Pleasant Surprise

A few months ago I tried to notify the Chicago Distance Classic race organizers that I couldn't use my spot and that they could give it to someone else. I got a response saying that I'd contacted the wrong organization and to try this other person in this other organization. I never got around to it.

When I got the race bib email last night I noticed the return email address was an individual and not a generic service one, so on a whim I decided to give it another shot. I just couldn't stand the idea that, if the race filled, some poor person would be disappointed while my spot went unused. So I emailed her her to say I understood that transfers and deferrals were not allowed, but that because I was 6 months pregnant I could not use my spot, please feel free to give it away if the race filled.

Here was the response:

"Congrats Michelle! You can transfer your race entry to any 2008 John Bingham Race. I am guessing that maybe the 2008 Chicago Distance Classic might work for you. Just keep this email and if you are interested in joining us for the 2008 Chicago Distance Classic, I will transfer your registration from 2007 to 2008."

Even though the official race policy posted on the official website says no refunds, transfers or deferments... apparently if you have a legitimate reason and can reach the right person they've got a fair mechanism in place to make it happen.

So, YAY for race organizers with a heart!!

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a jogging stroller to shop for!

Insult to Injury

To underscore the little self-pity party I was having earlier, tonight I got an email from the race with my bib number.

Ahhh... 1407. It just wasn't meant to be.

(Thanks to everybody for the kind words and support. I'm feeling much better now and was able to laugh about getting the bib number.)

Point of Comparison

It took time and tears and a lot of support from my tri bloggy sistahs, but I did finally accept that losing this season was just a temporary setback. Not even a setback, actually. Just a slight delay. And as time's gone on it's become easier to let one season go as what I'm exchanging it for becomes more real.

But once in a while I get a little sad. Yesterday was one of those times.

The Chicago Distance Classic is in less than two weeks. Yesterday was supposed to be my 10 mile long run. Yesterday was, in fact, supposed to be the first 10 mile run of my life. I know it's an arbitrary number and the important one is the 13.1 I was supposed to be running in just 13 days... but the number was a milestone in my own mind, and that's what matters.

Instead, I went to a baby shower. And got so tired just from standing at that party for 2 hours I had to go home and sleep for 2 hours.

And that made me a little sad.

But that's ok. Because the race will be there next year.

Speaking of which, maybe its time I finally started shopping for a jogging stroller...

Who Knew?

I always loved my goggles - Speedo Vanquishers. They're comfy, they came with multiple nose pieces so I could adjust them to my smaller face, and they never, ever leaked. I loved 'em so much I'm on my third pair.

Then, every once in a while, they started leaking. Even the newest pair. But not always and not every time. I was stumped. I was starting to question my devotion to the brand. I started changing how I fastened them around my pony tail. I started wondering if the shape of my head changed.

But, since I haven't been swimming much in, ooooooh, a YEAR 'cause of the darn shoulder, I figured now was not the time to experiment with new goggle styles. So I just accept the occasional leaks.

So, I go to the gym for a swim workout yesterday. Just as I went to put on my goggles something caught my eye.

A logo. A little Speedo logo. On the side of the lens.

A little upside down Speedo logo on the side of the lens.

Huh.

So I turned them over.

Put them on. And swam.

Guess what? No leaks.

Who knew?!


In other news....
- After the goggle epiphany I managed to swim 3 sets of 10 laps with 2 minute rests between sets. That's 880 yards; the farthest I've swam all year in a workout, and the best I've done since the shoulder got injured last June.

- It cracks me up that my whole workout is less than most people's warm up.

- More food aversions are fading away. Last night I managed to not only eat, but also prepare a lovely healthy salad for dinner. A few weeks ago I started to introduce salads again in a "pick one up from Panera and nibble at a quarter of it" kind of way. But until last night I haven't been able to face buying the ingredients or standing in the kitchen to handle them. I'm happy to be able to bring one of the healthiest parts of my diet back into play and feed my baby some real vegetables and healthy fats (mmmmm... avocado and walnuts) - all these McDonald's indulgences were getting out of hand.

