When Life hands you Humidity...

My classroom was 89 degrees today.

EIGHTY. NINE. DEGREES.

By 4th period, I could barely stand up. I have one fan, but it can only do so much. I got very dizzy and had to sit down a lot. The thing is, there are 2 days of school left. Many of my kids tested out of their final since we dangle a carrot in front of them to score high on the OGT in March. So I have NOTHING LEFT TO HOLD OVER THEM.

They're great kids, but they can only do so much.

When it's 89 degrees.

And there's 2 more days of school.

So I find myself not really having the energy to stop the random wrestling/poking/marker throwing that is starting to happen. Playing the pregnant card doesn't usually work with 15 and 16 year olds. They just wonder why I'm so cranky.

Oh boy. I don't know HOW I'm going to make it in that room the first month of school when I'm NINE months pregnant and it's that hot. I really don't. I'm starting to get worried.

Of course, the main offices are air conditioned. You gotta love it, huh? Not in the trenches, though.

So by 6th period, when I could barely talk, one of my students decided to try and fix it. He asked if he could run to the foods room because he had an idea. Dizzy and overwhelmed, with my head on my desk, I mumbled "mmmhmmm" and threw him my pass.

He came back with a lunch tray full of ice cubes.

"I think this will help!" he said as he took a few extra books and put the tray on top of it. Then, he put the fan in front of it.

You know what? It took the ice about 25 minutes to totally melt, but for 25 glorious minutes I had some cool air blowing out of that fan. He was really proud of himself.

Making the best out of a rotten situation rocks. And it rocks even more when it's a 15 year old who saw how miserable I was and decided to try and help me out a bit. It kinda reminded me of when I made the best out of a rotten situation at Ironman, only it was the reverse...I was SO. COLD. Lips blue, teeth chattering cold. And then I remembered how my Ironbud and Coach said to save time on the bike...and decided, in my half-delirious brain, "hey, that just might warm me up."

You know what? It did. It was FUNKNASTY but it was the only time on that entire 112 miles I felt warm.

When life hands you lemons or an 89 degree classroom, you can "consider me Miles Davis" and drink TOO MUCH LEMONADE to warm up or have an insightful, future engineer 15 year old use a lunch tray to help you cool down.

Bottom line? Sometimes you can't do it all on your own.

And it's good to lean on unconventional wisdom. Even if it's on a brown plastic lunch tray.

Ayatollah Belly

I'm so not used to this belly thing.

Even when I was quite a bit heavier, I always put on weight in my hips and thighs and boo-tay. I have pretty much always had a nice flat stomach--the non-flat was my "baby got back." So now that I'm getting this belly thing I don't know how to handle it.

For instance, several times after lunch I've gotten up and realized a few minutes later that I have crumbs all over my stomach. I'm walking around like a human crumb machine. Nice.

Today I was wearing a black shirt at work, and turned around to add to something written on the board. I hit my belly against the blackboard and part of the words "Ayatollah Khomeini" appeared on my shirt.

Sweet. I'm now a walking cheat sheet.

I go back to the doc's on Thursday and decided I'm done looking at the number on my weigh-in. After having a borderline neurotic breakdown in the office the last time (in which Matt alternated between trying not to laugh at me and at the same time, calm me down), the doctor told me SHE'S the one who needs to worry about my weight--not me. She said everything's fine, and "unless I'm eating a pint of Haagen-Daaz (sp?) every night," I don't need to worry. I'm still running, swimming, walking with friends, riding on the trainer, and yoga-ing 5 times per week. So I'm just going to not look. And that's all there is to it.

In this journal book thing I have it says, "Chart your weight and waist size here!" Uh...no thanks. Neurotic weight head cases like myself don't need to be doing that kinda stuff. Since my doc and those of you who have come before me swear it's mostly water weight (and boobs--holy smokes, don't even get me started), what's the point? So I'm officially getting that monkey off my back. Several people who I hadn't seen in a while this week and BBQ'd with this weekend told me they couldn't believe I was that far along and that I looked great, so I'm going to stick with that. And three freshman girls decided I'm having a boy, because, as one proclaimed, (and I quote) "My mom says with girls you gain weight all over but we decided your butt is still small."

I replied with THAT JUST GOT YOU AN A+ FOR THE YEAR.

:)

Running while pregnant is so bizarre. Sunday I ran and felt FANTABULOUS. I only had to walk ONE MINUTE (hey, that's good at this point) and felt like I could keep going. Then, Monday, the same run was POOPY. I had to alternate running 5 minutes, walking 3 for the first mile and a half or so, but then felt great and ended up going farther than I had the day before. Huh?

