Another week...

Blogging is becoming less and less frequent, as I am becoming more and more busy....with work and training...and general life. However I'm going to my best to keep updating when I have time. *smiles*

So last weekend I had an awesome time on the msfits ice cream ride. It was a great day, if not a little hot, for a 66 mile bike ride with ice cream at the end. I picked up my friend Kim at her house and we drove out to RTP, where the ride started. The ride took us all over the place including some my normal roads out in N. Raleigh/ Durham county. There were definitely some hills, but I met some new friends and enjoyed the ride. At the end of the ride I sat and ate ice cream while waiting for Kim to finish her 66 miles. I didn't take any pictures though..cause your brain really doesn't always work well in the heat and after being exercised so much.

This week has been weird. I swam on Sunday- in which Wake Boarders tried to kill us open water swimmers...well not really but they were pretty rude. On Monday I ran and swam, as well as worked a full day at a dental office near my house. Tuesday- this is the weird day, I worked at my normal office, and had a mountain bike ride planned for the evening, however the air quality was code red because of the fires to our east, and the ride was cancelled. The air quality seems to of stirred up some crazy allergies or something, because my head has been stuffy since then. I ended up coming home and taking a nap, and thought I would do some sort of workout when I woke up, but I didn't. Wednesday I had my last Cycle Study visit to the HPL, and a short run, then I went over to my friend Jenn's house to do a swim with her and the boys. However the air quality still wasn't good (code orange) and her littlest one has some breathing issues, so we all just hung out and went to dinner. I got to hear about Disney from the 3 year old, and he was SO EXCITED about the Main Street Electrical Parade....which was just neat to see his excitement. Yesterday was my REST day. I worked all day, but then came home and got ready to go celebrate my friend Kim's birthday at a Wine Bar near our house.

That brings us to today. My plan calls for a 10 mile run today, and I wanted to do it first thing in the morning (when it's cooler). However I got a call to work today (and when I get a call, it's best if I work....since well, since money is a good thing to have). It was just half a day 8-12, and then I went to my chiro office (which was pretty much next door) and got adjusted afterwards. It was nice to go see Dr Patrick, because my back and shoulders have been bugging me like crazy, and now I feel some relief. YAY. So it's 6 pm now, and I'm planning on waiting another hour to go for my run. It's going to be a night run....not my favorite. I was going to out about an hour ago, but it's just too HOT and HUMID. It might storm on the run tonight, and I'm going to just have to take that chance.

Tomorrow I have an hour open water swim to do. I haven't found any friends who have said they would do this with me, for sure yet, but I'm still hopeful. Otherwise I might have to make Jason come watch me as I swim back and forth in my little cove. Sunday is another big bike ride with a short run afterwards....I'm kinda excited because I'm meeting up with some new friends from dailymile (a social media/ training website). It's always nice to meet people in person after following them on-line.

Pictures from this week:

Me at the HPL on my bike...riding up a 3 % grade hill with the wonderful mask.

Front view

Look who else showed up at the Lab, my friend Shellie...who I hadn't physically seen in probably a year. Crazy right?

My little buddy, telling me about space and rocket ships. So much energy...I wish I could bottle it!

It's time to Donate!!

So most of the people I know, know that I'm usually training for things for charities. One of my favorite non-profits is The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I know that they are a good organization and feel happy and confident in my association with them. This year I'm participating in another Team In Training event (benefits The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society), that event is the Augusta Half Ironman. My recommitment date is coming up soon, and I'd like to have 25% of my fundraising goal met by that time. So if you've been thinking about donating to a great cause....here is your chance. Just click on the link that is on the top right hand side of this page and donate whatever amount you are comfortable with. Every little bit counts, so no donation is too small.....or too big for that matter.

Thank you in advance, together we CAN find a cure!

