Sara McLarty

Here @ Hy-Vee

2009-06-26T09:29:00.002-04:00

Travel yesterday was smooth as silk. I spent most of the flights sound asleep...Orlando to Chicago and Chicago to Des Moines. Managed to wake up and collect my bags, pick up my rental car, and find my hotel in West Des Moines. It was only when I was sitting ON the plane in Orlando that I realized I left my new Garmin in the glove compartment...why did I get that thing if I can't remember to take it on my trips!!!
Oh well, I picked up a map from the Enterprise people, asked a few questions, and managed to make all the correct turns. I'm here at the brand-spanking-new Holiday Inn and Suites, just down the road from the race site at Raccoon River park.
And speaking of the race site, I've just completed building my bike and it's time for me to head down there and check every thing out. The swim course is open right now, for another 90 minutes, and I can't wait to check out the HOT water and the HOT air outside:)

Hy-Vee Approaches

2009-06-23T16:04:00.002-04:00

It's going to be a big weekend in Des Moines! I'm flying out on Thursday morning, from O-Town to DSM, renting a car, and checking into my hotel. Like always the pre-race meeting will be at 5pm that afternoon so hopefully I can check out the course and race site between recovering from traveling and unpacking my bike.
Friday will be a day filled with pre-race jitters and preparation, like always. Fortunately, there is another meeting that afternoon for the World Team Champs to take my mind off of things. And, I'll be making a run to the airport to pick up my father...I'm flying him in as a combo Father's Day present and as my support group:)
On Saturday morning I'll be doing all my race-day rituals including getting a good breakfast, a good warm up, and trying to stay relaxed. The women's World Cup event starts at 12:30pm, smack-dab in the middle of the day! My only hope is that it can't possibly be as hot out there as it has been in Central Florida for the past 4 weeks...I might have a chance of being properly acclimatized!
The race will be a great one, like always. The World Champ Series event in Washington, DC was amazing last Sunday. I'm so proud of my American teammates for rocking some break-aways on the swim and bike legs...check out the 5 minute videos on ITU's website! All the foreign athletes are in America for the combo of races and our start list is packed! Click here to check out who I will be racing!
After the race I'm going to have to limit my crazy cheering of the men's race like I always do...whatever energy I have left will need to be conserved for Sunday's event. I am on a relay team with Matty Reed, Andy Potts, and Laura Bennett for the World Team Champs. ITU posted a fun press release about the potential team line ups for this event. Although the World Team Champs has been hosted before, it will be an entirely NEW format this weekend. We will have men and women on the same teams...the order must be F-M-F-M. Each person completes a 250 meter swim, 7K bike, and 1.5K run (about 15-20 minutes of ALL OUT Sprinting)!
That is on Sunday, also starting at 12:30pm. I have no idea what our team order will be...we will discuss in a Top-Secret-Team-Members-Only-Behind-Closed-Doors-Meeting sometime before the race:)
Don't forget, you can check out race coverage online at www.triathlon.org. I don't know if the event will be shown live, but live splits are likely and results and photos are always posted shortly after completion! Wish me luck:)

Dustin & Misty ESCAPED!!!

2009-06-15T17:47:00.002-04:00

Yesterday (Sunday) morning was the 2009 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon! I haven't been back to race this one-of-a-kind event since 2006...never fits into the schedule...but I was able to live it vicariously through Dustin and Misty!
This was officially Dustin's second race as a professional...and he had a great showing! Second out of the water, strong on the bike (even with a broken seat...don't ask), and solid on the run for 17th place in the Male Pro Division! I can't say 17th 'overall' because he finished right behind the women's overall champ:)
Congrats Dustin! Check out his race photos here!! I love the GATOR tri suit that he sported and the big Gator Chomp across the finish line:) Since I saved him the $350 entry fee into the race, I can sorta feel like I came across the line as the second woman...thanks Duster!

Dustin is somewhere in this photo...all the men and women pros get to line up along the railing and dive into the water (for a fair start).

He's somewhere in this photo too...looks like the men are in yellow caps on the far side.

Misty also had a great race...sporting a totally awesome pink & black Speedo racing suit provided by yours-truly! Check out all her race photos here! She finished 4th overall in her age group...with the 80th fastest swim of the day! Yep, I'm her swim coach:) (And she was wearing the amazing Orca Alpha wetsuit...also provided by yours-truly!)
So, through a plane ticket, an entry fee, one wetsuit, a pink race suit, swim coaching, sibling relationship, and friendship...I was basically AT the race:)

Man, I can't wait to get back there FOR REAL...hopefully in 2010! Fingers crossed:)

Go Swim Update!

2009-06-11T22:30:00.003-04:00

Remember, last month I was jumping into all kinds of water in Central Florida to film an Open Water swimming instructional video, with GoSwim Productions. It was a busy week, lots of fun, and I almost forgot all about it!

A friend just asked me about the status of the video...but I have no idea so I just sent an email asking that same question.

In the meantime...here is a still shot from one of our pool sessions. Check out more swimming tips, articles, videos, etc at www.goswim.tv

Swim Fest '09

2009-05-27T22:05:00.003-04:00

Smile and Wave...I got in the water for a 5 minute demonstration of all the drills/techniques I was teaching.

MASS START!

Open water in the pool!

Teaching efficient 'sighting' methods.

Our fancy open-water-course at The Woodland's pool. 6 huge balloons, 6 dive-bricks, 1 50-meter pool, and no lane ropes.

Coaches, swimmers, staff...after a long day at the pool.

Teaching open water drills to use during swim practice (with lanes and walls...it can't be perfect every time).

Instructing the swimmers, teaching the coaches, loosing my voice. All in a day's work:)

Me...and 6 'real' Masters coaches...at the 'round table' discussion on Friday night.

My Trip to The Woodlands

2009-05-24T21:38:00.000-04:00

SwimFest’09 was an event put on by United States Masters Swimming, hosted by The Woodlands team in Texas, and attended by over 150 people. I was invited to be one of the seven ‘mentor coaches’ with my specialty being open water swimming. My friend Rob Butcher is the new CEO of USMS so he contacted me a few months ago about this event and I immediately agreed to attend.
I flew into Houston on Friday morning and met up with some of the other coaches and staff. We drove out to The Woodlands and met all the other coaches. A few drove in from other areas in Texas, like the amazing Whitney Hedgepeth, and we all got a quick tour of the facility we were going to be using during the weekend.
It was a sparkling brand-new indoor pool, opened in October of last year. They basically gave us free-reign to do what we wanted for each of our stations…except for the fact that I couldn’t use the lane-rope-free diving-well for my OW training because there would be a diving meet going on at the same time!! I begrudgingly accepted an area with lanes and decided I would have to make-do.
The evening concluded with a 2 hour ‘roundtable’ or ‘Q&A’ session with the seven coaches. We sat up at the front of the room and answered questions and gave our advice to the 45 attending other masters coaches. I was a bit out of my league…the average length of time the other six had been coaching was 15 years! The average number of swimmers they had on their team was 200! I laughed when I had to introduce myself as a 6-month coach with about 25 members on a great day…and that was before summer kicked in and everyone headed home to the north!
On Saturday we had six stations set up for the 90 participating athletes to rotate through. That meant I had to give my open water training spiel six different times…in a loud pool, with a diving meet going on, and with swimmers across four lanes. And this morning, we did the same rotation three more times to a completely new group of athletes! Fortunately, I do not have to speak to write my blog! I’m going to take a few days off from talking and let my throat recover!
I had a great time and enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of the first USMS SwimFest. It was a great success for the coaches that got to shadow us at each station and for the athletes that got to participate and learn. I got to see the beautiful area of The Woodlands, TX and swim in a great new facility.
I’m on my way home at this moment, wishing that all the airlines would get with the program and install Wi-Fi on-board. Before I headed to Texas, it rained all week in Central Florida. I heard it continued all weekend and our namesake (the lakes of Lake County) are starting to look a little better. It’s times like these that I’m glad I chose a house on the top of a hill…I know it’ll still be there when I get home! Louie, on the other hand, I hope he’s still around and waiting to be let inside to sleep on his couch cushion.

Rowan & Gwyn

2009-05-21T13:45:00.003-04:00

Photos of the Meyers twins...I got to visit Jess, Lucas, Rowan, and Gwyn on Thursday afternoon in Tulsa, OK. It was a short (and very straight) 75 minute drive between OK City and Tulsa. Took advantage of the race being so close...how often do I find myself in Oklahoma? Actually, that was my first, official, visit to the state. It was Green, Green, Green...and as I walked through the mud in Jess's back yard, I told her to stop hogging all the rain and send some to Florida!!

As I write this, the rain has been coming down in Central Florida for three days straight, we are under flood alerts, and I haven't trained outside for the last 6 workouts!!!

I Went For It!

2009-05-18T15:21:00.002-04:00

Quick update after the Oklahoma ITU race on Saturday morning. I'm actually home in Clermont, got back on Sunday night...finally updating my blog.
The morning started off cool and overcast. A huge thunderstorm rolled in on Friday night and the roads were wet on race morning. The Juniors raced early so they got the coolest temps of the day.
I rolled out of the hotel in arm warmers, a vest, and all my warm gear. I didn't even put on sunscreen because the sky was completely gray. Of course, by the time we were lined up on the pontoon, awaiting the starters horn, the skies opened up and the bright midday (1:00pm) sun broke through! As a result...my back is lobster-red and very tender to the touch:)
Anyways, back to the race...
I was excited to be racing with Hayley Piersol for the first time. We raced each other back in college (UF vs. Auburn) and she just started triathlons! As a result, my 18 year streak of being the first woman out of the water in EVERY race is over. Hayley was so strong...I just drafted her the whole 1500 meter swim and we exited the water together with a 45+ second lead over the chase pack!
Out on the bike, with 20+ mph headwinds, our lead was quickly diminished and the chasers caught us at the 1/2-way point. Out on the third lap, there was a crash in our pack and Hayley was out of the race. On the fourth and final lap, there was another crash and Jill Peterson was out of the race. Going into T2, I was riding with Mary Beth Ellis and Jenna Shoemaker...we had about 30 seconds over the next group of women.
The run course was four laps, out and back, tail-wind then head-wind. I felt great off the bike and headed out strong. I was drafting Mary Beth for the first two laps and feeling strong. Unfortunately, I only had 5K of that pace...and the race was 10K! So, on the third lap, I dropped way back and then on the 4th lap, I had to pull out of the race before passing out.
Another trip to the medical tent was not how I wanted to finish this race...but, if I could do it again, I probably would have done the same thing! I'm a racer and that's what I do...I GO FOR it!!!!

Touring Oklahoma

2009-05-15T09:17:00.003-04:00

I arrived in OKC mid-day yesterday. Had an uneventful flight from Orlando...other than the 4:45am alarm that went off in my house! But I'm getting used to this whole "wake up early to catch a flight" thing.
I booked a flight on Southwest Airlines for this trip. Usually, I would shy away from SW because I try to book as many United miles as I can (hey, I'm addicted to those Red Carpet Lounges!). Well, the ticket was cheaper, it was more direct, less layover time, etc. And then I get to the check-in desk with my bike box and two suitcases. Usually, I would be forking over something like $175 just to get my bike on the plane (which is sometimes more than my actual ticket). Southwest asked for $50!!!! NO WAY! I'm hooked...at least I don't feel like they are trying to keep their airline afloat by charging me to travel with my business equipment.
Stepping off my Soap Box now...
I saw some other USAT people at the airport baggage claim and rental car counters...but all I wanted was to load my gear into my cute black Escape and start driving across the OK countryside toward Tulsa. I took advantage of my early arrival and close proximity to visit Jessica & Lucas Meyers and their two adorable babies, Gwyn and Rowan! (I have to wait for Jess to send me photos so I can show you how cute and big they are!)
So, we hung out at the house, went grocery shopping, had lunch, went for a run, played on the trampoline, had dinner, met some other Tulsa athletes, and overall just had fun:) Jess is heading over to Tennessee for the Memphis in May race on Sunday so we wished each other luck and then I had to start trekking back to OKC. It was only an 80 minute drive...probably supposed to be 90 minutes according to the posted speed limit signs:)
It didn't matter how long the drive was because I was having fun with my newest electronic toy...I bought a Garmin on Wednesday! I've been 'jonesing' for one for a while now (I'm tired of having to call someone for directions when I'm lost or make a wrong turn...or remembering to print out Google directions before every trip) and I promised myself one after racing well in St. Anthony's. So I picked a basic and small one from Target and loaded it up in my luggage so I could use it in the rental car...I actually used it to get to the Orlando airport just to make sure it worked right:)
Now, I just relaxing in my hotel room. There is a large black box in the room that I need to open and get to work on building my bike...but procrastination is so much easier! Eventually, I will get moving and head outside to go check out the race course. I need to ride the bike loop a few times, check out the run loop, and meet at the river for my 2pm open water swim talk. The race is on Saturday afternoon...women start at 1pm and then men start at 4pm! Wish me luck!

Some Tongyeong Photos

2009-05-12T22:35:00.002-04:00

Sun, Palms, Water...

2009-05-09T23:28:00.002-04:00

Must be FLORIDA! That's me heading out onto the run course of St. Anthony's.

Worlds BEST Massage Chair

2009-05-03T22:46:00.002-04:00

I'm sitting in it right now! I've never been in one this amazing...and the fact that I'm typing on my computer means I'm missing out on the fore-arm massage. But, since I've already been in this chair for 20 minutes, they've already had their fair share:)
It massages your feet, calves, hamstrings, IT bands, hips, spine, sides, back, neck, head, and forearms! Why aren't these on airplanes?
Speaking of airplane seats, I'm going to be pretty comfy on the way home...Business Class from Seoul to San Fran...that's like 12 hours of luxury:)
I don't know why I am excited about the upgrade for my flight home, I kinda feel like I should be in the cargo hold after my race on Saturday. Seriously, that was embarrassingly bad...especially after such a great result at St. Anthony's the weekend prior.
To sum up the Tongyeong World Champ Race...I felt average on the swim, dull on the bike, and flat on the run. I didn't think it could get any worse, but amazingly, it DID! Eventually, I made it across the finish line, as the last American and almost last athlete. On the lighter side of things, I managed to score myself 44 ITU points!! WOW...don't spend those all in one place:)
I'm looking forward to being home soon. It's going to be a long Monday...I started at 4:00am in Tongyeong and will finish at 11:00pm when I pull into my garage. And I will finally get to see LOUIE again!

Ready, Set...

2009-05-01T22:45:00.002-04:00

I'm heading down to the race start in a few minutes. The sky has been overcast all day, with very strong gusty winds. But the sun has JUST started to peak out...so it might get a bit warmer.
I know it's the middle of the night at home...so I'll be making some early morning phone calls to my family and coaches afterwards:)
Go USA!!!

Korea Photos

2009-04-30T22:06:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Joe for remembering his camera on this ride and snapping some fun shots of the USA group riding around the roads of Tongyeong.

It was a beautiful day for a ride yesterday and I was fortunate to go with the other American athletes out on a 1 hour training ride. We toured the perimeter road and some of the age-group bike course.

Tongyeong - Day 1

2009-04-30T02:57:00.005-04:00

Jill and I got 7 hours of blissful sleep after our late night arrival to the hotel. I started stirring around 7:00am...motivated to wake up by a very hungry tummy.
Fortunately, I have about 20 pounds of food that I packed in my bike box so I was able to cook a tasty breakfast this morning. I dumped two packets of oatmeal, 1/2 packet of soy protein powder, one box of raisins, one scoop of chunky peanut butter, and a few squirts of honey into my hot pot and let it boil away for a few minutes.
The rest of the day I have spent doing the following: working with the chiropractor, building my bike, going to the pool for a swim, eating lunch, searching the TV for English channels, going for a bike ride with Team USA, walking down to the corner store for some yogurt, OJ and bananas...and now we are all meeting to drive over to the host hotel for the pre-race meeting.
I'm going to grab a jog while I'm over on that side of town...maybe check out the run race course...and then come back to my room to cook a safe and healthy dinner in my hot-pot...all while enjoying the English TV stations that I found!

