Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Giving Back
I had the opportunity to volunteer at IM St. George this past weekend...what a blast! I spent most of Friday in the PowerBar booth at the race expo, hanging out with fellow Team Elite member Travis (a short-track speed skater) and talking to people as they wandered through the expo. That afternoon I helped out at the kids run---what a hoot! On race morning, I was stationed in T1 to identify swimmers coming out of the water and get their gear bags to them before they went into the change tent. Later in the day I was at the Journey Junction aide station on the run course. I handed out a lot of ice and coke, but I figure I still have a long way to go to make up for all the cups that have been handed ot me over the years...
It was a really great day, hot but pretty good for racing. Here's a shout-out to my athletes, Rich Webb and Nate Marcotte, who had strong days out there, to BJ Christensen for nabbing his Kona slot, to Chris Eaves for a phenomenal day, to Sarah Goldberg for killing it in the swim, and to all the other athletes who were Ironmen on that day. Congratulations!
Also, thanks to my friend Shay for the fun trip, and to the Olsen family for letting us stay at their house. You guys are awesome!
In a couple of days I'll head to Tennessee for the REV3 Knoxville Olympic Distance race. After nearly 3 months with no triathlons I'm really itching to go!
It was a really great day, hot but pretty good for racing. Here's a shout-out to my athletes, Rich Webb and Nate Marcotte, who had strong days out there, to BJ Christensen for nabbing his Kona slot, to Chris Eaves for a phenomenal day, to Sarah Goldberg for killing it in the swim, and to all the other athletes who were Ironmen on that day. Congratulations!
Also, thanks to my friend Shay for the fun trip, and to the Olsen family for letting us stay at their house. You guys are awesome!
In a couple of days I'll head to Tennessee for the REV3 Knoxville Olympic Distance race. After nearly 3 months with no triathlons I'm really itching to go!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
My Famous Family
Sunday, April 17, 2011
One Foot In Front Of The Other
As you can see from my previous post, life is pretty busy in the Homo-Wint household so you'll have to forgive the severe lack of blogging. Weekdays are typically jam-packed from dawn to dusk and by the time the weekends roll around I just feel like slowing things down and doing more "normal people" activities. Although somehow I keep signing up for running races on the weekends. I just counted it up: I have done running events on six out of the past ten Saturdays! After next weekend I'll be at seven of eleven. I also sneaked in an Olympic Distance triathlon (in Costa Rica) and signed up for a metric century bike ride (which I bailed on due to really crappy weather) in these same past ten weeks. Isn't this what perfectly normal people do with their weekends?!
My rationale for the running races is that it's all great training for the bigger picture. It keeps me motivated by providing "mini-targets" to aim for while at the same time it's a great way to measure early season progress and get a little practice racing and pacing. It's a nice way to reaffirm that the hard work you're putting in is paying off. I've incorporated running "training races" in my early season plan the last several years and adamantly believe that it has been a huge help in setting the groundwork for a strong triathlon season. Although I must admit, this year definitely tops them all for the total number of early season running events that I've done!
I actually started this year a bit less running fit than past years, due to taking some extended time off in the winter to work through a lingering ankle and foot issue. So I've found myself racing my way into running shape; it has been a new and interesting experience! With the exception of one minor blip in Moab (where I ran an all-around dumb race that was made especially memorable when I got tangled up with another runner) I've been able to maintain a steady rate of improvement. For the real running aficionados out there you can search my results at:
http://www.slctrackclub.org/raceResults.html (10K and 15K)
http://www.moabhalfmarathon.org/halfmarathon/results.cfm (Half Marathon)
http://www.stridersrunning.com/ (10 Mile, Half Marathon, and soon-to-be 30K)
http://www.racecenter.com/results/ (Salt Lake City Half Marathon)
Despite all these various events, I really do manage to squeeze in some normal activities as well! Yesterday I spent most of the day (after running the Salt Lake Half of course) tinkering around in the yard and preparing the garden beds for planting. We're putting in raised beds so that we can manage the soil more effectively and (hopefully) keep the dogs out of the vegetables, so Albert and I made a trip to our favorite home-improvement store Lowes (I swear we live there!) to buy lumber, steer manure, soil, and wood chips. I also played around with my brand-spanking-new cultivator! I turned a whopping two rows before I managed to get it stuck in the firethorn bushes along the back fence and had to call Albert to the rescue.
