A Perfectly Imperfect Fall

I've been M.I.A. I know.

Last we spoke, I wasn't in the *best* headspace. (In case you missed it.) 

I know I know, I didn't necessarily let you completely into my head. I'm not even sure I knew exactly how upset I was. I definitely had something going on with my left hamstring AND I had just been rejected from The Boston Marathon.

I cried more in the months of September and October than I ever remember in a long while.

I tried to make light of the situation when people brought it up. "Oh so you didn't get into Boston, you have a wedding to plan instead. No BIG DEAL!" Listen people, I thrive on chaos and the hustle and bustle of what training and life have to offer. Take away the ONE thing keeps my headspace normal and we've got some serious issues. This is a HUGE DEAL.

I had a pretty serious heart to heart with a dear fellow Rybread teammate, honest and true friend, and one of the strongest and guttiest runners I've ever come across. "Kati I'm not strong enough to do what I need to do to get to Boston. I qualified fair and square and it was TAKEN AWAY FROM ME.  This entire experience has me questioning so much. Maybe I'm not supposed to do this?" She listened to me. She let me cry and rant and cry some more. She reminded me that her and I are far to good at comparing our athletic abilities to others only to discredit our own. She reminded me that NO ONE expects me to be ok right now. But she also reminded me how far I've come. {5:27 marathon --> 3:30 marathon} "Megan, you don't have the quit in you. This is what you do and who you are. Come back to me when your head's on straight." And I did just that. 

Instead of training for Boston right now {which I had every intent of running "relaxed" so I could enjoy every step of the world's more iconic marathon only a month before I married my best friend} I'm now training to run faster and harder than I ever have before. We're talking about some numbers that truly frighten me a lot.

Qualifying for Boston 2020 isn't going to be easy at all. Hell, it wasn't easy the first time around. After I ran Grandma's one of the first things I said was, "I'm so glad I never have to run that fast again." If I could go back in time and eat my words... I think another part of the Boston 2020 quest that scares me is the mental game. I had me a few breakdowns while training for Grandma's. I never thought I'd say this, but I guess that was only the beginning. I'm going to finish planning a wedding. I'm also going to train to run the fastest 26.2 I've ever done to date. Someone please say a prayer for my mental state because this sounds like a recipe for all the wedding guests to receive my favorite gel + nutrition combo as the thank you gift 🤦. 

But let's not forget, as of 2 months ago, I wasn't exactly "healthy" in running terms. I've decided to give you all the details on the treatment route I embarked on in my next blog (coming soon!) But for right now, all you need to know is that I've gotten myself into a solid maintenance plan and running is once again... fun.

I first decided to test my legs in late October at the Woodstock Care 4 Cancer 5k. My office had decided to run/walk this event as a company and raise money for a good cause. I never intended on racing this at all. I only agreed to run with a coworker and enjoy the morning. Hell, my first speedwork back to the game (which was pretty weak) was only a few days prior to the race. But then... I did a warm up run and my leg felt different. Good, different. Alright guys, change of plans I might need to see what I can do right now. 

As you can see, I found myself on the starting line with all the young whipper snappers

And I gave it my best shot 🏃

It wasn't a long race obviously, and it was over a month ago. So the exact details aren't completely there anymore. But I so vividly remember watching my first mile tick by at a 6:56. And I remember thinking to myself.. "Man, that didn't feel so bad at all. Looks like I'm here to play today!" It was at that point that I tried to remember how many females were ahead of me. One for sure, possibly two. Shortly after the 1 mile mark we turned into a neighborhood and weaved our way around. Weaving can tire out the body quickly so I thought this might be my downfall. But... I continued my groove and even made a few more passes. When mile 2 clicked my watch showed me a 7:13, I decided to go for it the last mile. I knew I had a shot to PR if I picked up the pace for the last mile.

Megan you're nuts! You barely had enough time to recover from Madison, your leg is still not right, what are you thinking!?

I'm thinking a little RnR does the body good and when you're ready to go you GO. I passed a spectator during that last mile and he screamed as I ran by, "Second female, right here!" I knew first place was out of my league at this point, but I didn't want to surrender my current position. The last half mile everything burned. But it was well worth it.

