RATS

Rats!!!  Yes rats. i do have the nicest house and since i have been here i thought there were squirles hanging out on my roof eating.   Turns out there is Rat poop in my attick but a trap is set.   The little guy has been keeping me up at night.  sounds like he is having a party above my bed in the attick.   I sort of like the adventure of checking the trap.   He dont like cheese, peanut butter or turky…..what next.   I am fraid to put out the poison and really want to catch him instead.   My grandparents had a dead mouse stink up the house and i dont want that.

Jobs-  well the hunt is on again.   i am getting my certifications in the mail so it is time to start applying again.   I did not have them so i put off looking for a while.  i have found two jobs of interest and am filling out the appliactions now.  i also am checking into  paramedic programs to start sometime in August.   the plan is to see about getting a job in some way in a fire station even if it is just as an EMT making hardly anything.  i just want to be in a fire station so i can see what i might be some day.  i want to make sure before making the commitment to paramedic school.  i do enjoy school and plan to keep it up but i want to make sure it is in the right direction.  whaat if i get into the fire station and dont care for it.   i found a great part time job close to home that will give me that taste.  It might be a while but i hope i get it.  

As far a massages go.  i am enjoying what i am doing right now. …..well except the friday night thing but it aint so bad.  i am doing just enought to enjoy it and not get the body aches from it.   i only do a few friends at home and hoped to bump up the facial business but that is not happening.   there are two places i might go and work at on mondays or wednesdays when i have spare time.  i can pick my schedule at this massage place but i really want to see about working at this facial place most.  i like to be doing different things.  It is just a way of picking up some extra cash right now.

injured-  crap my low back went out.  It was my back pack that did it.   i threw it over my shoulder last night when i was getting off the plane and felt sometime bad happen.  i got home and was carrying my back pack in and then my back seized up on me and i dropped my stuff and acted like a cripple instantly.   It could have been from moving my massage table around so much or training so hard and getting on the plane.  i got a new massage table at home that is lighter that i hope to keep at the chiropractors.     my back is not feeling so hot but i had to tough it out for class. i hope it is bettter tomorrow.   i work with this great chiropractor and want to see if i can fix it up with Dr. Loren if i have time.   My tests have been keeping me busy and i like to get A’s.

Sping Break-  this is next week.   Uusually i go and do this cycling hellweek but i ahve been enjoying nesting here at my house and dont ever really want to leave it.   I could ride with some othere but i know they are all leaving Friday night to go to Fredericksburg but i am working that night.   When i was my own boss i never worked on Friday nights and saved it for travel time.   now that i am enjoying my new home and life I am staying in town.   Depending on the weather i might drive to Fort Worth on Satuday and ride Sunday and monday.   It is all up in the air.   Next week i want to hang out around here and get ahead on my classes.   We will see what i do for Spring Break.

A’s

Lubbock -  this was a blast.  i did not really do any partying but it was nice to just take a visit. i think i actually spent more time with my parents then when i lived there.   It was great to see all my old clients and make a few bucks as well.   My corporate wellness gig was fun too.   My girls miss me not showing up and i miss them just as much.  it is hard to keep them motivated from another town.

A’s-  so i am proud to say that i am averaging over a 100 in my anatomy class.   Tonight we had our exam in Lab and i think i got a 100 or so on it.  i have been studying but this stuff is something i like to learn about.

B-  this might be my grade in computers.  i know it is not an A but it should be with the time i spend  on this class.   This class is really over word, excel, power point, and access.   I was thinking it w0uld be more like how to organize the computer and stuff but it isn’t. Every assignment takes a minumum of 3 hours and longer if you loose the jump drive like i do.  I dont blog much or email much since i am almost on the edge of smashing the computer with a hammer all the time.  i dont want to smash mine. 

I showed up last week on Thursday so a surprise test. i was off on my thursdays but i still got an 85 on it not studying.  It could have been better but i am happy with that score.   At least i dont have to worry about that test along with all the other tests before spring break.

Le Tour Ultime 2006

RAAM 2005

Ultraman 2007

Ultraman 2008

Swiss Gigathlon 2009

200k Brevet

What is a brevet ride?  a really long ride with a bunch of cool people.   Today i finished a 200 k.  Most of my buddies went on to do a 400k.   I had no desire to do the 400k.   I was afraid i would show up and have to ride half the ride by myself like i usually do.   My buddies always shoot for the longest distance and i shoot for the 200ks and 300ks.  i got lucky since some of them are getting ready for a big race next weekend.   My buddy Mark Medcalf was only doing the 200k.  This meant i would get to ride with him all day.   It really made my day.  i want to stay on someones wheel all day if possible.   The ride was in East Texas in a town called Canton.   Last night i drove up to Canton after giving massages and we finished the ride in 7 hours and 8 minutes.   There were only 4 of us that did this and it was a really good time considering the course.  i was glad to be done.  i am riding strong considering i have only been on the bike a few times this year.

For the fist time in a long time i can actually say that i am feeling healthy.   Since i have my house i cook all the time now and eat lots of red meat.  i am always anemic when i go to the doc but now i dont think i am.   My training with my personal training on my core and back for firefighting have really helped me out.   My neck and back felt pretty darn good.   the stress in my life is better.    I loved my gramps and enjoyed taking care of him but the last two years when he was going downhill almost killed me.   It seemed like i was crying almost every day.  

