Wendy's Triathlon--Corporate Challenge

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

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



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



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



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

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

Thursday Thoughts

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

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

2. What was your first job?

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

4. How tall are you?

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

Heart Rate Monitors Revisited

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

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

Help me interweb!

It's Over

The weekend is over. Thank goodness.

The highlights....

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

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

And now for the challenges...

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





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

Good Night and Good Luck

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

Thursday Thoughts

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

1. What celebrity do you look most like?

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

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

4. What is your favorite alcoholic beverage?

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

Tour of Columbus, continued

Columbus, Ohio is really a college town. Our sports revolve around the Buckeyes, and personally, I'd prefer it that way. But, we do have some major league sports (hockey, soccer, arena football) and many minor league teams. Last night we went to a Columbus Clippers game.

The Columbus Clippers are the AAA farm team for the NY Yankees. Throughout the years many Yankee greats have played in Columbus including Darryl Strawberry and Derek Jeter. Last night Columbus played the Buffalo Bison, which is the farm team of the Cleveland Indians. I think there were more people there rooting for the Indians; Dave and I were anyway. We wanted to see Andy Marte play (3rd base).

The Clippers play at Cooper Stadium which is on the west side of Columbus. The stadium only holds a few thousand. Parking is $3, with ticket prices starting at $6 for general admission going up to $10 for box seats. It's really great cheap entertainment. The Coop (as it's called) has specials almost every home game, but the most famous is "Dime a Dog Night" which was last night also. Usually once or twice a month, always on a Monday, you can pay ten cents per hot dog with a limit of five hot dogs per visit. The lines are long at the vendors, but for ten cents a hot dog, it's worth the wait.

View of the The Coop from Interstate 70.

Ticket office

The scoreboard, which earlier in the week had been hit by lightning and wasn't working.

The stadium.

The Clippers will be moving downtown in the next few years. Nationwide is building a new stadium close to Nationwide Arena (where the Blue Jackets play) and the stadium will be called Huntington Park, which is the name of a local bank which will own the stadium. (I understand corporate sponsorship; I just think the naming of buildings and venues after corporate sponsorship is ridiculous.) I'm sure once the team moves, prices will not be as good as currently.

We didn't stay for the whole game last night because it was pretty boring and it was getting late for a work night. Buffalo won. Go Indians!

State-Bound

After four consecutive trips to regionals, AG has made it to State. She finished 4th in the 1600 yesterday in a time of 5:12.76.

We also had some other state qualifiers. Our girls 4X100 team also finished 4th with a time of 50.16. Our boys 4X200 team (our boys were at a different regionals--it's weird in the central district) finished 4th with a 1:31.42. And then one of the boys I coach finished 3rd in the 800 with a school record time of 1:56.13. This is a great way to finish out the season.

Thursday Thoughts

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts. Every Thursday I post five questions for you to answer in the comments. It's fun, so tell all your friends about it!

1. What is the best concert you've ever seen?

2. What was the last movie you rented?

3. What kind of car do you drive?

4. What is your favorite TV show of all time?

5. How many people were in your high school graduating class?

Running Errands

Literally.

With the price of gasoline so high, I decided to combine my running with an errand the other day. The library branch is on my running route and I had a book on reserve there, so I decided to do my run and on the way past the library check out my book.

The library is at the end of my run, so I did approximately 4 miles and then went into the library. I went to the reserves section and found my book. Geesh! It was big! It was a small textbook size and it was a hard cover. Finishing my run with it was a big challenging. I probably saved just a few cents in gasoline, but I felt like I was sticking it to The Man by not driving my car.

In more running news (what? you don't talk about running anymore), I got into the Chicago Marathon as has Dave and I've already received my hotel confirmation. See ya in October!

Moving On...

This past week was Districts and we did pretty well. Both the boys and girls teams finished third overall and qualified some to the Regionals. My girl, AG, who I have been bragging about didn't disappoint as she won both the 1600 (5:18.1) and 3200 (11:41.47). This week we head to the regional where she is seeded third in each race. This is our fourth trip to regionals, and we're hoping this will be our first trip to States. I'll keep you posted.

Randomness

Random #1:
I have a question for all the bike geeks out there. I have a Giant OCR3 and it is too big for it. I don't know exactly it's size, but everyone has told me it's too big and the gentleman at the bike shop who pimped out my bike told me that Giants are not made for people my size. My size? I'm 5'1" and very short-waisted. I hate to ride my bike and I think the reason is that it's not comfortable. Riding my bike is painful. At my size, I probably need a 47 but I'm not really wanting to buy a whole new bike. Too expensive for as little riding as I do. But I was thinking about this and this is where I need a little help. I was thinking of buying a smaller frame and then using the rest of my bike to put it all together. Am I going to need to purchase anything else to make this work? Will this work? I'm guessing I'm going to need a new chain and probably new wheels. Please help. I'm a bike dummy.

Random #2:
I don't know how much y'all pay attention to the weather in Ohio, but there has been a giant green blob over it for the past 10 days. Yes, it has rained everyday for 10 days. And again it is raining this morning. Yesterday on my way to practice it was not raining, but the sky was ominous and looked like it could open up at any minute. And it did in the middle of practice. Here are some pictures I snapped on my drive to practice.

Random #3:
Why do shows have to season finale? Why can't they spread the episodes out over the whole year so we don't cliffhanger at the end of a season and then have to wait 4 months to see what happens? Why do they have to cliffhanger? The best season finale I ever saw was the next to last season of "Ed" when Carol had already professed her love to Ed and he had to choose between Frankie and Carol. And then while he and Carol are out at the pond he tells her that he loves her and that he's always loved her and they cry and I cry. And, it was great. It gives you a warm feeling all summer. So why am I griping about this? I am an "ER" fan. Yes I'm one of three people who still watch that show. I have seen every episode...FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS! And they always leave it in a cliffhanger. ER has been on the slide for quite some time now and I must say, I don't even enjoy the show much anymore, but because I have been a loyal fan I am going to stay a loyal fan. The only storyline I enjoy watching is with Luka and Abby. But of course, last night they had to leave us hanging as Abby's laying on the floor bleeding having a miscarriage, while Luka is chained to a bed with a tube down his throat and all he can do is watch what's happening. Writers of the show if you're reading this...DON'T RUIN THIS PLOT LINE!!! I like Abby and Luka together. I've waited many seasons for them to get back together. And I like they are happy and in love and not mopey anymore. Please, don't take her baby from her. Let this be a happy ending. It's the only interesting story left on ER.

I could go on and on with randomness today, but I've got work to do. Have a great weekend, interweb!

Thursday Thoughts

Welcome to the first Thursday Thoughts. Starting today and continuing every Thursday I will be posting questions for you to answer in the comments. I, too, will answer the questions. So tell all your friends about it, stop lurking (hey Manoj that means you!), and join in on the fun.

