Everything and more

A quick Catch-up

2009-12-02T15:31:00.004-05:00

Russell - rescue dog - very much a puppy who has added to the chaos in my house.
Rescue Blue dog with his buddy Patty. He owns her.

Enjoying a moment in Charleston

Welcome to the hospital!

Apparently it has been months since I blogged which is now giving me the opportunity to figure out what exactly I have been doing during that time.

Here is how the past few months have unfolded:

September

Hospital Stay - I finished IM Louisville on a high note and felt good about my racing only to land in the hospital just 2 weeks later. I had a staph infection that was resistant to antibiotics. I was waited on hand and foot at our local hospital and enjoyed a vast array of pain killers. This was the beginning of my off-season as well. I did not plan it that way but I was informed that it would be unwise to get in the water with an open wound. A few days in the hospital must have done something to me because I actually obeyed!

October

Ache Around the Lake - Ironically the same hospital that treated me for my infection was also the same hospital that I put on my Ache Around the Lake 8K for. So I guess you could say I was more motivated than ever to make that a success. A lot of work, a lot of stress all for a good cause. The race got pulled off without any noticeable problems. We raised a lot of money for the hospital.

Ziggy - the same day as Ache Around the Lake I was back at the house unloading the U-haul truck and washing coolers when we noticed that Ziggy was not feeling well. He had been at the race with me that morning and walked the 2 mile Ouch with my friend's son. After observing him for a few minutes I realized something was very wrong. His stomach was hard and he was in enormous pain. I dropped everything and rushed him to the emergency clinic in Flat Rock. His stomach had indeed flipped over. He had what many call "bloat" or a "twisted gut" which without immediate attention means a quick death. $1200 deposit for the surgery, Surgery performed, dog saved. 2 days later he comes home only to find that we are having complications. That evening he is rushed back to the emergency vet where he stays for the rest of the week. Finally he comes home on the weekend and is now all back to normal.

November

Finally life starts to calm down just enough for me to realize all the work that has been left unattended due to all the medical emergencies. I spend a few weeks trying to catch up - still trying to catch up for that matter. I just realized I may never be caught up.

I almost forgot to mention the 2 rescue dogs that arrived for the fall fun. Blue dog and Russell - I love them both but together they make things very chaotic. I can handle 1 rescue at a time but is just too much. They are in the system now and know the routine but the 2 rescues love to play and run and romp. They are enjoying the good dog life here but often driving me insane. Then add the next paragraph and you can see why it is all just about enough to put me over the edge.

A "friend" of mine lands himself in the slammer (I am sure it was no fault of his own) and leaves me to take care of his American Staffordshire Terrior AKA Pit Bull. As if I don't have enough issues to deal with. Luke spends his day terrorizing me by barking and tearing the dog run apart and then finally by digging his way out of the dog run. Increased a normal level of stress from a 7 to a 10+ within moment of arriving at my house. To make matters worse my "friend" was only supposed to be "in" for 4 weeks - I have now had the dog for 5+ weeks. May I say NEVER AGAIN!?! I don't need "friends" like this!!!

All of a sudden it is time to start training again for the Myrtle Beach Marathon in Feb. I start back running but my body is slow and everything feels harder than it should. I am reminded of why I never should take time off...because it always hurts getting just half of your fitness back.

My parents treated me to a weekend of camping with them in Charleston at James Island County Park. On the trip down there I get a call from the pet sitter that Luke has escaped and is no where to be found. I was pretty sure at this point I was going to have to turn the RV around and go home but I got lucky and another friend agreed to try to find Luke and take care of him for the weekend. The rest of the retreat was wonderful and very relaxing, just not long enough.

So last but certainly not least - I have been named the Director of the Assaults on Mt. Mitchell. What this means is I get to organize everything that has to do with the Assaults on Marion and Mitchell bike rides - certainly challenging and plenty of work to add on to everything else. Always give a busy person something else to do!

Let the holiday season begin now that I am caught up on one thing...my blog.

Ironman Louisville

2009-09-02T15:46:00.003-04:00

Standing around before the start. I think we were almost in Indiana! From left to right - Peter Ramirez, Me, Brad Fraedrich, Peter (from Canada) & Colette.

My rabbit for the entire run. I never could catch him, but he was running scared!

Very happy to be running down to the finish!

Ironman Louisville August 30th 2009
Race Report

I have spent years chasing a goal, always thinking that I needed to train my body more, gain confidence from big miles when in reality the difference between this race and others was completely between my ears. This was not a perfect race by any means but it was perfectly focused and that is what made the difference.

I did not plan on racing in any Ironman races this year and as many of you have seen this was my second one in just 5 weeks. No matter what I tried to convince myself, I had unfinished business with Ironman. When I started doing Ironman in 2002 my goal was to qualify for Hawaii. I did that. Then I wanted to break 11 hours which seemed very realistic because I had been so close many times. As the races went by I would often have a great ride with a not so great run or vice-versa. I started to lose the belief that I could get there and I lost sight of the goal. This summer I thought it was time to enlist the help of a coach. Basically Coach Jim saved me from myself (most of the time). His approach to training was a little different than mine but I was at a point where I needed that. His encouragement and confidence building strategy worked wonders for me. I felt like I was making progress again. Ironman Louisville was my goal for the season.

This Ironman was going to be different than others for a few reasons. I had a group of friends/athletes who would be competing with me in this race. For some it was their first and for others they were going for a PR (Personal Record). The swim start was going to be a Time Trial, so this meant that we would all start 2 by 2 in the river. I also knew that Coach Jim would be out on the course, but I did not know where so I was going to have to work hard all the time because I certainly did not want him to catch me slacking!

Race morning started at 4 AM. I was up and eating (banana, bagel with peanut butter, yogurt). By 5 I was on my way to the transition area to drop off my bottles and nutrition for the bike ride (the bike and gear all had to be delivered there the day before). Then by 6 I was standing in line for the swim start. The line alone must have been about a mile long. I could not believe it! I thought that I was doing good getting there early. Once the line got moving it went very fast, about 200m before the swim start everyone started jogging, then we jogged down a maze of ramps to the river, crossed a timing mat, and jumped in.

The swim was in the Ohio River. It was so murky you could not see your hands in front of you, or other swimmers. The Time Trial start meant that there were a lot of slower swimmers out in front of me which made it interesting. I had to sight a lot more than normal. I also had to really keep myself calm because I hate murky water. The only thing I dislike more is shallow, murky water which is exactly what I passed through. I admit I got some water in my mouth at one point and started thinking about all the pollution and then I started gagging. I calmed myself down and thought about my old dog Yoda. He used to get in any body of water, he did not care, he just loved to swim. So thinking about him helped me calm down and focus. I swam wide around the island hoping to catch some current but all I got was wind and wake working against me. I could see the finish of the swim but it took an eternity to get there. When I exited the water I looked at my watch and saw 1:12 which is one of my worst swim times ever. As soon as I thought that I replaced that with the thought that when I used to swim slower, I would bike really fast to catch everyone. I let the swim time slip away and focused on the next task.

I ran into transition, picked up my bags and went into the changing tent. There Jan helped me get my shoes, helmet and sunglasses ready to go. Jan volunteered ALL day. Maybe she wasn’t racing but she made me proud! I thanked her and ran out of the tent, got my bike off the rack and took off.

The bike course started out on a very flat but bumpy road. I was cruising along at 20mph and it felt easy. I figured we must have a tail wind so I thought I would just enjoy it while I could. I was passing people like crazy which has not happened to me in years. Again Yoda came back to mind. That dog was fearless. I too, needed to be fearless today. What have I been afraid of? It was now or never. I was having fun and enjoying the little rolling hills. They seemed so easy compared to what I have at home. I had to change direction for a part of the course and I still felt my tail wind, my speed was still 20 mph at 20 miles into the race. Ironically I had given all my athletes a card before the race that said “May the wind always be at your back”. It is part of an Irish blessing. No matter what the wind did I told myself it was at my back pushing me ahead. It worked. At 50 miles into the race I was at 2:30 and feeling fine. I was having fun and I was riding reasonably but going fast. Coach Jim was standing in the middle of a few hills catching me doing something right! Soon I passed the 100 mile mark at 5:03. I worked all the way in to the finish line and ended up having a bike time of 5:39 for 112 miles. That is by far the fastest I have ever biked in an Ironman. I was so excited.

Coming into transition again my legs felt a little more used up than I would have liked, but it did not matter because I told myself “today is the day”. Jan was there to greet me again in transition and send me on my way. After a mile or so my running legs were back and I just focused on passing people. I started thinking about how good it was going to feel to finally break 11 hours. I started thinking about old Yoda and how many 20 mile runs that dog did with me, how he would have run himself into the ground to stay by my side. I was running way too fast for the first 3 miles and still all the way until 8 miles and then I had to slow down and start getting fuel in at the aid stations. I talked with a few girls as we ran together and cheered for friends while I could but then after mile 20 I just stared at the ground embraced the pain and willed myself through. I crossed the finish line in 10:51.

This was my 17th Ironman and I finally got it right. Perseverance pays off!

Interesting Statistics:
18th Amateur Woman Overall
8th Place in the 35-39 Age Group – only the top 3 get to go to Kona
30th – Overall Woman – this includes the pro women
241 out of about 2400 people to finish the race.

Ironman Lake Placid 2009

2009-07-29T11:53:00.001-04:00

Ironman Lake Placid July 26th 2009
Race Report

It has been a long time since I have written anything resembling a race report but I figured that this race would be a good one to share with everyone because a lot went right, a lot went wrong and there was just as much that was out of my control. The Ironman motto is “anything is possible” and while I love the way it sounds I also know that “anything can happen”.
Race morning was uneventful. Things went smoothly and I enjoyed the energy that accompanies such a large race. The music was blaring, athletes were looking serious, spectators were in awe and the lines the porto-potty were 100’s deep. It was time to race! It started raining shortly before the start but that really did not matter because whatever the weather does I am still racing.

I lined up in the water and got kicked plenty before the race ever started. I was about 5 rows back which was too far back for me. Instead of being swum over, I was the one swimming on top of people, oh what fun. Hand to hand combat in the Ironman. It was crowded but I fought my way over to the buoy line and swam just inside the buoys on the first lap. I was putting in a good effort but really not overdoing it. After the first lap I came out of the water at 30:40 something which I was really pleased with. The next lap I swam outside the buoys and did not get as good a draft but it was still good enough to get me out of the water in about 1:03. I was really happy about that. I enjoyed my run down to transition and felt like a rock star as everyone was lining the streets and cheering.

I was in and out of transition pretty quickly and out onto the bike course. My legs felt great but I really tried to keep the effort on the easy side because there is nothing worse than going too fast on the first lap and paying for it on the second lap. I just wanted to survive this bike course without any random accidents. At mile 10 a nice guy passing me informs me that my rear tire is going flat. Unfortunately I already suspected this because I could feel it pumping along. I had to get off and check it out. It wasn’t totally flat so I just put some CO2 in it and took off again. No big deal. Then at mile 15 I started to hear a really strange noise. It wasn’t my wheel or my tire, but it was definitely me. At that point I touched my hand to my helmet and the plastic top was coming off my aero helmet. As soon as I touched it the entire top piece of my helmet came off on my hand! At this point I am laughing because this has to be some sort of bad joke. I know I am just being tested. I just hold onto the piece of my helmet on my aero bars and try to figure out what on earth I am going to do with it. Lucky for me Tiffany & Dave (great support crew) were waiting about another 5 miles up the road so I gave it to them. I know, I know, technically that is against the rules but I figured it was my best option. Back out on the road I try to get focused again. I am getting passed like crazy. I check my speed and cadence constantly. I am doing 20 mph and getting passed like I am back pedaling. I remind myself at least 1000 times during the bike ride to just ride my race and not worry about getting passed. At mile 40 I find myself on the side of the road yet again putting some more CO2 in my tire. I guess my valve stem is leaking. Of course it did not leak at all in the days before the race! I have no one to blame since I put it on myself with loving care. Finally I complete 1 lap - 56 miles in 3:08 which is fine with me. I set off on lap number 2 just as the wicked wind kicks up and starts howling. It is a variable head wind; meaning it seems like I have a head wind no matter which direction we are riding in. I watch lots of big guys pass me and wish I had the guts to draft, I just don’t because I never have and I am not going to start now. A guy who is 6’10” passes me. I asked him how tall he was because I have never seen a bike that big! I start heading back to town and the headwind is worse than ever. Thank goodness my speedometer stopped working because I think if I could have seen how slow I was going I might have been sad. I just wanted to get past mile 107 since it is around there that I got hit from behind by another cyclist a few years ago – which ended my race that year. As I get close to that mile marker I am very thankful to be out on the course and happy to be able to do something like Ironman. I remind myself of this and suddenly it gets easier. My legs are feeling good, probably because I did not ride hard enough. My stomach is revolting. I can’t keep anything down and I know that I am going to have to survive off Coke and pretzels on the run.
I finally get back to the transition area and run into the tent on my rubber legs.

I actually sit down and take a break. I feel kind of tired and hungry. I just want to sit in the transition tent, but I don’t. I take off running and to my surprise the legs still feel fine. Thank goodness something is going my way today! I hit the first few aid-stations and drink a sip of Coke with pretzels and then alternate water, chicken broth or maybe both. All of a sudden I am so thirsty I just want to guzzle everything. This is not really good but at this point I just have to do what I have to do to get through it. Despite my poor nutrition on the bike I am able to pass a lot of the people back who flew by me on the bike. My first lap was under 2 hours which I was thrilled with. It gave me hope that I was going to have a good run. Then all of a sudden all of the Coke, water and bland chicken soup start to come back up. The remainder of the marathon is spent heaving, running, drinking – repeat at least 6x until I realize at mile 25 if I really bust my rump I can still be under 12 hours. So I sprint (well, it felt like a sprint to me) and then have to really work my butt off coming around the oval to the finish to get in under 12 hours. Some people commented that I was really smiling when I crossed the finish line. Of course I was, I just finished an Ironman and that always makes me happy!

So, this event was my 16th Ironman and with that I proved to myself that no matter how many times you do it and no matter how well you train there are always lessons to be learned. I think that I enjoyed this race more than some of the others. Sure I wanted to be faster but as soon as I finished it did not matter anymore. At the end of the day Ironman is about being tough and crossing the finish line. It is about doing all the training just to get to the race; about the people you meet along the way, the people you train with, the people who support you and the fact that physically you have the ability to complete such a demanding event.

My Irish

2009-07-20T12:12:00.002-04:00

Many years ago I worked for an engineering company - no, I was not an engineer. I was lucky enough to travel to all sorts of interesting destinations and work on fast track projects. I really enjoyed it and I loved getting to meet all sorts of people from all over the world. My favorite project was based in England right outside of London. This was a joint project with Intel Ireland. Intel USA and Intel U.K. Being on a construction site can be somewhat intimidating for a woman - even me. Lucky for me I had a good Irish name and made lots of friends with the Irish lads. One of my favorites was Ben. He had such a thick Irish brogue that I only understood half of what he was saying. I do remember a few things he liked to say that I could understand - his favorite word was certainly the "f" word. The other thing he taught me to say was 33 and 1/3 - when you say it in proper Irish it comes out like "Turdy tree and a turd" or at least that is how I remember it. Anyway - those were good times over in England with all my Irish friends.

Rumor has it that Ben actually gave up smoking and is planning on getting fit! Times have changed!

Festival of Flowers

2009-06-09T15:12:00.002-04:00

This was a spontaneous group shot of everyone who happened to be standing close together. I think the reason why I like this shot is because we had all just raced hard and we were happy and we were having fun. We have a great group of people here in SC that we are able to race with. While we might all go head to head at the start line at the end of the day it is more about all the friendships we have made. I would never have met most of these people if it were not for triathlon.

Another Weim Saved!

2009-06-05T21:20:00.002-04:00

This is the poor little guy I picked up at the Greenville Shelter on Thursday. They told me he was 2 - after contacting the vet via his rabies tag it turns out he is 13! The people who owned him were going to put him to sleep in January (he weighed 65 lbs then) but a "friend" said they would take him. Today he weighs in at about 35 lbs. How could someone do this to a dog? They should be put in jail with no food! Despite having a bad last 6 months of his life he is more than willing to trust me and is so sweet. It makes my heart ache for him. Lucky for Leonardo (also found out is name from his old vet) there is a gentleman in Greenwood who is retired who is willing to share his home with him so that the last little bit of his life be lived in peace. Tomorrow on the way to my race he will be safely delivered to his new forever home. May he have all the love and all the food he can eat for the rest of his life.

A new ride for the dogs!

