A Life (Extra)Ordinary

As a young girl, I dreamed of becoming an Olympic gymnast. I wanted to be the next Nadia Comaneci. I wanted to be world famous.

And then came the balance beam. It was my nemesis, the destroyer of my dreams. That and the thousands of dollars my parents would NOT spend to send me to live with Bela Karolyi.

Instead, reality set in. I was not going to be world famous and inspire a nation. I was going to lead an ordinary life: marriage, children, mortgage and all, and most days I am good with that. Day to day I think I lead an average life. I am loved by my husband, kids, sisters, nieces and nephews. That's is all that REALLY matters, right? Everyone wants to lead a fulfilling happy life, don't they?

Five years ago I began training for triathlon. Almost three years ago I became a group fitness instructor. In one month, I will be able to claim the title of Ironman for a year now.

After completing my Ironman last August 26th, I received so many incredible messages from people who tracked my race all day long. People who said "It's not if she can do it, I can do it. It's because you did it I can do it." I took that as a mighty fine compliment. But it's been a year since my Ironman. To me, the glory never wears off. I can look at my Ironman pictures and remember every second, every detail of that day.

Then the monotony of life takes over and again I think I lead an ordinary life....UNTIL....I get those random, out of the blue emails from someone from my past, or someone who has been in my classes, someone who has found themselves eating healthier, moving more and eventually getting more fit.

I woke up this morning with a horrible sinus headache which concerned me since I'm supposed to go to GRIT(r) training this weekend in St. Louis. Ugh, every movement made me hurt. While I made my breakfast, I checked my Facebook news feed and noticed I had a message from a friend from high school. Her message brought tears to my eyes.

Just over a year ago she contacted me regarding her struggles with exercise and emotional eating.  Her loved ones did not support her, but mocked her attempts to get in shape. Today? She's lost 30 pounds since the beginning of this summer. She's eliminated some bad habits and kept the negative people out of her life. She emailed me to thank me for my words of encouragement and for all of my "fit posts" on Facebook. (Yes, I can be a little overbearing with getting my message out there.)

It's days like today where I do not feel like I lead an ordinary life. I lead an (Extra)Ordinary life. I am blessed to do something that I love every day. While I motivate others, they inspire me. I am incredibly blessed.

A Trip to the Windy City

Even under the best of circumstances, it is hard to let go of your baby girl....even when she is no longer a baby. Next fall Samantha will be attending DePaul University in Chicago, IL and I think daddy is struggling with the idea of his first born growing up and moving away. 

While I lived in Chicago 20+ years ago, my dear husband has never quite embraced Chicago and its hustle and bustle. We decided to have a summer hiatus in the Windy City with the entire family. When I asked the girls what they wanted to do, this is what we came up with:  

#1 *** A visit to the art museum ****

Annelise wanted to go to the art museum. Unfortunately, me being me and not being an artsy fartsy mom, I picked the wrong one. We toured the Contemporary Art Museum. Apparently, my family is not a fan of contemporary art. I mean strings of Christmas lights become an art display? A series of beer bottles stuck on the wall? Paper dots tossed into the air?  I found great amusement with the bottom left picture. Old style photo development. With today's digital format, photographs have almost disappeared. Anyway...I digress. Annelise was not happy with my choice of art museums. Maybe next time she will research it herself and make sure we are going to the right one. 

MCA - not the place we thought

Here is our contemplation of contemporary art. Annelise is laughing at my choice of museums. Samantha is wondering what the heck we are looking at...and me? I'm trying to make the best of the situation and pretending like I am getting something out of the experience. Believe me...I got nothing from it except my wallet was made a little bit lighter.

Contemplation

#2 *** Visit Navy Pier ****

Cold & Foggy at Navy Pier

This wasn't really on their wish list, but after our exhilarating experience at the Contemporary Art Museum we were all hungry AND Jimmy Buffet was in town! We tried to get into Margaritaville, but the wait was well over an hour. Instead, we ate at Harry Caray's.

