This Runner's World

Let's Go Streaking!

2012-02-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

For the 12 for 2012 Challenge I've created for myself, one of my goals is to run streak for one month. Now I didn't say 30 days or 31 days; I said one month. So February it is!

The goal - to run every day. I've made some rules for myself, though.

Run at least one mile, although I'd like to run a minimum of 3 miles each day. (Why change clothes if you're only going to run a mile?)
One hill run, one speed workout, one to two long runs.
Do not run over 50 miles in a week.
Stop if you are developing serious pain. It's just not worth getting injured over this.

I hope to keep a good journal and post it up here at the end of the month. Wish me luck!

The dumbest thing I've ever heard

2012-01-28T18:53:00.002-05:00

*Soapbox out*

Last night Dave and I went to Giant Eagle (big-box grocery store) to pick up some salads for dinner. Blame Pinterest but I also had a hankering for a fruity alcoholic drink too. After spending about a half an hour trying to decide if we could actually mix and make our own beverage, we just decided to pick up a pre-mixed Cosmopolitan (don't judge). We then went to check out. The woman working the register asked us BOTH for our IDs. Well, I don't like to carry a purse and we weren't going out to dinner so I didn't have anything with me. I told her that and she said she couldn't sell it to us then. W.T.F.!!!!!! I told her that she and her store policy were ridiculous. Neither of us look remotely 21 or younger anymore. And then we told her screw her and that we'd be taking our business elsewhere.

Here's the thing...what if I were Dave's child and he was buying himself a drink. Would they not sell it to him. What if I was younger than 16 and didn't have an ID yet. Would they deny the sale then? What if I went out to the car and let him finish the transaction. Is it okay then? This is the dumbest store policy I've ever heard. You'd better believe I'll be sending a letter.

Houston Half Marathon 2012

2012-01-23T12:03:00.005-05:00

Despite trying to calm my nerves by not participating in most things in Houston, I was still a wreck when I woke up Sunday morning. Why? I could run a half marathon in my sleep? I knew it wasn't going to be fast. But who cares? Well, I guess I do. I decided to help with the not-caring to NOT wear a watch in the race. I don't know if I've ever done that. I just wanted to run comfortably, enjoy the day, and learn to have fun in racing. 2012 for me is all about enjoying the experience and relaxing. Do races to do races.

Dave was just as nervous for his marathon so neither of us were able to get very much breakfast down. He had a bowl of cereal. I had half a banana. Mom and Dad met us in the lobby and we walked to the starting corrals.

Houston's starting corrals were neat. There were different half marathon and marathon corrals and then those were split based on pace. So, I had to say goodbye to Dave early and then I was all alone. Except I made friends who helped me feel more secure - two old dudes and a pregnant chick. If they're doing it. I can do it. I lined up with the 9:00/miles and before we knew it the starting gun sounded.

Because I wasn't wearing a watch, I have no idea how long it took me to get to the starting line. When I hit mile one it was 12:XX so I figured it must have been about three minutes off of my starting time. Each mile was comfortable. I didn't care that people were rushing by or that it seemed I wasn't getting any faster. Some good things Houston did....the half marathon and full marathon were separated for a couple miles until things thinned out; the miles were well marked; the water stops were well organized and easy to maneuver; etc. Before I knew it I was at mile 8 and the race was coming to a close. The marathoners broke off and I was on my way back towards downtown. Surprisingly I hadn't walked at all and I was still feeling really good. Two years of ironman training will give you SERIOUS base training even if I'm not as fast as I used to be.

Finally I was in the last mile. I saw my parents and yelled, "I think I'm going to be under two hours (I hope to shout!)" and the girl beside me said, "We'd better hurry then." I rounded the last corner, saw my friend Cat, waved, and crossed the finish line. The race clock was 1:59:59. Ha! My chip time was 1:56:26. That is 18 minutes slower than my PR but who cares. Another half marathon, another state, another race for 2012.

(That's me in the red hat.)

Now here's one thing I did not like about the race. After the finish line they give you your medal, take your picture (mine was uber-cute) and then herd you into the convention center for everything else. Coming from winter Ohio, the weather was already a bit warm for my liking, but for southerners I'm sure they thought it was chilly (evidenced by the fact I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt and others were wearing tights and long sleeves). So when they got you into the convention center it was like 90 degrees in there (not really, but still quite warm). Being that my stomach was upset all weekend, I went from feeling alright to feeling very badly very quickly. Instead of soaking it all in and getting food, beverage, etc. I just wanted to get the heck out of there. I did grab my finisher's shirt (cool) and got out of there. I wish I had taken the time to enjoy the ice cream. :)

I went back to the hotel, took a shower, and came back out to watch Dave finish his marathon.

Overall, this was a great race. The organization was top notch, the course was flat and fun, and the finisher's swag was awesome. The marathoners got a shirt and a mug which I thought was super-cool. Would I do this race again? Maybe. It is in the middle of winter which poses a problem for training plus it's a big swing in weather when you do go down to do the race. And there's lots of other races and states to still race in. But, I would recommend it to others.

Houston (or the parts I actually left the hotel room for)

2012-01-19T11:03:00.013-05:00

First, thank you all for the nice comments in the last post. It means a lot that people care and are willing to be there, even if it's just virtually. I'm working really hard to get and stay well. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

As I mentioned in my last post, I was really anxious about our trip to Boston, which caused me to be quite sick before and during our trip. My parents and Dave were especially supportive on this trip and didn't force me to do anything I wasn't comfortable with. So, even though we were there as part of a larger group I skipped out on almost all of our group festivities. This was the only way I could stay calm enough to make it through the weekend. But, I did venture out of the hotel room for a few things.

Friday we got to Houston in the morning and after checking into our hotel and getting some lunch, we headed to the race expo to pick up our stuff. Dave and I are not huge fans of crowds and expos, so we got in, got our stuff, did our thing and got the heck out of there. In contrast my parents spent FOREVER in the expo looking, checking out, and grabbing everything.

Because of the Olympic trials going on, the US Olympic Committee had set up a little village outside of the expo where you could try out different sports. Dave and I got our "credentials" and tried out weightlifting, boxing, table tennis (which kicked our buns), biking, and wheelchair basketball (the hardest thing EVER). Check out our awesome pictures from the Olympic Village.

Saturday morning we watched the Olympic Trials, obviously. We were stationed at the 2,10,18, and 26 mile marks. Our friend and many time relay teammate, Mandy, is supa-fast! and earned her spot to run in the trials. We cheered very loudly for her.

And I love me some Meb. I'm so happy for him.

After the trials we headed back to the Olympic Village where I was super excited to get my picture taken with the one and only Doc Patton.

The rest of the day was spent resting and preparing for the race on Sunday...

Coming Clean

2012-01-17T08:02:00.002-05:00

Having a blog is a lot like going on a first date. I'm not exactly sure who's reading it so I always put my best foot forward, wear my nicest outfit, and present myself well. Now that I've been in therapy for the last few months I'm realizing I do this in real life too. I'm not living transparently and letting people in to the real Meredith.

I think it's time to come clean.

I mentioned last year my battle with depression. It's been an ongoing thing for the last 16+ years. It comes and goes. Mostly I've been able to fight it on my own, knowing that it will pass.

This time it's different. This time I feel like I have absolutely no control over my depression and no idea why I am so depressed. I hate the word suicidal, because I'm not going to kill or harm myself, but I guess that's where I am. For the last few weeks I have been hoping every night when I go to bed that I won't wake up in the morning. It seems like the only way out. I just want all of this to go away. I don't want to be me anymore.

On top of all that, I've developed horrible anxiety. Involuntarily I can go from feeling okay to having this overwhelming feeling and horrible nausea. It's ridiculous. It's exhausting.

It's affecting everything. My running has gone to shit. It's not that I don't have the speed or the stamina. I just can't believe in myself and my abilities. It's affecting my abilities to be human, to interact. This weekend we went down to Houston for the trials and to run the open half/full marathon. I was sick from the night before we left until we got back yesterday. More on Houston to come in the following days.

I just felt like it was time to stand on my rock and let others in on my struggle. I cannot pretend anymore.

Week In Review

2012-01-08T13:50:00.000-05:00

With all the craziness of the bridal show, I didn't get a whole lot done this week. But here's a small list of what I did.

Monday: To begin the pursuit of 100 pushups for the 12 for 2012 goals, I researched the One Hundred Pushups training program. Initially you are supposed to do a test to see how many pushups you could do without failing or stopping. Today was my test and I did 21. Technically, that means I should start in week three of the training program, but because I was right on the cusp, I decided to start at week one.

Tuesday: Today I went to the gym and ran three easy miles on the treadmill and followed it up with an hour of yoga. This was hard. I was tired and unbalanced and generally did not want to be there. It took me a long time to calm the eff down (CTFD) and just relax into the poses.

Wednesday: Too sore from yoga to do anything (or at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it).

Thursday: Today I actually started the pushup training program. In total I did 51 pushups today.

Friday: I took the day off of work today and got out for a longer run. My stomach has been feeling much better (after I STOPPED taking the Nexium) and with the cold finally gone, this was a great run. I was so surprised to look down at my watch and see consistent sub-8:30 miles as everything felt really easy. In total I got in 9.25 miles at an 8:43 pace.

Saturday/Sunday: Working a bridal show is a lot like running a marathon. Saturday night I went to bed at 9:00pm. No lie! It's exhausting and I was worn out. Dave got up early and ran before we boothed on Sunday, but I just didn't have the energy. Let's just call this the taper. :)

Miles run - 12.25
Yoga - 1 hour
Pushups - 71

How I Am Spending My Weekend

2012-01-07T18:08:00.001-05:00

This weekend is the Columbus Bride Show, the biggest bridal show in Central Ohio. We only work one bridal show each year (thank goodness) and this is it. It is expensive, it's exhausting, but it's totally worth it. This year we didn't change much from last year so instead of going to bed at 2:00am every day the week before the show trying to get things done, we were able to rest and have things prepared well in advance. Yay! Here's what our booth looked like:

Based on events I've already booked for 2012, it's looking like a great year. Let's hope the bridal show goes well...

Foto Friday

2012-01-06T10:26:00.000-05:00

This is January?

Thursday Thoughts

2012-01-05T23:00:00.002-05:00

This weekend is the biggest weekend of the year for my business: the Columbus Bride Show. We probably book nearly half of our year's business on this one bridal show alone. And this year we are going in with the highest number of dates booked already for the year which makes me even more excited. 2012 is shaping up to be a great year for weddings!

I attend over 40 weddings a year and each one is special. After seeing all these weddings I often wonder what I would differently knowing what I do now about weddings and the wedding industry.

So my question is, what would you do differently if you were to get married again (or if you're not married what would your wedding look like)? What would you add that would make your wedding unique? What you not change anything?

Books Read in 2011

2012-01-04T07:23:00.001-05:00

I like to read. I'm not a voracious reader, but I like to read. Each year I set a standard to read 12 books (one per month-as the library allows you to check them out for only 4 weeks). With training for ironman again in 2011, I came up a little short of 12 books, but still did much better than last year, finishing the year with 11 books read. And they were...

1. Marathon Woman by Kathrine Switzer. I knew Kathrine Switzer was important but I had no idea HOW important she was for women's distance running. This book was inspiring.

2. 50/50 by Dean Karnazes. And on the other end of the spectrum is Dean Karnazes. I don't know what it is about him, but he bothers me. Gets under my skin. I think he's arrogant and I found this book to be arrogant.

3. The Lost Symbol by Dan Browne. I love me some Robert Langdon adventures. I wish there was another one to read.

4. Beautiful Boy by David Scheff. I had been eying this book for a long time and I'm so glad I read it. I found it to be insightful and wondered how my parents and Dave have felt dealing with my depression, mood swings, and self violence.

5. Something Borrowed by Rachel Giffin. I want this four weeks of my life back.

6. Tweak by Nic Scheff. This is the son's account of his drug addiction from "Beautiful Boy". I'm not sure how I felt about this one. Some parts I identified with but there were certainly other times where it felt hard to root for him.

7. The Long Run by Matt Long. Wow! WOW!!!

8. The Help by Kathryn Stockett. This was easily my favorite book I read in 2011. My sister, who is not the reader of the family, devoured the book in just a few days so I knew I had to read it. And I FLOVED it! I then saw the movie and loved it too even though it left a lot of the details out. I was so glad I read the book in conjunction with seeing the movie as I feel like I got the rest of the story. Loved it!!!

9. Bossy Pants by Tina Fey. Ms. Fey, you are so funny.

10. You Are an Ironman by Jacques Steinberg. I read this between my failed attempt at Cedar Point and my non-attempt at Beach2Battleship. I don't know. I think I was just over ironman at this point.

11. You Had Me at Woof by Julie Klam. My dog Sloopy has been the best thing that has happened to me in a long time and seeing the cover of this book with it's cute little doggy made me want to read it. Unfortunately, the book was not as good as it's cover art. It was just okay. I expected a lot better.

I've already started my reading adventures for 2012...

12 for 2012

2012-01-03T21:01:00.003-05:00

I'm one of those people that loves the new year. It's a chance to start over, to set new goals, to restart. Unfortunately, the last few months have been really rough on me and I can easily say that I'm at the lowest point that I've ever been. I'm really struggling and although I'm in therapy and working through it, no day is easy. As the calendar changed this weekend, nothing really changed for me. I'm facing a year of uncertainty with nothing really to look forward to. That being said, I wanted to establish 12 goals for myself that, although they're not the goals that I've gone after in the past, they're unique and something to focus on.

Here's what I came up with (in no particular order):

1. Three hanging pull ups
2. 100 pushups (girl style)
3. Stay on the balance board on a smooth surface for more than 5 minutes
4. At least 3 squats at 135 pounds (Dave said this goal is soft)
5. Be able to bench press 100 pounds at least once
6. Be able to touch my nose to my legs in a pike position
7. 3 hanging V-ups
8. Run streak for one month
9. Do 12 races
10. Do at least one item on the Life List or contribute to items on the Life List
11. Read 12 books
12. Set a PR

December and 2011 Totals

2012-01-02T19:04:00.002-05:00

I decided I don't really want to do an end-of-year wrap up. Sure there was major disappointment in 2011 but I don't want to dwell in it. Despite not finishing ironman again, I had successes this year including a new PR in the half ironman distance and winning my first triathlon. 2012 is a new chapter and it will be different and most importantly, FUN. I have done the hard-core racing thing. I have won races, set PRs and ran my dream races. 2012 I'm going to let my legs guide me through adventures at whatever speed they want to travel. I'm excited to be entering a new era without a map to follow.

December totals:

Run - 60.6 miles
Other - 1 hour (yoga)

2011 totals:

Swim - 193,625 meters

Bike - 2921.68 miles

Run - 935.25 miles

Other - 14.5 hours

River Run 5K

2012-01-01T20:58:00.010-05:00

Let me preface this race report by saying the 5K is not really my race. I tend to get faster the longer the distance. There's not a huge difference in my paces between the 5K and the marathon. On top of all that, I have been sicksicksick this week with a terrible cold and as late as yesterday I was not sure I was even going to do this race. Nonetheless, I woke up feeling well enough to give it a try and knew it would be far from my best performance.

No, I'm too sick to run!!

And it was.

Perking up

This was a small race, about 400 people, so I started just a few rows back. I took off at a pace I thought would be okay and hit the one mile mark at 7:45. Yeesh!!! Where has my speed gone??? But I was hacking and coughing and snorting with each step. I was okay with how slow the pace was going. I hit the two mike mark at 8:07. Oh my stars!!! I am so far out of race shape it's not even funny. Finally I was in the last mile and I was just getting by. I finished the race in 25:02 (watch time) which is about 4 minutes slower than my PR.

Here's the cool parts of the race.

Because it was so small, I walked away with third in my age group, which I think nets me a gift certificate to the local running store. I'll be checking into that tomorrow. And they also had a contest with the race director of the Columbus Marathon, Darris Blackford, where he started as the very lasts person and whomever he passed would be entered into a drawing after the race for one of 20 free race entries. He passed all but 15 people and blew by me in the first mile. I haven't heard anything but fingers are crossed.

My Letter to Columbus Racing Companies

2011-12-30T09:29:00.003-05:00

Dear Columbus Race Companies,

This weekend I have signed up to run Run CBus's River Run 5K. Originally I had wanted to run the First on the First 5K, but the price was $35 ($40 by the time I decided to sign up), which goes against my rules of paying more than $10 per mile. The River Run was $25 which is still outrageous but at least doable. Both these races had good swag. The River Run has a long sleeve tech shirt, which they did not have available when I picked up my packet, a finisher's mug, chip timing, and refreshments at the finish. The First on the First run had a long sleeve tech shirt, chip timing, medals for all finishers, and a meal at the finish.

Here's my complaint...I don't need all that swag. And I think a lot of "regular" runners would agree with me. I would love to go back to having cotton shirts or an option for no shirts at all. I can't even close my drawers because of all the shirts and most of them don't fit anyway. And, why do I need chip timing for a 5K? If I want to bust out a PR, shouldn't I line up closer to the front? A mug or a medal for all finishers? It's a 5K not a marathon.

I want the race companies to go back to the basics. I want my 5Ks to cost no more than $15. And really, I only want to pay $10. I hope you will take my suggestions into consideration.

Sincerely,

Meredith

My Midlife Crisis

2011-12-26T14:54:00.004-05:00

My therapist says I need to be more real and authentic, especially in my public life. So here it is...

I'm going through a midlife crisis.

There's a lot to plays into this but this post is going to focus on the external: I am super self-conscious and generally loathe my appearance. Recently I went back to work. And once again I'm working in retail at a highly stylish company filled with young, attractive people. Although I am really enjoying my work and love the people I'm working with, being in my mid-30s there makes me feel like a dinosaur and I think I'm trying to overcompensate.

I mentioned on a Facebook post a few days ago that I was interested in going blonde and piercing my nose. My aunt said I was going through a midlife crisis. Another really good friend of mine said I needed to stop working with the youngin's. What I really need to do is be comfortable with myself. Instead I did this:

Yep, I went blonde. This picture doesn't do it justice. It's shockingly blonde and not natural looking whatsoever. I kinda hate it. People are gonna stare and it's made me feel even more self conscious.

But I now have a plan for my 2012 resolution...

**Update**
The next day my hair was still hideous and I was still hating the color. I immediately called the salon, made an appointment for a re-do, and got my hair colored back to it's "natural" color. Of course, it's not all that natural looking now. It's a little bit warmer than my natural color with a touch of red to it, but it's WAY better than the "blonde".

Week in Review

2011-12-19T08:18:00.002-05:00

After my sub-par week of running last week, I decided to get back on the running band wagon this week. And I kicked it off by officially changing my marathon status to half marathon for Houston. Relief!

Monday - 3 easy miles with Dave. He's getting over a cold and he just wanted to get through the run without feeling awful.

Tuesday - Yoga. Yes you read that right. I actually really liked this class. It wasn't really traditional yoga in the sense where your arms shake and you hold poses forever. It was more like an hour of stretching and I felt really relaxed afterward. Good thing, because I had to spend the rest of the evening with my entire family. :)

Wednesday - 5 miles with the 3 middle miles at a sub 8:30 pace.

Thursday - off

Friday - off

Saturday - Easy 5 miles with Dave. No watch, no heart rate monitor.

Sunday - 11 miles at an 8:45 pace.

The plan for Sunday was actually 15 miles working our way down to an 8:30 pace. The day started rough. I have a hard time on Sundays because I ALWAYS wake up with a headache (I can't oversleep or else it gives me headaches), so I just wasn't feeling well from the start. Then I had to wait over an hour for Dave to wake up. In addition, he didn't have his Garmin or iPod charged and plugged them in before we were to leave. I threw my Garmin at him, told him I'd figure out the distance, and just left. The first mile I did by myself, then I waited for him to catch up. Then he pushed the pace to wear I wasn't comfortable and it was all downhill from there. Here's the problem:

I have monsters in my belly.

Okay, maybe not monsters, but I have an ulcer. I don't think I've talked about this yet on the blog. Five years ago I started developing some pain in my lower chest. I was tested out the yin yang for everything. I had an asthma test, I had an EKG, I had a CT scan, and finally they concluded nothing. The pain persisted but was manageable. Last year as I was training for IM Louisville the pains came back and became a constant burn. I saw the doctor again and he said it was an ulcer. He prescribed me prescription-strength Prevacid which worked really well. As the training ramped up for my ironman this year, my stomach started to bother me again. I went back to using Prevacid and was also using Zantac around my meals and it wasn't doing anything. Between my botched Beach2Battleship non-attempt and up until about 2 weeks ago, I was in agony. I was sick every night. I didn't want to eat dinner because I knew I'd be sick. I went to the doctor again and this time I was prescribed Nexium and also was referred to a sports psychologist.

Where the heck is this story leading?

Because of the hole in my stomach, the foods I love to eat are now no-nos. But, I'm having a hard time giving them up. One of my favorites is my homemade spaghetti sauce. Not only is it spicy, but tomatoes are really bad for ulcers since they're acidic. Of course, we had spaghetti for dinner on Saturday night. Not only did I have a headache when I woke up Sunday morning, but my stomach was on fire. And I'm discovering that the quicker I run, the more my stomach bothers me. It's been so frustrating as my body is telling me I can run those 8 min/miles that I want to be running, but my stomach is only letting me run 9:00s. ARGH!

Hopefully with the therapy and the Nexium, I will get back to being the person I want/need to be. For now, I'm dealing.

2012 Schedule

2011-12-17T19:09:00.001-05:00

I know I said I would not set a race schedule for 2012. And although this might look like a schedule, it's really not. I am currently, not working with a coach, I'm making no "A" races, and I'm just gonna go with the flow. I will not wrap my life around training and racing this year. So here's what I'm thinking about for 2012:

January :

1/1 - First on the First 5k

1/15 - Houston half marathon

February:

2/12 - Columbus Winter Run 15 miler

2/26 - Last Chance for Boston marathon relay (with Dave)

March: ?

April: ?

May:

5/5 - Capital City Half Marathon

5/28 - Dave and Meredith's running adventure

June:

6/2 - Greenswell Aquathlon (1 mile swim/5k run)

6/16-17 - Relay Around Columbus

July:

TBD - Lakeside to Kelly's Island Swim (2 mile and 4 mile swims)

7/14 - Greenswell Aquathlon (1 miles swim/5k run)

7/28 - Aquathlon National Championship

August: ?

September: ?

October:

10/21 - Des Moines half or full marathon

November: ?

December: ?

Miscellany for Thursday

2011-12-15T07:12:00.004-05:00

Gosh, there's just not much to talk about in the winter months. So, here's a few somethings that have been on the brain.

I switched to the half marathon in Houston. Yes I've been doing the long runs in the marathon training and I enjoy the distance training, but my heart wasn't in the marathon. Frankly, it's not much in the half marathon either but I think the half will suit me much better right now. I think I am going to continue to keep the super-longs run though just so I can have someone to run with.
I am excited to see that Greenswell has added two aquathlons to the schedule next year. I'm in!
I have only asked for $$$$ for Christmas this year. I started a new job in September that has required me to completely redo my entire wardrobe. I get a fat discount and I've been using it, but I'm still looking to get a few more outfits.
I am looking for the perfect red lipstick. Here's what I'm looking for: prefer it to be long-wearing, cannot fade to pink, must be a blue-base (ladies, you know what I'm talking about), prefer it to be shiny or a gloss to a matte lipcolor. Any suggestions?
I'm also looking for the perfect daytime lip color. Nothing in the pink family, but something with just enough color that it looks like you're wearing a little something. Suggestions?
Feeling great about myself, huh? (sacrasm, see previous two bullet points)
Are you digging the new look of Facebook Timeline? I think it looks a lot like MySpace, which I'm way too old for, but otherwise I think it's pretty rad.
Dave and I are planning an epic weekend trip this spring. It's going to be amazeballs!

