Mine and My Cervelo's First Year Anniversary!!

First of all, thanks to everyone if you read yesterday's blog entry. Yes... I apologize for the fact that it was me venting! :) I have inherited my father's personality characteristic that when he gets worried, he gets upset! :) I'll never forget him coming home from work one day when I was 14, and I had just come home from purchasing a party dress for an upcoming dance with my boyfriend Billy, when Billy came over and broke up with me!! We were on my front steps when my dad walks up, and there's me crying. He asked what was the matter of course, and when I said that we were breaking up, he said right in front of Billy, "Good. I didn't like him anyways!" All in a pissed off manner! Of course at the time I was mortified, and mad at my dad for not being more sympathetic to my critical situation! Now, every time I think about it it makes me laugh. So, when I get worried about others, I tend to react in similar ways by just getting mad about the situation!! Anyways, thanks for the support, and sorry to dump my stress on my blogger friends!!

So... back to happier times where today my trusty ole bike and I went out for a ride! I was VERY excited about it because I've spent A LOT of time on my trainer of late, and of course much prefer riding outside. The temperature wasn't supposed to be too bad, but I had decided when it first got on my schedule that I'd be going NO MATTER what the weather was.

There's this cool little place about 30 minutes from my house called Columns Drive. It's literally the road of Columns Drive that is a 5 mile circle. At the end of it, it dead ends into the Chattahoochee National Park where a lot of Atlantans like to run next to the river. Doesn't have a so called bike lane, but the shoulder is SUPER wide, so it's just kind of become that. On almost any given day you see people of all ages and fitness levels out there riding in circles. Of course, you wouldn't want to go out there and ride high mileage. I think 2 hours is the most I've ever put in down there on the bike. But it's ideal for intervals. It's flat and you can push on one side and recover on the other! :)

That was the idea for today. Not to mention it makes for a great place for bricks. You just hop off and run!

Well today was more like a duathlon for me. My workout: to run 6 miles steady base run, then ride 20 miles (5 warm-up, 15 of LT intervals) and then hop off of the bike and do a 1 mile run working my way into my current goal pace.

I started off great! My run was good. Cold, but I was nicely bundled up, so it didn't really bother me. I ended up running more like 6.5 because the loops at the river are geared more towards being a 5k. I had surprisingly started on time!! (a rarity:), AND had even prepped all of my bike stuff before starting the initial run. By the time I got on the bike though, I was sweaty and the wind was CRAZY!!

There were two times that I thought, I am about to be blown off of this bike! I was FREEZING for that 5 mile warm-up. Of course once I started pushing it towards LT, I was producing enough body heat to keep me relatively warm. My issues were my toes and nose!! :)

Well during that ride when I was pushing into major wind, it reminded me of my first ride on that bike. It was right at almost a year ago! I bought it I believe on Feb. 8th, and I was SOOO excited!! It was my first tri-bike, and I thought it was Beautiful!!

Well of course the day after bringing it home, I wanted to take it for a spin!! The following day I took it over to the same place as today, Columns Drive, and rode for about 20 miles. It was different that riding a road bike, getting used to that feeling of being out on the aerobars :)! That particular day... was EXACTLY like today! It was freezing cold, and the wind was crazy that day as well. And there I was riding my brand new tri-bike for the very first time hoping to God that the wind didn't blow me over!! Not because I didn't want to get hurt, but because I didn't want to scratch it!! :)

Well, after a year of Ironman training on my beautiful blue carbon stead, it's got quite a few numbers of scratches on it. :) We've had some good times and some not so good rides together. But, I know it's crazy, but it's been there through it all with me, and I absolutely LOVE IT!!

So, I decided while I was out there today that it wasn't really bothering me that I couldn't feel my toes and that my nose was frozen yet running! It was me and my bike out there celebrating our first year together the way we first got to know each other!!

Some of you probably have personal emotions for your own bike, others may think I'm crazy, but either way... It's one of my FAVORITE things ever!!

Happy 1st Birthday Cervelo!!
K :)

Pictures of my new earring for the inquiring minds!!

(Ok, so I am not suggesting that I don't look like crap! I just figured this might be as good as it gets for a while :)!!

Minding My Own Business

(One of America's Favorite Dys"FUN"ctional Families!)

All families have drama in one fashion or another. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a relatively functional family. Both of my parents are still married to each other after 44 years. I have 3 brothers and 1 sister and we all still speak to each other. Christmas and other holidays tend to go by without too much incidence!

Now, that is not to say that we're The Waltons either! :) Growing up in a large family for me meant no family dinners, busy schedules, not really knowing my older brother Bob as he went to college before my memory really begins, etc. We've also had our fair share of real-deal issues. Confrontations, financial struggles within the family, wedding drama, in-law drama, etc.

However, I've never really had to sit back and watch something that I had said my say about the situation and things weren't exactly working out as they should.

That's one issue with my family... we all tend to get involved! Even when it may not be the best idea. Everyone has good intentions. We care so much about each other that we get emotional and want to step in and make everything better.

As a mom I have complete and total control over what my kids do. And though they do things that I'm not happy about at times, I have the opportunity to deal out whatever consequence I see fit at that time to teach them the "right" way of handling things. Of course considering that my children are 3 and 4 the wrong-doings at this point tend to involve saying "poopie" to the point of driving me crazy, or throwing food, or something of that nature. :) And consequences are mostly losing toys, privleges, etc. So I have no idea what it is like to counsel one of my children and for them to make a decision contradictory to what I believe. They say as a parent, this is one of the hardest things to deal with. Learning to deal with the thought of, "I've taught them the best I can and now I can only be there to support them in the decisions they make as they are old enough to make those decisions on their own."

Well, I'm semi dealing with that now when it comes to my 18 year old niece. Unfortunately, she was one of the statics that ended up getting pregnant at the age of 16. Daddy is the first boyfriend she's ever had, and so she has extreme limited experience in the knowledge of whatelse may be out there. In addition to those already daunting issues, this all happened in the little town of Franklin, Georgia. It's mine and Adam's version of hell on earth!

Adam actually grew up there, and I lived there for awhile and that is how we met. It is a very small town. One of those places where everyone knows everyone else and everyone knows everyone elses' business! An unknowing person could drive through and think, "Ah... look at this cute little place. This sweet little community of people all coming together. Some type of Little House on the Prairie Situation!" They would be wrong!

That would all be true if people did what they did for the right reasons. Unfortunately, that tends to not be the case. Everyone is just being nosey. It's a competition of who's better than who. Now to be fair... maybe this is my opinion because I was an "Outsider." Literally termed just that. We moved there because my mother's family is seriously like 60 people large, and 95% of them live in that town!! They love it. It's what they know. But I was born near Atlanta, and "us city-folk" were just different and silly. So I had a lot of friends, and some great memories there, but never was quite accepted into the community as neither was the rest of my family. Ultimately, we moved back to the suburbs of Atlanta shortly before I graduated from High-School. Most teenage girls nightmare... was perfectly fine by me!

Ok.. so back to my niece..

Not a lot to do in Franklin, so kids seem to get in a lot of trouble. Everyone thinks it's the perfect place to raise kids. But I must say that I grew up around things that my friends in the city had never come near! What do you do on a Friday night in the middle of a corn field???

However, it's not that unusual to get married right out of high school. Of course high school pregnancy is taboo, but the natural solution to my niece's issue was for her to marry the Daddy and live a "normal" life. Adam and I and several of my other family members were NOT in favor of this. But, my sister was adamant about supporting her, which we all did of course, and so married she became.

Well.... needless to say, it didn't take long for the "fun" aspect of being married to wear off. That happens to solid marriages when you have babies, much less with a 19 and 17 year old. My niece goes to tech school part-time and takes care of the baby while he works full-time to support them. The "plan" is that when she graduates and gets a job as an ultrasound tech., he'll pursue his college career to become a teacher.

