Hungry Like A She Wolf

It's winter break and I've spent lots of time running and skiing by myself, so I've had lots of time to reflect on the year. After a sub par 70.3 Worlds and an ok Philly Marathon I ended 2012 hungry and with one goal in mind-Ironman Hawaii. It had been 11 years and a lifetime since I'd trained for and raced an Ironman and I didn't know how my body and family would respond, but I knew I had to go back and redeem myself.  I've had so much support from my coach-Julio German, my friends, my family, my go to girls at Faust, and The Fallen Arch in Lake Placid that I'm even more hungry and excited to see what 2014 has to hold.

Over drinks with friends the other day I realized that even after 25 years of being an athlete I am still growing and learning. One of the friends was a triathlete buddy from my first traithlon lifetime and recapping Kona made me realize what a different animal I've become. In the old days it was all about me and the only thing I needed to get back to during a big training day was my big yellow dog. Nowadays every minute I take away from regular life is valuable and must be full of purpose. In the old days I would get into the water full of fear and negative "what ifs." As I was explaining the calm and excitement I was feeling as I entered the water in Kona I realized how much more I'm able to enjoy life as a triathlete in my mid-30s vs my early 20s.


The work I have done with Coachulio has been a major contributor to this enjoyment. He understands what makes me tick and constructed a program that kept me engaged and hungry.  Julio has put together an incredible group of women who are sooo fast and sooooo fun and I can't wait to have training camp at Faust so we can train and laugh together with my sweat sisters. I am forever grateful for all the help from Coachulio and High Performance Training! Check them out at- www.hpt-ny.com.

I would be remiss if I didn't thank The Fallen Arch in Lake Placid for making training and racing easier by supporting my running shoe addiction. Gail and Bob have been such a huge help over the past couple of seasons and I am pleased to be part of The Fallen Arch Racing Team! They have amazing selection and a wealth of real running knowledge- www.thefallenarch.com

The Amy before this phase in my life might've been ready for an easier year or a year of running with my pack of wild dogs, but this older, wiser, well cared for Amy is hungry and full of ideas to continue to get faster and have more fun. Part of that fun and speed will come from joining the Coeur Sports Elite team. Coeur is a new women's triathlon apparel company-a company founded for women by Kebby Holden, a fellow Ironwoman. The cute kits are awesome, but my favorite thing about Coeur is that it's French for heart and the root word for courage-heart and courage-two necessities for all triathletes! From what I've read these women are going to be a blast and I'm so excited to don a new superhero/Ruby's mom suit that maybe I'll upgrade from puffy paint! Look at all the stylish speed- http://www.coeursports.com



Cheers to staying hungry for the good life in 2014!

30 things I am thankful for...

30. Timex Marathon GPS and Polar HR monitors-the most technology I can stand but definitely helped this year
29. Bagels, Peanut Butter, and Bananas
28. My trusty $187 spin bike-the hours and gallons of sweat that sucker has endured
27. Pizza
26. Coffee
25. The Nice n Easy in Star Lake,  NY
24. Bandit LaDue-the grandma of the Faust Pack
23. Roxy Rocks Roxanne Farrell-sweetest little trail dog you'll ever meet
22. Chance Farrell LaDue-most devoted running dog and son
21. Freckles Frigging Farrell LaDue-the dog who won't run slow and heater on a cold night
20. NYSEF for fostering my daughter's passion for going big and fast
19. My new Toyota dog kennel
18. My old Ruby red Subaru
17. My Tupper Lake Middle/High School Fan Club
16. Bob Tebo and family-Irongrandpa's work ethic inspires daily
15. The Tupper Lake Nice Girls Club-these women are the greatest cheerleaders and always get me
14. Jenny and Al-have been there for all my ups and downs and kept me up and laughing
13. Old and new friends from afar who can pick up right where we left off
12,11,10. My Westchester peeps Ed, Coachulio, and Noga-the last couple of years would not have been nearly as awesome without these people planning, working, supporting and making me laugh so hard I pee my pants.
9. Faust Motel-makes it possible for above people to come together and laugh so hard we pee our pants
8. The Fallen Arch-amazing selection and intuition about making my feet happy
7. The guy at Cabin 1 Bikes-keeps  Rainbow happy and running like a dream and has brought us some of the nicest people Tupper Lake has to offer. Tolerance for 4am spins, 8 hour workouts, and a lot of pizza has been a plus
6. Rainbow Ghostbike-I cannot rave enough about what this perfect fitting bike has done for me!
5. My siblings-so much support from my siblings! A couple of them even left their lives behind in October to help me chase down my dreams in Hawaii
4. My aging body and mind for making it possible to be faster even though I'm closer to 50 than 20!
3. Ruby for tolerating 4am spins, runs, a dirty house, a lot of pizza, races instead of vacations, a nervous and often crabby mother-all of it
2. The McCullouch Family-this was a hard year for this family but in the spirit of Stewart
McCullouch they have soldiered on and inspired me in countless ways.
1. My parents-even when my dreams are scary they have always supported me and made me want to make them proud :)

