Become who you are.

Too much fun!

2012-01-31T10:20:00.000-08:00

That's me...Sailing a.k.a. holding on for dear life!

Yummy, frog legs and scallops! (My first frog leg experience, they were good but I really liked the scallops.)

ummm....yea.

It was Catherine's birthday, so of course I took her to Ray's boathouse for happy hour. We had a great time!

Skiing at Summit!

I made this cream cheese + creme fraiche + regatta (sauce) topped with bacon and onions!

Soccer: it was really cold!

New York to Seattle

2012-01-17T17:01:00.000-08:00

I spent New Years in the big Apple, enjoying the buzzing of the big city. It was a great way to start the new year! Visiting family, seeing friends, and hanging out at the beaches I grew up around.

New York is such an amazing place, too bad its just not for me right now. So I packed my stuff and left home AGAIN, for the millionth time. This time I took drove straight across the country. From New York to Washington, from Coast to Coast.

Huntington Bay

New York City

Pennsylvania

Chicago

Wisconsin

Minnesota

North Dakota

Montana

Washington

Colorado Christmas

2012-01-11T11:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2011 was spent in Colorado with my good friends Krissi and Liz. My friend Liz, from SU law, and I flew into Colorado to spend some time skiing and snowboarding in the Rocky Mountains with Krissi. Krissi and Liz had no idea how to Ski so both of them took lessons while I hit the slopes with my friend James, from high school. It was amazing to breath in the fresh, clean air in Colorado. I missed the feeling of high altitude, its harder to breath and the beers hit you faster. I love the burning feeling you get in your lungs and when your heart starts racing when you walk up a few flights of stairs, it makes me feel healthy just being in Colorado. Law school has made me feel like I’m in horrible shape. Going back to Colorado reminded me of all the sports I used to do when I was there. Just because I moved to Seattle doesn’t mean I have to stop snowboarding, swimming, and cycling. I plan on fitting in all of those things into my schedule when I get back!

The snow in Colorado was disappointing. I went to Copper and there was 4 inches of fresh powder but it felt like 2 because the base was a miserable 25 inches. There were sticks and rocks everywhere so I had to stay on the main trails. Breckenridge wasn’t much better. There was no fresh powder on Christmas eve or Christmas day, LAME! The base at Breck was just as bad at Copper so the lifts to the bowls were closed, which left no blacks or double blacks to snowboard. The good thing was that there was NO ONE there. The slopes were totally empty and I had to wait on line for maybe 1 minute. So we just bombed (went as fast as we could) as many runs as we could, took an awesome beer break and then did it again until the sun set behind the mountain. Even though the snow was disappointing, I wouldn’t give up my trip for anything! Being back in Colorado was amazing. I got to see my old soccer team and reminisce about all the things I love about Boulder. I got to snowboard the Rockies and watch two of my really good friends learn how to ski.

I love Colorado and miss it so much. I needed this trip to remember how wonderful my life really was and what about my life I enjoyed. Now I can create the same surrounding for myself in Seattle and hopefully be just as happy.

Poulsbo

2011-12-30T08:15:00.000-08:00

A perfect winter getaway.

It was the middle of December and the sun was out in Seattle. A perfect day to sail to Poulsbo! We set sail in the middle of the day and it was 50 degrees and sunny, the wind was blowing 10-12 knots. It took 45 mins to sail across the sound. Then a few hours to motor through to Poulsbo, we arrived just as the sun was setting.

Poulsbo is a cute little European town with a fun Euro-pub, a tasty Dutch bakery, and a mini-boardwalk-ish thing by the water.

Topper liked the park!

Overnight sailing trips are a lot like car camping minus the fire and marshmallows. After wandering around town it was nice to walk back to the boat and sleep. There were bathrooms (with showers) at the guest marina and electricity to plug the boat into. They really makes it easy for people to visit this little waterside town.
The next day we sailed around the rest of Bainbridge Island and back across the sound to Elliot Bay. I tried to take a picture of the Seattle skyline from Elliot Bay but I accidentally tacked the boat...OOPS! (so sorry no photo) The water was a little rough on the way back, which required a lot of concentration but it also made it very exciting.

I was an incredible weekend out on the water with perfect wind, sun, and smiles.

A lawyer in the making.

2011-12-14T12:41:00.000-08:00

I feel like I could write a book about my first semester of law school. Surviving the first semester is no joke. Surviving is the best word to describe the ups and downs this past semester. I feel like law school is less about what you learn and more about the connections you make and perfecting your ability to handle extremely stressful/high pressure situations.
Classes just push you to the edge of what you think you can handle and then just poke at you to see if you fall. I'm convinced people don't fail law school, I actually think it is impossible to fail law school, instead they give up because they can't or don't want to deal with the pressure.
The good things about this semester:
- i never have to do my first semester of law school ever again
- i met a lot of amazing people and made some new friends
- i had some awesome professors
- i ended school on a good note so i'm excited and not dreading next semester.

Happy Birthday to me!

2011-11-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

24, I hope its going to be a good year!

My birthday was a whole lot of fun! I woke up to Birthday Crepes made by my amazing Chef Rory.
I went to school and then after we had our championship soccer game and of course won 5-1! It was a wonderful way to end the season.
After the soccer game I met a few friends on the boat and then we went out in Ballard to get some drinks. I really enjoy bringing my diverse group of friends together (soccer friends, sailing friends, and law school friends) Also, my friend Krissi was out here visiting me from Colorado. I love her!
The next morning Krissi and I went out to sail the Snow Bird Regatta. It was a beautiful November day, sunny and windy. It was absolutely perfect.

To top all of this off Rory made an amazing birthday cake. I didn't know he was a chef. I am very impressed and can't wait for more of his wonderful creations.

Now that my birthday weekend is over its time to STUDY for finals!

Life is so much more stressful without sailing

2011-11-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

I need my release.Why are the regattas over!?! The end of the first semester of law school is quickly approaching. Stress levels are high and my work load is insane. I have next Friday off and I really want to do something FUN.
At least, Rory is home. That helps lower a huge amount of stress in my life.

When absolutely everything falls apart...

2011-10-30T22:33:00.000-07:00

I uproot and re-root once every 2 years.

Long Island to Albany to London to Dublin back to Albany to Boulder to New Zealand to living in a van back (travelling)to Boulder and now to Seattle. I know how hard change is and I know it's the journey that makes me who I am. I love the feeling of exploring new places and starting a life. But this time was different. This time I went from something I had made myself believe could actually become HOME to something new. I nearly settled in Boulder. I felt like I could stay forever, what a mistake. Seattle is amazing, I don't know where my home is and if I even have one. I will find the perfect place but not until I feel like I have seen and done enough.

Here is to adventure and my future, may it continue to be as exhilarating as it has always been.

When absolutely everything falls apart... I remember what make me who I am and I persevere.

Sorry for the lack of posts

2011-10-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

I have been disconnected from the world, spending my days and nights with my face in law books trying to make sense of this nightmare they call law school. I finally feel like I can breath again. The past few weeks hit me like a truck and I have been struggling to get back on my feet.
But! At least I have sailing and that is all I have. 2 weeks ago I raced "sail your house" on Vanadis and we won! This weekend I raced the Grand Prix Regatta on Izakaya and placed 3rd.

Thank god it's almost November.

PSSC day 1

2011-10-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

Got off work just in time to catch the end of the PSSC race today. Day 1 of 2. Tomorrow (day 2) i'll be on the water helping with Race Committee!

Around the last mark and they are DONE!

Living on a boat is kinda like camping

2011-10-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

The weather in Seattle is starting to get cooler and it feels like autumn. (My favorite season) This cooler weather has made me see so many similarities between living on a boat and camping. The most striking one was last night. I woke up in the middle of the night and I felt cold, for some reason I felt like I was in my sleeping bag and I couldn't get warm. I guess not having heat, like normal house would, makes the temperature in the boat fluctuate. I just remember wishing I had my sleeping bag, then I realized just turn the heater on you idiot! So I did and everything was better.
Another similarity, when I wake up in the morning I immediately turn the kettle on, the steam from the kettle warms up the boat. I this reminds me of camping because I always used to huddle around the camping stove waiting impatiently for the water to boil so I could have a cup of hot tea and warm up.
Another similarity, when it rains sometimes the boat leaks, kinda like my tent when camping.
Another similarity, you always have to fetch water. the difference is that I don't have to do it as often because unlike camping, my water tank is much larger on the boat.
I think that is it for the similarities. The difference between camping and living on a boat is that my boat floats and my tent sinks.

Sailing through law school

2011-09-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

The first month of law school has flown by. I feel completely overwhelmed- which I have heard is normal. It is amazing how quickly your life can change, if you want it to. When Rory left for Alaska, I realized that I needed to make some adjustments so that I could continue to embrace that feeling of adventure that he carried around with him, the feeling I got when we would explore together, and the feeling that kept me smiling every day. Without him around it was hard to be my usual chipper self. Until...
Last week, my best friend came to visit and we went out to get drinks at Ray's. There we ran into a group of sailor who had finished day 1 of a 2 day race. I was invited to help do Race Committee, the people who help put on the Regatta, without hesitation I agreed to be there and help. It was an amazing experience, a lot like triathlon (except on water). I helped check boats in at the start of the race and write down finishing times at the end of the race.
Since, the regatta last week I have completely immersed myself in the sport of sailing and connected with a lot of local sailors. I have met some amazing people who plan their life in extraordinary ways.
Here are some examples:
The owner of Dove, worked at Mircosoft for most of his life, now he is selling everything he owns and leaving on his sailboat, with his wife, FOREVER. I asked him where he was going, he said SOUTH. I love it. I wish him the best.
Another example, Jennifer. Her and her husband raced a 15 day race around Vancouver island. That is pretty incredible to me.
Lastly, I met a man who is planning a trip to Tahiti! He is a law school drop out who realized that wasn't the life for him, now he makes his living selling yachts. When he talked about sailing to Tahiti I just stood their with the most excited expression on my face; he was completely calm and talking about his trip like it was a common thing to do.

