Surprise Dinner Guest

While having dinner at Fearings, we had a surprise visitor drop by our table to say hi....

Chef Dean Fearing himself!

Zaza-ing

Just checked into the Zaza for a weekend of spaing, gossiping, drinking and what-noting with my besties.  Can't wait...couldn't come at a better time!!!

Taste of Crow

I have been patiently waiting for the official results of the Best of the Best Tri to be posted so that I could see in writing my name above Cash but the results were not posted on Sunday at 4pm when they usually are....nor were they available on Monday.  If fact they were just posted!  Due to some computer error (maybe the one that held up getting timing chips assigned???), the times announced on race day are all right but the rankings are different.

I did NOT get 5th place but 9th.  Ok, still top ten so I'll take it.  I had the 2nd fastest swim in my age group behind the woman who was the overall female winner, and had the 15th fastest swim overall.  I had one of my fastest runs at 25:07.  Now if I could just improve my biking.  My biking sucks and is solely the reason I didn't place in the top 5.  Something to focus on for next time!

But the biggest blow of all??? Cash beat me again!  There it is in black and white Cash above Maslow....so this is what eating crow tastes like.

Hanging with the Best

When my alarm went off I was cursing myself for getting into this, dreading the drive to Denton, and starting to nervously question whether I had forgotten something.  I put on my tri suit, tightly pulled my hair back in a low bun and headed to the kitchen to have my breakfast of champions.  While washing down my peanut butter bagel and banana with a double espresso, my mind was frantically dashing between going over the laundry list of things I packed last night to make sure I had everything to trying to recall the directions on how to get to Denton.  All needless worry as I had gone over it and over it last night.  I knew I was ready...I just needed to convince myself that.

I woke Adam up exactly at 5am so that he could pump my up my bike tires and load my bike.  Hey!  I'm a triathlete not a bike mechanic.  I don't want to get a tri and realize I have a flat tire because I didn't pump the tire correctly, so Adam is kind enough to do it for me and give me a proper send off.  As I pulled onto the tollway in the pitch black dark, I tried to calm my nerves by focusing on the directions...exit 380W...as the last thing I needed was to get lost.  I recognized the names of the roads out in the sticks and got to Denton with no issues.

By 6am, I was parked, unloaded, and in line for body marking.  When I entered the transition area, I was shocked how few bike racks there were.  Where were the hundreds of people there normally are?  I set up my transition area and got in line to get my timing chip.  Apparently the computer went down and they couldn't assign the chips until it came back up so I waited and waited and waited.  I started getting nervous that I was going to be pressed for time for my pre-race rituals.  Imagine my surprise when there was no line for the bathroom, no wait for a mirror to put on swim caps, nothing.  No large crowd checking out the swim facility...what on earth is going on?

As they called the athletes to line up they announced that out of the 14,000 triathletes that participated in races in the 12 months that was were used for qualifying for this race they only selected 200 participants.  Ah, so that explains the low numbers!  Tris usually have 600-800 people in them...

I found my spot right between numbers 106 and 108 who were both men that are about as tall as Adam.  My heart sunk and I got a knot in my throat.  Wow, so this is what the top 200 triathletes in the Dallas area look like.  What the flying flip am I doing here?  I only spotted one woman in front of me.  I'm sure there were a handful more but it was hard to see anything given the height of the guys I was about to be swimming with.  Within minutes the first woman exited the pool and she spun around in a circle seeming to be completely disoriented!  She literally had to be told which direction to go....yikes!

Before I knew it, it was my turn.  As I'm telling myself to swim my own race and not worry about the jolly green giants bulldozing me I see bubbles in my face.  Dang it, someone is taking their sweet time, now I have to pass them.  I hate passing...expending the energy to gain a couple of seconds in the pool is just not worth it.  I totally throw off my cadence and stupidly take the last corner with 2 other swimmers.  We all three try to sprint to the end of the pool and this light weight got thrown into the ropes.  Nice start...

