Update and photos galore...

It's hard to believe that I'm already 26 weeks along and that my third trimester is creeping closer and closer.  I can feel it too - I'm getting bigger, I'm more tired, I'm winded, I'm cranky.  It could be a long 13.5 weeks for poor Tom (although he's amazing... not that anyone needed a reminder of that though). Just a few updates for you -

•  Yes, I'm getting bigger.  I'm okay with it... really I am.  I'm actually way better with it than I thought that I would be.  You know, it's hard when you are an athlete that already struggles with self image issues to watch yourself grow by the day, but feeling Abigail kicking and knowing that in less than 100 days I'll get to hold my sweet girl, eh, getting big is a small price to pay.  I am looking forward to warmer weather where I can get away with flip flops, cottons skirts and tanks though!  I'm kind of over the maternity jeans and barely fitting coats.  This is my view most days - I can still see my feet! YAY...

• My child has an obscene amount of clothes already.  Of course I love it and there are many days that I head to her room, look at her closet and just smile.  Although I'm slightly petrified to have a teen age girl in 13 years, right now I'm loving all of the summer/fall dresses, onesies and outfits that are going to make her the cutest little bean. :) This is just the start of her closet!!!

• The nesting has begun (isn't that supposed to happen in the last few weeks?)  Tom and I have been finishing projects left and right (that might have something to do with him having an Ironman in 2.5 months and knowing his weekend are O.V.E.R) but it makes me happy knowing that our house will be in tiptop shape when I have family and friends here this April. :)  We've been watching a ton of DIY and HGTV channel stuff (check out Renovation Realities if you haven't already. H.Y.S.T.E.R.I.C.A.L - a bunch of people trying to renovate things and inevitably screwing up.  Makes me happy that my hubby is handy). One of our biggest projects - redoing our bedroom.  It just needed to be freshened up a little. New paint on the walls and furniture, new curtains, new pictures, new flowers/candles and new pieces! Love how it turned out! (the bottom piece is a new one that Tom made in the last week - just a little more storage for our room)

• Tom also redid the garage - organized it, built a new workbench, hung pegboard, painted, etc.  It looks really great.  Papa Smurf is still hanging patiently from the ceiling.  I'm a little sad that he hasn't been ridden in a while (now now, no dirty jokes) and I don't foresee a lot of riding in the future. :(  I'm strictly prohibited from riding outside now because of my balance being off (among other reasons that I wouldn't do that anyway) and I know that once Abby comes, the chance of me getting out on my own is going to be nonexistent - I hate riding alone.  So eventually I'll hop back on Papa Smurf.  For now, he's a good decoration in the pristine garage!

• I've had some sad days lately - lots of emotions with the baby on the way.  Some frustration with workouts.  Some uneasiness with the new changes (why hello Braxton Hicks Contractions). Blah blah blah.  There have been tears.  It's not been pretty.  But... on days when I just can't seem to force a smile, I remember how blessed I am with the people in my life.  For instance, dinner with these ladies this week.  What a group of badass chicks to start with (all crazy fast Ironman triathletes, Kristin's doing a 50 miler next week, Kacie's training for 2 (wo)man RAAM in June, Jill's an amazing mother two adorably awesome boys who still finds time to be an endurance athlete, and Karen is considering a 25k swim - oh wait... we decided against that when we heard that you don't even get a tee shirt, right Karen?)  We laughed so hard at the restaurant, talking about leg pressing 100 babies, biking or doing Tae Bo in bib shorts (sans a sports bra), practicing biathlon in my backyard, etc.  I could have sat there all night with these ladies.  And to top it off, Karen brought me a gem of a dessert, which I ate guilt free because we all know that cupcakes as gifts don't have any calories.  Thanks ladies!

So there's my photo dump update. :)  Here's a little baby update (and stay tuned for some exciting announcements - like new ambassador opportunities that I've been given through Zensah and Sweat Pink as well as some of my favorite pregnancy workout must haves!)

