My LLS Mission: Road to Kona

Hello Friends, The month of April seemed to have gone by fast.  It may seem like we are in the early stages of our LLS mission. There's still a long way to go and many goals to reach...and it's already May! I wanted to take a moments to reflect: The month of April started my triathlon season with completing the Half IRONMAN Galveston on April 8th. This race distance consists of: 1.2mile swim; 56mile bike; 13.1mile run.  All to be completed in 8hrs:30min. The weather that entire weekend was anything but sunny and nice.  Quite the opposite actually - rainy, windy and cold.  This made for a challenging and long race day; both, mentally and physically. Morning temps were in the 40's and my feet were so cold and numb waiting for my swim wave to start; it was a relief to finally jump into the water (which was actually warmer). The bike was challenging because to start, I'm already cold from the swim, but I also decided at the last minute to not wear my jac...

There are 3 consecutive events in the Triathlon sport - swimming, biking and running . When I first began this sport, I didn't really know how to swim. I self-taught myself in my 30's, but with lots of practice and additional coaching, I've come to feel much better about swimming.  I love seeing the bouy's in the water and watching the age groupers go before me. Needless to say, when the swim portion begins, the water is pretty crowded with swimmers - kicking and thrashing about; trying to find their "sweet spot", but for me,  allowing my mind to just 'be in the moment' allows me to focus on the rhythm of each swim stroke.  I've always enjoyed running and the freedom it has to offer.   To me, its more than just putting one foot in front of the other.   There's something about being outdoors and feeling 'free' to just run; choose my own pace; take in the world around me and let my mind relax.    In triathlons, everyone has a "w...

Hello Friends, It's been too long since my last post - I have missed you.  Juggling work, family life and training can take a lot of time, but my team and I will get better keeping our blog posts updated.  😊 If someone were to ask you, " What motivates and inspires you? " How would you respond and what would you say? Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting 2 wonderful and amazing people.  As I was sharing my mission with them, I was asked this very same question. Meet David and Jourdan.  In the summer of 2016, they led a team on an incredible pursuit - cycling (biked) through 14 states and covering a total of 3,500 miles.  Motivated by their desire to help their charity serving adults with disabilities, they reached their fundraising goal and experienced an incredible journey of a lifetime. Jourdan, David & their ' Pursuit ' To share a short excerpt from David about his reflection, he said that he "... tried something uncomfortably ou...

February 14 th - what does this day mean to you?  For many, they  exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their special “valentine”.  For me, this day,  I received THE BEST surprise….of a lifetime! During my PE class, my husband, daughter and son walked into the gym along my principal and with BillieSue (from the LLS Houston Chapter) to announce that I was chosen to represent the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in its effort to battle Leukemia and other related blood cancers. The 'BIG Reveal' (with BillieSue - LLS Houston Chapter) T he ‘big reveal’ was that I was selected to join the incredible LLS Team In Training (TNT) and race in the IRONMAN World Championship, Kona on October 13, 2018!   This race consist of a total of 140.6 miles – 2.4 mile swim; 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile marathon; all to be completed in 17hours.  Click on my Team In Training Page on the left side of this blog to learn more.  More importantl...

Dear Friends, The beginning of our journey begins. :) What better way to take this first blog and introduce myself and my wonderful family to you. I am originally from a small town of Savannah, Ohio. I have an older sister and younger brother, and my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past March. Growing up, my family was always active in a variety of sports.   At one point, my family owned and managed a local baseball field.   This is where I developed my love for sports, and grew up playing competitive softball.   I graduated from a small high school and went on to study at a private college, Ashland University; graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree. Our Family ~ The Links Fast forward a few years and here we are. I’ve lived in Texas for over 20 years and consider this great state my home. My husband and I have been married 16 years and together we have 2 wonderful children – Angelina and Lyle.   To add to our fam...