I Gotta Plan...

For 20 years, I was a travel agent...a "travel professional" in every since of the word. I LOVED planning things...especially unique and once in a lifetime events like honeymoons, retirement trips, bachelor parties to fun places and Spring Break for crazy college students. I have had the privilege of sending multi millionaires around the world for 3 to 5 months and the special task of honoring a man's final wish...to die at sea aboard the QE2. (Sounds morbid..but it was what he wanted...and that meant that's what I wanted for him). I AM a planner...

So with that in mind, it shouldn't be much of a stretch that I PLAN my races on paper. I take previous times, race conditions, course elevations and the like and try to put together a plan. Usually, the plan is simple: to finish before they remove the finish line and stop giving out medals. Other plans involve not getting "swept" at marathons and half marathons (this means being picked up by a bus and brought to the finish line because you were going too slow). I am proud to say that I have never been swept at a Marathon or Half Marathon. In EVERY case where I did not finish a race, it was medically related: a jellyfish sting, the stomach flu three days before a marathon...and stomach problems during an Ironman.

To the intermediate or advanced athlete, these goals may seem kinda simple or silly...but to me they are important and special. A year ago, I had a lady at a triathlon tell me I gave her hope. I gave her the hope that someday she could do this...that she could be this physically active and accomplish an endurance event. That one statement;that one woman made such a huge impact on me.

So for the last 24 hours, I have been planning. I have been making the plan that will get me across the finish line at Gulf Coast before Shelly Bramblett (the most amazing and down to earth Race Director I have ever met) kicks me off the course.
I don't usually tell people what I am hoping for or what I am shooting for...but my thoughts here are simple: tell the world and now you GOTTA follow your plan!!! Keep it to yourself and no one will ever know if you did or did not achieve what you wanted to accomplish.

So, for fear of sounding like the slowest and worst Half Ironman triathlete in the world, the following are my goals for Gulf Coast:

Goal A...To finish the total race in 8.5 hours
Goal B...If I do not finish in the above time, my goal is to beat my other two half ironman finish times (please don't laugh when you read these) 2007 Ironman Florida 70.3 8:53:34/2008 Ironman Florida 70.3 9:02:12.
Goal C...Simply finish before the following cut offs of each event:
Finish the swim by 835A
Finish the bike by 12:50P
Finish the race by 4:30PM

See...my needs are simple. Soooooo...does anyone out there that reads my blog have a fast pair of legs I could use for a few hours on May 9th?? Ohh...and Shelly Bramblett...if you happen to read this blog, do you accept bribes?? :)

Then, of course, there is always the other option that I love the most: Just go out there and kick some asphalt and give it 110%.

More to come....stay tuned!!

If Today Was Your Last Day..

Im driving this morning and Nickelback came on my XM. This song was so profound that I felt the need to post the lyrics here. It is my hope that I am living my life this way and not wasting a second...my additional hope is that YOU are too...

Read the words and tell me what you think...

Nickelback
If Today Was Your Last Day Lyrics:

My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each days a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned
Leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride

If today was your last day
If tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday
Would you live each moment like your last
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have
If today was your last day

Going against the grain should be a way of life
What's worth the price is always worth the fight
Every second counts cause there's no second try
So live it like you're never living twice
Don't take the free ride in your whole life

If today was your last day
If tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday
Would you live each moment like your last
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have
And would you call old friends you never see
Reminisce old memories
Would you forgive your enemies
And would you find that one your dreaming of
Swear up and down to god above
That you'll finally fall in love
If today was your last day

If today was your last day
Would you make your mark
On ending a broken heart
You know it's never too late
To shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are
So do whatever it takes
Cause you can't rewind
A moment in this life
Let nothing stand in your way
Cause the hands of time
Are never on your side

If today was your last day
If tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday
Would you live each moment like your last
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have
And would you call old friends you never see
Reminisce old memories
Would you forgive your enemies
And would you find that one your dreaming of
Swear up and down to god above
That you'll finally fall in love
If today was your last day

Im still shooting for the stars...
-M

The St. Anthony's Triathlon that wasn't really a triathlon..

They say when you race you have to be prepared for all conditions. This race was a classic example of that. What a crazy weekend. To say it wasn't full of panic, adventure, fun and disappointment would be an understatement.

