"On top of old Smoooookies, all covered with.....stings?!!"

....Bee stings that is---5 of them!!!!(see below for more dramatic story ;) We had a very good experience in Chattanooga last weekend------there is absolutely no comparison in Jackson anywhere to the climbs we experienced there. Where else can you climb continuously for 50 minutes?!! Signal Mountain is where we experienced that climb----rode there Saturday and Sunday. We also road Suck Creee Mountain 3 times over the 4th of July weekend. We were blessed with cooler, much less-humid weather Saturday morning. Sunday, we weren't quit as lucky, especially by the time we got to the 6mile run brick after our ride.........HOT w/ hills is not a fun combination :(

This really gave us the confidence we need going into Ironman Canada. The friend's of ours who traveled with us completed IM Canada last year, so they were able to rate the climbs for us. The two significant climbs in Canada are Richter Pass and Yellow Lake. Suck Creek Mountain seems to be a harder climb than Richter Pass, they said. This climb took us around 36 minutes, averaging around 7-8mph continuously up the mountain.

Danny and Jackie picked the PERFECT cabin for us!!! It was awesome :) The cabin had a top and bottom floor, with 2 separate kitchen, a patio overlooking the gorgeous mountain----with a jacuzzi to boot!!!! It was 5 of us, and we had such a good time together!!! Most of the day was spent riding, of course, but both days we came home, took an ice bath in the kiddie pool that Jackie brought (yes!!!) and grabbed a little afternoon snack/lunch before heading out for a big dinner. We went into Chattanooga two separate nights and had fun at some local restaurants. Friday evening, Jackie made a yummy shrimp etoufee w/salads and french bread----SO good!!!

Let's see---------I got stung by a bee 5 times on Sunday:( One bee went up my shirt before climbing Signal mountain. I had to stop my bike, and after thinking I got it out of my shirt, started back again. Wrong!!!!!! I felt another bite when we stopped again, then saw it fly out of my shirt, but only after it stung me on the chin one more time for good measure!!! I started riding once again, only to feel a bite in my bike shorts!!!! Good grief!!!!!!!!! Those suckers hurt!!

Rick Yelverton is a mad man!!! His coach wanted him to go long both days, so he did the mountain loop TWICE, making it 104 miles on Saturday, then another 104 miles on Sunday!!!!! AMAZING!!!! And let me just say, 104 miles on those mountains is more like accomplishing 150 miles or more on flats------absolutely no comparison!!

We got in 80 miles of 6,000 ft of climbing Saturday with a shorter 2-1/2 mile brick run, and around 60 miles of climbs on Sunday with a 6 mile brick run. Monday, we decided to take the day off since it begins our peak week and we planned a long run Tuesday morning. Danny and Jackie went for one more round Monday morning----BEASTS I'm tellin' ya!!!! I decided to cook breakfast for everyone, so that counts for a little somethin', right ? ;) lol!!!

We are excited to hopefully head back there one last time the last wknd of July for more climbs-----------Oh Canada, watch out for us Mississippians!!!!! We're preparin' hard for ya !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Watch out Chattanooga, the Cassell's and William's are coming to town ;)

Headed to Chattanooga tomorrow morning-----plan on getting in LOTS of climbs in the mountains for the 4-day weekend!!!!!! Lord, help us ;) Mississippi isn't known for it's mountains, or even hills.............we might be pretttyyyyyy beat up by Saturday evening.........not a good thing, considering we still have Sunday and Monday filled with Ironman Canada training.

Let's hope we leave TN with feelings of hope that we are a little more prepared for Canada ;) We hope to make one more trip toward the end of July. At least we can say we trained on some type of mountains for Canada ;)

I'm really excited about our cabin and jacuzzi on the deck :) LOTS of photos to come :)

8 weeks folks, 8 weeks!!!!!

"I Want to Know What Love Is"

Every Sunday that I attend Pinelake I continue to be amazed at how Chip Henderson has a way of getting things JUST right, when it comes to speaking to your heart. He is the first pastor in which I have been able to follow along so closely, and not let my mind wander just a little during the service. Chip has a way of putting the Sunday message into a way where you can understand it. Not only this, but he does it in a way in which he is careful not to "scream" the message or place blame on you, making you feel judged. He does it in a way that allows you to WANT to change and become closer to God, not leave the church feeling scolded as if you are such a sinner that you can never be perfect enough to change.

