TRI - a learning experience

What I did right:

Event: The venue was great. My hotel was affordable. The event was well organized. I was registered in advanced and I'm glad I went to the Expo and turned in my stuff the day before. I got all the first time jitters out of the way the day before. I was able to understand the transition area better and route a little.

Training: Athletically I was well prepared for the distances. If my health was better that day, I could have gone further, even in that cold water and steep terrain of the Sierra Nevada. My body was rested from taking a few days off of training just before the event but also strong enough to complete everything.

Clothing: I'm so glad I chose to wear purple. I stood out just enough but wasn't glowing. My pseudo tri suit worked well in the water and on land. Great for the price.

Pacing: I listened to my body so that I finished with no injuries. Even at times when I wanted to go faster.

Nutrition: I used nutrilite supplements: Rhodolia, edurance cubs, and XS energy drinks. Plus Luna protein bars. I had high quality energy the entire race without ever feeling let down and sluggish.

Gear: I had all the essentials. I didn't forget anything. More experienced athletes even commented on what a great idea bringing a bucket was. I seen a few other buckets as well. Not only did it make for a quick spot to sit and put on my shoes but it made for an easy clean up and nothing got left behind, stolen, or lost. I bought a new hat and I love it. Holds my hair back and out of my face so much better than a pony tail. I'm sure I'm going to get lots of use out of it everyday. I also bought sunglasses, but broke them on the drive home -- bummer.

Fans: My family came and cheered me on. I remembered those who supported me even though the weren't there, they cheered me on. God was there, supporting me every stroke, pedal and stride, I could feel him cheering me on.

What I need to improve on:

Event: I loved the event and would do another in Tahoe. I could have become more familiar with the route. It was a bit confusing at times. Also the porta potties were difficult to get to.

Training: If I do another at high elevation, I need to get acclimated with the elevation. It really effected my breathing.

Clothing: My clothes were good except after being bloated and wet they were stretched. Causing them to ride up in areas they normally wouldn't. Also, the number belt was a good idea but it sort of sausaged my stomach. I didn't realize it at the time but you can clearly see it in my photos. My stomach does not look that bad normally. It could have also been bloating.

Pacing: For the swim, I need to figure something else out. My swim time was great, a PR but I'm still coughing up phlegm today. Given the circumstances, I think I did exactly what I should have.

Nutrition: I let myself eat heavier a few weeks prior to the event. I don't think my body was ready for all the extra carbs and didn't have enough veggies (fiber) to push them through. Thus resulting in constipation on race day (weekend). My race nutrition was good. A nutrition belt would have been helpful.

Gear: My biggest flaw was not bringing an inhaler, I will not forget it next time. I'm still having a hard time breathing and coughing up phlegm. Other than that it was in my bike. The mountain bike's tires are far too knobby to advance in speed. Short term solution is to get road bike tires on the bike. Long term solution, get a road bike. I wish I would have been better prepared for the walk between the beach and the transition area. I had ideal shoes at home for that, instead I was in flip flops -- probably not the most effective. Cycle shoes, I hear would be helpful too. Hopefully soon I will be able to get some. My wetsuit worked but not ideal for triathlons. It was what I could afford at this time. If I continue to do tri's , I'll want a better suit once I reach goal weight of course. A nutrition belt w/ water bottle would be nice too. It's something I could use at other athletic events too.

Fans: At the end of the event, we lost my little girl, Amelia my 3 year old. I broke down into tears. I went to go get my stuff out of transition, she was with my family. When I returned my mom said she was lost. It was one of the scariest moments of my life! By the grace of God, she was fine and we quickly found her. It wasn't anyone's fault she got lost but it's hard to keep track of 4 children at an event like this. My mom was there to help me and watch my kids. My sister and her two kids tagged along. All 7 of us shared one hotel room, with only 2 beds. I can't say I got a good night sleep while I was gone. Although, I'm glad they came it made the weekend a bit harder. Finding triathlete friends to compete with/against, like a tri team would be phenomenal.

Iron Girl - Triathlon in Tahoe

** Warning this is going to be a long blog**

If I had one word to describe this weekend it would be awesome. To sum it up things didn't go exactly how I had planned it was a learning experiene but I came, I saw and I "Tri"ed.


Friday I spent the day with my husband. He was planning on going hunting this weekend for opening day. He took the day off of work to spend time with me. I was spoiled, he took me out to breakfast and bought me a new pair of running shoes. I was planning on leaving town around 3 pm, as soon as my girls got out of school. But we left town much later than expected. My mom, my girls and I. We wanted to take my mom's Denali. My older sister, and her two children decided to come along, at the last minute. In order to fit everything in the car, I had to take the front wheel off of my bike. It was easy to remove, no big deal, right? We saw a ton of wild life including deer and a mountain lion on the drive up. Some of which could have easily become road kill but I didn't want to bring a deer home before my husband. We ended up arriving in Tahoe, after 10:30 pm and very, very tired. Originally, I planned on running a bit Friday to get acclimated with the elevation and thinner air. Yeah that didn't happen.

Saturday morning, it's official, I'm 29! I was so excited to be in Tahoe. My only plans were to complete the mandatory athlete check in ( Expo and turn in my bike) and relax on the beach surrounded by the most beautiful scenery. I got up bright and early. I figured it would be best to check in and get my bike turned in as soon as possible. It took me a while to get my bike together. I could get the wheel back on, but the brakes were messing up. At first, I couldn't get the brake line back in the bracet then when I did they would rub the tire. I couldn't ride my bike 15 miles with brakes rubbing the tires. Also the brake line kept falling out the bracet. I have no bike tools and I'm so not mechanically incline. I was really wishing my husband was there. I finally rigged it so it would work - ok. Not perfect but ok. I took my bike to check in around 9:30 am, only to find out that check in starts at 11 am. So we went and got breakfast and drove around a bit.

At 11, I checked my bike in. There was line of athletes. All of them looked so experienced. A lot of them did different triathlon team trainings and wore their team shirts. They all looked young, fit and had top not bikes. I was intimidated! Here I was, with my mountain bike (with mountain bike tires), inexperienced and still overweight. After checking I, my family met me down at the expo. It was really neat and I got a ton of free-bees! The kids had a good time and made posters to cheer me on. As more athletes arrived and I got to talking to them, I knew I wasn't the only inexperienced triathlete. And while my gear wasn't triathlon specific, I started to feel much more comfortable.

