Finisher

Well, I finished! And it actually wasn't as bad as I expected it to be.

Sure, doing a triathlon 8-months post baby and not training for it definitely kicked my rear end, but my finish times were better than the first time I participated in this same Tri in 2009.

Swim: 10:17

Transition 1: 2:56

Bike: 36:13

Transition 2: 2:18

Run: 30:19

Overall time: 1:22:03

I'm proud of my times. Of course I could have done better and pushed myself harder. But, as my coworker said right before we jumped into the water, "We aren't trying to have a baby today. We aren't going to push that hard." Ha.

I had a little hiccup in the bike portion when my paper number flew off and got stuck in my gears. I had to stop twice on the course to pull out paper, and my gears still didn't work properly the rest of the race. For a few minutes, I thought there was a chance I wouldn't be able to finish.

But I did, and it felt damn good.

There were 1,000 participants this year. One thousand! A sea full of 1,000 purple swim caps, 1,000 bikes, and 2,000 feet ready to hit the pavement.

It was exhilarating. Inspiring. Uplifting. A familiar feeling from 2010 and 2009.

I'm so glad I went through with it and didn't chicken out. It crossed my mind considering my lack of training, but I was determined to just get out there and do my best.

I'm proud of myself.

And my boys are proud of their mama.

All my boys were there to cheer me on. Even Jake.:)

I've Got the Jitters

It's not a normal Friday for me. Care free? Nope. Anxiety free? Nope.

Sonic Friday at work and my strawberry cream slush didn't even make my jitters go away.

Thank you company, I love Sonic Friday during the summer and I am so appreciative of my free drink, but I'm a nervous nilly.

You guys, I'm doing a triathlon tomorrow.

It's ok, you can pick your jaw up off the floor. I'm surprised too.

A triathlon I haven't even trained for.

There's a little thing that now plays at my feet and goes by the name of Bruiser these days that has kept me from swimming, biking and running.

Sheesh, how do I get myself into these things?

Two years ago, I was baby-free and motivated. This year, I'm just crazy.

See, that year I was smiling. This year, I'm going to die.

Wish me luck pretty please? I need all the thoughts and prayers I can get!

Me and my little fam will be carb loading and hydrating tonight in front of the tube watching the Opening Ceremony. Happy Weekend! 

Here's some recent Instagrams. You can find me at Kutterchaos, if your little heart desires.

TOP | baf time | back on the bike | hamburger treats via nana jana

MIDDLE | this kid needs to go | baby food baking gone wild | go cats

BOTTOM | cafe trio drinko | date with maggie | computer broke mid-bike, wtf 

Adjusting

We are adjusting back to life with Daddy.

I'm more relaxed.
And less stressed.
Shocked that I can relax.
Smitten that my muffin is home.
It's just down right awesome.

I've actually been to work on time this week.
Cooked real meals that didn't come from the freezer.
Worked out three days this week.
And had someone to spoon with.

It's the little things in life:).

Speaking of working out, I will be jumping back into spandex for the first time in a year and a half.

Oh yes, this girl will be getting her butt back on the bike. It's the first time since the BikeMS. Sad, I know. But, I'm a fair weather rider and didn't want to risk crashing and burning while Baby C was cooking.

Wish me luck. We're doing a short ride and a run. Called a brick, if you remember.

Time to start preparing and training again for the Women's Win for KC Triathlon coming this July. I was registered last year, but Baby Carson took me out of the line up.

I'm excited to get back in shape and adjust to a more healthy lifestyle again.

Sorry for the past-post link overload. I just realized I have blogged more about my experiences with spandex and cycling than I thought.  

We are gathering with  friends for a little BBQ tonight and will be spending time with our sweet boy all day Saturday and Sunday.

What do you have planned for the weekend?

One.

Say hi to Matt.

One of my best friends.

With the biggest heart.

The Godfather of my child.

Passionate about a lot of things.

One of them being biking.  

Carson and I were lucky enough to watch him in his first bike race of the season this past weekend.

Biking is exciting to watch.

Especially Matt, because he's a stud.

Carson enjoyed the action.

Intently watching sleeping most of the time.

We all cheered him on.

And hoped that we didn't witness any crashes.

Matt took 2nd in the first race, 3rd in the second race, and 1st in one of the intermediate races. He placed 2nd overall.

 

Like I said, he's a stud.

We were all so proud of him.

Fast forward to Sunday. Matt was involved in a serious crash with a car slamming on their brakes to miss hitting a deer.  