2013 Results Wrap

Plattsburgh Half Marathon-1:25.10 3rd woman
Eagleman 70.3-4:32.44 1st amateur, 10th woman
Fronhofer Tool Triathlon-2:10.10 1st woman
Timberman 70.3-4:32.37 1st amateur, 5th woman
Lake Placid Half Marathon-1:22.45 1st woman
Ironman Hawaii-9:50.55 4th 35-39 age group, 37th woman



When I gave Coach Julio German 4 weeks to prep me for Rhode Island 70.3 last year I knew triathlon training would never be the same for me. I like to think of 2012 as my base for this season. A season to get my tri legs back under me. My recurring thought this season was -holy crap, I have never prepared so thoroughly for a race in my life! I went into each race this season feeling so ready that my usual pre-race nerves were minimal. Even waiting in Kailua Bay last week I knew I had done everything Coachulio asked of me and that was enough to make it a great day! Even a week later I'm sitting here ready to get moving again and that has never happened after an Ironman or marathon!i thought I'd be ready to pack it in and wait for ski season, but I just love the way my body responded to this Ironman training and race! Back in the old days it took months to get back in the game, but this time I've already given Coachulio his winter assignment-a new 5k pr and possibly a sub 5:00 minute mile. The Faust Pack and I are excited for a winter of skiing hard and running fast!

The Road to Kona

 
The last 4 months have probably been among the most profound 4 months of my life. When I qualified for Kona at eagleman I knew I was on my way back, but I had no idea that I would surpass my much younger self as an athlete. I also had no idea what sort of sacrifice and heartache I was about to encounter. During one of the last days of school my friend Charlene called in the afternoon to tell me that my athlete and good friend Stu had been in a bad crash and was being transported to Burlington for care for a major head injury. Stu has been a big part of our life since he started bringing his bike to Kevin our first summer at Faust and we were instant friends. He was involved in so much within our community that he would often invite us along bringing our family new experiences and friends. The weeks leading up to the crash Stu had finally found his stride again in training and it looked like he was going to be able to fill in his M dot tattoo all the way. You could see it in his eyes and in his tone that the week before like it finally clicked-weight was down and bike and run speeds were going up! I was just getting into Ironman training at this point and it was fun to be sharing my journey with Stu.

We were eating dinner when we got Char's call and spent the next few hours waiting while she handled information coming in and sending information out like a veteran air traffic controller. The next morning she made her first of many trips across Lake Champlain to be by Stu's side. She and her daughter Michele became rocks for the rest of us as the dr's realized Stu might not pull through. Training during this time was such a mix of emotions. This was supposed to be Stu's final push before Ironman and what the hell was I thinking getting out there on my bicycle. I would be running along at tempo pace and think of Stu and then burst into tears. Other days I would be out and the wind, the road, everything would feel perfect and I knew he was with me.

The night that he passed there was a huge thunder and lightning storm. Ruby and I were at his house with his grandchildren and this storm just tore across the north country. I knew it was Stu, he wasn't
the type of person to keep things quiet or small. The next few days training was my quiet time to try and figure things out. What would he want me to be doing. How could I continue on without fear? By that weekend I finally got off my spin bike and got a 100 mile ride in, in perfect conditions. Char, Kevin and Julio had to keep reassuring me that training was safe and would be what Stu would want me to be doing, so I went about it to the best of my ability.

