kristican

The old ball and chain

2011-04-07T15:29:00.016-04:00

KC and I got married in early October last year. It was an amazing day with family and friends. Couldn't have asked for more! We did the wedding at beautiful, historic First United Methodist Church in Ft Lauderdale followed by a reception at my very own brother's house.

A few of my favorite moments:
-We were late to our own wedding. I SO did not want to have a cuban wedding. I was DETERMINED not to have a cuban wedding. But the drawbridge on las olas had a different idea. KC got stopped by the bridge on his way to the chapel so I was picked up only a few minutes before i was supposed to walk down the aisle. Truth be told, it worked in our favor as there was a horrible accident on 95 North so a bunch of our guests were late. I was even more late which allowed everyone to be there before I made my entrance.
- We had a photo walk into the entrance of the house. We hadn't yet seen the pictures and it was so fun to walk through it and see it together for the first time.
-I surprised KC with a rad groom's cake of his athletic career that was in the center of a candy table. The cake rocked and was so delicious thanks to Rosie from Elegant Temptations.
-Not only did Kevin and Wendy let us throw a big party at their house, they also let us share their wedding date. They got married 11 years ago to the day. (Oddly, enough there was also a Miami/FSU game on the night they got married as well. And yes, there was a big TV with the game on at our reception. Unfortunately Miami lost both of those games. Ha. Ha. And sigh.)

Here is a (not final) video from our special day. And a few of my favorite photos as well. Enjoy!

(how cool is my breakdancing husband!)

All aboard!

2011-03-31T23:21:00.001-04:00

It's time to get back on the bandwagon. I'm going to rev this bad boy up again.
(Do people still even write on these things anymore?)

Wow it's been a while...and a lot has happened.

2010-05-05T18:06:00.005-04:00

I was just looking around my bookmarked pages and realized how much time has passed since i last posted. And wow, a lot has happened. Honestly too much to write here but thought i'd at least share the biggest news...the unclaimed blessing, as my family liked to call me, has been claimed.

That's right, KC and i got engaged. It happened in February on a spontaneous trip to St Thomas one weekend (spontaneous meaning, we bought the tickets the day before we took off so no, he did not have the whole thing planned out like you're probably thinking). When he asked me, as we were literally snorkeling in very deep water, i thought he was joking. I mean, who proposes in an ocean with snorkel gear on!!

Needless to say, the first word out of my mouth was not a resounding YES! followed by crying (which is what i think most people picture that moment to be). Instead it was, "what? are you serious? wait, what? did you ask my dad?" followed by a puzzled look on my face with the ring in his hand. (reminder, we were floating in water with the said ring in hand!) Also, in defense of my odd response, my grandmother had given me a ring and he was not holding that ring. (hence, the main reason i thought he was joking.) But i eventually did say yes and we're very excited to be getting married this October in Puerto Rico. More to come on that later i am sure.

Well, that's about it for now. It's been a great start of 2010 for us, with a lot of exciting things to come...

(in st thomas right before that "magical" moment. ha ha)

Naming Coincidence? You decide.

2009-11-11T21:17:00.004-05:00

Kyle and Kerri welcomed their 3rd child into the world on Monday morning (11/9). Another boy. Although it took THREE days to name him, he will officially be known from this day forward as Kase Finamore Kirkeide (pronounced "case").Most of you know they named their last son Kristopher.
And most of you know that Kase's future uncle is KC Boutiette.

Kristopher. Kristi.
Kase. KC.
Notice any similarities?
Hmmmm...

Well, regardless, Kase -- we think you're pretty darn cute!
We love you. We love your name. We're so glad you're the newest addition to our family. And we can't wait to meet you later this year!
Love,
The original "Kris" and the original "Kace"-ee (Boutiette)

(the addition of the last name was for you kelsey girl! ;) I'll explain that to you readers in another post.)

Kerri, Kase, Kelsey, Kristopher, Kyle
(and how cute is it that kelsey girl is holding kase's head!)

what's wrong with this picture?

2009-10-18T20:41:00.007-04:00

no it's (shockingly) not the place i got. but, um, they aged me ten years today! RUDE.

i did, in fact, come in first place in my age group today at the Miami Nice Triathlon. i was so excited. so excited in fact that i didn't actually look at the trophy until i got home at which point i realized they had given me the wrong one. (and no offense to that age of course.) ;)

it was a pretty tough race. COLD and WINDY. did i mention cold and windy? most of you are probably questioning cold here in miami. but it was! 62 degrees, thank you very much. oddly enough the water was 80.1 degrees and even with the waves and current which made for a tough swim, i did not want to get out. but i did. only to hit a wall of wind on the bike. it was so windy i almost ate it going down the bridge one time. it was scary. so i held on for dear life the next few bridges. the run was actually great. (do you even believe me as you all know i would never say that?) because it wasn't blazin' hot like it normally is!

anyway, i finished 2:44:16. i did a 27:42 swim (.9 miles), 1:18:21 bike (24.8 miles) and a 54:45 (6.2 mile run). and if that wasn't enough, someone who will remain nameless, made me run 4.5 miles afterwards to help prepare for my half ironman that somehow snuck up on me and is only THREE weeks away. WHAT?!? (oh boy, i have some serious running to do to get ready for this next race!)

i'm on a plane!

2009-10-01T22:55:00.002-04:00

posting this.
and chatting with KC.
while flying.
wow.

Some riding fun.

2009-09-11T11:34:00.001-04:00

This is what I like to call, "Me taking it."

some miami goodness -- fresh air and matson!

2009-07-28T22:13:00.018-04:00

i actually got home from work at a decent hour tonight and decided to go for a run. i went over to key biscayne and was reminded just how amazing miami can be. it was BEAUTIFUL out! i am so blessed and lucky to be in a place like this!

in other amazing and lucky/blessed kristi news, the 6th kirkeide grandkid was introduced to the world on friday. a happy and healthy 8 pound, 11.5 ounce boy named Matson Stewart Kirkeide. he's just so adorable. a perfect mix of the other 3 kids combined.

and finally, in slightly funny news, kc and i got to take care of the other 3 kids this weekend while kevin and wendy were at the hospital with their new son. an eye opening experience for us to say the least. ha. we had a lot of fun including activities like the science museum, whip and dip and costco.

The biggest fish I ever did see

2009-07-09T17:30:00.008-04:00

Dearest KC,
I thought when I invited you to go fishing with my family it was pretty clear I meant SALMON fishing. I guess not.
Love,
kk

And the summer triathlon seasons begins

2009-07-01T08:41:00.004-04:00

The Key Biscayne Sprint Triathlon Series began a week and a half ago. I was unsure if I was going to race or not as I've been on the road (and so sick) and have had a rough month at work. (I know most of you won't believe me when I say this but I had literally only run 3 times since my half ironman!) But I went ahead and decided to do it and just take it easy and have fun with it. (After all, I am supposed to be doing triathlons for fun, right?) I set small little goals and just hoped for the best. Goals: under 7 min swim, under 32 min bike and under 27 min run

Because it's such a short little triathlon (1/4 mile swim, 10 mile bike, 3.1 mile run), I decided to ride my bike over to the race as a warm up. It was definitely a good call. I quickly got set up in transition and waited for the race to begin.

The gun finally went off at 7:55 am and I was off. Took it very easy on the swim. Although I did have this girl that was driving me crazy right next to me in the water so of course I had to drop her and picked it up just slightly towards the end. :) Final swim time: 6:44 (that's about 1 minute slower than my last race... See, I CAN take it easy!) Goal #1 achieved.

I ran to the transition area to get ready for the bike only to find that someone had completely moved my set up and my stuff was everywhere. I was sooo annoyed and my transition was definitely longer than normal. Felt good on the bike minus the part where I realized there had been a pretty bad accident involving a big red SUV and the leader of the race. They had just put the guy in the ambulance but his bike was crumpled and a random shoe and helmet were on the ground along with some blood. Not good. (He ended up being okay for the most part.) Final bike time: 31:28. Goal #2 achieved.