He's OK and will recover, but underwent extensive surgery on his nose and face.  He is extremely lucky his injuries weren't worse.

It takes only ONE second to have your life taken from you. 

Life is short.

Matt, you're in our thoughts and prayers. We love you. You are ONE special person and wish you a speedy recovery.

Peer Pressure's a Biotch

I am once again a victim to peer pressure.

Pressure to push myself, do something I don't necessarily want to, and work. Work really hard.

I'm not sure what possessed me to sign up for the Triathlon again this year, but I bit the bullet. The only thing going through my mind right now is, "Oh crap. How the heck am I going to prepare for this?"

Last year was a completely different story. I had Mexico to look forward to and a beach body to strive for. This year, the only trip to look forward to involves me dressing in a parka while being a top a mountain with high hopes of an injury-free ski trip.*

The only thing working for me right now is time. Good thing it's months away. I just fear all the things that come with summer...sunshine, poolside, lake trips and Summer Shandy will keep me from doing bricks and getting my ass in gear.

But folks, it's Friday and not time to stress about something that's in July. So, tonight I'm going to relax over a bottle of wine and make a point to finish off my girl scout cookies.

Happy Friday!

*The first time Brian and I ever went on a ski trip together (2006), he was showing off his totally rad boarding skills the first hour in. Well, he bit it and ate snow, which resulted in a separated shoulder. Needless to say, he was out the entire rest of the trip! It was sucky.

Pre-Injury:

 Post-Injury:

Also, I only have my high school friend Jamie to thank for this little star thing (*) I have started. She uses it quite often in her posts, and somewhere along the lines, I picked it up. Only hers are way more funny than mine.

Bike MS

Well, I survived my first BikeMS ride! It was a wonderful experience.

Inspiring. Motivating. Heartwarming. Challenging. Fun. Worth It.

That's how I would describe it. But, there are many more things I could tell you about my experience.

We woke up bright and early (4:00 am to be exact) to meet the other 2,000 riders at check-in. We took off from Kansas City about 7:30am and rode to Sedalia, Missouri.

We ended up doing the traditional route, which is 80 miles. Not the century as I had hoped for, but 80 miles in one day is a great achievement (at least for me!). Brian did the second day ride back to Kansas City, another 80 miles.

He informed me it rained a lot, so I wouldn't have enjoyed it. He knows me all too well:).

The ride on Saturday was wonderful. We couldn't have asked for better weather and the scenery was breath taking.

Cruising countryside, vast spreads of fields, quaint little towns, farming lands, no buildings or noise, just the sounds of bike tires making contact with the pavement and gear shifting. And the shouts of thank yous and cheers coming from the roadside volunteers and spectators. It definitely made me appreciate the Midwest.

We consumed lots of water, Gatorade, PB&J's, granola bars, raisins, bananas, orange slices, fruit snacks and pickle juice. Yep, pickle juice. It reduces cramps while cycling, so you better stomach it even if you don't like it!

My favorite part was seeing all the riders, spectators and volunteers, and their motivation and spirit to help the MS society. It was so inspiring. Elderly folks who looked like they shouldn't even be riding a bike, larger individuals who were struggling but just kept going, volunteers with MS, small children with more energy than all of us combined, riders and people of all kind with a smile across their face...all there for one cause.

One roadside spectator really tugged at my heart strings. He held a sign that said his 9 year old son had been diagnosed with MS. He stood there on the side of the road, with nobody else, and thanked each and every rider that passed him for riding.

We accomplished this journey with our dear friends, Kathy & Ron. Kathy tends to easily talk me into things I don't think are possible. Such as Triathlon 2009, getting into biking as an amateur, Triathlon 2010 and now the BikeMS.

I can say with confidence that every single thing she has talked me into, I have absolutely loved and appreciated the experience!!

Things will always come and go in our lives. Some things we will remember and some things we won't. What matters is that we live our lives to the fullest, honestly and adventurously. Follow your dreams and achieve things you didn't think were imaginable.

 Getting geared up. 6:30 AM.

 Getting ready to start

 And we're off!

At the first stop

 Spandex is so HOT

Lunch time

One of the professional photos from the website. You got really good later in the day about making sure you smiled for your glamour shot. 

 Eventually, I had fun with it. You know me:)

 We're DONE!

Time for a much deserved brewsky!

Right after our massages.

Glad we did it together honey!

Finally Friday!

Fridays are da bomb. It's the end of the work week, the start of the weekend and a time to breath and relax!

