New Year's Resolutions

Let me get you up to speed. Since the last post I have moved into my new place, gotten settled into my new job, partnered up with a bomb new local tri shop, and survived Christmas. The New Year is less than one week away so naturally I feel compelled to reflect on the year...

This time last year I had just graduated and I was gearing up to move to Florida to pursue a lifestyle that consisted of swimming, biking, and running. I learned a lot from the 10 weeks I spent down south: I realized that I want to live close to my family, and that I can serve a greater purpose. I came home, got a great job counseling others to lead healthier lives, and planted my feet firmly in KY. So, you ask, what's next?

My resolutions for 2010 are to:

• Grow as a triathlon coach: I've partnered with some amazing friends who are starting VO2 Multisport, a local tri shop to offer coaching and personal training services. This sport evolves everyday and I hope to attend seminars, advance my certifications, and gain a few more along the way.
• Stay on top of this darned blog!! I love to write about my trials and experiences and learn about you readers along the way. I'll post more pictures and regular updates of my clumsy, often comedic adventures.
• Become more adventurous: This year is about trying new things and branching out. I got into a rut last year, training for the same races in the same way and getting the same results. This year is all about changing it up: racing all new races, dabbling in ultra runs, adventure races, hike more, try new training theories... learn to embrace new adventures.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Train on.

Schooled by a Two Year Old

I used to love playgrounds! Whenever I'd find a new one it was easy to transform it into my own little fantasy world of pirate ships and molten lava pits... don't act like you're not following. I could spent hours on the tire swing, merry go round, monkey bars and balance beam. I would go home after hours of playing, covered in dirt and not the least bit worn out.


So I was pretty pumped to take my 2 year old niece to the coolest playground on the island and revert back to the good ol' days when my biggest worry was how many times I could cross the monkey bars. But that feeling was stomped on pretty quickly. Do you know what happens to adults on tire swings?? They get nauseous. And even when my life depends on it to cross the monkey bars over the bubbling lava pit, I couldn't pull it off. My playground time was pretty much a failure. And everything I tried to do, my little niece did it ten times better.

When did I become such an old lady! It's sad. So tomorrow, I'm going back, and I'm not leaving until I cross the lava pit without committing a painful suicide. Here's to being a kid again!

Murphy Family Vacation

Arriving in Hilton Head is the most refreshing feeling I've ever felt. The smell of the salty ocean and mossy breeze, the whole fam being together, beach cruisers, riding through the forrest. It's my favorite place.

This is the view that I wake up to every morning. So far I've ran four times, eaten great fish, got a great pair of boots, seen two alligators, and have been to the beach none. I know, it sounds a bit off. There's been a nip in the air so we've been waiting for the right day. Today is gorgeous, today is beach day. We're heading up the the Harbor Town Bakery for coffee and banana nut pancakes, then it's off to flaunt our full bellies in the sand.

Next post will include pretty ocean and nature pics, until then here's my nutty family...

Make the most of everyday!

Not a virgin anymore

That's right! Last weekend was my first marathon. I registered for Columbus knowing that I was 8 weeks post-Ironman and that lightning fast legs aren't in the cards (not that they would be without the IM). None the less I need something to train for, so Columbus it was.

After my brother, Christopher, and I practiced our starts we all piled in the car and headed out on our loooooong (supposed to be three hour) drive. About an hour into the drive my brilliant father decided he needs to stop and eat (seriously?! You didn't think about this before we left?). So our sarcastically long drive turned into a real long drive.

Needed a good stretch and some fuel before continuing on the road ahead.

We finally made it to the expo... way later than necessary.

Made it through the crowds, got checked in, took a few stupid pics, and went to find food.

Stay with me, here's where I stop rambling. You see, my lil bro is a bomb runner. He's got these laser rocket legs that I just wasn't born with. He really is so naturally gifted... he's just not always the sharpest tool ;-)

Christopher has done one marathon prior to C-bus where he paced sub-3 for 21 miles before getting sick and having me walk him across the finish line over 4 hours later. My heart broke for him because I knew how hard he trained for that race and all he got out of it were ankles torn to shreds because he somehow thought it was a good idea to wear old cotton socks with the elastic worn out. They ended up under his feet and his shoes were literally filled with blood puddles.

This time around he figured out a solid nutrition plan and nailed his long runs. He even bought a new pair of socks just for this race (which, no joke, he couldn't find the night before the race. They eventually turned up).

It was race morning and Christopher had his game face on (clearly). It was frrreeeezing that morning, a balmy 2 degrees with 30mph winds (at least that's how it felt). Our sorry arses bumbled to the start line and decided to make a final pit stop. In the port-o-pots, we heard the gun go off. Probably not the best place to be for the start of the race.

I ended up crossing the start with the 5:30 pace group, and I had no idea where Christopher was. About three miles into the run, Christopher comes running by (with his sweatpants tied around his neck that he forgot to leave with my parents!). We had a quick chat, he tells me how frustrated he is with all the bottle necking and swerving, and wished me luck. Despite a less than ideal start, he looked great.

I'll be honest, I looked in every medical tent I passed to make sure I didn't have a bloodied brother curled up inside. I had already told myself that no matter how on pace I was, if he pulls another Chicago Mary I'm staying with him.

But fortunately, once he passed at mile 3 I didn't see him again until I ran down the finish chute and saw him cheering with the rest of the fam. He had his race, and a really fast one at that. This time around he wanted to race smarter, qualify for Boston, then train his arse off for April. His qualifying time is 3:10:59... and he ran a 3:11:42.

42 seconds! Can you believe it!? 42 teensy tiny seconds! He ran such a smart race and slowly worked his way back up to pace, and missed it by 42 silly ol' seconds. 3:11 is a huge PR for him, but it was hard to get excited when he was so, SO close. If only he wouldn't have stopped to pee, or what if he would've started on pace... It's so frustrating and it makes my heart ache.

But the bottom line is he raced his ass off. He nailed nutrition, he nailed his training, he wore socks with snug ankle holes. He knew exactly what he needed to run that last mile in and he left it all on the line.

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed." ~ Michael Jordan

Christopher, you'll get your race.

And then to add salt to the wound, he got a broken medal (hence the half #1 finger).

Train on.

Cbus Update

Yesterday was my first marathon. I ran a 3:52. Before the race I thought I could pull off a sub-3:40 with my sad semi-training plan. But I was humbled.

I have never been so sore, stiff, or achy. Ironman is cherry pie compared to this. There were times when I had no control over my knees and they would start to buckle. Around mile 20 I felt like someone was stabbing my right bum over and over and it would send shooting pain down my leg. The race was humbling, exciting, and has left me wanting more.

I have some great pics, but no camera cord. So those will have to wait.

Congrats to everyone who showed this race who's boss! My lil bro totally dominated but I'll save his story for when I have my pics.

The rest of the day was a whirlwind. As soon as I finished, my family gathered me up and stuffed me in the car. We squeezed three people in the back and drove three hours home. When we got home my legs decided they had had enough abuse and stopped working. Thankfully my mom helped me out because after being home for only a half hour I was being dumped off at the airport. I flew to Chicago, tried to get off the plane, and literally had to peel my bum off the seat. My legs were useless and my hips were worse than the Tinman's. Finally I boarded my last flight of the night and made it to Appleton, WI, where I truly looked and felt disabled.

I just had the worlds best cinnamon apple waffles for breakfast and it's now time for a food coma. Good night.

Cbus Mary

So we landed in Columbus, went through the expo, and got checked in. Now the fam is sitting around the hotel waiting for the dinner bell.

