Monday, July 30, 2007

BeauPOOLooza IV

Our wild thing turned 4 Saturday.

We call Beau's birthday Beaupalooza because his birthday parties have been such wild and crazy bashes--I mean for a kid's birthday party.

His first birthday I had at the house and had about 20 kids and 40 parents. It was just your run of the mill play yard games--A little Croquet maybe?Badminton anyone?-- and run around and just be silly party. The party started at 11 am and the last guest left at 1 AM--see that? It is not a typo. That's right, it was a 12 hour party for a 1 year old.

The next year I did a repeat of the run around and be crazy party but started the party later at 3pm. This was the year Beaupalooza was coined. I even handed out t-shirts a la frat party style that said Beaupalooza 2005! And again, the last guest left around 1am. And in true frat party style a few of the guests returned the next day to cookout, finish the keg and eat leftover birthday cake. A 2 day party for a 2 year old.

Last year for his 3rd birthday we had a Pirate bash at the pool-- again the party found its way to my house and finished up, I guess, around 1 am. I seriously don't remember.

So this year we just had a regular old pool party with silly games and running around, and oh yeah, swimming.

And yes, again, the party ended at my house with the last guest leaving around 1 am (you know who you are and we love you and we wouldn't want it any other way!)

I should also tell you that it rains every year for Beaupalooza but always clears up just enough for the party. As mentioned here it really does rain every time I plan a party outside. It even rained on the morning of our wedding.

Our wedding was in the garden at my parents' house. It cleared up and proved to be an incredibly perfect and beautiful day but some of the guests did have to help dry off the chairs. Anyway, my point is that universe tries to get me down by raining on my parties but it never works! I don't even cry anymore when I wake up on party day and it is pouring buckets.

On the subject of buckets. . . I had buckets for every kid to decorate. I made the mistake though of giving the boys their other party favor--swords--at the same time. So the boys were not the least bit interested in my little craft. They wanted to fight. So I decorated their buckets for them.

I gave all the girls mermaids and they were interested in decorating their buckets. I actually had to take the buckets away and make them go play. So, for the record, girls like to do crafts at parties and boys like to fight.

The tennis courts became the battlefield as the kids chased each other around with the swords and the bubble guns Poppy brought.


New this year to Beaupalooza we had some fun games and prizes.

We had the Shrek vs. Donkey relay race. I think the Shrek team technically won but it didn't matter because EVERYONE wins a prize at Beaupalooza.
We had the biggest splash contest. I can't remember who won for the 4 and under group but Carmella and Harrison had to have a jump off-- twice. Harrison proved the biggest splasher but again, it doesn't matter because EVERYONE wins a prize!!!!

After a fancy meal of hotdogs and potato chips we had a dance contest. My CD with the Hustle, the Macarena, the Electric Slide, the Chicken Dance and Cotton Eye Joe would not play.

Which is quite unfortunate because I had spent 2 hours the night before watching Youtube and perfecting the Hustle and Napoleon Dynamite's version of Cotton Eye Joe. You can view it here to get an idea of how it might of looked. Just substitute me in a bikini and some roller girl shorts doing these cool moves:

Sigh, I know you are disappointed that I wasn't able to break that out. I do it so good too. But no worries. The time I spent practicing was time well spent as I now have a new dance to showcase at Pookie's wedding.

So instead of all my organized dances the kids broke it down and wowed us with some never seen before freestyle:
Beau and Livi won for the littles.

And I think Austin was the clear winner for the older crowd.

Again EVERYONE got a prize and this time a tatoo.

Then more swimming.

Cake!

And popsicles:
And then the big present. . .

And then ensued much squabbling over, and falling off of and getting little fingers run over.

And then there was much crying and whining as we put the cool new toy in Poppy's car and put an end to all the fun.

We packed it all up and took it back to our house just before it began pouring. Beau opened one final present and after some more playing with every single toy I have in the house and a picnic of pizza the kids piled into my bed for some Scooby Doo videos. And I finally got to sit down and finish a cocktail and a conversation--all firsts for me that day.

Great party guys!

Thanks for coming and be sure to mark your calendars for next year!

Oh, and you can view all the photos from this year's Beaupalooza by clicking right here.