2009-06-02T22:26:00.002-04:00

The old car just wasn't working out well with the dogs. Squishing 5 excited dogs into a little car to drive them back and forth to the lake to their swim time was crazy with the old car. I figure since everything seems to be dedicated to them that my car should be too. Now they have the car they always deserved! Ok - it does not hurt that the new car also has enough room for my bike to ride inside.

Open Water Swim

2009-06-02T22:07:00.002-04:00

The gang getting in some good open water time at Lake Lanier on a Sunday afternoon. There were enough boats on the lake to make it feel more like an ocean swim!

From left to right standing - Eric & Jackie LaFontaine, Pam Ogle, Chad Crocker, Chris Smutzer, Brad Fraedrich, Kimberley Westbury. Front Row - Jeff, Wanda Ocasio, me, Jan Garrett and Chris Giordanelli (AKA G-Man)

Ironman Florida 70.3 (Half Ironman)

2009-06-01T13:54:00.002-04:00

Here is our group after the race this picture was much more complimentary than the group shot Kimberley took of us at 4:00 in the morning. We now have a new team rule that no one can take photos before 8AM! The race was much less eventful than the actual trip to Florida. I would post the pictures but they are too graphic. I will say sadly, my bike did not survive. My old race wheels did - I am sad about that too because really I would love a new pair! Chad too suffered a loss and will even be getting a new rear race wheel. Once we all finally left Greenville a few hours later than planned we left any stress back at home and headed down for some fun & suffering in the stifling Florida heat. There is something about this race that gets me every year and for the most part that is my body not yet being acclimated to the heat. We all got through it, Kimberley and I 20 seconds apart. You would have thought we were holding hands or something when in reality we started about 30 min apart. Peter completed his first ever Half. Chad out swam about 2000 competitors (must have been the good coaching). Brad rode his bike like he stole it - maybe the coaching? Maybe the disk wheel? Tiffany and Chad took a nice little walk/run after their bike ride and made some new friends and Amy powered away on the bike for a strong finish.

Regardless of the race we had a fun weekend of good food and friends. At the end of the day isn't that what it is about anyway?

New Uniforms for Malone Coaching

2009-06-01T13:42:00.002-04:00

Here is part of the crew racing in our new Uniforms at Langley Pond. The guys got lucky and Hincapie apparel actually gave them long tops - I guess they think it is sexy for us women to have our midriff exposed - I swear the sample that I tried was not like that. Oh well - at least they look good and stand out. We are now technically the Carolina Triathlon Malone Coaching team.

In this photo from left to right Eric LaFontaine, Jim Ballinger, Lisa Anderson, Jackie LaFontaine, Brad Fraedrich and me.

Copper Head, Rabid Raccoon & a Garden Monster

2009-05-06T14:59:00.004-04:00

This is the 3rd time Willow has been bitten in the face by a Copper Head. You would think she would learn! Ziggy was bitten on the leg but it must not have gotten him as good, although he was shaking like crazy after it happened. You can see the 2 puncture wounds in Willow's face/ Thanks to my friend, Laura, I gave them both some Benedryl and the swelling went down much faster than usual. I ended up taking Willow and Ziggy to the race since I was worried about them both - but the excitement of the race quickly made them forget their pain.

This is my garden project. Of course it would have been less expensive to just buy veggies at a stand on the side of the road - but noooo - I wanted to do it myself. I had to have the fence to keep the dogs out of the garden. They sit outside the fence and watch me work. I planted lots of mint for them to eat that way they will have fresh doggie breath!

Here is what I refer to as the garden monster. I needed to rototill the garden so my father of course had an old one that he said I could have. Well - this thing has a mind of its own and it took me for a ride. Oh and once it turns on, I could not get it to turn off. Dad told me to just hold onto a screw driver (make sure it has a plastic handle) and stick it in the motor. He forgot to tell me I had to touch the motor AND the spark plug at the same time. What a learning experience. So now I have my very own rototiller and a garden. What fun!

Yesterday all the dogs were in the yard playing and I was in the house working when I heard them barking/crying. It was not the kind of bark they do when someone comes in the driveway, it was the kind they do when something is very wrong. I ran out in the yard to find a raccoon hanging from Pepe's nose with all of its feet off the ground. It was latched on to him. My first thought was to grab it but seeing that it was out during the day I was guessing it was pretty sick. So I got a stick and beat it off him. That little devil was MAD! It started to come after me and then Yoda tried to grab it but the old man dog fell down and I was after it again with the stick. Finally it ran off back into the woods and I was able to round up the dogs and get them back into the house. Pepe is all cut up again on his nose! He has the worst luck. Ziggy got scratched across the face but overall I guess we are very lucky that is all the damage that was done. All the dogs are up to date on their shots so nothing to worry about there.

Ground Hog fight

2009-04-20T10:25:00.002-04:00

On Monday night during a wet and rainy run Pepe', Willow and Ziggy got a ground hog. It may be more appropriate to say that the Ground Hog got Pepe' because it was latched onto his nose and Ziggy was pulling on the tail and Willow had a leg. They had the thing stretched out like a bear carpet. No, they did not kill it. Thanks to my friend Laura I did not even have to make a trip to the vet this time. She got me some antibiotics for Pepe' and I cleaned out all his wounds and he is as good as new. I do think I should rename him Scar but he does not respond to that. This picture is of Willow and Pepe' snoozing after the big attack and bath to rid them both of all the blood. Poor Pepe' had quite the bloody nose after their encounter. Never a dull moment with the dogs.

Very COLD Open Water Swim

2009-04-20T10:17:00.002-04:00

Everyone keeps asking me "When can I do an open water swim?" and I keep telling them "It is too cold" well after my little splash in the lake on Sunday afternoon I am sticking to my guns and telling people to enjoy the pool a little longer. I think I swam about 800m in 18 min and for the most part the entire time I felt like I could not swim. I was so cold and taking such short quick breaths that I just did not feel comfortable. My legs were tired from a big weekend of training and the cold water just made every muscle in my body want to seize. I kept my wits about me and stayed relaxed so that I would not drown but I have no doubt that someone not as comfortable in the water would not have had a pleasant experience. The most fun part of this swim was watching the guys get in the water and scream out like little girls. I thought they were just doing it for my benefit but it turns out the water really was cold enough to make a big man sound like a child. I know - you are wondering what the temp was. I did measure it...I think the thermometer was not working well - but it said something like 53...VERY COLD!

Downtown Columbia Sprint Tri

2009-03-28T23:25:00.002-04:00

Here is a shot of the few we could round up - lots of award winners! Colette, Brad, Me, Jan & Peter - What can I say about the race...we all lived through a crazy bike course filled with pedestrians and lots of cars. That alone makes it a good day. Oh - and I finally managed to place again in a race - 3rd - but I will take it!

Colette and I before leaving the house very early in the morning and in the freezing cold on the last day of our epic bike week. Also the day after a tri (but it was just a sprint!)

100K and a Hill a Day Week

2009-03-28T23:01:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite sights - I love Donkeys!

A very cool covered bridge on the way to Lake Lure and Chimney Rock.

Kimberley and Pam joined in on the Wednesday ride which included climbing the Saluda Grade and Caesar's Head.

How about those switchbacks on Green River Cove Rd. Day 1 climb for me and Colette

Colette overlooking the Green River. Colette comes to visit every year and we ride at least 100K and one epic climb each day. She does not ride all winter long in Canada and then comes down here and gets on a bike and ride like a champ. I don't know anyone as tough as Colette. Did I mention she NEVER complains! No kidding - maybe that is why I love to ride with her. We always have fun.

Transitions

2009-03-28T22:55:00.002-04:00

I LOVE this action shot of some of my most dedicated athletes practicing their transitions. We staged a few little transition races in the parking lot of the Y. I think Audrey might have won every round - but then again she should since she did this last year too. Transitions are really the 4th sport in triathlon!

Sleeping Arrangements

2009-03-28T22:40:00.002-04:00

There is a problem here. This chair belongs to Ziggy. The chair is his bed and his favorite spot. Every time Ziggy gets up Willow will get in. To this Ziggy will respond with a "woof" at approximately 10 second intervals until I get myself out of bed and remove Willow from his bed. At first I thought this was a cute behavior but now after a few weeks I don't find it so funny. The other night I had just finished rearranging Ziggy and Willow when I turned around to find her in the chair ON TOP of poor Ziggy (see picture). Ziggy was really trying to ignore her but she was trying to push him out. Now, I know what you are thinking. Get another chair! I already have but that one belong to Pepe' who occasionally shares with Harry and I just don't have room for any more. My conclusion - Willow is just a problem dog. I love her anyway!

Ache Around the Lake meets Reedy River

2009-03-28T22:23:00.002-04:00

Scarlette and I went to the Reedy River race together. We even helped to stuff packets because they let us put "save the date" reminders in for Ache Around the Lake 8K - to be held Oct 10th. Reedy River 10K turned out to have absolutely perfect spring weather - finally! Unfortunately I was not feeling up to par (something about 2 marathons in 2 weeks) but I still enjoyed the run through the park and seeing friends before and after. I will call it a nice social run!

Pepe' lost

2009-03-28T22:08:00.002-04:00

In the picture his poor nose does not look nearly as bad as it did immediately after Yoda got a hold of it. Poor Pepe' was just trying to clean up a morsel of food that Yoda had dropped near his dish when Yoda sunk his teeth into Pepe' and would not let go. I had to hit Yoda over the head with the food dish to get him to let go. Unfortunately the damage was already done. I had to rush Pepe' to the new emergency vet clinic up in Flat Rock (near Hendersonville). They were amazing there. They took him back and sewed him up and had him ready to go home all within 45 min. It was by far the best emergency vet clinic care I have ever experienced. He got nice purple stitches and lots of good drugs. The stitches are out now and all that is left is a big scar. Yoda is now eating alone outside the fenced in area!

Oh Willow!

2009-03-28T21:58:00.002-04:00

Willow is the one in the middle, poor Ziggy is standing behind her looking ashamed. Willow is a great dog but she has the need to show her dominance over the other dogs as demonstrated here in this picture. She is a bad dog - but she really makes me laugh!

Black Mountain Marathon

2009-03-02T12:30:00.002-05:00

I know that a lot of you are wondering how the Black Mountain marathon went so I will give a brief update. Friday, the day before the race was basically a lesson in what not to do before a race. I was unorganized, behind schedule getting work done, still needed to get the RV - and oh wait, de-winterize the thing, cook food to take with, pack, take care of the dogs, write instructions for the pet sitter. The race meeting was at 8 that night. Brad was going to go with me to watch Willow and Pepe' while I raced. We arrived at the race site at 8:20 - we missed the meeting. Oh well, I mean it is just a mountain marathon on some wicked terrain. I guess I just needed to follow everyone. There was nothing I could do about it at that point so I just got my number, my cool hat and socks and off we went to walk the dogs. But wait, the one guy asked us why Brad wasn't running. The only reason he wasn't running is because the race was full and he could not get in. BUT now the weather was taking a turn for the worse and a lot of people were not there so it was decided that Brad could run. Great! So we go and walk the dogs who go crazy walking around the lake and then will not calm down in the RV. There was no way we could possibly leave them in the RV for 5 hours alone on Saturday. So at 9:30 we turned the RV around and drove back down the mountain to my house. I had a small meltdown around 11PM and then was able to go to bed. Back up at 3:30 to leave the house at 4:15.

Race Day

We get there in plenty of time to get a prime parking spot about 40 feet from the finish line. The rain is already coming down and no amount of water proof anything is going to keep us dry today. Storm socks, Gore-Tex shoes - you name it we had it. Extra gloves, hats and hand warmers, food, water - since we were told we would need to carry everything we would need. At the race start everyone is mulling around. I am a little worried since it is the first race I have ever been to without port-a-lets at the start. Of course these are all hard core people! The race starts and my Garmin tells me it has no battery. Brads doesn't work either. Not surprising considering the way the last day has gone but it really doesn't matter now because I am running this darn race either way. My old Polar at least keeps the time for me.

The first few miles were on the road. I really tried to resist my temptation to push to the front during the first few miles. There were not any mile markers the entire course which was great at first but drove me nuts the last 3-4 miles. After a steep incline we hit trail and I was in heaven. I LOVE trail running. I took off like a fool running a 5K but was quickly reminded that it was a long trail run as I hit the next incline - actually it was all a slight incline. The terrain was good for the first 5 miles or so and then all of a sudden we hit some fire roads which seemed to be a good thing until they became absolutely covered with big jagged rocks. Oh and water was flooding down the fire road like a stream bed. A lot of people tell me the views are great up there but honestly all I could do was watch where I was putting my feet. Later in the race I purposely ran through puddles to cool off my burning blisters - which felt good until I got sand in them too. oops. Going up the mountain was interesting. We passed some redneck shacks where people actually live, we passed a bear hunting club as well as some crazy looking mountain men who I actually talked with. They were having a good laugh at all of us and could not wait to come "rescue" us on their 4-wheelers should the need arise. Call it crazy meets crazy. Sorry to digress from the story. Going up the mountain I was alone a lot which was ok. I needed to focus on not breaking my neck :o) When we started to get close to the Blue Ridge Parkway it started getting really cold and the wind started howling. I was really glad that I was not going all the way to the very top (The Challenge they call it). I made a quick stop at the top for some chips and Coke and then started back down the trail. I saw Brad making his way to the turn around so I stopped to see how he was doing - basically he was freezing but otherwise ok. I love running down hill but somehow the combination of wet rocks and cold did not work well for me. I kept twisting my knee so I had to slow down and walk the tricky parts for fear of really getting hurt. I talked with some people on the way down and shared my ibuprofen with many. The last 3 or so miles were on the road which was great because all of a sudden I felt like I could run again. I was really glad to be done...4 hours and 44 min. I have never ever run that long in my life. The funny part was when I looked at the results today I found that I was the 5th woman and the 33rd person to finish the marathon - so really I did well is what I am trying to say. Brad was right behind me in 4:56 (4oth) and smiling all the way to the finish. It was a great adventure. We met lots of new people and made new friends with Elana & Mo from Canada (pictures above). We got really nice North Face fleece jackets when we finished and the awards dinner was amazing. The entire organization of this race was 1st class. I highly recommend doing this to anyone who loves a challenge.

Myrtle Beach Marathon

2009-02-16T12:16:00.005-05:00

Here is one of the only pictures I have of the weekend. Mainly because I never carry my camera during a race so I only end up with pictures of the gang when we are looking like non-athletes again. This is only a few of the people from the upstate who ran the marathon or the half-marathon. (the guy in the back with a mouth full of food was NOT with us). Anyway - we have here Brad, me, Chad, Ashley & Tom. Not pictured are Laura, Jim, Audrey (whom I never even saw) Julie and I am sure a bunch of others! Just too many from the upstate to even keep track of.

Soooo- you want to know about the marathon? I was pretty relaxed about the day. The original intention was to run a 3:15 pace steady from the get go. That worked out well for a bit, although I must have been told to slow down at least every 1/2 mile. I am NOT good at starting slow. Finally we settled into a nice pace and good conversation which Laura and I kept going until mile 14 when a potty stop separated us. After that I just ran as I felt with no pressure to pace anyone. My right quad was pretty tight so I just focused on other things. My mantra became "light as a feather, free as a bird" and every time I said that to myself I could run faster. Sounds crazy but it worked. I slowed the pace a little the last 4.5 miles but overall was very steady which is what I am happiest about. I have never run a marathon as steady as I did this weekend so maybe after 20 years of running I will learn how to start a little slower and finish a little stronger. I finished in 3:21 and was the 15th female and 156 finisher out of something like 1900 runners.

Laura was close behind me with a 3:26 and 2nd place in her age group. Brad was 3:38 and Jim...running his very first marathon was right at 3:59! He ran an amazing race and negative split the second half which is virtually unheard of. I think out of everyone I had to be most proud of him. He worked so hard and always had the goal of breaking 4 hours so to be able to see him actually do it was wonderful.

Another fun weekend of racing!

Winter Challenge Triathlon

2009-02-16T12:00:00.002-05:00

Race season is nearing so I thought that this race would be a fun way to get an early race in and to have some fun. A week before the race I was out on Lake Lanier in the kayak playing around and I dumped myself IN the lake. I think that counts as my first open water swim of the year? In case you are wondering the water was really cold so I don't recommend open water swimming in January. On the day of the race which consists of a 7 mile run, 6 mile kayak, 10 mile mountain bike ride I did manage to stay in the kayak. I did not exactly have a great day because it seems I had that little stomach bug that so many have had. All I can say is thank goodness this race was off road. I needed all the big trees I could find. I guess it made the race a little bit more of a challenge for me than intended. My favorite part of the race was the paddling. I have paddled in an adventure race before but never alone. I LOVED it. I was flying along even in my sit-on-top ocean kayak. What fun! I enjoyed the mountain bike course too mostly because it was on sandy roads and the single track was pretty easy. The best part was seeing my friend and training partner, Kim Morrow almost win the entire event. I mean if I can't win I always want one of my friends up there. Unfortunately she got passed right at the end of the race...but she will be back next year!

