Ironman Countdown

Ready or not, here I come.


It's Ironman week! I type with great excitement and a lot of anxiety. I'm prepared. I keep telling myself that - I'm prepared! I've swam the distance several times, I've biked hundreds of miles in the last month alone, and I've run my little heart out in the great heat and humidity of the Texas summer. But the closer it gets to race day, the more anxious and nervous I'm getting.

Yesterday we said goodbye to our bikes. Here are Graham and I at bike drop off.


At this point, I need to pack my bags, which is not as easy as it sounds. I need to pack for the trip and pack for the race and then have extra's and back-ups of everything. Then add in that the temp will range from 50 - 70 degrees so I need to make sure I have warmer clothes packed as well. It's a lot. Almost overwhelming. But I have lists. Lots of lists. Once there, I'll register, pick up my bike, get in a few practice swims, drive the bike course, and then figure out how the heck to keep calm until Sunday morning.

Not sure if I'll update prior to the race but you can follow along on race day at Ironman.com and look back here for the race report.

After A Two Month Hiatus

I feel so guilty about my lack of posting. Everything has just blown up since April and I haven't had a minute of free time. There is so much to catch you all up on. I'll do my best.

Ironman Training
It's hard to believe but the Ironman is in less than three weeks. I'm not freaking out nervous yet but I will be soon. Right now it's a balance of excitement and a little dose or reality starting to creep in. The training is complete. This past weekend I completed my last big training block. Now I start my race taper. For about the last five weeks I really have not had a life. And weekends were especially tough. An average weekend was a 3500 meter - 4000 meter swim. A 100+ mile bike (100 was the minimum, 115 the max), and a run that was anywhere from 15 miles to 22 miles. And then there were the days that I would ride 100+ miles to then have to get off the bike and run 6+ miles. It was rough. Emotionally, physically, personally. With a few bumps and bruises along the way. But I survived. And now I get to take it a bit easier the next two weeks and then it's off to Coeur d' Alene. Race day is June 27. There will be a post race report once I complete the race. I'm going to make the most of the day. My goal is to finish. If it's 13 hours or 16 hours 59 minutes, I am going to finish. Still hard to believe that it's almost here.

The House
'Ol girl has made big progress since my last post. We are close to completion and should be in by the beginning of August. Below are a few pics. The most progress has been made on the inside. We're in a bit of a holding pattern on the exterior since we are waiting on a shipment of bricks from Mexico. I'm also holding pics of the rooms that are still under construction so I can use them for the big reveal. The kitchen is my FAVORITE!





And a little something-something for the yard.


More to come but those are the updates and the last two moths in a nutshell.

Here's the latest...

Things have been so busy lately I apologize for the infrequent posts.

First, the house. We are making progress. The foundation was finally poured last Thursday and in just a few short days, we have framing. Isn't it a pretty sight?




Shawn called as I was typing and said we have a roof. I must swing by and update later with a new pic of our framed and roofed house.

While the builders were hard at work, Shawn and I and about 15 other people all went to camp for the weekend. This wasn't fun in the sun, arts and craft and campfires camp. It was hill camp in Mena, AR. We spent two days on our bikes riding up and down the side of a mountain. I started at the base and rode up to the top. We rode along the mountain range, in and out of its peaks and valleys, and up and down some big 'ol hills. As awful as it sounds (and parts of it were pretty horrible) it was a really fun weekend. We broke into groups and decided from the start to enjoy our day. We stopped to rest, to eat, and of course for photo ops. We even crossed the state line twice. I got in 70 miles on Saturday, 20 miles on Sunday, and ran about 4 miles on Sunday. I'm glad hill camp is over. I don't need to ride another mountain for quite some time.




I can’t believe the Ironman is in less than three months. Time flies. The training has really picked up. I am so tired. I am doing something every day. Early mornings. Late nights. Weekends are 6+ hour workouts. I'm swimming more than I ever thought I could (which is a confidence booster). Starting to get super nervous. This is the peak of the training and it will be here in WEEKS. Yikes!

That's about it for now. I have to cut this short because I need to run 5 miles tonight before the sun sets. Yes, I can run in the dark but that's just dangerous. I prefer light and other people around so I don't get abducted.

More soon.

From the Seat of 5A

Okay, it's been some time since I pulled out my soapbox but it is time that I pass judgment and share with all of you.