What else? What's on your mind? What am I missing?

Weekly Update

2011-12-11T16:35:00.002-05:00

I only ran two days this week for a total of 9.6 miles. Dave was sick and I didn't have anyone to run with. Mostly, I just wasn't feeling it.

Right now I kind of feel like a speck of dust just floating in space. I'm unmotivated, I'm unhappy, and I'm lost. For 11 years I've out together my goals and set out a plan and now I've got nothing. I don't know what to do with myself. I so badly want to pick out some races and look toward 2012 but I can't and I shouldn't.

Like everyone else yesterday, I watched the NBC broadcast of the Ironman world championships. For the first time in a long time it did nothing for me. I didn't cry. I wasn't motivated. In fact, I was a little bit bored by it and if anything, angered by it. I'm so sick of watching it and everyone else around me and making it look so easy. I'm so effing sick of the ironman! And yet this morning I said in my head, "give it one more year. Give it another try".

I'm not going to. I'm not ready. If I tried again now it would be for all the wrong reasons and would probably end with the same results because I'd be doing it for all the wrong reasons. But I need a plan of some kind, even if it's small. Right now I'm just a speck of dust floating in space.

Year of Awesome #4 - Save a Horse, Ride a Bull?

2011-12-05T17:43:00.003-05:00

This Year of Awesome moment (and yes, it's just a moment) happened on accident. We were working the photo booth for one of our favorite charities, A Kid Again, this past Saturday. Their holiday party broke down into age groups and we were stationed in the Teen Room. In the teen room were us, an obstacle course, Wiis and Xbox Kinnects, arts and crafts, and a mechanical bull.

Confession: As I've gotten older things have become more difficult, I've developed some fears, and things aren't as much fun as they used to be. For example, those who know me well, know that I'm scared to death of roller coasters. This hasn't always been the case. I used to love roller coasters, especially wooden ones. Now not only do they scare me, they hurt me and make me sick.

Like I said, there was a mechanical bull stationed right next to us at this Christmas party. Dave was really pushing me to do it, but I worried about falling or being sick or making a fool out of myself. But I promised myself that the Year of Awesome was all about getting out of my normal rut and trying new things.

So here it is, evidence I tried this. Needless to say, I will not be making an appearance at the rodeo any time soon.

And oh, how much I love Justin Beieber (sarcasm implied).

November Totals

2011-12-01T08:29:00.003-05:00

Ahhhh, back to running and nothing else. And November was a great month because for some crazy, global warming reason, I was able to do most of my runs, especially my long runs, in shorts and t-shirts. Love! And I'm following a three-day-a-week plan which means my world no longer revolves around training. (Of course, I've gained three pounds this month so maybe I ought to pay a little more attention.) It also means there are no easy runs either. For the first week of November I did nothing. Not a thing. The second and most of the third week I was training for the half marathon. The rest of the month was spent training for the marathon, although I still haven't made a decision. What? I have until January 6th! :)

Running - 82.02 miles

Weight Lifting - 1.5 hours (one hour of weight lifting, one hour of core work)

I'm going to be close to hitting 1000 miles of running for 2011. We'll see what December brings...

Year of Awesome #3

2011-11-29T12:36:00.003-05:00

So, the Year of Awesome is kind of a cop-out as it's something we do frequently, but only when it's not wedding season, which is only like 3 months a year. Last week we went to the movies and saw The Muppets. And we went to a matinee which means we were the only people at the movie without kids in tow.

Dave and I are big Muppet fans. We grew up on the Muppets. My days were spent with Sesame Street, The Muppets, and Fraggle Rock. I loved Jim Henson. I had a picture of him on my walls. I cried when he died. So when we found out there was a new Muppet movie coming out we squeeled with delight.

It didn't disappoint either. If you got kids or even if you don't, you have got to go see The Muppets. Awesome!

What should be our next "Year of Awesome" activity?

Houston Long Run #1

2011-11-28T12:51:00.002-05:00

Since I can't make a decision between the full and half marathons in Houston, I've continued to train for the marathon merely for the face I want someone to run with and Dave's training for the full.

This weekend marked our first of three 20 milers. (I actually think there was a fourth but that was before I started training.) Our plan called for race pace plus thirty seconds which would have had us somewhere in the 8:48-8:55 range. But, Dave just wanted to get through it so I set my watch to pace us between a 9:00 and 9:15. I told him I was going to start slow and work my way into that pace. A scant two miles into the run I was already feeling bad and wanting to turn around. Dave did too, yet we knew that the weather was going to be bad later in the weekend so we really needed to continue with this run. Silently, we continued on. Eight miles into the run we were still pacing over a 9:30. I was comfortable and Dave was silent. When I trained with Andrea, we used to talk and talk and talk for an entire 20 mile run. I'm learning with Dave, he likes to do his own thing and not talk. Thank goodness I've become accustomed to wearing my iPod or else it would be a lonely run even with him there.

About nine miles into the run I went through my usual low point. Most people encounter these walls late in their runs or bikes. I always find them to be earlier, like 10 miles of a run or 40 miles of a bike. By mile 12, though, I was in the zone. Dave was continuing to be silent but I could tell he was suffering. Our pace hadn't moved much. We were now averaging under a 9:30. The per mile pace was picking up but we were not where we had hoped. With six miles to go we took a pit stop and I wasn't sure Dave was going to start again. He wasn't having fun. I made sure he was right with me. I was feeling fine and I knew I could pull him through this run.

Finally we made it back to our neighborhood with just under 3 miles to go. There would be running around through the neighborhood. Not something I particularly like to do, but I knew the 20 miles was within reach and I was willing to do it. I was picking up pace (Dave told me I was turning 8:20s) and I made sure Dave was right on my hip. If it's his goal to run this time, I'm gonna make sure he can achieve it. Suddenly he was cramping and we had to stop with just two miles to go. No, we are not going to stop! He stretched it out and we were off again. The longest and quietest two miles ever. I could hear him moaning and it was rough. Finally we hit the 20 mile mark in 3:06:xx for an overall pace of 9:19.

Sure we were short of our pace goal, but the first twenty miler is all about getting it done. We have two more to hit our pace goals and next time we're going to do it differently. Twenty miles at one pace is hard to digest. But twenty miles broken into 6-8 mile segments at increasing pace is easier to wrap my head around. Plus, it's the way I like to run. I still haven't made a decision about the race. A lot of it depends on my stomach (I've been battling an ulcer now for quite a while and the last four weeks I've been sicksicksick) and my shin which is bothering me. The journey continues...

Flying Feather 4 Miler 2011

2011-11-24T15:07:00.005-05:00

Physically, I'm coming along just fine. I'm getting my speed back. I'm enjoying running. Mentally, ironman has effed me up badly. Honestly, I'm scared to race. Not even race, just participate in a race. I am so scared of what might happen that I don't even want to try. Even this silly four mile race I was scared to do. I woke up this morning feeling ill and tried to talk my way out of it. Didn't work.

Dave and I were lined up next to the 32:00 pace group. Yes, this race had pace groups. Good grief. I didn't think I wanted to run this fast but I knew if you didn't line up a little faster, you were going to have to work your way through the crowds. Dad was lined up behind us around the 36:00 pace group. We started out and I started conservatively. I am not a big fan of shorter races (anything shorter than 10 miles) because it doesn't give me enough time to work into my pace. I'm a 'start-slow-finish-fast' kind of runner. Quickly I was being passed left and right. And soon by the 34:00 pace group. Wow! Really? I'm sucking this badly. That's when my stomach dropped, I felt terrible, and just wanted to quit. I'm so tired of this. But looking ahead I saw the 32:00 and 34:00 pace group were right next to each other so something wasn't right. I didn't see the 1 mile mark and therefore, didn't look at my watch so I had no idea how fast or how slow I was going.

As timed moved on, however, I started to get more comfortable and the pace was picking up. I arrived at the two mile mark, checked my watch and I was at 16:40ish. I was still behind the 34:00 pace group so something wasn't right. Obviously, they were pacing too quickly. I continued to gain speed and by the three mile mark I was right with the 34:00 pace group and my watch said 24:40ish - still ahead of a 34:00. I was still feeling great, the breathing was controlled, so I decided to pick up speed again. I got ahead of the 34:00 group and was gaining on the 32:00 pace group although I never caught them. Finally it was over in 32:12. So again, the 32:00 group was pacing fast too.

You know, an 8:03 pace is not where I want to be, but having had the mental struggles and the lack of speed training, I've had, I'll take the 8:03. This race was a victory of me. I'm proud of myself for overcoming my fear and racing the way I like to race. I really do not like the shorter races, but maybe doing more of them will help with my confidence and speed. Onward and upward...

Yes I am wearing capris (or as I like to call them, knickers). Leave me alone!!! :)

Update: My official time was 32:11 and wouldn't you know my dad finished one spot behind me at 32:12. Sandbagger! (Him, not me.)

Weekly Update

2011-11-20T14:16:00.003-05:00

You know, I obviously knew I had a good base going into running training, but I had no idea that things would come back as quickly as they would. While I was flying through a run this week I thought, maybe I'll just stick with the marathon instead of switching to the half. Let's back up...

Monday we celebrated my dad's 60th birthday so there was no working out.

Tuesday we had basketball tickets. Again, no working out.

Wednesday was track day. This week's workout was:
1 mile at 7:02
2 miles at 7:35 pace
2 X 800 at 3:23
warm-up/cool-down/rest intervals

Difficult to follow as (a) it was dark outside and (b) I was wearing gloves.

I hit the first mile spot-on: 7:00. The next two miles were 7:24, 7:26. Then I did the 800s. I did the first one in 3:26 and was NOT very happy I did not my interval. So I blasted the second one to a 3:19. Overall, the run was 7 miles.

Thursday we went to the gym and did "Core" class. This was one of the hardest classes I've ever attended. It was a half hour of abs and nothing else.

Friday I was too sore to do anything. I couldn't cough, couldn't laugh. My abs were killing me.

Saturday I ran with the training group. I did a quick 7 miles: 58:45, 8:24 pace.

After the run on Saturday I was feeling pretty confident with the way things were going so I thought, maybe I would give the full marathon a try. I know I said I wouldn't train for another race for at least a year, but following the "Run Less, Run Faster" program is a lot less of a commitment than Ironman training. Plus, Dave's training for the marathon and because he's gotten faster we can now run together. For the first time in three years I would have a training partner.

Sunday: the full marathon program called for 18 miles at an 8:48. Sure, I hadn't done anything of that length since August, but hey, why not? So we set out and within a few miles were right on pace. That fun was short lived as I was struggling around mile 8 and threw myself a little pity party. This pity party continued for the next two miles. But then I got into the groove and was feeling great. As the miles ticked off, Dave kept saying, we're running too fast, but he never asked me to slow down either. Finally we reached an intersection where I needed to decide if I was going to try to finish the 18 miles or split off from Dave, run to my parents' house, and do about 15 miles. I knew I could finish the 18 miles, but I also hadn't run that far in several months. I didn't want to risk injury this early in the training. I also knew that running 15 miles set me up for the marathon or the half marathon, whichever I decide to do at Houston. So, I turned from Dave and finished the 15 miles at an overall pace of 8:43. Woop!

Will I run the marathon? I don't know. I have until January 6th to decide (and pay a fee). Here's what I know:

Can I run a PR marathon? No.
Can I qualify for Boston? Probably not. Plus, I'm totally screwed by the age group as I will be 34 for two years. In 2012 Boston is on my 34th birthday and in 2013 it is before my birthday, hence I will be 34 for two years of the race.
Can I run a good marathon and be happy with my performance? You know, I'm not sure I can answer that. Honestly, I always want to do my best. But will I be happy just doing the half marathon? I don't know the answer to that either. For now, I think I'm going to switch over to the marathon training program and see how it goes.

The Year of Awesome #2

2011-11-16T11:09:00.004-05:00

Number two for the 'Year of Awesome' was attend a sporting event. I'm sure this will happen more than once as Dave and I are sports fanatics. Last night was a great event as we had tickets to the Ohio State-Florida men's basketball game. We have been attending the OSU women's games for years as my aunt and uncle have season tickets and they give them to us, but this was the first time in a quite a while that I attended a men's basketball game. OSU is currently ranked #3 and this was one of our big games of the year. And it didn't disappoint. Even though we had nose bleed seats, we still had a great view and it was a great game. Go Bucks!

The Year of Awesome

2011-11-14T11:20:00.005-05:00

Having spent two years training for Ironman and 8 years before that training for marathons, I'm pretty burnt out. I promised myself and the husband that I would not "train" for the next year. I would not create a race schedule. I would do races for fun, run with people, and just relax. Now that I have a lot more time, Dave and I decided to call this our "Year of Awesome!" The plan: do something each week that gets us out of the house, is unique, could scare us, and generally is awesome.

We kicked off our Year of Awesome with our personal hero of awesome, Bert Kreisher. Who? One of our favorite shows is on the Travel Channel, Bert the Conquerer. In it, Bert travels around the country competing and completing unique tasks like jumping off a building in Vegas, bungee jumping at a mall in Canada, competing in the wife carrying contest, etc.

Two weeks ago I was walking through the mall and saw Bert's name was on the marquee for the local comedy club. I didn't even hesitate; I bought tickets on the spot. The show was raunchyraunchyraunchy but soooo funny. And now the year of awesome ball has started to roll...

We've started to create a list of things to do. Some things include:

1. Go to the comedy club. Check!
2. Go bowling.
3. See a play.
4. Go to a shooting range.
5. See a movie.
6. Go snowtubing.
Etc....

What would be on your list of awesome? What should we add to our list?

Week in Review

2011-11-13T17:34:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, after one 2-mile run, watching the New York City Marathon and the Hood to Coast documentary (more on that this week), I was ready to get running again.

Monday Dave and I met up after work, went to the gym, and attended our favorite class "Simply Strength". The best way to describe this class is 'aerobic weight lifting'. It's one hour continuous, vigorous activity with small weights. I think this is a great class for endurance athletes because you're not going to build bulk, but you're going to gain muscle and get a good workout. Monday was the first time I have done any weight lifting since May or June. Right from the start, this class was kicking my butt. How could I be just one week out from being able to do an ironman to not being able to do 20 squats? What the what?!?! That's the sign of a great class.

Tuesday I woke up and could barely move, but the first track workout of my new training program was on the schedule. Much to my surprise I totally rocked it. You can read about it here.

I took Wednesday off. I needed it. Between the weight lifting and the track workout, I could barely get out of my chair and walk to the bathroom at work. :)

Thursday was supposed to be a tempo workout, but I decided to do my week's "long" run since my running friends would be at Highbanks Metro Park on Saturday to do 6ish miles and that would be my tempo. Hills = tempo, right? The week's long run was 8 miles at 8:27s. Dave also had 8 miles on the schedule so we headed out together right around dusk. I was suited up for the weather and, although we would be on the bike trail, I was still wearing my reflective vest and headlamp. Just three miles into the run I tripped on a pine cone, rolling that damn right ankle, and I went down again. Luckily this time, I pretty much fell on my side and only banged up my knee a little along with a few cuts and a bruise on my left thigh. I continued the run but I couldn't see a thing. It seemed so dark outside. I was struggling to maintain pace but I wanted to see what I was doing and not fall again. With less than three miles left, I saw Dave coming towards me. He had turned back around to run with me. What was amazing was Dave's headlamp was like three times as bright as mine. Next week, I'll be getting a new headlamp. Overall the run wasn't bad. I chose the first and last mile as warmup/cooldown and managed the rest of the miles between 8:11 and 8:41. Another successful run.

Friday we wound up getting together with friends and got to bed really late so Saturday I did not join my friends at the metropark. What that meant, though, was that I was going to have to do the tempo run. The run was 7 miles with 4 of them at 7:50s. I have spent two years running 9:00-10:00s and now I was going to have to pull off 7:50s. That's a big jump. And I freakin' nailed it again. Three for three this week! I hit the first set of two miles at 7:51 and the next two miles at 7:49. That 7 miles I pulled off at 59 minutes. Boom!!!!

I had a lot of doubts going into this week. I just didn't know if I was ready to jump back into pushing myself again. I wanted to continue my pity party. But, I loved this week. The runs this week were a huge victory for me. And here's the crazy part, it wasn't that hard. Sure, I was working, but it was amazing how easily I was breathing, how quickly I was recovering from the intervals, and how natural the pace seemed. It's got me excited again about running. Screw triathlon! I'm a runner!

Foto Friday

2011-11-11T15:35:00.000-05:00

There is really only one place in Columbus to run long. Or at least, so it seems on a Saturday morning - HUNDREDS of runners! Last week, it actually looked really cool with the steam rising off Antrim Lake.

Back on (the) Track

2011-11-08T21:56:00.002-05:00

Today was a bit of a rough day. All day long it just felt like I couldn't do anything right. By mid-afternoon I was toast. I came home from work and crawled in bed. Less than an hour later Dave came home and that meant one thing, it was time for my first track workout in two years. I am currently signed up for the Houston Marathon, soon to be half marathon, and it's only 9ish weeks away. Back in May I ran a 1:44ish at the Capital City Half Marathon and I wanted to at least be able to duplicate that effort. So I picked up Dave's "Run Less, Run Faster" book and found a plan for a 1:45 half marathon. The first workout:

warmup
2 X (6 X 400) at 1:39
1:30 between each 400
2:30 between sets
cool down

Yes you read that right...TWELVE FREAKIN' FOUR HUNDREDS!!!

Needless to say, this workout scared me. Being that (a) I had a rough day and (b) this workout felt out of reach, I had a total meltdown on the track just a half mile into the warm up. I cried and cried and cried. And then I got my shit together. I love to run. I could totally do this.

And I did. I freakin' nailed those 400s...

1. 1:38
2. 1:35
3. 1:35
4. 1:34
5. 1:35
6. 1:35
7. 1:36
8. 1:36
9. 1:37
10. 1:36
11. 1:37
12. 1:37

Twelve 400s all under a 6:40 pace. I am so excited about this workout. I am so proud of myself for getting it done and not giving up. It's baby steps, but I'm starting to feel like the old Meredith is back.

Foto Friday

2011-11-04T12:01:00.000-04:00

If you haven't noticed, I am a proud owner of a nice iPhone 4s. I have been enjoying being able to shoot HD video and have a great camera always at the ready. And my favorite app is Instagram.

This picture we took on the way back from the race last weekend. This is from the first snowfall as we were driving through West Virginia.

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto

2011-11-03T21:13:00.002-04:00

Yeah, we had a lot of time in the car last week...

Versatile Blogger

2011-11-02T09:35:00.004-04:00

Melissa at Double Jogger Diaries tagged me for the Versatile Blogger Award. I am supposed to say 7 random things about myself and then tag other people. It's really hard for me to come up with 7 things as I've been blogging now for six years and I think this blog is an open book, but here we go...

1. I have never had a manicure (although I got fake nails put on for my wedding - I looked like a tool), pedicure, or message. I am kind of repulsed by the thought of others touching me.

2. I miss my long hair insanely. But then I see a picture of Michelle Williams or Stephanie Gosk (NBC reporter) and I think, "yeah, I kind of like my short hair."

3. I'm not going to lie, I pretty much dread every workout. It's a real struggle to get out the door most days. Honestly, I don't love to run, bike (especially biking), swim, or weight lift. I like them enough to take the first step. But I know I will always feel better after a workout.

4. In all my years of running, I've only had one small blister (first marathon) and never had any black toenails or lost a toenail. I have, however, had three broken bones (foot, shin, finger) from running.

5. I studied engineering because, well how should I put this delicately, I dated guys who I thought weren't exactly going to be able to support a family. (This was before Dave.) I thought I was going to have to be the breadwinner (turns out, I was wrong about those guys). I always thought I would get married later in life and would establish myself as a career woman. But, instead, I got married straight out of college and married a wonderfully smart guy who can support me and a future family if we decide to have one. If I were to go back and select a college major all over again, though, I would still choose engineering. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of it.

6. I have never slept in the buff. I have never sat around or walked around the house naked. Shoot, if I could shower with clothes on I would. I can't stand to not be clothed.

7. The most beautiful beach I've ever been to in the world was Orange Beach, Alabama. And I've been to beaches in Hawaii, Bahamas, and Mexico. Surprising, huh?

Okay, I'm supposed to tag bloggers and whatnot. But, I'm not going to. If you want to play along, please feel free and do so. And tomorrow, one of the most awesome videos ever.

October Totals

2011-11-01T11:20:00.002-04:00

October was a mixed bag. By now you know I was secretly still training, but I also was dealt a hand of illness and injuries leading into my non-race. Up until this month I was really good at writing down all my workouts and keeping track of hours and miles, etc. But going back to work full time and having 8 or 9 photo booth events this month kinda put the squash on that. Here's what I think is correct:

Swim - 10,500 meters ~ 6.5 miles

Bike - 200.99 miles - Seriously, 0.1 miles short of 201?

Run - 50.76 miles - Considering what bad shape I was in with my back, I'm a little surprised at this number.

I haven't got a clue what I'm going to do in November. Run? Swim? Sit on the couch? Although, I am less than 100 miles short of 3000 miles on my bike this year. I might have to find a way to do that. The season is officially over and what's next is anyone's guess.

Not a Total Failure

2011-10-31T15:00:00.000-04:00

It's hard not to think about the last two years and not think "total failure". At least that's what I thought after Ironman Louisville last year. This year I'm a little more grateful for what I've achieved instead of what I've failed. In the last two years I've:

PRed in the 70.3 distance with each race I've done. My first 70.3 was in 2005 and I did a 6:10. Then in 2008 I did it again and finished with a 6:09. Last year I did IM Kansas 70.3 and finished with a 5:46 - a HUGE PR! This year I only was able to take a few seconds of that PR, hanging out now with a 5:46:05. I have come to really like the 70.3 distance and think I can do even better.

I have continued to improve my time in the Olympic distance and even walked away with a top-10 age group finish at Rev3 Knoxville this year. To me, that's big.

I placed in my age group in every "local/small" race. Despite not printing that, it was goal of mine for 2011.

I won my first triathlon this year!!!

I rocked a half marathon (Capital City Half) without any specific training.

It's also easy to forget that there was life before Ironman. I have had great success at running and am looking forward to getting my running back on track. Sure, I really want to become an ironman, but I have to remember that I've run Boston four times too. I may never become an ironman, but there are a lot of people who will never run Boston no matter how badly they want to. My athletic career is not going to be defined by this "failure." And someday, ironman will be a success along with many more other successes to come.

My Confession

2011-10-30T16:18:00.002-04:00

Confession - Yesterday I was signed up to participate in the Beach2Battleship full ironman. I made the decision to sign up for this race shortly after Cedar Point. B2B was technically sold out, but had opened 25 more charity slots. For days I wrestled with making this decision but when the slots were down to 4, I jumped and signed up. I felt right away that I had made a horrible mistake. I had spent an ungodly amount of money to participate in yet another ironman and I was stuck. I figured, though, I had seven weeks to get back in the game. But as you know, those seven weeks were disastrous with going back to work, hurting my back, having bad saddle sores, catching a cold, and finally falling and busting up my knee.

