Just an Average SKIRT

Let’s just go with ‘Culture Shock’ to describe my experience on Wednesday night at the Cougar Den (i.e. Elway’s in Cherry Creek).  So anyone who knows me and my scene (which is basically drinking organic vino in a cute Skirt outfit and hanging with my hubbers at home) will say, ‘what the hell are you doing on the patio of Elway’s on a Wednesday night?’.

It was my sisters birthday, I love her so much but she is my opposite and Elways was her choice celebration location.  She looked adorable, never would know that she just turned ## - many people assume I am the older sister, not true, younger by 6 years but yes she looks very young, fit and fun.  It was an interesting experience - not sure how many times I said ‘oh boy’ but it was a lot.  Some people made me feel sad, some I just wondered who their friends were and why they let them go out in that outfit and some people just made me feel ill in the tummy as they flaunted their $$ and big bellies.   Thank you Tiara Ditcher for accompanying me to the den, I’m not sure what I would have done without you.  Long story short, moving from the Den to Thursday night’s Stroke n’ Stride was like moving through sliding doors of a bizarro pseudo life existence.

In retaliation, I signed my sister and I up for SnS, I was the stroke, she was the stride.  With Boulder Peak around the corner I really just wanted to have a more peaceful swim then last week and improve my time (no can do apparently, I’m definitely swimming slower then ever).  My ballsy husband was diving in head first with his broken yet healing phalange.  We decided to take it on the inside and stay safe - no pawing or battling for the beej.  The need to continue healing and moving forward is a tricky balance.  Even though my time wasn’t stellar it was so awesome to swim with BJ.  I could see him with every breath and I thought ‘what is better than this?’  I get to do one of my favorite sports with my bestest buddy in the world.  There was no trouble this week, just a calm smooth swim.  Great experience moving into the peak this weekend.

Thanks to my Twisted Sista teammate for rocking out the 5K for me….and meeting the super hot guy to boot.  I would expect nothing less from her with those sweet abs rocking out the vintage Skirt marathon girl.

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Woo Hoo - yeah we’ll just start this post right out with a big Woo Hoo!  Why?  It’s Peak Week…the hardest and most competitive of all olympic triathlons besides I guess, the Olympics.  It’s a ridiculous cast of characters so little ole’ just having fun triathlete me  simply hopes for a spot in the top 50%.  My personal goal to break 3hrs.

My 2007 time was 3:04:13.  I need to get the time on the run so if I can do a 55 minute run then I will make my goal.  We’ll see, we will see.

In the meantime, I’m readying myself….eating lots of salt, drinking lots of electrolytes and tending to what I have self-diagnosed as a low grade tendonitis just below my left knee at my pes anserinus.

The Pes Anserine is the insertion point for three major leg muscles in this order: Sartorius, Gracilis and Semitendonosis.  I started feeling pain on the medial part of my knee distal to the joint about 10 days ago.  Started paying attention to it about 7 days ago.  This week I’m hammering the healing with daily vascular flushes (probably my favorite hydrotherapy out there) - it’s a 1-2-1 ratio of ice and heat.  So I go 10 minutes ice, 20 minutes heat and 10 minutes ice.  It allows for a full flushing of the area, driving out old blood and stagnation, the bringing in new blood and increased circulation.  It’s been extrememly helpful.  I’ve been able to train through this and am feeling better everyday.  To me, it’s nothing of a concern.  I know it will be taxed on Sunday but nothing TLC won’t cure in the weeks following.

Busy day ahead, one that will end with my first Cougar Den experience….thank you Tiara Ditcher for holding my hand tonight.  Don’t forget your wedding rings!

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I love how an easy day consists of a two hour swim and another couple hours of yard work.  But hell, I’m happy to be in that club.  As I continue to listen on in Born to Run I find myself at the ‘why is america so out of shape’ part.  Truly, it’s saddening.  All the prescription drugs, all the new mental and physical dysfunctions we rely on as crutches and the full-on disgusting  American diet which seriously lacks fruits/veggies and wholeness.  I mean I could never live without my brussel sprouts or my fruit smoothies.

If there is one thing that I could yell to the world it would be ‘Get Moving!’.

Although I do not know of many sedentary households in my world I know they exist in plenty.  We were born to move, rest was meant to be a reward and source of recovery for our bodies not a way of life.  We have created a world that enables us to be lazy and we have created a diet that beats down our insides.

