6 Is The New 4

Miles, I mean. This year I am "upping" my distance. In the past I have done mostly sprint distance races. It is a shorter distance, designed to be an all out effort of pure speed. But just to keep things interesting and to improve my overall fitness, I am moving up to more Olympic distances. An Olympic distance is twice as long as a sprint and I have done a bunch before. But this summer I will do more than ever. I have 10 Olympic distance triathlons planned. That's a pretty big jump for me and truth to tell, I am a bit nervous. So along with upping the race distance, I am upping the training. Six miles now needs to be my shortest run of the week, whereas before, four was my happy number. It's only 2 miles but at my pace, it is an extra 18 minutes.... 18 precious minutes of sleep since I usually run at 5 am. 18 minutes of staying under warm covers and snuggling with my husband. Luckily it is getting lighter earlier and warmer. Really... how much does 18 minutes matter in the scheme of things? Well, when the clock goes off at 4:30 am instead of 5 am, I will let you know.

Additional Support

I've spent so much time writing about the guys from Highland Park that I have been remiss in thanking some other folks. A big shout out to Clarence and the techs at Mad Duck Cyclery. They put my bike together for me when I shipped it to Texas. Awesome store with lots of group rides; I wish I lived a little closer.

Then there is Kari, better known as KK. She contacted me over a year ago after having "found" my blog somehow. She reached out, offerred her home if I ever came to Texas and was my total support for the entire weekend. She carted me around, fed me, housed me, supported me during the race, cheered me on, photographed the event and even pushed my bike back to the car when it was over.... not to mention the airport runs in both directions. Truth to tell, it turns out I have made a new friend. We laughed, compared stories and acted more like sisters than strangers. Thanks for the hospitality KK.

Traveling can be lonely sometimes but not this trip.

Me And The Boys

How cute are these men?! Today was the kick off race of my 2011 season in Keller, Texas. Representing State #21, the big state of Texas was a great way to start the season.

What made this day so special was Sargeant John Lee and some of his colleagues from Highland Park DPS. If you've been following my blog, you know that John and the guys committed to raise $10,000 towards my campaign and backed up their efforts by making and donning OCRF jerseys. It was so much fun to see the teal logo all over the course. Thanks so much guys! I get to see a bunch of them again in Louisiana, as they are furthering their committment by joining me for the RiverCities Triathlon in August. Did I say this already?.... how cute are these men?

Meet Team OCRF

This is my team. Meet the men and women of Highland Park Texas who will race with me this weekend in Texas... all in an effort to raise awareness and funds for ovarian cancer. We will call ourselves Team OCRF, as all proceeds will go to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. I am so excited to meet these folks as they have committed to raise $10,000 towards my campaign. Sight unseen, one of their own reached out to me, in an effort to "do something" about this disease. With his own wife personally affected, Sargeant John Lee felt powerless. Learning about my campaign and joining ranks seemed like a natural fit and a has been empowering for him and his team. We can all make a difference! Please consider doing so by contributing to my campaign. Early detection is all that is needed to save lives and researchers are well on the way to getting us there. They just need the financial help from you.

If you find yourself anywhere near Keller, Texas this weekend...c'mon out and cheer on Team OCRF. We'll be the ones in teal.

Road Trip For The Bike

This is what my bike looks like all packed up and ready to go. It's a beast of a case! A quick trip to the UPS store and my stress is reduced considerably. At 70 lbs. I have that case packed to the gills with all my gear. Not only does it keep things more tightly secured but it means I can walk on the flight with carry-on only and a change of clothes. Stress-free.... well, almost. Of course, my bike needs to arrive safely (I track it daily) and it needs to be put together (I ship it to a bike store in case anything goes wrong en route). Then I need to rent or borrow a car large enough to fit the bike and case.... oh yeah... and then there is the RACE, the dismantling and the shipping it home. But that's not today. Today my bike got shipped. Stage 1 complete. 10 days until Texas.