1. What was the best song you heard on your commute today?

2. Are you going to see the DaVinci Code this weekend? Did you read the book?

3. What is the coldest place you've ever visited? Hottest?

4. What was the first name of the first person you kissed?

5. Have you ever won a competition of some kind? If so, what?

We're number 1!

Actually, we're number 633. And by we, I mean me.

I got my Triathlon Life magazine this week and it had the end of the year rankings in it. I was looking through it to see if there were names I knew and lo and behold, there is my name! I finished 2005 ranked 633 (in the nation, baby) in the 25-29 age group.

I guess the criteria was that you had to be a USA Triathlon member and have completed at least three sanctioned races and those races had to have their results sent to the governing body. Then I think there was some formula that basically averages you out among everyone.

The cool part was, I only did three triathlons last summer (plus one duathlon). Seriously, maybe I ought to get my bike out and try again this year to see if I can improve on that.

What about the running?

I don't think I've written about running since the marathon. Nothing to say really. I haven't been doing too much running. Too busy. I've also been dealing with a slight hamstring strain and inflammation around the sheeth where my hamstring goes behind my knee.

But, I am going to brag about someone else's running. I have been a track coach for five years now. And I have had great runners and much success. I have had one runner for all four years who has always excelled. She has been to regionals every year, has set school records in the 1600, 3200, and 3200 relay, and will be running in college next year. But, for the first three years of her high school career her head has gotten in the way of her legs. This year, though, she has gotten the confidence to go out and do what was not possible before.

In the past two weeks she has cut 13 seconds off her school record in the 1600. Friday she turned in a 5:14.2 and beat an opponent she's never been able to. In the past two weeks she also beat her 3200 time with an 11:46.6. Post-season starts this week and we're hoping this confidence will carry her a long way. I'm so proud of her and all my athletes.

Before and After

This past January I tipped the scales at 120 pounds. Yes, I know, this isn't such a huge number. But, when you're 5'1", 120 pounds shows. I wasn't happy at this weight. I wasn't happy that the clothes I had been wearing weren't fitting me. So I set off to lose this weight. I didn't really diet. I just watched my caloric intake and tried to eat a little better. I also cut out my Kool Aid, margaritas, and wine and replaced those all with water.

And the results...

Last Thursday I weighed in at 109 pounds. Check out the before and after pictures. Wonder where a skinny girl can lose 11 pounds? You can definitely see it in these pictures. The before pictures are from the Muncie Endurathon last summer. The after pictures I took of myself in the mirror after my run this evening.

Tour of Columbus Begins

This post was supposed to be up last Monday 5/1. Better late than never, right?

For you regular readers, you'll remember a while back I wrote a post basically wondering what you would show people about your hometown if they came to visit. It got me thinking about how little I have visited in Columbus despite living here my whole life. This week I accidently started my Tour of Columbus just by being in the right place at the right time.

It all started on Thursday when I went over to my parents' house to talk to my mom about how horrible my track practice was that day. My sister and the kids were there and said they were going down to the main library to see an art project my nephew had done. They asked me if I wanted to go and although I was sweaty and gross from my run, I agreed to go.

Columbus Metro Library was recently ranked the #1 library system in America. The main library is downtown in addition to 20 branch libraries throughout the suburbs. The libraries are all interlinked meaning that if I can't find it at my branch, I can reserve it from another branch to be delivered at my home library. Personally, that's how I check out my books. I log onto the website and reserve the book to be delivered at the New Albany branch. If no one is on the waitlist, the book should be delivered within 3-5 days. It's a great system. And, if you can't find what you're looking for at Columbus, the library will search the other libraries in Ohio.





Thursday was my first visit to the main library and it didn't disappoint. The youth area has great artwork created by kids. There is also different plush areas for kids to sit and read, computers for kids to use, and a CD listening area with children's music as the selection. My nephew really liked listening to the music. The adult books and other media area are HUGE. Three floors HUGE! There is a media room, which would rival any Blockbuster. There's also a whole room full of sheet music. I've never seen that before at a library. Every floor has computers available for use too. Parking is free for the first hour and it's 50 cents for every half hour after that.



The Tour continued yesterday starting in German Village. German Village is a small section just south of downtown, which boasts a lot of breweries, beautiful Victorian homes, and some original establishments like Max and Erma's and Schmidt's. We ate lunch at Thurman's Cafe. Thurman's is this 'hole-in-the-wall' restaurant/bar that has the best hamburgers ANYWHERE! Each hamburger is 3/4 pounds and whatever toppings you get on it will just ooze out the side. Ask for extra napkins if you are going to be ordering the hamburger. And frankly, if you're going to Thurman's, you should order the hamburger.




After Thurman's we traveled back downtown to the Columbus Museum of Art. The museum is free on Sundays so what a better time to check it out. The last time I had been at the museum was when I was a kid and I remember it being bigger. We made it through the whole museum in about an hour and a half. I really don't know much about art, especially painting, so I'm not going to comment on the quality. I did really like this Chihuly piece. Chihuly had a display at the Franklin Park Conservatory a few years ago, but I'll write about that some other time.




The Museum of Art is next to the Columbus College of Art and Design which had some really cool displays outside. We took some pictures of these too.











The Tour will continue soon....

Playing Catch Up

Where are your posts Meredith? The world is anxiously holding their breath every day to see what you've been up to and you're letting them down. (He he he!) You need to step up to the plate girl or get out of the game!

Okay, my appologies. I've been quite busy, both at work and home, and haven't had the time to write anything. I will say I wrote a pretty good post on Monday, which is still sitting as a draft because I'm waiting to put some pictures on it before I post it. Of course, those pictures are on my home computer and I never think of it when I'm at home.

Anyway, it's been a pretty crazy week. Let's start with yesterday evening and work backwards.

I have a relative who works/worked for a major lingerie retailer. They have legendary (like that Dave?) sample sales where he usually brings home boxes of stuff. Yesterday the stuff was brought to my house so I could pick through and decide what I wanted. I am set for life! I got 30 sports bras (no lie; I counted them)! That's like $1000 worth of sports bras! I also got some workout gear like shirts, shorts, running skirt, and two tennis dresses. Awesome! And to my surprise, most of it fits (not all, but most). Oh yeah, ask Dave...I look totally hot in my running skirt. He he!

