The Versatile Blogger

I was lucky enough to recieve the Versatile Blogger award from Heather over at Just a Colorado Gal. So without fruther ado we'll get on to it!

There are a few basic rules with this award:
1. You have to thank the giver, and provide a link to the post. Thanks a ton to Heather over at Just a Colorado Gal.
2. Share 7 random facts about yourself.
3. Award 15 other newly discovered blogs the same award (I changed this one up a little as you will see below.

So first up Random facts about myself:

1. I love Mexico. And I have a real fondness for the all inclusive resorts. I’ve been to Cabo San Lucas a couple of times, Mazatlan, Cancun a few times, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta and Playa Del Carmen. I’m hoping to be able to take the boys again in the spring before Josh goes off to the Marines.

2. I’ve lived in/owned (ok not really the bank still owns it) my house for 20 years. That makes me feel really old.

3. The idea of a full marathon is starting to enter my head every once in awhile.

4. I can be pretty shy when in social situations where I don’t know many people.

5. I quit smoking 10 years ago, but when I’m in situations with smokers and alcohol I will smoke.

6. I’m not much of a housekeeper these days....I was never great, but at different times in my life I have been better. These days I would much rather go for a run/bike/swim/read blogs :) then sweep the floor or dust.

7. I pretty much only drink water or coffee. And I drink quite a bit of both. I drink hot water during the day when I’m trying not to drink so much coffee...that’s right just plain hot water. People at work finally stopped offering me tea bags and got used to the idea that I just want water.

Pretty boring stuff huh?

Well instead of tagging 15 new blogs I want to introduce some fellow Colorado Bloggers. Many of these you will already know. Some I've met and become friends with, some are new to me. Some like me are newer to exercise and some are fantastic athletes. The one thing they all have in common is we live in and enjoy this beautiful state of Colorado. So take a minute and check them out. And if I forgot someone or you have another Colorado blog I should check out, please let me know! So here we go in no particular order.

Just a Colorado Gal
Colorado bikeaholics
Run with Jill
Couch Potato To Ironman
BQ by 40
Happy Runner Girl
Pedestrian Runner
I Tri To Be Me
Shut up & Run
Dare To Dream
50 half marathons in 50 states
Swimming, Cycling & Running....with A(L)titude:
Colorado Runner
Mamarunsbarefoot
Tri-Girl Training Plan
Reason2Ride
run around aroo

Questions and Answers with Julie -The Answers Part 2 The Final Chapter

Well here it is the final installment of Q & A with Julie It's nearly as exciting as Part 1

Enjoy!

BDD (needs no introduction) asked:

If barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
- Do penquins have knees?
- How does asprin find the headache?
- If Teflon is stick free, how do they get it to stick to the pan?
- When someone yells "headsup!!" why does everyone duck?

BDD these are all great questions, I however have the answers to none, so I will direct you to one of many with more knowledge than myself.

Terzah BQby40 asked

I hate hot weather for running. But maybe it's actually good for tris. Where do you come down on the weather question?

I prefer the cool weather, hot is not good for tri’s either. A nice 75ish degrees would be perfect...Doesn’t often happen for sure.

Does the idea of swimming in the ocean scare you? Because it seriously freaks me out...

I love, love, love to play in the ocean. Although I’ve never scuba diver, snorkeling is fantastic! However, the idea of doing a tri with an ocean swim and waves...not so much.

Christi Pedestrian Runner asks

When are you going to come do the Incline with me?

I must say I’m a little intimidated by the looks of that climb...but maybe sometime in the near future when you and Jill have no better way to spend a day you can drag my sorry butt up it.

What is your most embarrassing race story?

I cannot think of a single one! Most of my races have gone pretty good, not that I haven’t made some dumb mistakes, like leaving transition without my race belt but I’ve never been embarrassed. Wait does walking up Old Stage during the race count...I found it a little embarrassing....or maybe that was humiliating?