2nd place female, 21:55, and a 25 second PR

After I went home that day I knew, my running legs were coming back. I needed to be patient and continue my current regimen. Trust the process. Don't skimp on stretches, exercises, massages. Keep the momentum moving forward.

The next month was spent logging more miles as well as more speedwork. I texted Speedy on a pretty regular basis "Holy cow that workout was AWESOME! I NAILED it!" I got SUPER busy going head first into wedding planning that I didn't even think twice about my next race. I went to work, I did my workouts, and all free time was spent wedding planning.

But of course Thanksgiving Turkey Trots were coming up, and I decided to run the local Turkey Trot at Lippold Park (free entry with donation to the food pantry) with my brother, the Giuliano's (Speedy and Jacqui) and our newest RyBreader, Zach. I never truly race this one as it's on a crushed limestone path. But I always give myself a solid workout during the race. However when we showed up we learned that the course had changed due to ice and construction, so we were now running a 2 loop cross country course. As soon as I heard that I knew I was in for a true "fun run." Put grass under me and I suddenly have 2 left feet and can't figure out speed at all. But it was still fun. We burned some calories so we could enjoy Thanksgiving the way it's meant to be enjoyed. We gave back to the community and had some fun in the process. All in all, I'd call it a great day to run.

As promised, selfie from BFG with the long arms
Happy Thanksgiving!

I've also been known to run a 5K during the holiday season dressed like Santa Claus. This year was no different. The weather is generally of the frigid nature with a chance of snow and/or blizzard. This year.. RAIN. All the rain. And a COLD rain. In all honesty.. I was miserable the entire time. I took off with Jacqui to run a "warmup" in the 40 degree rain. Literally I felt like a moving popsicle it was so cold. BFG decided to sit out the warmup (shocker). Naturally my shoes and socks were socked within a quarter mile of the warm-up and my pig tails were flipping the water all over the place. Yep, this was one of those mornings I could have overslept and it would have been ok with me.

Of course, Jacqui and I got done with our warm-up LITERALLY as it stopped raining. We peeled our wet layers and got "Santa Ready" with a few minutes to spare. At this point... I was bone cold. All I wanted was to be DONE with the race. Just before the gun went off I started to shiver that annoying shiver that chatters your teeth and tightens your skin. Yea, and then the gun went off and I was supposed to race. I ain't so sure about one. 

Are my lips blue? 

I'll be the first to admit, my head was not in this one. I'm not a fan of winter in the slightest, but I might hate the freezing cold rain even more. And that's what this was. Dodging freezing cold puddles of water while catching a cold 36 degree mist of dampness on your face at all times. Oh, did I mention there was a casual wind as well? And the breeze kept grabbing my beard and at one point I damn near gagged on it and my hair at the same time and coughed like I was on my death bed while trying to maintain any sort of respectable pace? Yea, all of that happened. I was able to hold a decent first mile, 6:55. But, it wasn't easy for me (even though it was slightly downhill). I know for a fact, my head wasn't in the game. I was cold. I was damn cold. I could have run on a treadmill later in the day and probably broken a solid sweat! But, alas here I was with my crew doing my thing. After I choked voilently on my Santa beard and hair, I never truly recovered. I had a hard time catching my breath and finding my groove again. So I just went with it. It is what it is. No records were being broken on this miserable morning. I found the finish line and was greeted  by Jacqui's dad, camera ready! 

🏃🏃🏃
Dodgin' raindrops!

I can't say I didn't have fun though. This race is as close to home as it gets and always draws in some close family friends and acquaintances. It's always a great time seeing everyone. The first chance I had I made sure to change out of my wet clothes so we could all enjoy a lovely breakfast as a group.

This is why we can't have nice things Mark

Jacqui won (are you shocked?) while I took home an age group medal 

We even stuck around long enough after the race to meet the REAL SANTA! Santa's house sits right outside of Benedict's and as we were leaving he was walking up, about to invite all the children of Crystal Lake to sit on his lap. Mark and I snagged him before he even had a chance to sit down.