Besides the excitement of needing more space for my new sports bras, yesterday was the longest rollercoaster I've ever been on. The day started at 3:00am (yeah 3 freakin' AM!) and not by choice. I was awaken by a helicopter that was so loud I thought it was landing in our backyard. I laid awake for a while and realized the helicopter wasn't going away so I got up and looked outside the window. I'd say, it's probably 3:15am at this point. The helicopter clearly had its search light on and I saw it go across the house behind us. Then I saw two uniformed people walking on the sidewalk. It's freakin' 3 in the morning!!! So I started to get a little nervous especially since I wasn't hearing any sirens. I got up and locked the bedroom door. I figured, if they're in our house I want to hear them trying to get into our room so at least I've got time to call the cops. I was also very thankful that I had recently started keeping my cell phone in our bedroom. I then went to use the restroom and I got nervous about turning on the light. I thought, what if there is someone outside our home and if I turn on the light they'll know someone is awake. Then they'll shoot through the window and the window is right across from the toilet and they'll hit me. Yes, I have a pretty vivid imagination for 3:00am. I crawled back in bed and listened to the helicopter for a bit longer. By 3:30 it had now been hovering for 30 minutes and I was really scared and angry that I had been awake this long. So I woke Dave up and asked him if he was hearing the helicopter. Of course he's not hearing the helicopter; he's asleep! He looked out the windows and didn't see anything and then he started checking out the rest of the house. He said he saw the helicopter further down in the neighborhood. The thundering was definitely softer but it was still around. By 4:00am I was exhausted. The helicopter had been hovering for an hour. I never heard any sirens or any alarms from other houses. I finally feel asleep.

My alarm went off at 5:15am and I woke up tired. Never a good sign. I lolly-gagged getting ready because in my head I had already decided I was going to call a personal day. I sat and watched the news for about 15 minutes to see what was up with the helicopter, but nothing was said. So I went in to talk to Dave about taking a personal day and how we were going to divide up my remaining vacation time. Of course, I had to wake Dave up to talk to him about it. He probably wasn't very happy with me yesterday. :) He then posed the question "what if I got sick?" I was so angry that I couldn't take a personal day. I have so much to do at home. Literally the house has not been fully cleaned since October! How do regular people do it? So then I had to hurry up and get ready. I'm stomping, and huffing, and cussing around the house, totally arguing with myself. I left for work 10 minutes late and decided I was hungry. I stopped by McDonald's and got some breakfast. Then when I pulled up to the stop sign to turn onto the last road before I arrived at work, my car died. Oy! I turn the key and nothing happens. I got in my trunk, got out my cell phone, called my dad (I work with my dad). Just as I hit send, I turn the car over again and it starts. What the? I get to work about 10 minutes late.

I had wanted to take yesterday as a personal day because I didn't have any meetings scheduled. But as the day progressed I got lots of e-mails that basically said you need to do this; you didn't do this and of course, somehow I wound up in fifteen million meetings. Nothing like a little preparation! This all just added to my anger.

But there was another high point (besides the sports bras). I had a one-on-one meeting with my manager and he said nothing but good things. That's quite different than what I've heard at previous jobs. I always think my manager is going to scream "YOU SUCK!"

I guess that's enough to chew on for now. I'll try to get my drafted post up and running today or tomorrow.

April Totals

The beginning of the month was the taper for Boston and after the marathon I really haven't done much of anything. That will all change today, hopefully. So, my running totals for April were lower for those reasons. I didn't do any swimming or biking, but I am also hoping to get to that very soon.

Running = 74.6 miles.

Only in My Dreams

This is for all you Debbie Gibson fans out there.

Totally just kidding. Except I did see Debbie (now Deborah) Gibson in concert a few years back when NSync came to town. But, seriously, y'all don't need to know that about me. And now you're probably not my friends anymore. It was a phase! Seriously!!!

Anyway, I've had two reoccuring dreams in my life. In one I would be able to puff myself up, like one of the balloons at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and I would float around. It was weird and kinda creepy. I used to have curtains and bedding when I was a kid that had hand-drawn zoo animals on them. Sometimes I would wake up, but still be in a trance and they used to puff themselves up and float around my room. I remember having this illusion while I was in the shower too when I was a kid. Used to totally freak me out. I don't know if those have anything to do with each other, but I haven't had either dream/illusion in a long time.

The other reoccuring dream I've recently been having is that I'm enrolled in college and I've reached the last week of the quarter. I'm heading to my finals only to realize that I haven't attended class or studied all quarter. Last night I had this dream. I was living in a house with a lot of other people, probably a sorority house or a dorm, and I was supposed to attend a multi-cultural function at 5:00. But it was 5:10 and it was clear across campus (I'm guessing I was at OSU and OSU is a HUGE campus), so I decided I couldn't make it there in time. But I needed to go to this function/class. So then I decided I needed to run a race, but the race was at 4:40 and it was 5:10 and obviously I couldn't make it to the race either.

Reoccuring dreams freak me out! They obviously mean something and have a place in your every day life and that's why you're having the dreams. Yes, I feel totally disorganized right now with juggling all my balls, but is that really what the dream meant? I feel like I can someone control my chaos. Is it really that out of control?

Strike up the Band

He's alive!!! He's alive!!!!

Dave has posted on his blog!!!

More Boston Stuff

Coming from small town America, I was always told that people in big cities are not very nice. Of course, this was proved wrong last year when I spent a week in New York City. The people there were extraordinarily friendly and helpful. And last weekend in Boston, one local was very nice to me.

The morning after the marathon we went to breakfast at a restaurant called Steve's. Most people in there were wearing marathon jackets and walking very gingerly. The woman at the table beside me saw me in my jacket and asked if I had run the marathon. I said yes and then she asked me what I thought about the water stops. I thought, what a weird question?! I told her that I thought Boston had some of the best water stops: they're evenly spaced, the volunteers give the water to you instead of you taking the water from them, and there are tables on both sides of the road so people don't jam up at the water stops. Turns out, this woman was the manager of the water stops and that's why she wanted to know my opinion. And in one of the nicest gestures, which totally made me feel like I was an Olympian, the woman took her Boston Marathon pin off her jacket and gave it to me. I'll cherish it always.

Some more pictures from Boston:

At the expo there were these HUGE dry erase boards where you could find you're number and write why you run. If you can't read it, it says "Because God gave me the ability." The famous Hoyts had their's displayed all over Boston that said something about 'Because I always enjoy beating my dad.' I should have put mine as "Because I always enjoy beating my dad too!"

This is the finish line two days before the race.

Me and my pastries on the podium.

The group before the Freedom Run. From the left: Dave, my dad, me, Jim, Andrea (in the bunny ears), Doug, Mok, Jen, and Andy.

Looking at the Capital (I think) during the Freedom Run.

The view from our seats at the Red Sox game.

Dave and I at the Red Sox game.

The girls or as Andrea called us, The Boston Bitches.

Boston Marathon 2006

The perfect race. I ran the perfect marathon.

The group rode up together to Hopkinton (including Helen and I on a "blue only" bus). The temperature in Hopkinton was probably in the mid-40s and I was a bit cold. I wore my rainsuit and a long-sleeved shirt over my running clothes and gloves. I ate a banana and most of a bagel and drank lots of Gatorade. The time passed quickly and before we knew it, it was 11:00 and our friends were leaving Helen and I for the first wave. Helen and I used the opportunity to use the bathrooms while the lines were short. Then it was 11:45 and time for us to drop off our bags on the buses and walk our way to the starting line. I walked into corral 13 and I was all alone.

