Our Adventure in Canada

Stay tuned for the details about our trip to watch Ironman Canada . . .

Fun facts about me!

Well here is a fun little questionnaire for the general public . . . enjoy!

Jobs I've held: Nanny, Camp counselor, Camp director, Orchard worker, Lab tech, Greenhouse worker, Physical therapy aide, Event staff @ a wedding venue, Corporate accounts manager
Movies I can watch over and over: Moulin Rouge, documentaries
My guilty pleasures: Expensive dark chocolate, sleeping in, frappicinos, buying magazines, watching TV
Places I have lived: Spokane, WA., Pullman, WA., Yakima, Wa., Schweinfurt, Germany (summer internship 2000), Vilseck, Germany and Brussels, Belgium (summer internship 2002).
Shows I enjoy: Ellen Degeneras Show, Grey's Anatomy, Simple Life, SNL - I don't watch much TV because we don't have cable (also there are several other things that are way more productive than sitting in front of the TV!)
Places I've been on vacation: Glacier Park, MT., Portland, OR., San Diego, CA., Perryville, AR., Ireland, England, Italy, France, Austria, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands - gotta love the European rail system!
Favorite foods: Salads, pesto anything, chocolate anything, salmon, fresh fruit, pumpkin
Websites I visit daily: Whitworth email, Tri Fusion, other peeps blogs, msn.com, wamu.com
Awards I have won: Chi Omega Spirit Scholarship - for embodying the Chi Omega symphony and maintaining a high GPA and a few triathlon awards this year . . . not much - I don't really like the spot light I guess :)
Nicknames: DJ K Dogg, Kath, K Bear, Special K, Booty Call (don't ask!!), Salt, Pootie, Franny, Babe (only by my dad), K, Farmer Kat
Who am I going to tag: hmmm . . . . anyone! I love reading everyone's entries because you get to learn more about them - things that you normally wouldn't ask!

p.s. There is a great write up about Glacier Park in today's paper (Sunday, 8/19/07), enjoy!

Glacier National Park

Well on our vacation we did a number of things but I'll mostly give you the detailed account of our time in Glacier. We started the trip camping for two nights at Farragut St. Park just south of Sandpoint with our friends Dave and Tasha Gordon. A funny realization was that we both registered @ REI and were using camp gear for the first time!! On Saturday night we enjoyed a concert @ The Festival @ Sandpoint with Madeline Perrot and Josh Ritter. Both were entertaining and nice background music for our huckleberry ice cream and Merlot desserts!! Sunday morning we woke up said our goodbyes and continued on to beautiful Montana. We went to Glacier on our honeymoon and this trip was the first time back so it was fun to remember what we did on our previous trips to this area.

So we had limited funds and were trying to make them stretch for the next few days so we decided to sleep in the back of the 4Runner . . . on a back road in rural Montana . . . yeah I didn't sleep very soundly due to the nightmares of grizzly bears eating us in the middle of the night. Well we did survive, and woke up bright and early as to get into the park before it "opens" as to mot be charged the entrance fee - success!!

The park opens at 8am and we cruised in at about 6:30am!! The trail head was a few miles up the road and when we got there we filled the Camelpack, brought our snacks and we were off. Ahead of us was a pretty tough (steep) 6.5 mile hike which normally takes about 4.5-5 hours . . . we hiked it in 2.5 hours!!! Don't ask me how, or really why we did it in that time, but we did and had a very pleasurable hike! There is something about the fresh mountain air, untouched wilderness and pristine lakes that is Glacier Park, the sad part is the actual glaciers that are disappearing at an alarming rate - but I won't get into the fact that Mr. Gore might be onto something . . .

Upon our arrival to Sperry Chalet where Becky, (Matt's sister) is working for the summer, were were greeted with smiles and lemonade. Becky was very excited to see us, as if you have been to Glacier you will agree that within it's beauty, lies a solitude that would make anyone a little lonely! As Matt and I were assessing the damage done to our feet from the strenuous hike, Becky innocently suggested we pack a lunch and hike to a lookout point . . . all Matt and I wanted to do was chill out, but of course agreed on a hike for lunch. On our way to the lookout, we came across a mountain goat and her babe - a reminder that we are in their neighborhood, not the reverse - we took some pictures (Becky has a Masters in Photojournalism - is that two words, hmmm . . . . ) and continued on.

