Happy Birthday!

Today my family welcomed baby #4, as my sister gave birth to yet another child. :)

Happy Birthday, Ashtyn Claire

I didn't get to hold the baby because I have sinus infection #459,876,849,291, but I'm looking forward to holding her when I get better.

Daytime Columbus Part 2

Today I had my moment in the spotlight. Today I made my television debut in a five minute segment during a daytime tv show. Today, I was a superstar.

No seriously. My phone started ringing as soon as the segment ended. It looks like I may have four more events booked by the end of today. Holy cow!

Here's the video. Go to the bottom of the page and click on the video that says "Take a Snapshot with your Friends at the Next Party." Enjoy!!

Daytime Columbus Part 1

Friday was the big day. Dave and I headed down to the local NBC news station to tape our 5 minute segment for "Daytime Columbus." The segment will air on Monday (and I'll be able to put it on the website) so I haven't seen it but by looking at ourselves in the monitors we looked really scared.

Besides the interview, which was scary city, we otherwise had a blast. The production crew loved the booth and utilized it well. In addition, the intern, Amberly, gave us a full tour of the facilities. We got to meet local celebrities.

Be sure to check out the other blog to see some pictures from inside the booth. And check back tomorrow for the full video.

January Totals

This last week put a screeching halt to my workouts. We had a major snowstorm on Tuesday/Wednesday and then I caught my 4th cold since September at the end of the week. Needless to say, I only got in one workout since Wednesday.

Run = 75.37 miles.
I really thought I was going to hit 100 this month.

Swim = 0 meters.
I had my first swim of the year scheduled for today. With the headcold I have, that's not going to happen.

Bike = 5.13 miles.
That's a whopping 30 minutes of riding I did this month. I had another 20 minute ride scheduled this month but I didn't get to it.

Other = 6 hours.
That's a whole lot of other stuff. I did weights and stretching and just this week put in some rowing. Coach has me do a lot of cross training activities that are running for a while then doing a couple exercises, followed by more running, etc. Those exercises are not included in this count.

I'm hoping in February to do all my workouts and finally get my running miles over 100. And hopefully have a few more swims.

Jack of All Trades

Like Marit and Lindsay, I too participated on the crew team in college. Unlike the two of them (I think) I didn't row. I was a coxswain. That does not mean I sat in the boat and yelled at the rowers. I steered the boat and encouraged my athletes and made sure we won our races. And we did. It was also important for me to know how to row. Often times, the coxswain was the one doing the coaching.

To learn how to row my coaches put me on an erg machine and taught me the basics.

Yesterday I put those to good use. Coach is really trying find different ways to develop my muscles and become a better runner without getting me injured. I totally appreciate that. The workout she gave me was 10 minutes of warm-up on the rowing machine followed by 5 X (3 core exercises + 5 minutes of rowing). (Could I be more of an engineer when I write a word problem like that?)

Well, that 10 minutes just wasn't going to happen. Instead I did 6 X 5 minutes with 3 exercises in between each 5 minute segment. Let's just say this...IT WAS HARD! By the end my arms were screaming and I think my lats might have lit fire.

My favorite part of rowing at the gym was watching the other people row. I helped a mother and daughter on their form because they had NO idea what they were doing. Then this little woman sat down right next to me and I thought she knew what she was doing because why else would she sit right beside me when there were 4 other ergs open. Seriously, it was the funniest thing I've ever seen. When she came forward on the slide, she ducked her head way down and put her chest on her knees. Then she would come all the way back and bring the handle up to her face. Dude, it had to be hurting her back. It was hurting mine just watching her. I think they need to conduct classes and have sign-offs to make sure people know how to correctly row and so they don't hurt themselves on the equipment.

Next time you're at the gym you should really give rowing a try. Here's how to do it:

Strap your feet in so that the straps are across the top of the feet closer to your toes than the middle of your feet. Grab the handle with your hands in the middle of each side. Sit up straight with your knees bent and your seat all the way to the top of your slide (by your feet). Push back until your legs are straight, your torso is still upright, and your arms are now straight with handle in hand. Then bend your arms and bring the handle into your check right around the bottom of your rib cage (more like solar plexus area). Simultaneously, rock back so your body is a little less than 45 degrees but you still have erect posture (he he!). Then sit up 90 degrees. Release your arms out, bend your knees and move up your slide to your feet. Of course, this is done a lot more quickly than what I just wrote. The most important part is to let your legs and back do the work, not your arms. And also importantly, keep good posture!

Here's a little demonstration I found on You Tube.

Thursday Thoughts

Every runner I know would consider themselves pretty Type A. And any Type A person probably has a tendancy to be a little OCD with a splash of superstition. I, of course, fall into all three categories.

Type A: I'm an engineer. 'Nuff said.
OCD: Yes, I have rituals. I count constantly. When I run I could with every other left step. I count to 50 and start over. I count to go to sleep. I count to wash my face. I count constantly.
Superstitious: Not only do I love my Buckeyes, I'm superstitious about it. I ALWAYS wear the same thing for every football game. And, if I happen to be not watching the game and they're doing well, I'll continue to not watch the game. In fact, I am the reason why the Buckeyes lost to Texas. I wasn't watching the game except I did watch the measurement of that crucial 4th down at the end of the game. It's my fault. Sorry.

I want to know...what category(ies) do you fall into and what makes you Type A, OCD, and/or Superstitious?

Me-In a List of 25

If you're my friend on Facebook then you've read all these, but there are quite a few of you out there who haven't read these.

And if you're not my friend on Facebook, what are you waiting on? Be my friend!!


1. I have run 11 marathons and currently training for my 12th.
2. I have a tattoo to prove it. I got it to celebrate my 10th marathon.

3. I have done two half Ironmans.
4. I really want to do a full Ironman, but...
5. I hate to bike.
6. I love to swim, though.
7. I've been married to Dave for 6+ years.
8. I have been together with Dave for 9+ years.
9. I have known Dave for 12+ years.
10. I have a horrible phobia of bridges, yet...
11. I have crossed many giant bridges include Manhattan, Sunshine Bridge in Tampa, and Chesapeake Bay Bridge. I might have cried crossing all of those. And I might not have even sat in my seat while crossing the Bay Bridge.

12. I'm hoping to never cross the Golden Gate Bridge, although I'd like to see it.
13. I live in the same town I grew up in.
14. But I dream of living in New York City or Italy.
15. I honestly never want to have kids, but probably will someday because Dave wants one.
16. I have my degree in industrial engineering.
17. I don't work as an engineer anymore.
18. I own my own business.
19. I have suffered with acne longer than I haven't had acne.
20. At 30 I'm still on acne medicine.
21. I wore glasses for 15 years.
22. But I corrected that when I had Lasik eye surgery 5 years ago.
23. It was the best money I've ever spent.
24. I check my e-mail like a billion times a day.
25. And I'm hoping to receive more e-mails because of this list.

Running in a Winter Wonderland

You know, if I liked to be cold and enjoyed winter sports this winter would be awesome. But to a runner....THIS. WINTER. SUCKS.

