A New Perspective

This weekend I helped out with a para triathlon camp that was put on by the Challenged Athlete's Foundation (CAF) and hosted by Multisport Performance Institute (MPI) at the Portofino Resort on Pensacola Beach. I'd been looking forward to this camp ever since helping out with the same camp last year because it's an experience like none other. I spent the weekend surrounded by some amazingly inspiring people.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the term para athlete, they are athletes that have some sort of physical disability. We had 14 athletes come from all over the country who had injuries ranging from missing limbs to the debilitating disease of multiple sclerosis. There were a few athletes who were older, but most were early to mid 20's, with the youngest being a freshman in high school. It was so inspiring to hear the stories of their injuries and to see what they had overcome. We had several guys from the military who had lost a leg while serving their country, and one who had even lost both. A couple of the athletes had battled cancer and had their limb amputated to save their life and one athlete lost his leg as a result of a careless nurse that took care of him when he was born.
Now, you may be tempted to feel sorry for these people, but that is the last thing they would want, and they certainly aren't sitting around feeling sorry for themselves. These athletes were some of the funniest, most positive, and hopeful people that you'll encounter. They were so laid back, often making jokes and wisecracks about their missing limbs and their positive outlook on life was unbelievable. I can't imagine how incredibly difficult it would be to go through some of the trauma and hardships that they have been through, yet they all seemed to have the attitude of "this is the lot that was given to me and I'm going to make the most of it."

I was so motivated as I saw many of them, who hadn't ridden a bike in years, if ever, or had never swam in open water before finish up the camp by completing a triathlon. The athletes spent the weekend going through various swim, bike, and run training sessions and sitting through several lectures and then their final test was the race that they did this morning. Everyone finished with a smile on their face and after spending the weekend with these incredible people, I have been given a new perspective on life.

What's going on...

I've been meaning to get back on here for some time, life has just been crazy recently. Lots has happened since I last posted, but I'll try not too make this too long. In February I attended a USATriathlon coaches clinic, passed a test and became a Level 1 triathlon coach. It's something that I've wanted to do for a long time, so when the opportunity was presented, I jumped at the chance. I am now officially a coach with Team MPI. I've been coached by them for quite a while and I've been involved with a lot of their camps, clinics, etc and their isn't a better company that I'd want to be a part of so I was pretty excited when they approached me about working with them.

Isaac

Last weekend we held an Ironman Texas camp in the Woodlands, TX. It was a jam packed couple of days, but we had a great time. Me and Matt drove over a day early so that we could stop and see my sister Devon and the kids. It was a few hours out of our way, but well worth it!

View from out hotel window

We checked into our hotel in The Woodlands on Friday afternoon and not long after met most everyone for a run. The hotel we stayed at was beautiful, it's a very ritzy area and we had a view of the waterway from our room. That evening we all had dinner together and got the plan together for the next day. We had 6 athletes attend the camp and IMTX will be the first ironman for all but one of them. Over the weekend, we had a chance to run the whole run course, ride most of the bike course, and see the swim course. We also enjoyed a great dinner at one of our sponsor's house, Keven Barr the founder of Energy Lab Nutrition.

IMTX camp

Me and mom after a wet ride

I've competed a few times over the last month. Me and my parents went over to Fairhope for the Tour de LADR at the end of March. It was a small fundraiser bike race. When we woke up the morning of the race, it was pouring. We weren't sure if they would still do it, but drove over to the venue to check it out. The rain slowed a little and we were able to race. I stayed with the front pack for the whole ride and ended up being outsprinted at the end by one other girl who i'm sure i could've beat. I couldn't read my computer screen because of the rain and I thought we still had about another 1/3 mile or so to go and so I wasn't in the position I need to be, but I had fun anyways.
Then, two weeks ago, me and Matt traveled over to Tallahassee for my first tri of the season, the Red Hills Triathlon. The thing I enjoyed most about it was the chance to run again. For those of you who hadn't heard, I was diagnosed with a calcaneal stress fracture in the middle of February, was in a walking cast for a month, and had to keep from running for another month. It was killer, though thankfully I was still able to ride and swim pain free. I was a little apprehensive going into the race without having run for 8 weeks, but it ended up going fine and I wasn't too slow :-).