Here's the problem... does a 20 year old "boy" (and I use that term in its most literal sense) want to be at home with his young wife and fussy baby after working all day when his other 20 year old friends are all hanging out at buddy #1's college apartment playing xbox? Typically not. On top of that these kids don't even know who they really are. They've since discovered that they are two totally different people who want completely different things in life. I think they described it as, "he/she is not the type of person who I would have ended up with in the long run." So why's it ok for you guys to be fooling around in the first place, right? :)

Anyways, so after the sweet, fun stage ended, marriage life wasn't so cool anymore. A reality for adults, an even more reality for teenagers. They're kids trying to deal with issues that they are SO not ready for nor mature enough to handle.

My family and I have intervened/supported a couple of times not to far in the past as he's left her a couple of times, and so I've tried to be there to support her. My opinion honestly, I think they should cut their loses.. I know that may not be right. I am definitely NOT a supporter of divorce. I truly believe if two people commit to each other they should do everything they can to stick it out through, "better or worse." But this is not your typical situation, and I just foresee the next several years of unnecessary hardship.

Well, so far they're sticking it out, but now his mother is getting involved. She marched herself over to their house last night with her ex-husband, and ex-live-in boyfriend to proclaim her dissatisfaction with my niece. She's made it very clear that she thinks he should leave her because it's her responsibility to keep the house clean, pick up after him, take care of the baby, the house and everything else. Sound like that 1960's catalog I mentioned in a previous blog? He said he wouldn't leave her, but wants my niece to allow her to come over and fix their house up and then come over for regular house inspections (they live in one of her houses)!!! I of course was like WTF!! I would have told Adam's mother to go $%&* herself, and if Adam wasn't on board, he could to. My nieces solution is to move out. Sounds logical, but her husband doesn't support that.

So here is a woman currently dating two guys. One of which she just divorced, which makes her 3rd divorce, bitching my niece out for not being a good wife????????

I want sooooo badly to call this woman up and put her in her place. BUT... I am not sure this is the "right" thing to do?? I try so hard to counsel my niece simply to stand up for herself. She's not a freaking doormat, and doesn't have to sit there and be reprimanded in that way, but she just doesn't have it in her.

So here's the issue.... do I sit back and let her learn the hard way?? Do I even have a choice??

I HATE this! I just don't get why she doesn't get it!!

My conclusion... this is one of those moments where I am so grateful that my kids are little! :)

I'll keep you posted about what happens. I just keep praying for the best!

Until then...
K :)

High Maintenance

When I was with my niece this weekend she made a comment about me being High Maintenance!




I was like... WHAT??? Give me ONE example, and she couldn't name one! She said she couldn't describe it, I just was.



Well, I wasn't pissed at her or anything, but it did make me think. So this morning I asked Adam if he thought I was High Maintenance. Without as much as a second to think he quickly responded in a laughing tone... YES!



Again, give me an example... He said that I require time. Time from him to help me in maintaining the busy life I lead.



Now I don't know what you would describe as high maintenance, but when I think of the word I think of Gabrielle from Desperate Housewives. She's demanding and self-centered. She has high expectations and wants those expectations to be met by others.



Now don't get me wrong, I have high expectations myself. Both of myself and of others. By others I mean that I expect the people that I invest myself in with a relationship to be apart of that relationship as well. I had a friend back in college that apparently had some issues of her own. After giving and giving, you finally just get to a point that there's nothing left to give without receiving something in return. So that is what I mean by expectations of others.



As far as having my own life expectations met, I feel that I do that pretty much on my own. I knew it wouldn't be easy training for an Ironman with two toddlers and a husband that has a demanding job while trying to work from home as well. I also didn't expect for my entire family's lives to be totally disregarded while I went out and did my thing. Now, I realize that there were times when the schedule was a little tough, but I ALWAYS tried to balance it out in the end! :)



So as far as I'm concerned, I'm the type of person that if I want something... I find a way to make it happen. I would describe it as RESOURCEFUL! :)

(Now Gracie should be in the dictionary next to High Maintenance! She wants what she demands and expects it IMMEDIATELY! Even if she doesn't even know what she really wants, you better get it for her SUPER FAST! This is her first "race". I carried her the whole way! :)

Is that bad??? Is that what would be considered High Maintenance??

Yes...I again expect a lot from my husband. He helps clean the house, take care of the kids, and does many things that other husbands may not. And though I 100% appreciate everything he does and has done for me, I don't think asking him or others to help me out so that I can lead a life of my own isn't being High Maintenance. Especially when its important to me to give as much as I receive.


So if you think of a person that is low maintenance, what type of a person is that? I mean is the fact that I am a mother with the primary responsibility being to take care of my children AND I also involve myself in my own personal activities what puts me in this High Maintenance category?


A lot of the husbands in my neighborhood play golf a lot. 18 holes of golf takes anywhere from 4-6 hours. Do that a couple of times a week, and that's about my training schedule. However, rarely do you hear of a man who works a full-time job and plays golf after work once a week and once on the weekend described as being high maintenance as his wife stays home with the children 24 hours a day!!


Sorry... I don't mean to come across as angry. I'm honestly not. I've struggled with it for awhile now, because at least around here, what I do is out of the ordinary. I'm the "different" mom with her triathlon. Maybe it's because I'm not a professional that makes it more ridiculous to others? Maybe it's because the majority of people out there have no idea why someone would WANT to swim 2.4miles, bike 112, and run 26.2 after they've trained endless hours for almost a year for that event??


I'm not really sure. One thing I know is that I am a MUCH better mother BECAUSE I have the opportunity to have my "thing"! Not to mention the fact that what the outside world doesn't see is the sacrifices I'm willing to make to achieve my goals, i.e. get up at 5am to workout, do most of my training while the kids are in school, etc.


So, if being that "kind" of person makes me High Maintenance, well then I guess I'm ok with that! Here's to enjoying my children 100% while they grow up, but not being completely lost 20 years from now when I still have a life beyond my children! :)


Until Next Time...
K :)



Disclaimer: I swear this message was NOT meant to be angry or in anyway offensive :) I just wanted to be sure as you read the post you see the little smile on my face and don't read it with a negative tone, because that was not my intent. If need be... Please re-read appropriately! :)

A "Day Off"!

Monday is typically my day off from training. However, I tend to use it as a catch-up day for the rest of my life! :)

Today was actually a really good day though! I got A LOT accomplished, and even if I'm tired as I am now at the end of the day, I still feel so much better to have a bunch of stuff on that never ending TDL checked off!

Neither of my children are in school on Monday's this year, so we got to hang out together. The morning revolved around hair cuts, which my daughter did NOT require restraint for this time. I was shocked watching her thinking, who is this child?? Then a trip to the grocery store. The people at Publix probably think I'm the worst mother! It always seems like my kids are so loud and out-of-control! Maybe I just feel that way because I'm so focused on their behavior???? :)

Then our afternoon was spent babysitting for my neighbor. Bella is Cooper's best friend. She's the cutest, smallest little tom-boy ever, and they play GREAT together. So I never mind when she comes over! I also watched her little brother who is 18 months old. Between him and my nephew this weekend, I discovered just how unbaby-proof my house has become over the past couple of years! Why do they love stairs so much! :)

Somehow I managed to vacuum (overdue from a week ago!) and continue through the laundry cycle of my life. I swear, sometimes I feel like that is the one word that describes my life.... LAUNDRY! It is truly NEVER ENDING! I honestly have no idea how people with more than 4 people in their family accomplish anything OTHER than laundry. My sister who has 4 kids and Mel...you deserve some kind of award or something!!

Adam had to work late, so we had breakfast for dinner (a favorite, the only time to really eat breakfast!), kids to bed, and now finally some couch time with the pug!!

Tomorrow... back to the daily grind of school, training, teaching class, studying, AND the daily cleaning that must take place to keep this house from looking like the house in Shel Silverstein's Poem "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Who Wouldn't Take the Garbage Out"!