I still cannot believe it's only January. We've had what seems like a ton of snow and it's been unbelievably cold for the majority of the month. And it's not over yet. Over the next 24 hours we are expected another 8-12 inches of snow. Did you read that? A foot of snow!

I work 18 miles from home. This morning it took me 55 minutes to get to work at 9:00am. This afternoon it took me 2 hours 15 minutes to get h0me starting at 5:15pm. I'm really hoping for a snow day tomoroow.

The thing that bothers me is that this weather is wreaking havoc on my training. Generally I enjoy running in the snow. I love knowing that I am a hard-core runner. That I'm the only one out there training while others are getting chubbing inside. But this year it hasn't just been the snow. The temperatures are just too cold for me.

Again this week I moved my long run inside as the temperature was below 20 degrees on both Sunday and Monday. The first half of my run was 90 minutes (10 miles) of rolling hills on the treadmill. After 10 minutes warming up and 5 minutes building into zone 2, I had to hold my heart rate in zone 2 and go through this routine 3 times:

1 minute @ 0.5%
1 minute @ 1%
1 minute @ 0.5%
1 minute @ 1.5%
1 minute @ 0.5%
1 minute @ 2%
1 minute @ 0.5%
1 minute @ 2.5%
1 minute @ 0.5%
1 minute @ 3%
5 minutes easy running

After doing that mess for three repetitions I had to do 3 X 1 minute at 3% followed by 1 minute easy. The rest of the workout was to be a cool-down.

Then 6 hours later I had to do another 40 minutes (4 miles) in zones 1 and 2.

My back is killing me from running on the treadmill.

I. AM. READY. FOR. SPRING.

Soooo Cute!

Next Tuesday my baby sister will have her 4th and final child (she's having her tubes tied during her C-section). And although I've ribbed my sister a lot about her pregnancies and the fact she can almost field a whole basketball team, a part of me is kind of sad that this is the last child she will have.

While running on my parents' treadmill today I found a treasure. And then in the same frame, I found some more treasures. Seriously, are these not the cutest pictures ever?

This was the picture in the frame that I "borrowed" from my parents' basement. The back of the picture says that Amy is 1 here and I am 4.


When I opened up the frame to scan the first picture I found even more pictures in there. This one has Amy at 6 months and me almost 4.


I don't know how old I am here, but could I look more like a boy wearing a dress?


Nope, I was wrong. I think here I am totally sporting boy in a pink shirt.


Then finally I found the most beautiful picture of my mom. This is her high school graduation picture. Doesn't she look like Edie Sedgwick?

I might have to go back another day and raid the basement to see what other treasures I can find.

Famous in a Small Town

When I was sponsored by Team Stayput I tried relentlessly to get my name in the newspapers to no avail. For each mention I would have gotten, I could have received payment from my sponsor which really would have helped defer the costs of my races.

Now that I own my own business I feel like I'm trying once again to get my name out there. While at the Columbus Bride Show a woman approached me asking if me and my business wanted to be on a local TV show to promote VIP Photo Booths. After several weeks of stirring over this proposition, Dave and I finally decided to go forward with this offer.

On Friday we will tape a segment with "Daytime Columbus" to be aired the first week in February. Don't worry, I'll let you all know when it's going to be on so you can set your DVRs. I'm so nervous I'm going to look like a total boob, but I also know this will be very good for the business.

I'm sure Matt Lauer will be calling anytime now.

Who's in Control?

I'm pretty sure that Coach's middle name is "Control." Almost all workouts that she gives me that contain pickups or tempo parts of them involve staying inside a controlled heart rate.

Yesterday's workout involved three sets of pickups at 30 seconds, 1 minute, and 1 minute 30 seconds each with equal rest. The catch was I could not go above zone 2 for any of the intervals. Here's the thing...I have a really high heart rate to begin with. Walking pretty much puts me close to zone 2. So to do pickups only in zone 2 was going to test me more mentally than physically.

Here's what they looked like (top of zone 2 for me is 164):
30 seconds on: avg 164
30 seconds off: avg 164
1:00 on: avg 162
1:00 off: avg 158
1:30 on: avg 163
1:30 off: avg 157
30 seconds on: avg 160
30 seconds off: avg 161
1:00 on: avg 163
1:00 off: avg 157
1:30 on: avg 164
1:30 off: avg 156
30 seconds on: avg 160
30 seconds off: avg 163
1:00 on: avg 164
1:00 off: avg 159
1:30 on: avg 166
1:30 off: avg 161

Mostly, I hit the average heart rates right on. I thought it was interesting that my heart rate was higher on the 30 seconds off than on, but I think that's because my heart rate was still on the way up and I couldn't recover fast enough.

Today I had another one of these "control" workouts. This one was assigned to the treadmill. :( After a 1-1/2 mile warm-up I was to do three core exercises then hop on the treadmill for a half mile at half marathon pace (7:38) but not go above zone 3. I had to do this exercise/running intervals five times.

Here's what happened (top of zone 3 for me is 174):
Half-mile 1: 3:49, avg HR: 172
Half-mile 2: 3:55, avg HR: 171
Half-mile 3: 3:55, avg HR: 172
Half-mile 4: 3:54, avg HR: 172
Half-mile 5: 3:54, avg HR: 171

Although I probably wasn't going as fast I should have been, it certainly felt faster than those paces outside and I was able to maintain the heart rates. Coach was quite impressed, as was I, and thinks we should retest the zones to see if I'm gaining fitness.

I've had a pretty good week of running. A 14 miler is on the schedule tomorrow. The race is in three weeks. I'm feeling a little more confident that good things are coming.

And I'm feeling good!!!!

A few margaritas and then this....

Thursday Thoughts

This Thursday Thoughts is way out of the norm.

I'm not what you might call a "girly girl". I don't dress up, I dig the sports, and I really hate to carry a purse. Why can't chicks carry a wallet in their back pocket like dudes? I've compromised and got a sling back which is totally unisex. Although, Dave said he would never carry one. I think he's just a Midwesterner and dudes carrying a bag in the Midwest is, well, you know.

So, here is what I carry in my bag:

1. Overland Sling Bag--Like I said, totally unisex and great to wear.
2. iPhone--Totally awesome and revolutionizing my life and business.
3. Brio gift card--I've had it since September 2008.
4. Notepad--I use this to write down messages or important things I need to remember.
5. Wallet--There's like a zillion credit cards in there because I have one for my photography business, my photo booth business, and my personal one.
6. Pen--Comes in really handy.
7. Business card case--I've been trying to hand out more business cards and network, network, network.
8. Jack's Aquarium Fish Of The Month Club Card--I've already told you about my fish.
9. What do you call these? I got this with my hot chocolate on inauguration day and decided to keep it because (a) it's cool and (b) instead of getting a new one each time and creating more waste, I'll just reuse the one I have.

I want to know, what's in your bag? It could be in your purse or your gym bag, but here's what I want you to do. Empty your bag. Take a picture of it. Put that picture on your blog and label what the things are. Make sure to leave a comment letting me know if you posted it on your blog. If you don't have a blog, send me an e-mail with the picture and the list so I can post it on Thursday Thoughts next week. My e-mail can be found on my profile page.