Ironman Lake Placid was approaching and the Westchester County crew converged at Faust to support my good friend Ed. The week was full of errands and bike shops and training, but the whole time Stu was on our minds. A local athlete, Wesley Wilson, heard his story wanted to do something special and offered to get Stu to the finish line by wearing his road id. Wesley had also taken his health by the horns and lost over a hundred pounds to get to the finish line of Ironman Lake Placid and felt and immediate bond with Stu's family. On race day, I was waiting for Ed and Irongramps
Bob Tebo to come by the horseshow grounds when I looked up and there was Wes! I thanked him for
 what he was doing for Stu and the McCulloch family and gave him a hug and watched him run away
with tears in my eyes. Stu brought the athletes near perfect conditions for the run Wes and Ed had a great race and Bob even qualified for Kona!

After the excitement of Lake Placid training got easier and longer and much more intense. Julio was throwing workouts at me that I never could have imagined I could complete as planned, yet somehow my legs were knocking them out! After Noga and I went 1-2 at the Fronhofer tool triathlon and we made sure to give Coachulio props, I couldn't wait to test things out at Timberman. Timberman was an important test for me because I had raced well there in 2009 when I was prepping for Clearwater. The trip to NH was a lot of fun with Kevin and Ruby and we may have even bought a new truck on our way to the race! I put in some great long rides followed by some intense runs and swimming, well I had been swimming. Race day went off without a hitch-good swim for me, solid bike and a
1:27 run gave me the top age group spot, 5th over all and an 8 minute improvement on the course!
Not bad considering I had a taken on a business and a couple of extra dogs and a much busier Ruby
in the 4 years since I had been there last!


The next few weeks of training were filled with disbelief that my body could be handling the workload so well, but I figured my guardian angel, my patient family and friends, and very wise coach had a lot to do with it! I was able to run a half marathon PR with no taper and I was chomping at the bit. When I was doing this in my early 20's I definitely didn't give enough credit to the athletes training and competing and managing full lives with kids and spouses. My family, especially Ruby, sacrificed a lot this summer and usually did so with at least a forced smile. We didn't get as many days at camp with grandma and grandpa and my sisters as we had hoped for, but every time we called they understood. My dogs loved easy run days and I think Chance and Freckles even enjoyed a few tempo days! My girls at Faust definitely picked up the slack in terms of cleaning and motel and Ruby management. When they both went away toSt. Lawrence I was a little lost until reinforcements swooped in! Getting here an racing to my full potential has definitely been a team effort! Thanks to my managerial staff (sisters willing to fly to paradise) I went into race day more peaceful than I've ever gone into an Ironman and really ready to celebrate all the hard work and celebrate Stu and of course my Q. During the rough patches I thought of everyone who has supported and cheered me along as I try and set a good example for my daughter and my students so crossing that finish line 10 minutes faster than I hoped for was a pretty nice reward! Mahalo, Amy

Recipe for a weird feeling run

Recipe for a weird feeling run- After your puppy wakes you up 8 minutes earlier than your alarm was supposed to wake you take note of crackly ears and a running nose. React to those feelings by taking a sudafed and chase it with at least 10 ounces of coffee. Note a slight hungry feeling in your belly and add 2 handfuls of Reese's Puffs cereal to your mouth. Don't drink any water. Tie 2 overly enthusiastic, 1 timid, and 1 very old dogs to your waist. Make sure your gps is working and head out. Stop multiple times in the first mile to allow the dogs a feeling of being in charge. At .76 miles you will start to see fireworks in front of your face. At 1.04 to bring the old and timid dogs back home and stand at the sink to guzzle water and spend a few moments contemplating the meaning of life and ask where did these fireworks come from. After this brief pause you may want to stop and attempt this run later, but the overly enthusiastic dogs would like to run a couple more miles. Let the o.e. dogs drag you around wherever they damn well please until the fireworks subside and you have the feeling that you head is 2 or 3 feet above your body. Stir and enjoy for the next 60 minutes!