Pensacola was well represented at Red Hills

The newest addition to the Stevens family

The most exciting thing that has happened in the last few months was the birth of my nephew Parker Allen to my sister Lindsey and her husband. He was a week late, must've been comfortable in his mommy's tummy. Lindsey was induced on the morning of Friday the 13th (good thing we aren't superstitious) and he finally made his entrance to the world around 8:30 that night. His big brother Eli (2yrs) wasn't crazy about the idea of sharing his mommy, I think the first thing he said to him was no, get away, but he's starting to warm up to him. I'm sure they'll soon be best buds.
One last thing, Team MPI just started our series of super sprint races out at the Portofino Resort. We had our first race last Thursday and our next race is this Thursday (26th). They are short, fun, laid back races on Thursday evenings throughout the summer, a great chance for beginners to see what it's like to do a race and some good competition for more experienced athletes. If you get a chance you should come join us one evening!

Birthday post

Twenty-seven years ago today I was born in Ballston Spa, NY.  When I was contemplating what to write about, I though about going into my background and telling a little of my life story, but I figured that you read enough about me and decided to use this time to introduce you to the people who have put up with me for the last 27 years, my family.

            First of all, I have to say happy birthday to my twin sister Devon.  Growing up, we pretty much did everything together.  Being the same age, we had a lot of the same friends, were on the same sports teams, and of course shared a room for the first 16 years of our lives.  Devon is a very gifted athlete and excelled in all three sports (volleyball, basketball, and softball) in high school. We particularly enjoyed giving other teams fits together on the basketball court.  Now she keeps herself busy by filling the role of Super Mom, having four kids who are four years old and younger.  Devon is an incredible friend, always there when I need her; generous, with both her time and money; selfless, always putting others first; and very understanding, never judging.

            Lindsey, my older sister, was always the “mom” of the kids.  She was the responsible one who kept us on track and made sure we were taken care of.  She is very sensitive towards others and has always been there for me when I’ve needed encouragement, correction, or just someone to talk to.  Lindsey also did very well in all three sports in high school and even went on to play volleyball in college.  Her and her husband now live in San Antonio, TX and are busy raising their two-year old son, while preparing for another little boy that will be here in April.  Lindsey is a natural born leader and uses that gift in may capacities, she loves to serve others, and is so much fun to be around.

            Kevin, Lindsey’s twin, is the oldest of us four (though only by 20 minutes).  He was the typical older brother who always wanted to try out the newest wrestling move on his little sister, but he was also really good about including me and letting me hang out with him and his friends.  He is a sports fanatic, basically a walking sports encyclopedia.  He played soccer and basketball in high school and is now a very good runner.  Him and his wife live in North Africa where they work as missionaries.  I love spending time with Kevin, he has a great sense of humor and is just one of those people who makes you feel totally comfortable to just be your self.  He is very wise, which he gets from dad, and always gives good advice and is incredibly compassionate towards others.

            My parents, Jeff and Sue, are the ones who are responsible for us.  With God’s help they did something right in raising us because we all get along and actually enjoy each other and we all turned out all right, for the most part J.  Our love of sports and competitiveness come from them as they are both avid, longtime runners and now triathletes.  Mom is self-sacrificing to no end, kind, extremely generous, and always available when we need her.  Not to mention an incredible cook.  Dad is an adventure seeker, hard worker, and a great counselor.  They have both set high standards with their examples of what it means to walk as a godly man and woman and how to have a strong marriage.

            One other person who hasn’t been with me for the full 27 years, but who I couldn’t imagine life without is my awesome husband Matt.  I don’t know what I’d do without his love and support in all that I do. He’s a gifted drummer and the best friend anyone could ask for.

            Well there you have it, that’s a little glimpse into my family.  I couldn’t have asked to be born into a better situation and I’m thankful for each one. 