We stayed at the expo a lot longer than I expected. It's hard to get in and out of anywhere quick with 4 kids, ages 8,4,3, and 2. I got to listen to the course talk and found out that the transition area is 1/4 mile from the beach and we would have to travel streets to get there. We decided to check out the beach, on our way down I noticed lots of debris including glass. I knew I couldn't do it barefoot, I didn't want to risk injury. Tahoe was truly beautiful, such an amazing landscape carved by God. I bought myself a few things at the expo, including and iron girl hat (as worn in the pictures), a key chain and the belt to put your bib number on. That night we went out for Italian food. Endurance athletes tradition of eating pasta the night before the race! My food really wasn't that good but I forced myself to eat it anyways. I knew the nutrition would be vital come morning.

That night, I got all my gear together in my bucket. Set out my clothes, the girl's clothes and prepared myself to get up early, I knew I would be walking to the event. I wanted to get my transition area ready and I didn't want to forget a thing! Our hotel was just a few short blockes from the venue. It was an older hotel but clean and comfy. Plus it was less than half the price of the venue's hotel and really just as close. Score!

Sunday Race day
I got up bright and early 6am. Got myself ready, ate a banana and a protein bar. I put on coffee for my mom who I knew would be getting up and ready with the kids as soon as I left. I didn't have any pre-race anxiety or jitters. Except, I hadn't been able to pass a bowel movement all weekend. I was bloated. I always get constipated on race weekends! Ugh!! I was uncomfortable to say the least.

It was a cold morning, I think they said 37 degrees. I set up my transition gear, and got myself ready for the swim. I made the 1/4 mile walk down to the beach. So many of the athletes had really nice iron girl wetsuits. I anticipated the swim being the most difficult portion of the race for me, and seeing these girls in really nice professional looking wetsuits was a bit intimidating. The swim was divided into 4 waves, mine being the last. It was a cold morning, and the sand felt like icey rocks. My feet were sore and numb at the same time. At 61 degrees the water was warmer than the air. I knew I was in for a challenge. I decided to start to the outside and lined up in the middle of the crowd. There was a 20 minute cut off time and I was worried. I hit the water with about 100 other women. Immediately I was kicked or hit in the face, arm and legs. My body was taking a beating. I tried to remember my training and focus on swimming efficiently. Not only was I being beaten physically, every time I came up for break a wave would crash in my face and I was literally breathing in water and or drinking it. I felt like I could easily drowned. All the training I had was useless! Nothing could have possibly prepared me for this barbaric swim! I decided to go into survival mode: Do not stop, Do not drowned! Survive, get through it, even if it means doggy paddle! Gasping for air, I decided to do back stroke. Yeah I couldn't see but at least I could protect myself and get some air. I'm so glad I practiced the back stroke in my pool -- A lot! Soon, I was nearing the shore. I got out of the water and hussled the 1/4 mile back to transition.



In transition. I grabbed my nutrition, got my shoes and bike. I was almost out of the transition area when I was reminded to put on my helmet. Opps! Almost forgot! I was still gasping for air. My chest was tight but I was excited to be off on the bike course. It was 15 miles of climbing but the scenery was breath taking. I figured I'd be able to catch my breath on the ride, boy was I wrong. Women were zooming past me on their nice road and triathlon bikes. My bike was nice, or so I thought but at the end of the day it's a mountain bike. The tires are not made for speed. I set a good pace for the ride. Climbing the hills was tough, the elevation in Tahoe is roughly 6300 feet. The air is thin but the views were specular. The climbs were killer. There were many points of the ride that my legs ached and I didn't want to keep going but the trill of competition kicked in. Almost every climb, I was passing women proving my athleticism. I could hear my spin instructor Dana telling me, "this is where the change happens, keep going, keep going." I would mimic my movements to those that I knew were effective in spin, bracing my abs, pushing through with my whole body. But on the downside of the hill, I was being passed. Not because the women's were working harder than I was or were stronger athletes than me but because their bikes were more aerodynamic and made for speed. My breathing was horrible, I was wheezing and out of breath the whole ride -- elevation I assume. My stomach was killing me and it had gone beyond cramping, my colon felt like it could erupt. I was still constipated, full of gas and in pain. Out of breath and falling further behind I was discouraged.

I was nearing half way, cave rock, where we turn aroud come back. At the turn, I had the most beautiful view of Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in the US, surrounded by beautiful pines and blue skies. Taking in the view, I notice off in the distance a small but bright rainbow. Immediately, recharged I said, "Thank you, God." At that moment, I remembered my daughter Mariyn and as she says, "God's promise". I was moved,spiritually by how awesome our God is. How he not only encourages me even in my weakest moments but is there with me. The ride back was hard but I knew God promised me that I could do it. I gained momentum and was again, gaining position. Up and down the hills, my legs pedaled fast, the pedaled hard. I couldn't wait to get back and tell my Mariyn what I had seen. Physically I was prepared well to do all the climbs. Exhausted and still short of breath, I started to climb the steepest hill on the return route. Women in front of me were faltering. I was too out of breath to pick up the pace and go around them. They looked as if they were losing control over their bikes and struggling to make it up the hill. I pedaled in front of as many as I could but at 3/4 of the way up the hill decided to dismount and walk, get a drink and attempt to catch my breath. It just seemed safer. At the top of the hill, I got back on my bike and made the last leg of the ride. Athletes were already finishing up the last leg of their run!

Back in transition, I racked my bike, took a bite of the protein bar and took off on the run. Near the run out gate, my family was standing there cheering me on. I gave them a high 5 and I took off.



I needed to go to the porta potty (consitpated no longer) but couldn't easily access it. I knew the run was going by the beach and there were toilets there too. Out of breath and in severe pain with stomach cramps, I stopped and used the porta potty. I knew running was my strongest point but I still was out of breath. In fact, I never caught my breath the entire race. My chest was very very wheezey. Most of the 5K run was up hill. Any day, I could have ran this 3.1 miles effectively but not today. My lungs were hurting and I decided it was time to walk/jog. Mind over matter I told myself and thought of Dave and Adrienne. I knew I would get through, I knew I could finish. Wheezing and winded I wished I had remembered to bring my inhaler. It was at home, as my asthma rarely acts up, I'm not used to bringing it. The last leg of the run was a steep down hill grade. Yeah I could run quickly but you have to be careful. I didn't want a knee or joint injury. My quads were burning. I thought of Zamara, my running partner and how we would pace ourselves. I was happy, I knew I was near the end. Once th road was flat I picked someone in front of me and decided to ignore my breathing (mind of matter) and catch up. With in the last hundered feet or so, I passed 2 women and crossed the finish line!


That was it, I not only survivied. I "TRI"ed. I'm now an iron girl triathlete! 2 hours 20 minutes and 12 seconds after getting in the cold waters of Lake Tahoe, I swam 400 meters, bikes 24 K, ran 5K and crossed the finish line.



