Mary Eggers

This past weekend was the 7th annual Fly By Night Duathlon, held at the Watkins Glenn International Speedway.  If you have ever played with matchbox cars, boy or girl…… you develop this secret dream of racing on a racetrack. As a kid my father took us to the Daytona 500 and as loud as it was….. I was intrigued. Here these guys could go as fast as they wanted to. Zoom!!!!

My good friend Jeff Henderson came to town in 2004…. came back to town I should say, he is from Geneva……. and brought us the Musselman 1/2 Ironman. Then he backed up that spectacular race with this unique formula 1 style event…. on a race track of all places.

Now a bunch of grownups could live out their childhood dreams.

My husband races this annually, and a few weeks ago I was finalizing my race and announcing schedule. I shot him an email and asked him if he needed a race announcer. Luckily he did, and I got to have the unique opportunity to announce at a race track!

The format was this: run 1.8 ish miles / bike 10 / run 1.8 / bike 10 / run 1.8. Check out the results here.

It was a star-studded field if you ask me, headlined by the one and only Travis Kuhl. We met Travis ten years ago and like I mentioned previously, one of the guys in sport that I respect most.

While Travis was the headliner for the men, Laura Kline was the favorite for the women. Laura has enjoyed a lengthy career of all distances; triathlon, duathlon, running.

The rest of the field was full of speedsters…. 27 year old  Adam Forgione  from Pennsylvania was 4th in the World as a junior duathlete.  Erica Ruge of the Bikeway Team was in the mix as well as local favorite Kristie Mallory, who just took top honors at the Spring Classic one week ago.

Other notables in the field were multi time national champ Curt Eggers (That name sounds familiar), bronze medalist at world’s Tom Dutton. The man who really got me into this sport Warren Elvers (another decorated national caliber duathlete), Jim Roche, the legend of all legends Dirk Elliot.

I met an incredible group of athletes from Rogue Racing, hailing from Horseheads…. I kept screwing their name up. I think I called them everything but Rogue Racing (you get a little air dunk up there!). Nice Tri had a team, The Broome County Triathlon Team, The Rochester Moms in Motion, The Ithaca Triathlon Club, Buffalo Triathlon Club, Rochester Area Triathletes, TriVault and of course we have four athletes competing from Train-This. Three of mine and one of my co-coaches.

When you see your own athletes racing in your team kit it’s one thing. When someone you don’t quite know (but I actually do know her is in it it’s an even cooler feeling.

The course this year was different, which I found to be a bit frustrating. One of my athletes, Kristin had done this race last year and I was hoping to compare times. But that’s the beauty of Jeff  Henderson…. he mixes it up. The bike was clockwise this year and the run course was changed (and a touch longer) because of seriously high grass.

Nonetheless at 6:15pm, the race began! It was nighttime, on the Watkins Glenn track. Does it get any better than that!!!!

After the first run to bike transition…. things became difficult to track from an announcer perspective. I knew to look for Travis, and Adam’s father pointed him out to me…… then teeny tiny Laura Kline slipped right on through without me even noticing!

In a race like this there really is no pacing. It’s red line from wire to wire. And that’s what Travis did as he took out the first run in 10:20  which was around a 5:54 per mile pace. Adam was not far behind coming in at 11:13, a strong 6:25 pace. Taking the first bike section in 25:57, Adam followed up with his initial three laps of the bike with a 27:34. When Adam came in from his second bike, he had probably the most impressive dismount I have ever seen. After he dismounted he caught my eye because he was holding his bike by the seat post and it was waaaay up in the air!!!!

As Travis came down the finisher’s chute he stopped and took the hands of his two beautiful children, and I was able to grab a post race interview with him.

“The team guys had me worried.” He admitted with a laugh, “I couldn’t really tell who was who out there, I was just hoping that I wasn’t going to have to work any harder!” This was Travis’ 6th victory at the Fly By Night. Head’s up to all who come out next year…… Travis’ sister will be getting married on this weekend. That top spot will be wide open!

Adam finished up strong with a second place and hot on his heels was Tim Adrus.

