Congratulations Jason & Gina

Some of my dear friends that I used to work with in Colorado Springs welcomed there first little one into the world last week. Garrett Nicholas Lombard born 10/28/08 6lbs 13oz & 20.5" long. He is probably one of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen. He's absolutely perfect and I can't wait to meet him. Guess I gotta get to California soon!

Best wishes to you guys! God has blessed you with such a precious gift and you are going to make absolutely amazing parents!

A Nation Full of Hope

I am ecstatic with the way the election turned out. It's great to see a nation with hope again and to see other nations around the world celebrating with us. We need some peace between countries and we need a leader who is going to CHANGE what has been created the last 8 years.

I truly don't believe this election was about race at all and it's refreshing to see that the majority (a large majority) of the nation looked passed that and saw Obama for who he is, another man, equal to McCain and equal to everyone else in this country. God created all people equal with the same rights and it makes me happy that our nation is finally seeing that. The country has come a long way and it's inspiring to me.

We have an interesting journey ahead and regardless of how you voted, we have to unite and support the new leader of our nation. We will get no where divided.

Your Vote Counts

I found a great quote that I feel is perfect given the election that is currently in process.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

I got into a bit of a texting argument with my ex tonight when I asked him if he voted and he replied "no". "Why not?" I asked. I just couldn't understand why someone would not take the opportunity to cast there vote in a country we're we are privileged enough to have a vote and were the outcome could potentially effect us and our future generations for years to come.

His reply: "when all is said and done, maybe they are both the wrong choice, I don't want to settle for the lesser of 2 evils, I'll let God do that". This makes me so angry. I don't care who you vote for, write in someone else if you don't agree with the names on the ballot. We are so fortunate to not be part of a communist country were our decisions are made for us, when we are given the opportunity to be heard it's ridiculous not to exercise that right.

I've heard many people say "if XYZ wins I'm moving to another country" and I just want to say, "ya, why don't you just go ahead and move to China, Afghanistan, or another country were you are not free and were your decisions are not your own". We are so lucky to live in such an incredible country, were we are free, regardless of who becomes president. These comments are ignorant.

I guess it just frustrates me that people bitch and moan about the candidates and then don't go vote for what they want and believe in. If you don't vote, I don't want to here you complain for the next 4 years, you gave that up when you didn't vote in my opinion.

Sorry to vent. It just makes me angry when we're at such a historical and volatile moment in our countries history. Every single vote makes a difference. The 2000 election was won with just 537 or so votes...I hope you made your vote count!

Ironman Florida 2009

So, the decision has been made. We're doing Ironman Florida on November 7th, 2009 in Panama City.

We have been debating about whether or not we were going to even do IM next year or focus on 70.3 distance. Then once we decided we wanted a late season IM with the goal of qualifying for Kona in 2010 we had to decide between Arizona and Florida. AZ was appealing because we could drive but it's TOO late. Thus the decision has been made and we're committed!

Florida, here we come! Flat and Fast!

Missy Higgins & Joshua Radin

So I love it when I find a new musician or a new book so I thought I would share in case you're unfamiliar. I went to an awesome show on Monday night in Boulder. I was actually supposed to go to the Ray LaMontagne concert but my friend that had the tickets got sick so I went to the Missy Higgins concert instead. Another reason I love Boulder, always something great to do and on a Monday night! When Missy came out she said "So, there are allot of options for music tonight in Boulder, if I were you I think I would be seeing Ray, but thanks for coming". I am very glad I went to this show.

Missy Higgins: http://www.missyhiggins.com/

Joshua Radin: http://www.joshuaradin.com/

Anyhow, Missy Higgins is from Australia and is incredible. For such a small girl she has the most powerful and amazing voice. Joshua Radin opened the show and was really funny and a great artist as well. Some of their stuff is on my playlist but check it out if you are so inclined.

Happy listening!

An Amazing Fall Day in Boulder

I just had to say what a fantastic day we're having in Boulder and how thankful I am to be a part of such a beautiful creation. It's November 1st on Saturday and we haven't had any snow and it's been 70+ degrees every day this week. Every morning I wake up and go for a run or ride my bike to work I am in awe of the beauty that the Flatirons offer as they grace the Boulder Foothills.

My dogs like the warm weather too. This is them chillin in the sun beam today!

Happy Fall! Have a Blessed Day!

Kona on TV-December 13th

The World Championships will be on TV December 13th from 2:30-4 EST on NBC. Check your local listing.

Most of the coverage is the pro field (which is really awesome!) but there is a small chance I'll be on TV at some point. There was a Navy Seal that they were highlighting race week and he ran next to me for a bit during the marathon while NBC was covering him. If they don't crop it and if they use that footage I might get my 15 seconds of fame!!!

