Pumpkin Season '10 and Race Season '11 !!!

Ahahaha it has been a while since I blogged about anything! Sorry...but Limo and I are in the process of starting up a joint blog/website that will capture everything going on in our lives - which will be a lot! The tentative name of the site is Runspire.com but that'll probably change since neither of us is too fond of the title right now. What do you think? We will also sell our own line of running-inspired t-shirts, greeting cards, and Kenyan goodies online. I really, really want to market my raw truffles and energy bars, but I am far too busy to start that yet. Hopefully I will begin to share my goodies in the Spring! They are incredible, if I do say so myself ;)

Well enough about that. Right now life is going smoothly, or as smoothly as it can go in grad school! Between reading, writing, and grading exams and papers I am kept crazy busy but it is all fun. In less than two weeks I will be racing Ironman Arizona, and to be honest I am not very excited about that. I'm still trying to figure out why I feel so ill all the time; the doctors have told me everything from hypothyroid disease to toxic mold poisoning to chronic fatigue syndrome. Who knows but it better go away fast.

After that race I will take a few days of offseason, then begin to build for ULTRAMARATHON season!!. I could not be more thrilled to be getting back to my all-time favorite activity. The Bandera 100K is January 8, and the following month I will race the Rocky Raccoon 100-miler. Rocky is going to be a blast, 'cause at this race last year I ran the 50 which was my very first ultra. I fell head over heals in love and don't see myself stopping anytime soon :). After Rocky I will begin to build for triathlon season '11 which is as follows:

New Orleans 70.3

Ironman St. George

Ironman 70.3 Hawaii

*maybe* the BSLT 70.3

San Francisco marathon - sub-3 baby :D

Ironman Wisconsin

Ironman Hawaii

Ideally, Ironman Cozumel...but I gotta make some serious $$ first.

So that's my race season! I'm stoked :D


On another note...mmm there really isn't anything new in my life besides this! Training, racing and school takes up every spare second of my time. Most of my friends tell me that I don't HAVE any spare seconds, but I do manage to make them so everything works out. But only one more month 'till Christmas break, and then it will be time to hit the kitchen for some serious experimenting with food. I cannot wait to perfect my stuffed pumpkin recipes. I am currently in the process of baking pecan pie inside pumpkins for a less-sweet take on pumpkin-pecan pie. Also thinking about stuffing the cute gourds with cheesecake, and obviously apple pie!. Then there's pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin-quinoa risotto, pumpkin protein pancakes, pumpkin-butter swirled butternut squash bread with walnuts, pumpkin tofu curry soup...and other non-pumpkin-y stuff too ;). I really miss my seed crackers, edamame hummus, and multi-flavored coconut and nut butters...haha I LOVE cooking and baking, especially with raw foods :)

Now I'm getting hungry. Let me go make some yummy Kenyan tea for Limo and I...be back with more soon!

Busy Bee!! :)

OH man it has been crazy these past few weeks! I've had a really rough time for a while 'cause I was really sick and couldn't figure out what was up. I hate, HATE complaining so I'm not going to get into that at all, except to mention that I'm really worried about how the last couple less-than-stellar training weeks are going to impact my performance in Arizona. Suffice to say that I probably won't be running sub-3 in the NYC marathon either, but that will come! December...Vegas...I am so pumped!!! :D

Life has been just great besides that though. School is a lot of fun, and I've discovered that I have a mild obsession with the archives in the Southwest Collection here at Texas Tech. Reading and research are so interesting, at least to me....ahhh can't believe I'm such a nerd! Oh well. It's really tough trying to fit everything in but so far, so good. How can I not love life? I

On a completely unrelated note, the fall weather if settling in and I could not be more thrilled. In my mind, cooler weather and squash are the best things about this season! At least in Texas, where we aren't able to appreciate the gorgeous fall colors up north. I just ate half a kabocha squash roasted and mixed with smart balance (does anyone know a healthier butter substitute, or is actual butter, as a whole food, the best option??) honey and pumpkin pie spice for breakfast, and am sipping a homemade soy pumpkin spice latte. So good! I'm planning on making a ton of squash dishes in the next few weeks. My favorites include butternut squash lasagna, where I substitute Ezekiel bread for the noodles so it ends up like a savory bread pudding. Stuffed squash will definitely make an appearance. For a sweet treat I stuff a roasted acorn or blossom squash with a mix of roasted apples, honey and spices, and top it with a spoon of homemade walnut butter. Best. Dish. Ever! Oh and soup/stew in pumpkin bowls is also incredible. I just scoop the seeds and stringy stuff out of a small pumpkin, season the flesh, bake it and fill with homemade soup! When you dip your spoon in you come away with bites of tender pumpkin flesh and soup together...ahhh I want to make this now!

Only I can't 'cause I gotta get my boy to the chiropractor. His back is hurting him pretty bad but hopefully in just a few hours it'll be fixed :) So I'm off, but more to come soon 'cause I'm so happy I want to share it! Plus I'm a girl and I ALWAYS have something to say ;) Have a great fall day everyone...train hard, smile, love life and never, ever take anything for granted :)

Congratulations Kona Finishers!

I just want to say a huge "congrats" to all the finishers of the Ironman World Championships today, especially my friends. WOW, so many of you posted great times...can't wait 'till I can be there next year. It's going to be incredible!

Training this week was really light, 'cause this next week is another crazy week of training. Starting tomorrow with a 50K run. It has been too long! I'll try to update more about school and life, but to be honest school and training IS my life, and honestly, does anyone really want to hear about what a history grad student does? I think not...but if you do be sure to let me know! lol.

So I'm done tracking for the night and off to bed. Have a great week everyone!

Ultra...week?

Well this past week of epic training is over. And I feel great! I little winded, and my legs warned me today that they will not be pushed too hard for a little while. But no matter - for I have officially logged 41 quality training hours in the past 7 days. Crazy but totally worth it, and definitely worth doing again before Ironman Arizona.

I committed to training each discipline once per day, for a total of three sessions/day. Five of the days started out with a ride, so my legs were fatigued going into the run, but hey they just gotta learn to suck it up. The cumulative fatigue towards the end of the week resulted in some less than stellar run workouts, but my goal this week was to log the miles, so I didn't care too much about sustaining a zippy pace. I just wanted to push myself as hard as I could go and get the mental boost from knowing that I am fully capable of doing what I tell myself I can.

I had a great schedule down, and just stuck to it. I would log the actual workouts here but right now I'm far too lazy. Spent all day in class and in the archives, and while I kinda enjoyed it, I'm beat. Maybe I'll put all that down later.

Anyway, today is a rest week of sorts. I was supposed to swim yesterday but the weather was just too gorgeous so I ended up on the bike for a couple hours instead. Then it was off to dinner with Heath, Jennifer and Bryton Pennel. So much fun! Dinner was incredible, and a much better success than my protein pancakes were earlier in the day. I was out of almost everything, so I tried to create my protein pancakes but omitted the oats, egg whites and banana (out), and just mixed the vegan protein powder, flax and water. EPIC fail. Ya live and learn... Anyway, today was a trail run that turned into a tempo run on the roads, and boy did it feel good to feel speed in my legs again :)

Now I'm about to hit the books 'cause I have two book reports to write by Thursday, a topic proposal due Wednesday and some more research to do in the archives. If you live in Lubbock and haven't checked out the Southwest Collection yet, go! It's really awesome. Have a great week everybody, and be sure to watch the Ironman World Championships this weekend. I'm gonna ride a double century Friday and run a 50K Saturday in honor of the epic event. My legs will hate me but it's good for them. Good luck to all my friends who are racing, I'll be praying for - and tracking, you all! :)

My Legs Can Suck It

Three days left of an insane 7-day volume overload period. Unlike many triathletes who prefer to start their weekly training blocks on Monday, I start on Sunday. Why? Because Sunday is long run day, duh! I like to start a new weekly training block with a long run, as opposed to finishing that way, 'cause it just seems right. Only this particular week I am shaking everything up a bit, and I'll tell you why later. I'm not divulging the details of this block yet 'cause I am not done 'till Saturday. But I will say that it will be (and is already becoming) the hardest training week of my life, volume-wise. I am exhausted, insanely sore and know that I'm gonna have to rely on mental strength to finish these last several sessions. My legs can suck it! I don't care how they feel now, this week I am proving to myself that I am capable of what I believe I am. Following weeks will be filled with intensity and all that, but this week, I am just putting in tons of miles and spending hours every day doing what I love. It hurts in a very, very good way. I'm not afraid!

It doesn't matter what goes on in your head. You tell yourself what to think! It doesn't matter what goes on in your life. Deal with it! An true athlete pours their heart and soul into training and racing. No matter how bad it hurts, or whatever setbacks you face, you gotta keep your eyes on your goal and never, ever lose focus. On race day, the win will go to the athlete who wanted it most last month, three months ago, last year. The athlete who planned, trained and raced according to plan all season long. The athlete who gave their all, every day, and not only trained but LIVED their sport. It's not just about training...every little thing you do either brings you closer to your goal or pushes you back. That's what's about to change in my life - I've always lived for the excitement in sport, looking for new ways to get an adrenalin rush. Never cared about recovery or anything like that. But I want to see how far I can go in triathlon, and I am willing to commit to whatever it takes. I have a ton of support from friends who want to see me in Kona. Also I'm living next door to an incredible ironman triathlete who is one day going to win the IM World Championships. How can I not want to pour everything into swimbikerun?

I am so glad that I'm still in school, albeit grad school. I have a much more free time than do most people living in the "real world" and of course I devote this time to training. I have to keep in mind that I am supporting myself, which means that my grades stay UP or else I lose my scholarship and have to take a second job. uggh, no way, so everyone please keep reminding me to focus on school. It's hard when I feel so much pressure to qualify for Kona already.

Like I've said before, I am incredibly blessed. I don't know why, but I *know* that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I've always felt at home wherever I've lived, but it's never been like this. THANK YOU to all my friends and fellow athletes who brighten my day with a smile or a few words. It gets really lonely with all the reading and research I do, and I appreciate all the random encounters and funny texts more than I can say ;)

Sometimes a girl just needs to run...

