Amanda and Alaina Training

Here are Amanda and me, getting ready to dive into Amanda's neighborhood cove at Lake Lanier. We found out days later (after we swam here) that there was a black snake spotted near this very same dock!!!


Off we go! If you look close, you may be able to see that little black snake poking it's nasty little snake head out of the water. Mr. Snake will be our motivation to swim faster...



How dorky can I look??? By the way-this is my bike that I got in 8th grade that I loved so much. It is 17 years old! But it's still kickin' and in great shape!

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Training Continues...

So I decided it was time to put everything together and train today by doing the entire race. Since we only have 6 days left, I was getting anxious about my transitions, the swim, and being able to finish without dying :) My goal was to try to complete everything today.

I went to to LA Fitness by the Mall of Georgia. Chris and I were members of this gym when we were in Chicago, and I have a couple of weeks left on my membership. I thought I would go there and give the whole thing a try, since they have a pool, bike machines, and treadmills. While I realize it is going to be very different because I didn't have the humidity to worry about today, it did help me feel a little more confident about what to expect on Sunday. I finished in about 2 hours and 10 minutes. I am sure it will take me a little longer on Sunday, dealing with the humidity and the biking part is going to be MUCH different than a stationary bike in a gym. But it was nice to get through it.

I have been sick all day since I finished it. Food seems to make me feel better.

Okay, so here is a "For Your Information" bit...

If any of you are crazy enough to come out on Sunday at the butt crack of dawn to support us, please please please promise that you will not make fun of me if I throw up after I cross the finish line (if I can make it there). No really, this is a reality, and I must warn you. Hopefully no one will get it on camera.

Has anyone seen the video of the runner that craps his pants? It is just awful. You can check it out on You Tube if you dare. Hopefully this will not even be an issue for me or Amanda on Sunday. But, you never know ;)

More later,

Alaina

More Donations Received!

More people are continuing to donate to the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. These people have helped us to reach our fundraising goal of $1,000 to benefit Pediatric Cancer Research through Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

THANK YOU!

Tony Brunson $25

Ronnie and Terri Samples $25

Check It Out! Amanda made the IronGirl Newsletter!!

Supporting Pediatric Cancer Research

We are proud of our new charity program for 2009! The Aflac Iron Girl National Event Series, new charitable cause supporting pediatric cancer research that will benefit select children's hospitals and cancer centers throughout the country. Donations from Aflac Iron Girl event participants and a percentage of proceeds from online merchandise sales found at IronGirlShop.com will go to designated hospitals within the Children's Oncology Group, the world's largest pediatric cancer research network consisting of more than 5,000 members located in leading children's hospitals, university hospitals and cancer centers in the nation.

Aflac Cancer Center and the Iron Girl Team would like to give a special thanks to Ashley Davis, Miriam Gibson, Kelli McManus, Nicole Osbrone, Amanda Swanson, Kristen Vangile have all hit the $500.00 mark. They have received many goodies for their successful fundraising efforts!

This Week's Training

Amanda’s thoughts on training this week…with only 2 weeks to go!

"People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.” -- Steve Jobs

"Only through focus can you do world-class things, no matter how capable you are." -- Bill Gates

I am trying to stay focused despite all the chaos around me…friends wanting me to party with them, kids wanting me to devote every single minute of my time to them, and the laziness that seems to try to overtake me!!! I hope it will pay off!

Amanda Swanson

Swimming Practice in Dirty Lake Lanier

Here is a picture of where we decided to get some practice swimming in Lake Lanier for the Triathlon. EEEwwww, gross....we didn't last long! There were about 20 geese swimming around us and we DID happen upon some underwear that had been washed up on the shore. I can't believe we actually got in the water!





Actually, here is the real picture of where we swam. Mary Alice Park, Lake Lanier. What a dump the city of Cumming has let this place become. This picture is actually a really good picture, from here, it actually looks nice. But don't let tricky photography fool you...


Clean it up, Forsyth County! This place is gross!!


