Thursday Thoughts

It's Thursday which means it's time for Thursday Thoughts. You know how this game is played. I ask the questions, you supply the answers. Today is "Tell a Friend Thursday". So tell a friend to hop on over to this site and answer the questions. And if you're a "Long Time Listener, No Time Caller", we'd love for you to comment. I know you're out there. I get a lot of hits for as few comments as I receive. Ready? Here we go?

1. Did you ever play in a marching band? If yes, what instrument did you play?

2. What do you plan on doing when you retire?

3. What is your favorite magazine you read?

4. What is your favorite flower?

5. What is your dream car?

Photo Scavenger Hunt--Week 2

Obviously, I was disappointed to see nobody participate in week one of the scavenger hunt. Maybe the rules were too complicated; maybe the clues were too. The purpose of it was to get out and participate in your world...to have fun and be creative and always, always, always carry a camera with you.

So, this week I'm going to switch it up a little. No more contest with prizes--just for fun. And each week will have a theme and some ideas. I would love it if you went out and took the pictures during the week of the hunt, but I would rather you just participate. Instead of the signage which I suggested, post your picture and tell me why that picture is significant to you. Remember, it's just for fun so do the pictures you want to do. You don't have to do all of them.

And tell a friend! The more people that participate, the more fun it will be.

If you have questions, let me know.


Week 2--Summer Vacations
1. Post a camping picture--hints: tents, RVs, hiking, campfires, etc.

2. Post a beach picture--hints: sandcastles, surfing, sunsets/rises, etc.

3. Post a water picture--hints: kayaking, swimming, surfing, fishing, etc.

4. Post a destination picture--hints: Walt Disney World, Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, etc.

5. Post a family/friend picture--hints: family portraits at the beach, friends toasting at a winery, etc.

Beauty Questions

Okay, this a serious post.

My name is Meredith and I have acne. I have had acne since I was a pre-teen and it has only gotten worse as I've grown older. I have been seeing a dermatologist since I was 12 and only recently stopped going because it appeared I was growing out of my acne. But, it seems to have gotten worse again in the last couple of months. This isn't the small breakouts that I get around "that-time-of-the-month" either. These are big, honkin', cystic acne/pimples that physically hurt. How I only wish it was tiny zits.

So what have I tried? EVERYTHING!!! I have done almost every antibiotic known to man. I have done all the facial creams like Retin-A, etc. I have taken birth control specifically for my acne, which has only made me break out worse. I have done over the counter allergy medicines. And I've even done two rounds of Accutane.

I have recently started seeing a plastic surgeon about my skin. I have two sun spots I'm having lasered off this fall and I am also contemplating a chemical peels to get rid of my acne scars. Thing is, I don't want to spend the money on a chemical peel to do away with my scars if I'm only creating more scars. And, I really don't want to call the dermatologist again because it takes FOREVER to get an appointment and I don't want to go through the torture again (all the medicines and creams, etc.).

This week I ordered the 30 day trial for ProActiv. Does this stuff really work? Does this work for hormonal acne or only on surface acne? Will my acne ever go away?!

I'm sure my running doesn't help. I carry acne face wipes in my gym bag that I use IMMEDIATELY after running, but obviously that is not working either. My dermatologist has even suggested to me that I give up running so that my skin will get better. Obviously, that is not an option.

What is a girl to do?

Thursday Thoughts

It's that time again...time for Thursday Thoughts. Please join me in answering the questions below. It's light-hearted, interactive, and fun. Tell a friend!!!

1. Have you ever seen any Broadway shows? If yes, which ones?

2. Where was the "hang-out" in high school?

3. What is the specialty item that you cook or bake?

4. Did you go to college? If yes, where did you go and what did you study?

5. Do you speak a foreign language? If yes, what?

This is why I coach

Competitive Old Men

I run with my dad. I'm sure I mentioned that before. My dad is 54 and has run 20 marathons. He will be running Chicago with Dave and me this fall and everyone else in our running group.

Saturday we were doing our group run and we got passed by a senior looking man. He was running at a pretty good clip. We began egging my dad on about being able to catch this other guy. Dad said that that guy was probably in his age group. The guy heard it and came back around and asked my dad how old he was. Dad told him and then the guy said "I'm older than that" and took off running again. Again we pushed my dad to go after the guy and then the guy stopped and came back and nudged my dad and said "You need to do speedwork." And then took off so fast, I swear it was like the cartoons where all you see is the dust.

