September Totals

Wow!! September was HUGE!!! I can't believe it; I didn't miss a workout this month. This might be the first time since I started working with Coach a year ago that I haven't missed a workout in a month. September included two twenty milers and for the first time in six years, September did not include Reach the Beach. :( There was no swimming since the finger may be broken forever, but that gave me the opportunity to start working on my biking. And I also started attended a core class.

Swimming = 0 yards/meters
Biking = 60.24 miles
Running = 128.91 miles
Other = 3.25 hours

Surprisingly, this is not my biggest month of running. That would be in March 2006 when I was running nearly 50 miles a week every week.

Next month will be marathon time and then it's on to Ironman training.

Inquiring Crotches Want to Know

Today I returned the demo bike seat we've been testing out for the last week. Dave loves it and is ready to order is. I am a little more torn. There were things I liked about the ISM Adamo like it didn't hurt me in certain areas, it made it easier to stay in aero, and it didn't rub me in ways that would cause rashes. But there were certain things I didn't like, like it was slippery, I adjusted it like a hundred times and never found that sweet spot, and I thought it was really hard. Tomorrow I have an hour long ride and have my other seat on it. Tomorrow will really determine if I like what I have, decided on the other one, or keep looking.

For those of you out there, especially the women, who ride on the Adamo, what do you like about it that made you switch to it? If it's more personal that putting it in the comments, please send me an e-mail. I REALLY want to know.

The Finish Line has GOT to be around the corner.

You'd think after the last long run, my second 20 miler on Saturday, I'd be tapering for my marathon. But alas, this week looks ugly. Sure I don't have a super-long run (although there is a 12 miler on the schedule) but there is tons of speed work. Today I had short intervals, which were hilarious. I am still SOOOO sore from the 20 miler just two days ago. My hip flexors could barely lift my right leg up to turn it over. Even keeping my arms in the correct position was difficult. Come on, y'all know what I'm talking about--when your body hurts and you pull your arms up and out to take the pressure off yourself, yet you're only making things worse?

In addition to the running, I've got more biking. It's starting to become a theme. I can't wait for this swimming hiatus to be over!! I really should have gotten a new tattoo during this time. :)

Hopefully this will be the last week of hard workouts. I'm looking forward to the taper.

2010 Races

Bummer. If I had run the Homestretch 20 Miler race this morning (although it was pouring rain and I didn't get home from the wedding last night until 1:15am) and had run the same time as my training run yesterday, I would have won my age group. But, you learn more by pacing yourself and being in your own head, so I think I made the right choice.

Anyway, I'm trying to put together a race schedule for next year and all I have on it is Ironman Louisville on August 29th. I would like to have a half Ironman in early summer like mid June. Do you guys have a favorite race around that time? I'm looking for one that has a somewhat hilly bike course, one that I could swim in a no-sleeve wetsuit or no wetsuit at all. And I don't want to be swimming in the ocean and preferably would like to stay in the Midwest so I could drive to the race. I'm looking to compete but also simulate race conditions for Louisville. I'm also looking for other races like Olympics or sprints around the same time. Any ideas?

Ready to Roll

Today was the last long run leading up to the marathon in three weeks and I kicked it's a$$! I had hoped to run the 20 mile race tomorrow, but due to our wedding schedule tonight, it was unrealistic. So I set out to do 20 miles on my own. Makes you tough! I was supposed to do everything like I would in the race: fueling, food, and mostly descending pace (except the last two miles were cool down). And I nailed it.

Mile 1: 9:20
Mile 2: 9:19
Mile 3: 8:58
Mile 4: 8:39
Mile 5: 8:33
Mile 6: 8:26
Mile 7: 8:08
Mile 8: 7:57
Mile 9: 7:56
Mile 10: 8:08
Mile 11: 7:52
Mile 12: 7:47
Mile 13: 7:34
Mile 14: 7:30
Mile 15: 7:45
Mile 16: 7:46
Mile 17: 7:49
Mile 18: 7:55
Mile 19: 9:40
Mile 20: 8:56

I struggled through miles 15-18, although I think it was more mental than physical. I was still a long way from being done and was running all by myself. And did I mention it rained almost the whole run? It's too bad I didn't get to run the 20 mile race as I would have PRed and probably would have placed in my age group. I'm ready to roll!

