happy.  But it didn't...

Transition was pretty smooth, other than knocking my neighbors helmet, food and asthma medication off her bike (I put it back).  I took off on my bike and surprised myself again to see I was clipping along at a pretty good pace.  The first hills were fairly easy and before I knew it there were Darlene and Bri!  How great...to see your friends while your completing an Ironman. I did miss Bri's great signs. "Train like a racehorse", "Sting like a bee" and "Go bikers!"  I did see the last sign telling me I "rock" shortly after seeing Jim at the next intersection.  Then right after that I saw Eric, the girls, Mom and John.  Wow!  The first loop flew by.  I couldn't believe how many places I saw my friends and family.  Eric was amazing, he was able to get to so many spots on the course.  I really think I have the best husband!!!  The second loop was a little more of a challenge.  But I pulled through and even kept an average speed which was faster than what I predicted.

Finally, I was at the run.  I kept telling myself, the hard work is done.  I've run for so many years, it's second nature and there wasn't anything to fall off of!  My legs felt great for the first half but were ready to be done about an hour before they needed to be.  I formulated a plan to run to each water station, and walk through the water station, while I cooled down, ate and drank.  This seemed to work.   My body was on fire, but I was done!  As I rounded the corner toward the finish, I saw my friend Julie who gave me a huge high five.  I crossed the finish line, completing the Lake Stevens 70.3 in 6:43:50.  The first of many and one more step closer to my Ironman goal.

I have more memories than I can write from that day.  I loved how my girls told me they wanted to eat as soon as I was done.  I love being their mom!  I loved that my Mom and stepdad could be there with us.  They have been dedicated supporters for a long time.  I loved that my husband found me so many times on the course and has supported me in everything I have done since the day we met.  I loved seeing the Gibsons who have totally supported and encouraged me.  I can't wait to train Bri!!!  

I met my goals; to finish and have a great time!

It's almost time....

I just looked at the ticker on my blog, "3 days, 17 minutes" until the Lake Stevens Ironman.  I didn't imagine how I would feel when I saw such a small number on the countdown ticker. Surprisingly, I have been sleeping well the past few night and I feel great.  In fact I have been sleeping better than ever.  Maybe it's the week of summer rain that has decided to show up.  

I can't wait to get out on the course and see what it's like to complete a half-ironman.  I have in my mind two goals; finish and have a great time.  I'm confident both of those will happen. I'm looking forward to seeing my good friends out on the course.  You know your friends are great when they tell you they are getting cardboard to make signs for you.  I've found out some of my police friends are going to be out there as well.  I'm most excited to see Eric, Payton, Marley, Mom and John.  I'm sure Marley will be driving everyone crazy as she already says, "go biker" every time she sees a cyclist.  Will she do this 1500 times on Sunday...oh, I hope!

It's been a great journey training for this event.  I have some amazing training  days and some really tough training days.  I have taken a lot of time from my family.  My hope is this time away is an example to my kids of how important it is to stay healthy.  My husband's support is unwavering.  He's endured many of my early mornings to which I find breakfast ready for me when I return.  I am also very appreciative of my mom, sis-in-law Karie and friends; Darlene, Andrea and Tracy who have encouraged me along the way.  Thanks ladies!!!

I know Sunday is going to be a great day.  I'm determined to enjoy the whole process, coming away with experience I can pass along to other future triathletes.

Fear

I just spent the past week in Eniat and Winthrop with my wonderful little family. We first visited our friends, the Gibsons at their property. They generously shared their holiday with us, which included a 4th of July parade, swimming, bouncy house, water slide, picnic and fireworks. The kids had a great time with Bri (their new nanny). I'm all about having my kids look up to a superstar runner and most importantly a great person. After filling our bellies with ice cream, doughnuts, and slushies for two days, we traveled with Winthrop. We camped at Pearrygin Lake which is now my favorite place to camp. The campground was right on the lake and included a boat launch and swimming area. Views of the outlying hills were perfect and we had a family of deer which we visited every day. The girls became expert "deer-spotters". They pretty much blew our ear drums with each sighting.