Below is Chip's sermon from yesterday. It was titled, "I want to know what love is." Chip is preaching on a "Sex Series" lately. This is a tough subject for most, but we all need and should hear it.

Here are a few things summarized in my own words from yesterday:

Chip says great lovers don't look for Mr. or Ms. Right. They ARE Mr./Ms. Right. Meaning, no one can fulfill you like you wish. Only God. Understand that you are ALREADY loved and provided for by God. Don't go searching for love elsewhere. Don't place demands on another person with intentions of them being "Mr. Right". If you become a woman of God, and place your burdens and worries on God, there is no need for a "Mr. Right." It's a choice you must make for yourself--to let God become everything you need.

We must also live our life like God. We should love without expecting ANYTHING in return. It's not about me. It's not about what anyone can do for me. It's about a conscious act to love someone every day, without any expectations in return. A choice to love someone, regardless of what they can offer in return.

Chip says we have a choice to be a Drainer or a Filler, meaning we can drain the energy from another, or we can fill them up with energy and peace. I don't want to be a "drainer." I want to be and desire to be a filler. Sometimes my actions speak louder I'm afraid, and I become that "drainer" I don't like to be. I come from a family of worriers, and I believe most women's personalities make them very needy, too needy. I sometimes feel like I need to voice, or think that I need to voice, my stressors in life, my distractions, my worries to my husband. I need to watch this again and again, so that when I become that "needy, draining wife", I must learn to stop myself and DO something about it. I need to stop right there and pray to God, "Lord, help me to not be needy. Help me to be selfless and Christ-like." Always take it to God FIRST.

No partner can, or should, be able to provide for all of your needs. Chip gave the advice to not marry someone you can't wait to go to bed with. Marry someone you can't wait to wake up to. 99% of life is spent OUTSIDE the bedroom. Therefore, if you base a relationship or marriage off sex, it will fail every time.

Chip reminds us in the message that the Lord is the only provider we should EVER need. That is so true; yet, it is easy to forget, especially when you are stressed and caught up in many tasks throughout the day. You want to place the blame on someone, or you want to vent to anyone who will listen to you.

Wow------So, so true. It really spoke to me yesterday. "It's not about me." It's not about what someone can do for me. It's about how I can live for God everyday. If you and your spouse seek to live for Him everyday and grow closer to Him, you will automatically grow closer together, not farther apart over time. This growing apart is gradual, Chip says. It comes over time. But if we continue to live for God, that gradual growing apart cannot happen if we are truly seeking love from Him first. I believe Chip called it the Love Triangle. If you and your spouse are both looking up for love, you will automatically grow towards each other, like a pyramid. If you do not look up to God FIRST for love, you will find yourself growing in a reverse pyramid. How do you keep that from happening? A third person. The Lord. Each spouse takes a daily walk closer to God, and everyday they take another step towards Him. Over time, the spouses become one. To walk in love is not a giddy fairy-tale. A walk in love means that you will give of YOURSELF for someone else's welfare. Christ has done that for us. He modeled that for us. He says to take His example and give it to another, as He has done for you.

Chip says it's not enough to just say that you will "make it work" over time. That's not enough. We must look to God with everything, take everything to God. I can see how over time, with the full-time duties of careers, children, home responsibilities, friends, hobbies, etc, where spouses can grow slowly apart. I don't like to even think about this. That's why it's important to DO something about it daily. Pray. Walk with God through everything. Love your spouse without expecting anything in return. Be selfless, not selfish. I have to work on this. We are a selfish people. It does not happen easily. We must constantly work on it.

I am far from perfect. I have many faults. I thank God for bringing Matt into my life everyday. I thank Him for allowing Matt to love me, and not care if I am perfect, only that I am perfect for him. If I, and my spouse, work on it daily, our love will grow closer together.

Lord, bless our marriage. Make me become "Mrs. Right" more and more every day, with open hands, an open heart, and an open mind to receive what You say.



I hope you enjoy this as much as I did and the sermon challenges you to be a better lover.