We're set to start at 7:30a tomorrow and my twitter will automatically be updating when I cross over the timing mats (pretty cool!). The weather should be pretty cool, but Ken Combs hooked me up with some sweet gear to run in. Because let's be honest, more important than pacing and nutrition is how cool your get-up is.

Good luck to everyone running both Cbus and L'ville! Here's to fast legs and fun times!!

Big Island

I didn't think I wanted it, and I didn't think it would hurt this bad (get you minds out of the gutter!). Kona has come and gone and whenever I think about the race I feel as if I'm being punched in the chest. Last year I didn't get this feeling. But this year it's different. This year all my friends are there, swimming in my favorite place in the entire universe, telling me all about the heat, the ripped up bodies! It really, truly hurts to think about.

I so badly want to shake everyone that was there who says they're disappointed with their performance!! Oh bologna!! I would have given a kidney to be there and you're complaining that your sock was on funny. There was a double above the knee amputee out there looking Pele right in her eyes. Amazing feats are accomplished out there, and to be a part of it is no small achievement. Get over yourself and embrace how hard you've worked and how far you've come, because this opportunity is not one that's just handed out.

Congrats to all of my dear friends and training partners. Two ironmans in six weeks, enough said. Train on.

In my head

Saturday's run was one of the most enjoyable runs I've been on all year. I teamed up with Mighty Mouse Kelli Miller, who doesn't know the words 'quit' or 'back-off', for a 16 miler. The goals for the run were to stay in the moment and hold a steady pace. Here's a recap of the day...

Hi Kelli!!, start the watch, feels fast, too dark to see my pace, 1 mile beep marker, Larry's already done 15 and still going, legs are heavy, ouch first hill, dang it's a pretty morning, warming up and feeling better, my stomach hurts, Hi Larry!!, he's flying at mile 20, sweet a gas station let's stop, no bathrooms! what a joke, I love that Kelli's doing all the talking, stay focused, strong up the hill, you're breathing way too hard, savior! gas station numbero 2 and it's open, I'll be right back, ahh much better, flat roads from here, this is hard, mile 5 beep marker, good idea let's run to Indiana, downhill, weeee, damn tree limbs, back in the rhythm, Uncle Pete!!, stop the watch for a hug, back on our way, downtown smells funny, it's too sunny I can't see anything, stay strong, stay focused, I see the bridge!, not so bad, that river has a whole new meaning, hellooooo Indiana!, man what a gorgeous day, mile 8 beep marker, Holla!! Half Way done, one more hour, you can do anything for one more hour!, my stomach hurts, hmmm, no wonder it was so easy to cross over the bridge, we have a huge headwind heading back in to Louisville, this is hard, Yes! I'd love to stop at the Marriott for water, mmm breakfast smells good, on our way back, I'm hungry and my legs are heavy, get your rhythm, stay focused, you're doing great, dang! downtown really smells funky, almost back to Grinstead, where did this huge hill come from, hold your form, will it ever end, ahh! made it to the top, Grinstead!, feeling great, ohh, not so great, hold it together, water break, 3 more miles, you can do anything for a little 5k, made it to the parks, stay focused, it hurts, out of Cherokee, just two more little hills, running strong, it's such a beautiful day, I wish I would have brought my sunnies, OK, I'm going to die now, I feel like my knees will buckle soon, we'll stop for Kelli's gloves she dropped, just make it to the gloves, just make it to the gloves, ouch this hill sucks, strong to the top, I said STRONG to the top, you aren't a power walker move your arse!, Done! now where are her gloves, gloves!! quick walk break, so much for a walk break, go catch Kelli, last 1.25 miles, I can do anything for 1.25 miles, don't slow down!, it hurts, my legs are slowing down, dig deeper!!, Heeyy! Thank goodness you honked at me, I needed to snap back into it, last mile, I hate this climb back to the park, hold your pace, last mile, woooow, you're way off pace, move your ass girl!, this hill is the worst, I'm going to faceplant and everyone will see me, stay focused, hold your form, your back on pace, David!!! Hi!!, wow, he totally picked me up, made it to the overpass!!, Holla!! So close to being home free!, go go goooo, .2 miles left, I can't breathe, sprint!!, .1 mile left, faster, faster!!, 16.00, stop and walk, ahhhh, such relief, Dunzo!

Thanks Kelli, you kicked my arse!

Nice to meet you!

Hi there, my name is Monica. I used to be a regular here but this little thing called life has kept me away. It's been too long... way too long. So I'm back now and back for good. Let me bring you up to speed...

In the smallest nutshell I could manage, here's what my past 2 months have looked like:

• I finished IMKY, but the coolest news from that day is that every single athlete I helped coach also finished the race. It was incredible!
• I got a job as a Health Educator. My co-workers are awesome and I feel right at home, and my supervisors are the type of people that you really want to work hard for.
• I'm personal training and coaching at The Training Studio, which couldn't be going much better. I work with some of the most passionate and experienced people in the biz. We're putting together big things!
• I bought a condo! I know what you're thinking... NO, I have no idea how to cook and I have flooded the kitchen because I used the wrong soap in the dishwasher, but I'm super pumped to learn new things (like how to do the laundry) and live in the Park!!
• I'm training for the Columbus Marathon on October 18th! This will be my first stand alone mary and I am totally freaking out about it!

PLEASE send me thoughts on what has worked for you during your marathons!! I need the inside scoop and I would love to hear a good success story because right now 20 miles = slow death. Help!

Trial of Miles

We have landed in August, which means only one thing to a Louisville triathlete... we are in the Ironman homestretch. The long hours in the saddle, pounding the pavement and splashing about are being stored in the bank, ready for withdrawal on the 30th. It's right around the corner, 4 weeks away.

Nervous tension is in the air. This Saturday the course was filled with not just recreational riders, there were Zipp wheels, aero helmets, 'on your left's, power meters... you name it. The dress rehearsals have begun!

Saturday morning greeted me with heavy legs. I was crabby and had ridden this route the week before. I silently sulked through the first hour, going into autopilot at the sound of spinning wheels.

The hills jolted me awake and back to life. The windy decent down 1694 suddenly forced my senses on red alert, which is when I realized 'This is it, we're in the homestretch, put your heart into this workout and make it count, because this is your last chance to iron out the kinks, to put long miles in the bank... we're in the Homestretch!'

It hit me like a ton of bricks. No one was making me ride, and it's a convenient excuse to be 'tired, fatigued, worn out from yesterdays run'. You name it, I heard it (hell I was the one coming up with the best of them!). But then, as I'm out of the saddle gasping for air, cursing my 11-23 cassette and clawing my way up to the boys with 200 horsepower quads, I realized that I'm not doing this for anyone else but me. I'm the only one who will be disappointed at a sad effort, or thrilled to be totally spent after a hard effort, either way it was solely up to me. I brought to life my goals for this race and kept them at the front of my thoughts. I determine the outcome. It's the Trial of Miles, the mental battle, the elusive easy way out.

I finally finished the day, eight hours later, totally spent, with a smile on my face. There is no easy way out. Train on.

Coach Troy Training Camp

A few weeks ago I was invited to help with an IMKY weekend training camp hosted by Coach Troy Jacobson (of Spinervals) and locally by The Training Studio. I love being a part of tri camps and meeting new people, so I eagerly agreed! The weekend went something like this... You think you're shape? Think again!!