"Dear Santa, bring me wine to drink while I plan my wedding"
{He didn't argue this at all}

When I got home I promptly showered, put all the layers on, curled up on the couch and took a nap. I was finally warm, fed, and ready to take a nice little snooze. 

The next morning I woke up and found out I made the paper, incognito obviously 🤣

So what can I say? This fall definitely didn't go as I would have imagined. Hell, the 2nd half of this year didn't go as I planned at all. But what can you do? I've taken some time to give my body the rest it needs. I've invested more and more into my body to help it heal and recover properly. I raced less, slept in more, and did what my body allowed me to do without pushing it any farther. I know I'm still young. But, I've been running for about 20 years. No matter how "old" or "young" I still am, that's a long time to be pounding pavement. I know a time will come and my body won't be able to do this anymore. If I don't truly listen to it now, my running expiration date is going to be sooner than I hope for. I'm pretty comfortable with where I am at the moment. I've got my body back to working order (you'll get details on this next blog), my run speed is coming back (5K PR in October), and I have a pretty good plan of attack for 2019 (also to come at a later date). Santa Claus is coming to my house in a few short weeks, wedding festivities start shortly after the first of the year, and before you know it, I'm going to be racing under a different name. {That one still gets me, every time. Megan Sloan...} 

On that note, I have some Christmas shopping to get done and I'm sure I'm behind on my wedding to-do list. 

Tell the World I'm Comin' Home

If ever there was a week where emotions were all over the place... this is the week.

Two years ago, I won a free Ironman entry and used it to race Ironman Texas with Jacqui and Ryan. An unforeseen hailstorm/monsoon took over the run course, knocking down the finish line, finish shoot, and ultimately stopping parts of the race until the weather passed. I decided I wasn't done with Texas just yet. Last year, I toed the line again. This time just Ryan and myself. I ended up puking up my insides multiples times on the bike and run course after the extremely dirty swim canal portion of the course poisoned me. At the time, I swore off Ironman Texas forever. But I can't help but feel like I still haven't finished what I've started down in The Woodlands, Texas. Tomorrow is Ironman Texas. Spoiler Alert: I'm not racing Ironman Texas this weekend.

This winter, I made the decision to devote 2018 to getting faster on the run. That didn't mean letting my bike collect dust. I still bike and swim 3 times a week, but with less intensity. My runs however, talk about a wake up call. My legs have entered a whole new arena and every day I learn something different about my run legs (that have been running for 20+ years). BQ or bust has become the motto for this year, the big test will take place in June at Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. We're about 8 weeks out from Grandma's and I've decided to see where my speed lies in the half marathon distance this weekend. I'm headed back home to the Alma Mater, Champaign, Illinois. My junior year at the University of Illinois was the Inaugural year for the Illinois Marathon Weekend. That particular year I ran the relay with a group of friends. My senior year I ran my first marathon and crossed the finish line on the 50 yard line of Memorial Stadium and then graduated 2 weeks later. For about 3 years after I graduated, my college group met back in Champaign and toed the line and then pretended like we were still in college. To say this race holds some sentimental value would be an understatement. It's been about 5 years since the band has met up at our old stompin' grounds. Until today.

That one time Rob ran his first Half Marathon and made the front page of the local paper ;)
Illinois Half Marathon 2012

Illinois Marathon
Circa 2010, mile 2 of my first marathon as a college Senior

There's nothing more I want than to head back to my home away from home and enjoy a weekend full of running highs and celebratory beers with a group of friends that I don't get to see nearly enough. I want to run by the Alma Mater on Green St and feel her welcoming me back home. I want to drive by my old dorm and peer up to the 8th floor and wonder if the the drama is still thick as hell that high off the ground. I want to knock on my old apartment door with the best roommates a girl could ever ask for and inspect the cleanliness of it now (because God knows we had the damn cleanest place on campus). I want to roam campus and take in the beauty. I want to walk into one of my favorite book stores and have an internal argument with myself over how much new Illini gear I really do need. I want to go to my favorite watering hole and order a beer for dirt cheap while I sit and wonder, "Just how many people in this bar are ACTUALLY 21 right now?" And so much more.

