That Guy or That Girl

I read this again this morning and I loved it just as much as the first time I read it so I had to put it on my blog!

That Guy. You know him. He can also be That Girl, and often is.

It is that guy (or girl) who you see at every race. He's at every one. Everywhere in the country.

He is always more tan than you are. He is usually a good bit thinner too. His calves have those mysterious vertical striations that define each individual muscle; as if to say, "I have spent hours training each individual muscle in each calf- each individual muscle fiber in fact."

He/she has triathlon clothing that is super cool that you've never seen before. You have no idea where it came from. If you were to ask him- if you mustered up the courage to approach him- you would get some vague answer like, "Ahh, well, I know Dave McGillicutty at Sweetass Trisports and he got these samples, prototypes really, that he….. blah, blah, blah…." And you just wanted to know where you could buy a pair of those cool trishorts he has. Maybe they would make your ass look like Michalangelo chiseled it too. Prolly not though. 

 

So this guy (or girl): His bike is clean. It is also weird. It has parts you think you may have seen in a magazine and, is that what carbon fiber looks like? Half the stuff he has, no, all of it, is stuff you've either only seen in magazines or never even heard of.

He's wearing sunglasses. But he didn't buy them. They just kind of "got there". He drives a special car just for doing what he's doing now: Getting ready for a ride, a run, a swim workout or the triathlon you're at now. He has stickers all over it.

You know when he talks about "Hawaii" he isn't talking about the state as a vacation destination, but rather, an event that you've only seen on TV. He is either talking about getting into it, having already gotten in, or why his last race there wasn't as good as it should have been. It had something to do with some chemical in his body you've never heard of. "Too much polychondrotineospandoplasm in my maldochondriacts during the last ten miles of the run. I should have know better." Yeah, an obvious mistake for someone like that guy (girl). Another thing that guy knows that you don't. Polywhat in his maldowho?

So you get to the race and there is that guy. Setting up all his stuff in the transition area like he's done probably a thousand times before, or so it seems.

And that guy is the reason why so many people are afraid to give this sport (and many others) a try. Because you know you are not That Guy (or girl) and they will look at you and think "Oh, another novice athlete…." And maybe you are embarrassed by that. I know I have been.

That guy is experienced, dedicated, accomplished, fit, knowledgeable, well versed and respected in the sport. You are a beginner. So you are at the bottom of the food chain here. You may be the big woman or man at work and at home. But here you feel like the first day of kindergarten and you don't even know where the bathroom is but you have to go. It's been a long time since you felt like that.

And you'll feel embarrassed in front of that guy.

Consider this though: You are that guy. You are that girl. Don't understand? Let me explain.

On the hypothetical morning we're describing you got up early, loaded up whatever bike you have (the old mountain bike you've had since you were 16, that old ten speed from college, whatever), put the gear you scrapped together in your car and went to the race. You stood there in your sweats and registered, set up your transition area as best you could.

Welcome to the show my friend. You are walking the walk.

You made that monumental leap off the couch and into the realm of That Guy. And now you, to millions and millions and millions of people- you are That Guy.

The next time you go to work when the conversation comes up about what you did Sunday morning you will say, "Oh, ahh, well I did this little triathlon, my first one, I'm not really any good, I was nearly last…."

But to the people at work, and your family, and your friends, and everyone else not there on Sunday morning (and some that were…) you are That Guy. The guy who does those endurance races. Who works out all the time (even if you don't). Who eats right (even though you don't).

Pretty soon it will get around work, what you did Sunday morning, and someone will ask you, "Hey, ahh, have you ever done that one in Hawaii?"

And then you answer, "Oh, Hawaii, no, I'm not that good. I've never done Hawaii…" And to you now it is just "Hawaii". You are That Guy. To someone out there you are That Guy.

Everyone has That Guy. He's better, faster, smarter, luckier. The interesting thing about That Guy is, to someone- you are that guy. No matter who you are, there will be That Guy. Don't let him bother you. 

