Tales of Thanksgiving: The Arrival

Cindy leading an idropboys ride

Saturday, November 17th
November So after 6-7 hours in the car with only one stop for gas and one stop for Sbux bizzle we arrived in Pleasanton. Tim's mom Cindy and dog Riley greeted us at the door. Riley was full of energy and bouncing around like a puppy. He knew there would be some good adventures in store. Tim's father was decked out in Boston Marathon Finisher gear cross training in the back yard. (Cross training a.k.a. yard work) I think Bruce secretly likes to wear his Boston Finisher and Ironman Full Finisher gear when Tim and I are around to get our goats. Bruce was planning to do a long run but Tim and I twisted his arm into riding with us. We grabbed a quick lunch and the four of us headed out the door on our bikes.

Cindy calls herself "the weak sauce" member of the family. Yeah .... right. She likes to ride in the front and lead the way. I think it's because she thinks drafting is for the weak. Before we had 5 miles under our belts she had already dropped 5 guys. Weak sauce. Hah. We comfortably drafted behind her as we headed towards Calaveras Road.
Just as we started to warm up in the saddle we turned onto Sunol Road and saw a climb ahead. I heard some commotion behind me and some shouting. "CDF Challenge, you can't go below 20 mph, sprint, sprint." I pick up the pace a little bit as Tim sprints ahead. I hear "dropping, dropping;" I slow down thinking "dropping " means a rider is being dropped. Oh dear, "dropping" meant I was dropping that pace to less than 20 mph for the climb. When Tim stopped his bike at the top of the hill I heard a frantic cry "No, No , No, the sign, the sign." Apparently the rules of the CDF Challenge are that one must sprint from the bottom of the hill to the California Department of Forestry sign. After finishing the climb at 20 mph, the contestant must throw his fist in the air as a salute to the California Department of Forestry. Poor Bruce, he had waited so long to share this game with Tim and me and we didn't even get it right. Beyond that, the next ride we said we weren't playing and on the last day Tim bastardised the game by announcing the CDF challenge was to keep your bike from rising above 10 mph. Poor Bruce, he didn't hear this; if he had, he would have shook his head and said " I raised you better than this."
The ride out was extremely scenic and great for hammering on our new TT bikes. After riding a bit, I let go of the reins and my bike Sweet Thunder galloped ahead. I think she thought with all the cows and horses in the pastures she had broken free. Tim's bike Pumpkin does this too. He takes off and he can't be stopped. Over the rolling hills charged our bikes. When we reached the entrance to Sunol Regional Park we started to climb. I love this climb: it is curvy with switchbacks and overlooks a reservoir. The air was cold and crisp, and the sky was clear and blue. We rounded corners and went through shaded sections where the sun never hits and the cold air settles, known as" the refrigerator".
We turned around at the top, marked by a bald eagle's nest, and headed back to the homestead. We later were told we were expected to descend toward San Jose and climb back up the "Wall" for an extra few miles. I believe not climbing the wall was deemed "tacky." Apparently 42 miles just wasn't enough. We tried to dig ourselves out of the "kids these days" hole by taking Riley for a brick run. We ran 2.5 miles before calling it a day.
Ahh... what a day.

Tales of Thanksgiving


When the family dog wears running shoes......it's your first clue



Saturday November 17th Tim and I packed up the car and headed to Northern California. Well, it's what we call Northern California. The Bay area to be more specific. We arrived with plans to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with  Tim's Mom, Dad and  dog "Riley". Loyal and loving Riley, who Tim raised as a puppy. If this was the normal Thanksgiving blog I wouldn't be blogging it so get ready for some super sized reports on gluttony that exists beyond turkey consumption.
By the time the actual Thanksgiving day rolled around I'd be back in San Diego working on Thanksgiving. I'd be giving thanks to family, friends, and the 290 miles I'd ridden in the five prior days. On Thanksgiving day I would be reflecting on the weeks "challenges" and choices made to determine "glory vs. shame"

When we left for Tim's parents house I felt a little "out of shape, de-trained, etc". For the the average American this would be a problem entering the holiday season. The average American loses their fitness regime and gains 5 pounds during the holidays or on vacation. Not so, for Tim and me. We are always one good week of training away from peak form. We are part of a rare group of people who can use the terms "training camp" and "vacation" interchangeably. While Tim and I may be average Ironman  Wanna-Be's  we are certainly not average Americans. I must say it like it that way.