- Yesterday we found a lovely set of secondhand nursery furniture in pristine condition. We paid more than we maybe wanted to, but for the quality of the pieces and the incredible condition the price was more than fair. We feel really good to have that big ticket item checked off the list, and for only a third of what it would have cost in a store.

- I heart yoga. I'm going there now...

Spectator Report: Spirit of Racine

Sunday I cruised over to Racine to hang out with Veeg and watch Iron Wil rock the Half Iron course at the Spirit of Racine triathlon. I had a great time and got a really positive vibe from the course I'd been debating putting on my schedule for the future. (Debate's over, I'm totally going to do this race, although I think I'll start with the sprint!)

Without further ado, here's the photo highlights...

Veeg and Mr. Wil found me pretty quickly after I got there. We hung out near the finish/2nd lap split cheering for racers and waiting for Wil.


At first we thought it must be a race support vehicle, but as it passed as we got a good look at the very confused driver we realized it was just some moron who managed to slip through security and drive his car up the run course! This was taken just as a someone stopped him from driving all the way through the finish line.

We were so distracted by the bizarre scene with the car we nearly missed Iron Wil passing by! We caught sight of her just time and got big sweaty hugs before she took off for her second lap.


Since we had an hour before our girl would be back again we strolled across the beach, dipped our toes in Lake Michigan for a bit, then headed back to the cabana, where I inhaled the best hot dog I've ever had in my life.


Strong and happy finish... with a major PR!


Tri Blogger sistahs hangin out after the race.

Weekend Preview

Friday
- Yoga (Extra awesome today, yogini brought us homemade ice cream)
- Quick shower
- Haircut
- Uuummmm..... WORK! Yeah, that.
- Nap
- Harry Potter midnight release

Saturday
- Read Harry Potter until my eyes glaze over
- Spend three craptastic hours in road construction traffic to pick up the nursery rocker we ordered at the outlet warehouse
- Read Harry Potter until my eyes glaze over
- Blow off painting the bathroom
- Finish Harry Potter or die trying

Sunday
- Blow of painting the bathroom
- Hang out with seriously cool Tri Blogger Veeg and watch Iron Wil rock the Half-Iron course at Spirit of Racine

Sometimes Stuff Just Works Out

I've been having minor meltdowns about money, because business is slow (typical summer slump), we're trying to frugally (I love Craigslist) outfit ourselves for the baby and have had several unexpected expenses pop up to make it even more challenging, not the least of which were the dishwasher dying and my van realizing how old it is ($700 and $900, respectively).

So, I've been freaking out about IMWI and my inability to afford the inflated hotel room prices for race weekend.

This morning one of our friends - who happens to live in Madison - caught wind of my dilemma. I hadn't thought about approaching him for a crash pad because he's been in a divorce transition phase and I didn't want to impose. But he came to me and offered his guest room.

Turns out he's going to be out of town that weekend and he could really use someone to feed his cat while he's gone.

So... YAY!! I'm so back on for an epic IMMoo Blogger weekend!! I'm hoping somebody out there is making plans for people to get together for a meal or something...? Any info on plans in the making would be greatly appreciated!!

Filling the Glass

I feel like I'm in an endless transition, and some days I handle it better than others. On my glass-half-empty days, all I can do is think about all the things I've lost, however temporarily.

I miss losing weight.
I miss food. Wanting it and cooking it. Enjoying it.
I miss feeling hungry. Not dizzy, not nauseous. Just. Plain. Hungry.
I miss my clothes.
I miss working up a sweat.
I miss needing sunscreen.
I miss having a plan.
I miss breathing hard and working hard and going all out.
I miss needing to wash a big pile of skanky, sweat-stained gear.
I miss being proud of what I've accomplished.
I miss smelling like a lake and being proud of what that means for me.
I miss the anticipation of a big workout, or a bigger race.
I miss my bike.
I miss icy bottles of water after hot runs.
I miss pushing myself.
I miss feeling sexy.
I miss feeling strong.

