Swim Meet!

thanks to Sarah for this:) how true is this, other than the naked ness.

In the spirit of my lovely coach I am finally writing a race report on the swim meet. There are a few things I love about swim meets and a few things I hate.
Loves:
I am not a trained swimmer, so anything I do is just fine. There is no "wow I used to swim.....when I was 7 yo or 17 yo." It's all good.
They move along pretty fast and people are really nice. For the most part.
The water is usually alot colder and less chlorinated than at my pool and getting wall pad splits and seeing your name in lights is neat!

Hates/Dislikes:
Being cold. It can get COLD btwn events. Answer: change of suits!
Even tho "it moves along pretty fast" the 1650 or 1000 is always LAST. And each meet i have closed that place down. ( yes and i like to talk usually so that is partly to blame)
I realize I cant sprint. My 50 split is pretty close to my 100 to my 200 to my 500, you get the point. The longer the better!
I realize that even tho i think i have lats i dont, well compared to some swimmers!

So lets cut to the week before the meet and my swimming build up. I just do what Coach Jen tells me and I would say I turned a corner in Florida this January getting in some solid longer-ish swims without any shoulder or neck issues. I have had a few issues in the past from hypermobility in my Gleno-humeral joint on the left. Couple that sloppiness with a bit of weakness compared to the Right and sometimes things go south and all the sudden my neck is working too hard of my shoulder just needs a break ( and visit to the DC who resets my humeral head back where it belongs)

I had been doing really well! Then that skiing thing got in the way, oh i mean the ice and the downhill cornering we were working on and i fell on my left shoulder. It didnt bother me at all till 24 hrs later.
I moved a few wkroouts around and tentatively swam on the WED before the meet, and it felt ok. Then friday i did a good wko and my shoulder felt ok. Lets go! ( my thought on alot of those "niggles" is they just take time. why push it. an extra training day means nada if you cant compete come race day.)

My first event was the 200. I had no idea bc i hate 200's and I never had done it! But it was the first event and otehrwise my next event was the 500, event 13. That is a long time sitting on cold bleachers after your warm up. So the 200 came and went. ouch. I thought it was like an 800 in track, you wish it was a 400, and you wish it was a mile, anything but what it is!!! No rhythm really just counting walls.

Drank some Ultragen, drank some EFS, ate 1/2 banana, ate some licorice, then realized i had to do the 500 soon! I was talking with a younger swimmer from Florida, 24 yo, she was a breasttroker, eventually she went 1:02 in the 100 free but that was SO LONG for her. She was way out of shape. Cough cough.

I had told myself i really just wanted to break 7. Last year I didnt feel too good and went 7.08. I was sorta mad bc the year before i did 6:58. So i even took a bit of a Powerbar Kona gel. A bit of cafffeine. I dont usually do caffeine as an aid but i thought i would just try it. IT worked, but i also felt like i might throw up the entire 500.

I seeded myself 6:57 bc I figure you have to believe it, if you want to do it. I was side by side with two people for the first 200 and then they were gone. Well I was gone. I had the most even 50's and my fastest 50 around 300, which is unheard of! I felt so light and fast the EASY the first 100 I knew it was going to be good, I knew i could break 7! And when i came into the wall I saw 6:48! WOW! The results i saw had me at 6:47, so not sure how i lost another second but i will take it!

After that the 100, which was about 4 minutes later hurt like crazy but I even went 2 sec faster in that than last year even if Speedo Steve beat me! My quads HURT. They had that dead leg feeling. Which did come to haunt me sunday when i had to do a long run with speed. That was ugly. I didnt FEEL tired but i felt FLAT.

Oh and then i hung around for the cool down 1650. Seeded 24:45 and swam 24:02, which came back in results as 23:57. Like i said not sure why the official results favored a lower time but i wont ask! I do know i would love to do the 1650 when i was a bit more mentally prepared, and maybe thinking more about what i was doing and less about "I wonder when i am going to blow up?" That is one mentally hard event, and if you are a bit sloppy on turns ( me) I likely lost alot of time on the walls. I broke it into 500's and it wasnt till about 300 into the 2nd 500 that i started to lose my mojo.

As much fun as i had i did think, "I wonder if i could drop another 20" on the 500?" I dont know if my tiny lats and puney shoulders could take it. They LOVE LOVE LOVE endurance open water IM training. not sure they are too fond of sprinting which is what i would need to get alot faster. OR so i think, Actually i dont know that for a fact!