Nonetheless, Wednesday we packed up the car and began our trip to Wilmington, North Carolina. Earlier in that day I began to feel the internal tension and nerves that ironman continues to serve up. By dinner time I was full-on nauseous and barely kept that dinner down. Thursday was no different as breakfast was a little bit of cereal, lunch was a little bit of sandwich and then I did something truly embarrassing - I cried when I picked up my race packet. We checked into our hotel and I was going south fast. I began to panic and kept telling Dave over and over again "I just wanted to go home." Thankfully, our hotel had a "happy hour" and just one glass of wine later I was feeling fine. But, I still couldn't eat dinner and I was a blubbering mess by the time I crawled into bed. Friday I had a full-blown panic attack - sweating, sobbing, heart racing, full-on nausea. All of this over a stupid race. A stupid race I have at least tried before. I never unpacked my bag and told Dave I was ready to go home. He checked us out of the hotel, then checked us back in. We went over to the Convention Center where I turned my chip in and then got it right back. Seriously, I could not have been more of a mess. I sobbed uncontrollably as I called my coach. She talked me down and I agreed I would give it a try. That lasted all of 30 minutes. We turned in our keys at the hotel and we were off. For the next two hours, Dave tried to convince me to turn around and at least give it a try, but there was no listening or reasoning with me. We drove half way home on Friday, and made it home yesterday.

What the hell?!?!

To say I'm embarrassed is an understatement. Which is also to say that I'm mad, angry, upset, and sad. I so badly want to be an ironman. I so badly want to put all this behind me. But, I'm just not ready. What I haven't really spoken about and have completely internalized is Louisville. Louisville did some serious damage to me mentally and I just haven't recovered. Unless you were inside my mind and body on that day, you have no idea what I saw or experienced. Honest to goodness, I think I am suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. That race feels like it ruined me. Every time I read a race report from an ironman all I fixate on is how sick they were - everyone feels crappy during that race - and I can't get past how awful I felt and then being shipped away in an ambulance in Louisville. I CANNOT move past that. Physically, I know I am ready for the ironman, but for some reason my head cannot make that leap with me. Truly, I was ready for Cedar Point, but given that it ended poorly, I just wasn't ready to move on so quickly to Beach2Battleship.

So what's next? I don't know. Maybe that's a good thing. Ironman will always be there and someday, someday I will do it. It just won't be any time soon. What I need before then is to live life, have fun, gain more experience, and learn to love racing again.

Tomorrow I will hang up my bike and I don't plan on getting on it for a long time. I plan on doing some yoga, pilates, weight lifting, and a lot of running with friends. I am currently signed up for the Houston Marathon, but in all honestly, I'm going to switch to the half marathon. I need to find myself again. The person I was when I rocked the Boston Marathon in 2009 is not the person I am now. Heck, if you told me to go out and run Boston tomorrow, I probably couldn't do it for fear I wouldn't be able to do it. In the future I will be that beast again. Today I am Meredith. And that's all I need to be.

I Fought the Asphalt and the Asphalt Won

2011-10-23T08:57:00.003-04:00

I played tennis in high school. One summer I went to tennis camp at a local university and just one or two days into the camp, I rolled my ankle so badly that the doctors weren't sure if it was broken or not. I was so swollen they couldn't read the x-ray. The doctor concluded it was not broken. I will now, gracefully, disagree as it clicks and pops every time I walk or move it and it has been weak and a sign of trouble for my running ever since then.

******

Friday was supposed to be a swim day. I had packed all my gear and brought it to work with me. But on my way to work, while thinking about the swim, I thought, "Hmmm, I don't think I packed a swimsuit." And sure enough, I didn't. Thank goodness I discovered that before going all the way to the pool and beginning to change my clothes. So, I decided to switch gears and run after work. I invited Dave to ride his bike with me and he agreed.

I've been going to physical therapy for my back and it's feel TONS better, but despite all that, my running still feels a little off. I just don't have very much strength on my right side and it feels like I'm kind of dragging that foot a little. The run was going well, though, if not a little slower than I liked.

(Don't I look fat and slow?! And that abrupt change in scenery in the video....yeah, that's Dave getting his jeans caught in his chain.)

With just over a mile until we got home and the run was over, my right ankle rolled, and down I went. Fast and hard! I rolled over and sat in the grass for a minute. My ankle was throbbing but okay. My knee and hand however, were a mess. My hand was killing me and my left knee was oozing blood all over the place. I got up, dusted myself off, and started to cry. Not because I was seriously hurt, but because it just seems like things went from great to horrible in zero time flat. I was riding high leading into Cedar Point and then everything went wrong. In the several weeks since the race I've had food poisoning (during the race), hurt my back, got really bad saddle sores, caught my first cold in 18 months, and then this. I feel like the universe is trying to tell me to hang up my bike and move on.

Back to reality, as soon as I got myself back up and began my sob story, Dave got a phone call from friends we were hoping to make plans with. So here I am bleeding and limping my way down the sidewalk, while Dave is on his cell phone. A car stops and the man says, "I saw you fall, are you okay?" How embarrassing!!! I'm sure he was worried Dave was calling 911 and I had was a deep cut on my knee.

By this time it was past dusk and getting quite dark. I was wearing all black and my sidewalk was about to run out. I still had one mile home and only the road to do it on. Dave too didn't have any lights on his bike. I decided it was time to finish the run instead of walk home, so I cut through a park I was sure was going to be darkdarkdark and muddymuddymuddy. To my surprise, part of the park had been paved between our neighborhood and the road so there was no mud and now I never have to run the roads again!

Two days later, I'm still a mess. I can't get to the pool to do any swimming because I really did a doozy on my knee. I took off so many layers of skin that it has yet to scab and is still oozing yuck. My hand is painful and bruised but manageable. At least among the last couple of times I've fallen (here and here), this one was quite mild.

It's Time To Grow Out My Hair (Again)

2011-10-19T20:41:00.004-04:00

If you missed it, I cut all my hair off in July.

I went from this:

To this:

I've had days I've loved it and days I've hated it, but I've gotten a lot of compliments on it and it's soooo easy, so I decided to keep it. Until today....

...Friday I started to get a little tickle in my throat. Throughout the weekend it became a full-blown cold. Crap! I haven't had a cold since March 2010. It's now Wednesday and I'm still really sick. Surprisingly, my sinuses are pretty clear, but my throat on the other hand is a mess. I sound like a freakin' man and needless to say, I'm coughing up, um, gross stuff. On the way to dinner tonight, Dave and I decided to pick up some Mucinex. We took it to the counter and we were asked for our CVS card. We didn't have it so I gave the woman our phone number to look up the phone number. Then she asked me my age. What? I thought it was to verify the card number, so I pointed to Dave because the account is under his name.

Here's where things went a little crazy.

The woman said, no, I need yours. If he gives me his age I need to see his ID. Um, what? She said it was because we were buying Mucinex. This confused me even more because we didn't buy it at the pharmacy counter, just off the shelf. So she says again, I need your age or I need to see his ID. So I asked, why do you need to see his ID and not mine. She said it was because he looked under the age of 18.

WOW!!!

First of all, you've delighted my THIRTY FOUR year old husband, but you've really insulted his YOUNGER wife. She actually thought he was under 18. Dave and I both look young, but not 18 young. Maybe 25 young. Then, to dig her hole deeper, she then said, "you should take it as a compliment." And what should I take my non-compliment as?

Obviously, it's my soccer-mom hair. It's time to grow it back out. I want to be "18" again.

I Should Have Gone to Medical School

2011-10-14T13:10:00.002-04:00

I made a promise to myself that if my back still hurt this past Monday that I was calling the doctor. When I called, however, because of the marathon this weekend, I couldn't get in until Thursday. Good grief! Of course, Tuesday I woke up and my back was feeling a lot better. And again on Wednesday. So Wednesday I did a small brick that included a half hour run. I barely got going and the back was really bothing me. I stopped and thought, this is stupid! But, I wanted to do the workout come hell or high water. So I started walking for a minute, jogging for a minute. I was only averaging 15 minute miles but I was getting it done. By the time I reached half way, I was starting to jog and pick up a little speed. I "ran" the remainder of the run. I spent the rest of the evening icing my back (as I have every day for two weeks).

Thursday was my doctor's appointment. To my surprise, he didn't remotely think it was a stress fracture. He didn't even take an x-ray. He immediately thought it was my SI joint. Yes! I had successfully self-diagnosed myself on the internet. He tried some manipulations like a chiropractor would. My back didn't even crack. He then did a little ART, which hurt like a mother-effer!!! He had me walk around and it was feeling okay. I was then scheduled for physical therapy later that afternoon.

The physical therapists took a look at things, did some measurements and concluded, my body is all twisted to the left. My back is all jacked up on the right side--I had knots in my back along the spin and in my butt. She did some exercises to try straighten things out and taught me a few stretches to do on my own. She then did ultrasound and more deep tissue massage on my butt and back. Ouch! For sure I was walking out of both appointments with bruises on my buns. I go back for two more PT appointments next week.

Today I feel really good. I'm excited to give running a try this weekend and very, very thankful it wasn't anything more serious.

Hey Jealousy

2011-10-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

It's not secret, I'm competitive. But what others may not realize is that I'm not really that competitive with other people, I'm super competitive from myself. I expect nothing short of perfection from myself. Since switching to triathlon, perfection has been a hard pill to swallow. Not only can I not measure up with swimbikerun, I'm finding that training for ironman the last two years is really screwing with my running speed.

This past weekend I was glued to my computer watching the Ironman world championships. I had five people (friends/teammates) I knew doing the race. And they all kicked butt. They did exactly what was expected of them. How do they do that? How are they so consistent? How are they so fast? What are they doing that I'm not that makes them super-stars?

Then my former training partner, Andrea, ran the Denver Half Marathon yesterday. For years we (including a third girl) have been trying to get qualifying standards for the NYC Marathon. Being that those standards have changed to, honestly, completely unreasonable standards starting next year, this year is the last real shot to do that. Personally, I have no desire to run NY, but I would like to know that I could qualify. Well yesterday Andrea finally got her qualifying standard and it was BIG!!! The standard was a sub-1:37 half marathon. She had run a 1:36 earlier this year but unfortunately it was on a non-certified course. Yesterday she tore that course up running a 1:33. Her pace was almost as fast as my 5K pace. Seriously.

I have to admit, I'm soooo jealous of what everyone else is doing right now. I want to be fast. I want to be able to go to Kona (shit, I'd like to just finish the damn ironman). I want to be able to continue to bring my running times down. I want to be a super-star!

Falling Apart

2011-10-04T19:11:00.002-04:00

**I know you all love a good TMI story, so here you go!**

When I returned from Cedar Point I was angry. I took that aggression out on my bike. Just two days after my failed race I took that bike out for a quick 30 mile jaunt, mashing as hard as I could. It was a great ride, except I made a critical mistake. I rode that ride in an old pair of bike shorts. I developed some nasty saddle sores. In the three weeks since that race those sores have come and gone, but this weekend they came back with a vengeance. While doing a little grooming, um, I noticed my saddle sores had grown into full-blow blisters. I tried to pop them, ew, with no success. Yesterday I rode a designed trainer ride that may have been the most painful thing I've ever done. I even stopped at one point to drain one of the blisters. Ew! This morning when I woke up the blisters were HUGE and I was in pain. I called the doctor and got in this afternoon.

Now, if you guys know me personally, you would know that this was a risky move. You see, my doctor is a good friend of mine. I have run with him for years. We are on a first name basis. So for me to show him my hoo-ha was a big deal. Luckily, the appointment was done with sensitivity and discretion and I may be able to look him in the eyes again. :) And the decision? Well, he did nothing. I thought he would drain them but he didn't. He recommended padding them with a band aid while riding, which I did yesterday, getting a new fit on my bike, and getting new shorts and chamois cream. Awesome. (Yes, that was meant to be sarcastic.)

So were these blisters really caused by one ride in one bad pair of shorts?

Here's the second half of my story.

I eluded in my last post that there have been some major changes in my life. A little over a month ago, while hanging out with friends, I mentioned to them that I was interested in getting a part time job once ironman was over. Immediately the wife popped up saying I should work for her husband, a good friend of mine, as he would be hiring part time seasonal employees starting in October. Perfect! Except, I was worried about being seasonal as there was no guarantee that I would be hired on at the end of the holiday season and be able to continue with the part time work. In the mean time, though, this same friend had a full time position open. I thought about it for a few days and figured, I could make that work. Before I had even finished filling out the online application, HR had contacted me asking for an interview. And the ball was rolling. I had a phone interview on a Wednesday, a face-to-face interview that next Tuesday, two weeks later I had an offer, and I started three days after that, which was last Monday. Life went from zero to 60 in no time flat.

Last Tuesday I started to notice some pain in my back/tailbone area. It was the same kind of pain I had after I fell down the stairs this past February. As the week went on the pain stayed and maybe even got a little worse. I have no idea why I was having this pain. Was it the three photo booth events we had over the weekend? Was it because I wasn't used to sitting all day in a hard chair? Did I do something while doing my last long run?

Now it's a week later and the pain is still very much there. I feel it with every step I take. I have been taking ibuprofen around the clock. I have iced it. I have put a heating pad on it. I have moved all my runs to the elliptical machine. I have taken a little (although not much) time off. Today I attempted a long run. I got in about 14 miles before I had had enough. The pain was intense and I couldn't take it anymore. Frustrating! I had planned on a much longer run than 14. My legs and lungs felt fine, but I couldn't handle the pain in my back anymore.

Is it a pinched nerve (I've struggled with this since my fall down the stairs)? Is it a pulled muscle (I did set the photo booths up by myself over the weekend--not the smartest idea)? Is it something worse, like a stress fracture in my tailbone/pelvis?

So this brings me back around to my blistered saddle sores. Is the pain in my back, although I don't notice it when I ride, causing me to change my position on the bike? Whatever the hell is going on, I feel like I'm falling apart. I feel like my body is telling me that enough is enough. I need a break.

September Totals

2011-10-01T07:50:00.003-04:00

After my disappointing race at Rev3 Cedar Point, I decided to keep training. There's no race scheduled, but I just find comfort in the training. My next plan is the Houston Marathon and I'm not quite ready to start my specific training for that, but I wanted to keep my mileage high in preparation for that.

Sometime earlier this week I tweaked my back. I don't know how I did it or what exactly I did, but I'm working through it. Today I will be moving a run to the elliptical machine. But, the plan, is to keep on trucking on...

Swim - 18,500 meters (~11-1/2 miles)

Bike - 303.28 miles - I had a 100 miler I was planning on doing last week, but I got rained on twice, was cold and wet, and decided to call it a day. I got in 72 miles.

Run - 46.73 miles - I enjoyed a descending 18 miler last weekend that I did perfectly without EVER looking at my Garmin.

Training and life has changed drastically in the last week. More information on that soon...

Pictures from Cedar Point

2011-09-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

It took me a few days to process everything out. Truth of the matter is, I was sick. There's nothing I could do about being sick. Had I not been, I would have finished the day as an ironwoman. That's the risk you take when choosing to do epic endurance racing. You put all eggs in one basket and that basket has got to hold steady. Surprisingly, I'm okay with all this. There will be other races. For now, I'm just laying low and continuing to swimbikerun for fun.

I've finally downloaded all the pictures Dave took from Cedar Point. There's not all that many of them since the day stopped half way through the bike, but I thought I'd share what I had.

Mine's the midget bike.

REALLY not looking like I'm feeling good.

But, giving the double thumbs up that the first half of the swim has gone well and I'm okay.

Pointing to Rachelle, showing she was right beside me. This was funny as we had discussed we were doing the whole racing holding hands.

And this is what I looked like after midnight, completely drugged up and barely able to keep my eyes open having spent the whole day tossing my cookies. Good times!

Thursday Thoughts

2011-09-22T17:20:00.002-04:00

And....I'm back. I'm not doing much of anything so I haven't really had much to say. My mom pointed out something to me earlier today that I thought would make a great Thursday Thoughts. It's been a long time since I've done a Thursday Thoughts. Welcome back, Mer. Welcome back.

My mom pointed out to me today that it's Banned Book day. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but it lead into a conversation about a book I just read. I recently read "Tweak" by Nic Sheff. I had read his dad's book, "Beautiful Boy" earlier this year and wanted to read the other side of the story. Basically, it's Nic's personal telling of his drug addiction. It was a good book. Not as good as his dad's but a good book nonetheless. Here's my problem with it, though. It is very detailed and descriptive about his drug use and sex life, and use some very bad language. Normally, this wouldn't bother me in a book. Hell, I talk that way myself. But what bothered me was I picked this book up in the library in the teen section. This book is definitely not appropriate for teenagers. I even complained to the library about it. They wanted me to fill out an online book report that they would consider, etc. I didn't do it. This book shouldn't be banned, but it certainly shouldn't be in the teenage section either.

So, what book do you consider controversial? Should it be banned? Why?

The Rest of the Story

2011-09-13T09:51:00.003-04:00

Sigh...

As you've probably figured out by now, my ironman didn't go as planned. I have been healthier than I've ever been for the last year and a half. Not a sniffle or a sneeze. Nothing. I have been a complete germ nazi: washing my hands like a mad woman, avoiding social situations, getting flu shots, sleeping in separate beds if Dave was sick. And it has worked for me.

Saturday night before the race I started feeling really sick to my stomach while at dinner. I chalked it up to nerves, but it had me so rattled I couldn't eat dinner. I had about three bites of my dinner and that was it. When I went to bed that night I continued to feel sick. Really sick. I had heartburn that stretched from my belly button to about mid-chest. I ate a tums and tried to eat some bread, but nothing was really helping. When the alarm went off on race morning, I had gotten about four hours of sleep. And I was still feeling really bad. Really bad. I tried to eat some breakfast but it just wouldn't go down and I was starting to get worried about how bad I was feeling. Before I knew it was I was in the bathroom vomiting and there went any bit of nutrition I had in my body. Nothing else was eaten that morning.

We went down to the race site to set up my transition and I was feeling better. The nerves seemed to have passed as I was now feeling more comfortable with the race day ahead. Before I knew it, I was in my wetsuit, standing in the sand, waiting for the starting horn to sound. And then my day began. I was walking into the water and feeling okay.

The swim went fantastically. I felt comfortable. I was swimming well. It was all seeming a lot easier than I imagined it being. And then the swim was over. I was out of the water around 1:21 which is exactly what I expected. I walked from the beach through transition and everything seemed to be going as planned.

I was out on the bike and I was working the plan. My heart rate was really low and my legs seemed to be turning over well. On the way out I hit a bump and lost a bag of nutrition. I simply stopped and went back for it. This happened again around mile 10 as I launched not only a bag of nutrition but a water bottle. Again I stopped and went back for it. Something happened around mile 10 that started to have me concerned: my nausea was coming back. I was feeling sick to my stomach, my head was spinning, and I was losing power in my legs. It was WAY too early to be feeling bad. But, I kept at my nutrition taking all that was scheduled and not losing any of it. Once I made it to Milan I started looking for a port-a-john. My stomach needed a reprieve. Of course, I didn't find one. It was during this time too that I started dry heaving. The road out of Milan is a long stretch with the wind at your back. I expected to be flying down this road. Instead I was struggling to do 15mph and my stomach kept flip-flopping. I kept trying to tell myself, it will pass, but it wasn't passing. I was making deals with myself...it's okay to slow down; you can walk the marathon and still be fine; just make it to the start of the second loop; make it to Milan and call Dave and have him talk you down. At mile 40 was an aid station and I stopped. I called Dave and was panicky. I didn't know what to do. I was dry heaving and couldn't gain any ground on how badly I was feeling. I took a break, ate a pretzel from a spectator. Things were just not going well. The bike tech called medical and asked what to do. It was then he said he would not allow me back on the course and my day was over. He drove me back to transition and escorted me to the medical tent.

In the medical tent they gave me some anti-nausea medicine which worked wonders. I was able to get some lunch and despite feeling like a complete zombie, I was feeling much much better. Disappointed, but physically better. I watched the rest of the race and cheered on my friends and teammates.

Around 10:00pm we all headed to dinner. It had been about 8 or 9 hours since they had given me my medicine and I was starting to feel sick again. Really sick. As Rachelle and my family ate dinner, I sat in the parking lot continuing to vomit. The poor people at Pizza Hut took pity on me and sent me home with crackers and a Sierra Mist. When we made it back to the hotel, I was still feeling horrible and made the decision to head to the local emergency room. Once there they hooked me up with a saline drip, a shot of anti-nausea medicine, a shot of Pepcid, and a concoction of laticane and some other heart burn medicine. I took a little nap and they sent me on my way. We got back to the hotel around 2:00am and I slept until about 8:00. Yesterday I felt much better and was able to eat and drink as normal, although the dizzies have continued and I'm still not feeling really confident about eating.

So where does this leave me? Still without an ironman finish and frankly, out of time. I WILL NOT devote another year to this. The plan was to move on with my life: go back to work, start a family, be a real person without the pressures of racing or training. Ten years has been enough and I just want to take a break and enjoy running with friends and family again. I want to be able to go on a vacation that is not focused around a race. I want to be able to wake up and say, today I'm going to go for a run, or say, not today. I have looked at my short term options and I'm just not sure I'm that into it. Can I devote another 5-6 weeks? Sure. Do I care? I don't know. And I know that if I'm waffling, the answer needs to be no. Do I still really want to finish an Ironman? Absolutely. I just may need to change things up. My family has always teased me about being a total worry wart and not being able to control my nerves and they are absolutely right. I'm not sure I will ever be able to control that enough to handle ironman. (This weekend was not about nerves, though. I was sick or had food poisoning.) Dave and I have talked a lot about doing this together. I think that would certainly help my nerves and take the pressure completely off. I'm not gonna lie, I feel a lot of pressure when it comes to ironman. I have had A LOT of success with running. I think it's totally natural that myself and others think that it's going to translate to ironman/triathlon. In some ways it has. In others it hasn't. My teammates had fantastic days at Cedar Point and knowing that I could not compare to them would have had me feeling disappointed in my race performance even though ironman is all about finishing. But I also think about the flip side. What if I never do an ironman? Am I okay with that? I think a lot about Steve Stenzel when I get to this option. He's a fantastic runner, but has never done a marathon. Is a marathon that important as a runner? No. He has found he's better at short course and that not ever runner has to be a marathoner. Can I get to that point and be okay that I may never be an ironman? I don't have that answer yet.

And so I'm left here feeling disappointed and empty. Very empty. And sad. I just don't know what to do or think. I just don't know.

Check Up

2011-09-07T10:30:00.002-04:00

With only four days to go until THE BIG ONE!!! (OMG ONLY FOUR DAYS!!!) it's time to do a little check up. A mental and physical inventory, if you will.

Mentally, I'm feeling surprisingly great. Last year I was scared out of my mind. I couldn't sleep. I struggled to eat. The enormity of it scared the crap out of me. I would envision the finish and I would lose it. This year, things are different. I've had GREAT training - not only physical - but great mental training. I'll admit it, last year I would do bike rides with my iPod stuck in one ear. I was bored by the training. I just couldn't get my head wrapped around it. This year my mind is sharp. For very long stretches of my bike rides my mind would completely wipe. This happens to me when I run and it has served me well. In addition, I'm approaching the race differently. Last year I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. I felt like I had something to prove. And although I think I'm going to do great this year, I don't care if this race takes me all damn day. I'm finishing it no matter what. I'm approaching the race as three separate parts and thinking of each of them as practice. Even breaking up each sport separately, I'm even going deeper than that. For the swim, I'm thinking only four strokes at a time. This is how I breathe when I swim. I will only concentrate on my form and four strokes. For the bike, honest to goodness, I'm breaking the ride up into 5 minute and 15 minute segments. This is when I take my nutrition. The bike will be just a big eating-fest to get to the next segment. I'm not going to think about how long I've been on the bike course or what my average pace is. It's all about heart rate and eating. The run is about 50 steps. Yep, "Just 50 Steps." I even wrote that on my sticker that will go on my Garmin. I can truly count to 50 over and over again for an entire marathon. And if it comes to that, that's what I'll do. Mentally I'm feeling really strong and relaxed leading into the weekend.