My husband and I returned from the Bahamas on Friday afternoon (that's another story in itself right there) after visiting my parents at the house in Marsh Harbor. I love going over there and I hope that now we have gotten our plane back from refurbishment (we have a small Cessna 172 that we bought at auction), this will become easier. I had packed my triathlon gear but not my clothes for the weekend so it was a mad dash to get everything ready and head over to St. Pete before the expo closed for the day. Steve grabbed my bike along with my business partner, Rick's, bicycle and racked them on the back of the car. One quick shower and a few minutes to load the car, and I was on my way. Steve came over as well but he followed me several hours later in his car since he needed to get his gear together so he could leave from St. Pete for work on Sunday.

It's about a 90 minutes drive to St. Pete and I notice it was extremely windy as I made my way to the Gulf side. I looked through my rear view mirror and saw that the bikes were moving around quite a bit because of the wind. Just as I was about to pull over to tighten them down, I saw Rick's bike swing up and off the back of the car and smash into the Interstate 4 pavement behind me. My heart raced as I pulled over to the side of the road.

There are several GOOD things in this scenario. First, that the bike didn't end up in some one's windshield and hurt or kill the occupants of the vehicle and, second, that the bike on the road did not cause a chain reaction pile up on I-4 . As I exited my car, an off duty sheriff's office pull his truck behind the bike and started directing traffic as I went to retrieve what was left of this very expensive piece of equipment.

To say this carbon race bike was a mess would be like calling Hurricane Katrina a "little storm". One Zipp wheel was cracked in 3 parts. The top tube was cracked in half. The seat was opened up in several places while the shifters were completely ripped off of the handlebars. There were cables sticking out everywhere and, once I got to a safe position on the side of the road, all I could do was look at the bike in horror. This isn't even MY BIKE. What am I going to say to Rick?? I couldn't help but cry...but tears don't solve problems. I had to come up with a solution on how I was going to replace this bike in 48 hours for a race.

I called my hubby and he was totally upset. He's the one that racked the bike and figured he must of strapped it down incorrectly. I explained to him that no one got hurt..and we had to look at this from a positive prospective. What I needed was a way to get wheels under Rick in a hurry. Steve suggested calling Hector....and that was my next call.

Hector graciously offered his backup bike for Rick to ride (is this guy amazing or what!!). His partner, Don, was coming to St. Pete on Saturday and would bring the bike and Hector would fit it to Rick. I was able to breath as I called Rick with the bad news and the plan of attack. Needless to say, Rick was upset but amazingly calm. (well..at least for a little while)

I got to St. Pete, pulled up to the Race Expo site and Rick met me to see the bike. He took it to Outspoken to look it over and see what could be done. The verdict? The only salvageable part on the bike was the rear Zipp Wheel. Everything else was looking pretty bad.

Val, the owner of the shop, could not have been nicer. She offered to store the bike while we decided if we wanted to go ahead and buy a bike or wait for Hector's backup bike. She wasn't pushy..just kind and helpful. She could tell that I was extremely upset and seemed to really take an interest in our plight!! No high pressure..just lots of good info.

We ended up negotiating with Val for a fabulous price on a Cervelo to replace Rick's bike. We both took responsibility for the bike by the end of the weekend so we split the cost. Val and her staff went to work to get the bike ready and by Saturday, Rick was on his new ride!

I was a mess!! After Friday and part of Saturday solving the bike problem, I had hardly thought about my own race. I got up early Saturday to watch Beth's girls-Kelsey and Hannah and Rick's daughter- Jessica run in the Meek and Mighty Triathlon. They all finished strong and got shiny bling to boot!! It was great to watch such a fine group of talented kids give their all!!

We racked our bikes on Saturday and suddenly it hit. Im doing an Olympic Distance Tri tomorrow but I was still fairly calm. We went to dinner at an Italian Restaurant nearby and I hit the hay early...I was truly exhausted.

I awoke at 4am and I was ready to race. Coffee and Oatmeal made and consumed and dressed for the day, we headed out of the hotel at 5am. Geni's husband, Neal, was incredibly kind and drove us down to the transition area. I felt like a pro getting the star treatment.

I made my way into transition and started to get organized. I kept hearing the announcer say "Stay in the transition for a special announcement". At about 530am, the Race Director cancelled the swim portion of the race. Only the Pros would be swimming today. The age groupers would only be biking and running......no swim.

WHAT?? EXCUSE ME?? Did I just hear him right, I thought to myself. No swim?? I looked out at the Bay and I felt the wind and I realized....Ok...this guy made the right decision. As the wind blew harder and the water looked like my laundry on spin, I stopped being upset and realized that, people could get hurt out there. Im a strong swimmer...but just as I struggle to run, other struggle to swim.