Every time I'm done with a run, Baby Z kicks like crazy. I think it wants me to keep going. As I was stretching after my "long" run on Monday of almost 4 miles (whooooaaa Nellie!) I thought I faintly heard someone say, "And you call yourself an Ironman?" To which I replied, "You're grounded."

Three more days of classes. Man, this year flew. I can't believe I've been doing this thing for 8 years now. I was such a baby when I started. Sheesh.

Happy training to all, and to all a good night!

What's Kickin'?

First and foremost, thanks for all the heartfelt comments and just acknowledgement of my last post. I really appreciate it! Sometimes I wonder how much I should say, for fear of sounding like some ungrateful bee-yotch, but I decided that I am just going to be real here. What I feel is too private to share I put on my private blog, but some fears are good to get out there, you know?

I feel like before I got pregnant, I really only heard the GOOD things. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of good here. Baby Z is kickin' like crazy, and that's pretty awesome. But I never realized what a hard time I'd have with certain aspects of this journey, and I guess it's just good to see that I'm not alone. That I'm not the ONLY one to think that pregnancy isn't all sunshine and roses. I've got my partner in crime standing by me, too, which has been wonderful. And I've even got an IMW boy who is going through this on the flip side. And I've got all you guys and girls who have been there before. And that just rocks.

So Baby Z is kickin'. And I thought today when I went for my somewhere-around-2200-yard-swim with Canada Jenn, my kick really blows. She's got this powerful kick that when she does kick sets, she just HAULS. My kick sets are SOOOOOOOOOOOO wimpy. I feel like all I do is pull! I wonder why this is. When I got my stroke analyzed by Coach Angela last year, she said she could "tell I was a sprinter." She told me I needed to kick LESS for tri-swimming, which makes total sense. No use burning your legs out before you even get on the bike, you know? When I am swimming hard, I usually fall into old habits of kicking my arse off for a 50, but have a hard time finding a happy medium in long sets. They just kinda flutter back there. It's so lame.

Does anyone have any advice on how to improve my kicking? I feel like I just kick and kick and get nowhere. I want Canada Jenn's nice strong kick. She said she wants my pull, though. If we could just put her legs on my body we'd kick some serious butt. We could have a CanadaZimJennSaraLainger. That would be pretty sweet.

Lots of fun stuff this weekend--meeting ESpeed for a run/walk (I've been running 9 minutes and walking 1...seems to be going well now that I'm pokin' out and stuff) tomorrow morning! I hope my pace doesn't make her fall asleep. Monday I'm doing Yoga in the Park and then hopefully meeting up with Kelly and Melissa for a walk later in the day. Kelly's due with twins in late-July--she just did IMFL in November and rocks! And Melissa is an old friend who is due 4 days before me with baby #2. She is another marathon running chick. We've got 2 BBQ's this weekend, too. And next week I have 4 days of school....and then for all intents and purposes I am DONE. Yahoooooooooooooooooo! Let the part-time jobs begin this summer! I gotta make me some ki-zash for this kid, you know?

And, I've got a new plan in the works. It's been in the works for a month or so now. It involves IronJohnny, Wil, and Lush. Lush isn't a triathlete YET. But don't you worry. The girl can swim 1000 yards in TEN MINUTES.

Yes, that's TEN. As in 1-0. She's a FREAKING MACHINE.

Let's just say the plan involves 2009. And, it involves something that rhymes with "Ironman KanSuckEEEE." And I know, Mom, that you're worried about me growing a third eye from that nasty river, as am I. But they've got two years to perfect things before the plan goes into place, you know? That's plenty of time for me to see if anyone else grows third eyes or extra appendages. And I've been swimming in Lake Erie for 6 years now. So far, no third eyes. I'll just have to swim fast.

:)

The plan involves driving distance, no plane tickets, no shipped bike, a race date before school starts, and the most time consuming part of training during the summer. It allows for more time for me to get used to my new role, as well as time to save up a little moo-lah. It also allows for me to share a suite with my Iron-Sis and have my family there, too. It does involve some rolling hills (which totally grew on me last year) and ridonkulous humidity, but hey, you can't have it all. It's as close to a perfect plan as I think I can get.

The more I get to talk with my Iron buds and Tri buddies, the more excited I get for next year.

