Today I will be me

From the deep

2010-05-12T10:16:00.003-05:00

Like the oil welling up from the floor of the ocean in the Gulf of Mexico, I too am trying to surface from the depths of silence on this blog. Life has gotten in the way of many fun past-times of mine and unfortunately this blog is the first to be cut loose. So here is my attempt to resurrect my online thoughts and stimulate yours.

You might have heard that during my trip to St. George for Patrick's Ironman I had my environmentalists' card revoked for not instinctively knowing how to drive/start a Prius. It's not a simple as turning the key (there is no key to turn). So I now am on my long journey to redeem myself as a true green environmentalist. In this light, I'll admit that I have trouble fathoming and understanding the scale of the size of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. So if you're like me here is a nice link to a few maps that have over-layed the spill onto maps of familiar metropolitan areas.

I found that when it's put into perspective like this it's hard to deny or overlook this catastrophe. I don't post this to be the fear-mongering environmentalist, but rather to help everyone have a perspective for this event. Only with understanding will there ever be action on any important matter.

The Price is Rigth Auditions in Hurst on Saturday

2009-08-21T09:24:00.002-05:00

For anyone who may be interested, CBS' The Price is Right will hold auditions from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Carpet One Flooring Outlet Warehouse, 825 Airport Freeway in Hurst. The show is conducting a national contestant search for the first time in the show's history. Applicants should bring a completed application and eligibility forms that can be found at www.cbs11tv.com/contests. Three contestants will attend a taping of the show and one of those three will receive a bidder's spot on Contestants' Row.

Anonymous advice for living life to the fullest

2009-08-19T10:06:00.003-05:00

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass... it's about learning
how to dance in the rain."

— Anonymous

Health Insurance Reform Reality Check

2009-08-17T13:13:00.006-05:00

There seems to be a great deal of rumors circulating the internet and in town halls regarding the health care reform. Below are the facts directly from the Senior Advisor of the President, David Axelrod. If you are interested read up and become well-informed about this critical issue. I know this is a long post but it's very difficult to boil-down this complex of a issue.

8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage

Ends Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
Ends Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
Extends Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
Guarantees Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick.

Learn more and get details: http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/?e=11&ref=hicp

8 common myths about health insurance reform

Reform will stop "rationing" - not increase it: It’s a myth that reform will mean a "government takeover" of health care or lead to "rationing." To the contrary, reform will forbid many forms of rationing that are currently being used by insurance companies.
We can’t afford reform: It's the status quo we can't afford. It’s a myth that reform will bust the budget. To the contrary, the President has identified ways to pay for the vast majority of the up-front costs by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse within existing government health programs; ending big subsidies to insurance companies; and increasing efficiency with such steps as coordinating care and streamlining paperwork. In the long term, reform can help bring down costs that will otherwise lead to a fiscal crisis.
Reform would encourage "euthanasia": It does not. It’s a malicious myth that reform would encourage or even require euthanasia for seniors. For seniors who want to consult with their family and physicians about end-of life decisions, reform will help to cover these voluntary, private consultations for those who want help with these personal and difficult family decisions.
Vets' health care is safe and sound: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will affect veterans' access to the care they get now. To the contrary, the President's budget significantly expands coverage under the VA, extending care to 500,000 more veterans who were previously excluded. The VA Healthcare system will continue to be available for all eligible veterans.
Reform will benefit small business - not burden it: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will hurt small businesses. To the contrary, reform will ease the burdens on small businesses, provide tax credits to help them pay for employee coverage and help level the playing field with big firms who pay much less to cover their employees on average.
Your Medicare is safe, and stronger with reform: It’s myth that Health Insurance Reform would be financed by cutting Medicare benefits. To the contrary, reform will improve the long-term financial health of Medicare, ensure better coordination, eliminate waste and unnecessary subsidies to insurance companies, and help to close the Medicare "doughnut" hole to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors.
You can keep your own insurance: It’s myth that reform will force you out of your current insurance plan or force you to change doctors. To the contrary, reform will expand your choices, not eliminate them.
No, government will not do anything with your bank account: It is an absurd myth that government will be in charge of your bank accounts. Health insurance reform will simplify administration, making it easier and more convenient for you to pay bills in a method that you choose. Just like paying a phone bill or a utility bill, you can pay by traditional check, or by a direct electronic payment. And forms will be standardized so they will be easier to understand. The choice is up to you – and the same rules of privacy will apply as they do for all other electronic payments that people make.

Learn more and get details:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/?e=11&ref=myth1
http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/faq/?e=11&ref=myth1

8 Reasons We Need Health Insurance Reform Now

Coverage Denied to Millions: A recent national survey estimated that 12.6 million non-elderly adults – 36 percent of those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company in the individual insurance market – were in fact discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition in the previous three years or dropped from coverage when they became seriously ill. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html
Less Care for More Costs: With each passing year, Americans are paying more for health care coverage. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000, a rate three times faster than wages. In 2008, the average premium for a family plan purchased through an employer was $12,680, nearly the annual earnings of a full-time minimum wage job. Americans pay more than ever for health insurance, but get less coverage. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html
Roadblocks to Care for Women: Women’s reproductive health requires more regular contact with health care providers, including yearly pap smears, mammograms, and obstetric care. Women are also more likely to report fair or poor health than men (9.5% versus 9.0%). While rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are similar to men, women are twice as likely to suffer from headaches and are more likely to experience joint, back or neck pain. These chronic conditions often require regular and frequent treatment and follow-up care. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/women/index.html
Hard Times in the Heartland: Throughout rural America, there are nearly 50 million people who face challenges in accessing health care. The past several decades have consistently shown higher rates of poverty, mortality, uninsurance, and limited access to a primary health care provider in rural areas. With the recent economic downturn, there is potential for an increase in many of the health disparities and access concerns that are already elevated in rural communities. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hardtimes/
Small Businesses Struggle to Provide Health Coverage: Nearly one-third of the uninsured – 13 million people – are employees of firms with less than 100 workers. From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. Much of this decline stems from small business. The percentage of small businesses offering coverage dropped from 68% to 59%, while large firms held stable at 99%. About a third of such workers in firms with fewer than 50 employees obtain insurance through a spouse. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/helpbottomline/
The Tragedies are Personal: Half of all personal bankruptcies are at least partly the result of medical expenses. The typical elderly couple may have to save nearly $300,000 to pay for health costs not covered by Medicare alone. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/
Diminishing Access to Care: From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. An estimated 87 million people - one in every three Americans under the age of 65 - were uninsured at some point in 2007 and 2008. More than 80% of the uninsured are in working families. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/diminishing/index.html
The Trends are Troubling: Without reform, health care costs will continue to skyrocket unabated, putting unbearable strain on families, businesses, and state and federal government budgets. Perhaps the most visible sign of the need for health care reform is the 46 million Americans currently without health insurance - projections suggest that this number will rise to about 72 million in 2040 in the absence of reform. Learn more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/CEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf?e=11&ref=report

