It's all good...

I have to say that things are really looking up - yippee!


Here's the before and after shots of my bike fit

 After being unable to ride my bike for over a month, I finally found Dr. Jody Gilligan of Corrective Chiropractic.  He is not only a Chiropractor, but a bike fitter, and competitive cyclist!  Do you hear the angels singing, too?  He spent nearly six hours with me over two nights, and when all was said and done, I felt like I was on someone else's bike!  I've been out for several rides and am happy to report I am no longer having any back pain! 
If you are having any problems, give him a shout, and tell him I sent you!

Last week we were lucky enough to make it up to The Kennedy Space Center (actually the Astronaut Hall of Fame) to witness the final space shuttle launch... EVER.  Just us and one million people we have never met.  It was pretty cool to actually be there, though.  The huge countdown clock, the engines igniting, and the rumbling boom as she lifted off into space.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I shed a few tears when she left the launch pad.  The experience almost made up for the FOUR HOURS we sat in traffic to go 40 miles afterwards.  Sheesh!

But... we had no choice because we were headed to Orlando Airport to pick up Isabella who was flying in with her Grandpa Welch after spending a week in Rhode Island.  Boy, did I miss her!  It was hard to be home and not have her there (though, the quiet was nice, and I didn't watch the Disney channel even once).  She's already talking about going back next summer.  Lucky kid.

So, things are good for now in our world.  I have not signed up for any more TNT events (so you can let go of the death grip you had on your checkbook), but will be volunteering with them for the next few months.  I like the chance to be involved, just not so financially committed!  I will be switching my training to focus more on the run for the next few months.  I am signed up for the Diva's Half Marathon in October on Long Island.   It's been a while since I've run 13.1 - nearly two years as a matter of fact, but hopefully my feet will remember what to do!  I'll keep you posted!

It’s not about you, Leanne (Tahoe, part II)

So where was I? Oh yeah, I was in the midst of a total adult meltdown tantrum and Ray was convincing me not to jump off the 11th floor balcony by agreeing to train for a century ride with me next year. (I can hear him now... “It seemed like a good idea at the time. You should have seen how sad she was. I just wanted her to cheer up. I didn’t think she believed me. Anything to make her stop crying...”)

So, I dried my tears and went back to bed in an attempt to be somewhat rested for the event the next day. I thought about my Teammates: Jon, a TNT running coach who was competing as a participant and riding in honor of his wife, battling cancer for the third time; Andi, a single mom, who despite a crazy work schedule and continued health problems, was competing in her millionth TNT event (well, it seems that way); Kristin, also in her umpteenth TNT event, so dedicated to the cause that she signed up to become a coach for the next cycle event; Judy, a recent widow, so determined to make a difference in the fight against cancer that she willingly signed up for a 100 mile bike ride despite her fears; Jacey, a good friend who has been with me every single step of this fitness journey, encouraging me from the very beginning, when I couldn’t run a mile without stopping to walk. I thought of Sam, the most athletic (and daring) 71 year old person I have ever met; Gary, always smiling and never once complaining, despite being hauled off to the ER after one particularly difficult ride (he was fine, just dehydrated); Susana, who just learned to ride a bike and started this journey without knowing how to stop or shift; and Stefany, her daughter and partner in crime, battling her own injuries all season. I thought of my coach, Bryan, who earned so many nicknames this season I can’t keep track anymore, a great coach - tough and no nonsense, and able to spot a BS story a mile away, but patient and tolerant of my issues when I needed some remedial cycle work; and finally, I thought of our tireless and amazing LLS campaign coordinator, Nicole, who was actually responsible for three TNT teams this season (2 triathlon and one cycle), and never once mixed us up! We have been together on this journey for almost six months so far; I had accepted that I would not be riding the 100 miles on my bike with them, but I had also decided that I would not be a brat about it (I was not going to make this about me).



One awesome Team, ready to go!


I showed up at the meeting spot at 6:00 AM without my bike and put on my best game face. The weatherman was actually right about the day’s forecast – cold, rainy, possible hail all day – not a great day for any bike ride, never mind a 100 mile ride in the mountains! I outfitted several of my Teammates with my gloves, bike tights, socks, shoe covers, foot warmers, and hand warmers. I figured that if I couldn’t make the ride, at least my clothes would! I brought my TNT cowbell and cheered as my clothes (and my Teammates) crossed the starting line. With a wistful sigh, I made my way back to my room and outlined my awesome plan to support the Team for the whole 100 miles to Ray, who was probably so glad I wasn’t crying anymore he would have agreed to anything!

The Plan

The road to Emerald Bay was closed to traffic until 8:30 AM for the safety of the riders. We planned to wait for the road to open and then to catch up with and assist our Team with whatever they needed (dry clothes, warm car, food, drinks, cowbell). While waiting for the road to open, we stopped for a hearty breakfast and met a bunch of other TNT cyclists who had opted out of the ride because it was too wet and cold. As one of them told me, “I met my goal, and raised money for a great cause. There’s no point in doing the ride today because I wouldn’t enjoy it. The ride is the reward for a season of fundraising and training. There’s no reward in frostbite, or worse, crashing my bike on a downhill.” Hmm, he made a good point, but I don’t think my Palm Beach TNTers would agree.



Was the ride worth the view? Maybe.

 As soon as the road opened, we were on our way up the switchbacks to Emerald Bay. I had one thought – “Whoa!” This was a steep, narrow, scary road with sheer drop offs on one side.
I was having heart palpitations in the car, and I couldn’t imagine riding my bike up these roads in the freezing rain. I didn’t see any of my Teammates, so we made our way to the second rest stop. Here we met up with two of the Team, and they were both freezing and tired. One said her feet were so cold and wet she didn’t think she could go on. I offered her my socks right off my feet (and she accepted). We found a bench, and I took her wet frozen socks and replaced them with my warm dry ones. I gave her my foot warmers and some plastic bags to keep her feet dry, and she was off! Another one of my Teammates needed some more TLC, so we put her and her bike in the car so she could thaw and catch her breath. As we were leaving the stop, two more Teammates arrived looking for dry socks. I had already given mine away but offered to find some and meet them at the next stop. We had a mission, and were off!

We found dry socks at a shop in Tahoe City, and I bought a replacement pair for myself plus enough for the whole team, just in case. I grabbed some extra plastic bags from the confused cashier and we made our way to the next stop in the city of Truckee. Here we found more of our Teammates, and they were all shivering and wet. Two of them had to have their brakes replaced, one had two flat tires, and they were all tired and cold (America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride, huh? Most miserable is more like it). We offered what support we could and waited for the rest of our friends. Eventually they all made it; we supplied more dry socks and plastic bags, and were off to the next stop.

While we were driving, the skies just opened up. Like the early morning rain wasn’t insulting enough, now it was a downpour, falling with a vengeance, and I hoped it wasn’t too much for anyone. Ray did his best to avoid drenching any of the cyclists with the spray from the car. The next stop along the ride was a designated lunch stop. It was here that the sun finally came out and my Teammate who had gotten in the car with us at the second stop felt refreshed enough to finish the ride and got her bike ready for the final 30 miles or so (half of which was uphill!). This is amazing to me. I don’t think I would have the dedication to willingly leave a warm dry car to ride my bike up and down a mountain in who knows what kind of weather. As soon as she left the car, we got a call that another Teammate needed assistance, so off we went to find her!



