I’m not going to go into a huge play-by-play of the year. You have the archives for that! But I will say I started out the year at Wade’s house, drinking his home brewed beer (yum!) and hanging out in the hot tub. I imagine I may finish the year the same way …

I ran one marathon, not two, but I feel good about it. I became a triathlete. I realized swimming is not as scary as it seems, and cycling is scarier. My goal in 2011 is to be in the best shape of my life, and not necessarily by running all the time. I want more well-rounded-ness-ish. I saw this as my gym membership expires, so challenge accepted, but I will find a good way to get in that cross training. In fact, I may get my hands on P90x here soon.

I hiked a couple of mountains. Discovered a love of sleeping in a hammock outside. Way better than sleeping on the ground. Need to hike more. I went on my first solo hike. Just a day hike to Crowders, and I took Breanna the dog, so I wasn’t really alone alone. But wow – I felt so accomplished at the end of it.

I didn’t write a novel this year.

I bailed on blogging for a few months. And I’ve been working to get back to it. I really miss it when I’m not doing it, and I really miss hearing your comments and thoughts when I’m not doing it. In 2011, I’ll be better about that, I promise.

I traveled a lot. Florida, Washington DC, Phoenix, Vegas. The more I travel the more I want to travel. Little trips too – Asheville, Athens, Tennessee, Greenville, Lejeune.

I met some really wonderful people this year. Traveling can do that for you sometimes.

I lost things, too. A lot can change in a year’s time, and this year was no exception.

I learned a lot about things I never thought I’d need to know about. I learned about the strength of family and the ability to get through anything together.

I learned the power of the universe to wrap us up in it and land us exactly where we need to be, even if we didn’t know it ourselves. Some call it chance or fate or God’s plan. Maybe it’s all the same?

Hello, 2011. I can’t wait to meet you.

There’s something that seems very hard-core and intimidating about a triathlete. Which is why I laughed in my brother’s face when he first suggested I race a triathlon.

But the truth is, I very much wanted to become comfortable on a bike – I loved the idea of using it as a primary mode of transportation, and if I wasn’t so scared of being out there I might actually be able to … I never cared much about swimming laps as exercise, but I enjoy spending time in a pool so that can’t be all bad, right?

And I know myself and workouts, and I’m more consistent if I’m training for something.

Was my training perfect? Hardly. My first problem was my training program was way too easy. It was intended for someone who had never worked out in their life. By the time it had me “up to” 20 minutes of cycling, I was already doing 2 hours of cycling. So I followed the training loosely but without a specific structure. There were some negatives to the non-structure, such as I didn’t swim for about 3 weeks before the tri. Oops.

But, here it was: race week. Ready or not.

REI just happened to be hosting a triathlon clinic a few days before my race, and going there (I dragged Chris with me) turned out to be such a blessing. It was mostly refresher for me – telling me things I’d already heard from Scott or my brother or reading online or in books. But I did learn a few new things and I also had a very vivid image of how to prepare for race day.

Mine is # 88 (the bike in the background. With two wheels.)

Race morning came and the transition area opened at 6 am. I was awake at 4:15, at the race site at 5:50. Have I mentioned I’m not a morning person? That’s the hardest part about racing, in my opinion. Jeff not only was right there with me, but he had camera in tow. Now that’s support. I set up all by myself using the knowledge I’d gotten from Kevin and the REI clinic. When Kevin arrived I had him check my work and I’m pleased to report I did it right.

The race didn’t start till 7:30 but there was plenty to do. Transition area setup, bathroom breaks, mixing Heed into a bottle for my bike. We had to “get marked” – in black marker, on my thighs and arms were my race number; on the back of my calf was my age (Why? I’m told it’s so those behind me on the course can see if I’m in their age group, and if so, can try to pass me). There was a warmup lap to swim - this was in order to get my swim cap on and make sure my goggles weren’t leaking.

