NO EXCUSE and INBA Fitness Mom

INBA Fitness
18% BF 115#

Maria Kang- No excuse Challenge
24% BF 135#

   


            NO EXCUSE 
            BIKINI MOM
                     




 As some of you know a few years back I said someday I wanted to compete in a fitness competition or maybe do some fighting in the ring..(Don't laugh, I'm pretty scrappy) I ultimately want the "I can kick your ass look" not "I look like I just starved for a month look" . Gross.
Anyhow, I made a bet with a certain daughter and her friends I would do it before I was 35. Of course the time went by and I found my passion. SWIM.BIKE.RUN and along came the chance to race for ER to raise money for terminally ill children. 
After joining the gym a few of my friends who also compete in fitness competitions kept telling me I should do it. I didn't have much time before I hit 35 but I still wasn't sure I could pull it off. 
After all I have carried 4 children and gained a massive amount of weight and a few tiger marks. 
There was no way I was getting in a bikini and not to mention on a stage in front of a bunch of people who were going to dissect my every fiber and anything I worked hard for.
Well, summer of 2013 I joined the Maria Kang No Excuse mom challenge. Soon followed the training for my first fitness show. The rest is history! 
I kept my goals pretty private with only a few friends and family members in on the challenge . I had amazing support from all of them. I was so determined to do it all.
While still training for endurance I was also trying to figure out how I could do both. 
These two sports are COMPLETELY different and most people say you can't do both at the same time. The nutrition and training are opposite but I am so stubborn that I will find a way to do it. 
I know its possible (Ashley Horner) does it. :)
I only did a 5 mile race and 1 fitness comp so far for 2014. It was difficult to say the least. I lost time on my runs and haven't even had a chance to get on my bike. I wasn't nearly as "fit"as I expected to be when I stepped on that stage BUT I am NOT done and with the help of  Trainer Dave a few awesome and knowledgeable friends some self motivation and a whole lot of determination I WILL back to back compete in June and race my heart out ... Keep an eye out for some updates on how my mind and body is keeping up with me.. <3
PS. I rocked that bikini extra body fat , stretch marks and all. I even got a crowd applause with my "signature pose" and some awesome emails that have me pretty excited. Look out Bikini mamas, its my turn. 
This year I plan to be healthier STRONGER and much faster and with a set of solid abs. 

<3 BikiniTriathlete .. 

Folsom 70.3

Folsom Long Course 70.3

1.2mile swim.56mile ride.13.1mile run

August 11th 2013 ~

3:30am~ 
Thats a toughy. I hopped up out of bed excited that the day had came for the 70.3 miles we had trained hard for. 18 weeks of training, lots of hard work and dedication. We were just your average moms taking on a race we never imagined we could do. 
Susan picked Eric and I up at 4 sharp. Unfortunately our bikes had fallen out of their tie down on the way over. We situated them and hoped they would be fine. 
On the way over to Folsom we laughed and joked about our fun training days and all the great times we had putting in all of those miles at the pool, on the road and at the gym. We started to come down the massive hil on the road we would be CLIMBING for 30 miles. It frightened me and I made comments about how the website said there was only 1 Cat 5 climb (not a big deal, we are use to those) however this seemed MUCH bigger. Eric told me to stop worrying about it, its not that long..
We arrived in Folsom about 5:15 am and headed towards check-in/transition.
We walked straight over and found an empty rack for our bike and set up shop. I was surprised about the non-athletes being in transition and even told Eric he would probably be asked to leave. He never was. We headed over to check-in and grabbed our bibs and bag, used the john and checked out the competition.. (Not really) but I was checking out their amazing bikes that probably cost as much as my car. I secretly pretend my bike is just like theirs. 
Back over in transition we decided to get our body markings over with. Again, surprised at the number of people in the transition area. I had my helmet,glasses and bib knocked off my bike two times by a spectator. It was frustrating. 
I decided to take my bike around the bend for a quick spin to make sure it was all fine. It was (I thought)! I decided to put a new water bottle holder on the night before on my handlebars so it was easy to grab. ROOKIE move. I asked Eric to help me take it of but he said it was fine to leave it alone. I had a bad feeling.