I don't think I've mentioned this much here, but I've been really sick lately. NO idea what's been up with my body but finally everything is getting better. Training is ON!!! Six weeks 'till the NYC marathon and 10 'till Ironman Arizona....I could not be more excited or ready to trash myself on a daily basis to get where I want to be :D

Anyway, after nearly a month of sickness/something after IM Louisville, I had a GREAT training day today. Which is weird, 'cause Saturday I went for a short ride and barely hung on for an hour. I was exhausted, mentally and physically. But today was completely different. I started my run out at Buffalo Springs Lake (love that place, can't ya tell?!), ran a loop then headed out to Ransom Canyon. Found a farmroad I liked and just kept going. I felt strong and fast, only stopped 'cause I wanted to get a swim in before the pool closed for the day. According to mapmyrun I got in a full 23 miles, and I wasn't even tired. YES, finally!!! I really think that running can cure just about anything, if not the body then the mind for sure. There's nothing quite like running, it's just so natural and relaxing. I am in love...

The swim was great, held a tempo pace for 6000 and again, didn't want to stop. But the lifeguards made me... :(. lol

After that I jumped on my bike for a quick spin and called it a day. Ahh, finally a full day of strong sessions and I even have energy left over. I ate a deconstructed smoothie for dinner (wanted the ingredients but not a cold dinner) which was basically a banana-protein powder pudding-like concoction, and a salad (all my smoothies are made with romaine, love it!). Then I worked on some assignments for a bit, tossed fish and veggies in the slow cooker for lunch and dinner tomorrow, and now I'm about to hit the sack. I SHOULD fold some laundry first though...

Tomorrow is a busy day so I'm gonna start bright and early. Well early anyway, not necessarily bright. A short tempo run, longish steady swim and 4hr ride are on tap. Also two classes and TONS of errands. But I have energy for it all! This is so so exciting :)

I really appreciate all my friends for bearing with me these past few weeks, I know I wasn't as chipper as I usually am. Sorry :( Just know that I am back and ready for some fun! Hopefully next weekend I can act like a "normal" college student, whatever that is ;) THANK YOU to all my awesome family and friends...you make my life so beautiful :) :) :)

The Beauty of HTFU

Today was one of those days where I had to rely on my mind rather than my legs. Since I've been sick the past few days, I decided not to race the Branson 70.3 this weekend. That was a tough decision because my friend Heath Pennell was racing and I was really looking forward to hanging out with him and Jenn. But I'm happy with my decision. I could have raced, sure, but no way would I have posted a decent time and after Louisville I just couldn't have another bad day. Plus I know from experience that if I race when I am sick, I get really REALLY worse for the next few days/weeks, and with tons of assignments due this week no way can I afford that. So instead of racing, I decided to take a few days easy and get back to training today.

Friday was an easy 2.5hr ride, and Saturday was a 12-mile tempo run and a swim. Normally I would be going nuts wanting to do more, but those workouts just zapped all my energy. I spent most of the weekend sleeping :P

Anyway, today I had a longish brick workout and a swim on schedule. 4hr ride, 2hr run and a 5K swim. Since I still felt a bit weak I was kind of nervous starting out, especially because I didn't get started 'till late morning 'cause of church. The ride actually went quite well. I explored some new roads, and got some interval training in when a German Shepherd decided he liked my calves. Yi! At least I was on my bike and not running... I rode around Ransom Canyon and Buffalo Springs Lake on my way back, and just looking at the sparkling water and the walls of the canyon made me smile. So beautiful! The prairie dogs were out too. I love those cute little guys :)

The hard part was the run. I was bonking pretty bad during the last 15 miles of the bike 'cause I ran out of water and forgot to bring fuel with me (typical, unfortunately). And of course I forgot to bring money. So when I got off the bike I was out of energy and my legs were toast. You know the feeling - when you're not quite up to speed, you're just missing that *spark* and everything seems much harder than usual. I downed some Poweraid (still trying to get used to that stuff) and hauled my sorry butt out to the car for the drive to the trails @BSLT. Still feeling awful, I called my boyfriend hoping for some motivation, but he was still at work. Up to me! It's hard to describe exactly what I was feeling...just low motivation, nausea, achy muscles, pounding head; small things but combined they were taking their toll.

But it's times like these that you find out who you really are. There is definitely something to be said for being smart and resting when you need to, but other times you have to get out there no matter how you feel and prove to yourself that you CAN do this, thank you very much. That way when you're racing and everything seems to be going wrong, you can look back on times like these and know that you are strong enough to make it through.

So I started to run, and the first few miles were as awful as I thought they would be. But then I remembered a lecture that I've given myself more than a few times: that no matter how bad something may seem, there is beauty in it. I started to lose myself in the run, just enjoying the big blue sky, the beautiful scenery, the rocky, hilly trails...before I knew it I was having the time of my life! I could still feel the pain in my legs, my pounding head, the chills and slight nausea, but they just didn't matter anymore. I even was able to pick up the pace a bit. This run was not nearly as pretty as my tempo workout of the day before, but it was beautiful in its own way. I ended up running 16 miles, which is more than I thought I had in me today.

I was one happy girl jumping into the pool after that run :) Didn't have a great swim but that's okay 'cause the focus was on the bike/run.

In the end, I had a great mental workout. I'm not sure how much benefit my legs got out of it, but that part doesn't matter. One can never have enough lessons on mental toughness; in a race the mind works harder than the body I think. The only way to teach yourself to be strong is to BE strong. And that can be a lot of fun! Just look on the bright side, and never forget that there is ALWAYS a bright side. Smiling makes everything better.

In case you're wondering, I am going to take an easy day tomorrow to recover from whatever damage I did to myself today. Longish swim and an hour spin on my bike. I don't mind easy days when they're directly following tougher days.

So that's that! Now it's time to get back to the books...and the coffee, unfortunately. I've tried to switch to tea but sooo not working. If you have any tips for staying alert without ingesting copious amounts of caffeine, let me know! And yes, I am sleeping as much as I can ;)

Blessed

Right now I'm taking a break from reading while I write this and nom on one of the best lunches I have ever made. I just sliced an eggplant, a zuchinni and a red onion and grilled them in my increasingly awesome indoor grill. Then I layered the veggies with cooked lentils, marinara and herbed goat cheese, and heated it in the microwave. The oven would be better but what can I say, I am your typical lazy college student when it comes to stuff like that ;). Anyway, the mix is incredible. Try it!

But this has nothing to do with what I want to write about. Today I was on the way back home from a great mini tempo run and a strong swim workout when I decided to stop for a latte and people-watch for a bit. While I relaxed in the coffee shop, I could not help thinking about how blessed I am. I think sometimes I complain too much about how hard it is to balance ironman/ultramarathon training with full-time grad school. It's tough, sure, but how lucky am I that I am able to do all this? There are SO many people in this world who would trade places with me in a heartbeat.

Why do I get to live this life? I get to wake up in my adorable little house, run and swim (almost) to my heart's content, and sip a delicious if way-overpriced latte while I relax and just enjoy life. I get to study at an incredible university and learn from the best. I get to read a wide variety of intellectual books and discuss them with like-minded students and friends. I get to research topics that interest me and tell people all about them in my papers.

I get to swim, bike, run and race the sport(s) I love, all over the country and sometimes out of it too. I get to see what life is like in different places. I get to meet incredible people and hear their stories, and listen to the advice of people who are happy to share their wisdom and talk with me about the things they have seen and heard in their lifetimes.

I get to experience the love of family and friends...this is by far the most important. My family has done so much for me and I am more grateful than they know. My friends love and support me no matter how weird I can be sometimes ;) My incredible boyfriend loves me with all his heart and will for the rest of our lives...one day people will wake up and realize that love is the most important thing in the world. People spend forever trying to be happy, but they just don't get it. You don't need anything but other people to have everything in the world.

Life is precious and all of us take it for granted. Yesterday one of my friends was hit by a car while riding his bike...something we do every day and he could have been gone from this earth in a split-second. He's okay, thank God. Another friend was in a car accident the same day...his car went of the road and rolled, but he's just fine. But it doesn't always work out that way. Cherish every second we live 'cause life is shorter than we realize and it can end in a flash. Make the most of every opportunity and don't hold back...love everyone, don't hold grudges, experience everything you can. I'm pretty sure that there will be mountain climbing, ultrarunning, sky-diving and all that in Heaven, but who knows? lol...seriously though, you only get one life to live...if you're reading this you're living that life now. If you don't like what you do or who you've become, don't waste one more second: change what you do, or who you are. Yes you can do that.

There's nothing more tragic than looking back on your life at the end of it all and being filled with regret. Right now, make sure that you are living the life you want to live, and if you're not than do something. Look in the Bible if you don't know how to get started.


...well I didn't anticipate the direction this went but you gotta roll with what's in your heart. I hope that you all are loving life and living it up! Have a great day :)

Exhaustion and Acorn Squash

And grilled asparagus, and quinoa-kidney bean salad, and cauliflower soup...since I have so much reading to do tonight I am cooking while I am at it! Oops..think the quinoa is burning. Hang on.

Nope, but almost. Just turned off the burner and am letting it sit there and soak up the remaining water. I love quinoa! And my new george forman grill too. I figured out why it was marked down 70% though...the lid is crooked. I tried to fix it, but no go. It works great though, so awesome to have this thing!

Anyway... I don't think there's really a point to this post. Like the title says, I am exhausted. And eating acorn squash...haha but the exhaustion is something I knew would hit eventually. Undergrad was hell, with the Corps and triathlon and school. Just didn't work! But now, sans Corps, I am doing better. Each week I read 5-6 books and write a paper or three. Nothing big, and most of it is on my own time. That leaves plenty of space for training, but the catch is that training makes me really tired. Really? Who woulda thought...

It goes like this: I think to myself okay, I have a four hour ride, 2 hour run, done three hours before class. Plenty of time to start that next textbook, reread my book report and post to that online discussion board. I get back, nom on one of my awesome green smoothies, and...stare at that paper with bleary eyes for the better part of an hour before realizing the epic waste of time. Post to the discussion board, force myself to polish the paper and trudge off to class. Manage to not only stay awake, but look bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and just thrilled to discuss medical malpractice in 17th-century London. Get back from class and try to get a start on the next textbook before passing out with my head on the table. Drag myself to bed, set the alarm for 3AM so I can get a start on that book before swim practice at 6AM. This is just an example, but you get the idea. I know how much easier it would be to ease up the training, but I will not! I WILL make this work :D

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my life. And don't worry Mom, I know I can't afford to lose this fellowship so I will focus on my studies and get everything done to "A" standards. I love my classes, and most of the books I have been assigned. It's just gonna be tough to fit it all in...glad I don't have papers to grade just yet!

