Back to Back 50's

Kevin and I and 4 of our Tri Fusion Teammates (I regret that we did not take our camera) drove to Coeur d' Alene Idaho to ride 1 loop of the new Ironman Bike Course on Saturday. It was my second time on the course, the first time was very daunting, I had been told by several people that the new course was very hilly and challenging and I thought it would be good for me to experience it myself rather than be fearful from the words of others. Well no one was exaggerating!

Oh my Goodness, this was definitely the most challenging and technical bike ride I have ever done. The second time around was very challenging but I definitely had a better attitude about it. The six of us had a great time navigating and gutting out the course, I know for me that I need to ride it several more times to get the overwhelm out of my mind. Because 1 loop was challenging enough that I cannot at this point imagine having to do a second loop and then run a Marathon afterwards.

However I still have a Dream and a Vision of becoming an Ironman Finisher! Ya Baby!!!!

Today several members of our Triathlon Club participated in a local fundraiser ride called the Lilac Century, there was a 15, 25, 50 and 100 mile ride.

Kevin and I did the 50, which was our second day in a row of doing a 50 mile challenging bike ride. Pictured with us is Lorie, one of our Tri Fusion Teammates and the new owner of my 1st Triathlon Bike, she stepped up and did her first 25 mile bike ride.This was a ride for Charity not a race, but the racing blood was flowing through my veins and I couldn't help myself, I just felt compelled to keep passing people, especially the guys :o).......something sweet about that.
Pictured above is Steve Rupe another Tri Fusion teammate who is doing the 1/2 Ironman in Napa with me next week and also doing his first Ironman at Coeur d' Alene this June. And below is from left to right, Ben Greenfield a Nationally ranked Triathlete and our Club website Director and an amazing Endurance Sports Coach. Steve and his wife Tia and Scott Ward our Club Marketing Director, an amazing multi-time Ironman finisher and Ironman World Championship "Ironman Hawaii" Qualifier and Finisher!

So yes I kicked Kevin's Butt which was great reward for all my long hard hours of training. Kevin called me an "animal" and I took that as a huge complement to my words of affirmation love tank! It was a beautiful day and I felt good, even with tired legs!

Off to Napa Valley next weekend for my 1st 1/2 Ironman race of the season.

Trip Training

Happy 70th Birthday Dad

Recently I had the opportunity to go to the Oregon Coast and surprise my Dad for his 70th Birthday. It was such a blessing to see the joy on his face!

I flew into Bend where my sister Patti lives to see her brand new house and to get some yummy hugs from my niece Hailey, catch up with my brother in-law Jeff and then the plan was to take a "sister" trip to Florence to surprise Dad!


I had a heavy week of training and was able to rearrange my schedule to get my 3 hour bike ride in before I left so that I didn't have to take my bike. My sister was amazing support in spending time before I arrived to research a pool that would allow me to swim without being a member and measuring out a challenging 1/2 Marathon run course for me to run.

I was trying to get all my training done in Bend so when we got to Florence we would have all our time to spend with Dad. My sister's new house has a workout room equipped with a Spin bike, because my brother in-law is a cyclist. It was raining, so the first day my sister got on her treadmill and I got on the Spin bike and we had an awesome 1 hour work out accompanied with some great conversation. Who needs music!

We got up the 2nd day and it was still pouring rain so Patti and I headed to the new Parks & Recreation facility where she had found a pool for me to swim. Patti got on one of their treadmills and I went to swim. I wish I had a picture of my face when we walked into the Aquatics Center of this new facility! Oh my gosh, they had an amazing 4 pools. They had a childrens play pool, a family swim pool, a deep pool for platform diving and a 10 lane Olympic sized pool! The Olympic pool was divided that morning into two sections and they had one side for lap swimmers like me and the other side was buzzing with 95 members of their local 212 member Masters Swim Team that were training for an upcoming meet! Wow, what a sight to see, they had 10 swimmers in each lane and they were all swimming a speed workout.

It was still pouring down rain in Bend the next day, I hadn't packed my rain gear so I decided to save my run for the Coast. Wow am I glad I did!

Patti and I had an awesome drive to the coast actually ran into snow on the pass but when we got to the coast the weather was beautiful.

I did my 13 mile run from my dads house to the beach, ran down the beach for a few miles and then turned around and ran back. It was a paradise run, the sun was out, perfect temperature, mild breeze, ocean air, yummy negative ions and a Bald Eagle to top it all off.