1.2 Mile Swim~
As we headed down to the beach I hugged Eric and he wished me good luck. I tried to keep him in my sights so I could find him when I got out of the water. 
They said we would start at 7am sharp. They lied.
I had no idea it was a deep water start. I was already nervous about swimming with the 250 pound men next to me. We swam out to the water and waded for about 9 minutes, I let the fear take over me. I began to panic. I don't know if it was all the men around looking all beefy and competitive or the fact that I was cold and getting tired of sitting out there. 
I heard the countdown begin and Susan and I were right next to one another. THANK GOODNESS. I had a full blown "I can't do this " moment. This has never happened to me in a race before. Susan called out my name and asked me if I was okay, I replied with a "NOOO, I can't move"  I was so scared. I tried to look forward and move along with the breast stroke. I couldn't see anything with the bright morning sun directly in my eyes and the large beefy man waves plummeting into my lungs. Not seconds later did I get elbowed right in the head and jacked at least 4-5 times by either a foot or an elbow in the arms and side. It was BRUTAL. 
It took me a good 5-6 minutes to gain control of my breathing. Susan was great, she never let me out of her sight and kept asking me if I was okay. Every time I tried to put my face down I had a near death experience, Hyperventilation at its finest. I looked back and realized that the other group of red capped beefy men were about to take over the water around me again. 
We had almost reached the first turn and I felt relieved that the sun would be out of my eyes and most of the crazy competitive men were out of my bubble. 
Susan and I settled into a really good stroke , every now and then we could see one another as we came up for air. We made it past the second turn and things seemed to be getting easier. We were gliding right along and I can tell we had picked up the pace because we started passing people. (I wasted us so much valuable time in the beginning) I knew we were at the halfway point and I started to get really excited. So excited when I looked up to see Susan she was GONE. I lost her, I couldn't see her when I looked back because the sun was now blaring behind us. ( later she told me she saw me the whole time) 
I felt really, really comfortable now and started to speed up.
 BOOOMMM. I just got JACKED. Two grown ass men took me down. I tried to regroup, came up stunned and all disoriented I apologized as if it was my fault. The nice medium sized man on my right waved me on with the same apologies I had but the big ole overgrown beast of a man splashed his hand towards me as if I had ruined his Mojo. 
After I revived myself again and did a few chest compressions to get the water enema out of my lungs I realized I was at the final turn. I could see the finish and I couldn't get out of that water quick enough. 
Eric was waiting at the top taking pictures and yelling at me to hurry up. ( Get your ass out there and then tell me to hurry up) haha!! He was talking to me along the spectator side and saying how CRAZY that swim looked. He said the waves from the men were unreal.
Of course I had to know my time knowing I did not do well the first half of the swim. OH MY, I didn't realize it was that long. 48 minutes. NOT how I trained and I was hoping for 35 minutes. Oh well, make it up on the bike.

T-1 : 
Susan came out of the water not far behind me( had she not waited for me she would have been before me). Eric was laughing at me about how long it took to get my socks on ( I put my compression socks on before the run)  and again told me I was wasting time to hurry up. He said he was going to buy me short socks. haha
Susan was about done in transition and I was still putting on my shoes. 
I remembered what Carla had told me about making sure my helmet was buckled so we wouldn't get DQ'ed. We had all of our nutrition in a bottle. It was the yummy Infinit Isis. We had trained with 250 calories every hour and that worked well. 
We both ran out of transition not far apart. 2 seconds on my bike and my water bottle fell out off the new holder I had just put on. AUUGHHH!! 
I hope I don't get a penalty for littering. 

56 Mile Bike~ 
We knew we had about 4 hours for the bike leg and we also knew we would be close but fine. Eric said see you in a bit and I said around 4 hours, okay 3.5 I yelled back..lol
The bike started out great and Susan and I were right on target. 
During the first 5-6 miles I felt great and we were in groups. 
We were on small city roads and paved back roads around buildings. The course so far had been marked well with volunteers on hand. 
We turned off onto Latrobe road and I started to notice my back brake was rubbing. It was the first of MANY hills to come for the next 30 miles. I had to pull off the road several times and try to fix my rubbing brake. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. 
REMEMBER the rookie water bottle holder move. It was pressing my cable and it was so tight I couldn't move it. My brake was on drag mode for the rest of the race. Not only was it an annoying sound but it didn't make the ride easier either. 
Susan and I would do the leap frog for most of the ride. We were close enough to talk and keep one another going most of the time. 
Around mile 24 we started to notice people turning around and everyone going in different directions. A few people asked us what course we were doing. There was obvious confusion on the course for all the distances. 
Meanwhile we are still pedaling our hearts out and I completely forgot to keep taking in my nutrition.It wasn't really hot by this time and I felt good but I knew how important it was to keep up with it. 
FINALLY, no more major hills. We rode for a few miles and came to the water station at mile 45. I had to use the bathroom as did Susan. We did the you hold my bike, I will hold yours. 
Apparently a few bikers had past us and Susan was on a mission to get them back.
She yelled back at me to hurry up that we need to catch the little skinny chic.. I yelled up ... "SUSAN she is only 15"..hahaha We both got a really good laugh. 
We were holding a pretty good pace and I still felt relatively good after all those mountains. We were getting close to the 3.5 hour mark and I began to get a little nevous but I knew we would be just fine. 
We had a good 10 mile stretch of flat and fast canal roads. 
Near mile 53 a lady had passed out and fell off of her bike. There were about 3 other athletes assisting her and on the phone with 911. The ambulance had actually just turned as we were passing. SO close to finishing up the longest ride we had ever done. 
We were definitely going to make the 4 hour cut off but it was going to be close. 
we turned back onto the main roads and had caught up with the 15 year old and about 5 other riders. It was near the last half mile when things went BAD. The very last turn took us around the overpass . 
NO volunteers at all , cones scattered everywhere and tourists and bikers coming at us all in every direction. When your riding down a hill at 35 and you have to make a split second decision you hope its the right one. Well, we made the decision along with 4-5 other athletes. We started up the overpass and by the time we had got to the top we all realized we made a crucial mistake, or did we? There was nobody around and to get back there was a very STEEP hill to go down. We went down and it took us into a very different direction and out towards the other side of the lake. OH MY GAWD. This can't be happening. The other athletes had all gone in every different direction and I could tell we were all trying to figure our way back. 
FINALLY, Thank goodness Susan is somewhat good with directions. We made our way back up the overpass and back down to the other side where there was a volunteer and we let him know what was happening. ( I think he was in the wrong spot). The cones were obviously moved and we had no help directing us on where to go. It cost us a good 20 minutes. 
We got over near the parking lot and again with the other riders were confused about where to go. There was nobody around and cones were everywhere. Well, the guy  was there just not paying attention. 
We made it back over to transition and Eric is there with a smile and a comment of course. "GEEZ, Babe did you get lost"..lol YESSSSS we did.
There were kids running everywhere and we couldn't even get into transition. I was thankful the ride was over and thought other than the mishap we did pretty well. UNTIL they told us we couldn't finish that we needed to drop out of the race. We were to late and we missed the cut off time by minutes. WELL NO FREAKING KIDDING. 
Eric was yelling at me to go. Hello I can't I have been DQ'ed.. We were ALL in disbelief. How could we just spend 5 hours out on a course  and then be told we can't finish. I was mortified. NO WAY. 
Trying to hold back the tears, unsuccessful I might add. I made my over to the man in charge along with Susan and other athletes who also were in disbelief. 
The staff were all arguing and another lady who was telling me it would be okay that she would bring us water to go finish what we came her to do. 

