The results are in...

We have returned from our beach blast! While I'll allow Bonnie the final report on the Trek to the Tri, it is suffice to say that we all did FABULOUSLY, absolutely smashing our goals.

In the mean time, here are some pictures to whet your whistle....

Some fun photos....

Here are some pictures that have been taken along the way. Enjoy.

(sorry Emily C. but I didn't seem to have any of your crew...?...)

Grayson geared up for his half-mile swim.

Umm you know I only included this because of my arms....yes those are mine and not a body double's - HAH! Oh, and Jackson is cute too!

Kendall and Ariel getting geared up for our first ride.

Me after my first Bike-Run combo. Not a happy camper!

Cold Ariel?

Yes, I cannot be trusted with a camera and posting rights. Sorry Ariel and Emily - just too good to pass up. (Nice bubbles Em.)

OUR MASCOTS! (and the real troopers)

Sweet Sienna. Funny Grayson. Jackson and Abby - do we really have to do this again?

Before the hill - Smiling. After the hill - "Whew!"

All this training is making me tired!!

That's all for now.

The Last Leg of the Journey

The last week of training is finally here. We have laughed (Kendall and her sports bra - swim suit package), yelled ("I HATE RUNNING! AAAAGGGGHHHH!"), and cried (okay so a bug flew in my eye while I was biking - they were real tears!) and had countless Farmer Blows (don't know what it is then you can ask me later), and we are finally at the last leg of the adventure. What an adventure. From Bessie to Seat of Fire, from "do I really have to put my head in the water?" to silver bullet status, from "now how do I change the gear?" to changing flats, from running a 5K to running 25+ miles a week, from Chariots of Fire to bike chariots with two kids screaming while the cyclist is singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and slowly.....ever so slowly.....and yet even more slowly ......biking up the hill. From just ordinary lovers of the trail to totally Smokin', totally Hot, and totally crazy to be doing this Iron Women!!

It has been an all consuming, all butt-kicking, and all amazing trek!

TO THE TRI LADIES!!

TO THE TRI!

A not so fun week

So this week has not been a good training week for me. First, Abby got sick with a stomach virus early Wednesday morning. So I missed Wednesday's workout with everyone (I was able to run 4.5 miles on the treadmill while she napped though). She was feeling a little better on Thursday so I was able to fit in my swim and bike then. Friday rolls around and instead of doing the 30 swim/30 bike/30 run, I was sick with the stomach flu. The good news is 24 hours later, I was able to run over 7 miles pushing the jogger stroller! This last week will be better, I can feel it!

~Emily G

Final Frenzy

One week from today, this whole Tri adventure will be over! The training starts to taper off from here on until next Saturday when we get to battle sharks and waves, gear shifting and hills, blisters and chaffing. Everyone is going to do great and I just wanted to send my congrats to the whole group for so diligently completing the training! Well done gang! Can't wait to get some pictures of your smokin' hot tri outfits and super-toned legs...

The most unluckiest person alive

I know, I know my grammar is terrible, but that's exactly how I feel. It all started EARLY Saturday morning as I faithfully met Ariel at her pool to complete our "triple play" for the day. All went well with the swim, no swallowed frogs or murderer attacks. But, as we ran up the hill it all started to go horribly wrong. I (of course) forgot my keys and sprinted back down the hill. Once at the pool I couldn't open the gate. It's only a little fence, so me in all my 27 years of wisdom decided to jump it. As the ball of my left foot hit the ground it was over. I did something horribly wrong to it. I hobbled through the rest of our workout and spent the rest of the day on the couch, miserable.

While on the couch I debated wether or not to go to urgent care. What were they going to do? Tell me my foot was hurt? Thanks, but I think I figured that one out on my own. Also, I know full well I should the RICE routine, it's just hard to follow in my current situation. Let me explain:
REST: Have you met my two little guys?

ICE: I'm allergic to the cold. Seriously, I break out in hives if I get too cold. Which would you pick? Swollen, deformed foot or itchy, swollen foot?

Compression: Did I mention I got an ant bite on the arch of my foot at Matts' soccer game. This may not seem like a big deal but, I'm also allergic to our lovely Georgian ants. Reed was fascinated to watch my ankle swell up until I had no ankle.

Elevation: No, real problem here, but give me a minute I'm sure something will come up.

But, that's not all, as the day went on I came down with Gray's wicked cold. No wonder the child's been ornery. This left me debating the virtues of anti-inflammatories for my foot or cold medicine for my cold.

When it rains it pours.

Great Debate

I can't decide which is worse, towing two kids in a bike chariot or pushing two kids in a double stroller...

Woman Vs. Nature

While out of town for the weekend I found it pretty difficult to squeeze in all the workouts I was supposed to. So, out of guilt, I decided to hop on my brother-in-law's-grandpa's-relic-bike (no, seriously) and blast out a ride between storm fronts during a rainy Labor Day.

Started out fine...then I hit a hill...perhaps the mother of hills. Did I mention that I was riding my brother-in-law's-grandpa's-relic-bike? It had these ancient metal shifters that took vice grips to move. I crawled up the hill to the temple at the crest (a spiritual analogy, no less), wheezing and pushing—there was the end!—yes, I can see it—almost there...wait...but where did all those black clouds come from?

Just as I reached the top and met the full glory of the temple view, I was blasted by a storm. It was like I crashed into a wall. But not just a regular rain wall, a wall of hail. It stung like needles.

I turned around immediately and fled home. It was a race against the wind, literally. And just as I pulled into the driveway, the storm caught up. But too late! I beat it! Probably the only thing—man or nature—that I will beat in this whole Tri adventure.