TriDi

Something Old, Something New....

2010-10-01T08:10:00.002-04:00

Seriously, I think I may be marrying Mighty Man this weekend. And I don't even like him! Or the thought of him anyway...

I have something old: me. Something new: goggles, cold weather swim cap. Something borrowed: actually lots borrowed - awesome race wheels and a sweet aerobar water bottle from Patty, sperm helmet from Annnnn, bike shoes from Scott because mine are falling apart, nutrition from MightyB. And something blue: Annn's sperm helmet. Slap a garter and a veil on me and I'm ready!!!

But am I ready for the actual event? That remains to be seen. I know nerves and doubt in your training plan are common - but I really didn't have an official training plan. I took three training plans, picked the elements I liked (such as only swimming twice a week) and made up a plan that fit into my life.

I did have some good confidence building bricks in September. Three weeks ago, my sweet friend Victoria offered to meet me really early on Sat morning so I could get my whole workout done in one shot instead of having to break it up throughout the day. She sat in her car reading in the dark while I looped WC for 25 miles on my bike, and then she and another friend Peggy walked loops at WC while I ran 10 miles.

The following week, I did the Heart of Va bike event. Richard, Ed, Deanna, and a guy they met at the event rode 38 miles on Saturday at a pretty easy pace. I was going to run right after but was lured in by the Buzz and Ned's BBQ and ice cream that RABA had afterwards, so I ate like a pig, went home, digested a bit, and then ran six miles. I had one of my fastest runs ever for that distance (8:50 min/mi). Sunday loomed big and scary with a "long metric" that started in Ashland and looped up to Lake Anna. Richard, Deanna and I started out fairly easy, considering that we hit the Three Sisters at about mile 4, and took full advantage of the course support to fuel and rest. Then poor Richard broke a spoke and his wheel locked up at about mile 45. He called the sag wagon to pick him up, and I have to say he didn't seem very disappointed. Deanna and I continued on, and not surprisingly with just the two of us, proceeded to get lost. We got directions to get back on course and then decided to skip Horseshoe Hill to cut a few miles off the route. We still ended up with 76.5 miles. I was tired but not dead so I'm taking that as a positive sign.

I took the Monday after HoV as a much-needed rest day, and then I went out for my longest run of the season on Tuesday - 12 miles around my neighborhood. I took my three regular runs and strung them together! Between miles 6 and 8 I was sick of running and wanted to stop, but then I got a second wind and finished strong between miles 10 and 12. Given that I'm planning to walk Murder Hill BOTH TIMES I see it, I won't be running more than 12 miles in the actual event, so I'm hoping that will be enough.

And then last weekend, Victoria met me for another early morning brick. I guess I was starting to taper because I rode 28 miles (so sweet with the Zipps on my bike!) and ran 6. My runs are definitely faster on the bricks - must be something to a warm up. I hit 8:47 min/mi and could have easily kept going if I had to.

Sunday, I invited myself up to Jennifer's to practice open water swimming and try on two wetsuit options. She gave me some cold water swim tips and form advice, and helped me decide which wetsuit to use. This is the part that is scaring me the most. I hate getting in cold water and don't like swimming in murk. I'll be very happy when the swim is over. In fact, I may not swim again - ever.

Monday morning, I woke up with sore triceps and shoulders. Oh man! If I hurt after the paltry amount of swimming I did in a wetsuit the day before, I'm going to be toast after MM! But then I remembered taking a couple jumps off the rope swing, holding the whole bulk of my body weight with my arms, and felt a little better.

So, training (such as it is) is in the bank. In a few short days, we'll see where it gets me.

And as to marrying MM? I'm really leaning much more towards a one time fling.
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Another Summer, Another Awesome Vacation

2010-09-05T20:37:00.004-04:00

We just got home from another fantastic vacation week in the Hamptons with Jill and Andy.

We left really early last Saturday morning and arrived in Bridgehampton at lunchtime. Their kids had a big welcome sign on the front door with a note that said "You will have the party of your lifetime!" Big promises, big expectation - and big delivery!

The weather was absolutely stunning the entire week - probably the clearest and hottest week we've ever had, other than Friday when hurricane Earl blew off the coast and made it rain all day.

The first night, some friends Roger, Judianne and Steve came over for drinks and dinner. We scare them so they were drinking a lot of water in the name of self protection. As usual, Jill and I had marinated a batch of fruit in alcohol the second we arrived so we could have our favorite Blackbirds! Yum!

We had our usual great meals, this time including filet mignon on blue cheese toast points, crab cakes, and shrimp with two sauces. We also went out to dinner at Nick and Toni's one night and shared a variety of appetizers and pasta dishes. My favorite was an eggplant pasta.

Andy had been telling his kids he was going to book surfing lessons all summer, and with our arrival he came through. He took the four older kids out one morning and bought them short wet suits and then took them to a private lesson that afternoon. They practiced briefly on the beach and then they hit the water and hit the waves! They all did really well, especially Taz. They surfed one more day in a group lesson but then with Earl looming, the waves got too crazy. They could barely stand in the waves on the beach without getting knocked down!

My training stayed reasonably on track, I guess. On Sunday I ran a 10 mile loop to meet everyone at the beach. My right hamstring started bothering me as soon as I started running. It felt better once I got warmed up but then hurt a bit for the rest of the week.

Scouter took his bike so I wouldn't have to ride alone, so on Monday, we rode 16 miles together and then I added some to total 22. Tuesday, I decided to skip my run to give my hammie some rest and just swam for 45 minutes in their pool. Jill had tunes cranking which made it much more fun. Wednesday, Scouter and I biked again. This time I took him out on some main roads and we biked to Sag Harbor and back. He ditched me for some quieter streets and I kept going to total 21 miles.

Thursday, I ran five miles and swam for another 45 minutes. Friday - thank goodness, a rest day. But the rest day made me lazy! I really didn't want to do my workout on Sat. I procrastinated until almost 1:00 and then finally went out for a solo bike ride. The first part of the loop I made up was pretty cool, but then I had a 10 mile stretch on a busy road into an evil head wind. I was very frustrated and wondering if I have similar conditions on race day, would I be able to keep going? Then I missed my turn and just as I was thinking this was one of the worst bike rides of my life, I ran over glass. Thank goodness I didn't have a flat, but I was totally expecting it. I finally stopped, checked my map and GPS, and got back on my planned route. I was supposed to ride 26 miles and ended up riding 34.

After my horrible bike ride, I went out for an equally heinous, hilly run. My training plan called for 16 miles which I had no intention to do, but I did plan to do 8. However, after having really bad nutrition that day and an even worse mental state, I ended up walk running 6 miles and then stopping. I'm blaming a week of martinis and limited sleep!

The last night, we celebrated Rainbow's 9th birthday! She picked the menu of filet mignon, corn, strawberries, and chocolate ice cream cake. The kids had plain filet; the adults had ours with fig sauce and grilled figs. Delicious!

Rainbow opened some presents last night and then the rest this morning, and then the poor baby spent most of the day in the car driving home. She was a trooper. We celebrated her actual birthday with Arby's and another ice cream cake when we finally got home at 7 p.m.

Now we're partially unpacked, and I'm hoping for a better bike ride tomorrow morning after 36 hours of drying out. We'll see how it goes...
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OMG

2010-08-25T20:03:00.002-04:00

... that's all I can really say.

My brick this week is 60-70 miles cycling followed by 6 miles running.

I might die before I ever get to the race.
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Mighty Brick

2010-08-23T07:46:00.003-04:00

I feel kind of like Robin - "Holy Brick, Batman!"

Finally this week I did a brick workout following... wait for it.... a rest day! What a difference! Not that I felt great, mind you, but I didn't feel like I was going to die. This was my third brick so perhaps that had something to do with it as well.

Saturday morning, Georgia, Richard and Patty met me bright and early for a 30 mile bike ride. Georgia was in charge of route planning and she picked a tough one! We did an out and back that had us on Millers and Shallow Well both ways for some good rolling hill action. My average speed wasn't stellar but I got it done.

Then Patty kindly ran with me! We did a slow six mile loop through West Creek. Again, nothing speedy, but the miles are in the bank. At the end, I felt like I could have kept going if I had to. Really I did have to, since my training plan called for 12, but I had only planned to do six so mentally I was done.

This week, I really tried to work on my nutrition and I think it went pretty well. I never felt hungry or thirsty, even at the very end. I am usually starving coming out of the swim though so I will be at more of a nutritional deficit in the actual race.

My kids wanted to go to the pool Saturday afternoon, and after a shower and some rest, I finally agreed. It was crowded and we hung out for awhile. Then when the crowd thinned, I got some mojo and swam laps. I was interrupted a few times including a big break to chat with a friend but ended up swimming 1600.

So I can do all three events in a day... if I could cut the course in half and have 12 hours to do it, I would be fine!

But as Susie says, there is still time....
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Dilemma

2010-08-18T20:52:00.002-04:00

So, I am in a bit of a quandry.

I can't decide whether I should do an aqua-velo for the half iron I foolishly signed up for, or suck it up and do the whole thing even though I will be walking a good portion of the run. Another option is to have my friend Susan run for me as a relay, which she has agreed to do - even though she strongly encourages me to do it myself.

My training has been lame. Running has probably been the worst, as I injured my back in April and couldn't run again until the end of July. According to my training plan, my longest run to date should be 16 miles. It is 7 1/2. I don't want to build up too fast and hurt myself even worse, or hurt something else.

Almost as bad has been my swim training, mainly because it is my least favorite. Especially since I have to do it at my local community pool. Typically, I have to fight with multiple people for the one paltry little lap lane, and then get jumped on by kids. The worst was when an entire boy scout troop overtook the lane with no notice while I was in it. I discovered their presence when one dove directly into my side. Good times, good times. I didn't start swimming until a few weeks ago, and at best have swum twice in one week. Usually I make it once, and then either laziness or lightening takes me down for the second scheduled swim.

The bike is... well, the bike. I love it. I'm good riding 56 miles, I think, even though my actual longest ride has been 52.

Perhaps the final relevant point is that this is too much race for me. I doubt that I will ever sign up for this distance again. That goes both ways - do it because this is it... or skip the run because this is just too much race.

I ask you my friends: what would you do if you were me?
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Mighty Week

2010-08-01T16:47:00.002-04:00

This past week was insane for me. I'd like to think I can maintain - dare I say even build upon it? But I think we all know me better than that. Anyway...

Last Saturday, I wanted to do a long ride. Even though the forecast was for 105 degrees (and I'm not even kidding), Dave, Patty and I got an early start and rode 52 miles, 17.5 average speed. We hit quite a few rolling hills and I felt pretty good until the last 10 or so miles. Then I started getting chills and had no legs left. When I finally got home, I ate everything in sight, took a shower, and crashed on the couch for a couple hours. And then I went to watch Taz and his All Stars team win their 9 year old baseball tournament! Woo hoo!!!! And then we all went out with the team and drank way too much. His coach even made me do a tequila shot which even if I hadn't been dehydrated would have been a very bad idea.

But I digress...

Sunday was equally hot and I was not quite as energetic as I had been the day before. Oddly, I had a bit of a headache. So the kids and I hit the pool. I swam 1600 meters with only a few interruptions from the kids.

Monday, Dave and I biked 20. We both complained of tired legs but still managed a respectable 18.1 pace. That boy is amazing. And he is determined to make me better on hills. I keep telling myself that what doesn't kill me will make me stronger.

I had to run Tuesday to report back to the voodoo doctor I'm seeing now for my back at my appointment that afternoon, so I forced myself out of bed and ran four miles. Physically, I felt pretty good. Mentally, I was not into it at all. Wil (the vodoo doctor aka therapeutic massage/alternative medicine dude) beat the crap out of me that afternoon and hopefully fixed more stuff. He is fantastic. Especially if you are into pain. (Check him out at http://www.themethuselahcenter.net/).

My Wednesday morning bike posse met as usual at 5:45 a.m. I had asked everyone to please be on time because my schedule was very tight that morning. Dave took that as license to ride - and push me - as hard as possible. We did 16 miles at a 19.7 mph pace! Dave's Garmin said 20 mph but he was as always a little faster than me so I'm sticking with my stat. And I would never have even done that if I hadn't glued myself to Robert's wheel for much of the ride. It was a good start to the day!

Thursday I ran again, this time 4.5 miles. I still felt a little sore from my beating Tuesday but I am able to run again without pain! Very exciting. I had planned to swim Thurs night but a very major late afternoon thunderstorm threatened my good intentions. The kids and I finally headed to the pool around 7:15 and were surprised to find it open. Guess I had to swim then... They played while I swam an uninterrupted (until the very end) 2000 meters - my longest swim literally in years. I did it without stopping to prove to myself that I can live through 1.2 miles of the half. To simulate race conditions, I interjected some breastroke into my set.

Friday was supposed to be my rest day, but since we were going out of town that night, I wanted to get at least some of my Sat brick. Deanna rode River Road with me - 22 miles at 18.1 mph average. I should have gone further, and I should have run a little bit afterwards, but I had to be home early than I anticipated so that was it.

Still, 110 miles of biking, 8.5 miles of running, and 3600 meters of swimming in one week is damn good for me.
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Losing It

2010-07-21T18:14:00.003-04:00

I love my Wednesday morning bike rides.

Sometimes they don't love me.

Take last week for example. We took off at our usual brisk pace and a few miles in, we hit the first set of railroad tracks. I heard a clink but thought nothing of it.

Fortunately, Dave did. He turned back and checked out the tracks while I nonchalantly waited with the group. A few seconds later, he returned - with my car key! Yikes! That could have been ugly. Perhaps I need a safer storage location.

We charged through the rest of the ride. Patty was on fire and I was hanging on her wheel. We had great fun and finished in the low 18 mph range. Yes!

I chatted for a few minutes and then realized that I needed to get my butt home - said goodbye to the crew and zipped off in my car.

When I got home, I discovered my bike helmet dangling from the tire of my bike which was (fortunately) securely attached to my car. Somehow my gloves were still in the helmet. I felt very lucky.

It was only later that I realized my sunglasses had also been in my helmet. Damn. But all in all, I still felt lucky.

And then, Kathryn brought me my sunglasses! They had fallen and were a little scratched but really not too bad.

As much as I tried to lose it, my friends were there to help me out. Thanks, guys!!!
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Mommy of the Year

2010-07-17T19:32:00.003-04:00

Here are the results of an interview with my children:

1. What is something mama always says to you?
Rainbow: I love you
Taz: I love you

2. What makes mama happy?
Rainbow: When I snuggle with her
Taz: Snuggling

3. What makes mama sad?
Rainbow: When I get hurt
Taz: Us not kissing her or arguing

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Rainbow: By tickling me
Taz: You tickle me under my chin

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Rainbow: She looked like me
Taz: I don’t know… rotten, I’m guessing . Got in trouble a lot.

6. How old is your mom?
Rainbow: I know this… 42!
Taz: 42, 3?

7. How tall is your mom?
Rainbow: About four feet I think
Taz: Five six

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Rainbow: Snuggle
Taz: Sleep, snuggle

9. What does your mom do when you aren't around?
Rainbow: Read or sleep
Taz: Cry

10. If your mom became famous, what would she be famous for?
Rainbow: Cooking
Taz: (long pause) You???? I don’t know

11. What is your mom really good at?
Rainbow: Sleeping
Taz: Reading

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Rainbow: Not burning herself when she cooks
Taz: Being mean

13. What does your mom do for her job?
Rainbow: Work
Taz: CEO

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Rainbow: Chinese
Taz: Choiboni

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Rainbow: She pays attention to me
Taz: That you have enough money to afford two houses

16. If mom were a cartoon character, which would she be?
Rainbow: Bugs Bunny because she would look funny
Taz: A hot woman

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Rainbow: Shop
Taz: Eat and snuggle and watch movies

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Rainbow: We like to shop
Taz: Eyes and personalities

19. How are you and your mom different?
Rainbow: She snores and I don’t
Taz: You don’t really like things flashing in your face and I don’t really care

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Rainbow: Because she pays attention to me
Taz: Because you say it over and over and over and over

21. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?
Rainbow: Nordstrom
Taz: My room

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Rainbow: His funniness
Taz: Oh gosh! Ahhhh…. ?

23. What’s mom's favorite color?
Rainbow: Pink
Taz: Green

24. When did your mom and dad get married?
Rainbow: like 40 years ago
Taz: When they were 20?

25. What color is Moms hair?
Rainbow: like a brownish color
Taz: Well you dye it, so…. It’s brown
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Calling MightyB out for the Sandbagger that she is

2010-07-03T15:54:00.003-04:00

I've been riding with MightyB for a few years. She likes to hang at the back of the pack and never ever lead it. On the rare occasion that she does end up in front, she blasts ahead of everyone else unintentionally. And when the group includes other fast people, she is right there hanging with them. So I know she is a superstar in sandbagger clothing.

But she really brought home how good she is on Thursday night.

The two of us met at West Creek to take advantage of gorgeous weather and do the Goochland loop. For the first few minutes, we were warming up and chatting. And then we hit the first hill. MightyB pulled away from me like I was standing still. When I finally caught her, she mentioned casually that she was working on hills. Hmmm, I think maybe she's got it...

We hit the gates at CapOne soon after. I blasted through while MB went through them more cautiously, giving me a rare opportunity to ride ahead. I giggled as I pulled out an ill-gotten lead. Mere moments later, however, MB caught me.

On the next hill, we passed a tricked-out solo cyclist. As we passed him, he told me to catch MB. As if. I laughed.

He passed me back on the next hill and told me again to get moving and catch her. He rode on and we did a slightly different route. Soon, though, he was passing me again. At this point, MB was well ahead of me. Conte dude (he had a lot more sponsors on his jersey, but to be honest this is the main one I saw - not because it was the most prominent but because it was on his ass) told me to grab his wheel and he would help me catch up with her. I did and hung on. He caught her, waved me behind her, and zipped around.

And that's when he learned that I knew of which I spoke. She grabbed his wheel and the two of them were off to the races. Seriously, I had a sip of water and couldn't even see them again when I looked forward.

Again MB waited for me. We hit the half way point, turned around, and did it all again. In total we rode 26 miles.

Mighty B is a big sandbagger.

Just putting it out there.
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Mighty Stupid

2010-06-29T20:20:00.002-04:00

I am terrified about the Half Iron I foolishly registered for, just 14 short weeks away. Actually slightly less.

