My life in 24 hours!...

24 hours in the life of a Mother of 3 boys!...

• 6 am - Make and apply frosting to Christmas square for cookie exchange.
• 7 am - Make breaky and lunches for boys and drive them to school.
• 9:30 am - Volunteer guide for trail Running Adventure group.
• 11:00 am - Cookie exchange and wrap up get together post trail run.
• 2 pm - Arrive home and unload $150 of groceries, ice cream cake, party supplies for 12 year old b-day sleepover party.
• Dishes/Laundry
• 3 pm Set up "Dance Revolution 3" dance mats for XBox 360 and watch 9 boys compete and then move on to ACDC World Tour Rock Band "Highway to Hell", and then ride dirt bikes and skate boards in yard while I prepare chicken strips, french fries, seven layer Mexican bean dip, bagel bites, fruit plate with yogurt dip, veggie plate, dry ribs, and "Virgin Tequila Sunrises"!!
• Dishes/Laundry
• 6 pm - Serve and wait on 9 hungry boys.
• 7 pm - Act as professional photographer for Candle Blowing moment!
• Dishes/Laundry
• 9 pm - Sit down for a few minutes and watch "WAL-E" with the crowd.
• Dishes/Laundry
• 11:30 pm - Clean up 5 sets of sheets, pillow cases, pillows, mattress covers, mattresses, and blankets that were used as a slide down 2 flights of stairs... Remake all 5 beds for boys to sleep on!
• Dishes/Laundry
• 1:30 am! - Attempt again to get 9 boys to bed and over hear one of them say something about someone "doing the reverse cowboy position"! HUH????....
• 2:06 am! - Stop sleep over guests from writing with red ink over birthday boy's face while sleeping... Nathan made the mistake of telling his friends he was born at 2:06am on the 25th.
• 6:30 am - Wake up with first set of boys wanting to play ACDC rock band!
• 8 am - Shower/Dishes/Laundry
• 8:30 am - Gramma Connie arrives just in time to help make 50 pancakes!
• 9:30 am - 1st parent teacher interview!
• 9:50 am - 2nd parent teacher interview!
• 10:30 - Home to laundry/Dishes/starting lunch for crew.
• 12 pm - Serve and watch another fruit plate, veggie plate, more chicken strips, box of girl guide cookies, plates full of Quesidillias, and 18 Japanese oranges be consumed with a matter of minutes!
• 2 pm - Attend another parent teacher interview!
• 2:45 pm - Say good-bye to last party goer and drive boys to dentist appointments, call best friend and have a small cry over disappointing parent teacher interview!
• 4 pm - Buy another $125 worth of groceries, as the fridge is now empty again!
• 6 pm - Pick up husband from being in Camp all week, give him a big "Big High Five - Tag Your It"!! and run as far and as fast as I can!!!

So much fun!! Now it's time to take and break and start training again!!!

"Free Speed!"

If I haven't told you the storey yet... I have to tell you again! "I won a Compu Trainer" !!! http://racermateinc.com/

How long have you been submitting your name into that "Compu Trainer" draw box at Race Expo's?... I know it was 6 years for me! So, when I had the phone call from Racer Mate in Washington at the end of June this year, I felt like I had won the lottery!! I was an absolute looser on the phone. Of course, I was screaming with delight and kept asking the guy if it was a joke. I told him "I have had a Compu Trainer on my Christmas wish list for the last 6 years" He kinda laughed... After I hung up the phone, I couldn't go 5 minutes for the next week telling someone... "I won a Compu Trainer"...

So today, I rode the Ironman Arizona Race course, while watching it on Ironmanlive.com!! I absolutely love it! I am hoping that this "Free" gadget will give me the "Free Speed" I am looking to gain to step it up for next year! I will keep you posted on the progress!

7500 meters!!!

https://www.swimming.ca/swimming.htm

6:00 am Saturday morning!!! :))) What are we getting ourselves into!

So it wasn't 100 X 100 on 1:30, those guys were in the next lane over! Whew! The best this little triathlete could pull off this morning was 100 X 75's on 1:30!!! 7500m, 7.5km, 8202.1 yards, 4.66 miles! Doesn't matter which one you use, it was a long way for me! It took our lane 2.5 hours. My shoulders are killing me!