Step 1. Take a leap of faith

2009-08-16T15:30:00.002-05:00

Given that my summer break from classes is almost finished and I will soon resume the rigorous schedule of a full-time graduate student engrossed in research, studying, and teaching, I have begun to reflect on my first 6 months in this new phase of my life as a professional student (Round 2). This last six months has brought on many challenges, but I would not change this for anything because I realize that I am living my dream-to earn my PhD. Living in the moment for a time, I considered how blessed I am to have the opportunity to pursue this dream and make it my reality. I considered how countless others have yet to realize their life-long goals, either due to the lack of opportunity or the lack of ambition to pursue their dreams. I do not want to go into a long tirade about the chronic social ailments that prevent people from gaining well-rounded and solid educations or pursuing other individual goals and I certainly do not want to imply that I had to overcome some of the more prohibitive of these obstacles such as destitute poverty or being a refugee from war-torn nation. Rather what I would like to share my thoughts one of the most ubiquitous challenges I think everyone faces when they set out to realize their dreams; the challenge of overcoming fear.

As I see, there is a great deal of fear involved in pursuing dreams. I will be the first to admit that it was very scary to contemplate leaving a steady paying job that supplied the much needed income for me to afford my mortgage and provide the necessary funds to help support my family. We prayed a great deal about the decision for me to return to school but our preparation for change didn't stop there. I'm a firm believer that our Father in heaven may provide you blessings and opportunities but He expects his children to work for it. We researched funding opportunities and met with our financial advisor. We worked up our budget and figured out that we could afford school with grants, loans, and the meager salary I would be paid as Research Assistant.

But the fear doesn't stop at money. I also have my own healthily share of self-doubt and struggle with confidence. I realize though that it is natural to fear the unknown but you will never achieve anything if you are too scared to start. In order to achieve great things you must be willing to step into the unknown. You must embrace your fears and take a leap of faith to set yourself on the path that will allow you to achieve your dreams. I have take this first step and landed on my feet and for that I am forever grateful.

Yet to be completely forthright, I have much larger ambitions than earning my PhD. From a very early age all I knew was that I wanted to save the world through advancing the cause of environmental stewardship and engaging people in efforts to clean and protect our planet. I see now my chance to make this impact is coming to life through my PhD work. I know now that I am on a path that will provide me opportunities to educate people about their natural environment and the perils it faces due to human activities. I can see opportunities opening up as I submit my writing and research and as I help to build the foundations of what my lead professor and I envision to be a national program that will not only protect the environment but will also address and protect many facets of public health. All this because I took that first step.

So it may be difficult; the task may seem to large or your goal to lofty for you to achieve, but I can attest that overcoming the fears of inadequacy, inability, self-doubt, and financial insecurity can be accomplished through prayer and diligent research. The support of family and friends also make an amazing difference in the lives of those who sacrifice to achieve their life-long goals. I am surrounded by people that have encouraged me and helped me get to this point in my life and I am so very grateful to have this network in my life. Most especially my husband, Patrick, who reassures me and strengthens me when time are hard and tests, research, and other rigors of the PhD program seem to be mounting an offensive on my sanity and abilities. His love and support make this whole process possible and I in turn work hard to support him in his dreams and ambitions.

So if there is something out there you want to achieve be it a degree, a job, freedom from addiction, or any other goal whether it be big or small, I would like to remind you that one of the first steps on this new road you've chosen is more like a leap-a leap of faith.

Questions to ponder

2009-08-03T15:08:00.002-05:00

"The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born?
Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think
about these once in a while, and watch your answers change."

— Richard Bach (1936- ), American author, in `Illusions,'
1977

And here is yet another question I wish to pose because I just recently had to come up with an answer myself. I learned a few weeks ago that one of our office managers has terminal cancer that has progressed and she now has only a few months. Everyone in the office got together and made her a giant card with funny pictures of everyone she worked with. What do you write on a card that is being given to someone in this position? "Get well" just doesn't cut it at this point.

Can the weatherman prevent disease outbreaks?

2009-06-23T11:50:00.003-05:00

Consider this. We know that mosquitoes carry disease. We know they require standing water to breed and standing water usually follows heavy rain events.

So what if we could prevent an outbreak of disease by monitoring weather. Well scientists at NASA and the Department of Agriculture are doing just that. Using satellites to monitor heavy cloud cover and surface temperatures, scientist can predict areas that will receive heavy rainfall and according to Dr. Ken Linthicum of the USDA's Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, rainfall is a key precursor to disease. For example, his fieldwork in Africa revealed that the subsequent flooding following heavy rains provided the ideal conditions for mosquitoes to lay their virus containing eggs.

Ultimately the scientists at NASA and USDA were able to use satellites to determine when the heavy rains would occur and then due to the accounting for the known gestation and life-cycle of the mosquito, they had 4 months to institute preventive measures such as vaccines and mosquito control to control the spread of disease.

I'm thrilled to know that there are some scientists out there thinking outside of the box and devising innovative ways for dealing with pressing public health issues.

