"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so you can appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself. And sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

-Marilyn Monroe

Knee Injury

So I have been injured lately and that's why I haven't been writing. I am very very sad because I cannot run! I don't feel like myself without running so I've been very depressed.

The back of my left knee on the outside hurts ONLY when I run. It feels really tight when I run and starts hurting pretty bad and I have to stop. I've been biking and swimming and using the stairmaster and elliptical machines at the gym. Today I walked 6 miles. I've been icing and using the foam roller and stretching and I am going to try and run again after New Years. But for now I am just sad. Merry Christmas to me: I can't do the thing I love the most.

Tears!!!

XOXO
Cori

It has been two weeks today since Ironman and I've been having a blast with my friends and settling into my new job while taking some off time from intense training. I have to say that I am very happy here! I love my friends, my job and I start school January 26!

I have been sticking mainly to biking and swimming because when I tried to run last week the back of my knee started to hurt so I have been taking it easy on the running. I'm going to go for a short run outside today and see how it feels, but it is freezing outside!!! It has been snowing like crazy the past week!!! I forgot how you have to start your car early, shovel the driveway to get out and plan for extra time to get where you are going! This is going to take some time for me to get used to since I haven't had to deal with snow for the past 5 years!

Christmas is coming up fast! I feel like it was just November and it's already December 7! It's crazy how fast time flies when you are busy. When I was alone in Colorado each day seemed like a year, but now that I have people and things that consume my days time flies!!! I have to start Christmas shopping because before I know it Christmas will be here! I think I will wait a week though... at least until I get paid again because Ironman drained my bank account!!! I also need to buy some winter clothes because all I have are tank tops and that just isn't working out too well!! I've also been sick the past week with a terrible cold and let me just say swimming with a cough and runny nose is NO FUN!!! And it's pretty discusting!

Im going to do the Lifetime Fitness Raindeer Run 5k on Dec. 14. I'm excited for it and I'm going to dress up! Hopefully nothing hurts by then and I can just have fun! I keep seeing photos of people who did Ironman that are already racing triathlon again!!! I think they are crazy. There is NO WAY they are recovered enough already to be racing again. I am going to take a month recovery time and ease back into everything. No injuries please!!!!!!

XOXO
Cori

Ironman Arizona Pictures

Ironman Arizona Race Report!

The best thing I have ever heard in my life:

"Corinne Frayer, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!"

I still can't believe it... I am an Ironman!

Sunday morning I woke up at 4 a.m. to both my alarm clock and a wake up call from the hotel (yes, I was a little paranoid) I ate my usual breakfast of Barbara's Shredded Wheat flakes, Kashi Strawberry Fields and Vitasoy Vanilla Soymilk. Most of my things were already ready to go so by the time 4:30 rolled around I was standing by the door, bags in hand, telling my dad to hurry up so we could go! We hopped in the car (after Dad forgot his wallet and had to go back to the room) at around 4:45 and were off to the race! We parked in the parking garage on the corner of Mill Ave and Rio Salado and were just about the first ones there! (yes, again I was a little paranoid. It will be a trend in this race report haha). When we got to the transition area I filled up my aero water bottle with Gatorade endurance and my water bottle with Smart Water. The the nice guys of Landis Cyclery pumped my tires for me and I was outta there! Then I had to go drop off my special needs bike and run bags so Dad waited for me in the spectator area. After that I probably went to the bathroom four times between checking my transition bags and making sure everything was set to go. When I was waiting in line for the bathroom the guy next to me was singing "just keep swimming, just keep swimming" from Finding Nemo and I thought of Barry and started to sing it with the guy! at around 6:15 I started to get my wetsuit on and I ate half of a Met-RX bar and gave all my dry clothes to my dad. Laura called me and I met her in the line for the bathroom (lots and lots of bathroom breaks in the hours before the race... nerves!) She hadn't even put on her wetsuit yet! The race started in 25 minutes! I was all ready to go, but I stayed with Laura and helped her into her wetsuit and dropped off her dry clothes bag. Then we joined the 2,500 other athletes waiting in a big herd to walk over the timing mats and jump into the water. Laura and I held hands and jumped in the lake together. My heart was beating faster than I can ever remember it beating before, but it was awesome

Swim 1:15

Laura and I swam the 200 meters to the start together and I seeded myself kind of in the middle but in an area where for some reason there was a big hole, so that was great! All I remember after that is the announcer saying something like, "I only have one more thing to say: Everyone have a great day out there." and BOOM the horn sounded and we were off. Now, I have a few things to say about the Ironman swim.
1) If you are a person that likes to fight, it is REALLY hard to hold back and not punch someone in the face for almost drowning you.
2) It's not easy swimming with 2,500 people, it actually really sucks
3) Tempe Town Lake is probably the most disgusting body of water in the United States of America
4) I still hate swimming
All in all, I swam a 1:15 so I have nothing to complain about. That's a pretty good time for my first Ironman swim. However there were lots of bumps along the road. First, my left goggle filled up with water in the beginning of the swim and I though, oh well, I'm not going to fix it. Second, I was never swimming without someone directly to my left, right, ahead and behind. That was REALLY annoying because I got slapped, kicked, knocked in the face and even shoved the entire swim. Seriously people, do you not look where you are swimming! That is why we wear goggles! At one point the group I was swimming in started swimming toward the middle of the lake and the people in the boats were yelling at us to go right. I started swimming diagonally right and accidentally nugged a guy. He literally stopped swimming and took both hands and shoved me away from him. Oh man, I felt the fire inside my body like I wanted to rip his goggles off and swim away really fast so he wouldn't have goggles for the rest of the swim. What an a-hole. I was definitely ready to be done with the swim and was so happy to see the red buoy where we would turn and head towards the stairs to get out of the lake!

T 1

My transition one time was pretty slow, about 7 minutes I believe. First, after I got out of the water I had to find a wetsuit stripper to help me get my wetsuit off. Then I ran down the long shoot to the swim to bike bags and I saw Jorge, Ted and my dad. That was pretty sweet! I grabbed my bag and headed into the women's change tent. Everyone else in the tent seemed to have a volunteer helping them transition... except me! So I did it all myself. Helmet on. Socks and shoes on. Gels in pocket. Spare tube in pocket. CO2 cartridge in pocket. Sunglasses on. Race belt on. Fuel belt bracelet on. Too much to think about! Then I ran out of the transition where some volunteers slapped some sunscreen on my arms and legs and I was off on the bike!

