Perspective

I swear the world has tilted off its axis this week. There has been so much going on that it feels “surreal.” I am usually good and keeping track of the day/time (which can be easily confused when you work from home on a flexible schedule) but the past few days, I haven’t kept track, I have been “going with the flow” and making the most of every minute, not caring about times, minutes, seconds…just making sure they matter.

I realized this week, that you must appreciate everything you have, because in a split second, it can all be gone. If your pet poo’s on your floor, laugh it off (but please clean is up:); if you have a work deadline, but your kid is sick, stay with your kid; if you are frustrated with your spouse for silly things, let it go/drop it; if you are on a diet, but fall off the wagon for a day, don’t worry!! Why do we think that the little things that happen in our lives make or break us?

My reality was seriously “distorted” before last Saturday; I “stressed” myself out because of little things…all it takes is an eye opening event to make you realize how good you have it. So this week I broke my routine:

-emailed my husband in the morning to say “good morning” because I was at swim practice and he worked late the night before and would not be up until after I left.

-Stayed up very late to work because I had “important” things to do – getting less than 8 hrs of sleep does not kill you.

-Slept in with my hubby and missed training because he is more important.
-Ate frozen meals, more than one day in a row.

-asked my coach for a “reduced training load”

-did not clean the apartment!

All of these things/changes may seem sooo small, which they are. The problem is I did not realize it..for me they were a detour from my “routine”. I got a good glimpse of the “real picture” this past week/weekend and can promise you I will never look at things the same way….I will appreciate every ounce of what I have because when you get “down” or think “things are bad,” they can ALWAYS get worse, so appreciate what you have, because guaranteed, many people have it worse than you do- so make sure to give thanks for everything you have, as small as it may seem.

I know this is a depressing post…I don’t want it to be sad..I consider myself a pretty happy person. I am a very happy person, but sometimes I catch myself off-guard complaining/ranting about things/events that bother me, but in the whole scheme of thing means nothing! So for everyone out there who figures complaining is a way to make yourself feel better, think about all you have, and if it was taken away, what that would you really do….

Cheers everyone, be thankful for what you have!

BONK!!!

It’s a thing you expect to happen when you are out for you “long” bike ride or “long” run….
Not today. It has been a long time since I last “bonked;” I would like to call it a “semi-bonk” because I at least made it home before I collapsed onto the floor and lay still for 30 minutes.

Now, this new “diet” is not so easy, I am eating things I have never even heard of, and to be honest, I don’t track calories these days…but, that changes today. I decided to try Quinoa flakes with some cashew butter this morning, and it filled me up to the brim!! I am talking about a “hearty meal.” Like the full you get with 2 eggs, bacon and pankcakes full!! So I figured I was more than well “fueled” for my 2hr ride.

I was soooo wrong!! I got about 45 minutes in b4 feeling a little “fatigued” and thought perhaps it is because I am too hot from being overdressed or I was getting dehydrated. I drank some water and carried on. At 90 minutes, I thought I was holding on for dear life..at 2 hours, I was surprised I wasn’t lying on the side of the road! But, I made it…I then tried to find answers and looked at the nutritional content of my breakfast; I found out the meal I had this morning contained less than 300 calories!! Now, we know where the problem lies…

Good news is that I got to miss swim practice, honestly I couldn’t even do one push up after my bike bonk! Lesson learned…

Tomorrow I am having rice cakes with eggs and nut-butters and anything else I can find chocked full will “good” calories!!

Mmmmmm...brown rice tortillas!!

Oh yum…I mean who wouldn’t want a brown rice flour tortilla with p-butter in exchange for a piece of toast or a bagel with the same? Pure crunchy, tasteless, goodness….strangely satisfying might I add.

Ok, ok, I have not flown off the rocker, I just went to a nutritionist..One of the BEST may I add. Ever since I was an undergraduate student I have been “diagnosed” with IBS (and for those of you who are not comfortable with GI related stories, stop reading now). I have only completed one race (1/2 Ironman in TX) without having to make “frequent” stops during the run. There are a number of “issues” that I have that are not normal..Which, the doctor will clump into a big generalization of “your have irritable bowel syndrome!” or in other words “learn to live with it and get over it.”

