Canoeing, Keys and stroking....

So another awesome wickedly wild day training with the team!

We were at Kelso today in the canoes and I tell ya I don't know what's more fun the rush of the race OR making Shane and Neil from Racedayrush.com uncomfortable with our comments LOL!!

We were put in boats as teams of two and I don't think that I could have been teamed up with a better person...you ROCK MEL!!!! Once we realized that we worked better with her in the back yelling out instructions and me in front just given'er on the paddle we were good :)

First things we learned was different types of strokes, which gave us many times to make the guys blush with some double meaning jokes 8-). Mel and I just couldn't get the stroke down where we had to spin the canoe on the spot. We were both paddling away with all our might but we just stayed in the same spot LOL!

Of course the racedayrush boyz bring out some fun and games...but no chocolate milk ;)...So up next was a 'race challenge' and a lesson in transitioning from running the getting in the canoe and out on the water. Right away my game tiger comes out...I was talking with Mel about how we were going to get in the boat the best and fastest way. We started at the top of the hill and had to run down then get in the canoe and get a beach ball that they put out in the lake. We weren't the first down the hill, but we weren't the last either but let me tell you once we hit that canoe it was power house Van Awesome up front and given'er!!!! WOOO HOOOO!! It was great. I just looked down and watched the water rush by the boat as I dug in the water hard with my paddle. Mel would yell out to me to switch sides and I would do it and keep going. We were the first to get a ball but 5sec afterwards I heard Shannon say "Ya!" that's when I knew they had gotten a ball and the race back to shore was on! My arms were getting tired and I was getting hot and even starting to breath heavy but I just clamped down and kept paddling. We made to the shore but were going so fast that we almost hit another boat with a family in it LOL...so I jumped out at that point and heaved the canoe over and up on shore all the while hearing Shane who was standing on the shore yell , "Both people out of the boat and run to me to win!!" I yelled, "Lets go MEL!!! because Amy and Shannon were right beside us at the shore.....we ran to Shane and by second and inches WON!!!!!!! OMG I LOVE that!! I use to think that winning by a mile was great but winning by an inch is awesome!!! It shows that people were pushing me and I was able to squeeze out that last drop.

Of course the day couldn't end without some drama. We did have some of the teams tip in their canoe and go for an early swim :) Only problem was one of the bags that went in the water had half the teams car keys it it....ooopppps they are all now swimming at the bottom of the lake. The good thing is that with a few phone calls to husbands to bring the extra keys and rides home from others on the team the situation was fixable :)....it's the curse of the keys I tell ya! Tracey lost hers in the woods on one of our training days too :z

I was dropped off at my moms were my family was having a BBQ and when I walked in they all looked at me and said,"What have you been doing?!" LOL I was in my wet clothes and sandy wet shoes still and was sun burnt to a crisp from standing around waiting to fix the key problem at the lake. I said, " I'll tell you later I just need something to EAT!!! and some water!" Every ones stuff was in their cars including my bag that I had packed extra water and snacks in. I piled everything on my hamburger, didn't look at the box to see how many calories it was, didn't check it out to see if the portion size was right I just rammed that thing in my mouth and next I hit the potato salad....sometimes a girls just gotta eat!!!

As a side note I have to add. As I do these things I can not help but compare to how I use to be when I was over 250lbs. I NEVER would have been out there doing this stuff, having this fun, winning these races and believing...truly believing, for the first time in myself! WOW! how things have changed and it all started with me sliding off the couch one day and doing sit-ups during the commercials. I am SO grateful for my new healthy way of life and ALL the adventure it brings me.


xoxo

*ive
*ove
*augh
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