A Wisconsin Wrap Up

Returning from a writing respite Pinkgurugal has been out of blog commission for the last few days resting from Sunday's ironman finish. I'm still processing the experience. And I have my head buried in work. Beer therapy has been in order for the last few days. Mucho beer in celebration of...ummm.. me. :) A HUGE Thanks to all my blog buddies out there for the congrats and well wishes. It means a lot.

A Race Repeat

It's official. Three days after my first ironman, the chelly has signed up...for Ironman Austria!Oh yeah. I peer pressured Ironbabe Jane to sign up. I also learned today that Sugar Daddy Philip and his girl Sugar Mama Natalie will also be going.

It will be an Ironman Affair. A soiree of sorts. A tri commune european vacation. All five of us, including TriRyGuy. We're all in. Now we need to figure out who's rooming with whom. We know the Chelly has to stay together...

Pre-Race Report Rundown I won't bore you with all the details, but allow me to share some of the more memorable moments and pictures from IMOO On the eve of the race, the Chelly and TriRyguy decided to carbo load by heading to Takara once again. This time for an entertaining Hibachi dinner. I got the scallops and chicken, Kelly got chicken and shrimp, and TriRyguy got the same. The Chelly was stuffed. In fact, we both felt like bloated whales for the last three days. We did nothing but eat and eat and eat more. See, we are not used to stuffing our faces at every meal. But we did. After dinner, we all headed back to the room for a final check of our stuff and a nappy poo. I managed to head to bed by 10:00, with a wake up call at 4:30am. I slept great. So did TriRyguy And surprisingly, all those nerves "those people" talk about on pre race night really didn't strike me. Pinkgurugal's IMOO Nutriton and Race report 4:30am: We got up. We ate. I had a half bagel with peanut butter and some grape jelly. Without TriRyguy I'm not sure if the Chelly would have awakened on time. Or gotten everything together without forgetting something@

Then at 5ish we headed to the sight to drop off our transition bags and check our bikes. I had a hiccup with a loose valve. Thankfully, a volunteer with inside out sports helped me fix it. I admit I was a little panicked. Oh and this photo appeared in the Ironman.com photo gallery. :)

6:20am pre swim. i had a 1/2 gu since kelly forgot her's. I shared Because sharing is caring. Because the Chelly and I share a lot. :) As small as I am, 1/2 was plenty. 7:00am: The gun goes off! I start swimming with the pack. I was slow, I got trampled, I was bashed in the face, I zigzagged, but never once did I panic. Aim for the bouy. Aim... 8:44am: I get out of the water and head to T1. I felt good. Refreshed. And I laughed. Shit, I can't believe I am here! 8:54am After a volunteer helped me with my helmut, shoes, and socks. I zipped onto my bike and off I went. Here's a shot of the Chelly fan club. 3:43pm: OMG! I'm finally off the bike. Official time: 6:50 minutes.

I ate 2 power bars, drank copious amounts of gatorade and water, and nibbled on 1/2 banana. Oh and I stopped once to pee. I took a chance and decided I didn't need anything in my special needs bag. I was right.

3:50pm: Time for the marathon! I stop at most water breaks. And switched back and forth from gatorade, water and coke. I felt a little tired but I've completed 6 marathons before, so I knew what to expect from my legs. 8:38pm: Done! It took 4:45 minutes of running to cross the finish line. And I had the biggest look of excitement you have ever seen. Here i am post race posing with Ironman athlete Jimmy Riccitello. Total race time: 13:38

And a big Pinkgurugal Congrats to the Chelly, who finished with a phenomenal 11:36 finish!

Post Race Partying So I can't tell you how many times friends said we'd all be pooped after the race. But we weren't and we all went for beers. I invited Eye Candy Casper. This handsome German finished with an incredibly respectable 10:22 time. Oh and it was his 8th ironman. Oh and that's Dr. Grim to you. Yep... great looking, a triathlete and a doctor. What are the chances. I found this of "McDreamy" online. Sorry Casper if I am embarassing you! We drank beer. Then, with minutes to spare at the midnight cutoff time, we went back to the finish line to watch 78 year old Frank Ferrar finish... he finished with three minutes to spare. How inspirational, since ten years ago he was diagnosed with cancer and had 3 months to live. Amazing. I was teary eyed. Net net, the race was simply everything I imagined and more. What a great time. God gave us PERFECT weather. Now if the race had happened the following day.... Not so good. It was cold and wet ALL DAY. Thank you God.