Thanks to my parents for loading up the kayaks and lending me the truck to haul all this gear to the race!

Oh Romeo

2009-02-16T11:44:00.002-05:00

It is a really hard job to pet sit. You have to keep up with, care for, clean up after and love a pet that is not yours and from this picture you can see that is a tall order for Romeo. He is an English Bull dog and he gets his name from the affection that he can show your leg. You might think it is funny until your leg is violated. After a few days he calmed down and has been a very good dog who mostly enjoys snoozing in the kitchen with his nose as close as he can get it to the big Weims. He is really a very cute dog and has now taken to running like a fool though the woods which is hilarious to watch. It is a tough job but someone has to do it!

Giving a Puppy a ride...

2009-02-16T11:30:00.002-05:00

This is a picture of Amos a little black lab/pit mix that we dropped off with his foster mother in Columbia on the way to the Myrtle Beach marathon. I figured we were going right through there anyway and the little guy needed a ride. He was a real cute puppy with very sharp little teeth. He was a love and just so cute to watch play. If anyone wants a dog who will surely be a good running partner let me know and I can put you in touch with his foster mother.

Traveler's Rest Half Marathon 1-3-09

2009-02-16T11:21:00.003-05:00

I am way behind in Blog Land so I am going to get all caught up right now. Here are 3 midget women who won awards at the Half Marathon. The Jolly Giant also got an award. Ok - from left to right we have Kimberley - who kicked my butt and finished about 40 seconds in front of me and there was nothing I could do about it! Then me, then Laura and then Brad. It was a fun race, with a new flat course and hot showers afterwards - what more could one want?

Duke Update

2009-02-16T11:09:00.003-05:00

I recently got an inquiry about Duke. Duke has been living with his new family for about 4 months now and loving life. Duke runs, walks and hikes with Kyle and keeps all the kitties company during the day while Kyle is at work and occasionally even takes care of the kitchen garbage (oops - bad dog). Kyle was kind enough to send me a picture of the mess. Duke even went trick or treating dressed as a little Devil which really made me laugh. He finally has the one on one attention that I always knew would allow him to thrive and I honestly can't thank Kyle enough. Duke was my biggest rescue project ever and I put my heart into caring for and training him so to see him doing well allows me to see that all of it was worth it.

Hairy Harry has a new friend!

2009-01-29T15:25:00.002-05:00

Here is Marlie (3) enjoying some time with Harry. She loved his long hair and after she started brushing him she had a new friend for life. Marlie is the first child Harry has ever met. He was very calm and sweet with her. I think they are in love!

Pepe' finally gets a Squirrel!

2009-01-29T15:15:00.002-05:00

My gift today was a squirrel - complements of Pepe'. I looked out the kitchen window just as he was prancing through the yard with the carnage. At the same time Willow spotted him and wanted in on the action and proceeded to try to rip the thing in half. I had to go out there and take the prize away from them. I put it in a trash bag and threw it away - for lack of any other way to dispose of it. I just hope the garbage man does not notice that I have been throwing away animal parts!

Willow strikes again!

2009-01-29T15:07:00.002-05:00

I went for a run the other night without the dogs. It was dark and raining, just not the night to take the dogs out. So I left them behind, but I forgot to LOCK the gate that Willow knows how to open. I left warm banana bread cooling on the stove top. I did have a slice before going on my run. So glad I did because this is what I found when I got home...at least I did not have to scrub the pan! The rest of the dogs were in my bed and never even barked at me when I came home. Great watch dogs!

Winter Running

2009-01-23T09:55:00.004-05:00

My best night time "nerd" running attire...

I know I have not talked much about training on my blog in a long time. I guess that is because most of my training has been going on in the freezing cold and dark. Some nights it is fun but others it is just cold and miserable. Last night was cold but there was not a lot of wind and the sky was clear. It was a peaceful run. I went down to meet the "Tryon Running Club" only to find out that I was the club for the night. In all fairness there was another gentleman there but he was just getting back into running and wanted to stay on the track so that he could walk/jog.

I am getting ready for the Myrtle Beach Marathon on Feb 14th and then I will do the Black Mountain Marathon on Feb 28th. It will be the first time I have done 2 marathons that close together. I have done 2 Ironman races in one month so I guess that would count as well?

Happy Ending for another rescued Weim!

2009-01-19T20:16:00.002-05:00

Here is another picture of Cosmo (renamed Amos) after putting on some weight and receiving lots of love and affection. Here is the note I received about his adoption:

Amos found a fab home today with a family on a farm near St. Stephens, SC. He left in the back seat of a big 4 door truck with 2 little boys, their mom and grandmom in the front seat. They had lost their old Weim recently and were delighted with him. He will have a rescue Greyhound as his friend as well. When I let him out to meet them, he ran directly to them and acted as if he were saying "this is my family!!!" Everyone who met him loved him immediately and he loved everyone he met. He will be a great ambassador for our breed. Thanks so much for helping this really, sweet boy!

Bad Butter Eating Weimaraner!

2009-01-15T12:55:00.002-05:00

Those are teeth marks in the stick of butter. The crazy looking dog is Willow trying to beg for butter! For the past 2 months she has had a fetish for the stuff. Never a dull moment.

General Consensus - It is a Fox Tail

2009-01-14T13:08:00.004-05:00

This is what Harry gave me the other morning...it appears to be a tail. A tail from what I do not know? Althought at this point I have heard from many that it is a sliver fox tail - so I will go with that. If you have any other interesting ideas please let me know. Harry was very proud of himself. I have imagined some poor animal running around without a tail or maybe it was already dead. I just hope Harry does not bring me the rest of the body. Life is never boring with 5 dogs.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-14T12:55:00.003-05:00

Maria (my cousin and amazing artist) and I taking a break on a park bench in Charleston. Maria went to dinner with us and lunch and shopping.

Tiffany and I before hitting the town for the night!

I started out New Year's with friends and I have to admit that it was by far the best New Years celebration I have had in the last 10 years. Maybe that is not saying much since I think for the last 7 years I have been long asleep when the ball dropped - but not this year! Thanks to an invitation from Tiffany and David I got to spend the New Years in style. Tiff made reservation for a late dinner (to help keep us awake) and a little Jazz as well but the fun conversation was really entertaining enough. It was simple and fun and spent with friends just the way it should be. I can't thank Tiffany and Dave enough for helping me start the New Year off on the right foot!

Another Weim finds safety

2009-01-14T12:42:00.002-05:00

This is a picture of Cosmo who has now been renamed Amos. He came to me on Dec 22nd. I did not write about him before Christmas because his story was too sad. A friend's husband picked Cosmo up and brought him to me on a freezing cold Monday night. We met in the BI-LO parking lot. He had warned me that the dog looked bad but nothing could have prepared me for the rack of bones that got out of his car. Quickly I put Cosmo in the back of my car where he tore into anything that resembled food. The poor guy was hungry. From what I can gather the people who owned him had taken care of him for about 7 years but then when they got a new car last year they did not want to mess with the dog anymore. He needed to go to the vet because he was Heartworm positive but instead they tied him to a tree and waited for him to die. If it had not been for Heath poor Cosmo would not have made it much longer.

Cosmo stayed with me for a little over a week, first getting a bath, some de-wormer, eating 5x a day, playing a little ball and getting all the love he could handle. He was sweet, gentle and affectionate. He is now staying with Elena who is the coordinator for Weim Rescue in SC. She will be fostering him until his new forever family steps forward. He is 7 years old and has lots of love and life left to give. He deserves a good life.

Cosmo was the 8th dog I helped to save in 2008. It was a busy year!

More pictures from shelter...

2008-12-24T19:55:00.003-05:00

Suzanne and Jen before we unloaded the truck

A kitty who was delivered in the trunk of a car!

Pile of pups

Polydactyl kitty plays peek-a-boo

Marion County Animal Shelter

2008-12-24T19:25:00.004-05:00

My Christmas Project

I have just arrived home from something that I hope to make a new tradition: My Christmas Project. From now on every year at Christmas time I want to focus on giving, on making a difference and on giving hope to people who need it. In return I will receive a gift larger than will fit in any box. That will be the fleeting joy that one only gets to see when practicing random acts of kindness.

Of course the project began with a few people making donations of money, old towels, computers, some dog food, kitty litter, bleach, whatever they could afford or find. Before I know it checks were coming in the mail on a daily basis and friends were collecting for me. My friend Suzanne even offered up a day of her vacation to ride with me to the shelter…500 miles round trip.

Today was the day and I admit I was excited to get going. When Suzanne and I got on the road with Willow snoozing in between us I could not have felt better about what we were going to do. After a few stops in Columbia to pick up some more donations we finally arrived down in Marion. I had already been told that the shelter was not much more than a shack, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found more of a barn structure. I was prepared to be swept away by all the puppies and the kittens but what I was not prepared for was for my meeting with Jen Nall.

The truck as it was being unloaded - I forgot to take a picture before we unloaded

You see Jen is a 30 something woman who is doing what she can to make a difference. She left a desk job to pick up poop and save animals. I can totally relate to her. She is passionate about caring for all the animals that come into her shelter; she loves them and knows their stories and their names. She is not the typical jaded, tough woman one would imagine to have such a job. Jen is a different breed. On the e-mail I got from her it says “If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem”. She is going to make a difference. Because I admire her, I am going to help her out when I can. I am going to encourage others to do the same. The only way we can accomplish bigger and better things is to help and support one another. Call it “girl power” or whatever you like but strong women with vision have the ability to create change.

Me with Jen after handing over what I had collected.

As we toured the facility and Jen told us the virtues of all the dogs and pointed out the polydactyl (5-toed) kittens that looked like they were wearing mittens. She showed us the pile of collars with chains attached to them that dogs had been dragging down the road. In the corner of her office sat a scared little dog near one of the lone heaters. A plastic bag full of matted hair was on Jen’s desk…just in case the owner should want their little dog back. The phone was constantly ringing, she answered that too. Then a few more people showed up, one with questions, some with more dogs for the already full shelter.

The very cute polydactyl kitten

People actually put a pad lock on their dogs collar!

We left so that Jen could get back to work. We left her with $1120 for vaccines, $75 worth of Wal-Mart gift cards, 3 computers, and a truck load of towels, toys, dog food and kitty litter. We tucked a few ounces of hope in there too.

On the drive home we reflected on what we had seen and as cute as all the animals were we both most impressed with Jen. Her enthusiasm, her determination and her spirit will make the Marion County Animal Shelter a facility that works.

Thanks to all of you who contributed and supported My Christmas Project. Through your generosity I was able to experience the true reason for the season.

Merry Christmas!

Ugh - Silver Fox (Many of them) Fur Coat For Sale!

2008-12-21T16:20:00.003-05:00

I can't believe I ever actually wanted to wear this many animals on my body. Please don't hate me for it. I was young and dumb. I got rid of the husband that purchased it for me a long time ago but now these Silver Foxes must find a home in a closet where it is wanted. I am also realizing that the items that I am currently selling make an interesting combination. If any one wants a group rate I will consider that. It would have to be someone athletic, with a small butt and kind of short arms - the fur coat has short arms - well, at least for me.

Interesting story with the fur coat. I got it in Shanghai, China when I was there for a textile show in 1992 or 93. I got it in the authentic Chinese gift store. It was warm in China so I did not need it there but I have to admit I actually wore it a lot in Germany to keep from freezing while walking around town. I do remember having to be careful they I did not get hit with spray paint...a lot of people are really against wearing fur. Fur really isn't my thing anymore so hopefully someone will get this who will actually wear it. It is on e-bay already, but I thought it kind of rounded out all the stuff I have for sale for the day.

Western Saddle For Sale

2008-12-21T16:13:00.002-05:00

I have to let go of my past and this saddle MUST go! I will never be married to a cowboy again and I will most likely never barrel race a horse again. The saddle has to go. $200 or the first person to make me a good offer. Oh - the seat on this is about 14 inches - so it is made for a little woman or a child. Basically if you have a big butt there is no way it will fit in this saddle. Sorry! Call 864-415-5804 if you want a saddle that will make you feel like a real cowgirl :o)

Mountain Bike For Sale

2008-12-21T16:06:00.002-05:00

Out with the old and in with the new...well, that at least sounds good for the new year! Really I just need to get rid of a a lot of the old. Here is a great mountain bike - works well, is light, is fast, aluminum, XTR components. The first person to give me close to $500 will be the winner! No kidding - it has to go to a loving home where it will get lots of use! 864-415-5804

Athletes and Eating Disorders

2008-11-17T12:17:00.004-05:00

Gretchen runs her way to the finish in the

Twin Cities Marathon

The following story was sent to me by Gretchen, an athlete I am now coaching for Ironman WI 2009. She asked me to help share her story. Please pass this on to others you think it might help.

My Journey in Life will always be changed. I thought that an Ironman would change my life style but I was wrong, all my love of racing and challenges couldn’t change a disease/disorder that I had. The only thing that could change it, was the courage that it took to face it and drop out of the most loved thing that I had and that was training for Ironman Wisconsin 09/07/08.

During the midst of my training, I realized my body couldn’t handle this unless I got help. So I decided to get help. My battle with the eating disorder started to show seven years ago when I was a freshmen in college and playing a college sport. I had a lot of pressure to play at a high level and felt like things where getting out of control and the only thing I could control was me and that’s when I developed a full blown eating disorder. During this time I learned to love running/triathlons and started to figure out that I needed it in my life and have that along with my eating disorder wasn’t going to work.

During my eating disorder things would go from bad to worse in a mater of days. I would go from restricting all day to purging everything the next day. On those days I would get in around 900 to 1200 calories in, but not keep it in. While doing this I would be running any where from 6 to 16 miles along with swimming and biking many miles a day. I knew I needed to run and have something in my life that I enjoyed since the eating disorder was taking everything else away. But with all the affects of the eating disorder and running my body took a toll, I needed IV’s and potassium supplements but with even all that and the fear of dropping dead none of those stopped me from my eating disorder.

I thought I could tackle this on my own. I fought hard but it was still beating me. I was determined to race so I signed up for an ironman thinking that would give me enough motivation to change. I had the motivation to race but I couldn’t just stop the eating disorder. I continued to struggle and decide that no race or training was going to stop me from continuing my eating disorder, I knew I needed help!

On May 15th is when a special person named Lisa Beck came into my life she picked me up at the airport, we had agreed on a program that would work with my training and treatment for my disease/disorder. I was determined to stay there only a short amount of time and get out so I could race the rest of the summer. But I started to realize that 30 days wasn’t going to stop a disorder/disease that has been in my life for who knows how long, and its been active for seven years. I agreed to stay another 30 days to see what that could change, but then I new I would have to make a decision about racing since I didn’t have my bike here and couldn’t get the best training in. I had to make a tough decision, it was one that basically my life depended on. It was one of the hardest decisions I could make, at that time it felt like the eating disorder was getting another part of my life. But I was wrong, the eating disorder wasn’t going to win I was by getting healthy and racing healthy.

Lisa Beck has given her life to help others who struggle with eating disorders, she has opened up a home for women with eating disorders ranging from 17 years to 40 years old have gone through her doors. I was one of those lucky women who had the opportunity to go through those doors and into her home. She showed me that I can live my life and be happy . I learned so much, but also learned my racing had to be put on hold in order to save my life. Not only was I signed up for a an Ironman but I was also signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon, one of my favorite races.

When I started getting better and healthier, Lisa offered to sponsor me in the Twin Cities Marathon. I have done this race three times, but I have yet been at full steam, but this year will be different. With the help from Lisa and her staff they have shown me how to live, believe, train and be a healthy person. I will be wearing a racing shirt with the name La Bonne Maison on the back along with “SAVED MY LIFE” and on the front it will say HOPE. I want to promote awareness of this disorder/disease and show that this is a very important organization. 1 in 4 women suffer with eating disorder/disease, and girls starting as young as 7 years old are dealing with this. Not only are women affected by this but men are also. This disease/disorder will be one of the largest epidemics in the country regarding addictions. With racing with this shirt and the place that saved my life, I want to be able to share my story and explain what this disease/disorder is and show women and men that there is hope! Getting the help is and was the first step to a new life. I want to be able to tell as many people as I can. I want people to ask what is La Bonne Maison “ The Good House” and then I can share my story and hopefully help.

