My LLS Mission: Road to Kona

Special thanks to the following: Upchurch Kimbrough Company   for their very generous donation to  the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Mike & Stephanie  Ogg for donating the incredible raffle items and to  Lone Star Defense N'Arms for donating their time and venue.  Thank you Amy & David.   A very special thank you and shout out to:  Rob & MaryEllen Kimbrough and Mike & Stephanie Ogg  for organizing, coordinating and managing the raffle drawing and prizes.  You all are truly amazing!!! I would like to take a moment to personally thank ALL who participated in the raffle drawing and for supporting the mission.   Together we are changing lives!  To donate:  https://pages.teamintraining.org/txg/ironworl18/nlinkd

...or, in 60 (short) days, is the IRONMAN World Championship - race day! The anticipation is starting to set in, but there's still more training days ahead. For this particular race, the training plan I'm doing is different from any other that I've done in the past. Heart Rate Training (HRT). In short, heart rate training tracks the heart rate to optimize and train more efficiently. By wearing a heart rate monitor, I, and my coach, are able to see the progression each week. Even though I still heavily rely on my coach [rbfitness] for input and feedback, I'm learning something new and I like it. HRT breaks up the monotony of a long training day, I'm able to focus on staying in a particular heart rate zone, and I look forward viewing my results afterwards. Here's a break down of distances covered thus far: Swim  = 78.11 miles / Time spent: 40 hours; 90 minutes Bike  = 1,536.56 miles / Time spent: 92 hours; 68 minutes Run  = 267.98 / Time spent: ...

I've had people ask what is it like to train in the Texas heat? Some of their comments are: "It's way to hot, the humidity is too high. Isn't summer meant for relaxing?" All true. When the heat combines with humidity, it makes for a very uncomfortable and muggy day. Very tempting to use this as a validation to put things off a bit longer, but great things NEVER come from comfort zones.  The Katy Flatlands century bike ride...a total of 102 miles, was no different. With the weather predicted to 'feel like' 112 degrees, it definitely had some uncomfortable moments, but a great day to train for those lava fields in Kona.  Training has been going well, but I want to encourage you to find what it is that inspires YOU.  Good things take time, but it all begins with that first step, so  seek motivation each day and allow this to drive you towards your goal...and out of your comfort zone.    

...is the IRONMAN World Championship - race day!    Overall, training has been progressing well. I have found that keeping a log helps keep me accountable and gives me a reason to complete each training day as a step closer to reaching my goal.   With  89  days left to go, there's many more training miles ahead of me, but here's a break down of distances covered thus far: Swim  = 53.60 miles / Time spent: 28 hours; 52 minutes Bike  = 1,044.56 miles / Time spent: 62 hours; 59 minutes Run  = 184.78 / Time spent: 30 hours; 7 minutes Total training miles thus far: 1,262.95 miles / Time spent: 121 hours; 18 minutes Here's to continuing the journey!  😊

Hello everyone,  I am happy to share that we have reached a milestone - we are half way to meeting our fundraising goal! 😊 To achieve just about anything you're passionate about or something that is meaningful to your heart; it indeed, takes a village and teamwork to accomplish this.   Without my incredible team and YOUR continued help and support, none of this would be possible.  I would like to take a moment to personally thank those who continue to support this very important cause. Together we are helping each other and making a difference.  To my team ( & coach) - thank you for everything that you have done, are doing and will continue to do to help me in this journey and making this world a better place.  To the many people who have graciously invested in our journey, to this cause and to  the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) - thank you!  We still have a ways to go to meet our fundraising goal, in support o...

This journey that we are on, can take us in many different directions, new insights, connections, experiences, and even changed circumstances beyond what we imagine.  Tux One week ago, our family went through an emotional experience - the loss of our beloved dog, Tux. Even though we knew this day would come, we didn't anticipate that it would be "that" day.  Nothing really prepares us for the death of a pet. With a lifespan of 10+ years, it's very likely that they'll leave this earth before we do, and unfortunately, all owners will have to face this inevitable day of saying goodbye.   We have our work, our family, and our friends, but our dogs only have us. We're never fully aware of how a pet has been part of our lives until they are gone.  Dog owners know the truth: Your pet is never "just a dog" they're much more than that. We are their world and they quickly become part of ours. They're  irreplaceable .  The beautiful thin...