tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80439702648841676772011-09-30T12:35:42.468-04:00I started this blog to document my Ironman Couer d'Alene 2007 training experiences. I finished. It rocked. So I signed up for another one in Lake Placid 2008 and finished that in the pouring rain. About 13 hours of rain, and it rocked again. But I am more than just an athena ironman triathlete...Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.comBlogger1931100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-28090358944509080402010-04-25T05:52:00.005-04:002010-04-25T06:54:52.546-04:00

After only swimming about 90 minutes in three session in the past 2.5 months I swam in a US Masters Swimming meet. I had entered the 1650 but was able to downgrade to the easier 1000 the week prior. Let's face it, I wasn't ready for the longer swim. But I was very pleased with my 1000; it felt really good to dive into the pool and swim. All I focused on was keeping my stroke nice and long and

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-7202850167422656152010-02-10T05:50:00.001-05:002010-04-25T05:52:30.549-04:00

Please welcome to the world my son, Dalton Clive!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-59532154592818951222009-08-19T08:15:00.003-04:002009-08-30T10:23:32.280-04:00

We're due Feb 22, 2010 and are delighted to begin a new stage of life!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-30046910595752531492009-07-30T17:56:00.005-04:002010-04-25T06:26:21.207-04:00

(This post has been saved as a draft - posting 4/10) Obviously, I'm not training for an Ironman. But I did just watch one over the Internet. Yup, the 11th IM Lake Placid took place on Sunday and I watched the splits for most of the day, and was able to watch my teammates cross that inspirational finish line all night long. Watching from the internet had some advantages, as I could see everyone's

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-14279968645146493612009-06-21T18:15:00.019-04:002009-08-30T21:02:17.331-04:00

Dextro Energy ITU Triathlon750M swim - 20K bike - 5K runSunday, June 21, 2009Location: Washington, DCTime: 40:55Overall Age Group Place: 3/33Overall Female Place: 38/171Comment: I usually race in the Athena category; I'm clearly over 150 pounds and I like to demonstrate that big doesn't necessarily mean slow. Since there was no Athena division, I had to race in my age group. Turns out I got my

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-20278309106196827412009-05-03T10:01:00.015-04:002010-04-25T06:18:18.285-04:00

(This post has been saved as a draft - posting 4/10) These are some links that I had been collecting while learning about gardening. For my reference and yours. Very Cool Green Roofs Photos from NatGeohttp://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/05/green-roofs/cook-photographyDiggin Foodhttp://www.digginfood.comCheck out the freaky looking caterpillars!http://www.whatsthatbug.com/TomatoesTen Mistakes

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-18164062671226390332009-05-03T09:36:00.004-04:002010-04-25T06:08:54.888-04:00

(This post has been saved as a draft - posting 4/10) No, I don't want to do either of these swims. Two very inspiring swims:Four people swim across the Magellen Straithttp://rachelgolub.blogspot.com/2009/01/012109-i-woke-early-from-deep-dream-of.htmlA Japanese women swims for 33 hours straight!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-12919264749488922922009-03-08T21:34:00.002-04:002010-04-25T06:06:35.499-04:00

(This post has been saved as a draft - posting 4/10) Here's what one of my compost bins looks like after I made it:

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-12467817948014289172009-03-08T21:18:00.011-04:002010-04-25T06:06:53.054-04:00

(This post has been saved as a draft - posting 4/10) I built a composter today. So now I have three. Check out this nice compost design from Organic Gardening Magazine. Some of the entire magazine is available for free at Google Books. It's from the Nov/Dec 2008 issue.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-46056624472844132622009-03-04T22:16:00.011-05:002009-03-08T22:20:07.560-04:00

My winter training plan has been this:Swim a little. Run none. Barely bike. Pinked out. Notice my saddle bag - it's furry!The highlights of the past four months have been two fast bike rides outside, some light hiking in Phoenix, and regular once-a-week or twice-if-I'm-lucky swims. The lack of exercise has not been kind to my expanding waistline and jiggly arms.My main excuse - I hoped to be

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-84320166196112973432009-03-04T21:35:00.005-05:002009-08-30T10:16:09.463-04:00

I first starting swimming/training competitively year round when I was 8. So I spent 3-6 days a week in the pool for nearly eleven years, spending up to twenty hours a week in the pool during the peak. I remember getting only one week off in August or September before starting the next year of training. Intense.If I take a wild estimate at the number of hours I spent in the water growing up, not

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-20957787533055631862009-02-15T21:38:00.004-05:002009-03-08T21:58:26.764-04:00

WORM POOPWhile I stated earlier that I didn't want to harvest worm poop this year, I might change my mind since it's so easy. After seeing this video, I'm really tempted:http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/videos/index.aspx?id=105370&c=1Paul said he'd buy me some worms. Is that love or what?----THE NEXT DAY----------We were cleaning some leaves off our patio, to both clean-up the mess and start

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-2828516882794489732009-02-15T21:36:00.007-05:002009-03-08T21:52:47.736-04:00

While I have been saving our kitchen vegetable waste for several weeks now, I haven't created an outdoor compost bin. Last weekend I went to a garden store and looked at some plastic ones but WOW, they were really expensive. Like $250-300. You can buy compost bags for about $5-6 so I didn't want to spend much money on this effort. After some more web surfing, I decided to follow this idea for