T-2
MASS CHOAS- So many of us were so confused. Why are they DQ'ing us, why are they taking our chips, what on earth are they telling us we can't finish. 
We still had well over 3 hours to run a half marathon. They said there was no support on the course and it would be dangerous. ARE YOU KIDDING ME, people are still racking their bikes and starting their run. 
They kept telling us to go cross the finish line as an Aqua-Bike finisher. After 25-30 minutes of listening to staff argue and people yelling Susan and I went over to the finish line and walked through, I nearly cried in Erics chest for another 5 minutes, I was hyperventilating. The same was I was in the water..lol
Eric and the mom of 5  just kept saying you girls came here to complete a 70 mile race. GO DO IT. everyone else decided on running as well.

13.1 mile run ~ FORGET YOU PEOPLE we came her to race a 70.3 mile race. There was no way you were going to stop us. 
Along the course of the chaos we had forgotten to grab our nutrition, visor and bibs. Susan was concerned because they said there would be no support. YEAH right. Every single aid station was still out there. Along with plenty of runners that still had their chips.. 
At this point my emotions had taken over and I cried about every 25 steps. I called Eric along the course and cried more. I was feeling very sorry for mysql. Get over it , right?!
Then after I realized that we were only 1-2 mile behind everyone else ( even after a 20-25 minute delay) I started to get my energy back and Susan and trotted along our merry way. 
There were so many of us out there who had been told we couldn't finish what we had set out to do, along with the father of 5 who's wife was consoling me, the 15 year old girl, the old man with a limp and even the couple who had to wait for the ambulance to assist the girl on conscious , along with many others we all exchanged frustrations as we ran along or passed one another. I am sure the people with their chips were thinking ( glad it wasn't me who took that wrong turn 5 seconds before these duds..lol
Anyhow, after an emotional run but definitely a fun run Susan and I made the cutoff time by at least 20 minutes easy even with our turn around and chaotic T-2. We all out out SPRINTED through the finish line trying to beat one another across the finish, just like we do in training. It is always a competition with us..haha
In the end we completed what we had set out to do. We just completed a 70.3 PLUS Long Course Tri and we got to cross the finish line TWICE. Woo hoo. 

Ultimately Susan beat me across the finish line, she BARELY beat me. It may have been like a tip of a fingernail that you bite off and thats pushing it.. 

Although this race did not go the way I had anticipated or planned it was a fun and rewarding day. I learned that my body can take a beating with some crazy elbows to the head, a few kicks to the side and being pushed under water by two grown men (exaggeration) I wasn't pushed just ran over. I can ride my bike ( I struggle and work hard every training day to be a better cyclists) up some massive hills with my brake dragging on my rear tire. And I can runs half marathon completely drained and full of crazy emotions. 

 It wasn't without trails and triumphs that is for sure. Trying to train for 2-5 hours ,5 days a week with 4 kids and a husband was not an easy task ( and Susan a full-time job and single mom). 
I am thankful for having my friends beside me training hard and pushing me through some tough days.
The best part was having Susan by my side the entire race (we got lucky). We have had our good days and bad days with training and we always knew how to keep one another going. Michelle and Susan were my heroes on the hard days. They never let me give up or give in. They know the bike is hard for me but never made it easy just to give into my weakness. They are wonderful team mates and friends. 
I was so happy to have Eric there at the start all the way to the finish. Without him there is no way I could have trained for such an event. It took a lot of hours and time away from the family but they always encouraged me and never made me feel guilty for the time I spent training. I have such an amazing support group. 

Last but not least the whole reason behind this journey.
ELEONORE ROCKS... Such an  amazing foundation for terminally ill children and their families. I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU again to everyone who has helped me raise awareness and to reach my goal of bringing rocking chairs to the NICU's. 
ER is very important to so many families and children. 
Most of you know our story and the time we spent at the hospital in the PCICU with Cameron and the weeks with Kendra in the NICU. The mission behind ER hits home for us. I really can't express how truly thankful I am for all of my family and friends. 
Next up 26.2 miles of pavement pounding running. Long Beach here we come...

Battle throughout the night.

