so that happened...

Yesterday was a day of leisure. Hanging around, out for lunch with my bros, some shopping and more hanging out. Did a quick little slow jog after supper just to move the legs.

In between hanging around and shopping, we went to Tim Horton's. We got the big-ass farmer's truck, the Ford 350 diesel with duely wheels, STUCK in the drive-thru!!

Holy.

Embarassing.

We had to get out and ask ALL of the cars behind us, about 5 of them, to move back about 3 feet. They were all great about it but one old dude who yelled at me. What a terd. We ended up buying the two cars behind us their order, which by the way, did not include the old dude. It was a gong show.

As of this moment, I am not the least bit freaked out with this race on Sunday. Why not? I am excited but not nervous or panicked or anything like that. I have made sure to stear clear of the Westin, except to pick up my race package...I got a bit overwhelmed there as I knew I would...all those super fit and super intense people. Holy. My peak training weeks are 6-7 hours per week!! I won't EVER be super fast or qualify for anything. Don't worry, I'm not in your way...some of the hard cores are so uptight and it's dissappointing...have some FUN!! It's also good for you!!

I just want to make it through the bike. Just make it through. Get to the run where I know it is down to my own two feet. I've done the work. I've done the training. The CTS website keeps track of your workouts and I have done over 90% of what I was given. Over 90%. I have not missed one key workout. Not one. I will be reminding myself of this during the day tomorrow. I feel so very ready. It's a good feeling!! And if something gets thrown in there that I did not expect, I feel like I have the confidence this year to throw something back.

See everyone tomorrow!!!

i am in calgary

What a drive. If you ever think the drive from Toon Town to Calgary is boring, you can borrow my kids any time to take with you!! A normally 6 hour trip took us eight hours..EIGHT!! This is why I insisted on coming Thurs and not Friday...

They are pretty good little troopers but Luke kept saying he had to poop. And with a three year old you just don't fool around with that so we would pull over and he then decided he just wanted to run around in the ditch for a few minutes.

We are in the big-ass farmer truck. It is a diesel and a Ford duely...so the big four tires at the back...and LOUD....and the orange lights on the front of the cab...it screams "We are from Saskatchewan!!" You don't even have to see the license plate. We could not find a place to park it last night as my bros lives in a newer area and it takes up ALOT of space. And they tend to pack these homes into these new areas... The truck is very roomy and comfortable but it sort of barrels down the highway...you don't want to mess with that!!

It is early, early Friday am and I can't sleep. The plan today is to make my way down to the package pick up at some point. Other than that we have no plans. My dad has made his way from BC so we will likely just hang out and visit...hopefully a nap this afternoon!!

I am really happy I took those days of holidays this week before leaving. I feel super rested and relaxed and I don't like the hub bub of the expo so I will be getting my race package and getting out of there very quickly.

Have a great day out there everyone!!

holding court at the pool

My first two real days of vacay have gone well. We have had a picnic in the park, spent the afternoon at a friend's pool, today was some errands and then the afternoon at Cricket Creek. I sat in a lawn chair and my kids ran wild.

Perfect.

I had to get a last swim in as I have not been in the water for about 2 weeks. The alarm clock went off at 5:30am and my intention was to head to the YWCA for an early morning swim. I get to the pool and the gal informs me that it is $10 for a swim. Huh?? The prices have gone up,,,way up since this winter when it was $3.75!!! I know some of you in bigger centers would not blink at paying 10 bucks for a swim but this is insane...so I left...with no swim.

Now what do I do? (Well, first I went back to bed for a few hours...)

I had read in the city guide that the outdoor pools had a lane swim from 12-1 during the week. I have not swam outdoors since I was a kid and thought it might be kind of fun. Call my nanny (mom) and offer up my kids to take for lunch...I know, I am a sucky...and head for the pool.

As I am parking I see our dear Charlie Browne wandering around the parking lot. After he gives me a hard time about my back door being open...yeah..I was driving with the door half open!!...I ask him why he is walking around the parking lot??!! He says there are too many people and he was not interested in swimming in a crowded pool. I look at him and think, wha??...how can this be? I could not talk him into coming in with me so off he goes to bluer waters...I had exactly 45 minutes to get the meters in and I had no options, so I head into the pool. There wasn't anybody at the desk, and I waited (about 6 seconds, but I still waited!!) I was in a bit of a hurry to get in and get going so actually swam for no charge...oops...if they aren't going to keep better track of that, then not my concern...