Seriously, when I signed up I had 22 weeks to train. And then I blinked.

Also during that time, I helped Scouter move a table. A thick, very heavy wooden table. Which was flipped over with the base on the ground, so we had to lift if from our feet. It was way too heavy for me. When I lifted it, I felt it in my lower back. Then we put it in the truck, took it back out, put it back on the ground to re-attach the legs, and flipped it. I felt every single move in my lower back.

But I didn't stop training. I kept running and biking. And sometimes, if I stretched really really well afterwards, I wasn't miserable.

And then a couple weeks ago, I biked on Saturday in aero the whole time. I stretched really well and felt pretty good afterwards. On Sunday, I woke up feeling a little stiff but not too bad. Until I bent over to put socks on, at which point my back complained loudly and tightened up. Not learning my lesson, I leaned over a few minutes later to pull paper out of the Dutch's mouth. Damn dog. My back really locked up.

Being the brilliant girl I am, I ran anyway thinking maybe it would loosen up.

My run was a death march. It was very hot and humid. I walked a little every half mile and kept thinking I was going to throw up. But on the bright side, my back felt okay.

Until I got home, at which point my back apparently decided that it was going to show me who's boss once and for all. It completely locked. I spent the next few hours on the couch with ice packs, chugging Advil.

That's when I finally realized that perhaps I needed to see a doctor. I made an appointment with Annnnnn and Jenbo's famous Dr. Z, a chiropractor I've been seeing 2-3 times a week since. He told me not to run until I am pain-free.

One would think that I would use this opportunity to swim, which Dr. Z repeatedly tells me is a great activity for back pain.

One would be wrong.
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Mommy of the Year

2010-06-29T20:03:00.002-04:00

One other thing to mention about our trip to New York over Memorial Day: Jill is trying to best me at Mommy of the Year.

Consider Exhibit A: her five year old son, Mr. Mischief.

Soon after we arrived at their apartment in NY, he found something to be disapointing. "Dammit," he said.

Scouter and I looked at each other, surpressed laughs, and looked at Jill. She rolled her eyes. "Just wait," she said.

Sure enough, we waited a few minutes and he wandered through the room muttering to himself, "Vagina, vagina, vagina."

Now that's a word my kids don't even know!

She may have the upper hand now... but I'm certain I can take her!

Awesome Weekend

2010-06-05T20:22:00.006-04:00

When I was in college, my roommate Jill and I loved ourselves some Bon Jovi. She came to visit me one summer, and we rode around cranking Bon Jovi, drinking champagne, and looking for Scotter's summer job site. (He was landscaping then and we weren't dating yet.) Even then, he gave love a bad name. HA!

Fast forward to two years ago. We were on vacation with Jill and her family, and Jill and Andy had just seen Bon Jovi at Madison Square Garden. Again, we cranked Bon Jovi music the entire week and she said when they toured again, we would have to go.

And then last October, Jill called me very excited saying that they were touring again this year and would be the first concert at the new Meadowlands in the spring. Sign me up baby!!!! By the time Scouter decided we could go, we had already had tickets for two weeks.

The concert was the Thurs before Memorial Day so we planned a long weekend in NY. We took the train up on Thursday, dropped the kids with Jill's nanny, and headed across the river to the Meadowlands. Andy bought us a "VIP" package - because we so are - which entitled us to super cool Bon Jovi bags (just what every stylish NJite is wearing this summer), calendars, and access to a pre-concert happy hour. We went to check it out, had a drink, checked out the food supply and decided to check options before committing.

Because the forecast called for rain that day, Andy procured four tickets to his company's suite at the Meadowlands. So yes, the four of us had EIGHT tickets. We headed there and it was very nice, so we opted to stay. We had some wine and food and pretty soon, the rain began pouring down. This was not a casual storm - rain was horizontal and there was thunder and lightening. Security cleared the outdoor seats as the first opening act tried to play.

A couple glasses of wine later, the rain let up some and the thunder and lightening stopped. The second opening act, Jason Derulo, took the stage. By then, we were down at the front of the suite and had the bottle of wine with us. The window was open and we were using the ledge to set our glasses down. (Good thing we left the suite soon thereafter or I'm pretty sure either Jill or I - or possibly both - would have fallen out that window). You would have thought Jason was our favorite act EVER by the way we were dancing and singing. Although the fact that we actually didn't know any words MAY have been a tip-off. Scouter and Andy were amused.

Before Bon Jovi took the stage, the skies parted and the moon came out. We headed for our floor seats, ready to ROCK! And my boys did not disappoint. We had a pretty good view of them on the stage and a great view of the large screen.

The next morning, Jill and I caught the jitney to the Hamptons while leaving the boys to drive out with all six kids. We definitely got the better end of that deal as we drank coffee, relaxed and watched a movie the whole trip.

As always, we had a great weekend at their Hamptons house. We spent most of it hanging out by the pool. Tini time was a 4:00 every day. The boys took the kids to the beach but it was cold out there! We had a great weather weekend though.

While we were there, Andy was invited to a swanky Hamptons party and wrangled an invitation for all of us. The house was in a great location near the beach, pretty small but with a huge yard. We had some celeb spottings. The guest of honor was Mariska Hartigay. We also saw one of the guys from Sex in the city (Charlotte's first husband, the mama's boy), Howard Stern's wife who is stunning, and lots of the Housewives of NYC. I didn't know any of them but Jill was all about it. Surprisingly, we also saw another couple we knew!

Alas, even a five day weekend had to come to an end. We can't wait to go back!

(Note: I have great pics but can't get them into Blogger for some reason. Will try again later!)
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Houston, we have a theme for the season

2010-06-05T20:13:00.003-04:00

So early in the season I got my ass handed to me on the bike. Twice.

Fast forward a couple months and - you guessed it - the ass handing continues.

On Wednesday morning rides, I absolutely cannot keep up with Patty, Dave and Rob. I'll be hanging onto a tire as best I can, take a second to breathe, and Boom! They're gone.

Then a couple weeks ago, I joined Dave for a Monday night ride. I knew I was in trouble when I showed up and the only other people there were Dave and Rob. They humored me for awhile by making me lead but then at about the half way point they couldn't take it anymore and blew by me. I hung on as long as I could but I swear, whenever I got within two feet of Rob's tire (or was it two miles? i can't remember...), he took off like he had a rocket up his ass. Eventually I gave up. They had their bikes loaded and had showered, changed clothes, and eaten dinner by the time I met them back at our cars.

So yeah. New theme. All suckage.
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Mighty Tired

2010-05-22T16:34:00.002-04:00

Well, week 1 (or week 20, depending upon how you look at it) of half iron training is in the books. The training plan Annnn found for me called for 40, 30, and 60 minute runs; 30, 60, and 90 minute bike rides; and three swims of some sort.

So Sunday, I ran four hilly, painful miles. Monday, I had planned to ride but opted out since it was raining. My training plan highly recommends doing your workouts in all weather conditions because you have no control over race day, but I figured I've got another 19 weeks to work through bad weather - so I didn't do anything. Tuesday, I planned to run in the morning before work, but my running partner bailed the night before and it was still raining.

Yeh, going well so far, isn't it?

I felt guilty all day Tuesday so I was determined to run that evening. Unfortunately that meant taking Rainbow along with me. Things started out well, with her biking beside me while I ran. She darted into cul de sacs as I ran by so she could get a little speed. When we got to a nearby lake, she left her bike and we both ran around it. Which meant sprint, stop, walk, complain, repeat. For a mile. By the time we got back to her bike, I was in full self-talk mode, asking for patience. And then the wheels fell off, if you'll excuse the bad pun. The route home included me getting hit a few times by the bike, Rainbow darting into the middle of the road without looking for traffic, riding super slowly in front of me, stopping to scratch her nose, stopping to fix her hair, and finally getting really mad at me for mentioning that it is important to look for cars and taking off for home. There were no endorphins going on whatsoever! But I'm still counting that as four miles easy.

Wednesday morning held more promise. I met my early morning cycling crew which this week consisted of Dave, Richard, Patty, Robert, Kathryn and Georgia. My back tire was leaking air and so the phenominal pit crew of Dave and Patty changed my tube for me at record pace. Then we rode 18 miles. My bike computer stopped working but Georgia's said 17 mph average speed. A good start to the day.

After Tuesday's running debacle, I was motivated to get my butt out of bed Thursday morning. Fortunately Alison could meet me. We ran 3 1/2 miles together and then I ran another 1 1/2, averaging 10:05 min/mi (the only time I wore my Garmin all week).

Friday as a special bonus workout, MightyB and I met early morning for a 22 mile ride, 17.8 mph average pace. Dave joined us and the two of them showed me how much work I have to do as they easily dropped me at a whim. But as always it was great to ride with them.

Today, Richard kindly waited for me to finish with the kids' triathlon to ride mid-day. We rode the Goochland loop and a bonus loop through WC for a total of 24 miles, 17.0 mph average pace. Richard had a flat about half way through and I asked if I could change it for practice, and with a little help - I did it! I'm so proud of myself! Richard wouldn't let me draft nearly enough but otherwise it was a great ride with one of my favorite cycling partners.

So that's three runs and three bikes. Hmmm, feels like I'm missing something. What could it be? I can't seem to think of anything...

Guess I'm doing okay so far.
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Mighty Scared

2010-05-08T19:25:00.003-04:00

Last year about this time, I went on a fun girls weekend up to the mountains. We did a little biking, a little eating, a little singing, and a lot of drinking. It was very fun.

Late night, MightyB put on her cool Mighty Man sweatshirt. We all admired the race swag, as well as her ability to do the race. She rhapsodized about the beautiful course, and before long we had all agreed to do it. One day.

About the only smart thing I did that night was say that there was no way I could be prepared for a half by the fall of 2009. (This wisdom even after I broke a plate and tried to set the deck on fire.) 2010! we all agreed. 2010 would be our year for a half iron.

Over the subsequent months, wiser women than I backed out of said race or tried to make cases that either (1) drunken promises don't count or (2) they never really committed or (3) both of the above.

I kept talking a big game.

And then suddenly it was time to put my money where my mouth is.

I'm in no better shape than I was a year ago. I have no training plan nor do I even belong to a gym anymore. And I have yet to mention any of this to my husband.

So of course, I registered.

OMG! What have I done????

It will be fun.... right?!?!?!
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Getting My Ass Handed to Me on the Bike

2010-03-28T17:48:00.002-04:00

Well friends the first (and thus far, only) bike ride of the year is in the books.

Actually, it was about a month ago but I'm just getting around to writing about it. And sadly, it is still the only ride of the year. Thus far. I'm certain that will change... one day...

Anyway, I did my usual thing and committed myself to a ride when it was still many days away and sounded fun. And then I realized that yes, I am still badly out of shape, and oh by the way the forecast called for 30 degrees at 10 a.m. Yikes!

Jennifer wisely never committed. Annnn and Richard chickened out. They will henceforth be known as Waaaaann (like WAH!) and... hmmmm, the only word I can think of for Richard is derogatory to women and one I don't normally use. Will have to work on that.

Susan and Dave braved the weather with me and truth be told forced me to go. We did the Goochland loop from West Creek.

Once upon a time, I could ride that loop at a decent pace and want to do it again when it was over. How I long for last summer. It feels so distant now.

This time? Not so much. The hill out of Cap One nearly killed me - and that's after I fell into the security gate and hurt myself. Graceful I am not. Susan jumped into the lead and never again lost it. And she is injured!

Dave kindly stuck with me for the whole loop, sandbagging. At multiple points, we couldn't even see Susan. She waited for us a few times and then finally gave up and started walking her bike beside me.

Okay, I made that part up - but it's not far from the truth.

Perhaps this will galvanize me to attempt to get back in shape, kind of like the Good Friday ride I did last year where everyone and their infant cousin dropped me.

Or maybe I will continue my sloth like ways and find a slower crowd to hang with.

Ceej, you in?
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Kid Humor

2010-03-13T19:43:00.003-05:00

Taz was on a field trip to a Civil War site with his class on Friday. Mid-afternoon, I got this email from a girlfriend who was chaperoning the trip:

Hey girl -
On the field trip. Tour guide asked a question to kids and said something about a soldier needing to make a decision to fight for the North or the South. She proposed that your mom wanted you to fight for one and your girlfriend wanted you to fight for the other, so who would you pick? Taz clearly stated "your girlfriend." Everyone couldn't help but giggle.

He's only 9. OMG.
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First Race of the Year

2010-03-06T16:17:00.003-05:00

Last fall, I signed up for a 14k in Va. Beach in honor of my friend John Kainer. My awesome posse of TG40, Annnn, JenBo, and Patty signed up too and then recruited CJ, Anita (the coolest sherpa evah), Route, and Route's cute son.

Consider it a girls' weekend at the beach. With a little run thrown in for the hell of it.

TG40 and I hit the road a little later than the others and had just a bit of catching up to do:

Fortunately, we were up for the task and jumped right into the festivities. We initially feared we were going to get thrown out of the restaurant but soon our charm won over the staff and they became our photographers.

Annnn promised surprises in store at the hotel, so eventually we went to check it out, and to stage more merriment. Somehow we managed to forget that we had to run the next day!

The next morning, we awoke to a room that looked like a bachelorette party (or a fairy convention gone wrong) and sadly two sick friends. I must hasten to say they were NOT hungover (although I'm sure that didn't help) but suffered from the stomach flu or something similar.

We were down a few good (wo)men but we persevered... and finally headed to the race, garbed in angel wings, halos, and boas. We were so late arriving that we couldn't even get to the parking lot. As we were jogging to the start line, Annn, Patty, and I finally figured out that we could stop and wait for the race to come to us. None of us were wearing chips (because we are that serious about our race) so it wouldn't hurt a thing.

Annn quickly ditched us. I ran with Patty and her friend's son (I'll just call him Cutie because I can't remember his name) for awhile but they were determined to run the whole 14k and I knew I couldn't hang. When we hit our first out and back, I stopped to wait for them. Man it was cold standing still... Fortunately TG40 blew by. I ran to catch up with her and she put me through my paces for awhile. I saw another out and back and opted to blow off some more of the course to wait for her. Patty and Cutie ran by, still determined to run the whole race. When TG40 finished the loop, I rejoined her - motivated by cupcakes at mile 6. We finished the race together, found Annnn, and saw Patty and Cutie cross the finish line. We had a quick Yuengling while shivering and then headed back to our sickies and showers.

It was almost enough to motivate me to exercise again so that I can actually participate more fully in these events.

Or maybe I'll just continue to plan out of town girls' weekends with races thrown in!
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Mommy of the Year

2010-03-06T15:56:00.002-05:00

So it took me three tries to get into my blog today. Pathetic, I know. In case anyone is still reading this, my plan is to keep it if I train for Mighty Man. If on the other hand I continue to be a fat slacker, then I will bag it. I'm guessing TG40 will have something to say about that!

Anyway.... back to our regularly scheduled Mommy of the Year program...

The other day, Taz told me he thought he needed a little extra help with school work. I was puzzled because his grades are good. After a few questions and some not-so-forthcoming answers, I found out that he wanted to start going to the special ed teacher at his elementary school. He would not say much more about it.

Curious, I called his teacher. Initially, she was quite concerned. But then I explained that I suspected something else was going on - and asked what the special ed teacher looks like.

She's 25, blond, and gorgeous.

Hmmm....

Together his teacher and I concocted a little plan to find out whether he really needed extra help or not (strongly suspecting not!).

That night, I told Taz that his teacher and I were both very supportive of his request for extra help with his school work, and as a result we had arranged for him to see one of the teachers at school on a regular basis. This particular teacher is in her 60s, with gray hair and chubby.

Interestingly, he decided he was doing okay on his own after all.
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I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

2009-12-29T20:02:00.003-05:00

So we finally made it up the mountain on Tuesday night! We were greeted by three feet of snow in the driveway which fortunately we were expecting. Scouter parked in the street and forged a path through the wild, with the kids and I following in his footsteps. For the first time ever. HA! Then Taz, Scouter and I shoveled dug a path to the front door. We also dug a little alcove for the car at the very front of the driveway. The most challenging part was the five foot ice burm at the top of the driveway, where scrapers had pushed snow and ice from the road off to the side.

I'm pretending it was exercise.

The next day, we hit the slopes for the first time all season. Conditions were perfect! Mid-30s, not too crowded, and fresh powder. We headed over to the intermediate slopes and did a slow warm up run. Well, Rainbow and I did a slow warm up run. Scouter and Taz blasted down the mountain like bats out of hell, just like they did all season last year.

At the end of the day, Scouter parked the kids and took me over to the expert slopes as I had never been. The top of the slope was challenging. I was already nervous, and then when I saw Scouter fall in front of me, I wiped out too. But I settled down, took my time, and did okay on the rest of the run.

We had a great day on the mountain and returned to do it again the following day. Christmas Eve was even lighter and we mostly skied right onto the lifts.

Late morning, Taz and Scouter headed over to the expert slopes for awhile while Rainbow and I mainly hung out. We did a few runs but she wasn't that into it. Her highlight was seeing Santa on the slopes, especially when he gave her handfuls of candy. He was actually a pretty good skier. Who knew?

Later, Scouter traded with me and I hit the expert slopes with Taz. The slope that had scared me the day before seemed cool this time around. Taz even talked me into trying a double black diamond - and we had a blast.

That night, we made cookies for Santa and tracked his progress online. For possibly the first time evah, the kids begged to go to bed. They finally settled down around 10:00.

Unlike last year when Taz was up and wild before the sun was anywhere near the horizon, this year Scouter and I were awake and waiting for them. They finally got up around 7:40 a.m., ran downstairs, and attacked their presents. Rainbow said she'd heard Santa walking around downstairs during the night as well as Rudolph crunching on a carrot.

I've gotta say, that jolly old elf didn't pay a whole lot of attention to good or bad behavior again this year because Taz got a LOT of undeserved gifts.

Their favorite and mine is the new gen 5 iPod Nano. That thing is sweet. I can't wait for them to upgrade in another year so I can inherit one. They also got a Wii Fit which I'm pretty interested in trying.

Scouter surprised me with a Kindle which I had never even considered. It looks cool. I gave him a digital weather station because if Scouter could take a re-do on career choices, he would totally be a weather man.

We went up to Scouter's parents' house in Northern Va that afternoon and celebrated with the whole crazy crew. It was a ton of fun especially since I had a bottle of wine all to myself.

