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Alright kids, I’m officially 12 weeks out from Ironman Wisconsin, and Beth and I have discussed a solid plan for prepping for it! It’s gonna be a lot of work, but I’m excited!

So, this past week, was a recovery week from Boise, and pretty much a mid-season break. I took not, one, not two, but FOUR days completely off. I just slept and ate, and chilled. Caught up with friends, and just hung out. It was perfect.

Monday & Tuesday – drove back from Boise

Had to get some In & Out!

Wednesday – Wine Time and Girl Talk with Jené

Thursday – Honestly, I can’t remember what I did. Worked, and then chilled at home.

Friday – Swim (super casual, just got back in the water) and Bike Ride with Coach. We caught up, chatted about Boise, what could I do differently, and discussed the IMWI plan. And then followed up our bike ride with acai bowls! YUM!

Then I headed to a Rehab United Team Happy Hour downtown. CrAzY story. I walk into the bar, and chat with the people I know, and then introduced myself to the people I don’t know. Then, the usual, where do you live, where are you from, etc. Well, turns out a guy on the Rehab United Tri Team, just so happens to have grown up 5 blocks from me growing up. #smallworld. We had a blast reminiscing about growing up in Fox Point, WI.

Saturday – Slept in a bit, and then headed out on a very easy solo ride. I ended up running into Beth and Keith, and tried to keep up with them for a bit, but then decided it wasn’t worth it. This was a recovery ride, and well I felt like being in #lalaland.

The Fast Kids.

 

It was spectacular out on Saturday.

Chilled out on the couch, post ride, made some delicious food!

Variation of a SkratchLabs Feed Zone recipe.

It was a very relaxing Saturday. I then headed over to Keith’s for a BBQ. For a chill Saturday night.

Sunday – FATHER’S DAY! My dad and I had our quality bonding time on our road trip and in Boise. But still, I wish I could have celebrated with him. Here is a little tribute to my dad.

I went for a VERY easy run along the coast. No watch, no phone, no music, just me and nature. It was beautiful. And then headed for a pool for one last easy swim, before my first BIG week of Ironman training begins.

I went grocery shopping, so I’m all set for healthy meals the whole week. And enjoyed the sun on the back porch. Sunday was awesome. I now feel TOTALLY recovered and rejuvenated, and excited for the weeks of hard work ahead! Let’s get this party started!

P.S I qualified for Age Group Nationals, which just so happens to be in my hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. So, I’m heading home in August to race! Can’t miss out on a big race, that’s happening at home!

 

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog”

This is what my dad would say to me before EVERY soccer game growing up. He was my biggest fan, and always knew the right thing to say to make me feel like I could tackle the world.

My Dad.

The Dreamer.

The Adventurer.

The Funny Guy.

The Fun Guy.

The Lawyer.

The Supporter.

The Maverick.

My Dad. My Hero.

Daniel Warren Morse (named after his dad)

My dad, grew up in a small town in Warren, Pennsylvania. Growing up he was the guy who always played by the rules. He worked hard, always had a job, and was super responsible. There are many things that inspire me about my dad, but I will name just a few:

Mr. Mom

Growing up, my dad would wake up, make us three kids breakfast, pack our lunches, AND we would stand in line to have our hair combed and parted. He was always very involved in our lives. In fact, he quit a big law firm to go out on his own, which is a scary thing to do when you have three kids to provide for, but he wanted to play by his own rules. He wanted to take vacation with his kids when he wanted to, or go to our plays, soccer games, gymnastics meets, etc.

Mr. Project Man

He can build ANYTHING. When I was in college, my three best friends, Betsy, Mo, and Davis, and I all LOVED playing beer pong. Davis and I were always partners, and Betsy and Mo were always partners. We would play each other, or other people, but we RARELY changed partners. Beer pong was our thing. So, my dad thought, “how cool would it be to have your own beer pong table?” So, he made one. One side said DePauw and the other side Tigers. He bought the wood. He furnished it. He made sure it folded in half, so we could store it somewhere, he put legs on it, so it would stand on it’s own, he painted it, and then he gave it to us to keep and use whenever we wanted to play beer pong. Our senior year, our house (us four girls), had THE house. Everyone would come over and play beer pong on the awesome table my dad made.

He built a shed in the back yard to hold all the patio furniture, lawn mower, etc. He built not one, but TWO outdoor showers, one on the back patio, and one on the deck off of my mom and dad’s bathroom. He also built us kids a tree house in the back yard. We would hang out there and look up at the stars, and have secret clubs with our friends. It was amazing. Watching him build things on his own, and make things happen, has taught me great independence. He inspires me to build things, and tackle things, and to go after my dreams.

He truly is Mr. Thoughtful.

My Dad. The Romantic.

My Dad LOVES surprises. I can’t even begin to explain the ways he has surprised my mom over the years. But, the best surprise he ever did for her, was for her 50th birthday, he did the following:

He had a friend of his, Mike Williams pick my mom up from school when she was done teaching for the day on a Friday in September, and he took her to The Town Club where all her colleagues from school were waiting to surprise her and celebrate her 50th birthday, my dad wasn’t there, but all her friends surprised her, and they had a fun cocktail hour. Then another one of my dad’s friends, Mike Stoehr, came to the party, picked my mom up in his fancy convertible, and drove her to a private airport. My mom of course was asking questions, but everyone kept their part of the surprise a secret, and never revealed any of the other surprises. Fortunately, my mom is great at being spontaneous, so she just did what she was told. So, then Mike Stoehr dropped her off at a private airport, where another one of my dad’s friends, Mr. Lane was there, and told her “we’re going flying”. So, my mom hopped on the private plane, and Mr. Lane let her fly a little bit, and eventually they landed in Sheboygan. As they were landing, my dad was waving from the deck all dressed up in a suit (my mom says it was like it was out of a Richard Gere movie), and he greeted her when they landed. My dad had packed a bag for my mom (since she was not in fancy clothes), he packed every black dress, pants, skirts, tops, shoes, etc. he could find in her closet. He knew she’d want to wear black since they were going out to a fancy dinner. And they had a romantic evening together celebrating her 50th bday.

Then, he threw ANOTHER surprise 50th birthday party. He planned a mexican themed party to be hosted where I went to college. They were coming down to DePauw for a soccer game, and so, my dad surprised her with a HUGE party at DePauw. I invited about 100 friends from college, but most importantly, my dad had invited my mom’s best friends from all walks of life. Grade school friends, high school friends, college friends, etc. It was really special. And we partied the night away with pinatas and dancing. My brother and sister flew in for the surprise as well.

Mr. Fun also known as Uncle Dan

My dad LOVES to party. He has been throwing parties since he was born. My mom and him threw beach parties in the winter, where they rented out a club house, ordered sand to be delivered, and everyone would dress up in their bikinis and swim shorts. It was amazing. He goes to Jimmy Buffett every year, and my college friends and I would go, and he would buy all the margarita mix, and tequila, and coconut bras, and grass skirts. He plans vacations, weird ones where the purpose was to educate us kids, and cool ones where the purpose was to teach us adventure. He truly is the life of EVERY party. He has the best stories, and everyone tunes in when Dan Morse is speaking.

