Miscellany for Sunday

Registration is now open for Rev3 Cedar Point at a steeply discounted rate. This rate does not include tickets to the amusement park, but if you're a no-frills person like myself, this is a great opportunity. OR, if you'd like to have tickets to the park, it's cheaper to buy them than the regular price of the race. Head on over to Active to register today. Come join me at Cedar Point in 2011. *wink, wink*

My husband is tweaking his running form. Hop on over to his blog and tell him what you think.

And on the subject of running form...I've been thinking about the compression calf sleeves. Research has been conducted on compression gear and has found it to be effective post race/workout but the jury is still out to determine if it actually does anything during racing/working out. I have three pairs of compression socks and I only wear them during recovery. But, I've been contemplating the use of compression calf sleeves during running. See, I'm a prancer when it comes to running. I run mostly on my toes and forefoot with very little heal strike. This has helped me to become a lot faster, but it has also made my calves hurt all.the.time! While I run I will often stretch them out by throwing in a series of heal strikes to elongate the leg. I've been wondering if the compression sleeves would help this. Honestly, I'm so vain that I just don't want to wear them and look like all the other triathletes. I'm a runner, dang it! :)

Splish is 2-for-2 on sending me good looking grab-bag suits. What's a grab bag suit? Basically, you're picking blindly. You say "I want this style and this size" and they send you a suit. This one I adore.


I'm in the market for a new bike pump. See, I've got HED3 racing wheels that I've dubbed my "magic wheels". I love them, except I don't love pumping them up. Because they're tri-spokes, they've got a little notch cut out where the valve for the tube comes out of. It's nearly impossible for me to use my pump in this little tiny notch. I have a pump that is good for both presta and schraeder valves. I figured if I bought a pump that was only for presta valves this would solve my problem. Not only am I having a hard time finding this, it doesn't look like it's going to help. Then I went searching online and found this solution: a Hirame/Kuwahara pump head adapter. Problem is, I'm having trouble locating it and it's like $60. I can't guarantee it would even work with my pump which could cost me another handful of money to replace. I know HED makes pump adapters and valve extenders, but reading online there wasn't much good said about them. Anyone used them? Any thoughts?

And finally, I just finished a project that took me four years to compile and only 15 minutes to put together. I know, pathetic!


I hope this week was great for you. I took it as an off week. Back to some tri training next week and my first go-round with Cross Fit.

September Totals

September was sort of a down month after deciding not to do Cedar Point. But, I did race a 20 miler and did another sprint triathlon. And I introduced myself back into weight training, very slowly. Despite two races in October, the mileage is really going to cool off for a while.

Swim = 12,260 meters (over 7-1/2 miles of swimming)

Bike = 35.35 miles (I'd rather stay off my bike for a while)

Run = 57.47 miles

Other = 1.25 hours (just started weight training in the last week of the month)

What it Takes

When I decided to do Ironman a year ago, I knew from the beginning I could finish the race. And despite having not finished the race, I still believe I could finish the race, I was just dealt a bad hand in Louisville. Now that I'm considering another nine months of training and shooting for iron, what will it take to have the iron experience I want? I've been doing some thinking...

Open Water Swimming: I did all my training this year in the pool. The only time I did any open water swimming was in a race. And I did pretty well considering my past freak-outs in open water. But you only get faster in open water if you practice in open water. The problem IS the open water. There isn't a whole lot of it around here. The closest place is The Quarry, where you can only swim with the local tri club. I'm not part of that tri club. Plus two people have drowned there this summer and I don't think it's open for swimming anymore. The other place is Alum Creek, which...ewww. They only let you swim inside the beach area which means you go back and forth and back and forth. If you go outside the area, they'll ticket you. There's got to be other options, right?

Longer Bricks: In training for Ironman I did long bikes and long runs but not together. I would do long bike rides with short runs topping off at maybe 4-5 miles of running. For the first 10 miles of the Ironman run I felt great and then disaster struck. I need to learn how to handle the nutrition shift between biking and running. I need to learn how to fall into a good, solid pace for many miles off the bike. I believe I can achieve this with longer bricks. We're talking LONG, like 30-60 miles of biking followed by 8-15 miles of running.

Racing: I know that you are supposed to train more to race better and having been coached the last two years I can absolutely say this is true. However, training for Ironman is LONG and daunting if it's looked at as nine months as a whole. After putting all my eggs in one basket this year and coming up with nothing, I need other races to look forward to in my season. Plus racing more helps my confidence in triathlon, which is still growing. Right now I've got many races I'm looking forward to in 2011 of all distances.

Weight Training: While at the Rev3 Cedar Point race my dad kept saying to me, "You don't look like those other girls. They're big. You look like a runner." Believe me, my dad meant all of that lovingly. :) He's right, though. I have tiny, T-Rex arms that runners have. And not that you need big arms and bigger muscles in general for triathlon, but a race as long as an Ironman does require more strength. During the last training cycle, the strength training was the first to go when I didn't have time. Not this time. I don't necessarily want to be big; I just want to be stronger.

Nutrition: If you all knew what I ate, you would be disgusted. I grew up in the typical American household: completely overscheduled. And because we were overscheduled I ate easy to make, quick, processed food. When I became an adult and cooked for myself, this didn't change. I need to learn to plan my meals, eat cleaner, and snack wisely. I don't want to lose weight, but I certainly could become leaner and drop some body fat.

Harder Workouts: For years I have been going long. Doing longer swims, bikes, and runs doesn't mess with my head the way it used to. Generally, I fall into a trance during long workouts and the minutes, hours, and miles tick by without me even knowing it. When things got tough in the Ironman I'm not sure I knew how to dig deep to pull myself out of that hole. Sure the workouts for Ironman taxed my body. I have never been more fatigued. But I need to fatigue my mind more and I think that can be achieved by doing harder workouts. I want to look at my schedule and see track intervals, crazy paces that could make me cry, and trainer sessions that leave you saying, "You've got to be kidding me!" I want to train for what I'm actually capable of, ie- a 3:30 marathon, and not what reality will be, ie - a 4 hour marathon. I need to be broken and rebuilt. I want to train like I'm trying to win every race. (I could totally be making a mistake by putting this out there for the world to read, like Coach.)

Part of me can't wait to get training again. The other part of me is dreading it like the plague. But hopefully changing things up a little is going to help me have a successful season in 2011. I still can't believe I'm gonna give this triathlon stuff yet another chance....

Team Trakkers 2011

Want to be something extraordinary? Then apply to be part of Team Trakkers for 2011. We are a group of multisport athletes of every shape, size, and ability who love to train, race, chat, and have fun. We're looking for a some new people to join our team in 2011. If you think you've got what it takes to be part of the "Green Machine", then click here and fill out the application. Good luck!

Deer Creek Fall Challenge 2010

Last week while doing a recovery run I thought, "Huh! Why don't I race again this weekend?" Problem was, we had a weekend FULL of photo boothing and I wasn't sure I could find someone to work for me and if I would feel up to racing after being up late and standing on my feet all Saturday night. Originally I wanted to do the half race, then talked myself into the Olympic distance, and finally decided on the sprint. And I'm so glad I did.

After a whopping 3 hours of sleep Saturday night I loaded my bike, stuff, and myself into my car and headed down to Deer Creek. I was TIRED and wondering why I had signed up for yet another race. I reminded myself, though, it would take me less than an hour and a half and it really wouldn't be that bad. I arrived at the race site good and early, checked in, set up my transition, put on the wetsuit, met up with Colleen, and headed down to the water. I was ready.