Lunch was delicious - a turkey and Swiss sandwich made on fresh bread, carved turkey and a thick slice of cheese!! We got a chance to catch up with Becky who has been in Eugene, getting her masters. Becky has such a serene demeanor about her that I am envious of, however when I try to disguise my natural spunk - I just get more crazy!! ha . . . anyway . . .

After we finished eating and talking, it was back to the chalet. Becky gave us a tour of the quaint hotel and dining room and then we decided to begin our decent, but not without a quick foot bath in the glacier fed stream - so nice on the tired tooties!!!

The hike down was fine until we hit about mile 15 . . . then it got a little brutal on the toes and knees - nothing a little brewdog wouldn't take care of!! All in all we made the trip fun, in fact, I can't remember a trip we've taken that wasn't fun - but Montana has a special place engraved in our hearts as it was the first trip we took together, Matt grew up here and we spent our honeymoon here. We even contemplated becoming ski bums and living in Whitefish . . . then we bought the Subaru and realized we couldn't live the nomadic life we dreamed about - oh well!!

When we got home from our trip, Marley who had been staying with my folks, didn't recognize me right away!!! Yep, when I walked in their door he used his big boy bark until he heard my voice - so funny!!! I think he gets spoiled there, my dad teases that he gives Marley pork rinds while they watch Sports Center on ESPN!!!!! Too funny!!!

As I sit here writing, Marley is trying to catch bees so I better go and get this little guy home before he catches one!! What a little stinker!!!

Happy trails and one more thing I get reminded of every time I visit Montana. . . slow down and just enjoy the moments . . . moments that you never want to end . . . live out loud ;)

What I've been doing on my summer vacation

Since I have been off from school for a few weeks now, one may ask, "geez Kathleen, what are you doing with all your free time?!" Funny you ask imaginary friend, let me re-cap:

I attended a sorority sisters wedding in Camas, WA. It was the most beautiful, cultural wedding celebration I have ever been to! My girlfriend, Mieke, is half Hawaiian and half Dutch . . . and she married a Irish Lutheran! Using your imagination, it was a spectacular event which will be remembered for a very long time. To no surprise, I cried when the bagpipes introduced Mieke and her dad, (much like at my wedding) during the ceremony when her parents presented Mieke and Lukas (groom) their leis . . . then when they symbolically tied them together and gently tossed them in the pond . . . when the pipes beautifully played amazing grace and both Mieke and Luke were lost in each other's blissful gaze . . . when all of her Hawaiian family that traveled sang the traditional wedding song in Hawaiian and in English . . . when Mieke surprised Luke with her personal hula (amazing that she learned it in 2 days) . . . Luke's thank you for all guests . . .

It was a very fun weekend where I got to spend with other sisters that I have not seen in sometime :)

I have been working out religiously to prepare for the race I will be going to in late September - Black Diamond Half Ironman!!! I can't wait as I feel mentally and physically ready for such a race, but the nerves are still there everytime I think about it - not to mention the huge silly grin I get too!! I have been doing double workouts until Thursday when my legs said, "um, yeah if you try to make me work again right now . . . that's going to be embarrassing!" so I took a breather and am back to single workouts/day . . . for now ;)

Marley and I have had a chance to explore the bluff more and go walking on the trails by our house. Marley is learning to heel and is very confused by all the time we're spending together - but I'm sure deep down he loves it! In fact today we went to Petco for some bones and as I was checking out, Marley decided he wanted a biscuit and started eating one off the display!! It was soooo funny!

But I think the biggest news comes in sort of a makeover . . . yesterday I cut my hair . . . 10 inches gone . . . I'm not gonna lie, before I got into the salon, I was very hesitant and kinda emotional - not for actually cutting my hair, but for what that meant. For about a year now I have been growing my hair out because as a gift to myself for getting into grad school, I was going to dread my hair . . . I have wanted to do this for like 4 years and I finally had a time where I (thought) could. As time approached August when I was going to do it, I researched it more and found out that to have someone professionally do it, it would cost like $500+, which as a student, I don't have that just hanging around . . . then I thought about just having some friends do it more me . . . then if it looked bad since they didn't know what they were doing I got nervous . . . so yesterday I decided that the dreads just weren't going to happen so I chopped it all off!