Friday was intros, lectures, and dinner. At dinner I got to know the campers and was able to get a feel for the caliber of athletes attending. The caliber: kick ass. There were some blazing campers!

Saturday was scheduled to be a long ride and t-run. We met at the Galt House at 6:00a and were welcomed with thunderstorms. After some quick thinking we reorganized the day, we met back at 9:00a and decided to do a long run instead. I led a group who was supposed to run between 8:00-8:30 miles... none of our splits were over 8:00 and the campers were talking away the whole time!

After the run we had rounded up a number of trainers and Troy led the campers through a killer trainer session. It's pretty cool that it worked out this way as the campers were able to experience the Spinerval smash-fest live and in person; a feature other camps can't reproduce! This involved several sets to failure, big-12, and isometric squats (yes, they had to hop off and squat post-long run!!).

Dinner that night was fan-freaking-tastic!! We all went to Fourth Street Live and ate at Fridays! Afterwards everyone was invited to have a few drinks at Fourth Street, but most, including myself, were satisfied with the amazing peanut butter chocolate chip pie and the sound of bedtime. I slept like a baby!

Sunday morning, 5:00a wake up call. We met again at 6:00a and this time we were welcomed by sunny skies!! Game on! Myself and Larry were in charge of the front pack of riders for our overdistance ride. Troy also joined the fun and showed us all that he can single handedly ride us under the table! This was one strong pack of riders!

In our group was: Larry, Troy, myself, 2 female campers, and 2 male campers. These girls were amazing cyclists and triathletes. We managed to hang with the boys until they dropped us on the second loop. Us girls clawed our way back to them on 42, and caught them before they left our aid station (which was, by the way, the greatest aid station ever!! There were cookies, homemade scones, the works!! The Training Studio crew were THE BOMB!!) and were able to hang on for dear life over the last 25 miles... into a killer headwind!

These campers climbed so strong and maintained a solid steady pace throughout the course of the day. I never once could let my guard down and cruise on the back of the pack. We worked, the whole time! It was awesome!

I was able to meet some very cool people this weekend! Coach Troy is so smart and I learned more than I ever expected. I will definitely sign up for another one of his camps! The Training Studio crew is such a tight knit family and I'm so thankful to be a part of it! I had a great weekend and I have a renewed sense of drive for the sport. Now if only I could feel my legs!

Hope you all had a great weekend! Train on!!

SERIOUSLY!?

I did my long ride today, and as I was out I got to thinking about my recovery and how I don't take it very seriously. I told myself that today I would go home to an ice bath and my super protein shake, I would stretch and foam roll and walk right by the cookies without touching a single one... but instead I found myself driving home well past the '30 minute window', purseless, with shattered glass throughout the car and no more passenger window.

Today started great. It was a small group ride that split off half way through and left me and my brother to log the miles solo. It wasn't too windy or hot, and I felt better than I thought I would. But then I turned onto 42 and got really confused. I think I'm generally a good person: I treat people how I want to be treated and I have strong values and I go to church every week (almost every week). So I couldn't figure out what I did to piss these a-holes off to the point where they felt the need to prove themselves. These dumbass drivers read a one-sided article about how they should consider cyclists an inconvenience and all of sudden they have to prove they're bigger. I get it!! You win! Not only are you bigger but you can blow my ass into smithereens!! But it never fails. Idiots in their Earthf***er 4000's feel the need to pass within inches and for what reason I have no idea.

Back on track... So my brother and I finish up, we load our bikes into his car and drive back to my car which was parked downtown (I left earlier from the rowhouse to get extra miles). I knew I had a t-run in store, but after taking our sweet time I reaaaally didn't feel like doing it. I threw my bike in my car, had a debate with myself, and decided to hell with it, throw on your shoes and move your arse.

There was this super shady dude at the bathrooms that kept fidgeting and pacing, both Sean and I noticed him but didn't think much too much of it. After I was off on my run I considered doubling back to my car but knew I would jump in and drive home, so I steered clear. 29 min and 43 sec later I made it back to my car to find a sweet little surprise from Mr. Shady himself. My passenger window was shattered and my purse was gone. No, I didn't leave it sitting there in the open for him to nab, but I did pull it out to grab my Garmin before the run so he knew where it was. Grrr!! Who does this guy think he is!?! People work so hard for what they have Ol' Stickyfingers somehow feels entitled to sidestep that minor detail.

I cancelled my cards and no charges had been attempted. When the cops came they said they're normally looking for cash. Do you want to no how much cash I had?? Four whole dollars. My cell phone was sitting in the drivers seat (now that was dumb on my part), my bike in the back untouched, and he goes through all that trouble for four bucks! I hope it was worth it.

It's been one of those days, but all in all, I'm healthy and have lost nothing more than material. I've got more to live for than to dwell on small potatoes... so bring it.

Double Whammy

Today is Monday, and I feel like I've been hit by a bus. Saturday was the Muncie Half, and it was sooo much fun (more on that in a bit), but then I decided to go out with my besties who were in town for the night. Not a good idea. I was up for 24 hours straight. Sunday I woke up at 8:30a, drove home, ate, went back to bed, woke up at 5:00p, ate dinner, and was in bed at 10:00p. I was worthless, and today is no different. I've done nothing but sleep the last two days... and I'm still exhausted! Racing + night out with the girls = being hit by a bus might not be so bad compared to this.

OK, so Muncie...

I got up at 4:50a and left the hotel by 5:10a (efficiency). We decided to tour beautiful Indiana for a while before actually arriving at the race. This little detour took about an hour to get to the start!! Still plenty of time to get set up, warmed up, and stuffed in my wetsuit.

SWIM: I felt great in the water. It was super choppy from the wind but I just stayed the course and did my thing. I strolled out of the water in 35 min! This is where I like to complain about how hard I work only to get slower, but you know that's a lie.

BIKE: Onto my ride. The first 10 or so miles are protected and faaaast! It's hard not to fly on this part. It was so much fun to see the local OC or Training Studio jerseys all over the course. I never felt like I was working too hard, but whenever I checked my HRM it said 240. Hmmm. Anyways, I hit the turnaround a bit slower than I wanted so I picked it up the second half, or least I attempted to pick it up. The last 15 miles welcomed me with rain that felt like razors. So much for gaining lost time.

RUN: I started the run with some guy who talked me straight through the first five miles, it was awesome!! He told me all about his training, managing investments, life in Chicago. You name it, we talked about it. I hit the turn around a minute off my goal pace, maybe if I wasn't Chatty Cathy I could've focused more on the goal at hand. I said peace out to my new found friend and picked it up to try to salvage a race. Things were going great, but the hills on the last 1.5 miles slowed me down.

Overall, it was such a fun day! I have no complaints! I felt great the whole day, I smiled through most of it, and was encouraged by the many friends and teammates out on the course! Congrats to all the finishers!! It was a tough day with tough conditions, but it made that finish line all the more sweet.

I have now been awake for 5 hours, my longest streak since Saturday, so it's time for a nap. Good night.

Muncie Endurathon

I was originally scheduled to be on a plane bound for Providence, RI today to race the 70.3. But after some careful consideration I decided to nix those plans and go have some fun with good friends in the much more exciting town of Muncie, IN. Muncie is a fast, flat course with home-cooking at the finish line (crucial in deciding which races to do).

New Orleans was a crap race and I hated every minute of it. St. Croix was a fun race, as always, and a decent one compared to last year, but in no way was it the confidence boost I was looking for to know that the hard work was paying off. I needed to do a race for myself that was fun AND strong, so hopefully this weekend is my ticket. I'll be surrounded to by great friends, teammates, and family. And for the first time this year I'm excited to get out there!!