WE LOVE COUNTRY MUSIC!

My Dad:

camp counselor at the YMCA

paper boy

treasurer of every organization

he won a library award – for being a good reader

swimming instructor – swam for Wooster

Frat Boy – Sigma Chi

Record for the most first date “coke” dates at Wooster. – apparently at Wooster, the guys would take girls out on a “coke” date, where they would go get coca colas. Most girls didn’t get past the first date with my dad. ha!

Proud of being Left-handed.

My Dad truly lives as if he were going to die tomorrow. He lives his life to the fullest, never missing out on an opportunity to experience something. This is the most important thing he has taught me in life. Take chances. Be adventurous.

My dad and I did Indian Princesses together. We would sing camp songs, and camp, and learn about the wilderness. He sent all three of us kids to YMCA camps. We all started at camp Minikani, and then ended up going to camp Manito-wish a tripping camp. Where we would go on 5-30 day canoeing, kayaking, or back packing trips. He came to every dance recital, play, soccer game, baseball game. And he would support anything I ever wanted to do.

I remember wanting to play baseball (mostly because my brother did), and he figured out a way to make it happen. Yes, I was the only girl on the team, and yes, I didn’t play very much, but he made it happen. He truly is the best dad ever. He still to this day will do anything to figure out a way to make something happen. It is something I hope to carry with me throughout my life. Friends, family, experiences, are more important than anything.

My dad has taken us all sailing in the BVI, skiing in Steamboat, Park city, and Big Mountain, he has taken us to Spain, canoeing in Canada, beachin’ it in Mexico.

BIG TIME PACKER FANS! GO PACK GO!

Oooo…one more story. One year, we all went down to Mexico for Christmas vacation. We stayed at a very quiet resort, and I’ll never forget all the fun things we did, swimming with dolphins, snorkeling, etc. BUT, the biggest takeaway from the trip, was when he wanted us all to pick out some toys, and we went as a family to give Christmas gifts to all the local Mexican children. It was absolutely beautiful. My dad was put on this earth to be a dad. Whether it’s to me, or you, or little Mexican children. He LOVES to teach and give to kids. Children are our future.

Okay one more…

When I was in middle school, my brother had these two friends, Rodnee and Randee. They played on my brother’s basketball team, and without thinking twice, my mom and dad told them they could stay with us while they finished high school. This is who my dad is. He doesn’t care who you are, he sees the best in people, and he is there for kids. Over the years, we have had Spaniards, Columbians, inner city kids of Milwaukee, Costa Ricans, Germans, you name it, they come and stay with us.

That is the SECOND most important thing I’ve learned from my dad (and mom). To have your door ALWAYS open. You never know when you will need one. But, also this has opened my eyes up culturally. Sometimes it’s hard to open up our homes, or make room for people in our daily lives, but there is nothing more rewarding than helping other people.

Even as I grew up, my dad (and mom) and continued to come to every college soccer game I played. In fact, my freshman year, we made it to the final four, and I was totally bummed I wasn’t going to be able to come home for Thanksgiving. So, what does my dad do? He buys my mom and him two tickets to Onienta, New York, and surprises me the morning before our game. He still tries to make it to every triathlon that he can make it to. When I said I wanted to move to California, he supported me whole-heartedly. When I said I wanted to go white water rafting in Costa Rica, yes, let’s make it happen. I want to go to soccer camp at North Carolina – chapel hill, let’s make it happen. I want to go to gymnastics camp in the Poconos. Let’s make it happen.

I hope to always live my life, by making things happen. And I hope to teach this to my children, and give them as much adventure and support as he has given me.

I Love You, Dad! Thank you for inspiring me to be adventurous, independent, loving, responsible, caring, kind, and most importantly, to be a DREAMER. You truly are AMAZING!

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Boise 70.3 = My 10th Half Ironman

Pre-race

My dad had flown into San Diego on Wednesday, and we road tripped to Boise. We got in on Thursday at about 4pm (mountain time). We had fun telling stories, and laughing, and of course jamming out to some good ol’ country music.

We drove until we couldn’t drive any longer, stopped off in the middle of nowhere to catch some zzzzz’s…and then woke up Thursday morning and hit the road again.

When we got to Boise, we immediately started exploring. We went to Lucky Peak Reservoir to check out where the race start was going to be.

Not a bad place to race

The water was soooo clear too!

The water was a bit chilly, but because it was 95+ degrees, I was actually excited that the water was so cold. It was refreshing. After checking out the swim start, we went downtown to grab dinner. We found 10 Barrel Brewing, which is a company out of Bend, Oregon, and just so happens to be Heather Jackson’s brother’s brewery. Pretty cool.

Drinking some beers after a looong two days in the car.

We got back to the hotel and hit the hay. Friday morning…went to packet pick-up, and then headed back to the reservoir for a pre-race shake out swim, bike, run. It was hotter than hell! The water was about 58 degrees. To me – PERFECT. The water felt great, but on the bike and the run even on my shake out workouts, I could feel the sun zapping my energy. So, after the shake out workouts, I got out of the sun, and back in the air conditioning to conserve energy.

Friday’s Swim, Bike, Run, shake out session. Yes, I biked in my swimsuit, it was that hot, and well might as well work on getting rid of some of those tan lines

Later Friday night, my sister met up with us. She had driven up from Fort Collins, Colorado. I was stoked to see her. I’m not gonna lie, I was impressed with the food in Boise. We ate at a delicious italian restaurant right downtown again. Perfect pre-race meal.

RACE DAY!

Key Notes:

- Boise 70.3 starts at noon

- My wave went off at 12:39pm

- Transition closes at 11:45am

My mom and my sister!

Swim // 1.2 miles // 38:15 // 1:49 per 100yd // 11th AG // 52nd Overall Female

After sitting out in the heat for at least 90min, it was time for my wave to hit the water. I was soooo excited to get in the cold water I cannot even tell you. I knew it was going to feel so good, and it did. It was 58 degrees. For me, it was PERFECT. My wave included the 18-24 age group, and the 30-34 age group. So, there were about 125-150 of us in our wave. The good news is my family counted white caps, and said I was 21st out of the water. I may have had a slow time, but I was pretty stoked about that. I’m used to being almost last out of the water.

Highlights of the swim:

- It was COLD! I’ll say it again…I LOVED it!

- It was choppy. With the 20mph winds, it made for a VERY choppy and slow day out there.

- The swim was about 250yds long, which is why the times were all a little slow.

- The course is a clockwise triangle.

