Happy Easter! Where has the month gone???

Happy Easter!!

Where in the world has this month gone??!! I tell you, things have been crazy (in a good way)…in the past 5 weeks the Menvielle household has heard/seen/experienced many changes.

Most important though, we are having a baby girl in 4 months! We had the ultrasound a few weeks ago and were delighted to find out that the estrogen level of the family unit will increase. Poor Gregory, he is doomed…when this girl asks for anything, she will get it. Why do I feel like I will be the “enforcer” in this relationship??

This led to quite the dilemma though….(other than what brand of chastity belt to purchase and convent to enroll her in) what the heck do we paint the room?? You see, I don’t do pink; and for the time being, while I can still make choices for this child without her talking back, I have decided the nursery will not look like “princess pink” was thrown up in it. Don’t get me wrong, I can do some pink, subtle pink, accent pink, but there is a line I must draw. The walls will not be fuscia! And I will not allow any Barbie dolls in the apartment because I believe they give young women a complex about how their bodies must look like…and let’s be honest, this girl is not inheriting a cup size D from me!

So, we made a compromise, a minty green accent wall against off-white walls/ceiling and the bedding/shades/theme is going to have pink and red accent ladybugs with some green….I just couldn’t bring myself to go with Gregory’s suggestion “why don’t we still go with blue, she won’t know the difference?”…so I caved…a little…a little pink never hurt anyone. And don’t worry; links to a comprehensive photo album will follow at the end of this post, so read on…

Other changes occurring in the Menvielle apartment include a new and improved pantry. We bought an electric drill at one of our Home Depot outings; just in case we would need it. Just in case turned into me taking down the laundry room door, putting up a new one, installing new pantry shelves and pot hangers, tearing apart our hall closet and assembling a new closet assembly and putting up coat hangers. Yes, folks, I do have experience with power tools. Not only do they teach you to curl in high school in Canada, they teach you how to do important stuff like home renovations and change the oil in your car; these were considered our “home-ec” classes. The cooking talent came from lots of time in the chemistry lab mixing things up and don’t ask me to sew anything. I also does not hurt that I grew up in a house that included a stocked garage with tools for Carpentry (one of my dad’s trades) so I learned a lot from that.

What prompted me to do all of these changes? Reason #1: I am a hormonal, crazy organizational freak; #2 Gregory would not let me help paint the nursery so I had to “show him up” #3 I did not know how we were going to fit all the bottles and funky plastic stuff I don’t know what they are used for yet into our kitchen. Plus I have a beef to pick with the person who designed the layout of this place and did not consider proper use of space…..but that’s fine, me and my new drill fixed it.

But, just because I am good with a drill does not mean that I am ready for some “major” home renovations, so we hired someone to come in a replace our carpet with cork. It has been a long time coming and a lot of research/negotiations with our HOA (for good reasons). Because we live in a second floor condo, we need to pay attention to acoustic insulation so not to drive our downstairs neighbors crazy. We knew we were going to get rid of the carpet (heck, it could probably walk itself out of here with all the filth that was in it) and replace it with either new carpet or a solid surface. Out of pure selfishness, Gregory and I decided a solid surface would be easier to clean baby spit up/puke/spills off of than carpet and increase the retail value of our place. Since hardwood is out of the question, we moved on to the next best (if not better!) thing; cork! We are going with a “coffee bamboo” color/feel and are totally stoked about it.

Last week marked the beginning of the “floor installation” process, which included more packing (I didn’t think there was much more to pack after moving Gregory into his new office!), moving, storing and then the workers arrived. As of now, we are working in an apartment with the “main area” floor finished and it looks awesome! By Wednesday this week, the process should be finished with more pics to be posted (right now, there are some of the partially finished floor).

Other than all of the home renovations, Gregory and I have been working our tails off this month with new clients, new projects and lots of fun events! We have 2 weeks until we leave for France, which will be a well deserved/needed treat! Bring on the farmers markets! Hopefully, things will settle down a bit more so that I can post more frequent updates. However, I feel like that will come in the 3rd trimester when I am waddling around, occupying the couch a lot and complaining about how “fat” I am .

I am in my 23rd week now (see pics below). I know, what a cute bump! what an awesome, small, harmless bump. What the picture does not tell you is how active this little girl/bump is, especially at 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the morning. I swear she already has a pair of running shoes on and is doing workouts at those times. Unfortunately, when my darling girl is awake, I am awake, so there have been a few “zombie-like, throw cranky tantrums and OD on the chocolate because I am a hormonal mess” days. Let’s hope she is just getting this “nocturnal theme” out of her system before she pops out in a few monthsJ

Link to home renovation album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/gmenvielle/HomeWork#

I hope to get a more thorough update posted within a week or so with pics of our new floor/place!

Cheers!

Thank God For Pamela's!!

As mentioned in my previous post, Pamela's continues to demonstrate its amazing support towards my endeavors (whether it be Ironman or growing a baby)! The message that I try to convey through my lifestyle and daily challenges is that there is always time for "health." Proper nutrition involving a gluten-free diet is just as important while pregnant as it is training for an Ironman.

Over the past few weeks, now that I am out of the 1st trimester "sickies" I have been eating like a champ and craving a lot of carbs! Pamela's has a great baking mix that can be used to bake almost anything!! Here are two of my favorites:

Bannana Bread: http://www.pamelasproducts.com/recipe_frames.html

Muffins (I use blueberrys): http://www.pamelasproducts.com/recipe_frames.html

You are lucky I got a picture because they did not last long!

Another great use for the baking mix I have found is dumplings!! Just mix the Pamela's baking mix with milk until it is thick and you can roll a ball with it in the palm of your hand. Then drop it into any soup/stew you like!! Yum!

I have been doing a lot of reading with regards to athletes who are gluten-free. It seems as if many athletes are becoming more aware of the "gluten allergy/intolerance" and a lot are discovering through elimination diets that they improve performance and general feeling/energy with a gluten free lifestyle. Check out this link:

http://team.firstendurance.com/group/GlutnFreeLiving

Although I am not in training nor really prepping for race season, I like to keep myself "active" and follow a healthy diet. Now, that is not to say I am perfect; I am far from it! There are days when I fall off the wagon, both health-wise and gluten-free wise. There, I said it, somedays I fail! and that is ok! I know it is hard for people starting off with a gluten-free diet and there will be mistakes and hiccups along the way. I like to think of it as a learning process. Just one thing to keep in mind though; it takes 2-3 weeks to fully eliminate the gluten from your diet, so if you "cheat" you are not 100% better until that gluten and the inflammation in the gut has subsided.

The best piece of advice I can give you if you chose to go gluten free is to read and educate yourself. Also, consult a nutritionist; if you are in the Boulder area, I recommend Megan, my nutritionist: http://www.forbesnutritionalconsulting.com/index.htm

Finally, I do have a "bump" post! This is taken at 15 weeks and the little "gluten-free bun in the oven" is finally showing. I am finally using the elastics on my pants and feeling the my tummy start to grow "out" which is good, because I think it has taken up all space inside of me! My bladder and tummy are squished!!

Right now I am in my 17th week, so I should begin to feel the little guy/gal move soon! We had an ultrasound on Friday and it was too soon to tell the sex; well, there was a little "itty bitty" but, that can turn into a boy or girl, so for now we wait one more month.