Special thanks to Steve H for staying around and Miscounting for me and making me go faster bc he put #59 down twice and didnt put the card down at all before that bc he got distracted:) haha, but i did go faster! And special thanks to my boyfriend Tom who swims way faster than me so I try to swim faster too so that he doesnt have to wait for me afterwards. And of course Thanks to Jen who tortures me and USUALLY has just the right amount of tedium in the swims before the hard stuff comes and I can stop thinking "this is tedious." haha. 12 x 75 "kick drill swim" anyone?

Other than that things are ok. Training is ok., the bike is always a chore this time of year. Running outside is impossible but i continue to try, even if the ice makes my legs all crazy, i need to get out. Skiing has sorta stopped but i would love to get out again as long as i dont fall:) I dont feel super fast, but then again its March and i would rather be fast in July and August than now.
Thanks for reading!

And still spending some time with this guy. Charlie. He needs to meet Ruby:) 

 Charlie realizes how good Almond butter is for you so he has to get it all out of the jar.

2013 plans, Florida Trip, Skiing ( on fake snow, grr), Life in General...oh my...

Greetings from sub zero MN. Land of cold and no snow. I will lead off with the disappointment I have that we have so little snow. I guess it is what it is, and the only consolation is that eventually it will be time to hit the road on the bike and maybe that will be easier without as much snow. At the same time I suspect we will get socked in March. Touche! I can ski at a few places that make snow, one being a downhill area but obviously ever other skier goes there too, including the high school teams. Sorta like a treadmill or spin class for skiers, all penned up. Not all that fun. Anyhoo....

2013 plans. Are still all over the place. I had planned to go to BSLT 70.3 but they pulled the Kona slots and my partner in crime REALLY wanted to go for that reason only. I was like "whatever, sure  I will go" but she isnt going and its a really really tough place to get to from MN and its expensive. So no go on that race. Leaving  me with a few choices ( and please, you guys/gals can tell me what you are doing so i can meet up with you!).
I may go back to Kansas. Love that race, have a great homestay and for me familiar is good. ITs a drag going alone, its a long drive and Renne is not into it this year so I'd be solo. Which is ok since i know the drill and have a friend there, Leslie C! Otherwise I may stay here and do Liberty half. I would really like a Vegas slot tho, so that means ponying up and getting to a race that can qualify me. Not too excited about Racine in July. So unless i go to NO 70.3 in April, which sorta appeals to me but having cancelled the swim two years, not so much.
What is for sure?
AG nationals is for sure.
A few local races are for sure.
Maybe Vegas or maybe LC nationals ( half distance) but i really want to run the TC 10 miler so that october half seems too late in my head.
Signing up for an IM in 2014? Yes thank you. Not sure which one but again. 3's a charm. Madison. Gotta love the course and I do love that course. And the ease with which you can get there and train. But again. Open to ideas...IMLP Maybe. Ive heard its a beast but is it more of a beast than Moo? or just a different breed? I like the idea of IM Texas still...but its early. I do know i do best in a warmer climate so CDA is out. Maybe IM Canada in its new location. Lots to choose from i know.

Enough on that. Will hope to regain a bit of speed and obviously I have "stuff" to do here, more on that in the LIFE section of the blog.

Florida trip: Photos! While i went to Drive mr and mrs Mairs ( Daisy) around I did get in some fun.  We had a great time with my former Piano teacher Marianne Tobias. She has a house there, and lives in Indianopolis. She is a concert pianist and travels the world. Her son Jim was my brothers best friend and tennis teammate. While she has had some obstacles and tragedies in her life ( husbands lost, marriages broken) she remains generous and so lovely to all of us. We miss her in the twin cities!
Here we are the first saturday we are there, on her deck watching the sunset. It was that warm out!

 Then sunday we went out on greg's ( Gilligan)boat. He owns Captiva Kayak and he docks at MA's so she got him to take us out to see the sunset. IT was super cloudy so we didnt think we would get a good sunset but little did we know what was to come. In the mean time MA had her jug of white wine I think it was Pinot Grigo. And a pic with my mom and dad as dad kneeled down he got a quad cramp so he was trying to get up when the pic was snapped!

 The Boat was in the Xmas parade so here it is looking at North Captiva with the snowman ready to take a dip. North Captiva is only accessible by boat or air.