BTW: STILL doing good with my zero dollars of "Kellye" money. 3 Days to Go!! Family time helps A LOT!! :)

And I Promise to put a picture of my earring on here as soon as I can find a time I don't look like crap!! :)

Until then...

K :)

Weekend of Date Nights, Movies, Piercings and More!

This weekend has been so busy for us, that I have barely had time to check my email! So here's what we did in as small as a nutshell that I can put it! :)

Thursday afternoon, I picked up my great-nephew (yes, I said great-nephew! Sometimes things don't always go as planned, but work out ok in the end :) to babysit for Thursday night. He's the cutie to the left all zonked from watching Ironman Florida all day passed out on the couch in an Ironman onesie!! He is certainly an Ironman in my eyes :)

So, I come from a big family, and the fact that I ONLY have 2 kids is actually different. I had always planned on 3, and haven't ruled it out 100%, BUT, I can say that I'm 99.999% sure! And every time I babysit another infant, I think I can add another 9 to that figure! I LOVE babies, and they themselves aren't that bad. But my 2 are CRAZY enough for any sane human being and adding to that is NOT a good idea :) I haven't totally closed off the notion entirely, because life can take twists and turns that we never expect sometimes, but as for now, I'm pretty happy with the pair I have.

Sorry for the tangent, just saying all of that to reconfirm that things were "busy" on Thursday night and Friday!

Friday I had infant in tow while dropping off the kids and did NOT go to swim practice as to try to keep my marriage together rather than leaving at 5am Adam with 3 children, all of which are prone to wake up at any moment!

However, Adam was kind enough to watch Baby Klay while I went to the aquatic center to swim AND even put him in the car to go pick up Cooper and Gracie from school so that I could get my run in before Physical Therapy. Of course he was tired and therefore screamed the entire time in the car... I got to hear about THAT upon their arrival... oops! :)

By 2pm, I was finished with my training, and clean again and Lauren, my niece and Klay's mother had arrived at our house for the weekend. I went to PT and then Adam and I went out for a "Date Night!" Whew... this is what happens when you're married for almost 10 years and have 2 small kids! :)

Went to see Juno, and I LOVED it. Quirky movies are my thing, and this one was just that. Got home at the extreme late hour of 10:30!! In all seriousness, THAT is my definition of a great date!!

Saturday was spent training for the first part of the day. Two hours on the trainer... can be mind boggling. Fortunately, I recruited a partner to trainer up with me and watch a movie to make the time go by better. That was followed by a 30 min brick, and then to the showers to head out with Lauren... per the agreement that she'd babysit Friday night if Adam would babysit Sat. evening so we could go out. Her and I have been wanting to go Indoor Rock Climbing! She's done it before... I have not. Now, just so you know, I told her beforehand that that would be considered "Kellye" money, and I had none! She insisted to pay for my climbing because she wanted to go so bad, so I agreed. She actually owed me some money, so I figured we could call it even!

We went to a local place to try it out, but it's one of those things that you have to plan for in advance apparently that is if you don't know how to baley. So instead of spending the money then on a sub-par experience, we decided to wait and take a class in the next few weeks so that we can learn and then climb whenever we want to!

So here is an idea of what happened next...

Lauren: "What should we do now?"

Me: "I don't really care. We could go to the mall if you wanted to?"

Lauren: (Who is 18 BTW) "No... Let's do something FUN! Something spontaneous!"

Me: "O..K.. What exactly would that be???"

Lauren: "Let's go get something pierced!!"

Me: "Um... I'm sorry...???"

Lauren: "Oh Come On Kellye... Don't be a stick-in-the-mud! You're acting 30!"

Me: "I AM about to be 30 You know!"

Lauren: "Oh P..L..E...A...S...E!! It will be so much fun!"

Me: "I'm not getting something PIERCED just for the sake of it. And I WON'T do something CRAZY either! We'll drive down there and if you want to get it done, that's ok, if I see something we'll see." (With no real expectation of doing anything!)

We go to this place called Sacred Heart, which is a really cool tattoo parlor in a place in midtown Atlanta called Lil' Five Points. I've been there before to get a little flower tattoo I have on my ankle and they're VERY clean and professional... surprisingly!

Ok.. Are you ready for this.............

I got my ear pierced........ I know... I know... Not the usual kind. I have my ears pierced normally from when I was a child. However, she somehow in the coolness of the place and the spontaneous vibe we had going on, talked me into getting the tracus part of my ear pierced. I figured, ok... if it looks totally retarded I can easily take it out. What the hell, right??

She went first, and she's a bit of a baby when it comes to things like this. She handled it actually pretty well for how she normally does these types of things. Oddly for me, I swear to you that it didn't hurt at all. At least not at the time. It's sore now, but really only if I think about it. I know it's silly :) but I do kind of think it's cute. Just a little tiny stud. No harm no foul... I guess...

(NOT me!! :) I mean...are you ok with this??? His piercings BTW... SELF inflicted!! I will pray harder tonight for my children :)

Adam wasn't too surprised. He did say however that every time I get around either my niece or her mother, my sister, we end up with piercings or tattoos!! I will need to monitor this more closely as I do approach the wonder years! Ha, ha, ha!!

Saturday was finished off with some of my favorite buffalo chicken pizza from Rocky Mt. Pizza company near GA Tech and a rented movie Life as a House. It's not new. I think it's a few years old. But Adam and I hadn't seen it, and we'd heard such great things. Let me just say... BOO HOOED!!! Big time. I am admittedly a movie cryer. But this movie was sooo good and I just bawled my eyes out!

Sunday was a nice morning at home followed by this special RPM class at the gym that everyone got together for. It was lots of fun, and it counted for my 2 hour ride I was supposed to do. Ended up being a bit more of a push than planned, so a nice bath is on tap for later this evening! :)

Somehow, after all of this craziness, I found myself sitting at the table for a healthy dinner with my husband and kids in a relatively clean house and everyone was eating and not yelling or fighting or anything. I was like... how did this happen! I mention it because it's THAT rare these days! I even now am enjoying a peaceful moment to FINALLY update my blog because my kiddos are upstairs watching a movie in the "baby cage"... that's what they call the playpen that Baby Klay sleeps in while he's here! :)

Next week... hopefully a little slower. I HAVE GOT to finish my studying!!

Until then... thanks for keeping up with me!!

K :)

It is Official... I'm BROKE!!

Well, for those of you who may be wondering about my money challenge for the month, here is an update. Not to say it's OVER by any stretch of the means! The hard parts only JUST begun! :)

So, you know after starting Jan. 1st with $300 of "Kellye" money, I was quickly down to $12 by JAN 5TH!!! Fortunately, with a little creativity and some good luck, I was able to scrounge up another $4 in Publix gift cards (which I just decided was mine btw :), I ended up winning $10 in a neighborhood poker game, and my VO2 max test ended up being $25 cheaper than I was expecting.

Currently... I have..................a whooping $0.50!!

I guess on the one hand, I consider that I've done REALLY well to make it 20 days essentially on $47. Ok, so even just writing that it sounds bad. But, lets just say I was spending MUCH more than that on BODC, coffee, snacks, etc. from just being out and about.

The deal NOW is that I have to make it the next 7 days with $0.00!!!!

I don't think I've EVER done that!

I'm feeling good about it... a little scared yes :), but I'm still CONFIDENT!

Weekends are easier because if I'm away from the family, I'm training and have to pack gels, drinks, snacks, etc. After the weekend, I've only got 4 days!! Adam and I do this thing where we twiddle down time in such a way... So if it's only 4 days and sleep time doesn't count, that makes it like 2.5 days. Of those 2.5 days, I'd only be out and about spending cash for maybe 24 hours, so really I'm down to just 1 day. So I can make it ONE DAY RIGHT??!! :)

I AM DETERMINED!!

Wish me luck!

K

Lessons Learned

We grow up being taught that we're supposed to learn from our mistakes...

Sometimes I think that is easier said than done :)

Here are a few things I'm learning...sometimes more than once!

