Twenty-Ten Resolution

May

2010-08-10T22:23:00.003-05:00

May is awesome. great weather and fun times: parades, races, flowers, bike rides, softball games, anniversaries, graduations, business trips, spring cleaning, and memorial day weekend golfing!

"...and May is one [real] fine month to be working outdoors." Red, The Shawshank Redemption

April = springtime

2010-06-12T20:01:00.000-05:00

In April my training was winding down and I was enjoying the beautiful weather and flowers in Nebraska. And we spent a fun Easter in Columbus. Then I went to Boston to run the marathon and enjoy the symphony, see Plymouth Rock, the aquarium, and the Red Sox beat the Rangers at Fenway, and walk the Freedom trail. It was... supah.

catching up! (March)

2010-06-12T17:55:00.002-05:00

Wow, is it June already? I guess I'd better get my posts for March, April and May done then. Here's a tiny group of pics for March. I was training a lot for the Boston Marathon and trying to deal with a knee injury. Many more pics to come in April and May.

February fizzled...

2010-03-31T22:16:00.000-05:00

Below are my pics for the days in February, and I think it has taken me so long to get these up because I just wasn't crazy about 'em. February was a long, cold, tired month and I had little time or energy outside of work and training to go somewhere and take a fun picture. (I know, excuses, excuses...)

I have to warn you that this little or no time for picutres continued into March... but later I will get at least some pictures up for March. And tomorrow is the first day of April! A fresh new month for me to enjoy and fresh new spring weather. And daylight savings time has given me more day to tromp around outside after work. I'm looking forward to April, absolutely!

January 2010

2010-02-02T21:49:00.005-06:00

This blog is going to be re-born!

A couple summers ago I used this blog to share my experiences as I trained for my first triathlon. Now, it is going to be the vehicle for sharing the fruits of my 2010 New Year's resolution. I've had a couple friends do something like this in the past and I decided it was a great idea to steal. I'm going to take at least one picture every day of the year. At the end of each month I'll post all 30 or so pictures on this blog for whoever to enjoy.

I have to admit that I've already slipped up. First I lost my camera charger and had to use my camera phone to take pics for a week or so. And I've also forgotten to take pics on a couple of the days and just took two the next day to make up for it (and fibbed about the date taken). Hopefully I'll be a little bit better about remembering in February. So here's December 31st through January 31st. It includes a niece, Midtown, work, shopping, a bunny named Lulu (who I dubbed Skidmark), church, dinner, forgotten potatoes, and a surly refridgerator repairman.

2008-09-24T21:20:00.000-05:00

The Nation's Triathlon - 2008

Welp folks, I did it. I competed in, and finished, the Nation’s Triathlon! It was an excellent race and a good trip to D.C. And I had tons of fun with the Nebraska Team in Training athletes! In case you don’t want the play-by-play seen below, here’s the version for short attention spans:

I didn’t drown in the Potomac, but did get kicked while I was swimming, I didn’t get a flat tire but I did get sore buns while I was biking, I didn’t pass out but I was looking for the finish line a mile too early while I was running. It was a hot day, but I finished in 3:04:14. Which means I almost beat my goal of a sub-3-hours time, and that felt great. I had a fun time, and felt good about all of the donations I raised, with your help, for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Thank you so much for your help and support of myself and LLS!

...and now for the play-by-play!
friday
We were supposed to leave early on Friday morning from Omaha, but due to the hurricane weather in Texas, our flight (via Houston) was cancelled. So I slept in a little on Friday morning and Brandon and I flew out with some of the team Friday afternoon. After a long day of waiting in airports and flying in teeny-tiny airplanes, a beautiful stretch limo picked us up at the airport and took us to our hotel. That limo was soooo comfortable! It was late when we finally crashed, so we slept in a little the next day.

saturday
Saturday was busy enough, with safety briefings, forms to sign, a practice swim in the Potomac, setting up our bikes in the transition area, taking shuttles here and there while glimpsing different sights throughout D.C. and listening to Ironman Champion Dave Scott give tips on nutrition and triathlons. Later that night we went to our Team in Training (TNT) pasta party where the slide show during dinner showed the Honored Teammates those different TNT chapters were participating for. Some were “in Honor of”, like Haleigh, but some were “in Memory of”. We learned that the Team in Training athletes participating in the 2008 Nation’s Triathlon had raised over $3 million for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I tried to go to sleep early, but after getting a “good luck” text message an hour after bedtime, I thought the alarm on my cell was going off! “Man, I don’t feel very rested, but I guess I’ve got to get up for the race!” I thought to myself. Then I checked the clock, “Oh good, four more hours of sleep….zzzzzzz….”

