"One More Time" II

All SLOG readers in the DC area will be happy to know that KLIM and SNOW (author of the famed STUPIDBLOG) are co-hosting a slam-dunk dance bonanza to end all dance parties on Saturday night! Some of you might have come, and the rest of you WISHED you had come (like purse who did not attend bc she was tired and in heavy training), to "One More Time," named after the Daft Punk dance anthem from earlier this century. SNOW and KLIM and their KLIMTIEL co-hosts are piggybacking off this theme and calling their next fiesta "1MT2." They'll have great dance music and even better times. PURSE WILLLLL be in attendance! Why won't you?

If you want location deets, or need a ride, e-mail SNOW for the address: snizow@gmail.com

Start Time: Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 9:00pm
End Time: Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 3:00am
Location: MANSION DUFFYSNOW
City/Town: Arlington, VA

FOXTROT with KLIM:

I met the midnight pacific time deadline PURsssse.

Lindsey has called me out on my "empty promises" of blogging. I think her phrase was "broken record of broken promises". So, in her honor I will post a quick slog tonight, in lieu of doing a myriad of other activities, such as cleaning the cervelo that has yet to be removed from its power-gel infested nesting spot in the bike box, or putting ear drops in the dog's ear, or attempting to teach Matt the scale of G on the piano (he's getting into the sharps...EXCITING!!!).

Anyway, I am happy to report that the power of the blog is strong. Due to the incredible generosity of slog reader (and now slog hero), CARL, I have secured a google wave invite. Now, we shall break into the 21.1st century of virtual training communication with google wave. Check back for exciting developments.

Since we haven't been doing much organized virtual training together and thus don't need accountability in that department, Lindsey and I have moved this virtual accountability model into other arenas - namely nutrition. The rules for this game are as follows - Lindsey is not allowed to consume nut butters between the temptation-laden hours of 7pm - 6am (and since she DARES NOT keep liquid kryptonite at work, it's essentially off limits all day) and she has allowed me a very short window on when I may eat candy - between 6am-8am,...quite generous of her, indeed.

Here is an excerpt of one of our gchats (this will be considered an ancient relic soon as we are switching over to WAVE):

Lauren: so you won't eat nut butters past SEVEN pm and i won't eat candy...at all
Lindsey: I CAN GIVE A TESTIMONIAL for the slog
I FREAKIN ATE A BANANA LAST NIGHT (4:40.. nearly breakfast)
Lindsey: NOT A TRACE OF NUT BUTTER ON IT
Lauren: awesome
Lauren: I WILL ADD that story to the post you are forcing me to do against my will. We should also take a hiatus from triathlon websites
Lindsey: it's amazing
on any other night i would have opened that blasted jar
Lauren: lol
Lindsey: well one of many jars
or potentially EVERY jar
but instead I didn't even open the cabinet
Lauren: how many jars do you currently possess
Lindsey: 3
but only 2 are open
Lauren: haha; v impressive that you can keep these things
i had to throw out any and all random candy we had lying around
Lindsey: throw out as in take to work?
Lauren: yes and let the vultures descend

Other than that, there is nothing much going on over here. Team Pataky recently moved closer to the often-mention mountain lion reserve. I'm currently in the process of building a training dungeon in the garage for the computrainer, tready, and assortment of balls with which I use to roll out ailing body parts. I've also been doing some mtn biking with Matt and "the Frenchman" and have discovered that what is even more enjoyable than passing roadies on the tri bike is passing them on the mountain bike. Tip of the day - If you are having an "off day" but still want to mess with them, once you pass them and start to feel tired, just turn off at the next intersection and go into the dirt. It works every time....just don't fall on the curb or something.


The "Frenchman" aka Benoit at the Halloween cyclocross race.

I think this is long enough to count as a post so I am going to go now.

Halloween & GOOGLEWAVE Developments

Halloween affords us the rare opportunity to set pumpkins ablaze:

Undeterred by mother nature's wrath, the party host, SNOW (famed stupid blog author), revives the ailing pumpkin with the cohost/doctor.

Success. Pumpkins return to fire-breathing glory:

I brainstormed potential Halloween costumes ideas with my aunts hrs before the pumpkin lighting, resulting in this masterpiece:My last-minute costume research was thorough, however, a mild bout of dyslexia caused me to misorder the PLU code, resulting in MASSIVE confusion Halloween evening. I was incorrectly stickered as a small mutsu apple, rather than an eggplant (aubergine). Did you know that an eggplant is a fruit botanically classified AS A BERRY???

GOOGLEWAVE DEVELOPMENTS: Yesterday I accepted my googlewave invite, but am beside myself looking for the invite function so LAHP gets onboard and stops pinging me to INVITE! her. I DOn'T KNOW HOW.

Perhaps we can integrate the new platform into the slogosphere. The uninterrupted stream of slootbabble is pertinent to our training success and as Lauren already identified in her gwave request to the google team: we are a NEW BREED of athletes that HARNESS THE POWER OF THE INTERNET for training purposes. Or maybe someone can kindly add her?