So the bottom line is, I want to be these people! I want to be incredible and do incredible things just like the people I have met in the last week.

Rory leaves for Alaska.

2011-08-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Last week Rory left for his training in Anchorage, AK. He is going to be a fishy-scientist, as I like to call it, but I don't think that is the correct title. The correct title is observe but observer sounds so boring, it definitely not a boring job. He gets to live on a fishing boat for 3 months and count fish. He is going to be in heaven. I swear sometimes I think he loves fish more than he loves me but I know that's not true.His new fishy-scientist outfit.

He had some trouble figuring out how it works

He packed his whole life, for the next 3 month, in this duffel bag. Funny thing is I think it is bigger than the packs we took the New Zealand for 3 months and we pack a bedroom and a kitchen in there. We were so much more efficiency with out light, waterproof, multi-use items. The company told him not to buy anything tech-y because he was going to have to throw all of it away, because of the fish and diesel smell. GROSS!
I just hope he comes home in one piece, alive, and that he doesn't turn into a scary fishermen.

Mommy Maria

2011-08-28T10:02:00.001-07:00

My mommy came to visit me in Seattle and she absolutely loved it. We did an insane amount of stuff the week she was here. We went canoeing, camping, fishing, shopping, sight seeing, we went to Canada, the beach. We had a lot of fun together.

Going canoeing

Checking out Golden Gardens

Going boating, we saw Bill Gates house and mom checked in on Facebook.

We went to Ballard Locks.

Rory and I in Canada, Campbell River, fishing! (mom was at the campsite sitting by the fire)

Mom had such a great time here in Seattle, she threatened to move here. I was all about it! I think she liked Seattle better than Colorado. There is so much more to do here, all the fun city stuff my mom loves plus all the fun outdoor stuff.

I miss her tons! I can't wait to see her again, soon.

Back to Boulder for J and C

2011-07-17T13:00:00.001-07:00

We had an awesome weekend with our friends! (I was sad to leave.)

Congrats to Jeff and Catherine. I love you both so much!

The decorations Catherine made were amazing. Everything came together perfectly for their special day.

Our move to Seattle

2011-06-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

We packed up our entire life into a subaru legacy and a 5x8 uhaul trailer and we pulled that trailer all the way to Seattle. From Boulder we drove to Laramie, Wyoming where we stopped at a Qdoba for lunch. I must say I am glad I did not decide to go to Laramie for law school. What a run down town. The first billboard I saw in town was about Meth, need I say more? From there we drove across the whole state of Wyoming to Utah. In Utah we stopped in a pretty awesome town called Ogden. There we had dinner and decided to spend the night. I liked Ogden because it has beautiful views of the mountains and the lake, sometimes both at the same time. Ogden, like Boulder, is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. So I guess you can say it felt a little like home, my previous home.
After Ogden we headed north to Oregon and made a stop in a cute little rainy town in eastern Oregon and had dinner at a pub/ brewery, there we quickly realized that the food and the home brewed root beer were no where near as good as the stuff we had back in Boulder. At this point, I think we were starting to miss our perfect little town. After dinner we headed back out on to the rainy wet roads and made it all the way to Yakima,WA. Yakima might be known for its racks but we didnt stop to find out, we stopped at a rest-stop in the middle of the night to get some shut eye. Then early in the morning we drove to Ellensburg to get some breakfast. From there we drove for 4/5 hours straight to Ballard, Washington our new home.
Settling in on a boat came very easy to us. For some reason Rory and I do well in non-conventional living situations and the best part is we love doing it.
It took us a few days to unpack and find everything but once we did we were off to explore our new town. Living in a city a so different from living in Boulder but I think I can adapt to this way of life again, especially if I have a boat to come home to every night.
Here are a few things we have with in walking distance of our dock: a lake, park, restaurants, movie theater, clothing shops, boat shops, a grocery store, trader joe's, a farmers market (on sundays), and tons of coffee shops. I even have a buffalo exchange here, I thought that it was a Boulder thing. I have yet to walk into it, I am not too sure I am going to like the Seattle-ites fashion choices.
Ballard is a pretty awesome town.

I'm really happy Rory and I moved to Seattle, I miss all my friends back in Boulder but i'll see you all soon and if I miss you when I come back please come visit me, I'm sure you'll love it here too.

Moving

2011-05-23T14:37:00.001-07:00

WE ARE MOVING TO SEATTLE!

We leave for our new life in Seattle in one week. We are both really excited to start something new. I start law school on the 20th of June at Seattle University School of LAW!

Check back soon for photos of our new home!

Rory turned 30

2011-04-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was Rory's 30th birthday. All was going well until his actual date of birth, which was on Sunday. On Friday night we went to one of his favorite restaurants, Protos in north Boulder with a bunch of our friends. The food and wine was great. Towards the end of dinner some of Rory's friends decided it would be a good idea to buy him tequila shots. This is when the night started to get interesting. After dinner we went out to Tahona a tequila bar/night club. We all danced to bad 80s remix music and the boys got caught up in between a hand full of lesbians on the dance floor. They thought it was awesome.
The next day Rory and I both had to work and he had to nurse his awful hangover. The weekend went down hill from here. On Sunday morning, Rory's actual birthday, he got food poisoning. He spent the whole day in the bathroom or in bed. The worst part was they he had a bunch of friends over for a BBQ and he missed his own party.

He is feeling a lot better now.

Hawaii!!!

2011-03-23T13:58:00.001-07:00

Yup we went to Hawaii and it was GREAT! Here are some photos of our trip!

Boots, guns, and jerky.

2011-02-11T08:13:00.000-08:00

The headline pretty much sums it up. I went to Texas last weekend. My friend Krissi and I decided to do a last minute road trip after the flight to San Antonio was delayed. I picked her up from Denver Airport and we drove for 16 hours down to San Antonio. When we got there we had sushi lunch with her very awesome dad. (He is a criminal defense attorney.) Krissi said he likes me but I think he is fascinated by me because I speak Farsi, he probably thinks I am a spy. After very yummy sushi we went back to Krissi's mom's house to take a nap then we hung out with some of Krissi's friends. That night we got completely plastered at crappy local bar. The only thing I have to say I hated about Texas was the fact that everyone smokes in bars.

Day 2: We slept in until almost 12. Then we got up, grabbed a few tacos and headed to Austin. There we met up with my best friend from college, Kristin. We had lunch at a really hip restaurant, I ordered Chicken Fried Steak. I was happy to try it but I must admit I really like my steak juicy and not fried. Kristin and I

Soon after, we went down town to visit one of Krisitin's friends and grab a drink at a bar on 6th street. Then we all drove back to San Antonio and went to see Krissi's childhood best friend who was bar-tending at a fancy bar in downtown San Antonio by the River Walk. The River Walk is a really pretty place at night with lights that glow on the banks of the river and tons of bars. After we were happily wasted, everyone but me since I was designated driver. We went to Jim's, the Texas version of Denny's. Except Jim's was much better. I order steak fingers(steak fried chicken finger style), another Texan dish I needed to try. It was alright. I much prefer chicken fingers.

Basket of Steak Fingers

Day 3: Again we slept in until Krissi got a phone call from her dad saying that he would be able to take us shooting. I jumped out of bed frantically and got Kristin up (aka dragged her into the bathroom so she could shower) I put on my cool shooting range outfit, cowboy boots, jeans and a cool Eddie Bauer vest and I was ready. We left the house, picked up Krissi's dad and went to get some brunch, authentic San Antonio Texmex. We shot 3 pistols and 1 rifle. See photos below. After shooting we went to watch the super-bowl. I don't really care much for football.
Day 4: We had a lazy day after such a crazy weekend. I did a lot of Knitting.
Day 5: I got on a flight at 6am and flew back home to snowy Boulder.
Since I have been back my body has been in shock because of the food I ate while I was in Texas. My body is rejecting yummy salad and fruit and wants fried food, too bad! No more fried food especially because Rory and I are going to Hawaii in 19 days and I need to get rid of my winter weight.

Me shooting the 380 Walther PPK (James Bond's gun)

The hottest girls at the range.

Snow and Circus

2011-01-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a fun-filled mid-week extravaganza. Rory and I decided to go up to Breckenridge to snowboard because it had snowed 10 inches the day before, so we thought the conditions were going to be awesome. Snow conditions were good, not prefect powder but very flow-y. The sky was blue and sunny but the wind was strong and cold. We didn't last very long in the 5 degree weather.
After snowboarding we drove home and got ready for Cirque Du Soleil: Alegria. It was an amazing show, I have never seen it so I was blown away. I enjoyed the 50 performers, there was always a lot to watch. I also liked te a variety of acts. What I enjoyed the most was the music, they had a live band and 2 singers. It was really interesting because I wasn't sure what language the songs were sung in but I can say that it was not in English. I think some of the songs were in Spanish, Italian and French. Algeria means Joy in Spanish. Overall it was a great show and I highly recommend it. Then we came home and had left over Chinese food, my favorite! It was a great day!

A blog about blogging

2011-01-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

I remember the days of blogging 10 years ago when I was a teen age girl. Me and all my friends had blogs. Except it was different back then. Back then we did not use our 'real' names on our blogs. Each and everyone of us used a code name or a "screen name", something like what we used for instant messenger but of course it couldn't be the same as our screen names because then people would know who we were and that sure wasn't the point of blogs back then.
Blogs were a place that we would write things we couldnt tell anyone about, a place where our secrets were safe. Well I'm sure that makes no sense to you, just keep reading. Blogs were a complex web of inter-connected friends who would only share secrets that they would tell each other anyway(sort of like a clique). Here comes the complicated part, back then and still today blogs were and are public so anyone can read them and people who you didnt want to read your blog would read it and of course there was drama. There were tears, fights, break ups, school suspensions, and groundings. I think the most interesting part about blogs back in the day was that people had to prove whose blog was whose if they were going to expose that person, this was always a difficult task. There were lies, people blaming the wrong person, friends trying to save another friends blog by blaming someone else, and people changing their blog's name. So blogs were the drama from high school in an after school activity. It was pretty stupid actually but hey we were kids and this is what we did.
My blog has come a long way since. It has changed a many times and finally in 2011 it is what it is. I was inspired to write this blog after I started reading the newest issue from Blood Knot Magazine , an on-line fly fishing magazine. Their latest issue is about fly fishing bloggers, I read 4 or 5 articles before I got to the one written by the editor and stopped reading once I got to the statistics about bloggers.
-most bloggers are men
- 60% are between 18 and 44 years of age
-under half hold graduate degrees
I find this information very interesting. First because I am not a man, second because I have a graduate degree and third because I love fly fishing.