My thoughts during the swim:

Within 100yds I had my own space. I loved it. And the water was sooo clear. I just kept thinking the whole time how much I was loving it, even though it was choppy, and I had a few large gulps of the water. It was one of my favorite swims ever. I just kept thinking, I’m experienced, just keep pulling hard, and you will have a good swim compared to the rest of the field. Which, honestly, to come out of the water 11th in my AG…that is REALLY good for me. As I rounded the last turn buoy, there was a girl drafting off my feet. I didn’t mind at all, except that for the last 500yds, she was hitting my feet. She just kept hitting them. I kept thinking, you can draft, but you don’t have to be that close. Another highlight of this swim, is this is the first swim in a long time that I didn’t do breaststroke ONCE. Often, I get frustrated with the chaos at the beginning and I swim breaststroke to calm myself down. I decided it wasn’t worth it to slow down. And I need to work on pushing it on the swim. Even though my swim time doesn’t quite reflect it due to the choppiness and the longness of the course, I really tried to gun it on the swim. I almost wanted to stay in because I knew wind and heat awaited me. Seriously, I would have been happy to go around that triangle again.

T1 // 2:30 – nothing special here…got to my bike…threw my sunglasses and helmet on, and took off. This is a perfect course to leave your shoes on your bike, and put your feet in as you are riding. It’s flat, and then a slight down hill for the first 2 miles.

Bike // 56 miles // 3:02:47 // 18.38mph // 7th AG // 48th Overall Female

Within minutes, I could feel the heat. My coach, Beth, had sent me instructions before the race to push it on the swim and the bike. I tend to be conservative on both, and we wanted to see what I could do on the swim and bike, by really challenging myself and getting outside my comfort zone. So, I did. I didn’t look at my watch once, and just told myself, if your legs aren’t burning, and I mean BURNING, then you aren’t working hard enough.

Bike Highlights:

- 20mph winds

- Having a headwind all but about 6 miles of the course

- Only managing to take in two bottles of First Endurance EFS drink. (I always put two scoops in each bottle, which is about 180 calories per bottle)

- IT WAS HOT!!!

- Average HR – 90% of my max

My thoughts during the bike:

“Keep pushing”. “Everyone has to deal with this wind”. “Like mom said, the wind is your friend, not your foe today because of the heat”. About halfway into the bike, I tried taking my bonk breaker like I always do, and I threw it up. Oh no…this is NOT good. I couldn’t take in any solid calories. And I only had those two bottles of EFS. I managed to get both down, but that’s only 360 calories. And it’s HOT. I took water at every aid station, but there were only 3. So, to get my mind off the disaster that probably lay ahead on the run, I focused on passing as many people as I could. There is a point where you can see every single person ahead of you, after they hit the turn around, I started counting every female in front of me. There were 94, that I had counted by the time I hit the turn around. After the turn around, I started chasing them down. I ended up passing 28 women on the bike after the turn around. NOT BAD. It helped me keep my mind off the wind, and the fact that I felt nauseous.

T2 // 1:18 // Nothing special here. Racked my bike, threw on my sneakers, my soas trucker hat (which I never wear a hat anymore, but I needed to keep that sun off of me as much as I could), my race belt, and grabbed my EFS liquid shot, and I was off.

Run // 13.1 miles // 1:59:18 // 9:06 min/mile // 7th AG // 47th Overall Female

I headed out on the run, and within 1/2 mile I was feeling BAD. REAL BAD. I tried to take in a squirt of EFS liquid shot, but I just threw it up. After I threw up. I told myself I could walk for 10 steps, and then you have to suck it up and get moving. And so I did. The run was PAINFUL. I was in the serious hurt locker. I hadn’t felt this bad, since my Boston Marathon experience. I mean I just felt awful. The only thing I could keep down was water. I was grabbing ice and stuffing it down my sports bra at every aid station. Every time I would try to move faster, I would just throw up. It was NO BUENO. So, I settled and just told myself, do not let one girl pass you. This sucks, but you can do this.

Run Highlights:

- IT WAS HOT!

- I threw up

- For the first time ever I didn’t smile once, or speak a single word. I could barely look at my family. It just seemed like it was going to take too much energy. I needed every ounce of energy I had to get through this run.

- Average HR – 90% of max

- The run course is beautiful, along a river, and is flat, and has some great shady parts.

In the HURT LOCKER

Run Thoughts:

I told myself after mile 7, I could start drinking coke. I took coke at every aid station. It helped, but not enough. I think I was already just too deep in a mess, that coke was not going to fix my problem. But, I’m pretty sure it’s why I was able to keep running and not walk. I didn’t walk once after those 10 steps, and I’m pretty proud of that. And I didn’t let one girl pass me. Again, proud of that. It was a TOUGH day.

It was a TOUGH day. This picture shows exactly how I was feeling.

Overall // 70.3 miles // 5:44:08 // 7th AG // 47th Overall Female

Overall thoughts:

- To place 7th on one of my worst race days ever, I’m pretty happy with that. 7th is the highest I’ve placed at a half ironman. The last time I placed 7th was at Vineman in 2011 with a 5:08.

- I was pretty bummed that I had the run I did, and that I couldn’t keep anything down, because my motivation was high, and I knew I could have had a faster day. It just sucks when you feel so helpless.

- I think starting late in the day, set me up to get heat exhaustion. I’m highly susceptible to it, and have had it multiple times, and sitting out there in the heat waiting for my wave to go off, was no bueno.

Thank you sooo much for everyone’s encouraging words! You guys are amazing. I thank my mom, dad, and sister soooo much for being there. They are the BEST sherpas. They found me at least 6 times on the bike course, and I saw them at least 4 times on the run course. It was always a boost of energy when I saw them.

Post-Race //

Beer cures everything! Let me tell you this…I felt A LOT better after trying all these beers

We went back to 10 Barrel Brewing, and I wanted to get a taster. I was SUPER happy after this.

Post-race drinking fest photoshoot

Sunday, it was time for a big brunch and mimosas!

Best Mango Mimosa I’ve ever had!

Then, we rented bikes and went for a family recovery spin…

One more night out on the town in Boise…

My sister and I outside Bittercreek Ale House (where I tasted more beers

Thank you to Oakley Women and the Oakley Women family for all their support! And thank you to Soas Racing and Rehab United!

It was an amazing weekend with my family, and I can’t believe I have completed my 10th half ironman.

Up next: San Diego International Triathlon on June 30th.

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Wow, time flies! How is it already June? It’s already time to race another half!

Well this past week has been all about catching up on some zzzzzzz’s. Seriously, I slept sooo much. Last weekend’s festivities in SF and Napa took it out of me. I can’t remember the last time I got 5hrs of sleep each night for 4 consecutive days (and no naps). So, this past week, I’ve been sleeping practically 10-12hrs every night. Which is good, because now I feel re-energized and ready to take on Boise!

When I got back late Monday night, I was exhausted. I hit the hay hard, before I had one more busy week of training.

Tuesday – Tempo Run

Wednesday – Bike Trainer Workout with hard intervals and Strength

Thursday – 1/2 mile repeats on tready, swim

Friday – Master’s Swim, Bike – Master’s swim kicks my butt every time…LOVE it!

