christmas and the end of 2009

thank goodness my law firm generously gave all of us the 31st off- i feel like i am still trying to catch my breath from the whirlwind of christmas and trying to get as much work done as i could the past three days in anticipation of another long weekend. whew!

we celebrated christmas with my family on the 24th and 25th, and i was so excited that both of my brothers and their families joined us. for some reason this year, i was especially touched by the sight of my three year old nephew and five year old niece opening their gifts and playing with all of the toys, books and other goodies they'd received. (my seven month old neice opened hers, but since she's only seven months old, she's not really into the whole christmas thing yet!) the feeling just seemed different to me this year, and the noise and chaos of three little kiddos in the house just seemed to add to christmas. i loved that we were all able to get together this year- it was a great way to celebrate and i was sad when it came time to leave.

i made a tasty cheese dip for an appetizer on christmas day- and this is a big feat for me because i'm not much of a cook and am generally clueless in the kitchen, which is obviously why someone felt they had to capture the moment on camera!

T and i bought ourselves Powerhubs, wheels, and bike computers for our bikes as our christmas gifts. we've got a bunch of triathlons, running races and cycling time trials coming up in 2010, and we've been spending our off season really working on cycling since that's our weakest area. the power equipment and bike computers will help us train by power (how much wattage we're putting out when cycling) instead of heart rate, which is much more beneficial in training. i'm determined to become a better cyclist if it kills me, and this is another step toward that goal. we went for a morning-of-christmas-eve bike ride and tested them out. i'm very excited to put these to good use in 2010!

in other news, 2009 ended with me becoming a partner at my law firm! i was flattered my firm felt i was ready because i'm technically not at that magical seven years in practice mark, but i have worked hard during my time at the firm, and i'm happy they recognized that. not a ton will change in terms of my work load because i'm still low (wo)man on the totem pole, but i'm excited to be included in the business decisions of the firm and have more of a say in where the firm is headed. all in all, it was a great honor. i'm still not 100% sure that being a lawyer is my true calling, but it's some comfort to know i'm at least decent at what i do. the other partners and their spouses took T and i out for dinner to celebrate, which was a really fun night!

and now i can't believe 2009 is coming to a close! i've seen several other bloggers do a looking back on 2009- looking forward to 2010 post, and i think i may try my hand!...

update on the cider

i received several emails and comments about the apple cider i posted about yesterday. It's made by Alpine, and you can get it at any major grocery store, target, walmart, etc, in the cocoa/tea/coffee aisle. it's so easy to make- just heat a cup of water, dump in a packet of cider, and stir! (and the sugar free kind has minimal calories. no caffeine in either variety.) in the past, i've added a cinnamon stick as shown on the box for a little extra kick. it's pretty sweet, but has some tartness to it, and it's perfect for warming up on cold days! i love it as an alternative to cocoa or tea. happy sipping!

i am ridiculous.

it's 80something degrees here today, yet it's november 12. i'm SO ready for Fall. heck, if it would just dip down into upper 60s i would be happy.

since the weather won't cooperate, i'm creating my own version of Fall. i've cranked the air conditioner down and i've been drinking cups of this deliciousness.

i know it sounds crazy, but it's all i can do!

half ironman- done!

i am late in posting, but last Sunday T and i completed our first Half Ironman at SOMA in Tempe, AZ! it was the hardest thing i've done so far- even than the marathon. i went into the race claiming i just wanted to finish, but i knew in the back of my mind that i had a time goal for when i wanted to finish. in looking back, i never should have done that because it set me up for disappointment. i had wanted to finish in six hours or less, but came in at 6:21. ho hum- i'm just so glad that all the training paid off and i was able to finish, because four months ago, i never could have done this.

the swim went really well for me. it was a 1.2 mile swim (about 2100 yards), and i swam it in 34:00, which was under what i thought i would do. swimming in Tempe Town Lake felt easier this year, which i think had to do with the fact i was able to get away from the pack, and i could get into a rhythm with my stroke. T had some shoulder issues a while back, and hadn't done much swimming before the race, so he was very nervous about the swim. he totally pulled it off though and swam really well too!

