IM AZ 2008-November

So not to confuse it with IM AZ 2008- April!

Karie and I planned this a few months out. I worked with Karie at one of my elementary schools a few years back and we became fast friends. It's kinda weird, 'cause I am her mom's age. In fact many of my friends could actually be my daughter or son-but that's what the sport of triathlon does for one-gets you friends from any age group and all walks of life.



We got to the swim start area way too early (my OCD kicked in...sorry Karie!) and ended up asking Greg Welch questions about where the wet suit strippers were going to set up. He was very helpful, but as he was talking I realized who he was, and didn't hear a word. I blubbered "you're Greg Welch, aren't you?" (oh god) and shook his hand. After that embarrassing moment I didn't have enough guts to ask him for a picture also. sheesh.



Here are some other strippers I talked to before we got busy. The girl on the left had horror stories of Lake Placid which she completed this year in a torrential downpour that lasted all day! That would be tough!



So I walked around trying to keep warm, chatted with people, sang along with the music, danced a little bit and waited for the swimmers to arrive. Ironman races have the best music ever! I was so pumped up for so early in the morning! Unbelievable!



Finally the swimmers were headed for the water and they were off!



I got some great stripping pointers from this guy. He has it down to a science! The first suit I helped Tac take off of some guy, I ended up getting flung right along with the suit! This guy has a "suit peel wrist flick" to defy all others.
Here he was talking to Bigun. I think they may be releasing another podcast soon!



When the swimmers started coming it was fast and furious and so much fun! The racers were all so appreciative and happy!
It was a good feeling to be able to send someone on their way and pat them on the back and wish them good luck!





Are we done yet?



After my job WAS finished...I went back to the car and changed out of my soaking wet clothes and headed over to "BIG J CENTRAL" to hang with some other bloggers spectating. This was such a cool setup. Leave it to Big J to think of something as awesome as setting up a motor home at the busiest corner of the race, complete with pancakes (I missed those!), beverages, and later they were setting up for hamburgers and hotdogs. I for one appreciated the bathroom facilities, as the porta johns had run out of T.P. a long time ago.



I hung with Misty (of Athena diaries) for a good part of the day, and of course Karie, whose hubby came to pick her up as she had an early morning meeting at work the next day. I remained at the race hoping to help at the kid's corral, but they didn't need any more assistance, so watched finishers from the stands for quite some time. Duane was constantly on the monitor bringing people through the finish chute. I saw a few people I know from the Tucson area cross the line with tired but happy faces.

All of a sudden I realized I was extremely wiped-out and called it a day. I went back to the hotel, took a welcome shower and tried to sleep.

It was hard as there were so many images swimming around in my head from the day. I set the alarm for 5:15 so I could get a good place in line to sign up for 2009.

I decided to drop from CDA and keep things close to home to save time and money.
Hopefully this will be my race and my year to finally get in another Ironman.

Oh, and everyone (all two of you) have a great and wonderful Thanksgiving! Carb up!

Stay tuned....

For a photo story of Ironman Arizona.

Coming soon...but first I really need to go for a swim and pick up my turkey (the happy, natural Turkey, who was read to and got to watch cartoons before he met his end).

It's finally chilly with a good chance of rain here in Arizona.

And THAT makes me HAPPY!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

I

A thought

Imagine learning that the only way you could get attention from another human being is by hitting yourself in your mouth with a closed fist until your lips bled.

I witnessed this yesterday, and it made me wonder if I was similar to this child in some way. Am I so different, really?

Get Moving!

This morning is one of those kind where I am slow getting ready for my workout and out the door. The weather is cool so I am not racing the sun and temperature. And anyway, I am headed for an idoor pool for a swim so it doesn't make much difference what time I get there, although I like to avoid the water aerobics crowd as they 1.) Take all the good lockers and 2.) are very loud when "exercising". I guess their jaw muscles and lungs get a good workout even if the rest of them doesn't.

So I am wasting time looking at blogs and shopping and race sites on-line and came across THESE.
For all you fancy lady runners or cyclists out there who want to bring sophisticated chic to your sport.

Dear Santa.....? :-)

Energized

Very cool things are happening here.

IM AZ is next weekend and I just got the most amazing e-mail from the "Queen of Strippers"-Dianne, the woman in charge of wetsuit stripping. She knows her stuff by gosh! (You betcha!) Who would have known that there is an "art" to being a wetsuit stripper?
But there is, and I can't wait to help out and possibly see Roman, Karie, Momo...who else is going to be there? Oh yeah...Deb (SW Trigal) Sorry Deb, I have had a glass and and half of wine and I am not remembering who is racing! :-)
Best of luck next weekend if I don't run into you pre, during or post race!
I am praying for low temps and no wind (except at your backs of course!)

Anyway.