As I stood waiting for the starting gun all I could think about was having to go to the bathroom and how badly I didn't want to run a marathon. With these thoughts, you would have bet I was going to have a rough day.

The gun sounded promptly at 12:30 and we were off. It took me less than 2 minutes to get to the start line, but even knowing I was 32 minutes behind the first wave, my math skills were still not sharp enough to figure out how I was doing compared to the race clock. And my watch was on split time which means I could only see the time from the previous mile, except right when I hit the split button.

The first 4 miles all I could think about was having to go to the bathroom. But there was always a line so I stopped thinking about it. I also forced myself to hold back on the downhills and go ahead and let people pass me. I was a smarter racer this year.

Before I knew it 10 miles had passed and soon it would be Wellsley. And it didn't disappoint. Screaming girls!!! It was deafening and inspiring. I really had to control my emotions. The came the 14 mile mark. I checked myself here. Last year at the 14 mile mark is when I started taking walking breaks. This year at 14, however, I felt good and said to myself that I only had 12 miles left which would be easy because that's what I run all the time.

As the miles and kilometers passed I was amazed at how good I felt. I reached the 25K point and started to climb the hills in Newton. Last year I walked the hills; this year I took it one step at a time and ran up them. I got to mile 16, then 17, and I was still running and feeling fine. I told myself I would run to 30K which is about 18.6 miles. I knew some friends at work would be tracking me and I didn't want to disappoint. At 30K I decided I would continue to run to the 20 mile mark and see how I felt. At 20 or 21 is Heartbreak Hill. It wasn't pretty but I ran up Heartbreak too. This was my slowest mile of the race. I crested Heartbreak and it was all downhill into Boston. I was going to be okay.

I reached 35K ~ 22 miles and I was still running. I had never run this far without stopping before. I was entering new territory and despite my right quad getting sore, I decided to take it mile by mile and keep running. Besides there were only 4 miles left.

I reached mile 23, still running, and thought to myself only two miles until I saw my family and make the last turn. I started to see the Citgo sign and used it to pull me into the city. Mile 24 and I can't believe I'm still running and still pacing well. Only 2 miles left and the Citgo sign is ahead. Mile 25 and I'm getting tired and my head's getting foggy. I click the split and see I'm at 3:30 exactly. I have 10 minutes and I know I'm going to qualify for Boston in Boston. A big accomplishment.

All of 25 I'm looking on either side of the street for Mom, Dad, and Dave. The route has changed here and I didn't know where they would be. It's just a sea of faces and I'm having trouble concentrating. We go under Massachusetts Avenue and as we're coming up I hear "MJ" and I see my dad on the right. I point to my watch and yell, "I'm going to qualify."

I turn right onto Hereford and power up the hill as best I can. I then turn left onto Boylston, look up, and see the finish line. I click my watch at mile 26 and I have got 3:38 and change. Better move Meredith!!! I finish with my watch at 3:40:36, but I believe my official time is 3:40:33 (that's what my in-laws tracked online).

I ran the whole thing. All 26 miles. I didn't walk through a water stop. Nothing. And I ran even splits from start to finish. I'm encouraged. I feel like the hard training I put in paid off. I'm pretty sore. Check that; VERY sore, but not as bad as last year. I don't know what the rest of the year's racing season looks like, but this week I have plans to rest. I've very happy with my race.




Splits:
Mile 1: 8:54
Mile 2: 8:22
Mile 3: 8:26
Mile 4: 8:18
Mile 5: 8:22
Mile 6: 8:22
Mile 7: 8:12
Mile 8: 8:17
Mile 9: 8:18
Mile 10: 8:18
Mile 11: 8:23
Mile 12: 8:11
Mile 13: 8:12
Mile 14: 8:06
Mile 15: 8:14
Mile 16: 8:15
Mile 17: 8:22
Mile 18: 8:35
Mile 18: 8:22
Mile 19: 8:22
Mile 20: 8:43
Mile 21: 8:59
Mile 22: 8:25
Mile 23: 8:25
Mile 24: 8:20
Mile 25: 8:34
Mile 26: 8:39
Last 0.2: 1:49
Finish: 3:40:33

Ready for Boston

The taper is going great. I had my back and my hip worked on last week at the doctor and I feel so much better. I ran 5-1/2 miles with my dad after work today at am 8:30 and it felt great. I think things are going to be great.

The following are pictures of what I'm going to wear in the race.


This is the whole outfit. I'm going with a black singlet with my favorite pink shorts. I'm wearing a black hat that I've put rhinestones on that says "MJ." That's my childhood nickname. The long-sleeved shirt is in case it's going to be cold, but I don't think it's going to be. Finally, I got a pack to carry my gel and my disposable camera.





My number in the marathon is 13849. See y'all in Boston!

Columbus Distance Classic--Photos

Yeah, I totally stole these off the website. Why do I look completely lost or like I'm going to throw up in every picture (except the one I'm smiling)? The girl in the green is Helen and the one you can only see the bill of her hat or her arm is Andrea. Isn't it funny that she was behind us in these pictures, yet beat both Helen and I. The last picture is of Dave. I think his picture is so cool. I might have to order his picture.

Columbus Distance Classic

Formerly known as the Capital City Half. This race, hosted by John "The Penguin" Bingham Racing, is a big event. It attracts around 4000 participants and has a half marathon, 5K, and kids fun run mascot chase.

This was my first race of 2006 and I kind of wanted to test myself to see how the training was working. But, with my back and hip hurting I thought racing may not be such a good idea. I met up with Helen at the start of the race and Andrea joined us before then end of the first mile. The three of us ran together the whole race (until the end when they both out-sprinted me because I thought I was going to toss my cookies). We eased into the first couple of miles and then started getting faster. Here are my splits:

Mile 1: 8:49
Mile 2: 8:10
Mile 3: 8:09
Mile 4: 8:02
Mile 5: 8:04
Mile 6: 7:47
Mile 7: 7:43
Mile 8: 7:38
Mile 9: 7:53
Mile 10: 7:43
Mile 11: 7:35
Mile 12: 7:47
Mile 13.1: 8:23

My overall time was 1:43:58. I'm somewhat okay with that. I guess I wish I had tried a little harder, but I also think with a good time and a good race that I'm satisfied. I had fun and that's all that's really important.

By the way...check out the sidebar. Our new photo journal is up. We only have the main page, but more is in the development. Check it out and let me know what you think.

March Totals

It was a busy month of March. I went way over any mileage I've ever done in a month.

Running = 164.70 Miles
Swimming = 2400 Meters (or Yards, whatever)

Your Questions Answered

Here are the answers to your questions. These were great questions, by the way. You guys are creative. Be warned, this is a long post.

Courtesy of Nic:

1. Friends - When did you know your best friend was your best friend?
Oooh, that's a hard question. I have never really been a trusting person and have always had more guy friends than girl friends because guys will tell it like it is and aren't judgemental. But, I have one really close girl friend, who I would label my best friend and I don't worry about how dorky I am with her or how she perceives me or even that she talks about me behind her back. I know she will always be my friend and be there for me and me for her.

