Why kids need to go away to college....

dog ambush 

the Southgate Sugar cookies

I love my kids like all Mama Bears  do.  But let me tell you.... about 2 years ago I recall saying " I cannot wait until they are both gone"  Well now they are gone and flourishng on their on and well I of course miss them like crazy.  The beauty of getting old is memories are edited and I seem to have dismissed all the devilish, dumb ass teenage shenanigans they pulled while living here. It's just rainbows and butterflies :)

yea Riley is home! 

Kids in the house!

Santa Riley /JD even filled my stocking

As the visit got closer... I was the little kid counting the days until JD and Riley came home. On Christmas Eve I was giddy and John laughed and noted "someone is excited" And the bonus was Riley got on an earlier flight and was home by 7. In time to frost the Hancock traditional sugar cookies- we listened to her tunes, frosted and decorated away.  I was soo happy!  



Christmas AM - Riley slept in and JD was flying in. The true miracle of Christmas was he made his flight! He is 1 for 4 in making flights.  Home soon thereafter to another grandstand greeting of crying, waggy tales, wiggly butts and sheer excitement from Roo and Mako.  They went full bore nuts over each kids return to the house. Both kids  in tears on the floor rolling around with the pups! 

cleaned up for Christmas 

Family together - Check!   Christmas Breakfast around the table...fruit salad, eggs and spinach and organic bacon for JD- he and the dogs were thrilled!  Bacon fat on the food is golden for Roo and Mako. 

The next 3 days were just awesome- hanging around and talking, cooking at home and being a family.  We walked the dogs, went to my favorite coffee/breakfast places, had our toes done (ok Riley and I did), sat around the table talking and just loving being together.

Christmas dinner at Dad's was amazing.... not just the food but the whole night.  We talked and talked and talked around the table. There were trivial topics, political topics and memories.... stories being to

ld, laughter and so much love it was sensational.

Our scheudles gelled... evening events done around 8/9:00 and I go to bed, kids go out.  I get up and swim and by the time I am done they are stlll not ready to get up and start the day! 

Love them to the moon and back and miss them...... 

I did swim every day, rode the trainer on Christmas, but the priority was the kids.... training will always be there, time with people needs to be enjoyed!  

Avocado Toast

Smack!  Another 8000 yard swim.

2500 warm up - continuous
Masters 
4x75 b+5, 300 on base, 4x75 b+5 - 900
6x75 b+5, 6x 100 @b, 6x75 B+5 - 1500
3x300 pull - 900
150 B+5, 4x75 b+5, 150 b+5 - 600 
6x100 pull @b
1000 pull steady 
8,000 yards!

hot shower and into the sauna with organic coconut oil for my chlorinated swim. Text from my sweetie "at BB (better buzz ) what do you want?"  

large almond milk latte and avocado toast  
Arrive 10 min later with giant goggle marks and smelling like bleachy coconut to this

Avocado Toast with Arugula Salad! 

Thick wholegrain sourdough bread slathered with mashed avo, salt, pepper, tomatoes and feta.

Best recovery food out there!  This is what got me through the last 2k.

My avo toast

I make this at home ALOT

Ezekiel sprouted grain bread
mash avocado and add lime, salt, pepper and a few chili flakes- inhale

Mission accomplished
1- swim done for me
2- john's run with dogs done (he runs to the coffee place and we drive home together) 
3- am date before we start our day 

Weekly blogging.....not so much

December goals:  




1- close $xxx in revenue for HPN Global-  check
2- 1:1 meetings all athletes - year end review and 2016 goal planning - check
3- personal goals I am not willing to blog about- some done some not
4- blog weekly- NOT DONE

Group swim

If the goal had been to start 7 blogs, than I would have a big ass check mark next to that- but since I did not have such a goal, well here we are with a so much to share.

Skipping so many epic minor and not that interesting activities, revelations that may or may not change you life... and going to what this blog started as- ironman journey, right.

Well I have a f'ing fractured metatarsal, not a stress fracture, not a stress reaction but a full on fracture in metatarsal #2. but I am not bitter  It started a tiny little stress reaction in Barcelona and the dutiful athlete I am I stopped running, after only 10 minutes, not miles, yes 10 minutes of pain, That was the stress reaction.  If I had been at home maybe this would have been resolved much sooner but instead I did a 3 day walking hobbling tour in Croatia, had a "doctor" work on my foot to relieve the swelling or crunch the bones further and finally get to a Dr in Berlin and got an 800 euro, yes 800 euro boot to take the pressure off the now fractured bone,  But that is what it is. reminder I am NOT bitter 

when things get bad - Sim short, paddle and fins

So with no running again , minimal biking until a callous formed and it being the USAT NCC Swim Month (USA Triathlon National Club Challenge) I decided to swim, swim, swim....

What that looks like is 114,000 yards to date!  64.7 miles.  Goal so 125,000 for the month. 71 miles!  Before you get all impressed, not that only puts me in 9th place. There are some freaking amazing people out there -for example the first place guy ( a TCSD rockstar has swim twice as much as I have.  Right..... so just when I am feeling awesome, I realize I am not that awesome. 