I know this sounds funny but for me, I love being a little different than everybody else, and not following through on this made me feel like I was a quitter and that I was just scared what people would think of me, which is very not like me - I kind of always do what I think is right, or in this case, is cool! So here I sit with this super cute and sassy new do . . . and I'm still dreaming about the dreads I could have had. I believe that everything happens for a reason and so I'm sure when I met up with my mentor teacher in a few weeks she would have gone crazy at the sight of such locks, so whatever, I have shorter hair . . . there are other ways to perplex people - maybe I'll get color contacts . . . maybe not since I can't even where my normal ones!! ha ha ha

This weekend we are visiting Matt's folks and next weekend we are going to be camping and going to the Festival @ Sandpoint. Perhaps a hike deep into Glacier Park, MT to visit Matt's sister, Becky will also be on the agenda . . . who knows, I'm lovin' my summer vacation!

Happy trails!

ps. I have reached my weight loss goal - 20 lbs baby!!!!!

(picture me backin' it up to Pussycat Dolls Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me . . . ;)

wait, I hope it wasn't from the hair . . . whatev!

I did it!

So my race was last Saturday and I finished! Below is an abbreviated account of the race. The pictures are from the disposable camera Matt used while he cheered me on so they are a little far away but you'll get the gist!

Matt and I left town about 1pm, picked up my wetsuit and headed North. We arrived at the Beaver Lodge and Resort and were literally the second athletes to check-in! I was strangely calm that evening and took a brief swim, did some math homework and headed to bed around 9pm.

I awoke Saturday morning at about 5:45am as I heard some folks outside our quaint cabin, and couldn't wait to get going. I let Matt sleep in as I got all of my equipment set up and ate breakfast. Before I knew it most of my teammates were there and an underlying energy was beginning to reveal itself. Everyone was so supportive, I even borrowed some BodyGlide from a teammate! My transition area was all set up and my wetsuit was partially on so I headed to the water to get ready. To my surprise, my in-laws had made the trip all the way up to watch me compete! With a quick hello and some fun pics I was all ready and headed down to the start.

My swim was fun as I had never done a mass start before and I found a couple of people to draft behind and before I knew it I was out of the water! Again to my surprise, I heard some cheers for me and instantly recognized my dad's voice!! I was so happy to have my family there to watch and support me throughout the day. Ok so back to the race . . . . I had a pretty quick transition and was off on my bike.

I was just cruising on the bike as most of the course was flat or downhill with a few hills mixed in, averaging about 19mph over the 28 miles. Matt was along the course cheering with the cowbells!! Which, by the way, several people after the race thanked him for cheering!! :)

When I got to T2, all I could think was just keep going girl, you can do this, you're doing great . . . and then the dreaded reminder . . . no walking! The run course was hot, hot, hot! Around mile 4 I was feeling very tired, not really sore, but physically tired so I had a little pep talk with myself and picked up the pace. Little shade and little wind = a tough run, however my first mile off the bike was 9:00minutes, which is fast for me and I managed to keep that pace along the course and finished in 2hrs. 43mins. My goal for myself was between 3-3:30hrs and I crushed that and was so thrilled to have done so gave a little cheer for myself as I crossed the finish line!! Actually, Matt and our parents didn't think I would finish so quickly and they weren't at the finish line when I crossed!! ha ha ha!

All in all it was a terrific day for me as I actually got 2nd in my age group and 8th overall (female). The weather was perfect, I was well hydrated and fueled, I had an amazing support crew and several teammates along the way to keep me inspired to truly race my race.

I would definitely do this race again . . . and I'm already looking forward to my next race in a few weeks. Not sure if I'll do the Medical Lake Sprint or the Long Bridge Swim up in Sandpoint, then the CDA Olympic and eventually a Half Ironman on the Westside of WA in September. I have been going back and forth about racing in the half, but I now feel confident if I pace myself, keep a positive attitude, stay hydrated and focus on achieving my personal goals, I will again be a race finisher!

