Marit's Thank You Story

Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved triathlon.
(Katie P, Marit, Ludi, Katy R at Santa Rosa Island Triathlon, October 2007)

She loved to swim (even though she was afraid of sharks!)


She loved to bike (even though she was afraid of incliment weather - and would therefore bike inside on occasion!)
(Liz and Marit, at the top of Mount Palomar, California. March 14, 2008)

And she loved to run (even though she was afraid of hurting herself by running too much or too hard - on occasion she would have to slow down and relax!)
(Timberlake Half Marathon, finish sprint! November, 2008)

She loved training in general (Even if she looked silly while practicing!)
(Yoga practice, March 2008)

She had the BEST training partners in the WORLD, and learned SO MUCH from them.
(Leslie, Jen, Mary, Liz, Ashley - Camp HTFU - February 2008, South Carolina. Running at Paris Mountain)

And more...
(Chris, Sherpa Thomas, Liz, Marit. California, March 2008, before the eipic climb of Palomar).

And still more...
(Ludi and Marit, post swim smiles! January 2008)

And plenty of others who she couldn't catch on film - because they were simply too fast!

She had the best family ever, who loved and supported her, and urged her to follow her dreams
(Nathaniel and Marit, USMC Birthday Ball, November 2007. Ooh-Rah!)

(Karyna, the Little Sister, and Marit, The Big Sister, making cookies. March, 2008)

And a House Monster that loved her very much
(Tabbitha, the fat, grey cat, sitting on Marit's lap. December, 2007)

Marit's parents, husband, sister, cat, in-laws, and friends (regular friends AND blogger friends) were SO SUPPORTIVE of her, of her dreams of triathlon excellence, and she was so happy because of it. Yes, Marit was happy, lucky, and felt grateful for all of the support. It made her smile!
(Marit at Clearwater 70.3 Awards Ceremony. Big smile after recieving her award, November 2007)

Marit had a GREAT coach, who made her train hard nearly every day!
(Coach Jennifer Harrison, the poster-girl for Waffle House - but only after a hard workout)

And together, they climed mountains...
(Jen and Marit, at the top of Panther Mountain, SC. Camp HTFU. I could not have made it up the hill without Jen's encouragement. She was simply incredible)

Marit worked very hard. Sometimes, she even required a post-workout ice bath!
(Post workout ice bath. January 2008. Heat wave!)

While in South Carolina at Camp HTFU, ELF invited Marit for an epic training adventure out in California!
(Lederhosen Liz. Swiss Miss or Super Sonic Biker? A bit of both, I think)

Marit jumped at the chance, and in March 2008, flew out to beautiful, sunny - and hilly! - San Diego, California.
(Citruis groves, on the way to Mount Palomar. We climbed that ridgeline, and then continued up and up and up...)

Marit knew it wouldn't be easy, but she was determined to work her hardest.

She climbed, and climbed, and climbed some more. And didn't stop along the way to take pictures - even though the view was phenominal. And her body, mind, legs, and soul were screaming at her to stop. 1:27 of continuous climbing, and she was at the top.

Only at the very top of Mount Palomar, did she take a photo of the famous Observatory.
(Bigger in real life. Thank goodness she was wearing sunglasses!)

Marit was literally in the clouds:
(View accross the ridgeline on the top of Palomar. Clouds were sweeping over the top, and the views over the cliffs were stunning).

She had never climbed anything so difficult, so long, so grueling. She returned a changed athlete - for the better. It was truly an epic climb.
(Liz and Marit, post Palomar. One of the most incredible days of Marit's life).

Sunday morning, Marit, Liz, Cat, Chris, Sherpa Thomas, and Brad swam, and then enjoyed a great breakfast at Einsteins.
(Line at the Coffee Counter. Chris, Cat, Brad, Sherpa Thomas. Liz had already consumed half her coffee. It was crucial!)

Later that day, The Group headed out for a wonderful bike ride along the Coast, and then took a paved trail back to Home Base.
(Photo from the back of the pack, beautiful ride on a beautiful Sunday).

