Living The Tri Life!: May 2014

Friday, May 30, 2014

MY SOXY FEET!!

"You Don't Have To Be a Pair To Match!"

Embrace The Bright!

I was recently chosen to be a Brand Ambassador for the coolest company, My Soxy Feet!! The name of this company tells you that the product is going to be something FUN!

I have always been a white socks girl, hey.. they match everything right? White Socks, period. Then my friend Becky sent me three pair of fun bright socks! Let the fun begin! Now my white socks are pretty much reserved for yard work.

Socks from Becky! Where it all started!

Slowly but surely my sock drawer got more and more colorful, and then along came a Facebook post that My Soxy Feet was looking for Brand Ambassadors. Several of my Team Aquaphor friends were already on board and when I saw just how cute these socks are I filled out the application and sent it in! Melissa, the owner and founder of My Soxy Feet, replied quickly and boom, I was representing an Uber Cool product.

I love running in these socks with my HOKA's! They have light cushioning on the toes and heels, and while I've been a super thin sock girl for years I've grown to really like the cushion that these socks provide. They're cool and comfortable and cute! How can you go wrong with that?

I like socks!! Do you see any Soxy Feet in the drawer?
NO, because all 4 pair are in the laundry!!

AND Made in the USA!!

One of my favorite things about Soxy Feet is that they give back. Look at the following photos and see how several of the donate to different related charities. Gotta love that!!

So which pairs of Soxy Feet do you think I bought? Here.... I'll show you!

The Tri Socks are the newest addition to the line!
Of course I had to have these!

And who doesn't love Butterflies?

And a Happy Heart!

Dog Daze, Bogey's personal favorite!

I want to share the history of Soxy Feet because personally,

I think it's really cool.

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A Soxy Start

Making a big life change is pretty scary, but NOT making a life change and living with regret is scarier. I'm sure many of you who run or walk can relate to those peaceful moments when you talk to yourself and solve all your problems. It was during a run in 2011 that I decided it was time to start living a more purposeful life, to live with no regret and set an example for my four kids. Perhaps I could inspire others that's it's never too late to make ANY change, whether it be your personal circumstances, bad habits, or lacking a commitment to health and fitness. My passion for running and a supportive network of family and friends helped to clear my mind. I filed for a divorce, decided to start a business and kept on running.

My daughter, Chelsea and I always giggled at our feet with our unmatched socks . We were convinced that our washing machine ate them, leaving only stragglers behind. My socks were white athletic socks with slight variations of colors while Chelsea's philosophy for her socks correlated with her perspective on life: that color, design and height are irrelevant and that as long as two things are compatible, "you don't have to match to be a pair". Bright sneakers and apparel were becoming a statement in the fitness world...but what about those drab white socks? An idea was born.

The support I received from family and friends amazed me. My son Jason, at 15 years old set up all the books and handled all the accounting, shipping etc. My childhood and artistically gifted friend, Sue, collaborated with me on design ideas and In October 2012 we received our first shipment of "Heart and Sole", My Soxy Feet's first sock design. They were created in honor and memory of my mother, avid runner and health nut. She was loved and admired for her warm heart and compassionate soul. When her life was robbed short from breast cancer in 2/2003, I wanted to contribute to the fight in finding a cure. The "Heart and Sole" socks were designed to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation and at "The Race for the Cure" , a group of fellow women runners including my dear friend, and long time breast cancer survivor, Darla, all proudly sported our new pink socks.

The journey of starting a new business when you have been a stay at home Mom for 25 years is scary! However, I live with no regret. I am grateful for the overwhelming love and support of my family and friends as well as the new friends I have met along the way. Fitness is a bridge that brings people together. It helps us focus on the good and discard the bad, build relationships with those that share a common and healthy life style and gives us the determination that when life changes to be tougher it's time to change ourselves to be stronger.

When your feet are smiling, your soul will follow!
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Do you think you might like to represent My Soxy Feet? Here is a link for information about becoming a Soxy Feet Brand Ambassador!!

Want to get your own super cute Soxy socks? Use Code: SOXYFRIENDS for 10% off!

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Eternal Water - Eternal Athlete!!

So if you've read my blog in the past month or so you'll know that Team Aquaphor is no more.... finito... buh bye... gone pecan. Needless to say pretty much everyone on the team was SAD! AND upset because to this day we've never heard one word from Active about the fact that after 8 years the team and it's sponsorship by Aquaphor wasn't going to form this year. Rather inconsiderate if you ask me... but what do I know?

Then a light goes on, a light by the name of Yolanda or Yolo as we affectionately called her on Team Aquaphor posted that the company she works for, Eternal Water (don't you just love that name!!!) was considering sponsoring a small team of triathletes and runners. What do you think our reaction was?

Here is a picture that was on Yolo's office wall during the selection process! Kind of neat to see what it looks like from the side of Team Management. I spy a girl in a pink shirt!! That would be me! Hurray!!

I am happy to have been chosen to be a part of this brand new team! And I'm joined by a lot of my former Team Aquaphor friends, kind of goes hand in hand doesn't it? Aquaphor - Eternal Water.. perfect!!

"NOT ALL WATER IS CREATED EQUAL!!!!! Eternal Water comes from "Naturally Alkaline" underground spring sources. Our Pure and Pristine water has nothing added to it or removed. Unlike MOST alkaline waters that are filtered tap water with added minerals, we rely on mother nature to do it for us."

Eternal Water is The Official Water SPONSOR OF IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!