And on to my final and "favorite" leg, the run. (Surely you all know by now I am being facetious.) I just cruised along. It got really, really hot towards the end but I ultimately crossed the finish line. Final run time: 26:45. Goal #3 achieved.

Overall, it was a great race. My final time was 1:09:26. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. I came in 10th place in my age group (out of 27). 33rd for females (out of 188) and 226th overall (out of 777). It was a great way to start of the summer season.

Here are some pics. Notice my new sweet uni!

The Conch Republic

2009-06-07T21:50:00.009-04:00

Newly crowned "doctor" jessie and her husband ryan came to visit over Memorial Day weekend. Woo Hoo!

Well, what they didn't know was that it happened to be Hip Hop Weekend in Miami. (Um, yeeeea!)SO, we decided to head down further South to good old Key West for the weekend. And boy did we have a good time.

There are too many great stories to tell so i'll just say we did a little bit of everything including the sunset festival, dinner, drinks at many of the famous bars there, a blue heaven brunch and some good old fashion sunbathing. I've made a montage of some of the fun here:

And I'd like to highlight one of my favorite happenings. Jessie and ryan really wanted to go to the beach. I tried to explain key west beaches were slightly different (like, there isn't much of one) but they wanted to see for themselves and ryan really wanted to just get in the water. So we went. Unfortunately, there was so much grass and too many moving things on the bottom of the water, we were too afraid to walk through to get to the sandbar so we stayed closed to shore.
(notice green junk on bottom in this pic)

Ryan was a little disheartened, and still wanted to get into the water so he just laid down and floated real quick and then we were out.

We hung out on the beach and finally walked back to the car. And that's when we noticed this not so noticeable sign. hmmmm...?!?!
It was posted low. And posted small. (And at least now we'll know what to tell the doctor if he comes down with anything. ha. and yikes!)

Thanks for coming to visit Jess and Ry Ry. We had an awesome time and can't wait to hang again. And congrats jess on FINALLY finishing school. I'm so proud of you.

(singing) M-I-C…K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

2009-05-28T00:48:00.014-04:00

A week ago Sunday I competed in my second Half Ironman -- the Florida 70.3 in Orlando at DisneyWorld. I’d been on the road and working a lot leading up to the race so my training was less than stellar and I had really dropped most of my expectations and goals for the race. But I pushed on through and did the race anyway and decided to just treat it like any other training day. A really LONG training day. And besides, KC was racing too. His first Half Ironman.
The swim started and I just took it easy. Finished in a respectable 37 minutes (1.2 miles). Then I was off to the bike. It was a fairly hilly course and there was a bit wind but somehow I managed to ride the 56 miles in 2:59. That’s over 15 minutes faster than my last half. Crazy!!
Unfortunately from there, I knew the toughest part was ahead of me…the run. As I’ve said in my past posts, “Oh, the dreaded run.” And in the heat. (It was SO hot. OMG.)

KC, of course, was in the Pro category so he started about 46 minutes before me. I figured at some point he might blaze past me on the run so it was no surprise when he ran up next to me on the 1st mile of the run. (He was on his last 4-mile loop but that’s beside the point.)And instead of finishing strong, he took a big hit on his time and ran (slow) with me my first 4 miles. It was so great. But I won’t lie, it sucked beyond words when he got to go left to the finisher’s chute and I had to go right for my second 4-mile loop. I felt pretty good on that second loop but it was definitely getting hotter.

As I passed by my fans (read: mom, dad and KC) and embarked on my third and final loop, I could tell I was kinda losing my steam.
At this point it might be worth mentioning that people were passing out around me. I stopped to help this one guy whose eyes were rolling behind his head (but somehow he refused my water??) And I passed a few people lying down with medics and some with IVs in their arms even. Um, yea.

Cut back to mile 10. That’s when I got this horrible lump in my throat and my mouth started watering. And it was pretty much downhill from there. I had to walk twice every mile and keep a cup of ice with me just not to throw up. It was not so great – both for my body and my time. But I did finally cross that finish line. Final time. 6:09. Better than I thought I’d do with my crappy (lack of) training but above my original 6-hour goal when I signed up for the race. Oh well, we’ll get ‘em next time!!

Next on the list...well, work is kinda crazy right now so I don’t really have anything on the list. Just taking it easy. But I am sure I’ll find something to do soon. Stay tuned.

And I have to end this with one last thing – Congrats KC on your first Half. Here’s to a great kickoff of the next 9 months. I know you can achieve your goals and I’ll be by you every step of the way.

i pretty much suck

2009-05-06T15:29:00.006-04:00

i can't believe another month has passed blogless. i am sorry i suck so much right now. i really am going to try to get better here. my promise to you faithful readers starting now.

the good news is a lot of stuff is coming up so i should have plenty of material to talk about. here's what's on deck:

disney half ironman in a week (May 17) -- and i have been working so much and traveling that i have not really been training. greeeeat!

a jessie and ryan memorial day weekend visit. YAY!

family trip to seattle, wa for my annual fishing trip with my dad and more importantly my grandpa's NINETIETH birthday bonanza. (wow, that's old.) plus, the whole (extended) family will be meeting kc for the first time (dun, dun, dun!) will i keep the family largest salmon catch record? and will kc pass the meeting the family test? only time will tell. but me thinks winning over h-chy, anders and moo will seem like a piece of cake for kc compared to meeting the rest of the kirkeide clan. (good luck with that stinker.)

miami baby kirkeide #4 arrival in late july (that is, if wendy can hold him in...the kid is GINORMOUS already.) and they are still accepting names if you have some suggestions. scandinavian in origin only please.

and if that's not enough, charlottesville baby kirkeide #3 this fall! boy or girl? we'll know in abut 8 weeks. (oh, and kerri, you're insane.)

well, that seems like enough to keep me busy for the time being. stay tuned, because this time, for real, i am back!

F-U-N

2009-04-04T18:33:00.003-04:00

Today, contrary to popular to belief, I found out that Florida had mountains. That's right. And I rode my bike up them to boot. 50 miles total. Not all hills, but 50 good miles nonetheless.

And if that's not enough, I then ran 7 1/2 miles.
And if THAT'S not enough, I swam a mile.
All for "fun"...hmmm?

(I'm told tomorrow I get to have more fun...can't wait.)

I'M BACK

2009-04-04T18:31:00.000-04:00

it's been a while. i know.

sorry.

Run Forrest Run! (And why everybody needs a Canadian Tom)

2009-01-27T18:02:00.020-05:00

So this last Sunday i ran my first marathon -- the ING Miami Marathon. It's not something i really ever planned to do. But since i've gotten into triathlons, I figured if i am ever going to do a full on ironman i needed to see if i can actually run that far. Plus, as proven in past posts, i am a complete sucker so it didn't take long for my lovely girlfriend's to convince me to run with them. (i mean, we are the three amigas...how could i NOT run with them!?!?)

The gun went off at 6:15 am. We had a great first half of the race -- crossed 13.1 miles at 1:55 (8:48 per mile pace). And I actually felt great.
<-----See.

We had to take a few quick pit-stops around mile 14 and 17. Those of you who know my running, but more importantly know my "kegs", know i don't do so well with pit-stops...and so around mile 22 my worst fear started happening. My legs started cramping. And cramping bad. To the point where, just before mile 26, I wasn't sure I could go any further. Seriously...less than a 1/4 mile before I am done and I am thinking I may not make it.

Enter Tom. Tom saw me wincing in pain and slowed down to talk to me. He was from Canada and running his 14th marathon. He missed his time he was going for and instead made it his mission to run the last 1/4 mile with me. We talked the whole way and crossed the finish line together.
My time: 4:03. A 9:17 minute/mile pace. Not too shabby for my first time.

After a few days of major (i mean MAJOR) pain, i am starting to feel like my old self again. And the thought of running doesn't actually make me sick. So who knows, maybe i will do this again someday. But someday far, far away from today.