I knew a few people competing in this one – Kevin, Scott, Alex and Vince. Also, Jeff was there with camera in hand (he was a trooper when I woke him up at 5 am). Amy and her girls showed up to give cheers right before the race started. Her husband Scott was directing traffic at one of the intersections on the bike leg (he’s a state trooper). Jenn and Mia and Sadie came to cheer us on too. I gotta tell you, nothing warms my heart more than hearing Mia yell my name as I go by. Chris came to cheer me on and check out the race, as this came just a few weeks before his Very First Triathlon.

So, after getting everything ready and about 20 trips to the bathroom (I was trying really hard to be hydrated the day before and morning of …), it was time to begin.

The swim

Waiting to tri

I wrote previously about the swim, so I won’t go to0 much into it again. But if first impressions are key, and the swim is the first impression, I’d say it was love at first sight. The waiting in line for 20 minutes before I began was really nice. I liked making new friends while I waited to join the other athletes in the water. I did realize I was hungry as I was standing in line to swim, and I wondered if that would come back to bite me later.

The 300-yard swim went by very quickly. I was surprised! Swimming in a pool for a tri was different than I had practiced (I only learned this at the REI clinic a few days before.) I had mistakenly assumed we’d be swimming up and down our designated lane, doing 6 laps or 12 lengths until the 300 yards was achieved. I was curious how they were going to keep count.

I was wrong, though. The way the swim (for this tri, anyway) works is this:

Get in the pool on the far right side.
Swim the first length. Turn around at the wall.
Swim back, in the same lane.
At the wall, duck under the rope into lane 2. Swim up and down lane 2, then duck under the rope to lane 3.
Lane 3 to lane 4, etc.
Continue until you’ve reached the far left side of the pool, then get out and you’re done!

I preferred this method, hands down. There’s a visual representation of your progress – you can see how close to the end of the pool you are, versus just counting laps. It went by really fast for me. Like I said before, if I had passed the two people in the water that I should have passed, I believe I would have been done much faster. The last couple of lanes for me were super slow. Hindsight is 20/20, though, and this tri was a learning experience. I learned! And I did pass two other people!

(Correction to previous post regarding swim rules. Went to a USA Triathlon (the people who make the official rules for most tris) meeting the night before the Ballantyne tri a couple of weeks ago and they mentioned that it is perfectly acceptable to walk along the bottom, according to their rules. Not sure why there’s a descreprency with the Baxter tri officials yelling at people to not touch the bottom, and it was a rule I’d heard before that as well. So, to be safe, I’ll plan to actually swim the swim portion of future tris – who would have thought? – but if you choose to walk then according to USA Triathlon, that is okay.)

Swim time was 7 minutes and 9 seconds, and it was 300 yards.

The swim-to-bike transition

From left, Lexi, Amy, Emma

I got out of the pool and started running toward the transition area. I saw Amy as I got out of the pool and that gave me a burst of energy! As I ran, I saw other swimmers were walking. I almost paused to walk, being in the mindset to follow what others around me were doing, but forget that! So I ran (it was a short distance anyway.)

Reached the transition area, dried my feet, and sat down to put on my running shoes (I didn’t wear my bike shoes since I’m still not clipping in.) I took an energy gel, which I know is something I could have been doing on the bike instead of in transition, but I am still not 100 percent comfortable multi-tasking on the bike. With the hunger I felt waiting to swim, I figured the gel was a good idea. I put my helmet on and made sure the chin strap was fastened (you can get disqualified if you get on the bike without your helmet or chin strap fastened – it’s a safety thing.)

Speaking of multitasking, I still haven’t mastered the art of reaching down to my bike’s cup holder to grab my water bottle. I know, that seems crazy, but because of this I’ve been biking with my Camelbak pack. Seeing as how I was going to be running after, I figured hydration was extremely important, so I was the dork on race day with a backpack. I didn’t see anyone else with one of these so I think I need to practice reaching for my bottle while on the road …

So, backpack, check. Helmet, check. Shoes, check. I was ready to ride!

