Empire State Building Stair Climb ~ GO NATALIA!!

I know it is Monday and it is usually a dance party around here, but today I am unable to find the right song, which I'm sure is due to how I am feeling. Michael got more bad news yesterday so please continue to keep him in your prayers as he and Nicole find out today what this most recent development means in his recovery. He REALLY needs our prayers.

Friday night was a lot of fun with the girls at the jewelry party and I kept it to a two glass minimum and felt lovely when I awoke to our first team run on Saturday. Leave it to TNT to turn a 30 minute run into a 3 hour event. We had over an hour of information clinics and I learned more about nipple guards and chamois butter than I ever really wanted to know. We had an emotional start with a teammate sharing her TNT story. All weekend workouts start like this so we are reminded why we do what we do, but sometimes it just hurts way too much and the pain is very fresh for some teammates.

We had an unexpected sleepover with Mom and Dad and my Aunt Nadine this weekend as they came up to visit Michael. It was nice to be with family and spend time just sitting around talking. After leaving them at the hospital, I made it home to work on (that means wiggle and push random buttons) my bike computer. Once it was fixed, I headed out for a 20 mile easy ride. I arrived home to find Cousin Katie, who had been working on getting a tooth out, had finally extracted it. She has heard that our tooth fairy pays out $1 for the first tooth, $2 for the second tooth and on and on (who came up with this system anyway?)...and since she was spending the night...
Well, that tooth was not ready to come out, but she did it! Her Tooth Fairy got a break last night and our Tooth fairy became $12 poorer. GULP.

I want to share with you that  Natalia is racing up the Empire State Building tomorrow in a stair climb to raise money for The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (the kind of cancer my mom has) and if you are able to donate to her race to help her meet her goal of $4000, please visit THIS LINK or and also go give this wonderfully giving woman some cheers for her event that happens TOMORROW!! She is a ROCK STAR!!

GO NATALIA!!

Suck Hill

Today's schedule was an easy 45 minute bike ride, but since it was a no school day, there was no way I was getting out for a ride without my little triathlete...

After a 45 minute ride with her, I headed out by myself and decided to hit up Suck Hill (why do I call it Suck Hill??... BECAUSE IT SUCKS!) to see just how badly out of bike riding shape I've gotten.

I made it to the top by sheer will power, it took me another mile to catch my breath. It's 1/3 of a mile long and it is where I'll do hill repeats when I need to ride close to home. It's hard to tell from the picture but if you click on it you can see a white car turning out into traffic and that is where the hill starts and then heads on up.

I dropped my chain once and I remembered I need new brake pads shortly before arriving at an unexpected stop sign while traveling approximately 35 mph and scaring poop out of me.
I couldn't get my bike computer to work, so I have no idea how far I went, but I did ride for 45 minutes.
It was enough time to remind me that the next 5 months are going to be torture an absolute blast!

I arrived at my (hilly) street and was about to hop off and walk the bike up when my good neighbor, Larry, popped out of nowhere from doing yardwork and as always cheered me on up the hill. I hate love that he never lets me get away without finishing strong! Doesn't that man ever hang out inside?

Here's a picture of the boy...

I'm only showing this to you to prove he is still alive and to illustrate why there are so few pictures of him on this blog. This is what I get when I point a camera at him.

Heading off to a girls night/jewelry party and I'm quite sad, because it is the night before our first team run and I would rather drink wine and chat it up all night, but I must not. Wish me luck on staying good and getting to bed early ;-)

Day 1 of 149

That sure seems like a really long time in training/prep for the 1/2 IM.
21 weeks!

I've only been awake for a few hours but day 1 is going great :-)

I did my 25 minute EZ run that was on the schedule. I ran 2.52 miles with an average pace of 9:55m/m.
That darn two minute warm up killed my pace.
I actually ran 23 minutes at 9:40m/m, but that was probably a little too fast for me for my EZ runs right now, but I wanted to finish with better than 10m/m. I'm not sure what I have against 10m/m these days, but I'm determined to break out of my rut of the last couple of years and start running faster again. And by fast...I don't mean really fast, but...oh never mind.