31.5 Hours

2009-04-29T11:42:00.003-04:00

If you were ever sitting around on a rainy day, and you started wondering how long it might take to travel from Orlando, Florida to Tongyeong, South Korea...I have your answer!
31.5 FREAKING hours!
Trip time started at 4:30am when I pulled out of my driveway heading to the Orlando Airport. Trip time ended when the bus pulled into the parking lot at the Hansan Hotel, 12:00 midnight in Korea.
I got a fantastic shower, brushed my teeth, hooked up the internet, and now I'm off to sleep!
More updates from Korea when I'm a little more coherent.

Red Carpet Club

2009-04-28T14:27:00.002-04:00

Free food, comfy seats, drinks, bathrooms, peace and quiet...and I still have to pay $6 for Internet! But, I calculated that I had about 3 hours to work on the computer so it was worth it. Especially since I'm going to be air-born for the next 12 hours and I might go into Internet withdrawal!
Jill, Matt, and I were all upgraded to First Class from Orlando to San Fran...so that made the first 5.5 hours of the flight pretty smooth. Unfortunately, the next leg wasn't upgradeable (not that Doug didn't try his darnedest to upgrade me!) so I'll be chilling in the economy section and loving life:)
Thanks to all the people that have sent me comments and facebook messages and texts and emails after St. Anthony's. I'm still sitting on Cloud 9...but need to come back to reality in time for the big race this weekend. Racing ITU again will be exciting, there are so many different little things that make the race change every minute...got to be on your A-Game at all times!
Flight to Korea departs in 1 hour...I'm off to pack up my gear and purchase some food for the long haul! See you on the 'Flip Side!'

St. Anthony's Recap (quickly)

2009-04-26T16:32:00.005-04:00

I just got home after racing the St. Anthony's Triathlon this morning.
Arrived at the race around 5:30am. Heard announcements over the PA system that the water was so rough/choppy they canceled the swim for all waves EXCEPT the pros!
Pro men (Dustin included) started at 6:52am...pro women (me included) followed 3 minutes later.
Dustin was the first person to exit the water (2 minutes faster than me)...I was the first female with a :55 second lead over the next woman.
Hopped on my bike and felt amazing...all the great training in Clermont paid off with the FASTEST women's bike split of the day!!! (Out-road Dustin by 4 minutes.)
Dismounted my bike :30 seconds behind Dustin...and with a 2 minute lead over the next female.
Started the run feeling great, tried to pace myself smartly and hang on to my lead. Got to the turn around with a 1 minute lead...got passed by eventual race winner Bec Wassner at Mile 5...and had a sprint in the finish shoot with Sarah Groff (she passed me).
Finished 3rd Overall at St. Anthony's!!
Dustin beat me by :33 seconds!

Chilling in St. Petersburg

2009-04-25T18:48:00.002-04:00

I've got about 3 seconds to say hello from St. Petersburg. I drove over this morning, checked in at the pro meeting, check into my hotel, and now I'm off to meet my family for some pre-race dinner! Got to get some yummy chow in me to race fast tomorrow morning!!!

Beth's HERE!

2009-04-23T22:28:00.002-04:00

My BFFFFFFF showed up on my door-step this afternoon! Of course she timed it just as I finished my lunch...and she hadn't eaten yet :).
Well, we made the most of the afternoon, catching up on life events, sharing photos from our latest travels, doing some light training (perfect since I'm on taper for St. A's), cooking dinner, playing with the cat, etc.
Beth & Robert are down in Florida to visit their parents and go to Paige & Matt's wedding on Saturday (which I have an unfortunately very important reason to miss). Beth dropped Robert off in Orlando for all the pre-wedding festivities and then drove over here. She has to head back tomorrow for the rehearsal dinner in the afternoon but they both plan on making a quick visit to Clermont on Saturday morning to get in a swim practice with Fast Lane!
Coach Alec was ecstatic when I asked if he would mind if Robert Margalis jumped in with the team for a few hours:)
Before all that, Beth and I still have some fun girls-only time planed tomorrow. I have to be at the NTC pool coaching from 6-8:30am so Beth is going to check out the Winter Garden Trail. She showed up with her bike on the back of her car and I said she needs to compare the Clermont hills to those in Athens, Georgia! We are both going to arrive back at the house by 8:45am for a homemade pancake & omelet breakfast followed by more catching up. At 12:30, we have an appointment (along with my Clermont-ian friends Misty & Sara) for a pedicure at the Salon l'Europe!! Pink & pretty toes...here I come:)
In regards to training...all I have on Friday is an easy 2000 yard swim to stretch out and relax. I'm going to head over to St. Petersburg on Saturday morning...no rush when I live 2 hours from the race site:) Hopefully, sometime between now and then, I'll find a few minutes to compose a pre-race Press Release to let everyone know that I'm back on the playing field and ready to rock!

The Final Countdown

2009-04-20T23:03:00.002-04:00

Okay, this isn't the final countdown...but I sure am excited! It's been 5 1/2 weeks since I went down to Miami and had an 'OK' race. Starting on the day I returned to Clermont (Monday, March 16th) I have been training sooooooooooo hard! I've loved every minute of it! It sure has kept me busy and focused on the goal of being back in decent form for the heart of 2009.
Speaking of 2009...that race season has arrived! I'm gearing up for 5 events in the next 2 months! Fortunately for my wallet and my sanity, most of them are in the USA and relatively easy to travel to. Everything starts this weekend over in St. Petersburg with the St. Anthony's Triathlon. Due to my foot injury & some serious blister pain after the '08 Olympic Trials race, I was forced to withdraw from St. A's last year. That was very sad and it was like the first time I've missed that race in my triathlon career!
Well, that won't be happening this year...I am soooooo ready to race! I'm looking forward to seeing all my friends and teammates (that's just a nice way to say competitors) and cheering on some of the people that I have met over the past couple of months working at the NTC.
My younger brother, Dustin will be competing in his first race as a Professional Triathlete! The men's pro wave starts at 6:52am on Sunday morning. The women follow them into the water 3 minutes later at 6:55. I'm sure I will catch a few guys (there are OVER 50 pro men registered...that is HUGE!) but I will be mentally cheering on my brother...I'm hoping for a McLarty sweep of "first out of the water!"
Speaking of Dustin's first pro race...the challenge is ON between the two of us...it's like a race-within-a-race. I really think that I can beat him...if not across the line, than at least post a faster time. Can you tell I'm excited?!?! I'll stop talking about this silly race, promise!
I'm looking forward to some house-guests before and after this weekend's race. On Thursday, my BFF Beth Margalis is stopping by for a visit. She and Robert are in town for our good friend Paige's wedding. Sadly, I will be at the pre-race meeting in St. Pete while Paige and Matt are saying "I Do"...so I will send my love with Beth! She's visiting me while Robert does all the pre-wedding festivities with Matt.
After the race, I'm bringing Matt Chrabot and Jill Petersen with me to Clermont. They have both accepted my offer to stay in Central Florida for the 48 hours before departing to Korea. Saves them an extra trip back to Colorado...and gives me some friends to travel with out of Orlando on Tuesday morning! Casa de'Sara's will be jam packed full over the next couple of days...but the more, the merrier!!

Rubbing Salt in the Wound

2009-04-17T22:44:00.002-04:00

I rarely like to brag. Usually, I just don't enjoy getting pleasure out of someone else's pain.
But, there must have been something in the air today that has made me feel a bit different.
I know what is making me feel this way...it was all the SUNshine today!
I started out my morning, like usual, watching the news and weather while I munched on breakfast. I couldn't help but notice that they were calling for 2-3 inches of snow in Colorado, some wet/sleeting conditions in the northeast, and mid-80 degree temps in Sunny Central Florida.
So, I made the most out of my easy training day (yes, I said EASY training day...those have been rare in the last two months) and put on a bikini for an hour of sun-bathing at the lake-shore-beach. I'm paying for each of those 60 minutes that I spent lying on my back on a towel...my front side currently matches the color of Pepto-Bismol!
OUCH! But worth every second that I'm not dealing with snow in April!

Clermont Adventures (Part 1)

2009-04-16T07:35:00.007-04:00

A few weekends ago (yes, I'm finally getting around to posting photos) some Clermont-ian friends and I went on an afternoon kayak trip. I always love to point out that I now live in "LAKE" County, Florida...and they didn't have to think very hard to come up with that name! We have lakes galore!
And what we also have right here in our backyard is called the "Chain of Lakes" where about 7 good-sized lakes are all connected by canals and channels. Perfect for KAYAKING!
So, after a day of crazy hard training, my friends took charge and prepared the adventure. I mentioned that it would be tons of fun to head out in the afternoon with a picnic-dinner packed. Paddle for a ways, pull over and enjoy dinner with a sunset and then paddle home. After I swam, biked, and ran until exhaustion...I found myself cheerily climbing into a kayak loaded with snacks and surrounded by good friends!

Misty, Vicky, Adam, Ashley and I made up the five adventurers of the afternoon.

We started in Lake Minneola, from Ashley's dock, and headed northwest. This was the official exit from Lake Minneola and into our first canal.

The wildlife was not disappointing. We saw a family of otters crossing the canal in front of us...I only managed to snap some shots of this papa/mama because it hung around. Seemed quite interested in our little group...or loved being photographed...you pick.

Mr. (or Mrs.) Otter checking us out from the river bank.

River-Blockade! Must pay with snacks or drinks to get through!

Check out the timing of this photo! A beautiful Big Blue Heron taking flight.

That's me in the red kayak, taking a photo of...

...Misty in the blue kayak, taking a photo of me:)

Ladies and Gentlemen, dinner is served! On an island, in a lake, on some cement blocks that we found! Watching a beautiful sunset and having a lot of laughs!

Oy...The Wind!

2009-04-07T23:00:00.002-04:00

When will it end! Central Florida experienced some unusual April weather today (and tomorrow) in the form of temperatures about 30 degrees below normal and insane winds from the NW.
Nothing was going to stop me from completing my workouts, though. I might have postponed my three hour ride if I wasn't meeting Jarrod at 9am. Even with that as a motivator, we still didn't get out the door until about 9:15ish.
My ride included some race-pace efforts and I kept myself entertained by watching my speedometer. This is my attempt to convey how INSANE the wind was blowing:
*With the head-wind, I was going 7mph during the recovery time and managed to get up to 14mph during the hard effort. It all took place in my easiest gear, no need for shifting when you can barely turn the pedals and stay in a straight line!
*With the tail-wind, I was coasting at 22mph and got up to 33mph on the hard effort! I was out of gears and still flying down the road.
Unfortunately, you always end up spending MORE time going INTO the wind...so the ride was pretty close to miserable. My solution was to have some random fits of screaming and yelling, at nothing in particular...but since you would have to be sitting on my handle-bars to hear me, I wasn't concerned about startling the neighborhood.
After that, I spent the better part of mid-day working on my 2008 Taxes! Yep, started them this morning and filed them online at 3:00pm! I should pick up another career:)
And then I was off to death-match-with-the-wind, #2. This time we battled each other down at the NTC track. Who thought it would be a good idea to build a track in a circle? No matter where you run from, you always have to go INTO the wind! It was all I could do to focus on my form and effort and not crack-up laughing each time I faced into the wind. I would go from barely making progress down the back stretch, to fighting the side-wind on the corner, to literally flying down the home stretch with the wind at my back.
After an hour outside, I gave up on the battle and went into the NTC to run my cool down on the treadmill. There was finally nothing to bother me except the squeaky shoes of the guy on the next treadmill. I was watching out the window where my swim teammates were getting into the pool and doing the warm up sets. I made it out there just in time to dive in and start the main set.
I have two possible explanations for my amazing swim workout this afternoon. first, it could be because of the Gu Roctane gel that I took right before getting in the water (the things that caffeine can do!) or it was because I had a good training day and just felt good. Hummmm...knowing how I was feeling out on the bike, and down at the track, I'm going with option #1...dang, those Gu's are GOOD!

'Bout Time

2009-04-06T21:16:00.003-04:00

It has seriously taken me this long to recover from my Miami race, pick up where I left off in my training, and catch up on sleep/work/chores/lounging/etc. I've logged some of the most awesome training sessions of my career in the past 14 days. Which is why my normal pattern of using my 'down-time' to play and blog on the computer has taken a serious hit! Since I just got a comment about my lack of blogging...it has officially kicked my butt into gear for a late evening post.
Basically, my life has been purring along. I'm happy, healthy, and having a lot of fun. I think there must be something in the Clermont water supply...and I'm liking it! Which also means I will need to bottle it up and travel with a weeks supply of water so that I can feed my addiction on the road:)
But really, training is going great! I came home from the Miami race and Alec put me right to work for the last 6 weeks of preparation for the onslaught of races in April/May/June. I'm half way through those six weeks and already I'm anxious to race...usually it's the other way around...I'm wishing I had more time to train! So, I think that is a good sign. Don't you?
Oh yeah, race season is right around the corner (I am categorizing Miami like a review-test...you know, kinda like what your teachers gave the day before the BIG exam so you could remember what to study). So, I made my mistakes when they didn't matter and now it's time to take the real tests. First up is St. Anthony's on April 26th. I'll be driving over the day before, attending the race meeting, checking out the course, and then spending the night in a hotel up the road. Dustin is flying in from California to compete as well...he's got his PRO CARD...and the McLarty Sibling Challenge is ON! The pro women start 2 minutes back from the men...look out Dustin, here I come:)
Luckily, there is minimal travel involved with St. A's because I will be getting plenty of that two days later. I have been invited by USAT to compete in the first World Champ Series ITU race of the year...in Tongyeong, South Korea, on May 2nd! I will be flying out of Orlando on Tuesday, April 28th, arriving in Tongyeong on Thursday, attending the pre-race meeting that afternoon, competing on Saturday, cheering for the men on Sunday, and flying home on Monday. Phew! I've already got my Monday after St. A's all planned out...ice bath, massage, easy swim/bike/run, lots of resting, last minute packing, etc.
The next weekend is a BIG event. My friend Misty and I will be participating in the Orlando Muddy Buddy on May 9th! We are brainstorming team names and costume ideas. Any ideas are welcome to be shared.
Continuing along the calendar brings me to the weekend of May 16th where you will find me in Oklahoma City competing in the Pan American Championships. I've already got my flight purchased, departing on the Thursday and returning on the Sunday. I've got a hotel room booked. I'm stoked to be rooming with Jasmine again, we are already scheming about fun things to do while we are visiting the area. The final decision will be regarding a rental car...I need to do some research and see if we can survive on just taxis and bikes.
Last, but not least, for the month of May, is the Cap Tex Tri in Austin on Memorial Day Monday. I can honestly say I haven't competed in a triathlon on a Monday yet...this should be interesting! What also makes it unique is my travel plans...I will be in Houston at the US Masters Swim Fest from Friday until Sunday morning. As soon as I can depart, I will be hauling booty in a rental car across the state to Austin (did this have to be in the biggest state??). Hopefully I can arrive in time for the pre-race meeting that afternoon, check into a hotel room, and get ready to compete on Monday! I'm sure I'll have a handful of good stories from that weekend:)
That about wraps up the next two months for Sara McLarty, the professional triathlete. If I really wanted to, I could go down to Miami on the 31st of May (there are a LOT of weekends in this month) for a women's only race! Let me warn you now...don't hold your breath for that to happen! I'll probably spend the weekend refusing to get out of bed:)
But all that is a long way in the future. Right now, I am concentrating one day at a time. Trying to train smart and hard...and still have some fun adventures along the way. Happy Spring to everyone:)

Photos from Miami

2009-03-23T20:58:00.003-04:00

Race Start...notice how DARK it is!

Danielle, Misty and I after the race....all Smiles:) and Sunshine!

Fl. Lauderdale Beach...enjoying some post-race relaxation and fun!

Me, Dee, and Misty...soreness, anyone??

Of course, we also hit up the clubs and bars on the strip:) If you're in S. Florida, it's go BIG or go HOME!!

My First Race...EVER??

