Cookies & Movies Galore

It's a long standing tradition that the Chocolate Chip Cookie is the ultimate sweet treat at our house. I think I was raised with a daily dose of the CCC, no complaints here. But, as we have all gotten older, every McLarty member has become very set in their ways, especially when it comes to the 'done-ness' of a perfect CCC.
So tonight I undertook the challenge of baking a double batch of CCCs because there was not a single cookie in the house (a tragedy that we try to avoid at all costs). This really has become a 'challenge' and is no longer a fun baking event that brings back childhood memories. First, I've got to make sure that everyone is OK with the ingredients..."Can I use walnuts because we are out of pecans?"..."Does anyone mind if I use some whole wheat flour?"..."Is it OK if I substitute half the butter for Crisco?" And the list goes on and on.
Now, I've got a huge bowl of CCC dough. The next challenge is to guard the whole thing from dozens of flying spoons wielded by crazed dough-hungry McLartys who alternate between begging for a taste test and sneaking a scoop when your back is turned.
If I still have anything left in my bowl when the oven is finally ready (tonight I had to wait for the turkey to finish cooking...no one wants turkey-flavored-cookies) the real challenge begins. On one hand, we've got my Dad who has a borderline-obsession with under-cooked CCCs. I can quote him as saying that "A perfectly baked CCC has glanced at the oven door and then been scraped off the cookie sheet." And on the complete opposite hand, we've got my Mom who thoroughly enjoys a CCC that could come in handy if you have misplaced your hammer on a wood project. In the tradition of inheriting character traits, my Brother seems to be following in my Dad's floppy cookie cravings. (Have you ever held an under-cooked CCC? It just sorta flops.)
Last, but certainly not least, my personal CCC preference is a perfectly baked cookie that is crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, holds its shape, and easily submits to being bitten.
Not wanting to leave anyone cookie-less or deprived (or, more importantly, make someone upset), I've got to make sure that there are cookies cooling that will fit all the McLarty preferences. The timer is going off at random intervals...I've got cookies going in the oven when others are coming out...Are there enough raw cookies for Dad?...Are these baked enough for Mom? How many perfect cookies do I want for myself? It's exhausting! I didn't take a break from the kitchen for 90 minutes!
Which brings me to my second topic...movies. Since I spent all my post-dinner time in front of the oven, it appears that I will not be watching a movie tonight. That isn't too big of a deal because I have watched more movies in the past four days than in the past four months! I finally stopped at Blockbuster the other day (before my Bro came home to visit) and got a few that I've been meaning to watch. I Am Legend...4 stars (Will Smith is HOT); Charlie Wilson's War...4 stars (very relevant to today's world problems); 27 Dresses...3 stars (nothing more relaxing than a no-brain-chick-flick); Idiocracy...5 stars (if you haven't watched it yet...go rent!); 88 Minutes...2 stars (I was very unimpressed with this movie); August Rush...4 stars (absolutely adorable).

Dinner: Inhaled

I just finished eating another delicious dinner...cooked from scratch by yours truly. Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE to cook! Tonight's menu consisted of Italian Eggplant Ragout and Jamaican Curried Tempeh Tacos...being a world-traveler, I couldn't stick with just one region of food. I got "mmmmYuummmm" from my Dad with a mouthful of taco and "that smells good" from my Mom because that was about as close to the whole creation that she got.

Personally, I thought I did a terrific job. I really enjoying trying new dishes every day so everything is a new experience. I do a mental pat-on-the-back every time I use an ingredient that I've never cooked with before...tonight I got a pat on the back when I stirred capers into the ragout.

Dinnertime was a bit earlier tonight than usual at the McLarty household because the day started much earlier this morning. Mom and I headed off to swim practice at 6am to train with the masters team in Port Orange. This insane training time is due to the fact that I can no longer afford to drive to swim practice five or six days a week. Gas prices are outrageous, especially in an SUV, and I just can't justify driving by-my-self anymore. So I will be tagging along with my mother as often as possible...instead of watching her go to the pool in the morning and driving myself over in the afternoon (that's not very "Green").