And this post wouldn't be complete with out a big CONGRATS and THANKS to my favorite running amigas (or should i say running divas. ha!) on their personal best marathons! (Aileen 4:01 and Noemi 3:55) You guys did awesome, and just like tom, helped me get across that finish line! xoxo
A few of my favorite quotes (literally from me...HA!) from the day:

At mile 6 on the beach when we saw KC ah-gain (and in my defense, he just had back surgery and is not supposed to be doing anything, yet he was like where's waldo showing up everywhere). With pointed finger, "You better not be running around with your back." (This was also captured on video and has provided many laughs over the last 3 days.)

Upon crossing the finish line as i was wanting to die, "if that damn time chip didn't work i am going to kill somebody."

As i sat crying in pain on the ground cramping beyond belief about 20 minutes after i finished, "if you people ever think i am going to do this again you are SO wrong."

it's my blog-o-versary

2009-01-11T15:25:00.004-05:00

that's right. it's been 1 year to the day that i started this bad boy up.

and all thanks to my good friend steve.
i wasn't sure if i could do it. but he encouraged me to give it a try. he was the one who kept saying i could do this. and apparently he was right. because 48 entries later, i am still at it. who knew?!?!

so thanks steve. and here's to another new year of blogging.

The Perfect Un-Plan. And Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T14:41:00.023-05:00

KC and I randomly decided to go down to Key West for New Year's Eve -- no plans and no reservations. We just jumped in the car, and hoped for the best. And everything worked out perfect...

We got there just in time for the sunset festival (where we watched a crazy man escape from a straitjacket while hanging upside down).

(unfortunately crazy man's head got cut off by ours in the picture.)

We walked into a hotel and they had a cancellation literally right before we walked in. (And it was the perfect location...right on the edge of Duval Street.) We had a great dinner and watched the Conch Shell drop at Midnight outside of Sloppy Joe's.

On New Year's Day, we walked down to the Southernmost Point and had an awesome brunch at Blue Heaven. On the way out, I almost got ran over by two crazy roosters. (If you've never been to Key West, they literally just roam free around the streets.) After nearly taking my life, the said rooster took off down the street. And of course I had to get a picture of him so i chased the little bugger. Apparently KC was taking video and little did I know the rooster had a friend in the bushes...

After my near death experience, we shopped around a bit then spent the rest of the day by the pool. It was so nice and relaxing.

(yes, KC is extra white and the underwater shot is with his cool new camera.)

So that's our trip in a nutshell. Totally unplanned and it ended up being the perfect way to ring in the New Year.

Hope you all had a great New Year too! May this year be filled with many blessings for you!

Merry Christmas from Sunny and WARM Florida

2008-12-25T22:10:00.015-05:00

Just wanted to wish everybody a merry christmas and so did someone else -- I have a guest blogger:

Hi it's Hayden. My favorite toy was The American Girl Theater. It was cool. Very cool. I got new NancyDrew books.
I got AmericanGirl perfume. I also got a bike. I love my gifts. Bye,

(man could she BE any cuter? i did not edit this at all. she made sure all the words were spelled right! and here she is with her american girl theater.)

Anyway, we're having a great time down here in South Florida. i think it's the only place in the country that is actually WARM and i am not complaining. Kyle and his fam came down from Charlottesville. and my parent's are here too. it's been a blast.

a few highlights:

-i got to meet kristopher for the first time. we bonded instantly -- probably because he knew we shared the same name. (see this post if you don't know what i am talking about.)

-hayden and anders are totally addicted to wii bowling and baseball. it's hilarious.

-kelsey has finally made peace with pumpkin and grover. she doesn't freak out and cry every time they come near her. and she does sign language for dog about 20 times a day along with cat. (And she LOVES melly.)

-we had an amazing christmas dinner, and yes, the crown jewel was served by yours truly.

-my dad continues to school us all in rummy. i swear i don't know how he does it but he just kills us all every time we play. he's so freaking lucky.

-hayden played a big kid game (10,000) and actually beat me, kevin, kyle and my dad! no kidding. she was so excited.

i could go on and on forever so i'll just leave it at that for now. one day left before i break this party up and head to milwaukee to watch KC skate this weekend.

hope everyone had a great day. i am truly blessed with such a great family and friends. merry christmas everyone!

(the grandkids)

Can you actually walk your legs off?

2008-12-02T01:05:00.009-05:00

Because i think i almost did in Singapore.

I started off my next day on these Cable Cars that went over the water onto an island called Sentosa. It was really, really pretty and there was a lot to do there. I walked around the island a bit, went on a little Luge ride and then went to Underwater World -- a sea aquarium that a lot of local people had told me about. And i can't lie, it kinda blew. I could almost spit from the entrance to the exit. It took me 20 minutes to walk through the whole thing. I mean, there were a few cool things there but it was just really small compared to some things here in the US. Not worth my time or money. I wish i had just done more stuff on the island instead. But i had no more time to explore the island because i had places to go and people to see.

So I headed off to Little India and Arab Street for a little more local flavor. I walked around a bit and went into a bunch of shops. A lot of silks and things like that. Then i stopped at this little indian shop to eat. And here's what i learned in Little India. 1. They are NOT messing around when it comes to spices. 2. Don't forget kleenex, you need them for said spices. 3. Green tea helps with the burn, but ice cream afterwards helps even more. :)

I walked around pretty much the rest of the day (like over 6 more hours). Saw all these temples and stuff. And crazy people waving incense and flowers and throwing coins for buddha. And I kept walking. And then I just kept walking even more. I walked so much I thought my legs might fall off. Literally. I mean, i got to the point where if i think if i took another step, i might have died. So i did want any bright young lady would do in the same situation...i got a massage. Oh yes. Oh yes.

Tokyo report coming up next.

My Thanksgiving in Singapore

2008-11-27T18:21:00.024-05:00

Suffice it to say i did not waste one single moment yesterday on my Thanksgiving in Singapore.

I started the day at the Singapore Botanical Gardens. Words won't even do this place justice. Especially when it comes to the orchid garden. There were thousands of different kinds there. Even a VIP section. It was amazing. Here are a few pics that don't even begin to explain the beauty in this place. (On a side note, when my parents used to come here for my dad's work, they used to run together in these gardens. And my mom swears that a friend saw a cobra just slithering around one day on a run. SO glad i know that now after i went there!)

And on to Chinatown. I spent several hours walking around and taking it all in. Got a few gifts and then went to eat at this Hawker Centre which is kind of like a big local food court. This lady who made a present i got recommended it. I figured i'd be the only blonde in there, but i was in fact the only WHITE person in there. But it was great. I got chicken and rice at stall 10 called Tian Tian. And i washed it down with a strawberry green tea. And a banana fritter that i was told to get from stall 62. SO good. And with that i was done in chinatown.

Next i headed to the Singapore Zoo. It was so great. They had these areas where you walked in and all the wildlife was around you. Monkeys above your head. There was this one place called the Fragile Forest. The zoo brochure says, "fluttering butterflies, amazing arboreal animals like tree kangaroos, lemurs and sloths." And they weren't kidding. There were butterfiies flying all around me. It was so cool. It was probably my favorite part along with all the monkeys.

