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I got to thinking today (oh scary!)… since it’s close to Christmas and I’ve still not done my shopping, I know there’s got to be plenty of people out there that haven’t done their shopping either. Here’s to last minute! yay!

So for those of you who still haven’t gotten me anything yet, here is my ‘last minute’ Christmas list:

1. Wonder Woman Tshirt. Yes. This was inspired today by the dude wearing a sleaveless Superman shirt at the gym. If he gets to be Superman then I definitely deserve to be Wonder Woman. Hands down. Believe me. Just get me the shirt and then we can decide.
2. Whole Foods Gift Card. Mmm… I eat a lot, and it tends to be from Whole Foods. Especially because they have a good gluten free selection. SO yeah, feed me please. I need to eat to be able to do all of Sonni’s training. He’s killing me.
3. Reindeer Antlers. These are cute to wear for the holidays. Just don’t mistake me for Rudolf when wearing them. Maybe Alicia would finally be too embarassed to run with me while wearing these. hehehe Scary thing is I actually had a pair that light up, but I can’t find them anywhere. HUMBUG!
4. Mistltoe Headband. Let’s face it, everyone needs a Christmas kiss. Especially ME ME ME.
5. Reindeer Car Kit. OH MY GOSH… it’s even my car too, color and all (only missing the bike rack). My cute little bug needs to be a Reindeer too, then we could match. Oh boy, Alicia never will talk to me again.
6. Anything from REI. I like the outdoors… I think I could buy the whole store, but then I wouldn’t have any money to eat. And we already know how important that is (see item number 2 if you forgot already).
7. Nap Cuddle Blanket. Awww… cuddle! This blanket is so soft. Like I need another blanket, but it’s nice and soft so yeah I want one. yay!
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Yes, I am an avid Harry Potter fan. Not ashamed to admit it.
9. Justin Timberlake CD. Okay, no one can sing it like Justin. This is not up for debate.
10. Angel Poster. Mmm, Angel. Enough said.

Alisha has joined forces with coach Sonni Dyer, founder and head coach at Studio 7 Multi Sport, to pave the way for her 2007 Triathlon season debut.

Sonni has watched Alisha develop into the cyclist she is today from her first year riding a bike in 2002. Alisha raced in the Lake Hickory Triathlon (her first ever) and placed 2nd, while Sonni won the men’s event. Ever since, Sonni has followed Alisha’s career, and said with a casual presence, “when you’re ready to focus on Triathlon and really go big time… you just give me a call.”

After 3 sucessful years as a professional cyclist (last year she finished 6th in the NRC rankings, despite racing only half of the calendar due to a separated shoulder), Alisha decided it was time to give Sonni a call after racing her first Half Ironman, the Duke Half, this fall (which she completed in a 4:42).

“Sonni was a natural choice for me when deciding on who to go with for the optimal multisport coach,” Lion says. “He’s seen me from my first days on the bike and he knows my background as a runner in college. The fact that he lives in Valdese where I grew up near Morganton just seals the deal.”

Dyer is a certified Level 1 USA Triathlon, USA Swimming, and USA Cycling Coach. He is a 6-time USAT All-American and a 2-time national champion in the sprint distance and iron distance triathlons. Dyer is looking forward to working with Alisha and thinks she has “unlimited potential. She’s as hard a worker as there comes and has an aerobic engine to match it.”

When asked about her upcoming season, Lion just smiles… “I have the best coaching and I live in a Triathlon Mecca. There’s miles of trails at Umstead Forest for running, open water swimming at Lake Jordan, great facilities for strength training at Impact Athletics, and there are miles of rolling, open roads that makes time on the bike fly by. Not to mention all the athletes in the area to train with. I’ve got everything a triathlete could dream of right in my backyard… what more could I ask for?”

For all of you good girls and boys out there, click here to send a letter to Santa and tell him your holiday wishes. Maybe you’ll get what you’ve always wanted this year!

Here’s a fun little dance for those who need some Christmas spirit.

Ahh, base training. Gotta love it… least I do, but jeez where does all the time go? Obviously I’ve been alive since Thanksgiving but I have been so busy swimming, lifting, running, oh yeah and riding my bike that I have hardly been sitting down at my computer to answer emails, let alone write a blog update. *sigh* Such is life during base training.

Typical day for Alisha:

1. wake up (kay, hopefully that’s a given… this is a sign the day is off to a good start *grin*)
2. run with Joe (he’s training for a marathon in Feb)
3. breakfast
4. AM session- usually swim workout followed by core or lift… sometimes yoga.
5. lunch
6. PM session- some type of brick usually. Ride, Run sequence or a long run or long ride.
7. dinner
8. watch countless hours of Angel until I fall asleep

Then wake up and do it all over again… if I’m lucky enough to wake up the next day. It’s a circular pattern. I generally like those. Routine, creature of habit, circular pattern, call it what you want… *cough* insanity *cough*. hehe

So I’m heading into my typical weekend block which has become two days of crazy long workouts. I generally start at 9:30am and don’t finish until 4:00pm. I’m enjoying them though… and that’s all that matters.

If you’ve called me the past couple weeks and I haven’t answered it’s because I’ve been training or sleeping. Seriously. It’s about all I have time for. I still haven’t done my Christmas shopping… and yeah, it’s December 13th. But NEVER FEAR… as I type this I am also organizing a girls night out next week for some Christmas present gettin’ and some drinks at South Point. Ya know… ’tis the season to be merry!