Thy strong word did cleave the darkness

Happy Reformation Day! Also, my Baptism Birthday.

Also, Happy Halloween!

Photo taken by Lauren Timpson, 2009

to my donors, aka the fantastic ones.

I need to write this post, it has long been a burden on my mind. I need to write a THANK YOU post for all the people that donated to my triathlon and encouraged me along the way- asking how training was, offering their tips and advice, encouraging me through my mono, and, essentially, giving a bit of themselves to help people in far more unfortunate physical condition than ourselves.

For what it's worth, I admire each person immensely.

Let's start with what my donors did for the LLS. Their donation, no matter how small, helped fund research for blood cancers. Every 4 minutes one person is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Most likely, you know someone or know someone who knows someone who has had blood cancer. Blood cancers will account for nearly 9.5 percent of the deaths from cancer in 2010. That number has decreased from 1998 to 2007, in part because of the funding for research.

I wish each one of my donors could have been there when one of our "honored heroes" (a person who had survived a form of blood cancer) got up to speak about their experience and what TNT meant to them. I thought of many of their faces and stories as I ran the triathlon- from Noah, who isn't even one and is battling Leukemia, to a girl my age who has already beaten cancer, to Fironza who now, after battling Lymphoma, trains for TNT events with her entire family. What different lives they have led, what struggles they have faced that are a bazillion times worse than my struggles, what lessons they have learned and scars they will carry for the rest of their lives. And because of YOUR donations (my donors), they most of all feel supported in their illness, and encouraged that one day, there may be a cure. Support, hope, and encouragement can go a longgg way.

And now, what the donors have meant to me. This triathlon was a bit of a purging for me, this year was hands down the most difficult year of my life, for many reasons. And, for many reasons, I decided on last New Years I needed a physical activity that would consume my time, mind, and body. I also had an overwhelming desire to do something, anything, for someone else. This came together seamlessly in TNT. But I could not have done it, would not have trained nearly as hard (to the point of exhaustion and mono, even!) had I not had support. I hope you all realize how nonathletic and uncoordinated I am. Or, was, before this triathlon undertaking. I called my dad right after I had signed up with TNT for the tri, and he said, are you sure? do you really think you can do this? And he wasn't being negative, he just really knew my athletic ability, and even more so, my drive to see a task through (let me count the things I have started and left unfinished...). The only reason I even completed a tri, and even after mono, was because I had such support. I was so concerned about raising 2,600 dollars- I had never fundraised in my life- but, when that first donation for 100 dollars came through, I realized I had underestimated the generosity of my friends, and I would be ok. I got a thrill every time someone donated or came out to support a TNT event. The fact that in the end, over 3,000 dollars for TNT was donated on my page, blows me away.

It's been a ride full of ups and downs, and even huge giant waves, and spandex, and lots of food and tears and sweat, but you, my donors, are the fantastic ones. I have learned, through each of you, what generosity truly is. I hope you feel thanked. You deserve it. If not, you know how to reach me, and I will thank you some more!!!

Also, the paintings will be coming shortly.

oh what a day is today

This is a post from the archives of my memory- this picture was taken 6 years ago on the train from London to Bruges, Belgium on the weekend of my 22nd birthday. My friend I traveled with and I were (and still are) huge readers, and I'm reading some Virginia Woolf in that pic, maybe A Room of One's Own. Our college in London was in Regent's Park and we would spend every spare moment in the Park reading. Long warm fall afternoons would pass by without notice as we were entranced by Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf. (I tried to stick to Irish/British authors, there's nothing as familiar as Woolf writing about Big Ben's bell tolling and then hearing it for oneself at the same moment.) Our roommate, an English major from Boston, would lend us books and we would devour them. We read on trains, in hostels, in parks, on planes, boats.... books were the first things packed. Actually, we would always travel with three things- a book, a mug, and Nutella. Somehow, each new city seemed less foreign with these three things in my pack.

I feel a pull to return to London, to live. It is very hard to stay still right now, here in Chicago. London was my first taste of living in a city, and I would do almost everything differently now that I am a bit of a pro at city living. But I did well enough for my first city- I fell in love with the Victoria and Albert museum, memorized the Renaissance collection at the National Gallery, found discount book stores, memorized the Tube system, and visited every neighboring country. Not bad for a country girl.