Cheers and happy training!

None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

I AM AN IRONMAN

DONE.

Sophocles - “There is no success without hardship.”

I Am # 2188

BREAKING NEWS FROM IRONMAN.COM Pinkgurugal is pleased to announced "The Chelly's" second appearance on Ironman.com This is the picture that the e-world saw. Here's a copy of the article:

1,065 first time Ironman athletes ready to go

"The Chelly" (okay they used our real names..) are just two of the more than 1,000 athletes in the field competing in their first Ironman this weekend. The two outgoing women from Houston, Texas, are definitely having a good time here in Madison this week and appear to be “rarin’ to go.”Rumor has it the two are more than a little photogenic – their picture appeared here on Ironman.com during our coverage of the Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs race earlier this year!

We met Ironman.com's managing editor, Kevin Mckinnon. He saw something special in us. Maybe an "it" quality? Here he is posing with the ladies.

T Minus 1 It all seems too surreal that in less than 24 hours from now, I will be in the midst of cycling or running in my first ironman race....probably more like cycling. The weather is perfect, and the Ironman buzz is definitely on today. And while I will admit to having jitters, the weather is putting me in a pretty damn good mood on this eve before the big dance. I took this picture of Kelly during one of our final spins around town.

TriRyGuy Arrives Thankfully TriRyGuy flew in yesterday to join us. We have affectionately renamed him our Tri bitch. He carries our stuff, makes sure we're rested and happy, and all with a huge and mischievous grin on his face. Who wouldn't want to be in the presence of "The Chelly, catering to our every discombobulated needs? Humor aside, what would we do without him, he has been our angel in all of this. We love you Ryan! thank you for making the journey with us! He has helped us packed all of our transition and special needs bags. I was overwhelemed at all we need to pack. A bag full of stuff from the swim to bike, from the bike to the run, special needs bags for each halfway mark, a dry clothing bag... blah blah blah...did i forget ANYTHING? So TriRyGuy went through with us our checklist of crap. Then we loaded all of our things, hooked up with Eye Candy John, and we all headed for the big pasta dinner. That was all good and fun...and hilarious. We all had the giggles during the program, then bolted out to grocery shop and get some ice cream.

Soaking it up We got up this morning and all went for a quick 20 minute swim. Lake Monona was a complete departure from the choppy hell of a few days ago. Calm, sunny and as ideal as you can get. I felt quite comfortable. But of course, there weren't 2000 bobbing heads joining me.

This afternoon was spent checking and checking in our bikes, having a leisurely lunch, and chatting up with new tri friends, including a German we met when we arrived, Casper Grim. Eye Candy John move over. You have just been replaced.

Speaking of eye candy, there is mucho everywhere. Triathletes, especially the ones who do Ironmans, are just about the fittest people I've ever met, particularly the men. Then pool them together in a clump and the "hot and fit bubble" is even smaller. Lucky "The Chelly".... Tomorrow is the BIG day. A day that is bigger than me. The day that will change me. And They say the first is the best. Pinkgurugal bids you adieu and leaves you with my favorite poem of ALL TIME. A full race report after tomorrow. "The Road Not Taken" TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Robert Frost

A Course in Miracles?

T Minus Two Okay, so the header is lifted from author and spiritualist Marianne Williamson (I'm a self help kind of girl), but I thought it strangely appropriate on this day. Details in a moment Multisports morning group hug After another restful night of sleep, Kelly and I headed to the expo where Multisports.com hosted a breakfast for those of us who signed up through them. We were treated to a continental breakfast followed by a few pep talks from the crew, including Paula Newby Fraser, hubbie Paul Huddle and race official Jimmy Riccitello. It was a pleasant breakfast, with Jimmy and I cracking jokes throughout much of the breakfast. Okay, now back to that course in miracles bit... After the breakfast we headed out to drive the course with Mark, another triathlete I met during tri camp a few months ago. While out there, I thought about my own IM journey, and that in many ways, the lessons I've learned along the way were faith guided. Maybe I'm being maudlin (I'm only using this big word because it was the dictionary.com word of the day a a few days ago...) ...I'll just leave it at this until the race is complete. Or maybe I was just getting delirious with ethereal thoughts because the car sickness worsened with every twist and turn on those seemingly endless farm roads. Signs of the IM Times After we returned from our 112 mile drive plus some (we got a bit lost on the way back), Mark and Kelly took advantage of the free massages while I started making fun posters. There is a booth where you can create posters that volunteers will place along the route, and ones for friends to hold. We expect TriRyGuy and his friend Brent to cheer with the signs. They are cute. Time for a nappy poo. We are carb loading again tonight, this time at the big welcome dinner. It's like being in Disneyland...kind of. And the weather is so far, holding up way well! Cheers and happy training! "Bid me run, and I will strive with things impossible." Williams Shakespeare

IMOO!