2009-03-23T11:48:00.003-04:00

Okay, I can understand needing a few races to get my groove back and re-establish my routine and remember everything that I should do...but I literally made ROOKIE mistakes at the Miami race! Not to say that I didn't have a very successful race...I finished 4th Overall, behind Jill Petersen, Jasmine Oeinck, and Joanna Zeiger. All women/athletes that I respect and admire very much!
But, come on, did I seriously forget that WARM UP is an essential part of race day??
I didn't forget any equipment, I had a good breakfast, I got to the site with plenty of time, I organized my transition area quickly and correctly, I was body marked in the proper places, and somehow (in the melee of the dark-and-early morning madness) I totally FORGOT to warm up!!!!!
And, boy, oh boy, did I PAY for that mistake! As I sit here, finally writing this post race report, my body has finally calmed down and started to recover! Last week I spent a lot of time taking care of my VERY sore and injured quads/IT bands. This was the first morning that I could actually squat down to the pool level to speak one-on-one with my athletes. I went through 3 ice baths, one incredibly painful massage, half a bottle of Advil, and lots of moaning and wincing whenever I moved to quickly or suddenly.
Anyways, back to the Miami weekend and race...Misty and I drove down to her parents house on Friday evening, arriving about 10:30pm. I went straight to bed and enjoyed a few hours extra sleep in on Saturday. We eventually made it out to the race site, mid-day, to check in, get our packets, check out the course, rack our bikes, sit in the pro-race meeting, catch-up with friends, etc.
Saturday evening I got all my race bag ready and had a relaxing nap before joining the Becerra family for a pasta dinner out by their pool (they had a B-E-A-utiful home!). I even manged to get to bed early in preparation of the 4:30am alarm I had set for Sunday/Race Day.
And Race Day 'Dawned' during our race. The sun just started to rise as I was swimming between the first and second turn buoys! The 3 inch glow-sticks that they hung on the top of the buoys kinda disappear once you have foggy goggles on your eyes and you are swimming at race-pace. None-the-less, I think I swam in a relatively straight line around the course (until I started swimming over the pro-men who started 2 minutes ahead). All was good with my race...until I got to the swim-exit and stood UP!
Both quads immediately LOCKED up and fearing the curious stares if I tried to walk to transition, I managed a very interesting jog/hobble. Grabbed my bike and hobbled to the other side of transition to start riding. Fortunately, after a few minutes of spinning on the bike, my legs loosed up and I managed to put up a pretty decent bike-split for myself. My little home-made TT bike (fashioned from an old road bike and some hand-me-down aerobars) performed very well.
Big thanks goes out to Dennis over at Winter Garden Wheel Works for letting me borrow a pair of Zipp race wheels at the last second! I almost completely forgot about wheels...and fortunately he lent me 404s because the WIND on race day was strong! It was blowing people with disk wheels all over the road. When I was descending the bridge, into the wind, I was forced to hold on tight to my front so I wasn't blown off the road!
I held the lead position for women until the last 4-ish miles of the bike. I had watched Jasmine creeping up on me for the whole race (3 x 180 degree turns each of the 2 laps) and when she made the pass, I used her as momentum to finish strong. We rolled into transition together and I stayed on her heels for the first 1.5 miles of the run. Another rookie mistake was leaving my energy gel in T2...I thought I had enough fuel to make it through the 10K.
After the first turn-around on the run, I was able to see who was behind me and how good they looked. Joanna was the first to pass me, somewhere around mile 3 or 4...and then JILL came screaming by! She picked the three of us off one-by-one and went from 4th into T2 to first at the finish...Congrats! Then Jasmine, then Joanna...and, finally, ME. Feeling a little loopy and a lot sore, I eventually crossed the finish line and went directly to the medical tent for some electrolyte drink and then over to the massage tables for a feeble attempt to help my legs recover.
Misty, who didn't even want to race in the first place (I surprised her with a race-entry and drug her down to Miami), finished 2nd overall in her age-group, had a Great race, and was actually happy afterwards! Our third member, Danielle, who also camped out at the Becerra house, missed a turn on the bike course and got way off track. Once she realized what had happened, it was too late to fix so she just went for a nice run down the beach.
Eventually, after awards and prize money distribution, it was time to pack up our gear, go back to the Becerra house, and prepare to have some fun in South Florida!

Miami or Bust

2009-03-13T18:07:00.004-04:00

I'm about 20 minutes from heading out the door, picking up Misty and Binx, and starting the drive to Miami! I had a nice easy day today...coached masters swim in the early morning but then took advantage of being awake to clean my house a bit and pack for the weekend. I went back to the pool at noon for a nice mid-day 3000 yard swim (I love pre-race days) in the sunshine. Grabbed a bite to eat at Panera before reporting to the USAT Coaching Clinic to give my presentation on Open Water Swimming.
The 90 minute talk went well, everyone looked interested (even MY coach...who is getting certified this weekend!) and gave me a round of applause at the end. I made a quick pit-stop at the NTC one last time before heading home to load my bikes and bags.
With a dinner stop and a gas stop, Misty and I should be pulling into her parents place around 10pm tonight. Perfect...just roll into the house and go to sleep:)
Tomorrow is a big day...with checking out the course, checking-in, putting bikes into transition, etc. I've got to try to minimize my time outside in the Miami heat/humidity so that Sunday is a success! Who knows what kind of Internet time I'll be getting during the trip, but you can bet I'll log in as soon as I return to Clermont!

1 Month Ago

2009-03-13T09:37:00.003-04:00

I just found this article about me in the Orlando Sentinel. It was posted about a month ago (before the Florida's Great Escape triathlon) but I just came across it this morning. Enjoy:)

Professional Triathlete Sara McLarty Stays on the Go
posted by Steve Ruiz on Feb 10, 2009 4:06:28 PM
Even in the midst of a cold, Sara McLarty can be inspiring.
She was a state-championship swimmer at DeLand High School, a 15-time All-American at the University of Florida and is in her fifth year as a professional triathlete.
Sara, who will turn 26 on Feb. 25, has a long-term goal of reaching the Olympics. In the meantime, beating her brother, Dustin, in a match race in April at the St. Anthony's Triathlon in St. Petersburg will have to do.
"I think it will be pretty close,'' said Sara, who is set to defend her title at the Florida's Great Escape triathlon Sunday at Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont. "I might have a slight advantage, though, because I am a professional triathlete who does this all the time and he has to study.''
Dustin is studying engineering at graduate school at the University of California-Irvine.
They come from a family of triathletes that includes parents Brent and Karen. When Mom and Dad trained, Sara and Dustin often would tag along. The family would plan trips around triathlons that turned into hiking/camping adventures.
Still, there was competition, albeit friendly.
"I can remember the first time I beat my mom in a race,'' Sara said. "I was 13. When I was 15, that was the first time my brother beat me.''
Now that triathlon is a full-time job for Sara -- she also serves as a triathlon coach, master's swimming coach and camp organizer at the National Training Center in Clermont -- much of her week is devoted to training. She said she trains 30 hours per week (13 on the bike, 10 in the pool, seven running) and also does 2-3 hours of weight training per week. Two hours of massage weekly helps work out the kinks.
"The road has been well-traveled,'' said Sara, who has competed in more than 150 triathlons. "Not to say it doesn't get monotonous, but every day is different. Today, I feel terrible, but Sunday, I felt like a rock star.''
Sara has this advance for fitness enthusiasts considering their first triathlon: "Go with one goal: Have fun and don't worry about anything else. Finish with a smile on your face. If you have fun, then you will be more likely to come back for a second triathlon.''
For more information on Sara, please go to her Web site (saramclarty.com).

Milk Mustaches

2009-03-11T23:25:00.002-04:00

Misty and I got to try on the famous Milk Mustaches at the Strawberry Festival last weekend in Plant City. Little did I know, a proper milk mustache comes from shoving your top lip into a cup of MILKSHAKE! Yummo:)

Birthday Surprise!

2009-03-07T20:53:00.002-05:00

Misty told me to be on my bike on Sunday morning (last Sunday) at 8:00am with some sandals in my back pocket. She wouldn't tell me where we going or what we were doing!

It was a beautiful morning and it took me about 40 minutes (of a 45 minute ride) to figure out where we were going! Basically, the Quest Air hang-gliding airport is the ONLY thing out in Groveland that would be remotely fun...so as we got further from civilization, I started to clue in on the surprise!

We signed a stack of waivers and then met our tandem instructor...Dustin (yep!). He's like one of the best hang gliders in the country (world?) so we were in good hands!

I went first...strapped in above Dustin.

We were towed by an ultra-light plane up to 2500 feet and then released on our own. Dustin aimed us back towards the airport and then let me try steering (very easy). After a bit he asked if I "liked roller-coasters." As soon as I replied "Yes!" we started dipping and diving and rocketing in all sorts of directions!

Of course it ended WAY too soon...but the experience was amazing! I'll be back out there very soon...maybe this time for a 'mile-high' flight

Misty went second...strapped in above Dustin.

Getting towed up by the ultra-light was the slowest part of the whole adventure...but you got a great view of central Florida from the clear, blue skies!

Casa de Fitness

2009-03-05T22:24:00.002-05:00

I am a total impulse shopper. Once I get it in my head that I WANT something, or I HAVE to have something...there is absolutely NO stopping me! So, today, I purchased an addition to the Triathlon House on Carroll Street: an ICE BATH!!!
Yes, I know, it is a large-animal-feeding-trough...but in my world, it is the perfect sized personal ice bath!! Eventually, it will be sitting on a great concrete slab that will be the foundation of my back-porch...but for now, it will just be chilling (no pun intended) on the ground outside the back door.
After purchasing the big tub from the local Feed and Pet store, I stopped by Publix and purchased 3 huge bags of ice. I was just guessing on the quantity...it looked about right...I even thought it might be too much!
Drove back to my house, backed over the curb and up to the gate into the back yard, called out my roommate (Mr. Muscles) to help me unload, and then turned on the hose and got to work filling my first ICE BATH!!

No worries on the amount of ice...three bags was PLENTY! It was freaking cold but I lasted for the full 12 minutes (and then couldn't feel my feet for another 12 minutes)!

There was more than enough ice for Thomas to take a 12 minute bath...

So then I called Misty! 3 ice bags equals 3 great ice baths! Hey Clermont-ians...if you want an ice bath, just pick up the ice, give me a call, and save me 12 minutes!

By the way, my VG-1 (Vertical Garden) is doing so awesome! I've been eating home-grown-lettuce-salads for the past 4 nights. Instead of cutting off a whole head, I've just been picking of individual leaves on the outside. That way, I get a salad with about 3 HUGE leaves, and the plant can keep growing (basically, I got sick of waiting for them to 'finish' growing:)

Now, I just have to be patient and wait for the tomato plants to start doing something. So far, all they've done is GROW! Where are the little tomatoes?!?! "HHHHEEEERRRREE tomato, tomato, tomato!!!!"

Tomorrow I will be planting some additional items to the top level...I picked up some Sweet Basil at the store, along with a strawberry plant! That could be a good salad right there...Romain, spinach (it's growing, slowly), tomatoes, strawberries, and some basil dressing!!

So, hold your appetite and plan to come over for dinner in about 2 months! See you then!

Another Lap Around the Sun

2009-02-27T15:37:00.002-05:00

Well, I've made it another year, another 365 days (actually this was a leap year so 366 days) as a human on planet Earth. It's been an incredible year of life changes. Just trying to look back at everything I've done in the past 12 months and I get a head cramp!
At this time last year I was still considering myself to be a resident of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs! Although I was in Florida for the winter months, to escape the cold and to support my Mom as she prepared for knee surgery, I was planning on heading back to the Springs to continue my Olympic journey.
At this time last year I still thought I could salvage a decent 2008 competitive season. My foot had been in pain since August of 2007 but I kept my motivation high and continued to train as much as possible (lots of water running that I would like to forget about). I was working with multiple doctors and sport med people to find a solution that would allow me to perform in a respectable manner at the Olympic Trials.
At this time last year I was actually AT the Olympic Trials course in Alabama. I was watching my brother swim at SEC's (he qualified for his first NCAA championship meet with an amazing 400 IM on the second day of competition), training on the OT course in Tuscaloosa, and being a guest speaker at the Collegiate and Youth Triathlon camps. One of my strongest memories from that weekend was how COLD and WET it was...obviously not the time of year to vacation to UA!
At this time last year I was dreaming about going back to COS and shopping for a house outside of the OTC. Somewhere close, but somewhere to call my own. I really like the town and the area around COS for training. When there isn't white stuff falling out of the sky, it's a great place for cycling and running. The mile-high elevation is a hard thing to get over...but if you are a tough and strong athlete, it can be used as an advantage! I love the facilities at the OTC (doesn't hurt that I would have free access) and the training partners that are always around and willing to train hard.
And one year later...look at where I am! If you had told me on February 25th, 2008 what was going to happen in my life during the next 366 days, I would NOT have believed you!
I never went back to COS...a one week trip to pack up and move out of my room doesn't really count.
Although I did manage to compete at the Olympic Trials races in Alabama and Des Moines, they were far from spectacular, and I ended my season after 4 races because my foot pain was not getting any better.
I bought a house in Clermont, Florida! And then had a great time for the next two months re-doing and fixing up the inside.
I started training at the NTC in Clermont and picked up a few coaching-related jobs.
I met Dr. Funk who finally gave me a decent explanation for my foot pain...and 7 days later I went under the knife and he fixed everything that had been plaguing me for over a year!
I started writing for a couple more magazines...Triathlete, Competitor and USMS, as well as continuing to submit articles for USAT Life.
Basically, I've had a roller-coaster year. Lots of UPs and a few DOWNs along the way but the ride dropped me in a great place. I'm happy, healthy, fit, smiling, working hard, and getting ready to do what I do best...line up on the starting line and give it 110%!!! See you all at the races!!!

No Tour for Sara

2009-02-23T13:31:00.002-05:00

I was torn between driving up to see the final stage of the Tour of California yesterday...and doing a great day of personal training. It was a tough decision but I re-evaluated why I made this trip out to SoCal and the decision was a bit easier...train hard and catch the results of the tour before going to sleep.
Apparently, Levi won the yellow jersey again. I have no idea what any of the other results are because I fell sleep before checking results. Some of my friends that did make it up to see the final stage said it really wasn't worth the trip because you can't see much, too many people, no parking, etc. I guess I could have predicted that anyways. I will just stick with my promise to myself to take a cycling-trip/vacation of the Tour de France one year AFTER I am done being a competitive athlete.
Speaking of sleep...I am actually GETTING some of it! During my weekend in Chula Vista at the OTC, I think I have averaged twice as many hours per night than I get at home!! No kidding! I am literally ignoring everything except myself and my training while I am out here. And...boy...does it feel GOOD! The only thing that keeps me attached to home is trying to remember to get the NTC masters swim workouts to Misty before practice starts...Sorry Misty!! I've been stretching, and ice bathing, and warming up, and cooling down, and getting massages and visualizing, and learning, and listening...oh yeah, and training hard! More on all that training later...

From California

2009-02-19T12:39:00.002-05:00

To my complete surprise, I am actually IN California today! As of yesterday morning, I didn't think I was going to make my trip...I was standing on the pool deck at 6:00am, coaching my Masters group, and realizing that I had less than 3 hours after practice to go home, do laundry, pack my bike, have breakfast, do some exercise, pack a suitcase, load my car, pack lunch, print boarding cards, and drive to the airport!
It was a close one! Sadly, I had to call my coach in the wee-hours of the morning and cancel our motor-pacing workout (where I draft his car on my bike). NO matter which way I looked at it, there was NO way I was going to be able to do all the afore-mentioned activities AND be on my bike for 2-3 hours.
Instead, I managed to throw on some running stuff and jog on the trail for 30 minutes with Misty and Binx. I've never run with a dog before, and after seeing Misty get drug along by a high-spirited pup for the first 15 minutes, I decided to give it a try!
Yep...I still don't want a dog:)
I'll stick with being the crazy-cat-lady and run by-myself:)
Speaking of cats...I miss my King Louie. He's home all week with just Thomas. I'll miss my foot warmer while I'm sleeping all week in California (especially last night when it was freaking freezing here in Irvine).
In regards to my one week vacation...Dustin picked me up at the airport last night. I was ready to crash but decided to force myself to stay awake for a few more hours to get onto West Coast time. We chatted while he had dinner and I sipped a hot cocoa (did I mention it was freezing) and then I finally crashed around 10:00pm (1:00am East Coast).
This morning I relished the opportunity to sleep in until 7:00am before throwing on running clothes again and joining Dustin for his favorite 8 mile run loop. I think we were pushing each other pretty strong because we ran sub-7 minute pace! Quick shower and breakfast back at his house before he rushed off to class and I rushed off to sit down at the computer and play:)
Actually, I should be building my bike right now...I'm supposed to be meeting him on campus in about 45 minutes for a tour of UCI and then lunch. But, instead of building my bike, I'm blogging and catching up on the ATOC action (that's the Amgen Tour of Cali for those not in the know). Yesterday, Mark Cavendish won the sprint for the stage...he's the next-door-neighbor of Thomas (my house-mate) when they are both home in the Isle of Man!! I feel like I know him:) But, most importantly, I am going to go WATCH the final stage of the Tour on Sunday. It's like right up the road from Chula Vista (Google Map says about 29 minutes)...how could I possible resist the opportunity to see all those amazing cyclists (and Lance)!?!?!
Photos will be posted, I promise:)

NTC Camp Photos

2009-02-17T07:41:00.002-05:00

Mid-day swim workout at the NTC pool. Where else can you get sunshine, 80 degree temps, and a pristine pool in mid-February?!?

