Val Tkacs and I went to the NRBC...I just wanted to break even. I tripled my investment! An absolute incredible week, and we took Rikki my older cat and Oliver with us. It was sooo fun!

Now, I'm on a movie kick as I take endurance running up again. The miles hurt but I love them, too many memories over the years with my feet taking what I ask. I WILL be the athlete again!

Despite all the stress I'm under to find a place for me, 5 cats and 3 horses to live...I went with the Tzacs family (Kelly and Victoria) out to Indian Creek to ride. They had a dressage schooling, I wanted to see how Sam would do in a new place.

What a FUN day! Sam was an absolute gentleman, very quiet. He was very interested in the jumps of the cross country course, but he did not shy at anything. Wow, this is a 3 yr old Thoroughbred!!  I had no visions or plans for the day, just wanted to see how he did and he did incredibly better than I could have dreamed.

Then, after Victoria, a 12 yr old girl, did her dressage test, we headed over to Todd Martins.  Again, in not knowing what the day held, we just dropped in after calling Taumi for a head's up. Tell met us(I love going there, they are so happy to see me!) and showed us a beautiful mare for sale, and I showed Kelly and Victoria a "wild 3 yr old stud" Yeah, like One Night Roost is like that. NOT> it was so fun.

Todd then saddled Senor Tejano Whiz and gave us a mini-clinic! What a demo! The Tzacs got to see a sliding stop up close, and some great spins. The only Western they had seen before was traill riding or a trainer being rough with a Western Pleasure horse.

Then, Todd asked Victoria if she could sit a spin! OMG< this 12 yr old girl was being asked to ride a horse that has won $95k! She did incredibly well. I was so impressed Todd spent that much time and effort for someone he did not know.

Today, is my first appt at the Retama Race Track! I'm very excited.

OK Spence...good to hear from you!! Here is the 5 min I said I was too busy for. I just rehabbed Sam, gosh, will post all that here!   Sam was a $150k colt by Langfuhr,  that cast overnight in a stall, was given to me as he could not walk and now he's a riding horse. Cool. He was a race horse, and is the half-brother to 6 millionaires. He is Breeders Cup nominated.

Nick continues to do well. The LubriSyn helped immensely. Annie, she's the sports car! Our training sessions at Todd Martin's are really paying off.  I just love the reiners and hope she is at a good level some day.

I love my new occupation, it's a gift. DEFINITELY,  thanking God for it everynight before I go to sleep.  I still learn so much everyday.

Trying to workout..getting here. The 12 hr a week in ,my beloved truck was getting to me, as well as the fuel bill but all is well here.  Living in a little box on a farm but it's close to Retama, and my horses are right here.

I show my cat, Oliver, in Feline Agility. We are headed to the World Cat Congress in March. He's totally cool, cool cat that travels everywhere with me. I can whistle at barns where I let him run loose and he comes running! . My clients love him more than me! Such is one man's trash as I found him in the center of a highway.

How would I describe IM Hawaii even because training for it was my last entries in the blog...AWESOME, the best experience of my life! To be at a World Championship and race against the best people world-wide. The morning was spectacular, I was so "in the moment".  I actually miss the training a bit, but there is no way I could work and do it. Now, I'm to keep athlete's bodies able to do the training.

Because I love my work!!!

Ha, I worked on my first mini horse today. One of my friends said.."oh, finally you got a horse you did not need a chair to stand on to see his back?" It was fun! Lots easier to stretch a mini than a 17.2 hd 1400 lb imported German dressage horse! And when they lean on you to get worked on? Much easier with the mini!

This ironman stuff keeps you busy!

Two weeks ago I managed 300 miles on the bike and twenty hours of training! Wow, I would have thought that impossible but as I do one thing, I look to see if I can better that. I guess some people would call that obsessive!:-)

I've raced twice since Buffalo Springs, Boerne and Marble Falls. A 2nd place and a 3rd place in age group and it's very fun to see my speed returning.

It's funny how your whole life revolves around one goal. Your food, your sleep, your day's plans, your social life(or lack there of!) and your personal habits. OK, so the house can go dirty for a while.

