Second Night…Not Consecutive

To follow up on a previous post titled 'First Night'…I just woke up after spending a second night in my house and you might notice that there are a few days of space between the first and the second night. That was not intentional! I had an A/C disaster! The darn thing just stopped working and the inside of my house hit 95 degrees!

It was at that point that I completely gave up on trying to continue working and drove back to DeLand to take refuge from the heat at my parent's house (which was having its own A/C issues) for a few days. I am the luckiest daughter in the world because my Dad came back to Clermont the following day and diagnosed the A/C problems and fixed them with only a small dent to my wallet.

So…work has continued. I'm still on my hands and knees cleaning and sealing grout…but the end is in sight! Actually, it's not really 'in sight' because all our supplies are piled on the places that I need to clean. I've got a fan drying the sealed half of the living room and when I get back from the store (and from finding internet access) I'm going to slide everything (paint cans, tool boxes, chairs, the stove, etc) across the room and FINISH the grout!

Speaking of internet access…it only took me five minutes on the computer at my parent's house to realize that I cannot afford internet at my house! Are you kidding me…$50 a month for internet access!?!? That is so far outside my budget that I'm just going to have to resort to driving up and down the streets until my computer shows a wireless signal! haha Fortunately, the NTC has free wireless and it's only one mile up the street…don't be concerned if you see my bright yellow car parked out front much more often than necessary (and I'll probably just be sitting inside with my computer on my lap:)!

Did I mention my stove earlier in this post? Well, I should update the kitchen status: it's pretty bare! The dishwasher has been removed, the counter top has been torn out, the range hood has been tossed, and the stove has taken up residence in the living room. I stopped by Appliance Direct yesterday morning and picked out a microwave/hood, dishwasher, and fridge from the 'scratch and dent' section (yes, I'm proud to admit that is where my budget takes me:). Amazingly, all three appliances match! They are stainless and black Whirlpool stuff that will look great with a new dark countertop.

Since my car was completely stuffed with the last of my belongings from the Farm, I had no room to take any of my new purchases home. Not to worry…Dad to the rescue AGAIN! He's heading over here tomorrow morning with his truck and he's going to stop at AD for all the new stuff. With those appliances and one or two more visits to Lowes, I think most of the BIG improvements will be nearly finished! My Mom made one of her last working visits yesterday to finish the painting. There is only about five feet of trim remaining that still needs white paint and I think I can handle that! Now, I'm really looking forward to seeing the cabinets/bookcases that she's going to custom build for my bedroom/den.

Photos coming soon!

The House

If I'm not in the Canyon, off training with friends, eating a meal, or starting my new jobs...then I'm in Clermont scrubbing tiles and cleaning grout!
Seriously, I feel like that has been my reason for existence since I returned from the Southwest! I've been at my house almost every day and I've been on my hands-and-knees with a scrub brush for most of that time...but the hard and boring work is paying off! I don't really have any photos to update the progress because there really isn't any big changes...other than more and more lines of clean grout.
I almost had a disaster story to share...after my first night of sleeping in my house, I went grocery shopping and returned to find that the AC was broken!! That was a fright-and-a-half...ever seen the bill to have a complete new system installed? But, thanks to the knowledge and skills of my father, we were able to have it up and running the next day with two new parts (a fan motor and a capacitor) and only a few hours without the effects of cool air filling the house.
And, now, it's time to get back to my favorite job...cleaning grout!

2008 Grand Canyon - Part 2

I'm mostly surprised with myself for actually getting back to continuing this Grand Canyon story. I guess it goes to show that I really want to record this for my own memories and to convince at least one other person to go take a trip with Grand Canyon Expeditions! (Hey, I can plug anyone I want...it's my blog:)
Where was I...just starting the trip, right? Oh yeah, we still had clear water in my story! Like I said, that didn't last long! Fortunately, the brown water didn't come with a lot of wet nights or rainy day for our group...we got lucky and had a pretty dry weather trip...it was just up and down stream that was getting pounded with rain storms and dumping all sorts of sediment into the river from the side canyons.

