Starting the "Ketchup" Process

I'm BACK!!!! In more ways than one!
I'm back in the USA after traveling for 24 hours from Rio on Monday night!
I'm back from feeling sick and very weak after being ill last weekend!
I'm back from taking a break from training after the Pan American Race.
I'm back to being motivated and happy!
I'm back to responding to emails.
I'm back to writing on my blog!
It feels so good to be feeling positive again and motivated to do something! I get really lazy when I'm burned out from training and racing...it's really easy to tell because I watch more TV than ever and I've already talked about my whole "non-replying to email syndrome". It's going to take me a few days to officially catch up on all the things that I have put off for over a month...I've got letters to write, papers to file, photos to upload. But I'm already looking forward to the process.
I'm actually trying to take on more things...I'm looking for something to DO! Usually, there are quite a few hours in my day that are unaccounted for and I would love to be more productive. That's how I got involved with writing for the USAT magazine and IronKids stuff. Now I'm asking everyone I know that has a 'real' job...and I'm offering my services to them. I am open and available to do things like paperwork, organization, writing, planning, etc. All those menial tasks that normal people hate to do because they always have to do them...I'm asking my friends and local support staff (like my nutritionist, coach, USAT staff, etc) if they want to pile anything on to my plate!
I've got 6 weeks until my next BIG race...Elite World Champs (IF I make the team...I will officially find out in two weeks) on September 1st in Hamburg, Germany. In between then and now I've got a lot of training to look forward to...and one local triathlon in Longmont, Colorado that I'm going to do just to keep my race mentality on the front burners! After the World Champs, the plan is to travel to South Korea for a two week training camp/staging base for the Beijing World Cup on the 16th (also IF I make that team...find out sometime soon)...and the Beijing race will be our first Olympic Trials race (first American across the line is automatically on the team)!
And since both the Gold meals at the Pan American Games went to Americans...both the men and the women are guaranteed at least one slot in the 2008 Games. We know that we are going to earn the other two as well through World Champ finishes and World Rankings...but at least one is in the bag!
Again, after Beijing, my race schedule is up in the air...I will make some decisions based on how I feel and how much travel funding still remains in the bank:) Other than racing myself...I'm looking forward to cheering my brother on at the USA Swimming Summer National Championships. I'm not even sure where the meet is going to be held...I just know that Dustin has been training his butt off this summer in G-ville and he's going to rock in all his events!
Right before I headed to Rio, my Dad got off the Colorado River after an 8 day trip through the Grand Canyon (his 6th trip). He's back at home catching up on work, doing some crazy long bike rides, and getting back to the real world. Later this summer both my Mom and Dustin also have trips planed down the River! I'm so jealous...but I can't justify just leaving my life and training for 10 days and risking getting injured in the middle of my season...it's the price I have to pay! I'll just have to live vicariously through Dad, Mom, and Dustin's stories and photos:)