Sunny Monday!!!

 Ahhhhh, waking up to such a warm monday, after yet another job interview, I came home to this gorgeousness at the beach.....

So Daphne and i took a nice little walk down there to check out the kite surfers....

Her little legs were pooped by the time we were done playing in the water, 

chasing pigeons, and getting all sandy.

we got home and she snuggled with her big floppy moo cow.

 I did get a pretty cool package in the mail today from felt though. A while back i entered a fun FB contest, posted a riding pic on their page, and won some shwag! cute t-shirt, decals, n socks. 

Thanks Felt!

Cant wait for my lil t$ buddy on thursday! Can't come fast enough, supposed to be super nice all week!

Theres always more to learn!

This weekend we went out to Scottsdale, AZ for a training camp with Advitam Sports.

So, this is way more than just a training camp, more of a experience not to be missed. No wonder they named it Advitam, it means 'for life'. Seriously.

Thursday we drove 6.5 hours to The Boulders Resort, where we met our fellow campers for a quick meet n greet, then dinner. I knew when we walked into the main lobby, to the restaurant, that we were in for something out of this world. The decor was so beautiful, and oh wow the food. oh gosh. that was so delish. yum. Jason Weisberg and Torbjorn Sindballe filled us in on what was planned throughout the weekend, getting all of us excited about the coming events.

Friday morning we woke up bright and early (I normally wake at 7:45am...not a morning person!), and headed over for swim technique lesson with Torbjorn and Tripp (super awesome swim coach from SC). WOW! Learned so much! Drills, drills, drills....we were filled in on the 'why' we do the drills we do! (I thought i knew...apparently not.....)

Then comes the video action...boy, am i embarrassed! I drop my elbows under water, swing too wide still on the right side, and really need to use my hips! Jeez. What a mess.

After breakfast, we went for a nice long ride. (Thank goodness coachie had one on schedule, so i don't feel too guilty...)

Got to ride thru Tonto National park, down to a really pretty lake. Worked on descending and cornering skills, much needed since i'm a complete chicken, Torbjorn kept telling me to 'take control, and own it.' 

Well shoot, that buck up attitude works!

It was so amazing all the way down to this lake that at the bottom I start thinking, 'Oh Crap. We have to go back up.'  13 miles up actually. Oopsy.

So the cool part about all this work i'm putting in....my pissed off hammy is not pissed anymore. I kept thinking....'Here we go...anytime now, I'll be getting in the car...shoot!'

We got back to the resort, and i even did a 10 minute t-run! woo hoo! How exciting right?

A little lunch, and some relaxation yoga (never did this before--more on this later...), a quickie shower, and then we wrapped up friday with a insanely good cooking class at the spa.

 Nutrition is so very key to performance, its amazing at how inter-linked they are.....but it is the 'gas' you put in your tank to fuel.

Saturday bright and early we woke to rain. Rain. Rain! Yuck!

We zoomed over to yoga in the gorgeous spa, and my eyes were opened at how great yoga can be for ya! so wierd! we mastered downward dog, childs pose, tree, etc. She lost me when she tried to get us to put my knees on my elbows. Yeah. No.

However the experience was soothing, stretched out our muscles for the day and got me ready to go!

Quickie breakfast from the delish more casual super healthy restaurant, the off to spin with Torbjorn, since it was still raining and 40* outside! My ears went numb on our way over to the spa area!!!!! Yeesh!

The spin went soooo fast, 1:15 to get our legs movin, and he's incredible with visualization and his sets are challenging but do-able! So fun!

 A super slow 20 minute tready run gets my training hopes very high. Super stoked about that, I've been incredibly diligent on following Dr, and Coachie's regime to heal, and I can't sing enough praise to them. Torbjorn did say one thing about injuries that I hadn't thought of before, and its soooo true. 'Injuries are like a Iceberg, you only feel a very small portion of the actual injury, the rest lies below the surface waiting...' Brilliant.

Grabbed a shower, headed over to Advitam house to hang out, have lunch, enjoy everyone, and OOPSY Kev and i passed out! The incriminating photos are on their FB page...hee hee...

Our afternoon swim was more perfecting what we had learned the day prior, with much success. I have (mostly) stopped dropping my elbows upon entry, and Kev had the biggest breakthru with his swimming!!! They worked miracles with him. I am so happy for him at how well he picked up, absorbed, and applied everything! 

That night was full of recapping laughs, Maggianos in Scottsdale filled us full of sauce, pasta, meat, and cheese. A little country dancing fun was had at Harold's, Kev tried learning to two-step...ummm, so we need a dancing camp next? *hint, hint*

This morning was a bit rough starting out. I couldn't make my body move. No, not pain, like i know you're thinking. Just SOOOOOO tired! I oopsied and missed morning yoga class, and we barely made it out to the 'mini-tri'. I decided to be 'safe' and not race (dang recurring ear infection on top of everything else.) So it was down to Kev, Jay (Lava Magazine), and NY Carl. So fun watching Kev chase Jay down. But i the end Jay saw K-fed speeding up, and he just plain hit the gas. Two runners duking it out for fun. Love it. 

Now we are almost home, and thinking about all the good times, and new friendships that we have created. Truly a priceless experience, that I value with my whole heart. Thank you to the people that make me so grateful for not missing a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Sorry not too many picture this go-round, I was way too busy!  Check out Lava Magazine, Jay's doing a cool article on the Retreat, and he was taking some incredible pictures all weekend. 

I must be a romantic, Right?!

This weekend was normal like always.

This includes train, eat, train, snuggle, eat, repeat.

This photo is old, but you get the idea.