The beautiful thing about our sport is that age means nothing, there was some really amazing 50 year olds in the top five….. my husband would have been in that top ten group…. had he not ridden an extra lap on the bike.

Three laps. One two three. Good one Eggers. This isn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened!

On the ladies side Laura Kline set the stage for the night with a set of super consistent splits…… 12:03  first run and 29:43 first bike set her a few minutes up on Erica Ruge who nailed her first splits with a 13:05 and a 30:35. Third place Nira Kovakofski wasn’t far behind and nailed very even splits as well.

At her post race interview Laura laughed when I asked her what went through her head today “I didn’t really think about anything!” , sign of a girl in the zone “I just tried to get out there and stay out in front”, and that she sure did. Up next for Laura…. Boilermaker.

On our team we had a very stellar performance by Greg Hoorocks, who was neck  and neck with Curt until Curt lost count of his laps. This Ironman lake Placid athlete put a stamp on the top ten with three solid runs and some 27 minute bike splits, that’s with dropping a chain!!! Kristin Mullally was just seconds out of third  as a porta potty stopped robbed her of 2 minutes!!! Our ever consistent Richard Adams enjoyed another set of really consistent splits and Coach Jackie’s athlete Donna backed up a pretty tough training week looking unbelievably fresh as she came storming through the finish line.

Whew. I had an absolute blast announcing. Thanks to Andy Schachat who has been an amazing mentor to me. He is truly the man on the New England Scene. He’s taught me so much! Thanks to Jeff Henderson as always for allowing me to just storm my way into events like this, and for putting on such an awesome race in the coolest ever venue!

And thanks to all of you for stopping by to give me competitor stats, helping me with pronunciation, etc!

We have a giant week on tap for the Train-This athletes! You will see us at Keuka, Pittsford, Honu 70.3, a 5K in Iowa and three of our peeps will be heading over to Rev 3 Quassy!

Ahhh, Friday! It’s been a bit of a crazy week for me. Wednesday and Thursday I was sick… low grade sick. Fever, migraine, just not feeling good at all. It definitely impacted training this week, yet I know from too many years of pushing through that rest is best. Funny how much wiser we get as we age! (note: I am only 37)

So here is what’s happening:

The Book: Rolling along smoothly. I am touched and astounded at the emails I have received about it. In support. I have proofreaders, spellcheckers and I won’t say it now but I do believe this thing will be published. The trick to writing something like this is not to rush it. I am allowing it to just come. Force writing and it won’t be sincere, it will be forced.

Lake Placid: Two of my athletes and several of our alumni athletes are headed to Lake Placid this weekend for a camp. I am so excited. I love when athletes go do things like this together, I love bonding!

Fly By Night Duathlon: I get to announce at a race track this weekend!!!! Today I will be busy creating your race playlist, downloading the entrant lists into my little race announcer software, and getting ready. Three of my athletes are racing, several of our other TT coaches’ athletes are racing, and then there are the legends. My husband, Warren Elvers, Dirk Elliot, Tom Dutton and Travis Kuhl will be racing. I lump Travis and myself into the legends category often because (we are the same age, we are not old!) we were just little whipper snappers when Curt, Warren, Dirk and Tom were in their heyday. We have all been around forever. It will be cool to see these guys out racing together and it will be even more cool to be announcing them!

Travis …. he’s one of the athletes I respect most in this world. We met him in 1998 I think, at Age Group World Champs in Montreal. Between then and now he went on to a stint as a professional triathlete….. breaking the four hour mark at Eagleman 70.3 and several other great things. He’s now married with kids and a few businesses to his name. I imagine he might squeeze out 7-8 hours a week of training these days, yet still whomps the field.

Recently I had a kid say to me…. I just want some damn respect around here….. and my thoughts turned directly to Travis. You don’t demand respect…. you command respect…. and that’s exactly why Travis is respected so much. You won’t find a more gracious competitor out there.

Eagleman: I am so excited to be heading to Eagleman 70.3 in a few weeks. I have many friends to catch up with, I get to travel and race with my husband, and I get to race! WOO HOO! Every single time my friend Jen races however…. it’s 100 degrees at it’s coldest. And of course she’s racing so it will be 110. (!!!) Nonetheless it will be excellent to catch up with friends and get out there in the heat again!