Everyone in California worked hard, including the dishwasher!
(Dishwasher, or Water Bottle Washer? You decide)

On Monday morning, Marit, Liz, Chris, and Thomas headed out for a final ride. On the return trip home, Marit crashed on this beautiful stretch of highway 101
(Marit broke her Sacrum, but didn't let the crash break her spirit. She still thinks this stretch of road is one of the most beautiful in California)

With the help of a very special friend, ELF - Marit made it to the hospital, and spent 5 days recovering from emergency surgery. Liz stayed by her side for the first 2 days, supporting, loving, and just being there for Marit. Marit was grateful to Liz, grateful to their friendship, grateful for how supportive Liz was.
(Liz at the computer, smiling away, with the words "PAIN" on her back. Typical triathlete and triathlon coach!)

Eventually Marit's Dad and her sweetheart Nathaniel made it out to California, and Liz headed back to snowy Chicago. Marit's time in California went by quickly, but she was sad. She missed her home, her many friends, her Mom and sister, and last (but not least), her kitty cat Tabbitha.
(Tabbitha, the fat, grey cat and House Monster extrordinaire asleep on the Ugly Green Recliner)

Meanwhile, Marit's wonderful coach, Jen, mobilized people from all over the internet. Some of them knew Marit. Many others, she had never met. But well wishes, greetings, heartfelt get-well wishes poured into Marit's blog, Jen's website, and Elizabeth's blog. Marit was so overwhelmed, extremeley touched by the caring and compassion she recieved from so many whom she had never met. These well-wishes, these "good vibes" made her feel better, and she read many emails and blogs that Liz printed out while she stayed in the hospital. When things got tough, Marit re-read these emails, re-read the wishes of support from strangers and friends alike.

And slowly, but surely, Marit began to heal. The phone calls she recieved in the hospital helped take her mind off the pain - people she had never talked to before, called to check up and see how she was doing. She was grateful and extremely touched. Eventually she was released from the hospital, and on Friday March 28, Marit flew home to Pensacola, Florida. Although her scar and lower back looked funny - Ness had dubbed it the Extendo Crack - Marit was proud of her scar.
(Marit's post-surgery scar, March 29, 2008)

Unbeknown to her, Jen - the amazing coach - had begun a secret project for Marit. With stealth-like secrecy, Jen began a special gift collection to help Marit with her recovery. Answering Jen's call - many bloggers and internet friends - readers of Marit's blog, contributed towards Marit's "get well care package."

Marit didn't have a clue, as she was "out of it" (rhetorically speaking)
(Post long run, Marit - after running 2:45, in preparation for Ironman Arizona. Wow - very tired!)

Shortly after returning home, Marit recieved a very special package in the mail. She was very surprised!
(The box was bigger than Tabbitha! But that didn't keep The House Monster away. Nathaniel even suggested that after the box was emptied, Tabbitha could join Nermal in Abu Dabi. Marit vehemently disagreed. And thus, Tabbitha remained The House Monster).

Marit was SO EXCITED! She could hardly wait to open the box!


And, she had help...


Even Nathaniel - the Man in The Flight Suit - wanted to be in on the action!
(Okay - so a little messy! But, when The Man in The Flight Suit studies, his papers and gear go all over the place. Almost like a tornado, or whirlwind.)

Marit continued opening the many surprises that were in the box. And she couldn't stop smiling...


Even Tabbitha couldn't help herself.


Marit was so happy, so touched, very tearful, but overall extatic!


And saying "Thank You" simply doesn't do it justice...


Beccause the wonderful people who contributed towards Marit's care package have no idea how much their gifts truly meant. After opening the wonderful box, Marit was so inspired, so motivated, that she headed out the University of West Florda track for her first Power Walk since returning to Pensacola. The support of these friends motivated Marit to jump start her recovery.


And though she isn't quite sure of how long her recovery will take, Marit knows the future looks bright - and she can't wait to take it, step by step.


Thank you to Jen, Elizabeth, Beth, Katie W-J, Mary, Danielle P, Mira, Cat, Mel, Elaine, Seeley, Courtenay, Terri, Alicia, and Katie O. I love you guys all!