Oh, and last week's totals:
Run: 40 miles
Bike: 61 miles
Swim: 2000 meters (oops, too short)

Friday, July 27, 2007

On Flexibility and Resistance

After my time trial post my soon to be brother-in-law emailed me with some tips. Wes is a bike guy. A fast bike guy at that, so when he speaks--which isn't often-- I listen. Especially if it is free bike advice. He, like my Ms. Anon commenter kindly pointed out to me that perhaps I did not have the resistance hard enough on the bike at the gym since my RPM were way high. Wes said a bunch other kind and helpful things but the bottom line was basically "Nat you ain't pushing hard enough on that bike at the gym."

So the gym bike and I had a come to Jesus conversation yesterday and I basically got my ass kicked. Uhm, yes Wes and Ms. Anon, you were right and I am not worthy. I was being a total pussy on level 8. I've been schooled.

I kicked it up to level 15 and it was hard as shit. I had to get out of the saddle on most of the hills. I kept the RPM at max 110 for the flats and around 60 for the hills. I am too scared to go higher than level 15. I think 15 is just hard enough. My heart rate was also up but only in the 130-145 range. I think it should be more in the 150 range for the bike but I am just guessing here. It may have been and possibly the HR monitor just doesn't work very well as I was sweating buckets. It was gross. The watts were a lot higher too-- I think like in the 180's--I can't remember but it was much higher than last time. But here is what I don't get: my mph was the same. How is that possible if my rpm were less? I still finished at 22 miles for the hour.

Is it a resistance thing?

The bike is very confusing. Running? Much more simple.

Anyway, after the bike I had wanted to swim but only had 20 minutes left before the kids' time in gym hock was up and that just isn't enough time for me to change, swim and change again. So I did something I have been very bad about doing since I started all this triathlon training. No it wasn't weights. I have actually managed a few weight sessions this summer. It was stretch.

When training for marathons I always work in stretching after a run on the treadmill and when I do weights. I have been good about stretching my quads, hammies and calfs daily but the past 2 months I have completely eschewed my stretching routine that I usually do 2-3 times a week during the rest of the year.

So yesterday I sat down on the mats at the gym (after I did my calf stretches on the stairs). I went through my usual yoga poses and I noticed right away I was very, very tight. But as a runner I am use to tight hamstrings so I wasn't too worried. Then I switched and tried to pop into a left split. Not even close. This surprised me because I can always do a left split. So I tried the right split--which is usually harder but I can always get it too. Nope, not even close. It was embarrassing. I looked like a guy who was worried about smashing his kickstand. For shits and giggles I tried the middle split which I had worked on all last year and had finally gotten it back. It is gone too.

So I stayed on the mat and I stretched and tried a few more positions to see if I could loosen the muscles up. After 10 minutes I managed to get into the right and left splits--if only for a second, but I did do them. The middle split is a lost cause for now. I tested out my flexibility in my back too and I was relieved that I could still do a back bend even if it was much wider than it was 2 months ago.

So in 2 months I have lost a lot of flexibility. The last time my flexibility was this diminished was after I had been running for few years and had a baby. I took ballet lessons and Pilates and regained it after a year. I am hoping it won't take so long or as much effort. Ballerina I am not and I just don't have time for that. But I have always been of the mind that good flexibility is the key to injury prevention so it is important for me to maintain a certain level just so I can stay injury free. I guess I am going to have to suck it up and take a yoga class if I can't be better about doing this on my own.

Here is my update for the week. I'm a little slack. I've got Beaupalooza IV tomorrow so I've been busy in my party preparations. More about that on Sunday.

Sunday: rest
Monday: 10 mile run
Tuesday: time trial: swim 1000m, bike 13 miles, run 5k
Wednesday: 10 mile run
Thursday: 22 mile gym bike level 15 hills. 15 minutes stretching
Friday: 10 mile run. And hopefully 15 mile gym bike and a mile swim this afternoon.
Saturday: I hope to make it to the gym for a 7 mile ladder run on the treadmill and either 30 minute swim or bike. Depends on how much time I have in the morning. My goal will be to keep kids out of the house and busy until party.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Time trials

This morning my pal Steph had on her blog a link to help predict your time in a triathlon. Of course I checked it out because who likes surprises? Apparently, as much as I think I do, I guess I don't. So once I figured out how to correctly plug the times and distances in it came up with a predicted time of about an hour 14 for the Hansgrohe triathlon.