The sprint waves began to assemble and soon it was our turn to enter the water. The last time I raced at Deer Creek, the entire beach was flooded and the water was deep and murky. Not this time. The water was super shallow. When the gun went off I took off with the other ladies and attempted a dolphin dive when I thought the water was deep enough. It wasn't. I hit the bottom and somehow water got into my goggles. Dummy! I stood back up, rearranged my goggles, and ran a little more until it was deep enough to swim. Now, I consider myself a pretty average to a somewhat faster swimmer. But the swimmers I saw in this wave looked like swimmers, so I lined up kinda in the middle of the pack. That was a mistake. I should have been aggressive and gone out in the front. Instead people were being aggressive with me. I was being swam over, kicked, punched. I liked to swim close to the buoy line and when I reached the first turn buoy it was so crowded you couldn't even get around the buoy. It was time to switch it up. I decided to swim a little wider and swim harder. I didn't need to hold back and I was sick of people being in my way. After the second turn buoy (it was a rectangle swim), I was in clear water. I was even able to get on some feet on the backside until I was able to overtake her. I reached the last turn buoys and was heading home, but this part was ROUGH! The winds and current were strong and the chop was right in my face. In addition, the faster men from the Olympic waves had caught me and were jostling me around. I was ready to be out of the swim. And soon I was. I swam until I touched the bottom, ran hard out of the water, up the hill, and into transition.

Sunday was one of the coldest days we've had in a LONG time. I debated all morning if I would need something warmer than just tank and shorts for the bike. I had my arm warmers in transition, but opted not to use them. They would take WAY too long to put on. It was only 12 miles. It couldn't be that cold for 12 miles. Plus, I was going to go hard and would be warming up. I totally made the right call. Helmet, glasses, socks, shoes, and I'm out!

My goal was to keep the bike in a big gear, push hard, and fly. And I was doing that. I was passing people like I usually get passed. Kinda made me smile. :) I was cruising over 20mph for most of the ride until BAM! I was headed into the wind. I got to a smaller gear and kept pushing. I stayed aero and surprisingly found myself still in the 16-18mph range. I was still passing people and doing well. I reached the one "big" hill on the course and cranked right up it. It's always fun to pass people going up the hill. This is totally where my tiny stature works to my advantage. Finally I could see the dam and I knew I was close to being done. Suddenly I was passed by a girl and I totally did not like that. We turned the corner and started climbing again. I got out of my saddle and hammered passed her. As soon as I crested the hill I shifted and shifted and shifted. My lungs and legs were burning but I was not going to let her catch me. And she didn't. I ran my bike into transition. Kicked off my shoes, put on my running shoes and was out of transition in just around one minute.

When I had biked by the dam I saw a girl beginning her run and she looked quite fit so I determined she was in first place. I wondered what place I was? My legs and lungs were feeling good and I felt like I was running quite quickly. I passed a girl probably within the first quarter mile. One picked off. It's a left hand turn up onto the grassy dam and I'm still flying. I'm picking off people left and right and pass two more women. I hit mile 1 at 7:11. I decide I'm feeling good and the race is too short to slow down. I move on. As I'm off the grass and onto the pavement of the dam, the lead women are returning. They're two of them right together. I look ahead and see one more woman on the return and three more women on the way out. I'm going after them. I pick off one on the other side of the dam at the water stop. The turn around is just ahead and that's where I catch another one. The last woman to catch is moving, but is also obviously hurting as she was sort of "dragging" her right leg. I reach mile 2 at 7:12. At this point I decided to just go as fast as I could. I finally catch the last woman I could right before exiting the grass and hitting the pavement. I figured I was in fourth. I did that last 1.1 miles in 7:46, which is a 7:03 pace. It's nice to know I still have some fast twitch after all that Ironman training. :)

Final result...1:24:12. I won my age group and finished fourth overall female. This is the first time I've won my age group in a triathlon and definitely my highest overall accomplishment in a triathlon. And, I even walked away with a nice little plaque.


And the coolest thing happened to me while leaving the race. I was stopped by and asked if I was Meredith. I answered yes and the gentleman let me know he reads my blog. He had started reading it after I did the Beat Michigan, Beat Cancer 5K last November as it was his son's class (I believe) who put on the race. Thank you Bill and Greg for introducing yourselves to me. I hope to see you again at another race soon.

SANTA!!!!

Look at the great stuff Santa brought me this week. (And in September! He must think I've been extra good this year.)


1. Saucony's Heiress Softshell Jacket. For the last several years I've been wearing my Chicago Marathon jacket for pretty much every winter run I did. With as much running as I do outside in the winter, it was time to add another jacket to the fold. This one is going to be fantastic.

2. Two pairs of Saucony's ProGrid Omni 9. The Omni is my favorite running shoe. I have been wearing a pair of them for probably the last five years. If they ever discontinue this shoe, I might die.

3. A new Splish swimming suit. After nine months of swimming, I've gone through four swimsuits. I was down to one so I ordered a new one. This one makes me feel like I'm wearing Dorothy's ruby red slippers. So shiny!

In addition, I also replaced the folding chair I've been sitting on for the last ten years in my office with a brand new manager's chair. Movin' on up!

Happy Anniversary!!!

Happy anniversary to my partner-in-crime, best friend, and love of my life. The last eight years have been awesome!

Product Review: Amphipod Airflow Lite

For years I have been looking for the perfect way to carry my gels and salt during racing and training. I have tried a variety of tactics. First, I tried a pair of Race Ready-type shorts (mine were not Race Ready). They worked pretty well, except the pockets tore over time. I also didn't like how as my shorts got heavier as they got wetter, the gels and wet shorts got droopier and droopier. Fail!

Then I tried a couple different waist packs, aka fanny packs. :) (One was by Fuel Belt, the other by Nathan.) The problem with these was I couldn't get them tight enough so they would bounce and ride up around my ribs instead of staying on my hips. This, of course, created unbelievable chafing. In addition, I was quite embarrassed I was wearing a fanny pack. :)


For a while I started wearing shimmels to race, which was great because they had pockets built into them. My only problem with the shimmel was that I have terribly inflexible shoulders and sometimes reaching into the pockets could be quite challenging.


After a year of nothing but spandex, I have been looking to find a way to carry my gels and wear loose fitting, comfortable running clothes, while in the running portions of tris or during running races. The week before Cedar Point I had decided I was going to wear my Fuel Belt and wanted to find an attachment, if you will, to the belt to carry my gels. I went to the running store across the street and, of course, they didn't have what I was looking for. That is ALWAYS the case. They recommended an Amphipod Airflow Lite, which to me, looked like another fanny pack. I was hesitant to buy it. I hadn't had the best experience with the waist pack, but they assured me that Amphipod prided itself on staying-put and I had heard great things too. So I bought it and tried it out on my next day's 15 minute run. I wore it with slippery tri shorts and put three gels in it to see if it would stay put. And....it totally did.


Then yesterday when I ran the 20 mile race, I loaded it up with 5 gels, a baggie of salt, and pinned my number on the front of it. It worked terrifically. It didn't move off my hips. It was easy to whip around and grab what I needed out of it. It never felt heavy or bulky.

So, I'm back to the fanny pack. But, I love it. I'm now I HUGE fan of Amphipod. I plan to try out another product very soon...

EAS Distance Classic 20 Miler 2010

I didn't want to end my year with disappointments in Louisville and Cedar Point. So I decided to use all my training and put it towards some running events. It's very rare that I have a weekend without a photo booth event, but this weekend I didn't and luckily there was a very long race in town: the EAS Distance Classic 20 Miler. Sure I hadn't done a long run since Louisville. Sure I hadn't done a long run before Louisville since the start of August. But, I was prepared to do a full iron distance race last weekend so certainly I had the conditioning for this.

I really had no expectations for this race. I knew it would be lonely out there as it was all inside Three Creeks Metro Park, so I decided to run with my iPod and treat the race as training to gauge if I wanted to sign up for the marathon next month. Luckily when I got to the race site this morning I ran into several people I've run with in the past. I felt right at home. My friend Patty, who've I've run with for this 20 mile race before and the Columbus Marathon, lined up with me and we decided to keep the pace around 9:00 or under.


I was a little concerned when we hit the first mile at 8:41. That was faster than I wanted to be going that early in the race but to my surprise, we held almost that pace for nearly the whole race. We soon realized there were two other women, Molly (who is the sister of a mutual friend) and Shawna, in our group and the four of us ran together from the start of the race until mile 15.


