She set up shop at the top of the driveway and she greeted every customer with a smile. She was savvy enough to offer the lemonade, wait for the confirmation, and then inform them it was 25 cents a glass.

 One lady gave Mia two quarters and Mia informed her that only one was necessary. The lady told her it was a tip and Mia sighed loudly and said, “That’s okay, you didn’t know how much it cost.” She was forgiving the client for giving her the wrong amount!

At the end of it all, she’d earned $8.50 and a button with a bicyle on it. Not a bad day’s work!

After, it was time to play in the pool. Playing in the pool apparently means trying to splash Aunt Melissa:

She sure knows how to beat the heat!

In the beginning of my running career, when I would show up for 5Ks or 10Ks, I would only know the friend or two who came along with me. Now, when I show up at a race, it’s a social event. At the Ballantyne Triathlon, my neighbor Melissa (who was doing her first tri) wanted to know how my brother Kevin and I knew so many people there. “I know him from this run, her from the group runs here, him from these runs, and him from drinking.” (Hmm, which ones of these doesn’t belong, Vince?)

If you are even thinking about running and you aren’t doing it yet, reach out to another runner you know. It’ll make all the difference in the world. And, I hate to be a comment-seeker, but it would be super cool if you’d go to CRC’s blog post here and comment on the post. They showed me support, so I’d love to show them some back!

So, would you have guessed this photo was taken just last month in Las Vegas – when temperatures were touching 110 degrees?

This was one of the coolest (coolest, get it?) things I’ve experienced in Vegas. Anil, Jeff and I went to a bar called Minus5 Ice Lounge, located in Mandalay Bay. Everything inside the bar is made of ice, and the temperature is, you guessed it, -5 degrees C (27 F).

After having spent a week and a half in scorching 100+ heat (mostly hovering around 107 or 108), I was all over this experience. As you see in the photo, we were given coats, gloves, and I got boots (I was wearing heels; the guys weren’t.) The package we got included two drinks, which were served in glasses made of ice. My margarita couldn’t have salt on the rim because it would have melted my glass! The bar was made of ice; there was an ice sculpture (haven’t seen one of those since college, and this one was shaped like a woman …)

We didn’t stay long; too many other fun things to see and do, but this is definitely a place I’d come back to. We already decided that next time we were gonna wear bathing suits under the coats just to pose for some “cool” pictures!

—

Much later in the evening, we wondered why all the bars were closing so early. Then we realized it was 3 a.m. Anil asked the bartender for a recommendation for a place that was still open, and the bartender named a place called Deja Vu. Anil started laughing. “What’s so funny?” I asked.

“It’s a strip club,” he said.

“Who cares?” I said. “They’re open, right?” (Ok, so I probably didn’t say “Who cares?” I probably actually said something like ”Ooh, fun!”)

As you may remember, I’ve only had one strip club experience prior, and I don’t think that really counts as a strip club experience. What better place to really experience a strip club than Las Vegas? So off we went.

The lovely man at the door informed us it was a $20 cover. Each. Toto, I don’t think we’re in Charlotte anymore … (ok, I say that, but truthfully I don’t have any clue what the strip clubs in Charlotte cost to enter). So, we paid the cover and were getting ready to go inside when all of a sudden these two guys came storming out.

“The strippers aren’t even taking their clothes off!” one of them said angrily to the bouncer. “We want our money back!” Then he turned to us and said “Don’t waste your money, guys!”

Anil sprung into negotiating action. “Hey, can we get our money back?” he asked.

I almost wanted to laugh at the whole thing – the poor bouncer is getting it from all sides now. One the one hand, I was thinking, “Who cares if they aren’t stripping; it’s a place to go and it’s open …” and on the other hand, I’m thinking, “We just paid $20 apiece … for what, exactly?”

Well, the bouncer had some harsh words for the angry clients who were now causing him to lose business. And then he informed us that he couldn’t give us our money back but he could offer some buy-one-get-one-free drink coupons. (He didn’t mention that those coupons were only for beers like Bud Light and that beers like Bud Light cost $10 apiece at this club. Yes, $10. For Bud Light.)