We hiked Nankoweap up to the granaries...one of my favorite hikes in the Canyon because of the great view that you get from the top. If you can see behind the people in the photo...this is an ancient food storage location for the Native Americans that farmed on the fertile land directly below the cliff walls. My joke for the day was something like: "Can you imagine doing this 45 minute up-hill hike every time you wanted to get something out of your kitchen pantry??" I think it got old after the third or fourth time I said it to the people on the hike...but I was still laughing:)

See what I told you about the GREAT views from this hike! This photo has a lot of meaning because Sally and I posed here about seven years ago on my first trip down the Canyon. The photo was enlarged and framed on my Mom's piano since that trip...now we can update it (and flip the frame 90 degrees) with this new one!

I was really in the 'landscape' photo mode for this trip. I'm looking back through my pictures and I think I might have gotten carried away because there are so few photos with any people...just lots of water/sky/rock shots. What do you think of this one for the photo wall? It might not be the winner but it could be in the running for consideration.

Finally, a shot with some people! This is me with the fun group of Australian guys that were on the trip. L to R is Don, Dave, Chris, me, Pete, and Ron! Check out that memory...I didn't even have to try hard to recall those names...it'll be a long time before their "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi" cheers have been forgotten (or before the sounds stop echoing in the Canyon:)

I took this shot to record for myself (and for my viewers) what it looks like when we pull our boats into camp for the evening. That's the Toc on the left, Art's boat...and the Tic on the right, Sally's boat. We carry all the equipment and food supplies that we need for the whole trip. Most of the stuff is actually under the floor boards of the boat...staying cool and clean down by the water level. I'm standing in the middle of the kitchen...the dish-washing table is to the left (you can see one of the buckets) and the grill table is to the right (you can see the blaster on the ground).

Now I'm standing upstream to get a shot of the whole kitchen while Den, Art, and Nan are working on dinner. There are two prep/serving tables (along with the two I already mentioned) in this view. You can also see the water jug, the hand-washing station and some of our passengers lounging in the chairs waiting for dinner to be served.

Boating through one of the areas of schist with some rocks sticking up midstream. (Yes, there really is a rock layer in the Grand Canyon that is called 'schist'...I'm not 'sh*ting' you:)

And, another potential photo for the landscape wall. This is called the 'owl' formation...Sally pointed it out as we motored by...not too hard to see how that name was originated.

Den and I smiling at the top of the Deer Creek Falls hike...we are smiling because the hike ended at a beautiful, clear waterfall and pool and we had a refreshing swim and splash before heading back down to the hot air and the muddy river.

Art and I at the top of Deer Creek Falls. I respected him so much for his knowledge and admiration of the Canyon. Even on his 163rd trip (or so he claimed) he could still find things among the rocks that were amazing and breathtaking. It was an honor to listen and learn from him every day...how many times in your life are you shown a rock with asbestos in it and then explained how the material is formed?? Thanks Art!!

Kids Tri 2

Please notice the new link on the right sidebar for "Kids Tri 2."

I'm all for getting kids and youth into the sport of triathlon and my friend Koren has the same idea. Her group, "Kids Tri 2," is dedicated to hosting races and clinics geared toward young kids starting into the sport of triathlon.

Koren just sent me some news about her newest event: the Florida Kids Triathlon that will be held in Panama City, Florida on the day after the Panama City Ironman in November. Put it on your calendar and spread the word to all the young triathletes in you area!

First Night

Tonight will be my first night sleeping at my new house in Clermont!! I'm very excited but also looking forward to finishing my own Master Bedroom so that I don't have to sleep in 'Guest Room 2' for much longer! But, no matter what room I'm in tonight, it's going to be a big mile-stone in my life…the first night that I'm actually LIVING on my OWN! Kinda scary but I think that at 25 years old, I'm officially ready to cut the cord from my family's house and dorm life and start living like a 'grown-up'.