Which SBR sport do you like best?

Biking! I really love to be on my bike. Often when I'm out running and get passed by a cyclist I think "I wish I was on my bike!"

Brad Pitt or George Clooney?
Either is fine...I’ve been on my own quite awhile now. :)

Beer or wine?

I’m not a big drinker these days but depending on what I’m doing, an ice cold Corona is fantastic or a nice glass of merlot...but if I really want to have fun a Lemon drop martini or gosh you know a gin and tonic is sound real good too...I think maybe a good time is on the horizon after I finish this 70.3!

Summer or Winter?

Summer for sure!

What is your favorite color?

I don’t have a favorite but I seem to always be drawn towards pink of any shade.

Adena at She said I needed a goal

A day in the life of your food.. what do you eat in a typical day?

A lot of food! Will just use today since I can’t remember what I ate yesterday

Breakfast

2 egg omelet with a ton of veggies, spinach, broccoli slaw, onion and mushrooms and 2% cheddar cheese, maybe ¾ cup chocolate almond milk.

Morning snack ½ cup blueberries with some Greek yogurt sprinkled with Kashi Go Lean

Lunch: Chicken wrap again with a bunch of veggies, lettuce, red onion, sprouts, a can of Amy’s Minestrone soup, which for the record is not normal, but my freezer is empty of soups, and I didn’t think it was that great, and an apple

Afternoon/pre-workout snack banana and peanut butter

100 minute run – 6 chomps and one gu

Dinner: 3 tostadas with refried beans, sour cream and lettuce

There may or may not have also been a handful of Mike & Ike’s as well as a few chocolate chips.

No wonder I’m not losing any weight these days huh?

What is your favorite of the three sports?

Answered that one above Bike!

Do you play any other sports?

Nope

Are your boys interested in triathlon at all?

Ha, ha! Not one bit, they start to roll their eyes when I talk to long about it. Of course they are teenagers they are really only interested in themselves most of the time anyway.

Most importantly tell me something super funny.

Wow this is a hard one. We laugh a lot around here but off the top of my head the only thing I can think of is something I shared recently on another blog. A year ago or so my youngest son said to my older son “You know Josh you would look just like Mom if you had a mustache.”....gotta love them...right?

JohnP from Lord of the Chainrings

There are only 2 types of people in this world - those that pee in their wetsuit and those that dont admit to peeing in there wetsuit. Which one are you?

I’ll pee in it if I can, problem is a lot of times I just can’t.

What are you scared of the most?

How deep do you want to get here? I’ve got plenty of things that scare me. Everything I keep typing seems deeper then I want to go right now so I will go with one that pertains to triathlon. I’m scared to death that one day I will wake up and find I’ve signed up for full Ironman which is why I’ve given strict instructions to all to slap me hard if I mention it.

What was your most embarrasing moment?

I have absolutely no memory so I’m having a hard time thinking back...I know that I’ve been embarrassed many times in fact I can think of many from my teenage years but nothing more current or that I would consider my “most”.

Did you cheer or cry when Old Yeller got put down?

Cried of course!!!

What drives you to want to do Boulder?

Just to see if I can do it. I know it won’t be fast but with every distance I concur I’m driven to find out if I can do just a little more.

Is it a Myth that ladies NEVER pass gas?

It's a myth.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed learning something about me as much as I enjoyed learning about you!

Questions and Answers with Julie -The Answers Part 1

I just want to say thank goodness I'm not as popular as some, this is a lot of work just for a few questions! Good luck to you all you "cool kids" out there! If by any chance you still haven't posted your question or have a new one feel free to post.

Aimee from I Tri to Be Me asked:

What is one thing you most want to accomplish this year??
Live through the Boulder 70.3. :) and if I do that then I want to try and enjoy my boys and spend a lot of family time together for the next year when my oldest son enters the Marines.

XLMIC at Taking It on asked


Do you like making lunches? What do you usually put in your boys' lunches?

