A Few Final Things in 2011

2011....the year in review, coming soon. Next post. I can say, though, that I think I have almost completed my transition from soccer player to triathlete. Not that I won't always think soccer is the greatest game in the world, because it is. But just that my spirit is LOVING triathlon. 2011 was a great year for me in this sport. I am no longer a transitioning soccer player, or even a transitioning runner. I am a triathlete. And that rocks.

In 2008, I started a quilt with all of my old soccer jerseys and t-shirts (at least the ones I could still find). And, those of you that know me know I am not even remotely crafty or domesticated. I never did finish that dern thing. But, here we come, 2012, and I am now truly a has-been soccer player, and the quilt has to be finished so I can snuggle up under it and dream about great games, killer tackles, and good goals. In my memory, I always killing it. ;)

One piece at a time....this stuff takes forever. I couldn't just do a small quilt, I had to design a huge queen sized quilt. Go big or go home, that is what I say. Must. stay. motivated.

And, I might have knocked off weight lifting today to bring an addition into our already full house. (Sorry coach! Remind me of this when I complain about not having enough muscle). This kitten has been sitting at Dave's office and meowing through the door. I told him that the cat had come to him for a reason and he better help her.

So, now we have a new kitty: ear mites, fleas, and all. She is maybe 5-6 months old is my guess. There goes all of my fun money to the vet. No name yet.
I have decided that I am not a crazy animal person. I am a super awesome person that thinks it is a good thing to help animals when I can, because I care about life, and I think this world is bigger than just myself.
Now it is time for that cosmopolitan...to prepare me for my ride tomorrow. It has been a goooooooood day.

Another Good Christmas

Good times with Santa yesterday. My Christmas list was a little different this year. I asked for things like "help setting up the computrainer with the computer".... and "someone to make me go shopping for clothes since I hate shopping"..... and "help getting an estimate on the roof." Basically, I wanted time/help rather than things, and Santa did deliver. Lately, I have felt that time is the most valuable commodity in my life- my time as well as others'.

I was happy to get a little junk under the tree, though, including a whole stack of cheesy romance novels. Oh yes ;)

Santa is running a little late with one thing, though. It seems that I have worn a hole through my old trainer, and I need that used computrainer to go ahead and get here in the mail.
I actually really do like to ride my trainer (as evidenced above), and I can't wait to try out a computrainer! I will say, though, I got 5 years out of the used trainer above...one of my best $50 investments ever.

Hope everyone had a great holiday and shared some good time with their loved ones.

'Twas the nap before Christmas...

I LOVE napping on a Saturday afternoon. Dave is at work, and I am breaking all of the rules by having the dogs on the bed with me. Is it wrong to sometimes do things you know you are not supposed to do? Dave has one rule in the house. Just one. No dogs on the bed. I never follow it.

Just a quick shout out to my friend, Layla, who is moving to Nashville next week. Layla and Brian (in the above picture) were my first two training partners ever. It seems so long ago that we lined up together....none of us could swim, we did full clothing changes in transition, and we were just excited to "jog" the whole run. Times have changed, but the old memories are still wonderful ones.

This morning I did a 3 hour ride + 40 min run. While I don't love the 6:30am/30 degree mornings, Tim keeps telling me that being miserable is a choice. So, I get on my bike and try to convince myself I am not miserable in the freezing cold. And, actually, I am not. I am miserable because I recently had a new bike fit, and my private parts hurt like hell. (literally, it has been 3 hours since I got off of the bike, and I still hurt). My bike used to be my 3rd best friend (behind the dogs), but now I am ready to break up after 5 minutes. Long gone are the days when I could ride 6 hours smooth like butter.

So I am struggling on the bike a little bit right now, and I don't like it at all. Is it the fit....or is it that I just have an OOSA (out of shape a$$?). 6 months ago I was chomping at the bit to pull with the guys. Now I am just hanging on the back, cursing under my breath when it is my turn to pull. Time to get my fit right and spends lots of time with my bike again.

I did have a solid track workout this week, which brings my total days on the track for the whole year to a whopping 4. :) Tim and I really cut out the speedwork this year to keep aggressive forces to my joints at a minimum. Amazingly, I am not any slower for not being on the track a ton. I also am having zero knee pain. Nada. Zilch. It is amazing how much more work you can accomplish when you are healthy. And after a full year of my knee feeling great after surgery, I feel excited and motivated. I am going to round out the Christmas week with a 2 hour progression run tomorrow. That is truly an awesome gift for the year, as last year during this time I was only running up to about 1 hour.

And, I wanted to make sure I shared this with everyone. Below is a good read from my friend Sam on her recent Ironman Cozumel race. Yes, that required stitches. She is the fastest IM racer I know that has not qualified for Kona. Earlier this year, a top 10 finish overall at CDA, including pros, still left her out of the qualifying. This subsequent race had a bike wreck that again left her 10 seconds shy of the HQ. You just can't teach this level of tough. That is why I am making her blow off some of her law school studies to do some long training weekends with me this spring.