Margaritaville Bus

After lunch, we went over to the Navy Pier lawn where a band was playing Jimmy Buffet and beach tunes. Abby wanted a shark fin hat. Yes, I am proud to say my 11 year old is a Land Shark. (Mom of the Year award for me!) 

A Pitcher of Margaritas

 #3 *** Blue Man Group ****
We've been talking about taking the kids to see Blue Man group for almost a year, but with schedules crazy as usual, it's been tough to find a weekend when we could get to Chicago to see them.

Blue Man Group

This was the only picture I was able to take at the show. As soon as I snapped the picture, I got yelled at because there is no photography inside of the studio. What? Not even of my precious kids before the show? Apparently not! We all agreed the show was fantastic.

#4 *** Cheesecake Factory ****

It was a late night dinner at the Cheesecake Factory which kind of turned out to be a disaster. No one was really hungry. Everyone was just exhausted, but I needed to eat something so I wouldn't be starving half way through the night. The Cheesecake Factory is not my favorite place to eat. There are too many items on the menu which to me says they specialize in NOTHING! Yes, I am a food snob. 

#5 *** Run along Lake Shore Drive ****

OK I was the only person with this on my list. While the kids slept, Jeff & I got up and ran along Lake Shore Drive. On Saturday, the swells were 5-7 feet high. I was so happy I was not swimming in the water. It was slightly calmer for our run Sunday morning. We did come across what I suppose was the Chicago Triathlon Club swimming in Lake Michigan later in our run. My run was fantastic. There were so many people walking, running, and riding their bikes. It made me laugh to think when I lived in Chicago I rode up and down Lake Shore Drive with my then boyfriend and his mom. The ride was probably around 20 miles and it seemed so incredibly long! Now? 20 miles is nothing. 

#6 *** Shop on Michigan Avenue ****

No pictures required. Actually, we don't want any evidence to show how much we spent. Jeff was the designated bag boy. He carried our bags and not once did I hear him complain.

Miraculously, at the end of the trip, Jeff was astounded we didn't visit Chicago more often over the years. I think he feels a little bit better about his baby girl moving to the big terrifying city.

The best dinner conversation

Sometimes the best dinner conversations happen over chips and salsa and a 32 ounce margarita. Jeff's look of shock when I ordered margarita special of the night was calmed when the waiter delivered my margarita....and it wasn't 32 ounces. Whew....it could have been a loooong morning after.

Maybe not 32 ounces, but it was enough!

Jeff and I went to dinner and, as usual, the conversation turned to work and working out....or as in this case: BOTH! I explained to Jeff that I am interested in going to GRIT(r) training. Recently, we had one instructor go to training and he lost 10 pounds in two weeks. Another husband/wife instructor team went to training and the wife lost 35 pounds! Hmmmm, very intriguing.

Typically, Les Mills instructors have to be sponsored by a licensed club. Now that I work full time as a Les Mills Club Coach, I have the opportunity to attend any training I would like. A few weeks ago my manager asked when I was going to go to GRIT(r) training. GRIT stands for Group Resistance Interval Training. It's a HIIT workout: 30 minutes of high intensity interval training and there a 3 different formats: GRIT Strength, GRIT Cardio and GRIT Plyo.

Here is a sample of the GRIT Plyo class....45 seconds of the full 30 minute class!


I am a little terrified. I mean just because I am an IRONMAN does not mean that I am ready for HIIT training! Yes, I can endure....not sure I am ready to push my body to the point of puking however.

BUT...I'm a sucker. I'm registered for training on July 20th. I'll be heading to St. Louis for the weekend to take my first steps toward becoming a LES MILLS GRIT Coach. In my job working as a club coach, I've had GFM (group fitness managers) tell me they get better results from GRIT than clients do working with a personal trainer on a regular basis. So why not?

The only problem is finding a local gym where I can coach people through GRIT. During our great dinner conversation (and maybe it was the margarita going to his head), he tried to convince me to purchase the GRIT license and offer the group personal training format here in Tremont.

WHOA! Say what? The license for GRIT(r) is not cheap. I would have to have at least 6 paying clients just to break even every single month. Jeff's rational is that there are a large number of people who look to me for health & fitness advice, or attend my classes. As my friend, Jen, says, she's "A Carla Groupie". She follows me from class to class because she likes my teaching style and knows that I am knowledgeable. I walk the walk. I talk the talk.