I was also happy to get in some training time while camping. It helped that our new puppy was up at 6am each day, ready to greet the world. I swam with Bri at the pool in Sun Cove. I forgot how much fun it is to swim in the sun in an outdoor pool. Bri did great and taught me a new stroke which is going to take me some time to master.

In Winthrop, I found some wonderful training grounds. Although beautiful, these grounds taught me a lot about conquering fear. I used to take off into the woods and run by myself. One day, while running at Snoqualmie pass, I felt the hairs on my neck standing up. I was sure someone or something was watching or following me. I did an immediate 180 and returned to my car. I don't think I have run on trails alone since that day. I was pretty excited to see the roads in Winthrop looked great for biking and the swim area was long enough to get in some good open water swim training.

My problems began when I set out to run the first morning. As I ascended the hill out of the park fear crept into my brain. I started to worry about predatory animals just waiting for a nice "jogger snack". So, I gave in and returned to the park and completed my run in the relative safety of the park. I really had to laugh at myself later in the morning as we set out for town in our truck. There on the road were runners and cyclists. None appeared to have bite marks!

We ventured down to the swimming area later in the day. Eric swam for a few minutes and then I got in. The water was comfortable and clean. As soon as I began my crawl stroke, those fears and worries about swimming in open water began to creep into my mind. Did they have to make so many Jaws movies??? Now, I know Jaws doesn't exist in Pearrygin lake but the fact that I couldn't see too far in front of my face was unsettling. I got out after a few laps and told myself I would return each day of our trip until I conquered this fear.

The second day, I went for an afternoon bike ride. I now felt ready for these unknown roads. I had an amazing ride through the Winthrop valley toward Twisp. There are tons of little horse farms, any of which I could have immediately moved into. Later that day, I swam again and made it farther in the green waters.

On our third day, I made the waters of Pearrygin lake my friend. After reading about how much energy stress takes from our bodies, I decided I was going to calm down and get to swimming. As I began to swim, I could feel my fears begin to set in. With each breath, I pushed them out and felt my shoulders and back relax. My body straightened out and I began to swim the stroke I comfortably swim at the pool. I actually started to enjoy the waters, even the green murkiness I was swimming through!

Finally, on our last morning (my 35th birthday), I went out for a run, as I love to do on my birthday. I ran from the west park through a trail to the east park. The morning was crisp, skies were blue and the scenery was amazing. I ventured out to the road and worked my way towards Winthrop. I passed a couple out for a walk and noted they did not have any animal bite marks! I then turned around and completed the hill back into our campground. I had to laugh at myself when something in the grass next to the road moved. I jumped and so did that deer!!! I finished my run and was greeted by my girls. We shared some giant cinnamon rolls. I celebrated a perfect way to spend my birthday!

On an ending note....I met my mom for a swim this morning at the local pool. As I started in the water, I was struck by the taste and smell of chlorine! I would have been great to be back in the lake again.

Rock N Roll Seattle

Yesterday, I began the Seattle Rock N Roll half marathon with over thirty thousand other people. It was an entertaining two hours of people watching, filled with memorable moments. They began with the two ladies waiting in line for the porta potties, wearing shorts, t-shirts and plastic garbage bags over the top.  It was a bright sunny day and I'm still hoping they took those off before they started running.  Next came my favorite person.  The Police Officer at mile one who said, "You guys are doing great...the finish line is just around the corner."  The true to form cynicism of a Police Officer!  This kept me laughing for the next mile! There were great costumes too.  I just keep wondering how comfortable they can be about an hour into the race. Especially the sequins, lays and wigs!!  Mostly this race was filled with great enthusiasm and I always love seeing so many people in one place doing something healthy.  I'm hoping everyone is feeling good today.

For myself...it was a fun race.  I'm a bit of a loaner when it comes to racing.  I know tons of my friends were out there running but I didn't manage to see anyone.  Fortunately there was an enormous amount of traffic, so I didn't make it to the start on time.  I started with the thirteenth wave, rather than the third wave.  This probably came as an advantage, slowing me down and helping me stick to my target pace.  It took awhile to weave though the crowd and I finally found my stride.  I was completely happy I signed up for the half marathon at mile eleven, when I was ready to be DONE!  I rounded the corner to the finish and heard Eric and Karie yelling at me.  Yeah, they found me!  I crossed the finish in 1:53:25.  Not too bad for a season of triathlon training, not really paying attention to my running pace.  I finished just in time to see the male winner of the MARATHON!  Amazing!