Reasons For IMAZ


11/28/07

Reasons to do IMAZ:

All my (girl) friends are doing it.

Tim said he'd sherpa. Three IM's would be too much for him. He'll be post Kona and too busy to train w/ residency

Sweet Thunder clicked the register button

Sweet Thunder didn't want to be left behind

My wheel disk makes my a** look fast

I can drive there. Decreased opportunity costs

Extending training season = Extended time in skinny jeans

I won't always have this much "disposable" time or income



Drum Roll Please:

I Love running in the dark

Official Insanity


November 27


Peer Pressure. It will get you. A bunch of my gal pals are signing up for IMAZ. Tim offered to be my support crew. This is probably not the wisest thing to do. Signing up for a second IM before my finishing my first. However, life is short and I am sure there will be a time in my life when this opportunity will not exist so easily. Unlike others I know. I actually love to train. Also, if I quit training for Ironman, my quads might go straight to my thighs. It's off to the active.com site to sign up.

P.S. Stay tuned I really will get the Tales of Thanksgiving Blog out soon.

Coming Soon


Due to increased activity Jenny girl is a bit behind in blogging. Stay tuned for Tales of Thanksgiving. They will be released soon.

Some Things Never Change




Some things never change. So the bike may not be pink. Note my matching kit: red ribbons, red pants, red accents on my jacket. My partner in crime is my friend Kristi. She could really drop boys. Even at that age.



For the record: I did not run over any live toads with my trike


Thank You

Honoring the Honorable Intentions




November 14th

Yesterday I told Tim I was going to get up 30 minutes early for work and ride the trainer. I think I told him of this intention so he would tell me I won't do it. This is the motivation I need to complete the task and prove him wrong. Tim said "That is a honorable intention but I doubt it will happen."

Around 10 p.m., after my roommate and her dog have gone to bed, I tiptoe downstairs and set my road bike up on the trainer. It looks very pretty there. My cell phone alarm is set for 0450. By 0457 the next morning I am riding on the trainer. At first I am half asleep on the trainer, but as I wake up I enjoy my little spin immensely. How can one enjoy riding the trainer you ask? Well, it's sort of like indulging in a guilty pleasure. As I ride, I glance to the shelf beneath the coffee table . On the left there is a pile of magazines: Runnner's World, Triathlon, Bicycle. Hmmm, boring at 0500. I might fall back to sleep. On the right, gleaming and shining copies of my roommate's Marie Claire and Cosmo glisten. I pick of a glossy copy of Marie Clare and balance it on the handle bars of my beloved pink bike. Gwen Stefani's ""Hollaback Girl" blaires in my ipod. (In case you don't know this song, it's the loud peppy one that says this shi*'s bananna B-A-N-A-N-A-S"). For some reason, this makes my legs spin faster. If anyone saw me it would ruin my hardcore triathlete image. First go the prescription Oakleys, now it's pop music and Marie Claire. What's next, a move to Hollywood to try to make it in "the business"? Who is this girl.

It's 0530 and my secret life is over. Into the shower and off to work I go. I have extra spring in my step today. I text Tim and mention "Honored the Honorable". He texts back "What?" He so didn't think I would ride the trainer he forgot about it. I tell him I rode for 30 minutes. He says he is proud. I don't mention the Marie Claire or Gwen Stefani music. A girl's got to have a few secrets.

Being there with Bells on


November 13

Today Tim and I head out for another ride. Same loop as yesterday but not nearly as excitiing. I am a little more sedate with tired legs. We ride along and occasionally I think "How will I antagonize the boys after my Chris King hub breaks in?" It will no longer buzz. I think I will miss the buzz when it's gone. Ding, Ding, the answer comes to me. A bell. Wouldn't that be fun. Himena Florit, local gal and former Olympic moutain biker is known for this trick. She rides up behind boys. As they huff and puff she prepares to blow their house down. "Ding, Ding" goes her bell and then she passes them with ease. They don't know what's hit them.

Today I bribe Tim with a Pannikin stop because honestly it will be a nice chance to recover. It's a really nice day and warm like summer. Ahh....Novemeber in San Diego. We sip iced coffees in the sunshine. What a life. After that we ride home. The coast is very quiet today as there is no surf and it's a weekday.