I'd rather be at the gyno

Today I did something I don't like to do. Yep, I rode my bike, but that's not what I'm talking about. :) I went to the grocery store. I HATE going grocery shopping. Seriously, the last time I did a full trip to the grocery store was in June. But Dave and I really would like to go to Phoenix to watch our friends in Ironman Arizona so we're trying to save some money and eating in will certainly help.

Why do I hate the grocery store so much? It is not the place for a type-A personality like myself. I can't just go to the grocery and pick up food. I have to start with a meal list. Then I turn that meal list into a list of ingredients and other things I need at the store. From that list I number the aisles that each item comes from. (And, wait for this, I do this in Excel.) I then sort the list and put it into order of the aisles and the way I walk through the store. Finally I find coupons for the items and then I put them in order that matches the items. Seriously, this takes a whole day to do and I HATE doing it. Today I took that list to the store and put it in action, with the aid of some music on my iPod, and did this all by myself.

I need a drink...

Thursday Thoughts

I own the book To Our Children's Children which is a book that helps you create an autobiography to pass down from generation to generation. My mom owns a copy and I own a copy and I've really tried to keep a journal that I can pass down to my kiddos, or if I never have any, my sister's kids.

The book is a series of questions each within a topic like family, community, etc. Today's question comes from the chapter of politics and history.

Is there a time in history you think it would have been fascinating to live in? Why?

Bike Seat Review Part 1

Today my ISM Adamo demo bike seat was delivered. I was excited to rip open the box, watch the tutorial online and give it a try. Unfortunately, my engineering degree didn't help me whatsoever! When I purchased my bike, I had ALL of it fitted with a professional. And luckily, I've had nothing go wrong, not even a flat tire, that I've had to fix or adjust myself. Seriously, it took me an hour to put this bike seat on. I need octopus arms to have enough hands to hold everything together. Then it was test, test, test to figure out the correct positioning of the seat. I'm still not sure I have that correct.

I did do a 45 minute scheduled trainer ride with the new seat. There were certainly private parts that felt better and parts that didn't feel so good. And I'm not sure what is supposed to not feel good and what is normal. I would think that it should feel like I'm sitting on clouds, but everything I keep reading says my "sit bones" will get used to the riding. So, it's supposed to hurt down there?

This weekend I'll take the bike outside and give it another ride. Another review will follow.

This post will make you say, ahhhh...

A friend of mine recently got engaged after only dating her boyfriend for only a few months. Woah! That seems awful quick, but when you know, you know.

And I knew immediately that Dave was the one. Within two weeks of dating, I was in love and knew Dave would be forever. Today is our 7th wedding anniversary. I'm not sure Dave knew what he was getting into, but I'm so glad he came along for the ride.

Seriously, weren't we cute (and skinny)?

Hi Ho Hi Ho...

...it's back to work I go.

Well, it's been a good summer, but tomorrow I head back to work. In case you didn't know, in addition to owning my own business, I also teach gymnastics part-time. Last year I taught between 10-15 classes per quarter, but this year I'm only teaching 6--3 on Monday, 3 on Tuesday. This should be the perfect schedule between a HUGE schedule of weddings and parties coming up and continuing for the next year and my continued marathon and Ironman training.

The summer without working, though, has been great. I've traveled to Idaho, Alabama, and California. I've participated in two triathlons and a half marathon, placing in my age group in all the races. I've spent my first week alone since Dave and I got married (I did NOT enjoy this, but survived, nonetheless). I've been to at least one weekend every weekend except for two weekends the whole summer. I've logged hundreds of miles on my legs and many, many hours of naps. And one bad trip has left me with a finger that is still not useful (I start occupational therapy hopefully in a week).

I've loved this summer and although work starts tomorrow, I'm looking forward to the next few months and seeing how 2009 rounds out.