And while this pic doesnt do it justice they called this "BLUE SKY PINK" it was the most vivid and lovely color I had ever seen. I was so thankful to see this! WE then motored back into MA's dock and headed home to get some pizza after the lovely evening she had planned for us.
She had to go home to IN so we missed her after that weekend!

While getting pizza i found these: I love the KCCO and of course had to get the Dog charm too!

Here is a boring sunset:) not really, but we never saw a green flash. Ive only seen one from the beach in LaJolla.

 In addition to driving my parents and seeing sunsets I got in some swims. I would go to Sanibel/Captiva JUST to use this pool! Last year I had run the Naples Half Marathon and was beat up good so my pool wrkos were a bit recovery ish. This year i go to tear it up a bit more. I also got in some really good runs. I do have to say that my lower legs were not happy with cement and flat flat flat. I am happy to be back in the midwest!

We ate alot of seafood, and had one of the best meals at the Mucky Duck. I loved these signs:

I knew JPH would appreciate the Stressed=Dessert one!

 And. The jury is still out if the SOAS kit is cuter than the PRINCE tennis outfit. Very different and each has its use. NOT interchangeable Im afraid!  Dad and i hit some balls and had a blast, then 45 min later a front moved in and it Dorothy and Toto were flying around outside our windows. Funny how fast that happened!

And for your viewing pleasure. My dad didnt want to be taped! All I can say is holy slow motion tennis. 

 My dad's sister lives in naples and we drove to visit them. How it can take so long to go such a short distance is beside me, but Im glad we saw them. They dont travel as much as they used to, and my mom and dad are pretty mobile still so Im glad i could be a part of another Mairs party! 

Now onto the final chapter of today's blog. If you are still here!
Life in general! Ive been pretty tight lipped on my life outside triathlon and skiing and that is fine by me. I am doing well. I would never have imagined i would be doing as well as I am right now. While this merits its own blog entry I just need to say and want to say that I really do appreciate all the concern and care many of you have expressed to me. Some from people i dont know in what i would say " inappropriate delivery" but I know you all care.
Im spending time with  someone who means alot to me, and I am smiling and laughing and feeling happy. Its not that I wasnt happy with Rich, but none of you walked in my ( our shoes) the last year or his life. I am forever changed because of my love from and for Rich, he wont be replaced. At the same time I trust myself and I trust that Rich is with me guiding me in all aspects of my life.
People told me i would see things ( not ghosts!) but signals that he is with me. I have.
I smile.

Thanks for reading and stay warm!!!

A Whole Lot of Skiing Going On

The blogworld is quiet these days. And when i start to read a blog and someone is posting about some epic this or that they did I just close it down. Not that others doing 3hour rides or 2 hour runs is bad, not my point at all. But I just have no interest in it right now. Sorta funny how this past winter I have finally gotten outside to ENJOY the winter.

We have had a pretty mild winter. To some it may seem cold, but once you have skiied in 0 or below, when its 9 deg like it was today and the sun is out, its almost called WARM. I also have been a good user of the chemical heat warmers in both my hands and toes. Gloves and boots. Those save the day. And for anyone that has Reynauds as i do, it pays to be a bit sweaty up top because then your digits and toes dont get robbed of heat to heat your core. I hate being clammy when i am done but it pays off during the ski for me to be a bit warmup top!

I sorta feel like i need to write a post on skiing and all that i have learned in the count em 10 times i have skiied. I think i am at the point where i know what i need to work on and i know how bad my technique is. I feel like a swimmer that is going nowhere, has good fitness but still is basically not moving forward as efficiently as i could be. Add in snow and temp changes and waxes that change daily and new skis that have alot of structure ( grooves in the bottom) that like to hang on or grab thesnow, add in less snow than we need, and its all sort of a roulette as to how you feel. Luckily i am in that newbie stage where i cant really tell. I always blame myself, not the snow or the skis:)

One thing i am super excited about is that i taught myself how to V1 Right AND V1 Left. its alot like swimming breathing. You naturally can V1 to one direction better. But that means a bit of overuse or just plain one side works more. So this may be chinese but when you go up a hill V1 Right means i am poling ( both at the same time) the same time i am putting my RIGHT ski down, the LEFT kicks out. V1 Left means i am putting both poles down when i put my Left ski down ( or i am gliding into that left leg) as the Right ski kicks out. Kinda crazy how the poles make things way harder, so there are drills, just like in swimming.