When we get home I insist on bricking. We run two miles in 15 minutes. That's fast for me. That's fast for just completeing a 54 mile, 3000 ft elevation gain ride. Partly we run this fast because I am working on my form. I am concentrating on getting rid of the bounce. I read and am told that you just sort of fall forword. It is much faster, but my lungs are sort of in shock. Tim comments my stride is a little too long. I don't really want to hear I have one more thing to worry about. What happened to the days when running was a time to space out. I shorten my stride pickup the pace and I think Tim regrets saying anything because this pace is above comfortable for both of us. I pretend the run is easy:)

It's 2 p.m. and I am exhausted. Tim has to go to work and work all night. But me....all I have to do is blog ;)

Hello Love







Veterans Day


If you've ever seen an episode of "Sex in the City" you know how the story's main character Sarah Jessica Parker, Aka Carrie, has an affinity for expensive shoes. In one episode, she picks up a pair of Minolo Blahniks and wistfully says "Hello Love". That's how I feel about my pink Chris King hubs. They are the equivalent of jewelry from Tiffany's only better because they have function.

I felt especially peppy today. I could use the excuse to say I was out of shape while turning on the hurt. I hadn't been able to ride my bike (minus the measly trainer) for a week. After an am eye appointment I was ready to go. Tim had the day off from the lab due to the Holiday. He had no excuses not to ride. Well, except for the 98 miles he rode the day prior. I was slaving away at work so I couldn't ride with him. (Not really was I slaving away , but once again this is my blog). Tim asked where I wanted to ride and I replied Elfin. Elfin forest is a 54 mile loop with 3300 ft of elevation gain. It's a really pretty ride and leaves from my front door. If you pedal fast you might finish in about 3 hours. Tim groaned at me. "Oh,,,,you don't really want to ride Elfin do you? "I'm going to hurt"

Knowing Tim's legs probably felt like beef jerky put extra spring in my step. It gave me extra pep as we have a little rivalry with mileage, pace, and showing weakness. I was relishing in this moment. Tim was squirming. He stated that if I dropped him today it wouldn't count. Ha, ha, ha...... when a girl drops a boys it always counts. In fact it counts double. ( I make the rules, I'm founder and owner of idropboys.com). The fact that I am "detrained" is not an issue. I'm going to pull as many watts as I can and pretend like I'm not even trying. I'm relishing in this moment. Tim's always riding in the front resting and waiting for me while I grunt and grind. This is for glory or shame. This is my chance. Come on Baby Doll lets roll.

PAUSE HERE FOR PROFESSIONAL INSIGHT:

DR. LAURA SAYS:
Jennifer is clearly classified as the jealous type. She exhibits jealousy of the 98 miles her humble and loyal boyfriend rode. She palys the "martr" role and refuses to take responsibility for the choice she makes. The choice to work for extra money while her eyes healed from laser surgery while her boyfriend rode his bike. She wants to inflict pain onto others and seeks revenge. Clearly she is to be classified as narcissistic, masochistic. Based on other behaviors she exhibit traces of ADHD.

MY REPLY:
I'm not really any of those things. I just like dropping boys on my pink bike. It makes for a good story and keeps me fit. Besides that Tim helped create this monster. Dropping boys is how I show my appreciation for what he has taught me in terms of cycling.

Continuing On:

Tim and I start the ride. He's sort of lolly gagging( Sorry Timmy Baby, but this is my blog and I can not tell a lie) His legs are tired. Tim asked me to give him a little sympathy, but I said no. What will he ask for next? I did bribe him with the offer of a pumpkin pie if he could stay within a couple of bikes lengths of me. I explained I was sorry to ride so fast, but I only know how to ride this new bike fast. Besides I got this new Garmin (Hence yesterday's DT shift) It uploads my HR, cadence, distance, and the map of where I rode to my computer. I wouldn't want it loading slow results to my computer. Also, riding is a little like playing poker. I know if I push the pace he may fold before I do.

A few miles up the road we wait at the corner of Camino Del Sur and San Dieguito Road for the light to change. We see two roadies coming from the north on Camino Del Sur. They make a right hand turn onto San Dieguito and pedal off. I see them take a look at my bike as they accelerate around the corner. We get the green light and I see them up ahead. One prerequisite readers must know is everyday a roadie rides it is a race. When you see a guy on a bike with pencil thin arms and quads of steel, matching spandex, and shaved legs he's not simply out for a ride. He's out to drop as many people as he can. We see the two riders ahead riding at a conversation pace, riding side by side and chatting. This means they have dismissed me as a threat. I know I can catch them. Tim asks if I want him to pull me up to them and I nod. We steadily close the gap. I hop in front of Tim and get ready to "Drop The Boys". I pause for a second. My pink Chris King Hub buzzes when I coast. It's similar to when I stepped on the fender of my original Sweet Thunder when Tom was chasing me around the neighborhood. I casually glance over my right shoulder and say "Hello boys" in the drawn out tone "Carrie" used to address the Manolo Blahniks. With a flick of my pony tail I was off and racing away. Down and hill I went as fast as I (safely) could . The gentlemen attack back and pass me down the hill (gravity for you). I pass them back up the next one. One of the two riders passes me again, but the other can't catch up. Tim and I turn right and they go straight. I wave like I'm friendly and wasn't out to make them hurt. I know they are thinking what the.......? They'll probably take their bikes in for a tune up when they get home or start training on there race wheels. They are going to withdraw their donations to Title 9 sports.

Tim and I chuckle very hard about this episode for many miles. We do are climbing on Del Dios . I take advantage of Tim's tired legs buy zipping off on any of the descents and carrying my speed as long as I can. When I get to the uphill I roll with my momentum as hard as I can until it runs out then I look back at Tim and let him catch up. He zips in front of me and pretends he's been appreciating the effects of fire. This area got hit hard during the fire. It's amazing to see charcoal extend right up to somebodies yard and stop on their property line. Talk about being thankful to the fire fighters. They really had their work cut out for them. Tim jumps back in front and I enjoy frequently allowing my Chris King hub to noisily buzz. (When you hear me buzz it means I have to stop pedaling for a few moments in order to not over take you). Tim pretends my Buzz is bothering him, but I know he loves it. It's a good training tool for those I ride with, kind of like a cattle prod.

Aside from bribing Tim with pumpkin Pie. I twisted his arm to do this ride by promising that we can stop for coffee and treat at Pannikin. I even offer to buy coffee. When he get close to Pannikin, I retract my offer and tell him it will be dark soon and there isn't time.

PAUSE HERE FOR CONTINUED PROFESSIONAL INSIGHT:

DR. LAURA SAYS:
"Clearly Tim is involved in but has agreed to a mentally, physically, and verbally abusive relationship. This Jennifer is clearly a dangerous creature. She is very manipulative. Offering her boyfriend coffee then not following through. Playing it off as if it "what's good for him"

MY REPLY:
I'm not really "abusive". I am not one of those girls who thinks she knows what is good for her boyfriend. I am the girl who really knows what is good for her boyfriend. If you ask me "he got what he wanted"


Continuing on Again:

Sans Pannikin we stop at Swami's surf spot and refill our water bottles. As we pull back out into the bike lane my next victim rolls by. Tim says lets get him and sprints ahead. I do not sprint. He looks back and asks what is wrong. I respond "Nothing. I'm taking a moment to study my prey". I see his form is not great, but I can tell by my nursing assessment that he will override his level of fitness to outdo a girl. I comfortably and steadily close the gap. I don't allow Tim to pull for me. I want to drop this one on my own. Soon I pass him with ease. I smile and say hello as I whisk by. After all, I'm the ambassador for "I drop boys" . I must be cordial. He doesn't like this and tries to pass me back, but he can't. He gloms on to my back wheel. We stop at a light and he takes off in front. This is bad and stupid bike etiquette. He could have saved himself a drop by letting the faster riders go first. He jumps and with ease I drop him again. So much is tactics. He hangs on to my back wheel until the hill entering Del Mar. I see him on my back wheel , and lets just say it took a HR of 185 but I cleaned my back wheel and he was dismissed. We meet again at the next red light. I'm starting to feel like I stepped on wet toilet paper. The next few miles is always and should always be relatively pedestrian. There are lots of pedestrians and four way stops. A few stop signs later I am dutifully pausing at the stop sign. I can balance on my bike while stopped for 30 seconds. So no Father, I didn't roll the stop sign. Yes, cyclists, get tickets too. Meanwhile, the not such a gentleman cyclist ran the stop sign, jumped in front of me a latched on Tim's rear wheel. Yes you....you on the RED bike, with the upward pointing red aero bars. In addition to having poor etiquette, horrid manners in cutting off a female after drafting her for miles (without permission) then attempting to draft her boyfriend and separate the couple, compromising safety, and BREAKING THE LAW running a stop light......I am about to drop you. I hammer ahead of him and tell Tim my story. We up the pace and ditch him for the final time.