race day!
READY…
Sunday I woke up before the construction crews across the street arrived. I got all my race gear together and put a long sleeved t-shirt on so I’d be prepared for the cool of an early morning. After eating a peanut butter bagel, I met my team outside to wait for the shuttle to the race site. I was surprised… it was humid! (and already pretty warm). I ran back upstairs to my room & dropped off my long-sleeved t-shirt. Inside the bus, our shuttle ride was bright and cold, a stark contrast to the dark, warm morning outside. My seatmate and I listened to Chris Brown and Kanye to get movin’ and I sang some instrumental jock jams as we piled off the bus and walked towards West Potomac Park. I got my race number and age marked on my body and was given my assigned microchip to strap on my ankle. I set up all my gear by my bike and looked around to see what the seasoned triathletes were doing.

SET…
Two of my teammates and I waited in the swim pen where they “corralled” us before the race. It did kinda make me feel like cattle. The sun was rising and made for a beautiful sky behind the Washington Monument as an athlete participating in the triathlon played “The Star-Spangled Banner” on an electric violin. Then in no time, I heard a loud air-horn sound as the first swim wave started the race. I stood in the pen and watched 30 men in yellow swim caps head toward the river, then a group of white swim caps, then black, then red, and then purple… PURPLE! Oh crap, I was purple! Oh, wait, they were all men – definitely not my swim wave. I saw the lead race participant as he came from the riverbank, ran across Ohio Drive and into the transition area. “Lucky duck,” I thought, “ I haven’t even started yet!” Waiting is the hardest part.

GO!
As my swim wave walked towards the river dock, I saw the friendly faces of the Team in Training staff, coaches, and my husband – with the video camera- cheering us on. We all jumped in the pleasantly cool, but not cold, Potomac, swam out to the start area, and treaded water for a few minutes. All the while, accidentally kicking and getting kicked by other 25 – 28 year-old females in purple swim caps because we were smushed close together. “WHUH!” the air horn sounded and on cue we all started swimming forward. The whole way up-river I was trying to avoid running into other swimmers, trying to swim in a straight line and attempting to take long efficient strokes. But instead, I kept having to dog paddle every couple strokes to straighten myself out or get around another swimmer’s path. After turning a wide U and swimming back under the Arlington Memorial Bridge, I realized the river’s current was going to be a big help. During the second half of the swim I felt like I was finally able to focus and get in a relaxed rhythm, and go a lot faster! (swim 0:37:36)

TI
As I ran from the exit dock and started stripping off my wetsuit, my head still felt like it was swimming and I was tired. I ran through the muddy grass on the riverbank and across Ohio Drive to the transition area in West Potomac Park. I saw Brandon as I ran and stuck my tongue out at the video camera he was holding. With my racing clothes pulled on, helmet snapped into place, and my bike by my side, I was ready to race again! (transition one 0:05:28)

BIKE
I ran, guiding my bike over the mount/dismount line, then hopped on and started pedaling. I was only a couple miles into the bike course when my glutes started to feel tired and sore. “Oh great!” I thought, “less than 5 miles in and my muscles are already tired!” But it didn’t really slow me down. The bike ride was the easiest (but longest) part of the race by far. There was a part of the course that was an optical illusion, though. It looked as though I was biking downhill, but I was struggling to keep pace, and the bikers that had already turned around and were going the other way looked like they were flying uphill! I heard other athletes talking about it after the race, too, so I knew I wasn’t going crazy. Most of the second half of the bike, I was trying to keep up with a 37-year old woman on a road bike. (Everyone’s age is marked on their calves, remember.) I kept passing and getting passed by her and I thought she might start getting mad at me. The last time she passed me was about 4 miles from the end of the bike course, and as she passed me she said, “Get you on a road bike, girl, and you’d be flying! Every time I look up there you are!” I biked hard the last few miles and stuck my tongue out as I passed my husband with our video camera. (bike 1:22:57)