Bike 6:22

Right after leaving the bike transition we had to mount our bikes on a really skinny sidewalk. There were a lot of us in one area and it was pretty scary. Then there was this spectator guy yelling at me to hurry up and get moving. I was already pissed from the swim, so I was ready to hit him! Luckily I held back and got on my bike or he really would have gotten it! I took the bike very easy because I didn't want to burn myself out at all. Heading up the Bee Line Highway was the worst part of the bike course because it is pretty much uphill, but heading down the Bee Line and back down McKellips, McClintock and Rio Salado back to ASU was the best part of the three loops! I always got really excited every time we looped back around Mill/Rio Salado because my friends and my Dad were there cheering for me! During the swim and bike I had issues with my calves cramping up and hurting so I was VERY on top of my Endurolytes tablets and Gatorade. I ate and took two Endurolytes every 45 minutes and I sipped gatorade about every 15 minutes and whenever I was thirsty. I hardly used the aid stations, except for water and Gatorade refills and one banana. I did have to stop once during the bike because my tool bag under my seat was falling off. But in the grand scheme of things, it really was no big deal.

T 2

When I finally arrived at the transition area after 6 hours and 22 minutes of biking the volunteers took my bike and I walked (or tried to) to my bike to run transition bag. A volunteer met me right away and held my gear while I went to the bathroom. Then she helped me get ready for the run, which was totally awesome and way better than when I had to transition by myself from swim to bike. She dumped my bag out on the ground and got me some water as well. I changed my shorts, took off my singlet, put on my running shoes, strapped on my fuel belt, put on my white Nike hat and was off to the the sunscreen people again! By the time they slapped more sunscreen on me, my legs had loosened up and I was ready to run!

Run 3:57

The run was the most fun I have EVER had during a marathon. It was absolutely amazing and I couldn't even ask for anything better! There were spectators along the course the entire time cheering and I saw my dad a lot too which was awesome! I held back on the run a lot because I didn't know what to expect. Normally when I run just a marathon I go all out and always lose it around mile 20, so I didn't want that to happen at all. I took it slow, and I even slowed down a lot in the middle of the run to talk to some people to take my mind off my aching butt! I talked to a professor from U of I and a pilot who teaches guys in the Navy to fly! It was awesome meeting these people and the feeling I had when I saw my Dad at mile 20 I will never forget! "Six miles to go," he told me! I got so excited I picked the pace back up again and went all out for the last six miles and I loved every minute of it! I told him to go to the finish line and that I should be there in less than an hour. I finished so strong and I felt like I still had energy left in the tank! The finishing shoot was the most incredible thing I have ever experienced. People held their hands out and I slapped their hands while sprinting toward the finish line with tears in my eyes! 11 hours and 46 minutes and I couldn't believe it! My goal was to finish between 12 and 14 hours and I exceeded my every expectation!

After I finished my Dad walked me around a bit and I took a picture with Jorge who congratulated me on my finish. Then I got some food and sat down and ate a piece of pizza and some pretzels. My Dad bought me an awesome Ironman Arizona jacket and a finisher t-shirt that I love! I got my bike out of transition and gave it to Tri Bike Transport so they can ship it back home this week, and I picked up my transition bags as well. I called my mom and she said Laura was on her last 5.9 miles of the run so my Dad and I went to the finish line and we watched her finish. It was awesome because when they announced she was a member of the US Army everyone went nuts and I cried! I ran down to meet her and we took pictures and I met her family. I am so happy I got to see her finish! I couldn't have done this race without her!

After we left the race my dad took me to Subway and the lady working asked me why I looked to tired. My dad told her I just finished a triathlon and she was like, oh. Haha she probably had no idea what he was talking about. Subway was awesome and then I went home to shower and take an ice bath. I hardly slept last night but it was worth it!

11:46 and worth every hour of training! Can't wait to see what IMAZ 2009 brings (yes I already signed up!)

XOXO
Cori

I WILL do this!

This video has really been helping to pump me up!

Today has been quite a day! I got up and went to the practice swim at Tempe Town Lake around 9 a.m. Afterwards, I ran for 20 or so minutes on the run course. When I realized I forgot my USAT card for packet pick up I walked all the way down to ASU's campus where luckily my ASU ID still worked on the computers and I was able to print a temporary card! After packet pick up I talked to some people I knew for a while and then waited in like to get my bike from Tri Bike Transport until about 2 p.m. Finally I am back at Keiths sitting around! We're gonna go to his parents house tonight for some dinner. The lake was REALLY cold today... a lot colder than I expected, but it will be ok. I swam well for about 30 minutes and am still really pumped for Sunday!

XOXO
Cori

I'm in Arizona!

Welcome to Arizona... it's HOT!

No shocker there, because Ironman is coming up so OF COURSE it has to be record breaking temperatures in Phoenix! We can't stop the tradition of hot, windy Ironman days now can we? Well, I have my fingers crossed that we can.

I arrived in Phoenix Monday night around 7:30 p.m. and it was still 80 degrees out. When I left Chicago it was snowing! Keith and I had a fun night wondering around trying to find a place for food that was open at 9 p.m. on a Monday! Eventually we ended up walking to Extreme Pita and I ended up practically blowing my chips out my nose laughing so hard at his stories. Ahhh Keith, some things will never change! We went to Target and I bought an awesome huge soft green blanket and a $16 double size air mattress. Good thing I spent all the money on the blanket and got a cheap air mattress... NOT! It didn't come with a pump so Keith and I took turns doing three minute intervals with the bike pump! It took forever to blow up, but in the end it was worth it because I freakin' love this damn blanket! :)

Yesterday I did a 2,500 meter swim outdoors at Lifetime and then I ran for 32 minutes outside. It was HOT! But I think I can handle it. There will be lots of sunscreen and lots of endurolyte tablets making an appearance on Sunday! It will be a sweaty, but awesome day! I also met up with Luanne at her house to see her baby Cailyn and then we all went to RA for some sushi and appetizers. I had the best time and I miss my Lu Dogg so much! We laughed and laughed and laughed some more until it was time to go home and put the baby to bed and then Keith and I watched football and tv all night. I also talked to Laura and she is driving here and will arrive on Thursday. I can't wait to see her either!