Vegetarians feed the world

2009-06-05T11:02:00.010-05:00

For more reasons than one, I've adhered to a vegetarian lifestyle for eight years. I choose the word "lifestyle" here rather than "diet" because for me being a vegetarian expands beyond eliminating meat in my daily nutrition. Here are some of my top reasons:

1. A vegetarian diet is more sustainable and has much less of a carbon footprint compared to the typical omnivore's diet. As future professor of environmental science, I genuinely work hard practice what I preach. Believe it or not meat based diets have been proven to directly contribute to global warming and other environmental problems of our day. Though it is not the latest research, a 2006 U.N. report detailed the findings from an intensive investigation of the impact of livestock of the environment and concluded that the production of animals for human consumption is “one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems.” According to this study emissions from livestock operations account for 9 percent of CO2 derived from human-related activities and 65 percent of anthropogenic sources of nitrous oxide, which is nearly 300 times worse as a green house gas than CO2. Where does all this gas come from; well my friend let's just say cow's could probably benefit from some Gas-Ex as well.

2. I just can't deny that animals have the right to live and breathe in clean, natural conditions; however factory farm production of meat, eggs, milk, and other animal products often deny these rights. Though I rarely eat eggs, I make sure that the eggs I do buy came from hens who were allowed to roam free and were feed grain free from antibiotics, probiotics, and the suite of other chemicals that are so often forced upon these animals. Though I believe that PETA does have a good mission in mind, I believe they often scare off potential supporters such as myself by their animal-rights campaigns littered with photos and descriptions of the inhumane conditions of farms raising animals for meat. For this reason I will spare you these details because I cannot handle them myself.

3. Imagine you're starving and have just ordered your meal at a new restaurant with friends. Who do you think will get their order first; the omnivore who ordered steak, chicken or some other meat which has to cook to a specific heat, or the vegetarian who rarely has such cooking restrictions on their food? The convenience and speed are sometimes great perks of being a vegetarian.

4. More food for more people. 70% of the grain we produce in this country goes to feeding our livestock. Imagine how many more people we could feed that grain to.

5. Healthier diet for my heart, body and mind. Some of the most prevalent disease plaguing people today are obesity, heart disease, cancer, and strokes. Research has shown that vegetarian are 50 less likely to develop heart disease and have a 40% lower cancer rate than their meat-eating counterparts. Additionally, vegans are 9 times less likely to be obese.

6. And finally, I just can't imagine anymore eating something that once lived and breathed. I'd much rather stick to my soy-based meat products, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables, and let the fish and animals go about living their lives to the fullest. I just wish more of these animals had the opportunity to do so and were not living in concentrated animal factory operations (CAFOs) (i.e. factory farms)

But for those of you who are still holding strong to your omnivorous diets, I have no beef with you whatsoever. My viewpoint on vegetarianism is completely nonjudgmental. In fact I will be the first to admit that though my lifestyle may not be ideal for everyone, vegetarians are appreciated in one way or another as so bluntly put by one of the Marx brothers

"I'm not a vegetarian, but I eat animals who are."

— Groucho Marx (Julius Henry Marx) (1890-1977) Jewish-American
comedian

Wise words for would be marathoners and those with puffed up egos

2009-05-19T14:49:00.002-05:00

"The difference between running the mile and running the marathon is the
difference between burning your fingers and being slowly roasted over
the coals."

— Hal Higdon (1947- ) American long distance runner and writer

When spell check just doesn't cut it...

2009-05-08T17:52:00.001-05:00

..just keep in mind the words of the famed Spanish writer Baltasar Gracian:"A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the word you first
thought of."

Environmental Respect Begins with Outdoor Play

2009-05-06T14:48:00.003-05:00

Though I don't post much on it I am an ardent environmentalist and adamantly believe in the preserving the outdoors for future generations. I worked for 2 years as an environmental consultant and I realized during that time that my mission in life to "save the world" would not be accomplished working for corporate America which usually bows to industries and construction companies and finds ways for them to accomplish their goals of increased capital and development while following all the environmental laws and making a minimal impact on the environment. As well-intended as this career seems, I more often than not felt I was sacrificing my environmental ethics and not making the difference in the world I knew I was meant to. So I returned to school to earn a PhD in environmental science after which I will seek to gain a faculty position at a university teaching the next generation about the importance of respecting our environment and living in a sustainable manner.

But how do you foster environmental respect?

Well, a recent study found that the "wild play" of children such as camping and fishing build the a better foundation for children to grow into adults who respected the environment than activities such as gardening and mandatory environmental education programs.

So the lesson here let your children explore their world and take them to the few wild place left so they can experience fresh air and seas of green vegetation. Maybe this will be your way of contributing to a more sustainable future.

You might be a triathlete if....continued

2009-05-06T14:43:00.002-05:00

-You have unexplainable gassy spells during training

-Your spouse has smoother legs than you sometimes (only works if both husband and wife are triathletes)

-You use training as your catch-all excuse for chores and social gatherings you'd rather avoid

-Your dog recognizes the difference in the shorts you put on which determine whether you will be riding and she can't come along or you will be running, in which case she will get excited because she may get to go running.

-Your dog carb loads for the long run you take her on. Really mine does.

You might be a triathlete if....

2009-04-14T11:07:00.006-05:00

-You use past race numbers as wallpaper

-When asked your age, you give your race age, not your actual age

-You've discovered that body marking produces interesting tan lines

-When you see road signs indicating how far the next town is, you think how long it would take you to run or bike that distance

-You've caught yourself worrying about drafting rules while driving on the highway

Sand, Sweat, and Tears: A Race Recap for the Lonestar Half Ironman Triathlon

2009-04-07T17:05:00.013-05:00

After 5 long months of dedicated training, I can proudly say that Patrick and I completed our first Half Ironman (HIM) this past Sunday at the Lonestar Triathlon Festival. For anyone interested, the following is a recap of some of the highlights of the race. For anyone unfamiliar with the concept of a HIM, let me preface this recap by explaining that this is a multi-sport race combining 1.2 miles of open water swimming, 56 miles of road biking, and 13.1 miles of running. The course maps for each of these legs can be viewed here.