T2
I had to jump off my bike before I crossed the mount/dismount line in front of the transition area, and when my feet hit the pavement, I almost fell down. I must have been pedaling hard on the bike, because my legs were wobbly and weak. I re-racked my bike, drank some water, and walked through the transition area. I let the water in my stomach settle and my legs relax a little, and then started running just before I got to where Brandon was standing with the video camera. (transition two 0:03:00)

RUN
I could tell right from the start that the microchip with the velcro strap around my ankle was going to bother me if I didn’t readjust it. I had put it on pretty tight so it wouldn’t fall off in the swim or bike portions, and then forgot to adjust it in the second transition. But I couldn’t bring myself to waste the energy to stop running and adjust it now that I had started the final leg of the race, so I just figured on blisters. The park’s path that we were running on was shaded, and pretty breezy with a beautiful view of the river and park. After a pretty easy-going mile one, I decided it was time to pick up the pace. I saw another “37” on a woman’s calf. I wasn’t specifically looking for another 37-year-old, but she had passed me at a good steady pace. I latched my eyes on her back and tried my best to keep up with her. A couple times she got a little distance ahead of me, but I tried my best to catch her. Then, shortly after we passed the 4-mile marker, the 37 year-old calf and the woman it was attached to started walking. “Oh no!” I thought, as my focus was broken. I knew I’d have to push myself now that I didn’t have a clearly visible and immediate goal.

By that time I was out of the park and oblivious that I had gone right past the Washington Monument. It was 96 degrees and I was running on blacktop in the middle of sunny downtown Washington D.C. I was realizing how hot it was and then I started to hear cheering. “I’m almost done!” I thought, elated. And I rounded a corner that was lined with cheering spectators. I saw Team in Training staff members from Nebraska and started running faster as they yelled my name and words of encouragement. When I finally came to the end of the huge stretch of road in front of me, the race route took a turn and there were more spectators and more blacktop, but no finish line. I was trying to keep my pace up, but I knew my fatigue and the sun were slowing me down a bit. The course pulled a “U-ie” at the end of a block and I thought for sure I could make it down the homestretch! But the course turned another corner and I saw Pennsylvania Avenue lined with people cheering the runners on. “AAHHH!” I exhaled the frustrated sound out loud. “I’m still not to the finish line?” I still had to run up the street towards the Capitol building, turn around, and run all the way back to the finish. My body wanted to stop, but I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, refusing my legs’ wish to walk. I saw my coach, and a bit later, Brandon with the video camera, cheering and urging me to stay strong, or speed up, or something.

Then, finally, I saw it. The finish line! It was the real thing, I knew because of the big banner that read “FINISH LINE”. There was no fooling me this time. I started to speed up a little and then I caught a glimpse of a guy on my left starting to pick up his pace. “You gotta beat that girl!” someone yelled from the side of the street. “I don’t think so,” my legs replied as I sped up and was as close to sprinting as I could get for the last 500 yards of that race. He didn’t beat me, and I had finished! Woo Hoo! I was done!

My legs were thankful as I slowed to a walk. I took my microchip off my ankle to hand in and saw a band of wounds around my ankle where the velcro band had been. A race-day volunteer suggested visiting the first aid tent to get the wounds attended to, but when I got there I saw there were some heat-stroke-looking victims that needed more help than me. So I found some of my teammates, my husband, a slice of pizza, and a lot of water and sat down on the curb. Oh yeah that felt good. What a great trip to D.C.!

2008-09-11T19:00:00.000-05:00

READY OR NOT...

This last week has gone by quickly. Sunday my team all said goodbye to our bikes as they were shipped out to D.C. with a bunch of other Team in Training bikes from across the country. Then immediately after that we went for a chilly Sunday morning swim in the lake with our wetsuits on. And, um, my feet went numb. It's the Raynaud's... look it up.

Anyway, this week was taper week, so my workouts have been brief. Tomorrow morning the team flies out of Omaha toward our nation's lovely capital. Then Sunday morning, September 14th, I'll get up at "the crack" to shuttle out to the race site at 4:30 AM to compete in the Nation's Triathlon. WISH ME LUCK!!

2008-09-06T09:29:00.000-05:00

One Week and One Day

The Nation's Triathlon to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a week from tomorrow! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I feel confident that I am ready to compete.

Thursday night I rode 20 miles on the bike trail and then went for a 6 mile run with my husband. I felt really good and knew that in a race situation I could've ran even faster. My knees and quads definitely have a tight and wobbly feeling when I begin to run after biking, but I start to recover and feel better the more miles I run.