the bike (56 miles) was the hardest portion for me because it's my weakest leg of the race. i'm also new to riding a TT bike, where you ride in the aero position, and so i was pretty tired and sore from being in hunched over for 56 miles. the bike course at SOMA has a few very tight turns, and it's just so boring. you make three laps of 18 miles, and by lap three you're just ready to be done. starting lap three, my butt/crotch was sore, my shoulders and neck ached, and i just wanted off that bike. i completed the bike portion in 3:20:00, and i know i have a lot of cycling to do in the off season to get faster.

the run (13.1 miles) was tough because by the time i started running, it was very HOT. (near 90 degrees- it is ridiculous it's still so hot in Phoenix and it's OCTOBER!) i ran through sprinklers and dumped water on my head at every aid station to try to stay cool. my legs felt like a bizarre combination of heavy and jello the first mile, but after that, i was able to get into a grove. the course is two laps of six miles, and T was starting his second run lap as i was starting my first, and it was very encouraging to see him out there on the course. my run time was 2:10:00, which isn't very fast, but not that far off my best half marathon time either, which is pretty good considering this run was after biking 56 miles. i am eager to run another stand alone half marathon soon because i want to see how my times have improved since the first one i ran last January.

i was so happy to see the finish line- and hear T and others from our triathlon club cheering me on as i rounded the corner for the finish line. i was so hot, sweaty, stinky and ready to finish!

all in all, the race was so well run and well organized, and SOMA always gives out the best race t-shirts and visors! the volunteers were great, and i am so happy that T and i both accomplished our goal, as SOMA was our "A" race this year. right now, we're taking some much needed time off before figuring out what we'll be tackling next year!

i'm officially nervous

So! The half ironman is Sunday. TWO days away. 2000 yard swim, 56 mile bike ride, 13.1 mile run. my stomach has butterflies because i am finally acknowledging that the past five months of training are about to come to fruition in TWO DAYS! ack! when we first started training in june, it seemed like the race was so far away. i have no idea how the time passed so quickly!

i'm making my excel spreadsheet of things i need to take for the race (the amount of stuff needed for three sports is just ridiculous!), and periodically telling myself that all will be okay, my training will pay off, and i will finish strong. but i'm restless and nervous at the same time, and i hate that combination.

i'm looking forward to the excitement you feel in the air when everyone's getting ready to race, and i can't wait to see all the athletes and their gear. it is always crazy to see people with bikes/wheels that cost more than my first car. and honestly, i'm excited to see some of their bodies! (it's inspirational to see such athletic people in such good shape.) but to be honest- i'm also looking forward to having this race finished. with the marathon the end of may, and then beginning training for the half ironman in june, i feel like i've been in training for months without a break, and i'm wishing we had done some smaller races throughout the past five months to keep us motivated and excited. i feel ready for the race, but i also feel ready to take a break and just exercise without a schedule or training plan. i want to just run to run, without intervals or hill repeats or a set amount of miles i have to bike on a saturday. i also want to take some time to really think about what my endeavors for the triathlon off season will be. strangely, i am very excited to swim in a swim meet on november 21st- something i haven't done in 14 years.

so here's to a great race sunday, and a little rest time to follow! i can't wait for the burgers and beers T and I are going to have to celebrate our finish!

An Award!

The lovely 3barefeet tagged me with this award! Welcome to the blogging world, 3barefeet, and thank you so much for the Award!

The rules: answer each question below with one word, then tag six friends to receive the Award!

1. Where is your cell phone- desk
2. Your hair- unsatisfying
3. Your mother- frustrating
4. Your father- rock
5. Your favorite food- chimichanga
6. Your dream last night- disturbing
7. Your favorite drink- margarita
8. Your dream/goal- contentedness
9. What room are you in- office
10. Your hobby- triathlon
11. Your fear- robbery
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years- here
13. Where were you last night- training
14. Something that you aren’t- laid-back
15. Muffins- chocolate
16. With list item- granite
17. Where did you grow up- Arizona
18. Last thing you did- coffee
19. What are you wearing- work-attire
20. Your TV- sports
21. Your pets- labs
22. Friends- solid
23. Your life- enviable
24. Your mood- restless
25. Missing someone- yes
26. Vehicle- Audi
27. Something you’re not wearing- necklace
28. Favorite store- Jcrew
29. Favorite color- blue
30. Last time you laughed- today
31. Last time you cried- thursday
32. Your best friend- varies
33. One place that I go to over and over- riverpath
34. One person who emails me regularly- erin
35. Favorite place to eat- el charro

I tag:

A Work in Progress

Miss E's Misadventures

Her Highness of Cute

The Shabby Princess

A is for Andrea

Halfway House

UA v. UW in Seattle

This past weekend, T and i headed to Seattle to escape the heat (it's still not fall here yet), go to the UA v. UW football game, and visit some friends of ours that have recently relocated. we'd been to Seattle a few times in the past, so we skipped the touristy stuff and did what we do best- eat, drink, and shop!