Today I went to a spin class at Lifetime because my bike wont be here until tomorrow at 1 p.m. I spun it out easy for an hour and then swam 1,500 meters outside. The sun is so damn bright I am contemplating using darker goggles, but then again I like my clear ones. Decisions decisions. Tomorrow I will to go Tempe Town Lake in the morning with my westuit for the practice swim and then run a little on the course afterwards. Tri Bike Transport should have my bike at the Expo by 1 p.m. so I'll pick it up then and ride a little of the course. Yesterday I spent a lot of money on new tires, tubes, fuel and a new tri outfit. So I'm going to start getting all ready so I have less to stress about as the race gets closer. I will probably pick up my packet tomorrow as well so I can start sorting out what goes in what gear bags and special needs bags. Ugh... so much to think about! I'm also meeting Jane at the Pointe tonight so I can pick up a Gage sports bra I plan on wearing for the run :)

Lastly, I stopped by my old work today at the Ahwatukee Foothills News and saw some of my old co-workers. I love stopping by there and hanging out in the Newsroom like old times. I missed Kelly though because she was at lunch, so I will have to stop by again while I'm here to see her. This shouldn't be a problem since I really don't have much to do other than worry about this race!

All for now! Time to relax and watch some TV and maybe take a nap. Tapering is tough haha!

XOXO
Cori

Tapering

Oh how much I HATE tapering! When I don't work out as much as I am used to I get sad/depressed/mad ... all of the above!! I know the best thing for me to do right now is hold back and take it easy, but it is SO HARD! I forced myself to stick to just swimming today and I am going to do a run tomorrow morning before work.

Speaking of work, I started working this week in Hoffman Estates. I am working as a pre 2 teacher and have a class of 2, 3 and 4 year olds. They are adorable. I am learning so much and I love, love LOVE having my own classroom of little rugrats. I also met with an adviser at school today and registered for classes that will begin January 26. I will have two night classes a week (Monday and Wednesday) along with a few observation hours in the classroom throughout the semester. I am so excited to start school I have no words to even explain it! :)

On Monday afternoon I will head to Arizona to spend the week in Tempe getting ready for Ironman. I can't believe the race is almost here but I am so ready to just get out there and do it! I still have to figure out how I am going to get my bike down there... what a pain! I also need to practice changing tires so I am going to go to a multisport store on Saturday and buy new tires and tubes and practice changing tires myself just in case I get a flat (heaven forbid!) My Dad will fly in to Phoenix on Saturday and will be there watching my race all day Sunday. I am SO THANKFUL that he is taking the time to be my support crew. I honestly don't know what I would do without him there... I mean I know I would still do the race, but just the mental aspect of knowing he is there for me is really going to make all the difference. Even though my Dad doesn't fully understand my obsession and passion for endurance sports, his unconditional love for me really shines through because of his undying support for me. Family really is number one and this proves it! Thanks Dad (in advance) I love you so much!

The weather in Illinois is less than desirable, however I am loving every minute of it. After spending so long in the sweltering heat of Arizona I have really grown to appreciate the seasons. The leaves are so beautiful and watching them fall to the ground and the branches get bare is incredible. I haven't seen the fall to winter change in six years! So when it is raining/showing/sleeting or whatever outside I just think, oh well, indoor training today... and it will be AWESOME! haha! But really, I love it and I really, really REALLY do not regret my decision to move back to Illinois. Everything and everyone has been nothing short of amazing since I have moved back and I can't wait to see where my life takes me.

All for now!

XOXO
Cori

There's No Place Like Home

I finally arrived back in Sleepy Hollow on Saturday evening! My parents and I left Denver around 1:30 p.m. on Friday, and after a quick stop for a flat tire in Sterling, CO and a good night's sleep in Lincoln, Nebraska, we pulled in the driveway around 6 p.m. Saturday. I am so happy and excited to be home!

On Halloween (when we stayed in the hotel in Lincoln) I checked my e-mail at the hotel and finally received my scores from the Illinois Basic Skills Test and I passed! Now I can schedule a meeting with my adviser at Roosevelt and officially begin picking my classes for January. I am also in the process of looking for a part time job during school working with children. Everything seems to be coming together here and I'm praying it all works itself out as things typically do... fingers crossed!!!

As for my Ironman training in Illinois, it has been great! On Sunday my dad drove the car around some farm roads in Huntley and I followed him on my bike. He showed me some good, safe roads to train on and let me just say they are AWESOME! There is no one out there - just me, the open road and, well, lots of corn fields and cows! I did a 91 mile ride that day, with a 50 minute run and I felt pretty good. It was windy, but nothing compared to last weekend. On Monday I did a run around Sleepy Hollow for a good two hours and then I swam at Lifetime. I still can't believe Ironman is less than three weeks away now. I do miss training with Laura so much and our inside jokes about stopping at the spa along our long ride in Colorado and our awesome bike speeds in the wind. I miss you Laura!

I started planning my TENTATIVE 2009 race schedule which you will see on the right of this blog. I am going to add a few running races in there, but it's a start. At least I have a couple races planned out and can enjoy a nice relaxing off-season after Ironman and before these races. I am most excited for the Spirit of Racine half Ironman because my entire family will be able to see me race. I am also looking forward to the Chicago Triathlon because I have heard such great things about it and I can't imagine how cool it must be biking through downtown.

Today I am taking it easy and will probably walk Hannah and swim after I run a couple errands and force myself to spend a couple more hours unpacking.. will it ever end!

XOXO
Cori

Blustery Day

I'd like to start this blog off with a little prayer:

Hail Mary full of grace, PLEASE DON'T EVER MAKE ME BIKE IN WIND LIKE THAT AGAIN!

On Saturday Laura and I sucessfully completed about 80 miles of biking around Aurora, but it was the windiest bike ride I have ever done. Laura said it was worse than Ironman wind, and that if we could get through that ride that we could definately get through Ironman. The first 40 miles were just fine, as the wind was on our back and I was flying along at ridiculous speeds and hardly working. Then as we turned around the wind hit us and we had 40 miles to go back home! At times we were going 6 mph against the wind uphill. I swear I could feel the wind pushing the skin on my face back like you'd see in a movie. My quads were killing me as my rpms were probably around 50 and all we were using was the power in our legs to fight the wind. At one point my knees started to lock up too, but I just kept telling myself that I could do it. I started making up words to Rihanna's Disturbia song in my head. "No more gas in my legs, can't even get them started. All this wind against my head, trying to push though it. There's a hill up ahead... feels like I'm going insane!!!!" I kept singing that over and over as I pushed! Finally we made it back to Laura's and I laced up my running shoes and ran for an hour! I felt so good, it had to be a miracle! I even finished the run with some energy left in my tank! I was so happy and I kept telling myself "You ARE going to be an Ironman!"