Words can not describe how accomplished I feel. My biggest fans, my girls, my reasons for "Tri"ing greeted me at the finish line. Yeah, I know in the world of triathlons I could have done a lot better but I stated with a goal, and I finished. Athletically I'm a tough competitor but it was a learning experience and I know exactly where I have room for improvement. Nearly 500 women registered for the event, 374 women officially finished. I came in at 336 overall with plenty of room for improvement. I'm ready to "Tri" again and to encourage others to do so.

Over an hour after finishing my race, I caught my breath. I coughed a lot on the way home, lots of wheezing and phlegm. I used the inhaler as soon as I got back home and am now ready for a good night sleep.

Reflecting on 28 years

It's Friday morning - sometime this afternoon I will be headed to Tahoe for the triathlon. I'm excited for many reasons. And I can't wait to update all of you about it, I really truly appreciate all your support and comments.

Today is important to me. It's the last day I will be 28 years old. I'm closing a chapter of my life and opening a new one. I've come so far in the last year. A year ago, I was in a bad place emotionally, physically and spiritually. After my first year, I just lost my "dream" job as a school counselor due to budget cuts, I had a lot of family drama and my health and weight was at it's worst. Depressed I didn't know which direction to go or what I was supposed to do in life. I was miserable to be around because I was miserable. I was lost -- no purpose.

A friend of mine invited me to bible study. It was there, I really learned to appreciate the many blessings I have. It was there I learned to forgive, myself and others. It was there I learned I was not truly lost, there was hope. It was there I realized that I am not going without purpose, the destination may be unclear but these trials and tribulations were there to teach me somethings.

For 28 years, I relied on myself. I knew that if I worked hard I could achieve anything I really set my mind to. I was determined and I knew that no one else but me was going to help me. I put myself out there on the line time and time again, holding up everything do it all -- I felt -- by myself. So much stress, hurt, anger and frustration resulted.

Today, I am no longer this way. Even when I feel like I have no one to turn to, I do. I talk to God about my worries, my concerns and my blessings.

Last year, I weighed 258 lbs. I had symptoms of type 2 diabetes and other major health problems. I was no longer able to enjoy the things I loved to do, like playing catch with my daughter. I was an emotional mess and a ticking time bomb ready to explode. I felt there was nothing I could do about my weight, so I never even tried.

Today, I handle stress much better am usually happy and have people tell me how optimistic I am. I've lost nearly 70 lbs (more than 1/4 of my body weight, and still lossing. I am healthy, fit and try live life to the fullest. I am truly content in my life, even though nothing in life is stable right now (financially speaking). Even though I still haven't found a job. Even though... I could go on and on but I don't dwell on it.

What's changed you ask? Me, I've changed by the grace of God. I can't explain everything or why I just know that I'm different now. I'm much happier with the little things in life and can see my blessings for what they are, gift from God.

I'm so excited to turn 29 tomorrow. Yeah there is a whole list of goals I wanted to complete before I turned 29 that I didn't make (like my goal weight) but I've learned not everything happens on my watch. It's on God's. I'm excited to open a new chapter of my life and you know being 29 sounds wonderful.

I can't wait to see what goal's I met this year and what new blessings God brings. I am so excited to be able to enjoy my birthday in a healthy way celebrating 29 years of life.

3 days until Tri :)

Last night I took the girls on a bike ride, just a short family ride around the neighborhood. I think it was the first one we've gone on since the girls started school. It just felt so good. The girls had fun, and we had lots of family time yesterday. I'm so thankful that I can ride bikes with my girls. It's a blessing.

Mariyn wanted to ride her bike to school today, so we did, and Irode (pulling Amelia in the trailer of course) to the gym across town and back home. I squeezed in the last bit of training before I leave to Tahoe, I did body pump and cycle. After school, Amelia and I went to pick up Mariyn. So on top of body pump and cycle at the gym, I rode more than 5 miles on my bike today. :)

My mom called me this morning and told me she is planning on being home tonight, praise the lord the emergency situation didn't get more serious and is going to be ok. I am so thankful that God cares about my wants and handled that situation so my mom will be able to join me on Sunday and I will be able to compete.

I was a talking to Richard last night about the situation and I could tell he really felt bad because he knows how hard I've been training and that the only reason he isn't going is because he plans on hunting. He knows I would be disappointed if I didn't get to participate come Sunday. I think he was going to tell me that he wouldn't go on his trip, but before he could I told him that wasn't what I wanted. If my mom wasn't able to go, and I wasn't able to find anyone else, I didn't want or expect him to give up his thing for me. He gives up so much for me already and is always supportive of my needs/wants. I don't like hunting season (and he knows it) but I realize that it is the only thing he really does for himself with his friends and it's important to him. I wouldn't want him to miss out because I might have to miss out. Thankfully, my mom is able to come. My sweet husband took the day off of work tomorrow to spend with me.

I have a lot of laundry and packing to do tonight. In addition, I would like to get a few laps in the pool tonight, wearing my wetsuit. Tomorrow I just want to enjoy my husband as much as possible. If money allows, I would like to pick up a cheap pair of sunglasses and a new sports bra. I haven't bought new sports bras last October when I started working out, they are really great, adidas ones form Costco. However, since I lost weight, I think I might get a better fit from a smaller size. Nice sports bra's are so expensive though, it's crazy and Costco no longer has the adidas ones in stock.

tri training - 4 days away

I did my tri training this morning. First off swimming. I swam in the wetsuit for the first time. It's really a different feeling much more buoyant but also much more constricting. I ended up getting a light headed after the first 10 laps. I needed to take a break. I caught my breath re focused and continued swimming after a few minutes. I really felt close to passing out, in the pool after very little movement. I wondered what is going on with my body? I know I didn't eat right yesterday. I skipped lunch and had a few small snacks before going to the gym at night, like yogurt, just to get me through. Immediately after the gym, I had a board meeting for Softball and that had me out past 10 pm. I missed dinner too, so again, a few snacks (almonds and banana) before I went to bed. I made sure I got a good breakfast this morning before I started exercising though. Normally I don't skip meals at all, I know it's not good for your metabolism and I really need the calories because I train so hard. I ended up getting through my swim, but like I said it was very different swimming in the wetsuit. I'm glad I tried it out here at home and I may home to do some more training in it before Sunday.

Under the wetsuit today, I decided to wear just my bra, sports bra and compression shorts -- no tank top. I wanted to put the tank on after I had gotten out of the water, hoping it would be more supportive of "the girls". The swim worked great BUT as soon as that tank hit my wet body it was not going to budge and get on. It rolled up and my skin chaffed just getting it on properly. So yeah, the "tweak" I was hoping to make isn't going to work. I'd rather know that today than race day though. After I was dressed "transitioned", I went to cycle at the gym and ran a mile on the treadmill. I wore my tri clothes to the gym too. Let me tell you, I felt so naked in those booty shorts at the gym. Haha, but I can wear them just fine on the streets. The girls in cycle were so sweet, the not only liked my outfit but said, you can really tell how much weight you've lost in that outfit you look amazing. It made me feel so good. :D

I didn't weigh in at the gym this morning either. I'm going to wait until next week for the official Tuesday weigh day to roll around. I did peak on my scale at home this morning and it was a smaller number than before! :D If it's accurate I'm not at -70lbs :D We shall see on Tuesday before I make it official!