A Note From Stu

2 months ago we lost a dear friend, Stewart McCulloch. I've said this before, but if it weren't for coaching Stu I wouldn't be headed to Ironman Hawaii or where I am right now (on a spin bike at 4:30am training my ass off). His wife Charlene, one of the strongest women I've ever met, just forwarded this to me and it feels like he's right here reading it to me. I didn't take enough stock in this as we sat at my kitchen table writing his plan for Ironman. Thank you Stu and Char for sharing! Outlook « Inbox ► Message Fwd: 4 Keys to Ironman Execution Reply ▼ Delete More ▼ Sat Charlene McCullouch Show details Got this off Stu's iPad. You may have already seen or read > > 4 Keys to Ironman Execution > > By Rich Strauss • Endurance Nation > > 1. Mental preparation is crucial. > > Improving your next race can be significantly cheaper than those new wheels you are considering, or easier than that new whizzbang training method you've read about. Master these four keys, focus on what matters, and race to your potential! > > We have a lot of experience with what works, what does not work, and we've honed this message through the results of our athletes, our observations while being ON the course during the race, and the feedback we've received from pre-race talk attendees. Over the years, thousands have used these four keys to set massive PRs, earn Kona slots, place themselves on the podium, and win age groups. > > This is the official Endurance Nation Ironman Kool-Aid, we hope you enjoy it. Help us help you! > > 2. Execution, not Fitness > > All you've done for 9 months is build a vehicle. Ironman racing is about how you DRIVE that vehicle, it is NOT about the vehicle. The majority of athletes on race day are fitness-focused (look at my T-shirt, look at my abs/veins/etc, look at how fast I can go in the first hour of the bike, etc.) > > It's easy to get caught up in the buzz and energy of the day, but creating and sticking to the right plan for you is the only thing that will lead to the best possible day. > > 3. The Line > > Nothing on race day really matters until you reach The Line on the run. The Line is the point at which continuing becomes very, very difficult. You define success as simply not slowing down at The Line. EVERYTHING before The Line is simply about creating conditions for success for when the Line comes to you. Additional Kool-Aid flavored thoughts we'd like to put in your head regarding this point are: > > A successful race = a good run. There is no such thing as a good bike followed by bad run, period. In our world, if you showed up with solid run fitness, had a "good" bike and a poor run, we will ALWAYS assume you messed up your bike pacing, until proven otherwise. > If you think you can ride faster than we're telling you, prove it by running well off the bike. > > Ride your "should" bike split versus your "could" bike split. Your Could split is what you tell your friends you could ride on a good day, when you're out together for your Saturday ride. If you say you "could ride a 5:50," your Should split is likely 6:00 and is defined as the bike split that yields a good run (see above bullets). > > In our experience, 80-90 percent of the Ironman field doesn't know how to race. If you find yourself doing the opposite of everyone else, you're doing the right thing. If Jimmy is "king of this random hill" at mile 46 of the bike...don't join him! Lots of people passing you in the first 40 miles? That's good, don't join in. Going backwards through the field on a hill? Great! > > Think you made the mistake of riding too easy? You now have 26 miles to fix that mistake. Make the mistake of riding too hard? That mistake now has 26 miles to express itself, to the tune of X miles at 17-18′ walking pace vs X miles at 8-12′ running pace. Do the math. How great is that bike split going to look as you are walking/shuffling the last 10 miles of the run? The Ironman run course is littered with fit dudes walking and talking about what a great bike split they had. Don't join them. > > Every time you feel yourself about to roll the dice and race, look at where you are. Are you at The Line / Mile 18? If not, please stick to the plan! > > 4. The Box > > All day long you are going to race inside a box defined by what you can control. Ask yourself "What do I need to do right NOW to create the conditions for success at The Line? Is what I'm doing right now counter to this goal? From what we've seen first hand on the Ironman courses, we believe you should ask yourself "Am I participating in some short-term tactical gratification?" If yes, STOP!! > > On the swim, the Box is the space your body occupies in the water: focus on your form and the rest will come. On the bike, the box is probably about one aid station long. On the run, the box begins as 2-3 aid stations long but often diminishes to "from here to the next lampost/manhole cover/mail box." Regardless: > > Keep the box as big as you can for as long as you can. > Keep in the box only the things you can control. Let go of the rest. > Exercise this decision-making process inside your box: Observe the situation, Orient yourself to a possible course of action, Decide on a course of action, Act (OODA Loop). > > The One Thing > > If you swallowed the Kool-Aid we're serving you here, you will show up at the Line, in your Box, ready to get 'er done and simply not slow down. But we're not done yet. There is still some psychological stuff you need to address. During the course of your race day, expect your body to have a conversation with your mind: > > "Look, Mind, you've had me out here slogging away for 132 miles. This is really starting to get old and very painful. You need to give me a good reason to keep going forward. If you don't have one, I'm gonna slow down and you can't stop me!" > > Before the race ask yourself "Why am I doing Ironman?" Your goal here is to determine what is the One Thing that put you in this race. To finish in the daylight with a smile on your face? To run a 4:10? To honor your family or a loved one? > > Whatever your One Thing is, be absolutely clear and rehearse your mind/body debate beforehand. Be warned: your body can be a helluva good negotiator at mile 18, especially if your mind hasn't prepared its rebuttal arguments beforehand. > > What have we not talked about so far? The things you are likely most torqued about: heart rate, pace, speed, watts, how to eat, what to drink, etc. We believe that if you can keep yourself focused on the Four Keys above, the rest of the day is relatively simple and you don't need to worry about these relatively small details. In other words, all the whizbang guidance in the world can't help you if don't have your mind right about the Four Keys above. > > But because you're a Type A Triathlete and you want the details, here they are: > > The Swim: Swim only as fast as your ability to maintain form. When you feel your form go, slow down. Counting strokes is an excellent technique for bringing your mind out of the race and into the Box of maintaining your form. > The Bike: JRA (Just Ride Along) for about 45-60 miles. Then shift from JRA to Easy (5:45+ should split) to Steady (sub 5:45 should split). Gauge how well you're doing by how well you're NOT doing what everyone else is doing. > > The Run: Jog for 4-6 miles, with a jogging, do-no-harm pace and heart rate cap. Jogging is defined as a pace you could sustain for hours if we kept feeding you. After 4-6 miles, shift from jogging to "running," running comfortably, getting what you need, and preparing yourself for the Line, where things become very uncomfortable. At the Line, just suck it up and get 'er done. > > That's it, that's as complicated as racing Ironman needs to be and we can't say it any more simply. We've basically given you a Vegas betting strategy, having managed and observed many rolls of the dice through our experience as Ironman coaches leading a team of 400 long course athletes. If you can keep a macro-level focus, the little things will fall into place and you will have a good day. But as you stray towards the Ricky Racer side of the execution scale, you begin to rattle the dice. > > > > Sent from Stu's iPad