And the more this kid kicks around up in herrrrrr, the more excited I get for that.

And I really need to work on my kick. I can't let this kid get the upper hand on me already.

Coming to Terms

Some people really love being pregnant, and I am just NOT one of those people.

I have a problem slowing down. Always have.

So now as I have 9 days of school left, I think it's hitting me. It's hitting me in much the same way that the last day of school hit me last year. "The next time I walk into this room, I'll almost be an Ironman...."

The next time I walk into this room, I will almost be a mother.

I'm terrified.

The kind of terrified you feel when you can't even walk near the baby section at Target, or the store "Babies R Us" makes you queasy. When people ask you if you've registered of thought of names, you just mumble, "Uh, no...I'm going to worry about that later," and look away.

Now that I'm far enough along, I'm starting to show. I kind of look like a skinny chick with a distended belly. I'm starting to get some stares when I go for my increasingly shorter and slower run in the neighborhood. I can't hide what's happening much longer from anyone. Including myself.

Today I had lunch with two friends from work who had babies recently--one, her first 2 weeks ago today, and the other, her second, 4 weeks ago tomorrow. She has a 2 1/2 year old. They're adorable...and so little. Sometimes I'm afraid I'll break them. And I just listened to what they've been going through and what their days and nights are like, and it absolutely petrifies me.

Supposedly you're never really ready for this. I'll be 30 years old. It's not like I'm 17. So why do I get tears in my eyes when I think about it?

You can never really, 100% prepare for Ironman. A friend who has done several told me that, and now that I've finished one, I think it's quite true. You do what you can...whatever is humanly possible to prepare your body and your mind for whatever is thrown at you that day. And you might even do everything right--you might train your heart out and do every workout you can and prepare the best you can and it still might not work.

You just have to go with what the day gives you.

But this isn't a day.

This is forever.

I wasn't nervous at all to get married. Forever was exciting in that case. I couldn't wait for forever to start.

Why am I so scared for this forever to begin?

Today, I am 20 weeks pregnant. And I am halfway there.

For 2000 yards...

I didn't have to think about how slow I felt.

I didn't feel slow anymore.

I felt strong as I glided along, pulling and reaching.

I surprised myself with what I could do.

I didn't even think about how an 11 minute mile feels like an 8 minute mile.

I didn't think about how I couldn't get stronger riding up the hills this season.

I didn't think about how 2000 yards is only half what I did in Ironman training on a normal day.

I felt like a normal day.

I heard the sound of my breathing and bubbles and glided past the two people in the next lane.

I didn't think how much I miss racing.

I felt powerful again.

I didn't think about my inabilities.

I remembered the little baby that I saw on the screen swishing around in there and how much fun it must be having now as I'm swishing around myself.

I felt like an Ironman.

Get Out There.

I posted this on the FlashPoint Racing Blog yesterday...here you go!
_______________________________

I'm going through a bit of cycling withdrawal.

I'm not really able to ride much--or at all--outside this summer, and I'm pretty bummed about it. So, I'm trying to pass along some good tri-karma to my other triathletes out there. I sent my wetsuit to my buddy Jaclyn for her first season of triathlons in Chicago. And, I passed along my FP60s to my tri-brother Eric, who will be reporting on them all season.I may have to pry them out of his hands at the end of the year, since they kick so much butt....you hear that, Eric? hee hee

So I thought I'd list the things I miss the most about riding right now, and maybe, just maybe, it would make someone out there a little excited to do a ride. Perhaps a ride they are dreading, or one that they are just bored of. Believe me...I've been there!

So what do I miss?

I miss that when it's 86 degrees outside and rainforestly humid, you can go for a 2 hour ride and feel the wind whipping against your skin and through your helmet. And it's NOTHING like trying to do a 2 hour run in oppressive, 86 degree heat with high humidity. Somehow, the ride always makes it feel cooler.

I miss talking to myself when I'm climbing up some ridiculous hill. Sometimes I'm beating myself up and cursing. Sometimes I'm encouraging and cheering. Occasionally, I'm doubting. But I'm always talking...and pushing farther than I otherwise would on a nice flat stretch.

I miss those conversations.

I miss the sound of clipping in. You still have the sound on your trainer, but in the basement it's a hollow sound. Outside, it doesn't echo...it just keeps going and reminds you that the potential for that moment is endless.

I miss saying, "On your left" as I pass someone.

