Heat Wave in Wisconsin

When I say heat wave, I know what you are thinking. Sunny skies, cool breeze, dirt kicking up under your 750s as you take that corner leaning the way your coach taught you, but just a little too fast so you are grinning just a little....so warm in fact, you are forced to unzip and take off that really sweet JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes bike jersey even though you are impressed by the fact that the 2007 jersey is red/white/blue instead of some form of yellow?

Nope.

It's 22 degrees right now. HEAT WAVE in Wisconsin. I'll take it. I've got my gear on, laced up my shoes....and ah, procrastinating obviously because here I sit typing on my blog right? I can't help it, I've let myself go, training wise, and even the 4 mile run I've planned for today on the crunchy snow scares me a bit.

But as the www.triabetes.org website reminds me, over and over and over and over.

6 months

11 days

19 hours

21 minutes

41 seconds

UNTIL IRONMAN WISCONSIN.

I better get moving! I've had the flu twice, endured all 3 kids with it, even had to force my 7 year old to make us all soup one night - Joey was happy to take care of us. (that was fun to type)

I think I'll put Target on my running route today so I can buy some new running socks. It will give me a goal to focus on. I'm still a girl at heart, what can I say?

Shoot. I'm down to 19 minutes and 32 seconds.

Forget the Primaries! Vote for me today!

The quick and dirty first:
I'm asking all of you to vote for my video entry and passing this email on to EVERYONE you know!

by sending an email to vote@evotri.com with MICHELLE ALSWAGER in the subject line by Wednesday. As we're expecting a deluge of voting, for efficiency purposes emails will not be opened. You may only vote once, multiple votes from the same email address will not be counted.

The long winded part:
http://www.evotri.com/ has a contest simply asking "why do you do triathlons and what do you bring back to the endurance community?" A friend of mine encouraged me to film a short video (thank you Andiamo Productions!) about my work on the Triabetes project - bringing together 12 type 1 athletes to complete Ironman Wisconsin and film a documentary. The project will also study the effect the process has on their bodies, giving much needed information to coaches, nurses, schools, and doctors about the diabetic athlete.

Also, if you have ANY way to promote it for me, please do! Thank you thank you!

You can watch my entry on http://www.evotri.com/ (mine is the first one! Alphabetical counts today!). Yes, don't even comment: when I filmed it I had the flu and a temperature of 103 so don't tell me how terrible I look!!!!!

Please please please take a moment to vote for me and please please please take a moment to forward the email to friends, family colleagues. Triabetes and DIABETES will get some sweet exposure (and I could win a new bike to do my Ironman this year!!!!)


Thanks to all of you for supporting me!

:)Michelle-- "Triabetes will revolutionize the way people approach diabetes."Inspire. Educate. Explore.http://www.triabetes.org/

Pick Me! Pick Me!

Mama needs a new pair of shoes...errrr...I mean a new bike, some coaching, zipp wheels, a 2xu wetsuit, and some big-time exposure for the best documentary currently filming - Triabetes. (www.triabetes.org)

PAY ATTENTION:

I have had the pleasure of meeting Stu of www.simplystu.com. Check him out if you haven't already. He spends some time interviewing top dogs in the Triathlon World. He turned me on to the Evotri (www.evotri.com) contest where a lucky winner will win a pretty sweet package. How do you win? You tell the world via youtube video why you "tri" and what you think you bring back to the Endurance Community that's worthy of recognition.

And so girl thinks to self... "hmmmmmmmm....." Definitely "hmm-worthy" at least, is the Triabetes project, right? I mean, 12 type 1 athletes training for Ironman Wisconsin 2008 and capturing it on film to educate the world that while not everyone with diabetes needs to go out and do an Ironman....they CAN. And DO. And while we are at it, can we educate the swim coach, soccer coach, basketball coach, track coach (getting the idea?) that little kids with diabetes CAN swim competively even though they wear an insulin pump, and no it is not a big deal if they have to come off the soccer field to treat a low blood sugar, and yes it is the responsibility to have at least a working knowledge of diabetes? I just got off my soapbox.

On Monday, 10 videos will be posted on the www.evotri.com website. For a few days, the online community will vote for the one they think deserves to be on the Evotri team. On Monday, you'll all get the link if I'm selected.

I hope I am selected and even if I'm not, it was a fun ride getting there. (And thanks Andiamo Productions for filming goofy me!)

Baby It's Cold Outside (or, I really can't stay)

No way am I going outside. -3 below without windchill. I woke up this morning to the sound of wind ripping things off my deck. I did some quick re-thinking of doing that 2.5 hour spin this morning at the club. No one would miss me...