Physically, things seem to be falling into place. The minimal workouts have caused me to be a bit jittery. Like, I have too much energy. I DO have too much energy - I haven't been able to nap at all. But, I have been sleeping soundly. Last night I got over 8 hours of sleep. No nightmares either. I've closely monitored my weight during training. After losing 10 pounds between November and March, I haven't gained a single pound of it back. This week, although I'm feeling pudgy and bloated (and can tell my clothes are fitting a bit tighter), still no weight gain. My workouts have been spot on. Swimming is controlled, biking is relaxed, and running feels very natural.

So, what do I expect this weekend? Well, I've decided to take the timing expectations out of it. Sure, I'm sure I can swimbikerun X:XX:XX, but who cares. I want to be proud of how I approached the race. I want to have fun and smile and ENJOY the experience. I want to walk away from this entire two year ironman process and say yes, I did this. It doesn't matter if I go 11 hours or 16:59:59. In the end, I will still be an ironman.

See you there...

August Totals

2011-09-01T13:12:00.002-04:00

With only ten days to go the work is over. August was another hot month full of workouts. I didn't do all of them, I think that's impossible, but I did the quality workouts. It's all behind me at this point. What's done is done and there's nothing more I can do about it. I feel I've had a great summer of training and I'm ready to roll.

54 hours, 31 minutes of training

Swim - 21,675 meters ~ 13.5 miles

Bike - 520.72 miles

Run - 83.03 miles

In other news...On tap today was a two hour bike ride followed by a 15 minute transitional run. Last "big" workout. Things were going great. I was flying down the road. But things were different too. A road that I ride all the time had recently been chip-sealed and then I got caught in a rain deluge and had to take shelter in the garage of a house being built. At least the construction workers were nice and understanding. I was on my cool down, having just left my parents' house and heading home, when things started to feel different, squishy. Crap! A flat tire! I have, literally, ridden thousand of miles this year and this was my first flat tire. And being that my bike has already been to the shop for it's final tune-up before The Big One!!! my race wheels are already on. I've never changed a flat on my race wheels. Well, now's the time to figure this out. I took my water bottles off my bike and laid them down so they wouldn't leak out. I emptied the contents of my bike bag to get the tools and supplies I needed. Then I turned my bike over to inspect my back tire (why is it ALWAYS the back tire???) to see if I had punctured it. Sure enough, I found a small pebble had punctured through the tire into the tube. I dusted off the tire and then took it off the bike. This is where things got a little tough. I ride HED3 race wheels, which don't have spokes on them. So the pieces you use to take the tire off the wheel, which usually attaches to the spokes to make it a little easier, didn't work exactly the way I needed them to. Needless to say, though, I was able to get the tire off the wheel and continued changing the tube. I got everything situated, struggled to get the tire back on the wheel, and then tried to get the CO2 cartridge to fill up tube. But, it wasn't working. What? Why? I called Dave and he told me to hold onto the valve stem as I pushed up with the cartridge. Still wasn't working. Then I figured it out. Where was the bolt that goes on the valve stem? Crap! It was inside the tire. So I had to take half of the tire off the wheel again, take the valve stem out of the hole, take the stupid bolt off, and then redo my work. This time because my fingers were in so much pain from trying to get the tire back on the first time, struggled even more to get it on the second time. I was sweating like crazy!!! Finally, the last bit of tire got behind the rim and I was able to get the CO2 cartridge to work this time. I was worried about popping the tube, because it was the only one I had, so I filled it up just enough. Although it was okay, it was still a little squishy on the ride home. But, good job me!!! Hopefully, the flat tire is behind me and it won't happen again in a week. If it does, though, I'm confident in my abilities to get that sucker changed now!

Time and Change

2011-08-29T15:56:00.002-04:00

Saturday Dave and I made our way down to Louisville, went to bed early, and rose early on Sunday morning to spectate our friends and teammates participating in Ironman Louisville. Although unspoken, I could tell there was a little tension in the air between us and we were thinking the same thing....What if I went down there to spectate and it was a horrible experience and I wanted absolutely nothing to do with the ironman ever again?!

We got down to the swim start and the water works had started already. Yep, I was crying. Not because I was sad, but more because this was supposed to be my race. I felt cheated. I was jealous that it wasn't me out there. I wanted revenge. The tears dried up quickly and we began screaming our heads off. We saw a few of my teammates head out on the bike and then it was up to LaGrange to watch the bike portion of the day. We were three for four picking our friends out, and the fourth one threw us for a loop as she was not wearing what we expected her to wear. LaGrange was fun, but quick and then we were back down to Louisville to see the runners head out on the marathon. I was having a good time....

But then we got to the finish line area to watch the runners for the remainder of the day and that's when it happened. I could not stop crying. This is where everything went wrong last year. What I had wanted for so long didn't happen. But you know what? Spectating yesterday didn't break me. I walked away yesterday feeling rejuvenated and EXCITED to give this another try in a few days. It's my turn. I've waited long enough. I WILL do this....

Spell Check

2011-08-26T17:12:00.004-04:00

I once saw a segment on one of the morning news shows about two guys who took a cross country road trip, correcting spelling and grammatical errors along the way. Of course, they wrote a book about it. I've not read the book, but I certainly "get" these guys. Both Dave and I were raised to spell, use grammar and sentence structure correctly. And although we don't always get it right (as I'm sure I just botched that last sentence), we're totally going to correct others who can't get it right. :)

I bring you the newest addition to the blog, "Spell Check".

Today's Spell Check is courtesy of the photo/electronics department at the local Meijer store:

I 'guarantee' spell check would have highlighted that one.

One Year

2011-08-25T10:57:00.004-04:00

It's been one year since my failed attempt at Ironman Louisville. And it's 17 days until I try again at the iron distance. I've learned a lot in that year.

Dave has said to me that I was in denial about ironman last year. The first time he said that to me it just pissed me off. Pissed me off to the point that we had a huge screaming match about it in a car in a parking lot. I just don't like the word "denial". I knew exactly what I was getting into. I had spectated two ironmans, I had done three half ironmans, and I had put in the training. I was ready. Or so I thought.

Having gone through a second year of ironman training, I don't think I was ready for Louisville. I don't think I was in denial, but I certainly wasn't in the physical and mental shape I'm in now. Last year I just went through the motions. You can fake your way through a marathon. You can't do that in ironman. And my big fat DNF last year proved that. This year I have faked NOTHING! I thought I was mentally tough last year. Ha! This year my head is locked and loaded. I thought I was physically in shape last year to finish the race. This year I don't 'think', I know I'm physically capable of doing this.

It's taken me a long time to shake the demons of that DNF. A few days after the race last year I actually wrote on my Facebook page that I would have rather died than having to face the embarrassment of the DNF. It took me a long time to feel comfortable racing again. I felt like the whole world was watching to see if I was going to fail again. After I botched the National Marathon in March is when I took back control and established that I needed to do this for me and no one else. I don't care what time it takes me to finish. I don't care who's watching or following me online. I don't care that I'm representing a team or sponsors. This is all about me and finishing the biggest goal I've ever established. And because I've been able to shake off everything else, not only do I think I'm going to get the finish I ultimately deserve (Star, you will never know what that one sentence has done for me this year), I think I'm going to have a great race and experience.

This weekend Dave and I are traveling to Louisville to (a) see my aunt and (b) spectate Ironman Louisville and cheer on my friends and teammates. Although I'm hoping this experience will be my pep rally for my race, I'm also hoping to throw away those last bits of doubt I have. It's almost as though I need closure from Louisville to move on to my race. It's time to close that book and look ahead two weeks to when I WILL FINISH WHAT I STARTED!!!!

Dress Rehearsal

2011-08-17T14:16:00.003-04:00

This week is Peak Week - the biggest week of training before the race. Technically taper starts next week, but with the hours still being around 15 next week, it doesn't quite feel like a taper. Yesterday I finished up my final long run - an hour bike ride followed by a 20 mile run which I did at an 8:47 pace. It's the quickest long run to date. I have nailed all of them - two 16s, two 18s, and one 20 miler. I have used each of my long rides and runs as dress rehearsals. I once heard that "Perfect practice makes perfect" and that's what I've tried to emulate during my training. I have worn what I'm going to wear in the race. I have practiced my nutrition and hydration as I'm going to do in the race. I have worked on my mental stability as I'm going to need in the race. With a mere three and a half weeks to go, here's what I've nailed down.

Swim
I have swam more open water this year than in years past training for triathlon. I am feeling calm and relaxed in open water now. I hope to use that zen in the race to keep myself calm and remember there's a lot more race to go. Depending on the water temperature (I heard it was warm on the news) I plan on wearing my long sleeved TYR Hurricane Cat5 wetsuit. If it's too warm for that, I've got a no sleeved wetsuit or a swim skin (although not WTC legal, I think it can still be used under USAT rules). Otherwise I'll just swim sans wetsuit. I'm allergic to my wetsuits and my swim skin chafes me badly, so I have no problem swimming without. I did it in Louisville, I can do it again. I plan on wearing my team tri top, my bike shorts, and my calf sleeves underneath my wetsuit. My Garmin will be on my arm as will my watch. (Why both? More on this in a minute.)

T1
My goal is to minimize time in transition. Yes I want to make sure I get everything I need, but why waste time in transition? Even though the goal is to finish, it's still a race and I still want to be competitive. In T1 I will get out of that wetsuit, put on my socks and bike shoes, helmet, and sunglasses. I will spritz on a little sunscreen and use a little chamois cream. Hydration and nutrition will already be on my bike.

Bike
So you asked, why wear both a watch and a Garmin? Because that's how I've been training for the bike. The Garmin will go on my bike and used as a bike computer. I will be tracking speed, average speed, rpms, and most importantly, heart rate. The watch on my arm will be used to determine when to take salt tabs, eat, and hydrate. The type-A+ personality that I am has this crazy schedule where I drink every five minutes, eat every thirty minutes, and take a salt tab every thirty minutes. It's not complicated but it keeps my mind fresh because I'm always thinking of the next time I must eat or drink (along with constantly checking my heart rate). I will be using the Gatorade on course. I have trained with Gatorade all summer. I will be supplementing water as needed. I will be using a combination of strawberry Gu Chomps and vanilla Gu based on what time it is. My plan is very intricate, but it has worked for me.

T2
I actually think my T2 is going to take longer than T1 which is opposite than most people. As I mentioned in the swim section above, I will be wearing bike shorts. Good for people who can do the full 112 miles in a pair of tri shorts. I am not one of those people. In T2, I will change into my tri shorts and change my socks to running socks. I will be wearing my lucky Boston Marathon ball cap. I will take the watch off my arm and will be using my Garmin to finish out the race. I will spritz myself with a little more sunscreen and spritz myself with some TriSlide for my underarms and chest. I will be wearing my water belt. I will take off my heart rate chest strap. And most importantly I will put on my garage sale sticker over my Garmin. What????

Run
I have debated and debated about the water belt. Frankly, I don't want to wear it. There are water stations, for crying out loud! But I've gotten used to it. It doesn't move and I don't really notice it's there. It will allow me to bypass the aid stations and keep to the routine that has worked for me. It also has a large pouch on it that will allow me to carry my gels and salt tabs. I don't like, though, that I will have to stop and fill it up probably three times and that I will probably have to stop and walk to get out the gels and salt tabs and take them. But pretty much everyone walks through the aid stations to do that so I'm okay with that. Again, that's how I've practiced. I will be taking a gel and salt tab every four miles starting at the two mile mark. So why the sticker??? I like to run by feel. I know what the different heart rate zones feel like without ever looking at them. I know how to go hard and when to back off. With years and years of running under my belt, I have become quite good at understanding pace. If I get wrapped up with what the Garmin says it will drive me insane. I plan on keeping that sticker on for a good 10-13 miles and maybe for the whole marathon. So, as my husband says, why even wear the Garmin? Well, that's a good question and something I've been wrestling with. But because I will have started my Garmin and used the multisport function since the beginning of the race, I'd like to keep it on so I at least have a record of my race.

Most importantly, I am going to STICK TO THE PLAN!!!! I am going to remember to smile a lot and to have fun. And hopefully have the day I've been dreaming of and practicing for.

Product Giveway Winner (and other stuff)

2011-08-16T18:06:00.002-04:00

Sorry I'm a day late on this. If you knew what kind of crazy week I'm having....

There were all of five entries into the ClipE product giveway. To not complicate matters, I numbered them one through five and then rolled a dice (die?) Drumroll please! And the winner is Tri Like Mary. Please contact me through my profile page, send me your address, and I'll get the ClipE in the mail to you this week.

Now on to other things...

Last week I did something stupid and upgraded the software on my Garmin 310XT. I did this because I saw there was now a way to track open water swimming while wearing the Garmin on the wrist. The problem was, I had already downloaded the newest software update when I read the reviews that the "swim" function under "other" really wasn't all that accurate. Of course, all of my data was wiped clean so I had to reprogram and reset everything, but I'm finding things about the update that I really don't like. For example, this morning I had a 2:45 run on the schedule that had four timed steps in it, but when I was done with that time, I decided I wanted to go on and finish 20 miles instead of whatever mileage I had done in two hours and 45 minutes. The old software would continue counting based on wherever you finished. So I had done about 18.75 miles in that 2:45 and if I had continued the time, it would have told me when I hit 19 miles. Today it started the mileage over at 2:45 and gave me "step #5" as the next full mile. I've also had problems with it picking up an automatic wheel size while riding so it would have it programmed for riding on the trainer (something I do every week). And I do not like the way that it downloads multiple workouts in one day to Garmin Training Center as one workout with multiple parts. How do I separate those workouts so I can upload them separately into Training Peaks for my coach?

If you have any answers to above, I could really use your help. Basically, though, I want to reset the Garmin so it goes back to the software I had when I bought my Garmin (it's over a year old). Is there any way to do that? Help please!

What a Night!

2011-08-12T08:21:00.005-04:00

I rarely watch the local news, but last night I happened to catch it after the finale of "So You Think You Can Dance." The first story was a breaking news story about a murder that had two crime scenes. One was where the body was found in a neighboring town and one was where the shooting occurred, which happened to be in a neighborhood across the street from where we live (less than a mile away). They said the suspect was on the run and was headed to North Carolina. They gave his car make and model and his license plate. The news also said another person was wanted for questioning and that he had also fled but they were looking for him. That second person was on the loose around here and you could hear the police helicopter overhead. A half hour later, as we were still watching the news, that second person had been found and had been apprehended. I went to bed feeling okay.

Around 2:30-2:40am I was awoken by sirens. We hear a lot of sirens around here as we live between police substations and two firehouses. But this was different. Those sirens were close. I got up and looked out the window to see six police cars FLY down our neighborhood street along with an unmarked car behind them. For the next, like 20+ minutes, there were sirens and sirens and sirens. And the helicopter was back and it was close.

I woke Dave up. He was already awake. I was scared out of my mind. THIS MURDERER WAS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD!!! (This is what I thought. All of this was going down less than a mile away) I was in full panic mode. I was cold and shaking and I thought I was going to throw up. For the next half hour to 45 minutes we just laid there listening to what was happening. I really had to go to the bathroom but I didn't want to get up or make any noise or turn on the lights and draw attention to our house.

Around 3:30 I asked Dave if there would be a breaking news story on any of the local news' websites. We both grabbed our phones and started searching. We didn't find anything that had been updated since 2:15am, but the stories gave a little more details. Turns out the victim and suspect were recent graduates of the local high school. It was the suspect's girlfriend who had been murdered. The police had been called just one day earlier in a domestic dispute between the two. Dave read the name of the suspect and it hit me. I knew that kid (man - he's 18). I had coached him and his twin brother. And it was probably his twin brother who had been the one who ran and was apprehended. My heart sank. He was a good kid. What happened?

He had been calling family and friends from his cell phone while driving around town. The police had been pinging his phone and had spotted him around 2:00am just down street from here. They chased him just a few miles, to basically where all this started, and that's when we heard all the sirens.

Finally around 4:00am (yes, still awake), I found an article that said the suspect had been killed in a police involved shooting. I felt better that I could go back to sleep, but I did not feel good about what had happened. The local news came on at 4:30 and I got up to watch it. It didn't offer a whole lot of information. They didn't even say if he had killed himself or if the police had killed him. The 5:00am news was on the scene, which was not where they said it was on all the news sites, still had little information. Finally around 5:30am, I crawled back into bed.

At 8:30am the police helicopter was back overhead. We read an article that said the suspect had been killed by the police. I guess five officers including SWAT officers shot at him as he drew his gun when he was stopped. So sad. So very sad.

A few months ago there was a huge drug bust just a few houses from us. And now a murder less than a mile. I thought I lived on the safe side of town?

Decision Made

2011-08-11T11:59:00.003-04:00

Man, I hate making decisions. Today I made an extremely difficult decision for myself. I was feeling a lot of pressure about it, and I was up against a deadline, and I just had to do it.

I decided not to return to Team Trakkers/Rev3 in 2012.

I'll probably kick myself for that decision as this may be the best opportunity that ever comes around for me as an athlete, but in my heart I know I made the right decision. Here's why...

I really dislike Twitter. I just don't get it. Facebook I get. You actually know the people on Facebook, they're real-life people, so when you make a statement or respond to somebody, you feel like you're having a conversation with them or actually contributing. Twitter moves much quicker than that. To me, it feels like any status you put out there is interrupting somebody's conversation with somebody else. Maybe I'm just not on it enough. And yet, that's where most of my teammates hang out. And Twitter is the reason I feel like not part of this team anymore. Last year I felt warm and accepted and this year I just feel on the outside. I just don't have the time to keep up with all the social media and I don't want to either. I haven't been on Twitter in months and I don't envision myself logging in again.

And then there's the sponsors. I have been on other sponsored teams where you are basically a billboard for that sponsor. This has not been like that. Our sponsors treat us really well. We get great gear, gadgets, products, and discounts. I really couldn't ask for more. But, I wouldn't define myself as a typical triathlete either. I am not a gearhead. Maybe I spent too many years as a runner before jumping in the triathlon game, but I was pretty set in my ways with what I liked before I switched to tris. I have worn the same running shoes (brand and model) for like 4 or 5 years now. I have found nutrition that works for me. I have been a swimmer all my life and like what I use to remove chlorine from my hair. And although I have sponsors that provide me these things, I'm not using any of it. I like what I like. And I'd like to tell others what I like and why, a la Steve in a Speedo, but I can't. I will never be a pro and will never get to choose my sponsors, but I am willing to spend my own money on good products that work for me and I want to be able to give those products props for being good.

Finally, and the most important reason why I'm not returning, is that after The Big One!!! in a few weeks I have one more race on the schedule in January and then that's it. I don't intend to put together a race schedule for 2012. I'm not sure I'll even do any races at all. Sure, I'm going to keep swimming and biking and running and getting fit, but there WILL NOT be an ironman or even a half ironman on the schedule. I'm even of thinking of switching from the marathon to the half marathon in January. I want to get some of my speed back and just have fun at some of the local races. I will continue to support Rev3 as I believe in Charlie and his company, but I can't travel all over the place to race or volunteer. Financially, it's just not possible. Plus I have a business to run and it's season is the same as racing season.

I have had a great time being part of this team. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have met amazing people and have been given opportunities that I'm not worthy of. It's time to move on and pursue other interests. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Carole, Charlie, and my teammates for letting me be part of the ride.

Product Review and Giveway

2011-08-10T10:38:00.004-04:00

My name is Meredith and yes, I run with an iPod.

A few weeks ago I was contacted to try out the ClipE. What's a ClipE? It's a little button that holds your earbuds in place and clips onto your clothing and thus holds your iPod wires in place. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about this product when I received it. I mean, I had already figured out a way to not get all tangled up in my wires. I simply snaked them through my sports bra and shirt and clipped the iPod to my shorts. But, I was surprised when I tried the ClipE that it actually enhanced and improved the snaking method I was already using.

What I liked about it is that it held the cords that ran from the top of my sports bra to my ears in place, which meant the cords didn't slide around anywhere and the cords didn't tug from my ears. It was easy to connect my cords inside the button and easily attached to my clothing. I've used it on several different shirts and sports bras.

What I found to be difficult about it is when I tried to use it in a hurry (transitioning from bike to run inside my own house) the cords would pop out while trying to attach the ClipE to my clothing quickly. And yes, I would leave the ClipE just attached to the iPod cords all the time. My husband, however, seemed to have no trouble with this. He also has A LOT more patience than I do.

When I ran in only a sports bra during those weeks of scorching heat was to have the ClipE packaged in twos so that I could attach one at the top of my sports bra to hold my earbuds in place and one on my shorts to pull the wires taut against my body. I am a girl and my arms do cross my body and I have been known to pull the wires from my ears while running if they're not hidden.

And now the fun part....

I have an extra ClipE to give away to one lucky reader of this blog. I don't want to complicate things by making you follow on Facebook or Twitter for extra entries. That confuses me! So, just leave a comment on this blog entry and you are automatically entered into the drawing. The winner will be drawn at random. You have until Sunday August 14th at midnight to enter and then I'll announce the winner on Monday August 15th.

Triathlon for Hope 2011

2011-08-07T17:22:00.003-04:00

I had signed up for an "olympic" triathlon for today (I put olympic in quotes as it was not an official Olympic distance). On my schedule from Coach it said, "if you're not 100%, skip the race." Well, I haven't felt 100% since ironman training started, but I had already paid for this race, so I was going to do it. On Saturday we went up to the race start to do a practice swimbikerun. I had a great swim, but once I got on my bike my legs just wouldn't move. With all the miles I've put on my legs in the last couple of weeks, they just said no. I thought and thought about it, but I knew if I did the olympic I may coming in dead effing last. When I woke up Sunday morning, I was so nervous about it that I was sick to my stomach and really didn't want to do the longer race. As we picked up our race packets I inquired about switching races. There was a sprint which was a 750m swim, 12 mile bike, and 5K run and there was a women's only sprint that was a 400m swim, 12 mile bike, and 2 mile run. I switched to the women's sprint. Sucker!

The swim was a straight shot from one end of the beach to the other. Because it's a beginner-friendly race, walking the swim is okay, so they gave us the choice of swimming between the buoys if you were a strong swimmer or swim/walk on the right side of the buoys if you were not such a strong swimmer. There were three waves for the race. Mine was 30-39 and all relays. There were all of about three of us that lined up between the buoys. 3-2-1-go and we're off. The girl to my left took off fast and I tried to stay on her toes. That lasted about three strokes and then I was all alone. There was NOBODY swimming in my wave. Not even halfway through the swim, I had already caught the walking swimmers from the previous wave. It was hard to keep a straight line as the buoys were not in a straight line and you had to play dodge 'em with all the walking swimmers. I came out of the water around 8:45ish. Dave yelled to me that I was second in my wave. I already knew that, but it was good to know what I was chasing.

Transition was one of the quickest ones I've had onto the bike and I was off.