On the health front, I am feeling much better and we did get more of an explanation for the "spotting" that gave us such a scare a few weeks ago. Turns out that in addition to the infection, I do have a low placenta (nothing to worry about), which, will move up as the pregnancy progresses. So, I have been given the clearance to go ahead with my activities (yeah!), continue running....which, has become an adventure in itself; I only run on a treadmill close to a bathroom because every 5 minutes I have to sprint to the bathroom to "relieve" myself. I swear, what feels like it is going to be niagra falls always turns out to be a teaspoon. Always an adventure!

I was also told to swim.....I knew it was inevitable......

The hard parts...

Planning…I am learning that planning while carrying a child is difficult! I used to take pride on knowing what I was making for dinner throughout the week, now I don’t know what I want to eat for breakfast let alone lunch and dinner. I am actually enjoying the craving part of the process as I am trying new foods that would never appeal to me before….but, I digress….

Last weekend Gregory and I had big plans. Saturday was supposed to be “get the extra storage day” and move all the boxes out of our apartment, followed by a night out with friends and then head up to the mountains on Sunday. It was supposed to be a late “Celebration” for my birthday since we really couldn’t do anything a few weeks before with the morning sickness etc… needless to say NONE of this happened.

Turns out my pregnant body had different plans. On Saturday morning, Gregory heads out to run with his training group and I get to head out with my itunes and do my own sort of “run” thing around a little loop by our house (will plenty of opportunities for pit stops!). I have been keeping active throughout the pregnancy, alternating no impact activity with jogging (I have a hard time referring to my running as “actual” running) and have had no problems. Of course this is something everyone needs to check with their doctors (mine cleared running at 7 weeks). When I returned home after a really good run I was in total shock to find that I was spotting…

I don’t think I have ever been so panicked or worried in my entire life. First thing I did was call my doctor who was on call; I had to wait 10 minutes for her to call me back, it seemed like an eternity. During those 10 minutes I cried and realized how important this baby was to me. Everyone hears of the “mother’s love” and how it is a magic thing you somehow acquire when you have your own baby. It’s true….

Gregory returned home from his run to find me a shaking, mumbling mess and I got out enough to let him know what had happened when the doctor called. To make a long story short, because it was the weekend, I would have to go to the ER for any sort of “medical” treatment. But, she told me that whatever it was could probably wait (unless the symptoms got worse) as it is extremely rare for a miscarriage to happen this far along and that anything that was causing the bleeding could wait till Monday because there is nothing they really could do in the mean time. Um ok….I feel so much better….So there I was, panicked, and told not to move for the rest of the weekend until Monday. Monday could not be further away….

Next step was to cancel any plans we had. I only ended up telling a handful of people what happened as I didn’t want to cause a big stir; and did my best to put myself into the doctors shoes when describing “it probably is nothing” when every bad scenario was going through my head. And, poor Gregory being the “rock” through this process, checking in on me and making sure I had enough “movies , food, water..pretty much anything!” too keep me going.

Four hours later my phone rings and it was my doctor calling to check-in and tell me she had a bunch of deliveries so why don’t I come in so they could hear the baby’s heart beat. I swear, this was one of the kindest acts anyone has done for me. Here was this doctor, on call, between 3 deliveries (turned out she had been up all night the previous night) thinking to call me to come in ON THE WEEKEND to calm my nerves and make sure the baby was ok.

Of course Gregory and I sped to the hospital and within 10 minutes we heard the “thu-thump, thu-thump” loud and clear. I have never, ever felt such a large rush of relief!

For the record, Boulder Women’s Care is awesome! Gregory and I feel so comfortable with the kind, knowledgeable and patient staff and doctors.

This did not mean we were out of the woods. I was still on “bed-rest” till Monday when they could check out what was going on (as it Is not normal) but I was definitely put at ease hearing the baby’s heartbeat.

Cut to the chase, Monday rolls around and Boulder Women’s Care gets me in for a morning appointment (once again, great service when they are a busy clinic) with one of the doctors I have seen already. I am ready for the news “it was the running”…or “you overdid it”…because trust me, I had heard enough of that already (gotta love unsolicited advice from those who believe it is their God given right to tell you what to do but have no medical knowledge to back their opinions). But, instead I got:”You are healthy and the baby is fine, however, you have an infection.” Yes folks, I have spent hours on end on a bike with sweaty bike shorts soaked in chamois cream and I have never had a yeast infection. Until I got knocked up! As humorous as it may sound, we are very lucky we caught it early as these can turn into more serious bacterial infections. Apparently yeast infections are very common once you are pregnant and can re-occur easily..sigh…and I thought the second trimester was the “honeymoon period.”

Now, here comes the brutal honest part of things. Gregory spent the rest of the day picking up the pieces of “Erin”. You would think that I would be ecstatic that everything was ok , the baby was fine and that it was just a “yeast infection.” But to me it was so much more. After spending 3 months sick as a dog, emotionally and physically drained, on a hormonal rollercoaster, realizing that some people will never be there for you like you want, only to enter the 2nd trimester with a yeast infection was a bit too much. The weekend traumatized me….but, heck that is what friends are for, right?

Trust me, I have some GREAT friends. I had emails and calls from those who knew what was going on to just see “how I was doing”. My awesome friend Laura came over Sunday afternoon while I was pondering away time just to “visit.” You have no idea how important such an act of kindness is. When you become pregnant, you world changes and you have a bunch of insecurities such as how your friends will “react to you” when you get hormonal and huge. Also, if they will accept your life changes; with few exception, my friends have been outstanding! A few even surprise me!

I think one of the most touching moments this week though was after Gregory talked to my Mother-in-law Joelle and Auntie-in-law Claude to let them know the news and there was nothing to worry about. Well, my email box filled with French messages from both Claude and Joelle to hear the news straight from me and then a message on my phone Wednesday afternoon from Joelle “wanting to see how I was.” When your MIL stays up late to leave you a message in English (when she speaks French) because she is concerned, you know you are extremely fortunate! These kind gestures warm my heart and when everything feels so overwhelming and out of control, I am reminded that I have an amazing support system.

It has been a week since these events transpired and I am almost as good as new! As for the baby, well “it” is fine/great./super/awesome/perfect….Ok, so I have to say it; Gregory and I are a little confused about the “how’s the baby” question. Of course the baby is fine and healthy, but sometimes it is like “well, I don’t know, it’s not like we have had a conversation today or I have met the little dude face-to-face”. I think Gregory sums it up best in his blog:

http://www.pyramedium.com/gm/details.aspx?uid=246

Which is much shorter, more concise and a lot funnier!

All I can tell you about our baby now, is that scientifically it Is larger than a baseball, it makes me hungry, I am growing a little pot-belly, it makes me hungry, it has not started kicking yet but in 2-3 weeks I should feel it, and oh…did I say it makes me hungry??

Tuesday I have the clear to get back to aerobic activity; including swimming, elliptical, weights, and running…YES, that’s right, running. There is no scientific evidence to support running has a direct correlation to yeast infections (that is unless you wear the same pair of unwashed sweaty spandex to run in for a week straight!). Does that mean I will go back to running? Honestly, I don’t know, I am still pretty shaken up about the whole thing, BUT if I DO;I swear I will go postal on the next person who tells me to “stop running” as if this whole series of events was MY fault! There you have it, I am putting my foot down…this is the one piece of unsolicited advice that I will not just “shut-up and take.” And for the record, I have my doctor’s support on this decision.

