Rain Rain Go Away

Living in the northeast, I struggle with winter training. This past season was particularly tough with the frigid temps, ice and mountains of snow. When the calendar turns to April, I hope for warmer temperatures to be able to resume outdoor cycling. I usually can run outside all winter but I am a fair weather cyclist. My indoor bicycle trainer is set up in my garage and I torturously log miles while listening to my iPod. Basically, I hate it but it has to suffice. Long story short, this April has not lived up to my expectations. It has been cold, windy and oh, so rainy. I have scheduled several weekend bicycle rides with friends, only to franticly text the night before and the morning of to question, "Should we? Shouldn't we?" We never do. I've got some pretty big races coming up (IN, GA) in a couple of weeks and was hoping for a few dry days to put up some outdoor miles. In the words of my mother-in-law, "Alas, so it goes".

I was contacted by the race directors in Indiana today. Muncie Multi Sport will host my next race in Muncie on May 14. To show their support of my campaign, they have purchased teal wrist bands for all racers and will have them in the race packages... all in an effort to raise awareness about this disease. Such a small thing can have a big impact. For example, most folks don't realize that TEAL is the color for ovarian cancer. So when someone sees a teal wrist band, hopefully they will ask..."hey, what's that for?" It is a grass roots effort and information is spread one person at a time. Thanks to Rich and Steve for helping to spread the word. I really appreciate the support.

State #22.... Check!

Whirlwind weekend for sure. Flew in to Florida on Friday night and went straight to a pre-wedding dinner for Jesse and Tovah. Saturday, picked up bike at bike store, test ride, race check in, package pick up, quick swim in the very ROUGH ocean to literally test my sea legs, a quick nap and then off to the wedding. By 11:30 pm when dinner hadn't been served at the wedding, I decided to take my leave in preparation for the next day's race. It was a great event but a cousin of mine asked me at 11:15 pm, "Why are you in heels the night before a race?" I figured it was time to shift gears and get into tri mode. A big congratulations to Jesse and Tovah on the nuptials. I was so glad to be able to be there for the event. Sunday 4:30 am came awfully quick (with 4 hours sleep) and off to the races I went. 1000 very buff Floridian racers! Luckily the ocean was more calm then the day before and cooperated with flat conditions.

The race went well. Temperatures were perfect and I gave it my all. Interestingly enough, I learned I don't need to be a slave to my pre-race eating habits. I have some flexibility and my stomach is forgiving. I placed top 10 in age, which given my wedding activites, seems quite good. Post race, it was a quick shower and on to the wedding next-day brunch. And then a very long nap. Whew.... home again. My bike is en route to Indiana now. Looking towards my next race in a couple of weeks.

Next Stop... The Sunshine State

I depart for state #22 on Friday, to race in the Florida Atlantic University Wellness Triathlon. I am really excited because although I raced in Texas last month, this race marks the beginning of my non-stop schedule. From now until November, it'll be "go man go". I am feeling fit and ready to educate women about ovarian cancer and signs and symptoms. If I happen to kick some triathlon butt along the way...so be it. This is also an exciting weekend because I chose this race as a tag team event to a family wedding. The night before the triathlon, I will be attending a 7 pm wedding for my husband's family. A big shout out to the Agler family and specifically Jesse and Tovah on the big event. I am so happy to be able to attend. The long and short is that I will be exhausted for the race and clearly will run on fumes. But hey, that's living life to the fullest. It'll be a big weekend with 3 family events (Fri, Sat and Sun) and a race thrown in there too. Can't wait.

Off To A Good Start

With 21 states completed and the first one under my belt for this season, I am thrilled the campaign is gaining traction and getting attention. The more press that get involved the more lives that will be saved. It is a win-win situation.

With that said, I am thrilled to announce that I am Triathlete of the Month, voted on by the Amica 19.7 Triathlon Series. With ten races to their credit, they have a lot of athletes to pull from. Amica learned of my campaign because I registered for their Rhode Island event in September. From there they contacted me and wrote up a story, all in an effort to promote awareness of ovarian cancer. If you can, send the link to one of your friends. Who knows? It may save a life.

And 2 Makes 15

So in the words of my husband, if some is good... more is better. In following that theme, I am adding another 2 races to my season. I don't really need these races/states (actually Bermuda isn't a state) but I can't help myself. So many races...so little time.

Truth to tell, both of these races have meaning for me. Queen of the Hill is the first race the Mullica Hills Womens Tri Club will host. It is a BIG deal to put on a race and I want to be there to celebrate the event and cheer on the many women who will race for the very first time. The SheROX race will be special because as of this year, the SheROX series has chosen OCRF as their official charity. The people at SheROX learned of my campaign and have invited me to Bermuda to end my season with their race. I am very excited and I think my husband is even more excited, as he will join me for that one!

So the total is up to 15 races this season and that's where it will stop. NO MORE. I just can't.... she said with a grin.

Grass Roots Effort

As you know by now, I spoke to about 75 women from the Mullica Hills Women's Tri Club on Thursday night. It was a huge success and I asked each woman to go home and tell 5 friends or family members what they learned that evening about ovarian cancer and early detection. Well here is an example of one woman's commitment to do just that. Cheryl is one of the members, turned self proclaimed tri-addict last year. Cheryl now keeps a blog of her efforts and gave me a shout-out after Thursday's presentation... all in an effort to reach more women and save more lives. To read her blog, click here or on the photo header above. This is a grass-roots effort and not just for women. Every PERSON (men and women) can play a part in saving lives . Learn what the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer are and be proactive about knowing your body, watching your loved ones and speaking up. It's so hard and so simple. But so necessary!