From the Husbands Perspective

 (John racing..that is me on the left supporting him!!)

Most of my blogging has been about what I have been going through and how it has been affecting my life. I thought it would be interesting for not only myself but for those that follow my blog to hear how it effects my husband, John. Through the help of my friend Cara Elias, we came up with some great questions that I emailed to John. We thought we would get a more thought-out answer if he was alone when he responded. I cried when I read what he wrote.

I also have figured out the email situation to the blog, so please leave me comments, words of encouragement, tips, anything. It's always great knowing that people are actually reading this!!!

1. How has Megan's training affected your life?  
I don't think that much at all really. I knew what i was getting into when we started dating. I love the fact she works out so much and such awesome goals. I guess the only thing thats kind of changed would be that dinner is a bit later in the evening now.

2. Has her training created any stress on the relationship? 
I don't think much if any, i tend to go with the flow.

3. What has been the hardest thing for you to adjust to with her training? 
The time we spend together. Whether she's up with me at 5 am or training after work, the time we have together when we are both awake and coherent is not very much if at all some days.

4. How do you help make her training easier? 
I try to ride with her when possible and encourage her if trainnig isn't going according to plan,  and just let her know i'll be there for her no matter what.


5. Does Megan's goal to complete a Ironman make you want to do one?  
ABSOLUTELY.... not. Her goals are her goals.

6. How would you say her training is going? 
In my view i think she is right on track and it's coming together nicely.


7. If you had to give her one piece of advice to help with her improve her training from your point of view, what would it be? 
Don't sweat the small stuff. It will all come together in due time.

8. How do you think she will do at the Ironman?  
WIN duh.... it's first or last, shake and bake. Honestly i feel she will do great, I'm very proud of her for the training and time she has put in.

9. Do you think that this process has been fun for her or stressful?   
Both at least for her, how can it not be stressful when your putting that much effort into something and on occasion have a bad day training, then add the everyday life situations into the mix. However i know how much she loves working out and finds it a great release from the stresses of life.

10. Which leg of the Ironman do you think will be the easiest for her? The hardest?  

The easiest would have to be the bike for sure because of her experience and knowing how conserve energy the correct way. The hardest is going to be the first 5 miles of the run, at the end of a long swim followed by a long bike i think it may take a bit to get into a good rhythm.

11. Which leg are you most looking forward to watching her compete in? 
The run simply because i will get to see her raise her arms triumphantly at the end where can say she is an IRONWOMAN.

12. Do you have any race day fears for Megan?  

Some, hoping she eats and drinks enough.she has a tendency of not doing that which could be devastating towards her goals.  I will say though she has gotten much better at that.

13. Have you noticed that training for an Ironman has changed Megan in anyway?  

She is way more ripped than me...hahaha

Thanks for a great interview John, I love your honesty and I love you!

A Successful Weekend!

I raced on Saturday and it felt good to be back in competition. The last race I did was a road race last year, and the last triathlon that I did was in 2001. I wasn't sure how the race would go, but I was excited to find out.

A triathlon takes TONS of preparation. More time went into packing and driving then it took me to race the whole thing! Friday night I made a pasta dinner with grilled chicken and broccoli, it was very tasty. According to Jordan, I am the best cook ever!! John got my bike prepared with super fast Zip wheels and removed some excess weight from the bike to help go faster. Here is the list of everything you need for a Triathlon, regardless of the distance.

1. swim goggles
2. race outfit (depends on each athlete, I wore just a bathing suit)
3. running shoes
4. yanks for running shoes (elastic cords so you don't have to tie)
5. number belt
6. cycling shoes
7. helmet
8. glasses (optional)
9. hat (optional)
10. bike
11. bucket of water (to rinse of feet in transition area)
12. towel (to dry feet off after rinsing in bucket)
13. water bottles
14. race food (gels or bars)
15. body glide (to prevent chafing)

As you can see there is a lot of stuff!! I realized while I was packing that I no longer  had my number belt. This is an elsatic waist band that you pin your number to and wear around your waist for the bike and run. You don't wear it in the water because it would get ruined. I turned my MacGyver switch on and found an old polar heart rate monitor strap that I could use as my number belt. I also loaned my yanks to a friend and had to take apart a pair of water shoes that had the elastic cord and put them on my shoes. Everything worked out great.

