it's been some time...

but time affords a lot of consideration, reflection and insight

THAT being said... my A race in sprints was Eagle in the Sun Sept. 4http://www.ceptiming.com/results_misc.cfm?year=2010&raceNum=289 for results. It was a day I felt like Lance-seriously!- pool swim was not seeded well but that gives me something to chase right? on the bike, wow what a feeling of power, speed, flow as yes grasshoppa- I did this w/out any garmin on my wrist, just a start watch I didn't look at- goal was to push the limits, to go to edge of sustainability, well... MAX OUT!!! goal #2 was to race the boys (of course) and goal #3 was to try to get under 1hr...my run was awesome too- clouds came through, some wind to keep me cool and darn it! you can't beat a flat flat course (mi especiality!) I raised my arms to 1st female OA again, improving last yrs time by-yes! 4mins and some...but best of all was that I was in that supreme state of flow the entire time :) BUT, invariably the wave comes in...

my best friend here in El Paso, way back from when I first started racing around the World, my training partner, travel buddy, Team USA compadre was dying of ALS in Dallas, Tx. It was her time now, she had fought an incredible 3yr battle with this horrid disease, she lived VIBRANTLY, she raced with COURAGE, she fought back with her Run Proud for Dessert 5k's, she sought every treatment and experimental treatment to the ends of the earth (Greece). Diane Proud suffered from Bulbar ALS that affects the face, chest and then progresses downward, inward. The evil thing is, your brain is FINE! you know what's happening to you yet you have no control. I last saw DP in El Paso as she received the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame Induction-WOW!!! that was April. Now I got word that she had slipped into a coma, found not breathing for who knows how long, at hospital, 4 days from her birthday, 2 days after the last RPfD 5k. Via Con Dios Diane love, the McElroys

well- chapter 3: going forward as they say in the pro work market (and I hate that saying) but I must forge forward, last race of the season: Elephant Man Triathlon Oly distance Sept. 25th on the radar as last race of the season. Life is going well, boy children have assimilated well into public school, my tri-coaching is going very well, already have made the All American list for USAT triathlon again, work-eh- I miss DuWorlds on this wknd-bobby and V go in my sted, LauraB, my other training bud doesn't do EMOly this yr so I fly solo as la familia is tied up back home. Racing for Diane, racing to find myself again- lovely day dawns on ElephantButte Lake-great water, great weather, tired legs and a 5th OA finish, 1st AG finish for the year-what that means friends is from now on, I will race but you won't recognize my name in the results-heh heh heh until 2012.

Yes, IMMoo is on the schedule courtesy of my good friend and she was an instant friend, Jessica Jacobs who won OA 2011 and in honor of Diane Proud, multi Ironman distance racer. I know I swore I'd never do one of these crazy races but here goes!

I do what I love, I love what I do!

I feel really blessed to be able to confidently say that! I've been racing triathlons and multisport events for 25 years. Now, I want to give back so I have put on my tri coach hat and am coaching 6 athletes from super beginners to just shy of intermediate experience for various distances. I announced an openwater tri clinic at Elephant Butte Lake this past weekend and had 13 people ready to roll. We had 8 show up for the 5:30am leave El Paso time to caravan up. Laura Bernal, Art Sanchez, Rob Lovett, Bates Gaddy, Michael Casteneda, Catalina D., Rosalba Bazar and her friend Rocio. I prepared a couple of handouts; one on swimming technique for OW and then other on the pyschology of training and racing. If the drive up was any sign of what was to come, well then bring it! Large meteors lit up the sky over the I-10, then the full yellow cheese moon set over the western mesas giving the Rio Grande river valley the most unusual light. As the sun peaked up over the Mtn's, it made it's way through heavy clouds to give the Hatch valley that awesome southwestern August lighting. The day started at a cool *68 with overcast skies. Most people are uneasy when swimming in OW and sometimes the wetsuit can work against you as Laura found out. She's been struggling with panic attacks and not being able to breath. Art is a fish so he led out the more confident swimmers, Rob was practicing his 2nd OW swim and learning to sight properly and not swim all over the lake, Bates was good to go, Michael also practicing his new OW technique with wetsuit, Caty was amazing as a beginner to the sport she is a confident swimmer, Rosalba WOW! she was timid at first-very timid but relaxed and took her time and amazingly by the end of the swim portion she was cruising it! her buddy Rocio really surprised me too- she swam with Art's group who rounded the 'no wake' buoys several times for almost a mile of total swimming-YEA GROUP!!! we all wore brightly colored swim caps to show up for the boat traffic. On to the transition area and on our bikes we began the course ride; you feel like you are riding over hill and dale along the lake but it is beauty the whole way, especially after a desert rain. Poor Rocio got a big slice in her back tire but we were asked 3 x if we needed help by locals and finally she hitched a ride back to camp from a nice local family. I journeyed on, catching the rest of the group just after the 2 big hills-I was pleased to see Catalina still hanging with these guys! we zipped over the rest of the course and came back to camp-quick transition and off on the technical first portion of the run-by race time it will be loose sand again from the vehicle traffic but after a rain it had hardened up pretty good-that didn't change the incline of the hill that leads out of the lake basin though! man, that thing is straight UP! we got back in the lake afterwards to cool off, clean up and into town for lunch at Bella Luka-yum! what a great group of people! we had easy conversation and everyone was easy and very open about their racing, training and life. I can't wait to do this again :) because when I give, I get so much more in return!