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-74480715551721516872009-02-15T18:25:00.004-05:002009-02-15T23:42:36.791-05:00

I'm a retired ultra distance triathlete (at least until I knock out a few kids and let them grow a bit) and weight class has no significance to swimming, dog wrestling, wannabe gardening, or traveling. So it's time to change the name of this blog. Any suggestions? "Jen's Blog" doesn't count.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-58566999855519506302009-02-15T16:57:00.018-05:002009-03-08T21:36:41.654-04:00

STARTING SEEDThis weekend I worked on creating a gardening spreadsheet to help plan my vegetable garden. I wrote all seed types I bought (from the internet, plus additional purchases last weekend at Merrifield's) to document when to plant seed indoors, sow outdoors, and when we can expect to harvest our plants.Here is the draft version: The dark grey columns are the approximate spring and fall

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-11241282620125650952009-02-03T18:35:00.002-05:002009-02-03T18:37:33.024-05:00

For those who live in cold climates with snow and ice, here's an interesting idea to transform your old running shoes into ice gripping slip-proof running shoes. I don't like running on ice/snow enough to attempt this.http://www.livesmartdaily.com/diy/snowandice-trail-running-shoes

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-31476890257855296372009-01-30T17:34:00.009-05:002009-01-30T17:55:02.830-05:00

So I just got sent this link for a 10 mile swim in Vermont. http://www.kingdomswim.org/index.htmlPhoto from websiteIt looks like a beautiful spot and the long race is appealing. The best part, it only costs $25 plus a minimum $25 pledge which is a great break from all those $250 Half and $500+ full Ironman triathlon races. This sounds like it could be a great summer vacation! Now, if you don't

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-27806879005620337042009-01-25T10:13:00.010-05:002009-02-15T16:57:28.902-05:00

I ordered organic seeds today from Seeds of Change to start my very first vegetable garden (the one in Chile while I was studying abroad wasn't my own). These seeds are not genetically modified and are organically grown seeds, and I will be using no pesticides on these little plants. Here's what I ordered. Some of the herbs were out of stock, so I'll have to find them elsewhere. I think it might

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-25306332056248488742009-01-24T19:02:00.003-05:002009-02-15T23:54:45.272-05:00

I've been looking at chicken websites. Stop laughing. I'm serious.I want to raise a little flock of heirloom chickens in my dream of living a slower, less hectic and stressful lifestyle. So chickens seem like a fun project. When I studied abroad in Chile we had 4-5 out back, which produced several eggs (some small green ones plus brown and white) which I'd eat almost daily. I'd get fresh veggies

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-7220980188757932342009-01-24T10:34:00.011-05:002009-02-15T23:05:15.653-05:00

During my honeymoon I started reading a book that I hope will change my life. A book about dirt. Really. Dirt, seeds, weather, and farming. This is it:Written by Barbara Kingsolver, her husband, and eldest daughter the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life is an eye opening romp of a formerly urban family turned small organic farmers. Ok, it's really much, much more than just

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-24979924100907495992009-01-01T11:46:00.008-05:002009-02-15T23:20:45.169-05:00

A friend posted a link about 101 measurable things to do over the next 101 days. I've chosen 50 things this year to try to shoot for.It’s All About Me1. Blog about things I complete in this list2. Identify 50 things that make me happy 3. Identify 50 things I like about myself 4. List 50 things I am grateful for5. Take 50 Photographs I like enough to make into a book 6. Take a picture of myself

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-43157299764564308662009-01-01T11:09:00.007-05:002009-02-15T18:56:40.377-05:00

Last year on this blog I listed several things I wanted to accomplish in 2008. Let's review to see if I accomplished them.1. Stay focused on finishing my second Ironman. Don't give up the training, even though I have already stated that I'm committed 50%. It's OK to quit if the two items below are made possible and the month of July is needed for travel or if injured.REVIEW: I did it! I completed

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-34058764854032468792008-12-07T18:20:00.004-05:002008-12-07T22:53:11.868-05:00

My family likes to dance.Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-87476359348208780822008-11-18T19:49:00.005-05:002009-02-16T00:32:33.385-05:00

I have scapular winging.Sounds weird, huh? It's when your shoulder blades, or scapula, pop out when your hands are at your side or when you lift your arms up over your head. It's common with us desk sitters, as we tend to slouch all day sitting in front of the computer. It can cause "swimmers shoulders" or rotator cuff pain.From the article below: This posture inhibits the ability of the

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-66690156390461682892008-11-18T19:18:00.003-05:002008-11-18T19:21:12.041-05:00

More like natural wading pool, but NOT something I'd take my family for a dip.Check it out here.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-70075458033774809532008-11-17T20:37:00.002-05:002008-11-17T20:38:36.165-05:00

Saw this cool story on what seems like a good waste of time - Making Creatures!http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/09/video-national.htmlI wonder if you can teach the critters to do laundry and dishes.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-54354561106221696972008-11-14T16:59:00.007-05:002008-11-17T20:42:03.369-05:00

For those we invited to the wedding but do not have e-mail addresses (just my parents friends), I busted out my artistic side and made some Wedding Announcement postcards using Illustrator and Photoshop. It was easy to make them, but then I had to find somewhere to print them. I couldn't find a printer who would make less than 100. I wanted 15. So after some internet searching I found a place