July 29th 2002 - Don't take a moment for granted

 July 22. 2002 -
Our son Cameron was born and we were soon thrown into a whirlwind of emotions.
"Your son has a very serious heart condition and we need to take him to a hospital that can better care for him, he doesn't have much time and you need to get ready for transfer now". They handed me papers to fill out giving them permission to "keep him alive" a procedure full of tubes, needles and incubators.
I  remember the feeling of my knees buckling in the hallway trying to frantically get ahold of somebody to get Eric . They gave me only 20 minutes to make a decision and said I could not wait for Eric to arrive or Cameron would not make it. They needed to prep him for transfer and insert the tube to keep open his PDA. He had already started to have seizures ( that is what prompted me to yell for help
At that time my sister was there and stayed with me the entire time until Eric finally got there.
They rushed Cameron down to UCSF and Cameron's fight for survival began.
I hadn't held Cameron because of all the tubes and wires in his little frail body. He had tubes coming out of mouth and needles out of his head.
Our families came down to SF and never left our sides. We were on the 15th floor at the PNICU and visitors were limited. BUT everyone  camped in the little waiting room nearby. Our families got a very close B&B just across the street and all took turns making Kayli  feel as normal as possible.
The first week was scary but the Dr's, Cardiologists and nurses made us feel so much better and always were so uplifting and answered all of our questions.
They explained to us what Cameron's heart defect was and what options we had.
1. Heart Transplant . Move to LA and hope for a heart ( most babies died waiting)
2. 3 stage palliative procedure ( 3 open heart surgeries )
3. Compassionate care ( take your baby home with no intervention and make them as comfortable as possible until they go to sleep and earn their wings)
We were SCARED and had no idea what to do. We couldn't just up and leave and have no idea if he would even get a heart, the chances were not in our favor.
3 open heart surgeries just seemed so invasive and the 20% chance of survival through the first surgery seemed so small and to not know what could happen in the OR or soon after. To cut open his little body, for him to be all alone and not know if we would ever see him again.
BUT to know we could take him home and give him UNCONDITIONAL LOVE as much possible make him comfortable and give him his last days with all of so close to him. The decision was unimaginable no matter what we chose.
Your mind is spinning every different direction. There are what if's and why.
There was tears that were uncontrollable and your heart just breaks not knowing what is the best decision. We had a baby boy we were ecstatic and Kayli had a baby brother. To know that all that will change with the decision we had first made. In my mind and heart I did not want to put my flawless beautiful baby boy through so much pain. Have his little chest cut wide open and somebody prodding at his tiny little heart. It just didn't seem right.
I felt like someone was choking me and I couldn't breath. What kind of mom would I be?. How on earth can I explain to people to my own little girl that her baby brother was gone. All based on a decision we made.
The Dr's took us on a tour of the PCICU to see some of the babies that had the surgeries. They gave us hope and introduced us to other parents. They told us they would take care of our baby and told us they would do everything in thier power to keep him alive.
We had to make a decision. 20% chance of survival seemed small BUT we had to give our baby a fighting chance. He was strong.
On July 29th our baby boy was put in my arms for the first time since his birth, I still had not been able to hear him cry. It was the most AMAZING feeling in the world. They let Kayli see her baby brother and all 4 of us were together for what could have been the last time. We talked to him and kissed him, we LOVED him.
It was time :
I stayed with him as long as I possibly could. They let me go into pre op with him until they gave him the sedative to fall asleep. I walked out and tried my hardest to imagine Cameron without any tubes, I etched his little chest into my mind because I knew it would never be the same. I walked out of that room praying to God as hard as I cold to stay with my baby. I needed to hold him again we needed to be a family. His sister needed him. We needed to play at the park and tuck our babies in at night. I could not go home without my baby.
The next few hours seemed like days. We knew it was all in the hands of God and the amazing surgeons.
The hours went by and all of our families waited close with us in the waiting room. The beeper went off and the nurses came in. Cameron MADE it through the surgery. They will be out in about an hour but there was some problems.
We heard the elevators open up and rushed to the door. There was our baby, he was ALIVE but barely hanging on.
After they got Cameron situated they said only Eric and I could go in.
I never even imagined what I was about to see.
Cameron laid there so lifelessly. They removed all his blankets and his little chest was cut wide open. I can see his little heart beating and his blood rushing around the very thin paper. I was SCARED. The alarms were beeping and people were scattered everywhere.
They explained to us that when they tried to close Cameron's chest in the OR it had swelled way to much. The extent of his defect was much worse than they expected. He literally had half a heart with nothing else. The left ventricle was completely gone the mitral valve and aortic valve were as well.
They said the next few hours were the most crucial.  Our families filtered in just for a minute or two at a time.
We thought everything was going smooth UNTIL we were sitting in his room and alarms and beeping started going off like crazy. I heard Code Blue . Something wasn't right, it was our room, it was our son. They asked us to leave immediately. It was like a movie in slow motion. Crash carts , nurses and dr.'s were running everywhere yelling things but I couldn't hear , I felt helpless. They were escorting us out along with every other family in there ( nobody is allowed to stay when there is an emergency) I felt like getting sick. They literally had to push me out. I didn't want to leave my baby.
The nurse tried to talk to us but I still felt like I couldn't hear my mind was fuzzy and everything was blurry. I felt like I was outside my own body watching everything unfold. I was about to hear those words. I knew it was bad.
ABout an hour went by and we were finally allowed back in. The dr explained to us that Cameron was very sick and they said he only had a few hours to live. They told us that if we wanted any of our families to come and say goodbye we could.
I didn't believe this was happening. There was NO WAY I was saying goodbye to my son and there was NO WAY I was letting anyone else say goodbye to him either.
I felt betrayed. WHY are they telling me this. WHY us. WHY CAmeron. I did everything right when I was pregnant , he was perfect when he was born. This is NOT FAIR.
We asked our families to come in but not to give up . We did not want anyone to say goodbye we just wanted them to talk to Cameron , read to him and say prayers with him.
After everyone had came in and showed him as much possible love and tenderness they could Eric and I stayed by his side. Eevryone knew our wishes. DO NOT give up and don't say goodbye.
I did however go into shock at that time. I still couldn't here right, everything was blurry and I wouldn't speak a word to anyone. Not even Eric.
It was like a trance and I wasn't coming out of it apparently. Somehow my dad was able to get me to drink something ( I can remember bits and pieces ) and in that something the nurses dropped me a little help.
I woke up in a room alone but somehow found my way up to PCICU and was greeted by my family in the waiting room. Nobody EVER left.
They were all smiling and told me to go see Cameron and Eric.
I remember walking into the little room with Elmo painted on the outside. Everything seemed calm. The nurses were smiling and Eric was sitting there talking to Cam. He MADE it again. The Dr's and nurses were in total amazement. Only hours earlier they had given up hope. We NEVER did. He was out of the woods and his numbers went up and he was doing EXTREMELY well.
I believe I gave birth to the MOST AMAZING COURAGEOUS FIGHTER on this earth.
I believe our little boy made it through those moments because we never gave up, we never said goodbye, we read to him, sang to him and let him know we were there. It had been 7 days and we never left his side. From that moment on everything changed. He started to have color and they were able to go in and close his chest.
He sailed through the next few weeks with no setbacks. He thrived and everyone of our family members stayed in B&B's hotels and even slept in cars. We ll took turns from day1 until the moment we were told our baby boy was healthy enough to leave the hospital.
Over a month later. I finally got to hold my son with only 1 tube, it was in his little nose for nutrition.
Medications, NG tubes .. who cares we were bringing our baby home. We were going to get to tuck our children into their beds that night.
Our WARRIOR. Our MIRACLE. Our FIGHTER ...... He is amazing!!
                                                      Cameron Cale is coming home <3