As I'm running to the transition area I see Adam, Maison, and my parents cheering me on.  I quickly put on my cleats and helmet and grab my bike.  The bike is 16mi down and back on a highway.  The most eventful thing was seeing some poor guy trying to fix a flat tire within the first few miles.  I would just have to quit.  I have no idea how to fix a flat so I don't even bring a flat kit with me.  When I had about a mile left, I reached for my Gu in the back pocket on my tri top and it wasn't there.  Where is my Gu?  Did I drop it?  That's a bummer!  I like to gu at the end of the bike so it hits me on the run.  I see my fam again as I'm coming into transition and I'm so focused on them I completely miss the dismount line.  I abruptly pulled my cleat out of the pedal but luckily didn't crash.  I hear my mom screaming "Go Marcia!" as I go to rack my bike.   I decide to look down and there was my gu!  Hallelujah!

2 laps around the stadium and then I'm finished.  I surprisingly felt good going into the run.  I took 2 Alieve this morning for a nagging pain I've had in my side for weeks that 2 doctors and a bazillion tests later no one can figure out what causes it so I just motor on.  I think that might be the key to no bike to run transition pain!!!  I see my fam again as I'm finishing lap one and then they headed into the stadium to see me finish.  I hear the announcer calling out names of each finisher getting louder and louder....and then I make the last turn into the stadium and sprint to the finish line.

I did it!  I finished the Best of the Best Triathlon in 1:31.  I got my medal and finisher jacket and found my family in the stands.   Before we headed home, I decided to check the finishing times when I went down to get some food and water.  I couldn't believe it...I got 5th place!  5th place?  REALLY?  What's better than 5th is that while I was down there I heard them call out "D**I Cash" (name hidden in case she googles herself!).   This girl beats me EVERY TIME.  I have no idea who she is, what she looks like...nothing...only that after every tri her name is located above mine.  But not this time...

Pre-race Jitters

I just picked up my packet for the Best of the Best Triathlon that is tomorrow.  Due to the expected high temperature the race start has been moved up to 6:45am which means I will have to leave the house at 5am to drive to Denton....which means I will have to get up at 4:30am.  Awesome, just what I want to do on a Sunday.

I was second guessing myself as I pulled into the parking lot to go get my packet and was really questioning my participation when I saw the athletic specimens that were also getting their packets.  What on earth have I gotten myself into?  Then I realized I was number 107...lowest number I have ever been in a tri!  Maybe things aren't so bad...looks like a I got a good spot for the swim start.

Daddy's Little Girl

In celebration of Father's Day, Adam wanted to have brunch at Cane Rosso.  We have heard how fab Cane Rosso is for months but given it's reputation for a lengthy wait and it's location in Deep Ellum we hadn't gone.  Cane Rosso (red dog) is named after the owner's red vizsla, Zoli.  What's up with us picking restaurants that people name after their dogs?  Although if my dad were to ever open a BBQ joint it would probably be named Charlie's in honor of his beloved shar pei, so who am I to judge?

Adam of course didn't pick this as his father's day brunch spot due to the name, he picked it because it was featured on America's Best Bites.  Who knew that one of the best pizza places in the U.S. was in good ole Dallas, Texas?  In my opinion, it was better than any pizza I've ever had in New York or Chicago...yes, I said it.  BETTER than Chicago...sorry Adam!

I was a little worried what Maison could eat given her dairy allergy until I noticed they had Nutella pizza.  I've never seen a pizza place in Chicago serve Nutella pizza.  I'm just saying...Maison is certainly Daddy's little girl....she loved it!

YUM!  Nutella

Helping Daddy open his presents

And of course, you have to dance it out when you have a tummy full of sugar...

Happy Father's Day Adam!

Leisurely Laying Bricks

Just when I thought there couldn't possibly be any more 'bike trail' material I have more to share.  I just finished my last brick workout before my tri and did the bike portion on my usual section of the trail.  There were so many walkers, runners, leisure bikers, groups of talkers, dog walkers, duck feeders, etc that I was seriously like an obstacle course rather than a bike ride.  It was such a slow ride that whenever I happened upon an open stretch I really tried to sprint as fast as I could.