Thanks also to Leslie for the Vemma - this will also help tremendously for my recovery!


Leslie - my Ironman Arizona Soul Sister. You will do great, my friend. I will be thinking of you all day! Great Curlye - swift winds (tailwinds), and flowing seas (not too choppy!) You will do great!
(Ashley in the chair, and Leslie smiling next to me. Camp HTFU 2008.)

A big thank you to Nathaniel, my parents, family, friends, Jen, blogger buddies, training partners, and everyone who has supported me. The road will be long, but I am determined to return in full force, raring to go and hungrier more than ever. Everyone's support has been simply fantastic - and I thank you all! With much love!

Oops!

Holy Cow - it's late! Well - not really, but the combination of a long week of "excitement" and recovery have taken their toll. I am beyond tired, my butt aches, and I'm getting ready to fall, er, relax in bed. Today's intended post is half finished, but because the photos are taking forever to upload (bugger!) and my patience is running low (bloody hell!), it'll have to wait for tommorow.

Nathaniel is reading in bed, Tabbitha is cureld up on the futon, and I'm currently on the bedroom floor, changing postions every 5 minutes in effort to get comfortable. FYI: If you can help it, I don't in any manner, recomend breaking your sacrum or lower back. Not very fun.

Believe me!

However, I have gained sympathy points with myself, and for just about the first time in my life - ate an entire bag of M&Ms guilt free. Oh yes - rest assured, it's happened in the past. But yesterday I gave myself permission. And I enjoyed every single M&M. Fantastic!

And just think... I've still got a Reester Bunny left over from Mom and Dad....

Holy Candy Overload Batman!

So, in lieu of the blog that I was going to publish, here's a list that I compiled of 10 Random Events/Things/Lessons from this past week. Enjoy!

Tales from The Extendo-Crack Girl:

10) I went on not 1, but 2 power walks this week. The first after I recieved my wonderful care package - I was so inspired, so motivated by my friends, and just wanted to get outside and start pushing my limits. The second was today, and I ducked thunder and lightning all morning. Magical! The mamatus clouds were a bit worrysome - but the woodchip trail that I walked on was near to the car, so I was within a 5 minute uber-speed-walk at any point.

9) Shopping at the grocery store is so much less stressful, if you're not worrying about a second and/or third workout to finish. Suddenly, I can take my time, not be rude (not that I'm rude, but let's face it - how easy is it to be nice when people are being slow and blocking the isles? The first two or three isles are okay, but after 30 minutes, it really begins to look grim), and get the best produce. So three cheers for that!

8) I have time to read the NY Times and be current on "current" events. Wow - lots of stuff going on. Wow, was I behind. Additionally, I can read all of my favorite blogs again, AND comment. That's a big one for me - hurrah!

7) My clothes are fitting again. My post-surgery swelling is finally going down - but not quite back to normal. However, if I continue eating M&Ms at the rate I did yesterday, this will no longer hold true. Yikes!

6) I am not obsessively checking the weather or weather radio. Now that I don't have to worry about getting caught in the middle of a peanut field during a lightning storm, I kind of enjoy the afternoon Thunderstorms. Neat-o! Especially while curled up on the couch, reading and writing. Excellent!

5) I just got a box of Vemma from my Ironman Soul Sister, Leslie! Thanks Leslie! The stuff is a great nutritional product, is a fantastic source of multi-vitamins, has plenty of antioxidants, and I will take it every day to help my body with my recovery. Thanks Leslie!

4) Speaking of otehr THANK YOU wishes - thanks again to everyone with the care package. A blog is in the works for you all..... :) Just know how touched, how grateful I am. Love to you all!

3) My body is able to tolerate speed bumps. I've gone over a few since being in Florida (while driving!), and so far so good. California speed bumps are crazy, not fun, and number way too many. Yikes! But I'm okay, all is good - and no stitches are broken.

2) I saw my first live tennis match on Thursday. Ludi's friend was playing - an incredible player for UWF. It was beautiful to watch: the passion, the brilliance, the fast moves, the emotion. I found myself sweating, on the edge of my seat just watching. And it made me think about the emotion of triathlon, of sports in general. I miss that, miss the feelings associated with swimming, biking, and running. I can't wait to find myself, find my emotion when I return to these three disciplines.