Many others were not as understanding. One girl near our bikes was trying to qualify for Alcatraz while another had travelled all the way from North Dakota to do this race. My heart broke for them. I was just 2 hours from home.

So I tried to get organized. The plan was to time trial start across the swim finish mat and enter transition and do the bike and run. The Race Director told age groupers that you could have your bike helmet on and your shoes if you wanted. I wanted to experience as much of the race as I could so I left my gear in transition.

Beth, Geni, Rick and myself stood around for quite a bit. Rick started at approximately 740a while our wave did not start until 845am. All I could think was...that's going to be one hot run!!

Into transition and onto the bike, I was pumped but that feeling was short lived. It was just so hard to get focused when the race wasn't really a race anymore. I did push on the bike but I think if I had been able to swim, I would have been able to really get excited about the bike!! The first 10 miles were great and I love the technical aspect of the course because I'm good in the turns..but the wind continued to kick up making the last half of the race a bit challenging.

As I exited my bike, I looked at my watch and realized that I was 1 minute and 30 seconds slower than last year. I tried not to think about it as I made a solid transition out to the run. The first 3 miles were pretty good. I ran my plan and stayed focused. The last half was brutal. Four blisters opened up and both heels began to bleed. By the time I got to mile 4, I was down to running 3 and 1's...and my time was shot. I got to mile 5 to find Hector waiting. I actually looked up and groaned. Oh God...this is going to be a tough mile.

Hector pushed me...and at this point, I needed the push. I freely admit that I'm nasty at this time in a race. I'm hot, I'm tired, I'm frustrated and I'm fighting all those negative thoughts in my head....but God love Hector, he never stopped...he kept pushing...and encouraging..and pushing. As I approached the end of mile 5, I saw a sea of Red and Black uniforms and realized that it was the Central Florida Tri Club. They were all there..under the tent drinking beer and having fun...but they all stopped and they cheered...LOUD. At first I was embarrassed. " I know."..I thought..".I'm last....again."...but they were wonderful and I can't thank them enough for their screams and applause. And then there were the chapters of Team in Training that I had talked to before the race....they saw me and a roar went up. I was so overwhelmed...I started to cry.

I made the turn into the finishing chute and saw all my friends....Beth, Neal, Lisa and the girls. I was down to a walk/run but determined to run across the line. Lisa took pictures that I just can't wait to see. I must have just looked terrible.

My run was 12 seconds slower per mile average than last year and my bike was a 1 minute 30 seconds slower than last year. My transitions were about the same. It was so hard to get focused about this race....the race that wasn't

We celebrated our finish at The Moon under the Water Restaurant in the hear of downtown St. Pete! I love that feeling of being with friends after you have accomplished a task. Although I am very disappointed with my bike and run times, I know I can do better.

Next week was suppose to be a sprint distance race at Tri Miami but I have switched to an Olympic Distance since I didn't get to do a real "race" this weekend. Hopefully, I will see good result there :)

I had a wonderful friend and former coach send me these "thoughts" to consider after reading my blog from several weeks ago.

You cannot have a goal of a fit body, and also have a belief that exercise is hard work.

You cannot make wise food choices to enhance your health if you also tell yourself that healthy foods are not tasty.


So, in short, pause for a moment and assess. Do you have any conflicting beliefs or values which hold you back? If you find they exist, get to the root of the negative belief and learn why the conflict exists. Once you do, you will quickly find yourself moving towards your goals with a smile on your face.

Hmmm...wise words...after a tough emotional weekend. Note the smile on my face :)

And as always..more to come soon....

Thanks Sara... St. Anthony's..just 6 days away

Now this was the way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Last week, my training partner Beth had informed me of a Swim Clinic at the National Training Center in Clermont. The coach? The one...the only..Sara McLarty..NCAA All American, and World Cup ITU Pro Triathlete. In this two hour swim clinic, I learned so much!! It was absolutely amazing!! Thanks Sara for the great info!!

Got St. Anthony's on the brain. In the next few days, it is my goal to eat well, hydrate, taper and rest. My goal is to PR this race. Hector set the bar pretty high for this event....so high that I am not even going to put the finish time he wants me to shoot for here. Lets just say its a big jump from last year.

Positive thoughts...positive thoughts...positive thoughts!!!

Please meet A.J....one of the reason I do what I do...

So tonight, I enjoyed the company of several of my friends and teammates at a spaghetti dinner to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. There was great food, a silent auction, some interesting entertainment and a great time was had by all as we raised a little more money to find a cure.