It Must be Fall

I played tennis in high school. In Ohio, girls tennis is a fall sport; boys tennis is a spring sport. Anyway, I always knew how deep the season was getting not by how cold it was but by how windy it was. I had forgotten how windy fall can be until this week. I only had a few short run this week but boy it's been windy! This morning was no different. I headed out for a snappy run and the wind was pushing me around. The run was all based on heart rate and it was hard to control it when I was working so hard against the run. (Guess I better get used to this since I'm sure there will be A LOT of windy bike rides in my future.) I still had a really successful run hitting intervals at 7:44, 7:38, 7:41, and 7:31 paces. I looked at the schedule for next week and there's one more 20 miler looming. It's almost time....

Foto Friday

This is a picture of the sun setting at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel.

Thursday Thoughts

Another one of the great Table Topics that we took from the wedding two weeks ago...

If you lived to be 100 would it be more important to have a sharp mind or a fit body?

Lady Bits, Revisited

Yep, I'm gonna talk about my lady bits again.

There's parts of me that are really excited to have signed up for Ironman. There are other parts of me that are screaming "What the hell are you doing?!" One part screaming are my lady bits. I'm not gonna lie...I really don't like riding a bike. Why? Because it's painful to me. Unlike most people, bike riding does not hurt my behind. To me it hurts my pelvic bone, way up front. My bike was fitted with my seat sitting way far forward so that I get most of my power while riding in aero. While this is good, it causes tremendous pressure where I don't really like it. And, I'm not sure I can stand a whole year of it.

So, I took some friend's advice and decided to try out a new bike seat. Dave and I have decided to demo the ISM Adamo racing seat. Dude, it looks so weird, but with it's shortened length and cut out, I think it will take pressure of my privates and Dave's as well. :) The demo has already been sent. I'm looking forward to trying it out and will report back with my findings.

The Way Back Machine--My First Marathon

This past weekend while running with Mary and Molly, I started thinking about my first marathon. Molly is training for her first one and it was fun to listen to her descriptions of training and reminisce. I remember training for my first marathon: how excited I was just to run 5 miles without stopping and how daggone tired I was all the time. I've always kept a journal about my running. Today I found my first marathon race report. It's short and sweet but I thought it would be funny to share.

Chicago Marathon 2001

It's over! Thank goodness. The day started really cold--only around 40 degrees. I decided to wear long sleeves and shorts. The start was quite warm because there were so many people standing around. Once the gun went off it took me 10 minutes to even get to the start line. The first half of the race went very well. It too me 6 miles to get back on a 9:55 pace and by 13 miles I was thee minutes ahead. However, starting at 13 my legs started to hurt and I began to feel tired. I took a PowerGel at the half way point. I don't really know if it helped. One of the women I came to Chicago with caught me at 13 and ran with me until the next water stop. I lost her there because I desperately needed a drink. Miles 13-18 were a blur. I do know during that time we ran through the slums and a Mexican village. Starting at 18 I had had enough. I walked several times between 18-24, including all water stops. I was so frustrated with myself that I would start crying and had to stop because I couldn't breathe. I also got choked up going through the tunnel because they were playing "Chariots of Fire." I ran all the way from 24 to the end. I didn't reach two of my goals: (1) don't walk and (2) finish in 4:20, but I am satisfied. I think I did pretty well. I am looking forward to a little break and then I will start running again. Halleluia, though, it's over.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

We're about one week away from my favorite time of the year: premiere week. That's right, I'm a TV junkie. As I've gotten older or maybe it's the quality of the shows, but each year I get less and less excited. There are several shows I'm looking forward to including Greek and Glee which have already started and I'm also looking forward to The Big Bang Theory. One new show I'm looking forward to is Community.

What shows are you looking forward to most this fall?