Transition time was 2 minutes and 32 seconds. I can probably shave some time off of that next time with minimal effort.

The bike

Scott

So, I’m a slow cyclist. And I’m okay with that – I’m still just a little amazed that I’m even doing it at all. I figure as the comfort level improves, so will the speed. And when I started the bike ride, I was uncertain of what to think. It seemed like a long road ahead of me!

Yeah, those people I passed in the swim? Blew by me on the bike. I found out later one of them works at the bike shop and is a professional cyclist. Well, then!

I saw Scott at one of the intersections, directing traffic, and that was really fun to see someone I knew. I rode past and said, “Hey Scott!” and he said “Hey Melissa” in his deadpan humor, as if this happened every day. Loved it!

I saw the other Scott (triathlete Scott, as opposed to Trooper Scott) about a quarter of the way into my bike ride. He was on the way back and he was walking. “Oh no!” I said. “What happened?” Turns out his chain had gotten messed up and he was having to walk on the uphills and coast on the bike on the downhills. I saw Kevin close to the halfway point – he was on his way back too.

I reached the halfway point and turned around. I knew from test rides that the second half of the ride was an easier portion, so I was looking forward to it. I actually ended up passing a few people on the way back! Didn’t expect that to happen. I did see Scott walking with his bike again, and this time I passed him. Sucked he was having bike issues!

Bike time was 1:05:58, and it was 16.75 miles. 

The bike-to-run transition

The guy in front of me almost fell as he dismounted his bike, clearly having Jello legs. “Poor guy,” I thought as I coasted up behind him on the dismount area. I got off my bike and almost fell too! I thought I’d be ready for that feeling, as I’d practiced lots of brick workouts (bike, then run right after to get used to it), but apparently I’d pushed a little harder on race day because that was the wobbliest my legs have ever been! 

I stumbled into the transition area, racked my bike, took off my helmet and put on my race belt, which already had my race number on it and a gel inside the pocket. Took one last gulp of water and ran out!

Transition time was 1 minute and 5 seconds.

The run

running across the finish

Man, that run was hard. The first part was uphill, almost none of it was shaded, and it was getting really hot out there! It helped that my “cheering squad” was out in full force by this point, but I felt like I was crawling.

Scott actually caught up to me on the run. I was shocked, seeing as how he’d walked a lot of the bike portion. He said someone actually was able to help him near the end, so that was a good thing. He passed me on the uphill (which he always does in races; he smokes me on the uphills, I get him on the downhills), and he was kind enough to remind me that he’d been walking a lot so he had fresh legs, and also that he was seeded higher than me so I had already beat him anyway (meaning he got a head start since he was a faster swimmer).

I passed a few people on the run. The highlight was a woman standing in her driveway with a hose. “Want water?” she asked as I approached. For a second I’m sure I looked at her like she was crazy, then I realized what she was offering. ”Sure!” I said. She turned on the hose and sprayed up, and I ran underneath it. Felt wonderful.

Near mile 3 I saw Kevin in the distance. “I’m gonna catch him,” I thought. He was walking and I was running (albeit slowly.) I was getting closer and closer, but the finish line was getting near and he was doing a walk/jog combo that was keeping him just out of my reach. So when I finally realized I wasn’t going to catch him in time, I figured I’d encourage him. So I yelled out, “Hey Kevin! You better not let me catch you!” He turned around and saw me and started running. Mission accomplished!

I ended up finishing just behind him. That was pretty cool. I heard people cheering for him as I rounded the corner to the finish line, and I was the next person to finish after him (for the record, I have to brag that I beat him by two minutes – he was also seeded ahead of me, so started earlier than I did. He had hip problems on the run, hence the walking.)

Run time was 32:54, and the run was 3.4 miles. 

Things I learned:

Joining my friends, the triathletes. I'm one too, now!