Today was also a big day for my brother as he and I left Ol'McLarty's Farm at the same time…he was starting out on his cross-country drive to Irvine, CA to start graduate school! I'm not very happy that he is going to do the whole drive by himself but he promised all of us that he had the whole trip mapped out with a few stops on the way at various swimming friend's houses. Almost all of his nights on the road (between 4 and 5) are going to be at the home of a friend and not in a hotel or a rest-stop. He will also be aided by his new toy: the new iPhone 3G! I'm sooo jealous!

So, I will be heading to sleep pretty soon here and looking forward to another day of house-work. I spent the better part of this afternoon cleaning tile grout and then painting on grout sealer where I had cleaned. On my drive over this morning, I stopped at the upholstery shop and picked up my newly re-upholstered dining room chair seats and backs. I'm so excited about the fabric that I chose, it matches my color scheme brilliantly! The pillows that I ordered in matching fabric for the living room couches were not complete yet so I will have to make another stop later this week (no rush…the couches are in the garage under tarps, blankets, and about 50 boxes of my stuff:).

I am also very excited about all the bedding choices that I have made in the past month. Tonight I am testing out one of the bed-in-a-bag sets that I chose for a guest room. It goes very well with the bamboo day-bed that I'm sitting on. 'Guest Room 1' is going to have more of a modern look with black and silver bedding to match the black metal bunk-bed. My final decision was for my own room and I realized that I love the look of chocolate brown with sky blue (my wall color).

Enough rambling for one night, I will try and finish the Grand Canyon adventure stories tomorrow when I have internet access again (it's almost time to call Brighthouse or Comcast and get some internet access here at the house)!

Grand Canyon 2008 - Part 1

I don't know how much I'm going to write about my trip last week down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. This is labeled 'Part 1' which implies that there will at least be a 'Part 2' so I hope that I can motivate to write down some of the great stories that I have to tell. Don't let me just give up on this...I've got some good ones, I just need some encouragement!

Most importantly, I have some great photos to share with you! Finally, I had a fantastic digital camera that I took down the river and managed to bring home with me. Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing for my Bose headphones and iPod Shuffle because I left those somewhere in the Las Vegas Airport...and I really don't think I'll ever see them again (even though my name, address, email, phone number, and all sorts of contact info was inside the case)!!

The trip began with a morning drive to the Orlando Airport (thanks Dad) and a non-stop flight to Vegas on US Airways...the only saving grace for it not being a United flight was that I still get the miles!! I arrived in Vegas a few minutes after Sally landed from Austin and we met up at the baggage claim to go grab some lunch. We had about 90 minutes before the St. George Shuttle departed so we made the most of the minutes in a so-so Mexican restaurant in the terminal.

In Orlando, I picked up a book to read on the flights and it was so good...and I can read SO fast...I realized I should pick up the sequel in Vegas if I wanted to have reading material for the rest of the week. Check out Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series if you like quick reads, vampires, werewolves, and romance novels...yes, I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff...just as long as it's good! I was over half-way thru the first book before I deplaned in Vegas...right now (Tuesday night), I'm starting on to the fourth and final book of the series!

Back to the task at hand...Sally and I caught the shuttle to St. George and caught a ride with another river guide (Marty) to the warehouse in Kanab, Utah. It was mid-afternoon by the time we pulled in to the GCE headquarters, but I already knew that I would find my brother there waiting for us! Dustin's trip with Irv was leaving the next morning from Lee's Ferry but they were riding the bus with the passengers the next morning. We managed to hang out for a few hours...dinner that night at the local Mexican joint (can you see the food pattern in this area of the USA?) and then a slumber party in the bunk house and then breakfast the next morning before he headed off on his river trip.

About that time, Sally and I started to pack up for our trip two days later (see the boats above in a random stage of disarray). Since my last trip with GCE, four years ago, they have started using trailers for the boats so they no longer have to be completely assembled and disassembled between each river trip! This makes the whole 'working' experience SOOO much more manageable!