Do what you do. Remember, to someone, you are that guy.

Thoughts

So December is always a weird time of year for me especially since I moved to Florida. It never feels like holiday season because it is so warm here. Case and point it is 80 degrees today. For the past 5 Christmases, the girls have not been with me. The reason of course is that I have to work and they are out of school for at least 2 weeks. This year, I THINK, they are going to be with me. That means I actually have to get the house into the Christmas spirit.

To be honest, I have not put up a tree in a long time. There is no reason to have one when the girls are gone plus it makes me sadder if the tree is up and they are not here. I was thinking a lot last night instead of sleeping about how things have really changed since I was the girls' age. Growing up Thanksgiving and Christmas were about family. While we spent most holidays with relatives on my Mom's side, we did see my Dad's family some as well. We had huge Thanksgiving dinners with left overs for days. Christmas was all about dressing up, bringing out the good china and spending time with family.

Now that I am older and a mom, I wonder what happened to those traditions. My sister, brothers and parents don't get together very often. We certainly don't spend holidays together. The last time the majority of my family was together for a holiday was Thanksgiving of 2003. So besides the fact that I have to work over the holidays, I feel guilty when the girls are with me because it is just us, the Three Musketeers, on Christmas day. I want them to have the same family centered holidays that I had. But the reality is that is not an option. For some reason, my family does not really care to spend holidays together anymore. Plus we are spread literally across the country. Most of the time one or the other of us is fighting with another one or the other of us. So I let the girls go to their dad's each year. I know that this way they will have the huge family get togethers like I had as a kid and a young adult.

I know that family size does not make tradition and that we have our own traditions. Sometimes I just feel like the girls are missing out on one of the better things in life by it being the three of us all the time.

I think this year, Frick, Frack and I need to make traditions of our own.

XOXOX,
Elizabeth

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

So everyone keeps texting and emailing to find out what my future plans are. Will I attempt another Ironman? Will I take some time off from training?

To be honest, I am not 100% sure of what the future holds. I know that I WILL attempt another Ironman. I know that I am taking some time off, mostly because I am tired but I am not stopping training entirely.

What are my goals going forward?
1. Complete several coaching certifications.
2. Continue coaching for Team in Training.
3. Start working with Girls on the Run.
4. Lose some weight. (What is new right?)


So do I have a schedule of what I am thinking about for the new year? Sure. Is anything definite? Nope not at all.

I am coaching the Spring/Summer Triathlon teams for Team in Training. These events are:
1. St Anthony's Triathlon on April 25th
2. Tri Miami Triathlon on May 2nd (the new dates are not posted but I am estimating based on 2009.)
Kick-off for these seasons is Jan 30th at 10am. For more information you can go to the local TNT site.

Coaching Certifications:
1. USATF Level 1 Cert - Charlotte NC Jan 8th - 10th
2. USAT Level 1 Cert - Charlotte NC Feb 19th - 21st or Orlando May 14th - 16th.
3. RRCA Coach Cert - Atlanta March 19th and 20th.

I would like to be at a minimum a mentor for Girls On The Run. At some point I would love to open a branch of the program on my side of town.

Of course I have to continue to do some races just for me. Possibilities for 2010 are:
1. Tour De Cure 100mile Bike Ride Feb 28th
2. Princess 1/2 Marathon March 7th
3. Wildman Oly Tri Mar 14th
4. ING Georgia 1/2 Marathon Mar 21st
5. Great Clermont Oly Tri Mar 28th
6. Florida IM 70.3 Disney May 16th
7. Moss Park Tri Oly July 18th
8. Fall Tri Festival Oly Aug 22
9. IMLOO Louisville Kentucky Aug 29th
8. Volunteer at IMWI Sept 12th to register for 2011
9. Wine and Dine 1/2 Marathon Disney Oct 2nd
10. NYC Marathon Nov 7th

There are many others on my wish list. So far the only definite events are the Tour De Cure and the Princess 1/2. I have entered the NYC Marathon lottery as well but there are no guarantees there at all.

