Did I mention we have a weiner dog?!

Yup, it runs in the family...racing that is! Our little noodle, or Sophie, as she's more commonly known, is about to take part in her 2nd Weiner Nationals race! She'll take on the best of the Bay on Sunday, July 29th in the running of the wieners. (I just love saying that!) In her first run at the wiener national title she finished 3rd! Not bad for her freshman endeavor...check out the pics! :) We'll keep you posted on her training and competition, but in the meantime, wish her luck!

IronMan Coeur d’Alene…and the beat goes on...

Words can’t accurately describe the pre-race morning of an IronMan. Thousands of focused athletes walking through their rituals, friends and family all carrying cameras and wearing brightly colored clothes, water bottles and powerbar wrappers everywhere! It’s remarkable!

The Swim: Holy Beans! Not for the faint hearted. I’ve heard it described as a washing machine, an LA traffic jam, spawning salmon,, a boxing match but in water. Anyway you look at it, its insanity! 2300+ athletes all running and jumping into start zone all at the same time. Everyone swimming the same 2.4 mile path around a set of buoys. I was kicked and hit in the head…I kept thinking I am soo glad I put my goggles on under my cap! Got ran over. I ran over a few people. All this by the second bouy…this was going to be a wild ride! Finally, I made it to the first turn. I was swimming on the inside lane and needed to cut in to make it around the bouy (myself and about 400 other people!). When I had just about reached the bouy I looked up to spot and saw a guy breast stroking around the bouy. I thought “say away from him or I’ll get a swift kick to the chest.” I put my head down to maneuver around him right at the moment he was flailing his arms and got the hardest elbow to the mouth I’d ever experienced! Dude, did my teeth go through my lip?!? All I could taste was blood and my head was spinning. DON’T stop or I’ll get mowed over. I made it back to the beach for the first loop and my lip was already swollen. The second loop was a better, not quite as many kicking legs and flailing arms. DONE…finished the swim…but…

The Bike: Through T1 was I spitting blood in the transition area, the sweet helper didn’t wince at all. She just kept handing me things out of my bag. As soon as I got on the bike I took a sip of my Amino…OUCH!!...the cut in my mouth screamed at me! It was going to be a HOT day, so I knew I had to keep the fluids coming in, but I thought I would give my cut a bit longer to cool off. On the way back in from the out and back I saw almost all my teammates. That was a great boost and I almost forgot about my situation...I took a sip of Spiz this time, OUCH!! Man, if I can’t get on my plan, I’m going to have issues. As we approached the second climb Mike came cruzing up behind me! Yippie, he was looking strong as ever! I told him about my accident and he got that worried look on his face, I told him I’d be fine and I’d stick to the Spiz since eating food was out of the question. He actually offered me his Spiz, I told him, no way!!! A few more short rollers and I told him to go get ‘em! The temperature and headwind on the back side of the course were tough and I knew I was falling further and further behind on my nutrition plan. The first loop went well, but I knew it wouldn’t last if I didn’t take in nutrition. Finally, made it to the special needs area of the bike, looked in the bag and there wasn’t much that could help…a PB&J, more pretzels, some gummies and more Spiz. I took the Spiz and quarter of the PB&J…one bite of the sandwich and my cut was bleeding again. Man, I’m trouble. Back up the the second climb and the sun was cooking, made I through the rollers and that’s when I lost my ‘cookies’ for the first time. Trouble, trouble, trouble. Okay, try again, drank some Spiz, OUCH!!! Then it was time for the big climb at mile 80…that climb was miserable, it’s not very long, but my body was done…I gave it everything, made it to the top and puked again! This is not my day…try again…more Spiz, OUCH!! 3 miles later, another puke! This is insane, my body won’t let me go any further. My speed was dropping , my stomach was turning, and my lip is killing me. Made it to mile 85…and that’s when I puked on my bike for the last time…I had no choice but to pull over broken hearted.

All things considered, I'm still very proud of myself!!! after all - let's put this in perspective:

I’m training with a team of committed athletes who believe in something better than today
I’m healthy and happy
I have a wonderful husband and unwavering supportive family
I made it this far!

All things considered I'm a very blessed girl and one bad day only makes the good days better! I once heard someone say, if it was sunny all the time, we'd all be sunburned! :) I loved that and it seems to resonate with me now.

