Myrtle Beach Pictures!

Here are some of my favorite Myrtle Beach Weekend pictures! Enjoy!

Rowen chillin' with his daddy!

Wonder-Twin Powers Activate! Form of Greek Statues!

Medals Galore!

Rowen "mid-shiver" in the tub...

"Save Me!! I am being engulfed by a blue bear...."

Uncle Jim, Rowen and Aunt Holly!

I'm Rowen... How ya doing?!

Heather pre-test the teething ring....

Grandpa and Rowen....

Grandpa, Aunt Cathy, Rowen & Mommy (Heather)
[oh and the lobster teether....]

Aunt Cathy and Rowen

"Look over there, it's Jim ...."

Rowen and Aunt Holly

Checking In...

So yesterday I had time for a quick workout - just about 35 minutes before I had to brave traffic to get to the other side of the Beltway for my 6PM hair appointment. (Love It! Thanks Keri!!) So I went for a nice easy treadmill run. The previous weekend's boost of miles (16) and a sore quad on Tuesday night's Spin Class had me more interested in logging 30 minutes of cardio rather than focusing on any kind of tempo run.

I did run intervals of 2-3 minutes at a time at a pace that fell between 11:15 - 11:30 minute miles. For the last 5 minutes of the workout, I upped the ante a little and pushed it to 1/1 intervals with a 10:00 minute mile pace. So the workout ended up being 35 minutes and 2.65 miles of run/walk interval work.

Nothing hurt, I didn't fall off the treadmill and there is no soreness today. Looks like my body has had enough recovery for this week. Now it is time to get back to work - Next BIG RACE - Eagleman 70.3 Ironman - June 10, 2006.

If you take a look at my race calendar, it does look like I have *alot* going on but in reality, every one of the events you see is simply a glorified *training day* in prep for Eagleman. Sometimes it is more fun to *train* with others and get a t-shirt while you at it!

In that vain, I have added another event to my calendar: the Wilderness Road Ride which is part of the Mountains Of Misery Weekend.

I plan to ride the 78-mile option on Saturday, leaving the Mountains of Misery Century (100 miles) with 10,000 feet of climbing, to my boyfriend Jim. While he rides MoM for a second year, I will do multiple laps on the little dirt track that I found last year (as a long run) and then head up to the finish line with my cowbell in hand. 78 miles and a long run are plenty when Eagleman is just 2 weeks out. Every mile is "money in the training bank" as Linae would say.

Besides, I don't want to wear myself out *before* I get the to start line of Eagleman because Nancy will be *HOT* on my heels at that race and I plan to *keep her in my sights* when and if she passes me. Nothing like having a good friend on the course to keep you moving....

Picture from last weekends trip and a preview of the new *hair do* will be posted this weekend! Until then .. you know what to do! Keep Living STRONG!

Myrtle Beach Weekend!

This past weekend Jim and I drove down to Myrtle Beach for what has become the "Annual *G* Family Myrtle Beach Half Marathon Weekend!"

This was the 3rd year that Heather and I have finished the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon together and it seems like every year we do just a little bit more!! I guess the race director is going to have to come up with some more events to keep us busy because I don't see this tradition ending anytime soon!

In 2005: Heather, Cathy and I ran the Half Marathon...in 2006: Heather and I walked the Half Marathon (she was expecting, I was in chemo) and Jim rode the Metric Century Bike Ride on Sunday...so for 2007 we decided to do more.

This year the plan was as follows:
Friday: RNC Myrtle Beach 5K - Heather and Holly
Saturday - MB Half Marathon - Heather and Holly
Sunday - MB Bike Rides - Holly & Jim

Add to this event packed weekend the addition of my nephew Rowen, the visit of my Dad (now to be referred to as Grandpa!) and the relocation of my sister Cathy to the Myrtle Beach area and you have a very full household for the weekend!

Heather and Rich (her Sweetie and Rowen's Daddy) were the best hosts, as usual. And when we were not running around, we all enjoyed plenty of downtime just being together! Nothing beats family!!

So how did the actual races go? For once, I am going to be brief in my race reports ... I could devote a post a day to each event but I'd rather save the space and post pictures (once I have them downloaded) so you are getting *hightlight* race reports this time around! Pictures will follow throughout this coming weekend!

Friday: RNC Myrtle Beach 5K - 34:28

Heather, Cathy & Holly - Sisters!!

GOAL: 30 minute 5K or at least a faster 5K than 2006

RESULT: While there was no sub-30 5K, I ran a full 2 minutes faster than my fastest 5K last year ... that is a *BIG* pace increase over a short distance and tells me that with some speed work and Heather by my side, a sub-30 5K will happen in 2007!

HIGHLIGHTS: Cold Twightlight Run (35 F) with Heather talking for the entire 34 minutes (to help distract me from thinking "We are running too fast!") and Cathy cheering us on from the sidelines. We saw her twice ... that is alot in a short races that loops itself! I think we waited in the bathroom line pre-race for longer than it took us to race 5K ...Okay, maybe not but it felt that long!