2. Sex - How do you feel about same-sex marriages?
That's a good question too and very controversial. Well, I am a Jesus Freak, so I believe and am told in the Bible that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman with God. However, I also believe everyone has the right and a natural instinct to love. So, I think our laws should remain marriage between a man and a woman because our country was founded on Christian beliefs, but I think there should be equal rights for all including health care, insurance, etc. Is that totally contradictory? Really, the verdict's still out.

3. Music - Can any song make you cry? What song?
One song that makes me cry is "Letters from War" by Mark Schultz. Mark Schultz is a contemporary Christian artist who sounds a lot like the lead singer from Stix. The song talks about a young soldier who goes off to war and is captured by the enemy and his mother send him letters everyday. And then one day he comes home and surprises his mom and he's got all of her letters she sent him. Chokes me up every time.

4. Drugs - What do you think can be done to clean up the use of steroids in sports? Is there any hope?
When I was a collegiate athlete, drug testing was really important. Not only could the NCAA test you at anytime, but the Big Ten had even stricter rules about testing. There was no way you could have gotten away with doing it. I don't understand why more sports don't have the same strict testing rules. I am not a huge professional sports fan, but I hope that more drug testing will bring back the love of sports. I think there's hope, as long as there is cooperation.

5. Love - Have you ever been IN LOVE with someone who didn't love you back?
Yes. I had a high school boyfriend (serious boyfriend) who I smashed his heart into a million pieces. We were able to become friends again and then became really close again in college. I would even say that I was in love with him again. I suggested to him that we date again and he turned me down saying that if it didn't work the first time that it wouldn't work the second time. Then he started dating another girl and married her. And, although I was dating my husband at the time, it really broke my heart.

6. Open - What do you love the most about your life right now?
This might be a little weird, but I really love my job. I think the best thing that happened to me was to get laid off from my last position. Although I had always wanted to be an engineer, the career transition has been pretty smooth. I think my engineering background helps me a lot in the IT field. I feel challenged, yet confident. And I LOVE the people I work with. I no longer loathe getting up in the morning.

Courtesy of JKR:

1. Friends--Which friend would you take if you were chosen to be on "The Amazing Race" and why?
This sounds so cheesy, but I would probably take my husband, Dave. We're very much opposites, and therefore, make a great team. I'm the type A personality and the athletic one and he's more laid back and the thinker. I think I would give my right arm to be on TAR.

2. Sex--Who is your celebrity "get one free" guy?
So many choices!!! I think Tom Cavanagh. I like the dorky cute, I guess. Or maybe Andre Agassi. I got a think for baldness too. And I've had the hots for him since high school.

3. Music--What song can you absolutely not walk to? When running, of course.
Totally old school, "Free at Last" by DC Talk.

4. Drugs--Will you tell your kids the truth when they ask??
I have never done any drugs, so nothing to hide.

5. Love-- What is the stupidest thing you've ever done..In the name of love??
It didn't seem stupid at the time, although now it's so comical, but the same guy I was talking about above...when he told me he was engaged I actually told him that it was supposed to be me and that we were supposed to get married and that everyone thought that. That was pretty stupid. He didn't choose me...that only happens in the movies. I think I did prettygood with my selection anyway (Hi Dave).

6. Open-- What does your "go to" outfit look like. The one you wear when you have "nothing to wear."
I am through and through a t-shirt and jeans girl. T-shirt, jeans, tennis shoes, and a hooded sweatshirt.

Twenty Questions

Nope, only six.

Okay, I am totally steeling this from Nic's blog.

Did you ever want to know...?

Ask me a question about each of the following:

1. Friends
2. Sex
3. Music
4. Drugs
5. Love
6. Open

No matter how rude, sexual, or confidential. Ask the questions in the comments and I'll respond in another post (tomorrow, probably).

I'll answer with what I feel is appropriate, but I will answer each question. :) I have in-laws and other family members who read this blog, so I'll probably be a little choosier with my words.

Alternative Spring Breaks

Last night Dave and I watched a special program on MTV called "The Amazing Break," which was about alternative spring breaks. The program profiled students who decided not to go and party in Mexico during spring break and instead did something beneficial. The trips included clean-up in Biloxi, MS, a shoe drive in South Africa, a protest on conservative campuses, and a work project in a homeless shelter.

Except for my first spring break in college when I spent the entire week at two-a-day practices for crew, I spent my breaks on these alternative spring breaks. My first work project spring break was in Miami/Homestead, Florida where I worked on the Collegiate Challenge for Habitat for Humanity after Hurrican Andrew (I believe). This was my favorite work project. We worked alongside other college students building an entire neighborhood and actually got the opportunity to meet the families for which we were doing the work. My second work project was in Spartanburg, South Carolina again with the Collegiate Challenge and Habitat for Humanity. My third work project was in Applachia in Jonesville, Virginia (I believe) for the Applachian Service Project. We repaired a house for a family whose patriarch had black lung disease from working in the coal mines. Finally, my last spring break (actually the day after I graduated) was in Port-a-Prince, Haiti where I took part in a cultural exchange and worked with children with TB in a children's hospital.

I've been a long time fan of MTV. I have watched every Real World since it started over 10 years ago. I've watched several of their other reality shows like Laguna Beach and Newlyweds and occassionally watched the spring break specials. But, I've noticed that MTV is going downhill and not showing a true representation of young people in America anymore. Maybe I'm just getting old. I dislike that the show I watched yesterday was just a show and not interwoven into their spring break madness. I dislike that the Real World is no longer about people who are driven and just trying to catch a break and MTV is helping them and instead has become a big boozing show. I really dislike that Laguna Beach is their most popular show and only a small fraction of the world actually lives their 'Laguna Beach' lives.

Now that we're older and wiser, would you spend your spring breaks the same way? If you had an extra week of vacation how would you spend it? Am I the only one who is fed up with the societal pressures put on kids? I'm just complaining today, I guess.

Big Accomplishments

The other day I posted my "List for Life"--things I want to accomplish before I die. To my surprise I really didn't get much response on your lists. Today I was thinking about the things I've already accomplished. Here are some that I thought of off the top of my head.

- State title in floor exercise (gymnastics)
- Walking on OSU's women's crew team and racing in the novice A boat
- Graduating with a degree in engineering
- Running my first marathon
- Qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon
- Completing my first half Ironman

What are the things you feel like were big accomplishments in your life? What are your goals now? What's holding you back from accomplishing your goals? What are your smaller goals that you can accomplish NOW? (I've really been inspired the last couple of weeks; can you tell?)