Houston Marathon

After ten weeks of training and preparing, racing weekend was finally here.  All of the long runs, speed sessions, and easy runs were about to pay off.  Me and my parents left for Houston, TX early on Friday morning.  Unfortunately Matt has been really busy at work and wasn’t able to come, but he was providing prayer and encouragement from afar. 

Ryan and Abdi

We pulled into our hotel around 4 o’clock on Friday afternoon, checked in, and then headed over to race headquarters.  When we got down there, we realized that the opening ceremony for the Olympic trials was about to take place, so we quickly picked up our packets and then found a spot right next to the stage to watch the opening ceremony. We heard several past Olympians speak including Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Meb Keflezghi, and Deena Kastor and saw many of the athletes that would be competing the next day for a spot on the Olympic team march in. 

The top four men (Ritz was fourth)

I got up Saturday morning and went on a short run to keep the legs loosened up and then we headed out to watch the Olympic marathon trials. Our hotel was right on the course, so we didn’t have to go far to watch. Their were about 100 men and 150 women competing for the three Olympic spots, the men started first and the women started 15 min. later.  Their course was several loops, so they passed us at miles 1,3,11, and 19.   It was pretty cool to see some of the runners that you always read about competing head to head.  After the runners passed us at mile 19, we walked down to the finish line to see who would end up on top.  The men’s race had four guys who were battling it out with the fourth place guy finishing just 7 seconds behind third place. It was a pretty painful place for him to be, so close to making the team.  On the women’s side there were three women who had pulled away from everyone else so it was more like just waiting to see what order they would finish in.  In the end, Meb Keflezghi (2:09:08), Ryan Hall (2:09:30), and Abdi Abdirahman (2:09:47) made the men’s Olympic team and Shalane Flanagan (2:25:38), Desiree Davila (2:25:55), and Kara Goucher (2:26:06) made the women’s team. Watching that race was pretty inspiring and started getting me excited about my race the next day.

The top four women (the one on the far left was fourth)

After a rough night’s sleep, I never seem to be able to sleep very well in hotels, I got up a little anxious with a hint of excitement for what lay ahead.  I ate a Cliff Bar just to get something in my stomach and then got ready to go.  Our hotel was close enough to where we could just walk to the race start which was great.  We walked out of the hotel and joined the masses making their way in the dark down to the start line.  My corral closed at 6:40am and I got there with just a few minutes to spare after giving and getting last minute encouragement from my parents (my mom also ran). Ready or not it was go time.

Coming down the finish chute

I knew I was in shape to run this race, and that my biggest challenge was going to be holding back the pace when I felt good at the beginning since I’m more used to races where I’m going pretty hard from the beginning and then just trying to hold that pace as long as I can. Not a very good strategy for a marathon.  I started out at what felt like a pretty comfortable pace (~7:48) and was able to hold onto that through most of the first 18-20 miles. Now, anyone who has ever run a marathon will tell you that you’re not really halfway through until you’ve hit the 20 mile mark and that is so true. Those last six miles were killer. My quads were screaming and I wanted so bad to walk, but I knew that if I stopped running I probably wouldn’t start again, so I kept going. I just had to take it one mile at a time, telling myself just make it to mile 23, okay now just make it to mile 24, etc.  The marathon is not only a test of extreme endurance, but mental toughness.

The race course wasn’t particularly scenic or anything, but the crowd support was incredible with hardly a section without people cheering. There were also lots of creative signs along the way such as “you trained for this race longer than Kim Kardashian was married” or “26.2 because 26.3 is just crazy” and George Bush Sr. was even out shaking hands around mile 19.. It was one big loop and pretty flat, but there were a few dips in the last few miles which would have been no problem at the beginning of the race, but after being out for 22 miles the last thing my aching quads wanted to do was run downhill. I really had no idea where I was throughout the race until we passed our hotel. I was so relieved because I knew I had less than a mile to go.  My goal going into the race was to run sub 3:30, so I was more than happy to run a 3:28:56 which ended up being about a 7:58 average pace. My mom finished a little while later and we were able to enjoy the post race festivities together. 

