HTFU, Jodi

So... I had a pretty crappy week. Felt emotionally drained, zapped, spent. Couldn't quite live up to the strong persona I would like.

I started thinking back to Ironman. The week of CdA I came across a link on Slowtwitch to a video. I immediately knew it was going to be a hit with Coach Paulo because it is aligned with his method of coaching. But it also was just what I needed because I knew the race was going to open up a world of hurt that I'd never visited before. When I felt a low point I remembered the words of Chopper Reid:

(warning- use of the F-bomb)



So today I grabbed my special hat on the way out the door to go for a trail run with Colleen. And the run was wonderful. Absolutely the best run I have had in 6 months. We hit 5.5 miles and I wanted to do more. But I didn't, because I'm saving it up for my big race next weekend. A huge 5k!



I'm gunning for a PR next weekend. Considering I haven't done a 5k in almost 2 years, I think I just might be able to knock back a sub- 25:40. Especially if I HTFU.

It's Potts for the win!

I don't know if anyone else out there was totally glued to their computers all morning, but I just saw the most amazing finish I've ever seen. Potts and Galindez were neck in neck for the last mile of the 70.3 World Championships this morning and then Potts threw it into a completely new gear to come across for the finish. It was AMAZING!

Congrats Andy Potts!

Things overheard...

Things overheard during Gynecologic surgery that just might be found inappropriate on the street:

1. Make sure you get plenty lubed up before you go in there

2. I lost the cervix-- where's the cervix??

3. If you don't tack down the vagina it could just flap inside out

4. Holler at me if you see the cervix

5. OK, now I think we can just take the rest of this out through the vagina.

6. Now we should fill the bladder- can you go out and grab someone from the hall to fill the bladder??

7. Wow, that really looks like a Uterus!

8. If I can get this into the cervix, we can get anything in there

9. Jodi, go between her legs and wiggle that thing for us

And last but not least...

10. Just jam the *Kocher in her vagina and I'll take it from there

*surgical instrument

Reactions

I was thinking today about how people react to bad situations. And I think it is the true measure of the strength of a person's character.

Some people get diagnosed with cancer and fight it from day 1 kicking and screaming (My friend Steve is a good example. Also Lance Armstrong). Other get depressed and shut down

Some people lose a loved one and turn around and start a crusade to prevent it from happening to others (Katie Couric and Colon Cancer, the founders of MADD, SADD, etc). Some people turn into recluses.

I see a whole spectrum of people at the hospital who are dealing with horrible, life altering diagnoses, and I have a lot of sympathy for them no matter how they react. But I am always so inspired by people who stay strong. No sulking, second guessing, no looking back. Just looking forward. Even people who know they will die. Because they know that they will be forever remembered by how they are at the end. That not giving up is going to forever influence the lives of sons/daughters/grandkids. They will have a role model for how to fight adversity.

When smaller things happen to me I always fall into this- feel sorry for myself- funk. It sometimes lasts as little as a few minutes, sometimes weeks. But I just can't look at myself in the mirror when I'm acting like that. And then I make myself realize that any negative thing that happens in your life, no matter how big or small, can be made into a positive if you really want it to.

So I'll add a couple inspirational quotes here. So that everyone out there who is in a funk can use this to try to snap out of it. Life is too short to be funky

We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitudes toward life. The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.
Charles R. Swindoll

The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.
Tom Bodett

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.

Helen Keller

Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.
Francesca Reigler

Happy Monday!

:-)

Trail-Running through the leaves

I have the whole weekend off (which just never happens) and I was tired of running around my neighborhood. Thankfully, I was able to twist Colleen's arm to go on a trail run with me. Running alone is therapeutic, but running with friends is so fun.

We headed down to North Chagrin Reservation to hit the Bridle trail for some great, low impact, but hilly running. The trees were absolutely stunning!

Here was our starting point behind Squire Castle:



Then we popped out of the woods and crossed a bridge:



How awesome is this!:



Coming back into the parking area after 58 minutes (yes- I ran for 58 whole minutes without knee pain!) of great conversation and tough terrain:



Another view of the Castle on the way back



Now for a little story about the monster. I made 2 apple pies last week. Just one of those things I love to do in the fall. The pie was wonderful. We had gotten through one pie in a matter of a couple days. The other one was still up on the counter waiting to be cut open. Well, then I came home to see this:



and this:




MADDIE!!!!!!!!!

Holy Crap!

So this afternoon I discovered a whole new world of hurt. And the ringleader of this world is this man:



This afternoon, after my morning of mental toughness, exam style, I came home to this:



I saw heart rates that I didn't think were possible on a trainer. I felt glorious pain from my legs. I spun, I sprinted, I prevailed. And then I fell, like a lump of flesh onto my couch. Sweet!

Then once I was able to drag my body off the couch I gave Mike Honcho some TLC. I was so embarrassed that I allowed my prized possession to get so dirty. So we had some time together with a hose, soap, and a toothbrush, and now he's beautiful again. At least having a dirty bike is better than having a clean bike that never gets used!

And this just in from IMFL... Apparently the InsideOut Sports tent is selling...

More Cowbell T-shirts!

I feel like such a trendsetter

;-)

What happened to coffee?

So something weird happened to me a couple weeks ago

I lost my taste for coffee

Completely!

I wouldn't say I was a coffee junkie, but I really, really enjoyed my morning coffee. And an occasional afternoon coffee. I use all caffeinated gels and bars. I just enjoy my caffeine. But then 2 weeks ago, the thought of drinking coffee just turned my stomach. So I battled through two weeks of headaches and now I'm de-caffeinated.

Now I'll never be one of those people that talks badly about coffee. I think it has a lot of god properties and anti-oxidants. But I can say this- I have been sleeping like a baby! I slept for 10 solid glorious hours last night. It was something truly special, let me tell you!

In other news...

I had a study day today. So I set up my trainer right in front of my computer and spun my heart out while listening to 2 hours of lectures. Then I hopped off and did a 23 minute brick run. Good stuff. In the middle of my trainer ride I started riding the train to bonkville. I was attempting to do the workout on just water. Not for any particular reason, I just was too lazy to make gatorade and didn't have any Accelerade and I don't really like eating on the trainer. So anyway, I get about 1:30 into my ride and I start feeling a bit tired. I looked around the room and found my savior-

Halloween sized Reeces Pieces.

Better than any Gu I've ever tried. Yum!

So I downed a handful of Reeces Pieces and headed out on my run.

Have I mentioned how awesome it is to be able to run again? It is wonderful!

On that note- off to study. Big, big exam tomorrow morning!