I met Megan Forbes (nutritionist) a month before Ironman Wisconsin through my husband. Gregory had seen Megan at a BTC meeting and thought she would be a great addition to our health and wellness website (www.pyrasports.com) so he connected with her and started collaborating. At this time, I was getting my “feet wet” with the whole aspect of the business, website design and marketing, so we set up a meeting for all three of us to meet together. Once topic of discussion lead to another, and then another, eventually we were talking about fruit, and I piped up “An apple goes through me like a freight train!!” …and then the silence…and THEN Megan pipes up…”do you have problems with fruits??” Which of course I always have but thought it was normal. To make a long story short, this is how my relationship with Megan started…she listened and picked up on the “key” items of the conversation, like the fact that I cannot absorb fructose!!(Megan is a smart cookie). So within a 3 week period, I revamped my diet and took a flying leap a faith on race day nutrition and it worked!! What a change..it was like a miracle to me!

I am seeing Megan “professionally” as my nutritionist now and we both realize that there is a lot going on with my digestion/absorption….I think IBS is a legit medical condition, but there is SOOO much else that can be going on and I don’t think I have IBS, but rather a few things that need to be worked out in my diet for me to absorb nutrients and keep the gut healthy (long stuff, but not blog material:)

So, for the next little while I am on a pretty restricted diet, but I am very excited for the outcome. My biggest hurdle has been to absorb “enough” calories…and for those of you who have large workout loads, you know how hard it is to “fuel “ yourself…I have felt weak, tired and downright exhausted at times although it “seems” I am getting enough calories on paper. But, the amount of calories you put in does not always equal what you get- if your gut does not absorb, you don’t get the energy-which is what Megan and I are trying to figure out.
Anyhow, the purpose of this post is to promote Megan. She is an awesome nutritionist, and will make a program work for “you” depending on your lifestyle and workload. For instance, I like a glass of red wine, however now it does not work well for me at the moment, so instead of cutting it all out, she will suggest something else (hmmm, let’s say vodka:) Even though I might not take that route, I love that there are options and alternatives…also the recipes she supplies!
So if you are in a rough spot and feel you may need a little push in the right direction or a whole diet overhaul, then keep Megan in mind.

Her business is:

Forbes Nutrition Consulting and you can email her at: meg@forbesnutritionalconsulting.com

What it takes to get a bus pass..

Gregory and I are very fortunate to live in a complex that has decided to for the “eco-pass,” which is … a bus pass.

The way it works is that we each get a piece of paper with our names, the apt. complex name and a sticker with a pre-assigned number on it, which we must take to the bus station to get a photo ID taken. Sounds simple, right??

And you know where this Is going…

Anyhow, photos can only be taken between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Monday and Wednesday, which is great! Because who doesn’t have that flexible schedule that they can take whatever time off they need to get a photo taken for a bus pass!! ….I know, I know, I have a flexible schedule, and I am very HAPPY about it…I am just voicing a concern for the other 20 people who stood in line with me today who had to take “vacation” time for a frickin bus pass!....and yes, I work too, so I did have to work late tonight to get it all done.

It takes a lot to really get me pissed off (or a little, but it has got to be good)…and this has been stewing for about…3 weeks. 3 weeks ago, Gregory and I went for the first time to get bus a bus pass; we had the papers, stickers and ID’s. No problem, right?? Wrong! Gregory got his bus pass with no holdup, but my name was listed as Mrs. Menvielle (which I am) however, my latest drivers license was from TX (gag!) under Chernick as well as my passport (because I don’t want to get deported!!)…it is a long story, but it is really unreasonable for me to change my last name at the moment. Anyhow..I got DENIED a bus pass because my license did not match the name on the paper…

So...we persisted and got a new paper signed with Ms. CHERNICK and went to go stand in line today. When we got to the bus station we were behind ~6 people…no problem, maybe a 15 minute wait?? I was here with Gregory before, it takes 2 minutes to take a picture and print the card. So we wait…10 minutes, 20, 30, 40 min and 4 people have gone in….At that point in time, Gregory has to go to get back to work and I am a frozen, so I let him go and I continue to stand in line… there are only 2 more people in front of me…and over 20 behind (poor souls!)

20 minutes later I am in the warmth of a small cramped room with about 5 other people. One young lady is about to lose it, because the guy in charge of the “bus pass” was not sure if she was disabled “enough” to qualify for a discount. Apparently she is getting a bus pass on discount due to a mood disorder (she is ~ 20 years old with black hair, black fingernails, black clothing, fake black eyelashes…you get the idea..) and is with her “support” lady is with her and reassuring her that it was a good thing she took her “medication” today and they were going to see the doctor after getting the bus pass... oh Lord!

It quickly becomes apparent to me why this is taking so long…the person in charge of the photos/cards is so fat he can barely move without hyperventilating, he also cannot see (every word on the sheet we give him, he must squint at), and he cannot type (imagine chicken scratch typing when you have no clue where the letters are on the keyboard). I begin to lose frustration and see the humor in this…. This is reminded me of my old job…where if you wanted to boil water and need to fill out forms for weeks and then 2 months later the process is approved! (and I am serious about that!) It is what it is…and it makes me appreciate the job I have now.

