tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28533630302816642402024-02-07T00:06:38.653-08:00Chaslan's Adventures - A triathlete's taleAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-3699615183404670432017-09-09T15:27:00.001-07:002017-09-10T13:37:29.218-07:00Hiking Mt. Whitney ~ September 6-7, 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last year my friend told me that she wanted to hike the entire John Muir Trail that summer. I told her that I would join her for the first part of her hike, especially if she started at Mt. Whitney since it's a hike I had on my bucket list. Due to injuries and the inability to acquire a permit, she wasn't able to do the hike. So she moved her plans to this summer. Once again I told her that I would hike Mt. Whitney with her if she was able to get a permit to start the JMT from the Whitney Portal. She was able to get a single permit for herself in May to start her hike on September 7, 2017. Since she was only able to get one, I thought I was off the hook....I mean out of luck. Fast forward to August 14th. She calls to tell me that she was able to get a permit for me if I still wanted to hike Mt. Whitney with her. I was very nervous but agreed. I was worried that three weeks was not enough time to get ready for a hike labeled as an "extreme" day hike.</div>
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I thought about backing out probably 100 times but in the end I decided to suck it up and at least attempt it. I knew I would kick myself if I didn't try. I did two training hikes, Griffith Peak and Fletcher Peak, both near Las Vegas and range between 11,060 and 10,255 feet.</div>
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About a week before we were scheduled to leave, two permits opened up allowing us to start on September 6th and stay overnight. I felt a lot better about this option because the idea of hiking over 22 miles in one day sounded miserable. We decided to leave on Wednesday morning, drive to the Eastern Sierra InterAgency Visitor Center to pick up our permits and bear canister, grab a quick lunch in Lone Pine and then head to the trailhead, Whitney Portal.</div>
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All went as planned. We arrived at the Whitney Portal, used the pit toilet, and weighed our packs. Hers weighed 40 pounds and mine weighed 43 pounds. I was carrying a few additional items for us to help lighten her load since she was packed for a 2-3 week hike. We started our journey at 1:30 PM. </div>
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The Whitney Portal is an actually wooden structure that you walk through to start the hike.</div>
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The trail started to climb immediately. Our packs were heavy but our spirits were high. We chatted with each other and with other hikers we came across. We were excited to finally be starting something that we had talked about for over a year. </div>
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At about the 0.5 mile mark, we came to our first real water crossing, the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek. I knew that all the crossings would either have rocks or logs to help us across but I was still nervous about falling in. The weight of our packs affected our balance but we took it slow and made it across without issue. </div>
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Right after the creek crossing, we entered into John Muir Wilderness in the Inyo National Forest. We were surrounded by trees. It was beautiful. </div>
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Shortly after entering, we saw two bright flashes of lightning followed by almost immediate claps of thunder. That was a bad sign. I had packed rain gear but had hoped not to use it. After hearing more thunder, we decided it was time to get ready for rain. It started to rain right after I finished getting dressed and putting my pack cover on. It ranged between a light drizzle to a downpour. We just had to put our heads down and continue on. It rained off and on for the next several hours. </div>
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During one of the rain breaks, we were greeted with a beautiful rainbow as we looked into the valley. </div>
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At around the 2.25 mile mark, we came to my favorite water crossing. It was a long section of logs constructed as a walkway. The water running underneath sounded so peaceful. The logs were stable and wide enough to walk across without worry. </div>
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At the 2.5 mile mark, we passed Lone Pine Lake. It was a little off the trail so we decided not to go to it but to continue on our path. Shortly after that, we entered the Whitney Zone. All hikers beyond this point are required to have permits and a tag on their packs. </div>
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Near the 3.25 mile mark we entered into a beautiful meadow. This was the first time my imagination went wild and I imagined seeing a bear wandering through the foliage. Luckily, that was the closest I got to having a bear encounter. We walked along the edge of the meadow with several water crossings. At the end of the meadow, 3.5 mile mark, was Outpost Camp. This is the first of two official camps along the trail. It was a large flat area near a waterfall with lots of trees. </div>
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Our original plan had been to make it 6 miles on day one and camp at Trail Camp. We realized that was not going to happen because we were losing daylight. We decided to go on a little more and see if we could find a spot along the trail.</div>
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At the 4 mile mark was Mirror Lake. There was a sign that stated no camping allowed. You're not allowed to camp within a certain distance of water and there was not enough ground space to create that distance.</div>
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My friend had an app downloaded to her phone that showed where campsites were along the trail. It showed one 0.2 miles above Mirror Lake so we decided to check it out. It was a perfect spot!</div>
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We talked to the few hikers that passed our site on their way down the mountain. We set up camp, cooked dinner, forced ourselves to eat something and chatted until we decided to go to sleep. I saw a few ground mice but they stayed far enough away.</div>
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While we were getting ready for bed, I had the scariest moment of the trip happen. We heard a loud rumbling noise coming from the mountain above us. I looked out the tent but since it was dark I couldn't see anything. The sound lasted for about a minute. It was a rock slide. Somewhere above us, a huge section of scree let loose and started sliding down the cliff. All we could do was pray that it wasn't going to hit us. </div>
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As usual, I got very little to no sleep that night. I was tired but just couldn't go to sleep. My friend was able to sleep soundly so I was happy for that. I heard a group descending the mountain around 9:30 PM. I hope they stopped at Outpost Camp because it was going to be a very late night if they were heading for the portal. I heard the first hikers pass our tent at 2:30 AM on their way up the mountain. I heard another group go by at 3:30 AM. </div>
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I had set my alarm for 4:00 AM. It ended up not being necessary since I was already awake. We woke and started getting ready for the morning. I ate the other half of my dinner from the night before. I was much more hungry this time around. I repacked my backpack and helped break down our campsite. It was still dark but luckily there was a full moon and we had our headlamps on. We ended up starting our hike at 5:30 AM. </div>
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It was surprisingly peaceful to hike in the dark. It was calm and quiet. I had decided to hike the 1.8 miles to Trail Camp and drop off my large pack and switch to my daypack. I knew this would take some time so I did not stop to wait for my friend and went straight to the camp. At one point I realized that the moon was giving me a shadow. That was pretty cool. As I hiked, it was beautiful to see the sky go from pitch black to all the varying shades to daylight. </div>
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At the 5 mile mark, I passed Trailside Meadow. It was beautiful. It was the first snow I remember seeing. On the other side of the meadow was a large mountain side full of scree. I'm certain that was the area that had the rock slide the night before. I realized that there was no way it could have reached us so that made me feel better.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGgb1r1Ch7ZWTo0RAYf_gE96zaSIvcYqTcDI2Lpk55sIda7zf6nrRupS7_9zNEGTTO5byiYuHTwNqqNRLMgU3qrXs4N0Q9OI0fvy_z91-PpBDBq9-QUeRbsCi1B8OoTQV4q4fD_qfmtlh/s1600/IMG_2884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGgb1r1Ch7ZWTo0RAYf_gE96zaSIvcYqTcDI2Lpk55sIda7zf6nrRupS7_9zNEGTTO5byiYuHTwNqqNRLMgU3qrXs4N0Q9OI0fvy_z91-PpBDBq9-QUeRbsCi1B8OoTQV4q4fD_qfmtlh/s320/IMG_2884.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Around 6:30 AM, I saw my first rays of sunlight peak over the ridge. It was a beautiful experience. I was alone but felt so much peace. </div>
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I reached Trail Camp in just under two hours. Trail Camp is at the 6 mile mark on the trail. It is located at the base of the 99 switchbacks. Once there, I dropped my pack next to some rocks and grabbed my water purifier to refill my Camelback bladder. I was using my friends Sawyer Mini Water Filter. I quickly realized that I couldn't fill up the bladder in the standing pond water. I was barely able to get 8 ounces of water in it. The water was freezing and I had to submerge my hand to fill it. I couldn't handle it anymore so I figured that was enough water. I then had difficulty getting the filtered water out. I was frustrated. Just then I heard a guy ask if anyone wanted his extra water. I immediately ask for it. A few guys came over. One figured out how to get the little bit of water I had collected filtered and into the bladder. Then the other guy poured his water into the bladder until it was full. I was so grateful! I then went back to my gear and pulled my bear canister out. I lodged it next to a rock away from tents and near other bear canisters. Then I transferred want I wanted to take with me to the summit into my daypack. I also ate a bit of dried fruit while I waited for my friend. </div>
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She arrived a little over 30 minutes after me. She refilled her water and then came over to me. We talked for a few minutes and then finally decided that I should continue on without her if I wanted to summit and get back to the portal before it was too late. She was carrying the stove and we had planned on eating a hot lunch together so we had to prepare our lunch then. I would just carry it with me until I was hungry. We said our goodbyes even though I knew I would see her on the trail at least one more time while I was on my descent. After all was said and done, I had spent over 1 hour and 20 minutes at Trail Camp. </div>
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I left my friend and Trail Camp and started the neverending 99 switchbacks. I don't know if there really are 99 switchbacks but I can tell you that it was way too many. They climb 1600 feet in approximately 2.5 miles. There was running water around a quarter of the way up that I had to cross on several switchbacks. They were icy so I had to watch my step. About a third of the way up is a section of old cables. I'm not certain why they are there and what help they would really offer but it offered a cool photo so I took it. I've seen pictures of this section during the spring and it is covered in snow and ice so I'm sure the cables are there for that time of year. At this point I met a man named Joe. He was 58 and from California. We chatted for a few minutes and then we continued on our separate ways. </div>
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I found it interesting that there was a group of us that were hiking at about the same pace. We would continually leap frog one another whenever one of us would take a break. There was a group of three men (a dad with his two grown sons), two girls from Idaho, and Joe. We ended up talking off and on as we made our way up the switchbacks. It made for a nice distraction. </div>
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Finally, the neverending switchbacks ended as I made it to Trail Crest. It is at 13,600 feet and allows you to look down both the east and west sides of the mountain. It was breathtaking. </div>
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Just below Trail Crest is a sign stating that we are entering the Sequoia National Park. It's pretty cool to think about all the different areas I crossed through on the hike. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6WLJ4UqEORt90b0H3PmWCKfMP73O9XxG_ncI2WcX_o_jGRXuTwysYTyV7_i6D75dg2L_ZzV6JI1XN36AfBy7sDTKQ5NWlfdDlYBHMc25tludH4J4BjEn97vQ9VrQn83axJXTkU3YZVCmI/s1600/IMG_2904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6WLJ4UqEORt90b0H3PmWCKfMP73O9XxG_ncI2WcX_o_jGRXuTwysYTyV7_i6D75dg2L_ZzV6JI1XN36AfBy7sDTKQ5NWlfdDlYBHMc25tludH4J4BjEn97vQ9VrQn83axJXTkU3YZVCmI/s320/IMG_2904.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Being able to look west and see new scenery was a nice change as well. The remainder of the hike to the summit was along the western edge of the mountains. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgi2Sc4U3ecvPyfOoB76VSeABC1FWWVKNLaIuxr0U7pictR5BzKmA4FxvtpxZcNkgjWHySUnhORmaGwSjVJvVTuGFKNKto54p6F9-EcLfoyLf6tNYGKZObDa9zaMtVW-HyhPK23Y2-P8H/s1600/IMG_2905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgi2Sc4U3ecvPyfOoB76VSeABC1FWWVKNLaIuxr0U7pictR5BzKmA4FxvtpxZcNkgjWHySUnhORmaGwSjVJvVTuGFKNKto54p6F9-EcLfoyLf6tNYGKZObDa9zaMtVW-HyhPK23Y2-P8H/s320/IMG_2905.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After the sign, I began a 0.2 mile downhill section. I was happy to be going downhill but I also knew I would regret it on the return trip. At the bottom of the downhill section there was a split in the trail. To the left was the John Muir Trail and to the right was the final section of the Mt. Whitney Trail. This is where my friend planned on dropping her heavy backpack and continuing to the summit. There were several other packs along the rocks where other JMT hikers had done the same thing. </div>
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I had hoped to wait until the summit to eat lunch but at the pace I was going I knew it might be two hours away still and I was hungry. So I found a nice little seat that overlooked the Sequoia National Park and ate my lunch. It was no longer hot but it wasn't cold either. I sat in the sun, amazed by the beauty surrounding me. I was also able to chat to all the hikers going up and coming back down. It was a nice lunch break. </div>
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As I was finishing lunch, Joe met back up with me. He decided to sit down for a break as well. He told me that his hiking partner had to turn around on the switchbacks and decided to head back to the portal. He asked if I would be okay if we hiked the rest of the day together. Since I was going to be alone for the rest of the day too, it sounded like a great idea to me. </div>
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We set off again. There were a few sections that were difficult between there and the summit. There were a lot of small boulders that required a small amount of climbing over. There were also sections with sheer drop-offs and narrow trails. There were also areas of downhill that once again made me regret them because I knew we were going to have to climb back up them. </div>
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For most of the 1.9 miles after the JMT junction, the trail runs straight along the west edge of the mountains with only one switchback. Towards the top of the mountain we came across our only snow crossing. It was well worn so I didn't feel it necessary to put on my snow cleats. Descending hikers had passed us and told us that we were almost there and that once we crossed the snow we would turn right towards the peak. </div>
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They were right. We turned right and had a few more switchbacks as we climbed to the summit. It was such an awesome feeling to finally be able to see the Mt Whitney hut because that meant we were almost there. </div>
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At 1:30 PM on September 7, 2017, I reached the summit of Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. It was exhilarating! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKJ2WA6XNKMwzpHNCCEO4HijAK16FO0VCR5DUVt1IIDDktyS5jdM7WwhDmoJ71s9_YLNUH-HkM4tR1GcwxO5LSzb5tQyQq64Cqyv5uJ-2N4mAEYSYEqAiYhLOhmh-1Gj71wy1I2-WimZf/s1600/IMG_2928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKJ2WA6XNKMwzpHNCCEO4HijAK16FO0VCR5DUVt1IIDDktyS5jdM7WwhDmoJ71s9_YLNUH-HkM4tR1GcwxO5LSzb5tQyQq64Cqyv5uJ-2N4mAEYSYEqAiYhLOhmh-1Gj71wy1I2-WimZf/s320/IMG_2928.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I signed the registry at the hut with "For my boys. Do hard things. Never quit!" Then I grabbed a sign someone had made and had my picture taken with it. It said " Mount Whitney, 14,505 feet, September 7, 2017."</div>
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I had to take my customary picture at the Geological Survey plug. For some reason there were four plugs on different rocks on the summit. I just picked one to take a picture of. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGQQBGxIdxm3nH1F214kTul6R7JwxS8w2Tng-9yIE-Ow6sVJpGD1vL5530-DMbBHXx7ocqhN4wF13grg4LlLEdWkkKqXMLBAMS4lg5MbK05uWEGFmAp4em79Ca46SoVzaSxeJDP09zMv0/s1600/IMG_2935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGQQBGxIdxm3nH1F214kTul6R7JwxS8w2Tng-9yIE-Ow6sVJpGD1vL5530-DMbBHXx7ocqhN4wF13grg4LlLEdWkkKqXMLBAMS4lg5MbK05uWEGFmAp4em79Ca46SoVzaSxeJDP09zMv0/s320/IMG_2935.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just before I started my descent, I stopped by the hut to check it out. It is a stark contrast to the barren rocks at the summit. </div>
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Inside the hut is a reminder that lightning is deadly and the hut should not be used as a shelter during a storm. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllkY-RPlPr3r-W_nL6eyUiw-oPN7wmyxikSZU8-biTfy2govVQ0UeXbhKE9uRQS-u-CzUoKQFZq0MkC9sqfAd1ehDFUxaxJYsecQHBRNzoec_1PSE3s4WhUUuYEzktTY6MWH3W1ER2C-o/s1600/IMG_2945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllkY-RPlPr3r-W_nL6eyUiw-oPN7wmyxikSZU8-biTfy2govVQ0UeXbhKE9uRQS-u-CzUoKQFZq0MkC9sqfAd1ehDFUxaxJYsecQHBRNzoec_1PSE3s4WhUUuYEzktTY6MWH3W1ER2C-o/s320/IMG_2945.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After spending about 30 minutes on the summit, Joe and I started our descent. About 30 minutes into our descent, we crossed paths with my friend as she was making her final push towards the summit. We stopped and talked for a few minutes. She was in high spirits and both excited and nervous about her journey. I gave her one final hug and a few words of wisdom and encouragement and we said goodbye again. </div>
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As I continued my way back towards the JMT junction, I stopped to take a picture looking through one of the windows to the east of the summit. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrnBmIQqG-w0CL0eP2UD7tg2Ox6YI_eBr8yLx71qikl978Qy-uIo6lk-R8pBV7bMkzd7_UELxzV3nBbo3Bsd5heqwQywab9eUhXm0jj3kZYx3IwEf3Qia5bplqE6f1LE98elxcIZyZocT/s1600/IMG_2948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrnBmIQqG-w0CL0eP2UD7tg2Ox6YI_eBr8yLx71qikl978Qy-uIo6lk-R8pBV7bMkzd7_UELxzV3nBbo3Bsd5heqwQywab9eUhXm0jj3kZYx3IwEf3Qia5bplqE6f1LE98elxcIZyZocT/s320/IMG_2948.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I also took a picture of Guitar Lake. It is to the west of the summit. That is where my friend hoped to camp for the night on the JMT.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirk8J9NIx1NtV3mdn9T9ujMxKy3nmIDQmCclLollXPKmR2Y9GbU5GBslrW-XxwPa9tnripfhQEcQSYcOeBY1Oclyr9gUH7BRIGa-qDZIVe4yObj-LEvG4Pm-9I49PjgosOboYbxBhfsf0k/s1600/IMG_2951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirk8J9NIx1NtV3mdn9T9ujMxKy3nmIDQmCclLollXPKmR2Y9GbU5GBslrW-XxwPa9tnripfhQEcQSYcOeBY1Oclyr9gUH7BRIGa-qDZIVe4yObj-LEvG4Pm-9I49PjgosOboYbxBhfsf0k/s320/IMG_2951.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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That was the last picture I took. I knew that I was in store for a long, hard descent back to the Whitney Portal. I arrived back to Trail Camp at about 5:20 PM to repack my backpack and bear canister. People had commented on marmots and other small animals messing with packs left at Trail Camp but nothing had been disturbed. Joe and I refilled a bit of our water and each had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We left Trail Camp at about 6:00 PM. </div>
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We pressed hard to go as far as we could before sunset knowing we were going to be finishing in the dark. The first few miles went fairly quickly and before we knew it we were 4 miles out and at Mirror Lake. That's when we put our headlamps on and it was completely dark by 3.5 miles out. The final 2.5 miles seemed to last forever. We were both hurting. There was no more talking, only focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. The last thing we wanted was to get injured on the trail after dark miles from help. The final 1.5 miles were sheer torture. Everything hurt. We knew we were close but it was so dark we couldn't see how close so we just kept walking. </div>
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Finally, at 10:15 PM, we crossed through the Whitney Portal for a final time. I was so elated I almost cried. Joe said he did too. I was so happy to be done and so happy I had decided to reserve a hotel for the night 30 minutes away in Lone Pine, CA. Once we were at our cars, Joe and I hugged and said our goodbyes. He thanked me for sticking with him and I did the same. We both agreed that God knew what he was doing when our paths crossed. I will never see him again and I don't even know his last name but I am so glad I had him with me for the day.</div>
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Hiking Mt. Whitney has been something I have wanted to do for a few years but it was something that I never thought possible. I am amazed at what my body is capable of doing. It is strong and my mind holds a "never quit" attitude. I may not be the size or weight I want but I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am able to do hard things. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-86046026508430960612017-05-03T15:55:00.000-07:002017-05-03T15:55:45.616-07:00Achieving the Impossible, Ironman Arizona 140.6 ~ 11/20/16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On November 20, 2016, I achieved the impossible. I completed my first Ironman. This is coming from the girl who only a few years ago hated to sweat and exercise. Who was morbidly obese and suffering from hypertension and osteoarthritis. If you had asked that girl if she would ever complete a triathlon, let alone a full Ironman, she would have laughed in your face. </div>
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I had decided that Ironman Arizona, would be the perfect race for me. I was able to register on the day it went on sale and made it in before it sold out. I had one year to get ready for this race. But first, I had to have reconstructive knee surgery to fix a severed right ACL and torn meniscus. That surgery happened on December 29, 2015. </div>
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I focused solely on rehabilitating and strengthening my knee for the next few months. I was finally cleared to slowly begin working out in April of 2016. That gave me 7 months to get ready for the biggest race of my life. </div>
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I hired a coach to help me reach this goal. He is also a physical therapist so he was able to give me a training schedule that helped keep me on track and healthy as I progressed. </div>
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Finally, race weekend arrived. I had put all the hard work in and was ready to reap the rewards. I packed my bags the night before I left. There was so much to bring! Way more than a normal triathlon. I had to bring enough nutrition and hydration to support me for a 15-17 hour race. There also needed to be items for a bike special needs bag and a run special needs bag. Also a bit of the "what if" items that you never know if you might need. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9gJF9NpABm3UpHt2DFmiV_HCASzVbfAXw_8VJjkp2uxReGrW2OwuArsNjdiApS1mJlJTm0RfhMlkgSqAii66biGTT3K1AOovEUIKJ27nZn9K7bHw0Zpe8FdP5KRx-462IZBbknFiGVWs/s1600/IMAG1817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9gJF9NpABm3UpHt2DFmiV_HCASzVbfAXw_8VJjkp2uxReGrW2OwuArsNjdiApS1mJlJTm0RfhMlkgSqAii66biGTT3K1AOovEUIKJ27nZn9K7bHw0Zpe8FdP5KRx-462IZBbknFiGVWs/s320/IMAG1817.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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On Thursday morning, I met up with a few fellow racers to carpool from Las Vegas to Tempe, AZ. This was a great way to make the time go faster and to get out our nervous energy. We talked and laughed a lot!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZE12zvZFRNI8WwtOr_SHLHjQf9UpsnMEC3dThhlHRUXBTmQKA5PENIV151qDBpz8wFf-vY-4FRjH0Pc70vKj1nBuYlfpH6HRyDfWrLSrVQiZsl8I-ObzKqG8U9TekFeu5YtAD-AOHXB9H/s1600/IMG_0777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZE12zvZFRNI8WwtOr_SHLHjQf9UpsnMEC3dThhlHRUXBTmQKA5PENIV151qDBpz8wFf-vY-4FRjH0Pc70vKj1nBuYlfpH6HRyDfWrLSrVQiZsl8I-ObzKqG8U9TekFeu5YtAD-AOHXB9H/s320/IMG_0777.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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On Friday, we met up with a few more friends and explored Ironman Village. This is where packet pick-up was located as well as lots of vendors</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvjXl6CQvfGZbBjBHtB2GqCbVxzM6CU6jdRpL5H3OnS1qPZobuhotRWcj5yJdte0xHOeX3bjYNPSw2oZifuIcjVhlQqAjRT8R8CshmULh3wRzu2IdtgFDdIrjJ3RTXVUk20qnPChrFdVy/s1600/IMG_0779-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvjXl6CQvfGZbBjBHtB2GqCbVxzM6CU6jdRpL5H3OnS1qPZobuhotRWcj5yJdte0xHOeX3bjYNPSw2oZifuIcjVhlQqAjRT8R8CshmULh3wRzu2IdtgFDdIrjJ3RTXVUk20qnPChrFdVy/s320/IMG_0779-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our tri club, the Las Vegas Triathlon Club, was awarded a special athlete's briefing given to us by the race director. This allowed us to ask specific questions to help ease my first timers nerves. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtzlHGCvJpK7LesUYrFmuAVhqgRawqsP0eAe6uw9uqdfDlXLk-Vnbp66eCxN1zWb_aqXx0nRK5qVgHOkdMc_C4E6iUMZXAZdNovLhe5ljM2dnbPZesOMA0-Hknypf8S3ojb_UwKumM9Pg/s1600/IMG_0780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtzlHGCvJpK7LesUYrFmuAVhqgRawqsP0eAe6uw9uqdfDlXLk-Vnbp66eCxN1zWb_aqXx0nRK5qVgHOkdMc_C4E6iUMZXAZdNovLhe5ljM2dnbPZesOMA0-Hknypf8S3ojb_UwKumM9Pg/s320/IMG_0780.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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For dinner on Friday night, I was able to meet up with several of my Coeur Sports Teammates. I had such a great time socializing with so many amazing women.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvyv1Hk6Jb4bIbdBR0F8DG0I47AhBFbRsBIWeeCG6ZwRnCtdVOUF3qytZ3g1_K3s0LTk2GDNLF18NUJ0GBxlpOSsUCbQ5UzpYbW81TOwizA_Be6fO79Dp5YfukQshnkeivsHDrW96k33T/s1600/15025666_10154743134327937_6960385267578562534_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvyv1Hk6Jb4bIbdBR0F8DG0I47AhBFbRsBIWeeCG6ZwRnCtdVOUF3qytZ3g1_K3s0LTk2GDNLF18NUJ0GBxlpOSsUCbQ5UzpYbW81TOwizA_Be6fO79Dp5YfukQshnkeivsHDrW96k33T/s320/15025666_10154743134327937_6960385267578562534_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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On Saturday, I needed to do a quick shake-out workout before checking my bike into transition. It included a 15 minute swim, 30 minute bike, and 15 minute run. As I was standing with my bike waiting for my husband to park the car, my rear tire popped. I was stunned. I needed to enter the water! Once my husband arrived, I handed him my bike and told him what happened. We decided to take it to the bike mechanic in the Village and get it fixed. I started my swim and he checked my bike in with the mechanic. </div>
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The water was cold but not too bad. They were allowing us to swim an abbreviate version of our actual race day swim. I completed 0.5 miles in 14:55. It felt good! I then exited the water and found my husband by the mechanics tent. He told me that the bike wouldn't be ready until 2:00-2:30 PM. That meant that I wasn't going to get a ride in that day. So I grabbed my running shoes and got ready for my run. I set off on the actual run course for my 15 minutes. It went really smooth and I felt great. I completed 1.35 miles in 15 minutes. </div>
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After the shake-out, I turned in my bike and run transition bags. Then I met up with my husband and sons and went to lunch. After lunch, we went back to the Village to wait for my bike to get finished. We finally were called up at 2:30 PM. They said they thought it was a faulty tube and had replaced it. We paid and I started to walk my bike down to transition. All athlete's bikes needed to be checked into transition by 3:00 PM. Right as I was about to walk in, my back tire popped again. I started to panic! I ran back up to the mechanic tent and told them what happened. They took my bike immediately and got to work. This time they replaced the tube and the tape that lined the inside of the wheel. With 5 minutes to spare, I finally walked my bike into transition. I said a quick little prayer that the tire would hold and left the Village. </div>
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Now all I could do was wait. Me and my family met up with a few friends for dinner and then we returned to our hotel for a quiet evening. I was a nervous wreck! I was so worked up about my tire. I had worked so hard to get to this point and if I couldn't race due to a bike issue, I was going to be devastated. I asked for prayers from my family and friends and knew that was all I could do. So I reviewed my bike and run special needs bags one last time, showered and went to bed. </div>
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It was finally race day! My husband wanted to take me to the race site so we woke up at 5:00 AM and left at 5:30 AM. We arrived at transition at about 5:45 AM. While he went and parked the car, I went to transition to check on my back tire. All the prayers worked because my tire was fine! Next, I went and turned in my bike and run special needs bags. I then headed back to transition to do a few final things. I was happy to see several friends as we were all rushing around. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjon5FeHc4Y7uCaadOx-A8OA1u6_8hOEh-2ZHnXhLO7Y64hqvOpq9BSTvfIiRPRabMlwa3xKpV2LxUYeDEg7wfJImGNkKoFGF2lYHusiUZF9cX-v_5eN-JOKEaXmLyzPvWGlcpqKiHiKVm0/s1600/15171035_10210845647247903_4623215715906450671_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjon5FeHc4Y7uCaadOx-A8OA1u6_8hOEh-2ZHnXhLO7Y64hqvOpq9BSTvfIiRPRabMlwa3xKpV2LxUYeDEg7wfJImGNkKoFGF2lYHusiUZF9cX-v_5eN-JOKEaXmLyzPvWGlcpqKiHiKVm0/s320/15171035_10210845647247903_4623215715906450671_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I finally exited transition and found my husband. We stood together and he calmed me down as I waited to head to the swim start. It was an excited nervous feeling. As the time neared, we prayed together and he kissed me, then I was on my way. I walked towards the swim start. Ironman Arizona does a rolling swim start so you seed yourself in the time that you are expecting to finish the swim in. I squeezed my way to the 1:10-1:20 time section. It was very crowded and I realized that I should have made my way up there sooner. While I stood there, I nervously chatted with the athletes around me. I was excited! At 7:00 AM, the cannon rang out as the age group athletes started. We slowly started to move forward. I looked over and saw a Coeur sister cheering me on. After a few minutes, I was at the stairs and making my way into the water. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7X_xuZv7LszNFp39gUkGagCFQgs18WOdLqGumQ2ip2u0yCJTv5Tb5idmkrL7EH3RO8spxL1l7tvrbcvSwLP4jVGkerfDMo5zhCVyQ4NFB0ohF5whkA58XrdvQIYlK1i83kNARmgegCG3r/s1600/FB_IMG_1479756642367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7X_xuZv7LszNFp39gUkGagCFQgs18WOdLqGumQ2ip2u0yCJTv5Tb5idmkrL7EH3RO8spxL1l7tvrbcvSwLP4jVGkerfDMo5zhCVyQ4NFB0ohF5whkA58XrdvQIYlK1i83kNARmgegCG3r/s320/FB_IMG_1479756642367.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The morning was overcast which worked out great since we were swimming east and would have had the sun in our eyes. The swim is in the Tempe Town Lake which is actually a dammed river with concrete walls. The temperature is cold and the water is dark. I didn't let that shake me as I dove in. The rolling start helped with the crowding but there was still a lot of people. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPD5GIDohZqQzl0lKnvYGv3nFHlBlcugBhE8in8Be8YBKdpmKJqKuZEsY_CVMACUU23-9exIhC95L8Cxyg37jLEnkh6AqVY0rmw1k_lJiBa6cutfdt9S096oOZEWI9M2XBRz79zsLyh5Eg/s1600/IMG_0787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPD5GIDohZqQzl0lKnvYGv3nFHlBlcugBhE8in8Be8YBKdpmKJqKuZEsY_CVMACUU23-9exIhC95L8Cxyg37jLEnkh6AqVY0rmw1k_lJiBa6cutfdt9S096oOZEWI9M2XBRz79zsLyh5Eg/s320/IMG_0787.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Shortly after starting the swim we go under these bridges. It was cool to look up and see all the people cheering us on. I kept scanning for my family but I never saw them. </div>