So you guys know I've been running in Nike Frees since ending physical therapy on my ankles/shins. The main reason for choosing the frees is because they are the only shoe I could find that didn't hurt my achilles. Other more supportive running shoes have such a high/stiff achilles support that it just kills me. However, I am worried about wanting more cushion and Coach suggested I try heal supports with the frees to see if it would help with my tight shins. I finally got around to trying them out today...

...and my shins felt great, but now my left achilles is kind of barking at me. They also didn't seem to help my left butt cheek, but maybe with time. I'll see how the next couple of runs go. I've only been running on my very cushiony treadmill (other than the race last week) and I'm just a wee bit worried about how my shins are going to react once I start doing group runs on the road.

In honor of the first day of training, I decided to try to eat a little healthier and being inspired by Racing Dawn and  Miles, Muscles & Mommyhood and their Paleo endeavors, I slurped down a Protein Smoothie for breakfast that included lots of berries and spinach...

I like my smoothies served in a bowl. Then I pour some coconut oil on top and it hardens into a little paleo candy shell.

If I close my eyes and try really really really hard, it's almost like the berries and spinach are ice cream and the coconut is the hard shell of a DQ Dilly bar.
Mmmmmm Good.
Well... kinda.

Hippie Hippie Shake

First, how cute is my hippie chick?

She has a hippie dance at school next week and I've been putting off figuring out what she was going to wear as long as I could, but after school we hoped for the best and hit up Party City to see if they had old Halloween leftovers around. After searching and searching and coming up with nothing, I dug back in for a final desperate time with a quick prayer as I did so...and up I came with this beauty.

However, the clearance tag confused me...

If the regular price was $29.99, shouldn't the clearance price be ...um...less? Most of the other costumes had $29.99 as regular and marked down to $5.00. Several were like this one though. I took it to the cash register and the clerk told me that sometimes they just put clearance stickers on things to let the customers know these products won't be around next year. REALLY? I gave her a little (VERY little) grief in telling her it just didn't make sense to me and then decided to let it play out. I figured the prayer got the costume into my hands in the first place, so if we were supposed to get it, it would ring up as $5.00...
AND IT DID!! Hooray ~ One happy hippie with one happy mama.

I read a great weight workout post by Jen today and decided that since tomorrow starts official Half IM training, I would pull out a book I bought a couple years ago and see if it would shed light on how I want to weight train this season.

 I skipped around here and there, but did decide to take the time to read through the Weight Training Needs Analysis and out of all the "symptoms" (ie: you find yourself leaning forward during your runs or your body roll decreases the farther or longer you swim, etc) the answer to my various symptoms was always YOU NEED TO WORK ON YOUR CORE!!

So. True.

Speaking of training, our TNT kick off party is tonight! I can't believe this starts it all.
And Awaaaaaaaay Weeeeeee GO!

Monday Morning Dance Party

Thank God It's Monday!!

Dance,
Come On!

Winner. Champ. Hero. Conquerer. Medalist. Master. Star.

Numero Uno.
Ya...That's Right. I FINALLY WON!

Last week, I decided on my January Run For The Bling Of It Challenge race and found myself driving down to Eugene last night for a little Pottery Painting with Mai and my mom at Brush-Fire Pottery By You before settling in for a good night's sleep in preparation for this race:

I told my brother last weekend that I had finally entered a race I had a chance of winning. The winner would not be the fastest time, but rather the one who had the closest finishing time to their predicted time (without using watches or timing devices...THIS was hard!). I wanted to run faster than 10m/m so I predicted a finish time of 35:50 and I not only ran a good and mostly pain free (yay!!) race at 9:38m/m but I came in 1st in my age group!!...
...out of 1   :-D
...but I did come in 19/46 overall and I WON THE RACE!!! My predicted time was only 2 seconds off from my finishing time. Yes. I really am that good .