It's been hot also. One day I went out in the afternoon to ride in 105 degrees! I would think it's probably 115 on the pavement. The air was hot to breathe, my drink was hot within minutes.

But it's happening! I'm having so much fun and a whole new set of social friends. It's incredible!

I can say I'm ready. Well, anything that I do that is going to get me ready for it has to be done in the next two weeks. It takes two weeks for fitness to show and I have a week taper also before the race.

Things are going well, just some tendonitis in the knee. I'm tired but just try to focus on five months away.

What are the daily rewards? Most of all, feeding the horses in the evening. Watching them eat is so relaxing to me. Hearing the cicadas and crickets at night: it's almost the sound of the earth breathing with the cresendo of the cicadas. Sounds of summer. The smell of the foliage...the sights of fireflies.

Coming home to the cats...

Considering I'm up at dawn and watching the deer feed and the occasional wild turkey on the trail, these evening sounds mean a fulfilling day.

In somewhat over  a month, I go from fifteen hours a week to 18-22 hrs a week training.  Keep life as stress free as possible. Concentrate on the business, training and the horses.

THAT is what scares me. I have to do a qualifier for Hawaii and the least expensive to get to is in my own backyard: Buffalo Springs Lake in Lubbock, TX. I knew this when I got the lottery: win April 17th and compete at 1.2 m swim, 56 mile bike and 13.2 mile run on June 26. At one of the toughest courses ever.  I was retired April 17th!

And after last year, I'm running the run: that TOTALLY SUCKED to walk 11 miles in the prairie in 96 degree heat!!

I'm taking a break for a week after BSLT.

Let's see about this past week: dinner one night was fettucine with lots of cream and Godiva chocolates compliments Lance! Energy food and Soul food! Gotta clean up my nutrition..why don't they make Godiva flavored GU??

Acutally put on a dress and went out til 10:00pm after getting up at 5:30am and enjoying two workouts during the day and a full day of work...what an accomplishment!  My friends are such great support for this race and believe me, it IS appreciated, even if I earn the nickname "Beefsteak".

That was Shari putting her arm around me at the CHCR screening and cracking me up for photos: "Its' like holding on to a piece of steak!"

Rode just short of 5 hrs on Friday and did a brick on Sat. I'm remembering the crazy little workouts I used to do for entertainment three years ago...5:40:5. That was a 5 m run/40 m bike/5 m run. Yesterday I did a 5/30/3.5 and finished in the heat. BSLT gives me only 3 wks left of doing any training that will make a difference that day!

This week was crazy for training! With going to court, I went over papers every night, I also had to switch my work days. Come Friday when it was all over, I took off at 7:30am on my bike. For 4 hours and 20 min!

It was a great ride, through the Salado area and I still was somewhat fresh enough to work the rest of the day. My sister was in town so I gave her some bodywork, since she has not seen me since I went to school for it.

Saturday morning left me with the ATC ride. I ran first, planning on just riding 30 miles as it was extremely windy but....Steve Fredricks MADE me ride 50 with him

I was so very tired and still had another massage for later that day to give!!

Needless to say, Sunday I was kinda trashed.

Another week of training..I am loving it. With a goal like Hawaii it is relatively easy to stay focused. The pool becomes the ocean, the hill country in Texas becomes the lava fields, and wherever my run ends is the Finish Line.

I should end up with 12-13 hrs of training this week. Right on target! Ran 1:50 this morning which would be about 12. miles. Nice easy pace. I got a good laugh on my last long run when my knee started hurting and I fixed it myself with origin/insertion release!! Bodywork makes me giggle!

My funny story this week is doing a 1 hr run in the morning, starting at 6am. Well, I worked at Massage Heights all day and did not know how many massages would be booked. I had 5 in 6 hrs! My swim workout and lift  workout was scheduled after work. I usually do high reps on lifting with arms and shoulders for 15 min before I swim. Then I hit the pool..

Only this time..exhaustion set in within 15 min!! I was laughing so hard. I still had a horse I had to work on afterward. Swim workout was short unfortunately!:-)

The rest of the weekend will depend on these darn storms.

I have a new workout also: teaching Annie rollbacks! Boy, was I sore! She loves them though.

This has been far too busy a week to try to train but I pulled it off with at least 10 hours. I got my long run in, but didnt' get enough time on the bike.

