I love Vermont!  Ok let me change that, I love Vermont when it is sunny and warm!  Now that there is no more snow and it’s getting warmer the past few weeks I have been able to get in some great training, however, as with spring comes rain and mud season here in good old VT.  Let me share a recent experience with spring…

I was out for an 18 mile run (~29km for our Canadians and Europeans friends!) and having a short attention spam I decided to do one big loop, instead of several smaller loops/routes thrown together.  Now I also tend to take random turns and make up the loop as I go (the beauty of the Timex body link is I can always know exactly how far I have gone and where I went once I upload the workout the my computer!).   I was running along at about when, on a whim, I decided to take a turn and run about 3 miles on dirt trail alongside a river and some farms, normally a very scenic route.

About 2 miles in, the trail began to get a little muddy…no worries I’m tough.  Shortly after there was about a ten foot section of trail which was covered in about 6 inches of water, no problem, I’m water proof.  I continued to run along, now with the lovely sound and sensation of water squishing in my shoes.

I turn another corner and the river had totally flooded into the adjacent farm field, no problem, I can wash my shoes later.  I decided to run around the edge of the water through the field, however, the farmer must have recently fertilized…it didn’t smell very good and now the mud up over my ankles, Ummmm this was getting to be a problem.  I had thought about turning around, but I knew the trail ended and I could get back on the pavement in less that half a mile, so I continued to  trudge (it wasn’t so much running anymore) through the mud and…agricultural fertilizer, no problem, I’ll just shower really well after this run.    

I began to think this trail run may not have been a good idea.  On this little adventure the best was definitely saved for last.  I could see the end of the trail and pavement ahead, however, between it and me was what is normally a little trickle of a stream, only it had become a river!!  I’m serious, normally I could clear the stream in one small stride, however, this time I had to wade across about 10 feet (9 meters) with very cold water above my knee, normally I wouldn’t have cored too much, but that agricultural fertilizer smell was a little too strong for my comfort!  Houston, I think we have a problem!!

I made it home and considered burning my clothes and shoes, but decided to just take a shower first!  I have since decided that I need a new pair of shoes because my fiancé has made me leave them outside due to a rather unpleasant smell. 

Ahhhh! Spring in Vermont!  I figure as long as I don’t get into too many problems I should be ok!  Oh and for those who are interested as side from the above mentioned snafu’s it was a great run!! J

Swim Fast. Bike Strong. Run Hard.

-Alex

Yesterday I was out on a loooong ride, 205 hilly km’s to be exact.  Anyway, since I stopped using my I-pod while training(I get in a better zone…mentally, not HR HR zone:) I find that I think about ALL KINDS of things.  Well yesterday, at a point at around the 5:30 mark of the ride I passed a spot that triggered this post.

 I ask everyone “Why did you choose Timex?”  Now, I have a lot of reasons that I love this team, but this reason surpasses them all.  In 2003 or 4 I was out training on the IMWI bike course and saw a triathlete riding up the road.  But this wasn’t just any triathlete.  This triathlete had a car following behind them.  First thought, “Lance?”  Second, “I have to meet this person!!” 

 So I pushed a little harder and closed the gap, I passed the car and was hoping to see Johan driving and Lance riding.  To my suprise it was a VERY attractive younger woman(still older than I was) and a rider that resembled Lance, but he wasn’t on a Trek at the time. 

Anyway, I rode up the rider and started talking.  I asked all kinds of questions, “What do you do?”  “Where are you from?”  ”Who is that in the car?”  “Does she have a friend?”  Well, here are the answers that I got from the rider.  “I am a CEO or a company.  I am from Mexico City.  That is my girlfriend!”  There was no talk of a friend, :(  

The rider’s name, you ask?  Non-other than our very own Luis Alvarez! His girlfriend was driving sag-wagon around the entire IMWI course, now THAT is LOVE.  ARe you two still together Luis?

I thought WOW, I need to be like this guy someday.  So after finding out that he was on Team Timex, I thought the best way to find out everything I could about Luis and his ability to get women to follow him around on the bike, would be to get on the team with him.  After two years of missing the boat, I finally made the cut this year.