So, I escaped with my bus pass and headed to the Boulder Book Store Café to spend the rest of my afternoon working with the hubby, certain that I would accomplish more in an afternoon working for him than I would have working 3 months at my old job….

Why Chewy?

Chewy…how did I get the nickname Chewy??

Actually, it was a name that was given to me by my husband after our first date. What the heck sort of date was I on?? A 125 mile bike ride date.

Gregory and I had met months before through friends of friends in the Chicago Triathlon Club. Gregory lived in Boulder at the time, and I was training for my first Ironman (without a clue, coach or common sense might I add). I had baited Gregory into flying out to do the Horribly Hilly Hundreds with me in Wisconsin….I really didn’t think he would fly all the way to Chicago when I asked, but never assume anything with this man!! Gregory flew to Chicago, rented a car and we motored on up to Madison.

The next day, our “epic” journey would begin..and I had no clue that Gregory’s “out of shape” meant that he had not climbed any mountains within the past few months! Gregory climbed the hills like they were little anthills…and I found myself struggling. Then the fun began at mile 20, 30, and 40; 3 flats!! Which Gregory helped repair two of and on the third, he was ahead, thought I had taken a wrong turn and went to the next aid/stop….I took too long so he continued his “fun ride” through the petite mounds of dirt and I patched the tire with the help of another friend and had the tire replaced at the next stop. At that point in time, I think I was the last rider out there!!...I think I passed 2 or 3 others though.

The day was hot and windy…I was dying a miserable, slow death. I had no clue of “nutrition” so I was happy with coke and chips….and when I hit mile 90, with 10 miles until the final aid stop b4 heading back to camp, I was seeing spots and had committed to giving up and taking a SAG ride back…that was until I got to the final aid stop….And there was Gregory, might knight in shining armor! He hugged me, told me had a “horrible” ride and had been resting for the past 2 hrs (I assumed he would be back at the car cursing his “slow” date) because of cramps/fatigue and utter despair of missing me! He then proceeded to bait me into riding the final 25 miles with him…and I am a sucker for good looking men and a French accent.

So the journey continues and the rain begins, I am tired as hell and Gregory is pushing me along. Somewhere between 110 miles and 110.5 miles my contact became lodged in the corner of my eye from the pelting rain and I decided to bitch and moan and complain…of course it is obvious now, I was bonking, but I didn’t realize it at the time. So Gregory gently suggested that I “eat something”…within .0000005 seconds of his comment I reply in some sick sort of growling, yelping, scream “nnnoooooooooooo, I am not HUNGRY!!”….Gregory compares the sound to that of Chewbacca from Star Wars; hence the nickname “Chewy.” Then, at mile 111, I ask to pull over so I can eat something.

We finished the day with a bond…shall you say love at first bike ride? And then, two months later, Gregory admitted that the reason he was waiting at the last aid stop is because the volunteers had a TV (it was at one of the volunteers houses) on the deck and a soccer game from the World Cup had just started so he decided to watch it and wait for me….he didn’t have the guts to tell me what he had been doing when he saw what bad shape I was in!

So there you have it, my nickname, and what I refer to myself when I am hungry!