June 20: "I Want To Know What Love Is" from Pinelake Church on Vimeo.

Stressed spelled backwards = Desserts

So, is that why I am craving sweet things ALL the time lately? Or could it be due to the massive Ironman training we have been doing? Or maybe it's a little bit of both ;) Last time I trained for a full Ironman I told myself that I was going to eat very healthy and clean...........yeah.....that didn't work out so well. And, to no surprise, I told myself I was going to get that part down to an art this go-around......hmmmmmmmmm..I'm still workin' on it :) You would think, "She's a dietitian. She can get her act together." Well, it's one thing to KNOW what to eat and what you SHOULD eat........it's another thing ENTIRELY to do it. Practice what I preach. Do as I say, not as I do. I heard a little tip from a woman's triathlon traiing forum once----It involved not trying to deal with weight loss when training for an Ironman. It is rare that you find women that lose weight during Ironman training. So, all you ladies out there who think you want to do an Ironman just to get in killer shape and have a kick-butt body, sorry :) It unfortunately doesn't work that way in my experience!!!

I just can't explain it---when you combine the exhaustion of Ironman training with your uncontrollable appetite because of all that exhaustion, trying to eat clean sounds a lot better in theory than actually following through on eating clean. You tend to become so exhausted that your reward either becomes enjoyable food, not neccessarily healthy food, or you are just to tired to care what you put in your mouth. I'm to that "just don't care right now" mode. At least I'm getting the training in, right? :) I hit almost 20 hours last week-------that's HUGE for me :)


Work has been a little more busy than usual due to Lincare hiring another RD to help me out :) I am, needless to say, ecstatic over this!!! It was becoming extremely stressful to market and see all the contacts per day that I needed to, as well as see my patient referrals in different towns, etc. I can now solely market and provide inservices, etc. the majority of the time, while our clinical RD sees patients and helps out with the clinical paperwork, computer work, etc.
The biggest stress for me right now is that I am having an EXTREMELY slow month :(
Wouldn't you know the month they finally hire help is the same month that I have my slowest month since I began almost 3 years ago. I pray that it picks up-----It's no fun to be worried about not having enough patients and having to justify that in a monthly progress report after they just hired someone to help you :(

Heatwave Triathlon Race Report------ Much better race for me than Memphis in May a few weeks earlier. Still not my best performance, due to training straight through until race day, but I did improve by 7 minutes, so I'll take it :) It was a fairly choppy swim this year, compared to last, and there was a nice headwind coming back on the bike. The run was once again, hot-----thus, the name HEATwave ;) My age group keeps getting more and more competitive, with lots of triathletes coming from Louisiana and Tennessee. I just have to keep reminding myself to gauge my improvement from my past times and performances, not on the performances of my age group. That keeps it lots more fun and allows me not to let my over-competetive nature come out!!!!
Matt had another frustrating race (according to him). He still does very well, but when you look at all of the training we have been enduring through for Ironman Canada, it's frustrating sometimes when you don't have a satisfying race and actually see your work pay off.

The post-race Heatwave party at Danny and Jackie's home keeps getting better and better every year.........I'm actually starting to enjoy the after-party that night better than the Heatwave triathlon itself ;) lol!!

The "Hostess with the Mostest" ;)




Long course and short-course triathlon training are 2 different beasts-----Maybe after I get pregnant and return to training, I can focus on short-distance racing and see if I make improvements, without having the stress and exhaustion from long-course on my back to wear me down. Then again, a baby might be wearing me down with 0 sleep for the night and I might be lucky to get any training in at all--------I'll take that road as it comes :)

Triathlon season and Mississippi Heat triathlon team is still as busy as ever-------It's just that time of year. When I'm not training for Ironman Canada or working, I'm usually getting speakers organized for the upcoming summer months of triathlon season. VERY busy lately with this!!!!

The summer heat is becoming almost unbearable. We actually had to cut our long run down Sunday morning because we couldn't bear the humidity and sun blaring down on us. It was horrible!!!!! Almost 100% humidity. We started our long bike ride at 5:30 am Saturday morning------got in 100 miles, which we were very proud of, considering that wasn't the length we intended on pushing to that morning when we began.


