2. I went to the YWCA last night and there was this woman in a t-shirt bent over adjusting her pink spandex. I thought; that's brave, she's wearing pink spandex. Then she stood up and I saw that the t-shirt was cropped and she was wearing a neon green leotard over the spandex, and when she walked by I saw that it was a thong leotard. Hello Olivia Newton John...
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Random Stories
2. I went to the YWCA last night and there was this woman in a t-shirt bent over adjusting her pink spandex. I thought; that's brave, she's wearing pink spandex. Then she stood up and I saw that the t-shirt was cropped and she was wearing a neon green leotard over the spandex, and when she walked by I saw that it was a thong leotard. Hello Olivia Newton John...
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
San Diego Woes
Friday, October 12, 2007
Burrito Union Race Report
The course was in Beautiful Pattison State Park in Northern Wisconsin. The swim was in a shallow, sandy-bottom reservoir in the park, and the start of each swim was at the top of a 100-yard hill. I felt like I was on Baywatch, heading in for a rescue! However, the run back up the hill at the end of the swim was no picnic…
The bike was an out and back course on the nicely-paved state HWY 35. It was all downhill on the way out and all uphill on the way back, with a pretty decent 2-mile climb at the very end. I’m told that the course for next year will be a loop; much more exciting.
The run was on a great unpaved trail through the park; it had the perfect amount of hills, stairs, technical terrain, and flat fast straightaways to keep you from getting bored with any one thing.
Tom and I signed up in the Imperialist category. He started the race off for us at 7:30am; about 55 people were in the mass start, and the competitors quickly spaced out based on ability level in the water. 15 minutes after Tom began his run, I headed to the tag-off area, ready for my first leg. While I was waiting, another Imperialist tagged off to his partner. I learned that he (Steve) and his wife (Angel) were doing the race together, and joked with him that they would be who Tom and I were gunning for. Tom came in about 2 minutes after Steve, in a time of 1h, 17m. I headed off on my leg; it was nice to not have the thrashing waters that come with a mass start. Instead, I was on my own in calm water using nice, easy power. I got to the transition in about 11 minutes, and passed Angel up (a weaker swimmer) with a quick transition. I maintained the lead on the bike, and headed out on the run with about a 1 minute lead. I quickly learned that she was a strong runner as she darted by me about ½ mile in. I was maintaining 8:45 min/mile pretty comfortably (which I was happy with, running being my weakest leg;) I didn’t want to expend all my energy on my first lap. I finished with a 1:20: split, and Tom was off for his second leg. We were nonchalantly keeping tabs on Angel and Steve, but we got more and more serious about this friendly competition as the day wore on, and it was clear they did too. Tom reeled Steve in a bit on the swim, lost a bit on the bike, and held steady on the run. In a show of extreme consistency he split his second lap at a 1:17: as well. My second lap was the least memorable; I just remember thinking that my running would deteriorate rapidly after that leg, because I was feeling fatigue in the balance muscles of my ankles and knees due to the uneven terrain. Overall, with my second 1:20: split of the day, I gained about a minute on the Steve/Angel team who were now about 5 minutes ahead. During my downtime, I had trouble maintaining body heat, so I took off my tri suit, wore sweatpants, sweatshirt, fleece jacket, hat, and a blanket and my lips were still blue. My legs were feeling achy so I took some advil. It worked wonders. As Tom came in from a very impressive third lap at 1:17, we only lost 1 minute on Steve and Angel and were 6 minutes behind. The swim seemed to be getting colder as the day dragged on, but after a few strokes I perked up and was feeling good. I let myself push the bike a little harder than the previous legs. They were a bit achy still, but no cramping; my nutrition was working perfectly and the Advil had kicked in. However, I did have to wear a supplemental pair of bike shorts at this point as saddle-soreness was becoming an issue! Tom and I didn’t waste much time on transitions, which really helped us in our quest to catch Steve and Angel. I was able to close the gap to within 2 minutes at the bike to run transition. Of course, she increased their lead a bit in the run, but she was slowing down and I was speeding up. I averaged 8:39s in my 3rd run and we were 3:30 behind. I tagged off to Tom who was in for his fourth and final lap. At this point we could predict that we could make 8 laps within the time limit (you have to start your last lap before the 10-hour mark.) We found out later that Steve made some voodoo concoction of coke and water for his last leg and had his fastest bike split of the day, gaining them some time. He slowed a bit on the run, getting a final split of 1:19, and Tom finished with an impressive 1:21. He was much closer to Steve in speed on the last 2 laps than the first 2. We were 5 minutes behind.