I slept another hour.

It's ok, right? I did spin & a movie in my living room (a tradition) with some good friends on Friday for two hours.

I am excited because on Wednesday I am holding my JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes Info Meeting where new riders meet with "seasoned" riders to sign up and learn about the four rides we have this year. It always makes me remember signing myself up and how scared I was. What a great decision I made that day in 2004, eh?

I have finally filmed my entry to win a sweet new bike, coaching, wetsuit, zipp wheels.... it will be up and running soon enough after a few tweaks. The contest is about showing the world what you are doing to improve the endurance community, so it was the perfect venue for me to go on and on about the Triabetes Documentary! More to come on this.

I also heard from my good friend, Sean Busby, who will be hosting a snowboarding camp at Mt. Hood this year. (www.ridingoninsulin.com) He really wants Jesse to go, but I have to keep reminding Sean that single moms can't afford that :( Good guy that he is, he offered to take Jesse under his wing, fly him to Salt Lake City, where the two will drive to Oregon together. He'll stay with Sean, and Sean will get his sponsors to fund the rest. How cool is that? Then I took a deep breath and told myself Jesse will be fine on an airplane managing his diabetes. Ugh.

Ok, I'm off for a beer and burrito at Pasquals....my favorite.... :)

Cross Training - Wisconsin Style

I could have rode by trainer today in my living room. I could have gone for a run outside. It would have been tough to get to the gym, but heck, I could have packed up my swimsuit and headed for the pool.

But no, today I did a little cross-training....Wisconsin Style. That's right, you Triabetes geeks. In Madison, Wisconsin we got 17 INCHES OF SNOW. 17. The picture above is the view from my driveway as I left for work today.

So, today's strength training was 2 hours of shoveling. Hard sweating, sore muscles, core training baby.

Come on, AHN..... can you BEAT THAT???????????????????????????????????????

I don't know about the rest of the Wisconsin Triabetes athletes...but I am ready to hit some dry pavement......I'm so jealous of Anne riding in San Fran..... Hmpfh.

Bad Medicine...is what I needed

"So, Michelle....where've you been spinning these days?", said the friend who teaches spinning, via happy email.

Michelle looks around the room. She glances nervously to the right and spots her trusted steed, Johnny C, hooked up faithfully to his cyclops fluid 2 trainer, gently collecting delicate powder we call....dust....

"Ummmm....nowhere? Ah, when are you teaching class?" says an out of shape Ironman Sign-upper who hasn't done a damn thing.

Says evil friend/spin instructor, "Tonight at 6:30 p.m. See you there!

I walked into my club, got on my fabulous JDRF spankin' new bike shorts, filled the water bottle, got the cycle ready, climbed on.

Giddy up.

The music started and WOW...did I miss spinning class! What was I thinking blowing off the club all this time??? I got in my groove and grinned like an idiot during Bon Jovi's "Bad Medicine" as I cranked up my standing climb and grinned for those 5 minutes of painful climbing. Oh yeah, bring it on!

Thanks, Ryan, for getting this butt back in the saddle....tomorrow morning I plan to run on the fresh powder (errrr...ah....I really mean that sickening 8 more inches getting DUMPED on us) and go for a swim.....

Next post is going to be about the giving of others and general kindness rumored......film at 11.

Crazy JDRF Moms Unite

In 1970 a mom was told her son had type 1 diabetes. The doc said, "Raise some money and we can cure it."

At the Phoenix gala I had the distinct honor to meet Lee Ducat, founding mother of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. They showed an incredible video honoring her work with stories from her children. A picture graced the screen. It was dingy and old, obviously dated. It was a photo of a small dinner party. It is a photo I plan to get my hands on so I can hang it in my JDRF office. It is proof of the first official JDRF meeting - a bunch of crazy moms who wouldn't listen when they were told there wasn't anything they could do about their child's diabetes.

I am a happy enlisted "crazy mom" in this club. I hate to be completely cheesy, but I was completely breathless to listen to her speak on stage. There she was, telling a story of a little boy diagnosed. My story was her story, almost to a "t". I cried, I smiled, and I hugged the JDRF staff people who stood with me.

Of course, the whole evening was surreal, I mean, there I was listening to Kenny Loggins belt out Danger Zone as I danced with our CEO (who always cracks up at how much I love to dance at the JDRF functions) and then got my moment to introduce myself and chat with Lee herself. What an honor and privilege. Thought I would share with all of you.

And yes...I did sneak it in that we are doing a documentary about diabetes and the Ironman...I couldn't help myself.... ;)