The sun came out while we stopped for lunch


Knee problems were plaguing the next rider and we put her and her bike in the car and brought her to the next rest stop. From here she went to the medical tent, to see if they could tape her knee, but they were all out of sports tape. She refused to give up, and here is just one example of what sets the Palm Beach TNTers apart from the rest: she got duct tape from the mechanic’s tent and brought it to the medical tent. She had her knee taped with DUCT TAPE and proceeded to finish the ride!

That’s right; folks – our little group of riders from Palm Beach, home of the sun and sand, flat roads and sea level training conditions tackled this ride and won! It wasn’t pretty – we had plastic bags taped to our feet, shower caps over our bike helmets, and duct tape on our injuries, but we finished! That’s more than I can say for a lot of riders. In fact, the folks we met in the breakfast café (the ones who bailed without even starting) were from Ohio. Not to slam any Ohioans (well, actually I LOVE to slam Ohioans but only about college football), but come on, people – you train in the cold and wet, right? There was a ton of participants who turned around and quit before even making it to the first rest stop, and the sag wagon was absolutely FULL of riders who had enough and called it quits at various points, but not my Team - Palm Beach came to represent!

(And we did)

We are the Palm Beach Purple People!

Expect the Unexpected (Tahoe, part 1)

What is that they say? You plan, God laughs. The past few weeks have reinforced that lesson over and over. The take home message is that nothing works out the way you planned it, but somehow everything works out the way it is supposed to.




The view on the way to Lake Tahoe

My last blog entry was a few weeks ago, and I was counting my blessings, every single one of them. I was also laid up with lower back pain, which turned out to be a result of a little bike wreck I had two months ago. A few visits to my trusty chiropractor had me back on my game and I was good to go. The next two weeks passed in a flurry of tying up loose ends at work, getting ready for the last day of school, and packing for 10 days of vacation. I was obsessively checking the weather report for South Lake Tahoe and despite my efforts, prayers, and crossed fingers, the forecast never changed – cold, rain, possible snow – low of 36, high of 52 (yuck). So, I packed every warm thing I owned, and spent way too much money ordering brand new (and warm) cycle clothing (gloves, shoe covers, fleece lined cycle tights, foot warmers...). Fortunately everything arrived on time, and got crammed in my suitcase with everything else. 
It’s go time!

As our flight was heading towards Sacramento, the captain let everyone know we were flying over Lake Tahoe – yeah, baby! I peered over Ray’s shoulders and noticed a very large body of water below the plane... very large... huge, even. I also could not help but notice all of the snow around the lake. Snow? In June? Sigh... good thing I bought all those warm clothes.

Perfect cycling weather...

Ray and I arrived a day before the rest of the Team, so we explored the area a bit, but mostly relaxed. On Friday I rented a mountain bike with my Teammate and good friend, Jacey, and we did some more exploring. The idea was to try and acclimate to the elevation (6200’) and the hills since we had the time. Jacey is a bit more adventurous than me (but then again, who isn’t?), and was in her element; dodging tree trunks, riding through squishy mud, and spotting wildlife. I, on the other hand, was white knuckling the handlebars, had my eyes glued to the trail/road (so I missed most of the wildlife), and was generally spazzing out (but trying to seem cool), as usual. We found ourselves at the Pearl Izumi outlet (specialty running and biking clothing and accessories), where we were compelled to spend even more money on warm cycle gear. The store was full of fellow cyclists who were just as freaked out about the weather report for Sunday’s ride. The store manager was grinning from ear to ear (not that I blame her). 

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

The next day we met up with the rest of the team for a 20 mile “shake down” ride. Here was our chance to get the kinks out before Sunday’s mega ride. We could try out what we planned to wear, and make sure everything on the bike was shifting cleanly, and working smoothly. The weather was cooperating in that it was rainy and cold – exactly what was expected for Sunday, so it was a true dress rehearsal. We set out on the road and quickly realized a few things: cycle shoes are designed to keep your feet cool on a hot day, Florida toes get cold... fast, Florida lungs (gasp) train at sea level, you cannot ride in a pace line on a wet muddy road unless you want to eat the mud spraying off of your teammate’s tire in front of you, and finally, (speaking of mud) it is best to squirt a bit of water out of your bottle before putting it to your mouth for a drink (Aack! Choke, spit!).

As I was wiping down my bike after the ride, I noticed a familiar tightening in my lower back (no!). I quickly dropped to the floor and started going through all my stretches and exercises to release the twinge of pain, which was getting worse by the minute. I took some ibuprofen, forced myself to relax, and spent 20 minutes in a hot shower, all to no avail. I refused to accept the inevitable and gamely started getting my stuff ready for the ride on Sunday. I showed up at the TNT inspiration dinner with a back brace and a support pillow, and my coach’s eyes got real wide (I didn’t want to talk about it).

At the dinner, we learned some amazing things... Team in Training has been participating in America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride for the past 15 years; in those years, we have raised over 75 million dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society from this event alone! Just for the record, TNT has raised over a BILLION DOLLARS (yes, I used the Dr. Evil pinkie to the chin maneuver) for the Society! This past weekend, TNT had over 1500 riders determined to circle Lake Tahoe, and together we raised $6.8 million (whoa).

Hearing all this amazing news, and being surrounded by all the good cheer and purple people made my back feel better and I was excited to ride. Both my coach and teammates warned me to listen to my body and make a call in the morning. I went to bed early and said a prayer for a speedy recovery and a pain-free morning (with a little sun thrown in for good measure).

Unfortunately, morning came a little early to my room in the form of a 3:00 AM bathroom call (nature calls, I listen). I rolled over to get out of bed and felt the spasms in my back begin. Ray heard my whine and leaned over to comfort me – bad move, baby (cue the water works!).

To say I was despondent wouldn't even scratch the surface of what I was feeling. Disappointment, regret, futility, helplessness, and a little bit of rage, mixed in with back pain made for a very unhappy camper at three in the morning. What did I do all this work for? Raise all this money? Train so hard? Push my body to the brink and back? Save for a new bike? I missed countless softball games, girls’ nights, date nights, neglected my family, my house, my yard... All for this moment – the ability to bike 103 miles in the mountains, and I COULDN’T EVEN GET OUT OF BED!!

I was wrecked, emotionally and physically and I hadn’t even gotten on my bike, yet.

Ray, ever the philosopher, said to me, “Everything happens for a reason. God has a plan for you.”

I wanted to smother him with my pillow, but I knew I didn’t have the strength.

I’m not an emotional person, usually. I’m not given to rash, hysterical crying jags. But, when I finally give in, I generally make it count and this tantrum was no exception. After using nearly every tissue in the room (plus the bed sheet, and probably Ray’s shoulder which is big and strong, but not particularly absorbent), my darling hubby was desperate to make me feel better. He said something that (though I am sure he is regretting) actually did make me feel better.

He said, “You can try again next year, and I’ll do it with you.”

WHAT?!?

Did he say it just to make me stop crying? Maybe. Men have been known to agree to lots of things just to stop a woman’s tears. But, hopefully he meant it. Hopefully he was inspired by the thousands of purple people willing to put their lives on hold for a little while to make a difference for those who can’t. Maybe it was my crazy teammates and the way we love and support each other like a single-minded yet slightly dysfunctional family. Maybe it was the challenge, the tough course, and the new shiny (and expensive) bikes.