Weight gained:  As of Tuesday I was up 16 pounds. 
Workouts:  I'm struggling with this a little bit - not that I'm not doing them... I am, but it's getting harder!  I'm still on the bike trainer 2-4 times a week for at least 45 minutes and up to 1:45!  I am not going crazy fast, but I'm working up a sweat.  Running is getting harder.  I find that the track at the local high school is my friend for continuous 3-4 mile runs - nice and flat.  Outside running around here is hilly and I find that I get braxton hicks contractions when I run on the hilly surfaces.  Still, I've managed multiple 4 mile runs in the last month outside on a loop around a pond by our house (which usually happens in the form of 7 minutes of running, 2.5 minutes of walking up the hill).  I've yet to get to the pool (blame Tom) but this month starts that.  And I've been walking a ton.  The hills again trigger some BH contractions and I usually am totally out of breath at some point or another so it's fairly slow going, but I love it at the same time.  But I'm moving nearly every day.  My goal is to keep going through the end of May!!!
Symptoms: I mentioned Braxton Hicks contractions.  When I went to the doctor at the 24th week, they asked if I had any.  I said no because I didn't know what they would even feel like.  Last week I started feeling my stomach getting really tight and chalked it up to the baby just moving.  But then I googled it (what did people do before google?).  Anyway, I'm fairly certain they are BH's and that's fine.  They don't hurt.  Just weird.  Otherwise, I feel fine.
Movement:  Some days more than others and then of course I cry (I told you I'm emotional), worried that something is wrong.  The other day Tom could see her kick - my whole belly moved.  It's so surreal to me still that the baby is LIVING inside of me. :)
Food Aversions: If it's food, I like it.  Nothing has really been hard to stomach.  I am finding that no matter how hard I try, I can't eat as much because maybe there just isn't enough room for it all. Hahaha
Food Cravings:  I could still eat Mexican daily, but I'm not. :) I've been loving apples with peanut butter as my go to snack still.
Sleep: I'm a sleeper.  I fear the sleep deprivation when Abigail is born.  It terrifies me actually.  For now, I'm sleeping about 8 hours a night which usually consist of two bathroom breaks, weird dreams and rolling over a lot.
Maternity clothes?: Um... yep!  I still get away with my old yoga pants (which I live in) and a few tees, but when I need to look presentable, I wear maternity clothes.  I can't wait for spring though.  Bring on the comfy skirts and tanks!
Stretch marks? Nope
Miss Anything? Not really - maybe being able to hop on my Kestrel or go for a 10 mile head clearing run, but that's about it.

That's all I've got for now! :)

An update

Why hi there... yes, it has been a while.  The last time we spoke, I told you about a bike crash.  So many of you have asked how I am (which I am so very blessed to have so many caring people in my life).  I figured I might as well give you an update.

First and foremost, I'm good.  On the mend.  Some days I feel like it's slower than hoped, but really, we can't all be super picky can we?   I wish I could say that the swelling and bruising has subsided, but it hasn't... to the point where I'm a little concerned and heading to the doctor in the morning. I was going to post pictures, but my husband advised against it.  I think he knows best.  Let's just say that my upper thigh ranges in colors from red, purple, blue, green and yellow and my back is kind of the same.  Remember hypercolor shirts (am I dating myself because I used to think those were super cool and thinking about them now... gross?  They changed color when your body got warm.  So places like your armpits were always a different color.  Or under your boobs.  Luckily I didn't have to worry about that when they were in style - phew... that makes me feel a little better).  In any event, that's kind of what my "spots" remind me of.  And of course they have all kinds of weird marks in them because I've been icing, or wear clothes that used to fit but are a little tighter now due to the swelling.  It pushes all that "stuff" around.  Anyway... I'm getting off topic.

Because of the location of the two impact points (my thigh and my lower back), sleeping has been uncomfortable.  Which makes me cranky.  And I can't confirm or deny that I haven't cried more than once looking at myself because, well, it's not pretty.  I used to cringe at the permanent white tri suit I wear (does anyone else don one of these?) and now I wish that's what I was looking at. I have to keep reminding myself that these aren't permanent (cause that white tri suit doesn't ever go away...)