1) I still hate prune juice. But I'm still drinking it. Sigh.

So there you have it. Not very exciting, not very funny - but true to how I am right now. Hope that everyone else has had a safe and productive week.

Next week - perhpas, if the stars are aligned, if everything goes right, if my Coach okays it, if the doc gives it the thumbs up - I may be in the pool. And I can't wait!

Thanks Friends!

Today I recieved a very special care package in the mail... and I am so touched, absolutely speechless, so lucky to have friends like you. After the tears (imagine - me crying! I swear, I've cried more out of happiness these past few weeks than out of sadness - largely because of YOU), and quick phone call to Jen, I set out to open this wonderful surprise.

I promise to write about it more later, write about the feelings, emotions, and the story behind it. But I wanted to post a quick photo, a quick thank-you of my own... because I am so touched...


So to Jen, Elizabeth, Beth, Katie W-J, Mary, Danielle, Mira, Cat, Mel, Elaine, Seeley, Courtenay, Kate, Terri, Alicia, and anyone else that I may have (inadvertantly) missed - thank you. Love to all of you. I am so touched, so grateful. I love you guys.

PLASMA WHAT?

Here she is, my new beauty. We will go far, we will go fast. That is a promise, my friend!

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines irony in the following way:
Irony: Incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (2): an event or result marked by such incongruity

Marit's new definition of irony:
Irony: Crashing and breaking part of my back while training in California, on the exact same day my new SCOTT PLASMA bike arrived in Florida. 2) Recovering from said bike crash, unable to ride my new Scott Plasma until my recovery is complete. 3) Having a beautiful, fast, lightweight, wonderful new bike, and being unable to ride the bike.

As many of you who read my blog are aware, yesterday I finally got my new bike. As part of the Elite Zoot Sports Triathlon team, the bike that I am lucky enough to ride and race on this year is the SCOTT PLSASMA. Team Zoot has been so supportive of me after the crash, supportive of my recovery, and I’m so grateful. It makes me want to get back on my bike, recover and race even sooner.

I can’t wait!

Yesterday morning Nathaniel received a call from the owners of the Apartment Homes Complex that we live in (their name for it, not ours. We’re notorious for making fun of the “Apartment Homes” they call it. Something that reminds me of Hyacinth Bucket, pronounced Bouquet, on “Keeping Up Appearances” - a favorite British Comedy of mine). Nathaniel was told that there’s been a “big FedEx box” with my name on it, sitting in the Office since March 18th.

Not just a little box, but a very very big box. So big in fact, that it needed its own wall space…Long and narrow, but big…

My ears perked up immediately.

A Big FedEx Box?

In the Office? Waiting for nearly two weeks???

So close, within reach….and all this while, completely unknown to me. Huh? What’s the deal Mr. FedEx Man?

Something was said about a “TV”. I shrugged it off immediately. We already have one great TV, thank-you-very-much, we don’t need another (practical side of me speaking. 2 TVs? No way. 2 bikes? Yes please!). And unless Nathaniel had gotten trigger-happy while I was recuperating in California, I knew it wouldn’t be another boob-tube. Besides, my husband has a few other loves in his life that top his priority list over a television set, aside from me and Tabbitha – of course.

The list includes, but is not limited to the following: 1) Books 2) The Green Chair 3) Helicopters, Jets and Airplanes 4) Computers. I knew the hubby would rather get another bookshelf of books or a new computer over a new TV any day.

The ladies at the office must have been mistaken. A big TV, my rear-end. But I didn’t say that. My lips were zipped!

Instead, I jumped (as much as I can, which suffice to say, isn’t very fast or far) into action, threw on my Capri pants, slipped on the flip-flops and announced that I was going to head over to the Office to pick up my bike, and if someone strapping, handsome, and strong, wearing a green flight suit could help me out, I would be forever grateful.

Nathaniel, wearing his green flight suit, looking ever so dashingly handsome and strong, was sitting in the Ugly Green Recliner putting on his boots. He looked up at me, could sense how important this was, but couldn’t resist teasing me slightly.