He’s a man – it was probably the bikes.

(More on the ride, to follow...)

I am Blessed

I have been trying to write this blog for several days, but life, as it does, keeps getting in the way. I actually wrote this blog two days ago, but didn’t get to finish and publish it until Saturday. What a slacker.


I wanted to write a follow-up on St. Anthony’s Triathlon, I wanted to tell you all about my latest trip to Clermont, Florida for some hill training, I wanted to give you an update on my fundraising, the fact that we scored tickets to the next space shuttle launch, my wonderful Mother’s Day... But every night after dinner is cooked, and dishes are done, showers taken, homework checked, teeth brushed, prayers said, goodnight kisses bestowed, lunches made, and the next day’s coffee is prepped, somehow I don’t have the energy to do anything more than brush my own teeth and crawl into bed.

But, as always seems to happen, just when I wish for down time to get some “me” stuff done, I always get it (but never in the way I plan). So, here I sit, in lots of pain, able to do nothing more than move the ice pack off my back when my skin goes numb, and reach for the remote – though several times even that was a little too much movement. I have caught up on all the episodes of Glee and Modern Family that I have missed in the last month. I got to watch the Today show, and even part of Ellen; I watched a bit of the local news but got tired of the hysteria over the teenager getting bitten by a rattlesnake and had to change the channel. Come on, people, we live in South Florida. Snakes, alligators, sharks, and mosquitoes that can carry off small children are all just part of the landscape. Add in the rabid raccoons, monster iguanas, brown recluse spiders, and man of war jellies and it’s a wonder that anyone survives down here.

So, back to the update... In spite of the back pain, I continue to be grateful for everything in my life. Sounds weird, right? A little too Pollyanna for you? I am, really. One of my resolutions this year was to remember to count my blessings. I have heard it said that when you commit to be grateful, you find so much to be grateful for. It’s not always easy, but I have found that even when my day stinks, I can find a reason to be grateful, a reason to feel blessed. And here are a few reasons why...

I have been so blessed to find a church home which is just that – home. I know in my heart that we were led to Advent by powers stronger than I could ever understand. The folks we have met there have become a part of our lives; our extended family. They have helped raise Isabella, teaching her lessons that I never could. We have sung, laughed, cried, and prayed together – sometimes all at once! Like all families, we don’t see eye to eye on everything. In fact, we disagree on some major issues. However, I have found that despite the bad press given to Christians and Christianity in general (a lot of which is unfortunately true), the overwhelming message I have received over and over here is that of God’s Amazing Love. Though a part of me believes I am far too liberal in my thinking to blend in there, I have allowed myself to bask in this love. In the last year, I have noticed a real change inside of me, a peace that never existed. I have made a commitment to speak sweeter, to love deeper, and to make a difference in the world. I am able to be accepting of situations that would have previously made me crazy, I no longer sweat the small stuff, and I trust that there is a plan for all of us; a plan we may never understand.

I am always grateful for good health; mine and that of all of my family and friends. The past few years have taught me that life and health is truly precious. I have lost friends and family far too early. I have watched friends struggle with cancer, and seen firsthand how it can tear a family apart. I continue to be amazed at the stregth and resilience of the families I have met since being involved with Team in Training.  During the run portion of St. Anthony’s Triathlon I saw many of the physically challenged athletes competing. Let me tell you, nothing is more humbling than seeing an athlete with a prosthetic leg hammering out a 10K run; a run that I (with two perfect legs) was struggling with. I wonder if I would have the drive and dedication to train and compete at that level if I were in the same situation.

I am so blessed with an amazing support system of friends and family. My friends and family showed up in droves for my recent fundraiser, and I am still humbled by their show of support.  My sister had a jewelry party at her house two weeks ago, and convinced the sales rep to donate a portion of the profits to Team in Training to help me out with my fundraising. Not only that, but she sold raffle tickets at the party to give away her hostess gifts and donated the proceeds to TNT. She did this for me, to help me out. I don't think she kept one piece of jewelry for herself.  I continue to be amazed at how lucky I am to be a part of my family. On Mother’s Day, I was given the day off, literally. After church, Ray dropped me and Isabella off at the beach where we hung out all day with my mom and several family members. With our toes in the sand, we did nothing all day besides people watch, build sand castles, float in the water and I may have drifted off to sleep for a while. When we were ready to leave, we drove back to Mom’s to eat a fabulous dinner that Ray had cooked in our honor.

I am so blessed to be a part of this particular Team in Training Team. We are made up of people from all different backgrounds, religions, races, family situations, political leanings, social status... Looking in from the outside, we have very little in common, and you’d wonder what the heck we would have to talk about. That’s a laugh! It seems like we never run out of things to talk about, we are always laughing together, and lifting each other up. Maybe it’s the endorphins from all the exercise? I have to tell you, spending time with these people is a true joy.

Here’s just one example: Last Friday night while riding in Clermont, FL with the Team, I was having a tough ride. The week previous had been a difficult one – tensions at work and at home had tested my commitment to be grateful over and over. I had managed to hold it together all week, but found that on the bike, I was struggling to keep up with the rest of the Team. Eventually I stopped trying, and decided to work some things out on the bike by myself. It was really no surprise to me that while replaying several conversations I had with important people in my life, the tears started flowing. One of my Teammates came back to check on me. I let him know that I was ok, but needed some time alone. He understood and gave me my space. So, I had a good cry on the bike while riding at 17mph – it was very cathartic. The time came when I wanted to stop feeling sad, but I wasn’t sure how. I asked aloud to the heavens to please help me feel better, and... I got a flat tire. “Oh, now how is this supposed to help?” I wondered aloud, and almost started crying again. Sure enough, within minutes, the rest of the Team had come back to check on me. I was surrounded by my friends, and two of the guys started play fighting over who was going to change my tire for me. Normally I’m a do it myowndamnself kind of person, but I decided to sit back and let them take care of me. We joked, laughed, slapped mosquitoes together, and actually found the tiny sliver of a shell stuck in my tire that had caused me to have three flats in three weeks. By the time we were back on the road, I felt 100% better. So, it’s true – God truly does work in mysterious ways.

And finally, that brings me to this week, and my little back episode. I called my doctor and got in to see him first thing. I paid my $20 co pay, walked out with two prescriptions in my hand, and headed to the pharmacy. The pharmacist took one look at the scripts and asked me if I was planning on waiting, since he could tell I was in pain. I decided it was less painful to stand around and wait for nearly an hour than to drive home, only to have to struggle back up off the couch, into the car, and back to the pharmacy later. So I waited. Let me tell you, if you ever want to feel grateful for your problems, sit at the pharmacy counter for a little while. While I sat there, I met a young man who was picking up his meds for kidney disease – even with insurance he was paying $4000 a month for life saving medicine. I watched several elderly people have to decide which medications to pick up this time, because they couldn’t afford all their prescriptions this week. I watched others ask the pharmacist if he could only give them a few pills to get them through until they got paid. The pharmacist knew several people by name - I assume it is because they are there all the time. I saw a man with his whole leg bandaged up, another so skinny and bald, I could only assume the worst. By the time he called my name, and apologized for the wait, I had counted my blessings so many times I wanted to skip out of there (of course I couldn’t, not today). I almost kissed him as I handed over my $20 co pay, and took my meds home.

So, my friends, take the time to count your blessings. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and above all, be grateful for your problems, because they are yours and not someone else’s.