Tri training today:

Swim 520 meters: Bike 60 Mins advanced cycle: Run: 1 Mile


Now, I'm completely worn out and enjoying a bowl of clam chowder for lunch. :)

9/14 - Supportive

Bible study was great this morning. I'm so glad I went - lots of new faces and just a great message about patience and being a supportive mother/wife. Sometimes messages just speak to you -and this one confirmed a lot of feelings I've been having lately with Rich. It's no secret that I've been frustrated with his work. I've bickered with him so much about it the last year. At times, I wish I was working so he didn't have to. Richard has always been so supportive of me, my education, career and wants. I'm not sure he feels the same about me.
I know the God gave me this time off of work to re-focus on my life, my priorities: my family, faith and myself. One of the things God is teaching me is my role. My role is to be supportive of my husband and my family. He has needed me so much this last year with everything he has been through with family issues and even his employment. My girls have needed me now more than ever too. I stay busy every day, even though I don't have a "job". It's amazing to think of how I used to juggle everything I do know plus my work. God's grace must have been the only way I made it through. Great message at bible study, great reconnecting and fellowship.

I was reading someone's blog the other day. She was so eloquent in speaking from her heart and sharing her testimony and God's word through her blog and her weight loss journey. Really it's a gift. I pray that when I speak about my journey and my weigh loss that people really see the glory in it to God. I know that sometimes, I'm quick to talk about myself, what I'm doing, what I'm going through but really I know I'm only successful because God has given me the strength. I really only want to glorify him, not me. More like Christ, slow to slow to speak, slow to anger, quick to listen. Something I know I need to work on. Giving him even more of me.

I'm so glad I went to bible study, even though I re-arranged my training schedule. I missed my morning weigh in too. I'm pretty sure I maintained but I noticed my shoulders are looking a lot smaller. I ate heavier in preparation for the triathlon this Sunday. A family emergency has come up and my mom had to go out of town (that's all I'm allowed to say online). Meaning, she might not make it back in time to go to Tahoe with me and watch my girls and I may not be able to participate. I'm not angry with her. I would have gone too but I can't say I'm not disappointed, even if that means I am a little selfish. I pray the situation is taken care of quickly and everything works out. I've worked really hard training for the triathlon and have already put out a lot of money. But like I said, if I was in her shoes, I would have made the same choice. At this point, I'm trying to stay positive that everything will work out and I will get to compete on Sunday. :)

Mon 9/13 6 day count down

I'm deviating from my Tri- training schedule. My Mom's In Christ bible study starts back up again tomorrow, it's the first meeting of this school year. I don't want to miss it and well, I don't want to miss body pump either. I really had to get a bit creative and figure something out that will fit in my schedule, keep me on track and prepared for the triathlon this weekend. According to my schedule, today was supposed to be a cycle only day, tomorrow body pump and cycle. Body pump isn't offered in the morning at my gym on Monday so I decided to look else where. I got online and found that another local (but in a different bigger town) Gold's Gym has back to back body pump and cycle on Monday morning! Sweet! Now, I can just switch it up and do cycle only tomorrow night and still make it to my bible study. God always provides a way, he knows how important the gym is to me right now and I want to go to bible study too.

I packed the girls' lunches last night dropped them off to school then headed out of town. I got to the gym at just the right time. Got my weights and everything set up. My favorite instructor normally teaches the class but she had a sub today, the regular Thursday instructor. She noticed I wasn't at my home gym, ha ha. Dedication she called it. Maybe, possibly with w side of insanity. ;-) I had a great workout the equipment is a little different there, and I lifted heavier than normal because of this on some tracks. Then I did cycle. The bikes are VERY different from the ones in my home gym. Much older and well just different. The class was good but there didn't seem to be as many intense cyclists there as are in my home gym. In general the people were different too. There are a lot of regulars at my gym, stay at home moms and other very active people. They have a certain look to them that you know they are regulars - lean muscle mass maybe? ha ha Really they did look different though - there weren't as many of those people there. Plus, my home gym being in a small community it has a little bit of that feel, the interaction of a small town. Not so much at this other gym. I felt really proud of myself though, stepping out of my comfort zone trying a new gym and still getting a great workout in so I can devote tomorrow morning to my bible study.

When I got home there was a package at my door. My wetsuit has arrived! I was a little bit nervous it wouldn't fit right or that I would look terribly obese. It's so much cuter in person. I was even intimidated to try it on but I did. It took me a minute to figure out how to put it on -- it looks tiny and the zipper only goes half way down the back or so. How was going to fit my rear into something that has that small of a waist? I closed my eyes and squeezed in preparing to shimmy and pull up. I was VERY surprised I didn't have to! It fit great, took me a while to figure out how I was going to get the back zipped up when it was on me, or even worse, getting it off alone and wet. Can you imagine, in transition asking having to ask for help? But you know, they have a string attachment for that. I can't wait to try it out in the pool.


I've been going over and over in my head all the things I think I will need for my triathlon. Making a check list for everything putting things by each other that I know I will need etc. Today I took that huge step. I registered and paid for the triathlon! I even found a $25 coupon code online! Woo Woo I'm beyond excited :)

7 days til Tri - My TRI

A few days ago I created the "countdown to triathlon" workout schedule. With only a few days left, I need to make sure I'm ready but not over training. On today's agenda: swim, bike, run. No problem right? While I got up early enough to do my swim, I didn't get up early enough to do the swim, get the kids and I ready AND make it to the gym for cycle by 9 am. So what did I do? Improvise people!

I decided to try out "my" tri-suit -- AKA training clothes I bought last night in the pool. It's tight, skin tight but comfortable. When I put it on, I asked Rich if I looked too big to be wearing something like this in public. He said, "Not at all, a year ago yes but not today. You look great!" He makes me feel so good, and I hope he was being honest, I think he was. I decided to do my own version of swim, bike, run, practicing the transitions is really going to be important as well as adjusting to the different types of movements consecutively.