1) Though Masters Swim Class is early, and I'm exhausted at even the thought of getting up at 5am to go swim, it is WELL worth it to get it in, done, and out of the way. Even if I THINK that I've got everything figured out and scheduled in to do a swim on my own at the local aquatic center. Ex. Last night I got home late from doing a late workout at the gym. I was super tired and DID NOT want to set my alarm. So... ignoring the fact that I've learned my lesson many times before, I decided I could EASILY make it to the South Marietta Aquatic Center for my swim which would be perfect since I had a track workout to do and they have a brand new track right behind their center!

Mistake: Forgot the kid factor!! The one that says, Mom... um, we're number one! Upon arriving at school today, another little girl in Gracie's class had brought in a Barbie doll. Gracie LOVES anything of the sort and decided it would go perfectly with her collection. Hence a dispute ensued and the doll was put away. Gracie then was successful in convincing her teachers that her problem was NOT the doll, but that she indeed did not feel good. Leaving my PT appointment this morning, I was called to come pick her up. I KNEW her issue was the doll, but the teachers were convinced she didn't feel well, so I figured either way, it sounded like she was having a bad day, and I'd go rescue her! I picked her up and asked her what happened. Her reply, "I was crying because I wanted the baby!" I figured as much. She's been her usual chirpy self ever since. But, I did bribe her with some color crayons and m & m's to sit on the bleachers while I swam in Woodstock. She made for a VERY good coach actually. During everyone of my rests, she would yell at me to "Start Swimming!"

2) Propel # Gatorade Endurance

Due to the majority of the races that I participate in serving Gatorade Endurance, that is generally what I train with. However, I LOVE Propel. I prefer it's taste, even though GE isn't bad. I can do Propel if I'm just riding. But If I am doing a brick, I really need the extra electrolytes to keep me going. Honestly, I could have done well with some salt tabs last night. I'm not really sure what the deal was, but I was sweating like a MAN last night during my spin class. Buckets I tell you!! Had one Propel bottle during the ride, then fixed another for the run, but even though I made it through ok, I just didn't feel quite right.

3) Gels ARE what work for me!

Everyone has their personal fuel source during workouts. When I'm riding I do a mixture of things... z bars, pb and j's, and gels. Too much of that sugary stuff can send me over the edge and make me want to puke!! However, a gel is the last thing I take 20-30 min coming off of the bike onto the run. Not sure if it's become psychological or my body's way of accepting things, but I ran out of gels here lately and have now 3 TIMES NOW tried a banana, a z bar, and nothing... NONE of them were good choices!! Gels are ordered and on their way!!

4) LISTEN to what your body tells you!!

Last year I was gearing up for a training race and attended a tri-nutrition meeting a few days beforehand. During that meeting, information was presented that favored no electrolytes during races Olympic or less. I found that interesting. The push was for water, and not a lot, and no salt tabs, and maybe one gel. Very different from how I'd been racing and training, but what did I decide to do... TRY IT ON RACE DAY!! HUGE MISTAKE!!

What did I learn: No matter what science says, my body/mind says I NEED the salt tabs!! :) Again, maybe I'm crazy, but without them that day, I cramped up like I've never done before and honestly questioned my finishing that race. My run SUCKED!! I felt horrible!! Bottom Line: Discuss things with Coach before trying new things and NEVER try anything on race day. Let's hope that's one lesson I'll only need to learn once! :)

5) Be careful what you wish for! :)

This one is dedicated to Bree Wee and Marit C-Lauterbach! They've had entries lately about "Making it Hurt" and really pushing yourself in long run sets, etc... So I read all of this and get SUPER pumped up to go hard and fast!! I get my test done yesterday, which further states... SPEED WORK!!

So... Last night I'm teaching a spin class at the gym and it's a new release, and it's hard, so I'm pushing it pretty well!! By the time I finish class... I'm like CRAP... I'm exhausted and I have a 45 min run to do!! No Gels.. No Gatorade Endurance.. It's almost 8pm and I'm tired even not factoring in my workout, but I keep thinking about these other SUPER elite athlete girls pushing themselves to the max, and I'm like... OK I CAN DO THIS!!

Honestly, the run wasn't that hard, I think I just had to conquer that mental block telling me I'd had enough after that bike, and it was my way of telling my brain and my body, "Buck UP!! We're not done yet!!" And then what happens... You get going, and your surprised by how it doesn't take long for your body to say... OK, I'm on board!!

(And don't worry... This does not mean I no longer want to go hard. :) I just have to accept what I'm getting myself into! :)

I'm sure there will be MANY more lessons to learn and re-learn. Let's hope that writing them down this time may help make them more defined!! :)

Until next time...

K :)

Holding Steady and Pushing Your Max!

Well, I finally had my VO2 max test today. We weren't 100% sure that I was 100% clear, but the way things are going lately, I wanted to get it done at the best time possible which seemed to be now before any other sickness creeps into our house!

The good news is that in comparison to my results from last year, despite a lot of Ironman base training last year, I didn't lose my VO2 max capacity. Considering I'm focusing more on the shorter distances this year (IM FL 70.3) I took that to be good news.

I think all of that metabolic info is so cool too!! I love it because you KNOW what your numbers are. There's no take your age and subtract that average. Because at least for me, there's nothing average about me, and I don't mean that in a positive way :)

The people close to me know that I'm one of those people that just weird stuff happens to, i.e. leaving a coffee shop last winter bent over to pick up something off of the floor, bumped my face on a chair, ended up with a black eye, turns out I broke my FACE!! The bone in your eye socket. I cracked it. I mean who breaks their FACE!! I do! :)

So I tend to not fit into the averages, and I'm such the type of person that if I'm going to do something I want to do it right... hence the testing to be sure I'm on track!

What's my focus this year... SPEED!!

I know... you're probably like who isn't focused on that. But for me, it's almost like a first for me.

From the moment my hefty rear stepped onto the treadmill it was always about distance. Can I walk for 45 min, can I run 30 min without stopping, Can I run 6 miles, Can I run 6 miles with hills, Can I run a half-marathon, etc., etc. all the way up to Can I complete an Ironman? Yes, I did focus on trying to do it in a decent time last year. But even my coach wouldn't let me put a time stamp on anything because when it's a first, it's all about just achieving the distance.

So now... I'm confident in the distance. I'm ready to go FAST!!

My numbers indicate that I have the "potential". So I ask him, ok so NOW what's the deal. I can handle pushing it hard from a cardio/metabolic perspective, I've been running for almost 10 years, what do I need to do to actually ACHIEVE it?????

Well, as they say.... Practice makes perfect.. So I'm going to talk with Coach today and hopefully get the clearance for the time stamps I think I'm ready for! :) It should be good because she's already started me on pace training. According to the guy who did my test today, it's like I have to redefine my pace to my body now. Reset it if you will, so I can let my body realize that I'm capable of moving faster than it THINKS I can!! :)

We'll see how that goes! :)

Until next time...

K :)

Constant Reevaluation :)

I'm having one of those days where I just don't feel quite on track. Probably because today was my first planned day off in awhile. I've had several of late, but they've all been forced because of illness, and if I'm too sick to workout... well I feel crappy enough to not feel useless.

However, as much as I tell myself beforehand that I am going to embrace my day off, it often times makes me feel like a day of just being off!

For some reason, my nutrition is WORSE on my off days! I think it's because I go from routine to not being on a routine and it's almost like I'm sort of lost :)

So I reviewed a list of goals for the year that I had written right at the first of the year in an effort to remind myself what's important! I'm hoping that this will help put things back on track!

Tomorrow is however a pretty full day, so I should have my endorphin high going for me :)

And let's hope for the sake of my new briefs I'm supposed to wear this year that my nutrition gets back on track as well!! :)

Until Then...

K

"Gearing" Up!