Last night was the Benefit Putt Putt night at Adventure Golf Center in Lincoln. It went pretty well, and Brandon and I had fun visiting with some people we hadn't seen in a while. Thank you to all of you who came out and thanks to the owners! woot, woot.

I still have about $2,000 or so to raise for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) to meet my minimum goal, so if you've thought about giving and haven't... Now is a great time! Visit my fundraising website and donate securely and safely online with credit or you can mail me a check made out to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. For those of you that have already donated, THANK YOU! I really do appreciate all the moral and monetary support for myself and LLS. You've helped out a great cause: the fight against cancer!

2008-09-03T21:56:00.000-05:00

AH! I CAN'T BREATHE!!
Wetsuits are constricting, yet buoyant... and oh so flattering.

So tonight my team went swimming in the lake with our lovely wetsuits on. It feels funny. Oh yeah, and I couldn't breathe! Then I was told to unzip it one notch and loosen the neck. I never did like turtlenecks...

After loosening the neck up a little, I was able to get along fine. I thought I was getting along so well, in fact, that I didn't bother sighting while I was swimming. So I ended up in the middle of the lake by myself because I wasn't swimming in a straight line. A little extra swimming practice, I guess.

I'm excited for the Nation's Triathlon, though. Less than two weeks away! D.C. here I come!

2008-08-23T20:58:00.000-05:00

Love at first ride...

So last Friday (a week ago from yesterday) I rode my bike a lot. I rode home from work, then I rode to the library to return a book, and then when my husband went to the driving range with a friend I decided to go for yet another ride. It was gorgeous outside! (Much like tonight.) It was a fun night, but when I went to bed I barely slept all night... my knees hurt so bad!! I expected my quads to be a little tight, but the knees were brutal. I accredited it to my old, heavy mountain bike that is too low for me.

Fast forward to this last Thursday. The husband finally caved and said we could get me a new bike. And today I finally got to test drive some beauts and found one that was awesome. So we went for a ride tonight, and this new bike is heaven! It is a million -nay- a billion times easier to go uphill, downhill, or actually anywhere... oh and it doesn't hurt my knees.

I switched bikes w/ my husband halfway through the ride so he could appreciate. Now I think he kinda wants one... heh heh. How many dollars do I love this bike? More dollars than we paid for it.

2008-08-13T21:36:00.000-05:00

Sweet, yo.

Yeah, so... on Tuesday I rode my bike home from work and was thinking about doing a 4 mile run afterward. I'd come to realize that the Nation's Triathlon is only a month or so away, and I need to start kickin' my training up a notch. I wanted to use some of that sweet, re-energizing "power gel" that Coach gave us on Saturday so I could go faster on my run.

However, I didn't have any sweet "power gels". But I heard somewhere that natural sugar in honey might do the trick. So, after a couple spoonfuls of honey, and a lot of water I was feelin' good enough to truck it six miles.

I don't think I'll do that again, though, because apparently all honey could give you a sugar spike and crash. I doesn't have the right mix... "Studies have shown that a 2 parts glucose (high glycemic index) to 1 part fructose (low glycemic index) result in a 20-55% increase in the body’s ability to process the energy you give it. This means you get an excellent energy boost without a huge insulin spike that will cause you to feel exhausted."

2008-08-11T21:18:00.000-05:00

frosting and candy bars?!

So, on Saturday I had a group work-out with my team. Bike 20 miles, run 4. The challenge was that everyone had nice road bikes, and I still have my $60 mountain bike. I kept up pretty well, considering that, but I was in the end of the pack.

After the hilly bike trip, Coach gave us some "power gel" to re-energize. It tasted like vanilla frosting... not bad, eh? I had to chase it with a lot of water, but I think it worked. I felt really good going into the "four-mile" run, that was actually six miles, and I finished before anyone else. So I was a couple minutes behind in the bike, a couple ahead in the run.

After the run, coach gave us some re-fueling Power Bars... chocolate covered. They tasted great! It was like devouring a candy bar. Was it because I was starving? or were they really that good? All I know, is that I kinda like training food.

2008-08-06T21:43:00.000-05:00

SWACK = Sweaty + Back

Okay, so here's a lesson in vocabulary. Swack is different from S.W.A.K. Swack is an adjective and a noun at the same time. Sweaty + back = swack. When you ride your bike home wearing a backpack, you're likely to get swack, and a lot of it.

