Project 365 - Mission Bay TRIATHLON... YES, Big Girls Can ROCK IT!...and Hansen's Surf Shop...



Nothing tastes better than Mimosas after a triathlon...
Friend Dave and me (with Sea World behind us) after the race.

Let's jump right into it, shall we!?  I have been struggling with my weight for many years... which is why I joined the YMCA Weight Loss Challenge 1 1/2 years ago... and why I have been training with my coach and doing Boot Camp and training for different athletic events for the past two years... I am a big girl.  Not only did my size bother me (every day), but the fact that I struggled when playing with Anna... doing household chores... or just getting through my day... 

The transition area... yeah... pretty scary...

HOWEVER, that doesn't mean that I can't do the same things the small gals can... I wear a bigger size... and I will be a bit slower... but I can still ROCK it better and faster than most... and I am dang proud of that!!!  In the past 2 years, I have completed in 2 triathlons and cycled in a 50 mile ride and a metric century. 

REALLY... You want to see ME in a XXL MEN'S WETSUIT?... I don't think so!

I'm about to share the events of October 3rd, the Mission Bay Triathlon and something that my son said bothered me.  I was looking at the event results and noted that if I had entered the "Athena" category (the big gals) that I could have made the podium.  Chris said, "Would you really want to stand up there and win an award for being a fast, fat girl?"  My answer,... "I AM a big girl and I just kicked the tar out of many of the small gals AND the men!  Why WOULDN'T I want to stand up there and receive an award for that!? 



The warm up... OF COURSE, you have to warm up before the swim... and I was feeling GREAT!

God makes us all differently and gives us different challenges.  I have two able legs and a strong heart... I might be thick in the middle, but that just makes me work harder!  Do you know why I train so hard and race?  BECAUSE... I... CAN!

Now... onto the triathlon...

The swim... yes, it was as crazy and scary as I figured my first open water swim would be..  That's me coming up for air right in the center.. you know... the one that looks like everyone else... :-)

The kids in the family on the left of the photo were asking about the different shoes... the dad was telling them that "some people change into cycling shoes, but that just takes extra time..." just as I pull RIGHT IN FRONT of them and start clicking in my cycle shoes.  All they could do was smile and cheer! ;-)  By the way, look at that guy in front of me... I beat him... ;-)

This photo was taken as I started the run... and about 15 seconds before I started cramping... I (stupidly) drank 1/2 water bottle in transition and had double cramps through my whole run... I had to WALK (speed walk) the whole thing... DARN IT!

My girlfriend, Heather... this was her finish and I think an iconic photo of the emotions that you feel when you accomplish something as AWESOME as your first race!  Pain... struggling to breathe... and the HOLY COW, I DID IT!!!  You are a ROCK STAR, Heather!  Congratulations!!!

It was a GREAT event... although I totally blew it on the run, I KICKED BUTT on the swim and TOTALLY CRANKED IT on the bike! I am already training for the next triathlon in Pasadena... in 5 months... and my coach wants me to train for my first Olympic Distance Triathlon in June of 2011... BIG GALS, HERE WE COME!!!

HANSON'S SURF SHOP... A little side story... I rented my wetsuit from Hansen's Surf Shop... an amazing store in Encinitas. It was hard to find a wetsuit that would fit me, but they had one for me. I was a bit uncomfortable picking up this LARGE wetsuit, but several of the store employees asked me what I was doing and I told them my triathlon story. The AWESOME part of the story is when I returned the wetsuit. They recognized me as "the triathlete" and wanted to know how I did. I told them about the race and a bit about myself, how I was inspired to start racing and about Jeff, who with chemo damaged feet was jealous of my triathlon and will be racing with me in Pasadena. 

OK, so I had to walk (speed walk) the whole 5K... but I was NOT going to come to the finish line like a wimp... and I SURELY WAS NOT going to let ANYONE in the finish stretch pass me up... Mr. No Shirt... DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT... you CAN'T catch me!... I finished first!

This skinny, beautiful and fit gal turned to me and said, "You are such an inspiration! I have been wanting to try a triathlon, but have been too afraid to try it. You are AWESOME and I am going to train to do it!!!" And she made me promise to tell her how I do in Pasadena.  I left the store, called Jeff and started sobbing.... happy tears. I doesn't matter what you look like, how much you weigh, or how fast you are, ANYONE can Triathlon!!! What is stopping you!?

Make it a WOOOOO HOOOOO kinda week!!! 

Graphic 45 - Trick or Treat Bag...