Finally, i headed to one of things i was most excited about seeing in Singapore -- the Night Safari. It was pretty amazing. I started with the creatures of the night show. it was interesting, but i couldn't wait to get to the actual zoo part. I did the walking tour and the tram ride. The tram was okay, but the walking tour ROCKED! Mainly because of two things: the Giant Flying Squirrels and the Mangrove Bat Walk. Yes you heard me, giant FLYING squirrels and bats (and they FLY too). These were two "walk-through" exhibits. Like free-flying around you walk-through exhibits. And I can't lie, i was slightly scared entering both of them (seeing as you had to go through three doors to get inside-so they wouldn't get OUT.) I went to the squirrel one first. And it was fine at first, until this BIG squirrel flew literally right in front of me. Landed two feet away. I was so freaked, yet it was so cool at the same time. You'd think after that i'd think twice about the bat walk, especially when there were warning signs saying the bats were fruit eating bats and would not bite or anything. But i paid no heed to what the warnings said. And i walked right in, clutching my water bottle to my chest. Boy am i glad i had something to hold on to, because right when i entered a bat flew right in front of me, then one flew right behind me hitting my backpack. Thank the Good Lord Almighty that there were other people in there because i would have screamed SO loud that all that bats probably would have attacked me. But i held it in. My heart almost beat out of my chest. But somehow i was able walk forward to get to the other side and out. Of course, the people that walked in behind me kinda pushed me along. Otherwise, i might have just stayed frozen in place. It was funny. Scary. But funny. And i can honestly say that looking back it was one of the coolest experiences i've had in a long time. (note: the above picture of me at the safari sucks, i know. I mean, i had been on my feet for over 12 hours in the heat. Sweating like you wouldn't believe. But i had to post it because it was the night safari and it was the only pic that you could actually see!)

So that ended the day. I grabbed a taxi and headed back to the hotel. I know this is super long but i wanted to post one of my favorite signs i saw today. It's a little blurry, but i think you'll get the point. (And if we're all really honest, I think we can relate sometimes...HA!)

And with that, i'm out. On deck for today (and i am now late bc i was writing this): cable cars to sentosa island, little india, arab and bujis street and shopping on orchard road. oh yeah!
See ya.

although i am halfway across the world right now...i am still thankful.

2008-11-27T09:47:00.002-05:00

although your thursday is just beginning, mine's about to end. so i wanted to wish everyone a happy thanksgiving before i hit the hay.

although i won't be eating turkey and mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, i am still very thankful. thankful for my family. thankful for my friends. and thankful for all the blessings i've been given so far and for what is yet to come.

tomorrow i'll write about my day today in singapore. but i will say this for now...it was Ah-MAZING today! Chicken and Rice in Chinatown replaced the Turkey dinner i'm missing out on in a 5 or 6 hours back home.

and i'm off...

2008-11-25T07:50:00.004-05:00

so i decided to take a "quick" little trip to singapore. quick...as in, i'll be on the ground for just a few days in singapore. and then i get a nice long layover in tokyo on the way back and yes i will explore there too.

i can't wait!! i'm on the plane now waiting for everyone to finish boarding so we can get this party started.

i have an itinerary chock-full of activities (and shopping!). it's going to be a whirlwind. but SO much fun.

be sure to check back for updates.

(oh, and to my peeps at work...Godspeed for the next two days.) :)

miami man mania. (really, just mania.)

2008-11-17T00:56:00.014-05:00

as you know, last sunday i competed in the miami man half ironman. and perhaps some of you at this point may have thought that i didn't survive it since it's taken me so long to write about the results. i'm sorry...it's just our little h-chy got sick and ended up in the hospital so needless to say this week has been kinda crazy. she's fine now -- sans tonsils. and i am just getting my act together to write about my race. so here goes:

i finished the race 6:03:15 (that would be SIX hours. crazy, right?) and i am happy to report that time was 27 minutes ahead of my goal. here's how it all broke down:

Swim (1.2 Miles): i felt great on the swim. i didn't push too too hard because i had a long day ahead of me but finished with a time of 36:18 and i was very pleased. there were a lot of people in the water so i had to weave in and out at times.

Bike (56 miles): i've never ridden that far alone before so i wasn't sure how i was going to do. i figured it'd take me 3:15 - 3:30 but i finished in 2:56:14. i was stoked. the wind got crazy at some points so it was working my hamstrings and for some reason my groin was cramping about halfway through every time i'd get in my aerobars. but i just pushed on through.

i got three nice surprises on the actual ride. first, as i was heading out, i saw my friend guillermo who i haven't seen in months. he gave me a high five and his smile was just what i needed as i began my 56 mile journey. at mile 26, my friend rebecca was cheering me on. then kc was on the side of the road at about mile 44. (and he actually rode up next to me with about 10 miles to go. it was funny. he was filming me...i'll post a video montage later. oh yea...watch out!)

Run (13.1 miles): where to even begin here. UM, i realized quickly that 13.1 miles was really far. especially when you've already been going for more than 3 1/2 hours. i had a slight cramp in my side the first 5 miles and then my hamstrings and lower back kicked in. oh did they kick in. the last two miles were brutal (and i unfortunately had to walk several times). my time was 2:23. i missed my run goal by 3 minutes but i just physically couldn't get my body going any faster. ultimately...i finished so i guess i have nothing to complain about. and now i have a new goal for next time. (yes, i just said next time...i know, estoy loca!)

overall, the whole experience was amazing. a nice crisp swim, a good bike, and the whole running through the zoo thing was killer. i got to see all the animals -- giraffes, gorillas, elephants, tourists in "safari cycles" -- but let me tell you...i have never seen a finish line that looked so good. i have never been given a medal that meant so much. and to top it off, my parents were there to see me do the whole thing. it meant so much to me that they came and cheered me on. (thanks again mom and dad!)

this is me walking out of the finish area. (somehow i managed to put on a face that didn't look like i wanted to die...ha)

and this post wouldn't be complete if i didn't pay homage to my little training group. congrats carol, noemi and aileen. you ladies did awesome. you all continue to inspire me (well, maybe not inspire me to go 26.2 miles. ha ha.) and i look forward to, and enjoy, every time we train together. and kc, a huge thanks. none of us could have crossed the finish line without your help. :)

and with that, the 2008 triathlon season is over. it was a great year filled with lots of learning and most importantly tons O' fun.
so what now you ask? REST. and figuring out what 2009 will hold for me.

6 days and counting...Dear God help me!

2008-11-03T10:00:00.005-05:00

i can't believe the time is almost here. i mean, it seems like yesterday that my two friends and training partners, aileen and noemi, somehow convinced me to sign up for the miami man half ironman. that's right, i said half ironman -- a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike followed by a 13.1 mile run. (clearly they got to me in a moment of weakness and/or psychosis.)

we've been training long and hard and it seems crazy that it now comes down to these last 6 days. i've been really nervous over the last few weeks, but now i am at a point where i am just excited and calm-ish. i mean, i am ready...i can to do this (i think - ha). i just want sunday to get here already so i can start this thing. and i can assure you, come hell or high water i WILL finish.

the three amigas last weekend before we took off on the homestead century ride -- we rode around the racetrack for the first lap. it was fun!

My Official Debut

2008-10-15T14:29:00.004-04:00

No I am not 18 and being presented to society. (I lived on the wrong side of town for that. Plus I thought it was just plain stupid -- sorry to any of my debutante readers.) But I did finally get my hands on the magazine/write up on KC that I took some pictures for a few months ago and wanted to share.

So with out further ado...
I was trying to look all mean and like I was killin' it in the picture. But this was the best I could do as the thought of me being the actual "model" on the shoot kept me laughing.

Please send all fan mail to my p.o. box as my home address won't be able to handle the volume. ;)

The magazine, SoBe Fit, launches in December.

Sunday was a good day! (KB Tri #4 report and some boat action)

2008-09-22T18:06:00.011-04:00

Yesterday was pretty stellar as far as good days go.

It started at 5:30 am when I woke up to compete in the bonus round for the Key Biscayne triathlon trilogy series. Just a sprint distance -- quick and fun. And it became even more fun when I crossed the finish line 2:18 faster than the previous races. That's right. We're seeing some major progress.

Final time was 1:06:21. A personal best for the sprint distance.
The swim (1/4 mile) was a bit rough. (Literally -- the wind was blowing so there were waves so my time was a tad longer than past races.) But I finished my Bike in 30:58 (1:31 faster than my fastest time). And the run in 24:52 (fastest time by :40). That's an 8:01 mile pace people! I was so excited.