I miss the 5 hour-plus ride. The ride where you have to really dig deep...where you have to prepare and think ahead, and where you never quite know what will happen or where the road will take you. Where you won't know who you might see along the way, whether it's another Ironman training partner coming from the other side of town, a 3 foot tall wild turkey, or your former AP English teacher from your senior year. (And yes...I ran into all of them last summer.) There's just something about every long ride that makes it an adventure.

I miss wondering if I've hit 90 miles yet only to check and see that I'm at 106.

I miss hearing the SWISSSSSSSHHHHHHH through my helmet as I fly downhill and my computer reads, "44 MPH."

I miss coming into T2 and feeling the excitement and wonder of the run to come.

I miss how many miles you can cover on a bike ride. Walking, and even running, just don't work that way.

I miss laying in the grass, after a long, long ride, covered in sweat and gatorade and marked by grease on my leg from my chain, when I finally take my helmet off and lay back and exhale.

So it's these moments I'll remember through my hiatus this summer. And, when I dread a ride next year as I prepare for a half-Ironman or another race, I'm going to pull this post out and remember it.

All of it.

Cyclists have the world at their feet.

Enjoy the ride.

Halfway there already

So yesterday I had my first ultrasound.

It was pretty cool! And weird. It's so strange to see this little thing with its little arms and legs kicking around...and it's IN YOU.

Whoa.

Especially when you're watching it move all around and you don't feel it. I swear it was doing somersaults in there.

We are not finding out the gender, although it was very clear to the technician...which then made me kind of want to know. Just because she did.

But no--we really want this to be a surprise. I do have a pretty strong vibe, though. I have pretty much the whole time, actually. And my vibe is usually really good. I am 13 for 15 in guessing baby genders of my friends/family.

(watch me be wrong on my own, though)

Any guesses out there? Anyone getting any vibes?

So I came home, showed off the pics of Baby Z to the 'rents and in-laws and soon-to-be Uncle Mike, and then celebrated by going for a 3 mile run.

3 whole miles! Yahooooooooooooooo!

I felt really, really good! It was slow, and is getting even slower as every week goes by. But it reminds me of who I am, so I'm going to keep doing it as long as I'm comfortable and the doc OKs it. When I lace up the Brooks it makes me feel like me again--even though me is quite slow.

Cool Neighbor who laughed at me last month for my slow pace saw me again about a mile from home and rolled his window down to get my attention. He said he was impressed I was still running--to which I replied that my running is in quotation marks. He told me later his son asked him, "Why does she have to slow down, Dad? Is she hurt?" He couldn't tell I was pregnant! That actually makes me feel good, because it must only be in my belly and hips (hence, easily camoflauged by the one pair of running shorts I have from my 30+ pounds days a few years ago) and not in my face and arms like I sort of fear.

I guess the whole being 5'8" thing is helping me out there.

Tomorrow, a swim with Canada Jenn, and Friday, my FIRST TRIBE GAME OF THE SEASON!!!

I am so going to eat a hot dog. And it's probably going to kill me to pass on the nice cold beer. I'll just have to imagine it.

This weekend I'll be paying forward some marathon karma as I work a water stop at the Cleveland Marathon to help out my buddy Courtney. She's running the marathon, AND organizing a team of kids from her school to do parts of it, too! So cool. It will be fun to see everyone out there! The weather, knock on wood, looks perfect for a marathon. Nice and cool, as opposed to today's 86 F!

DaisyDuc, I'll put special BQ Water in your cup! :)

Push Present

So I've been reading some books on pregnancy and stuff, and I think it's funny that they seem to have these "Leave this page open for your husband" pages about "push gifts."

Push gifts, I've learned are something to supposedly motivate you in labor. They usually include something sparkly and shiny, like a diamond necklace or a nice pair of earrings.

I can't help but think, "HUH?!" I mean, I'm sorry, but I don't think you're going to have to MOTIVATE ME at that point, and I'm probably going to be motivated by BEING DONE WITH IT ALREADY. And, for me, also to find out if it's a boy or a girl.

(I could find out tomorrow at our ultrasound if I wanted to, but I don't. I'm all about the surprise.)

Sparkly things are nice, but I really don't have much--in fact, the only sparkly things I have are my wedding/engagement rings, and a nice pair of earrings and simple necklace my parents gave me when I graduated undergrad and graduate school. Now THAT I had to work for--and for a LONG time. I sort of feel like the baby will be a present enough. It's not like I really have anywhere to wear fancy sparkly things, anyway.

But, if I had to choose a push gift....hmmmm....what would it be?