That's when I started to feel the effects of having absolutely zero training at the pace I was trying to run. Seriously y'all, I've been training for a 9:00-9:30 for Ironman. I had absolutely no right to think I was going to be able to sustain an 8:45 for this race. At mile 15 I noticed Molly and Shawna slipping away. Patty continued with me and we hit mile 16 at 8:42. Still on pace. At mile 17 I walked through the water stop, as did Patty, but when she started moving again it was quicker than me.


I only walked one more time in the race, but at this point I was pacing over a 9:00. I was all alone. I restarted my iPod and just tried to put one foot in front of the other until I got to the finish line. I finished in 2:56:16, which funny enough, netted me a 3rd place age group finish. Three years ago I ran in this race in almost exactly the same time and it got me 7th in my age group. I love me a small race! :)


Will I run the marathon next month? Probably. Will I be able to qualify for Boston again? I don't know. But, there's still some good training left to be done and a fantastic pace group to run with. Hopefully, I can, but I will be happy to end the season with any success. And finishing itself, is a success.

Ironman and Rev3: A Comparison

I've run a lot of marathons and they've ranged in size from small (Towpath) to medium (Columbus) to large (Boston) to OMG! (Chicago). My favorite type of marathon is on the larger size. I like the spectacle of it. I like it to be an event instead of just a weekend run. I like traveling to the race and making it a vacation.

Having experienced both Ironman and a non-Ironman iron distance event this year, I would say the opposite is for triathlon for me. Ever since I tiptoed into triathlon years ago I have found the sport to be unbelievably intimidating. I think it's the equipment. I lovingly refer to triathletes as sheep. Yes sheep. :) Triathletes tend to follow trends and hold onto them very tightly. The gajillion dollar bikes. The compression socks. The sperm helmets. If they can afford it, they've got it. The other part that's been intimidating to me is the speed at which triathletes can bike. Seriously, how can you do that? Oh yeah, I know. You can't run. :) See you on the run, sucka!

Anyway, getting back to Ironman and Rev3. There were things I liked and thought needed work for both races.

Ironman Likes:

• Community supported. I'm convinced that a large portion cheering on the course were not family and friends of those doing the race.
• Volunteers aplenty. More volunteers than racers. 'Nuff said.
• Established. There will be another Ironman.

Ironman Dislikes:

• Having to decide a year in advance if you want to do the event with no escape plan.
• To me, it's a big spectacle that makes a person like me very, very nervous.
• Corporate greed. 'Nuff said. :)

Rev3 Likes:

• Small and friendly. It felt like a hometown race instead of a big spectacle.
• Not as many volunteers as IM, but friendly and super-knowledgeable.
• Family friendly. Yep, you can cross that finish line with the ones who supported you.
• There's a half option if that full is just too much for you.
• The swag is much better and FREE!

Rev3 Dislikes:

• Not as many volunteers so there weren't things like wetsuit strippers.
• Not every aid station had everything.
• The finish line was fabulous, however, I'm not really sure why it had to be IN the amusement park. For those of us who didn't have park passes, it wasn't very accessible and not a lot of space to watch.

With all this said, IF I decided to tri again next year it will be at Rev3 Cedar Point. I was much less nervous there and felt at home. To each his own...

Foto Friday

My favorite part of Ironman/Rev3 was the signs that people made. My favorite one I saw in Louisville said, "Bike with the energy of a 1000 chihuahuas." I didn't get a picture of that, obviously, since I was on the bike. Here are some others that Dave captured:




And then I might have been part of a scheme for Dave's poster at Cedar Point:


That poster is currently sitting in the passenger seat of our car. :)

Thursday Thoughts

Every morning when I wake up I have a routine: look at the clock, pee, crawl back in bed, check my email, read blogs, and check the news. I usually read my blogs on Bloglines. But I just found out this week that Bloglines is no more as of October 1st. Crap! If you read my blog via Bloglines, make sure you switch it over to another blog reader or just become a follower on the blog. Don't you worry your pretty little heads! There is still plenty to blog about even though it's time to move on from Ironman for now.

Now that I have to find another place to read my blogs, I'm looking to redo my blog roll of sites I read. I need some recommendations. Here's my criteria of the type of blogs I read:

• Well written
• Not super wordy
• Mixes pictures in posts to help tell stories
• Posts often, preferably more than once a week
• Running/triathlon or photography related

So, what should I be reading?

Time and Change

Yesterday I was set to tri again at Rev3 Cedar Point. I didn't do it.

With my disappointment in Louisville I was looking to redeem myself and quickly. Cedar Point was a natural choice as I was already going to be there, I knew people who knew people and was able to get myself in as a late entry, financially it made sense, and most importantly, Dave and my family were okay with it. I signed up and retapered. I didn't really tell anyone about it until right before the race when I started leaking things on Facebook and immediately people knew what I was doing. The game was on.

Physically I felt fine; mentally, I was a mess. Since the race I keep having visions of what happened at mile 16 of my Ironman. It really scared me and I didn't know if I was ready to try again so quickly. The night before the race I tossed and turned all night long and came to the conclusion: it's not worth it. So when we woke up Sunday morning I told Dave my decision. He was not happy. He convinced me to put on my race uniform, grab all my stuff, and head down to transition. I fought kicking and screaming the whole way. Finally in the parking lot, I made my final decision. I WAS NOT DOING THE RACE!

I felt good about my decision. I felt bad about my decision. I felt good about my decision. And now I'm back to feeling bad about my decision.

So what happens now? Honestly, I don't know. I know I'm burnt out on triathlon for the season. No I am not going to be signing up for Great Floridian or Beach to Battleship. My season of triathlon is over. I am hoping to do some more running, hopefully doing some running races since I missed a whole summer of road races. Will I come back to triathlon next summer? I'm not sure. Louisville was supposed to be my one shot at Ironman. I was looking forward to moving on with my life after that race. I would have finished what I came to accomplish: marathons, Boston, Ironman.....LIFE. I want to progress my business. I'd even venture to say I've thought about starting a family (Mom, Pat if you're reading this, don't get your hopes up). But now I still feel like I have unfinished business; unfinished business that I should be able to finish.

I don't know what's going to happen with becoming Iron. Tomorrow, I'm going to leave my Garmin and heart rate monitor at home, strap on my running shoes, and just run.

August Totals

Obviously, it was a big month in August with my last big week of training and 130 miles of the Ironman. I'm surprised my arms and legs are still attached!!!

Swim = 26,600 meters (that's over 16-1/2 miles of swimming!!!)

Bike = 415.39 miles

Run = 88.98 miles

September will be NOWHERE near those totals. Thank goodness. :)

Ironman Louisville 2010

Unfortunately, this race report does not have the fairy tale happy ending I was hoping for.

To say I was nervous leading into race day is an understatement. I hadn't slept well in a week, my stomach was upset for days, and I just wasn't dealing well with things. The night before the race I slept horribly. My alarm went off at 3:45 and I reluctantly got up. I kept telling Dave, "I don't want to do it. I'd rather spectate." I was too sick and nervous to eat anything substantial. I had a piece of toast and a bite of a banana. Looking back, this may have been a mistake. At 4:30 we began our walk down to transition and it was already hot outside. Like, hot! I put the remaining things in my transition bags, pumped up my tires, and began the next long walk to the start of the swim. The line was already long and it was still more than 45 minutes before the start of the swim. I sat with my fellow competitors, chatted a bit, and tried to keep my mind off the race.


Soon the line was moving and things were happening quickly. Before I knew it I was running down the dock and jumping in the water. My race had started. I was quickly into my rhythm in the water. There was no "washing machine" effect and I only got bumped in the head once. The river was wide and the buoys were so far apart I couldn't see the next one after passing one. I felt very alone in the water. I kept telling myself to relax and be comfortable. Before I knew it I had passed under the bridges, I could hear the crowds, and I was upon the last buoy. The swim was over so fast.