We did 2 group TCSD swims which were awesome!  Swim 1- I had Pete to do 100 x100's with me and I did a bonus 1000 for 11,000 yards!  Swim 2- I did not have a buddy so did 20 x 500 and than logged 3k for 13,000 yards- longest swim since college! 

me on the way to 13k

But I do have really dry skin ( organic coconut oil is the cure- but the problem with that is I become a lick stick for the dogs- okay TMI) , much lighter hair, I reek of bleach, I have bigger biceps, confirmed you really do use your core when swimming and have an overall sense of fatigue.   I have logged 500 miles on the bike and 100 miles on the elliptical. The first few weeks I manged core workouts and strength but no more....it's about the pool and swimming laps.  When it gets really bad you will see me wearing Roka Sim Shorts, fins and paddles- I know 100% slacker, but hey JUST DO IT. 

LOL I did NOT finish this blog last night.....almost let it sit with the other 8 unfinished blogs.  

NOPE - finishing it now!  And rode GWL today and logged another 4k in the pool!  GO ME 

Not getting behind

After the "vomit" blog to catch up, I vowed to not get behind.... 4 days passed and I am behind or maybe I feel that way beacuse I am moving at 110% right now.  

Dad, Kathi and Julie at lunch

After 4 days to not get over jet lag from Europe, deal with a broken foot, start swimming really slowly, return and catch up with work it was time to get on a plane again. 

But in that short week I caught up with a good PQ friend Kim at Union.  Wine and Brussel Sprouts and catching up- my favorite kind of night.  Backed that up with women's night at Nytro and got to see my rocking team mates who ride every weekend without me and eat some of Leslie's killer food (which I miss as much as .... ) and log more miles in the pool. 

Lunch with my Dad and K (even a photo to commemorate it)  

 It is NCC time...National Compeition Challenge for USA Triathlon.  Tri Club competition nationwide and December is swim month and I have a goal of 100k - since I cannot run or really ride well I may as well swim my rear off!   So it is chlorine time for me!  And since I am " in charge" or the "swim leader" I need to set a good example. 

And soon I was back at the airport and off to Denver for an action packed weekend.

Red Curry with Tofu- HOT HOT HOT 

D3Multisport   Christmas Party - great to see Coach and his family and off to Denver after a tough Jane Scott BAM workout Sunday AM. 1- at altitude 2- it was fins day and I did not have fins nor can I wear them right now- so I was left in the dust, but managed to slog through 5k and headed to Denver.

Great lunch with JD and than to the Hyatt Regency for some work. Saw a few hotels late Sunday and was happily in bed at 7 after an early dinner with a client at Thai Monkey Club- which was good!  

Long day planned for Monday but did swim in a 20 yard 85 degree pool for 2k and off to work.  Toured 3 hotels, 4 espressos and than Taziki's with clients for lunch and back downtown to meet JD for beers post finals.  UGH my son is 21- wow!   He ordered tri -tip and truffle oil fries and a legit beer- I guess since Mom was buying he did not have to drink Coors Lt.  It was surreal drinking a beer with my son in a bar!   Jammed the plane and home by 7:30!  

And that is my LAST trip of the year.  

Now the plan is swim a LOT and ride as long as my foot will tolerate it and deal with the darn run come January!  

I am also committed to 30 min core 4x a week-  Loving my new app's  Instant Abs - which BTW is NOT instant- 2 weeks and I do NOT have a 6 pack-  and FitStar are great.  They are monthly subscriptions and have great workouts with avatar videos, motivation and they count reps and time.  Working for me!! 

Roo and Mako still love me even if we have to walk the trails in my giant boot..... 

Sooo behind...ready, let's catch up!

So we left off in Croatia.... here is the speed blog.  I have started 5+ blogs and finished zero....

Brandenburg Gate

Here  we go! 

 Berlin...awesome to see my sister and family, froze my toosh off and did the tour of Berlin Dr's 1: podiatrist who gave me drugs (nothing performance enhancing) and did little else and 2: Sports Med Ortho/Podiatrist who charged me so many Euro I am embarrassed to post and "sold" me a walking boot, which was mandatory as I could not walk without searing pain.  Diagnosis "stress reaction or stress fracture", bottom line wear the boot and avoid pain.  Went to the Reichstag, Parliament Building, for a stunning view and a nice breakfast.  Audio tour and a great overview of the city, history and all the Embassy's.  On our rented cruisers in 30 degrees we toured the city, Brandenburg gate, Check Point Charlie, Tiergarten and more.  If I had been warmer and not in a boot surely would have seen more.  The rest of the trip was hanging with my sister, Hunger Games at the Sony Center and a few cups of Gluevine. 

Reishtag

Train to Prague included too much wine and not enough food...we had great Air BnB in Old Town and now my 6th accommodation on this trip.  This was an apartment and it was nice to have some space and a kitchen. Prague is stunningly beautiful, cold of course and smoky.  Old Town is the medieval settlement.  We did the Prague Castle, Astronomical Clock, Old Town Square, Charles Bridge and Tyn Church.  We tried to find coffee places that were not engulfed in smoke, smoking still allowed inside, and it was nearly impossible until we caved and went to Starbucks.  Such a treat to have soy milk, coconut was a stretch, and coffee that was not bitter.  I know we are so "American" Thanksgiving was at a great Vegetarian restaurant and my first real salad in 2 weeks followed by card games and nice night inside.

Random shark in Old Town Prague

amazing pastries cooked open fire and stuffed with cream/chocolate 

Astronomical Clock 

Tyr Cathedral 

Great week with my sis and family and a lot of history and great blogging but not by me.

Plane ride home…… yeah John, Roo and Mako!

There you have it…. Last 7 days in Europe.