Gator Bait Results

Here's how I did (officially):

Out of 15 people in my age group, I placed 4th. Out of everyone, overall, I placed 117th. Out of all the females in the race, I finished 15th. :-)

500 meter swim time: 8 min, 12 sec (3rd fastest in my age group)

1st transition: 1 min, 58 sec (my fastest yet!!)

13 mile bike time: 50 min, 2 sec (4th fastest in my age group)

2nd transition: 24 sec (again, my fastest yet!)

4 mile run time: 39 min, 45 sec (9:56 min mile pace, 4th fastest in my age group)

My total overall time for the race was 1 hour, 40 minutes. The person who came in 3rd place finished in 1 hour, 39 minutes. (one minute difference!!)

So, overall, a good race!!

The picture below is the HUGE hill we had to go up at mile 6 on the bike portion. It really wasn't that bad, but it was pretty rough!! :-)

Gaitor Bait Triathlon

This weekend, I competed in the Gaitor Bait Triathlon in Boerne, Texas. The official times and results haven't been posted yet, so I am "patiently" waiting for them!! I do know, however, that I FELT like I did really well in this race. It was probably the hardest one I have done so far, because the entire course was full of hills and all the distances were longer than any of the others. I completed a 500 meter swim, 14 mile bike, and 4 mile run in about 1 hour and 42 minutes (again, the official times still aren't in, but that's what I remember seeing as I crossed the finish line). Overall results were posted, so I know that I came in 116th place out of 300 participants (male and female). I also know that I came in about 12th place overall out of the female participants, and I came in 4th place in my age group!

The race itself was really fun. I felt good the whole time while swimming, biking, and running! Also, the lake apparently used to have an alligator in it, so the race is named in honor of that alligator - "gaitor bait". As we crossed the finish line, we were handed a small stuffed alligator as our finishing award! Sea World even brought out a gator lizard thing to take pictures with. Overall, the race was fun and exciting, I was really glad I could do it, and I am really proud of myself for finishing!

Travis and his mom Diane came along as my supporters for this triathlon. It was so much fun to have them there to cheer me on!! Diane also brought along her camera and took some amazing photos! So, while we patiently wait for the race results, we can enjoy these great pictures from the event:

A really cool shot of some of the bikes in the transition area...There were 300 participants in the race, so you don't have a lot of room!

Waiting in line to enter the water for the swim. They start two people every five seconds. I was number 67, so I didn't have to wait to long! And, the woman in front of me in the blue shirt ended up being the overall female winner of the race! (She let me cut in front of her in the line for the bathroom, so I felt like we were best friends.) I thought that was pretty cool. :-)

Finally my turn, so I am waiting to enter the water. Ready, set, go!!

A great swimming action shot!!

Finished with the 500 meter swim and on my way to transition to my bike...

Getting ready to bike (I didn't know Diane was taking pictures!!)

On my way back from the grueling 14 mile bike ride. It was a really intense and hilly course!

Crossing the finish line after the 4 mile run! The first two miles were all uphill, which made the last two downhill miles feel like a breeze. Throughout the whole race, I never stopped running or got off my bike to walk up the hills, so I am pretty happy with myself and my time!

Finally, after I caught my breath, I had a chance to thank Travis for coming!!

Group shot by the lake - it was a really fun morning!!

I'm planning to do another triathlon in September, so even though school is starting on Monday, I have to keep training! I'll post the official results once I have them...I'm excited to see how I did time-wise compared to everyone else!! :-)

One Year Anniversary

We started off our weekend celebration on Friday, when Travis was awarded the "Best Instructor Pilot" from the class of students that were moving on to the next stage of pilot training. It was such a great compliment to him, especially from this class that we both loved getting to know. He really seemed to enjoy teaching these guys, and I had the chance to hang out with them on a few occasions and enjoyed meeting them as well. We are looking forward to going to their graduation in six months!

On Saturday morning, we drove to San Antonio. We had originally planned to go skydiving (my idea), but Travis' flight commander would not allow him to do it. So instead, we decided to spend the day at Sea World! As active duty military, Travis and his dependents get one free pass to Sea World a year, so we were happy to use it this weekend.

We had a wonderful time at Sea World!! Travis had never been before, and it had been at least 15 years since I had been, so we tried to enjoy it all! We watched an extremely cute sea lion and otter show, which was our favorite. We also watched a show full of dolphins, beluga whales, at least 15 exotic birds, synchronized swimmers, and divers. It was pretty amazing. Then, we walked around and visited all the various animal exhibits, that included penguins, sharks, fish, eels, and more dolphins. We also rode the roller coasters, one of them five times (it was our favorite). Travis really enjoys riding in the front row of the roller coasters, so we waited in some of the longer lines in order to sit in the front! It was pretty fun, though, so I'm not complaining! We had planned to go to the water park and water rides next, but by the time we headed that direction, the line to get into the water park was over an hour long and for the water rides it was two hours! So, we decided to leave and head to our hotel instead.