Except this Sunday we had a double date with some friends,

who ended up ditching at 6:27 (meeting was at 6:30) and left us apologizing to the poor gondolier

...that we were sorry for our lame friends...

...waiting for peeps to arrive...

That was a setup.

Apparently Kev, the company, and the friends had all been in on this plan for months!

So, back to the part where i'm still in the dark.

the complimentary 'before' picture...

We got on the gondola, poured our wine, and we were off.

from the bay in Long Beach, thru the harbor over to naples we were paddled along peacefully.

It was near sunset, so it was a bit windy but so beautiful.

We gazed at gorgeous homes, glided thru little canals, under bridges...

we were informed that we were supposed to kiss under every bridge as they do in the 'real' Naples.

So of course we did.

I was puckering up.

The gondolier sung a beautiful song under a bridge, which gave him great acoustics to work with.

And under the third bridge, after I gave Kev his mooch..

I saw this lonely bottle, that I thought some inconsiderate drunk left.

All i thought was 'Seriously people?"

(I must that predictable that Kev knew I would pick up the litter)

I asked the gondolier if he could get me over to it I'd grab it and throw it away 

when we got back to the dock.

So, he swooshed me over,  and I yanked it out of the water. 

Our conversation as follows:

Me: "oh dear, its someones message..." 

Kev: "Open it"

Me, "I'm not opening someone elses' shit, that's wrong"

Kev: "No, it'll be fine. Just see what it is."

I gave in and opened that dang thing.

I mean this thing was all professional like.

It had a string to pull it out of the bottle, little tape "tabs' 

so it would stay closed but would open easily.

He wrote me the sweetest love note. I'm going to keep that part to myself.

(If you can read it in the pictures, you have way too good of eyesight and you should get that checked.) ;)

BUT  thats not the end of it.

I thought that was it, we stood I gave him a thank you for being so sweet hug, 

thinking that was the end of it.

Well, he is so confident and well spoken that he starts stammering and his eyes got all red and 

he dropped to a knee.

I had NO idea what to think.

I never thought I'd see Kev all thrown off like that, I mean he was a mess! ;)

SO, I started to well up, my jaw dropped, 

He asked me to marry him, and all I can get out is a DAMN nod?!

I mean WTH?! Seriously?! Poor guy had to ask me later, after he had already put the ring on,

if i had said yes?!

obviously, i said yes.

So, the rest of the ride was spent drinking off our nerves,

laughing about what the boys had fooled me over,

and enjoying the gorgeous scenery. 

What a amazing night that I will never forget.

I truly was blessed with such a thoughtful, loving man.

I look forward to planning our August-ish wedding (gotta plan for between races and tapers!)

with you sweets,

you are a constant gift that keeps on giving unexpected kindness.

Holy Treatments Batman!

About 6 weeks ago I started having ART, and Electrotherapy with my Chiropractor visits.

My new Doc is WONDERFUL! 

So I've never had these kind of treatments before, if you haven't had them....

let me tell you....don't hurt yourself~so you won't need them!

We start out with these heating pads that feel like molten lava.

Then on top of that wonderful-ness we add electrodes.

So, This is my view while my caboose is lit on fire, and 

is flexing involuntarily thru the surface of the sun heat.

For 30 minutes twice a week, I get hooked up

to this fabulous machine....

...that feels like this....

...and this....

Then the ART begins... :)
.......Not for the faint of heart......

He finds the gnarliest knot, digs in, then you flex....
and flex,
he digs in deeper, and yes...
you work the dang muscle some more....


Imagine my relief when he says, "ok, now flip on your stomach..."
you'd think a reprieve would be coming....
Yeah, well...that would be a BIG FAT NO!


Who knew that so many knots could create such a problem?! 
Muscles, Joints, Tendons, Insertions, OH MY!


All this leads to a fabulous ending every time,
a nice ocean jog! 

Thanks a bunch Dr. S for torturing helping me on 
my way back to health!

The first blog ever....What's a virtue? Patience?

I have never blogged before.

All my friends have a blog, website, entourage, etc....So, i figure...'what the heck, I can jump on this bandwagon too....all the cool kids are doing it!'

Maybe its just me...BUT this is not that easy! ;)

Figuring out how the 'blogger' website is a test in patience though....feels like i've been saying that so much lately!

The latest tests of my patience.....

Dang!!! Can't push too hard on my run... I. Must. Heal! This body is pushing my patience...Must. Go. Sloooooooow.

.

No...... Can't go do a fun gorgeous newport hilly ride... Just spinning on the trainer...being safe...can't try to keep up with the fasties, when I'm inside watching Samantha, Who?......AHHHHHH..... learning more patience...

The view in Newport! OMgosh!

Well, This sorta counts....AND...living with my gorgeous, sweet man...you think that wouldn't take patience....BUT it does! :)

Kev's such a doll, but us ladies love our girl time!

So, as most who know me know that i am eager to learn, be fast, happy, and most importantly...KEEP UP! (Can't wait to get back to it!!!)

My new mantras are:

 "Avoid being impatient. Remember time brings roses."

"Patience is passion tamed."

Slow and steady wins the race.  

Of course I am more than thrilled to be out and about, and FASTER again soon, but I am so so lucky to have some wonderfully amazing friends in my life to keep reminding me that there are more important things than the 'right-now'. Long-term focus is priority!

Thanks to my super sweet lil buddies! XO!

T$ and Me!

Mega Meg and..well...me!

sweet lil mackenzie! 

I am a lucky girl! I get to cycle, just not hard.

I get to walk/run, for a little bit.

AND....Swim Hard!

Above all, injuries, as annoying as they are...are a blessing in disguise! We truly need these reminders in life to appreciate the small things that we've taken advantage of!