Kevin Collington chilling on the wall between sets.

Campers waiting for the next part of workout...soaking up some rays!

That's me giving some in-water instruction to Rob and Vincent about their swimming stroke.

Phooey to underwater video cameras when I can just GO underwater!:)

US Masters Swimming

2009-02-11T09:30:00.003-05:00

I have recently joined forces with USMS as their Open Water Swimming Specialist. Thanks to the new USMS executive director, Rob Butcher, for thinking of me during USMS's relaunch.
In May, I will have the honor of participating on a panel with six other coaches at the Swim Fest '09. I'll be traveling out to Houston, TX for a three-day forum and clinic. Each coach has their speciality, and mine will be leading the open water swimming tips/pracitce/drills/etc.
In the meantime, I'll be authoring some short articles for the USMS's monthly newsletters (my articles will be focused on Open Water). The first newsletter was just sent out to members, but thanks to my friend Brenda, you can see it here!

Quick Update...

2009-02-10T22:01:00.002-05:00

I've been lazy on getting a post-race-report online because I came down with a bummer COLD after a GREAT weekend of training. I think I am sick again for a handful of reasons...one being a LOT of really great training over the past couple of weeks.
Saturday morning was still pretty chilly when the 5K race started. But I had no complaints and managed to finish in 18:46...second place over all (again:). Later that day I did a fun and easy bike ride with my Mom and some friends from Clermont to Winter Garden. We rode the West Orange Trail all the way, stopped for a yummo lunch in town and then rode home with full bellies. That afternoon I put together the hydroponic garden system (my early-birthday present) and stopped by the pool for an easy swim.
On Sunday morning I was up early and packing my bike and run gear for the Winderemere ride. I drove over to the Elementary school to meet the group and roll out at 8:15am. I was surprised at the size of the group (small) and the pace they were going (not incredibly fast). Well, I had no complaints because their 'bunny' ride is a great workout for me. I can go 100% and stay with the guys when they are going easy for a race next weekend.
So, after not cutting any corners or going easy for a minute, I rolled back into the school parking lot and threw on my running clothes. 2 weeks ago I did the 6-mile loop in 38:45 and I was very pleased with that effort (especially after a 65 mile ride). This weekend, I hauled booty and ran 37:40!! Yikes, I don't know if that leaves much room for improvement next time:)
I stopped at the NTC pool on my drive home from the bike/run to check out the breaststroke clinic, hosted by a Russian breaststroke Olympian, and have lunch with my friend at Waterfront Park (it was a BEAutiful sunny day, couldn't pass up the opportunity for a PICNIC)!
It was later on Sunday afternoon when I realized that I might have finally overdone it...you know when you get that feeling in your throat and you know your getting sick but you can't do ANYthing about it!??! Yep, that was me! I am sooooo mad, I've got to start taking care of myself, get more sleep, drink more fluids, etc.
Speaking of sleep, I've got to go get some before being on the pool deck to coach tomorrow morning at 6:00am! Night:)

Swimming Photos

2009-02-10T09:18:00.003-05:00

Check out Timothy Carlson's Swimming Photo Gallery here (especially photo #12...me doing a practice dive before the Beijing 2007 World Cup).

I Am A Gardener

2009-02-09T08:39:00.000-05:00

Hydroponic Gardening...who would have thought! But, I just got an early birthday present from my Mom...a self-watering system that will grow some yummy, fresh veggies without any effort!

Here is the contraption, in pieces, in my back yard:

I read all the directions and managed to build the Verti-Grow system:

Then I planted the pre-sprouted lettuce and tomato plants that my Mom included (and started a few seedlings of my own...in the little seedling dish):

So, now I just have to sit back and wait for the plants to put forth their bounty...and then I'll tell you all about my first home-grown salad! YUMMO:)

Cyclist Impeding Traffic

2009-02-06T16:29:00.003-05:00

On February 4th, 2009, Fred_dot_u, a cyclist in the Orlando area, was pulled over by FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) for “impeding traffic.” Fred has video cameras on his Velomobile. This is one of many videos he has posted online of how friendly and courteous drivers are towards cyclists on the roads.

This is the footage taken right before the officer pulled him over. HILARIOUS!!!

I found the video and the comments on commuteorlando.com

Oh My Gosh! I Entered A RACE!!

2009-02-05T09:10:00.004-05:00

Yep, I'm looking at the confirmation page right here on my desk!
Yesterday I signed up and paid for my entry in the Lady Track Shack 5K Road Race! I'm going to be on a starting line at 7:30am on Saturday, February 7th!
My nerves are already getting the best of me...I've actually cleaned my house (that's the only thing that can calm me down in these situations:).
But, I'm also very VERY excited! Two years ago, at this time of the year, I was in great running shape. I ran the Lady Track Shack and finished 2nd overall (lead the race most of the way but then got out kicked in the last half-kilometer). I've got the pretty award (a plate) sitting on my shelf right next to my computer desk as a reminder of what I did and what I know I can do again.
So, this weekend is my first real 'test' after October 25th (okay, I will admit that EVERY day has been a 'test'...but you know what I mean:). I look forward to writing a post-race report to let everyone know how I fared in the event!
Afterwards, I am meeting my Mom and a few friends back at my house and we are going for a Girl's-Day-Outing...cycling on the West Orange Trail from my front yard all the way to Winter Garden and having lunch. With full bellies we will cycle back here and then part ways. Cross your fingers for good weather (currently, it is BELOW freezing outside and I'm not even going to step foot out my front door until the sun does its work and warms up the temperature)!!

Disaster Strikes on the Pool Deck

2009-02-03T08:33:00.002-05:00

10 years ago, my Mom gave me a great Christmas present. It was a mesh bag for my swimming equipment...black with tons of big yellow smiley faces :) :) :) all over it. I loved it!
I stored all my stuff in the bag and toted it to swim practice all through high school and then all through college in Gainesville. It was always easy to find and everyone knew it was mine!
That mesh bag made it out to Colorado Springs for four years and spent some time at the mile-high pool at the Training Center. When I moved back to Florida last year, I tossed it in the back of my car and brought it to the NTC pool in Clermont.
Then, yesterday, disaster struck during swim practice. I pulled my bag out of the bin and joined swim practice...just like normal. Somewhere during the main set (which was sprint 200 IMs) my bag got completely destroyed!
When I went to pack up my equipment, I discovered I could now put all my swimming tools in through a hole in the bottom of the bag...in addition to the opening on the top. I was crushed!!!!
So, I brought the bag home last night (carefully balancing all my equipment inside) and now I am about to start some very special surgery to close the gaping hole. I'm not giving up on you yet!!!!

What Sara's Up To

2009-01-29T21:32:00.003-05:00

I'm training hard. Keep up with some 30+ hour weeks of swimming , cycling, running, strength, stretching, etc. Fortunately, I've got some great friends and people supporting me in the Clermont area.
I'm having fun on the pool deck. My masters swim group is going strong. I had a record 27 people in the pool on Wednesday morning (granted, the weather was beautiful:).
I'm busy planning one last triathlon camp. The "Train with the Pros" weekend starts on February 12th and finishes with the Florida's Great Escape triathlon at Lake Louisa on the 15th.
I'm getting ready to race! The FGE will be my first one...since I'm the defending champion I've got to step it up and perform!
I'm writing my little fingers off. My column in Triathlete Magazine got it's first piece of fan mail today. Someone wrote in via the online 'feedback' and it was forwarded to me:)
I'm lecturing for USAT. The webinar on Wednesday was a success. I had over 60 people register for the 1 hour online lecture. It was a bit nerve-wracking to be talking to so many people and not be able to look them in the eye. Fortunately, I got to glance at the 'feedback' and it was all very positive...I might be presenting again soon.
I'm excited to travel! I haven't been on a plane in AGES and I'm heading out to California on the 18th of February. Visit Dustin, see Julie, train in Chula, present at the USAT coaching clinic, work with Bobby and Bob, see the lights of Mexico, etc. And then fly back to Florida on the 25th (my birthday).
That's all I can think of for now, there is a lot more but I'm watching Rudy on TV and can't focus:)

Webinar

2009-01-26T23:19:00.003-05:00

Check out the front page of USA Triathlon! http://usatriathlon.org/
That's ME! I actually scared myself when I opened the site today...not my favorite photo:(.
Anyways, I'll only be up there for a few more days because I'm hosting a 'webinar' for Continuing Education Credits for Triathlon Coaches. http://usatriathlon.org/news/article/9240
How hard can it be to talk about open water swimming for triathlon for an hour? I put together a little PowerPoint Presentation that will go along with my talking. I used some fun photos from the Internet and some from my personal collection of races to keep it entertaining:)
If anyone needs 1 CEU...go sign up! It'll be the easiest credit...but the most fun and entertaining!

Frozen Mesh Bags

2009-01-21T14:56:00.002-05:00

I was coaching on the pool deck this morning (from 6-7:30am) in 6, yes SIX, layers of clothes!
The only cold part of my body was my 'watch hand' because I kept pulling it out of my parka pocket to take splits and read off times!
All the mesh/equipment bags on the side of the pool froze! Literally, no joke! The swimmers ran to the pool edge, dropped their stuff and hopped in to warm up. After a while, with the splashing from the flip-turns, the bags got damp and then they froze stiff! When I asked everyone to pull out their pulling equipment they had to break apart ice to open the bags!
Seriously, it was smarter to be IN the water in those temperatures...especially since they had all four heaters running through the night. I just hope it's still decent in an hour when I go hop in...after sitting uncovered all day in the cold wind, I can only imagine how much heat has escaped.
Other than that, I've moved all my training inside today. It was still on the verge of trainable weather yesterday...just crazy winds...so I did my bike and run outside. Today, different story. The cold front that was creating the winds has arrived and I'm perfectly happy running on the treadmill and cycling on the trainer for a few days until this mess is gone. As long as the pool remains warm, I won't be complaining!

Checking In

2009-01-19T22:09:00.006-05:00

Long time, no posting here on the Sara McLarty Blog. I've been up to my eye-balls with things to do! From answering emails, to preparing and hosting camps, to coaching individual athletes, and finally getting some training for myself. I've managed to post the Masters Swimming workouts pretty regularly...haven't missed a beat yet!

Over the weekend, I hosted a triathlon camp for beginner triathletes. We had eight people attend and it was a great success. My participants were like huge sponges and they just absorbed all the information that I gave them. We finished with a mock-triathlon around the NTC on Sunday afternoon. For most participants, it was the first time they had gone from swim to bike to run...all in a row. There were nothing but smiles at the end of the camp and I look forward to hearing all about each person's first race (or next race) play-by-play story!

This morning was a great workout, I really liked the set that I came up with for my swimmers. Their only complaints were about the temperature of the pool...which I have no control over...and before they knew it, they were over 4-Grand in the pool! Pretty impressive for just over an hour in the water!

After that, I continued my new strength program in the gym with my coach Misty. And, when I say 'new' strength program...I mean new in the fact that I'm actually doing a strength program! Haven't been in the gym this often or getting as much out of it since my days as a Florida Gator...and we had a former body-builder as our coach!!

After I lifted some weights and grabbed a snack, I did a bike/run combo session with one of my campers. I never turn down the opportunity to train with someone else, especially on a beautiful day like today. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, the air was cool and crisp, I was on my bike...what more could a girl ask for?

Well, she could ask for a CLEAN house...but since asking won't get you too much, most of the time, I made an effort this afternoon and tackled some of the disastrous parts of the Carroll Street house. Lets see, that was the kitchen counter and floor, the piles of laundry in my room, bathroom, and closet, the inside of my car (after the camp all weekend), my computer desk (where do all these papers come from??), etc. I think Louie and Thomas both appreciate the freshness that is emanating from everywhere I made an effort!

Tomorrow I start with an even earlier morning than usual. I'm heading to the Orlando Airport at 5:00am to drop a camper off for his flight back to Arizona! Should be fun and since I'm yawning at 10:30, right now, I think I'm off to catch a few ZZZZZ's!

Which one is Louie?? And which one is Louie's new girlfriend?? She showed up the other day...NO, Dustin, I DON'T have another cat...YET!!

My NEW Theme Song!!

2009-01-15T21:24:00.001-05:00

Tri-a-thon:) Three is always more than two!!

Photos from New Year's Tri Festival

2009-01-12T14:48:00.001-05:00

NTC New Year's Festival

Fun in C-Mont

2009-01-11T20:27:00.004-05:00

Misty and I (self-portrait) in the loaded Xterra.

The sport-utility-vehicle actually getting used for SPORT.

Swimming and kayaking in Lake Minnehaha on Saturday afternoon, January 10th, 2009. Yep, that is me in the water, no wetsuit, smiling for the camera:) Since all the other locals were out in their motorboats enjoying the day...Misty and Sara R. stayed very close with the kayaks!

Then Misty and I switched, she swam next to Sara R. and I did some kayaking (and sunbathing).

We switched again and I finished up with some more swimming...and then caught a ride into shore (thanks Sara:)

Emotional Email

2009-01-07T22:41:00.005-05:00

I got this email in my inbox yesterday. It absolutely makes all the hard work, crazy training, and the long days worth every second!

Sara - I felt compelled to go onto your website and get your e-mail because I wanted to pay my highest compliments to your writing style and obvious teaching talent. I have great respect for all that you have accomplished to date and your sacrifices and dedication required to achieve it all. I hope that you keep publishing. In this growing triathlon industry-- you seem to be very well positioned to shine yourself and to positively affect others with whom you coach and race. My very best of luck and continued success.

Thanks so much for the kind words. I will continue to have success as long as I am able to motivate or inspire people through the sport of triathlon!

Awesome Sunday Training

2009-01-05T15:56:00.002-05:00

For most of last week, I was dreading Sunday. It was all because I had peeked ahead at my training schedule and saw that I had a 4.5 hour bike ride! Oh boy...270 minutes in the saddle...hooray!
Fortunately, my thoughts on the training schedule changed dramatically when I found a willing training buddy for the whole morning...Jarrod Shoemaker just flew down to Orlando on Friday for a long week of training in the sunshine (and a 1/2 marathon race next weekend). We were chatting on the phone/email and he mentioned that his coach had instructed him to get a total of 400 miles on his bike while he was in Florida...roughly averaging 40 miles a day.
I suckered him in with the promise of 80 miles in one day (which would give him a pretty good start)! We headed out of my house at 7:30am and rode towards Winderemere. A little over an hour of nice conversation pace...and then we met up with the Windy Group ride for some quad-tearing hill climbs at 30+ mph!
One of two options...I am either still not back to full cycling ability (the kind where I was kick butts last winter) or there are some super-serious-guys on the rides this year that are totally kicking up the pace and dropping me like a bad habit!
Either way, I'm only making it to Grassy Lake with the group and then getting shelled off the back. But, I was fine with that yesterday because I still had over 2 hours to ride. Jarrod and I continued on at a conversation pace again (joined now by another local triathlete, Nic) and cruised around to the rest-stop at the gas station in Mont Verde.
the remainder of the group pulled in a few minutes after us, filled up on fluids and calories, and continued on back to Windermere. We hopped on and had another few minutes of fast riding until we peeled off back to Clermont. Conversation pace again (my favorite) over to Lake Louisa, a quick stop at Nic's house, back along Lakeshore drive to East Ave. and then into the Carroll Street house at exactly 4 hours and 15 minutes of ride time...78 miles total.
At this point, I have no energy or desire to make my own brunch food so we made ourselves semi-presentable and went over to Sommerlake Cafe for the $4.50 pancake & eggs special ($5.00 if you are like me and add blueberries to your cakes).
With bellies full of syrup and eggs, the three of use decided to continue our great day of training and take advantage of the NTC pool being Long Course Meters. We arrived at the pool with a goal of completing a 3K workout. I told Jarrod and Nic that each of us was responsible for thinking up a 1000 meter set. Everyone was pretty creative (thanks for the 200 IMs Jarrod!!) and we got a bit of a Florida tan in the mean-time!
I was in the shower trying to remove the ever-present chlorine smell from my skin when I suddenly realized that I had signed up for a massage earlier in the week! I came barreling out of the shower with soap suds flying everywhere to find a clock and see what time it was. No joke...it was 2:50pm and I had a 45 minute session with Maria at 3:00pm! PERFECT timing, with out even trying!!
It was a great day of training, I'm very proud of myself and my training partners. There's not much you can't accomplish when you've got people doing the same thing right next to you...easy motivation! And, speaking of training partners, I'm late for swim practice with the kids!

