This past weekend I made another (much shorter) trip to Texas.  On Thursday evening, Me, Matt, and my parents left for Texas to celebrate my grandma's 90th birthday.  She has seven kids and they were all coming to my Aunt's house for the weekend.  It was the first time in I don't how long that they have all been together.  Some of my cousins that I hadn't seen in 5-10 years were there and I finally got to meet one of my cousins who lives in Australia and his family.  It was so much fun hanging out with everyone and catching up.  Me, Matt, Lindsey, Matt, and Eli were able to stay at Devon's house which Isaac was excited about, of course.  Over the weekend, we spent alot of time swimming with the kids, hanging out with everyone, and then on Saturday evening was the birthday party.  My grandma really enjoyed being around all of her family, though she wasn't thrilled about turning 90, she kept mentioning that she couldn't believe it.  She is in great health though and alot better off than most people 10-15 years younger.

Grandma and all her kids



Grandma and all the cousins (that were there)



Me, my parents, and my cousin Hayley decided last minute to do a local 10k on Saturday morning.  It was called the Toughest Texas 10k and it did a pretty good job of living up to its name.  We picked up Hayley and got to the race venue about an hour early so we would have time to register.  Registration took no time at all, so we had plenty of time for last minute trips to the bathroom, waiting around, and warming up.  The race didn't start until a little after 8 and it was already pretty hot by then.  That was one factor that contributed to the toughness, the other was that there were 13 hills within the 6 mile race.  These weren't little hills either, most of them had a pretty significant grade, definitely not what we're used to in Pensacola. 

It was a smaller race, I think there were about 300 people that ran including those that did the 5k and it wasn't too competitive.  I was able to stay with some of the top guys for about the first mile and could tell by then that I wasn't going to have too much difficulty finishing as the top female.  I ended up as the first female and ninth overall, my mom and Hayley both got second in their age groups, and my dad got fourth in his.  Not too bad of a way to start off the weekend.

Last week was a very low volume week for me trainingwise.  It was a good mental and physical break, but I was going crazy by the end of the week.  I had too much pent up energy and couldn't wait to get back at it.  This week I'm ramping back up and getting ready to race in Nashville on the 24th.

Greater Gator Tri

     I just got home from Texas yesterday and I miss it already.  I spent the first 12 days with Devon and Jon and their kids and we had so much fun.  I was able to get the training in that I needed to by running or riding in the morning before the kids got up and then swimming in the afternoons during nap time.  Me and Devon stayed busy going to play dates, Bible study, shopping with the kids, taking them to the park and the children's museum, and taking them to a really cool gym where they had all of these trampolines for the kids to play on and a big foam pit for them to jump in.  I kinda wish they had something like that for adults :-)

     For the last 4 days of my trip I drove over to San Antonio to my other sister Lindsey's house. Her house was much quieter, but her little boy is also quite entertaining.  I couldn't believe how big he had gotten and how he is growing from a baby to a little boy.  We took him to the zoo where he had a blast playing in the wading river.  On Friday morning my mom flew in and that evening Devon and Jon and the kids drove over so we were back to a packed and crazy house

    

          Saturday morning was race morning and me, mom, Devon, and Lindsey got up early and headed over to the race was which was only about 30 min from Lindsey's house.  Devon and Lindsey were our photographers and cheerleaders that we couldn't have done without.  The race was olympic distance, which is a 1500m (just under a mile) swim, 40k (~24.5 mi) bike and it's typically a 10k (6.2 mi) run, but this one was a little shorter at 5.6mi.  I think there were about 230 people in the race and there was also an option to just do 2 of the 3 events which is what my mom did since she didn't have her bike with her.

     The swim was in a lake which was definitely one of the nicer lakes that I've swam in, pretty clean water and the bottom wasn't too gross, just a little rocky.  Though me and my mom had gone for a swim there the day before and afterwards we were just sitting in the water and saw a snake swim by us.  I don't even think my mom's feet touched the ground on her way out.  The start of the swim was really nice, they did a time trial start where 3 people started at a time, that way we didn't have to worry about all of the bumping and kicking that goes on when you start in a big wave. I felt pretty good during the swim and was even able to draft a little bit and came out in 26:51.