I'm usually not to worried about what I wear, or even if it matches.  Last weekend, I went with Darlene to see some clothes by Oiselle.  Darlene has told me how amazing these running clothes are, so I finally decided to give them a try.  Oiselle's clothes are designed for women runners.... and they are COMFORTABLE.  I tried a pair of orange (of course) shorts and actually ran in one of their cotton t-shirts.  I'm now sold on Oiselle's clothes.  I recommend them to all women runners.  They are completely comfortable and light.  I even was great on a warm day in a cotton tee.  (Thanks Darlene!)  http://www.oisellerunning.com

The best part of the race came at the end (of course) when I met up with my cheering squad; Eric, Payton, Marley, Payton and Bella.  Payton tackled me on the ground!  A greeting like this, makes Rock N Roll Seattle my best marathon race!  Next report.....Lake Stevens Half TRIATHLON!!!

Moses Lake 09

After a night of zero sleep, I wasn't feeling too ready for this race.  I finally had to admit to myself, I was scared to swim a mile in open water.  But I signed up, so I was getting in.  When I saw my Mom, just before the start, I almost started crying!  Fortunately I met an amazing woman while warming up.  We had some good laughs which helped to ease the nerves.  This is one of my reasons for loving triathlons.  There is always some hilarious person at the start to help ease the nerves and remind me...this is fun!!!!

When the race started, I began my usual stroke and found myself...out of air!!  I had a fleeting thought of just bagging the whole thing and then I remembered how stubborn I am and that I had no plans of quitting.  So I decided to revert to plan B and change strokes until I could calm down and catch my air.  After the first quarter mile, I was able to get into a rhythm and started the crawl again.  Before I knew it, the swim was over and I was in the transition area.  I remember Eric saying, "can't you smile".  I though, oh you just wait honey!  

I was off on my bike.  I knew Papa G clicked of photo of me with a mouthful of food in my mouth.  I later learned he thought this was quite funny.  I actually love this part about cycling, how easy it is to eat and ride!!!  The bike went really well.  I enjoying the fact that I did lots simulated hill training this winter and loved the giant hill even more on the way down.  I was going faster than I planned and didn't push it too much, ending up completing my bike portion in about 1:15.

I began my run, feeling pretty good.  I actually thought I was running faster than I was, kind of like the way kids think they are jumping high in the air, only getting about 1/4" off the ground.  I ended up averaging about a ten minute mile but was happy to feel strong the whole time and pass a few people in the process.  I ended up across the finish line in 2:44:19, 8th in my age group (out of 11).  

The best part of my day came next when Eric and my Mom finished their races.  This was Eric's first triathlon and I was hoping he was out enjoying his experience.  Since his race started a couple hours after mine, I was able to see his final transition and finish.  I was delighted to see how strong he looked, coming in off his bike.  He set off on his run and returned in about 30 minutes.  This was fabulous as he recently worked up to running three consecutive miles in the past few weeks.  It was adorable to see him cross the finish line with Payton who I'm sure thought she just finished a race herself!!  Eric's goal was to finish the race in under two hours.  His official time was 1:28:18.  Very well done!!  My mom had a great race too.  She improved her transitions and finished a half hour faster than last years race.  Way to go mom!  You continually amaze me.  Her finish photo made it to the front of the photo display.  It's pretty darn cute when you are accompanied across the finish by two four-year olds and a two-year old.

We had an amazing weekend in Moses Lake.  Even though our spare caught on fire on the truck on the way over and the awning to the trailer broke!  Budu racing put on another fabulous event.  We met some new friends who we hope to see at future races and had a great weekend of health!  

And don't worry, I already have another race picked out for Eric.  I mean, Eric is excited to enter another race!!

Race eve!

