Foto Fridays

I only took a few pictures while on this trip. Here they are:

I once caught a fish THIS big! I have no idea who these guys are, but they caught a really big fish!

Me, before I got rolls tossed at my head at dinner.

Me, on the beach standing in front of the condo we stayed in. Among all the condo complexes on the beach, this is probably the most modest.

I wish this was my office.

My best Corona commercial.

And here I am getting rocked by a wave.

Thursday Thoughts

When my parents said they were going to the beach in Alabama, you betcha, I made fun of them. A beach in Alabama? But now that I'm down here, this is a BEAUTIFUL beach. White sand. Not overcrowded. Clear water. I'm really impressed.

What is the best beach you've ever been to?

Lobster Girl

Melissa asked me yesterday what my next race is. I'm doing a half marathon in the middle of August.

_____________

Today was my first full day at the beach. I put on my SPF70 and headed out with my book, a chair, and a blow-up inner-tube. After spending 6 hours in the beating-down sun, I am fried!!! I look like a lobster. I am particularly burnt where I have short tan lines from running.

Tonight for dinner we went to Lambert's Cafe. They're famous for throwing rolls at you. In addition they had designated side dishes that they would just carry around and offer you. It was terrific Southern cooking. Yet, I didn't get a roll. We waited an hour and a half to get in, but it was good food. Dave, you would have loved it.

That's about it folks. When my family vacations, it is relaxing. Tomorrow should be much of the same.

Vacation Day #1

Last night around 11:00pm I booked my trip to Alabama. Around 1:00am I finally went to bed. And at 5:45am I got up and finished packing. My flight itinerary was a mess: Columbus to Cleveland, Cleveland to Philly, Philly to Charlotte, Charlotte to Pensacola. My first flight left at 9:55am. Because Dave had to get to work, he dropped me at the airport around 7:45am. I used the kiosk to try to check myself in but only got to pay for my bag and then it said I needed assistance. Two women came over to help me. One was putting on my tag while the other one said, "ugh, yuck. Your itinerary is awful." No crap! She said they needed my seat to Cleveland so she rerouted me from Columbus to Houston, Houston to Pensacola, and I would get in two hours earlier. And it didn't cost me anymore. Sold! She gave me a fake boarding pass and told me I needed to go because the flight left at 8:30 and it was now 8:00. I got through security, which kinda surprised me since I had a one-way ticket that I had purchased less than 12 hours ago, and made it down to the gate while trying to call Dave and my mom. As I arrived at the gate they were calling my name. I was given a real boarding pass and I was on the plane.

The rest of the trip was pretty adventure-less. It's HOT down here with a huge side-scoop of humidity. I had to go over two big bridges which my dad laughed the whole way and made fun of me. The teasing doesn't end no matter how old you get. Tomorrow will be a full helping of beach and hopefully I'll have some pictures to share.

And Coach, I found a track. :)

I'm Leaving!!!

Originally, I was supposed to be in Chicago this week but that fell through. My parents are vacationing on a beach in Alabama and after talking to mom today she wondered why I didn't come with them (we have NO photo booth events this week). Well, I hit the internet and tomorrow I leave on a jet plane and will land in Alabama (actually Florida) later in the day. That's right, I'm going on vacation!

Seven Traits

The Unathletic Runner tagged me to reveal 7 traits about myself. Let's see how this goes...

1. I'm highly competitive. Well, duh! Our house consisted of how fast you could do things like putting your napkin on your lap. Seriously. Being competitive has helped me on a lot of things but it's also hurt me as I've lost a lot of friends because I don't know how to NOT be competitive with them and has also made me highly suspicious of people.

2. I'm opinionated. That's an understatement. You might say I have an opinion about everything. My mom thinks I'm too opinionated which is funny because she also has an opinion about everything. She's just learned to keep her mouth shut but still shows it all over her face. Me too.

3. I am very self-critical. Nothing I do is ever good enough for myself. Believe it or not, I do not have a single photograph I have taken displayed in my house.

4. I have a counting obsession. This is probably a ritual from obsessive-compulsive disorder. :) I count when I run. I count when I wash my face. I count when I brush my teeth. I count different items. This probably isn't a good trait.

5. Surprisingly, I would consider myself an introvert. I DREAD social situations, even with people I've known for years. I've steadily gotten better since my teenage years, but it's more about getting comfortable with my shyness than actually coming out of my shell.

6. You might say I have an anger management problem. :) When I'm angry, it's full-out rage. Poor Dave.

7. I'm self-conscious. This probably all goes back to gymnastics and always having to be perfect. Damn childhood! My grandmother told me about a year ago that I had a big forehead. I immediately cut my bangs. I've been dealing with acne since I was a young teenager. I have probably spent tens of thousands of dollars on acne solutions even going so far as Accutane. Twice. I do not like to wear a two-piece swimsuit. I will NEVER walk around the house without clothes on. I always change in the closet or the bathroom.

Basically this list is all the reasons why I need psychological help. He he! No, seriously.

I'm not going to tag anyone else, but if you want to participate, please do.

Solid Run

Most of my workouts, including the long runs, have very specific instructions. Run X about of miles at X:XX pace. Run for this amount of time. Run in these zones. But today the instructions read, run 13 miles comfortably. I met the group this morning, which unfortunately, wasn't very big and I wound up running all by myself for almost the entire run. Thank goodness I brought my iPod. I have to pat myself on the back...I am really good at pacing! I started with my first mile at 9:20 and continued to descend until my last mile which was an 8:21. Overall my average pace was 8:44 and my heart rate was steady in zone 3. A solid run and a great conclusion to my three week training cycle.

Foto Friday

My sister has like a million kids (okay, only 4) and she has me photograph them ALL THE TIME! The fourth and final child was born in February and this was the first time I got to photograph her.

Welcome, baby Ashtyn! (And, my sister.)

And all the kiddos: Shelby, Jared, Carter, Ashtyn.

Thursday Thoughts

I almost forgot to blog today! So I was watching tv today and saw there was a new Dairy Queen blizzard that involves Girl Scout Tagalong cookies--my favorite type of Girl Scout cookies. I HAVE to try this blizzard.

What is your favorite DQ Blizzard?

A Car Accident and a Dog with an Erection

I knew at the start of the summer that since I would not be working I was going to need to find things to keep me occupied. My thoughts were to going on photo safaris every week to get outside the house and to work on my photography. Sure, I'm more than a month into my summer hiatus, but this week was my first photo safari.

I left the house with my polaroid camera with 9 pictures left in it and went down to the Short North/Campus area. I should have known right from the start of my walk that things were going to go badly. I parked at Goodale and the first person I see happens to be someone I kinda know. But, this person has always rubbed me the wrong way and I didn't really want him to see me. So I walked three blocks out of my way to get to the North Market. Once at the North Market I couldn't figure out what I wanted and the stench of an open-air market made me a little nauseous so I left without eating. Then I started walking down High Street into the Short North looking for interesting things. You know what I saw? NOTHING! The only things I saw that were interesting was a car accident and a dog with an erection. After walking from the North Market to 12th Avenue in the campus area I took only FOUR pictures. And they weren't even that good. So bad, in fact, I'm not even going to post them. I walked for two hours, had awful pizza for lunch, sweated my ass off in my jeans, and took four freakin' pictures. FAIL!

Any ideas for better photo safaris?

Speed is my Drug of Choice

After my performances the first half of the year and my goals for the remainder of the year, I knew there was going to be a lot of speed work for the summer. Surprisingly, I haven't been on the track much (or maybe I should say, not yet) but there has been quite a lot of speed work within daily workouts and including my long runs.