Out onto the bike, I did what I had trained to do: stay in zone 2 or under, drink every 5 minutes, eat every 40 minutes, take salt tabs at the top of the hour. At some point I remember a guy coming past me who said, "It's HOT and it's only 9:30." It was hot. I can't even describe how hot it was. It was like, melt-your-skin-off hot. HOT!!! I found myself drinking sports drink every 5 minutes and also drinking water every 5 minutes in between those sports drinks. I was dumping water on my arms, my neck, my head, my face just trying to keep cool.


Things were slow going on the bike and very lonely, but I was doing what I was supposed to do. By mile 80 I was ready to be off my bike. The aid stations were running out of water, there were people lying on the sides of the road in the shade, and my skin was feeling really hot. I kept wondering, how in the world was I going to be able to run a marathon after this? The best thing about being pokey on the bike is that no one cares if you are breaking rules. For about three miles on the way back on River Road I had a gentleman ride beside me and talk to me. It was one of the better parts of the day. We were both looking forward to being off our bikes.

And soon we were. I had the best volunteer in the tent for T2. She did everything for me. She put on my shoes and tightened the laces. She held out my shorts so all I had to do was step in them. Really, she was awesome. Thank you volunteers for being out there!!!


Finally out on the run and I was surprisingly feeling really good. My pace was steady under a 10:00/mile. I LOVED running across the bridge at the beginning. Bet you would never hear me say that?! There was a wonderful breeze and it was peaceful and rhythmic. I just loved it. I was continuing to follow my nutrition: water, ice, and sponges at the aid stations, taking my gels every 4 miles starting at the 2 mile mark. Things were going great. I actually thought to myself, I wonder why they tell people not to do a marathon before doing an Ironman? I was really pulling on all my marathon experience and it was helping me tremendously.


Then things got bad. Around mile 9 I noticed my pace start to slip. Not really a big deal but with that slipping brought on a really bad stomach ache. At mile 10 I started walking. I would walk a cone, run a cone. It was all I could do. I saw my friend Andrea and she walked with me for a while encouraging me as we walked. I started substituting cola at the aid stations instead of gel to settle my stomach. For a while it did. At the special needs area, I picked up my headlamp. It was going to be a long night. When I came back in town and saw my family, I lost it. Dave walked with me for maybe a mile and helped me get my head back in the game. I saw Andrea again at mile 15 and she told me that Coach had called and said "I was bigger than this." I was. I started doing a little more jogging and then BAM! Things went horribly wrong. I didn't want to walk anymore. I noticed I wasn't sweating. I just wanted to lay down and take a nap. NOW! At the mile 16 aid station things spiraled quickly. I had "the runs." (Sorry for the gory detail.) I told the volunteers there that I didn't feel well. That I was feeling sick. I kept repeating it over and over again. They sat me down in a chair and my arms went numb all the way up to my biceps. They took me over to the grass, laid me down, and put cold sponges on my neck. Next thing I knew I was throwing up. Medics on bicycles came by and checked me out. And suddenly, my day was over. I was being helped onto a stretcher and loaded into the back of an ambulance along with another athlete who was also in bad shape. They put an IV in my arm, oxygen in my nose, and I sobbed all the way to the medical area.

In the medical area it looked like a scene from a war movie. There were cots FULL of people, each with IVs in their arms. People were throwing up, moaning, and crying. And I was one of them. They started my second IV and took my vital signs. My heart rate was in the low 60s, which is low for me, and my blood pressure was 90/60. Yikes!!! I spent an hour in the medical area until I was ready to go. I walked out, found Dave, and just cried. I was so sad and disappointed. I had done everything right and couldn't finish.

It took me about a day to recover from no food and being sick. I'm really tired. I've pretty much slept since I got home. I'm going through my emotions: sad, anger, acceptance, revenge. I've cried a lot: in the shower, in bed, on the phone. I'm not sure what's next. Do I want to try again? Do I want to do it soon at a non-Ironman event? Will it be the same experience? Will I feel a sense of relief and accomplishment or will it leave me wanting more? Or do I just want to move on with my life? I was so looking forward to being done and taking a break and living as all my friends live for a while. Am I ready to do that without this accomplishment? I'm still processing and it's going to take a while.

Thanks to all my friends and family who were there to support me and all those who supported me from afar.

This Is It

This is it. It's here. Tomorrow we travel to Louisville and the festivities begin. I can't believe 20 years of dreaming, one year of hoping, and nine months of training will all be reduced to one day. I'm scared. I'm nervous. I'm excited. I'm ready.

I'm taking my computer with me but I don't think I'll have internet access. This will, most likely, be my last post before the race. There will be lots of pictures taken and great stories will be told, but it will all have to wait until next week. I will have my iPhone and will be updating my Twitter and Facebook pages up until the race.

The fun starts Sunday approximately 7:00am. You can follow my progress here. I'm number 333. Make sure you tune into the live broadcast so you can see me cross the finish line. I think Dave will also be updating Twitter and Facebook too.

Next update, I will be an Ironman.

Thank You

One of my favorite quotes from the 2008 Ironman World Championships goes:

"Then you start wondering, as you might every year, what did that person sacrifice to do this?"

There are a lot of things I sacrificed but more importantly, there are a lot of people who sacrificed for me. I can never say thanks enough, but I'm going to give it a shot.

Coach: I initially was hiring Elizabeth with the intention of doing Ironman a few years ago, but I got too scared to even sign up so I hired her to coach me to a better marathon time. And she did--a 6 minute PR. When Dave and I visited her a year ago she saw me swim and said she would make me a triathlete. She knew how important doing an Ironman was to me. She pushed me (gently) and now here I am. Thank you for helping me to believe in myself and making me the athlete I've always wanted to be. (The picture is a joke. I HATED to ride my bike when I started this journey.)

Dave: I'm not going to lie, training for an Ironman is tough on a marriage. Last year when he trained alone we fought a lot. This year we have fought less but it's still been tough. Nothing gets done around the house. We spend no time together, besides working out. And to add more stress, we got a dog nine months ago. But, I have really enjoyed having someone to train with on occasion and someone to commiserate with. We are not going to know what to do with ourselves when all of this is over. :)

My Family: I feel like I've lost a year in the life of my nieces and nephews. We have tried our hardest to attend at least one of their baseball/softball games, wrestling matches, basketball games, etc. We try to attend family functions, often rearranging our workout schedules. My family has been really accommodating in putting up with our training and realizing that we're just not that available. I'm looking forward to seeing them on the course this weekend. My mom had surgery on both her knees just a few weeks ago and will be on the course. My sister and I have had a rocky relationship our entire lives and she'll be there this weekend. I can't say it to her face, but it means A LOT to me that she'll be there. Thanks for putting up with me. :)

My Friends: My friends didn't really understand me with the whole "running thing." They really don't get me with Ironman. I haven't seen my "real life" friends in a year. It's a goal of mine after the race to get my friends back. Expect the phone calls soon. To all my real and virtual friends, thanks for supporting me. Your comments and encouragement mean the world to me.

My Clients: Had I known how quickly and successfully my business was going to grow, doing an Ironman this year may not have been a good idea. Many of my clients have no idea that I'm doing an Ironman. That's a good thing, I think; means I'm doing my job right. For all my clients, thanks for being patient with me. Thank you for leaving messages and emails and allowing me to get back to you on my time. I'm looking forward to seeing how the business grows without the stress of Ironman.

And to all of those who don't fall into those categories, thank you, thank you, thank you for putting up with me. I know I'm sick of talking about Ironman and I'm sure you're sick of hearing about it. Thank you for your patience, kindness, and encouragement. Thank you for sacrificing with me.

Foto Friday

I have already started packing. Make fun of me if you want. :)

Thursday Thoughts

Ten days!!! Wow!!!

I basically have three goals for this race:

1. Have fun.
2. Enjoy the experience.
3. Finish.

I kinda also have a time goal in mind. Of course, it's a two hour window, but I'm being realistic here. :)

So, what's your best guess for my finish time?