I am definitely going to continue coaching private clients as well and an pushing forward with Beyond Endurance on a daily basis.

Of course I still have my day job with Oracle and am still working on my Advocare business, although I have to admit I did not focus on Advocare when I was in the final months of Ironman training so I have to restart my focus there as well.

I will let you guys know if I think of anything else. :-)

XOXOX,
Elizabeth

IT IS ABOUT TIME!

Well I finally have gotten up enough courage to try to blog again. When I first started blogging over a year ago, I was writing new entries almost daily or at least weekly. This past year however, I have been so overwhelmed with stuff that blogging has not been on my list. I am not sure why because writing the blog seems to be cathartic most days.

At any rate to catch everyone up quickly, It is now December 2009. I did not cross the finish line at IMFL. I will talk more about that later. Kelsie my oldest daughter is now a black belt. Hannah is testing soon for Red and will be testing for Black buy summer of 2010.

So what happened at IMFL? To be 100% honest, I am not sure. Until the end of August my training was going amazingly well. I was doing much better in the water and on the bike than I had ever done. Something happened when the kids returned from their summer trip. Life Happened. Kelsie started a new school and had to be up at 6am and on the bus by 6:40. That meant Hannah would be alone if I was out training. She did not want to be alone. I can understand that. So I tried to adjust my work schedule to accommodate both of their school schedules and my training needs. This was a mess. :-) I am thankful that my employer allowed me to have the flexible schedule but I am not sure if it helped or hindered.

Love to all!
Beth

Why I Do What I Do?

Everyone always asks me why I coach, why I train, why I run, why I swim, why I bike, why I get up at 4am every day. Well here is why. This was passed on to me from a friend but it sums it all up very nicely!

WHY we TRI (Triathlon), RUN or WALK or CYCLE?
. . .The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. We have invested more than $600 million in research since 1949 - over $71 million in 2008 - specifically targeting Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma. Last year alone, LLS made 6.3 million contacts with patients, caregivers and health care professionals. We are running for Team in Training and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's. Our mission is to find a cure for Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and Myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. We are raising money to help find a cure and help support patients and their families dealing with blood cancers.

Here are ten of the infinite reasons why we continue to put ourselves through hours of strenuous training every week...

We Run, We Walk, We Cycle, We Tri...because every four minutes someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer.

We Run, We Walk, We Cycle, We Tri...because every ten minutes someone dies from a blood cancer.

We Run, We Walk, We Cycle, We Tri...because hearing the stories of our honored teammates helps us realize that the pain we experience is nothing compared to what they endure for months or years.

We Run, We Walk, We Cycle, We Tri...because anyone battling a blood cancer would rather train and complete a half / full marathon / triathlon (or Ironman) than to go through another chemo treatment!

We Run, We Walk, We Cycle, We Tri...to honor those we know and don't know who are living with a blood cancer or have lost the battle.

We Run, We Walk, We Cycle, We Tri...because every mile we run, walk, swim or cycle and every dollar raised makes a difference in someone's life.

We Run, We Walk, We Cycle, We Tri...so that a child or an adult with cancer can have another birthday!

We Run, We Walk, We Cycle, We Tri...so that another parent or family does not have to hear the words: "I am sorry I have to tell you that ...."

We Run, We Walk, We Cycle, We Tri...because every day The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is making advances in blood cancer research, educating the world, and improving the quality of life for blood cancer patients.

We Run, We Walk, We Cycle, We Tri...because in some small way, we're helping to save a life!

All I can say is that I am SO THANKFUL that I CAN RUN, WALK, CYCLE and TRI!

I love you my friends!

XOXOX,
Elizabeth

What Will You Do With The Chances You Are Given?

Well, I have started several different blogs and then gotten distracted and never finished them. When I go back and read them, whatever mood I was in then is not the mood I am in now and therefore I have not published them.