Rancho Seco Olympic Tri

                                       .93 Swim - 40K Ride - 10K Run

 The morning started off as any usual race morning. Susan and I packed up our bikes and Tri gear on June 15th. This was to be our longest distance race yet. We had individually completed all disciplines just never put together. We gobbled up our PB sandwiches and coffee on the trip down to Ranch Seco. We got all set up in transition , checked out the competition (not really)  and took our usual pictures. 

I think I may have asked Susan a thousand times if she was ready or nervous. She always has the same answer "It will work or it won't" I love it !!!!
So, I was feeling pretty damn competitive in my new Eleonore Rocks gear and thought to myself all these Athletes are probably thinking DANG that girl must be FAST .. haha 
Yeah I felt like I totally could be Pro and people were most likely thinking I would come in FIRST place overall.. HA , That was my  little dream moment. 
In Reality I was just like the average Joe in a really cool get up racing for an AMAZING cause with some pretty legit  sponsors ..
 Check it out here http://www.eleonorerocks.org/mission.html  and then if you wouldn't mind making a little donation to help me reach my goal  donate here  http://store.eleonorerocks.org/Bambi-Baechler_p_95.html .

* SWIM .93 miles 
Little did we know Susan and I actually got to start in the same wave. 
I was already a little nervous to get in the water because I had heard there were leaches. I got in the water for a warm up and when we got out it was determined there were slimy little creatures on my feet.. EEWWWWWW! 
I didn't even panic, I wiped the little buggers off and went about my business with my feet completely  OUT of the water I waded with Susan for the whistle to blow. 
3-2-1 GOOOO---- 
I felt super strong starting off in the swim. I kept my way off to the side along with Susan and we were holding a pretty good pace every once in a while looking up to make sure each of us were oaky. I could tell Susan was having some issues with her suit but she managed to push through like a champ. 
We both exited the water with only a few men passing us in different color caps.. They must have been super fast.. 

Transition 1 - 
Pretty quick and we both chugged down our nutrition , threw on our gear and off we went. 

* Bike 40K 
Just a little insight on the bike for me. When the girls and I go out for rides I am usually the one huffing and puffing trying to keep a good pace to keep up with the girls. I will admit the bike is the toughest part for me. I am not a very efficient cyclist UNLESS its downhill ( I LOVE speed) I do not brake ever. They always keep me honest on the bike and make me work REALLY hard while they effortlessly cruise along. 
So we both transitioned really quick out to the bike course. I started to get in the zone and focus on a steady pace but enough to know I could keep up with Susan. 
After the first few miles I kept looking and could see Susan not far behind me but by the time I had got to the bottom of the hill she was no longer in my sight. I debated turning around to make sure everything was okay BUT it was a climb back up and I told myself she is just fine to keep on going.
I knew it was very odd she wasn't in front of me. 
It was a very long stretch of road and I just could not et in a groove. Fast.slow.fast.slow I just wasn't feeling the bike at all but kept trying to do what I could to keep a good cadence .  I even lost my chain on one of the biggest hills. aughh It never fails.
At turn around I noticed I was passed by a few people. Ummm , Yeah those older women KICK ASS. I loved seeing the 50+ lady pass me and tell me to "Great Job" no really I did. I want to be just like her one day. 
After the turn around I caught a glimpse of Susan, I tried to yell out to her but I was heading down a hill. I was so glad she was okay but really confused at why she was those miles behind me. 
I was all alone out there on the course the last few miles except for the chic I was trying to catch in front of me. I played leap frog with her for a while but finally got a second wind and passed her. 
Coming into transition I was bummed I couldn't go harder on the bike but knew I could make up some time on the run. 

