$1 Movies at Jordan Creek Town Center

Now that summer is here and in full swing at the Weis house (I can't wait to finally do some of this stuff!). The Summer Movie Clubhouse will be a great wait to beat the heat. Century Theaters at Jordan Creek Town Center did this last summer and we went to a couple (and it wasn't crowded). We haven't tried this year, but thanks Liz for the reminder.

Movie are $1, start at 10:00 AM

July 7 - "Horton Hears a Who"

July 14 - "Arthur and the Invisibles"

July 21 - "Charlotte's Web"

July 28 - "Water Horse"

August 4 - "Rugrats in Paris"

August 11 - "Open Season"

Call 1-800-FANDANGO exp. Code 982#

or visit cinemark.com for more info.

Summer Reading Programs that Rock!

Ahh...summer memories of being a young girl, filling out my book log and weekly riding my bike to the Jefferson Public Library instead of hitting the swimming pool. I remember digging through the various prize bins based on how many minutes I had read this week and claiming my precious reward. Reading was something I always did anyway, but in the summer it was different. Earning prizes for already doing what I loved? Icing on the cake!

Summer reading programs are still around and in full force. We always do the West Des Moines library (Cub baseball tickets, Happy Joe's pizzas, Chick filet meals) and Clive Library (zoo passes, fun pool party @ the end), but this summer we found a few others that are worth checking out.

Half Price Books has the simplest reading form of all (just record minutes read) and you can do it every week. Kids turn in their book log and can pick out any book ($3 value) in the store for their prize. My girls love this and have been building up their American Girl book collection.

Barnes and Noble: Fill out their reading log (available at their stores) and kids can pick out any new book of their choice. Word is that kids can do this at any location (thanks, Lisa!)

Olympic Triathlon: Check

It's Over. Finishismo.

Hello Summer!

Yesterday I completed major personal goal I have been working on for six months; The Hy-Vee Triathlon in 2:50:07. What a array of feelings. Relief, Pride, Excitement...

In a few days I do want to record more of my thoughts and feelings on this event, but for now I am still processing it and all and am wondering how many days it will take for me to adjust to not waking up at 5 AM. Here are some of my thoughts and experiences on this amazing event!



Biking down Grand

Lucy ready to ride

Celebrating with family at Gateway Market

Lucy and Megan on Channel 13

Channel 13 interviewed my daughters about the Hy-Vee Kid Triathlon last night before the race. I am not sure how long it will be up, but here is the link. Scroll down to the middle of the first page where it says "Kiddie Triathlon." Its a two minute video.

By the way, they did great this morning and blew my socks off with their endurance with walking two miles to the start, mass confusion with body markings, chip timing, and precise bike placement (for kids??!!).

They both ended with huge smiles on their faces and medals around their neck placed by their own hero, Shawn Johnson.

I am so jealous that they are done with it! Lucy and Megan celebrated their triathlete TV status by eating their giant cookies they won in the cookie walk. They are now normal kids again and are currently playing Harry Potter in the living room. This time tomorrow, it will be me eating the giant cookie. ;-)

My Mantra for Race Day

6 months of training.
50 (+) sore muscles
100 (+) times of stepping out of my comfort zone
180 early morning workouts before sunup.

Hundreds of hours spent swimming, biking, running and learning new things in preparation for the Hy-Vee Triathlon.

I am not focused on the time spent right now. In 36 hours it will be over. Time won't matter. What will matter is that I will have completed something that I never thought was in my life's plan. I feel fortunate that I am physically able to do something like this. So many people have disabilities and other handicaps that prevent them for undertaking something like this. I am healthy and appreciative.

I won't be the fastest out there and I won't be able to stop mechanical issues from happening with my bike. I will race my own race. A good friend reminded me to take it all in. To enjoy it. I only get my first triathlon once. I have no other times to compare it to. My family doesn't know the different between a stellar Olympic Triathlon time and a snail's pace. They will just be proud of me. I will be proud of me.

"Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally."

Border's Bookstore = Free Beverage

I love these deals because nothing beats perusing books while sipping coffee.
This offer is good through July 2.
Click here for the coupon.

FREE 2-Year Subscription To Parents Magazine

My favorite parenting magazine!
Get a FREE 2-year subscription to Parents magazine from ValueMags. I’ve registered for free subscriptions through them before and always received them without any hassle!

Guest Post: Being a Morning Workout Person

I agree with Joe. Get it over with! Move on with your day!

And...with my time saving mentality: you only have to shower once!

Click here to read Joe's post on his popular training blog and to see his nice shout-out to me.

Letterboxing 101

We tried something totally fun and different for father's day this year and I have to share it with you. Our Lettering Boxing Adventure!(Although I wish it had a different name). Letterboxing sounds like some kind of scrapbooking or academic reading strategy.

What is letterboxing? Its a combination of a treasure hunt, nature hike and collecting. All over the United States there are little boxes hidden on nature trails. If you go to this site you can find clues to these hidden boxes. I just did a quick search of where we live in West Des Moines and there are four hidden letterboxes nearby on biking and walking trails. Once you find the hidden box, it contains a stamp which you then stamp into your personal log book.

We uncovered a couple of them last Saturday.

Our Letterboxing adventure had something for everyone:

Me: I love being outside and active with my family
Megan and Lucy: The look on their faces when they reached into the hollowed tree stump and pulled out a box was something that can never be replicated.
Max:Is absolutely obsessed with finding "waver" (water), aaaaaaaants (ants), and mud. One certain trail was perfect for his two year old wonderment.
Dave: Anything map/direction related is right up his alley. Although it wasn't necessary, he had to bring along his GPS receiver just in case the printed out directions I had, suddenly got caught up in the wind and the Weis family was lost forever in the forest.

Fittest Executive Competition

Dave nominated me to represent Internet Solver in this yearly Business Record contest. It reminded me a little bit of high school PE with the testing items including how many sit ups and push ups can be done in a minute and the "sit and reach" to test your flexibility. They also did a three minute step test to see how fast your heart rate can recover. One different item from high school was the drawing of the blood. Did I even know what cholesterol and glucose levels were at that age? Definitely not!

If you want, read more about my interview here. There is also a picture of me with my bike (with what Dave calls my 4th child).

In reference to the bike Megan and Lucy do fondly refer to it as "big brother bully bikey" as sometimes it is left in our van and it may slightly tip over and gently konk them in the heads as we are driving somewhere. Ahh...teasing his sisters. That does sound pretty brotherly.

In Search of...

lazy summer days! I spot them coming around the corner soon!

I know I have been scarce on my blog lately. Thank you to all of you that said you missed it, but in the same breath said they understood why it had been difficult to keep up. I miss it to. I love writing and expressing myself through it, but have been preoccupied with triathlon training and the other consuming twists and turns of life.

I have been putting a few experiences up on twitter. Its easy to join and you can just read other people's stuff and never put anything up yourself. I followed Dave and a few other friends for awhile before doing anything else with it (although...I would love to hear your thoughts...it is so easy to use!)

This Sunday, will be the first time I get to put all the tri pieces together in my first sprint triathlon at Copper Creek in Pleasant Hill, Iowa. It will be fun and am anxious to work out some kinks and try it all out before the big mamoth one of all: The Hy-Vee Triathlon, which is an Olympic distance (1.5 K swim, 40 Kbike and 10K run).

They were putting up the spectator bleachers for it this week at Raccoon River. My heart gave more then a little jump...

New Obsession: Twitter!

Come on, check it out!
It is so much faster then blogging and less cluttered then facebook.

I love the ease in posting updates. And we all need a little more simplicity in our lives right?!
Follow me at:
http://twitter.com/sjweis