Piper Francis Morison!

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

Sara finally had her baby this morning at 12:31am. After only a 2 hour labor, her and Piper are both doing great. I had to make a special trip by their house on my ride this morning to give the baby my best wishes!!! I can't wait for you guys to get home so I can see her!!!

SWEEEEEEEEEET

More later, but this new job is gonna be the BOMB! Yeah, that's right, the bomb...

• Amazing salary
• Profit sharing
• Health insurance
• Total flexibility
• Triathlon sponsorship
• Unlimited free food
• Fun co-workers

...oh, and did I mention a great learning experience :) haha...WHOOOHOOO, life is great!!!

Emergency DAY OFF!

Holy Crap...I'm pretty sure that someone got into my body while I was sleeping Sunday evening and programmed it to make me feel as if I had just raced about 5 Ironmans in a row...no seriously. I've never felt as shitty as I did Monday morning and the feeling pretty much got progressively worse for the rest of the day...so weird! After chatting with the coach and looking through the past couple weeks of training, it was almost obvious that a day off was crucial and absolutely necessary...I hadn't had one since mid-July...ouchy!

Anyway, after refueling, resting, and doing much much nothing all day, I feel as if I have completely recovered and am now back on track to go out and rip it up! Grandma - that's slang for getting back training and working really hard :) Had a great bike/swim session this morning and ready to rock the run this evening....whooohhooo!

Laundry

Doing laundry could quite possibly be one of the most obnoxious things in the entire world. It only makes it even worse when your landlord puts coin-operated machines on site at your house and the other people who share the house with you leave their crap in the washer/dryer ALL freakin' day.

Yea, yea, yea...I just need something to vent about, but it's true...doing laundry is such an inconvenience and a huge annoyance...especially when you have to rip apart your bed and half your room, just to wash the damn sheets!

Alright, I'm done now...just needed to get that off my chest :)

Drunken Phone Calls

Getting drunk phone calls in the late evening can either be obnoxiously annoying or really freaking hilarious.

In the case of last night, it was beyond hilarious - After worrying sick about my little bro not being happy in his first year at Purdue, I was completely relieved when I got a random drunken phone call from him late last evening. He was at some apartment playing beer pong and apparently just wanted to call and say "hi"! SO FUNNY!!!

I did however get another phone call this afternoon from him during my long ride apologizing for the spontaneous and random call last night. Little did he know that not only did he totally make my night, but made me feel much better about his situation at Purdue...oh, the joy of being a freshman and being able to do whatever you want for the first time...

Now it's time to face the "Real World"haha...yeah, I'm boycotting that for as long as I can :)

I'm back!!!

Alright, so I have avoided posting anything about getting back into running for fear of jinxing the whole situation. The truth of the matter is that I have been able to slowly get back into running for the past 2 weeks! Yes, it has been amazing and I can't even tell you how great it feels to be back.

FYI: the definition of a "Brick" in relation to the sport of triathlon is a training session where you do more than one part of a triathlon (swim/bike/run) back to back; it can involve a combination of any of the three different sports.

Today, I did my first bike/run brick. I had a 3 hour bike with 5x10min. hard intervals (5min. rest in between) and then a 20min. run right off of it. Let's just say that with the little running I have been doing, I'm not able to just jump right off the bike and run as fast as I want right now. My legs might be ready and up for it, but my aerobic and lung capacity definitely are NOT. So I totally cramped up and had to stop 10min. in and stretch it out...yes, I'm a moron and should have known not to run like a bat out of hell, but had to do what the legs wanted...which was go FAST!

At least I'm running and loving every second of it...even if I try to go too fast and hit the wall in full force :)

Thank You...

To everyone who came out to celebrate my birthday last night at the Rio and Rhumba! I had an absolute blast and couldn't have had a better day! I appreciate all the drinks and dinner :) I hope you had as much fun as I did...Shep you still alive?!?!

Also, thanks for all the wonderful gifts and cards from everyone! You're all awesome.

Man, now I have to wait an entire year to do it again...

22 on the 22nd!

It only happens once in a lifetime! But a great day for a birthday...gorgeous weather, great friends, fun things to do! What more could you ask for?!?

So I think that this year I received the ultimate birthday gift EVER...when I got into work this morning, one of my co-workers left me a huge bag filled with 4 giant jars of Nutella on my desk...I mean come on! I told her it would be gone by next week...she thinks I'm joking...I'm totally not :) Thanks Kathy, you're the best!

Dinner/Drinks at the Rio in Boulder at 7pm tonight. Call me if you want to join!

You know you have too much time when...

You and your roommate get up at 7am on a Saturday morning, have a 3 hour breakfast, try on old clothes, eat, go through old jewelry, eat some more, sit around the house doing nothing, eat again, and...attempt to make a harness and leash for my gerbil, Franky, so we could walk him around. Yes, absolutely pathetic, but probably one of the most hilarious things I have ever done. He really didn't want to have any of it, but since neither of us got in our long bike ride, I'm pretty sure we laughed off at least half the calories we would have otherwise burned when riding.

