Random

In 2007, when I was training for my first Ironman (the magical first!), I used to blog faithfully. Now, it's a small miracle (what exactly is a "small" miracle?) if I blog every 3-4 months. There are two main differences between '07 and '12: a) I'm married and b) I work a lot more. Interesting that I work more now that I'm married - ha! What I mean by that is I have a different, more demanding (and far more rewarding) teaching job. Back in the day, I could do my workouts on Tuesday morning or maybe Thursday morning or Wednesday evening - whatever. I always had three day weekends (I didn't teach on Mondays). I could get to work at 9:00 a.m. or whenever I felt like it. It was a LOT easier to fit in my workouts. I think I had a social life.
Now, if I get to work at 7:30 a.m., I feel like I am already late. Yes, I am finished teaching at 3:00, but I still have another day to prepare for, so I rarely leave early. Those little first graders demand that I am organized, prepped and ready to go all day, every day (except for the weekend, of course). I do love it. It does mean that I am generally pretty tired by 5:00 p.m. especially if I've woken up at 4:30 a.m. to try to sneak in an early morning swim or run.  I'm not sure many of my (non-teaching) friends understand why I am usually not up for much socializing during the work week. I'm flat-out tired. And frankly, if I'm too tired at school, I feel like I am not being fair to my first graders. I owe it to them to give it my best effort every day. I'm sure that I appear to be a hermit. Perhaps I can catch up with some of my long-lost friends in June & July (bless those months).
It may sound like I'm annoyed by my different work schedule, but I'm really not. It's just a different way to balance my life. Although I had more time in 2007, I wasn't as happy. While I enjoyed undergrad and grad students, I think I was born to teach little ones. How I adore their quirky comments, curiosity, and innocence. I should keep a blog of the cute, sweet and sometimes crazy things they say. You'd smile, too.
Back to triathlons -  I'm training with some wonderful people, but I trained with some awesome folks in 2007, too. As a matter of fact, I've always trained with cool people - different groups, but all good people. Lately, I've heard about some unfortunate incidents involving triathletes. At times,  the animosity I witness between different triathlon training groups makes me sad - really sad. I don't really get it.  I mean...it's just a hobby - and it's supposed to be fun. Instead of animosity, we need to celebrate the vibrant triathlon community we have in Richmond. It's pretty incredible. Swim, bike, run - but try to do it with the joy you had as a six-year old.

March 11, 2012

So sorry! It's not very nice of me to post a "dramatic" blurb about my mom's heart condition...and then never give an update. As it turns out, she has recovered beautifully. She received outstanding care from the surgical team at Concord (NH) Hospital. My family will always be indebted to them. Throughout the ordeal with my mom, I kept thinking about how nurses and doctors deserve every penny they earn. Nurses (like teachers) are not compensated well for what they do, but it doesn't stop them from working so hard every day. And my mom's heart surgeon...well...he should be a ba-jillionare (or some kind of "aire") when you consider how many lives he saves - every week, every day. The only day he doesn't perform life-saving surgery is Sunday - and when there is an emergency, he's there on Sunday, too. Incredible. Amazingly, her doctor also is such a likable, kind man.
Yes, the fall was quite a topsy-turvy time for my family, but we all made it through. I try to remember these lessons when I don't feel like going to swim practice or I want to sleep in on a Saturday morning. Being able to workout with my friends and my husband is a gift from God (or whoever you believe in). It's also a gift we give to ourselves. Some people call training for a triathlon "selfish"- and it is in a way. But it's also keeps me feeling alert, happy, and healthy.