Speaking of driving, my bro came down from Gainesville for a short weekend visit now that his classes are all completed. He's just working on one last class project and going to swim practice. To keep him entertained and occupied my Mom unveiled his graduation present:

Yep, Dustin got a beautiful electric guitar! It came with all the necessary parts for a complete beginner to get started with a guitar: amp, pics, DVD lessons, simple music, guitar strap, stand, case, etc. He took to it right away and had already learned a few chords before he headed back to G-ville.

The three of us (Mom, Dad, me) will be heading up to G-ville ourselves sometime this Friday. I hope to get a dinner reservation at Stonewood Grill for an early dinner before the graduation ceremony starts at 7:30pm. Unfortunately, Stonewood doesn't take reservations for groups under five people (we are four) but they sounded like it might be a possibility to get a table without too much waiting...we shall see!

Hopefully Dustin remembers to go pick up his Cap and Gown before it's too late:). I liked the college cap and gown set-up much more than high school...we had to BUY the stupid things at DHS (someone tell me what you could possibly do with the hideous green thing afterwards?)...fortunately, the company that UF uses just rents the whole shebang and you return it after your ceremony. Of course, you get to purchase and keep your tassel (I think my college, Journalism, was half black and half white) so I wonder what Dustin's will look like.

I thought I would toss in a photo of Momma Kitty who has now staked her claim on the lower half of my bed at night. She seems to love the fact that I toss and turn and kick her every five minutes...she just attacks my feet in return:)

Watching Races

My weekend is going be filled by checking for race results online. I watched most of the women's South Korean World Cup last night...they were racing mid-day Saturday in Tongyeong. I was thrilled to see my teammate, Jasmine Oeinck, kicking some arse...but then I had to go to sleep before the men started racing. Check out my favorite photo from the race footage:

I'm pretty sure that is K. Sweetland (CAN) in the middle, using her competitors as launching pads. Jasmine is the 'launching pad' on the right side.

Tomorrow is the St. Anthony's race over in St. Petersburg...I'm sad that I wont be racing, but I know that it's the best decision for me in the long-haul. I've still got some tender feet, sore muscles, and limited running training so why rush into races when the triathlon season goes all the way into November (and I've never made it past September)?? So, instead of racing, I will be doing my fair share of training, starting with a long run this morning and continuing with the Windermere ride tomorrow!

Yesterday was a lighter workout day, just swimming and strength, in preparation for the upcoming days of big training. I had most of the morning to just kick back, chill out, and find some way to entertain myself. First, I baked some 'garbage cookies' using whatever we had in the cupboards...raisins, craisins, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, honey, and about 1/4 cup of chocolate chips left over from previous cookies. Of course they turned out to be delicious and the whole batch will be gone in a few days!

After baking the cookies I was still in the spirit of using 'garbage' out of the pantry so I decided to give it a full cleaning:

The first task was to take everything off the shelves and give them a good cleaning. You will not believe some of the strange things I found in the back corners...the winner was a jar of dehydrated cooked turkey! If I ever hold a jar of meat and it rattles when I give it a shake...well, I'm just hoping that it never happens again!

Here are the kitchen counters filled with all the jars, cans, spices, tubs, bottles, and bags from the shelves. I tried my best to get rid of some...the easiest were the expired, doubles, empties and unusables. But I'm in an experimental 'cooking' mode, so I want to have all the ingredients for my creations handy and available (that is why there is a can of sweetened evaporated milk back on the shelves that might be from a few decades ago:)

Doug Friman's Triathlon Olympic Trials Parade Part 2

Hillarious footage from the Tuscaloosa Olympic Trials Parade...thanks to Brian Lavelle!