I guess I am a rather unusual woman. I have blog and I fly fishing and the new issue from Blood Knot magazine has made me realize I need to blog MORE about fishing.
I should blog even when I get skunked at the dream stream and just want to forget about that cold windy day when I was on the river with a fever.

Thanks blood knot for the encouragement.

Its Dec and 50 degrees.

2010-12-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

Above are a few photos from our trip to Breckenridge. I know its absolutely gorgeous.
This is us at the Boulder Reservoir with the dogs.
Our Christmas Card! Merry Christmas!

It has been a quiet past few weeks since thanksgiving. I have been working a lot on my federal cases which causes me to go to Denver more often than id like. Going to Denver is not all that bad. Frankly, I enjoy meetings with Federal prosecutors and their FBI agents. Although it is intimidating I feel important when I make a contribution that assists in my clients defense. The agents aren't that bad, they just see the world in black and white and the prosecutors (some of them) are a lot nicer than people give them credit for.
This week I get to work from home since my boss is going to visit family. I have planned a few day getaway for Rory, the dogs and I in the mountains. We are going to go fishing at The Dream Stream and snowboarding this week. I think it will be tons of fun. Check back soon for a blog and photos.

Happy Turkey Day

2010-11-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

Rory and I woke up at 7:30 to wash and prepare the turkey. In this photo Martin and Rory are seasoning the turkey. It took about 30-40 mins to prepare the turkey and place it in the oven.
This is the turkey at the beginning of its roast. Our turkey was 21 pounds, it wasn't until after we carved the turkey that we realized we got a massive bird. We had 7 people all together and we didn't even get through 1/2 of the turkey. Lucky for us we have a lot of left overs.
Here is our beautifully roasted turkey.
The table before everyone sat down to eat.
This is Rory's amazing stuffing. He made it with bacon, apples and brie. Yummy!

We had a great thanksgiving with our friends. The food was amazing. And now I can say I have cooked a turkey for the first time it came out great! Thank you to everyone who came to our thanksgiving celebration and thank you to everyone who help!

Another Cyclocross race

2010-11-07T13:04:00.000-08:00

I love cyclocross. It is the hardest 45 mins on my bike but in the end I feel amazing to have finished. Here is our new video from this weekends race.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxYngNdmtjw

The Latest and Greatest

2010-10-31T12:28:00.000-07:00

Rory and I have decided to race cyclocross this year. It is our new winter cycling sport. Here is a video we made after our first race. It should help explain what cyclocross is for those of you who have never heard of the sport.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vMgBogjito

We are planning to do another race this Saturday Nov. 6th.

Check back here or at www.Roryseiter.com for next weeks cyclocross race video.

We went to Mexico

2010-10-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

We went to Mexico to watch our friend Ben Collins race the Puerto Vallarta ITU Pan-American Cup. Rory and I stayed with Ben at a resort on the beach very close to the race site. While we were there we drink a lot of margaritas and sat by the pool.
Here are some photos of our trip.

Boulder, CO Fire

2010-09-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

On Monday a wild fire started in the foothills near Boulder. This fire has been spreading since, the high winds and dead trees (because of the pine beetle) are in part to blame. This has been a very scary experience. Our home is on the south side of town so it is relatively far from the fire but we still feel the effects.
This is my second experience with a disaster so close to home, 9/11 was the first. In ways this wildfire is similar, the feeling in my lungs from the ash and smoke and the smell of the smoke remind me of the burning building back in New York.
This fire has had a major impact on the Boulder community. People have been coming together to help the evacuees and their pets. Rory and I donated sport drink powder and sports bars to the fire fighter. I hope it helps them get through their long days.

Here are some pictures.

Fishing the Blue river

2010-09-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

Ironman 70.3 Boulder

2010-08-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

I did my first 1/2 Ironman. Whooohoo.
This was a serious challenge. Before the race I was seriously worried I wasn't going to finish. I have not been very good at completing my run training and I have never ran 13.1 miles in my life.
Here is the break down of my Swim, Bike, Run.
The Swim:
My favorite part! I really enjoyed the swim, maybe because I love swimming. I am really not fast at all, it took me 46 mins. I just really like to swim. I got into a rhythm really quickly. I was also not run over by anyone!
The Bike:
I loved the bike course. It is one of my favorite to ride. Except, on race day I was really scared. There were a lot of people riding like they were the most important person out there. They were yelling and passing people with barely any room between them and the other person. I'm sorry but triathletes are infamous for being horrible bike handlers and seeing these people screaming and being so aggressive scared me. Not to mention, at mile 6 I saw the worst crash I have ever seen, in person. I was going to throw up. There was so much blood and seeing the limp bodies of 4 or 5 triathletes laying on the side of the road covered in gravel was sickening. I decided to ride safe rather than FAST for the rest of the 50 miles.
I also saw Craig Alexander running up 36 on the opposite side of the road we were riding on. I was shocked and excited. I have never seen him, in person. It was really cool.

The Run:
Ohhhh the run. I was really worried about this part but I did pretty well. I am not fast but I definitely did not walk most of the time. My nutrition was ON POINT! I think it was all the endurolites and gels I had. I think I ate about 10 gels for the whole race. I really like Strawberry Banana by Powerbar aka Nestle. So, no cramping = good but I was still stupidly slow. But you know what, I did it. It was physically and mentally exhausting but I finished.

The end:
I was so excited I did a kart-wheel over the finish line. Sadly, there was no one to see it. All of my friends had gone and my boyfriend was busy showing his dad around (because his dad was visiting that weekend.)Anyway, I got my medal, a water bottle and my hat. I went straight into transition to see if anyone had called me or was still at the race. Rory had called but he said he wasn't going to make it. My friend Ben had to leave to go meet someone.
All alone I sat in transition trying to get myself to get up and go get some food from the expo area but I had no energy left and I didn't want to carry all my stuff myself. So I sat there for a few minutes and tried to stretch, everything hurt so bad. I started to gather my things and started crying. I was sitting there all alone just crying my eyes out. I had no idea why but I couldn't stop. I then realized it was because I need someone else to help me, someone else to give me the power to get up but I was so exhausted that I just gave up on everything.

I hope to be stronger and faster next time.

Busy with guests

2010-07-28T12:43:00.001-07:00

Hello Blog!

I have been so busy! The past few weeks are a blur now. I have been training for my 1st Ironman and I am tried all the time. My mom came to visit, that was also exhausting. We had a great time. She was here for a week but it felt like a weekend. She is amazing! We had so much fun seeing the sights in Colorado. I think she liked Boulder, in the summer. She might have to come to Denver for a business trip in September.

This week I started my LSAT course, again! I am really interested to see if my score improves! I hope it does. I would like to be able to go to CU Boulder Law School.
Our friend Ben Collins has been racing triathlons the past 3 weeks and he is staying with us. When he leaves Rory's dad is going to come visit and then another friend is coming to visit a week later.

So this summer we have been very busy with triathlons and guests.

By the way, I am buying a cyclocross bike soon. I really want to start racing cyclocross!

Boulder Peak Triathlon

2010-07-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

What a race on Sunday! I had a great time at the Boulder Peak Triathlon. I enjoyed the Olympic distance. This was the 2nd Olympic distance triathlon I have ever done.
Race day: We got up really early and left the house around 5:30 am. Then arrived at the race site, Boulder Reservoir, around 6 am. We parked the car and headed over to the transition area to set up our gear. Transition closed at 6:20 and the race started at 6:30. Rory and I, for the 1st time ever, found ourselves in the same wave, which started at 7:30. Hmmm, what to do for an hour. Rory spent most of his time waiting in line for the bathroom and I sat on a bench watching everyone start their race at the beach.
The Swim: Finally it was our turn to start. I warmed up and was ready to go! The swim was great for the 1st half. I was feeling awesome and I was swimming fast. At the turn around buoy the wave that started after me caught up. I believe this was the 30-35 mens age group and they were aggressive. I got pretty beat up in the water, this messed up my concentration not to mention hurt pretty bad. I still can't sleep on my left side because I was kicked in the ribs so hard. My swim took 38 mins which is 10 mins faster than my last Olympic race. Yay!
The Bike: I knew going into this race that the bike course was going to be hard because of a very steep hill, Lee Hill. I was very proud of myself to have rode the bike course without getting off my bike and walking (many people were doing this). I also really enjoyed the whole course, this was the best bike course I have ever raced.
The run: I am sad to say my run is still my run. It took me a long time. I am not a natural runner. It was so bad that Rory likes to tell everyone he was waiting at the medical tent because he thought something happened to me. Yea... I am a slow runner. My friends even made fun of me when I told them how long it took. It is really hard for me to run after swimming and riding my bike, I feel like I have no energy left and my legs always cramp. Everyone tells me I should run more so I am going to try to run 3 times a week for the next 3 weeks. Maybe this will help me in my next race, Boulder 70.3 Aug 8th.

Moving chaos

2010-07-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

We moved! Finally we are in an apartment that is a good size for us. We are currently living in a 2 bedroom that is double the size of our previous apartment.
Perks of the new place:
-huge
-has a yard and the dog have a lot of room the play
-we have a dinning room table
-Rory and I each have our own desk
-free laundry
-all utilities included
-we have an extra room we call the office, guest room and gear room!
-it is cool in the summer
- we don't have crack head neighbors anymore
- its quiet at night
- and overall its just great!

We moved all of our stuff and acquired quite a bit of furniture very quickly. We are now focusing on decorating the place with poster size photos we have taken.