We drove the rest of the way into San Antonio and found our hotel down by the riverwalk. We planned to stay at the hotel we really love. The staff is always amazing, the rooms are really nice, and the breakfast they serve in the morning is phenomenal!! We got more than we bargained for, though, when we arrived.

Upon checking in, we found out that we had been randomly upgraded to the Presidential Suite for the night. Apparently, the hotel was overbooked, and the manager just picked one random couple to move up to the empty suite. It was AWESOME!!! And then, they found out it was our one year anniversary, and the concierge sent up champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, on the house!!

The room was absolutely amazing, and was probably about as big as our house. There were THREE bathtubs, a huge entry way, three chandeliers, a dining room, china cabinet, sofa, extra chairs, and two flatscreen tvs. Also, we were on the top floor in the corner room, so we had three patios, more than enough windows, and the best view of the riverwalk and surrounding area! Did I mention there was also a sauna in the bathroom? Check out the pictures:

Yes, we really stayed here!!

Our view from one balcony overlooking the riverwalk!

We could have spent the entire rest of the night in the suite, but we had already made plans for dinner. So, we left our beautiful suite and went to Fogo de Chao for dinner. It is one of Travis' favorite restaurants, and we both really enjoy eating there. The food was delicious and we had a wonderful dinner. Then, we had planned to go to one of our favorite clubs in the area, but the line to get in was wrapped around the door and didn't move for the ten minutes that we stood there. After waiting in lines at Sea World all day, we were tired and didn't feel like waiting in line anymore. We headed back to our beautiful suite instead. :-)

Then, in the morning, we enjoyed the beautiful breakfast buffet by the river. The waiters were so nice and pleasent, and when they found out it was our anniversary, they brought us a little surprise!! Check it out:

We had found that the one year anniversary is supposed to be the "paper" anniversary, so we chose our gifts accordingly. I gave Travis a couple of pictures for his desk in frames, as well as a fun card and letter. Travis gave me the sweetest card, and then completely surprised me with a Nook!! It's basically an online library where you can download books and read them anytime and anywhere you want. Here's a link if you want to see more about it: NOOK

We drove back home on Sunday morning after breakfast and took the puppies out to the lake when we got home. They had a great time swimming around and playing with all the people on the beach. My friend had shown me this new, great cove to go swimming in, and I think it is my new favorite place at the lake!

We came back home, had dinner, and enjoyed our defrosted wedding cake for dessert. Surprisingly, it tasted fantastic!! We felt like we had just taken the cake off the table at our reception, and we really enjoyed it.

Overall, our anniversary was a blast. We are still so very much in love, and we wouldn't change one thing about our lives today. It's sad to think that a year ago today we were on our way to Costa Rica, and now this year today, Travis is back to work and I am swamped with homework and laundry to do. We, however, could not be happier about our first year together, and we are both so grateful we had the chance to celebrate together like we did. It was a perfect weekend!

It's hard to believe how quickly the time has passed!! One year ago in Costa Rica:

Today, our honeymoon continues. This time, though, we are just a little closer to home! :-)

On the riverwalk in San Antonio :-)

"That's the strange beauty of marriage: It's full of hard times and hard lessons that no one can ever prepare you for. But in the end, those are the things that give richness to your life together — and make your love even deeper and stronger than when it began."

Wedding Dress Photos

Finally!! Almost a year after our wedding, Travis and I finally made the time to take some non-traditional photos in my wedding dress. We hired one of our friends (who is working as a professional photographer), and we went around the city of Del Rio for the morning, taking pictures in fun and different locations. I think the pictures came out pretty well, so I wanted to share some of my favorites!

I wore my wedding dress and made my bouquet with sunflowers and red roses. Travis wore his fanciest cargo shorts, white polo shirt, and flip flops. :-)

And, I added a lot of pictures to this post... I apologize for the number...I just couldn't leave any out! :-)

This first batch is in front of a mural in downtown Del Rio, outside an old house that has been renovated as a hair salon/optometrist's office. The owner of the place paints these murals on the huge concrete wall behind his building; his wife is the hairdresser! It was really cool, and I loved the colors behind us in these photos:

This next location is a random, abandoned barn, also in downtown Del Rio, that is now in the middle of a parking lot. We parked next to it on our way to something else and just stopped to take a few pictures. This one is my favorite:

All the pictures with the yellow background were taken in front of the Yellow Taxi Cab office. They have painted their entire building bright yellow, and again, I loved the color!

There was an abandoned trolley in downtown as well that the owner is changing into a restaurant. After we had asked for permission, we took several pictures there. Then, the owner came out, offered us a free dinner at the restaurant (when it opens), and asked for a copy of one of the pictures when we finished. He wants to use the picture in the paper for the opening announcement for the restaurant and for decoration in the trolley! So, does this make us celebrities in Del Rio?? I never thought that would happen... :-)

We also took several pictures at the Del Rio Winery in downtown. It was absolutely beautiful since all the trees and grapes were in bloom!