Sloopy's Birthday

Yesterday was Sloopy's first birthday and she lived it up! After work and our workouts we took her to the dog park where she got to run around and play with friends. I've taught my little girl well. Anytime a dog tried to mount her, she would put her tail between her legs, pull her little hips under and then roll over. Good girl! Don't be huggin' no boys! (That's what my mom used to tell me--ha ha!) After the dog park we took her to the pet store where we picked her out a dog bed and bought her some doggie yogurt. We got home and she DEVOURED that yogurt. She loved it! After messing with the bed, which I'm convinced she will destroy in a month, she laid down in it and fell asleep. Happy birthday, Sloopy!!!

By the Numbers

At breakfast on Saturday I nonchalantly mentioned to Dave that I think I noticed the IM Louisville Athlete Guide was online. He immediately whipped out his iPhone to look to see if I had a number. Then it was, "Guess your number." Gosh, Dave! Just tell me my number!

333. Yep, I might have the coolest number ever. 333. That's like triple lucky. :)

Upon hearing I had a number I broke down in tears. This has pretty much happened everyday, but this was the first time in public. I have been so emotional about this race and now that I have a number, it's really real.

I have been training for nine months. It's been a really long time; it's been a really short time. I have logged hundreds of hours and thousands of miles. Yet, the distance still scares me. I'm trying to keep it all in perspective. Since November I have...

• Swam 164,025 meters. That's equivalent to 102.5 miles, which is over 42 Ironman length swims.
• Biked 2,100.8 miles. That is nearly 19 Ironman length bike rides.
• Ran 501.38 miles. That is equivalent to 19 marathons.

The hard work is done. The taper is going so quickly. In 13 days I'll be on the starting line...

Foto Friday - A Poll

This post is for the ladies. Dudes, you're not going to understand or care. :)

Girls, I've had bangs for the last 2+ years. I have thought about and tried growing them out, but really, I have no patience. Plus, I hate a side-swept bang (so annoying!!!). I have currently not cut my bangs in approximately 8 weeks. With all the swimbikerun, it is too time consuming to always stop and fix my hair, which is what you have to do when you have bangs. But, I'm starting to hate my forehead again (he he!) which is the whole reason why I cut my bangs in the first place. So, to cut or not to cut? What do you think? Convenience or stylish?

Thursday Thoughts

I like to reward myself after races. You know, get something for myself that says "good job on getting through the training and having a success race." It doesn't necessarily have to be race related gear, but just something nice for myself. I am already planning on purchasing a finisher's jacket (I have two Boston Marathon jackets, so this is a duh!) and getting a tattoo (I have a tattoo to celebrate my marathons, why would I have one for Ironman?).

So, what should be my reward?

Last Long Ride

Last weekend Dave and I headed back down to Louisville to ride the bike course again. This time we would be riding the whole course--all 112 miles. Last time we were in Louisville riding, some dude rode with us for a good amount of time and talked to us about organized rides in Louisville specifically for the Ironman. He was kinda weird so I didn't think too much of it. Then our friends Colleen and Tom said they were doing an organized ride with iamtri and I was totally on that bandwagon. :)

So Saturday morning we met a large group near transition. We paid $10 a piece to be able to ride with the group and be provided with aid on the course. We got started a little behind the group because Dave's brake kept sticking and it needed a little attention. But it didn't really matter because we were going to be behind the group anyway. I don't really understand why everyone is SO much faster than me at bike riding.

The first several miles of the course is flat, flat, flat. It's a nice way to pick up some speed but not really since I'll be conserving my energy for what's ahead. Then there is a detour that may or may not be there during the race. If it is, it's not cool because it's a pretty steep climb. After the climb there's a turn onto Route 42 where there's a steep downhill. The next part is pretty flat as you roll on out of town. There's a right turn for the out and back. Now the fun begins. The out and back may be the hardest part of the ride all day but at least you only have to do it once. It's deceiving because it starts flat but then there's a crazy downhill leading right into a long, steep uphill. Then you turn around and do it again in the opposite direction. Finally you're back on 42 for a little bit of rollers until it's time to start the loop you'll do twice. The loop is not so bad, just long--30 miles. The first road, 393, has one big climb in it. Then it's into LaGrange where all the spectators will be. Next is what I've dubbed "School House Rock Road" and for me, this is the road I hate the most on the whole ride. And you've got to do it twice! A few more roads, a few more climbs, and then it's into Sligo and back to 42 for a long 12 miles back to the start of the loop. Once you've made it to Sligo again the last 30+ miles don't seem so bad. I picked up A LOT of speed heading back to Louisville--a whole 1/2 mph! That's a lot when we were out there for 80 miles prior.

The best part is, I did it. And I did it a lot better than I thought I was going to. Sure, it took me a whole hour longer than most people are going to ride it, but I also know I won't be the last one on the course either. My goal is simply to finish the race and enjoy the experience. I'm going into the last few weeks with a little more confidence and ready for the taper.

All Decked Out

About two weeks ago my mom had surgery on both of her knees. It was outpatient surgery and I went over to my parents' house to help her and my dad out. Last year when Dave was preparing for his first Ironman I surprised him with letters of encouragement and congratulations from his family and friends and other triathletes throughout the country. I knew he might be surprising me this year, but I was expecting anything. So, with my mom completing drugged up, she proceeded to tell me about the T-shirts that she and Dave were doing for my friends and family that were going to be at the race. Um, mom, I don't think I was supposed to know about that. Woops! In any case, I got to help design the shirt and here it is:



If you see a group of people wearing these shirts in Louisville during the race, they belong to me. Say hi!

A Few of my Favorite Things

Megan asked me in my last post about my favorite workouts I did during Ironman training. This is a really hard question for me to answer because the workouts were so different than what I am used to for marathon training. With the past three marathons, those which I worked with a coach, there were very distinct workouts that I remember that made my training unique: deep water swim training, circuit training on an indoor track, etc. With Ironman training, I feel like everything has been long and within low heart rate zones. I'm not sure there is a workout that I can point out that has been unique and especially challenging (except all bike workouts have been hard).

There have been things I've really enjoyed about this training, though:

• I haven't had a training partner since 2008, so it's been great to have Dave around during some of the workouts. We rarely have the same workout schedule but when the stars do align it's been nice to have someone beside me during the tough workouts. Even if he isn't working out with me, it's nice to know there is someone around to understand what I'm going through.
• It's great to have new friends Colleen and Tom. I didn't know there were local people like Dave and me. :) We've hung out, we exchange emails often, and we're looking forward to Louisville together.
• I have really enjoyed being pushed emotionally and mentally in addition to physically by Coach. She understands how important this race is to me and has helped me to focus fully.
• Funny enough, I've really learned to enjoy biking. There I said it. :)
• I am so glad I got picked to be on Team Trakkers. Not only have my sponsors provided me with great stuff, the camaraderie and support from my teammates has meant so much to me. I can't wait to see you guys rock it at Cedar Point.
• Finally, it's been good to step away from marathoning for a while. I have thought for a long time that I'm only good at long distance running. But through this training I've realized that I'm at least okay at triathlon and that I have other options besides just running marathons.

Firsts and Lasts

I remember training for my first marathon back in 2001. Every run was a "first". On Saturdays or Sundays I would go out for my long runs and it was always my longest run ever. I did my first track workout. I ran my first 5 miler, 10K, and half marathon. And then I waited at the start line to run my first marathon.

This year has included a lot of "firsts" too. I rode my first century, change my first flat tire, and swam over 3000 meters (and a lot further) for the first time. I set new personal bests in the olympic and half IM distances. But now eight months after I started this journey I'm reach the "lasts." This week includes my last long run, my last long swim, and my last long bike ride. Next week I start to taper for Louisville. My journey is quickly coming to an end. I am both scared and excited.

Four weeks....

