Hello family, friends and fans!
Thank you for your patience as I vacationed, came home, moved into my new apartment, started classes, switched all of my classes, took up a research project and started watching some winning football games at Michigan State University! As I have been so busy my entire life seems to be run off of lists; things to pack, things to buy, things to do. So- in honor of completing my first to do list since I was in Norway by clicking send on this email, I thought that it would be best to set it up like so:
ALEXANDRA CLARK'S TO DO LIST (May 2008-September 2008)
o.Make some money
1) Complete a second hospitality internship at bd's Mongolian Grill (www.gomongo.com)
As "Marketing/Special Events Coordinator" for Metro-Detroit I had my work cut out for me- especially when the weekend after I was hired, I found out that Billy Downs, founder and now buddy (who had hired me) had sold his company. No worries, amidst the cold-calling, emails and job-description-defining I managed to create a program with The Girl Scouts of Metro-Detroit, make some great industry and community contacts and have my chance to step up to the plate and show 'em what I got. bd's is filled with great people that taught me that "How can I help you" is a ridiculously powerful way to make money- I loved the day my boss called me "Butter"...."cuz I'm on a roll."
2) Work my last summer at the Dairy King of Plymouth
That's right, it is official. After working a block away from home at the greatest ice cream store in the world for the past 7 years (with one year hiatus) I, Alexandra Clark have taken my place in the Hall of Fame as I officially retired on August 5th, 2008. I still visit for quality control on a semi-regular basis.
o. Have a social life
1) 4th of July
Running is so much better when you are running from one friend's cottage to the other! I took the whole 4th of July weekend off and packed in my family's brand-new-used bus gone RV to steal my friend Kristin from camp for a weekend of cottage/property hopping with the Movsesians, Sibbolds and Andersons. It was an all-American weekend filled with lakes, campfires, the Blue Angels a dune buggy ride topped off by spitting cherry pits out of the window on the way home.
2)Good Ol Motor-City
Downtown hoedown, Tigers Games, The Red Bull Air Races, Zachs of Plymouth, Mexican town and Aerodogy concerts. I love this city.
o. Do an Ironman
1) Pre-race
I had about two weeks of "tapering" before the race that I spent carb-loading (life is tough) by meeting encouraging friends for meals around town between packing and repacking and checking my packing job and then re-packing to make sure I didn't forget anything! Once we arrived in Vancouver it all started to feel real. I slept well, ate well and knew I did everything I could have done to be ready for this adventure.
2) Swim (Alex's counting system (ACS): 1 & 2)
The swim was beautiful- 2.4 miles lining the shore of a spring-fed inland lake as the sun rose over the mountains of Harrison Mills, B.C.. That is where you swim in heaven. As always, I took my time, relaxed and finished towards the back of the pack as the rain started to fall. Though the lake I was racing in was supposed to be clean enough to drink, you couldn't see the bottom the way you can at Torch and it just wasn't the same color of blue and turquoise and silver. (At least there weren't fish that eat dogs like my uncles told me about after my Whitmore-lake swim!)
3) Bike (Alex's counting system (ACS): 3, 4, 5 & 6)
Every long bike during training I would get a song or two stuck in my head that made the time pass by. For a long time I wondered what song it would be come race day but as the rain poured down it was brutally impossible to avoid humming a little CCR ..."Who'll stop the rain?" At least it's better than the half-Ironman where I couldn't kick the Michigan State University Fight Song. Fortunately, I made a happenstance friend, Ginny, on the bike who was one rad babe that kept my pace and who "got" the whole Iron-thing. The road quality was awful because of the rain so it was good to bike with someone with a positive attitude. I once heard that during and Ironman you bike until you are so ready to get off that you would do anything even if it meant running a marathon...
4) Run (Alex's counting system (ACS): 7, 8 & 9)
...That is so true. I happily greeted the run and felt fantastic for the first 4 miles until the worst stomach cramps I had ever had set in and I started to slow down. Unfortunately at the same time the rain began again too and when I turned the loop for the second half of my marathon it began to come down in sheets. It rained so hard that our LED lights were not enough and cars were going out with each athlete still running the mountain road. Luckily, Mom, Dad and Shelley were quick to jump in our rental-car and cheered my through every step of the 13+ miles. I stayed as contently subdued as possible and practically meditated on Billy's advice to "Just keep moving". Though I made the commitment a year prior to complete an Ironman, I didn't truly believe that I would finish until I hit the last aid station 1.5 miles from the finish line. Suddenly, running was much easier and it seemed like every inspirational ironman moment I had had from running in Ireland to Bob Marley singing that "Everything's gonna be alright" to my cousin Dan telling me he believed I could finish and my cousin Mike saying that he gives Ironmen his "Ultimate Respect" to the poster's that the (awesome) Downs family kids made for me, to having a 50-year-old man you respect tell you you're his hero, to the article about Carrie Underwood that I hate because it says that determination is being able to eat only one weightwatchers bar a day... (and i don't use this term often or lightly, but) Fuck that...