I get to the deck and what was happening was it was a free for all in the pool. The lanes were not designated fast-medium-slow, everyone was just swimming up and down with absolutely zero order. I march over to the life guard and ask what the rules are and he just shrugs his shoulders and says "Wherever you can find a place to swim..." WTF!!??

So I jump right in between two girls and nearly take them both out in my first 300 meters. Talk about swimming heads up!! The positive is that it was good practice for my open water swim on Sunday...??

I stop at the end and stop them and say "YOU and YOU...we are swimming in this lane...up the middle and down the rope. Got it?" What a nightmare!! I was a bit miffed at how the guards could not take some responsibility as to who swims where and I overheard 3 others complaining about it!! And THEN there was no pace clock. I was trying to do my intervals using the second hand on the itsy bitsy clock on the wall...I kid you not!! Finally it was just...whatever...and swam about 2500 in total. But it felt really good. Like really really good. I am so ready for this race!!

Let's get to Calgary, already!!!

what's done is done

Two hour bike ride yesterday. Was a great ride!! Up and down those humboldt hills. Was hot...hot even at 8 in the morning. I have the dorky bike tan lines now...I am hardcore!! Hahahaha!!

Then home to shower and change and I thought it would be fun to take the famdamily to the Mogathon Family Walk. 2.1 km with ice cream and popcicle aid stations. My kind of walk!! But we were late and missed the start...my spouse could not decide what shirt to wear and changed his sandals twice...such a chick...and we were late. Oh well. It was too hot for my 3 year old anyway...he does not like the sun (how can this be my kid...??) or the heat and is fair and it is almost as if he wilts when he has to be outside and it is too hot. So we hung around and stole some balloons and bottled water and waited for Jenn and her family to come in. Jenn's Dad looked really good! Was great to see him hustle into the building like a pro!!

Today was a hard-ish run. The instructions were to run 20 minutes a bit faster than my half marathon goal pace. It was hot and humid out there when I finally got out the door late in the afternoon. The legs felt heavy and tired and did not co-operate for the first several kilometers. Then it was as if the running gods smiled and looked down at me and said "Here!! You can have your running legs back now!!" And away I went. Didn't quite hit that goal pace for the entire 20 minutes but did I mention it was hot? And I was feeling lazy?

I have the entire week booked off from work. The entire week. I am going to do as little as possible. It started today. I got up, fed and played with the kids, Shaun got home from golf, I went back to bed...got up, changed into my running gear, did my run, had a bath and put my pjamas back on!! I could get used to this....

negative people suck

Let me first start off by saying

I AM SO EXCITED TO DO THIS HALF IRONMAN!!!

Have you seen the video on the website showing some of the course? I had butterflies watching it. I am excited to the point where I am pretty sure I am annoying. I went into the local running store on my way home from work to pick up some stuff and stopped to talk to one of the local tri-guys as I thought I should be polite. I don't often talk to him as I find him quite negative and a bit of a complainer. Maybe it's just his manner? Maybe it's just me? He is also signed up for Calgary. But when I do talk to him I always put on my happiest face and whatever he says I have something completely opposite and positive to say. The conversation went like this:

NegGuy: I hope its not windy in Calgary.

Me: Really? I hope the wind howls as that's all we have trained in!!

NegGuy: I don't like swimming in whitecaps.

Me: Really? I hope that water is crazy wild..i love swiming in rough water!!

NegGuy: There's SO many people entered.

Me: Awesome!! It's going to be a fun day!!
....too bad he has such a crappy attitude. Just imagine what life could be like if he had some positive thoughts. If you don't like a challenge, you should not be in this sport. I had to bail out of the store P...D...Q. Then, on my way out the door, I run into Mr. Grumpy Pants. I ignore Mr. Grumpy Pants as he was not a very nice person to me last summer. I ain't some fake who pretends to forget how mean people can be. Jeepers. I almost got a headache from just being there!
Anyway, back to some regular programming...I missed my swim (again) today. Not that worried about it as sleep is sometimes more important. Tomorow is going to be bitchin hot. Hot as a snake's ass in a wagon rut...I have never really understood that one, but say it all the time...and I will be on my bike. Looking forward to it!!

no sleep = no swim

Oh the joy of having young children and trying to train for a half ironman.
No sleep last night as Matthew was up ALL night with a sore ear. blah.
So no swim for me today.
I guess if there is a workout I can miss, it could be the swim...
Coffee is my friend today.
I am so tired.

is stalking still illegal...?