We were mixed in with the swim club kids, and the guys in the 100 X 100 lane did Fly for their last 100. They did 10,000m! The little 14 year old chic in our lane decided that after 25 100's on 1:30, she would join us and do 75 X 75 KICK on 1:30. She lead the lane and got 20 seconds rest each time. We all thought, who needs arms when you can kick like that! We were in awe! Now I am going for a run. The storm has passed, the sun is out and the trails are calling me! So is Hana! I must not let her down.

Rainy Days and Rest Days!

Nothing like a full on West Coast winter storm to get everyone into the full swing of power outages, 'take out' Chinese Food, and REST DAYS!! We have be SO lucky this fall... I think it was just three days ago that I posted a picture from this same beach in short sleeves and beautiful sunshine!!!

So, yes I am human, and I do take rest days! Lucky for me it was today! It is always so challenging to not do ANYTHING on a rest day when the sun is shinning and you just want to bike or run for hours. Nope, not so much today! So I took it very seriously and decided to pamper myself at the salon, drink coffee, and read rag magazines! (What, no Tri mags, what is that?) Except I did pick up the latest Triathlon Canada mag at the grocery store when I stopped for Chinese Food. I told the kids that I was going to haul out the camp stove and candles for dinner. They laughed and called Grandma's and asked if she had power... She did! So THEY made the plan that I was to pick up take out and bring it to her house! Huh?...

Yes, this was the brief moment, captured on film, of me sitting still for just over two hours. Now I am off to bed! We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Swim Canada in our Master's workout. Something like 100 X 100m on 1:30 was mentioned.... There might be a typo, but rumour has it 10,000 meters in 3 hours is the goal!!! AAAAHhhhh! I will let you know if I survive!

She Keeps Me Honest!

Hana!

My training partner...

Always willing and ready to run. Dependable. She is so fast through the trails, she keeps me on my toes, chasing her faster and faster. When I feel like I want to quit, she gives me the inspiration to race up the hill again. She keeps me honest, as I would feel guilty if I didn't give her one more hill repeat. She is always waiting for me at the top smiling. She never complains. She is also patient when I am slower to the top than her. When she doesn't see me coming, she always comes back to make sure I'm safe. She never criticises. She doesn't complain about the pace. She never gives up on me. She accepts my speed, and runs beside me, protects me, and loves to be with me.

Thanks Hana for a great run today!

Rainy days and compression socks!

So what does a girl do when it is absolutely pouring outside and you gotta get your track workout done?.... Thank god for the garage tread mill! Gotta love the "look". Yes they are knee high socks, but they are to die for!! Sugoi Compression Socks are my new best running friend. I picked up a pair just before Ironman in the summer. I had been doing a lot of reading on these socks and had to get me a pair. They work to help reduce fatigue and if you have a second pair, wear them to bed and you recover quicker after a hard training run! I totally recommend getting a pair. I thought I was going to look like a dork in Penticton walking around in these things, but to my surprise, EVERYONE had a pair! Except, I think the men can pull off the look better than the girls. Especially when we have our skimpy running shorts on, we kinda look like, well... You know! Trust me, you'll love them!

I'm so excited!!!

Approximately 6 years ago I begged my girlfriends to enter as a team for the Kamloops Y Mini Tri. I was going to swim, Rhonda would bike, and Sarah would run. It would be a 700m swim, 20km bike, and an 8km run. The deadline for the race was coming close and my friends couldn't commit to the race.... We had talked about doing it now for a couple of years, and I had always wanted to try this "Tri" thing. So secretly I submitted my application, signing up to doing the entire distance myself. OMG! What was I thinking. I had always been sporty. I competitive swam, ran track, and raced BMX growing up with the guys.... No problem! Unfortunately that was over 15 years ago and three babies later, my body was not exactly what they call a "Triathlete's physique"... I searched the net and found a "Beginner's Sprint Triathlon" training program. I remember doing my first "Brick" workout. I was to bike 60 mins and then get off my bike and run 20 mins!!! I remember thinking that was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life!!! I guess the rest is history. I went from a 165 lb Mother of three, to a 133 lb "Triathlete". Thank you Sarah and Rhonda for jamming on me! I believe things happen for a reason, and that if you believe you can do something, "Anything is Possible"! Now, I feel guilty if I don't get my swim, bike, run, weights, yoga, and stretching in every day....