Laura and I went to dinner at Whole Foods and I ate a lot so I wouldn't feel like I did last weekend on my Sunday run after I missed dinner on Saturday because I fell asleep. And I'm so glad I did because today I ran for 2 1/2 hours like the wind and I felt great!

Ironman is a mind game... and I am ready to play it!

Four weeks left till the big day!

XOXO

Cori

I did it!

I am so proud to tell you that yesterday I successfully completed 113 miles on the bike and a 35 minute T-run afterwards! I cant even begin to explain how awesome I felt after 8 hours of working out and how excited I am for Ironman. I am so thankful to Laura for making me do this ride as I am no longer nervous, well I should probably say afraid because I will be peeing in my pants with nervousness before the race, to bike 112 miles during Ironman. I have to say I had a few ups and down during the ride though. My new shoes eventually made my toes cramp up inside them after about 80 miles and by crotch hurt like a... well I'm not sure.. but it freakin hurt! I'm going to have to figure out something to do about that crotch thing... and I will probably just wear my old biking shoes and put new cleets on them in order to save my toes! I stayed on top of my nutrition and it payed off. I drank three 24 ounce gatorades, a water bottle and I ate... well more than most people could imagine. I ate every 45 minutes (and a few times in between when my body told me it was time) and my snacks included gels, bananas and clif kid Z bars (amazing by the way!) I also consumed two Endurolites tablets every hour or so and dumped one into my gatorade every time I filled it up. Depending on the race conditions I know I might need more Endurolites and salt, but we will have to wait until race day to determine that (even though I'm sure my pockets will be stuffed with the things nonetheless.)

Today I ran for two hours and six minutes, and felt really tired but I pushed through. It was probably because I fell asleep before I could eat a good dinner last night after my long day. I will be sure to never make that mistake again! Today I went to Souper Salad and made up for it with lots of veggies, fruit, salad, soup, cornbread (oh yeah I know you're jealous I can eat this much.) Sometimes I can't even believe how much I eat, and I can't believe I'm not 500 pounds. But I know it's what my body needs so I'll get over the fact that I feel like a human garbage disposal.

I also spent time at the library today reading other triathlete's blogs and race reports for past Ironman Arizona races. I actually cried when I was reading them because it is just so amazing. In the past, IMAZ was held in April and known for brutal heat and winds. I (as I'm sure all athletes) are praying for better conditions in this November race. Anyway the weather pans out... I will be mentally ready to take on this challenge and I know I will become an Ironman... I can just feel it!

Tomorrow I plan on swimming long again and I am also planning on taking a few Bikram yoga classes again in these final weeks before the race to loosen up my muscles. Bikram is amazing and i miss sweating my butt off in those classes.

More to come!

XOXO
Cori

Pushing Through

It is only 11:30 a.m. and today has already been a great day! I woke up to a phone call from Roosevelt University telling me I was accepted into grad school! Then I took my bike over to the shop to get my aero bars raised a bit and a speedometer put on. I am also going to look for new cycling shoes today as well. My shoes are old and they suck! Tomorrow I am biking 112 miles with Laura and her friend. I thought I would be nervous, as I have never attempted this distance before, but I am actually really excited to get out there and see how it will feel. It's good Ironman practice and I am looking forward to the pain... no really I am!

I will probably take Hannah on a long walk or hike on a trail today as it is my off day and I want to be rested for tomorrows long haul. I am still pretty bored here in Colorado otherwise and cant wait to move. Thirteen days until my parents get here! Feels like forever!

More to come and update on the long bike ride later!

XOXO
Cori

Bad weather...

So, first of all, I have had many requests for new pitures of Hannah. Here are a few from our "play date" with Julie's dogs, Vasco and Yogi Bear, on Friday. I let Hannah off her leash for the first time and she did surprisingly well and was a very good listener :) She had a blast. OH and thank you to Jessica for sending me Star's hand-me-downs, I love them and can't wait to take her hiking!

Today I was supposed to do a long ride with Laura, but the weather is really yucky! It has been really cold and rainy all day, so this morning we decided that we are going to ride on Monday and let the weekend weather push through. So, instead of biking today I ran for 2 1/2 hours in the rain. I am a little disappointed, though, because my hip is still bothering me. I really don't know what to do anymore! It feels more like a hip flexor thing now. It's not getting worse, but it's not getting better either. I made it 2 1/2 hours but it was painful. I am going to pray that it starts feeling better soon... PLEASE GOD! I've been laying off from the miles I normally put in and even take more days off, but it's not seeming to help. I guess I am going to continue to ice, stretch and rest as much as possible, but come on I have an Ironman coming up! I really, really REALLY hope that it feels better before the race - otherwise no Ironman for me and that would be a real bummer... :(


It's boring out here, and I don't have internet in my apartment so I have to go to the library every day! Last night I rented the Sex and the City movie and Hannah and I watched it and cuddled on the couch. I bought some new candles too, so it was nice and relaxing. Tonight we will go for a walk, and maybe, just maybe, I'll call my sister. We've had some misunderstandings lately, but I really hope we can work them out and spend some time together before I move to Illinois. Less than three weeks away now and I can't wait!

All for now,

XOXO

Cori

A new horizon...

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been so long since I've written a new post but I've been really busy! A lot of things in my life are changing and I am so excited to tell you about them!

First of all my trip home was awesome. Danielle was the most beautiful bride I've ever seen and I had a great time (and totally don't regret spending the money for the plane ticket!) A couple hours after I got off the plane on Thursday, September 25 I drove to St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Algonquin for the wedding rehearsal. Seeing Danielle and her family was so fun, as well as seeing some friends I haven't seen in a while (aka Christine!) After the rehearsal we went to Lu Malnoti's (probably spelled wrong) and drank wine and ate pizza (it's the best there!). Danielle gave us all purple sparkly purses to match our bridesmaid dresses and then we called it a night. On Friday, the day of the wedding, I worked out in the morning and then had my mom drive me over to Shannon's so she could do my hair. Her sister was cleaning up toilet paper because it was homecoming weekend at the high school I went to and it's a traditon to toilet paper people's houses (I know, its wierd) so I was laughing at her. After we were ready we walked down the street to Danielle's house where Christine was the first one to cry. Danielle looked so beautiful! Her dress was awesome and covered in Swarovski crystals (I'm jealous). We took pictures for a while and then hung out waiting for the limo that ended up being late! Once we got to the church we quickly cleaned the lipstick off Danielle's teeth (I guess it runs in the family, sorry D) before she walked down the aisle. The ceremony was beautiful and I even did a reading. I was really nervous though and forgot to turn the page for Danielle's mom (oops). After the ceremony, and more pictures of course, we crammed in the limo for some drinking and fun on the way to the reception! I was all smiles and it felt so good to be home with my friends. When we got to the Stongate we took more pictures and then danced and drank, of course, all night. It was so fun! Actually, I think I was the only person on the dance floor from the first song to the last song.. what can I say, some things never change :) When the reception ended Christine and I decided we weren't finished yet and went to Bandito's (a samll bar in my home town) in our dresses. All in all I had a great time at the wedding and wish Danielle and Adam a happy marraige! I bet they had a blast in whatever islands they went to (cant remember sorry!) for their honeymoon!