      Oh my gosh, the bike course was one of the most brutal courses that I have ever done.  We basically went up a small mountain and back down.  The hills were killer and then we had to battle a bit of a headwind on the way down.  I had heard it was going to be hilly, but I wasn't prepared for the course like I would have liked to have been.  The 24.5 mi course took me 1:15:50 and I have never been more happy to get off the bike.

     The run course was interesting, it was an off road course and several parts of it didn't even really have a trail, we were just running through tall grass, bushes, and small cacti.  It was a pretty confusing course with lots of little loops and out and backs, but very well marked.  I also experienced something I never had before, I almost got hit by a deer.  There were a pack of deer that came sprinting across the trail we were on and I thought that they had all crossed, but just as I ran by, four more came screaming by. Talk about getting the adrenaline going.  The 5.6 mi run took me 35:31 and led to a total time of 2:19:49.  I was hoping to go under 2:20, so I was happy with that and it was good enough for 2nd female overall.  The girl that beat me had the third best swim time of everybody (including the men) and beat me by 2 minutes.

      Matt (Lindsey's husband) and Jon arrived with the kids got there just before I finished.  After the race, the kids enjoyed some watermelon, played on the playground, and even went swimming in the lake.  Oh yeah, and my mom had a great race too.  Like I said, she did the swim and the run.  It was her first time swimming that distance in a race so she was a little nervous, but she did great, even getting first place in the swim/run category.  Guess that's where I get it from. 

 

Happy Father's Day

Dad with some of his kids and grandkids

       I could not have been blessed with a better father and I want to use this special day to recognize what an amazing man he is.  He embodies so many of the characteristics that I believe are important in being a father.  While I don't have time to write about all of them (nor do you have time to read about all of them) I do want to highlight some of his qualities that particularly stick out to me.
       First of all, my dad is adventurous and fun-loving.  Some of my earliest memories with my dad are of times boulder climbing in Connecticut, hiking, camping, and various family trips.  One of the biggest adventures we went on was moving to South Africa when me and Devon were 10 and Kevin and Lindsey were 12. What an amazing experience that was.  He is also an avid long distance runner who enjoys traveling to different destinations to race and has recently gotten into triathlons.
My dad loves to spend quality time with those that are closest to him.  Some of my fondest memories with him are having "special days" when I was little where it was just me and him and going on walks with him through the neighborhood when I was older. 
      He is a man who has always been dedicated to his family.  No matter what, his family always comes first.  Despite long hours as a naval officer, he was never they type of dad that came home from work and sat in front of the tv, he was always ready and willing to play with us, wrestle with us, or take us out for ice cream when we were little.  As we got older, we could always count on him to be in the stands at our various sporting events (and there were lots) and even today he tries to come to as many of my races as possible and when he's not there I always get the call the night before to say good luck and after the race to see how it went.
      Lastly, he is probably the wisest and most godly man I know.  When I lived at home, I always knew where to find my dad in the morning (if I was up early enough), studying the Bible at his desk.  He not only studies it, but puts it into practice in his life.  He was an amazing example to my brother of how a man should treat a wife and to me and my sisters of how we should expect to be treated (I guess that's how we all ended up with such great spouses).  I love coming to him for advice because he is one of those people who always knows the right answer.  It's not necessarily always what I want to hear, but deep down I know he is right.
      Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there, enjoy your special day! A few other great dads I know:

Devon's husband Jon

Lindsey's husband Matt

Parents for the Weekend

    This past weekend was so much fun.  Me and Matt drove out to Texas, to my sister Devon's house, to keep her 3 kids for the weekend while her and her husband spent the weekend in Austin at a marriage conference.  They have a 3 1/2 year old (Isaac) and twin 2 1/2 year olds (Jackson and Leah) that keep them busy and on their toes, so it was much needed time off.   

     We got to Devon's house around 1:45 Friday afternoon and got to hang out with her a little bit while the kids were napping.  The drive wasn't too bad, we really didn't hit much traffic, which is pretty unusual, especially driving through Houston.  The kids woke up around four and were so excited to see us, especially their Uncle Matt.  We didn't see Jon for long, they had to leave pretty much a soon as he got home from work.

     We spent the afternoon playing outside and building puzzles, then after dinner we took the kids to the playground and splash pad that is close by.  The kids had so much fun playing in the water and building sand castles and when we went to leave we realized we forgot to bring towels.  You can tell we are amateurs, but  luckily it was a short drive home.