Saturday: Myrtle Beach Half Marathon - 3:00:51 **

**I don't have an official finishing time because I was register for the full marathon distance (I missed the Half Marathon registration cutoff) but I crossed the finish line hand in hand with Heather.

Heather & Holly - Finishers!

GOAL: Have FUN and FINSH together!

RESULT: Goal accomplished but not before I had a big BONK! "Coach Heather" was a ROCK_STAR and got me through my BONK and onto the finish line...

HIGHLIGHTS: Cold, COLD START - 19 F, the temp never got above 30... The first 5 miles were GREAT and felt EFFORTLESS ... then the speed from the night before caught up to my quads and my pace slowed from a RUN to a JOG to a SHUFFLE. At around mile 9, "Coach Heather" confiscated my watch - that was a good thing! Then around mile 11, I disolved in to tears and frantic protests of "Go on Without Me!!" Heather never left my side, let me cry a bit and waited for me to realize that I was "BONKING". Once I realized this, I was able to pull it together, refocus and enjoy the finish!! Our whole family (Rich, Rowen, Cathy, Grandpa and Jim) met us at the finish line!!!!

Sunday: Michelob Ultra Bike Rides - 10 mile Ride - 57:00 ** my speedometer said I rode 12 miles...

GOAL: None for me, just move some lactic acid out of the legs and have fun! Jim was going for the 30 mile option with the front pack.

RESULT: I had a nice easy ride, styaed in my comfort zone. I rode the 10 mile option with my only goal being to get back within an hour of starting. Truth is that I couldn't even walk down the stairs without pain so I had no idea how cycling would feel. It made my legs feel better, different muscle groups!

Jim had planned to ride the 30 mile option but with lots of recent travel for work, he has not had much time out on the road on the bike. After picking up the lead pace line, he made the mistake of hanging off the back for a moment too long and when he looked up, they were gone. Jim, not one to be easily dropped, went anaerobic, pushing 25+ MPH to catch the tail end of the pace line. At the first incline, he slipped a gear and watch the pack move away. At that point, he decided to turn it around and call it a day with 10 miles under his belt.

HIGHLIGHTS: Much better weather this time around (Sunny, low-40s at 7:30AM start). The best part of this ride was actually "post-ride" watching my sister Heather take her first spin on a bike in 8 years! I put her on my bike so that we could get some measurements ... hehehe ... my sister wants to try a TRI later this season!!!! Oh and of course being met at the finish line by Heather, Rowen and Grandpa (Dad to me...) - or should I call him "NINJA Rowen"...

Ninja Rowen ...

Rowen and Holly showing off their wheels!

Heather, beginner Triathlete in Training!

****ALL IN ALL THE WEEKEND ROCKED! ***** I got some good training in, proved I could still hold a running pace faster than 11:30 minute miles and as usual, had lots of fun and good times with my sister's Heather and Cathy and with my Dad, Jim, Rich and Rowen. The only think missing was my Mom ... but she is saving her time off for a longer vacation later in the year. We missed you Mommy/Grandma!!

Uncle Jim, Rowen & Aunt Holly!

More pictures and some video to follow!! Hope you all had a good weekend yourselves!! Live STRONG!

The day I started all over again....

Maybe Tonight, Maybe Tomorrow
by WideAwake

I heard the news today. It came out of nowhere.
I wish I could run away,
but where would I go?
Is this my destiny? Something so unfair... What will become of me?
God only knows.

And they say the road to heaven might lead us back through hell.
Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, we will win this fight and bury this sorrow.
We're so alive, still holding on, not ready to die, so we LIVESTRONG.

My pride is left for dead, as my world gets shaken.
The thoughts inside my head are so hard to control.
I am staring down the unknown, but one thing is certain.
You could break my body, but you will never break my soul.

And they say the road to heaven might leads us back through hell, but we're holding on for more
than stories to tell.

Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, we will win this fight and bury this sorrow.
We're so alive, still holding on, not ready to die, so we LIVESTRONG.

Listen to the song and buy it from iTunes here!)

February 14, 2005 - I was sitting at my computer at work when my phone rang. The news I got on that day changed me forever... I'd like to think, for the better.

On Valentine's Day 2005, I was diagnosed with Nodular Metastic Melanoma. It would take 6 weeks and surgery before I would find out that the cancer had already spead to a lymph node. It would be another 6 weeks until I had a second surgery and was determined to have "No [further] Evidence of Disease" (aka N-E-D). I started 52 weeks of chemotherapy just 2 weeks after my second surgery.

Just one phone call ... and my life changed forever.

So today it is has been two years since my diagnosis and there is no doubt in my mind that I am one of the lucky ones. Will I continue to be lucky? Only time will tell... The reality of my diagnosis shows that at my stage (Stage IIIA), I have a 50% change of surviving 5 years. "Flip-o-the coin" odds, as they say. My chance of recurrance is highest now, in the first 32 months. So naturally reaching my 2 and 3-year "No Evidence of Disease" anniversaries (May 2007 & May 2008) will be a reason to celebrate.