Moving on Up

Dave and I welcomed our new babies today.

Please say hello to Steffi and Andre.



Aren't they cute?



I'm totally moving up the responsibility ladder. At this rate, I might have my first child by the time I'm 60.

And yes, I named my fish after my favorite tennis players. I hope to have enough fish someday to field a whole Major field. I'll call it the Aquarium Open.

I think my next fish I'll call Marty. Get it? Marty Fish!

Spinning Wheel

Yesterday I did a 12 mile run...on the treadmill. Yeah, YUCK!

Last week we got hit with major snowstorm and then it turned cold. Really cold. The high on Friday reached all of 5 degrees above zero. This summer it warmed up to maybe 20 and tidY I saw the temperature did not reach 20 which means no snow is melting and it still feels too cold to run outside.

So Coach put together two runs in one day to equal 12 miles. The first 8 miles involved so short 20 second pickups and 3 x 8 minutes with 5 minutes of it in high zone 2 and the last 3 minutes in zone 3. The second run was the last 4 miles was steady in zones 1 and 2.

The run went pretty well especially after I discovered that using a fan pointed right at my face helped to keep my heart rate down while running a decent pace. By the end, though my back was throbbing and my quads were starting to burn.

One more "long" run before my half marathon.

Monday's Merchandise

As I rapidly approach my 31st birthday, I continue to get the best compliment ever...I continue to hear that I look so young. YESSSSS!!! Thank goodness I'm blessed with good genes.

And those good genes include good hair. :)

Now granted, I'm not in the love with the haircut, but I do have good natural hair color, my hair grows REALLY fast, and I rarely have split ends or dead hair. I can go a good three to four months without a haircut even with all the activities that could do damage to my hair.

Where the hell am I going with this?!

Oh yeah, Goody Stayput products. Last year I had the privilege of being a sponsored athlete by Goody Stayput. Goody makes these genius products that are specifically made for athletes so that ponytails and whatnot stay in place during activity. They work. I have worn them in three marathons and a half Ironman without my hair moving an inch. They don't rip up my hair. The products are well made too. Sure, they stretch but I've only had one hair tie break. My favorite products are the hair ties and the headband elastics (you know, like the soccer players wear).

Stop ruining your hair, ladies. Goody Stayput works.

My tip for the day....to avoid split-ins while running, braid your ponytail or if your ponytail is too short to braid, put another rubberband at the bottom of it to act like a braid. It saves your hair from split ends. :)

Slip Sliding Away

Shelby and Jared called me last week when it began snowing and asked me to take them sled riding. I told them I would take them this weekend. Those kids don't forget anything. They called again today and I couldn't resist. The three of us headed over to the golf course and had a great time. We had races; I pushed them down the hill (and fell in the process); we found a snow ramp, which Jared loved. We were only out there 45 minutes and it was perfect.

Since Amy's too pregnant to take them sledding, I made sure to get a picture of the two of them.


And, I got a picture of myself heading down the slope.

Forrest, Forrest Gump

Ever since I started this journey of blogging every day I really haven't struggled as much as I thought I would to come up with topics.

That is, until today.

All day I have been trying to think of things to say or pictures to display, but even just 20 minutes ago I was asking Dave to give me a topic.

But my nephew, Forrest Gump, provided the best picture. This is from my iPhone so it's not exactly high quality, but high on the cuteness scale.


Yep that's him sitting on the ping-pong table with paddle in hand trying to play.

The Struggle Within

It's been well documented on this blog that I am a competitor through and through. And this isn't just in the athletic arena. I'm competitive with everything. While this has served me well in athletics and school, it certainly has not been good with many of other things.

Now I'm really struggling with the competitor within.

VIP Photo Booths is not the only photo booth company in town. Based on what I saw at the bride show, there are five photo booth companies in Columbus. The competitor in me wants to be the biggest, baddest, awesomest, most totally sought after company, but there's another one in town which was the first and had a built-in clientele when they started. The competitor in me wants to crush that company, but there's one problem. Dave and I are acquaintances of the owner. She was our wedding photographer. And after the bridal show she sent me a message asking if she could refer business to me and vice versa. The competitor in me thought that sounded weird and 'heck no'; the business person in me thinks that maybe that's a good idea. The competitor in me wants to shout from the rooftops that our business kicks a$$. The shy girl in me is struggling just to make phone calls.

Owning a business is something I've always wanted to do, but now I'm struggling with my own demons to make it the business and make me the business person I really want it and me to be.

And P.S....We totally are the awesomest!

Thursday Thoughts

With the super-cold weather we're having here in the Midwest Dave and I have had to find ways to entertain ourselves. So we've taken up the game of Cribbage.

What are your favorite board and/or card games?

Don't Send a Man to do a Woman's Job

Dave was headed out to the grocery store and asked me if I needed anything. Yes, I did. Feminine supplies. :)

I made him a list of what he needed and was as specific as possible. I gave him brands and types and absorbency and any information I thought would be needed.

He told me that he stared at the aisle so long a woman actually came up and asked him if he needed help. Seriously, doesn't that make you smirk? She helped him and he came home with my items.

And...

They're all wrong. The tampons were the right brand but wrong absorbency. The pads, well, I think I'm going to be wearing diapers. I've already replaced the tampons with the corrects ones with a trip to the grocery store today and tomorrow, if the snow is mostly removed from the roads, I'll head back out to the supermarket and replace the pads. :)

Next time, I'll do it myself.

Snowshoeing or a 10 mile run?

Yesterday a friend of mine posted on her Facebook page that it was 80 degrees and she was hating it. Needless to say, I didn't have anything nice to say about that. The weather around here has just sucked. Last week we had days of rain, ice, and snow.

Sunday I was supposed to have an hour and forty minute run but everything was ice so I decided to postpone. Yesterday we had a fresh blanket of snow so I decided to give the run a try. The first hour of the run was supposed to be zones 1 and 2. This was a struggle. Working against the snow made my heart rate accelerate and slowed my pace. From 1:00 to 1:30 I got to run in zone 3 and I was mildly surprised at my pace. My overall average pace during that time was only 8:53 but usually when I looked at my watch it was in the 8:30s and twice I saw it under 8:00 while still in zone 3. For this point in my training and how sick I've been, this was a really good run.

Today I'm extremely sore. Running is aerobic but running in snow is like doing high knee drills for 10 miles.

This week's temperatures are supposed to be close to zero, so most of the running action is going to take place inside.

Hope you're having better weather than me.

Monday's Merchandise

It's been said that to be a runner all you need is a pair of shoes. And while that may have been the case, and really still should be, there's a lot more technical stuff now that may or may not be necessary.

But today we're talking the real necessity: SHOES!

My shoe I wear is the Saucony Omni 6 moderate. I have been wearing a version of this shoe for about 3 years.

Why Saucony, Meredith?

