This One's for J-Wim and Big Mike

For those of you who follow J-Wim and Big Mike's blogs, you know their sense of humor. For those who don't follow them, well, do yourself a favor. They are a funny couple. Bigun and I had the pleasure of meeting them and hanging out with them in Chicago. It really was a fun day.

Well, Bigun is always busting someone ...you never know if you are on the receiving end of a bust until you read his post. True? Oh yes. Although I am his wife, trust me when I tell you, I have no immunity from his sense of humor. That is what he calls it, in case any of you were wondering.
Something arrived in the mail the other day. It was a cute little package from Big Mike and J-Wim. (did I tell you I love them?).



Here is the note I found when I opened the package...
















Then I found this T-Shirt under the note...
I laughed so hard!! This is what we call funny!!
What do you think Mr. and Mrs.Blink?
I think we're having Tacos tonite.

Uber Triathlete or Yard Boy? You Decide.

You all know this guy - Uber Triathlete Man . He's hot. He's my husband. tee hee
















But, do you know this guy? This is my Yard Boy. (hootie hoo) He's super HAWT. He can mow my grass any time.

Jock










Lawn Jockey

BeefCake Swimmer

Luscious Leaf Blower Guy. How do I tell my husband I have a thing for the Yard Guy?

We're ROCKIN' !!!

QUICK EDIT for my post this morning - I forgot!!!! GEEK GIRL tagged me!!

Hah!! I have been tagged!!! I don't know why others complain about being tagged, I think it's so much fun!!!! Hee hee...my turn now to tag 5 ROCKIN' GIRL BLOGGERS.

Are you ready?....here goes - J-Wim - I love her courage and drive to be a better person and an awesome Tri Athlete. Green Eyed Lady, my biking partner and a good friend who I always get to share a good laugh with. Wendy - she's a really cool chick with very diverse interests. If you have a chance, send her some love, she needs it right now. Momo makes the list of 5 with her kind and insightful posts that are always brimming with love. Boy, this is hard - 5 to choose and I have at least 8 or so... but, it has to be Aimee. She not only keeps Tri Dummy in line she keeps 5 blogs running in between all of her other things. Check out her blogs and you'll see what I mean - she ROCKS!

Now, it's your turn girls, you have to tag 5 ROCKIN' GIRL BLOGGERS. Keep it going and have fun!!

Good Manners

One of our favorite movies in the Bigun household is "Blast From The Past". It stars Brendan Fraser, Alicia Silverstone, Christopher Walken, Sissy Spacek and Dave Foley. GREAT MOVIE. To give you a little background, Brendan Fraser's character, Adam, is extremely polite. So much so that little jokes are made and insinuated about his impeccable manners. Yet in his eternal good nature the character simply smiles and in return has something very polite to say that basically shuts down whoever is putting him down. He maintains his good nature and good manners. There is a line in the movie where another character is quoting Adam to Eve (Silverstone's character). He says "...Good manners is how we show others that we respect them." (I have paraphrased a little) That line has stuck with me.




I am by no means comparing myself to the character of Adam. I am more like the character played by Silverstone. I try to be polite but sometimes my cynicism kicks in or I allow someone else's bad manners to get my goat so to speak. No, I am not making excuses. That is how I am I can only wish I could be more like "Adam". Regardless, I do always try to be polite. I try to express my enthusiasm for other's accomplishments with encouragement and congratulations. My enthusiasm is genuine and my congratulations are always heartfelt. Both are always delivered with a genuine smile and a warm heart. I believe with every fiber in my being that politeness and interest in others should be genuine.

When Bigun started blogging about his journey as a triathlete he suggested that I try blogging with him. He thought I would really enjoy being a part of this community. He was right. I have enjoyed it. At first I was apprehensive because I am not a triathlete myself. Bigun's opinion was that I didn't need to be a triathlete to become a part of this online community because I live the life of a Triathlete Spouse. The word he used was "Ironwidow". Honestly, I took offense to the term. I took offense because "Ironwidow" was not at all the way I saw myself. Bigun's triathlons are as important to me as they are to him. When he doesn't train, as he has planned, I ask why. I don't complain about all of the wet training clothes hanging over the shower glass or laying in a pile on the laundry room floor or draped over the chairs out on the pool deck. I don't complain about the hours spent training. I don't complain about the stinkiness of his gear. To me, it is all a part of what he does. He trains. I am so proud of him. Making the sort of commitment he has made is not easy.Most who are reading this know and understand what a HUGE life change it is when you become a TriAthlete.