Coming Attractions

Running is so boring right now, there's really not much to post. The taper starts today for the marathon, although in terms of long runs, the training never really started. I did 3 long runs--15, 17, and 20--but I have done at least a dozen 12 milers and being that all weeks were between 40 and 50 miles. I'm not really freaking. I think it's going to be a great Boston. I'm running a half marathon this weekend and it should be a good measure of how the training has gone.

So the hubby and I have spent the weekend whipping up some new stuff. It's not quite done yet, but hopefully will be by the end of the week. Keep your eyes on the sidebar for some new stuff. We're really excited about it.

NOW--No Opportunity Wasted

I am a HUGE fan of The Amazing Race and recently checked out Phil Keoghan's book No Opportunity Wasted: Creating a List for Life. I haven't gotten to read any of it yet (I've still got 5 chapters left in Harry Potter), but Dave's been reading it and I've been checking out the website.

I have been very fortunate and have gotten to do a lot with my life. My parents always encouraged to reach for my goals and I feel like I have. Two years ago I created my first list for life. Here's my list.

-Surf in Hawaii
-Complete an Ironman triathlon
-Attend Wimbledon
-Attend US Open (accomplished this last year)
-Learn to proficiently play the guitar
-Quilt a double-wedding ring quilt (I started this last year and maybe someday I'll finish it)
-Play tennis with Andre Agassi
-Attend the Olympics
-Own my own business
-Have a million dollars
-Learn to speak another language fluently
-Record a demo and send it to record companies
-Own a beach hours and live in it during the summers

So, what's on your list?

Teddy Geiger and I are no longer friends

Fair warning...this post has nothing to do about running.

I must admit, I'm kind of a music snob. Not in the sense that I only listen to underground music that nobody knows and only is played on MTV2, but I enjoy real music. You know, people who can actually play instruments and write their own stuff. My MP3 collection contains a lot of Harry Connick, Jr., Michael Buble, Jamie Cullum, Simon and Garfunkel, and what I call chick rock like Bethany Dillon, Jennifer Knapp, Michelle Branch, Saving Jane, etc.

Recently I was one of about three people who were watching Love Monkey on CBS and was introduced to Teddy Geiger. He's this teenager who an amazing voice and plays the guitar and has a really great song right now that's being played on top 40 called For You I Will (Confidence). This morning I happen to catch the video on MTV.


Sidenote, yes I am turning 28 on Easter and yes I still watch MTV, A LOT! So what?!


Anyway, the video. There's always a love interest in the video and this one was no exception. And who was it? Freakin' Kristen Cavalleri (from Laguna Beach). Ew! Why Teddy, why?

Suffice it to say, Teddy Geiger and I are no longer friends.

Rough Run

Saturday was my 20 miler and it was rough. I knew it was going to be before I even started. I had a feeling I was going to have to do the whole thing by myself because Andrea was out in Arizona doing an ultra and Doug and Andy run too fast for me and they were the only others that needed to do a 20 miler. I was going to go early to the trail and run 6 before anyone got there and then run the next 14 with everyone else. But, I was too sleepy and got there at 8:00 when everyone else did. We had barely gone 200 meters and my dad was already making remarks about how I was falling behind. I was not in the mood for his comments. At this point in training, I am sick of running; I don't care to run another mile; and I just want the race to be over. So I fell behind and kept falling behind. By the halfway turn-around at 7 miles I stopped and cried. Dad had said he was supporting me in the marathon and that's why he kept coming out and running with us on the weekends, but what support was he offering by leaving me behind? At the end of the first seven miles, I declared I was done. I grabbed my waterbottles and went home.

Luckily, Dave was still home when I got there and he was just heading out for a 9 mile run. So, I tagged along. And it was much better. I slowed down the pace and spent most of the run within the 70% range. Dave finished his run and I kept going for another 25 minutes. Overall I ran 3 hours and 15 minutes. I'm calling it 20 even though I think it might be a little shy.

I might try another 20 this weekend just to feel a little more confident about my long runs, but this one I'll go alone and not worry about it.

Thank goodness....one more week until the taper!!!

I think it's a sign

Did anyone see this?

New Toy

Yesterday I alluded to my new toy. Here it is.



This is actually the 550 model. I have the 450 model. The only difference is the 550 model is 7.1MP and the 450 is 5MP. I figure if I'm going to be blowing a picture up that big, I'm going to be using my SLR to take the picture. My SLR is 6.3MP.

Unfortunately, I haven't really gotten to play with my new toy yet. The first day I had to charge the battery and yesterday I ran until it was dark. It wasn't even a pretty sunset to take a picture of. Today will probably be the same way. Hopefully I will get a chance to use it this weekend.

In other news....Andrea is runnning her first ultra this weekend. I think she's crazy, but I wish her luck. Plus she's in Arizona; a place I've never been. My running just sucks right now. I must tell you I've been in constant pain since I came back from being sick--the second week of February! I have pain in my hip, in my quads, in my knees, and especially in my back. It's so frustrating. I know the miles aren't that important at this point, but I just don't feel like I can back off. It's become an obsession. Tonight's plan is for a longer run, but if it's raining I'm just going to go to the gym and swim. I'd rather be able to run my 20 miler this weekend than an 11 miler tonight. I hate this part of marathon training!

Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas....

...cause we're not. We're in Ohio. So why is it so windy?! Could I have chosen a windier day to do my sprints?!

I started off yesterday running with the high school kids for about 3 miles. Part of the run was over an interstate and the wind was so strong it knocked me into a guardrail. I've got quite a few more pounds than some of my high school girls. I wonder how hard the run was for them? After practice my dad met me at the school and the plan was to run 5 X 600 at a 5K pace. That's a 2:38 per 600. Dad started the first 600 with me but he stopped at 500. He said he lost track of how many meters he was on (whatever). After the first one, dad only did 400s. He's not training for anything so I'll let it slide. My 600 splits were as follows: 2:36, 2:37, 2:36, 2:36, 2:35. My cool down was another 2 miles. I must have been really tired during this section because I ran straight into a pole with my elbow. It hurt! Brought tears to my eyes...or maybe that was the wind. Today, the elbow is pretty sore.

I was pretty pathetic yesterday too. I went to the grocery last night and picked up some recently dated Flexall and some Icy Hot patches for my back (yes my back's been hurting again). Of course, I run into the triendiest friend I have at the grocery and my cart is full of arthritis medication and tampons. I felt so stupid. Se la vie!

Hey y'all, I got a new toy yesterday. I will reveal later today (maybe).

We're #1

The OSU women's basketball team pulled the upset last night when they were rewarded a number one seed in the West Regional. And the best part about it was how much we ticked off Pat Summit and Tennessee's program. I really can't stand Pat Summit or the Tennessee Lady Vols so it makes me smile.

I am sure you've all read the horrible storms the mid-west has been getting the last couple of days. We haven't had the tornados here, but we have had lots and lots of rain. Last night I got in a whopping mile before the skies opened up and poured down buckets. I waited a half hour underneath the bleachers of the stadium for the rain to let up just so I could get to my car. It never did let up. I got drenched walking out to my car. I had to stuff my shoes with newspaper and put my socks and t-shirt in the dryer when I got home. And you've got to love Ohio weather. Yesterday it was 70 with rain. Today it's 34 with snow. Why would you live anywhere else?