On Saturday I went up to Racine, WI for my cousin Tia's 12th birthday. I had so much fun seeing my family that I haven't seen in a long time and playing badmitton by the lake (they live on Lake Michigan) We also stopped at my grandma's condo and my grampa's apartment on the way home, which was also really nice. For the rest of my vacation I spent my time training at the gym, visiting shools, seeing family (I took my grandma out to lunch and my dad took me apple picking [awesome]) and friends. I am also really glad that I decided to randomly text Barry (thanks to facebook, I guess it's good for something!) while I was home because I ended up hanging out with him and Tyler most nights. It's funny because I don't remember anything to do at home - any bars or anything anyone does (even the names of the roads!) so it was awesome to have them to take me around! I had so much fun with them :) I also got to see Tiff and her baby, Dylan, on Saturday and lot of other people too (too many to name, sorry!)

Lastly, to make a long story short, yes, Brian and I broke up. The exciting thing is that I am moving back to Chicago (something I should have done a long time ago!) at the end of the month and most likely attending grad school at Roosevelt University (if I get in!). I am SO EXCITED for my life to change and I know in my heart that it is the best thing that could happen to me right now. From being home I know that I am meant to be closer to my family and friends at this time in my life and I couldn't be happier. It is something I just felt inside every day that I was home. It's boring being in Colorado alone right now and these three weeks before I move will be hard, but the thought of what's to come keeps me going! I'm also going to keep up my Ironman training in Colorado so when I move it will be time to taper and less stressful. I'll see everyone in Arizona Nov. 17-25!

More to come!

XOXO

Cori

Colorado Relay

Running through the Rocky Mountains from Friday morning to Saturday morning really had an impact on my life. I cannot even begin to explain the feeling of running in the mountains at 2 a.m., just me, the Eagle river to my left, snow capped mountains to my right, a full moon and stars brighter than I've ever seen reflecting off of the river. All I could hear was my foot steps, and my mind telling me, "this is what life is all about."

The 174-mile Colorado Relay adventure started at 7 a.m. Friday morning in Georgetown. Runners 1-5 were in van A and runners 6-10 were in van B (my van). I was runner 9. After meeting in Morrison at 5 a.m. my van drove to exchange point 5 where our 6th runner would take the bracelet from runner 5. My first run was at about 4 p.m. in Breckenridge. It was about 6 miles and it was snowing and cold! I had a great run though and I felt really good. After our first legs we went to one of our teammembers parents house in Frisco and hung out. The house was amazing and we all drank hot chocolate, ate some food and took a nice nap. At around 10 it was time to drive to our next exchange point to meet the other runners again. My second run was the run I described earlier - about 12 miles on highway 6 around Eagle, CO. I was alone for most of the run and my iPod was out of battery, so it was just me and my footsteps. It was amazing. After our second legs we slept in the van at the next exchange poing until about 7:30 a.m. My third and final leg was about 6 miles on an uphill dirt road toward Carbondale. About halfway into the run a cow was standing in the road blocking my way! I had to wait for him to move over and let me pass because there was barbed wire on either side of the road. It was scary! We finished in about 27 hours in Carbondale and the weather was perfect.

But now it is back to Ironman training! I missed a long bike on Saturday because of the relay (it was worth it) so this weekend im in it for the long haul.

Home in a week :)

XOXO Cori

Hannah, Colorado Relay, VMA's

Hannah got spayed yesterday. I dropped her off around 7:30 in the morning and picked her back up at 4:30 in the afternoon. As soon as I got her home she started throwing up, and after the fourth time I called the emergency veterinary hospital to ask if this is normal. They told me to bring her in because it isn't normal. So after $411 for the spay, I had to pay another $180 for her emergency visit where they pumped her with fluids and antibiotics. Ugh, I am officially broke. But I would rather be broke and have Hannah alive, than Hannah be dead and I have money. This morning she is doing better, but is still pretty loopy. I got her to eat some turkey lunch meat and take a few licks of an ice cube. I am Hannah's personal nurse. :)

The Colorado Relay is coming up on Friday. I am meeting my team at 5 a.m. and we start the race at 7 a.m. We should be done running about 170 miles through the Rocky Mountains Saturday morning. I am very excited to meet my team and make some new friends! My left groin area still hurts from the bike crash at the 5430 half iron race, but I think it will be good to give it a break from biking and just concentrate on running this weekend. The race starts in Georgetown and ends in Carbondale, CO. My team is an all-woman team. Each team has 10 runners and I am runner 9. Each runner runs three times. For more information go to http://coloradorelay.com and check it out!

Each year I get really excited for the MTV Video Music Awards because I am a big dork and I follow all that celebrity stuff because I think it's fun. I was excited to watch this year because I love Rihanna and she was part of the opening act. Also, lots of crazy stuff always happens. I think I've watched the VMA's every year for the past 10 years I would say. However, this year was repulsive! The host Russell Brand, a British comedian, ruined the show for me as soon as he started talking! All he did was rip on President Bush, make fun of the Jonas Brother's purity rings and other things that I just couldn't believe! Believe me I am not a a republican and I don't wear a promise ring, but honestly, who approved that guys act? I think its awesome that some teenagers these days choose to wear a ring and not have sex until they are married, what is wrong with that? I also think it was wrong for a foreign comedian to make fun of our country's president at an award show in our country! Whether someone is republican, democrat, liberal or whatever, I'm sure people with any political view were offended by this guy making fun of our president like that. Booo I hate Russell Brand. Rihanna, though... awesome! Christina Aguilera too!

