My Top Ten Favorite Photos of 2011

From visits to amazing places to good times with familiar faces, 2011 was a pretty awesome year for me. Picking my top ten favorite photos was not an easy task, but I did my best!

10. In the past, I feared traveling with a bike. Between packing the bike, getting it in my car, and unpacking at my final destination, I’ve had more than one bike-travel induced panic attack. But all that changed in 2011 when  I invested in an Aerus bike bag, a set of Albopads, and a lesson in “How to Pack a Bike.” I’ve taken my Blue to Baltimore, Hawaii, and most recently, my Christmas vacation in Houston, with zero problems. I’m also down to a 28 minute pack time…yes, it’s always a competition!

9. And a lack of bike-packing anxiety might explain why I look so happy in this picture from the Ironman Hawaii swim course! The photo is from a practice swim a few days before this year’s race and if you look close you might be able to spot a few iconic Kailua Bay landmarks in the background (and a K-Peasey band on my wrist)!

8. My success on the Ironman Hawaii swim course is in no small part thanks to my years as a University of Georgia Lady Bulldog swimmer. The amazing ladies in the picture below taught me to be a better competitor, teammate, and friend, and I’m so lucky I still get to hang out with them every once in a while!

7. My mom is going to hate me for re-posting this pic, but I can’t help it – I LOVE it! This is Ebeth right after she kicked major you-know-what at a Montana trail run last summer. The race killed me and she doesn’t even look tired! I sure hope awesomeness is genetic!

6. Prison Mike was always one of my favorite co-workers. Thanks to him I can recite the capitals of all 50 states, tell people I’ve run a marathon PR after eating nothing but Krystal and Taco Bell for a week, and say I’ve left voice mails for both my boss and a local bank that were nothing but laughter. So when he announced he was leaving our firm to become a bazillionaire working for his dad, my co-workers and I made sure he wouldn’t forget us.

5. 2 full weekends. Countless other day trips. I’m pretty sure I could’ve passed as a North Georgia local with how much time I spent riding the GAPS this year. Which is why this drawing of Coach Diablo coming up with his truly diabolical workouts qualifies as a photo – because it shows only the truth:

4. But that’s not saying tough workouts can’t be fun! I have the best teammates.

3. I also have the best family. In early 2011 I got to watch my sister’s Rice University swim team win their first conference title in school history. I think a good goal for 2012 might be convincing Hannah that adding a bike and run just makes the race even better! (Also, please note our adopted brother, Monil, in the background, hahahha.)

2. My trip to Japan was epic in so many ways. I traveled to Okinawa to visit Mary, one of my UGA super swimmer teammates who is stationed in Japan with her Marine hubby Charlie. In one trip I got to experience Japan, U.S. Military life, and realize the friendships I made while swimming didn’t end in the pool. Mary and I took a gazillion pics while touring the beautiful island, but my favorites are still the ones from the Japanese photo booths!

1. No huge surprise my number one pic comes from Hawaii. Ironman has become a huge part of my life, and I like that. What’s special about this pic, is that I didn’t take it. I’m actually not 100% sure who took it, because I received more than one copy! It’s a pic of me on the IronmanLIVE internet coverage. At this point on the bike I was still leading the amateur race, and a few of my awesome followers at home actually whipped out their cameras and took a pic of their computer screens so I could see it. Absolutely awesome. It always blows me away to know people are taking time out of their busy lives to follow my race. And I promise you, I can tell. I can feel the good thoughts you send my way just as real as if you’re standing along the Queen K. So thank you, again and again, and please keep the good vibes coming – I have some big plans for 2012!