If that help is information for treatment for them or someone they know, I am more then happy to share and lead them in the right direction. If I can help one person through this that is one less person that this disease/disorder took!I will be returning to La Bonne Maison to help other athletes who struggle with an eating disorder. I want to help as many people as I can. During this I will be training for an Ironman, the thing I enjoy the most, the thing that the eating disorder took away from me. Now I will be doing this healthy and excited for life and to race. I will also be wearing the same shirt to promote awareness of this disease.

Thank you for your time on reading my story! I hope I can show others that there is away to conquer your fears/struggles.

Puppy Pile

2008-11-14T13:05:00.002-05:00

There is nothing I love more than hanging out with my puppies. I especially love them in the evening when they are worn out from a long day of running, chasing squirrels and playing ball. They love to snuggle and they are very warm. Here we are in my office/work room. Did I mention that their beds cover the entire floor?

Tag

2008-10-24T16:58:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Carolina John for tagging me! I actually finally did an update today and then I got tagged too. I know I got tagged last year and did a post about it but I will be darned...I can't find it anywhere. Maybe it was my imagination!?

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve answered the questions on your blog.

10 Years Ago (1998): I admit I had just graduated from college, yes, a bit later than I should have. I landed a great job at Lockwood Greene Engineers in Project Controls. I lived in the middle of a 3000 acre farm with tons of trails and I only had 1 dog. I drove a beat up old BMW which I would still be driving today if my father had not sold it for me during one of my trips for work. I was still riding the same road bike I got when I was 11. I think I did the Boston Marathon this year and the Assault on Mt. Mitchell. So I was fit. I still swam like a rock back then.

5 Things on Today’s “To Do” List:
1. Make a distribution list for Ache Around the Lake - only about 400 names - DONE!
2. Drink lots of water to help me get over this cold/flu
3. Update my Malone Coaching website - not done, problems with the server. I love technology!
4. Nap - to get over the cold/flu
5. Reschedule all the things that I could not do this week due to cold/flu. I LOVE being sick!

5 Things that I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Rescue all the unwanted animals and give them loving families - that would probably be all I could afford.
2. Not necessarily in 2nd - would be to rescue all unwanted children. Maybe the kids and the pets could all live together on a big commune.
3. Live strictly off the land like in the old days - since I would have enough money to pay for the farm I would have time to do all the work. I know this is crazy but I do spend time thinking about it...then all the kids and pets could live/work there too..now I am going somewhere with this!
4. Travel around the world and do random acts of kindness, like build schools, provide medical relief - yeah, I know I would be out of money very quickly
5. Invest wisely so that the money would grow and be able to take care of more people.

5 Places I have lived:
1. Tryon, NC
2. Bielefeld, Germany
3. Groningen, The Netherlands
4. Phoenix, AZ
5. Campobello, SC

5 Jobs I have had:
1. Waffle House waitress
2. Worked for my father in his machine shop
3. Groom (this is where you clean the horse, stall and tack for someone else for .25 and hour...AKA Slave). I did it for the love of the horses NOT the people!
4. Pro Triathlete - unfortunately I was not fast enough to make any money
5. Gold's Gym - Sales (worst job ever - best commission)

Now I’m tagging:
1. Chris D.
2. Ashley
3. Gretchen
4. Frank
5. Jim

Motivation

2008-10-24T15:39:00.001-04:00

I just got all these great quotes off of a girl's website called Chasing Iron. I thought they were great so I posted them here for myself and for everyone who reads along with me.

If there were ever a time to dare, to make a difference, to embark on something worth doing, it is now. Not for any grand cause, necessarily, but for something that tugs at your heart, something that's your aspiration, something that's your dream. You owe it to yourself to make your days here count. Have fun. Dig deep. Stretch. Dream big.

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. Fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward." - Amelia Earhart

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain

I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. -Red from Shawshank Redemption

Our biggest challenge isn’t someone else. It’s the ache in your lungs. The burning in your legs. And that voice in your head that yells “CAN’T,” but you don’t listen. You just push harder. And then you hear that voice whisper, “can” and you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the person you really are.

The reason you want every single thing that you want, is because you think you will feel really good when you get there. But, if you don't feel really good on your way to there, you can't get there. You have to be satisfied with what-is while you're reaching for more.

Update about my time off from training and blogging!

2008-10-24T14:39:00.005-04:00

This photo was taken by Brittany Wright to be used for a coffee table book she is working on about...rescue dogs. I tried to take pictures of Boca while he was with me but just could not ever get him to be still enough or far enough away from me to get a good shot. Brittany is an animal lover and it really comes through in her photography. A link to her blog with lots of great photos is on my blog too - check her out! Boca has a new home now and is living the good life. More to come about that in a moment.

Below is a picture of my beloved Ziggy. Just last week we went for a visit in a nursing home and he amazed me yet again with his intuition. This time he licked the hands of every person who had a arm or hand that no longer worked properly due to a stroke or accident. He brought smiles to so many as I simply followed him through the halls as he worked. I am so lucky to have a dog like Ziggy.

This is a picture of Boca (now named Pre - after Steve PreFontaine). He lives with Joyce and her family in Columbia and is her faithful running partner. He has also learned to swim, ride in the boat and behave with a baby, a kitty and a Jack Russell Terrible...oops, I mean Terrier. At any rate he is living the good life. It feels so good to be able to place Weims in homes where they are happy...ironically it almost always seems that a happy home is a running home.

Over the last month I have made a point to spend more time with my Little Sister, Hai'lee. No, she is not my little sister but part of the program, Big Sister, Little Sister. The other day after school we were at my parents' home and were able to steal a golf cart from my father to go for a ride. Willow ran along side us until Bitsy, another Jack Russell Terrible chased her into the golf cart. Bitsy is a new addition to the family. My mother lost her old Jack Russell about a month ago. I tried to offer her a nice, trained Weim but she told me it would be awhile before she got another dog. In my family we move fast. Bitsy was welcomed into the house 3 days later. She is cute, crazy and definitely has given my mother enough to do so that she will not have any time to think about anything other than what is Bitsy into.

Here is Bitsy standing still for a brief moment. She spends her days running circles around my parents yard and has an adorable habit of biting you in the face when you hold her. In her defense she does sleep nicely upside-down in your lap and chase a ball very well.

Oh - so you think that I should say a word about triathlon...well, I have not been training at all. I have managed to go mountain biking and done a few trail runs all that was before I got a super cold/flu that I have now had for a week. Enough already! I think I am going to do an Adventure Race in Nov. and a trail run but that is about it. The tri season is over. Honestly it was over for me after Ironman WI but somehow I managed to race a few more times. Next year I am officially taking off from racing. This means I will not commit to any races. We will see how it goes. I have lots of fun activities going on so I am not worried about getting bored, I just need a change of pace for a year.

She Swims, She Bikes, She Runs SheROX

2008-10-03T11:17:00.005-04:00

Week 1 after Ironman: This was my first ever all women's triathlon. 1 week after Ironman Wisconsin I found myself at the starting line of this sprint race. Chasse had the idea for years that we all should go and do one of these all women races. Most are always so far away but with this one practically in my back yard I just could not miss it, even if it was just 1 WEEK after Ironman. My sprint in this race was more like a crawl. I had nothing left in my legs after a week of travel and trying to regroup at home. The race hurt and I was slow, BUT I still had fun. I got to catch up with my friends from Anderson (picture above) and lots of women that I have met from over the years racing. There were lots of beginners there too. The race was well done (thank you Set-Up) and the finisher awards were very cool charm bracelets. Yes, I could get into this girly racing!

SC Half Ironman

2008-10-03T11:11:00.003-04:00

Week 3 after Ironman - I figured I had not done any training - except 1 sprint race for 3 weeks so why not do the Half Ironman. It really was fun for the first 35 miles on the bike and then my legs had enough. I had another 21 miles left to think about the fact that it was probably a bad idea to race, but since I started and was able to finish I figured I would just get through it. Off the bike and on to the run I found that someone stole my visor in the transition area (If you are reading this and you have a visor with the name MALONE printed on it - I would love to have it back! No questions - really!) Aside from the missing visor I also realized that something in my leg was causing some pain. I made myself just run through it, warm-up and then start running. I even had to stop and stretch but I was able to get back into stride by the end and enjoy myself. While my race was not my fastest ever I can boast that everyone I coached had a PR (personal record) - sure it might have been the great weather but I prefer to think that it was my great coaching :o) Another great day at the races for Malone Coaching!

Boca - another Weimaraner saved!

2008-10-03T10:43:00.003-04:00

The day after I got home from Wisconsin I went and picked up Boca. Crazy puppy with no discipline. Boca is the Weim in the above picture. He came home with me and immediately learned some manners (still not perfect but better than none). He was 11 months old and enjoyed all the attention he got here, playing with the other dogs, running, learning to swim and learning to ride in the car. Lucky Boca (now re-named Pre after Steve Prefontaine) has already found a forever home with a runner chick in Columbia, SC. Not only will he get to be her new running partner but he also gets to live on the lake and play with a little Jack Russell. He has now begun the good life. Another happy ending!

Ache Around the Lake

2008-10-03T10:42:00.003-04:00

Week 2 after the Ironman - put on an 8K charity run at my favorite training location. Ironman was easy compared to organizing and executing a race. Really it should not be that hard but race day is all about the details which I worked on pretty much non-stop from the time I got home from Wisconsin. Pictured above are Scarlette (founder of the race, co director and now friend). This picture was taken right before I realized that someone actually took awards as souvenirs! Yes, that really happened! Overall the event went well, turnout was a little low so I have some ideas how to make it more interesting for next year. For some reason I really want to see 500+ people show up for this race. I want to see it grow. I want it to be the biggest fund raiser of the year for the hospital. I have a long way to go with it but I have a great team. Amazingly enough we are all women too. I guess I am all about girl power lately! I don't have all the stats yet but we had 190 runners and it looks like we raised about $17,000 maybe even more. All in a days work...

Ironman Wisconsin

2008-09-10T17:26:00.003-04:00

I know, I know I never blogged the entire week while I was in Wisconsin. Somehow preparing for Ironman and attempting to rest and relax became my priority. It did help that I did NOT have internet access most of the week. Workouts were limited to one a day but somehow I stayed busy all day even though I was not at home. I guess the fact that I am always so busy has more to do with “me”. After a few relaxing days at a friend’s house we arrived in Madison and that is when Ironman became all consuming. Thursday was spent getting unpacked and Friday was a little open water swim on the race course once the weather warmed up from a balmy 50 to about 75. The water was nice and smooth and despite not really swimming all week I did not forget how! After that we went to registration and then hit the Ironman store where you can buy anything and everything with an M-Dot (the Ironman logo) on it. After that we walked back to the hotel just in time to get ready to go to the pre-race dinner and “mandatory” meeting. The dinner was really nothing to write about but at the pre-race meeting medical portion they did manage to scare the heck out of the 1000+ first time Ironman racers.

For those of you who have never done an Ironman race you might not realize that you have turn in your bike and most of your gear on the day before the race. While this does not sound like a difficult task it can take a good few hours to lay out the 5 plastic bags you have been allotted. You have 1 for Swim to Bike, 1 for Bike to Run, 1 for Special Needs on the bike and 1 for Special Needs on the run and then your Dry Clothes Bag. Then you also have to make sure to get all the food that you are going to need on the bike organized and attached to your bike. Preparing for an Ironman race takes some serious logistical skill. Even though I have done it so many times the day before the race is just nerve racking. After the bags were packed and the bikes were ready we headed down to the transition area, did a quick ride to make sure the bikes were in good working order and then we finally got to drop it all off.

Ironman Wisconsin was an important race for me for a few different reasons. In 2004 I traveled to Wisconsin for the Ironman, unfortunately before the race ever began I already had an injured quad which during the bike portion I finished off. There was no way I could continue the race with a torn muscle so I made the best of it and pulled out at mile 50. It was not a good day but as I have learned with Ironman sometimes things just happen that you can’t take control of. This year a lot of people asked me if it was my first Ironman, or how many have I done. This made me realize I am not sure what my tally is. I have had more DNF’s (Did Not Finish) races than I care to admit but the way I see it you have to fail sometimes before you can succeed. Failing often can make the success that much better. I am fortunate in that way because I have known the best of both during my Ironman experiences. I have ended a race in the hospital which was ironically the same race location that sent me to Hawaii. So here I will share with you a list of my Ironman races – good and bad.

Ironman Lake Placid 2002 – 11:44
Great Floridian 2002 – 11:15
Ironman Brazil 2003 – 11:13
Ironman Lake Placid 2003 – 11:29
Hawaii World Championships 2003 – 12:30
Ironman Florida –2003 – 11:15
Ironman Lake Placid 2004 – 11:14
Ironman Wisconsin 2004 – DNF
Ironman Lake Placid 2005 – 12:24
Ironman Florida 2005 - DNF
Ironman Brazil 2006 – DNF
Ironman Florida 2006 – 11:48
Ironman Lake Placid 2007 – DNF
Ironman Wisconsin 2008 – 11:56

Sorry for all the reminiscing!

Race morning was there before we knew it and I was excited and relaxed all at the same time. It is such a good feeling to know that all the training is done and you can just go out and enjoy an amazing day. The swim was a little rough at the start which made me nervous. It was a bit more of a fight than usual. Once I was past the hitters and scratchers it was pretty smooth sailing. After dislocating both of my shoulders last year I was so grateful to be able to be swimming. I don’t come from a swimming background but I really enjoy this part of triathlon and over the years it has become one of my strengths. I exited the swim in 1:04 and some change which is a time I was very happy with.

After the swim we had to run up a helix in a parking garage in order to get to the transition area. A quick change into dry clothes and I was off on the bike. The weather was perfect! I had arm warmers on with a little tri top and I was comfortable the entire ride. The temperature was about 55-60 when we started on the bike. The first lap of the bike went really well. I tried to hold back a little bit because I knew all the hills would seem harder on the second lap but what I had not counted on was the wind on the second lap. That took the bike ride to another level of difficult. I pushed through it even though my speed was slowing. I focused on eating and drinking so that I would be ready to get off the bike and run. I rode a pace I felt comfortable with and while the time was not fast I have to admit I was happy with it! (6:33 for 112 miles)

As most of you know I love the run. That is my element. I took off running like I was just doing a 10K which was probably not the best strategy but for some reason it felt good. I held a good pace for about 8 miles until stomach distress had me sprinting for a porta-let. Maybe we can count the 3 sprints to the bathroom as my speed-work for the day? At one point I was feeling particularly bad and I looked up at the sign on the door and it said “This is NOT your Happy Place – get out and get going!” As bad as I felt that still made me laugh. About 2 miles later I threw up and then felt much better. Since I knew I had nothing left in my stomach at that point I was forced to try a new strategy…chicken broth and pretzels at one aid station and at the next a flat Coke and with this I survived and actually was able to finish strong. While my pace and my overall time on this portion may not look that impressive I was very pleased with how my form held and how good I felt. I ran a 4:03 which I am very pleased with considering the issues I faced during the run.

Overall time was 11:56. Most importantly it was a completed race. So many have asked if I am satisfied and if the truth be told…I am. I am pleased just to be able to race again. I am fortunate to be able to go to a race with friends and to be a part of their Ironman journey; to have friends to cheer me on; to have strangers yell my name and to share the same road with over 2000 athletes who have battled their own obstacles. The clock may tell the time but it never tells the whole story.

Getting Ready for Ironman WI

2008-08-28T12:48:00.007-04:00

My bike had been cleaned and is ready for the trip. I still need to put race wheels on it and do a pre-race check over but at least round one is done.
I actually washed all my nasty running shoes. I did not think that I could stand to be in the car for 14 hours with any of them. They look like new now!
Yesterday I spent at least an hour getting my old tubular tires off and putting the new ones on. I have blisters on my thumbs to show for it. I have not had new tires for 2 years so I figured it was time.
These are all the remnants of stuff I ate on long rides. I have been throwing everything into a bowl in the kitchen. I figured while I was cleaning and packing that I should clean this out. Nothing in here looks appetizing! (Goldfish, Donuts, Power Bar, Peanut Butter crackers, Jelly Beans, Clif bloks, ibuprofen and money for "real" food)
On the long list of things I need to do in order to be ready to get out of here tomorrow...dog sitter instructions. Here Hairy Harry and Ziggy wait their turn for some extra love. I feel so guilty leaving them. Did I mention I just emptied 150 lbs of dog food into bins for them?

Getting ready to go to any race is a lot of work but leaving for 10 days AND doing an Ironman takes some serious organization. Today all I am doing is packing, cleaning, laundry, spinning. Tomorrow at this time I should be in the car on the way!