     Saturday morning started out early (so I could get done before the kids had been up for too long) with an easy 1.25 hour bike ride followed by a moderate 1 hour run.  The roads around here aren't the best for riding, but I found a long country road that is decent, but there are some pretty good places to run.  When I was done, we decided to split up the troops, Matt took Isaac to Lowe's for one of those kid's clinics where he got to build a putt-putt game and then to McDonald's for lunch.  I took the twins to the mall where, of course, I realized I hadn't brought any strollers, so we didn't walk around too much.  they spent most of the time playing on the little rides they have and in the play area.  Then, after naps, we headed over to my aunt Pam's house for her birthday cookout.  They have a pool and the kids loved it, they were either eating or swimming.  My uncle Chuck made some great steaks and it was fun getting to see them and my cousins.

On the way to Austin

     On Sunday morning, we got the kids up a little early and made the hour trip to Austin to meet up with my sister Lindsey, her husband Matt and their 1 1/2 year old son Eli.  We met them at this huge park called Zilker Park.  It was really a cool place with a nice playground, a train that you could ride, and a really big spring fed rock pool.  Unfortunately we didn't have a lot of time to spend there, but the kids got to play on the big playground and we took a walk on one of the trails. 

      We left there around 11:30 to find a mall to eat lunch.  Devon and Jon called us on our way there, they were done with their conference, and they met us there.  We did pretty good this trip, the only thing we forgot was bibs for the twins (we left them in the car).  Unfortunately, Matt had to fly home Sunday afternoon, so Jon took him to the airport and they actually got to hang out for awhile before his plane left.  Me and Devon took the kids home, they were exhausted.  Around four o'clock I went for a pretty tough ride and boy was it hot.  I think it may be worse here than in Pensacola, if that's possible.

      We had more fun this weekend than we've had in a long time and the kids were great.  I think we were probably more exhausted after this weekend than we've been in a long time too.  We got a little taste of parenting and realized we definitely have a few things to learn and I think we have more appreciation for what it takes, especially for moms who are home all day by themselves. 

Making pizza with lots of help

      I'll be here for two more weeks, until the 27th.  My mom is going to fly down that weekend, I'm doing a race over near San Antonio, where Lindsey lives, and then we'll drive back.  Like I said, the roads aren't the best for riding around here, but I'll make do.  I'm also going to be able to go ride with my aunt Pam and her daughter later this week.  They have a killer hills course that they are going to take me on.  There are several good routes to run and a nice pool that's only about 10 minutes away, so I'll have no problem getting my training in.  The hardest part will be scheduling it around play dates, doctor appointments, and nap time

:-)  

Grandman Race Report

Yesterday I competed in the Grandman Triathlon in Fairhope, AL for the third year in a row.  I keep coming back because it always provides a great racing experience.  If you've ever been to downtown Fairhope, you know it's a cool little town with a lot of personality and the course for the race is very scenic with some decent hills on the bike and run course.  The race was a sprint distance, so it was a 600 yd swim, 18 mile bike, and 5k run.
Fairhope is only about an hour away from my house, so we decided just to drive over the morning of the race.  We left the house around 5am to make the quick trip.  At that time of day the only other traffic we saw were other cars with bikes on the back, heading to the same place as us.  Once we got there, Matt dropped me off and then went find a place to park while I set up my transition area and got everything ready.  Once everything was setup, we headed over to the swim start so I could warm-up a little bit.

Getting everything ready

The swim was basically a triangle shaped out and back course in Mobile Bay, which isn't known for being the cleanest water :-).  The funny thing about this course is that it is pretty shallow (only about chest deep), so you'll see some people walk 90% of the way.  I think that's one reason first timers like it, they know if they get in trouble, they can just stand up.  Coming out of the water, I was the first female, but I knew that most of my competition had started in the wave behind me, so I knew I couldn't relax.

Almost ready to start

As I mentioned earlier, the bike course is rolling hills, which I much prefer over a flat course, and it's really scenic, especially the last few miles where you're right next to the water.  Since I was first out of the water, I never saw any other girls on the bike course.  I hammered as hard as I could, hoping not to give up any time to the women who started behind me.  I definitely prefer to be the one "hunting" and trying to catch up rather than the "hunted" that everyone is trying to catch.

