Road to the Gold

Seasons really coming in for a close, with just one more event left.
October 2nd in Dallas is the 'Race to the Toyota Cup US Championship'
This will be a really deep field - qualification races across the country only send top 10 overall for each gender.

Can't believe Nationals were a month ago already.
So much life has happened since then.

Camp 2011.
Best summer I can remember. Truly.

Staff - Mystery Dinner 2011

Capture the Flag - Session 8

5150 US Championships in Iowa (9/4)
4th place amateur female
1st place in 25-29 age group by 8 minutes.
Won $650 in Orca/Orbea product gift cards.

Bridget was my travel buddy.

Upon checking into the hotel not only was there a sea of funny looking athletes
(you know the scene...obnoxiously colored running shoes, compression socks on up to our knees, a visor and/or shades on our head, water bottle in hand and at least one item made of 80% spandex....)
But there were people dressed in medieval attire. We even saw one pirate.
Apparently there was a renaissance banquet occurring....not that that explains the pirate.....

Skipped the Nations Tri in DC because of a developing overuse injury in my legs / hips
(more specifically my left lateralis, right medius, and left adductor)
The swim portion for DC was cancelled anyway, so I was glad that I opted to recover and not race.

Justin and I drove out to Dartmouth, MA this past Sunday for Buzzards Bay race.
I <3 ocean swims.
I hadn't raced a sprint in months. You blink and its over.
My dad raced too and did AWESOME! Second in his age group.

Countdown:
October 2nd - Toyota Cup Champs
November 2nd - Fly into Rome, Italy for 1600 miles of biking in Europe.

Quotes of the Moment:
"To get there you must be fueled by talent, will and ridiculous amounts of training...."

"THAT'S THE MAPLE PANCAKE SYRUP TREE WAFFLE!!!!"
-3 yr old at Montessori when shown a "Sugar Maple" leaf

"Aubrey has to come to my birthday party, ok mom?"
-8 yr old private swim lesson star, Katie. (Her birthday is 3 months away)

Here's to peace, dancing trees and so much love,
~Aubs

Select Items Packed for Nationals:
8 pounds of bananas (well, not really....)
7 puzzle piece notes (only 3 of which I've found so far..) <3
6 bottles of vitamins (I am my mothers daughter)
5 EPIC mix CDs (I really only needed one of them....since I spent a solid hour listening to "Super Bass" on repeat)
4 books / magazines - all tri-oriented (to read while I lay in the grass next to Champlain tomorrow)
3 pairs of sunglasses (a race pair, driving pair, obnoxious pair...all necessary)
2 dresses
1 blender

I can't even describe how excited I am to be here.
I am also so so so happy that I've already come up to get familiar with the course and the area. I just feel confident now. *Thank you

Went down to the lake this afternoon and ran intervals along the finish line strip.
This is going to be one hell of a venue when its ready to roll.

Afterwards I stopped into the "Healthy Living Market"....and got lost for almost an hour.
This place brought a whole new level of standard to organic & local groceries.
Trader Joes would be embarrassed to be next to this place.
Unreal. F-you 'organic aisle' of Big Y.

Other Up-Coming Races:
5150 Championships : September 2nd
Nations Tri in DC : September 11th
Race to the Toyota Cup Championships: October 2nd
(THEN a jump into off season....for two months of cycling around europe. No biggie.)

Quote of the moment:
"Begin Now."

Quite the crew coming up for the weekend....
I'm a lucky girl to have friends & family who are so supportive and AWESOME.
Understatement.

Updates soon...

Here's to peace, persistence and nothing missing,
~Aubrey

"....at last the ladder, which had been built slowly, slowly, one hope at a time, reached up to the clouds. And the dreamer began to climb."

Quick recaps & assorted rambling:
Phily race went pretty well.
4th woman overall - should have had third place....lost it a little on the run.

Camp is in full swing. I know I have said this before, but it has been a very long time since we have had a staff this cohesive and incredible.
There is just so much connection and balance that everything is easy, smooth and fun.
Work just doesn't feel like work when everyone pulls their weight and then some.

Wisdom teeth ordeal is done and healed. Lots of love to everyone for their patience, support and icecream dates
I promised the surgeon I would take a week off of training....I lasted 5 days.