Perseverance

2008-08-28T12:48:00.006-04:00

This is a picture of Andy after the Greenville Triathlon after winning the Clydesdale division. As you see from the picture Andy took a little spill on the bike. At that point he picked it back up, got back on and got back to business. The way I see it Andy could have used his crash as an excuse to stop racing but instead he was able to stay mentally focused and race through the pain. Of course Andy was lucky too, he did not have any major injuries and his bike was still in working order. Does the win in his division mean more because he triumphed despite a set back - you bet! Please let Andy set an example for all of us. Never give up until you cross that finish line and keep your sense of humor. Much of racing is between our ears, it is mind over matter.

5 Turtle Run (1 Turtle per mile)

2008-08-28T12:41:00.002-04:00

It finally rained here on Tuesday! I was so happy to see rain that I could not wait to take the dogs out for a run in it. They too were thrilled to find pig puddles to splash in and to be able to stay cool. Normally our summer runs have been limited to only 3 miles because of the heat but on Tuesday we pushed the limit and ran 5 together. Duke might have set a turtle record on this run of finding at least 1 turtle per mile. It really is an amazing ability he has to be able to sniff them out. He gently picks them up, presents them to me and then lets me take them out of his mouth and place them safely back in the grass. After giving me the turtle he never goes back for it again but instead intently begins "hunting" the next one. After 4 miles and 4 turtles I was actually rooting for Duke to find at least 1 more to set his record. He did! It was a great wet run even if the pace was 1 turtle per mile.

The end of an era...

2008-08-24T20:43:00.004-04:00

Today I was on my last long run before Ironman WI. An easy effort on some of my favorite trails and around the lake. Long runs are always full of different emotions. At first I usually don't feel very good, then I fall into a pace and put it on auto-pilot. Sometimes I let my mind wander to places I have been, conversations I have had, how to handle life better. Today was no different but at mile 5 I encountered something unexpected. I was running along the Olympic Trail in a historic horse farm here in Tryon, called Cotton Patch. For the last year as I would crest the hill I would look over a pasture with 2 ponies in it.

The one pony, Manny, had been my friend since I was 7 years old. We moved here with Manny when I was 12. When my parents purchased him for me he was 7 too but had never been ridden. He was off the pony race track where he had raced as a "trotter" with a sulky behind him. Manny as we called him was officially known as Aristocrat's Stylish Man. He was a "hot" pony who had lots of energy and was terrified of big rocks and cows. He could trot faster than most horses could canter. He was the pony who really taught me to ride. Manny was also quick at going sideways so if I was not sitting tight he would dump me. Occasionally after he did this he would go home leaving me to walk back in my riding boots! (ever wonder how I took up cross country running?) Sometimes he would stick around to let me have another chance. The first summer we moved here I would get up in the morning and go out riding with a woman named Pinkney. We would literally ride all day until it got dark out. We explored every trail there was and to this day I have her and Manny to thank for my extensive trail knowledge.

When I got older and out grew Manny a nice woman named Doris agreed to take Manny to use as a driving pony. When I was in high school I would sometimes go with her to the driving shows where Manny would get to strut his stuff. Since Manny and I are the same age it was always easy to keep up with how old he was getting. Luckily I would see Manny often in the pasture grazing and when I would call to him he would look up and come to me. Last year he was moved to Cotton Patch to enjoy his official retirement.

Today when I crested the hill there was a mound of dirt in the of the pasture. I know all too well what that means. I could not stop the tears from flowing. He was 35 years old, a great spirit and an amazing athlete. He now has a special resting place right in the middle of an area where we had gone on so many rides. He overlooks the Olympic Trail where Olympians trained for the equestrian event back in the 1940's.

Needless to say this was not something I expected to deal with on my last long run but that is the way long runs go. You never know what you will see or how you will feel but the beauty of the long run is that no matter what happens you always have lots of time to review, revise and regain momentum.

A day in my life

2008-08-20T17:39:00.003-04:00

(Ziggy - taking a break before destroying his stuffed milk-bone in record time - 58 seconds)

I know most people think I sit around home and drink coffee and watch Oprah but honestly that could not be further from what my typical day looks like. My days and weeks are typically scheduled about a week in advance to allow me to schedule my workouts, training sessions with athletes, volunteering, taking care of dogs, and maybe even catching up with a friend. Here is how my day goes:

5-6 wake up and take care of dogs, empty dishwasher, do laundry
6-8 first workout of the day
8-9 walk, feed and clean up after the herd
9-10 or 11 depending on the day - sit at desk and go through e-mails. Accomplish about 1/4 of the things that actually need to be done. I get anywhere from 30-80 e-mails per day that need some sort of response. 5 Dogs usually at my feet while I am in my office.
11-afternoon I can fit in another workout or run errands, go to volunteer meetings, take dogs to vet etc etc
4-5 take care of the crazy dogs again before I head out for an evening coaching sessions
6-8-8:30 Sessions with athletes at least 3 times a week
9 - take care of dogs again!

Somewhere in between I manage to eat, maybe even cook a meal, clean the house and give the pups lots of love! I know it is a rough life but someone has to do it!

Greenville Sprint Triathlon

2008-08-18T08:52:00.005-04:00

This is just a quick update about the race for those of you taking your Monday morning "smoke break". I admit that most of my posts are short, quick and to the point but who really wants to hear all the gory details of my race?

For those of you who were not there the day started off with a bang...as in thunder and lightening. We have not had rain for so long I forgot what it is like. Thankfully it passed quickly and we were able to have a swim (400 m) in the pool. You would think as a runner I would have been happy if it had changed to a duathlon but honestly I don't enjoy running 2x and for some reason I find a swim before a bike and a run relaxing. The swim was over faster than I could even get warmed up. The bike (15 miles) was treacherous and I prayed that I would not fall. I admit that I rode very cautiously. All the work I have been doing training for Ironman WI could be undone all too quickly. Despite going a little slower downhill and taking corners carefully I still managed a good bike. My legs did not feel great but who cares since they did the work. On to the run (3 miles) which I LOVE! This run is rolling with a long gradual dirt hill in the middle that you get to run up and down 2x. It is really a fun run course. I ran with that attitude as well and managed a good run time. I was still minutes behind the leader, but she is wicked fast, so I was very pleased with my day in finishing 2nd overall. My time was 1:09 which is typical for me on this course.

After I was finished I went out and ran laps going in the other direction so that I was able to see many of those I coach and cheer for countless others. I love this part of a race just as much as racing. While I was out running I also realized that while many Malone Coaching athletes were racing there were some volunteering as well. Volunteering is hard work and often more tiring than racing but there were Fred, Monica and Pam all out there working for hours to make sure the rest of us could have a good race. I thank them for doing this and setting a good example for the rest of us. Meanwhile there was a huge crowd of Malone Coaching athletes setting PR's - Jim, Audrey, Wanda, Tiffany, Chris Dillard, Chris Smutzer (unfortunately crashed but is ok), Lisa, Laura, Andy (still won the Clydesdale Division even after crashing), Brad, James, Don and Mike.

That is all for now!

Palmetto Trail - Blue Wall Passage

2008-08-09T21:06:00.002-04:00

Today was a 20 mile run which should have been easy after all the training I have been doing. Of course I am never satisfied with just an easy run so I wanted to go exploring. I kind of had an idea that the trail might be vertical but honestly I had no idea. I think mile number 4 was an 18 min mile. No kidding. The sign at the top said something about 1500 feet of climbing in 2-3 miles. Oops! The run was breath-taking in many ways but the view from the top and the fresh clean air was the best thing for my sole after a busy week. Who cares that it took 1:05 to run the first 5 miles - it was fun and an adventure. There is even more trail to be explored but that would have taken me all the way to Saluda and I was just not up for that today. The rest of the run seemed easy. The jog around Lake Lanier a piece of cake. I even felt good enough to finish up the last 2 miles at 8 min pace.

Molly - another pound puppy!

2008-07-31T20:14:00.005-04:00

More Newfoundland 70.3

2008-07-31T16:39:00.004-04:00

Newfoundland 70.3

2008-07-31T15:47:00.003-04:00

Just a very quick update. Newfoundland was GREAT! The race was hands down the best race I have ever been to. It was well organized, small and SAFE. Yes, that is right I said "safe". The bike had absolutely NO traffic and the run was shut down to traffic as well. On top of that every little detail of this race was planned and executed.

I was 5th overall amateur and 9th overall if we count the pros too. It was a good day and a hard effort. I will write more about the race in a few days when I get caught up on life here...but I will tell you that we had to climb a mountain 2x that was 2.5 miles long! OK - my time was 5:10 but considering the mountain I am very happy with that!

What a BOAR!!!

2008-07-19T18:04:00.002-04:00

When I am out riding you will hear me yell "DOG" often, "Deer" once in awhile, "Chicken" sometimes but for the first time ever on a bike ride I yelled "BOAR!" and then maybe a few other things too. I slammed on my breaks, after all everyone knows boar are mean and this fellow did not look like some cute barn yard pet either. He was black and about the size of a small bear and he was eating some road kill in the watershed so he was not interested in making me part of the food chain that day. I am sure his buddies were lurking in the woods though. A car came and slowed to check him out and it was at that point that I sprinted past, lucky me I was going DOWN the watershed. Seeing this boar was great because it temporarily took my mind off how was feeling. I could have used about another 10 of them during that ride. In all honesty I love getting to see all sorts of wildlife on my bike rides. Do rednecks count?

Long Ride Gone Wrong

2008-07-19T17:44:00.002-04:00

Today was one of those rides where you wonder just how much benefit you will gain from it. "If I go to hard will I get hurt or just hurt worse than I do now and be stronger later?" I kept telling myself "just go easy" but somehow it seemed that I kept going slower and slower and slower and feeling weak. Blah! Ok, so it was just a bad day, but then again so was Thursday...mmm, pattern? Over-training??? Yes, probably a bit. Don't worry I am not going to complain for entire entry about my bike riding skills - nope. For the the first 65 miles of the ride today despite the fact that I felt bad I was very proud of the fact that I had adjusted my front and rear derailleurs last night and they WORKED! Yep, I have done it a few times now and I was starting to feel pretty confident in my bike mechanic ability...until...all of a sudden my bar end shifter started to fall apart in my hand. I still had a few gears, I tried to adjust on the side of the road, but it was not going to work. Ugh. I decide I will be a trooper and just ride all the hills in my 21. That lasted about 1 mile before my knee was complaining. I stop again and try to adjust, this time it just gets worse not to mention the fact that I have broken my own rule of NEVER mess with thy bike on the side of the road during a ride. This was an emergency though - I still had many miles to ride and a lot of hills. I take off again and then just slam the bar end shifter in frustration. It goes into the 27 in the rear but only if I hold it here. So I ride the next 20 miles holding the shifter and riding half aero up all hills. (This does not work well). When I get to Tryon I have to take my hand off the shifter to go over the railroad tracks and that is when the entire shifter falls off revealing sheered threads of cable. The bolt goes flying off and the chain snaps into my wheel. I wonder if I can ride like this for another 16 miles and the answer is "no way, stupid". I am done. My long, slow, sad ride has come to an end. I call my husband to come and get me. I think he was already out looking for me because he was very close to where I was anyway. I consider doing a brick run when I get home but I am done, toast mentally and physically worn out.

On the up side I did find Lake Cunningham which does not seem to have any water and Lake Robinson, which is beautiful. Picture above is me taking a break at Lake Robinson, which I rode many roads to find. It was my goal to find these two lakes today - so at least I did accomplish something!

The pony loop

2008-07-17T12:43:00.002-04:00

First let me clarify that I know these are NOT ponies. These are actually warm-blood foals at a farm that is a breeding facility for Dressage horses. For the last two years they have bred the horse of the year here. Every year they have 6-8 foals turned out in the pasture near the road where I bike past. They are usually born in the spring and stay in this field for at least 6-8 months before they are weened. At this stage they are very curious and sweet so I make a point to have a snack and visit with them on my bike rides. I have nicknamed the loop the "pony loop" for some reason and always enjoy my stops there. Yesterday while riding with Pam 7 of the foals came over to visit. I could not get them all in the picture but here are 4 of my friends.

Training Update

2008-07-16T08:02:00.002-04:00

I have been training again! Two weeks ago I hit that wonderful 20 hour mark - that means I was swimming, biking or running for a total of 20 hours for the week. That was the same week I had to take a day off to recover from my bee sting incident too. Last week I had a bit of a "recovery" week and still managed to get in a good 15 hours. This week is my 7th week of training for Ironman WI. This means I have 5 more big weeks and then I get to taper. Next week will be pretty easy too because I will be racing on the weekend...but that will at least count for my speed work for the week!

A few fun stats:
2 weeks ago I biked 270 miles which is more than I drove my car.
Last week for my easy week I rode 142 and ran 33
This week I should hit close to 300 miles on the bike and 45 miles of running

Doggie Update

2008-07-16T07:52:00.002-04:00

Smokey has a new home with Sarah the marathon runner. He has already been running with her, taken over her sofa and tried to boss around Tripp (the other Weim). When Smokey left last Saturday he did not look sad at all. He jumped up in the SUV and said "take me for a ride people!" He already had a play date with another pup on the schedule, new toys in the front seat and his own bed waiting for him at home. Smokey is finally the spoiled pup he has always thought he was! I can't thank Sarah enough for giving him that loving/running home he deserved.

Duke on the other hand is not so easy to place. Due to his abusive background he is not so quick to accept just anyone which is why I am lucky that Reva has come into our lives. Reva lives exactly 1.5 miles from my house. I pass her house every day on the way to town but yet I had never met her. I have however noticed that she had a Weim. Unfortunately her Jonsie passed away last month and she is now looking for another forever friend. She is working with me and Duke to win his heart over. Duke and I went for a visit (a walk and biscuit) on Monday. He was certainly not perfect but he was at least well behaved. We will visit again at the end of the week. I think I will need to leave him with her so that he will not focus on me so much. He is a very loyal and dedicated dog...I would just like him to direct a little bit of that towards her!

Duke - Blue Weimaraner Needs Home Too

2008-07-05T20:33:00.002-04:00

Duke is a 4 year old blue Weim. He came to me 3 years ago with mange, starving and with heart worms. He has since undergone treatment for the heart worm and mange and is a beautiful healthy dog with wonderful manners. He is a gentleman’s dog. He is very obedient and heels nicely on and off the leash. He enjoys running and has a special talent for hunting turtles. Yes, he sniffs out turtles and brings them to me without injuring them. He is currently living with 6 other Weims which he does ok with but in a perfect world he would be an only dog. He loves going for walks and playing ball. He stays outside in a fenced in area or in a dog run during the day and sleeps inside in a crate at night.

Duke came to me from Arkansas via Texas. A friends mother had passed away leaving 14 dogs behind. Supposedly her boyfriend was talking care of them but based on Duke’s behavior upon arrival he had been abused or neglected at some point in his life. Because of this I think Duke would do best in a family with no children or older children because he does tend to get scared easily. Duke would make someone a wonderful friend because he wants nothing more to please and be loved. The right family for Duke is a must. While I love this dog I have rescued and rehabilitated him to the best of my ability. It is time for him to have a family and for me to make room for another.

Duke is up to date on Shots, heart worm prevention and Advantage Plus.

Please contact:
Katie Malone
864-415-5804
trichick@alltel.net

Weimaraner Needs Home! Smokey...

2008-07-05T20:32:00.003-04:00

Smokey is a 2 year old neutered male. He is about 100 lbs of pure love and happiness. He is very energetic and is a wonderful running partner (3-6 miles). He heels nicely off the leash but will also walk nicely on the lead. He has had basic obedience training and loves to jump agility jumps or horse jumps (more his size). He is house broken and will “go to bed” on command but he gets excited when initially let into the house. He is crate trained where he sleeps at night and stays inside a fence in the yard during the day without a problem. He is a little clumsy but is very sweet. Like most Weims he is strong willed and will need an owner who can command respect.

Smokey’s owner died almost a year ago and he was inherited by her son who boarded him in a kennel where is was kept in a crate with no walks or exercise for 3 weeks before I rescued him. He had literally chewed his tail off and had to undergo surgery to cover the exposed bone. He still nips at it when he is nervous but it has healed nicely. He has been in my care for 7 months living with 6 other Weims. He is at an age where he needs to bond with someone. He is a wonderful, sweet dog who needs a Weim savvy family to give him the love and attention he deserves.

He is up to date on shots and is on heart worm protection and Advantage Plus.

Home must have fenced in yard, time to exercise and love to give. I will keep Smokey until I find him the home he deserves. References will be required and checked.

Please call
Katie Malone
864-415-5804
trichick@alltel.net

4th of July Surprise!

