Time to get caught up so I can get back to bloggin’ on a regular basis.  First, how about a Spring Cleaning Update — a pictorial of the highlights (in my opinion) of the last couple months?  (The beauty of a blog is the one-way conversation. I don’t believe I heard any objections, so here we go…)

September entailed a trip back to Cancun to announce Ironman Cancun 70.3 once again. Hot, sticky, sweaty, and lots of fun.  No pictures because I was too busy habla-ing on the mic.  Back to Mexico for Ironman Cozumel announcing. It is a grind of a job but I have to say that I do enjoy it… it’s just the 17hr race day that tests your endurance!  Again, too busy working to snap a few pictures, but with the way my hair responds to humidity, that’s probably a good thing.

Some time in between I had a visit from my younger sister, Lauren, who came to see what all this high altitude living is all about. Here we are at the Crest in ABQ… about 10k-ish feet.  Pretty awesome.

Here we are hiking around the foothills. This is literally like 1/4 mile from my house.  Pinch me.

And then I had a visit from Danny . . . who was scoping out his future home.  We took a little road trip and were just giddy when we saw this sign.  Truth or Consequences is actually a town in New Mexico, which we thought was hilarious. An impromptu photo shoot was to be had, and we swerved off the road…

My 13yr old amusement continued when I read that the ELEPHANT BUTT was right down the road.  Butte, Butt… tomato, tomaaaaato.

Then, someone and a UHAUL made the trek across country in December.

I headed back to ATL for a couple days with my coach and friends at The Sport Factory . . .

And all the while at home, my poor dog was being tormented by a man and his football. . .

It was not without a protest on her part, though. I was pretty proud of my lil’ girl.

Then, Danny and I headed to Costa Rica to work the Rev3 races. What an awesome inaugural event.  We were too busy announcing 4 races all weekend to get too many photos, but someone snapped this pic of me and Michael Lovato, who happens to be a trip on the mic, as we awaited the pros at the finish line.

Costa Rica was a blast. The Ticos (Costa Ricans) are full of life and really made it easy to get everyone fired up in the morning.  We had a pretty competitive pro start list, but it seemed like everyone was pretty laid back and really just soaking up the experience of an early-season, low-pressure, fun event.

Here’s a fun video with the age groupers at the start of the half rev race on Sunday.  The Ticos didn’t disappoint, and made my job pretty darn fun.

http://vimeo.com/20136192

My sister Lauren and I decided to run a half marathon in AZ in February.  It was fun, except for the long-ass climbs on this course, which were not entirely represented on the course profile. Grrr…  but I did my best and finished 2nd female in 1:26:41… off my target of 1:25, but given the very tough course, I’m grateful for what I did! And I’m happy with my nutrition- Double Latte Powergels kept me buzzin’ and the tummy didn’t revolt.

Once I had finally made peace with the stupid long climbs on this course, I approached the last two miles of the race and found myself weaving through headphone-wearing (they can’t hear you yelling) walkers and joggers finishing the 5k.  Adults, kids, stroller, dogs, and even a TURTLE were part of the obstacle course (most of it on a 3ft wide sidewalk) of the last couple miles of the race.  Great for a family event; not so much for a fast or competitive race.

Here’s a visual of what we ran through to get to the finish line. No joke.

What? You thought I was joking about the turtle?

I found Lauren and ran her to the finish line.  She hit her own PR, and then hit the couch. Such a drama queen!

Thanks to my mom who came to cheer us across the line, as we dodged turtles, dogs, and kids.

And then, of course, she tried to rope us into some ridiculous photo shoot, which of course had us squealing in horror.

I could not stop laughing. See far right of photo for proof.

And we got one with our MVP – Thanks for the pics, Danny!

The 2011 Season has begun!  First up is New Orleans 70.3.  Ahhh!  Hard to believe it’s time to go already. REALLY excited to put in a full season this year as this “PTP” (part-time-pro) has been working her tail off.  Normal blogging will commence now, so that the marathon photo blogs do not continue… thanks for sticking in there!   Best of luck to all those racing Oceanside next weekend.  Here we go, people!

Sometimes we go through the motions of our workouts (or jobs, or (fill in the blank) because we are so busy just trying to get it all done.  I get that.

But it is important to step back and understand WHY we do what we do, what we want to get out of it, and what sort of gratification we are seeking . . . before we even take our first step.  Because when the going gets tough, knowing The Why will always bring us back to the common goal, and a better sense of clarity and focus.

