Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Local Pool Finally Open!

It's that time of the year again -- when our outdoor pool is open for business! You have no idea how excited I am about this! No more having to wake up at a Godforsaken hour in the morning to wolf down breaky and then drive to Pincher Creek. Now, I can hop on my bike and buzz down to the pool. It is still CRISP outside that early in the morning, but I'm so delighted to be saving so much moolah on gas. :) :)

In other news...did you hear about my coach? She came in fourth at Ironman Brazil!! YAY!!

Let's see, what else has been going on...Oh! BIG NEWS!!

I reconnected with a long lost friend on facebook two days ago. We went to school together in Cold Lake and kept in touch for a few years before he just disappeared. I thought he might have died...It was my brilliant Mikey who suggested I try facebook. And Lo and Behold -- I found him straight away!!! He is married and has two kids, a puppy and a 3 legged cat named...."Julie." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!

We were best friends for a number of years and I am so excited to reconnect with him!! Years ago, he was singing in a band, and I had to iron his long hair before he went out to perform. Hahahaha!! Oh man, the stories!!

I also sussed out another friend from high school who has just been accepted as a pilot for the Snowbirds! (I found out he creeps my blog and hasn't commented yet, so yes, Dano, this is a shameless attempt to make you comment! Hahaha!!)

OKAY...training news:

Swimming these days is all about "ELBOWS UP!" My armpits are on fire! And so are many more little muscles in my arms. Hehehehe! Plus, I've been doing these Pilate ball exercises to help imprint the proper arm swimming position. Me poor little arms. :)

I've been grimacing when I do a hard bike set -- just found this out yesterday when I had to do 6 x 5 min at Oly race pace. I think I might have been snarling when I turned around and was racing into the wind. I was making enough huffing and puffing noises to certainly do justice to the grimace. Hahahahaha! My coach had me drop my aero bars down a wee little more, and I am feeling even more comfortable on my Cervelo. He/She still doesn't have a name or a gender for that matter. I feel rather ambivalent about the whole bike-naming thing. My old bike (Magic Bullet then renamed B.M.F. -- Big Mother F$#^er) was easy to name, but my Cervelo is just great bike. :)

Back to the Pilates ball...Mike had purchased this ball for me a number of years ago as a Christmas present. I never needed it until now. So, after hauling it out of the back of the closet, I went about the task of inflating it. What a gong show!

They give you this cheap and ridiculous "pump" that technically you could use your foot to pump with...if the pump wasn't so cheap that each time you depress the pump the cheap connecting hose shoots off and other sundry pieces hit the floor and roll underneath the computer desk. If I were to use that stupid pump, it would have taken me two weeks to inflate that ball.

The directions specifically said not to use a compressor. BAH! I hauled my partially inflated ball over to my Dad's where he promptly inflated it for me. But this ball is a big pain in the a$$. The plug is cheaper than the pump, so if it isn't on just so, a little bit of air slowly leaks out.

Then, yesterday as I was rolling on the ball doing my swimming exercises, the plug came out and all this sand that was inside the ball came out all over the carpet. I'm sure there is some very good scientific purpose why my ball has sand in it, but at that point I was ready to throw the damn thing out the door and let it blow down the highway to Lethbridge.

I hauled it over AGAIN to my Dad's and this time we put on some snazzy red tape to cover the plug...And then it occurred to me! My ball wants attention! Here she was trying all manner of ways to get my attention, and I just kept ignoring her. I decided we had to make friends and I've been giving her all sorts of TLC. So far so good. No air leakage, no plug popping out, just good times for me and my ball. Funny, I have a name for my ball but not my bike...

Here she is folks, meet Big Blue.
She likes to sit on the kitchen floor and watch me blog.



Big Blue wearing my running hat and chillaxing on the couch...



Big Blue sitting on the deck enjoying the morning sunshine.



Big Blue out on the lawn catching some rays.



Big Blue tentatively making friends.



New friends, good times! LOL!!!

21 comments:

Keith said...

I am killing myself laughing here. Those photos are adorable. I can just see one of your cats trying to jump on top of it, and that would be all she wrote.

The outdoor swimming, even if it's in a pool, will get you mentally prepped to be outside, getting wet, really early.

One day your bike's name will come. You'll just know.

Kelly B. said...

Welcome BigBlue!!! Those pictures are funny! And kudos to your coach!! That is great news!!

