I know, I know...I'm not a good blogger. It's been weeks (ok, months) since I've had much of anything to say.  Sorry.  The big news is that on Sunday 11/9 I made my dream of being a 1/2 ironman a reality!  The race was long with some ups and some downs, but I finished healthy and happy!  That means I'll have lots of time for more blogging as we all prepare to transition into cold weather training.

Wow – big weekend at Kona!  For those who didn’t see it here are the highlights:

 ·         Craig Alexander won for the men – running a wicked fast marathon at the end.  It was emotional to see him with his daughter and wife at the finish line.  I’d have to check the exact stats but I don’t believe Craig was even top 10 off the bike but he certainly made up all his time on the run. Macca didn’t have the race we all expected (I heard an issue with gears on the bike).  Torbjorn Sindballe was fun to watch on the bike – he had a huge lead!

 ·         For the women, Chrissie Wellington won again – despite a flat tire!  I think it was an incredible example of sportsmanship that Rebekah Keat gave Chrissie a CO2 when she needed it.  The easy way out is to feel good that the top seed is out of the competition.  Kudos to Rebekah for wanting to compete against the best of the best.  That’s what being a female athlete is all about. 

I hate it when celebs invade my sport.  Don't get me wrong, I love the publicity it gets for endurance sports...but the media coverage just kills me.  If you haven't heard yet Jennifer Lopez competed in the Nautica Triathlon in Malibu on Sunday.  She finished the 1/2 mile swim, 18 mile ride, and 4 mile run in 2:23:38.  A good respectable time for a first timer - though if you read the news you might be led to believe she won.  Some headlines I've seen today are as follows: "Jennifer Lopez's triathlon success!" "All in under 2 and a half hours" "Great Job Jennifer."  I'll spare you the rest.

Don't get me wrong, I know your first tri is hard and I'm glad to see J-Lo giving it a shot.  But on any given race day I promise you...you can find someone with a story more motivating, moving, and celebratory than that of J-Lo.  Yet that person gets no press, no fanfare, no private trainer, no special VIP race tent, and no fanfare.  That person might have a friend or family member cheering for them...but their accomplishment won't be published in the paper or googled by anyone. 

In other news, I'm excited to now add Jennifer Lopez to the list of celebrities I feel I could beat in a race (Katie Holmes is the other on the list).  So J-Lo, please sign up for the AFAC Tri this Sunday at Disney.  I'd love to pass you :)

As an avid Lance Armstrong fan (both for his athletic abilities and what he has done for the fight against cancer) I can not tell you how excited I was to leave the pool tonight to find this message on my blackberry:

AUSTIN, Texas – September 9, 2008 – Today, Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor, founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and cycling champion, released the following statement regarding his return to professional sports:

“I am happy to announce that after talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden. This year alone, nearly eight million people will die of cancer worldwide. Millions more will suffer in isolation, victims not only of the disease but of social stigma. After the passage of Proposition 15 in Texas, a $3 billion investment in the fight against cancer which is helping to make this disease part of the national dialogue in America, it’s now time to address cancer on a global level.”

Mr. Armstrong will discuss his cycling program and an international LIVESTRONG strategy on September 24th in New York City at the Clinton Global Initiative.

In just a few weeks I'll be headed to Lance's hometown of Austin, TX.  Maybe we can go for a ride together now that he's officially back in the saddle.

Yesterday in Madison athletes from around the world met to face the ultimate challenge...an IRONMAN.  For those who don't know, that's over 140 miles of swimming, biking, and running.  As someone training for half of that distance I simply can't imagine a race like that.

Chris Macdonald and Hilary Biscay took first place with breakneck speeds of 8:43:29 and 9:47:25.  Congrats to all who realized their dream in this race.  You ARE an Ironman.

So like most of you, I'm totally glued to the TV watching the Olympics (with a very sick pug on my lap).  Michael Phelps - what can you say?  He's now a 3x gold medal holder for this Olympics alone...with more to come.  He's also set 3x world records this Olympics.  Oh, and let's face it ladies...he's delightful to look at.

I read this week that Michael swims at least 4 miles a day, everyday.  Um, I did 1800 meters (just over a milke for those of you who don't Get Moving in the pool) and I thought I was going to die.  He looks to take in 10,000 calories a day.

A typical breakfast for MP?  3 Sandwiches of fried eggs, lettuce, tomato, cheese, fried onions, and mayo. One omelete, a bowl of grits, 3 slices of french toast with powdered sugar, and wash that down with 3 chocolate chip pancakes.  Sounds delicious.

Think you're having a tough week or workout?  At least you're not facing Badwater this week.  When the first part of the name is Bad you know it can't be good.  Badwater is an ultra-marathon - 135 miles through Death Valley (in July none the less...temps of up to 130 degrees!).  You bring your own crew, you bring the water and nutrition you need, you hope you make it to the end.