Anyways I am doing a race. I couldnt NOT do a race, even if i get dead last. I am doing a 35K race up on Mora, its the Mora Korteloppet. The VAsoloppet is 58k that is too far for me. Today i skiied about 16 miles which is about 25K so i still have a few more long skis i need to do, and just like in IM I am lucky that my engine gets revved up after about an hour, and i pretty much feel like i can keep going. Not fast, but hopefully steady. I havent figured out how to eat anything yet but my plan for Mora is to just get it done, enjoy it, not get stuck too far behind people but then again I may be one of those PEOPLE.

Other than that things are good. I head to FLA for a week which will cut my ski time of course, but i plan to do some outdoor swims and catchup on some running. And some reading.

My Coach has been gracious to let me flounder in the ski world. I really really like it alot and see that its pulling me in. Long range plan is the Birkie in 2014. I like sports that take some technique and fitness. TEnnis was like that. After 40 years i still recall hours and hours of drills and form work. I seem to thrive on sports where you can improve with technique. After Mora I will try to get back to regular Tri training but i have to say i think i am hooked :)

Images of December

 Lots of snow, now lots of rain, and now less snow and more ice...hmmm...
 But here are a few images that have made me smile and be thankful for my life.
Happy Holidays to you all, I hope you have alot of gratitude and joy in your holiday season.

Happy December!

Happy December from MN! Its nearly 45 right now and part of me wishes I was on my bike. Part of me wishes I was in a winter wonderland and could go ski. I have alot of skis. Skate skis, Classic skis, downhill skis, short skis, long skis...and when I used to play tennis I would go from playing indoors and make a stop at como park to do a 5k ski loop. I loved it bc the tennis was indoors and all stuffy and dark, then getting outdoors to ski was like a bright part of my day. A bit cold but that is why i never got more than 2.5 k from the car!

It's so hard this time of year to tell what kind of winter we may have. Either way its looking like a condensed winter meaning you can sure pack alot into a wet /active Jan - March but after that you know that snow cant stay around TOO long. Or so you would think. And why all this talk about snow, and why am I blogging about it?

Do your best to follow this thinking, ok?

When Rich was sick he had alot of neuropathy esp in his hands and feet. So cold was not our friend. Couple that with my reynaud's and general freeze-baby status, made me pretty shy about doing much outside other than running. Yet I would go ride my bike outside in 20 degrees. So now i am thinking, why not ski? Why can i ride my bike outside but not ski?

Well. I am not that great of a skier so there maybe some ego issues there:) being sorta competitive eh?
But at the same time i love it and i know i am not going to ski "LIKE THAT." at least this year. The last year i really skied alot i realized i never waxed my skis. hmm, Maybe that would help, ya think?
Plus the chemical heaters are helpful and Its fun to think that maybe i can get out there and learn something new and different. My PT is loving the idea of the skate skiiing, which i liked the best, bc it really engages those mm we never use in SBR.

So as much as i said last post how paralyzed I am, I sorta feel like i am moving forward now. It is hard to explain how i had nearly 12 months to start to grieve what was coming. We never woke up every morning saying "lets think about death today," we chose to wake up and say "what can i do to LIVE LIFE, today?" So maybe those looking in, even Rich's close family, may have a longer road of acceptance. I maybe the lucky one, that every day esp in the last year of Rich's life i was able to live with him while also accepting what was happening. So in some sense I feel like I have had time to grieve and accept. It's not that i dont miss him and I will love him everyday, but I also know that he gave me alot that last year and I will carry that forward in my life everyday. As much as I did for him through the 3 years of his Cancer, he gave me alot in return. And I feel really empowered by that.

So how does this relate to winter? Well I am going to try to get out there and do some different stuff. Try to live a life free of cancer and a life full of possibility and health. With nothing lurking in the back of my head about an inevitable end to it all.

So to end this blog with a more shallow tone, ie not deep:) I am obsessed with this new show called Nashville. Its part smut, part romannce novel ( smut) and part fun clothing and fun music. I never thought i liked that kind of music, but i really enjoy it and found myself on a western ( is that country western? see i dont even know what to call it) radio station the other day. And best of all I love it bc Connie Britton went to Dartmouth and is just the nicest girl, She was in my sorority and was just solid. The girl you want to be your friend. She and Hayden Pattieniere ( sp?) crack me up. check it out, you will be out buying cowboy boots and fun jeans after you watch it!