Most of you already know that Bigun started out at over 300lbs when he decided to change his life and his health. That sort of decision deserves every ounce of support I can offer. That is why I don't miss a race. His commitment is why I get up at 3:30 in the morning on race day to drive to a race. That is why I come armed with my camera and cowbells. Bigun's commitment to being a triathlete is sound and true. I love him, and I love who he is. Maybe now you understand why I don't consider myself an Ironwidow but an Iron Wife.

Bigun opened this door to the Tri blog community and because we are together in what we do in this life, he brought me along. I am so happy he did. We have found such kind and interesting people here. I would list everyone but my fear would be I would absent minded-ly leave someone out. Most of you will find yourselves in the right margin of my blog. There are still a couple of new folks I want to add, I visit their blogs but usually go through Bigun's or another blogger's site to get to them. I don't always comment on the blogs I read because sometimes they are only about their training or their nutrition. I don't want them to think I am butting in, but my heart cheers for them nonetheless. I read their posts because I am genuinely interested in how their daily journey in the world of Tris is going. However, when I read a post that writes about things I can relate to or if someone just needs a kind word or maybe they need to hear that what they are doing is worthwhile and worthy, I comment. I leave a comment because it is heartfelt and genuine. Reading these blogs, your blog, is more than reading just words on a page. Your posts are from your hearts and your souls. Your lives. You have opened the door to who you are and that deserves respect. When a person opens their lives to others the way this community has, that person deserves the same compassion you would offer the friend you see every day. Because, you must understand, we do see each other almost every day.

This is where Good Manners comes in to play. Bear in mind, I do NOT expect a reply from every comment I leave on another's post. Sometimes a comment is my polite way of saying "good job" or "congratulations" or "wow" no reply is needed. When a fellow blogger does reply back, I enjoy it. I enjoy knowing that the few minutes I took to read about their life that day meant something to them. It's like getting a "Thank You" note in the mail. Other times, I'll leave a comment expecting a reply because of the nature of the comment. Maybe it's about an upcoming race or something else going on and I leave a question. I believe that most of you out there feel the same way I do. It's a matter of Good Manners.

Yes, all of us lead very busy lives. I have not read a single blog out there that has led me to think otherwise. Some times are even busier than others. Most of us still try to post a little something to let the others know we are still out there. Bigun and I have had a house full of visitors since March. Tack that on top of work, training, chores, friends, triathlons and family, it's been busy. My posts are sometimes lacking when it's crazy around here. Sorry. I have never really cared for mediocre. Sometimes, that's all I have left at the end of the day. My feeling is, no one is too busy to be polite. No one is ever too busy to show respect and good manners to those who take the time out of their busy day to show another that they are genuinely interested in the coming events of their lives. What ever happened to Good Manners? 98% of the blogger community are kind, compassionate, good hearted people that I am now fortunate enough to share a friendship with.

When the Woodlands 101, Chicago and IMCdA arrive, some of those friendships will be cemented even more so. I am excited because I feel that I already know most of you, most of those I don't yet "know", I am looking forward to getting to know better. I am looking forward to meeting the spouses of the bloggers as much as I am looking forward to meeting the blogger themselves. Bigun is as excited about it as I am. We have talked about how fortunate our lives are to include you.

One or two of the bloggers who hang out with this community, (maybe they aren't even reading this post) are sorely lacking in Good Manners. After extending my heartfelt enthusiasm, congratulations and genuine interest to you and your efforts in the Tri world, in life- a couple of bloggers don't even have the common courtesy to reply when asked a question. Because we all have our "Bad Days" and our moments of unintended hurtfulness, I have always tried to give other's the benefit of the doubt. For a little while. Until their actions or behaviour comes across as a pattern or character trait that is obviously rude and unkind. There is no excuse for being unkind or hurtful to anyone who is attempting to extend their hand in an act of friendship. There is no excuse for blatant rudeness or tearing someone else down because you need to feel better about yourself. There is no excuse for writing posts tearing down someone else's good heart and true emotions. Some of you hide behind "Anonymous" comments (cowardice) and that is even more despicable than the rudeness. Shame on you. Perhaps I am bringing myself down to your level, but I think that sometimes things need to be said out loud instead of being ignored, hoping it will stop. When you ignore Little Tyrants, they never go away, they simply grow bigger because no one is willing to put a stop to their behaviour. I wish I could be as eloquent and as gracious as Momo was when she addressed a disgusting and abusive attack from an Anonymous contributor.