Transition 2 - Another quick chug of some nutrition I threw my helmet off, grabbed my visor and water and off I went.

* Run 10K

The temperature had climbed by the time I came in off the bike and it was HOT at 10 in the morning !! 
I told myself I had to pass double the amount of people that had passed me on the bike. I had to pick off 6 people. It wasn't for any other reason except to make myself feel like I was really giving it my all. 
The road was one I had ran before. HORRIBLE
Red dirt, chunky rocks everywhere, rolling hills and no shade at all. 
By the 1st mile I had noticed a few people walking ahead of me. I knew if I could catch up to them it would give me a little boost in confidence. 
I had read a blog about walking through all the water stations so I told myself that would be okay. 
I walked through EVERY single one and I think that saved me. I decided to pour water on my head and drink the sports drink. 
I started to pass about 2-3 people and kept telling myself not to stop even though I really wanted to just walk. Did I mention how hot it was. My leg hadn't hurt AT ALL and I think it has a lot to do with taking my runs 1-2 minutes slower per mile ( This beats the advice of NO running at all) and it was working. 
The first 4 miles I had tons of compliments on my Eleonore Rocks attire. I was so happy to be able to yell out the website and tell people to check it out. As you all know it is something that pulls at my heartstrings knowing I am out there running to make a difference in the lives of so many families like my own. 
It was about that time I saw Susan. She looked so strong out there with not a care in the world. 
Did I mention it was HOT. I was completely out of water and Susan yelled across the bridge and we gave one another moral support. I said "I need water , its so HOT" and wouldn't ya know t she yelled back at me " HERE TAKE MINE" oh my gosh seriously. What an awesome teammate and friend. Of course I said No. I knew there was a water station coming up. 
As the miles went by I had only passed 3 people so I wasn't seeing much chance of doubling my gaol. 
I just told myself not to let anyone else pass me. Well The last 2 miles I got a chance. I noticed 5-6 people all spread out in the distance up on the HORRIBLE dusty trail. I made my way around the last part closest to the lake and tried to give it my all. I had made my way up to a man with no shirt who also looked like he needed water,  I saw him peek back at me and run faster. It took me a good few hundred yard to get on his heels ( Not really that close) but eventually when we went to go up a hill I pushed through and passed him. 
There was about 1 mile left and at the water station the volunteers were so AWESOME. I knew I had to push really hard to pass to more people. 
That last mile felt like the hardest mile EVER. Low and behold I was alb to pass 3 more people 2 men but then one charged ahead again. I was so excited to see the Finish Line so I gave every bit that I had left. 
I DID IT.. I just finished an Olympic Distance Tri. CONGRATULATIONS BAMBI BAECHLER our 3rd place 30-34 AG winner. That was exciting.. lol
So, I went over to the tent to see my finishing times mostly to see how I did on the run because it felt like I worked SOOO hard and thought maybe it was one of my fastest times. NOPE. I was over a 10 min mile but I wasn't ALONE. Had I did much better on the bike I would have did better overall because even though my 10k was slower than any I have ever done before at 1:07 I still had a better time than a lot of the people who had better times overall and by 10+ minutes on the run. 
Did I mention it was HOT. 

Susan came in not long after. She still looked so strong on the run coming to the finish line. 
Later I discovered her bike did have malfunctions and she could barely even get uphills. POOR girl. I knew it wasn't normal but IT WORKED and she finished. She never gave up even on the hardest times out on the bike course. I am so proud to call her my teammate and friend. 
Susan and I decided while everyone else was filtering out and leaving we would wait for the last athlete to cross the Finish line. 
OH MY GOSH ---- Tear jerker times one thousand. This woman came across that finsih line like a BEAST. Her daughter who was pretty young ran out to the beginning of the start to the finish and ran hand in hand with her mother. It was such an emotional site and really put perspective on life  and the reason a lot of us Athletes are out there. I was more excited to see her cross in Last place to even worry about who won the Overall race. Truly an inspiration!!!
After the race we devoured the BEST hamburger on the planet .. NO JOKE. It was some little hole in the wall hamburger stand in Ione. YUMM.
A huge Huge Thank you to our awesome training mentor Carla. She is one of the Elite Eleonore Rocks athletes who has helped us in so many ways during training. Thanks Carla! 
I can't wait to rock the course in August. 

SAMM 13.1 Race Recap

                                    FIRST ever Half Marathon ~ 13.1

13.1 Race Recap ~ March 24th 2013

Secretly even though I said that time didn't matter to me EVERYONE knew it really did. 

I had set a goal to get a 2 hour Sub on my first half marathon, this was BEFORE I knew I was pregnant with Willow. 