Well, here's the short answer. Only Saucony and New Balance make shoes specifically for women. All the other shoe companies make smaller versions of their men's shoes. Women have different issues than men. We have wider hips, which means our feet roll differently. And we have smaller heels and narrower feet. Personally I wear a AA width, which you just can't find in the other shoes. They're pretty long wearing. I can easily get between 350-400 miles before I can feel it on my legs.

I love these shoes and I hope Saucony never stops making them. I don't even go to the store anymore to get fitted. I either take in my shoes and say I want the same thing, or I order it online (totally cheaper).

And when you do get a new pair of shoes, make sure you recycle your old ones. :)

What's on your feet?

Where it all began

There are people who look good singing (Michael Buble) and there are people who look weird when they sing (Harry Connick, Jr. + John Mayer). There are people who look good when they run (Dave) and people who look really bad (me).

And now I'm going to show you where it all began. This is the front page of our local newspaper from when I was a senior in high school. Good grief!

Really Looking in the Mirror

If you're following along you'll remember I set out to challenge myself to blog for a month. Well, today is day 31, so I guess technically, I've made it a month. But, I'm planning on continuing to blog and see how far I get.

Back to your regularly scheduled program....

I've always struggled with body image issues. When I was a kid I was tall (surprising, isn't it) and super-skinny. The girls at school used to call me "little Ethopian girl" and my mom called me "Olive Oyl". Needless to say, it wasn't funny then and it's not funny now. As my friends grew taller, I stayed the same height and started sprouting a little more outward. Don't get me wrong, I've never been overweight or fat, but I've certainly had to deal with how much weight is appropriate for a 5'1" frame.

Recently I was having a conversation with Coach regarding what is ideal racing weight. I told her I was around the 116-118 mark but I wanted to be between 105 and 110 for racing weight. She disagreed saying I was fine where I was.

Today I was at the gym doing my workout. I weighed in, per usual, before my workout--116.2. That's been my usual weight for a good year plus. After my elliptical routine I did a stretching routine right in front of a mirror. And you know what I noticed? I don't look like any of the women at the gym. Compared to them I look super-skinny, almost a little too skinny, but what I saw was that I look like a distance runner. My muscles are cut in the right areas and the areas that are supposed to be lean are very lean.

I think all women have body issues--even skinny ones. Today was the first day in a long time I looked in the mirror and liked me for me.

The Cure for the Winter Duldrums

My friend Andrea is running Rock and Roll Arizona next weekend. Today I got a text from her. She basically said she was super sick of running. I text her back that I was too and I hadn't even started my training yet.

For four years Andrea and I did almost every long run together. No matter how crappy of a week I was having I always knew I had a long run with Andrea to look forward to and make the week a little better. Andrea recently moved to Denver and we've both been training by ourselves. I told her it's been hard to get motivated to go out in the cold all by myself.

Luckily Dave met me after work today and we were able to do most of our runs together. I hope Andrea finds a great running group to boost her motivation after her marathon next week.

Good luck Andrea. Go out there and get your 3:23. I miss you.

Thursday Thoughts

So, what did you not get for Christmas that you're totally going to go out and buy for yourself?

Adventures at the Community Center

Every other week Coach gives me cross-training workouts that involve running and doing body-weight exercises. To do these workouts I needed to find an indoor track, so I've been going to the Westerville Community Center. The indoor track is a carpeted small oval around the top of a bunch of basketball courts. Every other day the walking/running direction changes. No where does it state how many laps equals a mile.

Oh yeah...it costs me $4.50 each time I want to use the track.

Today it was snowing as I entered the community center. I went to the front desk to pay my fee and the smart-alec manager behind the desk says "why don't you just run outside?" I let him know that I usually do run outside but that my coach assigned me a run that required exercises every thirty seconds. Yeah, that quieted him. I get up to the track and start my workout. It's ten minutes of warm-up followed by 30 seconds of exercise, 30 seconds of jogging. Most of the exercises were running-related but I still looked kinda weird doing them. I would be jogging and then, BAM, I'd hit the floor and start doing mountain climbers. One guy stopped me and asked me what I was doing. I told him my coach was the devil (Hi Liz!). I told him I was a runner and these exercises were making me stronger. He told me he had had triple bypass, a heart attack, and had six stents. I told him it was a miracle he was alive and thank goodness he was there walking. It was good for him. He asked me who I ran for. I was like, "what?" He asked again, "what school did I run for?" I giggled. I told him I was much older than I looked; that I was 30. He he!

As I was approaching the end of my workout I went to consult my piece of paper I brought with me and it had been thrown away. I couldn't find it in the trash. I hope I finished the workout alright.

On paper these cross training workouts look so easily, but they are kicking my a$$! Although it's costing me a small fortune to go to the community center, in the end I know these experiences whether they be fun, tough, or personal are really going to make me better.

Personal Goals 2009

I like to separate my personal goals and my running goals. Not that my running goals are not personal, but I just think they're different. I'm a much more goal-oriented and driven person when it comes to my running than when it comes to my everyday life. These are not resolutions. If they were resolutions, they would already be broken. Instead they're goals to work towards throughout the year.

• Eat in unless invited out or spending cash
• Read 14 books
• Blog every day
• Clean the house every week
• Take more pictures for myself

I'm sure as the year develops I'll add more to my list. For now, this is a start. And it's going to require a lot of work. I hate to grocery shop. My house hasn't been fully cleaned since I had to get rid of my house keeper. With several jobs, I find it very hard to do anything like taking pictures only for myself. And for the blogging, well, I've almost done it for a full month. It's getting easier every day. :)

Columbus Bride Show Day 2

Well we survived "Bride Mania". And boy am I tired. This morning I didn't even hear Dave's alarm go off and I don't remember him getting up or leaving. Between being sick all of last week and being charming all weekend, I need another week off. Unfortunately, it was back to reality today as I was already subbing at the gym.

We far exceeded our expectations at the bride show. We ran a special there where we would take $100 if you would sign a contract and pay the deposit at the show. I really didn't have any expectations. Dave had set a verbal goal of 5 and a secret goal of 10. And....we matched that secret goal. I walked away with 10 signed contracts and I even had to turn three people away because their dates were already reserved. I really think there is more good to come too. Right now our first event isn't until May, but we're really hoping to pick something up before then. We have booked May-October. And there were plenty of dates in 2010 that people inquired about.

To sum it up, I don't have to go looking for a full-time job. And that, that makes me very happy.

quick update

Columbus Bride Show Day #1

I'm keeping it real here. I studied engineering because, and how do I put this nicely, my boyfriends had not been the sharpest pencils in the box. They weren't dumb, but I knew I was going to have to be the bread winner. And then I married Dave and he was smarter than me and I knew everything was going to be okay. We were smart about decisions we made and everything seemed A-OK. Until I quit my job. And not that we're not paying our bills, but we've certainly buckling down on everything. Having a business and a job where you're not getting a regular pay check and some months are huge and others pull in nothing has been tough to plan and tough to manage. So, going into the bridal show this weekend I had already decided that if things didn't go well I would begin looking for a full-time job again. I must as I HATED it, it was reality.

