chirp chirp chirp

That's the sound of crickets. Because there can't possibly still be someone out there who checks this blog for updates. Last April I started putting off my blog updates until tomorrow. Eventually, enough tomorrows stacked up and we arrived at today. A fantastic metaphor for life in general. So now, in complete defiance of the tradition that occurs on the first of the month, I am making a January 27 resolution to blog more often. Really, it shouldn't be too hard to improve on my current blogging rate.

I could give the classic excuse for my absence in blogland (I have been busy - it's true), but really I am daunted by the the prospect of summarizing the entire 2010 race season. Also, I get frustrated by any attempts to move photographs around and edit my content on blogger. It keeps me from wanting to post any pictures at all, thereby preventing any desire I might have to blog in general. Perhaps I'm untalented when it comes to technology and blog editing. The truth is that I would rather play outside than do just about anything that involves sitting in front of a screen. So I am remedying that by posting a ton of pictures in random order, explaining them as I see fit, and I will thereby hopefully get anyone left out there caught up to date. Once we're all on the same page, I'll really start throwing down blog style. Heeeeeeere we go:

This is a scene from my first major triathlon of the year - the SuperFrog in San Diego. A 1/2 IM with a cold, surfy ocean swim that nearly convinced me to quit as I attempted to swim past the breakers of a particularly brutal set on my 2nd lap. Picture taken with Shelby's blackberry.  Photo quality admittedly poor.

The Superfrog bike went relatively well.  Especially considering that my bike was the only discipline that I had not worked on over winter.  Windy, flat and fast

Okay. I guess we're at the IM Coeur d'Alene finish line now. That's my smartass finishing shot. I was happy with my new run PR but unhappy to have finished 4th for the 2nd year in a row.

Rewinding the season back to Wildflower.  Charisa sent me this hilarious shot of the two of us looking particularly uncool during the swim warm up.

She also sent me this picture of me running. I wasn't feeling particularly spunky at this point, but gosh darn it, I love that race!

This was my crew for the 18 hour roadtrip to Lake San Antonio.  It used to take under 17 hours when I drove with the boys, but the gossip was better this time around and we didn't get as many speeding tickets in Oregon.  Ahem.

Roadtripping.  I'm not sure whose sunglasses those are and why they're on my face, but we both agreed that the unshaded shot was much less flattering.  Oh, I finished 6th (again) at Wildflower.  The good news is that I die at a later point in the run every year that I do that race.  At the current rate, I should make it to mile 12 before I bonk this year.  At that point, I should be able to roll down Lynch Hill and across the finish line.

Perhaps my favorite picture of the season. That's my darling sister Cass who wasn't afraid to hug my sweaty arse after IM Cd'A.  After the race she joined the Bozeman tri club.  Woohoo.

That is me getting sweaty.  The look in my eyes is one of terror as Kelly was hunting me down.

After a cold, wet spring, it turned into a lovely summer for riding in the Palouse

My favorite time of day for light on my favorite road for riding

My front yard garden thrived and I only had 6 tomato plants, 3 pepper plants, and 3 basil plants stolen.  Yes, somebody plucked my plants from the earth and took them away.  Next year I will plant more beets and brussels sprouts.  Nobody seemed interested in stealing those.  That's Floyd amongst the foliage.

The backyard lilies got really tall

I was invited to an amazing race in the Philippines, the Cobra Ironman 70.3.  It was the experience of a lifetime and I had the good fortune of hanging out with some uber talented and comparably fun triathletes.  Unfortunately, I was a bit too lax when consuming the delicious mango smoothies and salad.  A debilitating fever sabotaged my attempts at racing, and my subsequent GI distress sabotaged several weeks of training after I returned home.  The trip was a highlight but its aftermath was a lowlight.

An adorable entrant rolling into the finishing shoot at the Ironkids race in the Philippines.  I love the google/glasses combo.

The following pictures take place in Southern Bavaria. Aaron and I traveled to Immenstadt for the ITU Long Course World Championships last July. My race went very poorly (flat tire, fallen seat post, and jet lag induced funk), but I somehow ended up in the top 10 (8th overall, 1st American). The bike course was the hardest, most beautiful ride I have ever done in my life. It was probably made harder by the fact that I did not realize my front tire was flat until the final 10 km descent. I just wondered why I was completely unable to control my bike on the insanely technical course.


I wish I had taken photos of Immenstadt and Oberstaufen, where we stayed.  They were quintessential Bavarian villages.  Sadly, it rained (hard) every day we were there, with the exception of race weekend. The day after the race, determined to hike in the Alps,  ended up on this foggy, rain-soaked ridge line.

Aaron attempting a slightly more technical route  than we expected to take on in our running shoes.

Ridge line take 2

Cinderella castle



The gondola that transported us into the cold, rainy Alps, where pleasant, hardy European trekkers abounded.  I loved that I didn't see a single child whining about the weather



When the sun briefly emerged, I couldn't shake the chorus of the Von Trapp family. Aaron has video of my rendition of How do You Solve a Problem Like Maria. I am not going to post a link.

Back in the Philippines.  This is the bike turnaround spot

A pair of fairly successful triathletes at our welcome ceremony on the tarmac in Camarines Sur, Philippines.  It was my 30th birthday that day (yup) and it was quite the celebration

A great parting shot.  Phaedra's dad took this photo at a spontaneous summer barbecue.  I love my friends and I love that my husband is cradling a garden gnome.