I got ready for my swim, set my transition stuff on the front porch and opened the garage so I could easily access my bike and transition. I swam 50 laps in my pool, grabbed a towel then transitioned to my bike, letting hubby know I was taking off of course. I rode 3 laps around our normal running course, hitting the hills up and down for a total of 7 miles. After the third lap, I put my bike away (transitioned) and took of on my run and ran about 2.2 miles. This is where "my tri-suit" was really put to the test. I was perfectly comfortable during the ride, my shorts dried completely. My shirt was still short of damp, mostly in the bust area due to the layers of support, I'm sure. To keep myself motivated, I kept thinking of how good it's going to feel to finish, and making up headlines in my head as if MY finishing a triathlon was a historic event. Small town women, losses 66 lbs and finishes triathlon! LOL - yeah I'm corny at times, I know. But I'm used to talking to someone during my run and I've already been around this loop 3 other times today!

My outfit held up great, no chaffing and much more supportive than a swimsuit. However, I think I'm going to do some tweaking. The shirt is much more supportive when dry then wet. Probably because it losses a bit of shape when wet. So, weds when I do my last swim, bike, run, I'm going to swim in a sports bra with the shorts, instead of the tank under the wet suit. Then transition to the tank after the swim. Hopefully that works better. If not, I am confident I can get through the real triathlon in this outfit.

Todays mission complete:


Swim (50 laps x 40 feet) = 2000 feet = 610 meters

Bike 7 Miles = 11.2 K

Run 2.2 Miles = 3.5 K


Triathlon requirements:

400 Meter Swim - 24K Bike - 5K Run


I'm SOOO ready for this!!!

What to wear?

I'm preparing my mental list of needs for my triathlon. Reading up on "what do I need" type articles to make sure I've got everything. My wetsuit is in route and should be delivered on Monday. I really hope it fits. I ordered it from Costco, in a size 12, I hear wetsuits in general run small. Costco is great about returning things if I have any problems like it not fitting properly. Thinking positive ::: it will work::: if not, I can always rent one at there.

My next issue, the swimsuit. Yes, I own a pool. Yes, I own swimsuits but not an athletic swimsuit. I went to two sporting goods stores today, Big 5 and Sports Authority to find a swimsuit. While, I was able to find ones that fit me none of them were supportive enough of "the girls" to think about wearing the entire race. So I swim in it, under my wetsuit and then what? Change in front of 1000 people? How could I get a bra under it, to provide support? In theory, I was hoping I would find a suit supportive enough to wear under a shirt throughout the race. I want my transitions to be quick. I'm not stripping down in front of that many people and I don't think there is a changing area.... that's just not practicle either. What to do? It's too late to get a triathlon suit and honestly, they're too expensive. Plus, I have no real way of knowing how much support they are going to provide. What to do? What to do?

Once I left big 5 dissappointed, I figured I'd come home and look on the internet. I know it's really too late to order anything now. But, it never hurts to look. The triathlon suits really don't look much different than some running clothes. I went to Sports Authority to check out their selection of swimsuits, in hopes of finding something more supportive. I did find a more supportive swimsuit at the Sports Authority. It was $66 and I really don't think it was going to be THAT supportive. Full of hope, I ran in place in the changing room trying each one on, putting them to a quick test. If I was bouncing all over the place running in the dressing room I knew it wasn't going to cut it for 15 miles of cycle + 3 miles of running.

Disappointed I walked around the store. Trying to figure out what to do. I checked the clearance racks and looked at all the apparel. Wishing, I had planned better and found a way to get a good trisuit I decided not to get a swimsuit. I really don't see myself getting much use out of an athletic swimsuit. I'm still trying to lose weight and won't be wearing it much more this year. I highly doubt it will fit me next summer. So really is it worth $66 just to wear a few times at most? No, it's not to me. I've been wanting a cute pair of shorts for the gym. I know I'll get plenty of use out of them in cycle. I had an idea! Why not wear form fitting training clothes under my wetsuit, instead of a swimsuit, like I would have worn a trisuit? I could always make my own tri-suit or psuedo tri-suit out of something I would WEAR again. Why not? As long as if it's form fitting and thin enough it should fit under the wetsuit just like a swimsuit, right? Then I won't have to worry about awkward changing moments or support issues. Plus, I will be able to get use out of it again and again, until it no longer fits me. Most of the athletic tank tops have a built in bra, which isn't ideal support on it's own but way more supportive than the swimsuits I found. I just might be able to make this work. Luckily, I have a few days to try the outfit out in the pool or find something else.

I ended up getting these items: My unofficial tri-suit.

Nike Women's Pro Core Sport Top - Mine is a pretty purple color and I got it off the clearance rack for less than $18.00



Nike Women's Pro Core Compression Shorts


I have a feeling this could be a learning experience but I am going to try it out in the pool without the wetsuit tomorrow. I think it just *might* work and if it does, my transition times will be quick! ;-)

9 days and counting down!

I'm so proud of myself. I went to bed at a simi-normal hour last night but I didn't actually fall asleep until around 2 am. I planned on being at the 5:30 AM spin class. I've never been a morning person. It takes everything I have to wake up and get out of the house before 8 am. I knew the early morning class was the best way to get my exercise in today because I planned on subbing. So with only 3 hours of sleep, I got up and went to the gym and rocked that spin bike! Would you believe the 5:30 am class was completely full and two women were turned away. Who knew so many people liked to workout THAT early! Crazy, I know.

After the gym, I came home got the girls and I ready for a very full day. I even made oatmeal for breakfast. Except for the lack of sleep, I really felt great today -- All day. Yeah my legs are tired and now I have a headache due to lack of sleep but I have a feeling that will all be better in the morning.

My husband informed me tonight that if I continue to get up at 5 am to go to the gym, I better get my own alarm clock! ha ha ha - poor guy!

Day 10 countdown to TRI

I was so hungry yesterday, all day just uncontrollably hungry. Maybe my metabolism was really high because of all the early morning activity. I felt like I could eat anything and everything and still wasn't satisfied, I was starving. Weird.

I can normally control myself better but yesterday I just ate whatever. Tortilla chips, dip, I was so hungry and I need to go grocery shopping. Most of the food left in the house is stuff the hubby bought and not good and healthy. Even though I ate poorly most of the day, I ate healthy for dinner, baked chicken, seasoned with a bit of garlic salt, Couscous, and mixed veggies. My body felt happy after that, and very satisfied.

This morning, I had a protein shake and a bowl of cereal (honey bunches of oats) before going to the gym. Then a Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich from subway for lunch.

10 days until Triathlon, so I've been thinking about my training schedule:

Fri: 5:30 am cycle, yeah I know it's early and I'm not a morning person but I am substitute teaching tomorrow so it will be good for me to get in my workout early. I have a friend from the gym calling me, to make sure I go.

Sat: off

Sunday: Swim, Bike, Run (cycle at the gym is 9am)

Monday: cycle

Tues: body pump and cycle

Weds: Swim, Bike, Run (cycle is at 9:30 am)

Thurs: Body pump, Cycle. Thursday will be my last day to really work out before the TRI on Sunday. I want my body to get some rest and rejuvenate so I can give it my best on Sunday.