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For the first mile of the swim, there was a lot of pushing, hitting, and swimming over by other people. I definitely did not like that. I had heard it was a common occurrence at these races due to the large number of participants and the fact that I was swimming with men. Most of the races I have participated in have swim waves and I start with women. Most women are not as aggressive in the swim as men are. As I approached the first turn buoy, it was very crowded. I decided to swim with my head up to avoid getting hit in the head. It may have slowed me down a bit but I felt like it was safer. Around this time I began to get calf cramps. This was something new. I had never had this happen during a swim. When I would feel them coming on I would stop kicking and just swim with my arms. The fact that I was in a wetsuit helped keep me buoyant even though I wasn't kicking. At the second turn, I swam with my head up again. After that turn, the crowds finally began to thin out and I no longer was getting beat up by other swimmers. I continued to have the calf cramps. I knew that if I got into trouble, there were plenty of kayaks and stand up paddle boards that I could have rested on. But since the cramps would leave when I stopped kicking, I just did that when they appeared. </div>
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I made the final turn that took me to the exit stairs. I was so happy! I was just about to finish the 2.4 mile swim! I finished in 1:19:21. At the stairs, there were volunteers there to help us stand. I'm glad they were there as I was a bit wobbly when I stood up. It was amazing to see and hear all the people cheering as we exited the water. I had a huge smile on my face and waved to the cheering crowd. </div>
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I ran to the wetsuit strippers and had them yank my suit off in one second. It was awesome! I then ran along the path to the bike transition bags. As I was rounding the corner, volunteers yelled out my race number so another volunteer could find my bag and have it for me when I arrived. I grabbed my bag and headed for the women's changing tent. I stopped by the bathroom first and then entered the tent. I had a volunteer meet me and sit me down. She grabbed all the stuff out of my bag and helped me get dressed and all my gear together. She was very helpful. I stopped by the sunscreen table and had volunteers lather me up with sunscreen. I ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich as I made my way to my bike. </div>
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As I approached my rack, a volunteer met me with my bike. The entire transition process went very smoothly. I finished my sandwich as I exited transition. T1 was 11:22. There was a long section between transition and the street that was lined with spectators. I finally saw my husband as I rode along that section. I smiled and waved and was then on my way.</div>
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The bike course is a three loop out and back. It starts in the city center and makes it way out to the desert. The roads were either partially or completely closed for the entire ride. Road conditions were good and the overcast skies continued to keep the temperatures down. Each loop climbs to the turnaround. There were very few times that I was out of the aero position. Luckily I had trained many hours in the aero position so I was prepared. As I was nearing the end of loop one, and making my way back into the city center, I passed an intersection that my husband and two sons were at. They yelled and cheered. I waved and smiled. It was awesome to see them there supporting me.</div>
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The bike special needs was located at the 65 mile mark. I had packed it with refill powders so I could fill all my bottles with fresh fluids. I had been drinking one bottle of Skratch every hour. This was a plan I had worked out after becoming severely dehydrated during a 70.3 race in October where I had to DNF and go to the ER for fluids. It was a schedule that worked well for me and was keeping me hydrated. I also grabbed additional nutrition. I was eating one item every 45 minutes. I rotated between four things: a Honey Stinger chocolate waffle, Honey Stinger cherry cola chews, a Honey Stinger caramel waffle and Jelly Belly sports beans. While at the special needs aid station, I used the bathroom and ate another peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I had two volunteers helping me while at the station which was very nice. </div>
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As I returned to the city center to finish loop 2, I once again saw my family cheering for me at the intersection. It was such a boost to see them. I was still feeling good and was ready to attack the final loop. The first two loops had a head wind going up the hill and a nice tailwind heading down to the city but on the final loop things changed. There was a tailwind going up the hill and a headwind finishing the loop. That was a bit of a bummer. I take a lot of advantage of downhills and really fly but with a headwind I wasn't able to. Before I knew it, I was heading back into the city center for the last time. I was so excited! I had kept the speed I wanted to and was able to finished the 112 mile bike in 6:34:32. And to top it all off, I was still feeling good! I was hydrating and eating as planned and my back tire stayed inflated the entire time.</div>
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I made my way down the long narrow section from the road to transition. A volunteer met me and took my bike and directed me to the run transition bags. I was handed my bag and ushered to the changing tent. I stopped by the bathroom before I entered the tent. Once again, I was met by a volunteer to help me go through my bag and get the things I needed. It was so helpful! I put on my FuelBelt, changed my shoes, grabbed my visor, packed my back pockets with nutrition and headed out of the tent. I ate another peanut butter and jelly sandwich on my way out. I wanted to get real food into my system throughout the day and the sandwiches were a great way to do that. T2 was 9:04.</div>
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I gave high fives to volunteers as I exited transition and started my run. I was 2/3rds done with my Ironman and on cloud 9. I started running and was so surprised that my legs felt OK. Sure, I was tired but I felt OK. For the first 4 miles, I was running at a pretty good pace. I was continuing to hydrate and eat on a time schedule. I would drink one bottle of Skratch every 30 minutes and eat one thing (rotating between a chocolate waffle, cherry cola chew, caramel waffle, and sports beans) every 45 minutes. After the 4 mile mark, I started to slow down. I did the math and realized that I was good enough with time that I could walk the rest of the run and still finish the race within the 17 hour time limit. At the 2 hour mark, I stopped at an aid station and refilled my bottles with Skratch powder and water. I had the extra powder in Ziploc bags. It was a messy and time consuming process but it needed to be done. </div>
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The run was a two loop course bordering the Tempe Town Lake. It had sections that were lined with lots of spectators and other areas that were empty. There was even a section that was lined with some of my Coeur sisters cheering. Since it was mostly an out and back, you were never really alone though because there were always other runners nearby. </div>
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The run special needs station was just passed the half way point. I stopped to grab additional hydration powder and nutrition. My husband met me there and we chatted for a few minutes. He walked with me as I read a few notes that my coach and girlfriend had written me. I placed them in that bag because I knew that I was going to need an additional mental boost around this point. The notes made me tear up but in a good way. I gave my husband a kiss and went on my way. </div>
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I refilled my bottles at the next aid station. Once again, it was a messy and time consuming process but it had to be done. I also started to use the bathroom quit often. At least I knew I was well hydrated. </div>
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My goal had been to run for at least the first 13 miles. I had slowed down but I was able to run until the 20 mile mark. By mile 20, I was hurting. My feet were killing me. I stopped at a porta potty. I sat there for a few minutes and cried. I needed a minute by myself to talk to God. I prayed for strength to get through the final 6 miles. I exited the bathroom refreshed and determined to finish. I started to walk. I was OK with that. At about mile 21.5, a fellow Las Vegas Triathlon Club member ran up beside me and started to walk with me. He was racing after recovering from an injury as well. We walked and chatted for a few minutes. It was so nice because it took my mind off of the race for a few minutes. I told him that he didn't need to stay with me because I didn't want to hold him back. He said that he was going to walk to the 23 mile mark which was the crest of the hill so we might as well walk together. This was such a blessing. Before I knew it, we were at the top of the hill and we started to run again. We stayed together for the remainder of the race. </div>
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At about 1.5 miles out, my husband met us along the road. He told us the time and that we were going to finish this race. He told us that if we kept the pace we were at, that we were going to finish under 15 hours. I was in shock! My original goal was to just finish. My second goal was to finish with a smile on my face. My third goal was to finish in 15 hours. It was looking like I was going to hit all those goals. My husband then took off running so he could watch me finish.</div>
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Ironman had given all athletes a green rubber bracelet to give to someone who helped us over the weekend. It could be someone at the hotel, Ironman Village, a volunteer, your coach, a family member, etc. As we neared the final stretch, I took my bracelet off and gave it to my friend. With his help, the final 5 miles had flown by. Our chatting had taken my mind off the pain. I will forever be grateful for his help. </div>
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We made the final turn and could see the finisher's chute. We were finally there. My friend had completed this race a few time before. He turned to me and told me to run ahead of him so that I could have my moment. He would make sure that there was plenty of space between us so I could savor the final few feet of the race. I thanked him, touched his shoulder in gratitude and turned towards home. </div>
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The lights were so bright and the music was blasting. The chute was lined with hundreds of spectators and fans. And they were all cheering for me! I raised my hands and pumped them to the music. I saw a friend's husband along the side of the chute and gave him a high five. I was smiling so big. I slowed my pace and took it all in. For those final moments, I felt no pain. I finished the 26.2 miles in 6:26:58 for an overall finishing time of 14:41:17.</div>
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I couldn't see him but I heard Mike Reilly say "Sarah Girven, you are an Ironman! Come on Sarah, we're here for you. Sarah Girven, Las Vegas. Again, Sarah, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN! Sarah Girven, Las Vegas, Nevada."</div>
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I crossed the finish line and immediately burst into tears. I was overcome with emotion. The volunteer that handed me my medal asked if I was OK. I shock my head yes. She said "just emotional?" I shock my head yes. I pulled myself together and was usher towards the wall to get my finisher's picture. I was still in disbelief but I smiled the biggest smile ever. </div>
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As soon as the pictures were taken I could here my name being called. I turned around and my husband was standing at the barrier. I made my way over to him and we embraced. I cried again. He told me he was so proud of me. He might have cried a little too. </div>
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I was funneled through to the food tent and grabbed a piece of pizza and a drink. I sat down in a chair, looked up and could see my family. They couldn't come in to where I was so I got back up and made my way to the exit. We all hugged. My boys were so proud of me. We made our way over to another tent where I sat down and tried to eat my pizza. I wasn't very hungry. As I sat there, the exhaustion came over me. They helped me take off my shoes and put on flip flops. I was tired and wanted to go back to the hotel. On our way out, we stopped so my husband could take one more picture. I look so tired but happy.</div>
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We got back to the hotel just after 10:00 PM. My husband and I went to sit in the hot tub for a few minutes while the boys got ready for bed. We then went back to the room and I showered. I tried to eat a sandwich they had picked up for me at dinner. I still wasn't really hungry. I ended up just eating the meat and cheese. Then I went to bed. I figured I would go to sleep immediately and sleep like I was dead to the world. It didn't work out that way though. I had a very hard time going to sleep and had a very restless night of sleep. I've since heard that this happens a lot after big races. </div>
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I woke up early the next morning in order to go to the merchandise tent and buy some finisher's gear. My husband went with me. We spent way too much money but it was all worth it. </div>
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We then met up with my Coeur Sports Teammates again for a post-race breakfast. This is an amazing group of women that I am so fortunate to be associated with. </div>
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We ended the morning back at the hotel for a few pictures with two of my racing friends. We were sore but so happy.</div>
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We all spent hundreds of hours training for this race. Some of those hours were together but many of them were alone. Even though this sport is an individual event, it is most definitely a group effort. I know that I would not have been able to complete this journey if it had not been for the people I surrounded myself with. I had a fantastic Orthopedic surgeon, a great physical therapist, a knowledgeable coach, an amazingly supportive husband, and many wonderful friends. I met so many amazing people along the way. I will forever be blessed by their friendship and help.</div>
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On Sunday, November 20, 2016, I pushed my body beyond what I ever thought it was possible of doing. My mind fought off the darkness that attacks when you are in the depths of a race. My heart reached for that dream that seemed so far away. No matter what you are facing in your life, you are stronger than you can ever image. You are capable of achieving the impossible.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-48056690733744726562017-04-25T17:10:00.001-07:002017-04-25T17:19:21.020-07:00Force of Nature<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How many of these have you heard? What are some other ones? </div>
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"These are the voices we've heard all our lives. The ones that tell us to be careful, quiet and cute. To smile more. The ones that tell us what we should and shouldn't do. But the further out we go, the harder they are to hear. Outside, we are a force of nature. We're breaking new trails and making some noise of our own."</div>
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A 2017 national study on women and the outdoors found that 86% of women say being outdoors positively affects their mental and physical health but only 20% make spending time outside a priority. </div>
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REI is starting a new program called <a href="https://www.rei.com/h/force-of-nature">Force of Nature</a>. They are creating more opportunities for women to get outdoors. They want women and girls front and center in 2017. They are working to close the gap in women's gear, telling more stories of women adventurers, and offering new classes, trips and community events just for women. It kicks off on May 6th with over 1000 events designed just for women.</div>
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This is something that I can stand behind 100%. I grew up camping, hiking, playing with my brothers in the woods, fishing, playing in creeks, and getting dirty. As I got older, the less amount of time I spent outside. I stopped exploring. I conformed to the voices that were telling me to be quiet, to not get dirty, to look pretty, to stay inside, to be more feminine, to not go out alone. </div>
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I got married, got a good job, had kids, stayed home to raise them, got an education, got a better job. All like I was supposed to. I was living the life that all women are told they are to live. It was a good life and I was happy but I felt like I was missing something.</div>
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I realized that I stopped having fun. I missed being outside. I missed exploring. I missed playing.</div>
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Four years ago, I found myself again. We moved to Las Vegas and I quit my job. I started to play again. I have surrounded myself with other women who love to do the same things I love to do. We hike, trail run, cycle, swim, run, explore, laugh, play, and get dirty. </div>
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It's time to stop listening to the voices of the world that tell us to be less than what we were meant to be. Being outside is good for the soul. It refreshes and recharges us. It exposes us to the beauty and awe of our world. I encourage you to take a part in REI's Force of Nature. If you do not have an REI near you, search your local community for outdoor activities that interest you and make 2017 the beginning of your new adventure.</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Msz46mqrw">Stand with us and make outside the largest level playing field on earth.</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*I have no affiliation with REI and have created this post due to my own experience and opinion.</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-34740149129900889782017-03-05T14:25:00.000-08:002017-03-05T14:25:46.916-08:00The Making of a Dream, Ironman Arizona 140.6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Hg_SZhHv15ezemuqowcMDa6cUeTt5IlMiQzG5i-YCSsefNb4pHmykDOYza3wDND-ARRGekUnY0npD8PkgySAQRF8QE-OklWwLEuhEO275kftuaMGsNjvj6QlnI2XEms3KGa5y_QV9VWg/s1600/14695576_1748571495394959_5254123332303498704_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Hg_SZhHv15ezemuqowcMDa6cUeTt5IlMiQzG5i-YCSsefNb4pHmykDOYza3wDND-ARRGekUnY0npD8PkgySAQRF8QE-OklWwLEuhEO275kftuaMGsNjvj6QlnI2XEms3KGa5y_QV9VWg/s320/14695576_1748571495394959_5254123332303498704_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Have you ever done something that you never thought possible? Something that everyone thought you were crazy to attempt? Something where most people thought you would fail? I have. But before I tell you that tale, I need to give you a little backstory.<br />
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I had been amazed by athletes who completed a full Ironman since I first saw a televised Ironman World Championship race in the 1990's. I always cried while watching them because of the emotion, determination, and drive these athletes had. Watching these planted a tiny seed in my mind and heart that one day I would love to be able to complete one of these races.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9tCjG5i8kxBWY4LWVgmZNs-vVFCG7e8iCS13H3YTCBtEDRdh8aWo1cPFCyI3LS0-DwpKjW3fKp9s0QURpWedtRd9SqJV1oDPUcdqeUQ8GgtrzF_hHX0PDD3SWN9g5RTy1Z_8_Eux5e8s/s1600/ironman+kona+worldchampionship+carouselimage+1600x980+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9tCjG5i8kxBWY4LWVgmZNs-vVFCG7e8iCS13H3YTCBtEDRdh8aWo1cPFCyI3LS0-DwpKjW3fKp9s0QURpWedtRd9SqJV1oDPUcdqeUQ8GgtrzF_hHX0PDD3SWN9g5RTy1Z_8_Eux5e8s/s320/ironman+kona+worldchampionship+carouselimage+1600x980+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fast forward to 2012. I'm married with two kids, work in a sedentary job, been having heart issues since 2009, been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, and am morbidly obese. If I continued down the road I was traveling, I was going to stay unhappy and suffer an early death. Things had to change. I made the decision to turn my life around. I searched online for something to help motivate me and I found an all women's sprint triathlon scheduled for September 2012. I signed up for it. I joined a gym and started working out. I completed that race and was forever hooked on the sport of triathlons. Over time, I lost about 60-70 pounds, no longer needed to take heart medication and seldom had issues with my osteoarthritis.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDNSDY4gCPvvx-N988QW4d6sFmTnITuatlNfyd6EsldX4zsvpxxOH8hdHFGTxl8DtwDqUYkqHIAXPjsh344qbC-KfwtKn7jR5olC7_bLoLQ6KBW8v4msBAAprEgc2-y0o2s1hhyphenhypheneGHw61/s1600/400865_10151189024850991_55925696_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDNSDY4gCPvvx-N988QW4d6sFmTnITuatlNfyd6EsldX4zsvpxxOH8hdHFGTxl8DtwDqUYkqHIAXPjsh344qbC-KfwtKn7jR5olC7_bLoLQ6KBW8v4msBAAprEgc2-y0o2s1hhyphenhypheneGHw61/s1600/400865_10151189024850991_55925696_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first triathlon, Olathe Women's Triathlon, September 2012</td></tr>
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Fast forward again to 2015. I had completed a lot of triathlons over the three years. I had done three half distance triathlons that year alone and had finally decided to take on the full distance triathlon. I researched which race would be the best to do as my first full and decided on Ironman Arizona. This race is very popular and sells out in hours if not minutes. I had talked a few friends into racing with me and we were all going to go down to the 2015 race as volunteers so we could sign up for the 2016 race. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tUjyRgX4CukXED3qyVzViXuKpmZXCxPHj9G35gM_lYHoAudypeMhfllXRX9NWm5xN_3Ty6_VqsuRxhKZ92DMsq6jXUWCrPspPZkH2h5gKowjWMzna_Pfw6rkt1BuIwdScIPm3BcjXGED/s1600/10407919_10153080134495991_7370682337100070041_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tUjyRgX4CukXED3qyVzViXuKpmZXCxPHj9G35gM_lYHoAudypeMhfllXRX9NWm5xN_3Ty6_VqsuRxhKZ92DMsq6jXUWCrPspPZkH2h5gKowjWMzna_Pfw6rkt1BuIwdScIPm3BcjXGED/s320/10407919_10153080134495991_7370682337100070041_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After my first half distance triathlon, Bayshore 70.4, March 2015</td></tr>
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On October 10, 2015, I severed my right ACL and tore my right meniscus while participating in an obstacle course 10K. I thought my dream was over. We all cancelled our volunteer shifts. Most of my friends decided to still register for the race. I was told by my doctor that I could probably plan on racing a sprint triathlon by the fall of 2016 but that there would be no way I could be ready for a full distance triathlon by then. I was heartbroken. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5Pm2On6VtqpWCRCXeZPxkYqUHfKS8DPv90XA_nmSkcmiV3b9wauYYyTlJCDczbueeJ84HJeE6qpkRtFvrx1g6fK-P6IBq9-MlGsiBLpld_IoKP1P-6ow1Th4wdENMPdFeb01R0DH7iWS/s1600/12077038_10153572745485991_1842083495_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5Pm2On6VtqpWCRCXeZPxkYqUHfKS8DPv90XA_nmSkcmiV3b9wauYYyTlJCDczbueeJ84HJeE6qpkRtFvrx1g6fK-P6IBq9-MlGsiBLpld_IoKP1P-6ow1Th4wdENMPdFeb01R0DH7iWS/s1600/12077038_10153572745485991_1842083495_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the hospital after severing my ACL and tearing my meniscus, October 2015</td></tr>
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On the day registration opened, I didn't pay much attention to it. For some reason, the race didn't immediately sell out. It was still open in the afternoon. I saw a Facebook post about it and went to check it out myself. I couldn't believe it. I started thinking it might be a sign. I contacted my husband and coach to see what they thought about me signing up for it anyways. I would purchase the insurance so if I couldn't do it I could at least get a refund. My husband was 100% supportive. My coach said that he thought I could do it. He knew my work ethic and drive and said that as long as the reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation went as planned and if I stuck to my training plan then I should be able to complete it. I waited a few more minutes to think it over and signed up. It was scary but it gave me the boost I needed. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaNanwMytkaiUP9yoY0jx_jZ0927wNtsN9EtrT-KB346mEtAjDs_mGuOu0x2DBmLBkUvE9JDGwEnBkKkDAbGoLeb8rW2BJz1XQnMmlWXuVXUiTpywLnEg_F5Cx9lAUZM-UqZPxfmpBenb/s1600/e-IRONMAN-Arizona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaNanwMytkaiUP9yoY0jx_jZ0927wNtsN9EtrT-KB346mEtAjDs_mGuOu0x2DBmLBkUvE9JDGwEnBkKkDAbGoLeb8rW2BJz1XQnMmlWXuVXUiTpywLnEg_F5Cx9lAUZM-UqZPxfmpBenb/s1600/e-IRONMAN-Arizona.jpg" /></a></div>
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I had the reconstructive surgery on December 29, 2015. It went perfectly. I immediately started physical therapy and stuck to it. I hit every milestone my coach said I needed to hit to stay on track with my rehab. I was allowed to bike outside in March and finally allowed to start running in April. I had lost a lot of strength and speed. I didn't know if I was going to be able to regain enough of it by the November race.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxbWGW-uZffWcCTOl0oUOZo43noqGx0kNZgcXc3AIaRP7pOP3iCVYbJMMrZhvrs0ccE_gnsFW0MkfpeYSk4HYD7SwxcJrWAlMAOFXlEFJgRxpTPavH6qbxd1DtSPSqUJL-MFrfbLYWssO/s1600/996998_10153717021630991_2086414556898389852_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxbWGW-uZffWcCTOl0oUOZo43noqGx0kNZgcXc3AIaRP7pOP3iCVYbJMMrZhvrs0ccE_gnsFW0MkfpeYSk4HYD7SwxcJrWAlMAOFXlEFJgRxpTPavH6qbxd1DtSPSqUJL-MFrfbLYWssO/s1600/996998_10153717021630991_2086414556898389852_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After my reconstructive surgery, December 2015</td></tr>
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I raced in a sprint triathlon on May 21, 2016. It wasn't very fast but it felt pretty good. My healing, rehab and training were going as planned. I was released from physical therapy in June and started focusing on Arizona. I raced an olympic triathlon on July 9, 2016. My training miles started to increase. I raced a half marathon on August 20th and another olympic triathlon on September 10th. My endurance was coming back but I was still struggling with my speed. I attempted a half Ironman distance race on October 1, 2016 that resulted in a DNF and a trip to the ER for severe dehydration. The DNF was a bit of a mental blow but I refused to let it derail me. I took the lessons I learned from it to dial in my hydration and nutrition plan for Arizona. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheA5fmf7n3ucZsgAFJl5bYRX5CdGtuaT7wTpaKdLzbNYfuJ1hLKEwgHNf8zD0xc9xwMIYYyiTJ37sARYzHvG_NF2ZszPLeQqw3rr_iAzMn4wBzW4mK7Q9RScLg-W9aj6yE4UyLbg1v8Cut/s1600/14310481_10154330987765991_5874855978893691074_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheA5fmf7n3ucZsgAFJl5bYRX5CdGtuaT7wTpaKdLzbNYfuJ1hLKEwgHNf8zD0xc9xwMIYYyiTJ37sARYzHvG_NF2ZszPLeQqw3rr_iAzMn4wBzW4mK7Q9RScLg-W9aj6yE4UyLbg1v8Cut/s320/14310481_10154330987765991_5874855978893691074_o.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the Kokopelli Olympic Triathlon, September 2016</td></tr>
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I took two training trips to Arizona to scout out the course and get a few training rides on the bike course. This helped give me an idea of where I was at and what I needed to improve on. It also helped me mentally prepare for race day. These trips were extremely helpful. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running along Tempe Town Lake, September 2016</td></tr>
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The first weekend of November was my peak in training. That would give me two weeks of taper. The miles listed for that weekend were very intimidating but I had stuck to my training schedule and knew that I was well prepared for it. I had a 3500 meter swim, a 100 mile bike ride and a 22 mile run scheduled. Due to an unexpected trip to my hometown to attend my uncle's funeral, I had to move my ride to the following Tuesday. I was able to get the swim and run in while visiting family. Once I returned home from the funeral, I completed the 100 mile bike ride solo. I had done most of my long rides with my husband but had to ride this one alone. It was a great time to test my hydration and nutrition plan, think about my uncle and family, envision my upcoming race and to reflect on this journey. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDKAuE_A0Fx1ZQMfBzIEvEbRvA_-dZspyrOtfD9GSXjuUoMS3jGyW2NzFw49xdMENcqABMIb2q9-I6_bDtoY-Nl7rtoXYxB5uoJe1IyZ-ZpXRG1UvICQGcJZ38aOjKkXsDnmHmKmzEDVK/s1600/15002342_10207630779707198_5895193462699658641_o-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDKAuE_A0Fx1ZQMfBzIEvEbRvA_-dZspyrOtfD9GSXjuUoMS3jGyW2NzFw49xdMENcqABMIb2q9-I6_bDtoY-Nl7rtoXYxB5uoJe1IyZ-ZpXRG1UvICQGcJZ38aOjKkXsDnmHmKmzEDVK/s320/15002342_10207630779707198_5895193462699658641_o-1.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My solo 100 mile ride, November 2016</td></tr>
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I finally entered taper 11 days before the race. I had managed to arrive there healthy and fully healed. I had only encountered minor issues along the way. I couldn't have asked for a better outcome. I knew that if everything stayed on track that I would be racing in my first Ironman on November 20, 2016. </div>
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I had heard people say before that the actual race is just a celebration of the journey you took to arrive there. I completely believe that now. The journey I took to arrive to this point has been amazing. No one who was looking at me in 2012 would have ever thought I would be completing a full Ironman triathlon in four short years. I had many doubters of my ability to achieve this dream after I had my knee injury. Heck, I even questioned it a few times. Thankfully, I was surrounded with an amazing surgical team, awesome physical therapy team, knowledgeable coach, and supportive family and friends. Without them, none of this would have been possible. If you have a dream, no matter how big or how long ago you had it, never give up on it!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-19812212858394763742017-02-03T21:50:00.000-08:002017-02-03T21:50:08.179-08:00Fall 2016 Races: Kokopelli Olympic Triathlon, Bike MS: Vegas Challenge, Pumpkinman Sprint Relay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Kokopelli Olympic Triathlon, 9-10-16</div>
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My fall was full of training and racing all in preparation for Ironman Arizona. I joined several friends at Sand Hollow State Park to race in the Kokopelli Olympic Triathlon. I had competed in this race as both a sprint and Olympic in the past. It is always a well run race with good support and beautiful scenery. I used this race as a supported training day.<br />
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It was a perfect day for a race. There was no wind and lots of sunshine. My swim wave started just before the sunrise which was great because we didn't have to worry about the sun in our eyes as we tried to sight. It just started to peak over the horizon as we made our first left hand turn. The water was smooth and the swim went quickly. I finished the 1500 meters in 28:31.<br />
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Transition was typical with no issues. I had my bike racked near the bike exit which is where I prefer. I was in and out of T1 in 2:52.<br />
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The bike portion of this race is shorter than a traditional Olympic distance triathlon. That makes for a quick ride. It consists of a mainly flat ride except for "The Beast" which is a mile long hill at around the 3.5 mile mark. After that, the bike course is quite enjoyable and returning down that hill is a blast. I completed the 20.4 mile ride in 1:21:04.<br />
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Transition once again went without issue. I racked my bike, changed my shoes, exchanged my helmet for a visor and was off. T2 was 1:34.</div>
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The run was hot since there was no wind and we were in full sun. The run has one major hill that is only about 0.25 miles long just after the one mile mark. Once you crest it, the bulk of the run is mainly flat. The only other hill is the final stretch to the finish line. It is always a killer to try to push up that hill. It is lined with spectators and friendly faces so I somehow always find a tiny bit of energy to finish strong. I completed the 6.2 mile run in 1:19:26.</div>
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My overall time was 3:13:28. It was good enough for a 1st place finish in the Athena 40+ division. </div>
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Bike MS: Vegas Challenge, 9-24-16</div>
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A few days before this event, I was given three free entries. I contacted a few friends to see if anyone wanted to join me and of course I found some. The MS Bike offered several distances. I decided to do the 50 mile ride. </div>
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We arrived at the start location near Fremont Street and prepared for our ride. I met up with several friends while we waited for final instructions. We were all planning on doing different distances so we grouped up with the ones that were doing the same. </div>
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One of my best friends was doing the 50 miler as well so we decided to stay together for the entire ride. That made for a much better day!</div>
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This was my first time participating in this ride. The route took us through Henderson, Summerlin and Las Vegas. It had aid stations about every 10-15 miles. The route was well marked and easy to follow. </div>
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It was a steady climb from about mile 4 to mile 38. I could tell I was climbing but only the final eight miles really felt like it. Mile 38 to 50 were fast and fun! We were on Alta which is a street that can be busy in spots and there were several intersections we had to stop at but it wasn't bad and made the climb worth it. </div>
