Success!

It is done. I did not end up with enough photos to do the race justice so I'll leave the storytelling up to the other ladies, but suffice to say that we endured some pretty nasty conditions and still finished great. I'm not just saying that to be nice—every single one of us (including my old man at age 57) finished top-three in our respective age groups and earned a medal. Way to go maniac trainers!

Last lap

We are nearing the finish line once again folks. Just a few more days of training left, then the race on Saturday. The three of us have talked a lot lately about whether or not it has been harder this year than last year. Decision—toss up. From my vantage point...

Worse things
• soreness/tiredness
• expectations
• kid juggling
• lack of sleep
• still can't bike fast enough
• rainy weather

Better things
• not pulling bike chariots or pushing strollers
• not being pregnant (Ariel)
• swimming
• experience = less fear
• having a road bike

the tri before THE TRI

So I did my second triathlon of my life this last weekend. I can now with more confidence (because you know I said it before) say that I am a triathlete! My home town of McMinnville (but I prefer McVegas) TN held its 7th annual triathlon and me along with two awesome triathlon chicks from Atlanta (Karen the Bomb Meadows and Hayley the Cruiser Bennett) joined me in the festivities of swimming, biking, running, and sweating!

The swim was a pool swim HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! and was 350 yards long. My time 6:52 -with run out please note.

The bike was 15.25 miles of rolling hills. My time 52:23 (17.5 mph- which is good for me! but yes, I know, still slow)

The run the-hills-from-hell run was a 5K. My time was 25:40 (with 2 water stop walks and 1 one I'm-gonna-walk-for-40-seconds-so-I-don't-puke-going-up-this-killer-hill stop. That was a lot of hyphens.). So not bad.

So overall my time was 1:27:59 with transitions and all. (I'm so glad it wasn't 1:28 that would just be embarrassing!)

I am pretty pleased with this time considering the course (minus the swim) was way tougher than the FL course last year. This swim was shorter and nothing that could eat me lurked in the water, except maybe #74 - she looked kinda scary- just kidding Karen. The bike was more interesting with the course and do I dare say it, the hills. But, I swear the bike is what kills me! I will be at the bottom of hill getting ready to climb and look behind and there is no one for at least a 1/4 of mile and as soon as I take that first pedal stroke up it's like bikers are popping out of the ditches or something because I am getting passed left and well left because that is the only legal way. But anyway, I am getting passed! I did pass a few people....but only one on a hill and okay maybe he was putting his chain back on.

The run on this course was straight from that place! If it had been hot, thank goodness it wasn't I really would have thought I was in the lake of fire and brimstone. Steep hill after long steady hill, after winding steep hill. It was crazy. My legs felt like stumps, my breathing sounded like I was in labor, and my pace seemed ridiculous.

But guess what?????

Did you guess???

I came in 3rd in my age group!!!! YEAH!! not overall mind you those crazies were around 1:12....show off bikers.

But I did it! Ariel, Kendall, and Emily weren't there so I was able to do it! (Karen only decided 2 days before that she would join in and still did totally good and this was Hayley's first and she rode Bessie and still did awesome!)

But I WON! Can you tell I'm excited!?! They had an awards ceremony (which all my fam had already gone home so I don't even have any cool photos of this part) and all the other winners went up there and just smiled all solemn like. But, ummmmmm not really me. They said something about the division and announcement and apologized but I couldn't really hear what it was and then they announced my name in third place and I thought I am going to be composed and walk up there and smile all normal like. But the closer I got the giddier I got and I couldn't help it. By the time I was there, I was shrunk down into my shoulders saying "I'm so excited! I'm so happy!" over and over again and then I struck this big pose because I was all by myself (that must have had something to do with the announcement) on the podium with my left arm flung out high and my right arm flung out low to the side while doing some sort of crazy hip pop and saying really loud "I'm so happy! YEAH!". Of course people laughed because I probably looked like and sounded like a fool. But hey, it may never happen again! SO I SOAKED IT UP WHILE I COULD!


Anyway, on to FLORIDA and another two weeks of training. now I'm tired.

bonnie

On a rainy day

Behold the glory of our new racing outfits:

This morning, Kendall and I decided to take them out for a test run on our 3X3 training block (30 minute swim, 30 minute bike, 3 mile run). But we woke up to pouring rain. I mean POURING rain. But never fear, we did not back down. We decided to tackle the training as long as there was no thunder around swim time.

Completed the bike portion at the gym and then took off on the 3 mile course that leads back to my pool in a drizzle. We looked so Doublemint Gum cute in our matching outfits (right?). Cars couldn't help but honk at our ridiculousness. We were wet, but whatever, it's better than sweating. That is until we got an unexpected drive-by shower of mud as a car sped by. I tried my best to use Kendall as a shield, but she is just too dang skinny.

Completed the workout. I am grateful that the swim portion of the race is first and not last so as to reduce the risk of drowning.

Next time I'll remember to fasten the clasp on my fancy new bra top so I can reach the "performance" levels that it promises. Seriously.

Biker Chicks

Just an update on the state of our biking. Of note——the omnipresent "Bessie" in all her glory, and Kendall's look of pure happiness.

Which burns more calories...?