Old dude was fast!!!

Hello. *tap**tap* Is this thing on?

So is my scavenger hunt too hard? Did all the cameras in the world suddenly stop working? Did my fan club turn on me? Do y'all just not want to participate? What's going on?!?

Maybe I didn't make it clear exactly how NOT literal these pictures need to be. I'm looking for creativity here, people! For example, Challenge #5--a photo of you surfing on a beach. Yes, this could be literal. It could also be you sitting on the beach with a computer surfing the internet. Or it could be at a restaurant called The Beach surfing on your computer. Or it could be theatre you've created to look like a beach with you on a surf board. Understand the creativity? Do I need to post an example?

Another example, Challenge #2--photo of you at a finish line with medal around your neck or trophy in hand. Does it have to be a real finish line or could it be The Finish Line, the footwear store? Does it have to be a real medal or something made out of aluminum foil? Could it be a finish line made of toilet paper as the finish line you break. Understand what I'm looking for?

Now get snapping! I'm getting antsy over here.

And if you happen to be a friend or family member of mine who doesn't have a blog or any other sort of media to link your photos to, send me an e-mail with the photo and I'll put it on my blog.

Photo Scavenger Hunt--Better Understanding

I am a bit concerned that I haven't gotten any comments yet regarding the photo scavenger hunt. I thoroughly expected to start seeing some pictures by now. Maybe I didn't explain it good enough.

Feel free to start shooting your pictures and linking them through the comments. Comment as many times as you like. If you can only shoot one of the pictures today, go ahead and post that picture today. If you shoot another one tomorrow, post that picture tomorrow. You don't need to do all ten challenges to be part of this scavenger hunt. Although there are prizes, I just want people to get involved and get creative. Who doesn't like a scavenger hunt?

Photo Scavenger Hunt--Week One

Welcome to Week One of the Photo Scavenger Hunt. Please read The Rules before submitting your photos. Don't forget your salutation signs! Get creative; think outside the box; have fun; and good luck. (Note, not all challenges need to be literal.)

Challenge #1:
Submit a photo with you dressed up in a formal dress or a tuxedo with a martini in one hand.

Challenge #2:
Submit a photo of you at a finish line with medal around your neck or trophy in hand.

Challenge #3:
Submit a photo of you shaking hands with a celebrity. Your salutation sign needs to include your celebrity's name.

Challenge #4:
Submit a photo of you and your bride/groom with a marriage license in front of city hall.

Challenge #5:
Submit a photo of you surfing on the beach.

Challenge #6:
Submit a photo of you getting arrested (please do not break the law).

Challenge #7:
Submit a photo of you at a 26 mile marker.

Challenge #8:
Submit a photo of you dressed up as your favorite character from a movie. Don't forget to tell me what character you're playing.

Challenge #9:
Submit a photo of you kissing a fish.

Challenge #10:
Submit a photo of you singing in the rain.

Photo Scavenger Hunt--The Rules

It's time for some interactive fun and competition, InterWeb. Here's how it works:

• Every Monday morning for six weeks I will post ten photo challenges.
• Your goal is to complete as many of the challenges during the week as possible.
  
• You enter by leaving a comment in the post indicating which challenge number you're entering along with a link to where I can find your photo(s). Comments must be received by Sunday night at midnight to be eligible for weekly points.
  
• Only one photo per challenge will be accepted.
• The score breakdown: first person to comment gets 5 points; second entry, four points; third entry, three points; fourth entry, two points, and fifth commentor receives one point. Those comments are per challenge so if you see 20 comments in the post, don't fret. Keep entering! If there are ten challenges per week times five people to score per challenge, that equals 50 comments. Keep submitting your photos. The more entries, the more fun, the more points.
• There are real prizes for first, second, and third place for the six week challenge. Scores will be updated each week and winners will be announced at the end of the six weeks along with prizes received.
• Photos must be original and you must appear in your photo.
• You must display a handwritten sign in each photo with a creative salutation and the date the photo was taken. The date must be during the week you are submitting your challenge photograph.
• All scoring is done at the discretion of the judge (me!) and obscene photographs and/or salutations will not be accepted and will be deleted from the comments.
• The rules and challenges will always be available in the sidebar.
  