A Long Post,,, the past few years in review

Yesterday marked my one year anniversary from quitting my first “real” job. What a year to reflect upon!! December 2006 I graduated with my PhD in physical organic chemistry with what seemed to be the “perfect” job in hand…..little did I know…So, my fiancé at the time (husband, love of my life, and rock now:) helped me pack and we embarked on a year long journey and life in Houston TX. I like to compare it to Dante’s journey into hell.
To sum it up in a nutshell, the job sucked, I didn’t much like Houston (actually, I loathed it, but I made some really good friends whom I “get” why they live there…just not the place for me). I think Gregory and I went through our first “big” challenge as a couple; we pushed, pulled and lifted each other through that year…and yes, we survived! In the period of a year, we held down two demanding full time jobs, got married (twice!), were in Europe for the happiest and saddest moments of our lives (getting married and Gregory’s father passing on), spent more time in the ER than we would like, dealt with some cancer scares, and a broken hip (again!!). …2007 was a long, miserable year.
You can imagine the relief when I walked out the doors of the company I had worked for just a year for with a plane ticket in hand to Boulder!! I envisioned happiness, relaxation and a “better” life in 2008….But, so many things weighed on me, like “what the F*&3K am I going to do with my PhD??”
Now I get to reflect on 2008, and I like to call it a year of “growth.” I have grown in maturity, confidence, and physical capability. Most importantly, I have grown into my “own skin.” I am not sure why I pursued a chemistry career, and I can contemplate it for hours on end, but it comes down to the fact that when I was partying like a rock star in college, it was the only subject I could keep the grades (I also had a very supportive mentor that pushed me to be all I could be, so Rik if you are reading this, thanks!)…. the story begins and ends…I am now working with my husband and designing websites. Gregory showed me the basics and like a bird learning to fly, I had a slow start, but once I read some books and experimented, my wings spread wide and I love my new career!! I no longer go through the day looking at the clock, and Gregory has to pull me away from my computer sometimes. I find myself comfortable, excited and ready for each day rather than dreading it; a huge change from last year. In a way, I feel like the person who is on those commercials who is preaching “reach your goals, make your dreams come true!!” and I can honestly say that I was not like that leaving Houston…I was down in the dumps…it takes time to figure out what is right for you, it takes time… it took almost a year for me. I think the most important thing is to start small and everyday when you wake up, try and make the most of your day, take the good with the bad, but never tell yourself “you can’t” rather ask yourself “what do I need to do” in order to reach your dreams/goals…and never, ever let anyone tell you that you can’t!!!
I am entering 2009 with a new set of goals and in a much better position than I was last year. That is not without challenges in 2008!! This was a rough, tough; suck it up year as well. I am not trying to write a novel, but 2008 had its fair share of rocky moments. However, none were really work/career related. I have the most awesome husband who understands and has actually been through his own “what makes you happy” crisis (that is why he has his own company that is doing really great at the moment!!) And he made this a smooth transition for me. He also believes that I have “potential” (to qualify for Kona)…but to me, when you move to Boulder, that means nothingJ 2008 was a unique experience for me as well, because I finally had a chance to be coached by Wolfgang one-on-one…and I will tell you, he whooped my arsss over and over and over again. It would have to be a whole new post to talk about how Wolfgang’s coaching strategies in real person (maybe because I do every workout now) vs. coaching via email. Lets just put it this way..I had nooo idea what was in store for me, and felt like an ostrich just taking its head out of the sand. But… it worked!

Anyhow, the race year was rather unusual..in a negative yet positive way...Wolfgang told me to do an early season ½ IM , so we went down to Dallas…however, my new (replaced) bike frame did not make it because it was cracked by Fed Ex on the way down to the race. I ended up renting a bike from a local bike store and was ready to go…S&#t happens, you deal with it. We thought it would be fun to enter me into an elite wave so I could “push” myself….or at least have an idea of how fast I should be swimming! That went well, then I flatted and the spare kit CO2 inflater did not work (I am not blaming, this is my fault, I should have tested it b4 hand)_ and I waited 25 min for support. So I hauled ass, died on the run and another lesson was learned… I was only 5min slower than my fastest time and had only been under Mr. W’s supervision for 3 months!!
Then comes Ironman France…I almost died (literally). Somewhere between the bike and the run I became low on salt (never happened b4) and thought I was dehydrated and worked myself into a state of severe hyponatremia (after the race medics thought I was dehydrated to and gave me 3 bags of IV!!). So I ended up with seizures, the ER, the works and a 30 minute PR!!
I was unstoppable (well, perhaps scared shitless and knew if I didn’t do this race I would be handing in the towels for a long, long time) so I continued on to IMWI. What a blessing in disguise!! The race was on “home turf” for me I had a crapload of fun!! All I wanted was a healthy finish. And finish I did!! Healthy, full of life and knocked over 30 minutes off my Nice time on a spent body!!
That being said, I missed a roll down slot to Kona by one place…why on earth would it roll down, who the heck would give up a spot??…well, that is because the lady who got second place decided not to go. It was her first IM (can you imagine!!) and wasn’t sure…damn!! Funny thing is now that I am getting settled and branching out in Boulder, I joined a group of ladies who run and the lady who earned the slot but turned it down is running with me!! And she is one of the nicest people I know!! I don’t even think she realizes her talent!! Next year I hope she takes the slot wherever she qualifies because she deserves it and I want her to give the ladies a run for their money in KONA!
So yes, a year of ups and downs, but one to grown and learn from. I am sooo excited for this year, whatever is in store for me, bring it on!!!

Welcome!!

Welcome to my blog-land!!

I hope to keep friends/family up to date on the latest events (at least what I think is important:) and the adventures of my life.

Stay tuned for some good "Chewy" gossip (ok, ok...not a good way to start, Chewy is my nickname....perhaps I will blog on how I got the name??:)

Cheers!