So obviously with all the changes my body and mind had made over the course of  a 4th pregnancy and after the hurdles of childbirth and its after effects, I had a new game plan. FINISH ( and make sure with 2 legs, I would have been okay with 1) !!  

So, the whole 2 weeks prior to the race I couldn't eat, sleep, read or even change a diaper without the number 1:59:59 taunting me. 

I did the math over and over in my head.  I GOOGLED different scenarios on how I could make it happen. Again, secretly I WANTED a sub 2 hour half. Okay, it wasn't  a secret to everybody including Eric and my awesome training buddies. 

They all had super duper faith in me, that or they got tired of me asking what they thought I should do...

JUST have FUN! A friend who just ran the Napa Valley 26.2 along with her husband sent me an awesome text  with GREAT advice. 

I wrote a quote on my arm to keep me motivated : 

" The pain you feel today will be the strength you feel tomorrow"  along with my 13 milestones that I had to remind me of why this is important to me and give me something to think about during the run.

I got my bag packed the night  before and had some nice quiet time and dinner with Eric. 

Susan picked me up at 4:30. We headed down to get our packets and a good parking spot before everyone else. ( Thank goodness it was only 1 block away from the finish because we were broken).

Once we got our packets and Bibs we found the Port o Johns' .. ha

Lets just say, THANK YOU !! My nerves really get to me before every race.

We actually tried to break into them because they were locked..aauughhh!!

 We found one that someone else already broke into. 

I was going in flying blind without any updates of mileage or pace as I did with training, unless I asked the girls every few miles or minutes. :) I did have Cam's little iPod to cue me every 5 minutes.

START LINE :

Susan and I started in the 9 MM corral. We quickly drank our Isagenix  e+ shot ( courtesy of Jill and John) Thank you! 

We had about 20 minutes before the start and I thought I was going to FREEZE in 40 degrees but I had an amazing calm and focused on what was about to happen. We were about to race our first ever 13.1 miles.

Susan reminded me that "It will work or it won't" ! She said if I can't see her somewhat close that means I am starting out to fast. 

The national Anthem was Beautiful and I shed a tear. I was so excited. I loved the atmosphere and the people surrounding us. Some old, some young, men, women ,children and even a mother pushing her disabled daughter in a running chair. AMAZING. 

7:00 AM.... GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Of course with that many people there really isn't a fast start. We motioned as if we were running while we walked to the start line, laughing. It was all business once we went under the start. 

Susan and I talked the first mile and she said we were doing good about a 9:30 and I was happy with that. Susan was so awesome throughout training always giving advice and reminding me that what were were doing was such an accomplishment. Mile 1 was neat as we ran through a little neighborhood with awesome spectators cheering us on.

Mile 2 : Susan and I were still pretty close and I could see her knowing I was going at a good pace I decided the pot would be smart. 

There were 3 and also a line..aaughh I waited it out and QUICKLY went and was out. 

That mile was still pretty packed with people some starting to slow down. I looked ahead and saw the overpass. I knew I would be fine as it was going to be 1 of 2 inclines. It was a gradual up that I was use to training in Calaveras. I passed a few people and that made me feel strong. HA

Mile 3 : At that time I got a little excited because about 2 minutes after that I heard the "cue" 30 minutes . So I knew I was picking up the pace and had just ran my first 5k in about 28 minutes. I decided about mile 4 to take in a GU and it gave me a little pick me up.

Along with 3 more bathroom breaks I stopped at every one before mile 8. Its all in my head. After that up until Mile 6.5 it was pretty uneventful and I was just enjoying everyone else's conversations. Including how a few girls husband LOVED their new boobs, a guy and his friend with GI issues ( dude, I can relate) and I even saw Tyre' girls at mile 6. I again heard the "cue" for minutes. AGain, still right on target but cutting it VERY close. My pace was great and I only had a feeling of leg pain a little bit but I pushed it out of my head. 

The spectators were great right before the Marathoners turned off. By the way I had the 4 hour pacer within a minute of me. So, that was a huge pick me up UNTIL, the lady in front of me ( she was rather annoying ,I say that in the most  positive way ) LOL . OH MY, I was behind her and I am not joking she let out the biggest GAS blow ever. She didn't care NOT AT ALL> I am not gonna lie, I laughed out loud and then about puked as the aftermath hit me. It wasn't very funny that I was downwind. FOCUS Bambi !

Mile 7: Long straight away and my last pee stop. 

Mile 8:  Oh how I love to hate you. 

I started to become very bored. The hills of Calaveras aren't that bad, its almost like you have something to look forward too. 

That monotonous flat road mile after mile gets pretty boring and it becomes a mental  and somewhat physical issue. My body just wasn't use to not having hills, different muscles are involved. 

Anyhow around that time I had already looked at my milestones smiling and thinking about all 7 up to that point with Eleonore Rocks being 7 and they carried me through, I thought about Susan and how she was feeling. Wondering who was chuckling at her singing ( she has a great voice.LOL) She carried us through a lot of training with her singing.

However, the 8th listed milestone was MARRIAGE. I immediately started to cry and think about all Eric and I have been through in the last 15 years. Even the hardest times in our lives we managed to break down the walls and jump over fire. We have raised such amazing children and made a wonderful life together. YES, its hard at times, frustrating a lot but 100% worth every bit of it. 