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will" - Gandhi. My will has been missing since early in the year, I'm looking forward to digging deep to find it. Bring on the pain, and good luck to everyone racing this weekend!!

Swimmin' like a rock

I love to complain about how bad of a swimmer I am. Every race I get out of the water baffled by the time on my watch. 'How can I be so slow when I work my arse off!?! Grr!!' - That's normally what runs through my head in T1. But, if I'm brutally honest I know exactly why those numbers don't diminish over time. The proof is in the pudding, and this week I've had my taste.

Guess how many times I made it to the pool in the past week? One time, and I didn't even get to swim, there was a meet going on... so zero times! I made it to the river for a few swims, the quarry, and I even got in the dirty ol' channel, but how many times did I get in the pool... goose egg. Long and slow seems to work just fine in my book, yet it I never fail to be perplexed that I can't swim fast in a race.

I love to throw up a lung when I ride and run, but for some reason I can't do it in the pool! How do you swimmers not rip your eyeballs out from the boredom? I know I need to suck it up and get it done, after all the only way to become a better swimmer is to, well, swim.

I have a race next week. My last two races were pretty uneventful, and this is a fast course, so I'm looking for a good confidence boost - just racing against myself and the clock. A swimmer friend told me he swims a bit everyday leading up to a race, so I'll try the strategy. Starting Monday (that's not an excuse to have the weekend off, that's because no pool in the city is open this weekend!) I'll swim everyday. It's a silly little goal, as that's only five days, but for me it's a toughy. So bring on the green hair and that sexy chlorine smell, I'm gonna learn to swim!

Who's bad

I'm at a total loss of words. I am, quite possibly, the biggest MJ fan.

Back in the day my dad used to take me and my brothers to Blockbuster on the weekends and we would each get to rent a movie. I always rented Moonwalker. Weekend after weekend, I got the same movie, every single Blockbuster visit. I learned the dances from Thriller and Smooth Criminal (even though I was baffled by the whole lean to the side without falling over trick). I thought it was so cool how he could totally turn into a car. And I used to tell my friends that my mom was going to take me to LA to visit him one day, which as it turns out, was a lie.

I'll still play his songs on blast when I'm on my trainer, and when you see me pre-race in the zone... I'm listening to MJ. I know every dance move and every lyric on his Greatest Hits album. I'll never forget 'em.

Weekend Tri Camp!

Oh man, what a whirlwind!! This weekend, Heather G and I hosted a tri camp originally for our Team Louisville athletes. Last minute we decided to open the camp and we got a huge response. We ended up with nearly 30 athletes!

THURSDAY:
I saw a tree get struck by lightning about 100yds away from me. I prayed it wasn't an omen for the weekend ahead. We kicked off camp with a cookout at the Murphy House just for our TL athletes and almost everyone was able to make it (which is funny considering not many people can make it to the strength training session regularly scheduled for that same time/day... hmmmm ;-) ). It was a laid back and delicious night!

FRIDAY:

Myself, Heather, Larry, and Brian took an early morning dip in the Ohio channel. I hadn't swam there since IMKY last year and I really had no plans to get in there again until I was forced to at IMKY this year, but I didn't want to drop the campers in until we knew it wouldn't gross them out. Surprisingly enough, it really wasn't bad! I had a decent swim free of sticks, sharks, and dead fish, score!

We followed the swim with what was supposed to be a hilly 3 hour ride. About an hour or so into the ride, Heather rode up ahead and decided to turn onto whichever road struck her fancy ;-) Long story short, about an hour and a half later we found each other and had to beeline back home to get ready for camp.

We officially kicked off at Bluegrass Bicycle on Friday afternoon. We handed out schwag, introduced everyone, talked through IMKY, and headed back downtown for a river swim.

We weren't sure of the caliber of swimmers, but everyone did stellar and proved stronger than the current. We wrapped up with a dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory and called it a night.

SATURDAY:
We were welcomed with storms and strong winds in the early morning. By 7:00a the storms looked to be gone (or at least on a break) so we split up and headed out to tackle the bike course. As the hours ticked by, the sun got hotter and the wind got stronger. All of our riders seemed to be doing great despite tough conditions, and Bob (our SAG and life support) made sure we were all fed and watered. Coming back into town we had some strong headwinds. I realized I had no salt, no EFS, no sunblock, no solid food (way to go coach!). Thank the Lord, Mark was there to pull my sorry arse back into town. And as Noah brilliantly put it, we owe him a mouth kiss!

It was 4:00pm, a 112 mile ride and 4 mile run was in the bank, and I was ready for a burger... but I settled for another stupid bar. Dinner that night was at the Downtown Bristol (which was awesome!). I made up for it with wontons, calamari, and a stir fry as big as my head. From there I beelined it to bed, zapped from the nonstop day.

SUNDAY:
I was woken up in the middle of the night by a calf filled with rocks. I tried to rub it, I stretched it, I even tried to cry but none of it made the darn thing relax. I guess I got what I deserved, even after drinking around 4 gallons of water with dinner my pee was still orange the next morning. Lesson learned: water and gel alone won't get you through a 7 hour training day (I think I've learned this lesson a few other times).

The night before Heather had decided she was going to book an early flight home. So I got up a bit early to dump her at the airport and go hang out with the cool campers some more.

Sunday was run day. We met at Waterfront Park, talked through T1 and T2, went over the run course, warmed up on the 2nd street bridge and headed out onto the course.

Team Murphy was fully assembled: I was on a mountain bike with the front runners making sure they made the right turns, Sean was running mid-pack, Dad was on a bike bringing up the rear, and Mom was vehicle support with water/ice/gels/encouragement. It was a really fun day!! Probably because I was biking while they were running their asses off, but also because I got to ride through and talk to most everyone.

We wrapped up while sitting in the fountains at the waterfront, what a great finish to a great weekend of training!!

And no worries, after everyone had left I went to meet JoJo who put me in my place and ran me into the ground in the pouring rain... I needed it.

Just the beginning of a hard few weeks of training ahead. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each of the campers and it's helped me to fully appreciate the hard work that comes with our little hobby. More Lessons Learned: Honor your commitments, treat others how you want to be treated, stay true to yourself, and be sure to tell your training partners how much they rock. Train on.

Sophia Margaret

Sophia was scheduled to arrive on Thursday, but on Wednesday we got the call saying she was coming early!! Katie went into labor on Wednesday morning and by Wednesday afternoon we had this little 7lb3oz bundle of joy.

Everyone is happy and healthy!!

I pretty much hung out at the hospital all day Thursday and Friday. Saturday was a long ride on the Ironman course. There were some new people coming out to ride that were supposed to be hot dogs (that term always makes me laugh), but I had a good ride the week before so I knew I could keep up. Wrong! All of 30 miles into it I was hurting, and by mile 50 I was toast. Even if I would have brought my camera like I keep saying I will, I don't think I could muster the energy to click the button. It was bad. It took everything in me to hang on to the wheel in front, and if it wasn't for my training partners pulling me back I'd still be out on the course!!

Then I made the mistake of telling people... fast people... I was running afterwards. When I arrived back at my car (which I remember as being spotted and blurry) all I wanted to do was beeline it home. I threw my bike in the car, turned around and saw Pam waiting for me in her running shoes. Damn!