Here is Sally...trying to find an umbrella for our boat that is in semi-decent condition. It only took three or four tries before we found one that would stay open, had all its parts, and wasn't going to be needed by someone else during our trip.

I snuck away for five seconds at Lee's Ferry to take a photo of all the action that was happening on the launching beach. Sally, Den (the second swamper) and I volunteered for 'Ferry' duty and we managed the task just fine! It was a VERY busy Friday afternoon with five or six trips preparing to depart the next morning. We pulled in with one boat at 4:00pm, rigged the side tubes by 5pm and then had to wait around until our second boat showed up around 7:30pm. Dinner didn't come early that evening...but we did have a good time driving to the nearest town thanks to the company truck that is left on the ramp for the transportation necessities of the guides and swampers.

And we were off! Saturday morning dawned with bright skies and clear water (even after a huge thunder storm threatened our water quality all night). Our passengers arrived a bit early (admittedly, Sally, Den and I were not prepared when the bus pulled up) and it was only then that we realized that 11 of the life jackets had blown off one of our boats on the way to the ferry!! No panic...just calm problem solving...and between the spares on the boat, spares in the company truck, and a few borrowed from the other boats launching that morning...we soon had enough to go around!

Our trip included a lot of beautiful hikes in the side canyons. This was an early hike on the trip and that is Art, the lead guide, taking us along the path. (I promise I will figure out the name of this particular side canyon ASAP!!)

I love the few places where the wind has blown just right, the water has dripped just right, and the rocks have fallen just perfectly to leave a small arch of rock remaining so that we can peer up through the opening into the blue skies beyond! (It also makes a pretty good photo:)

I snapped this photo as we headed out on the hike up Saddle Canyon. The rain clouds were threatening again but they did nothing more the make the skies dark. I absolutely LOVE this photo and with a bit of cropping (because the dark parts take up too much of the shot) this might make my 'landscape' wall in my new house. Remember that great one from SLO a few weeks ago...well, I'm going to start making a point to take great nature shots from the places I visit, pick out the best one, enlarge it, frame it, and dedicate a wall to my new hobby. This one might be my Grand Canyon pick.

Our return hike from the waterfall at the top of Saddle Canyon. I was pulling up the rear and making sure that no passengers were left behind...and in the process, I almost got left behind:)! But it did give me a chance to watch the people hiking and get an idea of the scale of our surroundings.

Actually, this one might be my choice for the 'landscape' wall!! What do you think? I can't decide!!

And I will leave you at the end of Part 1 with some of the wildlife that we saw at the river's edge. This was a beautiful male mule deer with some HUGE antlers. He was munching away at the greenery and taking a few drinks of muddy river water. (Did I mention that we had clear water all the way to the second day?!?!)

Blue Skies...Brown Water

I'm back from my third Canyon adventure...still as fantastic as the first time I rafted down the Grand Canyon six or seven years ago! I'm attempting to catch up on sleep, energy, mail, cleaning, paying bills, watching the Olympics, reading the news, visiting with my family, calling friends, etc. I will be blogging photos and GREAT stories as soon as possible!

GCE

I'm off to the Grand Canyon tomorrow morning. I will be cut off from civilization between the 16th and the 24th of August but I will be taking photos and writing mental blog posts...I am excited to finally post a GCE trip on my blog because I started this journal right after I took my last trip in 2004.
My bro will be two days ahead of me on the Canyon...I drove him to the Orlando airport this morning at 5:00am and he arrived in Vegas this afternoon, caught the shuttle to St. George, and is now eating dinner with Irv in Kanab. I am taking that exact same trip tomorrow morning and meeting Sally in the Vegas airport at 10:30am.
So, until I'm back into the range of technology, have a great week!
Blue Skies, White Water!!

Real World Update

I took a break from the home improvement project on Saturday and took a Red Cross Certified CPR & First Aid course in Daytona. The original reason to get re-certified was for my USAT Coaching credentials but once I started thinking about it, I realized that it is a good idea to be prepared for quite a few of the jobs I am attempting.