Lauren's Longhorn 70.3 Discussion

Race reports are so easy to write if you either have a killer day and destroy the field or are beset with a HUGE obstacle to overcome. Such situations provide great slog fodder and enable one to set up one's race report for a breathtaking climax followed by either a gentle denoument or perhaps an abrupt ending. Unfortunately, nothing of the sort happened at my race last weekend, so I'm once again, experiencing a bit of writer's block in putting together this report.

I flew into my ancestral home of San Antonio (REMEMBER THE ALAMO) late Friday night and met up with Purse…oh actually that is incorrect as she decided to go to bed early at my parents’ house rather than greet me at the airport with a large homecoming sign. We got up at the crack of dawn (which became the theme all weekend) on Saturday, successfully put my bike together without stripping the derailleur, and embarked upon our journey up to Austin for the pro meeting. Despite MULTIPLE GPS devices (I advise against getting the latest Garmin as the female speaker is incredibly annoying and wrong), printed directions, a previous history in driving to this very location, and my “instincts” we managed to get lost. Purse saved the day by forcing the Harrisons to pit stop at a Chevron and ask for directions. (note: most of this was copied almost verbatim from Lindsey’s thank you note to my parents)

Race day: In short, I swam incredibly slow, rode like I know I can, and just ran to finish the race. Nothing exciting happened, besides 2 "rabid' dogs running after me (which pales in comparison to mountain lions...speaking of which...recently a canadian folksinger was killed by COYOTES...which everyone has assured me do not bother with humans).

After my ridiculously slow swim, I managed to make up time on the bike leg and passed around 9-10 girls. This gave me a confidence boost, but I was unable to channel that into a strong run and did not manage to meet my run goal. I did not perform.

Upon reflection, perhaps I was more looking forward to this race as it signified the end of a season, and thus the possibility of a new and better start next year, rather than the culmination and channeling of all the hard work I've done this year into a great race day performance. I tried to argue with myself that such was not the case. I mean, SERIOUSLY, HOW WEAK IS THAT? Perhaps it is the truth, though, and this is my takeway for the race - yet another lesson learned.

I have alot of work to do this winter -both mental and physical. I used to hate the idea of a break from racing, but now I am excited to spend a couple weeks decompressing from this interesting season and preparing myself to GTWD this winter/spring. Rather than chalk this race up to yet another below top 10 performance, I'll use it. In fact, I just purchased an ASI photo of me emerging from the lake with almost NOBODY behind me in the water (go ahead, you know you want to look). This will be a great photo to laminate and paste on the pool deck for EVERY SINGLE swim workout I do next year. Should you be in the SF Bay Area, you'll know me as the weird girl who posts a picture of herself on the pool deck (as opposed to the weird girl that poses with yellow CPR dummies).

PS: I have a special shout out to Lindsey and my parents who filled in for Matt and supported me...and also to Ray for the photos that accurately depicted how I felt that day. Thanks!!!!



Sherpa Lindsey on wetsuit detail.


Motivation for treadmill running this winter.


Beginning of the death march.


Ending of the death march.


Super sherpa PURSE who was confused about the correct date of Halloween.

Longhorn 70.3 Eve

After an exhausting day sherpa-ing for LAHP, we concluded Longhorn 70.3 preparations with a confidence-boosting equilibrium swim and picked up dinner at Chipotle (Potal) with mom and dad Harrison. carbo-loading LAHP ready for a bowl of TEXAS Blue Bell ice cream. From wiki: "Blue Bell is one of the few ice cream companies in the United States to offer a true half gallon (64 oz/1.89 L) container; the company mentions this prominently in its advertising." Clearly, this is an effective marketing strategy with Texans. Assembling the EGGBOMB station before bed. I rise at 3:45 to make breakfast for the princess, I mean Lauren.

East Meets West at LONGHORN 70.3

Lauren closes the rookiepros.blogspot.com season this wkd in Austin at the Longhorn 70.3. We will rendezvous in her hometown, San Antonio, where I can start the rapid fire on-site blogging about the season closer (best case scenario). Since I'm using my flight benefits from work and flying standby, arriving at my final destination is not guaranteed. If not in Austin, I'll slog LIVE from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

I mined my gchat archives with Lauren to find this QOTD from our 36th President, LBJ:

We can draw lessons from the past, but we cannot live in it.

We thought this was an appropriate running injury quote (apologies to LBJ for bastardizing his comment), but it also reminds us to apply what we have learned from this season's races. Heard from Lauren yesterday:

I had two killer workouts this afternoon...SO killer that at the end of each workout I just had to say "Hell YEAH." WOOT ready for longhorn.

MORE to come FROM TEXAS! Sherpa LJ will

- provide encouragement as Lauren builds her own bike

- simulate the craziness of the race start at the warm-up swim (in the danger suit)

- griddle the race morning eggbomb

Lindsey's Brush with Fame

Hello Blog Readers,

Since Triathlete mag is not busting down the door for interviews with us and we both forgot to submit our bikini shots for consideration for one of the swimsuit model positions, I thought I'd take this opportunity to post the 2 page centerfold of Lindsey in the November issue of Triathlete mag taken at elite nationals (pgs 18-19).

Check out her form (dark goggles) - a product of 21 years of swimming development.