A Future Note to my Oldest Daughter

Dear Morgan,

Growing up I thought that my muscular shoulders, neck and arms were sculpted by the many hours I spent competitive swimming.  Once high school was over and these muscles only diminished slightly I assumed it was something like 'muscle memory'.  I spent much of my late twenties trying to tone down my body, trying to make my arms leaner or my butt smaller.  Don't get me wrong, in general I have been content with the way I looked but I think that was mostly apathy toward my appearance, not confidence.  However, some revelations in my thirties have changed my body confidence for the better and you are the reason.

I want to save you these wasted hours and tell you now that you and I were apparently born with the same genetics. You are only six and you have the same muscles that I have and you have never swam a full lap, nor spent your teenage years in weight rooms.  Apparently, I was a good swimmer because of my body type, not the other way around.  Take advantage of this fact because it will make you a better athlete than most if you put the effort in.  Don't be discouraged that you may never be a 'slim' body type such as you see in magazines.  Or wonder why when you diet it never seems to change.  Embrace your athletic, strong, healthy body and don't give it a second thought.

And when someone asks you how you got those six pack abs, smile and enjoy it.  After children, they may not be there anymore ;-)

Love,
Mom

You know it is Triathlon season when...

These apply to me at least.....whether or not these are normal is anybody's guess....

• You are on a morning run and wonder where the water station is
• Your bathing suit smells like skanky lake water no matter how many times you wash it
  
• You are driving somewhere on a wide, smooth road and all you can think of is 'this would be a great road to ride my bike on'
• When you get in an actual pool to swim laps you are surprised you can see the bottom
• You have worn some kind of workout clothes for at least 7 days straight
• A peanut butter and jelly sandwich has become a daily meal/snack
  
• You drink a gallon of water a day without even noticing
• You have to switch to a clinical deodorant because the normal one just can't keep up and you are tired of stinking at the end of the day
  
• You have had at least one 'half ass' shower. This normally involves wipes, body mist, deodorant and some cold water because you don't have time for a real shower. Yeah, yeah, don't act all grossed out you know you've done it too.

This is for Hershey and Mars of the USA

Chocolate makers of America, if you are listening.....could you make yours taste better? I am at the mercy of the kindness of my half brother to bring me a giant bar of Cadbury milk chocolate from England once a year. The rest of the year I am stuck eating the 'just ok' American kind. Sure, I love this country and you do so many other things well so why the hell can't you make chocolate as good as the Brits? And why are there no Mars bars around here either (not the ones with almonds in it)? Oh, and while you are at it, can you pass a note to the beer makers and tell them the same thing!

I get it...you're smarter than me.....

So with all the hoopla surrounding the death of Osama Bin Laden I have come to one conclusion, some people are really annoying when they think they are right.
When I first heard about his death I did wonder about the timing of it. I have always assumed that our government knew where he was but chose to leave him alive so that he would not be deemed a martyr.
However, I have since learned that there are a number of people that are not convinced that OBL was even responsible for 9/11 or that he even exists. I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion but a conspiracy theorists standard response to being challenged is that I am a 'sheep' following the governments garbage that they feed me. I do question things before I form an opinion. Just because I choose the more popular option does that make me less intelligent? I prefer to think of myself as more scientific in my approach. In Osama Bin Ladens case, what is more likely?

1. That there really is (was) a man that was so filled with hatred and decided to use his religion/money/influence as a springboard to commit acts of terror against a country that he views as the epitomy of greed?
2. That the US government created such an individual to pin the blame on for 9/11 and somebody else is actually responsible for flying two 747's into the twin towers?

I am gonna go with number one but that is not because I am uneducated. I have read the alternative theories out there and am not impressed with the 'proof' or ideas that have been put forth.

Tri Shorts Reviews for Newbies

After completing two sprint triathlons last year I finally decided to buy some triathlon shorts for the upcoming season. I know you are thinking, what? You don't wear $2 bike shorts from Wal Mart to swim, bike and run in? Apparently not. From what I can tell at the races, triathlon apparel falls into three categories:

• The seasoned triathletes wear a one piece contraption that resembles a wrestling unitard. This is significantly better than the previous man-bikini (see left) that ruled in the 80's.

• The weekend warriors wear tri shorts and a tank

• The rest of us wear whatever we already own in our closet. This usually consists of a speedo one piece with a sports bra underneath and various ratty running clothes.

Triathlon shorts look a lot like cycling shorts, have a padded butt, and dry very quickly. They are also expensive at an average $50 per pair. It is rare to find a store that carry's a wide selection of these shorts so ordering them online is the way to go. Unfortunately, there are so many brands, lengths, and styles that it is difficult to guess what is going to fit your shape the best. I ended up having to order three different pairs before I found a pair that I liked and was comfortable. I thought I would write about my experience as I found it very difficult to find any good reviews when looking for tri shorts. I cannot comment to wear and tear as I have not used the shorts yet, just the fit and feel.

Just for comparison I am 5 foot 4 inches, size 6-8, 138 pounds and my measurements are around 35-29-40.

Note: Tri shorts don't actually look good on anyone that is over 110 pounds so forget about finding a pair that looks good. Comfort should be a top priority.

1st pair:

DeSoto Women's Carrera Tri Short Low Rise (~$50)

These were a really nice material, not too tight and the leg bands were not cutting off the blood flow. Their were two problems for me: one, the leg inseam was only 6 inches and the leg bands hit me mid thigh which created a very bad 'sausage effect' so I would prefer a longer length. The low rise option is usually nice in pants but in these shorts I couldn't bend down without my butt crack showing. I do have a longer torso so maybe that was the issue. Or maybe my ass is just too big.
Bottom line: These are great shorts at a great price if you have a shorter torso, and prefer the shorter inseam.

2nd Pair:

Pearl Izumi Women's Select Tri Short (~$55)

I ordered these shorts because I know the brand is good and they came in an 8 inch inseam. I honestly don't have much good to say about these except that maybe I ordered them in wrong size. I normally order medium and the Pearl Izumi size chart did list my measurements as a medium. When I put them on they were very constricting all over. They were tight in the crotch area and the leg bands were so tight above my knees that I looked like I was walking around on two Italian links (there's an image!). There was also a very bright beige sheen to these so it looked like you could see my skin underneath. They weren't actually see through but it was disconcerting. I did not re-order in a bigger size as I could not see a bigger size really being that much better. If you do order these, order a size up!

3rd Pair:

TYR Women's 8" Splice Short (~$40-$50)

I ordered these shorts in a large because I had seen a review where it said they ran small. I love these shorts. They are not too constricting, they have a drawstring in the waist so you can cinch them tighter during swims. The length hits me just above the knee and the leg bands are not too constricting but are snug. There are two little pockets on each hip (not zippered) in which I can put Gu or jelly beans (preferably after the swim portion :-). Hopefully, these hold up well in a race because I am not returning them!

Also, just to give credit to www.tri-zone.com because I ordered the TYR shorts from them and they discounted them $10 for me after I sent them the same pair priced lower on Amazon. I am always amazed and grateful when a retailer actually stands behind their policies. I will definitely be using them in the future.

Definition of a 'Homer'

Re Sports: A fan who believes that the other team is full of cheaters, the refs are paid off, and their team 'just needs the right motivation' to win a championship. Possibly despite all indications to the contrary. In other words.....deluded.

I did the best I could.....

The title of my post is a quote that has been running through my mind lately. It originally came up when I was slightly disappointed with my first triathlon times. I can appreciate the spirit of the words when they are applied to sports or physical conquests. I am very skeptical of them when they are spoken about the actions that people take in their own lives.

Everyone has heard this line on TV or in the movies. It usually comes into the plot when grown children are accusing their parents of being crappy role models. Or drug addicts that can't seem to pull themselves together to be a responsible parent. When someone says this I am inclined to call 'bullshit!' on them. Did you really do the best that you could? Are we all limited to what we think is our best? Or should we be aspiring to be better than who we thought we could? Wouldn't a better response be 'I'm sorry I disappointed you and I didn't always get it right but people make mistakes'. I definitely have my parenting failures and somehow it seems that I will spend my life regretting the times when I could have done better. I know that it was not 'my best' and I am trying to be ok with that. To be human is to err.

Hmm, just re-read this post and not sure it makes sense but will post anyway.