Lots of things have been going on, what is new with me. I always have several too many irons on the fire. Or at least that is what everyone tells me. This is nothing different than at any other point in my life, since I was very little I have always taken on lots of tasks. Or maybe too many tasks. For some reason, I can focus better when I have too much to do. Otherwise I flounder. Or maybe I just think that. And really it is just an illusion. Like when that famous illusionist made the boeing 747 disappear. The plane was there the whole time, we just thought it was not.

Hence the similarity to my life, I think that I am perfectly balancing everything but in reality, I am leaning one way and then another way and then another way. My team is constantly razzing me about being Coach Momma Beth. And I always tell them I am who I am and I cannot change which leads me to the point of this blog.

"What will you do with the chances you are given?"

When I was little, I wanted to grow up and be the president of the United States, then I wanted to be a Lawyer and then a singer and so on and so on. Always in those wishes, I wanted to have a house, a car and all the material things that Americans seem to want.

Now these days, I really don't care if I drive a Mercedes or a Ford. I don't need a giant house, actually I don't want the responsibility. Besides how do I rationalize the desire for some huge house with the fact that there are so many many people don't have any sort of shelter or transportation. Don't get me wrong, I do like nice things but the point would be that I don't NEED them.

to be continued.......

Wow It Has Been A Long Time

Well I have not blogged since Michael Vinecki died. Why? Not really sure to be honest. For one, I have not really had any time to do laundry much less organize my thoughts.

The past few weeks have been crazy. Monday nights are swim practice with TNT. If Coach Bill is there he coaches and I get to swim, well that works unless K&H are swimming and then I have to make sure they don't drown. Tuesdays have been run practice, coach meetings, Bon Voyage etc. Wed am, I am at Lucky's to swim by 6:30am. Thursdays I am doing a bike ride from Advanced Cycles by 6:30am and then after work the kids have a weekly doctor appointment. Fridays I try to get in another swim at Lucky's and then have to get everything ready for the group training on Saturday morning. On Saturdays, the team does some sort of brick and then I add some extra mileage if I don't have to be somewhere with K&H. Sundays are always a long ride whether I am on the trainer or outside.

If I tell you my house is beyond gross, that I have not done all of the laundry in my house in months, I only wash what is needed when it is needed will that gross all of you out? LOL

At any rate things have been crazy. If I go backwards, last night was the last swim practice for the TNT TriMiami team. I have to say it is bittersweet at the very least. I will be letting all of my baby birds leave the nest on Sunday. I am so proud of them! They will all rock.

Wildman Updates, My Amazing Team, Mom Stuff

Hello Everyone! What an amazing week! I hope all of you are doing well. This past weekend, several of my team as well as my daughters crossed over to the "dark side" and became triathletes! WOW! Impressed is all I can say.

On Saturday March 14th, instead of practice, my team competed in the 4th Annual Wildman Triathlon Series. We had competitors in the WildChild race, the MyFirstTri race and the Sprint race. And believe it or not, several of them placed in their age divisions! Amazing isn't it?

If you look at the picture above, you can see some nervousness on their faces. This I can understand as the Wildman race was my first ever race as well. There is a major difference between attending Tri practice and participating in a race, even when the race is just a practice. Everybody showed up early just as I and the race director Z Buttar had requested. This way they had time to get everything setup and then check and double check as my training partner Missey would say. Good news this time, most everyone showed up with everything I had requested on my list so they were prepared. I did my best to check everyone's transition area and make sure it was ok. This was also going to be Kelsie and Hannah's first full tri as well. They have done several duathlons, an aqua-run and practice triathlons in the pool. This would be the first open water swim for them as well as most of my team. And always prepared Coach Beth became the "bad" mom when we realized I forgot the kids goggles.

Now having mentioned the water, I feel like I should tell you that the lake a Moss Park is a bit hard to see in. To be completely honest, the water is the color of Diet Coke or Tea so for the most part you cannot see didley when you are swimming in the water. This is certainly a change from swimming in the pool where you have lane lines and markers. I warned the team but until you are actually in the water, it is hard to truly understand what someone is telling you. Everyone did their run warm-up and stretched before the race. The swim was done in waves so the team was all spread out through the different waves.