My 11 miler was no exception. There was 20 minutes between a 7:45 and an 8:00. Then I had to do intervals between 7:00 and 7:30. And, I hit them all. Booyah!!!

Tomorrow there is another speed workout: long intervals at a 7:15. These are within a 1 hour 5 minute workout.

I'm hoping these will bring great results in my upcoming races.

Guest Post - Movie Adaptations!

Hi everyone! This is trusty guest blogger Dave, Meredith's husband. I've been nominated to guest blog tonight because Meredith is currently finishing off the last 20 pages of The Da Vinci Code. We just went out to Blockbuster and rented it, so she's got to finish up before we start the movie!

We've both read the book now, but have not seen the movie. You never really know what you'll get in that situation - the movie can either bring everything to life that you imagined, or can really put a damper on what you had envisioned. So, the question is:

1. What is the best movie adaptation you've seen of a book you had already read?
2. What movie completely ruined a book that you really liked?

For me, the first has to be Lord of the Rings. Loved the books, have read them many times, and went into the movie nervous. Couldn't have been more pleased with the result.

The second...hmm... One would have to be Jurassic Park. Not that it was a bad movie, but something about rewriting endings gets to me! I also remember reading 2001 when I was younger, then renting the movie and being completely confused by it. I'm not sure if it was just because I was too young, or because Stanley Kubrick is kind of a strange guy.

What are yours?

My True Love

A few months ago Dave's computer died. Our only PC; our other two computers are Macs. (Thank goodness.) But my true love and my world record :) were on Dave's computer. Yes, I'm talking about Mine Sweeper. This weekend, though, Dave fixed his computer and my beloved is back along with my record. To celebrate here's a really awesome video about my favorite game.

I need a nap

This week has been a big week of training. I sometimes think Coach has forgotten that my next scheduled race a a half marathon. I've done two days of biking, a swim, an hour of yoga, a track workout, two other days of running, and tomorrow will be an 11 miler at some crazy fast paces. Needless to say I'm exhausted. Today I fell asleep while watching TV.

Next week doesn't let up either. Coach is calling half marathon pace 7:15. Holy crap! I also have a 90 minute bike ride and a 12 mile run.

I wonder how much harder Ironman training is going to be?

Foto Friday

A view from the top....these pictures were taken from the airplane on the way home from Idaho.

The first one is Mt. Rainier up above the clouds on our way from Spokane to Seattle.



The second is the sun rising over Chicago.

Thursday Thoughts

My favorite holiday is not Christmas or my birthday or Halloween. My favorite holiday is the Fourth of July. But this year, we will be working a wedding and we won't get to see the fireworks or have a cookout. I'm not upset, I'd rather be working.

What are your plans for this holiday? Or if you're Canadian, what's your big holiday and what do you do?

Thinking Ahead

Well this is post 203 in a row. After talking with Dave I was thinking of quitting after half a year, but some of my other friends think I should keep going. Ah, crap!

This morning I was at the pool doing a set of 4 X 400s: swims, drills, pulls, kicks, etc. There was a gentleman swimming beside me who looked like Dave when he first started swimming--not a bad stroke, but certainly over-swimming. Halfway through my set he stopped me and asked me what I was training for. I kind of tripped up on my words...uh, nothing. He he he! How awkward it was for me to tell him I was training for a marathon. Yes a marathon, and I'm swimming. He mentioned he just did his first triathlon last week; I mentioned I did a triathlon last week. He said he would never consider a marathon; I said I had done 12 marathons. Our whole conversation was a conversation of contradictions.

As the day went on I got a little sad that I wasn't doing another triathlon this year. Last year and for the last several years, I really hated the triathlon. I wasn't good at it and couldn't figure it out. But this year I've had some success and that's certainly bred confidence. I'm fully committed to my upcoming running races, but a part of me wants to give triathlon chance next year. Yes, you read that right, Liz.

Yep, that's right...2010 is in the planning stages.

June Totals

I would say June was a pretty balanced month. Swimming, biking, and running were not a lot but equally not a lot. I'm sure hoping things pick up soon. There's big races to be run. I probably should let Coach see that I just wrote that. :)

Running = 54.74 miles
Biking = 71.26 miles
Swimming = 10,500 meters
Other = 4 hours (all yoga)

What I did learn this month is that I'm freakishly strong and balanced in yoga, but still lacking in the flexibility department. Let me rephrase that, I am really flexible for a runner, not so flexible for a former gymnast. Look what I learned today:

Yes, this is actually me showing the pose this time.





Now y'all go ahead and try that but make sure you're wearing a helmet when you try the first time. :)

Rock the Vote

Hey y'all! It's time for your help! I'm in a photo contest to win a Sugoi racing kit valued at $350. What I need you to do is to log onto Sugoi's facebook fan page, click on the promotions tab, and vote for the pictures of me. It's titled, "Wendy's Triathlon."

I'm Meredith Gordon and I approve of this message. :)

Tri for the Cure 2009

The plan was to do only one triathlon this summer, Tri for the Cure. A friend of mine from gymnastics was doing it as her very first triathlon. Initially I was going to go and watch, but I thought, if coach is making me swim, bike, run for practice, why not do a small triathlon? This race was SHORT!--1/4 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 2 mile run. So my race plan was REDLINE, REDLINE, REDLINE!!!!

We got to Alum Creek early to check in, get body marked, and set up transition.



I went down to the water and did a little warm up. Who said you can't have a little fun?



I was in wave #3. The waves were divided by every 50 numbers, mine being 119. But, the numbers were not designated by age group, which made it really hard to determine what place you were during the race. After sizing up the talent, I decided to take my chances and line up at the front of the swim wave and GO FOR IT! The gun sounded and I shot off. I was the first one in the water, but I happened to be in a wave of super-strong swimmers. I was quickly overtaken.



I found clear water and swam harder than I ever have in a triathlon. I stayed close to the buoys and swam all the way until my hands hit sand. Then it was a quick sprint up the beach to the transition area.





I took up triathlon a few years ago believing I would be a pretty good triathlete because I was a decent swimmer and a pretty fast runner. What I found out was that everyone was strong on the bike and I absolutely sucked on the bike. And I've used that as my excuse for why I have not continued to pursue triathlon as my sport of choice. For this race, I decided to prove that theory wrong. I pushed on the bike and made things hurt. I wanted to pass people and hang on. I wanted to go for it. And I did. Finally, my first race I averaged over 18 mph on the bike. Makes me wonder why I didn't try that two weeks ago at the Wendy's Triathlon?!



I blasted through T2 and was onto the run. I tried to go as fast as my legs would take me, but unfortunately there weren't a whole lot of people to catch and a good portion of the race was cross country on rough grassy, wet terrain. I did pass 8 people with only two being in my age group.





I thought I had a good race and it paid off. For the second triathlon in a row, I finished 3rd in my age group.

This officially marks the end of my triathlon series. Now it's time to concentrate on my upcoming half and full marathons.

Race Report, Race Reports EVERYWHERE!!!

If you haven't already make sure to go check out Dave's blog for his race report from Ironman.

And stay tuned for my race report tomorrow from Tri for the Cure. It's been a very full day and we still have a wedding to work tonight. Sorry, I couldn't get it done today. :)

Foto Friday

Dave's official race pictures are in. I "borrowed" them from the website. :)

Thursday Thoughts

I went out for my run this morning at 9:00 and it was already blazing hot with a humidity of 1000%. Okay, maybe not but it was crazy hot. As I drove around doing my errands today my car continued to say it was 97 degrees. And it never went lower the whole day! So, I guess summer is officially here.