Life Paralysis

Life these days for me, at least, can either put me under a tree afraid to make a move, or some days I feel like i have so much ahead of me, and so much to look forward to i dont know where to start!
Hence this leads to some paralysis.

I have to admit that often what makes me hide under this tree ( or want to go to bed at 8pm when its dark, oh make that 5pm) is when I start worring about money. Now granted when i was single and lived alone in my modest condo I was fine. I was all about knowing I had more coming in than going out. Insert a sudden "Tsunami" in your life, for lack of a better term other than "death of spouse" and its a bit overwhelming. All the sudden there is ALOT to manage. I know i am capable of it, and i have no doubt that I can and will be fine and will figure it out, but its a bit like you are in quick sand because you dont know how long you can stay afloat. Or if you turn your head the wrong direction you may slip under bc the rope someone hands you is behind you and you are looking the other way.

No need to get into details but this has obviously made me a bit skitish about committing to races or anything really besides my day to day living. I even realized I hadnt been to the grocery store in a week. Which meant i had no spinach and no broccoli, staples i love. Then again I had kale. Never far from green veggies at my house and luckily my Jewish mother is always got food to share and feeds me well if I stop over. Its hard to cook for 1. Rich was a big eater so i have had to adapt a bit. My sister doesnt eat MEAT, so i have to make sure i cook some real MEAT as JH calls it! I did get my slow cooker out and have a pork tenderloin ready to be cooked. Since its all the sudden FREEZING COLD OUT I am fine with the slow cooker, it makes no sense to me to use it when i can grill.

So as far as races go.. hmm. Triathlon. Lets do a What i know list:

I know today that i am not signing up for an IM until after 1/1/13
I know today that I am signing up for AG natz, bc lucky me only raced 2x last year ( USAT races) and one was IM MOO and i was top 10% so lucky gal I am.
I know today that I am doing BSLT 70.3. Hats off to Marti Greer for letting me in after having to drop out last year due to Rich and to my hammy issue.
I know today that I may do Vegas if i qualify.
I know today that I may do Cozumel, if its open when i decide.
I know today that I am actually ok and maybe actually smart to skip IM this year and sign up for IMLP 2014, eh all you IMLP die hards, tell me its as good as i hear:)

Ok I had about 3 mintues to post this but i wanted to just check in.
Thanks for reading:)

PS Oh i won a 5k with Marit, that should have a race report but its sorta boring. Lots of heavy breathing (ME), Spitting ( Marit) and I waited 6 seconds to be precise to cross the line with her. We both won a pie. And my sister won a pie for 3rd woman, so on the pie front we dominated.

Winter

Well we had snow today, enough that i drove all the way to st paul to swim and turned around because traffic was so bad and the ice was so bad that there were cars everywhere. Knowing that lovely Jen isnt in my life right now as my slave driver, just as my friend, I took it to mean I had work to do at home and turned around. 

Here is photographic evidence that I won that race. Number 2 is behind me. Ok now i dont feel like a poser. And YES it was halloween and i have pumpkins on my cheeks and I was dressed up as...

hmm..

A snake. 

Not really. 

Other happenings besides a tornado and 64 degrees saturday night, turning to snow and sleet sunday and snow today. Well life is still a blur. I dont think you can imagine it and I wouldnt wish that any of you can imagine it. Just be thankful. I have had more people tell me, those women that have stood in my shoes, that the first year is a blur. It's like you have Alzheimers. Since i work with older adults with dementia and Alzheimers i will fit right in. But if you have contacted me about getting together or meeting up and I havent replied its because I forgot. No I didnt its just that I can only process so much and to be honest its just too hard sometimes to talk about this. That is maybe why i am finding solo workouts so lovely.

At the same time I hate being alone, so go figure I would say that i feel more like i am bi-polar than having dementia. See even this post is sounding a bit "OFF." And I know that:)

Being back at work has been lovely, and I know its what i need to do to get thru each day. There are some unsettled things that arent blog worthy but lets just say when THAT Is behind me I will feel a bit more at ease and normal.

We celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary last week, and I had a party. IT was tons of fun. And Rich was there. I know it. I still am in shock and miss him everyday or every minute. But as one of my 83 yo residents told me today, "You will never forget him and you willnever be the same, it's just different from now on..."Sort of like a new normal as i call it. This was after i walked into my class and said
"Vacation is OVER, back to work." and then burst into tears. I teach alot of widows. As you can guess the majority of the seniors that are still living are women. So they get it.