Keuka Lake: While we are on the topic of races this week, check here for some cold water swimming tips. The weather is supposed to be good-n-warm this weekend, which will hopefully help our water temps!Rich and I will begin our radio show next week, so stay tuned for that! And stay tuned here, I will recap all the races I announce this summer!

Miscellaneous:

 I am trying to come up with some sort of contest between our Train-This athletes and the gang over at Nice Tri. I would love it could have something to do with this man’s magnificent hair:

We will have to think on it for the next week. And what the prize will be. Tick tock. Think think.

I am not worried at all about the water temp. I will be snuggly warm in my announcer’s tent sipping Tom Horton’s coffee and highlighting all you fabulous athletes.

Besides…. I swim here:

Summer Clinics:  I have some summer clinics happening this summer, please click here to see what they are (more to come!)

Have a terrific and safe weekend!

Click here for this summer’s free clinics with me!

The coldest water I have ever swam in was 48 degrees. I did it without a wetsuit. I was much younger and in those days, I never wore a wetsuit. Swimmers are generally against them, until they wear one. In those days they weren’t made as well as they are today either. (It was only 12 years ago!!!)

With our crazy spring season the lakes around here have not quite warmed all the way up yet, and next weekend we have the Keuka Lake Triathlon on tap. If you are registered you received the email that there is a possibility that the swim will be shortened if the water stays where it’s at right now, which I believe is about 52 degrees. Check the website for more specific information.

I am your race announcer that morning…. so all you have to do is listen. The very moment I get the information on exactly what will happen with the swim, I will immediately relay it to you. Rich takes safety more seriously than anyone I know, and he will be very explicit in his instructions.

With that being said….. what do you do when the swim is a little bit colder than normal?

1. Wetsuit: If you don’t have a wetsuit, rent one. These are the following places in the Rochester Area that offer rentals (there may be more) Most of these places will also apply your rental fee to your purchase if you do buy the suit. A wetsuit is like a bike, take care of it and it will last forever. I think it’s a good investment.

• Fleet Feet
• Tri Running and Walking
• Nice Tri (Online….. please email or call Dan Jareke)
• Tri Vault (Online… please email or call John Metz)

2. Neoprene Cap: I have never swam in one of these, but those who have told me they make a difference. When I swam in that 48 degree water I felt like I had an ice cream headache the whole time. At all the above places you can buy a neoprene cap. Heat escapes through your head, so this could be an option for you.

3. Gloves and Booties: The race director has the discretion to allow or prohibit these. for Keuka Lake they will be allowed, but again check the website for definite information. I have never used gloves or booties but several of my athletes have. The response tends to be that these are irritating and fill with water. (Gloves can not be the webbed finger kind either!) In my opinion, someone who has difficulties with Reynaud’s might consider this option.

4. Ditch the jacket: The biggest mistake I see made every race, especially one with cold water and / or cold air…. is putting on a jacket for the bike. Five minutes into the bike I promise you will regret it. That is like biking in a plastic bag. Whatever you have on your torso, leave it. Your intensity will increase which will also raise your core temperature. Invest in a good pair of armwarmers, you can always roll them down and even slide them onto your aerobars. One of my greatest secrets for armwarmers are Hanes tube socks. They work great. Just cut open the toe.

5. Feet out of the water: On really cold days, out of the water I will have those heated pads that you can get at Wegmans. I put them in my shoes before the swim and by the time I get back my shoes are toasty warm. for me they work without socks, but I would try this out for yourself before you do it race day. Someone with Reynaud’s might find this to be helpful however I would be very cautious as you might not feel it burning your skin if you don’t wear socks. A simple pair of socks without the toe heaters can also help too.

6. Gloves on the bike: on really cold days I will use a thin pair of runners gloves, although truthfully….. the best gloves are the gardener’s gloves that you buy at the gas station. They are thin, cheap and have those grippers on them.