Thanks & giving

What a month. And I don't mean that in a joyous way. 
I am lucky in that both my parents are alive and well - and basically just all-around awesome parents. They have always set extraordinary examples for me and my siblings on how to be kind & generous with others. Example: when I was in high school, my mom AND my dad (they are divorced) both took in teenagers who were having trouble with their families. Mind you, they already have five of their own children to look after - but they both graciously looked after young adults who needed help & support. Frankly, I'm not sure I always live up to their example, but I am going to try a little harder.
Anyway, my mom started to have some strange (and scary) physical symptoms this summer. She would suddenly feel absolutely terrible, sweat profusely, and then vomit. Of course, being a nurse practitioner, she did the logical thing: ignore the symptoms and keep them to herself. VERY bad idea, Mom!
Fast forward to September: she (finally) sent us (her children) an email where she briefly discussed her health concerns. She mentioned needing an angiogram, but made it seem like that was as common as getting a flu shot (umm...not quite). The ol' mother-daughter telepathy kicked in (sometimes we have that) and I sensed she was either not giving us the whole story or in denial about what was really doing on. Turns out, it was both scenarios. Again, not good.
I was able to get a few days off to fly up to see what was going on. After the angiogram, the doctor confirmed the worst. My mom had FIVE partially blocked arteries in her heart (3 of them were 80% blocked - including the one they call "the widow maker.")
Yup - my mom was going to need a quadruple bypass procedure - not the simple little stent that she thought would take care of her issues.
Thankfully, the surgical team @ Concord (NH) Hospital is just incredible. My mom made it through the bypass surgery with flying colors. She is now at home - resting & healing. She can't drive, can't lift anything yet, and is pretty fatigued. But, she is going to be with us to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. That's about all I could ask for.
Her experience has certainly made me think twice about what I eat, too. Suddenly, kale, spinach, beans, and carrots are looking really good. Take care of yourselves, my friends!

wishy washy...

Oh boy...you all may want to stop reading this blog. It's going to make you a little dizzy with my back and forth thought processes. Yup - that's right. I'm back to wanting to focus on just one big race next year. IMFL is what floats back into focus for me. And, let's be real here - what race I do really only matters to me. I don't think it's really a blip on anyone else's screen, with the exception of  Rick. The poor man  HAS to listen to me be all "wishy-washy" - it drives him up a wall. Sorry honey!

Maybe I can...

I had a conversation with a friend this morning @ the pool. It turns out she is every bit as crazy as me - maybe that's why I liked her from the moment I met her.  I admitted to her that I had also signed up for IMFL - and she did too! She's also doing that little race in Quebec. The fact that she has also signed up for 2 big races in 2012 gave me some kind of strange comfort. Misery loves company? Maybe I can do both....might as well try.

Back to the beginning

In 2007, I completed Ironman Florida. It was one of the most terrifying, exhilarating and memorable days of my life. I have often wished that I could go back there one day - and do that race one more time. Guess what? Wish granted! I (along with some super awesome people) signed up to take on IMFL one more time. I had sworn off long-distance races in light of my creaky knees. But, after consulting with the ever upbeat & optimistic team of Mark, Grandison & Cyndi, I was reminded that in the world of Ironman, "Anything is possible." My marathon time probably won't be anywhere near the time I had in '07, but that's okay with me. This will sound cliche, but I honestly feel lucky to be able to do the race at all. This time around, I am not terrified (at least not yet). I am just plain excited for this experience. By excited, I mean flat-out, Christmas morning excited. I don't particularly love the state of Florida, but I just love that race.
Apparently, a lot of other people love that race as it sold out in 16 minutes. Thank goodness I invested in an iPhone. Rick and I were driving home from Deltaville - basically in the middle of nowhere when it was time to sign up. My trusty iPhone did not fail me (seriously - how awesome is modern technology?) I could not believe how nervous I felt just signing up for darn race. Imagine my surprise when I actually got in? Wow.
So...what does this mean for that little race in Quebec I am also supposed to do? Well...my heart is 100% invested in IMFL. I'm not sure there is much room left in it for Quebec. I know that many of my crazy friends have successfully finished two Ironman races in one year. More power to them, I say. As for me, I think I'll stick to one 140.6 race per year. Does that make me sane?

Chile

So...my super-cool niece Annie is spending her fall semester in Chile. She is already there - and has a most awesome blog. I'm fairly certain that the comics are even created by her - she has been wildly imaginative since she was just a tiny person (she's still pretty tiny). Enjoy!http://bylandbyseatravels.tumblr.com/