My kids are crazy tonight.  We just watched Marley mush her first smore into her mouth.  It's really one of my favorite firsts.  I took a thousand photos.  I have the same photos of Payton.  Gooey marshmallows everywhere.  Chocolate and graham cracker massaged around her mouth.  She is probably stuck to her pillow as she now sleeps.   Precise Payton  has the eating of a smore down to a science and pretty much can eat the whole thing without making a mess.  This is my perfect way to spend an evening.  And perfect way to relax the night before my first race in a couple of years.  I still don't know why I didn't race last season.  I guess I just wasn't in the mood.  So to make up for it, I'm starting off this season with my first Olympic distance race.  It didn't seem to daunting until I finally realized, today I think, that I am going to swim a mile, A MILE, tomorrow morning.  Thank goodness I bought that wetsuit so I can be slightly buoyant!  

Jokes aside, this is going to be a fun day.  There is a lot of family here, spending time together.  Today, we took the kids to the pool for a few hours.  Payton is getting better at trusting the water.  Marley is hanging on to her floaty and jumping off the steps.  She really wants nothing to do with us holding her.  Payton so badly wanted to go down the "kids" water slide and is close to finding her courage to do so!  Maybe tomorrow Payte!  She did sit in the slide for just a moment today, which was a big deal.  

I'm really excited for my husband, Eric to experience his first sprint triathlon tomorrow.  It's interesting trying to manage how we will juggle the kids and the two of us in the race.  Thanks Aunties, Uncles, Grandmas and Papas!  I'm really proud of Eric for all of his hard work.  It's a lot for one person to train in a family.  It's been even more work finding the extra time for both of us to train.  We do our best to keep the workout time away from the kids time, which means lots of training when we should be sleeping.  Sometimes, I think it good for the kids to see us training too, it's a great example of goal achievement and fitness.  I'd rather them see us working out then loafin' in front of the TV.

I'm excited for a great day tomorrow in Moses Lake.  I love you Eric...enjoy the swim, ride and run!!!

Mom

I have the most supportive mom in the world!!!  That is how all kids should feel and it is how I truly feel.  This comes in every aspect of my life, and has always been there.  Yes, even in those wonderful years when I'm quite sure she wanted to strangle me.  I specifically recall struggling though an eating disorder.  Other people in my life wanted to take "action" from the "professionals".  My mom told me she had complete confidence in me, she knew I would be ok and she supported me.  Now, I know had I not improved from there, she would have taken drastic measures.  She isn't stupid.  But she knew and said exactly what I needed to hear.  Those words helped me to have the courage within myself to turn the corner.  

Part of turning the corner included finding some healthy ways to view myself and live my life.   This included my continued love of running which eventually turned into triathlon training. During my marathon training, Mom and John where my support team.  The spent endless Saturday mornings driving around Lake Sammamish, giving me water and gu.  I'm sure mom was making sure I didn't get run over or abducted as well.  I specifically remember a race mom came to down in Olympia.  She took her entire day to truck me down to Myllersylvinia State park and wait for me to complete my thirteen mile run.  I can imagine watching marathon running has got to be the most boring thing in the world.  You wait and wait and wait for them to return.  At least in triathlons you get to watch people transition.  I won that race, the only win I've ever had.  I remember winning, because it felt great.  Most importantly, I remember her being there.

I called my mom on Friday and asked if I could come to her house on Saturday morning, drop of the girls and go for a long run.  Of course I could!  They were going to work on their yard so the kids to help.  Well, I don't think they got much of their yard worked on!  But the girls had a great time.  Mom accompanied us to the Mountlake Terrace pool where we took the girls swimming.  I love that she comes to the pool with us and I love watching her swim with her granddaughters.  It is truly a thing of beauty.  I am so grateful that she works so hard to keep herself healthy so I can watch these moments.

Mom, you are the best.  You are the mom I hope to be for Payton and Marley!

Signed Up

I'm officially signed up for the Ironman 70.3.  It's probably best that I signed up yesterday while still on a high from my long workout than today.  Because today I am TIRED!!!  I might have missed signing up if Karie hadn't let me know there were only 45 slots left.  Thanks Karie :)

I'm excited and really nervous.  Can I get myself ready in time?  Can I finish?  As long as I have fun trying, and don't drive my husband crazy, I should be good!  My bike is in the shop, I'm making my new training plan and ready to go!!!  