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After the ride, the finish line was a party and a fun atmosphere. There was bar-b-que and music for the riders to enjoy. We sat around enjoying our food and telling each other about our day. It was a great way to end the day!</div>
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Pumpkinman Sprint Relay, 10-22-16</div>
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I capped off the Las Vegas triathlon race season by competing in the Pumpkinman Triathlon on a sprint relay with my husband and oldest son. I was the swimmer, my husband was the biker and my son was the runner. </div>
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Pumpkinman has a unique race structure by having a split transition. T1 is at Boulder Beach at Lake Mead while T2 is at Wilbur Square in Boulder City. On our way to race start, we dropped my sons off as T2 to wait for a few hours until it was my oldest's turn to run. Meanwhile, my husband and I continued to T1 to start the race. Since there wasn't a transition to set up, we didn't have to arrive too early. </div>
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I made my rounds of saying hello to friends and then headed to the water. I completed the 750 meter swim in 14:22. I exited the water, ran through transition until I found my husband, gave him the timing chip, and watched him leave on the bike. I then changed my clothes and headed to the car. I needed to drive to T2 and hoped to get there before my husband.</div>
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There is always lots of traffic trying to leave the park all at the same time, due to everyone having to drive to T2, so it takes a long time. As I was approaching Boulder City, I could see my husband making his way up the 8 mile hill climb and knew that I was going to get there in time to see the timing chip exchange. I finally arrived and found a parking spot along a side street and made my way to T2. </div>
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I found my kids and told them that their dad was almost there. My oldest son was ready to go and waiting at the timing mat. As soon as my husband crossed the mat, my son grabbed the timing chip, attached it to his ankle and was off. </div>
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My husband put his bike on the rack and we went over towards the run course to wait for the finish. He decided he would run the last half mile with my son to help him finish the race strong. </div>
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I waited near the finisher's chute so I could run in with them. I finally saw them heading up the final hill. I joined them and we finished together. Our total time was 1:47:16. We all had great times and gave great effort for our portion of the race. It was a lot of fun racing together as a family. </div>
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My fall was full of training and had a lot of miles and hours. It was really fun to break up all the hard work with the occasional fun event. I loved being able to spend time with my family and friends and being able to include them on part of my journey to Ironman Arizona 140.6.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-16934439731971227832017-01-30T16:34:00.001-08:002017-01-30T16:49:19.588-08:00ET Full Moon Half Marathon ~ August 20-21, 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXq0835XXHopSjLJhEFNA1uEy84FVAx5xfo0BMfO2EsJ_c_xyuMW4K7kSzwYvhL5LQEf7aLKQvU8Gnr5HAfnlJvFLURYccw8WxaJwnz2LRMLMnJNtIxiIYisXQsqGUebVgLCwWagG-39U/s1600/ET.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXq0835XXHopSjLJhEFNA1uEy84FVAx5xfo0BMfO2EsJ_c_xyuMW4K7kSzwYvhL5LQEf7aLKQvU8Gnr5HAfnlJvFLURYccw8WxaJwnz2LRMLMnJNtIxiIYisXQsqGUebVgLCwWagG-39U/s320/ET.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had wanted to run the ET Full Moon Half Marathon since I first heard about it in 2013 but due to conflicting race schedules I hadn't been able to until this year. I was in the midst of building my base back after my injury and surgery so a half marathon fit nicely into my training schedule. </div>
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The ET Full Moon Half Marathon is put on by <a href="http://calicoracing.com/">Calico Racing</a>. The course runs along the edge of the mysterious Area 51, on highway 375. This highway has had an overwhelming number of reported UFO sightings, so much so that in 1996 the federal government officially named it the "Extraterrestrial Highway".</div>
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The race is located in Rachel, NV, which is high desert, and typically offers cooler temperatures than the Las Vegas valley. This is a night race so all runners needed to wear a reflective vest and a head lamp. </div>
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We met at a hotel near the Strip and waited for several charter buses to take us to the race location. You can drive to the start but it is a few hours away and has very limited parking so taking the bus was a much easier option. </div>
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The buses were labeled with the different race distances (full marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K). Each race had a different start line so having the racers separated made more logistical sense. We loaded into our appropriate bus and settled in for the 2.5 hour ride. </div>
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The buses stopped to drop off the marathon and 51K runners who had a midnight start time. This is where the "Black Mailbox" is, as well as a last minute packet pickup for those who couldn't pick them up in Las Vegas. We had picked our packets up at the hotel before be boarded the buses. There were several port-a potties at this location too. After a brief stop, we continued on to the half marathon starting point. There were a few port-a potties here and an aid station that the marathon and 51K runners would hit on their way through. </div>
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As 12:30 AM neared, we turned on our headlamps and lined up on the start line for some last minute instructions. My husband was going to pace me on this run since I was nervous about making my goal time. As the countdown started, we gave each other our customary "Good Luck" kiss and then we were off. </div>
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The run was a straight, point to point course. The first 6 miles were a constant climb to Coyote Summit at 5591 feet. The climb was steady and the steepest section was between 4.5-6 miles. There was a small false summit near the top that was a bit disheartening. Once at the top, we were rewarded with a nice long downhill run to the town of Rachel, NV. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6vDsmCj_-8i-S-jlOTU6jIi6os68jL4m1wwNYO0lkI-fzFlBzVkOPHXlf-uOj5TxyvqMEBNUlnOeWKBP1eeHxGVbSseF5U03FEUtHMjOgPI9ZmcYr9MEz-gxgUouZ3w0MK9I2LBCgOUT/s1600/14107608_10154269895545991_721125912013860863_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6vDsmCj_-8i-S-jlOTU6jIi6os68jL4m1wwNYO0lkI-fzFlBzVkOPHXlf-uOj5TxyvqMEBNUlnOeWKBP1eeHxGVbSseF5U03FEUtHMjOgPI9ZmcYr9MEz-gxgUouZ3w0MK9I2LBCgOUT/s320/14107608_10154269895545991_721125912013860863_o.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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This was an interesting venue for a race. The temperature was cooler but would have pockets of heat. The race is always scheduled on the weekend closest to a full moon. Unfortunately, there was a cloud cover so we couldn't see many stars. It was really dark and I could hear things off in the distance which often spooked me. I was glad that my husband was running with me. I just focused on following him and trying to keep up. </div>
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Once we were closer to Rachel, we could see the small town and it's lights. It was a nice beacon to aim for. We started to get passed by a few of the faster marathon and 51K runners. I didn't mind. They had to pass the finish line for an additional out and back before finishing. </div>
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My husband started to pick up the pace as we neared the finish line. I was struggling but was able to hang on. I knew the pain would end soon. We made a left hand turn off of Highway 375 to sprint to the end at the A'le'Inn, a tiny hotel and restaurant. We finished in 2:43:22. I was very happy with this time. It was close to my slowest half marathon ever but I didn't care. I ran the whole thing. I had hoped to finish in 2:45 and with my husband's help, I was able to come in just below that. </div>
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There was a huge spread of food at the finisher's table but I wasn't ready to eat anything. I grabbed a banana and a cup of chocolate milk. While we were eating and drinking, we saw that a bus was ready to leave and the next one would be about 30-45 minutes later. We decided to hurry up and get on board. This ended up being a good and a bad thing. As we were riding home, I was very thirsty and had nothing to drink. I also started to have tight legs that really wanted to stretch out. In hindsight, we should have caught the later bus in order to cool down and rehydrate. My husband, as well as most of the bus, fell asleep on the return ride but I wasn't able to. We arrived back to the hotel around 6-6:30 AM. We headed home but stopped for breakfast on the way. Once home, we settled in for a nice, well deserved nap.</div>
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I would definitely recommend this race to anyone. It is put on by a great company who always provides great tech shirts, original finisher's medals. fully stocked aid stations, unique placement awards, helpful volunteers, and fun courses. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-29758217158001217262017-01-23T19:01:00.000-08:002017-01-23T19:01:15.538-08:00Ocean Shores Olympic Triathlon ~ 7-9-16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgmUmYTh7M6A_zCuxJUkDJdyLVWeJEgSvK0Q0ohGH1Y1gt2-Z6zGtIGaay4H9FM42Efjh77AsnnXpj4XyN0URWhyjArtCzHOPsz7g0813x53ULH7K40C51DLOFkL5qxhpnMzYNj7c9iGP/s1600/IMG_1478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgmUmYTh7M6A_zCuxJUkDJdyLVWeJEgSvK0Q0ohGH1Y1gt2-Z6zGtIGaay4H9FM42Efjh77AsnnXpj4XyN0URWhyjArtCzHOPsz7g0813x53ULH7K40C51DLOFkL5qxhpnMzYNj7c9iGP/s320/IMG_1478.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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My family decided to explore the Pacific NW for our summer vacation, so of course, we had to add a race into that trip. We selected the Ocean Shores Olympic Triathlon for me and the Washington Toughman Half distance duathlon for my husband. Both being put on the same day at the some location. The race was held on the peninsula town of Ocean Shores, Washington. </div>
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We arrived two days early. This gave us one day to do a shake out workout as well as time to explore the coast and local area before the race. Packet pickup was held the day before in the local convention hall. </div>
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Race morning arrived and greeted us with rain, wind, and chilly temperature<span style="font-family: inherit;">s. <span style="background-color: white;">It was in the mid 50's, raining and wind was 15-18 mph with gusts to 21 mph. Not the ideal racing conditions but we hadn't driven all that way for nothing. We set up our transitions and got ready to race. I put my wetsuit on early to help keep me warm. The duathlon started before my race so we watched the husband start and then made our way to the water's edge. </span></span></div>
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The swim was 1500 meters in Duck Lake, a fresh water canal that runs most of the peninsula. The water temperature was mild but felt warmer than the air temperature. The Toughman Washington State athletes started first and then all the Ocean Shores Olympic athletes started next. It was a mass floating start. We entered and exited at the boat ramp. The route was a long, skinny rectangle. There were not a lot of participants so I never felt crowded during the swim. I completed the 0.9 mile swim in 30:01.</div>
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I had left my flip flops at the edge of the boat ramp but decided to run barefoot to the transition area since it was only a short distance and through the grass. Big mistake. The grass was covered with thorny grass also know as burweed. By the time I reached my transition spot, me feet were covered with burs. I had to stop and pick every single one out before I could put my socks and bike shoes on. That took a lot of time. I finished T1 in 4:17.</div>
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Once on the bike, it started to rain harder. At times, it felt like tiny stingers hitting my entire body. The bike course was an out and back skirting along the edge of the peninsula. It was a relatively flat course. The wind was really strong while on the bike. Since we were on the water's edge, there was no wind break. It made for a few really fast tailwinds along with some fierce headwinds. One of the things mentioned by the race company was that we might see deer while on the bike course. They did not disappoint. I rode by several deer eating grass next to the road. It made me a little nervous since I didn't want to have a collision with one of them. To my knowledge, no one had any problems with deer during the race. I felt pretty good while completing the 25.34 mile bike section and finished in 1:26:20.</div>
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T2 was quick and painless. I made sure to stand on my transition mat to avoid getting anymore burs in my feet. It was still raining but I wasn't cold. I headed out for the run and waved to my boys. I was in and out of T2 in 1:08.</div>
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The run was a flat out and back course. The middle half of the run was on the beach. On a normal day, it would have been a beautiful run but the rainy and windy weather made it a bit rough. For about 1.5 miles of the beach run, I had sand and rain beating me in my face. Once I hit the turn around point, the wind helped push me along. I kept a steady pace, ran the entire thing and finished strong. I completed the 6.2 miles in 1:09:25.</div>
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My total finish time was 3:11:09. That was good enough for 2nd place in my age group of females 40-49 and 5th place female overall. I was so excited! This was my second triathlon after coming back from ACL reconstruction surgery. I gave a solid performance and my knee held up great. Completing this race reassured me that my rehabilitation and training where on track and that my attempt on Ironman Arizona in November still looked good.</div>
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The company that put on this race was going out of business and this was their last race. Because of this, they did not give us race shirts and the medals were nothing great. They promised to mail me the age group award but I have not received anything and do not expect to receive one. Even without the usual race paraphernalia, I'm glad I was able to participate in this race and experience this amazing location.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-2453391477610888372017-01-16T20:40:00.001-08:002017-01-16T20:45:29.521-08:00Cycling in Crater Lake National Park ~ 7-4-16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Crater Lake National Park has been named one of the ten best National Parks to explore on a bike. After reading about it in an article by Active.com, we decided to add it to our "Must Do" list. We scheduled a short stop while on our summer road trip to Washington and headed to the park on the 4th of July.<br />
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The ride is a 33 mile loop, with about 3800 feet of elevation gain, around the rim of the lake. It can be completed either clockwise or counter-clockwise. We decided to do the ride counter-clockwise.<br />
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We arrived early in the morning and parked at Rim Village. There was plenty of parking and a restroom open for use. Crater Lake is above 6,000 feet in elevation so it was quite chilly and there was still snow in places. We layered up and hit the road. The first 3.5 miles of the ride were downhill. It was fun and fast. We then stopped at the Park Headquarters to pick up a cycling brochure.<br />
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The next 13 miles of the East Rim Drive were closed to traffic due to debris still covering the road in places. It was great to not worry about cars but we did have to keep our eyes open for tree parts on the road. Once on the closed road, we immediately began our first climb. It was 1.5 miles long and I thought I was going to die. Little did I know that this was just the beginning. I had read about the rides difficulty but I was not prepared for just how difficult.<br />
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At the 5 mile mark we were greeted with a nice downhill. I'm a slow climber but I can fly downhill! I knew that it was going to be short lived so I took as much advantage of it as I could to gather up some speed before hitting the next hill.<br />
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Near the bottom of the hill, we came upon Vidae Falls and stopped for a quick photo break. The waterfall was beautiful and I'm so glad we were able to see it since only cyclists and hikers were being allowed on the road.<br />
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If I had thought the first hill was bad, the second hill was 2 miles of sheer torture. I was glad that we were in the trees at this section because I wasn't able to look around. I was too focused on getting up that hill. Once at the top, we stopped for a short snack break. It allowed us a nice view across the valley to the south of the lake. </div>
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Thankfully, what goes up must come down. We had a lovely, fast 3.5 mile downhill section. It was freedom to just go and not have to worry about cars. The road was wide open and it was glorious. We came around a left hand curve and saw the main reason the road was still closed. There had been a rockslide. It covered the road and had created several large gouges in the pavement. We decided to walk our bikes through this section to avoid getting a flat. </div>
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The next 2.5 miles was another killer climb. Once at the top, we came to our first pullout, the Phantom Ship Overlook. There were two hikers eating their lunch here so we stopped and had them take our picture. It was the first time we had really seen the lake. It took my breath away! The water was so blue. I took advantage of our stop and shed a layer of clothes. We wished the hikers well and then were on our way. </div>
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After a 1 mile climb we saw our first big snow drift. We had to stop and take a picture in the snow. This was also the last overlook before we started our longest descent.</div>
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We rode about 2 miles before we intersected a gate blocking the road. That was the end of our closed road section. We had completed about half of the loop at this point. We continued down the 5 mile downhill section. Since we were now riding with traffic, we had to hug the shoulder and be much more aware of our surroundings. </div>
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We were riding right next to the lake now and were rewarded with amazing views the entire time. The day could not have been more beautiful. There were no clouds in the sky and the blues were breathtaking.<br />
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At around the 20 mile mark, we stopped at a pullout for another snack break. We saw other visitors and were able to get our picture taken together. We stayed there for a few minutes to take in the unreal views. We could see the boats making their way around the lake taking passengers back and forth to Wizard Island. Seeing how small the boats looked gave perspective of how massive the lake really is. Seeing the different currents moving along the water was mesmerizing.<br />
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We continued our way around the lake. As it was getting later in the morning, we began to encounter a lot more traffic. We also began to see a lot of cyclist doing the loop clockwise. Drivers were courteous and patient so I never felt in danger. </div>
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At mile 27, we came to the North Junction. This is where the West Rim Drive begins and traffic really started to increase. We began our final long climb of the ride. I was really starting to get tired and I was ready to be done. I knew we only had about 5 more miles so I buckled down and pushed through. There were sections here that had no shoulder with large drop-offs inches away. These sections made me very nervous. </div>
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Once we crested the hill, we encountered road construction. They were repaving the road so we had to ride along dirt for about a half mile. Luckily, we caught the end of the single file traffic line and didn't have to wait or lose our speed. </div>
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Finally, we came to the intersection where the East Rim and West Rim Drives meet. We turned left to make our way back to the Rim Village parking lot. Now the lot was completely full with cars circling like hungry sharks. We loaded our bikes onto the car, changed our shoes, hit up the bathroom, and chatted with a few others cyclists we had seen earlier in the day. </div>
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I was suddenly filled with pride and awe at what we had just accomplished. I had completed a ride that many people only dream about. It was painful, blissful, horrible, amazing, frustrating, and beautiful. If you get the chance to do this ride, GO! You will not be disappointed.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-52008125336970345822016-12-11T20:17:00.001-08:002016-12-11T20:17:39.143-08:00Ragnar Wasatch Back ~ June 16-19, 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="goog_1522307532"></span><span id="goog_1522307533"></span>I did my first Ragnar relay, Wasatch Back in Utah! I joined a team put together by my coach. The team was built with all prior and current patients/clients. All of us had gone to him, at <a href="http://www.maxvelocitypt.com/"> Maximum Velocity Physical Therapy</a>, for some reason or the other. Over time, he had returned us all to running. He named the team, All Stars!<br />
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He selected Wasatch Back as the perfect Ragnar for us. Ragnar describes this relay as <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white;">the race that started it all! This iconic 200(ish) mile overnight running relay course begins in Northern Utah in the city of Logan and traverses across the back of Utah’s rough and tough Wasatch Mountains. Teams will find their inner wild as they cross three mountain passes, pass fields of summer wildflowers, run beneath millions of stars, and cross the finish line together at Soldier Hollow in Midway, UT."</span></span> </span>He had done this relay before and was excited to take us there for many of our first Ragnar relay.<br />
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For those of you who are unfamiliar with Ragnar, they are a relay race with 6 or 12 people that run 200ish miles within 36 hours. Each runner completes three legs. A slap bracelet is exchanged between the runners at exchange points. Runners 1-6 travel in one van while runners 7-12 are in another van. Both vans are only together at exchange points 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and the finish.<br />
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I had only started running again on April 1, 2016, so I was given the leg with the shortest mileage and easiest sections. I was runner 7.<br />
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We drove up on Thursday from Las Vegas and stayed at a teammate's family member's house. There were 12 of us crammed into a basement. There were bodies everywhere. Some of us were lucky and scored a bed, air mattress or couch. Others had to sleep on the floor. I somehow got the air mattress and got a pretty good nights sleep. Van 1 had to be at the start line really early so they were up and out of the house by about 4:00 AM. Van 2 was able to sleep in a bit, eat breakfast, and grab some groceries before heading to the first major exchange point.<br />
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Once we arrived at the exchange point, we checked in, watched a brief video about safety and signed our waivers. I was the first runner for our van so I got ready and waited to start my run. It was a festive environment with music and a lot of people. We had to wait a few hours for runner 6 to arrive so we found some shade and relaxed.<br />
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At about 2:30 PM, Van 1 arrived and told us their runner was on her way in. We all went over to the chute and waited for her to arrive. They had spotters about a quarter mile from the chute who radioed in each runner's number. Once I heard our teams number, I hurried over to the chute and before you know it, she was there. I received the slap bracelet and was on my way!<br />
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My first leg was 2.55 miles. It had a slight decline for the entire run. It was really hot but I knew that I could push it for such a short distance. At about the 1 mile mark, my van passed me on the way to the next exchange point. It was fun to have that brief cheering section. I made the final turn and saw a small group of people at a church and knew I was almost there. I sprinted with all I had left and slapped the bracelet on runner 8. I finished in 27:20. I was exhausted but didn't have time to cool down as he was one of our fastest runners and had a short leg so we had to leave immediately to get to the next exchange point.<br />
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We continued this routine for all of our runners. We would cheer as we passed them on the road making our way to the next exchange point. Runners would come in and runners would go out. We finally made it to exchange point 12. This was our second large exchange point where both vans were able to meet up. They also had a vendor fair at this exchange. I bought a visor and we all got together and ate dinner, except for runner 12 who was out running. Once runner 12 was in and runner 1 was out, we made our way to the next major exchange point, 18, to try and get some sleep. It was at a high school. We were able to use the bathrooms but had to sleep outside. We had all brought sleeping bags, blankets and pillows so we found a quiet spot on the campus grounds and laid down for a couple hours.<br />
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I wasn't able to sleep but it was nice to relax. It was really cold so I got up after about an hour. I ate some food and then got ready to start my second leg. This would be in the dark so I needed to have a reflective vest, headlamp, and red tail lamp. At about 12:30 AM, runner 6 made her way in and I was off. I was nervous to run at night. My headlamp was not the brightest and I was worried about uneven surfaces. It started out in the city but made it's way to the country. It was dark and quiet. It was peaceful. This run had a slight incline for the entire distance. I finally saw the lights of the exchange point. It was weird coming in and not being able to see because I was blinded by the lights. Runner 8 could see me so he started yelling my name and I just made my way over to him. He needed my red tail lamp so I gave him mine and then he was on his way. This leg was 4.27 miles and I completed it in 47:30.<br />
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I have never been much of a car sleeper so I sat in the passenger seat and helped the driver for a while. I had to help runner 8 a few times with hydration so I got in and out of the van each time. It was cold now that I was in wet clothes. I also had to carry two orange flags each time I was out of the car to make sure me and our runner were visible and safe.<br />
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As each runner in our van took their turn at night running, I tried to get some sleep but it didn't work. We went from tired passengers to slap happy passengers. Some people slept, some sang along to the music, some sat with blank stares. We saw the sunrise over the beautiful mountains.<br />
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While our last runner was on her leg, we made our way to the next major exchange point. This was at another high school. This is where van 1 had slept overnight. We decided to not stop there but to head to exchange point 30 instead. We grabbed some breakfast on the way. This was at a large ski resort. There were a lot of people there and no designated sleep area. We found a nice shaded hill next to some condos and tried to get some rest. Once again, I wasn't able to sleep. That was getting old. I was tired. A few hours before my final leg was to start, we received a call from van 1 stating that they were not going to get to us for a few more hours. This was starting to look like a problem since there was a cut-off finish time and we probably were not going to make it. The Race Director gave us permission to start our van before van 1 got there. So I quickly got changed and ready to run. Since I didn't have a slap bracelet, I went to the starting chute, high-fived a volunteer and started my final leg.<br />
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This was my hardest leg yet. It was 3.98 miles and all up hill. It was really warm again since it was about 3:00 PM. The views were amazing though. I struggled and even had to walk parts of it. I finally made my way around the corner to see my team, as well as a lot of other people, waiting for me. I finished it in 58:19. Runner 8 had started before I arrived in order to make up additional time. So I wasn't able to see him off. He was running the hardest leg of the entire relay. It was straight up a ski run. We had to wait until he had passed a check point in order to make our way to the next exchange point. This allowed me to cool off and drink some fluids before having to get back in the car. Once we received word of his checking in, you headed up the mountain. </div>
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All of our runners made their exchanges after that leg. We finally made our way to the finish line once our final runner was out. We met up with van 1 and waited. We were all tired, hungry and dirty but sat around telling each other about the last 36 hours. At about 7:30 PM, we saw our final runner coming down the hill towards us. We lined up and all ran across the finish line together. It was pretty cool!</div>
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They then shuffled us to a tent where we were able to pick up our medals. We discovered that when they were turned over and laid together that they made a saying. It read<span style="font-family: inherit;">: "<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;">We believe that being a Ragnarian is about more than being a runner; that misery loves company and happiness is "only real when it's shared"; that there is a badass inside all of us; that everyone deserves to be cheered at the finish line; that tutus make you run faster; that adventure can only be found if you are looking for it; and that a little sleep deprivation is a small price to pay to watch the sunrise with our friends. Together we ran 200-ish miles. Together we can accomplish anything. WE ARE RAGNARIANS."</span></span></div>
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We then made our way to the Ragnar wall and all left our names. Some of us wrote little messages as well. This was the first time the entire team of 12 was together. Our new little family posed for a group picture. </div>
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Then we got a picture of just van 2. It's amazing how much a group of people can bond together in just a few hours. We then drove down into town for dinner. We sat around a big table in a room all to ourselves and shared stories, laughed, and ate until we couldn't eat one more thing.<br />
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I am really proud that I was able to complete this adventure. I was very hesitant when my coach asked me to join his team. When I started running again in April, I was only able to do run for one minute at a time. How was I going to be able to run 10.8 miles in about 24 hours? With the help from my coach and encouragement from my friends, I was able to take part in this epic journey. If you are ever given the opportunity to do a Ragnar race, DO IT! The lack of sleep, sore muscles, and hunger were so worth it.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-33603910099233192252016-10-02T19:43:00.000-07:002016-10-02T19:43:11.777-07:00Las Vegas Triathlon 70.3 ~ October 1, 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKprphjNX7e9zIj9E7-f-VNYMjDk9oWQDOqTAfQ7BDvuhZN7g3n_bqSbAxb8p2muOGY3NM8b2YWkf5DacXlouuyoDQhMwFwXlh4bTbc2FWBnikzCMmBNKSy1keKLYLBQ-u3Dh0SeuxBwC/s1600/lvtri.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKprphjNX7e9zIj9E7-f-VNYMjDk9oWQDOqTAfQ7BDvuhZN7g3n_bqSbAxb8p2muOGY3NM8b2YWkf5DacXlouuyoDQhMwFwXlh4bTbc2FWBnikzCMmBNKSy1keKLYLBQ-u3Dh0SeuxBwC/s320/lvtri.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I picked the Las Vegas Triathlon Half as my lead up race to Ironman Arizona. I had raced the sprint distance with them last year. It was put on by a great company that I have raced with many times before. They had not offered a 70.3 for a few years but decided to offer one this year since Ironman Silverman 70.3 announced that they would no longer put their race on after 2015.<br />
