Our place looks like a bomb went off. We’re in the frenzy of packing. Eric is doing a really, really good job of managing it all since I am working until the day we leave. We can’t afford a lapse in health insurance. This weekend we spent time with very dear friends at Lake James in Northern Indiana. We ate like kings–everything fresh and off the grill, and sat around resting. It was marvelous–but sad. Our friends will return to St. Louis in the fall, then somewhere in the Midwest, they hope, in the Spring. We’ll miss them dearly.
Our evenings have been full of last time visits to favorite St. Louis eateries with our favorite St. Louis friends. It too is sad. Change is difficult. We are getting tired. Generally, I go straight from work to the dinner/friend visits. So I hardly have a moment to myself or with Eric. The kitties attack me each night begging for pets. I think they are a little concerned at the amount of boxes in the apartment. They inspect each box with intensity, so I know we’re safe.
Next week, we’ll have a brief rest in Tulsa, with scheduled massages–yay, and a LASIK touch-up for me. Then, we are off to my college roommates’ wedding in Waco next weekend. A visit to UBC our old stomping grounds and a return to Tulsa to retrieve our kitties from their grandmama. Then we head West. We hope to be in California by Tuesday night, June 10. We look forward to the opportunity, but the planning, packing, and saying goodbyes are difficult too.
St. Louis treated us well. We’ve made some fantastic friends that we know we’ll keep in touch with forever. We’re even already luring them out with the promise of a place to stay, and tour guides through Napa. So we’re not saying goodbye, but instead until we see you again.
Peace,
Katy
Eric spoke at the pasta party–pre-race. He mentioned how because of Team in Training, he is able to be on medication that keeps him alive. Everyone was teary-eyed including him. My mom and dad were in Memphis all weekend cheering me on. It was fun to spend some time with them, even though I was slightly nervy until the race started.
Race day started bright and early with a 3:15am wake-up call. We met in the lobby at 3:45. Got to the park, and off-loaded our bikes and got the tires pumped up and pedals put on.
3:32:32. My goal was 3:30 and I was well on my way to getting there but had a difficult 2nd half of the run. The heat got to me–and I have a pretty nasty sunburn. I did apply sunscreen, but not frequently enough.
Here’s me at the finish line, trying to run without puking. Crazy that despite that, I am already ready to sign up for another race and trying to figure out how to increase my times!
Here’s me before the swim. I didn’t realize I would get a little motion-sick in the water. And the swimming portion is definitely a full-contact sport. Lots of people got kicked in the face, swam over and what-not. Who knew?!?!
Here’s me zooming in on the bike. I rode it in over 16mph, which is 2mph faster than my 15.5 mile race 3 weeks ago!! I got to say hydrating on the ride certainly helps!
Thanks again for all the well-wishes and support.
Peace,
Katy
The apartment across the street got broken into today. Eric said that the police actually came over and knocked on our door to see if we’d seen anything. It was that freaking close. I’ve seen so many posts on the blog’o sphere about people’s home being broken into. Why do people do this?
There are no childhood videos of my hubby because his house was broken into when he was a kid and they took the video camera with the tape in it. When we lived in Waco, my $50 or so Tarjay bike was stolen off of the front porch–the left the lock. I’d honestly have given it to anyone with need. But the fact that someone took it made me feel awful. Violated. I hope this stealing spree ends soon.
Peace,
Katy ^_^
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Thanks to everyone for considering signing up for the Registry. It only takes a few minutes to sign up but the reward it worth it. One of my favorite phase is “To the world you may be one person but to one person you may be the world!” The Bone Marrow Registry “Thanks Mom” campaign kicks off this week. Below are two links to the bone marrow registry website to find locations to sign up or to sign up online.
During the Thanks Mom awareness and recruitment campaign (May 5 – 19, 2008), costs to join the Registry are covered by our generous partners and contributors–for the first 46,000 who join (36,000 at marrow drives).