After day 1 of could easily be called Bride-a-Palooza, we've done pretty good. We heard great things about our photo booth like we were the best priced, we looked the best, we were different from the others, or my favorite: ours was the most comfortable. In the end, I booked 4 at the show today, bringing my grand total for 2009 to 6 events. I know that doesn't seem like much, but I had set my goals for the year to be 20, so I'm a 1/4 of the way there. Maybe my goal was low. We had tons of great response today and we're really thinking we'll book a few more tomorrow. Plus there were lots of brides there planning their weddings for 2010. TWO THOUSAND TEN!!

I'm hoping this means we're in for the long-haul and I also hope it means we can grow the business, expand and be able to offer more dates and more possibilities for our clients.

I know most of you reading this blog only want to hear about running, but when you've spent 10 hours on your feet promoting your business, you feel like you've run an ultra.

Shameless Promotion

Sorry for the short post today. After spending three days in bed being sick, Dave and I ran around the city of Columbus all crazy today getting ready for the Columbus Bride Show. Our photo booth is hoping to do good business at the show this weekend. If you're in Columbus, engaged, and looking for a full day of bridal fun, come to Vet's Memorial and check us out. We're WAY in the back on the right hand side of the stage.

December Totals

December was supposed to be the month where I start building up the mileage and work on muscle development. Instead I missed an 8 miler (laziness) and a 10 miler (weather) and got sick the last week of the month and did nothing. I need to get my head back in the game because the half marathon and marathon are going to come upon me pretty quickly, I'm afraid.

Run = 65.94 miles

Swim = 2000 meters

Bike = 10.47 miles

Happy Freakin' New Year!

Last New Year's I spent the day hugging the porcelain god, praying to die, and getting a shot in my butt at the urgent care. I had norovirus. I did not even see midnight because the anti-nausea medicine caused me to pass out, FOR THREE DAYS!

And it seems this New Year isn't going to be much different. Last week when we were at Dave's parents I started getting a sore throat. I thought it was just allergies as I'm allergic to pine trees and we were sleeping in the same room as the live Christmas tree. But after we came home I just kept getting sicker and I pushed through it by continuing to work out. The last two days, though, I barely made it out of my pajamas and today I wound up in the doctor's office: a sinus infection and bronchitis. For the first time that I can remember, the doctor told me not to run for a while.

So Happy Freakin' New Year, internet. I hope yours is better than mine!

Running Goals: 2009

It's that time of year. Time to make resolutions and goals. Personally, I don't like making resolutions, but I love making goals that are difficult but obtainable and give me something to work towards. I love a challenge!
After the Columbus Marathon I've struggled to determine "what's next?" For three years I worked for that 3:30 and didn't realize there would be goals on the other side. But, after a few e-mail exchanges with coach I guess there is more achievements left.

So without further ado, my short list of 2009 running goals.

• Do all scheduled workouts (unless sick or injured)
• Run 1200+ miles
  
• Sub-1:40 half marathon
• Sub-3:25 marathon
• Qualify for NYC Marathon
• Run outside unless it's raining or below 15 degrees

One thing coach likes us to do is schedule our races. I'm sure this is important for a triathlete because races fill up really quickly and they're super-expensive, but I struggle with this one because running races aren't that expensive and are pretty easy to register for. Generally, though, I pick two marathons a year and build other races around them. Right now I only have two 'A' races on the list:

• Last Chance for Boston 1/2 Marathon - February 15th
• Boston Marathon - April 20th

Based on the outcome of either of those races, I have a list of fall marathons I'm considering:

• NYC Marathon
• Nike Women's Marathon
• St. George
• Maui Marathon
• California International Marathon
• Towpath (Cleveland)

If I don't make it into New York (I will only do it if I qualify) then I'm leaning towards Towpath.

I'm sure there will be more goals to come based on training and races. I'm sure there will be other races too. This year is Dave's year, so I'm not really looking beyond Boston.

What's on your goal list?

Monday's Merchandise

Today's merchandise is a very important one: RoadID.

A few years ago I bought one for everyone in my family. And I'm so glad I did. Earlier this year while running we came upon a woman who was passed out laying on the side of the trail. She did not have any form of identification on her. We didn't know her name, if she had medical problems, how to contact a loved one, etc. We called 911 and she came to shortly after they arrived. I sure hope she now carries identification with her. That was scary.

So, if you don't have a RoadID, it's time to get one. It's like a $20 investment that could save your life.

2008 Year in Review

2008 was a pretty good year. There were ups and downs, twists and turns, but overall I'd say the year has made me pretty happy.

Running and triathlon certainly provided highs and lows in 2008. I started the racing season with the Last Chance for Boston Marathon which Dave, Dad, and I did as a relay. We finished in 3:35:06. Then in April I ran the Athens Half Marathon.I was on pace to set a new PR but my stomach had other plans. After having to make the only port-o-john stop of my running career, I still finished with a respectable 1:45:28 and finished first in my age group and was awarded with a mug. Later in April I ran the Boston Marathon. Only 6 miles into the race I knew was in trouble. My friends I started with were slipping away and I had to do a considerable amount of walking between miles 16-26. I finished with a disappointing 4:01:42 and decided to was time to give triathlon another tri. :)

Triathlon started for Dave and I when we went down to Wheelie Fun in Mason to check out their big bike sale in February. We came home with two brand new swanky bikes: mine a Kuota K-Factor and Dave's a Cervelo P2-SL. Our first triathlon was in May at the OSU Triathlon. The swim was inside and the bike and run outside. After freaking out in the swim (man that water is deep) and really sucking on the bike, I turned in a great run. I was still on-board the triathlon train. The first part of June we did the Deer Creek Olympic Triathlon. As it was last time I did this race, the weather took it's toll and the whole race sucked. Half way through the swim I decided that triathlon sucked and that I was always going to be a runner. Never the less, I lined up a week later at the Wendy's Triathlon. This race went much better and so I stuck around for the main event: Muncie Endurathon. Just like 3 years ago when I did this race, the weather was horrible. Never-the-less, I turned in a PR showing, if only 59 seconds better. :)

It was time to hang up my bike and get serious about my running. I hired a coach and decided three years of hoping to run a 3:30 marathon was too long to hope and it was time to work for it. She challenged me in ways I have never been challenged.I was now running by heart rate instead of pace; I was doing weight lifting; there was cross training; and there was lots and lots of speed work. When I toed the line at the Columbus Marathon in October I was confident but scared to death. I pushed aside my demons and ran the way I knew how--on pace and within myself. I held it together even as I fell behind the pace group at mile 23. And in the end I got that 3:30, even if it was a few seconds over: 3:30:20. So what's next? Well, you'll have to stay tuned in the next couple of days for that. :)




Personally I had a pretty good year too. I switched jobs again, but by July I had had enough of working for someone else. I had already been in business for a while with Meredith Gordon Photography and VIP Photo Booths and business was booming. I quit being an engineer after 7 years and went full-time with my own businesses. And just this month, I incorporated VIP Photo Booths. We will be at the Columbus Bride Show next weekend and expect our 2009 schedule to fill quickly.