Published Articles

2009-01-02T12:49:00.004-05:00

I've been writing for the USAT Life magazine for over a year...but this is the first time I thought about scanning in the page and posting it here. I write this for the "Youth" section of the magazine. Most of my ideas come from memories or experiences that I had as a youth triathlete.

In November I was thrilled to be asked to become the new author for the "Lane Lines" column in Triathlete Magazine. This column is in the 'training' section of the magazine and I write about, yep, you guessed it: Swimming, open water swimming, and swim training! Something I know a little bit about:)

By the way, that photo ^ is my FAVORITE! It's from the swim exit (or end of the first lap, I can't tell) at the Hy-Vee triathlon in Des Moines in 2008.

The next photo is Page 2 of the article.

And, finally, this was a surprise article in Inside Triathlon magazine in the December issue (the last one before they reveal their new format in '09). You really get a feel for how long articles are composed before they go to print when you totally FORGET that you were interviewed for the spread!

That photo ^ was also taken at the Hy-Vee triathlon, but in 2007. It was my favorite until 2008:)

'09 Resolutions

2008-12-31T22:38:00.003-05:00

Spend less time on the computer, more time stretching.
Watch less TV, more time sleeping.
Eat less, train more.
Less mess, more clean.
Be productive with my time.
Set goals and stick to them.
Be more social and explore my new home-town.
Have fun each and every day, appreciate what I have, and take advantage of my freedom!

Carroll Street Happenings

2008-12-31T08:19:00.003-05:00

My parents came over for a holiday visit yesterday. After cycling with my Dad for 2 1/2 hours, and jogging with my Mom for 45 minutes, we spent the rest of the day working on projects around my house:

My first LANDSCAPING project...perfect size to start with, a 3x1 foot plot of dirt outside my front door! But that 3x1 foot plot sure looks nice now!

Closer image:) Thanks, Mom, for planting all the new foliage!

Dad and I made a wall of branches at the street...

...more of the big wall of debris!

But now, this tree is no longer in danger of dropping big branches on to my roof!

I finally got around to hanging a few decorative items INside my house...

...and a couple words to live by.

Louie got a holiday present from my Dad...a 'Cat Flap'! This is going to involve a few days of me shoving Louie through the hole, or persuading him through with Cat Treats, but hopefully he will get the hang of it soon! (Eventually, that's going to be the only option for him!)

King Louie on his scratching throne (showing off the new addition to his collar, a electronic ID tag that unlocks the cat flap so only HE can enter!)

Winter Training

2008-12-27T22:15:00.002-05:00

There's just one thing that bugs me about my winter training right now......
It's just so freaking HOT HOT HOT!!! Good grief it's HOT! It's been above 80 degrees for the past three days. I had a three hour bike ride yesterday. By the time I got on the road it was 10:30am (I had to coach swimming in the morning, then I needed breakfast, and then a nap...you see where this is going)! WOW...three hours, in the middle of the day, climbing hills, and sweating my bum off!
My bottles were empty after 2 hours...and the route I was on didn't have any fill-up-stations (yeah, that was a fun final hour:). Fortunately, I had a gallon of ice-cold Gatorade waiting for me in the fridge when I got home...it was empty in a few seconds!
So, I'm using the current weather situation to try and convince my friends to come down and train with me. There have been too many lonely bike rides and runs for me as I get back in shape. Now, I feel like I have a pretty decent training base under me and I'm not embarrassed to train with people:)
Other than that, I hope everyone had a fun holiday with their family and now it's time to get some awesome New Year celebration plans in order!

'Tis The Season

2008-12-25T10:57:00.003-05:00

Happy Holidays Everyone! Peace on Earth and Good Will to All!
Have a wonderful holiday-time with family, friends, and loved ones!
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry...then go training:)

Races, Races, Races!

2008-12-22T17:16:00.005-05:00

You know training is going well when I can start thinking and talking about RACES! I'm stir crazy for races...after a year of barely any competitions, I'm looking forward to toeing the starting-lines in 2009!
Anyways, it was actually an email that got me thinking on this train-of-thought. Ryan from 11 Global sent me an email late last week. He invited me down to Cape Town, South Africa to compete in an International Distance race on March 1st! It was easy to turn-down the offer using insufficient-funds as a reason (um, who isn't broke right now). But, then his return email offered to pay for all my travel and lodging for the trip!
HOW could I say NO??
Well, I thought, pause for a moment and run the idea by my coach since we have not planned a race schedule yet. We looked at some of the other early season races...some in closer proximity...and decided to stay home at the beginning of March. Instead of traveling 21 hours by plane just to get to Jo-burg, I'm just going to drive a couple hours south and race the Miami International triathlon on March 15th. A couple of my friends did the race last year and had nothing but good things to say about the race.
Other than that, I will be racing Florida's Great Escape on February 15th...right here in Clermont. My favorite race, St. Anthony's, will be over in St. Petersburg on April 26th.
I'm even thinking about a couple of 5K run races in the months of January and February. 2 years ago I did Lady Track Shack, finished 2nd overall, and I would love to be able to go back and perform well again. There is a 5K in the Orlando area every weekend so I've got plenty to choose from.

6-Hour Training Day

2008-12-16T22:36:00.002-05:00

WOW! I LOVE THIS!!
I can't believe how much I actually missed training! It is so amazing to be back to the ol'grind of exercising til exhaustion. I don't think I have stopped smiling yet:).
Lets see, I started this morning by waking up at 7:00am. Had a small breakfast before heading out the door for a 50 minute jog. I decided to veer off the trail and run down Lakeshore drive instead. It was a pleasant morning and I enjoyed watching the sun rise over Lake Minneola.
On my way back to my house, I passed a friend running in the other direction. I spun a 180 and jogged with her for a few minutes before finishing up my 50 minute run in 60!
I made myself a proper breakfast, checked emails, and then got ready to go ride. I managed to get myself out of the house a little after 10:00am and headed out for some 'easy' Ferndale loops. (Easy is a relative term here...the Ferndale loop includes the Wall, Buckhills, Stairstepper and plenty more decent climbs.) I wore my fancy heart-rate-monitor-watch and it actually measures how much elevation you gain and loose. Over the course of 3 hours, I climbed and descended a little over 2000 feet. That is pretty decent considering my high point was 149 feet...no mountains here, just lots of up/down/up/down/up/down.
Happily, I pulled back into the driveway a bit after 1:00 in the afternoon. The sun was blazing today and I was very happy that I remembered sunscreen before leaving. (I'm only making note of this for my friends in the north that might be facing snow, sleet, and other wonderful treats that come with real winters:)
Lunch was next on the list, followed by a well deserved nap. I actually went to bed last night at 1:00am after spending a couple hours working on the website for my March triathlon camp. I wanted to make sure that I was fresh and ready to rock for the final session of the day...swim practice! Hey, someone's got to show those little 13 year-olds who is boss!
Fortunately, there is a HUGE difference between training at altitude and training at sea-level (other than the HUGE difference in elevation). My ability to recover after working out is phenomenal. After being in COS for the past 4 years, I just thought triathlon training was harder than what I was used to...nope, just living 1-mile-high was the hard part. I should have realized that after swimming at UF...NOTHING is harder than that!
Anyways, back to my 6-hour training day. 1 hour run, 3 hour bike, and I finished with a little over 2 hours in the pool...just enough time to get 9000 yards completed! No kidding, in 2 hours and 15 minutes I swam 9K! About 3K of butterfly (that sucked), followed by 3K of backstroke (not too bad) and finally 3K of freestyle (by that point, it was all I could do)!
And, the night wasn't over because I haven't been grocery shopping all weekend (blame the tri camp and eating out for 4 nights in a row) so I needed to go grab veggies and basic fridge-fillers. It was a long day but I'm trying to end it a bit earlier than 1am like last night:)

Not Forgotten

2008-12-10T12:29:00.002-05:00

I have not completely forgotten about this blog...now that I have another one going. I've just been too busy to put some thought into a post. The workout posts on the NTC Swim site don't take any thought...I just have to regurgitate the workouts I gave at the pool.
But, other than coaching, creating new blogs, and training...I've been completely swamped with work!
This Friday is the start of my first weekend-long triathlon training camp, hosted at the NTC. The total camp participant number is sorta small, but it will be more than enough for me to handle. After the 31 people on Thanksgiving weekend, I'm actually thankful for this small group. Especially since this is a 3 day camp and the participants are much more advanced than the kids and beginners that participated in November.
I am making a trip to the Orlando airport on Thursday afternoon to pick up one participant. One athlete is driving up from South Florida, one is already in town, and the fourth and final participant is driving over from West Florida.
Fortunately, the weather seems to be cooperating. I was on the pool deck this morning withOUT my parka for the first time in a month! Even with that said, I still chose to run on the treadmill for my workout...soft surfaces, controlled pace, no bumps/humps/cracks/turns or anything else that I could possibly hurt myself on!
I'm slowly regaining the general strength in my left leg. After 12 months of favoring it, and keeping most of my weight on my right leg, my balance is not 100%. All the little muscles that help control little movements and slight adjustments are weak. I totally feel it in yoga class when we are doing one-legged-balance-poses. I can stand like a mountain/tree/rock for as long as you want...as long as I'm on my right leg. Then we do the same thing on our left leg and I'm falling over before I'm even in the final position!

New Blog

2008-12-05T11:19:00.001-05:00

I've taken on the responsibility of a new blog!
It's is titled: NTC Masters Swimming Workouts.
Check it out and I hope it becomes one of you new favorites!

Heater and Hot Cocoa

2008-12-02T21:49:00.002-05:00

I'm sipping a fresh cup of hot cocoa (whipped cream included) and the house-heater is cranking away! It's officially COLD in Central Florida tonight! I can't wait to wake up tomorrow at 5:30am and coach on the pool deck from 6-7:30am...parka, jacket, sweatshirt, and a few layers under that will probably be the only way I will survive!
That, and the promise of breakfast at Panera Bread afterwards! Yummy! Koren and I are meeting there and then heading to O-Town for a combination of Whole Foods shopping trip-massage-Doctor's appointment. We are both participating in Whole Food's experience (I can't get enough of that place), Koren is getting the massage, and I'm going to the doctor's office for my foot.
I was actually in downtown Orlando on Sunday night (with Koren again) for a movie night. I reverted back to a 13-year-old-girl for a few hours and watching the Twilight movie (vampires, teenage romance, etc). It was hilarious (anyone else laugh ever time 'Jasper' was on the screen?), romantic, well filmed, and a complete waste of $$! 9.50 for a movie ticket...plus the 30 minute drive to the closest theater at Universal, plus the tolls to get there?? Dang, we need that Clermont movie theater...ASAP!
Other than the random driving all over Florida that I have been doing lately, I've actually been training pretty well. Sunday AND today played host to three-hour-bike-rides...wind and chilly air included both times. Hills and sore legs also made an appearance both times. Swim practice has been fun for the past two weeks because the kids are getting ready for the Gator Swim meet this weekend. TAPER TIME! I've been attempting to sprint...but the three-hour-rides kinda ruin any fast-twitch muscles that I might have dreamed of having. The kids head up to Gainesville on Thursday night which leaves me in the pool solo...self-motivation has never been my strong suit!:)

31 People, Countless Smiles

2008-12-01T08:24:00.003-05:00

Saturday was my first Triathlon Festival at the NTC. I was blown away by the response to this one-day event...I had 31 people pre-registered, 3 signed up on the morning-of, (and 3 didn't show up)!!

The event ran smooth as silk...thanks to the volunteer time from my brother and father. At 9am, everyone rolled out on their bikes for a 60-80 minute ride down the West-Orange-Trail. Dustin rode on a mountain bike and stayed with the novice-group. My Dad stayed with the intermediate group and I rode with the advanced group.

We all got back to the NTC within a few minutes of each other and I directed everyone down to our makeshift transition area. We only had one rack...which limited us to 6 people at a time...but allowed everyone some personal attention and more space to practice.

The troops headed back up to the NTC where they met Mary Beth in the stretching room for 30 minutes of light yoga. I realized how perfect I had timed the schedule when I was able to set up the lunch spread while the campers were with Mary Beth. By noon, I think everyone was famished and looking forward to a few minutes of 'down time'. I directed them to the multi-sport store, the locker rooms, and went over the next half of the schedule.

With lunch in our bellies, we headed down to the track for the running session. I let everyone warm up a few laps, then we did some running drills, a few 200s, an easy lap, and then I mapped out the course for the 'biathlon'.

The 'A' group ran twice around the bowl (the track is located in a big sunken bowl in the ground), the 'B' group did one lap, and the 'C' group just headed straight up the hill to the pool. I raced up the hill just in time to set up the cones marking the lanes for the "snake" in the pool.

As people started streaming onto the pool deck, the did a quick strip out of their running attire, grabbed their cap/goggles, and jumped in the first of eight lanes. One length on the first lane, duck under the lane ropes, one length in the second lane, repeat, repeat, for a 200 yard swim.

After the conclusion of the biathlon, we settled into five or six lanes and did a fun little swim practice. I started by giving them some 50s swim and then 25s working on head-up to sight the buoys. Dustin demonstrated how to quickly turn around a buoy and then the campers gave it a try. We imagined the lane ropes were waves and practiced swimming under the water. Finally, we finished with RELAYS! Three teams of seven (some people were just watching at this point of the day) for a couple of freestyle relays.

And, when everyone was completely worn out and ready for a nap...we took one big group photo on the pool deck, I thanked everyone for coming, answered a few questions, and then rushed home in time for the UF-FSU game at 3:30pm

1000 Piece Puzzle

2008-11-29T16:04:00.002-05:00

The completed puzzle...4 hours of puzzling and we got all the TV stars in place!

Koren, Louie, Thomas, and Dustin showing off our masterpiece:)

Turkey Day

2008-11-28T20:53:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving at the Carroll St. house!! I was so excited to host my first family holiday at my house! I even sent out invitations to my parents, brother, Grandma, and Aunt. That made six of us...add my roommate Thomas from The Isle of Man, and my good friend Koren...and this little house was rocking with eight people!
The backyard was filled with smoke from 10am until 6pm as my Dad smoked a huge 28 pound turkey. We used some orange tree branches and leaves to flavor the meat. According to everyone who ate some...it was delicious (remember, I'm a vegetarian now:).
I cooked my scalloped potatoes...with a twist this year. I alternated the layers with regular Idaho potatoes and sweet potatoes for a bit of sweetness and color.
Dustin made apple cobbler. Grandma made a Waldorf salad. Jan made cranberry sauce. Koren brought the green bean casserole. Thomas bought whipped cream for the desserts. My Mom did fruit salad and regular salad. There was barely enough room on my counter tops to hold all the offerings!
Before we sat down to dinner, my Mom brought over a 1000 piece puzzle that had been laying around the house. We set a large piece of cardboard on the living room table and suddenly everyone was crowded around searching for edge pieces! fortunately, the cardboard allowed us to remove the puzzle and allow half the guests to eat at the couches. But, as soon as dinner was over...we were all right back to work on the puzzle. The design was really easy and fun (famous TV characters from the last couple decades) and pretty soon, the end was in sight!
Eventually, my Aunt headed home to take care of her pets. Then my parents packed up and drove home with my Grandma. That left Dustin, Koren, Thomas and I still scrounging for puzzle pieces and stuffing our faces with dessert:)
By 10pm, the last piece was put into place and we commemorated the momentous occasion with a few photos (coming soon). Koren headed home, Thomas headed to sleep, Dustin was still on California time so he was chilling in front of the TV, and I did some last minute preparations before an early Master's swim workout in the AM.
It wasn't until mid-day today when I got home from the pool that I finally got a chance to clean my house!! Oh boy, that was a welcome chore:)!! And, for the rest of the day, I hung out with my brother and got ready for the Thanksgiving Triathlon Festival tomorrow!