We're headed to Melbourne, FL tomorrow morning to visit the Kennedy Space Center, and spend the night at a hotel on the beach.  We'll be back at the KSC at 5:00 AM on Monday morning to witness the final launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour.  Fingers crossed for a successful launch!

Here's a few pictures from my weekend ride in Clermont, FL:



My hero! (He had no idea)

   


Struggling up Sugarloaf Mountain...

 

Whew!

This past weekend, I competed in St. Anthony's Triathlon in St. Petersburg, FL. This is known as a 51.5 race (1.5Km swim, 40Km bike, 10Km run), or for those of us not on the metric system, roughly a mile swim, 25 mile bike, and a 6.2 mile run. This is the same distance triathlon run in the summer olympics.  And, the same distance I competed in last year at The Nation's Triathlon.  However, I was totally freaking out about the race in the week leading up to it.  Seriously, we're talking nightmares, nausea, inability to focus on ANYTHING... you name it - I was a wreck!  I'm not sure why I was so freaked out about it.  I've done the distance before (lots of times), I was well-supported, I am clearly in better shape now than I was last time I did this distance. I really have no idea why I tortured myself.  Or, why I continue to torture myself by signing up for these events. 

My good friend and teammate, Andi, sums it up best on her blog... we do it, because we CAN! 

I guess I have officially drank the TNT Kool-Aid (you think?).
I did not officially participate with Team in Training for this event, but I drove over with a friend who was on the Team, I stayed with folks on the Team, and, of course, I had to wear my Team colors (gotta represent).  There is something so cool about putting on the purple and teal tri suit in the morning, and knowing you will be wearing the same colors as hundreds of other folks out there.  Plus, wearing your TNT tri suit guarantees lots of cheering and cowbells, and shouts of "Go Team!" to keep you inspired as you race.

As usual, most of my butterflies went away on the morning of the event, and I was pretty focused.  While shivering in the pre-dawn darkness, I chatted with other TNT folks from around the country.  I met teammates from New York, Ohio, Connecticut, Atlanta, Washington DC... all over the place! They all had one thing in common (and it's not what you think) - they had NEVER trained in open water before. 
Never. 
All their swim training was in a pool.  Which kind of makes sense - I mean, where are you going to find a body of water in Ohio in February to swim in?  Another thing... most of their bike training was in a gym, on a spin bike.  Once I realized this, that very last butterfly flew away.  I am so happy to live in Florida - now more than ever.

So... how was the race?
It  Was  Fun!

Did I set any course records? Not even close. I didn't even place in the top ten of my age group (more like the top 100 of my age group).

What was cool about this race is that because it is very early in the triathlon season, a lot of big name professional triathletes come to get their feet wet here. These are folks I read about in Triathlete magazine, the ones who do this full-time, the ones who actually get paid to compete.  I didn't get to meet any of them, but still.  The race start was at 6:50 AM, but because they have to space out the 3000 or so competitors, I got to watch the pros do the swim portion of the race while waiting around for my scheduled start time (7:55 AM).

They were so fast!

Seriously, they were leaving actual wakes in the water behind them as they swam, like small sleek motorboats. Then, when they got out of the water to run to their bikes in the transition area, they didn't even look winded and were literally SPRINTING past us, barefoot, on cement, to get to their bikes. Once arriving at their bikes, they slapped on bike helmets and sprinted (barefoot, again) out of the transition area, made these graceful flying leaps onto their bikes and started pedaling like mad, while putting their bare feet into the bike shoes which were already attached to their bikes.

It was awesome! These folks are like superheros. Of course, they ARE profesional triathletes, meaning this is their job. They are paid well to perform at superhero levels by companies that make bikes, and shoes, and helmets, and performance wear to make other people (like me) want to buy their stuff so we can pretend we are just as fast - ha ha!

My portion of the race started an hour later.

I did not leave a wake behind me in the water, I jogged to my bike, I put on my bike shoes (one at a time), and had to stop to get my feet clipped in before pedaling off. No graceful flying leaps for me!

I guess I should mention that on the morning of the race, the race officials moved and shortened the swim course.  The wind was blowing 15-20 mph and the original swim course was deemed too choppy to be safe.  So they moved us about 1/2 mile away into more of a secluded cove, and shortened the course by about a third of the length (1000 meters instead of 1500).

I'm all for a safer (and shorter) swim, but the only problem was now once we got out of the water, we had to run barefoot on cement for nearly 1/2 a mile to get to our bikes.  My poor little piggies were going whee-whee-whee all the way to my bike (actually it was more like ow-ow-ow!).

While on the bike course I noticed a camera crew was following a competitor on his bike. They had a fancy motorcycle rigged up to support a cameraman and another crew member and were focused very closely on someone who seemed to be having a tough time on the bike (it was very windy). I saw them later on the run course as well. I figured that it was a local celebrity running the race; maybe a weatherman or something.

I heard a rumor later that it was a camera crew from TV's The Biggest Loser following one of the competitors on the show. I biked past them at one point, so I'll have to watch the episode whenever it comes on - maybe I'll be in the shot! I don't watch the show, so I'll have to do some poking around on the web to see if it was really true.

In any case, I finished strong and happy and that's all I can ask of my body. A good friend of mine wished me well on my Facebook page the night before the race.

She told me, "I know you will do well. Remember to have fun, smile, enjoy God's beauty, the sunshine, the wind in your face, the way your body works, your friends cheering you on, everything in creation."

I did.

Click here to see official photos of me in last month's race at the FAU Wellness Triathlon. 
And here to see photos of me at St. Anthony's Triathlon.  (I'm smiling in a few of them)  There are several which are clearly not me - I'm sure you will figure it out!

Almost There!

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, folks.
Pray that it isn't a train.
I made it through scary events number two (fundraiser) and three (Easter).
Ok, they weren't really scary but just stress inducing.
The fundraiser was, in a word, awesome!  I have my amazing family and teammates to thank for that, because I was as near a total meltdown as I have ever been that night. 
Normally I like to think that I am quite calm; it takes a LOT to ruffle my feathers.  I take great pride in the fact that I'm not an over reactor.  But you know what they say about pride...  I think that if you asked me my name in the hour before the event, I would have been hard pressed to think of it, let alone spell it correctly.  My wonderful cousin took the day off of work to help me out.  She and a teammate of mine set up all the food (chafing dishes of hot dogs and wings, plates, cups, ice, waters, chips, sandwiches..) and then re-arranged everything when the wind started blowing the sterno out!  All while I stood there staring into space, drooling, and forgetting what I was supposed to be doing next.  I honestly would not have managed without them!
But... I made it through!
We had fun!
We ate chocolate fondue!
AND... raised nearly $700 when all was said and done.
I was honestly hoping for more.  So many people put in so much effort for this event to come together.  I was hoping for $1200, but I'll take $700 - it is more than I had on Wednesday!
The bottom line is that we all had a great time, right?
I have to give a few major should outs to my amazing donors.
First of all, Thirs-tea corporation provided all the beverages for the event.  Not only that, but the president of the company helped me set up, clean up, and he provided the flyers for the event at no charge.  What a great guy that Ray Welch is, easy on the eyes, too.
Second, the owner of Boca Raton Melting Pot was there himself, serving chocolate fondue to all of my guests.  Yes, you read that right - delicious melted chocolate, served over your choice of fresh strawberries, pound cake, marshmallows, brownies, or rice crispy treats.  Oh, joy!  Not only that, but he provided an amazing gift basket for a raffle prize. 
Finally, Alise from Putt'n Around Delray Beach, the venue for the event, was so amazing.  Not only did she let us have the run of the place (I'm not sure their landscaping will ever be the same), but she gave me a donation back based on the number of attendees at the event, AND provided a four-pack of mini golf as a raffle prize!
My amazing, inspiring teammates were there in force to assist me - so much purple in one place - it was great!  I am humbled by their support, and forever touched by their kindness.