Post race of my first marathon - trying to hobble to the family!

Inaugural Illinois Marathon Weekend 2009 (junior year)
Ricky, Megan, Brian (full Marathon), Kevin and Jordan
Relay Team Name: The 3 Cocksmen and A Pretty Cool Chick 🙄

But. There's always a but. This whole week, my mind and my heart have been split in 2. This time last year you were on a plane to meet Ryan in the Woodlands. This time last year you were checking in your bike. This time last year you were sitting at dinner when Dad and Uncle JB surprised you from the corner of the restaurant. We all know how Ironman Texas ended for me last year. In the past 3 weeks I've thought alot about "what were you doing at this time last year." No, not because I'm stuck in the past and can't move on. But because I have some serious unfinished business in Texas. I won't be jumping into Lake Woodlands this year, or even next year. But one day. One day I'll be back to finish what I started. I've stared at my bike a lot this winter  from my yoga mat while I stretch after a run. I miss Matilda more than I ever thought I would. I miss the wobbling sensation you feel as you hop off after a killer workout that pushed some watts only refrigerators should know exist. And the pool. Oh the pool. While I'm still swimming, my arms never feel like noodles anymore. I miss my noodle arms. I miss the odd things about triathlon that you hate in the moment. 

I miss the sea of swim caps. Who knew?

This 💖
Ironman Texas finish line 2017

I told Ryan the other day that the fact that I'm not signed up for a single triathlon at the moment seriously makes me sad. 

"Triathlons aren't going anywhere. Eyes on the prize!" - Speedy G

We practically said the same phrase in sync. I know what I want and I'm going after it. But I'll be damned if it's not harder than ever to not want what I can't have at the moment. But the reality is I'm more excited that I'm currently driving to Champaign, IL with Jacqui instead of checking in my bike in The Woodlands, Texas. My time will come again in the Ironman and triathlon world, maybe sooner than later or later than sooner, who knows. But there's no time like the present. And I can't wait to see what my legs can do tomorrow morning. The last time my legs touched this course I was still your runner who trained with miles logged instead of speed workouts and intensity. I've seen the beauty of this campus more than enough. Tomorrow, I'm ready to see it in a blur as I fly by. I want to greet the winds of the South Farms with open arms (well, more like closed because that wouldn't be aero, right Speedy? 🤣). 

And in all honesty, I can't wait to see what post-race will look like for my college group at the ripe old age of 29-30. Because back when we were in our prime, we hosted the classiest of events named "Short Shorts and Favorite Sports", where all attendees were required to wear the shortest shorts they owned with their favorite sports jersey. Of course we served the finest of beverages as well. 

Yes, Rob is wearing a pair of my running shorts

My partner in crime in the 217 area code 

This year, my partner in crime, Beth and her husband Jordan, have opened up their home to us. Yes, as of very recently, they are officially full time residents of 217 area code. Beth can't get enough of academia as she is now employed by the University of Illinois, of course involved with all things science and business. So I guess you could say, I can technically head back "home" whenever I feel like it.

And who knows, maybe I'll convince Rob to run the Half Marathon again!
Rob, Me, Beth post Half Marathon in 2012

And of course this week of all weeks my VERY NEWLY acquired allergies have decided to make quite the appearance, making me sound like a man at times. Not to worry, I have purchased some solid stock in Allegra D which will be enough to get me through the race with minimal flem. Along with an annoying flare up of my IT band/hamstring/we're not sure what muscle is so tight right now. I've had my pre-race massage and I've taken my RnR this week to make sure all systems are a go. My bags are packed, Jacqui and I are on the road, (with coffee of course), and the fun is awaiting our arrival. 

Stay tuned. Cheers.

The Train of Life

Very recently, I was reminded of how absolutely wonderful the running/triathlon/endurance community really is.