I am surrounded by lots of good freinds and loving my move to Fort Worth.   i took almost 2.5 months of practically not doing hardly any real training and i think it is going to pay off.   This was the longest break i ever took but it was much needed moving into my new house and getting settled.  i am busy with school and odd jobs but i am happy.   I love being with my doggies every night and not traveling for a change.   Lots of good things have been happening and it is starting to show in my training.

Swimming-i did not have a chance to write about my swim workouts this past week but they hvae been amazing.   On Tuesday we did a set of 200’s.  i glanced at the clock and noticed that i imight have done one on the 2:48 without trying to hard.    I instantly got thrilled and then the coach gave us a set doing 200’s on the 2:50 interval.  i figured i would miss some of them but i made all 6 of them.   My swimming is coming back as well.   I dont think i have swam a 200 in less then 3 minutes in teh past 5 years.  Thursdays workout was kick butt as well.

Lubbock-tomorrow i fly into Lubbock to set some of my corporate wellness girls up with a new trainer.    I will see my family and study for my midterms next week.   I am really looking forward to it.   I hope i am not to warn out.   I will be running 18 miles and giving some massages before i get on the plane.   Cant wait.

skating

Wow i actually skated 2x last week.   i managed to cram it in and skated about 45 minutes each time.   i still have the chicken blood pumping through my veins when i get on them.  My feet started hurting as well .   i just hollered at the people with kids, dogs, and baby stollers to watch out.    I woudl warn them that i did not know how to stop so to wacth out.   What scared me the most was running in to one of them or something.   I think i only have to skate 20 miles or so each day at the Gigathlon so my focus is just survival again.  Last year was 70 miles of skating in teh 3 day event so it was more skating then planned.  i will get this done when i have time and when the weather is good.  My concern now is mountain biking.   It rained again today so the trails will be closed for another two weeks.

Cowtown Half Marathon

Well i said i was getting up at 5:15 am but i was woken up by my phone ringing at 6:07.   i was thinking “ohh shit!”   It was johnny and author letting me know they were close.   It was a rush to get ready and i did not have anything laid out.   We on the road by 6:25 so i got ready quick.   We were parked really close so that Johnny would not have to hobble around to much on his injured leg.   We were still the 3 musketeers.

I had on my hammer nutrition nordic ski outfit and looked really warm.   i also looked like a total poser being at the back dressed like a pro.  i am proud to be a hammer athlete so i wore the clothing proudly.   Author was all ready to rock -n-roll himself.    Johnny is really his close friend and got him through all the training and planned to go across the line wiht us.  We are a team…the 3 mouseketeers (probably spelling this wrong).   We hung out indoors until the race.  i am really glad cause it was cold for me.  i am a hot weather girl and looked like the michlen man at the start…..well the finish too.

We got started and before i knew it Author was running into cones.   i was not just a pacer but more like a seeing eye dog.   Author can not see the ground in front of him.  we laughed about the cones.   My GPS watch came from a European that had it set on some kind of kilometers.   It showed we were running a 5:15 pace.  what it was set on…i have no idea.    i know the pace it takes to run a 2 hour marathon.   it is my normal pace for 50 miles so i knew we would be ok.   I heard someone make the comment to Author that if they found him dead on the side of the road is was because i took it out to fast.   We might have been about 15 seconds faster then what we could have ran for a 2 hour marathon but we were on a downhill at the time.   the first half was all up hill.  i was wondering what i got myself into but kept the steady pace.  People were looking at me retarded when they heard me yelling out the obstacles for author.   i would yell “Cone”,  “pothole”, or “curn” really loudly.  I would get some crazy look from someone we were passing and then let them know a blind man was passing them.  I was proud of Author and honered to be running next to him.  

i kept an eye on my watch and let him know when to take his gels or when to drink.   He got a running stitch halfway through the marathon and sounded like he was going to die but i made him keep running.  He was great!  I did slow up for him to get rid of the running stitch.   We were making good time and on track to to a little better then 2 hours.   This aws the plan since the last two miles can be tough.   At the 9 mile mark Author wanted to pick it up and shoot for a better time.   We picked it up on some flat stuff.  I passed a lady with some donut holes in a sack out for us athltes.   i went back for one.  I caught back up to Author and had my mouth stuffed full of donut.   This was a treat!   Author heard some music and since he could not see the mile markers he thought we were close.  when we got to the music and passed it he was bummed out.   i told him what we all hate to hear when we race ” your almost there.’  i started this at mile 9 so you know he wanted to hit me.   i had my phone and called Johnny and the paper to let them know we would be at the finish faster then we predictied. 

Johnny wanted to run in with us.   Johnny had to find a way to get into the run without people noticing.   Poor guy.  Johnny was walking with all these people cheering him on.   We almost passed johnny since i was looking for him on the sidelines.   i saw him and knew we were going to break 1:55.  Johnny with his hurt leg sprinted into the finish line with us.   i think it was harder for him then author.   i think Author did a 154:30.   We were the 3 mouseketeers crossing the line.   Johnny was such a great sport getting up to cross the line with us.   It was a nice day.   i got more reward from this race pacing Author then most any other races I have done.   i got the same feeling when I helped my friend Jamie break her 4 hour marathon doing a 3:48.  It was a great day and I had much more fun then if I did a 50k alone….well i always make friends but you know what I mean.

I was supposed to do 20 miles but did not do it.   we got cold at the finish getting our t-shirts and stuff.   I decided to call it quits and spend some time with my buddies.   i do this for fun and hanging out with them was most important.   Next year Author is shooting to do the marathon and i will be right beside him.  Johnny and author have been my motivation to get outside and run here lately.