David and Gabe started in the first wave the Men's Sprint. Missey, Geni, Kate and Brandi were in the second wave the Women's Sprint. Once all of the Sprint competitors had passed the second bouy, the life guards moved the bouys in and the MyFirstTri started. Doug, Ryan and Kim were in the men's wave followed by Toni and Hope in the women's wave. I forgot to mention that our great friends from Advanced Pro Cycles had set up a tent to help with race day bike issues and Jose, the owner, along with his son Jose, were also competing in the MyFirstTri as well. Finally after all of the MyFirstTri competitors passed the second bouy, the lifeguards again moved the bouys and it was time for the WildChild race. There were about 20 kids out there. Kelsie was not too nervous but Hannah was terrified. Hannah had a bit of a panic attack but after some help from the lifeguards, she exited the water and was able to continue on. Kelsie was fine and she moved forward with the race.

All and all everyone had an amazing day!

Michael VInecki Passed Today

Everyone,

It is with great sadness that I pass on the news that Michael Vinecki lost his battle to prostate cancer this morning. For those of you who read my blog, you know that the Vinecki Family touched my family in a very deep way.

Kelsie, Hannah and I met Winter and her family at the Athletes For a Cure Triathlon last September. At the time Winter was 9 years old and had raised over $30,000 for Prostate Cancer research. By January she had raised over $100,000. She is an amazing inspiration to both myself and my daughters.

Kelsie and Hannah joined Team Winter and have so far done two races in honor of Team Winter. They will be doing a Triathlon this weekend as well.

People - if this is not a wake-up call to those of you not already involved in the fight against cancer, NOW IS THE TIME. Cancer touches everyone. It has touched me personally and most people I know. Any help; whether it be with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the LIVESTRONG Foundation, the American Cancer Society, or the the Race for A Cure, will help to move research forward and find a cure for this dreaded disease.

As a mom I truly realize how precious each day is. Today was the last day that Winter and her brothers were able to spend with their dad. I know that they would have given anything to change that. Please don't let today be the last day that someone you know spends with their family.

If you want to know how you can help, please email me directly and I can give you the links to all of the foundations that help in the battle against these dreaded diseases.

For now, My thoughts and prayers are with the Vinecki's.

Elizabeth

Cold Again

Well it has been a couple of weeks since I blogged. Things have been a bit crazy trying to get organized. This is the first year that I have coached a spring season. Of course I work Mon-Fri 8:30 -17:30. Then on Mon-Tues after work and on Sat morning I am coaching my tri team practices. Mondays are the easiest nights since Coach Bill is the swim coach and I usually can get into the pool and workout. Of course Kelsie and Hannah come to alot of practices but they are training now as well so most nights they workout. They completed a Duathlon On Valentine's Day and are going to compete in a Triathlon on March 14th which is 2 days before Kelsie's 11th birthday. My time flies.

On Thursday nights, Hannah has her doctor's appointments. These will be weekly for a while as we see how things go. Thanks everyone for the support and prayers. It really means alot. It is really hard as a mother to know your child is hurting inside and not be able to fix what is wrong. For those of you that don't know, Hannah is having some issues expressing her emotions since she returned from her Dad's house over the holidays. What this means is that she is angry more than she ever has been but is not sure how to talk about it. Of course being her mom, I am the recipient of most of her outbursts. Because of this I am taking her to a counselor who is trying to help her work through this. Hopefully and God willing we can make it through this as a family.