Saturday morning was another one of those long bike rides - you know, all this training is getting in the way of the fundraising and socializing (ha!). 
We rode sixty miles on Saturday.
Yes, 60.
On bikes.
All at once.
(Ok, we had two pit stops for food and potty breaks)
We rode our bikes from Boynton Beach to Ft. Lauderdale and back.
Seriously?
When we reached the turn around point, I looked around and realized just how far I have come.  I also realized how far away from home I was, and how I was never going to make it home by 11:00 AM, like I told my family.  One of my teammates looked at me, and said "We just freaking rode our bikes to Ft. Lauderdale - I don't even like driving this far." 
I cracked up laughing.
Well, it was that, or cry.
What else could I do? Call a taxi?
I forgot to mention the wind.  Oh, it was windy. Like, blow you off your bike in a crosswind windy.
But, I survived (barely).  I realized that I am still having anxiety issues on the bike - probably from the crash.  I'm going to need to get over it (or take a Xanax before every ride).  I'm not sure I have time for hypnosis therapy before June 5th.  Where would I squeeze it in?

Finally it was Easter Sunday.
He is Risen.
As was a certain six year old at 5:30AM.
"Mommy?" she presses her nose against my face in the pre-dawn darkness.
Forcing one eyeball open, "Yes?"
"I think I hear the Easter bunny."
Listening hard I reply, "I think it's just the rain."
"Oh, ok. Yeah, it's rain. Can I see if the Easter Bunny came?"
"Um, sweetie, it's a little early."
"Can I get in bed with you, then?"
"Um, sure," rolling over to make some room.
"No. I want to be in the middle."
sigh
We arose when the sun came up, and sure enough, the Easter Bunny came to our house.  Candy, toys, and treats for all.  Luckily he also remembered to get the coffee pot ready the night before.
That's one smart bunny.

Long time...

Yes, I know...  I haven't updated in a while.
It's not that I haven't been thinking of you all, because I have, really.
I just don't know where the time goes! 
Oh, wait, yes I do.
I'm a working mamma, married to a traveling man, trying to get in 20 hours of endurance training a week.  Not only that, but this week my own Mamma (my rock steady backup, babysitter, support system) has been out of town at my sister's house, AND I have been prepping for a fundraiser this week, AND I had my first triathlon of the season last week, AND I am trying to get ready for Easter, too!
I love you all, I really do, but...
This girl's gotta sleep once in a while!
Fortunately, my good friend and awesome teammate, Andi is VERY good about regularly updating her blog about training for the Tahoe ride.  I thought about simply posting a link to her blog and leaving it at that, but I don't want to seem rude.  Believe it or not, I blog a lot in my brain - unfortunately the thoughts never actually make it onto this site.  Maybe I'm more of a Twitter blogger - 140 characters, posted throughout the day, to keep you all up to date.
Nah, I wouldn't keep up with that either.
So, when we last left our hero (me), I was healing nicely from a bike wreck, but still complaining about it to whoever would listen.  I was breaking in a new bike (yay), and was waiting to effortlessly break the sound barrier.  I was beginning to stress about two big dates - the first April 17, the date of the FAU Wellness Triathlon (my first of the season), and the second date was April 21, the date of my big fundraiser.

Finishing the run at FAU - don't I look happy?

Well, the first scary date has come and gone... and I survived.  I was a little (ok, a lot) nervous about this race.  I signed up for this MONTHS ago, before I had even considered signing up for another Team in Training event.  I figured that is a sprint race (1/4 mile swim, 10 mile bike, 3.1 mile run) and it is practically in my backyard, so I had to do it!  And then... I signed up for a century ride.  And all of my spare time is suddenly being spent on a tiny hard bike seat (believe me, it's even more uncomfortable than it sounds) going 19-20 mph.  So, I didn't exactly get much swimming or running in before this race.  But, I did fine.  I finished strong and happy, and I'm sure I have my awesome bike coach to thank.  I am more fit now than ever.  I averaged 18.5 mph on the bike course which more than made up for my abysmal swim time.

Now, onto the next stress-inducing item... A Fundraiser!!  Because I just shook everyone in my address book down for donations to help me get to the Nation's Triathlon, I was a little sheepish about asking you all for money again, and decided to try and make it work this time around with a few fundraising events.  Tomorrow night is Putt'n for a Cure in downtown Delray Beach.  Yup, we're taking over the mini golf course for a good cause! I have had lots of donations of food and drinks, and a DJ, tons of raffle prizes too!  My incredibly awesome teammates are also coming along to help out; serving food, selling raffle tickets, and picking pockets if they have to.  I have most of the stuff ready to go, and just have to make it through to tomorrow evening!
If you live in the area, come on by!

I hate to look too far ahead, but I did sign up for another triathlon a while back (what was I thinking?).  This one is NOT a sprint race, though.  It's an olympic distance (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6 mile run) race.  It is May 1st, and I am so not ready for this one, but what can I do?  I've paid the race fee, I have an offer to carpool and a free hotel, so I'm going.  I'll survive.  As long as I make it through the swim in Tampa Bay (ick), I'll be fine.  I'll be channeling Dory from finding Nemo (just keep swimming, just keep swimming).  I know I can bike the course, no problem, and I can walk the 6 miles if I have to, but I have to swim the swim - come on Dory!

How do I know I can bike the course with no problem?  Well, last week halfway through a training ride, I got a flat tire (boo).  Coach Bryan wanted to change it for me, but no, I insisted on doing it myself.  I could see him switch into "pateint parent of a stubborn toddler" mode when he realized I was going to delay him by 15 minutes or more as I learned to change a back tire.  We got it done, but I don't think I put it all back together right because my ride home was hard, very hard.  I could not get my bike faster than 16 mph, and even that was a struggle.  We were riding into a pretty significant headwind, but still, I was SLOW.  I figured that I was tired, maybe I was bonking, maybe I didn't train enough during the week, or eat the right foods last night.  Was it that ONE glass of wine? What was wrong with me? I beat myself up the whole way home, questioning everything, and then when I pulled in my driveway and got my bike out of the car, I noticed it.  My rear brake was rubbing on my tire the whole time. No wonder it was SO HARD!  So, yes, If I can ride 25 miles into a headwind with my brakes on, I am pretty sure I can manage that distance under normal conditions.

One of the many hills in Clermont, FL - it keeps going and going...

Speaking of difficult riding conditions, check out Andi's blog about our team trip to Clermont, FL a few weeks ago.  This was our chance to takle some real hills (yes, there are hills in FL), and it was a blast!