As I entered the water for my last lap, Tom asked my mom how bad their lead was. Her reply was “insurmountable” which was my thought as well. But having nothing to lose, I hauled on the swim. Somehow I reeled Angel in on the swim and with a fast transition, got on the bike just behind her. I immediately passed her on the first downhill (I’m much heavier) only to have her pass me about 10 minutes later. I stayed behind for the rest of the ride, but had her in my sights the whole time. In the transition, I threw my bike to Tom, slid into my shoes and was on my way after my fastest transition of the day. Now, there was hope in my mind of a victory, but I was still convinced that I couldn’t hold her off. I was running as if there was a fire under my you-know-what; constantly thinking I heard footsteps and “girl breathing” (during races, you can tell whether a person running behind you is male or female based on the pitch of their breath; I don’t mind hearing “guy breath” behind me, but “girl breath” is another story!) The turnaround for the course takes you back on the same path for about a mile. 10 yards into the turnaround, I see Angel, charging up the hill, and she looks like she’s holding together well. I think it’ll be a matter of minutes before she overtakes me. I’m beginning to fantasize about tripping and falling so I have a good excuse for losing. Instead, I keep running as if I’m being chased by a bear, optimizing every step on the trail to conserve momentum and minimize the number of strides. I make it up every hill and set of stairs without walking, and I finally reach open air where I can see the finish line and hear the music. I chance a backwards glance for the first time in the whole race, and I can’t see her! I cruise up the hill to the finish and throw my arms up in victory after the closest race of the day. Angel comes in 30 seconds later and we congratulate each other on an amazing race; a 10-hour race that came down to 30 seconds.
We thoroughly enjoyed recounting various parts of the race with Angel and Steve, and all have agreed to do it again next year.
I learned a huge lesson during that race. I don’t consider myself a runner, and never thought that I could grit out a win when it comes to running. When I’m tired and hurting, I walk. That’s all there is to it. Well I pushed through that barrier, and I feel like I’ve opened a world of possibilities for my running capabilities, which is very exciting.
My one complaint about the race is no fault of the race directors. I participated in a 10-hour race with Tom and didn’t get to actually spend time with him during that 10 hours. We learned so much about each other during our Adventure Duluth race, accomplishing all legs together as a unit. Although we learned some individual lessons, I did miss having him there with me, gritting out the pain together. Fortunately, my ever-so devoted parents were there to provide support and company. For that, Tom and I are both thankful.
My suggestion to anyone who is considering doing this race next year; do it! The entire experience is worth the price. You may race just for fun, or you may surprise yourself, breaking barriers like I did. But the location, the camaraderie, and the entire atmosphere really validated this triathlon for the people.
Friday, September 21, 2007
The boys
Dylan, Will, Owen
Friday, September 14, 2007
State Fair Fun
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Bizarro Liz
I was going to post pictures from our company picnic a few weeks ago, but my computer is having technical difficulties. So rather than post pictures of people I know, I will recommend "dreams of flying"; a photo exhibit which I just love, taken by Jan von Holleben. Enjoy!
Friday, August 17, 2007
Free Bacon Night!
Monday, August 06, 2007
Harry Potter Mania!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Races Recap
Minneman Triathlon - 06/30/07, Oak Grove, MN
My first REAL triathlon of the season went fairly well. I had just gotten back from Brazil earlier that week and had found out I was off the Channel team, so my mind wasn't terribly focused. But it was a sprint-distance, and I found my focus soon enough. Nothing terribly memorable about the race itself except I had a faster 5k run split than ever before (during a triathlon.) Tom, my parents, one sister and two nephews were there which made the day much more fun. Plus, my old roomie Ariane (yes, she moved out :() finished her first triathlon, and did quite well.
Timberman Triathlon - 07/07/07, Grand Rapids, MN
After a week of riding with a loose spoke, I finally replaced it the day before the race and my bike was in good condition for the cracked, bumpy roads in Grand Rapids. I love this race because it is in a beautiful location and the atmosphere is so fun; but there were definitely some downsides to the race:
1. My lake warmup consisted of me dolphin-diving off the bottom and hitting my face on a rock.
2. It was 90 degrees outside
3. I hadn't trained for that distance triathlon (Olympic - 1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run)
I was pretty tired when I finished, but Tom and I drove to Duluth afterwards and finished off the weekend playing with the other sister and set of nephews on Spring Lake. It was very relaxing.
Iron Creek XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon - 07/14/07, Spearfish, SD
This was by-far the most difficult race of the trifecta, maybe the most difficult race I've done (including a marathon, half-ironman triathlon, and a 9-hour adventure race. I won't deny that the amount of training impacted the level of difficulty...) A beautiful course, we did a 2-loop swim in Iron Creek Lake, a 22k ride on the Old Baldy trail system in the Black Hills, and an 8k/2-loop run around the lake. The bike was definitely the most difficult. Technical and hilly; I have the most massive bruise on my leg to show that I lost the battle between myself and the terrain. I learned a ton on the bike though, and I am very excited to get out and try more technical terrain in the area.