Well, it's off to the gym this morning and then taking care of Miss Hannah the rest of the day :)

XOXO
Cori

When life throws you curve balls

... try and hit them out of the park. That's what I have been telling myself this week. Lots of changes have been happening in my life, both at work and mentally.

First of all I am leaving my job personal training at Bladium for various reasons I wont write about on the internet, except that I am not a sales person. However, I love my job as a BCOR boot camp coach in Wash Park so everything will be OK.

I am also really, really excited to go home for one of my best friends from high school Danielle's wedding. I am going home September 25 and couldn't be happier. I miss everyone and everything in IL so much. I know that IL is where my heart is, and I have been thinking about that constantly lately.

This holiday weekend was great. On Friday I saw "Tropic Thunder" and it was ridiculously stupid. I hate those cheesy comedies! But it was ok because the restaurant, Cuisine of the Himilayas, made up for it. It's up in Evergreen and... awesome! On Saturday I was going to ride with the Laura and the Rocky Mountain Cycling Club, but when I got on the bike my groin was still bothering me a bit so I wanted to stick close to home in case I had to stop biking, so I biked for 4 hours and 15 minutes on my own and then ran 40 minutes. Everything went good and didn't feel too bad. I also ate at Chipotle twice this weekend, went out to breakfast on Sunday morning in Evergreen after an amazing 14 mile run and tried the Kolashe Factory today! Yum yum yum! haha a weekend of eating! Kolashes are like dinner rolls stuffed with eggs, cheese and whatever else they put in there. They are so yummy! I ate three of them!

On Thursday I met Jill, one of the girls I will be running the Colorado Relay with in two weeks, and we ran about 5 miles around Wash Park after boot camp. I am so excited for the relay and it sounds intense! It's all through the Rockies and ends by Aspen. I am the 9th runner and will run three times, just like the Ragnar Relay in Arizona. This time there will be less Cacti and more mountains!

Time to take Hannah to the lake!

XOXO
Cori

Steamboat Springs, etc.

Hello everyone! It's been about two weeks since my last post and I appologize. It was a rough and eventfull two weeks though. First of all, I got to see my family when they moved my sister out here about a week and a half ago. It was so good to see my parents! Although the weather wasn't great! It never rains in Denver and it rained all weekend, for three days straight! I ended up doing all my training indoors on Saturday. I rode the indoor bike while watching the Olympics for three hours and swam. I was glad the rain let up Sunday morning for a bit, so I was able to get a good two hour run in on the Cherry Creek trail.

Speaking of the Olympics, I am both sad and relieved they are over! I was definately staying up way too late every night watching swimming and gymnastics and honestly it almost killed me! I have to get up several mornings throughout the week at 5 a.m. to teach boot camp and I was staying up past midnight most of the nights before. It was rough, but who can resist watching Michael Phelps. I sure cant. I think the Olympics really got the best of me because I had a dream a couple nights ago that I won my age group at Ironman Arizona in November and got a slot at World Championships so I got to be on the Ellen DeGeneres show. In the dream Ellen asked me what my dream date would be and I told her "eating chocolate chip pancakes with Michael Phelps." haha what the heck? Either I really am craving chocolate chip pancakes or I've been watching too much Olympics and hearing Michael Phelps name too much! Then she brought him on the show and I asked him if he would eat chocolate chip pancakes with me. I have the wierdest dreams. I think it was because all the radio shows have been talking about lately is how much Michael Phelps eats. I swear, people are fascinated by how much the guy eats... and his body structure. I think every magazine I picked up last week had a full page spread of him with arrows pointing to all his abnormal body parts. Thank God he is not a girl because I would hate that haha! Talk about a self esteem crusher. "She has huge feet, short legs, huge hands, double jointed knees etc." Sill, though, it is hard to imagine someone 12 days older than me has accomplished so much! Thats awesome! Good thing MP has a great personality, is cute and is really fun to watch!

Anyway, after my sister got settled in her new apartment I took her to the pool with me. I hardly ever do stroke drills but the training program I'm using for Ironman says to do them. I guess my groin really didn't like the breast stroke because the next morning I couldn't even walk. It was such a bummer because I had a the Steamboat Springs Triathlon coming up on Sunday and it hurt to do all three sports! One of my clients told me I am the only person he knows that has injured themselves swimming, and I thought, yep, I don't know anyone either! haha! Good thing I felt OK by Saturday because the race directors wouldn't let me out of the race. I did a 40 minute run with Jane and George and it hurt, but I decided I could get through the race the next day. It ended up being a lot of fun and I'm really glad I did it. It was a shorter race (3/4 mile swim, 20 mile bike, and 4 mile run) and I am also thankful for that! I ended up getting 2nd in my age group and I beat the girl in 3rd by 20 minutes! Jane told me that I could have pinched a nerve when that guy crashed into me at the 5430 half, so I will have to keep resting it out and see what happens. Steamboat was beautiful and the weather was great. One piece of advice for everyone though... don't ride a motorcycle for 6 hours (what we did to get to Steamboat) because it SUCKS! My butt has never been in so much pain! Great idea Brian! I ended up paying someone to take my bike back to Boulder and hitched a ride with Jane and George back home instead of taking the motorcycle with Brian. Best decision I have ever made in my life!

The Colorado Relay is coming up next on my race list and that will be exciting! 200 miles of running through the Rockies with 10 girls. :)

Have a great day!

XOXO

Cori

5430 :(

So the 5430 race was, in one word, HORRIBLE! The worst part is that I had a bad race not because of my own fitness level and capabilities, but because of my goggles filling up with water and an idiot on the bike.

So here is what happened:

First of all my goggles filled up with water as soon as I started the swim. My swim ended up being 10 minutes slower than I could have swam because I had to stop 10 times to let the water out and re adjust my goggles.

THEN...

As I was completing my first loop of the bike course and approaching the intersection of Jay Rd and 51st a man came up from behind me to pass me on my left. There were volunteers yelling at us to go straight for our second loop, but obviously he did not hear them. Instead, as soon as he passed me he took a sharp right turn about two inches in front of me causing me to crash into him head on at about 22 mph. I went flying over my handlebars, skidding across the road on the left side of my body landing in the middle of the road unable to move. The man swerved and kept going straight to begin the second lap of the bike course and never stopped to see if I was ok. He was obviously confused about the course and thought we were all turning right at that intersection. Luckily, the firemen from the fire department located on that corner were there and they picked my bike and me up off of the road and out of traffic. It was very scary, as cars were driving toward me as I was sprawled out in the middle of the road and I am surprised no athletes behind me crashed into me as well. After the crash I could barely walk and I was unable to continue the race. The firemen bandaged me up and drove me and my bike back to the transition area where I proceeded to the medical tent for further attention.