For this endeavor we elected to seek the help from a triathlon coach. David Gillen, a friend and co-worker of our brother-in-law, proved to be an invaluable asset as a coach and in the end a good friend as well. We learned so much about the technical aspects of training, both physically and mentally, that I would highly recommend other ambitious multi-sport athletes to seek the help of a coach. If you live in the North Texas area, David would be a good place to start.

On to the Race:

The Swim:
1.2 mi
Time: 45:50

The swim was a saltwater swim in the Offats Bayou and proved to be a bit daunting. Having never swum in saltwater aside from the romps I took as a kid at the beach, we opted for a short practice swim the day before. Being an early season, race the water temperature was cold enough to make wetsuits legal and we found out quickly the advantage wetsuits give you in salt water-you are buoyant you don't have to tread water!

The practice swim was a great warm-up for race day but still nothing can really prepare you for the onslaught that is a mass open water swim start. My wave was the second to last and as I lined up with the other women I was amazed at how similar we all looked; we were just a sea of black tight suits and pink caps. The swim start was actually about 50 yards away from the entry point so we all made our way to the two starter buoys after entering the chilly water which I'm told was about 64°. I was feeling remarkable confident and made my way to the front of the pack. Light jokes were made between strangers and we all laughed with one another. Little did I know they were all trying to lower my guard.

I'm still relatively calm even as the race announcer starts counting down from 5 for our start. The blow horn goes off, I start the timer on my watch, and I dive in and go. Immediately a barrage of arms, legs and what I can only assume are the Gladiator Q-tips start beating me down. I'm hit in the face and nose a number of times and worry I'll come out with a black eye or bloody nose. If you don't think swimmers are tough, you haven't tried your hand at these race starts. I finally make my way to the outskirts of the wave and settle in for my haul. Looking ahead, I see only a long line of red buoys with the heaven-sent triangular buoy, which marks a turn, seeming to be miles away. I devise a plan to just swim buoy to buoy and not worry about the vast span of open water in between me and the swim finish. Though my time was slower than I would have liked, my plan worked and I remained calm and collected throughout the entire swim. I exit the water feeling refreshed and accomplished. “I did it" I tell myself. One of my biggest mental challenges is behind me.

Yet the best part of the swim is what comes immediately afterward. I’m not talking about the crowds screaming and clanking cow-bells to mark your arrival and accomplishment. No what takes the cake are the STRIPPERS! And you thought triathletes were all work and no fun. Wrong-just before the transition area are a suite of well trained race volunteers who will rid you of the extra skin that is your wetsuit. All you need to do is strip yourself down to the waist, flop down in front of them and assume the position. They handle the rest.

The Bike:

56 miles;
3:29:33;
average: 15.6 mph

The ride was one of my highlights of the race. Fifty-six miles on a one and a half loop course with some amazing views of the coast. Though the beach and ocean were a beautiful sight, they were muted slightly by the still ever present destruction from Hurricane Ike. There were plenty of beach houses under construction and every few miles there were billboards, both professional and homemade from scrap wood, for various restoration construction services. One house in particular that stuck out on my ride was one where the entire back was removed, making it much like doll house you could peer into. Everything was still there; the disheveled bed, open dressers, a TV. I had assumed before I came to Galveston that the destruction would have been cleaned up by now, but what I realized is that many people probably could not afford to rebuild, or maybe, as I would like to think, they realized that the beach is probably not the best place to build a house.

Still one thing I should mention about the ride is that there were exactly 5 turns on the way out and 5 turns on the way back. The majority of the ride was spent on the long stretch of 3005. As we drove the course the day before, we noticed that the course is so straight that all you see is miles and miles ahead of you and a straight line of countless telephone poles that curve slightly with the road. Oddly enough, the redundancy of the route didn’t bother me. In fact, this was the longest straight-away I’ve ever ridden so I stayed in aerobars the majority of the time. Having very few turns and being in the most aerodynamic position for the majority of the time allowed me to get and keep my average mph up, however I learned there are unexpected advantages to the very different ever-changing terrain in which we trained. At home, I rarely stay in the same gear long. The rise and fall of the road require that I constantly adjust my gears for optimal pedaling power. What I didn’t realize or appreciate about my local training routes, is that the frequent changes in slope and thus my speed elicit the work of a variety of my leg muscles, with no one set of muscles or single muscle taking the brute force of the entire session. However, with the long straight-aways at the HIM, the majority of my ride was powered by my quads, which though it left the other parts of my legs refreshed, brought on a new type of fatigue I had not experienced in previous training rides. Despite this, I originally thought I was going to take nearly four hours to complete the route and I came just under 3:30' so I was stoked that I flew this fast. This stellar time was yet another highlight of my overall race.

The Run

13.1 miles
2:26:56
11:13 min/mile

At the very tail end of the ride the slight breeze that dusted me with sand and gnats picked up and hit me like a wall. For the last mile or so of my ride I struggled to keep my average mph up to 9 or 10. As I dismounted my bike I knew I was in for a treat on the run with the kick up in the wind. Luckily there were only a select few portions of the run course that battered me with this force. Unfortunately, this run course was a four loop course and as time went on my fatigue grew, the wind only seemed to grow stronger.

However, like so many training session, the wind doesn't dampen my spirits and I honestly had a great time on the run. The four loop design of the run course was pleasant and scattered with a variety of musicians, my favorite of which was the steel drum player at the top a slight hill, right before the portion of the run that followed along the paved path next to beach. I also enjoyed the humorous quotes and signs posted along one stretch of the run. My favorite signs read: “If love is blind, why is lingerie so expensive”, “Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets” and “If you’re going through hell, keep going”. But the best part of the run came at the end of each lap, where David was there to cheer me on. Then at the end of lap 3 Patrick was there with David and I was getting really excited to end the race and celebrate with them. Finally lap 4 came around and as I approached David near the tail end of the loop, he told me Patrick was at the end waiting for me; just as I expected. I finished the final lap; completing my first 70.3 and as I crossed the finish line, shortly thereafter was my biggest fan waiting for me. I feel into his arms, more out of exhaustion than due to a need for a bit of romance. We held one another and I knew we were both tearing up. It was a tender sweet moment, one that I will hold as one of the best memories of my first 70.3 experience.