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I am in the midst of training for my full Ironman and this race lined up perfectly for my training. I hoped to race it well but honestly, it was really just a supported long training day. I hadn't trained out at the lake since this race last year so a few weeks ago, I went out for a swim/bike brick with some friends. I was quickly reminded that it is a hard ride out there. I had been scheduled to ride 40 miles but due to the heat, wind and road condition, we all cut it short to only 20 miles. That's when I realized that this race was going to be a really hard one. Then, last week, they published the Athlete's Guide with the route maps. I had been on these routes before in training and at other races so I knew that it was going to be a difficult day.<br />
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I wanted to use this race as a practice run for my nutrition and hydration for Arizona. There was one aid station for the bike course and I would be passing it at mile 24 and mile 52. I decided to carry two bottles with me filled with Skratch Pineapple Hydration Exercise Mix. I left my third bottle cage empty and would grab a bottle of water when I went by the aid station at mile 24. The run course had six aid stations that would be passed a total of 12 times so I decided to not carry any hydration with me on the run. </div>
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The morning of the race started like any other. I woke up, went to the bathroom, got dressed, applied my sunscreen, and ate breakfast. I had 2 eggs scrambled with black olives, grape tomatoes, shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Then I drank 500 mL of water with one scoop of UCAN. I ate in the car since it was an hour drive to the race site. </div>
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Transition opened at 5:30 AM and we arrived at 5:45 AM. I was scheduled to start my race at 6:35 AM. I easily found a place to rack my bike and quickly started setting up my station. Once everything was set up, I got body marked and made a stop by the port-a-potty. Then I was able to chat with a few friends. That is always nice since race day is the only time I get to see a lot of them. </div>
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At about 6:15 AM, I put on my wetsuit and made my way down to the water. This was my second time wearing my sleeveless suit. The other time was an Olympic triathlon three weeks ago. I had no issues with it then other than the neck is a little tight. I walked into the water to get my goggles rinsed out while the men were getting their final instructions. After they started, I saw my coach and got some final words of encouragement. I then gave the hubby a kiss and lined up with all the other women who were tackling the 70.3. </div>
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I listened to the final instructions again and then entered the water. The entry was covered with rocks so it was slow going. I wasn't even to the starting line when they blew the horn to go. I started my Garmin and dove in. The sun was just rising and the winds were calm. It was a beautiful morning for a swim. The start of the swim was congested until the first left hand turn. Once along the back section of the course, it opened up and I was able to get into a nice rhythm. The swim course had been changed the night before from one long loop to two shorter loops. I hate loops. It is so disheartening to go passed the exit/finish and have to turn the other way and continue racing. By the time I was on the second loop I was passing men from the wave before me. That's always a good feeling. What wasn't as good a feeling was the chafing I was getting under my arms. Something must have been different this time and my wetsuit was eating up my arms. At the final turn, I found myself in a crowd of men. They were a bit more physical then the women so I had to be a little physical back. Finally, I was heading towards the swim exit. Once my hands hit the bottom of the lake, I jumped up and started running out. As I was running up the shore to transition, I saw my coach as he cheered me on. I also heard several other people call out my name but didn't look to see who they were. It was neat to hear though and I really appreciated it. I crossed into transition for a total swim time of 36:10. </div>
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My husband was standing by my transition station so I would be able to find it easier. It worked like a charm and I ran straight to it. I took a little longer than usual in transition to make sure I had everything I needed for the bike ride. I gave the husband a final wave and was off. The transition area was 1/10th of a mile long. That's a long way to run in biking shoes! I exited transition in 4:07. </div>
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My goal was to complete the bike in 4 hours meaning I needed to maintain a 14 mph pace. I felt pretty good for the first 1/4th of the ride. It was hard but I was doing ok. I took two electrolyte pills. I hit the first turn around in 1:08 which meant I was 8 minutes over my goal. I wasn't too worried about it since I knew the way back was a little easier. I started to get some headwind on the return trip and started to run out of my first bottle of drink. I passed the aid station and grabbed my bottle of water as planned. I hit the second turn around in another 1:04. That meant I had stayed pretty consistent with my speed but was still a little behind schedule. </div>
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As I headed out on my second lap, I drank a shot of UCAN that I had in a small bottle in my back pocket. It was really thick and I was only able to get about half of it down. I started to notice more wind and it seemed to be coming as a cross wind now. I was riding dish wheels with a 60/90 combo. I was really getting pushed around on the downhills. At about mile 38, I finished my second bottle. I then used the water bottle I got at the aid station to refill my front bottle. I was really starting to get hot and started to drink more. By the time I hit the third turnaround, I was almost out of all fluids. I made it there in another 1:10. I began to worry about finishing the bike in time to finish the run by the race cut-off. I asked the volunteers at the turn around if they had any water but they didn't. I stopped to take two electrolyte pills. I only had 14 more miles and prepared myself for the final push home. As I passed the volunteers at the Olympic turnaround I asked if they had any water. They had one bottle of water that was hot since it had been sitting in the sun. I didn't care and took it from them. By this point, I only had about 6-8 racers behind me and I could tell that we were all struggling. It was hot and were now racing into a headwind. I started a long climb and began to feel myself fading. I was running out of energy. I knew that there were Rangers and an ambulance at the top of the hill. I planned on asking them for water too. I knew that if I could get a fill up there, I would be able to finish the course since there were only 11 more miles. </div>
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I finally crested the hill and saw the Rangers. The ambulance was not there. I stopped to ask them for water. One Ranger said he had ice and took my front bottle to fill it up. The other Ranger ran to his truck and came back with a bottle for me. I chugged it down. As I was putting my front bottle back on, the ambulance came up behind me. The medics got out and started talking to us. One of them grabbed my wrists and checked my pulse. He said that my pulse was not normal and said he wanted me to sit in the back of the ambulance to cool off. I resisted because I knew that if I did that then I would probably not continue the race. After talking to me a little more, they finally convinced me to get in. They hooked me up to an IV, EKG, pulse monitor and tested my blood sugar. My blood pressure was in the 90/50s. With those low numbers they said that I was done. I started to cry. I didn't want to go out like this. I just wanted to get back to the transition area. They loaded my bike and started transporting me to the race start. </div>
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Once back at transition, we found my husband and told him what had happened. He loaded up my station and turned in my timing chip. I was bummed. </div>
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I ended up receiving 2500 mL of IV fluid before my blood pressure returned to normal. I was told that I had experienced heat exhaustion and dehydration. They told me that if I hadn't stopped and had tried to continue that I might have passed out on the ride. Even though I hated DNFing this race, I learned a lot. I hope to utilize this lesson to help make Ironman Arizona a success. </div>
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This was a hard race. I made some poor decisions. It was tough conditions. Out of the 112 people registered for the half distance, 43 were either DNF or DNS. Only 69 people finished the race. </div>
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I could let this get me down and make me question my desire to race in Arizona but I'm not going to let it. I am putting in the training. I have an amazing support crew around me. I am stronger than I think I am. My coach sent me this yesterday. I liked it. I'm ready to get out of the harbor.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-42473508701966533772016-07-01T14:46:00.002-07:002016-07-01T14:49:38.650-07:00Kayaking the Black Canyon Water Trail~June 6, 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you are looking for an adventure that is only 30 minutes from Las Vegas, then kayaking the Black Canyon Water Trail is for you. This is something that I have wanted to do since the first time I heard about it. Finally, I decided that I couldn't wait any longer!<br />
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I gathered a group of girlfriends and set a date. I researched some of the different options. They varied from self-guided kayak tours to motored group rafts and all in between. We settled on the self-guided kayak tour for the freedom to make our own adventure. We used <a href="http://www.kayaklasvegas.com/">http://www.kayaklasvegas.com/</a> . They seemed to offer the most for the lowest price. Rentals included kayak, paddle, life vest, rope, map and round trip shuttle service. A one day rental was $65 plus $22 for the permit, so $87 total per person.<br />
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We scheduled our adventure for Monday, June 6th. We needed to be at the pick up location, Hoover Dam Lodge, at 6:00 AM for a 7:00 AM launch. I carpooled with a friend and we arrived right on time. Our shuttle arrived a few minutes later. We listened to a safety briefing and additional information while we waited to leave. At 6:45 AM, we loaded up and headed to our drop off location.<br />
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The launch location is at the foot of the Hoover Dam. We had 15 minutes to unload, use the bathroom, get any last minute instructions and push off. I have a lot of experience with canoeing, rafting and easy kayaking so I felt right at home on the water. </div>
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The map they gave us was two-sided. On one side was a map with points of interest and their location along the route. The other side listed a description of each point. Since we were doing the self guided tour, we would be able to stop at any of the points as long as we were at our pick up point, Willow Beach, by 4:00 PM. So we needed to go 12 miles in 9 hours.</div>
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The first stop we made was at Sauna Cave or at least we think it was. It didn't really seem to be a cave but more of a hot spring coming out of the rocks. As we were approaching, I placed my hand in the water. The main part of the river was really cold, but the water coming out of the wall was about 130 degrees. You could feel a difference as you approached the outlet. It was really cool. </div>
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Our second stop was at Gold Strike Canyon. It offered miles of hiking, scrambling, hot springs and waterfalls. We all got out at this stop to explore. We found a nice little pool of warm water. We all took turns sitting in it. </div>
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Next we stopped at Lone Palm Canyon. It has a nice waterfall right next to the river. It is named after a Mexican Fan Palm that is rumored to be the first palm in the canyon. All the water entering the canyon, that we stopped at, was warm since they are being fed by hot springs. </div>
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We then headed back onto the river. It was beautiful! The sun was still hidden behind the cliffs. I could have stayed there all day. It was so peaceful. We even saw a desert big horn sheep grazing on the edge of the cliffs. </div>
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Next, we saw The Ear as we made our way to Boyscout Canyon. It's a rain cave that resembles a human ear. You could hear water dropping from somewhere deep within the structure. </div>
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Boyscout Canyon has numerous hot springs, narrow slot canyons and lots of hiking. We decided to stop here for some hiking and exploring. All of us went back to the first waterfall but only half of us continued beyond that. The other girls went back to the kayaks for snacks and relaxation. As we continued into the canyon, there were several places that we had to climb up waterfalls and squeeze through slot canyons. It was really fun! At one waterfall, there was a rope in place to help the ascent and descent. We didn't go all the way to the back of the canyon because we didn't want to make our friends wait too long and the water started to get too hot to walk in as we got closer to it origin. </div>
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After we left Boyscout Canyon, we continued making our way down the river. The sun was finally hitting the river fully. The temperature was perfect and we had little to no wind. On our way to our next stop, we pulled over to explore Sea Cave. It was a natural cave that we could paddle into. I loved going into the caves!</div>
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Next, we stopped at Arizona Hot Springs Beach. This is where we decided to stop for lunch as well as do some hiking and explore the area. There were also two pit toilets at this beach. I ate my lunch while we were walking to the Arizona Hot Springs. When we left the beach there was no water to follow but as we made our way back into the canyon, a little stream formed. We walked along it to a waterfall. In order to get to the pools, we had to climb a ladder. It was an old, metal ladder that had bowed rungs. I was a little concerned about it's ability to support me but I pushed that thought out of my mind and started climbing. Once at the top, there was a large man-made pool. There were sandbags pilled up to create a wall. I walked up to see the next two pools but had to stop there because the water became too hot. We then made our way back to our boats. The sun was in full force now so we were pretty warm and decided to take a dip in the river before we started kayaking again.</div>
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The instructions say to leave this beach by 11:30 AM (11:00 if windy). We left at 12:00 PM. We were a little concerned about making it to out meeting spot by pick up so we decided to not stop again until Emerald Cave. We were in a more open section of the river and the wind had started to pick up. It became more difficult to paddle. We made a few adjustments to boat assignments and powered through. </div>
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Emerald Cave was my favorite! Once you were inside the cave, the water below you shined a vibrant green. The ceiling of the cave sparkled with the reflection of the water. It was absolutely beautiful!</div>
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The final thing we saw before we arrived at Willow Beach was the Catwalk and Cablecars. It's an elevated walkway used by the gauger to traverse the turbulent waters before the dam was built. No thanks.</div>
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We ended up getting to Willow Beach in plenty of time. We actually had about 30 minutes to relax so I took a little plunge into the river to cool off. Then we went to the general store and picked up some ice cream. We all sat around the table and shared two pints. It was perfect! </div>
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The shuttle arrived and loaded our kayaks while we were eating. We then all crammed into the van for our ride back to the Hoover Dam Lodge. Once we arrived, we took one last group picture before we went our separate ways. I had such a great time with these girls!</div>
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This trip was the perfect way to kick-off summer. It was so much fun! If you're not afraid of a little work, lots of sun, and a touch of adventure, then this trip is a must. You won't be disappointed!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-9237831590535669752016-06-29T14:50:00.000-07:002016-06-29T14:50:12.759-07:00Great Basin National Park, Lehman Caves, and Cathedral Gorge State Park~May 27-29, 2016<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys at the parks entrance.</td></tr>
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We decided to spend the long Memorial Day weekend exploring Nevada's only National Park. Great Basin National Park is located about 5 hours from Las Vegas. We planned on camping at one of the campgrounds in the park. They do not take online reservations so we left early on Friday morning in order to get there in time to secure a spot. Shortly after we left town, I realized we had forgotten the hot dog/marshmallow cooking poles. We decided to stop along the way and pick some up. FYI, you go through a few small towns on the way there but nothing big so the selection of stores is very limited. We ended up finding some at the hardware store in Caliente. The only other town we passed of some size was Pioche. We stopped for lunch and gas in Pioche. There are no fast food options once you leave Las Vegas. We ended up eating at a small diner that took a really long time. This set us back a few hours. I'm telling you all of this so you can plan accordingly when traveling through this area. </div>
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We arrived at the main Visitor Center, just after 2:00 PM,which is located outside of the park in Baker, NV. This is where you need to fill up your water containers since the campgrounds do not always have reliable water. I ran in and grabbed a park map and asked the ranger about the camping situation. We had hoped to camp at Lower Lehman Creek Campground. She told me that Lower Lehman was probably already full but there may be a few spots still available at Baker Creek Campground. If not, then we could camp outside the park in Strawberry Creek Campground. She notified me that they are able to take online reservations for Grey Cliffs Campground for future reference. We drove straight to Lower Lehman and saw that she was right. They were all occupied. We made our way over to Baker Creek. It is the largest campground in the park. We made our way through the different loops and were losing hope. Finally, at the last site, we found a perfect spot for us to camp. </div>
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We quickly unloaded the car and made camp. We had reservations for a 3:00 PM tour at Lehman Caves that we didn't want to miss. The boys put their tent under the pine trees next to a small stream while I put our tent in the designated tent spot. It turned out to be a great campsite. We had the bathrooms and trash cans next to us so it wasn't a long walk to take care of business. The sound of the stream was a pleasant backdrop and it was also nice that we were able to space the tents out a little. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boy's tent by the stream.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our view looking across the valley.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tent in the shadow of Wheeler Peak.</td></tr>
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We made it to the Lehman Caves Visitor Center with about 10 minutes to spare. We had reserved the Grand Palace Tour. It was $10 for adults and $5 for kids for a 90 minute tour. There were about 20 people on our tour. </div>
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We have been in many caves because it is something we enjoy seeing while on vacation. The special thing about these caves are the "shields" throughout the cave. There are more than 300 in the Lehman Caves. There was another interesting thing that happened while we were on the tour. The power went out! The guide was turning off the lights to an area we had just left when everything went dark. We waited there for a minute to see if the lights would come back on but they didn't. Luckily, some of us had flashlights and most of us had cell phones so we were able to light those up and make our way safely back to the surface. It was a fun way to finish the tour. It made it seem more natural and more of an adventure. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the tour with my family.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of a shield.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two shields.</td></tr>
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After the tour, we went back to our campsite and made dinner. We had decided to not bring our stove since there was no water and we wouldn't be able to wash dishes. All of the food we ate was able to be cooked over the fire or prepared at the table. We had purchased wood for the fire before we left Las Vegas and I'm glad we did since there was no place to buy any there. You are allowed to collect dead, dropped wood around the campground so we were able to get plenty of kindling.<br />
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The entire weekend was forecast to have scattered showers and the forecast was correct. We had several small showers throughout our weekend. One even was accompanied with hail. Luckily, we were driving in our car during that storm. The good part about the storms were that they were all short lived and didn't really affect our time there.<br />
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One of Great Basin's claim to fame is the fact that it is one of the last true dark skies in America, On a clear, moonless might, thousands of stars, five of our solar system's eight planets, star clusters, meteors, man-made satellites, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Milky Way can be seen with the naked eye. The park offers astronomy programs April through May. Unfortunately, with the scattered rain came lots of clouds and we were unable to attend the program.<br />
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On Saturday morning, my husband and I woke up early for a run. It was a beautiful morning running in the fresh mountain air. Once we returned, we woke up our boys and ate breakfast. Since we had nice blue skies, we decided to do the scenic drive to Wheeler Peak, Nevada's tallest peak at 13,065 feet. It is a paved 12 mile, steep and winding road. It has some vehicle restrictions and is not open all year depending on weather.<br />
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We took advantage of the several pullouts along the route to view the mountains, valleys, creeks, and wildlife. We planned on hiking the Alpines Lake Loop Trail which starts at the Bristlecone Parking Area, near the Wheeler Peak campground. Once we arrived at the parking lot and the end of the scenic drive, we realized that we were not going to be able to do the hike since it was still snow packed. We spent a short amount of time exploring the area around the parking lot and made our way back down the scenic route. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSwyjkhUBT-2qUfIyas6tbDcm1afuI4BIM6B4W7iRpnIUy-Uf5XwyYHkqHNMhXSmqzBI1nlok5Jw6DPYs11VtuLf6o7H075a-HvPMZ9sUe9MBiRd3VLJYm7UWoolFTWGfddVMaA0Cui3a/s1600/IMG_0958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSwyjkhUBT-2qUfIyas6tbDcm1afuI4BIM6B4W7iRpnIUy-Uf5XwyYHkqHNMhXSmqzBI1nlok5Jw6DPYs11VtuLf6o7H075a-HvPMZ9sUe9MBiRd3VLJYm7UWoolFTWGfddVMaA0Cui3a/s320/IMG_0958.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing in front of Wheeler Peak.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0RUOauidjD5S1BoTHsZBIYCeV8FqRBz8ZGpORwJGFsv2sp9FRPXCMXOSGA2t1eLz0JOp0yvFYr0Pn3IQwfZsIE7uHYsjNGKhmVhWL37FTcXCZq_Ip5BJB9JQSflAk_1dazZjmXNMVH9j/s1600/IMG_0962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0RUOauidjD5S1BoTHsZBIYCeV8FqRBz8ZGpORwJGFsv2sp9FRPXCMXOSGA2t1eLz0JOp0yvFYr0Pn3IQwfZsIE7uHYsjNGKhmVhWL37FTcXCZq_Ip5BJB9JQSflAk_1dazZjmXNMVH9j/s320/IMG_0962.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking at the big turkey in the valley below. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5YNVvSB-Td9s9SgKiqbLLF7eSZ3jjb4roUyGhUs2DVfXjZL2FyePYjtGXjcmHc5FK4PLUfJm11JlD7m-hGAlwj3bym5LDWOvxXMVXjhvzAygsqhxOGCLgP8J0_4B5mUDEyp7uPz80dVj3/s1600/IMG_0965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5YNVvSB-Td9s9SgKiqbLLF7eSZ3jjb4roUyGhUs2DVfXjZL2FyePYjtGXjcmHc5FK4PLUfJm11JlD7m-hGAlwj3bym5LDWOvxXMVXjhvzAygsqhxOGCLgP8J0_4B5mUDEyp7uPz80dVj3/s320/IMG_0965.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking in the amazing view. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2i9JRHTZhut0zQztvA3JjHTlJP61CEm0NMogCR1cX4ZSmqz0gjwb1Y3ZbQrxd-Hhn1YjvKsltwMkRzLZq149LpaQ2OepzPAdMc_WncRRK4FLHfZDrKJlTfRJ9AWSV-4PwgrOgAhNx3bN/s1600/IMG_0973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2i9JRHTZhut0zQztvA3JjHTlJP61CEm0NMogCR1cX4ZSmqz0gjwb1Y3ZbQrxd-Hhn1YjvKsltwMkRzLZq149LpaQ2OepzPAdMc_WncRRK4FLHfZDrKJlTfRJ9AWSV-4PwgrOgAhNx3bN/s320/IMG_0973.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the upper parking lot.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpmPTzgqo7sLXeAZTZ42Kof1ZJ3NOvaCIj3LYBrcKcLfDy5-sd4CHQIPeMvTk70fxYkc20Nsgde_AX9hcTVhnb0HQbOycJwW5izQ99kBgQLSOJ3yX93tFrEKK20nkXWUlzNckNa3CQf1x/s1600/IMG_0979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpmPTzgqo7sLXeAZTZ42Kof1ZJ3NOvaCIj3LYBrcKcLfDy5-sd4CHQIPeMvTk70fxYkc20Nsgde_AX9hcTVhnb0HQbOycJwW5izQ99kBgQLSOJ3yX93tFrEKK20nkXWUlzNckNa3CQf1x/s320/IMG_0979.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My boys in the aspens.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fgnKZvQJaZUTNshqKpaj_lMxFm7CdAMgoqmevMofI68WLJGnoGywQiBHIM07ta-FWRBf67t9wQQUCLSEJRRWtXMaB4hzkrI3uSVhUf3IxJSSP9fpcMODLfOWy2D_yZdgAEPbqNwr7MaH/s1600/IMG_0982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fgnKZvQJaZUTNshqKpaj_lMxFm7CdAMgoqmevMofI68WLJGnoGywQiBHIM07ta-FWRBf67t9wQQUCLSEJRRWtXMaB4hzkrI3uSVhUf3IxJSSP9fpcMODLfOWy2D_yZdgAEPbqNwr7MaH/s320/IMG_0982.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aspens are my favorite trees.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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After the drive, we decided to stop by the main Visitor Center again to watch the video, pick up my souvenir magnet, and read about the park. After looking at the park map again, we noticed an off-road way back into the park and decided to take it. The road made it's way from Baker, out of the valley, weaving in and out of the park boundary, with a few water crossings. It is definitely a road that needs a high clearance vehicle, preferably with 4 wheel or all wheel drive. It was quite the adventure.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRS4Qaa-g0lLLC9we_9skQzAqpHhyufORvtyPCCUWygxgz9TTUcwtnp9WG3gutFM2SVKwcXV1TzfeYXI-2WQp2XLcCHu9bX5oWoLuI_B0iK5rJRhK3IjWbmOnVKWP6l59MHjdRPY9lUTZI/s1600/IMG_0986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRS4Qaa-g0lLLC9we_9skQzAqpHhyufORvtyPCCUWygxgz9TTUcwtnp9WG3gutFM2SVKwcXV1TzfeYXI-2WQp2XLcCHu9bX5oWoLuI_B0iK5rJRhK3IjWbmOnVKWP6l59MHjdRPY9lUTZI/s320/IMG_0986.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view as we headed out of the valley.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7OOvsJnoqRho9nkdMhhlHh8cXjl4OQGBAWIwriRmXETEKI7o8YvwrAiT8SgbIxSLj7UqUcbzsDbx18wlKDZPoCIgk_bggFMhGTNskAxzCNbfT3-v_gn8ZM8_ZZiqjqFPe2mYgUH-_5xA/s1600/IMG_0992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7OOvsJnoqRho9nkdMhhlHh8cXjl4OQGBAWIwriRmXETEKI7o8YvwrAiT8SgbIxSLj7UqUcbzsDbx18wlKDZPoCIgk_bggFMhGTNskAxzCNbfT3-v_gn8ZM8_ZZiqjqFPe2mYgUH-_5xA/s320/IMG_0992.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4x4 driving towards Wheeler Peak.</td></tr>
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After our off-road exploration, we decided to go for our first hike. We were a little worried about getting caught in a rain shower but thought we would risk it. We did the Baker Creek Loop Trail. The scenery was beautiful! It made me think I was hiking in the Pacific NW. The wildflowers with the snowy Wheeler Peak in the background were gorgeous. The trail had a bit of everything; hills, valleys, creeks, aspens, teenage attitudes, and only a few rain drops.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8maK2JqTX3FwITZ8gezWCkWQNDV8RliAgR4VjC7y5_KMBuHEtxzZBMXSDI3-1YUA13Er3jxZsXRGcBSF4nm3e0da1e5lHfIAXU050Qc7zURJjoSJsu5U-el9UFvuWpk8XfwA1rDqAspJ/s1600/IMG_0996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8maK2JqTX3FwITZ8gezWCkWQNDV8RliAgR4VjC7y5_KMBuHEtxzZBMXSDI3-1YUA13Er3jxZsXRGcBSF4nm3e0da1e5lHfIAXU050Qc7zURJjoSJsu5U-el9UFvuWpk8XfwA1rDqAspJ/s320/IMG_0996.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leading the way.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdFu7-wo8JUHi-kE1_o0CHCALx4WJQUhfaGiLbDssL3G8PaTmbJgPb42TrbCUkNU0a5N6JZHmK0tWsrw5gaQ2iuv3VS7BYS3pbmnTDpHR3X9ug6yrFq1tXIa91kFIoWPTMuNIxMPKyShN/s1600/IMG_0997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdFu7-wo8JUHi-kE1_o0CHCALx4WJQUhfaGiLbDssL3G8PaTmbJgPb42TrbCUkNU0a5N6JZHmK0tWsrw5gaQ2iuv3VS7BYS3pbmnTDpHR3X9ug6yrFq1tXIa91kFIoWPTMuNIxMPKyShN/s320/IMG_0997.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys showing their excitement to be hiking.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYAFfm5Zu9yKFC25S5rOeahC1GsDJID_lVetSte1kB5ffecSlwIybwWmHjZ2d5UQ0yOHcFBwCr2kPYmwXtqNcTK58Kk4ykcDwMc_k5is4KbCn5QrBVrlxrjszfpbt2z0-GIjQU9jLYevDO/s1600/IMG_1001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYAFfm5Zu9yKFC25S5rOeahC1GsDJID_lVetSte1kB5ffecSlwIybwWmHjZ2d5UQ0yOHcFBwCr2kPYmwXtqNcTK58Kk4ykcDwMc_k5is4KbCn5QrBVrlxrjszfpbt2z0-GIjQU9jLYevDO/s320/IMG_1001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At one of the creek crossings.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9IcClALmuINAqD8ewAKwW0v5MCVSIQGHha1uoT9ly2MuHOjm_bW6nrVgFLywlMnRtnI473yzVHQq-NxO5XXXL3-qat41GMIiUQkC81wcorhfc1VNJJ0q6WuRBUly6PysdnCIaJf-dPjj/s1600/IMG_1003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9IcClALmuINAqD8ewAKwW0v5MCVSIQGHha1uoT9ly2MuHOjm_bW6nrVgFLywlMnRtnI473yzVHQq-NxO5XXXL3-qat41GMIiUQkC81wcorhfc1VNJJ0q6WuRBUly6PysdnCIaJf-dPjj/s320/IMG_1003.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys hiking together.</td></tr>
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On our way back to the campsite, we saw our first Yellow-Bellied Marmot. There is a crossing sign near our campground entrance so we were excited to actually see one!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCAZ6wOUzOhR8mk-9UsMF7A85rpNag8WXnoZRTKHdcJBBLg01hUFCmx92hNiRZwi28zHYIP1ga62BUhXlKVoOv9Tp3p62A0zLgMEIvjoh-BwcO7sjEv5F4lDRuTBg3UcJQRbUB57Igxm0/s1600/IMG_0954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCAZ6wOUzOhR8mk-9UsMF7A85rpNag8WXnoZRTKHdcJBBLg01hUFCmx92hNiRZwi28zHYIP1ga62BUhXlKVoOv9Tp3p62A0zLgMEIvjoh-BwcO7sjEv5F4lDRuTBg3UcJQRbUB57Igxm0/s320/IMG_0954.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Say hello to my little friend.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7913cw9pOwubJvQtxXiwBp7mHcr7MZs5TQRMBF1lzoyLRblXXzakjDq7p9ar8XzQtoV2tf0dfKMcPmOgtRf4CzAOc1_dKr6RN0BBhcW27gRMPUoVyF4OEGpMaUer5VVqeW5qu5t-HaxY/s1600/IMG_1004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7913cw9pOwubJvQtxXiwBp7mHcr7MZs5TQRMBF1lzoyLRblXXzakjDq7p9ar8XzQtoV2tf0dfKMcPmOgtRf4CzAOc1_dKr6RN0BBhcW27gRMPUoVyF4OEGpMaUer5VVqeW5qu5t-HaxY/s320/IMG_1004.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caution, Marmot crossing!</td></tr>
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Once back at the camp, we made our dinner and enjoyed our time together. The boys took it upon themselves to gather more firewood (a.k.a. complete fallen trees). I sat there listening to them laughing and carrying on and it made my heart smile. I love our time unplugged and together in nature!<br />
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On Sunday morning, we all woke up early to start another hike. We did the Pole Canyon Trail and were able to start from our campsite. It was another beautiful hike. It offered amazing views into the valley, weaving trails through the aspens, multiple turkey sightings, and trails along the creek.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPU9oUMX9avwPw7LfxoChZfTvzZWJupjRdqfVc2tpYTDQIs6vN9-Whq7CKOPsAY9Slf-iBuCTqY05WupJ2kdo7dz6O0DUJ04cTaj9hJJ0p-RE5PaQe1Rw3KF-I7S6Csq8v6cCYe9cJftD/s1600/IMG_1025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPU9oUMX9avwPw7LfxoChZfTvzZWJupjRdqfVc2tpYTDQIs6vN9-Whq7CKOPsAY9Slf-iBuCTqY05WupJ2kdo7dz6O0DUJ04cTaj9hJJ0p-RE5PaQe1Rw3KF-I7S6Csq8v6cCYe9cJftD/s320/IMG_1025.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leading the way again.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcRwh3h09yhcAfXjzJqffoa8GcH-WuqD5u8ExAB95bdqnBDO1B0LDUtqur7wuHc3s9YzahFFmyYL6xAKJ6vKcfsKD4-Vx6SoyCh2loLtdP2gs9BM-pc_GlqX19rQoENVCq1dbDBdEEZ16/s1600/IMG_1034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcRwh3h09yhcAfXjzJqffoa8GcH-WuqD5u8ExAB95bdqnBDO1B0LDUtqur7wuHc3s9YzahFFmyYL6xAKJ6vKcfsKD4-Vx6SoyCh2loLtdP2gs9BM-pc_GlqX19rQoENVCq1dbDBdEEZ16/s320/IMG_1034.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading into the aspens.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqE9tcnaP5Csz1zwIWLT2YSoto54kvkydKSHratFyL3TvqJJDAs3fxXaSyEpLDVURs6i110fgIrzTeElKZy44RQQIGKq1KfHmpxmnRuNImuWGHnaG-Cbqlq3aG3J4iUt2M-INPlTEm5C7R/s1600/IMG_1037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqE9tcnaP5Csz1zwIWLT2YSoto54kvkydKSHratFyL3TvqJJDAs3fxXaSyEpLDVURs6i110fgIrzTeElKZy44RQQIGKq1KfHmpxmnRuNImuWGHnaG-Cbqlq3aG3J4iUt2M-INPlTEm5C7R/s320/IMG_1037.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking into the valley (it was so much more beautiful in person).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYyx0auc1CGJHfUM0hoA3DksxlxtEQ4dAkVt9As3CTbiHtcZBLasV_VOOb4la3SdmwqXXoISmbnz4vLTWCUQSHcvzRu-qsRAYXmueXFjQJfWtP1HI_18pO9dLk-cMn7qDQPk-ReHI4Uhp/s1600/IMG_1045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYyx0auc1CGJHfUM0hoA3DksxlxtEQ4dAkVt9As3CTbiHtcZBLasV_VOOb4la3SdmwqXXoISmbnz4vLTWCUQSHcvzRu-qsRAYXmueXFjQJfWtP1HI_18pO9dLk-cMn7qDQPk-ReHI4Uhp/s320/IMG_1045.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking to the sky.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking with my family.</td></tr>