The stiffness and tiredness in my legs from weeks and weeks of training were still there on the bike, but I just went with it. I couldn't get my speed up to where it should be for a sprint race, but I was doing well against the field and that's all that matters. I played cat and mouse with a couple women for a while, but they were friendly so I was friendly (if you know me, you'd understand that statement) and just had fun. On the back half of the course I could see the police escort and could count back and see I was the sixth biker. And, I was not in the first wave, so I knew I was doing well. I did my best to have a good bike, but it was what it was and I'm okay with that. I'm training for ironman not sprints, so my speed is just not there. I finished the bike course around 40 minutes and according to my Garmin was around an 18.6 mph average. Honestly, that's the best average I've ever had in a race, but what I should be able to do is better. And I was doing well against the field.

Transition two was a whopping 53 seconds (word!!!) and I was chasing those chicks ahead of me from the bike. I think I might have already passed half of them in transition.

The run was uphill in the gravel to the dam, halfway across the dam, and then back down the same path. Still no speed in the legs. In fact, I've run marathons at a faster pace than what I averaged on this two mile run today. It didn't matter though as I passed everyone ahead of me. As I came into the finish, I was announced that I was the first finisher. Of course, I had my number upside down and inside out, so they didn't call my name, but pretty cool to be the first finisher. I was sure I was going to have some hot-shot 20 year old come out to beat me.

But you know what? It didn't happen. I freakin' won this race today. I had absolutely no business winning the race, but a win is a win and I'll take it.

Next race....THE BIG ONE!!!!!

Time in the saddle, Time in my head

2011-08-03T12:36:00.003-04:00

I do about 95% of my training all by myself. Why? Because of my ability to workout during the day, because I have an individual training plan from a coach, because I have my own goals, because I suck on the bike, etc., etc. Yesterday I biked the full 112 miles, which left me with nearly seven hours to be inside my own head.

I have been battling depression for about 17 years. It has its peaks and valleys. I used to see a professional about it, but since I refuse to be medicated, I find that going to a shrink is a waste of time. So, I just deal and hope it passes. My current mental state has been a tidal wave of emotions. It's been a rough couple of months. I don't know if it's the wear of all my training or my current lot in life, but yesterday on my bike I decided I needed to make a few changes.

'They' say that money doesn't buy happiness. I think that's crap. The people who said that have never had to live on one income in a tough economy. I'm not sure I believe in tough economy. I think you have to be smart (like, if you pay off your credit card every month it doesn't matter what the interest rate is on it) and live within your means. The difficulty I've had is that when Dave and I got married we had established a lifestyle, a way of life that has drastically had to change when I quit my job and started my own business. And I miss my old lifestyle. I'm tired of hearing how his parents are on vacation for the billionth time this year or how my parents are trying to buy their third property or if I have to read one more status update on Facebook about how much fun so-and-so is having on her vacation, I might just hurt something or myself.

I've been thinking a lot about my business and where to go from here. We have brainstormed our brains out and we just think, currently, we've maxed out our options. And the current state things are in cause me a lot of stress - too much stress for the pennies I am getting paid or not getting paid, as it is. I really do want to continue the business, but I think some changes are in order. Dave and I have talked extensively about it and I think it's time to make a decision before we dig our grave. Having spent so much time thinking about it yesterday, in my head, the decision is made. No formal announcement needed, we will just be handling things differently starting in 2012.

With that decision made the question becomes, will we still be having enough income or getting more income from the business to at least continue our way of life as it currently is and how do we begin saving money to come closer to the lifestyle we were living? I've thought a lot about going back to work - not as an engineer, but as "just an employee." I would love to work a job where I clock in and out and take nothing home with me (troubles, work, etc.). I know, though, I will absolutely hate this. Not only because I've been my own boss for three years, but because I will be bored out of my freakin' mind and will continue to waste my intelligence and talent. I've struggled a lot with giving up being an engineer. I let it define me and I can't seem to shake that. I hate every day that I am sitting at home rotting my brain while watching the Kardashians. Is the money of going back to work enough to over power the freedom that I've gained? My inner struggle continues...

Working from home is lonely. Really, deep, dark lonely. Facebook, Twitter, and blogs keep me entertained. What I have learned, however, is that they give shy girls like myself empowerment, yet I'm only realizing now they're not real life. The "friends" I have made online are not real and never will be my real friends. Having done endurance sports for the last 10 years, while my real-life friends have gone on to create families, has put a Grand Canyon-sized distance between us. I have absolutely nothing in common with anyone anymore. So once THE BIG ONE!!! is over in a few weeks, my lonely cave will grow in size and darkness. It's hard to imagine that things could be worse than it already is, but I'm also preparing myself for what happens after ironman. What will life be like?

I use my blog a lot to hide from the real person I am. I think a lot of bloggers do that. They can create a whole new person online and become the person they've always wanted to be. I've been blogging now for seven years and that's exactly what I've done. And then when people meet you they think they know exactly who they're getting and that's not me at all. I'm so sick of reading bull shit blog posts! I'm so sick of writing bull shit blog posts!

This is me. Stripped to the core. Fully exposed.

July Totals

2011-07-31T15:16:00.002-04:00

July: it was the longest of months, it was the shortest of months. It would be easy to say, "I have no idea where July went." But I know where it went. It was spent in the pool, on my bike, and running the roads. My gosh! I trained my buns off in July.

Swimming - 18,800 meters

Honestly, I dropped the ball on swimming. I mean, I got in the important workouts. I did two 4000 meters swims and a 3900 meter swim. But I also skipped A LOT of swimming sessions. I have to put swimming first thing in the morning or else I have a hard time leaving the house to do it later in the day. I don't know why. It's just a thing. But the weather got HOT this month and if I didn't get my bike or run done in the morning I would absolutely melt into the pavement later in the day. Therefore swimming fell to the wayside. Still, I'm pacing well and feeling really confident about my swimming. And Coach said I could back-off a little on the swimming. I don't have a whole lot of guilt about this. Moving on...

Biking - 551.0 miles

I believe this is the most miles I have ever biked in a month. I only skipped one bike workout. I believe that's the first bike workout I've skipped since November. I need the most work in the bike and you better believe I'm taking it seriously. This month I did a 90 mile ride, a 100 mile ride, and a 105 mile ride. The mileage should have been higher too as many of my workouts were designed and done on the trainer. Mileage on the trainer does not equate to outside mileage. Two long bikes left!!!!

Running - 113.04 miles

Y'all, this is marathon training mileage. Sure, I've had bigger months of running but not while training for triathlon. I'm not even sure I had this many miles while training for the National Marathon (which did not happen) this past spring. (I just looked it up....in February I ran 117 miles) I have had a fantastic month of running. Shoot! I've had a fantastic year of running. I did not skip one running workouts. ZERO!!! The plan seems to be falling into place and I'm planning on a great marathon at THE BIG ONE!!! in a few weeks.

With a mere six weeks to go, I am feeling great. My head is in the right place (after my mess of a week last week) and I couldn't be in better physical shape. Only a few weeks to go no before the taper....

The Best Money I've Spent on Triathlon

2011-07-29T16:00:00.004-04:00

The best money I have ever spent in my life was on my eye surgery in 2005. Seriously, I don't know how I wore contacts and glasses for all those years.

The best money I have spent on triathlon happened last week at Dick's Sporting Goods. (Seriously, can you type that or say it without giggling a little?!) I had gone to Dick's (he he he!) for gel as I had a coupon, but took a detour into the bike section just to see what they had. I don't know what lead me to the wall of "gadgets" but there I stood staring at a wall of water bottle holders, tubes, etc. You know, gadgets. And staring right back at me was something genius.

For many years now I've been trying to figure out the best way to clean my aero bottle and straw. By the end of last season there was mold in both my bottle and straw. Ew! I decided to try my bottle in the dishwasher, which has worked wonders and now is completely clean, but as for the straw I decided to just buy a new one. As this season has rolled along, my straw has begun to get pretty gross. Honest to goodness, I do my best to clean it but the inside of it was beginning to turn colors again. Good grief! I had decided I was going to make my own scrubber out of pipe cleaners and had even decided to make a tutorial to put on this blog. But a $10 find at Dick's Sporting Goods changed all this.

Behold!!!!

No, I do not have a Camelbak. But the tube scrubber inside this kit worked wonders to clean out my straw. Thank you Camelbak for being geniuses.

A great story, but I couldn't think of a catchy title...

2011-07-26T17:55:00.003-04:00

I mentioned in the last post that this was going to be a big week of training. And today was definitely a big day: 6-1/2 hours of biking followed by a 35 minute run. But let's back up...

With a bike ride of that length there's a lot of logistics that goes into it. I leave from home in the beginning of the ride, but don't return until the end of the ride. That way I'm not likely to stop in the middle of the workout. Instead I usually make my parents' house my base to work out of. This allows me to have a real bathroom, water to refill my bottles, ibuprofen when needed, etc. Yesterday I decided to take over supplies so I wouldn't have to carry as much. When I got to their house last evening I couldn't get the garage door code to work. The numbers weren't even lighting up. We had a power outage earlier in the day so I thought maybe they didn't have any electricity. But we were able to look inside and see that the power was indeed on. So Dave tried the keypad again and this time the numbers lit up but the code was still not working. I remembered my mom had said something about the keypad getting a new battery the week before, so I called them to ask them what was up with it (my parents are on vacation). Of course, they couldn't help me and doing a quick search on the iPhone it looked like the code needed reset but it couldn't be done without an additional code that was provided in the manual that was located somewhere inside the house. In addition, my key only works in the door inside the garage so I was out of luck using my parents' house as my base for this long ride. My sister lives 20ish miles away from us and I could use her house except all the roads around her have been recently chip-sealed so I didn't really want to risk a flat tire riding out to her house. Also, I knew my bladder wouldn't be able to make that trip early in the ride. Instead I decided I would need to carry all my junk and use the school for my bathroom (port-a-john, YUCK!) and to refill my water bottles in the drinking fountain.

I have to admit, I really wasn't looking forward to this workout. It's not that I've checked out of training, I'm just a little tired of training. Yes the race is close, but it's still far enough away that there's still plenty of training to go. I knew the day would be long and hot and I was just going to have to settle in and just go with it. And I did. I got into a zone, focused on nutrition and pace and just cleared my head of the bad stuff. But the day got hot quickly and the wind started picking up and my mood quickly soured. It was going to be a long struggle. The ride didn't go badly, it just wasn't a happy experience. I rode the same roads again and again to try to keep the wind at my side. Throughout the day I noticed my pace slipping and my heart rate going up, which I knew meant that I was dehydrated but I also was drinking tons. By the end of the ride I had drank (drunk?) 7 bottles of sports drink and somewhere between 3-4 bottles of water. And I covered just over 105-1/2 miles. Not as fast as I would have liked, but the pace has been consistent through all my training.

When I returned home to start my run I was feeling really shaky. I even had trouble tying my shoes. I got started, though, settled in and things were going well. Pace was good and I was feeling better than I thought I would. Sixteen minutes into the run, I started to feel overheated. Very overheated. I stopped my watch, found some shade and took a short break. I poured some of my water on my back, on my face, and over my head. And then it hit me. I started feeling really bad, really fast. I walked over to the side of the road that didn't have any houses and started throwing up. Lots and lots of gatorade vomit along with some snot and many tears. A few minutes later I was done and decided it was time to walk home. I was feeling better, though, and thought, "Meredith, you're tougher than this. Finish the workout." So I started running again. At the two mile mark I took my nutrition and kept on going. Gosh darn it, I finished that run! It wasn't as fast as I would have liked, but I think I earned some "tough" points.

It was a long day out there. I battled my demons and won. It wasn't my best workout and I certainly hope race day goes better. After my breakdown in Louisville last year, this workout was a huge victory, vomit and all.

Re-Up

2011-07-24T09:58:00.002-04:00

This past week was a recovery week in my training. And I didn't do jack crap! Three runs, two bikes, and zero swims. ZERO!!! I'm not gonna lie, I've reached that point in my training where I am burnt out. My knee and achilles have been hurting, I'm tired, I'm hungry. There are seven weeks to go until THE BIG ONE!!! it's time to re-up...

Rededicate and Refocus

Seven weeks can feel like a long time. But I also know there are only three to four weeks of big training left. I've already done some big training too: a century ride, two 16-milers and an 18 mile run, two 4000 meter swims, so really the training that's left is no different than what I've already done. This week includes another 4000 meter swim, a 100+ mile bike ride, and yet another 18 mile run. That's just three days of training this week. Whew!

Refocus, Mer. The reward is worth it.

Thunder Dog

2011-07-23T10:58:00.003-04:00

My dog Sloopy has recently become scared of thunderstorms. She shakes and her heart rate races and she pants and it's just awful. This has become a problem since there have been some big scary storms as of recent. Dave and I were doing a little reading about what to do and we saw a recommendation for a "thunder shirt". Basically, it's a shirt that makes your dog feel like they're getting hugged. Well, we're a little more creative and a lot more frugal in creating our thunder shirt for Sloopy. My sister gave me a bunch of her children's clothing as the kiddos have gotten bigger (no, no plans on the horizon...she told me I could sell them if I wanted). Introducing Sloopy in her thunder outfit:

Yes she is wearing a onesie and overalls. Funny enough, I put her in these the other day, went to the bathroom and when I came out she had somehow taken all of it off. How did she do that?

In other dog news....I am watching my parents' dog Kirby while they are on vacation for the next eight days. He came over last night and within the next three hours threw up on my brand new carpet. Awesome. Then I put him in his crate, put Sloopy and myself in bed, only to have Kirby bark THE ENTIRE NIGHT!!! I may have gotten three hours of continuous sleep. Did I mention Dave was out of town too? Oh yeah, I'm fighting this battle all by myself.

Here's hoping for a nap...

Product Review: Scape Sunscreen

2011-07-20T10:37:00.003-04:00

Every year that Dave and I are together buying gifts for him gets tougher and tougher. This past Christmas I really dug deep and thought of some good stuff with which he was totally surprised. And every year I try to think of really creative items I can put in his stocking. While sitting in the library reading magazines (hey, it's FREE!!!) it was staring at me in the face out of the glossy pages of Runner's World....really good athlete sunscreen.

You see, although I do burn I turn a nice crisp shade of tan as the summer goes on. Dave on the other hand, burns and the peels, and he complains and WAAAAAHHHHH!!!! Since I still had no idea what his training and racing plans would consist of, I thought sunscreen would be a good idea. Of course, now I know he would be training for shorter races and I would be the one using the sunscreen.

I bought Scape athlete sunscreen in SPF 50+ from my local RoadRunner Sports. Actually, I bought two bottles of it: one for Dave's stocking and one for mine. Look what Santa brought me!!!

We first used it when we went to Mexico back in January. Since then I have used it for every single one of my long bike rides. I use a lot of it and it's thick and covers well. And it is the best sunscreen I have ever used. It stays on for like, forever. It keeps the sun from burning my skin but doesn't run into my eyes or doesn't make me feel sticky. It does seem to turn white as the workouts get long and I sweat more. But I'd rather be turning white than turning red. I have been burnt while using the sunscreen, however. When I did my half ironman this summer, I got pretty burnt on my shoulders. I don't know if the sunscreen didn't outlast the swim or if pouring all the water on my shoulders to cool myself down caused the sunscreen to fail. I also get a little burnt around the edges of my shirt where I rub for hours on end.

I am trying to figure out a sunscreen plan for THE BIG ONE!!! coming up. Sure, I can put the sunscreen on before the race, but the time in the water along with wearing a wetsuit may take all of the sunscreen off. At Louisville last year there were people who put sunscreen on you as you left transition, but as I recall that was not the case with THE BIG ONE!!! :) Scape is coming out with a spray sunscreen but I can't bank on it coming out by the time of the race. They have a foam sunscreen which may be an option as it says it can be used hands-free, but I'm not sure how much time I want to "waste" in transition. I'm also thinking of getting two spray bottles of the Neutrogena Wet Sunscreen-one for my T1 bag and one for the T2 bag. Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.

Overall, I think this is the best sunscreen I've ever used. I preach it to my triathlon friends and I hope you consider using it too.

Amazing Blogger Award (or another "questions about me" post)

2011-07-19T17:28:00.004-04:00

Melissa nominated me, wanted to know about me (because you know, we've only known each other for TWENTYFIVE YEARS!!), or I just can't think of anything creative or interesting to write anymore...

My favorite cartoon character is…I've got to be honest, I don't like cartoons. I KNOW! But I do love the Muppets. That's close, right?

My favorite thing to photograph is…Once I started my photo booth business my photography really took a back seat. But, I do love to do TTV (through the viewfinder) photographs. Here's one of my favorite's I took two years ago at on a dirt road near my sister's house.

My favorite thing to cook is…Dave does almost all the cooking in the house. But, I do make a great spaghetti/pasta sauce.

My favorite way to exercise is…Swimbikerun. Isn't that obvious?

My favorite movie is…You've Got Mail. How can you resist the cuteness that is Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan?

My favorite article of clothing is…I'm a basic t-shirt and jeans kind of girl.

My favorite flower is…I like orchids. They're easy to take care of, last a long time, and they're pretty.

My favorite breakfast is...I love a really yummy eggs benedict with lots and lots of hollandaise sauce.

I know I'm supposed to nominate/tag people but I don't want to pressure anyone or hurt anyone's feelings. If you want to participate, go for it! I'd love to read it.

Triathlon is not a poor man's sport

2011-07-14T07:55:00.002-04:00

Once upon a time I had a real job, a real profession, a real career. I had money, good money, and could do things like buy clothes, take vacations, and afford to do whatever race I wanted.

But then I started my own business and quit my cushy job. And then I got poor.

Here's a little fact for you...owning your own business does not mean you're rolling in the dough. I have employees to pay, taxes to pay, supplies to purchase, and at the end of it all I take home very little. VERY LITTLE!!! Dave and I try to stick to a strict budget and have given up luxuries. The first year it was fun, almost like a challenge. The second year we survived. This third year, I'm sick of it. I miss my money. I want to go on a real vacation, not one that involves staying with either my parents or Dave's parents intruding on their vacations. I want to improve my wardrobe. And I want to be able to buy things for sport that I want.

I posted on Facebook the other day that I had spent $67 on nutrition (gels and such) in addition to buying a new pair of running shoes which I had luckily found on sale for $82. I also recently bought a new pair of biking shorts which everyone was raving about. Again I found them on sale for $98. And I signed up for a local triathlon which was running a special where if three people sign up, they split the cost of two people. So I paid less than $45 for an Olympic tri.

Some of those things I needed, some I didn't. Either way, I didn't have the money for any of it. Needless to say, triathlon is not a poor man's sport. I think I once read that the average salary of a triathlete (or maybe an iron-athlete) is over six figures. Are you kidding me? How does the average joe afford it?

For me, I pick and choose what I actually need and what I can get by without. Here's a rundown of how I save money in triathlon:

Dave and I use a credit card for all purchases, which makes us points, which earns us money or things. I used points to buy my Garmin and essentially got it for "free." We are also accumulating those points to help pay for our trip to Houston for the marathon in January.
I buy all my nutrition wholesale from Road Runner Sports. It makes my gels and things less than a $1/piece. That's cheaper than buying them one at a time from the grocery. I also mix my own sports drinks which saves BIG money to buy the powder. And thankfully we have a RRS store close by so I don't have to pay for shipping.
I try to plan my race schedule a year in advance, therefore signing up for the races as early as possible to get the lowest rate. And I always search the internet for a coupon code to try to get that fee even cheaper.
I rarely buy any new gear, except for shoes. I have been wearing the same workout clothes for years. I will wear it until it falls apart, can no longer get the stink out of it, or you can see through it. Fashion? I rarely match. :) And as for swimsuits which do fall apart often, I buy mine from Splish which seems to have figured out how to make them last longer, plus I guy the grab bag suits when they're on sale for $29. I don't care what it looks like. $29 for a swimsuit that's going to last longer than 6 months? Yes please.
Some of my splurges include paying for a coach, which I would not train for an ironman without one, and having a gym membership. Although, we do get a discount for that too because our gym is located in the same area where Dave is employed. We get an employee discount.

So, how do you afford triathlon? What do you do to save money? What can I do more? What is necessary and not necessary for triathlon? Do you think race fees are out of control? Are there things or races you absolutely say no to because of the price? Speak up triathletes!

My Achilles Heel

2011-07-12T16:55:00.003-04:00

With just about two months until THE BIG ONE!!! I'm starting to put together realistic race expectations/goals. For me, it all comes down to my achilles heel: the bike. In the past year I've made great gains on the bike but I'm still left wondering, how is everyone so fast on the bike?

I have watched the 2010 Ironman World Championships about a hundred times. Thank you DVR! Although I CAN'T STAND Chris McCormack, he says one thing (and only one thing) that I agreed with during that telecast regarding the so-called cyclists during the race..."I have immense respect for the Stadlers and the Lietos who race this event that way (hammering the bike). It's a lonely, tough way to race this race. Especially in the sense that all you get all day once you get off the bike is lost time." So that has me wondering, are people really that great of bikers or do they know that's where they can make the most amount of time gains and don't necessarily care about the rest of the race?

When I look at the best triathletes in the world, Chris McCormack, Craig Alexander, Chrissie Wellington, Mirinda Carfrae, Andreas Raelert, not only are they really good all-around athletes, I would say that running is their strength. And really, it all comes down to the run in the end. Craig Alexander said it best during that same telecast, "If you spend too much energy somewhere, you're going to pay for it somewhere else. So, when you see guys really fade badly in the run, usually it's because they've gone too hard, spent too many pennies on the bike."

For me, I want to put together a good race from start to finish. I want to look back and think there was nothing I could have done better. I want to follow my plan to a "T." And if that means I have to let everyone in the whole damn race pass me on the bike, so be it. I'll see them again on the run.

You've Got to Want It

2011-07-04T10:33:00.000-04:00

It's July now. Midway through the summer, which means, midway through triathlon season, which means we're getting ever closer to THE BIG ONE!!! The training days are getting long. The miles are accumulating by the day. Last year at this time I was not only scared of what lay ahead, I was suffering. I didn't want to swimbikeruneastsleep. I just wanted it to be over. This seems to be a common theme with other iron triathletes. But for me, something's different this year.

I have never wanted this more.

Last year I was consumed with thoughts of the finish--what it was going to be like, would I cry, would I remember everything about it. Sure, I'm still thinking about the finish this year, but I'm also thinking about everything else in between. I am practicing specifically for this race. Every stroke, every step, every gel eaten, every ounce of sports drink consumed is going toward this race. I think about pacing and speed and electrolytes and heart rate and who I want to beat. I'm finding this year that it's so much easier getting through the long hours being completely focused on one task.

Right now I am fully focused and ready to go. With ironman you've got to want it. And I want it badly. See you at the start line.

June Totals

2011-07-01T11:31:00.001-04:00

June was a BIG month. I raced one of my 'A' races for the year: Racing for Recovery half ironman, setting a new PR along the way. June also brought about full-on ironman training, which brought about BIG numbers. Here's the breakdown:

Total hours: 44 hours, 42 minutes

Swim: 20,100 meters (~12.5 miles)

Bike: 363.18 miles

Run: 90.06 miles

Many more BIG numbers to come next month.

A Post About Justin Bieber?

2011-06-26T11:32:00.008-04:00

**I hope this post at least makes you giggle.**

In the middle of wedding season and ironman training, you'd think I'd be completely overwhelmed and have not much on my mind. Actually I only have one thing on my mind:

I need a new haircut.