I asked my dad if there had ever been a white Christmas in my lifetime and he said the last one he remembers was either the year before I was born or when I was an infant. Pretty amazing.

All in all, another great Christmas in the books.
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Winter Wonderland

2009-12-21T10:12:00.002-05:00

Wow - over a foot of snow in Richmond. Before Christmas even! We haven't had a big snow like this in ages.

Unfortunately the timing completely sucked for us.

The plan was that the kids and I were going to Wintergreen for the week. Scouter was driving separately because he had to come back to work. We left around 4:45 Fri afternoon to caravan. The snow had just started to fall. Here, that is. The further west we got, the more accumulation there already was.

The interstate was not in great shape but we didn't have too much trouble with the roads. The biggest problem was visibility with the swirling snow, and our wiper blades kept freezing. We stopped a few times to clean them. About 30 miles and an hour into the 100 mile trip, I told Scouter we were either adventurous or completely stupid and I wasn't sure which. It soon became clear...

When we got off the interstate, the real trouble started. Cars were sliding and stalling. We were stopped for a long time while a truck was moved out of the road. When we started moving again, my car had trouble getting traction and when it did, I was fishtailing. Shortly thereafter, I was stuck. Scouter and a friendly traveler helped push me out but soon I was stuck again. After repeated unsuccessful efforts to move my car forward, Scouter decided to back it down the hill and get it into a parking lot. I don't know how he did it, weaving around other stuck cars in those conditions, but he did.

About that time, a car coming the other way told us the road was closed ahead with a jack-knifed tractor trailer completely blocking the road. Scouter backed his truck down the hill to join mine in the parking lot and we went into a convenience store to assess our options. I called a couple of nearby B&Bs but not surprisingly, they were completely booked.

I was still hoping we'd make it to the Green, albeit without my car. I called them to get a status on road conditions at the top of the mountain and learned that while roads up there were being kept pretty clear, the narrow, hilly access road was reported to be in bad shape. And to get there we had to somehow get past the downed tractor trailers - which we learned there were three.

After some debate, we decided to leave my car and head back to the interstate in Scouter's. The plan was to stop in Charlottesville if road conditions were really bad. We drove a couple miles; Scouter said his car was doing great and turned around. We went a few miles in the other direction and saw nothing but tail lights, stopped traffic, and stalled cars. He changed his mind again, turned around, and we headed back east once and for all. We were able to make it all the way home, arriving at 1:30 a.m.

We felt pretty damn stupid and reckless, especially because the kids were with us on this crazy adventure.

Turns out that Wintergreen got 30 - 36" of snow by Saturday night. We talked to some people up there who said skiing conditions were amazing and the slopes weren't crowded at all as most people couldn't get there. They were only allowing four wheel drive vehicles on the mountain Saturday.

We stayed home on Saturday and then ventured out on Sunday to retrieve my car. The roads were still in pretty bad shape, even the interstate particularly heading west. Unfortunately we had to come back to Richmond again because Scouter had to work today. Now the kids and I are hanging out, waiting until we can all go up in his truck later this week.

Hopefully we'll make it this time.
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Mommy of the Year

2009-12-05T18:08:00.002-05:00

Let me preface this post by saying Taz has been a complete and total pain in the ass today.

So Scouter and I are going to a dinner party tonight that includes a white elephant gift exchange. Each couple is supposed to bring a "gift" that we find within our house.

The highlight last year? The classic book Joy of Sex.

As Scouter and I were frantically scrambling for gifts a little while ago - not that we don't have plenty of crap - Rainbow offered a suggestion: "Why don't you gift Taz?"

Man.... if I thought I could get away with it, I'd slap a bow on that kid's head in an instant.
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You know you're in a bad mood when...

2009-11-18T20:53:00.002-05:00

So the other day I unwrapped a bar of soap to put by my sink and it had "SMILE NOW" written on it. Cute, I thought. I'm pretty sure I even smiled.

Today, however, I saw the pithy little thing demanding that I "SMILE NOW" and failed to see the charm.

"FUCK YOU" I replied.

Out loud.

To a bar of soap.
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Mommy of the Year

2009-11-15T14:10:00.002-05:00

Here's a little Magic 8 Ball fun, House 'o TriDi style:

Taz and Rainbow: Will Mommy be cranky this weekend?
Magic 8 Ball: I sense yes.

Taz and Rainbow: Will Daddy yell this weekend?
Magic 8 Ball: Definitely

Taz and Rainbow: Will we behave this weekend?
Magic 8 Ball: Nope

I cocked an eyebrow and inquired whether they thought perhaps those three questions were inter-related.

They gave me their most innocent and angelic looks - and even managed to hold them for a few seconds before we all burst out laughing.
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Ouuuuuccccchhhhhhh

2009-11-15T13:57:00.002-05:00

Damn that run hurt.

I knew it would. We are in the mountains this weekend so my only option is a hilly route. Dread of it helped me procrastinate all day yesterday.

Finally, I couldn't put it off any longer. Well, I could, but then I would likely go two weeks between runs. There's just no excuse for that.

Yes friends, my training plan for the 14k thus far has been to run 4 miles once a week. Yep. My plan will be rivaling Furman any day now.

So anyway. The route I had to run today starts with a 0.75 mile gradual uphill climb. I usually walk up the steep hill at the very beginning and call it a warm up. Today, I was out of breathe after even that part. Not a promising start.

I passed a man and his son walking their bikes up the hill. About then, I started negotiating with myself. What if I ran 3 miles instead of 4? It is a tough route after all. After a few minutes of debate with myself, I finally settled on running the four mile route but if I absolutely had to, I could walk up the hill at mile 3.

That convinced part of me to make the turn towards the four mile route, looking forward to the walk. The other part of me was still hoping to convince all of me to run it.

Didn't happen. Honestly, I was pretending a light post was an aid station and if I could just run there, I could walk the rest of the way up the hill.

Usually the 0.75 downhill at the end convinces me that running doesn't totally suck. That didn't even work today.
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Meaningful Events

2009-11-08T21:18:00.003-05:00

One final post from me tonight - I've either been saving up or I'm unusually chatty!

As I posted recently, I'm planning to come out of retirement and race again in 2010. Two events in particular are very meaningful to me, and I'd love to have you - my two blog readers - do them with me. Seriously, please think about them.

The first is the Virginia is for Lovers 14k in Virginia Beach on Feb. 13. I've already assembled an all-star cast including Annn, TG40, my awesome brother-in-law Mark (who recently won his age group in a sprint tri in NoVa), Patty, Susan, and maybe even the Bean depending upon her recovery from a calf injury. It will be a blast and it is for great causes, one of which - Team Kainer - is close to the heart for my family, especially Mark.

The second is the MS150 two-day cycling event in central Virginia. It's on May 22 & 23 this year, and there are shorter and longer options for those so inclined. I've talked casually to a few people about doing this ride and am hoping to rally a good team. I'll warn you in advance - this will be a fundraiser (but I promise no pressure). My mother-in-law has MS and I am riding in her honor.

Please think about these events and let me know if you're interested. I think they will be a blast if we do them together.

Peace out.
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Congrats TriGirls!

2009-11-08T21:11:00.001-05:00

Congrats to all the TriGirls (and TriBoys) who completed IronMan Florida yesterday, especially my girl Jackie. You are amazing!

Can I return to adulthood now?

2009-11-08T21:04:00.004-05:00

I think my backwards spiral into revisiting adolescence is complete.

Twilight fanatic? Check. Harry Potter obsession? Check. Lightening Thief? Check again.

Zits? Check. And let me tell you, they are particularly unattractive in combination with wrinkles.

Crazy friend who gives me the silent treatment for four months over something silly? Check.

And now - hanging at the mall all day? Check. Yesterday, Rainbow and I hit the mall in the morning to buy end-of-season gifts for her soccer coach. Theatre IV was having auditions so we hung out for awhile listening. Then we returned to the food court for her post-game celebration, after which we listened to auditions some more, she played in the play area, and we even did a little shopping. We were there for hours. The average age of everyone else there had to be 13.

Very weird.

Menopause? Bring it. I'm ready.
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Dusted

2009-11-08T20:49:00.002-05:00

Twice this year I've been really badly spanked.

The first time was on Good Friday when I rode with a big group. People I normally could hang with (at least a year before) completely dropped me at the end. Annn. Jennifer. Everyone else on that ride.

The second time was today.

I wanted to try a new 32 mile route that Fave sent me. Dave suggested we leave from my house, making the route roughly 50 miles. I haven't ridden farther than 40 in, oh I don't know, two years! but I said what the hell anyway. We started strong, helped along by a downhill start. And the first 27ish miles were good - a little hilly but tolerable.

The next six miles were torture - long gradual uphills, a couple steep uphills, and somehow very little counterbalancing downhills. I'm not really sure how that works. After the first climb on this section, my legs were toast. Dave was a distant speck ahead of me. He waited for me and tried to pull me but it was impossible for him to go as slowly as I was going without risking a complete stop, rolling backwards, or falling over.

When we hit a rest point at 36 miles, I realized that we had another 16 to go to finish the entire route for a total of 52 miles. Somehow that extra unanticipated two miles really did me in. I lobbied hard for a change of plans that gave us about another six miles instead. I know Dave was not excited about riding on Broad Street (hey, at least it wasn't 288) but he did. I guess it was the lesser of two evils compared to the option of dragging my boat-anchor self another 16.

We finished with almost 42 miles at 16.9 mph by my bike computer. It was everything I had today.

I guess I'd better drag out my trainer so I don't have a three-peat.
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Mommy of the Year

2009-11-02T18:08:00.006-05:00

Rainbow's favorite game right now is "Would you rather?" and like a dumbass I bought her a book of them.

She just asked me, "Would you rather be able to hear only women talk or slowly turn into a salmon after age 60?"

She picked the salmon.

However, I picked only hearing women talk.

As soon as I justified my choice by saying I'd never have to hear Daddy and Taz argue again, she immediately changed her answer.

Another question was something like, "Would you rather eat chocolate every day of your life or be able to switch faces with anyone?"

She picked switching faces and I asked why. "So I could switch faces with you!" she exclaimed.

I told her she can just wait 35 years and that particular selection will come true.

She leaned forward and stared at me intently for several minutes. And then she settled back into her chair, slowly shook her head - and changed her answer.
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Mommy of the Year

2009-10-25T17:28:00.002-04:00

Scouter just got the Van Halen version of Guitar Hero. He is ridiculously excited - and frankly so am I. We've been stuck in the house for five days with sick kids, so believe me, any and all diversions are welcome.

The game is not all Van Halen; there are a few songs by other artists too. Taz's favorite is "Stacy's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne.

But of course, we're all singing, "Taz's Mom has got it going on!"

And I'm totally digging it.
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Committed

2009-10-24T18:39:00.003-04:00

The last triathlon I did was the Giant Acorn (aka "Big Nut") two years ago. The last event I did was the Shamrock half marathon in 2008. It's been two years since I swam a stroke and more than 18 months since I did a race.

I really thought my grad school hiatus would end with graduation. I even pondered a few late summer and fall events. But nothing seemed to work with my schedule. Hence my motivation has been lacking.

Actually, I did a fair amount of cycling this summer - but lack of daylight and too-busy weekends have effectively put an end to that.

So I need a goal.

And now I have one! I signed up for a 14k race in Va. Beach on Valentine's weekend. I'm doing it with my brother-in-law and several good friends (thank you Annn and DB!) in honor of his friend John Kainer. John is an awesome guy who lost his 11 year battle with brain cancer last year. Part of the proceeds for this event go to his medical bills and his family. It is a great cause and I can't wait to participate.

Now I need to get off my fat butt and run. And I'm on a streak this week: I ran Thursday and again today. Woo hoo! Impressive, ey?

Both runs made me realize how badly I need new shoes, so I finally ordered some today. Either that or I'm too old for this foolishness. My body hurts. Not sore muscles either, although there is a little bit of that going on. More like achy back and just general malaise. Hopefully nothing that a little fitness won't fix!

Total aside - today while I was running I saw the funniest (in an odd way) thing - this clearly out-of-shape man (not that I have room to talk) was working out with weights beside the pond. His friend - clearly not his trainer - was sitting on a bench beside him, smoking a cigarette. Now that's not something you see every day. Or anything, frankly, that I'd ever want to see again.

But anyway...

I'm also talking a big game about the Mighty Man half iron next year. TG40 is pretty convincing! It is still a year away so I'm very bold... now! When realization sets in, I suspect I will be a nervous wreck.

But for now I'm excited and hopefully motivation will follow!
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Oink Oink

2009-10-21T22:08:00.002-04:00

The joy of camping last weekend has really managed to linger.

Why only yesterday, I received three emails from fellow campers informing me that they, their children, and/or other campers have the swine flu, strep throat, or both.

Lovely.

And sure enough, when Rainbow got home, her eyes were glazed and she was coughing. She had a fever of 102.5. By this morning, her fever spiked to 104. She was so pitiful. As I was stroking her head, she croaked, "Daddy said he was going to curse me to hell."

"Excuse me?"

"Daddy said he was going to curse me to hell," she rasped again.

I pondered for a moment and finally realized she was saying, "Daddy said he was going to nurse me to health."

And all day they've been oinking at each other.

She is feeling slightly better tonight, thank goodness.

Will this be enough to avoid a future camping trip, I wonder?
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Camping Sucks

2009-10-21T21:22:00.003-04:00

So last weekend, Rainbow had her first scheduled Brownie camping trip.

To be entirely accurate, her troop went last year but I had school that weekend and Scouter and Taz were Cub Scout camping. So we sent Rainbow with the boys. To hear her tell it now, she was kicking and screaming but in actuality, she was excited and had a great time. That child loves to camp.

What she doesn't particularly like is sleepovers, so I didn't want to send her by herself. Even though this camping trip was the same weekend as my favorite party of the year, the Comfort Zone fall bash. And my high school reunion. Although truth be told, I wasn't too terribly sad to miss that one.

I on the other hand believe that roughing it involves a hotel without a spa. Or with only four stars.

Camping is not my thing.

I begrudgingly committed to go on this particular camping trip on Friday night only. I admit, I was imagining that I would somehow be able to escape on Saturday morning, go on a bike ride and then attend the Comfort Zone bash with all my girlfriends. However, as the week wore on, I felt more and more delusional. Aided and abetted by Scouter telling me how much Rainbow wanted me to go and anything else he could think of to feed my guilt.

Friday came. It had been pouring rain the entire previous night and most of the day. Many other, wiser campers opted to skip Friday night. Yet Rainbow's troop headed off to camp. I met them at the camp site as they were eating dinner at a frigid outdoor picnic shelter. When I walked up to her table, Rainbow could barely be bothered to acknowledge me. "Oh hi Mom," she said in a lethargic tone of voice before she continued her conversation with friends. I stood there for a few minutes but when no further recognition was forthcoming, I joined the other moms. As I was chatting, Rainbow came over and I thought she was going to hug me. She tenderly leaned into my ear and whispered sweetly, "Whatever you do, Mom, DO NOT embarrass me."

Okay then.

So glad I came.

The evening really never improved. Although there were s'mores involved so it wasn't all bad.

We finally headed to the cabins which were very rustic - essentially thin boards and a roof. We were in the farthest possible cabin from the bathrooms, it was still raining and cold. I was grateful that at least we weren't sleeping in tents.

I probably slept some that night but it really didn't feel like it. Between the rain drumming against the roof and the movements of 16 bodies in our cabin, it was hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. One little girl became hysterical because her mother wasn't there and Rainbow needed help a couple times, bringing me to the harsh realization that I would indeed have to stay another night. At one point, she popped her eyes open, looked at me, and in a super-excited voice said, "Isn't this great?" At my expression of what could only have been horror, she quickly added, "Well, at least not terrible?"

The next morning dawned cold and drizzly for a pleasant change. I slogged through a couple of activities, all the while being either totally ignored or barely tolerated by my child. I finally decided that putting up with an entire day of this shit would make me very cranky by evening. And Martyr Di is not fun to be around.

So I left. Rainbow actually seemed momentarily disappointed although she quickly lost interest in me when I told her I was coming back. I came home, went on a four mile run, took a very long very hot shower, did some cooking, hung out with Taz, and then laid on the couch and read a book for awhile. It was a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon. Only with great reluctance - and prodding by Scouter - did I head back to camp.

When I arrived, one of Rainbow's buddies saw me and went running into the mess hall (I guess that's what it's called in camping lingo?), yelling, "Rainbow, your mom is here!" She actually ran out and hugged me. I was pathetically grateful.

Saturday night was more tolerable as more Girl Scout troops were there and I knew more of the moms. We hung out by the indoor camp fire and chatted while the girls played games and songs. If only wine were allowed, it might even have been enjoyable. Alas much too soon it was time to return to the heinous cabins for another miserable night of light sleep and loud noises.

The night was at least uneventful. When we awoke the next day, I was ready to bail. But no. We had to march to breakfast as a troop, wait for everyone, and then clean our shit hole - I mean cabin - and perform our assigned cleaning duty. These efforts took an inordinately long time during which very little was accomplished.

When we could finally escape, Rainbow begged for one of her friends to ride with us. I admit, I was hanging by a string at this point. When they complained about the music on my car radio, I huffily snapped it off.

All the while, I was plotting the next camping trip, thinking to myself that it would really only be necessary for Rainbow and I to come Saturday during the day. She wouldn't miss anything.

Then I asked her what her favorite part of camping was. Without hesitation, she exclaimed "S'mores!" I asked her second favorite thing and after a moment, she said, "Sleeping in the cabin!"

Dammit dammit dammit all to hell.

I should have learned by now to stop when I'm ahead.

Camping sucks.
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Mommy of the Year

2009-09-27T12:25:00.002-04:00

I was telling Dave this story last week and thought it was post-worthy! And telling him helped me remember...

So this past spring, I told my kids that we could redecorate their rooms this summer if they wanted to. They both enthusiastically agreed, and I gave them some ideas about paint and wallpaper and the like.

We didn't really talk about it again until mid-summer when they asked when the project was going to start. And then they pontificated on their redecorating ideas... which include installing a ceiling in my two story foyer which would become a floor for the space between their rooms, and knocking down the walls of their rooms facing this new space to create a new huge room that they could share. They've already decided where the ice cream bar and big screen TV will be located. Apparently they are going to need lofts to make sure there is room for the basketball court and the pool table. And will an indoor pool fit?