The change of scenery and venue was a HUGE INSPIRATION to my Frontal Right Brain. Training while on vacation proved to be a great experience for me.

Special Friends

This is a "special" post for a "special" person!

Sometimes people come into your life and you work hard to get to know them and then work even harder to figure out where exactly they fit into the target of your life.

Then there are other times when people come into your life and you know them even before you know them. It takes little or no effort to be around them and it is no work at all to figure out where they fit on the target of your life.

This post is dedicated to my special friend Jeff M. who from the first time I met him I knew he was the kind of person that I would want in the Bullseye of the target of my life.

This Thursday Thirteen is at his request, (he never misses an opportunity to point out to me that I missed a Thursday Thirteen, and today was no different), however he will be very surprised when he logs onto my Blog tonight that my Thursday Thirteen is dedicated to him!

THIRTEEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT JEFF M.

1) HE LOVES AND TRUELY ADORES HIS WIFE & ISN'T AFRAID TO SHOW IT

2) HE IS KIND HEARTED

3) HE IS GENUINE - THE REAL DEAL

4) HE IS ONE OF THE MOST GRACIOUS PEOPLE I KNOW

5) HE HAS A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR

6) HE IS ALWAYS HONEST WITH WORDS AND ACTIONS

7) HE IS VERY COMPLEMENTARY TO OTHERS

8) HE IS AN INVOLVED FATHER

9) HE IS A LOYAL FRIEND

10) HE IS VERY TRUSTWORTHY

11) HE IS A SUPPORTIVE PERSON

12) HE HAS A PASSION FOR LIFE

13) HE HAS A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS PARENTS

Jeff, I am not sure what your love language is (and I regret that), but if it is words of affirmation I just filled up your tank big time :o)

I am thankful for you in my life, and appreciate all the support, encouragement and interest you have been to me along the way on my journey to Ironman.

I dedicate this post to you my "special friend"

p.s. I wish I could see your face when you log on to check if I followed through with my post today, looking for inspiration and realize that you are actually being inspired by yourself!

Your friend............Kathi

Tough Choice...........Right Choice

Making choices requires conscious thought and energy, sometimes human nature is to take the easy road, or to gravitate to the line of least resistance or to not even choose but rather just let things happen.............here are 13 Choices I hope I will always spend the energy to make:

1~ Choose Authentic over False

2~ Choose Right over Wrong

3~ Choose Ethics over Convenience

4~ Choose Truth over Popularity

5~ Choose Integrity over Corruption

6~ Choose Loyalty over Betrayal

7~ Choose Priorities over Happenstance

8~ Choose Passion over Apathy

9~ Choose Prevention over Regret

10~Choose Design over Chance

11~Choose Productivity over Laziness

12~Choose Active over Inactive

13~Choose Optimism over Pessimism

Competer ~ vs ~ Completer

One of the things I love about the world of Triathlon is that there is a place for everyone who has a desire to participate! And Kevin's journey validates that truth!


When I first got into the sport 2 years ago, my husband (here after known as Kevin) was a spectator. He was amazing support to me every step of my journey. From his loving encouragment, to his comfort as I faced fears, to his driving a support vehicle for me on my long runs, he has been my biggest fan and my greatest support.


Little did I know that as he looked on and supported me, a vision and desire was growing within him. I can remember mid-season 2 years ago how when caught up in the excitement of a post race high, he was excited to share with me, that he thought he would like to try a Triathlon. I remember after he completed his first sprint distance race how he said "that was the hardest thing he had ever done"!


Kevin went on to do 3 Triathlons that season. Then winter came, he had a significant career change and he stopped his training all together. And for my 2nd season, last year Kevin did not do any races. He did a few training sessions with me and he loved being in the Race environment but just wasn't sure that being a Multi Sport Participant was for him.


But by the end of my 2nd season and after supporting me at 11 races , Kevin caught his vision for where his place would be in the sport. This revelation was a relief to him and a gift to me. Kevin's revelation for himself was that he was a "Completer" rather than a "Competer"! For his Basal Right harmonizing brain it was the perfect place for him. He realized that he really enjoyed the training but wasn't so keen on the competiton of it all. Bonus for me, I get a training partner and amazing support for my races.


This year Kevin plans on doing 3 sprint distance Triathlons and is considering trying his first Olympic Distance Tri. I love this sport so much and it means alot to me to be able to share it with the "man of my life"! I love being able to see him out on the race course and being able to cheer for each other along the way!


