Endurance Turtle A journey through this turtles triathlon adventures

For the past two weeks, it has been sunny all week long and then on the weekends it is pouring rain, WTF?

We might be able to get in something on Sunday after church…if we feel ever so motivated :-/

The past few weekends have been horribly busy. Last week I went on wedding overload and got a migraine, I still have 14 more months of this stuff???? This weekend we are going down to San Diego for my cousins wedding then we have to rush back to L.A. because George got me a baking class for the big V day. We will be focusing on baking “romantic reds”, a.k.a. RED VELVET

So Saturday will consist of beer (because that is all my family drinks when they get together) and cake. I am thinking I might have to find the motivation to workout on Sunday.

What do you do when the weather sucks?

And I want a pair of ear buds, so if you go to http://twentysixpointtwoormore.blogspot.com/ you can try to win too!

Life

On Saturday I sang a funeral for a 43 year old woman that past away from a heart attack. She left behind 2 high schooled aged kids and there were hundreds of people there. The worst part about this was that this was not her first heart attack and apparently she was overweight. This was something that was probably completely preventable! I think people really don’t take the gift of life and health very seriously!

Love

We had a low key Valentines Day, I got my yearly pound of chocolate from See’s…wonder if that translates to 1 pound on my body…. George and I also went to dinner with my parents. It was a day with my loved ones, and even though my parents know how to drive me insane, it was nice having them around.

Bike

Yesterday I had to go to the local hardware shop and pick up some paint supplies. I decided I would take my “city cruiser” (old bike I just fixed up). It was a beautiful day out and I really didn’t have a reason to drive my car. I should do this more often!

Paint

After my nice little bike ride, I took my dad to Lowe’s and we picked up some wood for the front steps as well as a ceiling fan. Then, when we got back, I started to paint the guest room. I have 1 wall completely done, 2 walls that need a second coat and the last wall hasn’t even been started yet. But my “Zen” room is really starting to come along and pretty soon I will be able to use it for my exercising as well as some office space.

Thank you Mr. Presidents for the day off (except Bush Jr., he really sucked), I got a lot done and I am still sore from all the work I did.

I am a sucker for a sale, I just can’t say no and it drives George slightly insane. Anyway, I am aware of these shoes they call Salomon. They are trail running shoes and are usually a tad out of my price range for shoes that I am not sure if I would use on a regular basis. So when I saw these shoes on sale at Run With Us, in MY size…well…I got ‘em. They were a cool $30 (retail is $90), which we all know is a great deal on running shoes! Here they are:

I also wore my Drymax trail running socks…which probably wasn’t that necessary since I wasn’t running through streams or anything.

I also like these shoes because the laces are actually a pull system then you tuck the excess in the tongue, and if I ever do a triathlon that requires trail running (like the Iron Girl last year) then I can use these!

Anyway, as with all things I buy, I must do something to use them. So I decided I would go up to Brand Park and head up the trails. I really didn’t know what to expect and was a little nervous that I was doing it alone but everything turned out ok. But I still am strongly considering buying some mace.

I started up one trail and didn’t run for long, since most of the things I was going up looked like this:

Little steep and a little rocky, so I just took my time up it. As I went up one side I started to notice the trail go behind the mountain. And because I was alone and it was dusk, I decided I would stop there. But then I saw this person over the canyon on the other hill going up and thought, hey! I wonder where that goes! So I ran back down the mountain then found my way up the trail that made it to the top of another hill. Here is a picture of me toward the top:

The mountain looked over Glendale and if you squint you can see Downtown Los Angeles over to the left. It was really beautiful up there and I really enjoyed the little hike. I wanted to make it to the top, but I had to head back down because the sun was almost gone. I would like to go back and head up the trail and make it to the top. I have to say that even though I didn’t really run, it is a great way to get your heart rate up because even walking can get tiring. I also want to do a trail race this year, there are two that I am choosing between….The Great Race at Agoura Hills and the XTERRA Malibu Trail Race. I just want to try something different and challenge myself.