I still pause. For once, I am being the rational one, throwing up arguments on why this won't work or why I shouldn't do it and Jeff is playing the role of the dreamer, the risk taker. He still firmly believes that I should do it. His belief in me and my abilities are so humbling. How did I become fortunate enough to marry someone who believes in me 110%?

As our conversation evolves, I discover the real root of his reasoning. He wants to become my first client. He wants me to kick his ass and get him back in shape. I have to say the idea is definitely appealing, but I've decide to wait and see how my training goes. My training DVDs should arrive in the mail this week. I will be mixing up my workouts between marathon and HIIT training. I see lots of burpees in my future.

Gift for my hubby

My husband sent me this picture earlier this week saying he needed this shirt.

I think I'm going to buy it for him.....

And then make him wear it to the Tremont Education Foundation meeting, softball practices and church trustee meetings. Maybe even when he works the A/V booth at church. 

Then maybe he will slow his schedule down since he will be kicked off of every administrative group he's a part of.

So, yes, dear heart, buy the shirt. Let's how that works for you.  😈

Let's Dream

Forget LOU, MOO, LP or CO...... 

IRONMAN NEW ZEALAND is now at the top of my list. 

One can dream about what might be, right? 

Tremont Triathlon 2013

Yesterday was the 6th year of the re-incarnated Tremont Triathlon. The 5th time I've completed it. As of yesterday morning, it was also going to be the ONLY triathlon on my schedule for the year. 2013 is the year of the run. Or so I thought.

Jeff & I at Body Marking

Jeff & I arrived at the pavilion about 5:15 am to do some body marking. I had visions of my artistic detailing on all of the triathletes, but Jeff felt that was inappropriate and I should stick to bib number and age. Bummer.

We finally decided it was time to get my bike set up in transition. I prepared my transition area but suddenly came to a dead stop. I couldn't remember how to secure my aero bottle on my bike. I haven't used the dang thing since August of last year. I even asked Ed, a fellow IMLOU triathlete. Yah, he was no help. Along came my hero, Jeff, to the rescue. It's a good thing I married a man who 1) is mechanically inclined and can put things together for me, 2) has a good memory. After setting up my transition, I walked up to the pool deck to field some questions from triathlon newbies and suddenly heard the race start. I had absolutely no idea it was 7 am and time for the race to start!

Transition area all set up

I went to change into my tri suit and waited with friends while the first few waves of swimmers went off. For the first time ever, I decided to warm up for the swim. Spooky, huh. Kind of like a Twilight Zone. Two laps in the 3 foot pool and before I knew it, my number was being called to enter the pool. 

The swim for the Tremont Triathlon is 8 laps on one side of the pool so you don't have to change lanes. I jumped into the water...and had two thoughts simultaneously. ONE: I forgot to start my Garmin watch. TWO: My left google started to leak. Ugh. After my first 25 yards, I had to stop and drain my goggles. Off I went again...still slowly leaking. After 200 yards, I emptied again. I wasn't too stressed though. I mean how much time does it take to drain a goggle, right? 

My transition to the bike went smoothly. Dried legs. Feet in socks and off on the bike. After the first mile, I looked at my Garmin and realized I hadn't hit my Multi-sport option correctly. Damn it! So I slowed to change the settings on my Garmin to BIKE so I could watch my cadence. 15.45 of relatively good, flat road with wind at my back on the way out. I felt like a rock star! As I neared the turn around, I spied my rabbit. It was a blonde chic in a T3 uniform. I had no idea who she was, but I was going to chase her down. The turn around at Allentown surprised me though. I miscalculated my speed going into the turn around and almost bit it much to Kinsey's laughter. Oh brother...now that would have been a story to tell. Luckily, I was able to stay on my bike and get back on the road. 