Sat AM

John, Jordan and I loaded the car at 5:30am. Headed to the race. I went straight to pick up my packet. I noticed that there wasn't much order to the race. Ususally you have a certain place were you rack your bike in the transition area, and only the competitors are allowed in the transition area, well not here. It was a free for all. Since we got there late, I had to rack my bike in the last row, which worked fine for the swim, but not for the run.

The Swim

This was a mass start with all the woman 35 and under. I have been putting the distance in on my swims, just not the speed work and it showed. It took we awhile before I could get into a rhythm. I did great with spotting, just not used to a straight up sprint.

The Bike

I knew on the bike this is where I would make up my time. My transition from the swim to the bike was a little slower than I would have liked so I knew I would have to crank it out. The confusing thing with a tri is that you don't know where people are in terms of placement. Your age is written with a permanent marker on your calf, so you can look for that, but some peoples rub off. Also with the different wave starts it's hard to tell who's winning the overall. You just have to go as hard and fast as you can. I passed people left and right and felt great on the bike. When I came into the transition to the run, John said I was sitting in 3rd place.

The Run

The run went great. I felt awesome, got into a great groove. Took water when I needed it and was cruising. Since it was an out-and-back course you could see how many people were ahead of you. There were more woman ahead of me, but most started in the swim wave 6-9 min ahead, so not sure where I stood overall.

The Results

I took 1st in my age group of 25-29 (I was the oldest too)
I was 6th overall female
37th overall combined men and woman.
3rd fastest bike split out of all woman
20th fastest bike split combined
I ran a 20:40 5k which is a 6:40/pace
I rode a 32:09 12mile which is a avg speed of 22.4/mph

I am REALLY happy with my results. My training has been slow, steady miles, not short speed work. I ENJOYED the race more than anything which is so good. I really want to race again, and I can't wait for the Ironman. I know the distances are on two different spectrums, but I'm looking forward to getting out there and pushing myself.

I want to give a big THANK YOU to my awesome husband John and super cute step-son Jordan for coming out and cheering for me at such an early time of the day. After the race we went to Jordan's baseball game where he hit his 1st HOMERUN. A successful weekend for all of the Howes!

Will right in later with this weeks plans.

First Big Open Water Swim

 (this isn't me, but very similar to what my swim looked like!)

4am - Wake up

4:15 - Leave for Medford, NJ

5:10 - Call Frank because I am LOST! Stupid NJ jug handles..rrrrrr

5:30 - Start Swim!!!

When I first started my training back in December, I met two guys at LA Fitness who invited me to swim with their weekend group at a lake in Medford, NJ. It wasn't until Monday when I had a small freak-out about my training that I gave Frank a call. I was sure he had forgotten who I was, but lucky for me he hadn't and he told me about a group swim they were having this Wednesday morning at 5:15AM. Without the slightest hesitation I said yes.....WHAT... AM I CRAZY 5:15. Oh the things you will do for training.

I have not had ANY open water swims since I started. I don't really count the honeymoon swims. I have been swimming the distance in my training in the pool, but it is not the same thing. The water pool is clear, and the lake is brown. Huge difference. Plus you don't have the wall to kick off every 25 yards and you can't stand. You also have to do this thing called "spotting".

Spotting is what you do to make sure you are on the right path. So about every 8-10 strokes you will lift your head straight out of the water to see if you are on the right path. In most races they will have big blow-up pyramids that are a bright color along the course for spotting. For the swim I did today, we just followed the shore line.

The water wasn't too cold, but I did opt to wear my wetsuit for experience. It's a little restricting at first because your not used to being squeezed into something so tight, but it doesn't take long to get used to it. We swam .9miles out and .9miles back. I think I went further because I was not in a straight line and went further than the turn around point. No biggie. Because I had not done such a long swim in the open water before it took me awhile to find my rythem. Once I did i was cruising.