I have, basically, had the same style for the last five years. Here I am at my 10 year high school reunion (far right) in 2006:

In 2007 while on vacation in Switzerland:

2009 at the Boston Marathon (far left):

While at the beach with my parents in 2010:

And recently I've been growing out the bangs while the rest of the hair is long, long, LONG!!!:

I thought having my hair long would be beneficially for my training. It would be easy. It would fit into a swim cap, helmet, and hat/visor. But it's quite the opposite. It is hot. It gets tangly (although I do help myself by braiding it or wearing a double ponytail). It takes FOREVER to dry. And mostly it is bland, bland, bland. This week I cracked and cut my bangs, again, hoping to give the haircut a little variety. Honestly, it just made it exactly the same it's been for years and I kinda hate it.

Truth of the matter is, I really want to cut it. All of it. I want it to look like this:

Yep, I want to cut all of it off. According to my stylist, I have enough hair to donate, which will earn me a warm-and-fuzzy feeling along with a free haircut. ;) And she says my hair *should* be able to do this as long as I use product. I want to believe her, but somehow I feel like she's blowing smoke up my butt. You see, I've tried the super-short-hair thing before. In college...you know, the years of experimentation.

The next series of pictures all happened during my freshman year. I tried to thing of something creative to say about these pictures, but all I can say is "OH MY GOSH!!!"

Let me say something in my defense about these unfortunate mistakes: (a) I didn't have enough money for a good haircut then and (b) I didn't have a stylist who I trust. (c) I have learned how to dress like a girl. And (d) I no longer color my hair.

But my worry is this. I don't want to wind up looking like my husband. And I don't want to look like a soccer mom. And I certainly don't want to look like this:

Or this:

**See, I told you this post would make you giggle. :)**

Running Scared

2011-06-20T11:15:00.003-04:00

It's not very often that I look at my upcoming training and think, "Woah! That workout is scary." Generally I like the challenge and take it by the horns. But today's workout has had me scared/nervous/sick to my stomach for two weeks.

After Louisville last year, I made a list of the things I felt I needed to get to the finish line of an ironman. Coach agreed with some and disagreed with others. One we somewhat disagreed on was the need to do more/longer running off the bike and to put in more running miles. The reason I failed in running off the bike was not my inability to run, it was my nutrition/hydration or lack thereof during Louisville. We are working on the nutrition, but to heal my mental shortcomings we ARE doing more running off the bike.

Today's workout: a somewhat short trainer bike ride followed by a 16 mile run.

Did you read that correctly? SIXTEEN MILES OFF THE BIKE!!!

I started preparing for this workout yesterday. I hydrated all day, ate clean and well (mostly), checked water sources and port-a-johns throughout town, and got all my nutrition together. Then I was in bed by 9:30. Yep, the sun had barely set and I was already in bed. The alarm went off at 5:00 and I got up at 5:45. I struggle with early mornings. :) I was on the bike by 6:20. The bike went well. I kept my heart rate right where it was supposed to be and followed my ironman nutrition plan. Then it was time for the run.

Even after starting this workout I was still nervous about the run. As I was gathering my stuff for the run I was kinda gagging. I was scared about what lay ahead. I kept telling myself, "calm down. It's only a run." Soon I was out the door.

I've mentioned it a hundred times before; I liked to run by feel. Coach allows me to do this and encourages it by giving me runs that descend based on feeling and not what my Garmin says. So, I put a sticker over the Garmin and began the run. Last week had beautiful weather for my long run. It was barely 60 degrees. Today was over 70 degrees at the start of it with 100% humidity. Breathing was a little more labored, so I held back and just kept things comfortable. After 8 miles it was time to check the Garmin and begin the descending portion of my run. I had nailed those first 8 miles at a 9:09 pace. Around 8 miles is where I really feel the mojo set in and I was hitting my paces perfectly. I was following my nutrition plan and really doing well. Soon I was 12 miles in and shifting gears once again. I was on my way home and doing terrific. I don't know why I had been so scared about this workout. I was killing it! Finally I hit mile 16. I looked at the final time - 2:22 and change for a total pace of sub-9:00.

Things are really on track for a great race in a few months. I've just got to continue to keep my head in the game, attack my workouts, and follow the plan.

Just the Facts, Ma'am

2011-06-17T15:28:00.002-04:00

Due to the forecasted weather for tomorrow, I was forced to do my long bike ride today. Here's a few fun facts about today's ride.

I rode for 4-1/2 hours today. That's longer than any marathon I've ever run.
I took 5 bathroom breaks. It's sad to say but the gas station bathroom was as disgusting as any port-a-john I've used (except for the ones at Reach the Beach 2007).
I averaged 16.2 mph for this ride which is about 1 mph faster than last year for the same distance. What a difference a year makes!
While on the ride I drank 5 bottles of First Endurance sports drink and I also drank 2 bottles of water, ate 3 servings of Gu Chomps, had 4 servings of First Endurance EFS Liquid Gel, and consumed 9 salt tabs. It would have been 10 except I dropped my last one on the road. I also had 2 Advil halfway through the ride.
My average heart rate for the ride was 142 which is on the cusp of zone 1/zone 2.
The wind seemed to be coming out of every direction. Okay, that's not a fact, but it sure seemed like it. Looking out my window right now, the wind is out of the south.
Number of phone calls I received while on the bike? One. My mom.
The song that ran through my head the entire ride was Avalon's "My Jesus, I love thee."
Number of bugs that hit me in the face during the ride? N+1. That's for all my math geek friends. :)

I also ran 15 minutes (1.75) miles off the bike. Overall I'd say it was a great (and fun) ride/run. Next week, I'll tack on another half hour to this ride. I wonder what "facts" can come from next week's adventures?

Rants and Raves

2011-06-16T15:39:00.003-04:00

I think I'm going to start a new series on this blog called "Rants and Raves." For those of you who know me in real life, you know I can get pretty fired up about a subject. So now it's time to take it to the blog. :)

Ranting about....

...the Duggars. I'm getting myself ready this morning and I hear on the news that the Duggars have an announcement this morning. Are you kidding me? Did they not learn anything with their last baby? I'm hoping it's about their oldest child and the birth of their second child. Lo and behold, the announcement was the birth of the second Duggar grandchild. Thank God. During lunch today I'm actually watching TLC (don't ask) and a preview is shown for an upcoming Duggar special on the birth of that second grandchild. They show Anna, the daughter-in-law, laboring in a tub, fully clothed in a long skirt and shirt. Let me tell you something, Duggars, everyone knows HOW people get pregnant and we're not stupid enough to think the stork actually brought that second grandchild. The baby came out of Anna's vagina and it wasn't while she was fully clothed! What is up with these people? Does anyone care about the Duggars? I mean, come on! Frankly, I think they give Christian folks a bad rap.

Raving about...

I've mentioned before, that my goal each year is to read 12 books; one for each month of the year. Last year I failed miserably, but this year I'm just a little behind target. The book I'm currently reading, Beautiful Boy by David Sheff, has been on my list of books I've wanted to read for a while. In one sentence, it's about a father's journey through his son's addiction. That's what it says on the cover, anyway. And, I freakin' love this book. It's like reading an episode of "Intervention" but getting the whole story. I can't wait to read the son's memoir about his same experience.

So, what do you think about "Rants and Raves?" Worthy of a series? Annoying? Makes you think of your own rants and raves? Comments?

"I" Week

2011-06-14T11:40:00.002-04:00

When I pledged a sorority in college, the week you are inducted, you must go through "I" Week, initiation week, hell week. I've reached that point in my training. The half ironman is done. Recovery week is over. Welcome to "I" week/month/quarter. In this case "I" stands for ironman.

Forget about fixing your hair, wearing makeup, or wearing normal clothes for the next three months. And you better hope that house is clean now because it will not be touched again until the middle of September. It's now about hyper-organization, long hours, longer workouts, eating around the clock, sleeping any chance you get, ice baths, and emotional roller coasters.

"I" week started with a 14 mile run yesterday, a 3500 meter swim this morning, and will conclude later in the week with a 4-1/2 hour bike, with a lot of stuff between now and then. And next week, well, next week is just scary.

So if you don't hear from me in the next three months, you know where I am. I am in the pool, on the roads, hitting the trails, or sitting in a tub of ice. And I can't believe I'm going to say this...I'm giddy with excitement! This year I'm going to be inducted. I've gone through two years of hell, have ridden every roller coaster of emotions, and this year my lifelong goal of becoming an ironman will be achieved. Welcome to "I" week Mer. It's going to be a great ride.

I Heart Spectating

2011-06-12T17:12:00.002-04:00

Sunday, I got to spectate the biggest hometown triathlon, Wendy's International Triathlon and Duathlon. Dave was participating (and hopefully he'll have a blog post up soon) so I was there for him, but I saw some great things while spectating.

Next to Dave in transition, someone had "racked" their mountain bike with the kickstand.
While Dave was setting up his transition, a guy standing next to me began giving Dave advice on where he should put his bike numbers. Dave just listened intently while I wanted to scream, "He's a two time ironman finisher. He knows what the eff he's doing!"
The swim is in the shallow area of the beach and being that it's a mixed bag of beginners, experienced triathletes, and people just trying to survive, you see a quite the combination of wetsuits short and long and people just wearing swimsuits or their tri suits. My favorite this day was a woman wearing a lycra catsuit that zipped up the front. What the what? Where do you get something like that?
After Dave had taken off on the bike, I took a bathroom break and began walking to the bike dismount line. I quickly reversed course when I decided I wanted to be on the other side of transition. Well, a skateboarder decided I reversed course too quickly and ran right into me. I gave him a few choice words. And a group of kids learned some new words too. :)
My favorite of the day: seeing a guy come in from the bike wearing his helmet backwards. Yeah, he wore it like that the entire ride.
Speaking of helmet, I saw a woman wearing hers to the side, like a mortar board or like girls wore hats in the '90s. I sure hope she doesn't fall on the other side of her head.
At the bike dismount, I saw a guy not completely unclip and went over his handlebars with the bike falling on top of him. He rebounded quickly and didn't look like he had bad road rash on him. Lucky.
Finally, and I'm not sure a description does this justice without seeing it in person, I loved the very large man in spandex running capris running in several buddies at the finish line. Was he competing? Nope. Just running it in. :)

Thursday Thoughts

2011-06-09T08:22:00.003-04:00

Wow! It's been a long time since I've done a Thursday Thoughts. If you're new or don't remember what Thursday Thoughts is all about. Basically, I ask a question and you answer it in the comments. Not that difficult. Now on with it....

I hate to make decisions. Any decisions. What to have for dinner? What workouts to do? When to do my workouts? Etc., etc. When it comes to big decisions, I'm a mess. Deciding to quit gymnastics when I was a teenager just about killed me. It took a full year to make that decision. This week I had to make a big decision. It was a lose-lose situation and I've really wrestled with it. Finally last night, the decision HAD to be made. I decided not to attend my sister's upcoming wedding. I feel HORRIBLE about it! But, it's in the middle of the week and it's a destination wedding and it's in the middle of my busiest month for photo boothing. Plus, she, supposedly, is doing a celebration here for those who couldn't attend so I would definitely go to that. I don't feel good about the decision I made, but I don't think I would feel good if I had decided it the other way.

So, do you struggle with decisions? What type of decisions make you feel conflicted? What was your hardest decision to make?

Racing for Recovery Half Ironman 2011

2011-06-06T08:15:00.007-04:00

My big A race of the year is in the books. Yesterday was the Racing for Recovery Half Ironman in Monroe, Michigan (where?) I had big goals for this race. Some I hit; some I didn't. Here's the rundown. ***Note, lots of pictures in this post***

I had a great "pre-race." Saturday morning I had a great ride and run and after getting to the site Saturday afternoon, I had a great open water swim. Dinner was eaten and then I got a full 8 hours of sleep. Yep you read that right: EIGHT FREAKIN' HOURS!!! I was prepared and calm Sunday morning.

The race was small with only about 40 women, so I decided to swim strong from the front. The men went off first, and then all the women strolled into the water. Here I am getting ready for the swim:

3,2,1, GO!!! And I was off and fast. I had worked my way out of the mess of women and by the first buoy I was catching men. By the time we were swimming across the beach, I was in a pack with two other women and drafting well. I probably touched the toes of the woman in front of me 20 times! For most of the swim I thought maybe I was in the lead pack. I could see no other pink swim caps in front of me. Before the last turn buoy, though, I got totally cock blocked when a man stood up right in front of me, causing me to stop and work around him, thus losing the two women I was swimming with. I caught back up with one of them, but she swam so close to me she pushed me into a bouy and she was off again. Finally I was around the last turn, heading for home. I got up to the swim exit, ripped off the top of my wetsuit, and looked at my watch. Hot damn! 37 minutes! That was a great swim! I saw Dave and he told me I was in the top ten women. I walked my way into transition, calming my heart rate down, and now it was time to ride.

Swim - 37:34, 1:53/100m pace, 2nd AG

T1 - 2:41

The plan for the ride was to just go by heart rate and stick to the nutrition plan. Now, I totally made an amateur move and tried something new. I got the quick release for my Garmin and the cadence/speed sensor, but the first time I really used it was for this race. I placed the Garmin on my bike before the race and made sure it was reading my heart rate. When I got to my bike after the swim, it was reading 180. Geezy Pete! Seriously?! I had walked through transition. How could my heart rate be so high? I started on the bike easy, hoping the heart rate would come down. The plan was to be in zone 2 for the whole ride. 180 was somewhere around zone 5. I did not see my heart rate drop into at least zone 3 until an hour and a half into the ride and it NEVER fell into zone 2. I wondered the entire ride if it was actually reading correctly.

Since this was my first time using my Garmin as my bike computer, I still haven't figured out what I would like to see on the Garmin while riding. One thing I wasn't seeing was average speed, which made figuring out how long I was going to be biking or if I was doing "well" difficult. Late in the ride I started doing some math and it wasn't looking good. I was hoping to be on the bike for 3 hours and it was going to go longer than that. Of course, dropping my chain TWICE didn't help my cause either. The ride was rough, my mental status was shot, and my stomach didn't feel all that great as I came into transition.

Bike - 3:11:17, 17.6 mph avg, 7th AG

T2 - 1:07

I made it through transition quickly, but I was a mess. I met Dave on the way out of transition and kind of broke down. He walked with me a bit and settled me down. Then I started running. Even with that walk I still hit the first mile mark in 8:33. Okay, maybe this won't be so bad. Just after the first mile marker was a port-a-john, and I stopped. This was the ONLY time during he entire race that I peed. Yep, I was dehydrated. With the pit stop, I hit the next mile at 8:49. Thank goodness I'm a runner. I started to get into rhythm, counting every step along the way. When I needed to walk through a water stop I did, but it looked like I was still able to run 8:30s pretty consistently. I was catching TONS of people and starting to feel better. At the halfway point I saw Dave, who reassured me I was looking good and that most people were looking really bad. It was time to go catch them.

But starting the second lap my stomach started to revolt again. I kept thinking to myself, "you only have to make it less than an hour. Just hold on one hour, stomach." I needed to make up some time so I decided not to walk the water stops anymore. It didn't matter, though, I was losing time. 8:30s became 8:40s became 8:50s. During the out and back section, I finally saw my competition ahead of me. If I wanted to get on the podium, I had to catch those chicks. And I did. I raked in three women in my age group in the last 4 miles. Here I am breaking the heart of a few men too:

Finally I saw Dave again and it was time to haul to the finish line. I wasn't going to hit some of the time goals I had established for myself, but I still had a shot at a PR. Move legs!

Run - 1:53:28, 8:40 pace, 2nd AG

Total - 5:46:05, 4th AG, 13th female

Well, it was a new PR, but barely. A whopping 47 seconds. I missed the podium in my age group by one spot (and 9 minutes!). I have mixed feelings about this race. I thought there was a better race in me, but how can I be so tough on myself with the results I posted? I am disappointed with my bike, but ecstatic about my swim. Today, I'm sore, thirsty and hungry like the wolf. And tomorrow, it's back to training. There are still bigger races to come...

Running Survey

2011-06-01T08:21:00.003-04:00

I saw this on Melissa's blog and since I have zero creativity anymore, I thought I would use it to create a somewhat interesting blog entry. :)

What is your favorite type of cross training?
Swimming. Definitely swimming. I find it relaxing, destressing, and feels good on my sore body.

What is your favorite song to run to?
I run with an iPod, but truth be told, when returning from a run I couldn't name 3 songs I heard on the run. Olympic themed music usually pumps me up, though.

What brand of shoes do you wear?
I am currently using three different types of shoes: Saucony Omni, Saucony Fastwitch, and Avia Bolts.

Do you wear a hat when you run?
I ALWAYS wear a hat when I run. My favorite is my tattered Boston Marathon 2006 hat that my parents bought me for my birthday. It's lucky and I try to wear it for every race and every long run.

What temperature is your favorite for running?
40s or 50s. The colder the better.

Do you have any big races coming up?
Yes. That's all you need to know.

What is your favorite distance?
I like anything longer than 10 miles. I'm not fast enough for the short stuff, but I tend to get a little faster with each passing mile for the longer stuff. I will always love the marathon.

Are you a morning, noon, or evening runner?
I love to run in the morning and get it out of the way. Although, I prefer to get up when my body naturally wakes up and not when the alarm clock goes off.

Do you run solo or with a buddy?
I do all of my training solo. It gives me time to think and reflect on my own training and goals.

What is your favorite post run snack?
Chocolate Ensure when it's warm outside and hot chocolate when it's cold.

What is your favorite race?
Boston Marathon. There's nothing else like it.

Do you wear a Garmin? If not, how do you track your distance?
I only use a Garmin or heart rate monitor when I have to. Usually I use it only in practice because my workouts can get complicated with different types of intervals. When racing, I like to race by feel and not worry about pace. My workouts are designed on time, not distance, so the Garmin was never really intended to determine distance.

What is my least favorite race?
I don't know that I have a least favorite race. My least favorite distance is the 5K. Not only is it too short and too fast for what I can physically do, I think they're too expensive. $30 for 3 miles is ridiculous. I'd rather spend $30 on a half marathon. At least there I'm getting my money's worth.

Where is your favorite medal from?
Boston Marathon. Didn't I mention that already. :)

Who is your running idol?
I love Meb Keflezighi. I think he runs with a lot of heart. I also love to watch Mirinda Carfrae run. She holds nothing back.

How long have you been a runner?
I just celebrated my tenth anniversary of distance running. I did my first marathon in 2001. I ran track in high school, though, as a sprinter. The last two years have been solely devoted to triathlon.

Do you run with your wedding/engagement ring on?
No. I only wear my wedding ring on special occasions. After breaking my finger almost two years ago, and not being able to fit my ring for a whole year, I've just gotten used to naked fingers.

What is your favorite workout? tempo? long run? fartlek? repeats?
That pretty much sums up every workout. The coach and I believe in low volume with more "stuff" in each workout. Each workout is a challenge.

What is your favorite place to run?
I am lucky to live close to a country club that has miles and miles of walking trails. I usually run from my house down there. I also have a favorite ten mile route that runs from the high school, past Abercrombie, and back.

Do you use Gu?
I use all kinds of different nutrition: First Endurance sports drink (lemon lime), EFS liquid gel (vanilla), Power Gel (strawberry banana), Gu Chomps (strawberry). I buy all of mine in bulk. It's cheaper.

What do you drink to keep hydrated?
I use sports drink on the bike and water on the run.

What do you take with you on a run? Does it vary by distance?
I almost always carry water with me, even if it's just for a short distance. I carry a handheld water bottle for anything under an hour, and I'll carry a full waist waterbelt for anything over an hour. I usually carry a key too and any nutrition I need. I always wear my RoadID. On the bike I carry along a cell phone and my driver's license too.

May Totals

2011-05-31T17:45:00.003-04:00

Unfortunately, being sick I missed a big week of training which really would have made these numbers shine. But, even without that week, I think I had a great month, had solid training, and totally rocked two races. Here's how May looked:

Training Time: ~34 hours

Swim: 20,750 meters (~13 miles)

Bike: 163.93 miles

Run: 51.75 miles

Other: 2 hours

From here on out, there will be one race per month until the big one with lots and lots and LOTS of training in between.

Garmin/Bike Computer Questions

2011-05-25T11:24:00.002-04:00

Alright, all you gurus out there, I've got questions! I posed this question a little bit ago on my Facebook page, but I've got more questions and a broader audience on the blog.

Here's my problem...I've got a wired Cateye Strada with cadence that I use for my bike computer. It probably only works about 30% of the time. It almost always gives me cadence but rarely gives me speed. The husband (who has exactly the same issues with his) and I have narrowed it down to either the sensors on the computer itself, which I don't think it is or else I don't think the cadence would work either, or the sensor that's actually on the bike to read the magnet and speed on the wheel. My problem is that my regular "training" wheels and my racing wheels are not the same widths so the sensors gets moved around and fits really loosely on the bike. Even if I get it working, every time I hit a bump, the sensor moves and I lose the speedometer.

Switching gears....

I train with a Garmin 310XT. I have a love/hate relationship with it. I think it's been a big help to my training. I love being able to program it and being able to track heart rate and speed, etc. BUT, I hate to race with it. I prefer to race on feel, especially with running, and don't like to know how fast or slow I'm going. With longer endurance races on the schedule (half ironman, full ironman), though, I need to wear a Garmin for the heart rate and speed on the bike. In general, in a race no matter what the distance, I don't wear heart rate for the run.

So, I've been thinking about getting a quick release for my Garmin along with the speed/cadence sensor for the Garmin to use on the bike. I like the idea of having all of the information I need all in one place so I'm not looking down at my computer for the cadence then up at my watch for the speed and heart rate. Here's the thing, though. I don't envision actually using the quick release portion in a race. As I mentioned before, I don't like to run with the Garmin and I don't really need it on the swim. I envision myself turning the Garmin on while setting up my transition and then using it only on the bike portion. Here are my concerns.

I would hope that all triathletes are trustworthy, but that's a might expensive piece of equipment if it were to get stolen off my bike.
If I turn it on before the race actually starts and make sure it's reading my heart rate, but then I go away for say, and hour and a half to two hours, will it still read my heart rate when I get to my bike?
The Garmin 405 turns itself off after a period of time when not in use, does the 310? (I don't think it does.)
My different wheel size problems are not going to change, will I have the same problems with reading any sensors? (This isn't a problem when riding outside because it will use GPS, but I do a whole lot of trainer riding.)
Is the quick release a "piece of crap" and will I be ruining my Garmin by changing it?
I've heard that the same Cateye in the wireless version is much better. Should I just invest in one of those?

Alright smarty-pants, I need your input. Please help me out!

It's a Mystery

2011-05-24T07:23:00.004-04:00

After Rev3 last week, I came home to a sore lower back. I had raced hard in Knoxville and I figured it was just soreness and some residual pain from my fall back in February. I still believe that. Having raced so well and so hard, not only was my back hurting, but I was feeling a little let down, tired, and unmotivated when I got home. It was raining for the bajillionth time and I just didn't want to do anymore training. So I sat on the couch for a few days. I realized that it may never stop raining so I finally took my bike to the basement and placed it on the training. I did two workouts last week, both 45 minute training rides.

Thursday of last week I tried to go out for a run but my back was continuing to bother me so I scrapped the run. In the "big picture" that run meant nothing. Later in the evening, however, I started developing a new pain in my back but this one was in my left side, up by my ribs, kinda in the kidneys area, and it was super strong pain. I sat with a heating pad on my back while watching my evening TV. By the time I went to bed, that pain area had gotten larger and had moved into the front of my ribs and was intense in my chest. I thought maybe it was just gas or heartburn so I took a Zantac before I went to bed.