I make my own lunches every day, like it or not, just one of those things I don't think about much. As you can tell from the question above my boys are older 17 and 15 and can darn well pack their own lunches if they need one, but not something that ever happens, they just buy lunch.

What is you favorite workout? now that you mention it :P Least favorite?
Favorite...long easy bike rides. :)
Least...anything that involves pain.

Give us the funniest internet dating story and the scariest. Please?
Funniest....there were many but my favorite is the one where I got left at a restaurant downtown after I told a guy that “no, in fact I was not having a good time.” He asked! At least he paid for the drinks before he left. Scariest, I’ve really never had any scary experiences. Although I did receive some pretty inappropriate pictures...actually that was another really funny story.


Deb from Deb Tris asked
I want to know about your childhood:

Did you ever cheat on a test?
I don’t remember every doing this, if I did I obviously did not feel guilty enough about it for it to have made a lasting impression. :)
Chase boys at recess time?
I remember having a real crush on a boy in Kindergarten...Eric D as he was known. I’m sure I must have chased him a time or two.
Skip school?
I never really skipped school except one time I can remember in junior high, I think it was the last day of 9th grade.

Julie from Adventure is Out There asked

What blog makes you laugh the most?
Wow this is a hard one there are so many good blogs out there. Jill always makes me laugh, be it in person or reading her blog I also find JohnP at Lord of the Chainring quite a riot, his comments usually get me rolling as well as his blog.

What blog have you learned the most from?
Well I’ve learned a lot from SUAR but I’m not telling what. As far as triathlon and equipment goes...it’s gotta be DC Rainmaker

What blog do you HAVE to read every day?
Yours of course Julie! But there are several others I will read as soon as I see a post including but not limited to Adena at She said I need a goal, she also makes me laugh and of course there is BDD I can’t believe that I just found his blog in the last few months, he has some of the best posts everything from funny to insightful. Any one I've met in person always ranks at the top too. :)

What is your high in the sky dream in your professional life? in your athletic life?
Professional life?...yea not so much, I have a job and I just hope to keep it. It like the rest of my life is none to exciting.
Athletic? To have dreams there would have to mean I was an athlete and I don’t often think of myself as one. :=)however I’m not really sure where I want to go from here. My goals/dreams After I complete the 70.3 and having completed the century this year, are met for now. All of this is so far out of the realm of what I ever thought I would be doing that I feel like it is all a huge dream.

Questions and Answers with Julie

Well my friend Jill over at Run with Jill has been kind enough to make me one of the first recipients of the latest blog craze, ok maybe it's not a craze yet, but it will be. It was started by Chris K of the Manly Runner just days ago and it will soon be sweeping blog world. So the thing is you get to ask me any question that you want and I will answer.

Curious about my training?

Want to hear about my wonderful boys?

Internet dating stories?

Favorite workout?

Most loved food?

Ask away, although my life is quite boring, feel free to ask me anything. My life is an open book, however hope you don't fall asleep while reading because it's a pretty boring one!

As usual part of the rules are that you have to pick 5 other people to bestow this honor on soooo although it is so hard to choose only 5 I will.

1. Julie over at Adventure is Out There I love her blog and she just rocked Pac Crest long course!

2. Aimee at I Tri to Be Me just because she is so sweet and she's a Colorado girl.

3. Terzah at BQby40 Terzah is also a Colorado girl, that I've yet to meet, but will one day is running the Zooma 1/2 marathon this weekend.

4. Mathhew at Go, Smitty, Go is training for his first 70.3 at Steelhead in just about 1 month

5. Deb from Deb Tris I had to include at least one of my friends from up north and I enjoy Deb's blog plus she just recently found some lost pic that she posted including one of her in a dress with her legs still marked ...I love it!

So if I survive both my training coming up Saturday morning 8 x (R4:00, B:10:00, R 4:00) and this I will be back to answer all of your questions.

Have a great weekend all!