5) Finish (Alex's counting system (ACS): 10!)
...Determination is 14 hours and 40 minutes in pouring rain so that you can cross the finish line of what is considered to be one of the greatest tests of man...as a 20-year old woman.
My mom and Shelley crossed the finish line with me, and my dad caught me on the other side. After a quick celebration with some other athletes and a last stop at the special needs area we drove to our hotel and I clumsily danced in the shower as I "washed that race right out of my hair, oh yes I washed that race right out of my hair, yes I washed that race right out of my hair and send him on his way......" Fortunately the family was out grabbing bags and ordering pizza and were not subjected to my whole-hearted yet substandard rendition of South Pacific.
So the big question: Would I do another one? Yep. Planning on it. Just let me graduate from college first, okay?
o. Celebrate Ironman (very important)
I spent the following ten days around British Columbia relaxing being sure to cheers at least once a day to my victory.
1)Tattoo
Yes, it hurts to get a tattoo. No, not as bad as Ironman! I never thought I would get one, but even my mom said that if she did an Ironman she would so I figured, what the hell! Not to worry it is inconspicuously hidden on the right side of my right foot and only about one square inch. I love it.
2) Eat (Chocolate) and (Legally) Drink Booze
We drove back to Vancouver the day after my Ironman to enjoy a delicious family celebratory dinner of Semi-dry Riesling, Shrimp Cocktail, Carprese and Dessert (what could ever make me happier?) at a dock-side restaurant called Cardero's where I think we got the best table in the house.
The rest of my time spent in BC with Nick Roberts (the boy from Norway) was run off of a to do list that was quite food-heavy. From Eat a Splitz Burger to Roger's Chocolates to Eat Sushi in Whistler to Make Nick Roberts pancakes to Go back to Granville Island - buy more food to Eat fish tacos to Eat Noodle Box to Wander through Chinatown - eat Chinese food to Have a Bellini to Have a picnic (well kind of) to Eat Eggs Benedict at Wildwood Bistro we did it all and I went home a satiated little girl.
3) Enjoy the great outdoors
There is actually a song by Fat Joe that was written about my running shoes. For those of you who are not from Detroit thus not exposed to an ample amount of Gangsta Rap to know who he is the lyrics are something like, "I make it rain (I make it rain) I make it rain on them hoes I make it rain,(I make It rain) I make it rain on them hoes I make it rain,(I make it rain) I make it rain on them hoes I make it rain(I make it rain) I make it rain on them hoes" Never-the-less we had to conquer our list so often having been told to "cross that bridge when I get to it" I came to the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge and crossed it. Unsatisfied, when we got to Whistler and came to the next bridge we decided to jump off into the River of Golden Dreams. And, after our first attempt was cut short by lightning strike, Nick's mom reminded us that there is no such thing as bad weather, just poor clothing so ever valiantly we returned to hike at the top of Whistler Mountain (without much of a view), went on a zip-line through the trees and went out on the town at night. Whistler may be a little less enjoyable in the rain, but because of it I got to eat more cookies and drink more tea.
My shoes were not invited back.
4.) Sit
I sat at garden at the Empress in Victoria and at the Imax watching "Shine a Light" (when I decided I want to be just like Keith Richards). I sat on a rock at the top of Whistler mountain and while watching a man stack rocks at Stanley Park. Much more uncomfortably I sat with my Canadian friends and watched the Olympics as Micheal Phelps won more gold medals than Canada and then finally, I sat the whole plane-ride home.
o. Go back to school
1) New apartment
I have a trash compactor. Not only that but I have my own room that has its own bathroom that is across from our own laundry room! I have a crown over my bed and a mattress pad that is so thick it is nearly too tall to get into....I think I am the princess with the pea. My cookbook collection has found a home on shelves near the kitchen and my room icould best be described as being a la mode de les flying pigs in the international jungle (on fire). Should you feel inclined to send chocolates, cards, large sums of money or extra-veggies with sausage and pepperoni pizza, my address: 1151 Michigan Ave., Apt 306B, East Lansing, MI 48823
2) New Major
The official title of my education is B.A. in Hospitality Business with a specialization (MSUsian for minor) in Food Science. How is that different? It means I got to drop Chemistry AND I will graduate in May 2010 and not 2011.
3.) New Endeavor
Through the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, I was invited to do a research project on cocoa! I am studying the effects and viability of fair trade cocoa and cocoa sustainability/responsibility in order to predict future movement as compared to coffee (and when the best time to enter the market would be!). Basically, I am researching why everyone "has to have" fair trade Rowandan coffee to drink while they carelessly eat their resource-exploiting chocolate bar (I do it too...there's not much of an option!).
Well- hitting send will feel nice. Tomorrow will inevitably bring a new to do list, and I will be sure ya'll stay up-to-date.
Cheers,
Alexandra
P.S. To everyone who donated to Charity: Water and SCOUT BANANA, checks were put in the bank last week and all of your tax info will be in the mail ASAP! Thank you- I managed to raise more than enough to place and maintain a well in Africa for 20 years!