My stomach was empty and I was already so far in the red that I don't think a gel would do much good. I stumbled into my running shoes knowing speedy Pam would drop me 2 steps into the run and I could sneak back to my car. Not so. We ran together and ticked the miles away. We turned around 2 miles into it and I actually felt OK. Not good, but not like death. At 30 min we were back at the car, which was once again blurry and spotted and fading into the distance. I finally made it home and really felt like I had just completed a race. I was twitchy and tired and totally spent.

I made a huge fruit and protein smoothie which hit the spot for all of an hour. I was starving again and only wanted a seaweed salad and veggie roll. I convinced my mom to go with me because I thought it'd be safer if I drove with my eyes closed than in the state I was in. We went to three sushi places, all closed. Dang economy and shortened hours! Still haven't gotten my sushi.

Sunday called for a long run, which turned into a long shuffle after my legs decided they'd had enough for the weekend. I put it in the bank, made it home, cleaned up and went to visit my beautiful new niece who had just gotten home from the hospital. She's hilarious! Sophia likes to punch when she sleeps just to make sure whoever is holding her is on their toes... gets me every time. If it's too bright in the room she'll give you the stink eye until she's moved to a more comfortable ambiance. Her breech legs shoot straight out and her little hands look like Benjamin Buttons. She's the most precious little thing I've ever seen in my whole life.

This week calls for a super exciting build. LT testing, Ohio River swimming, loooong riding, and everything in between. Party on!

Woopty Woo!!

I've been working on this great post about the scenic riding through the hills of Kentucky. All the horse farms, tall trees, endless country roads and 'rollers' that go on for days! Gas stations that sell more BBQ than gas, hollers from the pickup trucks, groups of people on horse back that outnumber the people on bikes. I love riding here, there's nothing better!

But then I found out that in T minus 41 hours Sean and Katie are going to bring Lil' Angel Sophia into the world!! I am ecstatic! The air feels electric, I can't believe that the being inside Katie's huge belly is going to be outside her belly in less that 2 days! It's surreal.

If you can't tell, I will be a first time Aunt. This is all so new and exciting and I feel like riding my bike is small potatoes compared to meeting my niece! Ah, I can't wait!

Congratulations Sean and Katie!! Good Luck on Thursday!!

Guess Who's???

Can you guess who's kankles these are? I'll give you a hint, Sean's are the pair on the right side (considered the control group). Give up? They are my beyond preggers sister-in-law Katie's!! Thankfully I consider Katie to fit more of the 'sister' than the 'in-law' role so she was kind enough to let me photograph this little nugget of history.

Sean and Katie are expecting their first baby (Sophia Margaret) and she's due in less than two weeks!!! When they went in to their weekly checkup the Doc mentioned that her feet we among the worst he's seen! They are fun to laugh at and poke to see how long the fingerprint stays, but I can only imagine how much they hurt :-(

Good luck Kater-Potater Toes!! In just a few short weeks you'll know why it was worth it!!

While Katie is suffering from swollen kankles, I've been sidelined with swollen snot head. I have, yet again, another sinus infection! I didn't bother with the Doc because I just got off my last Z Pack less than a month ago, so below is my new daily ritual...
Ahhhh, the Neti! This beautiful device was introduced to me by my also-snot-faced brother (apparently good sinuses run in the family... not). The watering can for your nose goes in one nostril and empties out the other, bringing with it my goopy face inhabitants. It's a party.

I still sound like a creepy old man, but at least I'm able to sort-of workout. Yesterday I spun on the trainer for a whopping 25 minutes and felt faint the entire time. My Dad finally called and asked if I wanted to go out to lunch, which sounded to me like the perfect excuse to call it quits. Today I got in a decent swim. Every breath was followed by a hackly cough (gross I know, but at least I don't spit it out in the water!). Slowly but surely, we're making a comeback.

We've got a beautiful week ahead and I hope to get some good ridin' in horse country!! I got a sweet new camera for my birthday so hopefully some good photogs will follow. Train on homies!!

St. Croix 70.3

Ahhhh, St. Croix. It has to be one of my favorite places in the world and is by far my favorite race.

But I had mixed emotions heading down there this year. I had a crappy race leading into it which told me my fitness sucked and my head wasn't in it, I've been dealing with stupid injuries that kept me from running, and I've been traveling every weekend since I came home from Florida. I just wanted a break from it all.

I thought about going down there and just doing the sprint, or not going down there at all. But then I snapped out of it, sucked it up, and decided to take on the Beast. After all, it's St. Croix. Why the hell wouldn't I go down there?!

So we arrive, and it's just beautiful! The airport served up Cruzan Rum punch as a welcome gift to start the trip off right. I booked a sweet hotel with a loft and ocean views... this was the break I needed.

I was so much more nonchalant about the race this time around. I didn't care how good I did, I didn't drive the course (I remember well enough the torture of the Beast), and I told myself if I had to limp on the run I'm calling it quits. I was just there to have a good time and try to enjoy racing again.

By race day I was feeling great. I got in some ocean swims, rode on the course, and even went for a 10 minute run. I felt strong and was eager for race day!

SWIM: The water was calm and clear race morning. They say the swim is a triangle, but I don't see it. Last year it took me 40 minutes because the chop and convoluted shape of the course; you look up to spot and see buoys everywhere (and I'm sure the fact that I'm not the most brilliant swimmer was a factor). Anyways, I felt good and actually stayed somewhat on course. 35 minutes later I was out of the water.

BIKE: My rides earlier in the week have felt just OK, nothing special. My front derailer hates me and always gives me problems (until I take it to the shop, then it works fine). But on race day, I felt great and everything worked perfectly.

I tried not to push too hard because I was terrified of what loomed ahead at mile 20. Last year I rode up the Beast with a 12-25 cassette. I was seated the entire time because I was too nervous to stand thinking I would flip over backwards, and I nearly threw up a lung before the first switchback. I love the hills and hammering climbs, but I did not want to go through that again!

At mile 15 I geared down to prepare and for the climb. My heart rate sky rocketed just thinking about it. Then I realized I suck at this whole high cadence thing as packs of people flew by, so I geared back up and hammered to the mile 20 marker.

THE BEAST: I can't describe the feeling of making that turn out of the rain forest and coming face to face with more of a wall than a road. People ahead are seemingly standing still, most walking their bikes, some falling over, everyone swerving all over the place to get that extra ounce of momentum. I was already geared way down (and yes, I put a 12-27 on), so I dropped my head and started to climb.

I don't understand why I pass people when I climb. I was in my smallest gear and if I pedaled any slower I was sure I would tump. So along came my next obstacle: passing on the Beast. Draft and blocking rules don't apply here, people are literally all over the place fighting for air. To make matters more exciting, only one side of the road is repaved, the other pretty nasty. I dropped my head and counted my pedal strokes; 20 seated, 20 standing, 30 seated, 30 standing... I felt like I was in Frogger, trying to make it up without hitting any of the crazy riders! I would yell that I was coming up on the right (because we ride on the left there), but they didn't care. One dude was even walking his bike up in the middle of the road!! Seriously?!

This year I was much more prepared for the climb. My lungs never went into the weird spasm they did last year, but man the riders I got stuck climbing next too were 100 times worse! I have no idea how long it took to climb that damn thing, but somehow I made it.

OK... BACK TO THE BIKE:
Woohoo! Made it over the Beast! Now it was time to squeeze my brakes so hard on the descent that both hands cramped. The course is super technical, and that's definitely where I lost time. I think I would take corners faster if I actually dismounted and looked both ways first!! It was sad that everyone I passed climbing up flew right back by me on the switchbacks going down.