On a more positive note, and a little hint for my next post, Pamela’s Products has demonstrated their amazing support once again and allowed me to stay on the Pamela’s team through my pregnancy! I have a gluten-free bun in the oven. More great news about Pamela’s and great gluten free recipes for the pregnant lady in my next post!

Cheers!

The First Trimester

So, as I said in the last blog entry, the last 14 weeks have been pretty interesting. At week 4 I ran 20 miles (not knowing I was preggers); at week 5, I could barely get out of bed. I will be honest and admit I totally underestimated what pregnancy would do to me. I was one of those people who would hear other people’s horror stories and tales of fatigue/naseau, and never give it a second thought because I figured I was “fit, healthy and ready for pregnancy.” No problem, right??

That statement could not be any further from the truth!!

At 4.5 weeks, I felt like I had been hit by a truck, and then backed over by the same truck and then a 16 wheeler…..you get the hint. My “late” 10 pm bed times and “early” 6 am wakeups quickly became 8 pm to bed, 8 am to wake up. My hour runs became 30 minutes, 20 minutes…walking….

By week six, I was nauseous and would swing from one food craving to the next within 10 minutes. We spent the month of December NOT stocking the Fridge, but rather taking 2-3 trips to the grocery per day, just to make sure we were not wasting food as my normal eating habits were long gone!! The sight of any raw vegetable made me want to gag! BUT, I figured, I was “ok” because if I felt bad, that means the baby’s ok…plus, I wasn’t puking…….yet….

Then the fun started in Canada. The kid got the upper hand of me, and anything I put into my stomach he/she didn’t like came right back up. We learned a lot! No oatmeal, no salad, pretty much nothing healthy. However, I could take back a pint of Dairy Queen Ice Cream with no problem. And…I learned cheese makes everything better!...I have not had my cholesterol checked.

In addition to all these lovely “pregnancy” side-effects is the notorious constipation. There is no way to sugar coat this topic; I was/am constipated and had to pee every 20 minutes. They say it is due to increased progesterone, whatever. One word: Metamucil ! (and apples if it’s a really bad day)

The funny thing about “morning sickness” is that it is not just in the morning; it can be ALL FRIGGIN DAY! From weeks 7-11 I only gained ½ pound (living off of ice cream). Now, I know that none of this seems very fun (well at least the ice cream is)but, the tradeoff of knowing in a few months I will have a beautiful bundle of joy to look at and know it was worth it (at least that is what many mothers tell me)

For now, my instant gratification for the 1st trimester suffering is the boobs. Last summer in France I bought some bras, but I got the wrong size and they were too big. Not anymore!! I am filling those cups up like a champ! And nobody better rain on my parade and tell me and A cup is still small!! I am almost B now!

Throughout the first trimester, albeit tired and sick, I was encouraged to keep active from my physician. When you are extremely active and become pregnant, going from a lot of physical activity to nothing can be worse for the baby than exercising in moderation. Now, that does not mean it was easy on the days I felt cemented to the bed. Some days it was hard to just get moving, but once I did, I felt SOOO much better. I have no idea why, some attribute it to diverted blood flow from the stomach, but the only time I did not feel like hurling was when I was running or on the elliptical.

Don’t ask me how fast I was running…..I am not sure if I resembled any form of running. Enough said.

The funny thing is just as sudden as the symptoms appear and in the exact reverse order, they begin to resolve, right around 12 weeks (except for the constipation; that’s the 9 month bonus plan!). At 12 weeks, right after my birthday I started JUST feeling nauseous; you can imagine Gregory’s and my surprise when I kept breakfast down. Then the next day, breakfast and lunch….and at the end of the week, I was eating 3 meals with snacks and enjoying it!

Then, I knew I was fine when I got hungry and thought I could hold out 10 minutes to finish up a piece of work. Well, I think I almost passed out due to low blood sugar and ripped Gregory’s head off when he would not give me a bite of his lunch (he was joking, but I failed to notice it and instead went into a hysterical fit). Note to self: when hungry, EAT…there is no time to waste… if not, I will self destruct and take down everything around/with me. Hence, I keep snacks by me all the time, even on the bed stand. I am a great wife and like to wake Gregory up to share with him at 2 am (I am a notorious sleepwalker/talker as well).

So, I think that sums up my first trimester. Not the easiest, but definitely interesting…

I still have a lot to write about, like how the 2nd trimester is off to just as an exciting start as the first, how much I am showing, all the crazy things people have said, the unsolicited advice (I know everyone likes to read about that), and the sex of the baby(that will come in a few more weeks). Stay tuned…

Your What? Pregnant!!

Yes the Menvielle household is growing….although it’s just my belly at the moment.

So how did I get myself into this predicament other than the obvious? Well, Gregory and I have been talking about “starting a family” for over a year now, but never felt “right time” was upon us. Perhaps it was the lack of oxygen and brain cells from all my training in the French Alpes, but I started to have a change of heart while in France last year. Maybe it was seeing the European family values and watching new mothers with their children; the love, discipline, and amazing relationships the French have with their children. I don’t know what did it, but I was finally “ok” with the idea of having a child.

I was also starting to have a change in heart towards “science.” I have been shying away from anything chemistry, anything science and everything related to the big corporate world since my bad experience down in Houston. This has been an amazing experience in itself as I have created another unique niche for myself in the world of website development. I believe that you can never have enough knowledge or skill sets…and you are a fool if you think you will be doing the same thing for the rest of your life! But, you can only suppress your desires for so long….I was beginning to feel the science itch again. Not exactly for chemistry; I am leaning more towards medicine. There are a number of reasons behind this, but that is for another post. People seem to forget that I am only 28…wait, I just turned 29…oh well, still in the 20’s! Plenty of time for another degree…and just because I am cheap and don’t want to go into debt, I plan on doing the 8 year MD/PhD program…heck, what’s another PhD?? All kidding aside about money, this is the route I would love to pursue because I love the research aspect of the doctorate program; it supplies an opportunity to satisfy you scientific curiosity to the maximum level, which is exactly why I want to do it…

Oh wait…I am pregnant…how did I get to going back to school for 8 years?? Well, that is why Gregory and I decided to “start” trying for a baby. In 8 years, I will be pushing the age limits for a healthy pregnancy, and Gregory will be over 40. We DEFINITELY did not want to do that or wait that long. I also did not want to have a child during med-school; and I also wanted to give myself the opportunity to see how motherhood shapes me before committing myself and my husband to 8 more years of school! This is not just my decision, this is a family decision. Perhaps this will all change; I know that what you plan is not always what happens and I am realistic to acknowledge that. All I do know is that Gregory and I have a gift, an amazing gift arriving in 6 months!

So, there you have it; after I completed Ironman Wisconsin we decided to give it a try. We honestly thought it might take a while. Getting pregnant is actually a complex thing (other than the how). If you do the reading you find that many things need to go “right” at the “right” time in order for a baby to be made. But, low and behold, at the end of October, I had a wonky period and headed to the doctor. Sometimes you don’t test positive on the home-tests and honestly, at the rate at which I was going through those pee-on-stick tests because I am so impatient I was going to put Gregory and I into bankruptcy. So, I decided doctor co-pay would be a better alternative. What did I find out? That I was NOT pregnant, but I was also infertile for the time being!!