For those of you who I am fortunate enough to share my laughs, my joy, my enthusiasm and sometimes my sentimentality, please forgive me. My tolerance for bullies and rude people (see the 1st anon comment) lasts for a little while. After a bit though, I find it inexcusable and feel compelled to inform the trespasser of their abusiveness with the hope that they simply didn't realise how rude they were being and will make a concerted effort to change their behaviour. (although in the example I have shown, they definitely know how rude they are, that's why they hide behind "Anonymous")

Please bear in mind, this post is NOT intended for anyone with whom I converse with on a regular basis (if you are in the right margin) lol. I cannot wait for the upcoming races so that I can see your faces and already know the wonderful person behind the smiling eyes. Thanks for reading.


Di

My Lovely Rose Colored Sunglasses Haven't Let Me Down Yet.

I love seeing life as a possibility!! LOVE it!!

For example, check out the pics of my new ride. They were taken today in the rain. Much needed rain BTW. I'll include shots of my Bike in the next post concerning the new ride. The bike is a Lemond Tourmalet. Red. It might need a new paint job now... it might clash with the car. Actually, red looks good with everything. Not to mention, red is fast. LOL

So, while I've got you here...start thinking of a name for the Car - Bike Combo. They'll have to be individual names but complimentary don't you think? If you want to know anything about me, check out It's All About Me that should give you some insight. I do usually think of my modes of transport as girls. But, even though my bike is red, I have sort of thought of it as a he. The car however, she's all girl!!

Gasparilla

For those of you unfamiliar with Tampa and it's goings on, please allow me to familiarize you with Gasparilla. Gasparilla is Tampa's version of Mardi Gras. Much smaller in scale and much smaller in everything. They have the floats, the boats, the beads, the liquor and Pirates. It takes you down Bayshore. The Money Mecca of Tampa. All the big houses and circle drives.

They sponsor a run during the Gasparilla Events. Bigun is participating in the 1/2 Marathon Distance on the 18th of February. This should be fun. People from every nook and cranny come out for this race. They also come out for the shorter one on the 17th. A lot of people get into the spirit. You'll see people from every age range and background. They will run on this day even if they never run another day in the year. Sort of scary when you think of all of those potential cardiac arrests pending on the 17th and 18th. All heart attacks aside, I'm looking forward to a funfilled day at the races. We've lived here 7 years and this will be my first personal peek into the Gasparilla thing.

The Big Day

I realize that "The Big Day" sounds like I am referring to a big race. Sorry, it's a big day for me because I am starting my first blog. For those of you who will be tuning in and checking out the mindless ramblings of this athletic supporter, let me warn you; Falling asleep at the keyboard is forbidden and will be rewarded with an electric shock omitted from your screen. Just kidding, I haven't figured out how to keep anyone awake through the screen. Yet.

I want to start this blog with a term I heard not too long ago "Iron Widow". The term fascinated me. (kind of ticked me off too) I understood it, sort of. I was certain that it was indeed an appropriate term for many of the women/men married to triathletes. My dilemma while pondering this term was, why the hell are there widows/widowers out there? Seems to me that if they were participating in the wonderful adventure of Triathlons they could be called "Iron Brides" or "Iron Hubbies". After all, the only part I don't participate in is the actual training leading up to race day. I am okay with that. I am okay with it because if he is busy doing his thing, then I can do mine. I don't complain about the stinky work out clothes or the constant pile of wet towels. We should all be so lucky. It could have been lipstick on a collar or late hours with no idea of where those hours are being wasted. Geez, call me crazy but instead I have a man who cares about his future and mine. Stinky work out clothes? Nothing a capful of TIDE and a washer can't solve. Show them how to start the machine and you're golden!