Saturday – long bike, brick run (this bike was gnarly…mostly because of the wind…I almost started punching at it like a crazy person…I can try to calm myself down as much as I want, but internally, I’m fighting a mega battle not to just scream)

Sunday – “long” run, swim

Nothing too crazy, but I also think I’ve been more tired since we introduced speed training. I think my body forgot what that feels like, as I probably haven’t done any speed training in over a year. YIKES! But, hopefully that means I will see a lot of improvement this year?

Highlights of the week:

1. London’s 1st Birthday

I was kinda totally bummed that I couldn’t make it to Pittsburgh for London’s 1st Birthday. For those who know me, I LOVE birthdays. I love making birthdays a big deal. It’s that person’s SPECIAL day. So, I pretty much spent all of London’s Birthday (June 1st), calling my family, face timing, receiving videos, and photos of the celebration. It made me totally miss my family, as I was the only one that wasn’t there London is just sooo happy and smart, and funny.

London stuffing her face with her birthday cupcake. AMAZING.

Seriously this outfit is awesome! And the headband is totally over the top.

2. Making SkratchLabs Burritos – seriously they lasted me almost a week. It was awesome! I love being able to cook a big thing of something, and just eat it the whole week. Makes life easy.

3. Trail Run on Sunday – I just wanted to be outside and enjoy the fresh air. My run was short about 1hr 20min since I have Boise coming up so a loop run around the San Elijo Lagoon was in order.

Almost getting hit by a train…I run through here all the time, and I have never had a train go by right as I’m about to cross…good thing I looked both ways

 

Stopping to take a #selfie, and take in the scenery. Showcasing my Oakley’s and Soas Racing trucker hat

The best place to end up after a run…The Beach.

4. Finally using my awesome picnic basket! I haven’t used it since I moved to California, but I would use it in Chicago a fair amount during the summers.

Sunday Funday!

So, now it’s taper time! I’m soooo pumped because my mom, dad, and sister are coming to Boise! I’m so excited to see them. Unfortunately I have to wait another couple months to see London, and my bro, and sister-in-law

My dad is actually flying into San Diego on Wednesday, and we are road tripping to Boise! You know what that means? Country music ALL THE WAY to Boise. It’s going to be awesome. Quality father-daughter time. Super stoked!

Yay for race week!

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Wow, where to begin with my big sister. My sister, Jenny Morse, is 5 years older than me. I have always looked up to her, and have tried to emulate many of the great qualities that she offers to the world. My sister is a writer, a poet in fact. She has been writing and reading, practically since she came out of the womb.

To describe my sister and my relationship in one word it would be: SILLY. Even though my sister is 5yrs older, she has the BEST inner child. She easily can be goofy with me, and we always laugh until our stomachs hurt.

Big sis, little sis. No idea what we are wearing in this pic.

I pretty much wanted to be my sister growing up. She always just seemed soooo cool. I mean when she started wearing friendship bracelets so did I. When she started wearing tie-dye. So did I. When she started wearing plaid flannel shirts, so did I. Birkenstocks. Me too. The list goes on. I remember trying to read as much as her, and instead I would just move my eyes across the page quickly and then turn the page, and so on. Never actually reading ANYTHING.

Classic Katie and Jenny.

Fun facts about my sister:

- She read the entire kids Encyclopedia in a week at age 9

- She had to read 163 1/2 books in 1yr for her PhD

- She’s been to all 50 states

- She’s been to 5/7 continents

- She’s been to 25 countries

- She’s published 40 poems, and 4 papers

- She has a Master’s in English, and a PhD in English – specifically in Creative Writing – Poetry

- She’s approximately read 2,000 books so far in her life. (She’s 33)

- Her first job was at a book store at the age of 14

- Since her first job she has worked at a library, delivered magazines, worked at Barnes and Noble, edited/provided feedback to college student’s papers through an online company called SmartThinking (pretty much taught them how to NOT plagiarize), two publishing companies (David R. Goudine and Houghton Mifflin), taught at University Colorado – Boulder, University of Illinois – Chicago, and Colorado State University, and currently has her own writing and editing freelance company, Appendance.

- She majored in English and Religion and minored in Spanish at Bowdoin College in Maine.

My sister truly defines the word: EDUCATED. She reads books on psychology, science, history, philosophy, religion, and yet also reads young adult fiction, or books by Tom Robbins, Charles Dickens, but then also books by Anne Rice. There isn’t a genre she shies away from.

I have always admired her knowledge. She truly is smart. But not just book smart. She’s logical and creative with words. But being educated is just part of who she is. The other part I admire is her free spirit. While working in Boston after college at Houghton Mifflin publishing company, my sister was vying for bigger and better things. So, she quit her job, and took all of her savings and decided to travel all of South America for 6 months. WHAT?!?! I mean how cool is that? She would send emails and pictures along the way. And I would just admire her ability to just “go”. I daily try to carry some of her free spiritedness with me.

She went on a 30 day backpacking trip when she was 17 through Montana. Again, how cool is that?

On one of our annual family canoe trips in Canada.

My sister inspires me to do more, to go above and beyond. My sister is the type of person, that if you asked her to do the dishes, she wouldn’t just do the dishes, but she would make sure they were spotless, that the whole kitchen area was cleaned up, and that it looked perfect. My sister truly excels in whatever she puts her mind to. She never gives less than her best, and she inspires me to always give my best. The beauty of my sister is she is the BEST supporter and problem solver. She can make any sad or tough situation into a funny or goofy one. And knows EXACTLY how to make me feel better on a rainy day. Seriously. The best thing about my friendship with my sister is we know how to laugh together.

The night I launched The Regimen, my sister came to support.

We truly have a special bond.

My sister is kind, sweet, smart, adventurous, a perfectionist, an educator, and the kind of friend that will go to the ends of the earth for you. And every day I hope that a little of my sister’s free spirit and sweetness shine through me.

I Love You Big Sis and can’t wait for many more adventures with you!

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This weekend was in one word: Magical

View from my friend, Linzay’s apartment.

I flew in to San Francisco Thursday night. My friend Linzay picked me up from the airport. And we headed out to dinner in the Marina. We ate at this awesome burger place called, “Roam”. It was delicious.

Then we headed out in Russian Hill to grab drinks with some of my friends from college. In fact, one of my best guy friends, Drew, lives right next to Linzay. #smallworld

Dylan, Me, Drew

I don’t get to see much of these guys anymore, but when I do, it’s like no time has passed. Dylan, lives in Chicago, and Drew lives in SF. They are two of my best guy friends. And I was soooo excited to see them!

It was then time to hit the hay, as it was going to be a busy Friday. I woke up early to run down to the Fort Mason park and get a strength workout in. The view was breathtaking.

It was then back to Linzay’s apartment for some work. I also had a swim workout I needed to get in on Friday. I had asked around to some triathlete friends who live in the area, and it looked as though the most convenient option was the Presidio YMCA. It was 2.2 miles from Linzay’s place in Russian Hill. I didn’t rent a car, so next best option? Run! So, I got out my Oakley Factor Lite back pack to carry my swim stuff in, threw on my 26.2 sunnies, and headed to the pool. One more night in SF and then it was off to Napa for the weekend. So, of course, we went out for drinks…

The next morning, I woke up early and headed out the door to get my long run in. I had never run over the Golden Gate Bridge before, and so I didn’t want to miss out on this awesome opportunity.