Yes, in my doctor’s words, I was not ovulating. Turns out that when you have thyroid disease (I have Hashimoto’s) any changes in lifestyle such as going from Ironman training to “normal” activity will throw you for a loop. I was overmedicated at the time and was referred to an endocrinologist for monitoring and “family planning”. It usually takes 4-6 weeks for a new dosage of thyroid medicine to take effect and that could take many cycles and new dosages. So, basically, I was told not to hold my breath and it might take months to start ovulating again.

So, what does a girl do in these circumstances? Well, personally, I thought it was a great idea to sign up for the Vegas marathon and book a vacation trip and party it up in Vegas. Anyways, might be one of the last times I will have the freedom to do so, right?... I started running more, 16 miles, 18 miles and then 20 miles…all of which were miserable!! I would bloat out like you would not believe, have to pee like there is no tomorrow and the sugar highs and lows were nothing I had ever experienced! I told myself it was all due to my retarded thyroid. The only thing that tipped me off that it might be something more is my jiggly boobs.

You see, this Is unique. For those of you who know me, you know I have NO boobs whatsoever. In the off season, the weight goes to my belly, butt and thighs, but NEVER to my boobs. I have NEVER EVER jiggled when I run. So you can imagine my amazement and concern when the girls started bobbing around. Maybe it was a mother’s instinct or the fact that I was ravenous for chocolate and the chocolate isle in Walgreens happened to be strategically placed beside the “womens needs/pregnancy” section of the store. Anyhow, I secretly bought another pregnancy test…and hid it from Gregory; he would literally strangle me if he knew I paid for more pee-on-sticks.

The next morning, bright and early I peed, half asleep. I told myself it would be “negative” and then I would crawl back into bed and Gregory would never know. You can imagine my surprise when that little blue line darkened to show a “positive.” Let’s just say that Gregory’s “good morning” was not the usual, snuggle and/or cup of tea ready….No, I was not romantic, nor did I plan a sentimental way to “break the news”. I went stomping into the bedroom at 6:30 am and it went something like this:

Erin (standing across room yelling with stick in hand):”Guess What?”

Gregory:”Grunt, moan, rollover…it’s too early, come back to bed”

Erin:”GUESS WHAT”

Gregory (starting to get cranky): “what…”

Erin:”I am pregnant”

Gregory: silence….

Erin:”Did you hear me??”

Gregory: “Are you sure?”

Erin (run’s across room and shoves stick in Gregory’s groggy face to see) “yes!”

Gregory:”You should take another one”

Erin (thinking, well duhh, that’s why I bought the two pack!!...run’s back to bathroom and returns with another positive) “Seeee, told you so!”

Gregory: “You need to go to the doctor to make sure”

So, that morning I was off to the doctor’s office to see a PA and confirm. It is a surreal experience when you wait in the doctor’s office and they walk in. You are expecting a “sorry, false alarm” or some sort of other explanation, but when they walk into the room and say “congratulations” it sinks in. That is when it hit me for the first time (and it keeps hitting you!) that this was real. Turns out I was 4.5 weeks along…and I WAS ovulating, contrary to what my blood results showed…..funny how things turn out. But, given that my body had everything going against it at the time of conception I had better watch out when this kid is born because I am a fertile turtle!

Needless to say, Vegas never happened and my so called “party days” are long over. Diet sprite is my cocktail of choice and a “late” night is 9:30 pm.

The proverbial first trimester “dump truck” hit me at 6 weeks….and let’s just say that I have been reminded DAILY, that I AM pregnant. More on that in a further post; for this one, we are savoring the beauty of creating a baby! Not what the baby does to the mother for the first 3 months…if I knew what awaited me, I would have savored that last 20 mile run a lot more!

Finally, An Interesting Post!

So, I promised you all some more interesting posts…heck, even updating once and a while might be better than the couple month break that I took from writing. I would like to attribute it to the “off-season”, or “better things to do”, but honestly, I had a secret. If you know me well, I do not do secrets very well. The past few months have been full of excitement, changes and beginnings for me, all of which I had to keep to myself. Until today….

Yup, I am spilling the beans…but, before I do that, I need to give a little background information and reflection on 2009. It is the New Year! 2009 was an awesome year for me!! Not full of earth-shattering success, but full of changes and learning experiences. I experienced setbacks in my racing/training/job which I learned from and developed a new sense of confidence and maturity. I guess you would call it the proverbial “growing-up” (although I think we are always “growing-up and maturing through our experiences). I also grew in my career, learning new techniques and applications as a website developer (not too shabby coming from a doctor of chemistry).

But, and there are always a lot of buts! I found myself feeling very run-down and empty by the time I finished Ironman Wisconsin. I had given it my all throughout the year in training, work and my marriage. Truthfully, I could not see myself taking the “usual” 2 weeks off and hopping back to it. I wanted to grow independent in my job as well as explore further options in the sciences. I wanted to spend more time with my husband and support him through his endeavors as he has always supported me 200%. I wanted to get back to the root of what I enjoy in sport, do it for fun without counting numbers and hours (and trust me, those can add up during Ironman training). Most important, I wanted to start growing the family….

So, now you can probably guess what my big secret is; I am pregnant. This upcoming Friday I will be at the 1st trimester mark. The latest due date is somewhere between July 30th and August 6th. Gregory and I have a very exciting 2010 ahead of us and we are already working towards the transition. Our “in-home” office will now become a nursery and our white rug that looks like something out of “swamp thing” (and our vacuum cleaner just did a number on it as it snagged and chewed up a portion!) will be torn up and replaced. Alongside many more changes and renovations!....the only thing I am dreaming about is the baby-jogger though!

I will keep my “all about pregnancy” post to the next one (and these I promise will be more frequent as now I have something to talk about!). But for now, digest the information and then sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!

New York!!

Alright, so after Canada we returned to Boulder for a few days and then it was off to New York to meet Gregory's mom Joelle!! We had a blast!! I could not believe we accomplished what we did in the time allotted. Starting Friday-Sunday we walked a LOT, saw the Empire State, went to Staton Island to see the Statue of Liberty, saw to the "Phantom of the Opera", Radio City Hall, the Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Ground Zero, the Frick Exibit walked in Central Park and on 5th street (and yes, visited the LARGEST Tiffany's store ever!!)...let me catch my breath. We also ATE a lot! Ranging from Steakhouse, Italian, Mediterranian, Seafood and my personal favorite the "River Cafe" (It's underneath the Brooklyn Bridge and you have a view of New York...beautiful!..and the food is amazing!)

So, here are a few pictures of the trip:

Joelle arriving and within 5 minutes emptying her suitcase filled with goodies!! Yes, we are spoiled! 3 boxes of French Chocolate!
Gregory and I posing at the Statue of Liberty

Freezing in Central Park

I couldn't resist this picture; a dessert at the "River Cafe" . Gregory ordered mousse and ice cream which came constructed like this! Wow

The end of a great meal and a great trip!!

Merci Beaucoup Joelle et Joyous Anniversarie Cocole!