But as anybody with any melanoma experience will tell you, nothing about Melanoma is predictable. Hey, let me broaden that statement and say that Nothing about Cancer is predictable!! There is no rhyme or reason why some folks survive and others do not. Your odds are greater, the sooner you are diagnosed - That is the truth regardless of the diagnosis.

So do yourself a favor, take a moment and call you Doctor and make that annual physical you have been putting off. Prevention and Early Detection are your best chances at a long and healthy life.

As for me, I am proud and happy today to be able to say that I am officially a 2-year Cancer Survivor. I have been given a second chance at life and I will live my life to the fullest for how ever long that may be. Of course being the optimist that I am, I expect that to be a good 40-50 additional years.

My name is Holly, I am a 2-year Malignant Melanoma Survivor and I live STRONG!

Got One Dollar in your pocket?

I have a suggestion how you can spend that dollar.

Go on over to Sarah Gordan's webisite and Be A Voice!


Sarah is a 25-year-old young adult cancer survivor who needs your voice. Well, your voice and your dollar! She is running the Paris Marathon on April 15, 2007 in support of the 70,000 young adults who will receive a cancer diagnosis in 2007.

Through $1 donations, her goal is to raise $70,000 before the start of the Marathon. Your $1 donation will represent 1 of the 70,000 young adults that will be diagnosed in 2007.

At the start of the marathon she hopes to have 70,000 voices alongside her. The $70,000 she raises will benefit the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. The Ulman Cancer Fund stands at the forefront of young adult cancer advocacy.

Now for those of you who want to be quick about it, you can make a donation online. Now if you do that please be sure that you still visit www.unmarathon.org to download the printable card, “MY VOICE.” and mail it to Sarah so she can bring your voice with her on marathon day.

Added Bonus: Each individual that contributes a $1 donation will receive a bumper sticker (I’M A VOICE).

BE A VOICE - Live STRONG!

Who said you could leave?

Anybody who says cats are stupid has not met my cats. They are SMART! Einstien-cat smart!

Jim is out of town for a few days for work. So it is just me and the kittens, Wallace and Grommette. So the morning routine is a little off, one less human around. So what makes me think my cats are so smart?

This morning, after the cats had been fed and I had finished my shower. Wallace stood at the shower in the master bathroom (where Jim typically takes his shower) and meowed and meowed and meowed. I opened the shower door and let him in, to explore. He walked around the shower, looked up at the showerhead, looked me straight in the eye and siad "ME-ooo_MOW."

I believe that was the bengal cat equivalent of: "Where is my other human?"

These cats are smart, damn smart!

Happy Monday to you all! Live STRONG!

New Tshirt - Great Attitude...

Okay folks, I thought I *loved* my LiveSTRONG collection of T-shirts BUT then I found this today and bought it right away!



Where did I find this *GEM* of a Melanoma Survivor shirt?

At OPERATION SUN SHIELD, a website started by fellow MPIP member and Melanoma Survivor Jane Caddell!!

Way to put the word out there on Skin Cancer awareness, Jane, along with a great tshirt too! Way to Live STRONG!

Have a good weekend everybody! Keep Living STRONG!

Our Workout/Game Room: Before and After

Since I moved in almost 18 months ago, our basement/workout/game room has been sadly mis-used as a storage area. Our goal has always been to have the room as a place to workout in the winter on our bike trainers, entertain friends with "game nights get-togethers" and have a place to work on our various projects. (Holly-Crafty Stuff & Jim - Bike Maintenance/Car/Motorcycle Stuff) The opportunity to paint came along when our largest obstacle, a sofa bed, was donated and taken away by the Salvation Army two weeks ago. Seeing an opportunity, we seized the moment and cleared everything out...the first goal - PAINT THE ROOM!!

As you will see, we don't do anything simply. We wanted the room to be brighter and more lively. Having watched too many "Trading Spaces", I felt that multiple colors and stripes would really break up the room and play up the beam in the middle of the room. Jim, as usual, was up for the challenge.

We are thrilled to say that what we saw in our minds eye and on small paint swatch cards was a stunning success and we are definitely satisfied with the results. The colors, in case you are interested are: Jonquil Yellow, Icebreaker Grey, and Coat of Arms Purple - all Glidden colors with a satin finish.

Now we just have to slowly add stuff back to the room. Eventually there will be flat panel T.V. over the fireplace to replace the "Lance Armstrong/NIKE Ad poster" (which will then move to another wall in the room). The T.V. will serve as our "on the bike entertainment" for those long winter days when it is too cold to be outside. That will come in very handy in the next year as Ironman USA 2008 training approaches. Until then, Lance stays as our primary motivation.

It was hard work painting and we won't be that ambitious again, we agreed we will pay somebody else to do it in half the time it took us. Still it is good to know that we have the skills to do something this ambitious!!

BEFORE:

Lots of stuff - white walls (Lance Poster)

Still more white walls...