Something along these lines:







Yeah. Motivation, indeed.

NOW we're talkin'.

(And this just in...a 2:42.21 marathon while pushing a jogging stroller? I could SO do that....piece of cake...)

Looking Ahead

Okay, so I took a short bloggy vacay. It was quite nice. I discovered the joys of a private blog! I don't know why I didn't think of that earlier. See, I think with some of this stuff, A) it's private, you know? and B) I really don't want feedback. I just want to write. So I will probably be writing there lots about all these crazy changes, and try to keep this blog here as tri-related as I can.

Had a wonderful time in Indy with my Nutter girls. It was so fun to see everyone! We always have a blast. I hadn't seen them since the finish line at Ironman, so it was great to be on the other side and rooting for them. Lush and her hubby both PR'd! Lush broke 2 hours for the first time ever, which kicks booty. I was so proud and got a blister from ringing my cowbell so long.

Still running and swimming, and riding the trainer as much as I can. Last night's swim felt great! I had to keep it short because it was so late, but it felt good mid-set to bust out 1000 yards without stopping, even if it was slow. I ain't gonna lie. I was pretty proud. Flip turns are getting interesting, though!

Tomorrow's my annual field trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The weather looks good, so hopefully it will all go off without a hitch! They put on a good free program for the students. It's pretty sweet to have a resource like that down the road.

On to tri-related topics...well, I've spent quite a bit of time crunching lots of numbers and doing lots of thinking, and I think I've come to the decision of what will be included in my 2008 Race Season.

I do not want to do another Ironman that year. Ironman Florida is the only one I can logistically do, and it is out of the question.

Here's why:

Race Registration: $450
2 plane tickets: (believe me, I've searched everywhere and this is the best I can do) $900
Shipping my bike: $200
Rental car for 4 days: somewhere around $200
Hotel for 4 days: minimum $450
Food for 4 days: $100 or so

TOTAL RACE ENTRY FEE FOR ME TO DO IMFL: $2,300.00

And that doesn't even include coaching. When you look at it that way, it's just freaking ridiculous. I can't imagine a more selfish thing to do next year than that. We're both teachers, for crying out loud. And we have some debt we had to amass this year due to our unforseen circumstances. And we will have an infant. I know Matt would support my decision either way, as he's made very clear, but when I look at it this way I have NO desire to do that to us.

So that made me lose ALL desire to do an Ironman next year.

In a perfect world, Ironmans wouldn't cost $2,300. But, for now, they do. And seeing that combined with knowing the great physical and emotional sacrifice I'd have to make next year makes it an absolute no-brainer.

I can't afford Ironman. Period. End of story.

So hopefully within the next few years, I will be able to again. I am very lucky that I HAVE such a wonderful husband, and will have a little one, to share life with, you know? I need to remember that many don't have this opportunity. I am so lucky.

So what I am planning on doing, is this:

Late-May: Cleveland Half Marathon. Goal? Largely will depend on the situation. If training goes well, a PR. If training is sporatic, to finish with my baby there to greet me at the finish line.

Mid-July: Muncie Endurathon with Wil. Goal? A) to go somewhere around 6 hours. B) to PR, which is under 6:34. I've only done 2 70.3s--the first one I was clueless on and death marched the run due to lack of hydration, and the last one was just for training, so I think I can pretty easily PR. C) to finish, less than a year after giving birth.

August: Huntington Sprint Tri and Lorain Olympic Tri. They are essentially in my backyard. Goal? To hammer a little bit and have fun, and give my baby a big sweaty hug at the end.

October: Chicago Marathon, with Wil and Lush. Goal? A) sub-4. B) PR, which is sub 4:18. C) finish the race with a smile on and with enough energy to still celebrate my baby's first birthday.

So there it is. Flexibililty included. I know I can't predict what will happen next year. And, please, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell me that, either. I've heard it enough, I promise. These are my goals, and I don't shoot down others goals who I may think are unrealistic.

I watch and hope they make it and show me that doubt is worthless and anything is possible.

I like do to things on my own terms, and if I fall, I fall on my own. You can laugh at me if you really must when I have my face planted in the ground, OK?

Just thinking about next year gets me pretty excited. I can't wait to have my body back, and I can't wait to try some new things and get back to basics--staying local for the most part, and just enjoying a season without too much long stuff.

(Even though I suppose a marathon is long...um... :)

But somehow I think marathon training will never scare me again after the training I put in for Ironman. It will be fun to do my long runs on the weekend with my Soler friends, as during the week I'll most likely have to hit the treadmill or get up really early to make it work. But I'm looking forward to all the new challenges.

