I did it! My first sprint-triathlon.

I only have this sorry little picture of my race number with my tennis shoes that I took tonight. I knew that I couldn't go to bed (yes, it's only 8pm and I'm getting ready to go to bed) without recording something about this day. Fortunately or unfortunately, I didn't have a camera with me today so I was unable to record anything with it. However, if I did have a camera this is what I would have taken pictures of at my first sprint-triathlon race:

My Transition Space
I set my bike on the bike rack with the approximately 200 other bikes and set up a blue clean-sheet about 2 feet wide by 3 feet tall on the ground to the left of my bike. On it I folded my towel, placed my running shoes (precisely unlaced) and in each shoe was my sock with baby powder in it. Above my shoes were my bike helmet and riding gloves and sun glasses. And at the top was my backpack and an almost empty bottle of water (NOTE TO SELF: bring more water bottles next time).

The Cool Smooth Water of the Pool and It's 10 Lanes at 5AM
The race took place at the Jewish Community Center in Scottsdale, AZ. Their pool was cool and beautiful. It's amazing how much longer the lanes looked than the lanes I had been training in. At 7:16AM as I was in the water at the start of the first lane I heard, "One, two, three. Go" and I pushed off from the wall in an underwater glide to start my first sprint-triathlon race.

The Timing Pads
We wore timing chips around our ankles and so I had to make sure and cross the timing pad after I climbed out of the pool to run to the transition area and then once again after I returned from biking 9.5miles to transition into the 2 mile run. The final timing pad was under the finish line.

The Sea of Athletes Milling Around the Bike Racks
As I mentioned earlier there were about 200 adults and about 30 children competing in today's sprint-triathlon. The children ran first in their own modified race (there were kids there who could totally whip me). The gamut of athletes ranged from truly, full-time professional triathletes and ironman runners to people like me and there were as many women as there were men. It was amazing to see all the expensive equipment, special tri-suits, and toned bodies and then there was me. However, we all endured the same trials and ultimately we all crossed the same finish line.

Me Crossing the Finish Line
I did it! In fact as I was completing the final 1/4 mile of the run (mostly walk on my part) I actually got a little chocked up. I've busted my butt to do this and I did it. I kept thinking to myself , "I can do hard things." I think that may be my new life's mantra.

I CAN DO HARD THINGS.

If you don't believe me, I'll show you my number.

BTW: final "unofficial" race time 1hr 24min.

God Lives At the Post Office

This is one of the kindest things I've ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is a beautiful soul working in the "dead letter office file" of the US postal service. Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:


Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her. You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith
_________________________________

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith , ' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

_____________________________________

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven.

Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.

Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.

I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.

By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God

Arthur Lee Schaub - 10 Oct 1918-26 Jun 2009

My Grandpa Schaub passed away Friday night, June 26th. He was 90 years old. His passing was bitter-sweet. I'm terribly sad to have him gone. However, his quality of life in the past month had deteriorated so significantly that I hated to watch him suffer.

I love my grandpa. He has always been such a strong example of dedication, hard work, personal integrity, commitment, and unconditional love. He flew on a bomber during WWII, and always had such respect and love for his country. Grandpa Schaub was also a wonderful example of a dedicated priesthood holder. Eveytime I have ever met anyone from their old Phoenix ward they almost always say the same thing, "Your grandfather was my bishop and he was one of the best bishops I've ever had."

I'll always remember the "buzzzzzzz" he would do to each baby in our family, as he waved his finger around till it came for a landing on your tickle spots. Or the way he rolled his dice, swiftly and decisively (the same way he approached his golf balls).And more than anything, I will remember my Grandpa Schaub every time I sit down to play a game of cards.Grandpa Schaub will be sorely missed.

The future is here.

I'm back...

I got back from Houston Saturday night. It was a great experience. I took tons of pictures that I'll have to post later cuz my internet at home is down (I had to call in the geek squad for help -- i.e. - Ryan's coming over tonight to take a look at it).