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-74776457121846211002008-11-11T22:17:00.004-05:002008-11-11T22:41:13.889-05:00

Ice bath anyone?SwimTrek offers open water swimming vacations all over the world. This winter it offers a 3-day open water swimming trip to the annual Finnish Winter Swimming Championships in some ice near the Finnish-Russian border. Over 680 swimmers took part in the Winter Swimming Championships 2008 in South London.From the race website:"Despite balmy air temperatures of 17 º C, the water was

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-70606254653061304012008-11-11T19:19:00.005-05:002008-11-11T22:47:54.279-05:00

I've suffered from back pain on and off for many years now. It first started with my neck from a whip lash accident back in ~2000. Then I played two years of rugby which had me contorted in all sorts of positions while tackling and in the ruck. Playing the flanker in this photo, I was ususally the Lock which is inside of the Flanker. Right smack dab in the middle of the pack taking pressure from

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-14821000514739986112008-11-11T18:10:00.010-05:002008-11-12T11:07:09.840-05:00

Twice last week Paul and I filmed from Team Zers swimming underwater. Here is a sample of myself swimming freestyleCoach Ed bought the software Dartfish and underwater camera lens a couple years ago but hasn't had the time to implement it on the team. Being curious and wanting to be more analytical about swimming technical, I decided to start teaching myself. It's fairly easy to use. But it's

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-14046182710120139882008-11-03T13:00:00.007-05:002008-11-12T10:50:05.348-05:00

A little triathlon humor.Someone sent this to the TriRats list serve; I admit that most of these are true.TOP 25 WAYS YOU KNOW YOU ARE ADDICTED TO TRIATHLON...25. One of your goals this year is to be faster at getting out of a wetsuit.24. You talk about a "hammer" and "brick", but you're not referring to construction.23. You spend 7 days going to 8 stores in 4 malls before buying a pair of

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-65554520675332329862008-11-01T09:50:00.000-04:002008-11-03T12:58:45.501-05:00

Before leaving for NYC to cheer for my hubby in the marathon, I signed up for the Chesapeake Bay 4.4M Swim lottery. http://www.lin-mark.com/GCBS%202009%20EarlyLotteryInfo.htmSince this event has become so popular, they instituted a lottery system. This is my first attempt at signing up for this swim, and I really hope I get into it.Here are the lottery rules:ROUND ONE: Sat. Nov. 1, 2008 - 8

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-81337884316233400772008-10-31T21:08:00.007-04:002009-01-24T22:02:02.053-05:00

Time to dress the dogs, since I don't have kids to take trick-or-treating with.Kozmo the CrabNora the Zebra

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-79100588643136914252008-10-27T01:21:00.004-04:002008-11-12T10:51:47.404-05:00

The women who raced two back-to-back Ironmen this year, and WON the second one (!!!!!!), Hilary Biscay, did a short "test" on compression socks for the NYT. http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/10/22/fashion/1023-PHYSICAL_index.htmlMy hubby swears by the black pair he owns, and I used them once after getting sore running around the block. So I wore them the next day while hiking and then

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-18148813008929063512008-10-26T23:50:00.005-04:002009-02-15T23:49:25.335-05:00

I was surfing the net, checking out IM Switzerland as a possible race for my hubby to do next year. It's sold out. I was actually surprised since I assumed it would take longer to fill-up. I guess Europeans (or Americans wanting to travel) are getting the IM bug.Either on this site, or another IM site, it states that they assume ~500-600 people don't show up to the race. At a cost of ~$500 for

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-76431371452417140302008-10-26T19:02:00.007-04:002008-10-27T01:29:36.531-04:00

Yes, I admit it. I have a triathlon problem. Let's take a look at the past 2-3 months:- In a two month period, post IM and during my two month wedding planning period and actual wedding, I signed up for 6 races over 6 weekends. One weekend was a double-header although one event was cancelled due to a tropical storm. So that made it *only* 5 races over 6 weekends, with my wedding stuck in there

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-81792213126044595372008-10-14T04:53:00.002-04:002008-10-14T04:55:52.238-04:00

I was checking the Team Z coaching list for when I need to be at the pool, but I didn't see my name. I looked again, still didn't see it. Then I slowed down. There was a Jen there, but not my familiar last name letter of M. Rather the brand new spanking, still un-official name of Jen B was listed. Hey! That's me!I'm still waiting for the paperwork of our wedding licenses to arrive from CA. When

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-91340800616888597672008-10-06T09:46:00.002-04:002008-10-26T21:16:21.503-04:00

We've been talking about relocating somewhere, anywhere for some time. We even took our post-wedding trip road trip to check out Portland and Seattle. But it's just so rainy, overcast and a little dreary in the pacific northwest. So now we're considering Colorado, specifically Boulder and Denver as my job prospects are solid there.We both like types of modern architecture, so we were delighted to

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-34241326228228567662008-10-06T00:13:00.002-04:002008-10-06T00:17:46.667-04:00

For the record, my trash now contains not one, not two, not three, but FIVE dead animals! That would be three mice, one headless bunny, and one squirrel who shouldn't have walked onto that dead branch. Snap - it fell to the ground while I was watching the tree line while cleaning my patio. If the impact of it didn't kill it, my dog quickly did. The other four critters were presents from my cat.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-54270902724086023052008-10-03T18:13:00.004-04:002008-10-06T00:21:09.354-04:00