Sorry no pictures yet. Things are still all over the place.

Mom comes to visit in a week. I am excited.

5430 Sprint Photos

2010-06-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

Lee Hill bike ride

2010-06-23T13:16:00.000-07:00

I decided that I really need to ride my bike more often. So yesterday my legs were feeling almost completely recovered from the race on Sunday so I went out for a 25 mile ride. I rode from our place in south Boulder to Lee Hill and Broadway and started the ascent. I had no idea what I was in for. I have never been up Lee Hill, not even in a car. So I wasn't sure how steep it was or how far it was. I was doing really well until a mile and a half into the climb. My legs were feeling the burn but it was tolerable, what I couldn't handle was my breathing. I felt like I was suffocating. I had to stop at one of the steepest parts, which was a good and bad thing. It was good because I got my breathing under control but it was bad because I could barely start up again. I rode up another half mile and had to stop again. This time I felt like I was going to throw up. I stopped and tried to drink some water but as soon as the water from my water bottle entered my mouth I spit it right out. I couldn't even swallow. I don't even know what my heart rate was like at this point. So I took some deep breaths and tried to drink some water again. This time I was successful and couldn't stop until one water bottle was finished. I started my ascent again and I didn't stop until I got home. YAY!
I made it to the top of Lee Hill and started my decent down Old Stage Road to Left Hand Canyon then onto 36 back to Broadway. On the way back I saw this really cute baby fox. It was so nice to see him trotting along the side of the road doing whatever he was doing. It made me smile but then I quickly stopped smiling because I didn't want to eat a million bugs on the way the hill.
It was a really pleasant ride. I would love to do it again and next time without any stops. I had a lot of encouragement on the ride up, I saw a lot of guys riding down and they either waved, nodded, or smiled at me. I think it was because they saw a girl that looked like the was going to die but didn't give up.
The best part is that this is the bike course for the Olympic distance and now I know what I am in for and I can do this ride at least once a week in preparation for the race which is only a month away.

Boulder Tri Series Sprint

2010-06-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

Great race this weekend. I raced the Boulder Tri Series Sprint distance this weekend. It took place on Sunday at the Boulder reservoir. This is the first year Ironman is putting on the 5430 sports races. I have never personally raced a 5430 sports event before (only because it was sold out last year) but I have never heard so many complaints at a triathlon before. Ironman did a very poor job with the expo this year. There was no instruction on where to go or what line to stand on. There were two lines one for USAT membership verification and one for packet pickup. Some people stood on the packet pick up line only to find out that they had to go to the USAT membership line first. This was chaos. I was upset to have to be standing in line for about an hour. I can only imagine how upset people with children were.
Other than the pre-race expo there was nothing else that really went wrong, well the food after the race sucked but I will count that in with the expo.
The swim was awesome for me! I didn't do amazing but I felt really good, I was passing people in the water and that gave me confidence. I am glad my training is paying off.
The bike was alright. I had a good bike until around the last 2 miles, that is when my legs "died."
Finally, the run I was pretty dead on the run. My legs were cramping really bad and I could barely walk. I got to an aid station and had a GU or something like it, some nutrition. I felt better 5 minutes later. I was able to pick up my pace and really give it my all to the finish line.

I think overall the race went really well. I liked that everything was really well marked on the course, I never felt like I was lost or confused. The aid station on the bike was a surprise and the aid stations on the run was awesome.
Transition was huge but it was set up with numbers indicating who was in each row, although I got lost coming into transition from the swim I didn't have a problem after the bike. I think my head was a little dizzy after the swim.

Soccer game/ Stroke and Stride

2010-06-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night was our 2nd soccer game. We only had one girl sub and I played the whole game. I really focused on being aggressive this game, I tried not to wait to see what the other team was going to do, I ran at them when they got the ball. My strategy worked pretty well, it forced them to pass the ball quickly and most of the time it was an incomplete pass. I also had one shot on goal.
Next game I am going to try to get open more often and have more shots on goal.
Last night was my first Stoke and Stride. My swim was definitely not the best. I feel like I am a better swimmer but I guess I panicked last night for the 1st 100 meters. I was swimming with my head up and completely forgot to breathe. After the 1st 100 meters I got into a rhythm and finished the swim strong. I was the only one who started taking off my wetsuit as I was coming out of the water and I was the only one running into transition.
My 5k run was pretty slow. My legs hurt from soccer yesterday. It was a good practice for my race this weekend, the Boulder Tri-Series Sprint Distance.
Packet Pick up tomorrow! Race Sunday!

Rain, rain, rain

2010-06-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will be 80 degrees but today rain, yesterday rain, all weekend rain. It has been a very lazy past few days. I spent a lot of time watching soccer and working from home. I have not been training the past few days because I am a big baby and I don't like going outside when it is cold and wet.
This morning I woke up and I was determined to go for a run. So I got dressed and took Lando with me for my run. It was cold and started raining 15 mins into our run. Not very fun but at least I got my run in. Tonight I have swimming, it should be a good a swim. I'm working on making my kick stronger and starting to pull as soon as my hand enters the water.

I got a package today from my mom. I love when she sends me Persian food. She sent pita bread that I love, a brand we don't have here in Colorado. She also sent me Persian tea and french feta. These are all my favorite foods I grew up with that are hard to find in Colorado. I love my mom. I hope she can come visit soon.

World Cup

2010-06-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

The FIFA World Cup started this week. Rory and I went to the lazy dog to watch England vs USA. Amazingly we tied 1:1! It was definitely a lot of fun to watch the game with some of our soccer teammates/ friends. I love watching the world cup, soccer is one of the few sports I find interesting to watch on TV.
Today we are looking at apartments and watching the Australia vs Germany game. Then later this afternoon watching our pro-triathlete friend, Ben Collins, compete at Hyvee Triathlon in Des Moines, Iowa. (It has been raining here for the past few days and again all day today.) The triathlon should be interesting because there weather is not looking too good, they might have to cancel the swim if there are thunderstorms.
Rory and I were planning on attending Hyvee this weekend but now we are glad we didn't. It sounds like the weather has been bad for the past few days and they are expecting flooding.

Coot lake

2010-06-09T11:46:00.001-07:00

We went to Coot Lake to keep ourselves busy because we couldn't go climbing! We also still can't go river fishing because of the runoff. The dogs had so much fun. Little Topper swam around for a very long time. I think he swam more at Coot Lake than he has in his whole life combined. It was 90 degrees so it was nice to be in the water.
I caught so many of these little fish. They would eat anything you put in front of them. We saw some huge fish jumping but they were in the middle of the lake. Next time we are going back with a raft!

My new Simms Fly Fishing Boots

2010-06-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

My new fly fishing boots finally arrived at our local fly shop, Front Ranger Anglers. I am thrilled! I have been waiting for these boots for 6 months now. They were on back order for a very long time.
So lately the run off has been really bad and the fishing has been nonexistent but today I decided I needed to go out and fish to celebrate getting new boots. I took the dogs and went to the river that flows out of Eldorado Canyon. I heard the flows there weren't too high and it was 'fish-able'.
We got there around 4pm and walked up to an area where it looked pretty good. I get myself ready and start casting. 3rd cast and I snag something under the water. I'm moving around trying to get it un-hooked when the line snaps. DARN! Two new flies gone!
So I tie some more flies on and I move up the river to a spot where the river splits. I'm standing where the river splits to my left down to a dam and the river spits to my right but is really fast. I think this is a great spot. There are some trees around so it makes the casting tricky but I think I can manage. I am just about to start casting when Lando slips into the water after trying to get a stick and starts to float towards the dam which is only 10 feet away. I jump in after him because the water is too strong for him to swim against and pull him back onto the bank. Of course I have to jump into hip deep water and i'm not wearing my waiters because it is 90 degrees out. I'm standing on the bank wet and shaken up when I realize I jumped in with my backpack on....FUCK my iphone is in there! Now i'm freaking out trying to see how much water got into my pack, luckily my phone is fine. Lando is fine and I am only a little scratched up.
No big deal so I keep fishing. My hands are a little shaky and my heart is racing. I try to calm down and start fishing again when my line gets stuck in a tree. GOD DAMN IT! Okay now im in the tree trying to free my line. Okay, line free. I am trying not to get pissed off.
I am casting at the other bank, it looks great there are flies above the water, it is slower water, I know there is a fish in there. Casting, mending, casting, mending, casting, SNAG in another tree. NOT AGAIN! I try to shake it loose and my line snaps. FUCK THIS!

At least my boots are awesome.

Teva Mountain Games

2010-06-06T17:15:00.001-07:00

We went to the Teva Mountain Games in Vail this weekend.

The Teva games are a combination of many different sporting competitions including sports such as: Fly fishing, climbing, mt biking, road cycling, dog races, kayaking, running.

Here I am at the casting clinic the day before the competition. The two other people in the photo are employees from the local fly shop, they were giving me pointers on my casting.
Rory Casting!
Me casting!

Our little family.
This is our dog trainer's dog competing in the distance jump.

Here we are fishing after the games at Clinton Reservoir near Leadville.

Over all the weekend went well, Rory and I were a little bummed we didn't make it to the 2nd level of the fly fishing competition but we had a great time and we got some awesome stuff for just entering into the competition. I think I will most definitely do it again next year.

Law office

2010-06-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my longest day at the office since I started working here in November. I was at the office from 9am to 7:30pm. We had a meeting yesterday, the private investigator, Marc (attorney) and I. We all decided on a huge project for me that took my entire day, the bad news was I didn't completely finish it. I work until I couldn't think anymore and I was about 3/4 of the way done. So I just decided to go home and start on it early this morning. I am finally finished with it.
Today, my boss brought his 13 year old kid to work. He is very funny and hates his computer. All I have heard all day is "technology hates me!" "my computer never works". I have been distracted all day by him trying to set up a printer on his computer.
It has been a very eventful past 2 days at the office.