Even if Dave doesn't listen to me, somebody does

This past week I encountered something that shocked me. While walking from the gym to another part of the mall I saw a gentleman sneak between two Pepsi/Coke machines and light up a joint. How do I know? Dude, it smelled! I've been to enough rock concerts to know what marijuana smells like. Here's the real kicker...it was a guy who works at a restaurant at the mall whose uniform is obvious. There is an employee smoking area at the mall so the fact that he was "hiding" and smoking solidifies what I smelled. I was so appalled that I gave explicit details about what I had seen on my Facebook status.

This afternoon I got a Facebook e-mail from someone I didn't know. To my surprise it was from the manager at that restaurant who saw my status and wanted to assure me that they have a strict drug-free policy and once it is found out who was breaking this policy he/she would be fired. The manager asked me to follow through in the future if I see one of the employees breaking policy again.

What a fantastic manager to be on the internet searching to see what people are saying about their specific location. What a great way to improve performance and reputation at their facility. Social media at its finest. Or maybe it's worst?

Going Long

Today was a LONG run. There is only one place in Columbus to run long and that's the Olentangy Trail. When you run there on a Saturday it is crowded, like hundreds of runners. I started the run with my dad but soon found my friends Mary and Molly who are also running the Nike Women's Marathon. I ran with them for about 9 miles before I had to change zones. I felt bad that I had left my dad, but he was only running 12 and there were others he was running with. I was feeling good until about 17 miles when I had had enough. I sloughed through the final miles and completed 20 in just over three hours. This is the end of my three week build and I couldn't be happier to be done. My knees ache, my back is killing me, and I'm ready to sleep for days on end.

One more long run and then it's time for the marathon. Where the heck has the summer gone?

Long Road to Recovery

Yesterday was my two week check-up for my finger. And guess what? It's still broken. What I didn't know is that it's REALLY broken. I knew that it still hurt, that it was still swollen, that it was still bruised, but I didn't know the extent of the damage. You see, I broke off part of the bone right below the knuckle on the palm side of my finger. The piece is still attached closer to the base of my finger, but the rest is not going to reattach. And according to the doctor we cannot put a pin in it because the piece is too small and the bone would shatter and I guess removing the piece is also not an option. Instead it's going to be a LONG recovery that starting in two weeks will require hand rehab. Right now I can't bend my finger at all. It's going to take aggressive rehab to be able to use my finger again. What's worse, is that I go back to gymnastics in a week and right now I cannot do anything physical using my finger. It's all really frustrating. I wish they could just do the surgery and we could move on. For now, we're still heavily taped and still in pain.

Thursday Thoughts

At each table setting at the wedding last weekend, there were conversational cards called Table Topics. The questions were intriguing and made for perfect Thursday Thoughts. I took Dave and mine and I hope to pick up the box to have all the questions.

Which is more important: intelligence or common sense?

Big and Bold

A few years ago I put pen to paper and came up with my life list. The first item on that list--finish an Ironman. I watch it on TV every year and every year I say I'm going to do it but fear has kept me from signing up. I've completed two half Ironmans, have spectated two Ironmans, watched Dave go through all the training and successfully finish the race, and have seen many friends do it. Yet, I couldn't.

We have a bridal show this weekend and a big bridal show in a few months and our 2010 schedule is going to fill up quickly for the photo booth. I needed to put a racing schedule together this week for 2010. And it had to include an Ironman.

Dave and I met for lunch today and put together a pro and con list between Ironmans Arizona and Louisville. It came down to this--Arizona has the easier course and potentially better weather, but Louisville is only four hours from home which means my family and friends can come cheer me on. My aunt lives in Louisville so I'd have free lodging, I wouldn't have to buy airline tickets, and I wouldn't have to pay to transport my bike. My biggest expense would be the registration. Plus, one of my biggest fears of the race is the mass start and Louisville doesn't have a mass start. After talking to Coach the decision was made.

While shaking, feeling nauseous, and weeping like a little girl, I hit the submit button. Just like that I was registered for Ironman Louisville.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Last night my parents hosted a family meal. While at dessert my oldest niece, who is turning 8 this month, asked me when Uncle Dave and I were going to have kids. Immediately I turned to my family and asked them who prompted her to say that. After everyone skirted the issue I did not answer the question.