Check it out!

Ironman World Championships-Kona, HI

I can't believe it's come and gone already. The trip to The Big Island was all I hoped it would be and more. Here's a slideshow of our week. Amazing....

We arrived in Kona on Wednesday, October 8th around 12pm. We quickly got our rental car and headed downtown to register for the race. We went to the grocery store to stock up on some wholesome & nutritious fuel (well, I did but Kevin bought doughnuts-not fair!). By the time we got to our condo and unpacked we were pretty wiped out and ready for bed. Although it was early our body clocks were 4 hours ahead.

Thursday we got up and headed to the pier to get in a swim. It was the most incredible swim I've ever done. I was really nervous about doing open water swim in the ocean and going before race day helped allot. The salt water was kinda gross but you quickly got used to it. It was amazing swimming in such clear water. I felt like I was in an aquarium. I swam for about 30 minutes. I didn't want to get out but knew I didn't need much more than that. I'm on the PowerBar Team Elite (www.powerbar.com) and they had organized a breakfast for all the athletes that morning. That was really cool because we got to eat a fantastic breakfast and mingle with a bunch of the pros racing. I got my bike set up, ran it to a mechanic to make some minor adjustments and then out for a quick spin up the Queen K to the airport. Off the bike I did a quick run and then we settled in for a relaxing afternoon. That night we had the Welcome Dinner and Pre-Race Athlete Meeting. The food was better than I expected and the entertainment was great-only what you'd expect in Kona for the biggest and baddest race in the world!

Friday we got up for another swim. I saw a turtle swim by and was in awe about how cool this opportunity was. After swim we grabbed some breakfast, shopped around downtown a bit, and then decided to get inside and off my feet. I had to get my transition bags together and my bike together before checking them all in about 3pm. We headed down to the pier to check in. It was comforting to finally see some of the course come together and get an understanding of how it would all flow Saturday morning. Once things were checked in, we cooked and early dinner and hit the sack for a good nights sleep, the big day was tomorrow! Saturday was an early morning. I think I was up about 3:30 drinking Boost and getting as many calories as I could stomach that early in the morning. After grabbing the few things I needed we picked up Eric (a good friend ours that was also racing) and headed to the pier. Kevin dropped us off and we scurried off to pump our tires, check our bikes, and wait.

I just have to say what an amazing guy and boyfriend Kevin is. Kevin was the most amazing supporter this week in Kona. Racing Kona has been a long time dream of his and he had always said he wouldn't go unless HE qualified. So for him to come along with me and support me through a race he so badly wanted to be doing himself was very special to me. I know it wasn't easy for him to be there, not racing, but he was so positive and was so helpful to me that I can't think of another person I would have rather shared this experience with. I felt a little guilty going into this event because I wasn't even trying to qualify in Canada and he's been trying for so long. I wanted to give him my slot so bad and reverse the roles. I'm confident we'll be back to the Big Island one day and he'll have the athlete wristband on, I'll be the one cheering along the course, and he'll finally get to experience something he deserves more than anyone I know. I love you Kevin, thank you for being there for me!


Now for the race report:
Swim
I had the worst nerves Saturday morning. As we were sitting on a step along Alii Drive waiting to get in the water, Kevin said to me "Just take a deep breath, enjoy the moment, this is truly living". That really resonated with me. I don't think you can feel more alive than when you've completed something so daunting and challenging you aren't sure if your body can handle it. To know that your body is able to do something so magnificent for 10+ hours is incredible. Ironman, truly is a celebration of life & breath. This was my day to live! A little before 7am we started making our way to the water. The beach was short so we had to tried water for a bit before the canon went off. Once I was in the water my nerves calmed down and I was ready to go. The gun went off and it was madness. Imagine 1800 athletes all vertical in the water, crammed together, and in one split second they all have to get horizontal and swim...ya, it's ugly. I was getting punched, kicked, swam over, everything you could imagine. It was a really stressful 200-300 yards in the beginning. It never really thinned out but once everyone had some space it got better. The first time I tried to look up and site the buoy I couldn't see anything but arms flailing and waves splashing. I just decided to put my head down, move with the pack, and swim. Finally we got to the first buoy and I could see much better. I kept a comfortable pace and stayed aligned very well throughout the course. The swim flew by. It was crowded the whole way which isn't something I'm very used to but it certainly helped to have the draft. After a few kicks to the face and the stomach I was glad to see shore and be headed in. I was happy with my swim considering I had no wet suit and the water was pretty choppy.
Swim Time of: 1:07

T1
The crowd was going nuts. Running up the ramp I was out of breath and ready to rinse the saltwater from my mouth. I yelled for my swim-to-bike bag and headed into the changing tent. I quickly got changed and was out of T1 in 2:55