The only "problem" I had was with my massive amount of hair. My hair reaches halfway down my back and is really thick. I have to put it in a bun to keep in the swim cap. I can't put the bun to high because it interfers with the goggle strap, and with the bun low (like i usually have it) it kept creating problems with my spotting. I couldn't get my head high enough out of the water without coming to a stop. I now have a kink in my neck. I am thinking about cutting my hair shorter, but not crazy short, or experimenting with a differnt way of wearing the hair in the cap. This only seems to be a problem with the wetsuit on. Whats a girl to do.

All - in - All I had a GREAT swim. I loved swimming in the lake, even if it was so early. This has also been my longest swim thus far! As I was finishing the last leg, the sun was rising and I felt like I was in a movie, right before the giant shark came and ate the early morning swimmer!!!

(My coworkers keep teasing me that there are fish-snakes and sharks that will come get me...i'm not listening to them)

Looking forward to my next big open-water swim. This weekends lake swim will be really short at the race. I have deceided not to wear a wetsuit and brave the cold water for a few minutes. This will cut down on my transition times!!!

Talk to you soon!

I'll see u in 76 days Ironman!!

26 weeks down and 11 more to go!

This past week I finally felt like I was back on track with my training and the rest of my life. Things in the house are in order, my kitchen is in full function with all of the new pots and pans, pyrex, knives, plates, cups, you name it, it's in their and I love it all!!

The week ended on a positive note with a great weekend of training. Fri after work I got my long continuous swim in which felt great. Sat morning John and I did 100 miles on the bike and I felt really good, much better than the last 100miler we did and Sunday I hit the river with Helena to run 10 miles in the blazing heat.

I am in the last real training phase of the program and this is the most important.
My workouts will be longer and harder, and I think I'm ready for it.

Week 27 looks like:

Mon: Off
Tue: Swim (50min continuous swim) with some open water drill exercies
Wed: Run 12mile run
Thur: Brick (Bike 1.5hrs followed by 3miles run)
Fri: Bike (recovery with a few sprints)
Sat: SPRINT TRI (1/4mile swim, 12mile bike, 5k run)
Sun: Bike 5-6hr  followed by 7mile run

I'm excited to race this weekend. It's a small race, but my age group is one of the largest so I will have some competition which I like. My goal is to podium, and to get some good practice at my transitioning. I will practice that this week as well.

Have an awesome week!

Wetsuit...(aka speedsuit)

I tested out the new wetsuit this morning at the pool. I didn't really know what to expect. I got into the suit in the locker room and had some funny looks from other members.

The last time I tried the suit on I was sweating like crazy, this time I didn't and it was really easy to slip on. I guess the lesson learned here is don't eat a big meal before trying on a wetsuit!

The first lap in the pool felt lightning fast. It was so cool how my body glided across the water.

For the Ironman and other triathlon events, wetsuits are only allowed to be worn in temps 76.1 degress Fahrenheit. If you chose to wear one in temps above the allowed amount you are not elligable for awards and world championship qualifying slots. There are also other requlations on the wetsuits in terms of materials and thicknesses, and the one I am wearing qualifies.

The wetsuit I have is the 2XU Women's C:2 Comp 2 

 Full sleeve and full leg.

At first I thought I should get the sleevless wetsuit with the nicker bottoms, but after speaking with some professional triathletes at CycleLife USA, I chose to go with the full body wetsuit.


I was surprised during the swim at how fluid the suit it. It was not uncomfortable at all, I felt great in it, and I feel like it help keep my swim stroke and body in great form. The only time I felt water in the suit was when I turned around from the wall on each lap, other than that no big deal. With the sizing of a suit, I was on the cusp of an XS and Small. I went with the small because that's all the shop had in size, but after the swim I think I will stay with it.


For those who are looking to get a wetsuit I would reccomend calling around to a local bike or tri shop to see if they do rentals. It's best to test the suit out in the water before making such a large investment. If you live in DC, check out CycleLife USA, they sell and rent suits. $35 for a weeks rental.


Also if you are looking for name brand 1-piece bathing suits, I get mine at TJMax and Marshalls. I just got a Nike Performance suit that retailed for $74 for only $17. The only downfall is they only sell them in the summer, so stock up for the winter if you don't want to drop 80 bucks for a suit.


I am planning on doing a sprint try next weekend, will decide for sure this week. Anxious to get back to racing!!