There are days when missing my life overwhelms me and I can't help but cry. Until a few days ago I had nothing but a pudgy belly, nausea and maybe a migraine to show for it.

But a few days ago somebody decided it was time to speak up.

So now my glass-half-empty days aren't so empty. Because it's hard to dwell on temporary losses when there's a teeny tiny soul poking insistent reminders of things to come.

Now, when I miss epic training swims across scary lakes, I think about the tiny hands pressing so gently from within, and what it will be like so seem them splashing joyfully in the water.

Now, when I miss my bike, I think about the little feet kicking me so vigorously and what it will be like to teach them to peddle their own.

Now, when I miss my runs, I think about the little legs poking and stretching, seeking room to grow, and what it will be like to chase their first steps.

I think about these things and it fills me up. It takes away the emptiness of my temporary hiatus from life and restores my faith that the future holds wonderful things.

Tagged!

The seriously cool GeekGirl tagged me as a Rockin Girl Blogger! Hee hee : ) Now that's an honor worth writing home about!


Now it's my turn to bestow the title on five of bloggy girlfriend peeps. It's awfully hard to narrow it down, but I'll do my best...

Wylee, TriSaraTops, IMAble, Mallie and Veeg

'Cause y'all ROCK.

All Kinds of Pathetic

This week was all about first trimester flashbacks - I guess my stomach missed the fireworks it had so recently left behind. Tuesday was really rotten, Wednesday slightly less so.

But by Wednesday I was obsessing about the fact that I not worked out in 10 days, and I was caring less about how my stomach felt and more about keeping fit. So I just took the Kona Monster for a walk. I feel terribly guilty about him these days. Part of the reason I felt confident adopting a high energy pup was because I had a big training season planned and running a couple times a week was going to work out great for both of us. Instead, my poor athletic puppy got stuck with a summer of slow walks with a pregnant mommy. He still has a good time whenever we go out together, but I know it's not the same and I wish I could do more for him.

Just a few minutes into our little walk my knees felt all kinds of funky. Even though I have not gained excessive weight with the pregnancy yet (in fact, at 21 weeks I weigh 5 pounds less than when I started), it's clear that the weight that's rearranging itself to the front is making a difference in my body mechanics.

Thursday I took both dogs for another nice little walk. I actually felt pretty darn good - no funky knees this time - and had planned for an hour, but the setting sun sent us home.

Friday I went to yoga. But first, I had dry heaves and dizziness and disorientation. So much so that I turned down the wrong street and wandered around the hospital parking lot for a minute (next door to the gym) going "huh, this isn't the gym..." (I also managed to get lost in my own town on the way home from the gym because I'd detoured to drop some books at the library. The thing is, the library is on the same street as my gym.)

In yoga, I got dizzy with each pose and had to sit out a lot and just breathe. When I tried to do a pose where I had to lie on my back I barely got back upright in time to keep from vomiting suddenly. During relaxation pose (which I now have to do on my side) I cried silently the whole time, for no apparent reason. Oddly enough I still felt great, was happy I did as much as I could and was glad I'd gone. Yoga rocks. And Yogini was freakin awesome - checking on me frequently and making sure I had appropriate alternate poses when necessary.

That made three whole days of bare minimum exercise in a week.

But today I'm as sore as if I'd been knocking out hard core mileage. This is ALL KINDS of pathetic. I just found a therapist certified for prenatal massage - think it might be time to give her a call...

In Lieu of Training

A photo diary of how I spent the last week NOT working out...

6/30/07 At a birthday BBQ for the 2 year old son of some very dear friends. (Also of note - 19 weeks pregnant today.)


7/1/07 - 7/4/07 Prepping and painting the master bedroom. Finally. (It only took 3 years to pick the colors and another 7 months to get around to putting it on the walls!)