Bolder Boulder

2010-05-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

Rory and I ran the Bolder Boulder this morning. It was pretty awesome! There were bands and people cheering the whole 10k. I felt like there was never a dull moment. I passes people standing out on their lawns handing out bacon, beer, donuts, and even Doritos on the runners. It was very encouraging and distracting at the same time. It was great because all the entertainment made the time go by really fast. The only 'problem' was that I never got a chance to settle into a good pace because I just couldn't focus. I still had an amazing time and I will most definitely do it again next year.
My preliminary race results are:
21,493 over all out of 50,000+
Time: 1:05:44 my goal was to do it under an hour so I guess I was close.
Pace: 10:35 yep that is really slow. I guess I am not a natural runner.

Bolder Boulder tomorrow

2010-05-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the biggest 10k race in Boulder, maybe even Colorado. This will be my first time participating. I am very excited. Memorial day weekend is a blast in Boulder. There are so many things going on. Besides the Bolder Boulder there is the Boulder creek festival. Rory and I took the dogs downtown to check it out. It is just like a carnival! I felt like a little kid.
Lately things have been rather boring. Rory and I work opposite hours so we don't get to see each other much. This leaves me with a lot of extra time on my hands. So I have been keeping busy with training (swim, bike, run) cooking french foods, practicing my french, hanging out with the dogs and watching a lot of shows on netflix.
Besides the Bolder Boulder I have a fly fishing competition coming up on June 5th at the Teva games in Vail. This will be my first fly fishing competition ever. In the 1st round we will be competing for distance and accuracy. Qualifiers will then move on to round 2 where they will have to catch fish using only a few different fly patterns on a designated river. Finally, in round 3 qualifiers will go on a 4 hour rafting trip and try to catch as many fish as possible. There are a maximum of 80 participants. I wonder how many girls will be there. I really hope Rory makes it to round 3, he would love a float trip!

Why am I so busy?

2010-04-01T09:08:00.001-07:00

My laptop broke about 2 weeks ago and since then life has been slightly upside down.

Since then I have been overwhelmed with getting a new job, at the boulder Chop House, having my little sister visit me,putting some hours in at the law office and trying to find some time to train.
Last week was quite eventful. My little sister Mona arrived on Wednesday. We had some fun together. She likes visiting me in Colorado and she especially enjoyed spending time with Topper and Lando. We went on some hikes together. The weather was pretty nice here. (In New York the weather wasn't so great. They had some pretty bad flooding.) It was also Rory's birthday on Saturday. Mona, Rory, our friends Jeff, Katherine and I all went to the Chop House for a Happy Hour birthday celebration. The food was great!
My new job at the Chop House is awesome. They are open from 4-10pm so the earliest I ever have to be at work is 3:45. This really helps me coordinate the hours I put in at the law office and the hours I have to be at the Chop House. The only problem is I wish I didn't have to work Monday and Wednesday nights because that is when I have masters swim class. Sadly, I missed class all last week because of work. This week went a little more smoothly. I had been cutting back my hours at the law firm because I wanted to spend more time with my sister while she was here but she left Tuesday night so I have been spending a lot of time catching up on work. I also have a huge project due at the end of the month so free time might be hard to find.
The weather has been amazing the last few days, in the 70s. I really wish I had time for a bike ride outside. I have been slacking on my triathlon training.

Life update

2010-03-13T16:27:00.000-08:00

So my little Lando has been growing so quickly. This is Lando and Topper chewing on their toys a few weeks ago.
This was my little guy before he grew up.
This was him 4 months ago. Now he is 6 months old and 40 pounds!
So last month Rory, I and the Rudy Project gang went to the USAT hall of fame dinner. We had a great time hanging out among some of the "creators" of the sport of triathlon. We also met some famous people and a lot of race directors.
Here is what we do on our Saturday mornings. There is a fly shop across the street and on Saturday morning they have a free fly tying class. We have been going for the past few weeks. I will try to put up some pictures of the flies I have tied soon.

Oh , by the way I got into some law schools. Still waiting to hear from 10 more schools.

Back in Colorado

2010-02-03T15:24:00.001-08:00

New York was great! I got to see my mom, sister and a bunch of friends. I had a great time walking around the city showing Rory around. Long Island was pretty sweet also, I got a chance to go to the bar in huntington for the first time. I have never been old enough and finally I am, I don't think I missed too much in the past.

We are back in Colorado now. I am so happy to be back at work. I got to go to court for 6 hours today. I am sure you think that is boring but it was thrilling for me. The judge was so proper, the prosecution was very tense, my client was quiet, the witnesses were very interesting and the private investigator was GREAT! I really liked going to federal court today.

I also signed up for the Boulder Series Triathlon; a sprint, an Olympic and a 70.3. I have been doing a lot of swimming and cycling but I really need to start running more often.

Phhhew

2010-01-22T15:39:00.000-08:00

13 Law school applications finished! Went for a long walk with Lando and Rory. Lando got really muddy and loved every minute of it. I have planned a very busy week for Rory and I in New York.
We are spending a few days in the city and checking out all of the sights, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Rockerfeller Center, united Nations buildings (for me), Times Square and so on.
We then going to Long Island to see my mother and sister. I don't think LI is going to be as fun as the city. We do get to go to my favorite burger joint, American Burger Company.

I am so relieved that I am almost finished with all of my law school applications.

Fly Fishing

2010-01-03T20:10:00.000-08:00

We went fishing today, in the tail water of the Gross Reservoir. We took Lando with us he was well behaved because he didn't have to be on his leash. He loved playing in the snow.

I had a really hard time fishing because it was cold and I can't be patient when its cold. My cast was okay but staying focused and mending was very hard to do. Then the temperature dropped and it started to snow. So I decided to take pictures of Lando and Rory instead of standing in freezing water.

I really like this one of Lando on the rock and Rory fishing in the background.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

I have been out of the office this whole week, but I have been working from home. Working from home is much nicer. I get to set my own hours,I have an unlimited supply of food and tea, I can wear whatever I want and play with my dog.
This week we it was 50 degrees on Monday and Tuesday so I went for a nice trail run with Lando. Then it started to snow on Wednesday so we drove to the mountains to go snowboarding. We had a great time at Breckenridge. The conditions were great and getting better, I think we are going to go back on Saturday which is also the day after Christmas. (I really hope it is not extremely busy)
So today is Christmas Eve. I ran some errands this morning and did some work from home. Then I made gingerbread cookies. Yummy.
There is no Christmas tree this year, like last year, and I am over it. But, I am not over missing home. I really wish I could have been home for Christmas but a new job, new apartment and a new puppy made traveling impossible this year. So maybe next year we can go to New York, it doesn't have to be for Christmas I just want to go home soon.

Lando eats leaves

2009-12-14T08:08:00.000-08:00

The LSAT went well last week and I finally have my life back. It is weird having so much extra time. I think I have settled into a nice routine. Monday - Friday I work at the office. Saturday and Sunday I work at events. I really like this schedule because it keeps my brain and my body active. My brain more than my body so I have been trying to even it out by spending some quality time on my bike trainer. I wish I also had the motivation to run but I don't. I do have the motivation to swim but I don't have the money to join a gym with a pool.
All of the extra time I have not working and not training I spend with Rory and Lando. I really hope to go snowboarding this week. It finally snowed in the high country and I finally got screws for my bindings. I am just waiting for my new goggles from Rudy Project to be delivered and I will be ready to go snowboarding.
For now its time for some work at the office and time to continue laughing at Lando because he keeps walking over to the door and picking up a dried leaf from the ground and walking under my desk and eating it. He is so good at the office, he just sleep under the heater.

LSAT one week to go!

2009-11-28T14:30:00.000-08:00

I am so excited for my LSAT next week. I can finally have my life back. I can't wait to go snowboarding, rock climbing and fishing again.
Studying for the LSAT is all I do and I really hope it pays off. I am excited to get into law school and be a student again. I really hope I can get into cu boulder,if not, Denver is my 2nd choice.

We got a puppy last week. His name is Lando. Lando is a 2 month old black lab that we rescued from the boulder humane society. He is a great dog! We love him very much...

Sometimes Lando and I study

The LSAT...less than one month to go.

2009-11-06T20:33:00.000-08:00

Finally, the dreaded count down beings. Except now it is not so dreaded. I have the most amazing, smart, entertaining, and positive LSAT teach in the whole world. Well maybe not the whole world but definitely in my world.
I have made some really big changes to my life since the last time I took the LSAT:
- I am more determined now than I have ever been.
- I am a pleasant person to be around even though I am stressed, I apologize for using profanity every day, " I am fucking getting into law school" just keeps slipping out.
- I am studying harder now than I have ever and I am studying the right way.
-I have realistic goals.
-I am looking forward to taking the LSAT

Most importantly, I am juggling a full time job, studying every day, and going to class 3 times a week. I think this is the best part because it forces me to use my time wisely. When I am not working I am either in class or studying. There is nothing else I can do because frankly, I dont have the time for it. (This blog fits into my time constraints, sorry I have not been keeping up)

I am going to stop working as much as it gets closer to my test day but for now I am really loving my new job.

Our new place

2009-10-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the apartment.

Main room/ we haven't figured out what to do with it yet

Bathroom

kitchen

The office

The other side of the office is the hang out area

The bedroom

I have spent almost all of my time sitting at my desk, studying. It is really nice to have a desk and an apartment. It is great to not be living in a different places constantly.

I am so happy to have internet again.

2009-10-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

I guess a lot has changed since I wrote last. We went to Hawaii for Ironman World Championships. What a blast! We volunteered for water patrol, this was such an amazing experience. I got to see the start line in a whole new way. This lasted about 2 hours, there was a lot of paddling back and fourth to guide the swimmers around the buoys. Our friend Wen was absolutely hysterical in the water. He was helping the swimmers a little too much, he would pat them on the head and push them in the right direction all while screaming LEFT!!!! (left of the buoys) I am laughing right now thinking about it.
The rest of our time in Hawaii was spent hanging out on the beautiful beaches enjoying the great weather.
So I flew to Denver last week. I have since been getting my apartment furnished and comfortable to live in. I have a bed, some sheets, towels, a futon, some plates/ silverware and a desk. Nothing too fancy just the minimum to live for now.
It is so great to be living in Boulder again. I can ride my bike everywhere and take the bus when it is too cold. I am thinking about getting a car soon so I can go fish, climbing and snowboarding.