Wallace helping Holly tape...

Wallace and Grommette - keeping "safe"...

AFTER:

Grommette is feeling "lucky"!!

Wallace showing why possession is 9/10ths of the law...

Already the room is looking so much better!

We carried the color scheme through to the windows too..

Lance in his rightful place, front and center on the wall...

"This is my body. And I can do whatever I want to it. I can push it. Study it. Tweak it. Listen to it. Everybody wants to know what I am on. What am I on? I am on my bike busting my ass six hours a day. What are you on?
-Lance Armstrong, NIKE AD

Run Sister Run!

Heather, at the 2005 Army 10 Miler, making it look easy...

My sister Heather is running her first road race since she gave birth to my beautiful nephew Rowen. She is doing the Surfside 10K. Now I ask you, how appropriate is it that somebody who *loves* to surf and run would return to running at a race called Surfside? Yeah, I know .. the race being in Myrtle Beach, SC along the coast could have more to do with the race name but I choose to beleive that it is running karma at it's best!

Run Sister Run!! Have a great time!
----------
So the painting is almost done! Tonight we do some trim work and then I will post some pictures. It really does look pretty darn good. Jim and I would ROCK on a show like Trading Spaces!

Today is a "REST DAY" on the workout schedule. Good thing too, cause between work, working out and the house painting - I am one tired gal! Even so, I managed to kick some but and get a good swim in this week of 1400 yards along with a Spin Class and a short run. This weekend will be all about a long bike and a long easy run with some more house cleaning tossed in the mix for variety.

There are some other big things going on right now but I am not ready to "spill the beans just yet" on what I have going on. Let just say that is has to do with Cancer, being a Survivor and making a Difference .... I'll elaborate soon enough! You have my word...

Hey, enjoy the weekend, Live STRONG and if you have a moment, send my Sister some good vibes for her post-partum 10K!

RUN SISTER RUN! Live STRONG !!

And still the painting continues....

It will be a *LONG TIME* before Jim and I decide to paint any other rooms in our home. We are enjoying the outcome of our work in the "basement/game room" but it has taken a long time to get this far. Of course we could have painted the room *ONE COLOR* and been done with it on Sunday but we really wanted to try this 3-color scheme and with just one coat of the final color and trim left to do, we are satisfied with the results so far.

There is something to be said for saving up the money to have somebody else paint while your at work, though. And I have already started putting money in the jar for painting the master bedroom (with it's cathedral ceiling).

Now Wallace and Grommette have not been nearly as much trouble as we anticipated. They love to come down and watch up paint but so far there has been no paint tracked onto any of the carpets and we have only had to clean paint off of the tip of one tail. For that we are *very thankfull*!

So what does the room look like? Well the ceiling is "Melted Butter" (light yellow) and the walls are "Jonquil" (another slightly darker yellow) with an "Ice Storm" (grey) 10" stripe about 2/3 of the way down with the final 1/3 of the wall painted "Coat of Arms" purple. Having a graphic design degree and some knowledge of the color wheel, I can assure you that not only are these colors the same tone but they are complimentary colors meaning that they do go together.

The theory behind the lighter yellow on the ceiling? Well we read that if you are going to paint your ceiling a color - which is supposed to make a room appear bigger - then you should go with a shade that is very slightly a shade lighter than the wall. Thus creating the illusion of light and making the ceiling seem higher. Hey , sounded good to us so we figured we would give it a try. The great thing about painting is that if you don't like it, you can go buy a can of primer and start all over again.

Of course once we have finished painting we still have to put everything back in the room and decide where it is going to go and what else we are going to do to the room. The ultimate goal is to put a flat-screen tv over the fireplace (yep we have a fireplace in the basement) and set up the bikes on the trainer and *TAADAA* we have our own private spinning studio for the remainder of the winter. Where the cold winds of winter never reach us and where it is always bright and sunny (thanks to the "Jonquil" colored walls.

Good or bad, (well honestly maybe not if it ends up bad...) I will post pictures of "before and after" later this weekend when we finish.

Live STRONG!

Wallace and Grommette - 9 months old!

Wallace now weighs in at a wopping 13 pounds and and when standing upright is as tall as the kitchen table. He can put his paws on the edge of the kitchen counter (36 inches from the floor) to see what kind of cat food can Jim is opening. Grommette weighs in at just shy of 11 pounds and is not nearly as tall but what she lacks in length, she makes up for in aerobatic prowress.

It is hard to beleive that they still have about 6-8 months before they reach their full adult weight and length! They are both serious laps cats and Wallace talks to us constantly .. in cat speak of course. They are thriving and happy and have us wrapped around their tails. (Hey what more can I say... they don't have "little fingers..."!!)

We *love* new toys...

I'm *too sexy* for this rug ...

I can't *quite* reach...

"Do a little dance ... Get down tonight!"

"Thpttptpppt...."

"Clean and Sparkle-eee"

What are *YOU* looking at?

So Sleepy...