Needless to say this is not exactly what I had in mind... I've dropped the subject entirely and am hoping against hope that they forget I ever broached it.
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Life is Good

2009-09-04T21:46:00.002-04:00

We're on our annual vacation to the Hamptons with my college roommate and her family.

I am full of martinis and lobster right now. I've eaten better this week than at almost any other time in my life (other than my trip to Italy and previous trips here!). I've also gained probably 5 lbs and need detox, but life's a trade off right? RIGHT????

More to come with pictures, hopefully. Just a quick update to say how very happy i am!
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Fastest ride EVAH

2009-08-25T20:58:00.002-04:00

So apparently Dave took my last post about cycling 19.2 with TG40, Kathryn and Rob as a challenge. I don't think TG40 and Kathryn kicking ass bothered him actually. His own posse member Rob on the other hand...

Last night, Dave, Steve and I met for a ride through Goochland. I was whining about how exhausted and sore I was from a weekend at the lake and waterskiing, and Dave mentioned that his legs were tired from riding Sat and Sun. We started out fairly slowly, chatting and spinning.

Four or five miles into the ride, we had worked up to a pretty brisk pace and passed two guys on a back road.

To digress - one of those guys was fully kitted out, but riding in a cloth cycling hat instead of a helmet. I very badly wanted to tell him to wear a helmet but somehow managed to resist. It wasn't easy.

Anyway, as soon as we blew past them, the two guys jumped on our wheels. That was all the challenge any of us needed. We took off. Then they started leap frogging us.

By mile 12, Dave reported that we were averaging 20 mph.

The other guys turned and we decided to add a loop through West Creek to hit our usual 18 miles. I have to admit that my legs were jelly by the time we hit the Farm Bureau hill.

We still finished with 19.6 mph average.

Dave says next stop 20.
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Mommy of the Year

2009-08-25T20:55:00.002-04:00

This one has been pre-approved by the Deannas...

Last week, I told the kids it was time for them to take showers.

"Mommy?" inquired Rainbow. "Can we all take a shower together?"

Before I could squelch that idea, Taz piped up. "Um, no Rainbow that's not going to work," he said with a wrinkled brow and pained expression. "I can't take a shower with you. I'm not allowed to see Mommy's boobies anymore."
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Happy Birthday, Baby!!!

2009-08-19T19:43:00.005-04:00

This morning, I celebrated Scouter's birthday by getting up at 5:15 to go on a bike ride at 5:45. That's AM peeps.

Yes I'm crazy. And yes it was dark. Not that this post is about my ride, but it was also very fun - Kathryn, TG40 and Dave's posse crew member Rob joined me for the madness. Rob filled in for Dave and traded the lead to pull me through 18 miles. At a whopping 19.2 mph average pace. (And Dave I know you don't believe me but that pace is corroborated by TG40 who clocked 19.28). Sweet!

But anyway, back to Scouter's birthday...

Tonight he celebrated by playing tennis. I've been teasing him about choosing to spend his birthday with sweaty men instead of me.

I guess that's what happens when you've been married for 19 3/4 years and have known each other since before dirt was invented.

But I'm surprising him with dinner (pepper pasta and salad), wine (Veritas reserve), and cake (Brewster's mint chocolate chip ice cream) when he gets home.

He can only avoid me for so long.
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*&^% I'm Lazy

2009-08-11T18:27:00.003-04:00

I am out of town on a business trip.

You'd think with my normally crazy schedule that I would be estatic to have some quiet time. But I'm lonely and I miss my babies.

This afternoon, I could have chosen to go for a run or to check out the hotel fitness center. Instead, I did some work (good), goofed off on the Internet (fair), and watched a biography of Suzanne Sommers on TV (very very bad).

Can someone please give me a big fat motivating kick in the ass?!?!?!?!
~~~~
Update: No I didn't get off my fat ass on Wednesday BUT I did run on Thursday morning. One of my co-workers "used to be a runner" - took me out and schooled me. The good news? I ran 4 miles at 8:47 min/mi average pace and didn't die, so I am still able to run.

When I absolutely have to, that is.

However, I haven't done a damn thing since.
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TriBabies

2009-07-17T21:46:00.003-04:00

Being old but playing with the young kids has its perks.

For example, Lesley has the sweetest little baby boy. It's great to play with him and be silly but then give him back when he cries. Or poops.

And now TG Megan is preggers! I had the pleasure of co-hosting a baby shower for her with crazy Patty aka IronMan-Patty-Who-Hits-Annnn and/or IronMan-Patty-Whom-I-Love among other things.

I was a pretty sucky co-host but Patty perservered and we finally pulled our shit together. Or at least made it look like we did. I'm pretty sure...

Patty came over early to help with food and final preparations. As soon as she walked in the door, I helpfully took the bouquet of balloons she was carrying. Leaving her with several heavy and bulky items. And then I immediately let go of said balloons such that they floated up to the top of my two story foyer ceiling, where they were irretrievable and where they in fact remain today.

Co-host extraordinaire, baby!

If you'll excuse the pun.

Anyway, we drafted several others to help us out - thank you Jackie and Annnn! About 20 TriGirls, three of whom are currently expecting, joined us for the shower and it was a blast. Megan is beautiful and glowing and all the wonderful things she should be and seemed to have a really good time.

Scouter, Taz, and Rainbow got home as the party was starting to break up. Scouter and Taz headed straight for the stairs without passing go and fled all the estrogen. Rainbow on the other hand took over the stereo and started jamming Boom Boom Pow and entertaining the group.

I haven't hosted a baby shower for a couple years - actually the last one was for TG grand poobah Grandison - and it was a blast!

Can't wait to see Megan's baby!!!
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Hanging with Fast Crowd

2009-07-17T21:21:00.002-04:00

I had such a fun workout week. Even though I ran twice.

HA!

And what terrible runs they were, by the way. Three torturous miles in the mountains on Sunday and four early and hot miles on Thursday. And both times, my calves were very tight and sore afterwards.

Anyway. Thank goodness for the bike!

Monday, I rode with my school bud Dave who recently bought a bike and is already kicking my butt. He's ridden with me and some TriGirls a few times, which apparently inspired him to invite some other guys along for the ride. This week, it was me and three speedsters. One of the guys who rode with us rode again the next night and averaged over 22 mph. We did 18 miles at I think 17.7 mph in Goochland. It was hot but still fun, especially bombing down the last big hill near Capital One.

Wednesday, TG40, Kathryn, and Dave met me to ride the Power Sprint loop plus a few extra miles. As we started riding, I realized that I was the slowest one in the group and so I decided to go balls to the wall. I probably should have mentioned that to someone but instead I just took off. Of course Dave was glued to my wheel, while TG40 and Kathryn were chatting. We hit the six mile point and then veered off the race route to ride three more miles of rolling hills. As we turned around, I asked Dave to pull me back. He obliged by quickly zooming in front and then almost immediately dropping me going up a hill. Damn! We zipped through the rest of the ride and finished at my fastest non-race pace ever, 18.9 mph. I was thrilled!

I wish I could ride again this weekend but sadly I'm going to have to make do with a run. At least that's the plan... Please hold me accountable!
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Yum

2009-07-11T20:48:00.004-04:00

I just made the most delicious impromptu dinner and had to share -

Ribs from Trader Joe's, precooked and in a tasty brown sugar barbecue sauce that just had to be warmed on the grill, with grilled veggies and Mesa Grill potato salad from Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill cookbook (one of my favorites).

I'm really full but somehow I'm still managing to sneak bites of cobbler made with fresh peaches I got from the farmer's market today, with a few raspberries thrown in for good measure.

Taz actually ate all of it, even the potato salad with jalapenos in it.

Yum.
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And on another note...

2009-07-02T21:48:00.002-04:00

What kind of dumbass posts pictures of herself with her two skinniest friends?!?!?!?
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Mommy of the Year

2009-07-02T21:43:00.003-04:00

Hypothetically, which is worse:

To tell you child to go away before you lose your mind (quite possibly, to get the hell away before you lose your mind);

or to wait until you actually do lose your mind?

Purely hypothetical, remember.

But before you answer, just know that if you give me some calm and rational mommy wisdom, I will no longer consider you a friend.
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Epic Cycling

2009-06-27T15:55:00.006-04:00

The last few weeks have been all about the bike and I've been remembering how much I love it!

(Disclaimer: For the last year and a half probably I've biked once per month at best.)

A few weeks ago, Richard and I started our early morning weekday rides, once a week at 5:45 a.m. Yes it is awfully early but I actually haven't had a hard time getting up because I'm so excited to ride. Plus it's great to be done and have a sense of accomplishment all day.

The first week, we did a modified ABC route. Our plan was to ride nine miles out, turn around and come back but at about the seven mile point, we hit a road that was in the process of being paved and was covered in loose gravel. Rather than risking a flat, we modified our route on the fly.

Bad idea.

We ended up cutting through an office park with a very busy highway interchange at the start of rush hour traffic. Even though I ride on the interstate frequently (according to Annnn), this was a little scary. And longer than we planned - about 23 miles. Whoops! I was late getting home.

The next week, we decided to revisit the Power Sprint loop with an added out and back that we did so frequently two summers ago but not at all last year. I forgot how fun that course is! Jackie met us which was great and we rode 18 miles.

Last week, we had a rain delay which caused us to punt to the next day, and then poor Richard couldn't come. Fortunately Jackie still could and we did the Power Sprint loop plus again. We ran into Teresa Stadler out in the country and she rode with us briefly, looking unbelievably fit and cute. I guess one benefit of not working out much is that I haven't been injured, so I hadn't seen her in awhile.

Then this week, we went back to the modified ABC route and did it as planned since the road work is complete. TG Kathryn and work/school friend Dave-with-a-new-bike met Richard and me. My distribution list has over 20 people so it's always fun to see who shows up on any given ride. We went a little more than 18 miles which is really all I have time for in the morning. Unless I want to get up even earlier, which I most definitely don't.

This week, I also started riding on Monday nights which I'm hoping to continue through the fall. Annnn met me and we had a fun ride through Goochland, bouncing the lead back and forth.

I've had some longer weekend rides too including the longest one I've done in awhile, 28 miles with Kermit and Richard in late May. We did that same loop again two weekends ago with my friend Susan from work. Deanna, Bethany, and Annnn met us at WC to pick up the loop and even gave us an escort back to my house. Very fun!

But probably the funnest ride I've had in a long time was a few weeks ago with Jennifer, Annnn, and Susan when we did the Charlottesville Oly course. It's 23 miles of rolling hills through beautiful countryside.

Of course I'm too dumb to take pictures BEFORE we ride when I might look a little better. And where's Annn you may wonder? She has a knack for disappearing when the camera comes out. Or maybe she's just a figment of my imagination... kind of like an abusive imaginary friend.

After we finished, we had a relaxing lunch and beer sampler at the new Devil's Backbone microbrewery and then headed up the mountain to meet Deanna and Patty for a girls' weekend. Deanna had ridden Crabtree Falls that day and I'm even more completely in awe of her. She said it made the Blue Ridge look easy. I can't even imagine!

I'm looking forward to some more great riding this summer and hope that I can figure out a way to add more distance. I'd like to do the RABA Heart of Va long metric (75 miles) in September if possible.

It's so great to be back on my bike!!!! Now if I could just talk myself into a little swimming and running....
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That's nasty, baby

2009-05-26T21:54:00.002-04:00

So my friend Dave educated me on the definition of chub rub according to Urban Dictionary.

Um, yeah. I won't be using that bit o' slang again.

But let's just say that body glide has become my best friend. Good thing too because Garmin and I haven't spoken in a long, long time. I hate that SOB.

BTW anyone who can guess the source of my silly title wins a prize of my choosing. Which may or may not involve alcohol, depending upon whether or not you are pregnant and your personal viewpoint on drinking while pregnant. I say that because fully half of my readers are in fact pregnant right this very moment. And one is going to be soon if she keeps having sex 20 times a day. No form of protection can possibly withstand that kind of barrage... Seriously.

Where was I?

Oh yes talking about my former friend Garmin.

I tried to befriend Garmin again today and that bastard tortured me. The things he said! The constant whining and beeping and admonitions to SPEED UP! Like I need that right now. Or ever, frankly.

His ass is back in a drawer. I may just let his battery die.

It's not me. It's him.
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L'Italia Update

2009-05-25T17:47:00.001-04:00

I finally posted pictures with my first post: http://tri-di.blogspot.com/2009/05/viva-litalia.html

And yes I owe the second week...
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Ahhh... a relaxing weekend at last

2009-05-25T16:41:00.006-04:00

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

We haven't been to the mountains since Easter and have really been missing them. So we headed up Friday night and got here before dark. I felt my stress level drop as we drove higher up the mountain. We grilled some tuna steaks, cracked open a bottle of wine and let the relaxation begin.

The next morning Scouter let me sleep in a bit and then we all headed to the local farmers' market. It was pretty crowded for the holiday weekend but we still managed to see everything. We bought a pie and some braided bread, honey, a bracelet for Rainbow and a cool boy-necklace for Taz, and a framed numbered print by a local artist for Scouter and me. And then we went to another crafts fair and bought another framed numbered photograph from another local artist. We were a little carried away but we love them both and hung them right away.

By the time we got home, the kids were done with crafts fairs and so I took them to the pool. They are allowed to have floats and toys in this pool and they had it pretty much to themselves so a good time was had by both. I managed to squeeze in a slow painful run afterwards and then we had our neighbors over for a cookout. So I figure I broke even.

Sunday we kept talking about going on a hike but we never quite made it. Scouter got into a big window-cleaning project while the kids played and I lounged and read a book. It was lovely. Scouter even let the kids start a small fire in the fire pit, and I gave them hot dogs and marshmallows to roast for lunch. We finally got motivated after lunch and hit the local Brews and Blues festival for some music and a little more print-buying. This time we bought two photographs of some local wildlife - a deer and a black bear. And some kettle corn and some funky ice cream that Taz called frozen cotton candy.

Then we went to a cookout at a new friend from school's beautiful house. Their kids are older (high school/college age) and they were great with Taz and Rainbow. My kids were within three feet of them at all times and even talked them into letting them into the hot tub. My stomach hurts from laughing so hard.

Rainbow proclaimed today to be "Duchess' Special Day" since we'd left her alone for so much of the weekend so we finally went on a hike with her. We did three sections of the Old Appalachian Trail. Along the way, we saw a deer really close to the trail. We stopped and took pictures thinking it would run away once we walked by but it didn't. It actually started walking through the woods beside us! I thought it was cute until Scouter started talking about a deer that killed two people recently and rabies. Then it kind of freaked me out. It does look kind of demonic doesn't it?

I've been vegging ever since. Wouldn't it be nice if all weekends were three days?

Is it time to race yet?

2009-05-19T21:14:00.003-04:00

As you know, I haven't been on my bike much over the last year. If I ride once per month, it is a very good thing.

But now that school is over, I'm hoping hoping hoping to have more time to bike. And run. And hey I may even get crazy and swim. Or not.

Last Friday night, I got an email from TriGirl Richard asking about availability for a ride on Saturday. We emailed back and forth and finally settled on a time, meeting spot, and route. I was so excited! I hadn't ridden my bike since I got the tires and chain replaced... in April.

And who else should show up Sat morning but Kermit? My original posse, reunited! And probably all equally undertrained.

We set off at a leisurely pace, commiserate with our current abilities, chatting and catching up. We continued to laugh and chat all the way up to Ashland. As we made the turn and started back, we spotted a large group of cyclists in front of us. They were pretty spread out and fairly far ahead.

Suddenly, I was in race mode. I shot down into aero position and started peddling with all I had. As I called "on your left" and whipped past the first pair, I felt exhilarated. I also realized, panting, that I'm not in shape for this game.

I slowed down and waited for the boys. I suggested that someone else lead. Kermit obliged but a few minutes later, he took off. I was right behind him. We caught a couple more groups and he asked if I was happy now. But there were still bikers in front of us! I jumped in the lead with Kermit on my wheel and we rode down every one of them.

We finally stopped to wait for Richard who rode casually up to us a few minutes later, laughing and shaking his head. And then he pulled us to the finish line.

I don't think I'm competitive. But clearly the evidence proves otherwise.

Now I'm thinking about what races I could fit in my schedule this year, and whether I can make the time to train for them.

I'm definitely doing the Big Nut tri and I'd like to do Heart of Virginia metric century cycling event.

Oh the possibilities!!!
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I is a gradjut

2009-05-17T14:59:00.009-04:00

Graduation was yesterday. Yippee!!!

For the record, I now have a Master of Science in Information Technology Management. Kind of an MBA for geeks.

There was a ceremony in the morning for all graduates which I didn't attend. The business school ceremony was yesterday afternoon. Most of my class walked. Scouter, the kids, and my parents came.

As we filed into the Siegel Center, I was looking everywhere for my peeps. Fortunately, in an update from undergrad, I could text Scouter to help locate them. Rainbow in particular was very engaged throughout the ceremony and kept blowing me kisses. Taz mainly looked bored.

When it was time for me to approach the stage to have my degree awarded, I looked in the stands, saw that my dad was missing, and freaked out. Poor guy suffered through my none-to-stellar undergraduate days; if anyone deserved to enjoy a stronger academic performance, it is him. Then I heard someone calling my name and spotted my dad and his camera at the rail. Sweet!

My mom told me Rainbow was yelling "YEAH MOMMY!!!" as I picked up my degree. She told people she was happy I was graduating because now she has her Mommy back.

Last night, I threw myself a graduation party. Because this past 15 months haven't been enough about me already. It was interesting because most people didn't know each other, but everyone seemed to mingle and have fun.

Now I need some sleep!
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Interlude

2009-05-10T20:03:00.001-04:00

In between my posts about eating and drinking my way through Italy, let me just acknowledge the fact that I have become a big fat pig. My degree has been earned at the expense of my fitness.

Exhibit A: Triple chin
Exhibit B: Muffin top
Exhibit C: Chub rub
Exhibit D: No clothes that fit

It's ugly. Literally.

TriGirls, help me!!!!
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Viva L'Italia

2009-05-10T16:28:00.003-04:00

UPDATED: Added some pictures

~~~

Most triathlete blogs offer training updates and race reports.

Yeah, we don't have that going on around house 'o TriDi so you get a trip report instead. Possibly in multiple parts. Therein lies the similarity.

