Archive for July, 2012
Swim-Bike-Run … This Is Supposed to Be Fun … RIGHT?
Posted by: | CommentsLOL! Race No. 2 of 2012 in Corpus Christi, Texas, was SO exciting for me and somewhat freaked me out! For those of you who have been following my blog since I started you know I have mainly done running races. Well, I figured I’ve got this pretty new blue bike from Giant® Bicycles, so why not go for a triathlon!! While it wouldn’t be my first triathlon, it would be the first one in a long time. (I completed my first Olympic distance triathlon in San Francisco, Calif., with a bunch of past BL contestants in July of 2010 before I really got serious about my 50 in 50 by 30 Challenge.) So cut to 18 months later and I’m headed to Corpus Christi for the HITS Triathlon Series Sprint Triathlon. Many thanks to race organizer Mark Wilson for all he did to make my experience great!
This race journey began WAY BEFORE I wiggled into my wetsuit. My packing list for race day usually consists of this:
- Mizuno running shoes
- ASICS® running socks
- White Nike® visor
- Pink CEP® compression calf sleeves
- Target® sports bra and undies
- lululemon® racerback tank and running capris
- Cherry-Lime Roctane by GU
- Extra Gum … GREEN (duh!)
- Aquaphor (WHAT? I’m a runner what you don’t chafe. Well you won’t if you apply this before your RUN!!)
- Water (hand held; no running belt for this girl)
- iPod nano
- Grey Oakley® sunglasses
- White Sony® earbuds
- Garmin® running watch
- bodybugg® (which I wear everyday)
I know what you may be thinking, especially if you aren’t a runner: “Rebecca that’s a crap ton of stuff!” Well, yeah, it kind of is but I’ve got it down to a science and I use them all for both short and long runs! But this race was not just a run, it was a tri. For those of you who aren’t familiar with triathlons that means first you swim, then you bike, and oh yeah, then you RUN! So I have two more legs of this race I need to pack for. Not to mention shipping my bike. Luckily, I have a great relationship with Bif Ridgway and all the professionals at Bike World. They took the time to educate this novice biker on how to box and ship my bike! So, in my true last-minute form, I went to Going Postal in West Des Moines to ship my bike. It didn’t cost me an arm and a leg, but where to send it? Decided on Bay Area Bikes because it was near my hotel!! I ended up driving to a FedEx main office to retrieve my bike from the truck, which saved me about $200! Thanks so much guys!!
NOW to finish packing … bikes shorts, shoes, and helmet, no head phones — because you can’t wear them in tris 
— wetsuit, goggles and swim cap!
As anyone who runs or competes knows, having/using the same equipment every time is somehow calming. I could get on the plane and not freak out!!!
I took a flight into San Antonio (WAY cheaper), and lucky me, Hertz upgraded my reservation to a crossover, which was a perfect fit for my bike! A two-hour drive to Corpus Christi, a visit to Bay Area Bikes and in no time I was there.
Believe it: if you are EVER in this part of the country you HAVE to check out the people at Bay Area Bikes! They were SO very helpful getting my bike — and me — ready. I was SO nervous and they calmed my fears and made it seem so simple.
I checked into the official race hotel — the Omni Hotel on the water — then all I had left to do was get my race packet! After a LONG walk in the rain getting lost twice I finally found the tent with racers, then off to chow down on some pre-race spaghetti and meatballs and go to bed, pre-race rituals completed!
My wave for the sprint triathlon started early: 7 a.m., so I had to hustle to the Gulf! Oh yeah, did I forget to mention I was going to be swimming in the Gulf of Mexico! BANANAS!!
This HITS Sprint Triathlon started with a 750 meter swim, and — great for me — I wasn’t the last out of water! However, what many people don’t know is triathlons are won and lost in the transitions (the time it takes you to get to the next leg of the race). Needless to say I was wobbly (like goo, if you must know) after the swim, so I was LAST out of transition! UGH!! For the first few seconds of my 12.4 mile bike ride I cried. Then I realized why I had chosen to wear my UNSTOPPABLE Nike T-shirt for the bike/run portion of this race: to remind me the ONLY
PERSON WHO CAN STOP ME … IS ME! Then and there I embraced every bit of my new power belief and became UNSTOPPABLE! I passed a few of the people who had passed me in transition and I completed my race. I was in no way first but I wasn’t last. I always look at it this way: “There is only ONE winner, so everyone else should just enjoy themselves.”
I DID IT! All by myself! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all of my family/friends/fans who prayed and sent me best wishes!
Back to the hotel for a shower and a nap, then back to Bay Area Bikes to ship Bubbles (I bonded with my bike during the race so I named her). I had time to enjoy San Antonio the way I most like to do: shopping and eating. I hit lululemon to buy more workout/training clothes, then Googled Triple D restaurants in San Antonio (for those of you fellow foodies you know I am talking about Guy Fieri’s TV show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, which I know I’ve mentioned in another blog) and chose to eat at Chris Madrid’s Nachos and Burgers!
If you’ve read my blog before, or heard me speak, you know I believe genuinely that fitness and health is not about constant denial, which only sets you up for failure. After completing the sprint triathlon, I figured why not make this my once-in-a-while indulgence! I got a little lost … then found Chris Madrid’s. Typical Rebecca, I waited in line on the wrong side for 10 minutes, finally found my way to order the world-famous Tostada Burger. I starting chatting with the other people in line, we got to talking about the triathlon, and when I went ordered my food to-go they invited me to sit with them! One of the best parts of my journey is meeting new people. I ate dinner with their whole family, in from Houston! I just love visiting different parts of the country; I just never know who I will be joining for dinner!!!!
Up next: my birthday weekend race in Virginia … WOOT!!! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Back at the 50 in 50 by 30 Challenge: First Race of 2012: UTAH!!