Happiness is my owners lap
(editor's note: this picture was altered to maintain Grommette's modesty)

Synchronized Swimming in Triathlon?

PHOTO CREDIT: Rick Rickman Photography

One of my Blogger friends, Dianne, was sharing her youngest son's adventures in swim class and it brought back a flood of memories for me and made me question my seeming adversion to going to the pool to do the work necessary for the swimming portion of triathlons.

I was thinking about how much I have always LOVED water... I was constantly in and out of the ocean at the beach in the summer. I know I caused my Mom at least a dozen tiny heart attacks everytime I would venture far beyond the "no higher than your waist" limit when I was barely seven.

I took swim lessons at every girl scout camp that I went to and I went to ALOT of camps. (My parents were in their late 20s and camp is a great place to send your little girl when you both have to work full time jobs to make ends meet!) My parents were very good about making sure that I knew how to swim, float, tread water and I even learned some water rescue techniques thanks to summer camp.

Then as a teenager, I was very lucky to get to spend a few weeks every summer at my grandparent's place in Deland, Florida (just out side of Orlando/Daytona) and the only places I was ever found were:

1. The Pool
2. On my grandma's 3-speed bike tooling around the neighborhood
3. In front of the TV
4. At the table eating a snack or a meal

**the only exception were the trips to Disney, Sea World, Cypress Gardens and other places that we'd visit.

My daily routine most summer days was: "Breakfast - Bike - Pool - Lunch - TV (must wait 1/2 hour after eating) - Pool - Snack - Pool - Dinner - TV - Shower - Sleep."

In all that time in the pool, I don't think I ever "swam laps"....EVER!

I LOVED diving and pretending I was an olympic synchonized swimmer and swimming underwater for as far as I could but whenever my uncle (only 5 years older than me) or my Grandpa would challenge me to a "race" to the other side of the pool, I would race them but I was never really very interested because I always lost the race...

Funny how much I could love the water but I had very little interest in swimming beyond it's ability to get me back to the diving board, out to the raft, or to wherever my friends were....

So I have been trying to find my inner child to motivate me to do my swim workouts because the truth is, whenever I finally get in the pool, my first thought is always... "Why do I avoid this ??? I love being in the water!!"

But then the laps start...at least now, thanks in large part to my friend Keri, I can spend some time practicing flip turns which are fun!

So I was thinking ...Why can't I "synchronize swim" my way to the out bouys and back at Eagleman Ironman 70.3? How is it different from "drafting" in the swim, which is legal in the swim portion of a triathlon.

Anybody ever synchronize swim" the Choptank, Nancy?

Something to consider while I drag my feet to the pool after work twice a week (when it really should be 3 times...)

Live STRONG!

First Snow of the Winter

So around 1pm yesterday afternoon, the first snow of the winter season here in the North VA Metro area began to fall. We ended up with about two inches of the white stuff in my neighborhood before the sleet began to fall and covered everything with a nice layer of ice. ICE - it's Mother Nature's version of laminent.

I know the reason the snow came....it is simply because Jim and I took some Christmas Gift cash and went to Home Depot and bought ourselves a beautful shiny new grill, that is now living in the dining room because we didn't finish assembling it until *after* the snow had already started.

Did you know that stainless steel reflects kitten paw prints perfectly?
Oh yes it does!!

And why did the kittens walk all over the new grill? Well of course in protest of all the havock we are creating in the basement/family room. After over a year, we have finally gotten to the *basement part* of combining the household. The Salvation Army came and took the old sofa couch and we have actually decided on some paint colors for the walls and work is moving forward on our "game room/workout room" project. We have some pretty grand painting ambitions which include accent colors and some stripes which will require a laser level, lots of blue painters tape and a weekend's worth of dedicated painting time.

Jim is very open-minded when it comes to some of my more creative "interior painting schemes" and we tend to like the same colors and architectual styles so it's fun when we finally have the time to focus on house stuff. Right now we are doing just one section of the wall to verify that the colors and pattern work as we imagined. Next weekend is going to be the "Weekend of Paint" and I am very excited!

My only real concern is the kittens. Yesterday afternoon I painted the base layer of our "test" area. Wallace and Grommette, being the very social kittens that they are, tend to hang out where ever the human's are. They were having a ball racing throught the basement (linolium floors) knocking their plastic curly-cue toys all over the room. Only once did they come near the paint tray and seemed unimpressed. However, I know better...I am imagining little "jonquil" (light yellow with a touch of gold) colored paw prints all over my carpeted stairs next weekend. Anybody interested in an "in-house" kitten sitting gig next weekend? If we lock the kittens into a room upstairs, our neighbors are sure to call the ASPCA because Wallace (my talker) will be howelling so pathetically that they will be convinced we are beating him to death.