Bike
Holy cow! The bike was so windy! I guess it was to be expected because all you hear about in Kona is wind & heat. The heat wasn't so bad (at least in my opinion, I do well in the heat-I'm a Texas girl, I guess that helps for some things!) but the wind was incredible. Headed out and back through town was fast and quick, the crowds were cheering and the energy was amazing. Once out on the Queen K it got windier and hotter. I was comfortable finally getting into a rhythm. I was doing great until we starting the climb up to Hawi. It was about 19 miles up a steady climb with a massive head wind and random gusts. A few of the experienced pros commented later that they had never experienced gusts so strong. I was OK going up, cautious, but OK. It wasn't until we turned to head back down that I was literally scared for my life! I'm not a very confident descender anyways and to have a huge tailwind bolting you down a steep hill didn't help. I had been watching the pros to see if they were on their hoods or not, some were and some weren't. I felt more comfortable on my hoods so I decided to ride down most of the way like this so I had more control of my bike. I wasn't extremely used to the tri-spoke wheels I had either, they catch allot of wind. As we bombed down the hill, all of a sudden a huge cross wind would come out of no where and literally move you. If someone saw me they would have thought I was drunk probably because I was all over the place. I had several really scary "speed wobbles" and decided to be even more cautious. I'd rather lose a few minutes and finish the race (or live for that matter) than shave some time and go careening over the cliff. Once I was down from Hawi I settled down mentally. This part of the ride was emotionally and mentally draining. I was glad to be down. The last 35-40 miles back to town was long and windy. I just tucked in aero, put my head down, and mashed with everything I had. I successfully kept myself cool all day and fueled properly. I wasn't feeling the need for my "special needs" foods at mile 60 so I stuck with my PowerBar Recovery drink and PowerGels. It worked. If it ain't broke, don't fix it right? I never had a really bad moment on my bike (besides the wobbles), I felt pretty good most of the day but I was ready to be off my bike.Total Bike 6:14

T2
Another successful transition. The transitions were long in Kona. On both the swim to bike and the bike to run we had to run a full circle around the pier. It was slippery and many people went down. Luckily I stayed up right. Into the tent, I changed, lathered on some sunscreen (I made the mistake of forgetting to reapply after the swim-I would be sorry if I forgot again!).
T2 in 2:42

Run
I felt good starting the run. In fact I felt good physically for just about all of the run. The hardest part for me on this run was the mental component. The way the course was set up, we had to run out and back on Alii Drive about 5 miles out and 5 back in. I had thought this out and back was about 3 total. The whole time I was running out, my mind kept going back to "damn, we still have to run ALL THE WAY back out to the Energy Lab", which was in the opposite direction and seemed SO far away. Finally, at mile 10 we were back in town on the "hot corner" and turning up Palani to head out on the Queen K. I still felt good. I was keeping myself cool and I was keeping a steady pace I was confident I could maintain. Not too fast, not too slow. The Queen K seemed long, long, long. Oh wait-that's because IT IS!!! It seemed to take forever to get out the the Energy Lab. My mind kept going back to this negativity as we continued heading out. At the half way point I felt fine but we weren't yet to the Energy Lab, time was dragging. Once we turned in we had to run down and out for about 4-5 miles. This was tough because at this point all I wanted to do was turn around and be heading "home". Mentally I was really struggling with heading "away" at mile 17, even though the same distance is covered when it's all said and done. My goal again was to run the whole marathon. I walked through 3-4 aid stations between miles 15-18 just to get some coke down but quickly picked it back up. If I walked too long, I knew I wouldn't get going again. Once back on the Queen K, it went a bit faster, I think because I was finally going the direction I wanted to be going in. There is a long, steady climb right before you turn down Palani back into town. I kept waiting for that hill because I was going to "let" myself walk up it. However a few miles before another guy & I keeping the same pace started chatting and running together. We pushed each other through that hill and finally it was homeward bound. A good downhill on Palani, then around a few blocks and back down Alii into the finishers chute. The sites and sounds of the crowd was surreal and I've never seen anything so amazing in my life. I picked up the pace just a bit because there was a guy right next to me and I didn't want to cross together. I was so worn out running in that I don't remember it very well. I can see it in my mind but it's blurry and vague. Nearly collapsing on the other side of the finish line, the "catchers" literally had to catch me. I didn't go to medical but I needed to sit down. After some water and deep breaths I was feeling better. I'm a little disappointed I didn't soak in the finish line more but it was all I could do to get across and stay upright.
Total Run: 4:12

Total Time 11:39:55
29th out of 50 in my Age Group. At first I was bummed about not placing at least in the top 20. I knew the competition would be thicker and I wasn't sure if I'd be fully recovered from Canada 7 weeks ago. I was definitely looking at the glass half empty until Kevin reminded me that instead of 29 out of 50, that I was 29th in the World! Ya, I like the sound of that better! Just to be competing here was an honor.

