Training through week 4

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Training is going good. This is a rest week, so the work isn't as tough, and honestly, I had a busy week at work and skipped a few workouts, and Sam was sick, so he missed some as well. But, so far, here's how it's gone:

Sunday, 2/15: swam 900 meters
Monday, 2/16: Sam ran 5 miles, I took the day off
Tuesday, 2/17: swam 1000 meters -- Sam - 25 m in 20 sec, Kate - 25m in 28 sec
Wednesday, 2/18: Sam ran 5 miles, Kate ran 5k
Thursday, 2/19: day off
Friday, 2/20: Kate cycled 30 min indoors, Sam 3 mile bike outside
Saturday, 2/21: Kate cycled 28 miles in 80 minutes inside, Sam biked 7 miles outside
Sunday, 2/22: Kate swam 1700m, Sam swam 1800m
Monday, 2/23: off day
Tuesday, 2/24: Kate swam 1000m, Sam was puking
Wednesday, 2/25: off day
Thursday, 2/26: off day
Friday, 2/27: off day...again...good thing it's a rest week!
Saturday, 2/28: Kate -- ran 42 minutes on the hilly Queeny Park trails
Sunday, 3/1: Both swam 1800m -- the toughest swim so far!!

Now we start a pretty intense build-up week, so I'm looking forward to the challenge. Sort of.

It was great to come home from a tough workout this morning and see that two more people had donated. Thank you ALL for your support!! I've raised almost $2000 (I have some checks at home to send in, so they aren't reflected on the website yet). Sam's still struggling, but we plan on having a trivia night/silent auction in early April, so that should help.

Thanks again, everyone!

A different perspective

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O loves looking at stuff upside-down. She prefers to be upside-down, but can only tolerate so much upside-down-ness before her head turns red and she spits up. I captured some topsy turvy time with my laptop camera.




Training week 1

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So we've completed one complete week of training each, and here's what we've done so far:

Sam started before me, so he's done (his off day is Thursday):
Wednesday, 2/4: 2 mile run
Saturday, 2/7: 3.5 mile run
Sunday, 2/8: 1.5 hour swim practice
Monday, 2/9: 3.2 mile run
Tuesday, 2/10: 1 mile swim
Wednesday, 2/11: 3.6 mile run
Saturday, 2/14: 3.5 mile run

So far, I've done (my off day is Monday):
Saturday, 2/7: 11 mile cycle
Sunday, 2/8: 1.5 hour swim practice
Tuesday, 2/10: 1 mile swim
Wednesday, 2/11: 2.7 mile run
Thursday and Friday: days off to try to beat my cold. Didn't work.
Saturday, 2/14: 4 mile run

Here's a photo of the team, on the first cycling day. Sam was at work.

We joined the St. Louis Triathlon Club. We're planning on doing the New Town Triathlon in July as well, as long as we continue liking what we're doing. We're both stoked to be doing this. Not only does it hold us accountable for the amount and type of exercise we're doing, but we're meeting people we never would have met before, venturing into areas we never would (like West County!) and we actually get to spend time together, which we never had before. Or at least our time spent together was on the couch. Not to mention, we never lose sight of the cause. This is all to contribute to the fight against cancer. If our entire team reaches our respective fundraising goals, we will contribute $85,000 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

So please be sure to contribute to the cause! And cheer us on!!

BFF, baby style...

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I babysat Raleigh the other day. Raleigh is probably Ophelia's only small friend. He's 10 months older, but they've been hanging out since she was born. Well, at least their moms have.

I snapped these with my camera phone because it was just too cute watching them. O just kept smiling at Raleigh, trying to grab him, and cooing at him. Poor Raleigh had just woken up, and he kept giving the "done" sign to Ophelia! After a few minutes though, he was showing her how to play with the octopus, and giving her books and stuff to chew on. It was so sweet. BFFs indeed.










Welcome Vivian Kathleen!!

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My friends Jamie and Stephanie had their baby on Thursday morning. She weighed in at a whopping 8lbs, 15oz and measured 22 inches long. She's beautiful!! Congratulations, ladies!!

Carefree

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Just returned from Carefree, Arizona, where I was presenting a poster at the American Association for Cancer Research's Science of Health Disparities conference. Yes, that's a mouthful.

We stayed in Carefree, about 30 miles outside of Phoenix. Ophelia came along, as well as Sam's mom, and we got to visit lots with my sis-in-law Erin who lives in Tempe.

I totally sucked at picture taking this trip. I forgot my camera often, but took a few photos with my phone, which I just figured out how to email to myself. We'll see how much that cost me...

Ophelia was great to travel with. We are so lucky to have such a ridiculously happy baby. But what was even better was her reaction when we got home. She was screaming with excitement when she saw the dogs, and we walked around the house as she cooed and talked to everything she had missed, including the shower curtain and her clothes. What can I say? She's easily amused, just like her mother. When Sam got home from work she was squealing and squeaking for an hour. Totally cool.


This was someone's sweet car at the place we ate breakfast.

Uh, this was O's sweet breakfast -- a menu. She's really into paper right now.

Aunt Erin and O -- so kindly letting me eat while I drooled over Erin's chocolate chip pancakes. Stupid gluten.

Grandma Cathy and O outside Erin's house.

"Yes, I'm stuck on the corner of Bloody Basin Road and Tranquil Trail. Which way would you suggest I go?" OR "My address? Sure, it's 134 Bloody Basin Road...yes..bloody...B-L-O-O..."
OR in the words of Liz Lemon, "I want to go to there!"


For some reason Erin's neighbor collects these Mark VIIIs, or whatever they are. No, not old Lincoln Mark Vs, which would be pretty cool and pimpin', but 90s Lincolns. This is ridiculous. This is a picture of four of the six that were sitting there.


Oh yeah! Best part of the trip (outside of seeing Erin, of course...) was that the rental car guy sweet talked me into a great deal: If I was a second driver on the car (for an extra $9/day), he'd upgrade us to a Dodge Charger for the same price as a Chevy Aveo. Please, who wouldn't? I've been wanting a Charger so bad (I really want an original Challenger, but I can keep dreamin') so I was STOKED to drive it. Super quiet, super fast. I only got it up to 80 since everyone in Arizona drives like an asshole. Sorry, it's true. But my favorite was when I punched the gas at one point and startled Ophelia...Her little arms went up above her head and her eyes got real big. I wasn't going fast, I swear. Oh, it was awesome. Ask my mother-in-law. I meant to take a picture of me and O with the car but forgot. Oh well. The sweet gunmetal gray baby will have to live in my memory...