After all was said and done, I must say this was one of my best experiences yet; by far one of the best races. Though I'm not adequately trained now for my upcoming Ironman (IM) race in St. George, Utah on May 1, 2010, I'm certain my coach David can get me ready. But what is equally important for a full length IM is the desire and mental strength to complete the race. After such an amazing experience that spanned 70.3 miles, I can honestly say I'm really excited to try my hand at the full 140.6.

Dangerous Dreamers

2008-10-17T12:28:00.000-05:00

"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dream with open eyes, to make it possible." -T.S. Eliot

Wisdom Worth Gaining

2008-10-17T12:27:00.001-05:00

"There is advantage in the wisdom won from pain" -- Aeschylus

Why did the Chicken Cross the Road?

2008-10-16T09:40:00.004-05:00

Question: Why did the chicken cross the road?

Answer:

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road... ZZZZZzzzzzzzzz

SARAH PALIN: BECAUSE , PRAISE JESUS, I WAS GONNA SHOOT HIS SORRY LIBERAL ASS OFF FOR BLOCKING MY VIEW OF RUSSIA!

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?
COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of crossing?

AL GORE : I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.
DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmers Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.
DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.
JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth? That's why they call it the other side. Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay, too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.
BARBARA WALT ERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, In peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2008. This new platform is much more stable and will never crash.
ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

More Motivational Quotes

2008-10-16T09:02:00.003-05:00

"Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal." - Luis Escobar

"Man imposes his own limitations, don't set any" -Anthony Bailey

"Endurance is patience concentrated." - Carlyle

"A lot of people run a race to see who's the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts." -Steve Prefontaine

"Every man dies, but not every man really lives." -William Wallace

Why Women Should Vote

2008-10-16T07:24:00.000-05:00

I received this as an email from a good woman friend of mine. It should serve as a reminder of the what a privilege it is to vote; let us always remember where we came from, so we will not be doomed to repeat painful injustices in our past.

This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers; they lived only 90 years ago.

Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote.

(Lucy Burns)

And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.' They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.

(Dora Lewis)

They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cell mate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917 , when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.

For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms.

(Alice Paul)

When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/prisoners.pdf

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because- -why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.

All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.

My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said. 'What would those women think of the way I use, or don't use, my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.' The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again.'

HBO released the movie on video and DVD . I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.

The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'

We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote.

History is being made.

Paling around with Terroists-The Pendulum Swings Both Ways

2008-10-15T09:04:00.001-05:00

I just found an article that discusses Palin's ties to the Alaska Independent Party (AIP), an allegedly violent anti-American group aimed as ceding from the nation at all costs and reportedly working with Iran to sponsor their anti-American harangue. My disgust with the Republican campaign began to build more rapidly when Palin started claims that Obama had ties with revolutionary terrorist Bill Ayers. Though I have not heard the Obama campaign speak at all about the seemingly undeniable ties of Palin to the AIP, I can not believe that it because the Obama campaign is unaware of this. I figure that the reason for this is that the claims made in the salon article are false, or at best, like Palin's claims, these claims are actually just exaggerated forms of a distant association. If the AIP claims are true, I suspect the reason we have not heard of this before it is mostly likely because the Obama campaign has refused to resort to the dirty politics that Palin seems to be riding on for her ticket to the White House. If this is the case, I'm proud of my candidate; however, I think every American that has been told that Obama pals around with terrorists should also be made aware of the potential ties of Palin to the Alaska Independent Party.

One Step Closer To Vegan

2008-10-14T14:58:00.000-05:00

After posting the Mutts comic yesterday, I began to ponder my own dietary habits. I've only bought eggs labeled free-range and grain-fed for years now, but for the last six months or so I've been eating Eggbeater egg whites that come in a carton. I am convinced the lives of the chickens who produce these egg whites can be no better than the lives of the chickens who produce the standard eggs you buy in the grocery store. In fact, they just might be the same. So, here it is. I'm giving up yet another one of my favorite foods because I just can't stomach the possibility that I'm contributing to the cruel factory farm conditions most chickens are enduring. Having thoughtfully considered my egg consumption, I'm giving serious consideration to giving up eggs entirely. However, maybe not. Only time will tell if I will continue to eat the eggs from free-range, grain-fed chickens, but due to the lack of convenience of these (i.e. I can't easily eat them at work since that's where I eat breakfast), I can't see these eggs coming close to replacing the Eggbeater product I've ignorantly enjoyed for some time. It wasn't that long ago that I awakened and realized that fish and shellfish were just as much of an animal as cattle and chicken, so I'm curious if I'm on the road to an eventual vegan.

Texas vegans however are a seclusive population and very little is known about how they survive in their native habitat.

Food for Thought

2008-10-13T21:50:00.000-05:00

What You Didn't Know About Columbus Day

2008-10-13T13:02:00.001-05:00

Today is Columbus Day but apparently not everyone is happy about that. Wikipedia has an interesting section in their Columbus Day entry about opposition to the widely celebrated holiday.

Since the later part of the 20th century groups have voiced opposition to Columbus celebrations. Indigenous groups in particular have opposed the holidays as celebrating the man who initiated the European colonization of the new world. Opposition often focuses on the cruel treatment indigenous peoples faced at the hands of Columbus and later European settlers and the fact that the European conquest directly and indirectly caused a massive decline in population among the indigenous peoples.
In the summer of 1990, 350 Native Americans, representatives from all over the hemisphere, met in Quito, Ecuador, at the first Intercontinental Gathering of Indigenous People in the Americas, to mobilize against the quincentennial celebration of Columbus Day. The following summer, in Davis, California, more than a hundred Native Americans gathered for a follow-up meeting to the Quito conference. They declared October 12, 1992, International Day of Solidarity with Indigenous People. The largest ecumenical body in the United States, the National Council of Churches, called on Christians to refrain from celebrating the Columbus quincentennial, saying, "What represented newness of freedom, hope, and opportunity for some was the occasion for oppression, degradation and genocide for others."[15]
Venezuela responded to opposition by renaming the Día de la Raza holiday the Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) (see above).
Some groups and individuals have in turn defended Columbus celebrations. Michael Berliner of the Ayn Rand Institute said Western civilization brought “reason, science, self-reliance, individualism, ambition, and productive achievement” to a people who were based in “primitivism, mysticism, and collectivism”, and to a land that was “sparsely inhabited, unused, and underdeveloped.”