I've also recently worked on a little art project for my mom: two sets of Russian nesting egg dolls for her (belated) birthday gift. She had requested one set of birds and another set of safari animals. I think she originally envisioned that Albert the resident aaaah-tist would paint them for her, but he's been so busy studying for his CRT exam that they just weren't getting done. So I took the bull by the horns and painted them myself! And had an absolutely marvelous time doing it. It was really great to get back to my artistic roots and let the creative juices flow...and they turned out really well, if I do say so myself! I was really looking forward to her reaction when they arrived in the mail…too bad that my parents’ too-smart-for-his-own-good border collie Erskine took a liking to them and ate the zebra and the chimpanzee within ten minutes of my mom opening the package. Oh well, I guess it gives me an excuse to paint a few more eggs…
The third big recent project has been the installation of our second bathroom...which is going to take more time but we're not in a rush. We spent a weekend knocking out the old galvanized steel pipes and replacing them with PEX, which was actually rather thrilling! I never though I'd be one for plumbing but I really enjoyed it. It's another of those projects that we started but had to take a break from because of Albert's exams. His semester is essentially over now though and The Big Exam has been passed (!!!) so we'll probably start tackling the bathroom again soon.
As you can see, there is never a dull moment...
...stay posted for upcoming events! I've got several exciting ones coming up: REV3 Knoxville on May 15th, REV3 Quassy on June 5th, and REV3 Portland on July 10th are the next set of three. Check them out at http://rev3tri.com/ and come on out to cheer me on if any of them are in your neck of the woods!
My rationale for the running races is that it's all great training for the bigger picture. It keeps me motivated by providing "mini-targets" to aim for while at the same time it's a great way to measure early season progress and get a little practice racing and pacing. It's a nice way to reaffirm that the hard work you're putting in is paying off. I've incorporated running "training races" in my early season plan the last several years and adamantly believe that it has been a huge help in setting the groundwork for a strong triathlon season. Although I must admit, this year definitely tops them all for the total number of early season running events that I've done!
I actually started this year a bit less running fit than past years, due to taking some extended time off in the winter to work through a lingering ankle and foot issue. So I've found myself racing my way into running shape; it has been a new and interesting experience! With the exception of one minor blip in Moab (where I ran an all-around dumb race that was made especially memorable when I got tangled up with another runner) I've been able to maintain a steady rate of improvement. For the real running aficionados out there you can search my results at:
http://www.slctrackclub.org/raceResults.html (10K and 15K)
http://www.moabhalfmarathon.org/halfmarathon/results.cfm (Half Marathon)
http://www.stridersrunning.com/ (10 Mile, Half Marathon, and soon-to-be 30K)
http://www.racecenter.com/results/ (Salt Lake City Half Marathon)
Despite all these various events, I really do manage to squeeze in some normal activities as well! Yesterday I spent most of the day (after running the Salt Lake Half of course) tinkering around in the yard and preparing the garden beds for planting. We're putting in raised beds so that we can manage the soil more effectively and (hopefully) keep the dogs out of the vegetables, so Albert and I made a trip to our favorite home-improvement store Lowes (I swear we live there!) to buy lumber, steer manure, soil, and wood chips. I also played around with my brand-spanking-new cultivator! I turned a whopping two rows before I managed to get it stuck in the firethorn bushes along the back fence and had to call Albert to the rescue.