What's your favorite summer thing? You know, baseball, corn on the cob, ice cream, etc.

Canon Ball!!!

Today it was back to the grind of work and working out. The workout today was a short swim and being that it was FRIGGIN' hot outside, I decided to do my swim outside. I got to the pool and they had the lanes all set up for a swim meet later in the day. Awesome! More lanes to choose from. Except, the lifeguards were not keeping the kids out of them. And not only were they allowing the kids to swim in them, they were allowing the kids to play in them. There was lots of splashing and racing and horsing around. As I was doing my sprint section of my workout, the kids in the lane beside me were practicing their canon balls. Nice!

So today, I really got in an open-water workout. There were waves, and wind, and lots of obstacles.

Sure, it's beautiful...

Sure Coeur d' Alene was beautiful, minus the crappy weather and the sitting around all the time.



More pictures to come in the next couple days. I haven't even unpacked!!!

IMCDA Wrap-up

The race is over, the vacation has come to a close, and I'm on the way to the airport to head home. And I'm happy to be going home.

I'm not going to lie, it was extremely difficult to spectate this race. Don't get me wrong! I'm proud of Dave. He worked really hard for 9 months and accomplished something I wasn't sure he was capable of. He deserves this and it's something that can never be taken away. He is and always will be an Ironman.

But I'm jealous as hell. To watch so many people I knew and didn't know finish this race and accomplish their goals made me want to do it even more. When I started my life list years and years ago the first thing on it was "finish an Ironman." It's still on the list and I'm worried it's always going to be on the list without being crossed off.

I have accomplished more in the last year of running than I have in the past 8 years of running. And I feel if I switch focus now I may just be throwing all of that aside or maybe even throwing it away. I'm not sure I can put away the runner in me for a year. And to be honest, I hate biking. I cannot even fathom what it would be like to sit on my bike for 6-7 hours at a time.

I need to come down off of my iron-high and remember the lonely days I had while Dave trained. I need to remember that I'm a good runner and that's my calling and I'm only goof to get better. I need to remember the rashes and pain associated with riding a bike ALL THE TIME. I need to do another race and remember what running hard is all about.

Or maybe I should take the leap...

Dave is an Ironman!!!

Dave is maybe around mile 16. Still smiling! Next time we see him he'll be an Ironman!

Dave is halfway done on run. He's still smiling. He's gonna be an ironman.

Just saw Dave with 2 miles left on the bike. He's gonna make the cutoff! He'll be out on run in 15 minutes.

Dave's halfway thru thebbike and looking good. He's smiling and waving and seems to be enjoying himself. He's hitting his paces really well. Let's hope it holds up through the second loop.

Dave just made the turn to go out on the long portion of the first loop on the bike. I have to admit I missed him as the first pro was coming the other way at the very same time.

Dave is out of the water an had a good swim. We saw him in transition and be was in high spirits. Now he's out on the bike.

Countdown to Ironman

We are only a few hours away from bedtime which means Ironman! Dave packed his stuff up today, turned in his bike and bags, and now is resting and hydrating.

I will be live-blogging the race tomorrow. Or if you wish, follow Dave's progress on ironman.com. His number is 608. See you at the start line.

CDA Day 3

Today started off with rain and boy was it cold too. After checking out the weather I decided to skip my swim but supported Dave as he went down to the Gatorade swim. I enjoyed people watching, especially seeing Sister Madonna and Michael Lavato. In the afternoon we met fellow blogger Carrie and her husband Shawn (http://tritobefunny.blogspot.com). We had lunch with them and chatted a bit. We hope to see them again the weekend of the USC vs. OSU game. Finally, Dave went to the athlete dinner and meeting and I met up with Deidre to grab a bite to eat. It was kinda a long day and I have to admit I'm kinda bored here. I'm usually the athlete and it's been hard to just be a spectator. I'm fully supportive of dave and proud of him but a very small part of me wishes I was racing. I'm sure I'll feel completely different after seeing the suffering on Sunday.

Day 2 in CDA

Today was another great day in Coeur d'Alene. I started the day off with a hard interval run, which excitingly I hit all of them. Then we took a tour of the bike course. Well, I'm pretty glad that I'm not riding it. :) But I kept reminding Dave that he's done the training and everyone else was going to be doing the same hills. After the ride we hit up a local burger joint--Hudson's. It was a 19 seat counter where you could order a burger or a cheeseburger. Then they made the patties right in front of us and cooked it up. There were no fries and no chips, just burgers. And of course we had pie. From lunch it was to check in where Dave signed his life away, spent all our savings on Ironman gear, and picked up his bike. He did some small workouts and then we met up with some other bloggers--Marit, Deirdre, and Tasha--for dinner. Now we are chilling out in the apartment watching TV. It was a good day. :)

Holy Tiredness

I don't know if I've ever been as tired as I an right now. The day started at 3:00am eastern time and by 6:00pm eastern time we had finally made it to Idaho. We have a very lovely place to stay, have been to the grocery store, and have checked out part of the course. But for now, it may be bedtime. Yes it's only 8:00pm in Idaho. :)

I Da Ho?

No, you da ho!

And we leave tomorrow bright and early. Our flight leaves at 6:00am, which means we've got to be up by 3:00. We're mostly packed and I'm not sure how Dave's going to fit it all into his suitcase. It's nice, for once, that I'm not traveling to race. I love that I get to spectate.

I'm not sure what internet connection we're going to have out there, but I'll try to blog from my phone. There will be lots of pictures taken and I will be live-blogging here on this site on Sunday from Dave's race.

If you're going to be in Coeur d'Alene this weekend, give us a shout out! We'd love to meet you.

Take 2 - I've been edited

So Jerry Bruckheimer called me today and said my video from yesterday needed some work and he was willing to do the work for free. Okay, not really. But, in between the loads of laundry and packing for our trip this week I decided to work on the video myself and make it AWESOME! This is the first video I've produced so give me some lovin' if you like it. :)

Wendy's Triathlon 2009

I looked at my schedule for Sunday earlier this week and it had a bike at race pace and a run at race pace. Knowing that there was a triathlon for Sunday I asked Coach if I could do the triathlon as a workout. She agreed, gave me a race plan, and thus, I signed up for the Wendy's Triathlon. I arrived this morning feeling pretty calm. I had no expectations. I was just going to follow the plan and see what happened. I set up my transition and headed down to the water to get in some practice swimming. Things were clicking right away and I got excited.

I lined up pretty close to the front for the swim. After attending an open water swim clinic this past Monday, the instructor said don't be afraid to line up in the front. People are going to swim over you regardless. And within a few strokes I was in open water. I did have one guy who kept going back and forth in front of me. When it was possible I would hang onto his feet, but in the end, I dropped him and focused on my own swim. When I got out of the water Dave said I was 5th woman in my age group. According to the results, I was 4th. Not bad!

Onto the bike....let's just say, I'm not the strongest biker. I've done this race three times and each time it has been a different bike course (and run course). This time it was kind of an out and back. I tried to ride comfortably yet faster that what I was used to. I took my gel. I drank my water. I got passed by many people but I still passed people too. I think I might have been passed by 4-6 women in my age group. I averaged over 17 mph which is good for me, but WAY slow compared to everyone else. According to Dave, if I had averaged 2 mph more I would have won my age group. Dang it!

The run felt very comfortable. I LOVED the new course. We ran through a crushed path up to the dam and then halfway across the dam and back. And I ROCKED it! Not only did I pass 4-5 women in my age group, but I had the fastest run split in my age group! I averaged 7:32s for the 5K and it made the difference because...