I proudly wear my bling!!! I got the sweatshirt for overall winner and of course my medal...

and a nice tech shirt in blue...

and some lovely hot chili to warm my wintery insides after the race. I also won complimentary entry to another race down in Eugene on March 24th ~ The Bring In Spring 5k ~ So I guess my March race is now officially planned.

I'm also doing The Shamrock and Natasha's Run in March, so I guess I can consider March FULL!

Thanks for listening me toot my own horn. I'm sure an occasion such as this win will not likely happen again, so you are safe from any future gloating :-D

Sittin' On An Ice Pack...

Brr cold, Brr Cold
Sittin' on an ice pack
Whoop, about to slip down

Lord, I'm so tired
How long can this go on?



Made it to 3 miles today and now I'm freezing my fanny off.

As well as my elbow...

Can someone invent a full body ice pack that I can slip on a couple of times a day while I'm working?

Good new, though...
I increased from 2 to 3 miles today by using some great chi running info from Amanda At Run To The Finish and RUNNING TALL!!! It helped my pain in the A$$ A.LOT.

The Lean Chitas

ya...that's right...we're the Lean "Chitas"...Wanna join our cool club?

Mai made me sign a contract if I wanted to be a part of her workout club.

It's pretty good stuff:

• Eat "helthy"

• Run 3 times a week

• Eat some candy...

...come again? Ah...she says if we're at a movie, we can enjoy a box of candy. Otherwise...um, not so much.

• Lift some "weits"

• Go to the gym

• Stretching

I can get behind this plan. How 'bout you?

Mai says she's officially in training. She has 4 triathlons and one running race scheduled so far this summer.

Me?..."official" training starts in about 8 days...and I'm just sitting around waiting for all my aches and pains to magically disappear prior to that. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...I just cracked myself up. I think I've reached that magical age where something is always hurting. Be prepared to hear me old lady myself away to you guys on a regular basis now that I've admitted to myself that I've passed by my girlish years :-)

Sometimes...

you go to the hospital to visit your cousin and hopefully brighten his day a little bit, but you leave the hospital knowing that you got more out of the visit than he did.
And that is what happened yesterday.

Michael was back East when he first found out about his leukemia in 2007 and had to stay there during treatment so I had no idea what to expect. Admitting warned me before I even got to the transplant floor that I would need to be in gown/mask/gloves, but when I got to the floor I realized how serious they are.

The floor is locked. Once you are allowed in, you immediately wash and then put on your hospital clothes and these don't come off until you leave. Realizing how much impact one germy person could have on an entire floor of people is beyond comprehension.

He was just his normal self. I don't think I could ever do justice in explaining Michael to those of you who don't know him. He's like the most normal guy. But of the very best variety of man. Cool...but Warm. A little Sweet. A little Salty. Faithful and Faith Filled.

So it was all really normal. Just talking, passing time, like any other conversation I would have with him, yet when I left I realized I was leaving with like three new life lessons. Just regular stuff, yet profound just the same.

What I thought I would share today is that I have never sat down with Michael one on one for that long before and just talked. I don't think I've sat down that long with many people for that long before and just talked. Nothing else going on, just us two in a room sharing thoughts. I don't do that with my husband. I don't do that with my children, I don't even sit with myself for that long at a time without letting other things get in the way.
...And I wonder why not.
Because it was nice.
It was nice to focus on one person - especially a person I love.

When was the last time you slowed down enough to just focus on one person for an extended period of time? Gave that person all your attention and just shared? Has it been a long time? Or never? Do you let other things become more important than the things that really matter: Our people, our pack, our clan, our human fellow?
Who are your people?...and how will you spend time with them this new year?
Will it be hard for you like it was for me at times?...or is this something you do often and with ease?

And when was the last time you were on a slip 'n slide? Our family loves 'em!

Monday Morning Dance Party

TGIM!!!!

Knit One, Purl Two

Mai has taken up knitting again...
If this is how she feels...can you imagine how the ol' gal teaching her looks about now?

