In 2 days....

In 2 days, I will undertake a challenge that has been 5 months in the making.  There is no turning back now!  

My race will be run in honor of my uncle who lost his year-long battle with cancer a couple days ago.  Uncle Toney, you fought cancer for the last year, I can DEFINITELY fight fatigue & exhaustion and push through this swim, bike, and run. 

My motivation will be a combination of three things:

~ Love for and from my family ~

 
~ Tremendous support from my Tri It For Life sisters ~

 
~ I want to be an example to anyone who cringes at the thought of getting in a pool and swimming, coming out to bike, and enduring "jelly legs" to run. ~

Sunday will be a day of duality for me.....I will have accomplished something I never remotely thought I would only to leave and bury a dear family member.  

I sincerely hope and pray that someone will read this and be encouraged or inspired to live a healthier life, become more active, and LIVE!!  Live in such a way that you are proud of yourself and an inspiration for others to follow suit. 

I have loved this journey and to make it with such a wonderful group of women has been worth all the days of being ridiculously tired. I will do my best on Sunday to make my family and friends proud to call me Wife, Mommy, Daughter, Niece, Cousin, Sister, and Friend.  Thank you to EVERYONE with Tri It For Life who had supported me and offered encouragement (Even when I didn't want it...Crystal, Heidi, Kazzie, Laurie, and RJ), the Tri It Mentors have been AMAZING!  I'm excited to see my personal cheering squad running through the finish line with me....I love those little men!  Jeff, what can I say babe......you ARE the best! You've loved me enough to push me to be my best, now I can show you what your hard work as done and FINISH! DeeDee! Keep those 5am words of encouragement coming, we'll be up your way next!  Then it's IRONMAN HAWAII, Woohooooo!!!!!!

COUNTDOWN TO RAMBLIN' ROSE CHARLOTTE:

2 DAYS 

Patiently waiting......

I finally got a tri suit!!!!! Yippee! My better half is so good to me....he went on the hunt and found JUST what I had been looking for!  I am way more excited than I should be, but I've been so looking forward to having one like the rest of the jazzy ladies I train with! Will post a snapshot when it comes in!

19 Days and counting.....!

Volunteers are GREATLY appreciated for the Ramblin Rose Charlotte.  Have fun, volunteer, and cheer on some of the most motivated and encouraging women EVER!  

WWW.RAMBLINROSEEVENTS.COM!

NEW PERSPECTIVE, NEW CONFIDENCE!

On Sunday, myself and over 100 other women completed the mock triathlon that is hosted by Tri It For Life each year as part of the preparation process for new athletes. We began swimming  the 250m at 0800 and proceeded directly to the transition and 9 mile bike ride, and on to the finale...the run.  I was TOTALLY shocked when my dear hubby informed me that I finished in roughly an hour and 15 minutes. WHAT!?  ME?!  WHAT!!!

I must say........WE ALL ROCKED IT!!!!!  Putting all three events together was a totally awesome experience!  The water was as cold as who-did-it-and-why, I about wrecked my bike when a bug flew in my eye, and the 2 mile run seemed much longer than the 3.1 miles I am used to running at 5am every Monday and Friday.......

But BOY!  The finish line was a thing of beauty and to see my biggest fan/husband/friend and partner in crime at the finish line waiting for me was the best treat EVER! I was so happy to see Jeff  that I didn't really know what to do with myself!  He was with me the WHOLE time.....he motivated me, encouraged me, laughed with me, pick on me, and stood in the hot sun to photograph me........I think I'm in love!!!!

Be sure to stop by my gallery to see more shots my main squeeze took....just note, there's lots of pink, black, and white in them!

It was really great to see everyone and a real treat to have the Powerade Zero folks out there to help us replenish.

I think I can speak for the most of us when I say C'MON SEPT 25TH!!!!!! We've got our warfaces on and are getting ready for ya!!!!! We're cranking up the training!

