Today is a good day.  Mostly because it’s 3:00 and I have already eaten two avocados. I love avocados, boy do I.

Another good thing was the bike ride this morning.

Dropped the kids off at summer camp, and hustled back to get in my ride before the workday. Admittedly, I was about an hour late to the work day… but that seems to happen on weekday outside ride day.  Just can’t wake up early enough to squeeze in 2 hours in the sunlight.  And the countdown to Placid is ticking.

Every workout counts.

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A whole lot of up and down, for almost 3,000 feet of climbing in 29 miles.

Depends on which app I am using as to whether it’s 2,300 feet or 2,850 feet or whatever.  But either way, it was a mother and I had a great time all by myself, cursing the climbs.

To add icing to the cake (or carrots to the hummus), I hit my lowest bodyweight in ten years today.

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That was a pretty nice little morning surprise.  Not that I haven’t been religious about my nutrition for the last six weeks.  I have been.  And six weeks has been amazing, and I am on a great trajectory. (As I always say though, I’m never but one bad day away from a 12 pack of beer and a large pizza)… though I can report no pizza has been happening.  Or beer for that matter.

I am working to show up to Placid being the best “me” that I can be. I had so much regret heading into my 2013 Ironman.

I raced Ironman CDA at a certain weight (finished in 16:44).  I raced Beach 2 Battleship Full Iron at a (slightly higher) certain weight (finished in 14:59) … and while both finishes were great and under the cutoffs, I know I am better than both of those finishes.

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And I have been holding myself back with the fuel I was putting in my machine.

(Please NOTE: I will never claim to have this weight and nutrition thing figured out.)

But I am working on it. Hard. Focused.

Just want to cross the Finish at Placid knowing that I not only trained as hard as I could… not only that I raced the course on that day as best and as relentlessly as I could… but I also did every, single, solitary thing in my power to ensure that my race was amazing from the get-go… which means showing up on race day with a happy stomach, a calm mind, and a fueled body. (Not a garbage can for a body and mind full of mental monkeys, bonking me in the face with bananas.)

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For me, that one hold-up to my race performance has been the food and wine/beer sabotage.  Which in turn has had me racing heavier than I should have been.

I used to do this –>  “I rode 100 miles, so I get a million calories of buffet to eat.”

What is the difference?  What do I do now?  Well, I am just making different choices. Deliberate and “hard” choices, day after day after day.

After my 108 mile ride Saturday? I ate perfectly: protein, veg and avocado (!).  Avocado. Sigh.  But anyway, no post-ride binge. No junk.  (Amazing concept, I know).

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I am also going to bed at a reasonable hour.  I am also sleeping well.  This insomniac is finally sleeping.

So that’s this update on the state of affairs.

#justkeepmovingforward

Heading to Ann Arbor Michigan on Friday with Sweet Red for Tri Goddess Tri. Looking forward to catching up with “old” SBM peeps and meeting lots of new faces.

Oh, and finally…

Sale at SwimBikeSell.com for Father’s Day— 25% off the Dad and Sherpa goodies with code: FATHERSDAY

dad

sherpa

13 Responses

  1. You do a lot of things I can’t fathom. I’m really in awe a great deal of the time reading your stuff.

    However, I am REALLY impressed with your ability to train at this level AND put an emphasis on your food/fuel/diet. I’ve read you a long time and I was always wondering if maybe the food/fuel/weight/beer/whatever would need its own focus (or focus in front of Tri).

    I mean — I hope it’s not silly or insulting that I mention this. I’m just super super impressed.

    Best of luck in LP!

  2. Apparently I’ve been eating your pizza, and ice cream, and cookies and well, crap, lately…although I will say that when my hotel for Fly By Night was RIGHT NEXT DOOR to DD, I drew the line…because we all know that, “Munchkins are NOT appropriate race fuel”. #coachbrettsaysso
    I’m gonna get back on that healthier eating horse too because I need to stop self sabotaging too. 🙂

    Can’t wait to see you again on Saturday! 🙂 Hope we can do a group picture on Sunday before the race.

    You will be amazing in LP!

  3. Avocados are my absolute fave! I even bought the Pampered Chef tool specifically designed to scoop that avocado out perfectly 🙂
    One of my favorite avocado sandwiches which is clean and amazing (just go with it because I know it sounds weird….) Ezekial cinnamon raisin bread with sliced turkey and avocado. The flavors meld together like no other!
    Congratulations on your weight too! That is fantastic!!!

  4. So proud of you, Meredith!!! Keep up all the hard work you are putting in! Glad to hear you are sleeping well, too. All are essential tools for life, let alone a 140.6.
    You are going to do great!

  5. I just started following your progress. You’re an inspiration for this hot mess! I have only done Sprint tri’s, but I may now have the guts to do a Olympic Tri. You are not all by yourself on those climbs! We are behind you.
    p.s. you look great!

  6. I’ve been a follower for awhile now, but have never commented. I have to now: so happy for you that you’re having success. Your weight loss milestone is great, to be sure, but I’m even happier about the way you seem to be chasing it. All the right reasons!!

    And one little tiny thing…any chance you can make shirts that say swim bike schlep instead of swim bike sherpa? I know the term isn’t going anywhere, but it is technically an ethnic group, not an activity. 🙂 It would be so awesome if you could help with getting rid of the term in common tri language. 🙂

  7. Well… :/ One, it’s not tiny to change a truck load of purchased shirts. And second, it’s not used in a derogatory manner. Sure, you can find “sherpa” defined as “member of a Tibetan people living on the S slopes of the Himalaya Mountains in Nepal, known for their endurance at high altitudes and often serving as guides for mountain climbers.” Language evolves–the term “sherpa” is far from ill-inspired or hateful in iits use. Sherpas are revered as a people and “brand” because of their amazing ability to endure and guide. The term, in every use I have seen, has been used to thank those who really do the heavy lifting on race day (e.g., can’t climb Everest without Sherpa; can’t race Ironman without my husband). BTW, it has also evolved into a verb: “To serve as a guide or porter for another.” So I think it’s far beyond the tri community in its use when it’s showing up as a verb elsewhere. 🙂

  8. You look and sound strong and at peace… you are going to rock this next one!

  9. Thanks so much for replying!
    I totally understand that you aren’t using it in a derogatory manner, but hope that maybe one day when your next round of shirts is due, maybe you’ll take the thoughts of those trying to reclaim #sherpa into account. It would mean so much. 🙂 🙂
    Again, I’m a really big fan, and I’m so happy for all your success in this post. You’re going to rock IMLP!

  10. I did it. I finally made the decision to purchase your book, after months and months of researching triathlon training and reading your website and blog. I want and need to get in shape and compete in sprint triathlons. I was a runner from age 16 to 40, running in high school when girls didn’t run. That was many pounds ago, a few kids ago, a few surgeries ago, many years ago! No excuses. No more. I’ll be 60 years old this summer, what better way to celebrate than to begin my triathlon training in my 60th year of life! As Meredith would probably say…….. GO ME!!

    PS – I originally posted this on the February 2 blog, and then copied it here. Congratulations to Meredith on her latest milestone! GO MEREDITH!!

  11. Staying on track with eating while training has always been the hardest part for me, its nice to know there are others who struggle to not eat the whole pizza after a 20 mile run. I went wild while training for my marathon and ended up gaining weight. I am determined not to do that while I train for my first HIM, the best way to think about it is fuel. Cars can’t run on crap and neither can I! Stay strong and enjoy the pizza at the end of IMLP!

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