Last Chance

2008-11-25T22:33:00.002-05:00

This is one last reminder if anyone out there wants to participate in the National Training Center Thanksgiving Triathlon Festival! I'm so excited because I have over 25 participants!!
That's more than I ever imagined for my first camp at the NTC! It's a one-day camp, full of fun training and lots of laughs...and apparently, it's catching on with lots of people!
After a day of eating, and a day of shopping, why not spend a day exercising?!? Spread the word and come on out to Clermont!

I'm going to be running around all day with my camera so I hope to get some fun shots to post here afterwards...which might be Sunday or Monday after I finally recover from a day of running around with lots of triathletes!

Rudy Project

2008-11-25T22:11:00.004-05:00

Everyone ready for Black Friday? If you want to skip the traffic jams, the grocery cart collisions, and the long checkout lines...check out this online deal:

RUDY PROJECT is giving away $290 of FREE stuff with the purchase of one pair of sun glasses!

I'm not suddenly turning into an advertisement blog...I just got an email from Rudy and I thought I would share the deal with other athletes who are out there (happening to read my blog:)!

Precision Operations

2008-11-25T14:28:00.001-05:00

Check out my parent's new Yellow Pages advertisment for their custom wood shutters:

Louie Photos

2008-11-23T21:11:00.002-05:00

So, at Halloween, Louie insisted that HE owned the bucket. He removed all my "Trick-or-Train" workouts so that he could sit inside.

Yep, don't argue with this guy!

The garage window ate my cat!!!!!

Thomas and Louie taking a nap:)

Under 35, 70, Over 25

2008-11-22T18:50:00.003-05:00

The numbers of the day refer to how much $$ I had to spend to fill up my gas tank this afternoon, the number of points the Gators scored against Citadel today, and how many MPH the wind was blowing during my bike ride this morning!
I swear, sometimes, I didn't think I was actually moving forward. I thought that the wind was just moving everything around me in the opposite direction so it LOOKED like I was moving!
But, speaking of moving, I finally don't feel like I have to justify EVERY minute I drive in my car. The price of gas is back to a reasonable level here in Florida and that means...well, it really means nothing for me. I only have to drive 5 minutes down the road to work, workout, and get groceries. Lately, it has taken about two weeks between fill-ups (at least, that's how long it takes when I don't take a trip over to DeLand to visit the family, see the dentist, get a haircut, etc).
And last, but certainly not least, the Gators scored 70 points against the Citadel today in football. I couldn't find the game on TV (bummer) but I checked the score online and was very happy to see that they are selling tickets for the SEC Championship game...which means we are IN it! Against Alabama on December 6th! Go Gators.

2008-11-18T13:43:00.002-05:00

I'm currently substituting for an 8th grade math class. Since the teacher left videos for the kids to watch, I was killing time by googling myself. I came across this photo, which I had not seen before. It gave me goosebumps and nerves because I'm so excited to know I'm going to be competing again next year! And I'm going to be running with the big girls, just like in this photo!

Swim...?Practice?

2008-11-18T13:22:00.003-05:00

I was bound and determined to get into the pool last night and drag my sick, coughing, aching, and stuffy body through swim practice. I've always done it and I don't complain.
But, I'm just not that young anymore...I'm not in my early-20s, in college, and full of energy and life. Now, I'm in my mid-20s, I've got three or four jobs (I have seriously lost count), and I'm full of aching body parts and scars.
So, it just so happened that a few of the swim coaches were not on deck to coach half of the 8 groups that were in the pool. This was forcing Alec, the head coach, to run around trying to keep track of beginner swimmers as well as the National Group. During one of my couching fits on the wall, he mentioned what a hard time he was having.
I immediately perked up, asked if he wanted help, ran to the locker room to get dry and change, and then I was back out on the deck...but, this time, as a coach. I knew I wasn't accomplishing much in the water as an athlete...other than making lots of snot and probably getting other kids sick:). At least I was able to give back and help out the team that has welcomed me with open arms...and how do I repay them...with ALL OUT 50s!!
(Hey, that wasn't MY set. I was just doing what Alec told me to do!)
So, I'm out on the pool deck, glad that I'm not doing the sprint 50s, trying to stay warm (I was up to 2 sweatshirts and one parka) when I see the USA Anti-Doping Control Officers walking across the deck towards me! How hillarious! Here I am, not even training, and I get a Out-Of-Competition test...fortunately, I was still at the NTC, and not home in bed resting (no more missed tests for me this year!).
I wasn't about to make Alec short another coach, so I politely asked if the USADA people would mind waiting until I was finished on the deck. They had no problem with that...and it also gave me some time to chug a water bottle in perperation of peeing in a cup!
After the third set of 8x50 all out, most of the swim groups were out of the pool, Coach Alec had everything under control, and I was able to go take care of my USADA business. It was an appropriate ending to an interesting day...highlighted by my first NON-STOP 30 minute run at noon (but, those details are subject to another post).

Animal Kingdom & H100

2008-11-15T21:15:00.004-05:00

Being a Florida resident automatically means that I never visit any of the Disney attractions. Unless...good friends are in town from out-of-state and invite you to come along for a day at Animal Kingdom. Saturday morning started with another early alarm clock because I wanted to get my swim workout over with.
Too bad I didn't check out the NTC weekend hours BEFORE I went to bed! Arriving at 6am and finding that it opens at 7am...not so fun! I went home and back to sleep.
Eventually, I woke up again and headed down the road to join Jarrod and Alicia for a day of roller coasters, safaris, and overpriced food. Even though I had a sinus cold coming on, it was a fun day! The animals were all out because it was shady and cool in the morning.
After our feet and legs were completely exhausted, I said g-bye to the Bostonians and headed back to Clermont. It was by complete sheer determination that I made myself stop at the NTC on the way home and do my 5K workout...not too shabby for some timed 500s: 5:20, 5:17, 5:15.
By the afternoon, my cold was definitely here to stay for a few days. I knew that Sunday morning was dawning with the Horrible Hundred Century ride and my Dad was coming over so we could make the torturous adventure together. Unfortunately, after a night of tossing and turning and trying not to die from asphyxiation from snot:)...I was in no mood to ride all day in the killer hills. I rolled out, moaned and groaned my way up a few hills and then turned off for home after 30 miles...fortunately, my Dad finished the ride and even saw some friends along the route!
For the remainder of this freezing Sunday...I'm become master of the TV remote and haven't moved off the couch for more than the bathroom, the refrigerator, and feeding Louie. I'll sleep tonight propped up on at least three pillows and then it's off to Master Swim Practice in the AM.

200 Meters!!!

2008-11-12T15:35:00.002-05:00

Leaving the Middle School today, where I was a substitute teacher for 7th grade math, I happened to pull out of the parking lot behind a long line of buses. I'm not kidding when I say that I drove 200 meters down the street and was suddenly braking because one of the buses was dropping kids off!!!
200 METERS! I mean, are we seriously paying taxes so that these kids don't have to walk for 2 minutes down the street (with a sidewalk)!?!? I've got nothing wrong with buses, or kids riding buses (I was a kid that rode a bus)...I DO have a problem with the option of riding the bus when your house is within shouting distance from the school!
That's it...thats all I have to say about that topic!

4-Weeks...To The DAY!

2008-11-10T21:25:00.002-05:00

This beautiful Florida Monday morning marked exactly four weeks since I scooted myself onto the operation table in Orlando and went under the knife to fix my foot.
How am I doing these days, you might ask. What kind of rehab does Dr. Funk have you starting?
Well, geee, thanks for asking. Let me tell you what I did today.
After waking up at 5:30am and coaching Masters Swim practice on my feet for 90 minutes, my coach told me to meet him down at the track for a TRACK WORKOUT!!! No kidding. I'm 100% serious. I was running 80 meter sprints for 30 minutes this morning! 4-Weeks To The Day!!!
And let me tell you...I am feeling EVERY step of that workout...in every part of my body...except for my foot!!! Absolutely AMAZING!
My calves are tired. My quads are sore. My hamstrings are tight. But both feet feel like a million bucks!
Back home, after the workout, I actually had to take a mid-day nap to recover from my big morning training session (actually, I just wanted to fall asleep so that I couldn't feel my legs anymore).
Eventually, I moseyed back to the NTC for a 30 minute strength workout, two hours in the pool, and finished off with 40 minutes on the spin bike (what I would give for more daylight hours). oh yeah, I feel like a million bucks...a million bucks that have just been run over by a steam roller!

Quick DeLand Visit

2008-11-08T20:37:00.003-05:00

I've just returned to Clermont...just in time to watch the Gator/Vandy game. I drove over to DeLand on Friday morning and got a lot accomplished in a short period of time. First, I coached Master's Swim at the NTC and chatted with some friends then I loaded up the car with a few important items (toothbrush, change of clothes, bike, etc).
My first stop, before I even got home, was for a little hair cut. Nothing drastic, just a 1/2 inch trim...I actually think I might be the only one who can tell:). I was home for just enough time to say 'hello' to my Mom, Dad, and Sally (more on why she was in town later).
By 11:30am, I was over in Daytona for a lunch meeting with the organizers of the "Volusia County National Girls and Women in Sports Day Celebration." In February, I have been invited to be the Keynote speaker to 500 high school girls...I am honored and excited. This is the third-annual event to celebrate high school female athletes and I'm very jealous it was not being celebrated when I was in school. Fortunately, I am being given an opportunity to encourage the current generation! The women in charge of the event showed me some posters they created, took me to lunch, and gave me a tour of Mainland High School where I will be presenting in Feb.
After that, I headed back to the Farm for a training session with my Grandmother. She is participating in my Mom's "Get Grandma Fit" exercise plan and Friday's are 'fun days'. Apparently, this Friday the 'fun' part was to hang out with me for a walk around the Sperling Sports Complex. Going for a walk there was a bonus because I noticed that they were all set up for a Cross Country meet...after asking some questions, I was informed the District CC meet was the next morning at 8am.
I made a mental note to come back out and watch the races...but before I left, I made sure I did my own running workout around the CC course. With a HUGE smile on my face, I completed 2.5 laps with a combo of walking and jogging. The soft surfaces (dirt, grass, clay) were very comfortable on my foot and body. I followed that with a late-afternoon bike ride with my Dad. We headed out to the Flagler County line as the sun was slowly sinking in the west.
Saturday morning started with me cruising out to Sperling and watching the start of the women's race at 8am. I spotted Jim Loeinstine, my former DeLand HS CC coach...still coaching...and I volunteered to work at the finish line for both races. It was great to see the kids still running fast and strong...brought back great memories (especially seeing a young lady trip within the first 100 meters and having the race restarted). Before I could sneak out and get home, Coach Lo asked me to stick around and pass out the awards...how could I refuse:)
Back at home I took care of a few chores...faxed some medical paperwork, sanded some of my shutters, cleaned up my room, checked email, etc. By 3pm it was time to pack up the car and head out to the airport for Sally's surprise Birthday party. She thought she was just in town to see friends, make some jumps, and hang out...but her husband had planned a whole secret b-day party including himself as the surprise guest! So I just spent the afternoon out at the Drop Zone (hadn't been out there in a long time) catching up with friends, watching the Birthday jump, eating the Mexican buffet, and having some B-day cake before I started driving home.
I wanted to make it home before the Gators started the football game versus Vanderbuilt. I've been watching the game while writing this post and I sure feel bad for the Vandy crowd...it's six minutes until half-time and the score is 28-0!!! Go Gators!

Thank You Dr. Funk!!!

2008-11-05T22:17:00.002-05:00

Every day I have an 'amazing moment' where I just can't believe how fast and great my foot is recovering after surgery!
I was very happy doing my walk/jog around the track yesterday. I started with 20 minutes of 300 meter walking and 100 meters jogging. Before I called it a day, I did a few laps as 200m walk, 200m jog. On the walk back to the car I was definitely feeling very sore but thrilled at my quick progression.
Today, I started the day with a bike ride with friends. We chatted the whole way around a 90 minute loop and time does fly when you are having fun. After a two hour crash-nap with Louie, I got a perfectly-timed visit from my Dad.
As of mid-afternoon yesterday my kitchen sink stopped draining! So with tools that he still has from 25 years ago when my parents were building their house...my Dad managed to unclog the problem (I was there helping! We also got a 'third hand' from my house-mate Thomas.) and then find three more problems!! It was Hilarious. By solving one problem we were forced to take a closer look at parts of the house and spotted some things that had escaped us the first time (and second and third).
After cleaning up and saying "Thanks" and "Goodbye" to my Dad, I rushed off to swim practice. The kids are still kicking my butt in the pool but I'm enjoying the atmosphere of fitness and big dreams. I made it to 6700 yards before telling Alec that I was running on empty. As a finale to the day, I went into the gym and hopped on a treadmill. I thought I would just try to simulate what I did on the track yesterday but I completely AMAZED myself!
Over the course of 30 minutes, I did 3 x 5 minutes RUNNING! Okay, admittedly, it was more like jogging or waddling...but it was still 15 minutes total of running without ANY pain!! No pain, soreness, but no pain! I did a little dance:) Everyone, join me in a little dance:)

Triathlete Magazine Article!

2008-11-04T22:23:00.003-05:00

CLICK HERE to see the Triathlete Magazine article featuring Clermont, the NTC, and ME!

Other than that great advertising, I've been getting back into the world of training. I almost forgot what it's like to sweat, breathe hard, have my muscles ache, and be exhausted at the end of the day. I LOVE it!!

East Coast, West Coast

2008-11-03T12:37:00.002-05:00

This weekend will have some of my friends off to the West Coast (San Francisco to be exact) for the Treasure Island Triathlon. It should be one of the last, if not the last, ITU-style race of the year for most Americans. Finishing out the season in November is tough, especially when some people started in February!
On the East Coast, this weekend is the 70.3 World Champs in Clearwater, Florida...just down the road 2 hours from Clermont. I've got some long-distance friends competing here as well. Unlike the ITU style, the long-distance season can span year-round because people compete less often. Just a few weeks after the 70.3 in Clearwater, there will be some familiar faces at the Arizona Ironman!
And as for myself, I'm officially back into training. Yesterday I went for an hour walk down the lake-front trail. I had my phone with me and I was just chatting away as I headed towards my arbitrary turn-around point. As I neared the trail-marker that was going to be my half-way, I suddenly realized that my foot was starting to make it's self known! It was a big undertaking for me less than three-weeks post-surgery but I finished what I set out to do...and I made it all the way back to the house!
I even went to swim practice...yesterday...Sunday...which is like a religious holiday for swimmers! We NEVER swim on Sunday! But, I was there, in the pool at noon...swimming laps...and I have a sun-burnt face as proof!
On a side note, the latest edition of Triathlete Magazine is on store-shelves! It has an article about the National Training Center in Clermont...where I coach and train. The article mentions some of the triathlon training camps that we are offering this winter! Come check us out and pass on the info to your friends, teammates, and training partners!

Roommates!!

2008-10-30T22:35:00.002-04:00

I've got a FULL HOUSE!
Yesterday I met a young man at the gym...his name is Thomas and he just flew in from The Isle of Man for six months of training at the NTC with the amazing track coach (Tyson Gay's coach!). So we got to chatting and he was very unhappy with the homestay he had and within five minutes I had sold him on my house! As soon as we were both done training, we went and picked up his stuff and he moved into the "Bamboo" room on Carroll Street.
Then, today, Kevin Collington dropped by for the weekend to stay in the "Black" room on Carroll Street. He's got a few more days of hard training before the Treasure Island race in San Fran.
Louie is making friends fast...I have to drag him out of the guys rooms and lock him in my bedroom:)
By the way, tomorrow is Halloween so get those costumes ready! I've got a really fun Master's Swimming workout in the morning...the swimmers will be 'picking' the sets! After Substitute Teaching 8th Grade Science kids all day, I'll be home to welcome my first "Trick-or-Treaters"!!

I'm BAAAAAACK...Again!!!!!