We turn on to Carmel Valley Road and begin the Carmel Valley challenge. This is where you descend the hill and carry your speed as fast as you can, for as long as you can. You can usually beat the traffic. Don't worry MOM , I'm very careful of the traffic here. At the end of Carmel Valley Road there is an uphill and if your legs are fresh you can carry your speed all the way up My momentum was good I was drafting Tim. My legs were a little tired so instead of passing Tim I nonchalantly asked Tim " Is that all you got" He said I give up, I passed him and he got off his bike and pretended he couldn't ride anymore. This made me giggle hysterically but I sternly said I was not going to pollute the environment driving back to pick him up. Then I went on a rant about chivalry and how the man was supposed to pull. Tim started to pedal again and we duked out the bike path. I'll be honest my legs were a bit tired. They however weren't 100 mile legs. I knew it would be a long time before I would be able to have such fun and Tim's expense again. On the final incline of the 56 bike path I upped the pace. I could grind this pace out that's it. I got no more. If Tim responds to this pace with an attack back.... I'm going to eating humble pie. "I give" Tim said. This is when I tell him about cycling being a lot like poker. "Just kidding" he said and sprinted off. Good I respond "you have enough energy to brick". Tim groaned. Complained of abuse, but I told him if he wanted to beat his Dad at Ironman he was going to have to get going.

Off for a 1 mile run we ran. It was quite fast as I'm working on shorter faster runs with better form.What a fine day to introduce my new technique to Tim. After that we enjoyed protein recovery shakes while I made pumpkin pie.

TIM's TAKE: "Well clearly it's abusive, but the pie makes everything alright"



Tales From The Trainer


November 8th

Today I multi tasked. Yes, I channel surfed while riding my road bike, a.k.a Princess, on the trainer. I could maybe ride outside but I have been stuck behind the street sweeper one too many times too take any chances. I rode for 45 minutes. I used to ride much longer in the attic of my Petoskey apartment but since moving to So Cali I have become soft. (Yes in the attic......uh -oh maybe that's why I have asmtha)

While channel surfing from the trainer, I came across the Travel Channel show "Passport to Europe". The rather engaging host Samantha Brown took me to Denmark for a snadwhich with caviar and Prague for the largest apple strudel I have seen in my life. Between you and me, I am a little worried about this Samantha. She's always eating. I'm mean shouldn't she be touring the city via bike or runnning the course of the Prague marathon. I know this girl who toured New Zealand on her bike. When she took her boyfriend to Mackinac Island, she showed him the sites by running the course for the 1/2 Marathon. Now a girl like that should host a TV show. .......Wait a minute. Oops I apologize that girl is me. I need to call the Travel Channel and tell them how to have a real adventure. Anyway I liked the part about Prague because I am a 1/4 Czech. Maybe my baking genes originated there. I wonder if I could make a strudel like that. My grandpa emmigrated to Ellis Island when he was five. His family settled in Chicago and opened a bakery. I also get my Alpine genes from there too. You see my great grandmother snuck across the boarder to Austria to give birth to my Grandfather. Austrains are the best skiers in the world. I think they omit the fetal position and assume the tuck position in utero. I'm sure my grandfather never skied. I never knew him as he died when I was a baby. I know his Austrain birth because I was complaining about "Aundrea the Evil Austrian" from the Evil Ski Empire across the street called Boyne. She's actually a lovely lady except she was always beating me by something like ski 3 seconds a run. Once or twice she bobbled when I didn't and I'd take a run from her. On these occasions she'd be sure to ride up the chairlift with me and mention in a thick accent "Jennifer, you know it gets harder as you get older, when I was on the world cup." Great so I am young and in fact back in the day you were on the World Cup I was on the tow rope. One day I had enough. I called her the Evil Austrain. That's when my mom scolded me and told me it was my heritage. I wasn't the one who coined the term "Evil Austrain" The boys referred to her as this. In retrospection I know it was because she dropped them too. .




The Way I See It



November 6th

This morning I met Tim for a 0530 roll time. We managed to get in 56 miles before undergoing laser vision correction. Well, before I underwent laser vision surgery. I used my new bike and she went ...fast. After our ride it was a quick shower and off to Scripps La Jolla. I slipped a little (prescribed) Valium under my tongue. I was a little nervous before the Valium but soon I was giggling. I told Tim the world would be a better place if more people took Valium. I also said I thought it would aid in muscle recovery since I sort of stomped on the pedals this morning.