None But Jesus

Happy Saturday!! Saturday is my favorite day of the week, for many reasons...but mostly because I get to go to church. I love my church. From the very first day I attended, I have known that was the place for me to be. I think I have yet to leave without tears falling. I feel safe there. I have fun there. I don't like it when they play songs like None But Jesus right before we're told to turn to our neighbor and say Hi, because I've just become a mess of tears and goo, but I do like when Pastor Kip splits the church in half and has one side yelling GO and the other side yelling DUCKS!

If you're ever in Portland, I invite you to visit Southlake and see what we're all about. Shhhhh....(We have lots of Beaver fans, too) GO DUCKS! and it is definitely a come as you are church.

I'm Bored...

What do you do when it's winter rainy and cloudy and blah and you don't really have a lot of work to do and the house is so dirty it defies cleaning and you don't feel like going to the gym? Well, The Husband goes on line and googles "what to do when you're bored" and follows the advice of some 12 year old and picks the dog up and carries her all around the house so she can see what it looks like from his point of view. I would have posted a picture but he did it in his undies.

Me? I volunteer to help out at the kids school.
That'll teach me!

I survived the classroom, but it was lunch break that almost killed me. I managed to entertain dozens of little 6 year olds by first choking on a grape skin. BAD! I was turning all red and hacking and my eyes went blind. I had recovered for all of 10 seconds when I had a sneezing fit to end all sneezing fits. I haven't heard so much giggling in all my years of making a fool of myself. Here, I had actually washed my hair this morning so Mai wouldn't have to be embarrassed of her mom's appearance, and then I mucked it all up anyways.

If you're bored, you're boring. I'm done being bored :-)

On to Updates!!

• My elbow tendonitis is NO better, but the doctor didn't have much sympathy for me...just wait it out.

• The bump on my finger IS a tendon sheath cyst and he said to get used to it, 'cause it ain't goin' no.where. He said I do need to QUIT feeling it up, because I am only irritating it and making it worse.

• I only ran once this week and this was only partly due to the massive wine consumption. Mostly, I'm giving my glute/hammie a break to see if it resolves itself. I hurt it during a trail run over a month ago. I didn't feel myself get hurt, but as soon as I dropped that run down to a walk to the car, it was hurting...and it's hurt ever since...usually just when I'm walking but last week it started to bug me during runs, too.
• MICHAEL!!!! Please continue to keep my cousin in your prayers. He finished his chemo yesterday and next Tuesday they will puncture lumbar vertebrae checking for leukemia. It is my understanding he will have a transplant within the month. I've been waiting to see if my snotty nose symptoms are a cold or allergies and I'm about 100% sure it has to be allergies so I'm hoping to be able to see him this weekend.

I'm A Winner!!

Oh Yes!, I am!
I won two giveaways in December. I REALLY wanted those knee socks that Fast Runner Katie at Run for the Bikini was giving away, but a handful of Clif bars was the next best thing!

I also won a gift certificate from The Super Sweet and also Very Fast Runner Janae at The Hungry Runner Girl
to this sweet and VERY affordable Uptown Girls Too and Wild Poppy Boutique which came with THE nicest note from Janae that pretty much MADE MY DAY! Thanks for your ever sweetness, Janae!

....I knew immediately what I wanted and with my gift certificate I purchased this cute tunic today...

Thanks Katie and Janae!!

Well, after a talky talky evening at The Muddy Rudder in Sellwood last night with a girlfriend, it made three nights of wine intake this week....and that just won't do for 1/2 IM training. Someone please wring me out...


btw...If you ARE local, we enjoyed the food at The Muddy Rudder. I have heard their burgers and sandwiches are really good. We split the Happy Hour Pizza and Bruschetta and both were Yummilicious.

Did You Know?

I have been honored with the Stylish Blogger Award by Wonderfully Full of Life Rose of Eat, Drink, and Be Meiri and also by Completely Dedicated To Running Andrew of Running Man Wannabe and also by The Very Lovely and Giant Hearted Marcia at Running Off At The Mouth and so I'm here today to share 7 things about me that you may or may not know.

1. Did you know that in the 7th grade, someone named Kathy presented me with "The Brain Award"?
Here...I have proof...

...Good thing I kept the following pictures because I think immediately after receiving the brain award, I was hit by lightning or something, 'cause I have the memory of a goldfish.

