LIVESTRONG Challenge weekend

This weekend will be busy seeing some old friends that I rode with in RAGBRAI and even seeing a runner from my Hood to Coast weekend! I sat with Wendy Chioji this morning planning the next big exciting fundraising event for the LAF! Truly exciting! I love it that my job is built around relationships and running a 5k and doing a 90 mile bike ride.

There are many people I will think of this weekend who have fought cancer bravely! I am still raising money if you would like to go and make a donation..no amount is TOO small! Please go to THIS LINK to add in a donation.


Have a great weekend and tell someone that you love them!!!

Meet 6 NYC runners for a cause!!

Meet the 6 NYC Marathon Runners -- powered by http://www.livestrong.com

Dancing with the Stars?

First, bravo to the person who used photoshop on this. Bravo. Second, does anyone else feel like they are ready for the Season Finale of this thing we call a presidential election? Yes, this election has reinvigorated America and more people are seeing the need to vote. Yes, we have seen some rather wonderful mud-slinging and negativity on BOTH sides. Yes, the debates left much to be desired. (if you ask me)

Palin- My mom always said if you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all. At first, I thought she would be decent, watching her at the RNC, and thought "well, she doesn't waiver at least." I think in the end a running-mate who is a gimmick doesn't help you. I am not going to say anything else because I realized I was not doing what I wrote in the first sentence of this paragraph.

Biden- He consistently strays off the message (wait- isn't that the definition of a poltician?) He is too into himself and not the good promoter of the top of the ticket.

Then you get to the Presidential candidates. On my bike ride to work this morning I thought about the final debate. A LOT. I have to go vote tomorrow as I am in NYC election week. And I will honest, I don't know who I will vote for.

I would rather not voice what I think on those candidates. Do the research folks. Don't vote a certain way because it "seems right" or you were "brought up that way" Use the brain you were given and vote for what YOU believe.

Spontaneous Saturday

I love it when you plan a day and it turns out even better than planned. I got up around 615 AM this morning as Fuller picked me up for Swim practice with T3. We put in a good 2700m...which Fuller kicked my ass in the 10x50m sprints we did. Good gravy she can move it on those sprints!!! It felt great as we were done with our workout by 815...right on time!!

As she drove me home we both mentioned that we hadn't seen our friend Ms. Brown.....so I text her and she was looking for some people to go running on the trail with her...Fuller was in and so was I! Originally I had planned to get right on my bike but you know, I don't HAVE to do anything right now as my race schedule is empty for the time being (and I am ok with that, especially since I am trying to figure out this new "lifestyle" of being vegan.

Anyway...sorry back on track....we met up and ran 3 miles on the trail, hit some breakfast taco action (mine was potato and black bean) and then Fuller took me home. I got in a brief nap (just one hour), hopped on my bike and put in 50 miles. I went about 35 miles hard and the other 15 were me running different errands around town.

Tonight will be an easy evening at home....some veggie burgers, green beans and brown rice. YUMMMMMMM!!!!

I Heart Brandi Carlile

She's a genius at her music and in her lyric. My good friend Fuller sent this to me as a Friday tune....

I can't wait for the new album in February.

Skinny Bitch

Well, little did I know that in traveling back from Chicago....Colleen would vow to GO VEGAN yet again. I have read 2 books over the past couple of weeks. Diet for A New America by John Robbins and just happened to pick up the quick and easy read...Skinny Bitch, pictured here.

Now, I have done the no dairy, no meat thing before...but in the last year have gotten away from that. I put soda back in my "diet" as that Coca-Cola tasted OH SO GOOD after a 7 hour bike ride. And it just kind of snowballed from there. I have noticed my skin to go bad again, lumps on my ass that weren't there AND my allergies have been freaking out. Maybe I should step away from that bowl of deluxe queso.

On my flight back, I started to read Skinny Bitch and well...the girls put it pretty darn simple, "you cannot keep eating the same shit and expect to get skinny. Healthy=skinny and Unhealthy=fat." huh...really? Have I really looked the other way for SOOOOOO long. They make very clear in this book that they are not promoting a diet, it is a way of life. A way to enjoy food. to feel clean, energized and pure. In other words..."IT'S TIME TO STRUT MY SKINNY ASS DOWN THE STREET...."

I am just gonna throw it out there...I have been trying to take off the last 15 pounds that stick to my stomach and ass for a couple of years now but when I looked at whether I have really made the changes necessary. I have not. Plain and simple.

So yesterday it started. (and thankfully my wonderful guy Sammy is willing to do this with me) No more cheese. No more meat. Only natural sweetners. (and if you ask me where I will get my protein and iron...I have a really good answer for that per the books I have read) No more sugar...it is the devil. Only natural, organic sweetners AND NO MORE COFFEE OR CAFFEINE. And for the first month...no alcohol. I am on day 2 of this and it is hard, but I know the reward will be huge...and possibly those lumps on my ass will disappear. So don't be offended if I don't want to share that bowl of queso or go get some BBQ with you, I am making the changes for last health and removing the shit from my system.

There. I said it. Now you know. Support me.

SURVIVOR Notebooks- PLEASE READ!!!