Read the whole article here

Today's Inspirational Quote

2008-10-13T08:22:00.000-05:00

"Despite what seems like the extraordinary nature of these events, in the end, they make you even more human." - Joel McNamara

Racing for a Cure

2008-10-13T07:33:00.000-05:00

If you haven't read any other post on this blog let me update you on my athletic endeavors. Over the past year I've been training and competing in multiple endurance events, with most of these being triathlons. I love the long hours of training and competing, the hard work they require, and pushing myself to physical and mental exhaustion. I'm pleased to say I have not yet found my limits, so that is why I'm taking my training to the next step. On April 5 of 2009 I will race in the Half Ironman in the Lonestar Triathlon Festival in Galveston, Texas. For those of you unfamiliar with this event it includes a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run.

But for this next race I've taken on an additional challenge beyond the physical demands of training and competing. I've joined the North Texas Team in Training Program on behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Team in Training (TNT) exists to find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma and to provide financial support to the patients and their families during treatment. TNT is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s largest fund-raising program, bringing in over 73 million dollars in the past year alone. Each team member in the program pledges to raise a certain amount of money during the 4-5 months they train for their event and 75% of every dollar spent at the Society goes to research, patient services, and education. My goal is to raise $2,900 for TNT.

As a member of TNT I am part of an actual team of triathletes training for the same event. We have three workouts a week together, which include long brick days on Saturdays and open water swims. TNT also provides us with experienced coaches, multiple informational clinics (such as nutrition, bike sizing, energy gel taste testings, and open water swim tactics), gear to train in and compete in, travel to and from the event, the race entry, pre and post race parties, and best of all cheers and support while you race. I felt the need to do this because I've trained for over a year for my own personal enjoyment; I feel now is the time to sacrifice and take part in a greater purpose and join a cause that helps save lives. I've been blessed with health, physical fitness, and spare time to train so I feel I can really make use of these blessings to help others by taking part in this cause.

I now need to tell everyone I know and people I don't know about my new commitment and cause and humbly ask for their support. I have the attitude that I'm am simply providing others a means to make donations that they can have assurance will make a difference in the lives of those suffering from blood cancer. I know from personal experience, that people want to help but often just don't know how and want to know what they do matters.

All donations are tax-deductible and no donation is too small. If you'd like to support my participation in TNT and help advance the cause of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is to visit my TNT website and make an online donation.

If you have already contributed I thank you from the bottom of my heart and encourage you to keep visiting this blog for updates on my training. I'll post pictures, workouts, and stories of what exactly one thinks about during a 5 hour workout. I also plan on posting any funny stories or useful training and triathlon tips I come across over the next 5 months.

P.S. Don't keep me a secret. Tell your friends and family about my participation in TNT and send them the link to my TNT website (http://pages.teamintraining.org/ntx/lstri09/kstoddard) or this blog (www.todayiwillbeme.blogspot.com).

More than Just a Metal

2008-10-09T14:11:00.000-05:00

This last Sunday I had the privilege to compete in one of my favorite races of the year; the U.S. Toyota Open in Dallas. I trained smart this year for this race, and for that matter, all my other races as well. Last year I was blinded by an odd desire to exceed my training schedule and obsessed with piling the miles on. I hurt myself, several times, using this strategy of training. I ended up with a stress fracture in my foot and a inflamed psoas which put me out of the game for about 6 months.

But that wasn't the case this year. I learned from my mistakes and found that I could train harder, if I trained smarter. Odd. I wasn't expecting that to be the case. And though I don't think I logged as many running miles this year I still took 5 minutes off my time from last year. By focusing my training and not pushing through injury-indicating pain signals, I was able to gain speed and technique in all of the elements of the triathlon: swimming, cycling, running, and transitions.

All of this has caused me to reflect and ponder my motivation for racing. I've listened to the fellow endurance addicts that make up my close knit training group and have realized that we all subject ourselves to pain, exhaustion, sacrifice, and a host of other inflictions willingly for very different reasons. For me it's about the entire process of training. Having healed remarkably several times from debilitating injuries, I have a growing respect and appreciation for my body's physical capabilities to endure and heal itself. I love endurance events because they show me I'm capable of more than I ever imagined. I can push my body to the limits, and only then do I begin to learn something new about myself. I also continue on in these endurance events and trainings because I simply love the feeling of covering miles powered by what God gave me. I live for the feeling of sheer exhaustion and accomplishment that comes when I cross the finish line of a race. So while it's great that I've been able to continually improve my times, that's just icing on the cake. I race and train because it makes me feel alive. If I did not challenge myself continually, I could not expect to grow as an athlete and as an individual. And without continually advancement life would just be boring.

"To achieve all that is possible, we must attempt the impossible - to be as much as we can, we must dream of being more."

Motivational Quotes

2008-10-09T08:42:00.000-05:00

"The only way to be who you want to be is by being what you haven't yet been."
- Sally Edwards

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."
- T.S. Eliot

Quotes and Mantras for Endurance Events

2008-10-08T14:14:00.000-05:00

Having aspired to take my multi-sport athletic endeavors to the next level and train and complete a half Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run) in April, I feel the need now to search and collect mantras and quotes to call upon during hard hours of training and racing. I will need to stay continually motivated and will have to sacrifice a great deal. This list is just one of the ways I plan to keep my self on track. I plan to continually add to the list but here is what I've got so far:

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours." -Henry David Thoreau

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it's too low and we reach it"
-Michelangelo-

And my never fail mantra: "It's only a process"

2008-09-24T09:18:00.000-05:00

Wouldn't it be nice if there were only two hummer owners?