So now on to why I am so excited!!! Last week, I had a message on my answering machine. The women's name was Sandy. Sandy went on to say how she and her best friend just turned 40 and they had signed up for a Half Ironman for June 09. They wondered if I would be interested in helping them get prepared for the race!!! I was nearly busting at the seams!!! I am always so excited when women, men, and kids decide to participate in Triathlon. I love inspiring others to do things they never thought possible. Their excitement for training and racing next year has also inspired me to take it up a notch and pursue the coaching side of this sport! If I can compete and help others to compete, that is so cool! I signed up for my first Tri-specific coaching course, and have already mapped out my future courses! Below is my Lottery Ticket that was released in 2006! Just before the interview, I had met a 75 year old man in Hawaii at the Age Group World Championships we were racing at. He was sitting there with his grandchildren. He told me that he had now done Ironman Hawaii World Championships 6 times! I think about that man and what he has achieved alot.

So here's to you Sandy and Trish!!! I am so looking forward to watching you guys transform yourselfs into an Ironman athlete! Maybe you will be inspired to go on and tackle the full distance.... "Anything is Possible" You are an inspiration, and your family will be so proud of you!!

"Lottery tickets featuring a photo of Comox triathlete Audrey Erlandson have hit the stores. The tickets, which went on sale Monday, are part of the SportsFunder Homegrown Heroes fundraising campaign.The campaign, focused on raising funds for amateur athletes in B.C., directs its proceeds into a variety of amateur sports organizations across the province. Erlandson is a mother of three and a labour delivery nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital. She lists her family and fellow triathletes as major sources of inspiration. "I got involved in triathlons because I wanted to set a positive example for my kids," said Erlandson, adding that she is motivated to train hard by her family. "We have faced some major health issues - and a healthy, athletic lifestyle is the best way to overcome them," she comments. "When I was in Hawaii, I met a 75-year-old man who had competed in the Ironman for the past six years and that inspired me.I want to be able to race far into the future and be there for my kids as they grow up." Along with other athletes displaying her competitive drive, Erlandson is appearing on tickets which feature over $1 million in prizes, says the BC Lottery Corporation.

Happy November 1st!!! Already???

Happy Halloween!!!

Nothing like bags and bags of candy to keep a kid going till after midnight!

Nathan and his friend Cade decided riding their bikes this year would get the job done faster! After the trick or treating was over, we all headed over to the neighbourhood block party for more treats, hot apple cider, fireworks and a good old fashioned tractor ride around the farm fields. Jordan decided this year, he was too old for the trick or treating, so he was at home handing out handfuls of candy. The weather was windy and drizzly, so not as many kids made the trek down the long driveways in the Sand Pines area. They were lucky, all their bags of candy looked just as big as last year!

Hannibal, Cade, and Nathan post "bike tricking"

Can I carve a pumpkin or what??? Even after waking up from night shift, I can still get the pumpkin carved before the first kid comes knocking on the door!

The little kids at the door thought I was a great looking "rock star"! My husband's comment was "Brunette!"... Huh?! Unfortunately I do not have the legs to go with the hair!

This would be post candy, fireworks, and fun! Braydan, needing a little pick me up, after he realized his hockey game was to start at 7:45 am, (this means waking at 6:45 am). There was a whole lot of whining going on! Braydan said, "awwwwhhhh, it's not fair that they make us play hockey so early in the morning on Halloween!!! We should have a holiday, it's not fair" Mom says, "But Brady, just think, in the morning you get to sit in the dressing room and brag about how much candy your scored"... Brady: "Oh yeah!! OK, goodnight!" Wow, competitive or what. So what does he do at his game today?!!!.... He ramps it up and scores the tie breaker goal to make it 6-5! Then turns around 1 minute later and scores another one on an empty net, after the other team pulls their goalie to try and tie it up. He carried that puck all the way to the net, just to make sure it went in. He said he was just shaking, remembering a you tube video of an NHL player that had an empty net shot and missed! Ha Ha!! I love it!!