Out of hibernation!!!

Hello All,

I know I am going to have to probably visit most of your blogs to let you know that I am back (or that I even still exist, thanks Wes and IronEric for checking up on me, even though I did not have the courtsey to write back).

Where in the hell have I been?!?!? Busy working two jobs, having a late quarter life crisis (almost at the age of 28), unsuccessfully trying to get back into grad school (i.e. having problems getting motivated to take GMAT, etc), and a whole other myraid of issues which has kept me from triathlon and this blog. Heck my favorite magazine publication (I will give you two guesses but you will only need one) has sat idle for the last three months and I have let my subscription expire. Oh and there is weight, I have gained some of that back as well, however not as bad as previously feared... I think I topped out at 178, and now I am hovering somewhere back in the low 170s.

But life happens : ) And we adapt. Just like in the sport of triathlon. Murphy's Law will ensue during your triathlon career, no matter what level or skill you compete at. All you can do is adapt to what comes your way and hope for the best.

I have been "back in the game" for about two weeks now. I have put in about 5 runs and two bike ride thus far (and no swimming). The blisters are back and I have shaved once. Not that you needed to know about that last part, I am just trying to make myself sound more accomplished thus far ;) I am beginning to put my race schedule together this year, but it is anything but sexy. If I do have one regret at the end of this year (and I try not to have too many) I think it will be that I wanted this third year in the sport of triathlon to be my breakout year. This in respect to more long distance races, as well as dramatically increased times (also I wanted to finish at least once on a podium this year even if only 3rd).

This year has the semblence of a lot of shorter distance races beginning in June and ending my season in November with longer races at the end. I am trying to find most of my races in Georiga this year with the possible exception being the "Great Florida Challenge (Half)" in November. Good time of year to head to FL.

For those of you who did not know and I may not have even posted it, I was unable to sign up for IM Florida. Florida always sold out in the past, just never that fast. It was one of those where it would not kill you to not drive down there and sign up, or if you missed online signup the first day, you could get to it the next day. Well I was sitting at my computer at 12:00p on that Sunday with James on the cellphone at his computer and a message shows up.... "We will be delaying online signups until 1:00p EST." I thought that was weird, however, James and I remained on the phone and the internet looking at hotel rooms and such in Panama City for the following year. 1:00pm approached, and it took me about 30 seconds to get everything submitted. Error in processing it said. Tried again. Error. Tried again. Error. Within 1 minute I had tried submitting my app 5 times. 6th time.... "We are sorry the Florida Ironman is full." Turns out after talking with a few people, that there were enough people who drove down to FL to sell the event out at the signups before it even hit online.

A few weeks later, NA Sports posts its new revised Ironman and Ironman 70.3 Signup guidelines. At the bottom of the letter the put a footnote that basically stated in order to sign up now you must sign up a year in advance and most likely sign up at the event in person. Whilst I do not mind signing up a year in person, I do have a problem with having to pay for an airline ticket (or pay for gas driving), Hotel, Food, etc... and then the entry fee, just so that I can go back and spend the same amount (ommitting the entry fee) the following year on the same race.

Saying this... James and I have been pondering the idea of flying to CdA this summer and signing up for the 2009 race. I think that we might even volunteer and make it a 4 day weekend of sorts. Maybe a three day weekend and leave Friday evening (the bank is normally slow on Monday) and come back on the Red Eye Tuesday morning, just in time for work. As I go off topic for a moment, I do not think I will ever fly from the left coast back to the east coast during the daytime. With the time change, and depending on where you come from you can lose anywhere between 6-8 hours of your day. No thank you, I will fly at night and sleep on the plane.

So.... I don't really know what else to post here, except that my blisters now have blisters and I remember finally what it feels like to be sore. But it is better to be back here with everyone I have befriended from my blog.

Nice to see you guys (and gals) again!


Murtha...