My predicted swim was 7 minutes, the bike 42 minutes and the run 22 minutes. I guess the extra 3 minutes was for transitions. Not trusting this or the times I plugged in I went to the gym this morning and did some time trials.

I did the bike first and the 13 miles came in at 36 minutes and 6 seconds. I set it for a level 8 hill ride. This is probably the least accurate of all my time trials but I think the bike will come in under or around 40 minutes.

Oh, and the bike at the gym has heart detector and when I finished I had finally gotten my heart rate up to 120. Seems like it should be higher but I have no idea how to get it higher since I feel like I am pedaling pretty hard. For comparison-- on the treadmill, after a sprint I am usually at 165 but I have seen as high as 179. I think I max out somewhere around 185-190. If anyone has any thoughts or knowledge on this I'd like to hear it but please dumb it down for me. Also, while you're at it, can someone one please tell what the hell watts are. On the bike today I saw a wattage (is that right?) range of 65 (for the flats) up to 135( for the hills). RPM's ranged from 150 (flats)-115 (hills).

So after the bike I hopped on the treadmill for a 5k. First mile came in at 7:28. I hit the 2nd mile at 13:56 and I finished the 5k at 21:06. I think I can go faster outside. Typically I run training runs slower outside than I do on the treadmill but I am always faster in a race than on the treadmill. We'll see. I do think this is pretty accurate for what I can do give or take 30 seconds in either direction.

Next I changed and got in the pool. I did an easy 200 warm up. Then I timed a 400. 6:29. Okay--honestly I was hoping for closer to 6 minutes. I rested a minute 30 and gave it another go. This 400 felt a lot slower so I was quite surprised to find that I finished it in 6:29 too. How's that for consistency?

I do think I will be slower than that for the tri because I think my flip turns pad my time. I have to be careful when I push off the wall otherwise my goggles fly off. Which brings me to my other question. Should I wear goggles for the tri? Are they necessary? I have successfully finally figured out how to get all my hair into one of those pretty swim caps. I also have masted getting my goggle strap under the cap too. Only took me all summer but I figured it out.

Okay, so according to my very scientific time trials today I can plan on a finish of 63:44 and then however long it takes for me in the t1 and t2? I am giving myself 7 minutes for the transitions so that comes in at 1:10:44. So maybe the prediction of 1:14 isn't so far off. We'll see. Come on race day magic.

Thoughts? tips? Educate me oh experienced and gifted ones . . .

Monday, July 23, 2007

Week's recap and thinking ahead

I was at the gym mostly last week so my workouts weren't a lot of fun but I got it done.

Sunday:
nothing, rode back from the beach.

Monday:
Already recapped here: mile swim, 4 mile run, 11 mile bike, one mile run.

Tuesday: AM swim workout: 200 meter warm-up. 10x 100m in 2 minute intervals. The first 100 I finished in around minute 20 as I had a 40 second rest period. (I used the wall clock so I don't have detailed time). I held the second 100 for around a minute 20 and then progressively saw slower times. The 10th 100 I think came in around a minute 35. Then I cooled down with 450 easy meters.
This is the day I noticed my diamond was gone and I went back to the gym to look around. Even though I didn't feel like working out I did. I rode 11 on the bike in under 31 minutes and then did a mini brick and ran 2 miles on the treadmill in 14:22. I wasn't feeling it and just left.

Wednesday: 10 mile run outside in the am. Not sure exactly how long but around an hour 25. Went to the gym in the afternoon and did the bike for 11 miles again and swam a mile in the pool, scouring the bottom, looking for my stone. So sad.

Thursday: 10 mile run in the am, this time in around an hour 20. Then rode the bike for an hour at the gym in the afternoon for 22 miles.

Friday: 7 mile ladder run on the treadmill in 52:16. Walked it out to the hour.

Saturday: Gym brick: 11 mile bike (hills, level 8) in under 31 (seem stuck with this time as I hit it every workout). Then hit the treadmill for a 10k in 45:51. I felt absolutely horrible before going to the gym and had to talk myself into the workout the whole time. Really I didn't want to do anything so I was pretty happy that I fought it out and got it done.

Totals:
Run: 40 miles
Bike: 66 miles
Swim 3 miles

I am looking to the fall and my race schedule. Here is what I am planning:
October
Silver Comet Half Marathon

I'd like to squeeze in a 10k this month too.

