Real Life as of Late....

So now that the Kona fantasy vacation is just a distant memory, how about a blog on reality? Yes, I know, not as fun & appealing as Hawaiian photos with bikinis and beaches. Well too bad. That's life. Thankfully real life as I know it isn't all that bad. A lot is going on, and there's a lot to catch up on. Guess I'll just run down the list...

*Got sick after Kona. My first legit cold in maybe two years. But I only let it stick around for three days then I forced it to leave. That tactic actually worked! Which leads to the next major thing...

*Training! I'm doing it again! Yay! My focus is building a base, working on my weaknesses and, of course, having fun. It feels so good to be back at it. The weather was sh*t for a while then in true schizo fashion it turned into summer in SoCal! Of course, doing long rides with sunny skies & 80+ degree temps is ideal, but there's something to be said for crazy workouts in rainy, cold conditions -- builds character. Ha ha.

This ride, to the top of Modjeska Grade Road, was pretty bad weather-wise, but it was one of the best days I've had in a while even if I was soaking wet and couldn't feel my fingers and toes after the descent!

Overall, there's a lot going on in my training and planning for the 2011 triathlon season. I guess you could say I've grown as an athlete and coach, and that's certainly affecting what I am doing now vs. what the old me would have been doing (mentally and physically). But I'll save all that for its own blog post. Stay tuned (betcha can't wait, eh? riiiiight).


Moving on...

*Personal life. I've been searching for good balance among my social life, training, work and school. In October, things leaned heavily toward the social side. Oh well, I needed it, and so did some of my friends with whom I shared the good times. I set Nov. 1 as the "get my sh*t together" date. I think pictures tell the story best...


GIRLS NIGHT with Sara and Tatiana in Laguna Beach. Priceless night of fun. However, because we all try to be "quality athletes," I won't share the rest of the pics ;)

Tatiana's Halloween Party in Encinitas with the SD endurance-sports crew. Check out my last-minute costume that I made only hours before, the Orbit Gum Girl! "Dirty mouth?" (Thanks MJ for the pics)

James was Tatiana... classic! He fit in her clothes strangely well ;)
I love Halloween, but I was back to my grandma ways by the 31st; i.e. I stayed home handed out (and ate) candy, read a book, ya know. Of course I still had to dress up. I went with "Dead Barbie." Sydney was a bee, and you know my thoughts on bees, so I busted out my epi pen on her @$$ haha...
A Funday Sunday with BFF Courtney from SDSU at her new pad in Santa Monica. That area has a great workout scene, very motivating. Just too much traffic though...
View of the city. I prefer views on undeveloped land :/

Modeling shoot for ROAD Magazine in SD. Thomas and I were joking about how cold we were that afternoon, when in reality it wasn't even that cold...ah, effects of triathletes being in Hawaii for too long...
This picture, well, what can I say... impromptu arm-wrestling contest with my dad (he won, grrr!). Conclusion: I need to move out my parents' house haha...


*Last but not least there's the rest of my life: work & school. Hm, what to say. They're both keeping me busy! I just made the payment for my last semester of grad school, woo woo! As of May, I'm done foreva (that is, hopefully I make it out on time haha).

I've also been teaching a fitness class at my gym now, which I love doing. I will start teaching more classes this winter, after the semester ends. We do a lot of functional training in a circuit format, and the workout routines work you HARD from head to toe, incorporating everything from aerobic/anaerobic stuff to weights to body-weight exercises. Even I can only handle a 2-3 classes a week.

Inside peak of the rowing machine in our gym... oh how I love/hate those!

That's it for now. Thanks for reading :)