When the Doctor arrived a few minutes late he asked if I got nervous waiting. I laughed again and said "Noooo" I was a bit nervous before the Valium. I have to admit I sort of came down from my Valium euphoria when they applied suction to my eyeballs. Shortly after Tim took me more with my eye shields and told me to sleep for the rest of the day. I woke up a few hours later and could see pretty well but left the shields on to keep me from getting to rambunctious. I sedated my self with some TV and fell back asleep to TV shows I haven't seen since I had strep throat. "The Biggest Looser" and "The Real (pathetic) Housewives of OC". I like to watch these shows when I am incapacitated because they cement that I really haven't missed anything while I have been busy training.

Around 8:00 pm I took off the shield and I could see. Yeah. My eyes don't hurt. They don't itch. I've had glasses since 4th grade. When I was 18 my vision was 20/300. Now it's 20/10. Nice

Tim's a little bummed to see my prescription Oakley's go. Now I don't have to worry about swimming to Mexico if my rx goggles get kicked of in a race. I can also put my sunnies on top of my helmet when it rains or they fog.

The Oakley's may make a come back but at least they'll be optional. That's how I see it.

In Her Shoes


Monday, November 5th


I started the morning with an ART session. For those of you who are not crazy triathletes ART is a therapy where the athlete moves one way.Th clinician presses deeply and pulls the tissue the other way to break up adhesions. I must say it worked very well except now my left glut is a rock and my right is soft. Wait a minute I just paid for a painful therapy to have a soft glut.....What the? I was also shown some exercises to help me "beef up" my gluts to help stabilize me while I run long. After this therapy the Doctor asked me how I was doing with the psychological aspects of not running. I've been advised to undertrain running throughout the winter and not to go long until spring. Although I sort of long for a good long run at Penasquitos Canyon. I'm using this time of forced recovery to allow me to reflect on my life and the choices I make. I'm taking time to identify what goals are and how I'm going to get there. I'm using this time of forced recovery to allow me to reflect on my life and the choices I make. I'm taking time to identify what goals are and how I'm going to get there. I've identified my number #1 goal for 2008 is to finish IM-CDA in the best shape I can. My friend Meredith mentioned the sacrafices she made along the way to IM Florida. She mentioned missing going for walks with her husband and dogs. She also mentioned that IM is such a big commitment she didn't know if she would do another. She decided to go all the way with it. Tim is training for IM CDA I don't think I have to worry about missing him much. However, I will have my own set of sacrifices to make. Yes, yes, I will. I am not sure if sacrifices is really the right term. In Jenny's blog it's called choices.

I've been spending a lot of time thinking about what caused this injury and eliminating the offending factors. One, I believe was my bike fit. Aero bars on a road bike just pulled at the base of my gluts. I fixed that. I identified a loss of flexibility and resumed yoga a few times a week. I think that is helping. On top of that I think I probably just a lot of my body. The reality is Iron man is going to ask for that much more.

The final offending factor is my shoes. For the most part if you want to imagine life in my shoes it's slightly scuffy running shoes, clip clop cycling shoes, or flip flops. These aren't the offending ones. It's the ones that make me tall ;)

Years ago I read the Bridget Jones Survival Guide to Life. In this book it advised the fastest way to loose five pounds was to wear taller shoes. My friends and I tried this giggling. It does work. At five pounds an inch I could loose 15 pounds by donning 3 inch heels. Unfortunately over the last year I've realized that tall shoes hurt my Achilles as well as inflame my IT Band syndrome. I was vainly wearing Dansko's with scrubs before Superfrog. Everybody at work was complimenting me on how fit I looked.....and then my IT band blew to bits. Note to self....Nike Frees or Croc's are best for work. I also have these really cute sandals with flowers that gave me blisters so bad I could barely ride my bike for three days. Note to self, body glide isn't just for triathletes. It's a requirement before all dress shoes.

I also know if I want to finish IM fast and go sub four hours at my next marathon I need to beef up my gluts. What 30 year old female actively tries to "beef" up her gluts. They say every great Ironman is just a little bit crazy.

So you see my choices. I am sentenced to a life of painful therapy to soften my gluts, followed by exercises to beef up my gluts. My designer jeans sentenced to a life on beefy gluts paired with Puma's, Merrils, and various flats (purchased from Ross to offset the price of Chris King hubs)What 30 year old Southern California female would choose flats and beefy gluts over tall shoes and skinny jeans?

Me :)

It's a tough choice but I think crossing the finish line of an Ironman with beefy gluts in a pair of Newton's would be pretty fab.

So that's life in my shoes.