Holidays are approaching fast and furious! Ordered a "Natural" turkey yesterday. I didn't go for the "Organic Natural" 'cause the meat guy couldn't tell me the difference and it was more than a dollar a pound more! If he had told me that the organic Turkey got to watch cartoons or Seinfeld all day long, every day, and died a "Happy Turkey", then maybe I would have paid more. But I didn't ,so there.

I have an idea for my home made Christmas cards, gift ideas, and LOVE to shop for my loved ones and people I work for!
And my contractor has agreed to help build a ramp for a really neat lady I work with who supposedly lives in an "accessible apartment", but isn't really, as she has to "pop a wheelie" every time she goes into her place.

So I am feeling energized and happy and content and strong and all that good stuff that comes along with being alive, knowing great people, living life to it's fullest and being part of teams that make a difference for others.

I just had to...

Don't you understand? I just HAD to.

I got up and ran this morning, out the door by 6:00 on the days I run. I am welcoming the darkness and chill and fewer people crowding "my" space. I wore capris tights and a long sleeve wicking top. Yes! Fall is in the air!

Met with the heating/cooling man and then went for a good stretch and lift before my massage this afternoon.

While I was warming up, which consists of more and more core work and push-ups, I moved over on the mat to give a young kid some room who was being graded on a PT test.

Pushups- one min. How many?
(Man he struggled...I quit watching after 20 and then I think he kind of fell on the floor.)

Sit-ups-one min. How many?
You are allowed to hook your feet under the railing or have someone hold your feet. I think this is cheating big time and only working your hip flexors-but they need to test something that is score-able. And these type of sit-ups are I guess.
Personally I think they should time people on the plank. It works your core way more than sit-ups and if you can go longer than a minute, I would say one is pretty sound in the ab area.

But I digress.

Timed mile and a half. Options: Indoor track in the fitness center, where it's something crazy like 16 times around to obtain that distance, versus an outdoor track in fresh 68 degree autumn Arizona air.

"Why don't you run outside today?", I asked as he was getting a drink and the timer was re-setting his watch.

"It's too cold."

"Are you serious? I ran at 6 a.m. this morning and it was perfect! It's even better now! Man, you guys are wimps."

Sorry, but I just had to say it.
You understand, right? I just HAD to!

How would YOU do if you happened to be in the Airforce?
I think the standards are pretty soft for females. How about you?
Go find out!

Ohio report

Spent a week with my parents.



Learned what real yard work is.



Ran through the yellow and red leaves on country roads.



Spooked ourselves at the graveyard where we used to play as kids.



Went to a cider and pie eating festival complete with old-time appalachian music and "flat-footing".






Bought my parents some comfortable Lazy-boy recliners so they can settle in for the winter.



Got lost in a corn maze.



Bought apples and pie and carmel apples at the farm my childhood friend's family owns. I hung out here as a kid.



Visited my brother-in-law's mill where Pepperidege Farm buys it's flour for Goldfish crackers and Milano cookies! Yum!



Got together with my uncle Ed (dad's brother) and walked along the old Cuyahoga River Towpath. There's a Boston qualifier here next Oct. (Thinking, thinking...)






Went to the Cleveland Museum of Art with artist sister, Debbie.



Ohio..it's a great place to visit.
And to be from.

I'll be back!

People are thanking me...

....because I KNEW I wanted just the weather here that we are having. I told them that I ordered it especially for my visit as I wanted to rake leaves, run under huge red and yellow oak trees and visit the apple farm where I used to hang out as a kid. I have done all of the above and then some and will post pictures once I get home as I don't know my mom's system here very well. But maybe I can figure it out here as we got some good shots of leaves and other fun stuff.
Did you know that Chrissie Hynde from the Pretenders has a
vegetarian restaurant in Akron, Ohio? It's really good. A bit noisy because of the concrete and steel construction during peak hours, but the food was remarkably tasty for vegetarian fare and the french fries were the best!




It's been fun and weird going to places I visited as a kid. The barber shop where the cute guys hung out after school is now a coffee shop. The old theater where I held sweaty hands with boyfriends is a performance stage for local and visiting musicians. The old drugstore is a tatoo and piercing parlor, and the 135 year old abandoned train station where my friends and I would hang out and smoke cherry cigars and take "artistic" pictures is now a nice restaurant. I found my old locker at the high school today after I swam. I was tempted to try the combination. Why does one remember such things? I saw the tree that I stood behind and first really kissed a boy. I walked through campus where I cut through to walk home the day of the Kent State shootings. I remember spring days filled with lilac smells as I walked to my classes. I drove down the old dirt road, over-grown with weeds and still rutted with water-filled ruts that I walked to catch the school bus in the morning.
It's nice coming home and being able to share this with my daughter.



Headed soon to meet with my dad's brother for lunch. I will have to tell their stories sometime, about the orphanage and foster homes they lived in. A novel for sure. Doubt if I will ever write it though.



Catch you later.