All you need to do is:
Complete a registration form with contact information, health history questions and a signed agreement to join the NMDP Registry. To help you complete the form, bring along:
Personal identification (such as a driver’s license or passport)
Contact information for two family members or friends who would know how to reach you in the future if your address changes.
Give either a swab of cheek cells or a blood sample so your tissue type can be tested.
That’s it! Your tissue type is then added to the NMDP Registry. Doctors search our Registry when they need to find a donor for their patients.
Join the registry via e-mail:
http://www.marrow.org/HELP/Join_the_Donor_Registry/index.html
Find a site in your area
http://www.marrow.org/HELP/Join_the_Donor_Registry/Join_in_Person/index.html
Please don’t delay and sign up today! Please don’t hesitate to pass this on to anyone and everyone. Let’s make sure that those 46,000 slots get filled.
I’m getting swabbed at an event on Saturday–I’ll give a post-swab update afterwards!
Peace,
Katy ^_^
Happy May 5. I can’t believe it is already the 5th, that means less than 2 weeks until the big tri! I’m feeling the tug to do two a day workouts. I still haven’t decided for today–I may go swimming later. We did a time trial at the pool yesterday–if I can maintain the pace in open water that I had in the pool, the swim with take 33 minutes! Considering I couldn’t swim when I started this whole thing, I’m completely flabbergasted that I swim that fast now! The coaches have certainly worked their magic. I did swim in the lake on Saturday, but it was choppy and cold, so we went a bit shorter distance than we originally planned. It was in the 50s or 60s and the water was just about the same temp. I am learning to love my wetsuit!!
We find out if Eric is the speaker at the pasta party this week. Also, I made it $1000 over my fundraising minimum. Holy moly!! You can still donate if you want, everything at this point goes straight to the society!!
There are so many projects I want to start on and books to read, but I feel like everything is on hold with the tri and move. So sorry if the blog is a bit dull with my tri reports. I am definitely more nervous about this event–mainly the bike–than I was about the marathon. Who knows if I’ll ever do a century ride. A TnTism is the triple crown. You have to complete a tri, half or full marathon, and century ride to complete the “triple crown”. We’ll see what happens. 
Apparently where we are headed in California is a huge biking community so I plan on getting over this unmerited biking fear. I’ve fallen so many times with my clips now it doesn’t even phase me, so I’m not sure what is causing the fear.
Peace,
Katy ^_^
Sorry for the sparse posting. I did the tri! I even ran the entire 5 miles at the end and despite crazy wind, not hydrating on the bike and massive hills, I only fell over once and had to only walk up three inclines. I have a lake swim (race distance 1500m or more) tomorrow and am planning a long ride (22-35) miles Sunday.
So I have two cats. Two cats that have become my children–I am totally “one of those people”. I love my cats because whenever they choose to sit in my lap for a scratch, I know they really want to be there.
We’re a little disappointed with our Scotch right now. He has the smelliest number two’s ever. We’ve told him again and again, if you do it, you have to light a match afterwards. But he doesn’t even try. Probably a good thing with his track record with candles. His tail hair has been trimmed because it hovered a little too close.
Sake is so darn cute because she will start purring if you look at her. It has almost become a game to see if you can catch her not purring. We’ve been unsuccessful so far.
Scotch has the habit of “crying” his little pathetic meow when we turn off the tv or sneeze. You don’t believe me? Watch this.
Anywho, where I’m really going with this is, have you ever seen a cat smell something stinky? Generally a dirty sock or similar item? They smell it, then they raise their head with a half-open mouth. Total disgust is on their face. It is so absurd, but at the same time you start to feel bad that you smell that gross. You almost want to apologize. Then you realize it is a cat. As Eric likes to say, they lick their own butts and should be treated accordingly.
I’m still a cat lover. They are too quirky, loving, faithful, and down-right funny!
Peace,
Katy ^_^