Our mini tree with all the presents for our 12 year old boy |
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Family to Family
Monday, November 12, 2012
Bad Veggie Soup
This soup was cauliflower and spinach, both past their prime. Here it is before blending. |
And, yummy after blending. |
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Putting the Fun on Hold
Why did this happen to me? Why at the peak of my season one week before Nationals and 6 weeks before Worlds? I was having one of my best late season performances since I started racing Xterra. I was confident I could not only again be the top American at Worlds but I knew I could climb up on the box at Nationals and Worlds. I spent time being depressed and angry at the situation. All those 5:15 am wakeup calls to train and the effort it takes to balance it all taken away from me in an instant. I've cried about not being able to run and ride in the gorgeous Fall colors, laughed that I had to ask my husband to shave my good armpit and tried to take away something positive. All my training is much more than training, it is my fun, my therapy, my heart disease prevention, and racing comes secondary, it is all worth it even if I can't race the rest of year.
The 2 biggest lessons I've learned are to 1) slow down and 2) ask for help. I spend my days rushing around trying to be the best at all I do, yes even perfectionistic at times. I'm learning to slow down, I have no choice really. Life goes on even if there are piles of laundry and the house is dirtier than I like. It took an injury for me to learn to accept that I don't have to do it all. The second lesson is asking for help. I've always been independent and strong willed, never asking for much help. Out of necessity I've had to ask for help in many ways and feel blessed how many wonderful people I have in my life that graciously go out of their way to lend a hand. A huge thanks to Doug! I knew I married a kind man but oh my, this has shown me just how big his heart is. The first 4 days were miserable for me and he was there at 3am getting me out of bed, making sure I took pain killers, putting my hair in a ponytail and feeding me whatever I requested. I really put that in sickness and health thing to the test right from the start.
Since everything was already booked we decided to still travel to Maui and have a real vacation for once. It may be hard to watch the race but I think there will be some satisfaction in heckling all my fellow competitors and friends with a mai tai in hand while they suffer in the hot, hot sun. I will for once come back from Hawaii with normal tan lines not a number sunburned on my arm and other horrible lines from my racing suit. And this sling just might get us upgraded on the plane. I can't wait to enjoy this view from our condo:
I'll be back but for now I can be found with the old people at the gym killing it on the recumbent bike or supporting Doug at his cross races. Thanks to all my sponsors who have been very understanding and kind during this unexpected end of my season!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
2nd place - Xterra Mountain Championships
After my usual poor night of sleep before a race I woke up to a calm, cool, beautiful day, perfect for racing! The swim starts in Avon with two laps in Nottingham Lake. It is always nice when pros get our own start as it is easier to keep competitors in sight and I get hit and punched a little less. No matter how early I arrive on race morning I always seem to only get a very brief swim warm up in. I managed less than 5 minutes of swimming before we were called back and lined up. After the crazy loud cannon went off I managed to hang on to a group and kept two pink caps within my sight the entire swim. I came out of the water in 3rd behind Suzy and Mel. I kept both in my sights as we started the bike and was slowly making up the minute or so that they put into me on the swim. I could also see Danelle gaining on me from behind. As we hit the first feed zone and started up a paved climb Danelle caught me and I was not going to let her go. I hung with Danelle and we managed to pass Suzy and were quickly reeling Mel in. As soon as we hit the first descent Mel flatted and was forced to spend time dealing with this. I was hoping to pass Mel while we were both moving forward and was bummed to see her misfortune.
Photo: Trey Garman |
Photo: Trey Garman |
Photo: Trey Garman |
Next up a wedding and some fun local races before gearing up for Nationals and Worlds!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Confidence Boost
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
2 weekends 3 wins
In Boulder we are spoiled with many races even on weeknights. Wednesday I suffered my way to a 3rd place in the local short track. Thursday evening I took the win for the women at the local Stroke and Stride for win #2 of the last two weeks.
Photo: Jim Heuck |
Photo: Jim Heuck |
Thursday, June 14, 2012
My Teva Games Tale
Rookie |
A little press time with Sari |
Telling Larry "I don't know where they are" in regards to Sari and Gretchen. They showed up a bit later after we left. Next time we'll get all of us on the podium at once. |
Saturday, June 2, 2012
ITU Cross World Championships
Saturday, April 21, 2012
It can only get better from here - Xterra West Championships
Friday, April 13, 2012
2012 Sponsors
With the Xterra West Championships less than 24 hours away I really need to bring my blog out of hibernation. The highlight of my offseason was being asked to be Doug’s wife. I could not ask for a more smart, compassionate and funny spouse who motivates me everyday to pursue my passions on a professional and athletic level. Two other highlights from the frozen months are that I was crowned the 2012 USA National Snowshoe Champion and I am now the owner (and sole employee) of Flatirons Therapy. Starting my own private practice has made my days more hectic (full time work + more work = lots of work) and through the process I have come to realize that being a therapist in private practice feeds my soul and is exciting. I hope to grow my practice to a level where it will be viable full-time employment. Until then, hectic days continue.
On the racing front I feel very fortunate to once again be representing the same awesome companies for the 2012 season as I did in 2011. I guess you can call me a creature of habit who likes to be consistent all around.
Avia- Avia is a title sponsor for Xterra this year and I hope to make them proud out there. The new Bolt TXZR racer is light, fast and flashy. I can’t wait to put them to the test tomorrow.
Specialized - This is my 3rd year riding for Specialized and I’m glad to be on board for another year. My trusty steed this year is the Womens Fate 29er. Assembly of this rig is happening right now in the “man space” at our house.
NoTubes- Hands down the best and lightest tubeless set up out there. I don’t always ride the cleanest lines and these wheels always stand up to my “more interesting lines” and always come out with air in them.
Honey Stinger – What can I say, another year of yum! I love that Honey Stinger is a Colorado based company and makes such great tasting, natural energy products.
Native Eyewear – Native Eyewear is another Colorado based company. The spunky and laid back vibe of the company is something to admire. Not to mention their good-looking and incredibly functional glasses and ski goggles.
Infinit – If you struggle to find a drink mix that truly works for you then I suggest Infinit. Infinit is pretty much the only energy drink that you can customize in all areas…sodium, calories, aminos, flavor, protein, caffeine.
Xterra Wetsuits –My new Vendetta wetsuit fits like a glove and is flexible in the arms and shoulders. I will also be sporting the Velocity Speedsuit for non-wetsuits swims.
Thank you to all my wonderful sponsors! I will strive to be on the podium and when I'm not, I'll still be smiling because the journey of working towards the top has many rewards in and of itself. Here's to a great 2012 season!