Countdown to Ramblin Rose Huntersville:

24 Days

 

Ok, so it's been a minute but believe me, I'VE BEEN BUUUUSSSSYYYY!  Training is going great.  We, Tri It For Lifers, actually practiced swimming the ENTIRE 250M at the Aquatics center, we've begun practicing the race route and learning to do transitions from one sport to the next.....AND IT WAS GREAT!!!!

I'm totally having a blast with this experience!  Maybe Jeff & I can work up to running the IRONMAN together!  AWESOME!

In other news I just received my new and TOTALLY cutsie RoadID Slim.....in purple.  I thought I'd only wear it when training or during the event, but BOY! she is too cute to not wear all the time.

I LOVE IT! Everything a person would need to identify me, alert my contacts, know medical info, and read the best motivational line ever!  HOO-YAH! LET'S GET IT!

Tomorrow is another day of training!  Bad storm out today, but I got my run in @ 0500 and hope to swim @ 1600 (gotta get my freestyle under control----IT CAN'T DEFEAT ME!).

I hope you all enjoy following along. feel free to share my story and journey with your friends and family.  Let them know that they are loved and they can do anything...no matter what age, size, or sex!  I train with some of the BEST women I've ever  met in my entire life.  Without the motivation of my family (especially Jeff and my boys) and the constant push and encouragement from the mentors of Tri It For Life, I would not be where I am today.

Think of it this way.....I've got a comparison

BEFORE TRI IT FOR LIFE                    SINCE TRI IT FOR LIFE

Walk a 5K in an hour                          Run 3.1 miles in  45min

No bike ride since age 13                   Bike 8miles w/o stops

                                                             in 1 hour

Could "survive" in                               Swim 450m(18 laps w/stops)

the water                                              in just over 1.5hrs

HOW AMAZING IS THAT?!  SO!  If I can make these kinds of accomplishments by saying I'll try and commit to doing just that, ANYBODY can!

I'm super stoked that the mock tri is the end of this month!  It'll let us see exactly where we are and what we need to work on.

COUNTDOWN TO RAMBLIN ROSE HUNTERSVILLE: 

 50 DAYS! 

Resources

Well, since the heat index is well over 100, I decided to use today to share the resources I have been using and use currently in my training.  There are others, but I know how I get with having to absorb a lot of information in a single sitting----my mind goes on autopilot and I eventually learn nothing. Much less remember anything.   Some online sources were and are provided by my mentors, others came from my dear husband, and another by Internet searches on my own.  I've gotten a great deal of information out of each of them in different ways, so if I can help SOMEONE, I'm happy.

_____________________________________________

Endurance Magazine (delivered to me by my husband) and the Tri It For Life ladies doing a piece on the news is what got me to reading the magazine from the start.  I get the digital editions to save trees.  www.endurancemag.com 

And of course, Tri It For Life.  The most amazing group of ladies I've EVER encountered. All I can say is AWESOME! You don't have to know how to do anything, you only need to want to try. The mentors teach you to swim, to bike, and to run.  The old slogan was The sexiest part of a woman is her confidence (my disclaimer is that I may not have gotten all the words to that exactly right, but you get the gist)......ANY woman can be a triathlete.  www.triitforlife.com

Beginner Triathlete is a site my hubby turned me on to for athletes that may not have an organization that has a training plan in place. You can create your individual plan and track your progress.  There are also TONS of articles with helpful tips. www.beginnertriathlete.com

I use Daily Mile several times throughout the week.  I choose my sport, plug in my time, the distance, how I felt and a few other optional figures and the program calculates my pace, calories burned, and the like.  I can even see how many donuts I've burn for the week.  Simple.....easy.....to the point.  www.dailymile.com

 

I haven't used Active.com much until yesterday when I read the article posted there about getting a Road ID; something I SO need to invest in.  I saw how neat a road ID was this past Sunday at the Ramblin Rose Rock Hill triathlon.......it even held the chip.  www.active.com

Tri Find is pretty self-explanatory.  You can search for triathlons in any state in the country for the year.  www.trifind.com

SO, good people, these are my resources.....along with the best cheering squad EVER! I love you Jeff, Chaz, & Josh.  

