Dorphin Daze

Learning to swim freestyle: Challenges and TRIumphs!

2011-01-20T14:12:00.002-05:00

LISTEN UP. You have GOT to get the TI book Extraordinary swimming for every body. Just stop what you are doing rite now...because YOU NEED to get this book.

I got my copy yesterday....read the first few pages....and there was NO putting this book down. I read the entire 168 pages in one night....today I implemented the tweaks suggested in the book....and all I can say is WOWIE ZOW!!!!! No kidding!

Here are the tweaks...followed by more blather on how the changes affected my swim - it was freakin' monumentous:

move my forward extended arm to a more downward position in the water to counterbalance my sinking butt and legs
palms face down...with limp saggy wrist
the above caused my recovery arm (which is now poised to re-enter the water)....to enter at a point where both arms are for a moment in the front quad
eliminated the pointless endless fluttering kick...with a simple...silent...and more efficient 2 beat kick that is timed with each "piercing" of the water

REBALANCED the extended arm to be LOWER in the water:
I modified depth of front arm to lower in water position...this raised my back end (without adding extra kicking)...and the results are HUGE..like my butt and legs are suddenly floating on top of the water. Why does this matter? This reduces the resistance in the water HUGE...I mean HUGE....which translates into saving energy for swimming. ** By fixing your balance point...which is different for each person....you fix your buoyancy...and reduce drag on the water ** In my case...my arm position was TOO high...just a few inches below the surface of the water. With my "balance position" on the high side in front...it left my legs to drag...so no matter how much I tried...I was still dragging along my back end thru the water. It was exhausting! It is absolutely LIBERATING....by making this ONE SINGLE adjustment. Your speed over the water improves 10 fold by just reducing drag.

Finding the balance point each time with palms down:
next I worked on piercing the water with each arm and trying to nail that lower perfect balance position (that I discovered above) each time. Since I work endlessly on drills...this didn't take too long...especially since my butt rides high on the water now. I tried to feel the sensation of my butt and legs riding high each time. Just for kicks I thru in a balance point that I knew would cause my legs to sink just to see how that felt. I can assure you it won't take long for your body to pick up on what is sinking and what is gliding effortlessly. It's incredible!

2 Beat Kick:
then I worked on getting rid of the endless hyperactive flutter kick that was wearing me out (in addition to my bad balancing). I replaced the endless flutter with the 2 beat kick. For some bizarre reason...the 2 beat kick came natural...and when I time the kick with each piercing / torso roll...it propels me even further thru the water -- all effortlessly!! I could probably go 8-9 strokes without air...tho I maxed at 7 just because ;-) The end result of these few tweaks....is I can suddenly take 5-7 strokes without feeling the least bit breathless. Before...3 was max...and by midway thru the pool I had to rotate every other stroke. Now...I'm in no hurry to come up for air. It was so much like MAGIC, that I was afraid to leave the pool in case I come back the next day and this wonderful feeling is gone. But...that won't happen....I'm on to this thing called Freestyle now.

Breathing:
Lastly...I started working on a more seamless breath. Not there yet mainly cuz I ran out of time (1.5 hours in the pool and I was wrinkling up!) - but I felt the breathing was right around the corner. When I roll on my right side (more comfy side) I am starting to keep the cadence of the 2 beat kick as I come up for air (this is typically where I morph into flutter kick and struggle)....will continue working the breathing in next practice. When rolling on left side I can see that I don't need to roll as far...and will also work to coordinate this with the 2 beat kick. There were momentous breakthru's today in the pool....and I'm SOO excited!

Paying it Forward, to my friend Chris

2010-10-11T08:44:00.022-04:00

Saturday 10/16/2010:

Words simply cannot describe what I want to say. Many many many thanks to all of the wonderful participants and donations that made Pay-It-Forward to TEAM CHRIS an incredible moment for Chris and his family today.

Our running team of Jill, Mike, Emma, Tamar and Jane walked 2.5 miles from the Canton waterfront - to the Baltimore 5K start -- and arrived with 2 minutes to spare. There was no time to prep, as the 5K race started promptly at 8:30 am...and within 30 minutes we had all crossed the finish line - together. It was pretty miraculous that we finished together considering the size of the crowds, and the freakin' fast pace set by Tamar and Emma. We ran so fast that I never noticed the first or 2nd mile markers....but I think we were all somewhat inspired to do Chris proud today. We each had an opportunity to carry the Team-Chris banner during the 5K event - and of course proudly posed for this picture op.

By 11AM, Jill, Tamar and I presented Chris and his family with your donations and inspirations - and I have to say, it was a very moving moment. I may not know each and every participant in TEAM CHRIS today, but you need to know that your caring and support shed a beam of light, and hope for Chris. Thank you for making this moment happen. You really made a difference.

Monday October 11, 2010

One of my favorite movies - is Pay it Forward. NO, the movie is not new, but in case you haven't seen it, a young boy (Trevor), is caught up by an intriguing assignment from his social studies teacher. The assignment: think of something to change the world and put it into action. Trevor conjures the notion of paying favors FORWARD, and not BACK. Forward - means to repay good deeds not with payback, but with new good deeds done to three new people. Trevor succeeds to make good on his idea bring a revolution of GOOD DEEDS cropping up in an ever-widening circle of people completely unknown to him.

This Saturday, October 16, a group of friends have decided to PAY IT FORWARD - to my friend Chris. We've decided, at least in one small way, to shine a bright light in his direction. We believe that the power of kindness can make a difference. Most likely, you don't know Chris. He was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer, his wife is in remission with breast cancer and they have 3 small children. We wanted to take this opportunity to pay forward to Chris - a simple moment of kindness. And just maybe, the collective power of well wishes from our "village" can make a difference to Chris and his family.

My friend Chris, is not aware that he will be the recipient of PAY IT FORWARD. He has no idea what is ahead or how you will have an impact. Try to imagine YOURSELF being the recipient of Random Acts of Kindness from many strangers. The moment is bound to be special and profound.

On Saturday, Oct 16, some of us from TEAM-TRI SISTAHOOD (Jane, Jill, Emma, and Tamar) will be running in the Baltimore Running Festival (5K) - carrying a banner inscribed with your INSPIRATIONS for CHRIS.

Should you choose...here is how you can be a part of PAYING IT FORWARD - to Chris:

DONATION and/or INSPIRATION: whatever you can give. We will collect all donations for Chris (to help defray medical expenses) and present to him in person on Saturday Oct 16. PLUS, please take a moment to Write an INSPIRATION that we will carry during our 5K run...and present to Chris as well. Send your inspirations via email HERE -- or simply write use the COMMENT box at the bottom of this POST. In case our paths don't collide this week, contact me if you prefer to mail a check.

Team TRI-SISTAHOOD will present the donations / inspirations to Chris shortly after the Baltimore 5K run on Saturday Oct 16. Even if you cannot make a donation, please take a moment to WRITE a brief inspiration (yes, you can remain anonymous) by POSTING A COMMENT at the bottom of this blog site. Thanks in advance for all you do!

Thank you for making a difference and for PAYING IT FORWARD - To Chris.
You rock.

Jane Wadsworth
TEAM TRI-SISTAHOOD
301.520.4954

EA (Endorphins Anonymous) - October 2010

2010-10-02T19:40:00.006-04:00

10/1/2010 - Remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole

run on the harbor promenade 3.3 mi 00:33 10:00 pace
Had to get in early morning run before we set sail to Annapolis. Wow...is it windy out here!!!

now time for elliptical 3 mi 00:30
Looks like it is too windy to depart for a sail right away...so time to get in workout fix #2 - a quickie on the elliptical at the Merritt...gotta rush back to the boat now - we're leaving for Annapolis!

swim at the MAC in Harbor East 00:45
walk to harbor east and back 1.5 mi
Had to get to the pool by foot....it was a lovely (and windy) day for exercise.
You shouldn't be reading that I'm doing more exercise...BUT...we tried to sail...and it was gale force winds...so we got to Ft. McHenry and I wanted to double reef the main. But the reef lines got tangled up...and we couldn't untangle 'em in gale force winds...so we motored back to the marina. BUT...it was too much winds to dock on the A-dock...so we did an emergency landing on the P-dock. Now obviously this has a lot to do with my swim workout. Since we're still HERE in Baltimore...just a dock or 2 away from where we started...I might as well cram another activity into my workout fix. The Merritt pool is closed while they "bubble it"...so I have a free pass to the MAC. It's a real upscale club here....and the best part is that the pool is EMPTY. Had my own luxury lane for 45 minutes. yes...this is my world....pretty scary!

10/2/2010

hoisted the main sail 00:10:00
This is massively exhausting. Our power tools crapped out...so being "deck girl" I had to hoist the main sail by hand....all 56 feet of sail. OMG

run around the Annapolis Naval Academy... 4 mi 00:40 10:00 pace
Sailed to Annapolis...hopped on a water taxi....jumped to shore...and off on a run thru the Naval Academy. Most delightful!

Skate of the Union - 2010

2010-09-19T16:30:00.008-04:00

With a focus on triathlons, the tri sista hood has not put skates on in nearly a year.

3 weeks ago, Jilly and I decided to dust off, and lace up the Bont skate boots.... Yes, there was boot pain. Our feet were screaming. Yes, we moved slowly. Yes, old ladies walked faster than we skated. Yes, we wobbled and bobbled. Yet, after only a few miles of very little forward propulsion - Jill looked at me and said "I think you're ready for Skate of the Union". Jill can sell ice to Eskimos.

The Skate of the Union is an annual inline skate race - where East Coast and local amateur speed skaters...mix with the elite pro speed skaters. i.e. these folks move FAST. I had to agree with Jill. We're untrained and unprepared. Perfect condition to step into this world of fast skaters.

Only one problem. The "we" in the Tri-SisterHood became "me". My tri-sista hood refused to look silly on wheels with me. Isn't that what sista's are for? No problem. I had a plan. Don't fall....and get to the finish line before the boots dig holes into my feet.

I signed up for the half marathon - which meant 12 laps on a 1.1 mile track in Chantilly, VA. I started in the back of the pack and would spend the first lap making sure I didn't tumble. Within the first 1/4 mile - I discovered a new group of skate friends for the day. Meet Team New Jersey. Team New Jersey - is a group of 3 young skaters (teenagers?), and 2 skaters closer to mid-life -- draft buddies Rose and Barry. We skated lap after lap in a lovely draft pack. We changed leads every half mile, and everyone did their job pulling the pack along. What a delight - pack skating and a friendly vibe!

Somewhere around lap 6, we latched onto the tail end of a larger pack of skaters. At the end of this pack - was a tall man in a navy blue shirt. I HAD to draft him. He blocked ALL of the wind...and suddenly skating became effortless. All we (my new friends from New Jersey) needed to do -- was to stay right behind the tall man in blue....

On the sidelines, tri-sistas Tami and Jill are doing an incredible job as support crew. Tami took most of the pictures on her camera. I think they came out nice. Tami never downloads her digital pictures to the computer, she likes to keep them in her camera at all times. So you'll just have to "visualize". Jill was busy watching the skaters. A speed skater in a well organized pace line is a beautiful thing to watch. Who can blame her?

By now, I can't wait to be finished - so the TriSistas can take off on our next athletic activity. But, first things first. I need to finish. It is now the last lap - and the large group of pack skaters we latched onto at Lap 6 -- crossed their finish line. They were one lap ahead of us - Team New Jersey. I took the lead at this point - and never let go. I needed to finish...as fast as possible. Boot pain was taking over, and it was time to end this skating experiment. Rose and I coasted over the finish line - and I wasted no time removing my pink skate boots.

Reunited with Team TriSistaHood - Tami, Jill and I took off for a 40 minute run in the burbs of Chantilly. Being a Sunday morning - the roads are empty. Jill wanted to swim in a man-made pond filled with large lily pads in the middle of corporate America, but Tami and I restrained her.
We couldn't lose any more time. Our thoughts had turned to food. It's time for treats.

View more pictures!

EA (Endorphins Anonymous) September 2010 Workout Fix

2010-09-07T19:04:00.007-04:00

9/30/2010
rowing machine 00:10:00
I think it's appropriate that I work on rowing today....while this tropical storm is dumping buckets of water.

Elliptical workout inside... 3 mi 00:30
while it's raining "men" outside...I'm busy sweating my butt off on this Elliptical machine that wants to send you into orbit.

Fast Trak weight workout 00:30
Amazing to think I am now into weightlifting. Yikes!

swim enroute to the Merritt ...
not really swimming...but the water levels are so high along the Canton promenade....that good thing I was wearing boat shoes...cuz I had to wade thru it. It's not nice water either...filled with trash...and more things I don't want to think about.

9/29/2010
run along promenade in Canton 3.3 mi 00:32 09:41 pace
Air temps are perfect for an early mornin' run.

swim at the MLK pool in Silve... 1800 yd 00:45
Had to travel to Silver Spring...so just HAD to make a visit to the local pool. Most delightful.

9/28/2010
Fast Trak at the Merritt 00:20
Worked the Merritt Fast Trak weight circuit...plus added some AB workouts

bike at the Merritt 4.5 mi 00:15:00 18.0mph pace
Burning time while waiting for Paddy to finish his weight workout.

elli away at the Merritt 3 mi 00:30
Picked a new elliptical machine and get a much more robust workout. Drenched at the end!

9/27/2010
weight liftin' 00:30
whew....these do-dads are heavy!

More on the Elli! 3 mi 00:30
Elli is fitness drug of choice....while waiting for the POOL to come back to life.

9/26/2010
outdoor pool at the Merritt 00:15:00
This is the last day of outdoor pool swim. The Merritt Pool will be closed temporarily...so they can enclose the pool in a bubble. Sad day cuz it marks the end of summer in my book...and I'm not ready! Air is cooler, and rain is coming down harder - and only the hard-core swimmers are out today. Swam just long enough to think about pointy toes, wide shoulders...and closer point of entry....and will call it a day. Well maybe not "a day"....the day isn't over yet...and I can always go back for round 2 of swimming ;-)

work up a sweat while watchin... 3 mi 00:30
After I woke up super early to do grocery shopping....and get prepped for a sailing adventure....the weather decided to play with our plans. So, off to the gym at 8AM in a light rain...for an indoor workout on the elliptical. Stared at TV eye candy....and voila - it's time to end the elliptical and hop in the pool

9/25/2010
swim at outdoor Merritt Pool 2500 m 01:25
I realize this is borderline excessive...but that dang video has my "little people" giving me all sorts of swim advice. First I swam for an hour in the AM.....then returned to the gym after helping Emma & Mike move to Baltimore...for another 25 min. I've made a few technical decisions here....will just make TWEAKS to my kick (point toes...) and stick with my 2 beat kick even tho it is quite large. If I point toes...it narrows the kick to more streamlined. Second...point of entry with hands is slightly wider than shoulder length....this seems to prevent me from over rotating. It also seems to improve my breathing since I can't roll over the side for a long time...so the stroke becomes more natural. And last...point of entry is just in front of goggles....and this seems to help my propulsion. I'm just gonna work on this for awhile. It doesn't tire me out...and maybe eventually it will look "better" when I shoot the next video. Yup. You read it hear. I'm sport technique obsessive. I admit ;-) BTW....I'm also working on accentuating the positive instead of just picking apart areas that need work. Positives include: 1...I can be in lanes with other swimmers and not stress out anymore 2..My breathing is so much more relaxed and rhythmic that I no longer think about it 3...I don't think twice about being in the deep end 4...I love to swim....I never used to. 5...I love working on technique...and with this sport I have plenty to work on ;-)

30 min workout at the Merritt 3 mi 00:30
Worked up a sweat without stressing the joints....

swim at outdoor pool at the Merritt 1800 m 01:00
Swam for an hour...and getting very very frustrated. Went back to basics, and trying to tweak my kick so that anyone nearby won't get hurt. A pregnant lady asked if she could share a lane with me...and I told her it wasn't in her best interest. Trying to get a flutter kick going...but it is sooooo much effort....this can't be rite. Back to studying my Total Immersion video.

15 minutes lifting "things" 00:15:00
While the 70 year old bionic man trainer was busy pushing on Paddy....I did some upper body weights...

9/24/2010
swim at Merritt outdoor pool 2000 m 01:00
I'm thinkin' all is good and I'm improving my freestyle....until Paddy took video. OMG. Pretty horrified at what I saw. The kick looks just like my ol' sidestroke kick....and I waaaay overrotate. I thought I was making improvments??? But no. Back to the drawing board....and I'll be studying swim technique in a big way tonight.

9/21/2010
Fast Trak weight workout at t... 00:35
Did not feel like lifting weights...but once Paddy and I got started - it wasn't too bad. Fast Trak trainer Adam was there to help motivate - and we ended up having a great workout

swim at Merritt pool 1000 m 00:30
The air is brisk...but the water is warm and refreshing. Grabbing as much time in the water before the pool becomes "enclosed" for the winter in a big bubble.

9/20/2010
swim at the outdoor pool at t... 1800 m 01:05
Who knows how many meters...just a guess. Having too much fun breathing, rotating and pretending I know how to swim freestyle. No one in the entire pool except me. Whassup with that? A little chilly outside...but pool water temp is 83. Gotta luv it. Feels like rehab after Sunday's skate.

9/19/2010
Skate of the Union 13.2 mi
Great day for a skate on a flat 1.1 mile track! http://dorphindaze.blogspot.com/2010/09/skate-of-union-2010.html

9/18/2010
swim at the Merritt outdoor pool 500 m
hallelujah back in the pool. lane to myself. water heated to 83 degrees. Burning off those calories I packed on in Michigan.

elliptical at the Merritt 4 mi 00:40
...at this point...I would rather be taking a nap....but somehow I ended up on this elliptical machine

Fast Trak weight training at ... 00:25
Workout back at the Merritt with Paddy. After eating 5 million Italian calories while visiting Paddy's relatives in Michigan.....I think I need to triple up on todays workout.

oh yeah...need to do some ska... 00:25
Oh yeah. Maybe I should skate. Entered the Skate of the Union race (which is tomorrow)....and I haven't trained for this at all. Ignored my skates all week during our road trip to Michigan. hmmmm.... Jill and I decided to just do S-curves in the school parking lot near BWI loop. All slow motion. What fun. I think I"m ready to race now! (not)

bike at the BWI loop 16 mi
Aaaaahhh.....back to Baltimore MD. Arrived at the parking lot at BWI...and it was nearly full by 7:30AM. People exercise here. East coast. It's good to be "home"....and I'm thrilled to be back exercising with tri-sis Fluffy.

9/16/2010
along 18ish mile road in Troy... 4 mi 00:40 10:00 pace
Yikes. Detroit. Troy... Whatever. People need more endorphins here. Far too much driving in suburbia USA. Go Pistons. Miss boat and city life. Had to run 4 miles along a huge roadway 6 lanes. Almost felt like Boston Street ;-)

9/15/2010
Swim at the Troy Michigan Sen... 00:50
DIscovered a pool here in Troy. It's for senior citizens. I think I'll blend rite in. Shared a lane with an older gent...then a lady just jumped in the middle of our lane. It was quite curious. She thought it was circle swim. Fortunately another lane opened up....and I left her to do her circles. I need more exercise. Too much food. I've gained 150 pounds....

9/14/2010
run some suburb in Troy Michigan 3.5 mi 00:35 10:00 pace
I miss my gym and tri-sistas big time. Ran in every neighborhood street....did not see any other runners. Everyone is either in their homes...or in cars. Should have run longer to max out endorphins...but Paddy's relatives wanted to FEED us again. They are Italian. No shortage of food. I'm turning into a puffball.

9/13/2010
swim @ MLK public pool in Silver S... 00:40
Arrived at pool at 6AM....then sat at edge of lane with all the other early birds waiting for life guard to show. Got in 40 glorious swim dorphins....then raced off to spend 10 hours in a car drive to Detroit. Motor city. Cars galore. Peeps don't exercise here. They drive everywhere. Yikes!

Sun 9/12/2010
Elliptical at the Merritt Gym 5 mi 00:50
The rain moved my workout indoors...was hoping after our elliptical workout that Paddy would join me in the pool....but someone "forgot" their bathing suit. OK OK...I already did 55 min of pool swim today...but ready to swim more if the opportunity presented itself ;-) Jus sayn.

Fast Trak weight lifting at t... 00:20
Met with Fast Trak expert Paddy...for a circuit workout at the gym.

Swim in the rain at the Merri... 1800 m 00:55
In all honesty - I have no idea how many laps I did. Your guess is as good as mine. All I know, is when I finally stopped to check my watch...it said 55 minutes. Seems like that should do for the day! Swimming is pure joy....and breathing is getting better each day. Hands are super relaxed when they enter the water....and I'm getting the breath rotation to a minimum....which makes it even easier!! who woulduv thunk?

Sat 9/11/2010
skate the smooth side of the BWI loop 10 mi
Holy sweet molasses. It doesn't take long for mega-endorphins to kick in. Skating is still a HIGH-10 moment...and Fluffy and I were headed to a place where the pavement is ultra smooth...no bumps....and no cyclists allowed. Putting on the skate gear is it's own exercise adventure. First apply the bandages...cover up the tender spots....relace the boots about 3 times....put on protective gear...lock the car twice...and we're ready to go. But once out on the trail....the skate vibe was delicious!

Bike at the BWI loop 16 mi 01:00 16.0mph pace
Met with Fluffy at 7:30AM. It was a little brisk (60 degrees)....and since my bod is acclimated to 90 degrees....the first 3 miles were a bit chilly. Once we started the anthill climb into the belly of the airport....the goosebumps disappeared....and beads of sweat are everywhere. By the time we returned to the parking lot...there were no parking spaces....but we're not leaving. Time for a skate workout....

Fri 9/10/2010

cleaning the boat 07:00
I can't understand why there isn't a fitness workout category for "cleaning". It is very tiring. Spent 7 hours cleaning our boat. Worked up a good sweat.

Swam at the Merritt pool 1800 m 00:50
this is all very exciting. swimming. I'm now swimming. freestyle. me. moi. who woulduvthunkit. it's all coming together...after 2 years of obsession. oh sure, I have lots of room to improve....but it's comin' together baby!

apres Fast Trak at the Merritt 2 mi 00:20
Just a routine elli workout....would have preferred to just hop in the pool...but thought I needed something more...

Fast Trak at the Merritt 00:30
Wow...I'm lifting weights now. Not many mind you. Just a few. 30 min on the Fast Trak with Ms. Maria the trainer. She tried to get me to do some funcky ab crunch...my body refused. All is good...

Thu 9/9/2010

Swam at the Merritt outdoor pool 00:52
brrrr. There is a reason why I'm the only one at the pool at the crack of dawn. 50 something degrees outside. Water felt cool. After a few laps - the swim was glorious. Increased the percent of freestyle to sidefish....and the breathing is relaxed, the stroke is relaxed...and I'm even starting to take less time to INHALE. Swim is becoming more rhythmic and going faster and faster...without trying. Yikes - maybe I can be a swimmer???

Wed 9/8/2010

skate at BWI airport 6 mi 00:30
mini workout on skates....not because of boot pain....not because I was tired....had to rush to the DMV and renew my driver license....and couldn't wait to get in the looooooooooooooooooooooog DMV line of peeps. Anyway - the skate was short and sweet...getting my "form" back...will do more tomorrow

swim at the Merritt outdoor pool 1100 m 00:30
Enjoying swimming in the outdoor pool...unfortunately the vitamin D at the pool will end at the end of the month. Working on my 'slice' - and it is making a huge difference in speed. Still 50-50 free & sidefish...but not for much longer. The speed difference is delicious ;-ooooo

Tue 9/7/2010

pool workout at the Merritt 1300 m 00:37

Finally...the pool is rid of all the Labor Day peeps! Swam 26 glorious laps.....in a lane all by myself....me oh me oh my....

woooa....me? weights???

That's right....weights. I never do this. Probably should. Just don't really like it. But...time to see what all the "Fast Trak" talk is at the gym - via Paddy. Personal Trainer Adam was on call - so he took me thru an upper body workout. Upper bod is now sore. Also worked on the balance ball thingie. Wanted to test my skate balance - and sure enough ....I can do the balance ball just fine. Wish I was skating today -- too much work (sigh)

Mon 9/6/2010

Skated a whooping 4 miles AFT... 4 mi

This is really just an exercise of standing up....balancing....gabbing endlessly with my tri-sista partner.....and making it back to the car without breaking apart scabs forming at the ankle bones. Skating is painful....but also one of my fav exercises...

bike at BWI loop with 3 - 1 m... 17 mi

Fluffy (Jill) is back in town - so my recovery days are now a distant memory. It seems like my speedometer is no longer working. What's with the low numbers? Doesn't matter - temperatures are delightful for Labor Day.

at the Merritt with Paddy 4 mi 00:40

Paddy is a workout machine - so we met at the gym. I was actually hoping to hop in the pool for a leisurely swim...but nooooooooooooooo. Everyone who is off work for Labor Day weekend - is in the pool. No lanes available....so spent time on the elliptical instead.