Wetsuits

I guess mom and I are official triathletes. Well, at least we might look the part...or partly the part! I found a screamin deal on XTerra wetsuits and figured I would give it a shot. My Sergeant is a major deal finder and think he is starting to wear off on me! As soon as I ordered our suits and received the notice that they were on back order, I became a little nervous. The cop, who lectures people on bad internet fraud moves became concerned when the backorder email which said my bank card wouldn't be charged until they were shipped. My card was immediately charged. So I called and spoke with a very nice man who told me, no the email was sent out by mistake. After a check of my bank account to see we hadn't been drained of funds, I became excited again at the prospect of being one of those cool-wetsuit wearers. Then I realized I better get moving in the pool so I can actually swim the mile I've committed myself to! The suits arrived yesterday and mine, so far, fits just right. Mom gets hers tomorrow. I can't wait to give it a try, but will probably have to wait for a bit warmer temperatures. Finally, I thought about a few years from now, when I get the team going and some amazing kid is going to get to use this suit and realize they can do great things!!!

Happy Birthday Margador!!!

I woke up early this morning, as I do many mornings, and REALLY didn't want to get out of bed. But I did, because I told my mom I would meet her for a swim. As I told my husband I was leaving, he rolled over and said in a slurred tired voice, "Tell your mom I said happy birthday". How does he remember these things when he can't remeber to put down the toilet seat?

I set off for the pool trying to wake up and excite myselft about the day. It didn't happen until I saw my mom getting out of her car, ready for the swim. She had no idea I was going to give her sprints as a workout for her birthday, but took it on with joy and vigor as she does all of her workouts.

This is her second season of triathlons. At 62 years old, my amazing mother completed her first triathlon. Alghough she will never live down the world record time she set in "slowness" for her transition, she did fabulous! I am constatnly amazed by how fast she can swim. I actually try not to leave the wall when she does so I don't have to realize she beats me all the time! Her first race of the season will be the Moses Lake Triathlon in June. I loved watching her race last year but am even more excited to be in the same race with her.

I posted the photos of the horses "rears", because about thirty years ago my mom and dad bough me my first "Orange Pony". My mom was really into raising and showing horses, a passion she passed along to me. Peaches was my pony and she taught me how to ride, fall off, and the joy of laying on your soft fluffy pony on a warm summer afternoon. My mom and I rode, showed, cleaned stalls, gave shots, carried water, threw hay bales, spent nights in pick-up trucks, and had some amazing years enjoying our four legged friends.

We both went our separate ways from the horses and I think really missed those lazy rides and days of hard work. Now that we train for triathlons together, I have found myself comparing triathlons to horse shows. Although expensive, they certainly fit into the budget better than the horses and our bikes don't bite as often as Mr Todd did. Most importantly, we have found a passion both can share and experience again together. We have learned, it isn't the ultimate events that we love, but the mornings together in the water or day on the trail, spending time, laughing and loving.

Happy Birthday Margador! You are beautiful and amazing. You inspire me and make me aspire to be like you each day...Geeze :)

The Season Begins

Last season was a season of watching my Mom, who was 62 years old, complete her first triathlon. It was a completely fulfilling experience as she let me be her coach. I think personal training and coaching in kind of like counseling and you really shouldn't coach or train your family. Well, we certainly broke those rules! I have loved the races I have completed, but last year, it was an even better feeling watching Mom finish her first race. The best part is, she wants to do more. She is now training for the Moses Lake Triathlon which looks to be an entire family event. Of course, I am breaking the rules again and training my husband.

This year's season began with watching again, which I completely loved. My sister-in-law, Karie, completed her first triathlon in Tucson last weekend. Eric and I flew down and suprised her two days before her race. I wans't sure what would stress her out more, knowing we were coming or being suprised with the fact that we were there. I knew if she knew we were coming, she would spend time worrying about whether or not her house was clean. Seeing as we don't care too much about clean houses, we chose the suprise route. I really enjoyed spending the two days prior to the race with Karie and Aaron. I think I gained a few pounds pre and post-race eating for her! Of course, I was completely teary eyed as she started, transistioned and finished her race. And she ROCKED!!!!!

