Sometimes You've Got To Bring It

What a week! I have to say it again, What a freakin week!

It was crazy, it was exhausting, it was exhilarating, and it was wonderful. Really, it was. It was one of those weeks where you know you accomplished a lot while actually attempting (and mostly succeeding) to get all your workouts in and still have energy to even call your friends or wash the dishes.

The crazy started with driving to Pittsburgh on Wednesday morning like a mad women (who always leaves late!) and arriving just 50 minutes prior to my talk to the 5th & 6th graders. I had one of my sponsors, John, from Washington Reprographics, helping me and I don't know what I would have done without him. We set up the bike and trainer, got 400 nutritious donuts out of boxes that had six donuts per box, set up the powerpoint and speakers, checked to make sure the video worked and I even had time to eat half of a sub and go to the bathroom prior to the talk!

The kids were really great. I forgot how excited I get to see them excited. The fifth graders listened intently hanging on every word and cheering and clapping at the appropriate times but promptly settled down. The sixth graders were a bit of a different story. It has to be the hormones starting to hit!! I would get them excited but then they would have a hard time not talking to each other for five minutes after so I would have to reel them back in ever time!

They loved the Hawaii video, and right now it has exclusive NBC footage spliced in so we have to remove that before posting anywhere. Soon, though, soon. I also spoke about not listening to negative comments that are bound to come any time you tell people that you want to dream big or shoot for a goal that seems high. I showed a picture of Scott Rigsby with his bottom half covered and said "he looks like a normal guy right, well, people told him he couldn't do the Ironman two years ago, and he did - as the first double amputee" - and somewhere in the middle I would remove the square covering his lower half. The kids were intrigued.

Secondly, I showed Ricky James, who was covered this year by NBC after a motor cross accident resulted in him no longer being able to use his legs. He competed in a specially made aero wheelchair and there was a child in a wheelchair in my first presentation. One little girl came up to me after everyone had left and told me she was very happy I showed that picture of the boy who competed in the wheelchair. I told her I was happy to show people overcoming adversity no matter the challenge, and she started to tear up as she said her brother was in a wheelchair. I almost lost it, but held it together (barely) until we hugged it out.

It was a great experience and I am so thankful they asked me to come back this year. I'll post pictures when the people who took them send them to me!

In other news, sometimes you have to BRING it. I felt I brought it that day at the talk, and I was excited about that, I brought it to my workouts this week and really did everything I could to nail them, and then yesterday I decided I was bringing spring with my outfit. My new favorite running outfit is bold, and bright and is going to bring on the nice weather..no doubt.

I have been waiting to wear the tights since CHRISTMAS (thanks Mom - I love them!).

I made this little gift for my sponsors this year and I have given one out so far, three to go. I hope they like it!

It's Friday, I have travel for work tomorrow but I am not going to let it get me down. To DC I go! Have a great weekend everyone and don't forget to BRING IT!