On the drive home from CDA, Mike, Danny and I spent a night with my Aunt Diane and Uncle Chuck at their adorable B&B. They hosted us for breakfast and dinner. It was fabulous. I ate pancakes the size (or bigger) than my head! J If you’re ever looking for a great B&B in Idaho, I have a wonderful recommendation! From Idaho, we made our way to Reno where Rye-the-Guy hosted us for the night. The boys ate more ice cream, and Dan finally got his chocolate dipped soft serve from Dairy Queen! All was right in the world. One final stop in Folsom on our last day of travel to see my beautiful nephews (check out Blain doing his imitation of a flying squirrel!) I love this picture!

We spent the 4th of July weekend reconnecting with our bed, pooch, and friends. Now it’s back to the grind! Oh, and always remember, 1 scoop = 3 worms!

T'was the Night Before IronMan

and all through the village...well, I wish I could say that it was quite and nothing was stirring. It has been a busy, busy two days since my last post. Let's see...there's been schwag shopping, a swim, a bike, a run, registration, bag pick-up, a visit to the bike shop for some last minute adjustments, a drive of the bike course (let me tell you that elevation map on the website is deceiving!), packing of numerous transition/special needs bags, a bike and bag drop off, AND of course several meals! PHEW! Makes me sleepy just thinking about all that stuff!!

The best news...our personal support crew arrived this afternoon! Mom, Dad, Aunt Diane, Uncle Chuck, and Ray & Janie. A few more to come up tomorrow for the race! WOOHOO!!! Our little CDA team will have a great cheering station out there for us! Lots of parents and family members will be out there all day long hooting and hollering! GO TEAM!!!

We're in our room winding down for the night, feet up and sipping on Gatorade. A wild a crazy night! We even went to dinner at 4pm and beat the senior crowd! (insert smiley face here!)

Tomorrow is sure to bring many stories, so stay tuned. My prayer for our team is the current on our side, the wind to our back, light feet on the run.

GO LONG, GO STRONG, and GO TEAM!!!

1049 Miles Later...

2 days, 1049 miles, and 4 latte stops later we arrived in Coeur d'Alene! The drive from the hood to I-da-ho (I smile every time I say that) was great!! We made it all the way through Oregon without a stop from a state trooper. However about 100 miles in the state of Washington I was pulled over for speeding. I swear there is nothing that a little sweet talking and cleavage can't get you out of. Kidding!! We did have a nice conversation with the officer and he ended up letting us off with just a warning. PHEW!!

Let me tell you that 2 days of driving with Mike and Danny provided more than a few laughs. The first day of driving got us all the way to Bend, OR. Luckily we arrive just shortly after The Rock's who secured us a schweet room (with a hot tub) at the La Quinta (Spanish for Pimpn' Pad)! The 5 of us headed downtown for dinner. We quickly located the local brewery and decided that was the perfect place for us. We enjoyed a great dinner together and made it back to the hotel in time for the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. A quick trip to the grocery store and we were off to bed.

After a good nights sleep, we awoke for a quick run, complimentary Belgium waffles for breakfast (I told you The Rock's hooked up the schweet pad!), and latte! Following breakfast we packed up the car to make the final leg of the trip into CDA. The drive from Bend to CDA was fast and scenic. We rolled into town at about 5pm to find most of the 'crew' arriving at just about the same time. In the lobby we ran into Lo-lo, Wass, The Rocks, Melina, Scotty, and Dougie. The Fairfield Marriott has no idea what is about to hit it!

Tomorrow is sure to bring more IronMan adventures...be sure to stay tuned for more details!

This is it!!

Dearest Family & Friends

Can it be!?! It’s ‘GO TIME’…again! Yup, this Sunday, June 25th, Mike and I will attempt our second IronMan finish at IronMan Coeur d’Alene in Idaho! And that’s the first goal, to finish 140.6 miles in somewhere under 16 hours 59mins. Hopefully, we’ll finish well under the time limit, but the first goal is always ‘just’ to finish! Reaching the finish line at the end of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run is such a blessing. We always carry the memories and dreams of those who are unable to compete with us. Those passions help to keep us moving forward when our bodies just want to stop and lay down.

pas-sion, n. 1 : the degree of difficulty one is willing to endure to accomplish the goal
So what are your goals? What is your motivation? Do you have Passion?

So often we are asked, “why do you do this?,” and the bottom line is, we have a passion for it! And what is that passion? There are so many responses to that question. We have a passion for the group we are training with. Many are self-less, willing to sacrifice of themselves to help in the pursuit of finding a cure for cancer. We have a passion to be a part of something positive in our community. We have a passion for swimming, biking, and running (I guess that one is pretty obvious!) as it reminds us that we are alive and healthy. While we know that we can’t cure cancer by doing an IronMan, we do know that by being a part of a team of people who are passionately working together with focus, determination and heart we will find a cure. That’s what IronMan is all about. It is about being a part of something much bigger and more powerful then yourself. Together with focus, determination, and heart we can move mountains to find a cure…and that is what creates our passion.