In the middle of the night I was awoken as the pain was getting worse and now there was pain in my shoulder. I started to panic. Oh no! I'm having a heart attack! Oh no! I'm having a pulmonary embolism! I was in so much pain I could barely move. I barely slept the remainder of the night. I was a little scared there would be no waking up if I did. Friday morning I asked Dave what I should do. There was a part of me that knew I needed to go to the ER, but we've been slammed by unexpected bills recently and that same part of me knew we couldn't afford a trip to the ER. Honestly, that should have been the last of my worries. There was another part of me that was scared to find out what it was because I thought my triathlon season might be ruined. If it was indeed a PE, and I would be on blood thinners, triathlon would be a no-no perhaps forever. I called my mom. She's had, unfortunately, many blood clots including a PE and I described my symptoms to her. She told me to call the doctor. I did and luckily they could get me in that afternoon. They told me if I started feeling worse to go straight to the ER. I waited it out.

I got to the doctor and started to describe the pain. By this time the pain in my shoulder had subsided. It seemed to come and go as I laid down and got back up. The pain in my ribs remained. The doctor did a urine test for my kidneys. Everything looked fine there. Then he thought maybe my lungs were leaking. What the what?! He said this happens with skinny athletes. Really?! I had a chest x-ray and everything came back looking fine there too. He didn't want to put me through any more tests that day. I thought that seemed a little odd (this was not my regular doctor I was seeing, by the way). Why wouldn't you want to do a blood test, at least? He concluded that I was either having inflammation in my ribs from the training, which I guess is also common with skinny athletes, or that I had shingles. He mentioned shingles three separate times in that appointment. He gave me a prescription for Naproxen, basically extra strength Aleve, and told me to wait out the weekend to see if the shingles rash started to appear.

Friday night was another night of restless sleeping. I could only be on my right side, so I was woken up any time my body tried to find another position and was met with immense pain. I think the longest I slept at any one time was two hours. Saturday morning I felt a little better. The pain in my shoulder was here to stay, but the ribs were doing alright. I had a full day of photo boothing, so I got myself ready. As I was finishing up, however, the pain got intense. I don't think intense is the right word for it. It was more like someone had ripped out my rib, broken it in two, and was using the broken ends of it to poke me in the lungs. I couldn't stand up straight. I couldn't sit. All I could do was lay on my right side. Unfortunately, I had to work. I got in the car and laid in the back seat as we dropped our dog off at my parents' house. My mom saw how much pain I was in and offered me some Tylenol in addition to the Naproxen I was taken. An hour later, the pain was manageable.

I felt okay for about four hours. Yep, four hours was my max for Saturday. By the afternoon I couldn't complete a sentence, the pain was so intense. I put on a happy face, though, and continued to work. By late afternoon, I made a call asking my dad if he could fill in for me that evening. I hated doing it, but my level of discomfort was off the charts. I spent the rest of the evening crawled up in a little ball. Looking back, I probably should have gone to the ER on Saturday even after seeing the doctor on Friday.

Sunday came around and I thought maybe I had turned a corner. My shoulder was still killing me, but the pain in my ribs was subsiding. My breath was "fluttered", you could feel it both internally and externally cracking and fluttering every time I took a breathed in. I also woke up Sunday with my left eye bothering me. It was puffy and itchy, but didn't look like I had pink eye. And my left ear was echoey. Yet, I had no rash. I spent all day Sunday in bed.

Yesterday I felt about the same. I called my doctor and we consulted over the phone. He said it wasn't shingles. I would have had a rash by now and shingles wouldn't have pain in multiple areas. I was surprised he didn't call me back into the office to do more tests, but he did prescribe me something stronger: Prednisone. Yes my friends, I'm on steroids. Call Tyler Hamilton! He needs to do another "60 Minutes" interview. I'm on high doses for the first three days and then the doses get lower with each three days thereafter. I took my first dose last night with dinner.

This morning I feel SO much better. Like, 85% better. The pain in my shoulder seems to be gone. I can still feel the rib pain, but finally I can get a full breath in. I plan on testing all of it out on a short workout this morning. I'm guessing I just had a virus that was affecting me strangely, but without having had a blood test, I guess I'll never know. I'm glad it wasn't worse and my triathlon season and summer are not ruined. I'm hoping with each passing day I'll keep feeling better. I just want to return to my normal life.

Rev3 Knoxville Olympic Triathlon 2011

2011-05-18T00:01:00.014-04:00

Last year I raced seven races total. Sunday was my seventh race of the season and my third triathlon. I feel like I've gotten a good jump on the year and have settled into my goals and expectations. I was ready. I was SO ready!

I slept great Saturday night and woke up Sunday hungry--hungry to eat up the course. I had established two goals for myself: PR and place in the top ten of my age group. I was ready to eat those for breakfast. I got to the course early, set up my stuff, and waited around patiently. I would be in the very last wave.

As we headed down to the swim start, I did get a little nervous about the swim, but overall I was excited and ready to tackle the day. I was here last year, had previewed the course again this year, have had GREAT training in the last couple of weeks, I knew exactly what to expect. Finally, my wave was called and we headed down the dock and into the water.

Look how calm I look before this race!

I'm the tiny one about to jump in.

I never know where to line up for a swim start. I know I am a strong enough swimmer that I should position myself nearer the front, but I really don't like the crowds. I am not good at drafting and I don't like to be around other people when I swim. Unfortunately there wasn't a whole lot of time to find the right position as the horn sounded and we were off. And I, of course, was right in the middle of a gazillion bodies. I kinda panicked. I treaded water for a good amount of time and actually said to myself, out loud, "this isn't worth it. I'm gonna swim over to those rocks and quit." But, I didn't. I pulled myself together, found space, put my face in the water, and just swam. And then I started to catch people. A lot of people. People in my wave, people in the wave before me. Before I knew it, the swim was done. I rolled myself onto the dock, started running up the dock, and then error #5 of the weekend happened: I couldn't get my wetsuit off.

See, I'm stuck!!!

I had, stupidly, put my watch on the outside of my wetsuit and the wrist cuff had gotten stuck. Really stuck. So stuck that I screamed at Dave when I saw him near transition, "I'M STUCK!" He and another volunteer pulled and pulled, which really hurt, until my hand popped out. I lost good time and my Garmin had gotten all screwed up in the process. Finally into transition, I had to restart my watch and would just wonder and do a little math for the remainder of the race to figure out how I was doing overall.

Swim - 30:20, 2:06/100m pace, 10/25 AG (All the swims were slow this year. I hear the course was a little long.)

T1 - 3:08 (This may have included the time I needed help getting my wetsuit off. I have no idea where the timing mats were.)

I have to admit, I love hills. I love to ride them. I love to run them. I enjoy the challenge. I love passing people. This bike course was made for me. I have worked for the last year on hills and I knew I was ready for a big bike day. I had something to prove. I started out conservatively, but made a conscious decision on the out and back portion of the course, "Meredith, you have got to go." I popped my bike into a big gear, which I never do, and pedaled as hard as I could. I raced up the hills. I pedaled every downhill. I stopped looking at my speed because I didn't want to freak out about it. Just go hard until the bike is over. I started to do a little math in my head. My goal was to go under 1:30 as last year I went 1:33. Soon I was realizing I was going to be in the 1:20s and before I knew it, I was back to transition in 1:22. Holy crap! I just became a legitimate triathlete.

Have you ever seen me smile getting off the bike?

Bike - 1:22:04, 18.13mph, 10th/25 AG (I was 12th AG coming off the bike.)

T2 - 1:15

Finally, I was out on the run, but things didn't seem to be clicking like they normally do. I saw Dave and said, "I may have spent too much on the bike." He told me I was within striking distance of several girls in my age group. I knew what I had to do: RUN! I didn't have the speed of last year, but I was still dropping 8:00s on the course. I was catching all kinds of people and soon found myself having passed 3 or 4 girls in my age group before the turn around. Right before the turn around, however, one very fast chick in my age group passed me. There was no way I could go with her. Turns out, she averaged 6:50s on the run. Yazow!

In the last two miles, I found myself in the land of men. I saw no women in front of me and knew I wasn't going to place any higher in my age group. I had no idea where I had placed, but I was pretty sure it was in the top 10 of the age group. My last mile was the hardest and slowest of the day. Had I known there was one more girl in my age group only 30 seconds in front of me, I probably could have found the strength, but as you can see, I was very much alone:

Looking very fit.

Run - 50:20, 8:06 pace, 7th/25 AG

I finished the race not knowing how I had done. Dave came running up to me and asked me what I thought? How big was my PR? Well, it was a 6+ minute PR. I had PRed on the bike by 11 minutes. I had made my goal and had finished in the top ten of my age group, taking home 8th place.

Total - 2:47:08, 8th/25 AG

This was a big breakthrough race for me. Finally, I feel like a real triathlete. I put together the total package: swim, run, AND bike. This was a real confidence boost for me. I can do this sport. I'm ready for the next challenge that lies ahead...

Comedy of Errors

2011-05-17T07:50:00.010-04:00

Saturday was my first open water swim of the year, the day before my first all-outside triathlon of the year. And well, it was a comedy of errors.

Let's start at the beginning. I am so thankful to be sponsored by TYR this year and received a lovely new wetsuit. That thing is delicate and I knew it as many of my teammates ripped theirs the first time they put it on. I did not want to make that mistake so I've been handling it like a flower. But, it seems super small compared to my previous wetsuit even though it's the same size. It took me forever to get into it.

This is the face you have to make to get the wetsuit on.

The wetsuit was on and zipped up. I made on final yank to get the crotch where it was supposed to go and BAM, it ripped in the stomach. Gosh darn it!!! Luckily the rip didn't go all the way through. I plan on fixing it this week. Error #1.

Then we headed down to the dock and watched everyone else jump in. As their heads popped out of the water there was usually a scream and then "Wow! That's cold." Great. I hate cold water.

Here I am, thinking about getting into that cold water.

I finally worked up the courage to jump in, got ready to jump, and then the klutz in me took over. My foot slipped out from under me, I went face and belly first into the water, hitting my shin on the dock along the way. I really didn't hurt myself, but looked like a complete idiot falling into the river. Error #2 What I didn't know, however, is that I hit the water so hard that my ear popped out of my swim cap which made me look even more like an idiot. And yet, no one told me! Error #3.

Nice ear.

Thanks for telling me about my ear, friends!

The swim was cold, very cold, take your breath away cold. And it was dirty. There was grass, twigs, and even logs in the river. It was good, though, to get in the river and get used to being in the open water again.

I love the new wetsuit. It felt great on my shoulders and I felt fast in the swim. But, my problems with wetsuits continue. I am allergic to rubber and despite doing all I can do to avoid it, I always wind up with a horrible rash after the fact. I am covered in rash. It's on my back, my legs, my neck, and the worst of it is on my right ankle. It itches and is just plain awful. Error #4.

Dude, that itches!!

One more error to go and that happened race morning...

A Few More Things I Think You Should Know

2011-05-11T18:57:00.000-04:00

This weekend I will meet many of my new teammates and will be reintroduced to my teammates from last year. Before all the craziness begins, there are a few things I think you should know...

I am PAINFULLY shy, which can come across as stand-off-ish. That's not the case at all. I have no idea what to say in social situations and therefore, say nothing at all, which may seem like I don't like you. I'll open up. Just give me a while.
Growing out my bangs sucks. Please don't make fun of my hair. :)
Because of my shyness I tend to be a little socially awkward. I don't really look people in the eye; I will talk in incomplete sentences; and most likely I will stick my foot in my mouth at some point. I am going to go ahead and apologize for my awkwardness.
Yes, I am that tiny. :)
During the race, I may not exchange pleasantries on the course. That's not to say I'm not cheering you on the inside, I like to race as hard as I can and go for it. There isn't energy to cheer and race. I'll throw you a high five after the race, though.

Well there you have it. I probably just revealed too much about myself, but I wanted to make a good first impression. I'll call this my pre-pression. :) See you all in a few days.

Capital City Half Marathon 2011

2011-05-10T08:20:00.000-04:00

Yes, this is my 6th race of the year. Yes, that's a lot of races. Yes, I wasn't planning on this race, but it had purpose. Let me explain...

My friend Mandy qualified for the marathon Olympic trials after winning the Wineglass Marathon last year with a time of 2:44. Our running group decided to go down to Houston in January 2012 and watch Mandy in the trials and then we thought we would run the Houston half or full marathon the next day. After doing some research we found out that we either needed a qualifying time or risk our luck in the lottery to get into the race. Dave had already established a qualifying time at the National Half Marathon. Technically I had qualified in DC too, but since I was registered for the full marathon, my distance was considered "incomplete" and my time was not verifiable. Surprisingly, with all the races I've done in the last year, none of them were correct distances and times to get me into Houston. I needed another option.

Dave was running the Capital City Half Marathon as his "A" race and I really, really wanted to just support him and cheer him on from the sideline. When I saw, however, that my training plan had a one hour, 40 minute run on the schedule for last week, I thought, "shoot! I might as well sign up for the race and get my qualifying time." So I did.

Pre-race.

Dave had his plan and I, well, I just wanted to get in under 1:54. In fact, I had no plan. I would start slower, pick up pace, and see where the cards fell. My friend and teammate Colleen had plans to break her PR, which would get me in under that 1:54, so I thought maybe I could help her do that. I lined up with her. Dave was lined up just in front of us with the 1:45 pace group. Yes, this half marathon is big enough to have pace groups. The gun went off and I started comfortably. The first mile marker was off so I wasn't really sure how slow or fast we were running. Neither Colleen nor I were wearing a Garmin.

Mile 1 - 7:03

It was obvious we weren't running 7:00s because (1) it felt too easy and (2) we hit the second mile mark in 8:54. Let's average that out and call miles 1 and 2 around an 8:30. Perfect. I couldn't believe how well I felt. I had a great week of workouts last week and things were just going my way. Finally!

Mile 3 - 8:08
Mile 4 - 8:10
Mile 5 - 8:05

I was pacing really well, feeling great, and was hoping Colleen was excited about the pace and knowing this would get her the PR she wanted. But I also heard her breathing and knew she was working harder than me. In my head I was feeling conflicted. I didn't need to run as fast as I was to help her out and I wanted to help her out, but I was also feeling terrific and wanted to see what I could do. When we hit the water stop at mile 5, she told me to go ahead. I wished her good luck, bid her farewell, and continued on my way, picking up the pace as we turned downhill.

Mile 6 - 8:01

And then I felt great. I had planned to keep the 1:45 pace group in my sights so I knew I was going to finish in enough time. By miles 7, though, I was moving right along and the 1:45 pace group was right in front of me.

Mile 7 - 7:57
Mile 8 - 7:48

Miles 8 - 9 were back downtown. The 1:45 group was right in front of me and then it happened. I spotted Dave. He was running right in front of the pace group. I picked up the pace just enough to get in front of the group and tapped Dave on the arm. He said "You're moving well. I'm in trouble if you're feeling this good." Yes, we're a little competitive.

Mile 9 - 8:03

I had no need to try to outshine/outrun Dave. This was his race and I wanted to support him. We ran shoulder to shoulder and sometimes shoulder into shoulder for the next three miles. We were both pushing each other and the pace; both of us still feeling really great. I couldn't believe how great I was feeling!

Mile 10 - 7:54
Mile 11 - 7:51
Mile 12 - 7:52

The last mile started uphill through the judicial district downtown. Having spent many miles by myself, talking to Dave for the last couple of miles had brought about a small stitch in my side. Dave wanted to go for it in the last mile and I just couldn't go with him. That's alright. We would see each other after the race. I pushed and pushed and pushed and finally the race was over.

Last 1.1 miles - 8:08 (7:23 pace)

As it turns out, Dave and I finished within 17 seconds of each other: I ran a 1:43:59 and Dave ran a 1:43:42. I easily got my qualifying time and had a terrific race. Even without a plan, I really ran a perfectly planned race. If I ran a great race, Dave ran the race of his life! He PRed by over 6 minutes. SIX FREAKIN' MINUTES!!!!!! Three cheers for Dave. He has worked so hard to do this. Go tell him good job on his blog. For Colleen, however, she had a tough day and was not happy with how she ran. She could use a little love too. Here's her blog.

Dave and I celebrating!

Colleen, me, and our big-ass medals.

There's some big training and big races in the next several weeks. This past week of training, along with this race, really give me a shot of confidence to tackle the big goals. I can't wait to see what's next.

Come Hell or High Water

2011-05-03T20:00:00.000-04:00

...or rain, or snow, or wind, or whatever I was getting this workout done today and it was not going to be on the treadmill. Today's workout was a bike/run brick that involved hard, crunching gears biking, and fast, fast running. Today also brought about 40 degree temperatures so the bike started with multiple layers:

The workout was complicated and required a watch, a Garmin, and written instructions.

The run intervals started fast and ended faster. For me that was a 7:29, 7:11, and 6:41. Dang! I haven't run that fast in quite a while and it felt so natural and easy. Finally! I'm starting to feel like me again.

Here I am checking my watch to make sure I'm on target:

And here I am after I finished, looking like I might puke on Dave:

Things are starting to click and come together. Good thing. There are races on the horizon...

Monday's Menu

2011-05-02T17:36:00.009-04:00

Each week, I will feature a recipe on Monday that Dave and I cooked the previous week. If you'd like to contribute a recipe, please leave a comment below or send it to me via email: meredith-gordon@insight.rr.com.

Easter was different this year than normal. My sister's fiance's family had their Easter earlier in the day so my mom didn't want to duplicate food choices. In addition, my mom had spent much of the week in the hospital (blood clots, she's better, thanks for asking) so the majority of the food prep fell on my dad, sister, and me. Given that my family STILL doesn't believe that we can cook (they do read this blog) I was assigned, once again, the dessert. We made....

Striped Delight

Striped Delight consists of layers of cookies, cream cheese, pudding, and cool whip. Here's how to break it down.

Cookie Layer:

1-1/2 cups cookie crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter

We used graham crackers as our cookie layer. We crumbled our graham crackers by using our food processor. Take the cookie crumbs, mix with the sugar and the butter and press firmly into the bottom of a 13 X 9" pan. You can either chill it for five minutes or bake it at 375 degrees for eight minutes and allow it to cool. We baked ours.

Cream Cheese Layer:

1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened (we used the reduced calorie cream cheese)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 container of cool whip (we used the no-fat cool whip)

Beat cream cheese with sugar and two tablespoons milk until smooth. Mix in half of the container of cool whip. Spread over crust.

Pudding Layer:

2 pkgs (4 oz) instant pudding (we use the sugar free pudding)
3-1/2 cups cold milk

We made the pudding first and put it in the refrigerator while we mixed and layered everything else. Prepare pudding as directed on package, except use 3-1/2 cups of milk instead of what's directed. Spread pudding over cream cheese layer.

Cool Whip Layer:

Using the remaining half of cool whip, spread over the pudding.

Chill the Striped Delight in the refrigerator for several hours or over night. Serve chilled. It's so yummy!

April Totals

2011-05-01T08:59:00.000-04:00

Well, it happened. I didn't get all my workouts in this month. And it happened just last week. I actually had fallen behind the week before and then tried to make those workouts up last week, which caused me to be behind last week. Before I knew it the week was over and there were still FOUR workouts left. Good grief. I'd love to try to make them up this week, but the truth of the matter is, at some point you've got to let go of the workouts, move on, and be more prepared next time.

Swim - 26,200 meters (~16.38 miles)

Bike - 297.25 miles

Run - 57.59 miles (I missed a 10 mile run last week, goshdarnit!)

Strength - 2.5 hours

Miscellany for Thursday

2011-04-28T08:21:00.004-04:00

Good grief I've been busy. And I really don't have anything interesting to say. My world has been workout, eat, sleep, workout, eat, watch TV, sleep, repeat. Pretty boring. Here's a few little tidbits into my last week:

Our Team Trakkers gear has started arriving. Last week I got my new TYR Hurricane 5 wetsuit and team kit. I'm digging the new design and since I've been working on my getting my body bangin' the last several months, I don't even mind that it's a tiny little thing.

I have signed up for two more races this week: a half marathon and a half Ironman. That's all you need to know. :)
I have been attending the same weight lifting class on and off for the last several years. During that time, it's been the same instructor teaching the class. A few weeks ago she decided not to teach the class any more. For a few weeks we had different instructors and one I really liked who actually teaches the class on a different day. Yesterday her class was AWESOME!!! She did such unique exercises. Today I'm sore, but really happy about it.
It may be just me, but I am so excited about the royal wedding tomorrow. Of course, I work in the wedding industry and love all things wedding. I will not, however, be getting up at the crack of dawn to watch it. I will be using my DVR and watching it at a more normal hour.
Today I got an email that the iPhone 4 is being released in white. Gosh darn it! I have waited for over a year for the white one to come out. Dave and I have already decided to wait for the next generation of the iPhone to come out, but with my broken vibrate function and a cracked screen on my phone, I don't know how much longer I'm going to wait.
I'm in the middle of an epic training week. It seems early in the season to be having such a big week. So....I've got to get out the door to train. Catch ya later!!!

Deposits in the Bank

2011-04-22T09:41:00.003-04:00

I have a knack for memorizing song lyrics. They come into my brain and never leave. Seriously, if we went to a Garth Brooks concert right now, I would be able to sing every word to every song he sang onstage. If I could harness this memorization skill in other areas, I'd be a genius! (Actually, it's served me very well at remembering every bride and every wedding I've worked with.) Anyway, one of the song lyrics that seems to be always in my head is by Mary Chapin Carpenter: "The stars are stacked against you, girl, get back in bed."

And that's how I felt leading into my long ride this week.

It's been raining around here. Not a little rain, like, my sump pump has been running around the clock the whole daggone month, kind of rain. Miraculously there was no rain yesterday so I knew I HAD to get in my weekly long bike ride. Things were in motion long before this ride, though, that had the cards stacked against me. See, I'm not recovering very well from my fall back in February. Although I'm not in pain, per se, my back, butt, and left hamstring have been in a constant state of uncomfortableness. When I woke up yesterday, my back felt all tweaked. Sure, sitting in aero for over three hours sounded like a great idea to fix that! Not only did I wake up to back pain, I woke up to 40 degree temperatures. Having trained for Ironman Louisville last year, I don't exactly have any colder weather riding clothing. So I waited until the afternoon to start this workout and still wore multiple layers including my running tights (yep, that's the best I got) and Dave's booties. Once I drove myself to where I would be biking, and started biking, the fantastic day got so much better. My bike computer wasn't working (I hate that damn thing--it works about 20% of the time), my HRM was reading wrong, and the trails and roads were a wreck.

Forty-five minutes of this nonsense and I was ready to call it a day. I was back at my car, calling Dave, and ready to pack it in. But, I also knew if I wanted to work on my mental toughness I had to continue the workout. The next two and a half hours of the workout would be on a rolling course. Mental toughness here we come.

I started out and it was more of the same except this time I was being run off the road by the wind and other cars. I enjoy sitting in aero to ride my bike, but this entire day would be spent sitting up, death-gripping my handlebars, and surviving. The next couple miles were torturous. I finally had to say aloud, "Settle down, Meredith. You can do this." And then I hit a zone. I was doing loops that included the part of the course from the 15 miler I ran in February. Each loop took me about 45 minutes. That would mean three loops and a little more. I could do that. I settled in, found my mojo, concentrated on nothing except nutrition and made it happen. Before I knew it, my three hour and 15 minute workout was done and I was ready to start my run.

Did I mention before my heart rate was reading erratically? It was. It has been. It's a pain in the butt. I've read on the website that the battery life is supposed to be 4 years with 1 hour use per day, but I beg to differ. When I wore my Timex, when the HR read high it was time to change the battery. Guess I'll have to give that a try with the Garmin. Anyway, my run off the bike was supposed to be heart rate based. Obviously, that plan was out the window. So I went on pace based on what those heart rates would be (yeah, I've been doing this a long time). It was a great run. Dude, I'm super-excited about the season!