The most important thing to do in combating the cold….. don’t allow the worry of it consume you. Make sure you ease into the water, don’t jump in face first or you will be guaranteed to have a panic attack. Ease in. If you can get in before the start, then get in. While this is not necessarily a case of mind over matter…… 51 degrees is cold….. there is no talking yourself out of THAT…..but stay relaxed. Panicking about it won’t help. Worrying about it won’t help.

Breathe. Let the swim come to you. Relax. Nothing good ever comes out of a panic situation. And stay smooth.

Remember this: slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Be prepared. Get a wetsuit, contact one of the above places for your needs and stay tuned to the Keuka Lake Triathlon website, and of course my lovely voice on race morning!

PS: Just becasue I loved this picture, I thought I’d share it with you (from www.trainingpeaks.com)

I believe in Lance Armstrong. That’s a controversial statement to make these days but I believe in him. I believe he is clean. I believe he did not cheat. I am willing to also be proven wrong. I live in a country that states we are innocent until proven guilty. I know there are some great websites that will talk about the specifcs, all the test results from everyone, etc. I know there is a lot more to this story than my small opinion. Here is why I have this opinion.

First of all, because I live in a country where I can have an opinion.

Set aside the positive and negative and false positive -blah-blah-blah tests. Look at the character of these athletes.

Floyd Landis. Wins the Tour de France. Tests positive, denies it. Writes a book denying it. Accepts millions of dollars in donations denying it. Speaks out… denying it. Then for whatever reason….. maybe he saw the light…… changes his story. “Comes clean.” To me Floyd Landis is good at lying, I think he proved that by all that I just previously mentioned. He denied it, he made money off of all of us denying it….. and then suddenly he’s telling the truth and suddenly he is a trustworthy source?

Sorry. fool me once shame on me. Fool me twice go to hell. I bought your damn book, do I get a refund??? I don’t believe a thing Floyd Landis says.

Tyler Hamilton. Similar story. Wins Olympic Gold. Tests positive. Twice. Denies it. Same sort of thing. Stood up in front of millions of people denying it. Accepted money….. denying it. Then suddenly…… I guess he saw the same light…… “comes clean”. Am I supposed to find it honorable that you gave back Olympic Gold? No you asshole, you cheated. YOU LIED ABOUT IT. And now you want me to consider you a trustworthy source?

You can go to hell too.

George Hincapie. Ugh. Honestly….. I don’t know what to think on his statements. I don’t want to believe him, I would like to call him a liar. But he has more integrity it seems that most of the cycling world put together. He could the the wild card for me.

Lance Armstrong. In his 20 year career has over 500 tests, passes them all as far as I understand. There is a questionable, maybe a positive in 2001…… I could be wrong, I didn’t look into it.

He states he doesn’t dope. As far as I can see he’s lived a pretty honorable life. He’s raised millions for Cancer….. I am definitely biased…. I have been directly affected by LiveStrong and I more than many people feel in my heart the importance of it.

But two proven liars saw him do it. So he’s guilty.

Which leaves me to wonder….. exactly what would it take to prove Lance is innocent. He’s passed tests. He’s tested in and out of competition. What would it take to you…… to us the every day people…..  because his results aren’t good enough, his word isn’t good enough that we are willing to make this judgement based on  two proven liars’ stories?

I will take Lance’s word. And I will admit, we don’t share a BFF necklace. All I really know about the man could be due to pure marketing. But aside from that here is what I think about cheating in general………

I think it takes a certain type of person to be a cheater. Let’s take a person who cheats on their husband or wife. They lie, they become really good at lying. To live this lie they have this feeling that they are above…. above something. I don’t know if it’s above morality, above marital vows…… but they have this deranged delusion that the rules don’t apply to them. They sneak around. They go behind their families’ backs. Bottom line….. THEY LIE!!!!!!!!!

Then, when confronted with the cold hard reality that they lied to their spouse and maybe even their children….. they will justify it to spare themselves from accepting responsibility. He was a bad husband (or wife… it goes both ways).

I think people who cheat…… cheat at everything. There’s a sense of entitlement about them they somehow the rules don’t apply to them….. somehow they are better than the rest……. when in turn it’s a really big hole within themselves that they need to fill so badly they become desperate. They are sneaky…..meet me in the parking lot at the grocery store, my husband won’t know, then they will come home to their family and be able to act as if nothing is happening. Then you will cry that no one understands you and not to judge you. I certainly hope you would judge me if it were me.