2008-10-28T21:19:00.003-04:00

1:15pm...stitches are removed from the bottom of my foot
1:20pm...Dr. Funk explains what I can and cannot do right now
1:40pm...get in my car and drive toward Clermont
2:10pm...pull into the NTC parking lot
2:15pm...dive in the pool!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2:40pm...get out of the pool after slowly swimming 1500 yards
3:00pm...drive home, check mail, pet Louie, put on cycling clothes
3:30pm...head out on bike!!!!!!!!!!
4:30pm...arrive home after a 1 hour spin (2 x around the lake)
4:31pm...do a little DANCE in the driveway...and then quickly stop because I'm not supposed to do any 'extreme' movements with my foot:)

The Three Rules

2008-10-27T21:04:00.001-04:00

Here is Hal's outlook...

You can't have been at Lakemont last Saturday and not have known of the horrific crash that occurred in the first group as they sped along SR 434 west of the Greeneway. An experienced and strong ASV team rider who was directly behind the leader went into a tuck position on a bike with aero bars. His front wheel touched the back wheel of the lead rider at 33+ mph sending him into the pavement face-first. Ten to twelve more riders went down; most were able to get up, dust themselves off and continue (some only discovered injuries after getting home). Unfortunately, the rider directly behind the guy who caused the accident did not fare as well. He broke four (4) ribs, chipped his scapula, has horrible road rash and, worst of all, sustained a collapsed lung. He was air-lifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center after the Winter Springs Police shut down the highway.
When something like his happens, it requires us to assess how we got here. Speed is a drug -- it's no surprise that people show up for their weekly fix and Lakemont has become the most popular ride in central Florida. Unfortunately, along with the popularity has come a large degree of danger which, when exacerbated by bad choices, results in very bad consequences. Anarchy reigns if the groups fail to police themselves. Seasoned cyclists have traditionally admonished newbies for dangerous or just plain stupid practices. That guidance has been lacking for awhile at Lakemont and cannot continue.

So that there's no question, here are the three (3) rules that have to be enforced by everyone or my association with this circus is over:

1. You must wear a helmet; this rule is violated rarely but, when it happens, it always seems to be by an "experienced" rider that I'm supposed to look up to or is regarded as "too cool" to confront;

2. You cannot wear earplugs and listen to your iPod or put one of those stupid phone thingies in your ear; we need your full attention to the task at hand; if you need more stimulation than Lakemont dishes out, you are not someone I want to ride with; and,

3. You cannot go into a tuck position on any handlebar/aero bar arrangement that limits your ability to control your bike and access your brakes; a standard road bike arrangement is the ideal; you may use a time trial/triathlon bike only so long as your hands remain spaced evenly with your shoulders and are immediately ready to access your brakes; to do less is to endanger yourself and everyone that rides behind you. Exceptions: you can go into a tuck only if (1) you find yourself at the front and must impress us; or (2) you are at the back and can only hurt yourself if you lose control.

I don't care how "good" or "safe" or "strong" you think you are. If you do not believe, in good faith, that you can adhere to these rules, you have no regard for the people that you ride with. This is not about you, it's about the group. I have no doubt that the rider who caused the crash last week was completely convinced (ignorantly so) of his superiority. I have great sympathy for him, for his injuries and for the fact that he's got to live with the terrible consequences to his teammate.

Ridiculous Requests

2008-10-22T19:14:00.006-04:00

Here is some information that I just got in an email from one of my National Governing Bodies. I feel that the demands they are making are utterly ridiculous...I've highlighted my favorite part. I would like to know if anyone else feels this way? Or am I over reacting...having to state your whereabouts, 3-months in advance, for every 60-minute window of every day is...normal???

Beginning in January 2009 athletes who do not file their Quarterly Whereabouts Filing by the established deadline will be issued a “filing failure”. A filing failure falls under the category of a “whereabouts failure”. Providing whereabouts information that is incomplete or does not provide detailed location information is also a “filing failure”.
Beginning in January 2009 athletes will be required to provide a 60 minute window, each day, specifying where they will be available for testing. This is in addition to the information currently provided. If the athlete is not available for testing during those 60 minutes a “missed test” will be issued. A “missed test” falls under the category of a “whereabouts failure”.
If an athlete is issued three “whereabouts failures” in 18 months, by any organization with Anti Doping jurisdiction, the athlete is considered to have committed a doping violation and is subject to sanctions. Sanctions for a whereabouts failure are a one to two year suspension meaning the athlete will not be eligible to compete in the next 2 Olympic Games (one Winter, one Summer).

EWWWWWW!

2008-10-22T15:32:00.001-04:00

Facebook OOPS!

2008-10-21T14:32:00.001-04:00

I just want to send out a mass apology to everyone on my email list that received a silly email from Facebook asking you to become a member.

Yesterday morning I was killing some time before a workout and I started to explore the world of Facebook. I have told a lot of people that I was never going to join…the last thing I need is something else to waste time online…and I was going to be the one human on this earth not a member. Well, I finally had to join to see what all the fuss was about, and in the process of understanding the site, I pushed a button that sent an email to EVERY member of my address box. (Actually, it might have been multiple emails!)

Again, I'm very sorry. I am not one who enjoys junk mail, forwards, or things like this filling my own inbox. I am very embarrassed and I promise I will not do it again.

Sincerely, SaraJ

I’m SOOOOOO Bored!

2008-10-19T13:48:00.001-04:00

Get this thing OFF my foot! I can't do anything but sit around, watch TV, and work on the computer. I'm going into a self-induced COMA!

Although I'm happy to report that I think I'm recovering very fast…it obviously isn't FAST enough! I have done away with the crutches and I'm walking as normal as possible with this big boot on my foot. I just hope that I waited the proper length of time before putting full weight on my foot. The Doc mentioned I could walk on my toe and keeping the pressure off my heal…but I did that for the first few days and I got a major cramp in my shin and butt muscles from the awkward positions it was putting my leg.

So, I am memorizing the ABC night-time show schedule. With my ½ of a 'rabbit ear' antenna, I can pull in a fuzzy Channel 9 from Orlando…and that's IT! Combine that with my increasing frustration of not having the internet right at my fingertips…and I've made the first move to have Brighthouse come hook me up to the system. The final straw was realizing that if I want friends and training partners to come down and stay at my house…it's going to be a tough-sell when I finally tell them: "By the way, you can't watch TV at my house and you are going to have to drive somewhere to steal or use wireless!"

And the final-FINAL straw was when I charged another $10 at Blockbuster just to rent two movies. If I do that a few more times each month, I've basically paid for the cable! (Side note…when I was renting the movies, the people at Blockbuster informed me there are late fees again! I guess that didn't last long!)

My friend Koren hosted a kid's triathlon clinic at Lake Louisa today. I stopped by for an hour to talk to the kids (and parents) and regale them with stories from my career. Today, I chose the great 'sacrifice' story about how I made the Pan American Team in 2007…thanks to Laura giving up her slot.

Look at me…I'm already in a reminiscing mode of my greatest achievements. I'm like a little old lady telling stories of her youth to grandkids. I NEED to get back outside and DO something!!

Speaking of Koren, she should be here any minute to take me out to dinner. At least there's one thing I can still do…EATJ

Foot Up and Fingers Typing

2008-10-16T16:18:00.002-04:00

I'm back to being solo in Clermont…the family visited yesterday but they went home in the afternoon.

I was happy to show my Grandmother my house for the first time. It was only with her name as a co-signer that I was able to qualify for a loan/mortgage! Don't get me wrong…I am the only one paying all the bills…but I needed her excellent financial standing to convince the Watson people that I was a qualified home-owner.

Yesterday was also my Mother's first visit in over a month. She hadn't been back since we finished painting all the walls. That was pre-kitchen, pre-gas plumbing, and pre-furniture installation. Basically, the last time she was here it wasn't really 'livable'. I was happy to offer her a seat on the couch, or a glass of water from the kitchen, or a nap on one of four beds!

My Dad caught a ride home with the ladies after he drove me over on Tuesday night. After shuttling me to the Master's swim practice on Wednesday morning, we stopped by Lowes for a quick purchase to fix my shower faucet (when the water does NOT shut off…it's time to replace something)! He also helped me do some grocery shopping so that I am set for a few days, carried in all my Bed, Bath & Beyond purchases (I now have a toaster and one pot for cooking on the stove!), and wore Louie out with the feather-on-a-stick toy!

Can you believe that I have Louie again? I know that I promised to stop writing about the silly cat a few weeks ago, but that was back when I thought he was here to stay! Basically, you are going to have to deal with a few more "Louie Posts" because it's kinda like I have a new cat…the same cat, but new. So here are some photos of my 'new' cat and pretty soon he's going to have a collar around his neck with some identification numbers so no one ever mistakes him for a stray again!

Did someone fall in the sink when it was full of water and soap?...and then get scrubbed from top to bottom?...and then get all dried off in a warm and fuzzy towel?

Ummmmmm…Excuse me…don't freak out, but, I think there is something in your laundry basket!!

No Hope for Louie

2008-10-15T07:49:00.003-04:00

After a pet is missing for 2 weeks, especially if you only owned that pet for 2 weeks, I'm pretty sure you can give up all hope. So, that was where I stood on the Louie issue: no hope. I was going to make myself happy with the image that he had been mistaken for a stray and picked up by a loving family who was keeping him inside.
Amazingly enough, that is EXACTLY what happened!
As I was pulling into my garage last night (Dad and I drove over from DeLand) at 9pm, my next-door-neighbor, Monica, came running over with a huge smile on her face. She asked "Where have you been?" (The answer was obvious as soon as she saw me on crutches and a boot on my foot.) Then she launched into a great story about how she went down the street, over the weekend, to visit some friends of hers. When she walked inside their house and noticed a very familiar and friendly grey cat, she asked, "Where did you get that cat?"
The people down the street had been out for a walk and spotted a very friendly cat (without a collar) and just took Louie home!
Monica graciously kept Louie at her house until I got home last night (I will be picking up a 'thank you' gift on my way home from the pool today).
I just can't believe it! I had to keep looking at him last night and reaching down to pet him just to believe that he was there! All his toys and food was boxed up and in a closet. I was more than happy to pull everything down and strew all the cat junk all over the living room.
Louie was a bit hesitant at first...I wasn't surprised that he barely recognized me and the house...but by the end of the evening, his motor was purring and he was jumping 4 feet in the air to chase the feathers!

I'm Recovering...Very Quick

2008-10-14T11:04:00.003-04:00

My foot surgery on Monday morning went very well. I was checked in at 6am, on the table at 7am, and out the door a little after 8am! Dr. Funk reported that he took care of all the problem-causing elements in my foot...he was even surprised by the severity of some things. (And, somehow, that just makes me so proud...I think I am too much of a competitor!!)
Big thanks to my Dad for waking up early to drive me to and from Orlando...he was even able to install a shutter job while I was in surgery, talk about multi-tasking!
I was still completely numb from the ankle down (local anesthesia) for the whole drive home and it only started wearing off around noon. I attempted to 'manage' the pain but it was able to get the best of me for most of the evening. I was popping the pills like crazy and watching the numbers on my watch slowly changing until I could take another pill!
I spent the whole day on the couch in front of the TV and I realized that the fewer the commercials, the less I was in pain. As soon as my mind was easily distracted, my foot was aching...as long as I was focusing on whatever silly movie/show I was watching, I barely noticed it. By the way, A Mighty Wind is hilarious! If you liked Best in Show...I think you'll like this one too.
So 9pm rolled around and I was getting tired and cranky. My Mom suggested I head downstairs to bed (big thanks to Mom for running around all day bringing me things...she doesn't want to climb the stairs anymore). Here's a suggestion: after 10 hours with your legs propped up OVER your head, don't just jump up and start walking down some stairs with crutches and a bad foot!!!
Yep, I nearly fainted in the middle of the trek down, slid on my butt for the last few steps and then took a nice long lie-down on the floor at the foot of the staircase! The tile floor was nice and cold and helped me get blood back to my head.
After that, all I wanted to do was brush my teeth and climb into bed. I didn't know I was going to fare through the night...and I was pleasantly surprised to sleep soundly from 10pm to 7am! The only times I woke up were when my Mom or Dad came in to check and make sure I was still alive (they were slightly concerned with the number of pain pills I had popped:).
And now it is almost noon on Tuesday. I am thrilled to report minimal pain coming from my left foot and even more thrilled to report I haven't taken any more pain pills! My first activity this morning was a refreshing shower where I employed the towel/trash-bag/rubber-band method perfected by my Mother after her surgery.
I've been sitting in a lounge chair on the front porch since breakfast. The weather is beautiful outside and I've got wireless Internet, a good book, a bottle of Gatorade, and a cat keeping me company. The birds are chirping, the bugs are buzzing, and the wind is blowing!

Thanks to EVERYONE who sent me emails, left me phone messages, and directed positive thoughts my way. I really, really appreciate it and I look forward to making you all very proud when I get back on the starting line!

A Little Bit of EVERYTHING

2008-10-11T20:03:00.002-04:00

The thought of being 'side-lined' for the next two weeks with a boot on my foot has prompted me to do a flurry of activities that I will not be able to do after Monday morning.
I got in one last swim practice with the Fast Land kids on Thursday night.
I coached my awesome Master's group on Friday morning (new attendance record: 21!).
I worked my first day as a Lake County Substitute Teacher at Windy Hill Middle (thanks, Kerri, for the opportunity!).
I did my laundry (I have officially used the dryer now), ran my dishwasher, took out the trash, cleaned my room, packed up some perishables from the fridge, packed clothes and toiletries for the weekend, loaded my bike in the car.
Friday night I drove back to the Farm in DeLand.
This morning, my Dad and I met up with Mike and Chad for a beautiful 65 mile ride (thanks to the guys for pulling me around the loop!).
I totally conked out after the ride for a mid-day nap.
Nancy invited my Mom and I over to the lake for a sail (the winds were perfect!).
I drove over to Daytona to the Bed, Bath & Beyond to pick up some household items (hosting a dinner party and asking the guests to bring a POT is slightly embarrassing!).
On the way home, I dropped by the grocery store for some kitchen staples.
Dad and I just pulled a pizza out of the oven for dinner.
Tomorrow I am planning to go horse-back-riding on Buddy or Peyton with my Mom, spend some time with my Grandma, get my pain-pill-prescription filled, and anything else I can think of!
I have been contacted by the outpatient surgery center in Orlando and they are requesting my presence at 5:30am...that puts us leaving the house a 4:30am!! At least it will be easy to skip breakfast at that time...I can't have anything in my stomach after 11pm on Sunday night!
Right now, I'm off to dig into some homemade pizza and watch the Gators STOMP on the LSU Tigers...we've already scored 90 seconds into the game! GO GATORS!

Sara McLarty’s Press Release

2008-10-08T16:48:00.001-04:00

To all my Family, Friends, Supporters, and Fans:

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement over the past 14 months as I have struggled with the biggest set-back of my athletic career: a painful and aggravating foot injury. It was extremely unlucky that I was in pain and unable to train and race at such a critical time in an Olympic quad. Not qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games was disappointing but just not being able to train for a decent finish at the Trials races was extremely frustrating.

During the past year, I have reasonably attempted all the popular (and unpopular) treatment methods for my condition. Nothing was able to cure the injury or alleviate the symptoms. Eventually, I decided to take a mental and physical break for two months to allow my mind and body to rest, heal, and recover.

At the end of August, I was eager to start training and I even went for a couple of short jogs. I very disappointed when my foot started hurting after just four short runs on the grass. I finally realized that it was time to take the next step and research an invasive procedure to remedy my foot pain.

A few days later, I was on the pool deck when my swim coach introduced me to the father of a swim-team-mate. Dr. Funk is a Foot and Ankle Orthopedic surgeon in Orlando. He sat down with me on the pool deck for 30 minutes and gave me more information and better answers than I had ever received. Not only is he a specialist for my specific injury, he's a triathlete and marathoner!

I could not be any happier and confident about the procedures that Dr. Funk is going to perform on my left foot at 7:00am on the morning of Monday, October 13^th. I honestly believe that my career as a triathlete would be over if I could not find a solution for the pain. This has given me hope that I will be back on the starting line to give some of the best athletes in the world a 'run for their money'!

The recovery time is very short…after just two weeks I can get back in the pool and walk in sneakers! Around six weeks I should be able to start jogging lightly and all the reports say that full activity is allowed at just three months! Perfect timing for the 2009 season!