“How much can a bike like that weigh?” He questioned.

I, being the volatile Slav that I am (remember, I’m ½ Czech), announced that, “It’s not heavy, just cumbersome! You wouldn’t want your injured wife lugging a big box all the way down the hill from the Office would you?”

Nathaniel, sensing the urgency of the situation, quickly replied he would be there as soon as he finished lacing up his boots.

It took all of 2 minutes, but felt like an eternity.

I felt like a little kid, waiting for Christmas to arrive. My Big Surprise was waiting, a mere quarter mile away. I could hardly wait. I thought briefly of telling Nathaniel that I was going to set out ahead of time, arrive at the Office before he did, but quickly squashed the idea. What was the point in leaving early, if he would just catch up within a matter of seconds? After all, I’m still recovering – it’s not like I’m a speed walker or anything.

Soon, we were walking hand-in-hand towards the office. Me in my Capri pants, blue shirt, and flip-flops, Nathaniel wearing his flight suit. The walk seemed to take forever, and we joked along the way. We were both excited, both unsure of what exactly would be waiting.

I was hoping that the bike was okay, had arrived unscathed, undamaged.

Nathaniel was hoping that I wouldn’t kill myself setting it up and then hopping on.

It didn’t seem to matter how many times I told him that I would 1) refrain from “hopping on” that 2) I didn’t have any pedals so I could even pedal the darned thing and 3) that I didn’t even know if I could set it up in the first place – he was still nervous for me. The poor guy didn’t want to see me hurt again. He knows how much of an, er, klutz I can be, and doesn’t want me impinging my recovery in any sort of way. Not only would Jen, my parents, and my Mr. Scary Neurosurgeon kill me, but Nathaniel would stand in line as well.

Besides, I'm in no position to "hop". For some reason, I continue to reassure people of this fact, but to little or no avial. Hhhmmmm....

Okay okay – I get it! Don’t you guys trust me???

I WILL NOT do anything to slow my recovery – believe me! That includes “hopping” on my bike. There is no hopping. None. Zero. Zip. Zilch! And believe me – it has been very tempting to set up my bike on the trainer. But I’ve been a very good girl, have stuck to my plan, and am recovering like a rock star. Like a champ. Like a pro! So There. Scouts Honor!

Hand-in-hand, Nathaniel and I walked into the office, he holding the rent cheque, and me, grasping the FedEx ticket that had been so unhelpfully left on our door. Bugger. As Nathaniel gave one of the Office Ladies our cheque, he inquired about the bike. I simply looked around the room, my eyes drawn to the lap pool on the other side of the floor-to-ceiling French Doors. The water looked blue and inviting. Yes – not the “traditional” length of 25 yards, but a pool nonetheless. Fake lane line, and all.

It was all I could do to refrain from breaking through the doors and jumping headlong into the water. Luckily, the knowledge that I had a very special box in the office kept me grounded.

And dry.

A second Office Lady directed us towards the conference room, away from where most of the unclaimed UPS and FedEx deliveries are stashed. The conference room was decked out with a fireplace on one side, a long oak table in the center, chandelier overhead, and a far widows overlooking the short lap pool. The walls were painted a cheery yellow, the woodwork painted stark white, and the wooden floors creaked under our footsteps. The ceiling was high, and gave the impression of being somewhere grand.

If only their “Apartment Homes” were the same, we would be happy.

And then, immediately in front of us as we entered the room, was The Box. It was plain and beautiful, all at the same time. Plain, because of the outward appearance, but beautiful for what was hidden away within. And I could hardly contain my excitement.

Luckily, there were other people in the room, which saved me from whooping out loud. I was hesitant to enter, as two younger girls were signing a lease, and one unfamiliar Office Lady was supervising their lease signing.

Unfamiliar Office Lady must have been in her mid-fifties. Years of tanning on the beach had taken their toll, and she was heavily made up. The light peach-colored pants suit looked like it was something that Blanch would wear on “The Golden Girls” (sorry that I know that), but then again I reminded myself, this is Florida. Her penciled eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips and Nathaniel and I quietly entered the room.

