In 6 months...

Me finishing the 5k on Sunday, this is the look of fun.
Bill pushing the kiddies at the prairie behind our house. We live 1 min from this running path. It is great!

Noah pretending to win. He likes to win everything. I don't know where he gets that from?

I get to wake up to this everyday!

Molly was born 6 months ago. Reflecting on this I realized a few things that we have done as a family or as an individual...

1. We are now officially a family of four and need a table for 4 at a restaurant.

2. Bill has started school and is studying ALL the time for his MBA

3. I have turned pro in triathlon.

4. I have raced my first triathlon as a pro triathlete.

5. Bill put on a fancy new front door to our house and has accomplished a lot of other house stuff

6. I have nursed a baby while simultaneously training to be a pro triathlete, ugh!

7. Noah is now a preschooler (with an attitude)

8. I am driving a minivan (and I have to admit it is awesome!

9. OH and started this all off with having a beautiful baby girl.

I couldn't be happier right now. She is such an awesome addition to my life and to Bill and Noah's life.

I have taken the last few weeks off of really strict and organized training. It has been great. I was going to start back up today base training but after emailing with Barb I think she realized that I still need a little more time to rest. I need to have that burning desire to start back up. I am enjoying this a little too much:) Having energy right now is a whole new concept. I am not training much, I have 2 kids that sleep thru the night, and all the good TV shows are back on! Life is good. Bill and I have been running together more with the double jogger and enjoying it! I know this party will soon end but for now I am livin it up! One of my favorite things to do in the fall are the running races around here. Living in a cold climate like Chicago triathlon season ends basically at Chicago triathlon in August. Then come the running races. I did one this past weekend called the Plainfield Harvestfest 5k. Almost 900 people showed up. I did not expect that. I warmed up like I was doing a triathlon. I really don't understand to this day the running kind. These girls are TINY! They come in the warmups and jog right before the start strip down to their tiny running uniforms and go. I am always intimidated by them. I think I am double their size and dress like a triathlete or a mom who doesn't do enough laundry so nothing ever matches. I got to the start line a little early but wanted to make sure I could get to the front. There were a few "runner girls" right next to me. They don't talk as much as triathletes do at swim starts. Off the gun goes. I knew I had to run hard. There was girl that took off with me! About a half mile in she was right in front of me. We got to the mile mark at 5:45. Ouch. That hurt. I knew this whole race would hurt. I don't know about anybody else but running off the bike in a tri doesn't seem to hurt as much. I started to loose ground to this chick! Her breathing sounded alot better than mine. She started to pull away but I knew to keep her in my sights. You never know when someone gets tired or something else happens. By the 2 mile mark she was 25 yds or so ahead but was starting to fade! I slowly reeled her back and and won! It was fun but painful. I ran a 18:33 I think. For as painful as that was I can do that time in a triathlon swimming and biking before? Weird. I still don't get it. But that is why I do triathlon and not running races. Still more time to have fun before base training begins. Maybe a few more of these things:)

Race Report-Nautica Malibu Triathlon

Post race at the pier in Santa Monica, really awesome!

Coming out of the swim, it was wavy!

Starting the swim along with the male pros and young men age group.

Coming to the finish! This is my grandma cheering and uncle who both live nearby.

This was one of the most beautiful races I have ever done. Of course racing in the midwest there really isn't much to compare to. On Friday we went to the course to check it out. I knew when I signed up for this race that it would be an ocean swim but it never occurred to me that there would be waves. OHHHH my there was waves. The first time I got in the water Friday to practice I was slammed down. Almost 9 years of triathlon and I have NEVER had to swim into waves in the ocean. Most races are in harbors or protected in the ocean by piers of some sort. This race you swam out 400 yds or so then parallel to the beach and then back in. It was sooo much fun. Race morning I went to rack my bike and I was next to Matt Reed! Seriously I felt stupid. But it was awesome. He used my water to clean his goggles. I am a dork but it was really cool. I was definitely the nobody. They were all fast pros there. I don't think I knew anyone as new as me. I met a few girls on the walk to the start they seemed really nice and made me feel a little more calm knowing someone. The swim went off just fine. I was a little nervous on how to handle the waves as we ran into the water but it turned out fine. My biggest mistake of the swim was starting in the back of the pack. I wasn't confident of the swim so I started further back with some of the age group men. I got stuck with a bunch of slower swimmers and couldn't get out for the first 1/4 of the swim or so. I need to be more confident, lesson learned. Onto the bike I knew I could probably catch one or two of the girls so I worked hard. I didn't realize PCH was so hilly. But for me riding in Plainfield IL doesn't compare. Or my computrainer. It was nice that it was so rolly it went by really quick. I passed a few girls that looked like strong runners so I did the best I could. I was a little nervous heading into transition that my legs would be pooped. But much to my surprise I felt AWESOME. I took the first 2 miles or so super easy since Chicago went so bad. I really wanted to come away from this race having a positive experience, I didn't even care about placing more than feeling good. By the time I hit mile 3 I picked it up a ton. It was one of those races that everything in the run was smooth. I wished I felt this good at Chicago! As I came into the last mile along the sidewalk of the beach a helicopter landed along with some firetrucks. They suddenly rerouted us around all of it onto the sand. UGH, I think it was 50-100 meters of sand running, SO slow. I think my run split was about 1 min off or so b/c of it. I don't think it would have changed my place but it would have been nice to have a faster split! All in all it was a great experience. I know I will get faster for next season since I will actually have a base and an OLDER baby!

My Mom and I had soooo much fun too. It really makes a difference to get away and get some rest! Now for some off season rest and then onto base training.

Leaving

I was trying to stuff them in my bike box so I wouldn't miss them so much:) I am looking forward to the break but it truly is a double edge sword. It will hurt to miss them so much. This is my first time being away from Molly overnight. I know her Dad can do it but I still will miss seeing her pop her head over her crib to see me walk in.

Since my experience in Chicago I have spent the last 3 weeks training my butt off so that doesn't happen again. Trying to figure out why you bonk is never an easy task. Someone told me that you can never call a race a bad day if you can walk away from it learning something that you can apply to the next one. Ultimately your day will come that everything clicks. This shortened racing season for me was all about just learning and hoping the clicking will take place next year and the year after that. I wanted to learn a little bit more about being a pro triathlete and how to train that way. Even more importantly how to balance it all with being a wife, mom of 2 kids, and coach. I won't lie. I thought it was going to be hard but not this hard. The last 3 months of training has shown me how much desire I have and how supportive my family is of what I want to accomplish. Bill has really stepped up to the plate and helped me balance this crazy life that we have. So as I leave tonight for Malibu I know that no matter how this race goes I have two cute faces waiting for me and an awesome husband that will always know what I am made of. I can't wait to do my best!