Christmas in Pictures

As you might have noticed, this blog is in the process of getting a "face-lift". Don't worry, interesting posts to follow!

But for now, I will leave you with some pictures of Christmas in Canada with my folks and sister.

This is our backyard...it looks pretty and the sun in shining, but it is darn cold!!
This is our dog Rupert. He likes to have his belly scratched and he likes to eat timbits!

Another beautiful pic from our backyard

Chewy the eskimo and Rupert posing after a brisk walk (or crawl through knee deep sections of snow!)

My hubby...he does not wear mitts! he is crazy!

Gregory and I with our new "Eddie Hats" Thanks santa!

Me and my sister goofing around.

Four hours and a complete 500 piece puzzle!

Mom and dad. Aren't they cute!!

Dad feeding the cows in the morning (the sun comes up at 8:30 am!!)

The Great Pumpkin Adventure!!

Ok, I know it has been FOREVER since I have posted. To be honest, I have no excuse. I am not training, I am sleeping a lot, I am enjoying life!!! Work has picked up as I am in a final surge with some projects. I should be finished some major projects within the month and will be ready to fill the schedule back up, so if anyone needs or knows of anyone who needs a website update/rebranding/redesign, feel free to give me a shout! I am your web-lady!


Gregory and I did go to one of my best friends wedding a few weeks back in Chicago, which was fabulous!! I love weddings!!

On the training front, it is not non-existent, but almost!! LOL Actually, I have been running a lot, and actually swam a bit...just joined the world of Boulder rec Center. Biking has been awesome now that Gregory is getting geared up for IMOZ. We biked two weekends ago and Gregory tackled Ward with me on super windy Sunday...he did it for the cookies, LOL! Actually, I am very impressed with Gregory; he always downplays his biking strength, but now he is biking with a power meter and has his numbers, he can't SLACK anymore or pretend he is slow. Kid you not, after 2 weeks back on the bike, he is dragging me around on the flats! He is becoming a monster on the bike...and I will be lucky if I can suck his wheel in a few more weeks!!

The beauty of the "off" season, is that you get to do things you don't usually get to do during the "on" season. For instance, taking a friday evening to not only carve a pumpkin, but to gut it, steam it and blend it for future cooking (now that I have the time). But, let me tell you, this can be an adventure...

Let the masacre begin!!

An ice cream scoop comes in handy!

Don't leave too much pumpkin for the squirrels (it says GO AWAY squirrels) High yielding produce! We have a lot of pumpkin puree in our freezer!

Hee, hee...I do like to carve a pumpkin....

And yes...a trademark!

And within a day...the squirrels were ready to feast...

And withing 4 days, they were still eating, deflating poor, poor Mr. Pumpkin

The aftermath....Sooo, sooo sad...Warrant out for the arrest of the local squirrel!

Lovely, lovely fall in Boulder!!

Ok, so the trees are starting to change colors and the wind is picking up!! I think it is fall in CO!!!

This is one of my favorite times of the year because for some of us, it means the "off season" soaking it all up!! Going out, having fun. Turning over the wardrobe from sleavless to sweaters. well, maybe a little to soon for that one!

It also marks my first year riding in the CO rockies during the fall. Last year I was too scared to venture up into the "mountains' by myself..I think Jamestown was the furthest I went. Oh, how times have changed. In Boulder/surrounding area, you can always find someone climbing in the mountains even if there is 10 ft of snow! LOL.

I spent my 2 week "IMWI anniversary" in the mountains this weekend, taking my sweet time enjoying the weather and colors and eating m&m's!! (gluten free!!). It is absolutely gorgeous!! Since we had a "bit" of bad weather last week, I experienced the snow dusted mountain peaks in addition to the redish/orange/yellow leaves changing color the past two days. Absolutely amazing!!

From a physical standpoint, there is no denying it, I am still pretty much in the dumps (physically) and it will take time to recovery. BUT, I am not going to let gorgeous fall days pass me by without taking advantage of them...it is rare opportunity you see the peak-to-peak on days like today! I even got the hubby a Ward cookie.

Ok, so next up is another wedding next weekend in Chicago. PARTY time with the friends!!..and some long runs on the lakefront that I LOVE!

Oh and Congrats to Jillian who completed Augusta 70.3 this weekend!! so proud of you!!

Also, safe travels to some of those I know are heading to Kona this week...still 2 weeks to go , but I know they will fly bye!!

The best feeling in the world!!

Run, run, run.....

yup, yesterday I went for my first post-IM run. Usually these runs feel like total crap (because usually I try 3 days after the race, LOL!!) This year I have promised to be "honest" with myself on how I feel, the recovery etc...but...yesterday, I could not hold back.

I am no where near 100% nor at a position where swim/bike/run should feel good nor let alone should be part of the equation. BUT, I WANTED to run, so I did...I told myself, maybe 10-20 minutes; I wanted to do what I love for a bit and then get back to work....well 10 minutes turned into 75 minutes. 75 minutes of absolute bliss!! the best feeling ever!! I headed out the door with my shoes and some music for a little "loop" that turned into a big "loop". I couldn't stop; I did not want to stop. My legs felt great for the first bit...then they got tired, and I slowed down and took it easy, but that was ok..for the first time in a long time I had no HR monitor and I was running exactly at the pace/distance I wanted to. It was such a release!! Yes, it was not 100% "at XXXXXX pace, at XXXX HR" and I didn't give a flying f#&*k what I was running speed-wise. I was taking in the cool weather, the overcast clouds floating over the mountains with just my shoes, IPOD and thoughts.....what a wonderful feeling!

Most important, I was processing what happened a little over a week ago and upon reflection I am in n utter amazement that I could do (run)what I was at the moment. I am SO blessed to have a healthy body that bounces back; a strong mind that keeps me going and a determination that keeps me looking for the next challenge.

But, the next challenge needs to wait...for once I am doing this "recovery" thing properly. I am taking the needed time for "myself" to rebuild and refocus. It is so important to me because I know i have so many life changes that await me.

This is the best feeling in the world...waiting for everything to fall into place. With a little patience and faith, I will be on my way....

I wish I had more to say...but that is it...I am happy, healthy and enjoying life!

Some Photos and fun stuff!

This is me about 1/4 of a mile from the finish, coming up State Street, balling my eyes out. What an emotional day!

Here is a link to some awesome video footage Gregory took throughout the day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHttPIXN98A

And here is a link to a bunch more photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/goodcookies4me/IronmanWisconsin2009?feat=directlink


I am in recovery mode at the moment. This Ironman took a lot more out of me emotionally and physically than expected. For the moment, I am happy basking in the "uncertainty" and "open book" that lies ahead. More on that later....

Chapter 2: The Journey

13 miles and over 7 hours to complete it, I had the time to do whatever I pleased. A thought crossed my mind when going through the halfway point “should I ask Gregory to take the camera?” Because really, I was not going anywhere fast and if I was going to do this and fulfill my one desire (to have fun and enjoy) I figured what better way to catch it on camera. However, then I realized that it was not a good idea since I would probably kill the camera with the sweat/puke/water that seemed to encompass me on this journey.

I headed back down State Street for round #2. I always say to myself during this point of the Ironman “this may be the last, so enjoy it” and I always seem to end up back where I started, so I didn’t tell myself it would be the last, but rather, “no more for a while…enjoy it” For some reason this takes the urgency out of the equation. This year, I giggled because I was not looking for a tampon, but damn, I was hurting.