Wedding | Part Deux...

The Honeymoon | Sunday May 23, 2010 3am!!

John and I left for our honeymoon at 3am. We flew out of Newark airport, to Miami.

Around 1pm we boarded the Liberty of the Seas, one of the largest ships out there. It was so big.
Once on the ship we started exploring, checking out the bars, the pool deck, rock climbing wall, karakoe bar, fittness center and much more. The cruise holds specials on excursions and massages if you book on the first day, so we did that as well.

The ship left Miami at 4pm, and we were headed to the Western Carribean.

The itineary was as follows.

Sun - At Sea

Mon- At Sea

Tue - Labidee, Haiti (priviate part of island owned by Royal Carribean)

Wed - Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Thurs - Grand Caymen

Fri - Cozumel, Mexico

Sat - At Sea 

Sun - Return to Miami

We only booked two excursions from the cruise, and the rest we played by year. In Labidee we did a couples massage in a cabana. It was by the water so not only were you relaxed from the massage, you also heard the ocean and felt the nice breeze. It was so nice being pampered, expically after the wedding week. The rest of the time we spent at the beach.

Jamica was a blast. We did a catamaran boat ride with snorkeling and a trip to Dunn's River Falls. The snorkeling was amazing, the water was really nice ad it felt good to get some exercise! The Falls were so cool, it was kinda like a team building exercise cause you had to hold hands with your group in a line and help eachother up the falls, it was neat. I bet i could make it up in 2 min if i went by myself! We had some jerk chicken and beans on the boat ride back with a few beers, i could get used to that!

Grand Caymen was nothing to special, just hung at the beach.

Cozumel was fun. We rented a scooter and drove it around the Island. Went to a really nice beach, hung there most of the day. Checked out the downtown area before heading back to the ship.

The nightlife on the boat was fun. We had dinner every night at 6pm with 3 other couples. We had an assigned table, and assigned servers. We were lucky to have a really great group of people to sit with. After dinner we usually went to a show, hung out at the bar or did some karakoe, well at least i did some singing!!

During the days on the ship, we hung at the pool, did some rock climbing and took naps. We slept in pretty much everyday until 10:30. It felt so good to get some much needed rest.

I worked out 5 days on the ship, running and weight lifting. I didn't go crazy, but felt good to work out.

A lot more stuff happened, but I will keep that for John and I. We had a great time!

 Back to reality | Week after wedding

The week back from the honeymoon was just as crazy as the wedding week. Unpacking from the trip, spending time with the puppy, opening all of the boxes from the bridal shower and re-organizing the kitchen with all the new pots, pans, plates...etc. I also was finishing up final details for the triple baby shower I was co-hosting over the weekend. My mom flew in on thursday to surprise my sisters and brothers at the shower, which was so fun.

The Shower was awesome, a ton of work, but well worth every drop of sweat. Alycia should be having Izzy within the next 15 days, Cara in July and Michele in Aug. I can't wait to meet all of my nieces and nephews!

In Ironman News | 83 days till the race

Finally back on track with the training. My workouts last week were nothing to write home about, but that is to be expected after a week of rest. This week I hope to be much more sucessful.

Week 26 of 37

Mon - Off (still need more sleep)
Tue - Swim (endurance swim in wetsuit 2400 yards)
Wed - Run 10 miles
Thur - Swim & Bike (1mi swim & Group Ride)
Fri - Swim (endurance swim by time)
Sat - Bike & Run (100 mile bike & 2mi run)
Sun - Run 10 miles

This weeks program was a combo a two diff weeks to make up for some missed workouts. I am excited to try the wetsuit out. I want to thank CycleLife USA of Washington DC for setting me up with a suit to try. They are the best bike shop around.

Sorry for such a long entry, so much has been happening...i think i need another vacation!

Talk to you soon.

Megan Marie HOWE!

The Wedding | Part 1

My husband and I are back from our honeymoon and back to reality... well trying to be at least!

There is so much to tell and I will have to paraphrase but I will break this into a two part section!!

Part 1 | Wedding Bliss

How do I describe the wedding and everything leading up to the big day... simply amazing does it best! I won't go into the boring details of getting nails done, stuffing hospitalty bags, because we all know it got done at somepoint. The wedding weekend for me started once we got to the venue.