But then I think about it and I'm pretty damn lucky.  Nothing is broken.  I didn't lose layers and layers of skin from skidding across the pavement, which burn every time I shower. Heck, my clothes didn't even rip (although Tom doesn't want me to wash my jersey because of the cool crank mark implanted on the back of it).  My brand new Kestrel that I love so dearly - one little scratch on the brakes and Oval bars (always fall under the bike so that it doesn't get damaged... you can heal, carbon can't).  So why am I getting all crappy about the way I look?  So vain...

I guess I'm a little bummed that a week out, I haven't bounced right back.  The trainer riding is going fine, but no chance I could run or swim.  That's a bit rough because of the half marathon that I was hoping to run this weekend.  I think I'm going to walk it because the medal is kind of cool.  Oh my gosh though... have you ever walked a half marathon?  Yikes... I may need a stiff-drink after that! :)  And the REV3 Cedar Point half is still up in the air.  I guess we'll see what the next week brings.  I might be a cheerleader the entire day.  And if you know me, I'll have a blast doing that too.  :)

I'm not looking for sympathy because it's all a little pathetic, the way I'm feeling.  I know that.  But this is me... being honest.  Next time, I hope to have a better update!

Oh... and all of you asked about Keith.  I know he reads this blog (he said my last post actually helped him piece some things together about it all).  He's doing awesome and I can't thank you enough for your extra thoughts and prayers for him.  No broken bones after all for him (which is shocking).  Already has the stitches out from under his eye.  Nice little shiner though.  And lots of bruises and road rash.  He was clear to get back on his bike once he feels up to it.  He said that he doesn't remember anything after thinking he was going to hit me which quite honestly I'm thankful for.  I know that he and I will soon ride again together.  Probably side by side. But for now...we're healing together and I know that I'm glad to have him as a friend! :)

My naked race report

So I did it.  I raced naked.  It was joyous and liberating and I'll probably do it again.  I loved every one's comments about it and have a lot to say about it if you are interested.  More than anything, I loved not knowing how fast I was going.  I wore my watch (cause it's a habit), but didn't start it and didn't know what time we started (the waves were all late anyway).  My bike computer (which I thought I would still use) read "0" all day - something wasn't working.  And it was awesome!  I went by feel alone.  I pushed harder than I think I usually do.   And you know what???

I freaking PRed by a lot!

Here's the race report... I'll try to keep it short, but I do have pictures so YAY!

Overall Stats:
Swim (.5 miles) - 14:24
T1 - 1:21
Bike (17 miles) - 48:08 (21.2mph)
T2 - 1:04
Run (3.1 miles) - 24:07 (7:47's)
Overall time - 1:29:01
2nd out of 31 in Age Group
68 out of 500 Overall


So Saturday, I totally just chilled. Tom signed up for his first ever bike race so I was his cheering squad.  It was a 9 mile, 3 loop course and he was entered as a Cat 5.  Poor guy was so nervous.  He did great, until he got a flat with 3 miles to the finish.  Dang it.  But he's addicted so he'll be out there again.  I counted a lot of bikes, and 3 horse and buggy's.  We weren't in Delaware, anymore. :) See the buggy in the back???

This morning I woke up ready to race.  I love that feeling.  Stomach was a little sloshy, but nothing unusual.  The race site is only 15 minutes from our house, at most, so we didn't have to leave super early.  I love local races.  Got to the race site, got everything checked in, and met my parents who were unbelievable in coming out to see us race at an ungodly time on a Sunday morning.  I'm so blessed to have them both.  Plus, my mom played photographer for the day so we were able to get pictures!  Always a plus! (Thanks mom...)

Around 7, we started to put on our wetsuits.  Does this ever get easier?  Seriously, this is not an easy feet.  Thankfully the TRISLIDE works wonders and the baby, for the most part, slide right up.  I love my Hurricane 5 from TYR.  I feel like a poser in it since I'm so stinking slow, but looking good is half the battle, right?