And On To The Next One

Well, it's been a few days since the Olympic Trials in Tuscaloosa. I got back to DeLand on Sunday afternoon after another long day of driving. By Monday morning, I was right back into the swing-of-things.
At first, I thought I was going to be getting ready to race St. Anthony's this Sunday...but then I got an email from my coach suggesting that I do NOT do the race. Even with all the reasons TO do the race (it's close-by, free entry, easy to make some $$, my family can watch, all my friends are racing, etc.) he convinced me that it's time in my career to start looking at the BIG picture and stop jumping from one small picture to another.
As evidenced by my sub-par run last weekend in 'Bama, running an average of 6-8 miles per week for a few months leading up to one of the most important races is NOT a good idea. (Being injured is also NOT a good idea, but what can you do?:) Now that said injury has finally decided to GO AWAY, I've already put in four solid running workouts since the race! They haven't been the most beautiful examples of fitness (I've twice come close to collapsing in the heat) but at least it's better than nothing!
It is a rare moment when I will talk positively about the amazing heat and humidity that engulfs Florida in the summer months...but this is going to be one of those times. As I was thinking about my plans for life after the Trials race, it dawned on me that one of my next important races was going to be the Hy-Vee World Cup in Des Moines. (A little reminder here...last year 42 women were on the starting line in June in Iowa at 1pm...18 of them did NOT finish the race! It was kinda hot:)
So, what better way to prepare myself for the race-from-h*ll than training in h*ll its self?? I don't even start my workouts until after 11am. That usually has me finishing up between 1:00 and 2:00pm...the HOTTEST part of the day here in Central Florida! Fortunately, the only way this plan is possible is with some family support and my Mom and Dad have been very willing to help. They have been volunteering to bike next to me on my mid-day runs, carrying and supplying large quantities of ice-cold water. Admittedly, that is the only reason that I can write "close to collapsing" in the previous paragraph.
That's basically all that has happened this week. A simple change in my race schedule, back to training, and a few good runs. Other things worthy of a one-sentence-description: I had a dentist appointment this morning so I now have some 'pearly whites'. I also planted an herb garden today, as I've wanted to for quite some time...basil, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. I should take a photo for visual record...unfortunately, my blog can't convey how good they all smell!
Taking a quick look forward to some events that will take place in the upcoming weeks (and these events will be blogged about in more detail in future posts:): Dustin will graduate from UF at 7:30pm on May 2nd. I just bought a plane ticket out to COS on May 3rd. My return flight is on May 9th. My friend Yvonne's baby shower is on May 10th. I might swim in a swim meet on the 10th. Mother's Day is the 11th. One of the Beaches Fine Arts Series Triathlon in Jacksonville is on May 17th. One of the Tigersharks Aquathlon races in Daytona is May 31st. I might do another swim meet on June 1st. The Triathlon World Championships are in Vancouver on June 7th (I just got invited to be on Team USA!). Yadda, yadda, yadda. Blah, blah, blah.
I could go on and on, but that's enough forward thinking for one night.

Race Photos

In no particular order...but all thanks to Daniel Derkacs!

My Favorite Part of Racing:

48 hours after racing and this is what I have to show for my efforts!!

You will more-likely-than-not see me wearing socks in future races...I'm sick of having to deal with this crap! What's another 10 seconds in T2 if I don't have to spend days hobbling around afterwards!?!? Know what I mean?

The End of the Weekend

In about 10 minutes (when my eyes close and I fall asleep) this long, busy, and fun weekend will officially be over. I am back home in DeLand after a long day of driving from Tuscaloosa with my Dad. We made it through the nine hours of driving with no problems...just a few gas and pee breaks.
A quick recap on yesterday's Race Day: I finished 8th overall at the Olympic Trials. It was a fantastic race and a big 'thank you' goes to all the USAT staff that worked their butts off to make it possible. The women's race started at 12:00 noon on-the-dot with a choppy, windy, wetsuit swim. I exited first with a small lead and then rode the eight-loop, hilly, and windy bike course with Sarah, Sarah, and Julie. We came into T2 with a 50 second lead over the five-woman chase pack and I finished the race in 8th! Julie Ertel won the race and is automatically on the 2008 Olympic Team...the third slot will go to Sarah Haskins or Sarah Groff based on their finishes at the Hy-Vee World Cup in June.
I could not be happier with my performance because I know that I have officially tackled a second sport: cycling. A year ago, I doubt that I would have been able to ride yesterday's race course without dying on the climbs. My run has suffered from a winter injury, but I know that I am in this sport for the long haul. I admire all three women that are going to be competing in Beijing this August...best of luck to Laura, Julie, and Sarah! Go USA!