I was excited to have an article in the Clarion Ledger about the tri team---I was a little sad that they didn't put the group photo in the paper, because I know a lot of the members came together a few nights before the article came out, in order to get the group photo made, with intentions of thinking it would be in the paper. It was still a great article, nonetheless ;) Click on the link below for the article:
Triathlon: These athletes in a league of their own | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger




Well, that's about all that's going on right now. I really need to learn to slow down and breathe a little sometimes :) Workin' on that one............if anyone has any advice, I'm all ears ;)

I'll leave you with our puppie's recent summer haircuts (or shall I say, shaves?) Poor babies........they have a complex :) Gotta do whatcha gotta do to keep them cooled off in this crazy Mississippi weather we call Summer ;)

Heatwave pre-race thoughts

As I get ready for what used to be "the race" for me only a few years ago, I think back a little from then to now.

* Back then, I just wanted to finish. Now I want to place. Funny thing is, as my
age group gets older, my age group gets harder!!!!!! I mean, what the heck??!!! I
thought as I aged, it might get easier because I wasn't as much of a "spring
chicken" as I used to be. Not the case. Sad but true.

* Crazy thing is, I have improved EVERY year on the swim, bike, and run. Sad thing
is, I seem to be dropping lower and lower on the age group rankings because of the
first reason!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrr..................

* My mind never ceases to wonder if there is actually an alligator right below my
body at any given moment, ready to chomp me up if I get near the back of the pack.
Could it be all the stories or actual photos I have seen of alligators near the
very spot where I swim? I'm not sure, but I am kicking my booty off as fast as I
can tomorrow............I ain't stickin' around out there by myself to be live
bait for the hungry guy awaitin' :)

* Must the women always be stuck in the last wave? Why does my husband get to be #69
this year, while I am stuck with #368? How am I supposed to hawk him down on the
run with that much of a head start????!!!! NO FAIR, I'm tellin' ya!!!!!!!!!

* I always seem to forget how bad that 6 mile trail run hurts until I am actually
face to face with it. "It's not THAT bad," I tell myself. "It's not THAT hot. I'll
be fine. I won't fade. I'm tougher this year." Oooooohhhhh, the things we tell our
minds to shut them off :)

* The draft-fest seems to get worse and worse every year. Women that normally don't
beat me, or might outbike me by a bit, seem to ALWAYS somehow overcome me at this
race. Wonder how that happens EVERY year?? Hmmmmm.......I'll keep my thoughts to
myself.........or you could just ask my husband........if you have an hour or 7 to
hear his rant ;) LOL!!!

* 96% humidity should make for some interesting asthma-like, snorting-sound huffs
coming out of my mouth. If I pass your or you pass me, please excuse the noises
being forced out of my mouth. Do not fear. I am not dying. Proceed to the finish
line. I will arrive shortly thereafter in one piece.

* The cool shades I wear are placed over my eyes for 2 reasons.
1) To block the sun.
2) (and the most important reason) To disguise the pain-stricken look I am making
because I am ready to be done with that 6 mile trail run.

* Am I the only one that cusses going up that horrendously short, but steep hill one
mile from the finish line? I mean, Gahhh... did they really have to put that hill
there? And speaking of hills, what about the little incline at the finish line?
I really don't recommend your finish-line photo to be taken coming up the incline
finish!!! :) NOT a pretty face this gal is makin' !!!!

Let's take a stroll down Heatwave memory lane, shall we??

Heatwave '07

Heatwave '08

Heatwave '09 (the making of Mississippi Heat triathlon team year ;)


Well, that's about all I've got right now. My transition bags are packed and ready to go. All that's left to do is race. This will be the first time we have "trained right through a race." Ironman Canada training may break us this year, but we will have to wait until tomorrow to find out. The good news is that our performance can't
be worse than Memphis in May........or can it???? :)

Post-Heatwave party anyone? :)

Memphis in May race report

"Think we should sit this one out dear? Yeah, probably so." :)