Sat 9/4/2010

at the Merritt Gym 5 mi 00:50

Should have exercised outside - as finally less humid conditions. BUT...pressed for time since Paddy wanted to go sailing...so headed to the Merritt for a quick workout. 50 min on the elliptical...520 calories burned. Gotta go find me a treat now ;-)

Fri 9/3/2010

at the Merritt Pool -- where ... 40 m 00:55

Fantabulous. There is nothing quite like a glorious swim in the pool!

on the waterfront promenade i... 3 mi 00:29 09:39 pace

Got out early before steamy humid temps showed up. Still drenched after 3 miles...but it felt good.

Wed 9/1/2010

swim at the Merritt Pool 750 m

I think I'm tired. As I look back thru my logs - it appears I've skipped my "recovery day". The lifeguard at the gym commented that he sees me running, working out at the gym and swimming nearly every day....and wondered how I do it. (I think he really wanted to say "at your age" but he held himself back ;-) My left shoulder is starting to hurt. Not sure if this is from skating position (my left shoulder was trashed during multiple skate crashes)...or if it is complaining about doing the freestyle. In the past...never used the left arm on my funcky sidefish stroke. Either way....I'm in need of a recovery day.

spin bike at the Merritt Gym 5 mi

as if I didn't get enuf at the BWI airport. (sigh) Went to the Merritt with Paddy - and waited for him to get "measured". I biked. The trainer told him he could cut back on his workout. WHAT???? I don't think so.

cycling workout in the wee ho... 15 mi

Met Jill at 6:30AM. Well, not really. She arrived at 7AM. She slept in. We had to make up time and ride fast cuz she had a plane to catch. It was hot...yet a glorious morning for a fast bike. Maybe we're weren't really that fast. It doesn't matter. It's all good.

EA (Endorphins Anonymous) August 2010 Workout Fix

2010-08-31T19:32:00.001-04:00

Tue 8/31/2010

pool swim at the Merritt 650 m 00:15:00
Swimming is sooooooooo luxurious now that I have finally learned how to breathe. Duh! I'm not even trying for speed....but I now do 13 laps in the same time it used to take me to do 10.

spin bike at the health club 6 mi 00:20 18.0mph pace
met up with Paddy at the Merritt - and decided to kill time and kill my legs all together.

Skate 12 miles at Gunpowder Falls State Park 12 mi 00:51 14.1mph pace
The water looked absolutely inviting, calm, not a ripple...but I was not there to swim today. There is a lovely 1.2 mile road loop in the Hammerman section of Gunpowder Falls State Park - perfect for skate training for SOTU. Not that I've committed to SOTU... Jus Say'n. The terrain is mostly flat...and the road surface is TOO GOOD. 10 laps =12 miles. Working on FORM and technique. Shortly after the 1st lap my form deteriorated. Yikes! Partly due to massive ankle pain and rubbage. When will skate manufacturers figure out that a comfy boot might encourage more folks to stick with the sport? I digress. Will dig out the heat gun when I am done. Anyway, despite my deteriorating skate form...I managed to (a) not fall (b) hear a heel carve (c) keep my weight back (d) pass bikers (ok...they were very old people...ok) (e) finish before it got to a zillion degrees and (e) enjoy the whole experience big time. Dang, I love to skate. If I could only get rid of the foot pain.

Mon 8/30/2010

Pool at the Merritt on Boston St in Canton (2700m 1hr 20 min)
An hour and 20 min in the pool MIGHT seem a bit excessive - but I was doing a research project - so I HAD TO BE IN THE WATER for a long time. My research project is to see how long I can last doing more and more freestyle by learning to breathe properly. Yup...it's conclusive. I can swim a LONG time -- now that the breathing issue seems to be put to bed. Would have gone to 2 hours...but my skin was shriveling up. This is all very exciting. 54 laps total today. By far my record swim of the year...and I'm swimming faster than b4 (even tho speed is just a secondary byproduct rite now)....Paddy showed up - and insisted I needed to be done with swimming today. OK Paddy....can't wait for tomorrow's swim tho ;-)

Sun 8/29/2010

SKATED !!! 6 whopping miles 6 mi
It has been ONE year since I put these skates on...and the pressure points in my skate boots are still there! Despite the fact my feet hurt from boot rubbage....Jill and I had a most glorious skate thru the BWI woods...and along the flats. We decided we weren't ready for other challenges...such as bumpy wooden bridges....hills....navigating around sand patches (Sheldon??? I thought you were keeping this clean?)....but it was a good start. Realized how much I miss skating...but not the boot pressure points. Every now and then I think I heard a heel carve...or maybe not. Delightful!

2 bike loops around BWI airport 21 mi
Just delightful! Started at 7AM...briefly considered doing the much more challenging terrain at the IG course...but decided WHY? So opted for the BWI loop double instead. Many bikers must have felt the same - as it was busy busy! Not sure how long this took...didn't look at our watches and Jill and I blathered the entire time!

Sat 8/28/2010
pool swim at the Merritt 550 m
ooooh....the pool water is bliss compared to Gunpowder River. I needed this...just to feel as if I've decontaminated. Wanted to also test drive my new breathing methods...and sure enuf - they still are working. I'm increasing the % of freestyle...to % sidefish I swim....now up to 60% freestyle...without feeling any sense of being winded. It's a beautiful thing. I promise...done working out for today ;-)

elliptical at the Merritt Gym 3 mi 00:33
Paddy met me at the gym...for one more exercise adventure today. I am a bit pooped...having already swum in a cesspool...and 45 min on bike...but if Paddy wants to workout...I refuse to dog out. (no offense to dogs ;-)

bike at BWI loop and 1mile ex... 11 mi 00:42 15.7mph pace
With my belly full of a spinach omelette from the Diner...I met Jill at the BWI loop for a brief bike workout. I'm not sure if my legs have turned to dry rot...but it sure seemed to take a LONG TIME getting up the mile extension into the airport belly. I guess there was a headwind. Yeah...that's what it was! Anyway, it was good to be out on the bikes... Jill forgot to do her tire spin check...so I think she did the workout with her brakes on.

swim at Gunpowder River 1200 m 00:42
Not sure why I am still swimming in this cesspool....but the IG ladies wanted to do an open swim workout - so I caved and joined 'em. The waves were a bit much for my ability...I swam sidefish in one direction...and sputtered on my back in the opposite. The current felt strong...the water was slimy...and the water temps were cool. WTF? Tami and I swam together....kindof. She started getting dragged by the current OUT from shore...so I had to blow bubbles and yell to her at the same time -- "come back to shore Tam". I have to say the best part of this swim adventure...was getting out of the water - and having breakfast at the diner. Jill and her gang of mermaids (Eliott, Tricia, Laura and Patty) - swam the same distance in half the time.

Fri 8/27/2010
Bike on mile loop at MLK in Silver Spring 10 mi
This is more of a TREK test than training...but I did enjoy the workout ;-) The TREK folks seem to think that I don't know how to ride my bike...so my plan is to test ride 2 trek bikes today - and see if I can recreate the dreaded bike wobble at high speeds. I tested my old Trek 1.2 bike,,,,and Trek Madone 4.7. Also swapped front wheels between the 2 bikes to see if this has any impact on downhill performance. Test inconclusive today...couldn't get going fast enough to create a road wobble in any situation. Not that I'm looking to be thrown from my bike....but it sure would be nice to solve this bike problemo. More testing will occur...

pool at the Merritt 1800 m 00:47
Getting closer to figuring out how to breathe while swimming. Pretty silly...right? Not at all like land activities...but here is todays discovery. (actually...a continuation of yesterdays discovery!). Exhale gently underwater. Don't worry...water won't fly up your nose if you exhale gently. Never quite grasped this b4. This is the main reason why I couldn't freestyle for any length of time...I exhaled so forceful....there was no way I could inhale enuf air back....and voila...outta breath. But today...is a different story. Exhale gentle...don't actually get rid of all the air down to your toes...and OMG...I could swim forever. ByGollyMissMolly there is hope. It was absolutely effortless and exhilarating ....could have kept swimming for hours....but had to go to work (sigh)

Thu 8/26/2010
salt water pool at the Merritt Gym 800 m
Gotta love the slightly cooler weather - as there is no lack of empty lanes. Love swimming in a pool. Swam 16 laps, half side-fish, and half-freestyle. Making little freestyle discoveries which are very exciting for a novice like moi. Such as, if I don't exhale like I'm trying to blow out birthday candles....then I don't get so friggin tired. Feeling much more relaxed AND doing my freestyle in the deepend (which I never ventured to do b4). Baby steps....my goal is to be a swimmmer....it may take awhile ;-) Paddy joined me for this fun. He is now up to 12 laps. Go Paddy!

Wed 8/25/2010
pool swim at the Merritt 550 m
forcing myself to swim half the distance doing freestyle. Wow...I'm lots faster....and lots more tired.

workout at Merritt w/Paddy 00:40
30 on elliptical and 10 on bike. Paddy avoided the lady who had him doing Jumping Jacks yesterday. No more jumping jacks for Paddy....

Canton / waterfront promenade 3.1 mi 00:31 10:00 pace
back to running with my ipod -- all is good! Temperature is perfect - no humidity. What a delight!

Tue 8/24/2010
pool swim at the Merritt Gym 00:40
Temps in the 60's - and no one wanted to swim in the outdoor pool....except me. Got in 40 min - unknown number of laps - felt great

Mon 8/23/2010
bike & treadmill at the Merritt 00:45
Workin' out with Paddy and dockmates Rick and Linda at the gym. Relaxing workout after IG weekend...

Sun 8/22/2010 Iron Girl Triathlon - Columbia MD

Centennial Lake - Iron Girl Race 1100 m 00:35
Swim wave started at 6:55AM...Tami & I swam together - we stayed on the far outside perimeter of the swim course just to be sure we missed the hundreds of swimmers. This meant we did lots of extra mileage out there - but hey - it's all good. Nobody swam into us or over us. I think we even passed someone...or maybe that was a floating log. I dunno. There was a very large wake in the beginning of our swim wave - and we found out later the reason why. Jill. She was zooming along at a 26 minute clip. The wake nearly drowned the rest of us ;-)

Centennial Park and Beyond - Iron Girl Bike Course 17.5 mi 01:06 15.9mph pace
Tami and I left the transition area rite after the swim...to hustle up the hill and start pedaling for the bike part of the Iron Girl race. This is when the clouds let go of all their water...and it poured for the first 20 minutes. Being somewhat nervous with my already malfunctioning bike (morphs into the bike noodle over 25mph now!)....I took it real slow. If only the race was ALL uphill - I would be in heaven. But no...what goes up...eventually comes down....and for the first 20 min...I braked that bike silly on the downhills. Very sad. Eventually, the rain gods let up....and my comfort zone with a wet slick bike course improved. Lost Tami in the crowds during the 2nd uphill grind...so we both had to work IronGirl solo from this point.

Centennial Park - Iron Girl Run 3.4 mi 00:35 10:17 pace
Usually I run with my iPOD listening to my fav 2 tunes over and over (so sad)...but today during the IronGirl run - we had to leave our music behind. I kept hearing someone breathe very loudly near me....oh my....that's me?? Never realized I'm so noisy breathing, as I'm usually drowning out the noise with my iPOD. In any event, my goal was to just keep running -- and get to the finish line as fast as possible. Not because I'm trying for any overall time....but because I just wanna be done. Finally, 35 minutes of running put me at the IronGirl finish line. 2hrs 22min. A whopping 20 min improvement over 2 years ago. Still room for more improvement - but glad to finish the swim without having thoughts of drowning...and to finish the bike without a bad case of road rash....and to be able to cheer on the remaining sista-hood out there! Jill rocked with a 2hr 16min finish....Tami 2hr 29min...and ByGollyMissHolly in under 3 hours. It was an amazing day of celebration....but right now I'm thinking of getting a nap.

Fri 8/20/2010
to the Marina and back 00:10:00
This is a whopper workout...I needed to clean my bike to prep it for race day - which meant a walk to the marina and back to get the cleaner and lube from the car. I probably should take a nap now.

Thu 8/19/2010
at the Merritt pool 400 m
This was primarily the "wash cycle" after swimming in contaminated water at Gunpowder River. And it was delightful

at the Merritt 00:15:00
Seems like I rarely ride my bike outdoors....thanks to the heat and humidity.

elliptical @ The Merritt 00:30
I had the pleasure of watching Paddy and Rick do a circuit training on the Fast Trak (which looked kindof hard!)...while I bounced along on the elliptical

Gunpowder River 1200 m 00:35
Just a few days b4 IronGirl - and needed a good vibe in the open water swim practice. Swim buddy Jill and I briefly read the warning post at the shoreline. Something about severe water contamination...b careful w/open wounds...and better not swallow any of the water. It was a nose scrunching moment...but we got in anyway. I think the Perdue chicken farms got flooded upstream. The river is filled with feathers...and more things I don't want to think about. Jill swam laps around me....I got tangled in seaweed...and managed to finish 1200 despite many thoughts about the nasty water.

Wed 8/18/2010
canton waterfront promenade 1 mi 00:08:05 08:05 pace
ran in the rain as fast as my wittle wegs would go....pretending that a 70 year old bionic man was about to pass me. Clocked my fastest time since high school (ok....I ran distance and wasn't very fast in HS ;-)

elliptical at the merritt gym 00:40
Rain sent me indoors (as if I'm going to melt). Thought I was doing well...until a 70 year old man who appeared to be bionic hopped on the elliptical next to me - at the maxed out setting. humbled once again by my elders

Tue 8/17/2010
to the Safeway for food 0.1 mi
it was really quite exhilarating in the 90 degree heat and humidity (not) - but we needed some kabobs for din din...i.e a trip to the safeway. Paddy and I walked down the A-dock...across the wooden pedestrian bridge that is falling apart....and crossed Boston St traffic in rush hour....which meant a mad-dash over 4 lanes of traffic. Does this count as exercise?

merritt pool 1400 m
the winds looked perfect (light) for an outdoor swim at Gunpowder Falls State Park - but my swim buddy (Paddy) wasn't in the mood for this adventure - so we opted for a workout at the gym. Paddy has taken to the Fast Trak equipment - and is showing me all sorts of weight resistance exercises using pulleys and stuff...but I made a beeline for the pool instead. Did 29 laps with a goal to not get winded. That part worked out well - I wasn't winded...but I think I looked like a manatee out there. Extremely slow...floating on the surface...barnacles everywhere (ok - maybe not the barnacles)...and not a lot of propulsion. Paddy joined me for my last 10 laps. He's a workout machine, so I had to pick up the pace on the last 10 laps ;-)

Mon 8/16/2010
pool swim at the Merritt 00:40
I brought my new fancy smanchy watch to help me count laps...but then I forgot to press the button each time I did a lap...so I have no idea how many laps I did. The one time I did remember to press the lap button on the watch....I nearly drowned - so decided knowing the number of laps wasn't that important. Some dude hopped in my lane after 30 min...couldn't he see I needed the whole lane to myself to do the side stroke? Had to reduce my kick after that....didn't want to cause him bodily injury

stationary bike at Merritt 00:15:00
It would be nice to bike outside...but temps too hot. A/C is lovely in the Merritt Gym and when I click on the little FAN button on the stationary bike (Linda showed me this feature!)-- my hairdo is flyin ;-) Paddy joined me at the gym - and he was busy outdoing himself on the elliptical machine with arms and legs going in every direction. That Paddy.

Canton-Fells Point waterfront... 2.6 mi 00:26 10:00 pace
run started early 7:30am - so it wasn't to beastly hot yet. Pace felt good for an ol'fart. Asked Paddy to join me on the bike...but he needed coffee

Sun 8/15/2010

Gunpowder Falls 1100 m
at Gunpowder Falls State Park - winds from southeast - huge waves - could only swim in 1 direction. Tami and I did water aerobics against the waves. It was really raucus. WTF???? Who's idea was it anyway to swim in this sh@#? (did someone say "Jill")?

Gunpowder Falls parking lot 00:10:00
ran around the parking lot cuz we didn't actually swim that much in the tsnaumi Gunpowder Falls. Jill, Elliott and Tricia had no problems swimming both directions....That's because they are pros. Every time I looked over at Tami she was being tossed around in the waves like a little cork. Tami and I thought the swimming was crazy. Nobody was real keen on running afterwards. I had to give Jill the stinkeye, and Tami eventually caved. Ok - so we did 3 measly laps around the parking lot to make up for the lack of quality swimming in the brown lake

8/12/2010

Iron Girl Course 3.4 mi 00:36 10:35 pace
Now, if you just look at the TIME...it may appear kindof slow, but I'm hoping that I'm still just figuring out how to use my new watch with the timer. Maybe I started it before we actually ran? or maybe I didn't stop it in time? I'm guessing that any slow factor should get blamed on the new watch.

Iron Girl Course 17.5 mi 01:03 16.7mph pace
slow on downhills - Ms. Madone still gives me road wobbles. I don't think we can be friends again until Ms. Madone gets over herself on those dang downhills. Jill and Tami were just moments behind. Jill had this brainy idea that we should all go at our own pace? What fun is in that? Had no one to talk to or to complain about my lack of oxygen on the uphills? Need to have a talk with Jill about her ideas.

8/14/2010

stationary bike 00:20
more workin out with Paddy. Is this really my husband? He is kickin my butt at the gym. I'm already thinking about my nap...to follow.

elliptical 00:30
workout with Paddy at the Merritt. He's a workout machine these days. I think Paddy has morphed into a Jock.

Merritt pool 1100 m 00:33
side stroked like a mother...Jill and I attempted Gunpower Falls - but water too turbulent - so ended up in the pool. It has finally dawned on me (being a boater) to check the winds and wave direction before we trek up to Gunpowder Falls. Any wind from the southeast - is gonna be trouble. And in my case, any wind at all creating an itsy bitsy ripple out there is no good either. Such a whiner.

8/13/2010
stationary bike at Merritt 00:55
Hopped in my car to drive the the BWI airport for a bike workout with Jill at 6:30AM (i'm not awake at this hour)...only to find out it would have been helpful to check the weather first. The moment we arrived...it poured....and poured....OK already...I get it. It's not going to stop raining. Returned back to B'more...and took the bike workout inside to the Merritt. It's not the same...but will have to do on a rainy day.

8/12/2010
Swim 1500 m 00:45
Pool workout at Merritt. For those of you who KNOW how to swim using strokes like the freestyle - or something that "normal" swimmers do...this is pretty slow time. But, for me and my piti side stroke....it isn't too bad....ok jus say'n. I know - someday I'll do freestyle for more than 100m....and then maybe not. Time will tell

8/11/2010
run on promenade on canton waterfront 2 mi
pokey slow. heat zaps my energy. only 2 miles and I'm drenched - need to run early early in b'more. Forgot to check time time before I left the boat so I don't know how long I ran. Listened to my iPod with a whopping 2 tunes installed (Love Shack and Amadeus)...and they repeat over and over. I don't know why I like running to these tunes so much....but they have a good running beat

2010: Iron Girl Sprint Triathlon

2010-08-22T18:44:00.007-04:00

Headline News: Iron Girl Triathlon Team Sistahood completed the journey on Sunday 8/22/2010 (swim, bike, run) and are now a bunch of Iron Girls... (yes, it rained...thank you for asking!). Woo hoo!!!

And, for those of you who want details....here it is: Iron Girl is a women's only sprint triathlon, held every August in Columbia MD. 2500 triathletes sign up each year - to test their stamina, determination and grit - for an event that can take as little as "just over an hour" for the PRO's....to somewhere over 4 hours for those who want more time exercising.

Leading up to the Iron Girl sprint TRI - is endless training....and eating....and more training. It is an all consuming activity. You train...eat...think about your next training event...get hungry just thinking about it....turn the smallest detail into a training activity...

Our training looks something like this:

8/10/2010: 2 mile run on the Canton/Baltimore waterfront: 95 degrees. In dire need of air conditioning. Note to self....don't run in this heat. Listened to my iPod with a whopping 2 tunes installed (Love Shack and Amadeus). They repeat over and over. Someday I'll add more songs to the run collection

8/15/2010: Open water swim at Gunpower River: winds from southeast - huge waves - could only swim in 1 direction -- WITH the waves. Tami (who is all of 78 pounds...wet) and I did water aerobics against the waves. WTF???? Who's idea was it anyway to swim in this sh@#? (did someone say "Jill")? Jill, Elliot and Tricia had no problems swimming both directions in the tsunami....That's because they are pros. Every time I looked over at Tami she was being tossed around in the waves like a little cork. After that "swim" (or whatever you call what we did in the water!) I wanted to go and run. You know, just be cuz. Nobody else thought this was a good idea. I gave Jill the stinkeye, and Tami eventually caved. We did 3 measly laps around the parking lot to make up for the lack of quality swimming in the brown lake. After all of this nonsense...we headed to the diner to devour omelette's and short stacks. Food makes everything better.

8/16/2010: Pool swim. I brought my new fancy smanchy watch to help me count laps...but then I forgot to press the button each time I did a lap. The one time I did remember to press the lap button on the watch....I sucked down a lot of water - so decided knowing the number of laps wasn't that important. A man hopped in my lane after 30 min...He must be new to the pool. With my ultra wide kick...rarely does a man dare to jump in my lane and risk bodily injury...

8/19/2010: Last chance open swim workout at Gunpowder River: Just a few days b4 IronGirl - and needed a good vibe in the open water swim practice. Swim buddy Jill and I briefly read the warning post at the shoreline. Something about severe water contamination...b careful w/open wounds...and better not swallow any of the water - or you will notice a 3rd eye growing on your forehead. We should have headed back to our cars...but we got in the water anyway. I think the Purdue chicken farms got flooded upstream. The river is filled with feathers...and more things I don't want to think about. Jill swam laps around me....I got tangled in seaweed...and managed to finish 1200 meters despite many thoughts about the nasty water.

The training season is now over, and it is Iron Girl weekend. This is where the bacon hits the grease, the sh@# hits the fan....or Tami just bakes us a bunch of cookies. IG weekend starts out with a mandatory shopping spree. It is a very well organized event. First you pickup your race packet with bib numbers....and then you sachet through a maze of vendors with anything and everything an exercise girl could want....but doesn't really need. Don't that that "need" factor stop you from buying tho....and there we were - bags bulging with new tshirts, post exercise dresses...and more spandex. Someone has to stimulate the US eco.

Saturday afternoon arrives - and it is now time to rack our bicycles....check out the transition area....and closely inspect the buoys in the water. Team Jill-Holly-Tami and I find our bike numbers amidst the 2500 bikes that are preassigned on large metal racks. We spend another 20 minutes staring at the surroundings trying to locate something "unique" that will alert us to finding our bike during the event. Tami's bike is next to a tree....Holly is a few rows from Tami's tree....and Jill and I are side by side near some bright orange cones. How hard can it be to find the orange cones?

Next stop....a quick view of Centennial Lake - the swim course. The finish line is dotted with bright orange buoys quite close together. This is a good thing - because one surely doesn't want to get lost in the weeds while trying to get out of the water. At the swim start - a huge white buoy marks the beginning of the course. The swim course takes you close to shore in an "outbound" direction - keeping a close eye on some yellow buoys. Two bright red buoys mark the "turnaround" point, and then you head straight back on the opposite side of the lake - keeping your eye on a new set of yellow buoys, around the island...and to the finish line.

From our vantage point on shore - the swim distance looked quite long. I wonder how they measure up 1100 meters in the Centennial Lake? Jill, Holly and Elliot are busy discussing their swim strategy. They will get right up in the pack of swimmers, breathe bilateral, check their heartbeats to make sure they are in the 'zone', stay tight to the buoys, and swim past the crowd with their special dolphin kick to the finish line. Yeah right. Tami and I worked out a very different strategy. We would wait 10 seconds after the swim wave starts so that the peeps get out in front of us, stay far away from the buoys, far from the other swimmers, hope the kayaks would keep a close eye on us, and Tami would stay to my left so that we could always see each other. OK, so we might be swimming some extra mileage out there...

After spending another hour looking at the transition from every imaginable angle, we decided it was time to move-on from being overly neurotic - and get some food. Barbecue and a slumber party was part of the evening plan -- the night before Iron Girl.

Jill wanted us to arrive in Centennial Park at 2AM so that she could get the first available parking spot. The slumber party IG's (Holly, Jane, Tami) successfully vetoed this idea - and we arrived in Centennial Park at 5AM. We were one of the first 25 cars to arrive on site.

Along with the rain.

Possibly thunder and lightening.

For Tami and I, a little thunder-n-lightening could be some very welcome news. Especially, if it were to force the race organizers to abandon the swim portion of the TRI....and turn it into a run-bike-run. This wouldn't be a bad thing. Jus say'n.

But no such luck. We proceeded back to the transition area - with bike shoes, helmets, running shoes, towels and whatever else seemed necessary to get us from one leg of the event...to the next. It's still dark at 5AM - so it is a bit hard to see. I'm hoping that I pumped up the tires on my bike - and not someone elses.