Pretty in Pink.I was getting tired of my black bike and smelly triathlon racing gear. Rather than switch back to blue accents, my favorite color, I decided that pink was it. So at Nationals I wore a hot pinkish multi-colored jersey I bought from a vendor at the Pacific Grove Triathlon. When I went to pick-up my bike from Conte's, I had them add pink tape to the handlebars. A quick internet

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-75718055344589440252008-10-03T17:54:00.002-04:002008-10-03T18:12:08.148-04:00

I was in Conte's today to pick up my road bike after it was shipped home from Nationals. I wanted them to fix the handlebar tape and plastic-thing they screwed up when installing my aerobars; it just looked so bad. The problem with the aeobars was the slope of my handle bars. Right where the bars slopped is where the aerobars were supposed to be installed. I guess the bar was not made to have

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-42435878550627133482008-10-02T02:23:00.009-04:002008-10-06T01:03:41.951-04:00

I decided to work from home next week and the client agreed. So this is my last week in NYC, tonight being my last night. Since I can't sleep, which has happened more than once in this restless city, I'd thought I'd recap some of my favorite things from my two months here.Here are my favorite experiences from two months in the City, in no particular order:- the cat on a leash attached to a store

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-68600007911096063212008-09-28T17:49:00.012-04:002009-08-30T10:24:22.296-04:00

Splash & Dash Aquathlon750M swim - 5K runSunday, Sept 28, 2008Location: Douglas Manor Dock; Douglaston, NYTime: 40:55Overall Women Place: 4/25Comment: In NYC for work, I stayed the weekend to race this little local event. My hubby did a NYC marathon pre-race on Saturday, but slept in while I raced this one solo. It got me out of the City and into unfamiliar suburbs for a little exploring. This

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-40550582796540783362008-09-26T06:05:00.003-04:002008-09-26T06:10:40.405-04:00

Do you like it?It's 6:09am. I haven't slept. It's pouring outside, I'm listening to mindless TV, and it's still light outside from the Times Square lights.I was supposed to stay up until 2am monitoring the techies at work during a Go Live weekend. But I drank two coffees this evening so I'm still up and wired at 6am. This is really odd considering that I slept 10-12 hours each night the past

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-49967860537447430932008-09-21T18:33:00.008-04:002008-10-15T17:23:13.769-04:00

USAT Age Group NationalsDate: Saturday, Sept 20, 2008Location: Hagg Lake which is way west of Portland, ORRace Type: Olympic TriathlonTime: 2:51:05 Place: F30-34, 46/53GOAL:1. Enjoy the experience2. Be inspired by my competitors3. Race to the best of my current ability and fitnessOVERALL COMMENTSStunning scenery, famous athletes, and friendly (and FAST) athletes. The only flat part on this

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-13895358472476261132008-09-19T00:58:00.005-04:002008-09-26T13:45:53.681-04:00

I qualified for USAT Age Group Nationals back at Luray Sprint in August and again at Patriot's Sprint a few weeks ago. The winner of every age group in all USAT races qualifies, plus the top 10% if enough athletes are in each age group. So it can be easy or difficult, depending on the size of field and caliber of race. In my case let's face it: big fish, small pond. But before I get too

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-6506574803078940532008-09-17T10:05:00.002-04:002008-09-22T10:13:29.582-04:00

Check out this link to see some of my wedding photos.Wedding Photos Here!So much though, planning, and expense goes into most weddings, and mine was no exception despite having only two months to prepare. Great photography was the number one most important items for me, so I'm thrilled and delighted with the shots. My triathlon tan lines crack me up.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-90516092903538729872008-09-13T00:58:00.000-04:002008-10-02T08:53:45.394-04:00

Coming soon...But it went something like this:Brrrrrr. That is some cold water.Breathe, breathe, breathe.Swim, swim, swim.Ewwww, that kelp is weird.Swim, swim, swim.Ohmigod, my shoulder just got tangled in seaweed. Gross. Swim, swim, swim.Say, where is the water? Crawl, crawl, crawl over the kelp.Swim, crawl, swim, crawl, swim.Get onto beach and wave to my parents and college swimming friend Mary

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-19558576446579656592008-09-10T01:16:00.002-04:002008-09-10T01:27:27.444-04:00

Three large boxes arrived on my doorstep today. Yay! Wedding gifts. We have received a few items previously, but getting three huge boxes was like a three scoop ice cream sundae when six years old. Delightful!The goods were a coffee maker, mega toaster oven, and stove top grilling pan. Paul immediately made up some single cup flavored coffee. Yum, delicious. The warm, fragrant cup of cocoa and

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-31882160632145367222008-09-08T00:00:00.002-04:002008-09-19T01:45:44.359-04:00

Patriot's Sprint TriathlonDate: Sunday, July 12, 2008Location: Williamsburg, VARace Type: Sprint Duathlon (Swim canceled due to Tropical Storm on Saturday) GOAL:1. Don't crash on the bike. Don't screw up those wedding photos!2. No swim = no competitive advantage, so screw expectation, just have fun!3. Race the best I can.OVERALL COMMENTSNot bad for a du. It was my fastest bike average EVER in

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-75338168717134237522008-09-05T01:12:00.002-04:002008-09-10T01:15:42.595-04:00