July Totals

Wow! It was a big month! July was pretty much eat, swim, bike, run, sleep with little else. I tried my best to get to every workout and I think I only missed one key one: a 6-1/2 hour bike ride that I was just too tired to even attempt. I'm getting more anxious and scared as the race comes closer and closer, but with the major mileage I put in this month, I'm also feeling a lot more comfortable about the race.

Swim = 25,250 meters (That's 15.78 miles!!!!)

Bike = 397.77 miles (And my very first flat tire!)

Run = 92.49 miles (Finally, marathon training numbers!)

One big week to go and then it's taper time. Oh. My. Stars.

I've Flipped my Lid

I don't know if it's the heat or how deep I am in my training, but I have lost my patience with the gym. I belong to Lifetime Fitness and it's the quintessential gym. You've got your meatheads, you've got your fashionistas who care more about how they look than getting in a workout, and sprinkled in there you've got people who are there to really exercise. What bothers me, though, is watching people workout and see everything they're doing wrong or not doing anything at all. It bothers me so badly to see people leaning on the treadmills and elliptical machines. Dude, you're not working anything!

For the last 9 months I have spent the majority of my time at the gym in the pool. I have seen all kinds of things happen in the pool and most of them do not involve actual swimming. Look, I have no problem if you're in the lap pool and you're doing something productive. If you are walking, walk and make it aerobic. If you are swimming, thank you! If you can share a lane, god bless you.

Yesterday two teenage boys were in the lane beside me. I should say, one teenage boy was in the lane and the other was on the deck. The one in the pool was diving to the bottom, a whopping 4 feet below, while the other one counted how long he could hold his breath. Turns out a whole 16 seconds. You're awesome! (sarcasm implied) When the other lane beside me, to my left, opened up, the yahoo on the deck jumped in that lane. So now the teenagers are in both lanes beside me. They're mirroring each other as they dive to the bottom. Me, I continue my workout. At one point, the kid on the right dives down, under the lane line, and runs into me as I swim. And it's hard enough that I cannot brush it off and continue as if nothing happens. I yell at both of them. I told them that these lanes were for swimming and if they wanted to horseplay (yeah I said that) they should be in the other pool. I continued with my set and when I came to the end of the wall they were waiting for me. Good grief. The one of my left, not the one who actually hit me, apologized for the other kid and tried to explain the situation and that they were lifeguard trained (yeah right). I told them I didn't care and that they needed to be in the other pool. I stopped listening and talking and finished my swim.

Here's the thing, Lifetime...it's gotten out of control in the lap pool and you're lifeguards and the swim director are too chicken to do anything about it. Here's what I suggest, with five lanes you designate one for walking (the one with the stairs), one for slow swimming, two for medium swimming, and one for fast swimming. People then have to seed themselves. And if you're walking in a lane designated for swimming and a swimmer needs that lane, you need to move over to the walking lane. I've seen this done at a community pool nearby and it's really not that hard!

Part of me is really ready for the Ironman to be over because I think I'm going to get involved with the master's swimming at the high school so I can swim with real swimmers.

Happy swimming!!!

Product Review: Saucony Sports Bra

Disclaimer: Yes, I am sponsored by Saucony and receive a discount on their merchandise, however, I write reviews based on my experience and not on loyalty.

It's hot outside. Seriously hot. I don't ever remember a summer this hot. Then again, I've never trained for a race in the middle of the summer. I keep thinking it's not going to get any hotter, but then I remember how hot it was in Louisville during the 2008 IM and it very well could get hotter. So, I've been thinking about what I will wear during the race to minimize the hotness (enter joke here).

I've been thinking that during the run portion of the race I will wear my favorite run shorts and a sports bra. To stay true to my sponsors, it needs to be a Saucony sports bra so I purchased two of these: a black one and a pink one. The pink one is like Barbie Doll pink, but at least it matches my Trakkers hat.



I wore the black one during a short 45 minute run last week. I didn't use any skin protectant (ie, Body Glide) and didn't wear a shirt on top of it. Here's what I noticed about this sports bra: I think it might be made for more well-endowed girls than me. :) It's very full coverage: it's pretty high in the front and covers well in the back. Although I'm far from full-figured, I actually really like the coverage. There's no back fat and no side boob. By the end of the run I did notice a little bit of rubbing in the armpit area.

I wore the pink one on my long 2 hour 45 minute run last Friday. It was a scorcher last Friday (hottest day of the summer) so I suited up in what would be my trail run for Ironman. I wore Body Glide in the armpits and underarm area, under the bust line and a little at the top of the sports bra. By the end of mile 1 I was already drenched in sweat. This was a good day to test this out.

Overall, I really liked the sports bra and think it will work for Ironman. I like how the back and the front have the Saucony logo which is reflective which will work great if I wind up finishing in the dark. The pink one matches my Trakkers hat and will be easy to spot for my family. The only thing I noticed was a little chafing in an unexpected area. You see, these bras have an inner lining that protects the essentials. :) My Trakkers uniform has the same protectors. These are great, however, after 18 of the sweatiest miles ever, that inner lining chafed me on my chest. So, next time I run in it I will have to lube up there too.

The Countdown

I have to admit, I didn't think training for Ironman would be a huge stretch from training for a marathon. I was wrong. REALLY. WRONG. It is way, way much more training and much, much harder mentally, physically, and emotionally to deal with. This week was my second-to-last big week before the race (YIKES!!!). This week I biked 150 miles, ran 31 miles, and swam nearly 5 miles. I have had super-highs, and the lowest of lows. I rode my first century and changed my first flat tire. I've shed tears of exhaustion, tears of happiness, and tears of nervousness. I can't believe it's all coming to an end and yet it seems there is so much more training I have and need to do. My dreams are colliding with reality. In five weeks I'll toe that line and find out what I'm made of. In five weeks I will become an Ironman.

Thursday Thoughts

This summer one of my shows of obsession is Man vs. Food. The host Adam Richman travels to different cities and samples some of the best food joints and takes on a food "challenge" usually ranging from very large portions (last week it was over 9 pounds of food in 40 minutes) or something insane like hot, hot, hot wings. I was lucky enough to catch the one in Columbus in rerun and was surprised that I had been to two of the three restaurants.

So, what's the best restaurant in your town and what is the best thing to eat there?

My Destiny

Between photo boothing and the weather my workout schedule has gotten a little off. I was supposed to do a 6-1/2 ride followed by a 45 minute run over the weekend, but I just couldn't get it done. So, I had planned on doing it on Monday and pushing things back and shuffle things around for the next week. But looming in the next week was a 7-1/2 hour ride shooting for 112-120 miles. Early into the ride I decided I was just going to give the full thing a-go.

I had decided since I was doing the ride by myself that I'd ride to my sister's house and back twice and then throw in a little extra at the end of the ride. This way I was close to home in case something happened and also to make it easier to refill the bike with nutrition. The first trip out to my sister's house was interrupted with a short jaunt to my parents' to empty my bladder. I was seven miles into the ride...it was going to be one of those days. :) But, this added a few miles so I decided to keep the trek to my parents' house on the agenda for both ways. This would mean that finishing two loops would come up to 94 miles. The first 47 were pretty uneventful. I found some roads out by my sister's house were in the process of being chip sealed (gravel and then asphalt--yeah, she lives in the country) so I decided not to take those roads a second time.

The second time I got to my sister's house (around 70 miles) I was starting to feel bad. My shoulders were super-sore, my knees were achy, I was tired of being on my bike. I had a hard time taking a bathroom break and wanting to get started again. If she didn't have a million kids around, I might have asked her for a ride home. The workout description said "don't quit," so I wasn't going to. Around 77 miles I was starting to lose it mentally. The wind was in my face and I realized I still had somewhere between 35 and 40 miles left for this ride. That's still a lot more miles! Eighty miles into it, I was arguing with myself. Out loud. "Come on, Meredith. You're the strongest person I know mentally." "No, I'm not." "You can do this." "No I can't!" By the time I made it back to the house at 94 miles, I was toast.