Heck, Wallace *talks* to himself even when he has the full run of the house. Last night for example, Jim and I were sitting in the living room, reading and Grommette came pouncing up the stairs to the kitchen, probably to get a snack from the food bowl. In only a minute from the time we saw Grommette come up the stairs, we began to hear the most pitiful series of meows, mews, "waa-ooohs" and chirps. Jim and I just sat quietly listening, not saying anything and watched as Grommette bounded down the stairs back to the basement - We imagine Wallace must have finally seen her when we heard a strange high pitched- "Me-Yurp!!" that made us both laugh out loud. We are sure that was Grommette saying "WHAT!!!!!!"

:) Wallace and Grommette make life a little brighter!

Have a good week! Live STRONG!

One of a kind BABY!

While both names you entered were found in our database, neither was common enough to make it likely that someone in the U.S. has that name.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

One of a kind and Living STRONG!

(and my butt has not hurt ONCE today!! Whoohooo!!!)

Always ready to support a good cause ...

Saving Babies, Together....

Every year, half a million babies in the U.S. are born prematurely. Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death and many life long disabilities. The funds raised in WalkAmerica support research that saves babies' lives.



In April, my younger sister Heather and my darling nephew Rowen are walking (well truth be told, Rowen will be in a jog stroller) and raising money for the March of Dimes Foundation. Their fundraising goal is $250.00. Why not consider a donation, if you have an extra $10.00 available?

You can make a donation on their personal webpage HERE. Thanks for your support!

--------

The "BUTT" pain continues ... but has been identified as Piriformis Syndrome (AKA - A Pain in the Butt) so I have cut way back on my cycling and swimming and have not run in over 8 days. I am also stretching gently ALOT, specific stretches for this injury.

So far, so good ... in the last 24 hours since I started the specific stretches my pain has been cut in HALF! No kidding! I am hoping that this weekend I can go out and try an EASY ONE MILE run once I get a new pair of my running shoes of choice (Brooks Adrenaline GTS 6), which are NOW on the "Endangered Shoe" List!!

UGH! Couldn't they leave a shoe design alone for more than a year??? I guess I will have to go buy a few more pair before they are all gone.

Life is never dull ....in fact it is pretty good!! Live STRONG!

Because I was asked ...

You may laugh but these are the top 5 songs that get played the most on my iPod Nano which is used exclusively for running. This list might bring back some high school memories for some of you (Flatman, my brotha!!, Ms. Melanie!)

In descending order for how much the song can motivate me to run faster...

5. London Bridge by Fergie
4. Push It by Salt-n-Peppa
3. Add it Up by Violent Femmes
2. It Takes Two by Rob Base & DJ E-z Rock
1. Right Now by Van Halen
(w/ Sammy Hagar)

:) oh and Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot when the skinny chicks on the trail are making me feel fat ....

I have yet to try to run to my classic "Doing the Butt" (SEXY SEXY!!). It's not on my iPod, yet...

Live STRONG!

If I had a million dollors....

I'd be rich and I would buy myself one of these .....



Flatman my Blogger Brother and fellow "late 80-early 90s HIP-HOP loving" partner in musical crime is the reason I was found this bit o' bling.

But alas, I am but a humble graphic designer working for the Federal Goverment. But you know if I won the lottery .... I would have an 18K gold LiveSTRONG 10/2/96 band on my left wrist!

In other news ... my left butt muscle is still sore and mad at me. I am giving it a rest today. Funny ... it doesn't hurt at all when I ride my bike at an EASY pace... (like I did in the gym last night) only when I walk. Must be a "run-related" injury. All hail IBUPROPHIN ...

It's okay to take a rest day to recover, I have plenty to do. I am BUSY trying to get my LiveSTRONG Summit idea up and *running* ... a little hint of things to come is on the side bar over there .... but the website won't be up until this weekend.

BUSY BUSY and Living STRONG!

D'OH!!! Don't wait until the last minute....

So I have known that I was planning to do the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon *SINCE LAST YEAR* when the 2006 race ended. You think I would have found time to register?

So today I go to register only to find out the the Half Marathon is already SOLD OUT! ARG!!!

So what is a girl to do? Well spend another $10.00 and register for the Marathon, of course. Now I don't know if I will run the whole distance but I wouldn't rule it out ... I guess I will see how I feel at the half marathon mark when my Sisters are getting ready to head to the finish line.

Heather and I are also going to do the Myrtle Beach 5K that happens the Friday evening *before* the Half Marathon because we thought it might be fun to do both this year. I wonder how much *fun* we will think it is at Mile 10 on Saturday?

So, after I found that I almost completely missed out on getting into Myrtle Beach, I rushed right over to the Cooper River Bridge 10K site and registered. While I was there I bought this great race souvenir t-shirt. I LOVE IT! It says:

LONGER - HIGHER - TOUGHER : GET OVER IT!



Did I mention that my left gluteous maximous is still a little sore? Hopefully all will be better in time for tomorrow nights Spin class....

Life is GOOD !! Live STRONG!

Great Way to Start 2007!!

Ooooh ... I am on a roll! First of all .... I got in the pool on Thursday and logged 1200 yards in the 30 minutes I had available to me before I ventured into traffic for my hair appointment. And I didn't feel like I was going to fall asleep at the wheel afterwords. Hehehehe.... Happy, Happy, Happy Holly.