That takes a certain level of insanity in my opinion. To be that good of a liar. Then to justify it. That’s what’s truly sad and frightening about that whole type of  situation. It’s really a fundamental issue with the person in your mirror. That speaks louder than anything.

So I think it requires a certain type of person to be a cheater in general. I think if you cheat in life, you are more likely to cheat in sport.

But back to the point…….. I don’t know Floyd, Tyler or Lance personally. Floyd and Tyler have proven themselves to be liars. To me, Lance Armstrong has not proven that. As my friend Todd pointed out….. “some nice guys dope, and some jerks don’t“. I completely agree. I don’t know if we ever will know the real truth and the real motivation behind all of this.

 I think cycling is so tainted that it doesn’t even matter anymore. To me the Tour has become…. how soon after the winner gets crowned does he get stripped????? I don’t even watch anymore.

Here is what I do know…… Lance gave me hope when I needed some hope. He gave me LiveStrong when I needed LiveStrong. Unless you have ever been in that position, unless you have been touched by Cancer in that way…. you might not understand the passion and the love many of us have for LiveStrong. Lance is LiveStrong….. he knows. He gets it. You can’t take that away from him. He’s never given me a reason to lose hope not just in the fight against Cancer, but in the underdog.

At the end of the day…. sport is truly a metaphor for how we live our lives. How you act on the field is a good representation of how you act off the field. I think if you cheat on the field…. you probably cheat off the field. If you are an asshole on the field…. you are likely an asshole off the field.

I love the discussions that this situation is bringing about. I love to debate and converse, I love to hear opinions and thoughts others have. I find it fascinating. My friend Steve commented yesterday this, which I adore: 

I don’t mind at all if others think I am nuts for my belief in Lance’s innocence.

Again……I really enjoy the discussion it has given birth to. I love a good debate. My father taught me how to do it without allowing it to be personal. The person I can’t have a friendly debate with is the one who will take personal jabs at each other and resort to arguments like…. well you are an idiot. Be an adult. Don’t take it personal…… I love to hear all sides of the story. We had a terrific discussion on FaceBook yesterday and I love learning what other people think and why.

I believe in everyone until proven otherwise, and I hope that’s what people believe for me as well. If I walk through life believing in the bad stuff…. where will that get me? believing in the good of everyone might get me a giant burn on the ass in the future, but that’s a heartbreak I am willing to make.

I once believed in Floyd Landis. I was an even bigger believer in Tyler Hamilton. I said the same things about them that I said about Lance….. I will believe in innocence until proven otherwise. I am absolutely willing to admit I am wrong. If there comes a day when Lance is proven guilty I can absolutely be wrong.

But I still choose to believe in the greater good. I can’t help it, I am an optimist.

What a field at Ironman Texas today!!!! Deepest field outside of Kona if you ask me!!!

Best of luck to my QT2 teammates at Ironman Texas today!!!!! And of course to the one and only White Hot. I met White hot down in Panama City beach at the Gulf coast triathlon… thanks to Marit…… way back in 2008. He and my husband are long lost Ironbro’s as they say. God speed today buddy and we will be cheering you in Placid!!!

As Linsey Corbin says….. kick the tires! Light the fires! Let’s go get em in Texas!

We also have three of our Train-This boys down at the Triple T! After the first night of racing Matt Curbeau, Don Ehinger and Ken Koppenhaver are ready to tackle the 2 Olympic Distance races today! Go guys! Stay turned to www.train-this.com for those details! 

Best of luck to a very special young man today….. the one and only Luc Eggers….. who is taking his Taekwondo belt test today. It’s his first belt, yellow belt, and of course we have a story behind it, so stay tuned. Good luck Luc, we are so very proud of you!