= I look like a dork in my tri suit, bike helmet, and Camelbak backpack. I need new sunglasses too.
= I’m a faster swimmer than I gave myself credit for.
= The one-piece tri suit is awesome during the race. When it’s not awesome? Bathroom breaks.
= Running is hard. Running is really hard after swimming and biking.
= Triathlons are not intimidating. In my group at least, everyone was just as nervous as I was!
= Triathlons are fun, and I stayed injury free all during my training – no aches and pains or anything. I will be doing more of these.

Sally, Kevin and me at the bike-to-run transition. We had the fastest T2 of any of the other relay teams! And we tied for fastest T1!

Seriously, I cannot wait to do another one. Lots more. Since I waited so long to blog this I can add a quick note that Kevin, Sally and I did a relay at the Tri! Ballantyne a few weeks later, and I did the run portion. It was awesome being part of a team! I felt like I “cheated” on the calorie burn that day – with all the activity, it was just as invested as if I’d done the entire race – there’s still the transition area to set up, the time to get marked, the excitement of the day – but intead of burning 1,048 calories as I did in the Baxter tri, I burned only 279 calories. However, it was a great motivator – as I was running, I was realizing it wasn’t just me I was running for – it was Kevin and Sally too. That certainly pushed me a lot, and I actually got a PR! (27:35.)

Read Kevin’s race report here about Ballantyne. Read his Baxter report here. See more photos from the Baxter tri (taken by Jeff) here.

Oh yeah, and I am a triathlete! That feels freakin awesome to say.

So much has happened over the past few weeks that I don’t even know where to begin! So, what I’m going to do today is be lame and tell you what I plan to write about. This will organize and un-frazzle me.

= My first triathlon race report. Yep, I still owe you that. No, I have not forgotten.
= My trip out west, which included a pool party with some noticable differences to ones on the East Coast (such as, my pale skin was a rarity and did you know women out there wear high heels and earrings to the pool?); a strip club with no strippers; and an explanation as to why I was wearing a winter coat and gloves when it was 108 degrees outside.
= My marathon training, which started last week in the desert (that was interesting timing).
= My temporary roommates, who have just moved to Charlotte – and what I have shown/plan to show them and why.

If I’ve forgotten anything you want to read about, add it to the comments!

But while I’m getting all the other stuff together, I wanted to talk about something more general regarding triathlons. There seems to be something very intimidating about them. I know I felt it before Saturday – I am an ok runner, a slow cyclist and don’t even get me started on swimming. So am I going to look like a fish out of water compared to all these elite athletes who excel in all of the sports?

Not to worry. Truly.

Now, I can’t speak for those that were in the front of the pack. There may be a much more competitive angle up there. But in my group, everyone was scared. Everyone.

Here’s how it works (for the pool swims like the one I did anyway):

When you sign up, you have to fill out how fast you swim 300 meters (or 100 meters, or 500 meters, or whatever they ask you.) You make your best guess at how fast you will be, and then the race directors put you in order – fastest to slowest. It’s that simple. My number was 88 – which means that, according to me, I’m the 88th slowest swimmer in the race.

Since I’d never done competitive swimming before, this was a hard guess for me to make. Many guess wrong (including me; I underestimated myself). But on race day, I found myself surrounded by the 87th slowest swimmer, the 89th slowest swimmer, and others near our numbers.

And this race began so much differently than any running race (for one, we were in the pool. Duh.) But there was no start gun and no mass charge through the water (although open water swims are like this). No, this was one at a time. Which meant I had to wait for 87 swimmers to get in the water before I could. Which meant there was a lot of time to kill.