I love my dogs. But since I've been traveling so much I haven't had much quality time with them which includes long walks, snuggles, and kisses. Happiness.But that happiness comes at a price - $600 for their yearly vet visits, 6 months of flea/tick meds and heartworm pills. Expensive for two mutts, but worth every penny to keep them healthy and happy. To keep me healthy and happy.Ah, sweet dog

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-91408610382289077272008-09-02T00:30:00.010-04:002008-09-10T00:57:29.525-04:00

Seriously, life has been totally, absolutely crazy whirlwind since Ironman on July 28. It went something like this per week:NY-VA-(post-Ironman recovery)-NYC-VANYC-CA (wedding stuff)NYC-VA (race)NYC-CA (tourist)NYC-Boston (tourist)NYC-VA (relax over four days!)Or in more words:July 20 - have an incredible 13.5 hour race in twelve hours of drizzling to pouring rain. Rejoice.July 23 - Spend less

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-48593394498148502002008-09-02T00:30:00.001-04:002008-09-02T00:30:51.622-04:00

http://web.mac.com/jen/iWeb/wedding/Welcome.html

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-9487211441378729272008-08-21T16:43:00.005-04:002008-09-26T01:50:03.362-04:00

The author of 10Kswims.com lists his/her Top 50 swims in the USA and World. Hmmm, I can use for my future races/vacations.Speaking of swimming and vacations, Having swum in a only a few *really* interesting locations like Alcatraz and Aruba, taking a swimming vacation sounds really interesting. Read about one such company here: Swimming Vacations.Ironman is pretty difficult. But this race looks

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-16434494935387953952008-08-19T11:02:00.009-04:002008-09-22T10:05:33.274-04:00

Luray Sprint Triathlon750M swim - 16M bike (really 17.4) - 5K runSunday, August 17, 2008Location: Luray, VAAge Group: AthenaTime: 1:42:19Athena Place: 1/13 Age Group Place (30-34): 4/56 Overall Women Place: 38/236URL: http://www.trirats. net/view_ result.php? racerid=2009Comment: Lovely course, beautiful day, great race, and I got some hardware. But the best thing of all - I was

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-73412542487944502008-07-23T17:32:00.002-04:002008-09-19T01:00:47.569-04:00

Coming soon...Swim: 57:23T1: 6:04Bike: 7:0:T2: 6:Run: 5:1:

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-21845221991883455912008-07-16T13:43:00.002-04:002008-07-16T13:45:57.724-04:00

I feel it now. The excitement, the energy, that Ironman feeling. It took awhile, but it's here just in time!After much debate over the past several weeks, I finally decided to change my tire in front. I'm glad I did because when I took my bike for a thirty minute spin I just felt faster. The taper is finally kicking in.I'm finishing packing since we decide to leave tonight. I haven't booked

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-73412524947803692902008-07-12T20:09:00.006-04:002008-09-26T02:35:42.355-04:00

Chris Greene Open Water SwimDate: Saturday, July 12, 2008Location: Charlottesville, VARace Type: One & Two Mile Open Water SwimTimes: ~26.22 & ~55.25 GOAL:1. Be disciplined and go slow and steady - Ironman is next weekend. 2. No racing, no pushing it, nothing over Zone 2.3. Sloooooow down, take it easy, and start to get into Ironman race mindset.OVERALL COMMENTSLovely day for an open water

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-60397612323553698962008-07-09T20:45:00.002-04:002008-07-09T22:27:23.680-04:00

I have my bib number.#2100It's a few less than my Couer d'alene race number, which isn't too surprising considering they organize the numbers like this:ProsCharity SlotsLP residentsMen AG, Youngest to OldestWomen AG, Youngest to Oldest.#2100 will be my identity for a few days of Ironman Lake Placid 2008. It will give people something to state when cheering for me whether I'm feeling up or down.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-91672191921652894222008-07-09T20:44:00.002-04:002008-07-09T20:45:51.029-04:00

I signed up for this site that alleges to reduce junk mail from my non-electronic mailbox.www.greendimes.com I hope it works.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-11253808568788073912008-07-06T22:27:00.000-04:002008-07-09T23:07:44.105-04:00

In Carmel, everything is nice. The weather is cool and refreshing, the views are stunning, the air is fresh. It was easy to be motivated to train.Monday: Sixty minute run followed by a short swim session to test out my shoulder post-bike fall. I had no issues when swimming, so I was happy. Paul mentioned that some coach of a Pro football team was in the gym working out.Tuesday: SIxty minutes

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-59135889513671057372008-06-09T22:32:00.001-04:002008-06-09T22:32:59.880-04:00

This video is inspiring.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-69210914205886287472008-06-08T22:33:00.017-04:002008-12-10T19:32:03.707-05:00

Race: 2008 Eagleman Ironman 70.3 TriathlonDate: Sunday, June 9, 2008Location: Cambridge, MDRace Type: 1/2 Ironman (70.3)Time: 6:38.37 GOAL:1. Due to the extreme heat index (~103), finish on two feet.2. Swim and bike faster than 2006.3. Get Athena award.4. If really hot, just swim-bike to avoid screwing up the next two important training weeks.5. Don't get sunburned.OVERALL COMMENTS: Eagleman

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-71735267576919389702008-06-01T12:27:00.011-04:002008-12-10T19:32:04.336-05:00

