Running the rainbow

I took pictures of myself every month to see if there was any body transformation. I had just competed in Triathlon Nationals and was feeling like I made it to the top in triathlon competition. Triathlons were no longer providing the same stress relief as they once did and I was tired of my shoulder having issues with the swim. Running was also becoming less and less fun. Lola wasn't able to run with me as much as she used to and I was tired of the pain from my bunion.

I tried 3 different CrossFit gyms and I loved all of them. My favorite was CrossFit Loop, 10 minutes from my home. The main reason I chose them is because of all of the class times they had available. They practically have a class every hour of the day.

This is what I looked like when I first tried to do a rope climb in September. It was so frustrating and I felt so weak. Everyone was trying to help me but I couldn't understand what I was supposed to do to get up there.

One of the reasons I keep going back to CrossFit is the huge gains that I get with the coaching and practice. I wasn't sure I was ever gonna learn to rope climb but I got good at it in 6 months.

It is scary to walk into a CrossFit gym for the first time. I felt inferior but the CrossFit culture is to welcome everyone. When you walk into a CrossFit facility, everyone has a smile and a nice thing to say to you. I walk into CrossFit gym after a long stressful day and am instantly greeted by friends. When I leave a CrossFit gym, I feel like I left all of the stresses in a sweat pile on the floor.

One thing I struggled with is the strength and flexibility to do lifts. I have been doing endurance sports my whole life and I realized I didn't have hip, shoulder, or ankle flexibility. Until I got the flexibility, I couldn't increase weight. I was finally able to do a back squat without falling over. It doesn't hurt my shoulder but I didn't have the balance to lock out my elbows and hold the bar over my head. I had to strengthen my back and core and work with some very patient coaches.

I started to notice muscle forming on my arms around October. I had been going to CrossFit about 5 times a week doing cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy.

I have seen many people that have been going to CrossFit for years but there are always newbies coming in. I have seen a few of them get addicted like me but many of them fall off the routine of doing CrossFit 5-6 times a week. There is a euphemism “You drink the Kool-Aid” of CrossFit. Basically, this means you're hooked. It means CrossFit is your thing. It means you love coming to CrossFit and beating yourself up. I definitely fall into this category.

I haven't hurt myself too bad in CrossFit. I definitely have a ton of soreness but the gym is huge on stretching and I believe that has saved me. I have only tore up my hand doing pullups and gave myself rope burn coming down from a rope climb. I had my 1st CrossFit competition on February 16th. It was a 3 week competition held every Friday. Open an accessible competition for anyone, regardless of skill or ability.  Each week, you choose the version of the workout that’s right for your age and fitness level.

Some of the workouts are ridiculously hard but the coaches know how to break it down so that most people can complete them. I just did a workout where we had to do 100 burpee box jumpovers. That seemed impossible to me but the coach broke it down so that we do 40 seconds of jumping and 20 seconds of rest. There was one workout where I had to carry heavy sandbags back and forth through the parking lot. I was the only female in the group and one guy told me, "You are one tough chick! Most people don't show up for workouts like this." I was sore for a long time after that one.

On December 1, I hired a nutritionist. I felt like I needed help with the amount of nutrients I was taking in. With endurance sports, I needed a lot of carbohydrates, but CrossFit requires protein and fat too. I had a nutritionist for 4 months. I only lost about 8 pounds but I gained a ton of muscle. I was so happy when I was able to do a Split Jerk. The split jerk is the most difficult Olympic lift for most people. Out of the snatch, clean, and jerk, the split jerk is something that newer lifters have such a difficult time with. You actually have to split and move your feet forward and back, where as most of the times in Weightlifting the feet don’t move forward and much at all. Most lifters have a hard time transitioning from moving vertically in the dip and drive to splitting their feet forward and back. Keeping proper balance through this transition is extremely difficult.

I have been told that I picked up CrossFit very fast but I still feel doubtful of myself. I will sometimes be able to lift a ton of weight and then have to go back to a lower weight in the next week. There were a couple times that I had a partner and wasn't able to keep up with them, which was horribly embarrassing. No matter how good you get at something, someone is always better.

In March, right before we were supposed to go on our cruise, I signed up for CrossFit Festivus. Festivus is typically 4 WODs long with up to 1-2 hours between each WOD while you wait for the other divisions to finish their workouts. These breaks are just long enough to make your muscles cold, stiff, and tight between WODs, which can make each subsequent WOD increasingly difficult.

Festivus always happens twice a year at CrossFit Loop. It happens in October and April. I wasn't able to do it in October because it falls on the same weekend as Mountain Bike State. I felt like I needed to do it this time.

It wasn't looking like CrossFit Loop was going to get enough volunteers to hold the event. They were begging for more volunteers. Thankfully, a ton of volunteers showed up on the morning of Festivus so I was able to compete.

Camilla tried CrossFit with me and said she liked it. But, she has never been willing to go back and try it again. Carly and Lloyd have both come to watch me do CrossFit but neither of them have any interest in trying it.