By the time we finished setting up our transition space in the dark, got body marked, made a few trips back to the car, and waited in very long lines for the porta-potties....it is now time to meander over to the swim start. Holly gets in the water with her swim wave at 6:45 - and she swims like a fish out of the gate. Jill, Tami and I move with the herd of pink swim cap ladies toward the waterline. Our wave starts at 6:55AM - and it seems that these women can't wait to get in the water. Tami and I get in the water up to our knees....and wait. Jill tries to coax us further, without much luck. Finally the race officials insist that we move further into the water. OK now....you don't have to be so pushy. We'll start swimming when we have to.

The gun goes off....and we watch Jill glide effortlessly through the water. That's what swimming is supposto look like. I had counted to 6....(out of 10)...and Tami was getting impatient. She suggested we might want to start before the next swim wave gets in the water. Oh - ok. And we're off.

I can assure you - there were NO swimmers on the outside perimeter of Centennial Lake. Occasionally, someone on a kayak a few feet from me - was saying something. With an earplug in one ear -- I'm hearing impaired - so his conversation was one directional. But, I got the idea...these were the moments where Tami and I had ventured too far off course. Tami was swimming strong - and I had my work cutout for me -- to keep up. Tami swims freestyle, and occasionally does some breast stroke. She swims at a perfectly choreographed cadence, one that was passed down to her from her older sister Beth. I swim using the 1-sided-breast-stroke-lurch. It's a variation of the side stroke, breast stoke and butterfly - and I'm fairly certain it will be considered as an Olympic event - soon. In case you want to try this in your pool - you basically swim on ONE side (right)...propel outta the water (like the breast stroke) - but only on one side....and occasionally fly outta the water when attacked by seaweed. It is probably the most energy inefficient stroke available to mankind - but if you work at - you'll get yourself a fine workout.

Slowly...we passed buoys. One at a time... and eventually rounded the red buoys - which meant we can start swimming to the finish line. Tami and I were focused on our swim....but always keeping an eye on each other. Tami would call out to me to swim closer to her - when I started weaving to the lily pads. And I would yell "watch out Tam" - when a swimmer came up behind Tami. I didn't want my girlfriend to get mowed over....we needed our swim space. Before you knew it....we had reached land. Tami and I stood and hugged. We had done it. The swim is now behind us...and we're feeling real good.

We run up the hill to the transition area... Where are those landmarks? The tree? the orange cones? Tami can't see a thing without her prescription glasses - which she is not wearing. She is busy running circles around the transition area - and I can't seem to locate those friggin orange cones. I eventually found my bike....and Tami located her tree. Whew.

Jill and Holly were long gone from the transition area - and the rain was now coming down in buckets. This should be fun. Tami and I take the first 20 minutes of the bike ride at a much slower than normal pace. Not sure how the bikes will react to slick roadways - and we don't really want to find out. Slow is fine. For awhile anyway.

Ms. Madone, true to form - cannot hold herself back on an uphill. We easily fly past 30 bikers... And then, the dreaded downhill. Ms. Madone - who has not been herself this year - slows to a crawl to avoid the noodle affect. It's better to be safe...than fast....so we watch all of the peeps barrel past us. Including Tami. "See ya Tam on the uphill" - I yell out. "Ok girlfriend - you rock" she replies as she whizzes by.

5 miles into the course, the rains had stopped...and the big pools of water on the roads were dissipating. Ms. Madone catches back up to all the downhill speedy bikers....who are now tiring on the uphills. And so we go....fast uphill....slow downhill....for the remainder of the bike race. And with the sheer volume of bikers on the roads....Tami and I became separated.

I returned to the transition area having successfully not fallen off my bike (due to slippery conditions or to the dreaded bike noodle)....and was pumped up to be starting the run. Not because I'm an exceptional runner or anything....but because I knew the end of all of this crazy exercising was near.

One problem...I can't find my rack#. Did someone move those orange cones? Finally...there it is. I whipped on my running shoes....and bolted out onto the running course. Running....after you have swam 6/10ths of a mile...and raced on your bike for 17.5 miles...isn't exactly easy. For the first 1/2 mile, you contend with leg mush. This is where you put weight on a leg...and it turns to mush. You spend your energy trying to talk your legs into behaving like a runner - but they just don't listen. An iPOD would be handy (with my 2 favorite tunes) right about now...but the race officials won't allow. With an iPOD, at least I wouldn't have to listen to my own heavy breathing. You know you are breathing scary, when people ahead of you look back, eyes wide, mouth open and JUMP to the sidelines out of your way.

As I descend Heartbreak hill....I see Jill - ahead of me, looking strong. "You rock Sissy" Jill yells out...."No YOU rock Fluffy" I yell back....and she is long gone. Ahead of me is a para triathlete - who is doing an incredible job running with one leg, and one prosthesis. As I pass her, I greet her with "you are such an inspiration girlfriend"....I find myself suddenly very emotional. This woman really is - an inspiration. I vow not to bellyache about my breathing, or how tired I might be feeling. At least I can refrain from bellyaching for the next 10 minutes!

With a mile to go on the run course - I cross paths with Tami - who has not even broken a sweat on the run. She breaks out into a huge smile and we give each other some encouraging words. Jill crosses the finish line first with an amazing blazing time of 2hr 16 min, Elliot and I cross the finish in 2hr 22 min....Tami 2 hr 29min....and Holly well under 3 hours. Considering that Holly had to become a professional bike mechanic on the fly (her bike became possessed - and her chain popped off twice) -- she showed what she is made of. Pure grit.

Many many thanks to our support team of Chuck, Paddy, Jim, Rick & Linda, and Dave who braved the wee early hours and rainy weather - to cheer us on, make us laugh and walk at least 5 miles to watch us from every vantage point. And special thanks to Paddy (who did his first TRIrelay this year), joined the gym to be my workout partner, and believes that I can swim in open water - long before I believed it....and Chuck (who also did his first TRIrelay this year)- who never misses an opportunity to support Fluffy, Sissy and everyone else in the periphery. xoxoxoxoxo

Moving forward....we have a new recruit to the TRI-family. Hellooooo Linda - let the fun begin!

It's all about Heart

2010-07-25T09:04:00.020-04:00

In 1978, my friend Minh, escaped from Vietnam on an over sized rowboat. It took a huge leap of faith for Minh to step into that "rowboat" and head out to sea. There were no life vests aboard - and Minh did not know how to swim.

Today, Minh would face her fear of the water head on. Determined to learn to swim at the age of 50 - it is showtime. July 25, 2010 - the day of the Hagerstown Maryland Sprint Triathlon. Minh is poised at the edge of the pool. Will she be able to swim and overcome her fear of the water?

In order to appreciate Minh's fierce determination - let me first share with you Minh's story -- in her words:

Minh's Story

I was born and grew up in Dalat, a small resort town up in the Lang Bian mountain, with an elevation of about 1,500m, 300km north west of Saigon, where I lived until May 1978, when my family fled Vietnam on a small fishing boat – about 6ft by 20ft, with 17 people on board – 9 in my family, 2 family friends, 2 fishermen and their family.

We left Vietnam via the Cam Ranh bay on May 18 sometimes after midnight when it was pouring rain. It was very frightening for me, a then 17 year old girl, who didn’t know how to swim, to wade out to the boat in chest high water in the dark pitch of the night, compounded by fears of getting caught by the coast guards and sent to jail for trying to escape. Each of us had to carry our supplies of water, gasoline, and food too.

All of us cramped into to hull of the boat, covered in fishing net when the boat left the harbor. We headed straight out to the South China Sea, in hope of getting rescued by those big ships that we saw when we got to the international water. But none stopped for us even when we sent out the distress signal. After 5 days, we ran out of water, food, and had a little bit of gasoline left, so the fishermen decided to let the boat afloat. It rained a little bit and we caught some water using a piece of tarp. The fishermen caught some fishes too, but most of my family members and our friends were very weak by then, due the dehydration and sea sickness.
Desperation set in on May 23rd, when we didn’t see any ship for the whole day.

Around 4 o’clock that afternoon, we caught sight a small vessel ahead of us. The fishermen turned on the boat engine and chased after the ship. When we came up along side of the ship, their crew thought we were pirates, so they were yelling at us, wielding their big fishing spears. My father screamed for us to get up from the hull. After seeing us women and children, they put down the weapons and threw some ropes over to our boat. They were from Taiwan and one of them, the cook, spoke a little English. We were very lucky that they were following a school of fishes and veered off course and were going pretty slow for us to catch up to them. After giving us some food, water, and one can of gasoline – they were low on gasoline too so couldn’t give us a lot - they pointed us toward the coast of Indonesia while they went the opposite way.

Around 8 o’clock that night, a big storm gathered on our left and coming fast at us. The cloud was so black and lightening was everywhere. The fishermen were screaming and cursing in panic and we all thought that was the end for us. The big waves and rain had started to come in when we caught sight of the Taiwanese boat again. They had turned around when they saw the storm coming. They stayed on our left side to block us from the storm. I still remember those big waves. One minute there was a big black wall of water in front of me that I thought would smash into our boat, the next I was on top of one, looking down at the dark pit of water below me. The storm had passed quickly but it seemed to me like a very very long time.

When the sky cleared and the waves calmed down, we bid farewell to our rescuers one more time. The cook jumped down to our boat, crying, handed us a piece of paper with his name and address – which I kept and wrote him a letter when we first came to the US – more on that later.

At dawn the next day, we came to one of the most beautiful beaches I had ever seen off the coast of Indonesia. The people there let us came on shore to rest, and gave us one of the most delectable food I had ever tasted. Since they didn’t have any refugee camp in the area, they gave us some more gasoline, water, and food and showed us the way to Kuching, the capital of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak, where we stayed for 3 months in the refugee camp that was setup on a deserted strip of land on the bay near Kuching.

It was there where I was almost drowned one day when I went along with some kids to take a bath in the river. I was holding on to the side of one of the boats left on shore by us, the people who came to the refugee camps, when the tide rose so quickly I lost my footing. I could still see the sun fading as I sank down to the bottom of the river, holding my breath at first, then inhaling water, choking. I don’t remember how long I stayed there until someone caught me by my arms and brought me up to the surface. I vaguely remembered being slapped in the back and I was coughing so hard it felt like I couldn’t get any air in.

After that episode, I became panic every time I got near the water. I still have nightmare about being in the ocean at night. I’ve tried to take swimming lesson a few times since we came here in the US, but I every time, I had to quit after the first day because I couldn’t get over the fear even though I wanted so much to know how to swim. When we went to the beach or the swimming pool, the most I could do was standing in the water at thigh high, and every time I saw my family had fun in the water, I wished I could join them.

It was until the end of last year that I made a vow to myself that I had to learn how to swim before I turned 50. I signed up for a lesson at the community pool last November and went through 4 sessions where we learned to blow bubbles and float on our back and front in the kiddie pool. I finished the class without much improvement. Signed up for the next one at the community college where the instructor was like a drill sergeant. I don’t know how many gallons of pool water I had shallow in that class and still had not been able to swim except to float on my back and front crawl a few feet. I have to admit that I had been able to jump down to the deep end of the pool once (12 feet I think), when the instructor forced us to. I was coughing and choking when I came up to the surface and was so freaked out, but I survived!

The breakthrough for me came when my good friend decided to take on the big task of teaching me how to swim. Something in the way that she showed me how to breath under water, how to move my body so I would glide instead of sinking, how I turned my head to breath to the side, made it so easier for me to learn.

When my 50th birthday came in June 2010, I was able to swim free style the length of the regular pool without stopping! I had sign up to do the swimming part in a relay sprint triathlon on July 25 - and now needed to swim 6 laps in a row. I've never done this before.

Sunday - July 25, 2010. It was another typical Maryland day. Sweltering heat in the 90s. Unrelenting humidity. Jill (driving at warp speed), Chuck and I arrived at the Hagerstown Sprint Triathlon at the wee hours of the morning - well before daybreak. Jill and I were entered in the triathlon - but today would not be about our accomplishments. Today was about Minh and her family. My bro Chuck is part of the "race crew" and heads to the registration desk to report in for 'volunteer duties'.

Minh and her family arrive. Minh is understandably nervous. She has never swam in a competition before - and has the added pressure of being a swimmer in a triathlon relay. If she doesn't finish her swim 'leg'....then her relay team will not have the opportunity to participate. Her relay team, includes hubby Trung on the bike, and son Bach as the runner. Her daughter Lamie - will be attempting her first individual triathlon. Minh's determination to learn to swim - has inspired her entire family - to TRI.

The first wave of swimmers - are the elite men. You know, the guys who are super speedy in their super speedos. They are out of the water in less than 5 minutes. The next wave of swimmers are the elite women. I don't know what these ladies eat for breakfast - but I could use some of "that" in my diet. The swimming pool is completely churned up as the elite women power through 300 meters in the same time it would take me to do 2 laps.

The relay teams are next in line. This includes 9 super charged men...and our Minh. I watch in amazement as Minh remains undaunted by the field of swimmers that she is pitted with. Jill and I, along with Lamie, Bach and Trung stand on the sidelines - and I'm guessing that we are just as nervous as Minh. Well...maybe not. We can't see Minh's face - but she is about to put on her game. She steps toward the water...and taps the lane official on the shoulder. "You might want to take a nap" Minh explains to the man...."It's gonna be a long swim for me". The lovely man smiled, and assured her she could take all the time she needed. Leave it to Minh to charm the men.

The relay swimmers are OFF. The water is churned up with 9 serious manly swimmers creating what looks like a pool tsnaumi. Minh struggles to get air, but keeps working on getting to the end of the lane. We stand on the sidelines...and send her telepathic messages "One length at a time Minh...you can do this". Minh completes her first lap. On her second lap, she falters. Freestyle is much harder with all of the waves created by the power swimmers. There are no wake barriers between the lanes...and the pool is ultra choppy. Minh tries swimming on her back...but struggles even more. We yell to her from the sidelines "COME ON MINH YOU CAN DO THIS!".

People standing near us....wanted to know Minh's story. So here it is. Minh didn't need our screams from outside the pool deck that day. Minh would dig deep. Just like she did in 1978 when her family left Vietnam.

As we stood in the crowd of swimmers on deck....suddenly Minh appeared OUT of the water. Her face was BEAMING as she rushed toward us. We stood there hugging and crying. Minh had done it. While many first timers would have been intimidated to be in a pool with such strong athletes, Minh was undaunted. She finished swimming her 300 meters - and there wasn't a dry eye among her support team. Trung was now on the road - pedal to the metal on his bicycle - and Bach was standing by waiting for Trung daddio to return.

It is now time for the run - and we cross paths with Bach - who is just finishing his last 1/2 mile. He's in the shady section - and ready to complete the event for TEAM MINH. Bach is looking fresh - and has barely broken a sweat.

Lamie is less than 1/2 mile behind us and running as if she could run all day. Jill and I are busy applying cold bandanas...and counting the steps to the finish line. In this heat, it can't come soon enough. Lamie races over the finish line - hands stretched high overhead - and with energy to spare.

Knowing her incredible journey, today was a huge day for Minh, and her family. Triathlons are more than athletic achievements. It is more than how fast you go, or where you place. It is bigger than simply competing with others or yourself. Triathlons are like the fairy godmother of infectious diseases .... camaraderie ...encouragement ...courage.... determination... inspiration. Minh - not only learned to swim, but she dug deep, conquered some very deep rooted fears of the water, and finished her first swim event. She inspired her family to be a part of her day. And she inspired countless more in the process. I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing Minh as a regular on the triathlon circuit.

The Piseco Lake Triathlon

2010-07-17T19:10:00.010-04:00

It is 6:30AM, and Paddy and I are busy prepping for the Piseco Lake Triathlon. Paddy remarks this would be a good sailing day. Translation -- it's windy. The wind gods were ignoring my pleas for calm waters. As we sat on the campsite picnic table - looking out over the waterfront - there was no mistaking that sound. The sound of waves lapping the shoreline - one right after another. I saw whitecaps build on the lake. I’m not sure I can do an open water swim in whitecap conditions. I'm not even sure I can do an open water swim in calm conditions... I start thinking of better ways to spend my day rather than attempt this open water swim. But, this TRI is not simply a "jane pursuit" today -- I had convinced Paddy to join me as a relay team. We would be the "Team TRI -- Jane and Paddy". I would do the swim and bike -- and Paddy would complete the 3rd leg in the event -- the walk or jog to the finish. We are a team. I had to at least...TRY. Paddy was counting on me.

Paddy and I hop on our bicycles - for a 4 mile ride from our campsite, to the Irondequoit Inn. We could have driven the monster RV - but it didn't seem right to move the beast once it had nestled into our campsite. The Irondequoit Inn is a bed and breakfast, that sits overlooking Piseco Lake at the northern tip. It has a tennis court, sprawling land with fabulous views, and a soft sandy beachfront. The Irondequoit Inn is hosting the start of the triathlon - the swim portion. Perhaps the water would appear less lumpy from the beachfront? I had high hopes for calm "seas".

Paddy is happy to be done with the hilly bike ride from the campsite. He takes a rest at the top of the hill, while I head to the water to study the swim course. I'm hesitant to register for the TRI, until I have a chance to see the swim course close up. I've only done 3 open water swims prior to this event -- and in each case I had a personal swim buddy (or buddies) near my side. Today, I would be by myself. I stare at the course. A line of buoys runs parallel to the shoreline. I make a few mental notes. I could swim to shore if I get in a panic. The winds and waves have increased. There is no denying it - the water is choppy.

One lone race official is busy prepping the swim exit chutes. I ask him a zillion questions. The little people in my head want to know many things. "Is the water over my head" I asked. "Yes - at least 10 feet" he assured me -- as if I was hoping that he would say "yeah - it's nice and deep for you". The direction of the a quarter mile swim is out-and another quarter mile back. You follow a line of buoys into the waves and wind then turn around and swim with the wind and waves on the way back to shore.. The official assured me there would be big pontoon boats 300 yards apart for the swimmers to grab. In case you need a rest. He assured me there would be plenty of kayaks and canoes for swimmer support. It all sounded well organized. I'm still not sure I can do this -- but Paddy and I decide to go and register anyway.

Paddy and I hopped back on our bikes – for a 1/2 mile ride to the Piseco Lake Airport. Registration for the TRI occurs here - at the Piseco Airport grounds. We filled out a form, handed over some moolah – and signed up as a team. There it is. In print. I would do the swim and bike, and Paddy would do the walk / jog.

The Piseco Lake Triathlon is a unique Triathlon. Not that I am worldly when it comes to triathlons - but I have done a few. Here in the Adirondacks, they do not use official “race chips” to automatically time the participants. There are no bike numbers or running bib numbers. As a matter of fact - there are no paper numbers at all. No numbers except the numbers you are body-marked with. The theory is -- once you enter or exit each leg of the event - you loudly call out your number to the race official. This is how they keep track of you. I love it. Very low-tech. Very Adirondack.

As we handed the registration form to the race official, the nice lady gave me a green post-it sticky with the number C-42. This is our team number. C-42. We are instructed to take the green postit sticky marked C-42 to the body marking lady – and she will write our number on our arms and legs. Body marking is the only way for the race officials to know who you are. Paddy and I now have C-42 written all over our arms and legs. I think this means we are officially registered.

Now mind you - nobody handed us a map, or any instructions for the Piseco Lake Triathlon. Just the little green post it sticky with our number - C42. I assumed that was all we needed to know.

Paddy and I hopped back on our bicycles - and rode back to the Irondequoit Inn. There are no bike racks...no "personal space" that is marked only for you. Just find a spot on the lawn or tennis court - and leave your bike there. This is how the Piseco Lake Triathlon works. You pick a spot in the sand - any ol' spot will do. So Paddy and I left our bikes near the tennis court fence.

I look around at the other bikes, and note some very serious athletes here. Some bikes were equipped with $5000 bike wheels on top of fancy $5000 bike frames. These bikers must know how to ride in nearly "off road" conditions on a race bike. I had already opted NOT to use Ms. Madone for this event. Why? Not because I’m mad at Ms Madone for becoming a noodle during my last 2 triathlons. Not because we’ve had words. Instead, the roads around Piseco lake seem more like a dirt trail, rather than smooth pavement. Huge potholes, gravel and lots of road dugouts. The old Trek jalopy (i.e. Mr. Huffy Puffy) with the big fat wheels will be my bike of choice today. Mr. Huffy won’t be anywhere near as fast as Ms. Madone – but he is much better equipped to handle the terrain.

Riding Mr. Huffy simplifies the equipment needs too. No special clip on shoes are required, I can just wear my running sneakers. Paddy is busy holding on to a coffee mug, my swim goggles and swim cap, smoking a pre-Triathlon cigarette and proudly displaying his body marks – C42. This is his way of getting psyched up. We head down to the beach. Other triathletes have gathered and it is becoming quite a crowd.

Other swimmers are commenting on the lake conditions. Most of the chatter revolves around how “choppy” the lake is. The winds have picked up, and I’m having many self doubts. The little people in my head are chatting nonstop about how rough the water has become. It’s time to tone down the little people. I look at the pontoon boats who are now in position along the swim course. I discuss strategy with my team – Paddy. “I think I can make it between pontoon boats – so I just have to swim from boat to boat.” Plus,, there are lots of support boats swarming around. “I think I can do this” I finally said to Paddy. "I think I can do this". Paddy nods in agreement. He hopes the swim starts soon so he doesn't have to listen to my incessant anxiety over the open water swim.

The official with the megaphone announces it is time to get in the water. We all get in the water at once. A big crowd lurches forward. There are no swim waves, no organization of swimmers….just everyone gets in the water at the same time. Of course I linger back. Way back. If I stayed any further back - I would be standing on shore. Every other swimmer is far ahead of me. The whistle blows….and the bodies surge forward into the water. It is pretty shallow at the start – so we get to walk along ways in the water before we need to start swimming. There is no turning back now.

I am the very last swimmer into the water by a long shot, and I’m hoping that all of the support boats take notice. My message is keep a close eye on me OK? I start swimming. So far so good. No panic, I’m just breathing and getting into a rhythm. I make it to the first pontoon boat no problem – and consider continuing on to the next pontoon boat without stopping. On second thought it is a bit of a distance to the 2nd pontoon boat. I stop for a moment and catch my breath.

It is a LOT harder than I thought. That is, swimming into a headwind, and waves. Due to the curve in the shoreline, the further out into the lake I swam, the the bigger the waves. I’m doing my best to stay on top of the waves – but it isn’t working too well. The waves run close together, and they are breaking over me. I just need to get to the next pontoon boat. That's my only thought. I am actually passing other swimmers. Pretty rare for me – and I only hope that the support boats are still paying attention.

I arrived at the 2nd pontoon boat – and now I’m breathing hard. Not because I’m panicked, but it is VERY hard swimming in these conditions. Head wind, and waves crashing over your face - unrelenting. This makes my swimming pool practice sessions seem like easy-peasy. But it's time to let go of the pontoon boat, and head for the next one. A particularly big wave crashes over me and I suck down a bunch of Piseco Lake. For a moment, I panicked. I called out loudly for help. And immediately flipped on my back to try to relax. Get a grip Jane. I don’t need help….I can do this. The big people in my head are in charge of the little people now – and I can do this. I did the back stroke for awhile and this was much easier. Somehow, I made it to the last outbound pontoon boat.

I meet up with a fellow triathlete swimmer - who is clinging on to the final pontoon boat. “Are you ok?” he asks. “Yeah” I reply. “Just need to catch my breath”. He responds – “Come on darlin – you and I will do this together”. At that point, we exchanged names. Meet Hank. My new swim buddy. Hank leads the way to the final orange buoy, and I follow obediently. Hank yells out to one of the support boats -- "keep a close eye on us ok?". Hank encourages me to keep swimming. Suddenly - I was no longer alone. Along with another pokey swimmer in our proximity (Joe) and a lady who was too tired to tell us her name….we had become a uniquely bonded swim team of 4. The final 4 swimmers in the Piseco Lake Triathlon who are in the water longer than anyone else, and pretty damned determined to complete the swim. From this point - until we reached the shoreline, we would be looking out for each other.

I rounded the final orange buoy in the outbound direction. Hallelulah. We can now turn around and head back. Finally we are swimming WITH the waves and the wind – and it is SOOO much nicer. Our team of 4 - swam from pontoon boat to pontoon boat – together. Here is how it went down. We would all decide we were "ready" to depart from one pontoon boat - and swim to the next. Usually I was the first to arrive at a pontoon boat (go figure that?!)....and I wasted no time locating the swim ladder to hang onto - and catch my breath. Technically, I was feeling pretty good at this point, but I wasn't going to leave my new friends behind. “Hank – over here – I’ve got a swim ladder with your name on it”, and Hank would always replay “Jane – you’re the best, I’ll be rite there”. Then I would yell – “How are you doing Joe” – and he would check in as well. After a few seconds of rest at the pontoon boat – Hank would ask if we are ready to keep going…and despite how tired any of us felt – we always replied “ yeah - lets do it”.

