Happy Halloween

The kids are excited to go trick or treating downtown tonight. And I have to admit so am I!!!

Pumpkins are carved (Dad saved the day on that one). They wouldn't have gotten done. I am just not into pumpkin carving. Booo-Humbug, huh?

T dressed as a Ninja for school.

D had a costume on for 17 seconds this morning. Let's see if it stays on tonight.

A dressed as Wonder Woman and ran 5 miles on Peavine Trail this morning.

P came along dressed as "Runner Pushing a Stroller" and to give moral support to Wonder Woman.

Happy Halloween from our family to yours!

Rockin' Out

What do I rock out to when I run?

Well here is my playlist.

Is it weird that I have an explicit Eminem song right after Madonna's Like a Prayer? Yep, sure is! Will I change it? Nope.


I Will Wait  Mumford & Sons
The Cave Mumford & Sons
Blackout (I Won't I'm Only Getting Started Mix) DJ Cherry Bomb
Tik Tok Ke$ha
Midnight City M83
Paradise Coldplay
Titanium (feat. Sia) David Guetta & Sia
Shake It Out   Florence + The Machine Ceremonials
Tonight Is the Night Outasight
Into the Ocean Blue October
Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)  Kelly Clarkson
Scream Usher
Don't Give Up Peter Gabriel
Cosmic Love Florence + The Machine
Everywhere Fleetwood Mac
I Turn My Camera On  Spoon
No Light, No Light Florence + The Machine
Just a Dream Nelly Just a Dream 
Little Lion Man Mumford & Sons
Club Can't Handle Me (feat. David Guetta) Flo Rida
No Love (feat. Lil Wayne) Eminem
Like a Prayer Madonna
What Goes Around.../...Comes Around Interlude Justin Timberlake
Daylight (Troublemaker Remix feat. De La Soul) Matt & Kim
Secrets OneRepublic
Love In This Club Usher & Young Jeezy
Red Rain Peter Gabriel

Regrets

Sometimes I wish I could get a "do-over" with children during their infant days. I just spent the last five days with my little nephew. I truly enjoyed every single moment and it really made me sad to leave him. Why couldn't I be that relaxed when my own kids were born? It makes me mad that the depression and anxiety I suffered after giving birth ruined some of those first mommy/infant moments.

If I could, I  would tell myself to slow down and relax about being a Mom. I would tell myself to cuddle them more because soon they won't want you to. I would stop worrying about what the damn books say or what the "experts" advise and just go with what feels right. I would continue to remind myself that they will never again be this age and to savor every single moment.

My last Luna entry.

My final blog entry has been written for Luna.  It has been a great season and thank you for following me this year.

And to the new readers that could have possibly come from that blog...cheers and welcome.

Final blog post.

They are here.

My Mom, Dad and Grandmother have officially moved to Prescott.

They arrived last week and it's been wonderful having them so close. They are somewhat settling in to the house. (They are renting for awhile until their new house is built). But the rental is just around the corner from us so the kids and I enjoy being able to stop-in every now and then to say hello!

I love that they arrived just in time for all the cool stuff to happen in our little town. First it's the Halloween festivities, then all the Holiday events that begin around Thanksgiving and last until January. Lots of things to do...did they really think they were going to retire and relax?

Welcome home Mom, Dad and GG.

Fall in Northern AZ

A few weeks ago we had A little taste of Fall. 

But now it is here to stay!

The leaves have all changed colors.

The Halloween decorations are up.

 

and my favorite beer is being sold in a Fall seasonal sampler pack.

He's good. Really good.

Putting on make-up yesterday in front of my youngest:

D: "Mommy why do you put that stuff on your face?"

Me: "Because it makes Mommy look pretty."

D: "But you are already pretty."



I went ahead and put that deposit down on the pony he wants for Christmas.

Race Recap and Nutrition

My race report is now posted on my Luna Blog. Check-check-check it out!

I have to say this is the first race where my food intake was spot-on. I had ZERO GI problems which is huge for me. Normally by the time I get to the run my stomach is a sloshing, cramping, hot mess.

For most of you this post might put you to sleep from boredom but maybe it will help one person. My main reason for writing this is so I can remember for next time. I felt great during this event and I attribute that to what I ate prior to race day and during the race.

Some key things were:

• Stopped drinking alcohol a few days before. I know it's a no brainer but it was tough because we were camping and camping and wine-o-clock Happy Hour go hand in hand!
• I hydrated with Nuun all day the day before I raced.
• I ate a simple dinner of chicken, brown rice and salad with a minimal amount of dressing. I had a Luna Bar before I went to bed for dessert.
• When I woke at 5:30 am I had plain oatmeal and a Greek yogurt. 
• After setting up my transition area I had a banana, sips of water, and a Luna protein bar. 
• I drank a half of a Red Bull. Not the smartest thing as I don't ever drink those but I was desperate for caffeine and it was all that I could find at the convenience store earlier in the week! It didn't really help my stomach which is why I tossed it halfway.
• On the bike I had a Clif Shot, a Luna Fiber bar (which I cut up the night before to make it easy to eat) and some sport Jelly Beans. 
• I only drank 1 of the 2 bottles I had stored on my bike. And the one I drank was the one with the electrolytes in it (Nuun).
• I pulled the other bottle out at T2 which was just water and took a few drinks prior to setting out on the run.
• I also had a baggie of Margarita Shot Blocks ready for me at T2. I grabbed them and stuffed them into my sports bra top. This made it easier to get them put later on the run.

• Like clock-work I felt a cramp coming on early in the run. But I chomped on a Margarita Shot Block and they went away immediately. It was amazing. Only one other time I felt cramps coming on and did the same. Each time it worked like a charm!
• Around mile 4 I had a Clif Shot.
• I had 3 chances to get water and each time I made sure I drank at the stations. There really wasn't much in the cups so I usually had 2 small cups per station. 