I've also recently worked on a little art project for my mom: two sets of Russian nesting egg dolls for her (belated) birthday gift. She had requested one set of birds and another set of safari animals. I think she originally envisioned that Albert the resident aaaah-tist would paint them for her, but he's been so busy studying for his CRT exam that they just weren't getting done. So I took the bull by the horns and painted them myself! And had an absolutely marvelous time doing it. It was really great to get back to my artistic roots and let the creative juices flow...and they turned out really well, if I do say so myself! I was really looking forward to her reaction when they arrived in the mail…too bad that my parents’ too-smart-for-his-own-good border collie Erskine took a liking to them and ate the zebra and the chimpanzee within ten minutes of my mom opening the package. Oh well, I guess it gives me an excuse to paint a few more eggs…
The third big recent project has been the installation of our second bathroom...which is going to take more time but we're not in a rush. We spent a weekend knocking out the old galvanized steel pipes and replacing them with PEX, which was actually rather thrilling! I never though I'd be one for plumbing but I really enjoyed it. It's another of those projects that we started but had to take a break from because of Albert's exams. His semester is essentially over now though and The Big Exam has been passed (!!!) so we'll probably start tackling the bathroom again soon.
As you can see, there is never a dull moment...
...stay posted for upcoming events! I've got several exciting ones coming up: REV3 Knoxville on May 15th, REV3 Quassy on June 5th, and REV3 Portland on July 10th are the next set of three. Check them out at http://rev3tri.com/ and come on out to cheer me on if any of them are in your neck of the woods!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
A Day In The Life, Or Why I Am So Bad With Updates
Here is what a typical weekday looks like for me:
5am wake-up time
5:30-6:30am swim practice
6:30-6:55am rush home, eat breakfast, put on bike gear
7:16am catch Frontrunner train
8:07am arrive at Salt Lake Central Train Station
8:07-8:30am bike to 24Hour Fitness
8:30-8:55am shower, eat breakfast #2
9am-noon train clients
12-12:40pm strength training or run workout
12:40-12:55pm shower, eat lunch
1-3pm train clients
3:10pm leave the gym
3:10-4:40pm bike intervals up to Farmington Station
4:46pm catch Frontrunner Train to Ogden
5:16pm arrive at Ogden Station
5:30pm arrive home
5:30-6pm unwind, check e-mail
6pm easy trail run with dogs
7pm dinner
8pm organize for the next day
9:30pm bedtime
5am wake-up time
5:30-6:30am swim practice
6:30-6:55am rush home, eat breakfast, put on bike gear
7:16am catch Frontrunner train
8:07am arrive at Salt Lake Central Train Station
8:07-8:30am bike to 24Hour Fitness
8:30-8:55am shower, eat breakfast #2
9am-noon train clients
12-12:40pm strength training or run workout
12:40-12:55pm shower, eat lunch
1-3pm train clients
3:10pm leave the gym
3:10-4:40pm bike intervals up to Farmington Station
4:46pm catch Frontrunner Train to Ogden
5:16pm arrive at Ogden Station
5:30pm arrive home
5:30-6pm unwind, check e-mail
6pm easy trail run with dogs
7pm dinner
8pm organize for the next day
9:30pm bedtime
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Costa Rica Favorites
It's been two weeks since my adventure in Costa Rica...plenty of time to reflect and mentally compose a blog post in my head, but unfortunately I haven't actually had the time to write anything down! Here is a day-by-day summary of the highlights:
Day 1: Wednesday, February 16th
- Early morning flight, SLC to Houston...escaped with no fee for the bike!!!
- 6 hour layover in Houston (joyful)
- Landed in Liberia, Costa Rica at 8:30pm in excitingly windy conditions.
- Tiny open-air airport in Liberia, customs were on the casual end of the spectrum.
- 1 hour 20 min. shuttle to Hacienda Panilla with Sebastian, the friendly tour guide.
- Met strict security at the entrance gate to the resort but eventually admitted.
- Randomly drove around the resort for a while before finally finding Casa de Golf.
- Settled in for the night!
Day 2: Thursday, February 17th
- Nice light breakfast with yummy fresh Costa Rican papaya, mango, grapes, & banana.
- Went for a run in the resort, which is also a wildlife preserve. It was HOT.
- Saw some anorexic cows.