These last pictures were taken out by a creek behind one of the houses in downtown. Again, just a random place we stopped and ended up getting some great pictures:

It was so fun to take all these pictures, since it felt like we were celebrating the wedding all over again! It's hard to believe we've been married almost a year!! We are looking forward to our anniversary in a few weeks! :-)

Key West Vacation

Travis and I traveled to Key West, Florida with his entire family, and we really enjoyed our week long vacation together! Not only did we get to hang out with Shane, Kelly, Grandma and Grandpa, Diane and Ted, Catherine, Jerry, and Hilary, but we also got to see our cute baby niece and nephew! Carson and Avery are nine months old now and are so cute and adorable! They are crawling around on the floor and really enjoyed their trip to Florida, especially the part where they got to eat sand at the beach. :-)

We had a blast in Florida. We went sailing and "snuba" diving (where we saw sting rays and Travis caught some lobsters with his bare hands), rode on a glass bottom boat through some coral reefs, shopped all over Key West, played on the beach, and enjoyed the beautiful house the family had rented. Travis had a chance to play golf (where he accidentally hit an iguana in the leg with the golfball) and go fishing for sharks. We enjoyed playing with the babies when they were awake and lots of fun family time with everyone else.

A few photos to share:

The beautiful view and backyard of the house we rented for the week in Key West

Uncle Travis and Auntie JJ swimming with the babies in the pool

At Mallory Square in Key West for the Sunset Festival, a nightly event which celebrates the sunsets, vendors, and performers, all original to Key West; these pirates were posing for pictures with anyone who wanted one!

One of my favorite views that we saw...

Our group (Ted, Travis, Diane, me, Catherine, and Kelly) on our snuba diving, snorkeling, and sailing adventure. The couple in charge of our trip lived on the boat with their cat, and we had a great time hanging out with them for the afternoon.

One of the things Key West is known for is being the "end of the road",

so here's the sign to prove it! :-)

Travis and I at the end of the southernmost pier in Key West.

It was soooooo beautiful!!

Tri-It in Spanish Triathlon

Another successful triathlon!! Here are the results from my previous triathlon to compare.

We were racing in Martindale, Texas, an area just outside of San Marcos. We started off with a lake swim in some muddy water. Luckily, this time, the water was about 85 degrees, so it wasn't so shocking to jump in! I started towards the middle of the group and swam 300 meters in the lake. My time was 5:59 (which also included the short 30 second run from the lake back to the transition area), and I was the second person in my age group to finish the swim.

My transition time from swim to bike, which is improving, took only 2 minutes and 40 seconds!! Hopefully, I can get this going faster... We hopped on the bikes and started the 12 mile out and back. Within about 5 minutes of starting the biking portion, we had to go over a HUGE, steep hill. The rest of the course wasn't too bad; just gentle rolling hills. My time for the biking portion was 45:36, and I was the fifth person in my age group to finish the biking.

My last transition took only 41 seconds. It could have been faster, but I went back for my water bottle. It was so hot, and I was sweating profusely! I drank the entire thing on the 2.1 mile run, so I was glad to have it. The first half mile was extremely tough for me, as my legs were cramping pretty badly from the biking. (I guess I need to work more on going quickly from biking to running...) After about five minutes, my legs loosened up and I could go a little faster. I finished the run in 22:01, placing third in my age group for the run portion.

Overall, I placed fourth out of nine people in my age group!! The time difference between 3rd and 4th place was ONE second; between 2nd and 4th place was TWO seconds. I was SOOO close to being in the top three!! Pretty awesome! I almost got a medal!! (They only award the top three finishers.)

This event was really fun, too, because I had a cheering section at the transition area. My mom, dad, sister, Travis, and my friend Sarah came to watch and cheer me on! My friend Kristy also came and participated in the race with me. Her husband was there to cheer her on too! And, crazily enough, Travis ran into a friend from high school who was there cheering on her boyfriend as he raced. It's a small world! :-)

At the end of the race, the event organizers had a huge picnic set up under the shade of pecan trees along the river, so we all sat and enjoyed the food and shade while we waited for everyone to finish and the results to be posted. Then, we went tubing down the river again and had a great dinner at the Gristmill. Another fun and successful day!!

Another Triathlon

Here's the next triathlon I am planning to do:

http://www.redemptionrp.com/SpanishTri2010

I signed up yesterday! The event is on June 20th at the River Ranch, just north of New Braunfels and east of Canyon Lake. My friend Kristy will be participating in it with me, and my friends Sarah and Marc from Austin are not only letting us stay at their house, but they are also going to come that morning to cheer us on!

The course is pretty much the same as the last one, just in a different location. The distances are the same - 300 meter swim, 12 mile bike, 3.2 mile run. This race is sponsored by the same company who did the last event, so I know it will be a good one!

Only 12 days to go...I'd better hit the gym! :-)