The weekend after the Saints won the 2010 Super Bowl Championships, I was offered the chance to join a dear friend on a trip to New Orleans.She was on her way to visit family in her hometown just minutes from the French Quarter and it just so happened that it was the most important weekend of the year for the town.Why?It was Mardi Gras!!
Never having been to the city-wide celebration, I jumped at the chance. We packed the car to the hilt with bags, bikes, and bites, and headed off to the Big Easy.7 hours later, we arrived with excitement.Our first major stop was dinner at a renowned local restaurant called Jaques Moes.Thinking by the sound of the name that the place might be a stuffy French establishment, I was pleasantly surprised while sitting at the bar, none other than Jaques himself pulled up a stool, shared a laugh, filled a water bottle with libation (a Voss water bottle at that), and went on his way.
Folks waited for their names to be called in order to pass through the kitchen area to the back of the restaurant, where it opened up to several quaint rooms filled with tables and local artwork on the walls.It truly was a delight to find lights strung up on the ceiling and beautiful trees painted up and across the room.
The alligator cheesecake and crab cake appetizers were a delight, followed by duck and red fish.The sauces were amazing, as were the accompanying corn muffins, dressed in garlic butter.Before leaving, we were treated with a crème brulee on the house, a ‘lang yappe,’a term of reference when folks from Louisiana treat a local to a freebie, or treat.I was pleased.To top it all off, Jaques passed through, this time with a REAL fox hat on, head, tail, and all.We gave our hugs and goodbyes, passed signed Eric Bennet on the way out, and headed to Uncle Joe’s, where we were staying for the weekend.What a way to start the trip!
The next day, we started off the day with an exploration run.The crowds had already started lining up the night before to stake their places for the parades.Street after street, people were bustling about, getting grills and coolers ready for a day of consumption, cheering, and capturing the highly sought after beads.The bigger the beads, the higher the value, I was told, so folks would build boxes and put them on top of ladders to ‘catch’ more treasures.Smaller beads, I was told, could be sold after the events were over, for 2 – 3 cents a string, for next year’s Mardi Gras festivities, of course.
45 min into the run, I was over-stimulated, but was revived after a college kid from a crowd yelled out and handed us both a beer.‘Horrah!,’ was shouted by the crowds!After the short refueling stop (which was quite hilarious to me, by the way), the next 20 min of the run felt like nothing!Then off to grab the mountain bikes, which allowed us to cover way more ground in a shorter time, and catch another parade.Dodging people, bottles, curbs (who says New Orleans doesn’t have any off-roading??I had some super steep drop offs on some of those curbs and potholes!) was a blast.The most major obstacle was hauling our bikes across the train tracks….with a train on the tracks!!It wasn’t moving, of course, but it was hilarious to wiggle two people and two mountain bikes under the stationary train!
After crossing the tracks, we hit the parade streets.The floats were exquisite, fully decorated in lights, paper mache, glitter, you name it.Each one had a theme, Egyptian, some for causes, some just silly!We grabbed footballs, cups, beads, stuffed animals….whatever was thrown our way.Although I was unable to get a coveted roll of toilet paper, I was able to snag a hot pink boa.Our backpacks were busting at the seams by the time the night was over.Spreading things out on the floor at Uncle Joe’s after arriving home brought smiles and satisfaction for another great day in New Orleans.
A great morning bike ride along the levee worked up an appetite for some Café du Monde beignets and hickory coffee.Since I was with a local, she had the right idea of grabbing the bag of donut delights for on the go, instead of waiting an hour and a half for a ‘tourist’ seat.We had more parades to get ready for!
That night, Super Bowl MVP Drew Breese, passed by in the first float, throwing beads just like he was throwing a touchdown pass.Uncle Joe snagged a special Drew Breese coin and Bacchus football.What a catch!
The last day brought another exploratory run through the French Quarter and the famous Canal and Bourbon Streets.I was impressed with how the city was able to clean the streets each morning in preparation for the next day’s festivities.That took a great deal of work each day, but the pride for the city and event was reflected in the effort and care of the city streets.New Orleans truly comes together for this event, a tradition that has gone on for over ** years.
We passed by bands and festivals celebrating Lundi Gras, stopping for a cinnamon rum hot chocolate for warmth. (It was COLD while we were there!Upper 30s F.)Jumping in and out of stores and dodging people on the sidewalk made the day.Heading out of town, we had the chance to stop for one last po boy at Liuzza’s near the horse race track.Then, a low pass for fresh female boiled crabs, boiled shrimp straight from the bayou, alligator sausage, and artichoke (stuff you can’t find in GA) packed tight in ice bags for the ride home.You cannot get any fresher than that!
All in all, my first Mardi Gras experience was a great one.I highly recommend going with a local who can show you the ropes, knows the streets, the restaurants, the parking spots, and the best parades.There is no other way to go!
It has taken me a week to get this blog out, maybe because I am still recovering from the 30 Hour Adventure Race I did last weekend. Well, 27 hours and 48 minutes, to be exact. But who is counting? Either way, it was a long way to go, and my muscles are still thanking me for the countless repetitive movements I signed them up for. 28 hours of paddling, mountain biking, hike a bike (for those ultra gnarly sections that were too hard to ride), orienteering, running and trekking.
So why would someone do this?
I decided several months ago to do something very out of the ordinary to celebrate my 30th birthday this year. I thought about throwing a big birthday bash; I thought about going to a fun concert; to Las Vegas; however, none of those ideas really struck a cord with me. I wanted something to look back on and really remember how I rang in my 30th birthday. Well, I think I did a good job on picking something I definitely would remember!
I originally started the 3 person team with 2 other females. Unfortunately, while training the Monday before the race at the rock climbing gym, one of my partners suffered a terrible hip dislocation injury. A family emergency that Wednesday led to the other female having to drop from the race. 3 days before my 30 hour adventure, I was left with no partners, to no fault of anyone, just circumstance. So I did what needed to be done…got on the phone and called every single person I could think of that might be or might know someone as crazy as I, to embark on a random 30 hour adventure race in the North Georgia Mountains.
Thankfully, there are other like me out there, and I was able to find 2 males willing to slug it out with me, only 48 hours in advance of the start of the race. I had no idea what to expect anyway…this was an adventure!!!
So with my injured partner, who was now acting as part of the Support Team for our race, we loaded the bike, canoe, 5 changes of cold weather rain gear, and tons of food, and headed up to the mountain top to meet my new racing partners. The team hit it off right away at the race registration, which I am so very grateful for. (I won’t mention that I got lost on the way up there….who said navigation was my strength?!?!)
We received our map and first 19 checkpoints to plot our course for the next day, which would cover between 75 and 90 miles throughout the duration of the race. Back to the cabin for course prep, food prep, and sleep. Up at 6 the next day to get 4 changes of clothes ready, as the rain would most certainly begin early on in the day.
Leaving the cabin, we noticed the car had a flat tire. What a way to start the day! However, in no time, with GREAT teamwork, we were able to change the tire in less than 10 minutes and be back on our way.
We headed down to the lake (getting lost once more….), to the start of the race. The race would begin with a short, but insanely steep 1.2 mile run for 1 of each of the 36 3-person teams. This would spread out the start, so for the first canoe leg, not all canoes would be launching on top of each other.
We did quite well on the 15 mile paddle for never ever having paddled together. 5 hours later with 2 very tough over-land portages (one ascending a 17% grade, super steep hill, then down the other side through the brush), we were ready to get out of the boat and onto the mountain bikes. A quick transition and some great food from our support team, and we were back on our way.
It began to lightly rain at the end of the canoe, and steadily picked up as we were on the mountain bikes, climbing over 2,000 feet to the top of Ft Mountain. Road, Fire Road, and Single Track welcomed us over this 4 hours of climbing. Back again to transition, where we spent a good deal longer here, knowing the next leg would be 10-13 hours, in the dead of night.
35 degrees and rain required some heavy duty gear. We also had to carry all of our food, water, supplies, and emergency kit on our backs. Needless to say, I burned quite a few calories that day. (I roughly calculated 18,000 or so. Now THAT’S a diet plan!!!)
The night riding was fantastic, when I could get my light in place. It would have been neat to see the full moon and stars up above, but the light reflecting on the fog and rain made for an eerie coolness that I will never forget. Super steep drops were to our left a great deal of the way, with one mishap sending you down the face of a mountain. With racers spread far out along the course, the only lights I saw were of my own, and teammates. Sometimes, after going around a mountain curve, the only lights I saw were my own, creating a sense of how small and vulnerable I was along this course, praying that we were able to simply stick together and stay safe the whole way.
We were thrilled to hit checkpoints that were ‘manned,’ or staffed by the race crew. This meant food! At one CP, we were given warm ramen nodules. Another CP was at a cool mountain biking lodge, called Mulberry Gap, where we were given homemade barley soup, hot chocolate, cookies, and various other snacks. Needless to say, it was hard to leave and head back into the cold rain, but we forged on.
At that point, the heavy descending from our 2nd time down the mountain had fried my brakes. In other words, I had burned them out and had none left. This led to the decision to skip CP 18, which would have made us descend the mountain and climb back up a 3rd time. I opted for my life. Descending 3,000 feet with no brakes surely would have ended in a disastrous tree episode, or certainly something of the like!
Dave’s knowledge of the area and trails helped us immensely. We were able to get back to the last transition at 5 AM and our support crew looked like saints. (Actually, they were!! NEVER have I had better support for a race: calculating nutrition, supplements, providing warm food and drink, smiles the whole way, and concern for our health and safety. There is no better support crew out there!) We were also lucky to get a 30 min nap before heading out on the last section for some orienteering.
Mike was a true champion, nailing our orienteering checkpoints like you wouldn’t believe. 4.5 more hours on foot and the rain finally let up.
Crossing the finish line for our last checkpoint was noting special, simply internally satisfying. In fact, we called our support team when we finished, grabbed a couple of boxes of pizzas, and went back to the cabin to clean up. You could say it was almost anti-climactic, but after running on pure adrenaline for almost 28 hours, I don’t think any of us really cared. It was the internal gumption, respect for each other and self, and ability to push the human body to its limits beyond belief that became the ultimate reward.
I was thrilled to complete the race with two fantastic individuals and two extremely wonderful support team members. We all played a part in keeping the team moving. I honestly would not have been able to complete the race without Shelley’s contribution to my nutrition and supplements. I felt like a champ the whole way! (That being said, I cannot wait to race my next ½ and Full Ironman races….never did I think I would EVER say that!?)
All in all, would I do it again? I guess the answer to that is…will I ever turn 30 again?
This past Saturday, I competed in my first open water race of the year, the 40th Annual Ft Lauderdale Rough Water Swim. It was, as the name indicates, a rough water swim. What made it rough wasn't really the choppy waves that were churning up the shore, or the fear of a shark coming up to eat me, but a not-so-glorious battle that ensued between myself and another swimmer.
We started on the beach, conveniently in front of my hotel. It was a beautiful morning and I early anticipated the start of the race, which would be my first for the 2010 season. I would be in the 4th wave of swimmers, based on age groups. At the start of the horn, the mass of the 4th wave ran and leapt full force into the water to begin the 1 mile ocean swim. A good kick off the start and the implementation of new strategy around the buoys helped me get an early lead on the rest of the female pack. I quickly fell in line after 2 males, as another crept up to my side. I was not in a good position to draft, so did my best to maintain position in the point to point race, using the shore as indication of my position. Swimming stroke for stroke, my new racing partner and I battled for position. Literally. We occasionally body slammed each other, trying to maintain our line.
It was frustrating, as neither one of us was getting any benefit from working against each other (as opposed to helping each other draft) and body checking each other through the race, not allowing proper stroke form. I don't have the fortunate ability to train in the ocean, so I sighted more than usual due to the waves and my circumstance with my neighbor. With the lack of sand and beach training, my neighbor, upon exiting the water, quickly passed me on the sand up the chute to the finish line, along with 2 other guys who were behind us. That goes to show you the importance of circumstantial training....you don't get much sand here in Atlanta to train on.
Either way, It was a very fun race and I'll just have to become creative on how I can get better for water exits. All in all, I came in 1st female overall, and 7th overall including men. Returning back home from Ft Lauderdale to 17 degree weather was a real shocker, which made me think I'll take a battle on the beach over this weather any time!!!
I was incredibly fortunate to be a part of filming and stroke mechanic analysis today with a South African Olympian (a Paralympian for that matter, but still competes on the normal circuit) for Part 1 of a 5 part series. We were analyzed by an incredibly knowledgeable Olympic Swim Coach. His set up and system to track velocity and weakness in the stroke is unparalled. (www.swimmetrics.com)
We swam a series of 25 yard swims past a camera. (And by series, I mean a lot...) One person was wearing a belt that was hooked up to a machine that captures accurate velocity of the swimmer. We tested different drafting positions, left, right, center, 1 meter behind, 3 meters behind, etc, all to compare and find out where the 'sweet spot' is to swim during an open water swim or triathlon. By drafting, you greatly reduce energy output required to swim at the same speed. Consequently, you are not working nearly as hard as the person in front of you that you are drafting from. Therefore, you can expend less energy throughout the race, and hopefully blast by them at the very end of the race, or for triathlon, save your energy for the bike and run, which is at least 80% of the race anyway.
The Open Water Swimming world is literally opening up for swimmers and triathletes alike...more people are swimming open water, more people are watching races, and more doors happen to be opening up for me in the sport each and every day. I cannot wait to see where the tide takes me!
I must say, this is one of the coolest things I have ever done, and I have been fortunate to get to do some pretty cool stuff. I was picked as one of the talent to be in an Open Water Swimming Video that will be featured worldwide. At the moment, I am reading a ‘shooting schedule’ for tomorrow’s filming. I will be swimming alongside two Open Water Swimming Olympians, directed and tested by Olympic level coaches, and swimming in one of the most beautiful pools in the country.
Stay posted on where you can see the video and thanks for your support as I explore new ventures once again!
Out of a five star rating, I definitely give a full five stars to the sport of Modern Pentathlon. I competed in US Nationals for MP last weekend and it was like nothing else I have ever done before, and I like to believe I am pretty adventurous!! It was an international competition, with representation from countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, and Canada.With only 4 weeks of training prior to the event, I was very pleased with how it turned out.
So what is Modern Pentathlon anyway? It is an Olympic event this is comprised of 5 different sports: swimming, fencing, running, shooting, and horse jumping.For this event, I did not participate in the horse jumping event, as I have not yet learned to jump.
Never having any experience competing in this event, I wasn’t really sure what to expect when race day finally arrived.In fact, I guess I was confused with what to call it even:a race, an event, a competition??All in all, I don’t really think it matters!What does matter is that I fell in love with the sport.I had the most amazing support crew too, which included my coach, George, one of my dearest friends in the world, Hugo, and my awesome LA family, Nick, Gina, Sammy, Tony Jr., Milton, and Lil Bit.They made my day more amazing than I could have ever expected.
The day started off with a 200 meter swim.There was plenty of time to warm up and warm down for events throughout the day, as the sports are held separate from one another (except for the run/shoot, which I will talk about later.)For the swim, I jumped in the water at 7 AM for a 20 minute warm up in my new 2008 Olympic Speedo LZR swimsuit, direct from the fantastic folks at Speedo.It took me a full 20 minutes to get on, but man, did I felt like a fighter jet in the suit!(The suit is AMAZING.Thanks Daniel!)The race itself only lasted just over 2 minutes, but I was certainly pleased with the outcome, coming in first over the entire field.A good way to start the day!
Next was fencing.I have never even been in a fencing tournament, so I really wasn’t sure what to expect there either.We started off with more warm up time, where I paid close attention to what the other girls were doing.I was especially interested in the current US Olympian who was competing that day, as it is always amazing to watch and learn from the best of the best.
For fencing, you are put on ‘teams’ of 2 that ‘travel’ around together and fence other teams of 2.This helps in the tournament bout scheduling.I became fast friends with my fencing partner, as she had never been in a fencing tournament before either!I started off pretty rough, losing several of my first ten bouts.I was very proud of myself, in that I was eventually able to relax and turn things around.I won 4 out of my last 6 bouts after I finally got the hang of it.I have a lot more training and practicing to do with my fencing coach, Oswaldo, but I am certain all our work thus far has paid off.My body is quite bruised from the other end of someone else’s weapon, but I am working on that.J
After fencing, we headed to the US Olympic MP Equestrian Center for the run, shoot, and horse jump.What a beautiful facility!Usually, the third event is Equestrian, but the format was changed to accommodate scheduling for this event.After an hour or so rest, we headed out to the heat of the desert to warm up (again) for the run/shoot.These two events have recently been combined to add more ‘excitement’ to the sport.Personally, I think shooting is quite exciting either way, but it is not up to me, is it?JAs for the run, I wouldn’t mind if they dropped it all together.Being a water animal (swimmer), I am working very hard to get faster on the run.I shot pretty well for being new, but the girls next to me were hitting 5 out of 5 with no problem.I have set up a shooting lane in my basement and get up every morning to enhance my skills.
All in all, it went very well, with only 4 weeks of training.I am taking a quick vacation break, but am ready to start hammering out some more great training before the next big event in August.
I had the great fortune of being sent out this past week to a conference in beautiful Santa Barbara, California. I had been there before in passing, but didn’t really get to stay and enjoy the city for what it really and truly is: paradise. Meandering paths along the beach, a boat filled marina, quaint streets with wonderful outdoor dining, great people watching, and amazing experiences can all be found in this city.
The first three days I was there I did not get the chance to really venture into the city and explore, as we were jam packed with meetings, sessions, and speakers all day long. Don’t get me wrong, it certainly was an enormous amount of fun with networking cocktail parties at places like the Santa Barbara Zoo and on the lawn of the beachfront hotel where the conference was staged, but it sure was tiring. We had to be ‘on’ for three days straight and I was ready to get out of business attire by the end of the conference.
So to diffuse after the conference was over, I decided to venture out in a tandem kayak with a new friend I met during the week. We walked down the beach to the harbor where we found a place to rent the kayak. After getting all set up with our gear, we headed out through the Santa Barbara Marina.
Seeing Santa Barbara from out on the ocean is hard to describe with words. From the Pacific Ocean, I am looking up at swaying Palm Trees, a stunning boat filled marina, luscious grasses, and picturesque mountains looming behind. Beautiful architecture, sandy beaches, and sunshine accompany the canvas. I can truly say that I was in paradise.
It is amazing how quickly things can change. In an instant, I went straight from this feeling of euphoria to the worst horror movie fright I could imagine.
As we were happily kayaking along, bothering no one, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. A gray shape darting underneath. A fin on top of the water.
It is of no surprise that my heart rate skyrocketed instantly. I immediately panicked. I didn’t want to scare my new conference friend by letting out a blood curdling scream thinking I saw a shark, so I held it back with all I could muster. However, out escaped a small noise of distress. My friend looked up and instantly turned to where I was looking. ‘It’s ok, don’t panic!’ he replied as he tried to comfort me, later learning that he was really encouraging himself not to panick.
The fin came closer. We stared to find out what this ominous, potentially deadly object might be that was coming to eat us. It was like being on the set of Jaws. Parents on the shore were screaming at their kids to exit the water immediately. The music was getting louder. The water was still. Then, all of the sudden, appeared another gray blob. ‘And then there were two.’ Hoping the two in the kayak would not become one or even zero after getting eaten by a massive water animal with large teeth, I kept my eyes on the gray spots in the water and began thinking about what I might do to defend myself. I came to the quick conclusion that there was absolutely nothing that I could do to defend myself and if this large animal wanted an afternoon snack, then there was just about NOTHING that I could do about it. I gave in to my fate. Being chomped in half was not really the way I wanted to go, but at least I was going to go in paradise.
Then, all of the sudden, one of the gray objects JUMPED out of the water! To my great pleasure and relief, I realized it was a dolphin! The two ominous spots were really just two playful dolphin coming to check out this bright blue kayak that was slowly moving through their piece of the Pacific Ocean.
They made a couple of passes at us under the water and were clearly playing with us. At one point, they zoomed about 4 feet directly under my rear end. I was so thrilled and scared all at the same time as they continued to make close passes around and under us.
On the last pass, their finale couldn’t have been choreographed more perfectly. The two dolphins, in unison, jumped out of the water about 5 feet in front of the boat! What an amazing perspective for my friend who was sitting in the front. This was his first Pacific Ocean experience, and it sure was one to remember.
And as quickly as they arrived, they disappeared. We did not see them again, though they will remain in my memory as part of yet another amazing adventure in paradise.
So I decided to sign up for a Century ride yesterday... A century, for those of you who don't know, is 100 miles on a bicycle. Yes, that is a long way. This was going to be only my second century ever, and would quickly become known as the century that HURT.
For some reason, I woke up not feeling hungry at all, so I didn't really eat much. Mistake #1. When you are about to go ride 100 miles, which usually lasts for over 5 hours (yes, 5 hours of straight exercise), you generally want to start out with something in your stomach.
I was riding with a bunch of guys, so naturally, I wanted to show them that as a female, I could keep up the pace just as well as they could. Mistake #2. When starting out on a century, you might not want to start out with the pedal to the metal (no pun intended, well, actually, it was intended). I blew my glycogen stores right off the bat with the incredible pace we set.
Mistake #3 is a combo of being dehydrated after sweating for a week straight in Nicaragua and taking Malaria medicine, which just makes you feel really weird.
It wasn't 15 miles into the ride when I started to feel myself BONK. That is a term in the athletic world that means you have run out of energy, run out of juice, start feeling dizzy because you have no glycogen stores to fuel your muscles with anymore, and simply feel like you cannot go on.
That is not a good place to find yourself when you have 85 miles left to ride.
Thank goodness in organized rides like this, there are rest stops. These rest stops are like an oasis...you ride and ride and become tired, hungry, and thirsty and ride some more...then eventually you come to see a shining white tent on the horizon, offering hope, snacks and cold drinks to weary riders. People rest in the shade of nearby trees, taking a break from the blazing, hot sun and thick, Georgia humidity.
The best part is, the oasis is real and the snacks are great. Having bonked so early on in the ride, I ravishingly ate my weight in Whole Wheat Fig Newtons. Additionally, I delighted in graham crackers, topped with a dollop of peanut butter, and of course, a banana for added potassium. My original goal was to actually shed some lbs on this ride, but I pretty much blew it on that first rest stop. I didn't really care though, I was in heaven.
We took off from the rest stop and I was happy to have some sustenance in my belly. I started off this leg of the ride quite slow, since I already had 3 mistakes under my belt. The refueling stop proved to be the best remedy for bonking, as I gradually gained back the ability to ride at a steady pace. By mile 60 and 2 other rest stops under my belt, I was feeling great. The last 35-40 miles went very well and I was actually able to enjoy the scenery. We passed beautiful farms, rolling hills, cows, horses, and old barns. It truly was a wonderful way to see the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
I think it is safe to say I won't be doing it again any time soon though.... :)
Last night, I arrived back into the United States from a week long trip to Nicaragua. It was an amazing experience; one that moved me to tears on more than one occasion.
I went with 38 Senior High kids and other adults from Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, where I am a counselor for our Youth Group. The goal of our mission was to serve the surrounding schools and communities of El Ayudante, an outreach facility where we were staying in rural Nicaragua, outside the city of Leon.
During our trip, we engaged in daily construction and taught Vacation Bible School. Each day we would visit a different school to engage in activities with school kids, ultimately seeing over 300 children. We did crafts with them, took pictures, played games, sang songs, and gave out sandwiches and milk. For some of these kids, that sandwich would be their only meal of the day.
Construction wise, we were there to help build bathroom facilities for a school of over 150 students and put up fences around a newly built medical facility. Each day that our bus drove up to the schools, kids with smiling faces would run to greet us with huge hugs. We actually mixed the concrete by hand, or by shovel, I guess you could say, which was extremely hard, intense physical labor and the cold showers at El Ayudante felt great after a hard day's work. The labor was incredibly rewarding, as each day we could see the impact and progress we were making to help the kids in the barrio. A good bit of the time, the Nicaraguan kids wanted to jump right in and help us with our labor. Some kids would be helping shovel gravel and dirt with shovels that were taller then they!! The kids that weren't shoveling were entertaining the rest of us by jumping on our backs, playing with us, or asking to be thrown up in the air. I cried when I had to leave the kids on the last day. Their love was truly unconditional; their lives simple. The lessons they taught me about God and love were more powerful and impactful than I could have ever imagined.
Our food was pretty good while we were there. I ate rice and beans more that week than any other time in my life though, and eventually transitioned to the good ol staple of PB&J. I think between all 38 of us, we probably went through at least 38 jars of it! The fruit was great and El Ayudante even grew its own pineapples. Half of our crew ran into Montezuma while we were there, which I guess goes with the territory of traveling to rural Central America!
Nicaragua has some 20 active and inactive volcanos, and we were fortunate to visit an active one before we left the country. We did not get to see any liquid hot magma spouting out from it or anything, but did get to peer over the edge of the previously blown out center, which was constantly billowing out thick, sulphur smoke. It truly was amazing. One of the boys on the trip lost his hat over the edge with a strong gust of wind, thankfully the only sacrifice we had to make that day! We made an afternoon trip to the beach as well, which was quite refreshing and great to see yet another part of the country.
All in all, this trip provided an expansion of my horizons and an opening of my heart to compassion and unconditional love. The smiles on the faces of the kids we met will remain in my heart for many days to come.
About a year and a half ago in LA, I did a Triathlon photo shoot, hence the big old smile here while I am 'racing' in a Triathlon! Not really racing at all, just riding up and down a mountain over and over again as we posed for the shoot. It was great fun and this picture ended up in Self Magazine!
In real life, I raced my first Tri of this year April 28th in St. Petersburg, Florida. St. Anthony's Triathlon. I ended up winning my division and was super happy to be back out there racing again.