2008-07-05T19:28:00.003-04:00

Happy 4th of July! I know I am a day late but honestly I am just happy to bee here. (that will make more sense in a moment). I love the 4th of July because it almost always starts with the Fabulous Fourth Bike Ride that starts right here in Tryon. So for a change everyone has to drive here to ride with me! I am always excited about this ride and the day. I always have my sights set on a faster ride than usual and then maybe stopping in Columbus for funnel cake (that did not happen this year). I always start at the back of the pack and take it easy for the first 5-10 miles and then start having some fun and riding a little faster. This year I happened to ride with Pam and her husband Scott (who was just humoring our pace) and Brad and then Laura too. Pam always has the potential to kick my butt on the bike but thank goodness she is still recovering from her Half IM. Laura has been very dedicated with her workouts showed huge improvement on the bike which was great to see.

A little over half way into our ride I felt a big smack in my forehead and then the pain. It was a pain I knew all too well. A bee got stuck between my helmet and sunglasses and of course I got stung again. Every week for the last 3 weeks I have been hit and stung. We were almost at a water stop so I put some ice on it. I even put a Penny on it, I stopped when someone suggested mud - Oh come on~! I will not lie - the darn thing hurt like someone had taken a hammer to my head. We rode on and bantered back and forth. At the next water stop I was feeling a little swollen. I tried an ice pack but it did not really work. Then some wonderful girl gave me some Benadryl. Kelly drained my lymph nodes - probably saved me from drying up the watershed. At this point I am still thinking this is all normal swelling. By the time we got to Saluda my eyes were shut and my face was getting more swollen by the minute. Back at Harmon Field I was shocked to see my face. I did not panic but at the urging of anyone who saw me I made my way to the hospital quickly. I literally ran in! Once at the desk I took my sunglasses off and a woman in the waiting area recognized me from Pet Therapy. She told her husband, "Oh that is Katie Malone, she is normally very pretty" and her husband's response "Yeah right!" anyway within a moment my friend's mother, a nurse in the ER, took me back and I realized it was a good thing I was there. The trouble breathing came as soon as I sat down - I guess I just got lucky. A few quality hours on a drip and I was as good as new. Well -I still don't look so great but I am now the proud owner of an EpiPen.

The hospital was amazing - did I mention that? They were quick, friendly, efficient. This happens to be the same hospital (St. Luke's) that I do the fundraising for with the Ache Around the Lake race. I am now more motivated than ever to make our race bigger and better than ever. We take donations big and small so if anyone needs a tax write off please let me know!

Kid Fun - What kids should be doing

2008-07-05T18:51:00.002-04:00

If there is one thing I believe in that is giving back to my community. Sometimes I don't think that the things I do make that much of a difference. I try to reach out to people on a one on one basis. Sometimes I spread myself too thin and I end up running myself ragged trying to do everything and doing nothing well. For a few years now I had been looking at the Big Brother, Big Sister program and thinking that it would be a good program for me to be involved in. Did I have the time? Certainly not. I signed up anyway and I have made the time. Hai'lee is my little sister and out of all the things I do spending quality time with her is the best use of my time. Hai'lee has a little brother, Don'tae who did not have a Big Brother yet so I started taking him with us to the pool in the winter. They play so well together that I never mind taking Don'tae too, as long as it is ok with Hai'lee.

A few weeks ago the kids got out for summer vacation and while so many kids are privileged with camp Hai'lee and Don'tae are not. So I took it upon myself to have a day of "camp" at the lake. We paddled the canoe (which they had never seen before) then went in the boat to watch some water skiing and finally got to practice their swimming from the dog dock. They were in heaven and honestly so was I. They had so much fun, spent quality time outside and did what every little kid should do - had fun at the lake!

State of Mind

2008-07-05T18:41:00.002-04:00

I got this from my friend, Caroline's blog. I thought it was a great motivational poem that we all could use to read...I don't know who the author is or else I would certainly give him/her credit.

If you think you are beaten, your are
If you think you dare not, you won't,
If you like to win, but don't think you can't
It's almost a cinch you won't

If you think you'll lose, you're lost
For out in the world you find,
Success begins with a fellow's will
It's all in a state of mind

For many a game is lost
Ere even a play is run,
And many a coward fails
Ere even his work is begun

Think big and your deeds will grow
Think small and you'll fall behind
Think that you can and you will
It's all a state of mind

If you think you are out-classed, you are
You've got to think high to rise
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize

Life battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the fellow who thinks he can

I have been Tagged...

2008-06-30T21:25:00.003-04:00

This seemed like a fun idea so I decided to play along:

10 years ago
I had gone back to college and was running cross country on a full scholarship at USCS - now known as USC-Upstate. Not exactly what I had imagined for my college education but it was better than one might think. I looked at running cross country as my part time job. My other job included cleaning houses. I cleaned everyone on my hands and knees as if someone were going to eat off the floor. Each house was a workout because I got paid by the job and not by the hour. I would clean as fast as I could so I could get home to study, so I could get back to afternoon cross country practice where I would run the workout as fast as possible so I would have time to shower and eat before going to class with all the other "adult" students who had day jobs. It was hard, money was short, but for the most part I was happy.

5 years ago
I had just quit my day job that I had worked so hard to earn. A job that I worked so hard at and one that helped me stand on my own feet financially for the first time in my life. A job with benefits, a job where I got to travel and feel like I was somebody. Yes, I just quit because it was not what I had dreamed of. It was not where my future was. It was just a job. It was a means to an end. I had always dreamed of doing the Hawaii Ironman and in 2002 I had fallen short of qualifying by 2 min in 2 different races. I needed more sleep and more time to train. The goal was so close so the choice was easy - give up the job and go after the dream...duh!

1 year ago
I was getting ready to have the race of my life at Lake Placid Ironman. I was in great shape, I was going to qualify for Hawaii again and set a PR. I was focused, I was determined, I was enjoying racing. Coaching was my way of sharing my passion for sport and earning a living. They say that if you have a job you love you will never work a day in your life (almost true).

5 things on my to-do list today:
Write training schedules for all the athletes I coach
Swim
Schedule someone to take down trees in the doggy area
(Yeah I know that is only 3...but it is Monday and I spend all day writing schedules!)

5 snacks I enjoy:
(this list always varies)
Donuts - Krispy Kreme, Bavarian Creme. I can eat a dozen glazed and still go for a bike ride. No kidding
Blueberries, Strawberries, Blackberries (best when picked during a trail run)
Graham Crackers
Prunes
Bolthouse farms smoothie

If I were a billionaire:
I would buy love and give it to all the little kids who don't get enough and then I would pair each child up with a pound puppy so they could be forever friends. I think I would then spay an neuter irresponsible people and pets...is that allowed?

5 people I would like to have lunch with:
Kahil Gibran, Frank, Alex and her entire family, Christy, My father

5 places I have lived:
Oldwick, NJ
Bakede, Germany
Groningen, Netherlands
Pheonix, Arizona
Walnut Grove, SC

5 jobs I have had:
Waitress at Waffle House
Gold's Gym Sales
Cleaning Lady
Groom - yes, I cleaned the horses and picked up poop - glamorous!
Project Controls for Engineering company

Newfoundland 70.3 - July 27th

2008-06-29T19:56:00.002-04:00

Registration for this race was easy. I just got on Active.com and within 2 min. I was in. Then I called Colette to tell her the good news. She was very excited since she was going to be going alone and we all know that is no fun!

Tonight I started making the plans - when to leave etc. I got online to book my ticket and I got some serious sticker shock. What happened to all these discount travel websites? Their prices have gone through the roof. I guess it is not that often that people actually go to Corner Brook, Newfoundland because getting there is not easy at all. I finally have the flights booked.

Colette informed me that I have to leave on Tuesday because Monday she has a big hike up a mountain planned for our recovery. The view is supposed to be amazing...

Bike 115.5 on Saturday & Run 21.5 on Sunday

2008-06-29T12:04:00.003-04:00

I have been quiet for awhile on the bogging front. There has been nothing terribly interesting to report, maybe part of that is because I am training again. Yes, I am actually doing structured training to prepare for Ironman WI in the fall. The past 4 weeks have hurt. After my season ending prematurely last year I am more grateful than ever to be able to do all 3 sports. The long rides and runs hurt but in the best way possible.

Yesterday I was lucky to have a long ride on my schedule with no structure, since I am still just in the base building phase (speed comes in another few weeks). Long rides are times when I like to get out and explore. I have plenty of time to get lost and then find my way home. Yesterday I realized I might have pushed the envelope when I found myself out past Pumkintown on roads that looked familiar from a ride I did that started in Brevard...I had to stop and ask someone to look at a map. When I told them I needed to get back to Tryon (which was not even on the same page on the map I was looking at) they kindly suggested getting on Hwy 11! Normally I would not even consider this but I needed to get home. Amazingly enough there is even a bike lane for the first 15 miles (which was rideable)- which I admit was very nice to ride in...especially aero. So I got a little TT (time trial) for about 20 mile before seeing a road that I knew would take me back towards Saluda. Unfortunately that road had a killer hill right at mile 90 of my ride. Rolling into Saluda at 100 miles I had to stop for a Coke and some ice for my finger where I had been stung by something nasty that I tried to get out of my top. Coke has never tasted so good. It made the rest of the ride home much more manageable. Of interest for some of you who ride and train might be what I ate during this epic ride. Listed in no particular order:
1 big bag of Haribo Gummy Bears
1/2 bag of donuts
2 packages of Fig Newtons
1/2 Orange Smoothy Powerbar (new flavor - tastes great)
1/2 bag of Baked Lay's
1 small bag of Gold Fish
Coke
5 Bottles of Gatorade & Carbo Pro Mix (about 260 cal per bottle)
2 bottles of Water + extra water every time I stopped

Today was run day. After getting home yesterday I took two Benadryl tablets to alleviate some of the pain of the sting in my finger. I got stung on the end of my finger and by the evening it had swelled so much that I could not even bend it. 2 Benadryl after 115 mile ride had me knocked out within moments. I was comatose until 6:10 this morning. I woke up and I felt fine! So that meant that the game was on. I had to go get this 20 mile run done before it got late and I got lazy. I was out by 7 and on the trails. My legs felt ok, but not a lot of spunk. I decided to just get busy thinking about how beautiful it was, how nice all the little birds sounded and kept my eyes peeled for other wildlife. I saw lots of deer, some of which I got very close to. I saw a turkey with all her little babies - whatever you call them. Of course a few people out on horses but that was about it today. After letting my mind wander I started feeling pretty good, after a sip of Coke and some ibuprofen at mile 12 I felt great...bring it on! The last 2 miles I actually ran hard, oh yes, all this training is starting to pay off.

You know what I did then? I came home and thought, I need to push a little more...how about I surprise my best buddy Colette and sign up for the race she is doing at the end of the month. I dropped the cash and have the registration in my hand. See the trouble you can get into after a good week of training!

Willow was once a pound puppy

2008-06-15T12:31:00.002-04:00

This is a picture of my precious Willow. A friend of mine at the local humane society called me as soon as she came in and told me that there was a Weimaraner puppy there. I honestly did not believe her (I was just starting to rescue at this point). I went to see her and could not believe my eyes - a beautiful young Weim female. She was 9 months old. I took her home and told myself I would find her a home. Indeed I did...my home! She was a crazy puppy with no manners. She ate my husband's dinner off his plate the first night and a month later ATE the dining room wall. She had some issues to work through but now years later she is a wonderful, well mannered dog. She runs with me and swims like a champ. We are also kindred spirits since we are the only 2 females in the house.

My Festival of Flowers

2008-06-13T21:53:00.002-04:00

As many of you have now noted I did not finish the Festival of Flowers triathlon. The reason I did not finish was not because of the heat but because I trained way too much the week before and I arrived exhausted. I thought maybe after a day of relaxing (camping) I would feel better but the truth is I only felt worse! So many years previously I have done a ridiculous amount of training the week before a race and been able to bounce back but that was not the case this year. Maybe I am just getting older? At any rate after suffering through the bike ride I made the decision to stop. I could have finished but it would have taken me much longer to recover and I did not see anything to be gained - training wise. So I stopped and then I went and cheered and watched the race unfold. I watched many who I coach have awesome races despite the heat and that brought much more joy to me than crossing the finish line ever has.

Congrats to all of you for racing your hearts out in that blasted heat!

This Sport We Love...

2008-06-13T21:20:00.002-04:00

I admit that I am behind - hopelessly behind on blogging. Actually I have been behind on everything for the past few weeks but I think that as of today I am more or less caught up. Sure I need to put race results for the entire season out on my website for all of my athletes but in thinking about it...will that make me a better coach? Probably not, so I am not going to sweat it. I will get the results out there one of these days. There have been some great results and great disappointments so far this year. Where shall I start? Audrey (pictured above) has now done 2 triathlons, she is a bona-fide triathlete. She works her butt off and does not give up- she even walked away with some swag from the Middle Tyger YMCA Triathlon. Jim on the other hand walked back with his bike that got 2 flat tires, although he did bring an impressive positive attitude with him. The next weekend he went on to finish his first Olympic Distance race at Festival of Flowers. Back at the MTY Tri Kimberley won in fine fashion only to learn a few days later that she has a stress fracture in her tibia. Suzanne smoked the course at Festival of Flowers posting a PR for an Olympic Distance race by something like 16 min AND placing 3rd in her age group. She showed fine form on the run and left with the confidence that she was going to Ironman Coeur d'Alene to cross that finish line and still be able to go out for dinner afterwards. Then a cruel turn of fate this week sent her sailing over the handle bars and into the emergency room. There will be no race for her in Coeur d'Alene. She has spent the last year preparing for this and now must come up with another plan of action.

You probably wonder where I am going with all of this. I guess if there is one thing I have learned through doing and watching is that you have to be flexible. "The winds change, so adjust your sail" Injuries or mishaps force us into changing plans mid flight and not try to control the uncontrollable. I am convinced that when something is not meant to be you have to just go with the flow. Some days you have the gift some days you just don't.

1989 Mt. Mitchell

2008-05-30T10:22:00.003-04:00

(This is something I wrote to submit to an online contest about Mitchell. No doubt some edits will still need to be made)

When I was 14 I spent many hours following my mother around. I followed her friends too on back roads and up steep hills. Sometimes I could keep up and sometimes I would hurt but the reward was one that I did not want to miss. You see I was able to experience my first great cycling adventure that year, participating in the Assault on Mount Mitchell.
I originally rode my bike because my mother challenged me. She told me that there was a hill that she did not think I could ride up. Of course this would serve to motivate most teen-agers. I wanted to prove her wrong. I rode the 10 miles to the hill, climbed the hill, and rode home. I declared that I had won! I did it! Then she said she did not think I could do it twice, so I went back and did it again. At this point I had ridden the round trip a few times and realized that at the age of 13 I had some great transportation around my rural community. People knew me as the kid on the bike.

From the time we moved to Polk County when I was 12 I always heard people talking about this bike ride called the “Assault on Mt. Mitchell”. I had no concept of what it would be like to ride 102 miles or how hard it would be. I just knew that all my mother’s friends were going to be doing it and I did not want to be left behind. So I started following them on their training rides every week. I don’t remember the distance we rode or how many hours we went for. I just rode because I loved it. I enjoyed being part of a group of adults and feeling like I was doing something special.

The day of the “Assault” came quickly. My parents dropped me off in Spartanburg at the start. I am sure I was riding with someone but I don’t remember being with anyone in particular. I was just swept up in the sea of cyclists until I saw my parents again at Green Creek Elementary school at the mile 20 rest stop. My parents followed along the route in a big old station wagon with my mother’s bike in the back just in case something should happen to mine. They were my “team car”. Every time I would see my parents my father would ask me if I wanted to get in the car. He would say “hey kid do you want to get in now?” The next place I remember seeing my parents was in Marion. They met me at the Hardees t for lunch. I sat in the grass in front of the Hardees and enjoyed the pretty day with my mother and father and others who stopped there for a break. Again my father made the offer. My answer was always the same resolute, no.

Back on the road after a late lunch I started to make my way up the mountain with frequent stops to rest. What I saw going up the mountain only served to motivate me to get to the top. Some of the people I had trained with were on the side of the road, they had quit. My father passed me again and this time said “ok, kid that is enough, you can get in” but something kept pushing me to the top. I was so close I could not stop now. I felt like if I could do this at age 14 that I would be able to anything in my life. I kept pushing on, ignoring fatigue. I arrived at the top of the mountain in 12:30 which is slow by most standards but on this day the time did not matter it was the achievement and the knowledge that I could do anything I set my mind to. The sky was the limit and on the top of Mitchell one is very close to the sky.

I have since done Mitchell many times and much faster but none of my experiences will ever come close to the trip to the top of that mountain with my parents when I was 14.