I had to fly up to Philly this week. That's not too surprising since I'm in Philly weekly. My upgrade cleared and I flew DFW-PHL in first. I have to say, I did not enjoy all the travel I had to do last year but making Executive Platinum sure has its benefits. My upgrades are clearing left and right. Anywho... back to my story. I'm in 5A. An older gentleman was next to me in 5B. I would guess he was late 50's, early 60's. Nothing special. Looked like every other schlub out there wearing ill-fitting khaki pants and a sweater that he's had since 1980. But it's an airplane and not a fashion runway. When the flight attendant came by to offer pre-flight beverages he was upset that they did not have his choice of whiskey. He settled for something else and off we went. Once airborne, he kept drinking his whiskey but also had a club soda and a diet sierra mist. That's a lot of cans balancing on our armrest. The flight attendant brought my nuts and as she was placing them on my try he barked at her "where are my nuts?" Well, I could have easily told him where his nuts are and where he could put them but the flight attendant was quicker than me and a lot more tactful. She brought his nuts and he ate them. All is happy. When it came time for dinner I was totally grossed out. He ordered another round of his beverage collection. Then he started eating. Absolutely disgusting. He has crouched over his tray, hovering over his food. He at his shrimp and slurped the cocktail sauce off each shrimp. Then he moved to his main course. Food was falling from his open jaw. I felt like I was on a boat and we were feeding sharks. I was a witness to him devouring his food like it was chum. He took his bread and sopped up every ounce of his leftover cocktail sauce with the bread. Absolutely disgusting. As much as I didn't want to look, I couldn't help but steal a glance. I was never so glad for a meal service to end.

So, lesson in this for me... always remember my manners. Etiquette goes a long way.

Sticks and Stones...

Normally said as an attempt to wash away the bad, this time I say it to usher in some good news. Our little house is underway. Mother Nature spared us from rain for a week+ allowing our contractors to get to work. The ground was leveled out and then raised (long story but they had to raise the house), the dirt was formed, foundation framed, electrical run under the house, and plumbing started. Behold the beauty of our little patch of dirt with things sticking out from it.

Apparently, all this has passed city inspection and the slab will be poured next week. We were hoping for a slab in January but hey, be grateful for what you get. There are people out there without a slab.

Enjoying a rainy, lazy Sunday.

I am so looking forward to enjoying today. First, both Shawn and I are home. Yes, same country, same state, same exact geographic location at the same time. It doesn't happen often. Neither of us have anything planned or prior commitments allowing us to spend the whole day together. It's raining -- While normally that would not be ideal, I love spending a rainy day at home. And lastly, I know next week is going to be a busy one so I am going to enjoy one last stress-free day.

I wish I had fun and exciting news to share but the last few weeks have been pretty typical. I returned home from Amsterdam safely. However, I brought a nasty case of the flu back with me. The flight home was long. And feeling sick made it a million time worse. The rest of the week I took it super easy and tried to recover.

The house is staring to show a bit of progress. It has been a slow start to the build. Mother Nature and all her rain caused the construction crew to hold for a few days. Which turned into weeks. Since last week was rain-free, the dirt was brought in, the house shape outlined in dirt, the foundation boarded, and marked off. Once the plumbers and electricians run all their respective cords and pipes the foundation will be poured. Behold progress...

This is from the street. Front of the house and yard.


This is from the yard, looking to the street.


And Shawn standing in the pool. (You need your creative thinking hat on for this pic.)


I'm hoping the progress continues and that we don't face many more delays.

That's it for now. More to come.

Hallo aan Amsterdam!

Greetings from Amsterdam!

Well, this post is coming from many miles away. Since I'm so many hours ahead of the U.S., it also is coming from the future.

Last week we got approval for our 2010 print creative and an internal sales video. With not much notice, we booked our shoot in Amsterdam.

I left last Sunday, February 14th for Amsterdam with a brief stop in London. Dallas to London direct is a bit of a haul so I'm grateful for business class. Here I am settling in for my long trip across the pond.


I left Dallas on Sunday at 6:00 PM and arrived Amsterdam Monday at 2:00 PM. Although I was tired, we had work to do starting that evening.

On our way to the hotel I snapped this pic of a mom and her daughter shuttling about town. Yes, EVERYONE does really ride a bike. I wish I could. I'd love living here.


We spent the last few days shooting around town so there hasn't been any time for being a tourist. I'm hoping to have that opportunity on Saturday. Until then, here are a few random pics from around the city. It really is a beautiful place and is so much more than you can imagine.