Get Ready!

From Greg...

For those that might not have anything better to do, you probably (I believe) will be able to track my progress over the internet, here are the details.

website: http://www.ironmanlive.com/
or you might be able to link from here: http://www.ironmanlive.com/events/ironman/newzealand
or here: http://www.ironman.co.nz/main.cfm?id=1

My race number is 219

The race starts in New Zealand on Saturday, March 1 at 7:00am and I hope to finish between 5pm and 8pm (of course things happen, so you really never know when to put a finishing time, so it will be a surprise for all us as to when I finish).

This converts to an EAST COAST time of a start on Friday, February 29 at 1pm to finish between 11pm and 2am Friday night.

This will be very exciting, make sure you refresh your screen every few hours to get an update :)

Here are some motivational links for you to prep your senses:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVIrHc3Hnqc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh1yMnrby3w&feature=user

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8l249bM0FE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gOF3obXbEQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRHxHapwirw&feature=user

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx8ae4TfwrE&feature=user

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCmg-ay_VIA&feature=user

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8FK86xHxtM

And the closest thing I could get to the above videos for Ironman New Zealand:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyrSOtfEUOM

And of course the best Ironman commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3S0wu4Zbfk&feature=related

YAY GREG!!! Sending you lots of luck!

I ate too much dessert...

Let's see...
Thursday - Greg left for IMNZ.
Friday - rest day. so I worked on that portfolio of mine. Man it's dusty!
Saturday - hit up MMF for an hour of cycling wonderland. I thought we were supposed to do 90 mintues so I told a friend to meet me to run at 8:30 not 8:00 - oops! We headed out for our 10 miler and I felt great. Around mile 6 Emmie found us and we could run the end together. I ended up doing 11.27 miles in 1:56:08. so a 10:18 pace. Slower than ideal, but I started it out saying I was going to take my time since we were increasing the distance by 2 miles and the lat time I ran 10 was back in october! but I survived. my knees were creaky like a squeaky floor, but i survived. headed up to DC and relaxed with some ice.
Sunday - toured around the city with my friend and my cousin. Luckily I had sneakers with me b/c my legs were not up for the heels originally planned!
Monday - masters class was awesome! we did 2300 meters and I was told I am not allowed to go back into lane 2. on one hand it makes me happy to be comfortable in the lane - a goal i have wanted. but my friends are in lane 2. i will miss swimming with them! hurry! hurry! come play in lane 3 with me!!
So that brings us to now.
I have a big interview tomorrow!!! So think happy thoughts! www.baskervill.com
Until we meet again...

IMNZ or Bust!

Greg leaves today on his Ironman New Zealand adventure!

He flies out this afternoon for Chicago...to LA...to Auckland. He will spend a week at Lake Taupo (sp?) training and acclimating to the area. After the race he will spend a week touring the North Island with his sister. His parents and sister will be there for the big day! And we all can be, too. I will be tracking him on http://www.ironmanlive.com/ His race number 219.

Although, Princess and I selfishly will miss him, I am SO proud of him. I know he is going to succeed far more than he expects. He has trained hard and diligently. He has shown his dedication and determination and I know he will be rewarded for his efforts!

He is happy to know that he has so many TG's supporting him!

Good Luck, babe!

Challenge Complete

Challenge Goal:
2 mile swim
9 mile run
29 mile bike

Challenge Results:
February 14th:
~ 2 1/2 mile run broken into (5) 1/2 mile repeats per training schedule: 3:45, 3:50, 3:50, 4:00, 3:53
~ 2 mile swim: 41:37 for first 2000 meters
February 16th
~ 2 hour bike ride
~ 6 1/2 mile run: 1:00:37