The one good thing that did come out of practicing at Mary Alice Park is that we met a pro-triathlon dude that knew what he was doing. He jumped in the lake with little hesitation (he did admit it was really scary, too!) So we were able to follow him in and not be as scared.


Byron (our pro-triathlon dude) looked a little like this:

Update on our Adventures!

Friends and Family,

Well, we have about 3 weeks until Alaina and I compete in our first ever Sprint Triathlon!! It has been pretty fun I have to admit, training for this thing. In fact, I think I will continue to keep my same training schedule after this is all said and done…ok, maybe not the swimming part though.

It has been a pretty unbelievable set of events that led us to where we are at this point in our training. We have gotten running tips from an African who runs a 4 minute mile and how to swim properly in open water by a Pro Triathloner with brown hair and brown eyes by the name of Byron! Ironic, huh???!!! (Our dads name.) We thought that was the best!

I hope that we are ready and we have to keep reminding ourselves don’t take it too seriously…after all our whole point was to just be able to finish!

Amanda

Aflac Iron Girl Atlanta Triathlon to Premiere on NBC

June 9, 2009 (Tampa, Fla.) - Today, Iron Girl, the premiere all-women's event-based brand, announces that the third annual Aflac Iron Girl Atlanta Triathlon will be televised nationally on NBC Sports.

The broadcast will air on Saturday, Aug. 23, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET. The telecast will showcase a highly competitive professional field as well as a diverse group of athletes varying in age and fitness level.

"The partnership with NBC will highlight tremendous athleticism alongside stories of incredible personal achievement," said Jeff Charney, Aflac senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "Viewers will be inspired by these amazing women and will find their own motivation to live healthier lives."

The broadcast will be shot on location on June 28, 2009, 45 minutes northeast of Atlanta, Ga., at Lake Lanier Islands Resort, situated on the shores of Lake Sidney Lanier. Featuring a 1/3-mile swim, 18-mile bike and 3-mile run, the sold-out event will take more than 1,200 women into pristine Lake Sidney Lanier, transitioning them on to a scenic, yet challenging bike course of rolling hills through Buford County. The run will lead athletes along the natural beauty of Lake Lanier Islands Resort, one of Georgia's most visited resort destinations.

"The team at NBC is excited to televise the Aflac Iron Girl Atlanta Triathlon and is happy to continue growing its relationship with World Triathlon Corporation and Ironman Productions," said Jon Miller, NBC Sports' executive vice president. "We are pleased to add this exciting event to our telecasts that also include the Emmy-award winning Ford Ironman World Championship and the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3."

Viewers will watch stories of athletes who have overcome adversity, as well as gain inspiration from women who have adopted healthy, active lifestyles, served in the military, survived debilitating conditions and more. In addition, the following world-renowned professional athletes will be vying for the first place title:

Michellie Jones: An Olympic silver medalist, Jones has mastered a variety of distances. Boasting top Ironman and 70.3 finishes, she placed second in her debut at the Ford Ironman World Championship in 2005 and returned the following year to win the title. In 2007, Jones won the title at the inaugural Iron Girl Atlanta Triathlon.

Kate Major: Major's talent at both the Ironman and 70.3 disciplines, coupled with her natural athletic ability, make her a formidable opponent. With multiple Ironman and 70.3 titles, and three Ironman World Championship podium finishes on her race resume, Major is often deemed part of "triathlon's next generation."

Samantha McGlone: The 2006 Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 titleholder, McGlone has earned multiple Ironman 70.3 victories, as well as a second place finish at the world's most challenging endurance event, the Ford Ironman World Championship.
Mirinda Carfrae: Carfrae is a multiple Ironman 70.3 champion, as well as the winner of the 2007 Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3. In 2008, Carfrae won the inaugural Aflac Iron Girl Las Vegas Triathlon.

Pip Taylor: With a swimming background, Taylor has earned top placements at well-known events such as the Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon, Eagleman Ironman 70.3 and the Aflac Iron Girl Las Vegas Triathlon.

The broadcast will also feature participants racing in support of pediatric cancer research, the Aflac Iron Girl National Event Series charitable cause for 2009. Participants are raising funds to be donated to the Aflac Cancer Center, located in Atlanta, Ga.