Fri: Tahoe ( I plan on doing a very short run, to get acclimated with the elevation).

Sat: Off Happy 29th Birthday to me

Sun: Tahoe Tri :) I'm so ready for this!

Swim Bike Run

I am on a mission, my triathlon is in exactly 11 days. I've been working out and focusing on this goal for months now. I am SO ready to meet this challenge. I've been thinking about how I want to train for the next 11 days. What do I think I need to work on, what am I comfortable with? What are my time restraints or other obstacles? What is my solution?

Goal - Complete Irongirl Tahoe Triathlon


Swim 400 meters
Swimming is the most challenging part of the 3 sports for me. I have a pool and have been practicing but don't have much open water swim experience. It's hard for me to get in the pool and swim laps on top of my other gym activities and family obligations. The weather is cooling, I've had a lot of problems with my pool in general. This summer, I've swam up to 70 laps, nearly twice the distance I will need to swim for the tri. I'm glad swimming is the first "event" I know it's going to take the most out of me physically.

I decided last night that I was going to get up and swim this morning after dropping off the girls to school before going to the gym. Yeah it's early and it's overcast but Tahoe isn't going to be any better. I swam 40 laps x 40 feet = 0.30 miles = 487.68 meters and I lost count a few times and always restarted on the smaller number of laps, so it's very likely that I swam 500 meters or more. It took me about 18 minutes.

Bike 24 K (almost 15 miles)
I'm very comfortable with the bike portion. I've got a lot of training in at spin. I'm comfortable on my bike and confident I can do the ride. I'm a little nervous about the route rolling hills and short climbs is what is described. It's in the Sierra Nevada's though and those are some killer mountains, and elevation is going to take some time getting used too. I know this bike ride can be tougher than I expect/imagine or it might not be.

I've been doing spin 2-3 times a week now for months creating mock hills by adding resistance. Plus, I have two smaller hills I frequently ride by my house. I'm going to continue what I've been doing and hope it's enough. After swimming this morning, I completed a 55 minute advanced spin class.

Run 5K 3.1 miles
I've been running several nights a week. I've gotten my mileage up so that a 3 mile run isn't a huge challenge anymore, I have doubled that amount. I'm very confident that I can run 3.1 miles any given day. Running is probably going to be my best "event" and is the easiest to practice.

This morning, I completed my own triathlon, yep I ran too. After spin, I decided I would hop on the treadmill to see what it was like on my body to have swam, biked and ran. I set my goal to do 1 mile or running. Now, my pace was a lot slower than normal and I was already winded but I did it, I ran the mile. Obviously less than what is required for the triathlon but like I said, running is my advantage.

Triathlon & Training comparison:
Tahoe Tri 9/19 Swim 400 meters, Bike 24K, Run 5K 3.1 miles
Training 9/8 Swim 486 3eters, Bike 55 minutes, Run 1 mile

I think I'm ready and I'm excited. I hope to get another 2 days of Tri training in before Thursday of next week. Then Tahoe here I come :)

Look at the Jeans she's wearin'

I live in a 3 bedroom house. My daughters share a room, my husband and I share a room and then we have the guest room. Other than the bed in my room, all of my stuff is in the guest room. Our master bedroom's bathroom and closet are small and just not enough room for my husband's clothes and mine. Graciously I took over the guest bedroom, with the biggest closet. I moved all of my stuff in there but a stack of pants and stuff that didn't fit. I didn't need them or think about them much because they just didn't fit and they've been sitting in my husband's closet ever since the move.

Since I've been losing weight I've gone and dug through the pile a few times. Finding a few "new" things that will fit and knowing most of them do not. A lot of the items are my pre-baby jeans. You know, the jeans you would spend $80 or more on because you were young and didn't have too financial woes. Yesterday, I noticed the pile in the closet while looking for a pair of shoes and though, I wonder how much of this might fit. I was home alone and decided it would be so much more rewarding to try it on with my husband home.

So last night, I tried on all these clothes with Richard watching, even my pre-babies express jeans. Each pair he would ask, what size is that? When was the last time you could fit into those? And to be honest, most of them were either at my skinniest post baby size (when I was sick with gallstones in 2005) or my heaviest weight pre-baby. I could get on nearly EVERY pair of pants, now the styles of changed in the last 10 years and so has my body. Not all of them looked good on me. Some of the jeans actually fit me better but many did not. But being able to get into all my skinny clothes felt so good. Even if skinny was a hip hugging junior size 13. I think the smallest size I had was an 11 and I know junior clothes and women's clothes are sized differently, for different types of curves. I had to explain this to my husband who was too curious as to why I was a "10" but had trouble squeezing into some of my old size 11's or 13's. I do have to admit though, some of the jeans looked good and I'm excited to be able to wear them again :-)

I ran about 2.25 miles last night and swam 20 laps. Doesn't sound like much on it's own but my body was beat from my morning workout. I could barely finish the 19th and 20th lap. My form was getting sloppy and my body said enough. This morning, I got up and did body pump. My body is screaming at me now. I'm so exhausted.

Weigh In 8/17

Can I just start of by saying my body is SORE! I hurt and I'm liking it. I ended up doing an extra run last night, Zamara and I ran 4.25miles. I think we walked about a half mile of it. My knees were hurting. They've been hurting more lately, I don't know what it is. But I got in something like 7 or 8 miles yesterday if I combined both runs. So I'm not complaining. I can really feel it today though. Amelia and I will be taking a nap this afternoon. We got a new matress and laying in bed is just AMAZING, sleep is AMAZING and thats pretty much all I *WANT* to do... not that I get everything I want but hey,the kid has to nap sometime, right? LOL

Gym was fab. I'm really getting back into the routine again. The girls and I got up early this morning; I dropped Mariyn off to school, then off to the gym Amelia and I went to the gym. Body pump was great but apparently everyone else is getting back into the routine again and classes are filling up quick. I wasn't able to get a ticket for cycle. Which really sucked, so I ended up riding on my own out on the floor. I did one of the video simulation seated bikes after body pump. It works a different part of your leg, I can feel it in my quad. The simulation is really good though, you can totally feel the terrain. I got in an 8 mile bike ride in --on the advanced settings. It took me about 40 minutes. It was the first time I used the seated bike. As soon as I got off the bike, I jumped on to the treadmill. I didn't want to run today, as I ran so much last night and my legs and knees were killing me. But I didn't get in to my cycle class and I need to focus more and more on the triathlon training so I ran. Not far, just enough to get the feel of running after cycling and exercising that long and hard. I ran a half mile (5 minutes). My leggs felt so weird, especially my knees. I'm sure I could have ran more had I not ran so much last night. Have I mentioned lately that I feel so blessed just because I can run? I know I'm not the fastest or the best runner, but I can run. And now I can even run long distances, so amazing to me coming from January when I couldn't run 30 seconds.