On the path to the bridge

Up the stairs to the bridge

Alcatraz. (P.S Have you ever done the tour? If not, I HIGHLY recommend it. I didn’t have time to do it this time, but I’ve done it before and it’s amazing. Oh, and definitely get the audio tape tour)

It seriously was a perfect day to run in SF. (Side note: My favorite photo I took while in SF)

View of the city from the bridge.

Running across the bridge.

Love my Oakley Burn Shorts

After 12 miles in the books, it was time to shower, pack up, and meet up with the crew who I was going to the wedding with. I hadn’t seen my three best girlfriends since Davis got married last August. So, I was excited to spend the weekend with them. We also had three other girls joining us for the weekend, but they weren’t going to the wedding, but we thought why not have some more friends to enjoy Napa with, and share a house with!

So, the 7 of us packed it up in two cars, and headed to Napa. We stopped in Sausalito for a quick bite, and for a quick “photoshoot” by the bridge.

THE CREW. Betsy (lives in Denver, CO), Me, Lauren (lives in SF), Blair (lives in SF), Natalie (lives in SF), Mo (lives in Chicago), and Davis (lives in Lexington, Kentucky)

Betsy, Me, Davis, and Mo. The Girls. I met these three girls on my first day of college, when we got there for pre-season for soccer. We instantly connected, and have been best friends ever since. I can’t believe it’s been 10yrs!

Love these girls!

When we got to our house that we had rented for the weekend in Napa, it was time to change real quick, and break open the champagne to kick off the weekend!

The Magic Begins.

I can’t put into words what this weekend felt like. It was simply magical. The love that was surrounding us the whole weekend was palpable. From silly Vine videos, to reminiscing about old college stories, to making new ones. It was a celebration of true friendships. These girls truly are my rock, and I loved every minute of spending this weekend with them. After our champagne toast, we headed out to dinner in downtown Napa. To a place called Andaz. It was delicious. Tapas style. #love After dinner we met up with some dear friends of ours, Blake and Graham and their wives. These guys are truly special, and will always hold a special place in my heart. It was sooo good to see them, as I hadn’t seen them in probably 5 years.

This is why I LOVE weddings. It brings people together, who you don’t get to see regularly. Blake and his wife, Kendall, live in Birmingham, Alabama, while Blake finishes up residency (he’s specializing in high risk pregnancy, pretty cool!). And Graham and his wife, Jess, live in Indianapolis, and Foster and his girlfriend, Kate, live in Michigan. It was just so special to have us all together again.

Sunday, we had booked a wine tasting at Alpha Omega, a small vineyard about 20min from the house we were staying in. We booked it early, 11am, so we could squeeze it in before the wedding festivities began. No better way to start a day of the wedding, than some wine tasting. When in Napa…GO BIG OR GO HOME. I squeezed in an hour run real quick, before the day drinking began.

There was a cute path close by that I ran on, that ran along the Napa Valley River.

Threw on some “wine tasting” clothes, and headed out the door. First stop, Yountville for some brekkie. I LOVE Yountville. I had been there once before with Oakley. We did a bootcamp class and brunch in the cute park in Yountville. And it was so fun to be back.

Crepes and Scones. #yum

We then made our way to Alpha Omega. This place was gorgeous. And their tastings are FREE. We got to taste 6 different wines. And they were fabulous.

We sat outside around a fire pit drinking wine, with this view. Again, it was just magical.

After we warmed up our blood stream, we headed back to the house to get ready for Al’s big day!

Alex Martin has been one of my best guy friends since day 1 of college. He was on the men’s soccer team at DePauw, and we instantly bonded. I have known him for 10yrs, and I was soooo excited to see him tie the knot. Alex is one of those guys who just warms your heart when he’s around. He lights up a room with his smile, and can always make you laugh. To see him sooo happy, was such a special moment for me.

This wedding was out of a movie. It was held at a private vineyard. Julia, Alex’s bride to be, has cousins who own the place where they got married. It was outdoors without a cloud in the sky. The wedding was full of laughter, tears, and lots of love. To share in Alex’s special day was something I’ll never forget. It was beautiful how his wedding brought together a group of people who share so much love.

One of the many spectacular views at their wedding venue.

These are the boys. Blake, Foster, Alex (the man of the hour), Graham, Dylan, and Drew. These guys are like my brothers. Love them to pieces.

It’s hard to explain the feeling I get when we all get together. I’m sure some of you have felt that feeling, when you are around true friends. It was an emotional weekend but a special one.

All Dressed Up!

With Al, at the reception. He is one special dude, and I know Julia and him are going to be soooo happy together.

So, we danced, we ate, we chatted, had our drunken heart to hearts, laughed, shed a few tears, and said a lot of “I love you’s” as we don’t know when we will see each other all again. Yes, we all talk, text, etc. But, being together, is something special. When you can feel each other’s energy. This group is inspiring, dynamic, full of life, dreams. And I’m soooo proud to have such wonderful friends. Alrighty, starting to tear up writing this thing…so I’ll leave you with that.

I love this crew, Blake, Foster, Al, Graham, Drew, Dylan, Betsy, Mo, Davis, like they are my family. Thank you for the magical memories. And I look forward to the next reunion!

Slept in as late as I could, and then headed out for a run in the rain, before leaving Napa.

Rockin’ my Oakley Women’s Burn Shorts and Race Day Tank.

To close out the weekend, the 7 girls headed to Yountville Monday morning to check out the famous Bouchon Bakery. Monday was Memorial Day, and my family growing up would do a picnic with these three other families. It was a tradition for about 15 years. Although, I’m pretty sure it’s still going. My dad EVERY year for the picnic would make Monkey Bread. And it is to die for. So, I was pleasantly surprised when Bouchon Bakery had Monkey Bread. It made for a special day, so that I felt like I was still taking part in our family tradition.

Then it was off to the airport with Betsy and Mo.

I had such an incredible weekend. And feel so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life, and to be able to go on such amazing adventures.

Napa, you truly are magical.

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Highlights/And Things To Come

• Boise 70.3 in TWO weeks!
• Meeting Allen Lim (co-author of Skratch Labs “Feed Zone” and “Portables”) – Awesome talk at Velo Hangar in Solana Beach.
• NEW Oakley Sunnies
• Led the 1:35 lane at Masters! With some solid 1:20/100 efforts. Yay!
• We are now in “speed” training season! FINALLY! I love me some hills, but I’m ready to get some speed back in my legs.