Tom and I finished off the trip with a detour to Mt Rushmore; very majestic!
Friday, June 29, 2007
ousted
I was angry enough yesterday to say something to Dave I might regret, but I think I'm over that phase now. I can't promise I'll pretend as if I'm not hurt the next time I see him (oh yeah, he hasn't told me yet in person; he told me through Tom who was ousted from the crew as well,) but I will wish him luck. He'll need it.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Borrachudos!!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Bom dia de Brasil
Oh boy, for some reason, my blog editing site is displaying in Portuguese because I'm in Brazil. Hopefully my translation skills are OK and this entry prints up accurately. I'm here accepting NWA's first Embraer aircraft. It has been a busy trip, and trying to communicate with the Portuguese-speaking workers at Embraer, the Compass Airlines employees who will be operating the aircraft, and with the execs at NWA who make the decisions but are never in their office or available for a conference call, has proven difficult. Our trip has been delayed 1 day, and hopefully only 1 day.
I did manage to relax yesterday at Ihlabela; the "beautiful island" off the coast of the state of Sao Paulo; city of Sao Sebastian. It was absolutely gorgeous, and after one Caipirinha, I was in a state of total satisfaction and relaxation. I snorkeled, jogged along the beach, dug my toes in the sand, and ate seafood. The only bad thing about the trip is that I'm feeling the effects of the mosquito bites that itch worse than any bite I've endured in the humid, Minnesota northwoods. Tomorrow is back to reality, and Tuesday is back to the states, and Saturday begins the three weekends in a row of triathlons. Needless to say I haven't been training much since I've been here...
Check out the travel blog for pics from Ihlabela.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Maah Daah Hey
I just got back from a long weekend of epic mountain biking on the Maah Daah Hey trail in the badlands of North Dakota. It was a great time; I got some of the best endurance and hill training I've gotten in all season. Fortunately, mother goose and co-worker, Gregg, is a master of planning which makes the trail seem much less daunting. For a recount of what it can be like heading out on your own to try to conquer the trail, follow this link. But due to near perfect weather conditions and a shepherd who steered the flocks of riders in the right direction, we safely and happily plodded along the trail. I can say "happily" now, although had you asked me a few days ago just after one of the thousands of feet of climbing I did, I don't know if that's the word I'd use. Fortunately, what goes up must come down and we were able to do some pretty wicked descents as well. I have the bruises to prove it! Got thrown from the bike a few times. All in all; an excellent trip. One I will add to my yearly calendar. More pics on my travel blog.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
My Celebrity Look-alikes
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Overwhelmed?
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
So Many Things, So Little Time
- Finding my zen again on the mountain bike at lebanon hills
- Adding REI to our gift registry
- Deciding on Croatia as our honeymoon locale
- Finding out that REI gift cards, that can be purchased on the registry, can contribute to the honeymoon payment
- Making reservations for a mini-honeymoon to Sedona, AZ
- Starting up softball season and 5-8 club season again
- Training for Escape From the Gorge triathlon, in the hopes of qualifying for Escape From Alcatraz
- Beginning open water training to be able to pace Dave Cameron in his endeavor to swim a double crossing of the English Channel
- Cleaning my house... Oh wait, that has gone by the wayside...
That's all for now!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Something Beautiful, Something Ugly
1) I picked up our engagement rings. They're gorgeous and I can't wait until we begin wearing them.
2) I went to the doctor to get antibiotics for an infected blister. Apparently snowboarding for two days in boots 1/2 size too small and then doing a late night hike in the backwoods base of Mt. Hood in shoes but no socks (with the help of the jolly juice Tuaca) does not create a healthy environment for my feet. I'll put the more pleasant points about my vacation on my travel blog in a few days, but for now, here are the gross details about my blister:
I haven't mastered the lighting with this camera, but there's a reason why you barely see an ankle bone; the swelling! If the redness spreads any more, I have to go into the ER to get intravenous antibiotics. Smooth job, steph.
You can kind of see the pen marks above my ankle on this shot; that's where the infection is contained... Gross!
Monday, February 05, 2007
Vince's Christmas Present
Saturday, January 27, 2007
New Year Rewind
PS I've started dreaming about my wedding already. 2 dreams about missing it! I don't feel like I'm stressing too much about it and we're way ahead of the game, so I don't know what the deal is. Oh well, planning will have to slow down soon because of the vacations I'm taking. Next weekend, London! 2 weekends later, PDX! The weekend after that, Duluth - with Tom's parents. Maybe the dreams will subside for awhile.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Wedding Website
Thursday, January 04, 2007
pondering
Pics from Florida to come this weekend.