Well.. at least I got to ride in a fire truck! Gosh, I was so disappointed. My bike is a little scratched up and I feel like I got run over by a truck today. After the race many athletes suggested I write the race directer an e-mail and tell him what happened and ask for a refund. Last night I did that, and I also gave him suggestions as to how he could make the race safer and better in the future.

In my opinion, the part of the race where I crashed was very dangerous. I think it would be better if they lined cones up in the middle of the lane, one side for people turning right that are done with their second lap, and one side on the left for people continuing straight and onto their second lap. I think this would solve some confusion that happened out there. I also think there were a lot of issues with how the waves were designed. I don't believe it is safe to start the slowest, oldest age groups first, and the fastest age groups last, as they seemed to be scheduled at the race. It would be a lot safer if the faster athletes, beginning with the men, started first and the slower athletes and women behind them. This would allow for a lot less passing and less potential accidents and injuries. I think safety is much more important than setting up the waves so that everyone is finished before a desired time. The whole time I was on the bike the men behind me would blow by me at very fast speeds, on the left AND on the RIGHT without warning. No matter what the USAT rules, we all know that rules were made to be broken and realistically many, many athletes do not follow them out there on the course and USAT officials cant be everywhere on the course at one time.

I am happy though that I decided to buy a charity spot for the Steamboat Springs triathlon in two weeks. It is a shorter race, which is fine, and it will give me a chance to redeem myself since I feel like crap for not finishing the last race. I have never DNF'd before and it wasn't even my fault.

Upcoming race, BCOR, grad school, lots of random stuff :)

Hi everyone! Well today I am using my computer again for the first time in FOREVER! Brian ordered a new hard drive, we stuck it in, and now I have a fresh computer (meaning I still lost everything I had, but don't have to spend $ I don't have on a new computer.) YAY!

So for the past couple weeks I have been keeping the training up so I can race the 5430 half Ironman in Boulder this Sunday. I hope I am recovered enough to race a good time and finish feeling fresh, as if I could continue on. Feeling this way at the finish line is great Ironman training both mentally and physically. Tomorrow I will drop Hannah off at Julie's house so she can babysit for the weekend and I can concentrate on the race. Then we'll head up to Boulder to stay with Jane and George for the night and then it's race time on Sunday! Wish me luck!

Last Sunday I participated in BCOR Fitness for Life training. I am going to start teaching a boot camp-type outdoor exercise class soon, and continue training to become a coach next week. I am SO excited!

I also submitted my online application to ASU's graduate program yesterday. Just in case we end up moving back to Arizona in November I want to be prepared. I loved being involved in the educational system in Phoenix, especially the Ahwatukee Foothills area, and am thrilled about the fact that I could someday be a part of it again. I still have to wait for the fingerprint clearance process, mail in my letters of recommendation and some other things for my application to be complete, but I should know if I am accepted around November as the deadline is October 15!

Hannah has been sick this week. She started sneezing on Monday when lightening struck the mountain by our apartment and our town filled with smoke. At first I thought it was because of the smoke but on Tuesday she threw up and started getting worse, so I took her to the vet on Wednesday. Now she is on antibiotics and special diet for an upper respiratory infection... my poor baby!

My parents and sister are leaving on Monday to drive my sister out to move here! I am excited for her to be here and can't wait to see my family!!!!!!!!! :) They should be here Tuesday or Wednesday.

I also took the Felt in for a makeover this week. Now she has pink grip tape, a pink seat and a pink bottle holder! They also fixed the derailers (hopefully) so my chain stops falling off. I am going to take it for a spin today just to make sure, but it gives me a lot more confidence when my bike is functioning properly, not to mention looking HOT! haha. The shops name is TREADS and I am a big fan! I recommend going there if you havent and you live in Colorado!

OK well it's time to finish watching the Today show, Michael Phelps and Ryan Lockte are supposed to be on which is exciting. The opening ceremony of the Olympics is today at 7:30 so guess what I'll be doing tonight... yep, watching it. After a little Olive Garden of course!

XOXO
Cori

AZ, Mountain Man, Broken Computer

I have not written in a couple weeks because my computer finally died :(
I am very upset because all my iTunes, photos and personal documents were saved on it. I guess I have learned my lesson to always back up my hard drive.

Last Thursday we left for Phoenix at around 5:40 p.m. We drove throught the night, taking the 70 West, through Moab, Flagstaff and Finally Phoenix. We arrived at Brian's dad's house around 5 a.m. Hannah was such a good road doggie and she hardly squeeled the whole way down. The drive was eventfull - filled with rain and stormy weather, and on my last driving shift I had to let Brian take back over because I was so tired I was worried I would fall asleep on the 17 between Flagstaff and Phoenix. All in all though, it was a nice, scenic, beautiful drive.

Of course it was hot in Phoenix. 110 I believe! On Friday after I took a nap I took Hannah to my old work, the Ahwatukee Foothills News, and showed her off to everyone! It was so fun! I ended up staying longer than I had planned and Brian was a little upset with me because we were late to our lunch at Pink Taco with Keith. Good thing Keith is such a nice guy and understood! Thanks Keith! There are SO many people in Phoenix. I have never noticed it before, but the Denver area is definately not as crowded as the Phoenix area. There were people everywhere in that hot a** oven!!! I couldn't believe it! After lunch, I went to visit Luanne at her condo in Tempe. It was so nice to be able to see her and her pregnant belly! :) Then we had dinner at Brian's mom's house and I brought Hannah over there as well. She was such a good girl! Saturday morning we had pancakes at Brian's dad's house with his little brother and cousins before we headed up to Flagstaff for the race. There were so many people at packet pick up at Lake Mary around 2 p.m. on Saturday when we arrived! We saw everyone we knew there! As soon as I got their I saw Keith in line with his cousins and Jorge and Laurie and Adam too! It was so fun and I think Hannah enjoyed meeting everyone too :)

Saturday night we ate at Olive Garden by our hotel with Adam. I had linguini with marinara sauce and salad and breadsticks... mmmmm!!!!! Then I rode my bike around the parking lots to make sure the chain wouldn't fall off. Luckily Adam fixed it for me and I was good to go! Thanks!!!