Jenna said...

u are a SUCH a goofball and that is why I love you.

Amy said...

I am dying right now. I can't even see the keyboard I am laughing/crying so hard. You put a hat on him (her?) for the couch.

I've had a very similar experience at work. My co-worker wants to sit on a ball instead of a chair and she has gone through 4 different ones and all of the pumps are the same. We crack up all the time so this posting is perfect timing.

So, so funny Julie. When I'm in a bad mood I'll come back and look at these pictures again to snap out of it.

Susi said...

BAHAHAHAHAHAAHA! too funny! hugs to you and big blue! i was thinking i need to keep elbows up too...maybe you can show me the exercises on big blue??

Charlie Browne said...

I was hoping to see big blue ball with a cup of joe!! As for naming your bike, it is a must you know....and seeings how it is the best ride you have had it needs to be something slightly riske!!

Amber Dawn said...

hahahahahahaha! I love it!
I was thinking of you today as I gritted out my own 8x8min intervals at Oly race pace. I kept thinking of your kick ass bike time and tried to channel you out there!
What are the exercises you are doing? If you are allowed to share I'd love to know. Ever since I read about your swim analysis and droopy elbows I've been thinking a lot about my elbows when I swim!
Thanks for the motivation, and the belly laugh!!

Leslie said...

Ha ha ha, I love the pictures of the ball...too funny:)

You can buy the ingrdients at a health food store, the main ones you will need to buy there are:
- spelt flour
- agave nectar
- carob chips
- kamut flakes

Agave nectar is made from a plant in mexico. The best comparison I can give you is honey, except that it is low glycemic so our bodies convert it to blood glucose slower!

If you can't find kamut flakes, just use oatmeal instead. Good luck :)

Tina said...

You're hilarious! Maybe your Cervelo is craving attention, too?

Chad Geiger said...

I don't think I have ever laughed this hard reading a blog in my life! I LOVE it! I don't even know what else to say! Too bad she didn't get Sperminator status though!

I'm still laughing!

Julie said...

Amber -- Here is how you do the exercise:

Hunker down on all fours in front of the ball. Place one hand straight out and on the ball. Roll forward so your elbows cocks up and hurts like hell and you think to yourself, "THIS is how swimming supposed to feel!"

Do this over and over again until your arm falls off, at which time you'll know it's time to switch arms.

:) :) :) :)

Keith said...

leaves the coffee and goes downstairs to try this drill RIGHT NOW. How's that for enthusiasm? But there's a reason for it.

Keith said...

Ow. That was moderately amusing, at least my cat thought so. My ball needs more air. Do you have to scuffle forward on your knees and other hand, or is the intent to skid the ball under your arm?

Julie said...

Roll your arm over the ball, so your body moves too, but scuffle your knees back after, when you roll back. Make sense?

Amber Dawn said...

ummm...I think I need a video! LOL

Keith said...

me too. I tried again during my swim replacement this am, and I think there's something I'm missing. Maybe bring Big Blue on Sat for a demo. The other people in the parking lot will think we are nuts, but that's ok.

Beth said...

I have one too. Well, she's white (she?) and lives in my living room and wants to get used, but she doesn't. Ha. Though if using the ball is going to help my swimming, the I'll try it out! Guess I am googling for exercises!

Also I didn't comment on the quinoa, but I've never thought about it for breakfast. I eat it for dinner but now i am intrigued.

Shannon Wicks said...

I think Big Blue needs his own blog site now...or at the very least we should be seeing candid random shots of his Royal Blueness out and about in the Crowsnest Pass region...

Runner Leana said...

Hopefully Big Blue is feeling a little bit less left out now!

Are you still planning on Highwood on Saturday? I am keeping my fingers crossed that the weather forecast changes... Snow..??????

Cath said...

Hahahahahaha - laughing out VERY loud!

Soooo....what's the distance of the pool? Our Fernie pool is closed for a month (just as I land - boo!) - Surveyor's Lake (aka turtle lake!) is plenty warm enough to swim in already but a pool would be a nice alternative too :)

Just got back from camping - fab trip - did a lovely ride out - one we might do together perhaps?? :)

Will give you a shout later to sort out getting together, when I'm a little more with it than Monday morning!

xxxx

KK said...

Sooooooo funny-your ball definitely looks like she doesn't want to be left alone-glad you are giving her the attention she needs.

Congrats to your coach-awesome!