So even though it is at least in my mind ungodly cold here in Atlanta, the weekend training went pretty well. It's been one of my first in awhile because illness would always manage to creep itself in around Saturday. However, things have been good so far.

Yesterday was sleet and ice, so trainer ride of course, but even though it was really cold today, I ended up running outside because it's really hard for me to run anymore than an hour on the treadmill! :) Afterwards, I headed to my first Sponsor meeting for the 2008 season!

We went over uniforms, races, involvement, and all that technical type stuff. But what makes it so great is that Dale, the CEO of PT Solutions, is so laid back and just such a nice guy. Yeah, we provide advertisement and recognition for the team, but really it's mostly about fun. One thing we're going to do differently this year... have more beer at the end of races!! I just thought that was very cool in and of the fact that it brings everything back to just good old fashion fun!

Everyone is starting to train again, and the competitive spirit was definitely flying through the air a bit. But that is PART of the fun! :)

So thanks again PT Team for being such great support and fun! 2008 is going to be even that much more fun!!

Until next time....

K :)

Addicted to Technology!!

Once again, a winter weather storm blew through Georgia today. Unfortunately, it wasn't really the fun kind like the last one was. We did get some really pretty snow around lunch time, but that changed to sleet relatively quickly, and our back porch got just enough for all of us to bundle up, and throw a few snowballs at each other on the porch. We didn't even get in the grass because there was no snow, it was just wet! :)

The REALLY bad news is that Comcast is down. I'm not sure what the reason is, but it went out around 11am today and has been down ever since. Living with the tech savvy person that I do, our cable, phone, and Internet are all brought to us by lovely Comcast.

So... what that means is today we've had no t.v., no telephone, and no Internet!!

The t.v. and phone aren't really a big deal due to the other beautiful tech inventions of a DVD player and a cell phone. We're not COMPLETELY cut off from the outside world!! But I'd take those being down over my Internet any day!!

It's amazing how much we, or maybe just me :), depends on it. We look everything up with it. I don't even think we own a phone book! It's our entertainment, our communication network, it's SO MUCH apart of our lives.

So I am currently sitting at a local coffee shop just to use the Internet! :)

I hit the point of boredom that comes only after you've worked out, done yoga, cleaned house, cooked dinner, played with the kids inside and outside, played games with the kids, took a nap, read a little, watched movies.....

There's nothing left to do!!

So I decided we must need something from the grocery store, which is conveniently located next to this coffee shop!! :)

Let's just hope my Internet is back on tomorrow, because it is going to be FRIGID outside, I have only a run to do, and I just may be forced to do something drastic like clean out my closet!! :)

Until then!

K

Never Underestimate the Kindness of Others

I've admitted my love of magazines, and my need to flush them out as often as possible. Well not so much anymore, but I used to tear out the pages of stuff that I wanted to look up on the Internet or if there was a cool birthday cake idea for the kids or just anything like that. I had this folder that I would keep the magazine clippings in. I even collected inspirational ads or pictures that I thought had cool quotes on it that would relate to training or life in general.

I used a bunch of it as well. Back when I was a teacher, I ended up teaching a wellness class to a group of other teachers that I worked with who were interested in losing weight and being healthier. Every week I came in with a new inspirational quote or picture, and a lot of them came from the magazines I would read! :)

I'm also an admitted pack-rat when it comes to things like that as well. I have this, "Well, I might could end up using or needing that one day." So, I have ALL KINDS of stuff that could be considered quite ancient! :)

Well back in 2001 I saw this advertisement:

I am not sure what it was, but I fell in LOVE with this sweatshirt! I'm not sure if you can completely read it, but it says, "Directions: Move Until Perspiration Occurs." I just thought that along with the fact that it says, "For The Long Run." was awesome. It was a big inspiration for me, so I tore out this ad from the magazine and tried to find it on the Internet. I of course had no success, so I sent Adam, the I can find anything on the Internet person, to try to locate it, and it was no where to be found. It may be crazy, but often we would look for it for at least a year, I think maybe more!

I always loved it, so as you can see, I held onto the ad!

Well a week ago, I was in physical therapy doing my shoulder exercises when I saw this woman walk in with this yellow Russell Athletic Sweatshirt. I looked at it closely only to realize... IT WAS MY SWEATSHIRT!!

I had NEVER seen it before! Of course I'm staring at this woman, and she smiles and says hello. When I finish what I'm doing, I head over and ask her where she got the sweatshirt. Her husband works for Russell Athletics and brings all kinds of stuff home to her and their family. Well, I tell her that I'm sorry for staring, and explain my love affair with the sweatshirt. Turns out it was more of a promotional thing, hence the reason we could never find it.

She kindly offers to have her husband look to see if he can locate one for me. I told her that that was very sweet, but that I did not mean to ask her or her husband to continue my LONG search :) We left it with she'll see what she could do, and that was that. I of course call Adam immediately after leaving the office and tell him that I saw the infamous sweatshirt, and we're both amazed.

Fast forward to exactly one week later. Tonight, I'm in the physical therapy office once again, and apparently she is on the same schedule as well. She came in tonight and explained to me that her husband was NOT able to locate the sweatshirt, which is what I expected considering that it is AT LEAST 8 years old!! However, she brought me her sweatshirt and gave it to me!!

I was completely amazed!! I told her that she did not need to do that. I didn't want to ask this stranger to give me her clothing! But she explained that she wasn't attached to it, and she knew how much I wanted one, and told me to take it!! I couldn't believe it. She was worried I would not want a USED sweatshirt, but of course I did not mind. I mean now it is so much more special. Not only is it the sweatshirt that I've waited 8 WHOLE YEARS to get, it is gently worn just perfectly, and I have this constant reminder of how absolutely kind other people can be.

I mean this woman literally almost gave me the shirt of her back. A woman I had never met before, all because she recognized my senseless love for it.

This magnificent sweatshirt is sooo much more than just a sweatshirt to me now. It is a treasure that I will hold onto forever!!

Pay it forward! :)

K

The Perfect Snow!

Living in Georgia means not much snow. I have several memories of playing in the snow throughout growing up, but the only "major" snow we've ever had that I can remember was in 1993 when we were snowed in for 5 days!!Since then, I think we had some accumulation in 2000 and a tiny bit in 2002 and 2004. That means that the only snow my children have ever seen is when Cooper was 9 months old, and I'm guessing that doesn't really count!

It's funny how it works out with the weather around here, because they'll start predicting snow several days in advance. Everyone will get excited and start talking about missing school and work. Last night, I ran into the grocery store to pick up some firewood and noticed that just about ALL of the bread was gone!! I think that's so funny! :)

So when it started snowing last night as the kids and I were leaving the gym, they were SUPER excited! They were running around and it was this whole new experience! Still at this point, I'm not really knowing what to expect as far as accumulation is concerned. By the time we got home, our yard was white. After dinner, there was a good inch or so out in our backyard. Gracie wanted to touch it, and then so did Cooper, so before I knew it, we were bundled up outside playing in the snow. I've never even done that at night before like that. My first reaction was to wait and play in the morning, but then I was like, "What the heck. Let's go have some fun!"

And, it was SOOOO much fun!! And I'm so glad that we did it because overnight, the snow turned to rain and this morning the kids were wanting to know where all the snow went!

Though I can't remember a ton about playing in the snow as a child, I have to say, I had one of the most fun times last night playing outside with the kids. They were so cute, and thought is was so amazing. Imagine, seeing and experiencing snow for the first time like that!

We threw snowballs, slid down the hill, and even made a "healthy" snowman with a carrot nose, broccoli eyes and a cantaloupe mouth!! :)

Yes, if you're from up north and you're reading this, I'm sure you are laughing at us for getting so excited over what we got, but around here you just have to appreciate the small things and amounts for that purpose!!

(Rocky's not a big snow fan!)

So, even though the snow is gone, there was no school today. And to Jenni (my sister), I'm so sorry that you and your kids didn't get off from school!! I know how much you wanted it.