In January Kevin gave me a huge complement when he asked me if I would make him a weekly training schedule. So I have been providing him with a schedule since the beginning of February. He has really gained fitness in the past couple of months and I know he is happy about that. He really enjoys the swimming and cycling, but not so much the running.


So it surprised and thrilled me when he told me that he was going to participate in our Tri Fusion Club sponsored Duathlon "Race for the Stache". A Duathlon involves 2 runs (Kevin's least favorite part of a race), one at the beginning of the race and a second one after the bike. This race was 2 mile run, 12 mile bike and another 2 mile run.


The challenge of the shorter distance races is that they are just that "short" so the intensity of each leg is quite high! Basically all out effort the entire race. The finish line is sweet victory for every participant, but much more so for a "completer" who is not into the pain for the sake of competition!


Nice "Completion" Kevin!


So Congratulations to my Sweetie for "Completing" his first race of the season. It was great fun for me to cheer you on along the way and at the finish! Gee honey - why weren't you there to cheer for me at the finish line :o)...................

Race for the Stache

Our Triathlon Club, Tri Fusion has a desire to give to our local community. We have a vision of sponsoring a local race and having it be a fund raiser for a local charity. Just as it has been our vision and desire along the way to have a 1st Class Club, we also want to sponsor a 1st Class event.

Therefore our Board of Directors came up with the great idea of practicing on ourselves the first few times to get all the kinks worked out. And that is how "Work out with a Clock" was birthed. Which soon mutated to "Race for the Stache" after our Event Director - Mark Hodgson had the genuis idea of having a competition with in a competition of which guy could grow the best Stache by race day! My vote goes to Mark - the Stache on the right!

Saturday April 7th was our 1st Club sponsored "Race for the Stache" which was open to Club Members only. It was a Duathlon with a 2 mile run, 12 mile bike and a 2 mile run! We had the most beautiful weather of the year so far. What a blessing that was for race particpants, volunteers and for the kiddo's as well.

I had a great race for me, and I was very motivated by chasing these cuties on the course

Oh yea baby! - you bet we had an awards ceremony, we even had "Race for the Stache" Medals! (and yes those are empty paper towel and toilet paper rolls, my FR had a great idea in the middle of the night :0)............ I was honored and priviledged to share the podium with these two "HOT TRI CHICKS" (Vicki Skates & Jessi Thompson) 1st , 2nd and 3rd over all female finishers and yes by the way this is a "3 decade" photo, no need I'm sure to point out who own's which decade :o)

Being the Club Social Director, I tagged on a Social after the race of a "Brunch/Lunch" Potluck and an Easter Egg hunt for the Kiddo's! We had the most beautiful weather of the year. Sunny and 73 degrees.

The day was incredible from start to finish:

- the weather was sunny and 70 degrees

- the event was wildly successful with all kinds of new PR's for all level of participants

- we had an amazing club turn out and it was great fun to be cheering each other on along the race course

- the volunteers were amazing, from sweeping gravel off the course to timing our splits to directing traffic, to cheering us on......WOW

-tons of yummy food from salads, to fruit, to pastries, to ham to homeade yummy muffins

-fabulous fellowship with incredible people

Club Tri Fusion "is" living out the Dream we envisioned just 1 year ago!

Crash Test Dummy!

I just didn't feel like being cold so I decided to try out my New Blackburn TrakStand Ultra Trainer and do my 2 hour & 45 minute bike ride inside!

I opened the box put it together visually (that means w/o reading the directions) and it looked good to me so I hooked my bike up, and got my DVD movie ready to go.

I mounted my new Steed on my New Trainer, took about 2 revolutions of my cranks and literally came crashing down.

Adam and Paisley came running in to see what the crashing sound was only to find me on the floor still clipped into my bike! Even though I had hit my head on the desk on the way down and twisted my hip because my feet were both clipped into my pedals all we could do was laugh.

It takes some major talent to wreck on your indoor trainer :o)

Come to find out I had the back tire skewer mounted totally wrong, hmmmm a detail my Frontal Right missed on the visual assembly!

Maybe next time I will read the directions before I mount a piece of machinery that I plan to ride........probably not :o)

Living Smarter

Living Smarter

The body was extraordinary and wonderfully made. It was designed not only to avoid disease but to heal itself if symptoms of illness arise. By our “lifestyle choices”, we can make its job easier or more difficult. Miracles can and do occur-but in general, if it heals, the body heals itself. If we adopt preventive health strategies we have the ability to live a very high level of wellness.