What I didn't know was earlier Dave was confronted with a very similar scenario. Dave was out playing with the kiddos when the oldest niece said to Dave "When are you and Aunt Meredith going to have kids?" Dave answered more politely than me just claiming he didn't know. Our oldest nephew, age 6, said "so when you guys want to have kids Meredith will be pregnant?" Dave said yes and then the niece said "I know why Meredith isn't getting pregnant." Dave was a little concerned by this comment. He was worried he was getting into a birds and bees conversation but instead she said, "it's because you guys run too much."

I'm starting to wonder what my mom and my sister are saying to everyone....

Must See TV

Besides running and triathlon, my favorite sport is actually tennis. I started playing tennis going into high school and that's when my serious love for it began. I watch it pretty much every time it is on TV and have even gone to a few tournaments including the Western and Southern Tournament in Cincinnati in 2007 and the US Open in 2005. This week, with the US Open going on, my TV has been on non-stop. And I have to tell you, it's been super-exciting. In general, I have been bored by tennis the last several years as I can't stand Roger Federer and think the Williams sisters are obnoxious. But this week with the emergence of Melanie Oudin has certainly brought a new level of excitement to tennis.

What you've never heard of Oudin? Neither has anyone else!

Melanie Oudin is a 17 year old from Marietta, Georgia who burst on the scene at Wimbledon by beating Jelena Jankovic, a recent former number 1. At the US Open, Oudin came in as the highest ranked American woman behind the Williams sisters at number 70. After this tournament she'll at least be in the top 50. She has beat 4 Russians to get into the women's quarterfinals including Pavlyuchenkova, Dementieva, Sharapova, and Petrova. The last three being ranked players. Dementieva was #4. The last three matches have gone to three sets as Oudin has lost the first set in each match.

This girl is amazing to watch. She's spirited, she has an amazing work ethic, and her game plan she follows to a "T". She plays again on Wednesday. Tune in if you get a chance.

Weekend Wedding

I am so glad to be home.

For the last five days we have been in Southern California being a part of a friend's wedding. A few months ago my friend got engaged and asked me to be a bridesmaid. Happily, I agreed. Then she told me it would be a destination wedding. First it was in Miami, then Cancun, then in their backyard (this one I was happy about--we live three miles from them), and finally they settled on Laguna Niguel, California. With all of these changes, I was still in.

As the months rolled by, there were a series of parties and get-togethers but because of my photo booth schedule, I was unable to attend any of them. And honestly I was conflicted about all of it. For her this was a second marriage. I wasn't sure what was protocol for a second wedding. If she was having a second baby, for instance, there would be no baby shower. But because I missed all of these events, I did not get to know any of her other friends, especially others in the wedding party.

This was a mistake. After we arrived in Laguna there were several events planned for the wedding party. First we spent a day at the beach together. They drank mixed drinks. I drank water. They wore their TINY bikinis, I wore my two-piece TYR. After the day at the beach, they all went to the bachelor/bachelorette parties. I went to bed early to get up to run in the morning (yeah, you read that right, Liz). The next day there was what we dubbed "the opening ceremony." A wine tasting with even more people in attendance. We got to meet some more friends of the family who we really grew to enjoy, yet I didn't spend any time with the other bridesmaids while they continued to become better friends. Finally it was Friday and time for the rehearsal and dinner. Dave and I were the first ones there. As more people continued to file in, we got lost in the shuttle. At one point I saw the bride pick up her phone and begin dialing. I said to Dave, I bet she's calling me. Sure enough she was, and yet I was not even 5 feet from her. I was truly feeling invisible this weekend. And the misery continued. As we walked out to the ceremony site, one of the girls said, "where's Meredith?" I was walking right behind them. They said I looked "different." Thanks for that compliment. At dinner I drank. How much? Too much. We made it home just in time for me to toss my cookies several times. I woke up Saturday dizzy, hungover, and still nauseous.