November
I am considering the Chickmauga Battlefield Marathon but it might be too much so I might not. I've looked at this race every year and thought about it so maybe this year will be the year I actually do it.
Atlanta Half Marathon

December
Rocket City Marathon

February
Chattahoochee Challenge 10k

March
Alpharetta Half marathon Maybe it will be better this year.
GA ING Marathon

April
And Boston if our finances change and I can afford it, otherwise I will just have to keep qualifying and will eventually get there.

Next spring I will start planning and think seriously about some more triathlons. Definitely a few sprints and some Olympics. I might even get crazy and do a half ironman next summer-- but I don't think I am full ironman material. I seriously can't wrap my mind around doing anything for that long. Joe Reger just finished his first 100 mile run in 26 hours and I just absolutely can't even fathom that. So. Very. Impressive. And, you know, I think pretty much anything is possible physically but I know me and I know my brain and I just know that I do not have that sort of endurance in me.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

It is only Tuesday

And my week is already sucking.

Very bad, as Beau would say.

First, I am completely devastated that the solitaire diamond in my engagement ring fell out of the setting.
When and where and how?
I have absolutely no idea.
But it is gone.
I have retraced my steps today and, well, the world is a big place for one little diamond.
Ugh, I am so sad.
I noticed it was gone this afternoon when I was talking to our accountant. And yes, that is always a whole other heart attack.

Oh, and no. It is not insured. Of course it isn't.

See, we have so much insurance on everything else and pay-I-can't-even-tell-you-how-much for cars, house, employees, equipment and health insurance a year and never, ever have to make a claim. Of course it would be the one thing that we don't have insurance on that I lose. Of course it is! Fabulous.

As if that isn't enough my son just came downstairs dressed as a girl. Okay, that is funny in and of itself. Beau's and Carmella's costumes and theatrics are always funny. But today is not the day that I want to laugh at myself.
Upon introducing the Beau queen, Carmella exclaimed cheerfully, "Look Mommy! I put bows in his hair and helped him put on your boobs!"

See, that is the not so funny part. Because it is just sad that even my kids know I have to "put on" my boobs. Here is the picture with my boobs "put on"--backwards no less.
But you know what is bothering me the most is that they found my ugliest bra. A nude! Ugh. Told you this week was sucking.
One last picture. And what you can't hear is the "siss" sound Beau is making as he touches his ass because he is so hot in Carmella's bows and my "put on" boobs.

End bitch session.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Time to get serious

I have less than a month until my first triathlon and I've been a bit slack the past few weeks.

Last week was a bit pathetic: I got in the least that I have since I started training and probably is the least I have exercised since I had that bad bout of sinusitis and bronchitis in November. Here is the week's end totals:
Run: 33 miles
Bike: 32 miles
Swim: 1 mile

Not totally terrible and part of it was because I went to the beach the last half of the week with some of my girlfriends. Pictures and details coming soon. . .

Anyway, I went to the gym this morning planning to get back on it, the training that is--not the wagon (never!)-- and really start working. My plan was 7 hard miles on the treadmill and a mile swim. Tomorrow a brick.

Well, dumbass me forgot to charge my ipod and it was dead. No way I was running so I hit the pool for a half hour and I really pushed pretty hard. I felt super strong. Probably because this was the first swim workout I did without having run or biked before it. I really need to start forcing myself to do other swim workouts other than just swimming a mile. I am so lazy in the pool. Really. So my plan is to try this month to do at least two, preferably three, swim workouts a week and one of them being drills and sprints and whatnot.

After my swim the kids and I headed out for our errands and other work I had to do. Ryan was home for a bit this afternoon so I had the opportunity to run but it was 3 in the afternoon and just so muggy and hot that I figured I'd do better on the treadmill in the air conditioning. So around 5ish I put my kids in nursery hock and hit the treadmill for 4 miles-- clocking in 29:12. Then I hopped on the bike and cranked out 11 miles in just a hair under 31 minutes. Then I got back on the treadmill to test the legs and got a mile out in 7:18. Not spectacular but I totally had my legs back and could have done 2 more miles at a similar, if not faster pace easy peasy.

So here is what my training thus far is telling me to expect, roughly, for the tri:

I think the swim will come in under 7 or right around 7 minutes. Ideally, I'd like to do closer to 6 minutes. And I have, in the pool, many times. Open water competition is a bit of mystery for me. I hope to test out an open water swim at Altoona sometime this month and that might give me a more realistic idea of what I can do.