If you are in SoCal this weekend, enjoy this awesome weather that we have! 70 degrees and absolutely gorgeous out! I love it here

Note from Kristen: George wanted to do a guest post, so here it is! When reading this remember a few things….. #1 HE IS MINE! hahaha   #2 We are going on 5 years together and we have come to the conclusion that we need to write a book about relationships. Not that we always get it right, but we truly enjoy eachother’s company and have a blast together…so keep an eye out for that book someday #3 I inserted all the photos, just to reference what he was saying. #4 Pull up your trashcan because you will probably need to barf …between the sweet things George says and the WAY cute pictures…you will be done for!

‘Tis the season…of Love!

By George

Valentine’s day is upon us.  Aside from Mother’s Day and a few other celebrated days, this is one of the biggest “greeting card” holidays. For my fiancee Kristen, being Catholic,and I soon to be initiated into the Catholic faith, St. Valentine’s Day means something different for us.  I’m not saying that we still do not get caught up in all the fuss, but we try to keep it in perspective.

So, in keeping it in perspective I propose and encourage the good readers of this blog to do something different for their significant others. It is really quite simple and pays huge dividends.  It is also transcends all holidays, greeting card or not.  And quite possibly might melt a few pounds, trim a few waist lines and improve the libido.

What could it be?

Do something together!

Try it!  Kristen and I have been doing it (together!) as long as we have been dating.  It has taken its shape in various forms but ultimately we have been pretty faithful to doing it together.

So what should you do with your significant?

Firstly, try doing something that the other enjoys a lot.  It’s OK, put yourself out there, you might actually enjoy yourself.  You will never know if you never try.  Kristen and I both enjoy dancing, she definitely enjoys it more than I do since it takes gallons of liquor or a roomful of strangers to get me to wiggle my backside.  But, when we do actually cut a rug together we have a blast, all pretense gets thrown out the window.

George, very liquored up, dancing with me back in 2006

Secondly, try doing something that the both of you have never done before. We tried doing a 5k run together a few years ago.  Both of us were pretty out of shape although I think at the time I was worse off (years of drinking beer and not exercising had finally caught up).  We weren’t all that excited during the run because it hurt, but afterwards we were able to revel together in the sense of accomplishment.  A few years later, we are now doing that with triathlons.

5k in 2007

Thirdly, try doing something together that both of you enjoy the most! This could be anything and everything.  We get our kicks just hanging out together, our date nights.  Other times we really enjoy going wine tasting.  Don’t let that throw you, there are plenty of liquor stores, wine bars and restaurants locally that do wine tasting events.  Some even do food pairings, that is where they will present a full menu along with their recommended wine pairings for you to enjoy while noshing some seriously good eats.  If you are feeling adventurous take a trip to wine country.

Our first wine tasting trip in 2006

Lastly, no matter what, always know that whenever you are doing something with your significant you are doing something with your best friend and the person (I hope) you love most in this world. So every one of those moments should be cherished.  Whether you are baking a cake, running a marathon, training for a triathlon, planning a wedding or kicking your feet up while watching a movie, what makes it special isn’t the act, it is the company that you are with.

Helicopter Flight 2007 – P.S. George is flying

Remind your significant how much you love them on St. Valentine’s day, but never let them doubt how much you love them the rest of the year….

Cheers!

Valentines Day 2009

We are a little over a month out from the Pasadena Triathlon, I registered last week and now I have to get serious. While this is a very fun race to do, and is only a sprint, I want to make sure I do well. So I need to kick up the training! I started last night by running around the bowl, it took me 37 minutes (which is too long) so I need to get my running up to speed (no pun intended…okay…maybe a little one)

This weekend I am going to go over to the bowl and do a reverse brick. I will run around the bowl, then hop on my bike and do a couple of laps. Last year at the Pasadena Tri, when I got off the bike in transition I got a HORRIBLE cramp in my leg and I would like to avoid that this year! I think if I hadn’t been delayed by that cramp, I might have placed. So this year is redemption!

Also, the bike will be outfitted for triathlons now. I took off the tri bars for the winter, so I will put those back on. I also have a new addition this year, and that is the wheel covers that I won at the PTC end of year party! The idea is not to really train in them, but to put them on for race day. For safety’s sake, I will do at least one ride with them on so I know what it feels like. Having disc covers can change how your bike handles if there is any bit of wind. And I don’t want to end up falling…because that would suck.