When I graduated from college and started working part time at the local gym before I found my big-girl-job, I befriended a small group of guys and we spent more time together at 5am on Saturday mornings than most can imagine. Todd was also an employee of the same gym and we started running together after work from time to time. Closest to my age, we bonded quickly and it wasn't long before Rob and I found a new everlasting friendship in him and his wife. Eventually we decided that we each wanted to bring in another friend to our small running posse. Todd introduced me to Shane, the Sherpa of the group. While I brought in Russ (a member of the gym whom I saw damn near every day at 4:45am as I opened the doors), the biggest pain in the ass there ever was. Shane and Russ are both "older" than Todd and I and always refer to us as the "whipper snappers" of the foursome. Russ and Shane were also formerly in the military. Russ, the Marines. Shane, the Army. Put the 4 of us together and we are an unfiltered, determined, masochist bunch. Being the only female in such a strong group (and the youngest), I learned pretty quickly that I had to have the sass ready to fire at a moments notice.

The 4 of us were in very different stages of life. I had just graduated from college while Rob finished his degree, 3 hours away in Champaign, IL. Todd spent more time at the gym than ever as his wife was working the night shift in the ER as a trauma nurse while going to school for her masters degree. Shane and his wife were extremely comfortable with life and were about to embark on the journey of parenthood. And Russ traveled the globe at the drop of a hat for work and spent all of his time in the states running with us or with his wife and son.

So how does a group like this find a common ground? We shared one commonality. Endurance. We all thrived on the pain of a hard workout. We needed to know that after an awful week of work, traveling overseas to Sweden & Germany, working 12-14 hour days, we'd all find each other on Saturday morning during sunrise for a long run around Crystal Lake. Together, we named ourselves The Strugglebus.

Megan's first 70.3

These guys, they're the reason I bought my first bike.

These guys, they're the reason I can swim respectively at all.

These guys, they're the reason I started triathlon.

These guys, they're the reason I know any sort of biking routes in the Marengo/Union/Woodstock area.

These guys, they believed in me when I never believed in myself.

These guys, they watched my cry when I was such a bad cyclist that I would cry when they wouldn't wait for me. All the while they knew what they were doing. Let her cry, she's gonna laugh at herself one day. And they weren't wrong.

These guys, they told me I'd be a badass when I doubted myself most.

These guys have wives, kids, demanding full time jobs. And they found it reason enough to guide me towards a sport I never knew I needed in my life.

Todd and Russ were my catchers as I crossed the finish line of my first 140.6

As loyal as they come

Last Wednesday morning as I was finishing up a swim workout, Shane walked onto the pool deck with a mighty large gift bag. Back in the fall I had a housewarming/belated birthday/season celebration party. Unfortunately Shane couldn't make it but still had a gift to share with me. He finally put it in his car and decided to surprise me at the gym with it one day. Wednesday was that day.

The bag contained 2 items. An extremely nice zip up Sugoi Ironman hoodie that I have worn almost constantly since I opened it. And the other was a picture frame that had the phrase "The Struggle Bus Is Real" He continued to explain himself and the gifts.

"Megan I'll always have 2 pretty amazing memories with you. The reason you have the sweatshirt is because I remember more than once running through the dead of winter with you and the guys. We stopped at one of your friends houses and he had water out on his front porch for us. Weekend after weekend he always had water for us. And the picture frame is because the 4 of us will always be The Strugglebus. We were the beginning of your triathlon journey." 

Don't forget, it's approximately 6:30am and I have just finished a pretty tough swim workout and I am running late for the showers to get ready for work. And here's Shane, makin' me tear up and get all emotional. Of course, he had to mention my water boy. You all remember him, right? He went on into further detail to explain how the 4 of us, the Strugglebus, we were all apart of each others Train of Life. He told me about a book he had read, and how a train can be a metaphor for someone's life. Every once in a while the train stops in different towns, different people get on and off your train, some stay on your train longer than others. And all make some impact on your life, whether it be small or large.