We lost a great friend and fellow triathlete last night. Stewart McCulloch had a terrible accident on June 25th while training for Ironman Lake Placid. This was my 3rd season coaching Stu. He was an incredible man who made friends with everyone he encountered and worked tirelessly for his church, the Mt. Arab Masonic Lodge, and anyone else who needed a hand. He started triathlon in his early 60's after losing over 100 pounds. Stu had a heart of gold and was a wonderful ambassador for our sport with his enthusiasm and excitement to cross every finish line. Last year he had some nagging injuries that kept him from making the second run cut-off at Ironman Lake Placid. Despite having to pack it up with 13 miles to go Stu still ran into the oval, with his daughter by his side, with such gusto it gave me chills. This year he came back a lean, mean triathlon machine. Stu was determined to fill in the rest of his M dot tattoo and I know if this accident hadn't occurred he would've been doing just that on July 29th. As I have been training over the last couple of weeks I've had a lot of conversations with Stu, God, and the universe trying to figure out why this had to happen to such an amazing, inspiring human being. The only thing I know for sure is that my family and I have been lucky to have this man and his family in our lives as part of our Tupper Lake family. I also know that I wouldn't be where I am athletically if I hadn't started coaching Stu and caught the Ironman bug from him. His examples of kindness and generosity and his vivaciousness were not lost on this triathlete. He will be with me on every swim, bike, and run and I know he will be with me in October as I cross the finish line in Kona. We love and will miss you dearly friend, enjoy Colt and Quenton up there :) Ps that is for that wild thunderstorm last night

