The Friday 15

1. I realized this morning that in my sleepy state yesterday I missed my 200th post.  Well, I didn't miss it, I just didn't do anything to celebrate it.  So here's a minor celebration: 200 posts means more than 200 training days.  I think I had an extra post in there once when I found out I was going to be in the infomercial.  (The infomercial should be coming out shortly.  As soon as it is available for public consumption, I'll add it to the blog for fun... if I can figure it out.)  Either way, that's pretty impressive.  I've swum, biked, and ran all that while... just a little over a year at this point.  Yes, I know there are more than 200 days in a year but I don't blog on weekends for some reason, so training days occur more often than blog posts.

2. I am looking forward to Augusta.  I watched an awful video of people at the Ironman Wisconsin where they didn't make the cut offs, and through my tears for those people, I have vowed that won't be me in Augusta.  Let's keep our fingers and toes crossed and send our prayers from our lips directly to God's ears on that one.

3. I don't have my bib number yet, but as soon as I do, I will let you all know so if possible you can follow along.

4. Someone asked me the other day if I was going to do a full Ironman next year.  To be quite honest, at this point, I don't want to.  I miss the time with my family on the weekends. While I like the training while I'm in it, I miss hearing all the things Ladybug, Angelfish and Mr. Darcy were doing from 7:30 am to 1 or 2 pm when I'm getting home. 

5. Besides the thought of 2.4 miles swimming then 112 miles on the bike followed by 26.2 miles running make me want to throw up just thinking about it.  I admire all those who chase it and achieve it, all those who train for it and don't make it.  It is an amazing feat and people who do it are amazing human beings.  I am just not yet crazy enough to want to do it... yet.  (I never say never.) 

6. I didn't do the run yesterday.  I emailed Coach, told her what I've done so far this week and how tired I was and she said to skip the run and if I felt good enough on Saturday to do 3-4 miles of running then.  Let's hope that doesn't do anything to my race day karma, but Coach knows what she's talking about so I did what she said.

7.  I swam 1500 m as scheduled this morning.  I have to say I still love swimming the best.  There is nothing like feeling your stretch all the way in your armpit as your reach out in your stroke followed by the sound of the whooshing water.  I got in my zone and realized that 1500m felt like childs play today. 22:38 for 1500 m.

8. I decided to sign up for the Disney Princess 1/2 marathon with Coach.  This is the reason why I never say never.  In a million years, or even just 6 months ago, would I ever have thought I would be willing (or able) to run a 1/2 marathon.  And this was kind of my idea. I thought about doing the Seaside 1/2 marathon but that would entail a weekend away from the family, hotel rental, gas, and the entry fee.  While there is no Vera Bradley bag at the end of the Disney Priness 1/2 marathon, there are princesses, and a kids 100m run for the little ladies where they even get swag like their Trimommy does for the 1/2 marathon.  And Mr. Darcy can be there, and we can (hopefully if reservations go right when Disney will finally let me make them) have breakfast with the Princesses at Cinderella's Castle after the girls' race. I'm pretty excited about it.. and remember, I don't even really "like" running, although I like it well enough these days.  Something about it is just calling me, plus the family will be involved. YAY!

9. Another little something to celebrate is that I called Angelfish's pediatrician because I never heard from the nurse about the new blood work from her.  Turns out they're automating their files and somewhere there was a mistake and they were supposed to call us (duh).  The doctor was really apologetic and I forgave her when she told me that the lab had mistakenly only sent the 1st page of Angelfish's blood work and that a week later she got the entire report with the full breakdown of her cholesterol test and while the total is a smidge high (187 where the highest is supposed to be180 for 3 year olds) that the breakdown itself was really good and we don't have to repeat testing until next year some time and that's just to keep an eye on it.  Whoo Hoo!
10. Saturday is the little ladies' 1st soccer game.  I can't wait.  It should be fun and funny!  I've already decided that if they don't want to play that is okay, but they'll have to stay for the entire game with their team.  They are 3 after all, and I never really liked team sports until middle school.  As a kid, I liked my swimming and tennis.  Yes, I was on a "swim team" but other than relays it's an individual sport.

11. I'm looking forward to the weekend.  Soccer with the girls, being with the family, some outlet shopping with my friend while our husbands and kids watch football and the kids play together, and a 30 mile bike and 6 mile run. If only the brick resulted in a shiny finisher's medal then I would say that it is the perfect weekend.

12. I've got the idea of that shiny finisher's medal from Augusta in my head and I'm not letting go.  But I have promised Mr. Darcy that I would not return from Augusta with a tattoo.  Not sure that I have anything that I really want to see on my body when I'm wrinkly anyway.

13. But shiny medals from races are another thing.  I need to make a place for them in my office.  I have a good idea of where I want to put them, though.  Right where I can look up from the computer screen and see the girls' artwork on one side, some pictures of them, and then my medals and of course, my age-group plaque(s) (I only have one now, but I hope to acquire more eventually.)

14. A few minutes ago I got a friendly reminder call from ESI about the 70.3 Ironman Augusta and that I need to attend a meeting before I can pick up my packet.  It ended "See you next weekend!"  My hands started sweating.  Good news is that I didn't want to throw up though.

15. Sung to Don Ho's Tiny Bubbles:
Shiny Medal (shiny medal),
in my hand (in my hand),
Makes me happy (makes me happy)
Makes me feel fine (make me feel fine). 
Shiny medal (shiny medal)
in my hand (in my hand),
Make me warm all over,
With a feeling that I'm gonna,
Love you till the end of time. 
So here's to the long bike ride,
And here's to the swim -ming,
And mostly here's a toast,
to finishing. 
Here's to the hot hot run,
I finished today. 
And here's a bliss
That will not fade away.

It came to me when thinking about that shiny Augusta finisher's medal and how great it is going to be to hold it in my hand come September 27th.  You may just hear me singing it along the course.

Have a great weekend!