In the few moments before drifting off to sleep last night, I had a major "Bad Mommy" moment.  I can't believe I'm actually writing this down and admitting it to the world, but I realized that I have done NOTHING to prepare for the Easter Bunny's imminent arrival in my home.  Not one egg colored, no chocolate purchased, no basket at the ready.  I have no secret hiding closet full of plastic Easter grass, or a plush bunny rabbit (bad mommy).  Fortunately for me, it's only Wednesday night and Walgreens is open 24 hours a day. 
So, for those of you who ask me, "How do you do it?"  The answer is - I don't.  I just fake it really well, and depend on my awesome husband and my incredible mother to get me through.
Sigh.. until next time.

Hold onto your hats

I'm going to cram as much info into this blog as I can and STILL try and and make it to bed at a resonable hour...
My friend Mark calls blogging "shameless self promotion," and I can't help but think "Duh."  at least Mark's blog is about food and wine and stuff everyone appreciates.  Mark's blog has useful things like yummy recipes and wine recommendations (and believe me, he won't steer you wrong).  Mine is about me, me, me (and sometimes my family).  My life, my workouts, my bike, my fundraising (come on, send a donation!), me, me, me!  At least mine is proofread (most of the time) and generally grammatically correct, which is more than I can say for A LOT of the blogs out there.
Oh-well; I guess if you aren't interested, you don't have to read it.

Anyway...
My Fundraising is going well - I am 1/3 of the way there (can I get a whoo-hoo?), and I have a fabulous fundraising event coming up next month.  Stay tuned S. FL peeps, because you are invited to a fun-filled, family-friendly, festival of... wait for it... miniature golf!  That's right!  Mark your calendars to be in Downtown Delray Beach on April 21 at 6PM - yes, it's a Thursday night but the kids don't have school the next day.  I will have more info in my next posting.  I had hoped to post the actual flyer for the event, but apparently I had a copyrighted phrase on there (whoops), and I have to fix it.  Who knew that Putt-Putt was copyrighted?

Last time I offered to post my gory wreck photo (or not) based on which side voted with the most donations.  Well, the ayes have it.  You have spoken. So here you go...



Pretty, no?

Don't say I didn't warn you.  It's not too bad, actually.  The gash has mostly healed, thanks to the second skin-type bandage my MIL gave me, and the bruising has migrated down my leg and is now a lovely shade of yellow-green.  Still, I don't think I'll be modeling bathing suits anytime soon (okay, ever).
But, I was glad that the wreck happened when it did.  If it was a few weeks later, it would have happened to my NEW BIKE!!!

My new baby.  I haven't named her yet.  Any suggestions?

That would have been tragic.  I took the new girl out for a spin tonight with some friends on A1A.  We only rode about 16 miles, but it was a good ride.  I am not as fast as I hoped to be on the new bike, but I figure I just need time to adjust. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely faster, but I was kind of hoping to be lightning fast on the new lighter ride, but guess what?  Even brand new bikes, paid for in cash with money you have been shaving off your paycheck  for months still require you to do ALL the work (pedal, pedal, pedal)!  The nerve!

Just in case you want the specs, she's a Trek Lexa SLX, a step below full carbon, but soooo much better than the blue steel dinosaur I have been riding!  Yay!!
I promise that I will no longer brag about my new bike.  I am just so VERY excited!

I am off to bed, as the reasonable hour has passed, and it is getting into way too late for me.
I have to be up at 4:00 AM tomorrow to leave for the airport.  I am going to Charlotte for my "nephew's" Bar Mitzvah.  Isabella and I have a 7:15 flight tomorrow (ick), but it will all be worth it to hang out with my best buds from college for three whole days.
Can I get another whoo-hoo?

Well, it was bound to happen.
I guess this makes me a real road warrior, now.
Yup, I've finally broken the seal and had a full-speed bike wreck.
You might remember a month or so ago when I first started training for Tahoe.  I embarrassed myself with a static (i.e. standing still) fall.  I had a few bumps and bruises - mostly to my ego.  Since then, we have been getting progressively faster and stronger.  We have been growing closer as a team and trusting each other.  On our last day at the training grounds (way out west in horse country), Bryan set us up for our first "time trial".  This is just you against the clock for whatever the course is - ours was set up to be just under 3.5 miles.   It was fun, and I averaged over 19 mph for this time trial.  I was pretty excited, especially because I am still on old blue Schwinn - I swear that bike must weigh 35 lbs!


Here's me struggling up Water Tower Hill. 
That's Coach Bryan in the lead

 After saying goodbye to our training grounds (sniff-sniff), we moved back out to the roads to get some serious miles in.  Two weeks ago, we rode from Jupiter, up to Hobe Sound, FL - roughly 30 miles round trip.  However, because we need to start getting some hills in (and good luck finding those in South FL), Bryan detoured us a few miles to a little place called "water tower."  This is basically a very long driveway with a very steep hill.  We were supposed to climb it 10 times, I managed 8 and called it a good effort.  We then rode home into a 25mph headwind (whoo!).

Just when we were all feeling pretty good, Bryan had to remind us about the 8 mile climb in Tahoe (gee, thanks) and how that's like doing about 100 water towers back to back.  Sigh...

That brings us to last weekend.  Saturday's ride was actually turning out to be great.  It started out cold (50's) with a 15 mph or so wind out of the North.  We ride north to start, so we struggled, but knew that we'd have an easy ride home with that wind at our backs.  Bryan (of course) detoured us to the Lake Worth Bridge and made us go over it 4 times, and told us we would be going over it 10 times on the way home.  Hey, it's South Florida - we've got to get our "hills" in where we can.  We made it 17 miles to the turn around point at the Lake Worth Inlet, and stopped to regroup and fuel with enery gels, sport drinks, water, whatever.. It was time to head home.  The wind was at our backs, yay! 
We were averaging around 19-20 mph and feeling good, joking around, maintaining a tight pace line, we even picked up a rider who was out there by himself and decided to draft us for a while.
And then, I heard it, and had just enough time to see the bike in front of me go down and think "NO!"
And that was it.
The next thing I knew, I was sitting on the grass looking in our Team Mentor's face - Kristen looked really scared and she was asking me if I was ok. 
I thought about it.
My head hurt - a lot. But, I didn't appear to have any broken bones, and I was concious, so yes, I was ok.


Remember this the next time you are
tempted to ride without a helmet.



We were all really shaken up.  Of our pace line of 5 (plus a hitchhiker), three of us had wrecked.  The hitchhiker stopped long enough to make sure we were okay, and then quickly got out of there - probably counting his lucky stars that he was at the very back of that pileup and had enough time to avoid it.  I don't think he'll be tagging onto another pace line anytime soon!

Upon further inspection, I was pretty banged up, and my helmet was cracked clear through.  Yup.  I hit my head hard enough to CRACK MY HELMET.  The egg on my head went down today (day four), and I don't think I've lost that many brain cells, but you never know...
I have one more picture I could post - but in the interest of not grossing you all out, I will refrain.  Despite wearing long sleeves, and long pants, I still managed to lose many layers of skin, in several different areas.  I'm not sure what I hit my hip on, but it looks like I was beaten with a baseball bat. 
Hmm, maybe I should post that picture.  Something like that is sure to get me some sympathy donations, right?  Plus it is pretty risque (well, sort of).  I'll have to think about it...
Coach Bryan did actually post a picture of my hip (and some other parts of my anatomy) on his Facebook page - however, he took it down after my not so gentle request.  So, if you are friends with him, you've seen it.  But, of course the pic he posted was fresh (ie: bloody) but not bruised.  Now, well, it kind of looks like Isabella went a little psycho on my leg with several (red, blue, purple, green) magic markers.
Maybe I should put it to a vote -
Let's see... How about I will post (or not) based on how much money I raise on my fundraising page?
It's easy!  Simply click on the fundraising link up in the upper right corner (or go to http://pages/teamintraining.org/pb/ambbr11/leannewelch).  Make a donation (any amount - $1 - $1000), and post your vote in the comments section (post that picture versus burn that picture).  By this time next week, based on which side raises the most money, I will change my profile pic to the bloody bruised (and somewhat dirty) naked hip photo, or I will not.  Your choice.