Proud Mama

I spent a wildly, exciting Friday evening perusing Myspace to see if any of my athletes had anything out there. And I found quite a few of them. But ALL of them were clean. I was so proud. The 'worse' one I saw out there said she liked to make out, but she's a freshman in college so I don't really think that's all that bad. I think when I was a freshman in college I also enjoyed making out. :) Most of the Myspaces had lots of pictures from various social gatherings like Homecoming and Powder Puff, one of them had a list of their favorite Christian music, and another said he didn't want to lose his virginity until he was married. I was a proud mama after finding all that.

I ran a good 15 miles on Saturday. And surprisingly, my hip has totally stopped hurting. It's a holiday miracle!!! This week includes the big 20 miler and new shoes will be opened today. The training is almost complete!!!

Expired

I have had to cut back a little on my running this week. I have been having some pain in my hip and my quad for the last couple of weeks and it has gotten to the point where I can't run without limping. I have run some this week, but I backed down the intensity and just got through what I could. I have tried everything for this pain: ice, cold baths, swimming, hot tubs, stretching, lots and lots of Aleve and Advil. Last night, however, I pulled out the FlexAll 454. I looked at the expiration date and it said 06/2002. 2002!!!! But this morning, my hip and quad feel much better and I'm thinking I might be able to do a longer run this afternoon. I'm sure the shorter easier runs this week have made a difference too.

And speaking of expiration, I found out just hold I am yesterday. I coach at the same high school from which I graduated. There's exactly two types of people who live in New Albany. The ones who have been there forever and their entire families have lived in New Albany for ages. Then there are those who are completely new to the area and will only be in NA for a short period of time. I call these kids the CEO-kids. I am one of the first kind as my family has lived in the township where NA is located since 1808. Anyway, most of my high schoolers know that I graduated from there and they love to quiz me about who I know. Yesterday one of the girls started asking me about people and she came across a name of a guy who happened to be in my graduating class. To my surprise it was her uncle. Her uncle was in my graduating class! I am expired!

The Governator

(Or more interesting things about Columbus.)

You might remember a while back I wrote a post about knowing your town and what would you show people if a stranger came to visit your town. This post is about one of the big events that goes on in Columbus. I will soon begin the Tour Of Columbus complete with pictures. Stay tuned.

Anyway, The Governator.

Every year, during the first weekend of March, there is a huge gathering called The Arnold Classic. Originally, it was a body building event hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger. There were tons of vendors handing out samples of steroids protein shakes and whatnot. The Arnold Classic still has all the vendors and is capped off with a large body buidling competition, but in the last several years the Classic has turned into a Fitness expo. There are now competitions in fencing, speedskating, dance, aerobics, cheerleading, figure skating, boxing, running (more on that in a bit) and this year there was even a Pay-Per-View event for ultimate fighting. I'm sure there are a lot more events that I didn't mention. To view all the details, go here. One of the events that my running friends are into is called the Pump and Run. It starts with each competitor bench pressing a certain percentage of their body weight. Then everyone runs a 5K race. For each successful bench press rep, 30 seconds is subtracted from the individual's 5K time. Usually the winner has a time of like 2 minutes.

One of the best things about the Arnold Classic is seeing the first family of California. I was at Easton Mall yesterday and Maria Shriver was inside Coach checking out the handbags, I guess. I always try to hit the mall during the weekend of the Arnold Classic. I have seen both Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger there before.

Personally, I've never been to the Arnold Classic, but it is a huge deal here in Columbus.

'Tis The Season

'Tis track season. And it all started yesterday with conditioning. Monday is the first official practice. To my surprise there were quite a few kids out for conditioning (more than we've ever had for pre-season conditioning). The weather was crappy. It was cold and damp and snowing. I thought the workout wasn't so bad--5 minute easy, 5 minutes hard, 5 minutes easy, 5 minutes hard, 5 minutes easy with 6X100m pick-ups at the end--but boy were the kids complaining. They're in for a rough season if they thought that was a tough workout.

My own workout was semi-rough too. I started with the HS kids and ran 1 mile around the track. Then a ran another quarter mile around the track while they cooled-down. When practice was over I ran two miles down Fodor Road. When I got back to the school I took a bathroom break and ran another 3 laps around the track. By this point the temperature was dropping and it was snowing pretty good and had gotten windy. Dad arrived at 5:00 and we went for a 6 mile run. When we got back to the starting point I only had two miles left to do, so I roped Dad into running it with me. He wasn't very happy, but he did it. So, I got in my mid-week long run. I have planned a seven miler tonight and then a big 18 miles tomorrow.

And it's supposed to be 17 degrees tomorrow morning. Sounds like fun, huh?

Carmen Ohio

Oh! Come let's sing Ohio's praise,
And songs to Alma Mater raise;
While our hearts rebounding thrill,
With joy which death alone can still.
Summer's heat or Winter's cold,
The seasons pass, the years will roll;
Time and change will surely show
How firm thy friendship O-HI-O.

In Columbus, Ohio State is everything. Up until recently there were no profession sports in Columbus so Ohio State athletics were our teams. And frankly, they still are. The city stops during an OSU football game. You can go to the mall and it's empty. You can hear your neighbors cheering or yelling at the TV. You drive down the street and every house, car, and person has some sort of OSU paraphernalia. The first time I went to an OSU football game, I cried. I sat in Block O (the student cheering section) and the band marches in underneath you (now they don't--they changed the stadium a little) and performs script Ohio and the team won something like 70-7. It was awesome.

Now we can basketball to the list of awesomeness! This has been a great year to be a Buckeye fan. Our football team was co-Big Ten champions, beat Michigan (always a good thing) and then crushed Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Awesome. Our women's basketball team, which has been awesome for a few years and which we have season tickets, has finished the season ranked #6 with only two losses and won the Big Ten championship outright. Awesome. Our men's basketball team, which really didn't expect to be really good until next year, is ranked #8, has lost only 4 games and last night clinched at least part of the Big Ten championship. In the history of the Big Ten there was never been a school that has won the league in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball. It is awesome.

And those aren't the only awesome sports at OSU. The fencing team is one of the best in the nation. The synchronized swimming team has won the national championship all but 4 times, our men's and women's volleyball teams were both ranked in the top 10 this year, and our men's hockey team was ranked #2 earlier this season.

But if you think The Ohio State University is all about athletics, then you are missing it. OSU has some of the best colleges in the land. Our Fisher College of Business is ranked #13 for MBAs. The college of engineering (which I'm a graduate of) is ranked in the top 20 in the nation. Last time I checked our department of dance was #1 in the nation. And our college of medicine is ranked among the top academic medical schools for training practicing physicians.