This scene repeated itself from one pontoon boat to the next….and finally Hank yelled out to me “Jane – you can stop swimming now – we can stand up”. Music to my ears and sure enough I could stand. Our little team of 4 had made it – and we were bonded through the remainder of the TRI. We were smiling now, with high-fives all around. It was an incredibly satisfying moment standing on the beach….having conquered the high winds and waves.

Paddy patiently waits for me to wipe the sand off my feet - and stuff my bare feet into my sneakers. Paddy's turn is soon coming. We trot up the hill together from the beach…to the tennis court – where Mr. Huffy Puffy is waiting. I hop on, only to discover that the seat position is set for someone with a height of Michael Jordan. I never realized Paddy was so tall? This won’t work – I can’t reach the pedals. I hop off…and spend a few minutes adjusting the seat height. Off I go.

Since I am at, or nearly at dead last – I wonder if I’ll see any bikers at all. Especially riding on Mr. Huffy. Three miles later – my wish came true. I see a biker who is body marked. A fellow triathlete. I realize I’m riding Mr. Huffy – who is a magnitude of 10 times slower than Ms. Madone – but I can’t resist chasing a bicycle. Even on Mr. Huffy. Mr. Huffy and I quickly pass the first biker…and I begin thinking there are more cyclists ahead. Soon I pass a group of 5….then more and more appear. Mr. Huffy and I are super excited to be back with a pack of athletes – and not at the end. I’m guessing that I passed between 30-40 bikers. The vibe is tremendous along the bike route. Piseco Lake residents are out cheering us on – and there are race organizers everywhere - all busy writing down your number as you go past. I'm not really sure if I'm supposto - but I yell out "C42" every time I see someone "official". In case they need to know.

As I near the turn to head back to the Irondequoit Inn – the road becomes a buzz with race officials and volunteers yelling out frantically to the cyclists – to “go to your right”. Hmmm…this can’t be correct – as I know that my next turn to get back to the Irondequoit Inn (where Paddy is patiently waiting) is to go to my left. Maybe I have to go around some little road for more mileage?

Nope. We are herded into a parking lot at at the Piseco Lake Elementary school. I notice well over 100 bikes just laying about across a field. What’s going on here? Then I see a sign – pointing to the exit for the runners. What? I’m nowhere near the Irondequoit Inn – and Paddy is waiting for me to hand off the invisible “wand” so that he can be the 3rd leg of the triathlon. Nobody told us that the bikers would NOT be returning to the Irondequoit Inn where we started the swim. Instead – we have to start the run leg from a completely different location.

Back at the Irondequoit, Paddy is becoming the information hot line for triathlon spectators. “When will the athletes be returning here” – peeps would ask Paddy. “Soon….the bikers will come back here – and then the runners will take off” - Paddy confidently advised. Tho it sure is strange, Paddy thought -- "surely ONE biker should have returned by now". But, Paddy patiently waits – and tells others to do the same. “They’re coming” he insists.

I drop my bike like all others (at any ol spot in the field) at the Piseco Elementary school, whip off my helmet…and start running. This is crazy. What if I had ridden Ms. Madone with my special clip on bike shoes. I would not have been able to run (or walk) in these. What about Paddy? He is waiting for me back at the Irondequoit Inn! I assumed that the transition area was back where we started???

Despite the confusion…I had my cell phone with me. I called Paddy and simultaneously started to run toward the Piseco Airport. I'm breathing pretty hard cuz I just biked Mr. Huffy into the ground and passed 40 bikers to give us a shot of not being last - and Paddy can't understand a word of what I'm saying. I keep repeating myself. “I don’t know what’s going on – but they had us start the run from a completely different spot” I panted. “You have to leave the Irondequiot Inn now…and walk past the airport until you see me” I instructed Paddy - who was every bit as clueless about this transition from the bike to run – as I. “Just start walking…and we’ll meet up in the middle”.

Paddy trots like a bat-outta-hell…and is walking with big long strides. Beads of sweat form at his forehead....and his t-shirt is beginning to resemble a sponge. Neither of us know what the heck just happened to the transition area…but for some reason – in the Adirondacks, a triathlon means there are 3 separate locations where you can end up. The lady forgot to write this on the green postit sticky with C-42. The first location is at the lake (Irondequoit Inn). The second location is as the Piseco Elementary School – where you ditch your bike anywhere….and start running toward the 3rd location – the Piseco Airport. Oh my.

My swim buddy Hank (who I passed on the bike) – had caught up to me on the run. We shared more high-5s and cheered each other on. We will probably never see each other again - but I can assure you we are tri-buddies for life. I wasn’t planning on running today – and my focus was finding my teammate Paddy - so that he could have his glory moment. And there he is….in his unmistakable orange t shirt. Hustling his butt to complete the 3rd leg in our team relay. I must say, I have never seen Paddy walk this fast. There was a genuine giddyup in his stride, and he was sweating bullets.

As we made our way along Old Piseco Road toward the Piseco Airport – finally a large group of race organizers were in sight – marking the finish line. “What do you think Paddy – should we run in the last 20 feet together” I asked. “How much is 20 feet” Paddy inquired, clearly tired, yet determined to make a good finish. As we got closer – the triathletes who had already finished – were actively cheering in those of us yet to reach the finale. “Come on Paddy – lets run it in”….and with my prodding, the peer pressure of the cheering crowd – and the excitement of the moment -- there was no stopping Paddy. He jogged across that finish line – as we held hands high for a spectacular moment for Team C42.

Paddy had done it. He completed his first triathlon relay event - and he was clearly diggin' the endorphins. We headed straight to the food tent – and discovered they were serving homemade ice cream. I absolutely love this triathlon. Ok - there was a bit of confusion over multiple transition areas - but that can be long forgotten with some homemade ice cream.

It is now our turn to be supportive spectators. We wait, watch and cheer on the remaining triathletes as they cross over the finish line. Paddy and I - team C42 were FAR from last place…and we spent the next 45 minutes cheering peep after peep.

Our triathlon day is not over yet - there is more exercise on the agenda. It’s time to retrieve our equipment – which by now is spread in 2 separate locations. I opt to head back to the Eleementary School and grab Mr. Huffy. It will be a 3 mile walk…but I’ll get there eventually. Paddy heads back to the Irondequoit Inn – for another mile of walking – to grab Ms. Madone. We agree to reconvene at the Irondequoit Inn.

Fortunately for me, a fellow triathlete driving her pickup truck along Old Piseco Road -- offers to give me a ride. How delightful. I found Mr. Huffy lying in the field at the Piseco Elementary School– right where I left him – and rode him back to meet up with Paddy. Here we traded bikes. I was reunited with Ms. Madone – and Paddy is back with Mr. Huffy. Paddy and I road our bikes along the remaining 4 hilly miles back to the campsite.

The day was classic Adirondack magic. We are in the heart of the beautiful, tranquil Adirondack Park, where the temperatures are in the upper 70's and the vibe is fantastic. Paddy completes his first EVER relay triathlon. He did it. He hustled. And finished strong. And if the TRI athletics weren’t enuf, he rides his bike on hilly Adirondack miles - just to show up at the event.

That new giddyup in his step....lasted the rest of the weekend. Rock on Paddy. As for me, there were 4 people who had to be pulled from the water that day. 4 people who did NOT complete the swim. And I wasn’t one of them.

Curly's CREW sizzles in the intense heat of the Celebration TRI

2010-06-27T11:44:00.004-04:00

Mother nature insists on being HOT. We knew it would be a scorcher - with temperatures reaching 100 degrees and the humidity unbearable. It's RACE DAY for the Celebration Sprint Triathlon...and best not to dwell on the heat... We can easily find other details to dwell on!

Such as "pond scum". Jill is our designated femme version of Michael Phelps. I'm guessing that even MP would cringe at the thought of putting his bod in the steamy nasty pond called Centennial Lake. After arriving at the pre-dawn hours of 5:30AM....we scoped out the aqua terrain for Ms. Jilly.

My initial reaction was "woa - I'm sure glad we're doing a RELAY and I don't have to get into that stinky water" - but those would not be very inspiring words for our swimmer. So, we kept the subject on how "nice and warm" the water would feel, and "how fast" Ms Jilly would swim thru it, and how many "laps" it appeared between buoys. We watched the "good" swimmers, and compared their styles with those who were working hard.

While Swimmer Jilly was getting her ZONE on....the rest of "Curly's Crew" relay team - including Biker Jane, Runner Chuck and Paparazzi Paddy - were busy putting together the remaining details. Setting up the transition area, strategizing on dunking bandannas in ice cold water, moving the bike to an empty rack to avoid colliding with other relay teams....and capturing each an every moment with the Blog Cam. This made for a busy morning. Paparazzi Paddy, toting a mug of coffee in one hand, and the Blog Cam in the other - was doing his own version of a triathlon. Chasing after each of us and taking pics. Rock on paparazzi Paddy!

The first wave of swimmers started shortly after 7AM. By 8:30AM, the relay swim wave was called to step into the water. Finally. The temperatures had already risen into the 90's by now. OK. I said I wouldn't dwell on this. Just say'n.

Mixed into the final swim wave, were the paraplegic athletes. One in particular captured the hearts of the crowd. An athletic father lifted his disabled child into a life raft. With his son safely strapped into the life raft, the dad attached a line to the raft...and around his waist. He would swim, towing his son in the life raft.... place his son in a special bike seat once out of the water....and then transfer his son to a special go-cart for the run. The dad wanted his disabled son to experience a TRI. There wasn't a dry eye in the crowd....

Swimmer Jilly skims thru the slimy pond scum waters....for an amazing swim, giving us a very competitive start in a relay event that consisted of some serious athletes. Now, we aren't REALLY competing with THEM. Curly's CREW is about FAMILY and just being FIT, and NOT competition. But it's hard NOT to notice other relay teams around you....and wonder if you just might pass ONE or TWO of them. Wouldn't that be fun? You know, IF it were to happen? You check out their bikes...and if it's a jalopy - then maybe you can stay ahead of that person? You check out their clothing....and if it's loose and baggy....then maybe this is their FIRST TRI and maybe they will take a wrong turn somewhere? And then you shake off those silly thoughts....but they keep returning. OK. I admit. The Wadsworth DNA is a tad competitive.

The timer chip is now secured on my leg, as Swimmer Jill enters the transition area. Completely soaked in ice cold water and bandannas tied everywhere....I race to the top of the hill to exit onto the road. There are bikers in front of me. Lots of them. Just how I like it. Peeps to pass.

We are all "body marked" and I was looking for an "RX" - meaning RELAY MIXED - on the bikers. That's our division. These would be the peeps to pass. On the first uphill grind, I found one. A man. This would be Sweet . I passed him with ease, and gave him a delightfully nice "passing on your left" blond voice, without a huff or puff to show for - as I blew by him on the uphill. But wait....on the next downhill - the big man blew past me. hmmmm. Let's see how long he wants to duel with me on the hills.

I let him stay in front of me for the next 3 miles. No need to waste precious energy. I kept Mr. RX in my sights. There would be another steep uphill grade coming up. This is where I planned my next move.

As dozens of bikers slowed to a crawl....I told Ms. Madone to "do your thing". We dusted Mr. RX....and that was the last I saw of him. Things were looking mighty fine....until the 3rd downhill.

This is where Ms. Madone turned into a NOODLE and morphed into a death wobble. Suddenly, I had NO control of my bike, as it shook violently in speeds of 35mph. I watched my life flash in front of me. This was about to be a terrible crash. There were many bikers descending directly behind me....and when I crash...they would crash on top of me. All I could do was to apply the rear brake slowly and pray I could hold on long enough for the bike to slow down before impact.

Miraculously....I stayed upright during the "death wobble". Something is terribly wrong with my bike at speeds above 30MPH. I slowed to less than 15MPH....and took in the moment. Dang, I didn't crash. I don't know how I stayed up.... I just need to get to the FINISH slowly and safely.

From that point, I no longer cared about passing anyone. I braked during the remaining downhills...and kept my speed less than 20mph. This is what the "death wobble" looks like.

I couldn't be happier to reach the end of the bike leg -- in one piece. I jogged my bike back into the transition area - and handed off the race chip to big brother Chuck.

Chuck is a trooper...and a fighter. Having trained for the run during the last 2 months....life thru him a curve ball and messed up his foot. Unable to train with a busted up foot for 3 weeks...many would have just "given up". Not Chuck.

He's gonna run as much as his foot will allow...and he's gonna finish. And if I know my brother...he's gonna pass a few runners on the way. It's just part of that darn'd Wadsworth DNA. Accompanied by Jill on the run, Chuck tears outta the transition area, in near 100 degree temperatures looking for runners with an RX.

The running course is 3.4 miles and quite challenging. It feels like it is mostly uphill, and when it's not -- it's exposed to full sunlight.

I watched my BIG BRO finish his first running event, his first triathlon relay. It was pretty cool. We all finished...safely. No heat exhaustion, no traumatic bike injury, no foot meltdown....and just a few GI issues for our swim chic....(yuck!)

Next year, Paparazzi Paddy is considering joining Chuck as a TRI relay participant. Well, he didn't actually "say" this...or even "think" it.... but this is how these family events get "started".

Way to go Curly's Crew!

TRI to finish...in the blazing heat

2010-06-20T08:03:00.000-04:00

When I received email notice that my Sprint Triathlon START TIME would be 9:20AM, panic set in. Sunday, June 20 was predicted to be the HOTTEST and MUGGIEST (is that a word?) day of the year, and it was now official. I would be in the LAST wave of swimmers to start the Carroll County TRI to WIN Sprint Triathlon. The ReelFeel temperatures by 9:30AM would be 102 degrees.

The South Carroll Tri-to-Win Sprint Triathlon consists of a 400 meter swim, 14 mile bike and 5K run. It is also a fundraiser for the Joanna M Nicolay Melanoma Foundation - a great cause in the fight against melanoma skin cancer. A sprint TRI is short-n-sweet...and meant to be fast. Maybe for some that is...

By 4:30AM raceday morning, the temperatures were in the low 80's and the humidity was already THICK. I was ready as I could be. My TRI partner Jill (who should've been IN the event with me...but forgot so sign up IN TIME - OK jus say'n ;-) had gone over and over my transition details...with me the day prior. We had down the transition basics...bike shoes, socks folded and ready to whip on, running shoes without laces, bike helmet, sunglasses bla bla bla. The high heat added new items to the checklist. We decided Bandanas soaked in ice water, tied around my neck and wrist would be my ticket to heat survival. It was all about getting it "done" at this point. No speedy biking...no fast running....nothing heroic....not that I had that in me to begin with .

I arrived at the parking lot - just as daybreak was unfolding. 5:10AM. The parking lot was empty. I was the first to arrive. Time to recline the bucket seat in the Jeep and relax. Sure, I don't start til 9:20AM....but I had to check in and get body marked before 6AM. The first wave starts at 7 (lucky dogs!)...and I would spend my time thinking "cool" thoughts. I should be dozing off, but I was still fussing with some last minute details. Where would I keep my car key? Should I try to carry my mini-blog cam and film this bloody heat wave? Should I skip wearing my bike gloves? So many things...yet unresolved.

By 7AM, two swimming pools with a total of 11 lanes were buzzing with the first wave of swimmers. I was assigned to pool #2 - with 3 lanes. The slow swimmers are assigned to pool #2, and I was glad to be among the challenged swimmer crowd. Swimming is not my strong suit, but I had trained, and was ready as I could be. What I wasn't ready for, was the spectacle going on in pool#2.

Now, I know what it is like to be swimming challenged. It defines me. Never having learned to swim as a youngsta - I truly understand the challenge learning to swim in mid-life. It's not pretty. But what was going on in pool#2, filled with swim challenged adults - was a sight to be seen. I made the wrong decision to leave my blog cam behind. It would have been footage to behold. It was joy to my eyes. People, young and old, big and small...even more swim challenged than I? They were like bumper swimmers...colliding into one another, swimming with no agenda, floating with no propulsion, and lacking oxygen after 3-4 strokes. Sooo...this is how we look? It was hard to imagine...but I instantly felt one with my pitiful swimming comrades.

After the initial AWE of watching the events unfolding in pool #2, I began to wonder if some of these folks would ever make it out of the swimming portion of the event. Their lack of propulsion in the water, could severly impact my start time. What if my start time is delayed til 10AM? I ran to the side of the pool and started cheering them on. "Come on - you can do it -- kick harder". I tried to be positive, tho my other voice wanted to yell out "hurry up...you guys need to get outta the water so I can get in before noon."

By now it is 8AM, and I had been hydrating LOTS, and just finished a banana. I had at least another 1.5 hours before my number (291) is called to the starting line. But wait, a line of folks in the 290 - 310 range is standing in the queue. Did I miss the call? It's only 8AM? So, I sached over to the man-in-charge, and asked him if the 290's are on deck? He then told me that 291 is next to go. WHAT???? That's ME?? I just consumed a banana....drank a liter of water...and did not have my swim cap or goggles ready at all. But I'm not complaining. Just not ready. I ran to retrieve my swim gear...and was yanking down my swim cap as I crossed the starting line...and plopped into the PITY POOL#2 with my many swim-impaired adults.

Within seconds, pool panic set in...and my breathing tightened up. What's up with this? I don't have an answer why mini-panic set in...but I finished the swim in a record SLOW time for me...and was glad to be outta the piti-pool. Off to the transition area...and still trying to decide if I wanted to wear bike gloves. I did. It took forever to get them on over wet skin. Maybe not such a good idea.

I jogged with My bike (Ms Madone) out of the transition area...and onto the bike course. I had my sights on every biker ahead of me. But it was hot...and I needed to save juice for the soon-to-be-hotter run. Maybe I don't need to pass everyone on the bike. Then again....it's hard to turn off that switch.

I made all of my gains...on the uphills. Ms Madone likes the uphills for some reason. It was now time to decend....and my speeds were over 30mph...when suddenly I felt like I had no control over my bike. The rear wheel was causing a road wobble so severe, that it felt like my wheel was about to come off the frame. I immediately applied the brakes...which is not necessarily a safe thing to do on a high speed decent. Fortunately, I was able to hang on without crashing.... WHAT TO DO NOW? I suppose I could get off the bike and look at it....but I'm no bike mechanic. I can change the tire if I need to. I looked ahead...and saw 2 more bikers in front of me. Hmmm...maybe I should just stay on the bike...pass them (of course ;-)...and take it slower on the downhills. That's my plan.

By mile 10 Ms Madone is making some very abnormal, and louder-by-the-minute bike noise. I tried hard not to listen. We (Ms Madone and I) just need to get to the finish line, without the bike falling apart. I was not about to stop, and managed to go slow to keep the bike wobbles down to a minimum. I passed the checkpoint with TEAM BRO and FLUFF (Jill) cheering wildly at mile 11.5. They had volunteered to stand out in the heat for 4+ hours flagging in all of the bikers. In this heat, standing on pavement cheering in bikers for 4+ hours is pretty darn heroic.

Two and a half more miles to go. I'm sure I'm the only biker out there hoping for more UPhills. Ms Madone is really not doing well on any downhill at this point. SOMEHOW...we made it to the finish....and I quickly racked Ms Madone, and gave her a pat on the handlebars for not tossing me over.

I doused my bandanas in ice cold water...and left the transition area to start the run course. I was so busy dousing my bandanas, that I forgot my water bottle. Major detail. By the time I reached the main road, hot pavement added another 10 degrees to the ReelFeel. The run consisted of two long uphills...and 2 gradual downhills. Most of the runners...had morphed into walkers. Not me. I wanted to be DONE. I decided as long as I wasn't dizzy...I would continue to run. I was wishing for my water bottle, but had to let go of that thought. What will be, will be. With two sopping wet, ice cold bandanas - it really didn't feel too bad. My thoughts turned to crossing the finish line.

An hour and 40 minutes was the result - putting me #4 in my age division. It's great being old ;-) And I couldn't have been happier to have started at 8:10AM...instead of 9:20AM. Re-united with BRO and Tri-Sis Jill (you guys ROCK!) at the finish - we made plans for the most important part of any race. FOOD.

Run for d'Rosies -- is a Tri-Sista tradition

2010-06-19T07:02:00.000-04:00

It's becoming a tradition. Each year, Emma runs faster....and the rest of the TRI-sista hood runs slower. But it all works out. Emma kept our Tri-Sistahood team scoring high in the ranks of over 450 finishers (6th place for our team), and Jill and I did our darnest to take in the scenery along the Wheaton Regional race course...a little slower.

The 5K race course is a combination of roads, park pathways and off road terrain. Temperatures were rapidly rising, and the high humidity quickly turned your skin into a sponge. With a LOT of runner congestion along many sections of the winding and sometimes narrow course, Emma managed to zoom around the masses of women...and finish with an impressive 8:46 minute mile.

Jill and I didn't have quite the same luck passing the femme blockades. At least that is the excuse we're using! Were we supposto TRY to pass them?

Emma finished 12th in her age division (young folks) - which is admirable considering there are many many peeps in her division. Jill and I both finished in the top 10 in our age division of ol'Farts. Woo hoo! Ranking high in age division results...is one of the perks to getting old.

Apres Run is filled with treats (this is WHY we exercise!), consisting of breakfast...and bluegrass entertainment at the Farmer's Market -- in downtown Silver Spring.

Brickin' it up...

2010-06-15T19:23:00.002-04:00

What better way to spend a Sunday morning... than to BRICK it up on the Columbia Celebration and Iron Girl TRI course?

While wiping pixie dust from our eyes (or was that sweat?)... we managed to train on the bike and/or run course and kept our focus on TREATS that would follow.

Go TRI team!

Blizzard of 2010....Hang in there Mid-Atlantic!!!

2010-02-10T19:13:00.005-05:00

May the jet stream return,
to where it's supposto go,
so your workouts can burn,
without shoveling snow

Tennis goes wild - with an aerobic and butt quarter makeover!

2010-02-05T18:22:00.030-05:00

From my brief debut in The Checket Cup Tennis Tournament ..

I realized that with just a "few" modifications, "tennis" could become a very aerobic, and entertaining sport - irregardless of your skill. Here are my suggestions:

First, TENNIS gets an aerobic makeover. Maybe something like: you are required to jog in place between points - and do sprints during a set change. No more sitting between game changes either. Forget about the bathroom break. You shouldn't have consumed that gallon of water before your match! When the ball rolls to the far corners of the court...instead of strolling there to kill time, you make a mad dash to retrieve it before it stops rolling. And if someone feels the need to say something other than the score....the "verbalizer" will be required to run 3 laps around the court for each word that escapes. Imagine the endorphin "high" tennis players would enjoy...

Tennis adds an entertainment factor! BUTT QUARTERS....should be integrated into ONCOURT tennis. For example, if you miss a shot, don't like a line call, and simply must exhale with 4 letter classics....you will immediately run to the sidelines and drop a butt quarter - until you hit the cup. Wouldn't that make tennis matches more entertaining?

For now, the Butt Quarter championships is played OFF COURT - with contestants from The Checket Cup tennis tournament in Ft. Lauderdale FL. Captured on video, you can see that BUTT QUARTERS requires precise timing, aim, and movement skills - just like tennis!

BTW...Kudos to friends Peg & Joan for winning the backdraw doubles...and Susan and partner for winning the main draw doubs!

U only live once....

2010-02-04T19:58:00.000-05:00

La la la...it's Thursday at 8AM....

I check my voice messages...there is one from my tennis friend Joan....

"Hey Jane - do you want to play in a Cat II National Championships 45 & Over doubles tournament in Ft. Lauderdale? A player had to default...and you can substitute in. Your match will be at 3PM today...call if you can make it."

I should have said NO:
1. I haven't played competitively in 5 years

2. I've barely picked up a racket in 5 years

3. I live on a boat

4. I don't know where my tennis sneakers are

5. My USTA membership has expired

6. I don't have any tennis "clothes"

...and then my inner, more irrational voice took over:
What the hey? We planned to rent a car and be in Ft. Lauderdale anyway to pick up boat parts....so why not play a tennis match while I'm there? I put together a combination of inline skate race clothing & a running skirt....this will have to "do" for tennis attire. I also packed my swimsuit and goggles. you never know when there will be a swim opportunity!!

Paddy and I hopped in the dinghy to make our way to shore....when Paddy reminded me I needed tennis rackets. Oh yeah. Minor detail. I returned to the boat....found 'em hiding in the bilge. Armed with tennis rackets and an outfit that didn't match, our dinghy surfed it's way to shore with 20 knot winds and following seas.

Despite a shortage of rental cars due to "Superbowl weekend" in Miami...we managed to get a rental....and rushed to Sunrise FL to pick up boat parts, and consume some amazing Peruvian food for lunch. Next stop...The Tennis Club of Ft. Lauderdale.