I've been checking in with the event all week.  I've been very interested in Badwater (and the ultra marathon phenom) since my first marathon coach Coach Pat loaned me a copy of "To the Edge: A man, Death Valley, and the Mystery of Endurance" by Badwater veteran Kirk Johnson.  I'm amazed by anyone who has the guts to sign up for a race like that and the training the endure to get there (The book talks about Johnson running on a treadmill in his garage in the middle of summer with the dryer hose blowing hot air on him).  Woa, I'll stop complaining about my 8 mile run on Sunday.

Login and checkout the Badwater runners. The youngest to tackle Badwater?  27.  The oldest?  66!  The most famous? Dean Karnazes (you know him as the guy who did 50 marathons in 50 days last year).

Think there's not such thing as a good sport?  Wondering if there's a "ME" in Team? Read this story of women who wanted to empower and celebrate eachother - regardless of the "win factor."  The thing about sports is that there are team sports and individual sports.  Think of the mentality of the track star versus the basketball player.  The swimmer versus the relay runner.  Individual sports athletes tend to think of themselves (hey, I'm one of you...I'm just pointing out the obvious).  While this Mega-Me mentality works well on the track, in the marathon, or in situations where individual success is important...it's not exactly good for teamwork.  As I read this story I wonder what I would do in this situation...which makes me realize overall I need to get better at my team player skills.  Not sure how someone becomes a good team player - but I'm open to learning.

In a week I'll be in South Florida, preparing for my first tri of the season.  The swim is an ocean swim and while I love the float element of the salt water - the ocean can be scary.  So you can imagine the leap my heart took tonight when I saw this newstory.   A great white shark attacking a triathlete in California - oh my!  Please keep your thoughts with the Dave Martin's family and the other athletes he was swimming with.  And if you're so inclined - send some good mojo my way next weekend as I strive for a PR in Miami.

This Sunday it all goes down - the U.S. Olympic Time Trials for the Women's Marathon division is happening this weekend in Bean town.  At a 2:19 qualifying time, Deena Kastor is the lady to beat (seriously, this woman runs a mile in 4 minutes and change?  I can't do much of anything in sub 5 minutes...let alone anything athletic).  Honestly if you look at the stats Deena is ahead of the pack by over 10 minutes.  But we all know...anything can happen race day.

So I strongly encourage you to tune in on Sunday and support women's running.  These ladies are working hard and the least we can do is sit on our couches with our assorted snacks and cheer them on.  Need a runner to cheer for?  I'd suggest Melissa White (Brook's Hanson Project athlete), Amy Palmiero-Winters (mother of two with a prosthetic leg, amazing strength, and unwavering spirit), my girl Desiree Ficker (pro triathlete turned olympic hopeful), or anyone else who could be considered an underdog. 

Not sure if you have seen this story or not, but Buster Martin is 101 - and training to run the London Marathon.  Martin, who plans to become the world's oldest marathon runner, just finished a half marathon in just over 5 hours.  And while I'd love to say that it's because of a healthy lifestyle, lots of exercise, and good clean livin...Buster actually openly smokes, drinks beer, and stays up late on a regular basis. In fact, part of his 5 hour 1/2 marathon time included breaks for beer and cigarettes!  Best of luck to Buster as he tackles 26.2 in London...or more appropriately, cheers!  Read more of Buster's story here.

I can’t believe we’re only days from December…and you know what that means…holiday shopping!  If you’re like me, you’re trying to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list right now (and if you’re one of those people who already has your shopping done allow me to secretly hate you while I run through Macys at 10pm on December 24th). 

If you have an athlete or wannabe athlete on your list, here’s a rundown of some cool gift ideas for this holiday season.

The New Ipod Nano is pretty sweet.  If your runner is also a music lover like me, this is a must have item.  And to go with the new accessory I’d highly recommend a neoprene arm band like this one.  The neoprene will withstand the sweat and demands of a workout and will keep your Ipod damage free.

Regardless of your sport (cycling, running, fishing, hiking, walking) these shoe dryers from Peet are a great way to dry out shoes after a workout.

If your athlete loves race photos or shots taken during a great bike ride, try this digital camera by Cannon.  Often lugging a large camera around during a race or a ride is impossible, but this camera is only about the size of a Cliff Bar, and at 8 mega pixles you can’t go wrong!

Many of the girls I run with have fallen in love with these adorable running skirts.  I must admit I was a bit skeptical that something that cute could also be functional…but after watching someone run a full marathon in one last year I quickly became a believer.  The perfect gift for those who love to workout…but love to look good while doing it!