And back on topic to winter. I got my cross bike out. Not ready to ride it but its going to get ready bc I suspect we arent done with this snow stuff:) But lots of fun things to look forward to I know.
Thanks for reading.

An Unofficial 5k Win ( but at this point in my life i will take anything that feels good, official or not)

Hey so my sister got me to sign up for a 5k. Right after Rich passsed away she said "You need to do this 5k with me and my rowing friends." It was a Monster Dash so i knew i would pay too much for the race but about a month ago i was all up for planning anything that didnt involve a funeral home or lawyers. Sure. I am in.

Well a day or so before the race I see it starts at 11 am. Huh? who does a race at 11 am? I was torn bc i wanted to do the 10 miler which is a net downhill course yet truth be told ( dont be surprised) I have not been resting well nor have i been training well. I have been riding my bike an insane amount just to see Rich's friends and because it feels good and i dont really care if i am not running much or swimming 1500 yards and thinking that is an IM distance in my head. So...10 miles would be dumb. Like why waste that hamstring energy on that now?

My sister sadly got sick. She travels to India in a few days and she was smart to skip the cold weather run and the general standing around with 2500 people. Many of whom had dogs in costumes that even I would not want to wear for 1 mile, much less 3.1 miles with some hills. Granted It was around Lake Harriet but we actually got the roads which was nice, but meant a few punchy hills as opposed to the flat And boring path.

Race dayI emailed Jen that I Was going to skip it. She told me to go have fun. Hmm. Novel Idea.
so i went over there around 10, and really the bonus of an 11 am start is i had NO. EXCUSE. to have not done my PT work AND my dynamic warmups. I was ready, my hamstring has had some FIRING issues, that is about all i can say that wont change the tone of this post, but when i was warming up it was ok with the strides, etc..I did see two other girl who looked 1) about 20 years my junior and 2) Like they had alot more power than i did as they did their pick ups. I was like "whatever."

Air Horn goes off and tho i did have my Garmin i didnt look at it once. I just ran. Turns out my splits were perfect with even a negative split at the end. Mile 1 one of the above girls passes me at the mile 1 marker and then sits right in front of me and slows down. Hmm. SO i sat in for about 30 seconds then i passed her up a hill and never looked back. Some dude with an impressive jacket on ( National this and that championships) was also there but he must have been a spectator at those events. At the same time as the girl stopped in front of me, another girl BUSTED past us and i couldnt even see her that 2nd mile...until we started to come around the lake and were about 800 yards from the finish i did see her coming back to me. Hmm. Whatever. I just kept running. They were giving out candy at mile 2.5 and i thought "IF i stop i wont catch her, sorry Rich we have to keep on moving." Then i passed her about 200 Yards from the finish, she was BREATHIng WAY hard and we had to go up another hill and i knew that she was likely about 18 yo ( ok she was 25) and she may actually be able to sprint so i went up that hill and never stopped until after the finish. I really had no idea where we were and until i heard someone yell "Second woman" to her, didi know that I had actually won.

Of course this is an non chip event ( lame, why? we pay the same as the longer runners) but that is not worth lamenting. I barely saw the clock and was so gasping that i couldnt hit my Garmin till I had actually stopped. I do know a few things:

1) The Girl I passed was SO. EXCITED, to have gotten 2nd. She could not have been happier for herself or for me. When is the last time you got outsprinted in an Tri and felt that way about your competitiors? Just sayin....Ya she was not in my AG but i do think that runners seem genuinely a lot less CADDY about their placements than Triathletes. Sorry if you dont agree.

2) I would love to break 20. I did when i was a child. I think my PR is 19:15 on a flat course. If said "firing issues" were to cease i think that is a fun goal to look at. And I am darn pleased with this since my IM legs were actualy able to run and my IM engine allowed me to pass that girl just because she was there. No other reason than that.

3) I stood around, knew nobody, went home all happy knowing that not one of you can now look this up online since its not official but actually not really caring. Of course i did post it on FB and I am blogging about it so maybe i actually do care that you all know.

4) I ran with Rich. He was there with me the entire way. And while he isnt the fastest runner he sure knew how to get my head in the right place before a race. I am not doing any long distance ( well no IM) next year in 2013 unless i get lucky, but I am super excited to get some speed back. He also had some sweet kicks that he wore for surgery at the offices:

He is color blind which cracks me up that he liked these shoes and that surgery cap.

Here is Rich saying  : WE WON!!!!