Dave and I didn't take a formal vacation this year but had fun on our running trips like Boston and Reach the Beach. Had we known this might be our last RTB, I think we would have savored it even more (our fearless team leader has decided to call it quits).


2009 is just around the corner and I think it's going to be a fantastic year. There are more races to run and we have a HUGE vacation planned. Plus we expect our business to continue to grow and be competitive in its market. We will welcome a new niece in a few weeks and for ourselves, a few fish. Keep reading in the next couple of days. I will be posting about both my running goals and personal goals for 2009. I hope everyone had a great 2008 and is looking forward to another year of possibilities.

Page Turners

In 2007, I set a New Year's resolution for myself to read 12 books that year, which I did. In 2008, I decided to do it again (secretly hoping to do 14 books). Right now I'm reading my 14th book and it's due at the library on January 2nd. So, I might get in all 14 books. Here's the list:

1. "A Long Way Gone" by Ishmael Beah

2. "Love is the Killer App" by Tim Sanders

3. "An Idiot Girl's Christmas" by Laurie Notaro--Her books are always funny. Start with the "Idiot Girl's Action Adventure Club."

4. "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer--Loved the book, loved the movie.

5. "Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch--Seriously DO NOT read without a box of tissues.

6. "Marley and Me" by John Grogan--I'm hoping to go see the movie soon. Cute book, even if you're not a dog lover (like myself).

7. "Dispatches from the Edge" by Anderson Cooper

8. "My Life on the Run" by Bart Yasso--My favorite book I read this year.

9. "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

10. "Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood" by Ann Brashares

11. "There's a Slight Chance I Might Be Going to Hell" by Laurie Notaro--I only have one of her books left to read. Come on, Laurie! Publish another book!

12. "Twlight" by Stephenie Meyer--My second favorite book I read this year. Loved the book, loved the movie. Dave got me the sequel for Christmas. I can't wait to read it.

13. "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

And what I'm reading right now:

14. "No Limits: The Will to Succeed" by Michael Phelps

So, what did you read this year that you would recommend?

The Loot

Did you get good stuff for Christmas? I sure did.

I got my running stuff, like a couple pair of running tights. Dave got all kinds of running/triathlon stuff. He got like 3 winter caps, and 3 pairs of running pants. He got a pair of goggles that immediately broke. And he got a really nice pair of gloves. This is especially good for him since his hands turn ice cold in the winter.

I got stuff for my iPhone like a new USB cord and cradle so now I can have a cord attached to my computer and put the cradle beside my bed. My mom wants me to keep the phone next to my bed when I sleep. You know, just in case. :)

And probably my favorite present was a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. My sister started my collection last year and Dave continued it this year. What he didn't realize, with his $10 purchase, was the camera had a working shutter and a film spool in it. I immediately put in some 120 film and I'm looking forward to seeing if it really works. If it does, I'm hoping to create a really awesome album of my cross-country trip next summer.

Hope you had a good Christmas!

Merry Christmas

To all my real and virtual friends out there, Dave and I would like to wish everyone a very happy holidays.

Thursday Thoughts (on a Wednesday)

Today's question is a pretty easy one. What is your favorite holiday movie?

I have three favorites...

(1) Scrooged--because seriously, Bill Murray is a comedy genius.

(2) White Christmas--classic

(3) When Harry Met Sally--I watch it every New Year's Eve.

I Had a Dream

Sunday night I had a very interesting dream. It went something like this...

I was running in a marathon and I was pretty far along--over 20 miles. I was running very comfortably and running with friends. The course went through an ice cream parlor and my friends decided to stop and talked me into stopping also. When we stopped my friends said it was okay to stop my watch. I was skeptical but stopped anyway. Then I had doubts. So, I got back in the marathon. But, I realized I was the only one running. I was close to the end of the race, but I didn't know which way to go. I asked volunteers and they just kept saying the finish was around the corner. I looked at my watch and it said 3:15. Yet, I couldn't find the finish. And then I woke up.

What's it supposed to mean? Is it a sign? Isn't it too early to be having nightmares about the marathon?

Monday's Merchandise

Today's merchandise I'm going to rave about is my heart rate monitor. I do, I would say, about 95% of my workouts using a HRM and not using pace. Yes, I own a Garmin, but I only use it if Coach gives me a workout that indicates I have to do a certain pace and if that certain pace couldn't be done on a track. Otherwise, I estimate the mileage and do everything in heart rate zones.

The heart rate monitor I use is this Timex. The reason I like this one is it allows me to set intervals within certain zones. The watch will beep at me if I go out of the zone and when I need to move on to another interval in the workout. The thing I can't figure out on the watch or maybe it's not possible is that I can't set all 5 zones using the zones Coach has established for me. The watch has five zones that somehow are set using your max HR and then you can customize 3 other zones, which are the ones I use as zones 1-3 as established by Coach. But, with the interval settings you can manually input your zones and that's usually how I do it.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm not sure how heart rate training works, but it is highly effective and I am going to keep training with my HRM.

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Seriously?! And this is without the wind chill....

Best. Christmas. Ever.

My family celebrated Christmas today. And it was AWESOME!

My sister and I have been working hard the last couple of weeks to put together the ultimate gift for my parents. And today we got to see their reactions.

We modeled our gift giving after this commercial:



We had three gifts that we spread out throughout the festivities. The first was a box of tissues. Immediately dad asked where his new car was. Then they waited and waited. Next was a brown paper bag. They waited and waited some more. Then they opened a box that had a picture of a bunch of trampolines. Now they were really thrown off. Finally, after everyone had opened every gift we gave them their real gift.

Together they opened a folder. They both squealed and started crying hysterically. My dad kept saying "throw it away." My sister Amy and I were shell-shocked. We couldn't tell if they were happy or upset. I was crying. Amy was crying. What the hell was going on?

My sister and I bought them a cruise. This cruise leaves in two weeks. We arranged their work schedules and volunteer schedules and all they had to do was find a way to get to Miami. They were overjoyed. My dad cried through dinner.

It was the best Christmas present EVER!

One of my favorite pictures

Flatman asked to see some more of my pictures. And I'm sure Jason would appreciate this too.

The summer of 2007 Dave and I took a trip to Italy for two weeks. We took like 500 pictures and had tons of stories. My intent was to fully review it here on the blog, but it was just overwhelming and I never did it.

One of my favorite places we visited was Venice. I loved the water and the food and how much quieter it was than Rome. This was perhaps my favorite pictures I took. This is the firehouse.

Thursday Thoughts

I once heard you shouldn't start a diet on an important day...like New Year's day or your birthday. It's not like you need a special day to make a commitment. You should start when you're ready.

I don't know if you've noticed or not, but I have blogged 8 days in a row. Holy cow! And my goal is to blog at least a month, every day. Problem is, what in the world am I going to talk about every day for a month?

So the Thursday Thought for today is, what do you want to see on this blog? What should be my topics? Please, blogosphere, I need your help!