Our immune system can be one of our most valuable assets. It can take a great deal of abuse before it begins to fail to protect us- at which point we experience negative symptoms that when ignored eventually lead to “dis-ease”. The degree of illness we suffer and the severity of disease symptoms we exhibit depend upon the level of breakdown of the immune system. Dis-ease is rarely the result of one factor, rather it is the result of a complex interaction of factors, of which 40%+ of them are within our ability to control. Now that is exciting!

There are some non-modifiable factors that do have an impact on the immune system:
1) Some Birth Defects
2) Our Genetic Inheritance
3) Our Chronological Age
4) Our Race
5) Our Gender

However there are several factors that are modifiable by our choices and they do have a positive affect on our immune system, which can have a profound affect on how “well we live”. Here are 13 for you to ponder, if anyone of them inspire you, your immune system will be celebrating!!!

1) Knowledge – of health, wellness and your immune system

2) Experience – wisdom, choosing to learn and improve from
choices that lead us to experience negative effects on our health

3) Living Environment – reduce the amount energy drains you
allow in your life, ie: pollutants, nutrient void foods, toxic relationships, addictions, negative thoughts etc.


4) Psychoneuroimmunology – the mind and body connection, what
you know and believe about health has a significant affect on the level of wellness you are able to live
5) Stressors – learning your stressors and how to successfully
manage and or eliminate them

6) Exercise habits – what kind, amount and frequency works for
your life and that you need for your desired level of wellness

7) Rest habits – finding how much rest your body needs and
honoring that regularly

8) Eating Patterns – pay attention to what/when/where/how and
why you eat, eliminate foods that suppress the immune system

9) Supplements – learn about them and take them, green superfoods,
antioxidants, phytochemicals, blood cleansors, liver support, digestive support, adaptogens, EFA’s, enzymes, amino acids

10)Immune system – increase your knowledge of it, get to know
yours intimately and invest in it daily

11)Attitude – 20/80 rule applies here, a positive mental attitude can
strengthen the immune system

12)Faith & Trust in a Higher Power – studies show that prayer
enhances the function of the immune system

13)Cultivate a good sense of humor – many studies show that
laughter can strengthen the immune system

My choice for myself and my hope for you is to choose to be “proactive” regarding your health rather than “reactive”!

This powerful choice will allow you to live a “High Level Wellness Lifestyle”.

Paradigm Shift

10 years ago one of my Life Mentors shared a quote with me that transformed the way I viewed my health.

"The pain of discipline weighs ounces, but the pain of regret weighs tons"

Before that I thought that my health was totally determined by the hand that I was dealt, meaning my family history and genetics.

Unfortunately I think that chasing the American Dream has found far too many people who have spent their whole lives working to acquire wealth, then tragically they end up spending their wealth trying to reacquire the health that they lost in the process.

That day, 10 years ago, I had a mental paradigm shift in my way of thinking and I began to see my health as an asset and that I had some control over its value. In pondering what an asset meant I realized that for assets to increase in value you must invest in them.

From that day forward I have made it a conscious descision to view my physical health as an asset and to choose to invest in it so that it does not become a liability.

I believe that for each of us our health plays out day to day on a sliding continium. In our fast paced culture the aging process can be like a time bomb, once it has started ticking it is bound to go off. The fact is that at least 40% of the known aging factors are within our control. If we take the time to learn about those factors we can help to prevent, postpone or even reverse some of the negative symptoms of aging.

On a daily basis we are either doing things that cause our physical bodies to pre-maturely age and break down, pushing us closer to death. Or we are doing things that slow down the aging process and empower our physical bodies to move towards health.

To get the momentum on our sliding continium of health moving in the right direction we need to make goals for our future health just like we do for our financial future or spiritual future.

Take some time to ponder what health means to you, because it is different for everyone:

- dare to visualize what health looks like for you - if you can see it- you can achieve it

- make some new goals that would move you towards health and dare to write them down

- create small objectives for how you will work towards these goals-dare to believe that small disciplines weigh ounces

- formulate a plan of action that works for your life - dare to believe it will make a difference

- begin with the end in mind, you will achieve your goals if you have a powerful reason behind them

- dare to take action and be consistant, remember that health is a process

Remember that perserverance will be as important to your goal as gasoline is to driving a car!

WHAT FUELS YOU???????????