"Iron Girl is an example of ordinary women accomplishing extraordinary things through events," said Judy Molnar, the vice president of Iron Girl. "Our athletes include not only those whose livelihood depends on performance, but also those women who may be your mom, neighbor or sister. Their passion and dedication exemplifies the mission of Iron Girl."

"Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."
--Helen Keller

Fundraising Outcome!

Thanks again to all of you who contributed to our fundraiser for Pediatric Research at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta!

We have reached our goal of $1000 thanks to your generous donations. Alaina and I are the top fundraisers so far. If we can’t win the race we can at least do well with the philanthropy! Ha!

We received an email that the event would be televised on June 28th on NBC in Atlanta. I am not sure what time but we will let you know if we find out more about that. I know the event begins at 7am and it is a Sunday morning so I would think it would be during that broadcast.

We did our first block training on Thursday which included a 250 meter lake swim, 8 mile bike, and 1.5 mile run. We were pretty wiped out and that is only half of what we will do on race day! Looks like we need to do this several more times!!

The swim part freaks me out the most. Even though I try to rationally believe that no fish or turtle or snake will bite me in the lake, I still freak out about it. I am trying to get past that fear but thinking of all that overgrowth being such a fish haven under the water, well, lets just say, it TOTALLY FREAKS ME OUT! That lake water felt pretty heavy on Thursday. Alaina does very well with this part. She thinks she needs to do more biking even though she still kicked my butt in that part as well! On the bright side, we have our run down to a 9 minute mile. That seems to be the better (I can’t dare say easier) part.

We are plugging along though and hope to cross the finish line in around 2 ½ hours. This is the goal we have set for ourselves.

Thanks for being interested in what we are trying to accomplish and for your support.

Amanda

About Iron Girl:

Launched in 2004 with just two events, the Iron Girl brand has grown to now include ten events nationwide, varying in distance from 5K to duathlon and triathlon. Iron Girl's mission is to empower women toward a healthy lifestyle.

The Iron Girl event experience provides women with a competitive platform and amenities such as: a post-race catered Breakfast Café, performance shirts sized just for women, IPICO Sports Timing, personalized race bibs, custom finisher medals, post-race giveaways and much more. The Web site is filled with training tips, guest columnists and nutrition information.

Iron Girl has also furthered its offerings with the addition of IronGirlshop.com with items such as hydration and nutrition products, jewelry and sports bags.

Iron Girl is supported by partners that include title sponsor Aflac, Polar Heart Rate Monitors, SAM Storage and Moving, Luna Bar, Specialized Bicycles, TriClique Jewelry, Flex Power, Aqua Sphere and Salada Tea. The Iron Girl brand has been featured in a range of media outlets to include USA Today, The New York Times, Runner's World, Family Circle, Ok! Magazine and Women's Health.

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MEET OUR TOP FUNDRAISING CONTRIBUTORS

These people have helped us to reach our fundraising goal of $1,000 to benefit Pediatric Cancer Research through Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

THANK YOU!

Debbie Westray $200.00
Kim Grindle $100.00
Teresa Duggan $100.00
Amanda Swanson $90.00
Alaina Conner $50.00
Byron Samples $50.00
Kacey Crosthwait $50.00
Maria McCabe $50.00
Mechelle Vickers $50.00
Ashlee Woodruff $25.00
Balaji Kota $25.00
Connie Bowns $25.00
Felicia Samples $25.00
Jason Welch $25.00
Laura Westray $25.00
Lynda Samples $25.00
Phil Samples $25.00
Christine Taylor $20.00
Theresa Maher $20.00
Betty Wolfe $10.00
Christy Johnston $10.00

Make a Difference in Atlanta, Race for Pediatrics Cancer Research

You are making a difference!

You can make a difference in the lives of children faced with the challenge of cancer. Through your fundraising efforts all funds will be used locally to support the Aflac Cancer Center. Make your event extra special by racing in support of pediatric cancer treatment and research.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to enhancing the lives of children through excellence in patient care, research and education. Managing more than half a million patient visits annually at three hospitals and 15 satellite locations, Children’s is one of the largest clinical care providers for children in the country. Children’s offers access to more than 30 pediatric specialties, and has been consistently ranked among the top children’s hospitals by Child magazine and U.S.News & World Report.