The course is beautiful and perfectly suited for me (sans the sharp turns). It's really windy, yet never at your back, and it's super hilly. If I knew how to corner without being such a girl I might actually do OK. I got off the bike in fourth and felt like I could've ridden another whole loop!

RUN:
It was hot... really hot, and humid, and sunny. I had no idea how I would feel on the run, so I started out really conservative. I didn't try to hit any paces, I just wanted to keep on running and enjoy the moment. I made it into the Bucaneer for the 2 mile loop. It's so pretty back there. We run on packed trails and overlook the ocean, I saw a snorkeler (yes, I was in full on enjoy-the-moment mode). I made it back to transition for the half way point of the run. I felt great, had no pain, and realized no one had passed me. So I picked it up a bit and tried to start picking off the girls ahead. I was too afraid to stop and walk because that's when I had been cramping up, so I just kept shuffling along.

I finished in 5:41, 16 minutes faster than last year! I placed third in my AG, and was the 20th amateur female. I didn't get any slots, which I really wasn't banking on, but I did trip up the stairs in front of everyone at the awards ceremony! AND, the best news is... I didn't get sick afterwards!! I really don't feel like I pushed myself too hard at this race which may have something to do with it.

Now I'm back at home and ready to get at it!! I had sooo much fun out there and it was just what I needed to get my head right. I'm in town for the entire month, I've got a strong program, and a renewed sense of determination.

It's time to start training!

Super Star

The Chicago trip was sooo much fun! I drove up late on Friday with Aimee and met the others for a drink in the hotel lobby. We got up early to get primped and prepped for out big shoot (who am I kidding... we got up early to eat!).

Call was a t 11:00, and we were scheduled to be on our bikes at 12:30. Around 1:00 they finally called us in to record our intros. Leave it to me to be uber creative... it went a little something like this, "Hi I'm Monica from Louisville, KY. I'm a personal trainer and triathlete." I know, it's genius.

1:45 I'm on my bike and starving!! We'd been sitting around for so long waiting and none of us thought we'd have time to grab a bite.

We are told that the video is a 90 minute aero-base and we're not stopping for a break since they were running behind. I thought for sure that I'd be the jackass who had to pee and hold up the whole production, little did I know I'd sweat so much in the first 10 minutes that I wouldn't have to go for the next three days!! They turned off the AC because the sound was picking up in the mics. Thanks, I love the smell of 25 sweaty men in a small, stagnant room.

OK, so we hit 90 minutes. I'm totally dying, I'm drenched, I can't wait to stand and stretch. This was not aero-base at all. I was in a daze thinking about burritos and chips and salsa, when I hear Troy call the next set. For real? We're at 90 minutes and half the class is slumped over on their bikes? We're going longer? I look up, obviously shocked and see the crew smiling at me to keep my head up and smile back. I didn't sign up for this.

2 hours of riding and I was done. I have never ever worked so hard on the trainer! They sent out pictures from the day, I wasn't in any and I'm pretty sure it's because I looked remarkably similar to death.

All in all, fun times were had. We celebrated at On The Border with margaritas and burritos, well worth it!

Chi-town

Since I got back in town from Florida I haven't made it two weeks without packin' up and heading somewhere else for a weekend. Two weeks ago I was in New Orleans, in two more weeks I'll be in St. Croix, and today I'm headed to Chicago. I love to travel but I feel like I'm living out of a suitcase!!

Myself and a few training partners are headed to Chi-town to shoot two Spinervals videos. I'm not quite sure what they were thinking (or what I was thinking for that matter) when I was invited; typically when I ride the trainer I dress like a damn fool and look like I'm going to vomit then die, and now it's going to be recorded. Lovely.

I finally made it outside for a ride yesterday! The forecasted sunny 60+ degree day was rainy and cold, but I was in good company. We rode the IM loop plus some. My goal was to pull like a banshee for the first half and then chase the other smarter riders for the second. It was fun and felt so good to climb again. The t-run, however, was not as joyful. The only company I had for it were the squirrels who scared the piss out of me when they scurried through the woods as I ran by. I felt the monster blister on my foot pop and my groin was so tight I couldn't run straight. Fun times were had.

All jokes aside, I've been feeling pretty good and am looking forward to the season ahead. There are so many awesome athletes training for IMKY here that it makes it hard not to want to workout. Train on homies.

Happy Easter!

Easter has come and gone leaving me about 20 pounds heavier after inhaling Mom's french toast casserole. Life doesn't get much better than french toast casserole. After brunch we went out for an Easter egg hunt. You can pretty easily spot me and my brothers, when it comes to the Easter egg hunt we mean business.

This week has been weird. Not good weird or bad weird, just weird. A few days ago when I thought my head would float away I decided against the trek to Brazil for Ironman; the timing just isn't right. I booked my plans for St. Croix but with totally different expectations than originally anticipated, and I also registered for a few different races and revamped the whole 09 race season. I needed a change.

Now I'm feeling much more myself and quite relieved to have removed the weight of a big race so soon. AND in even cooler news, I'll be around for Sophia's 0st Birthday!

My soon to be niece is breached, which is fine right now but she better start flipping soon. So Sean and I googled some brilliant ideas and made poor Katie try them out.

My mom was also there to show her support

They didn't work.

I haven't gotten outside once this week to ride, I think that's why I'm so antsy. I'm trying to find the motivation to hop on the trainer then onto the treadmill, but this rain and grey and yuck makes nap time so inviting. Tomorrow is 2.5 hours of Goshen Hill repeats followed by more of Goshen Hill on foot. I'm actually really excited for it and will be there rain or shine. Off to have a party on the trainer!

Nawlins 70.3 Race Report

New Orleans was a great experience: I met up with old friends from Team USA, got to see my favorite brothers and sisters from anotha motha (the Gollnicks!), and enjoyed New Orleans for the first time ever. The race, however, was a different story...

I'm not quite sure why I'm writing this report as it's going to consist of a bunch of whining about how bad I felt and blah blah blah. It was a bad race, it just wasn't there. The venue was beautiful, the spectators were great, it was well organized... but my race just wasn't there. You've been warned, here it is.

I felt really prepared and fit going into the weekend. Saturday I rode, ran, and swam with Heather and it felt good to have my legs under me. I practiced my start several times, made sure my bike was ready to ride, and practiced pacing on the run.

Sunday morning came after a good nights sleep. I arrived in plenty of time, got setup, ran through transitions, walked a mile to the start, and warmed up with Jill (in our wetsuits, my parents have some great pics!).

SWIM - I don't really know what to say about this besides it was just plain long! It was a point to point swim and just went on forever. I found it sooo hard to stay focused and it was obvious when I checked my watch at the exit... a whole 5 minutes slower than usual. Not a great start.

BIKE - Now in my comfort zone I made my move. I wanted to have an aggressive ride and since my swim was a joke I figured I had nothing to lose. I went out hard and tried to hold it, only to find out my groin had other plans. I've been having it out with my groin since December and it decided to speak up during the race... perfect.

It was a cool ride though! We went out the Bayou (I have no idea what that means but that's what I was told) and saw snakes, turtles, and gators throughout. We went through some of the devastation, had an aid station manned by men in red dresses, the locals offered up their beer, and Regis and Kelly were taping on the course!

RUN - The run started out much better than expected considering how my legs felt on the ride. The first 6 miles ticked away pretty steadily and I ran through the 10K mark right on pace. My feet started to hurt pretty bad but I wriggled my toes and ran on. Finally it got so painful that I stopped and pulled my shoes off. I tried to adjust my socks and rub my feet in hopes that I would feel my toes again. I loosened my laces and ran on. I ended up having to pull my shoes three times and by the time I made it to the finish I couldn't walk. It was no good.