Just curious as I am sure everyone has heard by now that my second husband, Craig Alexander (ahem...world champ...) is going to be in Calgary. We are going to be doing the same race!! He, slightly faster than moi, but how cool! AND he is a team mate...sort of...he is also coached by the Carmichael group...so are we team mates? Can I dream about that? I get the low down on his training and Whitfield's traning and Lance "the man" Armstrong's training every so often from Coach Justin. Dang, those guys are freaks of nature....seriously...freaks.

So back to me.

I have been doing my workouts. Next week is taper week so I am trying to get those last chance intensity workouts in. Yeah...yeah...I know...the last 8 weeks have been the ones that count but I am feeling pretty darn good about things and need to do these workouts now and not next week. Coach Justin's advice is "Don't do too much!!" Less is better right now. Done the work, done the time, done the training...now get your body ready to go fast.

Yesterday was a run with some tempo intervals thrown in for fun. Dang my legs felt good!! I held 5 minute kms for the tempos and my heart rate was behaving. They weren't easy, but they were very doable. Nice.

Today was a bike ride for an hour with some steady state intervals...then a 30 minute run. And dang again, my legs felt peppy getting off that bike. Please...please...please to the tri-gods, do not let me have anything bad mechanical happen to me on my bike....this is my biggest worry. Tomorrow is likely my last swim before the big dance. Gulp!!

This is my other worry...because I am a goal orientated being, I have been trying to think of what I would like to do for this race. You know, what should I aim for. Then the other half of me says "whoa, cowgirl" You just don't know what the day is going to throw at you. So no matter what happens, these will be my mantra's for each leg of the race:

Swim: steady...steady...steady...long and strong...

Bike: steady...steady...steady...it's a loooong day out here...stay in your aerobars...eat...drink and be merry!!

Run: Don't cry (last year I started bawling on the run...for no real reason other than I could not believe I had just pedaled 90km and was going to run 21km (a half marathon!!!...insane...)...get to Susi at the finish...get to Susi, she has my medal...get to my boys...get to Bevin (sister)...beer at Keith's house...beer at Keith's house...get this f*cking thing DONE!!!

i'm melting! i'm melting!!!

Holy hot hellish run yesterday. I waited (patiently...and if you know me well, this word is very rarely in my vocabulary...) for Shaun to get home from golf...I swear, I better never hear about long bike rides if I ever decide to train for an ironman...6 hour golf games?? I know that includes the nachos and beer afterwards but, really.

So late in the afternoon I head out for a run. My legs were tired. It was hot. My legs were tired. A. Whirlwind. Of. Pain. It was hot. BUT...I ran. I actually don't mind running in the heat but have to get over that "Holy, it is HOT out here...and my legs are tired...I really want to walk..." And I had not drank enough and did not carry anything with me so was struggling a bit near the end. Afterwards it felt pretty good. Because it was DONE!!

Today is a rest day. However, when you have a 3 year old who wakes up several times a night, do you get a real rest day? Nope.

Heading out for lunch with my Frank Dunn team mates today. That? Is going to be a fun day!! It is the weekend after Calgary 70.3. Our cyclist fell and broke her elbow and has had to have surgery and is in rough shape over it all. So has been a bit of a panic to find another cyclist. Thanks to CB for stepping up to help us out!! She recently rocked it at Stoney Plain and I am sure she will be an awesome addition to our team. Today we are discussing the most important details like should we have co-ordinating outfits and what should our team name be...my personal goal is to swim up the butt of the fellow that gives me a hard time at the pool occasionally!! I am going to get on his feet...and stay there. Since the swim is the only thing I have to do, I want to be the biggest pain in the butt to his day!!! Ha!!!

here's the deelio...

Was kind of bored at work Friday as people are not thinking about their money in the middle of July and the weather is gorgeous on a friday afternoon...so I read the entire Calgary 70.3 website...anything you need to know? Cause I read it all. The waves are posted for the start times.

But.

I am in the second last wave. Right behind me? The 30-34 year old men!! Nice. That will spark a light under my ass to try not to get swam over by some aggressive, annoying, body fat of a beetle, type-A, (hopefully smokin HOT!!), guy!!! Ha Ha!!

Swam on Thursday morning. Worked out a deal with the pool to swim in the long course pool on Tues and Thurs mornings. There were 4 of us there. Was fun!! The ladies that joined me are super fit and a bit older than me and frankly SCARE me with their teenager kid stories. I am in for a ride in a few years!!!