I wish I could put a positive spin on everything, and I sure as hell try to, but this time around, I was in pain, physically and emotionally to extents, I had never experienced before. I kept asking myself “how much more can I endure??” And every time I stopped to walk, I told myself…”just get it under control and then start running again” Truthfully, my run was not a run, it was a shuffle. I recalled a few weeks ago when I had my strongest long run, and laughed at what I considered a “run” now. That is the beauty of Ironman, it humbles and it brings you down to your roots.

I decided to throw all of my strategies/rules and plans out of the window; I knew I needed calories, so I did the one thing that I knew would not hurt me any more than I was hurting (hey, I had 7 hours to spend walking and on the porto-john if necessary, LOL!) I turned to the dark side and started drinking COKE!! OMG…what a wonderful taste, feeling and boost you get from coke. Coke literally rips my guts apart, but I figured I could not do any more damage than what had already been done, and I wanted to look forward to something… I mean WHO looks forward to WATER at an aid station?? I also started eating a few chips and kept them down!! Whooo hoooo..things were looking good!

Every step hurt and I just wanted to sit down and stop. There were many times where I would go for a ¼ mile thinking “just run one mile and walk the aid station” but I couldn’t and had to walk. The tanks were empty; thankfully my brain was in overdrive! So, I made it back down to state street with the music blasting and beer flowing; this is one of my favorite parts of the course. You really cannot focus on yourself because there is too much going on. I promised myself I would “run this part”. So, I stated doing my “run” (gimped shuffle) and made it up and down state street without a HR spike and other than the physical pain, I really was starting to feel a bit better energy-wise (it’ s called the “coke miracle”). I high fived little kids and thanked the “intoxicated” spectators for their support (they are the best!! Talk about enthusiastic!)
I then hit the 20 mile mark and chuckled to myself; my self-discovery journey started at mile 4…WAY too early for a marathon, but here I was, still going and still pushing my pathetic self to the finish. I had a bit of a pity party at that moment, thinking of the time I spent training, how the run is my strongest, and what an embarrassment I was to my sponsors, and then I took a look around me. People were walking, barfing and downright suffering and I was still shuffling and moving (albeit in pain); I had nothing to be ashamed of. I was at the end of my journey; I had covered 134.6 miles and was at the point where I was going to face the thing I was most scared off: myself. Moment of truth, what does Ironman mean to me?

I discovered exactly what I thought I would; I found out that I COULD do it. I had visualized this moment as me approaching the finish line, sub 11 hours, claiming my Kona spot, and being a HUGE success. Contrary to my predictions, this moment dawned on me at my lowest of lows, when I looked at the sun and I realized that it would be down soon and I had 4 miles to go. I asked a spectator what time it was and he said 6:15 pm. I was SURPRISED it was still that early (I thought I would be finishing over 13 hrs) and then put a new goal in my head: “Finish before the sun goes down, you owe your husband and dad that much. Last time your dad flew down for this he froze in the cold till well past 10 pm”

I literally told myself “suck it up princess” and after the 22 mile aid station I started back up…fast shuffle/walk, which then turned into an awkward shuffle/jog; that is as good as it got, but damn it HURT!! I was in a different world of pain, running on everything I had left to give. Mile 23 came and went; I discovered chicken broth (it has been a long time since I was out on the course late enough for the broth and I forgot how wonderful it is!!). Just keep moving..just keep moving; I came upon another man who seemed to be in a similar predicament and all I did was look at him and say “C’mon, let’s finish this bitch up…this is Ironman”…..and I kept going. My body was pretty much numb those last few miles, yet, the pain was so real; I don’t think I will ever allow myself to forget the pain because I know it will benefit me in my future challenges.

Then came the moment of truth, mile 25…and I broke down, literally. I was crying, I was so emotionally spent, exhausted and all I had was one more mile of a long, hellish, yet extraordinary rewarding day. Somehow, I managed to pick up my feet a little more coming up State Street moving more like a jog than a shuffle. I kept my eyes on the Capitol…just get yourself up this hill, around the block and you are done. I saw Joe and CTC members and cried more; I am so fortunate to have such wonderful friends and support. Every step, every breath hurt and I told myself “it is just temporary, soon it will be over” up State Street around the block and there is was…the finish…

But, off to my right were my wonderful husband and dad. I stopped, gave Gregory a kiss and cried…I looked at the clock, and at the sun, I had made it, I had beat the sun….it may have not been what I had hoped for or knew what I was capable, but it was everything I NEEDED from the day….

I was and Ironman, but more important, I was sure I had given it everything. I always question what it might be like to have a “perfect day” when I might hit my goals and get a Kona spot…but that will have to wait. What I DO know is what a day looks like when you have given EVERYTHING you have…just for one day, I towed the line, no questions, no quitting, no hesitations…this was MY day, and it is one that I will remember and take with me throughout my life and will help me tackle new challenges.

I am an Ironman!

IMWI 2009 -First Chapter

Wow, another Ironman. This technically marks the 6th Ironman I have participated in over the past 3 years. Like I said in my previous post, each time I do one, I learn more and more about myself and yesterday did not disappoint.

Before I get into details, there are so many people I need to thank!!

Your love and support has carried me through the thick and thin of this year. First, my family! Mom and dad, Joelle and Claude and the most AMAZING husband! I am so fortunate to have the lifestyle and support that allows me to do what I enjoy. Thank you Bridget and Colleen for the “race kit” and ongoing encouragement! You two are the best! Thanks Tasha for the “sperm helmet”. Thanks Carole for some awesome coaching! Thank you to my sponsors: Brooks, Pyrasports and Pamela’s Products (best gluten free cookies!). Thank you Megan (Forbes Nutritional Consulting) for getting me on track this year with my nutrition. Ironman really is a “team” sport; or at least in my opinion it is.

Now back to IM Wisconsin 2009! I was never signed up to do this Ironman until Oceanside this year when I had another horrible ½ Ironman race. I really could not think of another triathlon I would want to do in the face of another failure than IMWI. A lot happens to the ego and enjoyment of the sport when you put a lot of time in it and don’t get the results you know you can achieve. I was crushed at that time and needed to re-focus my energy back to the “roots” of the sport; the enjoyment factor!

So, I took off to France, road my bike and enjoyed; then I got down to business for IMWI! I made myself a promise to do everything that I could to ensure I prepared properly for the race (in my control). I am in the best shape of my life at the moment and knew I could have a GREAT race in WI should “everything go right”…but, it’s Ironman, anything can happen….
Sunday morning started out early for the breakfast and as I was going through my routine, I realized “hey, I made it a whole year without doing an Ironman” (which is unusual for me) For some reason, this struck me as a refreshing change….weird things go through your head at 3:30 am.

Ok, on to the race, won’t bore you with unnecessary details. Swim was awesome!! My fastest yet! I felt strong the whole way through. I did something brave and started with the “inside group” this year; this lead me to have a perfect “line” through the swim and a great draft! Yes, it was a rough start, but when isn’t it? Oddly thought, one thought that just kept reoccurring through the swim was “this might be the last time you are in the water for a long, long time so enjoy it”.