This was a good thing, in my opinion. It gave me the chance to make new friends! And these friends were crucial – these were the people that were going to be my peers in the water. These were the people I could potentially upset if I did something wrong. These were the people that could laugh at me and say to their friends later, “Man, there was this one girl; she was just thrashing around as if she’d never seen a pool before …”

But it turns out – these people were as scared as I was. It was a first triathlon for almost all of us. In fact, conversation as we waited was often something like this:

Guy in front of me: “If I get tired, I’m just going to walk along the bottom; that’s how bad of a swimmer I am.”
Me: “I think it’s against the rules to touch the bottom of the pool.”
Guy behind me: “Are you serious? Is that really true?”
Me: “I dunno – that’s just what I heard, but I can’t remember where. Trust me, I really have no clue what I am talking about …”

(Turns out I was right. Jeff said officials were yelling at people not to walk on the bottom. Glad I didn’t give misinformation!)

The great thing about all that uncertainty is that I truly didn’t feel nervous by the time I got to the water. If I screwed up, well, these guys probably wouldn’t know any different anyway! I knew I certainly wasn’t going to be checking out their form and criticizing anything …

As it turns out – I was actually able to pass two people. I never in a million years thought that I would do that. And I should have passed two more. This is why it’s not good to seed yourself improperly – I said it would take me 8.5 minutes to swim 300 meters, and it actually only took me 7 mins and 9 seconds. And had I passed everyone I should have passed, I would have been much faster than that – I felt like I was crawling behind them the last half of the swim portion.)

And lest I sound like I’m bragging for all those swimmers I bested, not to worry. I saw them later on the course – when they left me in the dust on the bikes. Turnabout is fair play!

So, if you’re intimidated to try a triathlon, don’t be. Truly. There are those that do this every weekend and know every rule and technique, and there are those who are good at one sport and bad at the rest – and there are those who will be slow at all three. The point is – it’s fun. It really, really is. I look forward to the next one – maybe I’ll get to see my old swimming buddies – but next time, I’ll be slightly ahead of them in line. It’s only fair, of course – will give me a head start before they smoke me on the bike.

I feel ready and not ready, all at the same time.

I know this much: I love it already. Even if tomorrow blows, I’m still enjoying the multi-sport workouts and all the good that comes with it. I’m sold!

And, I’m super-stoked that Scott’s mom is coming to this one – I joked that she was coming to see me and not Scott, and Scott said she actually did pick this one of his because it’s my first one. That one brought tears to my eyes.

Can’t wait to be at a triathlon where I’m actually a participant and not a spectator!

I feel ready and not ready, all at the same time.

I know this much: I love it already. Even if tomorrow blows, I’m still enjoying the multi-sport workouts and all the good that comes with it. I’m sold!

And, I’m super-stoked that Scott’s mom is coming to this one – I joked that she was coming to see me and not Scott, and Scott said she actually did pick this one of his because it’s my first one. That one brought tears to my eyes.

Can’t wait to be at a triathlon where I’m actually a participant and not a spectator!

Neutrogena Ultimate Sport sunscreen: My friend Brian suggested I get this when I complained on Facebook that the Coppertone I was using was really heavy and greasy. He was right – I love this new stuff. It’s so light and sheer I almost forget I’m wearing it. But no sunburn! 

Apple iPad: Okay, I’m cheating. I don’t own one. But Jeff does and I anticipate our next road trip being awesome for me, the passenger. The last few road trips have included stops at Red Boxes along the way while I watch on my laptop in the front seat. Sub out the laptop for the iPad, sub out the Red Box for Netflix on demand, and – score!

While we’re at it, Apple iPhone 4: Yes, this will be in my bag as soon as I can get my hands on one. I absolutely love my 3G, and I expect the 4 will have even more to love …

Triathlon suit: It’s amazing how many multiple workouts I’ve been doing lately in preparation for my triathlon. So I’m constantly doing laundry just for this suit and my one pair of tri shorts. I have a feeling I’m going to need to invest in another one of these at some point … Stating the obvious here, but this suit is good for swimming, biking and running. It has padding but less than bike shorts, so I can run in them. And yes, I get in the pool in this thing.