Megan's pre-triathlon days, only a few months after I bought my first bike

These guys, they've been some of the best mentors and and friends a girl can ask for. (Yes, even crabby and unfiltered Russ.) And the truth of the matter is, they never left my train. At the end of the day, we find our way back to each other. I may not need swim lessons from The Strugglebus anymore, and I might be able to lead the pack on the bike on a good day, and I might not cry anymore when I think I'm lost, but I still need these guys more than ever. I need their wit, their sass, their raw unfiltered humor that can leave my abs sore for days.

Annual end of the season celebration!
Celebrating Megan's first 140.6

These are the kind of relationships that I can't imagine my life without. These people are one of the biggest reasons I'll forever be passionate about this sport. Our families have grown into some of the best friendships. I've watched Todd and his wife bring 2 amazing children into this world (and any day now, a 3rd!). I've watched Shane and his daughter Shayla dance and eat more cake than I thought possible for a 4 year old. And Russ' son Jack and I, well let's just say he still thinks I have cooties. (But I hear that goes away once they hit highschool, right?)

We can do more than swim, bike run
🍺🍹🍷

Where it all began, Todd and I roping Russ into race after race with us.

All this being said, I couldn't be more motivated for the season opener tomorrow. As far as I'm concerned, the unofficial start to the racing season happens every year in Cary, IL at the March Madness Half Marathon. Todd and Russ will be in attendance, among most of the the RyBread crew. Some of my most favorite racing moments happen when my worlds collide. And I can't wait to toe the line with Todd and and set the pace for a record day (while we wait for Russ to finish with a sundial 😉) All while I pay my respects to my favorite waterboy. It's officially been 2 years without him and this race holds a whole new meaning to me since that 9th day of March 2016 when we all had to say our finals goodbyes. My phone no longer lights up with a message post-race, "You need to get your head checked if you think that this Sunday morning running stuff is fun! But I love ya all the same!" - Mike Powers, my waterboy. He was another example of someone who was always aboard Megan's Train of Life.

Because it's just not the same without him

Ready or not legs, it's go time.

Fitness Junkie Buds 4 Lyfe

My entire life I've had great fortune to be surrounded by some amazing athletes, both family and friends. Today, you're going to meet one of my longest standing friends to date. She's all of 5'11" and there isn't much she can't do well. She's a natural born athlete that understands the gift isn't to be sacrificed, and works her tail off to make the best of what she's got. I asked Kait, my best friend from high school, to gives her 2 cents on the fitness world in general, because in no way do I consider myself an expert. 

Kait greeted me at the finish line of IMMD in Cambridge

And 2 weeks prior, she soothed my soul in Baltimore
when the race was postponed due to Hurricane Joaquin 

Lately, many people have asked me about fitness outside of swim/bike/run, and I always come up with the same answer: "I don't partake in fitness outside of swim/bike/run." My body has (knock on wood) held up over the years and I follow a pretty steady core/body weight strength regime during the week to keep me in check. But as far as the weight room? Yoga? Anything else? I'm far from the right person to ask. Well, take if from the girl who's been around the fitness block. And who has quite the athletic resume to  back it up. You met her back in February when we were able to catch up on life together, stride for stride through our hometown. But today, I'd like you to really get to know her:

I've always kind of been a fitness junkie. Throw it back about 20 years ago and my dad had me running miles for time, backyard sprints, you name it. When I was 20 I decided I was going to start doing 100 sit-ups a day for the rest of my life, and I've pretty much stuck to that give or take a few vacation days.

The days of running super long distance now seem to be a thing of the past for me, but who knows, I could have a midlife crisis and attempt another marathon. I've dabbled in just about everything outside of Pilates - long distance running, a few shorter triathlons, yoga, spin classes, Les Mills classes... and now prominently crossfit.

And I love it all. And I've learned a lot from all of it - and am still figuring out the exact formula for what makes my body the happiest.

So anyways, why am I here? Really I don't know, I think Megan felt like taking a week off of writing and so she asked me to slap a bunch of my fitness-y thoughts together. So here we go:

1. I strongly, vehemently believe in the benefits of strength training. Outside of my love for muscle definition at a superficial level, strength training is so good for your body, and is what I believe finally changed my course of recurring injuries dating back to age 16, starting with a fractured L5 vertebrae.