Master's Swim Coach in Clermont…wouldn't hurt to be prepared on the pool deck. Substitute teacher…not a bad idea when working with kids of all ages. Triathlon Clinic/Camp organizer…anything can happen during training and now I feel a bit more capable to handle any situation. I have even used what I learned in these Red Cross classes during my job as Professional Athlete!

The class is really helpful. It's fast and easy but if you care enough to pay attention, some of the things might just stick in your mind. I never thought I would be able to employ any of the skills or methods they recommend…mainly because I feel like I would usually freak-out, let someone else take care of the situation, or (and most likely) be the person needing treatment. But, that one time something happens and you might just surprise yourself like I did in Germany last year…those little details of info from a smelly old classroom in Daytona Beach actually came to my mind. And even though I was completely freaking out and wishing there was someone else to handle the situation, I managed to do the right things and help someone in need.

I also caught up on the Olympics, starting with the Opening ceremonies that we recorded on Friday night. It's so much easier to watch a four hour show with the fast-forward button. The Chinese put on a beautiful show and I enjoyed all the different performances…but I must admit that I watched the beginning of every performance, got the gist of what was going on and what it was representing, then hit the FF button until the next group came on stage (or until the commercial was over).

Same thing with the parade of athletes. All I wanted to see was the USA (and maybe a few other counties with friends I know from swimming and triathlon) so the <FF> button came in handy for the 200+ other countries. Of course, I did catch a few of the parade outfits and was very impressed that most of the delegations had long sleeves and pants as part of their costume…did no one check the weather report and realize that it's 90+ degrees with 95% humidity in Beijing in September!?!?

I am heading to another day of working at my Clermont house but I can't wait to get home and watch all the sporting events that are being recorded. I never <FF> during those shows!

 

***I just finished reading this great email from Julie Swail-Ertel about her experience on Friday night at the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony and I had to share it with you!***

"The U.S. delegation was all wearing matching white berets, navy blazers over white shirts, cream pants and cream colored shoes so locating friends and teammates was very challenging! I lost the triathlon team but met up with the water polo players and rode over to the fencing hall with the water polo team. In the fencing hall, we congregated in groups according to sport (and I reconnected with the triathletes) and after an hour of mingling, we were addressed by President Bush. He then took the time to come greet and take pictures with each team.

After our picture, we moved along to the gymnastics arena where all of the teams were staged. We picked up a "boxed lunch" that consisted of a roll, banana, boxed milk and a snicker bar and took a much deserved seat! Luckily, I brought 2 Powerbars that saved me over the next 4 hours. We also consumed mass quantities of water, knowing the heat that we'd face outside.

The U.S. was called 140^th (out of 200+ countries) and we began staging for the 1.5 mile march into the Stadium. We were planning on staying together as a triathlon team but we got separated coming down the stairs. Laura and I went one way and as we were crossing the front row of U.S. athletes, an announcement was made to make 10 lines (files). It was like we were playing musical chairs and when we heard the announcement Laura and I stopped in our tracks. We were in the front of the U.S. delegation. We turned around and suggested to the organizer that we start rows/files 1 and 2 with us. He agreed and we found ourselves with a spot in the front row, just behind the flag bearer! I was the leader of the row 3^rd from the right and Laura was the 2^nd from the right. The Chef de Mission of the U.S. delegation joined us to the right of Laura.

(For those who don't know, I got to march in the front row of the Sydney Games, also sort of by dumb luck. I was just pinching myself at my incredible fortune, again!)

From watching the coverage on TV, I don't think that the heat and the amount of sweat that was pouring on the field was well depicted. We took off our blazers and discovered that our white shirts were completely wet and stuck to our bodies. But we weren't alone. I didn't see a single person on the field whose clothes weren't saturated with sweat. But nonetheless, it was a fabulous time.