The star of the show in my eyes, however, was A.J. This 2 1/2 year old bundle of energy touched my heart and reminded me of why I do what I do. At 13 months, A.J. was a very sick little boy as his parents were informed that he had Leukemia. Hope (who is part of my triathlon team and will be running Tri Miami in 2 weeks) and Blake were devistated but they have fought along with their son to get him well. I am happy to report that A.J. is currently in remission and was running around the event like a little 2 1/2 year old should!! My heart filled with joy watching this little guy just be a little boy!!

I came to this event absolutely exhausted (as you can tell from the photo). After three long workouts within the last 48 hours which included 20 flights of stair running (thank you Hector), I was pretty whipped. I MADE myself go ... because I know how important finding a cure is to so many families across the world.

So for those like A.J. who are winning the battle with Leukemia...and for those like my 8 year old godson Christian...who lost the battle , please help me in my quest to raise $25,000.00 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by November 1st. Any donation of any denomination would be greatly appreciated!! The link is below to my fundraising website and, in advance, I want to thank you for helping me help them!!

http://januscharitychallenge.kintera.org/fl09/mdaly

You know its a tough bike trainer workout when.....

....The incredibly fit women in the room with Ironman Arizona, Kentucky etc on their jersey are huffing and puffing!!

So...here I am...5am and back at the Y after a long work day at The Living Seas (just 90 minutes in the water yesterday...a nice light day for a change). This is a challenge for me...working a 15 hour day on Wednesday then getting up at 4am to be ready for Hector's Bike Trainer workout at 5am.

Now most spin classes are an hour in length. Hector's trainer class goes for almost 1 hour and 20 minutes. As we began the class, Hector decided to give it a name: Big Chain Ring Extravaganza! Oh God...I groaned. We are climbing hills today!!

Did I mention how much I love hills!!?? "Florida is FLAT HECTOR...why do we need this hill workout!!??" I thought to myself. But deep down, I know why!! It will make you stronger on the flats..build up those hamstrings and really get your rear in gear!!

As I followed along with this workout, I looked around the room. Ok...so Im not the only one struggling ... but some of these participants in Hector's idea of a fun morning were BOOKIN' IT!! I mean...they were really making those pedals move. Ohhh I do aspire to that speed...those people really motivate me :)

So, after this 80 minute workout, its out the door and on the run. Hector screams at me to remember the speed bumps (which I did...this time) and off on my trot I went. I truly dream of the day that I can keep up with the group but for now, the solitude of this run is really amazing.

St. Anthony's is a week away...and I desperately want to pull a PR (Personal Record) at this race. My other huge goal is to FINISH the Gulf Coast Half Ironman under the cut off time. There will be something very emotional about coming across the finish line in Panama City on the site of the Ironman. I really need that mental boost to get me through the next months of training.

I want to also mention here a thank you to those who read my blog. In recent days, I have found out that alot of people follow my ups and downs. Your advice and encouragement means so much. There was a point last week where I seriously considered ending this journey. It is because of alot of YOUR comments, that I got through that rough patch. Thank you. To those Ironman triathletes that gave advice...you are each my hero. To those that aspire to being called an Ironman...your words ring so true because we are in the same boat...we are working towards a goal that a lot of people just dream about. You are amazing individuals.

As I ate lunch yesterday, my friend Beth sent me this quote:

"You only live once but if you work it right once is enough!"

Joe Lewis

I plan to get it right once...don't you???

The Size of your Attitude...

You CAN do it - it is all in the size of the attitude, not the size of you! -Kathy New Zealand

As I walked in this morning from teaching a 6am Boot Camp class, this was the comment on my blog. What a fitting quote for my morning.

I have been struggling with the way I look and how people perceive me. I was especially nervous this morning because I had to sub for one of my boot camp instructors who is on vacation. This is a class I do not know except for introducing myself on their first day and then introducing their instructor. In my head I wondered how they saw this 5 foot tall woman in front of them telling them how to work out. Do they take me seriously? Do they just wish their instructor was back? Do they think how could a plus size woman possibly be in good enough shape to make it through class? As I greeted each of them for the session, these things were running around me head...but I smiled...stayed positive...stayed focused and followed the workout.

At the end of the workout, I had a bunch of smiling women....sweaty...but smiling who told me it was tough but it was a fantastic hour. I wonder if they realize how good that made me feel just knowing I had given them a good workout.

I have spent the last few days really beating myself up about my lack of speed on the run and how I look in a tri suit. Today, donned in camo pants, combat boots and an instructor shirt, I felt like a strong instructor with a goal. Why can't I translate that feeling into triathlon?