Training Update #3: 3 weeks and counting...

well, this is the last time you'll be hearing from me until after the triathlon when I write to tell you how awesome it was to finish! but before that can happen, i still have to raise $700 to participate. thank you so much for those of you who have already donated and the ones who haven't...well here's your opportunity and i hope a little inspiration to get you going! please please please don't let all my intensely hard training go to waste...137 miles biked, 24 miles swam, and approximatley 65 miles ran since i started training 3 months ago!

i've had the pleasure of meeting (and persuading) an extremely talented individual who took the time to help me put together an amazing new website to better inform everyone of my inspirations, training and a general thanks to everyone who has donated so far. http://www.triforangels.com/ i came up with the name (all by my lonesome): TRI as in triathlon, FOR ANGELS bc every single person i am training for and every single person i think of while i am training are my angels and i cherish them with all my heart. i hope you all enjoy checking it out! let me know what you think!!!!

this past weekend was amazing. i have been having a really hard time with the ocean swim bc, well, i get motion sickness. so after every swim i masochistically put myself through bc i know i need the training, i run out of the ocean, usually to make it just in time to the trash can the coaches have to loving set up for me, and puke my brains out. all in all, it is a terrible time and i dread it with a passion, until this past weekend when i found an herbal motion potion and I WAS NOT SICK!!!!! i had an amazing swim, the sun was shining, the water was a warmer 58 degrees (2 degrees warmer than last weekend) and i could actually see to the bottom of the ocean the entire time! i was in complete awe of what God had put in front of me and can not even begin to comment of the grandeur i experienced. i wish i had a camera, but know i took you all with me the entire time and sent you all a small prayer so that you could enjoy it in your dreams :) all of this happening of course after our 10 mile morning endurance run we have at 10 to follow with the 1:00 swim. good times, good time.

so if that hasn't inspired you, here's one more thing to think about...why not donate just $25 if that's all you can afford. maybe you're $25, $50, $100, $250 donation just might be the dollar that runs the research lab for the day that the scientists stay late to find the one missing piece in the equation that cures one strand of luekemia, lymphoma or myloma and saves the lives of millions you don't know and maybe the one life you do know that means the world to you. maybe you aren't directly affected by any of these cancers at this exact moment, but it just might happen someday and your donation might just be the dollar that keeps the lab lights on, that finds the cure that otherwise wouldn't be found if the electricity were shut off. this means so much to me and i need your help. i have 3 weeks to raise the rest of the $700 and i cannot do it alone.

http://www.triforangels.com/

please feel free to cut and paste this update in anyway you feel necessary and send it to everyone you know. i have been truly amazed by the people who have and who haven't donated and you never know who will want to help out, so why not atleast give them the chance? i only know so many people, but with everyone's help, i can meet the goal and finish this race. thank you all for your support so far and please keep me in your prayers in this final training and fundraising phase.

love, katie, kat, katrina...

ps. if you have any inspiration or just a well wish, please send it to me. body is tired and i am in need of encouraging words. it means a lot to hear form you guys, no matter how short

Training Update #2

well hello everyone,

I thought I'd write you all a quick update straight off a great day's training. We did Torrey Pines Hill repeats today, consisting of 4 repeats of a pretty steep 2.5 mile climb and 2.5 mile descend. It was one of our most challenging sessions to date, but so rewarding to have made the accomplishment. Oh and GREAT news, I didn't fall once!!!! So that's super exciting for me (and my knee!). Last Sunday we had our toughest running session, the Lake Penesquitos Canyon run, where I honestly thought I was going to have to be life-flighted out of the mountains I was so beat! But luckily, I had my team there to help push me through and the thoughts of Clark and Josh helped a lot as well!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!! to everyone who has donated so far. I am HALF WAY THERE and only have $1157 to go out of the $2700 and I am so very grateful that you all have believed in me enough to show your support through your generous donations. I have even earned enough to get my (much needed) wetsuit for our first open water ocean swim this weekend!!!...

Tim & Kati Bartley, CA
Bonnie Gandy, CA
Bill Schultz, CA
Lisa Saneda, CA
Chris Baker, CA
Emma Kirkpatrick, LA
Victor Wells, CA
Patrick Anderson, CA
Dominic Nicolini, MD
John Murphy, CA
Brenda Beierman, TX
Thomas Gorrie Family, CA
Amy Bell, TX
Brett Keen, CA
Stuart Grazier, CA
Chris Morrison, Dallas, TX
Nicole Astrella, NJ
Mom (of course!!!!!!), TX
Cody Beierman, Belton, TX
Jessika Stephens, Dallas, TX
Adam Johnson, TAMU, TX
Robert & Sonja Hunsaker, CA
Grandma Nellie Bell, FL
Tonice White, CA
Tammy & Rick Bartley, AR
Russel Robbin, TAMU, TX


This week's training schedule:
MONDAY: Rest day

TUESDAY: Swim on your own (atleast 1 mi), JCC at 7:30

WEDNESDAY: This week will NOT be at track. We will be meeting at Cane’s in PB for a long “fartlek” run as a team. (oh brings me back to the days of soccer...)

THURSDAY: Swim at JCC as usual for coached swim and building drills

FRIDAY: Bike easy 22 miles.

SATURDAY: BRICK WORKOUT #2: ride from Solana Beach, through Rancho Santa Fe and beyond, and back. Afterwards, we will run San Elijo Lagoon; be prepared for a very long session!!!!

SUNDAY: 10 am run with Sam. Again we will be building our mileage and doing some hill work. First OCEAN SWIM is Sunday at 1:00 pm. This tends to be a long session, as we have a lot to cover regarding use of wetsuits, safety, open water swimming, and oh yeah, the actual workout. (i'm so nervous, I need lots of prayers so the sharks stay very far away from me!!!)

So, this week is gonna be a tough one and I am really getting good at preparing myself mentally for each session and my endurance and skill is improving in leaps with each practice. I feel very blessed that I have all of you to share this with and glad that you all care so much. Please remember to pass this along to anyone who you think might enjoy it. Let me know if you have any fundraising ideas for me as well and of course PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Your encouragement helps so very much, even if its just a few short words or small donation. Every bit of each of you helps me to get through this journey...

love you