There's also stwaps (sweaty + straps) and swont (sweaty + front). Oh, and don't forget swegs, swankles, swoulders, swalms, sweck, and sweyes. (My eyes don't actually sweat, the sweat just runs into them.) For those of you who are visual learners, please see the illustrations of swack, swoulders, and stwaps below. These are marks of a good workout.

2008-08-05T21:29:00.000-05:00

Time for a Cool Change

Today was an oasis. Such nice weather compared to the sweat-fest this last weekend. It was so nice outside I decided to bike 20 and run 4. Whew! Running after biking always makes my quads a little shakey. It also makes me super thirsty and really hungry for spaghetti when I get home.

2008-07-24T18:07:00.000-05:00

Sunshine go away today...

So after biking home last night I went for a run, another little brick, if you will. From the time I left work until I was done with my run, it looked like it would start raining or storming. Luckily for me it held off until the middle of the night. The clouds made my bike ride home pleasant and cool (although the wind made me put in a little extra leg-work).

When I got off the bike path to head toward home I decided to take the "short-cut" through the steep grassy hills in the park instead of the paved sidewalks and roads. I was cutting across the face of a pretty steep hill when I thought I might fall sideways and become a rolling bike-person mess at the bottom of the disc golf course. In my head I was all, "Oh no! This is totally my 'Man from Snowy River' moment!" But its wasn't nearly that dramatic when I actually made it to the crosswalk. Oh well, maybe I'll get some awesome injuries next time.

By the way, I always have so much fun making up my next blog in my head while I ride my bike, but when I actually sit down at the computer I forget everything I wrote in my head! That means you have to read whatever I remember after I'm done eating dinner.

2008-07-23T00:17:00.000-05:00

Weird things, floating in the pool.

So I swam a mile tonight. Yep, pretty awesome. It's the longest distance I've ever swum at once (or is it swam?). But for at least 4 or 5 laps I kept swimming across this weird floating thing in my lane of the pool. It was probably a hairball, but it reminded me of Bill Murray's classic scene in Caddy Shack. You know... the BabyRuth?

Shout out to Bill Murray. I feel awesome. I can swim a mile.

2008-07-21T22:08:00.000-05:00

One foot in front of the other...

I've had a busy past couple weeks and I know my training has gotten put a little by the wayside while my fund-raising was taking center-stage. Now I feel like I've got to come back in full force. I had an out of town weekend and missed the brick work-out my team did together on Saturday, so I did my own today after work.

A brick is a bike/run workout combo (no, I didn't come up with that name myself). So today I biked 20 miles and ran four. That doesn't really sound like a lot, but after two weeks of lighter training and in the humidity of July, it definitely felt like a lot of exercise. The biking wasn't bad, actually, but after I tied myself into my new running shoes and hit the streets I felt slow and weak. It wasn't as enjoyable as most of my runs... I just had to take it one step at a time. I made good time, even though I was exhausted in the end.

Perseverance is the watch-word.

2008-07-06T15:23:00.000-05:00

"Oh What a Beautiful Morning..."

I really wish I was a morning person. This last week I've tried to get up and run before work every day... but sleep is important too. So... I only actually got up to run before work twice, or was it once? Those day(s) that I did, though, were beautiful.

Exercising in the evening, is really nice in the summer, but I get all wound up and then can't go to bed. Hot afternoons are not welcoming running conditions, so that means going to bed earlier and trying to become a morning person.

However, after this weekend I am older and (by default) also wiser, so I think I will have no problem being sensible about my bedtime. Therefore I will have no problems getting up to run before work... right?

Don't forget about the BBQ this Friday (7/11) 6-9 pm at Central Park in La Vista! Bring a donation and get some tasty food!

2008-06-29T18:12:00.000-05:00

legs straight, head down, body parallel, hands cupped, arms extended... oh, and don't forget to breathe.

I've already mentioned that swimming will be my biggest challenge. Coach had me do a ladder Saturday morning at 7 am, and it seemed tougher than I thought it should. (I can't blame it all on not being a morning person.) I am excited about this challenge, though, and ready to it head-on.

I always try to swim fast, when I should be concentrating on my form... because its awful and needs work. I am better than when I started, but that old cliche "practice makes perfect" might be a little optimistic for me. I'll let ya know how its coming along a little further down the road.