More big news . . . I became an aunt late Monday night! Austin Matthew Davey entered the world at about 11:30pm and he is the cutest baby ever! A full head of brown hair (thanks mama) and beautiful blue eyes (thanks daddy) and I will be spending tomorrow with him as to give mama a bit of a break.

School is over for the summer and I begin again in late August and start student teaching! Can't wait . . . but kinda nervous . . . .

Anyway, gotta run . . . Marley and I have a walking date.

Have a great rest of the week!

Dress Rehersal

Well I just completed my last big workout before my big race next weekend! Because I got home late from work last night, getting up early for another morning workout was totally out of the question, plus Matt and I had a date breakfast! Then I was off to a math study group to brush up on those number crunching skills for my test on Monday!

I knew I had to get a good workout in today but it is so dang hot I was dreading whatever it was going to be. I kind of wimped out and set up the trainer and rode for an hour and a half followed by a 15min. bricks run. But the best part was that I wore my new trisuit that I will wear during the race. I wore it to check for any points of possible chafing or any other uncomfortable spots. I am so excited to wear it as when I originally got it months ago . . . it was rather restricting!! Meaning a medium was super small on my large frame, but I was determined to fit into it for a race this summer - and I can!!!

I can't wait for next Saturday! Even though I will be very nervous before the race, I will have a spectacular support crew there to cheer me on! Unfortunately Matt has decided not to compete, but, I actually like it more when he is cheering. Just seeing his encouragement and shear enthusiasm for me, sparks the energy from within my heart to go just a little faster . . . my hubby rocks the hizzy . . . ha ha ha!!

Gotta run, since I wrote this entry I only have 20 minutes to get ready for work . . .oops!!! :)

An unforgettable ride

Wow, how time is flying by . . . I had the best week! I only had class on Monday and Tuesday which allowed me to get in some awesome workouts! I've been riding several miles in the morning before I meet up with the group, I completed two open water swim workouts and a bricks workout! But the best part was my ride on Sunday . . . well I almost died, twice, but it was well worth it!!

So I was riding my usual loop and all of the sudden a deer ran out in front of me as I turned up Windmill Rd.! She was so close I could see her shallow breathing pattern as I startled her! She timidly continued to cross the street, but with a cautious eye she watched me as I stood in amazement of her beauty. She eventually went into the brush and I continued my climb. Upon my arrival atop the Palouse Highway, I was angrily met by a huge brown hawk! He was screaming at me which I had only heard on television before then! His shriek was so loud, it actually really scared me and I got off my bike and again, watched the local wildlife in amazement!!! What a spectacular way to spend my time climbing and wondering what will come out of the woods next!!

As I continued on my ride I was practicing some visualization techniques I sometimes use. Well this time I was envisioning riding in my upcoming race- pushing a big gear and feeling strong - when before I knew it, I had the biggest grin on my face! When I finally did realize it, another female cyclist was approaching me from the opposite direction, she saw my toothy smile and eagerly shot one right back with a quick cyclist wave! Awesome! It was like we were both supporting each other being out there in 90+ degree weather, YOU GO GIRL!

This weekend in Valley Girl and I plan to be out there supporting all my triathlon sisters!!! I have a lot of school work so I think I will re-use my sign from Ironman . . . :)

Anyway, I just wanted to share the terrific ride I had and now, sadly, I must go and start a paper as that is what I am discovering what grad school is all about . . . writing papers! Lucky for me, I enjoy writing!!

Have a great week ya'll!!

Wow, I'm busy . . . and loving it!

So it's been a while since my last post but I've been super busy with . . . life!!! I guess I'll start where I left off . . .

The race was awesome, no wetsuit and all, it was great! I felt strong on every leg (minus the side stitch I got on part of the run) and I was happy with my finish time.