So to answer the question at the beginning of the post; Luis Alvarez is the reason that I am on the team today! Thanks Luis, you are a stud!

BB

These are the four words that preceded a challenge my oldest daughter, Lauren, recently proposed to me.  Lauren swims for The Woodlands Swim Team and has been swimming competitively for half of her young life.  She gets a kick out of beating me in the water, and she does so with ease, and with just about any stroke compared to my freestyle-only swimming (I MIGHT be able to hold her off if I handicap her with breaststroke while I swim freestyle).  Yes, it is extremely humbling. 

I did not grow up swimming, and honestly, I have probably very little comprehension of the difficulties she faces in her races.  I have no clue what it is like to have to perform in a meet which has prelims and finals, where, if I am fortunate, I get to swim 14 individual races in a period of four days (not to mention relays).  But, c’mon…I HAVE raced a few marathons, some Ironmans, and several Half-Ironmans…so, really how difficult could it be?  My races last hours, and hers…for the most part she is finished in a couple of minutes.  

Ah, then those four simple, yet complex words, “I bet you can’t…”  

Lauren knows I have a competitive spirit, which when faced with somebody telling me “I can’t” do something, usually means that I will work hard just to prove that person wrong.  So, when Lauren and I were comparing the difficulties of triathlons versus swimming, she set a challenge for me.  She told me, “I bet you can’t swim a 200 fly even if you tried.”  I accepted the challenge…foolishly, maybe? 

The USMS National LC Championship will be hosted by my hometown Masters Swim Team this coming August, and Lauren graciously gave me until then to train and prepare for the 200 fly.  If I succeed, she gets to do my laundry.  If I don’t, well…we won’t go there! 

I have made the commitment to this race, and have engaged the help of The Woodlands Masters Swim Coaches.  While they are positive I will fulfill the challenge set by my daughter, I know it will take a lot of hard work and preparation. 

So, now you may wonder…WHY am I doing this?    

1.    To inspire my daughters to not be afraid of trying something new, regardless of their age.  “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.”  -Babe Ruth
I did not grow up swimming, so the butterfly stroke is something I have viewed as a form of punishment.  Really, is the body meant to undulate like that?  It surely is not an efficient stroke, is it?  It might be a beautiful stroke, when done correctly, but the operative words are…when done correctly.  Regardless, the best way to inspire somebody is through actions.  Besides, if I don’t try…how will I really know if I can or cannot do something?  How can I expect my daughters to live up to a standard, unless I personally do the same? 
2.     To demonstrate to my daughters that you can do ANYTHING you set your mind to as long as you properly prepare.  “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”  -Benjamin Franklin 
To date, I have been able to swim 1×50 meter butterfly, but of course, I get to the wall and am gasping for air and my entire body is completely exhausted.  Currently I might only be ¼ of the way there, but I am preparing for the 200 fly by religiously working on my core strength (with the help of Gaiam and Trigger Point’s Stability Pods), by taking swim lessons (thank you Fun IN Swimming), and by swimming, swimming, swimming.
3.     To motivate my daughters to pursue dreams outside of their comfort zone.  “If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.”  -Thomas Edison
There is no doubt that attempting the 200 fly is out of my comfort zone, but it has now gone beyond a challenge, and has become a dream of mine.  Even swimmers acknowledge that the 200 fly is one of the more difficult races.  I can talk to my girls all day about the importance of pushing themselves to the edge, but I would rather have them watch their mom demonstrate the pursuit of a dream.  
 

Happy Training.

Not much exciting going on in wisconsin since camp; school, eat, sleep, train, study, repeat. Pretty boring. But the weather has improved from Blizzard conditions just a short 3 weeks ago, so that is good. And the start of longer training rides means I get to explore further and further into the midlle of nowhere. Here is just a sampling of some things I have seen over the past week or 2.