Now I'm sitting on my couch sick as a dog! After every race I manage to get a nasty cold/sinus infection that completely knocks me out. On a brighter note it was a great weekend spent with great friends and the worlds best parents. I learned a lot from this race and know exactly what I need to do for next month.

Congrats to everyone who finished the race! There were Louisvillians, Florida Campers, Team USAers, and so many others I knew out there! It was great to have so much support on the course, congrats to all and train on!!

Packin' Up

I just got back in town last week and already I'm heading out!! Tomorrow I'm off to New Orleans for the inaugural 70.3! My parents and I are making the 10+ hour drive (and by that I mean I'll be sleeping in the back while they tote me south :-)).

This race will be a great benchmark for my current fitness level. While I have been able to ride outside for the past two months, I still don't feel like I'm back to the level I was at the end of the season last year. New Orleans is the first race of the year; a no pressure, dust off the cobwebs, have some fun with great friends type of race.

Several Louisville tri-stars will be racing Sunday including Larry, Aimee, Scott and Mark. Be on the lookout for 'em! My Team USA buddies will be out there with me too (sans Justin who's too cool for NO and is racing Oceanside instead).

Jill, Karen, and myself (the three in the middle) will battle it out in NO :-)

I'm supposed to be wearing a Trakker so you'll be able to watch online in real time to see exactly how I'm doing, my pace, where on the course I am, etc. I just hope my little blinking dot keeps moving forward!! More details on that to come.

Have a great weekend, train on homies!

Rev3Tri

ATTENTION ALL TRIATHLETES: There's a new race in town and it's gonna be awwwwesome!

Rev3 will be held in Middlebury, CT on June 7th. It will feature a huge pro field, a sweeeet amateur prize purse, it will debut Trakkers for all participants, and it's taking place on a theme park open only to triathletes and their families!!

Check out www.rev3tri.com for more details!! If you are racing IMKY, this is the perfect prep race in regards to the timing and course description.

When you register be sure to enter the following code: NSS144 for a sweet discount!

Happy Training!

Home Sweet Home

I made it!! 14 hours of drive time plus a few more in pit stops and I am sitting at my desktop. It is sooooo good to be home!

My mama flew in to Florida on Wednesday morning and we spent the next two days eating french toast, getting roasted on the beach, sitting at outdoor cafes, window shopping... It was awesome!

We trekked home yesterday making a stop at All3Sports in Hotlanta. The shop is AMAZING and everyone there is truly top notch. It's definitely where I'll be doing my online shopping!

My trip to Florida was a great experience and I learned a ton of valuable lessons. I've come to realize that your body can be pushed much further once you stop telling yourself that you can't. This trip started out full of 'I can'ts', but workout after workout I began to to surprise myself and somewhere along the road I began to believe in myself, and that I can.

Most importantly I've learned that all this hard won't account for anything unless I use it to inspire others. I can run myself into the ground day and night and selfishly expect someone to care, which pretty much describes a typical triathlete. Or I can use this trip, training, and the knowledge gained to help get someone off the couch, into the gym, or through their workout when they really feel like taking a nap. I'm always tired, however, I never regret forcing myself to go for a swim when I really wasn't up for it (which, by the way, is always).

Other bits of knowledge I've picked up on during my two month stint: don't ride over bridges in the dark, don't fuel for a 4 hour ride with water, put sunscreen on your back when you swim in an outdoor pool, don't wear a new pair of racing flats for the first time on a 16 mile run, chocolate soymilk is a gift from heaven, you don't really have to separate your darks and whites you just have to press the 'colors' button, always carry a spare and look at what you're standing in when you pull over to change a flat, always be thankful that you have the ability to complete a workout, and say something positive when you look in the mirror ;-)

Train on!

Power of Powder

I'm out of Carbo Pro. So plain ol' water and Roctane were on board for my 4 hour ride today. It started strong with a few good intervals, but 2 hours into it I had to bag it before I fell over on the side of the road. Plain ol' water just doesn't work the same as when it's filled with magic powder. I managed to pedal into Starbucks for a scone and Vivanno which gave me just enough energy to make it home. Now, I feel totally trashed! Looks like I'm off to the grocery (aka the Gollnick's garage) to buy some good stuff and try again on Thursday. Until then, lots of food and rest are in order.

This past weekend was my last in Florida :-( Friday I headed to Tampa to visit family for the day. Seeing everyone made me more excited to get back to Louisville! Eva, my almost 1 yr old niece, is a pistol! When I left town she couldn't walk, now she runs around with my oversized purse!!

Saturday was a long ride with Jeff and Kelli (also in town from the Ville) and a long/painfree run on Sunday (first successful run in quite some time!). There were also a few swims, t-runs, and open water sessions thrown in there to make it one jam packed weekend.

I happened to be watching the news on Sunday evening and saw the Discovery was launching. I thought, 'I wonder if I can see it from my window'. Below was my view... it was pretty cool.

My Mama arrives in town tomorrow and I cannot WAIT to see her!! We're going to spend two days on the beach drinking cocktails, which will probably turn into her watching me swim laps in Siesta while we both chug water and get sunburns, but none-the-less I'm getting some much needed mom time.

Happy St. Patty's Day!! I don't have any green beer but I've eaten a bowl of Lucky Charms... that's gotta count for something! Peace out.

Biking has done me wrooooong

So there I am, pumping gas on Siesta Beach in my swim suit fresh after an ocean swim. Spring Breakers are driving by in their rental Wranglers, music on blast, making it as obvious as possible that they've been drinking. I'm just taking it all in and chatting with Heather (who refused to get out because she was still halfway in her wetsuit), when, without ever thinking twice, I turn my head and blow a big snot rocket!! Right there at the gas station... surrounded by drunk kids, I decide that must be the best way to rid my discomfort. Seriously!?

Then, earlier that day we were walking to the beach. It was a long drive there and we had to park pretty far, most of the campers were ahead of me when I decided I had to pee. My first instinct was to look towards the bush on my left and thought 'perfect!'. Now don't get too nervous Mom, I didn't do it. But the thought crossed my mind! What has all this riding done to me!! It must mean that I've spent wayyy to much time in the saddle if snot rockets and bush stops feel normal. What's next? Peeing in the fake plants at the mall because 'I just had to go'? This is soo not good, something must be done.

It's been way too long since I've had on 'normal' clothes and did 'normal' things. I keep talking to friends at home who ask if I've gone to St. Armands Circle or Siesta or some fancy smanchy restaurant. My response: I've ridden my bike through St. Armands a few times trying to hold on to the super bikers ahead of me, I do open water swims at Siesta, and the only restaurants I eat at are The Pancake House and Hungry Howie's Pizza Buffet because they serve a lot of food.

My goal for next week: go to the beach to learn how to paddle board, put on a pair of jeans, and no... absolutely NO snot rockets off the bike! Wish me luck!!

The Rundown

My weak lil ankles are making a comeback... this week's run volume consisted of 30 painfree miles!! Nowhere near where I should be right now, but it's a step in the right direction, so I'm pretty pumped.

