Processing fees are hilarious

Undoubtedly everyone comes across processing fees.  I, for one, find them hilarious.  Lets take Ticket Master for example, they sell tickets to concerts, sporting events, pretty much any event that allows online ticket purchases, essentially they have a monopoly on the ticket market.  


As an example of a typical markup, a ticket to see Britney Spears in 2004 cost $56. In addition to this, Ticketmaster levied fees of $4.10 (processing charge), $3.50 (facility charge) and $9 (convenience charge), a total of $16.60, almost 30% of the ticket's original price.  I would expect a markup of that percentage at a retail store, Ralph Lauren, Landry's (our local bike shop) but an online property, where do they get the balls to charge 30%.  How much overhead could they have?


and this is why its hilarious....


I received an email today with the title below:



Dear Smith,
Congratulations! You are now registered for 2011 Ford Ironman Lake Placid!!!

5 minutes ago I hit a little button on Active.com 
"click here for something awesome"
So I did and instantly I feel like this picture then I realize I am sweating, my eyes are dilated and i am overcome with a feeling of concern that I can only explain as...what. did. I. just. do....



Fortunately the feeling of concern was only momentary due to the message at the end of the email.
---->P.S We also wanted to tell you about a Processing fee $115.00...Love, Active.com

.....Hilarious...

Today is the last Saturday until Thanksgiving I will be in Boston.  I start a 10 week event run, so I decided to make the best of it. 

10am - Whitney and I met Sam Rosenhotlz and Mike Shinall for a great 50 mile loop out to Concord Ma.  Meet Sam (pictured below)  He is a beast and will crush you with his bike.

Needless to say we were not riding easy.  Mike and I desperately tried hold off his sprints for the 8 town lines we passed and were unsuccessful in all of our attempts.

Carolyn did a great 15 miler (running) yesterday, followed by a group swim when I got home from work. 



Earl was a bust and bowling should be an Olympic sport.

So I guess its official...Ironman LP 2011 HERE WE COME!!!

Moving Day in Boston...and the training?

It was moving day this week — Boston’s annual rite of mass upheaval, when thousands move in and out of apartments — The Temp. is about 95 degrees with not as much as a breeze. Thankfully neither Carolyn nor I will be moving. This week in Boston, U-Haul posts the most profitable week in any market in the entire country. That is an astounding fact.

This is a Shake Weight, I won it at work this week. (insert witty comment about how this is hands down the most hilarious product on the market, and the fact that this is the female version) Check back later to see my slimmer trimmer arms!

But I digress... Ironman

"You can learn new things at any time in your life if you're willing to be a beginner. If you actually learn to like being a beginner, the whole world opens up to you".

I will not pretend to be an expert in anything other than giving it my best, with the sincerest efforts on being the most prepared possible for an Iron distance race I will start at the beginning. I won't forget my past as a competitive swimmer, or the thousands of miles I have put on my bike or the hours spent running around the Charles over the years. I will however open my eyes and mind to the reality that I really have no idea what lies ahead. I am going to read everything there is to read about training, recovery and nutrition. I will make sure to do this right and to the best of my ability.....and I will make sure to have fun while doing it. (refer to IM 3-time champ Chrissie Wellington)

Great news! I did my first track workout yesterday at 6am! I am not a runner I will never claim to be a runner so this is a very exciting moment for me! Carolyn, Whitney and I ran to the track which is about 1 mile to the house. ( I will be using the blog to track improvement and times over the next year)

We did 4x800m HARD with 400m recovery inbetween.

1. 3:15

2. 3:10

3. 3:07

4. 2:53

1 mile cool down back to the house. Went to work, did some shake weight with the guys at work for a break from the grind, then had an awesome Trainer and Top Chef work out with the girls when I got home. Check out the action below! For now we brace for Earl, register for the race tonight and a solid 60 mile with Sam Rosenholtz tomorrow morning!

It's so damn hot...milk was a BAD choice!

This whole week has been like living on the face of the sun. Highs in the upper 90's and a humidity rate near 100% has made living (not to mention TRAINING), an absolute nightmare. This morning, we woke up at 6am and hit the track for some half-mile repeats. By 7am we were already breathless and sweating like human sprinklers. Hopefully hurricane Earl will bring some cooler temps our way.

After a morning of running errands, Smith and I went shopping for REAL clothes. Not bike parts, not tri shorts, not wetsuits or running shoes, just normal, everyday, non-athletic clothing. It was pretty exciting to see myself in something that reminded me that I am still a girl. Afterwards, I even got my haircut, too! The hairdresser was disappointed with how much chlorine was in my hair (sorry, that's not going to change anytime soon!).

The long walk to the T station was like running an entire marathon, and when I finally walked inside, I was greeted with the smell of sour milk that some homeless person had spilled all over himself and the inside of the station. All I could think of was Ron Burgundy in his darkest moments.

So, I finally made it home and will soon be hopping on the trainer for an hour or two to round out the day. I've got to work on my biking because I just learned that if I train hard, there is definitely a possibility of qualifying for Kona! More on this later...

Sorry that I am a terrible writer, but hopefully you will all continue to read our blog. I might even get better with practice.

In the beginning there was an idea.....IRONMAN

"With great sacrifice comes great reward"

After competing in numerous triathlons, marathons, and other races over the past few years, we have decided to take the ultimate challenge…to conquer the IRONMAN.
For anyone who does not know, an Ironman is unlike any other race in the world. It is a test to find out what you are made of, to find out how far you can push your limits.
2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking followed by a full marathon 26.2 miles one painful step at a time for a total of 140.6 miles.
Rewind to July of this year, we did our first half-Ironman race in Providence Ri. Under prepared and overconfident I entered the race with the highest of expectations, fast forward 1.2 mile swim, 56 miles on the bike and 6 miles into a 13.1 mile run I was beat. Every bone in my body hurt and I realize I am barely halfway through the run. Carolyn blew by my with about 3 miles left. Reality check: had she not flatted 3.5 hours earlier during the bike, she would have beat me. Needless to say we both finished in pain, disappointed in our finish, looking to eat everything in sight and looking at each other thinking "when is the next one?"
Redemption will come in the form of Half-Ironman Syracuse later this month. This then spurred the next step: a month ago we started to seriously look into races all over the country and chose Lake Placid Ironman, which will take place in July 2011. We chose this race in particular for a few reasons:
1. We can drive to it. (flying after a long race is extremely painful, refer to Disney Marathon 2010)
2. In all of the Ironman series races it is by far the best swim. (more to come on this later)
3. Our great friends the Withington's will be racing for the 2nd year in 2011. (Neil set a course record in the 60-64 yr old females this year!)
All great things, unfortunately there are about 2000 other gluttons for pain that decided on this before we did. This leaves us in a wonderful position to raise money for the Ironman foundation. In order to enter this competition of extreme endurance, we need to raise $2300 for the Ironman Foundation, which helps put on these events, and makes sure the athletes are well taken care of and contributes to the communities in which these events take place.
We invite you to donate as much or as little as you choose. Every dollar is one stroke, one pedal, one step closer to our journey to becoming and Ironman and Iron(wo)man.!