Weekends don't get much better!

Well one thing is for sure, I am bad about writing daily during the weekends. But yet again another great weekend with friends. I feel like I am getting repetitive! So I will try to focus on some newer topics. 

Friday, I had an indoor workout planned with the girls, but we decided to take advantage of the sunshine and do a run outside first. I am thankful for sunshine!! Friday was one of those "glorious" spring days! Weather was up to 45, sun was shining! It was a great change to the cold cloudy days we have had so much of. (Personally I love winter, but I won't complain about warmer weather either!)

Saturday, after a tough swim practice, I headed to a new brunch place. I am thankful for where I live. I absolutely love living on the west side of Cleveland. There is always stuff going on (saw the irish band Gaelic storm later that night) and there are endless options for GREAT food! This brunch took us to the new "jack flaps" which as the name may suggest, specializes in pancakes (and wonderful waffles). I am lucky enough to have great friends who share their food so we all got to sample a little of each other's choices! So good!!

Today was a swim meet and house stuff. Meet went well, got to travel there with the same girls I spent all weekend with, and we cheered each other on. We all did respectably and were super supportive of each other no matter whether the race was a personal best or not! Came home to relax and meal plan for the week. 

Today I am thankful for my new kitchen gadgets from pampered chef! From the party I hosted 2 weeks ago, I scored some great stuff, and got to use it for the first time tonight. Loving my deep covered baker and garlic press!! Can't wait to make some awesome meals! 

This week is promising to be busy, but hopefully rewarding!

Family dinners

I had all intention of catching up 100% last night on the blog, but I think I might have actually fallen asleep WHILE typing on my phone! Oops!! We had a visit from one of Corey's brothers. We haven't seen him in over a year, and he was in town for work. We went to one of my favorite restaurants for some great food and beer, then headed to a nearby bar for a bit. Although it was a late night, it was wonderful catching up with him. It makes me realize how important family and friends are. Even as I am typing this, I am realizing that so many of my posts this year have been about family and friends. Having those people near and far, sometimes next door, sometimes a phone call away can make all the difference. I have been pretty fortunate to be fairly close to my own extended family. Uncles and Aunts, cousins and beyond have been a fairly large part of my growing up. And when I lost my mom 2 years ago some of those family members became even more important to me! I also am glad that I get along with corey's family. From day one, his parents and brother seemed to like me, and we have had good times, even if its not often.

The highlight of today was signing up and starting the plans for a girls weekend in Chicago for a 5k swim! I have met some incredible girls from swimming, and we have started to really enjoy time together. Even just this weekend we have some great workouts, eating and a swim meet planned! Along with my family, these friends have helped keep me sane! Just when I thought I was going to fall asleep during a staff meeting, I rallied and hit the pool with these girls, and finished the night out with a great workout!! Can't wait to travel with them this summer!!

Post Dinner party

Well, my Pampered Chef party went off just as well as I was hoping!! Everyone seemed to have a good time, and my consultant made some sales. The whole thing went so well that I collapsed into bed after doing a little cleaning up! I am thankful for my friends, yet again. They were such wonderful company. It was also fun to bring together some different groups of people. My consultant and one friend are Teachers with me, then I had two of my swimming/triathlon friends, then mixed in many of my sailing friends. Couldn't ask for more!
I am also pretty happy that my black bean chocolate cookies went over fairly well. I wasn't 100% sure about them, but people seemed to like them!!

Pre Dinner Party Excitement

My mom was someone who could be quiet, or the most social person you can imagine. She truly loved having a good time. That included going out to a regatta party, having a few friends over, throwing a holiday dinner, or hosting the annual "onion soup" party at Put in Bay. I like to believe I am pretty similar to her!! So tomorrow, I am hosting a pampered chef party. And what I am excited about most is having people over for a dinner party!! I know part of the deal is the consultant will make a dish, and so I made some apps and a dessert, and am supplying drinks. But as I am getting ready, I realized how happy it is making me to have friends over  for a little party! I am busting out the good china (since I try not to use disposable plates if i can help it) and maybe even the good silver.
Tonight my final thought before heading to bed is maybe I should throw dinner parties more often!! (and we will see if I still feel this way tomorrow at this time! 