Almost at 8.5 miles my struggles with the miles started to wear on me and I was afraid I was going to give in and walk a little. Just about that moment a girl about my age very effortlessly ran me. She was all cute and wearing pink. She reminded me of me a little. Yes cute..haha J/k She looked very devoted and strong. 

I squeamishly asked her about what pace we were going and what time it was. 

She politely gave me the stats and I was pleasantly surprised that I was STILL on target BUT again cutting it VERY close. 

She and I began to have a conversation, this was the turning point in the race for me. I MISSED Susan at that point and our fun conversations about life. Susan always had a way to keep me going even on my hardest training days. So Alana ( the girl ) was like my savior at that point. 

She asked me questions about running and told me about her experiences and running her first Marathon. That was so impressive to me. 

I took a Gu right at Mile 8 .

Mile 10: My side started to ache pretty bad. She asked me if I was okay ( apparently she saw my pain) also I became somewhat nervous because I knew in training this was my farthest mile. That scared me. I had a whole 5k still to go.

She told me it was probably the caffeine in the GU and told me to focus on something else. 

She asked me what Mile 10 said on my arm. It was Cameron.. I began to cry and nearly hyperventilate from trying to hold it back. Such an amazing kid who no matter what always gives everything he has no matter what. I knew I needed my tears or I would become dehydrated..haha

Mile 11: I started to feel very strong again but knew I couldn't go too fast or I wouldn't be able to give my absolute all that last mile. It was also the overpass that I was excited about in the beginning. It was tough but I tried to stick with Alana the whole time, she 

 ran hills very well and that was exciting. About the bottom of the overpass she started to pull away from me and we hit Mile 12. I heard my "cue" go off at 1:50 a bit before that and knew I was going to be close but would be excited no matter what. I decided to start to give it all I had left and caught back up with Alana. She said you doing GREAT keep it up you are running an 8:20 mile right now. I was super excited and couldn't stop. I passed her but not much and kept looking to make sure she was close. She was! She yelled at me to keep going and she will try to keep that pace. She pushed me so hard when I needed it the most. 

I saw the double tree and knew we were almost finished. I heard the cheers from the finish and a girl who was walking back from the finish yelled out " you got this , your almost finished" It was such an emotional moment and I tried my best to fight back the tears. I rounded the corner ..

MIle 13 ~~~~ So close but OH SO FAR.. 

There were so many people lined up cheering and  shouting. It was such an amazing feeling when the announcer said my name. 

I looked up as I crossed the finish and my time said 2:00:40 . I was NOT disappointed at all. I knew I gave what I could and had an awesome race. I do not feel like I held back at any point even though I felt like it at times, I didn't realize at that time  that was the race start ime and it took me nearly a minute to go across.). (except for the bathroom breaks) Eric even told me at dinner I KILLED my time by using the bathroom...haha He said REALLY you can't hold it for 2 hours.. But he was proud :) 

Alana was right there and we crossed pretty close together. She hugged me and said she tried to get me the 2 hour Sub.. ARE YOU KIDDING ME.. She was my saving grace. She was such a great person to run next to for the last half of the race. I hope one day I can be that person who pushes someone to give it all they have. 

She took me under her wing. 

She finished her first half in 2:02 minutes. March 24th 2013 we both got under 2 hours. So very proud and excited. We both crossed the Finish Line at 1:59:55 .. AWESOME!!!

Susan came in strong not far behind me. She rocked it out there and even beat her goal time by 5 minutes.. Way to go Susan. WE DID IT !!!!!

The re ~ arranged running plans

Training in the fall of 2012 along with the girls by my side training hard for all of our first half things went terribly wrong for me. I was having major leg soreness and would constantly make excuses.
On what was supposed to be a 10 mile long run at mile 4 my legs were in ALOT of pain, i tried my best to jog through it. Trying to pull away from the girls so they didn't see my level of pain I began to walk and then  with obvious pain and limping I could barely even do that. They insisted I go to the DR. Long story short. I did.
The first impressions from the X-rays were confusing and scary. I had sclerotic lesions on both sides of my hips. Caused by lack of oxygen to my lower extremities. WHAT *tears* I had no idea what was being said or what was going to happen. I was sent over to the orthopedic specialists and he ordered a few exams, more x rays and a nuclear bone scan.
Results :
Arthritis throughout my entire lower back
Sclerotic Lesions confirmed
2 very stress fractured legs
Advice:
Stop running until at least April 2013 WHAT !!!!!
I needed to heal. I knew this, but seriously that much time off ... NOT COOL.
I did take time off but not nearly as much time as stated above. Instead I began slowly running again and riding more. Took things very easy and it paid off.
In Nov I ran a local 5k and a 10k and placed 2nd and 3rd. I felt so good and my legs were not bothering me at all.
So let the 2013 season begin ..

Eleonore Rocks

I am in the process of becoming an Ambassador Team Member for an organization that raises funds for terminally ill children and their families. I am so excited to be involved in something not only important to me but just plain AMAZING.
I can't wait to sport my new Hot Pink and Purple ER Tri suit and race in memory of Baby Eleonore and honor Cam and all the babies, children and families out there who have been through the loss of their child and those  still fighting everyday and facing new challenges and overcoming so many hurdles.
I am on a mission. Don't let me down legs.