One of the big benefits of my grad school program is that, as an international program, it includes an international trip. Previous classes have been to Ireland and Denmark, and my class found out in August that we were going to Italy!!!

Italy is my dream trip. Scouter and I had planned a trip with my college roommate Jill and her husband Andy ten years ago. We talked about renting a villa in Tuscany for a week and a villa in the south of France for a second week. Shortly thereafter, I found out I was pregnant with Taz! So trip on hold indefinitely and a completely different type of excitement in store.

Fast forward - as soon as I heard "Italy" for school, I got in touch with Jill and Andy and we immediately started planning a trip in conjunction with my school trip. We spent a lot of time researching options and planning the trip. And by "we" I mean "Jill." They have spent a lot of time in Europe and really know what they're doing. Plus, they appreciate really good food and wine. Does it get better than that??? Scouter and I were up for whatever they suggested.

The first week was my school trip. In a nutshell, it was uncoordinated and poorly communicated which turned what should have been an amazing experience into an exercise in frustration. But I'll spare you the (many) annoying parts and give you the highlights. That's what I want to remember from the trip anyway.

We flew into Milan and arrived early Sunday morning. We were met by a tour bus which immediately took us to see Leonardo DaVinci's Last Supper.

I had heard that the Last Supper was the thing to see in Milan but I have to say I didn't really get it... that is, until I saw it. It was amazing! Pictures of it don't do it justice at all. It is a fresco painted on the wall of a monastery. The poses and depth of it are fantastic. I was in awe. The fresco is painted on one side of the table because in the room, the monks' tables were setup around the room with the Last Supper as the head table.

Next we went to see the Duomo which is the fourth largest cathedral in the world, the Galleria and a castle. All very cool. But as my friend Dave noted, "even the military gives soldiers water."

But anyway.

That night, we had a welcome dinner. We showed up and the restaurant staff started bringing dishes. We got to try a number of different specialties, enjoy some Italian wine, and relax. It was very nice.

The next day we visited a supercomputing center and an Internet search engine provider. Both very cool, but one in Bologna and one in Milan (three hours apart) which made for a very long day. We got back to the hotel late (maybe 7:30 or 8) and a lot of people were making plans to go to dinner. I was exhausted, so I opted to hit the fitness center for a brief run on the treadmill, a shower, and bed! That turned out to be my only workout of the trip so it's good that I fit at least one in... since I took all that crap with me.

Tuesday, we visited a private university outside of Rome. The speakers were great and it was cool to see how the university system works in Italy. It is very different and far less sophisticated than ours. Then we boarded a high speed train to head to Rome.

This trip became immediately entertaining when Terry and I attempted to find a bathroom in the train station. It had bars and we couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally, after being yelled at in incomprehensible Italian by the bathroom attendant man, we figured out that we had to pay to enter. We scrambled to the side to dig for change. Terry was finally able to enter; I kept putting a euro in the machine but it kept coming back out. Finally I figured out that I needed exact change. Who knew peeing was so damn complicated??? I entered the bathroom and while I was waiting, the bathroom attendant started yelling in the room again. I think he was trying to point me to more stalls in the back. Then we couldn't figure out how to get out of the room. Throughout the whole experience we were laughing hysterically. Which set us up for a fun trip...

I was not particularly looking forward to a five hour train ride. But I have to say it was oddly one of the most fun parts of the trip. I got to sit in a little pod with some of my buddies. We had some good conversation for awhile... and then we decided to head to the bar car. We snagged my girl Terry on the way, and we came back loaded up for the rest of the trip. Before you know it, we had pulled some other friends over to our section and the party was ON. We had an absolute blast.

And Jodi you'll love this part - we were being really loud and created a crowded section, and so in an effort to salvage the sorry reputation of the American tourist, we started toasting Canada and talking about how great Vancouver University is (since many of us were wearing VCU garb). Fortunately the poor innocent bystanders closest to us found us entertaining.

It's at this point that I realize I really need to insert pictures. Yes I'm quick. But that will have to come another day; otherwise this post may never happen.

In Rome, we had a welcome dinner at the hotel. It was okay.

Wednesday morning, we had tickets for a Papal Audience which was in Saint Peter's Square in Vatican City and attended by thousands - like maybe 12 - 15,000? With thousands more in the area. The Pope rode the popemobile through the area and came within 10 feet of us! The Papal Audience is interesting as each Cardinal welcomes groups from his part of the world, in the appropriate language. Our Cardinal welcomed students and faculty from our school, and the Pope blessed us, our children and loved ones. You know who you are! Did you ever think you'd be blessed by the Pope through... me?!?!?!? I'm pretty sure my in-laws didn't!

After than we had a short driving tour through Rome to see many famous sites like the Coliseum. It is really odd to see people nonchalantly strolling past this amazing ruin but I guess it becomes an every day occurrence for people. Then we went to another university where the two presenters were clearly in competition with each other to the extend that they couldn't communicate a message. I was falling asleep in the back of the room.

Wednesday night, thankfully, we had free time. I went to the Hotel Eden with some friends and hangers-on to watch sunset from what is said to be the best spot in Rome and then we had a nice dinner. And wine.

Thursday was another very long day but actually worth it. We took the bus to Pompeii (three hours south of Rome) and had a tour of the ruins. They were amazing. Apparently there is a historical fiction book called Pompeii that I now have to read. After Pompeii we headed to nearby Naples for a business visit to a cruise line and in the pouring rain, Naples looked like a pit. I would not want to go back. But after the visit we had a cool dinner at a local pizzeria where we had the option to make our own pie - which I so totally did! I went back to the kitchen and slapped my own dough around, lathered on some sauce, cheese and basil and popped that bad boy in the brick oven. Naples is the originator of pizza and man was it good! We finally returned to Rome at midnight. Yawn...

Friday, it was back to the Vatican for a visit with their IT staff. We met the priest who runs the Telecommunications department and saw the cute little old nuns who work in the call center in eight languages.

Friday afternoon, I met Scouter!!!!, Jill and Andy.

More to come...

Welcome to my Holiday Blog

2009-05-10T10:22:00.002-04:00

So apparently now I only post on holidays. After today, you can look for the next installment on or around Memorial Day...

Anyway Happy Mothers' Day to all you moms out there... you know, the two of you who still check my blog occasionally?

My Mother's Day started out great. My babies jumped in bed with me for some snuggle time and then they decided I should have breakfast in bed. Scouter was at church so on their own they made me a bagel with cream cheese and three strawberries while I stayed in bed. They even tucked a napkin in my PJs and wiped my mouth for me.

Even better, they told me that my gift is them getting along all day. Sweet!
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Mommy of the Year - Easter Style

2009-04-12T12:32:00.002-04:00

We're out of town with my parents for the holiday weekend, and I forgot to bring Easter baskets and appropriate Easter Sunday attire.

At least I brought the candy! We improvised with a big bread basket for both kids' stuff and it seemed to work.

But still, they decided "M" is for Mommy and meanie, "D" is for Daddy and discipline, "P" is for Papa and purposeless, while "G" is for Grandma and good.

At least I'm not PaPa.
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And today's excuse is...

2009-04-10T15:59:00.002-04:00

Today was a gorgeous day! And my office was closed. And the kids were registered in a spring break camp which offered the fifth day free if we bought four. And the kids loved it and they really wanted to go again today.

So... it was meant to be that I could bike! I emailed my posse over a week ago and set it up.

Sadly, though,
(I used that word for you, Jennifer)
my bike was not quite ready to roll. The last time I rode it - if any of you can remember the distant past - my back tire flatted. Twice. The next time I was able to ride, the tire was flat again. I pumped it and it seemed to hold but I didn't trust it. So I rode Scouter's bike and let me tell you, that thing is not meant for girl parts.

All week, I talked about taking my bike to the shop but it never quite happened. I tried to use Scouter's tire on my bike (good idea DB!) but it didn't fit. My tire hadn't flatted again while sitting in the garage so I decided to go for it. And fortunately it held! Although it didn't feel quite right and I had problems with my gears. (Bring on the excuses!)

I rode one loop with the crew for 23.5 miles, and I really enjoyed it. Most of them went out for another loop but I just don't have the skills right now.

Instead, I took my bike directly to Performance. They had time to look at it right away. The guy who helped me said my chain desperately needed to be replaced and that I was lucky it hadn't broken. He also said both tires were bald and needed to be replaced. He picked 17 pieces of glass out of the rear tire!

I'm lucky I didn't have an ugly ride today.

I asked the Performance guy if I'd be faster now. He said most definitely.

So that's my story. And I'm sticking to it!
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Mommy of the Year

2009-04-03T21:55:00.003-04:00

Scouter took the kids to the store tonight and bought them each a new Nintendo game. I'm not really sure what the occasion was; quite possibly he is just tired of being at home alone with them all the time and needed an activity.

Anyway, Rainbow selected a game that is about taking care of babies. When I first got home from school tonight, she was all excited and telling me how cute and fun they were.

A few minutes ago, she looked up at me and said, "This baby has got me down to my last nerve."

I cracked up. She looked at me with a serious expression. "Really, Mom," she said, raising her eyebrows. "She's on thin ice. Real thin ice."

Obviously I've been a stellar influence.
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Mommy of the Year

2009-03-09T22:00:00.002-04:00

Tonight, as a special treat, Scouter suggested that I go for a run.

Now, it is a really sweet gesture but in all fairness you should know that it is only one he makes when I am being a royal bitch. I'm pretty sure he's been counting down the minutes until daylight savings for... um, let's go with the last three months... hoping that something will make me nice. I was going to say "nice again" but opted for just "nice" for obvious reasons.

So anyway, as I was leaving, the kids met me in the garage all excited to run with me. I reflected briefly on Annnnn's sweet run with her daughter, and then I said no. Absolutely not.

But admittedly I felt a little guilty and I was vacillating in my head. I could easily cave. Just then, Taz looked up at me with his sweet little face and batted his big beautiful eyes and said, "Mommy?"

I felt myself starting to crumble. "Yes, darling?"

"Your really need to run. You're getting faaaaaaatttttttt."

Okay then. Solo run it is.
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Welcome to New York, it's SATURDAY NIGHT!!!!

2009-03-07T22:06:00.002-05:00

So we're in the mountains... skied today (very slushy), hanging out with the family, kids driving me nuts - when I get a call from The Bean! Granted, I knew she was up here for a tennis clinic, but really I don't know any of those women and didn't expect her to call.

I ended up going over to the condo they had rented for a little bit, expecting to have some wine and hang out. Turns out, they had appetizers a very nice full sit down dinner.

During dinner, someone heard a cell phone ringing and even more miraculously managed to shush 12 women to point that out. In the ensuing silence, we all heard the faint strains of Tone Loc "Funky Cold Medena" playing from the next room.

Simultaneously, we all threw our hands in the air and started dancing in our seats.

Then we all started laughing at ourselves... for doing same.

Someone said, "Wow, that was really funny.... we should be a Saturday Night Live scene..."

As well we should.
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Down and Out

2009-03-03T09:19:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I just thought my crankiness and exhaustion were escalating as more time goes on.

Then I realized that I actually have an excuse this time - the flu.

I was exposed to two people with it over the weekend and it didn't take long to take me down too. I got a shot in October so I'm not sure whether it wore off or if this is a different strain. Needless to say, it completely sucks.

I hope it's a quick one.
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Mommy of the Year

2009-03-02T10:48:00.003-05:00

I'm sick of the fucking snow.

That didn't take long did it?

The morning has consisted of one kids barreling into the house leaving a trail of ice in snow in his/her wake, complaining and/or throwing a temper tantrum about something, demanding food, and then putting on all new clothes before going back outside.

Then the other child will do the same. And then Scouter will come to the door and shout inside for me to get or do something for him.

During one or more of these episodes, the Dutch will make a break for the house and get snow everywhere. Her stomach is essentially one big snowball so she makes quite a mess.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

I've cleaned the kitchen floor five times so far.

Melt already, bitch.
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Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!!

2009-03-02T08:57:00.008-05:00

I cannot tell you how excited I am to have real snow in Richmond! We've had precipitation; we've had cold. But up until now, we have not had them together. Scouter said the last good snow we got was in 2000. We had a few sledable storms when the kids were really little but since then, only a few dustings.

But now!!! We got between 10 and 12 inches, starting yesterday around 1 p.m. and snowing all night long. It's even supposed to stay cold today so we'll have it for awhile. Taz told me going to sleep last night was like Christmas because he was so excited about tomorrow. They put on warm clothes as soon as they got up this morning and it was all we could do to get them to eat breakfast before going out to play.

Literally all of our snow stuff is in the mountains - coats, hats, gloves, snow pants, boots, even the snow shovel... so we are improvising with sweat pants over jeans and raincoats over sweatshirts. Taz is wearing Scouter's old workboots. And they don't care - they're having a blast making trails and trying to sled.

The only one who doesn't like it is the Dutch. The snow is deeper than she is. She ventured forth for about a step and then turned around and peed in the house. Scouter had to dig her a path and I had to coax her out into the yard. Now, Rainbow has her on a leash forcing her to stay out for a bit. It's pretty damn funny.

Here are some more pics from this morning:

Jack Frost Nipping at my Nose

2009-03-01T16:41:00.002-05:00

It's snowing! In Richmond!!! The weatherman is calling for 8-12" by tomorrow morning.

We haven't had a good snowfall in a few years and we are definitely due. We're all going to wear our pajamas inside out and flush ice cubes tonight in hopes of sledding tomorrow instead of going to school/work. Have you ever heard of that? My kids brought those ideas home from school.

So that's my excuse for not running today. Or biking. I had good intentions, I really did, but before I could get sweats on, hail started falling. My backup plan was to do weights but I haven't quite gotten around to that. Yet.

I had school this weekend - only four more to go. Graduation is May 16 and I'm sort of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Although I've never done a marathon (nor do I ever plan to), I have been likening the rest of this program to hitting the 20 mile point in a marathon and having the second half left to go. I have one 12 page term paper, four presentations, and a debate left to do. It is going to be grueling.

Can you tell I have no direction in this post? Yeh.

But at least I'm posting...
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Dear John... uh, I mean Blogger...

2009-02-19T20:07:00.000-05:00

Dear Blogger,

I fear it may be time for us to part. I’ve found a new distraction that wastes my time and fills my brain with trivial and useless information. Its name is FaceBook.

FaceBook is fun and new and flashy. It connects me with old friends and new friends, family and co-workers. It lets me put short cryptic messages everywhere and allows me to post pictures of my children in what I think is a more secure way. And Blogger, I can chat on FaceBook. Ah, the possibilities!

But Blogger, I must admit that I miss you. You allow me to ramble on about useless nonsense and you suffer silently through my complete self-absorption. With you, my content is my own instead of belonging to some remote company in perpetuity. You connect me to other triathletes who share my interests and verbosity.

You even allow me to use the word triathlete in reference to myself when we both know there’s no basis in reality any more.

Could there be room for both of you in my life? I’d like to try if you would. Please, Blogger, give me another chance.

Love,
Tri-Di
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Virginia is for Lovers

2009-02-12T22:26:00.002-05:00

For those of you who are participating in the 14k and 1.4 mile race at Virginia Beach this weekend like Annnn, I want to offer my heartfelt appreciation.

I just found out that the event is in honor of Team Kainer.

John Kainer and my brother-in-law have been close friends since they were kids. John recently died after a long and valiant struggle with brain cancer. His story is amazing.

I wish I had known - that would be an event worth skipping school for.

Next year.
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Catching Up (again...)

2009-02-01T11:56:00.003-05:00

OMG I can't believe how long it's been since I posted... Jennifer, are you still there? Jodi? Anyone???

The last month has been very stressful and while I've thought about my poor semi-abandoned blog, I really haven't had much to say that would be worth hearing. Just ask anyone who has seen me during this time! Things are getting better as at least my stark fear of losing my job is alleviated for the immediate future. School is busy but interesting. I'm in the last semester and really enjoy the topics this time around - emerging technology, digital economy, large scale implementations. Sounds scintillating to all of you, right? Right?!?!?!? Okay I never said I'm not a geek.

Adding to my pathetic mental state is the fact that I can't figure out when to exercise anymore. It's been bad since Sept and worsened after I wrecked my bike and got out of the habit of getting up early to lift weights during the recovery. Now it's so dark in the morning - I haven't even attempted to haul my fat ass out of bed.

I'm the least fit that I've been in the last 10 years right now, including the times I was pregnant. It's very discouraging.

Today though, I had the opportunity to run in absolutely gorgeous weather. We're in the mountains this weekend, so I knew I had a tough route ahead of me exacerbated by the fact that I haven't run in two weeks. But I did it!

My route up here starts with a lovely 3/4 mile uphill. As I pant like a locomotive, I remind myself of Richard's long ago advice that the first mile is always the hardest. Now he's run marathons and I really don't believe him at that distance, but it works for me.

The next 3/4 mile is rolling hills and ends with a short, steep uphill. During this stretch, I am tempted to make this an out-and-back three mile run. Then I remind myself of Marrrrgo's first run after a break which was five miles and fast. So I turn left to hit the hell loop instead.

This stretch of 1 1/2 miles starts with a downhill so steep that it scares me, then levels off for a few seconds before some steep rolling hills and a loooonnnng gradual and sometimes steep uphill. This is where I wish I hadn't decided to run at all or at least had the sense to turn around earlier. I think about all my girls training for IronMan and poor Deanna who would love to run but can't because of injury. I turn up my music. Today, I had Rainbow's iPod because I forgot to bring mine so I jammed to a lovely selection of Hannah Montana and Corbin Bleu. Which I actually really like. As well as some of my non-R rated songs that she likes too.

As I hit the big hill at the end of this section, my mental talk is working overtime. I can do it, I tell myself. I'm not breathing any harder than I was on the first section, if not less. Run to the next street sign and then evaluate the hill. As my mind is telling me to move forward, my feet inexplicably slow to a walk. My mind quickly acquiesces. So I walk for a few minutes before restarting my slow uphill shuffle. I berate myself for being a total lame ass.

I hit the stop sign and force myself to go left to make up for the walking, and then I turn around to hit the last 3/4 mile stretch on the downhill side to head back home. I notice flat sections and even slight uphills that didn't exist when I was running the other way.