Moments before our match was called to court, I met my doubles partner - Tanya. "Hi Tanya...I'm Jane. I just got off my boat...and haven't played competitive tennis in years. You're cool with that, right?"

Without a doubt - my game was quite rusty....both physically and mentally. For example, when my partner Tanya was serving - she requested that we play "Australian". Hmmmm...I remember that concept vaguely. I had to ask Tanya to be more "specific" (i.e. 'splain Lucy!!!).

Tanya played beautifully, and our main draw opponents were quite good. They handed us a good can of whoop ass. My debut back to the tennis scene was quick and painful. Yet I was sure, that if we could have played 30 sets or more....we eventually would have taken one! But alas, these tournaments are limited to 2 out of 3 sets - and we didn't stand a chance. ...moving on to event #2... Swimming laps in the pool. And...tennis was quickly forgotten.... at least until the consolation rounds get started. Stay tuned....

Boca bikers...

2010-01-22T12:05:00.005-05:00

With weeks of pent up endorphin excitement....the 3 day weekend visit of Big Bro and tri-partner Fluffy finally arrived. We spent the weekend desperately seeking (and finding) 'dorphins and had a whole lotta fun.....

...avoiding stinkeye
...getting your load on
...searching for iguanas
...avoiding alligators
...getting your load off
...parking lot dancing to disco music in "downtown" Boca
...eating foods that aren't good for you
...running
...swimming (kind of)
...convincing Paddy and Bro to ride bikes 3 days in a row
...biking on fold up bikes in the race bike lane along the coast
...the art scene
...a blast in the past...discovering Gulf Coast - the "old Florida"
...wondering why we are so out of shape on our bikes
...discovering a headwind
...and better yet, a tailwind
...checking out houses of the rich and famous
...lawn bowling?
...avoiding the Legion, Lodge, Moose, Elks...and other animals
...watching the surf
...hanging at coffee shops
...and wishing the weekend would never end!

Rock on family hood!!

Reunited with Ms. Madone

2010-01-08T19:13:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile since my last 'dorphin post - from Charleston SC. With 400+ miles of sailing travels...I'll admit, my activity level has fallen. Finally an opportunity for serious dorphins. Taking advantage of a Florida day in Ft. Pierce, with southerly winds and temperatures in the 60's - it was time to dust off my good friend Ms. Madone (racing bike) - and take her for a spin.

I quickly discovered
- Ms. Madone does not like sand
- Ms. Madone is a LOT slower than she used to be (oops - maybe that's me??)

Some road hazards unique to the Fort Pierce Inlet State Park include:
1. roaming Bobcats
2. slow moving turtles
3. lizards

SpeedCam on the Ravenel!

2009-11-23T10:25:00.000-05:00

The Ravenel presents many endorphin opportunities. Walking, running, biking....yes, these are the typical challenges. But, this Saturday morning was different. Captain Pat practiced his sailor knot skills, and lashed the SpeedCam around my neck, with a safety backup around my waist. In addition, my fuel belt contained my Blackberry - with the ear and mouthpiece primed for YAK. This morning would be a workout with Jilly, my TRI-sista and workout partner - who was simultaneously biking a similar course back in Maryland.

The route from the Charleston Maritime Center to Mt. Pleasant - and along a few loopbacks on random lighly traveled roads adds up to a 14 mile sprint workout on bike...or half of that on foot.

Fully "teched" up, I have discovered:

yes, you CAN be separated by miles AND still workout together
the speedCam setup needs work for bicycling. It kept bobbing about, and I had to hang on to the device while riding uphill on the bridge. Let go of the SpeedCam and decided to hang onto my bike on the downward portion of the bridge where I had a tailwind and speeds in the 30mph range. As you can imagine, the SpeedCam sights became a blur!
I don't have much to say when I'm out of breath

A tour of Charleston...

2009-11-18T10:15:00.002-05:00

Busy with client work, sailing Cat Maudy out of Charleston is delayed - until after December 1. But that doesn't mean that we can't spend some time capturing local flavor. My Charleston tours are more like an exercise jaunt around the tip of the Charleston SC pennisula. Notable sights include:

The Ravenel

2009-11-17T04:22:00.000-05:00

If I only had a HEMI
I wouldn't feel like a SEMI
when biking up the Ravenel Bridge...

What is the Ravenel Bridge?

Master Jillita bubbles up the pool!

2009-11-14T18:23:00.000-05:00

Livin' it up - OLD is the new YOUNG!

2009-09-27T22:00:00.064-04:00

50's are the new 30's. Ok, maybe I'm pushing that a bit, but I'm now officially part of the "AARP Club". Let the member benefits begin!

Cat Maudy's repair list is nearing completion - but she is still dockside. My big day would be filled with land-lubber activities. After sharing coffee and tea with hubby Paddy - it was time to find a workout. I met Jill at the Merritt Club the moment it opened - and we raced to the pool to be sure to get a lane. Racing was not necessary. Nobody else was silly enough to go to an outdoor swimming pool - with air temperatures in the upper 50's. As we were about to begin our swim with a photo-op....Longshoreman Walt arrived at the pool scene for a swim - and asked to be in our picture. Notice the scary man in our swim photo - this is Walt. We don't know him. He's a longshoreman. We didn't ask any more questions.

Swimming was glorious, where I highlighted 30 days of freestyle learning - and Jill demo'd the "Pro" version. Something to aspire to. We hopped onto as many machines as possible - to achieve 50 events for the day. From biking, to ellipitical, to stair climbing, to balancing, to step aerobics...and finally some hoop action -- the gym workout was just the right dosage for this new member of the 50's Club.

Morning endorphins were running high - and it was time to hook up with big bro Chuck, fluffy sis Jill, girlfriend Tami and hubby Paddy for a trip out to Misty Manor Riding Stable - to go horseback riding.

I have never been on a horse. My mom loved to ride horses as a child, until she had a tragic fall, nearly died, and ended up in the hospital for 6 months. She never rode after that, and refused to allow me to ride a horse in my younger years. Fast forward many many years - and it was time to see what horseback riding was all about. I envisioned my big day, in a corral, on a geriatric horse that didn't have the energy to do anything frisky, and someone holding it's leash - guiding me in circles for an hour. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Misty Manor Farms...is a "REAL" farm / riding stable. Horses, pigs, goats, extra large dogs, cats all run free. There are no fences here. There is no corral. This should have been my first clue.

We all had to sign a LOT of paperwork saying that we understood that:

horseback riding is very dangerous, and the horse could kill us
it wasn't the horse's fault if it did
you could wear a helmet if that made you feel better

None of us opted to wear the helmets. Perhaps the corral was just out of sight?

It was time for horse assignments. Paddy was first to hop on his horse named "Lightening". Paddy & Lightening seemed at ease with each other. Lightening was docile - and Paddy & Lightening patiently waited for the rest of us to get mounted. I'm guessing Paddy was a Cowboy in his previous life.

Jill was next, and she was assigned a horse named "Alaska". They bonded immediately. Well, of course they would. Jill spills out that she had taken horseback riding (English) as a youngster. English riding is similar to how the jockeys ride a racehorse. I worried the farm folks would think we are experienced riders - based on the show by Cowboy Paddy and Cowgirl Jill.

Time for bro Chuck to saddle up onto a horse named "TJ". TJ had a mind of his own - and immediately headed for the large tub of water to quench his thirst. TJ was in charge, tho Chuck appeared very comfortable with that fact. My brother is very easy going.

My turn. I saddled up onto "Winston". I repeatedly informed the farm folks that I had NEVER ridden a horse before. They smiled and nodded, and assured me that Winston was the perfect horse for me. I put one hand with an iron clad grip on the saddle, and the other held onto the reins. Winston made a beeline for the drink bucket, and he (and I) dipped many times.

Tami, has been my childhood friend since the age of 6. One of my early recollections, has been her (and her siblings) undisputed FEAR of animals. I'm talking kitty cats, dogs, gerbils, toads, frogs, you name it. One year, her mother tried to correct the children's misguided fear -- and bought a few cats to roam free in the house. All I can remember -- is that every child SCATTERED when the cats appeared in their rooms. The children were terrified. It did nothing to alleviate their fears. So, I was STUNNED (and amazed), to hear that Tami would be joining us for this horseback riding adventure.

Tami was last to get saddled up, and perhaps too nervous to catch the name of her horse. We'll just give him a name - "Horsey". I stared in amazement at Tami bonded with this very large animal.

Our horse guide - Dave - blathered out trail riding instructions:

Follow the horse in front of you -in single file...in a specific horse order. No exceptions.
My horse Winston would bring up the rear.
Stay on the muddy tail...off the trail are hornets nests - and they get really mad this time of year
Winston has to stay far back from Horsey (directly in front of Winston)- cuz Horsey liked to kick backwards.

This was a good opportunity to try out religion. Please let Winston keep a good distance form Horsey.

That was IT for instructions. Cowboy Pat was directly behind Trail Guide Dave, followed by Cowgirl Jill and Cowboy Chuck....All 3 looked very comfortable on their horses.

But wait. Where is the corral? Where is the human on the ground with the leash? None of those appeared.

So, there we were. 5 of us, and trail guide Dave along a skinny trail, single file, thru the fields and forests.

Winston was not keen on playing "follow the leader", and Horsey was moving at a much slower pace than all of the other animals. Since Winston could not leap frog ahead of Horsey, Tami & I gradually lost ground from the rest of the pack.

At this point Winston decided it was time for lunch. He put his head down, and happily rummaged off the trail. Tami's horse had stopped completely. No more forward propulsion. Trail Guide Dave yells at us for failing to control our horses. Okey dokey. Perhaps some instructions would help?

Dave finally provides a few instructions. We are to kick the horse to get 'em to move faster, pull their heads HARD to the right or left to make them move in that direction. Oh yeah, and pull the reins back to make 'em stop going forward. It sounded so violent. Tami and I were on the same page. We would not kick the horses to make them go faster. We preferred that they move slowly.

I don't think Winston had been fed for a week. He was hell bent on eating. I kept pulling his reins per Dave's instructions so that his head could not make it down to the foliage...but now all Winston does is jerk his head up and down uncontrollably. Winston is not happy, and I'm starting to get a bit concerned.

Winston has finally had enough of trailing slow-poke Horsey. Winston decides to make a break for freedom, and gallops in the opposite direction. I'm hanging on for dear life...and bouncing along a top of Winston. Holy moley!!! I do what any novice horseback rider would do -- scream for HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

Trail Guide Dave arrives just in time -- to yell at me again for not controlling my horse. I'm not sure which is more appealing - Dave yelling at me for having no clue how to ride a horse, or Winston taking a shortcut back to the ranch. Pat, Jill and Chuck wait patiently on very calm horses....for Tami and I to catch up.

Things seem to be going better as we weave thru the woodlands, jump over very large downed trees, and ride single file down to the riverbank.

About 10 feet from the riverbank - Chuck's horse TJ has decided that there is NO WAY he is going to keep going. Can't say that I blame TJ. The trail gets extra muddy, and who knows what's in that water? Dave yells at Chuck to slap his horse in the butt.

I watch in amusement. It appears that I'm not the only one who refuses to slap and kick the horse to make em go faster. We waited a very long time for Chuck to convince TJ to get down the little bank and hop in the water. TJ finally obliged, despite very strong objections.

Unfortunately, while waiting for TJ to make his move, Horsey and Winston began acting up. Tami becomes terrified of her beast....and I'm getting more nervous by the minute. I pretend to be the horse whisperer, to no avail. Winston has a violent head bucking thing going on - and I start a new religious moment praying that he doesn't thro me off. Every other sentence, I try to convince Tami that "all is OK". Cowboy Paddy and Cowgirl Jill at the head of the line were smiling, laughing, taking pictures and enjoying the moment. Eventually, our horses resumed "follow the leader"...and we were now hoofin' it thru the riverbed.

We traversed thru the river, and up the riverbank into the Patapsco State Park...for a brief road crossing...and then up a mountain. Tami, in a quivering voice inquires every 5 minutes "Are we done yet? How much longer?" I reassure her that we are almost back to the ranch. But, Tami is much too smart for my benign response. "Jane - How do you know how close we are to the finish?" I'm just "sayin".

Tami wants to beat feet...get off her horse in the middle of the trail, and walk back. I can relate. As I suggested to Tami that she think other thoughts for awhile...suddenly all of that head bucking by Winston tore the reins completely out of my hands. The knot that holds the right and left rein came undone...and the reins were dangling on the ground. OMG....I yell out "I've lost steering!!" Dave is not quick to respond...and Winston steps on the reins nearly throwing me over his head. I yell again - "I've lost steering".

Perhaps "lost steering" is boat terminology -- but it applies to horses. Many minutes go by until Dave shows up to grab the lost reins. I quickly restore the knot in the reins. Now, Tami is in a frenzy....since I was in a frenzy....the horses sense the frenzy, and we go round and round on this frenzied merry go round!

I'd sure feel a lot better if Winston would stop the head bucking. It seems if the horses keep moving along without stopping - Winston settles down. We are approaching a brief hill climb. The lead horses on Cowboy Pat and Cowgirl Jill gallivant at a brisk pace up a short hill. Sure enough, Cowboy Chuck and TJ also gallop up the hill. Woaaa. Tami will freak when her horse starts galloping. So, I give play by play instructions -- "Tami - your horse is going to run up the hill...so hang on with everything you got...he'll stop at the top...it's OK"....Both Tami and Horsey made it to the top of the hill intact. Winston and I followed suit - and miraculously, our horses settled back to slo-mo at the top of the hill.

As we passed along the wide open field, with the riding stable in sight...TWO HOURS from when we started this adventure...my only thought was "how quickly could I get off of Winston?". Tami interrupted that thought - and immediately informed the farm folks that she needed to be FIRST off her horse. Before I knew it, Tami had dismounted and made a 100 yard dash for the car.

Out of the corner of my eye, a very unusual situation was unfolding. In an instant, Alaska, along with Cowgirl Jill took off on a FULL SPRINT inside of the barn. I watched sissy disparately pull back HARD on the reins - without ANY success. There was no controlling that horse - Alaska was on a mission. Sissy and Alaska are now out of view - somewhere in the barn. As much as I wanted to know if Sissy was OK...First things first. I just HAD to get off of Winston. It was a glorious moment stepping into the mud and horse poo. I was back on land and off the bucking beast.

Paddy, Chuck, Sissy, Tami and I were reunited, and walking around like cowboys. It will be days before I can bring my knees together. Cowgirl Jill and Alaska were just fine. Apparently, Alaska was hungry and wanted to be first to the food trough. I can relate.

Next stop...barbeque, amazing salads and toffee-crunch CAKE....along with a slide show of how I've aged over 50 years (thank you Big Bro - only you would know!). From this slide-show, I've learned a few simple things about myself:

I'm always exercising
My clothes don't match, and I've never acquired any fashion sense
I love CAKE!

Many thanks to family Paddy, Chuck, Sissy, Tami, Emma, Mike and Fred for putting on a most memorable day!! You guys rock!

The joy of 'splaining how to swim

2009-09-26T19:06:00.001-04:00

...and breathing....and rotating...and breathing some more

A lotto hot air

2009-09-26T18:55:00.004-04:00

Demonstration on how to put 120 pounds of air into a bike tire...

Life is better....at Betterton!

2009-09-16T21:00:00.010-04:00

As I scanned google maps looking for the ideal bike route, Betterton, MD - with a whopping 6 streets and a public beach at the mouth of the Sassafras River stood out. Betterton. Yes, I liked the sound of this. I imagined that life was tranquil, slow to be precise - and that would be a good thing. Ideal, most likely. Simply better. Yes, life I imagined was indeed BETTER in Betterton. I simply had to explore this on my bike and see for myself.

I left the marina at Georgetown Yacht Basin, and pedaled thru the towns of Galena, and Still Pond along lightly auto-traveled roads with wide shoulders perfect for biking, and landscapes lined with farms. The Maryland Eastern shore is delightfully undeveloped compared to it's more populated and urban western shore. Tho, don't let the relatively flat terrain fool you into thinking that this will be an easy-peazy bike ride. The headwinds are strong, and relentless. But, the headwinds didn't matter, as I was en route to BETTERton and enjoying a high-octane endorphin ride on Ms. Madone.

Within 45 minutes, I had reached the town line of Betterton. It was exactly as I had imagined. Large, old homes built in the early 1900's lined the main street. I didn't see any people or traffic during my 15 minute visit - but the people of Betterton were most likely taking a break and sipping tea. This is my vision of Betterton. I descended to the end of the road - which led straight to the Betterton public beach. The views were astounding. To the north - were the Susquehanna and Elk rivers - that fed into the Chesapeake Bay. To the east - is the winding Sassafras River. I spent a few moments absorbing the scenery.

But wait - what are these signs posted along the beachfront? Upon closer inspection - I discovered that the beach was contaminated. This is due to the fact that the water is unsafe for swimming. Basically, LOOK - but don't TOUCH. So sad to see such beauty, and to discover that it is polluted to unacceptable levels. As I looked along Main Street in Betterton MD - I held tight to my vision that life is BETTER here. Just don't swim in the water.

Could this be SWIMMING??!

2009-09-16T19:33:00.002-04:00

The water temperature at the Georgetown Yacht Basin swimming pool is in the 60's. But when you give yourself a timeline to figure out how to swim (by 9/27/2009)...and breathe...and all of those nuances that someone who started swimming as a kid just does instinctively....there is no time to wait for the water to warm up. Time to whip out the neoprene wetsuit....and stick a big toe into the frigid waters...

OK...I admit - it's a bit spastic...but at a distance it might actually resemble SWIMMING???!!!! Woo hoo!

Train wreck!

2009-09-03T07:48:00.001-04:00

Now, I realize that it's been awhile since we've skated "FAST" - but could we really be skating THIS slow?

As Jill and I descended toward the lite rail train tracks...the train lights began flashing, and the barricades descended - stopping all traffic. No problem. We waited for the train to pass. No sooner had the train passed, and the barricades lifted....we though we were making forward propulsion.

Nope. The lights began flashing again, and the barricade walls were tumblin down. Rut row. Now we are on the WRONG side of the barricades -- you know the side where the trains move thru. But we are stuck...and cannot get back to the other side. Jill and I cling to each other and the train barricade- hoping the next train will miss us. We really must work on our skate speed.

Q-Tip Sk8 Maintenance

2009-09-01T07:49:00.002-04:00

In the process of performing rudimentary skate maintenance, one very small - but necessary - skate bolt managed to disappear.

This gave Tami and I the opportunity to:

broach the subject of replacing Tami's 10 year old skates with ones that have standard parts
discuss expanding Tami's repair toolkit beyond 2 q-tips
consider skating on 3 wheels instead of 4 if the missing bolt cannot be located
talk philosophically about the concept of "letting go"

Fortunately, the missing bolt was discovered INSIDE of Tam's car....and we proceeded to enjoy a delightful skate, great vibe and apres-sk8 foods at the BWI loop - as only longtime dear friends can do.

Iron Girl Sunday 8/23/2009

2009-08-23T06:46:00.016-04:00

I departed Cat Maudy at dockside at 4:30AM, still wiping pixie dust from my eyes. After all the media hype, reading up on nutrition, endless days of multi sport training, running 5K races, hours of studying bike technique (yes Lance - it IS about riding an expensive bike)...it all boiled down to getting your girl on for Iron Girl Sunday 8/23/2009.

With Hurricane Bill dumping buckets of suds late Saturday - it was not looking like the weather would be friendly for Sunday. Jill, Holly and I racked our 'spensive (for our budgets) bicycles in the transition area early evening Saturday - during a downpour. Plastic bags covered the handlebars, saddle and chain - and we walked away hoping that our chains wouldn't turn to rust during the next 12 hours.

Using the power of 2400 women encouraging Hurricane Bill to move on -- Iron Girl Sunday proved to be ideal (maybe a bit muggy? but who's complaining!) for a sprint TRI. The rains had stopped, temperatures cooled to the low 70's, and the pavement was beginning to dry on the roads. Traffic was completely jammed by 5:30AM. Jill and Holly were the first to arrive into Centennial Park. Seriously, THE first to arrive. I'm pretty sure they received gold stars in grade school for punctuality. Jane, Emma and cameraman Mike arrived next. After 6 or 7 phone calls to somewhat GPS challenged Divina - we found her wandering aimlessly in circles near the porta-potties. At that point I kept a death-grip on our little mermaid swimmer - to ensure she got to the swim start on time.

Next stop...body marking. Jill and Holly arrived at the body marking stage before the magic markers had been issued to the volunteers. When you participate in the Iron Girl TRI - your calf is marked with your AGE, and your shoulders, wrist and other calf is marked with your bib number. This comes in quite handy in case you get lost, and forget how old you are.

True to form, Jill and Holly locked in an early wave start. Just minutes after the pro wave, J&H were grouped with approximately 400 other femmes - the largest wave in the Iron Girl event. Jill rushed to the front of the swimmer wave - to be the first in the water (no surprise here!) , and avoid the mayhem once all of the swimmers began splashing. In record 24 minute time - Jill popped outta the algae green lake - and ran up the hill to the transition area to her bike. Not far behind was Holly - chewing on lake grasses, and glad to be done with the swim.

Jill managed to bike and run at warp speed. So fast, that her timing chip, worn around her ankle - never registered. It doesn't matter. We know. She completed a personal best of 2 hours and 20 minutes. That's smokin. Holly completed her first triathlon under 3 hours. Sizzle sizzle! What is more amazing, is that these ladies had the energy to party well into the evening - and score style points on the hula hoop rock climb event in Ellicott City.

Emma, Divina and I were grouped with the very LAST wave of athletes. This gave the sun ample time to rise and crank up the heat. It also gives us lots of time to stand around, mimic Terry's stretching program, watch the other athletes...and wonder if it will EVER be our time to participate. Divina, having trained for many months...stepped into the water...and FINALLY the LAST wave of swimmers were off. Emma and I took off for the transition area.

By now, most of the athletes had already been out on the bike course, and others were even finishing the run. As I waited for Divina to finish her swim, I quickly scouted out my bike competition. To my right...was a mountain bike. No competition there. To my left...a Cervelo with race wheels. Easily a $6K bike. hmmm. This might be a challenge - but my Ms. Trek Madone bike was ready. My bro even pumped up the tires. That's a bonus in my world. Here comes Divina. My stopwatch is ready...it's showtime. I ran up the hill with my bike, and crossed over the transition area. It took a bit longer to get clipped in - since my bike shoes were caked in mud. Eventually, I got clipped in...hit my stopwatch...and I'm off.

Focused the first few miles on breathing, heart rate, cadence (RPM) and the little digital readout on my speedometer. This is my personal motivator, and the feedback never ceases. Needed to keep the little numbers high, and my heart rate low. A bit of a challenge on this hilly course - but the first few miles were critical to "not overdoing it". Needed juice in the tank for the 4 climbs, and numerous uphill grinds.

Being the last wave to depart, there were plenty of bikers in front of me. Every biker in front of me...I needed to pass. I don't know why this is. It just IS. I passed approximately 150 bikers in that 17.5 mile route - for an average pace of 18+mph. Stopwatch reads 56 min & 16 seconds. Nearly 2 min better than my prior personal best. Moral of the story - ask big Bro to pump up your bike tires b4 you ride!

As I hopped off of my bike, and ran thru the transition area..I was met by Emma - who was FIRED up for her sprint/run. She had the timing chip off my ankle in record time - and before I could part any inspirational words...she was out of sight! Emma is a marathon runner, and we had talked about her running this 3.4 miles at her personal record pace. I didn't realize she took this conversation seriously!

Emma surprised all of us, including herself - when she raced across the finish line in a blistering 8:51 minute per mile pace. Our IG relay time took 11th place (out of 57 teams). More sizzle sizzle!

The paparazzi and support team of Chuck, Steve, Mike, Paddy, Terry, Danielle, Donna, Trung, Minh, Lamie, Jannett, Tami & Barry (wow!!) had their hands full trying to keep tabs on their IG athletes. With an estimated crowd of 10,000 and the entire Howard County Police force herding spectators and vehicles -- it was difficult to move from one event (swim, bike or run) to the next. Yet somehow, the support team managed to find parking, make us laugh, show up at awfully early hours for this spectacle, cheer us on, snap pictures, and be *just* in the right spot so that we actually heard them cheering for us-when we needed to hear those voices. You guys ROCK!

Looking forward to Tami, Lamie and Minh joining the IG sistahood of Jill, Holly, Divina, Emma & Jane next year. Let the training begin ;-)

ABC Studio wants more Iron Girl blather..

2009-08-21T08:22:00.003-04:00

All of this news chatter about my inability to swim last year and somehow completing a TRI...is now getting under my skin. Local media wants to talk about someone who overcomes big odds....but this is just downright embarrassing. As soon as this interview is over, I'm dusting off my "how to swim" videos - and make a note to SELF to move beyond the sidestroke by the end of September. Freestyle would be nice. I CAN do this.

