currently: july + august 2016

No idea where the summer’s gone, but here we are at the end of August. I don’t like it! Make time stop! Bring back 9:30p sunsets! It’s always hard to accept that summer’s fleeting… especially when arctic temps aren’t that far away…! Anyway, here’s what’s been up the past two months, trying to soak up every drop of sunshine… 

loving

Family time. There’s not nearly enough of it, but when we do get to spent time together, it’s the BEST. It’s so fun watching my niece Finley grow up and her sassy pants and whip smart personality shine. I’m incredibly grateful my sis and I live just 20 short miles apart! 

watching

le Tour + the summer Olympics. Pretty sure we didn’t watch anything else these past two months. le Tour didn’t disappoint, and, as usual, it confirmed that we must do a bike trip around France and spectate at least one stage.

The Olympics, on the other hand…! So many incredible athletes and performances! I’m still blown away by Team USA in the pool – from Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky (how does she swim that fast?!) to Simone Manuel and Nathan Adrian (how cute is he?!). And, definitely can’t forget Maya DiRado and Lilly King. So many badass women! And, the women’s triathlon! So proud to call Katie Zafares a former Coeur Sports teammate. She had a fantastic race, and you can bet big things are ahead for her! And, hometown proud of Gwen Jorgensen, who took gold. Minnesota has some pretty incredible female triathletes!

focused on

Kona. That little race on the Big Island is occupying nearly every crevice of my brain – not to mention taking up nearly all of my free time. Training’s been going really well, though I’ve been taking it one day at a time. Because if I think about all the work ahead in the next three weeks, it’s daunting and overwhelming. I’ll have a more detailed post on training later in September, but here’s a quick look in photos of training the past two months… 

reading

I recently finished Tracks by Robyn Davidson. It started a bit slow, but by the time I got to the last few chapters, I didn’t want it to end. Davidson’s memoir details her solo trek across the Australia Outback. Her company for 1,700 miles: several camels and a dog. Her main lessons can be applied to anything in life: You are as powerful and strong as you allow yourself to be, and that the most difficult part of any endeavor is taking the first step, making the first decision. 

And, a few of my favorite recent reads:

Mara Abbott: My ride in Rio. I love this piece so, so much. My only summary (you really just need to read it because it’s beautiful): Your potential is limitless, and always give your best.

Seeing what my muscles can do. The message in Elizabeth Weil’s witty, snarky and inspiring piece is so spot on: Embrace your muscles and what your body can do. This is just so GOOD: There are tiny gymnasts and huge sprinters, divers with their six-packs and glorious backsides, Greco-Roman wrestlers built like T. rexes. Each body is a testament not to an idea but to a life lived, an unapologetic commitment to work, winning, confidence, excellence and ambition. There is nothing fawning, specious or wishy-washy about the bodies. The bodies are not theoretical. The bodies are facts. YES.

‘Because I can.’ Am I the only one who wanted to duct tape the Olympic commentators’ mouths?! Thirty is not old! Case in point: Kristin Armstrong kicking ass and winning her third gold at age 43. Like her, I’m going to bike and compete until I’m grey “because I can.” Boom.

irritated by

Plagiarism. Why, people?! We saw this last month with Melania Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention. Did they really think no one would notice parts of it were identical to a speech given by Michelle Obama eight years ago? < insert eye roll emoji > Closer to home, I even see my own writing pop up occasionally on other blogs. Just because it’s on the internet or on a blog doesn’t mean it’s fair game to blatantly copy and use as your own. So, stop it! Stealing someone’s creative work is just that – stealing. 

obsessing over

My bike. I mean, look at it! Not only is it gorgeous, but it’s also a dream to ride. We’ve gone many happy miles so far, with many more – including along the Queen K! – to come. 

eating 

A lot. I have absolutely no idea what a normal portion size is anymore, and main food groups include pizza, tacos and ice cream. Well, not every single day, but I do eat a fair share of each along with a salad almost daily for lunch, oatmeal (with collagen + pure clean powder mixed in), healthy fats like avocado + coconut oil, and gallons of kombucha, jasmine green tea and water. My viewpoint: It’s all about fueling my body properly so I can nail my training and racing and, most importantly, feel good and stay healthy!  

Watch for a blog post next week on a day in the life of my eats!

favorite quote

I can’t remember where I read this (thank you to who posted!), but this: Do a little more of what you want to do every day, until your idea becomes real.