Free Shipping on 20 or more LIVESTRONG Survivorship Notebooks

At the Lance Armstrong Foundation, providing access to helpful information and tools is one of the key ways we fulfill our mission to inspire and empower people battling cancer. Now the LAF is helping to make it easier than ever for those affected by cancer to navigate their cancer experience.

From now until December 15, 2008, you can receive free shipping on 20 or more LIVESTRONG™ Survivorship Notebooks by visiting www.livestrong.org/notebook/bulk.

The easy-to-carry, spiral-bound LIVESTRONG™ Survivorship Notebook provides a variety of information covering the physical, emotional, and practical issues that may accompany a cancer diagnosis. It also includes worksheets that help prepare for medical appointments, track medications and treatments, and organize insurance and financial information.

Get a notebook for yourself, a family member or friend. Share them with other cancer survivors by distributing them to support groups, your doctor’s office, or a cancer center in your community. There are more than 12 million cancer survivors living in the U.S. today, so help the LAF spread the word by forwarding this email to anyone you know who has been affected by cancer. Together, we can deliver the resources and support that help people affected by cancer live life on their own terms.

And please forward this message to others who can help us in this important effort.

LIVESTRONG,
Colleen

allergies...

I had a "strange" falling out recently with someone. I would like to say...it is not someone I deemed myself super close to, just someone I was getting to know. Those of you that know me and know me well.....how do you say it exactly? I am allergic to bull shit. I can't stand it when people look at the "glass half empty" side of life more than 50% of the time. That is no fun. Debbie Downer is fun for SNL, but for real everyday life....positivity is the way I roll. I had some not so great circumstances earlier in this year with being un-satisfied with job and life...yet I CHOSE to put a damn smile on my face every day and deal because I knew that I had the ability to CHOOSE my attitude. And the end result being that I know I am in the right place right now in life and love. If you are unhappy with things....CHANGE THEM YOURSELF or put the people around you that will move you to that. I am not in my 20s looking for everyone to be my BFF, it doesn't work that way.

(and by the way...there is a tracker on my blog...I know you still check it)

blah...blah...blah

Ok, so I have had NO time, I repeat NO time to do this thing called blogging. ACL weekend flew by...(much love to SLODIGGITY)...and then my world became all things marathon and cycling for work AND I had the Longhorn 70.3 this past weekend. No, I did not do the entire race....I did the swim and the bike for this event to get in some good training...more on this later in the post.

ACL in a nutshell. It was great and I will always love the few and far between minutes I get with my Steph. The first evening was about Patty Griffin. When she started her set with Heavenly Day...I knew it was going to be a good. It emanated from the five-piece huddled in a small circle. Two acoustic guitars. An accordion. An upright bass. Traps of modest size graced with jazz brushes. My favorite of the set? Waiting for My Child...Griffin's voice was so soulful that you could have sat there another hour and been entrapped. It can be said,...Blondes have more fun. Brunettes can read. Redheads, they sing. Friday afternoon of ACL saw two such enflamed songbirds. After miss Patty I saw non other than Jenny Lewis.

What I can say about her is if you do not have her new album, Acid Tongue...go get it and then let me know what you think. It's divine.

On Saturday of ACL my highlite was...the Old 97s &Beck. At 1230, Steph and I were ready to ROCK and get our faces melted off (that was for you Chad) by none other than Rhett in his beautiful red pants. (sigh) The closer of the evening was Beck. I had this HUGE dilemma of Allison Krauss and Robert Plant or Beck. I even thought...WWSD?? What Would Scotty Do? (he is a super cool guy with amazing taste in music, you can't go wrong with what he recommends) Scotty told me to go to AK...and well, I didn't. I had seen AK before but had NEVER seen Beck in all his glory. I am glad I went...it was good. Can't really put it into words. His musicianship is amazing, bizarre...you have to experience it once.

Sunday was Nicole Atkins & the Sea (thanks Megan!!!) who was really incredible. She is up and coming, check her out. You will thank me. Again. Her voice is quite rich and her lyrics compelling. There were many good acts along the way and then Steph and I were excited to see Tristan Prettyman as we got some good shade and a few snow cones to cool us off. Silversun Pickups were next. They were...just ok. His shouting and screaming got to me after awhile....my favorite of the day? Tegan and Sarah....go get their stuff. Quite awesome. Canadian sisters that can rock and have a good time!

So that is ACL in a nutshell!

Then crazy work week...a few workouts here and there...and then Longhorn 70.3 where I helped out a bit at Jack & Adam's, and then got my bike and gear ready to do the swim and bike portion. Although the swim was a bit short according to record breaking times...I came in at 31 minutes for the 1.2 miles....even if just a bit short I would have broken the 48 minute time of last year by leaps and bounds!! THANK YOU T3 swimming!!! I could not have done it without their fantastic coaching...I am not Windmill Wilson any longer!! The 56 mile bike was fun and easy and a good training ride.

Now...I am getting ready to take a team of awesome LIVESTRONG runners to Chicago for the marathon this weekend. (no, I am NOT running it) I am there to cheer and party with them!

The weather looks perfect....I hope I can get better with the blogging thing.

GOOD LUCK DESIREE FICKER AND PAT EVOE AT KONA THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!! GO AUSTIN!!!!