I'm really glad we went later in the week because I felt like I still had the altitude benefit on race day and we also had 3 full days afterwards to relax and enjoy Hawaii. We went to Captain Cooks Cove to do some amazing snorkeling. We had some great seafood. We went boogie boarding. And, we slept in lateA! It was a great end to an amazing week! I can't wait to go back!

Stay tuned for the 2009 Race Schedule....right now, it's some much needed rest, recovery, and relaxation.

Kona-October 11th

So the big day on the Big Island big race is Saturday, instead of Sunday. I can't believe I'm doing this all over again in just 7 weeks. So here's the story for this race if you want to track online:

http://ironman.com/ironmanlive

Scroll down and on the bottom left you'll see "athlete tracking" and "live video". On the live video they'll be covering the pros, it's a great race to actually see live so if you have a chance, tune in. Kona is also aired on TV later which is awesome to watch so once I know the air dates I'll let you know.

The race starts at 7am, Hawaii time. Click "athlete tracking" and then select "Ford Ironman World Championship", you can enter my last name (Hooper & I'm #1745) to track my times.
This race will likely be totally different than Canada. The conditions can be brutal (lots of heat and wind). If the conditions are good I might have a faster day but if they are bad I could be an hour slower. My goal for this race is to soak up the experience of the World Championships and just enjoy being in Hawaii racing against the best triathletes in the world!

The swim (2.4miles):The swim is a non-wetsuit swim in the ocean. I've never done a open water ocean swim like this and I've heard it's tough. For starters, everyone racing is good so the competition will be thicker. And without a wetsuit and the chance of an undercurrent and waves it will likely slow me down. I do have a speedsuit so I'm hoping that will help. I plan to start to the far right of the course and maybe a bit farther back in the pack so I don't get pummeled by all the over eager age group men. I would expect my time be anywhere between 60-70 minutes.

The bike (112 miles):Now that I have race wheels (thanks Kevin) I'll be flying, maybe! It's a flatter course so hopefully I can maintain another 6 hour bike. If it's not too windy I could go faster if the wind is insane (which it probably will be) it could be slower. So look for me to be off the bike between 5:30-6:30 hours. It is usually VERY windy in Kona so this could be an issue.

The run (26.2 miles):So I totally surprised myself in Canada so I hope to do the same in Kona. The heat will be an issue and again, possibly the wind. A great day would be another 4:10-4:20 marathon but I'd say you can expect to see me anytime between 4:00-5:00hrs.

After this I will be taking some MUCH needed time off. I am considering the Nashville Marathon again in April 09, shorter races during the 2009 summer, and possibly a late 2009 Ironman (Florida or Arizona maybe?)

Thanks again for all your support this year and for cheering me on next Saturday!

I Hate Resting, I Want to Swim-Bike-Run

I feel lousy this week. It's the 2 weeks before a big race that are supposed to be a bit more laid back, relaxed, and a good time to catch up on some MUCH needed sleep. However, I can't sleep. I haven't slept well the past 2 nights and am feeling sluggish and sleepy all day. I'm anxious and I'm stressed about how much this trip is costing me. I know it'll be worth it, we only live once right? However, my credit card is hemorrhaging and I'm freaking out! I'm hoping by the weekend I'll start to feel better and feel a bit recovered going into race week. I'm going to Colorado Springs to spend the weekend with Kevin and do the first race of The Fall Series (a 4 race series in various parks around town that get progressively longer every other week) on Sunday. I got 3rd in my age group last year in the entire series so I'm hoping with all my Ironman fitness maybe I can pull off a win!

I can't believe Kona is next week. Lately, I am more excited about going to Hawaii than racing. I think I'm nervous as heck about racing against all the best triathletes in the World, literally. It's scary and I know I can't get worked up about it, as it's just an honor to be there at all, but it's hard not to. I'm not sure how much of a vacation it'll be. Pre-race I'll be so anxious and nervous, doing "race stuff" will take up most of our free time Wed-Fri. After the race when I'm ready to play on the beach I'll be so sore I won't be able to do much more than lay on the beach like a beached whale, maybe that's OK? With a stiff drink in hand, that doesn't sound so bad after all! I'm looking forward to the quality time with Kevin, it is much needed! I hope he's willing to waddle around the Big Island with me and my sore butt!

We leave on Wednesday. Before I go I'll be sure to post a bit about the race and how to track me, if you want, but make sure you watch at the back of the pack this time :) We shall see, maybe I'll surprise myself again....