More Photos

Standing in front of the Alabama hills during one of our stops on Wednesday.
All 21 of the Trials athletes aboard the trolley that transported us to the parade start.
The adorable dancers who provided some entertainment during the Opening Ceremonies after the parade.
Getting a race course briefing from Scott on Thursday morning before riding, running, and swimming on the course.
USAT staff hard at work setting up the race course. That is our starting pontoon. Nate, Scott, & Katie were marking out the individual starting boxes.

Tuscaloosa Photos

Riding in the parade on Thursday afternoon...Manny and I in the red convertable!

After the parade we had a nice Opening Ceremonies...the 21 Trials athletes are in a row on the left side.
This is from this morning's school visit...I'm talking to the students about my bike and how cycling shoes work.
Me in the middle of all the Matthews' Elementary School 5th graders.
This photo was taken from our third-floor hotel room window. The NBC crew was interviewing a few of the Trials athletes for sound bites during the national show (sometime in May).

Remember when I was in Tucson a few weeks ago and I mentioned that I had taken a lot of photos but couldn't upload them to my blog because I had left the camera-to-computer cord at my house?!? Okay, so even if you don't remember that, it happened and I blogged about it (there's not much I don't blog about:).
Well, here we are in Tuscaloosa, killing time in the hotel room before tomorrow's race. And of course, I mentioned to my Dad that I forgot the stupid cord again so I would have to wait until I got home to upload all the good photos.
Yeah, so he walked over to my computer, picked it up and said: "This looks like a camera-card slot, why don't you just upload them that way?" I was like, "No way!" And he was like "Yes way!" (Well, actually, that last part didn't really happen:)
Long story short, here I am discovering even more things that I didn't know about my computer...enjoy the photos!

2007 Elite Highlights/Olympic Trials Promo

Check out the sweet video from USAT. It was just released for all of the Trials athletes to use in the school programs. All the video clips are from 2007 World Cup events (I'm in a few:)

Matthews Elementary School

This morning I had a great time meeting my designated elementary school in Tuscaloosa. I got to talk to all the 5th graders (I think there were about 75) and show them a video about USA Triathlon. Not a single student knew what a triathlon was before I walked in...but I'm pretty sure that they all knew what it was then I walked out!
After the school, I spent a bit of 'down-time' at the hotel while my Dad got my bike all 'race ready'. With race wheels on and frame-pump off, I was ready to test out the course one last time. We cycled down to the race site where I ran a lap of the run and then rode two laps of the bike. Everything was working great and I felt fit and fast. I have to admit...I was feeling a TON of nerves...why, I'm not too sure because it was a whole DAY before the race.
The race site is looking more and more ready. There are banners, barricades, bike racks, and tents all over the River Walk Park. I saw all my competitors doing their last minute preparations, along with hundreds of collegiate athletes getting ready for their race.
I hope that all the collegiate athletes stick around the race course after morning event...they start at 7am so they should still be parting at the finish line when our Trials race gets underway! I expect that a combination of the collegiate athletes, the local school kids, the age-group triathletes competing on Sunday, and the local Tuscaloosa community will result in a HUGE number of people on the race course.
There are some dark storm clouds that have filled the skies over Tuscaloosa this afternoon. My Dad and I have been checking the weather online to see what they are forecasting for tomorrow: temps between 70 and 72, clear by mid-day, and light winds. Sounds Perfect!
Don't forget to check out the LIVE race updates on www.Slowtwitch.com tomorrow. My race starts at 12 noon in this time-zone. That is 1pm on the east coast and 10am on the west coast. Log on and enjoy!

