Cherry On Top Award!

Thank you Java Joggers for the award! It made me smile! For accepting this wonderful award I must answer some questions and pick 6 other recipients for this Sweet Reward!

#1 Answer this question: If you could go back and change one thing in your life, would you, and what would it be? Hmmmm, I think I would have been more competitive with my swimming. I really had the potential to at least get into a top swimming school. But neither my grades or my swimming were a top priority back in the day. I was much more into socializing and having fun! I'm glad I had fun, but should've concentrated more on trying to get into a Division one school. But I love my life and I am glad I actually got the chance to swim in school for two years.

#2 Pick 6 other people to pass this award to, and then let them know that they're winners.#3 Thank the person that gave you the award.

Cate @ Cate on the Run

Kate @ Clean Eating Machines

Stephanie@ In Steph's Shoes

Runblondie26@ Meet me on the Corner of Peach Tree and Peach Tree

Athena Misty@ Athena Diaries: Tales from the Back of the Pack

Abri@ Absolutely Ridiculous

Your Other Hobby

What is your hobby other than health and fitness? Someone asked this question on a message board and I responded with nothing.I thought to myself "All I do for fun is health and fitness related". It took me a few days for my brain to really think of an appropriate response. There are certainly more things that I do frequently that I really enjoy. So, one of my other hobbies is reading!


I used to watch TV every night before going to bed, even had a TV in my room. Then I got married and my husband COULD NOT sleep with the TV on. So I had to make some changes. I started reading every night to calm my brain. I often only have to read about 30 pages and sometimes I even fall asleep with the book in my hands. I no longer need a TV to lull me to sleep. Here is a list of books I have read so far this year, links included if you are interested in a more thorough review!

1. Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella

2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins


3. Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella

4. Le Divorce by Diane Johnson

5. Women, Work and the Art of Savoir Faire by Mireille Guilliano

6. Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs.

7. Endurance Weight: Getting Lean for Peak Performance by Matt Fitzgerald

8. New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler

9. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

10. Under the Dome by Stephen King

11. The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

12. Brain Rules for Babies: How to Raise a Smart and Healthy Baby from Zero to Five By John Medina.

What are your hobbies?

Ironman Canada! Here I come!

No, not to race but to spectate! I am really excited! My cousin who is an amazing athlete will be participating in hopes of qualifying for Kona...again! She just aged up to the 50-54 age groupers and will have to come in either first or second in her age group and I'm sure she will do it! She has been doing triathlons since before they became so mainstream. She really is my HERO!!

Part of me wants to take the plunge and just sign up when they open up registration. But right now I just can't fathom the cost to sign up for such torture! I think the registration fee for an M-Dot race is at least $500! Not to mention the time spent training. I think I'll give myself another year with Half-irons and some Olympic distances and then I'll try it. But there is still that itch to just say "F" it and sign up! Gahhhh! My husband would kill me! Did I mention that we just bought a car too?

I'll report back with a spectator's P.O.V. after the race!

Happy Training!

Omaha, Somewhere in Middle America

My husband and I are leaving on Thursday for a trip to visit his family. We start off this amazing mid-western adventure flying into Chicago. Oh, how I wish I could stick around and check out the city. I've only ever been to the airport. Then we hop on another plane to Peoria, Illinois and from there to a tiny town called Galesburg. Thankfully, my husband's grandparents live in a neighborhood with a nice pool where there are lap lanes always open. Because there is nothing else to do in this town, we will be spending much of our time at the pool.

After our stay in Illinois it's going to be a lovely 5 hour drive to Omaha. We will see LOTS of corn on our way to O-Town, it's so exciting! Since it's so hot there I probably won't be running outside at all, but thankfully the downtown Y is very nice and if you are a member of a Y anywhere else you get a few complimentary visits. So, again needless to say I'll be there probably every day.

I was really hoping there would have been a race for me to do. There is a triathlon in Omaha but it will be during the weekend we will be in Illinois. Plus what a pain to send my bike there for a sprint tri. So, no racing for me, just lots of swimming and hanging out by a pool!

Next year I vote for a family trip to somewhere with access to an ocean. Perhaps, Hawaii, or maybe even Australia.

