My two favorite supplements..

These are my favorite supplements for training. I have been using FRS for about 3 years because LANCE endorsed it. If it could make Lance faster, then by golly, it would make me faster too. Well, not sure about that but it does give me more energy for training (I take it right before a workout) and I need all the help I can get.

The other one, Acid Zapper, I read about in bicycle magazine a few months ago so thought I would try it. I can't find the original article but here is some info:

http://www.bikeguy.biz/product_review.shtml

My stomach cannot handle the pill formula it seems (upsets it) but I put the powdered form in my training drinks and it really seems to help with muscle soreness the next day. I have heard others say this too.

Weird Day..

I am alone

in Chama. This is the view from our place here..

Hartley got called unexpectedly back to Albuquerque last night. His mom is in the hospital. Doesn't appear to be anything serious (she fell-no broken bones-a slight chance of a blood clot). So here I sit, waiting for the delivery of our new dishwasher, washer and dryer. Oh and heater repair guy. This is all a result of the flood/freeze we had here this spring. It is slowly but surely becoming a newer version of our 10 year old mountain home.

We did hill repeats yesterday about 12 times. I bonked at the beginning. I learned a long time ago to bring gel with me, no matter how short of a run i am doing..So when I got that "feeling"-lightheadedness, feeling like all the blood has left my body then I know-eat a gel. It helped and we had found the steepest hill in Brazos to do the repeats but after one we decided to alter our workout and do less steep hills in the area. These dang suckers are hard!! Run uphill 2 min, then jog down for one min. I am tired today so the only training I am doing is some weights and stretching. Didn't want to ride my bike alone up here-just scares me a little. I have my Sweet dog, Mocha, sho wouldn't hurt a fly but sounds really mean when she barks so i feel safe being at the cabin alone..

Remembering 9/11

I woke up this morning to perfectly blue skies and the beautiful mountains of northern NM. The first thing I thought of was that it was Tuesday. Then I remembered it was Tuesday, September 11th. The last Tuesday, September 11th I experienced was one of the worst and saddest days for all of us. Where was I when it happened? Sort of like, I remember where I was when Kennedy was shot-I was in 4th grade and my teacher told us-she was crying. On 9/11/01, I had just finished running with my friend Val. I was driving in my car to H's office to do some paperwork. I heard on the radio something about a plane going into the World Trade Center. Becca called me and we talked about it. We turned the TV on at the office. No one could believe it was happening. I remember thinking that there may be 50,000 people killed. I was in shock, as so many others were. I turned on my TV this morning and they were re-playing live those events on 9/11/01. It was interesting now to hear how things unfolded. The news people sounding so calm-how did they do that? I was one of those people who watched TV non-stop for days after the attack. Hartley couldn't watch at all..This morning was the first time he even saw the news broadcast. I remember those holding up signs that their loved ones were missing, emergency rooms unfilled because most were killed when the buildings fell. I cried and cried. The 110 story buildings fell.. So hard to comprehend even now how catastrophic it really was. I am sure the images only show a minute portion of the magnificence of the situation. I had 2 clients that moved to New Mexico and saw me in counseling after the buildings fell. Just hearing their stories made me grieve..grieve for all those families, children, husband, wives, brothers, sisters, friends that lost someone they loved. The effect on our country has been enormous. I remember as a counselor thinking that we are a country walking around traumatized. No one will ever be the same who witnessed 9/11, even if it was only on TV or hearsay..
Yet..life still goes on for all of us. Here in Chama the trees still stand. I just heard a plane fly overhead. The dog is sleeping. Another blue sky and bright sun..

Where were you when it happened?

Back to Tri Reality...

But before I do-ponder this:

It took us 3 and 1/2 days to hike the 27 mile Inca Trail. They have an annual marathon on the Inca Trail and the winner did it in 5 and 1/2 hours!

So for you that are bored with Ironman and marathons, check this out:

http://www.andesadventures.com/incatrailmarathonsf.htm

YES!
I am still a triathlete and actually have a race in 3 weeks. Elephant Man, an olympic distance which is it in Elephant Butte and Soma in 1 month and 27 days or something in Pheonix. Hartley and i have been getting some good training up here in the Chama highlands. Our Saturday training ride was 40 miles straight up into Cumbres Pass in Colorado which I tried to download from mapmytri.com but I can't seem to figure out how to get it in the blog(help Misty!)but anyway we went from:

max: 12091ft
min: 7352ft
ascent: 12852ft
descent: 13311ft

I think the high altitude hiking is helping! We also went for a run up 512 yesterday which also felt easier. Hope it all translates to a good race in 2 weeks. In alot of ways, I feel like my racing season is over but Soma will be my hubby's first half IM so I am excited for him..

More Peru pics..

This is me dancing with the porter on the last night as I felt like i was dying of pneumonia:



Our little tent village-home away from home:


Eating in the dinner tent while trying to stay warm:


First we went up:


And up:


Then down:


Us and the porters who saved our butts:


A couple of pics of H&I:




This is the scary guy on the train: