Tri Season getting close !

Last year after the Green Lake Tri in Spicer, MN, my first olympic distance tri, still smilin "  !

A rare race when I actually wasn't last !

Tri season is getting closer, and it's tough to imagine with a high temp today of 5, above !  Registration submitted for only the Buffalo Tri so far, on June 7, I am looking at others that fill up quickly, and I will consider the ones that don't fill during the season, see how much time I have and how well the legs hold up !  

I am very excited about the Buffalo Tri, it was my first ever, and this will be my third time on the sprint distance course.  Last year, I took about nine minutes off my 2007 time, next attempt I am hoping for 1:30 which will be seven min less, a realistic goal with my new road bike, sticking with my training plan, and some luck....1:30 will be doable.  1/4 mi swim, 12 mi bike, 5 K run.  

My game plan will be to warm up much more than in the past for the swim, have been deficient in the past here, quick transitions, hit the bike really hard, and keep a steady running pace, if I can accomplish these goals I'll be close to 1:30.  Achieving that time I would actually be almost midpack, rather than worrying about finishing last, which I never have done.  If I can find a small enough tri this year I could possibly place in the top three my age group....     :-)   ...but won't at Buffalo.

With a short run a person can push the bike pretty hard; the run course is completely flat while the bike course has some tough hills.  This is a fairly new tri, but advertised as the third largest in Minn now, very well run, close to home, and the racer's packet has lots of goodies, in past have gotten a sun visor, carry bag, t-shirt and water bottle of course, and a free lunch after for racers.  

  

Winterwonderland

 Recent pics from snowshoeing on a local trail that I get out to alot.  Loving the new snowshoes and they seem to be "body friendly" which is increasingly important as I progress on past the age of 52.  This day was one of those ultra-cold days a few weeks ago when the temps peaked at about 5 above for the high.   Many clothes required, yet once I get out of the parking lot and into the woods, and on this trail 95% of the time is in tree protection, I was dressed perfectly.  No fancy hitech fabrics, just a compilation of running clothes that I have from years of winter running, with the right amount of layers they still work perfectly keeping me warm, dry, n happy.

Stops for pics were brief and regretful as the cold seeped in, and any sweat chilled.

I didn't feel as much in shock as this pic looks at the end of the hour trek.

Have a good week !

Holiday trip

Photos from Jeff and my trip to Corpus Christi, TX visiting family.  My Mom and Dad staying with my Sis in her house and Jeff and I at Island House condo on the beach.  Photo above are walnut, chocolate chip cookies made for the trip.

View from our condo looking north up the Gulf beach

Our fishing boat

Jeff and Dalton, his friend from HS who was staying nearby with his Grandpa, they were also down for Xmas break.

The boat's catch for the 8 hr trip, we went out 2 1/2 hrs into the Gulf, about 30 miles out, fishing in 80 - 120 ' water.  Windy day with waves 6 - 8 '.

Sand shark Dalton caught, weight 70 #.  The four of us also went out 2 yrs ago and another guy caught a 120# shark on that trip.

Another tough day of fishin'

View from our condo looking down the seawall, beach immediately below the 5 ' sea wall.

Xmas gifts from Mom, all she knitted.  Right one is from Juaquetta's yarn and other Wlmart yarn.

Sunrise.......can you tell why I keep returning to this beach year after year when it's a high of 5 here in lovely Minn, why do we live here again?   .......oh yeah....quality of life?