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As we finished this hike, we decided to break camp a little early. More rain was coming and we didn't want to be stuck in our tents for the remainder of the day. We had paid for 3 nights but decided to leave after 2 and chalked up the extra night as a donation to the park. We made the right decision because as we were driving away the skies opened up.<br />
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As we made our way back to Las Vegas, we decided to make a short stop at Cathedral Gorge State Park since it was literally right next to the road we were driving on. I had heard great things about the park from a friend and she was right! We stopped for lunch at the overlook before heading into the park. The boys loved exploring the endless maze of slot canyons. They crawled through holes, squeezed through tiny openings, climbed ropes over walls, and loved every minute of it. It was super hot in the sun but once we entered the canyons, it was a lovely cool temperature. We spent a couple hours there and that was plenty. I'm glad we decided to stop since it was still 3 hours from Las Vegas and would have been a long drive for not too long of a stop.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys loved exploring here. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making my way through the gorge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up from a cave.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my family at Cathedral Gorge State Park.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We all loved it!</td></tr>
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We packed a lot of adventure into 3 short days. I would recommend this trip to anyone! Great Basin National Park is beautiful and I think that we went at a great time to explore the lower parts of the park. I would love to return in late summer to explore the upper parts of the park. There are several hikes that I still want to do.<br />
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This was a great way to spend the weekend together as a family. My boys are growing up fast and we only have a few more years with them. I'm so glad that we get the opportunity to get away with them. They may not appreciate it now but one day, they will look back on these trips and smile. To quote Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-65727320161040807022016-06-02T19:07:00.001-07:002016-06-02T20:53:08.472-07:00First triathlon since ACL replacement and Meniscus repair~Sand Hollow Sprint Triathlon~May 21, 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMrxOhI87a2UsZ-Pvxy7Vb_1v7ogZpvIywgkhO_Kgf9ksYZxQGcoPaNnxs_OZx4rJ5DBn_l4cr1sWkkDunSSSELeSxA3FbYo1CnUXAoFnbLMidD4s4TBzjeOaCGj5QiaKn7eQ5jFX6gKN/s1600/SandHollow.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMrxOhI87a2UsZ-Pvxy7Vb_1v7ogZpvIywgkhO_Kgf9ksYZxQGcoPaNnxs_OZx4rJ5DBn_l4cr1sWkkDunSSSELeSxA3FbYo1CnUXAoFnbLMidD4s4TBzjeOaCGj5QiaKn7eQ5jFX6gKN/s320/SandHollow.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last October, as I sat in the doctor's exam room listening to him tell me that I would be out of racing for a year, my heart sank. I had so many plans for the 2016 race season. He said that I could probably race a sprint triathlon by the fall, or a year after the injury. That news hurt more than my knee. I accepted this news and settled into the reality that I would have to cancel all of my plans for the upcoming year. </div>
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That lasted for about one month. By mid-November, I got the crazy idea that maybe I could still do most of the races I had planned for 2016. I talked with my husband about my plans and he was 100% behind me (as always). I called my coach and told him about my plans. He thought about it for almost one second and was on-board too. He warned me that it was not going to be easy but if I stuck to an aggressive rehabilitation plan and met all the benchmarks set into place that I should be able to do it.</div>
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With that blessing, I set about planning my 2016 race schedule. The first triathlon that I would do was Sand Hollow Sprint Triathlon. I was able to start swimming in the pool by mid-January, bike on the trainer by the end of January, bike outside by mid-March, start running at the beginning of April, and open water swim by mid-April. </div>
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Race weekend finally arrived. We drove to Hurricane, Utah on Friday night for packet pick-up. It was at a new location but I liked it better than the past locations. It was in a small strip of shops with a few eating places attached. We decided to eat at the pizzeria next door. After dinner, we went to our hotel. We stayed at the Comfort Inn Zion which was located between Hurricane and the race sight, Sand Hollow State Park. We got everything ready for the morning and went to bed.</div>
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We woke at 6:00 AM with a planned leave time of 6:30 AM. The hotel breakfast did not start until 6:30 AM so we ate the breakfast bars and bananas we brought just in case. We were in the car on time and on our way. The park required a parking pass for entry. We purchased it for $10 at packet pick-up so we were able to drive right through the pay station. We parked where we were directed and unloaded our gear. My race wasn't scheduled to start until 7:40 AM and my husband's was going to start at 8:00 AM. Since we arrived later than most of the racers, we had to park pretty far away. Once we arrived at transition, I was pleased to see that it wasn't too crowded and I was able to set up my transition spot with ease. </div>
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After my gear was set up, I got my body marking done. I was then able to walk around and find some friends that were also racing. As my race time approached, I made one final stop at the port-a-potty, grabbed my wetsuit, swim cap and goggles and headed down towards the swim start.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my biggest fan before the race</td></tr>
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Once I was near the water, my nerves really began to run wild. I started to worry about being able to complete the race. There is one really tough hill on the bike that I was worried about and the entire run made my nervous. I kept repeating my concerns to my husband but he continued to remind me that I was ready. I gave him one final smile and kiss and made my way to the water.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A smile before the race masking my nerves</td></tr>
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It was finally time for my wave. I followed all the other yellow caps into the water. I made my way towards the front of the floating herd. My goggles were fogging up so I made a few adjustments.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting a few final instructions from the race director</td></tr>
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After just a minute or so, the horn was blown and we were off. There was heavy wind forecast for the day and it definitely followed up to it's prediction. Due to the wind, the swim course was altered to keep the swimmers closer to the shore. The water was so choppy that I swallowed more water that morning than I have at any other open water swim or race. The waves were coming in from the right so I was only able to breathe from the left but even then, waves would crest over my head and water would fill my mouth. I had to cough a few times but powered through. The wind had blown over the swim out arch that I usually use to spot my return route so I had a little more difficulty than usual. I finally reached the boat ramp and made my way out of the water. I completed the 750 meter swim in 18:27.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And we're off</td></tr>
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Transition was short and sweet. I was a little nervous about getting my wetsuit off without pulling on my knee too much. I took a little more time just to stay safe and it came off without issue. I completed T1 in 2:50.</div>
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I started the bike portion feeling good. The beginning of the route is a nice little downhill which gave me a few minutes to rest my legs. Once at the bottom of the hill, I started pedaling. As you can see from the map below, there is a BIG hill that is about one mile long. It is affectionately called "The Beast". My goal for the bike was to not walk up the hill. I hadn't really done any hill training since I started biking again so I knew that this was going to hurt. It was very slow going but I put my head down and pedaled. I met my goal and stayed on my bike for the entire ride. Once on the other side of the hill, I was able to pick up speed to the turnaround. The remainder of the ride was good. The road had recently been resurfaced in chip and seal so it wasn't too fast or smooth. I completed the 12.4 mile bike portion in 53:21.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bike course</td></tr>
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I returned to the transition area and began to realize that I was going to be able to finish this race, even if I had to walk the run. As I was taking off my bike gear and getting my run gear on, I heard the announcer give me a shout out. I have raced with this company for several years and know most of the team. It was a nice added morale boost to have my friend cheer me along over the loud speaker. I finished T2 in 1:36.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMz1H6PAA8JAH9YFnhdDAtQN9KiId_iuUv4-8IjxL9JwhGcA9LWGrw6p9lgH7ibhaXr3KHIlljLh9FMYDPMYD34dCa5IwHI4-meMQhrQh1qizd125sbSlKc7PetbjwjyFom9ZQXq1S_tSp/s1600/SandHollowRun2016.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMz1H6PAA8JAH9YFnhdDAtQN9KiId_iuUv4-8IjxL9JwhGcA9LWGrw6p9lgH7ibhaXr3KHIlljLh9FMYDPMYD34dCa5IwHI4-meMQhrQh1qizd125sbSlKc7PetbjwjyFom9ZQXq1S_tSp/s320/SandHollowRun2016.PNG" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The run course</td></tr>
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My coach had given me the go ahead to run as much as I could and walk when needed. He reminded me to watch my speed out of the transition area. Since it starts with a downhill, he wanted me to make sure I controlled my run and didn't get ahead of myself. My Garmin watch was broken and off for repairs so I was completing this race without data. I had no idea how fast or slow I was running or how far I was along the course. The only point I would know the distance was at the turnaround spot. I ran for about the first 1.25 miles and then started to walk up the hill. I walked for about 3-5 minutes until I was at the top and then started running again. I made it to the turnaround and knew that I would be able to run the rest of the race since it was mainly downhill until the end. I started to run a little faster and let gravity help me. Once I reached the last uphill that led into the finisher's chute, I told myself that I was almost there and was not going to stop now. I pushed up the hill. I saw a few friends at the beginning of the finisher's chute and they started cheering for me. It gave me the final boost that I needed to pick up my pace. As I was making my way down the final few yards, the announcer told the crowd that I was about to finish my first race since my injury and major surgery. This caused the crowd to start cheering for me. It was an uplifting feeling. I tried to sprint the final few feet and crossed the finish line. At that moment, I started to cry. I was surprised at that reaction. Apparently, this meant more to me than I realized. I completed the 3.1 mile run in 37:26.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing my first sprint triathlon since my injury and surgery</td></tr>
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I received my medal, gave my timing chip back, grabbed a water and made my way to the transition area to grab my camera. I was still crying. I saw a friend who was working in transition and he congratulated me on my finish. I finally composed myself and returned to the timing table to see how I did. I completed the entire race in 1:53:42. It was good enough to place 2nd in my division of Athena, 40 and over. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXrWpaMfjhBImCh4fOrh6UOEaGA-OaH56GTB4ySQFud4koUljyOzaOyUeBuZawomE6ZjFk6qDaN7BkiAzS8BsgcwBhZgIVqKel4ZJzthm2bmmFMk2RHk78b3QqHGAhrkFRe9Wki62grYT/s1600/IMG_0911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXrWpaMfjhBImCh4fOrh6UOEaGA-OaH56GTB4ySQFud4koUljyOzaOyUeBuZawomE6ZjFk6qDaN7BkiAzS8BsgcwBhZgIVqKel4ZJzthm2bmmFMk2RHk78b3QqHGAhrkFRe9Wki62grYT/s320/IMG_0911.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the podium</td></tr>
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While receiving my place medal, the girl announcing told the crowd about it being my first race back after my injury and I got another cheer. It was humbling. I was proud of myself for having completed this race less than 5 months after my knee surgery and about 5 months before the doctor said I would be able to. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_GpI8tAOrNQTD4uPPv4T4g6VIuQLls55f8nPGf9AmA6fA7GcIT7lwqAjtYAl-q_uRjJzn68KKncVV-bEwSDKMl3Rva3dCrXk-hYwVpBGUNtvaMhrUXC3KfLkl01S9VnNygj-BeUvDltI/s1600/IMG_0913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_GpI8tAOrNQTD4uPPv4T4g6VIuQLls55f8nPGf9AmA6fA7GcIT7lwqAjtYAl-q_uRjJzn68KKncVV-bEwSDKMl3Rva3dCrXk-hYwVpBGUNtvaMhrUXC3KfLkl01S9VnNygj-BeUvDltI/s320/IMG_0913.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my finisher's medal and podium medal</td></tr>
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I still have a long way to go in my training in order to achieve all the goals that I have set for this year but so far, I am well on my way.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-91650989079241491932016-05-17T19:35:00.000-07:002016-05-17T19:53:52.638-07:00My first running race post injury~Skye Canyon 5K~5-14-16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnxnyM8fPPOiP50pduWG0bfg3lsracVpnpyJhx4YWvJ7Xs8hw9DIHXwTHKwGPFe5xXCkRa3nwds4wX7-cScHcMlB1O4QqfeDTaDXVbb1gL6BAuj1Fqr-4E3pliWjcrekJok8SW-eATn78/s1600/13062072_10104003628977489_532467897992795024_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnxnyM8fPPOiP50pduWG0bfg3lsracVpnpyJhx4YWvJ7Xs8hw9DIHXwTHKwGPFe5xXCkRa3nwds4wX7-cScHcMlB1O4QqfeDTaDXVbb1gL6BAuj1Fqr-4E3pliWjcrekJok8SW-eATn78/s320/13062072_10104003628977489_532467897992795024_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm finally able to race again! I completed my first running race, since my injury and surgery, on Saturday, May 14th. I was being hopeful when I registered for this race since I was only given the green light to start running again on March 30th. I didn't know how I would feel but since the race was only a mile from my house, I felt like I had to attend it even if I had to walk most of it.</div>
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My first training run after I got the release was a simple 2 minute walk, 1 minute run, 1 minute walk, 1 minute run, 1 minute walk, 1 minute run, 3 minute cool down. Three whole minutes of running. But let me tell you, I felt like I was going to die in those three minutes. My knee felt a little weird but my lungs felt like they were going to burst out of my chest. I checked my pulse and it was 180. I was amazed at how far my endurance had fallen. By the next week I had moved up to 6 minutes but my heart rate was still 180 and I continued to feel like I was on deaths door. Each week I increased my run length by a few minutes. On the Wednesday before the race, I was up to a 3 minute walk, 15 minute run, 2 minute walk, and 10 minute run. </div>
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On race morning, we drove to the race site since I didn't want to add any additional stress to my knee. We checked in and picked up our packets. The race was being held in the new planned community, Skye Canyon, located in the far NW valley of Las Vegas. Desert Sky Adventures was the company putting on the race. I had raced in a few of their runs before so even though this race was an inaugural event, it wasn't the companies first race. </div>
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The morning was perfect, sunny with a tiny breeze. I made my way through the waiting racers and talked to some friends who were also racing. I have really missed the social aspect while I was sidelined. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUPaTf_1TuD-wE0MZTkC8w90EGJL6qfKpSrsAQ12qeiX-yB76hFSrsf8riTfMKqyRr0bqv3lro8vsHscjzvmLvUiUB2fhm4E1upmrYs_lr5K-h9BEuwxKVbaj2KuVf05FrEY1GJVXcKrD/s1600/13240169_10104003628967509_6097674155953856374_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUPaTf_1TuD-wE0MZTkC8w90EGJL6qfKpSrsAQ12qeiX-yB76hFSrsf8riTfMKqyRr0bqv3lro8vsHscjzvmLvUiUB2fhm4E1upmrYs_lr5K-h9BEuwxKVbaj2KuVf05FrEY1GJVXcKrD/s320/13240169_10104003628967509_6097674155953856374_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As the start time approached, I made my way over to my husband (who was racing the 8K road/trail race) and waited with him. He has been such an important part of my recovery and he has been there for me through it all. So I was glad to be starting my first race back by his side. We listened to the National Anthem, gave each other a few words of encouragement and a then a kiss. That seems to be our pre-race ritual. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQDoooEcqH_4myzdJsHvMFk-eOaTe0AL0FUYZly8AEOEHw1dA1j-VZ0SR9UUhbs7rAI1MOLSHjV4kJrKxZJXz88gKUcS154Q46CgMVKDhoqunDyrseuFLBS6dzTkjW1xd70SvLwCxTund/s1600/13247736_10104003634361699_2031861460672281934_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQDoooEcqH_4myzdJsHvMFk-eOaTe0AL0FUYZly8AEOEHw1dA1j-VZ0SR9UUhbs7rAI1MOLSHjV4kJrKxZJXz88gKUcS154Q46CgMVKDhoqunDyrseuFLBS6dzTkjW1xd70SvLwCxTund/s320/13247736_10104003634361699_2031861460672281934_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then we were off! The 8K and the 5K stayed together until just before the 5K finish. I only saw my husband for the first 100 yards or so before he left me in the dust. The race took us through three neighborhoods under construction. Later, I heard other racers talking about looking at the houses and commenting on their size. Honestly, I don't think I looked up more than a few times during the race. I was so focused on my form, foot placement, posture, and foot strike that I pretty much stared at the pavement the entire race. </div>
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I had a running schedule to follow given to me by my coach. I was to run for 15-20 minutes, walk 1-2 minutes and then run for 10-15 minutes. It was based on time but my Garmin wasn't showing me the information I needed to determine that. Luckily, I saw someone I knew that was running beside me and was able to ask her the time. I ran for 20 minutes, walked for 2 minutes and then ran the rest of the race. The race was hillier than I expected and the sun was really intense but I told myself to suck it up and run. I finished with a time of 34:27. I was so happy with that time! It was nowhere near what I was running last year but way better than most people expected me to be doing less then 5 months after surgery. </div>
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This has been a slow journey. It has been more of a mental struggle than a physical struggle. I had to be patient and follow my doctor, physical therapist and coach's advise to the letter. I had a few small setbacks but for the most part have had a great recovery. I am so happy to be on my way back into racing!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-89171039010928966492016-05-14T14:50:00.003-07:002016-05-14T14:50:30.427-07:00Racing with G-Force~Rage Triathlon Sprint Relay~4/16/16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYothGdOF4DyIkXvAEk9zcHixTCiZxyKYrkjpOa1kPh0omxbORutlOp0hKzsTVnntMqwSa_xsybXM4Jh1oY9tmLcJW206r5qb29_vrSKNw0YqJRd8Wgq0ZYhrbig8WgUSEq272FHMLP61j/s1600/IMG_0836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYothGdOF4DyIkXvAEk9zcHixTCiZxyKYrkjpOa1kPh0omxbORutlOp0hKzsTVnntMqwSa_xsybXM4Jh1oY9tmLcJW206r5qb29_vrSKNw0YqJRd8Wgq0ZYhrbig8WgUSEq272FHMLP61j/s320/IMG_0836.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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For this year's Rage Triathlon, I decided to participate in it as a relay with my husband and son. Since I am still recovering from my knee surgery, it was a good idea to share the effort. I was the swim portion, my husband was the bike portion and my son was the run portion. </div>
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We arrived about 45 minutes early. Since we were racing as a relay team, we didn't really need to set up an elaborate transition area so we didn't need a lot of time before the race. Once we arrived, my husband got his bike situated on the rack. I walked around and talked with a few friends as they prepared for their races. About 20 minutes before my waves start, 7:40 AM, I stopped for one last potty break and then got my wetsuit on. I then headed to the water and awaited my turn to start. </div>
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It was forecast to get really windy but luckily, it was holding off. There was a constant wind but we weren't having to deal with the 25-30 mph gusts just yet. I gave my family a hug and kiss and entered the water. It was cold but not too bad. I had made it out the week before for one open water swim practice so that helped me know what to expect. I listened to some quick swim instructions from the race director and waited for the air horn to sound. Once I heard it, I was off. </div>
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They had changed the regular swim course to accommodate for the strong winds. We were to swim a triangle with the first section heading straight into the wind. It was slow going and really choppy. They were starting waves every few minutes but because of the wind and current pushing against us, there were a lot of people jammed together in this first section. I powered through it and made the first right hand turn around the buoy. Once I was on the straight backside, I had the wind to my back and was able to utilize the wind and current to my advantage. I made up a lot of ground there. I finally made the last right hand turn to head to shore. I was still passing people and felt like I was having a good swim. Since I only had to worry about the swim, I was able to go full speed for the entire swim and not worry about saving anything for the bike or run. I finally reached the shore and quickly made my way out of the water. I was worried about the swim exit and the run to transition since I had only been allowed to run for about two weeks but there were no problems and the knee felt fine. </div>
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Once I reached the transition area, I met up with my husband and he grabbed the timing chip from my ankle and placed it on his. He then ran up to his bike, grabbed it and took off. I then walked around until I was able to locate my son who was carrying our backpack. I changed my clothes and then went to the bike in area of transition and waited for my husband to return. </div>
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I wasn't sure of the exact time my husband left on the bike so we were trying to pay close attention to who was coming in so as to be ready for the timing chip exchange. Shortly after racers began to return on their bikes, I saw my husband. My son ran over to him, grabbed the timing chip from his ankle, placed it on his ankle and took off running through the transition to complete his 5K. </div>
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I walked with my husband to his transition spot while he changed his shoes and dropped off his bike. We then walked to the finisher's chute to wait for my son. My husband decided to walk up the course a bit so he could run my son in once he was close. I wasn't able to run that far yet so I decided to meet them at the final section and we would all three run the finish together. I finally saw them and jumped into the chute to join them. Once we were all together, we ran the final 100 yards to the finish line. </div>
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We had a great race! We ended up placing 4th out of 25 teams. My 750 meter swim was completed in 12:15. My husband's 12.4 mile bike ride was completed in 45:00. My son's 3.1 mile run was completed in 27:55. We missed 3rd place by only 27 seconds. It was really fun racing together as a relay team. We are also registered to race as a relay for Pumpkinman in October. It is a different course but it will be interesting to see if we can make it to the podium for that race. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-50715044479058208942016-05-03T16:18:00.000-07:002016-05-03T16:18:32.792-07:00A Conversation with Professional Triathlete, Angela Naeth ~ 5/3/16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recently had the chance to talk with professional triathlete, Angela Naeth. I first saw Angela race at the 2015, Oceanside Ironman 70.3. I was amazed at her speed and power. Every time </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">she passed me along the course, she seemed to have a smile on her face and determination in her eyes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Angela is a world-class Professional Triathlete who has raced professionally for the last 7 years. She has won multiple 70.3s and two Ironman 140.6s, both in under the 9 hour benchmark for female athletes in Ironman. In 2015, she was crowned the National Ironman Champion winning the North American Ironman Championship in an amazing 8:55! Along with her results, she has coached a number of athletes in all areas of triathlon. She is a physical therapist by trade and has a Masters in Physical Therapy and a Bachelors in Health Science. Her race experience, education and the coaches she's worked with throughout her career, make her very knowledgeable in all areas. She's passionate about helping others achieve their best.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was able to ask her all types of questions about things that I often wonder about when I see a pro at events. If you are like me, maybe you have wondered some of these questions yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chaslan's Adventures (CA): When did you start racing? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Angela Naeth (AN): I started racing a year after working as a physical therapist in Canada, about 2007 or so. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What drew you to triathlons? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: The ability to do all three sports and I loved riding a bike! I was a track athlete in college and always loved cross training on two wheels. I wanted to stay in shape and felt triathlon was a great way to challenge myself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What is your best race memory? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: Running the last 100 yards of the North American Ironman Championship in Texas 2015. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What is your favorite place you have ever raced? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: St Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands! It's a beautiful island in the Caribbean and the water is amazing! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: How do you find balance with family, friends, and work (if you still work)? <br /><br />AN: I make the time for all and I think it's key. I have off days, time I space out with family and also time to do personal coaching. It's a good balance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What has been your worst race moment? <br /><br />AN: Having GI symptoms that lasted an entire marathon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: Do you ever doubt yourself? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: Yes, I think this is natural for many people. I challenge myself on it and focus on the positivity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What motivational mantras do you use when times get tough? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: "I am strong". I also try to shut my brain off and find the quietness. It's this quiet mind that I feel is the best way to race. You're in the moment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What was the instance or race that you knew you had arrived as a pro? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: My first 70.3 win at Boulder 70.3</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What is your pre-race ritual? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: I have many but I follow a good nutrition plan and have a lofty breakfast before the race, waffles and maple syrup! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: Do you have a post-race ritual? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: Not really! I tend to enjoy a good burger though! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What are your must-haves on race day? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: This is a tough one! I use the equipment I do because I feel I couldn't go without! I definitely need a Red Bull on deck! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What does an average week look like for you with training? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: It varies but its roughly 20 hours a week with 5 swims, 5 bikes and 5 runs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: Which of the three disciplines is your favorite and which is your least favorite? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: I wouldn't say I have a least favorite. I love them all in different ways. There are days I don't 'want' to do one but nothing that makes me feel I don't like it. It's a good balance to me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What bike do you ride and does it have a name? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: I ride a Scott Plasma and love it! Sadly, no name though.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lGte2dCZ4sFhU5ETzknWjT7t-jbJhf0jhCTcoY6FiYYtXnn3A-Ao_CoyTjVemEDsLP_qWLC5jD8Xx4HOKa8DwCxZB8xtYO5WTe8aU4BgxPkU7o73vd9Q3UWGrvCD0f6VygekW4z2vS8f/s1600/11893906_10205777036640260_1626627426761181424_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lGte2dCZ4sFhU5ETzknWjT7t-jbJhf0jhCTcoY6FiYYtXnn3A-Ao_CoyTjVemEDsLP_qWLC5jD8Xx4HOKa8DwCxZB8xtYO5WTe8aU4BgxPkU7o73vd9Q3UWGrvCD0f6VygekW4z2vS8f/s320/11893906_10205777036640260_1626627426761181424_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What has been your favorite race? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: So far, Ironman Texas 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What are your hobbies other than triathlons? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: Coaching. I love helping others! It's been a big outlet for me and I find a lot of challenge and happiness in it. I also love spending time with my dogs, reading, traveling and finding ways to get in touch with nature. I love going to painting classes. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggT6KPm9Q_Ln3M5gObVrXzSJVAfqCLw4Elt6tyheYeoFhNnLmhjHQbuAvOP-cca_cf-xwrSrbDVm-Xd0r8CMHmyf43vS1X4hn2Kv4ub-4XNdb0sUEt05bRbIihkQfjd73IattfmfQasGU7/s1600/12244344_10153463155844821_9191376396474038213_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggT6KPm9Q_Ln3M5gObVrXzSJVAfqCLw4Elt6tyheYeoFhNnLmhjHQbuAvOP-cca_cf-xwrSrbDVm-Xd0r8CMHmyf43vS1X4hn2Kv4ub-4XNdb0sUEt05bRbIihkQfjd73IattfmfQasGU7/s320/12244344_10153463155844821_9191376396474038213_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What is your favorite race distance? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: Ironman! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: If you could do one thing differently, what would it be? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: Nothing. I don't believe in this thinking. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What is your favorite cheat food? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: Chocolate... though I don't think it's that much of a cheat food. I have it almost daily! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: If you are on the trainer for a long ride, what do you watch? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: All sorts of things - I love binge watching Netflix. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: You're currently recovering from an injury, how will this affect your race schedule this year? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: I'll have a restart to the year and focus on the races in late summer and fall. I'm excited about it as I'll do races I've always wanted to do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: Do you prefer to train with partners or alone? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: Both. I love swimming groups but do prefer to ride alone and run alone most days. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What is your favorite song to workout to? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: I don't have one. I love everything from top 40 to The Beatles. I mix it up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CA: What's one thing that people do not know about you? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AN: I'm scared of heights! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgD1SeWeBp2bK7nydwQl9cCnIgTMdGBHW0ZQm_oovKQHdSWo07q-woB30Qka6ITPTywGqqY1g3kgUKnVfxepmmxcZT180ToWok8Ve8qYy8Pdd8gjztsYS_cNe8ayTaRbxl5ijhONa72os/s1600/P1250752-edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgD1SeWeBp2bK7nydwQl9cCnIgTMdGBHW0ZQm_oovKQHdSWo07q-woB30Qka6ITPTywGqqY1g3kgUKnVfxepmmxcZT180ToWok8Ve8qYy8Pdd8gjztsYS_cNe8ayTaRbxl5ijhONa72os/s320/P1250752-edited.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would like to thank Angela for her time! I hope you learned something that you can take and apply to your life. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Angela offers personalized coaching as well as consulting services. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her consultations are for triathletes and endurance athletes who want to reach their peak performance. Together, in 1:1 consulting calls/in-person visits, Angela can help you optimize your training, develop a plan to help set your PR, analyze a particular course, or review and improve your training regimen. These can be done regularly for consistent results, on as-needed basis for fine-tuning. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-59706684441859110972016-04-01T15:02:00.001-07:002016-04-07T20:46:26.164-07:00Exploring Death Valley National Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have always enjoyed hiking but as a recovery tactic since my knee surgery, I have added more trips into my schedule. I made three visits to Death Valley National Park within six weeks, exploring a different section of the park each time. I wanted to write this blog to encourage more people to visit this amazing park and to help hopeful visitors with their trip planning.<br />
