kicking my own A--

Wow!  At some point during the last 6-8 months a major fire has been lit under my A-- to say the least!  I know where it started and I like where it's going.  Back in September  I committed to personal training a stricter meal/nutritional plan and a work out regiment that almost killed me...I loved every bit of it.  I was ready to shed all that extra baby weight I'd been carrying around the previous 3 years.  I set my sights on the Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon and got moving...literally.  What plagued me most of my adult life suddenly became easy and without thought I was working out in one form or another 5-6x per week for two hours at a time.  Although athletic growing up, you never would have guessed the adult me would be doing the things I've been doing.  I finished my first half marathon in under 2hrs, from which I've been told is really good for never having run before.  Also, I just completed my 3rd triathlon taking 3rd overall female.  Yeah me!  Totally unexpected.  I competed in Tough Mudder, Southern California and didn't finish due to mild hypothermia (not because I wasn't physically prepared).  The weather conditions were beyond terrible.  It's nice being in the best physical shape of my life and crossing accomplishments off my bucket list one event at a time.  The summer is going to be slow.  The agenda this fall however is cram packed.....

September 19th -- Tough Mudder in Squaw Valley with the hubby ( I will finish a mudder)
October 1st -- Beach Palooza in Long Beach, California (maybe as of now)
October 21st and 22nd -- Ragnar Las Vegas
November -- A triathlon somewhere.  Probably Lake Mead
December 4th -- Las Vegas half Marathon (up and down the strip at night.  Setting a personal record is a must)

I have to say, I'm addicted.  I LOVE IT!!!

Let's go to the movies

Movie tickets for 3 ..... $23.00

Cost to keep Zoe in Kid's Quest .... $18.00

Popcorn, candy and refreshments ..... $20.75 

Kady's first trip to the movies ..... PRICELESS

Cars 2

Diamond Kids

Diamond Kids 2011 is officially over and went off without a hitch.  I once again was the charity director/organizer and Kady raced  in the fun run portion with Dominic this year.  I unfortunately wasn't able to stay and watch her race as I was zooming from Diamond Kids to the airport to catch a flight but a dear friend and volunteer offered to take pictures for me of Kady racing.

rounding the corner for the finish line....GO KADY!!!

She was so excited to be the "fastest, runner racer....EVER!"  I really wish I was there to watch her.  Dominic said that Kadence held his hand the entire way while running and they even had to stop and look under the bridge for trolls.  Yep, sounds like my kid.  I'm looking forward to Diamond Kids 2012 even more.

HAPPY 6 YEARS TO US!!!

Tough Mudder Experience Part 1

I'm not sure which was more Tough: 

Me, in a Wonder Woman outfit braving 30* temperatures in freezing rain turned snow then hail with 20-30mph winds and gusts up to 60mph while running 10 miles off road (mostly up hill) attempting to tackle 20+ obstacles that included things such as snow, ice, fire and electrocution in what is called Tough Mudder,

OR

Dominic spending a solo 48hrs taking care of the girls while Mommy was out of town :)

I'm fairly certain both were ALMOST as equally tough but I would gather he had a much better time than me.  Unfortunately what was supposed to be 60* and only partly cloudy turned HORRID to say the least!!!!!!  No one could have prepared for the furry of HELL mother nature would unleash on us that day.  Granted, NOT being dressed in a Wonder Woman costume may have helped but what fun is that?  I honestly contemplated staying at the cabin, in bed with a Bailey's and coffee.  After all I was on vacation.  But my team mates and I rallied and did the best we could to tackle (the coldest Mudder to date) SoCal Sunday Tough Mudder.  First, the outfits...

 

Anticipation grows as we see bits and pieces of the obstacle course through the thick fog

and freezing rain. 

ITS TIME!!  We have entered and finished the 9:20am Costume contest (of which we were beat out by Oompa Loompas, Richard Simmons and the Black Swans) and it's now time to make our way to the start line.  The Star Spangled Banner was sang, we took our Tough Mudder pledge and off we charged...

 

The very beggining started with the "Braveheart Charge" downhill, through streams of muddy water in the freezing rain while being blasted by snow making machines....it felt AWESOME!!  I'm pretty sure the pain in my face says it all....

It wasn't long after that that the fingers and toes went numb, the snot dripping from my nose began to freeze instantly and we turned a corner just to start the first of MANY grueling ascents up the side of the Mountain.  The second obstacle, the "Boa Constrictor."  Again, more snow making machines blasting down on us from above as we prepare to crawl on our hands and knees through a long narrow tunnel made out of some type of pipe in muddy water and rocks just to get to the end of that tunnel to realize there is another.  There is NO standing up between the two pipes because if you do, you'll be taken out by barbed wire.  Did I mention between the two tunnels was a full on puddle?  Freezing, muddy water up to my chest and neck.  And then, more running.  Uphill!!  The next obstacle, "kiss of mud" if I remember correctly.  Again, crawling for feet under barbed wire through a muddy, rocky puddle.  I'm pretty sure that's when hypothermia began to set in.  There was a medic station at that point handing out silver, aluminum, hypothermia blankets and my team mates and I all grabbed one and began running STRAIGHT down hill holding on to our aluminum blankets for DEAR LIFE!!  Actually there was no running...yet.  The hill was far too steep and it took everything I had not to trip since I was quickly losing feeling in my toes.  At the end of the hill we once again began running in an attempt to stay warm-ish.  If there was such a thing in below freezing temps.  Off to the next challenge...

The next obstacle, "Chernobyl Jacuzzi"  or better known as the ice bath.  A dumpster full of ice and water. Goal, take a deep breath (as if that was possible) and dive under a log to the other side before trying to climb out.  This picture is not of me but YES, I was the only one out of our entire group stupid enough to do it.  My thought "I'm here, may as well."  Knowing myself I'm not sure I would have been okay with completing the whole course and skipping the obstacles.  That wasn't the point of Tough Mudder in my mind but apparently I had lost my mind when deciding to do this obstacle.  What was I thinking?...

Okay!  That SUCKED!!!!  Thank God I had to friends beside me wrapping me in new hypothermia blankets or foil or whatever that crap was that could've been A LOT warmer!  I was told my lips were blue and with out speaking (because it was impossible at that point) I took off up the hill (of course up hill).  My entire body was on FIRE from the freezing ice.  I NEVER again want to experience that feeling.   After about a 1/2 mile we turn a steep corner to see truck loads of people being driven down the mountain.  You know something's wrong when just as many people are coming down the mountain as are going up.  "Good God what could be up ahead?"  And with that, I practically trip on some girl in the middle of the trail, passed out and completely blue.  I ran passed her to allow the emergency vehicle coming up behind me through.  "Damn, she didn't look so good!  Keep moving Ash.  You don't want that to be you."  After the "Log Bog Jog" and more steep ups and downs, I'm beginning to feel okay.  The sun made an appearance for just long enough that I was able to recover from the Chernobyl Jacuzzi.  At this point my only goal was to NOT LET GO of my aluminum cape!!  My toes were still a bit numb.  And then we arrived...three back to back obstacles. First the "BBq pit,"  I was praying to God it would be warm in there but NOPE!!  Why would they do that?  Just more crawling through mud and rocks under wooden platforms that gradually got lower to the ground making it more difficult to move while smoke machines blasted in your face...

After that the "Funky Monkey" or Monkey Bars that were intentionally greased up to make them more difficult.  Underneath them, more waist deep muddy water.  For Christ sake, I did sign up for "Tough Mudder" in Snow Valley.  The event was DEFINITELY living up to its name.  Epic fail...half way across the monkey bars, I fall. Waste deep into freezing, muddy water. I was wet all over again.  I had a feeling I wouldn't make it across because I couldn't feel my fingers.  Behind the guy in the picture below is my team mate Christina.  To hang by her arms and legs was brilliant.  Why didn't I think of that?  Although a bit tattered, I was just happy to have my aluminum cape still :)

Immediately following Funky Monkey was "Hold Your Wood."  Grab a log or large piece of wood and hike straight up and straight back down the mountain.  It was much harder than it looked.  The hill was STEEP!  At this point I feel like there are giant rocks in the heels of my shoes.  All of a sudden I realize that water must have leaked into the air pockets in my shoes and froze.  "Oh my God, this can't be happening?!  I don't think I'm even half way done!!"  I wrapped myself in my hypothermic blanket, grabbed a decent sized log and bear hugged it.  It was actually the warmest I had been since the race started....minus my feet.

At this point, 3 out of the 7 of my team dropped out.  I didn't blame them one bit.  I wasn't sure how much farther I was going to make it either.  My feet and legs were so cold, I couldn't stop shivering.  These stupid hypothermia blankets sucked...no longer was it my friend.  Nothing at that point could warm me up enough.  CRAP!  Off we went, me and two others..."just keep moving and MAYBE you can do this."  More up hill.  Climbing higher and higher to the peak of the mountain.  The closer to the peak, the colder it got.  They said that while soaking wet and with the 60mph wind gusts the air temp up there was around 10*!  I wouldn't be surprised if my body temp was below it's normal 98* at that point.  There are no words to describe how cold I was.  ""F" my life...this is insane!!!"

Next Obstacle...I didn't even see the name.  All I saw was water...more water with so much steam coming off it that people were happy to jump in it.  I was told the water temp was about 46* and I believed them.  With that much steam it looked like a nice, warm bath.  I stood there contemplating jumping in for a good 3-5mins..."should I or shouldn't I?"  I knew it would be warm getting in but to come out.....EEEK!!!  I had to pass.  I couldn't imagine getting out and being any colder than I already was.  My shoes were frozen my lips were blue and I could barely walk my legs were trembling so violently.  Up ahead were two more obstacles involving a lake and another medic station equipped with a want-to-be warming tent.  We stopped, grabbed new hypothermia blankets and ran under the tent in hopes of warming just enough to keep going.  After all we were only half way done... Here are some pics a photographer took of the warming station...

 

In the picture below to the right was the the lady (in red) and the man (orange shirt) that helped us, me out.  My feeling is we stood too long in hopes of getting some feeling back in our bodies that it made it worse.  The warming tent for us didn't help one bit.  At that point I began to accept the fact that regardless of how much I wanted to push forward, mother nature wouldn't let me.  My girlfriend walked out of the tent saying "I'm going to go see what we need to do to get off this damn mountain."  They grabbed us, hurdled us together, began asking me questions (the medics had genuine concern on their faces looking at me) and said "get her out of here next.  She looks critical."  I felt like complete sh!t not going to lie but I didn't think I felt that bad.  I was having a hard time thinking and talking and answering questions but I was more concerned about my toes and how weird it was that something in my shoe actually froze.  It took everything I had to hold back tears.  I wanted the opportunity to complete this in the WORST way and was dealt the short end of the stick.  The weather was in the 60* and sunny the day before and the day after Sunday.  Beyond upsetting.

And with that...our Tough Mudder experience came to an end.  The drop out rate that day was over 40%.  I'd like to say thank you to the fellow Mudder who helped us get our lockers open so we could get warm clothes on.  Our hands and fingers were so numb it was a challenge in itself just to get the key in.  Congrats to all that did finish.  Regardless of whether or not they completed all the obstacles, just to finish 10 miles in those conditions was quite a feat.  We did have one team mate finish.  My friend Christina (aka Soy).  It took her 5.5hrs but she did it.  She said the fog was SO thick at the top of the mountain you couldn't see 10 feet in front of you.  She also said there was inch thick ice on some of the obstacles and icicles hanging from the trees.  CONGRATS SOY!!!  YOU were tough enough....

In hindsight, myself and two other friends made it to the half way point, 4.5 miles in with only mild hypothermia.  The rest of our group dropped out not too far behind us.   I'm proud to say I did every obstacle in my path before giving up up at the lakes.  I'm 90% sure Dominic and myself will both be competing in Tough Mudder NoCal at Squaw Valley up in Tahoe this September.  Some of my team has already signed up.  Thankfully I have all 10 fingers and toes and will live to Mudder another day.  As for  SoCal Sunday....SUCK IT!!  I will get my revenge!! 

When asked  "How well did your training help?" a fellow Mudder responded  "for the 10 miles – it was great. For the +20 obstacles – I felt flawless! For the curveball known as “Mother Nature” – I was a fish out of water..."   Although I only completed half of the 23 obstacles, I feel the EXACT same way.  So disappointing to have to quit something half way when you're not even the least bit tired or fatigued.  Physically, I was ready!!!

Leadman

Leadman Tri -- Lifeteime Fitness Epic 250

 

A New Era of Epic Hard Endurance Events Begins.

Before you ask too many questions, I'll just get right into it.  What is a Leadman? 

"The Leadman. A legend carved from the Rocky Mountains outside Leadville, Colorado. A boomtown gone bust, overrun by extreme athletes fueled by a dream. A dream of pushing past logic, past hope — to push themselves to the finish of some of the most difficult athletic events ever created. A dream so unbelievable — to compete in a series of epically hard events, covering hundreds of miles of rugged, off-road terrain — that these athletes sign on, not for a chance at glory or riches, but for a chance to forever be known as a “Leadman."

"Today the legend of epic hard endurance events expands beyond the Leadville city limits to the Nevada desert, with the Leadman Tri — Life Time EPIC 250. The Leadman is an all-new category in triathlons, as contestants face an epic new total distance of 250 kilometers. It throws down a gauntlet of challenges filled with new lengths of swimming and cycling, yet places less emphasis on what is considered the most physically damaging aspect of ultra-distance triathlons, the run. The Leadman was designed to completely challenge triathletes while showing utmost respect to their bodies."

Total distances:  5k Swim -- 223k Bike --  22k Run 

The inaugural Leadman Epic 250 was one of many events Dominic (and two others) was the race director of  for Lifetime Fitness.  Being he's only been an employee a short couple of months.  To say that his job depended on how well this event went is a complete understatement.  Needless to say, it was truly epic...Pun intended.  Dominic and the other two race directors pulled together in 4 months what takes a year or more to prep and plan for.  The field of athletes was small (and mostly professional) given the short time frame for preparation, with only a total of 44 who started the Leadman.  Regardless the size of the field, it was a 5 star event indeed.  The weather that day was close to 97* and the winds were absolutely brutal.  Only about 15 athletes out of the 44 who started, finished the race.  The elements and course terrain were less than forgiving.  I have a feeling many will show face next year in an attempt to overcome and join the elite few who can now call themselves a "Leadman."


A long time friend of ours, Jared Fisher also raced last weekend.  Not only did he complete Iron man St. George on a single speed but he was one of the select few to complete the Leadman also on a single speed and just one week after his Iron man.  Those who know some about triathlon, competing or cycling knows that's just NUTS!!!  To complete two races of that distance in a single racing season is pretty good.  But  back to back.  With only one week to recover.  Both completed with out any gears on the bike to make pedaling harder or easier....He is a machine.  I am happy to have been there to see him finish.  And he looked great!  Who would have though he raced with the flu....
 
 



















I'm proud of Dominic and his business partner now co-worker Keith as well as his new co-workers for all of the blood, sweat and tears they put in to making this event so successful.  I am excited to see what Leadman 2012 will bring.  I am so inspired with every athlete who crossed the finish line, I've even considered training for the 1/2 Leadman for next year.  We'll see what the year brings but I'm driven, that's for sure and I am quickly falling in love with the competitiveness, positivity and energy being a part of this sport brings.  My new addiction......



Click on these links below to see some AMAZING photos of the race and read up on its reviews:

                                                        

Competitor   

xTri.com 

EverymanTri.com

Triathlete Europe

Trijuice.com

Until next year Leadman.....

I look forward to seeing you and maybe on the race course if I can keep myself on track :)

Race for the Cure

Susan G Komen 

This past Saturday a girlfriend and I ran the Susan G. Komen 5k through downtown Las Vegas.  Great cause, great event an overall, inspiring, motivating and heart felt morning.  I was happy to be part of it.  Here are a few pictures from the race. 

 My girlfriend Cindy raced in memory of her Grandmother.  

I raced in celebration of my two friends who both conquered their battles with breast cancer...
AMAZING!!

 The Bandanna Bandits

Yes we ran with Boa's as well  :)

Finishers

Happy Mother's Day

To Kadence and Zoe:

"Pretty pretty please don't you ever ever feel

Like you're less then, less then perfect.

Pretty pretty please if you ever ever feel

Like you're nothing you are perfect, to me"

Song lyrics by Pink

All my love, 

Mom

I'm fairly certain that God couldn't have blessed me with more perfect children.  At least in my eyes and even on their worst days.  They have made me a better person.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

CODEONE

Picture of the Day

A relaxing day for daddy on the Harley!

I Tri....

So...my first triathlon was March 27th, the Showdown at Sundown.  

Unfortunately the weather was so bad they had to cancel the swim portion.  So I rode and ran and finished strong.  Being I completed an "almost" triathlon and not an actual triathlon, I immediately signed up for Rage in the Sage which was 3 weeks later on April 16th.

Showdown at Sundown

 Rage in the Sage

Easter Weekend

We had a super packed, fun-filled weekend. 

Saturday began with an Easter egg hunt for the homeowners association down at the club house.  After, I took the girls out to our friends ranch to see their horses.  Kady and I saddled up for a ride and a good hour was spent  just feeding all the horses carrots.  It was such a treat.  She did great...no fear. 

Sunday we had an Easter egg hunt when we woke up, went through all the fun loot in our baskets then off to church.  Following nap time we headed over to a friends house for an Easter Bbq.

 Easter Puppies

GREAT Strides Walk 2011

Another super successful year!!!  We actually raised close to $500.  Team Ethan Washington and Team Ethan Hawaii are still going strong and raising money for their walks.  I could never say thank you enough to everyone who helped support this cause.  I may sound like a broken record saying this, but it truly means the world to me.  I get goose bumps and teary eyed every time I think about it.  Much love to you all -- xo

 Team Ethan 

April 9, 2011

 Even our 4 legged friends joined us this year.

 Waiting for balloon animals

 The kids sporting their Team Ethan gear

Zoe actually started walking this day.  That afternoon when we got home it was over.  She's been upright and cruising ever since.