Gimme an 8!!!!!

Last post for a few days as we are heading up to the lake this afternoon for the weekend. Did my bike workout, on the trainer as the sky was looking a bit gloomy and it had rained and blown all night. Good choice as it did start to rain pretty hard about 20 minutes into the workout. Came up with 8 things I need to figure out...you know, time on your bike, by yourself...makes you think about things!!

1. There are two transitions at Stony Plain? Really? How does that work? Hopefully some kind soul will walk me through all that the day before!!

2. Didn't WonderWoman have something she carried with her? Was it a whip? I need one for my costume for IMC. And I am going to spray paint it gold!! Just for effect.

3. I need to find someone who can show me how to use that whip properly before August.

4. When is the deadline to use my Aeroplan miles? I need to find this out. I really (really) want to go to New York City.

5. What should I do after this half ironman? I am leaning towards the marathon in Regina in the fall. Why not? The half marathon for sure.

6. Where should I do my first full Ironman? Penticton is the obvious choice but some other exotic location would be kind of fun!! Like Europe or how about Australia? There is one in China now...

7. Back to the costume...I want to find someone out in Penticton that could do my hair up in a bee hive...with the little gold starred tiarra thing she wore...kind of my own version of WW!!

8. Why do people hurt their children? My deepest thoughts for the day....have been following a news story that made me physically ill the other day. I just don't understand.

girls on film!!!

The cap had JUST ripped!! My face says IT ALL!! HA HA!!!

ummm...these are my triathlon friends...!!!!

and then there were 9...

Going to have to watch me count down these days. Today is a rest day so I have been thinking about the nine people that I need to thank and let them know how much I have appreciated their help with my little half ironman goal. Again, in no particular order:

1. Dad: Thanks for getting us in and keeping us in athletics when we were kids. I remember him taking me to the YMCA when I was a kid and he had signed up for a 1000km challenge. They had to run 1000km over a certain period of time. He ran 10km every single day around the bridges here in Toon Town. He was leading the pack and I was so very proud standing there looking a the list of names and seeing his in first place!!

2. Mom: Thanks for looking after my munchkins when all other options have ran out. Always eager to help.

3. Shaun: Thanks for being a bugger sometimes about this triathlon goal of mine!! When will you learn that when I have my mind made up, there is no discussing it...and thanks for getting up even though you are SO NOT a morning person, with the children when I am out for a run or a ride.

4. Matthew and Luke: They are collectively one person. I want to set the example that my dad did with us. Matthew asked me last night "How do your legs feel Mom? Did you run today?" Even at 5, he takes notice!!

5. Jennifer: Where to start? Thanks for your sense of humour, your tenacity and your out right gutsiness...you are going to ROCK Penticton and I can't wait to see it!!

6. Shannon: Thank-you for the phone call about 2 years ago. I had put a little note on the local tri-website that I wanted to know where to start. Shannon called me out of the blue and we talked for quite awhile and she had me convinced that I could really do this!! She lined up a bike for me to buy and for my birthday this year she sent over a little plaque "Nobody can pedal the bike for you". I have it on my windowsill at work and I look at it about 100 times per day!! GO SHANNON!!!

7. Glenn: Thanks for all the encouraging e-mails, the fun banter, the occasional bike ride (where you are going "easy" and I have ran out of gears...) The support has been appreciated! You too are going to ROCK Penticton...and IMCDA next year!!

8. My blogger buddies: I do most of this training on my own. I am so happy to have touched base with all of you and would really like to meet you some day! It is good to hear of all your trials and successes and I wish you all the very best this season!

9. Justin: who does not read this blog...I don't think...but what would I have done without a coach? So highly recommended for those who have no idea where to start and have time constraints like me. His knowledge, experience and patience have done wonders for me over the last several months.

10 days to go...

Holy crap.

Got to my swim today. Moved down a lane as the workout was just not getting done without some help. Main set was 15x100s. We did them on about 1:55 repeats. Wasn't working all that hard, actually. But was good to get into the water and stretch a bit. Talked to Justin yesterday. His opinion was that my head is in the right space. I was happy that he said that...have been having some panic attacks in private so my acting really brave fooled him!! Seriously, I feel like I am ready for this. Don't want to wait anymore. And the panic attacks are just something I do before anything big. Get them out of the way so I am calm and focused for the day.

Put together a list of 10 objectives (in no particular order) for the next 10 days:

1. Drink lots of water. Lots and lots of water.

2. Get lots of sleep. Lots and lots of sleep.

3. Enjoy the lake this weekend. Relax, relax, relax.

4. Don't drink too much alchohol this weekend...it IS the July long weekend!! Must stay focused!! gah...

5. Pray my leg feels good. It was really sore after yesterday. This annoys me like you have no idea. JP says it is because my body is tired and I worked it pretty hard and now it is time to rest.

6. Take my bike in for a tune up...just to make sure there isn't something that is on the verge of breaking. Cause it is not like I would easily know.

7. Confirm the hotel reservations.

8. E-mail my brother, Dad and sister and see if there is ANY chance they could make it to the race.

9. Get my hair done. Seriously, my roots are about an inch and need good hair for this thing.

10. Order my WonderWoman costume. My buddy and I have decided to dress up like wonder women for IMC in August! How fun will that be! Want to make the video....

a few words

There are several words that are not allowed in our house.
Obviously, none of the cuss words but I do not allow my kids to say words like stupid, sucky, retard, I can't (which I realize is three words but it is still not allowed!!) I try to encourage them to say "I don't know how" or "Please show me how to do it" rather than "I can't". So last night, Matthew was struggling with a puzzle and I could hear him gasp over and over as he was having a hard time with it. I also tell them that they have to try before I will help them. Sometimes this is really difficult as I can see the solution so easy but they need to figure things out on their own and only when they are at a loss will I step in. Last night was really cute as Matthew says (he is 5 years old) "Mom...I just don't know how to do this and I have given it a solid effort. Will you please help me!!" Funny!!! They just repeat what they hear!! That sounded so grown up!
Anyway, got up way early today and got my 45 minute ride in. Did not see Jenna out there on the highway, imagine I missed her by just a few minutes. Then the plan was to do a 45 minute run at "race pace". What the heck would my race pace be? Just get it done is what I had intended for the half ironman!! So got off the bike, a 2 minute transition which included a pee, re-apply some lipgloss, get runners on, grab iPod and away I go. My leg did not hurt one bit. WTF!! It was a bit achey on the bike and I was worried about running but once I got going, not one issue....I think I have a phantom pain. It only hurts when I think about it...is this normal?! Because it is stressing me out!!!!!!!!!