Jenni LOVES snow days like no one else I know. Probably because its an unexpected break from having to get 4 kids ready for school. So anytime snow comes up, I always call her because I know she is desperately wishing for it to be so. I called her last night and as soon as she answered the phone, she said, "If you're calling to tell me how much snow you're getting, I don't want to hear it, so just hang up right now!" :) I live a little farther north than her and so it tends to work out that way. I've been laughing at her for that since!

So, I'll hope for you next time Jenni!

And for those of you in the area off today, enjoy your SNOW DAY!!

K :)

The Next American Idol Judge!!

Yes, we all know who Randy, Paula, and Simon are! And yes, I will admit that I am an American Idol follower. :) It's funny, not really because of the music necessarily. A friend of mine said he didn't care for it because he didn't like the people's c.d.s that would come out afterwards. I don't necessarily either, but the show itself is awesome!! American Idol, Survivor, and The Amazing Race are my reality t.v. shows and I'm not ashamed!

Well, if they are interested in spicing things up for the next go round, they should add another judge. One that is exceptionally capable of determining if a person can sing or not. Extremely Qualified!!

That "person" is Rocky...!!

It is hilarious! When we watch American Idol, Rocky is always snuggled up on the couch snoozing, his usual night time routine. When people sing well, he continues his nap without a budge. However, when they show the people that are awful...he literally cringes!! He'll sit up and move around trying to get comfortable again. He'll event GRUNT!! Like he's irritated!

They say that dogs have fine-tuned hearing and can hear things at different frequencies. Well I guess when those people try to hit those notes and they're WAY off... it literally hurts his ears!!

So next season I propose that they should have Randy, Paula, and Simon and the final judge... Rocky. If he squirms when you sing, no golden ticket for you!!

Have a great Day everyone!! And listen for the grunts tonight coming from Rocky!!

K :)

My Number 1 Sponsor!

I realized the other day that I didn't have one picture on my blog of Adam! You know, the guy that I've been with since I was 15 years old, going on 14 years now! The guy that has stuck with me through fat Kellye, workout Kellye, disordered eating Kellye, College Kellye, Teacher Kellye, Mom Kellye, Neurotic Kellye, Triathlete Kellye, etc., etc...!

When you are in high school and you start thinking about the guy you'll end up marrying someday, you think about all of the qualities you want him to possess. You look for nice, but not annoying, wanting to really be with you, but not needy, smart, successful, funny, likes your family :), a guy that will make a good husband, father, friend, and partner for a REALLY long time.

Well 14 years ago when my friend Lori begged me to find a date for Saturday night so that I could go with her on a date she really didn't want to go on, and I asked Adam, I wasn't thinking about any of those things! He was the first boy that I had ever asked out before, and he actually couldn't go with me that night. I ended up going with his best friend, Mike, and it was fun. Completely friendly. However, Adam ended up asking me out for the following weekend, and as they say... The rest is history!

I had intended on going to UGA after high school, but didn't want to lose the person that had ultimately turned into my best friend, so I decided to follow him to Auburn instead. Neither of us were 100% at that time that we'd ultimately end up together, but we pretty much figured. After my freshman year in college, he asked me to marry him and we spent the next 2 1/2 years engaged, and then ultimately got married right before we graduated on September 4, 1999!

We've had our moments that is for sure! Mostly after the kids came. I know that may sound bad, and yes, having children with someone does bring you closer together. However, a 2 and a 3 year old or a 3 and a 4 year old can be quite stressful at times, and it's hard NOT to snap at the person you're around all of the time!

Ultimately though, he's the greatest! I've had my moments where it seems odd to marry your "high school sweetheart"... cliche almost. But, I guess I got lucky. Because I didn't have to go through all of the dating drama that my other friends did through college and beyond.

Yesterday, as he was leaving for work, we were talking about my current life goals and what not. On Friday, after going in for some training at a local gym for Personal Training, I had a HUGE realization that that was NOT the right path. Have you ever pursued something that once you finally got there you couldn't help feeling that it was a mistake? Well, that is what happened to me on Friday. After $400 and the past 3 weeks of studying for my Personal Trainer certification, I realized that the traditional gym approach was just not right for me. After talking it out quite a bit over the weekend, and adding to that that Adam is going to be taking a new position at Autotrader.com within the next few weeks that will again revamp our schedule, "we" decided that that is not the direction that I need to go right now. And by "we", I mean me :)

That's the thing about Adam though. He completely understands me and lets me go through all of these phases. I am still going to finish my Personal Training certification because I do believe it will ultimately be valuable, and I've come this far with it, I'm not a quitter. However, rather than going with the instantaneously profitable approach at the gym, I want to pursue my own Personal Training direction focusing more on the entire lifestyle and wellness of individuals rather than just strength training. And I want to do it at my own pace.

See I realized this Friday that for quite sometime now and just about all of 2007, I'd been seeking this career goal. I think maybe it came from being home with babies for a couple of years without much "Kellye time" outside of that. Maybe I turned to the whole career thing as a way of developing my own identity. However, my number one priority is and has always been my children. I grew up with a mom that was capable of being the one that took me to practices and could pick me up from school, and I want to be there for my children in those ways as well.

And the great thing is in this identity search... I've found it. Through triathlon! It's my thing! It's my time when I train and race, and I love it! No, it doesn't help pay the bills, but that's what makes Adam so wonderful, because he understands that, and does everything for me. I am very passionate about my weight loss experience and my athletic experiences since, and would LOVE to share that with others. That's why this year, I'm going to do my Personal Trainer thing, MY way, and if anything comes of it... GREAT! , and if not, well that's ok too. Because it doesn't have to be who I am, it's just something I do.

So, through all of these up and down decisions and craziness, Adam not only still hangs around, he supports me emotionally, mentally, physically, and financially, and does so because he WANTS to. I do whatever I can to be there for him in the same ways. But I don't think anything can compare to how he supports me.

That is why Adam is my Number 1 Fan, Sponsor, and Friend... forever!!

Until Next Time...

K :)

A Plauge on My House!!

That is how it feels anyways! Onto Illness number 3...

If you are thinking, "Oh God.. She's writing about being sick again!" imagine how I feel about it!

I'd be super pissed, but I'm kind of too tired for that. :(

I went to the walk-in appointments for my Dr. this morning at 7:30am to find out I have a sinus infection and pink-eye. I figured as much when I had to pry my eyes apart this morning and my face hurt like someone had been pounding on it.

I knew something was up on Sat., started coughing on Sunday and even had to cancel my VO2 max test yesterday. I was pissed then. Thinking, ok this cannot be happening again...

I decided to try to nip it in the bud first thing this morning. The kicker is, Cooper and Gracie woke up exactly the same way. So after my Dr. appointment, I carried them to theirs. After $200 of Dr. appointments and medications today, I am trying to figure out what it is going to take to stop this madness!!

Please hope and pray that by Friday, my meds will have kicked in and cleared my system and my immune system will start doing its job :) for me and the kids!

I want my VO2 max test, I want to get my training consistent past a week's time, I want my kids to be well and happy, though I must say they amaze me! I feel like crap and just want to sleep. They have exactly the same thing, but can run around and play like nothing is wrong :)

Let's hope that my next entry brings good news!!

Until then...

K!

Moving, Royal Straights, and VO2 max....

This is the first time this weekend that I've really had an opportunity to sit down!!

Friday began with an early morning swim practice, followed by a 2 hour observation of Personal Training at the gym, a 40 min base run, several games of an abbreviated version of The Simpsons Chess Game, and then a brutal session at the Physical Therapist! I rolled myself into bed pretty much as soon as I got home :)

Saturday then started with an early alarm where I had to rally the troops and head down for a long drive to Franklin to help my sister move. It was on my schedule to swim, but my shoulder is still trying to recover so I decided to give it one more day after all of that Physical Therapy the night before. Didn't get my ride in either as there just wasn't enough time in the day. And I was sooo excited for my sister because this was her and her families first house purchase!! She was very excited, yet very nervous all week about all of that financial hulla-ballou that takes place. All that stuff sucks so bad! But she made it through and I wanted to be sure to be there to celebrate!