Feel free to check out the links to these sites.  They have been very helpful for me over the last 3 months, I'm sure if you're even remotely interested in doing a triathlon you will not be disappointed.

COUNTDOWN TO RAMBLIN' ROSE HUNTERSVILLE:

3 Months  

Quick note......exciting note.

I just wanted to pop in and share some of the best, most scary news/accomplishment to date.

I am officially an INTERMEDIATE SWIMMER with Tri It For Life! 

YIPPEEEEE!  OH MY GOODNESS, WHAT!?  BUT YAAYYYYY STILL.

I am so very excited.....VERY anxious, but thankful for the push and confidence from Heidi---one of the best mentors EVER!

Countdown to Ramblin' Rose Huntersville:

3 Months

Persist and Endure

Just wanted to share some thoughts on endurance.  I realized this morning that I can endure anything.....IF I put my mind to it, put my heart into it, surround myself with people and things that motivate me to push forward. 

I had a moment last night...I was at the pool to practice but no one was there.  I sat, waited, debated....sat, waited, and debated.....went to the showers.....waited again and decided to leave. By the time I got to the bottom of the hill, I felt horrible that I had abandoned the one sport that I am weakest in....."How could I?"  Easy.....no one was there to help, I can't swim alone, I'm afraid.....or at least these are the things I told myself.  I turned the truck around and went back.  When I returned, there were two other Tri It For Life swimmers there who were getting changed.  Both had no idea how to swim 6 weeks earlier. I greatly appreciate the swimmer that told me she comes every Wednesday---whether she has to swim alone or not.  Persist.

SO, with that I resigned to the thought and commitment to swim.  Do it if I'm alone or with others.  Endure.

I'll have to make sure I tell her what she did for me that day after we officially become triathletes.

COUNTDOWN TO RAMBLIN' ROSE HUNTERSVILLE:

3 MONTHS

The official start!!!

With the official start to Tri It For Life's training less than a week away, I've come a realization.  I am human and not Superwoman; although I make every attempt to do so.  As many know, I've managed to accomplish several things over the last few months and I am SO very proud to say that of the three major events, THIS....the last on the list.....the Ramblin Rose ....will be my toughest.

I stated earlier that I've realized I'm not Superwoman.  Why I mention this, you ask?  Well between being pulled and leading in all different directions, my body has decided to tell me and my mind that it needs a break....it decided to get sick last Friday and force my hand on pausing my training.  AAaaarrrrgggg!  Nonetheless, I am still motivated, still mentally ready to take on the pool, and so something few in my life can currently say.  I just hope and pray that others will see what is possible through me and decided within themselves to join in make a difference........decide to LIVE!

I'm stoked again and though I'm battling my physical being at the moment to get well and work this thing out, I've got my warface on......LET'S DO IT!!

COUNTDOWN TO RAMBLIN ROSE CHARLOTTE:

3 MONTHS

Ok, so I'm a week late updating my new adventure and I am TOOOOO excited! The kickoff to the 2011 season was so energizing and encouraging!  Women from all walks of life gathering to do one thing....do a triathlon! 

Jeff and I were super excited about sharing some snapshots from the event....that is until we realized that both cell phone batteries were dead.  

Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to the next step....swim assessments!  Yippeeeee!  It's been a minute since I've even been in a pool, much less swimming laps.  So! On May 8th, I will (along with the others) be able to determine where I am in the pool.  

On another note, I met one of the amazing first-time Tri It For Life ladies in Trader Joes on Sunday!  Hiiiii Janessa! Good to meet you and talk with you!  She was the first person I'd run into since joining and it was such a pleasure. I'll see you at the pool!

Hope to get decent snapshots from that! LOL!