Houston Marathon finishers

Happy New Year!!

The birthday boy and his dinosaur cake

I hope that everyone had a good holiday season. Mine was great. I went over to Texas and spent the week before Christmas with my sister Devon and her family. I got to be there for my nephew's fourth birthday party which was blast. He wanted a dinosaur party so me and my sister's made him a pretty cool dinosaur cake and my sister rented a jumping castle which the kids loved.

Eli in the jumping castle

The twins and their Christmas crafts

Lindsey and Matt were going to his family's in Laurel, MS for Christmas so I hitched a ride with them and  then my mom came and picked me up from there. It was a long drive, but it wasn't too bad. Eli stayed entertained by watching his favorite movie (Cars) over and over and Lindsey and Matt had just bought a minivan, so we were riding in style :-).
On Christmas Eve, my parents, my grandma, Matt's mom, and his brother and wife came over for dinner. It was my first time doing a big Christmas dinner on my own (though mom did come over and help me stuff the turkey and get it in the oven). Everything turned out good and I managed not to burn anything, so it was a success. Then we spent Christmas day going to church, then out to Matt's dad's, and then finished off the day at my parents' house.
I can't believe that the holiday season is over and it is already 2012. Time is flying by. We got to ring in the new year with Matt and Lindsey who came to visit for a few days, but I have to admit, we were in bed  before 10:30pm (had to get up early to run :-)). Looking back on 2011, it really was a good year. While it had its struggles, more memorable were its triumphs. The biggest thing that sticks out to me when reflecting on the past year is how faithful God has been. He always provided what I needed exactly when I needed it, even though His timing didn't always seem to make sense to me. It's pretty cool to be able to look back on things and see how God was orchestrating things and creating the bigger picture. So often we go through things that we don't understand until we look back on it and see God's purposes for it, whether it be to teach us something or to carry out His plan for us,which is so much better than any plans we can come up with. It's a tough lesson to learn, but this year I'd like to grow in my faith so that I can trust Him in every situation that He is doing what's best for me. I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store and I'm excited about the adventures that it will bring
Speaking of adventures, the next one coming up is my marathon in two weeks. Me and my mom are running in the Houston Marathon on the 15th. Training has been going well and I've been feeling good so I'm excited to see how it goes.

Adrenaline Junkie

Typically the adrenaline rushes that I get come from running or riding (or in the rare case swimming) past someone that I didn't think I would be able to in a race or finishing a killer training session, but this past month has been a little different.  I had two opportunities to get that adrenaline pumping in ways that I was not expecting.

 Just before Thanksgiving, my dad had been offered the opportunity to repel down the side of the Hilton out at the beach.  I thought it sounded pretty cool and I went out to take some pictures.  When I got there, he was all rigged up and had already gone through his practice runs on the parking garage.  he took the elevator up to the top of the building and I went to wait outside.  I watched him come down and walked into the hotel with him so he could take off all his gear.  While he was getting ready to go, the lady who was organizing the whole thing said that they were way ahead of schedule and asked if I wanted to fill one of the empty spots.  I jumped at the chance, I was so excited. 

The volunteers promptly set me up with a harness, ropes, carabeeners, and everything else I needed and took me out to the parking garage to practice.  There wasn't much to it and the garage was only one story high, so it wasn't long before I was 17 stories up ready to repel down the hotel.  I thought I might get a little nervous once I got to the top, but I really didn't.  We started by walking backwards down the roof, kneeling at the edge, and then leaning backwards until we fell off and started the descent.  It was so much fun and right on the beach, so there was a great view! I really enjoyed getting to share that experience with my dad. 