Max - another rescue

2008-05-26T06:54:00.002-04:00

Max is on the left in this picture. This is how a Weim looks who has had a full day of fun playing in the yard with his new foster family. Caliber is on the right is his new friend - it took them about a minute to decide that they were going to be best friends. Funny thing is they look like they could be brothers. Both are what are considered "Blue" Weims.
Max is the dog on the right and he needs a forever home. Max is 8 years old and has always lived in a loving family but he had to stay in the kitchen all day and he hated that. I don't blame him - I would hate it too. So like any Weim he got busy in the kitchen, cleaning out cabinets, pulling the stove apart, climbing on the counters. He was trying to tell his family that he did not like staying alone all day and was very unhappy. The vet suggested daily sedation! Hello - hasn't that vet heard of good hard exercise??? His owner called me and asked if I could help find him a new home. I was pretty hesitant because normally I only pull dogs from the pound but I was afraid that was where this little guy was going. So I agreed. A few of us pulled together and paid for board for him for the weekend and then I kept him a few days while we waited for his new foster home to be ready for him.

Here are the details about Max. He is 8 years old - still has lots of spunk in him but calms down nicely in the house. He is healthy and up to date on all his shots, no heart worm or any of that. His coat is beautiful. His teeth need a good cleaning (at the vets) but that is typical for a dog his age. He is SWEET, he loves everyone and is good with children too. He does not like to be alone. He does very well playing with other dogs and would probably do best being with 1 or more dogs. He sticks with you and does not run away and stays in a fenced in area outside without a problem. House broken - prefers to sleep on bed or sofa - oh well! He is currently located in Anderson, SC if you would like to meet him. Contact me for more details...

Disney 70.3

2008-05-25T11:48:00.003-04:00

Part of the Malone Coaching crew making our way to the transition area the day before the race. Don't we look silly with our Aero helmets on and our "day" clothes. If only Kimberley had left on the high heels she wanted to wear then the look really would have been complete. (No, I did not let her out of the house in them until AFTER the race)
My after race meal - a little protein! I had to share them but I probably could have taken care of them myself. Sione can't eat pork so I did at least get hers!
Ah - a nice picture of us after the race. I am relaxed and worn out. Sione is happy with her 8th place finish and a little prize money in her pocket.

The race and the trip quick summary: As always it is a little more complicated going to a race that is far away and one that is big. We rented a townhouse with a garage to prep the bikes in and a big kitchen to cook our meals in. Meals were planned out and we shopped strategically so that we did not waste anything. We were busy the entire time we were there with a little training, cooking, preparing etc. Although the best part was when we sat down to have dinner together. We talked and told stories and reminisced about all the races we have been to together and how no matter what happens during the race the best part about this sport is the friends that we have made. It almost brought tears to my eyes, well at least until we started driving each other nuts with type "A" behavior so typical of tri geeks.

The race - race morning Malone Coaching was minus 1 person who was so ill they could not race. What a bummer! Everyone else showed up and enjoyed the incredible energy that surrounds an early morning start. The pros were off at 6:20 for the men and 6:23 for the women. I watched and cheered for Sione as she went and in a way was secretly sad that I am no longer competing as a pro - but then again I don't train like one either! Then I enjoyed the morning and the music and people watching. My wave finally got off and I enjoyed swimming in the front of the pack for a change. My new skin suit thing worked magic and I slipped through all the swim traffic without a problem. I actually had FUN! Out on the bike the course was pretty flat with a few rollers and I had more fun - the race was going amazingly well but then the sun came out and it got hot and I started to get chills on the run and that is when it became not so fun. I had to do the survival jog right along with so many others. Our unusually cold spring here in the Carolina's did not prepare me for FL heat. Oh well. I still had fun. Best part about the day was that Kimberley won her age group! Sione snagged 8th place which was the last paying spot on the podium. Both also got slots to the World Championships 70.3 in Clearwater in Nov.

Oh - and I snagged (Basically outwaited all others) a spot into Ironman WI. I have some unfinished business there!

Clemson Photo Shoot & Race Update

2008-05-25T11:38:00.003-04:00

Team Set-Up actually all caught wearing our team shirts at the same time! OK - it is only 3 of us but still a good start for us! Chris Smutzer, Me, Hugh Myrick
Almost all of the Malone Coaching girls who were at the race - Lori, Audrey, Me (James - not a girl) Sione, Nancy and Chasse.
Sione on her way to a win - I think she came in 5th overall...including the men on the bike. She is amazing. Thanks to Johnny for this great photo!
Lori, Chasse and Nancy...AKA as the Anderson Girls who have been my biggest supporters and friends now for years!
James, Me, Sione, Chris G - AKA Gman, and Chris Smutzer.

A very little blurb about the race. The best part is getting to camp practically in the transition area. Although I love the location, the course and the quality race that Jeremey (I mean Set-Up) has made. I think this year was the 8th or 9th time I have raced this course. Sione was able to smoke it and win, although she had some impressive competition. Lori and Audrey both were happy to complete their first triathlons with Lori even snagging an award in the Novice category! This race brings everyone together and has a wonderful "local" feel. I saw people who I used to water ski with out there in bike shorts! What is this world coming to? Malone Coaching had 15 athletes racing which is also a record number. It was a beautiful day and a fine race what more can I ask for?

My first Hunter Pace!

2008-05-05T07:54:00.002-04:00

Here we are ready to go out and complete the Hunter Pace yesterday. Christy is riding Treat who was anything but a "treat" to ride yesterday and I am riding her other horse Thor who did very well. Originally we had planned to take Oliver and Thor but we had to change our strategy a bit when Oliver was lame (sore foot for you non-horse people). The course was a 9.2 + mile trail ride over beautiful country on a day with PERFECT weather. Ironically it took us 3 hours to complete. Treat would have liked to have done the complete ride at a wide open run but Christy was not going to let him. So we took our time and enjoyed the scenery, although I think Christy was probably worn out by the end just from holding him back. Somewhere around 7.5 miles we got close to the area with the horse trailers and Christy and I both got pretty excited that we were going to get to eat lunch when all of a sudden the course turned and we headed away again. Sure we got to see some beautiful scenery but at that point we were actually getting sore from being on a horse for so long and very thirsty. Next time I am going to ride with my Camelback! All in all a great day and a wonderful ride. Much more relaxing than triathlon!

Another week, another race...

2008-05-02T11:40:00.002-04:00

Last week at Langley Pond we had turbulent weather and delays which still made for a fun race because everything was handled calmly and professionally by Set-Up. The race closely resembled my week a little chaotic and lots of unexpected delays and problems most of which I think I handled well. I don't have much time for a blog today...or ever but here is a quick update of the week.

Tuesday - My bike finally assembled. Sione arrived in Charlotte at 9 pm - so a late night, I do not do well without sleep.
Wed - training, getting organized
Thursday - don't even remember because it was a blurr
Friday - paid bills and got ready to leave for race. Little accident with my car. Notice there are no more roof racks on it...For those of you who have seen the car you know exactly what happened to it. Oh and I ran the well dry. Bad day.
Saturday - race, if you can call it that. I was in a bad place mentally but managed to smile and complete. I am lucky to be able to do what I do. I needed to remind myself of that multiple times during the race. Wonderful cool down run.

Now - no more time. I must go to the lake, swim, work, play, maybe relax...not really time for the last 2 options!

She now has a name...Cricket

2008-04-21T07:16:00.003-04:00

This is the dog that I rescued last Thursday and took to Columbia to her foster home with Chris. When I picked her up she had no name, no number, no papers because she was going to be put to sleep. I told them I was from rescue and with just my signature they handed her over to me. She was sweet immediately and very happy to get to go for a walk, run in the grass. She slept the entire way to Columbia. Upon arrival at her foster home with Chris and his other Weim, Moses and a Jack Russell mix she made friends quickly. She romped around and checked out everything but mostly she wanted to go into the house. According to Chris she thinks that any piece of furniture that is good enough for him is good enough for her. She is well behaved and loves to play ball but does not yet swim. Unfortunately she is heartworm positive but will be treated soon. She will be up for adoption within the next few months. We think she is about 2 years old.

Last Wednesday when I heard that she needed to be rescued I was torn. I knew I could not take another dog into my home so I was grateful when Chris opened his home and heart to her. It is so rewarding to be able to give a dog another chance at a good life. I took half the day off from my crazy life to pick her up and drive her down to Columbia. I did not really have the time but when you believe in something sometimes you just have to make it work. I know I can't rescue them all, but at least every once in awhile I can save one.

Oliver

2008-04-21T06:53:00.002-04:00

Oliver the Appaloosa is my new friend along with his owner Christy (she did not want her picture taken). Years ago riding was my favorite hobby but during the triathlon phase of my life it is something that has fallen by the way side. This year however I have really had the bug to ride again. Lucky for me I met Christy at just the right time and she just happens to have a few extra horses that she does not mind sharing with me. The first time I went to the barn and got that horse smell all over me and lost all sense of time I was just in heaven. Now I try to ride with Christy at least once a week. I am finding my riding legs again and we are planning on doing our first Hunter Pace together in a few weeks.

Friday evening we took the horses out on a short trail ride and cantered around a big field. The weather was warm and balmy. The ride was the perfect way to end the day. On the way back to the barn we passed by a field with a young foal which seems to be common at this time of the year. Still I always need to stop at watch them play, it is a sign that spring is finally here.

Lots o Dogs and other stuff too

2008-04-14T12:11:00.005-04:00

(From left to right - Harry with the ball in his mouth, Pepe', Willow, Yoda, Ziggy and Duke in the background...don't know where Smoky is)

Here is a picture of my beloved family of Weims. I love these crazy dogs like they are my children so when someone criticises my pups I put the boxing gloves on. Last week was a bad week concerning dog issues. Next door to the dog area they are building a house...so guess what? The dogs bark all day. I admit that it is horrible, I hate it, but with 7 pups there is not much I can do about it. Then on top of that I have been told (per a letter from the powers that be) that we should not be on the HORSE trails! None of this sat well with me last week. I tried to sneak into the woods with the dogs via my rear gate. It seemed to work well. I came home via the front gate and forgot that the rear gate was left open. I asked the dogs if they had gone anywhere but honestly I think they all stayed home despite the fact that I had left the gate wide open the entire time I was on my bike. Such good dogs! After their shameless night of barking (again I was out on the bike) my neighbors had enough. I basically told them that I would keep the dogs inside and get them all bark collars. (Well, maybe not since each bark collar costs $120!) So I went to Petsmart and came out with a plastic bird house. Yes, a tacky bird house that emits a sonic boom every time the bad dogs bark. I was pretty sure there was no way that thing was going to work but now after a quiet weekend I am a believer. I have gone out on the trails very very early to avoid any problems with horses. Although I think most of the horses are fine - it is their owners. I am trying to keep everything in perspective because the area where I live is really beautiful and I don't want to feel like I need to move.

On another subject Ironman AZ was yesterday. Team mate Brian Benitez-Nelson had a smokin time of 9:30 something. I am not sure if that will be sending him back to Kona or not but either way it is impressive. Sione (my friend from the Netherlands) had an impressive finish of 10:05 for 9th place overall. She will be here in NC next week getting ready for the Florida 70.3 race. Basically she will be kicking my butt into shape! So if I look tired next week...it is because I am!

I finally used some of my bike mechanic skills to tear down my "good" bike. I took everything off it and have sanded the frame down and will take it to get painted today. With my new knowledge I was able to order the appropriate parts (I hope!). I am a little worried that taking it apart was much easier than putting it together is going to be. We will see. I should be able to have it back together by the end of the week.

Maybe this week will have some more interesting news but for now I am going back to working on schedules - that is if I can get my software to work. Nothing like a challenge on Monday!

Race Horse, Wild Turkey, Fox & a Rabid Raccoon!

2008-04-06T05:55:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I had to get out of the house to get my long run completed. It was raining all day. Sure, I waited for it to lighten up but I waited hours so then I figured I just had to get it done. I promised myself that I would get all my running in this week. I left the house and felt really sluggish. I had the ipod blasting in my ear and some good tunes but my own bad attitude was already sabotaging my run. The first car that passed me on the dirt road sacred me. I never even heard it coming. Duh - that is why running in a race with an ipod is NOT allowed. Anyway - that sent a burst of adrenaline through me. I continued running when all of a sudden I had the feeling something was behind me. I looked over my right shoulder to see a big brown nose. This time I controlled my jump because I did not want to scare the horse. The rider/jockey then asks me if I want to race? Ha - I took one look at that horse with the veins popping out of its neck and knew there would be no race. At this point the horse is just trotting a nice 7 min mile. Jockey/Gary tells me they are getting ready for the Amateur Steeplechase race. How cool! They have already done the race course once and clocked a 1:30 for the course, he also muttered something about a 45mph pace. How I wish I had 4 legs! Anyway, I wish them good luck in the race and watch them gallop off down the muddy dirt road. I am now enjoying my run and glad that I came out in the sideways rain for this.

Mile 3 - I run up a mountain. There is a gravel road here now where there used to be a trail which is a bad sign. It just means more development. I spot 2 wild turkeys running ahead of me. For an entire half mile the turkeys run on the road in front of me. I watch their goofy gate and then ponder the fact that they too are running my pace, which has now slowed to more of a 10 min pace up the mountain - but still pretty fast for a turkey! They take off in flight when I start running down the hill.

Mile 5 - Another dirt road, another long winding climb. I see something up ahead coming my way. I can't figure out what it is but it is coming at me quickly. Then I realize it is a big fluffy red fox! I have not seen a fox in ages (too much development) but I do see signs of them on the trails. The fox still has not spotted me and is now getting a little too close. I make some noise and the fox bounds up a bank and up into a dead tree.

Mile 6-11 are uneventful but somehow pass very quickly. Lots of wet horses trot over to see me run along the edges of their pastures.

Mile 11 - I need to do a few more miles but I am only a mile from home so I choose to do an out and back on the dirt road that I started out on. Not very far into my out and back I see the cute raccoon. It is 4 in the afternoon, raccoons are nocturnal so this is not a good sign. I make some noise so that he will scamper off but no, the little guy turns around and gets a attitude with me. He starts coming at me which is when I turned around and ran the other way. 1 for the raccoon, 0 for me. I am sure he was sick and that was an experience I was not willing to have!

I ran up the last hill home at a good pace, did some stretching and put on dry clothes. The good feeling of completing a workout no matter what the weather was doing far outweighs how I would have felt had I completed another few tasks at my desk!

NC Bike Week

2008-04-06T05:24:00.003-04:00

I think that now it is safe to say that "bike week" has become a tradition in my spring training. Sometimes others join but there is always Colette from Canada. Colette ventures down here after a winter on the trainer to put her first miles in on the bike. Actually many miles in on the bike. We ride every day and try to do at least 100K and a hill. We call this training plan 100K and a hill a day. We ride, as a rule, as slow as we feel like going. We stop for lunch, we stop for pictures, we stop to look a cool places, sometimes we meet other cyclists on the road. We ride no matter what the weather is doing, although for the first time ever we actually called a ride short this year because of pouring rain & cold but really it was the lightning that sent us riding as fast as we could back to the parking lot. We had to end our bike week watching a bad movie on the trainers, but you know even that was fun when you have someone to do it with you! Colette is tough, I don't know anyone else who would/could just jump on their bike in the Spring and ride 300+ miles in a week WITHOUT complaining. That is correct, Colette does not complain, she is fun, she is pleasant, a wonderful guest and over the years has ridden herself right into my heart. Through our love of cycling and the outdoors we have become fast friends. I will always look forward to our bike week when we can catch up and enjoy the beauty this area has to offer.

Some of our rides this year included: The 4th of July bike route up the watershed (of course!), a ride from Brevard up to Pretty Place (a lot of dirt roads in this area), a ride on part of the Mt. Mitchell course and then through Lake Lure, Green River Cove (1st day!) and the Assault on the Carolinas (cut short because of bad weather)

Bad Karma

2008-03-18T11:41:00.002-04:00

Almost exactly 1 month ago I was having problems with carbon monoxide in the house. I had the gas company come 2x, the heating company 2x and finally the plumber to find the problem. Why it took so many people to find the problem I do not know. Basically I just had to stay home that week and wait for them to come. When the plumber, John, finally arrived he was kind enough to inform me that my hot water heater was the problem. I was so happy that finally someone had the answer for me. Not only did he have the answer, but within 3 hours there was a new hot water heater installed and the carbon monoxide detector was finally reading 0. John had expressed an interest in my bikes (which I have way too many of). He wanted to know if I would sell him one. Really the only one that I would be willing to part with was very old and not worth much anyway. Since I was so grateful to him for having found and fixed my problem I thought it would be nice to give him the bike.