It worked out for me and Adam as well because there was a poker game on our street last night that we needed a "Free" babysitter for :), and my niece Katherine agreed to come home with us to watch over Cooper and Gracie! It's been awhile since I've played poker, so I wasn't expecting anything major. It ended up being a pretty decent night as I came in 3rd in the first game and got my buy-in money back and then came in 4th in the 2nd game, which was 1 place away from the money!! My own husband took me out! So all and all, Adam and I left collectively up $10, which by the way... he let me keep!! So that's $10 to add to my month!! Whoo-Hoo!!

Finally made it home and in bed at 1am! I haven't been to bed that late in I don't know.

Today I'm excited because I'm getting my VO2 max re-tested. So, I can't tell you how many times I've caught myself from drinking caffeine this morning, and now it's 11:30 and no more food until after the test! I am honestly not expecting it to even be as high as last year simply because endurance racing doesn't really focus on your VO2 max. It's more about building your aerobic engine, which is what all of last year was about, so today is all about re-checking my zones to get me geared up for another year of training!!

BTW: I am bringing a friend to test with me as well, so my test is only $100 instead of the $125!! That means an extra $25 in my account for this month. So I'm like LOADED now!!

I'll check back in and let you know how it goes today. Back to workouts right after the test!!

Until then...

K :)

I WILL NOT Become My Mother! :)

I think a lot of people may joke about this :) Honestly, I must say that my mother is an amazing person! There are a TON of things about her that I would LOVE to be described as! She is one of the most thoughtful and caring people I've ever known. She has genuine concern for others, and she really does put everyone else's needs first. She actually has a reputation for letting people run over her because she always sees the good in people and won't even realize when it is happening! My sister and I have to be the ones to step in and tell her to tell those people......!

BUT...

:)

Like everyone, she has her quirks! She's a little coocoo sometimes. Adam says it's where I get it from! :)

Well one of her "issues" is magazines! TONS and TONS of magazines!! She has so many magazines that you could read for years and never leave her house! When we moved from our house in Franklin, Georgia back to Atlanta we found a magazine in one of the MANY piles from 1969!! It was hilarious!! There were articles in it all about how to make your husband feel more comfortable when he comes home from "a long day at work!" How you should greet him at the door with a smile and how you should not talk to him about any "issues" until he's had a chance to relax in his chair with his slippers! WHAT??!! :)

And don't think like my Dad that you could ever get rid of any of them! Heaven forbid you ever threw any of them away. You would think that there was no way that she would ever know. She would ALWAYS realize it and be upset because it had such and such article in it that she wanted to read!

So the deal is that I too have inherited the magazine gene! I LOVE them as well. From Triathlete to Parents, Fitness, Runner's World, Self, and yes... even People, I read them all! I'm so busy during the day I never have time to read. So at night, in the ten minutes that I lay down before falling asleep, I tend to read magazines more because it's easier. It's not a full chapter dedication in a book, and I'm one of those that can't read a book and just stop anywhere! :)

The problem is life gets the best of us and I end up "collecting" them as she did. I DO NOT WANT PILES OF MAGAZINES ALL OVER MY HOUSE!! I swore as did my sister that we would NOT do that! :)

Well, it occurred to me the other day that I'm beginning quite a collection and hadn't even realized it! I've even recently thrown A BUNCH away. Those that had collected in all of my Ironman training that I never got around to and I figured all of that "current" information had all been updated by now :)

(*They are about to blow out the Rack!!)

The magazines you see here in all of these pictures are ones that I KEPT because I couldn't part with them. What's the likelihood that I'll actually get around to reading these.?

I know one thing is for sure... I WILL THROW THEM AWAY before my kids start using the piles for furniture!

Happy Reading!

K :)

(*This is my "work" bag. Full of Triathlete magazines!)

A $$$ Update!!

So far so good in the cash department!!

Jan 7th: Filled up on gas and paid for it inside and added a BODC* to the bill. $0 spent!

(Is that cheating?? I'm thinking more along the lines of clever :)

*By the Way: For those of you wondering, a BODC is a Big Ole' Diet Coke. If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE my Diet Coke. I went 9 months without it during my pregnancy with Cooper and literally had one in the recovery room before getting moved upstairs! When I get a drink, I get the BIG one to make it worth my while. Therefore it is a Big Ole' Diet Coke aka BODC. It's a term we use all of the time. Adam even made a shirt that says that I'm "Powered by BODC!" My friend Mike and I have discussed Marketing it to Coca Cola Company. It's still a thought :)

Anyways...

Jan 8th: Dropped kids off at School and go through the driveway at Chick fil' A. One BODC, light ice!= $1.54 Total Cash Available=$10.46

Later at the gym: Purchased Protein Shake $3 - $2.40 I had on my account. I had to supply $0.60 Total Cash Available=$9.86

Jan 9th: I had swim practice at 6am. Packed my breakfast and my after workout snack. Meeting with Coach Carole at Caribou. Packed a tea bag and got free hot water!! I thought that was pretty clever. Cheap, yes but clever :) =$0

Lunch with Brother Bob. The, "I'll get it Kellye!" always brother Bob!! My cost= $0!!

So total amount now= $9.86

Do you think I'm turning into one of those??? I was listening to the radio this morning about people that do HORRIBLE things for free food. Ex: Fake Choking, Create a HUGE scene and storm out, even DIG THROUGH THE GARBAGE!!

Please say I'm NOT headed down this path!!

2008 Race Schedule (Knock on Wood!)

I am one of those superstitious types. I knew upon finishing the Ironman that I wanted an Ironman sticker for my car. In touring the expo in the days before, we saw a ton of them. However, I wouldn't buy one for fear of jinxing the whole thing :)

Of course when I went to buy one the day after, they were all gone. But I was ok with that because I knew I could order one :)

So, I'm honestly a little reluctant to Publish my 2008 Race Schedule for fear of cracking something on my way out the door later today! However, I had to turn a copy into my sponsors yesterday, so I figured, I might as well. Let's just say this is the PLAN!!

February 16: Tundra Time Trial (This one is weather dependent :)

February 23: Run for the Son 10k

March 30: ING Atlanta Half Marathon

April 27: St. Anthony's

May 18: Florida 70.3

June 1st: Rock n' Roll Sprint

June 29: Irongirl Atlanta Sprint

July 4th: Woodstock 5k

August 10: Acworth Women's Sprint

September 13: Tugaloo Olympic

October 12: Chicago Marathon ??

As the year progresses, things get a little less certain. I'm 99% sure I WON'T go for Ironman Florida again, but I guess you never know :) Ideally, I'd LOVE to get a slot into the 70.3 World Championship. If I do, I probably won't do the Chicago Marathon. However, if I don't, I'm not going to beat myself up over it because the only marathon I've ever done was at the end of Ironman Florida, so there's a part of me that would LOVE to do that race as well. So we'll just kind of see what happens, which I think is the best way to be anyways!!

I will also most likely squeeze in some extra 5k's and other run races and hopefully another time trial or two as well. Who knows, maybe I'll even do an open water swim distance event???!!

Looking forward to another fun year!

Until next time...

K :)

Challenge #2: NOT Breaking the Bank!

I really had no intention of challenging myself this year. They just keep coming up! :)

So Adam and I, and what I think is probably like TONS of other people in this world, have made one of our 2008 goals to SAVE MONEY!! Yes... He just turned 31, I will be 30 this year, and we hope that we've entered that wiser stage in our lives where we realize we're getting OLD and need to think more about the future and less about acquiring LCD T.V.s, BMW's and Bigger houses :)

This is going to be the year that our Savings Account will actually get BIGGER!! :)

We started thinking about this a few months back and started going through our expenses. Especially being a triathlete, it makes for quite an expensive habit!! What we realized... We spend SOOOO much wasteful money!! On seriously just CRAP!