I also got a job today working at a law firm!!!!! I am so excited about it. I think I am also really weird. I am going to start work on Tuesday. I have to balance this and studying for the LSAT for the next month.
After Dec. 5th I will be working 40 plus hours a week! I am going to be working for a criminal defense attorney. He is pretty awesome. He went to Madison for undergrad and studied film then went to law school in Boulder. He is a hippie.
So the cases I am working on are nothing I would have expected. They are 2 real estate fraud cases and one drug possession case. Two of them are federal cases.
I am super excited to start working on them. I feel like I got the opportunity of a lifetime! Most people start as a receptionist/ paper pusher in a law firm making diddly, I am being taught everything, working hands on, and going to court! AHHHHH Why am I so excited about this? HMMM I guess I am just weird. I think the best part of it is my boss said to me "if you can get through these cases with me law school will be a breeze."

I am always up for a challenge!

5 days to kona!

2009-10-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

I haven't counted down to anything in a long time. I guess that is because life is great in the now and I don't need to make myself happy by looking into the future.
Today I sent out my resume and cover letter to 22 law firms in Boulder. Now I have to do the same thing for Denver soon. I really want a job in Boulder so I don't have to commute 45 mins each way.
Now I have to go study for the LSAT.

When you have to study for the LSAT applying for jobs becomes so much fun. ughhhhh. Yea I know. See why I can't wait for KONA!

After studying I am going to set up the expo for the LA triathlon. It should be a great weekend given there will be more than a thousand participants, there will also be an awesome elite race. Good Luck Ben Collins.

My best friend Heather might move to Boulder Co! I can't believe it! I really really want her to move out there because I miss her so much and I haven't seen her in a year!

Life is good...the LSAT sucks!

all i do is study...except yesterday!

2009-09-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

I feel like studying for the LSAT has taken over my life again. I had a nice routine down for about a week before my leg decided to start hurting. I would wake up every morning, eat some breakfast, walk to a desk with my tea and study for the LSAT. After studying I would go work out then study some more or job/ house hunt. yea... pretty boring, I know.
But yesterday was amazing! Rory and I went fishing. We went to the town of Fall City, not a really city it was more like a small farming community. We fished the Snoqualimie River. We both caught a few rainbow trout. The weather was so perfect and the water was nice a cool. We had a great time.
When we came back we made dinner with Courtney and Ben. Courtney made a really good salad, Ben and Rory BBQ-ed. Dinner was pretty good!
Now for the best part of the day. Courtney need someone to go with to the Gaslight Anthem concert in Seattle so I agreed to go. I did not know that Murder by Death was one of the opening acts. I really enjoy their music and I was thrilled to see them. Gaslight Anthem was pretty good too, a little too poppy for my taste but they put on a really good show.
Today I studied. Tomorrow we are working. Life is good.

Spokane Triathlon

2009-09-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

I raced the Spokane Triathlon on September 13th, 2009. This was the first year of the event and it was a great success. It was an olympic distance triathlon- 1.5k swim, 40 bike, and 10k run.
The day before the race packet pick up was set up outside a local tri-shop called Fitness Fanatics. The shop was a great location for packet pick up, there was plenty of parking and the shop carried everything you would need for race day. The best part about packet pick up was that there were no long lines! Everything was very well organized and there were plenty of people working the booths. The goodie bag was great, everyone got a cool white and orange long sleeve tech tee, a Fitness Fanatic water bottle, hammer gel, hammer endurolites, and coupons/ fliers.

Race day:
Transition opened at 5:30am, it didn't get busy until around 6:30.The racks were not numbered so the sooner you got there the better the spot you had. There was also mobile coffee truck parked right next to transition. They had some great drinks and breakfast foods. I always think it is a great idea to have coffee at transition on race mornings.
Swim:
The first wave took off 7 am (men) then at 7:03 (women). The swim course was very well marked. There were 4 BRIGHT orange buoys to follow on your right for the first half then a turn around and the same thing on the way back. The swim start was a deep water start, except it wasn't really very deep. I found a rock to stand until it was time to start the race. I really liked the swim because it was cold (60 degrees) so it made me swim harder and there was a current on the way out so as soon as I turned the last buoy I felt like I was floating all the way back to transition. I think it was the best negative swim split I have ever had!
Bike:
The run from the water to transition was really close, just long enough for me to start getting my wetsuit off and all of a sudden I was in front of my bike. Transition was really well marked, one in and one out. Simple! The bike is always my favorite part. I loved the scenery, the lack of cars, the wide open roads, the 3 simple right turns out and then 3 left turns back after the turn around! I felt like it went by so quickly. About half way through my bike I heard a cow bell and a cheering kid. The owner of Fitness Fanatics was driving the course to make sure everyone was okay and he had his kids in the back seat cheering the cyclist on with a cowbell and cheerful screams. It made me smile.
Run:
By the time I finished my bike it finally started to warm up a little. I was so happy the run was on gravel and through a shaded trail. It was a really beautiful and well marked trail. There were volunteers and signs everywhere. The run was 2 laps, the aid station could not have been more perfectly placed, I ran by it 4 times.There was water, Heed, and hammer gels.
The finish:
I finished with a great big smile on my face! Everyone was cheering, there was music and all the excitement you find at the finish line of any triathlon. I want to thank everyone made this triathlon happen! I had a great time and the race was perfect. I would love to do it again next year.

Check back for announcements for next years race.
http://www.spokanetriathlon.com/index.html

Vancouver Island

2009-09-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

We went to Vancouver Island this week to fish, kayak, and explore. We did a lot of fishing, no kayaking and quite a bit of exploring.

This is me on a ferry. We took 6 ferries this week. Some rides were short and some were long, all were beautiful.

It was beautiful fishing and hiking around.

I caught a massive mommy salmon! She was fat! Probably because she was making baby salmon. So we let her go.

She is big!

We traveled to Quadra Island to go kayaking but the wind said "no!" so we went on a leisurly bike ride instead, the island was really hilly.

This was a cool cafe we stopped at to get pizza and ice cream.

This was the dinner we had with the salmon Rory caught. It was yummy.

Yakima River

2009-09-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

Another fishing trip! We went to the Yakima river for a 3 day fishing adventure. The river was huge! Despite, the Cle Elum dam restricting water as part of their normal procedures for.... I actually don't know why exactly, maybe for winter-ization? So the water flows are about half of what they normally are all summer long. Still the river was hard to fish from the banks.
We stopped by a local fly shop when we arrived, The Evening Hatch. They were really nice and gave us some helpful information about the area, where to camp, and what the fish were eating. By the time we arrive at our campsite it was about 5pm, perfect time for some evening fishing! (my favorite)I just love that feeling I get when the fish are jumping all around me, its getting dark fast and I really just want to catch one more fish before I call it a day. The excitement of it all and trying to stay focused is what makes fishing so much fun for me. Anyway, I didn't catch any on the rise. Probably because I couldn't see anything.

The next day was also a lot of fun. We started fishing early in the morning and the wind was blowing hard, probably from the thunderstorm we had the night before. I was getting frustrated with my cast and had to keep telling myself to be patient. Rory found a cool little spot where the fish were hiding. He took me over to his spot and I instantly caught 3 or 4 fish. I think I scared them all away after that because neither one of us caught fish there for a while. I was changing flies.

The day was long and filled with lots of fishing. We explored some other fishing holes along the road. We had to drive to them which is not as fun as hiking. The next fishing hole was exciting, we saw an eagle of some sort!! I'm not sure what it was exactly but it swooped down, dive bombed the water, picked up a big fish, and ate it. I think it was going to do it again but I was screaming "whoaaaaa did you see that?"

Then Rory caught his fish of the day! YAY!

And I saw a snake, freaked out and started throwing rocks at it.

The Yakima river was a lot of fun, I don't think I will return to it until the water levels are really really low. I know there are big fish in there and I want to have the greatest advantage over them.

September

2009-09-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

Hey, would you look at that, it's September already. I don't really remember much of August or July. I guess life goes by fast when you are having fun. Or maybe July sucked and I try not to remember it, I doubt it. Seattle is so much fun! I really enjoy staying in a house and sort of having a routine. Everyday is still different from the last.
Today, I got my eye brows waxed and then got a really cheap spa pedicure. This was super exciting because I have been talking about getting a pedicure for months but I couldn't justify getting one until today. I thought that if I got a pedicure it would be ruined from swimming, biking, and running. Athletes don't have pretty feet. But today I realized it doesn't matter how long it lasts I just want the nail specialist to get rid of all the dead skin from old blisters and stuff off of my toe nails. And they did a fine job of that so I am extremely happy about my decision today.
Then we came back to Ben's house and started baking. Rory made peanut butter cookies and Ruth ann and I made banana cream pie. Yummy! Robert is making pot roast now and I hope we eat dinner soon because I am hungry and I need to stop snacking on almonds, cheese and crackers.

It is cold today. Feels like autumn is creeping up on us. I think we should head south before it gets too cold!

Summer in Seattle

2009-08-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

We have been in Seattle for the past 2 weeks now. It has been extremely exciting and fun filled. I heard it rains a lot here, I guess we have been really lucky to have perfect 70 degree sunny weather.

Ben's mom Ruth ann let me borrow her single scull. I have never rowed in a single shell before.(This is much different from my 8 person Sweep boat) With her great tips I was quick to learn and successfully row on the lake a few times this week. I had a great time rowing on beautiful Lake Washington.

We love sailing!
We also love cooking!

This week we went camping and fishing. We stayed right by the river at a small 8 site campsite! It was so quiet and beautiful.

This is Icicle Creek! It was named appropriately, my feet were sooooooo cold! So I hopped from rock to rock all the way up the river.

The fish were so small they fell through the net. This made things interesting.

This little guy was so slippery. I caught about 20 rainbow trout that day, they were all the same size.