The swim was fine.  I positioned myself waaaaaay outside because the water is deeper and because there was no one there.  I swam with all of the 30-34 year olds (guys and girls) and only groped one girl's butt so all in all, a successful swim.  14:24, I'll take that - I haven't been working on the swim too much so I can't expect anything amazing here.

T1 was nice and zippy, but the run to the mount line was loooooong.

The bike was awesome.  Without a computer, I just went by feel and I felt great.  I was passing a crapton of people and only counted three people who passed me - they were from the wave after me and were smoking.  Tom was one of them, but I was proud that it took probably 16.25 miles for him to catch me... it's usually way faster than that.  I did find myself looking at my computer a lot.  Like I said, it always read "0" so I didn't get any data from it.  Bad habits are hard to break I guess!  But I just felt like my Kestrel was floating... the fit is so perfect and it's a fast bike! Tom and I made it into transition together which was fun.  I ended up averaging 21.2mph which was awesome.  Tom thought that the course was a little long so it might have been faster.  Who knows, who cares!  I was the 5th fastest woman on the bike out of 172.  And I was the 47th fastest overall out of 500.  That's pretty cool!

T2 I just did my thing and ran out with Tom.  He said "let's run this together". Ha... well, it was good to start together.

The run was a familiar course, and although it's a simple 3.1 miles, the course is kind of wacky as it's part on a gravel path (which happened to be super muddy and filled with puddles) and then part on a grass trail over a dam.  It's really hard to pass people up there though so I honestly had no clue what I was running.  Tom had taken off about .5 mile into the run and that was fine.  I needed to go by feel.  I passed a few people and found a groove.  It was great not constantly looking to see my pace.  I thought I was sluggish, but looking at the results, I finally put a run together, averaging 7:47's for the 5k!

I got to the finish line, super happy with things.  My dad had started his watch when my wave went off and told me he thought that I was somewhere around 1:29.  I had two goals for this race which I hadn't told anyone.  For one, I wanted to run sub-8's.  And the other... to finish under 1:30.  Last year on this course, I did a 1:33:59!

I checked the standings after everyone was finish.  I finished in 1:29:01 and came in 2nd out of 31 girls.  That amazed me.  I couldn't wipe the smile off my face!

It was fantastic seeing so many of our friends there.  Jim, Tracy and Zach Aust were there and kicked major butt (as always) coming in 1st, 1st and 2nd in their age groups (Oh... and Jim was 5th overall, Zach in 9th and Tracy in 19th and the 2nd female!!!)  They are my adopted family and we love them so much!  Tom had an amazing race, especially after hearing him tell me that he had nothing in his legs from the bike race the day before.  He finished in 1:23, 7th out of 50 in his AG, and 27th overall.  Oh... and he had the 9th fastest bike of the day out of 500!  Scary to think what he could have done without racing the day before.  We also got to see Dave and Meredith too which was fun.  Dave raced and although I know he said he didn't hit his goals, he looked strong on the course!  It's so fun seeing friends out there! Here's a picture with us and team Austome! :)

ULTRAFIT-USA did a great job with the race.  We love the Wendy's International Tri.  Great competition, surrounded by a bunch of people we know, on our home turf.  Doesn't get better than that!

So the question is this - I have an Olympic in two weeks.  Virtually the same course.  Should I run naked again??? :)

Me Irish? How'd ya guess?

I was on the phone with a lady the other day (booking a little mini vacation for the hubby and I, but that's besides the point) and she asked my name.  I told her and her response was "well you're going to have a good week aren't you?".  Huh?  I asked her what she meant and she just said "being Irish and all... must be a big week for you". I smiled... I guess.

Yes, my name is Colleen.  It is of Gaelic origin, and the meaning of Colleen is "girl".  And although Kingery sounds Irish, it's actually German and well, I'm married into that name anyway so it doesn't really count.  My mom's maiden name is Lynch.  Okay, so that's a bit more Irish.