Wouldn't you know that during one of these sprints I ran into the segway cops.  Apparently, bikers are so hazardous to the non-bikers using the BIKE trail that we now have segway cops to police the bikers from using the space that was initially created for them.  Yes, that makes sense.  So when I'm trying to have my most intense workout of my entire tri training I'm followed not by one but by two of Plano's finest to make sure that I don't break the 15 mph speed limit or put a runner, walker, duck feeder, rat feeder, etc in harms way.  We know that taking out someone one stupid enough to feed a rat would be a bad thing...right?

I also find it interesting that the signs posted everywhere that say NO MOTORIZED VEHICLES apparently don't apply to the Plano police.  So they can break their own rule yet I can't ride a bike on a BIKE trail without being followed.  Seems like a good use of the ungodly tax dollars we pay on a yearly basis.  

While we are at it why don't we have a nutria update?  At the 2nd most populated spot to feed ducks I saw probably 30-40 nutria hanging out between the waters edge and the trail.  How could there possibly be so many in one spot....well after a little research I found out that nutria are polygamists.  The males take 2-3 mates which share one burrow.  The females have 4-6 in each litter and have on average 6 litters.  So even if you are not good at math you can see how last week there were about 10 and this week there are about 30-40.  At this rate, if I lived with a yard facing the creek I would move because now that these river rats have a taste for people food and people they will soon be brave enough to go into yards and houses to find it.  When this happens I'm sure it will some how be the bikers fault for getting in the duck feeders way and forcing people to feed rats.  I can already see the aftermath:  "Bikers band from Plano bike trails due to over population of River Rats."  Doesn't make sense of course, but neither does anything else on the bike trail...

Donuts for Dad

Adam had his first school party experience today at Donuts for Dad.  Maison was so excited that she got to wear a 'party dress' to school today and that Daddy was going to school with her.

 Once they got to school, I don't know if Maison was more excited about Daddy, actually getting to eat a donut, or the gift she had made for him.

Happy early Father's Day!

Laying Bricks

I just got back from my first Brick (15 mi biking + 3 mi running) workout for my tri that is coming up exactly 2 weeks from today.  After 9 1/2 hours of training this week all I have to say is wow.  I'm not going to lie.  Doing a brick workout sucks.  The first mile of the run you feel a little ill.  Not like heat exhaustion ill but like in physical pain ill.  There is no other way to describe it other than you feel like you have a wagon or a trailer connected to your butt that you can't lose no matter how fast or hard you run.  It...is...just...still...there.  Yuck city!

My tri training ranges from 8 hrs a week to 10 hrs a week because I have been training for the tri and my 15k that is on July 15 at the same time.  So one of the 'runs' in the tri training is a 7, 8, or 9 mile run so that I'm ready for the 15k in mid-July.  Training for a tri and a distance run at the same time, in the summer, in Dallas I've learned a few things:

1.  Your face is an alarming shade of red...like call the ambulance you are choking or having a heart attack red
2.  You get amazing tan lines.  'Amazing' being sarcastic, of course, considering my legs are white from about mid-thigh up.  My stomach is white and I have the outline of a sports bra permanently imprinted into my chest and back.  The rest of me is "Ellington Tan" the golden color I can thank my dad and his Cherokee Indian heritage for.  Strapless dresses will not be happening anytime soon.
3.  Every inch of me hurts.  My plantar fasciitis ridden feet are killing me.  If that was it I could take it as they always hurt....but my lower back has decided it doesn't like swimming, either that or I'm way to old for this crap.
4.  Sleep is now 5 hours a night, 6 hours if I'm not awoken by Maison.  Getting up at 5:30am to be hitting the pavement by 6:00am in order to beat the heat does not allow for much sleep for a working, toddler rearing, triathlete wanna be, mom....

But I view this tri as an once in a lifetime opportunity for me....this party girl isn't getting any younger!  If you want to come see what will possibly be the fastest sprint tri in Dallas history, come to the Denton Natatorium on June 24 at 7am.  Look for me, I'll be the one in the head to toe black Zoot (yes, I compete in a zoot suit...insert snickers now).  The elite triathletes should finish well under an hour so should be a great race to watch!

