Wicked

It's happening! I got Wicked Tickets. My mom and I are planning a day in Seattle on October 1st. We're going to the matinee which is perfectly priced, and also leaves time during the day for other Seattle activities. I hope to go to Pikes Place Market, and wander through all the little shops and booths. Hopefully there will be some fun fall displays and tasty treats. I can't wait to get away for a day, and enjoy some 'grown up girl bonding time'!

I think I'm going to be enjoying fall this year.

I Am.

I am...

Reading the Poisonwood Bible. I'm loving it. It is the book I have enjoyed the most for the book club that I'm in.

On a bit of a vegetable kick. I can't get enough peas.

Hopeful.

Trying to find things I love about fall.

Ready for 5:20.

Missing the long summer evenings when I could exercise outside.

Glad I spent most of the weekend outdoors.

So grateful for the sunshine.

Working on a couple very easy sewing projects.

Implementing daily scripture study.

Hoping to go see Wicked while it is in Seattle.

Listening to various soundtracks at my desk on my Zune.

Wearing my favorite work pants.

Using my autumn purse that matches my favorite red shoes.

Contemplating dinner...chicken pot pie, perhaps?

A Cozy Saturday Afternoon

A very relaxing, rainy Saturday afternoon was spent with
our newest favorite homemade pizza.

BBQ chicken, olives, pineapple and bacon tid-bits.

Warm and fresh from the oven with a SanPellegrino
Limonata.

and Wesley keeping an eye on me.

Next time you're all welcome to join us!

Mass of the Holy Spirit

Did I mention that I went to Mass today? Remarkably, it was my first Mass, after almost 2 years of employment with Saint Martin's. I enjoyed it from the back row. It was different than my usual Sunday Sacrament Meeting, but I thought it was really neat to see a little more of the religious side of my work environment. I always enjoy seeing the monks around campus during the day, so it was cool to see them more in their element. I love that all over the world there are good people who believe in Jesus Christ, and strive to live more like him. That was my take home lesson for the day.

Triathlon Post coming soon. I promise!

The Triathlon

I don't even really know what to say about it. It was hard. Really hard, and I can't believe I did it. My body amazed me. All summer I had been training for this, and now that I've done it, I don't feel a huge relief, or sense of great accomplishment. I just wish I had been able to do it better, faster, stronger. I guess that's why I'm doing another one. In 12 weeks. I'm sure I'll be wondering what I got myself into as this next one gets closer, but I love the training, (except at 7:30 on Saturday mornings...) and I need fitness goals.

My race started ok. I was really nervous about it, because I wasn't familiar with the course at all, but there was a great sense of anticipation/energy surrounding all the ladies I trained with. We were all in the same wave to start the swim. The water was much colder than the lake we'd been training in, and 'oops', they mapped the swim course wrong, so we ended up going twice as far as we'd been training for. At least now I know I can swim half a mile in a cold lake, and not only live to tell about it, but also follow it up with a 13 mile bike ride and a 5k run. (like I said, my body amazed me).

The biking wasn't too bad, and aside from a frightening asthma flare up, I did pretty well. It felt like the last half was continuously up hill. These were mostly gentle rolling hills that just seemed to keep coming and coming. One after another. After each hill, I convinced myself that "surely this is the last hill. This has to be the last one". I obviously survived, but I was very thankful for my inhaler at about mile 12.25.

As for the run, I just wanted to be done. I wanted to give up and get in the car and go home. During my transition from biking to running, I asked Daniel to take me home. I even threw some tears in for good measure. His answer was a resounding 'no'. Despite my protests, he figured I'd regret it if I quit 2/3rds of the way through. So he walked with me, and got me through my traumatic "this was a really embarrassing mistake phase" onto the rest of the race. I was able to run much more of the 5k than I thought I would. At that point, I was running to get done, not for speed. I have an idea that this aspect of the triathlon is much like child birth. The only way out is through it. I got through it, and I'm glad I did it. Someday I'll make a legitimate comparison of the two...

Enjoy some pictures...you know you love a short curvy triathlete in spandex!

The ladies I trained with

I'm the swimmer on the far left.

Yes, I wore a very un-athletic giraffe print tankini...with a sports bra underneath it.

still smiling after the swim

So there it is...the good the bad and the crazy!