One thing I really enjoy is talking to Connor about different weightlifting movements. We talk about the different movements and which ones are harder than others. I can't even come close to the amount of weight that he is lifting. Connor, Camilla, and Carly came to watch me at CrossFit Festivus. Connor helped me with the Deadlift. On a 3-minute Running Clock, we were to Establish a 3 Rep Max Bench Press. https://youtube.com/shorts/6YmQHl-O31A

The first workout was a 500 m Row, then as many reps of possible of 12 Kettlebell Deadlifts, 9 Russian Kettlebell Swings, 6 Kettlebell Thrusters in 6 minutes. I was proud of how fast I was able to row but the thrusters didn't go too well. I kept doing it wrong.

The next workout was a 7 minute time cap of 21-15-9 Wall Balls and Hang Power Snatch. I finished the workout in 6:57, only 3 seconds before the time cap. The power snatch was really difficult for me. I felt like I had no strength in my arms.

The last workout was 2 Rounds of 3 min every minute on the minute

Min 1 - :50 - Ring Rows Min 2 - :50 - Goblet Squats Min 3 - :50 - Line Facing Burpees 

I did the best on this one because my coach was screaming at me, "Go faster! Go faster!" I finished 10th overall and wasn't even close to the podium. I still have a long way to go with CrossFit if I ever want to win anything.

Carnival Sunrise is a huge maze and it took quite a while for us to figure out where everything was.  There is a buffet, gym, fancy restaurant, bar, stores, arcade, comedy club and karaoke.  3,000 guests can stay on the ship, along with 1,000 staff.  

We spent some time walking around the ship and figuring out where things were.  

We went to the pool for a while and Carly fell asleep on the balcony.

There is a ropes course where you get to balance on a rope and walk out to a plank.  Carly and I did it and loved it. 

Lloyd enrolled us girls in a $200 jewelry shopping spree.  Unfortunately, it was $200 off when you pay $600, so we didn’t stay.

We got some beautiful views of the sunrise and sunset.

We took the opportunity to take some pretty pictures.

That evening, we went to formal night at the fancy restaurant.

Our first stop was Turks and Caicos.  The Turks and Caicos has an elected government similar to the structure of the United Kingdom, with the title of Premier being the highest local elected office. As a British Overseas Territory, King Charles III is head of state, and is represented by a Governor appointed by the United Kingdom Crown.

We went on a Duck Boat where they showed us the first national hero James Alexander George Smith McCartney.

We drove around and saw donkeys, the government building, library, and lighthouse. 

The rest of the day, we swam in the crystal blue water.  

Camilla loved the pink Starbucks.

We also tried the famous, “Conch Fritters”. Conchs (pronounced: konk) are gastropods known as sea mollusks or snails.  This was at a bar called Jacks Shack and we saw 18 year old twin boys walking around with G Strings.

Carly collected a lot of shells.

During our stay, our housekeeper made so many cute animals out of towels and placed them on our bed.

Our next excursion was Half Moon Cay.  This island is completely owned by Carnival Cruises.  The island has a population of 0.  We took a water taxi from the ship to the island.  

When we went swimming, we found a little turtle swimming around.

We planned a 3 night stay in Glenwood Springs at the beginning of mountain bike season.

The Colorado State Mountain Bike Championships are always held during Fall break and my birthday so we usually plan a family vacation.

Lloyd found out that he was going to travel to Amsterdam for at the same time as Colorado State Mountain Bike Championships.  I wanted my grandma to take his place and she agreed.

The Fall colors were changing right at the time that we arrived.  Glenwood Spring's largest developed park (Two Rivers) is located at the confluence of the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers.

Colorado State Mountain Bike Championships were located at Colorado Mountain College.  Colorado Mountain College’s Spring Valley campus is the newest venue to be added to the Colorado high school mountain bike racing calendar.

The campus’s trails above the Roaring Fork Valley near Glenwood Springs was the site of this year’s state championships from Oct. 20 to 23. The event brought 800 racers plus coaches, families and spectators for an estimated total of 2,000 visitors to the Glenwood Springs area throughout the race weekend.

Spring Valley recently completed over three miles of professionally built new trails that connect to an existing trail network, which have been hand built over several years by students and community members while exploring the campus environs. Along the way, CMC staff worked closely with the Colorado High School Cycling League to create a 5 ½- mile course, purposely built for high school-age student athletes.

I stood near the uphill section of the course and watched Connor come up.  That looked steep and hard.  I heard other riders saying that it was the hardest part of the course.

The coaches told us to have hard tires and soft suspension because it is really rocky and has long downhill sections.  I had no idea how to change the suspension and Connor bent his valve trying to put more air in it the night before so it was a bit stressful.

They both completed their races and held their own pretty good.  It is a huge accomplishment just to make it to State.

The town has a vibrant history.  In the late 1800s, dentist-turned-gambler/gunfighter John Henry “Doc” Holliday came to Glenwood Springs seeking a cure for his advanced tuberculosis. Unfortunately, his illness was too far advanced for a cure. 

During the warm-weather months, rafting the Colorado River through scenic Glenwood Canyon, cycling paved and unpaved trails and fishing miles of Gold Medal rivers and streams are top choices for visitors. I ran along the paved trails with Lola in the mornings.