Encinitas Sprint Triathlon Race Report I find it silly to do a race report on such a short race, at the same time, I think it’s nice to recap, feelings, thoughts, etc. It’s always fun to look back and read these things. So, for the sake of someday nostalgia, here’s a short recap of my first “true” sprint distance triathlon this past weekend. First, I have never done a race where I could just bike from my house to the start. This was amazing. I didn’t have to worry about packing anything, or parking, etc. I just biked down to transition with my wetsuit, running shoes, swim cap, and goggles in my backpack. Transition was at Seaside Reef (which is a HUGE surf spot). Side note: I had a dream that night that the ocean was glassy and flat for the swim, like a lake. Boy was I DREAMING. SWIM 750M (820yds):

This was race morning. It looks relatively calm in this photo. But, it was NOT. Waves were probably 3ft high, and the sets were SUPER close together. So, you barely had time to catch your breath. It was just wave after wave after wave. There were a lot of people who opted for the Duathlon instead. I knew I could get passed the surf. Growing up my family spent a lot of time on the Jersey Shore, and we would boogie board, and play in the waves, etc. I’m not scared of waves. I’m scared of sharks. So, I sucked it up, and just went for it. Diving under wave after wave after wave. It was EXHAUSTING. It was hard to hold my breath for as long as I needed to, and it was scary to come up, and have a wave you didn’t see coming smack you right in the face. The ocean is powerful, and I have great respect for it. There were even a few times when I would dive under, and it would go from white to PITCH BLACK. I thought “Am I going to make it?” “When am I going to be able to come up for air?” I did have a few “I’m going to die out here” thoughts, I’m not gonna lie. But, the lifeguards were actually amazing. Super encouraging, and kept telling everyone that “You can do it!” “Keep swimming” “You got this!” For a sprint, this was not what I was expecting. I was thinking, this is going to be a piece of cake. Ha! Not with this swim.

Swim Time: 21:14 (2:35/100yd) AG: 6/26 (This NEVER happens)

T1: 1:20 (3rd in AG)

Bike 20km (12.4 miles) There’s not much to say about the bike, except that it is SHORT. Gees, in these sprint races, you just gotta put the pedal to the medal and keep telling yourself to just keep pushing, it will be over soon enough. My goal was just to feel my quads burning the whole time. If my quads weren’t burning then I wasn’t working hard enough. It was two loops, with 3 sharp u-turns. I think what I love about sprints, is no need for water bottles, and no need for any type of nutrition. You just have to focus on moving. I had passed two girls in transition, and at the time I thought that there was only one girl ahead of me. I was gaining time on her, but shoot, 12 miles is just NOT enough time to try to catch someone. Side note: Bike Course was definitely short.

Bike Time: 28:46 (25.9mph) AG: 3/26

T2: 53 seconds (3rd in AG)

Run 5k (3.1 miles) My legs felt dead at the start of the run. I had just had my first week of speed training which included, a tempo run, interval bike, and repeat 800′s on the tready. Legs were kind of tired. But I just tried to stay relaxed up top, and keep a high cadence. The run was short. Again, no time to really catch anyone. There was a nice steep trail we had to climb out of to get on to the road, which was fun, and then a decent incline at the start of the run. But, had a nice easy downhill finish. Again, no water, or nutrition. It’s only 3 miles! The run was short by a lot. Cause, I definitely wasn’t cranking out 6:05min/miles. More like 7min/miles.

Run Time: 18:55 (6:05min/mile – NOT ACCURATE) AG: 7/26 (usually this is my best leg…gonna blame it on the dead legs;)

Overall AG: 4/26 It was sooo much fun to race in my backyard. Loved how I could just bike home after the race. Take a nice hot shower. Make myself a yummy post-race breakfast sandwich before indulging in a little Sunday Funday with friends.’

And the last two weeks in pics! (p.s sorry for the lack of posting…life has been crazy! But in a good way:) )

Skratch Labs Creations

NEW OAKLEY SUNNIES!

Got stung by a wasp or yellow jacket! Whole leg swelled up…LAME.

More Skratch Labs pics! Allen Lim is a phenomenal speaker. If you ever get a chance to here him talk…Go!

 

Strength training workout in my garage. The Regimen style (www.the-regimen.com)

Solo ride through Elfin Forest! Unfortunately this is where I got stung.

Some post race fun with coach and friends!

I’m in SF and heading up to Napa for a wedding for the weekend! Training has been rock solid…stay tuned for this weekend’s adventures!

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So, I thought it would be fun, while I’m sharing why each one of my family members inspires me to have them share one of their favorite stories about me. First there was an email string that started with this:

“Okay, which one of you is going to tell her she’s adopted?”

“And she does everything with the wrong hand.”

“And her real name is Peace.”

My whole life my family has teased me…I mean that’s what you get for being the baby of the family I guess. So…they would tease me that I was adopted because I’m right-handed. My dad, mom, sister, and brother are ALL left-handed.

As for the “Peace” story…well let’s just say I decided one day that I no longer wanted to be called “Katie”, and I wanted to be called “Peace”. WEIRD. We have it on video. It’s hilarious. They even made t-shirts for one race saying “Go Peace!”.

Anyway, here’s what they had to say:

My Dad:

Why Katie is an early riser and punctual:

I never had to wake Jenny up. From a very early age, Jenny preferred being
responsible for getting up on time by herself. I used to go in and squeeze
Ty’s big toe until it bothered him out of his sleep. I would go in to
Katie’s room to wake her. She would say she was going to get up and then go
back to sleep. I told her I wasn’t coming in more than once and if I had to,
I’d be back with a bucket of ice water. It happened, I woke her and she said
she was getting up. I left, she didn’t get up, I filled a bucket full with
ice water and threw the whole bucketful on her in bed. It was never a
problem ever again.

My Mom:

Classic Katie-

When I was Katie’s Spanish teacher in high school (awkward time for both of us) she shouted out to all her classmates one day, “Hey, guys! We don’t want to do this homework, do we?”

I have never forgotten that hilarious moment when Katie just could no longer handle being the dutiful and respectful student in her mom’s classroom!!

How sweet is this piñata my mom got me?!?! (Side note: I LOVE piñatas;)

My Sister:

A few years ago, Katie and I were flying together out of Chicago to meet the rest of the family somewhere. She stayed the night at my house because we had to get up at 4 or 5am to take the L out to the airport. We were both struggling with suitcases and still mostly asleep, and at the entrance to the train, I tripped up the stairs very dramatically. Katie was behind me and thought it was the most hilarious thing she had ever seen. She laughed up the stairs, onto the train, the whole way to the airport…and when our flight landed–she and I didn’t sit together, she was a few rows up from me and across the aisle–she stood up and made eye contact with me, which triggered more laughter, even several hours after the incident. But the fantastic part is that as she was laughing and gasping out the image of me tripping up the stairs, she threw her head back and smacked it on the overhead bins! Her head bounced forward and she had to catch herself on the seats to stop her from falling into the aisle and other passengers. Now I have the image of her head bouncing off those plastic overhead bins forever

Also, many years ago when I was going to school in Boulder, Katie came out to visit for her spring break. She really wanted to snowboard for a few days. Although she hadn’t done it before, she was confident that she would learn really fast and be able to keep up with me on my skis. The whole drive to the mountains, she was talking about all her friends who had learned to snowboard in like an hour and how she was a much better athlete than all of them, and she would just be a natural, it would be so easy. Having spent a few days attempting to snowboard myself, and then abandoning the sport forever, I tried to warn her that it could be hard, that we didn’t have that much time and she already knew how to ski, so she might enjoy that more, and basically suggesting that she rethink this whole thing. But, no. We stopped to rent her a snowboard and she insisted on renting it for three whole days, absolutely firm in her belief that she was going to be amazing instantaneously. We got to the hill. We got up the lift. Katie spent one run falling on her butt. She moved slowly. She fell down a lot. By the time we got to the bottom, her butt was so sore (and granted she does have an old tailbone injury, but she hadn’t expected to fall even once) that she said she was done and would not be doing any skiing or snowboarding for the rest of the trip. The next day, she was too sore to get out of bed. There’s a moral in here somewhere. P.S.This year when she came to visit, we went to ski, but it was so cold that we again called it quits after one run.