Merry Christmas to all- whether you are training or relaxing, I hope you have a fantastic holiday.

Scary Christmas

The 2011 holiday season has been pretty low-key. Last weekend, I went to a relatively normal party with Los Locos...I wore a dress, drank some wine, hung out with my teammates...

Normal looking, right? (and that is my fabulous friend Michelle...love her! And she loves my husband, because he said she only looked 40, and that made her night. Dear Santa, please let me be wrinkle-free like Michelle as I grow up. Oops... too late.)

But my Christmas lost all normalcy and became a little scary when we went to our annual soccer party. (Well, I guess it is technically Dave's soccer party since I am solely a triathlete now). This years theme was "'Tis the Season for Merkins." I did not know the theme until I arrived. For one, I am so glad we did not have to wear a merkin to gain entrance. Secondly, I had no clue what a merkin was, but now I know and I will always associate Christmas with merkins. Lovely.

Sorry to share that scary picture with you, but if I had to experience it, I think you should too!!!!

xoxoxo Happy Holidays!

Kari and Damie Take Nola Part 2

Part 1 left off after a half marathon and an LSU win. Part 2 is a day full of good times at the Superdome. Next time I am throwing a tattoo parlor in the mix.

Pre game: The Roosevelt Hotel and Domenica for lunch

Kari has a monkey on her shoulder named "Chip."

Tearjerker: seeing my friend, Belinda, for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. I started crying in the middle of the store (lame, I know!)

Tailgating time! Partying before a Saints game would not be the same for me without Keith.
We had to make sure Kari, a Steelers fan full of sins, met the Saints pope for reconciliation before going into the Dome.

I think spanking the Lion was Kari's favorite part of the trip.
Who dat wearing a Saints shirt?
Snacking in the Dome on a crawfish pie. :)
Loving the Dome! Time to sing some mardi gras tunes, chant some who dat, and stand up and get crunk!
The Whistle Monsta- a fan favorite.
Who dat....who dat....who dat want to come with me to the next Saints game?

Kari and Damie Take Nola Part 1

A couple of months ago, Kari Mayhew had this brilliant idea that we should meet for a race...perhaps a half marathon or such. We decided on a low key half marathon in Baton Rouge. With New Orleans right down the street, we could stay with family and then enjoy some good times in the Big Easy.

Sidenote: Kari and I have only met in person x 1 at AGNats 2010. Is it weird to become real friends with your internet friends? I wondered if it would be awkward to race and hang out all weekend in person. Nope....it is like hanging out with my twin.
Now, we had plenty of notice to train for this. I really wanted to have some awesome racing this fall after spending a year working on my long distance fitness. I have no excuses- I just dropped the ball. Work and family encroached on my training time, and that is not a bad thing. I have gained weight, and learning how to balance fitness, healthy eating, and my life is all part of my athletic development. I have come along way, but I am not perfect.

Needless to say, I was thrilled to hear that Kari wasn't ready to knock one out of the park either, as she has had her own training hold-ups. Yea!!! No pressure!!!! The weekend became less about the race and more about our Louisiana adventures.
We stayed with family friends in Baton Rouge, and they cooked us a delicious shrimp creole dinner the night before the race. Cheers!

We lined up for the race with no expectations and no need to set a pace early on. We decided to run together as long as our fitness or desire would allow, but do our own thing as we needed to do. Kari is a much, much faster runner than I, so racing together in a normal race was not realistic. Our first mile was a 7:59, and we were just going with the flow and trying to figure out what we wanted to get out of the run. Between miles 2-5, I noticed I was holding around a 7:35 pace pretty comfortably and decided to just go with it and see what happened. Kari was enjoying the one and only other Steelers fan on the course and just decided to take it easy for the day. Honoring our bodies was a top priority, and I think we both made good decisions.

I ended up with a PR for the day at 1:38:30, which is way better than I deserve for the time I dedicated to this race. More importantly, I enjoyed the company and the scenery. Distance running, which I have always loved, is slowly becoming something that my body can support as opposed to something that used to break me down.

Somewhere in our planning, we decided to make some T-shirts that would support Julia and Rich as they kick cancer in the butt. (Julia and Rich have been on my mind frequently with lots of positive thoughts and prayers). Kari made our race day outfits, with a few surprises.

Hot pink twinkies....CANCER SUCKS

A heart on the front with a J + R for Julia and Rich

Kari surprised me with some Who Dat on the back of my shirt while she donned the Steelers symbol.

We finished up the morning with a post-race daiquiri...always a good recover drink at 10:00am.

Kari was forced to spend the rest of Saturday in LSU territory. Following a good lunch at Martinique Bistro on Magazine Street, we watched the LSU game at a friend's home. By the end of the night, Kari and I were pretty tired....racing + partying is tough. We had to rest up for our big NFL Sunday.
Part 2 will follow soon!