So, I agreed to another Iron Girl promo spot - at the ABC local studio in Baltimore. It was actually kindof cool seeing how the news is put together behind the scenes. I also had the chance to meet Judy Molnar, VP with Iron Girl. Judy completed the IRON MAN triathlon - and is now working behind the scenes with Aflac Iron Girl to get women out and movin' about. She is extremely nice, and is kind enuf to help settle my nerves. There are ALOT of cameras in this studio. And then there is hubby Paddy along with Terry - our friend from NYC. With his mini-videoCAM. Terry is everywhere. Filming my every move.

A segment on penguins at the local zoo is aired moments before the IG segment. The penguin is adorable, and I forget about what I might say on the air. I think only about petting the cute little African penguin.

The floor manager calls up Judy and I - and we move to position behind a podium. Jaime Costello will be doing the interview. My thoughts turn to how soft the penguin was. Ok ok...time to think about Iron Girl stuff. I guess Jaime didn't get the cue card that said I was a participant in the Iron Girl. He asks me how many participants are in the IG event this year. I have no clue, and put out my best deer in headlights impression. Fortunately, Judy hopped on my deer-dummy look and promptly answered the question. After that, Jaime figured it out. I get the "participant" questions...and Judy gets the "administrative" questions.

Here we go, more questions about my swimming. I say nice things about the IG event. It really is a great event. Women of all athletic abilities doing some amazing stuff. But, I'm done with the media hype now. That's it. I'm gonna learn how to swim now. Really. Stay tuned - to THIS channel.

NBC Media blather...

2009-08-20T08:37:00.002-04:00

Cat Maudy stays "dockside" during my triathlon training season. Since Cat Maudy was broken, Captain Pat was preoccupied with making boat repairs. I could have assisted him, but I am far more pleasant to be around with I get in my exercise. Thus, for 3 summer months, not a day goes by where training (swim, bike and run) becomes the priority of my day.

There must have been a serious LULL in the local media, or perhaps it was my sad swim story from last year's Iron Girl? Whatever the reason, I was asked to meet with local NBC (WBAL) to help them do a promo spot for the Iron Girl event.

It wasn't until they said that I could come with my bike, that I agreed to do a clip. And of course, my TRI-Sistahood (Jill & Emma) were there for support, along with hubby paparazzi Paddy.

Soon, it was my turn to ramble on the news. Not exactly sure what I blathered about - talking to a camera is not my forte. I was hoping to inspire the non-swimmers out there to give the Iron Girl a try. But secretly, I couldn't wait to hop on my bike. My bike is a far better spokesperson than I - and Ms. Trek Madone was just bustin' to lay it all out for Mr. Cameraman.

View the video clip on WBAL (search for "Iron Girl" - and to find the clip)

Iron Girl athletes on "practice day"

2009-07-31T18:57:00.000-04:00

The Iron Girls made their official debut at the "Dress Rehearsal" event for a workout of swim and run at 6AM in Centennial Park. Over 1000 ladies participating in this year's Columbia Iron Girl event on Aug 23 - were here for the trial event.

Our individual event sista-hood included Jill and Holly, and the relay event sista's Divina (Little Mermaid), Jane on bike, and Emma with wings on her feet were ready for the challenge. For today's event, it would be a test for the swimmers to get the flavor of open water swim, and a quick transition to the run. No biking today (unless you wanted to brave Route 108 in rush hour traffic).

Despite a LOT of women in the water, all swimmers completed the 1250 yard course (150 yards longer than race day). Swimming observations include:
-Jill didn't get her heart rate above 45bpm
-Emma remains the ideal swim buddy, never leaving her partner's side
-Divina wasn't the least bit winded, and is ready to take on the elite swimmers
-Holly wanted to know if she could go back IN the water and swim the 1250 yards AGAIN

Jill and Holly were in the early swim wave, and got their run finished in plenty of time to take a shower and begin the feasting activities EARLY at Eggspection Restaurant. Emma and I got a late start on the run - which meant the humidity was high, and there was excessive sweating along the challenging 3.4 mile course. Thus, whoever sat next to Emma and I at breakfast, got a real treat of bad air!

The rehearsal event was a complete success, and we are all inspired to train harder and smarter (except for Emma who already runs at warp speed) for the next 3 weeks - til event day!

TECHNO skaters at the airport!

2009-07-12T13:30:00.002-04:00

Workin' on skate skills at the mega size parking lot next to the runway is one of my favorite things to do. Part of the fun is watching the airplanes take off at BWI Airport - less than 1/4 mile away. Ok ok...this is a restricted area - but the parking lot is just too good to pass up - and the security folks have yet to kick us out. Tami & I techno grooved the time away practicing our:

one skate balance
parallel S curves
scully
heel carve

And some scary YouTube video to remind us why working on technique is so much fun!
S-curve (Tami Jane)
Heel carve (Tami Jane)

Officer? Was I really bicycling too fast???

2009-07-10T16:40:00.005-04:00

um...no.

That would be a big negatory, ma'am.

40 miles on country roads somewhere northwest of DC, with Joel and his biker buds Tom and Bob made for a perfect Friday afternoon rush hour - on bicycles. Secluded country roads, mostly car-free allowed me to do my job at being the group "bike anchor". I had hoped that my pokey speeds had to do with my low-end bicycle cheap gears and the like, but Tom confirmed that theory. Nope, it wasn't the bike at all. My sluggish speeds were due to inefficient bicycling. It was a man up moment. Time to analyze bike bio mechanics.

I spent much of the ride studying biking technique, and gleaning tips from everyone. Lower profile on downhills...attack the hills....maintain RPMs...no, make that Faster RPMs...use those pedal clips more efficient..weight off the arms....something about the circle...YIKES! So many details.

I have a lot to learn and practice -- before the rush hour cops with their speed guns take notice!

go LANCE! you rock!

More golf instructors!

2009-07-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

It may have had something to do with my last dismal performance at hitting a golf ball. I now had 3 golf instructors - the entire Nguyen family minus worker-bee Lamie. They tried very hard, with feedback that went in one ear, and out the other. Despite all of this personalized instruction, I continued to happily hit "air balls", daydream about skating or biking or running or swimming or anything with "real" endorphins....until FINALLY - it was time to eat! It's all good. Training for treats and hangin' with great friends is the best part of ANY activity (especially golf!).

It's a SWEET day...

2009-07-06T20:54:00.000-04:00

...when you can spend it on skates with your longtime dear childhood friend from Binghamton NY. Despite the reality of middle age, we somehow manage to feel 6 years old again, carefree, excited about everything, athletic, and ready for our next adventure. Which, by the way is on September 13 at the skate race trak!

Baltimore Women's Classic 5K

2009-06-28T18:58:00.008-04:00

Highlights of the BWC 5K running race:

Early arrival: Jill style. Arrive at 6:30AM for an 8AM race start. At least I got a parking spot!
Rockin' support vibe - solo guitar players at every street corner serenading the runners with whatever they felt like playin. Plus this one very cool bicycle dude giving us high-5's!
Flat double-back course. Great organization. No traffic.
Half sun, half shade - in one direction, you sweat bullets with the sun at your face. On the return trip, sun at your back and shade from the row houses! Love that shade.
Everyone pouring water on themselves to cool down at the water stations
Roses at the finish! Hoped to break 29 minutes...close...no cigar. 29:08 Next time!
Missing? My sistahood? whaddup girlfriends??
Apres run - w/hubby at the coffee shop!

Voices in your head...The Little People

2009-06-25T19:17:00.003-04:00

We all have them. Voices in our heads that constantly tell us what to do, when to do it, how we feel despite knowing differently. The voices that tell us to stop with all the endorphins - even tho we crave it. Sometimes the Little People go amok with their own version of events, and create a bit of unnecessary drama.

The best way to tame them - is to apply more endorphins. Many more. Til you drop. That way the Little People are too tired to talk back to you.

Life's little philosophies, by Jane
BTW...your little people will tell you to disregard this.

Lazy dazin'

2009-06-25T13:29:00.002-04:00

..with long time friend & tennis partner Trung, and his golf clubs at the local driving range. Trung is an avid golfer. He is ready to share hundreds of details about stance, the backswing, the elbow position, keeping your head still, and more. If there is still room in your brain for more data, there is a bag full of clubs to use, with different angles, heights and purposes. Whew.

What's a girl to do? Pick the club that makes the best sound (driver), ignore all swing details from my instructor (except looking at the ball) - and have no expectations. What a glorious day!

Run for the Roses

2009-06-20T13:06:00.004-04:00

Due to popular demand (or maybe just the very cool t-shirt), the Sista-hood decided to make the Run for the Roses an annual event. Unfortunately, Jill did not get the memo for 2009, so Emma and I turned this into a mother-daughta event.

The alarm clock on my new Verizon walkie-talkie phone didn't go off at 5:30AM. Instead, the low battery squawk noises began at 2:30AM. By the time I figured out how to plug in the charging unit without wiping all of the sleep pixie dust from my eyes - I was wide awake. Hours of wide-awake time passed, until 6AM, driving south on I-95 from Baltimore. Now, I just wanted to go back to bed.

Emma's b'friend Mike would be joining us as support crew and paparazzi. Time to shake off the sleepless cobwebs and try to put on a show for the cameras. Emma had this bizarre idea that we should wear running SKIRTS. I don't own a running skirt...but would substitute a tennis skirt so our motha-daughta team could run in matching outfits. Pre-race fashion designs - by Emma.

I warned Emma that I would be slow. I know I mentioned something about my hamstrings not at 100%. I'm pretty sure I repeated myself. I'm guessing Emma is hearing impaired. We started the race in mid-pack. In less than 50 feet, Emma was in full stride passing lots of women. She looked over her shoulder expecting me to be there. OK, just this once, I thought - as I sped up to re-join her.

Emma runs like a dog chasing a tennis ball. Speeding past ladies in front, so that she can get her sights on a new challenge. Oh crap. I'm gonna have to figure out a way to keep up. Emma is chatting the entire time. Talking to volunteers on the course. Supporting fellow runners. Providing me with data from her special runner-doo watch. Giving me course information, pace time and time left. I focused on getting enough oxygen.

As we approached the finish line - Emma wants us to sprint the last 100 yards. Surely this girl has lost her mind. There was no democracy here. Daughter unit was building speed...I had no choice but to follow. We finished in less than 30 minutes - 29min 53 seconds to be exact. Our pace was 9min miles 37 seconds. We took 8th place as the mother daughter team - and top 28% overall. Not bad considering that Emma was dragging an anchor for 3.1 miles!

Off to apres run-fun activities at the coffee shop and farmers market in downtown Silver Spring - with our film and support Paparazzi Mike. Sleep can come later. It's time to celebrate!

Zoom Zoom Zooma!

2009-05-31T18:28:00.002-04:00

Two weeks ago Emma and I were feeling mighty mighty after tri-sista Jill's Columbia Triathlon. We needed a sistahood moment, an event, a race, anything will do really. Emma selected Zooma Annapolis - a mere 10K event just 2 weeks away. Plus, all finishers got a SILVER NECKLACE, a box lunch and a cupcake. That's it. All I needed to hear. Training is all about the treats, so this sounded like an EXCELLENT adventcha, with a few minor exceptions. Jill could barely walk with her new IT band trauma, I wasn't running at all due to hamstring problems, and Emma was the only sista hood not complaining about aches and pains. Let's do a 10K run in 2 weeks. Why not!

Every night for 2 weeks, I put myself in painful poses to try to stretch out my hamstrings. By day 3 I was up to 3 miles....and at the end of the first week - Emma and I ran a whopping 5 miles at the Annapolis Naval Academy. Things were looking swell. Except for the fact that my speed was slower than molasses. I could practically walk faster than I ran. Jill struggled with running downhill - where the screams from Mister IT Band could be heard throughout her neighborhood. Emma was simply a running machine.

Game day. Sunday Morning. The day of the sista-hood. But wait - Emma won't be joining us? Her car malfunctioned with the swine flu, and then passed the disease to her b'friend's Mikes car...and suddenly they were out in western Maryland with a bunch of piggly-wigglies and no hot rod Lincolns. This was not a good start. We were counting on Emma to run all out and give the sista hood a great finish time. Now, we would have to try to manage in our AARP crippled state, and get to the finish line all by ourselves. It would not be the same without Emma. We had to make her proud.

We pre-arranged a rendezvous - that involved meeting in a parking lot in Glen Burnie at 5:20am. Guess who insisted that we be the VERY FIRST to arrive at the Naval Academy for the start of the 10K Zooma race? If you guessed Jill, that would be correct. With Jill driving at speeds close to 90mph, we traveled into the future, and arrived in Annapolis in less than 10 minutes. It was hard to get excited about doing this run. We were both injured. No Emma. The temperatures were in the 50's, and it was pouring rain. Cold cold rain. This silver necklace at the finish line better be pretty special!

We waited in long lines at the start -- for a restroom. The lines weren't moving - and we were shivering in the cold temperatures and pouring rains. Someone suggested that we try the Men's bathroom - as there were no lines. We sprinted to the men's bathroom on the Naval Academy. We were finally sheltered from the rain, and there was a short line of ladies waiting for the two stalls to become available. There was also a steady stream of men who were not shy about using the additional urinals in our presence. We waited in line, with our backs to the urinals. Soon this will be over, and we'll have our dang necklace.

By 7AM, the race started. After the first mile, the rains had stopped, and Jill kindly settled into my 'crawling on all fours' pace. It was a rigorous course. Much of it uphill. We ran the entire 10K distance, no hamstring popping, no IT band outta control. We were even passing other runners on occasion. And not just the 90 year olds! Emma would have been proud of us. Rock on sista-hoods!

It's all about the Muffins....

2009-05-25T09:21:00.001-04:00

Promises were made. Expectations were high. If I could convince Paddy to ride my bicycle with the friends-n-family group at 8AM on Memorial Day-- surely there would need to be a TREAT waiting. I had a plan.

Chuck, Paddy and Eileen would bike along the B&A trial, and Jill and I would travel via inline skates. Once we reached mile marker 5....bliss would occur for the bikers. Bliss would be in the form of coffee and muffins at one of the two popular coffee shops along the trail. Jill and I would continue on, maximizing the endorphin input, while the rest of the gang enjoyed treats.

Aaaah, best laid plans. We arrived at mile marker 5 -- to CLOSED signs on the storefronts. Apparently the fact that it was a HOLIDAY, resulted in coffee shops closing. Whudup? There were some very sad faces on the bikers. We quickly came up with Plan-B. We'll make a 7.5 mile beeline back to the cars - with the promise of apres-workout Starbucks to follow.

Paddy was well in the lead, and he was not looking back. He had muffins and coffee on his mind. Eileen was hot in pursuit. We had lost sight of Chuck. Jill and I made a quick stop for a skate adjustment, which put us well in the back of the pack. We resumed our skate, and I got into a drafting position directly behind Jill. As we skated toward Marley Station (mile marker 10) - Jill (who was skating in front) noticed a huge black snake lounging across the trail path. Technically, this is a freak out moment. But cool-as-a-cucumber-Jill, with those triathlon tricep and bicep muscles, flicked me with her left arm across the trail, onto the grass, and toward a tree -- missing the black snake. What a sis!

By now, Chuck had ridden his bike back to us - trying to figure out why the skaters were lagging behind. With the adrenaline boost from our black snake encounter, we got back up to speed, and skated with Chuck back to the cars - where Eileen and Paddy were waiting. Within 10 minutes, we were chillin' with smiles, coffee and breakfast treats. Whew!

Tri-Sista Jill is a Columbia Triathlon WINNER!

2009-05-17T08:50:00.005-04:00

She is certainly a WINNER in our eyes. Jill tackled a SOLO adventure of a 1 mile swim, 26 mile bike and 6.2 mile run...to conquer the Olympic course Columbia Triathlon in sub-60 degree temperatures mixed with precipitation on Sunday May 17!

Not wanting to miss the START, Jill and support team hubby Chuck arrived at the starting line at 4AM - a good 2 hours before anyone else arrived. As the other half of the "support team", I did my duty and slept in. Overslept actually. Raced off the boat in my jammies...sped past the police barricades at the harbor tunnel, and tried to stay focused on staying between the lanes in I-95, as I wiped sleep pixie dust from my eyes. Barely made it to the swim sendoff....but all was OK, as Jill was calm as a cucumber (or is that green as a cucumber?) - and big bro had done a PRO job in managing his athlete.

This was Tri-Jill's DEBUT in swimming in a wetsuit. With swimming her strong suit...we expected her to cruise thru the swim. Unfortunately, she underestimated the amount of HEAT that her bod would produce flanked inside skin-tight neoprene. Panic set in for the first 10 minutes of the swim, as dolphin girl was trying to decide if she should just rip off the wetsuit and hop a boat ride to shore. The mental training took over. There was no way Tri-Jill was going to let down her KEY supporter (hubs). This was time to MAN-up. And suddenly, Jills rhythm was back. Passing other swimmers...Tri-Jill made quick work of the swim...and soon was jogging up the transition area to hop on the bike.

It was about this time, where the rain-gods let loose. Ugh. One of the first times in my life, I actually preferred to be one of the support crew members. Chuck and I hustled into position to take pictures...then as soon as Jill disappeared from site...we beelined to the car. We had an hour and 30 minutes of downtime, til Jill (aka Lance Armstrong) returned. She did an amazing 15mph in very inclement conditions. As a matter of fact, she did such a good job riding back...that I missed taking her pic on the return to Centennial Park. I'm novice at this support team stuff. Chuck covered what I missed.

As Jill raced out of the bike transition for the final leg...nearly a mile into the RUN - a race official told her she did not have her race bib number affixed. YIKES! This is an official OMG moment. Jill had to run all of the way back to the bike transition area...to find her race number. She ended up doing approximately 8 miles of the required 6.2 -- and still crossed the finish line in RECORD time. VERY impressive...we now have an Olympic triathlete in the family! Rock on SISTAHOOD.

One added note: I have to take a moment to highlight one amazing support team member - my bro Chuck. He stays behind the scenes...allows others to be in their glory...and is just "always" there, taking pictures, rooting on. It takes a very special person to be a support team member of hyper athletic junkies. I know this from personal experience...as my bro was with me on EVERY marathon that I ran...from start to finish. So, not only am I awestruck at the incredible FEAT that Jill has accomplished...I am equally awestruck by the unwavering support of my bro - who rarely takes the lime lite. You rock too bro!

Freakness at the Preakness

2009-05-16T20:03:00.004-04:00

It has been at least 20 years since I've been to a horse race, and surely NOT one with the stature and fame of "The Preakness". So, when my Anderson Windows salesbuddy Ken offered me free tickets in the Grandstand (valued at $105 a piece) section, I surely couldn't turn down this opportunity to CHECK OFF one more item on the BUCKET LIST. The Preakness.

Paddy, Chuck and I departed from the marina - for the Pimlico section of Baltimore. This area could be referred to as the low-rise projects. As they say in The Wire..."most def". Parking was a problem. Designated Preakness parking lots cost $75 per vehicle. Nay nay...I don't park for $75. The only other option, was to embrace the "hood capitalism" - and park on some stranger's lawn for $30. We opted for the hood experience - and parked on someones lawn. Paid the $30, and I kept my fingers crossed that our Jeep would still be there when we returned.

I'm not sure what I was expecting by attending the Preakness. Maybe I thought that the entertainment would be the horse races? How silly. It was far more entertaining watching all of the heavily inebriated spectators. Black eyed susans were the drink of choice - and it appeared that everyone was well beyond their limit. I watched very drunk men walk into the ladies restroom, blond boobie women pour drinks on strangers, and a guy dressed in a nice suit decide that he was a conductor of a choir. Surprisingly, everyone sang along. It was a very interesting experience.

Oh yes, there was also the horse race. Rachel Alexander, the odds favorite winner...won. We bet a few limited funds on all of the long shots...we lost. We returned back to our jeep - and it was still there, intact.

60 MPH sailors

2009-04-25T22:17:00.011-04:00

Last December while in Sea School working on my USCG Captain's license...I met "Captain" Jane. What are the odds in a predominantly male merchant marines - that I would meet another femme with the 'jane name'. We instantly became friends, and shared sailing stories during class breaks. At least I thought we were sharing sailing stories.

With the weather perking up to the upper 80's...Captain Jane called and suggested a rendezvous. They would boat up to us at our marina...raft up for a few...then we'll all take off to the inner harbor to find a restaurant along the waterfront.

As 5PM arrived, I scanned the waterways for Captain Jane's (and husband Chris) sailboat. Nothing. The winds were light, so maybe they were delayed. We waited...and waited. I noticed a cigarette boat off in the distance, but no sailboat.

The distinct noise from the cigarette boat got louder and louder - as it neared Cat Maudy. In huge letters along the side read "hyperfishing.com". Can you imagine a fish hungry enough to chase after bait from a cigarette boat? It was an amusing thought...until Captain Jane smiled and waived at us from inside the cigarette boat. Oh my. This is no sailboat. I was obviously day dreaming sailing stories from my Sea School class.

After greetings and staring at each other's boats...we hopped in the cigarette boat for a harbor cruise. In the harbor, the speed limit is 6knots. Just past Fort McHenry, you can go at top speed. For Cat Maudy, top speed might still be 6 knots...it just depends on the winds. Cat Maudy does not worry about speed limits.

As we rounded Ft. McHenry, Captain Chris, turned and said "ok...hats off and hang on". I had no idea what to expect...and within 3 microseconds we hit 60mph. Pat and I each did a full body slam into the back seat, and my hand formed a death grip on the boat handle. I tried to appear casual and unconcerned, but I felt a G-force pushing my cheeks back to my ears. OMG.

I'm used to sailing...and much slower speeds. Fortunately, my comfort speed range returned - as we reached that 6mph sign near Ft. McHenry. Time to retrieve my eyeballs from the fish locker in the back of the boat.

Dinner time - my favorite sport (food)!. We tied up "hyperfishing.com" at the docks near McCormacks. Passerbys were staring. It must be the cigarette boat with the name "hyperfishing.com". I admit (now that I can hear my thoughts above the motor noise of a cigarette boat) -- it was exciting to fly over the water at at 60mph speeds -- in a scary sort of way.

We waited for a table. More stares from passerbys. I guess we just have that boat look. Ordered some food, and had a delightful eve with our high-speed friends. A quick stop at the restroom before boat departure...and YIKES....who is that in the mirror?

Who invited Don King into the ladies room? Was that ME??

I did a double take. Yup. That's right...staring back at me in the mirror...was cigarette boat Don King doing a blonde impersonation. The other ladies in that restroom quickly scurried away. I hurried to join them.

Cosmic Bowling

2009-03-21T20:14:00.001-04:00

Cosmic Bowling is now officially checked OFF of the bucket list. I wasn't aware that this was ever ON the bucket list, but surely it was an opportunity we couldn't pass up. Cosmic Bowling in suburbia Ellicott City MD starts at 10PM on Saturday nights. Well past my bedtime.

Accompanied by cosmic maties Paddy, Chuck & Jill, we put on our best Austin Powers "hey baby" imitation...and headed over to Brunswick Lanes where disco balls and disco music provide a wonderful distraction to the fact that none of us really knew how to bowl.

Times have surely changed since I last went bowling. Notably:
- bowling balls come in assorted neon colors - including PINK
- the little number on the ball indicates how much the ball weighs
- no more paper-n-pencil, the games are scored automatically for you via computer

3 hours later, we had mastered the art of cosmic bowling - and had learned many things about bowling, and each other, in the process:
- if the number on the bowling ball says "14"...it becomes very heavy after 3 hours of bowling, despite the fact that the ball is a cool shade of pink
- Paddy is a ringer...and I'm guessing has been secretly bowling in his dreams
- Chuck is the master of spins...and owns a bowling ball with big holes for his fingers
- Jill drank some beer and won the final game...
- strikes are overrated (and rare in my case)

Hula - Virginia Style

2009-03-14T14:55:00.003-04:00

Hula in Virginia makes it 16 states and counting. And yes, I AM counting! My long-time tennis doubles partner from Salina Kansas - Farm Girl, was game to share some hula and skip-it style points as a warm up in the parking lot. The WO&D train car in Vienna, VA was the perfect hula backdrop. We were determined to make it a TRIATHLON 'dorphin day before the rains....with a warm up using TOYS from the 50's....followed by a skate on the WO&D trail....and topped off with some tennis action. Dorphin-mania is alive and well!!

Happy Birthday Jill!

2009-03-13T09:12:00.011-04:00

Smiles on the ground -- while all the HOT AIR came rushin' outta the B-DAY balloon ride in Miami FL. Despite the dramatic finish into a field of mangos, and rush of migrant workers to make sure there were no major calamities....all party participants survived the 20 mile treetop hot air fun.

Congratulations Jill on reaching that magic FIVE OH MY milestone in life, and here's another way to celebrate -- watch your very special hula groove on YouTube!

Rock on....enjoy life....and keep a package of Depends nearby ;-)

Audio Credits:
Song: Heat it Up
Captain Pat on guitar, and his band Detroit Slim & City Heat (Album Aces, Kings & Fifi Queens)

Skating meets Hula!