So if you're reading this and you've already done the college thing, well then, just let me gloat about my school. If you're college bound, then you should consider Ohio State. At least check it out. It's awesome.

OH--IO

February Totals

February did not go as well as planned. Of course I was sick so that hurt my training, but I also was super exhausted from staying up and watching the Olympics which caused me to skip runs and then I really didn't do any long runs. In total, I was nearly 59 miles off my target. I'll try again harder in March, which really will be hard since track season starts officially on Monday.

February Totals:
Running = 122.5 miles
Swimming = 1600m
No biking

In some really cool news....my cousin bought 4 scratch-off lottery tickets last week and won $10,000! Man I wish that would happen to me.

Speed workout--The First

First let me start by correcting myself. It was not Bob the Tomato that sang The Hairbrush Song. It was Larry the Cucumber. I stand corrected.

Yesterday was a tough workout. The schedule called for 10 miles with 5 X 1000s at a 5K pace. Let's do a little math. My best 5K was approximately 22:00. 22 divided by 5 is 4.4, which equates to 4:24 per 1000. I started my run by doing two miles out Fodor Road and then two laps around the track. Then I started my 1000s, which I did 600m in between just to get an even number of miles instead of having to deal with quarter miles. Here were my splits for the 1000s: 4:41, 4:32, 4:32, 4:30, 4:31. So I never made the 4:24 I was supposed to hit, but it was cold, I was sore, and I was wearing layers of clothes. I don't think those times were so bad. I finished my run with another two laps around the track and then two miles out Fodor Road.

When I got home my legs were throbbing. I decided to take the advice of a fellow coach who was a world class high jumper. He recommends taking cold baths to keep from getting sore. So I tried. I drew a cold bath and sank in slowly with a long sleeved shirt still on and my skull cap on. It didn't help. I shook for an entire 5 minutes. Then I got in a warm shower. I'm not even sure it helped. I'm pretty sore today. But the days that I run and then swim are the days I'm the least sore. So there must be something to that theory.

I'm glad today's run is only 4 miles.

Oh Where is My Long Run

(To the tune of the Hairbrush Song by Bob the Tomato from Veggietales)

Oh where is my long run? Oh where is my long run? Oh where, oh where, oh where, oh where, oh whereeeeeee....is my long run?

Seriously, where is my long run? It's a mere 7 weeks until the marathon and the longest run I've done is 12 miles. Yikes! I had planned on doing 15 this past Saturday but the group stopped at 12 and there weren't many who wanted to do anymore and I caved to peer pressure to stop running. I felt fine; I should have kept going. Now next week I'm going to have to jump to 18 miles from 12. Maybe I'll try to get in a 14-15 miler in the middle of this week to feel better about the mileage.

Rush Hour (or 40 minutes)

Please Olympics. Please end. You keep me up too late at night. And I'm tired. Zombie tired.

I went to bed last night after midnight. I woke up before 5:00 having to go to the bathroom. At 5:18 when my alarm went off I reset it for 5:45. Who needs breakfast anyway? At 5:45 I crawled into the shower only to be greeted by a bloody nose. Just after 6:00 I rushed through hair and make-up, throwing clothes into my gym bag, finding a Lean Cuisine in the fridge and was out the door at 6:25. Of course, my gas light comes on less than a mile down the road. Pumping gas, freezing my buns off. Turn onto Tuttle Parkway at 6:50. Great! I have time to go through McDonald's drive-thru. Why does it take them so long to make a bagelwich? Arrive at work after 7:00. Who cares I've been here OT the last two days.

I'm struggling with the running this month. I didn't run yesterday. I was fully dressed: tights, long-sleeve shirt, T-shirt, pony tail, HRM, socks and shoes. Sat down to watch TV. Crawled in bed fully clothed. Dave wakes me up at 5:30. It was only 4 miles anyway. I'll run tonight. Friday is weigh-in day for me at the gym so why go if you're not going to work out (I don't own a scale at home)?

I haven't forgotten about the pictures. I'm just busy and lazy. Last night was another OSU women's basketball game (Big Ten Champs BABY!) and I didn't get home until 10:30. Plus I think my battery needs charged on my camera. I'll pull that camera out this weekend, I guess.

Hope all you have a great weekend. Keep in touch. I loved the comments!

From the files of WHAT WAS I THINKING!?!

Last night I dyed my hair. Brunette with red highlights. It's soooo different. I've been a blonde my whole life, but I thought it was time for a change. I wanted an artistic/coffeehouse look. Instead I think it looks artistic/punk rocker/goth chick. I look like that scary goth woman from CSI.

What was I thinking?!

The Customary Monday Tempo Run

Yesterday was my tempo run, of course. It was 10 miles with 5 at half marathon pace. My middle five miles came out like this: 8:03, 8:00, 7:52, 7:23, 7:20. The good news, I think, is that I hit a new max heart rate yesterday which means I get to readjust my zones. I didn't think they were right anyway.

Not much to post on today. I HAVE GOT to stop staying up late and watching the Olympics. Today I feel like I'm in a coma. I'm all dizzy and achy and feel like my head is too heavy. But, I just had to find out about ice dancing. Tee hee! No seriously, it was the only result I didn't know and unfortunately kept me up until midnight and I got up at 5:45 (which is later than normal).

So from 'Sleepy in Columbus,' I'm signing off.

Seriously, it's cold

I know I've complained about it being too cold to run, but I didn't know what cold was until this past weekend. It was COLD, yo! Saturday I was supposed to run 16 miles. The temperature was 17 degrees and it was windy. The first half mile was brutal. Uphill, into the wind. My legs were almost too cold to move. The group kept pulling away from me and I just thought the whole thing was stupid. I made it about 2 miles with them and then turned around. The run wasn't so bad going with the wind so I decided to keep going when I reached my starting point. I went another mile and then turned back to try to meet up with the group. Again, going into the wind was awful. Back at my starting point, I took one lap around Antrim Lake which was a terrible idea. The wind coming off the lake knocked me sideways and I thought my face was going to freeze. Once back at the starting point again, I called it quits. It wasn't worth it.

Yesterday I couldn't venture out and try again as it was 7 degrees. Yes you read that right. SEVEN! I thought about trying it today but I might be a little short on time. I can start running around 3:30, but I have OSU women's basketball tickets at 7:30. I'm just not sure there's time to run 16 miles, drive home, and shower before heading to campus. I'll make a decision a little later.

I know it hasn't been a really harsh winter, but I'm really ready for spring. I'm tired of wearing sweaters, I'm tired of wearing hats and gloves to run in (you know, every other day because every other day has been 50 degrees) and I'm just sick of the grey. Did you know that Columbus, Ohio gets 190+ days a year of cloud cover? The only place in the US that gets more is Juneau, Alaska.

So for now, I'm feeling a bit frustrated by training. I'm going to be something like 50 miles off my target this month. Guess there's no reward for me.