I finished 3rd in my age group!!! I have never placed EVER in a triathlon!

Dave followed me around with a camera all day and took a ton of great pictures. Enjoy a slideshow of all of them...

Okay, I officially hate how small the video is. If you all leave me nice comments below, I'll upload the photos separately so you can see them all. :)

Three Days!!!

Foto Friday

I'm stealing ideas from the Chic Runner today as I'm going all Foto Friday. Actually, I'm doing it because I can't think of anything to blog about.

This week I shut down my photography business. Things have been so crazy with the photo booth business that I just haven't had time to be the photographer I need to be. I still hope to do photography some day, but for now I want to take pictures for me and take pictures that I want to take. One type of photography that really interest me is "Street Photography." So this week I carried around my big honkin' camera and took pictures of people being people. Here are two of my favorites...





What I need from you, Internet, is a caption for each of these pictures. I'm terrible at naming my art pieces. What would you call these pictures?

Thursday Thoughts

I looked at my training schedule for this weekend and it had a brick on it...bike at race pace, run at race pace. Well, shoot, there's a triathlon this weekend. Why not throw a swim in the mix too? So today I signed up for the Wendy's Triathlon.

Not exactly the most spontaneous thing I've ever done, but I want to know today, what's the most spontaneous thing you've ever done?

I Had a (Crazy) Dream

I just woke up from an afternoon nap while in the middle of a crazy dream. My friends Jason and Lindsay along with my sister and I were somehow playing baseball for the Cincinnati Reds. That's weird to start, no? I remember Lindsay and I getting the opportunity to hit and had successful at bats. Then Jason got up and hit a grand slam home run. Finally my sister got up to bad and that's when things got weird. She was a last minute substitute and was playing illegally. When she hit the ball all of the people on base had to get on a big giant airplane and fly across the Ohio River in Cincinnati. The problem? My sister doesn't know how to fly an airplane let along a commercial jet. Amy gets the plane off the ground and barely gets it across the river only to crash it on the other side. Fear that we'll get in trouble for putting Amy in the game, Jason, Lindsay, and I don hazmat suits to go help in the rescue mission. On our way out the door we receive news that Amy and the rest are okay, and that Amy has admitted to authorities that she wasn't really on the team and that she didn't know how to fly an airplane. The three of us, in our hazmat suits, somehow get put into this holding pin, sort of like a giant cup holder, and this is how we are to fly across the river to get to the crash site. We found it very odd that we would go to investigate a crash site while being totally careless with our own lives--no seat belts, overweight compartment, etc.

And this is when I woke up. What the hell was that all about?

I Didn't Eat Crow

Back a few years when I was unemployed I used to go to yoga twice a week. I found an instructor I really liked who didn't do traditional yoga. I felt that it helped with my core strength and my flexibility. Now that I'm on summer break I've decided to go back to yoga. The same class is still going on with the same instructor. I was interested to see where my abilities lie now that I've certainly got better strength and better flexibility from all the gymnastics.

What I found out was that I'm a little more flexible, although I struggled some poses like child pose because of the bruise on my knee. Remember? I fell off my bicycle yesterday. But, I still have some serious strength and balance. Yeah, I'm a regular yogi. :) Today I mastered the crow pose and could even do it with my feet crossed. See that picture on the left? That's crow pose. That's not me, however. I borrowed that picture from somebody else. There are several variations of this pose that I'd love to try. For now, I'll call day 1 of yoga a success and I'm looking forward to going back on Thursday, hopefully a little less bruised.

He Took Me to the Clinic

The day started off with a short recovery bike ride down into town and back. It started off a little rusty, however, when I crashed in the driveway bruising my knee, my wrist, and my ego. To add insult to injury, on my return trip home it rained, HARD!

My second workout of the day involved open water swimming at Alum Creek State Park with COTT. Coach had given me a workout (see picture on the right). This workout took us back and forth and back and forth along the beach, finally finishing in about 2400 meters. The members of COTT kept mentioning a swim clinic after our swim practice, but Dave and I didn't know what they were talking about. So after our swim we stuck around to find out what everyone meant. Dude, this clinic was hard. We learned about beach starts, dolphin dives, sighting, drafting, sharp buoy turns, swim exits, and even how to strip down our wetsuits. And all of it we had to practice as a group and HARD! My heart rate was quite elevated and I was certainly gasping for breath. Overall I think I got in over 3000 meters and boy are my arms tired! That's a lot of swimming for that one 400m in the one triathlon I'm doing this summer.

Tomorrow starts anew with a run and some yoga. I love summertime. :)

Running from the Devil--A Book Review

I was in the middle of "Breaking Dawn" when I was contacted by a publisher to read and review a book. I agreed and was sent "Running from the Devil" by Jamie Freveletti. I must admit, I was a bit hesitant about reading a new book by a new author especially after reading all the Twilight books at once and being really immersed in them. But, I absolutely LOVED this book!!!

The main character is Emma Caldridge, a biochemist and ultra-runner, who discovers something she is not supposed to. She is en route to Bogota, Columbia when her plane is hijacked and brought down by anti-government guerillas who take the surviving passengers hostage. Emma eludes the hijackers and escapes the wreckage. She begins to pursue the hostages, the guerillas are pursuing her, the American government gets involved, and all of it comes to a head when her secret is exposed.

What makes this book exciting is there is action, a hint at sexual tension, and this overall secret that suspends the reader not knowing if Emma is a good guy or bad guy.

I've recently begun communicating with Jamie Freveletti via Twitter and she's one cool chick. :) Not only is she an awesome writer, she is herself an ultra runner and a SUGOI Brand Champion. Check her and her book out!

Saturdays are so Busy

My mom called me tonight to let me know some information I had asked about. Half way through the sentence she goes, "You're at a wedding, aren't you?" Yep, that's pretty much every Saturday for us now.

The day started with a run with the husband. Ten miles at an easy pace. It was nice to run with Dave on his last long run before the big day. After some ice baths and some lunch, we packed up the photo booth and headed to our next wedding. And what a wedding it was! Let's just say there was a nacho bar, a group song and dance, and someone called me Rainman. This wedding was awesome! Look on our brand new VIP Photo Booths blog tomorrow for a taste of the fun.

Thankfully, this evening is ending before midnight and there will be good sleep in our future. Tomorrow Dave has a four hour bike ride. And he's meeting someone EARLY in the morning to do the ride. That means, I get to see Dave for most of the day. Yippee!!!

I feel the need, the need for speed

Did I say it was the summer of the sports bra run? Yes, well, it's also the summer of the track workout. Today was workout #2 of the week on the track. Included was some form running, some sprints, and some regular ol' running. Of course I did the run right smack in the middle of the afternoon when the sun was beaming off the black track. Working on my tan, yes, but felt absolutely sluggish and dehydrated. I was looking ahead to next week's workouts and there are lots of speed workouts. Think Coach is trying to tell me something? I know it's going to work, though, and that helps me be willing to suffer. I can't wait to see the results.

Thursday Thoughts

One of my favorite home makeover shows is called "Dress My Nest" on Style. To help design the room, Thom Filicia has the individual wanting the room makeover choose three style items and three personal items. He then uses those items as design ideas like a dress with a cool design into a rug with a similar design.

Today's Thursday Thoughts involves your three style or personal items. What are the three things you MUST have for running, triathlon, swimming, exercising?