I love St. Patty's day, but I'm not an Irish freak or anything.  I don't drink green beer (usually) and I really can't stand corned beef and cabbage.  But, in spirit of the holiday, I did my best to represent the green on my ride outside today (yep, you read that right... I rode outside!)

 Check out the socks.  Can you see them?  They look like this up close (and yes, my legs look really gross from that angle - it's hard to take a picture o:f your cute socks by yourself!)

Thanks to Chrissy at Chrissy's Knee High Socks for them.  Too cute!

And then this little blinged out gem that my sister-from-another-mother Kristin bought me!  I love it!  Pop over to her blog (here) and send her some love.  She's awesome!

And of course I needed to show you my awesome Kestrel bike just once more because I was so happy to be able to ride him today.  Definitely going with Papa Smuff as his name!  He rode like a machine today!  So impressed. 

I'll leave you with this... my favorite Irish blessing! Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!

A Bike + Shoes = Happy Trakker

We got back yesterday from visiting the grandparents in Raleigh.  A few things about that trip:

1. My grandparents looked great.  Like I expected, my grandma didn't remember ever meeting Tom and even told him that it was so nice to meet him as we were leaving.  They did recognize my mom, dad and myself.
2. My grandpa, although lacking much short term memory, is freaking hysterical.  He has a smart remark for everything and had me giggling the entire visit.
3. I love Raleigh.  There are trees and parks and cute houses and it was 75 and sunny yesterday.  We are now working on getting our butts there.  Fast.

So we got home yesterday, albeit a tad later than expected to ice and snow.  I'm so over winter.  Like I've said before, I honestly think I pissed Mother Nature off at some point in my life.  I was over the top excited to have these waiting for me when I pulled up though:

They are the newest Avi Bolt III's from Avia.  At first the colors caught my attention because I love love love the pink and black, but the yellow wasn't doing it for me.  It's growing on me.  They are light as a feather (which I'm so not used to... should be interesting running in flats), but they look pretty badass.  I'm excited to try them out. I'll write a review as soon as I get some good miles in them. Again, this big girl isn't used to such minimal shoes - it'll be a good test!

 

Then to top off my excitement, this came today:

My new Kestrel 4000 Pro.  I'm so excited to get it put together (although, because we live in Ohio and not Raleigh, I won't be riding it until May I'm sure), but it's awesome looking.  As Tom and I were going through all of the bits and pieces, he kept saying "I don't think this will work for you so I might have to take it for you and put it on my bike".  Um... sorry sweetie... this bad boy is mine!  Of course, now I get to name it!  A few of my teammates have had contests which is a great idea so if you have any ideas, send them to me.  I was initially thinking Papa Smurf, but Tom and I couldn't get past the fact that I usually refer to my bike by name and it sounds really really wrong to say "I had a great ride on Papa Smurf today". Bad huh? :)

You are great

I just have to say, you are all great. I loved the comments about my need for a vacation, as well as the good thoughts during our ski/casino trip. Here's an update for you - the vacation idea kind of came and went. We booked a cruise and then proceeded to cancel it less than 24 hours later when my voice of reason kicked in. Damn it sucks being responsible! Honestly, it would have been heaven to sit in the sun with an umbrella drink and read trashy educational magazines, but the cruise lines get ya, hook line and sinker. I booked this great 3 day cruise for an unbelievably low price (like too good to be true low price). Then it happens - you find out that it's going to cost $170 to get from the airport to the boat, $200 to get my passport renewed and to me in less than 4 weeks, $60+ dollars in tips, who knows how much $ for beer and soda, $ for a dog sitter, $ to park out car at the airport while we are gone, etc. I guess I was having an airhead moment when I booked and thought that I was actually getting off that easy. So being a grown up, I realized that wasn't a smart choice and canceled. We're traveling to some great locations for races this year - Knoxville, Portland, Chicago and Sandusky (what, you mean the beach and water at Lake Erie aren't like that of the Bahamas?) so I need to just suck it up buttercup and realize that if I want to spoil myself in the sun, I can move out of Ohio. :)