I came in 2nd for my age group. For the series I finished 5th overall! One caveat on the overall finish -- you got bonus points for the bonus round (hence the name I guess??) so I think that's why I passed up some people. (I've been finishing in the top 10/top 15 for the other races.) But 5th nonetheless so I am pleased! And I'd like to give a shout out and thanks to KC -- none of this could happen without him! :)

Next up in the tri life: Escape to Miami Olympic Distance Tri Oct 5. You have to jump out of a boat into the water for the start. It's crazy fun. And then we have the race of all races (for me that is)...what I've been training for all year -- Miami Man Half Ironman Nov 9 (mark your calendars family because you must be there. Team Gizzie needs you for this long race!)

Then, after the race, I went out on the water for the rest of the day with my awesome friends. A blast was had as usual. Needless to say, this busy (and apparently now fast) bee crashed pretty hard last night.

Seriously folks...does a day get any better than this??

It's been a REALLY bad week...yet I am thankful!

2008-09-12T20:07:00.003-04:00

I am not going to lie. This week has sucked on many different levels. Probably one of the worst I've had in a really long time. And it's resulted in an inordinate amount of negativity on my part. So when I got home from work tonight, I decided to go for a long walk to get some alone time and listen to music and just think. And boy am I glad I did. Because as I walked out onto Key Biscayne and looked out into the amazing water and watched the sun set, I realized how lame I have been this week to let all these things get to me when I have SO much to be thankful for. And while this post may seem a little lame (and probably more appropriate for Thanksgiving Day or something), for some reason I thought it was important to write just a few of those things down now. So here goes. Bear with me here people.

I have been so blessed with a great family and the most amazing friends. Without you all I am nothing.

I live in a place where I get to wake up every morning and see the ocean. (And I swim in said ocean almost every week.) Most people can't say that.

I live in a city where I can be active outside all year round. Sure it gets toasty here in the summer, but a little sweat never hurt anyone. And man you can't beat the winters. And I know, I know, some of you think I am slightly crazy for my "activities" that I partake in year round, but at least I am healthy! Which is another thing I am thankful for...my health.

I've been able to travel to some pretty awesome places and I've met so many interesting people.

I am about to finish a personal project that is almost 2 WHOLE YEARS in the making. Something I was not sure would ever come to an end. So YAY!

Most importantly (and despite that fact that this tends to be the thing I forget the most), I am so thankful that there is Someone who is in control and has a plan for my life.

Well, that's really all I wanted to write down for now. As I said, I know this may be kinda lame, but perhaps it made you think of something YOU are thankful for.

Oh, and before I peace out, I do want to give two quick shout outs:
Chelsea -- My very first friend on this earth. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Sorry I did not call or write. I know I suck. But I did think of you often this week. I am so very thankful after all these years that we are still friends. Love you and your beautiful family and can't wait for the latest addition to arrive!
Scooter -- Have a great weekend. If anyone deserves it, it's you. Thank you for everything you do. Your hard work does not go unnoticed. And most importantly, keep your eye on the prize, my friend. (November...in case this week beat you up so much that you can't remember. HA.) :)

I'm a total slacker, I know!

2008-09-02T00:39:00.023-04:00

So it's been a while since my last post. Almost a month. Sorry all you faithful readers (totaling all of probably 1. HA!)

Anyway, a lot has happened but I am going to keep this as short as possible. August has been filled with many great things. I was in LA for a few weeks for work. Got back just in time for my little H-chy's 6th birthday and a tropical storm. (I know, I can't believe she's 6 already either!) She had a Happy Feet skating party thrown by super mommy (aka wendy).

We had a fishing tournament at work. It was right on the heels of Tropical Storm Faye so the water was a tad rough that day. Even rougher was the bite. We caught only 4 fish the whole time (a yellowtail, 2 groupers and we can't forget rebecca's grunt), all not of legal size so we had to throw them back. Despite the horrible bite, we had a blast on the water. Thanks Denise and Danny for hosting our team.

I had another triathlon - Key Biscayne Trilogy #3. I finished 10th in my age group with a time of 1:08:39. My swim was faster than last time (1/4 mile, 5:55). Bike was 32:29 (10 miles). And I continue to get better on my run. 3.1 miles in 25:32. That's right my friends, an 8:14 minute mile pace. (I know, i know, for someone like Tony or KC it's like walking, but, um, for me, that's fast. Like lightening fast.) And, I am starting to perfect the champion pose at the end of the race. Don't ya think?

ALSO on the triathlon front, I somehow convinced Rebecca and Denise during our fishing tournament to do the duathlon (run, bike, run) for Trilogy #3 and they both did amazing. HUGE congrats to them. They're planning to do #4 (a bonus round) and have even recruited at least one other person.

The month ended with a rockin' trip to Aspen, CO this labor day weekend for my good friend Pam's 40th b-day bash. I'll do a separate post on that later this week because it DEFINITELY deserves it.

Huntington's Disease Triathlon

2008-08-05T17:45:00.010-04:00

This last Sunday I celebrated my 1 year anniversary of living the tri-life. That's right, it's been 1 year since my first race and when most of my friends and family would say I lost my mind. I mean, who in their right mind would trade in their night life for sunrises, sea lice rashes and lots of sweat.

It's hard for me to believe it's been a whole year since I completed the Huntington's Disease triathlon and truth be told, I was looking forward to the race to see just how far I've come over the last year.

Cut to me standing on the beach Sunday morning at 6:45 am in the rain and wind while small waves crash in on the shore. My hopes of seeing how far I'd come in the last year slightly dashed.

Fortunately the rain soon stopped but there was still a slight chop on the water. The starting gun went off and off I went on my quarter mile swim. I was leading my pink cap group until the last 25 or so yards when a wave caused me to swallow an ungodly amount of water. It tripped me up a bit but I emerged from the sea in 2nd place and I was feeling good. Time: 8:29 vs last year of 7:21 (see how conditions can affect the race)

On to the 13 mile bike. I was feeling okay until I made the turn back and realized I was going against the wind. But I pushed on through and finished in 41:59 (last year: 44:56). Definitely could have gone a bit harder but still was in great spirits.

Finally I hit the pavement for the 3.1 mile run. The weather was just perfect and I was feeling fabulous. One girl in my age group passed me but I was able to keep her in my sights and make a strong finish with the help of Tony as my rabbit (who by the way was doing the Olympic distance and passing me!!) I'd also like to note that "Team Gizzie" came to support me so it made the finish even more special!

My time. Get ready for this...get ready... 25:32. It's the fastest I've ever run in a race. WOO HOO! (last year: 28:21. You all know I hate the run so this was a really big boost for me. Perhaps my hard work is paying off.)

We cheered on my other friends and waited for the results to be posted. I was pretty sure I came in either 2nd or 3rd for my age group because only a few people passed me that I noticed. And I was dying to know what my official time and splits were. Finally they were posted. We go to look at my age group and lo and behold my name is not there. I won't lie...a moment of devastation came over me because I thought maybe something happened to my chip and my time was not recorded. And I felt like I had raced so well. So we look again. Still not there.

It was at that moment that I noticed my name was on the very top of the list. Turns out, I came in 3rd overall for females and apparently they put the top 3 finishers on the very top of the list. (Who knew?? Clearly not me since I've never had something like this happen before.)

So all in all, a great day. I was beyond pleased and am looking forward to my next race in late August.

Oh, and one last thing. It should be noted that this race is smaller than other races I have done. Had it been bigger I surely would not have placed that high. But for now, I'll just relish in the fact that I was on the top of the list. Even if for only a fleeting moment! :)

you know it's a good time when...