Thursday | The day before the wedding.

Nails, lunch, running, packing the car, unloading the car, checking into the room, unpacking in the room, greeting early guests, and then the actual rehersal!!

It was starting to feel real seeing the room all set up with the seats and the pretty covers on them. Then even more real when I practiced walking in with my Dad!! The rehearsal went well, Travis did a great job and I was so excited to see him do the service for real!! After the rehearsal we were off to dinner at Ricks. My mother-in-law Pat did an amazing job setting up the dinner. We had it outside on the back deck of this great Italian restaurant. The food was sensational and I can't wait to go back on our anniversary! Once dinner was done John and I said our goodbyes until tomorrow when we would see eachother all fancy and almost married!!

Friday | Wedding Day!

I could not sleep Thursday night, but that doesn't come as a surprise to me, I am a terrible sleeper. I  woke up early to go for a run with Helena and Melissa. We ran for about 9 miles on the tow path the runs parallel to the Delaware River. I felt great after the run, quickly showered, grabbed some Starbucks coffee with the girls then headed to the hair salon... Salon Metro in Morrisville. My mom, mother-in-law, Aunt Pixie and brother Pat met us there. We had a blast there, Pat took so many pictures. Alycia & MIchele brought a great spread of food, homemade scones, fresh fruit and some bubbly. They kept making sure I ate. My hair and makeup came out great, I loved it and felt so fresh and chic, exactly what i was going for.


On the way back the girls and I stopped at this cute cafe called Blue Moon in Lambertville for a quick bite before pictures. I ate so much food, and I'm glad I did, beacuse taking pictures is really exhausting. It was getting more real as the events moved on, putting my jewelry on... the new pearl earings that John gave me as a gift, my sassy high heals, then the dress. I love my dress and loved how it looked on me, very romantic and sweet. John and I wanted to take pictures before the ceremony so we didn't feel rushed and could enjoy our time with our guests, but I still wanted to see John's face light up when he first saw me, so the Photographer, Pete staged a meeting and photographed the whole thing. He looked so handsome, I am a lucky girl. We took more photos than I have ever taken in my whole life, but it was fun and they came out great. You can view the photos my brother Pat took at the following link.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=patrickesmonde&target=ALBUM&id=5477632369489456081&authkey=Gv1sRgCLvgs7jbipbcbA&feat=email

When we started lining up to walk down the isle it got super real. I asked my dad if he was ready to give me away and he said the first time I dropped him on the bike going up the hill on 535 (rode in orlando) he said that was the day he let me go... it was the sweetest thing I ever heard from him. I was ready. John looked so handsome waiting for me. My brother-in-law Travis performed the ceremony and he was AMAZING. I can't even describe what an amazing job he did. He was funny, and sweet and so true to John and I. I am so glad he performed the ceremony for us, I wonder if does funerals and baptisms too!!!! John seemed very nervous and wouldn't take his eyes off of Travis when we were saying our vows to eachother... it was so cute. So After we were officially married the rest of the night was ours to party.


The cocktail hour was a lot of fun, food was good and it was nice to finally relax and have a drink. John and I saw the reception room before the guests did and I was blown away with how it looked. All of my hard work payed off and it looked fantastic. The gusets loved everything, the food was good, everyone was dancing and seemed to have a good time. The toasts were sweet and heartfelt and the first dance was everything i thought it would be. After the party was done and John I went back to our room to change for the after party, we had a lovley suprise, a decorated room with candles, rose petals and champagne. We have such an amazing family that loves us, we are so lucky.


Sat & Sun | After the wedding


The rest of the weekend flew by fast. John raced on Sat in Wilmington, DE with my brother. Dinner with my parents, finishing packing for the honeymoon and taking care of my sick puppy. Puma was so upset that we were leaving that he was throwing up all day Sat... he is doing much better now.


John and I left for the honeymoon at 3am on Sunday. Tune in for all the details of the Honeymoon...


Now it's back to training. More on that too!


I just want to give a huge thank you to everyone who helped make our day so special. Michele you are such an amazing sister and I don't know what I would do without you. I love you all so much.