On top of all this, I am still working towards my goal of becoming an Ironman, this means I have to work my training into my crazy schedule as well. I am doing ok in this regard but I really need to step it up a level. I would love to be working a bit harder but it will come in time. Thanks Coach Bill and Team Hendryx for all of the help. I have one more week of my prep phase and then the workouts will start getting increasing harder. Coach Bill is doing a great job of accomodating my schedule. I have a feeling my trainer and I will become really good friends again. I am sure I will also be doing alot of running on the treadmill after the girls are asleep at night. St. Anthony's Trathlon is 8 weeks away and I certainly feel like I am not ready. But I know with Coach Bill's help I will get there. Also my training partner in crime for IMFL, Missey, is home again so I know we will start doing some workouts together soon!

In addition, I am really working on moving forward with my Advocare business. I just returned from Success School. WOW it was amazing. I met so many awesome people with exceptional stories. I know that where I want to be moving forward is growing my Advocare business and spending more time coaching. Success school really shows you that you can dream, plan and achieve your goals. By the last day, I was so emotionally overwhelmed that I cried during the last speaker. I will write a seperate blog about Success School later.

But I do want to mention that Advocare has a new product called Slim. I am so excited about it! The product helps with weightloss, appetite control and energy levels. I have joined Advocare's SlimPact Challenge and will keep you posted on my progress with weightloss. If you want to read more about Slim and the SlimPact Challenge please go visit my microsite https://www.advocare.com/0807148/.

Well I guess that is all for today. Hope everyone is doing great! Talk to you again soon.

XOXOX,
Elizabeth

Week 1

Hey Everyone!

This week is week 1 for lots of things.
1. Week 1 for the new TNT season. This season I am training a team for the TriMiami Triathlon.
2. Week 1 for my official IMFL training with Team Hendryx.
3. Week 1 for my new diet.
4. Week 1 for the Nth time trying to get in a steady routine with my Advocare products.
5. Week 1 for my new business builder plan.

How am I doing so far?

Well the TNT kick-off was great. I have 16 people on my team that span every level of experience from someone who has not exercised in a while to an Ironman. While I am nervous, I know this is going to be a great season. Our first practice was Monday night. It was a swim workout in the pouring rain. What a great start! Tuesday night we had our first group run. The participants completed either a 2 or 3 mile run and then we headed over to Fleet Feet for a clinic presented by the owners Stacey and Eric Bartos. This weekend is our first group ride. I am very excited.

How is my Ironman training going then you ask? Well I have been able to do two gym workouts and one short run of 3miles since Coach Bill sent my workouts to me on Sunday. UGH... I have to get my schedule better organized. Not exactly what Coach Bill had in mind. Coach Bill said I am in the prep phase which is to build a strong muscular base and make sure my shoulder is healed. I have not got into the pool yet. To be honest I am scared. I am afraid I won't be able to swim with my shoulder and that would just kill me. Yes, Coach Bill, I will get into the pool before Sunday. I promise.

Diets, ugh, we all hate them. However when you are training for an Ironman and you suddenly stop working out, your body kind of goes a little bit wacko. So yes I have gained weight. Wow that sucks seeing it in print. However it is the truth. I have gained weight. I know that starting a regular training routine will help but I want to jump start my metabolism and maybe get a few extra pounds off in the beginning. No fad diets for me. I am trying to make healthier choices, stop eating out so much (which by the way is a losing battle since I am never home) and finally take my Advocare supplements with more regularity.

Which leads me to my Advocare supplements. I seem to be on track on work days. Weekends or holidays however, I forget to take them when I am supposed to. So I have to try harder.

Off to Success School on Feb 20th. I know this will give me the motiovation and a huge push to work harder at building my business. I want to have a successful plan B!! You can view my microsite here: http://www.AdvoCare.com/0807148. I love the products and I know they are changing my life.

Hmm what else has been going on? Well Kelsie competed in the Oration finals at her school. While she did not make the top 3 and move on to the next level, she did make the top 6. Hopefully I can figure out how to post a link to the video so everyone can see the AWESOME speech she gave about Winter Vinecki. Kelsie is also testing for her Red Belt this weekend so I will try and post some pictures of that as well.