A friend left me a note before Ironman last year that said "training accumulates...it's like money in the bank." Today's ride and run were not ideal. I fought many physical conditions along with my mental shortcomings. But, I got it done and made some serious deposits in my training bank.

Miami University Student Foundation Triathlon 2011

2011-04-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

What a better way to celebrate a birthday than to do a race, right? Friday night Dave and I traveled to Oxford, Ohio (otherwise known as the middle of nowhere) to race the Miami University Student Foundation Triathlon. Our 2-1/2 hour trip turned into something more like four hours after a stop for dinner and a detour after a terrible car accident and we got to registration check-in 5 minutes before it closed at 10:00pm. Then we found our hotel, checked in, got our stuff ready for the race, and then fell asleep. It would be an early wake up call.

4:45am we were up, doing our thing, eating breakfast, and we were out the door at 5:30. We're getting better at this. We set up our transition, got in one last bathroom break, and headed to the pool for warm-ups. It was going to be a good day.

Perfect socks to celebrate my birthday race.

Swim

I absolutely freakin' loved this swim! The swim was done at the student recreation center in a 50m pool. When we entered the race, we input our predicted swim time, and then were seeded based on that. Then waves of 50 were called down to the swim deck where we were sent off one person at a time every three seconds. You would swim down one lane, push off the wall and under the lane line to the next lane, and swim back down the next lane. At the end of 8 lanes, you had swam 400m, you pushed yourself out of the pool and ran to transition.

My number was 159 so I was, essentially, in the fourth wave. I waited in line and then it was my turn to cross the timing mat, run around the end of the pool, and jump on in. I took off pretty fast, but the guy behind me caught me in the first 50 meters. Then he decided to swim the exact same pace as me. So, I drafted off of him. I got right on his toes. I mean RIGHT on his toes. I even touched them some times. This may be the first time I have successfully drafted in a swim. At some point, though, I needed to go faster than he was going so I tried to get around him. But, just like open water swimming, another dude was on my other side and I was totally boxed in. I did like any good, offensive swimmer would do, at the end of the lane as I was pushing off, I totally cut him off and got in front of him. Then I dashed to the finish line. I wiggled my way out of the water and sprinted my way into transition.

Time - 7:55, 3/12 AG

I am totally over-the-moon about my swim. I have been working hard in the pool and it's been paying off. Swimming is quickly becoming my favorite thing about triathlon.

Bike

When we arrived to the race in the morning, the weather was better than I expected. It was around 55 degrees and it wasn't raining. That wasn't at all what the weather was predicted! But as we were waiting in the natatorium for the swim, I noticed that the temperature was dropping. And when I exited the swim and ran outside, not only had it gotten cold, it was now raining. Awesome. I took the time, or I should say I tried to hurry, and put on a long sleeved shirt for the remainder of the race. It was a struggle and a long transition, but worthwhile as it would be cold out on the bike. The bike was rolling. I would spin my way up a long hill passing people as I went, and then would descend quickly while getting passed by the big dudes on the way down. That's how the whole bike went for the whole 20K.

Time - 47:20, 15.8mph, 4/12 AG

Did you see that? Fourth fastest in my age group? What the what? Sure, it wasn't "fast" in terms of mphs, but I have been on that bike working hard to become a better biker all winter. It's paying off and I'm excited to see how the rest of the season will play out.

Run

Let me just brag about my T2 for a second. I dismounted that bike, ran it in quickly, tore off my helmet and shoes, grabbed my hat, stepped into my running shoes and was out of there in 1:00 flat. Only one other girl in my age group beat me in T2 and she only did that by 1 second. Thankyouverymuch!

Generally, I love the run portion of triathlon. I get to fly. I get to pass people. I feel most comfortable. Not today. I was suffering. I got off the bike and I was freezing. FREEEEEEZING!!! I could not feel my feet and didn't the entire run. And it was pouring rain for the run. I didn't feel like I was working hard yet my breathing was erratic. At one point I tried to breath in through my nose and my nostrils closed in on themselves. This made drinking at a water stop impossible. By the end of the run I got a stitch under my ribs so badly I had to stop twice and try to stretch it out. This was the only time of the day where I said aloud, "I'm not having very much fun." What an ugly run.

Time - 24:19, 7:49/mile, 3/12 age group

Because the weather was terrible, the race officials cancelled the awards ceremony. This allowed Dave and I to cash in our free breakfast where we were staying and we headed home shortly after. It was a good day for both of us. I finished third in my age group and Dave had a terrific run with a 21:59. Despite the bad weather, it was a fun way to celebrate my birthday.

Under Pressure

2011-04-13T09:44:00.003-04:00

After my meltdown at the National Marathon, I've been rethinking how I want to go about my season. I can't exactly "turn off" but I can certainly tune out and retool.

I've been thinking back on my days as a youth athlete and as a student. And I figured out, I've never done very well under pressure. I was always good at homework, but cracked when it was time for a test. My final couple of quarters in college was a nightmare. I had a final project that was not going well and if I failed, there would be no graduation. I didn't eat for, like, a month. I itched all over from the inside out, yet there was nothing medically wrong with me.

I don't handle pressure very well.

In the last couple of years with the growth of social media, my presence online has grown too. This blog became something my family checked in on to having many, many followers and many, many lurkers. I've got a bajillion friends on Facebook, all of whom I "know" and then another bajillion followers on Twitter, most of whom I have no idea who they are. Throw into that being on a competitive team with sponsors and my anxiety level is through the roof. I feel like I have to be on all the time.

I can't take that kind of pressure.

So I've needed to change some things. 2011 is about finishing what I started. Let me repeat that: Finishing what I started. I'm not doing any races because my team, my sponsors, my coach, my husband, etc. want me to. This is all for me. I have tweaked my racing schedule but the only people who know that are me, my coach, and Dave. My 2011 schedule has been taken down from this blog. And I'm not going to talk about upcoming races on Facebook or Twitter. The only time I will talk about a race will be after it happens. I want to feel a little more anonymous when I show up for a race.

I want to love racing again. I want to have fun with my racing. I want to feel like I'm racing for me. I want to finish what I started.

Mer, where you been?

2011-04-11T08:52:00.004-04:00

I know, I know. I haven't posted anything in a week. That's because last week I was dog sitting. Dog sitting a 12 week old puppy, which meant going outside a THOUSAND times a day. It also meant extreme jealousy in our house by our dog. Which means, it was extremely loud barking, nonstop, ALL.DAMN.DAY! I got nothing done last week.

This is what I'm talking about. I call this "Dog Mania."

Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon 2011

2011-04-05T09:51:00.000-04:00

Okay, so, I didn't do the local marathon. I didn't want to. I wanted to have fun, race hard, and get some experience in the tri game for the upcoming season. Luckily Dave and I were still able to sign up for the indoor triathlon held at our gym, Lifetime Fitness. We would be able to get up at a good hour (6:00), start at a normal time (8:00) and be home before lunch (10:00). That's the kind of race I like.

Body marking was done on our hands. That's my wave, 4, and my race number (36).

The format of the race was this: 10 minute swim, 10 minute transition, 30 minute bike (on spin bikes), 5 minute transition, 20 minute run (on treadmill). The race was scored based on the number of the people in the race. If you won the swim, swam the most number of laps, then you got the most points. So if there were 80 people and you won the swim, you got 80 points for the swim. Although there were no race awards or actual winners, the person with the most points technically wins.

Dave and I swim together all the time and almost always share a lane. So it was a no brainer who I wanted to share a lane with during the race. Dave's been doing almost all run training, while I've been tri training. I thought I might have an advantage on him in the pool. I have been swimming really well. The start whistle blew and we were off. Side by side. I started fast and intended to stay that way. After all, it was only a 10 minute swim. Surely I can go hard for 10 minutes. And I did. I swam until I thought I was going to puke. I checked my watch after 300 meters and I was under 5 minutes. My goal was 600 meters (~1:40/100m pace) so I was right on track. Shoot! Maybe I could even eek out 625 meters. Every time I pushed, Dave answered. We swam side by side the entire swim. When the final whistle blew we had both done 600 meters. I'm really happy with that. The swimming training is paying off.

See? Really excited about my swim.

Even though a 10 minute transition sounds like a long time, it is not. I got changed, grabbed my stuff, filled my water bottle, and only gave myself about 1 minute to get my bike set. Luckily whoever was helping me did a pretty good job of setting it up. The only thing I adjusted was my seat; I needed it a little higher. I have to admit, I am not a big fan of spinning bikes. My lady bits hurt right from the get-go! Nor am I a big fan of spinning. The way this was set up was you had to ride with high rpms to produce many miles. The faster you spun your legs, the further you went. It was ridiculous! I was averaging 43 mph and was barely breathing hard. I was holding conversations with the guy beside me, with the spin instructor, and Dave and I were taking pictures. In the end I (should have) biked 21.5 miles. Yeah, not even close to reality.

Another thumbs up!

Finally we were on to the run. There were 5 minutes between the bike and the run and by the time I got to the treadmill there were only three minutes to go. Problem was, I had to go to the bathroom. While I have no problem peeing on myself during most races (yeah, I just went there), I didn't think it was going to be socially acceptable in an indoor race. Our gym doesn't have a bathroom on the second floor, so I raced downstairs, peed as fast as I could, and made it upstairs as they were calling 3-2-1 start. I jumped on my treadmill only to realize that I didn't have my water bottle. It was behind me sitting on the floor. Crap! I jumped off the treadmill, grabbed it, and jumped right back on. I guess they could have disqualified me, but seriously, it was less than 5 seconds that I was off my treadmill. Dave and I were running a tight race between the two of us. It was all coming down to the run. We had joked beforehand that whoever turned up his/her speed on the treadmill, the other person would follow suit. And that's exactly how it went. One minute into the run and Dave was already turning up his treadmill to a 7:50 pace. I hit my button and did the same. Another minute in and we're down to 7:45 pace. And again down to 7:40 only 3 minutes into the race. Dave was pushing me and I was going to push back. Ten minutes into the race and I'm cranking somewhere in the 7:20-7:30 range. Dave reaches for his buttons and I thought, you have got to be kidding me. How fast are we going to go?! But, he backed off his pace and I asked him what was wrong. He had gotten a side stitch and he couldn't hold the pace anymore. I felt bad, but this is a race, and I was going to stick with my fast pace. In the last five minutes of the run I really cranked it up, pulling my pace down to a 6:58. I was on the threshold of crazy and puking. The final whistle blew and I had done 2.65 miles in the 20 minutes for a 7:32 overall pace.

Done. Sweaty and happy.

In the end, I got screwed in the results. I should have gone, at least, 21.5 miles on the bike, but they didn't reset my odometer, so they just guessed on my mileage. Instead of 21.5, they gave me 20 miles. My score for the bike should have been 45 points but instead I got 22 points. That's a BIG difference. I finished 5th overall female, but I should have been second. Sucks. Oh well. I think this was a positive experience and I feel good with the way my body and mind responded. I was the 3rd fastest swimmer (tie) and the 8th fastest runner and that's for both men and women. I have to admit I'm a little disappointed with the results, but I also know they mean nothing. There are real races on the horizon and I'm really excited for what's to come.

National Half Marathon 2011

2011-04-03T17:14:00.002-04:00

Because of the upcoming triathlon season, I was given a small window of opportunity to have a running season. Winter isn't exactly a great time to have a running season in Ohio, but I thought choosing a marathon a little further south at the end of March would be perfect. There were a few things I didn't take into account though: (1) it could still be very cold and (2) the trees might be in bloom and allergies could be bad.

When we arrived in Baltimore on Thursday I was already feeling a little "off." I was stuffy and my throat seemed drier than usual. I also had a pain in my chest that has been off and on for four years. I chalked it all up to being dehydrated from flying. But it continued the next day when we traveled to Washington. I didn't feel sick, but didn't feel like me either. Dave registered for the half marathon and I picked up my race packet. We made it to our hotel, which was amazing, and headed to the grocery store to pick up some fixings for dinner. Yes, we had a full kitchen in our hotel room.

To my surprise, I was really relaxed about this race. I let everyone else hype it, but I was calm and realistic. I knew there would be no PR. I just wanted to have a fun race and enjoy running. I slept pretty well the night before and we were up really early on race morning. It was cold in DC and race morning was no different. It was in the low thirties at race time. What the heck do you wear with that kind of weather? I wore tights and two long sleeved shirts: one to wear, one to take off. This proved to be a mistake too.

We got to the race site, checked in our stuff, had enough time to take a bathroom break, and lined up at the start. Dave was in a different corral than me so we didn't get to pace off each other. The gun went off and so did I. Wearing my Garmin for the first time I paced right around a 9:00 for the first mile. Perfect. For the next six miles I tried to pace over an 8:30. At mile 6 I wanted to pick up the pace to around an 8:15-8:30, but this part of the course was uphill so I backed off. The course guide said this course was flat and fast. The Columbus Marathon is flat and fast. This was rolling. By mile 8 I was feeling bad. I would try to pick up the pace to what should have been comfortable but I felt like something was sitting on my chest. I couldn't breathe comfortably. I couldn't take a deep breath. I felt out of control. My legs felt like they were running through carmel and my mind was racing at a million miles per minute. What the hell was going on? I started to wonder if I should run the whole marathon. If I continued on it could a miserable, long slog. That is not exactly what I had in mind.

I continued on and felt a little better in miles 10, 11, 12, but then I needed to make a decision. The marathon and the half marathon broke off right before the finish of the half marathon. I debated over and over again in my head and finally made the decision. I would just do the half marathon and be done with it. And that's what I did. I finished the half, called my dad, cried a little, and found Dave. He had a great race with a new PR. Check out his race report here.

The silver lining in all this: the medal was cool and I got to enjoy and have fun with the rest of my time in DC.

So what went wrong? I'm gonna be brutally honest here. I am totally screwed up in the head since my DNF in Louisville. I am scared to death of the dark times in races. I have no idea how to fail. I have no idea how to succeed. I am torn between wanting to be a running and finishing what I started with Ironman. I have become comfortable with training and can't remember what it's like to race hard, finish strong, and most importantly, have fun. I have a lot to work on, mentally, as the triathlon season comes up quickly.

We returned home on Monday and there were many, many email exchanges between my coach and me. The very next weekend (this weekend) there were three marathons within driving distance of our home. Should I try again? There was also an indoor triathlon at the gym where we workout. Was it time to start my triathlon racing season? Or should I just move on with my triathlon training, keep my eye on the prize, and finish what I started? Details to follow....

March Totals

2011-04-02T00:01:00.001-04:00

I'm becoming the queen of training. This will be three months out of the five I've been training, that I did all the workouts. Wish I could translate that success to racing (more on that in a few days). Here's the numbers:

Swimming - 24,100 meters (~15 miles)

Biking - 169.11 miles

Running - 87.52 miles

Strength - 1.5 hours

I'm hoping April is also going to be a good month. And hopefully the weather will get better so I can enjoy running in shorts and biking outside.

Cupcake Crawl

2011-04-01T13:51:00.002-04:00

I'm starting to wonder if this is a foodie blog instead of a running/triathlon blog?

One thing we were excited to try out in Washington DC was all the cupcakes. We had done our research, consulted websites, mapped them out, and were ready to tackle the task. We decided on four stores: Georgetown Cupcake, Sprinkles, Hello Cupcake!, and Baked and Wired.

Sprinkles

Location: 3015 M Street NW, Washington DC, 20007

Menu: Available here.

What we ate: M-Black and white, red velvet. D-Coconut, Cherry Blossom

Thoughts: We hadn't initially planned on going to Sprinkles, but trying to go to Georgetown Cupcake on a Saturday night was ridiculous. The line was an hour and 40 minute wait. We were too hungry to wait that long. Instead we went to Sprinkles, waited in line only 20 minutes, picked up a pizza and headed back to the hotel. M-My black and white cupcake was really dry, a little overbaked, and maybe had sat out too long. But then several days later, after we had gotten home, I ate the red velvet cupcake and it was really good. Maybe I got a bad batch of the black and white. D-The coconut cupcake was a little on the dry side as well, but the frosting was yummy. The cherry blossom was probably a little better, though I didn't taste the cherry flavor in the cake.

Hello Cupcake!

Location: 1361 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC, 20036

Menu: Available here.

What we ate: M-hc original (vanilla with vanilla frosting), heart of darkness. D-24 carrot, vanilla gorilla

Thoughts: Unlike the other cupcake shops, this one was not in Georgetown. This one was in the heart of Dupont Circle. No waiting in line either! Hello Cupcake is known for being all natural so there is no red velvet or anything else that uses artificial colors or flavors. M-The vanilla/vanilla combination was very good but the heart of darkness, aka, CHOCOLATE!!! was soooo good. I mean, SO GOOD! D-I started with the 24 carrot cupcake, which was a good moist carrot cake with a delicious cream cheese topping, not too sweet. Vanilla gorilla was a yummy banana based cake, almost like banana bread, again with a cream cheese frosting. Yum!

Baked and Wired

Location: 1052 Thomas Jefferson Street NW, Washington DC, 20007

Menu: Available here.

What we ate: M-red velvet. D-Strawberry, Menage a Trois

Thoughts: This place was cool. It had a great laid back vibe, like something you'd find on a college campus. The cupcake selections were displayed really artistically. I liked that there were three distinct areas of this store: baked goods, coffee bar, and sitting area. We would have loved to stay and hang out. Baked and Wired is known for making small batches of baked goods. The cupcakes are bigger than most. M-I didn't actually eat this cupcake until later in the day. It was good, but I've had better. The presentation and overall love of the store made up for the lack of flavor. D-I was really looking forward to the strawberry after reading about it. The cupcake actually has real strawberries baked right in! It was really good, although the frosting was a little too sweet for me. The menage a trois cake was a chocolate cake, filled with a raspberry jam center, and topped with vanilla frosting. Yeah, it WAS that good.

Georgetown Cupcake

Location: 3301 M Street NW, Washington DC, 20007

Menu: Available here.

What we ate: M-chocolate mint. D-mint cookies and cream

Thoughts: After our failed attempt at waiting in line at Georgetown Cupcake on Saturday, we decided to order ahead of time and just pick up our cupcakes. But come Monday we had forgotten, so we just went to the store at the beginning of the day, right when it opened. We only had to wait in line a few minutes. M-I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about the quality of cupcakes from a store that has it's own TV show. I've that the cake from those a lot of those "fancy cake" shows actually tastes really bad. But, this was far and away the best cupcake I had all weekend. The mint frosting was to die for! And the cupcake was so moist it did not fall apart. Well worth the wait. D-I think Meredith's was just a touch better, but mine was pretty great as well. Great cake, nice sweet-but-not-oversweet frosting, and both were full of crumbled Oreos.

Miscellany for Wednesday--Marathon Edition

2011-03-23T08:57:00.003-04:00

I am just a few days away from marathon #14. Here's a few thoughts I've had this week.

This will be my first marathon I've run on a Saturday.
This will also be my first marathon I've run with a Garmin. Usually I would hate this, but Coach and I have set up a specific pacing plan to follow.
I have lost 8-10 pounds (depending on the day) since the start of November and have made it down to the perfect racing weight.
I haven't had a drop of alcohol since the end of February. Yeah, I'm that dedicated.
I have run 424.4 miles since November in preparation for this race (and the upcoming season). Doesn't seem like a lot, but it's the equivalent of 16 marathons.
I haven't missed a single run workout since November 1st. Did I mention I got dedicated?
I am looking forward to getting some cupcakes after the marathon. I hear it's the thing to eat in DC.
I'm also looking forward to seeing my teammates Kati and Kiersten this weekend.
I thought signing up for a marathon at the end of March in a place a little more south would wield better weather. As it turns out it's going to be cloudy and in the high 30s. At least I have trained in conditions exactly like that. Packing has been a challenge, though. I've got everything I would need to wear for weather like that. I'll make a game-time decision Saturday morning on what I'll actually wear.
This might be the most excited I've been for a marathon ever. Let's go!

Monday's Menu

2011-03-21T13:58:00.000-04:00

Each week, I will feature a recipe on Monday that Dave and I cooked the previous week. If you'd like to contribute a recipe, please leave a comment below or send it to me via email: meredith-gordon@insight.rr.com.

Last week we were at the grocery and saw a special: buy one get one free bags of chicken breasts. A gazillion chicken breasts for $13? Yes, please. Now what to do with a gazillion chicken breasts? We (well, Dave) made chicken cordon bleu. You can find the recipe here. And since I have no idea how Dave actually made it, I'll show it off in pictures.

This meal was so yummy. The chicken cordon bleu was so tasty and had great flavors. I had half of mine like it was built and then paired it with honey mustard for the second half. Still very yummy. This looked like an easy recipe and we will definitely be having it again.

Awesome Chopper

2011-03-20T14:08:00.008-04:00

Since I get the privilege of working from work, I also get to experience really good TV. (I hope you got the sarcasm there.) One day I caught an informercial for this: The Vidalia Chop Wizard. I must have been really intrigued, or really bored, because I watched the entire informercial. And I knew I had to have one.

Seriously Bed, Bath, and Beyond carries everything. I knew I could find it there. And within five minutes and asking no one, I found it. I immediately fell in love and dubbed it my "Awesome Chopper." A quick trip to the grocery store and $35 in vegetables later, we were ready to make the most amazing salads.

Here's how the Awesome Chopper works:

Choose your vegetable and put it on the chopper.

Swing that chopping arm and voila! Chopped vegetables!

We put all the mixings into different re-sealable containers so we could make multiple salads throughout the week. Look at those colors!!

And here's the salads that Dave and I made. Aren't you jealous?

Sentimental Saturday

2011-03-19T20:46:00.002-04:00

Six years ago this weekend my grandpa passed. Recently my grandma moved into an assisted living facility. My mom and aunt have been hard at work clearing and cleaning out her condo, prepping it to sell it. Today the nine grandchildren were invited to come over and choose the things we would like from the house before it and its stuff is sold.

Being the uber-type A personalities that my aunt and mom are, things were very systematic. First, there was a two hour preview before the estate sale, if you will, began. We were told what was available and what wasn't and then we compiled our lists. From there, we all drew cards and they were ordered ace high and down from there. My sister and I, being the youngest, were given the two lowest cards. So much for random. :)

The "sale" started with a flurry and for a minute I thought I was way in over my head. I had a very small list of very detailed things and my cousins were going much bigger than that. Dave and I looked at each other, completely overwhelmed. Luckily for me, though, my first pick I had hidden. My first pick: several strands of my grandmother's pearls. They're beautiful.

For what seemed like hours we picked apart the house looking for treasures and sentimentalities. Personally, I took home great things. Sure, I picked up practical things: wrench, miniature crock pot, pitchers, but I also picked through boxes and found beautiful gems. I brought home a huge box of lace. Yes lace. I also got hundreds and hundreds of buttons. I found my grandmother's old handkerchiefs. I even gave one that had amazing blue embroidery in it to my sister use as her "something blue" for her upcoming wedding. I took home a watercolor picture my mom did of my grandparents' house they lived in for over 50 years. And one of my favorite finds: a pair of lace gloves. I wish I had had these when I got married. I would have designed my whole wedding around them. Now I must find an outfit to model them around.

I thought today would be rough. How weird it is to be sifting through someone's life when they're still alive. But, I'm excited to visit with my grandmother this week and let her know how lucky I am to have her in my life.