Massachusetts State Triathlon is this upcoming Sunday.
STOKED to race. It's been 3 weeks (Which is the longest raceless stint I'll have to survive through until October)
Thank goodness.

Nationals are in 5 weeks.

Here's to peace, surprises and all things real,
~Aubrey

Two Days - Two Races

'"Escape the Cape Sprint"
June 4th
1st female
10th overall / 590

Support crew of the day - Love these kids!! (Understatement)

"Ludlow Sprint"
June 5th
3rd place female

June 12th Race
1st place female.
4th overall.

• So many good people (thanks to Lauren, Bridge, and Gainer for cheering me on, hugging me even though I was sweaty and loving me despite my crazy head for being a little mad that I didn't break into the top three. Big special love to my Pepe' for coming - there is something about making your family proud that means so so much)

• *Some footage of T2 - heading out for the run.

• And BIG HUGE hollers to Erin, Adam, Kate, Mike, Seth & My pops for racing...yikes there were so many familiar faces...Brett & Paula, a ton of clients from the shop, old high school swim buddies......so much good energy.

• Ran 6ish miles with Gainer @ the resevoir after the race, then spent the day playing on the brand new ropes course and BBQ-ing with staff. PARADISO BABY.

Was pretty awesome to do some races back to back...
I am however definitely ready for more international distance races, enough sprints already!

Advice of the day:
Always have breakfast....

& make it a really classy experience.

Quote:
Do what you love. (& the rest will fall into place)

Countdown:
Northeast Regional Champs = TOMORROW
Philadelphia Toyota Cup Series Event - 8 days
USAT Nationals - 2 months 2 days

Here's to peace, ultegra cranksets and FACT carbon,
~Aubrey

"The minute you start talking about what you're going to do if you lose, you have lost." George Shultz

Happy Tuesday
I wore heels to work today, and thought to myself "hmm...it's nice to get dressed up just because...." that temporary moment of reflection was interrupted when I realized in the car that I was A. still wearing my heart rate monitor B. roadID bracelet was on my other wrist and that C. I had subconsiously put on my compression calf sleeves underneath my skinny jeans....while laughing at myself I pegged a HUGE pothole which hurled my coffee onto the floor and coincidentally the boots that started this whole thought process. Ha. Oh well. Happy Tuesday!

Have been having some really good training days in the pool lately and other venues of life are good. I <3 my roomie, and our outrageously inappropriate conversations / explosive laughter episodes which according to the old, single ladies who neighbor us...probally occur far too frequently. Miss Deely is still the cutest yellow lab on the face of the planet. All my swimmers at work are getting rather beastly, I'm pretty proud of them and their progress. The OWLs are inexplicably cool and summer staff / plans are epic. Kayak demo for the shop (www.weu.com) went really well - over 80 different boats for people to try on the water. I registered for 5150 US championships elite amateur (umm...first place is 5 grand and a new car!?!)...and Bridget is going to come with me.....to Iowa!

Pro women in T2 (Transition from Bike to Run) @ Last years Hy-Vee Race

Oh and running in the rain is pure bliss.
End blabbering recap 101.

The Ten Commandments of Racing
1. Train Hard
2. Make Sacrifices
3. Make Positive Choices
4. Seek your potential
5. Set High Goals
6. Relax Under Pressure
7. Attack Pain
8. Push the Pace
9. Live in Balance
10. Run To Win

Recent Results
Mothers Day 1/2 Marathon -
2nd Place = 1:35:38

Stanley 5ks
Week #1 = 19:24
Week #2 - 19:31

Upcoming Things of Excitement
Northfield Mountain 10k - May 21st Saturday

Memorial Day Weekend = 4 days of Maine, Whitewater, Hiking, Campfires and Good People.

June 4th - Cape Cod Sprint

• Really excited for this one, a huge crew of my OWLs are coming out to watch me race! (And then of course play on the beach all day!)

June 5th - Ludlow Sprint

Quote of the Day:
"Obsession....is just another word to describe the passionate, unwaivering determination someone has to reach their highest, truest potential"

Mindset of the year
"I ain't settlin' for anything less than everything....."

Here's to peace, greek yogurt & blue macaws,
~Aubs