Good Times

These tickets can be yours!
Keep reading to find out how.

Has it really been three weeks?
Well, dear reader, it has been a busy three weeks!
Traning is going well, Coach Bryan is proving himself to be an excellent coach (not that I had any doubts, TNT doesn't hire any slackers), and I have managed to stay upright on my bike long enough to let my boo-boo knee heal.  I am still plodding along on my trusty old Schwinn, but my bike savings account is big enough now where I can start shopping!  Who doesn't love shopping?! 
I must admit that I am a little nervous about the shopping part - isn't that weird?  It's kind of like shopping for a car, I guess.  I know basically what I want, and how much I have to spend, but as for the rest of it, I'll have to trust my local bike shop to not rake me over the coals, and make sure it fits me right.  Thre are so many different components to know, and pick, and price - do I want an "off the rack" model or can I get a better deal by getting all the parts separately?  I promised Coach Bryan that I would not base my decision solely on the color (maybe I had my fingers crosed a little).  I'll probably start shopping this week - stay tuned!
My fundraising is off to a very slow start, but that is my own fault - I haven't been pushing anyone too hard (you're welcome).  I'm planning several fundraisers, so hopefully those will get me most of the way there.   
I had my first fundraiser this week - a jewelry party at my house.  I invited lots of people, and had 12 women attend the actual party.  We had so much fun playing games, drinking wine, eating snacks, and trying on all the beautiful stuff. Many who couldn't make it to my house pre-ordered from the catalog, and at the end of the night, we totaled over $1100 in jewelry sales!  The Premier Designs consultant is going to donate 25% of sales to my fundraising and I sold raffle tickets to win one of my free hostess gifts.  At the end of the night, I had raised over $400 towards my goal! Whoo-hoo!
My next fundraiser is a raffle for two pairs of AMAZING seats to the FL Panthers game on March 10.   These seats are in row 13, section 116 - close enough to see ALL the action, but not close enough to get any blood on you (always a good thing).  And, dear reader, these tickets can be yours.  Simply click on my fundraising link (over on the top right) or go here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/pb/ambbr11/leannewelch
and make a tax-deductible donation of at least $5.00.  For every $5.00 you donate, I'll give you one ticket for the raffle - the drawing is on March 3, so don't delay!  You know what?  I'll make you an even better deal!  I'll give you THREE raffle tickets (yes, three) for every $10.00 you donate!  Now, how can you pass that up?
Disclaimer: Two prizes available: each consists of two tickets for the March 10, 2011 FL Panthers hockey game.  Prize does not include transportation to the game, but does include parking.  Prize does not include beverages or food, so you're on your own for the hot dogs and beer - Hey!  It's a fundraiser, folks!

It hasn't all been fundraising and bike training, but I don't blame you for thinking that - I'm getting a little obsessed.  I did manage to take a trip down to Miami last week to visit with some of my best girls for a little girls getaway.  Well, you can get the thoughts of bikinis at the beach, and cute cabana boys out of your head.  The actual purpose of this weekend was getting some peace and quiet and the chance to work on our scrapbooks for a few uninterruped days.  The only problem is that I don't scrapbook.  I worked on one page (a gift for someone), made Isabella a friendship bracelet (these are all the rage among 6 year-olds), tried to remember how to cross stitch (I'll finish this one in a few years), and mostly watched in awe as my friends made magic on their own scrapbook pages.  I probably annoyed the heck out of them as well, but that's what friends are for!  It was a relaxing getaway, and a reminder of how truly blessed I am to have such good friends, and a wonderful husband who not only did not gripe about me leaving for the weekend, but cleaned the house, did the laundry, and finished Isabella's homework with her! 

Ouch

So the big lesson this week was a physics lesson; the law of gravity to be more specific. 
One pays a price for breaking the law.
You know me.  I am brave, but not a daredevil.  I am not blessed with a great sense of balance, and I respect this.  I also respect gravity.  I do not like the sensation of weightlessness (unlike the rest of the daredevils in my house).  I avoid "falling" type of rides; you know like the Tower of Terror, Dr. Doom's Freefall, any sort of catapult or bungee, and there is NO WAY you would get me on ANY of the rides on top of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas.  You can forget skydiving or bungee jumping.  I can't even watch it on TV!
This "safety switch" so to speak, has served me well.  I managed to get through an entire season of triathlon training without falling off my bike.  There were several times that I had to use the "Force" to stay upright.  But I did not fall.
Until Saturday, that is.
Sigh...
I should have known before I even got to practice.  We were meeting at 7:30 AM (or so I thought).  I was happily making my way to the training ground early Saturday morning; listening to some tunes, drinking my coconut water, and munching on my peanut butter and toast.  I received a text from one of my teammates that said, "R U Coming?"
I thought, what is she talking about?  It's only 7:20, I'll be there in 5 minutes!
Then I panicked - uh-oh!  Maybe I should check my paperwork at this red light - ARRGGHH!  We were supposed to meet at 7:00!!!
I'm Late!
To the first official training!
Cue the stomachache and cold sweats.
I almost turned around and went home in shame.
But, since I was 5 minutes away, I perservered. 
As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw everyone was just getting on their bikes.  The coach came over and I'm sure he said some thing clever.  I couldn't hear him over the frantic apologies (mine).
The bottom line was this: They weren't going to wait for me, but I could catch up.
Good enough for me.  The time alone on my bike gave me a few minutes to compose myself and promise NEVER to do that again!
I eventually caught the group and was christened "The Snail."  I could live with snail.  I like snails.  They are kind of cute. And delicious with a little butter and garlic.
We warmed up with a 7 mile ride and started the drills designed to get us more comfortable on the bike (ha-ha). One foot pedaling, balancing, gearing up and down, sprinting and stopping... I actually did okay.  For a while.  And then I didn't.
Funny thing about being clipped into your bike.  You can't get your feet out when you are panicking. Without your feet free, you stand absolutely no chance of getting free of the bike as it is falling.  Even when you aren't moving forward.
Gravity is not just a good idea - it's a law.
So for violating the law, I paid the price.
Twice.
Ouch.
They call what I did a "static" fall.  This is the least dangerous, and the most embarrassing (of course) of the ways to fall off your bike.  Somehow I managed to land on my left knee both times.  I must remember to tuck and roll the next time gravity starts enforcing its law.
I am okay. Nothing is broken. I was wearing my running tights over my bike shorts, so the abrasions are not nearly as bad as they could be.  The swelling and the limp should be gone by tomorrow, and I will have to get back in the saddle and try again.
The bruising should be spectacular, though!

Here we go again!