Ironman Louisville

Okay okay, fine! I will write this race report. No fun, at all. I had a GREAT time in Louisville, don't get me wrong, but coming so close to winning my AG and getting that Kona slot...missing all that hurts more than I have let on. I have gone back and analyzed every bit of my race, trying to find places where I could have pushed harder, raced smarter, done this not that. But in the end I realize that it DOESN"T MATTER. I know I give my best during the event and second guessing myself won't do me any good. I am optimistic about '11 for sure; I will be focusing solely on triathlon (with the exception of a few ultras during the off-season) so I should be in top form at the races. A new experience for sure! haha. But I digress...

Here's the rundown:

Swim:the swim start at Louisville is a time-trial start; athletes form a really, REALLY long line and jump off the dock one after another, with perhaps a half-second in between. I must say that I prefer the washing-machine like effect of the usual mass IM start better though...that just seems like part of the experience! The water was filthy but the lake was beautiful. Swimming through the sunrise, under a bridge, around a cute mini-island in the middle of the lake; so pretty! I loved it. My swim time was 1:08 which is slow for me. I think this is 'cause I had to battle through all the slower swimmers who had positioned themselves at the front of the line to ensure that they made the swim cutoff. But this resulted in a massive traffic jam when the faster swimmers caught up! Oh well, these things happen.

Bike: Oh, the bike. Right after I got on my bike I knew something was wrong. My position was way off and my quads were cramping like crazy...maybe it was the fact that my seat had fallen all the way down! Felt like I was riding a little kiddy bike where your knees come up to your nose. I could not find any bike support to save my life - asked at the aid stations, penalty tents, know one knew! Finally around mile 30, the only bike support guy I'd see all day came by and he raised my seat for me. But before I'd had a chance to try it out he sped off! The seat was wayyy too high; my knees were locking out at each downstroke and I had no power. Worst feeling ever! But there was nothing for it; I just sucked it up and rode on. The only other issue I faced was the insane heat; I heard that it got to the high 90's by late morning and stayed that way. Knowing my stomach's inability to process solids in the heat, I stuck with poweraid and a few pieces of banana. This left me seriously underfueled but I still think I made the best decision here. On a good note, the bike course was absolutely gorgeous! Rolling hills, beautiful scenery, oh man my favorite IM bike course for sure.

Run: ahahaha I started the run feeling the worst I've ever felt. Usually I am excited to start my favorite event, but this time my whole body was sore from the awkward bike position, and though my legs felt golden I wasn't able to summon the usual energy, and just started to plod along. Don't get me wrong, I tried my best, but it just wasn't there. Again, I couldn't hold down solids and stuck with water, poweraid and orange slices. I could tell that I was bonking big time, especially during the latter half of the race, but what's a girl to do? I really need to get my stomach issues figured out. During ultras I can eat anything, but during faster efforts it's like my stomach shuts down and won't absorb anything. Grrr.

But again there is a bright side! I saw Bree Wee and Hillary Biscay, two of my heroes, on the course and it just made my day. Especially seeing Bree with a smile on her face towards the end, and Hillary, who wasn't having the best day, cheering her on. These girls just LOVE what they do and boy it makes me smile to know that you can race triathlon as a job and still absolutely love it. Maybe....Limo? What do ya think? Haha I believe that my future lies in ultramarathon, but still...

Anyway I finished in 11:38 and though this was NOT what I was going for, I will take it. At the awards ceremony I heard that 19% of the racers did not finish. That is nuts! All day I saw people literally riding off course and crashing, or falling down on the run. It was crazy and I must admit, a bit scary. Must have been the heat? But considering the tough conditions I am pleased (ish) with my performance and I am finally beginning to get over the "coulda shoulda woulda" phase. I am super excited about the rest of my season. In two weeks I am racing the Ironman 70.3 Branson, with my good friend Heath and his awesome family :) Then it is off to NEW YORK CITY for the marathon, and next up is IM Arizona. Now that race will be the best yet! I get to reunite with Dan and Mary Beaver (I think I will devote an entire post to that crazy awesome couple soon) and experience the race that I have been longing to try for the past two years.

So that's that! IM Louisville in the books, altogether a great experience and filled with awesome (and not-so-awesome!) memories. I am recovered and stoked to get back at it! Bring it on, grad school...

Lately

Ironman Louisville race report coming soon, I promise! But right now I am really sick, probably just from the stress of the past few weeks. Last weekend was crazy, and the race was the least stressful part! Seriously, racing for me is just fun. I am very focused, but when I get to the start line, my work is done and I just get to enjoy my fitness and race my hardest. Pushing myself to the utmost is not that difficult for me, to be honest. It hurts like crazy but I am used to that ;)

A quick recap of past events, race not included: Friday I flew out to Louisville, and 'cause I wanted to wait 'till I was out of class I didn't get in until 11:45. PM, that is. Rented a car, drove to my hotel and crashed...only I couldn't sleep properly due to excitement. Saturday I head to the host hotel to check in and hang around the expo for a bit. I decide to stop by an ATM to get some cash, since I don't like swiping my card multiple times a day if I can help it. Get the cash...but don't grab the card in time so back into the machine it goes! I didn't know at the time that the ATM machines will usually shred the card when this happens, so I spent the next three hours desperately trying to get SOMEONE to get my card back for me. No one, even the police (yes I was that desperate) could/would help. Finally, after I call my bank I realize that the card is gone for good. Yay. Order a new one and pray that the cash I have will last through the weekend. Nope...but I have the best Mom in the world and she sent me some money. By that time I have about 1 hour to get back to my hotel, pack my race day bags, pick up my bike and get everything down to transition. I get there literally 5 minutes before it closes but manage to get it all in place. Whew!

I was hoping to visit Churchill Downs (the racetrack where the Kentucky Derby is held every year!!!) but it was getting late, so I ended up stopping by Whole Foods for dinner instead. They had my favorite pre-race sushi (shrimp roll, cooked since I am paranoid before big events) and also some young coconuts which I grabbed for part of my breakfast the next morning. Then I went back to my hotel and just tried to relax. It was hard though, since I couldn't stop thinking about the class I was going to miss on Monday. Grad school is scary!

Race day came and went, and all in all I am satisfied with my performance. Gave my best, that's all I can ask of myself. The next morning I changed my flight so I could have more time to hang around the expo in hopes of getting a roll-down Kona slot. Nope. Head the the airport, where it turns out there was a mix-up with my flights. My mom and I proceed to spend the next several hours calling every single airline that flies anywhere near Lubbock, trying to get me home. I get to Chicago, where there are more flights available, and FINALLY am able to book a flight that will take me through Memphis, to Lubbock. Sweet relief! There is nothing more stressful than sitting in an airport far away from home, thinking that you are going to be stranded there for the night, having no idea how on earth you are going to get home without spending several hundred dollars that you really don't have. But it all worked out. I got home to Lubbock late Monday night, and ever since then I have been desperately trying to catch up on readings and assignments. Grad school does not allow one to fall behind, even for a day or two!

Now I am just praying that this sickness goes away fast, so I can focus entirely on schoolwork. Thank God this is recovery week!

Sunshine, sunflowers and all things smiley! And grad school :P

Ha, ha. You know when you're really tired, drink some coffee then you're artificially awake? Exhausted but jittery at the same time...that's me right now! I apologize in advance. Just got out of orientation #494849283, and have another later on today! I think it's 'cause I'm a grad student, NEW grad student, HISTORY grad student, grader, TA and maybe RA. But at least all my questions, plus a billion questions I never had, are answered. I've gotten to meet a ton of new friends already, and boy it is awesome! The faculty at Texas Tech are so personal and fun, and the students are really friendly. I don't feel nervous at all :)

Lubbock is just awesome - such a unique little place, I love it! Today I didn't use my GPS at all and I didn't get lost once! A great accomplishment for me. The weather is beautiful so far, lots of sunshine and great temps. And as I mentioned in the title, there are sunflowers everywhere :) I am going to plant a garden right outside my house, and though it won't feature sunflowers (too tall, too many weeds) I will fill it with some colorful favorites :) Speaking of my house - again, I love it! Get used to seeing that phrase, 'cause my next several posts are definitely going to feature many of the things I love about my new life here. The house is a cute little effeciency right behind my friend Blake's house. He has the coolest Boxer in his backyard, so everytime I set foot outside my place I run back and forth along the fence, playing chase with her. She (Lolo) gets really excited and starts barking like crazy. Sorry Blake!

I'm working on fitting the house out with furniture right now. Since I have 27 books to buy this semester, you can bet that a bookcase or two is in order. Also I'm going to frame several photos of Limo and I and put them up on the walls :) I am loving the kitchen, and already have made several awesome dishes...chickpea curry, cauliflower soup, lentil salad, coconut yogurt...LOL! funny story about that yogurt:

Two days ago, I made a batch of coconut yogurt and put it in the incubator. But I forgot that it takes 7 hours to incubate, and when I arrived home exhausted at 9, I realized that the yogurt had three more hours to go. I know from experience that when I'm really tired, I won't hear my alarm, so I stayed up to wait 'till it was done. But I was SO TIRED! I foolishly decided to have a glass of wine while I waited, and I hadn't had wine in months, and it was really good...so I had another glass. Now two glasses may not seem like a lot, but it hit me hard! I passed out, totally forgot about the yogurt (which turned into an inedible curdled mess) and woke up at 5 the next morning. Oops! I made it to the pool at 6, but the workout was useless...LOL I felt awful, just barely hanging onto my form as I pathetically paddled my way across the pool and back for an hour. No more wine for me until the season is over!

Anyway, today I am feeling a little "off", not sick but since there are only 4 days 'till IM Louisville I am treating my body as if I were. No training today, except maybe a 30-minute swim later on. All endorphin-addicted athletes who have taken an off day or two know how I'm feeling right now. If any of my friends in Lubbock read this, please be warned that I may not be an angel right now. But I will try!