In the evenings, we would watch Netflix shows together and cuddle with Lola.  The kids were always hungry so we walked to Target to stock our refrigerator with milk, frozen pizzas, cheese, and yogurt.  Carly also talked me into going to the hot tub every day to relax.

We had a good Chinese Restaurant (Zheng Asian Bistro) and Pizza Place (Russos) next to us so it was easy to get everything we need without having to drive anywhere.  The pizza was spectacular!  It took 35 minutes to make and was totally worth having real gourmet pizza.  Zheng Asian Bistro tasted just like real Chinese food from China.

Colorado Mountain College Spring Valley had a nice view of Capital Peak.  Capitol Peak is notorious among the Colorado fourteeners for being the most difficult of the fifty-eight peaks to ascend. The challenges on this mountain abound. There's a long, 8.5 mile approach hike requiring backpacking skills. The rock is loose and rotten, making rockfall risk significant.

Great Grandma Jeanine was a great support for the kids.  We had fun spending time with her and cheering for and watching the mountain bikers.  Since there was such a long walk from the parking, Grandma told the parking guys that she was handicapped and they let me drop her off right next to the race start.

We went downtown and found some great boba.  "Deja Brew" had so many choices of milk tea.  Camilla got a French toast flavored drink and Lola even got a pup cup.

The latest craze in the historic Colorado mountain town is public wing art. There are currently nine sets of eye-catching wings tucked away in discrete areas of the downtown core. You will find them in alleyways, on historic buildings, and even in pocket parks.

The wings idea came from a local business owner who wanted to find a way to move people throughout the downtown shopping district creatively during the recent pandemic. 

Chrissy Lee-Manes of Homsted, a natural lifestyle retail store, said she came up with the wings concept to help revitalize and beautify some of the less visited places in the downtown core. 

“The wings not only give people a fun reason to explore,” she said, “they also offer our visitors a way to take home a piece of their Glenwood Springs experience.” 

I dowloaded the "Wing Map" and found all but 3 of them.

The kids made fun of me for walking all over trying to find the wings, but I was able to see parts of the city that I would have never seen.  

We even found a set of wings behind a fence in a construction zone.  I almost jumped the fence to take a picture but Camilla would have probably collapsed from embarrassment.

Connor was just a big goofball for the entire trip.  He teased all of us and ate enough food for the entire family.

We also did some souvenir shopping but the city was very lacking in souvenir shops.  Most of them were pretty pricey.  One place I really liked was Bullocks.  It is a true western shop at the site of where Doc Holliday died.  They let Lola come in their store and have a treat.  They had nice cowboy hats, belts, boots, and home decor.  It was a lot of fun to walk through.  

This is the end of a pretty crappy summer and this triathlon fit right along with the crap.  I really didn’t want to go on this trip.  It had been a summer of non-stop stress and little sleep. I had been dealing with Bobby's death and was getting home late every night while having to wake early for kids activities.  I think of Bobby when I do open water swimming because I was on my way to an open water swim when I got the call that he was drinking bad in 2019.  

We had many guests in our home and had to pack things into storage and turn around and take everything out.  Lloyd couldn’t get my bike ready before the race because he was too busy. I was very tired and after a long night of mountain bike racing and we had a flight that we had to leave for at 3am.  That meant about 3 hours of sleep. We got to our hotel at 10am and our room wasn’t ready so we just walked and walked. 

The name Milwaukee comes from the Algonquin word millioke, meaning “the good land.” 

Our hotel was very nice and a great location. We walked to Veterans Memorial, the art museum, and the Love sculpture.  Robert Indiana was a famous pop artist, the creator of the iconic LOVE sculpture, one of the best known pieces of public art in the world. There are 50 of these worldwide. I saw the one in New York City too.

I went to the race expo and got my race stuff along with a USA triathlon jacket and bike jersey.  

We ate at the historic third ward on the riverfront.  The Historic Third Ward is known as Milwaukee’s Arts and Fashion District. Trendy shops and award-winning dining options abound in this revitalized warehouse district. 20,000 people live in this district. 

There was a lady walking around downtown eating her shirt. 

The next morning was my 750 meter open water swim and it was COLD. I am glad I got that over with.  My shoulder has been popping out a lot and it popped out a lot in this race too. We then walked the river walk and had Korean food.

The river walk extends 3.1 miles along both sides of the Milwaukee River, from the site of the former North Avenue Dam, through Downtown and the Historic Third Ward to Lake Michigan.

Water Street is one of Milwaukee’s most popular areas for nightlife. 

I needed to go for a bike ride and didn’t want to leave Lloyd alone so we rented him a bike. He was riding behind me and I heard a big, “Clunk!” I looked back and his seat had fallen right off. He ran back to get it and said, “I think I am too big for this bike!” I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time!

Saturday was a pretty crappy day because Lloyd and I couldn’t get along. We took a 90 minute boat cruise without speaking to each other.  

The City of Milwaukee owns and maintains 188 bridges, 21 of which are vertical lift or bascule type bridges to allow marine traffic additional clearance for safe passage.  