Friends who encourage

I think I might have written about this already, but today I'm again thankful for friends who encourage and push me. This morning I joined the CSU tri team practice. I am not a runner, and was way behind everyone, and suffered on the hill repeats, but I made it, and had friends supporting me and encouraging me the whole time. It's a lot harder to walk when you know people are watching you!! (I had to walk a little but found it in me to get back to running after a few seconds each time!)

While I was running down one of the hills (let's face it, I wasn't thinking much while going up...!!) I thought why on earth did I think I wanted to do this, but then realized it's all for the feeling after, and my friends told me I could do it!! So although it's completely my choice, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have been running in and out of "the pit" downtown at 830 this morning!! Thanks ladies!!

Re-newed excitement

My friends and I have spent a fair amount of time during this "off season" and cold winter months planning out our race season. For me this includes sailing, triathlons, running and swimming... a lot going on! And I will admit lately I have had a hard time getting motivated to work out. Sure, I will head to masters swim practices, but I have not been motivated for 5am workouts yet, and have not spent as much time on the bike trainer as I should be.
Tonight I headed to the Cleveland Triathlon Club winter/spring meeting. While seeing mostly all new faces, we heard a speaker who is the author of a book about the internal workings of doping in the pro cycling ring. The book sounds fascinating, and is now on my must read list! (The Secret Race by Daniel Coyle and Tyler Hamilton)

But also, there was a social aspect of the night. After the meeting and book reading, we got our membership cards and headed next door for food and drink. Met some new people, and hung out with old. And in listening to other people, I think I have found some of my motivation back. Being around all these other people who are decidedly more crazy than I am, I am excited and feel guilty at the same time about the upcoming season. Excited for everything to come, guilty that I have been so lazy lately! But with both of those feelings in there, hopefully I can get some more workouts in regularly and not just wait for someone else to say "hey lets go!!"

More fresh fish

Corey came home with some more fresh walleye this weekend! 2 28" fish, and knowing full well that we really can't eat that much on our own, we invited 2 friends over to join. I am very happy to say that dinner turned out great. The walleye was fantastic, I made an easy side of roasted potatoes. The company was great! And they even brought dessert and helped clean up. Tuesday evenings can't get much better than that!

Encouragement goes a long way

Today I competed in an Indoor Triathlon with my friend Chelsea. Last year I did this same event, and was battling a major cold/flu, so was glad to come back to it this year with a better ability to breath, and not feeling feverish!!

The swim went fairly well, though I was one of the faster people in my heat, so it was really hard to gauge how hard to push myself, in the end i was about 50-75 yards short of where I wanted to be. On the spin bike, I spun too hard in the beginning and strained a muscle in my quad, so i was having to alternate peddling with one foot while stretching my quad, and both feet with some pain. On the run, i settled in and ran exactly where I guessed I would. Settled right into a 10 min/mile pace.

But this blog isn't about a race report. So I want to throw a huge thank you out to the competitors, my awesome friend Chelsea and some of the fantastic volunteers. The volunteers really stepped it up and helped push me. Chelsea kept me smiling through the pain, and the competitors pushed me. I truly appreciate the woman in the spin room who not only was the most entertaining person i've met, but gave me a face to face pep talk to keep me going through the 20 min spin. Helped me power up. The encouragement from all the people around me was what made me keep going!

Without all those people, it just wouldn't be worth it! Thankful for volunteers, friends and competitors!!

Casual Sundays.

Lazy Sunday really. Spent most of the morning in my pjs. I think I'm starting to get a cold, so it was nice to just lounge and read. Watched the snow fall and create a beautiful scenery outside! Made my first attempt at venison burgers, which actually were pretty good! Might make the next lb of venison into a stew or chili? Recipes welcome!