Fast Forward to Sunday when the new hot water heater blew her top. I called the plumbing company and they sent someone first thing Monday morning. It was not my friend John. Today they were back again with a new hot water heater, but still no John. When the guys were leaving they said to me "hey you know that guy you gave the bike to..." "well he broke his leg riding it in the parking lot". Well, boy do I feel bad now. Poor guy, I was doing something nice and it just turned out all wrong.

Blow Up!

2008-03-17T11:08:00.002-04:00

Yes, that is exactly what my hot water heater did last night. No, it was not a full blast through the roof kind of thing but enough to spew water all over the floor, make a mess and halt my laundry process. Now instead of the calm Monday (writing schedules) I had intended I have spent the majority of the morning watching the plumber. I don't know why I felt the need to watch what they were doing. It kind of fascinated me to watch as they pulled on the electric cord and water came out, or maybe the fact that he was standing in a puddle of water with his work boots on that had previously had red mud all over them and then he was actually going to walk on my carpet! Don't worry I made him clean his feet! :o) Anyway - the plumbers love me. They were just here last month for another emergency call. We are all on a first name basis...I will be seeing more of them (hopefully) when they come back to put in yet another new hot water heater tonight (hopefully).

Parris Island Sprint Tri

2008-03-16T06:57:00.004-04:00

Yesterday morning I woke up to the sound of birds, no wind howling, no rain, no cold front. It was going to be a beautiful day AND it was time to race. I admit I did not go into this race feeling very confident but every year I have to start somewhere. I kept telling myself that it is March and that I should not be peaking - which is oh so true, but there is always that racer in me that wants to give it everything I have got. I was looking forward to the race because I knew that for 1 hour I would be totally focused and all the other things my brain usually wanders to would disappear because of my intense concentration. The start of the race came quickly. I was not as organized as I usually am, I was out of my routine and had forgotten this or that. I made it to the pool and actually swam a lap or two. I was not really warmed up but for me it was as good as it was going to get. The race started and I was a little more relaxed than I should have been. Jamie Church (fellow coach) passed me in the pool and I hung on to his feet. Thanks Jamie! Once out on the bike Thea, new comer to the area passed me like I was standing still. Holy cow is that girl strong! I tried to pick up the pace a little after that but 24 mph is a little out of my league at this point in the year. Another few miles into it another girl passed me going just as fast! This time I was warmed up and I hung with her for a few miles before my legs screamed for mercy. My cadence was way too low. Yes, I actually saw 76 for my cadence. At this point my mind took over and I shifted down and got my cadence back up where it belonged, or at least closer to it. From a coaching standpoint I know I was bad on the bike. That is what is good about an early race, it allows you to see what you need to work on. Towards the end of the bike I actually caught up to Tracy D. which is rare and then I was overtaken by Gabi close to transition. We ran the first mile back and forth. Neither one of us is in the best shape right now but we are both runners and we were going to fight it out. I surged as many times as I could, ran on her shoulder, held my breath to make it seem like I was not running very hard - yeah, for 1 mile I raced. Finally we had a little gap and she was behind me. Tracy came flying past me but at this point but my legs were done. Cooked from the bike and then my 1 mile race with Gabi. Scott who was going out on his bike yelled to me "if you are not hurting, you are not running hard enough" so I actually did run a little harder for a moment. Thanks Scott! In the end I missed 3rd by 20-30 seconds. Thea's amazing bike split and solid race landed her in front of me, which is ok for now...but I can't wait to train some more and race again!

Once my race was over I was back out on the course until the last person had finished. I proudly watched many that I coach have awesome races. Pam out biked me, but more impressive than that was that she looked like a runner starting AND finishing the run. Suzanne really did run well for the M&M's with a PR for her 5K. Jim looked amazing out on the run course and Chris Dillard PRd by 7 min! Some hardware was collected by the unassuming Malone Coaching group and everyone was more motivated than ever to train hard! Thank you all for making my job so much fun!

Race Season is here!

2008-03-14T08:06:00.002-04:00

In the last 2 weeks I have attempted to spend more time training and less time at the computer but honestly when I add it all up the computer still wins. Either way tomorrow is the first race of the season and ready or not I will be racing. It will be good motivation for the training in the weeks ahead. The beauty of coaching is that many of the athletes I work with are ready for this race and they are going to set some PR's (personal records for those of you who are non-racers). They are going accomplish a lot more than I ever could have by myself and in many ways I enjoy watching them achieve their goals and have great races more than I do racing myself. My motivation to finish fast is so that I can go back out on the course and cheer, encourage, coach when needed. I am going to get M&M's today at the store to dangle in front of one of my favorite athletes who will do anything for M&M's. Hopefully this will tactic will make her smile and relax enough to have the race that she deserves for all the training she has done. Some, ok most, of the people I coach, have become friends as well. I respect their drive and enthusiasm for the sport so at a race like this where our starting times are all staggered I can truly enjoy watching everyone. Those who have been with me for years who are just getting to the level where they want to be, racing to their full capacity. Those who are new to the sport and excited about everything they learn and every finish line they cross.

For me this year marks my 21st year of racing and 5th year of coaching. This sport has come along way since my first pair of fluorescent aero bars that I owned!

I Graduated from Barnett Bicycle Institute!

2008-03-03T12:55:00.003-05:00

We all passed the bike mechanic class and officially graduated last Friday. Now with that said I now only know just how much I don't know about bikes. I am going to have to practice on my old bike before I even attempt to touch my good bike. As a side note this class had the largest number of women ever! Cat, the girl in the red and black was the instructor, which means there were still only 3 women in this class. John Barnett, the guy with the beard on the left is the founder and genius behind the school. He has given an amazing amount of thought to each and every procedure AND written it all down. If they can make a bike mechanic out of me then anyone can do it!

Considering that I was in class for 2 weeks it went really fast. I learned a lot, explored a new city and made some new friends from all over the country.

My trail run in the snow...

2008-03-03T12:28:00.002-05:00

Pike's Peak - my view during my morning runs

Last Wednesday morning I was lucky enough to wake up to a few inches of powdery snow. I honestly could not get ready fast enough. I was going to get to go on a snowy mountain run first thing in the morning. I can’t think of a better way to start the day! I was out the door by 6:15 and on the trails a few minutes later. There were no other humans at the park but according to all the foot prints in the snow there were a lot of animal tracks. I inspected a few that looked like a mid size dog, maybe large cat? Then there were others that were interesting because the front two feet spread out but the hind feet stayed together. I am pretty sure those were from a bunny. After a mile or so I was getting more comfortable but still thinking about what kinds of animals they probably have there in the mountains. Just at that moment I see a big bushy tail disappear behind a tree. I scream and stop dead in my tracks. Oh my god – what was that?!? I take a step towards it to inspect….Ah yes, it was a terribly scary squirrel. So now I have that out of my system I can concentrate on my run again. I run all the way to the back of the park to the end of the “official” trails and decide that the single track up the side of the mountain looks like some fun. I take off and start winding up the mountain. If I had realized that the single track was all uphill I might not have been so excited about it. At some point I start to think about the fact that I am now pretty far out in the woods, very alone, in an area that I don’t know. This is not a good combination. I actually turn around to back track, plus I don’t want to be late for class. Up until this point on the single track I have not seen any animal tracks. When I turn to go back I notice HUGE paw prints have followed me! I don’t see who they belong to but I am terrified. I bet it is a Cougar, I know they have them here. I try to keep myself calm but the paw prints are most certainly in my shoe tracks. I stop to inspect them (or allow the beast to catch me). Upon careful inspection I see that the paw prints look strange. They look exactly like the heel of my shoe with some snow stuck in it and indeed that is what they were – North Face trail shoes with the heel filled with some snow! At this point I smiled to myself ran back to the trail head and laughed about it for at least another 20 min of beautiful run.

Manitou Cave Dwellings

2008-02-24T17:07:00.003-05:00

This morning I just had to finish up my sight seeing with a visit to the cave dwellings which date back to 1100-1300 AD. I was one the of the first there this morning which was great because I could climb through all the caves and read all about the people that used to live there. They had some interesting habits – like burying their dead in the garbage pile (only during winter months). Also to give their corn meal more flavor the women would chew it first and then spit it back into the mix – supposedly it made it sweeter! Yuck! Aside from those habits they seemed to be interesting and they kept dogs as pets so I have to like them.

This was my only real sight-seeing for today although I did go for a run on some great trails. The first half mile of running seemed hard but after that the altitude did not bother me too much. Going up one steep hill I was wheezing but I figure if I can run every morning before class I will at least have done something good for my fitness!

I still have a sore throat and swollen glands – but I figure it can’t get any worse so I am just going to get back into the routine and hope that it goes away soon. I HATE being sick, it really puts a cramp in my activities!

Sick Tourist and Lots of Rocks!

2008-02-24T16:42:00.003-05:00

I have never taken so many pictures of rocks. There are all sorts of cool rock formations, different colors, different sizes, shapes - with awesome views behind them. Pikes Peak will be in the background of at least half of my "rock" pictures. The rocks here are even named - Siamese Twins or the Kissing Camels. Most rocks are posted too - NO CLIMBING OR SCRAMBLING (climbing higher than 10 ft). I have to admit the temptation to climb is great with all these cool rocks and views.
Yesterday I made a tourist day. No running or biking just touring – something I don’t really do too often but I decided that I could make it a new sport! I started the day with a visit to the Olympic Training Center. I got to see the women weight lifters at work. WOW – that was impressive! Then a woman wrester working out, a shooting competition, a gymnastics competition, a bunch of stinky wrestlers from all over the world training together, a volleyball camp for girls from all over the country. There were even a few people swimming. I could have stayed there all day long and watched. I love learning about the different sports and watching people who are striving to be the absolute best. The motto for Beijing is “Amazing Awaits” which I like. I think I might even adopt it. The Ironman slogan of “Anything is possible” is getting old.

After the Olympic Training Center which held my attention for much longer than I had anticipated I headed for a train ride that had been recommended to me. I have not been on a train in the US since my cousin took me to Madison Square Garden to watch the Globe Trotters when I was 5 so this was an adventure. As a side note I almost missed the train. I misjudged the distance and ended up being the last to board. I enjoyed a cup of Starbuck’s and an amazing view of the cliffs and the river and the highest suspension bridge anywhere in the world. Of course in the pictures the bridge just looks like a line in the sky. My photography skills just have not been able to do the landscape here justice. The ride was really relaxing – only 26 miles but it was great. Ironically the place where the train ride started is called Canon City. There are at least 2 prisons there and the town’s signs all read “Come do time with us”!

After that the day was pretty much over. I took a short break and then walked through Garden of the Gods – which is where many of the interesting rock formations are found. It was breathtaking – and not just because of the altitude.

For one day of sightseeing I was quite pleased with my progress! Aside from the fact that I still have a sore throat I am feeling pretty good.

Building Wheels and moving forward...

2008-02-20T19:48:00.002-05:00

Some of you know that I am in Colorado and for those of you who did not know before now...I am in Colorado Springs for 2 weeks. I am taking an intensive course at the Barnett Bicycle Institute (BBI).I have already been through 3 days of classes and learned more than I ever expected. Their teaching style here is one that really works for me. First they show you and then you have to go to a work bench and do it. Thus far that has included taking apart and putting back together an entire headset, bottom bracket, and rear hub. Today was a very exciting day because we got to build wheels! There was something really satisfying to me to lace those spokes up all by myself and in some way it was fun too. I don’t know why I waited so long to learn how to care for my bike. I have always enjoyed tinkering with it but now I am really going to know how to take care of it inside and out.

More importantly this class has given me the opportunity to learn something completely new. For some reason as adults this seems to take us out of our comfort zone and we tend to just do things we have always done. We miss out on new opportunities to learn and grow. I admit it was hard to get my life organized enough to go out of town for two weeks but I can already tell that the wealth of knowledge and the change of pace will far outweigh the stress of getting ready to leave town.

I have not done any training (yet) but that is only because I got a terrible cold when I arrived and have not been able to get over it. So as soon as I am feeling back to normal I plan to check out the trails that are out the back door and get my fill of training at altitude. Snow is in the forecast for tomorrow, but around here it will be business as usual!

For those of you who still think I am on vacation I have class everyday from 8:30-5:30 and then at least 2 hours of homework. The homework has to be turned in the next day so it is mandatory. I forgot how much fun it is to go to school! The days are flying by.

Pictures will be posted when I am home…

Tybee Island Marathon

2008-02-08T13:49:00.001-05:00

Of course I am smiling since I am finished! 3:21 was my time...more to come

Tybee Island is a little island off the coast of Georgia close to Savannah. It is charming and at this time of the year quiet. Ironically during the marathon you never venture very far from the finish line - at most a few miles at either end of the island which you tour 2x. For the first half I was entertained by the quaint homes and the pretty marshes and my own escort. Yes, for the first 12.5 miles of the marathon I was leading and had the honor of running next to a cyclist wearing a yellow shirt that said "Lead Female 26.2". It made me smile every time I saw him. The last time I had an escort in a race it was because I was dead last! I admit that the first half of the race I had to hold myself back to make myself stay on pace 6:50 miles were clicking off easily but then that became 7:00 and then 7:15 and then 7:30 and then my wonderful Garmin died. Somewhere at about mile 15-16 the flat pounding got to my quads and I started to get very tight and very sore. I had taken my ibuprofen at mile 11, I had already had 4-5 gels and drank water every 2 miles. The pounding on the flat pavement was affecting me because I ran all my training runs on trails. It is the only thing I can attribute it to. Either way it did not matter I was going to finish and despite the world of hurt I was running in I tried to embrace it. After all it was a marathon, it is supposed to hurt! I enjoyed the run anyway, the beautiful weather, good tunes on my I-pod (a first for me) and all my fellow friends from Anderson, SC who were raising money for the Cancer Association as well as friends from Landrum (Scarlette completed her first Half and Dr. Walters who zoomed past me at mile 22) Yes, there was a crowd of people out there who I knew and that always seems to make it more fun. But the most memorable moment in the race has to be what Chasse did. I have coached Chasse for years and have often gone back out on the course to cheer her on as she finished. Well, as I was coming around the corner towards the finish line there was Chasse who had already finished the Half Marathon and she still had some spunk left because she started sprinting. Maybe she wasn't but it sure felt like it. She was full of encouragement and still running fast while dishing it out. This is when I realized I was getting a good dose of my own medicine! I crossed the finish line and could not help but be anything but happy to have completed another marathon.

In the afternoon I walked around on the island and even had the hair-brained idea to walk up to the top of the lighthouse. 174 stairs would normally not faze me but after the marathon going up was hard...coming down was worse! The view was worth it and the experience was priceless. I love to explore and going up in the lighthouse and walking around the museum satisfied that need.

Later in the evening the group from Anderson - the Daring Divas and their Dashing Dudes went for a nice dinner together where I was able to catch up with more friends. Some who have run in the past and were just there to support and others who were happy to have completed their first marathon. (Congrats to Fred!)

On Sunday on the way home I made a quick stop in Savannah to check out the sights. I had been there once before about 15 years ago and remembered that it was beautiful. I would have liked to have walked around more but my legs were not cooperating. Before I knew it I was back in the car and heading home. Relaxing weekend and fun race all complete.

I am fortunate

2008-02-08T13:40:00.001-05:00

Most of my days consist of getting up long before dawn and either heading to the pool or my computer. Then I dash around the rest of the day, squeeze a workout in here or there, a few coaching sessions, volunteer work with Pet Therapy or Ache Around the Lake and don't forget my Little Sister, Hai'lee! Oh yes, and be a friend to my friends and clean the house and cook and walk dogs. Yeah - I know I don't work (technically coaching is working) but I am just way too busy to work 9-5 plus I am convinced that I was not made to do the corporate thing. I tried it for some years and did enjoy jetting around and dressing up, but mostly I waited for the clock to turn to 5 so that I could literally run out the door and bask in the fresh air. So now I really live life every day. I am normally exhausted at the end of the day, but at least I know that on a daily basis I do things that make a difference for people. Some days I forget this, some days I am frustrated, but when I stop long enough to look at my life I can only be grateful to live the way that I do.

Manx

2008-02-08T13:34:00.000-05:00

Now I know that you are thinking that I left the little dog at the Greenville Humane Society and then took this other dog home...but you have to know me better by now! On the way to the marathon at Tybee Island I stopped by the Greenville Humane Society and broke Manx out of jail. Despite rumors that he was hard to handle (I even stopped at the vet to get tranquilizer!) I found Manx to be very sweet, well behaved and a great runner. We did a few laps in the parking lot before heading on our journey. He knew that I was taking him to a better place and he won my heart on the way. I met Elena from Weimaraner Rescue in Charleston at 1-26 & I-95 and handed over Manx. Over the weekend she worked with him and found that he was already trained to retrieve, swim and loves children! They renamed him Mike and now have him up for adoption. Ahh, another happy ending.