Now to the bike; things started out great. Had the usual…OMG, tired, tired feeling for the first 2 miles then settled in and brought the HR down by the time I reached Verona. I had my nutrition planned out; eat everything I packed and then there are an extra 300 calories in special needs bag. Before I go any further, I need to explain my nutrition plan, because it is important as to how the rest of my Ironman unfolded. I was relying on Carbo-Pro and gels (and a few Cliff block shots) with a majority of my Carbo-Pro mixed as a concentrate in a bottle that I would squeeze into my aero-drink with water to dilute it. I started the ride with 2 bottles of pre-mixed Carbo-Pro at proper concentration that I would replace with the water/Carbo-pro concentrate after they were consumed.

Seems pretty simple, right? Well, yes it is until you look down and realize that the sponge in your aero-drink is gone (and I had used electrical tape to ensure this would not happen!!) so my aero-drink was spilling over ½ it’s contents all over me when I was hitting the bumps in the road (you forget how spoiled you are riding in Boulder with the perfect roads until you ride elsewhere!). This would be no-good nutrition wise, because I would lose ½ my nutrition from spilling if I were to put the concentrate with water in the bottle, so I figured I would sip from the concentrate and then chase with water. I decided to have a few gels before switching to my “new” nutrition strategy and was feeling great; I made sure to keep the salt and hydration under control as it was heating up. Between Mt Horeb and Cross Plains I put my plan into effect (concentrate Carbo-Pro does not taste good!), but it soon became apparent that this was not a good idea. Around the ½ point, I had bloated out and my belly was sloshing; I was in trouble. I had to stop the Carbo-Pro concentrate. Special needs contained a few more gels and a rice-krispy treat I had packed “just in case” and I happily took them and started on my rice krispy treat although feeling nauseous as hell. Then, the inevitable….everything started coming back up…I feel really bad for the person(s) riding behind me. So, the series of events in the second loop until Cross Plains goes as such: gel, water, salt tablet, throw up…again, and again…I just could not allow myself to stop eating because if I did that would be the end of it; I wish I could say I was having fun on the bike, but I wasn’t.

Until, I stopped at Cross Plains. That is where my Chicago tri-club friends were at. I decided that it was my goal to make it there till I stopped to take some preventative measures. Plan of action: Immodium and tums and salt and rest. I stopped to fill up my bottles and group myself and then as I was heading back out, I spotted Bridget, Colleen and Jillian. I stopped for photo op and a quick chat. Sometimes all it takes is a familiar face and some encouragement when you are at the lowest of lows to bring you out of the slump. As I was leaving, Bridget yells to me “be careful and HAVE FUN” which really helped me snap out of it. Here I was miserable, sick and hating biking, which defeated the whole purpose of the race. It was then that I decided to “back off”. I took the pedal OFF the medal and began to take in what was going in around me. I knew it was going to be one of “those days” where I was going to hurt like none other; sure as hell a lot more than when you are having a “good day” but if I was going to go through with it, I wanted to make sure I was doing it for all the right reasons.


Colleen checking in with me. I was looking for some Tums, LOL!
Me, getting ready to finish the bike up. Looking/feeling pretty gross right now....

So, I made it back up the hills, passed Gregory and my dad (AWESOME spectators) and back to the capitol. I made sure to take in all the cheers and energy of that course and when I made it to transition; I knew I was in for a very “special” run.

Out of T2 I stopped to see Gregory and dad; Gregory had been doing his homework, knowing that Kona was in sight if I had a good run. 5 minutes to chase down the girls ahead and I was golden, however, the only thing that went through my head was “2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, only 1000 calories” I need to go into preventative mode before I even think of running a strong marathon. So, off I went, paying attention to the HR monitor…which, I turned off after 2 miles because it was ridiculous. I was taking in gels, and keeping most of it down…but, it was too late and I knew it. I was thinking of what Carole told me “don’t walk, just don’t walk” and I kept that up till mile 4 when the dizziness and heat started getting the best of me. I walked; at first I felt bad and “mentally weak” and then I asked myself “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING??” I had 22 more miles to go and at the rate I was going, I was NOT going to make it. Rule #1 when it comes to Ironman, FIRST GOAL IS TO FINISH BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN! (After a broken bike fork at mile 95 in Florida, things take on a whole new meaning). So, I moved onto my backup plan…walk and run, walk and run…crawl if necessary, but make sure to cross the finish line and NOT end up in the medical tent. I watched my age group girls run so strong and I could pick out the winners at certain points when they would pass in the opposite direction. Parts of me were envious, but that was quickly forgotten when I focused on “MY” goal, to finish and the great feeling you have after such an accomplishment. I was having the “BEST” race I could have considering the circumstances. I WILLED myself to move when I thought I would drop and when my legs would start to shake, I would just keep shuffling.

I met so many amazing people out there yesterday; chatted with a Timex pro who was having a similar bad day, chatted with the United States Air Force Team that was out there as a Team racing, chatted with other age groupers who had come out and faded like me, walking the hills and shuffling the straits.

When I made my way up to the capitol to start loop two, I saw Gregory and dad again, handed off my HR monitor, and told them it would be a “while”. Dad asked me “are you going to finish or drop out”; which is the same question he asked me 3 years ago during my first IM when I came into T2 pretty close to transition cut-off shivering and cold and I told him “NO, I WILL WALK THE WHOLE DAMN THING IF I HAVE TOO, I HAVE THE TIME”, and I went off determined to make it, without a cut-off time looming but a long 13 miles of time to think…
And this is where it gets good…more to come

Almost time!

So, I am sitting writing, having my coffee and thinking that in 24 hours I will be in the water with 2000 other triathletes.
This is the part that astounds me! Over 2000 athletes have pushed, pulled, dragged, and forced their bodies to the limit over the last year. Endless days of biking, running and swimming and it all come down to this one day. Going to bed early, waking up early, and sacrificing those daily pleasures to get the training in. What a special day it is!
But, let’s face it, no one does this alone, we all need some sort of support system! Families, friends, teammates and the odd stranger help us, motivate us, and get us going some days when it feels impossible to move one more inch!
This morning, my race top will arrive, and not only do I have my sponsors listed, I also have my family and friends because they are as much a part of this journey!
However, there is one portion of the Ironman that I strangely dread, yet anticipate because I know that this will be all “me”’ pure, elemental “me”. I am talking about those last 6 miles of the marathon (perhaps it starts earlier for others, last year it was the last 10 miles for me) where you are stripped to the bone of all the layers you shielded yourself with to get you to that point. The HR, the rate of perceived exertion, the positive mental talk, the loud cheering from those around and the amazing volunteers encouragement are drown out by the real “reason” you are out there covering 140.6 miles. You draw upon strength you never knew you had and learn SO MUCH about yourself. Whether it is the pain from a hard year, divorce, fight, death…you confront those issues and FACE them! At the end of the day, when you cross that line, you cross more than a race finish line, you cross a line that enables you to attack the next problem, setback and challenge in life. It really is life changing; every Ironman I have done has helped me grown and learn about myself.
This year, I am hoping to get to this part and embrace it, know it is going to hurt like none other and go with it. At the end of the day, I want to cross that line and say I “did it” fully, not half heartedly ; I want to give it my all physically and mentally. Then, and only then, I want to be DONE…for a while at least; time to soak up what has been already a phenomenal year!