One of my favorite songs comes on Rainbow's iPod ("I don't feel like dancing" by the Scissor Sisters) and I try to crank the tunes up more. I finally realize that it isn't getting any louder because I have limited the volume on her iPod. I'm disappointed but I also give myself a rare parental pat on the back for keeping my baby girl's eardrums intact for a little while longer.

At some point on this stretch, I feel like a runner. I see my house and am vaguely disappointed that my run is over. I realize that's what a downhill finish will do for me. And I suppose that's why I will do it again.

In two weeks. Maybe.
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Coming Soon to a Stadium Near You...

2008-12-27T18:52:00.002-05:00

"Santa" cheated this year.

Don't just take my word for it - consider the evidence for yourself.

The kids got Guitar Hero World Tour (the one with the guitar, drum kit and microphone) and a charger station for Christmas. They never asked for either. And who has been playing it incessantly since we hooked it up last night? Who kept the kids up until after 11 last night to play "just one more song?"

You guessed it... that jolly old elf himself.

Tonight while I was making dinner, I heard my sweet baby girl screaming "NO... SLEEP... TIL BROOKLYN!!!" into the mic. Taz had lead guitar and Scouter was on drums as the Beastie Boys rocked the house.

So of course I had to join. Rainbow hit the "No sleep til Brooklyn" parts and I rapped out the rest.

So much fun...

In retrospect, I think Scouter should do the shopping every year!
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Mommy of the Year - Christmas Style

2008-12-25T12:32:00.003-05:00

Taz awoke at 3:00 this morning. And he never went back to sleep.

Merry fucking Christmas.

(I've been dying to say that.)

Just to torture him back, we told him he had to wait until 7 a.m., as we had informed him repeatedly the day before.

He upped the ante by waking Rainbow at 6:15.

We held firm. Just to be punitive.

Finally at 7 a.m., they bounded down the stairs to find their Santa bounty.

That guy must not have been paying attention this year. They have really not been all that good.

And I could really use a nap.
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Kid Humor

2008-12-20T13:09:00.000-05:00

The other day, Rainbow accompanied me to the grocery store. After the little young bagboy tucked our groceries in the trunk of the car and we were preparing to leave, she turned to me and said, “He was cute.” She paused for a beat and then speculated, “I wonder if he’s available?”

Let me just remind you that she’s only seven.

I smothered a laugh and replied, “Honey! I’m going to have to stop letting you watch iCarly and Zoey 101 if that’s what you’re learning.”

She thought for a minute and then asked for clarification. “So… you’re saying that whatever I’m learning this from has to go away?”

“Yes,” I replied emphatically, still chuckling to myself.

“Well, Mommy, it wasn’t Zoey or iCarly,” she stated confidently. “It was Taz!!!!”

Her brother.

At seven, she’s already way smarter than I’ll ever be.
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Riding with the Big Kids

2008-12-20T13:08:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, I had a rare opportunity to bike. I queried my posse and was pleased to learn that TG40 and Richard could ride too.

I also invited a new friend from work, Susan. This girl is a serious runner – I’m talking an 8 minute mile marathon pace – who cycles for cross training.

In the meantime, TG40 invited Bethany who brought her husband and another couple. Now TG40 is a serious triathlete who could kick my trash up and down any activity I could imagine. Fortunately she’s also very kind and tolerant of not only my antics but my gradual and continuing loss of fitness. I had never ridden with the others and didn’t know what their patience level would be.

I was a little nervous.

I had planned to ride 18 to 20 miles on Sunday. After all, I hadn’t been on my bike for three weeks nor had I done anything else in the interim. And I haven’t ridden more than about 22 miles in probably a year. But Bethany had other ideas and announced a 28 miles loop.

Now I was really nervous. Could I keep up? I suspected that I couldn’t. Plus I know how mileage counts work – 28 probably meant 30 or 32.

After running through my litany of excuses as to why I would be bringing up the rear, I saddled up and away we went.

For the first few miles, Susan rode beside me and we chatted. That translates to she chatted, I grunted out a few questions while trying to hide how hard I was huffing and puffing. About eight miles in, I turned to Richard and asked whether he was really up for 28 miles. “I’ll do what you do,” he replied.

Not the answer I was hoping for.

Without the contrived excuse of having to turn back because Richard didn’t want to do 28, I had to keep going. Soon after, I wasn’t exactly sure where I was and then really had to stick with the group.

TG40 and two of the guys were pretty far out in front, but they would stop periodically to wait for us. At one point, TG40 warned me of the hills towards the end of the route.

Great.

Shortly thereafter, we hit the hills. I ended up in a no-mans-land all alone. I had tried drafting Susan earlier and frankly she’s so darn tiny that it didn’t offer much. I needed Richard’s tire in front of me. But somehow I muddled through.

We stopped and regrouped for the last push. I was happy to be with part of the group again. I knew the rest of the route and it didn’t seem that we would even hit 28 miles. But we did.

I wasn’t fast and I certainly didn’t look good, but I definitely enjoyed the ride. It was nice to push a little beyond my current comfort zone in terms of distance.

I really need to figure out how to get out there more often.
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Mommy of the Year

2008-12-10T21:07:00.003-05:00

Picture this quaint scene: The beautiful live Christmas tree is ensconced in the family room, lights twinkling, while a merry family sips hot chocolate, hums along to classical holiday music playing in the background, and carefully extracts each cherished ornament from its wrapping to hang gently on the tree as they smile fondly at each other.

Then picture my family.

SNAP! "Oops," says Rainbow as the arm cracks off of a nutcracker ornament dated 1992.

CRASH! "Uh oh," says Taz as he spazzes into an entire box of crystal Waterford ornaments carefully collected over the last 15 years.

"DAMMIT!" chimes in Scouter as the tree tips precariously for the fourth time.

Yeh. It was a stressful evening.

And the fucking tree still isn't done.
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Swoosh!

2008-12-08T20:32:00.000-05:00

We spent the weekend snow skiing!

We first took Taz and Rainbow skiing two years ago, when they were five and six, and they hadn’t been since. Somehow, in their little minds, they are experts so they were PISSED when I suggested lessons. Being the evil Mom that I am, I booked them anyway.

And it worked out great! I was cheap and booked group lessons, but skiing is so light this early in the season that it ended up being my two kids with two instructors. They got a great lesson and came out with some good basic skills.

Now they KNOW they’re experts!

Their lesson time gave Scouter and I a chance to remember how to ski since we haven’t been in two years either. We both learned in high school/college, have not skied much, and neither of us is particularly strong. Fortunately we got a lot of runs in and felt comfortable by the end of their lesson.

Not surprisingly, when they rejoined us, Taz went dive-bombing down the mountain and had some spectacular wipe-outs. Rainbow was pretty cautious and snow plowed her way down, along with some big sweeping turns. After one particularly bad fall, Taz was pretty shaken. I calmed him down and convinced him to ski slowly down the mountain with me, making big turns to slow down when he started feeling out of control, with a goal of getting all the way down without falling. I told him that if he concentrated on proper form, speed would come. He did it and was very proud of no falls! And he found it especially funny that Mommy fell once.

By Saturday afternoon, we were cold and tired – or at least I was. When we got home, I collapsed. Scouter started putting up Christmas lights and the kids went running around outside playing in the dusting of snow. You see where they get it from I imagine…

Sunday morning was sunny and clear and very very cold. We lollygagged a bit in the morning then hit the slopes again. My little “experts” couldn’t wait! This time surprisingly Taz took his time, determined not to fall, while Rainbow went flying down the mountain. She too experienced a spectacular fall. My theory is that everyone needs at least one good fall to instill some caution. Rainbow settled down and started thinking about control and turning too.

They did unbelievable well on the slopes and on the lifts. We got a ton of runs in again since the crowd was fairly light. When Scouter said it was time for our last run, they begged for two more. Then another… and another. We finally bribed them with cookies and hot chocolate.

At the end of the day, Taz looked and me and said, “You were right, Mommy! Speed did come!”

All of us can’t wait to do it again!
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I’m pretty sure my middle finger has frostbite… and it’s a good look for me…

2008-11-26T20:20:00.000-05:00

This was an epic workout weekend for me.

Let me put this in perspective for you IronMan and marathon survivors out there who occasionally read this drivel: Never particularly fit to begin with, I have degenerated into a big pile of unmuscled fat. The slide started in May and has accelerated frighteningly over the last three months.

I have a number of excuses. None of which work for me as my clothes are fitting like sausage casings. I recoil in horror whenever I a catch a glimpse of my dimpled cellulite-covered ass in the mirror. Something I try to avoid at all costs but occasionally can’t avoid. Mainly because it is so… well… large. Not the mirror – the ass.

So anyway the point is that when I call a workout weekend “epic,” the bar is low.

It started on Saturday with the annual Turkey Trot at my kids’ school. We’ve never been able to go before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was bitterly cold but still very cute. Their P.E. teacher is amazing. We did a fun warm-up that included the chicken dance. Yes of course I did it! Then we started running half mile laps around the school. Rainbow was supposed to run two laps and Taz was supposed to run three to four based on grade level. After the warm up, Taz and several friends took off at a sprint. Rainbow wanted to run with me, so we wisely paced ourselves and soon passed the boys walking. Moments later, they sprinted past us and we didn’t see them again. She wanted to walk a little but really not much for the four laps that we did together. She’s a little overachiever! I taught her to take advantage of downhills and flats and not waste a walk on them. So that’s my maternal wisdom to pass down through the generations.

After Rainbow and I ran and stretched, we still couldn’t find Taz so Rainbow ran another lap at a sprint to look for him. He meandered up while she was gone, claiming that he’d run five laps. I suspect he and his friends found a spot to hide while the running was going on but I’m not sure. Taz could definitely run; at least one of his friends is not nearly as energetic. Their P.E. teacher told me that they are both “energizer bunnies” – a very apt description.

By then it was a comparatively balmy 37 degrees. (That’s Fahrenheit, Jodi – maybe 3 Celsius? Freaking cold.) I added another layer to go meet TG40 and REB for a bike ride. And a chilly ride it was! Even with my full fingered gloves and foot warmers, I was freezing. At one point I almost wrecked my bike as I was clasping my hands together trying to thaw my fingers. TG40 rode with fingerless gloves and no foot warmers. As REB pointed out, she’s much tougher than us. We rode 23 miles with a frigid head wind the entire way. Seriously. It must have shifted every time we turned. But as always it was great to see those guys and get a ride in.

As we were riding, I was enumerating the ways that cycling is better than triathlon in my head. My top 10 reasons were all various forms of “in cycling, there’s no swimming” and “drafting is legal in cycling.” I do love myself a good draft. And I rewarded myself with three Reese’s cups at the end. So there’s that.

Sunday, while Scouter and the kids went to church, I opted to be a heathen and go for a run instead. To say that I haven’t been running much would be a massive understatement. I basically goaded myself into running five miles. My first ploy was to pick a route that didn’t offer shorter options without flat out admitting defeat, turning around and going home. My second mind game was to remind myself of my friend Patty charging through a marathon after swimming 2.4 miles and riding 112, or my friend Susan hitting the wall at mile 21 of the marathon and still finishing in 3:42. She was pacing 8 minute miles until mile 21 – amazing. I couldn’t feel worse than they did, or so I told myself to keep my legs moving. I made it through and was very proud of my accomplishment.

Monday morning, just for the hell of it, I actually got my fat ass out of bed on time and did some weights. Only 30 minutes but I’ll take it.

I haven’t done a damn thing since but I’ve been a little sore and it feels really good.

Almost as good as those Reese’s cups taste.
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Mommy - ah make that Daddy - of the Year

2008-11-08T21:45:00.002-05:00

Today Taz and I were having a chat while he ate lunch.

"Mommy, I know the 's' cuss," he announced.

"Really?" I replied noncommittally.

"Yep." And then responding to demands from his sister, he elaborated, "It starts with SH and rhymes with spit."

She was fascinated and tried several combinations before she got it right. He was so proud.

"I also know the 'f' cuss," he announced next. "Not the 'f-u' one but the other one."

I admit to being a bit puzzled. What's the other 'f' cuss? I wondered.

Apparently Taz couldn't stand the wait while I processed. "Mom, it's friggin," he said. Then he elaborated. "I know the 'b' cuss and the 'd' cuss too. My friend on the bus says there are two 'b' cusses but I think he's wrong."

I had to think for a minute to come up with two 'b' cusses, but I kept them to myself. Clearly his vocabulary of profanity is more well developed than mine. "Really?" I inquired. "And have you learned all these bad words on the bus?"

"NAH!" Taz responded.

"Where then?" I asked.

He cocked his head and looked at me as though the answer were obvious, and then he said, "From Dad. DUH. He says them all the time."
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October: A Retrospective

2008-11-07T19:42:00.011-05:00

So yeah, I’ve sucked at blogging since… well pretty much since I started grad school. I’ve had a lot of thoughts in my head for but no time to actually write them down. In a futile attempt to catch up, here’s October in a nutshell.

The month started with – what else? – a school weekend. Which also included the wedding of one of my new school friends! Here are most of the women in the program with the beautiful bride:

About school. I’m in module 3 of 4 and this one is very difficult for me. The first two modules were short and fairly easy because I had more experience in those areas. This one requires me to do a lot of extra research. I like it though because I want to come out on the other end with this knowledge.

At one point this month, I had a complete college flashback – more than just my usual snacking and procrastination. You could even call it a meltdown instead of just a flashback. I was working on an assignment where I had to create a data model in fourth normalization. If you don’t know what that means – hey, I’m right there with you! I could follow the examples in the book but I couldn’t make the leap to actually create and apply the concepts on my own. I felt incredibly anxious and frustrated, but– just like college – because I was working on the assignment so late (9:00 Thursday night, due at noon on Friday), I couldn’t even reach out for help. In college, I would have bagged the whole thing and gone to Scouter’s fraternity party. This time, while I admit to pouring a glass of wine, I sucked it up and did the best I could to have something to turn in. So I guess I have matured a little over the last (ahem) 20 years.

Did you guys ever watch the Waltons when you were growing up? Remember the two old ladies who were constantly having sips of their “medicine” and were completely in the bag the whole time? That’s what I’m turning into.

Anyway… my program requires a significant amount of team assignments. We had one team for modules 1 & 2, a new team for module 3, and we’ll be assigned to another new team for module 4 in January. I’ve been very lucky so far. My first team named ourselves “Team Rocks” and we did just that. There were three guys and me and we brought very different skills and perspectives to the table. My team this time is “Team Pink” (which reminds me of TriGirls!). The program director thought it would be cool to have an all female team, and that’s us. The women on my team are absolutely fantastic although I will say the difference between my guy and girl teams is that the women want to spend a lot more time together. This is a highly technical module and we’ve been hurt by not having a geek on the team, but we joke that we trade geek services for diva services. And the divas have team meetings at wine shops, so you’ve gotta love that.

So as you can probably tell, school has been absorbing a disproportionate amount of my time. I’m really looking forward to a break in December.

Sadly, exercise has fallen by the wayside, especially this month. I took two weeks off after my bike wreck (with the exception of one bike ride in the middle when the fabulous TG40 took me out for a spin to get me back in the saddle – I couldn’t keep up with her, as usual, but it was awesome!). My palms still really hurt from the impact but I’ve made some modifications to my weight routine so that I can do that again. I’ve been fairly consistent with weights twice a week but I can’t figure out how to consistently run or bike. And I can’t get myself to step up to weights three times a week.

Richard, TG40 and I rode last weekend and it was awesome! Otherwise, I’m just eating, drinking and getting fat. I caught a really ugly view of the back of my legs this week and recoiled in horror. Jennifer pointed out that running is the best thing for your thighs. Sigh.

I’m promising myself a light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps a late season Oly in 2009 and maybe, just maybe, stepping up to a half IM in 2010? That sounds like a long way away but I know it really isn’t.

Fun things of late include scheduling some recurring lunches with several sets of girlfriends so we can catch back up. I’ve been getting a rash of shit for constantly missing bunko, book club, girls’ weekends, etc etc. It’s nice to be missed. And I’ll be back!

My college roommate Jill and her family came to visit over the holiday weekend in early October and we all went to the mountains. There were some hilarious email exchanges between Jill and Scouter prior about city people not hiking. She offered to drive us to the trail and then meet us on the deck with cocktails afterwards. In actuality, the dads and the kids did some great hikes while she and I went to the spa and hung out on the deck. We also spent a lot of time looking at villas in Tuscany for our trip this spring. And as usual, we had a lot lot lot of cocktails, from coffee martinis to pomegranate margaritas to wine. Not surprisingly, we also had my famous (in my own mind) hangover cure protein shakes every morning.

Here are some pictures from the weekend. The trees looked more fall-like in person!

We spend another weekend in the mountains with just our family and did an awesome hike. It was very challenging with breathtaking views. Here’s the trail we had just walked. Note the red paint on trees and rocks – those are the trail markings:

Here's our nature siting of the month.... I think I prefer the bear!

And here's a shot of the view:

Here’s Scouter the mountain man:

My favorite party, the Comfort Zone Camp fall bash, was in October. I had a blast dancing with my girls to the Right On! band but sadly this is the only photo I managed to get. The party is at a horse farm and here's the barn:

And not to be political but here’s a photo from another highlight of the month:

Alright, so that’s October. What I remember of it anyway. No promises to be much better before I graduate in May, but I’ll do what I can….

Cheers!
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Congratulations, New Iron(wo)men

2008-11-02T20:32:00.003-05:00

Congrats to all the awesome TriGirls and everyone else who competed in Ironman Florida yesterday. You are all amazing, inspirational, fantastic, unbelievable, spectacular... and frankly exhausting.

And congrats also to all the Iron(wo)men to be who took the big plunge and registered for IMFL 2009. That's a bold and brave move. I admire you.

Personally, I rode about 20 today and felt pretty damn good about myself.