Pretty much the only time I was standing all day

My Brother:

Katie went to gymnastics camp for a week in the Poconos, and returned with a full blown southern accent. We could only determine that this accent was to be southern in origin because Katie told us so. It sounded more like a severe speech impediment, but we were also vehemently told by our unreliable narrator that this accent just naturally evolved over the course of her 5 days at gymnastic camp and it could not be reversed or helped.

Stayed Tuned for Part III of The Morse Family Biography….

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The Tour of California starts today, and Stage 1 is right here in San Diego. Yesterday, the Stage 1 course was open to the public to ride. It was a supported ride. And I was up for the challenge, or so I thought.

Jen and Jené both met at my house at 5:45am. Packed up the car real quick…

Thank you Champagne for being the big and sturdy SUV that you are…

3 bikes, 3 girls…LET’S DO THIS!

So…we headed to Escondido for the start. There was a short course option 94 miles…ha! And a long course option 104 miles (this one included climbing Mount Palomar). It was supposed to be a recovery week…so I opted for the “short course” option.

Jené, Jen Tetrick, and myself pre-ride

This was one of the ONLY happy moments of my day…

We started at 7am…and I knew I wasn’t going to hang with all these fast cats for long. So, after about 5ish miles of chit chat with the ladies…I hung back…and went at my own pace.

The day started with a bit of fog, but during our first major climb of the day, the blue skies and sun started to appear…I was in my happy place.

But this mood didn’t last for too long, unfortunately. Hanging back probably wasn’t such a good idea…because at about mile 18, I missed a turn, and ended up going an extra 12 miles out of the way. I wasn’t the only one that missed the turn (there was NO marking for this turn), and that’s why I had no idea I missed it, because I was with a bunch of other people, who thought they were going the right way too! But, when there was supposed to be an aid station at mile 21, and I was now at mile 23, I knew something was wrong. I looked around to the people riding around me…I stopped looked at the course directions…and well we all turned back around.

GRRRRR…..

What really started to stress me out was that Jen and Jené were doing the long course, and they are both faster riders than me, and so I figured if I did the short course, we would all three end up back at the car around the same time. I had the keys…and if they got back before me…I felt bad that they wouldn’t be able to change, or if they needed something from the car, they would have to wait on me. This was the start of my VERY BAD MOOD, which I was hopeful that I could ride off.

I had two bonk breakers in tow, even though there were aid stations, and I had two water bottles on my bike. The aid stations were about every 20ish miles. Because I had gone 12 miles out of the way, I decided to skip the first aid station to try to make up some time, hoping that Jené and Jen, had stopped. So, I had a bonk breaker, and kept pedaling.

By the time I got to the second aid station, ALL the food was gone. I filled up my water bottles, had my second bonk breaker, and pedaled on. I now was worried because I had no more food in tow. OH MAN…

Since I skipped the first aid station, I ended up riding the rest of the ride SOLO. Another OH MAN…

Within a few miles of the 2nd aid station, I had finished my first water bottle. It had gotten brutally HOT. Temps were nearing 100 degrees. I was sweating like crazy. When I got to Mesa Grande (the first real BIG climb of the day), it was soooo hot, and I was sooo sweaty, that flies were practically attacking me. I was getting even more annoyed. I LOVE nature, but I HATE when flying critters hit me in the face, or land on me, especially when I’m riding.

Okay…so I get to the top of Mesa Grande, and I start singing to myself…

“If you’re going through hell, keep on going, don’t slow down, if you’re scared don’t show it…” It’s a song by Rodney Atkins. And I was going to sing this for the rest of the day.

My friend Courtney, had been texting me all day, trying to help me out, and keep my spirits high. Thank you Courtney! She was out in front of me, also doing the short course with her husband, Mitch. My favorite text “you’re getting closer”. ha! This motivated me for a hot second. I also tried shaking my bad mood, by being friendly to all the riders I passed. But, nothing seemed to be working, but singing the “hell” song.

Oh, I should back up, and say while I was lost, I was on a country road, just riding along, and some woman skips a stop sign she had, and misses me by literally an inch. She just flew right through it, took a right hand turn, and didn’t slow down for one second to check both directions. SERIOUSLY? She slowed down and apologized for almost hitting me, but all I could think was…YOU HAD A STOP SIGN! CLOSE CALL….

My thought was…if I had gotten hit…no one would know where I am

Oh boy, my mind started to play sooo many tricks on me during this ride. I definitely got dehydrated and delirious. Let me sum it up with the following bullet points….

- Went 12 miles off course

- I completed 106 miles with 8,500ft of climbing (HOLY HELL)

- I got stung by 2 bees

- I only took in 500 calories the WHOLE RIDE

- NO ELECTROLYTES (they were out of electrolyte mixes at every aid station too…)

- I road ALONE

- It was 100 degrees

- And the climbing NEVER STOPPED (side note: Cole Grade is a b*tch…especially after all the other climbing we had done prior…I might argue it’s worse than Palomar because it’s steeper, just not quite as long only a few miles instead of 10).

This was a day of PURE MENTAL TOUGHNESS. I wanted to quit a few times. Whenever the SAG car drove by though, I couldn’t ever get myself to quit. I’ve never quit a ride, a training session, a race, and I just don’t think I have it in me to quit. I care about finishing too darn much.

I would argue that on that day, that was tougher than finishing Ironman. Yes. It was HELL.

BUT…like all days like this, we learn. We learn about how strong we are, mentally and physically. We learn about who we are as a person, and will we do what it takes to follow through, or give up?

I never really shook my bad mood. I was pretty frustrated the whole ride. When I got done, fortunately, Jené and Jen had only just finished. I was sooo happy to see them, and their faces when they saw me were priceless. I think they were just as happy to see me, as I was them.

The Stage 1 course of Tour of California is NO JOKE. And I’m VERY thankful for the experience and the character building opportunity.

This is one medal I’m seriously proud of!