Diamond

On top of the World

That's where I am. And if good things happen in three's then I have exceeded my limit and I like it!
1. I was already having a good week with my new clothes purchases that were delivered! But it only got better!
2. I wake up on my birthday only to be wished happy birthday before I can even open my eyes.
Already a good day!
3. Then I meet TG Snells for some repeat yumminess. She walked into the gym with a basket of birthday goodies! Then I hit my fastest repeat ever at 3:45 (thanks to the treadmill keeping me from slowing down.)
4. I came in to work on my birthday (that's not the exciting part) and had an e-mail waiting for me. It was from Ben the bike guy! My new baby is in!!!!! Oh goodness - how can I sit here all day!!!
5. After work I went for my challenge swim. I timed my 1.25 mile (2000 meters) per the schedule. And after couting the clock twice. Holy freestyle, batman! I hit 41:20! And I felt great!
6. I had a lovely dinner with my #1 boyfriend, Greg. Where he showered with a day at the spa for Valentine's and new pedals for my new bike for my birthday! He got the award fpr the best Valentine!

Tonight I am having dinner with the family - mom is coming in town with my birthday present I pick out over Thanksgiving!! yay!!! BUT! before dinner...Greg and I are bringing home my new bike! Then...tomorrow night I get to have yummy birthday beverages with so many of my favoritest people!
What a week! Does it get any better!

Challenge

tomorrow is my 29th birthday!
what does that mean?
the B-Fit B-day Challenge begins!

The Goals:
2 = swim 2 miles
9 = run 9 miles
29 = bike 29 miles

The Plan:
I am trying to keep on my White Lake training schedule and acomplish this challenge at the same time. Between the trainign scheudle and having to work all day thursday (tragic!) I can only acomplish as high as the silver. This gives me 3 days to complete the challenge.
02/14
~ scheduled to run 6 hal fmiel repeats. there's 3 miles
~ scheduled to swim a timed 1.25 mile. I will add on 1200 meters and swim 2 miles
02/15
~ nothing, rest day
02/16
~ scheduled a 2 hour bike ride. I will eb doing this inside on a trainer, so it is impossible to note distance. however, even at 17mph this is 34 miles. So I will go above and beyond my 29 miles.
~ scheduled a 6 mile run. add this to the 3 miles from Thursday and perfect! i'm at 9 miles!

Happy Birthday Challenge to me!

The Little Things

As I sit here and eat my oh so yummy Dannon Lght and & Fit yogurt - vanilla flavor. I think about how much I love the little things!
So far this week I have
~ had this scrumptions yogurt!!
~ I recieved my new ToughGirl Tights. I think I have a crush on them. Granted they went from the packaging onto my boady and then into the drawer. I already knwo that they are going to be worth every penny of the 80.00 I spent on them. Not only will they look super cute and comfy as I do my weekend runs witht he girls, but also I beleive they are going to be my new lounge pants, y aknwo the ones you run errands in! yeah. these are perfect for it. Love them.
~ I also received this week a new pair of cycling shorts. I had to do the inevitable and go up a size. But these have a wide ban for less love handle infiltration and the elastic ont he bottom of the shorts is not the rubbery stuff that is jut plain uncomfortable. And when I got them - the chamois pad is pink - a sign they are made for me!
It's only Tuesday and what natural highs! I love food and shopping!

B-Fit B-Day Challenge

One of the reasons we love triathlons is becuase we challenge ourselves mentally and physically.
TriMom brought a new challenge to my attention - a birthday triathlon challenge!
Perfect timing, too, becuase my birthday is in 3 days...this Thursday!

Guess I better get crackin!

What is the B-Fit B-Day Challenge?
Take your age and:
1) Swim the number of miles in the first number
2) Run the number of miles in the second number
3) Bike the number of miles in the combined number
So a 45-year-old athlete would:
1) Swim 4 miles
2) Run 5 miles
3) Bike 45 miles

The rA Challenge is a simple one. If you choose to accept the rA Challenge you must....
Bronze: Do all three (swim/bike/run) during the week of your Birthday.
Silver: Do all three (swim/bike/run) in the three days before, after, or during your Birthday.
Gold: Do all three (swim/bike/run) in 24-hours to celebrate your B-Day!