So Kendall and I did a extra large BIKE/RUN brick today. The bike was 40 minutes and the run (immediately - don't even try to breath and you're lucky if you get your hemlet off in time) was 5 miles. (Well, okay 4.8 miles because we were in a hurry.)

So here in HOTlanta we took off, and it was actually more pleasant than normal because of rain that was coming in. We did the bike without too much problem or incident....right Kendall? (She hates the bike!)

And then we ran. Well, Kendall had to major book it because she had to pick up her son from school. So we took off as fast as our lead legs would carry us. We ended up doing 4.8 in 40 minutes with 2 different 30 second or stops. We were dripping sweat. Honestly, I felt like had stepped out of the shower with out taking the time to dab and blot. (Does anyone really dab and blot - weird?)

But anway, we were disgusting. So Kendall takes off and I am at my sisters with Karen (another completely nut case when it comes to exercising) and Hayley who is training for the tri also. Karen gets bored waiting for Emily to get off the treadmill so she pops in a ChaLEAN abs video. Well, I have a choice, sit there and be completely exhausted - because I was - and watch and feel guilty while super-flat ab girls Karen and Hayley do there thing knowing my stomach is WWWWAAAYYYY pudgier. OOOOooooorrrr, I could join in. So I join in. YUCK! I thought I would puke. I burned way loads of calories this morning. I worked so hard I hardly said 10 words during our whole run. NOW THAT is unusual. I know you can hardly imagine that, but yes, I usually talk - a LOT.

But, here is my real question-

What burns more calories.....

.....80 minutes of cardio plus 17 minutes of extreme abs

OR

....trying to get that stinking, sweaty, sticky, roll-up-into-a-ball-over-your-chest-but-under-your-armpits-while-hopping-around-the-bathroom-in-hopes-that-some-way-that-will-dislodge-it-while-trying-not-to-panic-that-it-is-stuck-and-you-will-have-to-wear-it-like-this-forever-sports bra?

I think I just might go with the sports bra.

What about you?

The Bike: It's a LOVE - HATE relationship

THE BIKE HONEYMOON-

So I went out for a ride on my sister's sweet road bike (yes, I still have yet to buy my own - I am the queen moocher) on Wed and had a great ride. I mean the wind was in my hair (or at least my helmet), my legs were pumping out the miles, there was no baby trailer dragging behind so I actually moved along the trail, the seat was (well.....this is a list of positive things isn't it?), and my ipod was cranking. In fact, I was having such a great time out there that I'm yelling (my earphones were turned up really loud, so I have no doubt I was totally yelling) "hello", "good morning", " great day for a workout - huh?" and stuff like that to tons of people. (Couldn't hear one reply...earphones remember...)

Anyway, you know me. I get pumped up and start just jamming to my music. (Yeah, I have like 4 mixes and they are pretty much the same artists and some songs even overlap but I LOVE THEM. They are my power mixes. My aerobics class is so sick of them, and we start back tomorrow from a summer break and yeah, still haven't made any new mixes...ooops.) BUT ANYWAY, so I'm jamming to the music and when I say jamming I mean I'm riding the bike and all but I'm still playing the drums with my hands and every once in a while I will ride with no hands (and emily still trusts me...?). So this one time, Kelly Clarkston is singing Breakaway (I love me some Kelly while I sweat) and she says "I spread my wings and I learn how fly." Well, of course I do what any normal person would do when they are biking really hard, burning millions of calories, sweating out gallons or salty water, and zipping down a narrow wooded (ok paved) trail. I spread my wings. I shot boths hands out to side really fast and really wide and I may have even looked up toward the sky...not sure, but probably. But RIGHT THEN, this totally old dude. A biker. So old that if he was in a triathlon and they put his age on his calf it would have enough digits there to wrap around to the front of his leg - passes me on the left. But only AFTER HE SWERVES ALL SPASTIC LIKE TO MISS MY FLAILING ARMS!!! It was so hilarious!!! I am laughing so hard right now just remembering it and typing it for you!!! Luckily he thought it was funny too. He was shaking his head and smiling and laughing. I know he had to have seen me jamming/flailing while he was riding behind me. But seriously. I almost really took him out. AND he was cruising!!! I mean he flew by me. When I am his age, I just hope to be able to drive that fast. It was so funny. I laughed out loud for over a mile (he was way long gone by then). I laughed until I reached the hill. Then nothing was funny.


So that is my love story for the bike.

HONEYMOON IS OVER!!-

Can I tell you that Saturday when we had our BIKE/RUN BRICK. I was HATING (that is a harsh word I know and that is why I am USING IT HERE!!) life. I was back on Bessie. Yes, Bessie Rides Again! If you remember Bessie...there have to be pictures of her on here somewhere...she is a totally sweet, and totally heavy cruiser bike. She enjoys long rides on the boardwork, pina coladas, and sunsets. She does not however enjoy being ridden like crazy and trying to keep up with her skinny-minnie companions. She hates it so much that she just refuses to do it. So anyway, I biked Bessie for 45 minutes and then we ran. I thought I would really not leave that workout without at least one session of puking. I didn't but I sure wanted to. Oh, and I didn't even mention the chaffing! --OUCH!

Dang triathlon! Who's idea was this anyway!?!?