Brickin' it up...

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!!!

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

Boca bikers...

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

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!

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:

1. 
   
   yes, you CAN be separated by miles AND still workout together
   
   
   
2. 
   
   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!
   
   
   
3. 
   
   I don't have much to say when I'm out of breath
   
   
   

The Ravenel

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



What is the Ravenel Bridge?

Livin' it up - OLD is the new YOUNG!

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:

1. horseback riding is very dangerous, and the horse could kill us
   
2. it wasn't the horse's fault if it did
   
3. 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:

1. Follow the horse in front of you -in single file...in a specific horse order. No exceptions.
   
2. My horse Winston would bring up the rear.
   
3. Stay on the muddy tail...off the trail are hornets nests - and they get really mad this time of year
   
4. 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!

A lotto hot air

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

Life is better....at Betterton!

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.

Iron Girl Sunday 8/23/2009

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..

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...

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)

Officer? Was I really bicycling too fast???

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!

It's all about the Muffins....

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!

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!

A Perfect 10!

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.