RACE: Potomac River 7.5 Mile SwimDATE: Saturday, June 1, 2008PLACE: ____, MDRACE TYPE: Open Water SwimTIME: 3:50.24 RACE SUMMARY: High winds (17-25 knots) and a small craft advisory caused a cancellation of the river crossing, but I swam about 8.5 miles in Lake Conoy. The group swam one lap together, with most people exiting. I decided to swim three laps, to complete the race distance. The

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-36236240339640458242008-05-25T11:16:00.005-04:002008-12-10T19:32:04.503-05:00

Nudibranches are one of the most spectacular looking sea creatures, except perhaps for the sea dragons. National Geographic has some amazing photos here by David Doubilet.Here is one of David's spectacular photos:I didn't see the bright purple one I saw while scuba diving in Hawaii, nor the bright orange one I remember seeing in the Bahamas, but with over 3,000 different species that's a lot of

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-8584542941068398032008-05-25T11:14:00.006-04:002008-12-10T19:32:05.704-05:00

Monday I skipped the run (surprise, surprise) b/c I was fricking tired from Columbia. It was also Casey's 20th surprise B-Day party on Cafe Asia, so I had the wonderful opportunity to do a "normal person" thing. That means something where I wasn't swimming, biking, running or hanging out with those that do triathlons. It was great to see her so surprised and delighted; her parents put together

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-84784361243662977682008-05-23T11:51:00.005-04:002008-05-26T19:25:58.979-04:00

While surfing open water swimming sites like this one, I found an ordinary person attempting an extraordinary thing.This average joe in England has three lofty goals:1. Swim the English Channel (21 miles of cold water swimming)2. Ride the Tour de France (2,000 miles over some small, ahem, hills)3. Run the Marathon des Sables (150 run through the Sahara, carrying all gear for multi-day event)Read

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-86165531992076239632008-05-18T23:07:00.000-04:002008-06-21T21:32:46.776-04:00

Race: Columbia TriathlonDate: Sunday, May 19, 2008Location: Columbia, MDRace Type: Triathlon - OlympicAge Group: Athena Under 40Time: 2:53:Overall F Place: 158/609Athena Place: 2/14Age Group Place: 21/103Summary: Tired, but gave it everything I had for a new Columbia PR.Pre-Race:Pretty typical race morning. Up at 4:30 to eat, dress, and finish packing. Left a little later than planned, but

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-77956436956820823912008-05-18T11:14:00.002-04:002008-06-21T21:36:23.288-04:00

I love rest weeks when I need them.I needed this one.I swam and biked once, and then bagged the other practices. I wanted to race hard at Columbia, so I didn't mind taking some extra days off.Last year I had a 60 miler bike ride the day prior to Columbia, which ended up being tough. This year I had nothing the day prior except a light brick (which I skipped), so I should be fresher and ready to

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-16895673167808872392008-05-14T20:53:00.002-04:002008-05-25T11:16:46.954-04:00

Technology is neat. This photo card can automatically tag locations of where the photos were taken (not everywhere, yet).http://www.eye.fi/overview/

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-34881025355966566522008-05-14T14:14:00.002-04:002008-12-10T19:32:06.018-05:00

In the latest issue of Bark magazine, the have some cupcakes that look like dogs. Cute, cute, cute. There is an example on Hello, Cupcake's website and their blog. Wow, I never knew cupcakes could look like art. Here is another blogging baker. Hey, I will be a blogging Baker one day, too!http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-36921061825289511612008-05-13T14:35:00.003-04:002008-12-10T19:32:06.216-05:00

Tour de SkylineBike 220 Miles Fri-Sat, May 9 - 10, 2008 - Shenandoah National ParkFirst of all, this wasn't a race.Second, I didn't ride the whole thing.But I did ride in the rain, fog, wind, sun, and fog again.Here is the elevation change.to be continued....

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-21946795389200820472008-05-13T13:50:00.003-04:002008-05-13T14:35:11.257-04:00

My friend Bethany forwarded me an e-mail about signing up to be a bone marrow donor. I signed up for free here at http://www.amysarmy.org/.The chances are slim that I'll be a match to someone in need, but I could save a life.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-42280669866300028152008-05-06T20:09:00.003-04:002008-05-06T21:19:39.180-04:00

So three years after buying my bike, I finally got a bike fit. There were no major issues with my body or bike, except that I was extending too much and my back/shoulders usually hurt after long rides. Plus I would have occasional knee pain, but nothing recurring nor troublesome. These symptoms were annoying, but nothing ibuprofen, Bio-Freeze, massage, and rest couldn't cure.However, lots of

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-8890909471910843252008-05-03T13:27:00.005-04:002008-06-10T09:46:21.221-04:00

I started a new job this week. The first week was all new hire orientation training courses which was dreadfully boring at worst and overwhelming with information at best. The cookies were good, though, and I drank gallons and gallons of water.The training week started off well with an easy 65 minute jog starting at Potomac River Running (PRR) in Arlington on Monday. It's a new store right

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-69177602130124000132008-04-30T18:12:00.006-04:002008-06-10T09:45:34.865-04:00

This is the weekend run and ride plan through Ironman Lake Placid.May 3/4 (5k run/90 mile ride) - I'm not doing the 5K, so I'm going to run 12 miles insteadMay 10/11 (16/60 - skyline)May 17/18 (Recovery-Brick/Columbia)May 24/25 (12/100 - LP Training Camp)May 31/June1 (18/70)June 7/8 (Recovery-brick/Mooseman)June 14/15 (12/110)June 21/22 (20/120)June 28/29 (Recovery-5/20)July 5/6 (2hr/60 - Skyline