The bike is absolutely my weak link. I hate it. Not the bike, just how sucky I am. It is frustrating. I pump my little legs but seriously can't kick it up any more than I do. I think I can expect 17 mph pace on the bike. Maybe 20 but I doubt it. So what is that for 13 miles? Around 40 minutes? Ideally I want the bike to come in under 35 and I just don't think that is realistic at all for me.

The run is what it is for me. I have never run just a 5k but in 10k's and on the treadmill I am consistently just over or exactly 21 minutes. I definitely think I am capable of sub 21. In a tri I don't know though. Probably not. I do think the run will come in under 22 minutes.

So goal time? I hope to be under 78 minutes but ideally I'd like to come in closer to the hour mark. I don't even entertain under 60.
Is that crazy?

Totally unrealistic?

I have tried to structure my training so that at least 5 days of the week my workouts for the day exceed 90 minutes. My thinking is that anything under that will feel like a walk in the park.

I am sure I am in for a rude awakening. Sand bagger I am not.

Oh, and in other news I've bought my outfit for the sprint. I bought this suit (it is so cute!) and this skirt to snap on over it for the bike and run. I have been acclimating my ass by biking in my running skirts and Nike compression shorts so hopefully my transitions will be quick.
So yeah, my ass?
It kicks itself these days.

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Happy Belated 4th post.


Beau. What can I say. Goofy kid.

I know. I am so behind these days. But look, 2 posts in one day! Playing catch up here. But really the 4th of July this year was just a redo of last year's 4th: The regular losers at the pool. Just this year we are all a year older, a little lazier. Here are the pictures to prove it.

Bike parade that I missed but again this year I did spend way too much time the day before decorating the bikes for the parade.



Everybody limbo!



The biggest splash contest. Max won the kids contest.
And Uncle Pat won the adults.
Ryan made an artistic showing.
Hula hoop contest.

We all did terrible at this. We are going to practice and kick ass next year.

Tara, my darling best friend who is walking a thin line with me these days, was so excited at how badly I did and exclaimed, quite loudly, "Finally! Something she sucks at!"

Listen, I suck at a lot of things and like everyone does I normally avoid having to do the things I suck at. But Beau specifically asked me to do the hula hoop contest because he wanted to win a prize and thought maybe my mad hoop skillz would score him that water gun. As it turned out he was genuinely pissed at me for losing. Nothing like letting down your 3 year old because you suck at hula hooping. I explained to him that it was the second time that day I had lost (the Peachtree was the other time.)and I still wasn't going to let get me down so he needed to chill.

And yes, there is a reason why I am not posting the pictures of my hoop skillz. Little kids look cute hula hooping.
Adults?
Not so much.

Fireworks. Or rather, sparklers.
We were too tired this year to drive and watch the fireworks so we did our own. Told you we were losers. Except Carmella, she is very specific that she is not a loser. She is a winner. You know there is always one good egg in the bunch.

Oh and the totals last week:
Run: 40 miles
Bike: 41 miles
Swim: 1 mile
Good solid workouts, getting it done. Feeling pretty good.

My Super Secret Surpise Party


That I threw myself.

Yesterday I turned 36. Wait, I mean 29.

And you'd think that with a birthday of 7/7/71 I'd be a whole lot luckier. I am fairly lucky but not as lucky as all those sevens suggest.

So I had a pool party.
And, of course, it rained.

Never mind that we have been in a drought all summer. But I knew it would rain. Happens every single time I plan a party for outside. And just so you know I am having a pool party for Beau on July 28th--so if you've got important outside plans that day you might want to change them or get a tent because it is going to rain. Sorry.

My plan was simple enough: pool, beer, hot dogs, cake and champagne.

All that happened despite the lack of sunshine but as it turned out quite a few people ended up not being able to make it or couldn't stay long so I have a lot of hot dogs. But smart me bought hot dogs that have good til date of October 07. So we will be having these hot dogs, instead of pizza, at Beau's birthday in 2 weeks. And then I will not be eating another hot dog until I am 40 as my consumption this summer alone has surpassed that of all my other 36 years on this planet.

Later, we went back to our house and had a fireworks show in the driveway. Good times. Happy Birthday to me.

Thanks to all who came and celebrated with me-- you helped make it a good one. Smooches to each and every one of you.