Just to put it out there, does anyone know of a tri team in Omaha that does any open water swimming anywhere? Not even sure where they would do it, but thought I would ask!

Triathlon Pendant Giveaway

Not from me but from Amanda from Run to the Finish! Check out her blog while you enter the giveaway!

Moments of Grace

Moments of Grace are like a prayer of thanks to God or whomever you believe in or don't. Look around you and see your moments of Grace. A moment of grace can be that lovely sunset last night. It could be holding the hand of your child, it could be a friendly wave you got from the person in the car in front of you. A moment of Grace can be anything and everything you want! What were some of your Grace moments today or in the past week?

Some of mine:
* running with my mom this morning, even though I was complaining... a lot!
*seeing our garden grow!
*sharing a very expensive dinner with my husband on our three year anniversary.

Share your Grace moments here!!! I would love to see them!

Island Bike Ride

I am very blessed to live where I do. I have access to some great outdoor playgrounds and one of them is just a short one mile bike and 15 minute ferry ride away. Yesterday, I planned on a 50 mile solo bike ride on Vashon Island. I've only been there once so I am not familiar with this place at all!

I was armed with my turn-by-turn directions thanks to the Cascade Bicycle Club, my iPhone (complete with GPS directions, turned on),three water bottles filled, a flask full of Hammer Gel, debit card and cash, I set out on the ferry. I was a little nervous as I am not good with direction and GASP, I don't know how to change a flat, nor do I carry things to change a flat with. This one day will change ;)

I floated to the island and disembarked and hopped on my bike straight up a giant hill. Not a great way to start without a good warm-up, but I made it to the top. Then I stopped to figure out where to go next. Which I had to keep on doing because there were so many turns right off the bat.

I came to an intersection and was completely confused. The name of the road in front of me was not on my direction or on my GPS. Hmmmm, maybe I was to turn way back there at the top of that giant hill I just came down. I was frustrated, until this nice lady stopped and clarified that this is a confusing intersection and to ignore the street name as it will change into the street that I want. Yay! Thanks nice lady! That is also when I decided that since I was in the middle of nowhere I was not going to be riding 50 miles that day.


Throughout my ride I kept stopping because I had no clue where I was and did not want to miss any turns. I came across a little town that was so cute. Beach cabins everywhere, crystal clear water and just beautiful. I stopped at the town's hardware/grocery store to make sure I was heading the right way back to the ferry. I was told I had 11 miles to go, but I could take a bus if I wanted. I decided to ride... of course!


I made it to the town of Vashon to eat and have some coffee. And to just relax. This ride of 25 miles was actually pretty difficult with all of the starting and stopping and HILLS! I am going to probably do this one again as it was good for hill training without a ton of traffic!

I found an organic fruit stand and bought a peach. YUMMMY!!

The town of Vashon is pretty cool. Lots of green and hippiesque shops and restaurants. I went to Cafe Luna and ate a yummy tuna melt and drank an icey cold vanilla latte. I also saw this: water that has been filtered 10 times. Starbucks only filters theirs three times!!

After my lunch it was time to head back to the ferry, which by the way was ALL downhill. It was great!

I wasn't following the directions while waiting for the ferry to go home: "No Parking, Stopping or Standing"

Sitting on the ferry waiting to go back home. Good bye Vashon!

My 6th Half Marathon!

Five years ago I would have laughed out loud if someone told me I would be doing my 6th half marathon in September! My mom signed me up as an early birthday present and we will both be running, although most likely not together. The half will also take place on my birthday and Labor Day. What a great way to spend the day, not only with my mom but racing too!

Technically, this would be my 7th half marathon but one of those was during my half-ironman, so do I still count it?? Probably a yes!

The week after the half I have my last triathlon of the season an Olympic distance race, that to be honest I am not putting all that much effort into. We will be out of town for a week, and school starts soon and I will be very busy. I'll still give it my all but my "A" race is done for the season. I just want to have fun and also relax the next couple of weeks before going back to work!

Training for this week, includes a nice solo bike ride on a local island, with coffee and lunch stops included, plus a nice ferry ride. I am very excited about this. I have never done this ride before and I will be all by myself with my directions in hand ready to chart new territory... sort of!

Happy Training!