Our last camp of the season wrapped up on Sunday and we definitely went out with a bang! The Sheriff decided to pay us a few visits, the spring breakers on Siesta were pretty excited to see 'Navy SEALs' training as we showed up in wetsuits, one kid even tried a sneaky move to steal from our bags but was caught redhanded, and we had a rider clip a wheel and go down (fortunatley no major injuries). It was a long weekend... but one that won't be remember for the incidents, rather remembered for the athletes. These campers were the bomb. Hands down. I've met some great friends and learned something from everyone.

Sadly and happily I'm returning home soon. I'm sad to leave Florida, the great people, and the amazing weather. I'm super pumped to see my family, friends, and a homecooked meal!! I've got about a week and a half left and I'll be sure to make the most of it. Off for some run intervals...

Just one of those days!

Saturday was the Gasparilla 15K in which me and my half useful foot had to sit out and watch, but it actually turned out great because I got to see Ryan Hall win the race!! He was absolutely amazing to watch!! Joanie did awesome, and Jeff came in 16th overall! Way to represent KY!! After the 15K I hobbled around for what counted as a 6mile run. After that, my foot was dunzo. So I went to the car and enjoyed the homemade cookies my Mama sent :-)

Sunday was the Tour de Cure in Venice. There was a pretty fun group of riders planning on being there, so we decided to bandit it to get in some long miles. A few downpours later and 30 mph gusts, I was ready to call it! I had lost the group, had no idea where I was, I was pushing Z4 going 12mph. It was not fun... but somehow we made it. A sloooooow 5 hours later I was thawing out in the car (the course was short, thankfully... I'm not that fast!).

Monday was a recovery day. I rode a few miles with Jeff then refueled at the Pancake House with the worlds largest plate of french toast, it was awesome!!

Tuesday was San Antonio, and a beautiful day!! I had changed my back tire the day before and when I got to San An it was flat. So I changed it again with my last spare, borrowed a tube just in case from another rider, and we were on our way.

The ride started out great, then we turned onto the road that hates me and I dropped back a bit. My trusty Scott was feeling off but I blamed it on the rain from Sunday... a few miles later, another flat. This time I actually checked my tire, nothing. So I changed the flat and raced to catch the group (which never happened, thankfully they stopped for me).

After about 30 minutes riding on my last spare it felt squishy again. Seriously?! Give me a break!! So we all stopped, I posted my bike up on a fence post and used the hand pump that another rider had. I was pretty frustrated at this point, so when I yanked the pump out I pulled the little twisty seal off too!! Just as I thought my day couldn't get much worse, I realized I was standing in a mound of fire ants!!! I wanted to scream and throw a fit and sit on the side of the road until someone picked me up to take me back to my car!! I was DONE, I had enough!! I had gone out there to get in 60+ miles, but the last thing I wanted to do at this point was ride more. I want to go hoooooooome!

One hissy fit later, I was back on my bike with the group. I felt aweful for making them wait so many times, especially since everyone was on a time crunch. So I made myself shut up and ride. I had gotten the ants off my leg and had enough air in my wheels to make it. I ended up getting in a solid 50 mile ride; not as far as I wanted but it was quality. I stuck with the group and pulled a few times, I guess being so worked up helped me ride better!!

Wednesday was my first run after going after seeing the PT a few times. I started out super slow on the treadmill with strict orders to stop with any pain. I told myself I would run for 30 minutes. 30 minutes later I felt fine, so I decided to go for 45. At 45 I had to finish out the mile so I ended up running for 51 minutes... and felt great!! I was super pumped! Afterwards I foam rolled the crap out of my calves (Diagnosis: my calves are super tight so anterior tib had to work too hard to flex the foot which caused the tendonitis) and I still feel good! Holla!

After a swim (I got in a 3400 in the same time Heather got in 4300, ouch!) I picked up Max and his super cool sister and we headed to Hungry Harry's Pizza Buffet. We special ordered our cheeseless/all veggie pizzas, loaded up on salads, and ate for two and a half hours straight!!

Camp starts today... last spring camp of the year! I love camp and couldn't be more excited, I'm so glad I've gotten this opportunity and have learned so much from the campers and coaches. I've gotten to meet some really great people, all of which are so friendly and helpful!

The sun is shining and it's supposed to be in the 80's all weekend!! I'm off to bike, run, and swim before camp starts. Until next time...

Hottie Alert!

Max Longree, winner of IM Louisville '08 is in town and staying down the street from me!! Holla!! We've swam together twice now... and by that I mean he happened to be at the pool when I was. He's here to escape the German winter and to get in some training for IM Brazil. Oh my gosh... ME TOO!! It MUST be fate!

Injury Report:

I have a funny feeling this is going to be a recurring caption in my posts. The training has been going phenomenal and I'm finally feeling a bit stronger on the bike and swim. I got in a great 100 mile ride this weekend and felt surprisingly strong throughout, and I'm regularly putting in 5 hour training days.

I've taken some time off running because of a nagging overuse injury. Yesterday was the one week off mark, so I decided to give it a go. I warmed up nice and slow, stretched, and ran! It felt great! 50 minutes into the run, however, my foot exploded. Yes that's right, I'm now hobbling around on a half-useful foot. Fortunately some good friends hooked me up with a physical therapist specializing in sports injuries; I go in tomorrow!

After the run we went for a swim. It was a really good swim and I even had a breakthrough moment (not because Max was there... even though he was there and I couldn't help but to always breathe to his side ;-)) when I started using the dreaded band. I'm working on a more powerful pull and faster turnover, and tying my feet together really seemed to drive the point home. My times were faster afterwards! Gold star for me!

Post swim we lifted some weights. After all, our day had consisted of riding 45 miles of intervals, running for an hour (almost), and swimming... why not put the cherry on top?! Well this was the straw that broke Monica's back, literally. We were doing some convoluted Heather exercise when my back just gave out. I'm now sitting here typing in the weirdest position because even the slightest movement sends sharp shooting pains down my back to the top of my bum. Last night I was lying down watching TV and it took me about 45 minutes to figure out how to stand up and walk to the bathroom. Today it's all spasmy and pissed off! Seriously? Can't a girl get a break? Why didn't IronHeather's back snap in half? Oy!

Well onto brighter topics... yesterday was Fat Tuesday! I'm giving up cereal for Lent so yesterday I ate a whole box of Oh's. So today... I ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Dammit!! OK, so Monica's Lent starts tomorrow. Starting tomorrow, no cereal! Man, I'm bad at this!

Tonight the Gollnick's and I are going to The Pancake House to celebrate Fat Wednesday. The trainer that I'm working with told me that in order to get down to my race weight I need to take in 4000 calories! Yes, you read that right! In order to get DOWN to my race weight, meaning in order for me to LOSE weight, I need to eat 4000 calories per day... so bring on the pancakes!

This weekend is the Gasparilla Distance Classic! It's a huge road race weekend in Tampa and Joanie and Mount and a few other friends will be in town to race the 15K with me!! Heather hopes to reclaim her title as top local female (which consists of a sweet prize purse). After the race we're planning an open water swim and a trip to some shop in some mall that has the best chocolate in Florida (FYI - you may not want to seek my consultation on nutrition advice, it might be a little off).

Anyways, despite my wimpy body I'm having the most amazing time down here! The people are great, the weather is beautiful, the ocean is clear and has a sand bar so when I freak myself out by seeing sharks and killer jelly fish that aren't really there I can just put my feet down and stand! I miss my family SOOOO much and can't wait see them. My dad got his braces off and looks like a stud and I hear that Katie is walking around with a pumpkin in her shirt. Oh man!! It's been too long, but I'm soaking it all in and making the most of it!

Stay strong up north, I'm sending sunshine your way!! Peace out homies :-)