Friday, July 06, 2007

Peachtree Road Race 2007

That's me and Tara right before the 2007 Peachtree Road Race.

And me?

I'm the 100th woman finisher.

And I think that is pretty damn cool.

Around 55,000 people run this race-- 49% of them are women. So while being 100 doesn't win me any prizes and is no where cool as top ten I think it is not too shabby for (as of tomorrow) a 36 year old mother of 2.

Tara was Peachtree Virgin and next year I am thinking she will not ride down to Lenox with me. They tell you take Marta, it's smarta-- but me? I know better. Marta is packed, unreliable, and I personally just don't like being that close to a bunch of people I don't know that early in the morning. So I drove down to one Buckhead loop and parked. We got there around 5:45 am. We pretty much had our choice of any parking spot we wanted. I did have trouble deciding which one.

5:45 am wasn't so bad for me since I started the race promptly at 7:30. Tara though? I don't think she started til about 8:45. Sorry. I got into my corral a little before 7 am. The giant flag, for some reason, was upside down.

I got to see the start of the wheel chair race. Very cool.

I was in time group 1A and they line you up like this: Kenyans (winners) and other invited athletes, seeded men and women, sub seeded, time group 1A, time group 1B and then all the way back to time group 9. When the gun goes off they let all the way to time group 1B go and then they stagger the start over the next hour, hour and half for the rest of the groups. I called Tara (who was in time group 8) around 8:15 after I finished and she hadn't even started.

The first mile was a little slow. It was pretty crowded but everyone was running so it wasn't too bad. I think it came in around 7:50 or so. I hit the 2 mile mark at 13:40. It is mostly downhill the first 2 or so miles. You start climbing at Peachtree Hills. The third mile marker is right in the middle of the famed "Heart Attack Hill." Lucky place to be this year for the man who had a heart attack in the race (there is 1 or 2 every year) since Piedmont Hospital sits smack in the middle of this hill. He is in the hospital now and they say he is going to be okay.

5k split for me came in around 21:30.

The rest of the miles were sort of blur. I walked the 4 (28:50) and 5 (35:30) mile aid stations. They were in the middle of a hill and I just can't quite master the drinking, swallowing and running up a hill very well. I figure I am losing at most 15 seconds at each station. And since the Peachtree course is not very conducive to a negative split my goal of sub 42 10k wasn't likely so what did it matter if I walked a little? I was just shooting for around 45 minutes.

I kept this one man in my sight the last half of the race and in the final 1/4 mile I kicked it up and blew past him. I heard him curse under his breath. I know it sucks when people do that as it has happened to me but it is a race after all. So in the spirit of a competition I picked him to race. The clock read 45:12. I stopped my watch at 45:00 flat. My net time was 44:49. I'm happy with that. I might have been a minute or so faster if I really gave it my all but not much more than that. I didn't want to finish the race feeling bad.

As I walked to get my t-shirt someone handed me a top 1000 finisher card to get a free commemorative mug at Phidippides . Cool but in the end I was the 1117 over-all finisher and besides that, I left the card in my sister's car.

I headed over the Park Tavern and by 8:20 am this was what I was looking at:
Over the course of the next hour my mind caught up to the fuzziness that is that picture as I waited for all my peeps. I did, as always, make new peeps and saw peeps that I befriended last year as I did my solo post Peachtree celebratory toasting.

I can't remember when everyone showed up but here is who all joined me: From the left, Michelle (just met her), John (just met him too), Joe, Doug, Camille, Virginia and Steph.

Camille and Tara--both Peachtree virgins.
Camille, again, with Anne--another virgin.
These are the peeps who ran that I've known since high school or really, I guess, 8th grade --well over 20 years.
And here is the celebratory carnage:
Look at all that beer. All before 11 in the morning. Good stuff.

I called my sister, who lives near by, to come collect Tara, Camille and I and drive us over to my car. After a burger and lots of water I was righted. I made it home and hopped on my bike and rode a scary 6 hilly miles over to my brother and sister in laws to continue the July 4th celebrations with Ryan and the kids. And just so you know; riding your bike on the 4th of July is not a good idea. Motorists are mean for some reason.

I had a great race and loved that I had so many friends there. I really hope that more of them will do it next year. The Peachtree is a fun tradition that, I think, anyone who lives in Georgia has to do at least one time.