You guys rock!!!!
~~~
UPDATE: IronWoman Patty (better known as Patty Who Hits Me or PWHM by Annnnn) rocked the course in 13:18. She averaged a blistering 17.7 mph on the 112 mile bike. I'm in awe!
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Mommy of the Year

2008-10-29T21:55:00.003-04:00

I got home late tonight from a team meeting for school and my kids had already gone to sleep. Rainbow left me this note:

Dear Mommy,
I really miss you all day & night. Your gone so much & I hardley see you. Lots of hugs and kisses (I love you so much!)
x0x0x0x0x0x0:):):)

Sometimes I have to wonder - am I doing the right thing?
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Top 10 Things I Haven’t Done Since The Crash

2008-10-17T19:23:00.002-04:00

10. Wash my hair. Admittedly, and perhaps frighteningly, that’s not so unusual.
9. Worn clothing without an elastic waistband. When your hands are barely functional, you’ve got to have easy access. And I don’t mean that in any way sexual. Scouter’s still a jackass.
8. Exercise. Again, not so unusual.
7. Worn makeup. While I desperately need it, I couldn’t endure the pain of water and pressure on my ripped up hands to wash it off.
6. Gone more than four hours without Tylenol. I think I bought the type that contains crack as the main ingredient.
5. Gone more than 12 hours without Neosporin. I couldn’t find it yesterday morning and I totally freaked out. I was frantically opening drawers and cabinets with a wild look in my eyes, asking my kids if they knew where it was, and muttering insane things like, “Mommy is VERY upset.” Is there topical crack?
4. Homework. No excuse really; just haven’t wanted to do it. Fortunately for me, the server at school crashed last night and everyone may get an extension. I have no personal knowledge of the problem but I’m told it was an issue for others.
3. Had a reasonable conversation with my husband. The bulk of his concern has been a text message on Tuesday morning to see how I was feeling. When I said I felt like I’d been hit by a truck, his response was along the lines of, “Yeah, I thought it would hurt.” Thanks for that compassion, honey.
2. Drank wine or any other alcohol. I worry that it may conflict with all the crack. And it may also have something to do with a four day binge with my college roommate last weekend – more on that topic once I recover sufficiently to properly communicate our antics. Assuming I remember any of them at this point.

And the number one thing I haven’t done since the crash is…

DRUM ROLL please!

1. Gone out of the house without a ginormous band aid on my chin. It is all the rage in Paris this season, and I must say – not only is it a very attractive accessory but also a scintillating conversation piece.
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Update

2008-10-16T21:31:00.004-04:00

I've become a big fan of extra strength Tylenol and Neosporin in the last few days. That's some good shit. For the first two days, I was even getting up in the middle of the night to get my fix of both.

My hands are recovered to the point that I can use them somewhat - tremendously helpful in navigating life - and my chin is slowly healing. I can actually get my stitches out Saturday, if I have time. I've heard lots of horror stories from people who had far worse injuries resulting from a flying dive over handlebars, so I'm actually feeling fortunate that it wasn't worse.

Today I finally felt like myself again. Yes it still hurt to do basic things like shower and cross my legs (lots of bruises on my thigh) but I feel less as though I've been run over by a truck.

I appreciate all the love, support, messages, and phone calls. Thanks especially to my friend Cate's nine year old son who wants to be a doctor and who sent me a care package complete with a note in his "doctor handwriting" and two bandaids that look like bacon strips.

Scouter's still a jackass though.
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When you see my biking in a football helmet, you'll know why...

2008-10-14T20:43:00.003-04:00

I haven't biked in a few weeks (or really exercised at all come to think of it) and I really miss it. So yesterday when I had the opportunity to be at home with my kids on a beautiful afternoon, I suggested that we ride around the neighborhood.

Rainbow has a cool new purple bike that she just got for her birthday. It's big and we have the seat as low as it will go, but she's doing really well on it. Taz, not surprisingly, is a hot rod and loves to ride with no hands, pop wheelies, ride up the curb, and generally show boat. He gets it from his father.

We spun around the neighborhood, stopping in to visit friends along the way. We had to stop and run a quick errand in the car, and then the kids begged for another loop. The sun was shining, the day was stunning, we were having fun... I'm game!

Traffic was a little heavier the second time around. We took a different route and stopped to see a couple more friends. Rainbow and Taz were calling, "Car back!" "car front!" and "clear!" at regular and appropriate intervals.

As we were heading home, the road got a little busier. I was looking back at traffic, turned forward, and wham! My kids were stopped right in front of me. I slammed on the breaks, my bike stopped on a dime - but my body didn't. I felt myself sailing through the air. I saw the stunned expressions on my children's faces. Then time sped up and I felt the pavement, first with my hands and then with my chin as it bounced on the ground.

Some poor woman in a mini-van stopped and wanted to drive us home - which probably would have been smart. Instead, I asked her for a tissue to hold to my chin. I tried to ride my bike home and it took me about a block to realize that my chain had fallen off and start walking my bike instead. Taz said he was amazed that I wasn't crying and was surprised when I told him I was. Thank goodness for sunglasses. Sweet little Rainbow rode the last block home as fast as she could, then ran back to get my bike.

Damn if all the kids and most of the parents on my street weren't outside playing. Pretty soon, I had a crowd when all I wanted was to get away from them. Two of my neighbors are nurses and they insisted that I go to the doctor. One of them kept my kids and called my husband while I headed to patient first. In a short time span filled with dumb moves, another one was to drive myself. My hands were stinging so it hurt to grip the steering wheel, and I had to use one to hold ice and tissues on my chin. Driving got even more fun when Scouter called. I have to say, he was much more pissed that he had to leave work than at all sympathetic. Bastard.

Anyway, I finally made it to patient first without further incident and some weird little medical assistant took my height and weight (far more frightening than the injury). I was totally freaked out by the thought of stitches. The nurse tried to reassure me by saying they were no worse than child birth - ha ha ha. NOT at all what I wanted to hear. Then she made me suffer further by dumping antiseptic over all my other lacerations. (See, I learned new terminology while I was there.)

I spent some time checking out the place while I was waiting, and Margo, you'll be happy to know they use predominantly McKesson gear. I thought about Annnn and her brave self who shed not one tear as she finished her run with a sprained ankle and a huge gash in her knee before going to get stitches.

It didn't really help.

Finally the doctor came in to stitch me up. She said the numbing part would be the worst and then proceeded to jab me repeatedly with a dagger. Yep, I'll agree with that worst part. Although watching the stitching action was a close second. Here's a picture, just for Annnn. (I'd advise everyone else to SKIP IT!)

When I got home, the children were highly sympathetic (even though Scouter still wasn't). I was very tired and in pain. That's when Rainbow suggested that I start wearing a football helmet with a chin strap and the mouth guard.

A damn good idea.

The dog ate my homework and other unacceptable excuses

2008-09-30T19:54:00.001-04:00

So. Yesterday I spent hours on a one page paper. It is very bad. While I was purportedly working on said paper, I ate four cookies, two bites of brownie, some French fries and Rainbow’s leftover chicken tenders. I helped Taz with his math homework. He read to me, and then Rainbow read to me. We sorted their spelling words. I folded laundry. We watched Zoey 101. I hate Zoey 101. Then I updated my blog and read several others. I cried for awhile because Annnnn is threatening to deprive me of her wit for an entire month. I celebrated Debbie Jo’s phenomenal swim at Naylor’s with her sweet swim angel TG40. I went up and down the stairs 45 times to get water, rub heads, and finally to threaten sanctions if a certain two children did not go to sleep…NOW! I talked to a friend on the phone. I put laundry away. I sorted my sock drawer. Okay not really but I might as well have.

My paper meanwhile is in sad shape. There are some random thoughts, a disclaimer, and a few partial references stuck at the bottom. That’s it.

My excuse at least to myself is that it’s a stupid assignment.

It really is.

But still, I have to do it. And do it reasonably well.

I think I have some toilets to clean …
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Sunshine

2008-09-29T19:35:00.001-04:00

My life of late has shrunken to include only school and work. It is fairly tedious. I get up, get the kids ready for school and on the bus, go to work, help the kids with their homework, go to school or to a team meeting to work on homework… and that’s about it.

But suddenly a ray of sunshine entered my life. Not really, because it has been cold and rainy here the last two days. But metaphorically, my world got brighter on Wednesday when I met some of my TriGirlfriends for lunch. I miss those girls.

We were a small but rowdy group and somehow as lunch wore on, more and more tables around us became vacated. Lest you think the restaurant was just emptying, let me assure you that was not the case. We were at an island surrounded by empty tables with an outer ring of all full tables.

One man who inexplicably pulled his table very close to ours learned more than he ever wanted to know about breast feeding.

I had fun dinner plans Wednesday night too. All the women in my graduate program, two of our professors and several women from previous classes went to dinner. I think I must have carried some TriGirl mojo with me because this group was pretty rowdy too and we closed the place down. After we drank all their wine.

It was a good day and reminded me that I need to lift my head every now and then to reconnect with the people I love and plan some fun with the people I spend a lot of suffer time with.

Am I prohibited from participating in amateur events now?

2008-09-22T21:23:00.002-04:00

Let me set the stage - I learned to golf as an adult. It does not feel natural and I imagine I look a bit like an out-of-control windmill. If windmills had big thighs. A good 90% of the time that I hit the ball, I either miss it entirely or it rolls about four inches.

And that's as good as it got when I actually used to play fairly regularly...

Since I was pregnant with Taz nine years ago, I've barely swung a club. The first time was at the driving range at our family reunion in July, when Rainbow critiqued my swing and actually gave me some great tips. She also did a pretty entertaining imitation of my form, with her little butt sticking way out. It looked like a combo golf swing/dance move. And I'm sure her imitation had far more style than my actual move.

The next day, Scouter and I played in a couples tournament. It was totally my style - our foursome of two couples competed against another foursome in a best ball format. That means we all hit our shot, then we picked up our ball and carried it to the best player's location to hit again. The pro told us that ladies are allowed to tee all our drive and fairway shots. Since I have a tendency to top everything, this was beautiful for me. We didn't use many of my shots, but I didn't humiliate myself either.

A few days later, Scouter, the kids and I played a par 3. I could not have played worse. Or cared less. Rainbow and I bailed after the front nine. My only regret is that I was such a poor example to her. But we had fun.

So fast forward a couple months, and somehow I got roped into playing in a work event. I was suckered in by a smooth talker who told me they wanted a woman on every team and that it was all for fun. He said his goal was to make all the other business teams wish they worked for us because we were having so much fun. Hey I can do that. My commitment was to hit a drive when the women's tee offered a significant advantage, putt first, drink beer, and have fun.

Turns out, I was the only woman who played for my company. In general there were not many women at the event other than the beer wenches. I was paired, thankfully, with three guys I know. But I didn't know they were expert golfers! One guy played in college and the other two must play a lot. Even when I had a big advantage on the tee and the dumb luck to hit a decent shot (for me), theirs were better. I didn't even bother to hit any fairway shots.

Somehow I managed to get my tee shot on the green on the par 3 that was the closest to the hole pin for the women. I overshot the pin by a good 30 feet but the guys on my team encouraged me to fill in my name and location anyway. The green was long and narrow, so maybe no other woman would get on it. I have to admit, I thought it was laughable.

We played on, and I even drank a few beers. For awhile, they even made my play better. Or perhaps they just made me think I was playing better. No matter...

After the round, there was a cookout and an awards ceremony. We finished at nine under and the winner was something like 18 under. There was much speculation about cheating. We left before the awards.

Later that night, my neighbor came over to deliver my prize. Lo and behold, I won closest to the pin for the women! I got a nice plaque and a $50 gift certificate to the golf club.

I've got a huge golf bug right now.

And I bet Annika Sorenstam is pretty nervous.
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I scoff at high gas prices

2008-09-16T21:09:00.004-04:00

Seriously, have any of us ever seen this in our lifetimes? Check out the $0.599 per gallon rate at the bottom right.

I used my Ukrops valued customer card and saved $3.50 per gallon on gas tonight. Sweet! For those of you not in Richmond, Ukrops is a local grocery store that cut a deal with local gas stations . For ever $50 you spend in groceries, you get $0.50 off per gallon of gas. I obviously hadn't been taking advantage of this offer... until now!

Commiserating

2008-09-15T22:03:00.002-04:00

So...

I'm on day two of Scouter being out of town on a business trip and I just read Dooce's hilarious account of being home alone with her preschooler. OMG that woman is funny. I feel so much better. At least I didn't decide to do an arts and crafts project!

We spent much of yesterday shopping for Halloween costumes, birthday presents, and a new backpack. Today thank God they had school. We haven't had a meal at home yet. I forced myself to have a salad tonight since all I've eaten for two days is red meat.

It is 10 p.m. Taz is still awake and Rainbow is asleep in my bed. I call this a victory compared to last night when they both slept in my bed and I got no sleep whatsoever. Every time I tried to sneak into one of their beds, someone woke up and wanted to know why I wasn't in the middle and where I was going.

I am happy that Scouter is coming home tomorrow but a little concerned about all the dish washing and vacuuming I have to do in preparation.
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Mommy of the Year

2008-09-12T20:16:00.002-04:00

I was in a meeting this week with a woman who had a plaque that read:

Raising children is like being pecked to death by chickens.

That really resonated with me.
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Here's the fairy tale I'll tell my daughter... when she's a little older!

2008-09-07T10:45:00.002-04:00

Misnomer

2008-09-01T15:19:00.002-04:00

If this is "labor" day I gotta tell you, I love it.

We slept in this morning then enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before heading out for a hike. The one we did today was classified as "difficult" and there were some great rocky ascents and descents. It took us an hour and 45 minutes to hike about two miles. That's either a testament to the difficulty or too our casual mindset.

After hiking, we hung out on the deck a bit and Scouter got a wild hair and started popping chillies. (Those are beers in Scouter lingo.) We lit the grill for chops and corn. I opened a bottle of Blue Mountain Brewery Mandolin artisanal ale. Now Scouter and I are both very mellow while Taz and Rainbow run circles around the house.

Taz tasted a sip of beer and now he says he wants to live in the mountains forever so that all he has to do for the rest of his life is hike and drink beer.
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Wow what a view!

2008-09-01T14:26:00.007-04:00

Here are some photos from our various hikes this weekend. Enjoy!

What's that saying about a bear shitting in the woods?

2008-08-31T15:43:00.002-04:00

We're in the mountains for Labor Day weekend, and today we decided to try a new series of trails that were recommended to us by a local guy.

To access the trail, we had to walk down a gravel access road to a substation. It wasn't very pretty and it was steeply downhill. When we got to the trail, it was open and beautiful. We hiked for awhile and heard water. Before long, we saw a stream and soon afterwards, we crossed over it. Our destination was a scenic overlook that was stunning. Other than Taz thinking he was invincible and dancing too close to the edge, it was a very nice break.

On the way back, we were walking single file up a hill, with Taz and Duchess leading the way, Scouter following close behind, Rainbow and I about ten feet behind bringing up the rear. All of a sudden, Scouter started backing down the trail pulling Taz with him and almost ran over Rainbow. I heard a rustle and we all started backing slowly down the trail. Scouter was clearly concerned.

We stood in silence for a few seconds, then Scouter told us he had heard a deep growl and he was pretty sure it was a bear. None of us saw anything.

Of course, the embellishment began at that point and suddenly Taz had not only heard a growl but he had seen a huge 500 pound black bear right beside him.

We considered our options. Forward was toward where the growl had been, but backwards looped around in the direction we thought the bear had gone.

We loitered a little longer then ventured forth slowly and making a lot of noise. As we edged past where we had been previously when Scouter heard the growl, we saw a big pile of apparently fresh bear scat. That's shit for you non-mountain people like me. (I had no idea.)

We continued to hike noisily through the woods and soon returned to the trail head. The kids kept saying they heard growling the rest of the way. Scouter was apprehensive while I was trying to make jokes so the kids wouldn't be terrified of the woods. Needless to say, that wide access rode by the substation looked pretty good to all of us, even with the steep ascent.

So what does happen when a bear shits in the woods?

Apparently he doesn't like to be interrupted!

Can't blame the guy, really.
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Catching up since vacation

2008-08-30T20:31:00.000-04:00

So did anybody notice that I had a run in late July where I was fairly prolific? It was all for SusieQ and Margo, you know. But it turns out that I’m just not interesting enough to blog every day. Who knew???

I have had a number of posts bouncing around in my head but no time to write them, so here’s a quick summery of Life of TriDi since vacation.

The week we got back, Scouter announced that he was starting to go to work early. Why this schedule change couldn’t wait until school started for the kids is beyond me. Since the few pathetic workouts I’ve done this summer have been in the morning – which is the only time I have – I was screwed.

Has he been talking to Thomas???

He made concessions to let me run Tuesday morning and bike Wednesday morning, thank goodness. And the weather cooperated by being a little cooler so I could run one night. And I got my butt into the attic to do a weight workout. So it wasn’t a total bust.

Wednesday’s ride was a blast. We had a pretty large group consisting of some of my all time favorite bike partners: Richard, Deanna, Jackie, and Patty. We rode 16 miles at a 17.6 pace which is quite good for me. I’m sure I had more to say on this topic but it all escapes me now.

The weekend was its usual craziness. I had school on Friday and Saturday with a ton of work to do to prepare – mostly brought on by the fact that I did nothing in the Hamptons and had to do all my work in two days.

Saturday afternoon, we went to a cookout at Jennifer’s house. Two of her sisters were there too and it was fabulous to catch up with all of them. I threatened to reveal more about the evening on my blog, but again – too much time has passed. Sunday, we went to Northern Virginia to take Scouter’s parents to the Lion King at the Kennedy Center. What a great show!

This week, my workouts have been similarly restricted. I did weights Monday and Thursday, and on Tuesday I ran after work while Taz biked beside me. That’s always fun. Wednesday, Richard, Deanna and I planned a ride but darkness and rain convinced us to skip it. We really need the rain so I’m trying hard not to complain. Friday I did the big nothing. This morning (Saturday) I had good intentions to run but didn’t. This afternoon, I mentioned to Scouter that he needed to kick my butt out the door to run tomorrow and he suggested the alternative to run tonight. My immediate reaction was NO WAY! I’m too tired. But then I decided it was a good idea and ran my four mile mountain route. It was hard but fortunately I forgot my Garmin so I don’t have to face pathetic stats.

Now, I’m looking forward to a relaxing holiday weekend! More to come…

Woo Hoo!

Trip Report

2008-08-25T21:21:00.002-04:00

You know, most triathlete blogs offer up a race report with some regularity. At house 'o TriDi, since there is no racing going on this year, you get a Trip Report instead.