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The park is divided into three main sections; Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, and Scotty's Castle. On each visit, I explored a different section.<br />
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<b>Scotty's Castle Area</b></div>
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On February 14, 2016, we set our sights on the Scotty's Castle area. Due to a massive flood in October 2015, Scotty's Castle and the road leading into the park from Scotty's Junction, HWY 267, was closed for repair. We decided to enter the park from HWY 374 from Beatty, NV. A few miles outside of Beatty, we took the Titus Canyon turn-off. This is a one-way, 27 mile back country road over the Grapevine Mountains into the park. The dirt road is rough, steep and narrow. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended. </div>
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The first half of the drive is a winding climb to the summit. Once you cross the summit, you begin an immediate descent towards the ghost town, Leadfield. There are a few shacks and mines to explore. It was also a great place to take a stretch break. </div>
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We then continued our way down Titus Canyon. This is where we began to enter the canyon narrows. It was really cool to be dwarfed by the towering limestone cliffs. </div>
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The final three miles of the road are two-way. There is a small parking area and bathroom where the one-way meets the two-way. For the last few miles of one-way through the narrows, we encountered several hikers as they made their way up the canyon.</div>
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At the end of Titus Canyon Road, we intersected Scotty's Castle Road and turned right. We followed this road to the end where we got onto another dirt road called Racetrack Road. It is a 27 mile gravel road that recommends a high clearance vehicle. We took this road to its end, The Grandstand and The Racetrack. The Grandstand is on the north end of the Racetrack. It is a large island outcrop of quartz monzonite. You can see it behind us on the left edge of the picture.</div>
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The Racetrack is playa, dry lakebed, that is home to the moving rocks. Rocks from the surrounding mountains have fallen to the valley floor. Once on the floor, the rocks move across the level surface leaving trails as records to their movements. Some have traveled as far as 1500 feet! There are many theories as to why the rocks move but a more recent one suggests that a combination of rain and wind enable them to move. The best rocks to view are located in the southeast edge of the dry lakebed. We parked at the lower lot and walked across the playa for about an hour looking at all the different rocks and routes.</div>
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After exploring the Racetrack, we drove back down the 27 mile dirt road to get onto the paved Scotty's Castle Road again. Right at that intersection is Ubehebe Crater. It is a large volcanic crater 600 feet deep and a half mile across. There are clusters of smaller craters to the south and west of Ubehebe Crater. We walked around the main crater's rim which was about 1.5 miles long. It is considered a moderate hike due to the climb and loose footing. </div>
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<b>Stovepipe Wells Area</b></div>
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On March 5, 2016, we explored the Stovepipe Wells area. Death Valley was experiencing a once-in-a-decade Super Bloom due to the extra rain the previous October so we did not want to miss our chance to see the flowers. </div>
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We once again entered the park on HWY 374, Daylight Pass Road, from Beatty but this time we took the main entrance into the park. There are no manned fee stations at Death Valley so visitors are expected to be on the honor system and stop at the information booths or Visitor's Center to pay their fees. </div>
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We began this day's exploration at Mosaic Canyon. It was the first left after Stovepipe Wells Village. The village had a store, gas station, ranger information, food, camping, and lodging. The road is a 2 mile gravel road that ends at a small parking area at the trailhead. The canyons start about 1/4 a mile from the parking lot. Mosaic Canyon is the drainage for the northern flank of Tucki Mountain. Periodic flash flooding continues to bring down sand, gravel and rock from the surrounding hills. </div>
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The hike climbs for about 1.5 to 2 miles before it is blocked by a dry waterfall.</div>
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After the turnaround, we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the valley as we made our way back to the car. On the west side of the trail, there was an option to take a higher route. My husband took that trail. Unfortunately, it was a dead end at the edge of a bluff and he had to scramble a bit to get down.</div>
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Next we made our way to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. These dunes are the best known and easiest to visit of the parks dunes. It is located directly off the main road, HWY 190, near Stovepipe Wells Village. The dunes cover a vast area but the highest peak is only 100 feet high. We picked a peak to hike to and made our way there. It was not the highest but it was uninhabited and that was why we chose it. We ate our lunch on the peak and then spent about an hour sitting/laying there enjoying the day. </div>
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After lunch, we stopped at the Salt Creek Interpretive Trail. It offered a one mile out and back boardwalk trail along a seasonal stream of salty water. It is the only home of the rare Salt Creek Pupfish. </div>
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As the day was drawing to an end, we started to make our way out of the park but didn't want to miss the flowers. We took the Beatty Cutoff back to HWY 374. This is where we saw most of the wild flowers. It was very beautiful! </div>
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<b>Furnace Creek Area</b></div>
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On March 27, 2016, we explored the Furnace Creek Area. We entered the park on HWY 190 from the Death Valley Junction. Just after we entered the park, we took the turn-off to Dante's View. It was a 13 mile out and back paved road that led to a 5475 feet high overlook on the Black Mountains. It is considered to be one of the great photographic spots in Death Valley. There are a few small trails leading from the parking lot. We took the one to the west. It was steep but worth it because the view was breathtaking. </div>
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We then made our way back down to the valley floor. Right after we passed the Furnace Creek Inn and right before we reached the Sea Level sign, we turned onto Badwater Road. As we slowly descended, we were greeted with great views of the salt flats. After about 11 miles, we turned onto a dirt road towards the Devil's Golf Course. It is a short drive and definitely worth it. It is called Devil's Golf Course because the immense area of rock salt eroded by wind and rain into jagged spires so incredible serrated that "only the devil could play gold of such rough links".</div>
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Next, we continued down Badwater Road to Badwater Basin. Badwater is the lowest point in the United States at 282 feet below sea level. This is an area that you are allowed to walk as far as you want. The beginning of the trail has a boardwalk area that boarders a small amount of water. Once you leave the boardwalk, you walk onto the salt flats and are allowed to explore until your heart is content. Expect to walk quit a distance to see the nicer salt flats because the high traffic level has crushed the salt formations. </div>
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Once we finished there, we began our drive back up Badwater Road towards Furnace Creek. We turned onto Artist Drive which is a one-way, 9 mile paved scenic loop. We drove through multi-colored volcanic and sedimentary hills. About halfway through the drive is a short turn-off to see the Artist's Palette. That is where you will see most of the beautiful colors on the hill. You can hike all among the hills at this stop. This is where we ate our lunch. We then finished the loop and continued north towards Furnace Creek. </div>
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We then went to Furnace Creek. This is the hub of the park. There is a general store, restaurant, hotel, gas station, visitor center, Indian reservation, campground, and much more. We stopped to shop at the store and bought some ice cream treats. We enjoyed them on the patio as we people and dog watched. After we finished our treats, we drove over to the Visitor Center. The front of the center has a digital thermometer which is fun to see how warm it is while you are there. We walked through the museum, watched the informative video, read information on Scotty's Castle, and shopped the parks store. When we left, the thermostat read 88 degrees.</div>
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We continued our drive up HWY 190 to the Beatty Cutoff. We took that road in hopes to see the flowers again but we had no luck. There were still flowers within the park but they were a lot sparser than when we were there at the beginning of the month. We then connected back to HWY 374 and headed towards Beatty. </div>
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About 4 miles west of Beatty, we turned north to see Rhyolite Ghost Town. This town sprang up in 1905 and by 1906 it held a bank, stock exchange, Board of Trade, red light district, hotels, stores, a school for 250 children. an ice plant, two electric plants, foundries, machine shops, hospital, railroad station, over 50 bars and even an ice cream parlor. A financial panic in 1907 took it's toll on Rhyolite and was seen as the beginning of the end for the town. By 1910, only 611 residents remained. By 1916, the lights and power were finally turned off to the town. </div>
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There are several buildings and remnants of buildings to explore. My favorites were the three story bank and Tom Kelly's Bottle house. He built his house in 1906 with 50,000 beer, liquor and medicine bottles. The house was restored in 1925 by Paramount Pictures. </div>
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There are many more things to see within and around Death Valley National Park. These are just a few of the more popular things. Death Valley is about 2 hours from Las Vegas and makes for a great day or weekend trip. There are lots of options for lodging and camping if you would like to make a weekend out of it. I hope that this has given you some idea of the amazing things to see and do at one of our nation's largest National Parks. Now go out and explore!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-72793974150575702572016-02-07T14:32:00.001-08:002016-02-07T19:41:13.507-08:00What is an Athena?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When you hear the word "Athena" what do you think of? Many of you will think of this:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Athena is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, mathematics, olive oil, strength, war strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill in ancient Greek religion and mythology.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I hear the word Athena, I think of a group of women that I have come to associate myself with. The governing body for triathlons is USAT (USA Triathlon). Races that are certified through USAT offer a division for heavier athletes, Clydesdale for men 220 pounds and heavier and Athena for women 165 pound and heavier. For the Athena there are usually two divisions, 0-39 (Open) and 40+ (Masters). There is sometimes an additional division of 55+ (Grand Masters). This division was created to allow athletes to compete against similar athletes. Women athletes who meet the weight requirement have the choice to race against others closer to their age in the age group divisions or closer to their weight in the Athena division. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is an underlining resentment towards athletes who chose to race as Clydesdale or Athena though. Just do a simple online search and you will be bombarded with examples. Here are just a few responses I found to the question "Why is there a Clydesdale/Athena Category" on the slowtwitch.com forum: "A lot of the bigger guys/gals that I have seen could get under the cutoff with the loss of some blubber", "Because America's full of bloaters. Other countries don't have this nonsense", "Clydesdale/Athena is just another way to make some people feel good about themselves. Just like my nephew playing baseball but 'not keeping score' and 'everyone gets to bat'. Even my nephews don't see what the point is, we're not fooling anyone", "Fatties want to get awards", "Most women won't enter as Athena anyway due to the stigma of being overweight", "On the animal/female theme regarding Clydesdales, perhaps the female version could be 'cow' or whilst swimming 'sea cow' (manatee)". I could click on any question about this topic and would find the similar results. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As represented by the above comments, some people feel that the Clydesdale/Athena categories are charity categories for the slow/fat athletes. A category that is easier to place or podium in and that they are not true athletes. Sure, you may find heavier, slower athletes in these categories but you will also find them in the age group categories as well. When I raced my first triathlon, I was excited to see that there was an Athena division offered. I was going to sign up for the race regardless so it didn't sway me one way or another but I do know other athletes that have signed up to race only because there was a Clydesdale/Athena category offered. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I started my weight loss/get fit journey, I was battling with low self-esteem and depression. I knew that I needed to make a change in my life. I was the heaviest I had ever been and could barely walk up a flight of stairs without getting out of breath. I hated my body. I wore baggy clothes to cover up when I worked out. The thought of wearing a bathing suit terrified me but unfortunately, I needed to wear one to swim in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I slowly gained confidence in my ability, I also began to gain confidence in my body. I raced my first triathlon as a bucket list item. I never thought I was going to become addicted but when I crossed that finish line, something inside me changed. I had seen other women, like me, out there doing what I was doing. We didn't look at our bodies as a hindrance but as a machine that was capable of amazing things. I no longer wear the baggy clothes I once did when training. I am still fluffy and I still have rolls, and believe me spandex does not hide anything, but I am no longer ashamed of my body. She has carried me through more races than I ever thought possible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I sign up as Athena when the option is offered. I don't look at it as a handicap or a freebie. There is never a guarantee who will show up at the race, how my body with perform, or if I will have any mechanical issues. I race against myself, to push myself further than I ever thought I could. Being a part of the Athena community has helped shape who I am today. I have a sisterhood that gets me, accepts me, pushes me. We are legitimate athletes who should be taken as such. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I hear the word Athena, I think of some of the many women that I have the privilege of calling my friends. I would like to introduce you to some of the fierce Athenas that I get to race against. Not one of them should be taken lightly. They enter the races to compete. They are true athletes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Diane Kondos</span></div>
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<span dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had been an athlete all the way through college. I was lucky enough to be able to swim in college, a great experience, but somewhere along the path of marriage and motherhood, my athletic self got lost. I taught and coached swimming but I was lucky to get in and swim a slow mile a few times a week. </span></span></div>
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<span dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When my kids left for college, I suddenly found myself with lots of free time in the evenings. I saw a local running store was offering a couch to 5K program so I signed up. I could barely run 30 seconds in the beginning but soon I was running a 5K. Although I was slow, I enjoyed the challenge, the physical activity and the friends I made in the running group. I worked up to running half marathons and a full. My physical conditioning was greatly improved as was my confidence.</span></span></div>
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<span dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I started thinking about triathlons. I could run and swim, all that was left was biking. I had spent years watching my husband compete in tris and I realized I would rather be competing than sitting in the hot sun watching. So at the age of 54, I tentatively entered my 1st tri. I was very nervous and insisted on going out of state to do my 1st triathlon. I didn't want to be humiliated in front of people I knew. I loved it and continued entering sprint tris. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span dir="ltr">My first experience as an Athena was at the Athena National Championships in Arkansas in 2014. I was originally going to this event to compete in the open water swim but the idea of an Athena triathlon appealed to me so I entered the Sprint category for Athenas 55 and over. As it turns out, I was the only one in my category so I became the National Champion! In 2015, I was once again, the only woman over 55 in the Olympic distance so I was once again became the National Champion! </span>The best part of those two National Championships was meeting the other Athenas! What a great group of supportive women!</span></div>
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<span dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The races I consider my biggest accomplishments were the two 70.3s I've done and the 5 mile ocean race in St. Croix. Due to a foot injury, I'm focusing on swimming this year, hoping to swim a 10k open water swim. I wish I would have started triathlons in my 30s or 40s but it's better late than never!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moniek Pullen</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm Moniek Pullen, 33, born and raised in the Netherlands and moved to the US in 2010. I'm a stay at home mum of 2 toddlers (2.5 and 4 years old). I have always loved to work out and it's a good way to keep me sane. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have a kayaking background. I have won multiple Dutch titles and race in many European and World Championships. I started training for triathlons 5 years ago and finally after 2 pregnancies, raced in my first race in 2015, Rage Triathlon in Las Vegas, NV.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've done sprints and one Olympic last year and signed up for my first 70.3. This year I will mainly focus on training and won't race a lot. I don't have a favorite race. I enjoy Las Vegas because it's my new home town. I raced in the UK and Holland over the summer. I love racing in Utah and Colorado as well because they are beautiful too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am a Cincinnati, OH transplant by way of Michigan. I work in higher education, am a passionate animal lover, and self-proclaimed foodie.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I swam competitively in high school but didn’t start running until early 2014. I had lost a lot of weight and needed a motivator to keep working out. I entered my first race, Challenge New Albany, and was hooked! I battled against my body for so long and it was exhilarating to push it beyond my self-imposed limits. I continue to be amazed at what I can do, and how strong (physically and mentally) I am.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have a few goals that I would like to accomplish. The first goal is to race my first 70.3 distance. I am registered for Ironman 70.3 Ohio and it will be my first…that is if I don’t race long-course at the Athena/Clydesdale Nationals first! My second goal is to get my average running pace under 8 minutes/mile. I got close toward the end of my 2015 season but I think mental blocks were holding me back. My third goal is to earn an overall podium spot at a race. I have a fierce competitive side to me and I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy winning!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My favorite race has been, hands-down, The Experience at Frankenmuth, put on by 3Disciplines Racing. Being native to Michigan, I had visited Frankenmuth (a cheesy Bavarian tourist village) many times, but never quite like this. The race started by jumping off a boat into the Cass River and ended with a run course complete with Polka bands, chickens at the petting farm, and a jaunt around Bronner’s (a year round Christmas store destination). The post race meal was a fried chicken dinner, which Frankenmuth is famous for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I have been in a battle with my body for as long as I can remember. I was always so focused on the things that I couldn't do because of my weight. Training for my first triathlon was such as eye-opener for me. For the first time in my life I pushed myself beyond what I thought my limit was, and I survived! That gave me the confidence to see what else I was capable of. Now, the whole reason I love this crazy sport is because it forces you to push yourself (physically and mentally) beyond what you think is possible. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">I think negative self/body image can happen to anyone, regardless of size. However, I think being a larger athlete comes with its own set of challenges and being part of the Athena community is a great resource. It's comforting to know that I am not the only one going through this journey. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tracy Hillaby</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My name is Tracy. This will be my 9th year of racing. I am a single mom of 3, I work on a rehab unit at a psychiatric hospital, I'm a volunteer Firefighter and a triathlete.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">I've done every distance and a two time Ironman Finisher. </span><span style="background-color: white;">This year I have Calgary 70.3 and Ironman Boulder on my race calendar.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">I fell into triathlons by chance really. I had watched a friend finish Ironman Canada several times and thought nope, not for me. </span><span style="background-color: white;">But then I started running, added biking and finally swimming. The first few years was mostly for fun but everything changed after my first Ironman....a definite shift occurred and I was never the same. My whole thought process changed and I gained a realization that I was truly limitless. </span><span style="background-color: white;">I began racing with a purpose and it felt amazing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">My favorite race was the Olympic distance at Chinook in Calgary. The race is no more unfortunately. Now any race with BBSC or with Sarah is my favorite.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Triathlon has now become a way of life, part of the fabric that has created who I am. It has allowed me to travel and race in some stunning locations. It's also introduced me to some of the most inspirational and amazing people that have become part of my extended family. </span><span style="background-color: white;">I've shown the world, women and my children that size is no reason to not go for your dreams, that an athlete comes in all shapes and sizes and that the only limits I face are self-imposed. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Laura Love</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am a 6 foot tall wife, mom, and assistant principal who loves life and the adventure it is!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">My "serious" race goals have been put on hold for this year as my husband and I will be building another home. Someday I hope to complete a full iron distance, but until then I just go out and have fun training with friends and finishing races with a smile.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">My favorite race is Pumpkinman, a BBSC Race in Boulder City, NV. I love the hill climb! It is so beautiful and a great mental workout! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Why do I participate is triathlons? I love a challenge and my Aries personality loves the variety of the 'three sports' in triathlon. I had always wanted to complete a triathlon and while in college I signed up for a race and had a great time. Several years and two kids later, I figured triathlon would be a great way to get back into shape. One race the first year, turn into three the following year. Then five races the next year, and 15 last year!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Megan Sullivan</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My name is Megan and I'm a mid-30's federal employee in the DC area. I blog at <a href="http://elbowglitter.com/" target="_blank">elbowglitter.com</a>. </span></div>
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<span class=""><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I started running a little over ten years ago as a way to de-stress during law school. I loved it and have run well over 30 half marathons, but I wanted something different. In 2013, I raced my first triathlon. I did a beginner race, and then my first "big" triathlon, Iron Girl Columbia. It's a sprint distance with a hilly course and a huge number of participants. I totally fell in love with the sport. I love the cross training and I love the camaraderie. Triathletes are the best, whether they're hitting the podium every race or just trying to make the time cutoff.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="" style="background-color: white;">I've always been chubby, but it wasn't until I got into sports that I started really paying attention to my body's shape and realizing that hey, maybe this isn't so mainstream. That isn't easy, especially in a sport where you're wearing spandex. During my first triathlon, I wore a tri kit that was looser around my stomach, hiding the part of my body I liked the least. While swimming, it would sort of swish around my waist. Not ideal. So for my second race, I wore a properly fitted tri kit. It didn't hurt that it was the kit for my charity team, of course, but even though it was tight, I didn't care. In fact, I thought I looked pretty good. Yes, you could see my belly, but you could also see my super strong thighs and my defined shoulders. That race was also the first time that I was in an Athena wave, and I looked around at all of these other women of varying sizes and realized it doesn't matter. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, but at the end of the day, we're all out here with the same goals - to get to that finish line.</span><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></div>
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<span class=""><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The thing is, it doesn't matter what size you are. A lot of people worry about what they look like in their tri kits, men and women alike. Spandex isn't forgiving. It doesn't matter if you weigh 135 pounds or 335 pounds, there's probably something about your body you don't like. Once you realize that, you stop caring about how you look. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kimee Armour</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My name is Kimee Armour, I am married & have 4 wonderful children. I work full-time as a Registered Nurse and teach Nursing School for local colleges as well. I retired from the U.S. Navy in 1999 and seemed to be in fair health with medical problems that had not affected me to their fullest potential yet. Statistics showed retired military personnel generally die within 5 years of their retirement. I didn't want to become a statistic. In 2004 & 2005 I reached my heaviest weight over 350 lbs. No one knows how heavy I was because I refused to get on any scale. Drastic measures had to be taken.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I started walking, and walking, and walking until I had energy to jog a few steps. I never looked back! I've lost over 175 lbs and am currently trying to lose that last 20 lbs that I really want to rid my body of. Physicians told me they couldn't help me because I should never exercise because my heart rate would be in the high 200's and has gone up to 300's. I refused to listen and still never looked back!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was diagnosed with Sjogrens Syndrome at the age of 24. At that time, I only was told that I would go blind when I got to be 50 years old or so. Now the dehydration sets in and my muscle fibers tear, bones get weak and can break, My lungs shut down which causes asthma issues and severe pneumonia. I don't make tears, I am unable to make saliva, and I swear very little but boy, can I stink up a room after a workout! I don't let this disorder dictate what I can and cannot do. Currently, I am 45 years old and the healthiest I have been in my life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have a few race goals this year. I would love to qualify for USAT Age Group Nationals again. I qualified 4 years in a row then an injury stopped me for a few years. Otherwise, just give it my heart and soul and enjoy every step of the way. I am doing things I never imagined and have the best support ever....my family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My favorite marathon is a tie between Little Rock Arkansas and Chicago. My hip broke during the Chicago marathon so hubby said I can't run that one anymore. Little Rock Arkansas sports the biggest and heaviest medal ever made and I love bling!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I crossed the finish line of my first Sprint Triathlon in April 2009. I thought I was going to die! I told my hubby that I finished but didn't see any reason to do another one. I had accomplished my goal so why do it again? I was told to sign up "Athena" because I had a better chance racing against people my own size. It was a Clydesdale friend that told me this. He is amazing and put it into perspective for me not competing against those that are much smaller than I. I weighed about 180 lbs at that race. I came in 2nd place Athena that day and my entire family was there to watch me. My hubby gives me the "72" hour rule of changing my mind because I didn't make it 3 days when I signed up for my next race, an Olympic distance open water swim. I was terrified.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I think about my self esteem before triathlons, I hated looking in the mirror unless it was from the waist up, God forbid, show up in a bathing suit without a skirt over it. I was proud of my weight loss but I hated my body.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It has really changed since beginning triathlons. I will get naked in a transition area and not care what anyone thinks. I still don't look in the mirror much but I'm actually starting to like what I see. It's a lifetime struggle but, I'm progressing with baby steps</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Being involved as an Athena has changed how I feel about myself. Now I look for others that are built like me and invite them to participate. The most important thing is that I actually feel like I fit in and belong at each race. During sports, I always had to fight hard to prove myself but was not always accepted. In Basic Training I was nominated to compete in the "Ironman" military race which included a swim, run, obstacle course and pull-ups. I was the best swimmer, runner, and could do more pull-ups than anyone but because I was still "fat" I was told I couldn't do it. The person that was nominated stood 5'11" and weighed about 175 lbs. She finished but not as well as I would have. It was a time that I didn't fit in again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In triathlons, racing Athena, I fit in. I was told a few weeks ago that I was going to be a "machine" this year racing as an Athena. I'll take that compliment from anyone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chantelle Weiss</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My name is Chantelle Weiss, I'm currently married to my wonderful husband of 12 years and we have two beautiful daughters together. I have lived in Las Vegas, NV now for 4 years as a stay at home mom. I got into triathlons in the beginning of 2015. I had watched my husband train and compete in triathlons for several years and thought I could never do that. I had enjoyed running for many years until I hurt my knee two years ago and was forced to go to physical therapy. While I was injured I was not able to do anything with my lower body for almost 6 months which turned me to the triathlon world. I had always wanted to learn how to properly swim but was afraid as it seemed so complicated. It wasn't until I signed up for my first sprint triathlon that I learned how to swim, bought a new road bike and put a training plan together. After racing Rage for the first time in April of 2015, I fell in love with the sport and was hooked. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My favorite race is Sand Hollow in Utah. I absolutely love the course and the company that sponsors that event. I competed in my second sprint triathlon in Sand Hollow as an Athena and received first place in my age group. It was a very special moment in my life to stand on the first place podium and receive a gold medal while having my family cheer me on with excitement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dealing with weight issues my whole life has really been a struggle. I remember watching my husband race and being so jealous that he could do it and I couldn't. I was always very happy for him and all that he accomplished but felt like I could never measure up to what he had done. Last year was a turning point for my self-confidence as I decided it was my year to race and didn't want to hold back or have any regrets so I signed up for my first Ironman 70.3 in October. While many people thought I was crazy to jump into that for my first year of triathlon racing I thought of it as a great challenge. It was at that point that my life had truly changed. I had many highs and lows during my training and if it wasn't for my husband, who was my support system, I'm not sure I would have made it through. I learned so much about myself as a person, mom and wife during my 8 months of training and racing which led me to the biggest victory I had ever tackled in my life. I walked away from my first year of racing as a changed person. Working and racing with other Athena's has changed that for me; knowing that there are others out there with different shapes and sizes. It doesn't matter what you look like. It's about how hard you work to achieve your goals and dreams. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have always been an athletic girl. In my youth, you would find me with the boys wrestling, playing football, basketball. tag, etc. My older brother has always told me, “Most brothers wouldn’t want their little sister on their team, but you were always my first pick.” I’ve never been obese or labeled “fat,” I’ve always been the “sturdy” girl. I am just a heavy built woman. I once had a doctor tell me, “When a woman says she is big boned, she usually isn’t, but you are.” As far as how I have viewed myself, I’ve always been kind. Life is hard enough without a low self-esteem and beating yourself up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I started running with my husband when I was 23. We would go to the park which had a ¼ mile track. He was wicked fast and would lap me. I started by walking. I then would run for one light pole to another, eventually I would run laps, and then I would run miles. A friend from work was signed up for a 5K run. I signed up. They had an Athena group so I figured why not? I signed up and was the only Athena to race. Funny, because I would have won my age group too. I wasn’t by any means fast but I was enjoying what I was doing. As it typically goes, I signed up for a 10K, and then a ½ marathon. As the distances got bigger, my confidence grew, and my curiosity also grew. What else could I achieve? I added sprint triathlon to my bucket list, along with a century ride.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My aunt also had an interest in doing a sprint triathlon, so we supported each other and decided to give it a try together. I hired a beginner coach and he recommended I sign up for the Athena category. He said it would be easier for me to place, because not many women take advantage of it. I did. My race was 20 degrees hotter than it should have been so I over hydrated and bonked on the run but managed to win the Athena division by 14 minutes. From that moment I was hooked. I thought to myself that I might have potential in this sport given how well I did, even with faltering a little bit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve been doing triathlons since January of 2007. I race Athena when I can. I’ve been on the spectrum of feeling like the only athlete without a child’s sized racing suit on. I am so tired of ordering tri suits in 3XL when I’m a size 12. I am tired of running in Men’s running shoes because apparently women only have up to size 9 shoes. I feel like a giant in triathlons but not in everyday life. I wish racing companies would realize we exist and make clothing that would fit us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I got faster and a better athlete, I get the comments, “You’re too good to be in that group.” “You should leave that group because you can race against people in your age group.” Sometimes I am conflicted, because if a strong Athena doesn’t race then the newer Athena’s have a better chance. I get that, but the purpose of Athena is sometimes misunderstood and overlooked. The category was created to give strong Athena’s, who were just bigger than their counterparts, the chance to be compared to each other. Just as I wouldn’t want to be compared to a 100 pound woman climbing a hill on a bike, she wouldn’t want to be compared to 180 pound me blasting down that hill. I hear the argument that a tall 165 pound woman isn’t the same as a short 165 pound woman. My argument to that would be, then you haven’t met some of my short Athena friends. My other argument would be, I can’t change my height. Weight can be changed. I shouldn’t be punished for something out of my control. We both are outcasts from the traditional triathlete and there is enough room for both of us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was invited into an Athena Facebook group almost two years ago. Hearing the stories of fat shaming and how they have overcome the hurdles before them has been inspiring. Giving and getting advice on things typical female triathletes don’t deal with like chaffing from body parts that actually touch or heavy menstruation which happens with larger athletes is helpful. We all are kind of in this together. I too, have grown because of the group. Sometimes I forget how far I’ve come. I posted a picture the other day because I was excited about working out barefoot and in a bra in my home gym. People sent the nicest compliments on my abs. I really don’t see those changes sometimes. My weight has been the same, but my body composition is changing. I guess years of being part of the big girl group, I forget that we are a strong bunch and capable of greatness. Someone posted a great post about butterflies and that a butterfly can’t see it’s own wings to realize how beautiful they are. So true.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m hoping we can change the Athena stereotype. It isn’t this group of overweight women looking for an easy podium. We’re a family, a class, a group, a sisterhood. I want this group to have women who could podium in their age group but are in the Athena group because they want to be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am currently training for my first 100 mile ultra. I laugh because I am signed up for Ironman Arizona but that is considered a training race. Who does Ironman’s to train? My favorite race has to be the Alcatraz Challenge. It was the swim from Alcatraz to the shore and running across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was just such a surreal race. To know that Alcatraz was a prison and some prisoners might have escaped the same way I was swimming, was just amazing. Some of my best experiences have been the Athena Championships. It was a far distance to travel but I got to meet some of the Athena’s face to face. I raced with my best friend and I learned some valuable lessons about racing in humidity and chaffing…..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I started racing because it looked like fun when a friend did it. I was fat. It didn't phase me. I couldn't swim. It didn't phase me. I didn't own a bike. It didn't phase me. I hadn't run since high school seriously. It didn't phase me. I have no clue why not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My race goals were to meet people and have fun. My favorite race is always the last one I did. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm more vocal now about those who I believe perceive larger athletes are not competitive. Learning to stand up for respect has changed me. I love bringing Athena athletes together to build a network and sense of community. This in fact has given meaning to my life....giving back, supporting others like I never felt supported in my passion. I swore after my first half marathon that I would do what I can to uplift larger athletes so they wouldn't feel as alone as I did crossing that line. It was never about the medals which is why it is still a rush. Check out the Facebook group I created to support Athena triathletes: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/155077394560555/">https://www.facebook.com/groups/155077394560555/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I never could have anticipated being in this life for so long. It's a rewarding, joyful privilege....and an addiction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">CC Rowe</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My name is CC Rowe, and I'm a proud Athena triathlete out of Austin, TX. I've been doing triathlon on and off over the past 12 years and running for 8. Yes, that means that my first couple of years of triathlon, I did not run. I walked. I am perfectly okay with the fact that I finished in the last 10% of more than 15 races before I decided that maybe I should actually try to, oh I don't know... TRAIN for one. I started triathlon because my friend wanted someone to do one with her. She trained. I didn't. I showed up. She didn't. I did it anyway and have been hooked ever since.<br /><br />I've come a long way since that first round of triathlons, all those years ago. I finally went from a beater mountain bike to a proper road bike and have since graduated to a fancy-pants triathlon bike that makes me feel like a ROCKET when I ride. I've learned to not just endure running, but to LOVE it. And the swim? Well, I have finally started to master the art of sprinting versus the long haul, and how to pace for that. With years of practice and years of training, I went from bottom 10% to top 10% to Team USA in duathlon (more on that later). This year, I tackle a new distance: the full shebang, the whole enchilada, the entire kit and caboodle. Yup, I'm doing a full Ironman, and yes, it scares the living daylights out of me. I'm pretty sure I'd be a fool if it didn't.<br /><br />Let's take a quick step back to the whole I-made-Team USA thing. It's been a couple of years, and I still think this is one of the craziest statements I can make. I WAS ON TEAM USA, Y'ALL!!! Whoa. Still blows my brain. Anyway, back in 2013, I won my age group in a small, local duathlon and was invited to participate in the Duathlon National Championships (that year, you had to qualify to go). I went, and qualified to compete at the 2014 Duathlon World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain wearing the good ole Stars and Stripes. I trained harder than I've ever trained before. I went and I DID NOT COME IN LAST! Can you tell that this was my ultimate goal? I was 23/25 in my age group and about 50th percentile overall, but I can say that in 2014, I raced wearing a uniform that said, "ROWE" and just under that, in big, bold blocks, the beautiful letters "U," "S," and "A." If you want to read the entire race report, feel free to pop over to my blog and check it out here (</span><a href="https://tatoawt.wordpress.com/2014/06/03/race-report-world-domination-errr-championships/" style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.36px; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">https://tatoawt.wordpress.com/2014/06/03/race-report-world-domination-errr-championships/</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">).<br /><br />That race? Yeah, that was the experience that made me change my thinking about who I am and where I fit in this whole multisport family. You see, when I was training for Team USA, it didn't matter to me that I was a larger woman. I was going to be wearing the Stars and Stripes! It didn't matter to me that the smallest I had ever been as an adult was a size 10 and 172 lbs. It didn't matter to me that I started racing at 175 lbs, bounced up to 220, and had to work for YEARS to get back down to 175. None of that mattered. What mattered was that I felt strong. I felt like Wonder Woman and I stopped saying that I was a "runner" (air quotation marks and all) and started identifying as an athlete.<br /><br />How does all of this tie in to being an Athena? Quite simply, I have always been an Athena. I'm a big woman. I don't mean that I'm a fat woman - although sometimes I am fatter than others - I'm just BIG. Even when I am in my fittest state, I'm BIG. I'm tall, with broad shoulders, big boobs, quads of steel, and calves that don't quit. My rib age is the size of a small whale's and I have more muscle on my left leg than most people have in their entire body. My fittest state was right before and after Worlds in Spain, and I was still big enough that I had to get the largest tri suit Team USA offered in women's sizing and it BARELY fit. I look back at an entire decade of racing before Team USA and see a woman who raced because it made her feel strong. It made her feel capable, but she always felt like an impostor, like she shouldn't be out there, but she was. I didn't consider myself a triathlete, or a runner, or a cyclist, because in order to be those things, you had to look like a triathlete, a runner, a cyclist, or whatnot. I never have, and I never will. I wish I had realized that being involved in triathlons is what makes you a triathlete. That running makes you a runner. That getting on a bike makes you a cyclist. The power and strength that I feel when I train wasn't enough to quiet that nagging voice in my head. It took some pretty drastic achievements to change that thinking about myself.<br /><br />I continue to be involved with multisport for the same reasons that I did it for all those years, except now I have shed that perception of being an impostor. One of my current goals is to try and help other women get to the point of self-acceptance and self-perception as an ATHLETE without having to go all the way to Spain to figure it out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jodi Carl</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I got bullied in school. I had coaches tell me I weighed too much. I’ve always been one of the biggest (and tallest) girls. I played softball from kindergarten until my sophomore year in college, played soccer in high school, and I swam swim team and played volleyball in elementary and middle school. I have been considered overweight all my life even though I was fairly active. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As an adult, I have had several orthopedic issues that have kept me from being active for periods of time, including a L5/S1 back fusion. I gained 35 pounds with the injury and corresponding surgery and my clothes, bloodwork, and blood pressure showed it. I needed to get back in shape so that I would feel better, not only physically, but emotionally as well. I randomly decided one day to try a triathlon and fell in love with it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Running has always been a punishment in every sport I’ve ever done but since it is a part of triathlon, you have to do it. I have gone from hating the run to enjoying it, well most days anyways. My favorite race is actually a running race. It is the Santa Barbra half marathon that I completed last summer. The course was beautiful and was right along the shore. It was sunny, but not hot, and there was a nice breeze coming off the ocean. I set a PR at that race and it was the first time I had run a half without being in pain. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also have a favorite triathlon. It is the Ironman 70.3 race that is held in Augusta, GA. A fast swim paired with a flat bike made the run a lot more tolerable. It is the first 70.3 that I officially completed and thanks to my coach, I was well trained and well prepared. The race plan was executed perfectly!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have a few different race goals for this year. The first, is to conquer the course that I didn’t finish in time (due to injury) at Ironman 70.3 Oceanside. I will be more prepared and will go into the race considerably lighter. The second is to run a sub-30 minute 5k. Currently I am about 2:15 away. Thirdly is a sub-3 hour Olympic distance triathlon. This is totally doable and my first (and hopefully only) attempt will be in May. Next is to complete a trail race. It is something different that is fairly difficult for me right now. Finally, I will complete a marathon on my 36<sup>th</sup> birthday in Portland, OR. This is my big scary goal for the year!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before I started competing in triathlons, there was no way I would be caught in tight fitting clothes or attempting the races I have. I looked and felt fat and I thought everyone else saw me the same way. I have come to realize that although I am not the smallest or the fastest athlete out there, I am healthy and I am happy. I am still working on my body and getting healthier but I have the confidence and the ability I never had before I started racing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ranae Winemiller</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you would have told me in middle school that one day I would complete 55 races (and counting), I would have thought you were crazy. I was the kid trying everything to get out of gym class. In my mind, I was being teased for being fat already, having everyone see how slow and awkward I was only added fuel to the fire.<br /><br />I would go from being an overweight kid to being a morbidly obese adult. I experienced some life-changing events which prompted me to get healthier and take the weight off. This has been no small task, as I need to lose half my body weight in order to reach a healthy BMI. I completed my first 5K and felt such a sense of accomplishment. For once I wasn’t ashamed of someone seeing me be active, slow and awkward be darned.<br /><br />After finishing my first half marathon, I needed a new challenge but had no desire to complete a full marathon (only half crazy.) Triathlon seemed like a natural progression. I don’t look like other people in my sport. I’m 5’3” and well over 200 lbs, if you thought it was tough to find plus size jeans that fit, try looking for wetsuits!<br /><br />I have done two sprint triathlons so far, both were women’s only events – Iron Girl and Esprit de She. My favorite race so far has been the Esprit de She in Tempe, AZ. I connected with some other Athena’s from the Athena Facebook group, and we met-up before the swim. Although it was my second tri, I would suggest it to any woman for their first race. Very positive, empowering environment.<br /><br />I will continue to fall under the Athena category for a long time. I still have a lot of weight to lose, and although I love my strong, capable body right now, I know that losing weight can only make me feel better, and help me continue to reach my goals. I will always consider Athenas to be my tribe. These women know how hard it is not only to swim, bike, and run, but to do it while carrying around a little more than non-Athena athletes do….and yes, we are athletes.<br /><br />Racing and training has helped me find so much confidence in all aspects of my life. I have accomplished goals that much of the general population has never dared to attempt, and no one can take that feeling away from me these days. I chronicle my races, successes and challenges on my Facebook page, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/gobigfitness" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/gobigfitness</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope that by reading this, your opinion and thoughts have been changed about Athenas. We are a force to be reckoned with and not pushed to the back. We are a sisterhood of supportive, encouraging, fun-loving women. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope that when you hear the word "Athena", you will think of the strong, fierce, determined, competitive athletes that we are.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-1797533257671713812015-12-28T20:07:00.000-08:002015-12-28T20:34:35.397-08:002015 Race Year Recap, 12-28-15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span data-offset-key="2mu91-0-0">All-in-all, I'd say 2015 was a good year of racing. I stayed true to my word and did less races than in 2014 but the distances were longer in 2015. Next year will be even fewer races due to the recovery and rebuild time.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9lv6r-0-0">2015 Races:</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="3s9hp-0-0">1. Lifetime Indoor Triathlon-1/5/15*</span><br />
<span data-offset-key="3s9hp-0-0">2. Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon-1/18/15</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="bkf52-0-0">3. The Big Game 5K-2/1/15</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="em7a4-0-0">4. Road Rage Olympic Duathlon-2/28/15</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="cv5s6-0-0">5. Bayshore 70.4 Triathlon-3/7/15</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="2nee6-0-0">6. Rage Sprint Triathlon-4/18/15</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9hbui-0-0">7. Xterra 10K Trail Run-4/26/15*</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="5hgtg-0-0">8. Badass Dash Obstacle Race-5/23/15</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="20qqb-0-0">9. Sand Hollow Olympic Triathlon-5/30/15</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="3kb2o-0-0">10. Grand Rapids Triathlon/USAT Athena National Championship 70.3-6/14/15</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="2i3er-0-0">11. Zoom Multisport 1/3 Iron Distance Aquabike-6/21/15*</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="71ba3-0-0">12. Shoot the Moon Triple 5K at Once in a Blue Moon-7/31/15</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="3481j-0-0">13. Toughman Utah Half 70.3-8/22/15</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="751gi-0-0">14. Kokopelli Olympic Triathlon-9/12/15</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="ai9uu-0-0">15. Las Vegas Sprint Triathlon-9/19/15</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="6f30s-0-0">16. Terrain Mud 10K Obstacle Course Run-10/10/15 (DNF)</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="aukpj-0-0">17. Snow Canyon 5K-11/7/15</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="4k4il-0-0">18. The Great Santa Run 5K-12/5/15</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9b5t3-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="akets-0-0">*No medal given</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="akets-0-0">I had two DNS races-Pumpkinman Sprint Triathlon on 10/24/15 and the Tucson Marathon on 12/5/15.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-33134745647275507562015-12-27T11:38:00.001-08:002015-12-27T14:22:45.555-08:00Charlie's Spring Loop, Valley of Fire State Park, 12-22-15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclbW4pWvLUZc2mM-CC4yvKgXy5xDcLaumjMEmikl2G9zITDw5g9lzF7-zKXKQGShCX1s2DPMF48ik7BUohPCmfuAouruuo5JSQrSKIOlAxs0EcD5o4bTW4Fmx6nJKJ-IhSBRltUAuHLEL/s1600/IMG_9672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclbW4pWvLUZc2mM-CC4yvKgXy5xDcLaumjMEmikl2G9zITDw5g9lzF7-zKXKQGShCX1s2DPMF48ik7BUohPCmfuAouruuo5JSQrSKIOlAxs0EcD5o4bTW4Fmx6nJKJ-IhSBRltUAuHLEL/s320/IMG_9672.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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On 12-22-15, I decided to go hiking. I wanted to get one more good, long hike in before I have my knee surgery. So I loaded my dog and me up with my friend and her dogs and we went to Valley of Fire. It is a state park about an hour NE from Las Vegas. It is Nevada's oldest and largest state park.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fhs32UlxGZySavLDYeY8aIaziWbSs7ULGK6ISNh8NvPn3sph3lfe42g6gVyTfnRZsioegSpbaDM7yleYxaE6v3m-qfkjtYLzjjNscrclgSQJurkgDhn3O2oYKkS_yi_PisD9-ys_ubHS/s1600/valley_of_fire_map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fhs32UlxGZySavLDYeY8aIaziWbSs7ULGK6ISNh8NvPn3sph3lfe42g6gVyTfnRZsioegSpbaDM7yleYxaE6v3m-qfkjtYLzjjNscrclgSQJurkgDhn3O2oYKkS_yi_PisD9-ys_ubHS/s320/valley_of_fire_map.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We picked Charlie's Spring Loop as our hike for the day. It is a 6.7 mile, moderate loop in the backcountry of the park. The trial is unmarked and not maintained. We printed out the below map to help us find our way. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsUMOhUFwz7RpZoE99p-jQ9Irb88aDBDI1MHV47VsTbU2CuF_Qyxz65PURW6-1K8AXqQm3Yrhgsg37jVHdFuydtR28JZFgYPzhBcjDoiLbcOktBYvw1TQ9dK2NdqXwnCUncwwxgUj9miz/s1600/Charlie.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsUMOhUFwz7RpZoE99p-jQ9Irb88aDBDI1MHV47VsTbU2CuF_Qyxz65PURW6-1K8AXqQm3Yrhgsg37jVHdFuydtR28JZFgYPzhBcjDoiLbcOktBYvw1TQ9dK2NdqXwnCUncwwxgUj9miz/s320/Charlie.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We left Las Vegas as 7:00 AM and arrived at the park just after 8:00 AM. The west entrance booth was closed so we paid our entrance fee in the drop box. It is $10 per vehicle and $8 for Nevada residences. As we were entering the park, we saw a small herd of desert big horn sheep. It was really cool to see them next to the road. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugr_o7yBhYD-ywhGsmzzVVeudUQEI9OjALqIjA4URszXvE_4VqOzoNmQPvkJ9LQ3w3zWmx1qYstspGtyYOG-aqj3i1qq4TFaoXXxQInE07q7NaBVGjWtzSWpyvrUzAGJt6b4_FkdyGZuD/s1600/IMAG0298_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugr_o7yBhYD-ywhGsmzzVVeudUQEI9OjALqIjA4URszXvE_4VqOzoNmQPvkJ9LQ3w3zWmx1qYstspGtyYOG-aqj3i1qq4TFaoXXxQInE07q7NaBVGjWtzSWpyvrUzAGJt6b4_FkdyGZuD/s320/IMAG0298_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We stopped at the Visitor Center to use the restroom and pick up a park map. The trailhead is a few miles east of there so we loaded back up into the car and made our way there. There is roadside parking on both sides of the road near the John Clark Memorial. The trail begins there. We parked on the south side of the road and gathered our gear. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgEpUAya-J5wOxrhUa28JCXpoH12OxvII5XBY_sbRXRGaYR5KoMjubyPI9xg37wRsGliEzqmI9AVTuj0JRzcdnB1on-BGdB1isHGLvHJd4Ry-j24TZhTKfZp5m66H7Ig6aauby3EgCFtR/s1600/IMG_9649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgEpUAya-J5wOxrhUa28JCXpoH12OxvII5XBY_sbRXRGaYR5KoMjubyPI9xg37wRsGliEzqmI9AVTuj0JRzcdnB1on-BGdB1isHGLvHJd4Ry-j24TZhTKfZp5m66H7Ig6aauby3EgCFtR/s320/IMG_9649.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I decided to bring my daypack instead of just my hydration pack. I had dressed in layers and wanted the extra storage for when I needed to shed clothing. I was carrying 3 liters of water, my lunch, 3 bones for Black Jack, my first aid kit and my emergency kit (a gallon size Ziploc full of all things needed in emergencies). I also had my walking poles since my knee still lacks stability. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbazQt3VA5A9myrfTSJYM_LpgliEUlTlGoCWgXoty5nngzRPEdwrwkpAPXTezwR3cJFKLy1V7Sc_-jecK_do1k3k__y96rIPuzlU_q-bivZKvev07JWqzUCi1zgx9zib5b900l8QJoeZ2/s1600/IMG_9652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbazQt3VA5A9myrfTSJYM_LpgliEUlTlGoCWgXoty5nngzRPEdwrwkpAPXTezwR3cJFKLy1V7Sc_-jecK_do1k3k__y96rIPuzlU_q-bivZKvev07JWqzUCi1zgx9zib5b900l8QJoeZ2/s320/IMG_9652.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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We walked to the memorial and then began our hike. It stays in a wash for the majority of the hike. The footing alternated between loose sand, dried earth, gravel, and small rocks. The hiking poles were not necessary for a healthy hiker but I'm glad I had mine. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxocEmi5ADBwAddcz4Udp0-AQMyijEIwzadRhgw8Ho0KHOu3686Q4PqJ4Ggd39YeBQlMYlhR_yMDtKkJOoxNglK9U53TRMc3Rr9BnM3X_Ewd_3ERAKDIcMqeeEdiGnhXGU1m9sPUCj88BF/s1600/IMG_9653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxocEmi5ADBwAddcz4Udp0-AQMyijEIwzadRhgw8Ho0KHOu3686Q4PqJ4Ggd39YeBQlMYlhR_yMDtKkJOoxNglK9U53TRMc3Rr9BnM3X_Ewd_3ERAKDIcMqeeEdiGnhXGU1m9sPUCj88BF/s320/IMG_9653.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Since this trail is a remote hike, we knew that we would probably not see any other hikers on the trail and we were right. After a few minutes of hiking, we decided to let the dogs off their leashes and let them explore. They had a blast! It was a great place to let them roam since we were trapped in the wash so their routes were limited. It made my heart happy to see Black Jack enjoying his freedom. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uQ-YSO26czoUqF2GUaQTZuDLGTlwTRfNN1ryzndpz-YnaOhbzXyLSkQI__Czo_NhAQaPDHHmCd0RsBOEXxCgwe-p02d2cRX0tL8seZHn2rg09CsoOT4OHrFq_mLi-e1ukL8TI0juzBLQ/s1600/IMG_9654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uQ-YSO26czoUqF2GUaQTZuDLGTlwTRfNN1ryzndpz-YnaOhbzXyLSkQI__Czo_NhAQaPDHHmCd0RsBOEXxCgwe-p02d2cRX0tL8seZHn2rg09CsoOT4OHrFq_mLi-e1ukL8TI0juzBLQ/s320/IMG_9654.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After a few miles of hiking, we approached a small section of narrows. It was dry but would have made a beautiful waterfall section if water was flowing. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEZeeoavxElTTf5zXrzPzUEtNx2w2p6PyyHwVgzbxqF2u_U1Bylz9cTkxc-4RmExtIqa-O9tcfBVUcUBq-zcGnYPeQGjQ-txSpUk7B5wuXv3WnwL3ShOkoaPFSRrE0ba0r1rRuPp6Y92k/s1600/IMG_9656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEZeeoavxElTTf5zXrzPzUEtNx2w2p6PyyHwVgzbxqF2u_U1Bylz9cTkxc-4RmExtIqa-O9tcfBVUcUBq-zcGnYPeQGjQ-txSpUk7B5wuXv3WnwL3ShOkoaPFSRrE0ba0r1rRuPp6Y92k/s320/IMG_9656.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We started into the narrows and were able to navigate our way with ease. I was a bit nervous since I didn't know what to expect but I was able to do all the scrambling even with my injured knee. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdKzzgJs14tTLmaNWLuDM2FcZ4vj2GKjo-pRQ_0504t-xL9XZuPptY7ZQxW9D1tlxtNqu5s76uoEUE4txdiU0A5bdrIAWAiyvmSlnbD6wz_z12yAjALuRZ4MdJdMQFwcm-n-W_T9VMDjU/s1600/IMG_9660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdKzzgJs14tTLmaNWLuDM2FcZ4vj2GKjo-pRQ_0504t-xL9XZuPptY7ZQxW9D1tlxtNqu5s76uoEUE4txdiU0A5bdrIAWAiyvmSlnbD6wz_z12yAjALuRZ4MdJdMQFwcm-n-W_T9VMDjU/s320/IMG_9660.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The most strenuous section was about a 20 foot drop that was a little steep. My friend and her dogs went first and had no problems. We threw our poles to the bottom to free up our hands. I went next and stopped about halfway down to help Black Jack. He was very nervous at this section. Whenever he would try to go down, his paws would slip and he would back up. He weighs over 80 pounds so I wasn't sure how we were going to get him down if he couldn't do it. My friend came back up to me and with her help, we were able to coax and cheer him down small sections at a time until he was finally at the bottom.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoPUB54_mbN57fkXpfA32iP2Nf1apPmfKW9YZNsRenW3zOHtOH5DHm6L3H9uHUCYLoANhqY68EDWVQFMmJf-vky6tt7pDZ9mbR1E3w8xS3WTdkvy6Ak1k4EGszQn4JHgwcf-RZ2Lb2pbR/s1600/IMG_9663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoPUB54_mbN57fkXpfA32iP2Nf1apPmfKW9YZNsRenW3zOHtOH5DHm6L3H9uHUCYLoANhqY68EDWVQFMmJf-vky6tt7pDZ9mbR1E3w8xS3WTdkvy6Ak1k4EGszQn4JHgwcf-RZ2Lb2pbR/s320/IMG_9663.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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We finished the narrows section and continued to walk along the wash. It was a very interesting area. The rocks varied in appearance, some even resembled concrete. It was neat to see what the power of water can create. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhDDbPp0JnhtXnfjXwxtUOICmmxVFUkXt3fSy5urceK2dmXDCVO38MZlCRB5eNVKufKJ6QxvLyq5JE-OIYmO5__1xxyOHYdGjSTLDpsUQWrF_ZovortvLOgBAyEYxwxcGwIQzjLhQs0bC/s1600/IMG_9666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhDDbPp0JnhtXnfjXwxtUOICmmxVFUkXt3fSy5urceK2dmXDCVO38MZlCRB5eNVKufKJ6QxvLyq5JE-OIYmO5__1xxyOHYdGjSTLDpsUQWrF_ZovortvLOgBAyEYxwxcGwIQzjLhQs0bC/s320/IMG_9666.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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We finally began to see water. Charlie's Spring has water year round. We didn't see where it started but walked along it for probably a mile or so. The dogs loved it and enjoyed drinking and playing in it.</div>
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The map noted that we would see a power line road entering from the right and exiting from the left and that we were to take it to the left. We saw some power lines high overhead but never saw a road. We continued walking along the wash. Eventually, we walked under an overpass. We looked at the map and didn't see that road. I began to think that something was wrong. As the miles began to add up, we realized that we somehow missed the turn. We decided to stop and eat lunch. I gave Black Jack his 3 bones. We were able to get phone service so we looked at our location on a map. We saw that the road we had recently walked under was North Shore Road, which is in Lake Mead Recreational Area. I knew where we were and knew that we were no longer near where we wanted to be. We decided to turn around and head back to North Shore Road. We had two options at this point, we could walk along the road or retrace our steps. We were at about the 6 mile mark at this point. We weren't sure about the distance it would be on the road but I was worried about getting Black Jack back up the narrows section. We decided to walk along the road back to our car. I figured it was about 5 miles. We put our dogs back on their leashes and made our way to the road. Once we were back on the road, we were able to use our phone to see the distance and it was about 7 miles. The walk was longer and at an incline but it was not hard since we had stable footing. The occasional car passed us as we walked. I could feel a few hot spots forming on my feet but decided to keep walking until I reached the Lake Mead north entrance booth. Once I got there, I was a few minutes ahead of my friend so I stopped and doctored my feet. I dumped out sand and small rocks and added a band-aid. Once my friend joined me, we continued our trek. We were getting closer. Immediately after the fee booth, there was the Valley of Fire Hwy. We turned onto it to make the final few miles push back to our car. It was a steady incline into the sun. The road offered a nice sandy shoulder area so I was able to walk on it with my dog to help save his pads. We finally reached the park entrance and stopped to get a picture by the sign. </div>
