This puts it all in perspective..

and is very inspiring also..

Randy Pausch on Oprah

I am one lucky woman..

4 days and counting..

til Soma..We are up in Chama really tapering now (like doing practically nothing). I feel creaky and old not training so will be doing a few yoga moves and a couple of short runs while up here. We got here yesterday and surprise, surprise-we have no heat again. The heater is not working, which is the problem that caused the original flood. It is so hard to get someone up here to work, it's incredible..So we built a fire in the woodstove we have that heats at least the upstairs. Me-being the pioneer woman that I am-actually got up in the middle of the night and "stoked the fire" again so we are pretty warm unless we go downstairs..The sun is rising above the mountains and we have lots of windows so should be pretty toasty soon..

Now for the heater problem-we are in a dilemma. If we can't get anyone up here in the next 2 days, Houston we may have a problem. We may have to live up here all winter, stoking the fire so the pipess don't freeze again..

I guess it could be worse..(see post above)..

It will be 90 degrees in Soma-now that will be a shock on the body for sure. I am excited for the race! To see friends, see H finish his first half, to see if my running really is better, just to be alive enough to do a race is enough really..

Wind, fun and taper blues..

We had the kids in for the balloon fiesta weekend. A house full of 11 people, including 2 children- 3 years and 16 months and it was some crazy fun! The 3 year old had an ear infection or the flu-anyway spent much of the time do the 2-step (diarrhea and vomit) until we landed in the emergency room the day my daughter left, where she got some drugs to help and knocked her out all the way home to CA. She's fine now-kids are so resilient! Otherwise our family get-together was so fun and I LOVE to see all the kiddos..

We managed to get to the mass ascension on Saturday AM.It was so much fun-haven't done that in years!

Two of my favorite balloons-the bees kissing and then after they take off they separate-ahhhhh:

We had a rockin' time at our 80s themed party (for Heidi's 30th BD) where we all dressed up 80's style (I just had to look in my closet basically)..Then we pretended we were rock stars and lip synched to our favorite 80s song. Here are Heather and I rockin' out to Styx:

And her sister and I being 80s chicks (although I think I look more 50s here):

I have been really tired since. Could be the "tapering" we are doing for Soma in 11 days. We have done several bricks recently and the wind situation is getting ridiculous! We have been riding in the wind now for about the last 10 times we have ridden. Not the occasional breeze kind but the seemingly hurricane force NM winds! So if Soma is windy-we are ready!! Actually had to break out the gloves and hats for yesterday's ride it was that cold...

I am feeling a bit down-not sure if that is just let-down from the weekend or I am feeling the "tapering blues" but it has been hard to write lately. I have had situations in friendships arise that seem difficult and I hate confrontation. The group I have been going to for 3 years which is a professional counseling group seems to be dissolving (I am still licensed and wanted to keep that up). So I am feel a bit disconnected and sad this week. This too-I am sure-will pass..

You know you are a crazy triathlete when...

You get on the bike trail (we are back in Albuquerque) and head INTO, not away from, the very dark, stormy clouds. It looked like a very ominous storm right where we were headed today for our 2 hour bike. I commented that we would be lucky to see an hour. Then I thought-you know this really is the difference between me NOW and 2 years ago as "working Debi". I started to actually think riding in the rain might be an adventure! Just the whole- we don't really have time structure thing going on now- is liberating. But I actually think my thought processes are changing. Everyday seems so much like a gift and I feel so blessed sometimes-this was one of those days. Like rain seemed exciting! But alas-we rode the whole thing with only maybe a drop of rain. We had clouds ALL around us about to open up but we managed to get through that little hole of rainless bike trail and then the sun came out! Now this is why Albuquerque rocks. If it rains, they say, just wait 10 mins and you will have sun..It's true! After the ride we went for a 30 minute run and I felt great. We have trained so hard for Soma- I really feel in the best shape my 53 years old body can be in. And I actually like running now..this is a first for me.

All the family-4 daughters, 2 granddaughters, 2 son-in-laws are starting to come in tomorrow for the balloon fiesta weekend and celebration of a birthday. I love my family of girls-lots of estrogen in our house with all the girls growing up! Now they are all beautiful grown women and now we have 2 little bundles of budding estrogen and it is so great to be "Grandma Debi"..

When I did Ironman Florida, my daughter had a little T-shirt made for Lane that said "My Grandma did an Ironman". Now she is threatening to get me a bumper sticker that says "Don't you Wish Your Grandma Was Hot Like Me?" (you would have to remember the song to get that one).

Enough ramblings from this Grandma..

L-O-N-G workout weekend!

It all started with the Chase the Balloons Ride on Sat. AM at 7:00. Wow it is hard to ride in the COLD-I had forgotten! It warmed up quickly as we cycled up Paseo Del Norte. I had to fight the inner demons as I got passed ALOT on this part of the tour. Telling myself "I am a triathlete-not a primary cyclist" helped..As we rode down Tramway as hundreds of hot air balloons were rising right in front of us (damn why didn't I bring my camera?), I thought about how lucky we are to be living in New MExico. I remembered one of the first balloon fiestas at the State Fairgrounds in the 1970s where there were maybe 50 balloons and 200 spectators. WOw-has it grown! We rode with the balloon chase crowd, then added 16 miles on the bike path to make it 77 miles. Then on to the 20 run brick afterwards. H & I practiced nutrition and managing snacks, nuun tablets, Ibuprofen, water, etc on the bike..We had about a 25 MPH wind going south on the bike path-that was fun, then turned around-Wheeeeee...

OK that was Saturday. Then Sunday, out for a 2 and 1/2 hour run. First hour slow, then last hour and a half faster. And the WIND again-only this time it was COLD for most of the run, esp running into the wind. We managed to do 12.6 miles, almost the half marathon! Again-managing nutrition was the goal..After the run, we did a short swim in the Highpoint Pool. Hartley was brave enough to venture into the outside pool while I swam in the not so clean looking inside 20 yard pool. That pool really needs come remodeling or something.

I was dead tired after the 2 days of long training. But we were scheduled to go up to Chama to see our new deck and remodeling done by our contractor post flood. I did n't want to go-I was pooped but relented since H drove and I slept and did SOduko. So here we are in beautiful Chama. The deck looks awesome!! IT is HUGE! Enugh room for a big party and then some..So now we just have to figure out the party time..

SO I am thinking now we can rest-right? Well, H's coach has him doing a 90 minute run today-still in "build mode". My legs are really tired so I am in the "trying to decide mode". I am caught in this how much is I am tired mode and how much is more training is too much?

I'll see how the day goes as I watch the aspens change..