And, it's jeans day at work! Well, only the last Friday of every month, which happens to be today. It's the little things that excite me these days. You would think a construction company would be more laid back. Nope, not my company.

But it's also Finally Friday! at the office today. A little event we partake in where everyone goes to the rooftop mid-day to have cocktails. We have a super awesome rooftop in downtown KC.

Staying consistent with my random posts lately, here's a follow-up to a bunch of random things.

MS Ride
I'm happy to report that fundraising went GREAT for both Brian and I! We both reached our goals! Yipee! Brian actually ended up smoking me. He had some big time donations from a couple subcontractors. Thank you to everyone who supported us. We are greatly appreciative.

Now, the fact that the ride is tomorrow is totally freakin' me out!! So much for a relaxing weekend. I am super nervous. I must admit, we have not trained properly or had nearly the amount of time it takes to prepare for something like this. We are definitely excited, just unsure of how it will go. I might end up only riding one day, but in my mind, a 100 miles is a huge accomplishment.

We'll see...should be interesting and something to add to the scrapbook.

Y&R
I have not watched one second of Y&R since I called it quits. I am so proud of myself!! I really thought I would think about it more, but no. Not missing it much at all. Happy to have the extra time! Except for the fact that I added a couple more shows to my TV addiction. I'll have more to report once I decide my true opinion of them.

Chimney Project
I have yet to have the time to research and purchase a new small, digital camera from my recent win of a friendly bet with hubby.  But -- Mark. My. Words. I will get one. I won the bet, fair and square. If anyone is wondering...the project still isn't 100% complete. Not keeping score or anything, just stating the obvious. It's completely visible from the exterior of our house. No paint yet.

Checkbook
I joined the 21st century and decided to stop manually balancing my checkbook!! After being compared to an old lady at the grocery checkout line from a friend (ahem, Ted), I have not opened my trusty old checkbook ledger since the day I clicked publish on that dang post. I know, I was major old school, but habits are habits.

Sidenote! (I love me a random sidenote of news worthy info!)
Our friends Ted and Megan are at the hospital RIGHT now having their first baby girl! Such exciting news for a beautiful Friday. Congrats to them and new bundle of joy, Gracie!

Happy Friday everyone!!

150 miles...here I come

Did I just type 150 miles, but really meant to put 15? Nope. Maybe I added the one and meant 50? Not that either. Hmmmmm...

Dang, 150 miles must be correct. Which basically means I am pure and utterly CRAZY.

Brian and I recently signed up to do the Bike MS Kansas City ride benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. If you aren't sure how MS affects people, imagine this:

One day you're feeling pretty good. The next day you can't walk, see or even get out of bed. Like a bizarre nightmare, you never know when MS will strike or how long it will last.

Moving is so much of who we are, it's easy to take for granted. MS stops people from moving, therefore the National Society exists to make sure it doesn't.

On September 25 and 26, I will be riding many miles over two days (150 to be exact) to get closer to a cure. I'm hoping I don't need a stretcher to pick me up in Sedalia at the half way point!

Ever since Brian and I were married, we have made a conscious effort to give back. Not-for-profit organizations through work, United Way, church, walks/runs/rides benefiting various causes, etc. I love the feeling you get after contributing to a great cause or volunteering for a charitable event. This is why I chose agreed to do this ride with friends. Although, MS has not affected my life or anyone close to me, it is an organization dedicated to helping people fight everyday struggles with MS, and they need our help.

This is where I ask for your help!

All riders must raise a minimum of $200, but I'm hoping to raise much more than that. I already have a very late start, so I have my work cut out for me. Plus, I have this strong feeling I will need to help my husband raise his portion:).

By making a donation on my behalf, you will help the Mid America Chapter provide local programs and services to more than 25,000 of our friends and neighbors who live with the daily effects of MS.  While the MS Society works to end MS, I will be helping people with MS move ahead.

If you could donate anything at all, I would really appreciate it. Please don't feel obligated!

Click here to get to my personal page and make a secure, online donation. Or you can mail me a check made out to National MS Society. I will also be sending an email to friends and family, so I apologize if you hear this twice!

Help me in my journey to support MS!

Home Sweet Home

I spent my first weekend at home in six weeks.

Boy, have I missed it. I forgot how nice it is to just stay home.

Besides the typical weekend laundry, errands, house chores and couch potato time, we stayed pretty busy.  I had to work until 7:00 on Friday, so the evening was short lived due to our Saturday plans.