We've never had his/her's money like some couples do. I think everyone has their own process and whatever works for you is fine. Adam and I have been together since I was 15, so everything has always just kind of been OURS. However, we decided a few months back to set aside a certain amount of cash each month for each of us to spend on that "junk" stuff (fast food, BODC'S, etc.) Well it didn't really work out entirely because I had a bad habit of once I ran out of money towards the end of the month, I would just start using the check card. A little beside the point :)

So this month we agreed... STICKING TO IT! Once you run out, your out!!

Well, January 1 I had $300 cash. Some of you may think that's not a lot. I felt LOADED :) Here's the problem...Jan 7th: $12!!!

I know... It all happened really FAST!! Here's the breakdown:

Jan 1: $300

Jan 2: $280 - $20 cash towards lunch for me and the kids, a $4 aquatic charge and some other odds and ends

Jan 4: I head to Lenox because I got a $150 Gift Card to Anthropology for Christmas. Not an everyday thing for me, so I looked at EVERY piece of clothing they had :) I settled on a skirt and a sweater, $200 total - $150 GC, so I was going to put $50 of my money towards it.

CRAP: Go to pay, GC NOT $150, it's $125 + tax= $230, so there goes $80 of my money

Jan 5: $200

Considering that the majority of my tri expenses come out of the monthly family budget (coaching, shoes, chiropractic, nutrition, etc.) I agreed to pay for my massage out of my money.

I have a massage appointment on Jan. 22nd= $70

So now I'm down to $130

I also have a VO2 Max test I am going to have done this month. It's not really reg. tri stuff so I had just always planned on paying for it Cost=$125

So that left me with $5!!!

Adam laughed and said there's no way! My niece Lauren said I was crazy, I'd never make it!

Well... I had a TON of pennies that I'd been meaning to roll forever, that bumped me to $12!!

That is where I'm at! $12

It's funny because I know that I could get a little more money if I really NEED it. Adam even offered to give me some of his. But the thing is that I kind of WANT to do this! I'm convinced that I want to keep that sweater more than I want to have $80 to spend on useless stuff. I'm an extremely competitive person, and I want to prove to myself that I can do it. I mean I'm not going to starve! This past Saturday, I had a long workout day and I actually PACKED my lunch before leaving the house :) How funny is that!! I haven't done that since I was working full-time!

So... in the past I've been labeled spoiled by my brothers and sisters who came before me and had to buy their own cars, from Adam because he's the one that does the spoiling, and from other's probably too. I have always maintained that I am NOT because I don't require those things as part of my relationships nor do I act like my life will end without them.

I therefore dedicate this challenge to myself to PROVE once and for all that I can go an entire 23 days with $12 to spend!!

I'll keep you updated as I go. Thanks!

Until next time...

K :)

Results and Conclusions!!

Final Tally: 9088!!

Not too bad! Especially considering 1) I forgot to put it on as soon as I got up, so I had about an hour of my day not count. 2) Adam's pedometer requires that you walk 7 consecutive steps before it will begin counting. Doing this so that it wouldn't count non-steps, but that seems like A LOT of missed steps too. So I could walk from say the table to pick something off of the counter top and take 6 steps and those would NOT count towards my total.

So all in all, I'm guessing I probably did hit the 10,000 mark and that did NOT include the 5 mile run I did today.

Here's the thing though, 10,000 is A LOT of walking. Though I had what would be a pretty typical day, it does seem that I've been on my feet ALL day. I'm not really sure if that's more because I've been paying attention to it or what, but I'm tired :) !! And that might be because 10000 steps is roughly 5 miles!! So I did 10 total today and it feels like it!

So, I'm honestly thinking that 10000 is a little high. Great goal and for us busy movers and shakers we probably get pretty close to that. But to walk 10000 miles everyday + train for Ironman, whew!! a little much!

Good thing tomorrow's my day off :)

Until next time...

K

My Pedometer Challenge!

Back in December mine and Adam's cellphones both came up for renewal (thank goodness!), and the phone that Adam got has a built in pedometer. I have one from way back in the day that I got for FREE in a Special K box :) I wore it at the time a little just to see, but I honestly couldn't remember much about my results.

Adam mentioned to me recently that he was walking about 2000 steps a day! I was like, that's great, but I'm pretty sure the goal is 10,000! He said there was no way, and so I looked it up to verify, and sure enough not only is it 10,000 steps a day, you're not supposed to count any working out that you do! So it's strictly 10,000 steps of just your daily activity!!

Adam says that's unrealistic. I am convinced that with all of the chasing of Cooper and Gracie in addition to the constant picking up around the house that I do, I've got to be pretty close to that goal. At least I feel like I do 10,000 steps a day :)

So, since It's Sunday and Adam and I aren't entirely glued to our cellphones, I put his in my pocket this morning and have been walking around with it all day. I'm just doing my normal routine, and later today when I head out for my run, I will take it out for that time. We're interested in seeing what that number ends up being at the end of the day, AND if it turns out that it is considerably less than the 10,000 goal, we'll wonder what in the world you have to do to meet that goal WITHOUT working out!!

I'll post my final number later today if interested! Wish me luck!!

K

Murphy's Law :)

Considering that I've yet again been sick all week... I was looking forward to my weekend of getting back into my routine. I did my swim, bike, and run last Saturday but then had to take Sunday-Wed. off. Thur. I did a 1 hour ride on my trainer nice and easy and then hopping off my trainer over extended my knee which then kept me from running on Friday. I grew up in ballet and gymnastics and tore my ACL back in high school in my right knee doing back handsprings. It's one of those things that will always pester me!

So I did make it to a local aquatic center for a swim on Friday, but did the right thing in "listening to my body" and giving that right leg another day of recovery, some good massage, and ice yesterday so once again... I could be READY FOR THE WEEKEND!!

Last night I got all of my clothes packed up, set my bike and trainer by the door, and set my alarm for 6am to get up and make it to the 7am swim practice. I got to bed later than I would have liked, so this morning when the alarm went off at 6, I wasn't ready to get up! It was dark and quiet in the house and my electric blanket was on and I was EXTREMELY cozy! :)

However, I was also gunning to get "back on the horse" and so reminded myself of that point and crawled out of bed. I put on my swim suit and then layered up for the fact that it was like 20 some odd degrees this morning! I carried my LOADS of stuff downstairs and trying to be as quiet as possible packed my breakfast and lunch. Then carried my even more LOADS of stuff and shoved it all into my car, bike included.

Anytime Adam or I leave before the kids are up, we always unhook the garage door in hopes that the motor won't wake the kids. Well this morning just the rolling the garage door up awakened Cooper. So when I hopped back out of my car outside of my garage to re shut it, I hear Cooper standing on my front door step in the dark and freezing cold crying! :)

I turned my car off and took him back inside. Then spent 15 min getting him his pillow and blanket for the couch and getting the t.v turned onto whatever he wanted to watch (which changed 4 times!!) Plus, he's going through this phase right now where he doesn't like for me to leave. He's fine when I'm gone, but the actual leaving process takes FOREVER! It's sweet, but time consuming as we go through numerous kisses, high-fives, knuckles, and explanations of what I'm doing and when I'll be back!

After ALL of that rigmarole.... I hop in my car FINALLY ready to begin my day of training focus only to remember that swim practice was CANCELLED this morning!!!!! AND the other aquatic center I use to swim on my own was closed this morning as well, both for swim meets!

I was like, "CRAP!" So... here I am, at a local coffee shop that I decided to park it and read up on all of my blogs and figured it would be a good opportunity to get a little studying in. Not TOO much of a loss because I've still got my bike , trainer, and running shoes with me so when the rest of the world wakes up I can meet up with my partner to get my bike and run in. :)

I'm beginning to wonder if the world is trying to KEEP me from working out??? :)

I guess I'll just have to keep on trying!

Until next time...

K :)