There are new pickleball courts under the I-794 freeway between Downtown and the Historic Third Ward.

I got a message on Saturday saying the triathlon was probably going to be canceled due to thunderstorms on Sunday, so I didn’t sleep that night. 

When I woke, I saw that they were holding the triathlon but it was going to be half the distance.  They didn’t say what time I was supposed to start, so I just guessed. I got there just on time.  I finished middle of the pack which makes me happy since I am competing against the best of the best. Overall=54th/99 Swim=60th/99 Bike=68th/99 Run=28th/99. This will be my last triathlon.  

Then Lloyd and I tried biking again with different bikes and visited Lakeshore state park, Bradford beach, and Atwater beach. 

The Boulder Peak Triathlon is one of the countries longest and most well-known triathlons. I did it last year and loved it.

This year, I wanted to do it to prepare for Toyota Age Group National Championships in Milwaukee in August. Toyota Age Group National Championships is a Sprint distance triathlon and is half the distance of Boulder Peak Olympic Triathlon.  I thought that by doing an Olympic distance, (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run) it would be good training for a Sprint Triathlon (.5 mile swim, 12.5 mile bike, 3.1mile run).

The night before the race, I was dreading doing it. I remembered how bad it hurt last year and my body was already exhausted and sore from packing and carrying boxes.

I knew I would regret it if I didn’t go, so I dragged my butt down there early on July 10th. It was so hot that I got in the water to cool off before the race. This helped tremendously in my swim. I was relaxed, calm, and fast. I swam 1 mile.

The bike was hard in the beginning. Old Stage hill is uphill for 7 miles.  The fast downhill usually makes up for it but I felt like my tires were too fast and I didn’t feel safe that my tires would not slip out. 

Old Stage is steep and I imagined myself slipping and dying. I finished 25 miles of biking and started the run.

The run was so hot and I needed so much water and Gatorade. I felt slow but I was still faster than most.  

I finished the triathlon with no one I knew to meet me at the finish line.  I am used to this and am usually fine with it because I always meet new people. 

I did meet a lot of new people this time too but I looked around and saw all of the families reuniting at the finish line and I got real sad.  I spend so much time cheering and supporting my family and I realized that I need them there for me sometimes.  

I actually spent a lot of the afternoon crying. I think I have just been doing so much and needed someone there for me that day. I didn’t even want to stay for awards or see how I did.  

After I got over feeling sorry for myself and got home, I found out that I got 5th place vs. 11th place from last year so at least I did well. Hopefully this race properly prepared me for my race in Milwaukee in August. Lloyd will be there for me at that one.

Estes Park was the perfect place to get away from fireworks. 

Our campground was perfect and was full of families so we got peace and quiet, even on the 4th of July.  

There was no fire ban so we spent a lot of time sitting around the fire and talking. 

I truly believe that these trips bond our family closer together. I heard about Connors friends and how he absolutely loves high school.  He said, “I really like my life” which warmed my heart.  

I heard about Carlys goals for swimming and how her friends are changing at school.  I heard about how Camilla wants to grow her hair long and she is looking forward to freedom in high school.  

Lloyd and I shared stories of our high school years.  Our campsite had nice clean showers for us to use so we never got super dirty.  Our neighbor camper had a guitar and Connor talked to him a bit about guitars.   Lloyd, Connor, Camilla, and me all went on a 8 mile dirt loop trail called Bible Point. 

There was a long climb and I ran faster than the bikes.  

Of course, the bikes go faster on the downhill and that beat the crap out of me.  

The paddleboarding was a bit difficult because the lake was so windy.  

Carly and I went back paddle boarding a second day and Carly struggled with Lola on the board so I got Lola off and put her on my board, which made me drop my paddle in the water. 

I rescued that too.  Lola is so used to paddleboarding that she now climbs up on her own and actually falls asleep on the board.  

Although, Carly bumped into my board and knocked Lola right off into the water.  She swam back to shore with her little life jacket on.  

We set up our horseshoes and slam ball and our slamball died in the fire pit.  

We bought some souvenirs in town and it was the most crowded I have ever seen Estes Park.  Lloyd asked a shop owner why it was so crowded and he said that Estes Park is always crowded on the 4th of July if it falls near a weekend.

They had people directing traffic everywhere. We enjoyed a meal out, boba, and ice cream.  Lola went in the stores with us.  

Estes Park is another dog friendly town.  Lola got many treats from store owners.  I saw a lady with a dog tent at her site and I walked up and talked to her. She said she loves the dog tent but never camps so she sold it to me for $20.  

Lola warmed up to it right away.  

We saw goats,

deer,

and ponies.

We didn’t see elk or moose on this trip.  

Connor is back to focusing on chess. 

He spent time reading and practicing chess.  

Lloyd, Connor, and Camilla biked the homestead trail that had many old homes from the 1900s.  

I started and almost finished my new book, “Freezing Order” and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about Russia and Putin. It reads just like a thriller, but is real life terror.

We camped in in Leadville in Molly Brown campground in 2017. I remember loving how many trees there are. Connor started a game board in the dirt and each kid had their own village. 

