When I did my first half Ironman in 2008 I made a couple rookie mistakes: Forgot my socks, forgot my sunscreen, forgot to train for the bike and run. But amidst all that, my biggest faux pas was definitely my wardrobe.

Between my American flag swimsuit, baggy shorts, and shoes that actually came untied, I’m surprised I didn’t show up in Fashion Police pages of US Weekly!

Thankfully, after some friendly ribbing, my friend Betty came to the rescue. She convinced me to join the new Dynamo Multisport triathlon team and so began my triathlon fashion evolution.

2009 saw me in a real tri kit. The first year Dynamo Multisports kits were surprisingly tasteful – black shorts, white tops, some green accents – a big step up from my baggy shorts days!

But Coach decided we needed to be bolder. Much bolder. And in 2010 the GREEN Dynamo shorts were born:

Not only were those shorts bright green, they also came down to my knees. After watching me race, my friend Beth said I looked like I was wearing “really tight basketball shorts.” A fashion regression to say the least, but I did get a lot of cheers!

Things got a little better in 2011. Diablo decided to offer a mongoose-friendly option with shorter shorts and a slightly longer top. My lower back rejoiced!

And now, for 2012, I believe I’ve made a real triathlon fashion breakthrough. Check it out:

This year my Dynamo teammates and I will be sporting the super comfy, super flattering, and super fast TYR Carbon race kits – in the always bold GREEN and YELLOW! How sweet is that!

I’ll be accessorizing with my Mizuno race flats, super cool TYR visor, and shades that look like they came off the race track. It seems I’ve found the perfect combo of flash and fashion and I couldn’t be more excited. See you on the race course – you definitely won’t miss me!!

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Yep, I beat Coach Diablo yet again.

Every year Coach and I bet on the Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. I take Georgia, my beloved alma mater and perennial national championship contender. Diablo gets Stanford, a solid program who won their last swimming national championship when he was coaching there, and I was in middle school.

Loser wears the winner’s team’s apparel, and this morning Diablo sported Georgia Bulldog Red & Black at the Dynamo indoor cycling class. And secretly, he loved it.

Better mascot? Better colors? Better alumni with blogs of the triathlon variety? The list goes on and on.

And while the Dawgs fell just short of their fifth national title (they were second to Cal Berkely), I know they fought hard and I am very proud to call myself an alum! And to the Cardinal: No, you cannot have your old coach back!

This weekend I also returned to the starting line at the Publix Georgia Half Marathon. This is always one of my favorite races because the course winds through some of the coolest parts of Atlanta. For months afterwards I’ll drive through parts of the city and memories of the race will pop into my head. It’s definitely a must-do for anyone living in the Southeast.

Unfortunately, this year I found out what it’s like to hit the wall. In a half marathon. At mile 1.5. Endurance athlete? HAH! My legs had other plans.

But I struggled on, my legs came around a bit, and I finished in a respectable 1:27. Not my best, but better than hitching a ride home on the Civic Center Marta train (I seriously considered it).

One thing that kept me going was the Pease brothers. Kyle and Brent are one of my favorite blog topics because they seriously inspire me. Together they ran a personal record 1:40 half marathon last weekend – on a tough course in 80 degree weather! And just the day before they crushed the 5k race along with two children they sponsored through the Kyle Pease Foundation. Their story just keeps getting better.

And I quickly figured out that if I hung out around them post-race I could get in some famous John David Johnson paparazzi shots! Check it out – I look so candid!

There’s nothing I love more than being famous by association. But why was I wearing a sweatshirt when it was 85 degrees out? Maybe it was my brain that hit the wall! Congrats to the Pease brothers and everyone else who ran!

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Warning: The following blog post may contain spoilers. It may also contain extreme creative liberties. I apologize for nothing. But if you haven’t read the Hunger Games trilogy, I highly recommend checking it out!

Last weekend I traveled to the North Georgia mountains for some bike riding with friends. It wasn’t my best showing, exercise-wise, so I had to make up for it with some good old fashioned imagination.

I decided to become Katniss Everdeen – heroine of the Hunger Games. If I wasn’t going to be fast, at least I could entertain myself by shooting things with my bow and arrow.

My teammates (at least the ones who sometimes admit to loving the Hunger Games) also took on new identities:

Just like the books, Finnick, complete with his trident and good looks, kept things classy:

And it was Haymitch to the rescue when things got really bad:

President Snow was the oppressive dictator of my triathlon life. And I blamed him for everything, even though my struggles weren’t really his fault.

But  in the end, just like Katniss, I survived. It wasn’t pretty, but miles are miles. And fingers crossed the odds will be more in my favor on race day!

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IMPORTANT AND VERY SERIOUS SIDE NOTE:

The Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships start tomorrow!!! The meet is in Auburn, Alabama, and my alma mater, the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs, are set to have a great meet! I’m predicting National Championship #5. GO DAWGS!!!!

If you like to follow really fast swimming check out the meet results here.

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This past weekend I took a break from racing and spent some quality time watching other people race! My friends Bryan and Ernie were racing in a local 10k so I rode my bike down to the finish line to cheer them on.

Drew, Ernie, and I at the finish line

Bryan is running 40 races this year to celebrate turning 40 years old! How cool is that?!

Race day also happened to be Ernie’s Birthday!  Being another year older meant Ernie was racing in a new age group for the first time, and he killed it! Ernie won not only his  age group, but also the overall masters crown as well! What great way to start a new year!

While I didn’t actually get to see my friend Kelly race the Double Top 100k, I was definitely rooting her on in spirit! Kelly swam for the University of Georgia a couple years before me. We both swam the 400IM and our coach actually used to tell me stories about the badass workouts she did while she was on the team! I was inspired then and I still am today!

It turns out Kelly’s rockstar endurance antics didn’t stop when she got out of the pool. She kicked butt and WON the 62 mile trail run! And I’m thinking Kelly’s well on her way to becoming the first former UGA swimmer to run a 100 miler! Coach Jack will be bragging about her for years to come!

And speaking of trail ultra running, I highly recommend the movie “Unbreakable” about the 2010 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. I stumbled across the video while looking for something to watch while I was riding the trainer (I like to watch other people working out while I work out, hah) and now I’m obsessed! I have no idea how those people run so fast for so long! The race is exciting, the scenery is breathtaking, and if you look close you’ll see my friend Alyssa on the sideline about 2 minutes in! Definitely worth checking out!

Have a great weekend folks! I’m headed to the Gaps! Woo hoo!

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