My own "Mini Retreat"

June 20-21st Some people like to get away every once and awhile and enjoy a little retreat. Well, I had my own sort of mini-retreat in June as I attended "Triathlon Camp" in Oklahoma. To me it seemed like a great idea to help get me prepared for my upcoming Half Ironman and to enjoy some nice time away in a cabin along with some good time in the great outdoors with other fellow triathletes. Well, I quickly realized that this whole concept was a little strange as I tried to explain it when first requesting time off at work, then to other friends. You should see the funny faces people made, when I mentioned "Triathlon Camp!!" I still remember a text message I received from my good buddy Janice, that said something like, "I did not know you were headed off to triathlon camp, you are such a NERD!" Anyway, it was some great riding, lake swimming, and a little running. I hung out with the Fit2Train group, and I was glad to find out that although I was amongst some very "hard core" athletes who are competitive about their triathlons, they were also a great group who knew how to mix in some good "clean" fun and not get too uptight about the ins and outs of proper training, nutrition, etc. I especially enjoyed indulging in some high calorie snacks and beverages with them post-workouts. (Braums, Burgers, Beer, etc.) I had started getting a little burned out with my training in early June, and this little weekend getaway came at a great time for me. I am a pretty big NERD, so I enjoyed staying in a cabin by myself, cooking my own chocolate chip pancakes, obsessing over my triathlon gear/bike, cliff bars, gus, etc., and talking alot of "Tri" talk with other Triathlon enthusiasts! We covered two 60 mile rides, two long lake swims, and a 10 mile run....what else could you ask for a "mini-retreat"??

Wine Party for Gavin

June 14, 2008 We had a great time at the Wine party for Gavin. I posted the note from evite below, mostly to remind myself to continuously pray and remember Gavin and the Smith family as I continue to train for various races and prepare for my first ever Ironman! Thanks to all of you that were able to come to the event and/or donate! It was greatly appreciated! The address is listed below if anyone else would like to donate to the Medical Fund for Gavin!

SUMMER WINE BENEFIT FOR GAVIN Please join us for an evening of wine to raise money for The Gavin Smith Medical Fund.

My friends, Stacie & Jeff, and their sweet little Gavin are fighting hard to Cure Gavin's cancer. As many of you know, the last few months have been extremely tough for their family. I'm in the midst of training for an Ironman and I feel my training is a way for me to remember the Smith family and all of the trials and tribulations they are going through... So I am dedicating my efforts to Gavin. I told Stacie it is like they are having to make it through an Ironman and Many Marathons each and every day with all the daily challenges that Gavin has to endure.. I am blessed that I have time and my good health to train for these big events, and any minor pain that I experience along the journey is nothing at all compared to living in the world of Cancer.... I am inspired each and every day by Gavin and all that he has endured and battled, he is one tough litte fighter, and I pray that he can fight and win this battle! So in my races these next few months, I'm gonna keep "Going for Gavin"

So, Join me for a Night to Raise our Glasses to a Cure and Victory for Gavin! Feel Free to Invite Your Friends!**All proceeds from this event will benefit the Gavin Smith Medical Fund If you are unable to come but would like to donate to Gavin's cause,

mail a check to:

Gavin Smith Medical Fund

Bank of AmericaTX 2-551-01-014023

Cedar Springs RoadDallas, Texas 75219

Chris Graduated!

May 25, 2008 Well, as you know, I like to sometimes fit as many events as possible in the span of one day in my sometimes crazy life. My triathlon choice in Austin was strategically located to allow me to also make it just in time to my brother's graduation from Austin Presbyterian Seminary. So, after finishing the tri, I quickly showered, changed into a dress, and even Heels! (Later, I was regretting the heels decision) I headed off with my mother to attend his graduation ceremonies and festivities. Very proud of my big bro! Way to go Chris!

Long Time No Blog

It's July now...crazy how time flies. My life has slowed a little this week after a nice relaxing vacation to Seattle along with the completion of a Half Ironman, so I am going to attempt to recap some of the important moments in the past few months of the Martins!