As for the casino and ski trip - great time! BUT... we didn't ski (which was good because that means I didn't have a chance to break my face, and yes, you can totally break your face). My poor momma has been in PT for some hamstring problems for quite a while now and she was really scared to risk hurting herself some more (not to mention she has a bum back). It would have been hard for all of us to enjoy the day, knowing that she was trying to be a tough girl for us, or worse, sitting in the "lodge" while we were having fun. We opted to stay in the casino and blow through some more money. Honestly, I didn't lose much (although I didn't win much either... penny slots are not big payers). There was a lady at a machine down from us that was all nonchalant when the bells started ringing above her machine. She won $82000 on a quarter machine. $82000! She just sat there and smiled. Hello - Tom and I said that we would have been doing carpet angels and running around like we just struck gold. Hell, I almost did that when I won $50 on the Zeus penny slot game. I was big time people...

Okay, so that's that. I have other exciting news and needed to wait to tell you because I needed to break it to my mom first (no, I'm not pregnant).

I've decided to do another 140.6. I know. I know. What happened to the "I'll never do that again" statement? If you know me, you know that it's total BS and to never listen to me. I said that after my first marathon (and I've since done another 6) and my first three Ironman races. I'm super excited though. I've decided to race the full at Cedar Point for a couple of reasons:

• It's a REV3 race and we know that it'll be top notch (and they won't run out of water on a 96 degree day)
• My teammates will be there and many of them will be racing - and I'm sure the smart others who raced the half will make it a party, cheering all of the long distance course people.
• Three words - BLOGGER MEET UP (I mean, hello so many of us will be there - Sunday night could get crazy!)
• It's in Ohio. A 140.6 in Ohio!
• I totally feel like I got robbed at IMLOU. That's all I need to say about it.
• I honestly enjoy training for an Ironman in the summer. Yes, I bitch about it. I'm not going to lie because there are days when it sucks. But in general, I love knowing that my body can do what it does and training for an Ironman distance race tests your body to the fullest.
• I have some goals. Some time goals. I want to see some results of my hard work!

And speaking of Team Trakkers, they introduced the pro team the other day.

Team Trakkers/REV3 2011 from REVOLUTION3 Triathlon on Vimeo.

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! The full professional team includes:
Hillary Biscay: 2008 Ironman Wisconsin Champion; 15-time top-three Ironman finisher
Courtenay Brown: Danskin Tri & Silverman Half winner; Inside Tri columnist
Kathleen Calkins: 2010 REV3 Cedar Point 3rd place; Top Amateur Kona 2009
Richie Cunningham: 2x 70.3 Champion; 4x Top-Five 70.3 World Championships
Brian Fleischmann: 1st World Team Champs; 2x 2nd place USAT National Champs
Jacqui Gordon: Multiple Ironman and 70.3 Top-Ten finisher
Amanda Lovato: 2010 Pucón 70.3 Champion; Multiple Half Ironman Champion; Multiple Top-Five Ironman finisher
Michael Lovato: 2x Ironman Champion; 3x Top-Ten Kona; 3x National Champion
Chris McDonald: 3x Ironman Champion
Jessica Meyers: 2010 Augusta 70.3 Champ; US National Team; Armed Services Champion
Matt Sheeks: 2010 Duathlon Pro National Champion; 2009 Duathlon AG World Champion

I know that I've said it already and I'll say it again and again - it's still kind of unreal that I'm racing for a team like Trakkers. Our sponsors are amazing (REV3, Kestrel Bikes, Avia, Canari, TYR, All3Sports, First Endurance, SBRSports).

It's going to be a good year... a very good year!

Two things...

Thing #1 -
I know that the going green phenomenon is huge right now. And you all know that I'm going green in my own way! I already love being part of Team Trakkers. It's been what, like a month since I was invited to be part of the team and I already feel like I've known some of these people forever. I can't wait to race with them all. My new Kestrel has been ordered (I went with the 4000 Pro and I know it's going to be a beaut). My new Avia Lite III's have been ordered. First Endurance was just announced as our nutrition sponsor. And I signed up for my REV3 races too. I'm excited to be racing at new venues - Knoxville, Portland and Cedar Point. And then I found this little beauty the other day. Can you say perfect pre-race shirt??? :) And no, it's not a St. Patty's Day shirt. It's a Go Team Trakkers shirt. I swear!