Today was a bike ride. Okay....I LOVED my bike ride today. Loved. It. It was gorgeous, I was feeling great, the company was awesome, I love my bike!!

Never thought you would hear that, did you?

One of the gals is a super cyclist and even talks like a roadie...she knows what everything is called on these bikes and showed me the anatomy of my bike...everytime I go out with her I learn something and that is super cool! I did those hills over and over again...and over again one more time...it was beautiful out there with the crops starting to bloom.

Have one more kind of tough week and then its TAPER TIME!!

Calgary 70.3...HERE I COME!!!

the bad things i've done...

I'm not in prison, so they can't be that bad...right?
I wanted to run the Regina Half Marathon as I have the last few years. It's a great race, have done it as a girl's trip every year, always a lot of fun. I go to the website to register and the friggin half marathon is sold out.
I registered as a half marathon walker. tee hee. Such a bad ass!!
A few years ago I was out in Penticton to watch the Ironman. We were wandering through the expo after hours and one of the tents had a box of socks...just left there...with no one guarding them...they were nice socks!! I took several pairs.
So I'm going to run the walk race in September in stolen socks.
Yesterday, I woke up to do my bike ride. It was cold. As in only plus 5 cold. It was windy. I was pretty sure I saw rain clouds even though the weather channel said no rain....I did the workout on my trainer...in July!! But at least I did it. Such a wimp.
My last bad thing is that I went for lunch yesterday to the Taste of Saskatchewan. A little food festival in downtown Saskatoon where many locally owned restaurants set up a tent and offer a few things off their menu. I had a ginger chicken salad, TWO helpings of sushi, a smoothie, a piece of Saskatoon berry pie AND a piece of cheese cake.
Welcome back to those 8 pounds I lost when I was sick...
Funny...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEdWVkGgUK4

ahhh, the fun times

Hopefully Jenna will post about today as she is a much better story teller than I am.

On tap today was yet another 3 hour bike ride...I am getting kind of used to these now and with my new aerobar position, I was much more cozy for the three hours!! Certainly not nearly as tired as last week. A big YaHOO!!!

So Jenna agrees to meet me at the drive-in and we are going to bike the Humbolt Hills. We drive out there, get set up and get on the road. She had 90 minutes to do and we agreed we would head back at around 45 minutes and I would continue my ride by doing those dang hills over and over again.

We are chatting and laughing and just in a super good mood the whole way enjoying the day and the wind. The wind is our friend. We are slowing down to turn around and I am just slightly ahead of her...I am zoned out wondering why my front brakes are not working (I had forgot to tighten them when I put my front wheel on for the ride...) I am not paying attention at how slow I am getting and I panick and unclip my left foot at the very last possible millisecond before going down. In fact, I had to do the hop, hop with my left foot and did in fact end up on the ground but my amazing flexibility and grace saved me from crashing to the ground.

As this is happening, I hear behind me "Whoa...Whoa!! WHOA!!!!!" I am thinking Jenna is watching me and saying that as she is seeing me hit the dirt...but then I hear CRASH behind me.

I look over my shoulder and there is poor Jenn on the pavement with her bike on top of her....still clipped into her pedals.

That's right.

We are BOTH laying in the middle of the Clavet highway.

How uncool??!!

I jump up and leave my bike and it was one of those moments when you want so bad to laugh but you do not dare laugh before you see that everyone is okay.

We get Jenn unclipped and up on her feet and she has hurt her elbow. She says "Am I bleeding?" And I do my very best Mom's voice and say "Nope. Looks like it is just going to bruise." I did not tell her that it was true there was no blood, but her elbow was freakishing making a HUGE unflattering lump under the skin!! Just about gagged but another thing you dare not do when trying to console a friend.

We brush ourselves off, get on our way, and then have to stop a few kms up as we were finally laughing so hard at the thought of what we must have looked like as we both go down...ahhh the good times in this sport!!!

2 days and 2 funny stories

So my trip to the bike shop started earlier this week. After riding that tough, long ride last Saturday, my tri-buddy Shannon (who was with me on the ride and obviously tired of me complaining...) e-mails me and writes "...I think your aero position is a bit too aggressive and you need to get some spacers put on your aerobars..."

What I read..."blah...blah...blah...blah...aerobars..."