Meanwhile, this (now city) girl did not get blown away in the "Chiclone" this week. I didn't bike only one day and cabbed, bussed, and bummed a ride instead. It was, however, brutally cold at 28 degrees a few mornings and I am going out today to buy a nice quality biking jacket, which I realized, will be used probably more than any of my other clothing. I am also debating purchasing cycling shoes (the ones with cleats) (I think they're called cleats) but we'll see. I figure I have about a month of biking before it gets too cold.

Next Sunday I am running the Hot Chocolate 15k here in Chicago. I ran 4 miles last Sunday with my friend, and that was the third time I ran since the tri. It didn't hurt too bad. I wasn't able to run all this week on account of the "Chiclone" but will try to make a better effort today and tomorrow and this upcoming week. 15k is intimidating!! I'll basically be running it without training... hope those 12 miles of biking a day is enough to make it without being too sore. After all, I do need to be able to bike to work on Monday....

Have a lovely weekend, I do so cherish my weekends.

Stay tuned

tut tut, it looks like rain.

60 mph winds and they're calling it the"storm of the century" and you can almost feel in the air tonight the power of the wind about to sweep Chicago clean.

Needless to say, I won't be biking to work the next two days, or be getting my runs in as hoped this week, as this storm is coming tonight and staying awhile. Frustrating, as I do love biking so (you should have seen the trail in Lake Bluff this morning- misty, moon still up, jeweled leaves and trees dark with rain) and bussing and cabbing it take FOREVER and are sooooo much so less satisfying

although it will be nice to not have to bring a change of clothes with me tomorrow

although i will be sure to get soaked, so I will need to wear layers

even so,

30-60mph winds are enough to make me say nope to biking in the wind. The most windy I've biked was 24mph, and that was rather difficult (in the midst of construction season too). and sunny and in the middle of the day. AND the next few days will be rainy.

so batten down the hatches, this storm is coming!

this picture taken on Dover beach, Dover, England, by my traveling friend, Wendy.

sometimes I am madly in love with this city

i'm feeling random

some days you just want to sit and play harmonica in the rain.

and then tango, of course.

unfettered.

That's my life without facebook: unfettered.

I find that I have more interesting thoughts, deeper sleep, feel more relaxed in general, and spend more time reading or cooking or talking with real live actual people in real actual life, rather than virtually. I'm happier with my life, as I've stopped incessantly trying to sum up events into one witty status update, or compare my life to all my "friends". (Which ps. is a misnomer). I'm not sure if this just speaks of my insecurities and jealousies, or addictive behavior, and I don't really care. I try to keep happy things in my life and get a rid of things that make me unhappy. like most people. so no more fb. anyway, enough of that.

I just got back from a stretch and strength class and then an adv. ballet class (which i was totally lost in!). And I need to run yet today. Since when did my life become all about physical exercise?

Somewhere in the middle of the stretch and strength class I felt a muscle relax in my face that I think has been clenched for i don't know maybe my whole life. So, needless to say, I feel super relaxed and confident and fantastic right now. Also, humbled. My stretching needs a lot of work. I swear that strength and stretch class opens shakras and realigns my energy flows or something... It's amazing after biking all week to just stretch for an hour. yay!

some recent additions to my life

Nature: I cannot live without it. And so I bought a tent:

Lounging in the sun in the grass is my favorite activity, hands down:

Mozart's Requiem at the Basilica of St. Josaphat in Milwaukee? Yes indeed. Thanks, bro!

He grew so much in a month!

Trebuchets?

Y@, we know just how you feel.

(my brother N8, and nephew Y@)

Nothing like complete exhaustion

the atrophy of

complete
defeat.

When I have recharged, I will write, but not a moment sooner.






Here is a photo of the best cream of wheat in the world in the meantime.

Sometimes I just really miss Boston.

Stand Tall.

hello, there

It's good to see you.

I promise I have a few things I need to finish up about the tri. Here is the list of upcoming posts:

1. bike accouterments for the tri
2. plans for additional tri's
3. what actually happened on race day and the events leading up to it
4. some very important thank yous
5. advice for future tri's

Also, I am biking 12 miles a day now for my commute, and running a 15k in a month, so have started running as of today. I'll post about how that's going and things I've noticed.

And finally, this blog will now become more than about just triathlons. I've deleted my facebook account, and will use this blog to write about my art projects, observations, and other narcissistic generally useless things that I will probably find amusing to read back upon some day and you might get a laugh out of now.

But for now, I would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who donated to the tri. The support blew me away, and came at a time in my life when I needed it just as bad as the LLS needed it. So thank you, you will probably never know what it fully means to me.

Another thank you post will follow.


This is my pooch, Annie. Say hello to her nose.

the Bassett, she comes she goes