La Marmotte pictures!

So I lied, this post is going to be re-visiting July 4th, La Marmotte!

Today, Gregory and I went to Wallgreens to get my little disposeable camera developed. The pictures turned out awesome!

This is me very excited at 5 in the morning to be on my bike...

Off I go!
Here is the start area. every rider passes through the red arch over the timing mat. (in the direction that I am taking the picture from...you will see the actual chaos in the next pic)

Yup, this is my wave of +2000 bikers. and yes, I did pee behind the tree to your right in front of everyone!

This is when we were "herded" to the start area. Look at ALL the cyclists and flags! amazing!

A kind rider asked in "another language" but with body language, I understood he offered to take my picture. I was a bundle of nerves!

This picture is fuzzy and does not do it any justice, but the constant stream of riders continued for the entire ride.

I met a German fellow on the way and he saw me taking pics and offered to take mine. so here is an "action pic" I was really enjoying myself (first climbg, that explains it! LOL)

Here is my German friend! Thumbs up! no problem for him (obviously my photo taking skills on a bike are not as good as his!)

And here is the CHAOS at Col du Glandon (first summit where they "herd" you into a chute because the descent is so dangerous they need to limit the riders)

HUNDREDS of riders at the summit. It was phenomenal!!

This is Valloire, right after Col du Telegraphe and right before Col du Galibier (it is a ski resort)

This is where I stopped for my "Mars bar" and hydration in Valloire (the aid station was one mile up and it was out of this world busy! )

And this was me at the finish!! Never really cried before..even at an Ironman..but this event did me in. So very special (poor hubby thought I was hurt cause I was crying, LOL!)

Yup, totally shelled, but OH SO HAPPY!!

I am going to keep many of the lessons and challenges faced during this event in my head a week from now.

This year has taught me so much! learning how to climb "my mountains"

Cheers!

Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition!

They say the fourth discipline for triathlon (short and long) is nutrition, and that is no joke!! How do you fuel yourself for such a long event? Well, there are many ways to fuel yourself, but what to eat that will get you to the finish line without GI (gastrointestinal) distress?

To be honest, I have NEVER completed an Ironman where I DID NOT have GI troubles. However, I have never done an IM where I knew what my food “limitations” were. This year is different; I have found that I have “food allergies” that can greatly influence my GI and performance. To keep it short and sweet; I have fast acting response allergic reaction to peanuts and eggs (dose sensitive), slower response to gliadin (gluten) and fructose absorption issues.

What does this lead to? Well, a lot of time on the port-o-john (diarrhea), and sometimes debilitating cramps and bloating.

I know this may be too much information, but I know a LOT of athletes struggle with these issues, and what better way to conquer them than to be open and honest?

I first want to thank my nutritionist Megan Forbes who has taken me from “ground zero” to a healthy gut and normal GI. Another HUGE thanks to my sponsor Pamela’s Products who has supplied me with some of the best pre/post and during gluten free fuel for my training and racing!

So, what do I eat/drink during racing/training/everyday life?

Well, it is pretty simple and very diverse even though it looks very restrictive. I base my diet off of the four food groups; believe it or not, it is pretty balanced!! Just like a “normal person” should eat. Here are some examples of what I can eat/drink without consequence, in which you can make a number of delicious meals and snacks out of.

Protein: (this is the category to be careful of egg and peanuts) turkey, chicken, beef, fish, shellfish…my favorite is tuna (especially in sushi!) –actually, I can eat any sort of protein; these are just what I prefer. Nut butters also supply essential oils and protein; I LOVE almond butter.

Carbohydrates: brown rice, quinoa, and buckwheat (this is the category to be careful of gluten)
(one a side note, I use “NO EGG” as an egg replacement when cooking, it consists of potato starch, so technically belongs to this category)

Fruits/veggies: (this is the category I need to pay attention to Re. the fructose- fruit sugar) broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, turnip etc…pretty much any veggie!! before races and big training days, I will steam/cook them for easier digestion.

Fruits are difficult for me because I must take them with a proper balance of glucose so I can absorb the fructose. But, as of now a fruit after lunch with low fructose content seems to be working well for me. For precaution, I cut out all fruits one week before any race/competition.

Dairy: I LOVE dairy products! Yogurt, cheese, milk etc… it Is all good. Sometimes I have chocolate milk for recovery. I like ALL types of cheese and use yogurt in my cooking as well as breakfast most mornings. No restrictions here!

So, as you can see, I have A LOT to work with. I think it comes down to the “hype” that everyone has and feels when they hear “gluten allergy” or any sort of food allergy for that matter. All it takes is a little creativity and research to cook up some great recipes!


This is a gluten/egg free bread I made for training/recovery. Contains: Coconut oil, pumpkin sauce, applesauce, sugar, brown rice flour, NO EGG, baking powder, cinnamon, and lots of CHOCOLATE!! yummy! notice the bits missing from the top...I thing we have a mouse:)

Now what do I use for racing/training?

I currently rely on Carbo-Pro and Hammer Gels for training and racing, substituted with gluten/egg-free high energy concoctions that I make up in the kitchen. So far, my gluten-free rice-krispy treat is the winner for “packed in goodness, carbohydrate booster, satiety satisfier, and DAMN IT TASTES GOOD” factor.

All kidding aside, Carbo-Pro is excellent for me because it only contains short chain carbohydrates and no fructose with the right osmotic balance. Coupled with Hammer gel that is made of maltodextrin instead of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) I have a great nutrition plan! Yes, it is boring but it works and I have cut down my port-o-john stops by A LOT!!

I can’t say I have ever been happier about where I am nutrition-wise; I know my limitations and how to work around them without sacrificing satisfaction!! Speaking of satisfaction…it’s the weekend, time for a glass of wine!

Next up: my opinion of drinking and training…should be an interesting post

Here we go again!

Wow, I officially have “butterflies” in my stomach ….IMOO is rapidly approaching! Something is much different this year though; I am not uneasy, nor replaying every possible scenario in my head, or strategizing about Kona. I am thinking about my favorite IM course, wonderful friends, and GREAT day I will have (regardless of the time!). This time around it is for ENJOYMENT; back to my roots!

Most important is the fact that my dad is making a “repeat performance” himself. Four years ago he stood shivering in the rain for over 15 hrs to watch me finish my first! I can still remember him waiting for me at the finish, giving me a hug and “getting” what it is all about. Ironman is magical, it is so special, and it is not always about that Kona slot. Each time you do an Ironman, or train for one, you discover yourself, again and again. You find strength where you thought there was none, you are humbled by each “hard” day and the unknowns you confront on “race day”.

I will be honest; I lost sight of this earlier this year and last year. I was so focused on the “time” and “Kona” to realize what was really missing: My “Desire”. So, I took a little trip to France, rode my bike, and dug deep to question “why do I do this”. I conquered mountains, finished “La Marmotte” and at the end of the day, I knew that I had to take the “pressure off”. For once I am going into a race without a “back up plan” or another race lined up “just in case” This Ironman is like a fancy dessert, one you don’t want to neglect because you will miss the complex taste and fulfillment and one you cannot eat twice.

I plan on updating my blog this week on a more regular basis to cover some of the things I have learned re. Ironman; the preparation, nutrition and “little things” that make the Madison course so Magical!!