Mad Manatee Mentors 2013: CLOSED (exc/ Pop Tart bribes) (Page 307)

Oh no you didn't! Salty, TJ and Monica may be sending you a virtual beat down

Yeah forgot to tell you he is racing - IM bought out Copenhagen so he had to fit in another challenge event so Penticton it is - got a few members racing.

he will be using this as a training for Kona I think and testing nutrition etc...

Try and see him on the run - he's fond of a high five, tell him Jo the Stalker says hi.

Yeah and SBUX is catering to the bigger market too - in fact the barista cousin gave us a bag of beans voted the best in Australia as a blend - meh - weak really drinkable though - he said most of the customers want it weak - they want the hit but they want to be able to drink more than one - a few a day etc.

Hey if SBUX was my closest i'm sure i'd go there.

Actually McCafe here is a like a sub division of McDonalds - and they have good baristas in some, i used to drive past one at my old house and the girl in there made the best coffee however if she wasn't there - bleugh.

It's weird huh!

Funny we had Joel Madden as a judge on our The Voice here and he lived in Sydney for the filming - said he could not get over the coffee!!!

Sorry Salty I wasn't dissing SBUX just observing - it's not a big phenomenon over here really.

do you guys have McCafe there?  It's like within McDonalds but it's more cakes muffins and - pretty good - coffee - not the gas station variety, it's made by a barista there and it's not bad.  It's not great of course but in a pinch I'd go there.

However boycotting mcdonalds who are building a 24 hour drive through in a village near the hills opposite a primary school - first one in Australia to get passed to be built near a school...hell in a hand basket

And evenin Australia, Melbourne coffee is just in a whole different league. It's like Europe.

McCafe is actually pretty decent. It's also about half the cost of Starbucks (at least here).

Of course, "here" being the home of many of the world's best coffees ... but then again, the best of it's always exported!

What's left ain't none too shabby, though.

OKAY TOTALLY RANDOM TAPER TANTRUM ...

1. IMJ has start waves (not rolling start). Of course I'm in the LAST wave (all the women are) and it's a two loop course. Punishes fast swimmers and the whole way is gonna be a Salty-worthy shyte-show!

Plus side: I'll have tons of room on the bike (it's an out-n-back lollipop shaped course) and aid stations will be safer!

2. Extended migraine prodrome this morning (just the pre-warning--vision loss, panic, feeling of impending doom) ... lasted an hour and I had to throw the kitchen sink of meds at it.

Plus side: MIGRAINE AVERTED!!! And this didn't happen the DAY before like at IMNZ! However, I still feel as if I've had a migraine--queasy, achy, washed-out, insanely tired. But functional, ish.

Well. Boo on that.

I was just telling my husband all about you and your adventures, Mutti, and stuff in general....he was intrigued--in a good way; he says that I have interesting friends. 

Good luck--if I don't tell you closer to IMJ--You are going to ROCK it, I just KNOW it! (watch out for Japanese Giant Salamanders--their mouth is bigger than your head.  well....j/k--they are only in shallow rocky streams, so you probably won't be near any...but the mouth size, that was true.) 

Hi Podmates!  

I've tried keeping up this past week while at training for my new job.  I just couldn't do it.    

It is race eve - and I thought I would stop by and say hello - give everyone a little update.  

I haven't had taper madness to bad, but I am itching to race.  My body feels fresh - the legs are raring to go.  I hope that holds up through the run tomorrow!  

Looks like we will see if my theory on elevation (and it's effect on me) is correct or not - supposed to be mild tomorrow, and I should finish my run before the thermostat tops 80.  Woo Hoo.  

There is one other factor though.  There have been large wild flowers in California, and the smoke is blowing into Nevada.  It is so smoky here.  They are keeping a close eye on it.  If the smoke gets any thicker, they will cancel the race for the safety of the participants.  I sure hope it doesn't get cancelled.   

This race has a special meaning to me this year.  I am dedicating this race to my friend Heather Grand.  This is the first time I have ever raced for anyone, and I'm excited to be racing for her.  

Quick back story on Heather (for those of you who don't know).  I have known her for a little over 10 years now.  She is 31 years old.  A while back, she had a seizure and was taken to the hospital.  The brain scans revealed that she had 30 tumors in her brain! She was given 6 months to live.  That was 3 years ago!

Heather has taken more radiation, and done more chemotherapy than anyone I've ever heard of.  As a matter of fact, her oncologist told her the same thing!  In addition to all the tests, chemo, radiation, brains scans, and doctors appointments, she has had multiple brain surgery's.  Through all of this, she has always kept and incredibly positive attitude.  Her body fails her now, and I'm afraid the end is near.  However, she remains positive and has faced this adversity with a strength few people could have.  

Approximately 2 weeks ago, one of her many brain scans revealed that she has about 20 new micro tumors in her brain.  Even with this news, you know what she was concerned about?  Being approved for a clinical trial that is only in phase 1 and will have unknown effects on her.  She knows that even though this trial has had positive results in animals, this most likely will not heal her.  She realizes it is too late for her, but still wanted to be approved for the trial, and is willing to go through more testing and possibly horrible side effects, so that she can hopefully be part of finding a cure for her type of cancer so that others will not have to experience what she has had to experience.  Heather is an amazing woman, and I love her deeply.  

I was speaking to her on the phone last week, and we were discussing my training.  We discussed the race length and then specifically started talking about running.  She said she misses running (she can't even walk up and down stairs without help these days.)  It was at that moment that I told her I would be running this race for her.  She was so happy.  

I called her today to ask her if she knew what tomorrow was (her short term memory fails her sometimes these days).  She didn't know, so I told her it was R4HG day!  She said "What?" and I said Racing 4 Heather Grand day.  She was sooooo happy and told me that it means a lot to her.  

When you see my pictures from this race, you will see R4HG on my arms and/or legs.  Now you will know the significance of this alpha numeric code.  If anyone feels so inclined in their upcoming races to race for Heather also - please feel free to write R4HG on your arms and send me a picture.  I think she would really like to see that people are racing all over the world for Heather.  

Now I'm off to wipe my tears and get some sleep.  Tomorrow is the race of my life, as I will be RACING 4 HEATHER GRAND!  

'Skrat: Dude. you rock. --and she MOST DEFINITELY ROCKS.

(even through the 'wild flowers' from California---sorry, it just made me giggle. --I've needed a giggle this week. Thank you.)

She sounds like quite an inspiration.  Race well and may this clinical trial surpass her expectations.

Forkin' A allergies sniffle sniffle Skrat. Love and strength to you both!

My turn to post a tear-jerker ...

Remember my friend Chris whose little girl Paige just died of cancer? The one who wrote me on the day she died to wish me good luck with training and in Japan?

Chris

I DON'T UNDERSTAND! How can a) such awesome people, like Skrat's friend, exist in this world? This amazes me in the best way possible, then b) and have such SHYTTY SHYTT happen to them?! This amazes me in the worst way possible.

I know it's a question we all struggle with; it's one of those fundamental human things.

I want to be like Paige was, now, and then I want to be like Chris when I grow up ... still cannot believe (even though it's been this way through her whole illness and passing) that he took the time to think of how *I'm* feeling on the DAY of his daughter's service about something that, in comparison, is totally faching irrelevant, and sends cheer and comfort.

Incredible. My heart soars and shatters all at once.

Nothing to add, just agree-ing. {{{HUGS}}}}

DP

ETA: RR