My list...
1. Nike Boston 06 hat
2. Balega socks
3. Timex watch/HRM

A Test and a Tank

The word for the summer is speed and I kicked it off today with a track test. After a good warm-up the plan was for 6 minutes AS HARD AS I CAN GO!!! I was really nervous about this. No one to push me; around and around a track; expectations knowing I should be able to go a full mile. And did I mention it was raining?

I put on my racing flats, took a swig of water, toed the line, and started out FAST! I kept my knees up. I pushed off my toes. I tried to count my steps instead of worrying about my heaving breathing. The time was going fast and so was I. As I passed the 1600 (1 mile) I checked my watch, 5:43. Five freakin' forty three!!! Holy crap! I was flying. At the end of 6 minutes, I was just shy of 1700 meters. Nice!

This was more than a track test. I was testing out my new tank from SUGOI. This is the Fizz Tank specifically designed for Brand Champions. This is an amazing tank top! This is the first tank top with a shelf bra that I've been able to wear without another sports bra underneath. It's tight, but not clingy. It did not ride up while I ran. The entire back and sides of the tank is mesh and completely breathable. There is a pocket in the bank that held my key but would definitely hold a lot of gels and/or iPod. My run was pretty short, but the tank did not rub anywhere either. My only "complaint" I have is with the mesh shelf bra. It made me itch, but maybe that's just because it's summer and I itch everywhere. We'll give that one some time to see if that's really a problem. I'm looking forward to getting my shorts later this week and see if they're as magnificent.

Oh yeah, there was also a bike ride after the run today, followed by an ice bath. Then there was a nap. A very full and fantastic day!

8 Things

I know there has been some 8 Things lists going around all these blogs. And since I'm a blog lurker and not a commenter, I haven't been tagged, but that's not going to stop me from making up my own list. I don't know what the correct 8 Things lists are, so I'm making mine up.

8 Beaches I've Visited
1. Myrtle Beach
2. Cocoa Beach
3. Laguna Beach
4. Venice Beach (Florida)
5. Wikiki Beach
6. Virginia Beach
7. Cannon Beach
8. Hampton Beach

8 States Where I've Run a Race
1. Ohio
2. Massachusetts
3. New Hampshire
4. North Carolina
5. Kentucky
6. Indiana
7. Illinois
8. California (okay not yet, but I will)

8 Competitive Sports I've Done
1. Gymnastics
2. Tennis
3. Track
4. Rowing
5. Distance Running
6. Triathlon
7. Softball
8. Basketball

8 Television Shows I Love
1. Ed
2. The Wonder Years
3. ER
4. The Big Bang Theory
5. Greek
6. Gilmore Girls
7. Friends
8. The Amazing Race

8 Concerts I've Been To
1. Peter, Paul, and Mary (my first concert)
2. Aerosmith
3. Cranberries
4. Garth Brooks
5. Earth, Wind, and Fire
6. Kenny Chesney
7. The Backstreet Boys (yeah, that's right)
8. Sarah McLaughlin

8 Blogs I Like to Read
Disclaimer: I read a lot more than this, but these are the ones that popped into my head first
1. E.L.F
2. Bree Wee
3. Bobbi and Mike
4. Jasmine Star
5. Tri to be Funny
6. Twenty Six Point Two
7. Notes and Lines
8. Jessica Claire

8 Movies That I Love
1. You've Got Mail
2. Sleepless in Seattle
3. Joe vs. the Volcano (see a pattern here?)
4. While You Were Sleeping
5. Memphis Belle
6. My Best Friend's Wedding
7. Rent
8. Shag

8 Places I've Worked
1. Westerville Academy of Dance and Gymnastics
2. The Medallion Club
3. The Ohio State University
4. DSW
5. Nationwide
6. The Limited
7. Wendy's Gymnastics and Fitness for Children
8. VIP Photo Booths, Inc. :)

I Did Not Drown

I looked at my schedule at the beginning of the week and today's workout said open water swim. Say what?! Oh crap! I picked Dave up from work with our wetsuits loaded in the trunk and headed down to the quarry at the Runaway Bay apartments. We were banking on traffic but alas there was none and we made it down there nearly 45 minutes before the group swim. We waited until 6:00 and then decided no one was coming so we made our way in, just the two of us.





The water felt very cold at first. I had a hard time controlling my heart rate as I felt the sliminess on the rocks and the green of the water got darker and darker. I wanted to turn back but Dave encouraged me to keep going. When we reached the other side of the quarry my heart was pounding out of my chest. Then we decided to take a long swim over to the giant rock sticking up out of the middle of the water. It was then that I was able to settle down and feel good about my stroke. Dave was on my right side which helped since I only breathe to my right. As long as he was in my sights, I felt comfortable.

Once we reached the rock we rested a while sitting on it. I got back into the water to make the return trip and slammed the top of my foot into a rock while trying to stay afloat. Ouch! That hurt. The return trip was again comfortable and the whole swimming experience took us about 27 minutes. We probably went about a mile.

Here we are looking so pretty after our swim. I especially like how my mascara is smeared all over my eyelids.



The next open water swim will be next Monday at a different location. I hope it goes just as well.

May Totals

May was a transition month.  I finished off my recovery from Boston but then started into more cross training with increased swimming and biking.  I raced a 5K for the first time in two years and pulled off my very first win.  The miles will amp up again as training has begun for my fall races.

Swim = 17,600 meters (that equates to 11 miles of swimming!!!)
Bike = 58.33 miles
Run = 55.05 miles
Other = 1/2 hour

And on a totally non-related note, I figured out how to make my pictures HUGE and AWESOME in Blogger.

A Little Off

I would love to tell you all about my adventurous evening, but I can't, so I'm going to tell you about my run today.

The miles are creeping up again as I've begun training for my next big race.  So today I had a 9 mile run with some up-tempo stuff thrown in.  I have been running on the same trails for years and it's always been a great place to run because it's off the streets, it's flat, it's mostly safe, and it's got every mile and half mile marked.  Last year while running with Andrea on a 17 mile run on this same trail, what we had added up as 17 miles by the markers was only 16 miles by the Garmin.  Hmmm...

Today during my up-tempo work, I discovered just how off the mile markers were.  Coach wanted me to run 8 min/miles which I've kinda forgotten what it feels like based on the fact I've been training some really fast stuff.  I went out too fast turning my first mile in 7:12.  Then I didn't slow down and even increased my heart rate and only had the second mile at 7:54.  Hmmm....I think something was off.

It was a great run though--felt comfortable and fast.

Bring on the Races!!

I am so excited it is summer and time for racing.  Good luck to everyone racing this weekend including Ironman Hawaii 70.3 and the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon.  I'm looking forward to reading the fabulous race reports next week.

Thursday Thoughts

I was having a conversation today and during that conversation the gentleman I was speaking with touched me on my elbow and moved his hand down to my wrist.  Now I know people tend to touch other people when they talk, but his gesture made me uncomfortable.  I have to admit, I'm not high on the touchy-feely stuff.  I'd go into it, but I'll owe my therapist thousands some day to fix me.  :)

So, what makes you uncomfortable?

My Boobs Are Tiny

As you may remember, a while ago I was searching for a new swimsuit.  I caved and bought a two piece competitive suit.  Today the swimsuit took it's maiden voyage.  

Our gym has an outdoor pool that just opened this weekend.  The weather was beautiful today with warm air and slight cloud cover.  I figured it was a good day to swim outside.  So, I put on my new two pieces and started my workout.