News Journal Article

CLICK HERE to check out the nice article in the Daytona Beach News Journal about me and my quest for the Olympics. (Chad, thanks for the great photos:)

Crimson Tide

The drive from Florida to Alabama (via the back roads) was a beautiful trip! We had 9 hours of wildflowers out the windows. The Crimson Tide was impossible to miss...the rolling hills were covered with bright red flowers, which look like a 'rolling tide'. If you are confused with the reason for this observation and explanation, I'll just say that I was also confused for quite a long time. The University of Alabama (here in Tuscaloosa) has a cheer of "Roll Tide", they are the "Crimson Tide" and their mascot is an elephant...yeah, I didn't get it either. But, I finally got an answer for the crimson when Dustin told me it's from the red flowers covering the hillsides around this area.
Other than that side note, my Dad and I departed DeLand at 7:20am and pulled into G-Ville around 9am. I hopped into the pool for a nice 3000 meter swim in the outdoor long course pool (fun in the sun) and then visited with Dustin for about five minutes before we were back on the road. We stopped in one of the many small towns along the route for lunch (Subway, fast and nutritious) and a few gas fill ups. Before 6pm, we pulled into the Hampton Inn, unloaded, and found the Panera for dinner. It's off to bed for me so that I can get some important shut-eye before training on the course tomorrow.

I've Got Everything Packed...

...Including the refrigerator! No joke, we've got this portable fridge that plugs into the car (or a wall socket) and keeps things cool! Since I'm heading to Alabama by car, why not do it in style?
It's actually a great way for me to keep my normal eating schedule for the whole weekend. In 99% of my races, when I travel to a foreign location, I have to make do with what is available. Very rarely do I find my particular yogurt brand, yummy salad ingredients, Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, etc.
I wont go into details, but changes in your diet, combined with hours of traveling, do not make for the best working digestive system...and when I'm trying to compete at the TOP level, every little detail makes a difference! So, this weekend, my Dad and I will not only be snacking on cool apples and chilled drinks while we are on the road, we will be storing breakfast, lunch, and dinner ingredients in the hotel room.
Other than the fridge, the car is packed up with all my racing and training gear, weekend clothes, gifts for the local elementary school kids, and entertainment for the 'down-time'. The bike rack has my beautiful Blue and Dad's Trek hanging on the back. I think we are just waiting on my Dad's weekend bag (which he hasn't even started packing because my parents are addicted to American Idol and tonight is an Idol-night).
Tomorrow we are planning on hitting the road by 7:30am after grabbing breakfast in the house. Our first stop is going to be up in Gainesville for a quick swim session. I thought it would be nice to visit Dustin, take a mid-drive-break, and stretch out my swimming muscles...all in one shot!
Speaking of Dustin, let me wander off course here and give a Duster-Buster update: Dustin has decided to attend THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT IRVINE to study and obtain a Master's degree and a PhD in Aerospace Engineering!! My brain hurts just trying to comprehend going to a few more years of school...but Dustin is still looking for a challenge (he's barely broken a mental sweat at UF these past four years:). He toured a few of the top engineering schools and really liked what he saw at Irvine...the professors, the students, the swim team, the nearby beach, the west coast sunshine, etc. I might be jumping the gun on this announcement because he hasn't even graduated from UF yet...May 2nd is the date! (More on that later!)
Back to tomorrow's drive...after Gainesville we will be back on the road toward Tuscaloosa. I am estimating a 8:00pm arrival at the Hampton Inn. That is including a few stops for gas, bathroom breaks, lunch, and maybe a short jog if we find some pretty park or path close to our driving route. I'm looking forward to seeing all my friends, coaches, and the numerous other USA Triathlon people involved with putting on this event. I'm hoping that the hotel provides Internet, but if not, I can always access the World Wide Web from my favorite eatery: Panera Bread!

Live Race Coverage!