After Opening Ceremonies, rather than wait for the buses to drive us back to the Village, Sheila Taormina (swimming '96, triathlon '00 and '04 and modern pentathlon '08), Laura and I decided to walk back figuring we could probably beat the buses and wouldn't have to deal with a crowd at the Village security checkpoint. Because of the run that Laura and I had earlier in the day, we knew how to navigate the Olympic Green and take the most direct route back to the Village. We hit the dining hall at 1:30 a.m. before returning to our room to pack. We had a tough 5 a.m. wake up call to catch our plane to Jeju on the 9^th. As we left the Village it was in the low 80s (even overnight) and the air conditioned bus never felt so good!"

Shutters!!

How could I almost forget the most exciting part of my house?!?

My parents built me custom shutters for EVERY window and glass door in my entire house! I didn't dare ask what that would have cost me...I just said THANK YOU and gave them a big hug (that's worth more than money, right?:)

So here are some photos of the beautiful additions that were hand-built and installed by my parents: a.k.a. Precision Operations!

The Olympics Are On!

I've got my laptop on my lap and I'm sitting upstairs in front of the TV watching all the great sporting action at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing! It is all so inspiring and exciting…especially seeing friends, teammates, and training partners walking in the opening ceremonies.
Right now, Ryan and Michael are up in the finals of the 400IM. Just think, there were only four American men between Dustin and this race!! Speaking of Duster, he's currently on his way home from Europe after a two week tour with his friend Kimmy. We've heard from him a few times via email and once on the phone…which I assume is because he's having so much fun that he doesn't fit in time to contact us. I told him to take a ton of photos and make a lot of memories so he could share a lot of great stories when he gets home.
But, before Dustin gets home, my Mom, Dad, and I have another long day of improvement projects at the Carroll St. house. I think we are going to roll out as soon as we are awake and fed. It takes about 75 minutes to drive the back roads…we take the back roads instead of paying extra to go on the toll roads. If I manage to roll out of bed by 8am, eat and load up by 9am, I might be starting to work by 10:30am. Since we have to be back in DeLand by 10pm in order to get to the Daytona Beach airport by 11pm to pick up my bro, it will be a little under 11 hours of working time.
Did I mention that my Dad and I had a great day of laying flooring on Friday?!?

Yeah, ALL day long…laying boards in my master bedroom.

Let me tell you…it looks BEAutiful! I'm so happy with my choice of wood and color. It goes great with the blue walls and white baseboards (and it looks great with me in it:).

I've also started painting the living room with a great yellow color...very bright, happy, and friendly.

In other house project updates, the guest rooms are going to be the first things completed. We put two extra coats of varnish on the flooring so it will shine and last for a long time. The only thing remaining before moving in furniture is re-hanging and repainting the closet doors. I've got beds, dressers, desks, rugs, and mirrors sitting in the garage ready to be carried inside. In the bathroom, we've installed a new curved curtain rod and curtain, a new medicine cabinet in the wall, a new vanity top and repainted the vanity, a new faucet, a new mirror, compact florescent bulbs in the lights, and a new toilet seat and flush lever.

Alrighty, who's going to be my first guest?!? I'm ready for ya!

Back to Work

Sunday was a full travel day from the west coast and Monday was a full recovery day from that travel day.

I spent a lot of time in front of the computer screen catching up on work and shopping for house supplies. I continued the process of getting a job as a Lake County Substitute Teacher by signing up for "Fingerprinting" and a $58 background check to make sure that I am allowed to work around children. Then, I continued the process of getting recertified as a USAT Level 1 coach by signing up for another $20 background check to make sure that I'm allowed to work around people in general. If I get a job with the NTC next month as the Master's Swim Coach and Triathlon Specialist, guess what, I have to go get ANOTHER background check to make sure…well, I'm not sure what that one will check…maybe that I'm actually human?!?!