Now that observing is over, I'm ready to begin a new season of triathlons. I'm looking forward to trying out the Olympic distance at Moses Lake this year. Mom and I ordered new wetsuits...we will see how that goes. I'm mostly looking forward to racing with my husband, mom and two sister-in-laws!

Storage Space!

Yeah!  I didn't think I would actually start accumulating items for Orange Pony Tri, but when they present themselves, I purchase!  I especially love garage sales of my friends.  We now have one bike, one wetsuit, and one bike jersey.  I really want to find a way to provide equipment for girls on our team, so there are as few roadblocks to their success as possible.  Thanks Gibsons, and I love the healthy lifestyle your family leads :)

Video

This is my favorite "GodTube" video of all time.  It was sent to me by a friend on a particularly difficult day in my life.  

http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8cfo8faca5dd9ea45513

Triathamom

Ok, so I have always said I would not push my kids to do my sports. I will have to admit, I was a little excited when my four year old asked to go for a run after we finished a bike ride the other day. Naturally, I said "Absolutely!" We quickly transition, ate a snack, removed the helmet, and gathered little sister. It was an amazing transition, faster that that of Grandma "C" a the 5-mile Lake Triathlon.

We were off for our run, which turned into a nature hike, looking out for "scary monsters" in the woods, walking on bridges and wondering why people litter.

Just to keep me in check, Payton was not to excited to swim at Great Wolf Lodge this weekend. I can settle for duathlons!!

February Biking

Brrrrr.....I made it out for the first outside bike ride of the year.  I figured "pre-superbowl" would be a safe time to brave the roads.  It seemed to be a good choice as I was not honked at or run off the road even once!  It did feel great to have the wind in my face.  I was pondering the state of my tires as I went down the first steep hill.  I found myself thinking, a 20 mph crash won't hurt as bad as a 25 mph crash so I will keep my brakes on.  I seemed to find all the uphill roads in Marysville and was proud of myself when I didn't have to walk!  The best part was seeing my tiny fans jumping up and down in the living room as I returned to our driveway.  

Running is....

The brief space in the day when the only person yelling at me is myself to make it up the next hill!  

I had one of those uniquely great days where I felt as thought I was able to run again.  It's the first time in months, where I have completed a run without stopping or walking.  It's all downhill now...ok, maybe a few uphills!  

The start

I decided to put together this blog because I believe if you put a goal or dream down on paper (or screen), your odds of making it happen significantly increase.  God has blessed me with good health and an obsession to pass it along to everyone around me.

I ran my first marathon about ten years ago in Dublin, Ireland.  I was then hooked on running. I have finished two more since then; Olympia, WA and New York.  While I was pregnant with my second daughter, Marley, I told myself I was going to finish a sprint triathlon.  It was mostly a way to make myself feel better about my upcoming weight gain.  After finishing the Moses Lake Triathlon, I was again hooked!  

I noticed something different about triathlons though.  People were really out there having a great time.  There were some serious competitors, of course, but the majority of the people smiled and encouraged me not to drown!  

Somewhere in there I decided to became a personal trainer and had the pleasure of coaching my mom through her first triathlon.  She will be completing her second this spring.  (she is now hooked too!)  She has inspired me to get my triathlon training certification, which I will do once they offer it in the northwest.

My dream is to put my experiences to work, helping young women and girls in my community.  In my journeys as a police officer, I have seen so many kids who have made poor decisions or who are headed in the wrong direction.  My favorite line is, "there is nothing to do in this town".  

Look out girls...I'm about to give you something to do!  I am going to put together a triathlon team for girls in Snohomish/Lake Stevens.  It's going to take me a few years to make this happen but I'm passionate about making a positive difference.  I believe triathlons can empower girls and give them tools they need to live a clean life and make good decisions.

This can be an expensive sport, so I will be out there looking for sponsors in a couple of years. I welcome any ideas.  To be sponsored, the girls will have to prove good grades, stay out of trouble and show a commitment to themselves, the team and their training.

This blog will be a lot about my family and training for awhile but will lead up to the formation of the girls triathlon team.

What is "Orange Pony Tri"????  Orange just happens to be my favorite color.  Pony represents the girls (ponytail), although a ponytail is not a requirement.  All hairstyles are accepted!  Tri - triathlon.  

I hope you enjoy reading.....