1) Having to stop for chickens crossing the road

2) An old farmer in the biggest pick-up truck ever, almost hitting, me, then saying he was sorry b/c he didn’t see me behind that “gosh-dang-ol-post-there” (he was referring to the stop sign that he didn’t stop for)

3) There are still remaining snowbanks on the tops of the bluffs (and its 70 degrees)

4) Baby sheep running alongside me

5) 2 middle age scary guys in an old chevy astro workvan asking me to pull-over for a second while I am in the middle of nowhere (yes, I was scared)

6) Farms with Llamas and Yak’s

Thats all of the weird and interesting sightings for now.

Anniversary dates, for each and every one of us are filled with emotion, regardless of the memory or event celebrated.  Over the course of the last few days, we have witnessed the unfolding sickness and core-shuddering pictures of a student from Virginia Tech that has not only horrified the student body and faculty of that campus, but also sent shock waves through the entire nation and world (the site of this sadistic killer makes me shudder). 

The details of this incident bring back personal memories of shock, horror, and shear terror residual from the Fort Gibson, Oklahoma school shooting which occurred during the time I was a teacher and coach at my Alma matter.  Further, the awful Sunday afternoon that my uncle “flaked off”, exhibited threatening behavior toward himself, immediate family (wife and two children), extended family (my aunt, my parents, and me), and local authorities, resulting in witnessing/hearing gunfire that ring through my memories to this very moment, though this happened over 12 years ago.

Today, April 19, 2007, marks the “anniversary” date of a very life changing moment for my home state of Oklahoma and this nation (9:02 AM marks the 12^th Anniversary of the Alfred P. Murrah Building bombing in Oklahoma City – my thoughts are extended to all the victims, their families, and all the firefighters, medical personnel, police, and other countless individuals who were involved with this terrible attack), as well as another more personal “anniversary” date for someone extremely special to me. 
Last year, around 6:45 PM my boyfriend was struck by a van while we were doing a training ride for the Coeur d’Alene IM.  Again, my mind cannot help but to “relive” the entire day leading up to the moment, and the events that followed – through the rest of the evening, the night, and days that followed.  Initially, he was sent home following a diagnosis of a few broken bones in his shoulder However, (following going to work… Yes!…I said WORK! – at 8 AM – remember, the man was hit by a VAN less than 12 hours prior and didn’t make it home from the Emergency Room until after 1 AM),  we went to his personal physician and, following more X-Rays, discovered he had broken his scapula in three places (“shoulder blade” which is one of the most difficult bones in your body to break – the force to break it is equivalent to someone taking a baseball bat directly to it), his clavicle (collar bone), at least 6 ribs (couldn’t really determine exactly how many from the X-ray), and a bone in his right foot.  

Four days following the accident…following two additional trips back and forth to the Emergency Room…a CT Scan was done of his abdomen and the “trauma team” finally diagnosed that sometime within the past few days following the accident his spleen had ruptured and he had lost over half the blood volume in his body!  (Okay…so, now we knew why he was feeling so crappy!  The man nearly died!)  Finally, an emergency surgery was performed to remove his spleen and stop his internal bleeding. 

Fortunately the man is an anomaly…a “freak of nature”…an IRONMAN triathlete…and survived without any residual, major mal-functions!  Every physician, nurse and anybody who knew anything regarding a traumatic experience of this nature could not believe that not only was he alive and had survived, but he was released from the hospital 4 days after having such an invasive surgery – and that he was hacked off that he wasn’t released sooner!!!!! 

He has fully recovered.  Yes, the moments, minutes, hours, days and first few months following the accident were tough.  However, to this day, he will tell you that it was/is his experience of Ironman training and racing that he drew upon to assist in his resilience and ability to recover (he  is also quick to respond anytime and (without fail) EVERY time I ask, “are you alright?” with “NOOOOOOOO, ‘Hon’!!!  I was hit by a van!” 

To date, he is training for this year’s Coeur d’Alene IM and I am confident his reliance will see him through the finish line to once again hear Riley call him “an Ironman”!!!

Peace and IM resilience be with you today and always,

lisa