Every summer, we are lucky enough to go to the Hamptons with my college roommate Jill and her family. They live in Manhattan and have a second home there. I think the key to our inclusion is that our kids are the same age as their older kids. And I'll take it!

This year, I had school the weekend we were leaving. It was the first weekend back for the third module of the program. I was excited to see everyone again after our July break but I'm very nervous about this module - it is the most unfamiliar to me and will be the most difficult. Therefore, it is the one I need the most! On Friday, we found out where we're going for our class trip. I'd heard a lot of talk about Africa, Quatar, and Egypt so I was fully prepared to go somewhere that would be a good educational trip but maybe not the funnest location. I was delirious then when I found out we are going to Italy!!!! Interestingly, we had planned a trip to Italy with Jill and Andy for the summer of 2000 - almost exactly the week that I delivered little baby Taz. So I was even more excited to head to NY and convince them to meet us in Italy after my class trip!

We left late Saturday afternoon and spent the night at Scouter's parent's house in Northern Virginia. That drive to NoVa was the worst part of the whole trip! Traffic on 95 is a nightmare. We left their house at 5 a.m. on Sunday - Scouter's plan so that the kids and I sleep for a few hours and the trip is less excruciating for all involved. So we arrived at their house before lunch. Scouter and I hadn't even gotten out of the car by the time Taz and Rainbow were already in the basement playing Wii with their buddies!

The first thing Jill and I did was cut up fruit to ferment for Blackbirds, all the while discussing the cocktails we were going to have that week. She had a new pear martini recipe that sounded intriguing. Andy teased us unmercifully, all the while uncorking a bottle of wine to have with lunch.

Yes, that's the kind of vacation we enjoy!

We spent the day lounging by their pool and I have to admit to napping just a bit in the afternoon. Before long, it was happy hour time (or tini time as we like to call it). We started off with a tried and true lemon/citrus martini - whatever the correct name for it is. Eventually we grilled steaks with tomato casserole and broccoli, because we forgot to bring the corn we'd bought.

I should probably warn you now that Jill's and my favorite way to while away the morning is by looking at recipes and planning dinner. We both like to cook almost as much as we like to eat.

Monday, the guys took the kids to the beach while Jill and I hung out at her house. I forced myself to go for a four mile run, mainly because I have a route I really enjoy up there and wanted to see all the gorgeous homes. Then I pretended like I was going to do homework but really I just carried a book around with me as I moved the angle of my lounge chair to maximize the sun. There really is no point given that I wear 45 block but I suppose it's force of habit. We ran some errands including a trip to the grocery for that night's dinner materials and while we were out, we heard there was a tornado watch on Long Island. We called the boys, who didn't believe us but came home anyway. By 3:00, it was pouring rain. We never did experience the golf ball size hail that some counties experienced. Instead, we sat under their covered deck, drank Blackbird martinis, and played Taboo. When the rain subsided, we grilled chicken for my absolute favorite Cobb salad. It's a Bobby Flay recipe and it is amazing - I request it every year.

Tuesday, the boys took the kids to the beach again. Then I gave up all pretense of doing homework and lounged by the pool reading one of Jill's novels, In The Woods, instead. It was quite good. We got a little crazy at tini time and exceeded our two martini limit, which was learned the hard way in previous years. I guess we are like children and needed to test our boundaries! We had a fantastic dinner of lobster, orzo and corn, pear and goat cheese salad along with lots of wine. After we put the kids to bed, we played Wii karaoke. Jill and I sang "YMCA" and each of the guys sang a song and we recorded them. We even made our own Mii characters. It was hilarious! When we played them back to the kids the next day, we were all laughing hysterically while they were looking at us like we were nuts. We actually scared Jill's younger children.

Wednesday we ventured to the beach with the whole crew - the two guys and all six kids. The ocean was freezing and New Yorkers have no sense of personal space, but the weather was beautiful and it was nice to see the beach this summer. Scouter had his celebrity sighting coup of all time with Sienna Miller in a white string bikini. That night after tini time, we grilled pork chops and peaches with an amazing sauce. I can't even remember what we had with it but rest assured plenty of planning went into the whole meal. We were a little lower key that evening and did something crazy like watch the Olympics. This might be the night that the four of us spent a lot of time searching the Internet for villas in Italy and discussing options for where to stay. We're deciding between Tuscany and Portafina. Ah, decisions decisions!

Thursday the boys took the kids bowling and back to the beach. I want to say this is the morning I ventured out for my second run. I know I was evilly hung over and figured I was going to be miserable no matter what so I might as well run. It did make me feel better, once it was finally over. Then Jill and I went out to lunch and to the spa. I had a facial and Jill had a massage. Afterwards we were in veg mode and opted to go out to dinner. Jill's mom came to help her nanny watch the kids so we could go. I have to say that the restaurants we'd been to previously were over priced and frankly kind of average. This one however was amazing! It was called Almondcello. I think that's how it's spelled. I had a tomato, basil and mozzarella salad to start and a fabulous scallop dish as my main course. Scouter and I split a warm chocolate hazelnut torte for dessert and I swear it was the best thing I've ever eaten. We shared tastes and all dishes were equally delicious. When we got back, Jill's mom raved about how good our kids are and I said a silent prayer that they tend to behave better for other people. And they were all asleep - bonus! I think she bribed them with dollars to go to bed and not talk. Seriously. That's the kind of crap you can pull when you're the grandma. My kids have adopted her and pop-pop (whom they call Popsicle) as their third set of grandparents.

Friday the guys golfed in the morning while we hung with the kids at the house. When the guys got back, they were wiped so we hung at the pool all day. Even the kids were happy at the pool after so much beach time. I made shrimp and grits for dinner because I thought it was very funny to introduce my northern friends to a southern recipe. I'm not sure they enjoyed it but Scouter did.

Saturday the boys snuck in another golf game. I knew nothing about their plans until Scouter woke me up when it was still dark outside to tell me he was leaving. Jill said Andy did the same thing. Then they took the older kids to a friend's pool and my poor little Taz got stung on his head by hornets. Jill's nanny, who is from Georgia (the former USSR Georgia, not ours) treated the bites with vodka. I have to admit I was hesitant but it seemed to work. Popsicle brought us ribs for lunch and we made the orzo with corn again to see if it was as good sober as we thought it was earlier in the week. We had steak for dinner in celebration of Scouter's upcoming birthday, which we do every year, with blueberry pie for dessert. I don't remember what else we had. I think the alcohol had seeped into every pore of my body by then and my brain was mush. We were reasonable well behaved Saturday night, mainly because we had to pack. We left early the next morning to head back to Richmond after another great week in the Hamptons.

Ah, good times. When we got home, I had to ask the kids and Scouter how their vacations were because we all had our individual experiences with our friends.

I can't wait until next year!
.

Mommy of the Year

2008-08-20T21:28:00.001-04:00

So tonight Taz was such a complete pain in the ass that even he finally got tired of getting scolded and announced that he was running away from home.

Scouter held the door open while I called "goodbye!"

Sadly, he was bluffing.

Lessons Learned

2008-08-16T08:41:00.002-04:00

We are, sadly, at the end of our annual week of vacation in the Hamptons with my college roommate and her family. We've had a blast, as always, and while you wait patiently for a full trip report, here are some lessons I've learned this week (some more painfully than others):

1. Stop after two martinis. Three are a really bad idea.
2. Happy hours that start at 3 p.m. are a bad idea as well.
3. Hot dogs for breakfast are very entertaining for kids.
4. Running, cramping, and hangover(ing) all suck individually but combined result in a death march.
5. When I'm not training for a race, I'm extremely unmotivated to exercise on vacation. That one's a shocker, eh?
6. Taboo is a fun cocktail game and the clues get very creative as time goes on.
7. My college roommate is still one of the coolest girls I've ever met.
8. Wine with lunch leads directly to an afternoon nap.
9. Trips planned at midnight will probably never happen.
10. Karaoke songs played back the next morning are still hysterically funny to the adults but the kids think it's a little weird.

Insightful, aren't I?

Year to Date

2008-08-07T20:30:00.002-04:00

Yikes! I didn't realize how long it had been since I updated my exercise stats on the right. They're pretty lame, but not as bad as they showed before.

By comparison to 2007, I have actually run more year-to-date in 2008. Training for that little half marathon in March must have really helped my numbers. Plus, running is the one thing I've been able to do pretty consistently this year.

Everything else is dismal by comparison. I've biked less than half as much this year, done 25% less weight training, 66% less yoga, and 100% less swimming. Sadly, I have not been in the pool other than to play with my kids this summer. I'm really not at all sad about it until I look at the big fat zero on my stats.

So alas, it is what it is.

Maybe it will be motivating. Maybe I'll have another glass of wine.

With a Little Help from my Friends

2008-08-07T20:19:00.001-04:00

Did you know that it’s still dark at 6 a.m. now? I just realized that it was getting light later last week as I started my early morning bike rides in dim lighting and got to see the sun rise.

As much as I miss the light in the morning, it is a huge bonus at night when I can get my kids to bed a little earlier.

But I digress…

So yesterday morning, my cycling chicks and I met at 6:15 instead of 6:00. It was so nice to have an extra 15 minutes of sleep and – surprise of all – I actually got there five minutes early. I even remembered to bring some lube to treat my poor little squeaky chain that has been complaining for weeks. Maybe months. And I pumped my tire without giving myself a flat – what a good day!

TG40 came rolling in shortly thereafter and apparently I passed my bad mojo onto her for the week. Her tire was so flat that she couldn’t even get air into it at all. Neither of us had replaced spare tubes we used with recent flats, so sadly she had to leave us on four wheels instead of the two she usually smokes me with. Had it been me, I would have gone back to bed; she was planning to fit in a swim. So impressively dedicated.

Megan remembered that she lived right down the street and biked to our meeting spot this time. (Last time we met there, she drove and kicked herself about three quarters of the way through the ride when she realized what she’d done. But hey, it’s awfully early.)

We ended up starting our ride about a half hour later than usual. It’s amazing what a difference 30 minutes makes with traffic but it still wasn’t too bad. The only problem with this route is that there isn’t much chat time – a huge priority of mine – but we managed to fit some in. It’s so great to see my girls and catch up during the week.

We ended up riding 19.5 miles at 17.5 mph average. I’d like to reverse those numbers one day so that I’m riding at a 19.5 mph pace… but I think that would take a leetle more training than I’m currently doing! Maybe next year.

Beautiful day. Nice ride.

It’s all good.

Mommy of the Year

2008-08-06T21:52:00.001-04:00

I come in the door from work to be greeted with great joy. Taz and Rainbow tackle me with hugs and kisses while Duchess jumps around frantically yelping for my attention and licking my legs. Scouter grunts… a good indication of how the afternoon has been.

Within seconds, both kids resume whatever argument they were in prior to my arrival. I attempt to flee upstairs while Scouter resumes whatever discipline he was in the process of dishing out. But, I get sucked into the argument before I hit the steps. And Scouter is the one to flee to another room behind a closed door.

Next comes a flurry of dinner related activities, which include me listing 100,000 options for meals and the kids rejecting every single one. Generally, they narrow the choices to chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, or hot dogs. Then we argue the merits of fruit, vegetables, and milk. I mean how bad can strawberries, baby carrots slathered in ranch dressing, or chocolate milk really taste?

I know, I know – smart parents make one meal and the family enjoys it together. I’m sure the kids even thank the parent for preparing a delicious healthy meal. Yeh. I’ve tried that. The results were me jumping up from the table every five seconds until my meal was stone cold, listening to gagging sounds from Rainbow as she refused to even taste anything on her plate, while Scouter threatened early bedtime and no dessert.

Here's the alternative. Still in my work clothes, I scamper around the kitchen getting napkins and more ketchup, mopping up spilled milk, and unloading the dishwasher.

Next comes bath time which means another argument ensues as both Taz and Rainbow want to use the shower in my bathroom instead of their own. Once they’ve seen the light of compromise, I have a brief respite to change clothes - and fold laundry. A half hour later, I have two reasonably clean children and two bathrooms to mop.

Now the clamoring for dessert begins in earnest. After another restaurant quality verbal menu of options, they make their decisions and proceed to trash the kitchen once more.

About the time I give a five minute warning for bed, Taz announces that he’s starving and begs for more dinner. He is a bundle of energy so I can imagine that he’s burned off a lot of calories by then. Generally I capitulate and offer a bowl of cereal.

Once they finally accept that it is in fact bed time, they crawl (literally) up the stairs on all fours as slowly as they possibly can. By then, they are “sooooo exhausted” that they can’t possibly brush their teeth. Getting them into bed involves multiple requests for water and more kisses.

After Scouter and I finally finish the bed time ritual, he generally makes his own dinner while I snarf a Dove dark chocolate bar and chase it with a glass of wine.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Miscellany

2008-08-02T10:28:00.001-04:00

Ahhh, I haven’t done a good miscellany post in awhile.

Truth be told, I’ve never done a good miscellany post…

(BA HA HA! That never gets old!)

So I’ve truly got nothing. I’ve been a slacker the last two days. Thursday, I had no intention of waking up early, opting instead to stay in bed and nurse my slight hangover. Friday, I had good intentions to weight train. Truly. I woke up at 6:30 and decided I could stay in bed for 15 more minutes. The next thing I knew, it was 8:00 and I was scrambling to get ready for work.

Damn. Fortunately, I was able to fit a run in this morning. Scouter is a good man. I did my hilly mountain route which is brutal as punishment for being such a slacker this week. The first ¾ of a mile is uphill. As I was running, a woman on a bike pulled out in front of me and I was keeping pace with her. That’s pretty sad considering I was at a 12 minute mile pace, trying not to have a heart attack during my warm up. Shortly thereafter, I passed a man who was shuffling along. “You’re more of a man than me,” he said. Hmmm. About a mile later, I was on another big hill when I passed a guy walking his dog. He said, “That’s quite a hill.” “It’s kicking my butt!” I panted back. I’m not sure how far I ran because my Garmin tracks this route differently every time – I’ll have to drive it one of these days because I really want to know.

Otherwise, I’m looking forward to getting some sleep this weekend! Those old sayings about burning your candle at both ends and meeting yourself coming back sound hauntingly familiar to me about now. Methinks I am overcommitted.

July was supposedly a break from school but somehow I did not notice any extra time, particularly since we had two books to read. One, The World Is Flat version 2.0, is pretty good but very long (and repetitive). The other is some book on IT security that bores me to death just to look at the cover. This semester is going to be difficult for me. It is the most outside of my experience and interests. Therefore it is likely the one I need the most.

The big excitement in my life about now is all about new appliances. My parents gave us a gas grill which I am totally loving. This weekend, I’m trying new recipes for grilled chicken with mustard sauce and flank steak with a red wine marinade. Yum. We’re also getting a new washer and dryer this weekend and I couldn’t be happier. Laundry has been a pain in the patootie for the last few months and has involved me hauling clothes, sheets and towels all over the place. They’re being delivered today – yippee!

Rainbow is well again and so far (knock on wood), no one else has gotten ill. Hopefully any incubation period has passed.

Oh, I somehow managed to commit myself to a golf tournament through work. They were looking for women to get the advantage of the red tees, and I stupidly said that I play a little. Actually what I said is that I suck but apparently that’s good enough for this crew. So now I’m nervous that I’m going to totally humiliate myself in front of my co-workers. I’ve got to get out on the course and practice practice practice! In my copious free time, you know.

Feeling overwhelmed…

Perhaps it is time to mix up another batch of alcohol infused fruit…

Girl Time

2008-07-31T18:00:00.000-04:00

I invited some girlfriends over for drinks last night, and as my best girlfriend, Rainbow was ready to help. When I got home from work last night, she was dressed for company in a cute little skirt and top and she couldn’t wait to help me get ready. She ran upstairs to pick out my outfit and presented me with a business skirt and a sweater that didn’t match. I told her that I was thinking about wearing shorts, so she quickly selected a different outfit for me and then ran to change her own. After we were both dressed, she said we looked “cute and casual.”

Next Rainbow began assembling appetizers. She served peanuts, chips, and vegetables. She even offered strawberries which are her absolute favorite – high praise. She kept asking when my friends were going to be there so she could entertain them. She was so excited when the doorbell rang!

We all had martinis – ours were the famous-in-my-own-mind Blackbirds while Rainbow had water in a plastic martini glass. She entertained us with her Miley Cirus CD – always a crowd pleaser – and a gymnastics exhibition before settling in for some girl talk.

After another Blackbird, I was repeating myself yet acting as though I was telling a story for the first time. And then after champagne (which is quite tasty over the Blackbird fruit), I’m pretty sure I was slurring my words and no one cared whether I was repeating myself or not. Or maybe that was just me.

In fact, I may or may not have committed to doing Ironman Florida 2009.

(Actually, I’m kidding. I know emphatically that I did no such thing.)

After the girls left, I told Scouter that I was really drunk. He chuckled and shook his head knowingly. Somehow this morning I awoke in my bed in my pjs even though I have no recollection of getting there.

I need to learn to pace myself.

Perhaps I need more practice. Happy hour anyone?

Cheers!

Or then again, let's not...

2008-07-30T18:08:00.002-04:00

After my fun bike ride on Monday morning, I was looking forward to going again today – especially since my riding buddy Richard was joining me. We haven’t been able to cycle together much at all since winter.

The first sign that the ride was ill-fated occurred Monday night, when my poor little angel Rainbow threw up most of the night. I warned Richard that I may be next and we arranged that I would email him this morning if I could still come. Fortunately, I didn’t get sick (yet) and I was ready to roll.

My uncertainty must have thrown Richard off his game because he arrived without cycling shoes and couldn’t go. I’m not a big fan of riding by myself but since I was awake and ready at 6:00 a.m., I figured I may as well do a short ride.

Being alone with my thoughts is not a good thing.

For the first few miles, my whiny self-talk was all about how crappy I felt, how my quads were burning and my legs were tired, where I could pull over in case the stomach bug hit, blah blah blah. Then I hit a more remote section of the route and my negative little brain began to imagine all sorts of situations wherein I, a solo rider, was abducted and tortured in some way. I actually started imagining calling Scouter to give him a description (“scary”) and license plate (“freaky stalker”) of someone following me. This exercise went on for a few miles until I finally turned around. Since I was still in a remote area, I then had the opportunity to dwell on how I would protect myself against someone if necessary. Finally I reached civilization again and got my mind back on my ride. It was a relief to think about hills, pedal strokes, and breathing.

When I got back to my car, I was a sweaty mess. I’m not sure whether it was the humidity or my self-induced anxiety. Statistics were 15 miles at 17.5 mph average speed.

Come join me next week, will ya? I need to be saved from myself.