Don't get me wrong I'll still occasionally roll an ankle on un-level concrete, or tweak a shoulder muscle from getting a little too wild with the handstands. But since I finally gave up my fear of weights and getting "bulky", I have pretty much stopped my chain of physical therapy visits and MRI's - knock on wood.

One of the last races I ran in the U.S. - with Megan, in Baltimore!

2. Yet whether you are struggling with injuries or not - thought #2 about strength training (and in my case, crossfit) - is that it is simply functional fitness, meaning that it translates to everyday life. Being strong allows me to walk two 16 kilo huskies (and rapidly growing) -  one in each hand - without being dragged down the street when they see a cat.

And I don't have all the research and numbers but I do know that it's vital as we get older as women to keep our muscles strong. Check it out:

3. If you are a calorie counter, here's a fun fact: strength training actually burns more calories over time than cardio workouts.

"While cardio burns calories and fat when you're performing it, high rep strength training has what is known as high EPOC or "Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption." This is a fancy term for saying how long your metabolism is elevated after exercise.

Studies show that a well-designed strength program can elevate your EPOC or metabolism for up to 38 hours after the workout. In other words, you continue to burn calories long after strength training. Whereas once you stop cardio, the calorie burning stops as well."

-Source

To be clear, I still love my cardio and endurance challenges. I'm actually writing this as I get some time in on the elliptical. And while I'm not a personal trainer, but I do know the above to be facts. Never worked a muscle in your entire life outside of carrying in the groceries? It's pretty simple to start implementing SOME kind of form of strength training into your life. Wake up and do some sets of push-ups/air squats/sit-ups. Work up from there.

Meg asked me to tie in the fact that I live in Israel in this post. So hey guys, I'm Kait and I live in Tel Aviv Israel. 

the amount of pictures I have inverted is possibly embarrassing

I'll tell you what, if the US had a random fitness competition with Israel per random selection of let's say... 100 people from each country, I would bet on Israel. I'm unsure an obesity rate even exists here; the beaches are always full of runners and swimmers and bikers, you name it. Megan would fit right in.

Speaking of - a huge congrats to her for qualifying for the Ironman 70.3 world championships - that race is no joke.

I've worked Paralympic events, I've raced one of the big five marathons, and I even recently competed at a country level here in Israel. What I loved about all those experiences - no matter what kind of competition it was - is that they all gave me the same kind of chills. Coming alongside people from AROUND the WORLD to be like hey, our bodies are pretty badass let's do cool things with them and see what we can do... that's pretty freaking cool. Doesn't matter what language you speak when you all have stupid smiles on your face after finishing something hard together. I'm sure Meg will agree when she crosses that finish line in Chattanooga this fall.

Fittest of Israel 2017

I'll quit the sports adrenaline blabbering. Now stop avoiding eye contact with those dumbbells, go make your muscles a little bit sore (and then foam roll). I promise, you'll still fit into your jeans tomorrow.

Cheers -

Kait

In case you're interested in learning more about her adventures as she plays this game called life, you can find her babbles on her personal blog here. Maybe this helps you take a deeper understanding into my drive for success. When you grow up with a best friend who's literally good at everything, it's hard to sit on your butt and eat candy bars after school. She's kept me on my toes over the years, and is one of the primary reasons I find myself striving to be faster.  On the days when I struggle through a speed workout I often think things like, "Oh come on Megan, Kait would have killed those mile repeats." 

And to Kait, thank you for being one of the greatest influences in my life, athletically and personally. A bad@$$ and a best friend all in one. They don't make 'em like you anymore girl. 

Catching Up

Yesterday wasn't my typical Thursday. I woke up at my normal time and had my routine breakfast. But I had the day away from the office and decided to knock out some doctor appointments that were well overdue. But the real purpose? I spent the day with a woman I've spoken highly of in the past.