The latest Emily Giffin novel: I don’t have it yet, but I have all of her other books. If you’re a girl and you like girly books and want an easy beach read, get your hands on any of her books. Or even, put it on your iPad …

Summer dresses: Okay, I’ll confess I haven’t bought any new ones yet this year. Spending all of my money on workout gear! But some of my favorite hot-weather outfits are the most inexpensive – that dress I bought for $12 at Old Navy last year, those H&M clothes that only last a certain number of washes but are so fun to wear … 

Sunglasses: All of mine are scratched an old. I’m on the lookout for new ones. I like cheap ones, so that when I lose them I don’t have to cry about it. I need two pairs – one for workouts (polarized, better coverage so if something smacks me in the face while I’m cycling, my eyes are protected), and one pair for everything else – anything colorful, large, fun … I have my eyes on a pair at REI for the sportswear, but haven’t been looking yet for the fun pair. Where should I shop?

Which summer essentials am I missing?

I look in the mirror and I see a stronger, leaner, toned version of myself. It reminds me of marathon training except somehow … better.

I know now why triathletes love the sport. I don’t even care about race day; I’m loving the training so much already. And I’ve barely begun.

Every time I do a workout I feel as if I haven’t worked out at all. I attribute this to crosstraining and to not focusing on my one sport, running, which is more prone to injury than the others.

I see a little definition in my abs. I see it in my collarbone. I see it in my arms.

I feel sexy and strong. I have a feeling this new sport is going to be one I can truly fall in love with …

–

My workouts somehow feel more … creative. Instead of running, running, running, I’m changing it up.

And somehow that’s translated into my mind. I’m ready to write again, I’m ready to design more and better and bigger. I’m ready to paint again.

Spring is here and I feel renewed and like I can do anything.

—

I have a confession: I watch Oprah.

I didn’t mean to start. I just wanted to record some stuff on the DVR for background noise while I worked. Anything in the background that wasn’t soaps or reality court shows.

And then … I got hooked. I find myself repeating what she said often.

The other day someone on her show (Dr. Phil maybe?) commented that in order to live life to its fullest, you actually have to show up.

What a concept: You have to show up in your own life. Seems simple. Seems obvious. Reminds me of Jillian Michaels yelling at me on the TV not to “phone it in.”

It’s your life. Don’t phone it in. Show up. Love it. Live it the best way you know how.

Oh, Oprah’s show also said having sex at least twice a week adds 3 years to your life (Hey, I hear things! I pass it on! You’re welcome …)

—

Speaking of change, my hair has been basically the same for two years (except for the red over the winter) and I’m ready for a change. Thinking I’ll grow it out.

Will take a while to see the results. I’ll need to practice patience. But aren’t the best changes worth waiting for?

Triathlon training update:

= Swim: So, I found out my friend Sally used to be a swim coach. Told you about that the other day when I mentioned our relay team. She had me over the other day to swim in her pool and gave me good tips about how to correct form. She’s nice enough to only hand out a couple of tips at a time so I don’t forget! I already feel more comfortable in the water. I’m going to start going over there once a week to practice and to watch her baby while she practices for our relay.

= Bike: Kevin and I cycled the course of the Tri at Baxter in Fort Mill on Sunday. It was a good challenge but definitely doable. I’m still slow on the bike. And the last part of the course is a lot of uphill. Hard to imagine running after! I’ll keep practicing.

= Run: Still doing my thing with running. My tri training program officially started this week, and the 5K training portion of that incorporates speedwork. More intervals, more hill runs. For the triathlon, my goal will be just to survive the run. But I’m thinking ahead to the July tri where I’m doing the run relay portion. Also, marathon training starts next month! I’ve decided I love distance running the most. So I’m super-excited about that.

I have until the end of the month to sign up for the tri before the next price jump. Will keep practicing, but as long as all goes well between now and then, I’m in!