Although it seemed like a completely unproductive day, Mercedes finally sold her old car and we did get out of the house around 5pm and went for an awesome jog and a dip in the pool!

P.S. It was raining 75% of the day, so I don't feel TOO bad :)

Bees and Ipods

80 degrees, blue skies, no wind, sunshine...what more could you ask for? Especially for an afternoon ride!!! Well I'll tell you what more I would have asked for today...a longer lasting Ipod battery and for all bees to become extinct in the state of Colorado.

Let me tell you how incredibly miserable it is to do intervals without music to motivate you...yes, the battery in my stupid died about 15 minutes into my 2.5 hour ride! And to top it off, in the middle of my second 12 minute HARD effort, I got stung by a bee on my right hand, right in between my fingers. The flippin' stinger was stuck in my hand so I had to stop and pull the damn thing out...ouchy! Yeah, what a nice addition to the pain of intervals and no music...grrr. At least the little f-er died in the process of stinging me!!! Okay, that was mean, but my finger has been swollen and burning ever since and that's annoying.

Yes, I am aware that I write entirely way too much about riding, but honestly, when you spend 15-20 hours of your week on the bike, a lot can happen during that time!

Note to Self...

Don't go on long easy, bike rides when you haven't eaten enough or slept hardly at all in the past two nights. I seriously almost fell asleep on my bike this afternoon I was so tired...I think it's time for one of the long afternoon naps that roll over to the next morning!!! I can't wait to get out of here (work that is) and do just that :)

Back on the race bike

It was about time the Felt finally got the dust wiped off of it and taken out for a spin. I haven't been on it since mid June and it honestly felt like forever. Definitely a much different feel as the position is much more aero than my road bike and well, yes, it does have "circus wheels" (650c) which makes it feel completely different as well. Despite the differences, it was so great to be on it. However, I'm really glad I didn't flat because my dumbass brought the wrong size tube and would have been stranded if I had flatted. Didn't even realize it til I got home...haha. What a great morning!

T-one week til the big 22nd birthday....whoohhooo!

Long Afternoon Naps

You know you've been lacking on the sleep portion of life when you fall asleep at 3:30 in the afternoon and don't wake up until 8 in the evening! Yikes...I think my body was telling me that it was in desperate need of some sleep!

Although I did completely waste my Saturday afternoon away, I was totally refreshed and ready for a great night out on the town with Mercedes. Her boss's band was playing at a local bar and so we ventured downtown to check that out...they were AWESOME! We also had a run-in with some old friends and watched the ridiculous "Big Wheel Rally" (yes, those stupid little bike-like things we used to play on when we were smaller). Only in Boulder do you find adults dressed up in custom, drunk out of their minds, playing on big wheels in the middle of the streets for hours, and only for spectator's sheer entertainment! HILARIOUS.

10pm-2am can be some pretty fun hours :)

Thursday Night Cruiser Rides

If you're from Boulder, have heard about it, have seen it go by, or have been apart of it, I don't need to go into any more detail about the craziness that accompanies the Thursday evening cruiser rides!

However, for those unfortunate souls who cannot experience the indescribable ridiculous that goes down at these rides, here is a brief description...About 700 of the most diverse people in Boulder meet at a central park with their cruisers (any and all types of bikes), dressed in the week's appropriate theme - this week was pajama - and loaded with drinks for the ride. The entire group rides from 7:30-9:30pm throughout the streets of Boulder screaming "Happy Thursday" and senseless other things. Several stops are made where "dance parties" break out and lots of drinking is encouraged. The final stop is always downtown by Pearl Street where the city is flooded with bike and the bars are bombarded with crazy dressed up drunks from the ride...it's like nothing else. You've just got to see it to understand.

So after purchasing my new cruiser (see below posting for description and pic of the bike), my roomie and a bunch of friends headed out for the insaneness. The ride was an absolute blast with more entertainment than you could imagine. Our final stop ended up at Hapa where we proceeded to do sake shots and eat really good sushi...gotta love the 10-12pm happy hour :) More stops were made at random bars throughout the evening, eventually ending in what I would call a fantastic night on the town! Yes, this morning sucked, but so worth it!

Free Massage

There isn't anything in the world quite as wonderful as getting body massage work done regularly...and for FREE!

My most amazing roommate EVER is a massage therapist and takes occasional courses at the Boulder College for Massage Therapy (where she graduated from). Because massage is learned most effectively in a 'hands-on' fashion, the school is always looking for bodies to work on. That's where I come into play. I have become a regular for the students to work on and it's absolutely incredible. The average price for massage in Boulder is about a $1/min. The average amount of time I get worked on at the school is 90-120 minutes...you do the math!

Anyway, I was fortunate to be incorporated into the curriculum last night at BCMT as an injured athlete and got one of the most amazing hip/glut/hamstring massages ever...ohhh, unexplainable. Thanks Mercy, you're the best!