Cycle Study for the Human Performance Lab

So I got in on this cycle study at the Human Performance Lab. It's a study that is determining the effectiveness of a warm up on a 5K time trial. I thought 5K on my bike no big deal. I didn't realize the 5K would be on a 3% grade hill. It's a little tough, but kinda fun to do. The participants get a free lab work-up (bike) for helping them with this study. I thought it might be interesting to see what the deal was. Most of my friends (athletic ones) have been to HPL and gotten tested, so I didn't want to miss out.

So on the first visit, they did my testing and showed me what the study would be...including that hill climb!

Testing was interesting: they did the standard height and weight, then skin fold tests (so much fun to have your fat measured), then on the bike you spun at increasingly harder intervals while they have this mask on your face (to check your exhaled breath for things) and prick your ear every (I think) 3 min to get your lactic measurements, and check your heart rate throughout, and you have a chart to point at to tell them how hard it feels to you. The chart is because it's hard to talk when you are working hard, but even harder with the mask on. The testing day mask that I had was bigger than any of the other ones I've had since, but they told me they were trying a new one out. I did get my results from my test, it said I need to keep working on getting fitter and leaner. It wasn't a surprise.

Every time after I just go in and they weigh me, and take my blood pressure, get the mask put on, get a starting ear prick, I do the protocol (either warm up for x amount of time, or not warm up at all), do the ride, get an ending blood pressure and ear prick (I do have a heart rate monitor on the whole time too), and then do my own cool down.

I should mention, before I get on my bike there, someone has to sit and spin on it for 10 minutes to warm up the trainer so that the tests are all accurate. *smiles*

I have one more time in. I think there are about 20 people doing the study. I hope they'll let us know the results when it's all done.

Chris E warming up my bike.

Photo Op - before I got to sweaty. It's the mask that makes me look so good...right??

Getting my ear pricked at the end.

Pictures without words....for now??

Here's what's happening...

Last weekend (the 20th/ 21st) I was at Myrtle Beach for a Dental Hygiene convention.

Last weekend was also our 10th Anniversary. When I got back from the beach Jason and I had lunch at great little place in Cameron Village. I had a yummy glass of rose wine.

For dinner (for our Anniversary) we went to Brazil! Well not really but we went to a Brazilan Steakhouse, and it was yummy. We brought our own wine, it was a 2001 Rioja! It was really Yummy!

I started swimming in the lake (Falls Lake). After the first swim out at the lake with my friend Donna this was what my car said the temperature was. Actually it said 102 when I first got in, but the AC brought it down to 100! It's getting out out!

My friend Frank had his annual Mexifest party...and we were finally invited (and weren't busy doing other stuff). It was a wonderful night of hanging out and eating some yummy mexican inspired food, beer, and drinks.

Sunrise before a 50 mile bike ride (this was on Saturday). It was so beautiful out!

Jason, Kim, and I after our 8 mile run (on Sunday). Yeah there were about a million pictures that I took, and of course in other pictures you could actually see Jason and Kim, but this is the best picture of me, and sine it's my blog I get to have the good picture! *smiles*

When we finished the run this is what we saw! Of course this is what I happen to call Jason. So I told him I paid someone to put it on their car so it would be there when we finished the run. HA!! (It says: I love my Boo Bear)

So on Monday I went to deliver some raffle tickets to one of my teammates to sell. I got stuck as a neighborhood parade went by. It was a pretty good little parade, but I didn't want to be stuck in it!

Really Foggy Morning on Tuesday! Really Really Foggy!

I've been training like crazy lately, so my posts have been a wee bit sparse. I'm tired, which I expected. I can't wait until all the training settles in with my body/mindset and I'm not so tired all the time. Of course I feel like this a good trial for me, as I can do this! This is nothing compared to those going through chemo and what they feel like. I'm doing all of this for them (and a little bit for me). If you feel like helping go to the link on the side (to my team in training fundraising page) and donate there. Also let me know if you want to buy a raffle ticket to win $1,000 cold hard cash! That's right folks I'm raffling off $1,000. Tickets are 1 for $10 or 3 for $25. The drawing is on August 27th!