Today's team practice was a wonderful open water swim in Santa Monica - the ocean was really nice and clear (for the Pacific - which means about 7 feet of visibility), and it's so much fun swimming with the team!

After the swim, we ran up the beach path and since I forgot my running shorts, I had to run in my swimsuit, which got me some stares from the tourists, but I still had a great time!

After the run, I got to throw a pie in Coach Jen's face! Our team had set up a fundraising incentive where if one raised a certain amount of money, one got to pie either a mentor, a team captain, or a coach. Of course, I was worried about getting whipped cream in Jen's eyes, so I really didn't 'pie' all that hard, but it was still fun!

I'm still $500 away from my minimum, and have about a week to get it!

I can't believe it's a little over a month until race day!

This has been such a wonderful experience with my amazing teammates and fantastic coaches.

I'm still about $1000 short of my fundraising minimum, so if you haven't donated yet, now's the time!

Tomorrow's an early morning open water swim with the extra wonderful TNT coaches! I'm so excited!

Saturday was our first open water swim with the team, since we'd gotten our TNT branded wetsuits two days prior at swim practice. It was a really nice swim. We were in Long Beach, where they have a very nice swimming area that's sheltered so there are no waves or heavy chop, and the water was nice and cool, if a bit murky (typical for the Pacific, where 3 feet of visibility is a wonder).

I've done some open water swimming, so I was fine with the low visibility, but I do need more practice sighting (that's when you look up out of the water to make sure you're still on course - but if you lift your head too much, then you slow down as your feet drop and you lose the streamlined swimming position). Sighting seems to be a fine art, and takes lots of practice - but we still have some time to go before the race!

We're over 60 percent there and those of you who have donated are so wonderful and my thanks goes out to you!

If you haven't donated yet, then please do as I need to get my fundraising minimum by August 31.

We're 9 weeks away from the event, and 60 percent there on the fundraising! Thanks so much! I need to get all my donations in by August 30, so we've got six weeks to make our goal!

Our last week was a recovery week, which doesn't mean we didn't work out, it just means we worked out a bit less. Now, we're back into the 'build' weeks, which mean more and more exercise to get ready for the race.

In the photo, you can see my "I'm trying to run on my cleats and not fall" face.

Time sure flies when you're having fun!

This is the first time I've ever had coaching or worked with a team, and I have to say that it's really awesome! The other folks on my team are really wonderful and the coaches are supportive and nice, even when they're telling me something I don't want to hear. Which, I suppose, is the coach's job.

I find that I work a lot harder when I'm with the group. When I'm on my own I meander, stop and smell the flowers (both literally and figuratively), chat, etc..

If I do that on a team ride, I get left behind and then have to catch up.

Saturday, we had a bike ride on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. As we were rolling, out, I heard a strange noise coming from the bike and by the time that I figured out what it was (computer sensor rubbing against the side of the tire) and fixed it I was almost 10 minutes behind the rest of the team. By pedalling like heck I managed to catch some of the slower folks, but on my own I never, ever would have put forth that kind of effort.

I've had a bit of a fundraising lull, which is partly my fault as I've been so very tired from all this working out, but we're only halfway there, so it's time to step it up!