We got up on Sunday at 3:30 a.m.... early!!! I had my jelly and banana sandwich and packed everything up and we were outta there by 4:15. Setting up transition with Hannah in one hand and my bike and gigantic gear bag in the other was challenging until Laurie showed up to take her for me! Thanks Laurie! Without her I would have never even been able to do the race! At about 5:50 we walked over to the swim start. Now that was the toughest part of the race! The road was so rocky I thought my feet were going to fall off! The swim went fine, I swam 35 minutes, which is an improvement from my last half Ironman swim of 40 minutes. However, when I got into transition someone had thrown all my stuff everywhere and put a huge beach bag on top of my transition stuff! I had to search for my biking shoes, gels, sunglasses and helmet before I was off on the bike. I was pretty ticked off. I took the bike easy, it was a lot of hills and I just wanted to get through it so I had a good run. In the beginning of the bike I was with a guy who was riding the same bike as Brian, had the same Zipp wheels as Brian, was wearing the same top as Brian AND who's name was BRIAN! It was funny! When I left the transition area for the run (which again was annoying because someone had thrown my stuff around again and a gel was smooshed and open all over my running shoe) it was 3:49. I was going for a slower time than my last half! I was mad, so I took the run pretty hard. I ended up having a great run and crossed the finish line at 5:37 - EXACTLY the same time as my last half Ironman. However, the last race was 6,000 feet lower elevation and wasn't hilly at all, so over all it was a huge improvement and I am happy!

After I crossed the finish line it was pouring rain, so Brian and I got our awards (both first in our age groups) and packed up the car, got Hannah from Laurie and headed back up to Colorado! The drive was long and my legs were stiff... we arrived home around 1 in the morning on Monday. What a weekend!

Today Laura and I went biking around the foothills for about 3 1/2 hours and then did a 30 minute run. It was a good day and the weather was great! I really hope I am recovered and feeling good in 2 weeks for the 5430 race in Boulder!!! If not, I will take it slow and just have fun! It's all for Ironman training anyway!

So all in all, life is good right now. My sister moves out here August 12, that will be fun, and I start teaching boot camp down town in August as well. Things are starting to feel normal up here finally :)

XOXO
Cori

Sunday Funday

I thought I'd post some new pictures of Hannah for everyone today. I took these when she was running around on the grass, before she ate my favorite Crocs sandal. I am so sad about that! I will have to get new ones.... dang it!

Today I did an hour bike and a 85 minute run. It was a good day and I felt really good so I am happy. We also went to the bike shop to get stuff for Mountain Man and to try to fix my bike. We tried changing the chain, and that didnt work, so we tried changing the big chain ring and that didn't work either. I still dont know why the chain doesn't catch on the ring every two revolutions. It's the weirdest thing and I am so sad! Brian also cut his hand really bad trying to get the chain ring off the bike and now he has a super deep cut on his hand. I feel so bad! This stupid bike! This is one reason why triathlon is annoying - because you have to use a machine for one of the segements and if it isn't working properly you are screwed. On the swim and the run it is all up to your body, but the bike depends on what condition your bike is in, as well as your body's fitness.

Tomorrow I am going to head to Trifecta Multisport in Littleton because the Newton Running website says they sell their shoes there. I hope so! I checked out the store's sight and they didn't have the brand listed, but it is worth a shot so I don't have to drive all the way to Boulder or pay for shipping. I'll probably call first.

Man, I am really mad about that sandal! :(

OK time to run to Safeway and go to bed!

<3>

Work, training, racing and more!

So my first week of work at Bladium went well. I love working at a gym; it is so awesome being able to wear comfortable clothes in a comfortable atmosphere, helping people pursue healthy lifestyles and working around cool people. I really hope I can build a nice client base and really enjoy my job there!

I looked at the results from the Freedom Run 5K I did on July 4 and found out I placed first in the 20-29 age group out of 50 people. I also got 9th female overall out of 350, which is awesome. I am happy that my run is finally feeling better at elevation! On Thursday Brian and I will leave for the drive down to Phoenix. We will be doing the Mountain Man Triathlon in Flagstaff on Sunday, but want to stop and see our friends and family in Phoenix before the race. I'm pretty sure I will do the half Ironman distance, but I am apprehensive because I am doing the 5430 half Iroman three weeks later, and then a sprint distance in Steamboat Springs two weeks after that. I have quite a busy schedule coming up, but I am excited for it. It will all help my training for Ironman Arizona.

Yesterday was my 23rd birthday! Although I was alone for the majority of the day I had a great time! Fridays are my off day from training, so I had the whole day to do whatever I want! In the morning I took Hannah to Wag N Wash and she got a nice bath and her nails clipped. We also got a new toy for $3. Hannah got pampered on my birthday - haha - but it was so fun! Then I dropped her off to nap and I headed to the Cherry Creek Mall in Denver. I shopped at Nordstrom with a gift card, bought a purple tank top and some new make-up. I talked to the Estee Lauder girl about my Aunt Marla forever... everytime I go to Nordstrom I just cant help but think of her the whole time! We love Nordstrom, it's the BEST! Anyway, then I went to Dick's Sporting Goods and used another gift card. I got a new running outfit, new biking outfit, new goggles and some gels. It felt so awesome to be able to buy new stuff. I don't remember the last time I went shopping and actually bought things I WANT and don't necessarily NEED! It was great! Brian and I went to dinner at Elephant Bar later on in the night and lot s and lots of friends and family called me all day. All in all, it was a great birthday considering the lonely circumstances!

Today I finally met Laura, the girl who found my blog a couple months ago and contacted me by e-mail. She just moved to the Denver area as well and is also doing Ironman Arizona. I'm so glad I will have someone to train on the bike with. It will make me get out there and get some miles in since we all know biking is not my favorite thing! So, thanks Laura and I look forward to training with you some more! Today Laura met us at our apartment in Lakewood and followed us up to Boulder to meet Jane and George and their friend, Patrick, for a bike and run. I felt so much better than last weekend, when I crashed on a road that was under construction and really just felt like crap all day! Today was great. It was fun and some good training, so I am really excited to get out there for all my upcoming races!

Something is wrong with my Felt since I fell on it last weekend and I am pretty sad about it. Hopefully I can get it fixed this weekend (Brian will help me) so I can use it at Mountain Man. Otherwise I will be stuck with my training bike at the race. So much for riding my race bike on training rides... I'm not going to do that as much anymore!

Well, it's time to get some sleep! I am planning shorter bike and long run tomorrow morning, after I take Hannah on her morning walk of course!

<3
Cori