Finally it was Saturday. Time for the wedding. The wedding was at 6:00pm, but my day started at 9:45am. That's when the bridesmaids had to report for duty. And because I was the ugly duckling, I guess they designated me to go first. I had my makeup and hair done. At the end of it I looked like a movie star. Honestly. I was sitting on the couch when I noticed one of the girls staring at me. She looked at me, looked at the magazine, looked at me and said, "you look just like Zooey Deschanel" while showing me the cotton ad. Yep, that's what I was going for. For hours I sat with my hair and makeup done in silence. When I tried to join conversations, conversations would change. When I walked into a room, the other girls would disburse. I just wanted to go home. The wedding took all of 5 minutes. No lie. The reception was a huge dance party, something I do not partake in, but I didn't know how long my role of bridesmaid needed to continue. Finally at midnight I was tired and was ready to go home. I said my goodbyes and was happy to know I could go back to being myself.

There were good parts of this trip, though. I did all of my training while I was there, including a 15.35 mile run with jeff which may have been the easiest 15 miles I've run in a long time. Dave and I also had lunch with Marit and Nathaniel and really enjoyed hanging out with them. We met my aunt and uncle for coffee and breakfast, along with meeting some of their friends. My aunt and uncle are so cool and so were there friends. Definitely a highlight of my trip. Dave even got to go to the beach with them, while I was playing bridesmaid, and work on his body surfing.

And now a few pictures. Seriously, you will never see me looking this good again.





Guess which legs are mine?

The blog will be updatedtomorrow with a full rundown of the weekend wedding. Good night interweb.

Foto Friday

Thursday Thoughts

We're in SoCal right now and we're part of a weekend-long wedding event. Tonight is what we're dubbing the "opening ceremony," which involved a wine tasting and get-together to meet all the parties involved. The wine, cheese, and goodies were excellent.

Today's question, what is your favorite kind of wine?

Expedihuh?

Guess what? My finger is still broken, and so Dave has volunteered to take dictation tonight. (Hi everyone! - Dave)

Today was our day of travel: Columbus to Chicago, Chicago to Orange County. The flights were uneventful, but the adventure was about to begin. A week ago, another bridesmaid asked us to share a condo with her and her boyfriend. We contacted Expedia, but were unable to get a refund on our hotel room. Today, we showed up at our hotel to find out we had no reservation! Supposedly, Expedia never transmitted the information to the hotel. Although this wouldn't seem like a big deal, being a holiday weekend, the hotel was sold out on Saturday. We spent an hour on the phone with Expedia and negotiating with the hotel. Finally, the hotel, along with management and Expedia, kept our reservation and even upgraded us.

This is not the first time we've had trouble with online travel sites. We once went to King's Island, only to find out that our reservations were for the next weekend. Another time, we showed up to a hotel and found that our reservations were at the hotel across the street. (That one was our fault) But this one was kind of outrageous. They had already charged our credit card months ago, and never bothered to actually make the reservation. Expedia blamed it on the hotel, but the hotel said that they never received the fax from Expedia. We believed the hotel staff. Because we're here for a wedding and have many friends and family we could have crashed with, we kept our cool.

And grande margaritas didn't hurt either.

Yeah, I said before that I gave up drinking until my race, but I'm on vacation dammit. :)

Leaving, Again

2009 seems to be the year of travel. We've been to Chicago, North Carolina, Boston, Alabama, Yellowstone, Idaho, and tomorrow we leave for the OC. This is the closest to a "vacation" we're going to get this year. We didn't choose this one, though. Yep, we're going to Laguna Beach because I'm a bridesmaid in a wedding this weekend. OMG!

The week will be filled with "festivities". All of which I have to wear a dress for. Gah! (I'm sure pictures will be taken.) But, I'm still making time to do things I want to do. Because of my broken finger I can't play in the ocean or pool like I want to, however, I plan on at least sticking my toes in the ocean. My aunt and uncle live in the area and we're getting together for coffee (or in my case, hot chocolate). And finally, I've got a long run planned with my friend jeff and some of his running friends.

If anyone else wants to hook up out there, drop me a line. Our evenings are filled, but lunches or breakfasts are available.