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-73923933990728180602008-04-27T20:54:00.002-04:002008-04-27T20:57:01.711-04:00

Or at least a partial history found here. I always wondered how this neighborhood was founded. I knew Westlawn was full of post-WW2 homes which I assumed were for the soldier's families as they moved outside the city. I was mostly right.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-65418480664386005142008-04-19T14:48:00.002-04:002008-04-19T18:27:56.750-04:00

I wanted to watch the Olympic Trials. I was hoping in person back in January, but the Aruba trip got in the way. But then I was going to race Lake Anna so I wouldn't be able to watch on the internet or, gasp, tv (imagine a triathlon race on live TV!). But I decided not to race Lake Anna since my flight got in so late last night and it took several days to recover from the Cherry Blossom 10

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-29349975496376196162008-04-17T18:28:00.004-04:002008-04-19T19:18:57.619-04:00

I got engaged last night in Aruba, on a quiet beach at sunset after a wonderful day full of sleeping in, lingering over coffee, donkey petting and carrot feeding, snorkeling in crystal clear waters, and site-seeing all over the Aruban streets.To say that I'm happy is an understatement. Life has been delightfully rich since meeting Paul three years ago and I know that the future will be a lovely

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-53573573880144546562008-04-08T23:48:00.004-04:002008-06-10T09:46:21.222-04:00

Monday - OUCH! My calves were stiff and painfully sore. I took a work-out lunch and lifted arms after a short warm-up. I avoided anything with my legs since they were killing me and it hurt to walk stairs. Although running felt fine. Wearing three inch heels didn't help matters, so I hobbled around all day. In the evening I found motivation to run with both dogs for about 40-50 minutes. I

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-62007533597554580862008-04-08T00:00:00.000-04:002008-04-09T00:14:30.722-04:00

I negotiated $10K more in my salary and accepted the offer.I gave my two+ weeks notice after consulting Paul for ideas. I debated taking 1-5 days between jobs, balancing days of when my replacement could start versus when I wanted to leave, so I didn't leave either client hanging. Turns out my replacement was able to start next Monday, so I didn't have to stay for another full week after my

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-77970098886629760382008-04-06T21:06:00.004-04:002008-04-08T23:47:32.955-04:00

It was raining. Ughhh.It was supposed to rain yesterday. But yesterday was a gorgeous, warm, sunny day. This morning was not.I considered staying in bed but Paul was already up and moving about. I took Kozmo for a short jog since he refused to pee outside (I felt the same way). It wasn't so bad outside, just a drizzle. OK, race on.Since parking was going to be a nightmare, we decided to

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-57743925305702278312008-04-06T18:47:00.005-04:002008-06-10T09:46:21.223-04:00

Another glorious and much needed rest week.Monday I got a massage with Mario. I've been to him about ten times now, and he does a great job at finding my knots and working my sore muscles with deep tissue massage. Some spots hurt, but I grin and bear it b/c I know I'll feel better within 1-2 days. What noticeable about this session was the imbalance in my legs and back. My right side was

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-54773573858591073302008-04-01T21:22:00.002-04:002008-04-06T21:30:08.201-04:00

I got a new job offer today, and it wasn't an April Fool's joke.It's a nice salary jump, doing EXACTLY what I wanted to do next in my career, so I'm quite pleased. The project management role goes along well with the graduate school program in Management of IT I'm going to start, so things are starting to fall into place.Now, I'm just going to negotiate for more money. When I calculated the

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-92141867881955328732008-03-31T21:07:00.000-04:002008-04-06T21:22:01.159-04:00

I decided to sign-up for a 7.5 mile swim at the end of May. Now the website said that they were taking no more entries due to the lack of kayakers involved, but I asked the race director if I brought my own kayaker if I could enter. She said yes. Yippee!Why would I sign-up for this very long swim, when I'm overwhelmed by my current Ironman training? Well, I'm not sure how to answer that except

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-6403215931644638242008-03-30T09:16:00.008-04:002008-12-10T19:32:06.965-05:00

Monday: ran then lifted in the morning. Tuesday: swam and then biked at home on my trainer.Wednesday: ran intervals during lunchtime followed by a short weight session.Thursday: swam then skipped the bike.Friday was a day of rest. I took off a day of work to sleep in and then visit the Cherry Blossoms blooming downtown. Here are three photos:The wind is blowing Kozmo's ears back and his nose is

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-55245435385943062102008-03-24T21:30:00.002-04:002008-04-06T21:36:56.444-04:00

I got in! I wasn't surprised, but I was still happy to get that letter. Now they just want $35,000. Is it worth it? The program is admission to University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce Master of Science in Management of Information Technology. The program I selected is a 12 month program in Charlottesville, VA. That's a 90-120 minute drive from my house once a month for three

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-5678857404613230272008-03-20T21:09:00.007-04:002008-06-10T09:46:13.298-04:00

Monday I took Kozmo with me on a lovely 47 minute jog around the neighbor. The jingle jangle of his tags, pitter patter of his paws, quiet tunes from my iPod, and my rhythmic breathing conttribute to a meditative experience. Since I was to run for one hour, after my jog with Schmo Schmo I grabbed Nora for quick jog around the .75 mile loop. She needed some exercise, too. Except that I stopped