Major Milestone

I'm sure most of you know, but if you don't, I am a business owner. In July I quit my full-time job as an engineer and went forward with my two businesses: Meredith Gordon Photography and VIP Photo Booths. For the past year I have been running these two businesses under the same entity, but the photo booth business has really taken off and we were ready to go forward promoting it separately. So, officially today, VIP Photo Booths is now VIP Photo Booths, Inc.

For those who are interested, VIP Photo Booths will be exhibiting at the Columbus Bride Show January 3rd and 4th at Veteran's Memorial. I have discount tickets if you're interested.

And for those Facebook junkies out there, because I know you are, please become our fans! Meredith Gordon Photography can be found here and VIP Photo Booths can be found here.

Pardon My Mess

Sorry about the blog mess going on the last few days. I'm trying to work on new templates. I figure, after 4 years, maybe it's time for a face lift. So, bear with me. It's going to be a little messy for a while.

Monday's Merchandise

I'm starting a new series here on the blog. I'm calling it "Monday's Merchandise" but it could also be called "These are a few of my favorite things."

Personally, I think my body is disproportionate. I have a REALLY short torso and super long arms and legs. The gentleman who fit me on my bike says that makes me a woman. He he! At 5'1", though, this is quite a dilemma. Being that short, I am a petite. With monkey arms and Olive Oyl legs, that makes me regular. Needless to say, I keep my tailor in business.

Where am I going with this? It's cold in the winter. Sometimes so cold I need to wear two pairs of tights when I go out running. Problem is, my tights don't always go down to my ankles, well, because my legs are too long for a petite person. I have to keep my ankles warm. (I do have a point!!!) So, I have created the homemade leg warmer.



This one is so easy and cheap. Go to your local store (Meijer, Walmart, Target) and pick up a packet of knee-high socks (think basketball socks). Get a sharp pair of scissors and cut the toes off of them. And ta-da, leg warms. I wear them any time the temperature is below 20.

Don't laugh. I totally know you're going to try this.

With Every Beat of my Heart

Heart rate training is a mystery to me. I know it works. I just don't understand it.

Today Dave and I set out to do a run together. My run was 75 minutes with the first 15 minutes in zone 1, holding steady in zone 2 for 45 minutes, and then the last 15 minutes in zone 1. Dave's run was 90 minutes with a mix of zone 1 and 2. I followed the heart rate zones to a T and finished up close to 8 miles. While running comfortably in zone 2, Dave was only in zone 1 and it was pretty low in zone 1.

So this is what dumbfounds me. I was running close to 10 minute miles and I am an 8 minute mile marathoner. Dave has yet to run a marathon under 4 hours. How does it work? Has Dave not lived up to his potential? Have I maxed out my potential? Are our heart zones completely out of whack?

Coach keeps reassuring me that everything is fine with the zones. She said men should can run in a lower zone because they have a slower heart beat to start with, but that I can go longer at a lower heart rate. And I can understand that. As we were running today my heart rate stayed the same while his kept rising a little.

I've been with Coach now for 5 months and I've learned this stuff works. And I've done some reading about it. But, it is still a complete enigma to me.

Love is a Battlefield

Most couples argue about money. Dave and I argue about housework/chores. Let me rephrase. I argue with Dave about housework/chores. And this week's chore of choice is the grocery.

I HATE going to the grocery. I come from a hyper-organized mother, so grocery shopping involves making a list of meals, checking ingredients, clipping coupons, putting the grocery list in order of products and aisles, and then finally going to the grocery. I would rather go to the gynecologist than have to do all this. With Dave training for Ironman it seems he is eating me out of house and home. And yet, he will not help me with the grocery list.

So I decided if he's not going to help me with the list, I'm not going to make the list.

Here's some pictures of Dave's personal items...



Dave swears there is still toothpaste in there. I have been using a sample I got from the dentist.



Dave ran out of razor blades so he's been shaving with a disposable razor we got when we were laid over in New Jersey.



Um, dude, you smell. :)

Of course, while I napped today, he created a grocery list. Now only if I could get him to clip the 6 weeks worth of coupons I've collected.

Welcome Back

November was maintenance mode, but December started the real work towards my 2009 goals. And Coach has not been messing around. Let's look at a few of my workouts during the last two weeks....

On paper this one looked easy, but by the end of this, I thought there might be puking:

5 minute easy warm-up
2 minutes at a faster pace
20-30 push-ups
10 squat jumps
30 ab crunches
20 slow lateral squats
2 minutes at a faster pace
10 walking lunges
30 ab crunches
30 skips
20-30 push-ups

I had to do that whole routine twice. If you're adding that up, that's more than 80 push-ups people!!! And have you ever done 30 skips in a row? That's so not easy!

Then this week I got this workout, to be done on the treadmill:

15 minute warm-up
10 X 90 seconds at 1.5-3% grade in zone 2 NO HIGHER
2:30 0.5% grade recovery
5 minute cool-down

It was hard. To control the heart rate, I have to run slower. It's all about muscle building for the upcoming hill training.

But I keep this in mind, if I want to qualify for New York things are not going to be easy. I keep a post-it note on my computer to remind me of this.

Attack of the Blob!

My family is awesome. I have always believed my family was a model family and I compared all other families to them. My family was perfect. Then I started dating Dave and I realized there were some weird things about my family. For example, I learned that I didn't sing "I'm a little tea pot" correctly. Turns out, my mom taught me the wrong words and that's how I always sang it. And I also believed all these old wife's tales and urban legends because that's what my parents had taught me to believe.

But recently things have gotten even weirder. I don't know if it's because we're all getting older and a little loopier or if it's because my sister and her family have been living with my parents for the last year and they are literally driving each other insane.

Here's some good ones just from last night....

1. My dad has worked in computers pretty much my whole life. He is a software architect and helps design insurance platforms for the internet. Pretty high tech stuff, huh? Well, last night he called my blog a blob. And he wholeheartedly believed that's what it is called. Welcome to my blob, folks!

2. My sister has a recent addiction to E-bay. At dinner on Tuesday we had to bring along our phones so she could bid while we were eating. Then last night after we left my parents' house she called to tell me she finally won. Oh, Amy.

3. Both my parents have been fighting colds. And to combat their colds they've been putting Vicks VapoRub on their feet at night. Seriously. Their feet. ...I'm at a lost for words.

So, maybe my family is not the Cleavers, but they are entertaining and I love them bunches.

So Proud

Let's face it, I may never have kids of my own, but I absolutely love being an aunt. My niece and nephews are the light of my life. My nephew, Jared, participated in his first wrestling tournament today. He's 5 and was in the 40-50 pound weight class. And he went undefeated and won his division. Here's a video of his final match when he pinned his own teammate.



Yeah, that's me yelling really loud. :)

And here's a few pictures of Jared with his medal.




I'm so proud.

Flying Feather Picture

My streak of bad running pictures continues...



But seriously, who looks good in the winter. Winter sucks!