Running a 5K while stressed

Last week I ran the Twilight Moves for Youth 5K. There were about 3,000 runners there. I’d had a stressful day anyway, and upon arrival my stress level went through the roof. I joked to Jeff and Scott that I felt like I was wearing an invisibility cloak as people kept walking right into me. Lines were long to get what we needed, walking to the bathroom was a madhouse, and I got thrown off my game by a shoe salesman* with an agenda.

Bottom line: Race started, first two miles were pretty much all downhill (awesome!) but the crowds were still crazy and I was still carrying the stress with me. I ended up with the worst race time I’ve had in more than a year. It should have been much better. Stress really can mess you up. I have to learn how to not let things affect me.

*Shoe salesman with an agenda

So, I shop at TrySports. The whole world likely knows that by now, as I’m constantly talking about how awesome they are. However, they aren’t the only running store in town. There are a few others, one in particular I’ll call “R.”

I shopped at R twice for running shoes, before TrySports opened up a few years ago. The difference between the two stores is small – R is a running store, TrySports is a triathlon store. R has a “fitting” process similar to TrySports in that they watch you run and make a recommendation.

Some differences:
= TrySports actually has a software program to measure angles with knees, ankles, hips, etc (I won’t pretend to really understand it), and their fit process is two-fold. They eyeball it, and they measure it. R only eyeballs it. TrySports just goes that extra mile (no pun intended) – and I’ve been told by them to do a variety of tests while shoe shopping – including wearing different socks, wearing different shoes (one on each foot), standing on my head (okay, not literally – but they do cover everything).
= TrySports has a larger selection of tri gear. Even though I’m just now getting into triathlons, I have always felt that they have a better selection of clothes and other exercise goodies.
= I just had the right feeling when I found TrySports. Kinda like meeting “the one.” You just know. Okay, not really like meeting the one. But I still like the store and the people a lot.

So, I was wearing my Mizunos with my Yankz the other day before the race, and the Yankz have a very prominent “TrySports” logo on them. I’m lazy and don’t want to go get the camera to show you, so I’m going to post a pic of my Asics which have the same Yankz and logo, just so you’ll see how prominent it is:

So, I stopped by the R tent to ask a question (completely unrelated to any shoewear.) Keep in mind this was at 6:40 p.m. and the race started at 7 p.m. When I asked said random question, I was asked for my bib number. I explained that I did not have my bib number yet because I had not yet found my friend who had registered me. Yes, 2o minutes before race time and I still hadn’t found my friend. So yeah, I was a little stressed. …

So, amid trying to help me with said question, the R employee picked up a scrap piece of paper to write down some information. The scrap piece of paper happened to be a $10 off a pair of shoes coupon for the R store. He then looked down at my shoes. Took a hard look.  A close look. Then said, “looks like you’re in need of new shoes.” (True. I am.) Then said, “Those are clearly not the right shoes for you. You were not fitted for them were you?”

I looked at him in shock and answered, “Yeah, I was.” Knowing he’d seen the TrySports logo – he clearly already knew the answer to that. And given that I was standing still and not running or even walking – I’m fairly certain he had no way to know whether those were the right shoes or not!

He then had me walk up and down the expo floor while he could look at me and assess what type of shoe I would need. Twenty minutes before race time and this dude is telling me I’m in the wrong shoes. He knows I need to find my bib number and he’s making me walk the floor.

Not cool. So not cool.

He wrote me a note saying I could get free socks in addition to my $10 off shoes. Not worth it.

Sure, I’m biased. I love TrySports. But I don’t think you throw your competitor under the bus like that. You know what? He could be right. I was fitted for those shoes right before the marathon. I’m running differently right now, I’m sure. Maybe I do need different shoes. But I’ll let TrySports tell me that. Not some guy with a marketing agenda.

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Ok, I’ve rambled enough for today. More tomorrow!

But for now, I’m going to run 5 miles with Kevin today at lunch (we were going to swim, but it’s actually cold today!) So I’ll check back in later! But I’ll leave you with this picture, taken at Brewfest: