Monday, January 12, 2009

Holiday Adventures of 2008-2009

I am now back in Colorado after three weeks of traveling to Minnesota and Missouri for the holidays and traveling to North Carolina last week for wind tunnel testing on the bike.
I had a great time spending time with family and friends and the holiday travel went pretty smooth...for the most part.
I did have one flight cancellation from Minnesota to Missouri on Christmas Eve. My original flight plan was on United (which unfortunately had a layover in Chicago....I thought this could be a mistake prior). I was scheduled to leave around 5:00AM for the airport, went to bed around 11:30pm, only to be awoke one hour later with my cell phone ringing. At first I just ignored the phone, but then realized that I was getting repeated calls with messages. Nate grabbed the phone and informed me it was a 1-800 number...I immediately sensed it was about my flight....and listened to the message to learn it was cancelled! So, we spent the next couple of hours trying to figure out what we were going to do....calling the airlines, rent a car (they were booked for a one-way). At 2:30AM, Nate came up with a bright idea of renting a U-Hall! So, at 9:00AM the next morning, we were headed to STL in a 14 ft. box truck....empty, unless you count two bags in the back!!
The trip went well, we made the trip in 9 hours and made the end of the Christmas party at my Aunt's home that evening. The only downside to the U-Hall was that we were getting 7.6MPG...but at least gas is cheap at the moment. This was a much better situation than spending Christmas in the airport. From now on, we are going to plan on driving around Christmas!! We also had a very easy drop-off site because my parents have a U-Hall service in conjunction with storage....so we only had to drive home!
Minnesota was beautiful with all the white snow, but it was soooo cold! I had to do all my training inside, but I got to train at Lifetime Fitness and the facilities are beautiful there. The pool is 25meters and separate from the leisure pool (where kids can play, and you don't have to worry about not getting in a swim because water aerobics is taking place). Also, you never have to worry about waiting for a treadmill because there are literally 500 cardio equipment machines. I was cold almost all the time, so I did really enjoy my hot showers there...and nightly hot cups of tea. One day it was -10 degrees...and it literally hurt to walk outside. I could feel my lungs and nostrils burning because the water molecules were actually freezing!! Despite the cold, I had a great time in MN!
Missouri seemed like a tropical climate compared to MN, but there were ups and downs in temps there as well. I did enjoy running outside on the trails in MO, but most of my rides were on the trainer...with a few rides outside when temps were in the 50s and near 60!
It is hard to believe that 2009 is here....it does not seem that long ago when we
were celebrating the Y2k!! Time really does fly by and you have to enjoy life, appreciate what you have and live life to the fullest.
I am ready to embark on another year, get into quality training and push myself----not only for another year, but another quad.

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All Matching!

All Matching!
Some of the new 2011 TYR cycling kits matched great with my Fuji and Zipp wheels!

Run Shots!

Run Shots!
New 2011 run gear. Poor TJ was quite sore after his 70.3 the weekend prior.

Downtown Sydney

Downtown Sydney
This is taken from the 20th floor of my hotel room. You can see just to the left where we swam in near the Opera House.

Check out the Scenery

Check out the Scenery
Out training in Idaho before heading to the airport! Beautiful lake in the background.

Ready For 2024!

Ready For 2024!
My niece has my suit and Speedo backpack...ready to train (but I think she mentioned she was going to Six Flags!)

Marin Triathlon

Marin Triathlon
Becky and I hanging out at the awards post race

Seoul WCS Finish Line

Seoul WCS Finish Line
I though I had finished the race, but I forgot to cross the timing matt completely until 10 sec later!!

Holding the Cup!

Holding the Cup!
Race to the Toyota Cup winners in Dallas, Texas. The cup was heavy...and brrr it was a cold weekend in Dallas!

Post-Race

Post-Race
Matt Reed was first for the men's race

Crossing the Tape

Crossing the Tape
Always a good feeling to break the tape!

On the Bike in Minnesota

On the Bike in Minnesota
Here I am on my Blue at the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon this past Saturday

LTF Swim Start

LTF Swim Start
Here we are right at the horn (I am in the Blue). Thank Paul Phillips for all the great pics more at: http://www.competitiveimage.us/tri/Sarah-Haskins/index.html

Bike Shot

Bike Shot
Out on the bike course---quickly going through my bottles!!