I will continue to post updates on my blog and I promise to write a great story about my surgery experience (the Doc tells me I'm getting 'happy drugs') as soon as I am awake and coherent! If anyone has any questions, I will answer the best I can. Thank you all for your continuing support!

Later, Gators,

Sara McLarty:)

Daily Grind

2008-10-07T12:04:00.003-04:00

Life has changed so much for me. I'm in a world where my daily activities don't change very much from day-to-day. That results in much less fodder for me to blog about...I mean, how many times do you want to read about me waking up at 5:30am and driving to the pool to coach the Master's Swim group? I'm going to be doing it every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning...so just use your imagination!
In the house news...I finally have a working Natural Gas range in my kitchen. I celebrated by making myself a delicious omelet for lunch after the guy came and installed my meter and turned on the gas. I'm looking forward to my first load of laundry that I can dry in the Natural Gas heated dryer....boy, won't that make for a really exciting blog post!?!
Cat news is a bit depressing. After two weeks of owing a great cat, named Louie, he has failed to show up for over 5 days now. I've done quite a bit of searching around the neighborhood, talked to local people, and called all the animal hospitals and Humane Societies in the area...no luck. I'm a bit sad but I am just sticking with the belief that he was picked up by a loving person that thought he was a stray in the neighborhood. I'll always wish I had put a collar on him when he was outside...but you live and you learn.
My job at the NTC is moving along at 100 miles a minute. I've got three events sanctioned with USAT and all the info is up online for two Festival Days and one BASE training camp. I've added a women's weekend in March and I'm recruiting some World Champ medalists and Olympic athletes to show up to my "Train with the Pros" camp in February. I'm contacting every triathlon/multi-sport related company that has supported me over the years and offering a way to return the favor...free advertising to the people that attend my NTC camps.
Every now and then I get outside, off the computer, and work up a sweat. This morning, for example, I rode for 90 minutes among the lovely hills of Clermont. I've been attending the afternoon swim practices with Fast Lane (most days) and loving being back in the pool without feeling like I'm going to fall apart after 1000 yards!
Tonight I'm hosting my first 'dinner party'. I convinced two friends to come over for dinner at my place. And then after I talked them into the dinner party, I got home and realized that I don't have enough cooking equipment to MAKE dinner! So I'm off to the store for a cooking pot, a colander and some important ingredients!

1st Day of WORK!

2008-10-02T11:06:00.002-04:00

Wednesday was my first day (okay, 90 minutes) of that thing called 'work'. I actually got to swipe my employee ID card to 'clock in'...that was fun!
Then I headed to the pool deck to coach my first day as the paid Masters Swim Coach at the NTC. I had about 16 people in the water...and about the same number of people have signed up and paid at the front desk (fortunately, I don't have to spend time billing and keeping track of all that).
My group is really fun and I am relying on them to spread the word to their other swimmer friends to keep the participant numbers growing. I'm not sure we have a real 'competitive' group just yet (lots of people who are just competitive in triathlon) so I'm going to hold off on registering as a Masters Swim Team until I get an overwhelming request...and then we'll either host some meets here in Clermont or go to other pools and kick butt:).
The rest of the hours in my day are filled up with writing details for the NTC camps that are scheduled for this winter. I'm emailing everyone I know in the triathlon world to get product/promotional items for our camper's goodie-bag (I want to fill them up!)...so if you know anyone that is involved in the million-dollar multi-sport industry, please pass the word that I am willing to promote their products!
In the evenings I am getting to the pool to swim with the Fast Lane team...and get my butt kicked by 14 year-olds. So far, I have not been able (or maybe the correct word should be 'motivated') to complete an entire practice. Last night, I got up to 6500 yards and my arms were hanging on by a thread! I'm back to struggling up and flying down all the lovely hills in Clermont (I was waiting for new chains on both my bikes before getting back on the roads). As for that third sport that is involved with triathlon...I'm going to leave that update for an entirely different post in the future. I'm not ready to drop that big bomb just yet!

Another Cat!!

2008-09-29T17:17:00.003-04:00

Dustin, I'm completely kidding! (My brother has only allowed me to own ONE cat…I don't know what the repercussions will be for the second cat, but he made me promise!)

This is NOT my cat! This is my neighbor's cat…I don't know my neighbor and I don't know this cat's name…but I call him Bo (short for Big Boy). Honestly, he is the biggest (and here I mean fattest) cat I have ever laid eyes on! I've seen photos of so-called 'fat cats' but I haven't really believe that a cat could get that big (you can do wonders with a computer and some PhotoShopping). This guy must weigh in around 20-25 pounds. I'm scared to even pick him up.

So far, Bo and Louie have gotten along just fine. They had a 10 minute nose-to-nose meeting last weekend while my Dad and I were working on the pipe trench.

We worked from mid-day on Friday until Sunday afternoon and pretty much got the whole house ready for the gas company to hook me up. It just took a little measuring, a lot of shopping, some digging, a few turns with the wrenches, a couple of holes drilled in the walls, and then scooting the gas appliances (dryer and range) into place! That makes it sound pretty easy, huh?

Louie kept us entertained by climbing trees in the side-yard and crawling through the trench.

My new 'jobs' at the NTC are picking up speed. I've had three morning sessions of my Masters Swim group and the numbers are staggering! There were about 17 people in the water last Wednesday, 15 on Friday, and about 20 this morning! The catch is…those were the FREE sessions! Now, the question is…how many people will show up on Wednesday when they have to start paying the $25 monthly fee? Keep spreading the word to people in the Clermont/Orlando area…I've got some IM sets written for next time!

Also, keep checking the NTC website (http://www.usantc.com/) for my latest Triathlon Camps! I've been planning, scheduling, preparing, developing, arranging, and setting up (yes, I used a thesaurus) all the pre-camp information. It's time consuming. I can sit down at my computer at noon and not realize how much time has passed until my alarm goes off for afternoon swim practice! (Yes, I set an alarm, even when I'm awake!)

House Photos

2008-09-23T20:08:00.002-04:00

Louie was helping my Dad and I determine why the toilet tank in my master bathroom wasn't holding water. He performed all the up-close inspections!

I finally got the big comfy couches put back together and into the living room where they belong. Big Thanks to Dustin for letting me hold onto all his furniture!

With my Dad's help last weekend, we got the bunk beds for my second guest bed room built and in place. I also decided to move some of the black wrought-iron chairs into the room because it was looking sparse. Now I just need a cool rug to tie it all together.

My clothes washer is in place and working in the garage! No, that is not a dryer sitting next to it, that's the kitchen range! Since I don't have the house plumbed for gas yet, no hurry to get it in the kitchen (and the dryer hasn't arrived yet).

These are the awesome bookcases that my Mom and Dad built to divide my huge master bedroom. They are double sided and there will be two more coming out from the other wall. Eventually, the space in between will have some sort of swinging-shutter-door thing.

Breathing Time

2008-09-23T17:17:00.002-04:00

Amazing how fast time flies! I have been living in Clermont for almost a month and I think I've posted one or two blogs since taking up residence. Between getting back into training, organizing the first winter camps at the NTC, getting ready to start coaching masters, working on my house, and taking care of a kitten…I guess writing is the first thing that goes out the window. I'm pretty sure that things will eventually settle down (especially with these camps…there is so much front work in the scheduling process) and I will be able to get back to blogging on a regular basis. (Keep in mind, it's as much for myself as for you…I loving going back a few years and reading what I was doing!)

As for training, I'm getting back into a groove. I was on my bike for two hours this morning! It's wasn't pretty or fast (or very comfortable) but I was happy and it was fun. That's what I was waiting for all last month…for the fun to come back into training! I've been attending the Fast Lane swim practices at the NTC again. Unfortunately, I am not going the same speeds that I was back in December…now I'm just happy to make the intervals at the back of the lane. (Not to mention that I have to get out early or risk drowning!) And then there is running. I'm testing my foot out every day and taking it very slowly. With just a few 20 and 30 minute jogs under my belt, I'm not 100% sure how things are going to turn out…but they are still on the 'OK' list right now.

Winter camps at the NTC…did I ever mention that I was hired to organize Triathlon Camps for the National Training Center in Clermont?!? Well, that is what I'm doing with 90% of my non-training time. I've come to realize that putting on camps are very front and back heavy on the work load. After a few weeks of hammering out schedules, getting the times, locations and permission, working on the publicity, and getting the information up on the web…then you just sit back and wait for the camp date (which, of course, is the other very busy time). So if you are interested in ANY type of triathlon camp, check out the NTC's website as I slowly get the camp info hammered out and posted.

Tomorrow is my first day of Masters Swim Coaching at the NTC! It starts at 6am (my alarm is already set) and runs until 7:30am. I'm slightly nervous and quite a bit excited. I have done my best at getting the word out and encouraging people to attend (especially since this session and the next two are FREE)! The details of my first session will surely be the topic of an upcoming blog post:)!

The previous post includes photo proof that I've made some more progress on my house. My Dad came over last weekend with some of the cabinets that will divide my huge master bedroom into an office and bedroom. They, just like the beautiful shutters, were custom built by my Mom! I was able to help a bit with the sanding, construction, and painting on the previous weekend when I visited DeLand.

Finally, Louie is doing great. He's a happy and sweet kitten. On the second day he was already comfortable exploring the whole house and spending time outside when I was not home (I leave the garage door open a few inches for him to scamper in and out). So far he can't even eat a third of the canned food for dinner. Which is fine by me (and my wallet…cat food is not cheap:).

Surprise!

2008-09-18T20:15:00.002-04:00

Please give a big welcome to LOUIE!!! As I was planning on adopting a cat from the Humane Society this weekend...Louie just beat me to the punch!
I was at the NTC this afternoon for a series of workouts. The plan was a 30 minute jog, then swim practice until 6:30 and then yoga from 7-8pm. Well, I was 10 minutes into my run around the soccer fields when Louie jumped out of a drainage ditch and bounded over to me. He's a beautiful silver/grey color and very friendly.
I couldn't just keep running and leave him there so I snatched him up, carried him to my car and we took a trip to the pet supply store down the road where I picked up some essentials. After that it was a stop around the corner at the vet's office to get him checked out and then I took him to his new home on Carroll Street!
Right now, he's waiting for me in the guest bathroom where I closed him up so he couldn't get into TOO much trouble!
By the way...I'll be waiting for the phone call from my family when they read this post...that's why I included photos so they would fall in love with him right away:)

All 3 pounds of 3 month-old Louie....but I think he'll grow into a hefty boy!

Sound asleep after a few minutes of playing! I think he already knew he was safe and finally had a home.

Exercise…What’s That?

2008-09-11T10:08:00.000-04:00

I might not have mentioned this on my blog, but if you didn't figure it out from the complete LACK of exercise-related posts: I took a training break after my last race (Lifetime in July)! With the exception of the 10 days I kicked Matty Reed's butt out in SLO, I have steered clear of everything that might resemble swimming, cycling, and running. It has been amazing! After four great years of racing and training toward the Olympic dream, everyone deserves to step back and find their reasons for competing.

For me, it was the perfect time to take training out of the schedule because I was filling every waking moment with renovations on my house. Never before have I ever fallen asleep so quickly at night withOUT a hard training session during the day…which is why I now consider laying wood floors, cleaning tile, and painting walls all new forms of strength training! You try holding you arm over your head with a roller full of paint for more than a few seconds…and you'll see what I mean!

But that still leaves me quite out of shape in regards to my main 'job'. So, today, I am pleased to announce that I swam two thousand yards in the pool! See how I make that sound like such an accomplishment, just by spelling out the words…it wouldn't look half as impressive if I just typed 2000y…right? On Wednesday, I walk/jogged four laps around the track (see, if I just said one mile, that wouldn't have sounded as far!) and I followed that grueling workout with a 1500y swim.

Watch out world, I'm coming back with a vengeance! It might help if I actually had my bikes here…but of course they are still in DeLand at my parent's house…oops! I'm driving over there this weekend to pack up a few more things (bikes included), do my laundry, help my Dad install a huge shutter job, help my Mom with my bedroom/office bookshelves, and just visit.

Swing On By

2008-09-10T10:07:00.000-04:00

The list of visitors to my Carroll Street house is growing. The first non-McLarty inside was my across-the-street neighbor, Bertha. Bertha has lived in that house with her family for almost 50 years and she is a spunky ol'gal! We always have a chat in the street if we happen to be outside at the same time…getting mail, garbage, etc.

After Bertha, it was Martha Scott. She came over and helped with the massive living room paint job. Over half of the beautiful yellow walls were done by Martha and her paint-roller.

If you don't count the propane guy and the natural gas guy that came inside to check out the range and dryer locations, Beth and Robert were my next visitors on Monday. I had a very successful cleaning frenzy on Sunday night to make the place presentable…and I did so much and made it so live-able that I actually haven't done much more since that night!

Dad and I screwed the newly-upholstered chair backs and seats on to the wrought-iron dining room sets. We carried in the 10-ton glass table top. I put felt pads on the bottom of EVERYthing to prevent scratches and black streaks on my beautiful and clean tile floors. I made a little living room arrangement with some of the wrought iron couch pieces and then got to work with the vacuum in every room.

And then my guests showed up! I gave them the 'grand' tour…which lasted all of 30 seconds…they 'ohhh-ed' and 'ahhh-ed' in all the right places and then we just sat and chatted until our tummies let us know it was lunch time. At my suggestion we went to a good Mexican place down the road where I was impressed with the food on my previous visit. Nothing is better after Mexican than ice cream…unless it's CUSTARD! It was a nice surprise to find a Ritter's here in town and I will find any excuse to visit…so be prepared if you are dropping by!

My First Set-Back

2008-09-09T10:07:00.000-04:00

(as a result of my limited internet access and laziness, this post was actually written about a week ago:)

So, I just realized that it's actually the second set-back of the remodeling experience if you count the A/C conking out on me last week. But today's drama was a disaster that was narrowly avoided…and it was ALL my Dad's fault!

Let me start at the beginning and give a little recap on the latest developments. As you know, we have been working in the kitchen installing some appliances and new counters. Of course we are doing things the 'McLarty' way which involves buying a product and then reinforcing and enhancing it before actually using it. In this case, I'm talking about the 10 or 20 extra wood blocks that my Dad screwed into the cabinets and walls before putting the counters on top of the cabinets.

Well, one of those screws happened to go right through the middle of a quarter-inch copper pipe that fed water to the ice-maker in the fridge!! No kidding…talk about wrong place, wrong time! But, he had NO clue at the time…the pipe was behind a metal plate which was under the sheet-rock which was behind the cabinet which was now behind an extra block of wood!

It was only a few hours later, as we were getting ready to install the dishwasher that he noticed a wet spot on the floor, seeping out from the corner of a cabinet. Locating the problem wasn't easy…I now have a hole cut in the side of a cabinet (you can't see it once the dishwasher is installed) and a hole in the wall (you can't see it either, now that the cabinet is back in place). But, the good news is…I DON'T have a hole in my pipe anymore!

Unfortunately, the work that ensued from the water leak put us slightly behind schedule and I now expect the kitchen to be finished on Sunday (not including the range). The master bath will also be completed tomorrow (no including the vanity top or shower). I'm so proud of how everything has turned out…I've taken photos the whole way through and the before-and-after shots are just stunning…this could be have been on Extreme Home Makeover:)!!

I must include a huge THANK YOU to my parents who have been amazing with their time and energy to help me make this dream a reality! The other day I realized that this is what I have dreamed about for a long time…every since I was a little girl. For some people, it's a 'big day', for others it's a world vacation…but I've always pictured how my own house would look. What I would do with the inside…What colors I would paint…Where I would hang things on the walls…How the plants would be arranged outside (Okay, so I'm not to the outside, yet!)...etc, etc.

My best friend, Beth, and her husband, Robert, are stopping by on Monday (9/7) for a visit! YEAH, my first 'visitors'! They are going to be driving from his parent's house on the West coast of FL to her parent's house on the East coast. I just happen to be right smack-dab in the middle, how convenient.

But, forgetting all the visitor excitement, I've got to get my house presentable! There are tools all over the place, dirt and construction dust in every room, and half of my furniture is still living in the garage! At least the Monday event has given me a deadline to have all the basics (like a couch and dining room table) in place…wish me luck!