School is proving to be my biggest time consumer, and rightfully so. Because I am in summer session right now all my classes are super intense so here's what my day looks like. Today I got kissed goodbye from Matt at about 5:30am and he was off to work, 5:45am got up for run, 6-6:45am run, get home, walk Marley, make breakfast (which gets eaten during morning commute) and pack lunch and get to school by 7:50am. Math class from 8-12pm, lunch break from 12-2pm which I spend finishing editing a paper due @ 1! 1-4:30pm Assessment class. Get home around 5pm, work on homework until team meeting @ 6:30pm. Tri-Fusion meeting from 6:30-8:30, home around 8:45 and continue to work on stuff for school until 10pm. Drag myself to bed and do it all over again tomorrow . . . life is good!

I am anxious for my next race which is on July 21 in Colville. It will be my 1st Olympic so that will be fun! Matt and I will be competing along with several other of our friends from Tri-Fusion. Matt's folks are even making the trip up to watch the race and of course they will be wearing the "Team Taylor Support Crew" we got them!!! I am trying to loose a few more pounds before the race but we'll see as study snacks are always a good idea!! I have surprisingly lost about 15 since the early spring and so has Matt - kinda fun for us to be hotties with naughty bodies!!!! ha ha ha, I love that saying!!! ha ha ha.

This weekend I have to work both Thursday and Saturday but i want to go for a long bike ride (~30miles or so) and maybe go for an open water swim. Oh yeah and get caught up on homework, laundry, baking, spending time with Marley, going to the farmers market, visiting with my folks and getting to see Matt!!!

But the best part was Sunday when we went and watched CDA Ironman. There were like 20+ people from Tri-Fusion that competed and I believe everyone finished. I cheered my heart out and it was such an amazing day. Our friends Dave and Tasha Gordon got us VIP tickets so we had a cool bus tour of the bike course where we got to hand out water at an aid station. Our toor guide was Heather Fuhr, a professional triathlete who I admire and I was totally star struck!


Ok so back to the race . . . I made a cool sign and used it every time I cheered and I even think several of the Tri-Fusion people enjoyed it!! It was so fun to cheer for Dave, Tasha, Jessi, Roger, Ben, Kathi, Sam and many more! I am just in amazment of thier achievement!!! Wow!! It actally leaves me speechless . . . . :) There is so much more to that day, wet suit pulling off, seeing the elite athetes and I even managed to study at the finish line because I had a math test on Monday (which I passed, by the way)!!!

My allotted lunch time is about up so I must go back to school and I will try to keep up on my entries as I find little snippets of time to do so.

Happy trails!

Early morning nerves

I am up early today because I have several things on my mind. First I need to finish making the Lime Chiffon Cake for my dad for our Father's Day celebration that we are having this evening. Second, I'm making a list of the schoolwork I need to get done this weekend and finally, I am mentally rushing through my pre-race routine because late yesterday I signed up for the Trailblazer Triathlon in Medical Lake this afternoon!!!

While I was folding in the egg whites I was thinking about the race and realized just how far I've come in my fitness! The last two years I would train almost all year for just one sprint triathlon - this year, I've already done two sprints, one duathlon, an 80 mile bike ride, one half marathon, one marathon and a few trips around the CDA Ironman bike course!!!

It was crazy - a fellow athlete sparked a conversation yesterday at the pool about the race . . . and now I'm signed up!!!! I love it!!!!!

Gotta run the timer just went off - this cake is going to be delicious, happy Fathers Day!!!

First day of school

Well today was my first day of grad school . . . a little overwhelming with all the new people, super fun ice breakers, classes, financial aid, student insurance, first impressions, etc. I have already formed some friendships with a few of the gals in the program by working as a collaboration for some assignments due in July. Classes officially start tomorrow so we'll see how different it really is! I can't wait!



There was also a time where current MIT students came and we got a Q and A session. I was curious about workload and free time as I am still debating to sign up for Ironman 2008. I think in my heart it, I know it is not the right time. I don't need that added pressure to train for such an event and successfully get through school. However, my dream lives on and I know someday I will finish an Ironman, it just might not be next year . . .



On an even more demoralizing note . . . I am sad to report that in my previous post regarding my awesomely decreased swim times, they unfortunately are not accurate. I originally timed myself swimming at Oz Fitness South and when I recently swam at Oz Fitness East, my times were much slower which leads me to think the pool @ Oz South must be shorter. So I am humbled as I was so quick to toot my own horn and now it has come around to bite me in the a@#!!!!!