This weekend Jim and I took advantage of the BEAUTIFUL 70 degree weather to get to the local bike club's regular Saturday Winter Ride that starts just 2 miles from our house. I ended up doing 37.5 mile on the bike at a very modest (a.k.a. slow) pace of 12 MPH. I had company the entire ride from an older woman named Cathy. We had a good time together. The course was rolling with two big climbs and it was the nice weather that fooled me into doing the 34 mile option when my initial plan was to do the 28 mile option. Hey at least I didn't try for the 38 mile option which had 2 additional hills. I do still recognize that you have to ease back into the big miles. Even so, I payed for that decision to ride an extra 6 miles on the bike today.

Today's workout called for a long run of 6 miles and I knew it was going to hurt a little after such a long ride yesterday but I didn't expect to be *whining* about my butt after the run. All was good right up until the final mile when I started to feel my left butt/hip muscle tighten and cramp a bit. So I did the smart thing (I thought) and walked most of the last mile. Even with a long bit a stretching and some Ibuprofen, I still find myself hobbling up and down my stairs. Looks like tonight will be spent in the tub for a long soak with a good book followed by a generous dose of BenGay. Good think tomorrow is a scheduled "REST DAY" cause I need it.

My biggest drama for today was the seeming *failure* of my newest running TOY. Jim gave me a (Product)RED iPod Nano to replace my dying iPod Mini and a Nike+ kit for Christmas. Along with a cool little shoe adapter from my sister Cathy, I thought I was good to go with the Nano and the Nike+ receiver for my workout today. I almost cried when my Nano told me that it could not *find* my sensor.

I must have looked like a total doofus hopping around on the trail, muttering "Come on, Come on Nano ... It is right on my shoe..." Eventually I gave up and simply put my Nano on SHUFFLE and did the workout as I would pre-Nike+. Later when I came home, some investigating on my part revealed that I had successfully put my Nike+ receiver to *sleep* as I was instructed by the book - *so that it would not interfere with Flight instruments while traveling*, D'OH!!! So with the push of a little button, I awoke my Nike+ sensor and my iPOD Nano found it and I wandered around my house, testing out my new TOY. Now it will be ready for my next run!!

It's a good think I was able to wake it up, otherwise, I might loose the little contest that my sister Heather and I have going on. We both got iPod Nano's (hers is blue) and the Nike+ kits for the holidays and we are in a race to see who get their "Congratulations on a new PR" message from Lance Armstrong. I guess that means I am going to have to get some "speed work" training runs in if I want to get that message first, huh? But not until my gluteous maximus stops aching.

New toys make running fun!! Live STRONG!

Genetics ....Kinda Creepy....

If ever there were a doubt about who my newphew resembles as a baby ....doubt no more. He is the "spitting" image of his Mommy! The only difference I can see is in his eyes ... looks like he has his Daddy's eyes and forehead....



Now this picture is just DAMN FUNNY!! So I am sharing without permission but I know my Sister's will forgive me. Rowen looks like he just realize how crazy his Mom can be around his Aunt Cathy ... just wait until I am there too ....the poor boy is doomed! (hehehe)

The *NEW* Me ??

I have updated my header for 2007 but don't let that fool you too much. It is just a little face lift, afterall even I need to look at something new every once in a while.

I read this phrase all over the place right now ... "New Year, New You!!"

What about all the people who are happy with who they are? Do you know how much energy it takes to make a "NEW YOU" every year? Personally, I think I have gotten to the point where I like "ME".. sure I want to improve some of the packaging (loose a few pounds) and I have aspirations to upgrade the engine (find some speed in my swimming, biking and running) but overall, I am pretty happy with the current me. I figure I just need an upgrade....like Holly 36.0.1.

There is something very satifying to being in my mid-30s and happy. Life is Good!

So along the lines of life is good ... the winter weather here in Northern VA has been *unseasonable* and I am taking full advantage of it to get as many bike and run miles done outdoors while I can. So yesterday I took advantage of an unexpected day off and logged 17.5 miles on my bike *Sunshine*. I dedicated some of those miles to former President Gerald Ford. It seemed appropriate since his passing was the reason that I was able to enjoy the beautiful weather instead of sitting in my cubicle at work. I thought perhaps that might seem crass but I imagine that President Ford would rather that I be out enjoying life on my bike * in his memory* rather than sitting on the couch doing nothing. I know that is what I would prefer if folks get the day off when my day comes (a good 35-50 years from now, I hope!)

So Sunshine and I went for a local ride and as a result this evenings run felt more like a *slow plod* than a quick 3.5 miles. But the timer on the treadmill said that this run was no slower than last weeks runs so all is going well.

Looks like Holly 36.0.1 upgrade is doing well so far!

Have a good week and LiveSTRONG!