So, let's rewind from race day back to the entire week b/f Memphis in May, shall we? Our triathlon team puts on a yearly beginner-friendly triathlon called Soak up The Sun. Bill was our race director for the year. He did a great job getting everything planned out and ready to roll this year---so far, so good on lack of complaints this year. The only caveat is that Bill was out of town on vacation the entire week and didn't get back home until late Friday evening. We took over for him last week and got everything all sorted out. I will never understimate staying on your feet for an entire day again. Seriously, my legs and feet ached so bad Friday evening and Saturday evening, it felt like I had completed speedwork type training days. Only I hadn't. Packet pick up lasted from 3pm-7pm. I stayed there the entire time helping out, then bought pizza for all the volunteers. By the time we got home, finished loading the car for our Memphis trip and loading the car with tons of cases of water, cookies, food, and sodas, etc, for the race, we only got about 2 hours of sleep. We were up by 3:30am to drive to Reunion Lake to get things ready to go for the morning. The race went smoothly overall, thank goodness! It's always so rewarding to see all of the planning finally coming together. Even more so, there's nothing more rewarding than seeing a beginner triathlete complete their very first triathlon. SUTS was Matt and myself's first triathlon, so it's extra special to us to be able to put this on every year ;) Anyway, we ended up getting things cleaned up and heading to Memphis around 1pm.

Getting ready to announce door prizes and overall awards Talking Josh, Jackson Metro Cyclists president, into Soak up the Sun 2011 ;)


The crazy thing is, if you have to forgo packet pick-up when you get into town, in order to go to the hotel first and take a nap because you are too exhausted to pick up your packet, maybe you should forgo the whole race? Hmmm............that would have been the wise thing to do, wouldn't it?

So, Friday evening after we ate dinner with some friends and picked up our packets, we got things ready in the hotel room and got to bed.
Only problem is, I was complaining to Matt that my legs were throbbing just laying in the bed---like I had raced or been through a long day of training. Not good. Not good at all. I put on my compression socks and elevated them in the bed. I told myself maybe I should listen to my body. The week of Soak up the Sun had really worn me down, obviously. I just couldn't justify paying the expensive entry fee, driving all the way to Memphis, and not racing the one race in the area that we had never done.

Fast forward to race morning: Alarm went off at 4am. We laid in the bed contemplating whether we would race or not. I decided I could quit at any time if things got really bad. I needed the training at least. I was supposed to train for the weekend anyway. This is the first race where I didn't experience that adrenaline feeling like I always do. I just wasn't in it........physically or mentally. When the mental part of my race strategy goes, it's all over for me.

The Swim: This is the first true olympic distance that I have done. I have been
having issues with my wetsuit making me feel a little too restricted and
claustrophobic. I decided I would go for it anyway. I actually had a
pretty good swim, for me anyway. It was a little tricky getting my own
wetsuit off---there were no peelers. This made T1 extra long for me.
I am not a swimmer and will never be anything close to a good swimmer but I am learning to accept that. Ithink the fact that I wasn't mentally caring how I did on the swim actually helped me have a good swim this time. I was pleased.
Time: 25:00

The Bike: The sad part about the bike for me was that when I saw the 5 mile marker
sign, I felt like I had already ridden 20 miles. How sad is that? My legs
were like bricks. So heavy and just worn-out. I decided I would try to
push to at least break 20mph. It was just such a letdown for me. I've been
training so hard and put in lots more volume than last season. I kept
telling myself, "You KNEW coming into this race to not have expectations.
You shouldn't even be racing today." It was so bad that I was actually
secretly wishing that I would have a flat. Sad, sad, sad. I debated on
the bike if I should just skip the run. I talked myself out of that. I
rationlized with myself that our coach had prescribed a brick anyway that
day----I might as well stick to the plan at least.
Bike: 20.5 mph

Run: This is where I was most disheartened: The run is where I gain ground. No
matter how bad of a swimmer, or how much ground I still lack on catching
up on the phenomenal cyclists, I can usually get them back on the run. This
is always my time to come back and pass lots of people. I was walking by
mile 1 :( Now, I know the heat could have been part of the factor. It was
92 degrees and not much shade. The first mile was uphill. There was a water
stop right b/f my watch beeped for the first mile. I stopped here, poured
water over my head, and walked. First Mile: 7:32----with a walk. Not bad.
Only, I was trained to hold around 7:00 miles, on a good day. I made it to
mile 2. Mental games were floating in my head again............"just quit
at mile 2. Walk back to bike transition and call it a day. What are you
gaining at this point?", my mind was saying. Nope. Can't do it. Not yet.
By mile 2, my feet were getting extremely blistered. I never wear socks
on smaller size triathlons and I have never gotten blisters. For the first
time in a tri, I decided to wear my Nike Lunar racer training flats. Never
blistered me before. Oh but, buddy, they were KILLING my feet.
Slaughtering them.