So there is my very own recipe for GI success. The key is to experiment prior to race day, which I did often (minus the Margarita flavor Shot Blocks). I didn't end up finding those until we traveled to Zion prior to Lake Powell. 

Let's hope this concoction works during my next race!

Fall Break Recap

We just returned from probably one of our best camping trips of all time. Normally by the end of the trip,  I am ready to get home and just get back to normal but honestly the family had such a great trip that I am truly a little blue that it is all over.

From the moment we entered Zion Park last week I knew we would be in paradise. I was in awe of the magnificent red rocks that our campsite was surrounded by. I loved waking up every morning to this view:

We were only steps away from the Virgin River. And for Tyler who is a water-lover this was Heaven for him. His expression (in the photos) says it all.

We hiked almost every single day. 

T's favorite hike was through The Narrows. It is a hike a couple miles up river where most of it is done walking in the cold water. 

P and I had a chance to hike Zion's famous Angel's Landing. Opa and Gramma stayed behind with the kids. And this is why... Wikipedia's description of the hike: The trail to Angels Landing is 2.4 miles (3.9 km) long.^[2] It begins at the Grotto drop off point on the park's shuttle system. It roughly follows the path of the Virgin River for some time, slowly gaining elevation in sandy terrain. As the trail gets steeper and leaves behind the river, it becomes paved. After a series of steep switchbacks, the trail goes through the area between Angels Landing and the Zion Canyon that is a gradual ascent. Walter's Wiggles, a series of 21 steep switchbacks,^[2] are the last hurdle before Scout Lookout. Scout Lookout is generally the turnaround point for those who are unwilling to make the final summit push to the top of Angels Landing. The last half-mile of the trail is strenuous and littered with sharp drop offs and narrow paths. Chains to grip are provided for portions of the last half-mile to the top at 5,790 feet (1,760 m).^[3]

According to the National Park Service, "The route to Angels Landing involves travel along a steep, narrow ridge with support chains anchored intermittently along the route. Footing can be slippery even when the rock is dry. Unevenly surfaced steps are cut into the rock with major cliff dropoffs adjacent. Keep off when it is wet, icy or thunderstorms are in the area. Plan to be off before dark. Younger children should skip this trail; older children must be closely supervised."^[2] The National Park Service website officially recognizes five fatalities along Angels Landing,^[4] however other deaths have been reported

I didn't really know much about the hike prior to doing it. I actually just thought it was switchbacks that made the hike difficult. Boy was I wrong! The last part of it was extremely scary and yes you really did have to hold on to the chains otherwise you risked a drop-off on both sides! Surprisingly I am not the one who is afraid of heights (my husband-the pilot is-go figure). There were a few times when I thought I might be continuing on by myself but I was able to talk P into continuing up the steep climb. I am glad he did and I know it was really hard for him to get past that fear. So proud that he did it, though! Here are some photos:

We are going up there?

 21 switchbacks (the easy part)

 A long way down

Thank god for the chains

Only a 1500 foot drop-off on BOTH sides.

"Don't look down" was often heard coming out of my mouth many times that day.

Still a drop-off on both sides.

We made it!

P: "That's not funny-please stop it."

We climbed all the way to the top (which is behind us).

We finished off the trip by driving over to Lake Powell. It rained the first day and half we were there so we took a Dam Tour (loved saying DAM tour!) instead of the outdoor activities we had planned. Saturday was race day and that will be an entire blog post on my Luna Blog in a few days. But so I don't leave anyone hanging, the race was awesome. An Olympic distance was tough but so incredibly worth it! I loved every minute of the race and actually would do another one tomorrow if I could. I feel great and am ready to start planning my next one. 

The rest of the time was spent relaxing on the boat (that we rented while we were there).

We had so much fun that we are talking about doing it again next year. Anyone care to join us? You are hereby officially invited.

It is almost time.

Our trip to Zion and Lake Powell has been wonderful so far. So great that there is lots to share in a separate blog post next week when we return.

Just wanted to reflect on how I am feeling right now as I count down the hours to race day. It is less than 24 hours to go and I am a little sick to my stomach thinking about it. I am trying to stay positive but the nerves are really setting in. I worry about the distance especially on the run. I know my mood today hasn't been cheerful (ok downright bitchy) but it is just the nerves. By this time tomorrow it will be over and hopefully can check Oly distance off my bucket list.

I don't have much else to say but a big thank you to those that have sent me good lucks and have told me they will be thinking of me. Your kind words will get me through it tomorrow and I am lucky to have you in my life!

At 6:00 am tomorrow I will either be buzzing from caffeine or puking my guts out in the Porta Potty.

courtesy of Triathlete magazine

Future Pilot

We may have another pilot in the family someday!

Random Ramblings

Random thoughts clogging my brain at night...

• I am so glad the schools in Arizona have Fall Breaks. Where was this October vacation when I was in school?
•  I am pretty sure the staff and parents of T's school think I don't own any regular clothes-only workout attire.
•  I am on Twitter now but I still don't understand it.
•  If I come within 2 feet of my bike- I get these. No matter how hard I try to avoid them, the grease marks always appear.

•  Every time I watch the show Intervention, I can't help wonder if I am doing something wrong and that one of my boys could turn out like that. 
• I have a strong feeling Pinterest is going to die off soon.
• The strangest objects appear in my gym bag. This time it was a Kazoo.

• There is a cute little farm up in Williams, AZ where you can feed deer.

• I thought my 2012 race season would be ending with this Oly tri next week. But I signed up for one more Run. I am having serious doubts about the distance and I think I'm in over my head (with 15K).