it's hammer time

Christmas came and went and was awesomely spent with my husband to be. james now insists on (lovingly) calling coach Dirk, "the grinch", as i had a 3 hour ride and 1 hour run to complete on Christmas Day. i was also supposed to go to masters swim, but lucky for me (thank you baby jesus!) the pool was closed. we managed to squeeze in some gift opening, and perhaps the lovliest gift came by e-mail:

when my brother and his girlfriend want to show me how cool they are by simultaneously going green, saving money, and making big fun of me- they send me the latest christmas/wedding gift...
the gift of song. in my inbox on christmas morn was an email titled "Original Wedding WorkOUT Jamz by Brotha Bear and the KTD Connection". inside was the MP3 complete with our very own copy of the lyrics and sweetest album cover ever, check out our creepy "shhhhhh!" faces in the background


"Beth and James en love"


when I don't know what to do
when i think i've lost the race
running out of steam
runnning out...
your the light oh your the light i see
when i'm feeling slow
i cannot believe in anything but we
your the light oh your the light in me
"beth and james in love"
i cannot believe in anything but we

when you don't know what to do
i will run
i will run for you

i'm the light i'm the light you'll see
when you're feeling low
i cannot believe in anything but we
i'm the light I'm the light you see
betth and james in Love
i cannot believe in anything but we

Ahh
Ooh
Beth
James

When you don't know what to do
I won't let it go
You're the light you're the light in me
I won't let it go
I cannot believe in anything but we
You're the light you're the light I see
Beth & James in Looove

fortunately (for you) i do not know how to upload the MP3 for your listening displeasure, nor do i have the time. because today is nuts.
somehow i need to ride 4 hours, swim masters, pick up my wedding gown and pack it, pack everything else, make placecards and menus, go to the bank, get a mani/pedi and who knows what else...because bright and early tomorrow- we leave for cabo san lucas to get MARRIED. see you in 2010 as Mrs. Walsh!

2010 - racing with the ladies!

there's a new look around this here blog for 2010. a new look for the new team! switching teams for 2010 was a tough choice, but i couldn't forego the opportunity to race for a small all-female kick ass triathlon team.

i'm so excited to be one of the 7 on the Nytro women's elite triathlon team ....our team manager, kristin mayer of betty designs, and the folks at nytro multisport really made it all happen. the level of support we are getting is pretty incredible and something i never imagined at the amateur level. i am also personally stoked that Zoot is one of the team sponsors because i am really fanatic about zoot shoes and gear and am so happy to continue to work with such an awesome company. so yeah, i am lucky- and mostly because i get to share this experience with a couple of my amazing triathlon friends- a true team and for me- if you've read this long enough, you know that's what i love.
two of my new teammates- colleen and kristin- next year our outfits will match for real!

yeah, and bout all the gear, etc...a guy would probably be most stoked on the bike, but you KNOW i am most excited for our hot matching cycling and triathlon kits designed by mrs. betty designs herself. (who will now be known as "lane bait" as she earned that rubber ducky award at our master's swim holiday party).

the new kits.....on their way soon! skulls & butterflies- what's not to like?
we're going to have a little team christmas pretty soon...just waiting on a little shipment from ITALIA!

thoughts from the trainer

thoughts from (literally) the trainer this morning...i'm riding now...2 hours in something like zone a 2. with 90-100 rpms the whole time. 

5:02 am- *taylor swift's actually got a good 90-100RPM beat goin' on...get your cadence on, girl!

5:18- * hi james! good morning! what, not as bushytailed as me? what's that? oh, the trainer makes lots of noise? whoops. sorry.  can you grab me my water bottle? 

5:50- *i may be crazy as its before 6am, but james is the one out on the dark cold road right now.

5:58- * my heartrate is higher in the zone when i'm typing! typing is good for you!

6:10-*Jp told me on facebook: Beer is made by fermentation cause by bacteria feeding on yeast cells and then defecating. In other words, it's a nice tall glass of bacteria poo.

my thoughts: well, then it's proof...James is full of s#*t!

6:12- *good old 80's movies on in the early morning! i forgot how great "The Great Outdoors" is! gotta love a good John Candy & Dan Akroyd combo. and those little twins are creepy! and holy "cellular phone" the size of a BRICK. it's like that car phone with the cord my mom had when i was like 8. 

6:25- * is it over yet? NO. 

6:28- * Damn. Lady Gaga's Bad Romance video. obsessed. its like sexy thriller. i want to do that dance...wonder if i can learn. thank you, VH1 JumpStart! 

6:30- new Bon Jovi video- meh. give it up dude, never going to come close to "livin' on a prayer". 

6:45- * i hope my coach doesn't read this. BUT, i have powertap proof that i followed the workout exactly as prescribed. while blogging. 

6:50- * whoops. just knocked over the huge box of clementines...little oranges all over the floor. need to budget in 45 seconds when i get off this thing to clean them up.

6:59* mentally preparing for T1. i have exactly 14 minutes to shower and get out the door to make it to my desk by 7:40...don't forget food for potluck holiday lunch, makeup to bring in the car, running shoes, heart rate monitor for after work....oh crap... garmin is not charged. not only not charged, but where is it? 

7:02* later! click publish post.

gift guide for guys

so, you have an athletic lady friend who you need to get something for this holiday season? well, the other day, i was bored out of my brains in pilates class (seriously, there were at least 5 minutes of instructor-who-loves-to-hear-himself-talk babble to every one minute of core work). as i was bored, i looked around my mat and saw that i was surrounded by a few of my very favorite things. now, i know things are just things, but these are all things that make my life fun, functional, and add a pinch of style to the athlete's closet...here are the pics i took from my mat. during class.
now, boys, take out that credit card for that special lady and start a-clickin'!!!

first, my awesome yogi toes yoga towel. this is a grippy no-slip towel. and it is orange and turquoise tye dye...what's not to like? i had towel envy for months watching all the cool yogis in hot yoga and eventually caved and bought my own. and i LOVE it. i feel legit.

next, its not a good photo, but that black lululemon bag is genius. part briefcase, part gym bag. it goes with me from work (there is a computer sleeve inside!) to the gym, to the airplane..next to the bag is a black cashmere beret. i love it. next to that, are my fave zoot ali'is. so comfortable and so fast!

and laying below them was my lululemon Run: Sport Henley. this one is cute enough to wear to the gym and then out to the bar. for sure. of course, its nice and long, flattering and has the thumb holes i love so much.
outside of what i saw around my pilates mat, i wanted to mention a couple other of my faves....all of them are things i would love to find my stocking stuffed with...
sock guy knee highs... i go for these on days that i may not need knee warmers, but its still a little chilly out.

new PB & J flavored larabars..mmmmm....so good.

hanky panky underwear. no woman should live without these. i could do public service announcements about these until the cows come home. sexy and comfy all in one. cannot be beat.

moving on, athletic girls have got to have cute nails year round...we're always showing some toe (not the camel kind!) at the pool AND we always need a good race day manicure.. get her some new OPI nail polish - its all about the purple right now. i'm into "Done out in Deco" and "Pamplona purple". saw it first on colleen. had to have it. it not overdone yet, like neon (unfortunately) is.


lastly, every girl needs a good chapstick for those long rides and windy days. why not add a little shine in there? these burts bees lip shimmer sticks are tiny and can fit anywhere without causing a bulge, and they are definitely more chapstick than lipgloss. BUT, they also add a nice little shimmer and shine. nothing wrong with going fast and looking cute at the same time! you can fund these everywhere now- probably your local drugstore for sure. i live on these things




happy shopping!