I believe that we were put on this earth for a purpose and it is our life mission to find out what that purpose it and pursue it with everything that we are.  I believe that we have a responsibility to care for ourselves and keep our machine well oiled.  And I do believe that rest is meant as a reward for hard work and needed recovery of the body.  So if you know people who are not moving…get up real close to their face and yell as loud as you can ‘Get Moving’….it will save their life.

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Thursday night was my first stroke and stride of the season - in all the is Stroke and Stride fashion it was a rush job.  No matter what time I get there I always find myself pulling on my wetsuit in somewhat of a frenzy, downing my rescue remedy, running to the water opening my lungs and not being able to catch my breath before they say 3…2….1….GO!

I started the swim strong and I’m thinking now maybe a little too fast.  About 100 yards in, I decided that I couldn’t breath anymore.  It felt like someone had a straps around my chest and they were pulling them tighter and tighter and tighter.  Crap, I fell into the mental hole of swimming salliness - my brain failed me and I had to stop to catch my breath.

Always so interesting how your goals can change in an instant.  I had decided just one loop at that point then I turned around and saw Kristina.  She yelled up to me ‘the second loop will be so much better’….ah yes, the second loop.  Of course I had to swim the second loop, I wasn’t going to give up, I’m an endurance girl….I was born for the second loop.  I don’t think she realized that in an instant she changed my goals again.  Thanks SBF!

My swim time overall was nothing less than crapola for me but I decided I was going to have a great run.  My friend and fellow therapist Jessica tortured me on Tuesday, releasing my psoas; adductors; gluts; IT bands and hamstrings.  My legs were ready to run despite a surprising psoas spasm at the beginning to the second swim loop.

As I suspected, the run was awesome for me - finished with 8:16 min miles.  I was pleased and ready to go back for another round next week.  My sister is going to run for me as it’s pretty close to the Peak and I’ll need all the gusto I have for that race.

We’ll see Stroke and Stride #2, we shall see…..

P.S. I love my new cycling dress….2009 the year of the dress!

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Friday’s long ride led nicely into Saturday’s 35 to 7 brick with team Freisem.  It was hot but good simulation for the sauna fest coming on the 12th with Boulder Peak.  Quick stop into my office Saturday to see a client then off to our 3rd wedding in 3 weeks.  It was beautiful from start to finish but always a little tough after getting up a 5, working out for 3+ hours, giving a massage and getting to bed at 11pm.

Sunday morning came quickly and thank the lord, hell froze over and my husband wanted to run with me.  Severe accidents even have their benefits….it was so good to have him with me even if it was just a short 4 miles.  Then off the Scott Carpenter for a 2200M tempo swim which kicked my ass.  I felt like it was all effort and no speed.  I was beat.

Home and immediately to work in hopes to finish some of my garden overhaul 09 project.  Weed barrier, mulch, to the store for more mulch and flowers.  The kids had massages at the college at 3:30, at 2:28 we decided to go into 25 minute comas.  A good little rest but not nearly what I needed.  Survived the massages, home and off to the movies to see The Hangover.

Holy crap, that is a funny movie….made it home barely awake and beelined it to bed.  Still feeling majorly fatigued today, hoping to be more revived for Tuesday.

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If I have learned anything this spring, I guess summer now, it’s to get my little butt out the door when the sun is shining becuase who know what will happen after noon.  And yes, I am still loving this weather, all the rain, love it, love it, love it!   Decided to check out my upcoming 5430 Long Course route, which I already know pretty darn well.  Weather was a little eerie in the early a.m. but by 7 it was burning off and the sun was showing up.  Perfect ride, not alot of traffic or jerks within that traffic, no wind, ideal temperature…the only thing, the POS derailer that needs to be replaced.  Echelon did a quick fix on it for the Sprint race last Sunday but there still is work to be done.  Boulder Peak is around the corner and I will be needing my gears.

Off to the reservoir this a.m to meet up with Team Freisem - perfect day for a brick.

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After BJ’s bone breaking, degloving, metacarpal-phalangeal mangling in the morning hours of Tuesday (I will defer to BJ for the story) I was looking forward to a solid training day today.  No offense sweets, I’d do anything for you!

