aprilgellatly.com

ughh!  my 2 week ‘break’ flew by!!

not only was i busy with triathlon consults, i love helping new triathletes ease into the sport, but hosted a clinic, announced a race, hosted 2 open water swims.  I haven’t had a weekend or full day ‘off’ since mid-july!

in addition, I spent time moving into ken’s house.  it isn’t a home until the floors are clean and we have a couple pink rugs.

final task of the last couple weeks, welcoming my brother, his girlfriend, and his two daughters to georgia!  i am an aunt!

I love having the family together and being able to spend time with the girls.  madison will turn 3 in october and ellie, the baby, is 5 months old.

BUT the time is upon us, after 2 weeks of un-focused, training peaks free training, it is time to get back in the pool, on the bike, and running strong.  Rev3 cedar point is right around the corner.  I am excited to race at a place I have called home.  I graduated high school just 45 minutes south of Sandusky in Bowling Green, OH.  go bobcats!

Team Luna Chix and April Gellatly partnering to get YOU race ready August 1!

Date – August 1, 2010

Time – 7:30am – 10:30am

Location – Dallas Landing, 5120 Allatoona Dr., Acworth, GA 30101

(same location as the PT  Solutions Acworth Women’s sprint triathlon on August 8 )

Cost – $50 per person (with % of proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Fund)

Reserve your space (clinic limited to 50) please RSVP – contact April Gellatly at algellatly@gmail.com

Clinic Timeline:

Registration and meet the PRO, April Gellatly (www.aprilgellatly.com), 7:30am -8:00am

Race ready clinic: 8:00am-10:00am

• small groups based on experience
• low coach to athlete ratio
• open water entry and exit
• efficient buoy turning, sighting
• OWS tips
• transition contests and instruction
• run drills

Questions for coaches and LUNA refreshments: 10:00am-10:30am

i am a once a month blogger.  grrrr.  i don’t mean for that to be the case, but it’s always crazy, and been trying, trying to put free time into updating the site in general.  i finally wrote 1/2 a bio, the latter 1/2 still to come…

still yet to race more than a 5k for the season, i have been itching to race as i read all the race reviews and reports.  knowing full well that it is not yet my time and that my fitness is not there yet.  i think i’ve had coach wondering why i was a professional triathlete for the past 2 months.  after a series of slow runs, very unimpressive ride results on the road bike, we had some break through workouts last week in both departments.

loving my new QR CD 0.1!  here she is in all her glory -

all smiles on the new ride.  big thanks to Morgan and all3sports.com for helping me get on PEARL (she has been named).

to save 15% @ all3sports.com, use discount code – aprilref.

may has been a month of marriage.  2 weddings and Ken and i have set a date for our own wedding!!  we’re going to get married in Kona in October whether i qualify or not.  I think it’ll be a great way to share an important island with him.

off on manic monday.  happy training all!

it’s been a good month.  it’s been a crazy month, but crazy is good.  crazy means i have work.  while i may complain that i am too busy, i will never complain about having too much work!  keep it coming ya’ll!  (i have a wedding to pay for…)

i picked up some new triathlon consulting work with CNN fit nation.  (http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/category/2010-fit-nation-challenge/)

everyone in the family is born in april (besides myself…ironic, eh?).  so we celebrated ange’s birthday the 15th (little sister turned 24.), momma’s 50th the 19th, and my little brothers birthday the 25th.  pat turned old this year  ;)

we flew my brother in from AZ to surprise my momma on her birthday.  i figured what better way to celebrate than to have the whole family together!

the video surprise was beautiful, but i am not sure i can upload video onto website yet…  (JOE?!?  w/  http://www.aissolutionsgroup.com/)  everyone @ the table was crying.  momma was shocked.  it took her 5 seconds to realize her son was standing in front of her.  beautiful.

i hired a triathlon coach, matt russ with the (http://www.thesportfactory.com/site/index.shtml) the sports factory.   so now i just listen to the boss and do as i am told.  the boss changed the race schedule slightly.  check it out under tab marked 2010.

all3sports.com has stepped up as a sponsor and i will be riding a NEW QR CD 0.1 for 2010.

save 15% @ www.all3sports.com.  use the discount code - aprilref.  in advance, appreciate your support and support of the sponsors that aid my efforts within the sport.

ken and i have yet to set a date for the wedding.  (i wish people would quit asking, but i guess that is the natural progression.)  we are enjoying the present, our time together, and trying to take steps to merge our lives together.  tough under the circumstances, my silly pursuit of a triathlon career, our current residence an 1.5 hour apparent WITHOUT traffic, NO MONEY, no family support on my end, not really ideal wedding planning conditions…

in conclusion, the end of april finds me busy, happy, working within an industry i enjoy and believe strongly in…  i feel like i have taken myself outside of the little box i kept myself trapped in for so long.  i am creating different kind of opportunities for myself, and i can reach my definition of success even without a ‘normal’ job.

i hired a coach this week.  i should have warned you…i hope you were sitting down!  Matt Russ with The Sports Factory (http://www.thesportfactory.com/site/index.shtml) here in ATL, GA is dragging me kicking and screaming into the 21st century.  it hasn’t been so bad, but this past week, i had to run on a treadmill (i hadn’t in 2 – 3 years…maybe more), try to upload my powertap data (more fighting with software, macs and my power tap), and learn to work a Garmin.  apparently, my description – it was a ‘hard run’ and my HR max @ 172 – doesn’t help him have a real understanding of the workout.

it’s been good for me though.  it’ll be a good relationship, and i am relieved to ‘just do’ vs. my own scattered planning that i tend to do for myself.  this approach is much more purpose driven.

lots going on these days, and it is welcomed work, lots of swimming, some triathlon consulting, some speaking, etc.  i am thankful to be busy, happy healthy, and able to pay my bills!  keep it coming…  :)

this coming week, i have family stuff going on…my little sister turns 24.  momma is turning 50!  so this coming weekend, we’ll have some quality family time!  a handful or surprises and pictures to follow…

erik is the only blind man that has climbed mt everest.  he was our keynote this morning at the USA triathlon coaches symposium.  his speech was inspiring beyond words.  he did a great job kicking off the morning, and bigger picture, he has helped to clear “my pathway.”  one of the things erik spoke on today was finding a way to grow due to adversity.

i won’t lie, i am angry.  my biggest issue being lack of funds (at the moment in triathlon (which is the largest focus in my life)).  i see my “finish line,” but i have lacked the forethought to think of my “pathway” as anything but cluttered.  here, i just listened to a man who climbed mt everest without one of the 5 senses.  amazing!  monetary issues seem silly.  the loss of my father seems much less of a limiter in this moment.  to compound on that, the loss of my father has provided the pathway for my life.  the road to kona, the road less travelled, the road as a survivor, specifically suicide survivor, i have been given a pathway of challenges to overcome.  mine is a story of hope.  upon my fathers death, i was given the opportunities, but also because of my fathers death, i deal with more than my fair share of  internal struggle.

another mental technique erik spoke to was what he calls ‘the finish line game.’  he suggested seeing the summit, the finish line, and take a step forward.  simple in concept, see the finish, and move forward regardless of your current reality.  i’ve known all along that my finish line was there on alli drive.  i “practiced finishing in Kona” towards the end of my first 10 mile run the day of my fathers funeral.  i moved forward despite my bleak current reality, and any limiters, i’ve created along the way or otherwise are as simple to overcome as a change in my perspective.  they have been opportunities to grow.

looking for motivation today, i recommend taking a look:  http://www.touchthetop.com/

’seeing is not believing, believing is believing…’