We arrived Friday around noon and spent the afternoon walking around the city and shopping for some cold weather gear for the football game. The weather was gorgeous- in the 50s with some spotty sunshine. I was so tempted to buy up every tweed trouser, wool coat, and scarf I saw, but I knew I had to resist because it's still in the 90's here. (ridiculous) We met up with friends friday night for dinner at Palace Kitchen. I had some of the best halibut ever and it was so good to catch up over wine, great food and great ambiance!

Saturday morning we went for a run along the water. It was so nice to actually wear running capris and a long sleeved shirt and actually feel a cool breeze! We met up with our friends to see their new condo and have brunch at the 5 Spot. Our friends live in Queen Anne, and their condo is actually in the old Queen Anne High School, which has been remodeled into condos. It was so pretty and very unique! The only thing that threw me was walking in the stairways because it felt exactly like you were in high school again! We took a quick nap that afternoon before heading to a tailgate party and the football game.

The game looked promising at first, but leave it to UA to blow it right at the end. So disappointing. But despite the losing score, I had fun bundling up and enjoying some yummy stadium food! All in all, a great weekend and I can't wait to go back and visit our friends again. It is such a quick and easy trip from Tucson that I know we'll be back soon!

Amtrak Century Ride!

T and i completed our first century (100 mile) ride back in September along with our friend B- it's sad I am just now getting around to uploading photos! It was a tough, but fun ride. The ride was the Amtrak Century, and we started in Irvine, CA and rode to San Diego, CA, and then took an Amtrak train back to Irvine. The train ride back is basically one big party- they allow you to bring coolers with adult beverages and food and the organizers transport it from the starting line to the finish line so you have it when you're done with the ride. They also pack up your bikes and take them back via train. The ride was so well organized, and had several stops along the way with food and drinks, and they also provided lunch. My favorite part was the ice cream bar/popsicle stop at mile 80 after you climbed a huge hill a Torrey Pines.

The ride was tough- I felt good up until about mile 60, and then I just wanted off my bike. Everything was sore at this point, and i was mentally exhausted from having to pay so much attention to all the people riding around me (T and i usually ride by ourselves and not in groups- and triathletes can't draft during races so you don't really ride with people) and the constant gear shifting just gets to you after a while. there are so many things you have to be alert for like other riders, traffic, terrain, crap in the road, etc-- and by that point, i was just tired. i was proud of myself for getting up the Torrey Pines hill and actually passing people as i did it. i am not a fast cyclist by any means (far, far from it), and i have a LONG way to go, but i can tell i've made improvement since i started training for the Half Ironman four months ago. that is a good feeling!

We did the ride in preparation for the Half Ironman we have coming up on October 25th. We'll only have to ride 56 miles during that race (and that's PLENTY!), so we thought this would be a good opportunity to get in miles and build some endurance. It was fun to ride with a large group of people and to see so many cyclists come out from different places. I love seeing all the different jerseys/kits!

baby's got her blue jeans on

i was a lucky winner in Always a Northerner's Gap Born to Fit Giveaway-- and last weekend, I redeemed my gift certificate for these:

Curvy Button Welt jeans. i loved the button detailing on the pockets (if you click the gap product link and scroll through the photos, there is a photo showing the front and back pockets with buttons). best of all, they're unlike any other jeans i currently own. i'm wearing them today for casual Friday and i'm so happy with my selection! jeans usually gap at the waist on me, but thank god for the curvy fit because they finally solved this problem. thanks again, Always a Northerner! a cute outfit to kick off a great weekend!

on deck for the weekend include a 60 mile bike ride tomorrow, UA football game tomorrow night, a swim on Sunday, and the Saguaro National Park Labor Day Run on Monday. i might need a weekend to recover from the weekend....