Guess What?!?!
Slowtwitch.com just announced that they are going to report LIVE from our Olympic Trials race this weekend! I'm sure if you go to their website http://www.slowtwitch.com/ it will be easy to find the exact link to the LIVE coverage...unless I see something posted earlier, I am unable to give the exact link.
This is fantastic news for all my family, friends, fans, and supporters that are unable to be in Alabama for the weekend...here is the article about the coverage...

from slowtwitch.com:
Written by: Herbert Krabel Date: Mon Apr 14 2008
This coming weekend we will bring you a live report from the 2008 US Olympic triathlon trials in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. You will be able to find out right here which male and female US athlete will join Jarrod Shoemaker and Laura Reback in Beijing.
USA Triathlon has 3 qualifying events for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The first was in Beijing last September, with Jarrod Shoemaker and Laura Bennett as the top Americans earning the first spots. The Olympic Trials in Tuscaloosa on Saturday will give the top US man and woman the next spots. The final man and woman will be selected after the June 22 Hy-Vee Triathlon in Des Moines, Iowa. Those remaining slots will be rewarded based on a points system taking into account the best two races for each athlete left in the running.
Starters (Only US athletes in the top 125 in Olympic rankings or World Cup rankings are allowed to compete at the Trials):
Men
1. Andy Potts
2. Hunter Kemper
3. Joe Umphenour
4. Matt Reed
5. Brian Fleischmann
6. Doug Friman
7. Tim O'Donnell
8. Mark Fretta
9. Victor Plata
10. Manny Huerta

Women
1. Sarah Kortuem
2. Julie Ertel
3. Sarah Groff
4. Sara McLarty:)
5. Becky Lavelle
6. Jasmine Oeinck
7. Margaret Shapiro
8. Rebeccah Wassner
9. Joanna Zeiger
10. Amanda Stevens
11. Mary Beth Ellis

Bike Rides, Lake Swims, & TV

It is too HOT to THINK! If I ever wonder why I escape Florida any chance I get, I should be referred back to this blog post...it's like an inescapable sauna here! My sweat pores are on over-drive, my water consumption is at a maximum, and I'm going through bottles of sunscreen like candy! Do you get the point?
But, even as I sit here glistening, not one, but TWO cold fronts are on there way south...estimated arrival: tomorrow evening! Just in time to send me off to Alabama.
So far, I have not let the temperatures get the best of me. I have remained true to my training schedule and gotten out there and done what I was told. Today, that meant a 1h 45m bike ride with some intervals. I took the weather as a challenge, loaded up with some 45 SPF and lots of water bottles, and braved the best the mid-day sun could throw at me.
With one task accomplished, it was time for lunch. Never have cold items from the refrigerator tasted so good...crunchy grapes, cool yogurt, frozen cookies (yes, they are good right out of the freezer:). Fortunately, digestion still takes place inside, even when your outsides are HOT.
I couldn't let anything stop me, my training day wasn't over. I headed to the lake with my Mom for another mid-day session in the heat. This time I was looking forward to open-water swimming in the cool waters of Lake Winnemissett. It was very reminiscent of my days as an open-water specialist...me in the water, swimming back and forth across miles of lake. Mom in the kayak...alongside for protection from boats, gators, lake monsters and for carrying my water bottle. The only difference today was that after two lake crossings, I exited the water, changed into my bikini and took a nap on the dock. (Lets just say that four years ago, there would have been at least four more lake crossings before exiting the water was even an option:).
As hinted above, in the title, my day ended with a little time spent in front of the TV. Even as relaxing as that sounds, it still involved having the ceiling fan on high and I tended to stick to the leather couch if I stayed in one position for too long!

It's All Downhill From Here!!