My best friend from high school currently lives abroad in Tel Aviv with her husband. Professional careers uprooted their lives about 7 months ago and now Asia is the land they call home. But about a month ago, Kait decided she needed a dose of home. So she cashed in all the points she had and made her way back to the good ole USofA. It's safe to say that this move hasn't exactly been the easiest transition, but then again, when is an international move considered a simple task? Before the move, we were always scattered across the country so the distance wasn't something new to us. However for some reason when she left, I felt a yearning to be near her more than ever. We all know, I'm a worry wart. This is not new information to the world. The fact that an ocean separated us made me pay much closer attention to the international news. Communication has been tough, mostly revolving around emailing and texting. Until recently when I discovered the world of FaceTime Audio {hush, I'm not that old} and I heard her voice for the first time in over 5 months. I'm more of an old school girl, so I live for a spur of the moment phone call that lasts longer than I have time for. Hearing a loved ones voice is something that I cherish. So yea, that FaceTime Audio thing is GREAT for an international friendship, in case you're curious..

So yesterday was a day spent of catching up. We had no real plans, just be together. Of course I chauffeured her to Trader Joe's so she could pick up the necessities to smuggle back to the Mediterranean. I was expecting her to purchase a few small items, but it wasn't until her basket was overflowing that she was ready to head to the check out. Surely her bag will be over the weight limit on the way home. But I should have known, Kait has never been one to follow the rules.

Aside from our comical Trader Joe's trip:

"Have you ever tried this? Me either. I'm buying it."

"I used to stop and pick up this drink before practice EVERYDAY. I miss it."

"I wish this syrup wasn't so heavy, I can't lug this around the airport."

"WHY CAN'T FROZEN FOODS LAST FOR 12 HOURS OF TRAVEL?!"

 - Katilyn Marie Eggers

I think my favorite part of the day was when we both laced up our running shoes. She assured me that she would not be able to follow my scheduled workout and that I was welcome to leave her if necessary. But she forgets, her 5'11" frame is meant to fly. Within the first quarter mile I had to tell her to slow down because our warm-up pace was just shy of what our workout pace was supposed to be. I'm just following you! she says to me. We slowed down for a mere 60 seconds before the pace skyrocketed again. And that was the last time I said anything about pace.

Every step we took, the deeper into conversation we became. And honestly, I completely forgot about the workout. It was almost like we unintentionally saved our most personal conversations for the run. Topics changed at the drop of a hat and were revisited soon again without missing a beat. It's safe to say that 2017 has been quite a year for the both of us, so our 7 mile run contained some pretty deep and heavy thoughts. At one point our serious conversation was disrupted by a crossing guard at a local grade school yelling at us, "You know it's safer to run on the sidewalk with all these crazy parents!" Lady, please, you're interrupting.

It's amazing to me what a pair of running shoes can do. As soon as our feet hit the pavement {and Kait's ankle clicked with every step she took} it was like the flood gates were open. Words flew without warning and paces were thrown out the window. But don't let her fool you, she was easily able to hold a conversation the entire time while keeping the pace below an 8 minute mile. Her athleticism will never cease to amaze me.  Over the years we've had a few of these catch-up-on-life-runs. The day before her wedding, we both lugged our hungover bodies as far as we could across Fort Collins, Colorado in an attempt to detox before the festivities started over in a few short hours. About 6 weeks before Ironman Maryland, I made a trip out to Baltimore to spend the weekend and log some miles with my Best Giant Friend. Of course when we both find ourselves in our hometown at the same time, we cruise the streets like we still own the place. And I will forever etch our catch-up-on-life runs into my heart.

We closed the evening with a little game of fetch with her family dog, Jane, while we eagerly awaited the unveiling of the 17.3 Crossfit workout. {Something I know NOTHING about, but find super intriguing.} While the extremely muscled man was writing the workout on the board, my mind was struggling to comprehend the complexity and I actually said, "I feel like I need a certain type of degree to understand this." I also had to ask the question, "So why is it called 17.3?" Boy did I feel dumb when I got the answer. Either way, good luck to all you cross-fitters on this weekend's 17.3!

She *might* kill me for this photo

On Monday, a piece of my heart goes back to Israel and life will continue. And I'm already counting down the days until our next catch-up-on-life run.