Click HERE for more . . .

Welcome Kelly Kennedy Diodati, the new Sport Factory Team Massage Therapist.   I met with Kelly this week for a session and I was very impressed with her attention to detail and her relentless attack of the problem areas.  Doesn’t sound like a cruise ship massage, I know, but that’s not what we need as athletes.

She is VERY good, and her prices are reasonable.  This sport is not cheap and there is no shortage of things to spend your money on.  Getting a good massage regularly is without a doubt an essential part of my recovery plan, however, and finding someone who is very skilled with athletes’ specific needs is not an easy task.  Kelly is that person, and she makes it accessible with her fair pricing.  She works almost exclusively with athletes, including several pro cyclists.  She’s good– very good.

All Sport Factory athletes have special pricing with Kelly. Contact her directly at 770-714-6019.

Thanks Kelly, and welcome aboard!

Click HERE for the dirty details . . .

Life has been busy, but very good.  Work is going really well, and I even get to travel to glamorous destinations like Dothan, Alabama and other small towns in South Georgia.     I love what I do and find that the small town charm of the South makes up for the time behind the wheel.

Training-wise, I’m back in action after a short hiatus, and feeling great.  I am no longer chlorine-free, as the dizziness from the crash is almost all gone– hallelujah.  I love this time of year— putting in the base miles and planning the season.  While it’s mild enough in Atlanta to train outdoors year-round (if bundled up), we do a lot of training together indoors at The Sport Factory.  Matt recently moved the facility to a new location, and we we are awaiting the official confirmation/paperwork . . . but the USAT group that came for a site visit gave the nod that The Sport Factory will be one of only four USAT Performance Centers in the country.  It’s pretty awesome to be a part such a great organization, and I am proud to represent this team.

I absolutely love when we’re jammin’ on the bikes several times a week during our stationary classes (THE GRIND!). The time goes by faster, the watts are higher, and the music is louder.  I rarely ride with more than 1 or 2 other people on the roads, but love doing the group thing indoors.

In fact, we’re going to be hosting a special “Grinch Grind” on Christmas Eve (afternoon) for 2hrs. You’ll be home in time to leave the cookies out for Santa, so email me if you’re in the ATL area and interested in joining us.  You don’t have to be a Sport Factory athlete or team member to join in the sweaty mess, so no excuses.  We’d love to have you!

Because I work with an expert-level coach, I may be biased.  I think there are a lot of really well-intentioned coaches out, and some great ones at that.  But I know what Matt offers and it’s a unique combination of some really great coaching attributes:  He’s knowledgeable.  Extremely analytical.  Performance-driven.  Totally dedicated.  And unusually communicative.  I hit the jackpot with Matt and I know it. I just hope he doesn’t trade me in for a younger model as he scopes out the junior talent!

Matt is an expert level cycling coach, track & field coach, and a Level III Triathlon coach. He’s also one of a handful of coaches in the country who is certified to coach with power.   On the personal side, he’s one of the most even-keeled people I’ve ever met. He’s very fair, understanding, and extremely communicative.  He sees the whole picture; in fact, he tirelessly DIGS to uncover all aspects of your training, racing, and daily life that can affect performance.  He looks at every angle.  And I mean EVERY ANGLE. He’s got an encyclopedic understanding of the science behind the training, and is constantly pursuing opportunities to further develop his knowledge and skills.  He’s also one of the most down to earth, understanding coaches I could ask for.

Matt was recently interviewed on Triathlete FM.  If you have a chance, go to Triathlete FM and save SHOW #4 to your iPod and listen to it on your next training run.  You can pick up a few pointers on the science behind the training and understand a bit about Matt’s coaching philosophy.

Are you floating around wondering if you’re doing the right thing in your training? We spend so much time, money, energy, and effort in this sport; don’t waste it by missing the mark because you’re not being guided in the right direction. As the Head Coach and Owner of The Sport Factory, Matt is a full-time coach and takes the development of his associate coaches quite seriously so as to raise the caliber of coaching beyond the requirements of USAT. This is his not only his livelihood, but it’s also his passion.   And every athlete on his roster benefits from that passion and dedication.  If you are interested in learning more about SF coaching and want to ask me questions about my personal experience, feel free to email me. I am such a big believer in Matt’s program and methodology and would love to share it with anyone who is looking for someone great to guide them.

If you have a great coach already, THANK YOUR COACH, because we are lucky to have them!

(Except for when they make us pose for local magazines in a most humiliating way!)