Meanwhile...I've succumbed to social pressure. I know I can't believe it either. Actually it's more because of work. Anyways, I'm now on Twitter. So if you want to follow me on Twitter (not that anyone would actually need to know what I'm doing, because I promise, I'm really not that interesting), I'm at @meganschaub . If you don't know what twitter is, check out their website, they have a great little intro video. I'd love to know if anyone else out there that I know is Twittering. So shout out if you are.

Gordon Grant Johnson, my grandpa

My grandpa, Gordon Grant Johnson, passed away Friday night. He has been very ill, due to cancer and old age and has been in the hospital for almost two months, I think he was 83. Though his passing brings much sorrow to my family, it also brings with it peace. I love my Grandpa Johnson and will miss him greatly.

I will miss his great love for all things musical. He played the violin and the harmonica and could probably pick up most other instruments. He instilled that love of music in his children, a love that has trickled down to me.

I will miss his love of adventure. Grandpa Johnson loved to go places and see new things, especially after reading about them -- this is a picture of Grandpa with my mom (his eldest daughter) at Kartchner Caverns here in southern AZ about 2 years ago. Even when I was little, whenever I would visit my grandparents in Maryland, they would plan exciting trips for us. With them I have traveled up and down the East Coast and seen amazing things.

Grandpa Johnson also loved spending time with his family, even if it meant being dragged out into the middle of the AZ desert. Here he is in 2006 with us riding ATV -- he was content just sitting in the shade under a tree with grandma.

I'm going to miss him very much, but know that he is in a much better place. It is times like these that I am reminded again how grateful I am for the Plan of Salvation and the role that my Savior Jesus Christ plays in that Plan. That because of the sacrifice of the Savior, and because of the blessings of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ - namely the priesthood power, the saving ordinance of the temple, and personal covenants we make with our Heavenly Father -- we can be together as a family throughout all eternity. I am truly blessed.

Thursday, my brothers and mom and dad and I will be flying out to attend the funeral on Friday. I was just thinking that the menu for Friday's activities should be interesting. Usually when my mom's family gets together there is a luau (because my Grandma Johnson is Hawaiian). However, my Grandpa Johnson does not like Hawaiian food -- no exceptions! So it will be interesting to see what is served. I'm voting for good ol' hamburgers and hotdogs. Grandpa Johnson would have loved that. :)

I didn't drown.

But it was touch and go there for a while.

Last night was my first swim class in my GCC Triathlon Training Class. And it was U-G-L-Y...and I ain't talkin' about how I looked in a bathing suit.

You could have calf tied Michael Phelps, put duct tape over his mouth and blind-folded him and he still would have beat me at the 100 M. Aggghh!!!

I knew I was in trouble when my coach yells first thing, "Everybody in the pool and do FOUR laps for warm up." Four. Warm up. Who was he kidding?!? And that's how it went for 2 hours. We did drill, after drill, after drill. Some I was able to complete, others found me hanging on the edge of the pool trying to aspirate water. fun.

Nevertheless, I persevered and learned several things.

1) Breathing is important. During my first 4 laps, my coach was standing on the edge of the pool yelling at me "Put your head in the water. You're supposed to put your head in the water." I'm thinking "I Know!" and at one point I even yelled back (I could do this cuz my head was above water at the time) "I Know, thanks!" It's just harder to breath underwater. So I'm still working on the breathing-while-swimming thing.

2) The harder you work the more exhausted you are at the end. I've got to learn the basics better. I know that I'm flailing around entirely too much, thus exhausting myself. As I figure it, I expand as much energy in one lap as everyone else spends in 3 laps. You do the math and figure out who will win this race, hmmm...

3) Food is good. After barely dragging myself out of the pool, and pert-near crawling my way to my car all I could think about was FOOD. I didn't eat before hand and after that kind of work out I definitely deserved a drive thru Carl's Jr.

Pretty much defeated the purpose of the work out, hmmmm. But boy did it taste good!

Got home took a hot shower, cuz I could already feel my shoulder muscles stiffening up, downed an Aleve and then crawled into bed where I remained unconscious until 4AM when my alarm went off and I headed to the gym to bike 10 miles and "run" 2 miles.

Are we having fun yet?