Click here for my latest article on Xtri! My interview with elite age group triathlete Kim Scwabenbauer is the first in the line of some great interviews with some pretty awesome ladies of our sport! On deck we’ve got Heather Leiggi, Jacqui Gordon, Kat Donatello, Rachel Ross, Cait Snow , Beth Shutt, and more!  No worries boys… I have some of you coming up as well. In fact I am saving a great interview with Chad Holderbaum until we are a bit closer to Kona, and of course I must include my illegitimate son Pat Wheeler as well (his story about kicking his Dorito addiction is inspiring!)  I also have some surprises, but you’ll have to wait. I take suggestions for interviews… so shoot me an email! 

I woke up this morning feeling like a kid on the first day of summer vacation. The sun was shining, sure there is the threat of rain, but the sun was shining. The weatherman in Rochester has resorted to giving his forecasts like this:

Glenn Johnson 13 wham news

But GUESS WHAT????? Race season is here. I don’t care if it rains, hails or even snows….. RACE SEASON IS HERE. Does it get any better than this??? I knew once I returned from the Gulf Coast 1/2 Ironman things would take off, and take off they have.

Next weekend I will be race announcing at The Fly By Night Duathlon. The following weekend I am race announcing again at the Keuka Lake Triathlon where both my husband and son are racing!!! Then it’s off to Eagleman 70.3 with my husband where I get to race and catch up with some great friends! After that….. our annual Lake Placid Training Camp…… 

I havent’ had time to look beyond that.

I am so excited I could just about scream. How great is it that my entire family is racing this season???? That might be the best part of 2011 in itself.

I am really looking forward to Eagleman 70.3. While it’s come under the umbrella of the 70.3 series, I still feel that Vigo has kept much of the grass roots feel to it. While it’s one of my favorite courses, it’s one that I have not quite mastered yet so I am really looking forward to the chance to have at it again. I also have some writing responsibilities while I am there, so I really look forward to both being able to compete and to cover the race too!

PINCH ME!

I tell you…… when I wiped the slate clean this season….. I wiped the slate clean. I feel better than ever. I feel more content than ever, and I feel more excited than ever to stand at that starting line. It’s no longer about who I was as an athlete, it’s who I can become as an athlete. I don’t think in terms of getting back to a certain performance, I look forward in terms of years now.

It took a good year and a half of working with Jesse for me to completely let go. But when I let go, I let go. I gave him my swimming. I gave him all of it. I follow all the rules even if it means pacing to a 6:00 1/2 Ironman to learn the right way to pace. Let go of your ego for a few minutes and then the real growth will happen. There is a big plan here, a grander plan than just 2010 and 2011. That’s the part that excites me the most.

I used to study my age group….. now I study my plan. Hell Chrissie Wellington could be in my age group and I wouldn’t know….. because it would not change a thing for me.

While we were at camp one of the things Cait talked about was sticking to her plan in Kona when it was announced Chrissie was out. “It wasn’t like I suddenly had these special powers.” She laughed. “My plan never changed.”. I fell in love with that. Let go of all of it, let go of who is around you, get off google and get on your bike, put your head in the game and come for your reasons.

The moment you jump off of it is the moment you will touch down.

I wouldn’t trade where I am today for anything in this world. And it’s never something I ever take for granted.

So deep breath Eggers, the sun is out, the air is warm. The time for early morning lake swims and training in Lake Placid has come. Hanging with my boys and with my team at the races where it always feels like a college reunion…… that’s the vibe I love.

Now…. more than ever…… I love this sport. I am not just an athlete…. I get to be a part of this sport as a coach, a journalist, a race announcer…..  when you get to build your life around something that you love this much you wake up every day with a giant smile. It took a lot of work, and there is much more ahead…… but the challenge and opportunity are what motivate me.

So hang on friends….. this ride is about to get real good. I mean real real good!

For a long time now various friends have been nudging me to write a book. My neighbor Chris, my high school friends Jill and Rachel, strangers who have read this blog. This has literally been going on for years. It’s an incredible compliment, I am a writer by hobby, not by profession. I don’t know anything about publishing. I just have a blog that over the years has grown. I have been fortunate enough to find the opportunities to write for online magazines such as Xtri and Tridigest.

I won a writing contest when I was 11. I wrote an essay about my mom for Mother’s Day. I won flowers for her and I remember wearing a very fancy purple dress to receive that award with her.

