KICKING OFF THE DUTCH INVASION

 

This coming week marks the kickoff of the Dutch Invasion.  This is the busiest and most exciting time of the year at work. It’s a stretch where I’m sleepless, working like a boss, and having a great time.  It’s when my Dutch colleagues are with a posse of their students for an intense, 8 day, student exchange.

Where set up all types of activities, trips, and gatherings for the kids. The two weeks leading up to this is killer for me! I am at my most efficient work-pace all year-churning out lessons, correcting, recruiting, organizing, and communicating. It’s a crazy time, and it’s the best of times!

The Dutch arrive on our doorstep this Monday.  My fam is ready to host the teachers for the 6^th year in a row. We have gotten to know the teachers very well by now and have built a great working relationship and friendship with my colleagues from the Nederland.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit my friends in the Netherlands the last few years and their homeland has really impressed me. I’ve gotten to explore both the city(Amsterdam) and the countryside quite extensively.  Their cycling lifestyle is very contagious!  If only I could train on their flat, car-less, endless trails along the dikes and farms! 

So it’s time to break out the orange, cheese, stroopwaffels, and Heineken’s and enjoy the invasion.

Can my training schedule survive??? 

I've Got Nothing to Offer but Blood, Toils, Tears, and Sweat.

Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. Winston Churchill

What exactly does it mean? First-that I am a history geek!  Second- I’ve accomplished my immediate goal of competing in a TRI.  Third-it’s time to advance my training to the next stage and not to be happy just ‘getting here’.  

Too much junk food in my diet? You betcha!!

This quote sums up exactly where I am in my training. Not the end-even though the big part of the race season is over.  Not the beginning of the end-I’m not retiring from sport!  Maybe- the end of the beginning! I’m ready for the next phase of my TRI career!

It’s been two weeks since my first triathlon and the training has dropped off a bit. I did run a 5k race last weekend but I’ve slacked since. I do have one more 5k race on my radar this year but it’s time to step up the training of all 3 tri disciplines. I’ve been taking it easy since the big race and it’s time to regroup!

I’m going to have to take some steps to ensure training success.  One thing I need to do is put up one of those training widgets on this blog so my loyal handful of followers can keep track of my workouts and continue to motivate me. I have received some great encouragement from fellow bloggers and it has provided some great motivation to me. Please keep those shout-outs coming!

Another part of plan tri-recommit is to sign up for a tri or two for next year. I’d like to do a handful but I need to make it official! Olympic and Half-Ironman are my goals…not planning on holding the world-wide press conferences on these until the $$ is sent in but will keep you posted.

Time to chill out is over, but some 80's tunes, firepit, and a sociable are just what I need

 

Seafood diet...Jacqueline's favorite-Steamers!

 

There is no better time to start the training than first thing tomorrow morning(yeah it’s late now!), so it’s time to fire up that  ‘80s music because I’m ready to rock! BTW-quality 80s tunes are VITAL to my training!

Here are some pics from life since TRI#1…

Time to stop being a weiner?

What gives you motivation between races????

New training workout: Chasing Riley Ann!

No Sleep till Brooklyn for Jacqueline

Riley starting her TRI training?

                                                          Live from NY, it's....US!

Reliving the Dream ... pics of my first TRI

It’s now almost 2 weeks post-race and the race pics have just been posted. With my workouts slowing down, I need to relive the moment so here are some action shots!

The BEFORE pic...Race time. Even though showers were forecast, the sun was shining on us that day!

1- My inaugural tri so you guessed it, one of the first on the scene. I had already been at the reg table for about an hour by this point!

2- Just before the gun! Notice the waves visible ABOVE the heads of the racers...

 

3- We're off. Wasn't easy getting past the first few swells!

4- I'm somewhere on the far left...

 

5- Finishing the swim, Gameface is ON! Actually, i was a little wobbly at this point after getting thrown around in the surf.

6- Trying to make up some time after a sub-par swim.  Headwind!

7- Salt marsh and me.

8- Feeling good at this point and just taking it all in!

9- Yup!

10- Not gonna lie- Kirk has a much cooler victory dance than I!

11- Telling war stories already!

My photographer (dad!) taking an accidental photo of himself! May have to convince him to take part in a relay next year!?!

Time to keep the dream alive and recommit to training!!!