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-783833045666035082008-03-20T20:27:00.002-04:002008-03-20T20:54:44.763-04:00

This was an interesting day... I skipped swim practice at 5am. This is not unusual, although this time I didn't bother hitting my snooze, I just turned the alarm off. But I did get up and ride my bike trainer for half an hour. Sweating before work is always a positive experience. On my way to work, driving down a VERY busy four lane street, an adorable black and tan furball was suddenly right in

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-37728567769864575452008-03-18T22:07:00.001-04:002008-03-23T22:15:41.500-04:00

Today was our anniversary. Three years ago we met at Rosa Mexicana's in DC for our first date. He had big hair (still does), spoke with his hands (especially when nervous or animated), and was interesting despite what he calls having two strikes - being divorced and a poor grad student. I saw through all that and now I'm smitten and happy. For this day I got a cheesy card, filled the living

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-77823550539576045672008-03-16T14:22:00.006-04:002008-06-10T09:46:13.299-04:00

Recovering after only one week of dedicated training seems excessive, but I need it. After a very light winter training season, last week was a great training week for me.I ran, biked, and swam during the week. Sun-Wed I was in New Orleans for work so I got to put some time in the W gym.Saturday I took Kozmo for a 7 mile run. By the end of the run I felt light on my toes and picked up my pace a

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-64992927342203818942008-03-16T13:41:00.002-04:002008-03-23T21:40:25.112-04:00

I was surfing the net before swim practice, checking out swim video in anticipation of working with my tri coach to film swimmers underwater and analyze their stroke. I found some good videos that break down the freestyle swim stroke for triathletes (usually beginner swimmers), which I want to share here. http://www.youtube.com/user/ACTIVEdotCOM

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-88295010839365248572008-03-15T21:56:00.000-04:002008-04-06T21:45:05.024-04:00

I love going to the dog park.Kozmo isn't allowed any more since he is selective dog aggressive, but Nora is OK. This time at the dog park Nora was harassed by a Big Dog. My poor little mutt was terrified of an un-neutered harlequin great dane who kept harassing her, and it took about ten minutes for her to relax with the other dogs. Her submissive antics and warning crying to that Big Dog and

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-38673854566312971902008-03-09T18:20:00.004-04:002008-03-23T21:39:33.477-04:00

I need a vacation. So I decided to use a timeshare week, since my parents have donated one for me to use. Last year Paul and I experience timeshare hell in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico and we sweared to not use one again, but I can't believe every place to be that obnoxious and pushy with promotions. With that in mind, I searched for anything open in the world in March and April. But it had to be a

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-59691923626563361952008-03-09T08:37:00.001-04:002008-03-20T22:32:41.356-04:00

It's time to start training for Ironman!! My winter training funk is over, my motivation returned, and my illnesses (cold, flu, sinus infections) have been defeated. This was a great week for training. I continued with weight sessions and remembered how much I enjoy lifting (back in high school, college, and 2001-2). I made both running and biking workouts and had a good swim practice where I

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-91339219133039533672008-03-02T13:12:00.002-05:002008-03-20T22:32:41.357-04:00

On Monday, my Doctor banned me from exercise another week. After I FINALLY decided on Sunday to commit myself to Ironman training, having to wait one more week was annoying. But I needed to get healthy. So I followed doctors orders for 1.5 days before I went for a brief ten minute run with Kozmo in the freezing cold. I was wheezing and exhausted and felt like a fool. So this time, I

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-41628027828778125832008-02-26T20:35:00.004-05:002008-03-02T22:52:31.065-05:00

I played rugby for two years, 2001-2002. Being a Swimmer, it was great fun to learn to play a team sport on land. A sport that is NOT easy to learn. I swear I still didn't know half the rules after two years of playing. The group of girls were so much fun to party and hang out with. Here are some videos of me playing. http://www.novawrfc.org/video/3-30alineout.mpegA video of my rugby team from

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-56100907901953679322008-02-24T21:09:00.009-05:002008-12-10T19:32:09.897-05:00

So I built my own PC several years ago from scratch. I ordered all the parts and assembled it, with some help from my nerdy AOL friend. But a few years ago my hard drive crashed. I bought a new one and was able to get the crashed one running again. But I stupidly kept it in my PC as a second drive. Well, it crashed again in 2003 and I couldn't start my PC. At this point, I had my own laptop from

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-20594264217035872302008-02-23T12:51:00.004-05:002008-03-20T22:33:00.095-04:00

This week I was a couch potato. Oh yes, a certified, bona fide lazy ass; it was glorious. I avoided exercise and even dreaded walking to the bathroom, to the car, to work. I had lots of time to catch up on lame tv shows. But after a few days I got bored. I did have one moment of weakness, when I managed a short swim on Wednesday evening, while in New Orleans on a work trip. I limped back to my

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043970264884167677.post-86942266837075702282008-02-18T00:23:00.002-05:002008-03-20T22:33:37.826-04:00

I decided to try an online calorie counter. I'll see if I make one full day, then a second, then a third. If I get to a week I'll be amazed. If I get to a month, I might actually lose weight![Editors Note: I lasted three days before getting bored with the tedious program!]

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10041173043607236083noreply@blogger.com0