I called Dave and he gave me a little pep talk. He told me to just take the next 18 miles in smaller steps: get to the end of the street, make it into New Albany, try to ride out to Abercrombie. Okay, I could do that. I started out again and I was actually feeling better. My knees and shoulders weren't hurting as much and I felt like I had a second wind. Yes, I could do this.

And then I got to thinking. Last night I was watching Holly's World. Shut up! You know you watch it too! She said in the episode that having big boobs was her destiny. He he he! But in all seriousness it got me thinking. Becoming an Ironman is my destiny. I have wanted to achieve this goal for as long as I can remember. When I was little I used to watch the Hawaii Ironman, sobbing, telling my dad that I was going to do that some day. It's been the number one goal on my Life List since it existed. This is my destiny.

At 100 miles I cheered out loud. Around 104 miles I was brought back down to reality. Something was squishy, and it happened to be my back tire. Crap! I've never had a flat tire. EVER! So I found some shade and called Dave. He talked me through changing it while on the phone. And I totally did it by myself. I wish I had pictures to prove it. Sure it might have taken me a half hour, but I had that back tire on in no time. :) I was riding again and I was going to finish this b!tch! Except a few miles later I was squishy again. Gosh darn it! I must have done something wrong. I had one more CO2 cartridge but not another tube. At 107.5 miles, I was done. I had to call Dave to come pick me up.

As it turns out, I didn't do anything wrong. There was a stone stuck in the tire that had punctured both my tubes. I probably got it at that newly chip sealed road 80 miles prior and it just took that long to actually puncture the tire. So, now I know how to change a tire and I know that I can do it successfully, albeit slowly.

Although I didn't get the full 112 miles in, I know I can finish the ride. I had some dark miles late in the ride, but from everyone I've heard from that's pretty common. One more big ride left before the big day....

Shadow Dancing

I kid you not...this is what I saw in the pool this weekend:



Yes, there were two men, facing each other, in TWO LANES, "shadow dancing". Or at least, that's what I like to call it. And they were making aerobic faces at each other. You know what I'm talking about..."oooohhh", "aaahhhh." The best part was the lifeguard came over and told them they had to stop. He he he!

Foto Friday

This is a bike heavy week for me. And a run heavy week. And a swim heavy week. Oh yeah, we're only a few weeks from Ironman. :) Yesterday's ride was not designed to be difficult but I was suffering through it nonetheless. My legs were tired and I had trouble getting my RPMs up. So I would switch gears to get into the correct RPM and then my heart rate would drop. The wind was in my face which made me going like 14 mph in zone 2. I was really suffering. Within a few miles from home I dropped my chain and struggled to get it back on. Dave can do his, somehow, without even touching it. Me, I'm a grease monster:


As adventurous as my ride was, though, it was nothing compared to Dave's. We rode together for a majority of the ride, but his was an hour longer so he turned off at one point. When I got home and showered I noticed a missed call from Dave. I called him back and he answered with this..."Don't worry. I'm okay." YIKES! Turns out he was 100 feet away when a car swerved to avoid a dog, hit the ditch and flipped the car over. RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM!!! He said the girl jumped out of the car about as quickly as he could get to the accident. She was fine with only a few minor scratches. The dog was fine too, I guess. Dave said he never saw a dog. He waited around for the police and ambulance to show up and had to give a report. Scary stuff!

Thursday Thoughts

With only a few weeks left until the big race, I've started to notice a theme in questioning...

"What are you going to do after Ironman?"

I have no freakin' idea! I do have one race on the schedule in October, but after that __________ (crickets chirping). I'm a little worried about post-race depression, to be honest. I've run Boston. I'll have completed an Ironman. Really, what is there left to do? How can anything top those?

So, what should I do after Ironman?

Product Review: FuelBelt FuelBox

The bike rides are getting longer which means it's getting more and more difficult to carry everything that is needed--gels, salt tabs, phone, identification, kitchen sink, etc. I used to use a Bento Box (pictured below), but I hated that thing because it always folded to one side and scraped up my legs. (My bike fit is really tight and my knees nearly touch the elbow pads of my aero bars.)

Dave's Bento Box on Charlie Brown.

Recently I purchased a FuelBelt FuelBox (large) to try out and see if it was any better than my Bento Box.

Hello beautiful bike.

I used it on my long ride and put my EFS gel flash, a little tube of sunscreen, chapstick, salt tabs, and driver's license. On this ride I liked the new fuel box. It held all my stuff. It didn't chafe my legs. I liked the zipper. And because it has an inner plastic liner, it was easy to clean up from all the goopy gel.

But then I used it on a ride on Tuesday and that day I did not like it so much. Tuesday I was carrying three gels, a key, a driver's license, and my iPhone. It all came down to the phone. My tiny, tiny phone, I guess, weighs too much and is a little too wide. Because it was on it's side and leaning one direction that meant that the whole fuel box leaned in one direction. And therefore chafed my knee. Halfway through the ride I got fed up and took my phone and jammed it as best I could to lay flat on the bottom of the box. It didn't quite fit, but the box was no longer leaning to one side. In addition, I tightened up the velcro pieces around the handlebars.

Overall, I like the FuelBox a lot better than the Bento Box. My only wish for something they could change is I'd like to see one with a zipper going the other direction. For me, I'd rather have the box sit at the back of my top tube along the seat post. But because the zipper goes the wrong direction I think it would be hard to open and close.

The Saucony sports bra review has been delayed as the size I got was just a little too small (hard to believe, eh?). So I sent it back and ordered a size bigger. Hopefully there will be a review next week.

Full Moon (NSFW)

****WARNING!!! THIS POST HAS SOME NUDITY. BE WARNED: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR WORK****

The long bike ride for the weekend was six hours. I was so ready for this ride. And I so rocked this ride.

We rode from our house and did our hour long warm up. We then stopped at my parents' house and dropped off all our extra stuff we were carrying (sunscreen, nutrition, etc.). We would be using their house as our base camp, if you will. We then headed off on our 20 mile interval with 5 miles of recovery. The first one was pretty uneventful. We tried to hit our heart rate zones, did our climbs in the saddle, and stuck to a reasonable pace. We returned to my parents' house, took a bathroom break, resprayed the sunscreen, and refueled. Then it was out again. For me, this was the darkest part of the ride. I didn't feel bad, necessarily, but I knew we were not halfway through and there was still a long way to go. I was nutritioning (yes it's a word) the hell out of this ride, though, and continued throughout. One bottle of Gatorade per hour, gel every 40 minutes, salt tabs on the hour, and water when I needed it. My stomach was feeling good and I was feeling well hydrated.

The next time we returned to my parents house something happened. I unclipped my right foot, the natural one for me, and the bike leaned left. I tried to catch myself against the garage door as I was close enough, but I couldn't quite handle it. Now, though, I was too close to the garage and I was worried I was going to hit it on the way down. So I kinda scooched closer to the bike. This was a mistake. The bike seat got me HARD in the butt and my gears dug into my right leg. I crashed onto my left side. Dave couldn't get close enough to help me. This is the fourth time I've crashed like this in the last year and it was the one that hurt the most. I got up, close to tears, and walked it off. While we restocked our bikes, I put a small ice pack on the butt and kept on moving. We continued with our ride.

Despite the crash I had a great ride. We finished off 90 miles just over 6 hours. I was really tempted to turn the bike around and continue on for another ten miles and finish my first century. There was running to do, though, and I couldn't skip another run off the bike.

Here's the good stuff. That crash? Well, it was awesome. Checking a little later in the day, Dave discovered my butt was bruising and quickly. I iced it that evening and slept very uncomfortably. The next day it was starting to look and feel bad. Warning, full moon ahead:

One day after the crash.

Two days after the crash and the bruise is now very colorful and growing (although feeling a lot better):



I can't believe I just showed you all pictures of my butt!!!

Chasing Bourbon

They suckered me in again.