The run course has a tough first mile.  Immediately coming out of transition there is a really steep hill and after that there is a small gradual uphill, enough to keep you from feeling comfortable or getting into a rhythm.  I was actually a little discouraged after the first mile, thinking that if it was any indicator of how I was going to feel, it may not be a very pretty finish.  The run had a few turn around points where I was able to gauge where I was in relation to some of the other women.  I knew that some of them were pretty close, so I tried to finish as strong as I could.  

 



Almost done



In the end, I ended up as the second female (out of about 270) and 44th overall (out of 637), I was 2:30 back from first place.  I would have liked to have won, but I can't complain too much, I didn't feel like I left anything out on the course.  My overall time was 1:22:44, which was an improvement of about eight and a half minutes over last year, which it's always exciting to see improvements like that.   

It's been awhile

      Alot has happened recently, but to make sure that this doesn't get too long, I'll just hit some of the highlights.  To start, yesterday was the last day of teacher work week at school.  That means I'm officially done for the summer...yay!!! I am looking forward to some extra free time.  The thing I am most looking forward to is spending some time with my sisters and their families, I don't get to do that enough.
      Training has been going good.  The biggest thing right now is getting reacclimated to the heat.  It's amazing how much the sun drains you.  I have to be more cognizant of how much I'm drinking and I have to put in a little more thought when it comes to planning when I'm going to do my training sessions. I was able to get some new pedals for my bike which I was pretty excited about.  I had a little bit of a frustrating time getting them "broken in" but it was worth it...I love them. 
       A few weeks ago, I was able to help out at one of Multisport Performance Institute's day camps.  It was a pretty full day, from 7am-3pm, where we covered everything.  The day included an open water swim, a bike ride with some intervals thrown in, some really good lectures on everything from wellness, to recovery and nutrition, and ended with a short run.  I had a lot of fun and got alot out of it myself.  Something I would really recommend for any locals who are getting into the sport.
      One pretty exciting thing that happened earlier this week was I got my first sponsorship check.  My sponsor was the Santa Rosa Island Triathlon (SRITRI).  Part of their mission is to support young triathletes as they try to develop their talents and when I told them about my upcoming championship races, they jumped at the chance to help out...too cool.  The SRITRI was actually the first triathlon I ever did and I have done it every year since then.  It's local which is great, but it is also one of the nicest venues and one of the most well organized races that I have been a part of.  I can't wait to race it this year and Matt has also committed to doing it.  It'll be his first, can't wait.  I can't thank them enough for their support.

Receiving the check

      
         My next race is a week from tomorrow in Fairhope, AL, so be looking for the race report not long after.  I have also added a tool where you can subscribe to my blog if you want.  There is a box in the upper right corner where you enter in your email address and you'll be notified each time I post something new.  Hope everyone enjoys their holiday weekend! Oh yeah, and I have to mention, it's Matt's last weekend in his twenties. He turns 30 on the 31st...getting old huh :-)
    

Change of Plans

           As those of you who have been following me for awhile know, I have been planning to compete in the USA Triathlon World Championship race in Beijing, China in September.  However, as things often do, my plans have changed.  I recently competed in the St Anthony's Triathlon and ended up qualifying for the Hy Vee championship race in Des Moines, IA.  The Hy Vee championship is supposed to be one of the most competitive age group races in the US if not the world.  When I found out I qualified, I was really excited, but at the same time anxious because I knew I couldn't do it and race in Beijing (the races are only a week apart).  So, after much thought, discussion, and prayer, I have decided to choose the Hy Vee Championship race. 
        There were several factors that went into my decision.  First of all racing in Iowa versus racing in China will be much cheaper and much simpler logistically.  Secondly, because it is alot cheaper I will also be able to travel up to Vermont to compete at the Age Group Nationals race to try to earn a spot at next year's world championship.  It wasn't an easy to decision to give up the chance to be part of Team USA and the incredible experience that would have been, but I feel like I'm taking the path that God wants me to and I'm excited to see where it leads.  
        I will continue to keep you updated with my training, racing, and life happenings if you are interested, just at a different address.  The new blog site is mytritales.blogspot.com.