Billboards Battle Trees

2008-09-10T08:07:00.000-05:00

The scenic rights along a stretch of Highway in Osceola Florida, just outside Disney World, are in the midst of a tug of war between billboard owners and local citizens. In the 1980's this stretch of highway apparently was such an eyesore that the citizens opted to tax themselves $29 million dollars to fund a highway beautification project. Now they have bike trails and 10 foot sidewalks on either side, lush landscaping that includes hundreds of trees, and well-lit bus stops, and information kiosks.

It would seem that such a project would have unanimous support, however Clear Channel and other billboard companies began complaining to the city that the new trees block the view of their billboards and threatened their business, which they argue, threatens the tourist industry, which is a major component of the local economy. Based on these claims, and the fact that their billboards were their first, they lobbied the state Legislature. The state sided with the billboard companies and in 2006 passed a law that guaranteed a 500 foot unobstructed view of the billboards.

Obviously citizens were enraged by this legislation because in their eyes it placed corporate interests over the public interest. But the real issue isn't about the trees; it's about who gets to control what the public views on a public highway. In the end the billboard companies and the citizen compromised and settled on an agreement that the trees be trimmed back to not obstruct the view instead of cutting them down entirely.

So who is right in this situation? The billboards were there first and they say they are essential for the tourist industry; but is it right to allow private industry to dictate what the public view on a public road? As much as it pains me to say, I think since the billboards were there first they should be allowed to remain and to be seen, but not at the cost of chopping down all the trees. Pruning ordinances are a good alternative as well as adequate pre-planning on the part of the city's beautification project. Granted billboards are important to tourism; however I would argue that I wouldn't want to see an ugly stretch of highway devoid of trees and littered with billboards. A compromise is best for both the citizens and the tourism industry in my opinion. I'm curious what anyone else thinks about this.

For the entire story, visit NPR

Women in Politics

2008-09-09T09:47:00.000-05:00

Right now there is a heated debate in our nation about the place of women in the political world sparked by the vice president selection for the Republican ticket. Like Mr. Tuesday Pants (), I don't think women are incapable of serving in politics or that they should not serve because of some antiquated gender related issue. What I do strongly believe is that women should be held to equal standing as men in politics, but this is where I see problems emerging in two ways.

The general public response to Sarah Palin's vice president bid, at least from the female population that even remotely follows politics, is either "You go girl" or "How could she?" The "You go girl" camp are women who feel empowered that a woman is in the running for vice president and probably believe, as they should, that a women can do any job a man can. I'm not contesting this fact at all. I'm certain women have just as much intelligence and skills to run a nation as a man, I'm just not sure I want that. Again I'm aligned with Mr. Tuesday Pants, so refer to his post on Women in Politics for details on this. The "how could she?" camp pipes up this question because Sarah Palin has a 4 month old child with down syndrome and a 17 year old expecting a child of her own, and, I'm speculating here, this camp believes Sarah Palin should be more concerned with her own family right now than with running a country. "You go girl"s would say that no one has the right to tell a women how the manage her family. I pose this question though: would they feel any different about this issue if it were Obama with and a mental disabled infant? I certain hope not, but we can never know.

So do we hold Palin to a different standard because she is a woman and we criticize her decision to run despite her family situation because we think a mother should care for her family first or do we make this judgment of her simply because the we believe the needs of her family take precedent over national affairs for her as an individual? The Republican party would ask you to not consider her gender when assessing her motives and priorities. But here's the kicker as I see it.

Why did McCain choose Sarah Palin? Was it because of her political record, her experience, or other a combination of other factors related to professional career as a politician. Well these factors may have influenced McCain, but I firmly believe that he chose Palin because she is a woman, he needs to win over Clinton supporters and he thinks people will vote based on the chromosomes of his running mate and not her political history. But voting for McCain simply because there is a woman on his ticket would mean you are giving special consideration to Palin because she is a woman, but yet when considering other elements of her political career and personal situation we are expected to look the other way and not treat her any differently than we would a male candidate. You can't have it both ways. There seems to be a double standard emerging but I'm not sure many people see it. This is my take on the matter. I'm open to hear what yours is.

Hotter 'N Hell Hundred

2008-08-31T14:18:00.001-05:00

The Hotter'N Hell had nearly 12,000 participants, 25,000 visitors, 3800 volunteers, who were greatly appreciated and 112 sponsors. This makes this HH100 a record year. I had real doubts about whether or not we were ready for the 100 miles. The week before we, Patrick, Jonathan and I set out for a 75 mile ride from our house to Patrick's mom's house. It was really hard to press on after about 70 miles. But whatever doubts I had about thie HH100 were squashed. I did great. Here are my overall stats:
Average mph: 18.11
Total time: 6:30:02
Rests: 3-adding up to 1:00:03
Pedal time: 5:37:59
Calories: 3685

What made this ride great were the volunteers. If you ever have a desire to cycle 102miles in heat that could range between 95 to 100+ degrees I strongly suggest the HH100. This is by far the best run, best stocked ride I've ever taken part in. The volunteers, all 3800 of them, were amazing. They MADE the race. Every stop, which on the 100 mile route were about every 10 miles were stocked with fruit, ice water, cold powerade, cookies, ice cold wet paper towels and more. Next year Patrick and I plan to do the Triple Heat: On Friday a 13 mile trail ride, Saturaday 102 mile road ride, and Sunday a half marathon trail run.

Over I just must say that my new love is cycling. It's addicting. I just love to go far and fast by just the power in my legs.

There will be many long rides head.

What ever your passion, press on with it and push your self.
www.hh100.org

Small Texan Triathlon

2008-07-30T21:39:00.000-05:00

The first big triathlon of the season was this last Sunday; the Small Texan Triathlon. This was an international distance triathlon: 800 meter swim, 45 K Bike, 10 K run. It went really well, peformance wise, but I wasn't thrilled with the bike or run course. The bike was on a very rough service road and there was so many hills, but I guess it was the Hill Country. The run was also on a service road with very little shade.
The bright side was my performance. I was able to run the whole distance which I wasn't expecting. It was really uplifting to be able to keep running beyond a half hour and I was thrilled that my hip didn't start hurting until mile 5. I pushed really hard the last 1.2 miles, by which time my hip started to ache pretty bad. I stretched really well afterward and all the pain was gone, it was amazing. I'm really surprised at how well stretching as worked for me.