T Minus Three Pinkgurugal has access to a computer at our hotel. So I will try my best to blog about the days counting down to IMOO. It's hardly believable that it's almost here... Tri Commune Sendoff On Tuesday evening, friends hosted a "Chelly" sendoff at the tri commune. About ten of our favorite friends came for the always informal affair.

A HUGE chelly thanks to Jessica for the delicious lasagna and IMOO ice cream cake. It was all so yummy, evidenced by the fact that there were NO leftovers. Add to that, it was a perfect carb loading meal.

Beer was also served at the sendoff, to which Kelly and I served ourselves to a few.

And Ironbabe Jane, a MAJOR THANKS for sending us amazing flowers. Totally unexpected, thoughtful and generous. Who doesn't LOVE surprises and flowers? Ironbabe Jane, you are so awesome!

The Chelly Arrives! Kelly and I of course, stayed up way late Tuesday evening, or more like Wednesday morning. Since our flight left at 7:17am, we left the home at 5:45...after a 4 hour nap.

A big thanks to my roomie Liam for the lift to the airport. Making it to Madison So we get here Wednesday afternoon, check in, and take it easy. We are staying just a few steps from the race, so the location is perfect. After a two hour nap and a short 30 minute run... we dined at a great Japanese restaurant called Takara, filled up at the local Walgreens on water, and went to bed.

Then we slept about 10 hours! It felt sooooo good. We needed it. We deserved it. We're on vacation! A Rough Start OMG! How choppy was the practice swim this morning! It was a test of will...of survival.. I think I took in about a gallon of water in about 30 minutes.... good for the hydration though. Then we went to get massages. Even though there was a long line, our therapists probably spent a good 30 minutes on each of us. I have found in life, that charm , at times like these, goes a long ways. This is Kelly's newest BFF Michael.

Then we walked into to the Ironman store. And of course, we did the obligatory IM shopping. M dot paraphenalia proliferated about 100o square feet of space. My total bill rang out to be about 200 dollars. But the week is still young.

Bloggers Get Together Thanks to this blog, we met another Houstonian here to race in his first IM, new friend and fellow blogger, Trigreyhound. He found my blog through Ironbabe Jane's blog. I've read his. We had lunch with him and three other bloggers he met through blogs. To kindred blog spirits! Isn't that funny, how blogs can bring people together?

And Trigreyhound, thanks for lunch...you'll definitely have to come dine at the tri commune..we'll have a celebration of ourselves when we return! Winding our Way through Wisconsin Kelly and I did a brisk one hour ride through town around sunset tonight.

Madison has arguably the best bike trails in the country. No surprise Outside Magazine voted it one of the best cities in the U.S. It seemed like we rode endless miles. Great town, and so far, great weather, save the Lake Monona choppy waters. Eating with Eye Candy John Tonight, Eye Candy John (what we have affectionately named our local pro triathlete and fellow Sugar cycles teammate) invited us over to his host home. See, pros have this network where they are linked to locals who graciously allow them to stay. Patty was hosting a small pasta dinner. About a dozen people were there, and we ate more pasta. And more yummy ice cream cake. Thanks EC and Patty! Finally, one caveat to the day: I can't tell you how many Chelly moments we had today. From Kelly misplacing her race bag stuff, to me blundering for what seemed like everything I held... like our cash, my cell phone, our credit cards, and the list goes on. But this one took the cake as I was making yet another swim goggles purchas: Pinkgurugal : "Did you put my stuff in my bag maam? Clerk: No you're holding it in your hand..." Thank goodness TriRyGuy is coming tomorrow to cheer us on, and most importantly walk us through this process! Cheers and happy training! Pinkgurugal leaves you with this quote sent to me by my good friend and running diva stud Lisa: "All we really need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about" Charles Kingsley

The Last minute littany of "To-Do's" and another super supper

An arduous organization effort

Today, after a leisurely one hour spin (tapering feels sooooo good) on a borrowed bike (thanks christine!...I had to give up Pink to tri sports transport )....