Maybe I have an advantage over many of you because I do not have any children to worry about. If you have children I understand that the whole scenario changes. Still, if said athlete is out training while spouse is at home trying to maintain a house and sanity then the athlete better step up to the plate. The athlete's decision to compete does not negate their obligations at home. Training, well folks, it is a luxury. Let me say it slowly for the athletes who are high on the endorphins....Training is a luxury. After you make sure your duties are well covered at home, then you can train. All of you "Iron Widows" and "Widowers" it is just as much your responsibility to sit down and calmly explain this to your wonderful athlete. Don't assume that they should know this fact with out a little prompting. I have been married 13 years and the whole mind reading thing still hasn't caught on with my husband. As I am sure you have seen, the training is like a drug. They see nothing else before it. Set them straight. Re-Introduce them to their kids.

To give you a little background, I just finished my 2nd season of Triathlons. Talk about tough!!! I have it so tough that every 3rd weekend or so I awake at an ungodly hour only to traipse across the highways and byways of Florida for the much sought after Triathlon. Once I arrive at said destination it is all I can do to keep from bounding out of the vehicle and see if there is ANY thing I can do to assist my lovely husband. Did I mention the words ANY thing? Well, sort of.


The ungodly hour part is correct, the bounding might be an exaggeration on my part. The bit about helping my husband, well, you already know I was kidding there. No one, and I do mean NO ONE, can help a Triathlete prep. They know exactly what they need to do and exactly how to do it. I love it. A good book always comes in handy at this time. After all, it is still pitch black out and any recon I might wish to do for photo ops is at least an hour away.

So, once my Darling Clydesdale has all of his most precious belongings corralled into the transition area, my work begins. I find out where his station is, what color jersey he'll be wearing and what time his heat leaves the starting gate. At this point I wander around trying to get a feel for how the race will be mapped out. Remember folks, I am merely a spectator who bears witness with her NIKON. Running from each finish to the transition area to capture his exit for the next leg is not something I desire. A fast walk is okay, the running though, I leave that to Marc. He seems okay with that.

If any of you out there are like me and have a loved one who competes, do yourself a favor. GO. Go to the races. You will love the race if you love your athlete. There isn't a lot out there on a day to day basis that makes you feel closer and better than to see your mate succeed. Very few of us are able to see their daily accomplishments. Have you ever heard that saying" a smile is contagious"? Well, they are. My goal when I attend these races isn't only to see Marc succeed and to record those successes. It is to cheer for as many as those phenomenal athletes as I can. If you are ever at a race in Florida and hear a big mouth who you don't know cheering you on, odds are, it's me.

The athletes in these competitions work their butts off preparing for these races and yet, I see so many of them there alone. What the heck is up with their families?!? Aren't they proud of their athlete? I have never met most of these athletes and I am proud of them. I am proud of them for getting their fannies off the sofa every week to train for this huge accomplishment. I am proud of them for not choosing the easy way to get through the daily grind. I am proud of them for not giving a hoot about their "friends" and family members harassing their decision to be a triathlete. Bravo.

Boys and Girls, if your athlete has a race, you should be there. The soccer game can be skipped that morning. Shouldn't your kids be just as supportive of their parents as parents are for their kids? Bring the kids. Bring them with noise makers, pom poms, cameras and signs in tow. By the way, portable directors' chairs are the bomb for these races. Church may be the priority on your Sunday morning list. Don't you think the man (or woman) upstairs would rather see you out there on the sidelines of the race cheering for your athlete? He already knows you're devoted to him (or her). Show your devotion (loudly) for your mate. You may not be able to make every single race. That is okay. The ones you work hard to make, they're the ones that matter most. I promise that if you go to these races with an open heart and an open mind, you'll look up one day and realize that you have one more thing in common with your mate. The Races. You might also find your marriage is better with each passing race. Just remember...CHEER!!!

Blogging is hard work isn't it? I don't know where I thought I was going with this but I hope you'll bear with me. I love feedback. Those of you who agree, write all you like. Those of you who don't agree with me, you can write too. (Just send those comments to someone Else's blog.) LOL Seriously, I welcome ALL feedback. Whether you agree with me or not. Thanks for signing on and have a great season whether you are an athlete or spectator.
Di