She looked at us, looked at the Bike Box, and then looked at us again.

“That TV has been there for nearly two weeks!” she exclaimed, clearly perturbed by the fact that a perfectly good TV could go for nearly two weeks without being plugged in.

She sat back in her chair and gave us a scathing look.

“Oh, it’s not a TV,” I explained, my voice full of excitement. “It’s a bike!”

The SCOTT BIKES USA stamp was clearly visible on the side of the box.

“That’s not what they said. They said it was a TV. It says Plasma.” She shot back, her eyes bulging. Clearly she knew her stuff. Or so she thought. The flush in her cheeks was now much darker than her peachy pants suit. Even though she was sitting, she lifted her chin in defiance.

Perhaps she was confused? The thought of a perfectly good, unclaimed TV sitting in her Office for two weeks, now morphing unexplicably into a bike was simply too much.

Nathaniel gave me a sympathetic look, clearly amused by the situation. “Trust us, it’s a bike. We’ve been waiting for it for a few weeks now.”

When in doubt, trust the Man in the Flight Suit.

“Well, as far as I’m concerned, it’s a TV. That’s what they told us. That’s what it is.”

Wow – Office Lady was determined to disagree. And argue. The notion of anything else besides a beloved TV was too much to consider. It didn’t matter that the owner’s of the huge box were declaring said packaged to be a bike. It didn’t matter that on the side of the box, in big bold lettering were the words: SCOTT BIKES USA. It didn't matter that a small secion of bike wheel and black bike spoke, could be seen through one of the handle flaps on the side the box.

No, it was obvious, beyond anything whatsoever to Office Lady, that the box was in fact, a Plasma TV.

My amusement at this woman was quickly turning to bafflement. Was she serious? Could she be genuine in her contention of a television?

Time to take action here. I stepped forward; my feet making the wooden floors creak. My voice resonated loudly in the conference room. (Remember I'm working on being more assertive - but not mean, not in a bad way. Just making myself, my thoughts, my needs, my feelings better known. It's hard for me, but something that I've been working on for a while).

“I assure you, it’s a bike. It’s a bike. I know what I’m talking about, I’m an elite triathlete, and that’s my bike. It’s my new bike. I ordered it a while back, and have been waiting ever since. That’s my new bike.”

Clearly, it was a bike. MY bike, to be exact. I made my point. Or at least, I though I had made my point.

Next to me, Nathaniel shifted and grinned, waiting to hear what Office Lady would say.

She refused to back down. Determined, would be a good adjective at this point.

This was stupid. Heck, it was stupid five minutes ago.

“I don’t know about any bike. It’s a TV.”

“Well, we’ll take our box and leave!” Nathaniel exclaimed while dragging the box out of the room. I remained in the chamber for a second or two, and couldn’t help but stare at Office Lady.

I wasn’t angry, I wasn’t upset; rather I was annoyed, irked. I honestly didn’t know what to make of her. She stared back at me, undoubtedly as unsure of me as I was of her.

I looked at her, in her peach pantsuit, her made up hair and heavy makeup unable to disguise her age, and felt a bit sorry for her. Perhaps TV was the high point of her life. Maybe she couldn’t imagine someone ordering something as big as a bike that wasn’t an actual television. Possibly, her days, evenings, and weekends were spent gathered around her television. Waiting for the next show on her big-screen television.

However, chances are, I was just as much of an anomaly to her as she was to me.

There I stood, my hair in a messy ponytail, veins popping out on my fit arms, wearing clothes that were similar to casual workout clothes, and shoes that cost less than $10. While a bike was the natural solution to me, it was alien to her. For the life of her, she couldn’t imagine why someone would order a bike – what would be the point? She couldn’t imagine a life where long bike rides, sessions on the trainer, and sports in general were a large focus, a large source of happiness and inspiration.

Yes, my life isn’t defined by triathlon, but it’s a big part of what I do, a part of who I am.

I yearn for the long bike rides, love running through the fog and rain, and really enjoy the feeling of completing a great set in the pool.

For Office Lady, her values were different. Which was immedately clear, based on her reaction.