We were up bright and early Saturday morning to go on a group BikeMS training ride (more to come on this in a later post). I agreed to do this ride not knowing we were going to do 50 miles! Yes, 50 miles! That is more than I have completed to date, and I hadn't ridden in two weeks. Surprisingly, I survived. But, my legs felt like jello afterward.

Saturday night, Brian and I went to dinner. Just the two of us. It was nice to have some quality time with the hubs. We went to Stix, an asian/hibachi restaurant at the Legends. This is very close to our house and I had never been before. Very yummy.

Sunday was for church, car maintenance and other errands, house stuff and a recovery ride to keep my muscles loose. Lots of biking this weekend!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend as well!!

TRIATHLETE

What an awesome, busy, rewarding and successful experience of a weekend I just had.

As you all know, I completed my second Triathlon.

(We also had Brian's 10-year high school reunion back in Wichita on Saturday night, but that will come in a later post. See, I told you I was busy.)

Wake up at 4:00 A.M. to go swim, bike and run with 800 women. Sounds like a great idea, right?

I completed this same Tri last year and had an unexplainable experience. It was exhilarating, empowering, rewarding, something I would encourage anyone to achieve. It was this very race that made me curious about biking in the first place. I can't even describe the feeling and experience.

Sound cheesy? Corny? Probably.

But I'm pretty sure the three friends I talked into doing it felt the same way this year as I did last year after crossing the finish line.

Triathlon 2010 went great. In fact, it couldn't have gone much better. We had perfect weather, cloud cover the entire time and no rain. Everyone showed up ready to go and everybody finished strong!

I am so proud of myself, my friends that were veterans with me this year, and my friends that were first timers!!

We are TRIATHLETES!

Now, I felt these amazing people that decided to join me this year deserved an introduction.

THE VETS

Kathy: Inspirational, devoted, an amazing woman. She is one of the busiest people I know, but still finds time to have fun and always supports her friends. She tackles it all. She is the ultimate reason I did the Tri last year. She totally talked me into it! Inspiration I say!

FIRST-TIMERS

Heather: One of the most athletic people I know. Have you seen her legs? She played soccer in high school and only got her bike about 2 months ago. A little insight for you readers (sorry heather). She was scared terrified out of her mind to swim in the lake. She also only agreed to do this Tri about a month ago. What an athlete! Way to own your fear HK!

Nickki: Always in shape, yoga instructor, runner, training for a marathon, need I say more? This girl is fit. One of my dearest friends from high school and did great in her first Tri. Hoping some of her running motivation rubs off on me someday.

Sarah: Motivated and driven. She never ceases to amaze me with the challenges she takes on. Single mother who has her hands full, but still finds time to take on a Triathlon. She was also my motivation for the swim portion. She and I were lifeguards together back in the day and the girl can swim. Another close friend from high school and the only other white girl I know who can shake her booty like I can:) HA HA.

I was really looking forward to seeing if I could better my time this year. I am happy to report that I did it! I decreased my overall time by a little more than 9 minutes, with a significant improvement in the bike portion. I actually increased my time in the dang swim portion. Ugh. However, a co-worker and I are convinced the distance was off a bit:).

I placed 11th out of 61 in my age division (age 25 to 29). Here's the breakdown:

Swim: 12:44
Transition 1: 2:05
Bike: 32:38 (18.4 average speed)
Transition 2: 1:59
Run: 30.03 (9.42 minute mile)
Overall Time: 1:19:29

I'm going to go ahead and apologize for how many pictures I'm about to post. Apparently, my crazy picture taking habit rubs off onto my husband. He took almost all of these. He was a great supporter!

 Dinner at Bravo at Zona Rosa after Packet Pick-Up on Friday night.

Major carb load!! We ordered three different pastas and all shared. It was De-Lish!

 Pre-Race: Sarah, Nickki, Me, Jo, Heather

Kathy and Me

Gotta love these oh so hot swim caps. Heather, Nickki and Me

800 women getting butterflies

High School buddies:). Nervous but also excited.

Get excited!

Swim: 500 meters. It looks so far in this picture.

Out of the lake. On to the bike.

Go Sarah!

Get it Nickki!

Yeah Heather!

Bike: 10 miles

Nickki heading out.

She's a pro these days.

Go Kathy!

Done with the bike, get ready to run.

The dreadful run portion: 5K (3.2 miles)

Finish!

Heather, Me, Nickki and Sarah

Heather, Tiffany, Kathy, Me, Nickki, Sarah and Melissa