Yup... I've committed myself to another event with Team in Training.
(Is that a collective groan, and slamming shut of checkbooks and wallets everywhere that I hear?)
This time I am participating in a century ride.  In case you were wondering, that is a 100 mile bike ride (yes, all in one day). 
This one is called "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride" and takes place around Lake Tahoe.
I do realize that Lake Tahoe is in the mountains.  And, yes, I also realize that it will be cold.
Yes, I will be training for this in S. Florida.
(there are no hills here)
I must remember to check the elevation of the ride - how much oxygen is in the air up there?
I'm a sea level kind of girl.

Well, this is all about challenging myself, right?
If you followed my adventures while I trained for my last event with the Team, you know that I was a little, well, challenged on the bike.  Maybe pathetic is more like it.  But, I stuck with it and perservered.  I did not crash (many did), I refused to fall, and even when my bike computer (speedometer) quit working at mile 9, I kept on pushing.  I finished strong and with a smile.  I did not set any course records, and I was passed by many while I was out there, but I did it.
More importantly, with your help, I raised over $4500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!
Money that was used to fund cancer treatments, research, patient education and support, and to bring us one step closer to a cure.  How awesome is that?

And, that's why I'm doing it again.
Because every four minutes, someone new is diagnosed with a blood cancer, and every 10 minutes someone loses their battle with leukemia, lymphoma, or myleoma. 

And, despite my issues on (and with) the bike, I CAN do this.  And I am going to do it for those who can't.

We had our first training ride on Saturday, and it was a humbling event.  Our cycle team is made up (so far) of half alumni and half newbies.  The alumni (me included) have decided to really challenge ourselves on the bike and form an "elite" bike team.  This team is committed to maintaining at least 18 mph on the bike for the entire ride.  We all met in Jupiter on Saturday morning, shivering in the sub-60 degree weather.  Go ahead northerners, scoff away!  We were chilly! 
The ride was cold, fast, fun, exhausting, and yes, humbling.  My coach told me that I was "white knuckling" the whole ride (duh).  I told him to ask Coach Lisa how far I have come.
I found out that I cannot average 18 mph on the bike, despite my best efforts - even on the flat surface of A1A.
I cannot do this... yet.
But I will.
Come along with me.
http://pages.teamintraining.org/pb/ambbr11/leannewelch

Christmas at Disney

It's all over...
Hard to believe, isn't it?  Months of prep, and shopping, and spending, cooking , and cleaning...
The holiday season, as usual, went by much too quickly.
I love Christmas, really love Christmas, really, really love... well, you get the idea.
This Chrismas was all about Isabella (isn't it always about the kids?).
This year, I decided to do something we haven't done in years - go to Disney to enjoy the holiday activities.  Yes, it is crowded, expensive, too.  I rationalized all this away by saying that this trip was our Christmas present to ourselves.  I loved working at Disney during the holiday season - all the decorations, the Candlelight Processional, snow on Main Street... I had all of this magic locked inside a tiny place in my heart and couldn't wait to share it with my family.
I should have known better.
I should have gone myself.
My first clue was given to me before we even left for Disney.  I left work early and headed to Mom's to meet Ray and Isabella.  They were already there and settled in on the couch eating snacks and watching TV.  Obviously I was the only one in a hurry to get there when the party (Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party) started.
We puttered around Mom's for a couple of hours until she threw us out the door - hurry up, doesn't the party start in an hour? (yes, it does).
Up the FL Tpke, quick check in to our hotel, and we arrived at the Magic Kingdom around 8:00 (4 hours left to party). Then the battle over which rides we were going on began.
Rides?  We can ride anytime!  Let's see the shows!
Well, apparently I was the only one interested in seeing all the Christmas Shows, and the Christmas decorations, the lighting of the Castle Dreamlights, and the parade, and the fireworks...
Note to self (and any of you who might be wondering) - MVMCP is not really worth the additional admission ticket.  The parade was cool, and so were the fireworks, but the parade and fireworks for the Halloween party (Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party) are much better.
As a former Cast Member, preserving the Magic is very important to me, and a big part of that magic is the idea that the characters are really alive and not someone in a costume.  The way to do this is to ensure that a character is only seen in one part of the park at any given time.  Well, as we were headed past Peter Pan's Flight to see the Parade from Liberty Square, I noticed the seven dwarves (all of them: Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Dopey, Sneezy, Bashful, and Doc) posing for a photo opportunity.  In the distance, I could hear the music for the parade beginning. "oh," I thought to myself, "Guess the Dwarves aren't in the parade."
But they were!
This mystery was not lost on Isabella, who said, "Mommy, they must have run really fast to get in the parade!"  "Do they have a secret door?"  I assured her they must have a secret passageway.
Then, as the parade was over, and we meandered past the photo opportunity station, there were the little miners again!  Now, I was getting annoyed.  Of course, Isabella doesn't miss a trick.  "Mommy? How did they get back here so fast?"  I didn't know what to tell her.  Even the tunnels under the Magic Kingdom could not have gotten them there that fast.
I have to say, I was pretty disappointed in the Mouse over that one.  She's at that tender age when Santa and the Tooth Fairy are just barely real; spotting an obvious screw up like that one made the magic fade just a little for Isabella.  She told me on the way home that she was pretty sure it was the REAL dwarves in the parade and maybe some helpers in costume that were signing autographs.
Pretty good logic for a six year old, huh?
We didn't get back to the hotel until 2:00 AM.  I pulled the blackout curtains tight, and turned off the alarm.  I figured we'd get up when we were good and ready, knowing full well, I'd be up at 8:00 and staring and my sleeping family for many hours.
How wrong I was.
Pushed out of bed by a knee in my back (How did Isabella get in this bed?) and then kept awake by the incessant snores, I crept out of the bedroom and onto the pullout couch  (ie: Isabella's bed) at 5:00 AM, or so.  Nearly SIX hours later, Ray woke me up, saying, "Do you know how long you slept?"
"AARGH!!  It's 11:00!  We've already missed two hours at Epcot!"
Since it was my fault, I really couldn't be mad at anyone (but myself).
So, out the door we went, me grumbling and mad at myself.
The plan; and yes, I always have a plan for our disney trips.  We don't always stick to them, but I like to write stuff down.  Anyway, the plan was to start by parking at Hollywood Studios (where we would be ending our day), and take the boat to Epcot, visit the various Holiday Storytellers, have lunch in France, see some more storytellers, catch the first candlelight processional, and head on over to the Studios.  Once at the Studios, we would meet up with my dear friend, Mark, and see the Osboune (no, not Ozzy, or Sharon) Spectacle of lights, maybe go on a few rides, and have dinner at the Brown Derby (mmm).
It mostly worked out.
We saw two Storytellers, had lunch, and then the crowds came in.
Crazy crowds.
Crowds like I have never seen.
Crowds that made me think of New Year's Eve on Bourbon Street.
Crowds that made me terrified to lose Isabella (I never get that fear).
Note to self - next year, go on a Wednesday.
The Candlelight Processional was majestic as usual.  Our narrator was Whoopi Goldberg.  How cool was that?
When it ended, the crowds were even thicker.  We abandoned any thought of more strorytellers, and bailed.
The rest of our evening was great.  Yes, totally crowded, but whatever.  We met Mark, saw the lights, had dinner, and called it a somewhat early evening.
The next day we were back to normal, hit Hollywood Studios again and Isabella got to ride on both the Tower of Terror (I skipped that one), and the Rock and Roller Coaster.
My baby girl went upside down!
Then the weather turned ugly and we ran for the car and headed home.
I can't believe I forgot the ponchos!