After the turn around, someone finally passed me...like I was standing still. Man, if that doesn't annoy me. I've never claimed to be a speedster. The only comforting thought was seeing the IM Tattoo on his calf as he passed me. OK, I'll let another Ironman pass me. Before turning back into town, I caught my rabbit. With a little smile of glee, I cheered her on and kept on moving. Time to find a new rabbit. I passed a woman walking her bike and checked on her. Unfortunately, she had a flat. Bummer. 

I made it back into town and my legs were feeling pretty good. My inner thighs were saying HELLO, but other than that I felt ready for the run. I debated taping my knee quickly before taking off, but decided to go without since my knee had been behaving fairly well lately. 

Out on the run, I felt comfortable. NOTE: Comfortable. UGH. I got Gatorade at the first aid station since I was still paranoid about cramps. Yes, I have to walk with Gatorade because otherwise I'd end up a sloppy, sticky mess. I made it to the turn around where Nick Kinsey gave me encouragement. (Gosh, this is why I love triathlons. Everyone is always so supportive.) On the way back, I hit the aid station again and chose to walk for 15 seconds while I took in water. 

A glance at my Garmin told me my pace was OK, not great, but again I felt comfortable. I had a little nagging thought of "Don't let up. You don't want to regret it." And picked up my pace slightly, but I tend to drift. As my thoughts change, so does my pace. 

I crossed the line with a little kick and felt pretty happy crossing the finish line. No cramps. I felt like my triathlon, at least for me, was fairly solid considering I haven't made triathlon training a priority. As soon as I grabbed my water, I ran back to the transition area wondering if I would be able to catch Jeff. Because of the way the swim is formatted, he had to wait about another hour after I started. In transition, I found that Jeff was already out on the bike, but my friend, Cindy, was just leaving the pool. She was excited for her first triathlon and heading out on the bike course on her MOUNTAIN BIKE!!!! Oh my. We've got to get that girl a new bike.

I waited at transition for about 20 minutes chatting it up with my buddy, Mike Dillard, while waiting for Jeff to come back in. He made it in and in typical Leber fashion chatted his whole way through transition before heading out on the run. Once I saw him out on the run, I grabbed my gear and took a quick shower in the pool house. It felt great to get the sweat off of my body.

As I waited for Jeff to finish his race, James decided to insert the knife and twist. Apparently, a local triathlon newbie beat me by 20 SECONDS. As if that wasn't enough, I didn't realize it until they announced the awards that she beat me by 20 seconds and took me out of the medals for my age group. I wound up in G.D. 4th place!!!! No, I'm not bitter. OK, maybe I am a little. Here is what I posted on Cheryl's Facebook wall:

GRRRGRRRGRRRR Whatever James tells you it's fine. I'm not mad. I'm not hitting hyper-competitive mode. 20 seconds. What's 20 seconds out of 3rd place??? Well....it's the 2 times I had to drain my goggles. Or the time I slowed on the bike to reset my Garmin because I couldn't remember to set it right for multisport. Or it could be walking at the aid station for Gatorade to avoid cramps. GRRRRR. yes, 20 seconds!

My bitterness is over. It's now motivation. I spent all evening looking at more races to do this year, planning my calendar like a drill sergeant.

4th place....by 20 seconds....Motha' ...............

Rides with Wolves

Back in the 80s they probably called me "Girl with no fashion sense".

Today you can call me "Rides with Wolves". I went for a quick bike ride on the morning of Father's Day since I'm supposed to be training for the Tremont Triathlon which is this weekend. I was squeezing in a ride before heading to Bloomington to watch my nephew's baseball game and see my father-in-law. 

A fast 12 mile ride over the hills south of town made for interesting lesson in agriculture. As I rode down one road I heard a horn blast three times and suddenly the herd of cows shifted in the pasture. (Note: ask my favorite ag girl, Kelsey, about this.) Further into my ride I came across a small critter trotting along the side of the road. I say it was a small wolf. My dear husband says it was probably a coyote because we don't have wolves in the area. I say I don't care what you call it it was wildlife that one doesn't normally see. 

The triathlon is 2 days away....and I just realized last night that I haven't done a single brick workout. Oops. Guess it isn't going to happen now.

Signing off "Rides with Wolves"