Style X 2

Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say and not giving a damn.- Gore Vidal




And bloggers know how to say what they want!



For the 2nd time I've received the Stylish Blogger award. Thanks to Michael at Slowly Tri-ing Michael is a new blogger and has some pretty good stuff to say so make sure if you haven't checked her out yet stop by and encourage her!

Ok the rules
1. Make this a post and link back to the person who gave the award to you
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award 5 great bloggers
4. Contact the bloggers and tell them they've won

Last time I followed some other bloggers by taking the award litteraly and posting some really stylish pictures, this time I'll play more by the rules and post some things about myself.

1. My dad comes from a family with 12 children 6 boys and 6 girls. They produced 24 children 12 boys and 12 girls. My mom is a twin and has twin brothers. I always thought this was a little strange.

2. I’ve only had 4 jobs and 4 cars in my 46 years. I guess I’m not big on change.

3. I seem to have a pretty high tolerance for pain. Both of my children were delivered with no pain mediation/epidurals, although to be truthful there was a time with the first one that I was ready for some but it was to late and the 2nd child came so fast that I didn't even have chance to hurt. I also have had dental work, cavities filled, yes including drilling, and deep cleanings with no Novocain. I really hate having a numb mouth.

4. I’m a Denver native which is somewhat rare…but even more rare then that may be the fact that I’ve only been skiing once.

5. I’m cheap…I don’t know if it’s because I’ve always had to watch my money or some other deep seated issue…As you may have noticed in pictures my Garmin is old, bought new but not the year it came out. And believe it or not I still have a 27” non HD TV and my cell phone is not fancy. I have a hard time buying things to replace things that still work. This may or may not apply to bikes and some other tri gear... priorities you know.

6. I have 2 tattoo’s one that I got at 18 on my shoulder and one that I got after my divorce in 2002 on my lower back. I have to admit the idea of getting a swim, bike, run tattoo when I complete the 70.3 is in the back of my mind.

7. I smoked for 20+ years much of it heavily like 2 packs a day. I quit 10 years ago. I do however on occasion do smoke, usually when drinking.



There is some pretty random stuff for you. And as for who to pass this on to I'm going to cop out and pass it on to anyone that hasn't done it yet! Or anyone who want's to do it again!



Go on be Stylish!

Stylish? Me? Not!

I feel so very honored to have been awarded the Stylish blogger award from tri like mary . Mary is up north in Canada and is training for her first 70.3 and I've been following along. If you haven't visited her blog you should check it out.

The rules are a little sketchy, I've seen this award taken a few different ways, from listing 7 things about yourself to showing your stylish side. I've always wanted to be stylish and usually thought I was... but apparently I rarely pull it off. Please witness some of my fashion failures.

Can I really take the blame for this one...I mean really I was pretty young...can I really be held responsible for those curls, not to mention the apple thing on my zipper and the little cat pin....

Well what to say, the knee highs were fab I believe it was a creative mix of black and navy blue.

The up swept hair and the lack of bra well what can I say, everyone has an off moment.

Shut up! Who do you think you are in that pink shirt and matching shoes! Love, love, love the acid washed jeans!

Hey the glasses were in style!

Uhuh..you got it.... although the picture seems a little blurry that is a christmas sweater and a Santa hat. You wanna make something of it?

Please feel free to contact me with any style related questions and I will do my best to help you out.

Now to pass this on to some of my blogger friends that can do as they wish with it.

she said I need a goal although I've only been following this blog a short while I get the feeling she can have some fun with this.

5-4-3-2-1 Because Cara has a great story you should check out.

Dare to Dream In case you need an idea for something to blog about. :)

Triathlete Within Because I'm so jealous of your upcoming trip to Hawaii.

I Tri To Be Me Just because I think Aimee is so cute and because she is in Arizona running the Rock 'n Roll Marathon today. Be sure to go read her race recap when she gets it up.

Good luck ladies and have fun with it!