May 25, 2008 - I completed the Cap Tex Tri in Austin and had great fun hanging out and sharing the race experience with my training buddy Robin. I had not done an Olympic tri in over two years, so it was a little nerve racking. It was great experience though and overall a fun day. I had a great bike that day, the fastest ever clocked in a race for me. The run was tough, a little side cramping...or maybe alot...but I thought about Gavin and I tried to push on through! I clocked 2:36 that day, which was about 15 minutes faster than my Cap Tex tri 3 years ago with the same course. In 2005, I did a little pre-race waterskiing and hanging out in the sun for 3 days straight with buddies, but for 2008, I decided to forgo the prerace water ski trip, so I guess that was a good decision!

As I wrote before my marathon, I have decided to try and dedicate all of my racing efforts to my friend Stacie's son, Gavin, who is battling cancer. I happened to visit Stacie at Children's for a while the Friday before leaving town for Austin for the race. It was very inspiring to quickly be reminded of their current life circumstances and the daily battles they were fighting. It was good timing for me. During the race, when I had those stomach issues and started to walk during the run, I quickly remembered how much stomach trauma poor little Gavin had been through with all the chemo, etc. I knew my suffering was pretty minor in comparison, and I was able to get running again as I thought about it. I remembered I was gonna keep "Going for Gavin!" Overall it was a fun day! My mom took the shots for me, it was great having her there! I may have lost a little time as I made sure to wave each and every time I saw her like a total cheese ball, but it was great to have her as a fan! My running shot is pretty glamorous if you take a close look... you could possibly use that for blackmailing purposes...

Hello Neighbors!!

We drove an hour to a wedding today just so we could see our neighbors! Seriously, we are are the worst neighbors ever! Ted & I were out of town almost every weekend in April between the two of us! So, unfortunately it had been a long while since we had gotten to chat and catch up with our neighbors and long time friends! Vic & Kristy were surprised that in the past few weeks we had sold a boat, purchased a new car, I had run a marathon, and Ted had fished with the Pros in in South Texas. But, they were just as busy as they had been to Disney World, two retreats, and a long list of other activities... Hey guys, next time maybe we could meet out on the front porch instead of driving all the way to Pilot Point, TX! Congrats to Jason & Kellie on Tying the Knot and for helping us finally reunite with our good buddies from next door!

Baby Quinn Has Arrived

My friends Kimberly and Mike are the proud parents of their second little boy, Quinn Michael Melson, born yesterday May 1st. I had the pleasure of getting a peek at little Quinn today at Baylor on my lunch hour! I also enjoyed chatting with big brother Preston, who at 2 1/2, is a rockstar son of speech therapist, Kimberly. I was so amazed at his articulate speech for such a little guy! He has been hanging out with his Grammy having a great time! He proudly announced to me, "I'm the Big Brother!" It was great to see baby Quinn and the whole family! Congrats Kimberly and Mike!!

Morning Marathon Confession

As most of you know, I have an addiction to marathons......
This is the email I sent to my triathlon coach this morning:

"Confession: I have an issue with needing to sign up for another marathon as soon as I complete one, or sometimes several at once (my fall tri marathon mania :) So, Marine Corps Marathon registration opened this week (and I have yet to do this one)…. And I have a childhood friend who lives in DC…. So, I signed up…. But, of course I am a nut, because it is like 5 or 6 weeks after the Ironman (October 26)… I really am not focused at all on whether I actually complete it at this point, it is way back in my mind, but for some reason I just couldn’t control my impulses (I remember getting my credit card out to enter it in and thinking, “I won’t tell anyone about this for awhile” Crazy, huh?? Maybe that should have been a sign, to stop and think on it, but no I continued and pressed that register button. My husband said after having to confess post-sign up to him, “If you wanted to go see your friend, you could have purchased a plane ticket without having to sign up for another marathon!!” After my ironman, I may want to have nothing to do with running or working out period, so in that case, I figure I will just go see my friend and “watch” the marathon, but just in case I am healthy and feeling ok, I have a bib number :)… We have good friends in Chicago and NY as well, and 2-3 times I have done each of those marathons almost as if I think that is the only way for me to get to see them….."