2. Did you know that I used to wear makeup...

...and now I don't?

3. Did you know that I used to be very good at jumping onto inner tubes...

...and now I can swim for 2 miles without stopping?

3. Did you know that I used to walk as much as possible in gym class...

...and now I have run two marathons? (The group thing hasn't changed, though...ALWAYS more the merrier!)

4. Did you know that my friends and I used to dream about hot guys...

...and now I sleep next to one?

5. Did you know that I used to drink a lot of beer and sunbathe too much...

...and now I drink a lot of wine and have had skin cancer removed? (just a reminder to wear your sunscreen!...you can keep drinking, though ;-)

6. Did you know that when I was a wee one, I ironed and sewed...

...and now I can barely sweep my floors?

7. Did you know that I used to dress my brother up like a girl...

...and I'm wondering if he still reads my blog.

I'm passing on

to the following wonderful bloggers:
Jen at Why I Run
Abby at Fit To...Run For Fun
Natalia at Natalia's Running Blog
ERG at Elkton Runner
Laurie at The Brick Wall

Bikinis For A Cure

Proud of our Ducks and can't wait for next season! To cheer up my fellow Duck fans, I thought we could use a little fun this morning. My teammate Kelly had a great fund raising idea. If people donated enough money, she would strip down to a swimsuit and run along the waterfront. This FUN girl kept her word :-)

Monday Morning Dance Party

It's GAME DAY, Baby!! The girl has green hair...

The kids are dressed to represent at school today...

The cake is smelling yummmmmmmmy...

Ya know I gotta do it:

Freeze Your Thorns Off 5K Race Report

I think I got in last minute to join along with Adam's FYTO 5k Virtual Race. If so, I may be getting that new body glide I've been so desperately needing (much better than prize money), and if not, at least my treadmill got a nice wipe down for pictures...

I had already done a Les Mills Body Pump class this morning (more on that later) and so I had no idea what kind of energy I had in me. I ended up taking yesterday as a rest day because I realized I had worked out 10 or 11 days in a row with no break. My run and swim on Thursday just plain sucked. I went into my 5k today knowing I would not accept 10m/m but that I WOULD accept anything else and this is what I got. I had to end on a very high note (for me) to get it, too :-)

Snapped my proof and tried to get an O in for my ducks but this was the best I could do because I still haven't figured out how to use the self-timer on my camera. Then I ran to my desk to see if there was any news on Michael and there was an e-mail from mom saying that a bed opened up here in Portland and he'll be traveling by ambulance shortly to start treatment. I thank you for all your prayers. We have been praying desperately that he could be moved up here as there was no cancer center where he was, yet treatment could not be delayed further. We've been praying all night for a bed to open up.
Praise GOD!

Now, for all the hype about the new Les Mills Body Pump class that was being launched at our gym today...I have to say that I would have rather slept in. I made it in time for the "technique" addition they were doing today...along with a throng of other crazy people, but the class was just...I don't know...like any other body pump class. I'm not sure what I was expecting. I found humor in the lady who was griping to the front desk that it's not fair she couldn't take the class because no one ever told her she had to "sign up" for it. However, every single sign in the gym for over a week now has indicated you MUST pre-register. I found no humor in the fact that every single move made my elbow ache, nor that one of the trainers was on me like white on rice to let me know just how badly my squats suck. If I had been more awake, I would have had him work with me on them more, but instead I just shooed him away. It was too early on a Saturday for that.

Now I'm off to clean (my house and myself) and relax until church...unless it snows as they've promised. In that case, I've already de-dog pooped the backyard and we're ready to sled :-)
Happy Saturday!

Directional Tires...Say What?

So, remember when I was all excited on Christmas morning because I got new bike tires? So excited that I left them leaning up against the tree until, well, until it got warmer outside and I could get excited about going out in the cold to put the new tires on the bike. Well, the weather never warmed up so I brought the bike inside and went to work the other night.