2008-07-31T13:19:00.007-04:00

your nephew looks like this on the way home after his very first sleepover and day of fun with aunt gizzie.

that's right. i dared to take in two of my favorite little darlings for a slumber party -- a night away from the 'rents with their tia loca. (i have FIVE ~~four~~ favorite darlings for the record...it's just three ~~two~~ (sorry moo!) live really close to me.) anyway, a good time was had by all!

saturday evening we swam and played on the playground. then off to archie's pizza for dinner. we capped the night with a mylie cyrus concert (with special guests the jonas brothers) on the disney channel. woo hoo!

sunday brought us a very excited buggy (anders) whose first words out of his mouth were, "i slept all night without my te-te" (that means pacifier and words can't describe what a really big deal it is!) and he proceeded to repeat "this is so much fun. this is so much fun." all day.

what kind of fun did we have you ask?
oh, we went to the miami seaquarium. we saw the manatees and dolphins and alligators and sea lions and even a killer whale! plus a lot of fish in the big old aquarium and we played and played and played on the playground. and let's not forget all the junk food! (slurpees, brownies, ricky race car gummies.) i'm actually surprised one of them didn't throw up.

here are a few pics of the exciting day. i can't wait to do it again...

Kids say the darndest things.

2008-07-23T00:48:00.005-04:00

Scene:
Hayden and the "scary babysitter" (read: me) are watching Animal Cops on Animal Planet. We cut to a commercial break. Despite being employed in advertising, the scary babysitter pays no heed to the commercial but instead turns attention to Laina in the corner to make sure she is not killing herself (bc she is learning how to "run" now). Hayden randomly speaks.

Hayden: Gizzie, you need to join eHarmony.

Kristi: What?...Me? Excuse me?

Hayden: Yes, you. You need to join eHarmony.

Kristi: What?...Why do you think i need to join eHarmony?

Hayden: So you can find a husband.

Just one example of how powerful advertising really is with kids.
That, or kk (my mom) has finally gotten to her. :)

Save the best for last.

2008-07-15T02:53:00.002-04:00

Apparently writing about our bad fishing luck gave us a little boost for our last day out before cutting our trip to Sekiu short. I now hold the new family record for largest salmon caught and brought in the boat. It's about 40 pounds and smokes kevin's record that he's held for about 5 or so years now from a salmon he caught in alaska.WOO HOO!
I will revel in this victory a few more days (since i am just getting internet access now) and then will post news from the last little bit of what i am told was called vacation.

what's missing in this picture?

2008-07-08T00:42:00.005-04:00

as most of you know, i am out salmon fishing in sekiu, washington with my dad. it's a trip we do every year.

i'd like to play a little game with you. like the games in sports bars where you have to pick out what's missing in the picture. let's try it out...you have 10 more seconds..........that's right. the FISH are missing. we've caught 1 king in 3 days. we've caught about 5 fish total but had to throw all but 1 back because they were "natives" and not "hatchery" fish. but that is a whole 'nother discussion (hatchery vs natives) that i won't go in to because it makes me (and the rest of us non native americans) angry.

we have our last day bright and early tomorrow before we cut our vacation short to be with my grandpa in idaho because he had a little accident. well, a big accident so we're going to be with my mom who was supposed to be in lovely sekiu with us. but we'll be back in september...so watch out!

our newest kk

2008-06-26T10:35:00.010-04:00

Our Clan has grown once again. Kyle and Kerri had their baby boy this morning. Kristopher Louis.

Now some of you may notice that the name is eerily similar to mine. (Kristin Louann -- Lou being cut down from Louis). And i am not going to lie -- filing trademark/name infringement against them crossed my mine when i learned what they were going to call baby #2.
But when i saw the cuteness of him, my concern went away. He came out big and strong, and i think he's going to represent OUR name well.

So welcome to the family Kristopher. Can't wait to meet you in person. And i am pretty sure you can't wait to meet me either because i am the one who is going to spoil you and let you do all the things your mommy and daddy don't want you to do.
love,
the original "kris"

the happy family

KB Trilogy #1

2008-06-22T23:08:00.011-04:00

I had my first sprint triathlon of the summer on key biscayne yesterday. i was sportin' some new stretchy, dare i say stylish, tri shorts and oddly enough was a bundle of nerves. the reason -- i haven't done a sprint since my first ever triathlon last august -- i've been doing the longer distance and working on my pacing/endurance versus speed. but all in all i am pleased with my performance. i finished in 1:08:54. i came in 13th out of 33 (for my age group).

I did the 1/4 mile swim in 6:23. it's actually a great time, but i was a bit disappointed as i was literally strangled by a lifeguard as i rounded a buoy and lost my place in the lead pack and a good :10-:15. (for some odd reason there was a lifeguard IN the water, IN the swim path and he had a lifeguard ring with a rope that was attached to another lifeguard on a surfboard about 5 ft away. the rope caught my neck and it (obviously) stopped me. it was so strange.)

on to the 10 mile bike ride. i've been struggling a bit on my bike lately. my legs keep "blowing up" so i wanted to make sure i didn't kill myself during the ride. i held back a bit but still finished in 32:42.

which leads me to the run. the dreaded run. you all know i hate the run. BUT, i had my best run ever in a triathlon. i finished in 27:01. i FINALLY broke my 9 minute/mile barrier. finally. and the best part, i had a little more in me. i know i could have pushed harder.
it was the first race of the trilogy -- the benchmark for the rest of the sprints this summer. (at least, i hope.) :)

also, HUGE shout out to "coach" Tony (ha ha) (of Tony REALLY can) for a RI-diculous time! yes i made that name up for his blog, you'll understand what i mean if you read it. and then there's Aileen (pictured with me above) for her best swim ever and overall awesome time! oh, and dawn from work who hasn't done this in 4 years and soldiered through the duathlon despite a few bike hiccups. :)

Never a dull moment on key biscayne...

2008-06-17T16:17:00.006-04:00

Last week a hairy butt, this week Cubans!

As i was riding over to key biscayne this morning i noticed a helicopter overhead and a bunch of police cars and commotion in the distance. As i got closer i noticed a group of people sitting on the ground. Apparently, some Cuban refugees landed and the police were keeping an eye on them until the border patrol got there. On my way home the border patrol was putting them in a van to take them away for processing. Just another day on key biscayne and a few more (new) miami residents that won't speak english to me.

Oh, and a colleague of mine and i were debating how we should say they came on shore. Originally i said washed up on shore...he thought that meant dead bodies. While i agree it may hint at that and there is likely a more "pc" way to say it, i feel the term "washed up" adds to the drama of the situation. I mean, these people have been on rafts for days in search of freedom. surely they deserve some sort of drama for their harrowing journey. He suggested arrived or landed. (bor-ing.) Yet, i conceded and used landed for the entry.

What do you think it should be called?
(this is what nbc thinks the correct term is: ) (again i say, bor-ing.)

i've seen many things in my time...

2008-06-11T21:19:00.003-04:00

but nothing quite as disturbing and sickening as what i saw this morning while riding on key biscayne.

i'm on my final few miles home after a two hour ride and i catch up to this group. they were going a little slower than i wanted but i didn't have enough time to pass them before going over the big bridge. so i kinda just tailed on to the end of them.

well, another few riders came up and apparently one of the guys knew someone in the big group so he decides to go say hello. he passes me but he can't get around the guy in front of me so he is caught slightly ahead of me to the left.

and that's when i saw it.
nothing has been the same since.

before my own very eyes was a big hairy butt. that's right. you heard me. a big hairy butt. the guy had on white (older/faded) biker shorts. and unfortunately for me, he had dark features. i scrambled to get my phone out to take a picture in disbelief. (i figured no one would believe me bc who wouldn't notice if their butt was hairy and able to be seen through white tight shorts) . well, he got slightly ahead of me before i could grab the shot. but i wanted to share what i did get. just because. you can't see much. but it was there. and it was REAL. oh, it was very real.

Cindy, Claudia, Heidi and...ME???

2008-06-09T14:00:00.006-04:00

This morning i did a photoshoot on Key Biscayne. Most of you know, i've done many photoshoots over the years with my job but today was a tad different. Different because today wasn't for work, it was for me. Like, they were literally taking pictures OF me.

Apparently they are launching a new magazine called SoBe Fit on healthy lifestyles/fitness and KC was interviewed for a cycling training piece. Well, they must have hit him over the head when they interviewed him because he asked ME to be in the pictures for it.

Of course i said i'd do it so i went out there today and they shot away. Me and my little red bike.

I am sure Sports Illustrated will be calling me soon. ;)

(I'll let you know when the piece comes out.)

this makes me sick to my stomach...

2008-06-03T10:43:00.002-04:00

yet, i can't stop staring at it. it's mind-boggling how someone could do this. it makes me sad and scares me to death.

The past, a new talent and some good old fashion family fun.

2008-05-26T09:09:00.012-04:00

We're at my parent's house in Jacksonville this weekend having some good ol' family fun. (the above pic is KK (mom) with her miami crew, laina, anders and hayden.)

A few family highlights so far:

Hayden, Uncle Kyle and I saw a snake in the yard. (note: not actual snake but the same kind. A black racer. They are "good" snakes here in FL. They eat "bad" snakes.)

One thing we always do is give KK a hard time because she keeps everything way past its prime. Case in point. One of my old sports bras from who knows when...

All i can say to this is, "let's get physical, physical. i wanna get physical. let's get into physical. let me hear your body talk."

I've also been in the kitchen quite a bit this weekend and discovered i have a latent talent of corn cutting. We've decided it must be my idahoen roots.

Kelsey (Kyle's girl) has learned to use a straw.

And all the grandkids are learning to get along!

(jetski/boat pics to come...)

i'm sportin' a sweet tan

2008-05-18T11:14:00.015-04:00

this is what happened to me after several hours on the key this morning. i'm definitely going to have to do a little damage control at the pool today.

and let's be honest, this angle doesn't do great things for the thighs. I mean, they're not small. but this makes them look especially ginormous. can we discuss the right one (on left side of pic)? what's going on there? and i have mini feet.

the pic gave me a little flashback to childhood. kevin and kyle called them the "kegs" when i was little. SERIOUSLY. during my formative years!!! it's a wonder i don't have some serious issues.
well...i guess that is subjective. :)

St Anthony's Tri Pics

2008-05-15T10:47:00.011-04:00

ok, enough about steve. let's get back to me! (kidding. well, sorta.)
here are some pics from my st anthony's tri that i wrote about a few weeks ago.

this is the swim. start, exit (up stairs with waves crashing in!), running out

no bike pics. but do have some run and finish shots.

remember...the finish time is not my actual time. i started almost 2 hours after the first wave. and this is me trying to perfect the hands over the head "i am a champion" finish. CLEARLY i have some work to do. but it's better than the mit one.

and finally, me and my well-deserved medal.

yay.

O happy day!

2008-05-14T15:40:00.006-04:00

Just wanted to wish my good friend steve (of steve happens) a happy birthday today. And yes, he gets his own post because he's the one who got me into this whole blogging world in the first place. Have a great day steve.

I love this picture of him. It's kinda creepy. and steve, how 'bout my html skills here. some centered copy and an embedded link...oh yeah!

Seriously???

2008-05-06T11:26:00.004-04:00

this is what i arrived to in detroit. we'll call her betty sue. yeehaw!

Am i emitting a mating call?

2008-05-03T11:58:00.002-04:00

As usual, i was riding on Key Biscayne this morning, minding my own business -- doing my workout and having a good time. For those of you that don't know, Key Biscayne is the cycling and triathlon haven of Miami. There tend to be a lot of people on the weekends, especially guys. Usually i am with my friends but today i was flying solo.

So I'm a third of the way done with my cycling workout when i see this guy turn around in front of me. No big deal. But as he passes me, he's looking at me the whole time. And i know exactly what's about to happen. Sure enough, he turns around and rides up next to me. We start talking. Of course, he used to ride professionally. (They ALL say that. It's the funniest thing ever.) I finally get to the the point where i need to turn to do another loop. We say our goodbyes and i am alone once again. Woo hoo.

About an hour later, i've finished my last interval and am starting my 30 minute cool down. I'm taking it easy when i see this guy in front of me look back (i had just been at a place where i had to turn around so we had already seen each other once). Here we go again. He slows down and starts talking to me. He was actually really nice and i enjoyed the conversation (because it was about not his pro career or some other athletic prowess).

So what is it with these guys? I mean, i spend 2 hours on my bike and have 2 guys hit on me?? Do they not SEE that i am working out and in my own little world and want to be A-LONE?? Perhaps it's my form. (Sadly, i've been told that before by another guy that hit on me a few months ago.)

It just cracks me up so i had to share.

Damsel in Distress

2008-05-01T09:10:00.001-04:00

This morning while riding on key biscayne i got a flat. Oh I've changed many a flat tire in my day (okay, three), but this flat was a bit different. It was the BACK wheel...that's right, the one with the derailleur on it...whatever that means. :)

So i am on the side of the road sulking, and thinking how the heck am i going to do this all by myself. (I mean, i've seen it done a few times, but there is a big difference between seeing and doing.) Enter Andre. Thank God for Andre. He was riding by and asked if i needed help. With my tail between my legs i said yes. Not more than ten minutes later, my tire is changed, i'm back on my bike and Andre is riding off into the sunset. Oh...wait...it was morning, but you get the point. He helped me. I am thankful.
End Scene.

i came, i saw, i cramped but i conquered

2008-04-27T21:26:00.000-04:00

i had a triathlon in st. petersburg today called st. anthony's. i finished in 2:50:36. and i was pretty happy with the results considering the conditions (hot, wavy and me not training on my bike as much as i wanted/needed to).

my wave started at almost 9 am (most of my races start around 7ish). the ocean was pretty rough, and there were close to 200 people in my wave which caused quite a bit of chaos in the already chaotic water. i finished the swim in 27:30. my quads were a little tight on the bike but i managed to push through in 1:18. and finally on to the run, OH THE RUN. it started with major cramps in my calfs, then went to my shins and ended in major arch pain in my right foot. it's actually swollen tonight and is killing me to even walk. needless to say, it made for a not so fun 6.2 miles. but i ran through the pain, a tad slower than i wanted but still not that bad. it took me 1 hour exactly.

all in all, it was a good, fun day. there were about 40 pros that raced so it was awesome watching them (the ONLY positive thing of starting the race at 9 am. in fact, the first 3 males finished their race before i even started!!)

a big shout out to my friend aileen who raced in her first international distance today. and a little shout out to my new biker short tan. yea...it's pretty sweet. i'm not gonna lie.

pics to come (no, not of the tan but of me looking like i am dying in the race) :)

coming of age

2008-04-22T02:56:00.000-04:00

No longer a baby baby age that is.
The Moo turned 1 on Sunday.

2008-04-17T14:35:00.000-04:00

Please, someone make this day be over already for me too.

My friend Steve thinks he is failing today. Well, steve, you are not alone.

Hchy's Bling

2008-04-14T00:07:00.000-04:00

Big Sister could not be outdone by Little Sister. She got the courage and now has some bling of her own. (she has makeup on because of dance recital pictures)

Laina's got bling

2008-04-10T13:17:00.001-04:00

somebody got her ears pierced today.

Wendy you may be in luck...literally

2008-04-09T08:53:00.000-04:00

Bad day at work.
Cancelled flight home. (Thanks AA)
Lost car for 30 minutes in the airport parking lot. (For some reason i seem to be struggling with this this year. It's the second time this has happened to me. I think i am losing it. That, or i travel just way too much.)
Caught in a rainstorm on the way home and get soaking wet just trying to get to my door so i can get in bed and finally get some sleep.

Yep. My good luck streak seems to be over.