But free drinks seemed pretty cool at the time so we headed inside. And the strippers were indeed, clothed. They were dancing on poles in bikini-type outfits. For the record, the reason they were not topless was because apparently sometime around 4 a.m., this strip club turns into an “after-hours” club. We sat at the bar and a very nice woman started talking to me. She was complaining about how much she hated this place, and how she hated being here day in and day out. I was having a hard time figuring out why she would go to a bar she hated, until Anil informed me she was a stripper. Oh, she works here!  

The other thing to note about this place was the bathroom. Note I said bathroom and not bathrooms. Yep, we’re talking Ally McBeal style here. Ally McBeal style if they had hired Steve Buscemi to play the role of bathroom attendant. I’m not kidding. Steve’s long-lost twin greeted me at the entrance to the bathroom, and he was wearing a too-big sports coat and a pencil-thin moustache. He escorted me to the bathroom stall. I was more than a little creeped out, especially when I saw the stall doors were made of see-through glass. And the toilets were illuminated with red lights. If my phone battery hadn’t been dead I would have taken a photo because I’m certain you don’t believe me right now. Apparently the doors are supposed to frost over once you lock them, but either my lock didn’t work or my eyes didn’t work because it did not seem to frost over. I peed as fast as I could and got the hell outta there.

Later I actually had to go again and, sadly, Steve was gone for the evening. I did find two guys wandering around the stalls, confused. I was confused, too – didn’t realize yet that these bathrooms were unisex. “Which bathroom is the guy’s bathroom?” they asked me.

“Do you see urinals?” I asked. No … “Then this must not be your bathroom!” I sent them away, and it wasn’t until later I realized that we had all been right in thinking it was our gender’s bathroom …

Finally it got to a point where I could barely keep my eyes open. I felt so lame, not being able to hang, but I asked Anil if he would mind if we headed back. He was tired, too, so that worked out. We opened the front door of the club – and we were greeted by sunlight. No wonder we were so tired! I no longer felt lame. Took a cab back to the hotel, and as we’re about to head back to our rooms, he suggested breakfast. I was actually hungry, but tired was winning over hungry, so I rainchecked for after a siesta.

In all the time I spent in Vegas, this was the first time I actually felt I had the “Vegas experience.” Cool bars (I didn’t even mention EyeCandy, Raffles, Red Square, EyeCandy again …), hanging out in a winter coat, non-strippers, and back to the hotel at breakfast time. Vegas rocks!

It starts with new shorts and a smile, even at 7 a.m.

Hydration is always key to a day of fun, especially when it comes in a pink cup.

It helps to live in a state with beautiful places,

and to have friends who love adventure.

It can be a tough climb to the top,

but when you get there, it’s so worth it.

Drinks with friends are lighthearted, coffee with friends is intimate, shopping with friends is awesome. But there is something pretty special about sweating off 800+ calories before lunch and catching up on all the latest gossip at the same time. I can’t wait for our next adventure! Thanks for a great day, Jessica!

Jason and Sarah just moved to Charlotte from Orlando. Jason is an old friend of Jeff’s and they’re staying here for a few weeks until they find a house to rent. They’ve been here for two weeks now and they are looking for the best neighborhoods/schools/place to raise a family. The challenge here is to show them enough of Charlotte that they feel they can make a decision on an area of town to live in, yet not overwhelm them with information.

So, I’ll tell you first what we’ve shown Jason and Sarah in the two weeks they’ve been here (which hasn’t been much, due to work and job hunts and other busy activities):