As soon as I pushed off the wall I realized the drawstring works wonderfully on the bottoms, but top is pretty insecure.  I think it's because my boobs are so tiny.  :)  Each time I pushed off the wall I thought for sure I was flashing my entire boob!!  Luckily, I guess, I had to go to the bathroom and while I was in there I tightened the top.  After trying again, it was a little better.  It certainly still felt loose but at least I wasn't losing it completely.  I'm not sure how much more I can tighten it as it will just make the back go up further and not really pulling it any tighter.  Maybe it will just turn into a bathing suit instead of a swimming suit.

Either way, it was still a good workout.  Although, it felt like I was going nowhere while doing my sprints.  I guess you have to take into account the wind effect while swimming outside.  At least I got a good start on tanning my hide.  

SUGOI Brand Champion

Today I got word that I had been named a SUGOI Brand Champion.  SUGOI gives me discount on their products and in exchange, I wear them to train and race in them.  In exchange of that, they promote me as a runner and endurance athlete.  It's a win-win for all.  

This will be the second time I've been on a brand-awareness team.  Last time I'm not sure I put in the effort to make it worth while.  I was pretty burnt-out on running by the end of it and didn't really care.  This time I'm hyped on running and really hoping to get a lot out of it.  

So, stay tuned, to see more sponsorship action.

Happy Memorial Day

Memorial Day has always been a fun holiday for me.  In college I would throw a party every Memorial Day.  I don't know why?  It just seemed like a holiday that required a party.  As an adult I now understand it a little better and with my best friend from high school having spent two rounds in Iraq and with a new friend now who is stationed in Kuwait, I truly appreciate the armed forces even more.

But today was a fantastic Memorial Day full of no workouts, getting things done, and dinner with the family.  The evening was topped off when my sister's younger two kids began puking at the same time.  Awesome!

Happy Memorial Day!  

(Not So) Lazy Sunday

First of all, IronMatron....every time I try to comment on your blog, it bounces.  What up?  Can you fix that?

Ever since I started my business and Dave started training for Ironman our house has just fallen into ruin.  It looks absolutely horrible!  This includes the landscaping which we did not touch once last year.  Now that there's a million houses for sale in our neighborhood, including our next door neighbor's, we decided it was time to work on the landscaping.  And since Dave had an "off" weekend from training we tackled it with full force today.  

We have a back paver patio which we did ourselves 3 years ago and had landscaped it when we put it in.  Last year we let the grass grow all around it again including around all the landscaping we had put in.  So we started early, early this morning by digging up the sod again.  We then put in edging so the grass wouldn't grow up it again.  Next we put in new top soil and covered the soil with the mesh stuff that keeps the weeds away.  Did I mention we had dandelions the size of small children out there?  And they had teeth like little kiddos too!!  Finally we finished it off with new mulch.  We got half of the landscaping done.  Tomorrow we hope to do the second half of it.

On top of all that, we watched some car racing, tennis, and baseball.  And, oh, I rode my bike to spin out the legs.  Yeah, it's been a busy but productive day.  

Now if we could only tackle the inside of the house with as much veracity as the outside, this place would be immaculate.  

Buffalo Trails 5K 2009

Dave's Ironman is a mere 4 weeks away.  He has been training like a beast, but nothing prepares you better for a big race like Ironman than a tune-up race.  Since we live in the midwest, finding a tune-up race this early in the spring/summer is difficult.  Dave did some research and found a sprint triathlon in Maysville, Kentucky that would allow him to practice some things he's learned before his race.

And since I'd be tagging along anyway, I decided to sign up for the 5K and do a test for new heart rate zones.  After looking at the results for the last couple of years, I knew it was a small race, and there was a very real possibility I could win the race.  I shared this goal with Coach and that's when she told me to "run like hell!"

Dave's swim was cancelled due to poor water quality and was replaced with a half mile run followed by the rest of the triathlon.  He started his race about 20 minutes before mine.  I got my warm-up done, put on my racing shoes, stripped down to my sports bra (it IS the summer of the sports bra run), and actually lined up in the front of the line.  I eyed my competition: a 13 year old girl (you never know with those young ones) and an older woman who looked like a runner.  The gun went off (actually the race director yelling BANG!) and I took off like a crazy woman.  Within a half mile I was leading the race.  There were no official mile markers, but there was one scribbled on the road that said "about 1 mile".  I should mention I was doing a heart rate test and did not want to see how high my heart rate was going.  So, I put a sticker over my watch so I couldn't see and wouldn't panic.  But, I could still see the split and saw that the approximate first mile was 5:54.  Holy sh!t!!!  I have never run a mile that fast!  Coach had told me to ease into the first half mile and I did not.  I'm glad I did not, however, because the run got harder.  About a mile and a half in you turn left and head up a flight of stairs.  I was taking them two at a time but got cut off by a 16 year old who was taking them one at a time and was sorta kinda walking up them and was hogging the whole staircase.  At the top of the stairs you turn left and run on top of the flood wall which was grass.  When I reached the top I looked back and saw no women at all.

I eased back a little and made sure to control my own race.  The flood wall ended and you had to go down a dirt embankment and the run on the grass some more between the flood wall and the Ohio River.  Well, the embankment was steep.  I took one step and then fell flat on my butt.  I was ultra embarrassed but did not hurt myself.  I got right back up and kept running.  There was another uphill and then you were back on the trail and the finish was in sight.  One of the officials let me know I was the lead woman.  I cruised under the bridge and into the finish line.

My time was 21:47 which is a new PR.  I am REALLY excited about that as (a) I didn't train specifically for this race, (b) it was a difficult course and (c) I ran all alone with no one to push me.  I won the female division and finished 8th overall.  My award was a HUGE trophy!  And I got announced on the local radio station that was covering the race.  

Since Dave was running the triathlon, I didn't have my usual paparazzi to follow me around.  So, I only have two pictures.  The first is the bridge I had to run over and go over to and from Ohio.  Thank goodness I didn't have to run over it.  I might have died!

The second picture was taken when we got home.  It's me and my GIGANTIC trophy.  What am I supposed to do with a trophy that size?

This was my first 5K in two years.  I still hated it, but I'm ecstatic with the results.  My first win ever!!!

Coach would be so proud

Tomorrow I am racing a 5k. And I emphasize racing. Because this is a super small race Dave and I drove the course so I knew what I would be doing. I have never, EVER seen a course before I raced it.

This one starts out super flat for about a mile and a half. Then it turns left and goes up a flight of stairs. You turn left again and run on top of the flood wall, in the grass, for about half mile, maybe. This is where we couldn't figure it out and the people that worked at registration didn't know a whole lot more than us. It seems you go back down the stairs on the other side of the wall and run a dirt trail until it connects with a paved trail. The final part is rolling along the river and finished under a giagantic bridge. A freakin' bridge!!!

The best part, the race shirt is pink, all of them. That means Dave's race shirt is pink. He he he!

Race report tomorrow.

Thursday Thoughts

On Saturday I will be running a 5K.  There's a very good probability that I could do VERY well in this race.  Coach provided my race plan that says, "run like hell!"  That doesn't sound like fun?!  

Needless to say, the 5K is NOT a race I enjoy.  It hurts, it's too fast, and I really suck at it.  The longer the distance, the better I do.

Today's question....

What is your least favorite race distance and what is your favorite race distance?

SPF 30+

I denote this, "Summer of the Sports Bra Run."

Day number 1 was Saturday when the temperature wasn't too hot, but the humidity was through the roof.  Ah, midwest living!  I actually started out in a shirt, but half way through took it off.

Day number 2 was today when it was over 80 degrees and without the wind, I thought I was running in a volcano field.  