This year, we camped at Silver Dollar Campground. This site definitely makes the top 5 of best campsites we have camped at.  It was very spacious and we set up 3 tents. Connor was in one, the girls in the other, and me and Lola in the other.

Unfortunately, it was raining when we arrived.  So, we set up our tents quickly and ate some lunch.  Then, we went to the town of Leadville and looked in a few of their shops.  When the Avs game was about to start, we sat down at Casa Sanchez and ordered dinner, dessert, and Horchata.  We had so much fun watching the Avs win.  When we got back to our site, we were exhausted and went to bed.

Leadville gets pretty cold at night.  Thankfully, when the sun came out in the morning, it was warm.  We ate a breakfast of little smokies and eggs.  I had Connor cut up all the little smokies and made all the kids a plate.  Then, as I was making my own plate, I looked over and Lola had eaten all my little smokies.  I was so angry and screamed at her.  She was scared of me for about 5 minutes.

We then went on a nice bike ride.  Leadville has a lot of mountain bike trails and road cycling.  We did a little bit of both.  There was a dirt mountain bike trail next to Turquoise lake and many beautiful road riding through the trees.  Camilla loved this ride most of all.

The kids ate some lunch and played all of the games I brought.  Camping is becoming different as the kids get older.  They used to find all kinds of games to play in the trees.  Nowadays, they are used to phones and iPads, so it takes a bit more to amuse them.  I got a horseshoe set.

a frisbee,

a slam ball game,

and a hammock

After resting a bit, we went down to turquoise lake with our paddle boards.  The kids commented on what a pretty color the lake was.  It was a bit windy so the paddling wasn’t easy.  Connor lasted about 15 minutes while the girls lasted 30 minutes.  I stayed out there about an hour. 

While I was out paddling with Lola, I heard the kids laughing and talking on the beach, which made me happy.

Connor and Carly had fun doing handstands.

Camilla had fun sitting next to the fire with Lola.

We did have a few snags on this trip.  Poor Lola got bit by so many mosquitoes that her face swelled up.  It got so bad that I wondered if I needed to rush her to the ER.  Instead, I gave her Benadryl to see if it would help.  I know that Benadryl is safe for dogs and the swelling went away shortly after I gave it to her.

The other snag that I ran into was my tent had a small hole in it and the water started dripping into the middle of my tent.  Thankfully, I just put a tarp over the top of the tent and that solved the problem.  Last but not least, my portable air pump broke so I had to blow up my air mattress with my mouth.

They say that people bond over the campfire and I really felt that this happened on this trip.  We exercised together, played games together, and roasted marshmallows together.  It was a great trip.

In the end, I did find that my kids can find ways to entertain themselves without electronics.  Connor made his own little square with rocks and dirt.

I went to Mt Evans a couple of years ago and saw that the campgrounds at the base of the 14er looked really nice.  They are woodsy and near a creek with lots of shade.  After some research, I found that the West Chicago Lakes Campground was the best.

Since this was our first camping trip for the summer and the campground didn’t have water, I decided to only stay for 1 night.  I wanted to go Paddleboarding, but Echo lake does not allow Paddleboarding or swimming so we went for a hike.  We hiked from Echo Lake to Idaho Springs Reservoir and back.  It was about a 4.5 mile hike and pretty strenuous.

It was a beautiful day and very hot in town.  However, it was cooler in the mountains.  It really was the perfect weather.

When I am hiking, I see so many poop bags lying on the trail so I thought it was interesting that someone wrote a note on it.

Chicago creek was very cold.  It was so cold that it stung my feet.

Our campsite was 15 minutes away from Echo Lake and we loved the views.  There were so many Aspen trees everywhere.

We did a lot of exploring on the creek and collecting of firewood.

This was a perfect spot for a hammock because there were so many trees.

I had just recently bought a horseshoe set and we had a lot of fun playing horseshoes in the trees.

The water at the creek was quite high and loud.  It was a wonderful sound to fall asleep to.

Lola was in her element in the woods.  She stays right next to us and loves to play around in the creek.

Idaho Springs reservoir was a nice peaceful bit of water only accessible by hiking.  

When we hiked up there we sat down and had lunch before heading back.

Echo Lake is beautiful too.  It is only open from May-October so it is definitely worth seeing during these months.

We have become pretty good at getting all of our gear set up quickly.  The kids can do a lot of their own cooking now, too.

We always love sitting around the campfire and talking.  Thankfully, there were no fire restrictions this time.  It was really fun grabbing more sticks to put into the fire.

I like triathlons.  I really do.  However I do doubt myself a lot.  I have fear of open water and I also feel like I am a bit of an imposter cyclist.  Most triathletes were cyclists first but I was not.  I am a good swimmer but I also have a very real fear of open water.  I know that these are things to work on and I try very hard to do so.

I do my best to swim in open water when possible.  Unfortunately, I only had a week to do open water swimming before my race on June 4.  The water has just been too cold.  I registered for an open water swim race 2 days before the triathlon.  The funny thing about a deep phobia is that it never goes away.  I have been swimming consistently the whole year and even went open water swimming at Chatfield prior to the race.  I started the race fine and then I started feeling like something heavy was sitting on my chest and I couldn’t breathe.  I kept trying to put my head in the water and swim but I kept feeling like I couldn’t breathe.  I completed the race doing breaststroke with my head above the water.  It was very traumatic.

The night before the triathlon, I got real scared and hardly slept.  I didn’t wake up early enough and almost missed the race.  As soon as I parked the car,  I got on my bike and rode as fast as I could to the start.  When I pressed on the brakes, it made a loud sound and a bunch of Boulder cyclists started laughing at me.  This is the very reason I don’t ever feel like I am a real cyclist.  The Boulder cyclists can really make you feel low.  My theory is that they have a lot of money and are used to bossing and acting like they are above others.  

I kept hurrying and getting my stuff set up and a nice volunteer came up to me and said, “Give me your arm sweetie so I can write your race number.  Don’t stress about this.  It isn’t as if you are late for work or anything.” I wanted to hug that lady!

I started to put my wetsuit on and I talked to many of the swimmers.  Everyone was super nervous and making jokes.  They really settled my nerves a lot.  The sun was also out very bright and warm.  It felt good to put by body in the 63 degree water.  It was very nice and relieving.  When the start gun went off, I was surprised to find out that my swim was very easy and relaxed.  My breathing was calm and I was enjoying myself.  I was enjoying myself so much that I looked up and saw that I was going the wrong direction.  One of the kayaks came and told me to turn the other direction.  He caught me before I got too far off track, thankfully.

I got out of the water and onto the bike.  I felt like I held my own pretty well.  I would pass a few people and a few people would pass me.  I rode up next to a guy and he said, “Damn! These guys are fast!” I said, “Welcome to Boulder!” I made him laugh.  I also looked at the beautiful scenery.  The bike portion takes almost an hour so it is easily the biggest part of the triathlon.  It was a perfectly clear day and the mountains were gorgeous.  The course is pretty flat with a few rolling hills.  It was quite fun.

At the end of the bike portion, I got off running with my bike helmet still on.  I didn’t go too far so I turned around and put it down so I wouldn’t look silly.  I had quite a bit of speed and I had so much fun passing people.  I passed almost everyone that passed me on the bike.  A few fast men passed me.  

When I finished, I enjoyed a bit of the festivities and talked to a few people.  They wouldn’t let me get in to take my bike home for 45 minutes so I had time to walk around.  I was surprised to see that I finished 3rd in my age group.  2 women that passed me on the bike walked up to me and said I was very speedy on the run.

So here is the things about triathlons that I love;  They are hard.  They are scary.  They require a lot of preparation.  They work all different parts of your body.  They push you to overcome challenges that are not just physical in nature. Overcoming those fears and mastering the skill is a huge accomplishment.  Triathlon is a metaphor for life.

The next day, I took the kids to Chatfield to try out our new paddle boards.  It was a perfect day and very warm.  We got inflatable boards, which most people seem to have now.  They fit in a backpack and you can carry them down to the beach and blow them up.  They are surprisingly easy to set up.

We attached lifejackets to our board and took off.  We went pretty far into the reservoir and just laid out and talked.  It was very relaxing and peaceful.

Many people commented on how good Lola was.  She really has no fear of water whatsoever, so we put a lifejacket on her too.

Connor is a goofball and kept falling in and messing around with Carly.

We plan on spending a lot of time at lakes and reservoirs this summer.  The girls have now bought themselves enough swimsuits for a lifetime!

The MGM pool has a lazy river, 2 pools, and 2 hot tubs.  They also have a nice bar to order Strawberry Daquiris, Pina Coladas, and nachos. 

The girls bought cute swimsuits at Ron Jon Surf shop.

Just Lloyd and I went to Hakkasan nightclub is inside the MGM Grand.  They have neat light displays, beautiful dancers, and talented DJs.  We had the most fun people watching.  Dress Code is upscale fashionable attire. They do not permit: hats, sandals, sneakers, hard soled shoes and boots, ripped or baggy clothing and athletic wear.  

The Bellagio 8.5-acre lake has 1,214 jets that rocket streams of water 460 feet into the air. The attraction was created by WET Design. The shows are so complex, there's a staff of 30 working seven days a week, 365 days a year to clean, maintain and make emergency repairs on the fountains between shows.

House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film The Blues Brothers.

My favorite part of Vegas was the nightclub and the pool.

Tournament of Kings is Las Vegas’ ultimate dinner and a show experience. Adapted from the tale of King Arthur, this live-action production takes place in a 900-seat theater-in-the-round arena and immerses the audience in a tale of valor and treachery. Valiant knights ride mighty steeds and prove their chivalry amongst special effects and pyrotechnics. While knights fight, guests feast on a hearty dinner using the original utensil – their hands. Tournament of Kings is an epic portrayal of centuries past, and it’s all in the name of honor, country, and of course, food.

Bodies...The Exhibition has been experienced by more than 15 million people worldwide. Using an innovative preservation process, the Exhibition showcases real full-bodies and organs, providing a detailed, three-dimensional vision of the human form rarely seen outside of an anatomy lab.

HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Las Vegas is a unique and delicious retail experience that offers more than 800 Hershey’s chocolates and candies in the famous New York-New York Hotel & Casino.

The Hunger games exhibition allows visitors to see the world of the movies, including galleries that display District 13, the Hall of Justice, President Snow’s Office, and the Tribute train. For those seeking to sharpen their Mockingjay skills, an archery training experience nestled inside an interactive digital training lab offers guests the opportunity to train like Katniss in a thrilling, immersive attraction.

We ate at Lucilles and met Maria’s roommates.  The girls then played some arcade games.   Lucilles is a chain of restaurants founded in California specializing in barbecue cuisine as well as southern and Cajun style meals. The restaurants feature a southern American and Blues theme.

Camilla’s friend was staying at the Cosmopolitan so we walked her down there to hang out with her friend for a couple hours.  The MGM is currently purchasing the Cosmopolitan.  It is pretty with a bar inside a chandelier. 

Blue Man Group was a blast.  They did drumming on paint, smoke drums, and other artistic productions.

We all had a lot of fun in Vegas.  Connor thought the hotel was huge and beautiful.  

Carly loved all the lights and entertainment.

Camilla liked the Excalibur show the best.  

The Big Apple Rollercoaster in Las Vegas goes 67mph.  It features a 180-degree “heartline” twist and dive maneuver and 203ft drop.

I have been spending a ton of time on my kids sports over the last month.  I love seeing all of their hard work pay off.

I don’t encourage my kids to do sports so they are the best athletes.  I just believe that sports really prepare you for real life: disappointments, injuries, problem solving, fear, exhaustion, relationships… They teach you how to be successful in the real world.  

 I encourage my kids to work hard and not give up.  

Carly made it to State in the Medley Relay and Freestyle Relay so I bought her a blanket to celebrate this accomplishment.

We stayed in Westminster for the weekend.  She got Freestyle PR of 29.62.  Previous time of 29.69

Watching her warmup was pretty humorous with everyone crashing into each other.

She got a Backstroke PR of 34.99.  Previous time of 35.04

State was at Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center, which is huge.  I actually completed in a swim meet there when I was on Rock Tri Club.

Although I loved the pool, the area of town was not very nice.  We stayed at a nice Marriott but theft and homeless were high.  I was scared to leave my car parked in front of the hotel.  I removed everything of value and I am pretty sure I saw a hooker checking into the hotel.

I did get the girls In-N-Out burger for the first time.  Even though the burgers were good, I still don’t understand why people love them so much.

Silver State Championships were held at DU.  This is also a nice pool but Carly said the water felt thick and I felt like there could be more natural light in there.

Carly absolutely loves her Grandpa and was so excited to see him.

I had to volunteer at the meet because none of the other parents would, so I couldn’t really visit with anyone or help Carly to her events.  Right when the meet started, I saw a young girl puke in the trashcan as soon as she finished her event.  I thought it was so sad to see these young kids experience so much stress.

Her times for the first 2 events were not good.  200 free was about 2 seconds slower than normal.

50 breaststroke was also slower than normal.

She was swimming slower than normal and missed an event.  She wasn’t her normal self.  At first I blamed myself for not forcing her to rest or not volunteering at the meet so I could be with her.  

Grandpa blamed himself for talking to her and distracting her.  But, in the end, her head was just not in the game.  And you know what? That happens.  I remember races that I just couldn’t get myself in the game.  We are all human and have those days.  

I felt pretty stressed about it.  I took the day off to be with her and was upset that she didn’t try harder. At some point, I had to just accept that these things happen and she is just a kid.

I treated myself to a pedicure and spent some sweet time with Lola at Washington Park.

Then on Saturday, Carly got a PR of 34.98 in backstroke. Her head was back in the game!

I got her 2nd Championship meet decal put on her blanket.

We celebrated at Torchys with Great Grandma.

On Sunday, Carly swam 100 Breaststroke.  She got 1:27:35 and this is the same time she got when she qualified for State.

Carly’s 2nd Event was 50 Free.  She got a 30:29 and previously had a 29:69.

She loved seeing Grandma and Grandpa there supporting her.

Her last event was 500 Free.  She got a 6:39:68 and previously had a 6:39:42. 

Grandpa bought Carly a new pair of socks and Grandma bought Carly a new swimsuit.  

We then went to lunch at Torchy’s.

Carly, Camilla, and I drove out to Colorado Springs for 2 nights so Carly could qualify for more events in Silver State Championships.  We stayed at the Hampton Inn again which gives us a a comfy bed to sleep in,

a buffet breakfast,

and a hot tub.

This was the first time in 2 years that we didn’t have to wear a mask at a hotel and they actually cleaned our room each day.

Before this meet, Carly already qualified for Silver State in 500 freestyle.  She needed a time of 6.42.09 and she got a time of 6.39.42.

Carly had also already qualified for Silver State in 50 freestyle.  She needed a time of 30.29 and she got a time of 29.69.