It's kind of surreal to be a sponsored athlete. I mean, I'm not out winning races. I've placed a few times here and there, but I'm not what I always visioned the "sponsored athlete" being. It's definitely an honor to have companies believing in our team, knowing that sure, some of the athletes are totally badass (who am I kidding, we're all badasses in our own way!), but there are a lot of us that are doing what we love (be it a little slower than others) and having the time of our lives. We're relateable athletes (yep, that's a word)... we have school and jobs and spouses and kids - just like most triathletes. We work hard to get better, but remember that racing is more than placing (although placing is super fun and we know that too). We all have traits that make us good candidates to represent an amazing organization and some outstanding companies.

Still doesn't mean that I don't pinch myself every now and then to make sure that this isn't all a dream.

GO GREEN!

Thing #2 -

Okay, so I've been contemplating changing the name of my blog. When I first started this blog it was called "Fighting for 15". It started as a weight loss blog and well, I never lost 15 pounds and quite frankly decided that life was too short to write a blog about my weight loss struggles. Anyone who read it (which was like my mom and my sister) probably thought that I was off my rocker, obsessing with my weight anyhow. Then I signed up for an Ironman. People always asked if I was offended that I was doing a race called an IronMAN and when I finished, if I would call myself an IronWOMAN. Nope. I'd be Ironman. And a damn proud one at that. I considered starting a women's Ironman training site or training community and calling it Irondivas. That's how it started. Yes, I'm an Ironman. But I'm as far as a diva as they come (unless you ask my hubby and yes, some days I do exhibit some diva traits, but really, what woman doesn't???). Honestly, I'm a jeans and tee shirt kind of girl. I never wear heels. Never. I don't wear makeup. And if I blow dry my hair and straightened it, it's probably because I have an important meeting. Otherwise, it's in a pony tail. All. The. Time. Expensive things... not unless I have a coupon or a gift card or it will make me faster. So why is this blog still called Irondiva?

Problem is, I can't think of anything cute, fun, witty. I always read blogs of people with these great titles. Me, yep, not so much. Any suggestions?

Another Random's Update

Just 'cause I'm feeling super random today...

• Thank you all for your encouraging words on my last post about being self coached. And I appreciate the suggestion to move my rest day to Monday. During my race training schedule, I'm the laziest person in the world on Mondays. For now unfortunately, I think I'm going to need the break after the two days of intervals. I'll probably adjust things as I go.
• Speaking of training... I am meeting the hubby on our trainers in T-minus 40 minutes for our first bike interval workout of the year. I think he's going to take pleasure in my torture. I don't' know why. What doesn't kill me makes me stronger - right? Right?
• Beth wrote a blog about optimal race weight the other day. It's from the Racing Weight Book that is sitting next to my bed I'm reading. According to the little formula that Mr. Fitzgerald lays out, to be at my optimal racing weight, I have to lose 18 pounds. Um... well... okay. Maybe I'll shoot for my "almost optimal racing weight". In any event, Beth and I are going to do this together - aren't we girl?
• Speaking of weight... I gained some weight over the holiday. I usually get uber depressed about this. This time, I just sucked it up, put on my big girl panties (literally) and am taking care of things. It's amazing what eating well again can do for your mind and body (although, I'm missing my cookies. There... I admitted it) I feel good.
• And speaking of food - we went to Panera today. YUM. I love their Asian Chicken Salad. It's sooooooo good. And I get to meet Meredith tomorrow for lunch at Noodles and Company. Remember... the crack mac and cheese dealer that I love. :) Yeah, don't think I'll be doing the mac and cheese, but you just never know.
• I ordered my Kestrel today. Another inanimate object to fall in love with! :) I'm so excited... she's going to be a beaut!
• Oh, I also ordered my new Avia's. I went back and forth with whether or not I should get the Bolts which are the racing flat or the Lite III which are the cushion. I decided to not be all crazy and stuff and got the Lite III's. I think it was a smart choice. For now.
• Being on Trakkers is like Christmas. I like Christmas. Our sponsors are amazing!
• REV3 and Team Type 1 have partnered up for this year. Super exciting for both parties if you ask me. Here's the article if you are interested. And yes, I have a vested interest in both parties, but whatever - it's still exciting. :)
• So Team Type 1 is running across the country this year. Running people... 3000+ miles. There are 10 guys, all Type 1 diabetics. They will start in California and end in New York on World Diabetes Day. My hubby is managing the "race" per say (it's not an official race - he is forming the route and everything) and the guys. It's going to be awesome. These guys are amazing. I'm hoping to be there at the start, and at the end. Probably along the way a little too.
• Did you watch the Bachelor the other night? Yeah, we didn't either (ha... yeah we did). I always make a prediction of who the desperate man or woman will pick. I have a good track record going on. I chose the girl that got the first impression rose. I was *this* close to picking the girl who slapped him when she got out of the car or the girl with the fangs. No. Not really. But he did keep them both didn't he?