Woke up early and headed out for an 8.5 mile run, I opted for a progression run of sorts and I felt excellent.  Just so appreciative and fresh and happy - good spirit run.  Came home, checked in on vicodin boy and headed out for my long swim of the week.  In my new bikini (god help us, this girl has curves and no tan!) I was elated to find open lap lanes at Scott Carpenter pool…perfect for the two piece debut.  It was me, the NZ tri team (and I know they aren’t looking at me) and the highschool kick ass Boulder Swimming team (and I know they aren’t looking at me)…so it was a good opportunity to give the suit a try.

Great swim, I was completely into being there and not rushed.  The college is closed this week so I only have one job - I love it, I could really get used to this one job gig.   After my swim I hit Pompadours for a cut and then took the kids to get massages.

Making our favorite buffalo tempe pizza tonight.  I gotta get cooking this curvy girl needs a feeding!

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Ah yes, what a difference the big chain ring makes…actually a 18.5mph to 19.6mph difference. Gotta thank the beej for that one.

Time: 1:39:15
Overall results: 437 out of 1154
AG breakdown: 20 in my AG out of 99, swim: 20th, bike: 53rd, run: 43rd.

I feel as though I raced a good race for my level.   Not to gloat or anything but with a decent screen resolution you don’t even have to scroll down to see my name in the results - BANG!  So those are two cool things.   The other is that I feel very comfortable in the water and that makes me more consistent during the race.  I’m doing the Eney Jones stroke out there (meaning the one she taught me and certainly not that I at all resemble Eney in the water).   I feel that I am using much less energy and finishing the stroke stronger.

It was really fun to see all the great people I know from the triathlon community yesterday.  I’m really looking forward to Boulder Peak.

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With Born to Run audiobook on my ipod I headed out for a short 25 mile bike to a 5 mile run.  Nothing too major, racing a sprint on Sunday you know.  Finished up the ride and headed out the door for a quick 4.5 miles as time was running tight and I had clients to see.  Headed out north on the bike bath along Broadway, crossing Table Mesa and onto the frontage road….feeling great, loving my new book (more on this later….I know its going to leave me significantly conflicted) and out of the corner of my eye I see a little person walking south on the side walk.

He’s no more than 2ft tall, head down, shoulders bouncing up and down;  no doubt crying.  ‘aw, poor little guy…probably got in trouble with his mom…’….his mom, where is his mom?  Adult, anyone, anywhere?  Noone - this little dude is walking all by himself.   One of those moments where you realize, I need to take responsibility and deal with this.

I approached the little dude with caution and convinced him that I could be trusted - this was so scary becuase I realized I was saying all the same things some scumbag who did not have this child’s best interest in mind would have said.  Luckily, he felt that safety and reached up for me to pick him up.  Although he felt like 150lbs (new found respect for motherhood #1), he was probably about 1.5 yr - 2 yrs old, no more.   Long story short, I carried him to the nearby King Soopers, called 911, cleaned up the little dude, changed his diaper (new found respect for motherhood #2, WTF with all the diaper choices…) and waited for the police to come.  Putting my little dude in the cruiser put me into an emotional spin, how could I have become so attached to this guy and concerned for his saftey in less than 2 hours?  How could this little stranger pull at my heart strings and fill my spirit so quickly?

I waved to my little dude who sat strapped in, so small in the police car clutching the juice I gave him and staring into my eyes…. I walked home quietly, welled up eyes, a low grade bilateral strain of my brachialis muscle (how is a kid that small, so freaking heavy?) and an overwhelming hope that I had done the right things.

Received a call from the office about a half hour later, my little dude had wandered away from a day care center down the road from where I found him.  He was safe.

Needless to say, no run…but I am certainly left wanting more…

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A weekly favorite at our house -

1 Multigrain crust (whole foods - in the cooler section)
1 red bell pepper
1 package of tempe (we use 5 grain)
a ton of  fresh spinach
1 bag of shredded cheese (we like the Whole Foods Cheddar and Montery Jack combo)
a ton of Cholula

How to prepare:
- Let dough sit out covered on a plate for at least 2 hrs after it’s already thawed.
- Preheat oven to 475′ with pizza stone in it
- roll out dough to size of pizza stone, sprinkle a little flour underneath and a little on top so the roller doesn’t stick
- cut up tempe into cubes and sautee
- add peppers and sautee for another 5-7 minutes
- douse with cholula
- place dough on pizza stone and bake for 8-10 minutes checking every minute for bubbles & puncture with knife
- top dough with cheese, spinach, tempe mix, a little more cheese and a little more cheese for good luck
- bake at 475′ for 5 minutes

Enjoy with beer or wine and of course water to keep hydrated for training the next day!

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