I have done Reach the Beach five times: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. (I can't find a race report for 2007). Last year the team took a year off as babies were born, people moved, lives changed, etc. I swore I would not do another relay race as the last one just about broke me.

For 2010 the gang decided to try a different type of relay race, The Bourbon Chase. Initially I threw my hat in the ring, but decided to back out because of a lot of reasons: there was a huge waitlist and it was time to give someone else an opportunity; I really wanted (and still want to) qualify for the Halfmax Championships and it was only two weeks before; I am not in fast running shape as I've been training for Ironman exclusively; I had a falling out with a friend on the team; I have a wedding scheduled that weekend....excuses, excuses, excuses. Dave and my dad had already paid their deposits but I told our team captain I didn't want to do it.

Fast forward SEVERAL months and I'm having dinner with my parents last week. Dad mentioned the relay teams still needed another person. Really? What about the waitlist? Gone. Crap! Being that I haven't qualified for Halfmax and now have two weddings that weekend, that excuse is gone. There are still going to be people on the team slower than me. Excuse gone. Falling out with the friend...well, we'll deal with that later. And then the wedding. What to do about the wedding? I only had one scheduled that weekend so I started checking with my employees and they covered it. Excuse gone.

And now, I'm on the relay team again. I'm serious this time. This is my LAST TIME!!!!

Foto Friday

Because I love this photo so much. This is of my dad after he fell when we were running together in the winter. I have tried to find the blog post that goes with this, but I can't seem to find it. I'm going to use this as my dad's ringtone picture on my iPhone. :)

Thursday Thoughts

Dave and I received a class action lawsuit the other day for something and I noted to him how often I get noticed about class action lawsuits for my VW Beetle. This was my first new car I bought myself after college. I thought I would love that thing. I absolutely HATED IT!!! I had problem after problem, got ridiculed by the maintenance department at the dealership, and even got hung-up on by a manager. I turned that sucker in as soon as my lease was up. I will NEVER buy another Volkswagen and I will NEVER shop at Hatfield again.

That being said, Dave and I bought ourselves two new cars following the VW--a 2004 Toyota Prius and a 2004 Honda Element. These cars are AWESOME!

My Stars! Look how skinny Dave was back in the day!

In the 6 and 5 years we've owned the cars, respectively, we've only had one emergency service on the Prius. We have both cars payed off. We use the Element for carrying the photo booths and our bikes. It's like the best truck ever. I hope these cars last FOREVER!!!

So, if you were buying a new car right now, what would you buy and why?

In Memoriam

In loving memory of my dear
iPod who passed away July 5th, 2010.
Thou art gone, dear iPod,
Gone beyond the world of excessive running and riding,
But the memory of you will ever linger
Through the passing years.

Lovingly, Meredith

A Short Review

Fashion is not really my thing. I remember when I was in my high school my sister, the pretty one, would be all like, "why can't you wear anything besides a t-shirt and jeans." Yep that's just me, a t-shirt and jeans girl. Nothing has really changed as I've gotten older and probably has gotten a bit worse this year with Ironman training. I swear I am living in workout clothes and IT AIN'T PRETTY!!! When I workout, I'm lucky if I come close to matching. I usually don't put much thought into my gear. I just want it to fit and not chafe.

Alright I'm going to preface this review. Yes, I receive a discount from Saucony because they are one of my sponsors. No, I would not give a good review if I did not believe in the product. Okay, here we go...

Earlier this summer I bought a pair of shorts from Saucony because I needed a pair to compliment the rest of the gear I've received from Saucony and Trakkers. I didn't put a lot of thought into what pair I wanted. I just wasn't going to spend a lot of money and I wanted them to be black to match the rest of my gear. So I ordered this pair. I was a little nervous about them being big and bulky because I ordered a size bigger than the rest of my gear, but the rest of my gear is a little snug. They arrived and the first run I put them through was in the rain. You never know what chafing and bunching will occur in the rain. And you know what, I loved these shorts in the rain. They were light. They didn't chafe. I barely noticed they were there.

Last week I was running on the trails wearing a pair of Nike shorts that I've run in a million times. But it was the first time I noticed how bunched up they get in my hoochie coochie and how scratchy they were. When I planned my long run this week, I made sure my Saucony running shorts were clean. Despite everything else falling apart on my run, the shorts were perfect.

I've been thinking a lot about what I will wear in Ironman. Will I wear my biking shorts underneath my swimming speed suit? (Probably, I'm not very open about my naked self in the changing tent.) Will I change into my tri shorts for the marathon? Do I want to wear running shorts instead of tri shorts for the marathon? Is it going to be too hot to wear the tri top on the run? All I know right now is that I'm leaning towards changing into these new running shorts for the run. They are perfect for a marathon run.

I just purchased a sports bra from Saucony. Maybe another good review coming?

So Hot It Melts Your Popsicle

Look, I'm no dummy. Ironman is going to be hard. And most likely HOT! Three of the four times Ironman Louisville has happened has been HOT! Like, melt your face off, hot. When I went to watch it two years ago it was 97 degrees. This summer is turning out to be a scorcher. Dave and I had a conversation at dinner the other night. I said I didn't remember ever training in weather this hot. He reminded me that I've never run a marathon that was prior to October so I would only be starting my training now.

Today was a long run -- 2-1/2 hours. I got started a little later than I wanted, but getting up early is not so easy when you work at a wedding the night before and don't get home until 11:00 or after. This run was designed to be a trial run for Ironman. I was supposed to realistically run at Iron pace. In my head, I'm thinking....this is easy! Iron pace is nearly one minute slower than marathon pace. Sure easy. :)

I started off with an hour warm up. I was barely 10 minutes in and it was already hot. Sweat was starting to roll off my nose and my skin was starting to feel like my clothing was melting into it. Maybe 2 miles into the run I realize I didn't bring any salt tabs. No biggie. I've done years of marathon training without salt. Not even five miles into it I was halfway through my water. It was going to be a long day.

After an hour I got to do 45 minutes at Ironman pace. I had set my Garmin between 8:30s and 9:00s hoping to stay close to 9:00s. This was the best part of the workout for me. I didn't have to worry about heart rate and could just run. It was very hot, but there was a bit of a breeze in my face and I was going downhill. I arrived at my car 10 miles into the run and restocked the water, grabbed another gel and headed out to finish up the last hour plus of the run.

The next phase of the run was to go faster than race pace. I thought, sure this will be easy. I only need to go under 8:45s. I was just fried, though, and things were starting to unravel. I couldn't believe how HOT I was. I was playing mind games with myself: just run to the wooden part of the path, make it to the underpass, let's make it 100 steps and then you get a break. My Garmin wouldn't stop beeping at me. I was literally yelling at it to SHUT UP!!! I was drinking my water every 2-1/2 minutes. I would stop every time I could find shade. My legs and head were saying no more. But my heart told me to keep going. I was worried I was ruining my insides. Seriously, I was a mess.

With 29 minutes left in the run I found myself sitting on the ground. I don't know how I got there. I don't know how long I stayed there. Reality hit me. I always wondered how people were passed out and looked like hell on the side of the road in races. And here I was sitting on the path less than 3 miles from my house. I picked myself up and ran some more. I stopped again not even five minutes later and a couple on bikes passed me. They didn't say anything to me, but I must have looked bad to them because I saw them again a few minutes later. They were waiting on me to make sure I was okay. Man, I must be looking bad.

Finally I made it to the cool down and I shuffled back to the car. I ran into Grace, who I've run many marathons with and she was just heading out on her run. I told her to be careful. It was HOT! I finished my run, finally: 15.85 miles in 2-1/2 hours. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't fast, but it was done.

I'm starting to learn that Ironman training is a lot like therapy. Yep, I'm seen a head shrinker. And I hated it. They cut you down and make you feel like crap and then build you back up to a new person. Ironman training is the same way. You have to be broken mentally and physically to learn how to deal with all situations on race day. This run really shook me, but Coach thinks it was a positive experience. All I know is, I think there's only one long run left....