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In honor of Mother’s day, Part II of the Morse Family Biography will be dedicated to my mom, Holly Taylor Morse. First off, I’m obsessed with my mom’s name “Holly Taylor”. I don’t know why…but I just love the sound of it. Sounds like she should be famous or something. Anyway…

Why my mom inspires me…

This is my mom in a nutshell. My mom has the biggest heart out of anyone I know. Above is a photo of her in Panama taking care of malnourished kids. My mom inspires me to be generous, kind, nurturing and loving. As she herself is all of these things.

My mom and I on 4th of July.

My mom’s journey started out when she was born and raised in a small town in Erie, Pennsylvania. She was in all out honesty, miss perfect. She was homecoming queen, president of the class, cheerleader, gymnast, straight A student, and involved in every club you can think of at school. Unfortunately, at the age of 16 her father (my grandfather) died of Colon cancer. It was a life changing event for my mom, that forever shaped her into the person she would become. Just that much more giving and loving. Her dad taught her how to camp, ski, and be adventurous. And this adventurous spirit is what she would keep alive of her father throughout the rest of her life.

My mom dressing me up, and goofing around.

After high school, my mom attended college at Miami of Ohio. She had a long time boyfriend of 6yrs, Bob. Bob and her dated throughout college. My mom was home in Erie for Christmas, and the local church was organizing a brunch for all the kids that were home from college. Bob and my mom entered the room, and a guy by the name of, Dan , was sitting across the room, and turned to the guy sitting next to him and said “Who’s that?”. The guy said “Oh, forget about her, she’s been with that guy for a looong time.” My dad, laughed the guy off, and went right up to my mom and introduced himself to her and Bob. Immediately, my dad and my mom hit it off. Bob got super jealous, and kept asking my mom to come talk to other people, but my mom just kept saying, but I’m fine talking right here. Dan and my mom, parted ways at the end of the night, and my mom was leaving for Spain the next day to go study abroad for her junior year second semester..

When she returned from studying abroad, she had found out that Bob had been cheating on her. So, on August 3rd, 1977, my mom decided to ride her bike over to Dan’s house. They hadn’t spoken since Christmas of 1976. Dan happened to be home, and my mom said, “you probably don’t remember me do you?” My dad says, “Of course, I remember you.” They practically started dating that day. Bob, kept trying to win my mom back, and even bought an engagement ring.

I’m obsessed with this dress still. One of my faves of all time.

My mom was leaving for her senior year of college, and had packed up a U-haul. Dan asked, “who’s helping you take everything back to school?” And she said, “no one.” And Dan said, “well, you can’t have no one help you, who’s going to help you unload the truck on the other end.” So…Dan drove my mom to school, and helped her unload. And when they arrived, a guy who had been crushing on my mom, Tom, was right there and was so excited to see my mom. Dan, after driving my mom back to college, and helping her unload, hitchhiked back to Erie, Pennsylvania. Even though Bob, and Tom, were vying for my mom’s attention, Dan, didn’t worry for one second that he wouldn’t win my mom.

And he was RIGHT. Dan, was in law school at the time, and would drive any weekend he could to see my mom. Before they knew it they were engaged. So, my father, Daniel Warren Morse married my mom on August 12th, 1978.

Fast forward…my mom graduated from college with a degree in Spanish, she got her master’s in Spanish, and became a teacher. My mom and dad moved from Pittsburgh to Milwaukee, WI. And not too long after they were married, they started a family.

My mom is the kind of mom that literally puts her kids happiness before her own, and yet that ultimately makes her happy. There is a funny story about how one time I wanted to do something nice for my mom:

I wanted to bring my mom some flowers. I knew she loved flowers. So, I went out in to the front yard, and cut the flowers that had grown out there, and made a bouquet. Unfortunately, unbenounced to me, my mom had just planted these flowers a few weeks ago, and they had just bloomed. Oops!

How my mom’s and my relationship played out growing up:

My mom has always been my best friend and role model. As a child, I would help her in the kitchen, we would color together, plant flowers, do gymnastics, and every night before I went to bed, she would rub my back. I remember one night, I don’t know why, but something just clicks in you as a kid, and I asked her not to rub my back anymore. How heartbreaking as an adult to remember saying that to your mom. But, we start to grow up and want our independence.

My mom and I camping on a girl scouts outing.

My mom and I started to have the usual mom/daughter battles, as I craved independence, and she still wanted to parent me. I was a bit of a rebellious teen, but we can get to my own story in a nutshell some other time. I think what made my teenage years the most trying was that my mom taught at the same school I attended growing up. Not only did she teach at the same school, but she was my Spanish teacher, freshman, sophomore, and senior year of high school. That is NOT easy as a teenager.

Mother’s day 2011

As soon as I got to college, our relationship got a lot better, and we became great friends again. As I got older, I really grew to appreciate all that my mom brings to this world. She has made a miraculous difference, and I know she will continue to. Here are some of the ways she truly inspires me:

- My mom is a teacher – yes as simple as that. On a daily basis for 30yrs, she has stood in front of high school kids, and taught them Spanish. This is not an easy task no matter what the high school.

Christmas 2011

- My mom started her own business, The Panama Service Project. The Panama Service Project started out as a program that would take high school kids to Santiago, Panama, and learn about the culture while also doing community service at a center for malnourished kids, where they are rehabilitated and brought back to full nourishment, so that they can be returned to their families. This business is in conjunction with a non-profit she started “Friends of Nutre Hogar“, to raise money for this tiny little place that provides medical care for these malnourished kids. I have been very fortunate to go to Panama 3x and help out at Nutre Hogar. My mom now takes adults, in addition to high school kids, who are interested in learning about the Panamanian culture and helping out at Nutre Hogar. This is truly how/why my mom inspires me. She is always thinking of others, and has done her best to teach Jenny, Ty, and I to always be thinking of others too. My mom would give up her left arm if it meant a kid could have a full life. Her passion for kids is truly remarkable.

- My mom did her first half marathon at the age of 53. We did it together .

- My mom did her first triathlon with me at the age of 54.

- My mom’s resilience always inspires me. My mom has come back from a lot of sadness and or tough times in her life. From the death of her father, to a misdiagnosis of cancer that ended up in an unnecessary surgery that would cut open her entire stomach from the bottom of the rib cage to her pelvis. She is a warrior, a fighter, a hero for many, especially me.

My mom spends her days and weekends trying to do more for everyone, whether it’s doing a can drive at school, feeding the homeless, raising money for different other charities, cheering on kids at their soccer game, spending extra time after school to help students with their homework, taking walks with friends, spending time with the family, or even taking her children shopping on HER birthday.

How my mom spends her weekends…letting kids paint her face. ha!

My mom inspires me to give, be kind, and do more, every single day of my life. I hope to pass on all the values my mom has taught me to my future kids, and give them all the confidence and strength to do what they love.

I have to thank my mom for attending almost every dance recital, gymnastics meet, soccer game, speech, awards banquet, marathon, I pretty much ever participated in. And even now, when I live on the other side of the country, my dad and her do their very best to be at every race they can be at. I will never forget how much they support me, and I WILL do that for my own kids one day.

I LOVE YOU MOM! HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Keep inspiring the world. You are truly amazing.