YES WE DID WIN HONEY!!! 

One of the things that makes me happiest and makes me able to get thru each day is remembering Rich. So I guess you can expect my blogs to reflect that. Hope you on the East Coast are safe. 

Rich Weisbecker Memorial Ride Parts 1 and 2

Well this will be as close to a race report as you will get for me for awhile. We started out planning for a century. Each year since ...gee at least early 2000's Rich has organized a century ride ( plus!) for his friends. I have found some of the folders he kept for the FALL CENTURY CHALLENGE, with the original route and with the original screen for the bike jerseys they made. See Rich was into riding WAY before we met and married. I would like to repeat the route he did on the inaugural ride when I am better organized in 2013.

Each year the rides have been different, depending on the cast of characters and the weather. With me being in the picture for the  last 4-5 years I of course had to have a "short cut" depending on how trashed i was from some race or what i had upcoming. I think one year I had the Irongirl Du so doing 100 miles the weekend before was surely contraindicated and Rich put up wth my " I need to stop at 60" whining, and of course some other ( men) were happy to stop too!

But this year, unlike other years, we had no crashes, no broken anythings no body off the back and lost and no toes or fingers lost to frostbite. WE had hoped to do 100 saturday but the forecast was not good, and as it turns out we did the right thing, aiming for 70 on friday AM and 30 on saturday to make it a 2 day century. Well mother nature didnt rain on us on friday but met us with 27 deg temps in the city and as we rode out of the city it just dropped.

7 Hearty riders gathered well before the sun was out ( I dont have a light other than on my helmet so trust me i was going nowhere till i could see) i rode from my house and nearly bit it in the gravel getting down to the coffee shop. We set out just before 8 with a 70 miler in mind, and about 20 miles in the talk stopped and the pace picked up and it was clear we were NOT going to make it the full 70. Truth be told I knew this and made myself the " weak one " when i said " ok i am going back, you can join me or you can go on..." and nobody said a word. They all followed suit. As we got back into town it was warmer but not by much and once you lose feeling in your toes the game is sorta over till they warm up, painfully at that. So I got in about 45 miles, which in the winter i would ride but no more, and since it was winter temps i was pretty happy with that. My road bike does NOT fit me well. Its too big and when i ride "LIKE THAT" meaning HARD and pull alot it hurts my left biceps/tendon bc i have to pull too much ...sorry no PT description though you know i am dying to tell you...

We had so much fun warming up to good talk and fun memories that i was just giddy to do it all again the next day with even more people.

Cut to saturday, an hour later and 20degrees warmer we set out to ride 20-25 EASYmiles. Rich's brother and sister in law came on their touring bikes and i did NOT Want to blow them out of the parking lot so we rode pretty simply and then when they decided to go back early it was a pretty decent pace. AT one sprint sign i went for it expecting someone to come from behind, and they didnt, but itw as like a wind up toy that let go after that. I eventually got dropped off the back as did 4 of us bc there was something in the road that one of the front riders hit ( some sort of plastic lawnmower piece) and it flew up and i thought for sure that there was going to be screeching carbon in 1-2-3 seconds. But turns out they didnt even know they did it and we all swerved and slowed, and the train pulled away.

Totally Fine. But shows me that my road riding skills are a bit rusty. And that my ITband hates my road bike. BUT most importantly that I lOVE THESE people and I am so lucky to have them and their families in my life.

Here are some fun pictures of the First Light Team. And btw, the name FIRST LIGHT. Isnt based on a Christian Cycling Team tho they are all Christian.. I did ask Mike Madden who was one of the original members with Rich and he said " well one day at 5 am we were riding and we decided we needed to name ourselves. IT was dark and the sun was coming up and Rich said "how about First Light?" To which mike said "sure sounds good." ! too funny, no discussions. First Light it is!
And that is bc they ride in the dark before the sun comes up...and yes they have lights that are stronger than headlights of a car. I am going to ride with them this spring when i get Rich's light set up but for now I am happy to ride in the daylight, thank you very much!

The Saturday group, we were too  cold to take pics friday! 

THE MOOTS!!! Mike goes up hill like he is floating, so to see him on Rich's bike is so fun!

Elliot and his dad, Chuck

Team line up...Mike, Bill  ( brothers) Tony ( who's dad owns the coffee shop) Elliot and Chuck, ( son and father)

The better halves of some of those riders

So how's it going?