As we leave for Coeur d’Alene on Wednesday we will carry each of you in our hearts. Each one of you has contributed to our being able to take this journey. We will recall the many inspiring stories you’ve all shared with us during the long stretches in the saddle and during the marathon.

We cannot thank you enough, our friends and family, thanks to all of you who’ve supported us through this journey and who contributed to finding a cure for cancers. It’s great being part of the team with you!

We do however, have one final request to ask of your…please be praying for us on Sunday and send us all the warm, fuzzy vibes you’ve got! Pray for safety throughout the day, no tummy issues, no flat tires on the ride, lots of smiles and light feel on the run, and most of all to have fun and enjoy the experience of IRONMAN!!!

If you have some free time next Sunday, you can check-in on our progress throughout the day on www.ironmanlive.com. Here are our race numbers for your added convenience:

Mike: 590
Dana: 2064

Looking forward to the adventures and challenges ahead! Go Long, Go Team, and Go Strong!

Blessings & Love,
Mike and Dana

(Oh and check back here throughout the week...i hope to blog some of the journey to CDA!)

The Taper Cry?

The first I heard of the ‘taper cry’ was at the end of our season last year. Coach Wass mentioned it at the send-off for IMC. I believe he said, “don’t be surprised if you experience the taper-cry.” At the time, I had no idea what he was talking about…until about 2 weeks later when I experienced it myself! It’s hard to put into words, but you’ll know when/if it happens to you!

Well, here I am again, in taper…and yeah, just had my first taper cry. Who knew that one misplaced (not lost) bike shoe could cause so many tears! On Sunday morning as we were packing up the car before the run, I could not find one of my Sidi bike shoes. Out of sheer frustration, I completely shut-down…I didn’t even have the mental capacity to do the run. Add an unplanned trip to Connecticut the week before we leave for IronMan, an out of town trip for Father’s Day weekend, and all the work and packing I need to do, and well, you have a perfect recipe for a good taper cry! Needless to say, after the water works ceased, I was able to gather myself and get a good laugh at the whole thing. If you’re like me and you’ve never heard of the taper cry, I hope this little tale helps to shed some light on the experience for you. You’re not going crazy, you just don’t know what to do with all the pent-up emotions you going through before IronMan.

Congratulations on accomplishing one of the major milestones of the IronTeam journey at Lake Berryessa! I don’t know if you realize this, but what you accomplished this weekend more than readies you for the bike portion of your IronMan. Whether you’re doing IMC or IMLP you will not experience a bike course as difficult as what you crushed this weekend. Sure your IM ride will be longer, but the level of difficulty does not compare. With each week of the ‘sexy’ phase, you’re getting closer and closer to your goal. You are all ROCK STARS!

Almost Normal...Nah!!!

I can almost remember what it feels like to be a 'normal' person again!! Mike and I had a GREAT weekend pretending we were normal people! It all started because Mike ended up working late (1:30am!) on Friday night. He got home and we decided it would be best for our physical (we've both been getting over a slight cold) and mental health to bag the trip to Santa Cruz for a 100 mile ride. After a few false starts of getting out of bed we finally rolled out around 8:45...and believe me, that's sleeping in for these two triathletes! We decided we'd do a short ride starting from our house; we ended up getting in close to 40 miles (with one latte stop in Los Gatos). I'm telling you, latte stops should be mandatory! We got home and i decided i was going to be domestic for the day...i wanted to make a nice dinner and have friends over. So we called a couple of friends and lined up a yummy dinner! We grilled some Orange Ruffie, roasted some potatoes, made a lovely salad and opened the vino! By the end of the night the food was gone and the wine never stopped flowing! Woke up Sunday morning with a vague recollection of how many bottles of wine we drank and a realization that there was NO WAY we were going to make it to the workout. Yup, that means i fell right back to sleep! When we finally rolled out of bed, we decided we would get in our daily workout by taking Sophie to Stanford! During the festivities the night before we broke one wine glass so a trip to the Stanford mall was required! On the way home from our afternoon adventure we stopped for sushi and decided to go see a movie! Now, mind you, we haven't been to the movies in over 6 months, so this was a true attempt at 'normalcy'!

Although being 'normal' for a weekend was a wonderful treat, i think we both missed the Team! We're really looking forward to a fun weekend of training at Lake Berryessa this weekend! So much for normal...normal sucks!