With generous philanthropic and volunteer support, Children’s has made an impact in the lives of children in Georgia, the United States and throughout the world.

Visit http://www.choa.org/ or call 404-250-KIDS for more information.

Why in the World are We Doing a Triathlon?

We are currently in the process of asking ourselves the same question...but if you really must know...READ ON!

I (Alaina) decided one day that I wanted to get back into running and accomplish something I had never done before. I approached my sister Amanda during Christmas (2008) about doing a FULL Triathlon in Chicago for the upcoming summer. At that time, we would have 7 months to train. When Amanda denied my request, I started asking other women to see if anyone would join me. To my dismay, no one was willing to join me in the crazy training and time that it takes to prepare for a full triathlon. No one...

So of course, as family sometimes can be pesky, I persisted with Amanda and would not take "no" for an answer. Actually, I wouldn't even take a "hell no" for an answer, which I got several times. She tried to laugh me off, and insisted that she wasn't a runner.

Finally, I decided that maybe it was the idea of doing the Triathlon in Chicago that freaked her out. So I researched some triathlon events in the Atlanta area. I was so excited when I found the Iron Girl Atlanta, a "Sprint Triathlon" (much shorter than a full triathlon), located in Lake Lanier Islands Resort. How ironic that it would be so close to the area where we grew up and that the actual race would only be 1/3 of what I was trying to talk Amanda into doing.

I sent Amanda some information over e-mail, and told her to just think about it. I gave her the option of not giving me an answer yet, since up until this point her answer had been "no" and I clearly did not understand the meaning of this word...

With a little more research, I found out that the Iron Girl is a race that benefits Pediatric Cancer Research for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. What a great cause! I knew Amanda couldn't resisit the opportunity to support cancer research!

What makes it even MORE interesting...I soon found out that all CANCER SURVIVORS were able to receive their registration for FREE!!! An $85 registration fee, completely waived...

As some of you probably know, my sister Amanda was diagnosed with Colon Cancer at the young age of 27. She had surgery to remove several polyps and a large cancerous tumor in her large intestine. She finished her treatment with six gruelling months of chemotherapy treatments. Since that year, she has been cancer free. My family and I thank God everyday that she survived.

So, with this new information about the waived registration fee coming to light, Amanda literally was being forced to run this Triathlon with her sister (me!). She never really did ever tell me "yes" but I guess she just gave in to my begging and pleading. She registred for the event and we began our training for 1/3 mile swim, 18 mile bike ride, and a 3 mile run. YAY!

Since then, our training has had some interesting adventures. To be continued...

Amanda and Alaina's Fundraising Page

Sisters racing to save lives

Alaina has convinced Amanda to participate in the Aflac Iron Girl Triathlon on June 28th. STOP LAUGHING!!! :) All proceeds from the Triathlon benefit Pediatric Cancer Research at the Aflac Cancer Center at Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta.

Because Amanda is a cancer survivor, the cause is near to her heart. You can make a difference in the lives of children faced with the challenge of cancer. All funds will be used locally to support the Aflac Cancer Center. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to enhancing the lives of children through excellence in patient care, research and education. Managing more than half a million patient visits annually at three hospitals and 15 satellite locations, Children’s is one of the largest clinical care providers for children in the country. Children’s offers access to more than 30 pediatric specialties, and has been consistently ranked among the top children’s hospitals by Child magazine and U.S.News & World Report.

Visit www.choa.org or call 404-250-KIDS for more information.

Would you be willing to help fundraise for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta? Any amount donated would benefit children battling cancer. While Alaina and Amanda are just trying to make it toward the finish line, there are children just trying to make it to the next day. Thanks for any amount you can offer...even $1.00 helps.

Visit our Fundraising Web Page!

http://www.active.com/donate/atlantaCHOA/AmandaandAlaina