- Met two of the other girls in the house, Bree and Annie.
- Built bike and rode it. Saw a squashed iguana in the road. :(
- Hitched a ride with some other athletes to the race site resort, Reserva Conchal.
- Even tighter security at this place. They did not want to let us in!
- Finally allowed into Reserva Conchal, did a really fun group ocean swim.
- Had my first experience with sea lice. Luckily the stinging does not last long.
- Grocery shopping on the way home. Great time to practice my measly Spanish!
- Arrived home to discover that the oven and stove do not work.
- Cooked a mean microwave chicken instead (the trick is to put it in water).
Day 3: Friday, February 18th
- Short run in the morning. Adjusting to the heat.
- Met more of my housemates at breakfast. Went for a ride with Kelly W.
- Afternoon at the race site: race meetings, media, etc. Another refreshing swim!
- Dinner at Reserva Conchal. The anorexic cows are lovely. :)
Day 4: Saturday, February 19th
- Mid-morning swim with Bree, Annie, Kate and Amanda at Playa Longosta.
- Collected shells, played in the surf, missed our shuttle & were almost stranded.
- Annie discovered a frog living in her toilet!
- Legs up the rest of the day...now I see why people enjoy tropical vacations.
Day 5: Sunday, Februsry 20th...Race Day!!!
- Up at 3:30am...ugh.
- Sublime moonlight beach run for warm-up, complete with a mariachi band.
- The race: stunning and memorable course! Swim was long, but I don't mind a little extra time in the ocean. Bike course came complete with killer hills, a 200 meter unpaved section (x2), cows, chickens, and other random animals in the road, and a bombing descent back into transition. The run was spectacular and included a section on the beach and a jaunt through a dusty little beach town before returning to the resort and zigzagging through the golf course. I was treated to a breathtaking view of a tall ship out on the ocean when I reached the peak of the course on the second loop before diving down the hill to the finish line. Finished in 8th place after holding 6th most of the day...simply didn't have the fitness to hold it together the last 2 miles of the run. Not a great performance, but an honest reflection of the training I have under my belt so far this year so I have to be satisfied with it.
- Post-race: 20 min. beach jog with Annie, where we were mistaken for being the lead women in the Half Ironman. Oops!
- One more ocean swim with the girls from Casa de Golf. Saw a stingray.
- Surfing in Tamarindo! A great way to spend a post-race afternoon.
- Ghetto taxi ride back to Hacienda Panilla...that car was running on pure fumes!
- Was convinced to join Facebook...21st century, here I come.
- Microwave pancakes for dinner...who knew you could do that?
Day 6: Monday, February 21st
- Another 3:30am alarm, this time to catch the 4am shuttle.
- 4am shuttle does not appear.
- Finally leave at 5:15am with a different taxi service...muy rapido por favor!!!
- A nailbiter of a taxi ride...the driver took "muy rapido" muy seriously! 100km/hr, complete disregard for stopsigns, no passing zones and school zones.
- Made it to the airport in 55 minutes, luckily in one piece and without killing anyone or anything.
- Paid departure tax, checked bags, poked around the gift shop, boarded plane.
- 3 hours flight to Houston over gorgeous tropical waters, 9 hour layover (who booked these flights?!), 3 hour flight to SLC, 45 min. drive home with a 75 lb. German Shepherd in my lap, a foot of snow in the front yard...welcome home. :)
Thanks to REV3 for their hard work in making such a unique race happen, to the other athletes for making it a good race and a fun trip, to the AWESOME spectators lining the course, and to PowerBar, BlueSeventy, Rudy Project, and Maxxis for their continued support.
Day 1: Wednesday, February 16th
- Early morning flight, SLC to Houston...escaped with no fee for the bike!!!
- 6 hour layover in Houston (joyful)
- Landed in Liberia, Costa Rica at 8:30pm in excitingly windy conditions.
- Tiny open-air airport in Liberia, customs were on the casual end of the spectrum.
- 1 hour 20 min. shuttle to Hacienda Panilla with Sebastian, the friendly tour guide.