What's random in your life now?

Whew...

It's all sinking in - the fact that I'm going to be part of an amazing team, that I'm going to have some amazing sponsors, and that I better work my tail off to have a great season. Nothing like the motivation of 40 great teammates! :) A super big thanks to Carole and Charlie for giving me this opportunity! And a big thanks to Meredith and Chris too - love you guys!

So a little more about the Trakkers stuff (tell me to shut up if it's too much... I'm on a little excitement high so I won't talk about it forever... I promise!).

First, we race the Rev3 series. I'm super excited about this because I've heard such amazing things about the races. Honestly, I haven't heard a single negative! Tom and I were planning on doing one of them before Trakkers came along, but now I'll add a few more to the list. I'm planning on doing the half in Knoxville in May, the half in Portland in July (which I'm totally excited about since I've never been to Portland!!!!) and then the half at Cedar Point in September. And maybe if I'm good, I can convince the hubs to take me to Costa Rica in 2012 for my birthday! HA! Come join us... it's bound to be a great time!!!

We'll be riding Kestrels this year. Don't know much about Kestrels??? Check out what the winner and runner up in IM Cozumel were riding!!! They are amazing bikes and I've heard nothing but praises for them! And while I have a ginormous place in my heart for Flica, my Orbea, I'm super excited to get one of these bad boys (or in my case bad bitches...)

(**With that being said though, if anyone knows someone who is looking for an amazing tri bike, I have one for sale! :) It's a 2008 Orbea Ora in impeccable condition (we baby bikes in this house as they mean more to us than most inanimate objects should). It's a size 52 (I'm 5'7.5" if that helps), red, carbon beauty. Contact me if you know anyone who would be interested!**)

Finally, we're running in Avia. I'm heading out today to test some and see what I like since I've never run in them before. I'm such a dork though and love the skull and cross bones that has been associated with them! And the bright colors. So I sound like a total girl or what? HA! I'll let you know what I come up with!

So that's the happenings as of now. Thanks everyone for your congratulatory messages - you made me feel all warm and fuzzy!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Training is going well... I finally feel like I'm back in somewhat of a groove. It's nice. I feel energized and I'm excited again. I really do feel that the down time I took, as hard as it might have been on me mentally, was really a blessing. It's funny how fast we are to question our abilities and if we are doing things right or wrong. I've learned that there isn't a perfect equation and what might be best for me, isn't best for someone else (although I must say... there are a lot of you that shared my feelings and frustrations and I appreciate you voicing those to me!)

Oh, and one more little thing... Jodi, at RunJodiRun did a Thursday Thumbs Up about me. It was fun to answer the questions and tell a little more about myself and my swimming/biking/running obsession. Head over there and check it out (yeah, I'm tootin' my own horn...) Thanks Jodi!