I've learned I have to take a swim bag, my running clothes, FOOD, and all my errands for the day with me as I leave in the morning!  Get up an hour early and try to cram more into a day...

I was asked to work two horse shows this past weekend, both involving some travel. I was concerned to how I would feel Sunday in the afternoon as that was my workout: AFTER I massaged horses all day! I need to be careful to multitask as much as possible.

Sat was fine thanks to Monster Energy drink. I ran 11 miles in the morning before working til 6pm. Sunday I took Annie to the show with me on Sunday as I could take time to ride her there and most important, just spend time with my little horse. She saw me hitch the trailer and was waiting at the gate for me..."where are we going today?"

It was a challenge to get on the bike after those two days but I managed and rode fast for 1.5hrs!! I just keep thinking Hawaii!

I enjoy listening to my music when I train..I have a Walkman Bean and have downloaded all sorts of music. Rob Thomas brings back memories of riding in the Sandia Mountains..Seal brings back memories of running in Tobago..Dido in St Thomas..All the miles of running I have put in over the years from cruise ships to the Caribbean to now...

I can NOT believe I won the lottery!!!! My friend Bond called me to tell me: I cried in happiness for the entire morning. Tears, laughter and a huge disbelief! EIGHT YEARS trying to qualify and win the lottery and just when I let it go and retire from the sport that formed me for my middle years...

So much has happened in the past month. Graduation from Massage School and Equine studies.  I decide not to compete in triathlon and to spend time with a quality young horse. Annie, a young QH  at Kalpowar Quarter Horses in Stephenville was purchased by me at the end of March. Royally bred on the lines of Reminic, Doc's Remedy, Col. Freckles and Superhorse Rugged Lark, she is an amazing little bay. I love her dearly and best yet, she returns it. We make a good team but she needs guidance, as I do.  I want to be good at this new discipline of reining!

Back to Ironman..I can hardly contain the excitement. A dream, goals fulfilled, expectations, enjoyment.  Fear, yes, but mostly of the unknown...there can be no accidents, no injuries, no setbacks as this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Even money can not be an object! I will not walk these steps again and want to enjoy EVERY moment of the coming 6 months.

The biggest dream of my adult life..the biggest goal and I CAN achieve it. It's been given to me after I tried so hard to win it.

I know how busy I will be, and even more so when I have Jose, my Arabian, back in 2 weeks.  Great, two 3 yr old horses, Nick and Ironman training. Let's throw in building a business and making a living on top of all that!  Good thing I have no personal life!

I biked hard hours after I found out that I won. The next day was a brick (run/bike)and it's been so hot...like putting your head in an oven...

Building a training plan and now getting ready for the 1/2 Ironman in June in Lubbock. How my life changed in a split second...I have to do the 1/2 Ironman to show I can do the training for Ironman or they will not allow me to compete.

Tonight though..I tried to catch a run inbetween storms. I had already been through a hailstorm in my truck but things looked safe. I stopped by Lake G'Town to head past the dam.

Returning to the dam I was running through a shady grotto..it was almost dark and fireflies were EVERYWHERE! It was stunning but above me, in the tops of trees, the winds were whipping in every direction. A distinct change to the peaceful scene below.

As I climbed the hill to the top of the dam, huge branches were covering the trail that minutes before had been clear. All of a sudden, rain and wind blow sideways, the wind so strong it stopped me for a moment and then I could not see because the rain was driving at such an angle. I continued running as I could, becoming soaking wet, shoes heavy with water.

The lightening was close, too close, and the thunder loud and all I could do was sprint as hard as I could back to my truck. I admit, I was afraid of the lightening and ran close to the bush line so I was not in the open. The wind must have been 30-35 mph in gusts! Storm running...fun once in a life time but not something I want to make a habit of!

I returned home to no electricity and after shedding sodden clothes curled up to candles and read(now with glasses on, I'm afraid) 

8 hrs of training this week..next week has to be more of 12 and maintain it for a month, to bring it to 15 by first of June. I am taking Annie camping in Bandera this weekend...just the two of us to explore the rugged landscape there. Our last break for a while...

I'll try to update the training blog here every week! Thanks!