Do you know the saying, "You have to spend money to make money"? During the past month of my life, I have come to understand that it is very true. Before my first day as a substitute teacher, I will be out of pocket about $200…it will take me three days of work (at $75 a day) just to start making a profit. I mentioned the $58 background check…then the $40 drug test, the $15 online class that I took, $24 for my college transcript (and $25 to pay an old parking ticket before I could order a transcript)…add in some gas money to the Lake County School District, a few school supplies to build an 'emergency supplies' kit, and maybe some new clothes (have to look good) and I'm in this for the long haul!!

Now, I mentioned the USAT Coaching certification that I'm reapplying for…it comes with its fair share of strings attached. First, the $95 re-cert fee…which gets my name and location listed on a website of coaches and puts my email on a group-list that just fills my inbox with ridiculous messages from other coaches. Then the $20 background check mentioned earlier…$55 for a First Aid and CPR class next weekend…and since I don't know what is going to count for my 'Continuing Education Credits' for the past two years I'm foreseeing some more fees for exercise related classes in the near future.

If you really want to get technical about my future job at the NTC…I could count my house purchase, home improvements, gas money to Clermont, and all other moving related expenses to that event. :) I don't even want to start calculating how many days of coaching Master's Swimming it will take until I'm turning a profit!

Last SLO Photos

Blue skies in EVERY photo...I hope they don't get too dull and start blending together!

Riding along the coast on Tuesday we came across a swarm of pelicans and seals...there must have been an awesome school of fish in the water!

This is on the same Tuesday ride. I just pulled out my camera to take a shot so I could remember the feeling of riding towards the big blue expanse of Pacific Ocean in front of us.

Friday morning's 6-mile training race in Los Osos. Matt and Kelly were warming up on the quiet roads through the small town.

From the water-front of Los Osos you could see all the way to Morro Bay on a clear, sunny day like this one.

I almost forgot to snap a photo of where we did our swim training every day...the Kennedy Club on Tank Farm road in SLO. Very nice 6-lane pool that was 50-meters every time except for the Friday afternoon we arrived:)!

Toast

I am so proud of what I have achieved during the past week. I managed to hang on to 2/3rds of Matty Reed's training session for exactly ONE week! From last Friday afternoon until this morning I was doing pretty good...and then, 10 miles into the Saturday ride, it was just an explosion (or IMplosion) and my legs refused to cooperate anymore!!
All I asked was for them to keep going around-and-around-and-around in little circles, pushing hard up the hills, chilling on the down hills...but they refused! They could not give me another decent pedal stroke today!
Fortunately, I was able to group up with two other riders familiar with the area and we formed our own little group that rode at an acceptable pace for three hours, totaling 50 miles.
Back at the rental house, I waited for another TWO hours until Matty rolled in at the conclusion of the main group's ride...and I was VERY glad that I fell off the pace early enough and didn't hold up the group!
The Matty Reed Pre-Olympic Training Camp in SLO is almost over...I will be flying back to Florida at 11:30am tomorrow. Around two hours into the bike ride today, I decided that I would not be participating in a single athletic activity tomorrow...just waking up, fixing breakfast, packing my bags, heading to the airport, and relaxing in First Class all the way to Orlando!

From Dustin in Europe

Everyone, I just finished 2 great days in Rome. The city is amazing, there is stuff everywhere. I walked from 9am to 3pm yesterday without really stoping much. I probably walked 15 miles around this amazing city. I kept finding really cool things, a fountain on top of the hill across the river that people were playing in, a peach larger than a softball at a vendor stand. It was an amazing peach, and delicious. The gelato is awesome too.
We are off to Florence today, so I will check in again when I can.
Ciao
-Dustin


And here, in the heart of America's farmland, in southern California in the middle of the summer...I bought THREE peaches the size of softballs yesterday at the Farmer's Market in downtown SLO. I plan on grilling them tonight...yummm!
Other than that, training is going great for me as I just try to keep up with Matt. I've got about 48 more hours on the West Coast and then I'm heading back to Florida mid-day Sunday....and back to work at my house!