It's going. Sorta just trying to get thru the day's still not sure where to start.
I have been trying to get out to swim bike or run a bit. We are doing a memorial ride for Rich this coming weekend. Every year he did a Fall Century Challenge. Usually it was either 70 miles or about 110. So depends on the weather if we go 70 or 110! As I have said, any day on the bike is a good day, so what is the fuss about rolling into the finish EXACTLY at 100? I mean why worry about a missed turn or a gravel road that didnt show up on the map my ride ? :) Rich is chuckling.

It doesnt matter the distance, but i have been riding a bit more on my road bike to get my Sassy A$$ ready for that distance since my Tri bike is a bit more forgiving. Thinks Fizik Arione versus ISM saddles. Now you get it.

Not sure what next year's Tri/sporting life will bring. For now I am just winging it, and liking the freedom. FEeling like i am running with a bit more speed which is fun, despite being cold at the start of the runs. I do miss the heat.

I leave you with a great picture, it may make you weep, and for that i am sorry. But i love it. It makes me smile when not much else does.

My Honey

Richard William Weisbecker

August 29, 1954 - September 25, 2012

My soulmate, my friend, my lover, the one that GETS me, and the marriage we decided would have no rules. I will love you forever dear Rich and I know you will be with me forever. Sometime I will write more, I just want to tell the world that I love Rich and I always will. We never knew a life without Cancer, from before we were married we knew it was there. But we never lived like we had anything but health in our lives. For that I am grateful. I lost a husband but i gained a very lovely new family. It will never be the same without Rich but I am so very thankful I had the time with him that I did.

Sharing just some of the best 3 years of my life.

Well actually more than 3 years. It will be 3 years on November 7, 2012, But Rich and I have dated and been together for over 5 years. We didnt get married as soon as possible, and it was good for us to wait, he had somethings he was working on in himself to make him a better person, and in hindsight we grew so much closer in those years before we were married. We didnt live together, we kept our own "stuff" and so when we got married it was the most wonderful time, to really now, then, be husband and wife. OF course it took me nearly 2 years to sell my condo so in hindsight we should have gotten a jump on that :) 

As some of you know our lives have never been without cancer. He was diagnosed 6 weeks before our wedding. He was at Mayo for longer than we had thought and we postponed our wedding, to be sure he was strong enough. We didnt send out invites, we just got the word out. We ran out of food at teh reception, either people were that hungry or morepeople came than we thought. It was perfect none the less. 

Here are just some fun pictures that make me smile: 

One of my very first triathlon's. Rich drove me alot further than i expected one dark morning. 

This is in Georgetown at my cousins wedding, Rich had just proposed.

It was my parents 51st anniversary, we ended up gettting married on their anniversary and will always share that day with them.

Cupcakes at our reception

I just like this one, i dont know where its from

Tuesday Night TT's with the botttle openers we won!

Mexico, winter of 2010 with  my parents I just remember it rained alot! I know! Mexico? 

Rich brought me to Arizona only a few months after we had met. I was suspcious of anything that didnt have an ocean. I am forever grateful bc Tucson has to be one of my all time favorite places. And to ride there, is Heaven. I will ride there again. I owe it to Rich, because he will be with me. 

Summer/July 2010 we did the Triple Bypass.

Dang, that was fun. All on a 23, i am now a sissy who rides a 27.

Honeymoon, sorry out of order. Rich had a colostomy, he had that for about 9 mos before they reversed it. He did more stuff with a "bag" than some of us do when we are 100%.

As you can sense we are in a tough place here. We have started hospice care and we are praying that we can keep him comfortable and help him on this journey. I think today as i write this its the first time i have written in my head, without losing more salts than i did in a race. Lots of tears. He is so strong and the Grace with which he has weathered more scars and more surgeries and more chemo's than you can imagine strengthens me to know that I owe it to him to stay brave and stay strong.

This is from New Hampshire. It pains me to say this but Rich isnt free now. He deserves better.
He will get that sometime, and his journey there will rewardhim. IF you arent a believer in God, then just move along, but for us it's been amazing to know he has better times ahead.


This picture is labor day 2012. Walking was getting harder and he was tired alot. Today he still smiles like this. That spirit will always be with me, even if physically he isnt with me.

Ok now i am crying again.
Thanks for all the love, you guys mean more to me than i can write. You have helped so much.
Keep at it, I know its going to be tough for me. you dont wait 40 + years to find your soulmate then lose him and move on.