Historically Driving Home ~ SA Vacay Day 3

If you have not been to Guenther House on your trips to SA, you are sorely missing out.  Guenther House is the home of the founding family of Pioneer Flour.  It was built in 1860 and after a 2 year restoration, the restaurant opened in 1988.  I have been several times for brunch and it never disappoints.  I'll admit the wait sucks, especially with 2 toddlers, but really what good restaurant do you not have to wait for?  The best thing to have during a lengthy wait?  Drinks?  Ok, so maybe the 2nd best thing?  That would be a super cute gift shop that sells the best baking supplies (need a tortilla flattener?) and super cute items (princess tea party book anyone?) that you just have to have!  The store is super small and I could easily kill an hour there...all I have to say is, "what wait?"

After 2 hours in the car and 2 showings for Toy Story 2, we stopped in Salado for lunch.  We stumbled along a great little spot, Adelea's on Main.  Adelea's opened in 2008 by 2 sisters who launched their culinary careers based on recipes their mother had passed on to them from their late grandmother.   They still feature some of these recipes in the restaurant.  Adelea's and their bar, Hemingway's (named after their dog) is located in a home that was built in 1925.    I can't think of a more fitting location!

The rest of the trip was completely non-eventful...unless you count seeing Toy Story 2 for the 3rd time today as eventful...sigh.

Toddler Dream Day ~ SA Vacay Day 2

Toddler Dream Day includes the following:
- Brunch with all the Sesame Street characters
- Playing games with the Sesame Street characters
- Waving Abby Cadabby's magic wand
- Getting picture taken with every character from Sesame Street
- Seeing Shamu show, not once, but twice
- Feeding the dolphins
- Spending a good portion of the day in the Sesame Street Bay of Play water park for kids
- Visiting the sea lions and manatees

Toddler Dream Day does NOT include:
- Much eating; too hard to eat when Sesame Street characters are at breakfast
- Napping; too much to see and do!

So where do you eat with 4 tired adults and cranky, hungry toddlers?  Lulu's bakery of course!  Unfortunately, none of us made it to a cinnamon roll.  Did you really think Adam would go to SA and not eat at a restaurant that was featured on Man vs. Food?


If you are wondering where are all our fab pictures that capture Maison having her dream day, they are on the camera that we brought but left the battery at home.  We're hoping that that we can bribe Jon so we can have copies of his pics!

Remembering the Alamo ~ SA Vacay Day 1

I remember my parents taking me to see the Alamo several times when I was a child.  I remember passing through the front door and being shocked that that was pretty much it.  A standing facade with cannons laying around.  Other than the barracks there really wasn't much to see.  Shari, Bubba, and I would run around and climb on the cannons and try to pick up cannon balls, whether it was allowed or not.  I have fond memories of trips to San Antonio, so when I found out that Sea World has a Sesame Street Brunch I was convinced that we had to take Maison.

We took the day off so that we could drive down and see the Alamo before heading to dinner.  Imagine my surprise when we walked in the front door of the Alamo that it wasn't just a shell of a building....it has now been 'renovated' so it is enclosed and has air conditioning....yes air conditioning!  And the barracks I fondly remember running through are now a museum.  Museum about a war with 2 two year olds (Jon, Lisa, and their son Jayden were with us) = BOR-ING!  Bored two year olds = WHIN-ING!  Needless to say we didn't last long...

Maison and Jayden in front of the Alamo:

Since the Alamo didn't last long we went shopping at El Mercado (the Market).  The kids convinced us that they HAD to have maracas which I'm sure will be the gift that keeps on giving...

Maison and Jayden hanging at El Mercado:

Unfortunately these are the ONLY pictures I have of the Alamo, El Mercado, and our yummy dinner at La Margarita (one of the best Mexican restaurants in SA!) because when I started to take Maison's picture at the Alamo I realized the camera wouldn't turn on.  Turns out it requires a battery to work and said battery was plugged into the charger in Plano.  I only feel like documenting so much with an iPhone....but at least I got one shot of Maison's first trip to the Alamo!