My response was "I have no idea what you just said...HELP!!" So Shannon the awesome person that she is, took time out of her Friday to meet me at the Bike Doctor. I get there a few minutes before and decide that hey, I am no dummy, I can figure this out, and I will not let the guys at this store intimidate me!! (not that they are intimidating...but they are always so busy and I feel like I am totally wasting their time when I have more than 3 questions...)

I march into the store...cause my dad's advice was always "fake it till you make it"...march to the back and told one of the guys, "please tell me where the spacers are". He says "What kind of aerobars to you have?"

I say "I have no idea...just give me a minute..." I have to go back out to my truck and read the brand on my bike...I get back in and tell him and he says "you mean 'Syntace'?" Cause I had pronounced it wrong!!! DUH!!!

Then he tells me they have to order the part, it will take some weeks, yadda yadda...should he go ahead and make the order. No. Let's just wait for my friend to get her 'approval'. Shannon shows up I am totally flustered...she marches in, with my bike and tells the guy what to do and how to do it and have it done by the end of the day...I stand there with one of those stupid smiles, nodding my head...yeah...whatever she said would be great....

Today...I am out for my run. I run down one of the most beautiful streets with super old homes and big old trees. There is a little park at the end that is popular for wedding photos. I am coming up to the park and sure enough there is a wedding party there getting their pictures done. The bride and groom are standing with their backs to the street and I am thinking, I am going to try to time this so I am IN the picture!! Sure enough, just as I am behind them, I look over, give the "peace symbol", smile and the picture is shot!! Oh. My. Goodness...did the photographer ever give me the uglies!! It was priceless...I ain't gonna let some wedding interupt my interval!!

Kelly's trip to the bike shop...

Do you see the "P"?? And the "4"?? That? Is as close as I am coming to one of these babies....

The very first Cervelo they sold, way long time ago (which would be my lil yellow cervelo...) and the newest one they have for only $7400....funny how all the roadies ohhh and ahhh over my little bike cause it apparently was the shit way back in the day!!!!

sooooo frustrated....

This entry is a bit of a diary so if it sounds bitchy and you don't like it...move right along.

I am beyond frustrated. The words Coach Justin said just a mere two weeks ago were "Don't get stressed and don't get sick."

I am both.

Faaaak.

I am stressed because I have been sick. We went to the lake for the weekend. All was good. Luke pukes in the truck about 10 minutes out of P.A. I am sure we looked like a sideshow as Shaun swerved to the side of the highway, while towing the boat, and the two of us, gagging, fly out of our repective doors and we do the gags into the ditch. It was THAT bad. And poor Luke is crying and saying "Mom! I'm scared!" As I am spitting and fighting not to puke in the ditch... Did I mention the truck has leather seats? No? Well Shaun is now in a super shitty mood because the leather seats have been puked on and we have to hear about how hard they are to clean...blah...f-ing blah all the rest of the way. We get poor Luke cleaned up and changed and clean the truck up with limited resources and go along our journey. Get to the lake and the Luke was fine. Little kids don't know they are sick so they just keep on going...until they drop...so into bed they go at night...way too late. Our sleeping arrangements up there are kind of wacky as we just sleep where we drop and I happened to drop in bed with Luke and he rocks all night. I mean ROCKS his head and body...aaaalll night. Remember, I had done that tough bike ride in the morning and was so looking forward to getting some sleep, which I got NONE!! Sunday rolls around and I am beyond exhausted. We take the boat out and I crash on the boat for a couple of hours. It was great! But sleeping on a hard piece of plywood is not exactly a great way for my body to recover from that bike ride. I kept chanting "I love my boys...I love my boys...I love them...really I love them...even if I feel shitty...I still love them..." Mind you, I am chanting this through clenched teeth but I was still saying it...

Needless to say, Monday comes and I am sick. Not real sick, but enough that if I was to workout it would be a shitty workout and get me more sick. So I give up my run. I give up my bike ride. I try to sleep. I can't sleep. I get stressed because I have not slept for about three nights...and I am panicking I am going to get real sick...I am in HELL!!! (Okay, not hell, but as you all know...when you have goal like a half ironman coming up, you really do not want to be getting sick...so for me, this was HELL!!!) I really want to sleep and feel good. Shaun keeps telling me to "take your pills!" Those would be my sleeping pills, but from experience, I feel so awful the next morning that they seriously are not worth it. On top of this I can't eat. I can't keep anything in my belly. Whatever goes in, just comes out. I have lost 8 pounds this week...EIGHT POUNDS!!!! This is NOT healthy. I am frustrated. I made myself get on my bike last night...on the trainer because it was piss pouring rain...and I got 45 minutes in. AND I ate some bread and some of an orange today.