Perhaps that was some sort of sign.

I have boxes of writing. Before computers and my trusty laptop existed I kept journals. I have a box of journals that I have brought with me when I left home. I haven’t opened the pages in 17 years. I am almost terrified to. But they are there. Should my house burn down I would grab that box first. I don’t even know what is in those journals anymore.

This blog began back in about 2004…… but I started writing about sport long before that. I don’t know what I wrote about back then. Whatever came to the screen I suppose. Through existence and truthfully I don’t know what…. we’ve grown to about 1500 visitors a day. That you make this blog part of your day is touching. The fact that a word you read here can help you, cause you to smile, laugh or even shed a tear is an honor beyond words.

Thank you for that. Thank you for stopping by whenever you do stop by. Thank you for listening to stories that range from bras to coffee to special education to triathlon. This blog truly has no one main theme.

The name Ironmomma….. was born from the athletes I used to coach. It’s not me saying I am an Iron Mom. A few of my athletes called me that as a joke, as on Ironman day I am their Mom. They called me Ironmomma. That’s how that came to be.

Otherwise ….. here….. anything goes. You won’t find posts by me written and then taken down. You won’t find posts here written not to offend or to offend. I write from my heart and I shoot from the hip. Those who know me know I don’t play around. If I have something to say to you…. I won’t say it ona  blog…. I will say it to you.

I am just not a game player. Save that for the others.

Coming back to the point of the story, four things happened in the past 48 hours that have me a nudge. The book. The book needs to be written.

What about?

What do you mean what about??? What do you think????

I sat back for a minute. If I were to write a book, what would it be about?

It would be about this:

If you know our story, or even a part of it….. then you know what this means. This photo was taken by the amazing Buffalo Photographer Terry Wherry, it wasn’t planned, I came across it by accident. It’s me and it’s Luc. Like so many photographers I know, the really good ones….. they don’t take pictures…. they capture life moments. If you know our story….. this is a life moment.

Four separate things happened that gave me the message….. you need to write the book. What will it be about? It will be about the above picture. I could write about my triumph over Bulimia, that’s a pretty dramatic story in itself. Perhaps another time…. I am just not ready for it yet.

It will be about us. About a young man who came into this world with a statement. He was here to change my life, my husband’s life and the lives of those who know him.

What would I call it?????

I would call it LUCKY.

Not because I was lucky to have him…… not because he was lucky to have me….. not because Luck had anything to do with it really. We made and continue to create your own luck. You know what Luck really is right????? It’s where hard work meets opportunity.

That’s lucky.

But I don’t even know where to start.

Hell, everything in my life has been a ride by the seat of my pants experience. Why would I approach this any other way? What I have learned along the way is that I need one ingredient for it to be successful….. I need to believe in it.

So here we go. The beginning of Chapter 1 is written. I don’t know when it will be done, how long it will be, who the hell will publish it, or where it will be sold. I have given myself a one year time line to write it. We will take it from there.

So thank you…… to all of you who have stopped by, left a message of some form, thanks to Chris, Jill, Rachel…… thanks to Mrs. McClenathan my teacher who told me to write that essay way back in the day. Thanks to all of you. For giving me the push I need.

I am going to need a really good spellchecker.

I have an extremely personal reason in asking for your help. This message came to me from my friend Leah, remmeber Leah, she’s the one who is involved with Melissa’s Living Legacy?

Here it is:

Our hole in one contest is in trouble—and its the rain.
We’ve had a few golfers showing up with big hearts in raincoats…but by in large it’s been really tough.
We are NOT giving up. Our teens don’t have a choice but to fight…so we’re fighting through.
Our volunteers have been sticking to their posts sitting inside the tent waiting for golfers to show.
I have a field of dreams level of hope–if we keep it going—will they come?
We’re there at Henrietta Town Park every day 11am-8PM day in day out until this Friday (May 20th).

Just need resilient golfers in raincoats taking a swing against cancer.
http://www.teenslivingwithcancer.org/2011/02/17/melissa’s-million-dollar-hole-in-one-contest-2011/

Working overtime to make a miracle happen…Here’s hoping!