Flying Dive

Flying Dive
Here I am headed back into the water after the first lap.

Crossing the Finish!

Crossing the Finish!
4th place

T2

T2
I am headed into the transition area--ready to run!

Washington DC WCS #3

Washington DC WCS #3
Here is a pic of my bike pack out on the course

Ready, Set....GO!

Ready, Set....GO!
My parents came to visit me in Colorado over Memorial Day weekend (Nate was out of town). They came along to a track workout and Sarah wanted to race me!!!

Cheyanne Mountain Zoo

Cheyanne Mountain Zoo
Feeding the giraffes---they have LONG tongues...

Enjoying a Popsicle!

Enjoying a Popsicle!
Maybe most is not getting in her mouth...but that's not always the point, right? Sarah and my parents are enjoying a lunch at the training center.

Run Workouts For Runners and Triathletes

Run Workouts For Runners and Triathletes
Here is a picture of Bobby McGee's new book.

Babies are Wiped Out

Babies are Wiped Out
Megan and I are holding the sleeping girls---

Sarah, Sarah and Anna

Sarah, Sarah and Anna
Sarah (2 yrs) is getting to know her new baby sister!

Sarah Sharing Her Tags!

Sarah Sharing Her Tags!
When Sarah goes to sleep she puts the tags from her blankets on her eyelashes (she always uses the yellow one). She also thinks everyone else wants the tag when they sleep too---including her newborn sister!

Mom, Baby and Sarah

Mom, Baby and Sarah
Megan and Anna are both doing well. This picutre was the day Megan and Anna got to come home from the hospital. Sarah giving Anna some snuggels!

Michael and Meghan's Wedding

Michael and Meghan's Wedding
Nate and I are getting ready to walk down the asile for my brother's wedding.

High Powered Fans

High Powered Fans
These fans are the horsepower of the tunnel...very powerful! They can simulate speeds of 80mph.

Holding the Flower Girl!

Holding the Flower Girl!
Feb. 14th wedding day....Nate and I are holding our niece, Sarah. She did a great job walking down the asile at 23 months!

Inside the Tunnel

Inside the Tunnel
On my Triad, in my new aero position!

Last Minute Travel

Last Minute Travel
Here we are with our U-Haul...we made it safe and sound!

Wren Hollow Elementary

Wren Hollow Elementary
A couple of weeks ago I went back to my Elementary school and spoke to the kids about Triathlon, goal setting and the Olympics! They gave a wonderful welcome with signs, posters, and cheers!

Christmas Morning

Christmas Morning
My Mom, Sarah and I are playing with Sarah while she is enjoying her new toy. This elephant is very strong...my Dad sat on it and it held (he is 230lbs!!)

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa, Oklahoma
Here is Jess snuggling with her babies (Gwen and Rowan). Gwen looks a lot like Jess and Rown look like his daddy, Lucas.

Snow!

Snow!
This view is off my parents deck (the last picture showed the many colors of fall...but winter can be beautiful too!)

Post Parade

Post Parade
Busch Stadium in the background....looks different without the crowds!

On the Run in Beijing

On the Run in Beijing
Racing in the Olympics---if you wonder what the black strap is in my suit, it is my timing chip. It was falling off of my ankle on the bike and I did not want it to get stuck in my chain ring, so I ripped it off and shoved it in my suit!

Another View of Winter

Another View of Winter
Same view as earlier blog post, but with snow!

Holiday Night Out to Dinner

Holiday Night Out to Dinner
Nate and I with Tommy, Sarah (brother-in-law and his finace) and a friend of Sarah's. Tommy and Sarah are getting married October 17th.

Wedding in Minnesota

Wedding in Minnesota
Nate, my cousin Matt Beasley, his wife Lindsay and I. The wedding was beautiful!

Thanksgiving Parade

Thanksgiving Parade
Here I am ready to ride in the yellow Mazda (sponsor for the parade). It was great to see all the families and kids out to watch...

Fall Folliage

Fall Folliage
View off my parents deck

Fall Folliage

Fall Folliage
View from my parents deck

Lake Shot

Lake Shot
View of the pond on my parents property