Posted by: | CommentsI decided to take January off from my 50 in 50 by 30 Challenge and the next thing I know it’s February! Time’s a wastin’! Utah it is. Why? In December, while Daniel and I were at the Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge (we are Ambassadors; there are three: Utah, California and New York) I read about the Run Like a Girl 5k in nearby St. George, Utah. But first the backstory …
I told you in a previous blog that I met some serious new “family” while I was at the resort. No lie. We connected especially with two people: Brynn Lunkins and Kim Hawkings.
Brynn was originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and Kim is from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Our friendship with Brynn became very special very quickly at Fitness Ridge. So much so that Brynn decided to move temporarily from Cleveland to Des Moines for a few months to train with us (Daniel and I are certified personal trainers) to continue his weight-loss journey after he left Fitness Ridge.
You probably guessed by now that Daniel accompanies me on many of my travels. When it happened that Daniel couldn’t get to Utah for Run Like a Girl, Brynn decided to return to Utah and support me during my race! We both decided it was the perfect opportunity for a mini-reunion with our friend Kim. Did I mention that Kim dropped some serious weight at Fitness Ridge in the month or so she was there? I thought Run Like a Girl would be a great one for Kim to spread her wings and RUN a 5k with ME!!
What fun. Of course, Kimmy, Brynny and I took advantage of Utah’s proximity to Las Vegas (only an hour away) and hung out a little bit in Vegas, just to relax and catch up, then Kim and I did the 5k.
Come Saturday morning I was decked out in my usual pink (DUH!!!), but it was especially fitting because it was, afterall, Run Like a Girl. Thanks to race organizer Amy Vellinga for all the hospitality and generosity. Amy let me jazz up the runners before the race, so I shared my story, then Kimmy and I took off. Kim wanted to stop several times — because she thought she needed it — but I said NOPE. I told her we must keep it going, we could slow down a bit, but stopping was NOT an option!! We ended up finishing the 5k in 40 minutes or so! That day Kim became a RUNNER! She realized her inner athlete and has not stopped since!
It was at that point I also realized that with every race in my 50 in 50 by 30 Challenge it is not only about MY life-changing journey, it’s about getting out there and helping change other people’s lives.
To finish these races in the next two years is truly a humbling experience! I cannot wait to tell you about more of the amazing people I’ve met thus far! Thanks for sticking with me. Soon it’ll be back to real time blogs … no more catching up for me! Next stop, Texas!
Catching Up With December
Posted by: | CommentsContinuing with the catch up theme … In December I took a little time off from racing, because my now fiancé and I felt it was time we started OUR OWN COMPANY!!! WOOT! We thought and thought on what to name it … and one afternoon during our now-allotted business hours I glanced down at my new sparkly engagement ring and it hit us like a light bulb … we officially became FitnessWrightNow, LLC. We started training clients out of a 24/7 gym called Maximum Fitness. It’s PERFECT for us and our busy, on-the-go lifestyle, since it never closes! If you’d like to know more about our company, check out FitnessWrightNow. There’s more I can tell you but I want you to look at it! 
FitnessWrightNow is more than just personal training and weight-loss coaching! No, no, this dynamic duo of former fatties does motivational speaking too! Let’s face it: not only am I blessed to have my best friend as my fiancé and business partner, but we play really well off of each other speaking … if I do say so myself. So, Daniel and I helped Aviva USA (a great business) kick off their annual Holiday Health Bowl. We gave a presentation about “Healthy Holiday Eating” and followed that with a 10-week boot camp class! We’re happy to still be doing personal training and classes there today. Aviva has been great to us and we love helping their employees see success in their wellness.
Geez!! December really was a full month! We got the BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENTS EVER!! Daniel and I were given bikes from Giant® Bicycles and Bike World in West Des Moines. As sponsors, Giant and Bike World are the BEST! They hooked us up with a custom fitting so we would be as efficient as possible for our upcoming triathlons. My bike’s a blue Avail 1 … her name is Bubbles! Bif, Forrest, and everyone else at Bike World West really has made us feel like family. What a relief, because Daniel and I were definitely what you would call “novice” bikers.
Oh yeah! There’s still more in this month … and we’re only half way through! Most people would think that a month off from racing would be a time to lie low, rest, relax … NOT ME! Daniel and I decided this was a great time to check out The Biggest Loser Resort: Fitness Ridge in Ivins, Utah. For all of you out there who wonder what “The Biggest Loser” ranch is like: this is the closest thing to it! Instead of Jillian’s coffee breath yelling at you … you get Sharon. We all love Bob Harper’s beautiful baby blue eyes, right? Well, that’s what trainer Sione Fa is there for! Sione was on Season 7 with Daniel. These two, as well as ALL of the other staff members, made this time truly great!
I know it sounds silly, but for me it was almost like going home. What do I mean by that? Well, on “Loser” we would start our day with some sort of cardio. At Fitness Ridge, our mornings started with hikes! They usually lasted about two hours and ranged in difficulty level. I decided I wasn’t messing around and got on the “advanced” group. I wanted to see as much of the beauty that Ivins has to offer, but also get my calorie burn! After that, your day ranged from kickboxing class to yoga to mental and emotional classes. The mental and emotional classes were my favorite part. They do these VERY well. The life coaches there know their stuff! I learned things about myself even after the two years of change I’ve been living through. All in all, I give the place two thumbs way up! And, I’m an Ambassador, so if you decide to check out one of the resorts (there are three locations), tell them Rebecca Meyer sent you.
As happened to me on “The Biggest Loser” I came away from my time at Fitness Ridge with LOTS of new friends and family!! Want to hear more about them? Visit again to read my next blog coming at ya ASAP!!!