Went to a friends to watch the Super Bowl and I have to admit it really didn't hold my attention. I've never really followed pro sports but occasionally enjoy watching a game. Plus I would choose football over basketball or baseball. But tonight's one sided game couldn't keep me interested. The company was the good part. Low key, hung out with some sailing friends. 

I'm thankful today for my eclectic group of friends. I believe I have posted about them already, but I love that I have friends of diverse ages (25-55) and all different careers, backgrounds. But it makes hanging out that much more enjoyable when someone always has a story to tell!!

Thursday and Friday too busy to blog!

I have always had a busy schedule. One might say I don't even know how to NOT be busy! I sign up for committees, I attend meetings, I go to workout and music practices, I teach flute lessons, the list goes on and on! I used to joke in college that I needed an 8 day work week but then I would always realize and admit that knowing me, if I had an 8th day, I wouldn't use it for house work or relaxing, I would fill it with more activity!!

That being said, I have to sadly admit this was the first time I truly forgot to blog for 2 days! Thursday was so non stop that I came home around 830, did a quick workout and went immediately to bed. Never even sitting down after I came home from work.

Friday was similar, filling up my time with a bike workout with friends.

So I guess my thursday thankful thought would be that I am thankful that I enjoy being busy! I actually love the feeling of occasionally going non stop and falling into bed at night. I much prefer that to multiple snow days of laying around! (ok yes, I could have done some chores on the snow days... but lets not get too crazy!)

My thankful friday post will be thankful for the love of doing things with friends. Our bike workouts have become a friday night tradition now, and they are a blast!! We even added dinner to the mix this week!

Now off to enjoy the rest of my Saturday!

That winning feeling!

When I compete in swimming, and triathlons, I am doing it for me. I like the challenge. They are both something that is physically difficult for me, and I push myself to get better. When I compete in sailing, it is a little different.  Its not the same intrinsic feeling of getting a personal best. But I have this competitive side... which anyone who knows me are probably laughing and nodding just reading this! But when I swim and do triathlons... I am not worried about the placing as much as I do in sailing. With Triathlons.. usually there are so many people that I don't expect to be as fast, and with swim meets, there are so few, that when you win out of 2 it doesn't feel the same. But that great feeling comes when you finish and you see your time, and you realize "hey I just did that better than ever before!!" Or, in your heat for swimming, you hit the wall first, and see that little 1 next to your lane. Although the people next to you may be in different age groups, or male, its such an amazing feeling to look up there and see the 1 plus a great time!! Today I was able to get a PR in 2 of my events, and placed 1st in my heat in one or 2 of them. Such a great feeling. And I got to share it with the support and excitement of our Lakewood swim group. We cheered for each other, congratulated each other, and supported each other. Overall... a pretty great day!!

Best Saturday Mornings

Most people consider Saturday mornings great when they get to sleep in, make a nice breakfast, enjoy some time at home before beginning their day. Not me. I've never been a sleep in person. As a kid and even a college kid... I was usually awake by 7 or 8 am. Now as an adult, I am lucky if i can sleep in past 7/730!

So what do I do on saturday mornings? Head to swim practice and then often get some brunch after. Nothing motivates you to get through a 730 am 3500-4000 yard practice like the promise of breakfast and friends!!

It also made me think, I have developed a group of girlfriends based solely on working out and food! That's what we do together, and I love it! We run, we swim, we bike, and we eat. Occasionally we might throw in other activities, but those are our go to's! These girls are also great because they are encouraging, pushing and fun.

Happy thought for the day- friends go a long way!

Sunday- we meet up again for a swimmeet!

Friends

To say that I'm thankful for friends would truly be an understatement. My friends mean the world to me. They have been there for me through good and bad and all the cliches you can think of.

I have a fair amount of people in my support system and I love each and everyone of them. But tonight, I'll stick to simply saying I'm thankful for my friends who push me. Some push me mentally, some push me musically, some push me physically ( ok not physically push me, but get me to push myself! )

Without those friends I wouldn't be who I am today. 

So thank you, to each and everyone of you. And thank you to my triathlete girls for a great bike trainer workout in my living room tonight!!!