She had also qualified for Silver State in 50 backstroke.  She needed a time of 35.69 and she got a time of 35.04.

She had also qualified for Silver State in 50 breaststroke.  She needed a time of 40.99 and she got a time of 40.06

Our goal for the weekend was to get her qualified for 100 IM, 100 Free, and 200 Free.

Her first event on Friday was 100 IM.  She needed a time of 1.17.09 and she got  1.16.82 so she qualified for Silver State. We then celebrated by going to Cracker Barrel, one of our favorite places to eat.  We don’t have any Cracker Barrels near Castle Rock so we always stop when we are near Colorado Springs.  The have good home country cooking for cheap,

fun games to play at the table,

and a cute store.

We then came back to the hotel and watched, “All of Us are Dead”, a Korean zombie show that Camilla wanted us to watch.

We then woke up early and took Carly to Day 2.  She did PR in 100 Free on Day 2.  But unfortunately, she needed a 106.99 for Silver State and she got a 1.07.10.  She was pretty upset because this was her last chance to qualify and she just barely missed it.

When we got back to the hotel, I took a run around Colorado Springs while Carly showered.

Then we went to Skate City.  That place was CROWDED.  We had to be real careful because little kids were everywhere and would change directions at any moment.

We did have a lot of fun, though.  It helped Carly get her mind off of the disappointment.

We then went to Thai food, got a tea from Kung Fu tea, and went to Barnes and Noble before heading back to bed for the night.

I didn’t sleep because I was so nervous.  I promised Carly that I would buy her new goggles if she qualified in 100 free. But, since she didn’t qualify, I told her I would get her goggles if she qualified in 200 free. She qualified for Silver State in 200 free in a time of 1.24.09 and she needed a 1.27.35. I bought her goggles and she wanted to use them in 100 breast and 50 fly. 

Carly missed her 100 breast event because she was chatting.  I was screaming at her from the balcony. Her coach pulled strings and put her in the boys race.  She qualified for state in 100 breast. She needed 1.28.09 and got 1.27.35.

She will now swim 50 free, 50 breast, 100 breast, 100 IM, 200 free, and 500 free at Silver State. 

Next weekend, I will take her to Veterans Memorial Pool in Thornton to swim in relays at State.  Then, we go to DU on March 4-6 to swim CSI Silver State Championships.

Connor’s Birthday fell on Monday January 31 and Grandma Maria was visiting us for a special treat.  She made him Country fried steak for dinner and we made him wear a Birthday hat from my kindle class.

Connor has grown so much in the last year.  He has become more social and mature and is doing really well in school and at sports.  I am so proud of him.

Then we had a 2nd celebration at Los Dos Potrillos and we got to embarrass him with a serenade.

He really enjoyed talking and visiting with the family.

Just before his birthday, he competed in 2022 Continental JV League Championships at Rock Canyon High School.

He was up against some really tough competition and lost all of the matches.

But, he learned a lot and had fun hanging out with his friends.

Then, on Friday February 5, he went to JV State Championships at Northglenn High School.

He lost the 1st match and got a nasty bloody nose.

He then won 3 matches in a row.

Grandpa Tom and Grandma Suzanne came to watch him.

I took the day off of work to take him and I am so glad I did because he got 6th place at JV State.

He now wants a Lettermans Jacket.

I don’t think I have ever seen him so tired.

Lloyd had gotten TOOL tickets as a gift for Connor in 2020 and COVID postponed it to 2022. 

I almost didn’t go because of all the kids activities but Lloyd said, “Tool & Tara just go together like hot wings & ranch dressing.” 

It is getting much harder to go to concerts now since they cost $150 or more for tickets, but we really wanted to give Connor this experience.

I remember my 1st concert, Aerosmith and thinking how big and crazy the world was.  I saw people smoking pot, crowd surfing, wearing hardly any clothes, and acting crazy.  Connor got to experience it.

Right off the bat, when we walked into TOOL, we saw a fan in handcuffs getting arrested. 

When we went to the restroom, the men had a long line and there was no one in the women’s bathroom. I walked over to the mens line and said, “This is backwards!”  A man said, “Well, this concert is 90% men. We love having you women here but you are the odd ones out.” 

It felt like we had to go through an FBI investigation to get in.  Vaccine card, ID, tickets, phone, metal detector….  Lloyd got his nice pocket knife taken away.  

Maynard is 57 years old but is in damn good shape.  He jumps around on stage for hours.  

Danny Edwin Carey is an amazing drummer and I was in a trance when I was watching him.  

Our friend Matt joined us too so him and Connor saw TOOL for the 1st time. I saw them for the 3rd time. Lloyd is probably on his 20th time seeing them.  I got fist bumps from men for wearing my Red Wings jersey.

Masks were very loosely enforced and everyone was vaccinated so we took our masks off.  

Connor looked like he was having a lot of fun but I could see him starting to get sleepy towards the end of the concert.  It was perfect timing for a bunch of confetti to start falling from the ceiling.  I told Connor to catch some for me and he started smiling and catching them.  I brought them all home.

TOOL and concerts in general are very nostalgic for Lloyd and I because we really connected with music when we met in 2000.