Thursday, December 29, 2011

Its ON!!!!

This morning I spoke with my new coach!  Yes, thats right a coach!!!  I have hired Jennifer Harrison from the Chicagoland area to help prep me for the upcoming season.  I am not 100% sure what I have signed on for, but I am looking forward to the challenges and having a coach again.  Now I need to get starting on planning some races.  I have a few in mind and Kate is thinking of doing a number of road races this coming year.  The biggest struggle that I will have to over come with the training schedule is being able to get the swimming and riding in as I travel for work.  When the weather is nice, I can bring the bike with me and ride outside.  However, when it is poor I will have to stash it in the car and ride a trainer in the hotel room.....not overly excited about this little tid bit, but again I am excited to have the challenges again. 
Living in farmville USA, I am also in need of some new trainer/treadmill movies to help pass the time as I get back in shape.  I have done a pre-coach weigh in, and let me tell you it is not a pretty number.  I am certian I can shed a few of these unwanted pounds early on.  Now if I can just stop the pizza and beer diet, I will be good.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Harvest Season

Over the past few weeks I have traveled through the Midwest, yet again and seen the last of the farm equipment in the fields.  It always amazes me the hours that America's farmers put in, the amount of land they tend and what it takes to feed this country.  Living in IA I see my fair share of corn and ethonal plants.  The trucks are lined up waiting to drop their crop and head back to get more.  Its a never ending cycle of commerce.
This past weekend was Christmas and with it brings time spent with family and friends.  However this season we were blessed with an unaccepted trip to Ames to take Lola to the ISU pet hosptial for a condition they are still not sure of.  Poor Lola has dropped about 15 pounds in the last 4 weeks and looks very frale.  When we arrived at ISU on Friday we were told that she would be ready to get the following Friday.  The wonderful folks at ISU got her back to health much quicker and I was able to head back to Ames yesterday afternoon.  She was super excited to see me when they got her out of "jail" and she looked a little healthier.  She has/had a cone on her head creating a 50+ pound lampshade.  While at the vet we were also informed that she will need to have eye surgery for an issue that is causing some pain in her left eye.  On the bright side, Lola now has a contact lens to protect the surface of the eye until she is healthy enough to have the procedure. 
At any rate, as I was traveling back home yesterday evening I couldn't help but notice the harvest was done, the fields were bare of crops and farmers were busy repairing machinery and prepping for the coming spring.  It always amazes me the amount of time and effort it takes to get the crops from field to table and I enjoy being able to watch this process in action as I travel the Midwest.