Well, it just feels like a bit of a relief to know that I will not be doing another Ironman next year. I will someday, but it will find me when the time is right just like it did the last time. It's the kind of thing you really have to want, and right now, I just don't.

So on with the rest of the adventures.

I'm off!

Heading out tomorrow after the doc's to see my girls this weekend at Indy!

I'm sort of tired of blogging for now. I will probably be writing just for me for a while. Maybe I won't be tired of it later, but for now I think I'm kind of over it and need a bloggy vacation. At the moment, I don't think I'm able to express myself well and can be misinterpreted very easily, since I'm not making much sense, so to draft mode I go. I'll be back.

Best of luck to ESpeed who will rock the Pig this weekend! PR, baby! I'm feelin' it for you!

And as of yesterday, there are two teachers with contracts for 07-08 in the hiz-ouse. We couldn't be happier! Prayers were answered and things always seem to work out as they should, one way or another.

Happy training--see ya on the flip side!

I'm brushing up on my Turkish

Why is my blogger at school in Turkish?

Some kid's been messing with my computer. My google screen even comes up in Turkish. I've tried to change it back, but I can't.

I'm starting to pick up a few words, at least.

Anyway, my doctor knocked some sense into me yesterday as we got to hear the heartbeat again--yay! I don't think it will ever stop being cool. On the negative side, I've been obsessing about my weight (big shocker there) as the books I've been reading say you're supposed to gain "2-4 pounds in the first trimester."

Ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Not even close.

But the thing is, I've been eating REALLY well lately--I see stories of people having huge fast food binges or Ben and Jerry's benders, and that's not me. I do have the occasional Mitchell's Sundae (for those of you who don't live in Cleveland, allow me to explain. It's the best damn ice cream around, and I think it even has surpassed Graeter's in my book which is HARD TO DO. I am quite the ice cream connoisseur.) Now that the nausea's gone, I have been really getting back to the organic fruits and veggies and whole grains and stuff.

But my NUMBER on the scale just SOUNDS way too big to me. Agh! My friends at work assured me that it's largely water weight and that I don't LOOK like I weigh the number. (See? I can't even type it. It's that big) I guess I just am still scared about that a bit. The doc told me exactly what my friends have told me...it's largely water weight, and I'm a very fit person, and I will be fine. I'm eating healthy, and I'm doing some easy workouts 4-5 times a week. What else could I possibly do? Relax, she said. She said my weight gain is fine, so I am trying to relax.

It's just hard to see it climb so fast when I fought so hard to get it down, you know?

Wil assured me that I have nothing to worry about, too, and that I'll leave a lot in the delivery room. (Sorry if that's TMI. Remember, I don't want to know the details, either.)

It makes me laugh a bit at how much this kid's already changing me. For instance, the "plan" is usually to run X amount of miles per week, hold my tempo pace at this pace, swim this amount of yardage, and climb Y amount of hills. And I do that really well.

The "plan" this year on paper is to gain X amount of weight in the first trimester, Y amount in the second, and I don't even know in the third. But, from what the doctor says and from what my wise buddies say, if that baby wants my body to gain 7 pounds in one month, then that's what's going to happen. I don't have a whole freakin' lot of say in the matter.

It's pretty amazing, when you think about it. I thrive on telling my body what to do each day--that's what got me to the finish line of an Ironman. And this whole thing really is forcing me to realize that I have NO WAY TO DO THAT...but it's still working. The baby is supposedly the size of a large onion right now. And I didn't tell my body to do anything.

It just did it.

I think I'll remember that next year when I'm training and racing again. Sometimes, you just gotta shut up and go. The body will do what you need it to do. Quit worrying about it!

In the meantime, I'm going to try really hard to stop asking Matt if "I really look like I weigh ______ pounds." He's doing really well at the knee-jerk quick NO-OF-COURSE-NOT, but even patient Matt is about ready to smack me.

(And I probably wouldn't blame him.)

Me vs. Eddie

I'm faster than Eddie George!

AWWWWW yeah! Take THAT, Mr. Heisman!

Okay...but he's a LOT bigger than I am...and he could CRUSH me like a LEETLE WALNUT.

But it is rather refreshing to hear Lance and Eddie talk about how hard it was for them, you know? Especially when I am slowing down by the day.

I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN, EDDIE!

(but please don't hurt me)