First Annual "SPRINT to the FINISH Triathlon" 2006

About a week before the holiday, I asked my friend Keri if she wanted to run the MADD Red Ribbon 5k Run with me on New Year's Eve. I thought it would be a great way to round out the end of the year.

Keri, had other ideas, and as a big fan of the TRI-Kahuna's podcast "Get Your Geek On", suggested that we turn our 5K run into one last triathlon - just something simple - a sprint or a supersprint distance.

I'll be honest, I hesitated, I wasn't sure that I wanted to do that much in a day. Heck, I wasn't sure I even *could* do that much in a day right now at my current weight and fitness level. Then I thought about it some more and came to the conclusion that I had no right trying to do a half-ironman triathlon in 6 months if I didn't think I could handle the "sprint-distance" elements with breaks inbetween workouts. So I said "Yes, let's do it..."

Now here are some realities that I am sharing that I hope will perhaps offer ** YES YOU CAN DO THIS!! inspiration** to those of you who think "I could never do that" ... and might earn me some lattitude from my fellow respected triathletes when they look at my slower times. I now have some concrete beginning of season numbers that I use to determine progress as I head towards Eagleman.

Holly's JANUARY 31, 2006 REALITY:

1. I am 35 pounds heavier than I was when I raced a similar distance in April 2005 (albeit a longer bike leg) 2005 Kinetic Sprint Triathlon: 2:18:00
750m Swim: 27:00
18 mile Bike: 1:12:37
5K Run: 38:24

2. The last time I was in the pool for a swim workout was August 2006.
3. The last time I was physically on my bike was October 2006...
4. I have been doing 45 minutes of spin classes 2x a week since October 2006
5. Running is the only TRI discipline that I have consistently trained in this fall.

First Annual "SPRINT to the FINISH Triathlon" 2006: 1:54:46

SWIM: 750 yards - 18:48

Keri and I drove to the REC Center and hopped in the pool at just past Noon on Sunday. It was pretty full but we were able to share a lane. We spend about 10 minutes warming up. I practiced flip-turns (badly) while Keri tried our her *new* wetsuit (from her personal santa/husband) and then we gave each other high-fives and started the chronos on our watches for 750 yards of swimming. After about 400 yards, I found that my initial fatigue was replaced by a steady pace that I could maintain, leading me to believe that all is not lost in the water - as long as I continue to get in the pool consistently for the next 6 months.

BIKE: 12 miles - 58:37

After a cool down lap in the pool, we took about 20 minutes to shower, dry our hair and change into bike gear. Then we hopped in the car and drove 10 minutes down the road to the W&OD bike trail in Vienna. We did a quick out and back and both remarked on how lucky we were that 1) the weather was beautiful and 2) that we still felt pretty good! Of course we learned at the 6 mile turn around that it was a strong tailwind that helped us feel strong and powerful. The 6 mile return trip in the head wind was lightened by the group of cyclists in tuxedo jerseys. That made us smile even while we admitted to one another that perhaps the 5k run might hurt a little but at that point we were pretty *high* on ourselves and our accomplishments for the day thus far. We even made created a new "team" name - Team TCW: Acronym translated on a "need to know" basis....

RUN: MADD Red Ribbon 5K - 37:20

We had about a 1-hour rest between the bike and the run, during which time we changed clothes, ate powerbars and drove to the race start. Obviously that transition time did not go into the overall race time!

The course for the MADD Red Ribbon 5k Run is a hilly loop through the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. It is usually a larger local race full of runners and walkers of all ages. Right from the start, Keri and I had to thread our way through a bunch of walkers to get moving.

Our plan was simple, run until we had to take a break. Our first walk break happened just before the water stop at the midpoint of the race, about 16 minutes in. Our second break was a 2 minute walk just after the 2 mile marker. Then we ran it into the finish line. We kept the pace solid and strong the entire time. We had enough energy to chatter and laugh about the pack of 12-year-old girls that we couldn't seem to shake. We even had enough *umph* at the end to put in a little sprint to the uphill finish line - Keri just barely missed running a woman over who had slowed **way** down just before the line.

So in terms of final results - Keri is the winner of the First Annual "SPRINT to the FINISH Triathlon" 2006 with a time of 1:52:02. She was two minutes faster than me AND she won the race in the SWIM! And *they* say a tri can't be won in the swim?? Maybe Keri should go pro! HeHeHe....

Seriously though, when I sat down to write this race report, I thought that my times were pedestrian compared to past seasons. I though for sure that my extra weight and the year of cancer treatments and interferon side effects had really done me in and slowed me down until I realized that with the exception of the bike (which was a longer course). I have improved my pace in two of my tri-disciplines with very little effort. What if I actually did some hard work?

750 yd SWIM: 27:00 (2005) - 18:49 (2006)

5k RUN: 38:24 (2005) - 37:20 (2006)

This just goes to show me yet again .... that most of my "excuses" are in my head and not anywhere near by swim, bike and run realities. Looks like it is time to get serious about training for 2007 and get out of this particular head space....

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY!!!! KEEP LIVING STRONG!