Hannah has been having a bit of a harder time since she returned to Florida from the Holiday break. I am not sure if she is upset over something that happened or upset because she has more rules here than in NC. We are working through this so if you can keep us in your prayers and send positive Karma, we can use all the help we can get.

Both kids want to race in the Kids Winter Duathlon in Clermont at Lake Louisa State Park next weekend on Valentine's Day. It is a 1/4 mile run 3 mile bike finished with a 1/4 mile run. Hopefully we can make it out there for this race. They got their new running shoes at the clinic on Tuesday night and are really excited to get the season started.

Well I guess that is it for today. I will blog again soon!

XOXOX,
Elizabeth

Quote for Today:

“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice. But for those who love, time is eternity."
Henry Van Dyke

Kids In Their Team Winter Shirts!

Here are the girls in their shirts. Thanks Dawn and Winter! Kelsie is so excited for her speech next week.

XOXOX,
Elizabeth

Girls and Their New Glasses

Time to focus

Hey Everyone,

Well so much for my New Year's Resolution to start blogging regularly again. Kelsie was sick this week and Hannah well let's just say she was a handful. Hopefully I can get into a better routine soon.

My new Team in Training season kicks off on Jan 31st. It is not too late to sign up. I will be coaching athletes to complete either a Sprint or Olympic Triathlon or an Olympic Duathlon. The event we will be training for is the TriMiami Triathlon on May 3rd. If you would like to join this amazing team, post a comment or send me a PM and I will get the information to you as soon as possible.

On other news, Kelsie finally got her wish and is getting glasses. As most of you know, she cried last year for three hours after her eye appointment when the doctor told her she had 20/20 vision. This year, he said she has a minor minor minor correction in her right eye. Since I have vision insurance, I let her select glasses. Both Hannah and Kelsie will get them this week. I will post new pictures when they do.

As far as me, I am fine. Trying to get on a set schedule so I can get my training done. On my calendar are the following events:

Wildman Triathlon
Disney Princess Half Marathon
St Anthony's Triathlon
Ironman 70.3 Augusta
Ironman Florida

Obviously I need to get a marathon in there somewhere but I have yet to figure out which one. Any suggestions? Remember I hate the heat. LOL.

Well I am off to get the kids to bed and get my gear ready for the morning. Talk to everyone soon.

XOXOX,
Elizabeth

My Daughter Keslie

I am so excited to write this post. In the state of Florida, 5th graders are required to write a speech and compete in an oration contest. The topic this year is "A Person Who Has Touched Many Lives." On Wednesday, Kelsie was selected as one of the 9 finalists in her school to move on to the Level 1 contest. She will present her speech on Feb 5th. I am so proud of her for many reasons.

Kelsie appears on the surface to be very outgoing and social. When she was first given the assignment, she told me that she would present a speech for her class but she even if she was chosen to move on with the contest she did not want to. I told her to focus on writing her speech and we would cross that bridge if and when we got to it.

Kelsie did not tell me at first who she had chosen to write her speech about. She said she wanted to surprise me. The night before she was to give the speech for the first time, I was finally allowed to read what she had written. I figured she had written the speech about one of her grandparents or someone she had learned about in school. I was wrong. She wrote her speech about Winter Vinecki.

If you have read my blog in the past, you will already know who Winter Vinecki is. However for those of you who are reading this for the first time, Winter is a 10 year old girl who completed the Athletes for Cure Triathlon at Walt Disney World last September. This is an Olympic distance triathon which consists of a .9 mile swim followed by a 25 mile bike ride and finished up with a 6.2 mile run. If completing the race was not amazing enough, Winter was racing in honor of her Dad who had been diagnosed with Prostate cancer a few months before. As of race morning, she had raised over $31,000 and I think as of this blog, her fundraising has crossed over the $100,000.00 mark. After completing the race, Winter and her family were gracious enough to sign autographs and this is where Kelsie met Winter.