Hmmm...let's see.
I will be 29 so...
2 mile swim - Well thursday is a timed 1.25 mile swim, what's another 1200 meters to make it an even 2 miles! So that works out perfectly.
9 mile run - Saturday is schedule an hour ride and a 10 mile run. SO i will tkae your challenge and raise you a mile!
29 mile ride - well saturday's ride is only an hour - i need at least another 30 mintues on the bike. I could handle that.
So I guess I am up for the silver! Here goes nothing!

The Meaning of Friendship

Are you tired of those sissy "friendship" poems that always sound good, But never actually come close to reality? Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship. You will see no cute little smiley faces on this card- Just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.

1. When you are sad -- I will help you plot revenge against the sorry Loser who made you sad. 2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.
3. When you smile -- I will know you are thinking of something that I would probably want to be involved in.
4. When you are scared -- I will rag you about it every chance I get until you're Not.
5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much Worse it could be until you quit whining.
6. When you are confused -- I will try to use only little words.
7. When you are sick -- Stay the heck away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.
8. When you fall -- I will laugh at your clumsy butt but I'll help you up.
9. This is my oath.... I pledge it to the end. "Why?" you may ask; "because you are my friend".

Friendship is like peeing in your pants, everyone can see it, But only you can feel the true warmth.

Send this to 10 of your closest friends, Then get depressed because you can only think of 4

Not it!

Wow! The flu is really going around.
What a yucky feeling!
Stay in bed and take of yourselves!

And don't mind following you around with a can of lysol.
I am telling the flu "Not it!"
I am not a pleasant sick person.
And Greg is about to leave for IMNZ. I can't be quarantined from him prior to leaving.

Off to go take my Calcium!

Getting Closer

I guess the theme this week is getting closer to my goals.

My swim goal is to swim an IM. This week I learned Breast Stroke. It's slow and needs work, but I got a hand on the basics.

Another goal is to run the Monument Avenue 10k at an 8:50 pace. I was originally thinking I wanted to do an 8:00 pace but with the knee and stitches last year I lost more than ideal. Ho hum. But this morning I ran 4 miles at an 8:53 pace!

Getting Closer!

A Beautiful Bike Ride

It's 77 degrees outside.
Yes. In February. Sunny. 77 degrees!
Oh to be outside on my bike with the wind in my hair. or on my helmet.
What a beautiful day!





And I am sitting behind my desk. Sigh.

Strokin'

Last night was Masters class. However, it was also the monthly RTC meeting. So after teh meeting, two of my friends and I headed to the pool for some laps. Masters was half over so we hopped in our lane and started the Masters class. I mentioned to Coach JP that I am intersted in learning breast stroke and ultimately fly to this random IM goal I have ever since last week's frustration. He suggested I learn fly to improve my freestyle. So halfway through when we were able to spreeeeaaaaaaddd out we decided to detour off the schedule for a workout of our own that I have been wanting...breast stroke.

My new "coaches" Erin and Leigh showed me the stroke. First attempt left us all in stiches laughing at my awkwardness. So I tried using a pull buoy and kickboard to get the motions down. I mean a frog kick? I guess frogs are swimmers (well some of them), really...this is just an awkward motion. And using the pull buoy to get the arms down...yeah I thought I was treading water I was barely moving. back to this funky kick. who invented this concept? And how on earth did they come up with it? I guess from studying frog's. It is just plain weird.

But all in all I got the kick and arms to a point where I can do them together...albeit slowly moving. I fell less retarded so I guess that is a step forward to my goal of knowing how to do an IM!

Afterwards Leigh showed off her fly skills...oh and she was fly. I attempted to dolphin kick. Um yeah. Insert laughter. I will npt tell you what I felt like I as doing to the water.

Next month's lesson: fly.
We decided that since the first Monday of each month we will be swimming after Masters we would do like we did last night. 30 mintues of hard Masters swimming and then 30 mintues of technique on different strokes. I like it.