Another Bicycle

WHAT DO YOU THINK??? Yeh or neh!?!

If you're a cyclist, you can relate to the fact that no one can own TOO many bikes...right?!? I mean you need a road bike, a mountain bike, a track bike, a "race" bike, a time-trial bike, a cruiser, a fixed gear, a commuter...I could go on for days.

So to get to the point, I went with my friend Halle this evening to get her all set up on a road bike so she can start a new hobby out in Massachusetts. Well, as I was wandering around the store, my eyes totally caught this beautiful Bianchi cruiser. I've wanted to get a cruiser for a while since I sold my hardtail mountain bike which was originally used as a commuter and this was totally what I had in mind! Hmmm...but do I really need a new bike? Do I really need to be spending money that I probably should be saving on a new bike? I am getting a large chunk of change back from the doctor who mis-diagnosed my hip fracture....hmmm! Decisions, decisions, decisions...

I think I'll sleep on it for a few nights and then figure it out. Although it's an incredibly sexy bicycle, I really should consider the pros and cons...boo :)

I love bikes!

Sleeping in...

...is possibly one of the most amazing feelings in the world, seriously! I mean, yeah, I totally missed my early morning ride, but I woke up feeling like a million bucks...and that NEVER happens. So if you're feeling sluggish, tired, or whatever, try sleeping in; it might do ya some good.

Just another day in the high country.

Baby Showers

Sunday afternoon I attended my first baby shower...not for me of course, but my amazing co-worker/friend Sara! After all the various chatter about what to expect, I actually had a really great time. Not only was it super fun seeing Sara so happy and surrounded with fun people and supportive friends, it was comforting to know and see women in their 30's not married with 2 children 3 cars and a white picket fence!

All in all, the party was a blast! Great conversation, amazing food, superb company and an interesting experience. I can't wait for Sara to have her little one because her and Malcom are going to be the BEST parents ever! I love ya girl!

HOLY MOLY

The story begins about 2 weeks ago when I was riding and helped out a random cyclist who was stranded with a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. After chatting for a bit, turns out he is the owner and head chef of the Chataqua Dining Hall (a very prestigious, fancy, expensive, delicious, etc. restaurant) For staying with him and letting him use my pump, he offered to have me come in with a friend for a dinner on him! Well, that's just the beginning...after talking a little more, he's actually in need of a new bookkeeper for this restaurant and another one he is opening in a few months and asked if I would be interested!!! HOW PERFECT!

So last evening was the night. Fred and I actually showered, put on some decent clothes and headed to Chataqua to meet up with Mr. Heap for what he promised to be a meal much better than the usual PB&J! And boy was he right. From the wine to the salad, and the halibut to the chocolate cake, I don't think I have EVER had such incredible food. The two of us were completely awestruck by the way we were treated (since we were the owner's guests) and the absolute quality of the food...nothing more can be said...it was AMAZING!

Lesson learned - always help out a fellow cyclist (or any individual for that matter) because you never know where it might take you. Got me a new job and an incredible dinner :) THANKS BRAD!

My First Facial

So last week I was informed by my dermatologist that my insurance covers full facials. COOL! So of course I'm going to take advantage of that. My face gets beat up beyond belief from the sun, chlorine, sweat, dirt, etc. on a daily basis and this is a great way to take care of it.

Today was the day to lay down, relax, and let someone clean, pick, moisture, steam and mask my face for over an hour. DAMN, it was awesome...and free! I am definitely going to incorporate this into my weekly regimen and I'm totally stoked.

If you've never gotten a facial before...do it, but remember to eat before you go because all the fruity smelling crap they put on your face makes you super hungry :)

It's just one of those days...

...when you wanna be left alone....well kind of I guess. Went for Rolf's last night in Boulder which was both fun and sad. However, left me with about 5 hours of sleep and not very much motivation to do anything today. Got out of the pool early, came home and ate everything in sight, skipped the bike, and now debating whether or not to attempt to get in the evening swim. WTF...I took Monday completely off, I should be feeling like a million bucks! Unless...well, burning out on the swim/bike combo might also be possible...grrr, I sure hope not. Alright, I'm done babbling. I just felt I should post something since I was told yesterday that people do actually log on and read the ridiculousness that I post on a daily basis.

Buying blinds from Bed Bath and Beyond never sounded like so much fun...what?!?!

All Moved In :)

After a complete day off training and $85 later, I'm totally moved, unpacked and settled in at my new place! As my father puts it, after moving 6 times in the past 4 years, I've gotten pretty damn good at it! Fortunately I was able to scrounge up my co-worker's high school kids, pay them $25 each and buy them a good lunch to move all the big furniture and boxes. With their help and Dave's (one of the lawyers I work for) truck, we were able to crank the final stuff out in less than an hour! BRILLIANT!

Well off to swim. Yippeeee