We (the Design Team for Graphic 45) were asked to create Trick or Treat bags using the new "Hallowe'en in Wonderland" line.  My project was featured on the Graphic 45 Blog on October 2nd, which includes more project details.  Check out my 3-D Trick or Treat design...

Happy Hallowe'en!!!

Project 365 - Battle of the Bear, "Happy 50th Jeff" and Party...

HOLY COW! Yes (Dad) I know I am 3 weeks behind in Project 365, so I am going to start with the most recent events and go back...

BATTLE OF THE BEAR... (sigh)... sooooo, OGHS didn't win the Bear, but it was a GREAT game! What a nail bitter for the crowd... lots of cheering... lots of "aughs"... and at the end of the night, OG was 8 points down in the battle. That's OK... we are going to CIF... are you, SPHS...? :-)

Now... onto the BIG SURPRISE I had for Jeff's 50th birthday... SERIOUSLY... his 50th... Battle of the Bear game... Chris' senior year... game was at home... I just HAD to do something special... so I had t-shirts made up for our family and special friends that were at the game (Battle of the Bear logo on the front and "Happy 50th Jeff" on the back)...

... I had stickers made up to hand to the crowd/Rowdy Crowd/Cheerleaders that said, "Happy 50th Jeff"...

...and I took out a 1-page ad in the football program for Jeff...

I am always at the game around 3PM on home game days to handle the Booster Membership booth and the volunteers for the snack bar, so I had plenty of time to get everything ready before Jeff showed up. Mom and Dad, Jeff's Dad, neighbors Ted and Ida and Anna all arrived at the game around 6:15PM and had to hide their shirts until the surprise was revealed to Jeff.

So, how did Jeff find out about the surprise? Our favorite Vice Principal, Mr. Alan Williams, met Jeff at the front gate wearing one of the stickers, but Jeff didn't see it. I had stickers plastered on the front gate... too big of a crowd and Jeff didn't see it. So our friend, Mindy, went out the front gate and hugged him, jumped up and down and showed him her shirt... HOLY COW was he surprised!!! I was waiting just inside the gate and told him the whole story.

Immediately people started telling Jeff, "Happy Birthday" and I knew my plan was going to work! Jeff started walking towards the stands and the game announcer (our friend, Mr. Jeff Dunn) announced that Jeff was here. The ENTIRE ROWDY CROWD (our "spirit team") was on their feet and cheering like we had just won the game... and they sang Jeff "Happy Birthday" at the top of their lungs. I was standing there and started crying... happy tears... I just couldn't believe that my special surprise had worked so beautifully... after surviving cancer, every special event becomes special in a MONUMENTAL way.

Jeff is such a wonderfully beautiful, loving and generous person, that I wanted him to feel at least a bit of the love that he shares with so many!!!

So, we lost the Bear... but it put a smile on our faces that as our Principal and VP Williams headed across the field to present the Bear to the winning team, that all our stands could see were their backs... that boldly said, "Happy 50th Jeff!!!" (TV can't write this stuff... only real life is THAT good!)

The next night was our special double birthday party... we celebrated my 40th from a few weeks ago and Jeff's 50th. Enjoy these photos of the special night... family... friends... we are soooo blessed!!!

John, Penny, Aunt Sarah, Me, Jess and Mary...

The family gals... Mary, Mom, Aunt Sarah, Me, Jess, Kyle...

Even the dogs had fun... Jess holding Abby who is getting sweet nothings in her ear from "cousin" Fielder...

Aunt Sarah, Mom, John, Dad... sooooo cute...

Yep, the food was GREAT, huh, Chris...

Jeff Dunn... my sweet 50-year-old... and my cute Dad...

It was a WONDERFUL weekend... we didn't win the Bear, but we had lots of reasons to celebrate none the less!  Make it a GREAT day!!!

HAPPY 50TH JEFF... shhhhh...and GET THAT BEAR, PATRIOTS!

It is appropriate that the last post here on my blog (because I am so far behind) is from my birthday just a few weeks ago. Jeff and I shared 17 days of wonderful bliss, together, in our 40's... and now, today, JEFF IS 50!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEET HUSBAND.

Yes, I have a lot to say and to share on this wonderful and special day, but it is a surprise, so I can't post it here... today... Jeff might be watching...

Also, I would be remiss in my motherly duties if I did not say, GO OGHS!!! BEAT SP AND BRING BACK THE BEAR!!! "The Battle of the Bear" is a long time, cross town rivalry that will be played tonight at our home stadium! It sure is going to be a GREAT night! GOOD LUCK, PATRIOTS!!!

Gotta run... lots of last minute details to pull together!!!