• Good luck and have fun.

Just Appalling

I was driving home from the gym yesterday and the car beside me in it had a man smoking a cigarette with the windows rolled up and two small children in the backseat both in car seats. One of the children had covered her nose and mouth with a pillow.

I about went ballistic. I literally looked for a piece of paper and a pen in my car so I could write a sign and display it in my window, "Hey, you're killing your kids!"

I'm not really into politics. I'm a middle-of-the-road kind of girl so I don't regularly choose sides, but this time I'm am. About two years ago the city of Columbus voted to make smoking illegal inside public establishments. Initially this was voted on and approved by city council, which did not go over well with the general public. It was then put on the ballot and voters chose to adopt the smoking ban. The restaurant and bar owners fought back and put another measure on the ballot to repeal the ban based on a percentage of alcohol sales. The voters turned that down and the ban stayed intact. Since that time many suburbs have also adopted a ban of their own. Personally, I love this ban. It is so great walking into a restaurant and not having to worry about coming out smelling like smoke even when sitting in the non-smoking section.

So this fall, another measure is going on the ballot to ban smoking in the state of Ohio. I believe this ban will work just like Columbus's ban where the is NO smoking inside an establishment. Tabacco companies are striking back with their own ban called Smoke-Less Ohio which does not ban smoking but limits it in establishments.

Here's my thing...How dare you say that it's your choice to smoke; that it's your choice to kill yourself. It's my choice to breathe clean air and your smoke is killing me too. How dare you bring a child into this world and then give them a slow, painful death by smoking around them. Smoke-Free Ohio is something I'm very passionate about and will be getting involved. Smoker's beware: I'm pulling out my soap box and I'm not putting it away.

Sound off InterWeb. What's your stance on smoking bans?

Thursday Thoughts

Good Thursday everyone! It's once again time for Thursday Thoughts, where I ask a series of questions for you to answer in the comments. It's mind-blowing or mind-numbing. Either way, it's fun! Today's goal: at least 10 commentors. So, tell you're friends and start answering.

1. What book are you currently reading?

2. If you could be a professional athlete of any kind, what sport would you choose?

3. How many states have you traveled?

4. What is the most interesting vacation you've ever taken?

5. What do you normally eat for breakfast?

Ladies, Eat Your Heart Out

Even though I'm a runner and I'm an engineer, deep down inside I still am quite the girly-girl. For example, those who know me know that I enjoy wearing at least one piece of pink clothing almost every day.

For years I have longed for a designer purse, but it is so expensive and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. And then last week...I started to justify it. I thought....you just bought yourself a $1oo swimsuit at J. Crew and had no qualms about it. What's the difference in buying a swimsuit or a designer purse for a few extra dollars? So, I did.

I bought Kate Spade's Saratoga Spring Small Penelope and it arrived today.

Eat your heart out!

Wendy's Triathlon--Corporate Challenge

Yesterday was the Wendy's Triathlon. I have done this race twice before, but this year when they moved the date to earlier in June, I dediced not to do Wendy's because I figured the water would be too cold. A week ago, however, I was given an opportunity to join our corporate relay team for the YMCA Corporate Challenge, so I took it since I would only be doing the run.

The morning started really early, 5:00AM, and I was out the door by 5:30. The weather has been yo-yoing in typical Columbus fashion the last couple of weeks and this weekend proved to be no different. The air temperature when I stepped outside was 53 degrees. I was cold in sweatpants. Good call on deciding not to do the swim! I arrived at Alum Creek State Park around 6:00 and quickly ran into my friends Jeannie and Josh. We looked and found a rainbow. Today was going to be a good day.



The sun was also rising which made for beautiful hues in the sky and water.



I found my team, worked out the logistics, and then we walked to the water to watch the start of the swim. The water was warmer than the air and it seemed like people didn't mind how cold it was. Me, I was freezing.