Matt wasn't there to witness that, he was at home and got a call from my dad telling him his wife was about to jump off a 17 story building :-), but the next crazy thing I did was all his doing.  Our 7th wedding anniversary is coming up this weekend, but I will be out of town, so we decided to celebrate early.  He told me he had something planned, but wouldn't tell me what.  We left the house at around 11:00 and I really had no clue where we were going.  After driving for about 40 minutes, he asked me if I knew where we were going, I didn't, and then he looked over at me and said "you're about to jump out of a plane." I was shocked, thought about it for a minute, then got pretty excited.  My parents have both been skydiving and I thought it would be cool to do, but I never dreamed that was what he had planned.

We got to the airport in Elberta, AL, checked in and started getting ready to go. Oh yeah, I do have to mention that I was a little nervous that he was sending me up to jump out of an airplane, but he was staying on the ground to "take pictures" :-). We had to watch the safety videos, sit through a short briefing of what was going to happen, and then we put on our jump suits and harnesses.  Since I had never done it before, I was jumping tandem (attached to an instructor).

When everyone was ready, we headed out to this rickety little airplane and climbed in.  It was pretty cramped and took us about 20 minutes to get to the altitude that we were to jump from.  When we reached 13,500 feet, the door opened and people started jumping out. We were the last to go and I really didn't get nervous until I was sitting on the edge about to jump.  We had decided earlier that we wanted to do flips as we jumped out, so I squatted down at the edge of the plane, pulling my knees to my chest, and then rolled out head first.  It was a rush like no other.  We free fell for about a minute which was incredible and then the parachute opened.  Once the parachute is open it's a pretty relaxed ride down.  The instructor let me hold onto the controls and we did a few spins which were cool, but made me a little nauseous.  I made it safely to the ground after a pretty smooth landing and told Matt that he has to try it, but he told me not to worry about returning the favor :-).

Surprise!!

This Thanksgiving me and Matt totally surprised my sisters and their families by showing up in Texas unexpectedly.  Originally I was planning on driving to Texas with my parents and Matt was going to wait and take time off at Christmas to go out there, but when my parents decided to fly, we didn't think I would be able to do that so I told my sisters I'd have to wait until Christmas to see them.  Not too long after that, my mom told me that she found out she had some frequent flier miles that we could use so we decided to go, but wanted to keep it a surprise.  It wasn't easy to keep the secret and it nearly slipped several times, I was so excited.  I had my sisters convinced that we were going to celebrate with Matt's family and even tried to play off how disappointed I was not to be able to spend the holiday with all of them and the kids :-).

Lindsey and Eli

We flew out of Pensacola on Wednesday morning, had a short layover in Dallas, and arrived in Killeen (about 30 mins from Devon's) at around 3:45.  When Devon and the kids got there to pick up my parents, they went out and greeted them while me and Matt waited for a few minutes inside.  Once they were distracted by my parents, me and Matt snuck up behind them. Devon was shocked and the kids were excited. The next day when Lindsey and her family arrived, she came outside to help my mom carry in her groceries and was pretty surprised to see me standing out by the car. 

Enjoying Thanksgiving dinner

On Thanksgiving we went to my Aunt Pam's house (we had told her we were coming) where they had over 20 people there for dinner.  There was a ton of food and it was all delicious! It was a little different not having to help cook all day, but it was fun to be able to just relax, hang out with everyone, and enjoy the day.  That night me and Devon waited in line at Toys R Us for about an hour and a half for some good Black Friday deals for the kids.  Once we were through there it was about 11:00 and I was exhausted. My crazy sisters went out to do more shopping, but I was ready for bed.  

Family dinner (just missing Kevin) while the guys watched the kids

Playing at the park





New Christmas pajamas

I got to stay for a whole week and Matt and my parents stayed from Wednesday until Sunday. We had such a fun trip and it was so good to see everyone.  I couldn't believe how much the kids had grown and how much older they all seemed since I last saw them this summer.  The twins are talking so well, Isaac is super smart, I was amazed at some of the things he understood and knew, and even little Eli is turning from a toddler into a little boy.  I also got to meet my newest nephew Carter Ames who was born October 10th.  He is adorable and the perfect baby, hardly ever cries, and sleeps really well which Devon is more than pleased about. I can't believe Thanksgiving is already over and Christmas season is in full swing. This year has flown by!