I MADE IT!! I made it through all the hard stuff. All the long workouts. All the Bricks. All the exhaustion. All the pain and soreness.
That must mean that IT'S TAPER TIME!! Yea! With the Olympic Trials race just over one week away (9 days to be exact) I can foresee easy workouts in my future. I can also look at my schedule on TrainingPeaks and actually see the easy workouts in my future...but that is not the point.
The point is: right when I don't think I can make it one more day, right when I don't think I have energy for one more intense workout, right when my body is screaming for some recovery time...that time is NOW. I've got almost 20 hours before I have to exercise again, most of those hours will be spent horizontally, eyes closed, snoring?
I'm also employing a new recovery technique that I have decided to embrace (as of 3 days ago when I did some Internet research). Compression. Yep, simple as that. I've got my new compression tights on right now...they came in the mail this afternoon. Perfect timing after a day with a hard run and a hard ride. I put then on as soon as I showered but I have yet to determine if I am sleeping in them.
Compression is the new 'thing' among all types of athletes. Endurance, sprinters, team sports, strength, etc. Some items of clothing are designed to be worn during exercise to minimize fatigue, blah, blah, blah. Now, remember, I am currently training in FLORIDA...no matter what amazing results they promise, you are NOT going to find me in long pants or long sleeves for any exercise! But, I did like what the 'recovery' clothes were designed for: aiding and speeding muscle recovery by keeping body fluids moving, blah, blah...so I made some purchases: calf sleeves and full-length tights.
Boy, things ship quickly these days! The very next day (ordered on Tuesday, arrived on Wednesday) I got the calf sleeves and today I got the tights. I have to admit that I am already hooked and sold on this compression idea...so don't be surprised to see me lounging all next week in strange clothing!

Chicago (The Musical)

Last night, my Mom and I went over to the Peabody Theater in Daytona to watch the traveling Broadway production of Chicago. It was a great show with beautiful singing and dancing. It's hard to watch a stage production of ANY musical after you have watched the movie version. I was comparing every character to their movie counterpart..."Oh, that's Catherine Zeta-Jones, that's Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere, etc." No matter, the stage characters were all fantastic and it was a pleasure to watch such talented (and limber) dancers.
My entrance to the show was a bit hurried, thanks to a killer afternoon swim practice in Port Orange. I take off my watch for swim practice so I had no idea what time it was until I was out of the shower and getting dressed. That was when I realized that I had a little over an hour to drive all the way home, change, grab dinner, get in the car with my Mom, drive back to Daytona, and get in the door before the show started. There is NOTHING you can't do without a little adrenaline pumping through your veins! And thank goodness for frozen dinners that just pop into the microwave while you are getting dressed and can be eaten on the road:).

Windy Ride...Plus RUN!

Remember a few weeks ago when I wrote in detail about the Sunday morning Windermere group ride because I was so proud of ‘almost’ hanging with the roadies for the whole 3 hours?
Well, that story pales in comparison to my ride this morning!!!
It was another beautiful Florida morning with the night-time rain showers leaving a bit of water on the road and a cooler temperature in the air. I felt strong and confident for the whole ride (including climbing up the front-side of Sugarloaf Mountain) and took my fair-share of pulls on the front so that no one could accuse me of just ‘tagging’ along in the draft. From start to finish, I was right in the mix of things and never felt the fear of being dropped.
Just as we were approaching the final sprint line, about three or four miles from our Start-Finish point, I realized that this might be my last Sunday Windy ride for a long time. I can almost guarantee that my coach will not have “3 hour HARD ride…HIT IT!” written on my schedule next Sunday because (six days before the Olympic Trials race). The next Sunday I will be recovering from the Saturday Trials race…and the following Sunday I have tentative plans to race the St. Anthony’s triathlon in St. Petersburg.
So there I was, thinking about all the group rides I’ve been on and how lucky I was to have “kept the rubber side down.” And of course, that completely jinxed the whole group and sure enough, two guys sprinting to the line wiped out…BIG TIME! I’m talking bikes and people flying five feet in the air, flipping, bouncing, and breaking bones (one collarbone…two pieces).
The rest of the group, about 20 other riders, saw the whole thing happen up the road. We all stopped to help, clean up the road, and call the ambulance. After a few minutes, I knew that there was nothing else I could do (other than gawk…and I hate blood and injuries) so I continued riding. I also had to get back to the car so that I could finish my brick workout...no rest for the weary:)!
I made a quick change into my running gear and headed back down the road. It was a tough run session but I was very proud of my effort and results. Just being able to function after three hard hours on a bike is impressive! Now, I am trying to function after a three hour ride AND a 40 minute run…but after a huge lunch and a long afternoon nap, I actually feel pretty good.
My brain has started a countdown to the Olympic Trials race in two weeks. Even without thinking about it, lately I can always tell you exactly how many days remain until race day…13 to be exact. My family and I have started discussing our travel plans to Tuscaloosa. At first, my Mom, Dad, and I were all going to drive together on Wednesday and Dustin was going to zip out on Friday (to miss the minimal amount of school and swimming). Well, my Mom just realized that she was probably going to get pretty bored for the three days leading up to the race so now she is going to drive out with Dustin on Friday.
Speaking of being bored, I know that I’m not going to be looking for things to do during those three days because I’ve seen the schedule of activities that all the athletes are required to do: a pre-race meeting, parade of athletes, speak at a school, train on the course, etc. And then there are the things that each of us want/need to do for our own race preparation: eat, rest, sleep, stretch, watch TV…I mean, where am I going to fit those activities in?!?