I started my to-do list.

Lists help me organize my barely controlled chaos. I feel a sense of accomplishment everytime I scratch off a task I won't bore you the details, but suffice it to say...THERE'S SO MUCH LAST MINUTE STUFF TO DO. My dining room table is ground zero. I laid out anything and everything I need...and I doubled most items. HELPING HANDS Then I got an UNBELIEVABLE massage from my friend and therapist Cheryl. She's the best hands in Houston, and if anyone knows true relief from years of nagging back pain, it's me!

Since TriRYGuy will be the Chelly's Tri-pimp, in the likely event if we forget something (has has raced in SIX ironmans) he will be our tri -Yoda for this trip.

I love Yoda. And I love my BFF :) The Barnaby's Bunch Instead of the usual TRi commune house dinner, the gang decided to hold it at our other favorite eats, Barnaby's. It was a lively time with our tri friends. Even my anti-blog, my blog nemesis, Red Allez Guy showed up. (See first pic..guy making an "oh" face in black hat) We are calling truce this week because of my race. More to come after the race though... Commune Congrats Accolades to the following stud athletes for placing, winning, racing, and making the rest of us enviable over the holiday weekend. At the Austin Triathlon: Liam : 1st place in age group, 4th overall. Ironbabe Jane: for finishing STRONG on her FIRST olympic distance triathlon! At Eastside Triathlon: . "Eye Candy" John: Overall !st place winner Tommy Elder: 1st place age group

Oh and special professional CONGRATS to the our beloved "serpent" Mark for doing a kickass national news piece on Coretta Scott King's FBI files uncovered. Cheers to our next Bob Woodward!

Did we forget anyone of our other friends? Anyhoo.. ya'll ROCK!!!

I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful circle of friends. I get so sentimental sometimes, but I know moments like these are rare and special.

WE INTERRUPT PINKGURUGAL'S BLOG FOR THIS URGENT MESSAGE

Since I don't own a laptop, and the company-issued one has yet to arrive, I may be out of blog commission once I get to Madison tomorrow. So if you don't hear from me, your positive thoughts and prayers would be GREATLY appreciated.

This is John Duke at me a few months ago at Tri Camp. He's the publisher of Triathlete Magazine. I'll probably never grace the cover...but it sure is fun to do triathlons!

Thanks for reading my sometimes mundane and often goofy triathlon and personal misadventures!

Cheers and happy training!

Sir Winston Churchill - “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Tri Roading Trippin, dorm room disinfecting and widdling for Wisconsin

An Austin Adventure

By the time many of you read this, my roomie Liam and Ironbabe Jane will have completed an olympic distance race in Austin. I got a call from them. They are BFF's now and are hanging out up there. I love my tri friends.

This is them at a recent tri commune dinner night.

Clearing my Commune Clutter

Since I had Sunday night to myself at the Tri commune, I got into one of my OCD kicks and began cleaning the entire house. Then I ventured into Liam's room.

College Dorm or Just plain Messy Marvin?

I couldn't stand to look at the clothes, the clutter, and the Jasper hair, so I brought my new oreck into his room and started vacuuming.

I present to you Liam's littered lair.

Pinkgurugal's purging

I made his bed, did all of his piles of laundry and organized stuff. But I promise i did not look in his "goodies" drawer. I love to be domestic. I'll make a great housewife one day. I truly enjoy it.

Taper Monday

Even though yesterday my taper called for a 2-3 hour ride, I managed only an hour because

1) I woke up late

2) I had to be at work on a rare sunday

3) I felt not so good

I'm going to write off Sunday as a "I didn't get enough sleep" the prior day.

So this morning, I headed out for an hour run. I was tired (I'm not a morning person), and once again, it was BALLS HOT.

Now why I use that adjective ito describe Houston's seeming oppressive summer heat is unclear to even me. But it seems strangely appropriate.

Wading the Open Water

The girls are heading off to the RV park lake later today for another open water swim. And I need to try out my other wetsuit. But of course it raining and thundering now, so we are in a hold patter.

I can still hardly believe that at this time next week, I will have finished my first Ironman.

Cheers and happy training!

Guatama Buddha - “The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.”