Holy damsites! a DamitMan race report

after competing in this race last year and having an absolute BLAST at a new race on a new racecourse, and turning around too soon on the run and getting a final DQ- I vowed to do it again and do it RIGHT! I was hoping they had gotten the volunteers squared away with directions and spot positions on the course as per my requests from last year and yes, they had a much better communication standard met this year!

Laura Bernal and i decided NOT to drive up a.m. of the race even though its a quick drive up (2hrs max) it's hard to find at dark thirty and plus, you have to leave El Paso at 3:30-4 AM to make it safely, transition set up and race starts at 7am! We got a room at the Historic Lodge site right at the race start; room was rustic but fantastic (except for the evil eye'd chicken staring at Laura) no TV, no phone... just us and the giant chicken! well, heck, time to have some fun! lets dress that chicken up with a helmet and some hammer gel and Laura felt more comfy then.

Slept badly- back and sciatica were a real hindrance but oh well, bright and early 5:;30 the cars rolled in and it was a natural wake up call. Trotted 2 mins down to transition, set it up, back to room, chill and prepare, out the door-warmup, down to the lake and boom! We are in a severe drought situation and the water level at the lake was maybe 30 feet down? we had to swim on the "other" side of the marina to accommodate the low water effect but it was all good. I had warned friends: "the run to transition is like none you've even done!" and boy was I right!

up up and up the switchbacked rocky course we ran- into transition... and focus because there is a hill right at the mount line similar to Buffalo Springs,Lubbock! get clipped in quickly and have the bike pre-set gearing wise for that climb- and time to wake up! I sprang around the bike course, watching my competition and keeping legal distance behind her- Miz Sarah Crewe, a 50 yr old RACEHORSE- we played cat and mouse multiple times on the course- before you know it you are finishing the last climb to transition, descending and starting your run. All I can say is preview the course in person, day before if you're a first timer- you will be running straight up a switchback road, up up and up! it feels like you are climbing forever but with Sarah and I starting the climb together I knew i had her, passed and gassed in the first 200 yds, I continued to put time into her on the run. I felt great! amazing! through-out this race I had achieved 'FLOW'. And then someone yelled "first woman!" and i was shocked. I'm 47, Sarah is 50 and we have realized we can't beat the younger girls much, if any anymore, for the overall title- but Today was my day! I was sizing people up that morning and it goes to show you that you can't tell how fast someone is by looks alone-just relax! and do you're own best race! and that strategy got me the win because I relaxed and stayed well within myself.

At the top of the massive hill climb it was rolling hills- the men had a 3 min head start on my wave and i quickly found "my guys" on the course; Art S. was climbing, BrooksV was passing me on the out and back stretch, vet Mark Lennox in his first open water tri was hammering away, I saw Fernie gettin crazy on the approach to the watertower- WOW! I hit Kori Mannon's hand 2x- her BF Scott is the RD for this race and she was "just doin it" to a 3rd place overall. At the race start they announced that one of my long time race friends and an elite male, Master Mike Montoya had had a heart attack that took him to ICU; Kori was racing for him, I was racing for him, Laura Bernal was racing for him that day. What a blow- fit, fast as heck, barely 40+ and laid down with a H.A. He's recovering after 3 stints and we were in our power and giving it back toward him on Sunday am!

I pretty much flew over this course, finishing 2 mins ahead of Sarah, had my best swim ever!!!!! and felt great afterward-wow. I will be prepping for ElephantMan which is approx. the same area but not the same course- I have had to make a hard decision about Duathlon Worlds in Spain this year. I was going until my kid's private school just closed with no notice; we have scrammbled for new schools and my purpose is to see that they assimilate smoothly into the new schools and way new curriculums. That leaves me open to doing the next race at ElephantButte lake Sept 24/25!

Buffalo Springs 70.3, Lubbock TX 2011 tried to to put me under!