Eagleman 70.3

More to come... Amy FARRELL Rank: 1 Overall Rank: 88 BIB: 1400 Division: F35-39 Age: 36 State: Tupper Lake NY Country: USA Profession: Swim: 35:47 Bike: 2:23:25 Run: 1:30:37 Overall: 4:32:44 Congratulations, Amy, on your finish! Swim Details Division Rank: 17 Split Name Distance Split Time Race Time Pace Div. Rank Overall Rank Gender Rank Total 1.2 mi 35:47 35:47 1:51/100m 17 348 101 Bike Details Division Bike Leader | Division Rank: 1 Split Name Distance Split Time Race Time Pace Div. Rank Overall Rank Gender Rank 30 mi 30 mi 1:15:27 1:52:48 23.86 mi/h 56 mi 26 mi 1:07:58 3:00:46 22.95 mi/h Total 56 mi 2:23:25 3:00:46 23.43 mi/h 1 159 14 Run Details Division Run Leader | Division Rank: 1 Split Name Distance Split Time Race Time Pace Div. Rank Overall Rank Gender Rank 6.6 mi 6.6 mi 44:48 3:46:55 6:50/mi 13.1 mi 6.6 mi 45:49 4:32:44 6:59/mi Total 13.1 mi 1:30:37 4:32:44 6:55/mi 1 88 10 Transition T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE 1:34 T2: BIKE-TO-RUN 1:21 Farrell earns return trip to Ironman Worlds By DAVE SHEA SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2013 TUPPER LAKE - Very few athletes, competing at the highest level of their sport, are faster at 36 than they were at 24. Ogdensburg native and longtime Tupper Lake resident Amy Farrell falls in that select company. She also renewed her membership in a very elite circle of athletes who have qualified for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii on Oct. 12. Farrell earned her third trip to the Ironman Worlds last weekend when she led the Women’s 35-39 age group and was the first female amateur finisher at Eagleman Triathlon 70.3 (Half Ironman) at Cambridge, MD. She completed the 1.2 mile swim, the 56-mile bike ride and 13.1 mile run in 4:32.44. “I was very happy with my time. It fits right in the middle of my two previous bests of 4:19 and 4:39. So I’m faster now than I was at 24,” quips Farrell who by age 24 had followed a natural progression to become a professional triathlete after excelling as a swimmer and distance runner at Ogdensburg Free Academy and earning All-American honors as a distance runner at St. Lawrence University. Her career as professional triathlete ended with agonizing experiences at Ironman Worlds in 2001 and 2002. In 2001 she managed to finish, bloodied and severely scraped but undaunted, after being blown off her bike into a deep ravine. In 2002, in the face of an even more ferocious ranging torrent of wind, she was forced to withdraw 30 miles into the bike segment. She put Ironman behind her to concentrate on her career as a coach and teacher at Tupper Lake Central School and being a wife and mother while concentrating on running and skiing. A concentration which included two near misses at qualifying for the USA Olympic Trials in the marathon. After the near misses she was right on target when she returned triathlon in triumph placing first in 30-34 age group in the Triathlon 70.3 (Half Ironman) World Championships in 2009 in Clearwater, Fla. and took fourth in last year’s worlds in Las Vegas. Competing the heat of Las Vegas accentuated a nagging need to fulfill a sense of unfinished business over what she calls that “dreadful DNF” in Kona in 2002. If she could only find the time to train in the face of an expanding business as usual at home. Three years ago, she and her husband Kevin LaDue, a carpenter, bike technician and snowboard instructor, purchased the Faust Motel on the outskirts of Tupper Lake to go along with career duties, managing four dogs and raising a free-spirited and very athletic daughter Ruby who they say is very wise beyond her nine years on the planet. “We are real Adirondack people, we are very busy and we love it,” says Farrell who has also authored a blog “Ruby’s Mom Racing” since 2007. She shares her love for competing with her daughter Ruby, who has already made her mark in the youth classes of road races and summer mini triathlons in Lake Placid. Farrell found the time to train and delivered a time in Cambridge which showed she was “Goin to Kona”. So in October she will return to Kona totally at peace at being very accomplished amateur but still very driven by the desire to take the Ironman challenge to the limit. “It’s really nice to be amateur. You have a lot more people to swim with,” quips Farrell. “I am just going to see how the race goes. If the training works with my life and I hit my goal I would like to stay with it and see how I match up in my age group over the years. I still think my best Ironman is still ahead of me.”