Cougars take Cancun

2008-04-07T11:33:00.000-04:00

I had a great time in Cancun although it was a little different experience than i think most people have there. We literally did nothing but sit by the pool/ocean, eat, sleep and laugh. I ate so much guacamole that my skin may actually be turning green and we laughed so hard danielle and laura's abs actually hurt. (okay, maybe it was their workout with jed earlier in the week but if you ask me it doesn't usually take THAT long for the pain to set in so i am pretty sure it was from the laughing.)
We didn't even go off the property the entire time. It's exactly the way we wanted it to be. Unfortunately, I had to leave for some meetings in ann arbor and now they have to fend for themselves the last few days of their trip. (See...they begged me to go was so i could do everything for them. I am serious. Just ask them.)
above photo is laura trying to hide from the sun. wasn't the point to GET sun?

i'm such a lush

2008-04-04T11:28:00.000-04:00

somehow i let my friends convince me to jump on a plane tonight to cancun. spring break 2008. woo hoo!! foam parties, tequila poppers. oh...wait...i'm not in college anymore (and mom i didn't do that in even when i was in college). well, at least i'll get to lay out in the sun and read a book for the next two days.

and then i'm off to lovely michigan for campuspalooza 2008. don't ask.

The DR

2008-03-27T23:33:00.000-04:00

i took a nice mini vaca with some of the fam to punta cana, dominican republic.

my niece, hayden, was literally attached to my side the entire time, including bedtime. it was so cute. the little moo and buggy were a bit under the weather the whole time and i had a slight freakout with my computer dying on monday during a conference call (yes, i know, God telling me to not work and thankfully it was resuscitated this morning by IT. phew.). but all in all we had fun.

this is my favorite pic. (well, to be honest, my only picture. i am sure my nani girl got some good ones which i will add when she sends them to me.) it's hayden, our little fish and resident drama queen, reacting when my brother and i told her it was time to go home to our condo after we spent a mere 6 1/2 hours in the sun, pool and ocean. this was also the day she woke me up bright eyed and ready to rock at 5:30 am. and yes, you read that time right.

i got home last night. and wish i was still there now. thanks kevin and wendy for everything. :)

at least i finished

2008-03-20T15:29:00.001-04:00

on sunday i competed in my first tri of the season, the miami international triathlon. as you all know i was sick. how did it go? well, it went.
i finished with the time of 2:48:38. i know, i know. it's still pretty good, especially considering i was put on antibiotics monday by my doctor after i was lectured for doing the race. but i have to admit i had a little dose of humble pie. stupid i know. here are some pics of the event.

LOVE the wetsuit. note: i have YET to get a good picture coming out of the water. but nani, you can attest this is the best yet. yes? i did great in the swim (18 minutes) but it was downhill from there.

bike time was about 7-10 min slower than normal. :(

and run was about 4-5 min slower. :(

but i finished. and yes, i look stupid but in my defense i was trying to get my hands above my head to do a champion finish :) (note: time my time is 12 minutes faster than what appears)

all in all, i learned that when i am sick like i was, i should not race (doctor agreed). but i finished. and that is what matters.
st. anthony's tri in late april is next on the list.

the tri life

2008-03-15T14:16:00.001-04:00

well folks, tomorrow is the start of my triathlon season. the only problem is i started not feeling so good yesterday and woke up sick this morning. totally congested in my chest. i am resting all day and am still going to give it a try tomorrow even though i can't really breathe. (who needs to breathe when you swim .9 miles, ride 24.8 miles and run 6.2 miles?)

i'm kinda bummed. but what do ya do? i can't control it. so i am just going to do my best.

speaking of best, i bought the best new thing EVER this week. a wetsuit. it's amazing. i mean AMAZING. not only does it keep you warm...but it helps you float and swim FASTER. like crazy faster. i've always heard people say it helps, but man i had no idea. (in fact, to be honest, i think it's kinda cheating but it's legal for this race so why let others get ahead.) :)

thought i'd post some pics for fun to show how much i am stylin'. (read: how stupid i really look.)

i'll post an update on how i do tomorrow. but don't expect a second place finish like last time... :(

Pizza Prep School

2008-03-03T11:51:00.000-05:00

'nuff said

payback is a...

2008-03-02T16:48:00.000-05:00

this morning i was riding on key biscayne and saw this on the road.

serves the little bugger right for making me go in a men's bathroom a few months ago...
(and yes, i realize that this is not THE actual raccoon that scared me. but surely a relatively.)

i spoke too soon

2008-02-24T20:40:00.000-05:00

i was so happy to get home i think i jinxed myself. what do you think...?

land at 12:30. have to FIND car (because i actually forgot where i had parked it). as i am driving out i notice my car is pulling left a bit. so when i get to the little paystation for parking i get out to check out my tires. sure enough, the back left tire is a little low. i figure i'll just stop right down the road on the way home to fill it up and deal in the morning. it's 12:45.

cut to me entering freeway and the dreaded flat tire noise. i pull back off the freeway 1/2 mile later (yes, i drove with the flat tire slow on the shoulder of the road.) i pull into a (scary) gas station. oh, and did i mention i had a ton of stuff in my trunk for the salvation army...yea, that was fun to move to get to the spare. THANK GOD a nice man ended up helping me.

i got home at 2:30 am.
i won't even tell you how much it cost me the next day.

i thought the day would never come...

2008-02-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

it's friday folks. i am an official domino's pizza prep school graduate.
but more importantly, i am at the airport about to go HOME to miami.
words cannot express how happy that makes me.

(pictures and maybe even a video of my skills to come.)

it finally caught up with me...

2008-02-19T21:15:00.000-05:00

let me just give you an idea of my schedule for the last 4 weeks...i have been home only 6 whole days in 33. i actually didn't even believe it until i counted it up. just now. heaven help me.

and all this travel has finally gotten to me. i feel like i am dying right now. like i can barely move here in my hotel room. (yes, i said hotel room -- i am still away from home for another 3 days.)

i think i have the flu. awesome.

remember how i said nothing every really happens to me?

2008-01-20T12:06:00.000-05:00

well, apparently it does.

my clients were in town for some meetings so we of course had to do dinner. sounds easy enough, right? well, one night we went to this place called redfish grill which is in a park/marina area. on the way into the restaurant we see this raccoon by a trash can. a harmless raccoon. harmless, of course, until my friend starts talking about how rabid they can get when provoked.

cut to me 3 minutes later needing to go to the bathroom. i politely ask the hostess where the bathroom is and surely enough she points outside -- right in the direction of the raccoon.

before i move on, let me just say i have NEVER been afraid of raccoons. but for some reason the earlier conversation gets me scared and the raccoon is just staring me down. big time. i finally make enough noise that he runs up a tree. a tree right above the bathroom.

with my eyes on the raccoon, i quickly run to the building and am met with 2 doors. in a panicked state (because surely the raccoon was going to jump on me from the tree), and with no sign of gender on either door, i pick the right one and enter.

something seemed off but when nature calls...

i go into the stall and proceed (number 1 just to be clear), when the door opens and sure enough man shoes walk in. yes folks, i went in the men's bathroom. now more panicked than ever i decide to wait it out til he leaves. enter man 2. great.

at this point i am dying of embarrassment but see a light at the end of the tunnel as man 1 prepares to leave and man 2 enters the other stall. i make a break for it. open my stall. and there is man 1 holding the door open and staring at me in disbelief.

as if that's not bad enough, he calls me out on it. and won't leave me alone. as i try to justify my presence ("see there was this raccoon...and i got scared and just ran in here..."), man 2 is now done and comes out. man 1 looks at man 2 and says, "can you believe her?" it was just awful. i was seriously sweating at this point.

after about 3 more minutes of back and forth, i finally leave man 1 STILL holding the door the open and making fun of me. and walk back in the restaurant with my tale between my legs.

stupid raccoon!

let's give it a shot

2008-01-11T19:11:00.000-05:00

i've always thought i have nothing important to say. well, nothing blog-worthy anyway.

i mean, nothing really bizarre or crazy happens to me. ever. i've never won anything. i don't get swarmed by police officers. i'm just your run of the mill ad girl.

but someone has convinced me otherwise. he's made me think maybe i CAN do this whole blog thing.

so here goes.

kristican.

i hope you enjoy.