So, I have a lot of time on my hands now….too much time. All of this time has caused me to do something I generally try to avoid, thinking. While doing some “thinking” today, I decided this blog needs some excitement, especially now that the race reports will be slowing to a trickle. Living in Boulder, I have made some interesting friends, and by interesting, I mean FAST. I decided to post a weekly interview with these interesting folks. To start with, I interviewed Amanda Lovato….

LT: Do you ever feel like your athletic accomplishments are overlooked, because people are so focused on your looks? Kinda like how people dont realize that Brad Pitt is a great actor, because they cant see past his super hot bod.

AL: Considering that I raced three ironman races that did not go as I would have hoped this year, I want to be noted for something.  And if that “something” happens to be the VISION ad that I was in or my skimpy SPLISH suits or my apperance at races, I’m ok with that.  Even if my race doesn’t go well, at least people think I look good!

LT: Have you ever been arrested? Feel free to elaborate.

AL: Yep.  I was arrested in June of 1990.  I had just finished my senior year of high school and a bunch of us girls went to “beach week” in Ocean City, MD.  Being 17 years old and “free”, we got ourselves in some trouble.  To make a long story short, I punched someone and got arrested for asault and battery.  If you ever want the full story on how I was booked and how my dad had to drive 3.5 hours to bail me out, call me.

LT:  If you could put an Ironman race in a new location, where would it be?

LT: Would you rather have a pet squirrel, monkey or penguin?

LT: Have you ever hit a prairie dog while riding your bike?

LT: Anything else you would like to add? 

LT:Thank you, that is all of the questions I have at this time.

“Glamour Gal” Beauty Tips 101

By

Lisa Butler

                                                Don’t Rush a Wax Job
Vanity drives me.  Each time I pass a mirror or window as I am training or simply passing by, I examine or briefly glance at the reflection of choices I have made (my form if I am training) and brutally pass critical judgment on the image looking back at me.  However, I have never been a “glamour gal” – I don’t have manicures, pedicures, facials, or all of the latest fashions (unless they say Timex, Blue Seventy, Trek, Spenco, Rudy Project, Headsweats, or FuelBelt).  My “make-up bag” is non-existent.  I wear mascara and sometimes Chapstik.  I know there must be a “glamour gal” looming inside of me, because I do experience times where I long to be fashionable, trendy, and actually consider the need for wearing make-up. On these occasions, I decide to don something other than Timex or Ironman logo wear, board shorts, and flip-flops, transforming into a woman “walking” in heels – for me, this act requires the same characteristics of an Ironman or marathon: focus, concentration, patience, training, and endurance.   

A few evenings ago Steve and I were watching the NFL football game, and I went to the bathroom.  As I typically began meticulously examining my reflection, OCD or ADD kicked in, I got a wild hair (or actually saw a few wild hairs) and decided I needed to wax my eyebrows.  No big deal.  I’m no “glamour gal”, but I have waxed my eyebrows (once before) and knew waxing would only take a few minutes – nuke it, smear it, and rip it.  

So, I proceeded to nuke the wax in the microwave.  While returning to the bathroom, though I realized I had “ditched my date” to “wax my brows”, the obsession to “fix my flaw” was overtaking all of my focus.  Besides, I simply rationalized that all I had left to do was “smear it and rip it” and I was done – flaw fixed and back to my date.

Quickly, I opened the jar and stirred the wax.  The temperature was seemingly perfect – the word “ready” was legible on the dipper.  I hurriedly made a few swipes of the wax just below my right brow line.  Then it happened.  My “flaw” became a FLAW!

It was a catastrophe!  As I scooped up a glob, and brought the stick to my eyebrow, Steve startled me and the glob dropped on the inner section of my eyelashes.  I told him I would be right there and began trying to get the wax out of my lashes.  The more I tried, the more matted my lashes became – the wax temperature had been perfect.  The only recourse I had was to “rip it”.  So I did, and pulled out an index finger’s width section of my top and bottom eyelashes. 

My emotions went from shock to fear to anger to acceptance to hysterical laughter.  I have always been complemented on my eyes and “long beautiful” eyelashes, and now my face looks like a before and after photo of a meth user.  The good news is it’s hair and it will grow back – it will just take longer because I waxed.

FLAWED,

Lisa

My favorite advertisement of all time went like this:

 ”You have a 25th hour in your day, do you eat, sleep, or exercise…. We thought so.” 

Complete with a woman in workout gear and the advertised shoes.

I had that ad on my fridge for years (ok, the ad ran in the early 90s).

So, every fall when I “fall back” in the central time zone, I think of this ad.  I must say that, as an economist, that ad brings a bit of a dry humor to me as well as I debate if eating, sleeping, and exercise, or anything else, are perfect substitutes. 

This year, the 25th hour day fell on the last day of my time off before structured workouts or any running or biking; I didn’t work out.  Instead, I did sleep with my extra hour.  This is highly unusual but became a reality when my daughter went off with her friend to play, and Michael and I parked our bodies in front of the TV for some football - Packers v.Chiefs.  Michael is a huge Green Bay fan - we both love Favre - quite an athlete, and he is our age.  And, I did fall asleep a bit during the game.

Other teammates and friends used their extra hour to recover from IM Florida.  Well raced by many - including the amazing Tim Hola who did this race 3 weeks after Hawaii.  Marie, Paolina, and Mark all looked fabulous.  (If I missed anyone else, I apologize.) 

So, coming around back from triathlon to sleeping to football, any takers for some action on the Packers v. Cowboys game on November 29?  Michael is taking me to Dallas for the game in celebration of my 38th bday.  Yee Haw!  Go Cowboys!  I already have an outfit to wear.  Maybe Jerry Jones will see my spirit and skills and he’ll give me my dream job - owner of the Dallas Cowboys.  Last time they played, I won a trip to Hawaii from Michael (no, we weren’t married yet, so he was still working it).  He won’t bet me straight up (yet).  Both teams are 7 and 1, though, so you never know.  I vote for Dallas-Indy superbowl.  Maybe Mark will join me in this Super Bowl Dream.

By the way, mullet watchers, a guy (Davis, I think) on the Chiefs has a mullet.  He was quoted saying that the front says “success” and the back says “party”.  Ben, I think that should be your mullet interview question, “What does your mullet SAY?”

Way to go Luis! You can find more of these on ST site, if you dare!

I had a great race today. Our own Jordan Rapp won this race 3 years ago in its inception. Today was beautiful, I enjoyed every minute of it. If you are looking to get your a%& kicked next year, http://www.americanzofingen.racesonline.com/ is the race for you. Beer afterwards.

I can’t feel my legs and am looking forward to some pull buoy drills next week. Ha ha!

Congrats to everyone who raced Kona, you all did so well! I was glued to my computer most of the day! I was jumping up and down when Alex crossed the line, that was so cool….someday I will be there!

See that thing that looks like a single serve pizza in the middle of my wheel? It’s a 27 cog and mine is part of a Shimano 10 speed 12 X 27 cassette which replaced the 12 X 25 I’ve ridden for years. While Laura Tingle finds it so hard having enormous hair, I love having an enormous cog.

Western CT where I ride is hilly, but I didn’t get one because I was “paper-boying” up the hills here with a 25 cog. I got it because I run better after spinning up those hills with a 27 versus dancing on the peddles with a more manly gear. The jump between gears isn’t as great as I thought it would be, as this gear chart shows.

I’m swallowing my pride and packing up this super granny cassette for Ironman Wisconsin. Last time I raced there, a spectator dressed up as the devil taunted riders struggling up Stagecoach Rd with bacon stuck on the end of a pitchfork. This year I plan to be smiling when I pass him.