2008-06-27T18:02:00.000-05:00

Snakes!
This week training has been mostly biking and running. My biking trek home from work on Thursday made me glad I had my helmet on! I was riding a sweet coast down a long and bendy road when a good-sized garder snake came slithering across my path. I knew in my head I should just run over him, but my instincts took over... I braked hard and tried to go around the snake. My trusty ol' cycle started skidding under the brake pressure and I thought for sure I was toast (or at least gonna wipe out on the ground).

Luckily the snake and I both survived. I managed to stay upright on my bike as the snake slinked its way to the curb. Then I thought, "Hmm, I'm glad I have this helmet on." 'Cuz you never know what's around the curve in the road.

2008-06-18T21:39:00.000-05:00

Which brings me to my next point, kids... don't get dehydrated!

This week I've been riding my bike home from work on long, beautiful bike paths. The breeze cools me off and it's been a good workout. Yesterday I got home first and my entry plan to get in my house didn't work, so I decided to get a short run in before the h got home. I got a drink from the garden hose around by the back of the house, but it was warm and slightly metallic-tasting. Needless to say, I didn't drink much... Then, about 2 minutes into my run I got cotton-mouth and felt like I had no spit. AHHHHH!

The run turned out to be pretty good, despite the warm sunshine, but I drank like a camel when I got home. So make sure y'all get plenty of liquid, especially now that it's summer!

2008-06-11T21:21:00.000-05:00

Goggles are a must. The first couple times I did swimming work-outs, I didn't have goggles and I kept running into the side of the pool and the lane markers. (I'm sure it was comical for the life guards.) On Monday our team had a group swim practice, and the goggles made it so much easier! Although I don't look graceful in the water, yet, my technique is greatly improving. Coach helped me keep my head down and my body parallel with the bottom of the pool. ... still working on the breathing cadence.

My running workout earlier this week was long and hilly. Nice weather, but I think my stomach was still half full from my last meal.

Now I'm working on getting all of my letters out to family & friends. Look for yours in the mail next week!

2008-06-08T20:17:00.001-05:00

Severe weather is crazy! This last week I tried to run and bike around all the rain and severe weather warnings. Then this weekend we had an out-of-town wedding, so now I'm ready to get back in the swing of my training schedule. Tomorrow's plan is swimming, and I'm looking forward to it. I'll let ya know if my trainer gives me any good pointers.

In the meantime, let me tell you about our honored teammate, Haleigh. She is the daughter of one of my fellow triathlon team members involved with Team in Training. Haleigh is a brave girl who was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) in June 2007. After undergoing about six months of treatments, she was released from the hospital, cancer free! And Haleigh's monthly follow-up visits continue to reveal that she remains a cancer-free, healthy little girl.

Haleigh's recovery is a result of cancer research and treatment that was developed before she was even born. Research like this was possible - in part - because of people like you who donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. So, please think about donating to my Team in Training campaign, you'll not only help further the research to find a cure for cancer, but you could be a part of saving someone's life, someone like Haleigh.

2008-05-31T09:26:00.000-05:00

Double work-out last night... it was grood. (For those that don't know: great+good= grood.) I biked a short-cut to the YMCA and swam for 45 minutes. I started out with 25m laps and ended with 50's. Swimming is going to be the toughest part of this triathlon for me. Once I learn how to breathe more efficiently, I know my speed and form will improve, too. But, as of now, I'm an extremely awkward swimmer.

Then I biked home, the long way. Mistake? No. Not starting earlier, however, meant that I got home 45 minutes after sunset. oops. However, the weather and scenery was great... I mean grood. My hour-long ride came with a side of wildlife (including, but not limited to): toads, bunnies, clouds of gnats and some sort of large bug that hit my arm with the force of a small bird. (At least it didn't hit me in the face.)

When I got home, I ate a taco in my swimsuit and went to bed. Overall, I'd say it was a good start to the weekend.

2008-05-29T21:54:00.000-05:00

So... last week I signed up to train for the Nation's Triathlon in Washington D.C. this September. I'm going to do it through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. My personal goal is to raise $5,000 for the society before my event. 75% of this will go directly to cancer research, patient care, and education.

I'm really excited about this, and I'll post updates here about my progress over the summer. In the meantime, feel free to learn more or donate by visiting my fund-raising webpage:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/ne/nattri08/mbuss