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Both mine and my friend's feet were really hurting. I knew that we only had about a mile left so we continued on. We passed the west entrance pay area. I stopped to use the bathroom and wait for my friend. She opted to not stop because she was afraid she wouldn't be able to start again. </div>
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We passed the famous Elephant Rock and then continued along a trail over the crest of the ridge. Once I was on the other side, I was greeted with this beautiful sight. I knew that we were almost to our car so I reveled in the sight. </div>
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When I was finally able to see the car I yelled back to my friend. Black Jack and I reached the car first and we were so happy. I was really looking forward to sitting down and taking off my shoes. When my friend reached the car, she told me our total mileage was 13.2 miles in a total time of 6 hours (moving time of 5:15). </div>
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On the ride home we talked about it and think we figured out how we missed the turn. The hike is in a wash and is not maintained. We have several times a year where there are flood-like conditions. There must have been enough flooding through the wash since the map was made that the road entrance and exit have been washed away. The landscape must have changed enough that we were not able to see the landmarks that we needed. </div>
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I had said that I wanted a nice, long hike before my surgery and I got what I asked for. It wasn't a super difficult hike, it was just long. I am very glad that we did this hike in the winter because there was no shade or protection so this hike could have been detrimental if it had been during the summer. My words of advice for future hikers of this trail is that if you reach the power lines, you missed the road. You should either turn around there and retrace your steps back to the trailhead or do some extensive exploration around there to try and find the road to continue the loop. Happy hiking!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-55978502409115532852015-12-22T21:29:00.000-08:002015-12-22T21:29:14.899-08:00The Great Santa Run ~ 12/5/15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNySpXVX2j72QB5UUhApEtr5k9rSE9HYXP9bpRb-oN8s58PBl4zRSpR8VTQ2gEE0A8qRnvxACE3B7B7IR6N_mCb6RG0bT0lTleDf8vtH6-AvJBDT_YNtsbOQFW8mraHyfVkY_P-WXTq7j5/s1600/1450_Santa+Run+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNySpXVX2j72QB5UUhApEtr5k9rSE9HYXP9bpRb-oN8s58PBl4zRSpR8VTQ2gEE0A8qRnvxACE3B7B7IR6N_mCb6RG0bT0lTleDf8vtH6-AvJBDT_YNtsbOQFW8mraHyfVkY_P-WXTq7j5/s1600/1450_Santa+Run+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNySpXVX2j72QB5UUhApEtr5k9rSE9HYXP9bpRb-oN8s58PBl4zRSpR8VTQ2gEE0A8qRnvxACE3B7B7IR6N_mCb6RG0bT0lTleDf8vtH6-AvJBDT_YNtsbOQFW8mraHyfVkY_P-WXTq7j5/s1600/1450_Santa+Run+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNySpXVX2j72QB5UUhApEtr5k9rSE9HYXP9bpRb-oN8s58PBl4zRSpR8VTQ2gEE0A8qRnvxACE3B7B7IR6N_mCb6RG0bT0lTleDf8vtH6-AvJBDT_YNtsbOQFW8mraHyfVkY_P-WXTq7j5/s1600/1450_Santa+Run+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNySpXVX2j72QB5UUhApEtr5k9rSE9HYXP9bpRb-oN8s58PBl4zRSpR8VTQ2gEE0A8qRnvxACE3B7B7IR6N_mCb6RG0bT0lTleDf8vtH6-AvJBDT_YNtsbOQFW8mraHyfVkY_P-WXTq7j5/s1600/1450_Santa+Run+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNySpXVX2j72QB5UUhApEtr5k9rSE9HYXP9bpRb-oN8s58PBl4zRSpR8VTQ2gEE0A8qRnvxACE3B7B7IR6N_mCb6RG0bT0lTleDf8vtH6-AvJBDT_YNtsbOQFW8mraHyfVkY_P-WXTq7j5/s1600/1450_Santa+Run+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNySpXVX2j72QB5UUhApEtr5k9rSE9HYXP9bpRb-oN8s58PBl4zRSpR8VTQ2gEE0A8qRnvxACE3B7B7IR6N_mCb6RG0bT0lTleDf8vtH6-AvJBDT_YNtsbOQFW8mraHyfVkY_P-WXTq7j5/s1600/1450_Santa+Run+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNySpXVX2j72QB5UUhApEtr5k9rSE9HYXP9bpRb-oN8s58PBl4zRSpR8VTQ2gEE0A8qRnvxACE3B7B7IR6N_mCb6RG0bT0lTleDf8vtH6-AvJBDT_YNtsbOQFW8mraHyfVkY_P-WXTq7j5/s320/1450_Santa+Run+2015.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
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On 12-5-15, me and my boys participated in The Las Vegas Great Santa Run. It was held in Downtown Las Vegas/Fremont Street. I had picked our packets up the night before so we were able to arrive already dressed. Instead of a shirt, we received a full Santa costume. </div>
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The race was scheduled to start at 10:00 AM so we arrived at 9:15 AM. That gave us enough time to find a free parking spot in the neighboring residential area and walk to the pre-race party.</div>
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The before show included singing from the cast of "Jersey Boys" and dancing from Chippendales. We were too far back to see anything but we could hear the music. </div>
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After the pre-race entertainment, they marched us to the start line which was a few blocks away. The race ended up starting about 15 minutes late. </div>
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They sang the National Anthem and then had a 10 second countdown. At zero, confetti was shot into the air and a small wave of wheelchair athletes were allowed to begin. They were given a few minute head start. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCi3EzD2acbv0opisU8v7FmxKOAMnTLzUQRLz6j4BlDNdylAkW-dEI_Ocs2TyuE1yLjXKqbvdBmaXfbrOwu9D3s-gJyLDdiZsoEJN5sL0zO8-hstSDkhPTvjxeHY6HgN20121X3OU6VPg6/s1600/20151205_100520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCi3EzD2acbv0opisU8v7FmxKOAMnTLzUQRLz6j4BlDNdylAkW-dEI_Ocs2TyuE1yLjXKqbvdBmaXfbrOwu9D3s-gJyLDdiZsoEJN5sL0zO8-hstSDkhPTvjxeHY6HgN20121X3OU6VPg6/s320/20151205_100520.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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They then had another 10 second countdown for the 5K runners/walkers. At this confetti cannon the crowd began to slowly move forward. </div>
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It took us another few minutes to finally cross the start line. The boys were running the 5K while I was walking it. So once we started, I lost sight of them. Since we are all dressed alike, there was no way of telling them apart. </div>
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The course is a nice flat, paved course that made it's way around downtown Las Vegas. It starts by going south on the famous Las Vegas Boulevard. It even passes the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, made famous by the television show Pawn Stars. There was a water aid station at the 1.55 mile mark. They handed out bottled water which was nice because it allowed me to drink it for the remainder of the race. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTPJrWl1qEgMqfWAs5Cdzpn_emQem4YcrdRUsg049ZZQTUywTuAXdmJFaneMcSEIkXcbJZoA2dgOvfORgFJdKZm-wIOlokr0SeiCXIcFzODfoxRKI4oNN-Qvp5T-tos9WvMRTEV9MC5sW/s1600/IMAG0192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTPJrWl1qEgMqfWAs5Cdzpn_emQem4YcrdRUsg049ZZQTUywTuAXdmJFaneMcSEIkXcbJZoA2dgOvfORgFJdKZm-wIOlokr0SeiCXIcFzODfoxRKI4oNN-Qvp5T-tos9WvMRTEV9MC5sW/s320/IMAG0192.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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I crossed the finish line in 51:27. I was pleased with that time since I had to walk the entire thing. I received my medal and then found my boys at the predetermined meeting spot. The boys both had great races and were excited to receive medals. </div>
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This was a very fun race! It is my second year participating in it. I hope to be able to run it again next year. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-31573846452721679572015-11-17T19:41:00.000-08:002015-11-17T19:41:33.067-08:00Snow Canyon Half Marathon and 5K ~ 11-7-15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEB0Upsz7qiyVxS-eF_1c6FeUde0aNd_Q97-pP60UxtHlDPUx1VXWQnyG-5Jngrk9AidDJMgtCI5cyoCdtBhnn0Bt_WZi7K9c-HZHdw6be4xvstyQXgslp9ozYdwgEvQnJAJNX-SZIeEB/s1600/SNOW-CANYON-HALF.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEB0Upsz7qiyVxS-eF_1c6FeUde0aNd_Q97-pP60UxtHlDPUx1VXWQnyG-5Jngrk9AidDJMgtCI5cyoCdtBhnn0Bt_WZi7K9c-HZHdw6be4xvstyQXgslp9ozYdwgEvQnJAJNX-SZIeEB/s320/SNOW-CANYON-HALF.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was really looking forward to racing the Snow Canyon Half Marathon in St. George, Utah. It is a downhill race that goes from 4695 feet to 2812 feet. It is a great course to set a Personal Record (PR) on. I had planned on making this a PR race for me. With my injury on 10-10-15, torn ACL and Meniscus of my right knee, I was not going to be able to go for that goal. I realized that they had a 5K so I decided to change my registration to a 5K and walk it. My husband was still going to run the half marathon so I figured I might as well participate since I had already paid for it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Snow Canyon Half Marathon elevation chart.</td></tr>
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We drove up on Friday night so we could pick up our race packets and attend the vendor fair. It was located at the Dixie Convention Center. The vendor fair was small but packet pickup was quick and easy.</div>
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We stayed in a hotel that left a lot to be desired. It was not super cheap but was definitely not one we will stay in again. The beds were comfortable but the walls were paper thin. That led to me not getting a lot of sleep.</div>
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We woke up at 6:00 AM, so we could stop by the breakfast and still get to the race by 6:45-7:00 AM. My husband needed to catch a bus to the start of his race since it was a point to point. The buses were running from 6:30-7:30 AM. His race was scheduled to start at 8:30 AM. We found the race with no problems and he was on the bus by 7:05 AM. My 5K was not scheduled to start until 9:00 AM, so I returned to the car to stay warm. By 8:00 AM, I was bored and made my way over to the start line. I waited there with a few other early birds until the race started. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pre-race selfie.</td></tr>
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Since I knew I was going to walk, I made sure to stay towards the back of the pack at the start line. At 9:00 AM, the race was on. I started walking and tried to keep a steady pace. I was not used to being at the back of the pack and it took a lot of self control to not try to run.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from the back of the pack.</td></tr>
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I was able to maintain an average pace of 18:00 minute miles. The course was a square with one corner having an out and back section. On that section, we made our way beside some of the lava fields. It was really pretty so I decided to take some pictures. At around the 1.5 mile mark, I was looking at the scenery and not at where I was walking and stepped off the edge of the road. This caused me to lose my balance and fall down. With me knee injury, I have lost the ability to regain stability once lost. Luckily, I was going slow enough that it was a relatively painless fall. I landed on my hands and left knee. I wasn't able to get up on my own so two older ladies, who were walking behind me, helped me up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What I was looking at when I fell.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a beautiful course.</td></tr>
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I was able to continue walking at about the same pace and encountered no further perils. Around the 2.5 mile mark, the 5K and the half marathon courses joined. I was able to see the front runners merge just before I was at that spot. As I neared the finish line, there was a course photographer so I smiled for the camera. They also caught my husband as he ran by.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ihyphenhyphenC0EN1aVuUsp7HxWPFLZOa-BHPYrb3hgolWJbqU9-XRkPYBLuaDhZ5Lt8E8uhX4JmcgRikcRRo3MBdY6U11fuY12sZBIM9pcjMGmITKOkmuodIEGWy04ioy0vm0sByLAGKkhybZJp9/s1600/race_845_photo_27962591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ihyphenhyphenC0EN1aVuUsp7HxWPFLZOa-BHPYrb3hgolWJbqU9-XRkPYBLuaDhZ5Lt8E8uhX4JmcgRikcRRo3MBdY6U11fuY12sZBIM9pcjMGmITKOkmuodIEGWy04ioy0vm0sByLAGKkhybZJp9/s320/race_845_photo_27962591.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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The finish was on the track at the high school. They had a nice long finisher's chute set up that was about 75 meters long. It was lined with spectators and already finished racers. It was very hard to walk that section. I know it's silly but I was embarrassed. I wanted to sprint in like I usually do but instead I kept my steady pace and finished the race. My official time was 58:38.<br />
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I made my way to the side of the chute to wait for my husband to finish. I knew he wouldn't be too much longer and I was right. He finished strong with a time of 2:04:16.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOu7BXqK34kS_h1d_phyyjY88gsQLesM__T-fhyphenhyphen_6O7_W_ygrZXh4m3MfJmwMDf4kkEYfJtSh2BSLhyphenhyphen2qAUKRUVGtrWzW6hWptif-WHSibYhw8jDdtb5cgWD-8Tax7ejG9w50NAHx_2Tp/s1600/IMAG0036_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOu7BXqK34kS_h1d_phyyjY88gsQLesM__T-fhyphenhyphen_6O7_W_ygrZXh4m3MfJmwMDf4kkEYfJtSh2BSLhyphenhyphen2qAUKRUVGtrWzW6hWptif-WHSibYhw8jDdtb5cgWD-8Tax7ejG9w50NAHx_2Tp/s320/IMAG0036_1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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After he finished, I met him for our customary hug. They offered several snacks and drinks for the finishers. There was an award ceremony for the overall winners and the top three in each age group. They had a tent set up so you could check your time and placement. We checked both of our results and then made our way back to our car. We stopped for a quick lunch and then drove home to Las Vegas.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our post-race selfie.</td></tr>
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This race is put on by St. George Races. This was my second race with them and so far I am really impressed with their races. They offer nice tech shirts, free race pictures, great medals, and certified courses.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-89091043141433277232015-11-06T13:41:00.000-08:002015-11-07T14:56:50.749-08:00Coeur Sports Ambassador for 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYhsX0R5X6qCGRS8HWK3Np4YjTJprIAfLEh2I6NE8Yy-V4HS1wsgQGMLSoxoyvxvLVf_rbXbaj_fQrcmNN2Y27OD5YiC3XfKobjipSBCLUmNN4Xx3IBozxj2WXyyauOSZNw6lnEnav14Q/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYhsX0R5X6qCGRS8HWK3Np4YjTJprIAfLEh2I6NE8Yy-V4HS1wsgQGMLSoxoyvxvLVf_rbXbaj_fQrcmNN2Y27OD5YiC3XfKobjipSBCLUmNN4Xx3IBozxj2WXyyauOSZNw6lnEnav14Q/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">I am so excited and honored to announce that I have been named as a 2016 Ambassador for Coeur Sports! I contacted them and told them that I am injured and that my 2016 race season will not be what we had expected. They said that they would still love for me to be on their team! She asked that I chronicle what it is like to be an injured athlete; recording the journey through injury, back to training and finally to racing. She said it is something every athlete can relate to and be helped by. Their slogan is Heart and Courage. That perfectly describes what I'm feeling now. I think that I'm going to fit right in on their team!</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-7539732768056373112015-10-24T22:20:00.000-07:002015-10-25T10:11:32.001-07:00My Season Ender ~ Completely Torn ACL and Oblique Medial Meniscus Tear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On 10-10-15, I was running in the Terrain Race 10K obstacle/mud run at Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City, NV. I was running it with my husband. It was my forth obstacle race and his first. We were in the first wave at 9:00 am. We started in a garbage bin filled with water. At the cannon boom, we were off. I jumped out of the bin and hit the ground running. The first obstacle was an over/under section of banners and rope. The next obstacle was a long section of large rocks that we had to run over. We then had to run up a steep hill. At the top of the hill, we had a bit of rolling terrain until we were directed to run down a steep hill. It was really steep and the ground was unstable. I slowed down a bit on this section because I was afraid of wiping out and tumbling the 100 yards down the hill. At the bottom of the hill, the course had brought us back to the main staging area so we were near the start line, the food vendors, and spectators. The next obstacle was a four foot wall. I ran to it and jumped so that I landed on the top sitting. I swung my legs over and jumped down. Then I heard it......POP!<br />
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My right knee let out a loud pop and it bent to the right at the knee. I immediately knew that I had done something bad. I was able to stay upright because I yelled to my husband who was instantly by my side. I told him that I broke something. I buried my face in his chest and began repeating "No, No, No". He led me to the side of the course where a vendor came over with a chair. I sat down and my husband asked the vendor to get the medics. (I never got to thank that vendor and I really wish I had.) I rolled my capris up and could see that my knee was already swelling. The medics arrived only a few minutes later. They asked me a few questions, looked at my knee, and strapped an ice pack to it. They said that I needed to go to the ER. We decided that we would drive ourselves so the medics drove me in the ambulance to our car. They took our timing chips to give back to the race directors.<br />
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We drove about thirty minutes to our hospital. For the first time, I cried. I had a lot of time to think about what had just happened and what it more than likely meant. We arrived at the ER and were able to be seen pretty quickly. They took me straight to get X-Rays. I had to set my leg in a few positions and that was pretty painful. They then sent me back to my exam room. After a while, the ER doctor came in to talk to me. He told me that I did not have any broken bones. The physical exam pointed to a soft tissue injury. He said that he was going to put me in for a referral to the orthopedic office. They then set me up with a full leg immobilizing knee brace and crutches and some pain medication.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1bvH06FhWZNsZ6YUOtQUoawAW8vDeQR7Bn2NOADAuRosir34is9dZbaNl2BRr8rb8u4ztEXwbqv2xFkYuQZMTkE5-oD1DyIww_f1fXuYtuNScFGyxv6vuDLzdcgbmTl6MBcXBGnKmzBy/s1600/12116562_10153572745485991_1842083495_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1bvH06FhWZNsZ6YUOtQUoawAW8vDeQR7Bn2NOADAuRosir34is9dZbaNl2BRr8rb8u4ztEXwbqv2xFkYuQZMTkE5-oD1DyIww_f1fXuYtuNScFGyxv6vuDLzdcgbmTl6MBcXBGnKmzBy/s320/12116562_10153572745485991_1842083495_o.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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So I was sent home to wait. Since it was a holiday weekend, the ortho office would not be open until Tuesday. My knee continued to swell. I had a friend loan me his Polar Care ice machine to help ice my knee. I spent many hours that weekend sitting on the couch with my leg elevated. </div>
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Finally, Tuesday arrived and I called the ortho office. They said that the soonest they could see me would be November 4th. I could not believe that! How could I go that long without knowing what had happened? After explaining my case and the hardship it would cause to wait that long, they said that they would examine my case and call me on Wednesday with more information. The next morning, they called me with a new appointment date. They were going to be able to see me on Monday, October 19th. In the meantime, I was instructed to continue wearing the brace and icing it. </div>
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At the one week point, the swelling was down some. I was able to place some weight on the leg and hobble around without the brace or crutches. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3JUQHU5RoBTZLpwgM7UaTOhlj5RJAswrK6Ps3f8zT7vmnPtRisJgq5VMDSSGA-0MrRNvRCFutjTzHFsW0LH-YXD_s3MVuIVQkWx37JIUsydOOWz3tTnjUk5QJZjXGSgX5SGM4ZGJejw0/s1600/IMG_9375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3JUQHU5RoBTZLpwgM7UaTOhlj5RJAswrK6Ps3f8zT7vmnPtRisJgq5VMDSSGA-0MrRNvRCFutjTzHFsW0LH-YXD_s3MVuIVQkWx37JIUsydOOWz3tTnjUk5QJZjXGSgX5SGM4ZGJejw0/s320/IMG_9375.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still a little swollen.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPpuY0qoZ9_ThWMYTJGP98w7VwaYX3lDNRez2GWbHgcMsd1OrOKmvGeTrkpE9IlVV8ntCGbPWjFmCVCz46rAjuNB9Fwwvmn8BxXhh2XvfBxa1K9gTSS5qUXtqA0x26jDZjaUMLBbHNG4U/s1600/IMG_9376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPpuY0qoZ9_ThWMYTJGP98w7VwaYX3lDNRez2GWbHgcMsd1OrOKmvGeTrkpE9IlVV8ntCGbPWjFmCVCz46rAjuNB9Fwwvmn8BxXhh2XvfBxa1K9gTSS5qUXtqA0x26jDZjaUMLBbHNG4U/s320/IMG_9376.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how straight I could get the knee.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeaoeThKipWQn31dCbykOBmMW6HQzbOClTGKMBJddJYBuo58cSRPbugB0yczLg1YGwP7Gaa_LDe4E0fs7bzyVKScc1de5dY_Jrgt74nkCAztB7ZrQixyKNAZTbVuFbawlasGv9SwFeegf/s1600/IMG_9379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeaoeThKipWQn31dCbykOBmMW6HQzbOClTGKMBJddJYBuo58cSRPbugB0yczLg1YGwP7Gaa_LDe4E0fs7bzyVKScc1de5dY_Jrgt74nkCAztB7ZrQixyKNAZTbVuFbawlasGv9SwFeegf/s320/IMG_9379.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how much I could bend the knee.</td></tr>
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On Monday, I arrived at my appointment ready for answers. I was seen my a Physician's Assistant. He pulled and pushed on my leg/knee, had me try to straighten and bend the knee, and did all the normal exam stuff. He said that my knee was still really swollen and that he was concerned that I had damaged more than one thing in my knee. He put in a referral for me to get an ultrasound due to how much pain I was having in my calf. He was also going to try and get me an emergency MRI spot. He sent us over to the imagery department. As I was checking in, they told me that they were going to be able to do both that morning. My husband had taken the entire day off of work in hopes that they would be able to get me in for an MRI that day so we were really glad that it was working out that way. I was sent straight back for the ultrasound. It was a bit uncomfortable when they were looking at the underside of my knee but other than that, it was fine and they saw no issues with clots. I then was taken to the MRI waiting room. I filled out the questionnaire and had to mark that I have wires in my body due to an accident in 1986. I have several wires in my face that were used to set facial fractures. That raises red flags so they sent me to have additional X-Rays to see exactly where the wires were. Since they had been in my face for 29 years, they were not worried about them pulling out but more about them heating up. It was determined to be safe so I was set to have the MRI. I was in the machine for about 20 minutes as it did it's thing. They then sent me back to the orthopedic office to find out the results. I went back to an exam room and was shortly talking with the PA again. He told me that I had torn my ACL and meniscus. He told me to stop wearing the brace and to start walking on it. He wanted me to see the orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible so another appointment was set for Friday, October 23rd.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rkfVyEFi7uo7HXiB-7m-y9ji1rXirV1duSIxOJMCGNy3BGHdcZL2rlHv5D8S-cxZfS2XXCvcWPauS3Pc1JGTEkb4aukYz1FvTL-Rodc-l7QXWLjoh4n_zVyp3-GXU4m0P0tnDYbSfRjU/s1600/ACL_Rehab_SportsKneeTherapy.com_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rkfVyEFi7uo7HXiB-7m-y9ji1rXirV1duSIxOJMCGNy3BGHdcZL2rlHv5D8S-cxZfS2XXCvcWPauS3Pc1JGTEkb4aukYz1FvTL-Rodc-l7QXWLjoh4n_zVyp3-GXU4m0P0tnDYbSfRjU/s320/ACL_Rehab_SportsKneeTherapy.com_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5O96EwhKDJpqF1VP5uZ_zL_U79QvuNrzThhKs7KYJzpMPjY1MovCCZkDnMYc_mdLEfOuy7CqCcXAM3g5Eou5Qqa6vKcfOCh4CzrWw2MaQDYgLmIYaFkIotdm19SkLzYPrDr-Wwl_yo-O/s1600/ACL-and-Meniscus-in-the-Knee-500x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5O96EwhKDJpqF1VP5uZ_zL_U79QvuNrzThhKs7KYJzpMPjY1MovCCZkDnMYc_mdLEfOuy7CqCcXAM3g5Eou5Qqa6vKcfOCh4CzrWw2MaQDYgLmIYaFkIotdm19SkLzYPrDr-Wwl_yo-O/s320/ACL-and-Meniscus-in-the-Knee-500x500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I still had several events and races scheduled for this year. I was going on a three day hike in Zion National Park, a sprint triathlon, a five day camping/hiking trip, a half marathon, a 5K color run, and a marathon (my first). The PA told me that I was not going to be able to do any of those. He said that I would be out of competition for 9-12 months. When I arrived home, I began contacting the friends and race directors with the sad information. I had also registered for a half iron distance triathlon on April 2, 2016. I had planned on racing in my first full distance race in Ironman Arizona in November 2016. I realized that I was not going to be able to do these races either. Friday night was hard when I began to think about all that I was losing due to this injury. After talking to my husband and some friends, I was able to pull myself together and realize that I needed to change my focus from race and competition to healing and recovery. </div>
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On the 23rd, I was at my ortho appointment and met my surgeon. He confirmed that I had a complete ACL tear and an oblique medial meniscus tear. The ACL will require surgery to repair. They will harvest a replacement from my hamstring tendon. The meniscus tear can not be repaired. They will just go in and clean the damaged area out. They scheduled my surgery for December 29th. I will be in physical therapy for prehabilitation before the surgery and rehabilitation after the surgery. The surgeon wants me to regain my range of motion before they operate. </div>
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The surgeon is a prior pro triathlete who trained six years for the Olympics so he understood me when I asked him about continuing any sort of exercise program. He said that I could walk on a treadmill, swim and water jog, and bike on a trainer or stationary bike. He said that the stronger my leg is before the surgery, the better it will be after the surgery. </div>
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So, my season is over and next year is a bust as well. They said that I could probably plan on doing a sprint triathlon next fall. That's not exactly what I was hoping to be doing then but at least I should be able to return to the sport I love. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121832097268686727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853363030281664240.post-58685827652841527392015-10-07T14:34:00.003-07:002015-10-07T16:21:39.096-07:00Las Vegas Triathlon ~ 9-19-15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On September 19th, I raced in the 18th annual Las Vegas Triathlon at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. It was put on by BBSC Endurance Sports (<a href="http://www.bbsctri.com/">http://www.bbsctri.com/</a>), who took it over this year. This was not my first time racing at Lake Mead but it was my first time racing this race.<br />
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I competed in the sprint distance and my wave was scheduled to start at 7:40 am. We arrived at about 6:45 am. That gave me enough time to set up transition, go to the bathroom, talk with some friends, and get to the swim start on time.<br />
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The swim is a water start. I crossed the timing mat as I walked into the water. We were standing about thigh/waist deep for the start. The race director gave some last minute swim instructions, made a short countdown and then we were off.<br />
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I do all of my open water swims in Lake Mead so this swim was very familiar. We went straight out for the first section of the swim and then turned left at the 1st green buoy. We then swam to the next green buoy and turned left again (always keeping the buoy on our left shoulder). At the large orange buoy we turned left again and swam to the final orange buoy. At that final buoy, we kept it on our right shoulder as we made our final turn towards the beach. The swim was easy and quick. I completed the 750 meter swim in 15:42.</div>
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I exited the water and ran up the shore to the transition area. My bike was about 3/4th of the way up. The racks are semi-assigned so I didn't really have a choice in where my bike was placed. Fortunately, I prefer to have my bike near the bike out area so there is less running in my bike shoes. Transition went smoothly and I completed T1 in 2:19.</div>
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The bike course is an out and back along Lakeshore Road. The beginning of the course is the worst. You immediately leave the transition area and have to climb up a steep 0.5 mile hill. Remembering to have your bike set in the easy gear is a must! Once on Lakeshore Road, the ride has several small ups and downs. There are some good areas to get into the areo position and other areas that are challenging climbs. The final push up a long hill towards the turnaround is another spot that tests the quads. Once you turn around, you are greeted with a lovely, fast downhill to rest the legs for the next climb. As you can see by the elevation map above, the return ride is a lot easier and faster. I had a good ride and finished the 12.4 miles in 44:17.</div>
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I entered the transition area and quickly ran to my spot and did what I needed to do. My transitions are pretty simple. I don't keep a lot of stuff there which makes the transitions go really smooth. I made it through T2 in 1:47.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALuV822CJ33wkGIUFU2p08VF1FOUaRdnbV4fo7WK0Wlmh-fkK_alS2NnMLCtW6THppSP56guFG-Dh3MuvqByST1QFw5v9M_SZPfVLjTox_6Snkd__MlMUsYmjrAgjXCQ-76Av9JHAdDJg/s1600/Las+Vegas+Tri+run+course.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALuV822CJ33wkGIUFU2p08VF1FOUaRdnbV4fo7WK0Wlmh-fkK_alS2NnMLCtW6THppSP56guFG-Dh3MuvqByST1QFw5v9M_SZPfVLjTox_6Snkd__MlMUsYmjrAgjXCQ-76Av9JHAdDJg/s320/Las+Vegas+Tri+run+course.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The run ended up being a little different than the map they provided (above). Once I left transition, I turned right onto the rock/dirt Boulder Beach. The run was along a road that allows access all along the water so it was fairly flat but pretty difficult to run on. It makes keeping or hitting a good race pace very hard. The new course had us run parallel to the water until the right hand turn up the hill. This was a less confusing course so I was okay with it. Once you turn right and start climbing, the run really becomes hard. I was still on the rock/dirt road but now had a steep climb to battle too. At the top of the hill, I made another right hand turn onto a nice, flat paved road. I was on this road until the turnaround. The return run was an exact retrace of the first half except for the final 1/4th mile. At that point, there was a fork in the road and finisher's were directed to the left towards the finish line. I was really tired but was able to muster up a slight sprint to the finish. I completed the 3.1 mile run in 32:05.</div>
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After I finished, I was handed my finisher's medal, gave my timing chip back and grabbed a water. I then made it over to the results table to check out my times. I was pleased to see that I placed 1st in the Athena division 40+ and overall Athena as well. I spent the time waiting for the awards ceremony with friends. Several of them had also placed in the race so it was really fun to watch them get their medals too. </div>
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It was a beautiful day for a race and I can now say that I have completed the Las Vegas Triathlon!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTkNCgo5M2dHDjDbU3HlONzAVQdqtaEBE3EVRAw53Jc3nXTRjcCjJ3jMMMHo1qpSztssbdAVegkrylDvVZCZHq_-uh12poFTk4MnLC-uNZsWBdVCHRgE1GYFAyjMLEwUYwMXa4zQ81ZXl/s1600/12043697_10153536785450991_1435413242_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTkNCgo5M2dHDjDbU3HlONzAVQdqtaEBE3EVRAw53Jc3nXTRjcCjJ3jMMMHo1qpSztssbdAVegkrylDvVZCZHq_-uh12poFTk4MnLC-uNZsWBdVCHRgE1GYFAyjMLEwUYwMXa4zQ81ZXl/s320/12043697_10153536785450991_1435413242_o.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Receiving my 1st place medal. The 3rd place girl had just finished and didn't make it to the podium in time for the ceremony.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTQ0C5MJ3ZlS0c2R6e-KBBjc4_nAcNCXlQfx1iYmCMaxOBiWifJL1DkcTWlKSQapj4ukO9I1ceVsecqk5xDQPy_CBbx56XZp-AuEFNOtvcxN254Mo2iCrXfi0kChRMbjNV3I_xZRUanQd/s1600/12032541_10153537092565991_1474581389_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTQ0C5MJ3ZlS0c2R6e-KBBjc4_nAcNCXlQfx1iYmCMaxOBiWifJL1DkcTWlKSQapj4ukO9I1ceVsecqk5xDQPy_CBbx56XZp-AuEFNOtvcxN254Mo2iCrXfi0kChRMbjNV3I_xZRUanQd/s320/12032541_10153537092565991_1474581389_n.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend and me with our podium medals. She finished 3rd place female overall in the sprint distance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3AP2GIOSgjeJiLvBGLnAfB8vsnvvg38USgnqShEB0NQgxUrUHF9mP0GwEWPtJ7BlafsHK5Di6oTeNZOQx_DOIZC5bTiGDgh49sHvFBi3CrtDjDvFf5dF-sjIeUoafmPmmz-qSlJtM7n0/s1600/12043983_10153537075330991_1536403140_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3AP2GIOSgjeJiLvBGLnAfB8vsnvvg38USgnqShEB0NQgxUrUHF9mP0GwEWPtJ7BlafsHK5Di6oTeNZOQx_DOIZC5bTiGDgh49sHvFBi3CrtDjDvFf5dF-sjIeUoafmPmmz-qSlJtM7n0/s320/12043983_10153537075330991_1536403140_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my friends and our podium medals. </td></tr>
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