I also need to get into the pool, it has been a while…However, I am not too concerned with this considering that the swim is only 150 meters which is 3 lengths of the olympic size pool at the Rose Bowl. Last year I did the swim in 4:24, and that was probably mostly running to the pool limping (because of the cramp) and all the people getting in my way at the walls (which I will have a strategy for this year).

So Pasadena Tri goals are:

Run - 30 minutes (way lofty goal!)

Bike - 30 minutes (I think I can hit that)

T2 - 1 minute

Swim - 4 minutes

Total Time – 1:05 or 1:10 (i would be happy with either number!)

Here are last years numbers:

At this point, anything would be an improvement from last year!

Let the training commence!

So bright and early Sunday morning George and I headed over to the Rose Bowl to help volunteer. We got at our water station at 7:30AM and the race started at 8AM. I was a little worried we might not get to see too many runners because George and I had to head over to church around 9:15AM. Ultimately, we got to see a great deal of runners and it was a lot of fun. More on that later. Here are some pictures:

It was pretty cold out, so we were wearing a lot of layers…Specifically my tre cool mittens…

George and I don’t have many opportunities to volunteer, because most races are on Sunday’s and unless we are racing, we don’t want to not go to church. The nice thing about local races, is that we can volunteer early in the morning and still make it in time to church. But I have to say, volunteering is a blast! Almost better than racing itself, mostly because you can drink beer the night before (like we did) and all you have to do is hand water to sweaty runners! I can deal with that….So I would highly recommend volunteering at a race, it is so much fun and you really get to give back to a sport that we really enjoy.

Now, about our very cool water station. We were on top of a steep hill that the runners had to come up. Where the group picture is, is right a the top. We had a boombox playing some music and we had a ton of noisemakers, as evidenced by the purple “hand clappers” on the far right. Most of the time, I was standing there cheering on the runner. Then they said they need a few people to hand out water, so I ran back to the water station (top picture) and gave out Gatorade and water. Everyone was really nice and George and I got to church with time to spare!

I think this year, George and I will be volunteering more. We have our races that we want to do, but honestly…we need to save some money so that I don’t walk down the aisle in a potato sack for our wedding. So I deem this year “The Year of Volunteering”, so stay tuned for more to come!

Have you seen those weight watcher commercials? With that little orange beast called “Hunger” that follows people around?

Well, he is like one of those friends of mine that you know you shouldn’t hang out with but it feels so good! mmm, doughnuts…

I always am hungry, I am not sure why…I don’t think it is because I have a fast metabolism…or else I would be a lot skinnier! But whatever the reason, I am always hungry. And if I don’t eat, my blood sugar levels drop and I end up with a horrible headache. So in an effort to conquer this little beast, I am trying to eat a little better and more frequently. For one thing, I made myself this nice salad for lunch: (just keep me away from the Lean Pockets later)

Those little white things are brie cheese. I lie to myself and say that it is good protein. When really it is just creamy cheese that is like 1,000 calories per little square… oh well, I like cheese damn it!

Then there are some blackberries, tomatoes and of course, lettuce. Then I put this really nice  vinaigrette on it and I love it! I actually liked it so much that when I finished my salad I tried to take a little sip of it and I choked. Have to do things once to learn, ya know?

I am also trying to eat more fruit, especially when I get those cravings. It works best when it is arms length away, and so far I have been doing ok.

Then, last night I also went after the rest of my water bottles with the denture cleaner:

I found this plastic thing under the counter, I think it is meant for putting wallpaper up…but I used it to put all the lids in. And that orange/white box is the denture cleaner. It says on there that it is antibacterial and does some other stuff…so that is good to know. There was one nasty bottle that I put two denture cleaners in…and it sort of worked but I think the science project was too severe and I think the bottle is done Here is the bottle before I cleaned it:

YUMMY!!!

You can even see some stuff at the bottom, ya…that came out when I dumped out the bottle…ya…it was gross…

Then here is the bottle a little bit into the cleaning process. You can see there is something floating on the top of the foam:

Then when I dumped it out, the inside walls weren’t very clean. I suppose if I were to put some elbow grease into it, it might work. But just the thought of how gross the bottle was, makes me just want to throw it away.

So my conclusion on the denture cleaner: Works great! Unless your water bottle has reached the point of no return…then you should just recycle it and buy a new one!