Getting Sweaty, The Kona Ironman and Bacon (this is just for you, Amanda!)

Today I actually got sweaty.  WOOHOO!!  Man, I've really been missing that drippy, stinky feeling.

Did I go for a run, you ask?

No, I did not.

Only 12 more days though.

But, who's counting??

Oh, yeah...ME.

I was over at my parent's house and noticed the recumbent bike, that I'd forgotten they owned, in their office.  I just happened to have on my running capris, a sports bra, a tank top and my running shoes.

Because this is the sad state of affairs:

Me wearing my running clothes even though

I know I won't be doing any running.

Hey, if it makes me feel better, right?

And, while I would've scoffed at that bike a few months ago...

"Stationary bike?  Pshaw.  I'm a RUN-NER.  Duh."

...today that thing looked pretty sweet.  Since my kids were busy watching Alvin and The Chipmunks on demand, I seized my opportunity and got on that bike.  I messed around for a few minutes with the Fitness Test mode and realized I was starting to get downright damp (I apologize if this is getting too graphic for some of you).  With this realization I decided to get down to business.  So I set that baby on manual, level 4 (you're impressed...I know.) for 25 minutes (not sure how I settled on 25...seemed more doable than 30 and less wimpy then 20, I guess.) and peddled my little heart out.  By 15 minutes into it I was feeling like this was actually pretty hard work, and yes, I was sweating!  (I actually just sang that word out loud as I typed it.)  I ended up going a little over 9 miles on my glorious little 25 minute bike ride.  Hooray for sweat!

So, The Kona Ironman...As I'm sure most of you know, this is the ultimate goal for those who do triathlons. Even a sprint triathlon would scare the hooey out of me, but I know that Kona is where you go if you're the best of the best in this event.  Well, this afternoon I got an email from one of my co-workers (we don't see each other over the summer since we work in a pre-school) who has a son who competes in Ironman and endurance races and does very well.  VERY well.  He just did an Ironman in Oregon/Washington yesterday and qualified for Kona!!  My co-worker knew how excited I'd be to hear about this and how much I'd appreciate her son's accomplishment.  I felt honored that she wanted me to know about it and was so glad to be able to share in her joy and pride.  Her whole family will be heading to Kona to cheer him on later this year.  So exciting!!  I told her if I were rich I'd be buying myself a plane ticket to come cheer him on too!!  I also asked her to tell him that he should start blogging about his road to Kona--I would totally read that!

Annnnnd, on to the bacon.  Amanda, this is just for you!  (Although, I just read about how sick you and your kiddos have been, so I hope this doesn't add insult to injury.)  I just found it funny today that we are a family that basically never has bacon in the house--it is a rare "treat" (not how Amanda would see it).  Strangely, ever since Amanda wrote this post about cooking bacon for her husband on Father's Day and how much she abhors it, and posted on Facebook about how horrible it smells, looks, tastes, we have had bacon THREE TIMES.  What the heck?!  Is Amanda working undercover for the pig farming industry and using some sort of powerful reverse psychology to get us to eat as much bacon as possible??  I don't know, but it all seems a little strange...

So, here's the offending bacon.  I do like to cook it in the oven vs. the stovetop to

avoid all that nasty grease splatter

Here's where all that horrible bacon went tonight, in a Broccoli Salad.

And just so you know that we do eat bacon-free food, here's a couple pics of some other food  we've had lately.  You know how I love to throw out random food shots on here.

Strawberry-Mango "Salsa Salad" that I made up.

Worked great as a fruit salad, but would also be totally delicious on a black-bean burger.

Fresh Tomato "Sauce".  I also made this one up.  (Do you see a color theme here?)

Here's the Fresh Tomato "Sauce" on top of angel hair pasta with fresh mozzarella and a nice grind of black pepper.  This is my kind of meal...

Do you like being sweaty?

Have you ever been to Kona to watch the Ironman?

Anyone else been bingeing on bacon since Amanda said it was gross??