...and that is where she still lies.
I got the new front tire on with no problems. There should be no problems since I am a pro at changing flats, but I thought since they were new they might be a little tighter, but no issues. BUT...my elbow tendonitis has really been flaring up, so I was in pain while I was doing it. The frustrating part is pumping up the tires. I am still having the worst problems with my presta valves. My last pump I finally threw away in frustration. My new pump is no better. GRRRRRR. I finally got it pumped up and husband came in and asked me if I remembered that he told me they were directional tires. Uh? What?
Ya. They go on a certain way so they are rotating in the correct direction.
See the red arrows?

Oh. Crap. I put it on backwards.

Steve says to just change out the thingymajig that attaches the tire to the bike but I figure I'll lose a washer or something in the process, so I go about removing the tire and I manage to flip part of it inside out. Don't ask. Anyways, part of it's twisted and I can't get it right side out. By this time my elbow is throbbing and I'm crying and swearing (it might also be that TOM) and I say I'm heading to take a hot shower while he and the kids say they'll pump up the tire for me. I say "thanks, just don't break the valve" and head to try to create my own steam room. I return feeling better, find that they've hooked my tire up to the compressor and broken the valve off my tube and I realize I won't be riding the bike for at least a couple more weeks anyways, so this is where I left it...

oh...and then I googled "directional tires" and everything I read says the tread on road tires is so minimal it doesn't really matter...I imagine I've been putting my old tires on the wrong way, too :-)

I'm seeing the doctor today for a regular check up and to find out if I can do something different for my elbow and to find out what the lump on my finger is. I think it's a flexor tendon sheath cyst. It's at the palm at the base of the finger. It is bothersome when I drive and I'm thinking it might give me issues on the bike. I'm wondering if it could be a result of the elbow tendonitis or if it is something completely separate.

Did you know that some tires are directional?
Have you been riding backwards this whole time like me? :-D
Have you ever removed the thingymajig and is it easy to put back together?

Prayers For Michael

I had no idea the tears would fall again so soon after writing out my purple heart yesterday in our family's TNT story. Today, my cousin, Michael, found out that his leukemia has returned after two years in remission. I am completely unsure what to even write except that I believe in the power and strength of prayer and so I ask that my friends will join our family in much needed prayer today and in the coming days and months as Michael faces treatment again. Please keep Michael and Nicole and their small ones in your prayers.

I Hate Cancer. I Love Purple.

Elizabeth says that it is Paint it Purple Week, so I'm trusting that she knows something I don't and I'm going to share my Team in Training story.

I first heard of Team in Training many many years ago when my brother trained for the Anchorage Marathon. It seemed like a nice idea - raising money for cancer research and all...but I didn't really "get" the whole fund raising thing that he was trying to do :-( ...but by the time 2005 rolled around it became really personal ~ Mom was diagnosed with a blood cancer called multiple myeloma. At the time we had really no clue what this cancer was, what her prognosis would be, really not a lot of info other than stuff I found on the internet that really really scared me. I decided to join up with Team in Training as I really had no other way of feeling strong about the situation. I had run a marathon the previous year and it was pretty painful. With Team in Training, I not only had a great time, but I made some friends and I crossed the finish line feeling like I could keep running and running and running - here I am in purple leading Robin into the finish line...It was seriously a GREAT race.

Look how little wee ones were!!

The hardest thing about that first year wasn't training for or even running the marathon...it was trying to keep my tears in check. At the first team run, I bawled. At the second team run, I whimpered. The thing with TNT is that it is about fighting death. No matter how you boil it down, you are either crying over loss or crying with joy over life.

I took a year off, but in 2007 my cousin was diagnosed with leukemia. He was 32 and had two little kids and again I felt like the only thing I could do to keep some power was raising money for research. This time I really stepped out of my comfort zone and decided to try a triathlon. I thought my tear ducts would be a little dryer this time around, but I was wrong. When you are thinking about those close to you in pain, it just stays raw as you continue about your day. It doesn't make sense that you are racing triathlons and they are fighting for their lives, but that is. how. it. is.
In the 2008 season, our honored teammate was a beautiful little girl named Natasha. As she faced her treatments, my tears just kept coming. I felt withdrawn at many points during that training year. It was hold myself back or just break loose and breaking loose wasn't very pretty for me that year. Either was the finish of my race, but I look pretty happy in this picture ( I think I was actually delirious :-)

Look at that background. Who could ask for more??!!