A great pair of sunglasses is a must for any athlete.  I recommend the Stelvio from Tifosi.  The interchangeable lenses offer solutions for any time of day, and the price and quality are great.

The Icontrol watches from Timex allow you to control your Ipod from your watch.  Ironman watch to record your split times combined with Ipod control?  Brilliant!

Looking to keep your athlete safe while on the roads?  This NightLife Vest by Brooks not only alerts cars with it’s bright colors…it also keeps your core nice and warm during the winter months.

I hope these ideas have been helpful. Happy gift buying!

So this week a certain blogger is having a birthday.  And while I won’t go into details on age, I will say that this birthday is a big one – marking a new decade in my life.  If only I was getting into an easier age group!

That said, a usual response I hear when I tell people about my running/triathlon lifestyle is “I am too old to run.”  Or I could run when I was younger but now I can’t.  While entering any active lifestyle should be accompanied by a physical from your primary care physician…you’re never too old to run.  Here are some stories to inspire you…whatever your age group may be.

• At the young age of 94, Fauja Singh anchored a 5 man marathon team that had a combined age of 397
• Abe Weintraub didn't even start running until age 80
• Try reading about Bill Lido, triathlete and marathoner and tell me you’re too old! 
• A new bike for your 112th birthday? – check out the story!
• A 90 year old competing to win a Master's swim?

That said, you’re too young to not get moving! 

As an avid runner I find myself getting very frustrated when celebrities decide to run a marathon. 

Granted, I loved the publicity the sport of marathoning got when stars like Lance Armstrong and Oprah Winfrey decided to run.  But I also find it frustrating when the only news stories I saw over the weekend about the New York City marathon were about how Katie Holmes finished the race in 5.5 hours (though I did enjoy learning that I’m faster than Katie Holmes).  Shouldn’t the top story be the compelling story of Paula Radcliffe – the woman who won the race at a 2:15:25? 

Oh, and don’t forget that Paula just had a baby 10 months ago.  Now that’s motivation to get off the couch!

I’ll quiet my complaining about celebrities and marathons and hope that reading about Katie or Paula (or both) finishing such a great race has motivated you to get up and get moving. 

Looking for someone to train with?  Try joining a charity team! 
Groups like the Leukemia Society’s Team in Training or the American Diabetes Association’s Team D are a great way to get a start in the world of marathoning.  You’ll get coaching, the thrill of training with a team, and best of all you can turn your race into a philanthropic endeavor. 

Both of the marathon’s I’ve completed have been with Team in Training and I loved the experience.  How about you? 

Have you been a part of a charity team? 

Drop me a comment and let me know about your experience.

No, this post is not about the VH1 show “I Love New York.”  While I personally find the show to be entertaining in a way I don’t wish to admit to most people, the thing that I find more entertaining is the ING New York City Marathon.  One week from today thousands of runners (roughly 90,000) will cross the finish line in Central Park and claim their position as one of New York’s finest. 

But the big question on everyone’s mind (other than where are the port-a-potties and is the Gatorade regular or endurance formula) is who will win?  Unlike the regular schmucks like you and I, there is a group going to Sunday’s race with a greater goal than simply that of finishing.  Some of the nation’s toughest are headed to the Big Apple in hopes of qualifying for the Olympic Marathon team.  Here are a few of the highlighted athletes to watch.

Meb Keflezighi earned the silver in 2004 in Athens.   Meb also holds the 10,000 record and was the Olympic Time Trials Champ in 2000 and 2004.  Yea, at a marathon finish time of 2:11:29, he’s kind of a big deal.

Most experts close to the sport are predicting clean cut all American boy Ryan Hall to take the race.  Don’t get me wrong – I like Ryan, but wonder if his lack of experience could come back to haunt him against such a veteran running crew.  Trust me when I say that anything can happen on race day, and the slightest change from your normal training routine can cripple your run.

It’s hard to not like Brian Sell, and I don’t just say that because he’s cute.  This runner was virtually unknown until he put a hurt on in the 2004 Olympic Time Trials.  I’ll be excited to see what he can do this year.

Alan Culpepper, Peter Gilmore, Dathan Ritzenhein, Fernando Cabada, Abdi Abdirahman, Anthony Famiglietti, Khalid Khannouchi are all forces to be reckoned with in the NYC.  I suggest you pick your favorite, pop some popcorn, and prepare to cheer your favorite runner in.  Race not syndicated on your local cable station?  Sign up for Athlete Alerts for your favorite participants and receive emails as the runners cross the mats at key points in the race (my family did this last year for the Marine Corps Marathon and loved seeing me cross the various check in points).

Who will I be cheering on come race day?  As usual, I’ll be rooting for the underdog, Brandon Leslie. 

Read Brandon’s story here

Looking for an everyday runner to cheer on?  How about Tod?