Amelie's Bakery

= Petra’s. The question was asked, “Where’s the gay karaoke bar?” Petras it is! We had a blast hanging out and singing (badly) the first weekend they were in town.
= Boudreaux’s. Sarah had never had a mojito, so Boudreaux had to be an immediate stop. I was actually disappointed with the mojito that night; it was too sweet for me, but she liked it. They still haven’t had the yummy food there, though.
= Macs. Jason mentioned loving barbecue, so off we went. I’m not a barbecue fan but I will say Macs has awesome food in general.
= The Peach Stand. Call me biased, but when someone asks for a good place to raise kids in the Charlotte area, of course I think of Fort Mill. It’s my hometown, and I turned out just fine … (shut up). We did a drive-through of the town and didn’t get the chance to show them the Anne Springs Close Greenway or the Complex, but we did drive through downtown and Baxter and we had to stop at the Peach Stand to show them how Fort Mill does gas stations.
= The Penguin. Cheap, greasy, dive bar food? Fried pickles, grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches, corn dogs? We’re there.  This restaurant is even famous, featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.
= Park Place. You can’t take someone to Park Place without telling them the story about how it used to be known as Courtneys until the owner faked his own kidnapping and had the city looking for him for several days. That fiasco meant the end of Courtneys but I think Park Place tastes even better!
= Smelly Cat.  Well, technically it was closed when we got there so they didn’t get to have the coffee, but we sat outside for a few minutes and enjoyed the patio before going to …
= Amelie’s. The awesomest bakery in town. And that it’s 24 hours is even awesomer. Everyone needs to go here.

Now, back to Anil. He’ll be in town for three days only. Here’s the list of places so far I’d like to show him:

= Boudreaux’s. He loves cajun food and we had some yummy mojitos in Phoenix last month so of course I’d like to take him there!
= Flying Biscuit. He’s never had grits. I repeat: He’s never had grits. I told him I’d make him some homemade but Flying Biscuit is going to beat mine, hands-down.
= Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. Gotta show him some local brews, and OMB is conveniently located on the light rail. For the record, he’s staying the first night at my house; then everything after that has to be light-rail or cab or foot accessible.
= The Epicentre. We’re planning to party Uptown; even have reservations at the Aloft hotel for the after party. Speaking of Uptown, I’m thinking Cosmos for sushi and martinis; Crave for a dessert bar experience;  Cabo Fish Taco and other NoDa areas to show off the arts district, and Landmark or  for a middle-of-the-night meal. Of course, Mert’s for breakfast … or Pike’s.
= NASCAR hall of fame. This was his idea. I haven’t been here myself but I’m all about giving him the Southern experience; bring it!
= Lake Norman. A boat rental and a day on the lake – sounds like a great way to recharge before going back Uptown.
= Whitewater Center. I’m putting this on the list even though I’m guessing there won’t be time for it this trip; just means he will have to come back! Same with Crowders Mountain and the greenways. He’s thinking of running Thunder Road in December with me so I’ll have to point out the parts of the marathon route that he’ll be running …

Ok, so what am I forgetting to show my friends? What makes Charlotte Charlotte to you?

I thought this article was super interesting until I realized I have no idea if my belly button is high or low. I never thought about it before!

So, you tell me:  is it high or low?

And also, tell me – is yours high or low? Is the research correct or incorrect?

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.

I was on a 5-mile run, and I had taken my water belt with me. Typically I only do that if I’m running 6 miles or longer, but I was feeling a little dehydrated. I was a little bored with my Shuffle playlist, so I put my iPhone in my water belt and I was listening to music on the phone.

So, when the phone rang at slightly less than a mile, I heard it through the headphones (was using regular headphones, not the ones with a microphone.)

I twisted my water belt around, unzipped it, checked caller ID. It was Colleen. I almost ignored it, figuring I could call her after the run, but then I remembered she was at a concert so I figured she might need something to be calling from there. So, I answered it.

“Hey, do you have a minute?” she asked.

“Well, I’m running so I can’t really talk, but I can listen if you don’t mind my heavy breathing.”

“I’m at the concert and they’re selling Barenaked Ladies and Goo Goo Dolls concert tickets for $10. Do you want to go?” she asked.

“When is it?”

“July 30 and August 8.”

“Hang on,” I said, “Let me check my calendar.” (Yes, I was still running. Uphill I might add.)

I pushed the home button, went into my calendar, checked the 30th. “That’s the day before Cai’s birthday party, but I think that’ll be ok,” I said. “What do you think?”

“Sure,” she said. “And if you can’t go, I’m sure I could sell your ticket later.”

“Ok, I’m in!”

“What about Goo Goo Dolls?”

“Nah, I like them but I don’t need to see them in concert.”

We got off the phone and I continued my run. Apple would just have to edit out my Garmin, because if that was a commercial, I would have been using an app to track my run, too.

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!