Cycling Fans

When are we going to get awesome FANS/SPECTATORS like these guys at the Triathlon races?!?! Can you imagine trying to draft in the middle of the Escape from Alcatraz??...there are some LARGE cliffs along the race course that would do a better job at deterring cheaters than a 2 minute penalty:)

Humidity is Here!

There is nothing like traveling for a whole day from Tucson back to DeLand. Trying to be productive in a hot and crowded airport or in a tiny airplane seat is nearly impossible so I just made the most of my 12 hours of traveling by watching movies, walking around the terminals, and taking naps.
Big thanks to my Mom for picking me up at the O-Town airport late Tuesday night. We had fun chatting on the way home; catching up on each other’s activities during the past week. She has started attending a tri-weekly physical-therapy program to strengthen and rehab her new knee. Karen is now K2.0!
My Dad and Brother are out in California for the week, touring graduate schools and visiting family in the area. According to Dustin, he had a great time at Irvine…met some professors, visited with some of the swimmers, toured the area, etc. I think I asked him to take lots of PHOTOS about 10 TIMES…hopefully he can remember! Currently, they are driving up the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway), taking in the sights, touring castles, and visiting some of my Dad’s family. I think tomorrow they stop at Stanford for another round of meetings before heading back to Florida on Saturday.
I’m just trying to survive the last round of insanely intense workouts that Cliff has on my schedule. I am really looking forward to seeing the taper week…but I know that I’m still 16 days out of the Trials race so I might be getting a bit ahead of myself. 16 days still leaves plenty of room for speed-work, intervals, intensity, etc. Especially for those of us that are true ‘distance’ athletes and don’t need too much recovery/rest (yikes, I’m having flash-backs to my college swimming days)!
Yesterday and today were both ‘triple’ training days…swim, bike, AND run workouts squeezed in around the important stuff like sleeping, napping, cooking, eating, emailing, TV-ing, etc. The only bonus is that I actually look forward to the days when I only have a swim practice on my schedule (I’ve given up looking for the completely ‘off’ days:). So with one workout tomorrow, I’m planning on actually doing something…maybe a horse-back-ride…do some more wood-working…plant an herb garden…hummmm, the possibilities are only as endless as my energy levels!

Photos from Tucson

Dinner at Chuy's Mexican Restaurant...Bec, Joe, Bobby, and Julie gave me a big smile after a BIG dinner!

Group ride on Day-2...up and over some big pass (I can't remember the name), down the other side, around the McCain Loop, back over the pass, and a long down-hill coast back to town.

Our group refueling, cooling, and refilling at the top of the pass (still can't remember the name) because it was brutally hot!

On Sunday, Cliff took me over to Mt. Lemmon for a chance to experience the great climb. I didn't have the 4 hours necessary to experience the WHOLE 26 miles up to 8000 feet, but I did get to the 8 mile mark in the time we had. It was a beautiful road, with beautiful views of the town below...I thoroughly enjoyed that ride!