2009-03-07T12:04:00.004-05:00

It's hard to imagine having more fun than combining our favorite 'dorphin activities - hula and skating.

After a long cold winter, temps had finally reached into the 70's. Only a few remnants of last week's snowfall remained.

We practiced our hula dance in the parking lot, to the delight of children under the age of 2, and envy of the bike-jerseyed adults with their $5000 bicycles - who longed for a simple, ultra fun, hula. With the hula celebrating it's 50th anniversary last year -- we're determined to start a movement. I'll just leave it at that ;-)

The skating proved to be delicious:
-hugged what was left of Frosty the Snowman
-we stayed upright (i.e. Jill left her bad juju clothing at home)
-vehicle traffic was friendly
-received 2 thumbs up from an 85 year old man

Lewis & Clark...return to base camp Maryland

2009-03-06T06:51:00.012-05:00

It was now the final leg of our journey - which consists of a 9 hour road trip from Louisville, KY to Silver Spring, MD.

Notable highlights in Kentucky include:
-horse farms
-signs for the Kentucky Derby horse race
-more horse farms

As we made our way out of Kentucky, into West Virginia, we were back on familiar state territory. No need to hula in WV, as the state hula dance was completed on the outbound leg. Instead, we buzzed up to Charleston WV. I was hoping our luck in finding a distinctive spot for lunch and coffee, would prevail. I googled "charleston wv coffee shop" - and found what appeared to be a downtown location called the "Town Square". The name sounded right - so we headed for the much anticipated coffee shop. It turned out that the "Town Square" was your typical suburbia mall...located in downtown Charleston. No coffee either. Ugh. We wasted no time in departing from Charleston.

As we crossed the state line into Maryland, with 2 1/2 hours of driving left, there was a moment of sadness that our incredibly cool road trip was about to end. We extended the trip slightly with a stop at the Maryland Welcome Center - so that I could officially hula in a Maryland rest stop. The backdrop for hulamania turned out to be a stunning view over the Youghiogheny (try pronouncing that!) River and Resevoir...which ultimately dumps into the Gulf of Mexico. If it wasn't for the setting sun, and knowledge that we would soon be driving in darkness, we could have easily stared at this picturesque overlook for hours. All in our own back yard of Maryland.

The mountains of western Maryland along the Eastern Continental Divide share some similarities with those in the Rockies. Steep grades and scary trucks on the descents. While the maximum elevation in Maryland is around 3000' feet (and the Rockies are at 14000+), 8 % grades are common in both mountain chains. We had some spectacular views, and appreciated not having to drive the mountains thru snow squalls. We arrived in Silver Spring at 7:30PM, to our cat Soxy - who was practically jumping out of her skin with excitement to see us - and a moment of reflection.

-traveled 4,148 miles in 12 days
-used 207 gallons of gas
-no GPS, paper maps and google worked fine
-elevation change from 341' (Maryland) to over 13,000' in Colorado
-oxygen change from a tasty 100% (Maryland) to negligable in Colorado
-over 2500 digital pictures taken
-drove thru 15 states on 7 interstate highways
-hula hooped in 15 states
-4 days of Colorado skiing
-2 1/2 days travel outbound (approx 1800 miles)
-4 day travel on return trip (approx 2300 miles)
-best coffee: Denver CO
-worst coffee: Vail CO
-nicest state rest stops for hula hooping: West Virginia, Oklahoma, Colorado
-needs-improvement state rest stops: Texas, Missouri, Kansas
-next road trip: bike ride along old historic I-66????

Road trip highlights: ...highlights magically appeared every day.

Lewis & Clark...linger in Louisville, KY

2009-03-05T11:17:00.010-05:00

After 3 days of driving, it was time for a day off. And, what a better place to do so, at friend's Tom's home and workshop in Louisville, KY. Paddy has known Tom back in his Michigan days, and I was about to meet Tom for the first time.

Tom is an artist. A sculpture artist. Not just a sculpture artist either. More like magician. He loves to work with balance, and his kinetic works hinge on finding that balance point, and then playing with it by moving the balance point to the "edge". Pretty much describes life...right? You become mesmerized, and suddenly find yourself adjusting various elements of the sculpture to see "just" where it comes out of balance....and then restoring the balance before anybody notices what a mess you've made.

Actually, the tricky part of the "balance act" was walking thru Tom's hallway, filled with perfectly balanced kinetic sculptures - and trying not to run into them with our luggage and my hula hoop. I wasn't entirely successful, but at least the metal "teeter totter" with carefully placed balance balls didn't get too unruly.

Tom is a delightful human - simple, funny, compassionate toward others, and passionate about his art. What is his...is yours. Any time I commented how much I liked one of his sculptures....he sincerely wanted me to have it. You know, just take it home with me. Sigh. I had to stop drooling out loud, and just enjoy the moment. Paddy and Tom spent the day taking pictures, eating wonderful vegetarian foods, drinking lots of coffee and catching up on "old times". Later in the day we were joined by Tom's g'friend Jennifer...and all went fossil hunting along the river bed of the Ohio.

Here is an "old times" story to enjoy:
Back in the 1980's, and shortly after Tom's stint at teaching sculpture @ Grand Valley State College in Michigan...he decided he needed a life change. No more welding...no more sculpture...and no more teaching. So he drove his truck to Arizona...in the desert - and took up residence (aka - out of his truck). He got a job as a gardener (along with a bunch of immigrants from Mexico), and despite getting scratched up pretty bad by the cactus....enjoyed the change from sculpture and teaching. Within a week, the foreman noticed a fence that was badly damaged....and needed to be welded to get fixed. After thinking it over for some time, Tom admitted that he knew how to weld....and quickly fixed the fence. The foreman was thrilled, and told him "You are no longer the gardener, you're the welder". And from that point on, Tom was the welder. Of course his fellow-gardeners, noticed that welding was a "step up" from gardening....and they all wanted to learn how to weld. So, one by one, the gardeners became Tom's apprentices in the welding shop...and eventually Tom was back to welding and teaching.

Moral: You can't escape You.

Lewis & Clark...Arkansas to Kentucky

2009-03-03T11:31:00.018-05:00

The terrain of western and central Arkansas looked a lot like Maryland. Rolling hills, green vegetation and trees over 3 feet tall. The biggest difference was the increase in water supply. Here, river beds actually had water, and the land did not look complete scorched.

Arkansas has discovered the meaning of "multi-use development land". The nuclear reactor was located in a state park, and the same lake used to cool the nuclear rods, was designated a swim center for the little children. A hospital was located on the premises as well. How convenient.

We buzzed thru Little Rock, and then headed toward Memphis. The central and eastern terrain of Arkansas was noticeably swampy. We crossed the Mississippi River - exited to the Welcome Center in downtown Memphis Tennessee. A very cool "Rock and Roll" egg -- identifying the birthplace of various music genres including blues, gospel and rock-n-roll - served as my hula hoop backdrop. Temperatures had dropped back into the 20's...so hula fun was brief. I has now hooped in 14 states on this roadtrip.

Paddy had googled "Memphis BBQ" - and discovered Corky's BBQ- located just off of I-40 -- advertised as the hottest BBQ joint in town. It was now 1:30PM, well past my feeding time, and way beyond Paddy's morning coffee. Corky's had arrived none too soon. As we dragged our weary travel butts thru the door - the staff at Corky's knew right away that we were "travelers". OK, maybe Paddy's humongous Nikon camera gave us away, but after 2 and 1/2 days of driving, it was still obvious we had been in the car too long.

Bernard, our waiter -- took one look at us, and immediately knew that Paddy needed coffee...hours ago. "You two have been traveling...and you need your coffee" he knowingly said to Pat in a most delightful down-home Tennessee accent. Within seconds, Paddy had his coffee, complete with cream and sugar...and the refills kept coming.

But, this was just the beginning. Bernard took us under his wing, and showed us a brand new meaning of "southern hospitality". "You see all of these people in here" - he said as we looked around into the packed restaurant...."they can wait"...."But you, you've been traveling...and you need some good food"and he attended to us like a doting parent. At Corky's - you leave your vegan diet and notion of counting calories at the door. This was Memphis, TN...and it was time to taste some southern cookin'...and not think twice about it.

Paddy and I had to try their highly acclaimed pulled pork, and southern fries. The pulled pork sandwich comes with coleslaw lathered on top...but our all-knowing waiter, Bernard -- went light on the BBQ sauce, and put the coleslaw on the side for us. Without having to ask, he knew how to make our food experience just right.

One taste of the BBQ pork, and I have to admit - it simply melted in your mouth. It was soft, moist, hickory flavored, and melted on contact. I'm not a fan of meat - but if I lived next to Corky's in Memphis Tennessee - I might be convinced. Paddy was in BBQ meat heaven. Our weary travel dispositions had been transformed, by both southern food and southern charm.

We hopped back into the Jeep again, fully re-energized, and headed toward Nashville - where we would exchange I-40 for I-65. Notable Tennessee highlights include:
-Loretta Lynn has a dude ranch

-someone named their town "Bucksnort"

-Nashville has one heckuva rush hour

It was twilight when we crossed the border into Kentucky. Paparazzi Paddy captured my state #15 hula dance in Kentucky on camera....and we had two more hours of driving to go, to make our destination of Louisville. At Louisville, we would be treated to a 2-nite stay and day off from driving- with friend and sculpture artist Tom.

Lewis & Clark...fast trak to Arkansas

2009-03-01T23:15:00.017-05:00

Let's just get to it. Some states are sincerely "welcoming" and others are not. We touched on 4 states today (New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas) and the "welcome factor" is very important to my hoopmania vibe as we travel cross-country.

New Mexico
-Paddy found starbucks coffee at the Silver Moon Cafe next to our hotel
-the morning starts out swell for Paddy
-there weren't any rest stops with signs...actually there weren't any rest stops at all. The land was completely desolate...but all was good because I had already hooped in New Mexico yesterday

Texas -- I have a few concerns...

-their idea of a rest area - consists of a gravel pit pull off on the side of an INTERSTATE with 4 dumpsters. What's up with the dumpsters?
-Texas calls this a "Picnic Area"

-there are no gas stations or "oasis" towns along I-40

-their "Information Center" is 76 miles inside of the state border. Hello??? I'm halfway thru the state panhandle by now....

-instead of "welcome signs" in the state of Texas, they post "Don't Mess with Texas" signs every 20 miles

-I'm not feeling welcome in Texas

We make a beeline for the bathrooms as we finally reach the "Texas Welcome Center" at exit 76. Now it's time to have a few words with the lady behind the desk at the Welcome Center. I have more than 2 cents on my mind about this state of Texas. But....before I could get a word out, the welcome lady was WAY too nice, and WAY to friendly, and WAY to helpful, and soooo freakin delightful...that before I knew it - I had promised her that I would visit about 5 different tourist attractions within 30 miles of Amarillo, TX. I had bonded, and walked away feeling like we were best of buddies.

Since there is no "welcome" sign in Texas - Paddy and I had to come up with Plan B. We found a few large cattle sculptures just outside of the welcome center - and decided that these would suffice for my hoop mania backdrop.

With hooping complete, we hopped back into the jeep - and continued east along no-frills Texas I-40. I had my fingers crossed that Oklahoma would be a tad more welcoming.

Oklahoma: WOW. Oklahoma KNOWS the meaning of "WELCOME". Check this out:

-the Welcome Center is located at MILE #2 (not 76 or when you are about to exit the state...but MILE #2!)

-they have a magnificent sign that identifies the state as "OKLAHOMA". You really know RIGHT where you are here

-inside the welcome center - was free coffee or tea, a large leather sofa to just chill in, and the most contemporary bathrooms I have ever seen.

-I was feeling very WELCOME

So, I had to tell the ladies behind the welcome center desk - just HOW much more welcome I felt in Oklahoma...over Texas. I explained that Texas has dumpsters...and they call it a picnic area...and there is no sign...and I went on and on and on. The lovely ladies patiently let me ramble, and nodded their heads in complete understanding. "We hear this from everyone", the wonderful welcoming lady responded in her uniquely Oklahoman accent.

With hooping in state #12 complete, we traveled pedal-2-the-medal thru 330 miles of Oklahoma in hopes of getting to Little Rock, Arkansas for the night. The sun was setting, and it appeared more likely that it would be dark by the time we reached the Arkansas border.

Arkansas:
Within seconds of crossing the Arkansas border, we had a police escort. It was as if cop-boy was waiting for US....no one else...but US. We were the only car on the road, and the VERY moment we crossed into Arkansas, he raced out and was ON us like an annoying tailgater. Were we speeding? No... hmmm. Why is he still tailgating us? He doesn't put on his flashing lights...he just tailgates. He stayed on our butts for the next 3 miles - until we exited at mile 5 for the Arkansas Welcome Center. I was sure he would follow, but as we pulled into the welcome center, he continued on I-40. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about pulling out my hoola hoop on a dark night in western Arkansas. But I did. And I made it quick. Real quick. And, I was suddenly feeling more welcome in Texas.

Lewis & Clark….go backroad trippin'

2009-03-01T23:02:00.006-05:00

It was time to descend from the stunning views of Colorado Rocky Mountain peaks, and beam ourselves back down to earth. Rather than travel the Interstates, we decided to take the back roads less traveled, southward to Albuquerque, NM - approximately 400 miles from Vail.

The skies were clear, and the temperature was a balmy 4 degrees at 8100' in base camp Vail. The locals had provided some conflicting advice regarding the route we had planned - as to its speed and drivability. If the road thru the two mountain passes became too treacherous, then the pass would be closed - and we would have to turn back. We decided to take our chances.

The first 40 miles, along Route 24, just south of Vail, was both breathtaking and a bit scary at the same time. The first mountain pass we would cross is called the Tennessee Pass - where we slowly ascended along a series of switchbacks, on snow and ice covered roads to an elevation of 10,424. Along the side of the road was at max 3 feet of clearance. Beyond that - was a cliff. One unfocused moment or slip of the tires, and it would be "mayday".

Near the summit, at the Continental Divide….where East meets West….was a bridge allowing us to connect to the next mountain. How could this bridge get constructed - with a 2000 foot drop below? It's best not to wonder these things, especially in thin air. We then descended, along a series of switchbacks …only to repeat the climb once more….and finally return lower to unbelievable views of peaks over 14,000 feet to our west - into the mountain top town of Leadville (10,000' elevation). It takes a special kind of person to live in the town of Leadville - one that moves very slowly thru life.

South of Leadville, CO, the mountains strangely "part"….as if you are in a high elevation valley (8000' feet) - with mountain ranges within a few miles east and west. The road straightened out, and it was delightfully void of any traffic or snow. Of course it was devoid of any services too (such as a gas station, or rest stop, or yikes - what if the car broke down?) - but having the valley and views to ourselves was pretty special.

Our final mountain pass - (Poncha Pass) was just west of Salida CO - with a peak of just over 9000'. After this pass, we remained in a range of 7-9000 feet elevation, and the valley began to look like a high elevation desert, with the mountain ranges gradually moving further apart. Sights included, the Arizona River, Trading posts and some thin-air ponies and cattle. We decided to break for lunch in a small mountain town called Monte Vista. The buildings along the two main streets appeared to be constructed in the mid 1800's. We tied up our pony (i.e. Jeep Cherokee) at the Johnny B. Good Café, and was served lunch by a native American Indian waitress. We felt genuinely "cowboy" in this little town - approximately 50 miles north of the New Mexico border.

At the NM border, it was time for my hoola moment. The "welcome to New Mexico" consisted of a sign, and a pull over. No frills at this stop -- but the sign and topography were the perfect backdrop for hoola-mania in state # 10.

I'm glad we decided to fill up the gas tank at any location that had a working gas pump…because you could easily go 150 miles without seeing one shred of civilization. One car every 10 or 15 minutes…maybe. As we descended into northern New Mexico along US Route 285 - we were greeted with rolling foothills, often devoid of any vegetation. The topography was amazing and constantly changing - yet we were still at 7000+ feet.

Pueblo homes in natural clay colors began appearing 50 miles north of Santa Fe, and it was at this point we decided it was time to buy a map. The roads were not always marked with a route number, and we had already made a few wrong turns. Hmmm. It appears that Albuquerque is a bit out of our way. Maybe we really didn't need to visit Albuquerque after all? Time for a new plan. We would continue heading east - along 285 - until we reached I-40.

Off in the distance, the mountain peaks were growing larger again. The tallest peaks were snow covered, and I guessed they were in the range of 14,000 + elevation. Within 30 minutes, they had disappeared for good. We passed thru Sante Fe, and numerous Indian Reservations…and the landscape took on the characteristics of parched grassy plains. There was a noticeable absence of water or any tall vegetation.

By 6PM we quit driving for the day at quaint desert oasis of Santa Rosa, NM - elevation 4600'. The oxygen was both plentiful and delicious. After checking into our hotel, we walked to the Silver Moon Café - located on historic Route 66. It was authentic "southwest" décor, the food was fantastic, and the people were very friendly. I'm diggin' Santa Rosa NM.

Lewis & Clark...take on the "Friends and Family Plan"

2009-02-28T22:55:00.012-05:00

On ski day 4, in the Rockies, we were glad to depart the high altitudes of Breckenridge - and drop 1600 base feet to ski & be reunited with family & friends at Vail .

While we wait for the snow squalls to pass and the winds to subside in the early morning, let me introduce our new ski team for the day:

Chuck (aka "Bro"): never misses a ski season, ski's like a silky-smooth-pro, ain't no mountain high enough...ain't no valley low enuf (oh yeah - that's a song) - but it describes this skier perfectly. With an engineering background, knows precisely what trails to take on, strategizes how many runs to get in before the lifts close, and makes sure that no skier is left behind (we're gonna challenge him on this one before the day is over!)

Jill (aka "Sis"): Don't let the Vail Barbie "look" confuse you. Prefers bowls, deep moguls and exorcised clothing. This gal is an energizer bunny who gets to the bottom of the trail before you've finished adjusting your goggles off the chairlift. Rumor on the mountain, is that she is Bodi Miller's cousin. Shh.

Carol: The deck is loaded with this Bronze and Silver medalist...who has skid all over the world, and is known to jump off one or 2 ridge lines while skiing in the Alps. Ok, maybe it wasn't the Alps, and maybe she didn't jump off the ridge line - but there was this big snow squall, which caused a whiteout, and Carol could no longer see...so she skiied to the bottom with her eyes shut.
Dean: Works very hard as Carol's Ski Coach during the Slalom course - and thus I believe he is a Bronze and Silver Medalist Coach - thanks to Carol's winnings. He is also an undiscovered "synchronized skier", as he can sync up a groove with any skier on the mountain.

Paddy (Jean Claude) and I had our work cut out for us to keep up with this ski crowd. But, deep down, we knew we couldn't keep up. They were the pros...and we were...well...not. It was time to think outside the box. It was time to give this ski team a challenge they haven't yet been exposed to:

we tried to lose them by taking the gondola over and over...but they found us anyway
we ordered the biggest pizza for lunch and made sure the ski team was fully weighted down by eating 5000 carb calories apiece
I left my cell phone behind so the only way to contact us if we got lost on the slopes - was to use Paddy's phone number
Paddy never answers his phone in time
Paddy rarely charges his phone
Paddy's phone is basically useless

No matter how hard we tried to avoid being the "ski anchors", the ski team just never let us out of their sight. They were our caretakers, they wanted to show us the best of Vail, and they took this job very seriously. The skiing was beyond phenomenal - the best we've experienced all week - and the endorphins were running high. This was ski heaven!

But, it was time to test the expert ski team with their own "no skier left behind" strategy. Vail ski resort has multiple BASES...to it's multiple MOUNTAINS. As Paddy (Jean Claude) demoed a brief yard sale....it caused enough delay - that suddenly our ski team (who was ahead of us) was no longer in sight. Where do you think they went? I asked Paddy. "Down" he astutely replied. So, DOWN we went...we kept going down....down...down.... And suddenly, we were at the BASE of some other MOUNTAIN (Cascade), with no way to get back to our Expert Ski Team located at a different base called Lionshead. hmmmm....

With the aid of a lady from Michigan who knew the local bus schedules...a few very brief calls to Chuck on a barely operating phone battery, and the patience of our expert ski team...we eventually were reunited. Apres Ski consisted of Barbie's FIVE-OHMY birthday celebration, a skip-it demo, a hoola hoop demo, Rocky Mountain sushi, eating Dean's M&M's for desert, a pajama party...and finally zzzzzzz's.

Addendum: Apparently our gifted ski team was busy making the news, shortly after we departed Vail. From playing card tricks with the magician, to Dean & Carol's very own version of Abbott and Costello - you'll be sure to enjoy these YouTube clips.

Lewis & Clark...get an Oxygen fix

2009-02-26T11:18:00.011-05:00

There are some pretty expert skiers out here - many who take skiing to the extreme limit. The "bowls", the "extreme terrain", getting lost in the "back country", outlasting an avalanche or 2, or sking backwards down the double blacks. These were some impressive feats to admire...and the apres ski was all about bragging rights. But, for all of these extreme teens...and twenty-something DUDE-to-the-max skiers...I had to ask. Can you hoola hoop on skis? Nobody appeared to be bragging on this one...so on Day 3...I would make my mark. Yes, the poles had to go. The ski jacket had to go too. It was cold, windy and snowing hard - so I needed to make this both quick and impressive. Today - was HOOLA day at The Breck. Paparazzi Paddy captured the moment...and there is no disputing THIS CHIC can HOOP on skis. Take that -- extreme ski-Rocky-Mountain-Dudes!

Jean Claude had acclimated nicely, but, I can no longer breathe. By day 3 the thin air had become a bit much. At 10,000' elevation in the Rockies - weird stuff happens. It was snowing mega amounts, and visibility was nil. We froze just riding up the chairlift. A good day to knock off early, and try to re-oxygenate. What better place than the OXYGEN LOUNGE on Main Street. When I first noticed this lounge - I thought it was a bar...but no. You pay a fee to get pumped up with 90% oxygen mixed with an aromatherapy of your choice for 15, 30 or 45 minutes. Aaaaahhh...Paddy and I enjoyed a most delightful O2 Fix.

Lewis & Clark...ski in thin air

2009-02-26T10:18:00.003-05:00

After a few hours of computer work, it was time to get the day started on the Peaks at Breckenridge. We sachet'd our way to the bottom of the parking lot - and waited for the free shuttle bus to take us to a ski lift. "Where are you headed?" the bus driver asked. "Anywhere you are going", I responded. We still have no clue where these buses are headed. Our mystery bus tour dropped us off at the Gondola lift - in the heart of downtown Breckenridge. OK - this works!

The skiing was fabulous, with lots of sunshine - and I was working hard on my mountain tan. It doesn't take long to bronze-up - as you are a LOT closer to the sun here. Within the first few runs, Paddy got his version of a "yard sale" down, and I decided to ski behind him to help pick up the pieces. It turned out to be just some AM leg wobbles, and Paddy was soon back to Jean Claude styling by noon. Despite the screaming noises coming from our quad muscles, we continued on....3 peaks in all.

Apres ski consisted of:

a brief hoola hoop workout
a leisurely stroll through town (note: they sell little bottles of Oxygen in the shops),
a french crepe in front of an open pit outdoor fireplace for dinner...
and eventual collapse back at the cabin.

Bodies are still operating on Eastern time zone...and I was wondering what oxygen might taste like again.

Lewis & Clark...go skiing at the BRECK

2009-02-24T20:44:00.008-05:00

I'm thinking that an emergency oxygen mask should be designed into ski head wear -- for anyone skiing in altitudes above 9000'. Wait a minute! Hear me out on this. It would work just like in the airlines. As soon as the oxygen level gets too low...the mask would drop outta your hat -- and voila -- you could breathe easy again.

It might even be useful in places like Denver too. Let me digress...I watched Denver headline news on TV. A roving band of 3 coyotes seek out women walking their dogs. Local politicians want a law placing a curfew on roving coyotes. Convenience store robbers were caught on tape wearing thongs over their heads. Sigh...I wish I was making this up.

With 8 new inches of snow, we were excited to start skiing - our first day at THE BRECK. We had maps, and lots of information...but it was all too confusing. Maybe we'll just follow some fellow skiers out of our building to see where they go? First, we pile about 50 pounds of clothing on, and another 20 pounds of extras - including phone, camera, shuttle bus maps, ski maps, water, snacks - and anything else we thought we couldn't live without for the next 6 hours. Add to that skis, poles and trying to maneuver walking in very stiff boots, we looked like the Michelin man with unbend able legs. We followed our ski comrades down an icy hill...and sure enough, the shuttle bus was just pulling up. Without any oxygen here, we ran, slipped and acted like a couple of city-folks not wanting to miss their bus. The Breckenridge bus drivers are very patient...and waited for us to board. We sat on the bus trying to look like we were "in the know", having no clue where the bus was going.
Suddenly, everyone got off the bus. This must be our stop too! We followed the ski crowd - to the Snowflake Chairlift. Who needs a map? We got on the chairlift like everyone else, and kept our fingers crossed that there would be a BLUE trail at the top. Not ready to start the first run of the day on a double-black. Spent the next 6 hours skiing carefree -- from trail to trail, peak to peak - up over 11,000 feet in elevation, ambivalent to how little oxygen was getting to our brains. Took the 4 O'Clock trail, with the intent to SKI back to our cabin. We skied right past the cutoff to our cabin. Oops. Time to climb a zillion steps, walk an extra 1/4 mile and lug equipment that felt HEAVIER than when we started.