Anyway, I am excited to also be starting up riding in the mornings again. Tuesday and Thursday mornings I ride with a group of cyclists from 5:30am to about 6:30am covering 17ish miles. I love these rides because the air seems to be so pure that early and there is almost no traffic. I always say "good morning" to the brown heifer we pass bombing down Regal. I also love these rides because I get to spend some time with my mom and cousin who are both strong women and great cyclists! It is so peaceful that time of day and the best part is the cold shower I take when getting home! I don't know what it is but after a good workout a cold shower is like the best reward!! Ha ha ha!!



Here's my final thought: We had an activity today where we had to organize our group in order of birthdays, without talking. So of course we all held up our hands or wrote the date on paper. I love those activities but at the end we were all just standing around smiling at ourselves and I caught myself thinking of Marley. Thinking about his non verbal communication that he uses every day with Matt and me - wagging his tale! Such a simple gesture, such a universal meaning!

In moments of joy, all of us wish we possessed a tail we could
wag.–W.H. Auden

How true it is! If you have a dog, be sure to give them an extra treat or belly scratch today . . . just to see their tail wag . . . ! :)

Running

As I am sitting here back from working a garage sale put on by my mom, a family friend and me . . . I am dreading my 5 mile run I have to do. However, I've put on one of my old Spinning CD's and have gotten a little more energized . . . or is that just the handful of dark Mn'M's I just popped . . . whatever I'm getting pumped up. I spent the morning schmoozing random garage salers to buy my junk - I actually walked away with about $80 bucks, not too bad!

Speaking of running, I have learned to love the idea of going for a run . . . and most the time even the act of running. However, I still need to go over some of the reasons why I love running . . . most the time . . .

1. Getting outdoors and breathing in the fresh air
2. Feeling myself getting healthier
3. Knowing that I am becoming a stronger runner with every step
4. Sticking to my workout schedule
5. If I don't go for a run I will feel guilty all day
6. To give Marley a chance to stretch his legs
7. To clear my mind of all the clutter
8. To visualize myself running in my next race
9. To create a spot for the Rocky Road I will enjoy later :)
10. Because deep inside, I love to run

It's true, I love to run. It is my time to just go over things in my head; last nights dinner conversation, chores I have to do, errands I have to run, taking Marley to the groomers, what I'm making for dinner, trying not to get noticed when I sing out loud to the song on the radio, what we should do for our next vacation . . . and the list goes on. But for those 5 miles, I am free to think of anything, or even nothing . . . which is a very nice option to have.

So off I go . . . probably to decide what to plant in my new pot I got from the garage sale . . . and probably a few other senseless things!

Enjoy the weekend!

My Introduction

This blog will document my journey of . .persuing a Masters, training for triathlons, being a wife, daughter, sister, soon-to-be aunt, friend, Golden Retriever owner, dark chocoholic, glasses but not contacts wearer, gardener, WSU grad, tall nonfat sugar free hazelnut Americano drinker, belly laugher, star wisher, germ-a-phob, 4 Runner driver, hippie . . . ish, list maker, cryier, risk taker, sorority alumnae, brunette, knitter, world traveler, microbrew drinker, snowshoer, baker, free spirit.


Today marks my official transition to a new chapter in my life . . . teaching. I am not working this week as I prepare for Grad school. I am feeling excited, nervous, anxious and eager. Up until now I have been in control of my work, training and personal schedules and now . . . with no structure, I am lost!!

I am itching to race so I think I will this Saturday. Today I swam and timed 2 sets of 500 yards and I was blown away at my times. The first one was 6:45 and the second, 6:42!! Last summer @ Valley Girl my swim time was like 8+ minutes so to swim further and have it take less time is a huge improvement!

I enjoying my summer vacation - just this week - by planting flowers, doing school work, sticking to my training schedule, cooking, finishing a project for my mom's birthday (which was like 3 weeks ago, yikes!) and playing with Marley.

Well I hope you will enjoy the accounts of my days as I record them here. Feel free to leave comments if you wish and . . . happy trails.