My time was 3:13:33. Heres the Breakdown:
Swim- 15:29
T1- 2:26
Bike and T2-1:46:19; Avgerage 15.8 mph
Run - 1:09:18: Pace-11:11

I need to work on the transition times. My T1 time wouldn't have been as long had I not pinned the front and back of my shirt together when I pre-pinned my race number on. Silly mistake.

Running behind

2008-03-11T22:23:00.000-05:00

Its been over two months since my last entry. The truth is I started this blog as a hobby for when I had my hip injury and couldn't run, walk, swim, bike, or anything else for that matter. But I've healed up and moved on and now I'm running and biking again. I listened to my body though during that recovery time and I'm glad I did. Though I was out for about 4 months I learned so much about healing and recovery, both the physical and mental components. I found that I would not go crazy if I didn't get a run or ride in, it was just really nice to. I had a lot more time for spiritual reflection and scripture study which I really enjoyed. Now that I'm back to all my normal activities I feel like I'm leaving some important things behind so I'm trying to change that. I haven't watched any TV because really, I don't watch it. It's just noise. Instead I got did the straightening around the house I wanted to do, as well as scripture study. And of course the blog. But there's also casual reading, genealogy, and print journaling I would like to work into my schedule. So I am going to work harder from now on to waste less time and start accomplishing the small little things that define me as a person and help me find balance and clarity in life.

We will see..

Give and Take

2008-01-08T20:57:00.000-06:00

Today I healed a little more. I over did it with jogging a few days ago and my hip reared its angry head in protest. I felt like I regressed and was back to the condition I was in 3 weeks ago. But Brett at Lewisville Greater Physical Therapy worked wonders on me. His attention to my injury and time he spent stretching me and using ultrasound on my hip really made a huge difference in the tension in my hip. He let me know that my recover will be what they term as "active." I need to retrain my hip including the tendons and ligaments so that these components gradually become accustomed to the stress and use they receive from running and cycling and everyday use. I'll start out with 5 minutes on a stair master or eliptcal and gradually build up my time as my hip allows without pain. After meeting with him, for the first time since this happened I didn't feel like I was a debilitated athlete. Rather he empowered me to heal and recover and I was so impressed with his knowledge, skill, and professionalism. In addition to all this we could relate and talk with each other as peers and equals because he's a climber too.

So today I am healing and hopeful.

Patience and Time

2008-01-07T20:14:00.000-06:00

I tried running again after my PT therapist said she thought it was time for me to try again. Well, it wasn't. I've regressed. My hip pain is back. Not as full force as it was originally, but enough to deter me from trying to do any sort of walking for exercise or any cycling at all. But oddly enough I'm coping well with this. I miss running and cycling and being free of pain and tightness in my hip joint but I've discovered that I can stay healthy without running. I haven't gained weight, though my doctors say it wouldn't hurt me to and I've been able to lift weights and do mild walking. My world hasn't crashed to a halt and I'm not depressed that I can't run. I just am patiently waiting for the day to come when the hip flexor loosens back up and my psoas relents its tight grip on my right side. I really thought this would bother me more but I think I may have felt that I had a right or I should be upset and angry and impatient with my healing, but I've realized this won't help me at all. Oddly enough my therapy requires the exact opposite. I stretch my hip, quads, hamstrings, and psoas as I gradually heal from this injury and there are some odd parallels between my physical healing and the personal journey of growth I've embarked on since I've been injured.

As you stretch your muscles you must ease into the stretch holding for a moment and breathing deeply. You can't rush a stretch, just like you can't rush your healing process. I think I'm a bit calmer now for having to stretch so much. I'm realizing that I may not only be stretching sore and tight muscles in my legs and hips but I'm stretching my perception of who I am and what makes me happy. I've had to find new outlets and adjust to and accept my shorter, less intense workouts. I'm easing into this adjustment period and just hoping that I will heal in a month or so. When I do get back to running, I know I will be much more aware of my body and will have a greater appreciation for it capabilities, both to carry me vast distances with just the power of my muscles and bones, but also for its ability to heal.
So today I am on the mend. I am hopeful and patient and will continue to stretch my muscles and tendons and my spirit and mind.

I've known many injuries that have put me out and set me back but in the end, I triumphed and returned to my sports and activities with more vigor and ability. But more importantly I return as a stronger person in spirit.

Let the healing continue for today I am me and I am happy.

2008-01-02T19:22:00.000-06:00

New day and a New Year
January 2 seems like a great day to start something new, something different, something that reminds me to be myself amidst all the pressures of the world. Few will probably read this memoir but truly this I am not here to entertain anyone but myself. I am here to open up to myself and that might seem odd as I am putting this out there for the world to see, but I think this will force me to be honest. If it doesn't make sense to you, then you probably shouldn't read any further.

Who am I today? Today I am a recovering runner, cycler, climber, and swimmer. I ran a 15K on November 10th and learned a horribly hard lesson that day at the Rockledge Rumble around Grapevine Lake. NEVER run on an injury..

So nearly 2 months later. I have run 1 mile and just recently started cycling again. Patrick and I cycled a 13 mile road ride yesterday and it felt great. I forgot how invigorating it is to cover miles and miles powered using just what God gave you. To have the wind rush past, the sun rain down, and the cold bite at your ears and toes. My blood pumped hard for the first time in ages and I could feel my calves, glutes, and hamstrings all coming alive after so long a rest. All these elements, combined with the companionship of my best friend reminded me of who I am.
I am a runner.
I am a cycler.
Even when injured.
I am loved by my best friend who just happens to be my husband.

Today I am grateful to be healing and able to ride some distances. Who knows what tomorrow will bring