Accountability. I know that is something you all are wanting to know. How is the weight loss going right? Last night, I weighed in 193.0 on my home scale. I was happy because that means for the contest between my hubby and I, I'm down 2 lbs he is down 8 (not even trying - ugh)! But I'm kicking it back into high gear. I did my weekly weigh in at the gym, the scale paused at 192.4 lbs, then quickly went to 194 lbs and stayed. I stepped on it again, 3 more times just to make sure I wasn't 192, lol, but yeah it continued to read 194 lbs and I'm ok with that. 64 lbs lost total. No working out last week, no weigh in last week and I'm down 1 pound from 2 weeks ago. I'm focused and driven to get on track again. I see a big loss in my hear future :-)

No gym

I didn't go to the gym today. I woke up, mozzied around the house and really just decided I didn't want to go. I took Mariyn to the mall, we had stuff to exchange. Of course, I ended up buying her more. Then to walmart to get household stuff. I knew I wanted to take the girls on a bike ride tonight and go to the farmers market. I knew that since I was so slow to wake, I didn't have a lot of time to get the stuff I needed to get done and find the motivation to get to the gym. So, I problem solved. I decided early on this afternoon that I wasn't going to the gym. Yep, it's not going to kill me if I don't go everyday. I decided that I would get some exercise another way -- I would run tonight after the kids went to bed.

My friend Zamara came over and we ran 4.5 miles together. Then we swam 30 laps in the pool. Plus the bike ride I did with the girls. I figured out the mileage, I rode 3.25 miles (up two hills) pulling an extra 30-50 pounds in a trailer. I'm sure I got in my daily exercise, without the gym. And guess what, it felt good :-)
I just noticed I did everything I would need to do (on a smaller scale) for my tri-training. Run, Bike, Swim, right? ha ha Who needs a gym when you have beautiful weather!

I bought a bunch of beautiful strawberries and raspberries at the farmers market. They were incredibly sweet. I also stocked up on plums and nectarines. YUM. The girls were spoiled. I bought them a honey stick, a peach and a cookie from the best bakery in town. Plus, Mariyn got to bring her friend along :) So I'm sure I get extra points for that... Yeah life is good.

Double Duty

I did double duty today. This morning, I went to cycle. Then ran a mile on the treddy. Not because a mile is something brag worthy of course, but to get used to the feeling of running after cycling and prepare for my tri. September will be here soon. After running, I got a mat and focused on my abs. I did 100 crunches on both obliques and in the middle = 300 crunches total. I notice my lower abs are really weak. I need to strengthen them. I had to go to the trainer station to get a mat; apparently, one of them had noticed me running and commented that I had a good hard run. I couldn't help but laugh. I only ran 1 mile and I know I was pouring sweat. The sweat was really from cycle not the run.

I ate poorly today. I'm not going to lie. I took my friend Clare out to lunch for her birthday. WE had Wings and Rings. I ate a moderate amount but I know the caloric count has to be insane. For dinner, I had an amazing turkey, bacon, avocado sandwich from subway. So good and I didn't have any may. Light oil and vinegar with salt and pepper.

So the double duty part - I went running tonight. Zamara came over and we ran a big loop around the neighborhood. I would have done two loops but her knee started bothering her and I know it's better to stop then get injured. I went to mapmyrun.com and we actually covered 2.25 miles. Not bad for only half of our planned run. Hopefully, it helps make up for the bad lunch :X

7/29

I slept in this morning until 9:30 am, when Mariyn came in and woke me up. I kinda wanted to get up early and get to body pump and cycle... but yeah that didn't happen. I was so warn out from swimming laps last night, I just couldn't get up and when I did, I was groggy. I swam until 11 o'clock last night. I did a lot of chatting to though but I think we did 70 laps. Zamara swam with me and helped me out a lot on my technique. I've never been taught to have proper form so apparently I waste a lot of energy and work a lot harder than necessary to get across the pool. Most of the time when I'm working on form or technique I don't really feel the difference but yeah this time I did.

70 laps x 40 feet = 2800 feet = 853.44 meters = 0.53 miles
I swam more than twice the difference I will have to for my tri. But I break it down into 10 lap segments.

It took me a long time to want to actually get moving. I got to the gym around noon and did an hour of weights. Daycare closes at 1 and like I said, my body was very warn out. I think someone was picking up on me at the gym. I noticed he was sort of following me from machine to machine, watching me, trying to make small talk. Then he asked me if I came here often. Uhh-- yeah nearly every day, lol. I was a little embarrassed and just kept working out. He so wasn't my type, even if I wasn't married.

I didn't do any cardio today at the gym. I knew I wanted to ride bikes with the girls this evening to the farmers market. We took along one of Mariyn's friends. I bought some plums and corn on the cob. We also bought tri-tip sandwiches for dinner. I feel so healthy just saying my girls and I rode our bikes to the farmers market. Exercise incorporated with fresh fruits and veggies - just makes me feel good like I'm giving my kids the skills they need to live a healthy lifestyle. We took the long way home on our bikes and road around the neighborhood. Of course we stopped at the park and I let the girls play a bit. Then I took Mariyn's friend home.

I talked to her mom for a while. We haven't chatted since the beginning of summer and school is going to start again soon. Her daughter was invited to go to the movies with a group of friends for the first time this week, parents drop off and pick up. She said she was so nervous. I completely understood. I remember being nervous like that back when Mariyn was in kindergarten, they invited her to go to Awana's with them. It was the first time she went somewhere with someone other than family. I shared about Mariyn spending the night with her friend the other day. She seemed just as protective as I am in regards to spending the night. So maybe, I'm not so crazy after all... ha ha

I can't believe summer is almost over. Next week really is our last week of summer before school starts. While I miss the routine of school, I really enjoy the time with my girls. Hopefully, I'll get to do something fun with them next week. :)

My little athlete

At last nights event, flyers for other activities were placed on my car. One of them was for the California kid's triathlon on August 8th. I cleaned out my car today bringing in several flyers. Mariyn picked them up and was looking at them talking to me about racing. I told her one of the flyers was for a kids race where you swim, bike and run in the same race. Immediately, she said, Cool, can I do it? Ahh warms my heart, my little athlete.

I asked her if she was sure she wanted to do it and talked to her about the distances. For her age it's a 50 yard swim, 1 mile bike and half mile run. I explained to her how many laps in our pool that would be then how far on the bike then how far she would have to run in terms (to places) she would understand like biking to school and back and running to her school. Of course, she would have to practice but I'm already training for my tri. She could easily tag along and train with me. Plus, her distances shouldn't be too fun. All participants get a medal and I know she thinks that is really cool.

