Women's Quest

I was drunk googling one evening and looked up camps for grown-ups.  I found my dream camp....Women's Quest Adventure Camp!  I immediately signed up and headed out to Colorado a week later.  I had the best time of my life!  I loved the drive by myself up there.  It was a great time to reflect and think about the changes that have occurred in my life  and the new transitions that were on the horizon.

I arrived in Winter Park to a little rain shower and a rainbow with 777 on my tripmeter.  I knew this was going to be a very special week.

There were 26 women from all over the country and all ages of different backgrounds.  The founder  of WQ, Colleen, a former professional triathlete who had more energy than the energizer bunny!!  We had the opportunity to do as much or as little as we wanted.  Each morning we would meet up on the deck at sunrise to go for a trail run.  Usually an hour that sometimes turned into 2 hours, but felt like 30 minutes.  After our run, we would come back to the lodge for breakfast.  The first two days, we went mountain biking at Devil's Thumb Ranch.  I loved the mountain bike!! It was so much fun climbing over logs and riding through streams and past all the wildflowers in the meadows.  The columbines were amazing.

We also hiked St. Louis Pass in Fraser Forest.  It was a 3 mile hike up 1100 feet elevation gain to St. Louis Lake.  That is were we had our picnic lunch, followed by our Heart's Desire ceremony.  We all carried a beautiful rose to the top and put our intentions on the rose.  We found a spot to contemplate what our heart's desire is, and leave the rose as an offering to the universe.  I found a spot and looked over the lake.  I was overwhelmed by the power this had and left a few tears on my rose offering.  It was very special and beautiful moment.

The last day of the quest, we went to the YMCA of the Rockies for a ropes course.  It was so much fun. We climbed up 60 foot poles and repelled off, we ziplined across the valley.  I zipped upside down because I like being upside down and the sensation it gives me!!  I jumped off a pole and tried to catch the trapeze.  I got one hand on it for a brief moment.  I watched women over come their fears and do things they never dreamed possible.

This was a life changing experience for me.  I found the little girl I had to lock up so many years ago.  I let her out to play and she loved it.  I have over come my fears and let go of useless baggage that does not serve me anymore.  I have found the confidence and belief in my ability to do anything I put my mind to.  I found a poem by Marianne Williamson that resonated in me and would like to share it with you.

Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God.  Your playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.  We are all meant to shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own presence automatically liberates others.

Fastest 5k

I did not have my picture taking friend Susan with me, soooo, I don't have any pictures to share with you. I ran my fastest 5k EVER!!! 26:05 5th  in my age division. And I beat Gwyn. That is a notch in my fuel belt. For those of you who don't know Gwyn, my smoking,drinking friend who can run faster than me hungover with a stogey hangin off her lip and I have trained my butt off, Gwyn.  I beat her by 18 seconds! She tells me I now have a target on my back!

This is us at the beach. Not runnung!

It  is now Wednesday and I am still tired from from my blazing speed. I am not accustom to such a fast pace. I do however, plan on getting use to the speed.

Red Man Triathlon

I did my last Tri for this season on September 20. We had great weather for it. The sun was shining and no wind was blowing. Phillip had the Texas State Road Race that weekend in FT. Hood. My friend Susan came up to support me and take lots and lots of pictures.
It had rained all weekend and Hefner had risen a foot from Saturday to Sunday morning. The buoys floated away and had to be retrieved before we could start our race.
I signed up for the Newby Wave which means we were all beginner swimmers.That was good and bad. We all swam the same pace like a little school fo fish around the course. The swim took me forever! I looked at my watch to see that was the worst swim I had done all season. I jumped on my bike and thought I better pedal FAST! I had a lot of time to make up for. I had my best time and speed on the bike leg and was very happy with it. The run was 2 minutes shorter than my other runs. I finished the sprint in 1 hour 46 minutes. I was 9th in my age division.
After the race, Susan and my mom and I popped open the chardonnay and celebrated. We had brunch at LaBagutte and I discovered the swim portion was 750m. All the other races I have done (all 2) were 500m. So that is why it took me so long to do the swim! Susan made fun of me for not reading the race information.
I had a great time and look forward to training this winter for next year. I have had so much fun this summer. Triathlons remind me of being a kid when I swam at the neighborhood pool, rode my bike and ran all over the place.

Tri Fun!

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Red River

We just returned from Red River, New Mexico. Phillip did the Enchanted Circle Century Ride. 100 miles through the mountains. Here he is getting ready for the ride. I am not sure who is more excited.

I stayed back with the Daisy so I could get pictures and run in the mountains. I am not qualified for that kind of riding.

Here is Mark and Phillip just before they took off in the 40 degree morning. The mountains are chilly!

It was a beautiful day for the Enchanted Circle. Rain came in later that afternoon. Which made for good napping weather.

Daisy loves nap time!

It was a great time being in the mountains and celebrating our 17th anniversary! We had dinner at The Roasted Clove in Angel Fire. Then wandered around Taos for a little bit before heading home.

Hillapalloza Triathlon

Hello All! So I start a blog and wait a couple of weeks to post. Sorry! But the salon has been busy with all the kids getting back to school and everyone back to a normal routine. My clients are already booking their holiday appointments. It will be here before you know it!

Since my last post, I have done the Hillapalooza Triathlon at Lake Arcadia. WOW! It was hard. The wind was blowing about 20 that morning and it was my first open water swim. I started standing in waist deep water with about 100 other girls in my wave, and the gun goes off! Chaos has now ensued. 100 swimmers heading to the same buoy into the wind. I realize I started too fast so I slow down only to have the person in my slipstream swim over the top of me! OMG!I can't breathe, I can't swim, I want to quit. I am hyper-ventilating and a full blown panic attack has begun. I have been swimming about 3 minutes when this happens. I want to have the guy in the sea doo pull me out. But if I do that what will I tell the girls at work? I lasted 3 minutes. I won't get to drink the chardonnay I brought. How embarrassing! When I reached the first buoy some guy was already clinging to it and there was no room for me. The sea doo was coming to pull him out. I thought I don't want to be that guy.So I swam or dog-paddled whatever you want to call it to shore. Ahhh land! I am trying to find my breath as I head to transition. Finally I am on the bike. On the bike going up hill into the 20 mph wind. But it is sooo much better than being in the water right now. I reach the turn around, now I am downhill down wind. Whizzing past people going 37mph down the hill! Now I am having fun. I get back to the transistion put on my running shoes and finish the race. I had so much fun and learned a lot about myself in the water. That is why I enjoy this sport so much.

Maybe I love the chardonnay at the finish!

The 1st Triathlon

Susan is a new friend who has inspired me to to do some of the things I have always wanted to do, but never did. Now I have a partner in crime. She convinced me to do my first half marathon at the Oklahoma Memorial in April. Then I convinced her that a Sprint Triathlon would be fun. We finish all of our events with a glass of chardonnay, it is tradition now.