I wanted to DNF 2 miles into the run... but Cherie came running by me and said "you can't quit!" so for her I finished

worst drought conditions in West Tx in recent history, combined with28-30mph sustained winds that began before day break, combined with record heat for the region all came together to make this years BSLT 1/2 Iron the hardest yet.

I was ready for heat, I was ready for wind or so I thought... Race morning started 30 mins earlier than planned due to extreme conditions-NOT a good sign. Laura Bernal and i rolled into town on Friday, played at the lake Saturday a.m. while we watched friends BobbyG., BrooksV, and TommyT compete in the sprint race. Cherie joined us for a pre-swim on the course and we were all being swamped by wind driven waves straight to the lungs on the long backstretch return of the course... we all prayed for calm water race morning

9th wave: 6:40 am start- I started well, was 5th to the first buoy, felt fast and strong, swam straight but they had jammed all the swim waves so close together and put us next to last so I immediately swam into all 8 waves of slower swimmers-ugh-didn't get clear water till the backside of the course and the water was pretty calm, not flat but not like yesterday! Came out of the water as last year-30 mins and then proceeded to fight with my wetsuit and the wetsuit stripper! DANG IT! that took a huge chunk of time before I crossed the timing mat as I had a virgin wetsuit stripper who got all stuck in my suit! brush that off... jammed on the bike, perfect gear selection for the 6% grade climb immediately out of transition but then full force wind in the face on top! I worked my way through the course despite the winds, being careful of my hydration and electrolytes but I didn't account for the extra calories spent fighting the mostly cross winds! yes, I got out my course map and plotted the wind to prove to myself that yes it was THAT bad! mostly 40+ miles of the course was crosswinds with the remaining 16 head/tail-JIMMINY! but this meant that I hit the run with nothing in the tank, I felt like nothing could save me; it was HOT, I was HUNGRY and I was facing 13.1 miles of more hills, wind and heat. I was passing people but was running aid station to aid station getting as much drink and gels as I could-once on top of the lake well into the "heat stroke" energy lab section I began putting ice EVERYWHERE! jog bra, down the shorts, down the coolsleeves, under the hat. At 6 miles I began to feel some part of myself coming back into proper pace and form but I still stopped at every aid station. Coming down the hills into the lake area again I felt like I was flying; I ran up on a girl that had really out run me in the beginning, although now, as we both stopped for COKE, and commiseration we decided to take the last 3 miles back in company, encouraging the other to get back on pace and that yes, we ideed were gonna FINISH! we picked up 2 more runners and the vibe was powerful- I began to flow as we ran and talked and suffered... 1 mile to go, my new friend from Colorado, a mom of 3 boys, 36 yrs old fell off the pace, she yelled at me to GO and I yelled at her to stick to my back. I flew that last mile, feet never touched the ground. I have never been so happy to finish a race in order to get right back in that lake and cool off, eat, have a beer and CHILLAX! I avoided the medical tent thank you God and had no cramping but i have never seen so many people struggling, walking, in the med tent, so many ambulances. Later at the awards ceremony the RD did say dispite the conditions this yrs race had the most finishers-wow and, He said "hottest race on record". I felt completely puny when I saw my friend Jessica Jacobs, a pro who ROCKED the 70.3 with the fastest bike and 2nd fastest run!

Laura and I went straight to the hotel and legs up, room temp set to 62* until the awards ceremony that night. We decided that yes, next year, we will be back :)

the rest of the summer is sprint distance racing; it's redline and whole lota quick f un!

I must dedicate myself a bit more

I have friends who blog and I love it! get with it girl! I tell myself... I've been a long time on the range- but back to it*sharp pointy thing* lets see; catch up drill: work life still is challenging and I so hate Mondays/why do Mondays always seem to be a heap that slaps you upside the head after a lovely weekend? personally, kids are out of school and doing the good ole nuthin and I feel like bad mom for not having their every minute planned out but I came out ok from sittin on my tush either in the sun for 4 hrs at the lake or in front of the boobtube watching General Hospital et al... my athletic life? I've been BUSTIN IT! friends- turned 46 and the clock is ticking now on best performances so I'm out there racing anything and everything so, from here going foreward!!!! Work? I take a lick and keep on ticking unless the watch blows at the wrong button push- Personal? Kids will be kids and LOVE the take it easy approach because guess what? I'm the magician when it's time to pull them out of "I'm bored mom"-nothing like some sprints in the work pool with the workforce and my kids to tune EVERYONE up! lol

Athletic endevours? on to 70.3 Buffalo Springs even with record heat and drought because I told my bestest bestie Cherie-( my Mimi) AND my fellow bestest "Sista" Laura B. that I would follow them and lead them through the valley of what makes this race argueably the most cruel 70.3 in the US. keep the faith Meems and LB *heart*

we shall all flow along...