November Wrap-Up

Swim = 7800m
Bike = 5.6 miles (yay, baby!)
Run = 40 miles

Positives:
--Got back to running 3-4 days a week
--New PR in a 4 mile race
--Created new HR zones by an increased lactate threshold
--Overall feeling strong

Challenges:
--The plantar fasciitis continues to nag even though I'm having ART done to it
--The cold weather is here and motivation has dropped

Upcoming in December:
--Training starts of the 1/2 marathon in February and the marathon in April
--Hopefully finding ways to get my foot to stop hurting
--No work and all play (that's right y'all; I have the whole month off from work)

Flying Feather 4 Miler

Every Thanksgiving it's tradition in my family to run a race. We have been doing this as long as I can remember. We used to run a Turkey Trot where we would race for pies, but we have switched to the Flying Feather 4 Miler where the swag includes bottles of wine to all the finishing participants over 21. I don't like pumpkin pie, so this was race was an easy choice. :)

The race was to be treated as a heart rate test for Coach. I warmed up for 15 minutes before the race. Then I was supposed to build through the first mile and blast the last three miles. Instead, I ran every mile exactly the same pace.

Mile 1 - 7:32
Mile 2 - 7:25
Mile 3 - 7:36
Mile 4 - 7:54 (according to Dave's Garmin, this mile was a little long)

My average HR was 181 with my max at 192.

I learned two things from this race:

(1) I only have one pace and that's marathon pace. And Coach wholeheartedly agreed.
(2) I have increased my lactate threshold and the HR zones need revised. Coach has readjusted them and the training start next week.

As I stated in an earlier post, I am highly competitive. Around the two mile mark, a guy decided to run right on my shoulder....FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE RACE! Every time I made a move, he'd make it with me. I like to race up inclines and so did he. When I'd relax, he'd relax. Finally, with about a quarter mile to go, I blasted it and dropped him. He did thank me after the race for setting a good pace. He also insisted he was too old for this. Dude, I'm older than I look and probably just as old as you are. You just got beat by a girl!

My time was 30:30 which is a PR and I finished 7th out of 128 in my age group.

Hopefully, they'll be a picture to come!!

Wii Fit Update

Tonight I redid my Wii Fit fitness test. And although I still suck at the balance test ( which is amazing considering I teach balance beam), I am now 32 years old. Yahoo!

You're the Inspiration

To say that I'm competitive is a bit of an understatement.

In college I had two friends who I loved dearly but competed with them fiercely for grades. And they were ultra-competitive with me. Funny enough, although we all got our degrees in engineering, none of the three of us use them. One is in sales, one is a stay-at-home mom, and I own my own business.

I met my closest friends, Helen and Andrea, while running. I love them dearly too, but the three of us have been competing with each other since we met. I was the first of the three of us to qualify for Boston, but the two of them are now just a smidgen faster than me in the marathon. And everyone knows we love to compete with each other. Helen and I both ran the Columbus Marathon. She ran a 3:25 and I ran a 3:30. Others let me know that Helen just edged me out. Thanks! I already knew. I finally thought I was getting an advantage when I hired a coach, but then Andrea moved to Denver and is training at altitude. :)

Sure, I'm competitive with myself, but really I loved to beat people. I love to be fast and I long to win.

A few years ago I ran into a friend of mine from college during a marathon. It was her first and maybe my 3rd marathon. We both qualified for Boston and both went to run it (although I had a broken foot and couldn't run). Ever since then she has gotten faster and faster. A few years ago I watched her run a 3:19 marathon. I got an e-mail from her this week that she had done a half marathon. I looked up her time--1:29. I felt two things when I read it--(1) I will never be that fast and (2) I want to be that fast.

My next race is a half marathon in February and my goal is to be better than a 1:41.

Thank you, my friends, for "inspiring" me to work harder and kick your butt!!

(Seriously, though, I do love y'all.)

Adventures in Babysitting

For the last 8 weeks I have been teaching gymnastics three days a week. Gymnastics and teaching are not new to me as I spent 8 years as a gymnast, taught a little in high school for my uncle's gym, and then spent another 6 years after college coaching track. But, I've never really had a whole lot of exposure to children in general. I didn't grow up babysitting and although I see my niece and nephews quite a bit, I rarely watch them on my own or even with Dave.

Some of my classes I teach are heavenly and others are very painful. I have one class in particular that has been probably one of the most challenging thing I have ever done. I have had to seek assistance from other instructors and parents. I've had to write incident reports. And for someone who likes to cuss and throw fits, this class has really pushed me to the limits.

Last week I thought I had the class finally in control. We were in the last five minutes of the class and following all the rules on the trampoline. One of the girls was sitting next to me. She hadn't been feeling really well and had been coughing the whole class. Suddenly, she starts throwing up! I think I jumped higher than I ever had and ran on air to get to the office for help. The girl's mom and my manager come out to help me as I gather the rest of the class and escorted them somewhere else. Luckily that class is a bunch of three year olds and everyone will recover and it's a good thing I'm not squeamish.

I have never had a job as hard as this.

Feeling My Age

I work with a lot of college students. And when they find out I'm 30 they say "No Way! You don't look 30!" I don't look 30, whatever that's supposed to look like, and I certainly don't feel 30. I'm in the best shape ever!

My dad turned 57 yesterday and for his birthday my mom bought him a Wii Fit. Yes, my dad plays the Wii everyday. On the Wii Fit, you set up accounts where it measures your weight, your BMI, your balance, along with your real age to determine the "age" you are based on your health. My dad took the test first and he came out to be 57. Dave took the test. His real age is 31, but the Wii told him he was 27. My sister took the test. Now my sister is 6 months pregnant and they told her she was obese and her BMI was off the charts! My sister's real age is 27 and they told her she was 22. So I took the test. I have reason to be confident, as I stated above. My BMI was normal, my weight was about 116, but I didn't do so well on the balance test. When they calculated my age it came back with 47.

FORTY-SEVEN!!!!

Are you freakin' kidding me!? My family laughed so hard they fell off the couch.

Thursday Thoughts

This coming summer Dave will be doing his Ironman in Couer d'lane (yeah I know I spelled that wrong, Dave), Idaho. We have decided to make the trip via car since we've both want to travel cross country. We plan on leaving a week before and heading to Chicago where coach lives and then heading across the northern states for a quick trip to Idaho. After the race we plan on taking two weeks to travel around to come home. Some places we're thinking of going includes Seattle, Salt Lake City, Colorado Springs, Demver, and maybe get down to the Grand Canyon. We're looking for suggstions for places to go, things to do, and people to see. Any thoughts?

By the way, we're not interested in Yellowstone because Dave's been there like a million times and I've also been there. I'm not really a nature girl and Dave has done most National Parks between Ohio and the west coast.

So think of something really creative and unique. We're heading your way!

October Totals

October was a pretty good month even though I was tapering and then recovering.

Run = 80.7 miles
Swim = 8200 yards

We discovered in October that our pool is 25 meters instead of yards. No biggie but Training Peaks doesn't like to record things correctly in meters. So I'll just pretend it's yards.