For a brief moment we looked at each other, and then the connection was broken. I thought I understood her, and felt that maybe, just perhaps, she understood me. We were different, two different people with very different priorities. I walked out of the doorway towards Nathaniel, who was waiting with my new bike in the foyer. As I turned, I could help but feel the slightest bit sorry for her.

That is, until she stubbornly hollered, “It’s a TV! They SAID IT WAS A TV!”

Nathaniel nearly choked on himself with laughter. Inwardly I sighed. What can you do?

On the walk back to our apartment, Nathaniel and I carried my new bike. I had to change positions a few times, make sure that back of the cumbersome box didn’t bash against my calves. Nathaniel was very understanding, and very helpful in holding the box steady. We joked about Office Lady, about the stupidity of the conversation, and excitedly discussed my new bike. He was just as excited about it as I was.

Later as I was assembling the Plasma, I reflected over the interlude with Office Lady. It sruck me how bizarre the entire conversation seemed. She was so determined that it should be a TV, whereas I was just as determined to make her understand it was a bike.

Interesting how time passes, we are able to reflect, to ponder.

What did I learn? Well, for starters that when Office Lady thinks that she’s right, she’ll let you know it. If she was on my team and there was an argument of some sort, I would want her going to bat for me. On the other hand, she was stubborn and unyielding.

Yet I was no better.

I can agree to disagree. Our priorities, our ideas, our values are obviously extremely different. I can’t change what she thinks, can’t change her opinion, and obviously can’t change the fact that she believes that a plasma TV was nesting in the box. Heck, even if I rode back and forth in front of the Office window, I doubt she would acknowledge the fact that it could have possibly been a bike.

And if she ordered a Plasma TV, well, at least if the box clearly read “PLASMA TELEVUSION USA”, I could admit that it was indeed a Plasma TV. And not a Scott PLASMA bike.

Sheesh. Maybe her prescription was off (glasses or otherwise).

And that’s okay. I know that not everyone who looks at me, who sees what I do will understand or agree. They don’t experience the same joys, the same rush of emotions, the love, the passion, the satisfaction from a tough day or fantastic race, the ups and downs that I do.

And its exactly for these joys, these ups and downs, the numerous satisfactions, the love that I can’t wait to get back into this sport, to recover, to heal. The early morning swims, the runs along the Gulf, the long rides past green fields and under blue skies are driving my recovery. That will keep me going, that will sustain my love, my hunger, my passion.

And that’s something that no TV, Plasma or not, could ever replace.

(For Danielle and Lelia):



And one more (enjoy Lelia!):


Tabbitha, worn out from admiring the new SCOTT PLASMA, takes a break on the deck furniture. Paws are off the edge, ready and waiting for an unsuspecting bird to land nearby...

SCOTT Surprise!

Today I had a very special delivery: MY SCOTT CONTESSA PLASMA BIKE ARRIVED! HOORAY!

This will be a quick post, as I was so excited and it took me a while to assemble my new bike. And now its late, and I'm tired... But put my new bike together, I did (except for the cables - didn't get the internal routing accomplished). But everything else is on, accounted for, beautifully crafted, put together, and simply stated: amazing.

I love my new bike. I am so grateful to SCOTT, so excited to hop on and give her a spin.

However...

(and here's the ironic part)

I won't be biking for another 6-8 weeks, based on my recovery. But I may heal faster... and I'm bound and determined to.

And now I'll have my new, wonderful, fast, sleek, elegant, incredible bike to dream about, look at, drool over (every day)- and THAT will give me even more incentive to heal faster, heal sooner, to recover.

So I'll leave you with this: me, holding my new bike. Well - I was so excited, I had to take it out of the box. Nathaniel got a shot of me holding up the bike - still wrapped and zip-tied together.

And - I know it's a lightweight bike, a fast bike, because I can actually pick it up and hold it up. Something that, given my bike crash and emergency back surgery 14 days ago, I can't do with my fat gray cat.

(No offense, Tabbitha!)

Yes - this season will be an amazing one, I promise!

It began with a BANG, and I'm determined it'll go out with one as well (in a good way, of course!)