And for those who asked... the primary wall color is Benjamin Moore #2107-40, "Driftwood." The accent color (bathroom entry fascia, walls of the "L" part behind dog crates) is Benjamin Moore #HC-87, "Ashley Gray."

And for the record, it's totally worth it to take 3 years to choose the right color if it makes you feel as happy as this one does me. I admit I was a bit intimidated by the size of the room/height of the walls - although I'm known amongst my friends for my bold paint selections and my mantra has always been "it's only paint, you can always do it over", I was understandably reluctant to contemplate redoing a room of this scale if I biffed the paint selection.

And the "best" part of this outrageously amazing bedroom? The dog crates are the nicest furniture in it. I'm sleeping on a free bed frame and broken down mattress, we've got garage sale bedside tables and are using an ugly old microwave cart for the TV. CLASSY!


7/4/07 Relaxing at a friend's big ol' Fourth of July bash, complete with live music, a roasted pig AND goat, and crazy good fireworks.


And in between doing all that... I'd periodically stick my head into the nursery, obsess about how the paint color didn't come out right and wonder how much Wonderful Husband would kill me if I decided to redo it now. (I was going for khaki and cream, then I got this stupid idea to match Winnie the Pooh's color from the border, but it turned out ORANGE! and YELLOW! so I had to use leftover neutrals I had stashed in the garage to hand-mix them down to what you see here... I still think it would look killer as khaki and cream...)

Little bit of useless trivia - the rocking chair in the corner belonged to my Grandmother. She rocked all of us in it when we were babies. And the teddy bear was a gift to me from Wonderful Husband when we were dating in college. The framed album on the wall is an actual Winnie the Pooh record (still works!) that belonged to Wonderful Husband when he was little.

We Interrupt this Lovely Summer Weekend

Today was Day Three of The Headache That Wouldn't Die.

It started on Friday. I hesitated to call it a true migraine because it didn't initially have the hallmarks, but eventually the typical symptoms reared their ugly heads... and set up camp in mine.

Not that it matters WHAT I called it. Because I can't take anything I'd normally take for even a run-of-the-mill headache, let alone a migraine.

In fact, my go-to cure is on the Don't Take This No Matter What list. And the one thing I am allowed to take - Tylenol - had been, as always, a complete joke.

(Pause for colorful language)

So this morning, as the pain continued to increase and another bout of vomiting was imminent and I was finally starting to cry from the unrelenting pain I had a brief flash of hope.

There was something I vaguely remembered my midwife telling me - some crazy pregnancy-safe antidote for migraines. I remember thinking it sounded silly at the time, but desperate times and all.

I dug through my medicine bin (where I had at some point, in a flash of brilliance, stored the pregnancy medicine handout) and found the magic formula I was looking for.

- Tylenol (aka acetominophen)
- Chlortrimeton (aka chlorpheniramine)
- Coke Classic (do not subsititute, according to the doctor)

Even more amazing - I actually had a bottle of chlorpheniramine on hand. (The other two were a given.)

So I took it. Not expecting anything more than maybe some caffeine jitters from the pop. But folks, it freaking worked.

In fact, in spite of 3 days of cowering under a pillow and ice packs plastered all over my head I felt so much like my old self after only half an hour I actively considered getting my ass out for a bike ride... until I realized it 95 degrees outside. Not so good for me or the baby.

But at least there's a few good hours left in the weekend. Maybe when the sun starts to set it'll drop below 90 and I can get in a nice walk...

Another Reason to Love Him

Lunchtime on the 4th of July, we're lazing around trying very hard to ignore the unpainted bedroom and he's channel surfing while I make something to eat.

He finds the Mooloolaba Triathlon World Cup broadcast on some obscure channel. On another channel - the Cubs game.

He actually lets the ball game go, informs me there is a race on and watches it with me. And he seems genuinely interested. And we have a nice discussion about the differences between draft-legal and non-drafting races.

Seriously. How lucky am I?

(And yeah, we finally ran out of procrastination and painted the bedroom. Which tired me out more than last week's race!)