I had written in my blog about how seeing Winter start the race and then run across the finish line changed both my life and the life of my two daughters, Kelsie and Hannah. As you all know, I race and coach for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. Kelsie and Hannah have been my biggest supporters and cheerleaders since they were born. They come to practices, help my team fundraise and provide moral support and encouragement on the race course for the participants.

The day of the AFAC triathlon Kelsie, Hannah and I cheered Winter and her mother along the race course. As they ran across the finish line into the waiting arms of their family we were all cheering and crying harder than we ever had before. After the race, I wrote in my blog how seeing Winter had impacted our lives as well as how my daughters see the world and their place in it. Both of my daughters have vowed to complete a triathlon this year as part of Team Winter and are so excited to move forward to reaching this goal. They are going to compete in the Meek and Mighty Triathlon at the St Anthony Triathlon in April of this year.

At any rate back to the speech. Kelsie wrote an amazing speech about Winter and how she had been inspired by Winter. She talked about how Winter's determination and focus spurred the same in Kelsie. I was so proud of her that night. I could not wait to hear how she did in class.

After 3 days of speeches, the kids were sent home for Christmas break and Kelsie went to her dad's house for the holiday. A few days before the kids were to return back to school for the new year, I received an email from Kelsie's homeroom teacher stating that Kelsie had been picked as one of the 6 children in her class to move on in the contest but she had told her teacher she did not want to move on. Her teacher asked me to talk to Kelsie. She said that Kelsie had written an great speech and she hoped that Kelsie would decide to continue on.

When Kelsie came back home from her Dad's house, we talked about the speech. She told me she had been thinking about it over the break and what Winter would do if she was in Kelsie's situation. Kelsie said that Winter would not be scared, and even if she was scared she would give the speech anyways. Kelsie said she had decided to ask her teacher if she could continue with the oration contest. To tell you that I am so proud of her is a moot point. To tell you I was crying that night when I went to sleep is the understatement.

Kelsie went back to school after the break and presented her speech to the entire 5th grade. On Wednesday, they announced over the school PA system the 9 finalist that had been selected to move on. KELSIE WAS ONE OF THE NINE!!

I am so proud of you Kelsie! I love you! I will be there on February 5th to hear your speech. You are a winner!

I also want to thank Winter and her family again! You are all amazing and such an inspiration to my family! Thank you for coming into our lives!

XOXOX,
Elizabeth

P.S. As I completed this blog, I wanted to post an update on Winter and her mom, Dawn's facebook page. When I went to Dawn's page, I saw that she had updated the blog about Winter's father, Michael. As I write this addendum to my blog, it is with a sad and heavy heart. Michael found out that he has metastasis (spread of his cancer) not only to the liver but the lungs and lymph nodes as well. He has decided to continue his fight against this horrible disease with the hope that even if the treatment does not cure his cancer, that the clinical trial he is joining will help find a cure for those that are diagnosed in the future.

On January 31st, I will start coaching a new season with Team in Training. We will be training to complete the Tri Miami Triathlon on May 3rd. While these amazing people are raising money to fight the battle against blood cancers, I know that the money they raise to fund the research will progress the fight against all cancers not just blood cancers. Every dollar counts!

Michael, you and your family will be on my mind as I help my team move forward on their journey. I will pray for you as you continue on your journey and for your family as well. My journey to the become an Ironman has taken on new meaning this year.

Thank you again!
Elizabeth

New Year! New Beginnings!

Hey everyone! I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday season and your wishes and resolutions all come true.

Sorry I have not blogged in months. After I broke my shoulder, I just could not get up the energy. I am sorry.

Good news however, I am back! LOL. I will start by posting some of my resolutions.

1. Be good to myself and my daughters.
2. Get rid of the "box."
3. Get my Advocare business on the path to where I want it to be.
4. Begin my training plan for the IMFL '09.
5. Be a good mother, friend and coach.


There are many more resolutions but I will start with these.

The new TNT season kicks off on Jan 31st. My IMFL training officially starts on Feb 01st. So lets get the ball rolling.

Happy New Year!