Oh man. I was talking with Blake today about flying out to Louisville. I can't believe that the race is so close! I haven't raced an ironman in nearly a year. The distance is no challenge, but the racing part is. I've been training like an ultrarunner this past season, 'cause I had four ultras and only one triathlon, so it will be interesting to see how Louisville goes. I will be better prepared for IM Arizona in November. I want to race Kona next year (hopefully I'll qualify at IM St. George in the spring) so I need to really focus on triathlon for the next year or so. Living so close to several incredible triathletes should make this easy!

Sorry for the rambling post. I feel weird. After I've had my fill of endorphins this weekend, and caught up on sleep, I will be back to normal. My version of normal anyway ;)

Three Weeks To Go!

I can't believe that there are only three weeks left of summer...it has gone by so fast! My summer basically consisted of long runs, lots of long swims (but very little speedwork thanks to the 85 degree pool) and some cycling. Haha...I heed to train more like a triathlete and less like an ultrarunner but this is hard! I love running soooo much and am not very eager to begin the second half of tri season. But oh well! I will HTFU and get at it. Starting tomorrow, with a 150-mile ride and swim. Friday is a 30-mile run and another swim. Saturday will be a 4000 swim, 40 mile bike, 10 mile run personal triathlon, and Sunday will be a 20-5-2000 reverse sprint. Double-swim Monday to rest. This sounds like what my last weekend should have been, only I got sick. But no more! I am on a 10-day detox to remove all the crap I've been putting in my body to fuel the crazy runs I've been doing. I need the calories, but my immune system does not appreciate all the sugar. I am trying to fuel up on low-sugar foods, but invariably I run out of energy, and can't stomach much solid fuel during training anyway. Maybe I should just try to condition my body to accept what I want to put into it?

But there you have the training aspect of my life...the "real world" is about to hit and I am glad to say that I am ready for it! I finally found housing, and am just looking for a Church and a second job to help pay for my races and the travel involved. I was blessed to receive a full scholarship, so I won't have to pay any tuition, and nearly all my personal expenses should be covered by the stipend :) But the life of a triathlete is not cheap, already I need to book a flight to New York and possibly Hawaii. Plus I will be driving to Louisville and Arizona, and oh my poor, poor car! :( lol! So I'm looking for childcare jobs, or something involving kids...if anyone knows of any available jobs, or has any advice, please let me know!

That's about it for now...I need to finally go to bed to rest for the longest ride of my life tomorrow. Double-century day is only a week away so I will not feel sorry for myself tomorrow. Get ready legs, ultra season is over and triathlon season is HERE!!! :D

Vermont 100K Part 2

Race morning, I woke up around 6 because the 100K racers didn't leave until 9AM. I ate a leisurly breakfast of coffee, orange juice, a banana and a locally-made blueberry-oatmeal bar. Yum! I drove out to the race site early and just hung out and talked to people for a bit. I met the two other people from Texas, an awesome couple from Nacadoches who planned on running the whole way together. Anyone who has raced an ultra before knows that putting up with another person beside you can be more difficult than actually running! LOL. Somewhere along the way, we runners turn into foaming neanderthals who forget all social rules and are reduced to communicating by either grunting or yelling. I would say that I've seen it all...but pretty sure I haven't. Watching the interaction between depleted, exhausted runner and his innocent crew is so funny sometimes, especially 'cause you know how the runner is feeling. Hahahahaha I'm cracking up right now, just thinking of some of the stuff I saw!!!

Anyway, we started off at 9, and boy those first two miles provided a not-so-pleasant glimpse into what the course would be like. I hadn't really appreciated the fact that the course has a total elevation gain of 11,000 ft. Yipes! There is running 62 miles, and then there is running a HILLY 62 miles..

The field spread out quickly, and I ended up running in 3rd for the first 32 miles. It was a beautiful course, hilly but oh so scenic! Sometimes, as I crested a hill and looked down into the valleys I felt like I had a semi-IMAX view. It was incredible! The aid stations had absolutely everything one can think of, but I stuck with gingerale and orange slices for the first half. Just enough to provide energy but not too much to upset my stomach. It was wayyy hotter than I'd thought it would be, in fact this race experienced record temps! Almost got into the 90s, uggh. Running literally ALL day in this wasn't too easy, but it's all good. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

Then, around mile 32...what every ultrarunner dreads happened to me. I got lost. I was running alongside another girl, when we got confused by two sets of arrows, pointing two different directions. Apparently one set was for the 100-milers and the other for the 100K-ers. There was supposed to be a volunteer there to direct people the right way, but apparently the volunteer didn't get there until the first 10 or so people ran by. We ended up running the wrong way for 6 miles, until we reached an aid station where the volunteers informed us that we weren't supposed to be there! We consulted one of those insanely confusing course maps and eventually discovered where we'd gotten off. So back I went...the other girl decided to drop out. I don't blame her - it is incredibly tough on the mind to run all those extra miles, with so much more to run after that! After getting back on course, I still had 30 more miles to run...that moment was one of the toughest of the race. Already tired, sore, behind by an hour and I'm not gonna lie...the mere though of running 30 miles isn't easy, ever! But I knew that I would never forgive myself for dropping out so on I ran!

The next several miles passed by in a blur. Unfortunately getting lost went to my head, and I was fighting the demons for what seemed like forever. Running through the forest, I was not too happy to discover that several of the signs directing the course had been blown down in a windstorm the night before...you didn't know you were off course until the lack of "confidence markers" that were usually placed every few tenths of a mile dissapeared. And if you're not paying attention, then you don't notice the lack of markers for a while... Oh boy. I ended up getting off course twice more. By that time, I just wanted to get to the damn finish. I was so depressed, upset, you name it, I felt it. I was still running by myself, 'cause I was passing almost everyone I met, 'cause most of them were the slightly slower runners who hadn't gotten lost 'cause had pacers who knew the course! It took me a while to snap out of it.

But I did, thanks to my awesome boyfriend. Kiplimo Chemirmir, you don't even know but I had got "hakuna matata" stuck in my head around mile 45! It definitely perked me up...reminded me that IT DOESN'T MATTER what pace I'm going, what time I'll finish in, there is no such thing as a professional ultrarunner(not really), no money involved, it's juts all about doing your best and having fun. Isn't that why we all get addicted to running anyway? I started to smile, and even picked up my pace :)

Around 9PM it started to get dark (yes, it was taking me this long) and I put on my headlamp. I was afraid that it would make the horses around me skittish, but nope! They were awesome. Around mile 50 I met up with that guy from Argentina and another man, George who was being paced by his wife. Talk about moral support...we didn't talk much, just ran and enjoyed the company near the end of a long day. At the last med station, I found I'd dropped 7 lbs thanks to dehydration, and was warned to take in more fluids, yadda yadda ya. I'd been eating solid food like pb&j and fig newtons for the past 20 miles, which was sitting nicely, much to my surprise. At the last aid station I had some chicken broth and WOW! wish I'd been drinking that earlier, it was the best thing I've ever ingested during an ultra. Gave me tons of energy and sat perfectly. The last 5 miles I ran by myself, Argentina and George moved ahead and I truged toward the finish. The 70+ miles was weighing on me now, I was barely in shape for 62 and my legs were screaming at me now. Yowch! Everything was coming down on me, and it was all I could do to drag myself along. I had to stay on my toes 'cause the cutoff for the horse races was coming to a close, and there were horses galloping by me in a desperate attempt to make it to the finish on time! The last mile was pretty sweet...seeing the finish line after all those long hours nearly brought tears to my eyes. And of course there was one last mini-hill to climb before I reached the finish, but it didn't matter. I was done!

And I couldn't walk. Literally, I was limping like both my legs were broken, just trying to hobble to the med tent and the FOOD! I hadn't eaten nearly enough during the race 'cause I was afraid of upsetting my stomach in the heat, and now I was famished! First time for that after a race, usually I'm just too tired to eat. There was rice pudding, chicken broth, hot chocolate, and much more. And ginger chews, thank God for that beautiful person who thought to bring those. Soooo nice on the stomach :)

After eating and catching a short nap on one of the cots provided by the awesome local hospital, I sadly gathered my things and headed back to my hotel. I had three hours to get back to the hotel, shower, pack, and drive the 90 minutes back to the airport to catch my flight. That was my only big regret for the weekend, that I didn't get to stay around and chat with the other runners and the volunteers. The people are what makes the ultrarunning too incredible for words :)It's just the best feeling after a race, hurting sooo bad (I'm one of the nuts who actually likes that feeling), and hearing the stories of the other runners. I LOVE that!!!

I definitely want to race this one again...there are so many other races out there, but there's just something about the Vermont 100K...the people are incredible, the course is beautiful, it has everything! I will be back :D But for now, recovery is pretty much over, and I'm psyched for the epic triathlon training this weekend - I'm about to leave for a 16,000 meter swim, then I have a 150 mile ride on Friday, and 30 miles running Saturday! Send prayers my way...my legs will probably rebel somewhere in there but thanks to Vermont I know that I can handle any amount of pain :D

Vermont 100K Part 1

Oh man...what a race. It was definitely the toughest one I've ever run, both mentally and physically. I think I'm gonna divide the race report into two parts, 'cause there's so much to tell! Sooo here goes:

I left on Thursday, 'cause I had 8hrs of mandatory work at the race site. For most top-notch ultras, each runner is required to work for 8 hours at any ultra, as a way of giving back to their sport. Since I had been so busy with school and stuff, I opted to do my work at the Vermont 100K, doing retail and setting up for dinner, etc. I met the coolest people through this! But anyway, I flew into Manchester, NH on Thursday night, rented the cutest little car (of course I have no idea what make and model...it was white..) and drove an hour and a half to White Lake Junction in Vermont. Settled into my motel, met some other runners, and promptly fell asleep. Friday morning, I headed out to West Windsor, VT, to work at the race site. The drive was supposed to be 15 minutes but of course I got lost and ended up driving twice that. The scenery was incredible so of course I didn't mind. Throughout the day I kept meeting awesome people from all over, including a guy from Argentina who ended up pacing me through the latter part of the race, a couple guys from South Africa, a sweet old couple from Germany, and so many more! Everyone is so friendly and relaxed at these races...

That night we had the best pre-race dinner I'd ever had - among a billion other things there was chicken, quinoa, rice, the best couscous salad I've ever had, tons of veggies, fruits, breads, etc. As I wanted to be careful of my stomach I avoided the giant cheese wheel and the dessert table *tear*. I ate with a guy whose son was pacing him through the last 20 miles of the race, what a cool duo! Haha the son was more worried about the run than his dad.

Also at our table were some of the distance riders! The Vermont 100 is one of the few ultras that still allows horses to do the ride. How awesome is that?! Riders have the option of either 100, 75, or 50 mile races. I chatted with several of the riders, and a few vets, who told me all about how this sport got started, how the horses pace (they trot most of the way! just have to build strength in their ankles) and fuel with electrolytes just like humans, only via a tube that squirts the stuff into their mouths. I actually got to inject some of the horses during the race when the riders were having trouble controlling the beasts. Haha it was so much fun! I just can't get over how awesome it was that I got to do this race alongside horses! During the race they were really relaxed and looked like they were having a blast. Mostly they were Arabians, such beautiful horses! I want one :P

That about sums up the pre-race summary. There is so much more that happened but I can't write a book here...

New Juicer!!!...race report comes later

Not because a juicer is more important than an ultramarathon race report, but just 'cause I don't feel like writing about the race right now. I don't know why, but it usually takes me a few days to get everything straight in my head...I ALWAYS beat myself up over the little things, and think and plan of ways to improve the next one, without ever congratulating myself on a race well run. Seriously, I was so upset at how long it took me to finish the Vermont 100K (120K for me lol) that I have not even thought of how cool it is that I just raced an incredibly tough ultramarathon, in an extremely competitive field. I mean, during the race I kept my cool and was able to focus, but that's just "survival instinct" or whatever you want to call it. I never have a problem just doing what needs to be done in a race, it's after the race that my head falls apart. I guess it's because I'm so damn competitive, both with myself and with others. This is necessary to some extent, but when you can't even appreciate racing a tough 62+miles, there's something wrong :P But I digress - this post is about my new juicer!!!

I already forgot what brand it is, of course, 'cause I don't get along to well with electronic gadgets. But I managed to make a beautiful glass of fresh juice already, and WOW! This is totally different than the stuff you buy at the grocery store. I definitely encourage you all to get one, they are fairly cheap and there is nothing better for you this stuff. I am going on a 10-day juice "fast" to reset my body and hopefully cure this lingering sickness that's been plaguing me for the last few months. To fuel my longer workouts during this time I'll probably drink green smoothies loaded with flaxseed and hemp protein.

If I come across any brilliant fresh juice recipies I'll post them here :)

Adventure Races and Epic Triathlon Weekends!!!

No, I haven't done any of these yet. But I will, starting early 2011, and I couldn't be more excited. I've wanted to try out some adventure races for quite some time now, and have finally decided to register for some. I just need some other die-hards to join me 'cause most of these races don't have solo options. Mountain biking, trekking, orienteering, ropes courses, you name it, they have it! I'd much rather race one of these NOW, but my checkbook is empty and my race schedule is full. If you're curious, the races I'm looking at are the "Big Chill" in late January, and the "Spread Your Wings" in late May. And no, the sprint options are NOT an option for me. Sorry prospective teammates, I'm only considering the long stuff! :D

And then there's these epic triathlon weekends that Nate Poland (THANK YOU NATE!!!) told me about. There are two of them - one in Ohio in October, and one in South Carolina in May (the weekend before Spread Your Wings). I have every intention of racing them both (if I don't race Kona that is). It goes like this: Day 1: super-sprint triathlon. Day 2: TWO Olympic distance tri's; the one in the AM is normal, and the one in the PM is backwards. Awesome! Then Day 3: half-ironman triathlon. Come on people, is this epic or what?!?!?! Those who know me are already either laughing or crying now, 'cause they know there is no talking me out of this :D

So that's that. Since I've been tapering (uggh) my days have been sadly lacking in adventure. But this will be remedied on Thursday when I fly out to Vermont for the Vermont 100K. Yessssss it is about time to race! I've missed the ultras...
I have mandatory trail work on Friday (all participants must do some of this) then the race is Saturday. I will fly back Sunday, have some R&R, then head down to DFW for another epic weekend consisting of a double-century ride on Saturday, epic El Scorcho cheer party Sat night, pool party early Sunday morning, then playing all day at Lifetime Fitness while Limo works (bless the guy, on his feet all day right after his first ultra :P).

WOW finally I will stop feeling like a slacker. Does anyone else feel like they gain 10lbs when they taper? Blah, worst feeling ever. Soon I'll be back in my normal state, exhausted and sore on a daily basis. Love!

Oh what a weekend!

Yup! This weekend was epic. I will try to cover everything, but Limo is making pancakes so this might be shorter than I intended ;) We just finished a 9-mile run (jog for him) and boy my hamstrings are screaming at me. I only ran three times last week, but those times included one half-marathon race (last portion of a half-ironman tri), a 20-mile easy run, and that 22x1 mile repeat session. Best week of running ever! The milaege wasn't that high but the intensity sure was!.

Anyway, my week started out with birthday day on Friday. Happy 22 to me! Off to the track @5AM 'cause I was going to a wedding with Limo in Dallas that day. A wedding! As if my day needed to get any better :D I love weddings :) But anyway, I get up @4:30 to stretch and it's pouring outside. Even though it was warm, the outdoors just didn't seem that inviting and the only thing that got my sorry butt out the door was the desire to start my 22nd on the right note. So off I went! Starting out, I wasn't too sure what to think. But it didn't take too long for my mind and body to adjust...boy I'd missed the track!

It went something like this:

Miles 1-3: oh boy, speed speed speed. Yay. This is boring, I feel like a hamster. Is it possible to get dizzy from whirling around a quarter-mile track? Yes, I think so. Ahhh this is gonna be fun. Why am I doing this again?

and yes, after that first mile, despite my best efforts to NOT think about this, I couldn't help but think: "1 down, 21 to go". Oh boy.

But things got better. After the first two repeats, I divided the workout into 4 sets of 5 repeats. After the first 5 were down, I knew I was a quarter done so that really helped me out mentally. I kinda vegged out for the next several repeats, just thinking about life and stuff. Then my Mom showed up! She's a beast - after going to her Master's swim class, she came to the track and ran about 7-8 mile repeats while I finished the last 11. It was awesome.

It kept raining on and off, with an occasional downpour, but that actually helped drive away some of the heat. I was so grateful! The last few repeats were actually the hardest, despite my mental boost from knowing I was almost done. I've been having issues with tight hamstrings and a sore hip for a while now, and boy they started complaining towards the end. Ouch! But I just dealt with it, 'cause after all this was my birthday workout and no wimping out allowed! Of course, I never "wimp out" anyway, but occasionally I will be smart and cut a workout if needed. At least I think I've done that...maybe a few years ago. I don't remember ;)

But anyway, once I got through that workout I was on top of the world! Felt great, legs were trashed, but tons of mental energy. There is just nothing like driving back from the track in a torrential downpour, relieving the epic workout you just did and thinking about a warm yummy breakfast. Only for me, that breakfast was one of my (delicious!) green smoothies, which everybody but me thinks is absolutely disgusting. Lettuce in smoothies is not gross, people! Don't knock it 'till you try it.

A quick shower later and I was on the road...for nearly 7 hours. The drive from SA to Flower Mound is usually about 5 but the traffic was at a standstill in several places due to scared and stupid drivers (sorry, what can I say...). But I picked up Limo and we got to the wedding with several minutes to spare. And what a wedding! Mate and Lucy and the cutest couple ever and I am so excited for them. Their wedding was the most beautiful I have ever attended; so much fun!!! What a night.

The next morning, Limo and I met with some of his friends to talk about his vision for a church, an orphenage and a running camp in his hometown in Kenya. We're so excited for the things to come :) Then we headed back to SA so he could meet my family. As I'm writing this the morning after, he's sitting beside me, somehow still alive. If one can survive one day with the Lindner family, they're good to go! As I mentioned earlier, we just finished an awesome run and now we're off to make and eat pancakes. Then it's Church, and off to the Riverwalk to see an IMAX and tour the Alamo. WHAT A DAY!!! We're gonna finish things off with a track workout in the PM. Wish us luck! :)

BSLT Race Report

Well, this isn't going to be the most pleasant post I've ever written. I had high hopes coming into this race...my training was spot on, and i was mentally and physically more ready for this race than I had ever been before. But I came down with the flu (or something) a few days prior to race day, so that just threw things off. But life, and the race, goes on!

So to keep this post at a decent length, I'm just going to skip to the race recap:

The swim: I actually had a great swim. The wave I was in was probably the smallest of any race I'd ever been in, so I didn't experience the lovely "washing machine" effect of most swim starts. I just got into a great rythmn and kept it up. Turned in a solid 30:...something. I'll check and fix this later :P

The bike: The BSLT bike course is pretty flat, with 8 big hills, and the wind was tough as usual. I was surprised to see how many people I was passing, 'cause the guys started before the girls in the race, and usually most of them just increase their lead on the bike. But the hill training I've done must have paid off! I felt great, just flew along and kept up a solid pace (for me). My tri training has been more run focused lately, so the 18.6 pace I averaged was no more than I deserved. I really need to work on my weaknesses more. But my legs felt golden coming into the run, so that was nice :)

The run: Oh, the run. This is where everything fell apart. Usually, the run is MY event. I make up places, catch my competition and have a blast doing it. But not today. I think that I wasn't totally recovered from the flu, 'cause even though my legs had a great run in them, my insides didn't. I was (seriously!) freezing cold, and couldn't quit shaking. I also felt really dizzy and nauseous, and couldn't keep even water down. After throwing up at the first few aid stations I just quit trying to drink. I'd never felt this way before, and I was both mad and scared at the same time. But I knew that if I walked, or slowed down too much, I couldn't live with myself, so I just kept pushing on. My run time was a horrendous 1:52, which is more than pathetic. After the 1:23 13.1 I ran in training last week, I was expecting something more like a 1:30 or 1:35 split. But I did my best with what I had, and I rest in the knowledge that I couldn't have done anything more, anything better or faster.

It's really frustrating, 'cause I KNOW I had a win in me today. I was leading after my two weaker events, leading going into the run, which is more than my strength, it's the event I didn't think I could ever lose! Boy was I proven wrong. After the ultras this season I thought that nothing could bother me in the run...but I hadn't yet experienced sickness and stomach distress. Until you've experienced this yourself, people, don't discount the damage it can do! It was awful..

But the good news!!! - I finally achieved my goal of blacking out after finishing. I'd always wanted to push myself so hard that I just collapsed, and I finally did it! They kept me in the med tent for over an hour, 'cause apparently my temp was 101, and I couldn't stop shaking and dry heaving. But after a ton of IV, I started to feel better. (That IV was awful, by the way...they had to poke me 5 times before they could get into my veins, uggh NEVER again!).

And now I'm not sore at all. I'm really week and still feel pretty awful in general, but zero muscle soreness :(. The run was just to slow to do much damage to my legs. But that means that I'll be fresh for my birthday workout Friday! I'm so stoked about 22 mile repeats, 'cause I'll get that good ol' screaming ache in my legs after that workout, for sure :D

Well, that about covers everything. I'm not too stoked about this race, if you couldn't tell, 'cause even though I placed 3rd, that is NOT 1st. I had a win in me today, my legs were more than ready, but some things you just can't control. I'm going to take a few easy days, trash myself Friday, then start the training block for Ironman Louisville. I really really want to qualify for Kona there, even though I don't have any idea how I'm going to fit that into my schedule in the fall (grad school, IM Louisville, IM Arizona, and the NYC marathon). What am I thinking?! At least I'm considering Kona for 2011...

This race proved to me that triathlon means more to me than I thought it did. After the Rocky Raccoon 100 mile race in February, I'm going to focus on triathlon through the next two years. I am going to come back and SMASH this race. I will not take a break from tri (to focus on ultrarunning) until I have raced Kona, raced a sub-11 ironman, and a sub-5 half-iron. So there ya go! The times won't be hard to make, at all, but I want that done by next year. I'm not going to look further than that right now.

So a big CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who raced BSLT this weekend, it was a killer race and everyone did great! I can't wait to be back next year and have my revenge :D

This past weekend

I know, I know, it's been forever since I last posted. What can I say, I've just been so lazy! Swim, bike, run, EAT, sleep, what a wonderful life ;)

For now.

'Cause I'm getting a job (probably at Lifetime Fitness) after the BSLT triathlon in June, and my Spanish class is picking up speed. But I like being busy, so it's all good.

But anyway, this weekend was so great!!! I finally got to meet Kiplimo, and he is incredible. I refuse to act like a typical gushy lovesick girl, so that's all I'm going to say. See facebook if you're curious :)

I got to hang out with him and his awesome friends, and meet his sweet Aunt Grace. I love them! Can't wait to head back to Flower Mound again. I'll actually be there in July for a wedding, which happens to be on my birthday (the 2nd). For those of you who have been keeping up with me on facebook, you know that my birthday this year means a crazy tough track workout - 22 x 1 mile, at the track. One repeat for each year that I have been alive. Assuming that I am still alive at the end of the workout, of course. I'm going to do the workout in Flower Mound, which means that I will have an elite Kenyan runner to pace me ;) Yes, Kip, you are going to do them with me. You said you wanted to get back to racing track, right? Consider this your welcome back workout. Nasty and evil, just like track workouts should be. Ahh, the sweet scent of sweat, the ache of side stiches, the furious pumping of an overstrained heart, and the agony of cramping hamstrings and trashed quads, nothing better! I should probably bring flat shoes instead of heels for the wedding, no?

But anyway, that was my weekend. This next week is pretty normal for me. With the exception of the Spanish exam...tomorrow? oops, I should probably start studying. I'll write more soon, 'cause I'll have a lot to cover - BSLT, a super cool trip to Colorado, and GREAT friends :) I am so blessed!

umm

haha I have no idea what I'm about to write. guess I'll just make it up as I go! My family just arrived back from vacation yesterday, and boy it is noisy in the house! Next to me, my sister Sarah is singing the words "I'm such a creeper" in her opera voice. As she sings this, she is stalking people on facebook and uploading cell-phone pictures of some random guy at school. Poor dude. Sarah's going to kill me if she reads this. My other sister is at a sleepover somewhere, and my brother is at a...smores bbq? I dunno, he's with his guy friends so I'm sure that this will involve fireworks and blowing stuff up. So fun.

Training is training. Last week was solid, with the exception of the bike crash. I am looking forward to a long run tomorrow!! It's been a while since I put in a high-quality run of more than 30 miles. Just about 6 weeks 'till the Vermont 100K, it's about time to start the training! LOL. But I also have to focus on BSLT, 'cause that's my first tri since the Longhorn 70.3 in October. Or was it November? Whatever. Point is, I'm ready to race a triathlon! Running is more fun but the thrill you get from racing a triathlon is incredible. Plus I'm trying to qualify for the IM World Championships in Hawaii. No pressure, right?

Umm. Umm. I'm not glycogen depleted 'cause I just did a short swim today, nothing else. Guess I'm just tired! There hasn't been much going on besides training, eating and reading everything in sight (does that sound weird? you know what I mean), hanging with my family and playing with my pets. I'll write more soon!

swimbikeruneatsleepread

Yup! this has been my life for the past week and I love it! I'm living at home in San Antonio for the summer, but the day after I got back my family headed out on vacation for 10 days. I stayed home to train and watch our pets (and I'm supposed to look for a part-time job but decided to put that on hold for a few days ;). So here is a look at a typical day for me this past week: sleep in 'till around 7 (gasp!), chill out for an hour or three with coffee, a book and my dog, then head out on the bike for a few hours. Next comes a t-run, then off to the pool! Of course my training is pretty structured right now, and the length and intensity varies by day, but this is the general scenario. Could anything be better?!

This week is a really intense crash week for me - high volume, but not leaving out intensity either. Thankefully the Texas hill country is taking care of most of that for me! If everything goes according to plan, I'll have logged 400 miles on the bike, 60 miles running, and 22,000 yards in the pool by the end of the week. Awesome! I know the running milage is low for a crash week, but that's to allow for more cycling, which I REALLY need to work on. I did have a little glitch on Tuesday, when I got run off the road while cycling. I went down pretty hard, and got some road rash, bruising (my hip is almost entirely purple lol) and aggravated my knee and hip. But nothing too bad, and though I had to take the rest of the day off, and nixed all interval work in the pool for the rest off the week thanks to my stiff neck, I don't expect to have to change up anything else. Whew!

I haven't been baking as much as I thought I would. Guess I've just been too tired. But I HAVE experimented with/improved on some awesome recipes that I've been dying to try, including no-sugar banana bread, roasted walnut butter, green smoothies and kale chips. The kale chips rocked! Oh man. I'm about to try to make spinach chips; hope they turn out the same! The green smoothies are awesome too, I've been making them for a while now but new versions have appeared in my sweet Vitamix nearly every day. Two of my favorites are romaine, bananas, oranges, strawberries and green grapes; and spinach, pineapple, banana and soy ice cream. YUM!

There's so much more that I could write about, but if I covered everything else this post would probably be 10 pages long! So I'll stop here and get those spinach chips in the oven. Happy training everyone, enjoy your day!

Oh man. I always try to avoid posting anything when I'm really emotionally wound up, 'cause I'll look at that post later and wonder what sort of emotional freak wrote that stuff! lol. But I need to recap everything that's gone on this past week - graduation, Final Review, saying goodbye to all my friends... . The thing that sucks about being a military brat is you never get to make lifelong friends. It's not too hard to keep in touch with people, but since you never actually "know" them for more than a few years you never really form a strong bond. I started school at Texas A&M just a few weeks after moving to Texas, so the only friends I have here are at A&M! And now I've graduated and have to start over again at Texas Tech in August. Joy. But I have had the best years of my life here; with triathlon, work, my classes, the Corps, it's all been crazy busy but so much fun! I can't believe it's all over though...seems just yesterday that I was spending the night with the Corps (B-Co, ha!), enduring my my first weeks of the Corps, attending my first classes..where did these four years go? I would do it all over again in a hearbeat, no doubt about it.

But I could go on about that for hours so I'll stop myself here. Graduation. WOW!!! Like one of my friends said, that ceremony was magical. I was dissapointed to realize that the actual moment of walking across the stage and receiving my diploma is a total blank in my mind - I actually asked my sister if I did indeed take the diploma and shake everyone's hand 'cause I honestly don't remember a second of it! AHHhhhh! Oh well. Since I was homeschooled I never had a normal high school graduation so this ceremony was extra special for me.

But graduation paled in comparison to Final Review. That was probably the most memorable ceremony that I will ever experience. Unless you've been in the Corps you just can't understand the feelings we seniors had when we marched around Kyle Field for the last time, and then stood by and watched our underclassmen march by us. I almost cried, and probably will later on when I think back on it all. The camraderie we all have is amazing, and I am going to remember my friends and fellow cadets for the rest of my life. Thank you facebook, I have never appreciated you more!!! haha. Definitely going to keep up with everyone online. I don't know anyone else from A&M that is going to Texas Tech next year, but at least I'll get to see lots of old friends at the Fightin' Texas Aggie football games in the fall. I can't wait!

So now I'm going home (San Antonio) for the summer. I'd almost rather stay in College Station to be with my friends taking summer school, but when I look back at the past two summers of doing that I realize that I never really hung out with too many people. So I'll try to meet some new people from SA in these next few months. I also need to find a part time job to save up money for these next two years in grad school. I have a scholarship and will be paid as a TA, butttt as everyone knows, grad students(especially those studying history!) do NOT have any extra money. The fact that I am not a girly-girl shopaholic is negated by the fact that I am a triathlete in need of a new wetsuit, aero-helmet, oh and yeah a new bike would be nice to. LOL!!! I need sponsors, but am unfortunately unable to muster the necessary enthusiasm for this sport to seriously compete at a high enough level to attract them. What can I say, I am a runner at heart.

So that's all for now. I could go on and on but it would only be pointless rambling about my incredible memories and how much I'm going to miss everyone. I have never appreciated Heaven like this before! It's nice to know that I will be able to reconnect with alot of people later on...and this is yet another reason to tell everyone about Jesus! :D

To all my friends - I love you all and hope to see you around, SOONer rather than later! Let's all come back to Aggieland as much as possible, 'kay?!

Less than a week to go!

That's right, less than one week from today I will be done with finals. Actually, not only will I be done studying, but I'll be on my bike headed to Austin! Several of my friends and I are celebrating our upcoming graduation by cycling to Austin and back (roughly 200 miles I think) next week. I'm so pumped - I love Austin!

These days are just going by too fast. I'm finally recovered from the race last weekend, and boy does if feel good to run again! Today I decided to pamper myself and live that day that I've been dreaming about: I slept in 'till 7:30 (wow!), relaxed with cup of coffee while reading Runner's World, then headed out the door for a long run. A nice change of pace from my usual wake up call of 4AM, and the usual wakeup-throwonshoes-hitthedoortogorunning mornings. But in the end, I really prefer to wake up early and get things going. I just have so much more time to get everything done. But it was a nice break! During the run I saw the most adorable BABY miniature horse! The image of that baby galloping around the pasture next to his miniature mommy totally redefined the word "cute" in my book.

There's so much more I want to write about, but I need to hit the books. *Yawn*. After everything's done I'll update this blog with a TON of stuff that I really want to get in writing. ONE WEEK!!!

Races I will finish in my lifetime:

Ironman New Zealand. The Spartathlon. The Pharonic 100K. I'm not really sure why I wrote this, guess I just wanted it on paper somewhere. Let me know if you're interested in joining me! :)

Free States 100K

Oh boy! First 100K in the books. It was an incredible race; like all races it had its ups and downs but in the end, it was the entire experience that counts. First time @the distance, I can't complain about the results. A little background on this race: the trails at Clinton State Park are NEVER dry. ever. And it had been raining in Lawrence for three days straight, so by race day the trails were soaked, and there was standing water over roughly 20% of the course...the rest was ankle to knee deep mud. If it wasn't for this, the course would have been crazy fast, 'cause it's all rolling hills but the total elevation gain is only 5000ish feet. The volunteers were the best ever, and this whole race was a perfect example of the spirit of ultra/trail running.

Anyway, I started out not feeling that great, I guess my head just wasn't in the game. Usually when I race, I've put in several months of solid training and by race day I'm ready to go out and kill it! But with only two weeks notice before this one, I didn't really put in any training. In the end it didn't matter though, 'cause running is about the heart - the only reason you train is to prep your body for the physical pounding it's gonna take, but to just finish an ultra you need mental toughness and can get away with minimal prep as long as you're in good shape to begin with.

The course was three loops, each just over 20 miles. It was an out-and-back with a big loop in between. I made a mistake early on; I missed the turnoff for the "back" on the first lap so I basically ran out, two loops, back, a second full lap, then a third of just out-and-back, minus what would have been a fourth loop. Confusing I know, but I'm too out of it to explain further. This actually turned out great for me, 'cause due to my unique position on the course, I got to run with several different groups of people. I started out with the 100K guys on the first loop. When I missed the turnoff I ended up with the marathoners, and ran that second loop and the "back" portion with the lead girl - we hit it off and had a great time doing that gasp/talk/pant thing. You runners know what mean! I also met a guy who teaches high school history in Lincoln, Nebraska, close to my birthplace. We chatted about teaching, and God, and all sorts of random stuff.

Then on my second full lap, I met the back-of-the-packers in the 100K. These guys are my heroes - while the rest of us are chillin' out with food, blankets and fun at the end of the race, busy complaining about how bad it hurts to run for 8-10 hours, these guys are out there running for longer than we ever have in our lives, and probably ever will. THAT is tough, people, 'cause they're out there by themselves, toughing it out and hurting in ways that only they know. I was so stoked to meet some of them, and was inspired by hearing their stories about Leadville, Kettle Moraine, and other insane ultras. Make no mistake people, these guys, no matter how "slow" they may be, are INCREDIBLE athletes!

But on the "back" portion of my second full lap, before my final out-and-back, I caught up with the lead male runner, and we paced each other 'till he finished. Man he was hurting! Not just physically but mentally 'cause he had no idea how close his competition was. With all those switchbacks and the sound of the rain and your own footfalls, it's impossible to tell if anyone is coming up on you. That pressure of not knowing how much of a lead you have, and your desperation to maintain it, is just awful. But he finished in first, and I was really grateful for the company.

Aaannnd for the last 10 miles of my race...hahaha. One of the guys I'd run with for a while told me a story about a race in which he fell less than a mile from the finish line, but thanks to his cracked ribs and broken ankle he couldn't finish. So I just kept telling myself, "don't do anything stupid, run fast but be careful!" And of course, not five minutes into this last section, I...well I'm not sure actually. I think I might have passed out? I remember wrenching my left ankle after catching it on a tree root, and I think I was falling...I ended up on my back, not sure how I got there, and had obviously hit my head, 'cause there was blood @the back, and I felt kind of dizzy and sick. I let myself sit for a minute or two, then began the loooong hobble to the finish line. I think it was about 8 miles...grrr. But this was a good lesson for me, 'cause I let my mind wander way to much during these races, and I have to remember that no matter where I am in the race, no matter how I feel, I have to keep my wits about me. I will never, ever, ever run a 100-miler without a pacer. I just can't concentrate enough, and one of these days I could really hurt myself.

But I finished! It was awesome, 'cause with less than two miles left I met this guy from my hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, who designes satellites and military equipment. Can't believe that I sometimes complain about studying history...but he told me stories about the Leadville 50 and some other races that I've been thinking about doing in the next several years, and chatting with him really helped me feel better. And then the finish! YES!! No matter how much one loves running, it's always great to get to the finish 'cause 1) it's a race after all, and you've been running hard and are more than ready to be done and 2) you get an incredible feeling of accomplishment as you reflect on what you've just done. And the really cool part? I finished literally one minute before the downpour started. It had been raining on and off throughout the day, but boy it was coming down now! I chilled out with some other runners and the support crew for a bit, collected by belt buckle, then headed back to my friend's house.

Chris, thank you so much for letting me stay at your place and driving me everywhere! You and your parents are awesome!!!

So for my first 100K experience, it wasn't that bad. I'm racing the Vermont 100K in July, and I am going to SMASH that course. Kill it. I'll be in better condition, both mentally and physically. And that course shouldn't be muddy, it's hilly but I love that. I'll feel like a total wimp 'cause the Vermont 100 miler is the same day, but in February '11 I'll run my first 100 miles. So it's all good. So for now, I'm just praying like crazy that my ankles heal fast, or at least that the swelling goes down. This is my last full week to "officially" wear my senior boots and I don't want to miss any of that. If you're reading this, pray for me? I really appreciate it. Recovery time begins soon, I'm going to put my feet up and slather them with biofreeze, and get to work on my Latin assignments. Only three more weeks!!!

Boston Marathon!

No, not for me. I was an idiot and didnt' register in time. But I'm qualified for next year at least. I couldn't possibly be more thrilled for everyone out there tomorrow...you will have the time of your lives and remember this race forever. I still remember all the little details, ha! Some I wish I could forget, but they do provide comic relief! This isn't much of a post but I just had to say something about Boston. I'm a runner at heart, and though I have at least one season of triathlon ahead of me, running will always be my passion, and I want to experience as many marathons/trail runs/ultras as possible in my lifetime. Boston especially. If you haven't yet experienced this one TRAIN RACE QUALIFY REGISTER RUN!!! You'll never regret the time and effort involved I promise. But anyway, good luck to everyone running tomorrow, I wish you the best and will be praying for fast times, incredible memories and lots of (happy) tears :)

Back in Lubbock/insane 100K race/etc!!!

Yeah, these next few weeks are gonna be crazy! I'm off to Lubbock tomorrow for a bunch of meetings with USAT and all the collegiate tri teams in the South-Midwest region. Too soon, I'm going to be finished with my two-year stint as a regional representative/conference director for the South-Midwest region. I can't believe it...really going to miss this job. I got to meet the most amazing people, and visit Seattle, Washington and Colorado Springs, Colorado - two of the most beautiful places on earth. I'm still thinking about working full-time for USAT later, living in Colorado Springs would be incredible. These next two years in Lubbock will be full of big decisions...

Speaking of Lubbock, I'm being an idiot and, like last year, driving there and back from College Station in one day. 14hrs of driving is gonna kill me. But I have a TON of studying and writing to get done this weekend, so I just want to get those hours put away by Friday so I can have the rest of the weekend to study and swim. SWIM! Off on a tangent now...at the pool today, I met this awesome new professor at A&M. He's gonna be teaching medicine, and so cool he's a swimmer! He asked me to teach him some stroke technique, and after doing that I told him about the book Total Immersion, which is pretty much how I taught myself to swim. It's a great book, even if you're a good swimmer I recommend reading it. But the prof and I had a great conversation about scuba diving, history, medicine, Texas Tech, and hockey. Random but totally awesome! I LOVE the incredible people you can meet through sport; that is definitely my favorite thing about training and racing. What's the point of it otherwise?

But what else...oh yeah, this 100K. Umm, I don't really know what to say about this one. I decided to nix the New Orleans 70.3 because my training just wasn't coming along as well as I hoped. I'm in great endurance shape now - I swam 8000 meters at a strong pace earlier today and felt great the entire way. I can run for hours without getting tired, but cycling is as usual - decent but not where it needs to be. Come to think of it, I've never been happy with my cycling fitness, more than likely because I just don't like the sport enough, or care enough, to train like I need to. Guess that's why I'll always be a better runner than triathlete! :D I really need to work on speed, which is my sole focus this summer. But for right now, I'm skipping New Orleans because I know that it just won't be the race I want, and though normally I'd use the experience to bolster my training, I can't afford to dissapoint myself right now. It's been a tough semester, mentally at least...But I really wanted another race this semester, 'cause after all, what's the point of intensive training otherwise? There's no ironman around this time (except for St. George which is finals week, no way!) so my only other option was running races. And what's the point of just another marathon/50? I've already done that. So despite the fact that I haven't done any ultra-specific training since February, I signed up for the Free State 100K, held April 24 in Lawrence, Kansas. I'm really excited about this one, 'cause not only is it going to be my first 100K, but I get to stay with a great friend who I haven't seen in a while - Chris Steil! He's awesome and offered me a place to stay, and is even driving me to and from the race, 'cause after running 100K the last thing I want to do is drive myself anywhere! I remember driving back to CS really late at night after a tough 50-miler...ouch. Never again if I can help it!

So that's that...hehe I've told some people about this 100K and they've sweetly offered to make funeral arrangments for me. I love my friends ;)

Well, it's getting late and normally I'd head off to bed or study some more. But since I'm leaving so early tomorrow, my run is going to have to be SUPER-early, as in 3AM. Fun fun. I know that if I go to bed now, I'll do my usual shut-off-alarm-and-fall-back-asleep and leave way late and miss the meetings in Lubbock. I slept from 11AM to 6PM Wednesday, and 9PM to 8AM. Best day/night of sleep ever, and now I'm well rested and ready to tackle this crazy boring day tomorrow. So I'm going to treat myself to some reading for fun now :D Like I said next week is insane so I may not post again until after the race on the 24th. But I'll do that ASAP so you guys know that I'm still alive ;)

decisions decisions...

Ahhh these past few weeks have been crazy! Last week I got an average of 3hrs/night for three days straight. I've never been drunk in my life, but I'm pretty sure I experienced some of the effects...stupid things I did are included, but not limited to: stalling my car in the middle of an intersection, losing my: keys, wallet, cell phone, backpack, favorite swimsuit&cap, insulated waterbottle, and ironman towel (found most of it though), mixing up a few assignments (but thankfully was able to correct everything!), mixing up the names of a few good friends (seriously), falling asleep in the bathroom (yes) and several more things that I can't remember, 'cause I'm still catching up on sleep :P Oh dear...But things are looking up this week; I'm ahead in most of my classes, and the only stuff that I really need to get done is my neverending Latin homework. Just trying to survive that class...
But on to the decisions part. I'm registered to race the New Orleans 70.3 this Sunday (April 18) but am seriously considering nixing that race. I've had a really tough semester, training-wise. I feel like I'm in great shape right now, but I don't think my speed is up to par. I've got the endurance base, and my running is better than ever :D But the thing about 70.3s is, it's all about speed; it doesn't matter how long you can swimbikerun, if you can't go that fast your race is gonna be awful. I know that I wouldn't have a great race, probably not even a good one...and honestly, adding a sub-par race on top of everything else would put me down in the dumps. I just don't want deal with that right now. Plus the travel time would take away precious study time. Soooo I'm considering registering for the Kansas 70.3 on June 6. That would be ideal, right after finals so no stress, and I've wanted to race that one for so long! But triathlons are pretty expensive, so I'm not sure that'll work out. Hopefully I'll know in a week or so. I tried SO hard to find a 100K this next weekend to race instead of New Orleans, but no luck; I can't afford to fly to Cali or Washington. Ultras have a way of relaxing me like nothing else, and I know that mentally, nothing could be better for me at this point. Butttt that's not gonna happen, so I'll just have to wait until July 17, when I'll get to race the Vermont 100K. I'm really excited about that one :)
*Yawn*. Well, I'm going to bed. Sorry about the random post, but I'm tired and it's this is the best I can write. Hopefully I'll make more sense next time. But not likely. Finals are coming up and even though I'll try to stay ahead, the work will pile up anyway. Sleep. Sleep is good. Very good. 'Night everyone...

I'm gonna miss this...

I can't believe that in just over a month, I will be a college graduate. That's insane! These years have gone by soooo fast. I've lived here in College Station longer than I have anywhere else - thank you Air Force! I've loved it, but settling down for four full years really helped this attachment grow...I'm ready to graduate, I'm excited about the future and know that I'm prepared for grad school. Texas A&M isn't "my" school anymore...I don't know most of the people I see everyday; my class is about to graduate and move on. I'll miss the teachers for sure, especially my sweet undergraduate history advisor. I love her! And I'll miss the campus, Kyle Field in particular. But I'm ready to move on. Sure I may shed a few tears, but I really wouldn't want to spend any more years studying here. My only regreat is that there are so many more subjects I wish I could have studied! Oh if I only had the money, I would give anything to go back and get a Bachelor's degree in several different areas...I'm definitely going to audit classes in the future. Just can't get enough of history, religion, geography, philosophy, and so many other subjects! I wish I could make a career out of studying for personal enrichment. Even as a teacher I'll have to be too specialized for my taste.

The thing that I'm going to miss the most is triathlon. The fightin' Texas Aggie Triathlon Team, to be exact. We've come a long ways since my freshman year, but to be honest I don't like it. I'm glad that the team has grown so much, but I miss the way things were a few years ago. I formed some incredibly awesome friendships with some incredibly awesome people. Shout out to Cheryl, Cara, Meghan, Nellie, Paige, Rick, Ryan, Devin, Aaron, Eric, Daniel and so many more people. You guys were with me for my first Nationals, my first marathon, through all these years as we've grown up and begun to graduate. Not to be creepy, but I want to keep in touch with you guys for the rest of our lives. Seriously.

Sometimes I wish I could go back and start my entire college experience over again, knowing what I know now. But honestly, I don't think I'd change a thing. I LOVE my job working for USAT, and all the time I've spent training and racing. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to spend so much time by myself, but that's what it takes to race well. I'm glad I joined the Corps...it took a lot of time, and wasn't particularly useful for anything, but I formed a lot of friendships through it. I DO wish that I had figured out earlier that Nutrition was not the right path for me, so I wouldn't have wasted so many hours studying chemistry, and would have had more classes on history, etc. to take. But it's all part of growing up, figuring out who you are, what you are passionate about, what you want to do for the rest of your life. I never really pictured what I would do for a living. I know that I'll be training and racing ultramarathons and probably triathlons for the rest of my life. And I want to have a family so bad! I'll be in grad school for the next few years, at least two while I work towards my MA (history), and I may decide to pursue a Ph.D. To be honest though, I'd rather just teach elementry school, because I love kids so much! I know it won't pay as well, but there are more important things than money. Also, I'd love to be a coach. Running probably, perhaps cross country. Maybe triathlon. Boy that would be awesome! Not the greatest job security, but still...I'm glad that I have at least two years before I have to figure that stuff out!

I'd love some advice/tips from anyone who's experienced the "graduating" experience. I'm more than ready to take on the real world, but it's a little scary to think about! Life is good here, CRAZY busy but good. I'm excited, nervous, the works. Hopefully I'll make some good friends in Lubbock, because I'll sure need them! Can't wait to move up there in August, and start the next chapter of my life...wow, I still can't believe this came so fast...

Lubbock

Well I've been crazy busy with school, work and training lately, but took a break for a few days to pay a visit to Texas Tech. The history department hosted a grad student recruitment weekend, and it was a blast! They introduced us to all the faculty and several of the current grad students, who answered all our questions and gave all the prospective students an in-depth look into the program. I made some great friends there, including a fellow MA student who will be studying religion and environment. She is the sweetest lady; she is recovering from cancer and her determination to overcome everything that life has thrown at her is just amazing. I also met a retired Air Force officer who will be studying military history; he has five of the most adorable kids! I see babysitting in my future, yay! I loooove kids :)

On another note, we toured the campus and the surrounding areas while I was there...so pretty. The town itself is pretty flat, but I know from racing near Lubbock that there ARE some hills :). Friday night an awful dust storm blew through; I hope that I'll never experience winds like that again. But who am I kidding, it's Lubbock...but it'll be great prep for Kona. Hopefully I'll be able to find some training partners next year, 'cause it's been pretty lonely here in College Station! Nobody here races long distance year-round like I do, but I HATE the shorter stuff.

Umm...this blog is going to be really boring for the next few months, I can already tell. Sorry! I really don't have much to write about except school, work, Corps, and triathlon, and let me tell ya, it's just as boring to live as it is to write about. I can't wait to graduate and...do it all over again. lol! But no Corps, and I'll be teaching and grading papers instead of working with USAT. I'm sure going to miss my job though - I work as a liason between USAT and the collegiate community in the South-Midwest region. After attending a few meetings with the USAT staff, I swore I'd never work for USAT full time - too much politics! But definitely rethinking that though, 'cause it sounds a lot more fun than teaching history!

This summer I'll hopefully have some awesome adventures to document. If my work schedule permits, I'll be travelling to Champaign, Illinois to trail run, Colorado Springs to explore (and run up Pikes Peak!!!), Lubbock to find an apartment and visit all the health/natural food stores(duh), and Arizona to visit friends and train triathlon. Keeping my fingers crossed! Let me know if you want to join me, seriously. Traveling is much more fun with lots of friends :)

Back at it

Happy Monday! Back to the grind after an awesome Spring Break full of swimbikerun. A quick recap:

Sunday's run was just beautiful - I love running through the sunrise. I forgot about daylight "savings" time though, so I was literally running an hour late. oops! I had about fifteen minutes between the time I got back and the time I had to leave for Church, so I didn't get to stretch, and boy I was feeling it later on. Oh well! Swam later on and then just relaxed for the rest of the day. My friend and teammate Adam came down to train with me, and we experimented on a granola bar recipe that night..EPIC fail. We tried mixing oats, wheat germ, coconut, blueberries and almond butter into bars, and while the mixture tasted great, it turned out more like granola. We ended up eating it for breakfast instead of a mid-ride snack, but hey, at least we used it!

Monday we swam with my Mom's master's group, and it was a blast! Lots of IM sets, my favorite :) Then it was off on a century ride, Adam's first ever and my first in FORever haha. We rode along the Guadaloupe River and it was just so beautiful! We stopped to see some buffalo at a buffalo farm on the way too. The t-run was really short, probably the shortest run of my life, but even fifteen minutes is fun :)

The rest of the week was pretty much the same, and by the end of it all I finally felt like by bike fitness was coming back. Besides triathlon though, I did absolutely NOTHING. I'd train, eat, sleep and read, that's it - just no energy for anything else. I could do this for a living!!!

This week is swim week, with several shorter, faster runs and as much cycling as I can fit in. I'm going to Lubbock on Thursday to meet my professors and fellow grad students, and more importantly check out the pools/running trails/bike routes! This means that I have to get ahead in my homework though, so I'm going to spend the next few hours writing papers, translating Latin and researching American Indian dietary rituals in the 17th century. Yup I'm nuts...but if you know me, you already knew that. Then I'm off on the bike to enjoy the gorgeous day!