Maybe I am on my way....?? God, I hope so!!!

fishing

This is my triathlon training blog...but since there has been no training happening (long story I may or may not get to in the next couple of days...)...here are our pics from the weekend.

that one...still hurts...

On the schedule today was yet another 3 hour bike ride. E-mails flew around over the past couple of days trying to get something sorted out with getting some company for the ride. Lucky for me, there is another gal in the local tri scene that has to get out early as she has 3 (three!!) kids and activities planned for the day after her workouts. So she joined me for 1.5 hours and it was alot of fun getting to know her a bit better and talk about kid stuff and husband stuff and general "how do we fit it all in?" stuff. Then she took off for home as she had to go to work today, and I then met up with another group for the second 1.5 hours.

I was doing okay for the first half hour of my second 1.5 hours but then I hit a wall. I was spent. My legs and back and neck were telling me "We are soooo done and you are soooo paying for this the rest of the day!!" I even had to ask the gals I was with if we could stop so I could stretch. blah. How come last week I was a rock star for 3 hours and then this week I am an old spent woman? Oh well, the work is done and it is in the tank, so off to the lake for the rest of the weekend...Yippeeeeee!!!!!!!!! Looking forward to my run up there tomorrow...going to take my camera so y'all can see the beauty of Northern Saskatchewan.

some thoughts one month out...

One month from yesterday I will be in Calgary to do my second half ironman!! Who would have thought I would want to do TWO of these things...

I certainly do NOT feel as focused as I was last year, but I feel much more ready...how can this be? Maybe more confident? I no longer feel like I will fall off my bike, I know that I have TWO rings on my bike now...my very first triathlon (60km bike ride), I did not know I could shift into a smaller ring...I did the whole friggin thing in my big gears!! I know I can run off my bike...I know what that feels like and it does not scare me like it did last year. I don't want to walk the aid stations this year. I plan to run right on through!! I will not be high fiving and stopping to chat with volunteers and give them hugs...

I have been there and I have done that.

I will actually pay attention at the swim start this year...not be chatting and giggling with my goggles on the top of my head when the gun goes off...I have a wetsuit this year so I think if all goes well, I can pull off a decent swim time. I know I am stronger on that bike...I want to DESTROY my bike split from last year (I know, I know, different day, different course blah...blah...) but this year I will not be waving at the spectators and chatting with fellow competitors (unless of course it is one of my blogger buddies...). And I know I am a stronger runner than I was last year. I did not push myself at all on that run. I was too worried about what was coming...well F*ck It this year!! Whatever is coming, it will be hard and I can deal with it!!

Plans for Calgary are starting to take shape...when we are leaving, where we are staying, family and friends are starting to send messages "Can't wait to see you finish!" Gulp. I am getting really excited.

This?

Is going to be GREAT DAY!!!

who needs...

...fancy expensive toys when you have a BOX!!

Dad brought this home today...omgosh the excitement!!

And notice the food stash...apples, crackers and peanut butter...the boys have been in there all evening. No pic of the little one as he decided he wanted to run around the yard naked...

thoughts for the day...

Today called for a 90 minute run. A little longer as today is holiday in the great white north and I had the time for a longer run. So, up I get early as I want to do something fun today with the boys...what exactly, not sure, but I will come up with something.
I had two thoughts today:
#1. "Dang, those are some nasty storm clouds coming this way....I hope I don't get rained on."
#2. "Dang, (about 40 minutes in) I really have to poop..."
I am a true hardcore triathlete now.
I pooped in the trees down by the river.
I was a long way from a bathroom and had zero options at that point. Cause it came quick and was "touching cloth" for a good few minutes before I squatted. Thank-god it was around 6:00 in the morning and zero traffic on the running paths!!
Other than the poop, I had a really good run. Legs were tired for a bit at the start but then they smartened up and away we went. Weather looks good for the weekend so me thinks we are off to the cabin (after my bike ride) on Saturday!!

In other news, my husband has broken his wedding ring...AGAIN!! This is the THIRD ring he has had in our almost 10 years...the first he lost, the second he broke and now this one has broke. He works with his hands (metal fabrication) and insists on wearing the ring even though it could be dangerous but this is the crappy part,,,,the rings do break. So, we are off to go wedding ring shopping...AGAIN!!! This time toating two kids...but seriously, it is kind of fun...brings back the old memories of when we did it the very first time.