The swim got started and we walked down to the transition area, watched our swimmers handoff to our bikers and everyone was gone. I stripped down to my singlet and shorts and got in a warm-up. It what seemed like a few short minutes, the bikers were coming back and the race was about to begin for me. When I got the handoff, I was probably the 5th or 6th woman in the field. It was weird to be in this position. I'm a pretty fast runner, but not fast enough to ever been the hunted. It was exciting to be out with the elite athletes. I raced as fast as I could, passing probably three people and getting passed by as many too, including two women. Bah! I did my run in 22:01, which is a PR, but I don't think the course really is a 5K. As a team, unofficially we were second in our division. Official results will not be available until later in the week. I had fun, which is kind of surprised me. Maybe I'll consider doing more team relays for my new company.

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In something totally not related to the subject of running or racing...hop on over to Dave's blog and send him some well wishes. He's having all four of his wisdom teeth pulled on Wednesday. I'll post the pictures later this week. He he! I'm an evil wife, but he did it to me when I got my eyes lasered, so revenge is sweet.

Thursday Thoughts

Well, it's Thursday and you know what that means....time for Thursday Thoughts. Below you'll find the questions for the day. Put your answers in the comments. And send a friend a note about it. The more answers, the more fun!

1. What is the biggest sporting event were you have been a spectator (in your opinion)?

2. What was your first job?

3. What's playing on your iPod / MP3 player / CD player / radio right now?

4. How tall are you?

5. Who is the most famous person you've seen in person?

Heart Rate Monitors Revisited

As you might remember, I have been doing all my training with a heart rate monitor this year. So far, I think it's been really successful.

But, I have a question out there for all of those who train with a HRM. Up until recently it hasn't been very warm in central Ohio. All of a sudden, though, it's been like 90 degrees. I've noticed that my heart rate monitor has started jumping around. What I mean is, one second it's at 117 (which is way low) and the next second it jumps to 240 (hello, defib!). I wear my heart rate monitor completely under my sports bra. Does it just not have good contact with my skin? Is my battery going bad (I just got it in December). I wear a Timex Ironman HRM and I've had trouble with max heart rate readings since the beginning. Is the model bad?

Help me interweb!

It's Over

The weekend is over. Thank goodness.

The highlights....

I finally got to participate in a group run on Saturday morning. I ran a solid 9 miles at Highbanks and did it well. It's good to be back.

State track meet was Saturday and it was good. AG finished 10th in the 1600, with a 5:21. She said she had no idea what the pace was. There were two girls in the race who went under 5:00 and she figured the rest of the group was pacing too fast because of them. But they weren't. I think she did terrific and I'm really proud of her. MC ran in the 800 and got on the podium. He finished 8th in a 1:57. Again, so proud. Track season is now over...what the heck am I going to do with my time (run!!!)?

And now for the challenges...

My HS 10 year reunion was also this weekend. Another girl and I had decided to do the planning because we knew no one else would. For months I researched and found 50 of the 52 classmates. By the time of the reunion, however, I had only received about 15 RSVPs. And in total, we had 20 show up. I don't know if it was the fact I was the hostess, but I didn't have a good time. It was just kinda weird. No one, NO ONE, asked me what I had been doing since high school and it seemed nothing had changed since high school. When I was in school, I really didn't fit into any of the cliques and just kinda did my own thing. It was the same thing this weekend too. Dave and I just kinda stood in a corner and waited for the evening to be over. I'm glad I got to see everybody, but I'm also glad it's over. There was one girl I did really enjoy talking to who I haven't seen in a very long time, and I'm going to try to stay in contact her. It should be pretty easy, we work for the same company.





Hey y'all. Where are the race reports? I want to know what happened in San Diego.

Good Night and Good Luck

Good luck to all the runners who are running Rock and Roll San Diego this weekend. A special good luck to Nic and Dianna who are trying to qualify to Boston. I look forward to meeting you both in Boston next year.

Thursday Thoughts

It's that time again, my friends. Time for the Thursday Thoughts...when I ask a series of questions and you respond in the comments. So, tell a friend, join in, it's fun!

1. What celebrity do you look most like?

2. What is your favorite website (besides mine, of course)?

3. Did you ever attend a summer camp? And if yes, which one?

4. What is your favorite alcoholic beverage?

5. Have you ever traveled outside the country (whatever your home country is)? And if yes, to where?