Road To...

I haven't had a real desire to do an Ironman until this year. That's 11 long years away from the long and painful and sometimes bloody event. The heat of 70.3 Worlds in Vegas made me really really miss Kona. High 80s would seem cool compared to 100+, right? After a crash and ok finish my first year and a dnf my second year in Kona I've always had this unfinished business feeling about the race. Now I feel like it's finally time to go back and really see what I've got. Embrace the ocean, the wind, and the heat and see what I can really do at the Ironman distance. While the half Ironman distance is a nice manageable distance to train for, I'm ready to take the plunge and really get back at it! In 2 weeks I will be racing one of my all time favorite races, Blackwater Eagleman in Cambridge, MD to try and qualify for Kona. This flat, fast, hot race has always appealed to me and its actually where I qualified for Kona in 2002 (the year of the dreadful dnf). Coachulio rose to the the challenge and has prepared me better than I think I've ever been for a race. This winter as I was doing my long runs from Whiteface, while my family was enjoying freshies, I realized I may have found the kind of balance I've been striving for and I could probably make this happen! I hope these weeks fly and I can do Coachulio's incredible plan justice!

Those days when you should follow your first instinct...

February 2012-After a late track meet last night my sweet dogs waited until 6:16am to whine at the bedroom door and shake me out of bed. I used their outside time to make coffee and crawled back in until 7:37! Happy to wake up to coffee I poured a second cup before I realized the pack and I probably needed a little fresh air so we headed out in the cold tails a waggin'! We got far enough out on a lonely road that I felt comfortable, except for the voice inside my head whispering-are you sure you want to do that, letting the young pups loose to frolic. It took them exactly 2 and half minutes to find a deer carcass. We ran our out and back, with Chance lagging behind to enjoy a tasty lower leg. The other dogs knew to ignore him, which was fine until it was time to run back out into civilization and put him back on a leash with the rest of them! I knew leashing him up to the others was going to be a scary task, so to start out I tied the 3 dogs to a post across the road from the beast. I knew getting him to join back with the pack after enjoying his tasty leg would be a bad idea, yet didn't listen to that little voice in my head. As soon as I got them all situated Bandit took a sniff and snap! Dogfight! I run with these dogs basically tied around my waist-it requires superhero moves to separate 2 fighting dogs from each other and 2 more scared shitless. We made it home with minimal bloodshed, but completely shot nerves! Within an hour the family was packed up to enjoy another great day at Whiteface. We'd been there a couple days before and conditions were perfect, despite a not so perfect type of winter. Perfection can only last so long and ice covered the mountain. A skier had a fatal crash the day before and people chatting about it on our trip up in the gondola made me feel like vomitting. I suggested a couple of trails to Kevin-one that was challenging but had been overflowing with fresh snow on our previous visit and one that was easy for our rattled minds no matter how much ice we encountered. In my infinite rattledness I went along with the family and chose the challenging trail. when we got to the top of the trail I began to panic! It felt like we were on a frozen lake that had simply been tipped sideways! I couldn't move and did what any good mother would do in the situation, started swearing at my husband. Ruby just put her head down and followed her dad carefully down the ice rink while I swore and swore and swore and didn't budge. Kevin suggested I take my skis of and walk down (did I mention the ice rink we were on). I did that and immediately knew I was making a big mistake and started flailing. A ski patroller stop to see if I need help and just laughed and skied away when they realized it was me losing my shit! I decided to stop listening to Kevin and put my fate in my 8 year old's calm hands. I begged her to get me off the trail. Miss Nerves of Steel saved my life by following her instincts and leading me down the safest possible trail. When we got to the bottom she revealed that she had been a little nervous but kept repeating "stay with it, stay with it" over and over in her head. Instincts, cool and calm decades beyond her 8 years :)