I'm going to talk to her more about it and her dad but it looks like I have a future triathlete on my hands. After dinner, we went swimming and before I even got in the pool she swam 5 laps. I think she ended up swimming about 15 laps total. Soon, we will going biking as soon as we are done swimming just so she can see how it feels. I love my little athlete.

On a personal note, even though I slept most of the day, I swam 60 laps. 50 free style 10 back stroke.

Sweat Tea & Swimming

Had a really good day. Have I ever mentioned how much I love sweet tea? Yeah, I know it loaded with sugar and with calories. But it's so delish! I'm sure it contributed to my weight gain. I remember going to Micky-D's and getting sweet teas almost daily (sometimes multiple trips were made per day) because I loved them so much. Lately I've been wanting to drink something other than water and I'm burnt out on crystal light. I've really been craving Sweet tea. Naturally, I've been fighting the craving because I know how loaded with sugar it is. But then I got this grand idea to try something new. Instead of sugar, I thought why not use splenda? It's a 0 calorie sweetener. I eat it in so many other things, why not sweet tea? I bought tea bags and today brewed some tea and poored in Splenda and stired it up while it was still warm. Then refrigerated. Now it's not the same as Mickey-D's but it is satisfying the craving and well probably a better choice, calorie wise.

The girls wanted to go swimming. So after dinner (bison burgers) I took them. I finally broke down and bought a swim cap. So I decided to try it out and do some laps. Well 50 laps to be exact (40 freestyle 10 backstroke). The swim cap = GREAT investment! I'm not fighting my long hair or getting tangled up in it. I am smoothly gliding through the water, well as smooth as I know how, ha ha. It was so much easier to swim my laps. My next swimming investment: Goggles and a swimmers swimsuit (possibly a tri suit). Goggles first sooner than later.

Oh and I registered for my next 5K Davis Moo-nlight run. I've got two friends who are going to run with me. It's Saturday night. I'm excited - not as much for me as I am for my friends. It's both of their first 5Ks and it's a really big fun event. I wanted to do the half marathon, but it's their first race and I just don't have that much extra money. Plus, I know 13 miles is a bit of a stretch for me - a really long possibly impossible at this time stretch. I would probably end up walking a lot of it. So, the 5K it is for me. I know it's still going to be a great event. :) I'm excited.

Camping Yosemite - Tuolumne Meadows

We've spent the last 4 days camping in Yosemite National Park, specifically Tuolumne Meadows. We told Mariyn that we didn't want to have a big party this year for her birthday, instead we would like to take her somewhere or do something with her. She decided she would like to go camping with us and chose Yosemite. We have already been to Yosemite twice this year. It's insanely beautiful every time, such a divinely beautiful place that it is impossible to truly experience it all.

We arrived Thursday and hoped to get a first come first serve camp site. We were put on a waiting list and told to come back just before 2pm because they walk around the campsites then and count how many vacancies they have, then it's first come first serve. Well, we were number 10 on the list and they had 9 available. I was pretty nervous. Lucky for us, two people ahead of us on the list, weren't there. So we got a site. Mariyn was ecstatic. It took a while to set up camp, then we drove around and enjoyed some beautiful views. We actually drove all the way through Tioga Pass for the first time and too Mono lake. Then came back and made dinner. A herd of deer came through our campsite each night right around dinner time. So amazing!

I was really looking forward to hiking and being active with the family. Friday, was Mariyn's birthday. We got up early, sang her Happy Birthday and had cake. Then went and gathered firewood in the forest. Once we got back to camp, it was lunch time. I made lunch for the family and was cutting melon up and fell in a hole, twisting my ankle. Immediately, it started swelling, and brusing. I couldn't put any pressure on it and had to sit down. I was nearly in tears, it was so painful. Rich quickly got me ice and I started to elevate it. Amelia was getting moody and really needed a nap. So hiking for us was out of the question. I told Rich to take Mariyn, I would rest my ankle and nap with Amelia and hopefully, I'd feel better later. Mariyn was very worried about me but I told her I would be fine. Amelia and I naped and when I got up, my swelling had gone down greatly and I could use my ankle again. It wasn't 100% but hey, I could walk. We went to Tenaya Lake. I watch my girls play in the water and later played catch with Mariyn. It was so beautiful there, I really wish we had spent more time there. And, I really want to go back and practice open water swimming there. No boats are allowed on the lake, and is high in elevation so I think it would be a good training place for Tahoe. The water is cold too and fairly remote so not too many people. Good thing we have an annual pass, I already want to go back!

Saturday was our big day for exploration. My ankle was still swollen but no longer too sore. Mariyn had wanted to hike to Dog lake, it's a shorter hike 2.8 miles and rated moderately strenuous because it starts off steep. To be honest tough, it felt really easy. Amelia happily hiked the entire thing needing minimal help but that could be just the type of kid she is, VERY active. Mariyn complained a little and well, that's just the type of kid she is. LOL But we all made it and the views were beautiful. Being physically active as a family, AWESOME! God is so good! We came back to camp, made lunch. Let Amelia rest a bit, 2.8 miles is A LOT for a 3 year old! Then headed out for our next hike, Gaylor Lakes. The map said this had some of the most stunning views on Tioga Pass and of the High Sierra's and described the hike as moderately strenuous, the elevation gain and distance were similar to our earlier hike (actually less). So I figured no big deal, right? Yeah, it felt A LOT steeper. Which wasn't too hard for me or Rich but a little more challenging for Mariyn and a lot more challenging for Amelia. Good news- we all made it to the top of the summit, which had the most beautiful views. Mariyn even wanted to hike down to the lake, so I took her. Rich and Amelia stayed behind at the top to give Amelia a break. I carried Amelia about 1/2 way back down, she was getting tired and it was steep. Plus, bonus exercise for me, right? lol I tell myself, it really shouldn't be anything carrying an extra 30lbs around because I used to carry 65 but I wouldn't have been able to go hiking like this 65lbs ago and if I did, I would have been huffing and puffing until I passed out. About 5 miles of moderately strenuous hiking, not bad for a day on vacation right? I even felt a little sore the next day!

Sunday was our day to pack up and come home. I enjoyed the time with our family, with Rich. We really need to spend more time together as a couple. This trip was a little extra special for us. 10 years ago, when we were dating we took one of our first camping trip to Tuolumne Meadows. It was Richard's first time ever going to Yosemite so we tried to squeeze in so much in such little time. That trip was almost exactly 10 years ago this month. Yosemite is one of those places you could easily spend a month and not be able to see everything, or go in a different season and it will look totally different but none the less amazing it's one of God's most amazing creations. I'm so glad it's in our backyard, so is Rich. It's one of the few times I've ever heard him say how much he loves California. The natural beauty here and recreation in unsurpassed.


Pics to come :)