Why am I running in a sports bra?  Maybe to get a tan?  Maybe because I have a rockin' new body thanks to coach?  Maybe I don't want to do a lot of laundry this summer?  Or, maybe because as a 31 year old I should start feeling comfortable in my own skin and be pushing myself beyond my limits maybe I can achieve that?  

I don't notice if I get a whole bunch of stares when I run but I definitely noticed today.  Probably because I wasn't exactly feeling comfortable with showing my belly.  Lots of dudes giving me the thumbs up, but my favorite was when this women gave me a dirty look.  I'm guessing she was probably a little jealous of my physique or maybe it was the glare off my incredibly white belly that was causing one eye to squint.  :)

My favorite part of the run today has nothing to do with my uncomfortableness.  (Is that a word?)  Since I stopped running with partners I have taken a liking to running with my iPod, but to rid the bad tan lines, I haven't been running with it for the last week or so.  So today it was just me and my thoughts on an interval run.  Not a good combination.  I kept hearing this chinging, like a dog running with me with a chain around it's neck.  I heard it for miles.  And then I figured it out.  My running shorts I was wearing are weird and have the key pocket in the back, you know, against my butt.  I was carrying our extra key which has a safety pin attached to it.  Yes I thought I was being followed by a dog when really my butt was chinging.  Nice!

This was my last hard workout of the week.  There's a race to be run this weekend!

Ask and You Shall Receive

Yesterday I was asked if I swam or ran in college.  The answer is no to both of those, but yes, I was a college athlete.  I entered college right after the 1996 Olympics and a bet was made between a girl I worked with and myself about trying out for the crew team in college.  Then once I got to school I met a girl the first week, (who funny enough, I'm still friends with) who asked me if I wanted to try out for the crew team with her.  I thought, why not?  So the next week I showed up for the tryouts, told a joke, and somehow made it through the first cut.  Then I had to get out on the water and see if I could steer the boat.  Turns out I was pretty good at it and made the novice team.  I was #3 on the team in terms of coxswains until winter break.  We spent our winter break in Cocoa Beach, FL and somehow I wound up taking on my coxswain coach in a dual on the water.  Funny enough, I won.  That solidified my spot in a boat.  Finally, after crashing several boats in a week, our team was assigned an hour long Indian run.  By the end, I was the only coxswain that survived.  And that, my friends, is how I made it into the novice A boat without having any experience in rowing whatsoever.

I raced the whole year in the novice A boat and even made the Eastern Nationals.  I, unfortunately, didn't get to compete in that race as I had a robot competition the same day (don't judge me).  I did come back to the team in the fall and stayed on for a few months until my advisor told me rowing or engineering and I chose engineering.  

Hindsight, I wish I had stayed on the team as I would have received my varsity letter and I would have gotten to compete in the Big Tens.  But, I did go to college to study and study I did!  

By the way, I was not a coxswain for the men's team, which was a club sport.  I was on the women's team which was a varsity sport.  Novice is the fancy term for JV, but in team competition novice points count toward the final score.  My highlight was beating Michigan in a dual and getting thrown in the water (tradition for a winning coxswain).  I got my picture in the Columbus Dispatch and even got interviewed.  I have that sports page framed and hanging on my wall.

Thanks for asking the question.

Full Day of Workouts and Awesomeness

This morning started with a short swim.  I got to the pool around 9:15 and all the lanes were full.  I was content to wait my turn, but others decided I should share a lane.  So, I jumped in with an older dude and hugged the line for half of my workout.  Then a lane opened up and I scurried on over there.  Before even pushing off the wall, someone else decided they wanted to share my lane and I was stuck right next to the wall.  With 8 laps left, I finally switched to my 3rd lane and was all by myself for the cool down.  My favorite part of the workout was afterwards when the lifeguard asked me if I swam in college.  Gosh!  How fast am I getting?  :)

Then this evening Dave and I went downtown to meet COTT so that Dave could practice open water swimming.  While there I had a conversation with a VERY good triathlete who had raced Memphis in May the day before.  We were talking about running and sponsorship and then he asked me if I had run in college.  Twice in one day?!  Seriously, what is going on?!

Last night I went to the prom.  Not as a date, but as a vendor.  And, I loved it!

I have to admit, I have been hyper-critical of the current generation.  Or as I like to call it: the princess generation.  But last night I was proved wrong.  We worked at two local proms and we have nothing but high praises.  The kids were appropriate and polite, friendly and appreciative. When I worked at the high school as a coach I absolutely loved the kids and thought they were well behaved and mature, but I thought maybe it was because they were athletes who were disciplined and wanted to be there, etc.  But, maybe it's more than just athletes.  Maybe I've been too critical and my fear/thoughts about the next generation were wrong.  Thank you, kiddos, for helping me change my mind.

Check out all the fun we had this week on my other blog.  The posts will be up in the next couple of days.

What a Party!

I'm at prom right now and having a blast. More tomorrow.

My Lady Bits Are Just Fine

If you've noticed on my sidebar, I've amped up the biking miles in the last week.  Let's just say, more biking miles in the past week than in the last 5 months.  Even more than that!!!  More miles than July when I hung up my bike after the Muncie Endurathon and said triathlon was for the birds.

Then I got a jolt of confidence when Coach said I had a strong swim and run and really should be a triathlete.  Well, I'm not ready to jump on the bandwagon yet, but I have signed up for one (and only one) triathlon this summer.  

To say the least, I think Coach was uber-excited about the prospect of me doing a triathlon and immediately went into training mode.  Uh, Coach, did you forget about the 5K I'm doing next week?  So, I got on my bike again this week and rode.  And you know what?  It didn't completely suck.  Yes, you read that right.  I'm not going to go so far as to say I enjoyed it.  Although, it was nice to see my husband....get it?  He's training for Ironman and if I want to see him, I better be training with him.  Never mind.  

I can definitely tell I'm in better aerobic shape and that my quads are much more developed than last year.  Don't tell anyone, but I'm kinda excited about my triathlon now.  Shhh!!!!

Thursday Thoughts

Invention Convention!!!

This summer I'm calling it the summer of the sports bra run.  Yep that's right.  I'm going to get over my fears of my belly and bare it to the sun.  Here's my problem though.  I'm one of those people who worshipped the sun as a child and now is worried about skin cancer.  I put sunscreen on ALL. THE. TIME.  This summer I'll be doing my workouts during the daytime since I won't be working.  Here's where I need your help...

Get out those thinking caps and thinking of some really creative way to get sunscreen on your back without assistance and without missing any spots.  

FanaTATstic Part 2

So I got my first tattoo last fall. It was to celebrate running my 10th marathon. It is a 26.2 with 10 hash marks underneath it. I'll post another picture when I'm not blogging from my phone. Anyway, I'm thinking of getting another one. I'd like it to say marathon but I want it to be spelled in Greek since the first marathon was in Greece. Dave wants me to make sure it's spelled correctly before I get it. Problem is, I don't anyone who's Greek. So, if you're Greek please leave me a message on how to spell it. Or send me an email with the letting. Someone at gymnastics told me I should get it in capital letters because it will look more Greek. Plus it needs to be the noun.

Can you help me out?

Motivation

You may have noticed from my sidebar, but in the last couple of weeks I have joined the Twitter revolution.  I still haven't quite figured out what it's all supposed to mean, but I have enjoyed finding other runners, triathletes, swimmers, and reading new blogs.  What I have found in new blogs is that there is a lot of chicks out there who are faster than me.  And that, frankly, makes me mad.  The competitor in me thinks this is a good thing.  The mother in my ear says, move on Meredith.

I know a lot of people think I'm too competitive, but I like to look at my competitiveness as motivation.  I don't think I would be as good of a runner or a business owner or engineer if I wasn't competitive. 