How cool is that??

And they also sponsor The Lifetime Fitness Marquee Triathlon!

Eternal Water and the MUD RUN!

Go on over to the Eternal Water Facebook page and you'll see race after race! Very exciting!!

We should be getting our kits soon and they look like this!!!!!! LOVE THIS!!!!!!

Can't wait to start racing in the kit!!

Eternal Water - Eternal Athlete!

Living The Tri Life - I'm A Lifer

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Crawfishman Triathlon 2014

The Crawfishman Triathlon ordered up some mighty fine weather for the race this year!! Water temperatures of 74 degrees (wetsuit legal but didn't need to be), and air temperatures in the 50's at race start. Clear blue skies and low winds - "Chamber Of Commerce Weather"!

Bill and I loaded up the car with my bike and the boys on Saturday afternoon and headed to South Louisiana. It's about a 5 hour drive and we would have left sooner but it was Charity Sale Day at Belk's and Bill needed to be there that morning. Just FYI Belk Charity Sale is an awesome event that his company does twice a year to help local Charities in the area (they do this company wide). Local non-profit charities get "tickets" from Belk, these $5 tickets are sold to their friends and family and on Charity Sale Day the people who purchase them get to use them on their purchases at the store. The charities get to keep 100% of the proceeds! Last fall the COSST swim team where I coach participated and we made almost $3,000! Something for those of you who have Belk stores in your area to consider if you need a fundraiser!

Okay.. now back to the race!!

Race day video, full length.

GoPro wristy cam and production by Mark Salvetti,

drone aerial footage by Michael Wattigny...awesome stuff!

Awesome Race Video!

Here is the short version: Okay Swim, Awesome Bike, Decent Run!

Warmed up on the bike with Denise and Brinn, who were down from Hattiesburg to race! Ran some back and forth to the car when I picked up my race packet and went back to prep my bike. And got in a pretty good warm up in the water before my swim wave went off. I should have warmed up a little longer and done some more hard efforts.

Brinn, Coach Kyle, and Denise

My wave had women over 45 and RELAYS..... hmmmm.... not the ideal mix. I lined up front and center like I typically do when the waves are all women. Didn't think about it until right before the gun went off that I was going to be with some pretty strong men at the line, until too late. I went out hard and promptly got pummeled by the aggressive male (and one female) relay swimmers. Backed off a little to find my own water and settle down after the beating. Live and learn. After the second turn buoy we headed back toward shore and I found the feet of a girl in my wave. She didn't swim a straight line but the draft was worth it. Funny, the things I think about during the swim, I should be concentrating on the race but thoughts of writing this post came into my mind as I moved out to the side of the girl I was drafting. Here is what I was thinking of sharing in my blog: Have you ever thought, while drafting, that you are swimming very slowly? That you are sure that you could swim faster than the person in front of you? Well, if you have, try this - move off of their feet and see what happens. Do you pull ahead of them with ease, do you fall back, or maintain your place right next to them? If B or C happens then GET BACK ON THEIR FEET! Save your energy, even if you swim a little farther with their zig zagging (as long as they are not going too far off course - here you must make a judgement call depending on if they are WAY off course).

So I followed this girl all the way to the swim finish, out of the water before her, and out of transition and onto the bike ahead of her. She swam a 17:06.6, I swam a 17:04.7 (faster run to the timing mat). Had a quick transition even with wetsuit removal - :49.0, my friend Denise Joplin (2nd Overall Female) still beat me here with a :48.1! I was okay with my swim, it was faster than last year but still not great.

The bike! WHOO HOOOO!!! I'm not sure what got into my legs this day but I had my fastest average EVER! My Garmin had me at 22.0 as I made the last turn and headed back toward transition, I made sure I kept it above that so I could see it on my data after the download. Yes, a little kookoo but hey.. I was really excited to see that number. The race results said 22.2 but I think the bike course is short. The girl I drafted in the swim passed me on the bike twice (she slowed down the after the first time she passed and I had to go by her), when she came by the second time I shouted "go girl Go!" I didn't want to play pass and be passed again (like I did with a 70 year old man) and I was irritated.

He did make it out of transition ahead of me because he ran out carrying his shoes.... really? I don't know if he was planning on trying to run the entire course barefoot and had them with him just in case or if he was that concerned about having the fastest T2 of the entire race, or if he was worried about being chicked by a 53 year old. At any rate I passed him on the run going up the first hill, saw him at the out and back and he had put on his shoes. My T2 was :49.8 his was :39.7.

Leaving T2 smiling and screaming out my bike average to Bill and Coach Kyle!

Onto the run! Remember the girl who passed me on the bike, I watched her the ENTIRE run. Was gaining on her a bit at the turnaround (out and back course) but when she saw me she picked it up. Our runs were 1 second apart! I felt pretty good on the run - averaged 7:48 miles (way better than the week before at WikiWiki). Kept the turnover quick - the perfect temperature didn't hurt either! So much easier to run with low humidity. Ended up 8th Overall Female and won the Grand Masters Category (the 45 year old beat me by about 40 seconds).

If you haven't done this race YOU ARE MISSING OUT!! Beautiful venue, awesome Race Directors, killer Post Race Party, great T-shirts, fantastic Awards, good Competition, and a ton of FUN!

Beautiful Race Morning!

My swim wave start - ugh.

Denise, Donna, Me, and Brinn!
Donna Ford from Shreveport - first Crawfishman Triathlon
She said it is now her favorite race - She'll be back for sure!