2009 came and went with another turn at Pac Crest and the loss of little Natasha. Each year I think the tears will stop coming and each year I'm wrong. The thing is, though...crying lets me know I'm alive, that I still care, that there is still work to be done. Tears may well up and fall down to my cheeks many many times this season, and I invite them to. I hate cancer and I love purple.
That is my Paint It Purple Week story.

The Case of the Mysteriously Non-Sweaty Girl

I don't particularly like spin class the first couple times back at it. And then I never continue with it long enough to really be "back at it", but I always feel like a champion after each class. Nothing like thoroughly soaking your clothes to realize just how hard you've worked.

So, when the thermometer showed me yet another f..f..f..freezing day in the forecast and after hearing that my dad wore 3 pairs of pants on his bike ride yesterday and still froze his patootie off...well...I realized it was spin class or bust.

Knowing it was the first day back to the gym in almost a year for some gym goers and all classes were bound to be full, I decided to arrive early to claim my bike. I lifted weights for 1/2 and hour and then hit the bike room which was like a sauna. The sun was blasting through the window and the heat must have been on and since I already had a sweat going, I was in heaven. After yesterday's Adventures in Sledding , I could use a little heat in my life. But I thought for sure the girl whose bike was directly in the sun and who was wearing the thickest sweatshirt I've ever seen, would soon have to start shedding some clothes.

While pondering when exactly she was going to start undressing, I wiped my brow with what I soon realized was a very new hand towel. So new that it had lint flying off of it. With the sun shining in on me, my whole area looked like a dust bunny gone bad. I was positive I must have hundreds of little lint balls all over my face but before I could check myself out in the mirror, I breathed in...
...I have to interrupt here and tell you how I breath. Whether it is on a bike, on a hike, on a run, or just sitting at my desk pondering something, I breath like I'm the star pupil in lamaze class and I'm preparing to birth a child.
...So...I breathed in and realized that something flew into my mouth with my inhale...
...and it was lodged against the opening of my throat and I was choking to death. Surprisingly, in this instant, I did not freak out. I thought it through and realized if I put my fingers in my mouth, I would probably get athlete's foot or something equally as disgusting because I did not wash my hands after lifting weights. I also thought that I might draw too much attention to myself. Although, I must admit, not breathing and eventually falling off my bike probably would draw attention as well.

I managed to wrap my tongue around whatever it was that was blocking my airway and maneuvered it out and out and out to the side of my mouth like a magician who keeps pulling the silk handkerchiefs out of his hand, pretty hanky after pretty hanky with no end in sight. And this is what I got for my effort...

...well, not exactly, but close! Seriously. Some freakishly long thread must have been loose on my towel and when I inhaled, it made a straight shot for my tonsils and then headed on down the back of my throat, leaving just a teeny tiny end sticking up to tickle my uvula. When it wouldn't let me swallow it, I had no choice but to pull it back up.

Class went on around me and I think no one was the wiser of my near demise and I continued to secretly check out sweatshirt girl. After completely soaking my clothes, I went to the locker room and who should follow me in but Ms. Sweatshirt wearing girl herself... with make-up perfectly in place and not a drop of sweat to be found on her sweatshirt clad body. Very, very mysterious indeed. I may have to return to class on Wednesday to see if this mystery can be solved.... Something just isn't right in my world if you leave spin class smelling like a rose and looking that good.

Monday Morning Dance Party

Dedicated to all you Shining Stars of 2011!!!!!!

You're a shining star, no matter who you are
Shining bright to see what you can truly be
That you can truly be

 

Snow Day

Last day of Christmas Vacation ~ The pictures tell the story of our trip to the mountain...

 ...for some sledding at Trillium Lake...