Today I did my run with new purpose.  I even got on my bike and did the workout I missed (skipped) last week.  So thank you, fast chicks, for motivating me to become a better runner.

PS-  I'm not doing this to go out and beat people, by the way.  I feel motivated to make myself the best runner I can be.  Just wanted to clarify.  :)

I'm on Speed

I happened to mention to Coach last week that I was planning on doing one triathlon this summer.  It's a super-short women's only race that includes 400m of swimming, 12 miles of biking, and 2 miles of running.  I didn't figure I would need a whole lot of training for that.  Coach, of course, thought differently.

I've noticed the training in the next couple weeks includes speed, speed, and more SPEED!  This morning it was swimming speed.  2300 meters of nothing but sprints.  First I had to do fast 50s on the 1:00, which I completed around 47-48 seconds.  Then it was fast 100s on the 2:00, which I did around 1:40s.  Finally I had to do 50s at max on the 1:15.  I crushed those around 45 seconds.  And, I swim meters, not yards!  

Hopefully, all this swimming will also be converted into some running speed too.  

I never imagined how my life would change when I started my own business.  I knew I would be working a lot and I also knew that there would be no one else to pick up the slack but myself.  But I didn't anticipate the people I would meet and the opportunities that would present themselves.  

A few months ago, The Columbus Crew called us to do some pre-season fan events.  The Crew is the reigning MLS Cup Champions with some serious big name stars.  And you know what I have found out by doing four events for them?  They are an amazing club!  They do so much for their fans and give back fully.  Today they put on a Spring Soccer Festival for their season ticket holders where the team gave autographs and there were games and arts, etc.  We had the photo booth there and were surprised to find out we'd have a team member in the booth to take pictures with and get autographs from.  Midfielder Adam Moffat spent two hours in our booth, laughing it up, making silly faces, and talking our ears off.  He is a great guy as is all the players.  Oh yeah, he's from Scotland and has a super-sexy voice.  He he he!

We have been really impressed with The Columbus Crew.  We are super-excited they have been working with us and we're really looking forward to working with them again.  And as soon as I pull out the pictures, I'll have to add the great ones Amy and I took with Adam.

Thanks again, Crew, for being amazing!

Back in the Saddle

Things have gotten back to normal this week, training-wise.  I have gotten to run, swim, do some strength, and tomorrow there will be a bike.  There seems to be no harm done from the marathon and I feel like I'm still super-strong and fast.  The runs have been easy but productive.  The swims are getting longer but also productive.  And the bike...well, the bike is the bike.  I'm not sure I will ever enjoy biking.  I'm just happy to be back to full strength and working toward my summer-time goals.

Rollerskating and Photoboothing

I mentioned previously that we were going to be at the Sunbury Skate Club with the photo booth for my sister's fundraising efforts. I haven't been skating in a LONG time but it was still awesome and luckily, I didn't fall. My whole family was there and enjoyed the booth along with us.

Dave and I kicking it old school...

That's my nephew in the green shirt. He found skating to be difficult...

Fish faces with my mom, my sister, and my nephew...

More fish in the photo booth. Me and the gang....

We're all just a bunch of hams...

And finally, my parents and youngest nephew trying to convey that he's two...

This weekend we have THREE photo booth events, plus a photo shoot. Make sure to check out my other blog next week for all the fantastic images.

Thursday Thoughts

After Boston I bought myself a t-shirt from Niketown that said, "Training is the opposite of hoping."  I love it!  I usually reward myself after a good performance and especially after a PR.  Do you reward yourself after some kind of achievement?  And if yes, how do you usually reward yourself?

Meredith's Miscellany

• Dave is the king of finding all things on discount, including dinner.  Tonight was a free meal from KFC that we waited in line for 45 minutes for.  Worth it, though.
• I swam the longest swim today that I have since I started working with Liz.  Secretly I think she's trying to make me into a triathlon.  Honestly I don't mind the swimming.  Although, today my neck is sore from swimming.
• I went to the high school track meet last night and realize I don't miss coaching AT ALL.  
• I am such a sap for shows ending.  Even though ABC claims to be bringing back Scrubs, it will not be the same without Zac Braff.  Yes, I cried like a baby tonight when the episode ended.  
• I am highly motivated and excited about my summer of running and racing.  If I didn't have such high expectations for myself, I would probably share my excitement with you guys.  :)  I just don't want to set myself up to fail.
• I swear my blog posts will get better, someday.  

5th of May

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I'm celebrating with multiples of margaritas. Regular posting will continue tomorrow.

Sponge Bob Square Mer

I made an awful mistake today.  While waiting on Dave to get off work, we shared a ride today, I went to Macy's and shopped for swimsuits.  Duh, duh, duh!!!  I found this cute yellow polka dotted bikini (seriously) and tried it on.  And this began the downward spiral to hell.  It looked hideous.  I have never liked myself in a bikini.  I think I look square and today I looked square and pale.

Then I went over to Victoria Secret and OH MY GAWD it was a traumatic experience.  I thought, maybe a sexy one piece?  A sexy one piece that covers NOTHING!  Then I went to Nordstrom.  Nothing.  Then I went to J. Crew.  Nothing.  Then I went to Old Navy.  Nothing.  Then I went to Target.  Nothing.  Then I went online.  NOTHING!!!

Why is this a big deal?  I'm in a wedding this summer and the wedding is on the beach in Laguna.  And among the chicks in the wedding party, I'm kinda the ugly duckling.  Okay maybe not the ugly duckling, but the most athletic duckling and I have a feeling that this destination wedding will include a lot of time on the beach.  And these chicks can pull off a bikini and I can't.  I was just going to get a competitive 2-piece swimsuit, but then I will ALWAYS be the athletic one and I just wanted to break that mold, but....

I look terrible in a bikini, all the one pieces I find are matronly or cover too much up (or maybe not enough, Victoria's Secret!), and I can't find a tankini that only comes to my lower ribs instead of all the way to the bottoms.  Here's the thing, I like my butt and think it looks pretty good in tiny bikini bottoms (he he he!), but everything between my hip bones and my neck I'm not such a fan of.  I need shopping help.  Please internet, I need some suggestions!!!

Back in the Saddle

Literally and figuratively.

Literally, I'm back in the saddle as I'm doing a super-short triathlon in June and the biking will ensue again.  Honestly, I'm not very happy about it.  You see, I'm pretty much allergic to anything and get contact dermatitis from everything.  These allergies include my bike shorts and biking means dealing with rashes, rashes, rashes.  Thank goodness I work from home and can scratch away without anyone saying anything about my inappropriateness.

Figuratively, I'm back in the saddle as I can finally go back to running this week.  Yay!!!  I love to run.  I have a 5K on the schedule in a few weeks and I think it's going to be fast!

I'm glad recovery time is over and it's time to get training again.

Lace Up Your Skates

Tonight (Saturday 5/2), come to the Sunbury Skate Club from 6-8pm and skate, skate, skate for a good cause.  My sister and her friend Jennifer are fundraising for their 3-day walk.  Admission is $5, with $1 skate rental.  Plus, the photo booth will be there!

See you there!

April Totals

You would think with tapering and recovery after the marathon that my miles wouldn't be very high, but this is the most miles I've had in a month all year.  Maybe that's because there was an 18 miler in there too in addition to a full marathon.

Swim = 9,500 meters

Bike = 10.44 miles

Run = 92.3 miles

Other = 15 minutes

There's a few more races on the schedule this year.  I think I'm going to keep those a secret for now.  :)