Despite the lack of O2...it was a glorious day skiing in the Rockies -- one that we intend to repeat tomorrow!

Lewis & Clark...Climbing the Rocky Mountains

2009-02-23T21:28:00.012-05:00

The weather was calling for 60 degree temperatures in Denver CO...and temps in the upper 30's up into the mountains. We would soon find out, that there is really no telling what the weather will do in the mountains.

The "climb" from the valley of Denver...to the lower mountains was downright jaw dropping...only to be surpassed by the climb into the upper elevations. Words cannot do justice to this amazing scenery. You need to make sure you have a full tank of gas when you get started, and have a lot of faith that not only YOUR car...but all of the other cars and trucks around you have been carefully tuned for good working brakes...for the steep descents. At our highest point just before Loveland Pass, we reached 10,000 feet elevation....and then descended to steep, snow blown roadways. The weather went from sunny and warm in Denver...to blizzard like conditions in the peaks. (below is footage from the beginning of the climb out of Denver - to Breckenridge)

Soon, we found our exit for Breckenridge - and had our choice of 2 primary roads....Main Street or Park Ave. Most of the skiiers were already on the slopes for the day - so we had the town of Breckenridge to ourselves. Paddy taste tested the coffee in various coffee shops up in the high altitudes...and concluded that it was "pretty good". We checked into our cabin at Park Meadows - which is located 2 blocks from - Park Ave...and 2 more blocks to the gondola lift. At the end of our ski day, we could ski straight from the 4 mile run slope...directly to our cabin. How cool is that??

Took care of remaining details, got fitted for skis and boots, and made a trip to the grocery store. Our biggest athletic activity was getting winded climbing 2 flights of stairs. We're at 9600' eleveation here. Where the heck did all the oxygen go??

Lewis & Clark...Denver CO

2009-02-22T23:44:00.002-05:00

After 2 & 1/2 days of driving...we opted to stay the night in western Denver - just one exit past "Wadsworth Boulevard". Denver rests in elevation a mile high...a good start to our acclimation process.

The Quality Inn had a POOL that was greater than 3 feet deep...so moments after checkin...we raced to the water for some swim 'phins. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOh so delightful...and the decor was all "west".

Lewis & Clark...COFFEE

2009-02-22T23:26:00.012-05:00

DAY 3 (Denver CO)

Enuf with the HOOPING....Paddy needed COFFEE.

and not just your everyday starbucks experience....this was about down-n-dirty getting the best cup of coffee that could be had.

I was equipped only with a verizon card...and my good friend google. As a team, it appeared that we had discovered the "coffee district" of Denver CO. This was the place, where the LOCALS go to for coffee, on a Sunday morning. No, not Starbucks....but rather the Tattered Cover Coffee & Tea Shop.

We spent over an hour, just lounging with the hippie Denver crowd, outdoors, absorbing the oxygen depleted air, and delightful sunshine. Temperatures were in the mid 50's.

And, if that wasn't enuf, Patty had a "MONK" like coffee perfection experience at the neighboring ENCORE (appropriately named) restaurant. The coffee is served in a mini french press, with ample supplies of cream and raw sugar.

Paddy had reached Nirvana....aka Denver CO...at the foothills of the Rockies. After 26 hours of being trapped in the Jeep....all was good.

Lewis & Clark...Missouri to Colorado

2009-02-22T22:24:00.023-05:00

Day 2....

Missouri
yippee - we just crossed the Mississippi - and I kept staring at that big ARCH - which represents the GATEWAY to the WEST. I stared at it so long as I was driving, that I accidentally got off I-70, and magically appeared at a parking lot RIGHT next to the ARCH. How lucky is that?

The sign at the parking lot nearest the Arch - was for a Church. The sign said that it was for churchgoers only, and that you had to pray to park. Hmmm....I can do this. I'm gonna pray that no churchgoer prevents me from parking here so that we can capture a HOOLA moment in from of the big ARCH. It worked.

Paddy & I both got some hoop action at the "Gateway".

We raced over to the Arch - erected adjacent to the Mississippi, and HOOPED...in the State of Missouri. It was still cold and very windy, so we didn't get a chance to be leisurely.

We're officially WEST now!

Selected an IHOP for breakfast. This was our first sit-down meal since Maryland. My butt was getting re-shaped from all of the car travels...and we were only half-way to our Colorado destination.
Notable sights in Missouri: St. Louis is the only big city you'll pass thru, after that it is all farmland. Missouri has a curious route labeling system. They do not use route numbers, they use letters. The ads on the billboards are for farm equipment, western wear, cowboy boots, and RV's.

Missouri is a BIG state...250 long miles wide...the muscles in my core have officially atrophied

KANSAS

On the western edge of Missouri...is Kansas City. Kansas City MISSOURI that is. And, once you cross the MISSOURI river - you're lookin at Kansas City KANSAS. Missouri - if you can't come up with unique names for your cities...the poor US Postal Service will remain eternally confused.

After ONE BIG state of Missouri - we are finally in Kansas. The joy I felt was short lived...as I noticed the TOTAL number of miles we had to make to cross Kansas. 420 miles. Come'on now?
Even at 70MPH...that is a full speed pedal to the medal 6 hour drive with NO stops.
We're trying not to look at the mileage markers

Notable sights in Kansas: There were so many route signs to follow - it was hard to notice Kansas City AND pay attention to trying to stay on I-70. There is NO WELCOME CENTER or Tourist Info stuff along I-70 in Kansas. Yo - what happened to a simple "Hello"?

I was getting a bit stressed about hooping in front of your everyday McDonalds...but Paddy found a little historical marker...so that would have to SUFFICE for my Kansas hooping experience.

No snow in Kansas, but the winds were pretty stiff. The only city we went thru after Kansas City...was Topeka. "Topeka" - it sure has a nice native american sound, eh?

After Topeka, get ready for endless FLAT land...dusty burnt to a crisp land. Then, out of nowwhere - some bumps occurred. This is called Flint Hills - and was kindof cool. Like a miniature version of the Badlands.

Coming from the east coast - with 24/7 bumper-2-bumper traffic...I have to admit, driving is a "joy" in Kansas. We practically had the road to ourselves. Said hello and goodbye to Salina...(the midpoint of Kansas) and to help break of the monotony,

I'm thinking that Kansas should be divided into 2 states.....right at Salina....then you could have a Salina, EAST KANSAS....and Salina, WEST KANSAS to keep with the theme of St. Louis, and Kansas City. Whatddaya think?

Just 20 miles west of Salina is the most enormous wind farm I had ever seen. The wind farms were visible for at least another 20 miles. How do I know these distances? You can see objects 10-15 miles away in Kansas. There are no mountains, so anything that stands up above 5 feet - can be seen from great distances.

Strangely, only half of the turbines were spinning. Kind of odd considering that the wind was nearly blowing our jeep off of the road. Perhaps there is an "ON" switch somewhere?

From a driving perspective, the wind farm proved to be a wonderful distraction from watching the mile markers...

Occasionally, there was a sign for gas...and every 50+ miles a no-frills rest stop. The rest stops resembled a small barn, with fences to pony up to. No vending machines, no luxuries here -- you are on your own in Kansas.

It appears there is OIL in western Kansas. Mile after mile of miniature oil rigs appear in the farmland. Must be a backup plan in case there is a bad crop year.
Despite chasing the setting sun ...we are still in Kansas.

Twilight in Kansas lasts for at least an hour after the sun sets...There is nothing flatter than the plains of Kansas.

At night, the stars are HUGE and beautiful - you don't see them like this along the eastern seaboard. I wanted to spend more time staring at the stars, but it proved to be a distraction from driving - so we opted to stay on the road.

We ran out of juice, and pulled over into an "oasis" stop (where a bunch of hotels and gas stations appear after miles and miles of no humans), to spend the nite in Goodland KANSAS (elevation 3600')...17 miles shy of the Colorado border.

The Comfort Inn serves biscuits and gravy for breakfast... I'll pass!

Day 3

COLORADO!
yipp-i-a. That's "Prarie speak" for YEAH - WE'RE FINALLY IN COLORADO! but wait...it still looks like Kansas?

We stopped at the Colorado welcome center. Yes, we get WELCOMED into Colorado. It was very lovely - a "western" touch to the decor.

It was the best weather we've had since Silver Spring MD. Mid-40's, no winds. A perfect setting for my now 9-STATES-AND-COUNTING Hoopmania. We found the perfect backdrop...and I hooped in Colorado. I think my core muscles are either completely atrophied from the long drive....or not functioning in higher altitudes. We're over 4000' elevation...and the hoop kept wanting to drop to the ground. It took a few practice moments to get my rhythm back. whew!

Notable sights in Colorado: the terrain morphs from the plains of Kansas...to a more "Prarie" feel in Colorado. Still relatively flat for the first 150 miles...but the terrain gradually begins to roll. And suddenly, amazing mountain peaks appear mega miles off in the distance. The peaks get larger and larger - and form this wonderful backdrop to the city of Denver

Denver CO. Paddy has been in the car too long. We needed to find him some extra bold, thick-as-molasses coffee sludge. Stay tuned.

Modern day Lewis & Clark...

2009-02-21T06:48:00.059-05:00

With a brief "low" in gas prices, and in our 2nd winter month away from Cat Maudy, we started making plans for an "out west" road trip. There were many similarities (and differences) between the expedition of Lewis and Clark...and our "Jane & Paddy goes west story".
1. L&C started in Pittsburg PA...geared up with salt, smoked meat and canoe supplies. J&P started in Silver Spring, MD...geared up with food from the Giant, clothes and a hoola hoop
2. L&C's objective was to find a waterway west of the mississippi and mark territory for future settlers. J&P discovered I-70, and "marked" territory by hoola-hooping in each state.
3. L&C gave gifts to the native indians who allowed them passage as they continued west. J&P made large donations to the oil companies for fuel
4. L&C discovered many botanical, zoological and mineral specimens. J&P discovered (and rated...see below) rest areas, sprawling suburbs, mountains reaching nearly 3000 feet elevation (between western Maryland and Ohio) and determined that Indiana is the land of the mega-warehouse
5. L&C, while traveling via canoe and horses, met many native American Indians along the way...some nice, some not so nice. J&P spent a lot of time together in our Jeep Cherokee
6. L&C employed Sacagawea to serve as a guide and provide tranlation services. J&P had google maps and a verizon air card

We are on a mission. We had over 1700 miles to drive...9 states to be exposed to hoola hooping...coffee to be taste-tested....5 days of skiing in the Rockies...and unlimited spontaneous fun along the way. Time to get rollin'.

Day 1 and some change...

Maryland
--drove from sea level to 3000' elevation by the time we had made it to the mountains in western Maryland
--we were greeted with a mini-blizzard 80 miles into our trip
--observed our Jeep is not very fuel efficient in the mountains
--Notable sights: At Cumberland MD - the average age of the patron at McDonalds is 85

West Virginia
--feeling a lot of warm-n-fuzzies at our first stop in West Virigina. Beautiful rest area - perfect for my hooping state-by-state DEBUT.
--with 30 mph wind gusts and snow/sleet mix - the hooping is challenging, yet successful. Nice ladies came up to me and longed to be hooping too. I think i've started something

Pennsylvania
--More wind, but less snow. Hooping would be a tad easier without being pelted by snow and ice. --only a short drive thru Pennsylvania...then we were back in WV...and now in Ohio

Ohio
--the biggest state we had to drive thru (so far). 220 miles of Ohio
--the greeting in Ohio is less welcoming than WV. WV is now the standard for rest stops. It is your basic stop...no vending machines...no little literature of things to do...just stop-n-go. We did manage to locate a monument at the rest stop that would serve as my hoola backdrop.
--Notable sights in Ohio: rolling hills...transform into flat farmland, look closely and you'll see the Amish off the service roads on their horse-n-buggy. Then it might be best to zoom out - or else you see the confederate flags flying proudly. (sigh)
--Said hello and goodbye to Columbus OH...and kept pace with all of the trucks so that we could get out of Ohio as soon as possible

Indiana
--now we're getting into some NEW territory. Have never been to Indiana (per my short term memory).
--Nice sign at the rest stop - that would serve well for my hoola backdrop. I hooped away in the state of Indiana. We needed to start making some time on this road trip - if we were to get to the next state before nightfall...
--Notable sights in Indiana: Indiana is flat, loaded with many farms, the maximum security state prison is located next to a playground for kiddies (?), and it appears that there is some cheap land for corporations to scoop up.
--Just a guess, but based on the mile-after-mile of mega warehouses, all products imported from China, are stored here. Indiana is NOT the home of basketball or Bobby Knight...but rather the home of the mega warehouse.

Illinois
--Traffic is still heavy -- lotta trucks
--Illinois locates it's state sign INSIDE the rest area. Yikes, that means I have to hoop indoors to get my "Illinois" backdrop. It was after-hours, and nobody kicked me out...but there were some curious onlookers to this hoopster gyrating with her chocolate sparkling hoop
--the time changed from Eastern Time to Central Time...we had an extra hour of driving time (oh joy!)
--we kept chasing the sunset in the west...but it went down before we could get to our destination of St. Louis MO. We opted to stay at Effingham, IL. Don't ask where that is. It's a dot on the map with a bunch of hotels, OK?
--got up early (body is still on Eastern time...even tho the clocks say Central time)
--within 5 minutes of I-70West...we hit some Lake effect snow. Lots of it. Not good. Drove slower than the speed limit thru the rest of Illinois
--Did you know there is a St.Louis in Illinois...AND a St.Louis in Missouri? They could be the same city, but the Mississipi goes thru it...

Testing the 'DORPHIN ouput of Toys from the 50's

2009-02-17T11:07:00.005-05:00

Remember the days of jump roping, hoola-hooping, skip-it and pogo toys? In celebration of ... ahem...ahem...ok, um....getting to the, ahem... 1/2 century mark...ok 50. Yep, I said it - 50. We're revisiting toys from the past - and conducting a very scientific experiment on their ENDORPHIN OUTPUT. Our initial tests, tho inconclusive, have been very positive. That is, we feel there is GREAT potential for endorphins -- once we figure out how to keep that hoola hoop from falling to the ground, or stumbling over the jump rope...and getting tripped up on the skip it. While, I don't remember it being this difficult as a kid -- the fun factor is VERY high! Go "test team"!

A Perfect 10!

2009-02-08T18:45:00.010-05:00

It was a beautiful day, with temperatures already in the mid-40's and rising. Perfect for a bike/skate BRICK, with a 30 mile mountain bike run from BWI airport to Annapolis...followed by a 12.5 mile skate loop around the airport.

Somewhere around the first 3/10ths of a mile into the bike ride, with patches of ice appearing out of nowhere, my bike partner began fantasizing about an Olympic performance. She does this occasionally. Meet Dorothy 'Jilly' Hamill...as the skate world does biker freestyle (captured on camera) -- demonstrating the fine points of an acrobatic triple sow cow camel spin back flip with a toe plant using the front wheel with a left rotation completely unhinged by the derailleur. Holy crap....can we see that again? Wait -- let me get this picture. Got it. Now, are you OK partner??

Despite the mangled look, our performer was unhurt, tho the bike wasn't so lucky.

Dancing with The Fabulous Hubcaps

2009-02-07T13:52:00.012-05:00

When "oldies" are classified as music in the 1950's, 60's and 70's, you have to stop for a moment and wonder - "hey, this is the music I grew up with - so just when did I morph into an oldie?" But it didn't matter, as we had plenty of company at the Turf Valley ballroom, located just outside of Ellicott City - and we were about to enjoy a 4 hour show by a talented 9 piece band - The Fabulous Hubcaps.

We (i.e. the dance team of Jill & Chuck, and Paddy and moi) were accompanied by an energized crowd, including the ladies of Jill's office (Ellen and Janet), the Hallmark girls (Betty, Georgia and Cheryl), and gourmet chef Jerry. By the time the first guitar licks were played, the dance floor was filled with everyone who had obviously taken swing dance lessons, and those of us just "wingin' it".

This was not a shy dance crowd. As the Hubcaps played tunes that reminded us of our high school dance days - there was one noticable difference. People were actually dancing! No guys glued against one side of the gym, and girls glued to the other.... Instead, each tune brought out new hordes of PEEPS...not the least bit shy about dancing with groups of women, or incorporating couples into group dance moves. Dance partners Paddy (woa - put out the flames on those hot dance moves!) and Chuck (move over Fred Astaire - there's a new game in town) concluded that Jill and I had the heart rate of hummingbirds....as we remained in non-stop motion - especially during the fast paced and funky tunes. We even attempted a modified POLE dance using the square ceiling support post in the middle of the dance floor. I'm pretty sure other dancers wished they had thought of this first.

From tunes ranging from Frank Sinatra, to Rod Stewart, to Motown and Disco, we gyrated the night away, stayed high on 'dorphins, made up our own dance moves, and felt completely at home along with the crowd of 500+ oldies all doing the same.

Old school skiers....meets Holy Sweet Molasses!

2009-02-05T07:30:00.018-05:00

Stuck on land for 2 months, and away from Cat Maudy during a cold Maryland winter, we were itching for an adventure. It was close to 10 years since we last hopped onto our ski's, so when we decided Tuesday morning that it was "time" to revisit skiing - we grabbed all of our OLD SCHOOL equipment and headed for the nearest slopes at WhiteTail Mountain. We had a few equipment shortcomings, so there was room for improvising. I couldn't find my ski goggles -- so, maybe swim goggles would work instead? No wool socks for Paddy -- so I donated a pair of mine. Paddy would leave behind his ski's - to rent those new-fangled itsy bitsy curvy ones, and I remained steadfastly attached to my long, wide straight boards and 30 year old boots my feet could swim in. We were ready.

We arrived at WhiteTail Mountain by noon, to a relatively empty ski resort. The economy was taking it's toll - and we were about to stimulate it. I had forgotten how much work it was to drag bags of equipment, boots and my ski's around with endless layers of clothing...and we hadn't even begun to ski. While waiting for Paddy to rent his ski's, I chatted with the nice man working the boot rental desk. "You know, I've seen 5 pair of boots this year, just break on folks -- that were as old as your boots" he said to me. Suddenly, I felt like an old-timer. "Thanks for the input - I've had these for 30 years, so far so good" I replied, and he grinned at me as if to say "you'll be back".

After working up a sweat putting on all of the clothing and equipment...we were ready to tackle the bunny slope. Would we even remember how to ski after a 10 year ski sabbatical?

You betcha! After 2 quick runs on the bunny babe slopes...we were ready to move up to the blue. As we raced downhill to the ski lift...I suddenly felt a blast of cold air in my ski boot. Maybe it came unbuckled? I looked down, and sure enough...the plastic had cracked...and my boot fell apart all over my ski's. Just like that. By the time I ski skated over to the rental center - the other boot broke apart as well. OK OK...time to let go of my old school equipment.

I got fitted for boots, and short (150's) curvaceous ski's. They sure seemed pretty tiny. I'm used to ski's that are longer than my extended reach. Time to find out what all of the buzz was about....and we headed back to the slopes labeled with blue squares.

Jean Claude (aka Paddy) was in his element and racing to the bottom of the mountain...while I struggled with maneuvering on these tiny ski's with curves - as I kept crossing my tips and having to recover. The rental center insisted I would like these -- but I longed for my old boards. My experiment with swim goggles (substituting for ski goggles) failed by the way. They are meant for swimming...not skiing. Let's just skip the goggles today.

After a few more runs in the blues -- Jean Claude suggested that perhaps I had too much weight on my uphill ski. Hmmmm....ski technique. I had forgotten all about that. Oh yeah, weight on the downhill ski. Imagine that. From that point on, there was no more TIP-crossing...my confidence had returned...and I was ready for hot-doggin. Thanks Jean Claude!

After a quick lunch break, we watched the plastic on Jean Claude's goggles snap in 2. Again, just like that. We're really downsizing equipment today. Now, neither of us has any goggles. Oh well.

Time to see what the black diamond and double-blacks had to offer. We had the mountain to ourselves, and the conditions were fantastic. With our poles ready the moment we unloaded from the chair lift -- we raced down the first black diamond. It was pretty tame...so we decided to try out the double-black. I'm not quite sure how they rate these trails -- but I kept thinking "where is the steep part?". Yes, skiing was like riding a bicycle...and we were having TOO much fun.

After 20 runs in 4 hours...we decided to save some juice...and return the next day for MORE.

DAY 2: WHITETAIL

Didn't even bother with lugging my old world ski's this time...I'm all about new school now. Decided to stimulate the economy MORE...and purchased 2 pair of goggles. Our eyes would be very happy.

Jean Claude & I both rented the shorty little ski's...and I rented boots. We've got equipment now! Not sure how it was possible, but we banged out 20 runs in no-time - and ignored all of the screaming ski muscles that had atrophied for the past 10 years. The conditions were ultra-supreme, hard packed with a few inch dusting on top. We're feeling good...and talkin' big stuff now. Maybe a car adventure to Denver next week for some Colorado skiing. Just drop everything and go. How cool would that be. Life is short...live it up. Stay tuned!

DAY 3: WHITETAIL

For some reason, we couldn't get enough skiing. After 10 years of missing ski season after ski season, we were making up for lost time. The DC area weather was about to warm up - and this might be our last opportunity for local skiing.

By DAY 3, we had the routine down to ultra efficiency. We only lugged around our ski bags, which were now carefully packed for goggles, scarves, hats and wool socks - along with fruity snacks and sandwiches for lunch. No need to spend money on overpriced food at the ski resort. We made a beeline for the rental center, and got fitted for boots and skiis. Within 10 minutes, of rental activity - we were on the chairlift heading uphill for our first run.

Being a Friday, the resort was far more busy than our debut earlier in the week, on Tuesday. Busloads of humans had arrived, and kids on snowboards were everywhere. Despite the larger crowds, the slopes were not overly busy, and we only had to wait a few minutes at the chairlifts. The temperatures were clearly warming, and folks we spoke to on the chairlift rides - shared thoughts about heading out west to Colorado or Utah - to extend the ski season. Maybe we'll do the same. Time to research options.

Not so fast Missy!

2009-02-02T21:27:00.003-05:00

The FUN FACTOR....Discovered

2009-01-01T06:57:00.016-05:00

Baby Jock: earliest athletic activity ...ice skating w/Dad at age 2 & skiing at age 4
Back in the 'day (High School): wanted to run distance with the track team...but they didn't have a girls version...so joined the boys track team. the coach wasn't happy about this - but he couldn't deny me cuz Title 9 had just kicked in. One day, during a jumping drill...one of the guys tripped me. I fell, crashed on my kneecaps...and couldn't walk. the coach drove me home and said he was sorry I wouldn't be able to return cuz my knees were hurt. I returned 2 days later...with really swollen knees....and finished out the season. Went on to run 3 marathons (Skylon, NYC'85 & NYC'99), and countless 1/2 marathons, 10K's and duathlons...
Longtime Competitor: took up tennis at age 7. fell in love with the sport, and spent as many hours of the day competing on the tennis court. had to be the best...and took the sport very seriously. Trained and practiced relentlessly. Fierce competitor...had the energy to run down every tennis ball for hours until my competition wore out. Was top dog in High School, #1 in college, in the history books at SUNY Binghamton, #5 in New York State, and went on to compete in sectional, category II and National Championships (mixed, singles & doubles) for the next 20 years. Retired in 2006 from tennis at the top of my game, Mid-Atlantic USPTA Player of the Year, ranked in the top 20 Nationally, and a 5.0 USTA rated player.
Time 4 Fun: took up inline skating as a reprieve from tennis competition in the mid 1990's. just wanted to have fun...no competition, no pressure. Needed some balance, wanted more FUN. Skated 3 years with Team-in-Training, FUNdraisers for MS, 4 Athens 2 Atlanta roadskates, and too numerous to mention other ultra distance events. Sounds a lot like competition, eh?...but alas, I managed to focus on improving technique, effortless skating and enjoying the moment. Avoided feedback from a clock. It was a new concept...and I was diggin' it. If I wanted to stop and smell the roses, I did. I pushed myself on the fun-factor alone...the more fun I was having...the more I wanted to skate. Threw in a Tri - to mix things up a bit!
took up Sailing. The magic is in the journey....it's not how quickly you get to the destination...but about how many moments you capture along the way
Tossed OUT the trophy collection....let the FUN begin!

...and more...