Danskin Triathlon

2009-08-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the all woman's triathlon in Seattle. It was like no other race I have ever done. It was 99.9% beginners. I had a great race, the swim seemed long, the bike was beautiful and fast, and my run was better than last weeks race. I think I need to get into longer distances where there aren't as many beginners. I like taking triathlons seriously.

On the bright side, we (Ben, Courtney, Trish, and I) have been having way too much fun this week! Captain Ben has taken us sailing, tubing, and wake boarding almost every day. The weather has been great and Lake Washington has been perfect.

The birds love Ben's sail boat so we had to clean it.

I had a lot of fun helping Ben clean his boat.

Rory and Ben

We went fishing at dawn.
Fishing was unsuccessful today. I hope we find a river soon.

Trish left today! I wish her the best at Leadville 100!

I am slow

2009-08-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

Today was the Santa Cruz sprint triathlon. I finished a 700 meter swim, 12 mile bike, and 3 mile run in 1 hour and 41 mins. This is the worst finish time I have ever had in any race. I am slow and it is all my fault.
The race course was easy and well marked, I have no excuses. The swim was surprisingly not too bad. Even though this was my first ocean swim I think I did well. In case you didn't know this week was shark week! So I was a little nervous to swim in the cold and murky water but I think my fear helped me. I kept telling myself "stay with the pack, your odds are better!!" This kept me from resting. The water was 58 degrees, burrr!! This also helped me because I got to wear a wetsuit, I swim much better with a wetsuit on.
There was a long run from the beach back to transition, still not a very good excuse.
I got to ride my new Triad today! This made me very happy! I was extremely nervous and very cautious because this was my first time racing with a time trial bike. The Triad from Blue Competition Cycles retails for about $7,000.00 (pretty much carbon everything, SRAM Red, and Zipp 606) and it is a floor model with no bar tape which made things a little tricky! (See why I was nervous!) My ride was okay it could have been faster.
Now for the worst part, the run. I am stupidly slow!!! I need to learn how to run because whatever I am doing now is not working. It should not take me 38 min to run 5k! It is sad that my run took almost as long as my bike.

By the way, the course was absolutely gorgeous, hardly any cars, and tons of volunteers telling you where to go. It was put together very well! The views were remarkable. Everything about this race was perfect except me.

I am not good at triathlons but I still love doing them, I really need to train.

Below are my results:

Overall

------- swim -------

------- Bike -------

------- Run -------

Total

Place

Name

Bib No

Age

Rnk

Time

Rnk

Time

Rnk

Time

238

Mojdeh Hamidi

174

18:21.5

1:43.5

41:53.5

0:38.1

38:27.1

1:41:03.7

I will make Santa Cruz fun!

2009-08-07T20:54:00.000-07:00

When we left Sonoma County I was excited to get away from all the wine and drinking, I thought camping in Santa Cruz would be amazing. I heard it was hippie, I assumed in the same way the Boulder, CO is hippie. I was so wrong. People are actually crazy here and I believe they do so much more than smoke pot. Walking around the farmers market I thought I was going to get robbed. The hippies were all homeless or at least looked like they were, they all smelled bad, and all liked to bang on things and make a lot of noise while sitting in a circle yelling weird sounds at each other.
We got some greasy India food, which was pretty good and walked around town. Town was cool but very small we saw a mix interesting hippie music stores and some nice boutiques. When we got bored of that we went back to our car for some "tailgating" before the Katchafire show. This consisted of us drink FRS and playing music with our doors and windows open.
This is the Katchafire show. The music was great, the crowd sucked! Of course people are going to smoke pot at a reggae concert. By the time Katchafire went on stage my eyes were burning from all of the pot smoke in the air I could barely see or keep my eyes open.

Today we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium!
I got to see a shark!
And another shark! (leopard shark)
Really cool Jelly Fish!
And some British fish... well I don't know what they are actually called but Rory called them British fish because they had frowns so I guess the name stuck.
Today was wonderful. I had a great time at the aquarium!

To top my day off we went to Carmel by the sea. This town was adorable and very expensive. I finally saw some normal sober people. This made me happy. The beaches were also very beautiful. We enjoyed some afternoon tea and pastries in a quaint coffee shop. Then we went shopping.
Rory and I both purchased hats! I like mine because it makes me look 30. And I love Rory's because he has been looking for a hat like this one for a long time and finally found one that looks perfect!

Oh, I almost forgot! I got the new iphone today! Well I still have to wait until I get to Ben's house to actually have it in my hands but I purchased it today.

Camping

2009-08-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

We are back to camping a lot lately.

This is us at the beach at our favorite campsite in Carpenteria. We stopped here on our way back up north to the vineman full. The vineman full was incredible to watch. The whole day felt like it was dragging on until around 10pm when we went to watch the finishers. Finishing a full triathlon is truly amazing and for some a once in a life time achievement.

This is the beautiful sunset we watched after dinner. Life is rough!We visited my Aunt Ellie in San Jose! This is her beautiful new house. Rory looks like a king sitting on the couch, playing with 2 small dogs.
We are now in the Redwood forest in Santa Cruz, CA. We are camping here for the week.

We walked to this small river and I decided to paint it. This is my watercolor masterpiece.
Then we made dinner.
Finally, we got to eat! Yummy!

Today I went for a run and got very lost for an hour. Then we walked around the boardwalk in Santa Cruz, I am not impressed. (It was ghetto) And now I am sitting in Starbucks drinking my Chai Latte and studying for the LSAT.
Tomorrow should be wonderful we are going to the Moterey Bay Aquarium!

Vineman

2009-07-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

We are back in the land of Grapes. I feel like it has been so long since we have been wine tasting. Northern California is wonderful. This weekend we worked at the Vineman Triathlon. It was exciting and very hot. Rory and I let the announcers borrow our pink and green fluo Rudy Project sunglasses. They loved it!!

After the event we decided to go to the coast. But first we drove to the town of Guerneville. It was very interesting. There were gay pride flags everywhere and we could smell people smoking marijuana at every street corner. We ordered pizza, got in the car and drove to Bodega Bay. It was a beautiful drive through northern California's forests then open fields and finally to the coast with magnificent views and cliffs. The temperature dropped 10 degrees when we hit the coast. It was a refreshing 75 degrees.

I found my dream house.

This is the view.

Last night we decided to stay in Healdsburg, CA. We walked around town and stopped by a couple tasting rooms. The first was La Crema, this winery sponsored the Vineman triathlon. Not surprisingly the tasting room was filled with triathletes. One group was making fun of the other group and we were standing right in the middle of it. It was really sad to see grown drunk men and women making fun of each other. So we left and found a boutique winery and tasted a few different wines. Thumbprint cellar was very nice to us. They had some great wines. We purchased the Arousal which turned out to be a great pairing for dinner. They also gave us a great recommendation for dinner. The Dry Creek Kitchen had amazing food, I really enjoyed my salmon. The service was not as good.

My life is one long road trip (for now)

2009-07-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

Today we left the wonderful town of Erie, Colorado for Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a long boring but not straight or flat 11 hour drive. This landscape was just as deserted as Kansas or Iowa but there were many hills and a few mountains, some of which our van barely made to the top of. It is funny how much we love and hate our van. Mechanics have told us that when the trailer is full our van's engine is not strong enough to pull it. The van was fixed on Monday and the check engine light came on AGAIN today.
We are always afraid it is going to die on us before we make it to our destination. Fortunately, it has not let us miss an event yet nevertheless it has broken down quite a few times. But we still love it, without it we wouldn't be able to tell people "we live in a van" and have them feel sorry for us and invite us to their house. (this has happened a few times)
We drove all the way to northern Colorado then turned west and drove through the entire state of Wyoming. I'm sure there is great hunting and fishing in Wyoming! I saw nothing but the open road. We almost died in Wyoming (not because I, a girl, was driving) an 18 wheeler tried to pass me going up a hill and swerved into my lane forcing me to swerve into the shoulder then cut me off forcing me to slam on the brakes and wake my sleeping boyfriend. This was the first time a truck driver drove irresponsibly, usually its the small cars and suv's who are careless.

My view of the trailer

My limited view of the bikes, at least I can tell they are all still up there.

Driving...

Going to Cali.

2009-07-13T11:20:00.001-07:00

So we have been in Colorado for 2 weeks now and I am starting to get restless/excited for a new adventure. I really love Colorado, don't get me wrong but I need to keep moving. This has been my problem for years now (according to my mom), I need to experience new things and new places constantly. I know I should be riding my bike and training for my next race while I am here but I can't. Maybe it is because I am completely burnt out from this weekend, the Boulder Peak Triathlon. We worked all day Saturday at the expo then we worked as Security over night (barely slept) and worked from 6am - 3pm on Sunday. I was so exhausted I slept for 15 hours last night, when I woke up this morning I was still tired.
Maybe I need to seek help for my "problem." I get this restless feeling and lack of motivation to do anything when I am in one place for too long. Or maybe it has to do with the place I am staying, the vibes are all wrong.
I really miss my friends. First of all Heather! I miss you and really wish I could be there for you. I feel like I am a bad friend for not doing that. I'm sorry. For once I wish I wasn't so far away.
Second I miss Austin Powers. Yes, I have a friend whose real name is Austin Powers. It was great talking to you today and I really wish I could get some free tickets to shows from you. It is great to hear your life is going well. I really hope you come out to visit me in Colorado this winter.
As for everything else in my life... I can't complain. We are leaving for Cali as soon as I get my new Fluo sunglasses from RudyProject. (If anyone wants a VIP code for Rudy gear email me.)

My new email is: MojHamidi@gmail.com

Back to Boulder

2009-07-10T07:57:00.000-07:00

After an amazing 4th of July weekend in the mountains we returned back to Boulder. Things have been pretty normal since. No more crazy adventures. Some swim, bike, run and a lot of just hanging out. I also try to fit in LSAT studying some where in there.
The weather has been really nice and hot, it makes swimming refreshing and running brutal. I guess that is good for training. Watching the Tour makes me want to ride my bike . Hopefully I can put some miles in today.

I love Boulder's Humane Society! Actually I love puppies! And Koda Cooper! Koda was the dog we played with when we went to the Humane Society. I really missed my dog topper so I went to volunteer my time with another dog.

Here are some more pictures of fly fishing. I caught this beauty on the Roaring Fork in Aspen, CO.

"Get a job!" Steve Sprague

2009-07-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

I have obviously been having too much fun lately! Here are the pictures to prove it.

Fly fishing the Blue River in Brekenridge. My very first Brown Trout.

We went downhill Mt biking at Keystone! Whoa what an amazing experience. So much adrenaline.

Rory is pretty awesome! I wish I could do that.

Sorry I don't have much to say. I am very busy! We are leaving for Denver now. I get to pick up my new Fl uo s unglasses.

Will put more pictures of fly fishing in Aspen up as soon as my computer stops hating me.

Exhausted.

2009-07-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

I have not been keeping up with my blog because I have not had internet.

Last week we were working an event in West Des Moines, Iowa. This was the most exciting event we have worked/attended. There was so much going on! Black Hawk helicopters, Shawn Johnson signing autographs, Budweiser Clydesdale horses, grandstand seating, and around 120 professional triathletes racing for a million dollar prize purse. We met some great Hy-vee employees. I was so amazed to see that people in the grocery business could put on such an extrodinary triathlon. Why can't all races be like Hy-vee?
We had a great time and I hope to go back next year to watch and possibly race.
After the event we go outta there! We drove to Council Bluffs, not much to say about that city.
The next day we drove through the entire state of Nebraska, this almost took all day. Finally, we made it back to Colorful Colorado.
Let the fun begin!!
The next morning I went out for a 14 mile bike ride. I love the well paved roads, beautiful views of the mts, huge shoulders and bike lanes in Colorado. They make cycling so much more relaxing and fun.
Yesterday, we hiked a 14er! This was the highlight of my week. I have never hiked a 14er before. We hiked Mt Evans from Summit Lake (12,830 ft) to Mt. Spalding then over to the summit of Mt. Evans (14,258 ft). We had a great time!

This was at the begining of the trail.

We did it!

We had great weather all day. The views were so beautiful, in ever direction. Just as we got into the car to drive back it started raining. Wow, we were so lucky!
When we got back I went for a short swim. My lungs hurt from the altitude.

Today we went for a 25 mile ride with our old boss David from BimBamBoo.
We rode from his house to hwy 36 then to St. Vrain road and back. We made a stop at Blue Sky Velo bike shop in Longmont, CO they helped me with a screw for my bike cleats. Thanks guys!

What a perfect day!

Now we are in Frisco. I am so happy to finally have internet.

A picture is worth a thousand words

2009-06-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

What else do I have to say?

I support the freedom/democracy seekers(protesters) in Iran. That is all I feel I have the power to do. I mourn the death of all of the innocent lives lost. I fear for those who are being detained by the government. Finally, I wish to be a part of something that impacts the world the way the Iranians have in the past two weeks. I have been following the news incessantly, thanks to twitter!

Yes, I am retaking the LSAT because I did not get into the school that I wanted to go to(California Western). So I will try again. I am trying to be more disciplined in the way that I study. Maybe I can develop a routine and devote some serious time to studying everyday for the next 5 month. I am thinking of studying for the LSAT like training for a Half Ironman. This is not going to be easy and it is going to take a long time but I will be able to train my brain to complete it successful.

Off topic- We saw The Taking of Pelham 123. It was actually really good. I can't believe we have seen 5 movies in the week we have been STUCK in Iowa.
1. Up (in regular)
2. Run Fatboy Run
3. Transformers
4. The Hangover
5. The Taking of Pelam 123

RIP MJ.

Iowa

2009-06-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

I feel like I am trapped in consumer heaven. The state of Iowa is nothing more than an arrangement of box stores, chain restaurants, and malls. A few of which I enjoy (Barnes and Noble, Apple store, and Starbucks) but after two weeks of being in the Midwest I feel like I am losing my mind. Everything starts to look the same. I can not ride my bike anywhere because there are no shoulders. My routine has become sitting in a hotel room contemplating what I am going to write for my next Personal Statement. Then I try to avoid the heat and humidity by sitting in a car and driving to places with air conditioning.

Yesterday we went to the mall. I have not been to the mall in a very long time, it is not a regular past time. We were very bored and figured we should do something instead of sit inside a hotel room all day. So of course we went to the Apple store. I got to hold the new iphone and play with the new compass and the new video features! This was the most exciting part of my day!

Then we went to the movies! We saw Up. It was cute and I think I giggled a few times. Finding Nemo is still my favorite pixar film.

Then we wondered around the mall for the second time. We found a cool tea store that smelled really good and had samples of chai to taste. Yummy. Then we went to Barnes and Noble where I purchased a new LSAT prep book. Yep! On Monday I found out I did not get into California Western School of Law. This was the school that I really wanted to go to. I decided I need to study for the LSAT again, get a better score, and reapply.

The day would not have been complete without a thunder storm. We had just made it to Best Buy when the wind started picking up and the temperature dropped. As we walked in we heard an employee say “there is a tornado headed my way I am going home” and he walked out with his keys in hand. Rory was looking for more memory for his laptop and I decided to wonder around. I was drawn to the crowd of employees standing by the door watching the wind and clouds. When I heard a few of the employees say “there is going to be a tornado” I realized we weren’t leaving best buy any time soon. So I went and found Rory. We tried to play garage band but something was “wrong” with the drums so I just played guitar by myself and he played golf on xbox.

Then I went into the home theater department and watched Transformers. I enjoyed the leather couches and surround sound.

When we got hungry we decided to brave the wind and rain in search of food. We had a great BBQ dinner. I never had brisket before but I enjoyed it. Rory reminded me of the carcinogens in meat and I realized I shouldn’t eat so much of the blackened parts. So I cut that part off and continued enjoying my ‘Jenny Salad’ with my pinot noir. Dinner was wonderful because it wasn’t at a chain restaurant and because we had a great window seat and watched the rain pour down outside.

Tinman Triathlon

2009-06-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

I raced the Topeka Tinman in Kansas today! I finished 7th in my age group with a time of 1:12:22. My best time so far!
I had a great time. I was in the last wave of people. I started around 9am an hour and a half after the race had officially started. I was a little worried about the heat but race conditions were perfect. The temperature started to drop right as I was about to get in the water. It was still around 80 degrees but the cloud cover kept everything cooler.
The swim was a quick 300 yds. I only got bumped a few times nothing serious. This was my second open water swim and I still freaked out like I always do but this time it was with a little less panic. Something like "ahh so many people I can't even stroke properly" then "SUCK IT UP ITS 300 YRDS MOJDEH!" I talk to myself alot during my races.
Then I was off on my bike. My tranisition took a little bit longer then I wanted it to. It was a 1:34. Which I guess is pretty good? I am now racing in cycling shoes so they take me a few more seconds to get on and clip in. I was very nervous about this part because I have only been training with the new shoes for a week or so. Everything went well. As always I kicked ass on the bike! ("Kicked ass" according to my standards) I averaged 17 miles per hour through the rolling hills and beautiful farm land of the "boonies."
I impressed myself when I decided to take my feet out of my shoes off before getting to the dismount line. I have never done this before but it is something experienced triathletes do. The best part was that I maintained my 17mph!!! Oh yeah!
So I made it to transition. I slipped into my running shoes and was off on the run. My least favorite part because my legs still have not gotten use to cycling then running. I hate my legs for that! I was happy that the sun still had not come out. The run course was a little hilly. There were a few aid stations.
I had a very interesting encounter with the last aid station. I was so happy to be on my last mile and I was heating up a bit so I decided to get some water and pour it on my head. I ran through the aid station and said "water" the guy handed me a cup and proceeded to say something. I was running by so I couldn't hear him. I think he was trying to explain that they had run out of water and gatorade was the only thing they had left. I didn't realize what he was saying until after I poured the cup of gatorade on my head. I finished the race sweet and better smelling than everyone else.

Thanks to Bill the race director who let me do this race! I had a great time. Thanks to all the volunteers, I hope I made a few of them laugh.

Hot Run!

2009-06-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

Camping for multiple days in a row has caused me to want to sit inside for hours on end. I was almost completely unproductive all day. We left the hotel room twice, once for lunch and the second time for Starbucks. For some reason when we were at Starbucks I had the sudden urge to go for a run in 98 degree heat and 66% humidity. This was possible because the van we live in has all of my gear. So I got dressed and mapped out my run on a path besides the river in Lawrence, KS.
All I could think about the whole time was how slow I had been in my race in Tempe, AZ and how I want to be a better runner in the heat. My run was short and hot. The path was clean, marked with mile markers and water fountains. I skipped the first water fountain and soon realized it was a mistake. I think I will bring my fuelbelt with me in all of my future hot runs.
I was happy to be somewhat productive.
Now I am going to finish watching the reason of Entourage Season 5.

The first one

2009-06-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

I have officially been sucked into the world of blogs. This is my first post.

This is my blog. My name is Mojdeh Hamidi. I am 21 years old. I graduated from college in May 2008 with a BA in Political Science and Psychology. Since then I have been traveling for fun and now for work. I don’t have what you call a “real” job. I travel around the western part of the US with my boyfriend Rory Seiter attending triathlons. Together we help promote all of the partners of USA Triathlon.

This is what my job looks like.

Chrissie Wellington winning Kansas 70.3!

I am still in Kansas…

I am not sure where to start. Kansas has been interesting. There are some scary thunder storms, monsoon like rain followed by hail and non stop lightning that made the sky look like a giant strobe light.

We were staying in Clinton Park, Lawrence, Kansas but we decided to leave because of the weather. Kansas is always under tornado alert, this is a not normal for us so we decided to stay in a ‘safe’ hotel room vs our van. (I wish I had a picture of the lightning )

So now we are in our hotel room with wireless internet! I’m so happy to have internet after 6 days of camping.

This is a deer I saw in the park while eating dinner.

* I hope you enjoyed my first blog post. One day I hope to be a famous blogger.