- Met strict security at the entrance gate to the resort but eventually admitted.
- Randomly drove around the resort for a while before finally finding Casa de Golf.
- Settled in for the night!
Day 2: Thursday, February 17th
- Nice light breakfast with yummy fresh Costa Rican papaya, mango, grapes, & banana.
- Went for a run in the resort, which is also a wildlife preserve. It was HOT.
- Saw some anorexic cows.
- Met two of the other girls in the house, Bree and Annie.
- Built bike and rode it. Saw a squashed iguana in the road. :(
- Hitched a ride with some other athletes to the race site resort, Reserva Conchal.
- Even tighter security at this place. They did not want to let us in!
- Finally allowed into Reserva Conchal, did a really fun group ocean swim.
- Had my first experience with sea lice. Luckily the stinging does not last long.
- Grocery shopping on the way home. Great time to practice my measly Spanish!
- Arrived home to discover that the oven and stove do not work.
- Cooked a mean microwave chicken instead (the trick is to put it in water).
Day 3: Friday, February 18th
- Short run in the morning. Adjusting to the heat.
- Met more of my housemates at breakfast. Went for a ride with Kelly W.
- Afternoon at the race site: race meetings, media, etc. Another refreshing swim!
- Dinner at Reserva Conchal. The anorexic cows are lovely. :)
Day 4: Saturday, February 19th
- Mid-morning swim with Bree, Annie, Kate and Amanda at Playa Longosta.
- Collected shells, played in the surf, missed our shuttle & were almost stranded.
- Annie discovered a frog living in her toilet!
- Legs up the rest of the day...now I see why people enjoy tropical vacations.
Day 5: Sunday, Februsry 20th...Race Day!!!
- Up at 3:30am...ugh.
- Sublime moonlight beach run for warm-up, complete with a mariachi band.
- The race: stunning and memorable course! Swim was long, but I don't mind a little extra time in the ocean. Bike course came complete with killer hills, a 200 meter unpaved section (x2), cows, chickens, and other random animals in the road, and a bombing descent back into transition. The run was spectacular and included a section on the beach and a jaunt through a dusty little beach town before returning to the resort and zigzagging through the golf course. I was treated to a breathtaking view of a tall ship out on the ocean when I reached the peak of the course on the second loop before diving down the hill to the finish line. Finished in 8th place after holding 6th most of the day...simply didn't have the fitness to hold it together the last 2 miles of the run. Not a great performance, but an honest reflection of the training I have under my belt so far this year so I have to be satisfied with it.
- Post-race: 20 min. beach jog with Annie, where we were mistaken for being the lead women in the Half Ironman. Oops!
- One more ocean swim with the girls from Casa de Golf. Saw a stingray.
- Surfing in Tamarindo! A great way to spend a post-race afternoon.
- Ghetto taxi ride back to Hacienda Panilla...that car was running on pure fumes!
- Was convinced to join Facebook...21st century, here I come.
- Microwave pancakes for dinner...who knew you could do that?
Day 6: Monday, February 21st
- Another 3:30am alarm, this time to catch the 4am shuttle.
- 4am shuttle does not appear.
- Finally leave at 5:15am with a different taxi service...muy rapido por favor!!!
- A nailbiter of a taxi ride...the driver took "muy rapido" muy seriously! 100km/hr, complete disregard for stopsigns, no passing zones and school zones.
- Made it to the airport in 55 minutes, luckily in one piece and without killing anyone or anything.
- Paid departure tax, checked bags, poked around the gift shop, boarded plane.
- 3 hours flight to Houston over gorgeous tropical waters, 9 hour layover (who booked these flights?!), 3 hour flight to SLC, 45 min. drive home with a 75 lb. German Shepherd in my lap, a foot of snow in the front yard...welcome home. :)
Thanks to REV3 for their hard work in making such a unique race happen, to the other athletes for making it a good race and a fun trip, to the AWESOME spectators lining the course, and to PowerBar, BlueSeventy, Rudy Project, and Maxxis for their continued support.
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