Last week of 2009..Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2009 was a really good year...

Not every one would agree but I thought 2009 was a pretty good year! Reflecting back, I had a lot of fun and great experiences! I checked off Ironman #2, I dived the Great Barrier Reef (you never truly realized how cool it is until you actually do it), I made many new friends and some that will no doubt last a lifetime, one of my best friends got married and is now awaiting a little one, witnessed history with Obama, had the time of my life at Kona this year, was introduced to trail running, bought Pip, got into Twilight (Rob Pattinson.. gorgeous!), fell in love with Blue Bottle Coffee.. more so their hot cocoa, learned to use the manual modes of my dslr.. that took long enough! I also grew as an individual and another year of being more comfortable in my own skin...that in itself made it a successful year! I am at a happy place!

So for 2010.. I am not a believer in New Year's Resolutions because... well.. how many of you actually remember what your resolutions were at year's end? I know I don't... not necessarily. I do have a list of things that I have to look forward to in 2010..

- Ironman St George

- Ironman Canada

- Kona 2010

- Finish reading the Twilight series

- Breaking Dawn movie (3rd movie of the Twilight series)

- Where will destination 2010 be?! Will I go back to Australia or will it be somewhere else?

And I look forward to whatever else comes in between all that! How is that list different than New Year's Resolution's? I am not telling myself that I will do this or that more.. for example.. go to the gym more.. eat less chocolate.. etc. Speaking of the gym.. one thing I am not looking forward to is the throng of New Year's Resolution gym go-ers at the Bay Club! I've seen it for MANY years now.. the first 7 weeks or do of the New Year.. the locker rooms are extra crowded.. lines for the showers.. not my favorite time of the year! When are these people going to realize that fitness has to be incorporated as a lifestyle and not a resolution? Just like dieting... it has to change in eating habits and not seen as a restriction..

Anyway, enough preaching.. hope every one had a Merry Christmas and wishing every one a Happy New Year!!

Workout Summary-

Swim- 1 hour and 57 minutes

Bike- 9 hours and 14 minutes

Run- 3 hours and 50 minutes

Workout Summary- 15 hours and 1 minutes

First post- vacation depression experience...

Still wish I was in Australia!

I've been traveling abroad since 2004 and yet this is the first time I've experienced post vacation depression.. that was pretty much my week! I wanted to go back to Australia before I even left and one of the first things I did when I got back to the office was asked a colleague of mine how she was able to leave Australia after her trip there last year? Her response? "I cried on the plane!" I said, "Oh.. .ok! Glad I am not the only one experiencing this!" I would spend minutes looking at a live webcam of Bondi Beach and Noosa Beach just holding on to my time there! While Australia wasn't one of the most beautiful places I have been to or the most unique in sights, the atmosphere and the feel of the place was just not comparable with any of the other places I've been to. I just loved it there! Reflecting on my trip.. I wouldn't have approached or changed it any other way. The one thing I wanted to change, I was able to, which was shortening my time in Melbourne and head to Sydney. I still need to write a thank you note to the Sebel Manly hotel for upgrading me to the beach front balcony room! A friend I met there, Hayley, is still at Manly. She will be there for 6 months! I am very envious! So 2 hours after I arrived home, I was off to my friend Nicky's Holiday Warming party.. photo below!

And remember Monique? A friend of mine that was involved in that awful head on bike vs car accident? Well, she's walking now without her walker!! I love this photo of her below.. she's glowing!

This week was also about adjusting back to my real world life.. I was quickly thrown back into work having to buy the Fall 2010 line for Gap Online Body and then training wise.. thanks Coach for the 15 hour training week.. I only did half of the hours though as I adjust to jet lag and getting my life organized again but starting tomorrow.. I'll aim to be better at it!! This week was tough with the time change.. I go to bed hungry because that is my dinner time in Oz and wake up foggy because I am in the middle of my sleep in Oz during that hour. Hopefully this week will improve.. besides.. nothing like a 4 hour ride to kick you back into training mode! Thanks so much to Raf for keeping me company for he full 4 hours even though all he had to do was 3 hours.. he even came with entertaining advice.. "you have a good gig.. prolong marriage for as long as you can!" Ha ha.. that's the part I love about long training rides.. the funny conversations!

Speaking of triathlon.. hope you guys had a chance to catch the NBC Ironman Worlds Kona coverage! Yours truly had two cameo appearances in there.. one when Chrissy Wellington was coming out of the water and when Rudy Garcia was coming out of the water as well! I thought the coverage was good but didn't find it as inspiring as last year, as far as the AG portion was concerned.. maybe it was the background music? The Pros portion was great though and after a dinner conversation with MG while I was in Sydney, about Ironman and next year's battle especially where the Pro men are concerned, I am looking forward to it even more!

Saturday night was the PacWest Athletics party.. a team I joined for the 2010 triathlon season! I had two glasses of champagne and discovered that it was 1 more than I can handle..!

Photo below- PacWest Athletics holiday party-

Oh and photos from Australia here- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=140424&id=687712413&l=9296651534 I selected 200 from the 1189 I took! Enjoy!!

Workout Summary-

Swim- 0 hours and 0 minutes

Bike- 6 hours and 55 minutes

Run- 0 hours an 30 minutes

Total Workout- 7 hours and 25 minutes

Travel blog #4.. the last one for Oz..sadly!

Sadly, my last blog from Oz...

http://realtravel.com/e-297155-sydney_entry-my_last_stop_in_oz_sydney

It's been great fun and an adventure! I look forward to coming back!

Travel Blog from Oz #3

In Melbourne!!

http://realtravel.com/e-296995-melbourne_entry-at_first_glance_melbourne_kind_of_reminds_me_of_san_francisco

Cheers :-)

Blog #2 from Oz.. Noosa!

I heart Noosa...

http://realtravel.com/e-296774-noosa_heads_entry-falling_in_love_with_noosa

One item you must bring or buy in Noosa? A hat!