7 blisters from a 6.2 mile run!!!
I walked after every hill. I walked at every water
stop. I walked around 10 times? I ran a pace for 6 miles that I don't even
have trouble holding on a marathon. Yeah, I know. Cry me a river :) I am
crying in my Cheerios............It was a bad experience for me. I have
NEVER walked a triathlon run. Never. There's a first time for everything.
Run: 8:03 pace

Now, please don't get me wrong. I am not saying these are horrible times. These are just not the times I was trained to race. Every athlete has their own goals, so I by no means wish to downplay another's times by showing my own. I am simply saying that I should have done better, rating myself from what I am trained to do.

By the time I crossed the finish line, Matt was waiting for me and wanted to cool off in the lake where we swam. I took my shoes off and walked over. Caught cramps in my feet trying to take my shoes off. Rarely get cramps. Had to walk it off for a bit. Tried to get in the lake-----screamed out b/c the blisters burned so bad when i got in the water. We talked about our race. Matt had a bad race as well. I said, "we should have listened to our bodies. What did we expect them to do when we were this exhausted?". He agreed. So, we loaded up on Memphis BBQ and other foods, sat on the grass, and enjoyed talking to others on our team.


We left shortly after the race, and decided to head back home. We unpacked and decided to grab some sushi/hibachi for dinner. Here's the bottom line to a horrible weekend:

We shouldn't get so upset over a race. We should just be happy to complete triathlons. Period. Our bodies weren't meant to do well this weekend. We both knew that going into this race. It's just the fact that we've both been training SO hard. When triathlon and Ironman training takes away so much of your life, you at least want the satisfaction of knowing that you are improving and you can justify that your time spent training is worth it.

We need and must keep our eye on the prize, and that's Ironman Canada. It's not the local races that seem so important at the time. It's the one day in Canada that we should focus on. Because when we look back at this small part of the big picture of our life, Memphis in May triathlon 2010 will barely be remembered, if remembered at all. There is so much more to life. We have to keep our priorities straight, and even though this race wasn't good, it's nothing compared to what else life offers us. We need to step back for a moment and breathe. We need to remember......this started out as a hobby. This started out as 2 beginners struggling and barely making it through a 500 meter swim in a pool----it was called Soak up the Sun Triathlon 2005:) I still remember that feeling of accomplishment. That race was for me. It was a competition with myself, no one else. That is the healthy way and thinking to triathlons. We have gone from SUTS 2005 to 3 1/2 Iromans, too many to count short-distance triathlons, 8 marathons, and 1 Ironman Florida, to Ironman Canada 2010 in just a few more months. Thank you God for allowing us to be healthy enough to do ALL of these extraordinary activities. We are blessed and need to not take THAT for granted. Triathlon DOES NOT define me. It's just a small part of who I am. How do I sometimes forget that?

If I make it till Sunday.......

..............I can finally come up for air and breathe!!!!!!!

Wow!! What a crazy busy 2 weeks it has been! Soak Up the Sun is dominating my life lately. If I can make it all in one piece until race day, things don't go too crazy, and hop in the car on our way to Memphis, we will be all ok ;) We will most likely be up till after midnight getting everything and everyone sorted out for race planning. Then, we will be up again by 3 am Saturday morning. Our plan is to leave shortly after the awards ceremony, and have our car loaded and ready to head to Memphis, to Memphis in May triathlon. This will be our first, so we're excited!!!!! The only negative aspect is that we might be too exhausted to enjoy the rest of the weekend!!!!

Say a prayer that I am all together in one piece and this race turns out to be a success like last year...........we are hoping for around 400+ racers again this year...............it's all finally coming together ;)