COUNTDOWN TO THE RAMBLIN' ROSE HUNTERSVILLE:  

5 Months

Dumbbells for Wedding Belles

Worked out to Dumbbells for Wedding Belles this morning and it felt GREAT!  It was the weirdest thing, I had been looking for the DVD since we started planning our wedding in January....never could find it. February goes by, then March....still no DVD. I'm talking I have looked all over and under for this workout! I want to have the sexy back and arms that I love having every day for my wedding also.  I'm at my wits end and have decided to sacrifice the extra 15min and do P90X with my man Tony. Which, by the way, is a workout that I LOVE.......but just don't have the time right now to do more than 30min. 

I know I'm talking quite a bit about how much I have been looking for this DVD, but when you read the end, it'll be amazing and hilarious. So anyway, I'm looking, looking, looking and the workout never shows. I'm asking Jeff and even asked Chaz (YES, I asked the 4yr old--it's amazing the things he can tell me that I thought he couldn't).  This time no go...Dumbbells for Wedding Belles had officially become the victim to "The Hidden".  "The Hidden" is that place in everyone's home where things, anything, goes to never be found until you are packing up to move.  Well, my "hidden" also has John Legend's Sounds of the Season Christmas CD every year around Christmas.....it shows up again in April or May.  Long story short, I thought "The Hidden" had finally decided to take my DVD and leave me hanging on yesterday.  I'm sitting on the couch trying to find Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for Josh and after a minute or two I notice that he's got this stack of DVDS he's arranging on the chair.  I didn't pay much attention because he always does this....stack things then knock them over.  After he stacked, he knocked over, and went back for more. This time he started tossing DVDs one after the other. I go over to chastise him and clean up the mess when there is was!!!!!!! Dumbbells for Wedding Belles!!! How many times had I been over to the stereo and looked for that disc and COULD NOT find it? Leave it to Joshua to save the day!!!! YIPPEEEE! I was so happy, he didn't even get in trouble for making a mess. 

SOOOOO.......a big, big thank you to my little one!!!!!  You're the best, Josh Josh!!!

COUNTDOWN TO THE RAMBLIN' ROSE CHARLOTTE:  

6 Months

 

Happy Thursday!

Not much to report today.  I've been gathering my thoughts over the last few days to gauge how I'm REALLY feeling about this triathlon.  I've concluded that...it's time. Time to make life changes and be excited about doing it. Time to live and be a light for someone. I've never considered myself a mentor for anyone, but if I can help someone else see that if I can be a triathlete, A-N-Y-B-O-D-Y can, then I've accomplished one of many goals.

With that, I've grown and am growing more excited about the Tri It For Life 2011 kickoff! YAAYYYY! It marks the official beginning to training for the Rambling Rose Charlotte event....which is, by the way, 186 days away!

SO! Come April 11 (my birthday),  I embark on the journey of a lifetime.....a journey I hope will last my lifetime!

Feel free to share my family's journey to getting healthy, fit, and making a better life for ourselves and our boys.....it starts here.

COUNTDOWN TO THE RAMBLIN' ROSE CHARLOTTE:  

6 Months

Welcome to my journey!

Pre-training

Thank you for stopping by and going on this journey with me!  I am on a pursuit!  In just over 5 months, I will be able to say something I NEVER imagined........"I AM A TRIATHLETE!"  I am so excited about this that I am nervous, fearful, and just don't know what to think..............all at the same time!  A big thank you ahead of time to Tri It for Life for the encouragement and mentoring to get me prepared.  

"Why?" You ask? I want to be a positive example to the best little boys ever that ANYTHING is possible, no matter your age.  I want to be here for my family for as long as I can....all while I prove to myself that I can indeed be a triathlete.  My biggest fan (Jeff), my sister-in-law, my Navy friend, and I are committed to running 10 races this year....our 2nd race is this weekend in Martinsville, VA (my hometown).  Check it out:

I encourage you to come back often to read of my progress; it will be a treat (for me too) to see me in September compared to me now!

COUNTDOWN TO THE RAMBLIN' ROSE CHARLOTTE:  

5 Months

And so it begins.....